Scariest Moments on TV and Film + October Follow-ups

   1. Scariest Moments on TV and Film

   Britain's Channel 4 recently ran a poll to find "the 100 Scariest Moments
   on TV and film".  The following articles report on or were inspired by that
   poll:
   * "Shining tops screen horrors"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/3215471.stm >
   * "Top 10 Scary Moments in Horror"
      < http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20031023/lifestyle/500948.html >
   * "Scariest moments in film history: All fright on the night"
      < http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/video/story/0,1587,1067048,00.html >

   By the way, tonight is Halloween ...
   "The History and Customs of Halloween"
      < http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm >
   Be warned that the site features some very annoying music.


   2. Follow-ups to October Postings

   [Flotsam and Jetsam]
   * "Giant jellyfish turn up off Japanese coast"
      < http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7617736%5E1702,00.html >

   [Not your average, everyday marriages]
   * "Actress weds man who donated part of his liver to her"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/18/1066364541664.html >
   * "Couple get married before meeting each other"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_748619.html >
   * "A pretty uncommon couple"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/21/1066631421351.html >
   * "'Humane groom' to wed two sisters"
      < http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7715561%255E13762,00.html >

   [Old-Fashioned Junk Mail]
   * "1000 love letters could land luckless lady in lock-up"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/16/1065917558047.html >

   [Teddy Bears in the News]
   * "For October, TBE stands for Teddy Bear Elementary"
      < http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10393647&BRD=2256&PAG=461
          &dept_id=455823&rfi=6 >

Unexpected Arrivals

   1. "Adelaide woman delivers surprise baby"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s969730.htm >

   2. "Woman surprised at toilet birth"  [Cincinnati, USA]
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_826703.html >

   3. "Omigosh it's a baby!"  [Germany]
      < http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/04/1062548946899.html >
   Apparently not that uncommon.

Ten Ways to Stop Traffic

   1. "Raining cash on the German autobahn sparks traffic jam"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s938492.htm >
      "Cars stop on I-80 for blizzard _ of cash"  [USA]
      < http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/5/2003/08/20/story103.html >

   2. "Beer truck overturns, slows I-4 traffic in Orange"
      < http://www.local6.com/news/2512876/detail.html >

   3. "Esca-peas cause traffic chaos"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s882205.htm >

   4. "Cheese toasted in Welsh truck blaze"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s898687.htm >

   5. "A chocolate highway to heaven"
      < http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=29&art_id=vn20030924023058709C791912
          &set_id=1 >

   6. "Highway blocked by 800 baby pigs"
      < http://news.excite.com/odd/article/id/355831%7Coddlyenough%7C09-22-2003
          %3A%3A09%3A50%7Creuters.html >

   7. "Mob wouldn't have a baa of it"
      < http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7501848%5E3102,00.html >

   8. "Smelly wreck on Katy Frwy leaves drivers reportedly throwing up"
      < http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/80503_local_smellywreck.html >

   9. "U.S. 24 closed after tanker spills goo"
      < http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031021/NEWS01/31021014 >

   10. "Work time's up, so conductor stops train in city centre"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/22/1064082927575.html >

Great Falls, or Gravity Always Wins

   1. Defying the odds
   a. "He went over Niagara and lived"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/21/1066631405888.html >
   b. "Austrian saved by a crane when parachute fails"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s971223.htm >
   c. "Paraglider escapes 130ft fall with broken rib"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_831346.html >
   "I am aware of the miracle. Paragliding was the most extreme thing I have ever
    done, bearing in mind I never want to get married!"

   2. "400-pound man rescued after he plunges through floor of mobile home"
      < http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-1016floorfall,
          0,5002866.story?coll=sfla-news-florida >

   3. "Fleeing inmate drops into US judge's chambers"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s942701.htm >

   4. "Man drops in on KF woman as she sleeps"
      < http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2003/06/26/news/top_stories/sleeps.txt >

   5. "Juliet hurt in theatre fall"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/3163770.stm >
   "A performance of Romeo and Juliet had to be stopped when the lead actress fell
    from the balcony during the play's best-known scene"
   - Perhaps she literally fell head over heels in love?

   6. "Edmonton man survives falling the equivalent of 12 stories down open manhole"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/06/24/118767-cp.html >

   7. Some lucky babies
   a. "Quebec toddler unscathed by three-storey fall from apartment window" [Canada]
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/07/18/139721-cp.html >
   b. "Tot survives 35ft drop"  [England, link broken]
      < http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003392095,00.html >
   c. "Toddler survives 130ft fall" [Romania]
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_801028.html >

   8. Animals fall too
   a. "Whale crashes family boat trip"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s928888.htm >
   b. "Caravan damaged after cow fall"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/3101264.stm >
   c. "Dog survives 80ft cliff plunge"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_581791.html >

Teddy Bears in the News

   1. "Bear with me"
      < http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/15/1065917479153.html >
      A moving story about a pair of lost teddy bears reunited with their owner.
      "David Perry, 26, was resigned to never seeing the bears again when they
       tumbled off his roof rack as he drove from Beeston, Nottinghamshire, to
       his home in Redditch, Worcs.
      "He admitted that he held out little hope of success when he rang the
       Highways Agency to inquire if the cuddly toys, named Masher and Bruno,
       had been found."

   2. "Airline rejects teddy bear's flight plan"
      < http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4788998/22360926.html >

   3. "Teddy bear fetches 250,000 euros at auction" (about $400,000)
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s900781.htm >

   4. "Lost money a tough burden to bear"
      < http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/3263830p-3293479c.html >
      "(US)$50,000: Woman says cash was sewn into a toy, which was mistakenly
       sold for $1"

   5. "Airport workers find loaded gun inside boy's teddy bear"
      < http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,92234,00.html >

   6. "Australian housing officials ask for teddy bear's details"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_768611.html >

   7. "Teddy bears gather in Japan for anniversary"
      < http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s693933.htm >

Old-Fashioned Junk Mail

   1. "NZ manure letter campaign raises stink"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s902313.htm >

   2. "Conviction upheld in mailing of garbage"
      < http://heraldsun.com/nationworld/national/30-391404.html >

   3. "Texas woman finds eyeball in mailbox"
      < http://www.local6.com/news/2474615/detail.html >

   4. "Man indicted for sending 8-legged letter to girlfriend"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s909726.htm >

   5. "How a $95,093.35 junk mail check changed Patrick's life"
      < http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/archive/2003/09/17/moneytales.DTL >

   6. "Postal service relents; recycling returns"
      < http://www.summitdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030926/NEWS/309260101 >

   7. "People send the funniest things"
      < http://www.guardian.co.uk/post/story/0,11489,883002,00.html >
      "You shouldn't send anything alive in the post, to be honest with you,"
      says Ray Kennedy, his face quite serious as he sits in the Royal Mail's
      special office in Belfast's quayside. "I would also prefer that people
      didn't send anything dead in the post."

Not your average, everyday marriages

   1. "Woman bridesmaid to ex-husband and mother"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_819687.html >

   2. "Identical twins marry same man 23 years apart"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_824395.html >

   3. "Two pairs of Identical Twins propose at identical time"
      < http://www.diamondblog.com/archives/000403.html >
      "Quarternary Marriages"
      < http://www.twinstuff.com/twinswithtwins.htm >

   4. "Cupid's Bow and Arrow of love"
      < http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/30/1064819932786.html >

   5. "Four brothers marry four sisters"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_745405.html >

   6. "Couple marry 21 years after being born in same hospital on same day"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_825259.html >

   7. "Inquiry into gypsy child wedding"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3154994.stm >

   8. "Girl married to stray dog"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/06/19/114901-ap.html >

Uglyfootballers.com

   Uglyfootballers.com
      < http://www.uglyfootballers.com/ >

   Why limit it to soccer players? Rugby players must surely take the cake as
   the ugliest sportsmen. Their necks are thicker than their heads, which is
   no mean feat!

   Highlights:

   * Ugly Files
      < http://www.uglyfootballers.com/ugly_files/ugly_files.html >

   * Rogues gallery
      < http://www.uglyfootballers.com/rogues/rogues_gallery.html >
   Streakers, Mullets and Men In Black sections, plus Ugly fans and Ugly injuries

   * Beauty and the Beast
      < http://www.uglyfootballers.com/players_wives/beauty_and_the_beast/
          beauty_and_the_beast.html >
   Attempts to examine the age-old conundrum:
      Why are beautiful women attracted to ugly sports players?
   I think the web site curators have taken liberties in this section by
   choosing unflattering photos of some of the guys. And Posh Spice is
   disqualified as a beauty, imho. But there are a few ugly mugs here.

CNNNN: Chaser Non-Stop News Network

   CNNNN: Chaser Non-Stop News Network
      < http://www.cnnnn.com/ >

   "CNNNN is a news and current affairs channel owned and operated by ChaserCorp.
   It was founded by ChaserCorp CEO David Stewart in 1983 to counteract liberal
   bias in the media and remains the cornerstone of a television network that
   now contains over 40 different channels, spans 294 countries and reaches a
   potential cumulative audience of 100 billion people per week (source:
   Roy Morgan)."

   Not your average news network. They don't even pretend to promote journalistic
   integrity.

   "The home of newstainment"
   "We report, you believe"

   Catch live feeds on ABC-TV on Thursdays at 9:00pm.

2003 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

   The Nobel Foundation is in the process of making the Nobel Prize
   Announcements for 2003.  For details see the Nobel e-Museum:
      < http://www.nobel.se/ >

   This post is about the announcement of the winners of the less
   well-known Ig Nobel Prizes for 2003.

   * What are the Ig Nobel Prizes?
      < http://www.improb.com/ig/what-are.html >

   * This year's winners
      < http://www.improb.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2003 >

   A selection:
     + PHYSICS
   Jack Harvey, John Culvenor, Warren Payne, Steve Cowley, Michael Lawrance,
   David Stuart, and Robyn Williams of Australia, for their irresistible
   report "An Analysis of the Forces Required to Drag Sheep over Various
   Surfaces."
     + MEDICINE
   Eleanor Maguire, David Gadian, Ingrid Johnsrude, Catriona Good, John
   Ashburner, Richard Frackowiak, and Christopher Frith of University College
   London, for presenting evidence that the brains of London taxi drivers are
   more highly developed than those of their fellow citizens.
     + PSYCHOLOGY
   Gian Vittorio Caprara and Claudio Barbaranelli of the University of Rome,
   and Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University, for their discerning report
   "Politicians' Uniquely Simple Personalities."
     + LITERATURE
   John Trinkaus, of the Zicklin School of Business, New York City, for
   meticulously collecting data and publishing more than 80 detailed academic
   reports about specific annoyances and anomalies of daily life, such as:
   What percentage of young people wear baseball caps with the peak facing
   to the rear rather than to the front; What percentage of pedestrians wear
   sport shoes that are white rather than some other color; What percentage
   of swimmers swim laps in the shallow end of a pool rather than the deep
   end; What percentage of automobile drivers almost, but not completely, come
   to a stop at one particular stop-sign; What percentage of commuters carry
   attaché cases; What percentage of shoppers exceed the number of items
   permitted in a supermarket's express checkout lane; and What percentage
   of students dislike the taste of Brussels sprouts.
     + ECONOMICS
   Karl Schwärzler and the nation of Liechtenstein, for making it possible to
   rent the entire country for corporate conventions, weddings, bar mitzvahs,
   and other gatherings.

   The rest of the HotAIR/www.improb.com has other amusing stuff too.

Name Day

   October 6 is (Saint) Bruno's day ...

   Find Your Name Day - web site
      < http://www.mynameday.com/index.html >
   "What is Name Day?
    It is an old European tradition. Every day of the year is someone's Name
    Day. People all across Europe have been celebrating their first names for
    centuries in the same way you celebrate your birthday."

   Alphabetic listings to look up names:
      < http://www.mynameday.com/findyourname.html >
   The site only lists the 1800 most popular first names in USA and Canada.
   Normally it's the feast day of a saint whose name one bears, but the web
   site has found "appropriate" days on the calendar for people without names
   having a feast day.

The good, the bad and the chosen

   1. "The good, the bad and the chosen"
      < http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Guardian/0,4029,970702,00.html >

   The Guardian's report about the selection by 1500 film industry figures,
   picked by the American Film Institute, of the top 50 heroes and top 50
   villains in (US) films, based on the "legacy" and "cultural impact" of
   each hero or villain.

   The full list: AFI's Top 50 Heroes and Top 50 Villains Of All Time
      < http://www.afi.com/tv/handv.asp >

   Other AFI lists:
    * AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies
      < http://www.afi.com/tv/movies.asp >
    * ...100 Passions (The 100 Greatest Love Stories Of All Time)
      < http://www.afi.com/tv/passions.asp >
    * ...100 Thrills (The 100 Most Thrilling American Films Of All Time)
      < http://www.afi.com/tv/thrills.asp >
    * ...100 Laughs (The 100 Funniest American Movies Of All Time)
      < http://www.afi.com/tv/laughs.asp >
    * ...100 Stars
      < http://www.afi.com/tv/stars.asp >


   2. The Reader's Digest 100+ Funniest Films
      < http://www.rd.com/common/nav/index.jhtml?articleId=9526793 >


   3. "Connery tops worst accent list"
      < http://www.itv.com/news/864365.html >

Flotsam and Jetsam

   No, this is not about the heavy metal band from Phoenix, Arizona called
   Flotsam and Jetsam. Rather I've used a bit of poetic licence to group
   stories about things floating in the ocean and/or washed up on the shore.

   1. Message in a Bottle
   a. "Woman gets 26yo bottled message"
      < http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6877571%255E13762,00.html >
   b. "Swiss tourist finds old message in bottle"
      < http://www.herald-sun.com/nationworld/14-375169.html >

   2. "Rubber ducks spotted floating in the Pacific"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s910822.htm >
      "Rubber duck armada goes with flow to provide clues on current affairs"
      < http://old.smh.com.au/news/0112/08/world/world19.html >

   3. "Cubans found at sea on converted pickup truck"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_802810.html >
      "Cubans try to 'drive' over Florida Straits"
      < http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6368557.htm >

   4. "Climate change blamed as largest Arctic ice shelf breaks in two
       after 3,000 years"
      < http://news.independent.co.uk/world/environment/story.jsp?story=446434 >

   5. "Whale stranded on golf course"
      < http://www.nettavisen.no/servlets/page?section=1706&item=277142 >

   6. "It's not an octopus, so what is 'the blob'?"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s897695.htm >

   7. "Flotsam and Jetsam" - a self-referential artwork
      < http://www.pritchettcartoons.com/flotsam.htm >