Bus Stops - January 23, 2012

'Underworld: Awakenings' takes top box-office slot over 'Red Tails' (NY Daily News) 

(KATE BECKINSALE’S “Underworld: Awakenings” triumphed in a surprisingly close box-office battle this weekend against the World War II aerial epic “Red Tails.” “Underworld” finished in the top spot with $25.4 million in a closer-than-expected win over George Lucas’ self-funded story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the real-life American fighter pilots who battled both the Nazis and racism on the home front.)

JFK’s hearse for sale in Arizona this weekend (Yahoo) 

(The iconic white hearse that carried the body of President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963 is being put up for auction during a high-profile collectible car sale in Arizona this weekend. In the hours after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, his body was driven three miles from Parkland Memorial Hospital to Dallas Love Field and Air Force One. The Arizona Republic reports that the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction held in Scottsdale this weekend will include several other vehicles from famous historical figures and celebrities.)

Woman refuses to leave toilet bowl for 2.5 years (Your Health) 

(She sat down on the toilet bowl in her master bedroom bathroom on March 25, 2009. For the next 902 days, the small, white-tiled room became Madam Leong Mee Yan's home. She ate her meals there and slept there. And no amount of cajoling from her husband would make her leave the toilet bowl.)

Fond du Lac man says wife punched, strangled by ghost (The Northwestern) 

(A Fond du Lac man was arrested after he told police a “ghost” punched and strangled his wife. Michael F. West, 41, of 281 Fond du Lac Ave., was charged Wednesday with strangulation and misdemeanors of battery, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing an officer. At about 8 p.m. Jan. 15, police arrived at West’s home to find the woman crying and bleeding from her nose.)

Man tells court it was dog who strangled wife (The Local) 

(The 50-year-old man was convicted of manslaughter after his wife was found strangled to death in their bathroom in Düsseldorf November 2010, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Monday. But his conviction was overruled by a federal court which said that the fact the woman was strangled for several minutes did not necessarily on its own mean she was killed intentionally, and now the case is being heard again – complete with a witness who is an expert on dogs. )

Utah School Board Says Cougar Mascot Too Offensive To Women (The Northwestern) 

(One Utah school district believes a cougar mascot would be insensitive to women. The Canyons School District overrode the students top choice of a cougar mascot for their high school that is to be completed in 2013. Would-be Corner Canyon High School students chose the Cougars as their mascot — a name principal Mary Bailey said carries an ugly connotation that is disrespectful to women.)

Teen may never go home after sailing round the world (MSNBC) 

(Dutch sailor Laura Dekker may not return home to the Netherlands after completing her voyage around the globe. Dekker, 16, wrote on her blog that she is on course to finish her journey Saturday, becoming the youngest person to accomplish the feat solo, but bad experiences with the Dutch government could keep her from returning to her mother country.)

After doctors remove 3-inch nail from his brain US man recalls thinking X-ray was a joke (News 1130) 

(Dante Autullo thought his doctors were joking. The suburban Chicago man was sure he'd merely cut himself with a nail gun while building a shed. But they assured him the X-ray was real: A nail was lodged in the middle of his brain. Autullo was recovering Friday after undergoing surgery at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where doctors removed the 3 1/4-inch (7.62 centimetre) nail. It had come within millimeters of the part of the brain that controls motor function.)

Dog Snit Village residents finally bag new name (News 1130) 

(It was originally just a nickname established when locals noticed it was so inaccessible that only dogs would go there to relieve themselves. So the Chinese settlement got stuck with it, police and local government officials started using it and the unattractive moniker even began appearing on MAPS.)

Kevin Smith Talks About Fighting in Hockey in a Very Uncomfortable Place – Mediocre Film to be Made (The Province) 

(Hey, did you guys know there’s something called, “fair trade chocolate?” Well, it appears that there’s a connection between young boys from the Ivory Coast being sold into slavery and the harvesting of cocoa beans. This is easily the most shocking revelation to hit the world of candy since Mike and Ike’s “commitment ceremony” at a Vermont B&B back in the late 90’s. I’m going to come clean with you; I’m not exactly sure where to go with this, except to say, dibs. Dibs on the screenplay I’m writing that’s essentially, Willie Wonka meets Amistad. And yes, it’s a romantic comedy.)

Silent Bob strikes back against violence in the NHL (The Star) 

(Kevin Smith, the bad boy of movies, may be best known for his movie character Silent Bob, but when it comes to the topic of violence in hockey, he’s got a lot to say. And during a recent conversation to promote his upcoming Feb. 2 Toronto appearance at the Scotiabank Theatre in Kevin Smith: Live from Behind, he didn’t hesitate to make his feelings known.)

EPIX Presents Kevin Smith Burn in Hell (Sacramento Bee) 

(Writer/Director/Raconteur/Podcaster/Sinner (to some) and proud Jersey boy Kevin Smith returns to EPIX, bringing his unusual multi-talents in a one-man show, Kevin Smith Burn in Hell. The original comedy event premieres February 11 on the EPIX premium network. Additionally, EPIX is reaching out to Kevin Smith fans everywhere with an on demand preview beginning February 3, offering subscribers and non-subscribers an early screening of the entire special. The preview can be viewed via participating affiliated television providers' EPIX On Demand service and EPIX apps on Xbox 360 and Roku. It will also be available for streaming at EpixHD.com and the "TV Everywhere" portals of affiliated providers.)

School bus thefts mystify police in Jefferson and St. Louis counties (StL Tody) 

(When one school bus disappeared, police wondered who would steal it. Then another went missing, and another, until the total reached eight and the mystery deepened. Were they sold for scrap metal? Stripped for parts? Converted into hunting cabins? Taken out of the country?)

Mom, tearful tot tossed off bus (Windsor Star) 

(A 23-year-old stay-at-home mother said she was humiliated when a Transit Windsor driver kicked her off the bus because her son was crying, leaving her with an hour-long walk home. “It was horrible. Having to walk home, being embarrassed in front of all those people,” she said. “I was trying my hardest to get my son to stop crying.”)

Pilot avoids collision with bus on runway (NDTV) 

(The pilot of an IndiGo Airlines flight, carrying 168 passengers, had to use emergency brake while preparing for takeoff as a bus ferrying people to an Air Force plane appeared on the runway at the airport.)

5 held for seizing luxury bus (Times of India) 

(The Hadapsar police on Saturday arrested five people for allegedly stealing a luxury bus, after thrashing its owner, driver and cleaner, and looting Rs 5,000 and cell phones, all totalling over Rs 25 lakh. The incident took place between Ravi Darshan society and Mantarwadi garbage depot on the Katraj bypass road at 11.45 pm on Friday.)

Sex poses surprisingly low risk to heart patients (USA Today) 

(Good news: Sex is safe for most heart patients. If you're healthy enough to walk up two flights of stairs without chest pain or gasping for breath, you can have a love life.)

MegaUpload was a 'mega conspiracy,' Justice Department alleges (LA Times) 

(Good news: Sex is safe for most heart patients. If you're healthy enough to walk up two flights of stairs without chest pain or gasping for breath, you can have a love life.MegaUpload, one of the world's largest file-sharing websites, was shut down Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice, which accused it of violating piracy and copyright laws. In an indictment, the Justice Department alleged that MegaUpload was a "mega conspiracy" and a global criminal organization "whose members engaged in criminal copyright infringement and money laundering on a massive scale.")

Google+ hits 90 million users (Telegraph UK) 

(Larry Page, Google’s chief executive, announced the new number last night during the company’s quarterly earnings call. He said: “With Google+, we’ve shipped on average a new feature every day since we launched in June. That’s more than 200 updates in total. “I’m also pleased to announce that there are over 90 million Google+ users - well over double what I announced just a quarter ago on our earnings call. Engagement on Google+ is also growing tremendously. I have some amazing data to share there for the first time: Google+ users are very engaged with our products - over 60per cent of them engage daily, and over 80 per cent weekly.”)

Cruise ship's cook says captain ordered dinner after crash (CNN) 

(The captain of the Costa Concordia ordered dinner for himself and a woman after the ship struck rocks off Italy's coast, a cook from the ship told a Filipino television station. In an interview with GMA Network, cook Rogelio Barista said Capt. Francesco Schettino ordered dinner less than an hour after the accident.)

Costa Concordia passenger launches legal action against cruise firm (Guardian UK) 

(A British expat who was on the Costa Concordia is launching legal action against the company that owns the liner, her lawyers have said. Sandra Rodgers was on board with her adult daughter and seven-year-old twin granddaughters when the ship ran into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island off Giglio last Friday.)