Russian mother has 'giant' baby

MY GOD! That baby is HUGE!!!

My favorite quote:

"I ate everything, we don't have the money for special foods so I just ate potatoes, noodles and tomatoes," added Mrs Barabanova, who had the child on 17 September.

Russian mother has 'giant' baby

A Russian woman has given birth to a baby weighing 7.75kg (17.5lbs), more than twice the average newborn weight.

The "little" girl, Nadia, was delivered by Caesarean section at a hospital in the Altai region of Siberia, joining eight sisters and three brothers.

"We were all simply in shock," reports quoted Nadia's mother, Tatyana Barabanova, 43, as saying.

"What did the father say? He couldn't say a thing - he just stood there blinking," she said.

Record weights

All her previous babies had weighed more than 5kg (11lb), a local reporter was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying

"I ate everything, we don't have the money for special foods so I just ate potatoes, noodles and tomatoes," added Mrs Barabanova, who had the child on 17 September.

In January 2005, a woman in Brazil gave birth to a baby weighing 17lb (7.73kg), the heaviest boy yet born in Brazil, according to the Brazilian Gynaecological Association.

Among the heaviest babies recorded are a 10.2kg (22.5lb) boy born in Italy in 1955, and a 10.8kg (23.8lb) boy born in the US in 1879 but who died 11 hours later.

Queer Eye for the Iranian Guy Woos Ahmadinejad

(2007-09-25) — Producers of the new BravoTV series “Queer Eye for the Iranian Guy” said they’re close to inking a deal with Islamic Republic President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to appear in the season opener.

While it’s a well-known fact that there are no homosexuals in Iran, the network plans to import them to Tehran from the United States in order to give Mr. Ahmadinejad “a radical, extremist makeover.”

During the course of the show, the Iranian leader will be “fundamentally transformed head-to-toe” by a group of homosexual men known as the Fab Five — an interior designer, a fashion stylist, a chef, a beauty guru and a ‘concierge of cool’.

According to a news release from the show’s producers, “By the time the Fab Five are done with him, the A-man will have gone from geek to gorgeous, sporting new threads, new taste in pop music and a new sense of self-identity.”

Abraham Lincoln Flown to DC

New York: A wax figure of US President Abraham Lincoln sits in the front row of a Delta Shuttle airplane. The figure was on its way to Washington DC for the opening of a Madame Tussauds wax museum. afp

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON D.C.

***

Honest Abe’s Madame Tussauds wax figure will take to the skies on a Delta Shuttle flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C.

President Abraham Lincoln (or his wax figure at least) will take the late morning Delta Shuttle flight from New York City to Washington D.C. in preparation for the opening of Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. The flight arrives at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, September 20, 2007 to Gate 18 at the Main Terminal at Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. Media will be escorted onto the plane in small groups to shoot the figure seated in the Shuttle. Media should arrive between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. to check-in at the ticket counter and pass through security. President Lincoln’s figure will be part of Madame Tussauds Washington D.C., which opens on October 5.

The life-sized wax figure is dressed in a black suit and black bow tie and will be seated on the aisle with his right arm resting gently on the armrest. Passengers will get their first glimpse of the flight’s special guest as they board the aircraft. After takeoff, the Delta crew will announce the presence of the figure and invite passengers to sit next to and take pictures with Honest Abe. After landing in the nation’s capital, President Lincoln’s figure will be taken to its new home at Madame Tussauds Washington D.C.

The wax figures at this new family-friendly attraction include 13 presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush; famous Washingtonians, including legendary reporter Bob Woodward and music icon Duke Ellington; sports legends, including Babe Ruth and Tiger Woods and today’s biggest celebrities from Brad Pitt to Jennifer Lopez. Visitors will also get a hands-on look at the 200-year-old process that Madame Tussauds uses to create a wax figure.

Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. will be located within walking distance of the National Mall and the White House with its entrance on the corner of F and 10th Streets. For more information, go to www.madametussaudsdc.com or call 202-942-7300.

Hugo Chavez Discourages Breast Implant Gifts for 15th Birthday

Leader rails at teen breast implants gift fad

By Saul Hudson

CARACAS (Reuters) - President Hugo Chavez railed against a new trend in beauty-conscious Venezuela, giving girls breast implants for their 15th birthday.

"Now some people think, 'My daughter's turning 15, let's give her breast enlargements.' That's horrible. It's the ultimate degeneration," Chavez said late on Sunday on his weekly TV show that lasted a record eight hours.

Venezuela is well known for its beauty queens, who have regularly won world crowns, and many women have plastic surgery in the oil-rich country where there is widespread spending on consumer items that would be considered luxuries elsewhere.

Continued...

$14,500 Dessert Offered at Sri Lankan Resort

Forking Out For Rich Dessert

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- This dessert may be a little too rich for you, but you're probably not rich enough for it.

The dessert is a gold leaf Italian cassata flavored with Irish cream, served with a mango and pomegranate compote and a champagne sabayon enlighten.

A Sri Lankan resort is charging $14,500 for what it calls the world's most expensive dessert, a fruit-infused confection complete with a chocolate sculpture and a gigantic gemstone.

"The Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence" was created to give visitors at The Fortress resort in the coastal city of Galle a one-of-a-kind experience, said the hotel's public relations manager, Shalini Perera.

The dessert is a gold leaf Italian cassata flavored with Irish cream, served with a mango and pomegranate compote and a champagne sabayon enlighten. It's decorated with a chocolate carving of a fisherman clinging to a stilt -- an age-old local fishing practice -- and an 80-carat aquamarine stone.

The dessert has to be specially ordered, Perera said. Though the hotel has received calls about it from as far away as Japan, she said, no one has yet forked over the money to try it

A Humorous Look at President Ahmadinejad's Visit to NYC

By now I'm sure all of you have heard about Iran's President claim that there are no queer people in his country. If you haven't, you must be hiding underneath a rock. In which case go to Google.com and type in Iran, gay and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Or you can visit the Queer Muslim Revolution blog and see video of the speech and read articles in response to what he said.

So, in true "Onion" fashion, here's a humorous look at President Ahmadinejad's visit to NYC.

Putting Pressure On Iran

The White House is looking at deterring the Iranian nuclear program with new sanctions. What measures have been proposed?

* Cutting off two-thirds of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's name any time he is mentioned in the press

* Revoking the country's membership in the axis of evil
Ceasing production of monogrammed "U.S. & Iran: A Perfect Match" matchbooks

* Miss America not including Iran on world tour

* Jesse Jackson to be sent, without an interpreter, to negotiate

* Copyrighting the phrase "The Great Satan" and suing Iran every time it is used to refer to U.S.

* Putting restrictions on how much Iran is allowed to hate the U.S. at any given moment

* Will stop selling them uranium

Bush Proposes to Iran's Ahmadinejad

<----- New York gays support Bush's proposal

From Spoof.com

New York gays support Bush's proposal WASHINGTON (FMLiveWire) - In a surprise development, President George Bush has proposed to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the Iranian leader spoke at New York's Columbia University.

"Wow, that guy makes a lot of sense," said Bush upon hearing the speech. "I love that Persian accent of his."

Ahmadinejad spoke on Monday amidst a huge campaign by US media and politicians to demonize him and the government of Iran in preparation for a possible US military attack.

But Bush became enamored of the Iranian leader upon seeing him speak on a widescreen TV.

"Gosh," gushed Bush, "He accepts that the Holocaust happened and never said he wanted to destroy Israel. Why have all those crazy Zionists been lying to me about that stuff? Mahmoud looked so noble and sexy too. Whatta guy. He is the man for me!"

Bush went on to regret that the USA had invaded Iraq based on a campaign of lies just to grab its oil for American oil companies, and at the cost of one million Iraqi lives and tens of thousands of US lives.

He immediately ordered his officials to cease planning an attack on Iran.

"OMG, we are the real terrorists," Bush sobbed. "He is right! The warmongering USA and land-thieving Israel are the real problems that this world faces."

"My government has conducted a bloody and illegal occupation of Iraq, torture at Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo Bay and dozens of other sites, and it shows a complete contempt for international law and a constant campaign of military aggression," he cried.

Bush hoped that Ahmadinejad would accept his proposal and would teach him some morality in an intimate nuptial relationship.

"Iran certainly has the right to pursue a nuclear energy program as part of its membership in the International Atomic Energy Agency," shouted Bush. He also denounced America for supporting Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and he regretted US support for groups that carry out terrorist attacks in Iran.

"I'm sorry we shot down that Iranian jetliner too," said a contrite Bush.

"The greatest danger to the world's population is not the Iranian government, but American imperialism," Bush said sadly. "Having launched the Iraq war on the basis of lies, our political establishment and our media are now again preparing for a war with the great nation of that wonderful guy. We always do this sort of thing when the US faces financial and economic difficulties. This is so unfair and unjust."

There was no immediate response by Ahmadinejad to Bush's proposal, and Laura Bush had no comment.

Adversity - Quote of the Day

Adversity is the first path to truth.
-Lord Byron

Forbidden City Starbucks Replaced by Chinese Cafe

The new cafe offers more traditional Chinese fare

A traditional Chinese cafe has opened up in Beijing's Forbidden City, replacing a Starbucks coffee shop that was forced to shut after protests.

The new cafe will serve both coffee and traditional Chinese tea, China's state media said.

The Starbucks outlet was forced to close in July, having long been accused of tarnishing the historical site.

The shop, which opened in 2000, sought to quell the protests two years ago by removing its distinctive signage.

But the move failed to satisfy its critics. An online campaign earlier this year led by a state television personality drew more than 500,000 signatures.

Top attraction

State media said the Forbidden City Cafe would be run by officials in charge of the site, and would feature traditional Chinese wooden furniture and paintings as well as beverages.

"We want to provide tourists with a package of products relating to the Imperial Palace and Chinese culture," Li Wenru, deputy curator of the Forbidden City, was quoted as saying.

Starbucks was accused of trampling on Chinese cultur

The Forbidden City was built in 1420 and was home to 24 emperors until the end of imperial rule in 1911.

It attracted nearly nine million visitors last year, is China's top tourist attraction and a Unesco World Heritage site.

TV anchor Rui Chenggang, who led the campaign to shut down Starbucks, said its presence "undermined the solemnity of the Forbidden City and trampled on Chinese culture".

Seattle-based Starbucks had been told it could stay open if it sold other brands, but declined and said the decision had been "very congenial".

Leave Brittany Alone!!!

You've probably seen this already... If not, get ready to laugh out loud on the floor!! This guy has made a name for himself.... Good for him!

'Leave Britney alone' guy hoping for TV stardom

(AP) -- Chris Crocker has been called "queer," "a human train wreck," the "Britney guy," an androgynous "it" and much, much worse.
art.crocker.ap.jpg

Chris Crocker, posing at a park near his home in Tennessee, says he's "the key to world peace."

But how does this 19-year-old Internet phenomenon, known worldwide for his tearful YouTube defense of Britney Spears, define himself?

"I'm the key to world peace," says Crocker, sporting a sleeveless black T-shirt with a hot pink silhouette of Marilyn Monroe. His blond bob is swept behind an ear and the eye liner is, as always, flawless.

World peace aside, the teenager has captured millions of viewers on MySpace and YouTube with his passionate, campy and sometimes furious monologues about life.

Crocker, which is a stage name, had a cult following after he started posting video blogs a year ago. But it was "Leave Britney Alone" -- a profane, smeared-mascara answer to critics of Spears' performance on the MTV Video Music Awards -- that earned him instant fame and 8 million YouTube clicks. Video Watch Crocker's Britney rant -- and other post-VMA talk »

"You're lucky she even performed for you!" he screams. "If anybody has a problem with her, you deal with me!"

Since then he's been featured on late night, cable and network news and scores of radio shows. The video itself has been parodied by dozens of other YouTube users, most famously by actor Seth Green.

And Crocker has done it all from his bedroom in his grandparents' home in eastern Tennessee. (He asked The Associated Press not to reveal his real name or exact hometown because his critics can be vicious, and he doesn't want anyone to know where he lives.)

Earlier this year, Crocker signed a development deal for a reality TV show originally intended to be filmed in his hometown, but now he thinks it may be time to leave.

It's tough to be openly gay in a conservative Southern town, he says. There have always been death threats, bullying and glares at his clothes and makeup. Oh, and he's always pushing someone's buttons.

"My grandparents can't go to their church any more," said Crocker, his spunk clouded momentarily with genuine concern.

He's fiercely protective of his grandparents, Pentecostal Christians who took over raising him when his teenage parents couldn't. Crocker said his outrageous behavior, a stark contrast to the rest of the family, started when he was in kindergarten. He raised eyebrows that year for bringing Barbie dolls to class for show-and-tell.

"What I do affects them, and I feel bad for that," he said of his family.

Crocker's grandmother, who declined to be interviewed, is seen in a handful of his videos, appearing as an uncomfortable bystander. In one, Crocker is imitating a Christian woman interviewing his grandmother, who says she loves her grandson. In another, his grandmother is patiently arguing with him over his attitude.

Crocker said that when she agreed to be taped, "she didn't really grasp the size of the audience."

Since August, Crocker and 44 Blue Productions, a Studio City, California, firm specializing in documentaries and reality programming, have been pitching shows to several networks, including MTV and LOGO, a gay and lesbian channel. Crocker signed on with 44 Blue in May.

"Chris first got on our radar a year ago," Rasha Drachkovitch, president and co-founder of 44 Blue, said in a statement. 44 Blue considers Crocker "a rebel character that people will find interesting. He's going to be a TV star."

Crocker said there wasn't much interest in him as a reality TV star -- until the "Leave Britney Alone" video hit.

"It's just sad to me it takes a Britney video" to generate mainstream interest, he said.

He initially wasn't even going to post the Britney video, fearing that it would turn off his usual audience.

"They're not used to me talking about celebrities," he said. "I'm glad I posted it now, though, because I'm just giving Britney fans a voice."

Crocker sees Spears as a role model and says they have plenty in common: They're both Southerners, performers and "easy targets."

Most important to Crocker, he and Spears are both Sagittarians, the "entertainers" of the Zodiac. (Crocker had some serious reservations about being interviewed by a Capricorn for this story.)

If his proposed "Complaining with Chris Crocker" show is ever launched, he would love to host Spears. "I always say Britney's been my mom ... Britney's been there for me when my parents haven't," he said.
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With all this talk of Spears, have the two actually met or even chatted?

Crocker coyly answered, "I can't say."

Fox News Slams Chris Crocker; Chris Responds to Fans of Xanex (FOX)

Fox News on Chris Crocker



And here's Chris's response... You go boy! :-)