New Zealand won't tolerate the fat!

A British woman planning to start a new life with her husband in New Zealand has been banned from entering the country - because she is too fat. Rowan Trezise, 33, has been left behind in England while her husband Richie, 35, has already made the move down under leaving her desperately trying to lose weight. When the couple first tried to gain entry to the country they were told that they were both overweight and were a potential burden on the health care system. Mr Trezise shed two inches to fulfil criteria set out as part of his visa application to work as a technician in the country. His wife however has had no such luck and faces a desperate battle to shed the pounds before Christmas, at which point the couple say they will abandon their overseas plans. New Zealand officials assess people's weight using Body Mass Index which measures fat by comparing the height and weight of an individual. Mr Trezise, a submarine cable specialist and former member of the army said his BMI was measured at 42 making him well over the limit of 25 which is regarded as overweight. "My doctor laughed at me. He said he'd never seen anything more ridiculous in his whole life," he said. "He said not every overweight person is unhealthy or unfit. The idea was that we were going to change our lifestyle totally and get outdoors and on mountain bikes and all sorts of activities." Robyn Toomath, a spokesman for New Zealand's Fight the Obesity Epidemic and an endocrinologist said that obese people should not be victimised, but agreed with the restrictions. "The immigration department can't afford to import people who are going to be a significant drain on our health resources. "You can see the logic in assessing if there is a significant health cost associated with this individual and that would be a reason for them not coming in." While the New Zealand Immigration Service could not say how many peolpe had been refused entry on similar grounds, the Emigrate New Zealand website revealed that many people had been banned for being obese.

Hams for Hanukkah!

Over the weekend New York's popular, luxury, city supermarket, Balducci's made a somewhat regrettable advertisement error. Since Hanukkah started on Tuesday, the market advertised their Ham, which was on sale as "Delicious for Hanukkah." Since ham, pork, as well as other pig products, cannot be eaten by Jewish dietary law, I wouldn't think you would try and reach out to customers who can't eat the product. Although it is an almost funny error, a lot of people may take offense to such a sign, they could take it as disrespect or mocking. As soon as the error was noted the signs were changed, and apology was posted on the company website as well as the company will be reviewing it's employee training.

Slow speed chase!

In Riverside, California there was a high speed chase of sorts. Willy the tortoise made a run for the town. He made it a half a mile from his fenced home living in a doghouse in Shelley Larson yard. Willy was corralled by a neighbor and brought to an animal shelter. There was photos posted of Willy on the family's website in hopes of finding their lost family friend. He was home within 6 hours of his break for freedom. This was Willy's 3rd time escaping his home since they bought him. When they first got him, he could easily fit into the palm of your hand, he unexpectedly became so large it's hard them to keep him at home. Given a tortoise's long life span, he will become a family heirloom and they are glad to have him back.

Foam for everyone

At a family day at the Airo Space center in Philadelphia one very curious kid pressed the one button every kid there probably wanted to press, but restrain themselves. The button was labeled "Don't hit unless emergency!" The button released foam from a fire suppression system on the buildings helicopter hangar. The fire department had to come and clean up this funny mess and the kid got quite the reprehending!

New Species!

Just recently the first official footage of a newly endangered species, which they are calling the Long eared mouse, has been released. After years of tracking this mysterious mammal, they finally got real life footage of this cute little furry friend. The Zoological Soicety of London trekked all the way into the Gobe desert to tape and research this nocturnal species. There is yet no real conservation attention for this animal. These little critters live in the depths of the desert in a very vulnerable ecosystem with limited rainfall. They run through the sand through the night, they have hair on ther feet like little snow shoes. So keep an eye out for these little long eared freaks!

Ladies with style

In a city where discrimination was once an everyday occurrence, now acceptance and assimilation is the key. Under the noise of the No.6 train on Westchester ave. there are a couple of ladies who really know how to do some hair. Although they were not always ladies….Four of the eight stylists at Lupe’s Place are transgender. Lupe Gonzalez opened the salon in 1993, she comes from a big family and had only been in New York for six years prior to that from Puebla, Mexico.
She had other jobs before getting the hair salon, but “I came as a boy, but I was very feminine.” said Lupe. Up until about 1991 Ms. Gonzalez was Mr. Gonzalez with a mustache and short hair. In the midst of the Bronx seems like a dubious choice for the salon considering it’s nearly thirteen miles away from the heart of the city’s gay communities, Chelsea and the West Village. But in the twenty first century things have become more acceptable and less judged, Lupe can set up shop wherever she wants.
The shop functions like any other hair salon in New York City covered in the fog of hairspray, brushing on highlights, to the noise of the hot blow dryer, Ms. Gonzalez and the ladies have things under control. With a steady cliental who wouldn’t go anywhere else, it is a family shop whose PR is strictly through word of mouth. With the booming salsa music and girl’s just want to have fun vibe, it shows exactly that, girl’s just want to have one. It turns out that not everything in this city has been overrun with industry and commercial Mecca’s.

Jones Soda Co. gone YENTL!

Did you ever think that a honey ham or even latkes could quench your thirst? Well look now further then all of you favorite holiday meals to get that extra bubbly you've been searching for. Jones Soda Co. is known for it's quirky and clever flavors such as Perspiration, Dirt, Sports Cream and Natural Field Turf for its contract to supply soda to Qwest field home of the Seattle Sea hawks. The company — fortunately or unfortunately — prides itself on the accuracy of the taste. Jones Soda Co., the Seattle-based purveyor of offbeat fizzy water, is selling holiday-themed limited-edition packs of flavored sodas.

If you never thought ham would be kosher, you thought to soon, all their products including the ham flavored soda from the Christmas pack is kosher. Their Hanukkah pack includes Jelly Doughnut, Apple Sauce, Chocolate Coins and Latkes sodas. The Thanksgiving themed pack includes Green Pea, Sweet Potato, Dinner Roll, Turkey and Gravy, and Antacid sodas. And if you had any doubt the Christmas pack will feature such flavors as Sugar Plum, Christmas Tree, Egg Nog and Christmas Ham.

The company also makes traditional flavors such as root beer, cherry and strawberry sodas. A portion of the proceeds from the holiday packs will go to charity. You don't have to look far either, the soda should be in your local groceries soda isle. So go out and complete your holiday feast with a little offbeat fizzy lifting drink.

p.s.-If you were wondering all the drinks are vegetarian as well!