Eel-bowling anyone?
The fishing village of Lyme Regis, England canceled its 30-year-old traditional festival of eel-""bowling"" in July after complaints from an animal rights activist. The activist claimed that the festival was disrespectful to eels.
The ritual consists of teams of anglers who stand on platforms and swing a giant (but dead) conger eel, attached to the ceiling, to see who will be the last person standing.
""But it's a dead conger, for Pete's sake,"" said a spokesman for the charitable event, which raises money for lifeboat crews. ""I shouldn't think the conger could care one way or another.""
—Reuters
And you thought you were safe and secure
In July, undercover investigators for the Government Accountability Office reported that it was able to buy surplus body armor, mounts for shoulder-fired missiles and missile radar test devices on the open market from Pentagon contractors. Nearly 2,700 ""sensitive"" military items have been sold to 79 other buyers.
—Houston Chronicle
An FBI computer consultant, who said he was frustrated by bureaucratic delays in obtaining legitimate access to certain bureau files, was able to hack into files though the FBI director's secret password. The consultant figured out the password simply by using software found on the Internet.
—Arizona Daily Star
In July, Indiana state homeland security officials told Vermillion County officials to stop using the emergency-only highway message boards to advertise their charity fish fries and spaghetti dinners.
—WISH-TV (Indianapolis)
