Boy Forced Into Coffin As Punishment; Police Say

SCRANTON, Pa -- A seven-year-old Scranton, Pa., boy claims his parents forced him to wear a diaper and put him in a coffin as punishment, Reuters reports.

Neighbours called police on Sept. 26 when they could hear the boy crying inside the house, the news agency reported Tuesday.

Police found the boy sitting in the basement wearing a diaper. He told police he was crying because he was hungry.

The news agency reported the boy told police he had been locked in a coffin, which was held shut with a chair. He managed to push the coffin open and escape. In the past, he told police, his stepfather used duct tape to keep the coffin shut, according to court documents cited by Reuters.

The documents indicate the boy said his mother and stepfather would put him in the basement as punishment. They would tell him there were ghosts and would even rattle chains to scare him. He wore the diaper because there was no washroom in the basement. Police are now searching for the boy's mother, Lori Gardner, 26, and stepfather, Brian Sleboda, 31.

[Reuters]

Pizza Deliverer Calls Cops on Medical Marijuana User

A medical marijuana user is mad after the Papa John’s delivery driver who brought his pizza called the cops on him.

The driver reportedly became concerned after he noticed that the Colorado man had a 9-year-old daughter. “I was definitely not smoking marijuana in front of my children, which is what he said he saw,” Frederick Smith told 9NEWS.

Aurora Police searched Smith’s house, but found nothing of note. No charges were filed.

Papa John’s released a statement saying they stand behind the employee’s actions. “He was acting as a concerned citizen and for what he believes was the best interests of our community,” the company said in its statement.

Smith remains incredulous. “I was astounded that a pizza driver of all people would be the person to start trouble about medical marijuana,” he said.

[9news]

Get Yourself A Fake Girlfriend

Does anyone else get a little freaked out when they read this kind of thing? Go here.

[found via 9gag.com]

11 Year Old Benched For Scoring Too Many Touchdowns

Did you ever have a moment in school where your teacher asked a question and you raised your hand, but you’d already answered too many questions that day, so she didn’t call on you and asked the class if anybody else knew the answer? Remember how that contributed nothing to your education? Welcome to the Madre Hill Rule, the athletic equivalent of “let’s hear from somebody else”, a rule that prohibits young players from scoring too many touchdowns.

The violator of note is 11-year old Demias Jimerson, an Arkansas’ Wilson Intermediate League running back who was benched for doing just that — succeeding at football. The video is reassuring and disheartening at the same time … reassuring in that Demias himself seems like a cool kid and is okay with it, disheartening in that the only reason the principal (who is a scary old white lady … just throwing that out there in case this becomes an inspirational movie) has is “the other kids are forced to deal with him being good”. Constant attempts to nerf creativity and talent are the worst part about the public school system, and pretty much the only part I can remember.

Another reassuring part of the video is Demias’ soundbite about how football is important, but how God comes first. He’s going to give great post-game interviews one day.

[h/t Guyism]

Your City May Be to Blame for Sending Out Colds

Cold season is upon us, and with that, the season during which, for some of us, our stuffy noses will render the sound of the letter M completely indistinguishable from the sound of the letter B for several months. We're told to blame it on our lax attitudes toward personal nutrition, our bodies' crappy immune systems, and any and all children (in addition to blaming it on both the rain and the alcohol). But did you know that your mucus-enhanced nasal cavities might be blamed on the city you call home?

MSNBC reports that the results of a survey conducted by Sperling's BestPlaces and our nasally-helpful friends at Breathe Right nasal strips have been released, and if you live in Oklahoma City, Birmingham, AL, or New Orleans, the mystery of why you're always congested may finally be solved. Those three lovely places topped the list of "America's Most Congested Cities."

The researchers took several factors into consideration in calculating the results of this vitally important study. Among them: pollen count, purchase habits of congestion products, smoking, and air pollution.

Congested people are more likely to do other things besides blow their noses excessively — according to researchers, congestion often leads people to mouth-breathe and snore. One can assume that they also sometimes chew with their mouth open, which is one of about a thousand reasons why you should never go to a sushi restaurant in Oklahoma City.

Other perennially-sniffly cities include Louisville, Memphis, San Antonio, Dallas, Charlotte, Houston, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. Surprisingly absent from the list? Notoriously smoggy Los Angeles (insert joke about cocaine and rampant rhinoplasty here).

[MSNBC/Image via DPix Center/Shutterstock]

Homecoming Queen Kicks Winning Field Goal

On Friday night, Brianna Amat, the first girl to make the varsity football team at Pinckney Community High School in Michigan, was called onto the field during halftime and crowned Homecoming Queen while she was still in her uniform. Less than an hour later, she made a 31-yard field goal, helping her team win the game 9-7, and earning the nickname the Kicking Queen.

Amat tells the New York Times that the other football players had no problem welcoming a girl onto the team. "They've been so accepting of me, it's as if I've always been their teammate," she explains. The same can't be said for a local Fox anchor, who felt compelled to end a great report with a corny quip about kicking in high heels.

Dubai Restaurant Highest In The World

A Dubai restaurant has earned the world record for being the highest from ground level.

At.mosphere received a plaque Tuesday from Guinness World Records for the achievement.

The restaurant is located on Level 122 of Burj Khalifa -- the tallest building in the world. At.mosphere is 442 metres above the ground.

The restaurant boasts a grill, lounge setting and "outstanding views of the Arabian Gulf."

School Claims Rosary Is A Gang Symbol

Students at a public school in Fremont, Nebraska, have been told they can't wear a rosary to school because it's also considered a gang symbol.

Elizabeth Carey, 12, told Omaha television station KETV her elementary school adopted the policy last year.

"The principal said I couldn't wear my necklace at all because gangsters were wearing it," she said.

Superintendent Steve Sexton told the television station the policy is for student safety.

"We had information from law enforcement that there were documented instances of gang activity in the area and we had information that states that the rosary was being used as a symbol of gang affiliation," Sexton said.

But the move has raised the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.

In a press release entitled, "That gang of nuns looks pretty dangerous," the group says the school's policy raises "seriously concerns about children's religious liberty."

The group also says it violates the First Amendment right to practise religion freely.

"Students have the right to express their faith in public schools. Whether a student wants to wear a crucifix, a rosary, or another symbol, it is wrong for school officials to interfere. We understand the serious concerns about gangs in schools, but Fremont Public School should demonstrate there is a concrete gang connection before shutting down a student's free speech and religious rights," ACLU Nebraska legal director Amy Miller said in a statement.

Carey said she will continue to wear clothing that shows her religious views.

"I'm deciding to stand up for Jesus and do whatever I can to stop this," she said.

School Bans Hand-Raising In Class

In an effort to discourage Hermione Granger types from dominating the class, a school in Britain has banned children from raising their hands during class.

Instead they've been instructed to give a dignified, Fonzie-like thumbs up sign.

The head teacher says shy children can give a thumbs up subtly, but flailing their hands about, "can put them off because they have to put their ideas forward in a forceful way."





[DailyMail]

Florida College Students Fight for Ban on Leaf Blowers

As college kids gather in New York for the Occupy Wall Street protests, a group of students in southeastern Florida have a different cause they're fighting for: They're pushing for a ban on noisy leaf blowers.

Students at Palm Beach State College looked into the "pros and cons of leaf blowers" as part of an English class project and were later inspired to start a group called SAVE, or Students Against Volatile Emissions. On Tuesday, they're scheduled to appear before Palm Beach County officials to plead their case. Not surprisingly, local landscapers aren't too impressed with the effort. Says one: "They're worried about a damn leaf blower? It's a bunch of young kids thinking they're trying to save the environment. We get 30 MPH winds, they blow up stuff, too."

[Sun Sentinel via Fark, video via WPTV]

Watch the Evolution of Zack Morris’ Brick Cell Phone from Saved By The Bell

Is anyone more associated with the old brick cell phone than Zack Morris? I don't think so. Watch that grey beige brick phone of his evolve from complete brick to... slightly less of a brick in Saved By The Bell.

I kept expecting it to get smaller but there's only one scene where his cell phone became a flip version! There are different colours though. God, how foolish old technology can look.

[YouTube via Huffington Post]

Students Break Electric Car Land Speed Record in a Blur

And they say electric cars don't go fast. A group of BYU engineering students have built an electric streamliner that peaked at speeds of 175 mph. With that quiet electric motor I'll bet the "whoosh" it makes is gorgeous.

It took seven years and the work of more than 130 students to make it happen. The car, called Electric Blue, barrelled down the Bonneville Salt Flats for two runs, averaging 155.8 mph and peaking at 175 (they got it up to 180 last year but rolled the car in the process, so it didn't count). Students custom built the body out of carbon fiber after intensive modelling in a virtual wind tunnel. Fueled by a trunk full of lithium iron phosphate batteries, this sucker officially broke the world land speed record for electric cars under 1,100 pounds.

Batteries that are powerful enough to accomplish such a feat are extremely heavy, and before this no one had been able to get enough juice in while keeping it under weight. While, obviously, this type of car is in no way street-legal, it's another important step in showing what battery-powered cars are capable of.

Big congrats to everyone involved in the project, now can you please make something I can take down the Pacific Coast Highway? Preferably with a sunroof?

[PhysOrg]

Bieber Impersonator Makes $300 Per Hour

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- A 17-year-old Ohio boy says he has been raking in $300 to $600 per hour at his part-time job -- impersonating Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber.

Anthony de la Torre of Bowling Green, who said his first acting job was a voice role on "Dora the Explorer," said he signed on with two agencies seeking Bieber impersonators after he was frequently mistaken for the teenage singer while on a Caribbean cruise with his family during the past summer, The (Toledo) Blade reported Monday.

"Honestly, this isn't my dream job, but it's still fun because I do have a blast at the parties I go to pretending to be him," de la Torre said. "It's just a lot of fun making little kids freak out."

De la Torre said his job takes him all over the country, including Boston, New York and Kentucky.

The teenager's mother, Esther Garcia-Tio, said she supports her son's acting dreams.

"For anyone we love in our life, I think our job is to try to help make their dreams come true, and I think that's why I did this, because I want his dreams to come true and I would do it for any one of my kids," she said.

[Toledoblade]

French Schools Ordered to Ration Ketchup to Protect Cultural Heritage

French schools were rationing ketchup in their cafeterias to help children keep their cultural identity, under a new government decree.

The rule came into force in most primary and secondary schools Monday and restricts how often the condiment can be served. School lunchrooms can serve dressings such as ketchup and mayonnaise only with certain dishes, such as fries, which are now allowed only once a week. The decree also bans schools from serving ketchup with traditional French meals, such as beef bourguignon and roast veal with blue cheese sauce.

The edict aims to ensure that the pupils stay connected to their cultural heritage, and to prevent them from being lured by fattening junk food.

"Canteens [cafeterias] have a public health mission but also an educative mission," according to Christophe Hebert, chairman of the National Association of Directors of Collective Restaurants. "We have to ensure that children become familiar with French recipes so that they can hand them down to the following generation."

Hebert added, "They need to know that in France food means conviviality, sharing and having a good time at the table. We absolutely have to stop children from being able to serve those sorts of sauces to themselves with every meal."

The new order also stipulates that schools must offer four or five dishes each day, including a dairy product, such as cheese or yogourt, and that broccoli and spinach must be encouraged. Bread also must be freely available in unlimited quantities.

Video: Really Impressive Puppeteer

Here's a little girl playing fetch dog puppet. What more could you want?

[found via arbroath.blogspot.com]

Video: Another Goat Screaming Like A Man

It's happening everywhere. I'm pretty sure I read about this in the Book of Revelation.

Video: This Cat Is Literally A Copycat

This very cool video is done with effects, but damn do I wish it was real. As if cats weren't passive aggressive enough already…



[YouTube]