Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Top Weird Stories of 2008

1) A Beverly Hills doctor faces accusations that he turned fat removed via liposuction from his patients into biodiesel for his Ford SUV and his girlfriend's vehicle. Some patients have filed lawsuits, alleging he allowed his assistant and his girlfriend to perform the liposuction surgeries with a medical license.

2) 42-year-old Michelle Duggar of Arkansas delivered her 18th child, a baby girl by Caesarean section. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Michelle and her husband Jim Bog Duggar’s other children are: Joshua, 20, Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 17; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 12; Joy-Anna, 11; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 8; James, 7; Justin, 6; Jackson, 4; Johannah, 3; and Jennifer, 1.

3) A defense lawyer says an Ohio woman dubbed "the Granny Robber" in several bank heists was trying to support a grown son who had fallen on hard times. Sixty-eight-year-old Barbara Joly has admitted she robbed a bank in March and investigators suspect her in as many as three other holdups. Police say the former bank teller from Middletown, Ohio, probably got away with less than $10,000 total. Attorney Chris Atkins said in court Tuesday that his client wanted to send money to help her only child.

4) Eau Claire, Wisconsin police said a man accused of stealing a soda worth $1.57 chose to go to jail rather than pay up, even though he was carrying more than $70. Police responding to the report of a theft recently say the 27-year-old man appeared drunk. An employee told officers the man had taken a cup from the counter, filled it and began drinking. When employees told him he had to pay for the drink or leave, the man refused to do either. A police officer told the man he could pay $1.57 or go to jail, and the man chose jail. The officer handcuffed and searched him, finding the money in his pocket.

5) A 33-year-old Indian farmer married a female dog to atone for stoning two other dogs to death and stringing them up in a tree 15 years ago. He believed the act cursed him and he had been suffering ever since. After he stoned the dogs he said his legs and hands got paralyzed, he lost hearing in one ear, and his speech was impaired. With doctors unable to help him, Selvakumar turned to an astrologer who told him he was cursed by the spirits of the dogs he had killed. He could undo the curse only if he married a dog and live with it. Family members chose a stray female dog who was then bathed and clothed for the wedding occasion.

6) A Canadian man has built an android to fulfill a man’s fantasy. Her name is Aiko. Talk dirty to Aiko the android, and she will talk dirty back. She's five feet tall, with brown eyes, and cost $20,000 to develop. She has breasts, nipples, and other lady parts. Aiko is a 32-kilogram female android built by Le Trung. She is just under five feet tall, has brown eyes that can distinguish 300 faces per second and speaks 13,000 English and Japanese phrases. Her skin is made of silicone and her insides are made of an expensive collection of wires, motors and various sensors.

7) A man in Mary Esther, Fla., at the DRS Technologies building, got his arms stuck in machinery that resembled an elevator and he saved himself by dialing 911 with his big toe. Police pried him free and he was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital.

8) Steve Kruescher, a 57-year-old school bus driver from Illinois, has won the right to change his first name to "In God" and his last name to "We Trust." The father of four says God pulled him through a painful divorce, and he's worried atheists might succeed in having "In God We Trust" removed from U.S. currency.

What were your picks of 2008?

Monday, December 15, 2008

"Not Tonight Honey, The Web is Calling"

"Not tonight honey, I need to get on the internet."

Sounds like a bizarre reason for not wanting to be intimate doesn't it? But according to a new survey released today, nearly one out of two women would rather give up sex for two weeks than go without the internet, according to a survey released today.

Forty-six per cent of the women polled said they would rather go without sex for two weeks than give up access to the internet for the same period of time, according to the survey, ``Internet Reliance in Today's Economy.''

Ninety-five per cent of those surveyed said it is ``very important, important or somewhat important'' to be able to access the internet.

Sixty-five per cent of those surveyed rated internet access above other discretionary spending items such as cable television subscriptions (39 per cent), dining out (20 per cent), shopping for clothes (18 per cent) or a health club membership (10 per cent).

Sixty-one per cent of the women surveyed said they would rather give up watching television for two weeks than give up access to the internet for one week.

The survey was conducted by the online research firm Harris Interactive and sponsored by Intel Corp, the world's biggest computer chip maker.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

A Baby Boomer Santa Fantasy?

Some of the so-called experts and surveys tell that life in the bedroom just ain't what it used to be when we reach a certain age. Growing older supposedly makes us tired and unnattractive to our mates.

If you fall into that category, here's a little tip on how to spice up your love life this holiday season.

Dress up like Santa or Mrs. Claus!

Why? Because more than one in five women has a secret Santa Claus fantasy, according to flirty dating website BeNaughty.com.

Research by BeNaughty.com reveals that women find the chubby, bearded gift-giver very sexy indeed. More than 1,000 women were asked whether they fancied Santa Claus in the poll.

"We can't decide whether it's the beard, the red suit or his obvious kind and friendly nature that makes him appealing," said Max Polyakov, head of the UK's top dating site.

"It could of course be that he brings a lot of presents and smiles a lot."

Research also revealed that one in 16 (6%) men had, at one time or another, dressed up as Santa Claus in the bedroom. And one in 10 (9%) women had worn a sexy Mrs Claus outfit.

But whatever you do, don't try coming down the chimney--that exerts way too much energy!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Having a Baby Post Menopause

A 70-year-old woman has now become the oldest woman in recorded history to ever give birth. On November 28, she delivered a baby girl in India. This is a woman who had reportedly been in menopause for the last 20 years.

The "new mom", who has been married for 50 years, said she had been trying, without success, to have a child for much of that time. The baby was conceived through the use of a donor egg that was injected with her husband's 72-year-old husband’s sperm. The baby was born premature, since the embryo transfer took place on April 18, according to newspaper reports, and she was born seven months later.

Several months ago, I wrote about a 60-year-old New Jersey woman who gave birth to twins. She called it a wonderful experience. Wonderful for her, right. But what about the boys she has to care for and raise? Did she ever stop to think about the impact her age will have as they grow older? The same goes for this 70-year-old from India. How much longer will she be around---or her husband for that matter---to take care of her child? The new mother was quoted as saying, "We longed for a child all these years and now we are very happy to have one.”

I've asked it before. I'm asking again. How old is too old to have a baby?


Do these women need a medicare bond in order to give birth? Maybe they should get one!

Monday, December 08, 2008

Casey Wohl: The Girlfriends Getaway Expert

I connected with Casey Wohl, the author of the Girls Getaway Guide, ealier this year when I was planning a Baby Boomer Girlfriend's Spring Break in Florida. Although she's not quite a boomer babe, I was immediately impressed with Casey's "girls just wanna have fun" attitude and her book was most helpful in helping me make my arrangements.

When my good friend, Teresa Morrow, invited me to be a part of a blog tour for Casey to promote her new book, I didn't hesitate. What I appreciate about Casey is she does her homework by visiting the cities and then providing an honest assessment of what she discovers. My advice is don't plan a girlfriends trip without her book.

Please enjoy my interview with Casey on this leg of her blog tour:

When did you really start traveling?

Honestly, I have always been a traveling girl. Fortunately, my parents were great about exposing us to different parts of the country and have always encouraged us to travel as much as we can.

What made you decide to write a travel guide for girls/girlfriends?

During a very tough year both personally and professionally, I came to find a tremendous amount of solace in traveling with my girlfriends. I love the adventure of experiencing new cities. It is almost like a re-birth for me. I also love re-visiting cities, where you can re-visit old memories and create new ones at the same time. Before I traveled to new cities, I would always look for city-specific travel books geared towards fun-loving girls. I could not find any city guides that highlighted trendy hotels, restaurants, spas, shopping, entertainment, cultural attractions, bars, plus provided a calendar of events throughout the year and activities unique to that area.

What is the message you would like to share through your books?

The tagline for all the books in this series is “Leave Your Baggage at Home.” Everyone has “baggage.” For me, I went through a divorce and lost my job, so I carried a lot of personal baggage. For some people, just their daily routine alone can wear them down and weigh on them like baggage. No matter what type of “baggage” you carry in everyday life, a fun-filled girls getaway is the perfect way to rejuvenate yourself and spend quality time with your family and friends.

Do you know what your next guide may be focused on?

The next city in the series is Nashville.


What other things are in store for you and your business in the upcoming year?

We have some amazing things coming up in 2009. Some are so new that I cannot even talk about them yet. But, be sure that 2009 has some wonderful things in store for women of all ages who love to travel. A few trips we already have scheduled are to Austin, TX; Napa Valley and Jackson, MS for the St Patricks Day Parade and the Sweet Potato Queens march through the city! For information about upcoming trips, promotions and other fun girl getaway stuff, visit www.GirlsGetawayGuide.net and sign up for our monthly E-newsletter.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Baby Boomer Men Need Help This Holiday

Listen up guys: you are going to need some help getting through this holiday season. Now, more than ever, your mate is counting on you to pitch in and help out wherever she thinks she needs it. Some of you many be required to go well above and beyond the call of duty.

You can keep yourself out of harms way by "listening" for some code words your mate uses and the tone in which she uses them. This can be especially challenging if your better half is going through a little something called menopause.

Those words include:

1.) FINE: It s the word women use to end an argument when they are right, and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes: she is getting dressed, this means half an hour. Five Minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) NothingThis is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine (see #1).

4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh: This is not actually a word but a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. "That's okay" means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you - do not question or faint. Just say you're welcome.

8.) Whatever!: Is a women's way of saying "%@ &* YOU!"

9.) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "what's wrong" - for the woman's response refer to #3.

My suggestion to you is that you do everything possible to make your mate happy during the holiday season and I guarantee you she won't utter not one of those words! Instead, you'll be hearing words like: "I Love You!" "Honey, you're the greatest!" and "Oooo-la-la!!!"