Irresponsibility At Its Worst

This is a follow up post to the Jennifer Strange story. Mrs. Strange died of water intoxication from participating in a radio contest, "Hold your wee for a Wii." Attorney Roger Dreyer is planning on suing KDND radio station and the disc jockeys who were working during the competition. That's not really very surprising, nor is the fact that all disk jockeys who were working during the competition have been fired. However, the audio of the radio hosts talking about the contest as well as interviewing Mrs. Strange has surfaced on the internet. It's disturbing, especially in lieu of what the outcome was. The disk jockeys flippantly joke about contestants dying, and never realistically take serious the possibility that contestants could be in danger.

For more on the story.
http://www.sacbee.com/127/story/110323.html
For the disk jockey audio.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/newsroom/kdndslides/

This Story Shouldn't Exist, For Multiple Reasons

The charter school in Chino Valley, Arizona, had no idea how much publicity they would get for admitting Neil Rodreick into their school. They admitted him as a 12-year-old 7th grader. Fifty days into the school year, it has come to light that those facts were not true. Rodreick is actually 29 years-old. Even worse, he is a convicted child rapist. The story gets even weirder and more disgusting. Rodreick had conned two older men into believing he was a 12-year-old, and they were having sexual relations with him. The two older men, Lonnie Stiffler, 61, and Robert Snow, 41, were recently made aware of Rodreick's age. Susan Quayle, the spokeswoman for the sheriff, said the two men were "Very upset when the detectives told them they had been having a sexual relationship with a 29-year-old man and not a pre-teen boy." Though this story is disgusting and shows the worst filth in our society, that last statement is fairly humorous. I don't know who the more disgusting person is in that situation. In any case, all three are in custody, and that school will probably be a lot more careful when admitting new students.

For more on the story.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070120/ap_on_re_us/sex_offender_ruse

Hypocrisy Of PETA

Adria Hinkle and Andrew Cook both work for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Ironically though, they are both being prosecuted for cruelty to animals. While working for PETA, they were asked to transport animals that from crowded shelters to other shelters with more available space. Apparantly, there wasn't that much space at those other shelters either, because Hinkle and Cook decided it would just be easier if they killed the animals and disposed of them in a dumster outside of a grocery store. Police became aware that something was up when once a week they would find piles of dead animals outside the store. After four weeks of finding the animals, they caught Hinkle and Cook in the act, with more dead animals in their van. Nothing like a little positive publicity for your organization.

For more on the story.
http://www.startribune.com/484/story/953972.html
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/dec05/051201e.asp

Odd Storage

Something crazy just happened in Delray, Florida. A woman from New Jersey came down to clean out her parents storage unit they had kept there. Her parents had passed away a couple years ago, but no one in the family had gotten around to cleaning out their storage unit. She found a suitcase which had another smaller suitcase inside of it. Inside of that suitcase was an object tightly wrapped in newspaper. That object, turned out to be a mummified baby. It was fairly well preserved. It still had hair. Obviously this came as quite a shock to her. Police are currently investigating the situation. Probably wasn't what the woman was hoping to find inside her parents storage unit.

For more on this story.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/23/mummified.baby/index.html

Good Work Girls!

What do Hilary Duff, Lindsey Lohan, and Jessica Simpson all have in common? The answer is, they all starred in a movie in 2006. More specifically, they all did a really crappy job starring in a movie in 2006. All three have been nominated for a Razzie for worst actress. The Razzie Awards are basically the opposite of the Academy Awards. Instead of praising the year's best, they make fun of the year's worst. So, if you want to see Duff in "Material Girls," Lohan in "Just My Luck," or Simpson in "Employee of the Month," realize what you're in for.

For more on the story.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,245480,00.html

Tank Issues

Tank Johnson and the Chicago Bears are right where they want to be, headed to the Super Bowl. Tank is the starting defensive tackle for the Bears. Only problem for him is, he isn't cleared to leave the state of Illinois right now. This hasn't been a problem, as they've had home field advantage throughout the playoffs. But, the Super Bowl is being held at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida. Johnson is awaiting a decision by judge John Moran to decide on what to do about his violation of probation. Police raided Johnson's home and found 6 guns and over 500 rounds of ammo in his house, which he was not supposed to have.

For more on this story.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/lester_munson/01/22/tank.johnson/index.html?cnn=yes

Gambling : The True Gamble

When Mathew Bowles-Roth turned 18, he went to the Casino. It's pretty common for an 18-year-old in Minnesota to do that. His first night, he walked out making $97. That summer, before going to college at DePaul, Mathew gambled all the time. He ended the summer breaking even. But, what he didn't realize is that his forming addiction would take his life down a far different path than he had intended. Gambling ended up causing Mathew to drop out of college. Not because financially he couldn't afford it, but because he was so addicted that he literally cared of nothing else. He lived to gamble. On one occurrence he spent three straight days and nights in the casino with no sleep or personal hygiene. However, his parents eventually intervened and sent him to a gambling treatment facility. Now 22, Mathew is still recovering, but there isn't a day that goes by where he isn't tempted to go gamble again.

For more on the story.
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/950690-p2.html

Taste Of Failure

Things did not go Tom Brady's way, which is unusual. Brady has been untouchable in the playoffs, compiling a 12-1 record over the last six years. He's led his team, the New England Patriots, to three Super Bowl victories in the last five years. He was the MVP in two of those three Super Bowls. This season, the path to the Super Bowl went through the Indianapolis Colts, a team Brady has faced twice before in the post season, winning both times. With the Colts up 38-34, the Patriots had the ball on their own 20 with 2 timeouts and fifty-six seconds left to play. They needed a game-winning drive from Brady. He's done this time and again in the past. He has more 4th quarter comebacks than any other NFL quarterback in the last six years. Just last week he led a comeback against the favored Chargers. Brady completed two passes and the Patriots crossed midfield into Colts territory with 20 seconds left and 1 timeout. But, then something happened that Brady has never experienced before in the NFL. He messed up under pressure, and threw an interception. The Colts won, and Brady, for once, has to learn what it's like to be a loser in a big game and a victim of another quarterback's fourth quarter comeback.

For more on this story.
http://torontosun.com/Sports/Football/2007/01/21/3419019-sun.html
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/football/070122/f012202A.html
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5054100

Frustrations, Ejections, Suspensions

The Minnesota Timberwolves started the 2006-2007 season with a 13-15 record. Since 2007, they have been 7-2 leading up to their January 19th game against Detroit. The season taking a turn for the better. But, the game against Detroit did not go well. First of all, Ricky Davis left the gym in frustration after being pulled out of the game for making a poor turnover. Second, Kevin Garnett was ejected from the game for losing his cool and throwing a ball at Detroit player, Antonio McDyess. The Wolves lost the game in double overtime. Even worse, Garnett has been suspended by the NBA for one game, as well as Ricky Davis being suspended by the team for one game. Meaning, the Wolves will be without their top two scorers for their January 21st game against Phoenix, which is arguably the hottest team in the league right now. Phoenix has won 28 of their last 30 games.

For more on this.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20070121-021121-4822r
http://www.startribune.com/511/story/949308.html

Duck Tales

I woman in Tallahassee, Florida, recently went to check on her refrigerator, which hadn't been working correctly. Inside was a dead duck which her husband had shot while hunting two days earlier. Upon opening the refrigerator, she was shocked to see the duck alive and looking at her. She freaked out, and immediately sent her daughter to bring the duck to an animal hospital. Currently, the duck is living at a wildlife sanctuary and has a good chance of surviving the gunshot injuries. My question is, where was the husband in all of this? If he had been the one to open up that refrigerator, would the duck be at a wildlife sanctuary right now? Not a chance. He spent time and energy out hunting that duck. It may have survived the initial blow, but if the husband finds him in the refrigerator alive, I can guarantee you he's going to finish him off. I bet the husband is a little upset that his wife didn't inform him on the situation before she took action.

For more on the miracle duck, check out these sites.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20070121-104837-2668r
http://www.wrex.com/News/index.php?ID=14729

It's A Dart Miracle

Josh Hanson was in Minneapolis on Friday, January 19th, for a dart tournament. Yes, a dart tournament. The tournament was being held at the Hyatt Regency hotel, where Hanson was staying with his dart-throwing friends. They darted out for some drinks on Friday night, returning to the hotel around 1:30 a.m. There, the friends were apparently goofing around on the way up to their room on the 17th floor. Upon reaching the 17th floor, Hanson darted off, running away from his buddies towards a wall where there was a floor to ceiling window. He lost his balance and flew into the window, crashing through it. He fell 16 stories, landing on an awning above the main entrance to the hotel. For a fall that should be fatal, somehow Hanson only ended up with a broken leg. Perhaps he knew some techniques for surviving large falls. Turned out to be a little more intense of a weekend for Hanson than just throwing a few darts.

For more on the story.
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/949072.html

Bindi, The Jungle Girl

This is a follow up to my post on the death of Steve Irwin. First of all, in regards to the exclusive footage of his death, which was handed over to Irwin's wife, Terri. She destroyed it. Understandably. Second, the documentary Irwin was shooting when he died, Ocean's Deadliest, will air on January 21st at 8 p.m. on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. It will be followed by a tribute to Irwin. And third, and this part doesn't sit very well with me, Irwin's daughter, Bindi, will soon be starring in her own television show, Bindi, The Jungle Girl. Bindi has been very outspoken in her desire to continue her father's legacy. Her big quote is, "I'm going to become a wildlife warrior just like he was." To me, this would be fine, if it was a few years down the road. Bindi is eight-years-old right now. Eight. She can't be a wildlife warrior at this point in her life.
Terri and Bindi are currently traveling the United States on a tour titled, "G'Day USA," to promote Australia as well as the new TV show.

For more information on this story check here.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=555434&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=1/20/2007
http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/171863
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2801283&page=1

Chimp Drama

Chimp Haven is a retirement home for chimps who were once used in laboratory research. Something unusual just happened at Chimp Haven. One of the female chimps, Teresa, had a baby. This was not expected because all seven male chimps living in Chimp Haven have had vasectomies. Teresa is in her late forties, and this is her 11th child. However, it's her first in 13 years. All seven males are undergoing paternity tests to see who fathered Teresa's baby. Sounds like the chimp version of the Maury Povich Show. As soon as they find out who the chimp culprit was, he'll be sent in for re-operation.

For more on the story.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2007-01-17-chimpbirth_x.htm

Harmless Cellphone? Or Gadget O' Death?

Luis Picaso fell asleep while relaxing in his hotel room in Vallejo, California. When he woke up, his clothes were on fire. Picaso was able to put out the flames, but received 2nd and 3rd degree burns on more than half his body. How did this happen? His cell phone spontaneously combusted in his right front pocket, starting the fire. Sounds unbelievable, but this is not the first time this has happened. In 2004, the same thing happened to a 16-year-old girl in California. Conveniently for her, she wasn't asleep, and was able to extinguish the fire quicker. She escaped with only small, 2nd degree burns to her right buttock. I bet Picaso won't be taking naps anymore with a cell phone in his pocket.

For more on the story.
http://www.startribune.com/484/story/939481.html
http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/01/15/n/HeadlineNews/PHONE-FIRE/resources_bcn_html

Babysitters, Be Ware

Jim and Nikki Walker are married and live in Albertville, Minnesota. They have two children. Jordyn is 9, and Jackson is 5. I bet when they began their family they didn't plan on ending up where they will find themselves this Friday, at 7:00 pm. That is, as the stars on a Fox television show. The show, Nanny 911. What happens on this show is you start with a dysfunctional family that has absolute brats for children (in this case, the Walkers). The nanny comes in there and cracks the whip on the kids and tries to straiten them out by the end of the show. The Walker's story goes something like this. Jim works nights as a police officer and because of his schedule, much of the time he is home he tunes out his wife and kids. This drives his wife crazy. She has lost all control over their children, and they do what they want. Needless to say, this is not how they planned it.

For more information, check this site.
http://fox61tv.com/first/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=157&Itemid=75

Too Much of a Good Thing

Jennifer Strange wanted to do something really nice for her three kids. She heard about this contest on the radio titled, "Hold your wee for a Wii." It was a contest where participants had to drink water at continuous regular intervals and hold their urine until there was only one contestant left. The winner would get a Nintendo Wii. She wanted very badly to win this for her kids. The problems is, keeping large amounts of excess water in your body can be deadly. This was the case for Jennifer. She was found dead in her home a couple hours after leaving the competition. She died of water intoxication.
I've never heard of water intoxication before. But, apparently it is an issue for marathon runners and other athletes competing in long endurance sports. Also, it has caused deaths in college fraternities where those who are pledging are hazed by being forced to binge on water. The thought there being that binging on water is much safer than alcohol. Water in general is considered to be great for the body. Sometimes though, as the saying goes, you can have too much of a good thing.

For more on information on this story.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/13/water.intox.ap/index.html

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

Mikhail Prokhorov is the 89th richest human being in the world. He has been called Russia's most eligible bachelor. Sounds like a stud. Recently, he went on vacation to a fancy ski resort in Courchevel, France. Guess what happened to him there? He was arrested for being involved in a prostitution ring. Apparently skiing wasn't the only attraction at this deluxe resort, which was so popular with the rich. In any case, I don't think it turned out to be the relaxing vacation Prokhorov was hoping for.

For more on the story.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=nation_world&id=4929336

At Least It Wasn't A Chevy

I don't know how attached Jacob Schmidt was to his 2000 Ford F150 pickup, but I bet he didn't want it to sink to the bottem of Battle Lake. But, that's just what happened when he and friend Russell Omann attempted to drive out to their fish house on Thursday, January 4th. Both friends managed to escape out the windows before the truck sank and were unharmed by the ordeal.
It's been unbelievably warm this winter in Minnesota. It takes 8-12 inches of ice on a lake to safely drive vehicles on it. Apparantly these two facts didn't connect when the two decided to take their trip out to the fish house.

For more on this story.
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_009155550.html

Should've Called In Sick

It was a news story that both shocked us and at the same time didn't surprise us at all. I'm talking about the death of Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter." Just watching the show, you're always kind of saying to yourself, "I don't think I would do that if I were him," or "Please! Put the venomous snake down already!" Apparently, because he had no fear of the animals, they respected him and did not strike (worked for Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights). However, eventually one did, and on September 4th Irwin was killed by a stingray barb.

Think about this though. He died while working. It's all on tape. How repulsive and sickening is that. Think about all those times the cameramen and extra production people have seen Irwin in a close call, only to come out of it fine. Think about the gut feeling everyone must have had when the realization of the situation set in.
Police used the tape to investigate his death. That seems weird, and somewhat unnecessary. His wife did not want the tape to be released in any way to the public, so one copy was given to her, and all duplicates were destroyed. How crazy is that? She has well documented footage of her husband's death.

For more info check these sites.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20006373,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14663786/

Tony Choko

Tony, Tony, Tony, what has happened? Things were going so well for you. During the season you beat out veteran QB Drew Bledsoe as the starter for the Cowboys. And you know what, you played great, and you managed to get voted into the Pro-Bowl. Many thought it was ridiculous that you did, but hey, let 'em talk, you got in. Also, throughout the season it's been rumored that you've been dating Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood . You were on top of the world there for a bit. Things came crashing down though recently. On Saturday, January 6th, 2007, you made a terrible error. One of those, "I immediatly regret what I just did" type of things. With just over a minute left in your playoff game against Seattle, your Cowboys were down 20-21. They were about to try a 19 yard field goal to go up by two points and would likely go on to win the game. It was just a chip shot. Easy. Things looked good. But you, Tony Romo, were responsible for holding that ball for the kicker to make the field goal. And when the center delivered the ball to you, you fumbled with it. It was like a wet bar of soap in your hands. The kicker wasn't able to kick it, and when you realized what was happening, you took off for the end zone to try and score a touchdown. And you

almost made it. You could have been the hero. But, unfortunately for you, Tony, Jordan Babineaux tackled you on the two yard line and the rest is history. The Cowboys are out of the playoffs, and you are destined to have youtube videos made of you titled, "Tony Romo Chokes."

Here's a couple more articles on what happened.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Vance/2007/01/09/3277245-sun.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/tim_layden/01/09/romo/
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/franz_lidz/01/09/junkin/