Archive for March, 2009
Or maybe two? Well, the Oakdale Testicle Festival is the event to go to. For the 28th year in a row, people from all over can have all the balls that they want, cattle’s balls, that is.
Every year, for the past 28 years, the Oakdale Rotary Club has been involved in this festival, in an attempt to raise funds. In its early days, the festival was called the Calf Fry, with only the Rotary Club behind it. In 2003, however, the Cowboy Museum joined in. This year, it’s going to be held on the 30th of March.
So what is in store for participants of the Testicle Festival? Ever heard of mountain oysters? Well, that’s the specialty of the event. For the price of $50, you can get a ticket to a sit down dinner of bull testicles. (Tickets go for $65 at the door.)
About 400 pounds of gonads are chopped up and prepared for the event. The recipe, of course, is a secret, but seems to have people coming back for more. Mountain oysters seems to be a catchy name but I am unsure as to how actually eating them would sit with me.
Participants of the festival swear by their tastiness, however. Christie Camarillo, fore example, swears that they are simply delicious. She is the executive director of the Cowboy Museum. She goes on to say that they taste like a mix of fried calamari and chicken liver. Everything exotic tastes like chicken anyway, right?
Anyhow, if you’re interested in having a ball yourself, give this number a call: 847-5163. (Oakdale, California)
Well, not the real St. Innocent – he’s been dead for hundreds of years now. What I am referring to is his statue, which was stolen from a church in Italy in 1990. So where did he turn up?
Almost two decades after the heist, the bust of St. Innocent was recently found in the home of a couple residing in North Caroline. The bust is 350 years old, and is intricately carved. The antique is actually only one of the items that were stolen from the church in November of 1990. The other things that were lifted during the heist include 16 other statues (similar to the one just discovered) and two oil paintings.
Some facts about the stolen statue of St. Innocent:
-it is made of wood and painted with gold
-it was made by Diego da Careri, a 17th century Franciscan artist
-the current bust is not worth much by now since the head is missing, as well as part of the cross that the saint is holding.
So how did the American authorities get wind of the stolen bust? They were informed by certain officials in Rome that an Italian citizen had sold a statue to a dealer in antiques from Greensboro. This dealer then sold the statue to Neal Johnson from Charlotte, who then sold it to the couple.
Needless to say, the bust will be returned to the Italian church where it belongs. What about the money that the couple paid? I have no idea.
Have you ever experienced going on a long drive and doing your darnedest best to stay awake and alert? We all know that one of the biggest – if not THE biggest – enemies of a motorist is sleep or fatigue. That is why we always hear of safety admonitions to get some rest before driving, and that if you feel tired while on the road, it would be better to stop and nap rather than to push on.
How about an alternative wake up call? In China, the police have found a way to wake their drivers up and keep them safe on the road while at it. This novel wake up technique does not make use of the traditional caffeine jolt. Neither does it involve encouraging motorists to nap and rest. Instead, the police are serving motorists with raw chili.
Yes, raw chili. According to Reuters, the police in the southwestern part of the country (Chongqing region) have made it their mission to keep drivers awake. Their main strategy is to offer loads of raw chili in highway service stations. This is also in keeping with the Chinese belief that people become sleepier during spring.
And what do the drivers have to say about this? Chen Jun, a van driver plying the southwestern route says that “It’s really good to have some hot peppers when you are tired from driving. They make you alert.”
If the chili is as strong as I think it is, then it would certainly keep you alert for hours.
Everybody’s heard of Florida and the many other vacation hotspots all over the US but not many have heard of the recently discovered Sea Isle City New Jersey. New Jersey is one of the most diversified US states that has a little something to offer for everybody. From skiing to mountaineering with the wonderful snow capped ski slopes and trails, to more warmer fun in the surf at Sea Isle city. Sea Isle City has a lot of trekking trails, bike trails and beaches, did we mention the wonderful beaches within reach of some of the best sea isle city rental properties in the state.
Get down and relax at the beach with the family, or go on a bike trip it sure breaks the monotony of daily life in the city. Many people have been kept from the beautiful state that is New Jersey and all it has to offer, till now. Give it a try and visit the state where sun, mountain peaks and surf share a common goal for your enjoyment and your family.
Basketball fans all over the world have probably noticed a rather unique fashion accessory that one of the biggest basketball stars in the NBA. Dwayne Wade. Prior to the All-Star Weekend, Wade – who is the league’s leading scorer, by the way – cut his left cheek. Naturally, it needed medical attention, however slight his injury might have been, so he placed a Band-Aid on his cheek.
This band-aid is somehow different from the usual stuff that we can buy at the corner drugstore. Well, actually, it is the same stuff but Wade pretty soon added his own twist to the Band-Aids. For starters, he put his nickname “Flash.” Then he put the American flag on it as well – all this despite the fact that his wound had healed.
Of course, this delighted his fans, as it was somewhat of a different fashion statement. In such a short span of time, Wade was able to create his own stamp. It is going to be short-lived, however, as the NBA is going the route that the NFL has taken before.
The league is banning the superstar from using the Band-Aid in future games. Tim Frank, the NBA spokesman says that they already talked to the management of The Heat, reiterating the rule that Band-Aids can only be worn for medical purposes. The league aims for uniformity with regard to the players’ dress code when in the arena.
I suppose this means one thing for Dwayne Wade fans – no more “Flashy” Band-Aids. Am sure that would not get in the way of his skills on the court, though.
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