Silly News Items Not Covered In The Shoutbox That Don't Warrant Individual Threads

Scientists said on Tuesday that they had discovered the world's first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, a potential sign the predators were adapting to cope with climate change.

The mating of the local Australian black-tip shark with its global counterpart, the common black-tip, was an unprecedented discovery with implications for the entire shark world, said lead researcher Jess Morgan.

"It's very surprising because no one's ever seen shark hybrids before, this is not a common occurrence by any stretch of the imagination," Morgan, from the University of Queensland, told AFP.

"This is evolution in action."

Colin Simpfendorfer, a partner in Morgan's research from James Cook University, said initial studies suggested the hybrid species was relatively robust, with a number of generations discovered across 57 specimens.

The find was made during cataloguing work off Australia's east coast when Morgan said genetic testing showed certain sharks to be one species when physically they looked to be another.

The Australian black-tip is slightly smaller than its common cousin and can only live in tropical waters, but its hybrid offspring have been found 2,000 kilometres down the coast, in cooler seas.

It means the Australian black-tip could be adapting to ensure its survival as sea temperatures change because of global warming.

"If it hybridises with the common species it can effectively shift its range further south into cooler waters, so the effect of this hybridising is a range expansion," Morgan said.

"It's enabled a species restricted to the tropics to move into temperate waters."

Climate change and human fishing are some of the potential triggers being investigated by the team, with further genetic mapping also planned to examine whether it was an ancient process just discovered or a more recent phenomenon.

If the hybrid was found to be stronger than its parent species -- a literal survival of the fittest -- Simpfendorfer said it may eventually outlast its so-called pure-bred predecessors.

"We don't know whether that's the case here, but certainly we know that they are viable, they reproduce and that there are multiple generations of hybrids now that we can see from the genetic roadmap that we've generated from these animals," he said.

"Certainly it appears that they are fairly fit individuals."

The hybrids were extraorindarily abundant, accounting for up to 20 percent of black-tip populations in some areas, but Morgan said that didn't appear to be at the expense of their single-breed parents, adding to the mystery.

Simpfendorfer said the study, published late last month in Conservation Genetics, could challenge traditional ideas of how sharks had and were continuing to evolve.

"We thought we understood how species of sharks have separated, but what this is telling us is that in reality we probably don't fully understand the mechanisms that keep species of shark separate," he said.

"And in fact, this may be happening in more species than these two."

Paul Nicholson has become a laughing stock at the World Championship Darts after blaming his defeat on his opponent's girlfriend.

Kim Huybrechts beat Nicholson 4-1 in the last 16 of the tournament at Alexandra Palace, a result which Nicholson put solely down to the damage to his concentration caused by the crowd's raucous reaction to the presence of Dana Verhaegen.

TV cameras continually cut to the shapely Verhaegen - a world-class darts player in her own right - to show her reaction at key moments during the match, and every time her face appeared on the giant screens the inebriated crowd went crazy with a chorus of cheers and wolf whistles.

"There's only one reason why I lost that match — and she was sitting right in the front row," fumed Nicholson.

"If she had not been in that crowd, I swear to God I would have won... Trust me, the most important thing in that match was her. I wanted to win it so badly, but nobody on the planet can play in that situation.

"I've got nothing against Kim, he played better than me, but the crowd were more interested in his girlfriend than the darts."

Nicholson's complaint was rejected by the PDC, but the livid ninth seed insisted that he will no longer take any nonsense from spectators.

"I just didn't have the crowd's respect — and quite frankly, I don't want it any more," he said.

"The next time I win a tournament on television, I'm going to give them the two fingers up and I'll take the fine."

Naked Chicago man ruins family screening 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
A man has been arrested for stripping off during a recent screening of family film 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked'.

Thirty-four-year-old Edward Brown removed his clothes and put on a performance of his own in front of a startled audience at a 4pm screening in Chicago.

According to The Chicago Tribune, when police arrived on the scene they found Brown sat completely nude in the front row.

At one point he allegedly turned to the audience and exposed himself.

There were 96 people, including many families with young children in the cinema, all of whom were subsequently ushered out and offered refunds.

Brown was arrested and has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child and misdemeanour disorderly conduct.

The streaker claims he was offered sex and drugs by a woman if he sat in the front of the cinema with no clothes on.

The alleged woman has yet to be found.

It's certainly shocking news... 96 people actually paid to watch 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (UPI) -- This endorsement might leave some wondering: Prostitutes at a brothel near Carson City, Nev., endorsed Rep. Ron Paul's bid for president.

Brothel owner Dennis Hof said he polled "all the girls" at the Bunny Ranch and the majority backed Paul, the U.S. representative from Texas who placed third in Tuesday's Iowa caucuses, The Daily Caller Web site reported.

"We thought real closely about supporting [Newt] Gingrich -- because he's a cheater -- and we like cheaters," said Hof, who gained celebrity status thanks to HBO's Cathouse documentary and series featuring his business. Nevada allows counties to license brothels.

A lot of the women supported Barack Obama in 2008, but then he signed a bill allowing for human consumption of wild horses and "the girls don't want any part of Obama," Hof said.

Hof said the ranch "decided to go with the guy that's more about state's rights -- and that's Ron Paul."

During January, he said he was offering a special -- two bunnies for the price of one, the Web site said. All a client has to do is come by and say "I'm pimping for Paul."

Copyright 2012 by United Press International

BEIJING (UPI) -- A Chinese toy company has released preview images of its latest creation, an action figure of late Apple founder Steve Jobs who died in October.

The company, In Icons, said the 1-foot tall action figure of the former chief executive officer of Apple Inc. is expected to start shipping in February at a price of $99 each, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News reported Monday.

Apple, which the newspaper said also declined to comment, blocked sales of a different company's previous Steve Jobs action figure.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (UPI) -- The manufacturer of Mountain Dew said an Illinois man could not have found a mouse in a can of the beverage because the rodent would have dissolved.

Pepsi Co. said in its response to a lawsuit filed by Ronald Ball in 2009 that the oil worker could not have gagged on a mouse in his can of Mountain Dew because the beverage would have dissolved the rodent into "a jelly-like substance" before it even reached the vending machine, ABC News reported Tuesday.

Samantha Unsell, an attorney for Ball, said Pepsi officials took the mouse and the evidence apparently has since been destroyed. She said Pepsi's latest legal motion to have the case dismissed is "a poor dissent."

"It doesn't say a lot about their product," Unsell said.

Lawyers for Pepsi declined to comment, ABC said.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International

SARASOTA, Fla. (UPI) -- A Florida man removed from a civil trial jury after sending a Facebook friend request to a defendant was "very close to going to jail," an attorney said.

Senior Circuit Judge Nancy Donnellan removed Jacob Jock of Sarasota from the jury Dec. 13, one day after he sent the Facebook request to Violetta Milerman, one of the defendants in the personal injury lawsuit from a traffic accident case, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported Monday.

Jock said he accidentally sent the request while browsing the Facebook pages of the defendants to see if he knew any of the involved parties.

Damian Mallard, an attorney in the case, said Jock was "very close to going to jail for all of this." He said Jock appears to have sent the request only 20 minutes after the judge instructed jurors not to contact anyone about the case or perform independent research online.

Jock was released with an admonishment from the judge for failing to follow her instructions.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International

FORT MYERS, Fla. (UPI) -- Police in Florida say they arrested three seniors during a sting operation after receiving complaints of men participating in public acts of lewdness.

Members of the Lee County Sheriff's Office Narcotics/Vice Unit conducted the sting at Bunche Beach, near Fort Meyers.

Three men allegedly approached the undercover male detectives at separate times Friday engaging in conversations indicating they were looking for sexual activity while exposing themselves to the detectives, a release from the Lee County Sheriff's said.

Larry Dean Richardson, 62, of Deerfield, Illinois; Martin Schasel, 73, of Holland, N.Y., and James Tobin, 81, of Fort Myers, were all charged with engaging in, committing or offering lewdness, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

NEW YORK (UPI) -- New York typewriter sellers said the low-tech machines are experiencing a comeback among writers who like to avoid distractions.

Paul Schweitzer, 73, whose Gramercy Typewriter Co. was founded by his father Abraham in 1932, said he started working on laser printers when typewriters fell out of fashion in the 1990s, but he has lately had many customers bringing in old typewriters to be restored, the New York Daily News reported Monday.

"They have their computers, they have their blackberries or iPads or whatever it is, but they still would like to have a typewriter. They like the idea of pressing the keys and having the words hit the paper," Schweitzer said.

Donna Brady of Brady & Kowalksi Writing Machines said she and her partner have had a lot of interest in the typewriters they sell at Brooklyn Flea.

"The more disconnected we get from other humans because of electronic devices ... the more we kind of want to get away from those gadgets," she said. A lot of people still want to be productive, but would like to get away from the screen.

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (UPI) -- A New York state pollster said its survey of U.S. adults indicates "whatever" reigns for the third consecutive year as the most annoying word in conversation.

The Marist Poll of 1,026 adults, conducted via telephone Nov. 8-10, found 38 percent of respondents consider "whatever" to be the most annoying word used in casual conversation while 20 percent said they disliked like and 19 percent cited you know.

The pollster said 11 percent chose "just sayin'" as the most annoying and 7 percent hate hearing seriously.

Marist said "whatever" also topped the poll last year with 39 percent of the vote.

The poll had an error margin of 3 percentage points.

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

DORAL, Fla. (UPI) -- Carnival Cruise Lines in Florida is selling tickets for the "Tides of Torture" cruise, billed as the world's first horror convention at sea.

Dark Star Fantasy Cruises, which is organizing the event for Carnival, said the cruise, which will take place in April and costs $699 per person, will feature stars from movies including "Machete," the Hatchet series, the Halloween series, the Hellraiser series and the Friday the 13th series, USA Today reported Friday.

The organizers said the cruise will also include movie screenings, a "scream queen" contest and a Dance of the Dead.

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

The launch of a trio of Star Wars-themed burgers from a Belgian fast food chain has sparked a buzz around the world.

Fast-food restaurant Quick really went to the Dark Side and created a burger with black buns dubbed the ‘Dark Vader’ burger.



The posters which have been created to promote the upcoming re-release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3D reveal a limited edition Quick menu of ‘Dark Vader’ and ‘Jedi’ burgers.

The burgers won’t debut in Quick restaurants until 31 January but the ad for the burgers has attracted international media attention, including coverage on US networks like Fox News and CNN and generated lots of talk on social networks.

While the odd-looking Vader burger is raising a few eyebrows, patrons can rest assured the buns have merely been dyed, not burnt.

The fast-food restaurant told French newspaper L'Express that it used a vegetable-based colorant commonly used to dye confectionery, E153. In place of black liquorice flavourings, the bread tastes of black pepper and poppy seed.

Will the appearance put fans off?

Well one supporter tweeted: “You’re telling me you wouldn’t eat a #DarthVader burger?...I find your lack of faith disturbing.”



Accompanying the Dark Vader burger is the Dark burger associated with Darth Maul and the Jedi burger with a mysterious white topping between the beef patty and bun.

Quick’s Star Wars burgers will be launched across France on the 31 January and be available until March.

Around 60 women have marched to Harley Street calling for private clinics to replace PIP breast implants for free.

The noisy group met in London with placards which read "Toxic Time Bombs" and "Health Before Wealth".

Their first target was The Harley Medical Group, which fitted the implants in almost 14,000 British women, and has said it will not replace them free of charge.

The firm fitted more of the implants than any other UK cosmetic surgery firm but claims replacing the banned implants would put it out of business.

The demonstration, which was organised on Facebook, then went to the office of Transform on nearby New Cavendish Street, which has also said it will not replace the implants free of charge.

Insurance consultant Mia Wood, 32, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, said: "I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm crying every day. They are so happy to take our money but not prepared to help support us."

She said the women want the private clinics to replace their implants - not the NHS - because "we've paid for a service".

Ms Wood added that she cannot afford to pay the cost of almost Ł3,000 which she has been quoted to have her implants replaced.

Gemma Pepper, 29, from Darlington, County Durham, said she was distraught when she first found out there was a problem with the implants.

"I was in tears for about three days. I hadn't slept. I'm feeling a lot better now that I know we can fight back after meeting these amazing ladies," she said.

You wouldn’t expect to hear the words ‘burger’ and ‘uplifting’ in the same sentence, but South African fast food chain Wimpy has made it happen.

Last month, the popular burger joint released a video to promote the restaurant’s Braille menu available for sight disabled customers.

But then the masterminds behind the project went a step further by adding a creative twist to the promotion. They created ‘Braille burgers' which involved Wimpy chefs using sesame seeds as Braille to spell out messages on the burger buns.

For their grand finale, they headed over to three biggest blind institutions in the country to hand-deliver their special messages.

And as the video says below, for people who use their hands as their eyes, this was the first time they could do more than just taste their food.

The results were, well, uplifting.

Take a look for yourself at the video below which won ad of the month in November 2011 and has been viewed over 250,000 times since it was uploaded last month.

George Lucas has decided that he won’t be making any more big-budget films, saying that he’ll be embarking on a "new destiny" after he takes a step back from the blockbuster movie business.

The creator of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise cites the growing animosity for him among film fans as one of the main reasons for his retirement.

“On the Internet, all those same guys that are complaining I made a change are completely changing the movie,” he told the New York Times, referencing fans who have made their own re-edits of the famous sci fi trilogy.

“I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’”

He’s currently promoting ‘Red Tails’ in the US - which he battled to get to the big screen and has funded himself as a consequence.

“Why would I make any more when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”, he said, referring of course to every movie he’s been involved with since ‘The Phantom Menace’ in 1999.

“I’m moving away from the business, from the company, from all this kind of stuff.”

His friend, producer Rick McCallum, explained: “Once this is finished, he’s done everything he’s ever wanted to do. He will have completed his task as a man and a filmmaker.”

Lucas says that he will continue to make films, but he’s more interested in smaller-scale movies that are personal, and similar to those he made while at USC film school in the 1960s.

The only blockbuster project he’s leaving open as a possibility is a fifth outing for Indiana Jones, but other than that he’s looking towards a quieter future, film-wise.

The first silent film to win major awards in over 90 years ‘The Artist’, has, rather ironically, got everyone talking.

The buzz of the Golden Globe-winning film hasn’t quite reached everyone however; as several people have been given refunds after complaining about the film’s lack of dialogue.

When going to see the film at an Odeon cinema in Liverpool, film fan Nicola Shearer, 25, was asked if she knew the film was silent.

She did and enquired why the usher had asked in the first place.

"She then told me some people complained and asked for refunds because there is no sound and the screen is smaller,” Miss Shearer said (speaking to the Telegraph).

‘The Artist’ is presented in a smaller aspect ratio to mimic the films of the Golden Age of silent movies that director Michel Hazanavicius pays homage to.

The cinema first denied handing out refunds, before a spokesman changed their tune; "Odeon Liverpool One can confirm it has issued a small number of refunds to guests who were unaware that ‘The Artist’ was a silent film.

"The cinema is happy to offer guests a refund on their film choice is they raise concern with a member of staff within 10 minutes of the film starting."

‘The Artist’ charts the end of the career of silent movie star George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) as “talkies” begin to thrive. As his career plummets he sees the career of love interest Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) sky-rocket as she becomes the first major star of the new era of film-making.

Supporting the relatively unknown but critically adored French leads are the likes of John Goodman, James Cromwell and Malcolm McDowell. And of course, Uggie the dog.

It picked up three Golden Globes at the weekend for Best Picture, Comedy or Musical, Best Actor, Comedy or Musical for Dujardin and Best Original Score.

A murder inquiry has been launched by Los Angeles police after two hikers stumbled across a severed human head under the famed Hollywood sign.

The head, which is believed to belong to an Armenian male in his 40s, was found in a bag by the two women on Tuesday at 2.30pm (local time) after their dogs started playing around in some shrubbery along the Hollywood Hills hiking trail.

Upon making the grim discovery, the pair alerted the Canyon Park rangers, who then notified the police.

According to police, the murder may have occurred recently due to the “absence of animal bites and decay”.

[Related story: Smoke bomb thrown over White House fence]


“Two of the dogs began to play with the bag and what appeared to be an object. While the dogs were playing with it, at some point the object came out of the bag and they discovered that it was a head — a severed head,” Sergeant Mitzi Fierro told KCAL-TV.

Detectives from Los Angeles Police Robbery and Homicide Division are seeking help from the Los Angeles County coroner in order to identify the victim through dental records.

Last night, police were guarding the area, with a search for additional remains set to continue on Wednesday.

Everyone knows what a leap year is, but did you know there are also leap seconds? At least for now, because the leap second’s very existence is being debated in Geneva today: with Britain, China and Canada fighting to keep it against the USA, Germany and France.

Introduced globally 40 years ago, the leap second was designed to keep atomic time (used by computer systems) and astronomical or solar time (the Earth’s rotation) in sync with each other.

Discrepancy
Atomic time, which GPS and telecommunications depend on, is so accurate that it gains or loses no more than a second every million years.

However, astronomical time alters because of variations in the Earth’s rotation and can be affected by things like earthquakes. The leap second was needed to keep the two time scales coordinated so atomic time doesn't jump ahead of astronomical time, the International Telecommunication’s Union (ITU-R) explained to Yahoo! News.

In fact, a leap second has been added at irregular intervals – a total of 24 times since its introduction in 1972.

Without the leap second keeping time in check, it is predicted that the difference between atomic time and astronomical time will increase at a rate of approximately one second per year – meaning that in 550 years, the difference between atomic time and astronomical time will be about an hour, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) projects.

The decision
Thursday’s Radiotelecommunication Assembly will see delegates from member states discuss the elimination of the leap second and voting for or against the controversial proposal.

A decision to remove the leap second completely would then need to be approved at the ITU-R’s World Radiocommunication Conference due to take place next week.

The next leap second is expected to be added at midnight on 30 June. However, Thursday’s debate, which an ITU-R spokesperson described as “very polarised” could see all that change.

Against the leap second
Countries like France, Italy, Germany and the USA are calling for an end to the leap second because telecommunications from GPS systems to mobile phone networks must be manually adjusted by a whole second to keep in sync with the change every year or two.

This adaptation of a second, critics argue, leaves systems open to the risk of error. If the leap second was abolished, time would be more standard.

The ITU-R, a United Nations agency, said in a statement: “The benefits of the change would be a continuous time scale available for all the modern electronic navigation and computerised systems to operate with and eliminate the need for specialised ad hoc time systems.”

For the leap second
Britain, China and Canada are opposed to the change because without that leap second, atomic and astronomical time will drift further apart, which would need to be corrected by adding a single leap second, minute or hour at an agreed point in time which would be even more technically challenging and costly.

“Without leap seconds we will eventually lose the link between our perception of time and our own experiences of day and night,” added the ITU-R’s spokeswoman.

Mark Wahlberg has sensationally said that if he were on one of the hijacked planes that ploughed into the World Trade Centre on 9/11, “it wouldn’t have went down like it did.”

The 40-year-old actor, who was scheduled to be on one of the ill-fated flights, made the remarks in an interview with Men’s Health.

“If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn’t have went down like it did," he said, not at all deluded by his movie star status. "There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, ‘OK, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don’t worry.’”

The star of the ‘Planet of the Apes’ and ‘Italian Job’ remakes later apologised after being called out by September 11 widow Deena Burnett-Bailey.

Ms Bailey told TMZ, “Does Mark Wahlberg have a pilot's license? Then I think hindsight is 20/20, and it's insignificant to say what you would have done if you weren't there."

She went on to describe the comments as “silly”, “grandstanding” and “disrespectful”.

In his apology the ‘Boogie Nights’ actor said: “To speculate about such a situation is ridiculous to begin with, and to suggest I would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible.

"I deeply apologize to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive, it was certainly not my intention."

It is not the first time Marky Mark has made such a blunder; in 2006 he said about the terrorist attacks: “We certainly would have tried to do something to fight. I've had probably over 50 dreams about it."

Eastman Kodak has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it attempts to transform the 130-year-old photography pioneer into a digital company.

The company, which invented the hand-held camera, said in statement that it had also obtained a $950m, 18-month credit facility from Citigroup to give it the cash to keep going.

Antonio Perez, the chairman and chief executive, said: “Kodak is taking a significant step toward enabling our enterprise to complete its transformation.”

Kodak has been in the drawn-out process of creating a digital business while getting out of certain traditional operations.Since 2003 it has closed 13 manufacturing plants and 130 processing laboratories, and cut its workforce by 47,000.

While the company is credited with building the first digital camera in 1975 , it never realised the potential of the digital revolution.

Kodak's digital focus in recent years has been on consumer and commercial printers, but this has not resolved its financial difficulties or improved profits.

Like other established US companies, Kodak faces huge costs for pension and other benefits for workers and retirees that it is struggling to meet.

Mr Perez said: "Now we must complete the transformation by further addressing our cost structure ... to emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company.”

The Chapter 11 filing covers the company and its US subsidiaries and not subsidiaries abroad.

More body parts have been discovered close to where hikers stumbled across a severed human head along a trail below the famed Hollywood sign.

Two human feet and two hands were found on Wednesday afternoon after Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) launched a murder inquiry.

The head, which is believed to belong to a male between 40 and 60 years old and of 'undetermined' ethnicity, was found in a bag by two women on Tuesday at 2.30pm (local time) after their dogs started playing around in some shrubbery along the Hollywood Hills hiking trail.

Both hands and feet were found within a 50-yard radius of the head and are believed to belong to the decapitated body, the LAPD said.

Detectives believe the victim - whose identity still remains a mystery - was killed elsewhere before the perpetrator dumped the body parts near the iconic sign.

Police said wild animals roaming in the Canyon Drive area may have moved the body parts.

Upon making the grim discovery, the pair alerted the Canyon Park rangers, who then notified the police.

According to police, the murder may have occurred recently due to the “absence of animal bites and decay”.

“Two of the dogs began to play with the bag and what appeared to be an object. While the dogs were playing with it, at some point the object came out of the bag and they discovered that it was a head — a severed head,” Sergeant Mitzi Fierro told KCAL-TV.

Detectives from Los Angeles Police Robbery and Homicide Division are seeking help from the Los Angeles County coroner in order to identify the victim through dental records.

The search is expected to continue in the area on Thursday.

Male sex drive is at the root of most conflict in the world, from football violence to world wars, scientists have claimed.

A review of psychological evidence concludes that men are shaped by evolution to be aggressive towards "outsiders".

The tendency, at the heart of all inter-tribal violence, emerged through natural selection as a result of competition for mates.

Today it can be seen in large-scale conflicts between nations as well as clashes involving rival gangs, football fans or religious groups, say the researchers.

Women, on the other hand, are said to have evolved to resolve conflicts peacefully. Natural selection has programmed them to "tend and befriend" to protect their offspring.

Professor Mark van Vugt, from the Institute for Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, said: "A solution to conflict, which is an all too common problem in societies today, remains elusive. One reason for this might be the difficulty we have in changing our mindset, which has evolved over thousands of years.

"Our review of the academic literature suggests that the human mind is shaped in a way that tends to perpetuate conflict with 'outsiders'. Our research finds that conflict between rival groups of men has presented opportunities to gain access to mates, territory and increased status.

"We believe this has resulted through natural selection in an evolved psychology amongst men to initiate and display acts of inter-group aggression."

The findings, which support the so-called "male warrior hypothesis", are published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.

In all cultures and throughout history men rather than women have sought to get their way by initiating violence, the psychologists claim. Men were more likely to demonstrate prejudice and discrimination against other men viewed as outsiders, according to the research.

The grieving father of Amy Winehouse has accused a top fashion designer of cashing in on the late singer's death by using her as the inspiration for his latest catwalk show.

Mitch Winehouse said the collection unveiled by Jean Paul Gaultier at the Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday was "in bad taste" after models were dressed in the star's trademark style.

The former taxi driver, 60, told the Sun: "The family were upset to see those pictures, they were a total shock.

"We're still grieving for her loss, and we've had a difficult week with the six month anniversary of Amy's death. To see her image lifted wholesale to sell clothes was a wrench we were not expecting or consulted on."

During the showcase of Gaultier's spring-summer collection models were given the Back to Black singer's trademark beehive hairstyle, daubed in heavy eyeliner and smoked cigarettes. They also took to the runway to a barbershop rendition of Winehouse's songs, with all models wearing black veils during the show's finale.

Gaultier confessed although he had never met the star - who died at the age of 27 in her north London home last year - their "styles had always been similar".

Mr Winehouse said he was proud of his daughter's influence on fashion, but accused Gaultier of portraying a view of the singer when she was "not at her best".

"We're proud of her influence on fashion but find black veils on models, smoking cigarettes with a barbershop quartet singing her music in bad taste," he added.

"It portrays a view of Amy when she was not at her best and glamorises some of the more upsetting times in her life. That's upsetting for her family."

The British singer battled with a drink and drugs problem during her life prompting Mr Winehouse to set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation to help vulnerable youngsters in her memory. He added: "No one asked us for permission or offered to make a donation to the foundation."

MONROE, Mich. (UPI) -- A 15-year-old Michigan boy says he has no idea how he was able to lift a 2,000-pound Buick enough for his grandfather to escape from underneath.

Austin Smith said he was working on the 1991 Buick with his grandfather, Ernest "Papa Ernie" Monhollen, at his grandparents' Ida Township home Saturday when the car fell from the cinder blocks holding it up and trapped Monhollen underneath, WDIV-TV, Detroit, reported Tuesday.

"I was just so scared," Smith said. I didn't know what to do.

Smith said he instinctively grabbed the front end of the 2,000-pound car and was able to lift it enough for his grandfather to get out.

"Probably all the adrenaline," Smith said of how he was able to lift the car. I mean, I couldn't do it right now.

Monhollen was treated for a serious cut to his face, fractured ribs and a fractured eye socket.

"Thank God he was here because if it was just me and his grandmother it would have been over. That would have been it," Monhollen said.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (UPI) -- Researchers at New Mexico State University said they have identified the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper as the hottest pepper in the world.

The school's Chile Pepper Institute said researchers grew several breeds of chile peppers reputed to be among the hottest in a plant science research field and the mature peppers were then harvested, dried and ground to powder.

The capsaicinoids, the compounds that produce the heat sensation, were removed from the peppers and examined. The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion was measured at more than 1.2 million Scoville Heat Units, while the second-hottest pepper, Chocolate 7-pot, was found to have nearly 1.17 million.

"Part of the reason we conducted this research is that rigorous scientific testing is required to ensure accurate determination of super hot heat levels," researcher Danise Coon said. The Chile Pepper Institute, as the leading authority on chile peppers, was a logical place for this research to be conducted.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International

ST. JAMES CITY, Fla. (UPI) -- Police in Florida said two women were arrested after their plan to show their breasts for beer money ended in a parking lot attack.

Workers at The Waterfront restaurant in St. James City told Lee County sheriff's deputies Alicia Martin, 28, and Kathryn Rayannic, 23, consumed "excessive quantities" of beer at the restaurant Wednesday and attempted to raise more drink money by offering to show their breasts to male patrons, WBBH-TV, Fort Myers, Fla., reported Friday.

"They were offering to show their boobs for drinks," waiter Shaun Bassett said. We had five guys that were like, 'Please, leave us alone.' They actually went up to tables [of men] who had their wives there.

Deputies said no one took the women up on their offer and they were escorted out of the restaurant by two employees, a male and a female. Martin allegedly shoved the female worker into a wall on her way out of the eatery then attacked the woman once they were in the parking lot.

The workers told police the male employee pulled Martin away from his colleague and the suspect threatened him with a knife before continuing her attack on the woman.

Martin was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. Rayannic was charged with disorderly conduct.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International