[tin mad dog]

Man charged with vomiting on girl at Phils game

PHILADELPHIA -- A New Jersey man is facing charges after police say he intentionally vomited on an 11-year-old girl and her father in the stands during a Philadelphia Phillies game.

Twenty-one-year-old Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., was arraigned Friday on charges stemming from his behavior at Wednesday night's Phillies-Nationals game.

Police say Clemmens made himself vomit on an off-duty police captain and his daughter after a companion was kicked out of Citizens Bank Park for unruly behavior, which included cursing, spitting and spilling beer by Clemmens and a friend.

According to an account in the Philadelphia Daily News, Clemmens and his friend were asked by the 15-year-old daughter of Easton police Capt. Michael Vangelo to stop cursing and spitting. A short while later, Vangelo said, it started again.

"One guy started spitting ... first it landed on the back of my daughter's chair. Then it landed on her hooded sweatshirt," Vangelo said, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

After Vangelo reported the incident to stadium officials, Clemmens' friend was led out of the stadium. At that point, Vangelo said Clemmens said he would be sick and "put two fingers down his throat."

He then "leaned forward and started vomiting on us," Vangelo said, according to the Daily News.

Philadelphia police say Clemmens also punched Vangelo and vomited on an arresting officer.

"It reminds you of the type of behavior you used to hear about at the 700 level in Veterans Stadium," Philadelphia police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore, according to the Daily News.

Vangelo told the Daily News he didn't hit Clemmens because "I kept thinking, 'If I get arrested, my kids will be alone here."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Clemmens is being held on $36,000 bail on three complaints containing 15 counts of the different offenses.

"I was just a dad with my kids enjoying a game," Vangelo said, according to the Daily News. "I never experienced anything like that before."

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.

[hack]

Coma girl wakes up speaking in foreign tongue
From: The Daily Telegraph April 15, 2010 9:46AM
Coma girl wakes up speaking in foreign tongue | Herald Sun

A CROATIAN girl has woken from a coma speaking fluent German that she didn't previously know, and is now totally unable to talk in her native tongue.

The 13-year-old girl, who lost consciousness for 24 hours two weeks ago, has doctors baffled by her bizarre condition.

She had been studying German at school and watching German television shows, but her parents insist she was previously unable to communicate properly in the language.

"You never know when recovering from such a trauma how the brain will react," the UK Telegraph quoted KB Hospital director Dujomir Marasovic as saying.

Various experts have examined the teenager, from the southern Croatian town of Knin, but all have failed to make a diagnosis.

[tin mad dog]

That IS weird.

[hack]

Of course it's weird -- this is the News of the Weird Thread.

[Money23]

Yeah, but that's "I can't believe that actually happened" weird. Wow.

[hack]

Well, that's in line with the concept. News of the Weird happens, which is why it's called news and not just made-up weird stuff.

[tin mad dog]

Abnormal Science

Child-Bearing, Explained:

Virginia state legislator Bob Marshall, speaking in February in opposition to state funding for Planned Parenthood, said the organization is partly responsible for the number of disabled children in America. According to the Old Testament, he said, being forced to bear a disabled child is punishment for the mother's having earlier aborted her first-born. "(W)hen you abort the first-born ... nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children." Said Marshall, the organization ought to call itself "Planned Barrenhood."

[Richmond News Leader, 2-22-10]

[hack]

I wish that was News of the Weird, but it seems at any given there's some Republican politician somewhere saying something like that.

[tin mad dog]

Stare at boobs for longer life: Study | TheMedGuru

[*JD*]

The Story Behind Northwestern University?s Live Sex Class - The Daily Beast

[hack]

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/465580


Q&A with Egypt's Gladiator: Fight with Lion still on!

One man has somehow managed to convince himself - and a few others - that he can single-handedly “boost tourism in Egypt” by fighting a full-grown African lion in direct hand-to-paw combat, in front of the Pyramids at Giza.

Inexplicably, al-Sayed al-Essawy, a 25-year-old from Daqahlia, has come to believe that “the world will flock to see the Egyptian man who defeated a lion with his bare hands.”

The fight, or “battle” as Essawy, prefers to call it, was announced two weeks ago, immediately igniting a firestorm of international protests and online petitions from individuals and animal rights organizations alike. The negative reaction surprised Essawy, prompting the self-proclaimed “strongest man in the world” to admit to being “confused and heart-broken.”

Nonetheless, Essawy insists that the fight is still on, even if he has to stage the battle in a secret location.

Al-Masry Al-Youm: When, and more importantly, how did you come up with this idea?

Al-Sayed al-Essawy: I discovered my incredible strength at the age of 13, and, almost immediately afterwards, promised myself that, one of these days, I would fight a lion. Since then, I’ve been thinking about the best way to go about it, and, after the revolution, with the economy the way it is, I’ve been given the perfect opportunity to realize my dream.

Al-Masry: You claim this event will revive the tourism industry. What makes you think anyone on earth would want to see this fight, let alone travel specifically for it?

Essawy: If America, or any other country, had a man with the ability to combat the strongest creature on the planet, they would properly promote him, and use his strength to their advantage. He would become a worldwide phenomenon, and people would come from their countries just to see him. This is what I want to do for my country. Do you understand what an amazing spectacle this will be? It will appeal to everyone. The Gulfis will watch and laugh, the Arabs will be entertained, and the Americans will be fascinated, from a scientific point of view. They will marvel at a truly unprecedented feat. This show will have something for everyone.

Al-Masry: What about animal lovers? Are you aware of how many people your lion-fighting plans have angered? People are threatening to boycott Egypt and any Egyptian products because of you.

Essawy: That’s because they don’t understand what I’m going to do. They think I’m going to kill the lion. I’m not going to kill it, nor will I be armed with a sword or dagger - those are all false reports circulated by the media for reasons I don’t understand.

Al-Masry: So, you’re not going to kill the lion?

Essawy: No. Unless it’s a matter of life or death, in which case I will be forced to kill it.

Al-Masry: When is fighting a lion not a matter of life or death?

Essawy: It’s up to the lion. If he chooses to withdraw, or surrender, and lets me tie him up, then I will not kill him and the fight will end. But, like I said, if it comes down to either me or him, I will have to kill him. But I don’t want to kill the lion, nor am I planning on it. I want to make that clear.

Al-Masry: What will you do with its corpse?

Essawy: I will have it stuffed (laughs).

Al-Masry: What do you have to say to your attackers? How is this, for example, in any way different from, say, bull-fighting, which is a major part of Spain’s tourism industry?

Essawy: Exactly! I made that same point to several other people. To my attackers I say, if you think this is wrong, maybe you should change your perspective, or at least, take it out on the bullfighters too, instead of just me. Besides, this isn’t just for fun, what I’m planning on doing. It’s to help my country, and to send an important message.

Al-Masry: What message are you trying to send?

Essawy: When I defeat the lion - which I will - I will pull an Israeli flag out of my pocket, and drape it over the lion, and put my foot on it. Israel led me to this, through all their atrocities which, as a child, I grew up watching on television. The message is that even though Israel and America may be as strong as a lion - the strongest creature on the planet - they too can be defeated.

Al-Masry: By you?

Essawy: By the Arab youth, which is about to explode. Soon, they will be ready to take on the mightiest foe.

Al-Masry: But, technically, the lion’s only fighting because you’re forcing it to.

Essawy: Yes. It’s a caged fight, so there will be nowhere for the lion to run. I have challenged the lion, and I will defeat it.

Al-Masry: So, to dismiss this as just some really crazy guy beating up an innocent lion would be, in your opinion...

Essawy: Completely inaccurate and misleading. I’m not a crazy person. There’s a political reason behind what I’m doing.

Al-Masry: Besides the international outrage you’ve provoked, have you run into any other difficulties on your quest to fight this lion?

Essawy: So far, I haven’t been able to secure any permits. I sent an official request to the Interior Ministry and they never replied. And there are reports in the media that say I was arrested and my lion confiscated which, as you can see, is clearly not true. But even if I don’t get permits, I will still fight the lion. I will just have to do so in a secret location, and make it only open to journalists who can ensure the type of exposure this event deserves.

Al-Masry: So, without proper exposure, this event will be a failure.

Essawy: Yes. If this battle does not get the positive reaction I’m expecting, then I will be forced to leave the country and go somewhere where they can appreciate a man like me: the strongest man in the world. Which is very upsetting, especially since I’ve announced that 50 percent of the profits from this event will go to the families of the martyrs of the revolution.

Al-Masry: Why do you think it’s been so difficult to get official approval from the government?

Essawy: Undoubtedly because of the misguided international reaction, which I truly don’t understand. God made me, and he made the lion, and he put us both on the same planet, which means the lion is fair game. Ethically, there should be no problem.

Al-Masry: If the event is successful, how will you follow it up? More lion fights?

Essawy: I have a whole series of shows planned in my head. I will pull an airplane with my teeth, and I will pull an airplane with my hair. I will also be run over by an airplane. In between each of these acts, there will be lion battles.

[hack]

PART II

Al-Masry: Have you fought any other beasts before? Will this be your first lion fight?

Essawy: This will be my first battle with a lion, yes. I have fought other animals, mainly dogs. On separate occasions, I have fought three of the most ferocious dog breeds.

Al-Masry: You punch dogs?

Essawy: I punch and kick them.

Al-Masry: How are you training for this specific event?

Essawy: By doing a series of mental exercises. Nothing physical, just brain-training. I visualize the fight for two hours at a time. I visualize the lion, and all the possible ways it could attack. Will it go for the head, or will it grab me by the feet? I ask myself these questions and visualize how I will dodge these attacks.

Al-Masry: What about the lion? Have you been preparing it for the fight by provoking it in any way? Maybe abusing it physically or even verbally, like with trash talk?

Essawy: No, I don’t spend any time with the lion at all; I haven’t even given it a name. I don’t want to get too attached to it. It’s on a friend’s farm, and he’s responsible for it until the day of the battle. I’d also like to point out that the lion will not be tranquilized, and I will give it a blood test directly before the fight in order to prove it.

Al-Masry: What combat techniques will you be implementing against the lion? Will you use martial arts, or will you be resorting to regular street-fighting tactics, like dirt in the eye and crotch-punches?

Essawy: I don’t know about the dirt, but the lion will probably not let me punch its crotch. I will have to use a new fighting style I’ve developed, which is called "Life or Death." This will be a caged fight, and I will be desperate to survive, which is why I’ve called the style “Life or Death.”

Al-Masry: As in a ‘life or death’ situation, like "kill or be killed?"

Essawy: That’s right.

Al-Masry: Even though you’re not going to kill the lion...

Essawy: That’s right.

Al-Masry: How confident are you that you yourself will not be killed?

Essawy: 200 percent. No worries whatsoever. If anything, I’m worried for the lion (laughs).

Al-Masry: Can you elaborate on this "Life or Death" fighting style? Is it more kicking or punching? Fists or open-palmed slaps?

Essawy: Everything. It consists of a series of combination moves. I will start off with the slaps, but, you should know, my slaps are unlike any other. My strength is truly incredible and unprecedented.

Al-Masry: Do you have any advice or suggestions on how to fight a lion for any young children out there interested in following in your footsteps?

Essawy: I don’t think anyone can follow in my footsteps; I have a special gift, and I just want to share it to make people happy and to help my country. But the key to fighting a lion is maintaining eye contact, and, really, not wanting to die. You have to recognize in that situation, it’s you or the lion, and you have to really want it to be you.

Al-Masry: So, basically, you have to be prepared to kill the lion, which you’re supposedly not going to do.

Essawy: Exactly.

Al-Masry: Finally, do you have anything to say to the angered public that you feel might change their mind about this lion fight?

Essawy: I think it’s time we start celebrating genuine talent. For years we’ve been celebrating nothing but sex. I’ve taught children how to chew glass and pull cars with their teeth - the proof is on YouTube. I can raise a generation of super soldiers. I’ve jumped from ten-story buildings, I’ve hung myself many times and have been repeatedly run over. So, when I say I have the intellect and strength to take a lion down, people should take me seriously. Why isn’t anyone listening to me? I don’t know, but it’s very frustrating...

Publishing Date: Tue, 07/06/2011 - 10:06
Source URL (retrieved on 08/06/2011 - 14:55): Q&A with Egypt's Gladiator: Fight with Lion still on! | ?????? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ???

[Medz]

Holy shit, that's funny.

[hack]

Impossible to pick a favorite part.

[ThaMaestro]

Shouldn't the people for the ethical treatment of humans be outraged by this?

This guy would be fun to have drinks with. "I bet you can't... ","I dare you to...". Ahh the entertainment possibilities.

[DYNOMITE]

After the lion kills him, who will teach the children how to chew glass?

[whoDean]

Shoddy journalism...he didn't interview the lion.

[hack]

The lion did not return several calls placed to its cage.

[whoDean]

[RugbyPike#11]

When the Lion kills him, will it place an American flag on his dead body and display its dominance over him?

[hack]

See there you Americans go, arrogantly assuming that all lions are patriotic Americans. That's why al-Masry must be victorious in the fight -- to show the world the true nature of Americans.

[Medz]

And here's the follow-up!

Full: Strongman plans to slay lion and revive Egyptian tourism trade - The National

CAIRO // There is a hush among the entourage gathering in the living room when al Sayed al Essawy appears, dressed completely in white down to his shoes and watch.

His secretary, Ibrahim, narrates the life of the legend as the group of eight listens in his apartment: "He can jump off the 10th story of a building and not break a bone. He has survived 12 … And there is no doubt he will kill the lion."

Known for his feats of strength, Mr al Essawy, 25, has announced plans to battle a 10-year-old, 280-kilogram lion named Samson to the death on June 25.

The bout has economic and political motivations. Mr al Essawy believes it will draw tourists to Egypt, which is suffering from a steep drop in visitors after the revolution. But he also says it will represent his abhorrence of the violent acts of Israel.

"When I conquer the lion, I will put an Israeli flag on him and step on the lion," he says. "I am not against a Jewish state or the security of Israel, but they should be punished for their attacks on Palestinian people."

Flipping open a laptop, he shows photographs of some of his accomplishments: hanging himself by the neck without strangling, pulling a truck with a rope connected to nails embedded in his shoulders, and leaping from a building onto a pile of sand.

Then he opens the lion video, which he says was recorded a few weeks earlier at a farm near the pyramids in Giza. In it, he taunts the lion with gloves as it bats his hand away.

"This was the first time I met the lion," Mr al Essawy says. "I will not see the lion again until the day of the fight. Whenever I see this, I want to fight the lion at once." He bought the lion for 25,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh15,450) from a Giza farmer who acquired him from an "African country".

Whether he will actually fight the lion remains in doubt. The minister of tourism, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, vowed in a public statement last week that he was "personally involved in making sure such a barbaric act does not take place in Egypt".

An online petition titled "Stop al Sayed al Essawy from murdering an innocent lion!" has garnered more than 3,500 names.

Mona Khalil, the head of the Society for the Protection of Animals in Egypt, called the planned fight "totally unacceptable" and part of a wider problem with abuse of animals in the country.

"I just wish that the lion will be hungry before he gets into this fight," she says. "A lion is not a pet and no one should be allowed to fight a lion."

There was even a small clash with the local authorities in the city of Mansoura, in the delta region. A black bruise near his eye is the result, Mr al Essawy says, of an encounter with police officers who came after he demanded to see the governor to get his permission to host the fight on a farm near the Nile River.

Mr al Essawy's account of the event is confusing. He said he went to the governor's office but was refused. When he announced he was going to have a sit-in at the office, the governor agreed to meet him. But Mr al Essawy refused to accept, saying that he should not have to have a sit-in to see the governor.

On the following day, he joined a group of peasants protesting about land issues in Mansoura and was rounded up by the police, where he was struck in the face with a gun, he says. The events could not be independently confirmed.

"I don't understand why there are problems with fighting a lion," he says, with a solemn look at the crew he has assembled in preparation for the battle. "In Spain, they have bullfighting? Why don't they stop them?"

After the outcry, Mr al Essawy has decided to make the fight invitation-only at a farm near his hometown. He hopes an international television channel will broadcast it.

Most days, Mr al Essawy sits in his sparsely decorated bedroom preparing mentally for the fight. He plays out every scenario of how the battle will go down. "I am absolutely certain I will conquer the lion."

He has no exercise regimen and eats just one meal a day. Strength, he says, comes from the mind.

It was at the age of 13 when he discovered his physical strength and mental powers and ever since he has dedicated himself to finding the next big challenge.

After finishing secondary school, he went to Sharjah, where he helped train police. Returning to Egypt two years ago, he set up an import business for body-building supplements and made a name for himself with his stunts, which he has performed on Egyptian TV.

He has since closed his supplements business and is focusing solely on his entertainment career.

The lion fight is just the beginning, Mr al Essawy says. Next, he will lie on the ground as an airplane drives over him. And then, if he can find the sponsors, he will go to the Bermuda Triangle and "reveal all its secrets".

[hack]

So I guess if you're arrested in Sharjah the cop drags you to jail on a rope attached to nails in his shoulders?

Seriously though, this controversy is weeks old and there's a ton of foreign journalists in Cairo. WTF?

[Dave Bing]

They might be kinda busy chronicling the birth of a new nation... For better or worse.

[hack]

The Lion Fighter has a better sense of news than they do. This is the story that's memorable if done right. Not the 417th analysis of the constitutional vote.

[JMab]

An Egyptian strongman has confronted a male lion in front of television crews and journalists in an effort to boost his country's ailing tourism industry.

The stunt, performed by Al Sayed al Essawy, was condemned by the Egyptian tourism minister who had earlier this month vowed to stop the venture that he labelled "barbaric".

After the showdown Mr Al Essawy said his plan was never to kill the lion but to force it to surrender, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Initially, the strongman had planned to stage the fight in the shadow of the Great Pyramids of Giza, but had to move it to a secret wheat field in the Nile River Delta because of public criticism and a lack of government support.

Mr Al Essawy said the idea behind the confrontation was to show the world that "in Egypt you can see events that you can't see anywhere else".

In the confrontation, the caged lion only briefly reacts to the strongman who tries to agitate the animal with a shield made from a satellite and a spear.

Mr Al Essawy then declared "victory" when the lion sat down before leaving the cage to celebrate with the crowd.

Egypt's tourism industry, which employs 10 percent of the country, has struggled to attract visitors since February's violent revolution where President Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

[Dave Bing]

That didn't play out as I had hoped...

[JMab]

Yes, unfortunately he wasn't eaten.

Apparently he will now wrestle a crocodile... and when he says wrestle, he means long-distance staring contest.

[whoDean]

If the croc's belly hits the ground he'll "declare victory"

[hack]

I guess this is proof positive that the Life or Death Style works.

Al-Masry: Can you elaborate on this "Life or Death" fighting style? Is it more kicking or punching? Fists or open-palmed slaps?

Essawy: Everything. It consists of a series of combination moves. I will start off with the slaps, but, you should know, my slaps are unlike any other. My strength is truly incredible and unprecedented.

[King Mob]

[hack]

Do you have a pixelated version of him draping the Israeli flag over the lion? I would pay good money...

[Medz]

[tin mad dog]