LIMA, Peru - Police say a gang in the Peruvian jungle has been killing people and draining fat from the corpses to sell on the black market for use in cosmetics, although medical experts say they doubt a major market for fat exists.

Three suspects confessed to killing five people, but the gang may have been involved in dozens more, said Col. Jorge Mejia, chief of Peru's anti-kidnapping police. He said one suspect claimed the gang wasn't the only one doing such killings.

Mejia said two of the suspects were arrested carrying bottles of liquid human fat and told police it was worth $60,000 a gallon. The fat was sold to intermediaries in Peru's capital, Lima, and police suspect it was then sold to cosmetic companies in Europe, Mejia said Thursday, but he could not confirm any sales.

Whole story here.

Malnutrition and iron deficiency are rampant problems in developing nations across Africa. They can lead to serious health issues and mortality, especially in young people. But a nutritionist in Nigeria has uncovered a remedy that could drastically improve extremely poor diets and help feed Africa's youth--a recipe for giant snail pies. More nutritious than beef, and far more abundant, giant snails could be the key ingredient to a healthier Africa. Oh yeah, and evidently they taste great.

The Giant Snail Diet
Ukpong Udofia of the University of Uyo recently completed her research on the nutritional content of the African Giant Snail, a resilient animal that has become a notorious invasive species around the world. The snail is incredibly common in swamps and forests of Africa, and is a popular novelty pet in the US.

But it's also rich in protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and many essential vitamins. According to Science Daily, Udofia's study compared the snail meat to a beef steak, and found the snail to be superior in every way. It's cheaper, more nutritious, and easier to obtain. Which means it could help address malnutrition in many more communities than beef, the typically pursued iron and protein source, ever could. It's evidently best eaten in a sort of simple-to-make pie.

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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) - A 39-year-old Southern California man has been arrested for misdemeanor child annoyance after allegedly paying a teenager $31 to spit in his face. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department says Charles Hersel was arrested Wednesday in a sting operation at a mall in Thousand Oaks. He's free from jail pending a court hearing.

A sheriff's statement says Westlake High School students claimed Hersel paid them to yell profanities, spit and slap him in the face. Several also claimed he offered them cash to urinate and defecate on him.

More about it here.

On any given day at the mall, the sports field or the movies, 8-year-old Rosa Marcellino hears people say, "That's so retarded," or "You're such a retard."

"Even good kids use the word, not realizing that they're talking about people like my sister," said Rosa's brother Nick, a Maryland 14-year-old.

"We're not allowed to use the words at my house, it would be just like saying a curse word," said Nick in testimony to Maryland legislators. "We're also not allowed to use other words that are hurtful to minorities or people who are different."

Rosa -- who Nick calls the "smartest person I know" -- has Down syndrome and is now at the center of a bill in Congress to strike the term "mentally retarded" from the federal lexicon.

More about it here.

When you think of the world's most prolific pot smokers, certain names come to mind: Snoop, Cheech and Chong, Willie Nelson.

How about Irvin Rosenfeld?

The 56-year-old Fort Lauderdale stockbroker will put his name among the greats when he sets a world record tomorrow for weed consumption while lighting up his 115,000th joint.

The best part is that it's all legal.

Read the news http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-b...-70496022.html.

Japanese electronics giant says all consoles will benefit from stereoscopic depth-of-field technology after downloadable patch; no ETA.

Sony hasn't treated its aims at fully entering the stereoscopic 3D landscape with much secrecy. At the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony showed off Polyphony Digital and Evolution's MotorStorm with full depth of field using the emerging 3D display technology.

Representatives of the Japanese electronics giant also said in September at a German tech conference that Sony would begin manufacturing a PlayStation 3-compatible 3D Bravia HDTV by the end of 2010.

More here at Gamespot.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Nov. 18) - Blessed with a Friday off school, 15-year-old Alyssa Bustamante dug two holes in the ground to be used as a grave, authorities said. For the next week, she attended classes, all the while plotting the right time for a murder, they said.

That time arrived the evening of Oct. 21, when Bustamante strangled 9-year-old neighbor Elizabeth Olten without provocation, cut the girl's throat and stabbed her, prosecutors said. Why?

"Ultimately, she stated she wanted to know what it felt like," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rice testified Wednesday during a court hearing over the slaying.

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A husband in China has left his wife after she forced him to eat cake for every meal.

Cheng Yu said he was happy with the sugary treats at first but now just mentioning the word cake made him ill.

Read the news here.

OZARK, Ark. (AP) -- Ozark Police Chief Jim Noggle says one of his officers used a Taser on a 10-year-old girl who was combative when the officer tried to get the her into a patrol car to be taken to a youth shelter.

Noggle said Tuesday that officer Dustin Bradshaw went to the girl's home after her mother called police.

According to a report filed by Bradshaw on Thursday, the officer found the girl on the floor of the house screaming and crying. She refused to follow her mother's instructions and the mother told Bradshaw to use his Taser.

More about it here.

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That will show her! What a bunch of idiots!

Dodgeball: perhaps no grade school sport is infused with more cringing memories and dark humor.

And the story of 12-year-old Shane Reese surely has both elements, along with a little "what were they thinking?" and could spell doom for the activity's future in New York schools.

The boy's been offered $20,000 by the Bronx school district thanks to an accidental ball in the teeth. A judge will decide if that's enough.

For the entire article, go here