(NEW YORK TIMES) 12 December 2007:

Smarmy, smug, and alleged wife killer Drew Peterson attempted to get donations for his “legal bills” via a Web site that has since been taken down. Surely bleeding hearts can come up with a better cause…like helping convicted wife killer Scott Peterson (oddly enough, no relation) get smokes and porn in prison?

(THESUN.COM) 12 September 2007:

She of the golden pipes Charlotte Church and her companion Gavin Henson are expecting a new baby any moment now. She’s already received approximately $60k in free baby gifts. The gifts include six prams, clothing, and tons of toys. It’s reported, however, that Charlotte would like to sell most of the items and give the money to…nope, not charity. She reportedly plans on putting the money in a trust fund for the expected child.

(NEWSOFTHEWEIRD.COM) 2 September 2007:

As originally cited in Chemistry and Industry Magazine report, Cytori Therapeutics has developed a procedure to grow breast tissue from a mixture of liposuctioned body fat and stem cells. This could be good news for mastectomy patients who don’t want implants.

(DAILY MEN) 11 May 2007:

There has been some controversy over the introduction of the HIPV vaccine for women. HIPV causes some 70% of cervical cancer, so by vaccinating against it, it’s hoped that the rate of such cancers will go down. Given that by age 50 some 80% of women have been exposed to HIPV this seems entirely sensible.

However, tests are still under way to find out whether the same vaccine will also protect men. Althouh men obviously do not suffer from cervical cancer, there are some very much rarer diseases caused by the virus in men.

It is also true that by the very nature of the transmission path that men successfully vaccinated will not pass it on to women.

It would not be cynical to suggest that there will be less controversy over offering the treatment to men than there has been for women.

(SYNAPSE) 29 March 2007:

The “cat lady” stereotype is so cliche that no one dare use it in fiction anymore. It’s also a myth that doesn’t seem to accord with what we know about cats in the real world.

One of the feline disease that can be transmitted to humans is Toxoplasma Gondii. It’s estimated that some 40% of the global population are infected. Closeness to and living with cats makes such infection more likely.

However, being infected strikes men and women in different ways. Men lose IQ, become more withdrawn, have shorter attention spans and are less attractive to women. Infected women however are more attractive to men and are also more promiscuous.

(REUTERS)16 March 2007:

There are times when the British roots of the respected news agency Reuters is blatantly obvious. A recent story on Reuters was about a matador who was gored and is making an excellent recovery. The agency says that if Fernando Cruz ever has children, then he’ll have to thank his doctors. The headline also says that his “chances of fatherhood are hurt” which is also true but somewhat misleading.

The actual bulletin from the doctors states that the injury “eviscerates both testicles”.

Reuters might be guilty of a little understatement there, that vice of the British, don’t you think?

(THE DAILY TELEGRAPH) 9 February 2007

Recent research from the University of Central Lancashire shows that men can indeed be too good to be true. By randomly assigning virtual careers and status to photographs of attractive men, then showing them to women, the researchers were able to show that an attractive male with medium social and economic status was thought a better long term mate than one with higher status.

The attractiveness is a signifier of genetic health: but if the social status is too high, the women worry that the increase in choices available to the men are more likely to make them unfaithful: literally, too good to be true.

(TMZ.com) 23 January 2007

Sources tell celeb gossip Web site tmz.com that porn star Jenna Jameson and shameless self promoter Paris Hilton have been contacted about participating in a reality show currently in production called “Virgin Territory.”  The sexually uninitiated contestants will try to rid themselves of that pesky virginity.

“Virgin Territory” producer Kevin Blatt is soliciting contestants on both coasts.  He says, “Finding virgins in NYC or Los Angeles is no easy task.”

(LOCAL6.COM) 8 August 2006:

Chris Goflin chased down a man who groped his wife and 8-year-old daughter in a supermarket. First, he followed him in a mini-van, then tackled him on a golf course and held him down until police arrived. It’s unclear if the rest of the family was in the mini-van to witness the chase.

While police don’t encourage citizens to fight crime, it’s refreshing to see an ordinary man use an appropriate response to protect his family. Chivalrous, even.

Who needs sappy J-Lo and Julia Roberts romances when there’s a Chris Goflin in the world?

(MEN’S HEALTH) November 2005:

According to a British study, the best gifts in a serious relationship are extravagant but have no takeaway value for her (to deter gold-diggers?).  For instance, expensive concert tickets or a weekend getaway, not rent money.  Costly gestures indicate long-term intentions.  From an evolutionary perspective, women are motivated to mate with men who are likely to stick around and help support babies.  Dates that require considerable planning are also effective.  Study coauthor Peter Sozou, Ph.D. says, “Anything that takes up a lot of a man’s time, as long as the woman is aware of it, could be a signal of future commitment.”