NEWS OF THE WORLD - Current Events (May Be Disturbing, No Politics Please)

[Fester]

Now we know what this is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=110910911281&nma=true&rt=nc&si=1%252FmbSyC0wP1zajP5UTRJxUY8CLI%253D&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

It is a nether-region diving helmet for swimming in Pacu-infested lakes.

[Fester]

If you are looking to land a job in this tough economic climate, sending a crazy-eyed picture of actor Nicolas Cage to a potential employer is not the stuff "How to Get Hired" books are made of.

If you are looking to gain instant fame online, it turns out that might be just the thing to do.

Such is the example of Vanessa Hojda, the Canadian college student who earlier this week accidentally attached a picture of Cage instead of her resume to an email inquiring about a summer job as an administrative assistant at her school, York University in Toronto.

When she realized her mistake, the 20-year-old posted the email and a frantic admission of her 21st-century error on her Tumblr page.

"As soon as I saw the thumbnail of the Nic Cage picture glaring back at me from my outbox folder I thought, 'Ok...then. Time to screencap this moment and immortalize it on the blog, I guess,'" Hojda told Goodmorningamerica.com

Since her error went viral, the previously anonymous Hojda has appeared on a Toronto radio show, been photographed for her local paper, the Toronto Star, and been interviewed by the Washington Post's celebrity blogger.  She's also gained more than 1,000 new followers to her Tumblr and seen her mistake blogged by Gawker and tweeted about by actress Elizabeth Banks.

For Hojda, however, all the attention has its drawbacks.

"I was really excited at first," she said.  "But then CNN contacted me because they wanted me live on national television and that's when I took a step back and thought, 'But think of your future children when they Google you and find this colossal mistake. How will you explain this to a fifteen year old?'"

"I went on CNN anyway," she said.  "I'm hoping that my future unborn children will be understanding and possess a sense of humor."

A sense of humor is exactly how Hojda has approached her mistake, even though it cost her the administrative job she wanted.

"The employer got back to me hours later with a short, 'I'm sorry Vanessa, I don't see your resume, only a picture of Nic Cage looking terrifying. The position has been filled out, but thanks for being interested,'" she said.  "I get the distinct feeling that she had an adverse reaction to my application and didn't want to hurt my feelings by saying that instead."

The attention did land the psychology major two internship offers but Hojda says that while she appreciates their trust given what happened, she "has bills to pay" so is still looking for full-time work.

Hojda says she's not even a true fan of Cage, just his crazy expressions that have gained the actor his own Internet fame, which is why she had a photo of him saved on her computer and has poked fun at his often wacky hairdo.

She has not heard from the "Leaving Las Vegas" star himself but she has heard from someone supposedly inside his inner circle.

"I did get an email from someone who claimed to be a close friend of his reassuring me that he's a very nice man and that what I said about his hair wasn't "very nice," she said.

"This kept me awake at night wondering, 'What if I hurt his feelings?,'" Hojda said.  "What if he heard about the buzz and whispered to himself, 'But I won an Oscar...And I'm working so hard on improving my hairline...I wish people appreciated that more often.'"

The whole mess has taught Hojda a lesson, both in the powers of the Internet and the importance of organization.

"I learned that I have no control of what goes viral and what doesn't and that it's entirely up to the mysterious forces of the Internet," she said.  "And I learned that it's a good idea to keep a folder separate for work-related documents."


To see the pic:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/terrifying-nicolas-cage-photo-teaches-student-email-lesson-202459133--abc-news-celebrities.html

[Sean]

Now we know what this is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=110910911281&nma=true&rt=nc&si=1%252FmbSyC0wP1zajP5UTRJxUY8CLI%253D&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

It is a nether-region diving helmet for swimming in Pacu-infested lakes.

Ah, yes Dave.  The 'insulated copper cozy ball holder'.  To hell with lake swimming.  I'm wearing one right now.

A ball cozy.  NOT a pacu.

[Fester]

This guy is crazy.
But I really admire him.
Would that I had the courage to do something like this just because I thought it was a good idea.

Knight to ride across Canada in name of love, honour
 
 
By Tom Spears, Postmedia News May 10, 2012
OTTAWA — It gets hot wearing a helmet on sunny days, but that's fine with knight-errant Vincent Gabriel Kirouac, who is six weeks into a cross-Canada journey, offering those he meets a medieval role model in love and honour — a modern Sir Lovesalot.

He rides some and walks some. His horse, Coeur-de-Lion (Lionheart), doesn't have to do all the slogging.

He arrived in Ottawa this week to the usual welcome — stares, some laughs, and in the end a friendly welcome from a good many strangers. Rode downtown. Sang O Canada on Parliament Hill. Headed off to continue his quest.

We'll let him explain that part himself:

"I'm crossing Canada on horseback dressed as a knight, to remind people of the values of long ago, such as devotion," he said.

"All the values of the knight."

Somewhere in all this there's a medieval song about courtly love just waiting to be written, one about hardships and pilgrimages and with a lady waiting at the end of it — like the Roman de la rose, but eight centuries later and minus the naughty bits.

And yes, there is a lady. Kirouac is engaged, and his fiancee is OK with all this.

So are people along the way. You can't ride a horse down the main highway, and you can't arrive at the Holiday Inn with a horse. (At least, you probably can't; Kirouac hasn't tried yet.) But you can ride through rural Quebec, and now Ontario, and count on the basic niceness of ordinary people to take in man and horse together, and feed both, night after night.

Kirouac's motivating force is simple. "It's my faith that pushed me to do it," he said. "I'm a Catholic . . . So I set out to give everyone a hand and give it my best." He started in Riviere-du-Loup, a town on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, a month and a half ago. He has been heading west ever since, keeping to the back roads.

Coeur-de-Lion is doing "super-well," he said. "I give her all that she wants. I walk beside her when she shows any signs of fatigue. I give her the food she needs."

People's reactions are pretty much the same everywhere. First, a face "like a question mark." Then the smiles come.

"It's incredible. People are very touched," he said. "They're very emotional. People say I have made their day, that it's their lucky day . . . I talk to a lot of people on the road." His mission is nothing more structured than that.

"And since I'm always going through agricultural areas, there's always a place for the horse. . . . Today was an exception. I wanted to see the capital of Canada."

He's unemployed for the moment, after working the past two years to raise funds for the trip. "I'm a full-time knight."

Kirouac is on the move, but he's good at staying in touch: Modern knights-errant carry cellphones.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/Knight+ride+across+Canada+name+love+honour/6598323/story.html#ixzz20xFKigr7

http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/07/12/sk-quebec-knight-kirouac-saskatchewan-120712.html

[Fester]

More than 40 poles have been bent, buckled or broken in the past 18 months in one area of south Auckland, New Zealand, it is claimed.
The signs, bearing legally required notices such as parking restrictions, are thought to have cost ratepayers thousands of dollars to replace.
"Prostitutes use these street sign poles as dancing poles," said Donna Lee, an elected member of the city council's Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board.


Sheesh!
Those must be some BIG hookers!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/9404669/Traffic-signs-in-New-Zealand-destroyed-by-prostitutes-performing-stunts.html

[Count_Zirock]

More than 40 poles have been bent, buckled or broken in the past 18 months in one area of south Auckland, New Zealand, it is claimed.
"Prostitutes use these street sign poles as dancing poles," said Donna Lee, an elected member of the city council's Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board.
Sheesh!
Those must be some BIG hookers!!

"The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin', or so I have read." - This Is Spinal Tap, "Big Bottom"

[Dr. Jitters]

Heard about this from another board -- Fred Willard arrested in porn theater!?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/best-in-show-actor-fred-willard-arrested-on-suspicion-of-lewd-conduct-at-adult-theater/2012/07/19/gJQAGKblvW_story.html

Still, gotta love Fred Willard.

[Scatter]

Well, obviously Fred loves him some Fred too. But c'mon. Fred. You're 72. Lay off the little blue pills.

[Haunted hearse]

I loved the comment on the other board, about someone needs to teach him how to use a computer.

[Moonshadow]

At his age, he should wear this like a badge of honor.

[Scatter]

At his age, he should wear this like a badge of honor.

If I get to be his age, I'd hope to be able to snag an actual.........you know.........WOMAN.

[charp13]

Moonshadow- You made me giggle like a teenager    I've seen that guy on lots of tv shows and movies, and I love his voice! I'm also puzzled by his choice of venues for  ahem....that activity. But I'm pretty sure there were no minors in that theater....or miners either.....probably just adult movie enthusiasts.

[Unknown Primate]

What's a porn theater?   

[charp13]

I have never seen a porn theater...or a porn for that matter....AND I don't own a porograph to play porn records on!
But I guess, like unicorns, these places exist 

[Unknown Primate]

Uniporns.