Woman's Record-Length Fingernails Broken in Crash

Lee Redmond of Salt Lake City in the United States whose nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches in the Guinness Book of World Records were broken in a car crash. Redmond has been featured on TV in episodes of "Guinness Book of World Records" and "Ripley's Believe It or Not" whose nails hadn't been cut since 1979. VIA

Dutch city's porn archive vanishes

Erik Krikke of the Dutch city Leeuwarden of historical centre says in February 12, 2009 the municipal pornography archive has disappeared and may have been taken home "accidentally" by an employee or visitor. the bulk of the archive was assembled by a "fanatic" curator at the historical centre, mostly during the 1960s and '70s. Erik Krikke says anyone who realizes they have the material can bring it back and no questions asked. Items such as pictures by local photographers and artists would be difficult or impossible to replace. The collection included a copy of the rare February 1998 edition of Dutch Playboy. It featured women from each of 11 Dutch cities along the route of the country's most beloved ice skating race, the Elfstedentocht. One of them was from Leeuwarden. The loss was made even greater as no towns have ever a pornography collection and it is irreplaceable.

Leeuwarden

Picture left: Oldehove Tower


Leeuwarden is the capital city of the Dutch province of Friesland. It is situated in the 'far' north of the country. Its compact, historic city centre boasts royal palaces, canals and interesting boutiques.

Highlights

Well-known buildings in the city centre include the Kanselarij (the former chancellery), the Waag (old trade centre of the city), the church of St. Bonifatius and the leaning 16th century tower Oldehove (great view from the top!). One of the modern eye catchers in the city centre is the ‘Achmea building’ (it belongs to Achmea insurance). which is locatednear the train station. The Achmea building is the tallest building in the city. Leeuwarden is also the site of the country's largest cattle market, and on Ascension Day, the largest flower market in the Netherlands is held here.

Royalty and cattle
Picture left: Statue of Mata Hari

Palaces and other monuments remind visitors of the days that the royal Nassau family once lived in Leeuwarden. This is also the place where you can find out more about Mata Hari, the dancing diva who grew up in this city. Don’t miss the statue of ‘Us Mem’, the proud mother of the Frisian pedigree cattle. Leeuwarden is also a center for trade and industry, has a varied nightlife and beautiful museums. In short, you’re sure to like Leeuwarden.


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Cocaine cheaper than lager and wine as drug price falls by half

Picture left: The coca plant, Erythroxylon coca.
Britain Home Office has admitted that the street price of both cocaine and heroin has fallen by nearly half in the last ten years, making the most dangerous illegal drugs cheaper than they have ever been. Cocaine is now being sold for as little as £20 a gram in some parts of the country with the most common price for the drug is £40 per gram. Home Office figures for 1998 show the average price was £77. A gram of heroin can now be bought for as little as £25, with the average price somewhere between £40 and £50 per gram. In 1998, the average was £74. Although cocaine is still seen by some as a drug for celebrities and the wealthy, the fall in price has made it affordable for more drug users.
Picture left: Bricks of cocaine, a form in which it is commonly transported.

Cocaine is a potent central nervous system stimulant. Its effects can last from 20 minutes to several hours, depending upon the dosage of cocaine taken, purity, and method of administration. The initial signs of stimulation are hyperactivity, restlessness, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and euphoria. The euphoria is sometimes followed by feelings of discomfort and depression and a craving to experience the drug again. Sexual interest and pleasure can be amplified. Side effects can include twitching, paranoia, and impotence, which usually increases with frequent usage.

Accordingly, and with a little mathematical jiggery-pokery, it can be calculated that if a gram contains 10 to 20 lines, users can get a hit for as little as £1, with the average price lying between £2 and £4. The average price of a pint of lager is £2.75, with a glass of plonk costing around £3.50. Those of you who are no longer prepared to stump £2.75 for a pint, but don't fancy cocaine as an alternative stimulant, should note that the average price of heroin has also fallen - down to 40 to 50 quid for a gram from the 1998 average of £74. It equates to less than a pound per line of the drug - cheaper than a cup of coffee or a bag of chips. The price has been driven down because the drug is thought to be more readily available and because of more competition among dealers.


Rolled up banknotes, hollowed-out pens, cut straws, pointed ends of keys, specialized spoons, long fingernails, and (clean) tampon applicators are often used to insufflate cocaine. Such devices are often called "tooters" by users. The cocaine typically is poured onto a flat, hard surface (such as a mirror, CD case or book) and divided into "bumps", "lines" or "rails", and then insufflated.

An army of drug mules(A mule or courier is someone who smuggles something with him or her across a national border, including smuggling into and out of an international plane, especially a small amount, transported for a smuggling
organization.)pours into Britain via new smuggling routes is now being brought in through West Africa and the Balkans, say international monitors. This is because South American producers have found the traditional supply routes out of the Caribbean being cut off by US patrols. This 'shotgun approach' makes it impossible for police and customs officials to spot every mule - meaning more cocaine reaches Britain. Colombia is the world's leading producer of cocaine. Due to Colombia's 1994 legalization of small amounts of cocaine for personal use, while sale of cocaine was still prohibited, the result was the spread of local coca crops, partly justified by the local demand.

DrugScope chief executive Martin Barnes said it does suggest that law enforcement activity has had little impact on supply and availability. British youngsters are also being targeted by illegal online pharmacies selling heroin substitute. The unlicensed pharmacies sell methadone, codeine and other stimulants without prescription. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) report backs the decision to upgrade cannabis to Class B because of fears over the harm to mental health of the strong 'skunk' variety.

In 1863, Mariani started marketing a wine called Vin Mariani, which had been treated with coca leaves, to become cocawine. The ethanol in wine acted as a solvent and extracted the cocaine from the coca leaves, altering the drink’s effect. It contained 6 mg cocaine per ounce of wine, but Vin Mariani, which was to be exported, contained 7.2 mg per ounce to compete with the higher cocaine content of similar drinks in the United States. A “pinch of coca leaves” was included in John Styth Pemberton's original 1886 recipe for Coca-Cola, though the company began using decocainized leaves (a process which removes all the cocaine and ecgonine from them. ) in 1906 when the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed. The actual amount of cocaine that Coca-Cola contained during the first twenty years of its production is practically impossible to determine. The main use of these decocainized leaves is to flavor Coca-Cola. Coca coke & tea would be illegal in the US except if it is made from decocainized leaves. Coca herbal infusion (also referred to as Coca tea) is used in coca-leaf producing countries much as any herbal medicinal infusion would elsewhere in the world. The free and legal commercialization of dried coca leaves under the form of filtration bags to be used as "coca tea" has been actively promoted by the governments of Peru and Bolivia for many years as a drink having medicinal powers. Visitors to the city of Cuzco in Peru, and La Paz in Bolivia are greeted with the offering of coca leaf infusions (prepared in tea pots with whole coca leaves) purportedly to help the newly-arrived traveler overcome the malaise of high altitude sickness. The effects of drinking coca tea are a mild stimulation and mood lift. It does not produce any significant numbing of the mouth nor does it give a rush like snorting cocaine.

A problem with illegal cocaine use, especially in the higher volumes used to combat fatigue (rather than increase euphoria) by long-term users is the risk of ill effects or damage caused by the compounds used in adulteration. The normal adulterants for profit are inactive sugars, usually mannitol, creatine or glucose, so introducing active adulterants gives the illusion of purity and to 'stretch' or make it so a dealer can sell more product than without the adulterants.

Cocaine is a potent central nervous system stimulant. Its effects can last from 20 minutes to several hours, depending upon the dosage of cocaine taken, purity, and method of administration. The initial signs of stimulation are hyperactivity, restlessness, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and euphoria. The euphoria is sometimes followed by feelings of discomfort and depression and a craving to experience the drug again. Sexual interest and pleasure can be amplified. Side effects can include twitching, paranoia, and impotence, which usually increases with frequent usage. With excessive or prolonged use, the drug can cause itching, tachycardia, hallucinations, and paranoid delusions. Overdoses cause tachyarrhythmias and a marked elevation of blood pressure. These can be life-threatening, especially if the user has existing cardiac problems

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Dad at 13-Baby-faced boy Alfie Patten is father at 13

DNA test shows 13-year-old Alfie Patten is not a dad. Chantelle Stedman told Alfie Patten, who was 12 when he slept with her, he was her newborn daughter Maisie's father and that he was the only boy she had ever slept with, but soon after other teens came forward saying they too could be the baby's father, because they claimed to have had sex with the girl. It is still not clear who the baby's father is as at March 27, 2009. VIA

The Mirror reports: (The Mirror has pulled the story from their site on 27 March, 2009)
The result will be a blow to Alfie who was "devastated" by the boys' claims and "adored" Maisie.
He was convinced he was the dad after a single night of unprotected sex with Chantelle.
Before he took the test, he said: "I didn't know about DNA tests before but mum explained it's when they do a swab in your mouth and it tells if you're the dad. So if I have it, they can all shut up."
His mum Nicole, 43, added at the time: "It had not even crossed Alfie's mind whether Chantelle had not been faithful to him. He's absolutely devastated that these lads say they slept with her." VIA

Press silence on Alfie Patten DNA test result broken by Google News.
They have also had it removed from Google's cache.

Update: Alfie agreed to take the test after two other boys – Richard Goodsell, 16, and Tyler Barker, 14 – claimed they had been involved in a sexual relationship with Chantelle. His father Dennis, 45, who has reportedly boasted about how much money he can make from the situation, is allegedly considering an offer to have the DNA results opened on a television talk show, according to the Daily Star. Richard Goodsell, 16, a trainee chef, has claimed he often shared a bed with Chantelle over a period of three months around the time she became pregnant. His mother Barbie-Jayne, 35, also backs his story. Tyler Barker, 14, also claims to have had a relationship with Chantelle, who appears much older than her years. He told the News of the World: "I slept with Chantelle in her bed about nine months ago and I'm really worried I could be the father. In the UK, there were no restrictions on paternity tests until the Human Tissue Act came into force in September 2006. Section 45 states that it is an offence to possess without appropriate consent any human bodily material with the intent of analyzing its DNA. Legally declared fathers have access to paternity testing services under the new regulations, provided the putative parental DNA being tested is their own. VIA

Picture left: Penny Stedman , mother of 15-year-old Chantelle, at her home in Eastbourne, East Sussex
After a night of unprotected sex, an eight year old looking Alfie Patten of 13 became a father on Monday 9 Feb 2009 when his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne at Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex. Alfie, who is just 4ft tall didn’t think about how he d his “girlfriend” would afford it. Alfie don’t really get pocket money. His dad sometimes gives him £10. Maisie was conceived after Chantelle and Alfie — just 12 at the time — had a single night of unprotected sex. Alfie’s dad Dennis said Alfie seemed desperate to be a devoted and responsible father. The young couple found out about the baby when Chantelle was 12 weeks pregnant. It is not until six weeks later when Chantelle’s mum Penny, 38, became suspicious about her weight gain and confronted her when the truth spilled out.

United Kingdom PM Gordon Brown refused to comment directly on the story but said it was important that the Government did all it could to prevent teenage pregnancies. The age of sexual consent is 16. But Sussex Police said they had looked into the case and decided it was 'not in anyone's interests' for anyone to be prosecuted.

Chantelle and Maisie after been released from hospital are living with Penny, Chantelle’s jobless dad Steve, 43, and her five brothers in a rented council house in Eastbourne. The family live on benefits. Alfie, who lives on an estate across town with mum Nicola Patten, 43, spends most of his time at the Steadmans’ house. Alfie’s dad, is separated from Nicola(They had been married for 14 years after Dennis divorced Nicola. ) who works for a vehicle recovery firm. Alfie's half-sister Nicole, 19, yesterday blamed their father for the 13-year-old having a child so young because he left home for a 19-year-old girl. Dennis ran off with the teenager, who is now 21, two years ago, when Alfie was 11, and is still living with her.

And rumours began circulating in Chantelle's neighbourhood that Alfie was not Maisie's father. Neighbours said Chantelle has been with quite a few lads. They are allowed to sleep over at her house, her parents don't mind. She is treated like an adult and can do what she wants. The Stedmans let the kids run wild on the street until all hours, they have no control over them.
She knows lots of boys and never has the same boyfriend for long. Alfie lives with her and seems to think he's the dad but everbody think he should have a DNA test.

Chantelle Stedman can claim no benefits until she reaches 16, her next birthday. But state benefits to support her and her baby will be paid to her mother Penny until then. At a minimum, the family can expect to receive around £30,000 a year - close to £600 a week. Penny, 38, will claim benefits to support herself and her four children including Chantelle.
She will also claim on behalf of new-born Maisie. The family may claim benefits on the basis that Penny's unemployed partner Steve is a live-in member of the household.

If so, their claims may look like this:

* Child Benefit: Paid automatically for each child - £72.80 a week.
* Council Tax Benefit: Likely to cover the full bill - £30 a week.
* Child Tax Credit: Now the main payment to support children of out-of-work or low income mothers. Possible payment for the five Stedman children - £221 a week.
* Income Support: If paid to Penny and Steve as a live-in couple - £94.95 a week.
* Housing Benefit: Likely to cover the full rent of their council house, together with any service charges. This may be - £150 a week.
* Total: £568.75 a week, or £29,575 a year.

Source: FIVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL GIVES BIRTH TO BABY & Britain’s youngest known father is Sean Stewart. He became a dad at 12 when the girl next door, 15-year-old Emma Webster, gave birth in Sharnbrook, Bedford, in 1998. They split six months later.
Above:Sean Stewart who is Britain's youngest known father.
Left:Ray and Shirley Webster with their daughter Emma, 15. In 1998 she became pregnant by her boyfriend Sean Stewart who lived next door

Miami banker gives $60 million of his own to employees

Picture:This is Leonard Abess, CEO in the lobby of the bank.

Leonard Abess sold a majority stake in Miami-based City National Bancshares to the Spanish bank Caja Madrid of a 83 percent stake last November for $927 million. The generous Miami banker took $60 million of the proceeds and hand it to his tellers, bookkeepers, clerks, everyone on the payroll (399 workers on the staff abd 72 former employees ) as a one-time bonuses. For longtime employees, the bonus - based on years of service - amounted to tens of thousands of dollars, and in some cases, more than $100,000. Virginia C. Dunn, managing senior vice president said it was better than a lottery because it came from someone's heart.
VIA