"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx
A sample of some of the stories that caught my eye.
A collection of links that caught my eye today:
Pakistan: Taliban brainwashes kids with visions of virgins– Sadly there are no surprises here.
Finding the G-spot: Is it real?– Interesting article. Reminds me of the secret meetings we had back in my youth about girls.
Charter Richard Branson’s yacht– It is 105-foot catamaran, named Necker Belle. There is a picture but no specs. Of course if I had the $88,000 a week it costs to rent it I’d have no problem calling and asking for them.
10 of the year’s coolest gadgets– I love gadgets. So disappointed not to be at C.E.S.
I can’t decide who this guy looks like, Woody Allen, Lyle Lovett or Elvis Costello. Doesn’t matter because any way you slice it the dude has tremendous problems. The picture is provided courtesy of Multnomah County Sheriff.
A 27-year-old Southeast Portland man who beat his ex-girlfriend and then stabbed her pet fish and left it impaled in her apartment has been sentenced to two years of probation and a psychological evaluation.
An attorney for Donald Earl Fite III said he didn’t want to talk about the details of the assault, but that stabbing the fish was “a very low point†in his client’s life.
“He is absolutely mortified and ashamed about what he did to the fish,” said attorney Tom MacNair today in Multnomah County Circuit Court.”
A few comments. This really is a sad tale that is almost comical. He feels badly about the fish, but not about assaulting his ex. WTF.
Mr. Fite (what an unfortunate name for this story) apparently is quite disturbed that his lady friend has decided that he is no longer the king of love. Apparently she came home and found him there waiting. He suggested that they get back together, she refused and said that she had plans for the evening.
And now the story begins to get more bizarre. She tried to leave and he attempted to restrain her. She punched him in the nose and then he grabbed her by hair and ripped out her hair extensions. (I don’t know if that was intentional, just sharing information from the article.)
She fled the apartment and called 911. She returned with a police officer and discovered her fish, DeLorean impaled upon the wood floor. Let’s return to the article for a moment so that you can see just how weird it gets.
“I started crying hysterically,” said Harris, who didn’t attend the hearing but spoke with The Oregonian by phone.
“Donald bought the fish for me, and I’m sure he knew how much I cared for it.”
Fite admitted to police that he killed the betta, saying, “If she can’t have me, then she can’t have the fish.”
Fite pleaded guilty to first-degree animal abuse and fourth-degree domestic-violence assault. In addition to probation and a mental-health evaluation, he must work 80 hours of community service, pay $617 in fines and fees and stay away from Harris.
Deputy district attorney Eric Zimmerman told Judge Eric Bergstrom that the victim had requested restitution for an unusual reason – she wanted Fite to pay for a memorial tattoo she plans to get of the fish. The judge declined to order Fite to pay for the tattoo.
The judge also decided against banning Fite from having contact with fish, saying the stabbing was probably a one-time incident.”
Friends it is time again to announce the winners of America’s Best Restroom contest. As you know this is one of the yearly features of the blog so I am pleased to present it to you again.
Here is a list of the top five which I am sad to say have never received a visit from me, but perhaps one day.
1. The Shoji Tabuchi Theater, Branson, Missouri (Click Here)
2. The Tremont Plaza Hotel, Baltimore, MD (Click Here)
3. Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY (Click Here)
4. Zeffirino Ristorante, Las Vegas, NV (Click Here)
5. The Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois (Click Here)
Among the remaining finalists, those placing in sixth through tenth place are as follows: Macy’s – Union Square in San Francisco, California; The Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida; NOVA 535 in St. Petersburg, Florida; The Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan and Canlis Restaurant in Seattle, Washington.The Shoji Tabuchi Theatre received the coveted “America’s Best Restroom†plaque of recognition from Cintas during a special presentation today, and secured its place in the “America’s Best Restroom Hall of Fame†found at www.bestrestroom.com.
The Healing Power of Music– CNN reports on the work of a cardiologist and his study of the effects of music on the cardiovascular system. “Turns out music may be one of the best de-stressors. Makes sense to me.
Why Your Baby’s Name Will Sound Like Everyone Else’s -Wired gives you the rundown on why your baby’s name isn’t all that unique.
The Best & Worst Owners in Sports– SI comes up with another list.
Blue Whales Are On The Move– Live Science has some great stuff.
