Wash With Care: Reporter Tweets Sexist Label on Boyfriend's Trousers

From the Archie Bunker Collection...

A reporter for UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph has stirred up quite an online controversy after she tweeted a picture of a care label with a decidedly sexist message she discovered on her boyfriend's trousers.

London-based reporter Emma Barnett was quite shocked when she discovered the label, which gave routine instructions on how to wash and dry the trousers along with the interesting alternative "Give It To Your Woman...It's Her Job"!

Needless to say, Barnett didn't take too kindly to the rather sad attempt at humor, and she promptly posted a photo to her Twitter feed, using the hashtag #womenriseup. The photo quickly blew-up across the blogosphere, with millions of re-tweets.

The trousers came from upscale British retailer Madhouse, where an official spokesperson quickly placed the blame for the offensive tag on the overseas manufacturer of the trousers. Still, there should have been some quality assurance inspection of the merchandise before it hit the retail outlets!

Chuck E. Cheese: Where A Kid Can Be Left Behind by Parents

A three-year-old girl must have thought she was in heaven after her parents neglected to take her home from a kid's birthday party being held at a Chuck E. Cheese's in Hartford, Maryland.

No one realized the child was without a guardian until the little girl became tired of hopping into the enormous pit of balls and noshing on cold slices of drab pizza and asked a grown-up if she could have something to drink. Witnesses at the eatery quickly realized that the little girl was not with any grown-ups. Authorities soon arrived on the scene and an announcement was made on the local evening news about a little girl left alone at Chuck E. Cheese's.

Both of the parents apparently watched the 11 o'clock news broadcast to discover that they had done a "Home Alone" with their precious three-year-old. As it turns out, the parents of the little girl, who are separated, each thought the other had taken the girl home after leaving the restaurant.

Child Protective Services released the little girl named Harmony back to her mother after authorities determined it was all just an unfortunate accident caused by a failure to communicate. No charges are expected to be filed against either parent.

The Great Death Coaster: Engineer Designs "Euthanasia" Thrill Ride

Many people love the thrill of riding a roller coaster and the feeling of cheating death, but one engineer has designed a ride that guarantees death for anyone wishing to take a spin!

The thrilling "Euthanasia Coaster" is a theoretical design engineered to "humanely, with elegance and euphoria, take the life of a human being". The structure is made up of a long, continuous series of high altitude loops and twists and turns, all designed to bring about a range of human emotions and feelings, with the ultimate goal of ending the rider's life. Prospective riders will experience emotions ranging from euphoria to thrill as well as tunnel vision and ultimately loss of consciousness and death. In keeping with the theme - the roller coaster carriage is a deathly shade of black. 

After traveling along the coaster at speeds of up to one hundred miles per second, passengers would eventually pass out near the end of the coaster's run and die from a lack of oxygen to the brain. The incredible structure was envisioned by Lithuanian engineer and designer Julijonas Urbonas. Julijonas has been involved in the field of amusement park development since he was a child and describes himself as an architect and engineer whose work is "artistic and philosophical".

"Thanks to the marriage of the advanced cross-disciplinary research in space medicine, mechanical engineering, material technologies and, of course, gravity, the fatal journey is made pleasing, elegant and meaningful," Julijonas told press in an official statement regarding his death-bringing thrill ride. He anticipates that the coaster could be used for people suffering from terminal illnesses who wish to experience euphoria before ultimately passing away, free of pain and suffering.

Sunday Girl? Blondie Singer Debbie Harry Mistaken for Lindsay Lohan

You know things are looking bad for Lindsay Lohan when someone who is forty-years older is mistaken for the troubled actress!

Paparazzi and hangers-on were excited when they spotted a blonde lady pop out of New York's Mercer Hotel, where LiLo was staying while she prepared for her appearance on last week's Saturday Night Live. Only it wasn't the puffy-faced Lindsay, it was 66-year-old pop goddess Debbie Harry, the lead singer of iconic rock group Blondie!

Of course, Linsday was born years after Blondie's prime had come and gone, so I'm not even sure LiLo knows who she is. In Lindsay's defense, Deborah  has benefited from the skills of one heck of a plastic surgeon!

Boogie Nights: Man Arrested for Flashing Fake "Junk"

A 26-year-old Maryland man is facing indecency charges for exposing himself to several unsuspecting women on or near the Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland. Only the perp didn't actually expose himself to the women, but rather a large, fake version of the male genitalia.

Police allege that Jacob Bovia sat in the front seat of his Honda Accord in a parking lot near the college campus and pulled out the fake penis to flash female victims as they walked by his automobile. (He was apparently inspired by the infamous porn star Dirk Diggler in the film Boogie Nights, starring Mark Wahlberg.)

Police approached Bovia, who was "acting suspiciously" while seated in his vehicle. Police quickly found the enormous fake genitalia in the front seat. He was subsequently arrested and later admitted that he had flashed his "junk on several occasions" over the past several weeks. He was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct and three counts of indecent exposure (for the simulated act).

"Hello, miss...would you like to see the junk in my trunk?"

Clean Up Your Room, Kid: Teen Finds Winning Lottery Ticket in Messy Bedroom

A teenager in Scotland is glad that he finally relented to cleaning up his bedroom after his mother nagged him about the mess after finding a winning lottery ticket!

19-year-old Ryan Kitching from Midlothian, Scotland, wasn't overly-excited to tackle his messy bedroom, but did so at the urging of his tired, put-upon Mum. The Scottish lad eventually uncovered twelve old lottery tickets buried somewhere beneath the messy pile of dirty underwear and smelly socks. At first, Ryan thought that the tickets weren't any good and he considered tossing them into the rubbish with the other junk he planned on throwing away. On second consideration, an inner-voice told him to take a closer took and check out the numbers. He's delighted he did, as it turns out one of the tickets DID have a winning number, and now he is some $80,000 richer!

"I am totally speechless — it was the happiest day of my life easily. Next time she nags me to tidy my room I won’t need telling twice,” Ryan elatedly told local press.

Kitching plans to use some of his new-found funds to send the 'rents on vacation, as well as helping his baby brother to buy a new set of wheels. He has decided, however, not to use the money to get his own place. " I don’t want to move out just yet. I still get my tea cooked here."

Roadkill Couture: The Shoes Made from Dead Animals

If you have a hankerin' to wear some dead varmints on your feet, shoe designer Iris Schieferstein just might have the fashion footwear to meet your redneck needs! 

If you are in search of a pair of designer heels to wear with your camouflage prom gown, you should check out Iris' stilettos fashioned from the hooves and legs of a dead deer. The heels are made out of antique six-shooters, so you'll be the envy of all the Belles at the Deadwood Ball! 

If hoofin' it up in deer hooves is not your speed, you might want to check out Iris' lovely white clogs, made with the dead carcasses of pure white doves! They will look as if they are doing a romantic mating courtship ritual as you spin around the dance floor, doing the do-si-do to a Gretchen Wilson song at the Honkey Tonk Cotillion! 

"This is what it sounds like when doves cry..."

 
The 45-year-old designer, from Berlin, Germany, actually doesn't use road kill, but collects carcasses from her local butcher which are discarded after the meat is used for sausages. She spends at least a week stripping out any remaining meat and bones from the animal's feet and the skin is sent to a tanner to be treated for preservation before it can be fashioned into shoes. 


The footwear has been featured in museums as artwork, and has even inspired a line by designer label Dolce & Gabbana. In spite of the high cost, the footwear isn't very practical and can only be worn a few hours before becoming highly uncomfortable. 

The Thief of Hearts: 900-Year-Old Heart Taken from Dublin Cathedral

Thieves made off with a highly unusual item from a church in Dublin, Ireland: the 900-year-old preserved heart of a saint!

Members of the Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin said Sunday they're upset and more than a little confused over the theft of the church's famous religious relic: the preserved heart of St. Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of the city of Dublin.

 The heart of Saint O'Toole had been displayed in the cathedral since the 13th century. It was stored in a heart-shaped wooden box and secured in a small, square iron cage on the wall of a chapel dedicated to his memory within the cathedral. Sometime on Saturday, someone cut through two iron bars, pried the cage loose, and made off with the priceless relic.

"I am devastated that one of the treasured artifacts of the cathedral is stolen," said the Most Rev. Dermot Dunne, the cathedral's dean. "It has no economic value but it is a priceless treasure that links our present foundation with its founding father."

The  Garda Siochana, Ireland's national police force, are currently reviewing hours of closed circuit television footage taken outside and within the cathedral in the search for the body part thief. Authorities believe the culprit could have hidden inside the cathedral overnight and left with the heart when the church doors were opened early on Sunday morning for parishioners to attend morning Mass. Church services went on as scheduled after the robbery was discovered.


O'Toole was Dublin's archbishop from 1162 to 1180 and gained a reputation as a skillful and compassionate mediator between rival Gaelic and Norman factions then fighting for power in Ireland. He died at the age of 58 while traveling in Normandy on a peace mission. On his death bed he was said to have declined to make a will, claiming not to have a penny to his name. He was canonized as a Saint by Pope Honourius III in the year 1225.

Cee Lo Green Plans to Be Las Vegas' New Liberace

Talented R&B singer/songwriter Cee Lo Green is planning to set up shop in Sin City and be the next Liberace!

The "Forget You" singer and coach on the hit NBC talent show The Voice recently announced that he has moved to Las Vegas permanently and will have his own nightly show. The show, dubbed "Lo-Berace", will be at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood and will launch on August 29 and run through at least the end of the year.

Sources say the Cee Lo will pay homage to many of the stars that have influenced him over the years, including Prince and The Rolling Stones. Expect lots of wild outfits, as the singer has a penchant for outrageous and flamboyant stage attire. Also expect guest stars to pop up on stage every once in a while as well, maybe even his The Voice friends Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton.

Cee Lo obviously loves the unique vibe Las Vegas has to offer, telling The Las Vegas Review, "I love the city. I can't wait to be a part of it. I can't wait to be officially there. From this generation I would just like to be able to carry on, and pick up the torch and continue to make Vegas a place to be."

Believe It or Not, This Building Didn't Get Hit by a Tornado

The Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in Branson, Missouri, narrowly escaped being destroyed during this week's terrifying tornado outbreak, not that you could tell from its creaky exterior!

The museum in the Missouri town was actually constructed to look like it had been whacked by a twister (or left all shook up by an earthquake on the nearby dangerous New Madrid fault line)! A line of intense thunderstorms swept through the tourist Mecca on Wednesday, producing a tornado and damaging many of the town's famed theaters as well as hundreds of local businesses. The tornado came within fifty feet of the Ripley museum, but left the structure completely unscathed.

Businesses damaged by the terrifying storm hope to be repaired and back open in time for the upcoming Spring tourist season. The town, located in Missouri's picturesque Ozarks lakes region,  is visited by some six million tourists from around the world each year.

The Royal Supermodel: Princess Grace's Grand-Daughter New Face of Gucci

Italian fashion house Gucci has a beautiful new face, that belonging to the stunningly gorgeous grand-daughter of the late Princess Grace of Monaco.

The always-fashionable, 25-year-old daughter of Princess Caroline, Charlotte Casiraghi, who is also a word-class equestrian talent, has been selected by Gucci to represent their European high fashion line. The famous fashion house created all of Charlotte's outfits as she competed in the 2011 Global Equestrian Competition.

Charlotte, who is 4th in line to the throne in Monaco, already has some modeling experience beneath her Gucci leather belt, appearing on the cover of the September edition of French Vogue magazine last year. She is also seen in the front row at major French fashion shows, including those for designers Stella McCartney, Diane Von Furstenberg, Etam and Yves Saint Laurent.

Miss Casiraghi replaces True Blood actress Evan Rachel Wood in the prestigious role as the face of Gucci.

Mysterious Underwater Plume Taints Honolulu, Hawaii Harbor

Authorities are at a loss to explain just exactly what type of substance is pouring out of a storm drain in Honolulu, Hawaii.

It obviously isn't sewage (there's no smell to the substance), nor is it oil, as there is no residue. Whatever the substance is, it suddenly began rushing out of the storm drain in the early morning hours at an alarming rate, even though there had only been a small amount of rain fall in the area overnight.

In a matter of minutes, the substance had turned the harbor a milky color, which quickly made its way to the ocean, where thousands of people were swimming, surfing and enjoying the idyllic Hawaiian beach. Local residents and tourists alike expressed concern about the mystery substance entering the harbor and ocean, curious to know if the substance was potentially toxic and a danger to the public. Local boaters reported seeing dead fish floating in the water tainted by the plume.

The Hawaii Department of Health has gathered samples of the water emptying into Kewalo Basin and determined that it is fresh water. State officials believe the water is mixing with silt and coral which is producing the white color,  yet the source of the gushing water remains a mystery.

Sugar Withdrawal: Beverly Hills Bakery Introduces 24-Hour Cupcake ATM

If you're in need of a sugar and frosting fix in the middle of the night and you happen to live in the ultra-glam enclave of Beverly Hills, you're in luck. A super-popular bakery has opened up an exclusive ATM that dispenses extra-yummy cupcakes and other delicious treats, 24/7.

The successful Sprinkles bakery has introduced the colorful new vending machine for those who crave a midnight snack. The company promises that the treats dispensed from the machines will always be extra-fresh, as employees will be working around the clock, baking cupcakes and placing them for sell. Customers in need of a sugar rush will be able to choose from eight scrumptious flavors of confectionery goodness, with the average cupcake costing $4.

Nicole Schwartz, head of marketing at Sprinkles, explained that the machine can hold up to 600 cupcakes, and any cake dispensed will have only been baked a few hours earlier. "The machine is attached to our bakery, which is essentially a 24-hour operation. By the time our closers leave at night, it’s 11pm and our bakers arrive in the wee hours of the morning (2 or 3am!)."

The bakery, popular with such A-List stars as supermodel Heidi Klum and actress Blake Lively, has also introduced doggy yum-yums to be sold in the vending machine, as LA health codes prevent clients from taking their pampered pooches into the bakery.

Black Widow Lunch: Spider Eats Giant Snake Caught in Web

"What can I say? This obviously isn't Charlotte's Web..."

Most people don't like spiders. Most people are at least a little afraid of snakes. If you don't like both, then perhaps you should avoid this story!

A receptionist for a an electrical firm in South Africa went to work one morning only to encounter the above horror...a large spider snacking on a much larger snake that was trapped in its deadly web!

The snake is actually a female brown button spider, and is no-where near as lethal as its famous cousin the Black Widow. The lucky spider spent two entire days weaving a web around its prized catch, witnesses say, before diving into perhaps its biggest feast ever. The spider was very protective of its meal, aggressively attacking any flies that began to land upon the dead snake.

The Killshot: Scientists Warn One in Eight Chance Earth Will Be Devastated by Solar Flare

Earth stands a one in eight chance of being struck by a solar mega-flare of such violent proportions over the next decade it could cause trillions of dollars of damage, scientists warned today. The dire prediction comes after years of intense studies conducted on our celestial neighbor regarding the volatile nature of the sun and the possibility of it producing a catastrophic solar storm dubbed "The Killshot" by both scientists and government agencies. 


The coming event would rival the effects of the famed Carrington Event  more than 150 years ago when telegraph stations caught fire and their networks suffered massive black-outs after a dangerous solar flare erupted from the sun. A similar event today would devastate our technology-driven world, collapsing power grids worldwide, knocking satellites out of their orbits in space and grinding the modern world to a complete and total halt. Computers, telephones and other hand-held technological devices would be rendered useless, as the world's population would be forced into living conditions not seen for hundreds of years. 


The prediction came as a shock even to the man who made it, Pete Riley, a respected senior scientist at Predictive Science in San Diego, California. "Even if it's off by a factor of two, that's a much larger number than I thought," he told Gizmodo after publishing his estimate in Space Weather on February 23, 2012.

Scientists and experts estimate a solar event similar to the Carrington would create $2 trillion worth of devastation the first year alone, with perhaps hundreds of millions of deaths caused by harsh living conditions, exposure to the elements as well as starvation and dehydration due to an extreme lack of potable drinking water and the inability to transport food.  

 

Weee....AHHHHH!!! Roller Coaster Rips Arms & Legs Off Test Dummies

Roller coaster aficionados worldwide will certainly have an "arm raising" experience riding a new thrill ride soon-to-open in the UK.

The new terrifying coaster, dubbed "The Swarm", will be opening at Thorpe Amusement Park in Surrey, England, but the ride just might be a bit too intense, after test dummies strapped in to the coaster lost appendages during a dry run. The top secret coaster cost a reported  £20,000,000 to construct, and stands 127 feet high and reaches speeds up to 62 miles per hour. But test runs for the behemoth creation were more than a little troubling after photographs revealed the amputated arms and legs of the test mannequins.

Thorpe Park, however, claims the dummies lost their limbs in the pursuit of pushing The Swarm to the "absolute limit" because customers wanted the most extreme experience possible, without losing any vital appendages. Mike Vallis, divisional director at the theme park said he was now 100 per cent satisfied the ride met safety standards.

 

The dummies were apparently damaged when the ride took them too close to a prop church built on the premises. An emergency response team was promptly called in to respond to the problem before the park opens up to the public on March 15.