Alabama secession petition starter mad about losing topless car wash

The man who started the petition for Alabama to opt out of the U.S. is angry at the government, but for more revealing reasons than you might think. Derrick Belcher's petition for Alabama to secede has more than 25,000 signatures, but will the government's now-required response address the injustice perpetrated on him -- way back in 2001? Belcher, 45, of Chunchula says his car wash in Mobile that featured topless women was a hit for 10 years before city officials charged him with obscenity. Belcher explained, "The government ripped my business away, and now they're choking America to death with rules and regulations." And that's the bare-breasted truth.

Irate customer calls cops on prostitute for raising her rates

If you buy something off the back of a truck, you don’t get a warranty. If you shoplift something and aren’t satisfied with it, you don’t get to complain to the Better Business Bureau. And if you think your hooker is bamboozling you, you don’t get to call the cops on her. Yet one 45-year-old man in Ann Arbor, Mich., had the gall to call the police when a 19-year-old he had contacted online for sex unexpectedly raised her fee. Even more puzzling: the girl was immediately arrested, and the guy (who could be argued as one of the cheapest and dumbest johns of all time) was not taken into custody.

More students are turning to prostitution to pay debt

Working part-time in the dining hall apparently isn't cutting it these days to help pay the bills. University students in the U.K. who don't want to graduate with thousands of dollars in student loans are taking their financial destinies into their own hands by turning to prostitution, according to a new study. Ten percent of British college students said they knew a fellow student who had worked as a prostitute or escort in 2010, up from 4 percent in 2000.

The sex-for-textbooks solution may seem especially appealing to medical students, who usually amass significant IOUs and attend school for far longer than their undergraduate counterparts, according to the study's author. @itsfraturday snickers: "For all of you hardworking Pre-Med majors, looks like it's all going to pay off."

Pull up to the window: Swiss city OK's drive-in sex booths

 A new law passed by voters in the Swiss city of Zurich allows prostitutes there to entertain johns in a way usually reserved for ordering burgers — in drive-in booths. A referendum passed this year allows for the creation of sex booths in an attempt to regulate the sex industry in the city. The booths, which will open next August, will be confined to the outskirts of Zurich, where accommodations will be made for about 30 prostitutes and their customers. The booths will have parking spaces, alarm buttons and an on-site counselor. Would you like fries with that shake? 

Politics gets pimped — first brothel owner elected into Nevada office

A self-described "dye-in-the-wool Republican who loves American values" has become the first brothel owner elected to office in Nevada's history. Lance Gilman runs the Mustang Ranch in rural Nevada — the only area of the country where selling sex for money is legal — and he profits from prostitutes, not ponies. The 68-year-old was recently elected as Storey County commissioner, and he says the ladies he employs give good giddyap as "caregivers" who provide "human nurturing." With his ability to turn sex into sweetness, this pimp will find politics a breeze. 

Approval of nudity ban in SF sparks instant nudity in City Hall

Supervisor Scott Wiener’s proposal to ban nudists from exposing their, um, wieners around town has been approved by San Francisco’s lawmakers in a vote of 6-5. Under the new law, citizens must to keep their clothes on or face a fine of $100 to $500 and a year in jail. And how did the defeated nudists react? They stripped, of course, right in City Hall. Prudish authorities covered the fleshy protesters in blankets and led them away. The measure still allows nudity at selected parades, fairs and festivals, but activists have already filed a lawsuit claiming the ordinance (which still needs a final vote and the mayor’s signature) violates First Amendment rights.

Sex and alcohol make you happier than kids and religion, study finds

Kids are said to fill our lives with poignancy and inexplicable joy, yet it appears many parents would rather be tossing back some bourbon and rolling around in their skivvies than taking care of their beloved offspring. A new study by Carsten Grimm from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand has found people rate sex as the top activity that brings them happiness, followed by drinking alcohol or "partying." Caring for kids (yawn) fell down the list at number five. God also got the cold shoulder, with people rating meditating and religion at number four.

Willie Nelson blows smoke at negative side effects of marijuana

Willie Nelson stopped by the "Today" show to talk about his new book, "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die," and wouldn't you know, the conversation turned to the singer's well-known pot use. Nelson says he's never given up smoking marijuana because he hasn't "seen any side effects that really are harmful to me." For those who maintain that smoking definitely DOES have negative impact on one's health, Willie says, "I'm the canary in the mine. I'm 80 years old. Check me out." The guy does have a point. And with Colorado and Washington both approving recreational use of marijuana this election, Nelson joked that now he won't have to fly to Amsterdam all the time. 

Pot-infused olive oil and other weedy delights surging under new laws

Getting to toke up legally during a game of Halo 4 isn't the only awesome thing in your future under the new pot laws, stoners. A new genre of ganja gastronomy may also be on the horizon, as reports show weed-loving chefs are already prepping their pot-infused olive oils (two teaspoons is about three to four joints, they say), with the hope of catapulting the underground marijuana cuisine into the mainstream. Federal law still prohibits marijuana possession, so that issue will have to be resolved before you start seeing "braised marijuana duck roast" on the menu. But if it is, you'll soon be able to get hungry, go eat, and get hungry all over again.

DIY kit lets couples make art while having sex

South African artist Jeremy Brown is marketing a DIY kit that provides couples everything they need to make art with their intertwined bodies: Just spread the "specially-formulated" non-toxic, washable paint on you and your partner, stretch out on the non-allergenic canvas, and let the sexy times begin. The finished result is a canvas dabbed in paint that traces the rough outlines of your heretofore private activity, suitable for framing — as long as you don't mind nauseating anyone who sees the painting and has the vaguest idea about its provenance.

The 'green rush' is on for marijuana companies

Changes in state pot laws are encouraging some cannabis-related companies to go public.

By Bruce Kennedy Wed 3:02 PM

These are heady times for supporters of legalized marijuana as well as those looking to cash in on pot's growing national acceptance. This month, voters in Washington state and Colorado agreed to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults. And medical marijuana is currently legal in 18 states and Washington D.C.

Of course, marijuana remains illegal by federal law. But people involved in what some are calling the "green rush" are still looking at business and investment opportunities in cannabis and its production.

And as with nearly all markets, some people are willing to take the risk.

"Think of it as another dot.com explosion," said Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp Inc. (HEMP -1.61%), in a recent press release.

And according to an investor fact sheet for Medical Marijuana Inc. (MJNA -0.85%), the current U.S. medical marijuana industry is estimated at $17 billion, with expectations it could grow up to about $29 billion by 2016.

"It was almost unthinkable 10 years ago that you would have legitimate, fully reporting to the SEC companies that were in the nature of pure plays, with positions in the medical marijuana industry," says Sterling Scott, CEO of Los Angeles-based GrowLife Inc. (PHOT -9.52%), a consortium of companies that sells products for indoor growing.

Scott, a former federal regulatory attorney, estimates there are about 10 cannabis-related companies currently being traded as over-the-counter stocks. Most OTCs are relatively small and often new companies that don't yet meet the requirements to be listed or traded on exchanges like Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.

He breaks down these marijuana sector firms into four groups:

• Established companies, like GrowLife, that sell equipment and expendables for the cannabis industry.
• Companies like Medical Marijuana, whose mission, according to its website, is to become the industry's "premier cannabis and hemp industry innovators."
• Groups like Hemp Inc. that are looking to develop a legal market for the industrial and commercial use of hemp (which contains only trace amounts of marijuana's active ingredient) in products such as paper, oils and cloth.
• Companies focused on the clinical, medical use of cannabis in areas such as cancer, inflammation and pain treatment.

"The safest position during the Gold Rush in California in the 1800s was to sell (miners) the equipment they needed to go out and explore for gold," explains Scott. "Our company has taken a fairly conservative position, as to the kind of things that we can engage in, because of the federal law position. And we intend, until there's a great deal more clarity on the federal side, to continue to be fairly conservative. But that's not true of all these companies."

So are these small stocks worth an investor's time? It depends on how the future plays out for the sector.

"If the new marijuana laws in Colorado and Washington… are a sign of things to come, if you're a firm that can benefit by this industry being created into a legal and viable industry, then if you can get in early enough, then those stocks may go up in value," says Mac Clouse, professor of finance at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business. 

Who Knew? Canadian Rocker Bryan Adams Is Also A Top Photographer

Bryan Adams (Photo: Victor Chavez)Sure, you're familiar with Bryan Adams as the Canadian hitmaker responsible for such '80s and '90s classics as "Cuts Like A Knife," "Summer of '69," "Run To You," and "Please Forgive Me." But did you also know he has another, equally successful career? The multi-talented artist is also a very in-demand top photographer, who's shot hundreds of portraits of fellow rock stars as well as film and fashion luminaries.

Adams, who's just released a "greatest hits"-of-sorts volume of his favorite photography called Exposed, boasts a staggering list of A-list names--both classic and modern--captured by his lens. In the music world alone, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Ron Wood, Sting, Morrissey, Billy Idol, and more have posed for him. You can see examples of his work here.
"The whole thing sort of started through documenting my own work," Adams told CNN of his inital foray into the art. "I started doing pictures for my own album covers."
From there, he rapidly moved into capturing others. Adams's portraits are arrestingly beautiful studies--Winehouse glowing in a blue bikini; Jagger with an amazingly natural grin--all the more stunning for the surprise in realizing...who knew he did this?
The Grammy-winning singer even managed to (literally) expose pop star Pink in his latest book. "I said to her at the end of the day, 'The light's really beautiful. Let's go upstairs in the sunlight and do some pictures outside' [and] boom! [her shirt came off]," he told ABC News Radio.
A variety of top actors have posed for Adams as well (ranging from Dustin Hoffman to Lindsay Lohan), and he's done a charmingly down-to-earth portrait of the Queen of England. He claims that his understanding of what it's like to be in front of the camera helps him bring out the best in his subjects.
And if all else fails in getting a good photo--his secret weapon? "Whiskey," Adams laughed to CNN.
Adams also has uploaded a variety of short films he's worked on in tandem with his photography projects, which include musical beauties such as Karen Elson and Lana Del Rey.


If his glittering roster weren't enough in and of itself to put the mark of stardom on his work, the foreword to Adams's new volume is written by none less than Sir Elton John himself, a friend whom Adams admires for his deep interest in photography.
In addition to his portraits of celebrities, Adams has won several awards for his work in fashion photography, and has shot ad campaigns for a variety of brands including Guess, Fred Perry, and Escada. He hasn't abandoned his music career in the least--he completed a Canadian tour this summer, will be playing a string of dates in the States starting in December, and is reportedly at work on a new album.

City of Austin files counter-petition to secede from Texas

The petition for Texas to go off and become its own country already has more than 60,000 signatures. Impressive. But in a twist, the capital city of Austin has filed a petition to secede from Texas and remain part of the Union should that happen. This is officially getting out of hand. The petition states it is "entirely feasible for Austin to operate as its own state," and adds that remaining in the Union "would protect [its] citizens' standard of living." The drafters might want to go in and correct a few typos to be really taken seriously, but as of this writing, the petition has received more than 5,000 votes out of 25,000 needed for a White House response.

National Bum Smacking Day? It's all the talk on Twitter

Never heard of National Bum Smacking Day? Neither have we, and although we’re all for wacky holidays, this one — of frankly mysterious origins — sounds as if it could be rather unpleasant to celebrate, especially if you're the smackee. Nevertheless, the odd occasion is all the talk (some of it NSFW, not surprisingly) on Twitter — with some staunchly against, many enthusiastically for and a tweep who calls herself Another Angry Woman soberly warning, "Keep it consensual, folks, or it’s sexual assault and that’s not cool." Always good to have a hall monitor. 

New Cardinals jersey puts ‘St. Louis’ in uniforms

(St. Louis Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals are getting new uniforms for 2013. Now, before any traditionalist fashionistas out there lose their breakfast, it's OK, it's OK. They're not bringing back the blue Underoos from the prime of Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee. Instead, the Cardinals are reaching deeper into their own past in order to update their look.
What's the same? The trademark redbird twins still perch upon the famous yellow bat. Except the birds have eyes instead of dots, and the bat looks more like a bat. And the base color of the jersey is off-white, and a red yoke runs around the neck and down the chest — similar to a uniform that Stan Musial wore with the Cards in the 1950s.
[Also: Giants hero and NL MVP Buster Posey comparable to Willie Mays?]
Oh, and it says "St. Louis" instead of "Cardinals" on the front. Not since 1932 has any Cardinals jersey done that.
These are the duds the Cards will wear at Busch Stadium on Saturdays this season. They're pretty sweet, at least in two dimensions. The Cardinals already had one of the more popular looks in sports uniforms, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch points out. Only the NHL's Montreal Canadiens and the NFL's Chicago Bears have cooler jerseys, according to a recent ESPN poll. Cards team president Bill DeWitt III doesn't think this addition will harm his team's uniform tradition.

"Yes, it's traditional," DeWitt said. "And if you ask me should we stay in that elite company of having home whites and road grays, I would say we should, but … Look at this (third) jersey. I see it and think, 'We've got to wear that thing.' "

Agreed, though it leaves the Yankees, Dodgers and Tigers as the only teams not to employ a third jersey. (Although, didn't the Tigers wear a blue third jersey for a handful of dates about 20 years ago?) There's something to be said about sticking to tradition. But there's also a balance to be struck between selling jerseys (marketing makes the world go 'round!) and keeping connected with the past.

(AP)
The Cardinals do that here. See? If wearing "St. Louis" was good enough for Pepper Martin in 1931 as he pretends to get arrested for "speeding" (get it?), then it's good enough for Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso. "OK, Pepper, tell it to the judge."
I wonder if DeWitt III thinks that simply changing the Cardinals' road uniforms to read "St. Louis" would have been too traumatic. It makes sense to put the city's name on the road jerseys. Most teams do it that way. But the Cardinals aren't most teams, buster! Not to be too cynical, but doing it this way works better for marketing. Now the team can sell three jerseys instead of two, and wearing the new/old "St. Louis" jerseys in front of the home crowd will drive fans to the souvenir stands to get one or two of their own. The Cardinals already use an alternate cap on Sundays and use a "road" cap for away games. They just couldn't help themselves with the jerseys.
It's kind of an evil genius. But if it also means another cool uniform, so be it. Fashion Ump approves.

Seeing is believing: Plus-size models may boost body image

A new study shows that society’s seeming preference for super-skinny models may only be in the eyes of their beholders.

Preliminary research from Durham University in the UK reveals (yet again!) that what women see in the media shapes their views about their own shape. It seems logical, but it’s a message that’s only recently filtering in to top fashion magazines and couture catwalks – namely that if plus-size models are used in advertising and glam fashion shoots, women will find those body types beautiful and aspirational. And this may also have the side effect of boosting the self-esteem of average and plus-size women.

In the study, the more images of thin models the participants saw, the more they preferred that body type. Yet when they were shown pictures of plus-size models, their preference shifted to that figure. What this reveals is that women have a much more diverse view of female beauty than our media portrays, and what we’re exposed to absolutely affects our definition of an “ideal body.” Follow-up studies with more women (and men!) are forthcoming.

John Lennon letter to Eric Clapton up for auction

John Lennon, here with wife Yoko Ono, wrote to Eric Clapton in 1971 inviting him to start a new band with them. (AP Photo / November 6, 2012)

A letter John Lennon wrote urging Eric Clapton to start a new band with him shortly after the Beatles broke up will go up for auction next month. The letter is one of several pieces of correspondence from some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Cole Porter, Louis Armstrong and George Gershwin.

Lennon’s letter to Clapton, dated Sept. 29, 1971, expressed the ex-Beatle’s admiration and lobbied him to form a group together because he and wife Yoko Ono felt they were kindred spirits with the English superstar guitarist.

"Both of us have been thru the same kind of [difficulties] that I know you’ve had,” Lennon wrote, “and I know we could help each other in that area — but mainly Eric — I know I can bring out something great — in fact greater in you that had been so far evident in your music, I hope to bring out the same kind of greatness in all of us — which I know will happen if/when we get together."

Clapton had already worked with Lennon in 1969 on his Plastic Ono Band "Live Peace in Toronto" concert and album, on Lennon's solo single "Cold Turkey." The guitarist had previously collaborated with other  Beatles, specifically with George Harrison on the song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the 1968 album "The Beatles" (a.k.a. "the White Album").

The letter, which is estimated to bring $20,000 to $30,000, is from an unidentified American collector and will be placed for sale Dec. 18 as part of Profiles in History auction along with correspondence from Ludwig van Beethoven to a business partner referencing performances of his Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis choral composition. That letter is expected to bring $40,000 to $60,000.
Gershwin’s 1932 letter, including his response to a question asking him to compare his “Rhapsody in Blue” with the more recent composition “An American in Paris,” is estimated to bring $3,000 to $5,000.

More details about the auction are available at the Profiles in History web site.

Toast the Rolling Stones with a $6,300 bottle of whiskey

Wish you could party like Mick and Keith? Yeah, we’ll drink to that. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the greatest rock band ever, Suntory Liquors in Japan is releasing a limited edition Rolling Stones whiskey – 150 bottles of single malt peaty goodness in the shape of the Stones’ famous tongue logo. There are a variety of blends to choose from . . . a 1962 vintage to mark the year the band formed, a 1972 for the year they released "Exile on Main St." and several other Stones-related whiskeys. Problem is, you can’t always get what you want. This stuff is going for $6,300 a bottle.

Jack Daniel's breaks 100-year-old tradition, makes a clear whiskey

Jack Daniel's-lovers, prepare to have your mind blown, or at least to have your whiskey-drinking options open up a bit: The legendary distillery is debuting "the first new mashbill to come out of Lynchburg [Tenn.] in 100 years." Besides being colorless (also known as a white whiskey) instead of the distinctive amber hue, Jack Daniel's Unaged Rye Whiskey has "a sweet and fruity smell, plenty of rye bite, and a crisp, dry finish," according to Uncrate. It'll be available in Tennessee in December — just in time for (cough) your own white Christmas, or other holiday festivity, at $50 a bottle. It will roll out to the rest of the country in the New Year.

No worries, potheads, you can still smoke up in Dutch pot cafes

Dope-loving tourists looking to toke up in Amsterdam’s famous marijuana cafes can plunk down their backpacks and breathe a smoky sigh of relief. The Dutch government has ditched its plans for a residents-only “weed pass” that would have effectively banned tourists from the country’s cannabis coffee shops, leaving it to individual cities to decide whether to enforce the ban. Amsterdam cafe owners, who opposed the policy, are (mostly) happily buzzing over the decision, which would have deprived legions of Eurail-clutching Americans of a long-standing rite of passage. Some, though, still find the new ruling a bit too (cough) hazy and are calling for clarification.