Breast implants are becoming more and more popular with a rather surprising selection of Shanghai citizens — men. The implants are similar to the ones used by women, except they are shaped differently and are stiffer. The apparently desired result is to make those pecs look buff without the bother of exercising.

“To be frank, surgery is unnecessary,” Liu Chunlong, from the Shanghai Ren’ai Hospital, was quoted as saying.

“Physical exercise can create the same effect and it is safer.”

He said the hospital had received 40 patients this year and operated on 10, compared with just two or three such operations last year.

He said many of the patients had psychological problems.

“They ascribe the unhappiness in their lives to their weak muscles,” he was quoted as saying.

“The surgery, in some instances, serves as psychological therapy.”

Uh… wouldn’t it be cheaper and safer to just hire a personal trainer and see a shrink?

A Finnish commuter ferry captain has been suspended after forgetting to turn off the autopilot and crashing into a pier — twice.

I can understand once. But twice?

After running the same route for 10 years, last Tuesday he for some reason forgot that the autopilot was engaged. Two passengers and one crew member were injured when the ferry crashed into the pier. He was given a dressing down by the ferry company. But he was also given a second chance.

Back he went to his usual route. On Thursday, forgetting again that the autopilot was engaged, he headed for the same stop. This time nobody was injured, but the pier was totally demolished.

He was not drinking on either occasion. But the ferry company was unable to say when, or if, he would be returning to his job.

I think they’ll have to rebuild the pier first.

It’s a weird news day this morning. From the side blog:

In Berlin, a drunk fell asleep in a sex shop until after the store was closed. He was picked up by police when he set off the alarms trying to get out. Police say he “provided evidence” that he was not a burglar. I’m not sure I want to know what that evidence was.

Police in a wealthy Vancouver, British Columbia, neighborhood are looking for three female theives who only steal expensive wines.

Exeter, England, claims to harbor as many ghosts as citizens.

News of the weird must have risen to the top of the Reuters RSS feed this morning.

Or maybe it’s just that I haven’t had any sleep for a week, and after having the permanent crown put on my tooth yesterday I still feel like I’ve been kicked in the jaw several times.

Psycho actress Janet Leigh passed away last night at the age of 77. She died peacefully, with her daughters Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis and her husband Robert Brandt by her side.

Mostly remembered for the shower scene in Psycho, Leigh also appeared in films such as The Manchurian Candidate (that’s the original version, not the remake), Bye, Bye Birdy and A Touch Of Evil.

I mostly remember her for that shower scene, also. After seeing that as an impessionable child, it was years before I would take a shower without the bathroom door firmly locked.

Mt. St. Helens is rockin’ & rollin’ again. A couple of days ago there were clusters of small quakes. Yesterday there were clusters of larger quakes. The scientists studying the mountain are not sure what exactly is happening, as this does not appear to be a “normal” pattern. It might be that St. Helens has a bellyache, with gas moving around in the crater. Or it could be magma rising. Since there’s an increased chance of explosions in the crater, the moutain is closed to hikers.

Barb’s son has been on the PCT all summer. Last I heard he was up in Washington somewhere, trying to get done by the end of September. I hope he’s past St. Helens.

I remember the 1980 eruption very well, oh yes I do. Especially the June 12th eruption, that blew ash all over my wedding (June 14th).

We really should have taken that as an omen. Oh yes, we should have.