Bottom of the News… Friday, January 25, 2008

Good morning my fellow Rotarians… Well, at the end of year there a all kinds of Top 10 lists and today I thought I’d share some of the top oddball stories from 2007.

A Major Head Case In Germany… Margret Wegner underwent surgery to remove a pencil that had been stuck inside her head for 55 years. The German woman had suffered from chronic headaches and nosebleeds after falling at age 4 with a 4” pencil in hand. For years doctors would not take the risk to remove it until technology improved and this summer surgeons in Berlin finally were able to remove the pencil.

A Need for Bigger Buoys? In Australia… Some women in the Australian Navy received free breast implants this past year paid for by their government. The Navy said the cosmetic surgeries were carried out for psychological reasons for female sailors. Politicians were up in arms over taxpayers footing the bill calling the government-funded breast enhancements a "questionable practice."

Managing Road RageIn Rome… The Vatican issued their 10 Commandments to help drivers manage road rage in a 36-page document titled "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road." Stating that driving brings out the "primitive" side of man and cars creating "occasions of sin." The guidelines stressed the importance of respecting speed limits and not using cell phones while driving. However they also encourage praying while driving, which some argued could be an even bigger distraction than cell phone usage.

Sleepwalking in the Buff In the UK… The Travellodge hotel chain Travelodge a seven-fold increase in sleepwalking from 2006 to 2007. They noted that 95% of the walkers were naked men. As a result, the hotel re-issued its annual sleepwalker guidelines to help hotel staff better handle the walkers. To begin, they kept towels behind the desk so men could cover up and protect their dignity.

No Ho Ho Ho’s!In Australia… Santas in Australia were told to stop saying "ho ho ho" and to use "ha ha ha" instead. The traditional phrase was banned because it might be offensive to women. The Aussie Santa training center maintains that it was only a suggestion, and that the greeting was left up to the discretion of each Santa.

A Synonym for Streetwalker In London… British legislators removed the word "prostitute" from criminal statutes, a term that had been around for 180 or so years. The Justice Ministry argued that the word carries too much social stigma. The new phrase will be… “persons who sell sex persistently," which is defined as twice or more within a three-month period of time.

Wee Wii Competion is Fatal In California… A radio station water-drinking contest ended in tragedy in January with Jennifer Strange, age 28, died from drinking too much water. The grand prize was a Nintendo Wii. It was part of a contest entitled "Hold Your Wee for a Wii."

And those were to top strange, weird and oddball stories of 2007 as a part of today’s bottom of the news on this Friday January 25, 2008.
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