angelm's Blog

Worst things found in fast food

If you are looking for ways to beat your lunchtime fast food cravings (and stories about E. coli aren't enough), take a look at Court TV's list of the ten worst things found in fast food meals. Since it's Court TV, you can guess that they're not talking about trans-fats, either. Their list includes the following items, though you'll have to check out their list for the full details on each item, as well as info on any subsequent lawsuits:
In 1995 an Alabama man found a condom in a burger at a McDonald's
In 2004, an Ohio man found some skin (part of a thumb) in and Arby's sandwich.
In 2005, a man found the whole finger - a different one - in some Kohl's frozen custard.
The employees at an Oregon Jack in the Box, "for their sole amusement," added a variety of disturbing things (acid, soap, phlegm, human hair and staples) the burgers of at least one couple.
A Virginia Beach firefighter found two used bandages Quarter Pounder at McDonald's in 1994 (My roommate in college found one in the pizza at the cafeteria, but that didn't make the list).
A Tennessee man (allegedly) bit into a hypodermic needle in a Big Mac in 2000.
There are four more disturbing "found" items on CourtTV's list, but, frankly, six is really more than enough for me. And you can bet that I'll be looking closely the next time I hit the drive-thru on a road trip. Better safe than sorry!

Pa. police: Ohio truck rigged to steal fuel 

HERMITAGE, Pa. - Police have linked the large-scale theft of diesel fuel from a western Pennsylvania convenience store to a specially equipped pickup truck trailer with a trap door and a vacuum hose.

No one has been charged, but the truck and trailer were found on the property of a man who owns a small asphalt and trucking company in Ohio, police said.

"It's a very ingenious way of doing things and I've never seen anything like this," said Hermitage Deputy Police Chief Edward Holiga.

Holiga said his department is investigating whether the truck is linked to at least three thefts since 2005. In the latest, about $4,500 worth of diesel fuel was reported stolen April 28 from the underground tanks of the Tic Toc Food Mart in Hermitage.

Police issued a surveillance photo of the pickup and trailer believed to be involved in the thefts and received a tip that led them to a property in North Bloomfield, Ohio, about 30 miles northwest of Hermitage.

Police spotted the truck and trailer on the property Tuesday and obtained a search warrant that was executed Wednesday.

The trailer contained a straw wall that concealed a wooden partition. The partition hid a siphoning mechanism and an empty 15-foot long propane tank.

Police believe someone inside the trailer would siphon diesel fuel from underground tanks at fuel stations by lowering a hose through the trap door and using the pickup's engine to power a vacuum that drew the fuel into the tank, Holiga said.

Police also found several storage tanks on the Ohio property, including a 5,000-gallon tank containing about 500 gallons of diesel fuel.

Holiga said police in Ohio are investigating at least one theft there, too.

Because police are continuing to investigate the thefts, Holiga said he doesn't expect his detectives to file charges until next week.

Police hunt for robbers wearing thongs as masks

ARVADA, Colo.�Police in a Colorado town are searching for two robbers whose masks showed plenty of fashion sense but little modesty: women's thong underwear.
A surveillance video released this week by police in Arvada, Colo., shows two unarmed men inside the convenience store. They stole an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes in the robbery May 16.

One man wore a green thong and the other wore blue. Each thong barely covered the man's nose, mouth and chin and left the rest of his face exposed. One also wore a pink backpack in which he stuffed the stolen items.

The suspects also wore T-shirts and pants and were described as in their 20s. One had a left arm tattoo.

3 Ways to Beat Your Bad Habits

Zero tolerance: It�s the only way to break a bad habit. So don�t indulge - scratch that itch mentally. Here�s how.

#1 - Wear a Rubber Band
When you feel a craving coming on, snap your wrist three times quickly. Scientists and torturers call this negative reinforcement: Craving equals pain. It�s akin to smacking yourself on the nose with a newspaper.

#2 - Pour Yourself a Glass of Cure
When it comes to nervous habits, water is your secret weapon. When you feel a craving coming on, chug at least 10 ounces. It�s amazing how well this works.

#3 - Switch Sides of the Bed
If you�re a consistent habit former, you should overhaul your routines - what time you wake up, what you eat for breakfast, what route you take to work, and so on - every 3 months.

Lotteries Though History

�Way Back There- Lotteries are ancient. Aside from biblical references to casting lots for reward, the first recorded mentions of draw games in history were those devised by the Romans. It was common for emperors to give their dinner party guest gifts ranging from slaves to lavish villas, all awarded as door-prize drawings.

Choosing by lot has been a method of making determinations at least as far back a biblical times, with the division of the land west of the Jordan among the tribes of Israel (Numbers 26:55). According to Proverbs 18:18, "The lot puts an end to disputes and decides between powerful contenders."

Lots also appear in the literature and traditions of Greece, India, China, Japan and Rome.

Augustus Caesar � conducted the first known public lottery for a community cause, raising funds for repair work in the city of Rome.

1420�the French city of L�Ecluse used lottery to raise money to strengthen the town�s fortifications. Prizes were in the form of goods or commodities.

1466�Bruges, Belgium, raised money for the poor.

1520�Historians credit King Francis I of France with organizing the first state lottery, which quickly became an important source of raising royal revenue.

1530�La Lotto de Firenza became the first public lottery in Italy, soon followed by similar drawings in Genoa and Venice.

1560s�the English caught lottery fever when Queen Elizabeth I authorized a state lottery to restore the nations harbors facilities.

1694�the British Parliament began using a state lottery to float a 1-million-pound loan. Tickets were 10 pounds each and the prizes were in 16-year cash annuities.

1753�A lottery raised money to start the British Museum.

1755�The first case of the Lotto Mania was reported when eager ticket-buyers broke down the doors of English ticket offices on opening day.

Lotteries in American History

1612�King James I of England raised 29,000 pounds for the Virginia Company�s expeditions to colonize America. In America, the Virginia Company financed the Jamestown Colony with a lottery.

1665�The Dutch held a lottery to raise money for the poor in New Amsterdam, the predecessor of New York.

1768�George Washington sponsored a lottery to build a road across the Blue Ridge Mountains.

A lottery sponsored by John Han<snip> rebuilt Boston�s Faneuil Hall after it was damaged by fire.

Lotteries financed buildings at Harvard and Yale colleges.

By one source, there were about half a dozen respectable lotteries operation in each in the 13 colonies prior to the American Revolution.

The Continental Congress saw lotteries as a means of financing a Revolutionary Army to make them independent of England- ironic since to was "taxation without representation" that was a key complaint of the colonies. Apparently they didn�t see lotteries as a tax.

Benjamin Franklin sponsored a lottery to raise money for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British.

It was proceeds from the United States Lottery 1777 that paid for the provisions for Washington�s troops.

Japan woman caught living in closet

TOKYO - A homeless woman who sneaked into a man's house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was arrested in Japan after he became suspicious when food mysteriously began disappearing.

Police found the 58-year-old woman Thursday hiding in the top compartment of the man's closet and arrested her for trespassing, police spokesman Hiroki Itakura from southern Kasuya town said Friday.

The resident of the home installed security cameras that transmitted images to his mobile phone after becoming puzzled by food disappearing from his kitchen over the past several months.

One of the cameras captured someone moving inside his home Thursday after he had left, and he called police believing it was a burglar. However, when they arrived they found the door locked and all windows closed.

"We searched the house ... checking everywhere someone could possibly hide," Itakura said. "When we slid open the shelf closet, there she was, nervously curled up on her side."

The woman told police she had no place to live and first sneaked into the man's house about a year ago when he left it unlocked.

She had moved a mattress into the small closet space and even took showers, Itakura said, calling the woman "neat and clean."

Baby put up for sale on Craigslist? 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A couple has been arrested in what Canadian police said on Tuesday was an apparent offer to sell a seven-day-old baby girl on Craigslist for C$10,000 ($10,100).

A woman who saw the offer on the popular website alerted police who tracked down the 23-year-old mother and 26-year-old father using a cell phone number that was listed in the advertisement.

Vancouver police said the couple told investigators the offer was a hoax, but were arrested for public mischief with other criminal charges possible as the investigation continues.

"There are so many questions here," Constable Tim Fanning told reporters.

Police said the advertisement described the baby as "very cute" and "unexpected" and that its parents, who could not afford to care for it, wanted to give it a good home.

The child was put in the care of social workers.

($1=$0.99 Canadian)

Gum Disease Might Boost Cancer Risk

TUESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- There may be another good reason to floss each day: A new study finds that gum disease could raise the risk for cancer.

"Men with history of periodontal disease had a 14 percent higher risk of cancer than those who did not have periodontal disease, and the increase persisted among never smokers," said lead researcher Dominique Michaud, a cancer epidemiologist at Imperial College London, in the U.K.

People with gum infections do have an increased amount of inflammatory markers circulating in their blood, and inflammation has been linked to cancer, experts say. But the exact link, if any, between gum disease and cancer remains unclear.

This new finding needs to be examined in other populations and among women, but it at least suggests that oral health may have some impact on cancer risk, Michaud said.

"If other data can support this association, then it will have implications for prevention and may provide some new clues on the role of the immune function in cancer development," Michaud said.

The report is published in the June edition of the journal The Lancet Oncology.

In the study, Michaud's team collected data on more than 48,000 American men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up study, which included health professionals aged 40 to 75.

During an average of 17.7 years of follow-up, 5,720 cancer cases were reported. These cases excluded non-melanoma skin cancer and non-aggressive prostate cancer. The most common cancers reported were colorectal, melanoma, lung and bladder and advanced prostate cancer, Michaud's group found.

After taking into account other risk factors, such as smoking and diet, the researchers found that men with a history of gum disease had a 14 percent higher risk of developing cancer compared with men did not have a history of the condition.

25 Things That Are Not What They Seem
1 Items 1 - 5

1. A firefly is not a fly - it is a beetle

2. A prairie dog is not a dog - it is a rodent
3. India ink is not from India - it is from China and Egypt

4. A horned toad is not a toad - it is a lizard

5. A lead pencil does not contain lead - it contains graphite

2 Items 6 - 10

6. A douglas fir is not a fir - it is a pine

7. A silkworm is not a worm - it is a caterpillar

8. A peanut is not a nut - it is a legume

9. A panda bear is not a bear - it is a relative of the raccoon

10. An English horn is not English and it isn;t a horn - it is a French alto oboe

Just paying the bills...

3 Items 11 - 15

11. A guinea pig is not from guinea and it is not a pig - it is a rodent from South America

12. Shortbread is not a bread - it is a thick cookie
13. Dresden China is not from Dresden - it is from Meissen

14. A shooting star is not a star - it is a metorite

15. A funny bone is not a bone - it is the spot where the ulnar nerve touches the humerus

4 Items 16 - 20

16. Chop suey is not a native Chinese dish - it was invented by Chinese immigrants in California

17. A bald eagle is not bald - it has flat white feathers on its head and neck when mature, and dark feathers when young 18. A banana tree is not a tree - it is a herb

19. A cucumber is not a vegetable - it is a fruit

20. A jackrabbit is not a rabbit - it is a hare

5 Items 21 - 25

21. A piece of catgut is not from a cat - it is usually made from sheep intestines

22. A Mexican jumping bean is not a bean - it is a seed with a larva inside

23. A Turkish bath is not Turkish - it is Roman

24. A koala bear is not a bear - it is a marsupial

25. A sweetbread is not a bread - it is the pancreas or thymus gland from a calf or lamb [image above]

Top 10 Worst Snack Foods Ever
by Kristen King on January 16th, 2008
According to iVillage Total Health writer Jonny Bowden, here are the 10 worst, and worst-for-you, snack foods currently on the market:

French fries
Donuts
Chips (potato and corn)
Soda (including diet soda)
Snack cakes
Candy bars
Pork rinds (ick!)
Fat-free cookies
Crackers
Pretzels
Runner up: Sugary, fatty coffee drinks.

The Top 10 Internet/Email Scams
1) The Nigerian scam, also known as 419
2) Advanced fees paid for a guaranteed loan or credit card
3) Lottery scams
4) Phishing emails and phony web pages
5) Items for sale overpayment scam
6) Employment search overpayment scam
7) Disaster relief scams
8) Travel scams
9) Make Money Fast chain emails
10) "Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!"

They Did Their Share

On Veteran�s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it�s been many years;

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn�t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don�t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can�t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let�s say "thank you" to every wearer.

By Joanna Fuchs

Memorial Day
by Michelle R. Christman
As we stand here looking
At the flags upon these graves
Know these flags represent
A few of the true American brave

They fought for their Country
As man has through all of time
Except that these soldiers lying here
Fought for your country and mine

As we all are gathered here
To pay them our respect
Let's pass this word to others
It's what they would expect

I'm sure that they would do it
If it were me or you
To show we did not die in vein
But for the red, white and blue.

Let's pass on to our children
And to those who never knew
What these soldiers died for
It's the least we can do

Let's not forget their families
Great pain they had to bear
Losing a son, father or husband
They need to know we still care

No matter which war was fought
On the day that they died
I stand here looking at these flags
Filled with American pride.

So as the bugler plays out Taps
With its sweet and eerie sound
Pray for these soldiers lying here
In this sacred, hallowed ground.

Take home with you a sense of pride
You were here Memorial Day.
Celebrating the way Americans should
On this solemnest of days.

German parents post baby on eBay for 1 euro

BERLIN - Authorities in southern Germany said Saturday they have taken custody of a 7-month-old boy after his parents posted an ad on eBay offering to sell him for one euro, the equivalent of $1.57.

Peter Hieber, a spokesman for police in the Bavarian town of Krumbach, said the baby was placed in the care of youth services in the southwestern Allgaeu region, although the child's 23-year-old mother insisted the ad was only a joke.

Authorities have launched an investigation into possible child trafficking against the baby's mother and 24-year-old father, neither of whom was identified.

"Offering my nearly new baby for sale, as it has gotten too loud. It is a male baby, nearly 28 inches (70 cm) long and can be used either in a baby carrier or a stroller," police quoted the ad as reading.

No offers were made for the child in the two hours and 30 minutes the ad was posted on Tuesday. EBay later deleted the posting, but assisted police in tracking down the parents.

Several people who saw the ad alerted police.

Jack Daniel's Rich Honey Glazed Chicken
Wings and Dijon Mustard

Crispy, tasty chicken wings infused with Jack Daniels chilli sauce - a new twist on a classic meal. 

Ingredients
8 chicken wings
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
Jack Daniel�s Honey BBQ sauce
Dijon mustard

Marinade: 115g butter
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh root ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Jack Daniel�s Hot
Chilli sauce

Method
1. Clean the chicken under cold water and trim off any excess fat and skin.

2. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken in a bowl and pour the marinade over.

3. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. While the grill is heating up, remove the chicken from the marinade and lightly season with the sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

5. Add the Dijon mustard to one cup of Jack Daniel�s Honey barbecue sauce and set aside in 2 separate dishes - 1 for glazing, 1 for dipping.

6. Place the chicken on the grill for about 5 to 7 minutes per side. After turning once, glaze with the sauce. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 3 to 5 minutes.

7. Place in a dish or on a platter to serve, warming the second dish of Jack Daniel's Honey BBQ sauce for dipping