Studly Orangutan Impregnates Rest of Zoo

Dec 4th 2008
By Emily McCombs

For a lot of animals, being in capitivity is a bigger buzzkill to the libido than a "Golden Girls" marathon. Not so for Demo the orangutan, who has been busy knocking up all three of his female companions at a U.K. zoo.

The 10-year-old primate has three babies on the way after mating with roommates Gambira, Mali and Chinta. Since the number of Bornean orangutans is down to just 50,000 worldwide, Demo is merely doing his part for his dwindling species, which is threatened by hunting, the pet trade and the destruction of its rainforest habitat.

Staff at Paignton Zoo in Devon say they are "amazed" by the three pregnancies and are anxiously awaiting the births. The second largest ape after the gorilla, Bornean orangutans like their alone time, with males and females usually come together only to mate. Hopefully that fact will keep Demo from getting too overloaded with his three new baby mamas.

Deadliest Dishes -- 15 Delicacies That Might Kill You

Dec 4th 2008
By Colleen Kane

Food is supposed to nourish the body and sustain our lives, not send us barreling straight for the Grim Reaper. Yet sometimes eating the healthy stuff can feel like its own kind of living death, so people choose the bad stuff ... and then add even more bad stuff onto sizable portions of delicious Vitamin G (grease).

We proudly present 15 heart-stopping dishes -- not so much in the way of nagging, but rather as a form of public service. We know firsthand that once you get a taste of bacon wrapped around a Fried Twinkie Dog -- you'll stop at nothing to find new combinations of grease and carbs to make the old ticker quiver.

Most Dangerous Drinks

    Ethanol/Grain Alcohol It is illegal to sell this 190-proof "drink" in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Obviously, the liver has lobbyists in those states.

    Jeff Gentner, AP

    Moonshine Prohibition caused people to take all sorts of odd steps to get their buzz on. For those who took the Bo and Luke route, a shoddy brew included methanol (a.k.a. wood alcohol) that acts in a few hours and can cause blindness. Perhaps that allowed them to not realize they were making out with cousin Daisy.

    Hector Mata, AFP / Getty Images

    Hjemmebrent Norway's Moonshine goes a bit further, being distilled to 96 alcohol. In Tara Grescoe's book "The Devil's Picnic," drinking hjemmebrent is described this way: "You were sober then you were drunk. It was grim, goal-oriented, and a little sad. And the hangover was like no other." Scary. We can't imagine anything worse than a PBR hangover.

    vgb.no

    Blood Religious groups and tribes, including the Suri of Ethiopia, have been drinking blood for centuries. For some it's a ritual, for others it's just a great way to risk contracting Hepatitis B and C.

    Corbis

    Coca Cola Coca-Cola launched the disastrous "New Coke" in 1985, but in truth, the stuff we'd been consuming for decades was new. The true original version had cocaine in it. If Coca Cola still had cocaine in it, the world would be a sleepless wasteland of rambling teeth grinders.

    AP

    Black Drink Made from roasted leaves of the Yaupon Holly, Native Americans males consumed the Black Drink in a ritualistic manner, substituting it for coffee or tea. They purged themselves after imbibing for hours at a time, leading to the berry's appealing Latin name, "Ilex vomitoria."

    wikipedia.com

    Jolt Cola Jolt Cola's slogan is "all the sugar and twice the caffeine." But if you consider that a few of the symptoms of caffeine overdose include restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, increased urination, gastrointestinal distress, muscle twitching, irritability, and irregular heart beat, a cold Jolt doesn't sound so good.

    AP

    Bombes Enterprising bar owners in Greece originally came up with Bombes -- a mixture of alcohol and cheap, dangerous industrial spirits. These drinks are so lethal that the government had to step in, because the loss of bar patrons due to death wasn't enough to keep them from being served.

    Fox Photos / Getty Images

    Bud Extra A couple of years back, someone at Budweiser came up with a plan to keep beer drinkers from passing out. They called it "B to the E," and injected it with ginseng and high levels caffeine. In June 2008, Anheuser-Busch pulled the product in response to public criticism, which was completely warranted.

    AP

    Kumis Though not technically a danger to your physical health, there's something psychologically troubling about sipping Kumis, a booze made from fermented mare's milk. Russians have been drinking from the horse's teat for centuries, but we'll pass.

    wikipedia.com



*Note: We are not claiming that certain food creations sold by big corporations (with expensive lawyers) will kill you. They might just kill your will to live once eaten. (Nice corporations! We love you!) Although, in the case of local breakfast joints, you can't say you weren't warned if you eat a sandwich called a Widowmaker.
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Light up Your Table for Alien Landings

Dec 4th 2008
By G. Xavier Robillard

Dining rooms need mood lighting. With an illuminated dining room table, you can dim the lights and make it all romantic. You can also provide a place for aliens to land.

It looks like a normal tablecloth, but the $200 LumiTable has a special fiber optic woven into it, so that when the lights are low, the runner will add an other-worldly luminescent glow from below, sort of like something you'd expect in Roswell.

The runner comes in red, green, blue or white with several backing colors. Make sure you order the right power converter so the 220Vac adapter it comes with doesn't blow up your dinner. [Via Gearcrave]

Caroline 'Caz' Pal -- Today's Crush

Dec 4th 2008
By Emily McCombs

When we jokingly speculated about what Michael Phelps should do following the Olympics, somehow we left out "start dating a smoking-hot Vegas cocktail waitress." Luckily, the freakishly talented fish-man didn't need our help on this one, since he recently took girlfriend Caroline "Caz" Pal home to meet the parents for Thanksgiving.

Since we first laid eyes on the 26-year-old Palms Casino waitress, we've been wishing we had joined the swim team in high school (AV club credentials don't hold water with the ladies). And the scores of Tila Tequila-esque photos that have surfaced of the apparently not at all shy Caz have only made us even more certain that she probably has an excellent personality.

What we're trying to say is: Caz, if you grow weary of Phelps' freakishly long torso and intimidating wingspan, and long for the comforting embrace of a normally proportioned man, call us.

Caroline Pal -- Todays Crush

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

    Caroline "Caz" Pal, aka Michael Phelps' girlfriend

    myspace.com

Children's Faces While Carrying out Video Game Killings

Dec 4th 2008
By Asylum Staff

Video game violence and its effect on children has long been hotly debated. British filmmaker Robbie Cooper decided to investigate the topic with "The Immersion Project," a short film that captures children's faces as they play violent games to help better understand how virtual brutality resonates in a child's psyche. It also gives us the amusement of seeing kids making goofy faces.

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Plaxico or Avery -- Who's the Biggest Suspended Jackass?

Dec 4th 2008
By Jeremy Taylor













While professional athletes get suspended all the time for boring stuff like drugs and fighting, over the last few days, the sports world has been treated to two unique and entertaining sports suspensions.

First it was New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress. The details of exactly what went down are still sketchy, but it seems the loaded gun Plaxico had holstered in his waistband prior to entering a New York night club went off and took out a good chunk of his thigh. Given both the NFL and New York City's no-tolerance policy towards handguns, Plaxico is now in a world of trouble with both the league and the D.A.

There was nothing accidental about what got Sean Avery suspended indefinitely by the NHL. The Dallas Star's agitator summoned the press to his locker before a game against the Calgary Flames Tuesday and then made what appeared to be a prepared statement about other NHL players "falling in love" with his "sloppy seconds." One of the sloppy seconds in question was actress Elisha Cuthbert, who used to date Avery but is now with Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf. Avery also may have been making reference to supermodel Rachel Hunter, who hooked up with him before she got engaged to a player on the Los Angeles Kings.

So who is the bigger jerk, Burress or Avery? After the jump we compare the contemptible pair.
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Britney's Birthday Circus; Lil Wayne Gets Grammy Nod

Dec 4th 2008
By Nicholas Nadel

(Our round-up of celeb gossip so you can keep up with your girlfriend.)

Lil Wayne and Coldplay lead the pack in Grammy nominations. (Popeater)

Britney Spears celebrated her 27th birthday in New York City with a circus-themed party. (Ninja Dude)

Jennifer Aniston
has a racy new calendar. NSFW (Derober)

Matthew McConaughey has a new stoner flick. (Bullz-Eye)

A potential motive has emerged in the Jennifer Hudson family murder case. (TMZ)

The brother of Mark Ruffalo was the victim of a shooting in Beverly Hills. (I'm Not Obsessed)

Kanye West and Taylor Swift knocked out Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy" on the music charts. (MTV)

Miley Cyrus reportedly wants to be emancipated from her family. (The Blemish)

Jessica Simpson claimed "The Da Vinci Code" has inspired her to study religion. (Dlisted)

Jack Black, John C. Reilly and many more celebs star in the spoof "Prop 8: The Musical." (Funny or Die)
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Popular European Sperm Donor Has 46 Kids ... So Far

Dec 4th 2008
By Tom Radler

Ever have the feeling that the world might be better if it were populated with more people like you? There's a way to do that without the messy and frustrating prospect of raising kids: Just donate your genetic material.

A man in the Netherlands -- known as Europe's "most committed" sperm donor -- has fathered 46 children so far via artificial insemination.

Maastricht native Ed Houben (pictured here) says he spills his seed out of altruism, "because I know how hard it is for people who desperately want a child." The tour guide has become such a popular inseminator that people recommend him through the Internet and word of mouth to women who want to have children

Houben says he hasn't had sex with any of the women whose children he's fathered, but he recently held a party at his home for all of his seedlings and their families. "The kids had the chance to play with their half-brothers and sisters, which was nice," he said.

To donate like Houben, you need healthy swimmers. Click here to see our gallery of myths about what causes low sperm counts.

Grown-up Gift Guide -- Cool Toys for the Young at Heart

Dec 4th 2008
By Matt Glazebrook

Of the many things that get better as you grow up, holiday gift-receiving isn't one of them. Not that we don't love the aftershave, ill-fitting socks and Applebee's gift cards, but Christmas mornings used to mean ripping open an Optimus Prime figure or riding our new bike around the neighborhood even though it was 12 degrees.

With that in mind, we thought we'd offer up some options to rejuvenate the present giving and receiving spirit this year. While we like to think we'll resist the urge to join the hordes clamoring for a Wall-E robot or a singing, dancing Elmo this yuletide, there's no reason why some of these (slightly) more grown-up toys can't add a little youthful exuberance to your wish lists this holiday season.

Grown-up Toys

    What is Guitar Hero if not a chance to tap into to those long-repressed childhood urges to dance around in front of the mirror while laying down some killer licks on a tennis racket? Pocket-sized Guitar Hero lets you embrace said rock star fantasies while on the go. $22

    fredflare.com

    This is a tricky one. While we're inherently suspicious of homebrewing (why mess around do it yourself when the shop-bought version is so good?), we do really like having a tap on call in the home. Beer Machine comes equipped. $115

    beermachine.com

    We've always thought that Boba Fett was the most hip-hop of all the Star Wars characters, although C-3PO had something of an early '80s electro vibe. Glad to see someone agrees with us and made this action figure. $50

    kidrobot.com

    EA broke our heart a little when they stopped making MVP Baseball a few years back. This olde-worlde wooden set might not offer the same opportunities as crushing your roommate's best digitized fastball for a three-run homer, but it certainly looks a lot classier on your bookshelf. $26

    hobbywarehouse.com

    Being an adult means dealing with stress and not throwing tantrums. With these talking Hulk Smash Hands you can pretend your playing, while actually releasing the pent up frustration that if left unchecked, could turn you into a public menace. $20

    Hasbro

    The digital takeover of the camera market has led to the rediscovery of the heap retro fun uses for the classic 35mm, like this Lomo Fisheye camera. Sure there's probably some way of emulating the early-'90s-skateboard-video lens effect with Photoshop, but really, where's the fun in that? $75

    fredflare.com

    The Holy Toast Bread Stamp is ideal if you're aiming to start your own Lourdes style pilgrimage destination/tourist trap, or simply freak out your Catholic aunt. $5

    perpetualkid.com

    Create the greatest car chase movie scene of all time with these teeny tiny remote control Mini Cooper. Thumb-size Turin not included. $10

    thinkgeek.com

    Having as action figures as a grown-up is a little geeky (sorry), but what if the action figure is inspired by a classic '70s Playboy cover? Okay, we guess it's still pretty geeky. $60

    kidrobot.com

    If you've got ten large to burn, a vintage arcade machine will earn you serious cool points. For the rest of us, recreating the heady days of Pacman and Space Invaders can be more realistically achieved via these convenient and cheap plug-in-and-play sets. $20

    amazon.com

Reader is the Benjamin Franklin of Internet Diplomacy

Dec 4th 2008
By Julieanne Smolinski

Did you hear? People are meaner on the Internet, because you can't see their faces or something (we saw a study about this someplace, but we were too busy posting about bum-wheeled shopping carts in the "Rants" section of Craigslist to give it a good read). Sometimes, with a divisive issue, the comments can get pretty out of control, as was the case when we reported on the sensitive issue of hunting. Thankfully, commenter Beth was on hand to save the day and restore order.

"For Pete's Sake all of you -- get a grip! See if your feelings change when a deer commits suicide on your car and you have to pay through the nose to get your car fixed -- don't swerve and hit that tree -- your insurance won't pay a thin dime. Deer are beautiful animals, true, but when allowed to overpopulate, they cause havoc on highways and streets. There are numerous HUMAN fatalities caused by a deer hitting a vehicle. Culling of the herd is important to promote healthier deer as well as safer roads. I do not agree with some methods of deer hunting, but 'tree-huggers' are a slim part of the overall population and I for one am sick and tired of the idiocy ...'Good for the deer'? Gee whiz, everyone's gone nuts."

Thanks, Beth! You win the Noble Prize for your exemplary display of rationale (and restraint, as demonstrated by your use of mild invectives). Gee whiz, indeed.

Click here to learn how your comments can win you a sweet narwhal T-shirt.
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