Feds reject request to require seat belts on school buses (Washington Post)
(As almost a half-million school buses this week began the annual ritual that will take them an estimated 4.2 billion miles by the time school lets out next spring, federal authorities have concluded that equipping them with seat belts is an unnecessary expense.)
Russell County bus driver being hailed as a hero discusses fatal crash (Ledger Enquirer)
(As family and friends mourn the death of 17-year-old Casey Hearn of Phenix City, others are praising the skills of bus driver Cathy Moore, who apparently saved the lives of her passengers Wednesday morning. Casey, driving north on Ala. 169 in a Honda Accord, hit the Bluebird bus head-on as Moore was driving more than 40 students in the other direction to two Russell County schools.)
King Arthur's round table may have been found by archaeologists in Scotland (Telegraph)
(Archaeologists searching for King Arthur's round table have found a "circular feature" beneath the historic King's Knot in Stirling.)
1-2 years for Pa. school bus driver in fatal crash (Google)
(A suburban Philadelphia man once at the center of a national debate on cellphones and driving will spend one to two years behind bars for his second fatal crash, which occurred as he drove a loaded school bus. Police say Frederick Poust (powst) III hadn't slept for 24 hours when he rolled through 10 stops signs and plowed into a car near a school, killing the car's passenger.)
Zimbabwe Road Accident Claims 19 Lives in Second Major Crash This Month (VOA News)
(An accident Thursday on the highway linking Zimbabwe's capital, Harare and the second city, Bulawayo, involving two buses and a haulage truck claimed 19 lives, reports said. A vehicle operated by the Chawasarira Bus Company headed for Chivi, Midlands province, burst a front tire and sideswiped a haulage truck going in the opposite direction before flipping over, killing 18 people on the spot.)
Bus parked inside (yes, inside) mall today (Winnipeg Free Press)
(It’ll be hard to miss this school bus – not that your kids will even want to stay home. Starting today and running through Saturday, the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba is bringing back its annual Stuff the School Bus display at Polo Park Mall. They mean that literally: the Council will have a big ol’ school bus set up smack dab in the middle of the mall’s centre court.)
Paintball shot ruptures woman's silicone breast implant (BBC)
(A woman has had one of her silicone gel breast implants ruptured after it was hit by a paintball shot. The 26-year-old had been taking part in a game at an outdoor centre near Croydon on Saturday (20 August). She went to her doctor's surgery on Monday, where it was discovered one of her implants had been torn apart.)
Earthquake gives US man his hearing back (Nine MSN)
(The earthquake that struck America's east coast yesterday was a blessing in disguise for a deaf man who somehow regained his hearing during the vent. Robert Valderzak has been in a Washington DC hospital since June after he lost his hearing when he fell over. Doctors believe it was due to fluid or problems with the bones inside the ear. )
Motorcycle Gang Sues Over ‘My Boyfriend’s A Hell’s Angel’ T-Shirt (CBS)
(Los Angeles-based designer Wildfox Couture is accused of “exploiting the fame” of the renowned motorcycle gang, according to attorney Fritz Clapp. Clapp has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hell’s Angels against Wildfox and several other online retailers alleging copyright infringement.)
The Diamond Planet (JB)
(A once-massive star that’s been transformed into a small planet made of diamond: that is what University of Manchester astronomers think they’ve found in the Milky Way. The discovery has been made by an international research team, led by Professor Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and is reported in the journal Science.)
(SENT BY: @Potter_SD)Squirrel blamed for flag thefts from Ohio memorial (Forbes)
(Police in Ohio have discovered that small flags being swiped from a police memorial were being squirreled away. Later, police noticed a squirrel hanging out on a tree branch outside a third-floor window at their headquarters building. They also spotted a squirrel's nest made of leaves and branches - and at least two of the little flags.)
Women waste 50 billion litres of water shaving legs in shower (Telegraph)
(Research has shown that one in three women leave the shower running while they shave their legs, wasting around 50 billion litres of water a year. Thames Water, which commissioned the study, said the amount wasted would be enough to supply the whole of London for 25 days.)
Police: Pa. newlyweds shoplifted reception food (AP)
(A couple of Pennsylvania newlyweds are behind bars after police say they were caught shoplifting food from a supermarket for their wedding reception. The Centre Daily Times reports 32-year-old Arthur Phillips III and his bride, 22-year-old Brittany Lurch, were arrested Saturday after taking more than $1,000 in merchandise from a Wegmans supermarket in State College.)
Dad plans to call son Will.i.am after naming daughter Lady Gaga (AP)
(A DAD plans to call his son Will.i.am – after naming his daughter Lady Gaga. Ian Clark, 36, has decided to name the child Tommy Will.i.am, after the US rapper, on the advice of his stepdaughter Maddie, four. Maddie last year helped come up with the name Meggie Maisie Lady Gaga for her half-sister.)
Sea turtle nursed to health found dead 3 weeks after release (USA Today)
(A badly wounded loggerhead sea turtle that received an emotional send-off three weeks ago after more then a year of innovative treatment has been found dead off Juno Beach, Fla., marine officials say.)
Cars could run on recycled newspaper, Tulane scientists say (Xenophilius)
(Here’s one way that old-fashioned newsprint beats the Internet. Tulane University scientists have discovered a novel bacterial strain, dubbed “TU-103,” that can use paper to produce butanol, a biofuel that can serve as a substitute for gasoline. They are currently experimenting with old editions of the Times Picayune, New Orleans’ venerable daily newspaper, with great success.)
Kentucky jury rules for doctor in penis amputation suit (Reuters)
(A Kentucky doctor acted properly when he amputated part of a truck driver's penis after finding cancer during what was expected to have been a routine circumcision surgery in 2007, a jury found on Wednesday.)
Tokyo’s Baby Café – Where the Cool Japanese Kids Hang-Out (Oddity Central)
(Tokyo – probably the only city in the world where toddlers have their own hang-out spot, where no childless adults are allowed. Japan may have one of the lowest birth rates in the world, but that apparently only means the few babies that are born here are given everything – even their own exlclusive café. Located in the Omotesando neighborhood of Tokyo, the Nendo-designed Baby Café is the perfect place for children under seven to chill out, and play in a safe environment, while their parents socialize over a cup of coffee. No more having to listen to mommy telling them to “sit up straight”, “don’t play with your food”, “don’t run through the restaurant”, at the Baby Café kids can do as they like. But there are monitors all over the place so parents can keep their eyes on children while giving them the illusion they’re free to do as they please.)
Estonian animal protection group fights for snakes' rights over golf course (RIAN)
(The Estonian Society for the Protection of Animals and a group of serpentologists have slammed plans to build a golf course in Estonia's capital as it may threaten the lives of vipers and grass snakes.)
Moods really are tied to the weather (MSNBC)
(According to popular belief (not to mention popular music), there's long been a link between mood and weather. Some of us can't stand the rain. Others aren't happy unless we can feel the warm glow of sunshine on our shoulders. But does rain really make us blue? And does the sun really cheer us up? A new study in the journal Emotion explored this popular belief by surveying nearly 500 adolescents and their mothers and found that for some of us, weather does indeed have a direct affect on our mood.)
Census: More same-sex couples in more places (CNN)
(Researchers from Alfred Kinsey to local nonprofits have tried for decades to count the United States' gay, lesbian and bisexual population, and still, there were no hard numbers. But for the first time, the decennial census results report counts of same-sex partners and same-sex spouses, regardless of whether same-sex marriage is legal in their states.)
Rose McGowan: How She Survived and Escaped a Cult (People)
(Rose McGowan's first nine years were anything but traditional. They were spent in the Children of God sect, a group that extolled the virtues of free love and prepared for the second coming of Jesus.)
Dina Lohan Seeks $5 Million And Tina Fey (TMZ)
(Dina Lohan apparently thinks she's Dina De Laurentiis ... because she's telling investors she can snag some of the biggest actors in Hollywood for her new movie. TMZ has obtained a copy of the business plan Dina's sending to prospective financiers -- asking for a grand total of $5.28 million to shoot an R-rated film called "Growing Defiant" -- which takes "a hard look at the social pressures that can lead a kid in the wrong direction." Hmmm.)
Save This Movie! Documentary on Comics Strips Looks for Your Pledge (Media Post)
(Yesterday we reviewed a film that was financed entirely with integrated advertising, Morgan Spurlock's "Greatest Movie Ever Sold." Today we turn to a project that could use a few good sponsors to see the light of day. Or to see the dark of an art house cinema. The makers of the proposed film about comic strip artists and the decline of their platform, newspapers, are in need of final financing. "Stripped" is not a "Food Inc" expose or "Waiting for Superman" polemic. It describes itself benignly as a "love letter to the art form" of comics.)
'Muppets’ New Nail Polish Is Just Plain Weird (Beauty and Style)
(Like Miley Cyrus missed the memo about wearing stilettos, I somehow missed the memo that the Muppets are fashionable. I get that Miss Piggy wears boas and huge diamonds and stuff, but the Muppets on the whole aren't known for their style, are they? I guess Fozzie has nice fur and all, and Gonzo looks dapper in a tie, but why oh why are the Muppets collaborating with exclusive store Opening Ceremony and launching a nail polish collection with OPI. Seriously, I want to know why.)
Dynamite's "The Bionic Man" #1 Gets Second Printing (IFC) (After last year's critically and commercially successful collaboration on the Green Hornet, Kevin Smith and Dynamite Entertainment are reuniting once again, with the creative team that brought the flagship Green Hornet series to fans; Phil Hester, Jonathan Lau, and Alex Ross on covers! This year, lightening will have struck twice as The Bionic Man #1, written by Kevin Smith, has sold out immediately and is going back for a second printing! And ask your local retailer order more issues of #2 and #3 of the Bionic Man, so you can be ensured to get a copy!)
Kevin Smith: I'll 'always owe' Tiger Woods (CBR)
(Director/actor Kevin Smith tells CNN he’s eternally grateful to golf star Tiger Woods for deflecting media attention away from him when he was “too fat to fly.” Last year, the “Red State” director was kicked off a Southwest Air flight because he wasn’t able to comfortably fit in his seat. Smith had originally purchased two tickets for the Oakland-to-Burbank trip, but when he was bumped to an earlier flight, only one seat was available. After being seated, he was asked to leave.)
Jon Lovitz Glad He Ignored Agent’s Advice (Media Bistro)
(Stand-up comedy has turned out to be just the ticket for former SNL regular Jon Lovitz. At age 54, he’s about to head back to Chicago for a third stint, performing in Schaumberg and throwing out another first pitch at Wrigley Field.)
(The company behind the Xbox 360 has a special treat in store for Batman fans attending PAX Prime this week in Seattle. A custom Batman: Arkham City edition Xbox 360 will be given away at the gaming convention.)
Batman has just left the building (The Duquesne Duke)
(The Bat Signal has finally been turned off in the city of Pittsburgh. The Dark Knight Rises, which has been filming in multiple Pittsburgh neighborhoods since July 29, completed filming Sunday and is moving on to its next location. The cast and crew of the Caped Crusader franchise, however, have left a mark on the city that will not be forgotten soon.)
Gaga in Gotham -- 10 reasons why we loved Batman in the 'Burgh (Post Gazette)
(Earlier this month, a writer for the sports and pop culture website Grantland addressed how Pittsburgh tumbled for the Tumbler and all things Batman. After showing Pittsburgh some love and lamenting the Pirates' downturn, Andy Greenwald wrote: "We understand the last thing yinz need right now is a whole nother thing. So please take the following with a grain of salt and a sandwich with french fries jammed in the middle but it needs to be said: Pittsburgh, you have got to put the cell phones down.")
Family friendly fun in Batman's first live arena adventure (News Hopper)
(ANYONE going to see the caped crusader’s first live action adventure at The O2 arena this week expecting the gritty realism of Christopher Nolan’s current celluloid incarnation are setting themselves up for a big disappointment. Batman Live is aimed squarely at families and is more Adam West camp than Christian Bale broody.)
Rise of The Batman (Hour)
(When I was a kid, I loved comic books, not to mention superhero cartoons, action figures, etc. I even drew my own (lousy) comics until, in my mid-teens, I moved on to becoming a major cinephile and making (lousy) short films. But as it turns out, it’s through my moviegoing habit that I got back into comic books, circa 2000, when the mythology built over more than half a century by DC and Marvel became more mainstream than ever via the release of a seemingly endless series of big-screen blockbusters like X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man and this summer’s Thor and Captain America, plus what was to become the most successful superhero movie ever, both commercially and critically, The Dark Knight.)
Cartoon museum gets a boost from Batman (Vindy)
(Fake snow clung to the sidewalks and gutters in downtown Pittsburgh on Saturday. It was left over from filming for “The Dark Knight Rises,” the new Batman movie. Shooting in the Steel City wrapped last weekend, and by the time I got to town, it was already done for the day.)
FCC to investigate cell phone logjam after earthquake (CNN)
(The Federal Communications Commission says it is looking into the failures of cell phone service that occurred Tuesday afternoon after the East Coast earthquake. For as long as an hour after the quake, wireless customers in Washington and elsewhere reported being unable to get calls through.)
Beyond the iPad: What’s Next for Apple (Wired)
(Much has been said about the amazing contributions Steve Jobs has made to the technology world as Apple’s leader. But what can we expect from Apple now that Jobs has stepped down as CEO? New CEO Tim Cook has assured employees that “Apple is not going to change,” and a peek at what we’ll see from Cupertino suggests Apple plans to remain on the vanguard. A look at some patents Apple has sought and received offers a lay of the land.)
Canadians oppose Internet spy law: Poll
(Toronto Sun)
(Canadians want to keep their online info away from police, a new survey suggests. A poll commissioned by the federal privacy watchdog indicates 82% of Canadians are against giving police and spy agencies the power to access e-mails and online data without a court warrant. But that's exactly what privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart is concerned the Conservative government is trying to some proposed crime legislation.)
53 dead in attack on casino in northern Mexico (Taiwan News)
(Two dozen gunmen burst into a casino in northern Mexico on Thursday, doused it with gasoline and started a fire that trapped gamblers inside, killing 53 people and injuring a dozen more, authorities said. The fire at the Casino Royale in Monterrey, a city that has seen a surge in drug cartel-related violence, represented one of the deadliest attacks on an entertainment center in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug cartels in late 2006.)
Deadly bomb blast rocks U.N. building in Nigerian capital (CNN)
(At least seven people have been killed and many more injured in a bombing Friday at the U.N. building in the center of the Nigerian capital, Abuja, witnesses say. Journalist Alkasim Abdulkadir, in Abuja, told CNN he had seen seven bodies brought into the National Hospital by Red Cross officials. He had also seen many people with injuries, he said.)
New incest case with Fritzl echoes shocks Austrians (BBC)
(Police in Austria have arrested a man suspected of imprisoning and sexually abusing his two daughters in his village home over 40 years. The man, now 80, denies the abuse, which allegedly began when one girl was aged 12 and the other four.)
Hurricane Irene 2011: Storm Barrels Toward East Coast, Governors Declare Emergencies (Huffington Post)
(A monstrous Hurricane Irene tightened its aim on the Eastern Seaboard on Thursday, threatening 65 million people along a shore-hugging path from North Carolina to New England. One of the nation's top experts called it his "nightmare" scenario.)
Hurricane Irene may flood New York’s subway (Gant Daily)
(Hurricane Irene, which just battered the Bahamas, is also expected to flood New York’s subway. The subway may not survive the surge of water since the system depends on only 700 water pumps to keep the tunnel dry. Some of the pumps are 100 years old, purchased used, from the Panama Canal.)
Casey Anthony to serve probation in secret because of death threats (Montreal Gazette)
(Florida Department of Corrections officials said Thursday that Casey Anthony has begun serving a one-year probation on check-fraud charges, but they refused to say where in Florida she would be staying. DOC spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said Anthony's location was not being released for "safety reasons," adding that the department was taking additional safety precautions because of death threats against the young woman.)
Kathy Griffin Confesses Her Love for Justin Bieber, Jim Carrey-Style (E Online)
(Oh, what hath Jim Carrey wrought? A day after his viral ode to Emma Stone blew up his own new website, Kathy Griffin was so inspired by his delicate words that she, too, decided to confess her inappropriate love for a much younger man. And who's the teenager of the millennium? Why, Justin Bieber, of course!)
Police seek answers in death of 'Treme' actor (WWLTV)
(Police are searching for a car belonging to Michael Showers, the actor from the HBO series "Treme" whose body was found Wednesday floating in the Mississippi River near the Steamboat Natchez. It's a black, 2002 Infinity G-20 with Louisiana license plate TAP-099.)
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