Archive for April, 2007

A grandmother was alarmed to find a condom in a happy meal gift pack bought for her 7-year-old granddaughter at a McDonald’s restaurant in New Zealand, local media reported Thursday.

The condom was discovered Tuesday night in a bag that came with Maia Whitaker’s meal, which her grandparents bought at a McDonald’s outlet in the city of Wellington.

Grandpa Rowan Hutch told The Dominion Post newspaper it was lucky his wife was first to look inside the small sports bag that came with the meal.

She was aghast when she found the green condom and its packet inside the bag, he said.

“I was pretty horrified really. The fact my granddaughter was going to look in the bag and find this thing. It would be difficult to explain, she’s only seven,” said Hutch.

The outlet quickly swapped the happy meal for a hamburger and pencil case. McDonald’s is investigating the find.

Spokeswoman Joanna Redfern-Hardisty said because of its popularity, the previous happy meal gift had sold out at the outlet and prepackaged sports bags were substituted as children’s gifts.

One was left unsealed for display purposes and “somehow” had ended up with the customer, she said, without explaining why the condom was present.

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Ed from the.[ED]ition pointed me towards this blog train idea. This is a great way to get links back to your own site and immensly improve your technorati ranking. I am at 33,000 right now which isn’t too bad, but it could be a lot better.

1. Click here to Add me to your Technorati Favorites
   
2. Come Back to this Post and Leave a Comment that you have Added me. Use your own Technorati Fave link in the comment so I know where to go. (i.e. http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://www.yourdomain.com)
3. I will go through my comments and then add you to my Technorati Faves list as well.

***Start Copying Here:***

Here are the rules:

1) Write a short introduction paragraph about what how you found the list and include a link to the blog that referred you to the list.

2) COPY the Rules and ENTIRE List below and post it to your blog. To avoid duplicate content and increase the amount of keywords your site can be accessible for, go ahead and change the titles of the blog. Just don’t change the links of the blog.

3) Take “My New Faves” and move them into the “The Original Faves” list.

4) Add 3 Blogs that you’ve just added to your Technorati Favorites to the “My New Faves” section. Remember to also add the “Fave Me” link next to your new blogs.

5) Add Everyone on this list to your Technorati Favorites List by clicking on “Fave the Site.” Those who want good kharma will fave you back. If not, you will for sure get the benefits of faves from the bloggers who continue this list after you.

My New Faves

Geeks are Sexy- Fave the Site
The Kat House - Fave the Site
John Chow - Fave the Site

The Original Faves

WVb - Fave the Site
Leo Chiang - Fave the Site
Michael Kwan - Fave the Site
The Daily Kimchi - Fave the Site
Stephen Fung - Fave the Site Add him to your favorites and he’ll donate to charity!
Ed Lau - Fave the Site
QMusings - Fave the Site
Gary Lee - Fave the Site
Dosh Dosh - Fave the Site
Nate Whitehill - Fave the Site
Ms. Danielle - Fave the Site
Jeff Kee - Fave the Site
Scribble on the Wall - Fave the Site
Jimi Morrisons Head - Fave the Site
Jon Lee - Fave the Site
Samanathon - Fave the Site
Eat Drink & Be Merry - Fave the Site
The Man of Silver - Fave the Site
Hannes Johnson - Fave the Site
My Dandelion Patch - Fave the Site
Nathan Drach - Fave the Site
SiteLogic - Fave the Site
Julies Journal - Fave the Site

***End Copying Here***

I think that’s all. This is a good, simple opportunity to get to know other people in the blogosphere and help each other’s sites. Thanks to all the new people that have added me to their Technorati favorites. I’ve gone through and added all of you as well. Get in early and spread the link love!

20Q.net, the wildly popular online game and artificial intelligence, played its 50 millionth game on April 16th. To date, the game has asked close to one billion questions! (Relatively speaking, one billion seconds is roughly 31 years!) And, when we take into account all the time it has spent playing games, we’d put the 20Q’s age at about 95 “people” years. The site hosts tens of thousands of players daily, using every game as a learning opportunity and getting a little smarter each time. What was the object that stumped the 20Q A.I. the last time you played?

With this milestone also comes a series of 20Q specialty games. Using the same A.I. engine, 20Q is quickly becoming an expert in Music, Sports, Movies, T.V. and People. It won’t be long until it tackles a famous wizarding world, a time traveler with a British accent, a well-known street, and a Recognized Text of the Past. It’s too soon to tell but, someday, 20Q might even help you select a baby name (check out the 20Q Name Game.)

20Q is an artificial intelligence, a website, a company and a phenomenon that speaks for itself at http://20q.net. Players think of an animal, vegetable, mineral, or other item and 20Q guesses what they are thinking in twenty questions, or less.

Inventor Robin Burgener has nurtured the technology since its creation in 1988. The 20Q A.I. played 2,000 games in the first 10 years of its existence. In the past eighteen months, that number has exponentially increased to over 50 million games. 20Q has been translated into 22 languages, and the specialty versions of the handheld electronic game, 20Q Rock and Pop, Sports and Junior are in stores now. 20Q Mobile for the cell phone is licensed to I-play. The 20Q technology also has strong potential for applications in medical devices, search engines, tech support, machine diagnostics, and large e-commerce websites.

Licensed to Radica Games, Ltd. and Mattel, more than 12 million of the popular and addictive handheld versions have been sold. The handheld 20Q game won the 2006 Toy Industry Association’s Electronic Toy of the Year Award and received U.K. Toy Retailers’ Association Special Recognition Award. Now that 20Q.net is available in over 20 languages, even more people around the world can test its knowledge.

There’s something great about real life,” says Drew Barrymore. “You know, what you see is what you get.” Although in her case, you’re never really sure what that’s going to be. “Some days I feel preppy,” she says. “Some days I feel rock ‘n’ roll. Some days I feel hippie. Some days I feel glamorous. Some days I feel like a rebellious 13-year-old boy. And I think all are acceptable.”

We’re not the only ones in love with this cultural chameleon. Barrymore was recently named CoverGirl’s newest model for her “fresh natural beauty” and “energetic yet authentic spirit.” That kind of compliment lights up her face – and more. Being named PEOPLE’s cover girl “made my peacock feathers shine in the golden-hour light and extend to the heavens,” she says, giggling. The 32-year-old actress, whose drama Lucky You opens on May 4, got comfortable with PEOPLE’s Alexis Chiu, plopping down on a hotel bed and revealing her loves (yellow eye shadow), hates (zits!) and other secrets to her low-key beauty philosophy.

When do you feel most beautiful?
Right after I’ve worked out and I’m sweating all over the place and my face is two different colors of white and red and my hair is half wet, half dry and I look like I’m about to have a heart attack. I feel like I’ve changed the shape of my body temporarily into something more flexible and strong.

When do you feel least beautiful?
When someone makes a really snap judgment. It just feels below the belt. . . . You just feel kind of corroded and gross inside. I think that ends up reflecting on the way your face looks.

You love the natural look, but do you also love getting glam?
We as girls have that Cinderella fantasy of dress-up. So whenever you get the opportunity to have people make your face up and do your hair and put you in an outfit, it’s a fantasy. And it’s just so much fun and such a luxury.

How did your relationship with your looks change when you turned 30?
For some reason, since I turned 30 this little crew comes in the middle of the night and they sew little sausages under my eyes! I found some great new eye patches that are so awesome. They’re by Talika. They just take away the puffiness. You put them on for 20 minutes and they’re genius.

What about skin care?
I’m trying to be better about sunblock. Whenever I get a tan, a mustache comes out! It’s not sexy.

And makeup?
I wear a lot more eyeliner now. I used to be more about red lips and pale skin. Now I’m sort of more about nude lips and eyeliner.

What’s your basic beauty routine?
I always wash my face at night. I’m a face-washing obsessive-compulsive. I’m of a one-track mind to have clear skin. It makes me feel good.

Any home beauty remedies?
No. If I get a zit, I pretty much just have to cry.

How does being happy contribute to looking good?
I just think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness. If somebody walks in the room and they’re drop-dead gorgeous and sexy, it’s really fun to look at. But if someone is giving of their spirit and they make you laugh and feel good, that’s a whole other level of beauty.

What gets you through the times when being happy is a challenge?
I talk to my friends a lot. I go to therapy. It’s about working through it, because if you don’t, it’ll rear its ugly head at some point.

Any beauty rules for dating?
The only fundamental rule for me is to just be yourself. Let your freak-flag fly, and if someone doesn’t get you, move on. [Recently, Barrymore has been spending time with director Spike Jonze, but she declines to talk about the relationship.]

Have you picked up any beauty tips from your girlfriends?
White eyeliner is something my girlfriend just turned me onto, which I’ve kind of known about but hadn’t really practiced. My girlfriends will teach me how to bronze properly so that I don’t look like I’m in the sixth grade with, like, the chin line.

What about Cameron Diaz? Do you two share makeup or accessories?
We share lots of things. We get ready together and stuff – that’s one of the best parts of being a girl.

How does your diet affect your looks?
If I eat healthy, I feel healthy. If I eat a bunch of crap, I feel like crap. But I can’t be disciplined all the time. I love those days where I just pig out and have the biggest breakfast on the planet with all my girlfriends and we talk about the night before.

What are you insecure about?
I always wished I were taller [she's 5'4"]. Especially going to concerts – I really can’t see! But I am what I am. I’m grateful. I’m not gonna complain.

Correct use of the “F” word
When is @#$% acceptable ?

There are only eleven times in history when the “F”word has been considered acceptable for use.

They are as follows:

11. “What the @#$% do you mean, we are sinking?”
– Capt. E.J. Smith of RMS Titanic, 1912

10. “What the @#$% was that?”
– Mayor of Hiroshima, 1945

9. “Where did all those @#$%ing Indians come from?”
– Custer, 1877

8. “Any @#$%ing idiot could understand that.”
– Einstein, 1938

7. “It does so @#$ %ing look like her!”
– Picasso, 1926

6. “How the @#$% did you work that out?”
– Pythagoras, 126 BC

5. “You want WHAT on the @#$%ing ceiling?”
– Michelangelo, 1566

4. “Where the @#$% are we?”
– Amelia Earhart, 1937

3. “Scattered @#$%ing showers, my ass!”
– Noah, 4314 BC

2. “Aw c’mon. Who the @#$% is going to find out?”
– Bill Clinton, 1998

and a drum roll please…………!

1. “Geez, I didn’t think they’d get this @%#*^ing mad.”
– Saddam Hussein, 2003