Mookie

In 1986, in a rundown drill during spring training, Carter, then the Mets’ catcher, was playing first base when Preston Wilson’s adoptive father, Mookie, was struck in the face by a throw from shortstop Rafael Santana.

The ball hit Mookie Wilson above his right eye and shattered his sunglasses.

In that instance, Carter was the first to reach Wilson, who was lying on the infield dirt, his face bloodied and pieces of glass in his eyes. “Mook!” Carter yelled, according to the book “The Bad Guys Won,” which chronicled the 1986 team. “Are you all right? Just stay where you are. Did it break the glass? Oh, God, it did. Stay where you are!”

It took 21 stitches to close the wound above Mookie Wilson’s eye. He returned to the Mets two months later.

Jedi Mind Trick

The Force can be with anyone now.

Later this summer, anybody anywhere will have the ability to physically move stuff with their minds like characters do in "Star Wars." No joke.

A new toy that harnesses the same technology doctors use to monitor brain waves will arrive in stores in August. The toy moves when it senses a change in the user's brain-wave patterns.

"It's pretty cutting-edge," says Frank Adler, executive vice president of Uncle Milton Industries, the toy company that manufactures the "Star Wars"-branded Force Trainer. "It certainly appears to be where things are headed."

It will be if the reaction from 5-year-old "Star Wars" fanatic Ryan Mogg is any indication. Mogg tried out the Force Trainer at a recent "Star Wars" toy fair.

In less than a minute, he was controlling the rise and fall of a pingpong ball in a clear tube — with his brain waves.

The O'Leary

The Most Dangerous Female Sport???

Cheerleading.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529190,00.html?test=latestnews

Death Of A Good Samaritan

Police say a New York man running to the aid of another motorist fell to his death from a bridge, apparently because he didn't know there was a large gap between lanes.

State police say 44-year-old Kevin Ryan, of Mount Kisco, was traveling on Route 23 in the town of Catskill, 30 miles south of Albany, around 10:45 p.m. Sunday when he noticed a vehicle overturned in the opposite lane.

Investigators say Ryan stepped over a concrete barrier unaware there was a 17-foot wide gap between the eastbound and westbound lanes of the bridge. He fell nearly 50 feet to the rocks and concrete below. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Troopers say the driver of the other vehicle suffered minor injuries.

100% Pure Maple Butter - 10 Ounces

150 Years

Historic swindler Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison Monday for a fraud so extensive that the judge said he needed to send a symbolic message to potential imitators and to victims who demanded harsh punishment.

Scattered applause and whoops broke out in the crowded Manhattan courtroom after U.S. District Judge Denny Chin issued the maximum sentence to the 71-year-old defendant, who said he lives "in a tormented state now, knowing all the pain and suffering I've created."

Chin rejected a request by Madoff's lawyer for leniency and said he disagreed that victims of the fraud were seeking mob vengeance. "Here the message must be sent that Mr. Madoff's crimes were extraordinarily evil and that this kind of manipulation of the system is not just a bloodless crime that takes place on paper, but one instead that takes a staggering toll," Chin said.

The judge said the estimate that Madoff has cost his victims more than $13 billion was conservative because it did not include money from feeder funds.

Chin announced the sentence with Madoff standing at the defense table, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and a tie, and looking thinner than his last court appearance in March. He gave no noticeable reaction when the sentence was announced.

When asked by the judge whether he had anything to say, Madoff slowly stood, leaned forward on the defense table and spoke in a monotone for about 10 minutes. At various times, he referred to his historic fraud as a "problem," "an error of judgment" and "a tragic mistake."

He claimed he and his wife were tormented, saying she "cries herself to sleep every night, knowing all the pain and suffering I have caused," he said. "That's something I live with, as well."

He then finally looked at the victims lining the first row of the gallery. "I will turn and face you," he said. "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't help you."

"I Love Beautiful Wood."

Initial autopsy results suggest the cause of death for famous television pitchman Billy Mays was likely heart disease.

Hillsborough County Medical Center Dr. Vernard Adams said in a press conference Monday that the autopsy revealed no evidence of any external or internal head trauma, correcting early reports that Mays may have suffered an ultimately fatal wound to the head during a rough plane landing Saturday.

The boisterous, bearded Mays was known for pitching cleaning products and gadgets in commercials that aired nationwide. The 50-year-old was found dead by his wife Sunday morning.

Police said Mays told his wife he didn't feel well when he went to bed Saturday night. Earlier in the day, he said he was hit on the head when his airliner had a rough landing at Tampa Bay's airport.

In a 911 call released Monday, a frantic woman tells emergency operators she found the television pitchman cold and unresponsive.

On emergency tapes released Monday, a woman says she found Mays cold to the touch after waking up. The caller, who isn't identified, says his lips are purple and that he isn't breathing.

When asked what had happened, she says she doesn't know. A second person who got on the phone tells the operator that Mays is dead.

Billy Mays' face was easily recognizable, pitching OxiClean, that he said got out even the toughest of stains, and Orange Glo, which he said shined up any wood around your home. "I love beautiful wood," he tells customers.

There were no signs of a break-in at the home, and investigators do not suspect foul play, said Lt. Brian Dugan of the Tampa Police Department, who wouldn't answer questions about how Mays' body was found because of the ongoing investigation.

Thoughts...

Zack HandlenBack -

When people gave a shit about music videos, they’d sometimes premiere them on network TV, and it was a huge deal when “Black Or White” debuted after an episode of The Simpsons. My whole family was sitting in the living room to watch it, and I must’ve been maybe a foot from the TV, probably less. And the video was so awesome. It seems like a slice of ’90s cheese now, but back then—dancing about racial tolerance! Macaulay Culkin! Rapping! And morphing technology! So sweet.

And then the music stopped, and the last five minutes had Jackson beating the shit out of everything on a city street and grabbing his crotch. I think it was supposed to represent his rage against racial injustice or society or something, but all I can remember now is sitting there feeling really confused and a little betrayed. That’s how I remember Michael Jackson: great music, but once the music stopped, things got really fucking weird.

http://origin.avclub.com/articles/jackson-memories,29721/

Fingering For An Eternity...

Rest In Peace

Jacko - Heart Attacko

Singer Michael Jackson is believed to have suffered a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles this afternoon.

Reports say that Jackson, 50, went into cardiac arrest and has been rushed to hospital.

He was seen being taken into an ambulance and moved to a nearby hospital, says US gossip website TMZ. Paramedics were seen performing CPR on the singer, according to the website,
Jackson's mother was said to be at the hospital to meet her son.

It is believed a call to 911 was made from his home in Holmby Hills, LA, at 12.21pm (8.21pm).

A member of the Jackson family told TMZ that 'Michael is in really bad shape'.

An update on the website says, 'We just got off the phone with Joe Jackson, Michael's dad, who says "he is not doing well".'

Say Goodbye To Hollywood

Farrah Fawcett, the blonde-maned actress whose best-selling poster and "Charlie's Angels" stardom made her one of the most famous faces in the world, has died. She was 62.

Fawcett had been battling anal cancer on and off for three years. Fawcett's cancer journey has been documented in a television special partly shot by the actress.

Forever Young? ....Or Just Small?

Brooke Greenberg continues to baffle her family and doctors.

At 16-years-old, Brooke weighs 16 pounds and stands 2 feet, 6 inches tall, MyFOXChicago reported. She can’t speak, but she can express frustration and happiness. In other words, Brooke’s body and mind are that of a toddler.

“Why doesn’t she age?” Brooke’s father, Howard Greenberg said on ABC News. “Is she the fountain of youth?"

Brooke, who lives in Maryland, still has baby teeth, and her bones are those of a 10-year-old. However, her hair and nails grow consistently.
Doctors think Brooke has a genetic mutation that inhibits her growth.

“Without being sensational, I’d say this is an opportunity for us to answer the question why we’re mortal, or at least test it,” Dr. Richard Walker of the University of South Florida told ABC News. “And if we’re wrong, we can discard it. But if we’re right, we’ve got the golden ring.”

To learn more about Brooke, watch "Child Frozen in Time" at 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2 on TLC.

Monkey Business

A monkey urinated on Zambian President Rupiah Banda Wednesday as he spoke to journalists outside his State House offices.

The president softly shouted: "You have urinated on my jacket," and paused as he looked up to see the animal playing in a tree just above his chair.

"I will give this monkey for lunch to Mr. Sata," he joked, referring to opposition leader Michael Sata, who Banda defeated in last year's elections.

"Perhaps these are blessings," he said continuing his address amid laughter from the audience of journalists and diplomats.

Several monkeys play around the grounds of Banda's residence and his office. There are also many species of antelope and birds in the State House grounds in capital city Lusaka.

Pre.

Steve Prefontaine: So, what have I got going for me?

[stands]

Steve Prefontaine: Why does some kid from Coos Bay with one leg shorter than the other win races?

[pauses]

Steve Prefontaine: Let me tell you something, all of my life people have said to me, "You're too small, Pre. You're not fast enough, Pre. Give up your foolish dreams, Steve!" But you know what, they forgot something: I have to win. There's no fallback here, no great stride, no long legs--nothing!

[sighs]

Steve Prefontaine: I'm sorry.

[puts head down]

WTF?

Mark Sanford

Got caught by "thaaaat" much.

Situation:

"How'd the date go last night?"

"Pretty good. We decided to hike the Appalchian Trail after dinner."

Translation:

"How was last night?"

"Sick. I tapped this Argentinian chick all night. I love my job."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/24/south.carolina.governor/index.html

He's Back!

Can you handle it?

Paul Rudd Sighting

Old news is good news.

Truth Be Told

The teenager who claimed 56 stars were tattooed on her face while she slept has admitted she lied and was awake the whole time.

London's Daily Telegraph reported Kimberley Vlaminck, who said she fell asleep after asking for only three stars, lied because her father was "furious."

"I asked for 56 stars and initially adored them,” Vlaminck told a Dutch TV crew. “But when my father saw them, he was furious. So I said I fell asleep and that the (he) had made a mistake."

Jon & Kate - Separate

Last night on “Jon & Kate Plus Eight,” Jon and Kate Gosselin announced that they are separating after 10 years of marriage.

"If they have a reality dating show with Jon like Rock Of Love- or just Bachelor Jon....I'm in." -FMB

NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

(Yyeessss! You are correct, Sir.)

Ed McMahon, the loyal "Tonight Show" sidekick who bolstered boss Johnny Carson with guffaws and later carved out his own niche as the host of "Star Search," has died at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 86.

Lately...

Hurts So Good

Happy Ending

The father of "American Idol" star David Archuleta was busted for hiring a massage parlor prostitute following a January raid in Utah.

James Jeffrey Archuleta, the father of the “Idol” season 7 runner-up, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge and paid a $582 fine after he was caught at a police raid of the Queens of Reiki on January 14 in Midvale.

Fox 13 KSTU first broke the story of the investigation of the massage parlor, which began after a concerned citizen called police. Detective Sgt. John Salazar of the Midvale Police said that they determined that the parlor was operating without a business license and ordered the raid.

When the officers arrived, they found only one client, Archuleta.

“He was just finishing up in suite number one. I sent two of the officers in and the male was on his stomach on the table with a masseuse in lace underwear.”

According to police, Archuleta, 41, admitted that he received sexual favors from the parlor after he found an ad for it on Craigslist.

Still, according to a report in Us Magazine, his lawyer argued that he was there getting legitimate massage therapy for his back.

In Case You Were Wondering...

Phish

June 18, 2009

Post-Gazette Pavilion

Burgettstown, Pennsylvania

Set 1: Golgi Apparatus, Chalk Dust Torture, Bouncing Around The Room, Wolfman’s Brother, Divided Sky, Heavy Things, Walk Away, Wilson, Tube, Alaska, David Bowie

Set 2: Down With Disease > Free, Guyute, Piper, When The Circus Comes To Town, Harry Hood > Squirming Coil, You Enjoy Myself

Encore: Grind, Hello My Baby, HYHU > Bike > HYHU, Loving Cup

Friday Reading...

Bale: Kick your f–king ass!

Hurlbut: Christian, Christian …

Bale: I want you off the f–king set you prick!

Hurlbut: Christian, I’m sorry.

Bale: No, don’t just be sorry, think for one f–king second. What the f–k are you doing? Are you professional or not?

Hurlbut: Yes I am.

Bale: Do I f–king walk around and …

Bruce Franklin: Christian, Christian …

Bale: No, shut the f–k up Bruce! Don’t shut me up!

Franklin: I’m not shutting you up.

Bale: Am I going to walk around and rip your f–king lights down, in the middle of a scene? Then why the f–k are you walking right through like this in the background. What the f–k is it with you? What don’t you f–king understand? You got any f–king idea about, hey, it’s f–king distracting having somebody walking up behind Bryce in the middle of the f–king scene? Give me a f–king answer! What don’t you get about it?

Hurlbut: I was looking at the light.

Bale: Oh, good for you, and how was it? I hope it was f–king good, because it’s useless now, isn’t it? F–k-sake man, you’re amateur.

Bale: McG, you got f–king something to say to this prick?

McG: I didn’t see it happen.

Bale: Well, somebody should be f–king watching and keeping an eye on him.

McG: Fair enough.

Bale: It’s the second time that he doesn’t give a f–k about what is going on in front of the camera. I’m trying to f–king do a scene here, and I am going ‘Why the f–k is Shane walking in there? What is he doing there?’ Do you understand my mind is not in the scene if you’re doing that?

Hurlbut: I absolutely apologize. I’m sorry, I did not mean anything by it.

Bale: Stay off the f–king set man. For f–k-sake. Alright, let’s go again.

McG: Let’s just take a minute.

Bale: Let’s not take a f–king minute, let’s go again. You’re unbelievable, you’re un-f–king-believable. Number of times you’re strolling and f–king around in the background. I’ve never had a DP behave like this. You don’t f–king understand what it’s like working with actors, that’s what that is. That’s what that is man, I’m telling you. I’m not asking, I’m telling you. You wouldn’t have done that otherwise.

Hurlbut: No, what it is, is looking at the light and making sure, that you are …

Bale: I’m going to f–king kick your f–king ass if you don’t shut for a second! Alright?

Bale: You do it one more f–king time and I ain’t walking on this set if you’re still hired. I’m f–king serious. You’re a nice guy. You’re a nice guy, but that don’t f–king cut it when you’re bullshitting and f–king around like this on set. I ain’t the one walking. Let’s get Tom and put this back on and let’s go again. Seriously man, you and me, we’re f–king done professionally. F–king ass.

Ever Been To New Hampshire?

It's dangerous.

Remember Me?

Goin' Phishin'

PHISH

Post Gazette Pavilion

Pittsburgh, PA

You Know You Had This...

J.D. Salinger - Out Of Hiding

Famed literary giant and notorious recluse J.D. Salinger, who has not published any new work since 1965, came out of hiding Monday to gush about the new film Terminator Salvation, offering the world its first glimpse into his private life since his last interview nearly 30 years ago.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_terminator_movie_brings_j_d?cnn=yes

Starry Night

A teenager got the shock of her life when she asked for a few small tattoo stars and woke up to find half her face was covered in them. Kimberley Vlaeminck, 18, is now suing the tattoo artist who she claims went way beyond what she had asked for.

The Belgian teen says she woke up in pain after falling asleep as Rouslan Toumaniantz drew the permanent ink designs. She then discovered 56 "frightening" black stars of different sizes from her nose to ear and brow to chin.

"I wanted him to tattoo on just three little points but he suggested three stars, saying it would look prettier,” Vlaeminck said.

"When he started the tattooing I didn't want to feel the pain and so I went to sleep. I woke up when he was starting to tattoo my nose and I saw what he had already done. I counted 56 stars, it's frightening."

But Toumaniantz, who works in the town of Courtrai, denied that his client had fallen asleep and said he fulfilled her request. "She was awake the whole time," he said. "I don't use hypnosis or drugs. She agreed to it. The problems started when her father and his friend saw the tattoos."

Vlaeminck, from the city of Kortrijk, about 50 miles north-west of Brussels, said she wanted to keep the tattoos on her forehead but would have the rest removed. She now hopes they can be taken off using laser surgery, which would cost thousands of dollars.

The Vindow Viper

A window washer survived a six-story fall from a bank building with one thought in mind — when was his safety rope going to catch? It never did.

"I kept falling," 21-year-old Alex Clay said in a phone interview Tuesday night from Luther Hospital in Eau Claire. "It all happened so fast. I kept waiting.” "There's a little roof over the entryway. I bounced off of that and then hit the pavement."

Authorities in Eau Claire, located in west-central Wisconsin about 70 miles east of Minneapolis-St. Paul, said equipment apparently helped break the man's fall from the U.S. Bank building just after 3 p.m. Tuesday. But Clay said it didn't slow him down much.

Still, he said doctors determined his main injury was a shattered bone on the arch side of his left foot. He said he also had six staples in his leg because he cut it on something as he fell. "I remember the entire fall all the way down," he said.

He said the problem developed when he noticed a clip on his gear for rappelling wasn't fastened. "But I was trying not to panic because I had my safety line connected on the back of my harness," he said. A maintenance man and his co-worker tried to pull him back up, but he was too sweaty and tired to make it, he said.

Where's Karpuk?

??????

A Little "I-Cream"...?

Stealing Life?

Cat Stevens has said that he believes that Coldplay's hit 'Viva La Vida' is a take-off of his own song, 'Foreigner Suite'.

Coldplay recently denied accusations by guitarist Joe Satriani, who claims that the band ripped him off for the song – but Stevens has since told The Sun that it's he who the band had been taking inspiration from.

"There's been this argument about Coldplay stealing this melody from Joe Satriani," he said. "But, if you listen to it, it's mine! It's the [1973 song] 'Foreigner Suite', it is!"Stevens did not suggest that he would take legal action against the band.

In 2003 The Flaming Lips agreed to split royalties for their song 'Fight Test' with Stevens after it was deemed to be similar to his 1970 hit 'Father And Son'.

Take a listen (start at 5:15...):

Tonight, It's On Again...

The Avett Brothers

Carnegie Music Hall

Pittsburgh, PA

The "Anti-Stab" Knife

The first "anti-stab" knife is set to hit store shelves in the U.K., designed to work as normal in the kitchen but ineffective as a weapon.

The knife has a rounded edge instead of a point and will snag on clothing and skin to make it more difficult to stab someone.

It was invented by industrial designer John Cornock, who was inspired by a documentary in which doctors advocated banning traditional knives.

Cornock, 42, from Swindon. England, said that the knife will cut vegetables, but will make it almost impossible to stab someone to death and will reduce the risk of accidental injuries.

"It can never be a totally safe knife, but the idea is you can’t inflict a fatal wound," he said. "Nobody could just grab one out of the kitchen drawer and kill someone."

The Willis Tribe

Bruce Willis has a new outlook on love and life now that he is married to actress Emma Heming.

“I went from ‘F—- love’ to ‘Love is truly the answer. I spent the last 10 years single and, for the most part, unhappy. In a dark place. I never thought that being with someone else was the answer. I would say, ‘I’m alone, but I’m not lonely.’ But I was just kidding myself. Then I started hanging around Emma, and on a day-to-day basis my life became much happier.”

The actor and his wife, 32, pose in a new provocative, avant-garde spread in the July issue of W magazine, on newsstands June 23.

“Oh, it was awkward,” Willis said of posing. “We did stuff that I know a lot of other actors would not have done. Had I done it with another model I don’t know that I would have been as into it.”

But not to worry, the actor is quite comfortable with the unconventional. Just take his relationship with his ex-wife Demi Moore, her new husband Ashton Kutcher, their kids and Heming.

“We’ve become like a tribe. It’s generated a lot of interest because everyone can understand resentment and envy in the breakup of a marriage, but they don’t understand how I can get along with my ex like that. Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we’re really lucky that it turns out we all have fun together. I still love her, and I have a lot of respect for how she lives her life.”

Are You Feeling Horny, Baby?

Calvin Klein is under fire for a sexually explicit new billboard that's caught the eyes — and turned the stomachs — of many people who have seen it in New York.

The blue-jeans giant has unveiled a jumbo ad that shows two young men and a young woman entwined in a semi-nude threesome, as another man undresses.
The graphic image at the intersection of Houston and Lafayette Streets, in a hip neighborhood in downtown Manhattan, has some passersby oohing and aahing — and others averting their eyes.

"It's soft pornography is what it is," said Laurie Baranowski, who said she was in New York for a visit. "I don't think that just because you put Calvin Klein's name on it makes it acceptable. It's a beautiful picture, but I don't think that that's the place for it."

But others said that in New York, pretty much anything goes.

A spokesman for Calvin Klein could not be reached Monday morning, but he said earlier that the company's "intention was to create a very sexy campaign that speaks to our targeted demographic."

Whatever demographic they have in mind, Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, said the ad seems designed to offend just about everyone.

Sharp said Calvin Klein was using the ad to generate shock value and publicity, and he wondered why the clothing company didn't try putting more of its duds on display.

Rabbit Ears

TV stations in the U.S. plan to cut their analog signals Friday, ending a more than 80-year era for the over-the-air technology that changed America's landscape, and reshaped and defined its culture.

Down With Disease

For eight years, Jessica Terry suffered from stomach pain so horrible, it brought her to her knees. The pain, along with diarrhea, vomiting and fever, made her so sick, she lost weight and often had to miss school.

Her doctors, no matter how hard they tried, couldn't figure out the cause of Jessica's abdominal distress.

Then one day in January, Terry, 18, figured it out on her own.

In her Advanced Placement high school science class, she was looking under the microscope at slides of her own intestinal tissue -- slides her pathologist had said were completely normal -- and spotted an area of inflamed tissue called a granuloma, a clear indication that she had Crohn's disease.

"It's weird I had to solve my own medical problem," Terry told CNN affiliate KOMO in Seattle, Washington. "There were just no answers anywhere. ... I was always sick."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/11/teen.self.diagnosis/index.html

The New Phil Spector

A new mug shot of music producer Phil Spector was released to the media Wednesday. The photo shows Spector without his normal hair pieces.

The mug shot was reportedly taken Friday at the North Kern State Prison, where Spector is currently serving a 19-year to life sentence for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson.

The 69-year-old was convicted of second-degree murder in April. Clarkson, 40, was shot in the mouth in the foyer of Spector’s Alhambra home on February 3, 2003. Spector denied murdering Clarkson and claimed she committed suicide. Witnesses testified that Spector often bullied women with guns.

Spector became a legendary record producer after working with many stars including The Ronettes, The Beatles, Cher and Ike and Tina Turner among others.

It's In The Male

Chastity Bono, civil rights advocate, journalist, author and musician, is in the early stages of changing his gender — transitioning from female to male.

Bono, the child of legendary entertainers Sonny and Cher, began the process earlier this year, shortly after his 40th birthday.

"Yes, it's true — Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," confirmed Bono's publicist, Howard Bragman.

"He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago.We ask that the media respect Chaz's privacy during this long process as he will not be doing any interviews at this time."

What?! It's Funny...

David Letterman is in the hot seat for several crude jokes he made on CBS' "The Late Show" about Sarah Palin and her teenage daughter.

Letterman, in his monologue Tuesday night, noted that the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate attended a Yankees game during a trip to New York City, where she was honored by a special needs group. Letterman referred to Palin, Alaska's governor, as having the style of a "slutty flight attendant."

The "Late Show" host also took a shot Palin's daughter, while poking fun at the Yankees' third baseman.

"One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game," Letterman said, "during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

The backlash was almost immediate, with Palin's supporters denouncing the CBS host for making jokes that many said were sexist and for what they called an unfair attack on the governor and her family.

Butch Wing

For more than a year, Virginia's largest women's prison rounded up inmates who had loose-fitting clothes, short hair or otherwise masculine looks, sending them to a unit officers derisively dubbed the "butch wing," prisoners and guards say.

Dozens were moved in an attempt to split up relationships and curb illegal sexual activity at the 1,200-inmate Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, though some straight women were sent to the wing strictly because of their appearance, the inmates and corrections officers said.

Civil rights advocates called the moves unconstitutional punishment for "looking gay." The warden denied that any housing decisions were made based on looks or sexual orientation, and said doing so would be discriminatory. The practice was stopped recently after The Associated Press began questioning it, according to several inmates and one current employee.

You're A Genius, Baby

She's 2. She plays with dolls and draws with chalk. And apparently, she's one of the smartest people in Britain.

Karina Oakley of Guildford, Surrey, near London, has an IQ of 160 — the same as physics professor Stephen Hawking and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, London's Daily Mail reports.

"She has a very good memory," her mother, Charlotte Fraser, told the Mail. "She seems to be quite aware of her surroundings, what's going on around her, she's very observant, she talks all the time, asks questions all the time."

Intrigued by her daughter's exceptional language and memory abilities, Fraser had her tested after seeing a TV show about child prodigies.

When Prof. Joan Freeman, a child-psychology expert, administered the classic Stanford-Binet IQ test to the little girl, she noted imaginative responses, the Mail reports.

"What do you use your eyes for?" brought the answer, "You close them when you go to sleep" and "You put your contact lenses in them."

IQ scores are derived by evaluating how well a subject does compared to others of his or her own age. A perfect age match would result in an "average" score of 100, while a 6-year-old who had the same results as an average 9-year-old would score 150, or "genius" level.

Freeman thinks Karina's IQ may only go up as she gets older, though Fraser says whatever happens, she'll always be her little girl.

Ditry Mattress

An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress with $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

The woman told Army Radio that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise on Monday and threw out the old one, only to discover that her mother had hidden her life savings inside. She was identified only as Anat, a resident of Tel Aviv.

When she went to look for the mattress it had already been taken by garbage men, she said. Subsequent searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot published a picture of the woman searching through garbage at a dump in southern Israel.

Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told the radio station that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage arriving at the site every day.

He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters at bay.