Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found via animal testing that zapping the testicles of rats with a therapeutic ultrasound machine can get rid of the germ cells used to produce sperm. "This caused rat sperm counts to fall far below the [equivalent] range seen in normal fertile men, and this happened in just two weeks," said James Tsuruta, assistant professor of pediatrics in the laboratories of reproductive biology at UNC Chapel Hill. "This method dropped sperm counts 10-times lower than just using heat," said Tsuruta. "It's going to be exciting to figure out how this exactly works: if it's safe to use repeatedly, how long it lasts, and if it's reversible." Scientists believe this study could pave the way for a new method of male contraception, but have discouraged women from electrocuting their beaus’ balls with or without consent at least until clinical trials have begun.  

An 82-year-old named George Murphy was getting stomped by a ferocious Alaskan moose before his 85-year-old, 97-pound wife Dorothea Taylor intervened. With a shovel. Story here.  Mee Yan Leong, 58, sat down on a toilet and refused to get up for 902 days because she claimed she “felt a force holding me down.” Story here.  

A Florida man has told the IRS he ain’t given them shit because he doesn’t live among the meek, he “resided in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Russell P. Gentile, 40, has pleaded not guilty to charges of filing false tax return and one count of obstruction of an IRS agent. Gentile reportedly told IRS agents that he would sue them in court if they failed to remove his information from the agency’s database. “I have been as polite and patient as I can be,” Gentile wrote agents in a super nice letter. Gentile faces up to six years in a federal prison and up to $200,000 in fines.  

The Penn State student-run newspaper, Onward State, over the weekend wrongly reported that former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno had died, leading CBS News and the Huffingt...  

Cleveland’s WOIO is using puppets to cover the trial of former Cuyahoga county Democratic chairman Jimmy Dimora, who is charged with bribery and racketeering. Cameras are barred from court so instead of simply showing sketch artist renditions, news director Dan Salamone believes the puppet show featuring a talking squirrel reporter who provides updates on the trial is a more stimulating way to give viewers the scoop. "It's a satirical look at the trial and, again, I think we have it appropriately placed at the end of the newscast," Salamone said yesterday.  

Winter is here. Not quite the bitter cold but no longer the brutal heat wave Cincinnati was treated to during the middle months. A nice enough night to appreciate not having to be at work, servicing the needs of diners. As I approach the steel gates I show the doorman my ID even though I’ve been here dozens of times before, but he’s never seen me. He’s only ever seen a cheeky smile in a photograph and a birthdate. As I walk in I scoff at the hunky metrosexuals crowding the entrance still toting tank tops and skinny jeans, slurping tallboys of whatever while they talk nonsense. The bartender knows my face so he promptly pays mind to me. Tonight I’ll start with and probably stick with bourbon, neat. “Bulleit?” he asks. He knows my face too well.  

In a taped messaged to Betty White, who today turns 90, President Barack Obama wrote a note saying, “Dear Betty, You look so fantastic and full of energy, I can't believe you're 90 years old. In fact, I don't believe it. That's why I'm writing to ask if you will be willing to produce a copy of your long-form birth certificate. Thanks. Happy Birthday, no matter how old you are.” Video here.  

EMI Records has filed a lawsuit against the Irish state for not fulfilling its obligations under European law to block online piracy. Despite major record labels in Ireland (Warner, Universal, Sony and EMI) being harmed by Ireland’s lack of “blocking, diverting or interrupting of Internet communications,” which breaches copyright law, Ireland never implemented any piracy blocking provisions and last year member of the High Court Justice Peter Charleton acknowledged this. “It is not surprising that the legislative response laid down in our country in the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, at a time when this problem was not perceived to be as threatening to the creative and retail economy as it has become in 2010, has made no proper provision for the blocking, diverting or interrupting of internet communications intent on breaching copyright,” Justice Charleton’s judgment began. “Establishing a causal link between Irish law and filesharing will be difficult, particularly given the evidence from elsewhere that blocking is ineffective,” said TJ McIntyre, lawyer at the University College Dublin. And while site-blocking is a last resort for the record labels, the link between the breach of the State’s obligations and the labels’ losses could prove to be problematic.  

A recent study shows that only 78 percent of men in the UK change their undies every morning, while 95 percent of women put on a fresh pair. The study also found that women are more than twice as likely to do their laundry while living alone, and of men who are a part of a domestic relationship, only 19 percent do their own laundry. Richard Caines, senior consumer analyst at Mintel, says “There is a distinct whiff of laziness among men in the UK today when it comes to underwear.”  “If men are involved with laundry, it is most likely to be as part of a shared responsibility, but over time their level of involvement has been increasing. A generational shift is being seen, with men under 55 significantly more likely to share some responsibility for laundry tasks.”    

Jay-Z is now the spokesman for Duracell Powermat, the joint venture whose inception came in September of 2011 thanks to Procter and Gamble, Duracell and Powermat Technologies. “I believe in the future of wireless energy and I believe that Duracell Powermat is the company to bring on the revolution,” said Hova. “I’m partnering with Duracell Powermat because they’re providing the solutions for the future.” “Jay-Z is power personified. He inspires millions of people all over the world on a daily basis with his music and his story,” said Ran Poliakine, CEO of Powermat Technologies. “There is no better face or voice that can move people to adopt a new paradigm in power delivery."