Locals in the southern Serb town of Cacak raised the money to show the 1980s model turned pop star how delighted they are about her visit. Obrad Banovic, a fan, said: "We love her. She is an authentic sex symbol of the 1980s, so why shouldn't we have a monument to her. Other towns have their heroes in parks, so why can't we?

The idea for the statue came after Fox agreed to take part in a music festival in Cacak next month.

It won't be the only celebrity statue in the area. The northern Serbian village of Zitiste is putting up a statue of the Hollywood film character Rocky, as played by Sylvester Stallone.

The Bosnian town of Mostar, which is divided along ethnic lines, erected a statue of the late martial arts film star Bruce Lee in 2005 as a symbol of unity between Muslims and Croats.

And the eastern Bosnian town of Bijelina, the scene of some of the most vicious ethnic cleansing during the 1992-95 wars, is to erect a huge bronze statue of the town's most famous produce - a cabbage.

Other eastern European countries have adopted eccentric cultural icons. Norman Wisdom is a star in Albania and was the only western actor whose films were allowed during the Communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha.

Goosey's Gabbings...

Some times I get depressed about the area I live in, and then I think about an area of the world where they have statues of S-s-s-s-s-Samantha FOX! and of...cabbage. Pretty soon I am sure we'll get to see the Hasselhoff Monument made in Berlin. Then, the rapture will officially have begun...

Labels: bizarre, comedy, funny, humor, humorous, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, quirky, Samantha fox, sarajevo, serbia, weird

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court on behalf of 14-year-old Toni Kay Scott, five other students at Redwood Middle School and their parents, challenging a dress code imposed by the school and the school district.

According to the suit, Scott's parents asked the school to exempt her from the dress code, and she came to class on the first day of the 2005-06 school year wearing a denim skirt, a brown shirt with a pink border, and long socks with pictures of Tigger.

She was escorted to the principal's office by a uniformed police officer and, along with two of her schoolmates, was sent to an in-school suspension program called Students With Attitude Problems.

The ACLU says the school and the district are overstepping the limits set by California law.

Goosey's Gabbings...

Scott was asked what she really thought about the dress code. Her response: "I think it's ridiccorous. All I want is bouncy, pouncy, flouncy, trouncy, fun fun fun fun..."

Labels: bizarre, california, dress code, napa, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, quirky, student gets detention, tigger, weird

An argument between the performer and some of the picketers escalated, whereupon Batman proceeded to remove his cape and assume an aggressive posture, taunting the picketers and appearing to pick a fight.

Another street performer dressed as Chewbacca came along and Batman apprised him of the situation. Chewbacca then removed his head-mask and confronted the picketers as well.

Soon thereafter, the LAPD arrived on the scene and arrested Batman.

According to Michael Neiter, a local artist who happened to be on the scene: "I think a lot of the characters and people out here get treated unfairly by the police. They [the police] tend to be a little rough-handed; they arrest people when they really don't need to."

Street performer "Hollywood Afro-man" who witnessed the altercation, held the opposite view: "He's [Batman] no good for here, that's why a lot of the characters named him 'Bat-trash' -- because he's got a trashy mouth."

The LAPD said Batman became belligerent when he was taken to the station, began banging his head, and even kicked out a window in a patrol car.

Batman was arrested for disorderly conduct and booked at Parker Center.

Cameras from the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" television show were on hand to capture the entire incident.

Goosey's Gabbings...

Just like Batman, he's brooding--he's dark--he's mysterious. But, unlike Batman, he's just a plain friggin' idiot.

Labels: Batman, bizarre, crime, dumb crimes, funny, Los Angeles, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, quirky, weird

Labels: bizarre, comedy, funny, humor, humorous, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, toys, weird

Labels: bizarre, comedy, elections, funny, humor, india, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, quirky, weird

Republican State Sen. Dan Patrick, who also is a conservative radio talk show host, said on Friday the money might convince the women to go ahead and have babies, then give them up for adoption.

He said during a legislative conference in New Braunfels, 45 miles south of Austin, there were 75,000 abortions in Texas last year.

"If this incentive would give pause and change the mind of 5 percent of those woman, that's 3,000 lives. That's almost as many people as we've lost in Iraq," Patrick said.

Patrick has filed legislation to make the payment state law, but the legislature has not yet voted on it.

His proposal calls for giving any woman going to an abortion clinic the $500 option, to be paid no more than 30 days after the baby is born and given up for adoption.

Critics say the proposal would violate Texas and federal laws against buying babies, which Patrick rejected as "the typical ridiculous criticism."

Goosey's Gabbings...

Now, let's REALLY think about this a bit; if a mother, who has already contemplated abortion, is willing not to do it for the measly sum of $500, how good is this child's life really going to be? Honestly...Not advocating abortion by any means, but at least don't insult the intelligence of what this really is, and that is a cheap bribery: if you are going to do it in a financial way, offer free food and diapers until school age or something of that measure: all this is doing is potentially creating yet another issue. Who actually voted for this momo?

Labels: abortion, bizarre, dan patrick, government, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, quirky, texas, weird

Labels: bizarre, comedy, funny, humor, new jersey, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, pimp of the year, pimps, prostitution, quirky, weird

Warren County State's Attorney Chip Algren said he spoke Wednesday with the girl and her mother, identified as Deanna Trout. He said Deanna Trout called him early Thursday afternoon and said she would not pursue charges.

"I'm not intending on filing (charges), but that's based on the wishes of the family," Algren said in a telephone interview.

Had he pursued a charge against bus driver Sara Taylor, he said, it would have been one of battery, which probably would have resulted in a fine.

"The odds of seeing any jail time are about zero," he said.

Taylor has been fired from her job at Cavanaugh Bus Service in Monmouth, Algren said. He said he might have decided differently about charges if she remained on the job and working near children.

He also said the little girl showed no signs of continued trauma during the visit to his office.

Taylor, who has no prior criminal record, showed remorse in a meeting with Algren, he said.

"I don't think it was fake remorse," he said. "The impression I got from her was that she was truly sorry for what she did."

During the bus trip from the high school to Alexis on March 13, Taylor placed duct tape over the girl's mouth after she screamed when another child scratched her.

Algren said Taylor told him she knew she had done something wrong as soon as it happened.

United School District Superintendent Jeff Whitsitt said the girl was the only student he knew of still not riding the bus in the wake of the incident.

He said students were assured last week of their safety while riding the bus and noted the contractor's strong action against the driver.

"I'm confident we won't have any similar problems with our contract employees," he said.

Goosey's Gabbings...

I guess it DOES go to show you...there are some things that Duct tape can't be used for. Although some how I would think MacGyver would have been able to pull this off.

Labels: bizarre, bus driver fired, comedy, crime, duct tape, dumb crimes, dumb criminals, funny, galesburg, humorous, Illinois, monmouth, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, quirky, weird