Slide 2: Natalie Dylan Auctions Off Virginity For Offers Of Up To $3.7 Million
Daily Telegraph | January 12, 2009 08:36 PM Bidding in the auction for the virginity of Natalie Dylan, a 22-year-old student from San Diego, Calif., has reached absurd new highs. The Daily Telegraph has the story, saying that the price has now hit $3.7 million: Last September, when her auction came to light, she had received bids up to £162,000 ($243,000) but since then interest in her has rocketed.
Slide 3: Fla. teen sent 35,000 texts in a month _ twice
The Associated Press January 15, 2009 at 4:58 a.m. CLERMONT, Fla. - A Clermont man is lucky Sprint offers an unlimited text messaging plan. Brad Cox's 14-year-old daughter, Emilee, sent or received more than 35,000 messages a month twice in the past year. Cox called the Orlando Sentinel to report his daughter's excessive texting after reading an article on the Web about a California girl who topped 14,000 in a month. Emilee's highest month was June, when she tallied 35,463 messages, or about 1,182 a day. She attributed the spike to constantly trading text messages with friends while she was at cheerleading camp. A spokeswoman for Sprint confirmed the number of messages. Cox says as long as his daughter continues to get good grades, he doesn't have a problem with her texting.
Slide 4: Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept Car
January 14, 2009 at 3:24 pm That’s the World Thorium Fuel concept car by Cadillac. The Cadillac WTF designed by Loren Kulesus, is supposed to be powered by the nuclear fuel thorium and therefore last 100 years: Elsewhere, every major system is redundant in case of a failure. And the wheels don’t have individual tires - in fact, what’s located at each corner is one combined unit made up of six individual wheels. That gives you 24 wheels in total, and each wheel has its own induction motor. Said Kulesus, "The vehicle would require the tires to be adjusted every five years, but no material would need to be added or subtracted."
Slide 5: Ann Summers say sorry after offending shopper with saucy sale display
Daily Mail Reporter 12th January 2009 Adult retailer Ann Summers today apologised for offending a shopper with one of its saucy shop fronts. But it did not say it would remove the window display’s suggestive sale sign despite a letter from the council asking them to tone it down. Harrow council wrote to the sex toy and lingerie chain over the sign in which an elongated letter ‘l’ in 'sale' is depicted in an apparent sex act below the catchline ‘get excited’. 'Subliminal messaging': An Ann Summers store with the offense-causing display Father Kevin Gooch was shocked to be confronted by the image when he was out shopping with his young son in the Harlequin shopping centre in Watford. In a letter to the Harrow Times, which prompted the council to take action, he said: ‘I was surprised and somewhat shocked to see Ann Summers displaying a pair of open lips with a five foot erect penis just about to enter into them. ‘I feel this sends out a very strong message. I do not want my young children to be subjected to this kind of subliminal messaging when going shopping.’
Slide 6: Two men stoned to death in Iran
TEHRAN, Iran — Two men convicted of adultery were stoned to death in northeastern Iran last month but a third convicted man managed to escape, Iran's judiciary spokesman said Tuesday. Ali Reza Jamshidi said the stoning took place in the city of Mashhad in late December but did not provide the names of the convicted men. Under Iran's Islamic law, adultery is punishable by stoning, but such sentences are rare. International human rights groups have long criticized stoning in Iran as a cruel form of punishment. Jamshidi did not describe how the stonings were carried out. But typically under Islamic rulings, a man is buried up to his waist, while a woman is buried up to her neck. Those carrying out the verdict then throw stones until the person dies. If the person manages to escape from the hole, he or she will remain free under Islamic law. "Given that the third person managed to pull himself out of the hole, the verdict was not carried out," Jamshidi told reporters. Stonings were widely carried out in the early years after the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the pro-Western government and brought hardline clerics to power. But in recent years, it has seldom been applied, although the government rarely confirms when it carries out stoning sentences. The last time Iran reported a death by stoning was in July 2007 when Jamshidi said a man convicted of adultery was stoned to death in a village in northern Iran. Women's rights activists headed by feminist lawyer Shadi Sadr have been campaigning to have the sentence removed from Iran's statutes. Iran's reformist legislators have demanded an end to death by stoning as a punishment for adultery, but opposition from hardline clerics has sidelined their efforts. The Associated Press
Slide 7: 'Gun Haul' Beauty Queen Arrested
December 24, 2008 A Mexican beauty queen has been arrested with suspected gang members in a truck filled with guns and ammunition. \Laura Zuniga was arrested on Monday at a military checkpoint in Zapopan, just outside Guadalajara. Earlier this year the 23-year-old was named Miss Sinaloa 2008. A police spokesman said Zuniga was riding in one of two trucks where soldiers found a large stash of weapons, including assault rifles, 9mm handguns and $53,300 in US currency. Zuniga told police she was planning on travelling to Bolivia and Colombia with the seven men to go shopping. When the former schoolteacher won Miss Sinaloa in July she gave an impassioned speech about how society should value women more. Zuniga is from the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa, the home of the powerful cartel of the same name. It is not known whether she and the men are being investigated for drug ties.
Slide 8: Obama's Presidential Limo Will Be a 'Rolling Tank With Windows'
January 07, 2009 The inauguration of Barack Obama will not only bring about a wholesale turnover in the political leadership of the country but it will also unveil the newest in a long line of Presidential limos. According to Presidential vehicle experts, the new limo is a beast-like General Motors truck-based Cadillac that is so tough it's like a 'rolling tank with windows.' Among the vehicle's main features are windows that are 5 inches thick, 19.5-inch Goodyear RHS tires (same as super tough trucks), and possibly even a lock safety mechanism that seals off the car like a bank vault in case of an emergency. Because the Secret Service keeps details of the limo understandably private, even the most knowledgeable security experts don't really know how much gadgety tech is being installed in the new ride. But it's not stopping them making a few informed guesses. In an interview with CNN, security expert Ken Lucci says rubber gaskets likely protect the car against chemical weapons and that the body will be made out of a tougher material than before. The most recent limo used by President Bush used some combination of a dual hardness steel, aluminum, titanium and even ceramics to break up possible projectiles. And there are usually steel overlaps that cover any gaps a door might leave. Despite the immense secrecy, reports have leaked that the limo also comes with a 10-CD changer, which will inevitably end up playing Obama favorites like Steve Wonder and Bob Dylan. We're surprised there's no Blu-ray or Wii in there, but we're pretty sure of one thing: The limo will be a Zune-free zone, especially considering the most recent reports.
Slide 9: Jan 10, 2009
Quakes shake loose fears about Yellowstone volcano
Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Run for your lives ... Yellowstone's going to explode! Hundreds of small earthquakes at Yellowstone National Park in recent weeks have been an unsettling reminder for some people that underneath the park's famous geysers and majestic scenery lurks one of the world's biggest volcanoes. In the ancient past, the volcano has erupted 1,000 times more powerfully than the 1980 blast at Mount St. Helens, hurling ash as far away as Louisiana. No eruption that big has occurred while humans have walked the earth, however, and geologists say even a minor lava flow is extremely unlikely any time soon. Some observers are nonetheless warning of imminent catastrophe. "To those of us who have been following these events, we know that something is brewing, especially considering that Yellowstone is over 40,000 years overdue for a major eruption," warned a posting on the online disaster forum Armageddononline.org.
Slide 10: Mysterious credit card charge may have hit millions of users
Globe Correspondent / January 11, 2009 Several Internet complaint boards are filled with comments from credit card customers from coast to coast who have noticed a mysterious charge for about 25 cents on their statements. The charge shows up on statements as coming from "Adele Services" in Melville, N.Y. There is no business by that name listed in Melville, or registered to any business anywhere in New York, for that matter. Two theories of what is going on have advanced on message boards and among consumer advocates: Someone is trying to find out whether an illegally obtained credit card number will work before making a bigger charge, or they're trying to rip off tiny amounts from tons of people. The latter theory has more credibility at the moment. The Better Business Bureau in Louisville reports that, at least so far, those who have been hit with the small charge have yet to get slammed with a bigger charge. The bureau speculates that the number of possible victims could be in the millions. It's not clear how the numbers got in the hands of the people making the charge, but consumer advocates say it is most likely through either a data theft or someone using a computer to generate numbers. Former Massachusetts assistant attorney general Edgar Dworsky, who runs ConsumerWorld.org, said the scam reminded him of an old adage: "It's easier to steal $1 from a million people than $1 million from one person," he said. Most people, Dworsky said, are likely to overlook or ignore the small charge. "Isn't that the perfect scam, when the victim doesn't even know something has been taken?" he said. Take a look at your credit card statements, and if the charge is there, don't let it slide. It's what the thieves want you to do. Instead, file a dispute with your credit card company, and lodge complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov) - which is run by the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Federal law enforcement officials tend to react when the complaints reach a certain volume.
Slide 11: Jaguar Motorcycle by Barend Hemmes
Barend Massow Hemmes of Massow Concept Cycles along with Polar cycles of Doncaster UK created what is probably the most awesome motorcycle I’ve ever laid eyes on: the Jaguar "leaper" cat logo concept bike, made from stainless steel.
Slide 13: 2009-01-08 - AHN Staff
U.S. Porn Maker Seeks $5 Billion Bailout From Federal Government
tWashington, D.C. (AHN) -- If General Motors and Chrysler deserve a bailout package from the federal government, so does the adult entertainment industry. That is the reasoning of Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt when he asked the U.S. Congress for a $5 billion bailout package to help the porn industry. Flynt requested for a bailout package from Congress, together with Joe Francis, creator of the Girls Gone Wild video series. Francis explained, quoted by the U.K. Telegraph, "Congress seems willing to help shore up our nation's most important businesses, (and) we feel we deserve the same consideration." Francis added, "In difficult times, Americans turn to entertainment for relief. More and more, the kind of entertainment they turn to is adult entertainment." DVD sales and rentals of porn movies have gone down 22 percent the past 12 months as a sign that recession has hit the adult entertainment industry. However, Francis and Flynt admitted online traffic continues to rise. Francis conceded the $13 billion industry is not at the brink of collapsing, but has been affected too by the economic crisis. "As long as the government is handing out money, we want to be there to take it," Francis said. On Wednesday, Flynt filed a lawsuit against his two nephews, Jimmy Flynt II and Dustin Flynt, for coming up with their own porno movies using the Flynt name. In the suit he filed with a U.S. District Court, the Hustler founder said his nephews' movies were inferior and knock-off goods. Flynt told the Los Angeles Times, "To come into the adult entertainment business and use my name not only confuses people who buy my products, but if they're not maintaining a certain quality, it could also hurt my name." The two younger Flynts used to be employees of Larry Flynt but were fired in 2008. They used their separation pay of $100,000 to start a rival porn company.
Slide 14: 2009-01-07 – - AHN 4-Year-Old Ohio Boy Shoots Teenage Babysitter In Revenge For Accidentally Stepping On His Foot Jackson, OH (AHN) -- A 4-year-old Ohio boy angry with his 18-year-old babysitter for accidentally stepping on his foot grabbed a gun from a closet and shot the teen. Nathan Beavers had minor wounds in his arm and side and was treated at a hospital on Sunday and released. Another teen also received minor injuries in the attack. Beavers was reportedly looking after the unidentified pre-schooler in a mobile home with several other teenagers and children. The child reportedly became angry when Beaver accidentally stepped on his foot, headed for the closet, grabbed the gun and shot the teenager. The child has not been charged.
Slide 15: Solar Storm Season Could Plunge Earth Into Total Blackout, Warn Scientists
Tue Jan 13 2009 A major solar storm could unleash a burst of geomagnetic fury on Earth's power grid. Recently a group of scientists released a report asking whether our high tech society could survive in bad space weather. The report, published by the National Academies for the US Government, explains how previous solar storms of typical magnitude took out the Quebec power grid in Canada 20 years ago - and interrupted the telegraph system back in the nineteenth century. What if a really big solar storm hit? The likely outcome would be global blackout. Not only would you be cut off from the warm, friendly internet, but airplanes would lose directional systems, water and energy grids would go offline, phone and hospitals would be without power. Solar storms interfere with high frequency emissions, including those used by most satellites. The charged particles released by flares accompanying such storms would first destroy instrumentation on the International Space Station, then when it reaches Earth would degrade solar arrays, damage high tech instrumentation, and blind optical systems of all types. Most importantly, it could play havoc with the electrical transformers that we use in almost all power grids. The report explains that we are entering a period of greater solar activity, and that people working with electrical grids and other systems vulnerable to space weather could easily install shielding to protect against stray particles and geomagnetic bursts. What's the lesson for you? Buy paper books, because they'll be the only form of entertainment after the global blackout destroys all those e-book readers and the internet goes dead.
Slide 16: It's an injustice to NOT marry girls aged 10, says Saudi cleric
Daily Mail 14th January 2009 Saudi Arabia's most senior cleric has told followers it is permissible for ten-year-old girls to marry and anyone who think they are too young are doing the youngsters 'an injustice'. Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh, the country's grand mufti, said: 'It is wrong to say it's not permitted to marry off girls who are 15 and younger. 'A female who is ten or 12 is marriageable and those who think she's too young are wrong and are being unfair to her,' he said during a Monday lecture. Al Sheikh's comments come at a time when Saudi human rights groups have been pushing the government to put an end to marriages involving the very young and to define a minimum age for marriage. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Kingdom's grand mufti, prays during the funeral of the Saudi woman and her daughter last February. In the past few months, Saudi newspapers have highlighted several cases in which young girls were married off to much older men or very young boys. Though the mufti's pronouncements are respected and provide guidance, the government is not legally bound by them. On Sunday, the government-run Human Rights Commission condemned marriages of minor girls, saying such marriages are an 'inhumane violation' and rob children of their rights. The commission's statement followed a ruling by a court in Oneiza in central Saudi Arabia last month that dismissed a divorce petition by the mother of an eight-year-old girl whose father married her off to a man in his 50s. Newspaper reports said the court argued that the mother did not have the right to file such a case on behalf of her daughter and said that the petition should be filed by the girl when she reaches puberty.
Slide 17: Fri Jan 9, 3:31 PM ET Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas is shown in this undated handout file photo released Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 in Huntsville, Texas. Thomas, who has a history of mental problems is being treated at a prison psychiatric unit after authorities said he pulled out his only good eye and ate it. He similarly had plucked out his right eye before his trial in 2004.
Slide 18: American Idol
Tue Jan 13 In this image provided by Fox, Katrina Darrell, 20 auditions for American Idol in Phoenix. The flat notes, the sweet surprises, the pleas of the rejected are all intact as 'American Idol' returns for its eighth season of first-class
Slide 19: Wed Jan 14, 1:57 PM ET Graphic of the Skycar, a four-wheel drive car that can convert into an aircraft using a paraglider-style canopy. A group of British adventurers set off from London to Timbuktu in the Skycar Wednesday -- but the project immediately hit turbulence, as they have not received permission to take to the skies here.
