Having a picture-perfect home is still a dream of mine though I don't know why. I hardly have guests over ... heck, I still don't have a couch in my condo!

And haven't you ever wondered about those bath towels you see in some homes with big ribbons tied around them? Are they just for decoration purposes or do people untie and retie the ribbons every night? Same goes with the 10 pillows on the bed. Do you toss all the pillows on the floor when you sleep and rearrange them when you make the bed the next morning?

Well, as much as I like these doesn’t-look-like-anyone-lives-here kind of home, I also don’t have the eye to create that kind of environment. In the luxury-home world, I may even get slapped with an "ugly" lawsuit...

Couple sued over 'ugly' kitchen
UPI

NEW YORK — A New York realty group is suing the owners of a floor at the Gramercy Park Hotel for installing an "ugly" Ikea kitchen at the property.

The Paramount Realty Group said retail mogul Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his wife, designer Ingibjorg Palmadottir, agreed to rent out the 16th floor of the Gramercy Park Hotel for $312,000 last year, but the "ugly" kitchen has been an embarrassment for the renting tenant, the New York Daily News reported.

"Defendants willfully installed what (Jon Asgeir Johannesson) defined as an 'ugly' kitchen," the suit states. "The kitchen installed is manufactured by Ikea, which is generally known to offer low-budget furniture."

"The kitchen has also been a source of embarrassment for Plaintiff and the subject of remarks by guests," Paramount said in the suit.

The lawsuit is seeking $52,000 in damages.

-----

So what's your best "guest-ready" home in the house and the one you never let anyone see? Are you all about matching furniture and a themed decor?

What is an ODD decorative item you have in your home that definitely gives the room character? Do you prefer furniture and decor that is out of the ordinary or one that makes your house easy to resell when the time comes?

And what are your thoughts on giving people home-related gifts for their birthday or Christmas? Could anyone use a spare kitchen towel or lemon-scented soap? Or do you think people prefer picking out their own household products?

-----

O&E ODD entertainment of the day: Not-your-average Help Wanted signs...

plus... O&E ODD image of the day: What's wrong with this picture? And bonus points if you know where this wall is located...

Devotees of Florida man drank snail mucus in ritual
Associated Press

MIAMI — Devotees of a Miami man who claims to practice a traditional African religion say they were sickened when they drank the mucus of a giant African snail.

Federal authorities in January raided Charles L. Stewart’s home after receiving complaints. Stewart has not been criminally charged, but prosecutors and state and federal wildlife agencies are investigating. The giant African snail is prohibited in the U.S. without special approval.

Experts say it devastates new ecosystems. The snail grows up to 10 inches long, can reproduce on its own and even can even eat plaster.

Stewart tells The Miami Herald he means no harm, and his religion uses the snails in healing ceremonies.

Followers said they got violently ill, losing weight and developing strange lumps in their stomachs.

-----

Diamond-loving dog swallowed $20,000 gem
UPI

ROCKVILLE, Md. — The owners of a Maryland jewelry store said a $20,000 diamond dropped in the shop by a dealer was immediately snatched up and swallowed by their dog.

Robert Rosin, one of the owners of Robert Bernard Jewelry Store in Rockville, said a diamond dealer brought the three-plus carat rock to the store to show the owners and dropped the valuable gem on the floor in front of Soli, a rescue dog owned by George Kaufmann, another owner of the store, WJLA-TV, Washington, reported Monday.

"Twenty thousand dollars -- that is all I could think about," Rosin said.

Kaufmann said a vet told him the best way to get the diamond out of Soli's belly was to wait for it to pass by natural means.

"It was not that pleasant," Kaufmann said. "I followed him; I had to pick up his stuff; I had to go through the things. I can understand what it was like in the old Gold Rush. I felt like I had just hit pay dirt."

He said the diamond came out after three days and was returned to the dealer.

"It was a happy ending to say the least," Kaufmann said.

-----

Swiss designer creates dinosaur dung watch
Associated Press

GENEVA — A Swiss watchmaker is hoping to raise a stink with an expensive timepiece that eschews the trade's standard gold, diamond or titanium fittings for a more earthy substance — dinosaur dung. Vesenaz, Switzerland-based company Artya says the watch set in fossilized feces will sell for $11,290 and comes with a strap made with skin from an American cane toad.

Designer Yvan Arpa said Monday the coprolite came from a plant-eater that died about 100 million years ago in what is now the U.S.

-----

Funeral homes personalize services
UPI

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —  Funeral directors in Massachusetts said increasing demand for personalized memorial services from the baby boomer generation is causing the business to evolve.

Terry Probst, manager of the Devanny-Condron Funeral Home in Pittsfield, said a recent custom service featured pictures of Frank Zappa, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe and Jimi Hendrix flanking the urn while a video tribute to the deceased played to the tune of several Beatles songs, the Boston Globe reported Monday.

"My rule is this: I'll do anything as long as it's legal," Probst said. "I want to set us apart from everyone around us."

Marc Gaudreau, an owner of the Beers & Story funeral homes in Massachusetts, said his businesses create custom funerals following "life interviews" with the families of the deceased.

"I like to say there's really no tradition anymore," Gaudreau said. "You've always got to think about how you can get better."

Emilee High, spokeswoman for the National Funeral Directors Association, said personalized services are growing in popularity nationwide.

"Baby boomers have had an impact on every aspect of society — and funeral service is no exception," High said. "Families are seeking experiences that are different from those they perceive as part of a traditional funeral or memorial service."

-----

Woman: 1,000 pounds 'a fantasy'
UPI

OLD BRIDGE, N.J. — A New Jersey woman who weighs in at 604 pounds says she wouldn't mind getting bigger.

Donna Simpson, 42, of Old Bridge, said she submitted paperwork to Guinness World Records seeking to be named the heaviest woman to give birth after she had a daughter in 2007 at 532 pounds, and the organization said it is considering the category and Simpson's application to be named the world's heaviest living woman, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

"I have fans who send me baklava and cheese cake and everything else you can imagine," Simpson, told ABC News. "I'm heavy and I wouldn't mind being heavier."

Simpson, a model for SupersizedBombshells.com, gained fame this week when the U.K. Daily Mail profiled her in a story suggesting she wanted to gain another 400 pounds.

"The whole thing about the 1,000 pounds is a fantasy I provide to my fans," Simpson told ABCNews.com.

She said her boyfriend, 150-pound Philippe Gouamba, 49, encourages her to eat.

"I think he'd like it if I was bigger," Simpson said. "He's a real belly man, and completely supports me."

-----

Quick survey:

• What's the worst drink you tried?
• Is there any item worth retrieving from dog doo doo?
• Brand of your favorite watch?
• Traditional or personalized funeral?
• The heaviest weight you will allow yourself to be?

-----

O&E ODD image of the day: Anyone try li hing malasadas yet?

According to hairstyle.com, these are the secret signals your hair sends:

Short
Cropped hair is often interpreted as signifying intelligence, openness and honesty — what you see is what you get. As a rule, shorter styles also tend to make younger women appear older and more sophisticated.

Shoulder length
A woman with medium-length hair is usually perceived as classy and strong. People often view her as powerful, and someone who exemplifies both brains and beauty.

Long
If long hair is well kept, it suggests confidence and sensuality. But watch out for unkempt styles, which send a very different message: that the person is trying to cover up the parts of her body or face she considers flawed.

Curly vs Straight
Waves give the impression of playfulness, warmth and carefree nature; wearing your hair straight tells people that you are together, polished and stylish.

Ponytail
A neat, traditional ponytail is the picture of poise — it's a good style for meeting your boyfriend's parents or giving a presentation in front of your boss. A pony tail higher on the head conveys a more casual, energetic look.

I definitely like the description for my hairstyle! Sadly, I don’t change it very often but maybe now that’s a good thing. I'm already not very experimental with my hair style or color and definitely would never have the guts to do what this next guy did...

Bald man paints head rather than wear wig
news:lite

A man who started losing his hair in his early twenties has started having his bald scalp painted rather than shave his head or wear a wig.

Philip Levine came up with the idea when he first noticed his hair was receding. He says he wanted to try something different because he didn't want to look like all other blokes with a shaved head.

news:lite photo

Speaking of the designs Philip, from London, said: "I wanted to express some part of my personality no one could see.

"I thought why not use my head as a canvas, paint and attached things to my head in the border of why my hair would be.

news:lite photo

"Unlike a wig where you are hiding what maybe seen as a deformity what I do is tell people feel special, original and embrace what could be looked at as a weakness and turn it into a strength."

Philip says the designs by painter Kat Sinclair normally wow people but that some have more of an impact then others — such as when he had 1,000 Swarovski crystals individually glued on.

news:lite photo

"Many people see it as an original art form and I aim to carry on inspiring and wowing people for years to come."

He is now planning a art exhibition showing off over 100 of his head designs including visual art films and busts of his head designs.

And the 28-year-old doesn't, he thinks of designs and gets a professional body painter to realize them on his head —  they regularly take over two hours to complete.

He says he's had things raging from a smily face to giant wave on his noggin — though he's not had a short back and sides painted on yet.

-----

How often do you change your hairstyle? Do you like to keep up with the trends or just have something that suits your lifestyle?

Quick survey...

• Bald is beautiful?
• Straight vs. curls?
• Blond or brunette?
• Favorite shampoo brand?
• Celebrity with best hairstyle?

You wonder how people came up with the idea and you wonder if there really is a consumer for everything. How many people are willing to put their money into an investment not knowing if it will succeed or fail?

Novelty can wear off pretty quickly so it will be interesting to see how these flower-growing chocolate wrappers do...

Sweet wrapper grows into flowers if dropped
news:lite

A range of sweets have gone on sale that come in wrappers which grow into flowers if dropped on the floor.

The packaging for the chocolates by Marks & Spencer has been impregnated with seeds which grow into Candytuft plants if left on the ground.

news:lite photo

Known as Iberis umbellata Rose Cardinal, to the more green-fingered reader, the flowers are popular for their ability to attract British butterflies.

Unfortunately, while the seeds will develop into the pink, white, red or purple flowers within weeks... they will not reproduce the chocolates.

For the best results M&S advise ripping the wrapper into several sections and burying it under a thin layer of soil.

The Praline Butterflies have gone on sale for Mother's Day, but it is thought the packaging could be rolled out to other products.

M&S Packaging Expert Helene Roberts says, “We are proud to have put such innovative food packaging on the UK High Street.

"These chocolate butterflies are the gift that keeps on giving – once Mum has enjoyed the chocolates, she can plant the seeded paper and then enjoy the flowers and the butterflies that they attract.”

-----

O&E ODD image of the day: My ODD chocolates from a friend...

After all, why waste time enjoying your bowl of cereal at the breakfast table when you can take it to go? Just be careful the milk doesn’t slosh over the bowl when you have to brake at the last minute cause you didn’t see the red light.

Same goes for putting on mascara and lipstick. Why else is there a vanity mirror on your visor? Make use of the luxury features of your car, some would say.

Not sure how many of you try to see what your fellow drivers are doing...the other day I saw a guy digging his nose! And he wasn’t even using a tissue!

But I bet no one has ever seen what this one woman did “down there”...

Crash blamed on motorist shaving privates
UPI

KEY WEST, Fla. — The Florida Highway Patrol alleges a two-vehicle crash in Cudjoe Key, Fla., was caused by a female motorist trying to shave her private parts.

Trooper Gary Dunick alleges the woman, identified as Megan Mariah Barnes, was attempting to shave her bikini area while her former husband was holding the wheel when Barnes' car crashed into the back of a pickup truck, the Key West (Fla.) Citizen reported.

"She said she was meeting her boyfriend in Key West and wanted to be ready for the visit," Dunick alleges. "If I wasn't there, I wouldn't have believed it."

Two female passengers in the pickup truck were treated for minor injuries after Tuesday's accident.

Authorities said one day before the accident, Barnes was convicted of driving under the influence with a prior and driving with a suspended license, the Citizen reported. As a result of the conviction, her driver's license was revoked for five years and her car was supposed to be impounded.

The Citizen said Barnes, 37, is facing charges of driving with a revoked license, reckless driving and driving with no insurance. She is also facing a charge of leaving the scene of a wreck with injuries for allegedly driving an additional half-mile after Tuesday's crash.

-----

Would you laugh first or be upset if you were hit by that woman?

So what ODD behaviors have you witnessed (or done yourself) behind the wheel? Someone plucking their eyebrows, painting their nails or playing Solitaire on the dashboard? If you’re a passenger in the unsafe car, would you say something or look the other way?

Would it be ridiculous to have specific laws banning certain actions while driving? There's already a cell-phone ban in many states. Why not a ban on eating, singing along with the radio or other common actions?

-----

O&E ODD image of the day:

Woman charged with breast milk assault
UPI

OWENSBORO, Ky. — Police in Kentucky said a woman arrested for public intoxication was issued an additional charge for squirting breast milk on a deputy at the jail.

Daviess County sheriff's deputies said Toni Tramel, 31, of Owensboro, was arrested Thursday on a misdemeanor count of public intoxication and while changing into a jail uniform she allegedly sprayed a stream of breast milk into the face of a female deputy, WYMT-TV, Hazard, Ky., reported Monday.

The sheriff's office said the deputy went through a biohazard decontamination process and Tramel was booked on an additional charge of third degree assault on a police officer, a felony. She was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail.

-----

NYC chef creates breast milk cheese
Associated Press

NEW YORK — Breast milk cheese, anyone?

A Manhattan chef has posted a recipe on his blog for what he calls "My spouse's mommy milk cheese."

Daniel Angerer co-owns Klee Brasserie with his wife Lori Mason. A photo on his blog features the cheese encrusted with maple caramelized pumpkin and Concord grapes.

They had an overabundance of milk for their newborn, Arabella Caroline. When their small freezer ran out of space, Angerer decided to experiment.

Angerer says his cooking instincts tend toward things natural. But even he admits: "THIS is a whole other level of 'natural.'"

Check out the video report:

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

-----

Time for a quick survey:

• ODDest recipe made?
• Any desire to try breast milk?
• Breastfeeding in public? Yay or nay?
• Milk of choice? 2%, fat free, homogenized, soy, chocolate? Any others?

-----

O&E ODD image of the day: Barbie-Q...

I say hands down Hawaii. Of course, my driving on the Mainland is a bit limited. However, it seems locals are either too nice on the roads or just lack common sense.

Whether you’re on the freeway, a back road, a stop sign or parking, you’re bound to see some idiot doing something a bit ODD.

Keeping up with traffic or gracefully merging onto the freeway seems difficult for many. Then you also gotta deal with the guy who won’t even let you merge when traffic is nearly at a standstill and every other car is waved in to cut.

Just the other night, a van was exiting a paid parking lot and proceeded to make an awkward U-turn as if he was going to enter the lot again. Instead, the driver stops, blocking the entrance and lets someone out. The van sits there for a while instead of pulling to the side of the road to wait. Of course the guy then reverses as other people are trying to exit the lot. Alrighty then...

But apparently even the pathetic can get their 15 minutes of fame...

Show seeks 'America's Worst Driver'
UPI

LOS ANGELES — The executive producer of the upcoming U.S. cable TV show "America's Worst Driver" said he found bad motorists in eight major cities to be "equally pathetic."

Charlie Parsons, executive producer of the Travel Channel series, said each episode features four drivers from the city of the week, including Chicago, New York and Dallas, competing in a number of controlled situations to see who has the most bad habits behind the wheel, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Monday.

The "winner" gets to see his or her car demolished in a theatrical fashion before going to the show's finals in Los Angeles, where "America's Worst Driver" will be crowned and awarded a bicycle and a bus pass. The runners-up will each receive a new car, Parsons said.

The producer said filming revealed that bad driving behaviors were not limited to specific areas of the country.

"They were all equally pathetic," he said.

"We weren't looking for anybody who was a very reckless driver — who had multiple violations and run-ins with the law," Parsons said. "We were more trying to find people who were in denial about certain things, like being a distracted driver, or poor parkers. Every one of the people who were nominated didn't feel they should be here. They are on the show to prove their nominators wrong."

-----

Here's a sneak peek at the show:

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

-----

O&E ODD image of the day: Thanks for the warning!

-----

Imagine all those freaky-looking cats circling you in an enclosed space... Wonder what this claustrophobic deputy would've done if he also feared cats...

Kentucky deputy tries to shoot his way out of cell
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Ky. — A Kentucky sheriff says a claustrophobic deputy has lost his job after accidentally locking himself in a jail cell and trying to shoot his way out of it.

Adair County Sheriff Ralph Curry tells WKYT-TV that no one was hurt when Charles Wright fired his weapon.

It happened Monday, the first day a new $12.4 million county judicial center was open to the public after more than a year of construction.

Curry says the former deputy has claustrophobia and has agreed to pay for the damage he did to the cell.

-----

What phobias do you have? What about some ODD ones? Here's a list I found online. Have any of these? This is a funny word: hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing
Aerophobia- Fear of swallowing air
Ambulophobia- Fear of walking
Anablephobia- Fear of looking up
Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers
Barophobia- Fear of gravity
Basophobia- Fear of walking
Batophobia- Fear of being close to high buildings
Blennophobia- Fear of slime
Bogyphobia- Fear of the bogeyman
Cathisophobia- Fear of sitting
Catoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors
Chaetophobia- Fear of hair
Chionophobia- Fear of snow
Chronophobia- Fear of time
Chronomentrophobia- Fear of clocks
Cibophobia- Fear of food
Clinophobia- Fear of going to bed
Deciophobia- Fear of making decisions
Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body
Eisoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors
Eleutherophobia- Fear of freedom
Eosophobia- Fear of daylight
Epistemophobia- Fear of knowledge
Ergophobia- Fear of work
Geliophobia- Fear of laughter
Geumaphobia- Fear of taste
Heliophobia- Fear of the sun
Helmintophobia- Fear of being infested with worms
Hemophobia- Fear of blood
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words
Hypnophobia- Fear of sleep
Ichthyophobia- Fear of fish
Ideophobia- Fear of ideas
Kainophobia- Fear of anything new
Levophobia- Fear of objects to the left side of the body
Logophobia- Fear of words
Metrophobia- Fear of poetry
Mnemophobia- Fear of memories
Mottephobia- Fear of moths
Neophobia- Fear of anything new
Nephophobia- Fear of clouds
Nomatophobia- Fear of names
Oneirophobia- Fear of dreams
Ophthalmophobia- Fear of opening one’s eyes
Ostraconophobia- Fear of shellfish
Panophobia- Fear of everything
Paraskavedekatriaphobia- Fear of Friday the 13th
Peladophobia- Fear of bald people
Phengophobia- Fear of daylight
Phobophobia- Fear of fear
Photophobia- Fear of light
Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking
Sciophobia- Fear of shadows
Scolionophobia- Fear of school
Trichopathophobia- Fear of hair
Triskadekaphobia- Fear of the number 13
Verbophobia- Fear of words
Xanthophobia- Fear of the color yellow

But how do you feel about a singing contest for inmates? And see what other ODD headlines made news this week...

Prisoners sing for Corrections Idol
UPI

DORAL, Fla. — Corrections officials in Florida's Miami-Dade County said a prisoner won his second consecutive Corrections Idol competition.

Andrew Cashmere, 38, who sang a self-written song entitled "Jesus," was chosen as the winner of Sunday's contest by a judging panel of high-ranking corrections officers at the Metro West Detention Center west of Doral, Fla., The Miami Herald reported Monday.

"It's a pleasure to be able to be here and perform," said Cashmere, who also won first place at last year's event.

Officials said 15 prisoners and detainees participated in Corrections Idol — with entries including songs, rap and poetry. They said the event, organized by the Inmate Special Events Committee, is intended to give prisoners an outlet for their creativity and build their self-image through positive activities.

"When they come here, they feel like they belong," Chief of Operations Manny Fernandez said. "They're part of the solution, not the problem."

-----

Shark aquarium in Dubai Mall starts leaking
news:lite

Shoppers at a Dubai mall were left fleeing from sharks yesterday, when a massive aquarium sprang a leak.

Water started pouring into the Dubai Mall shopping centre when one of the walls of the giant 2.6 million gallon "indoor ocean" tank cracked.

Amateur video footage shows the shopping centre being evacuated as staff rushed to secure the tank which is home to 33,000 fish and hundreds of sharks.

Bosses insist the fish were not in any danger… except from the near-by sushi chef who was hoping the 75cm-thick viewing panel was going to break.

----

Fog from music video shoot spurs fire report
Associated Press

JAMESTOWN, Pa. — Northwestern Pennsylvania fire officials say fog being made for a music video prompted a restaurant to report a fire.

The video was being shot Saturday afternoon at a teen dance club in the basement of a 19th century building in Jamestown. A restaurant on the third floor was hosting a 70th wedding anniversary party for a couple in their 90s.

Jamestown Assistant Fire Chief Tom Luckock says people at the restaurant called the fire department when the manmade fog filled the building. Firefighters determined it was innocuous.

The businesses are located about 75 miles northwest of Pittsburgh in a building called Mark Twain Manor. The building is named for Twain because he was friends with the physician who constructed the home in the mid-1800s.

Information from: The Herald, www.sharon-herald.com

-----

Driver in doghouse after walking pet while in car
Associated Press

LONDON — An English dog-owner has been fined after taking his pet for a stroll while driving next to him in his car.

Prosecutors said Paul Railton was spotted driving at low speed along a country lane in December, holding his dog’s leash through the car window as the animal trotted alongside.

Railton pleaded guilty Monday to not being in proper control of a vehicle. His lawyer, Paul Donoghue, said 23-year-old Railton acknowledged “it was a silly thing to do and there was an element of laziness” while exercising his lurcher.

Railton was ordered by magistrates in Consett, northeast England, to pay a 66 pound ($100) fine, plus costs.

He also received three penalty points on his license and, due to existing points, is now barred from driving for six months.

------

O&E ODD image of the day:

The headline of the story below caught my eye. And if that's the case, does that mean far, far in the future that a date on the calendar really won't be that day? I'm scratching my head at this one...

Chile earthquake may have shortened Earth’s day
By MALCOLM RITTER
AP Science Writer

NEW YORK — Earth’s days may have gotten a little bit shorter since the massive earthquake in Chile, but don’t feel bad if you haven’t noticed.

The difference would be only about one-millionth of a second.

Richard Gross, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and colleagues calculated that Saturday’s quake shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.

The length of a day is the time it takes for the planet to complete one rotation — 86,400 seconds or 24 hours.

An earthquake can make Earth rotate faster by nudging some of its mass closer to the planet’s axis, just as ice skaters can speed up their spins by pulling in their arms. Conversely, a quake can slow the rotation and lengthen the day if it redistributes mass away from that axis, Gross said Tuesday.

Gross said the calculated changes in length of the day are permanent. So a bunch of big quakes could add up to make the day shorter, “but these changes are very, very small.”

So small, in fact, that scientists can’t record them directly. Gross said actual observations of the length of the day are accurate to five-millionths of a second. His estimate of the effect of the Chile quake is only a quarter of that span.

“I’ll certainly look at the observations when they come in,” Gross said, but “I doubt I’ll see anything.”

-----

What theories, studies or even established facts confuse or intrigue you?

Are there any burning questions you have for the Einsteins of the world?

Do you apply math or physics to your everyday life? Or do you go about your life by what "feels right"?

-----

O&E ODD image of the day: How do you kill time?