A New Anus for a Leg

Woman Goes for Leg Operation, Gets New Anus Instead

Thursday, March 20, 2008

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A German retiree is taking a hospital to court after she went in for a leg operation and got a new anus instead, the Daily Telegraph is reporting.

The woman woke up to find she had been mixed up with another patient suffering from incontinence who was to have surgery on her sphincter.

Click hear Dr. Manny talk about medical errors.

The clinic in Hochfranken, Bavaria, has since suspended the surgical team.

Now the woman is planning to sue the hospital. She still needs the leg operation and is searching for another hospital to do it.

Click here to comment on this story.

The Physics of Sci-Fi... Broken

Bad Movie Physics: A Report Card

Space epics almost always play fast and loose with science, treating the laws of physics like suggestions. Sound in space, unprotected bodies splatting in vacuum, and alien planets that all look just like Calabasas. But some movies dismember Newton and Einstein with way more gusto than others. We rated 18 movies based on how many laws of physics they mangled, and here's our report card.

To some extent, it's understandable that space adventures play fast and loose with physics. After all, who wants to watch Han Solo spend years on the journey to Alderaan, only to find that the planet has twice Earth gravity and he can barely stand up, much less swagger?

The categories of mistakes in our report card should be pretty self-explanatory, but just in case, I'll expand on them a little bit:

• There's no sound in space
• Not all planets have Earth gravity
• Planets should have diverse climates, instead of one unified climate across a "desert planet" or "forest planet."
• It shouldn't be too easy to communicate with alien creatures, without some kind of high-technology "translator" explanation.
• And it definitely shouldn't be too easy for humans to interbreed with aliens.
• Humans exposed to vacuum without a spacesuit shouldn't explode or shatter. And a "hull breach" where the ship's crew is exposed to vacuum should kill everyone instantly.
• You can't have fires in space, unless there's oxygen leaking out somehow.
• Asteroids or other objects shouldn't be able to float close together without falling into each other's gravity
• People shouldn't be able to dodge lasers and other speed-of-light weapons
• And there's no reason why someone would move in slow-motion in zero gravity.
• Faster-than-light travel is probably not ever going to be possible.

By the way, we left out Star Trek because there's so much of it, even if you just include the movies, and if you look hard enough you can find places where it violates almost all of these rules. Illustration by Stephanie Fox. Research by Nivair Gabriel.

Raimi what are you thinking?!

Raimi Doing Horror Reality Show

(FROM VARIETY) – Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and reality vet Jay Bienstock (Survivor, The Apprentice) are developing an unscripted horror-themed show for The CW. The project, titled 13, will see players compete with one another in horror-related challenges until there is one contestant left standing. Bienstock said the inspiration for the show came from horror franchises like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. ''We want to cast it like a horror movie,'' Bienstock told Variety. ''And shoot it a little differently as well. Think about those old movies — we want to put people in a place like that, where they have to deal with their fears and anxieties. They'll end up surprising one another.'' Raimi's horror credits include The Evil Dead, The Gift, and Army of Darkness. (Variety)

Cobain and Converse

Converse To Release Kurt Cobain-Inspired Shoes

Late Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain is to be commemorated in a series of shoes from footwear manufacturer Converse. The shoes, which so far include a pair of Converse One Tops and several pairs of Converse High-Tops, feature Cobain's autograph and select drawings and writings first published in 2002's Journals scrawled on them.

Morbidly, the black Converse One Tops are the same shoes that Cobain was wearing when he shot himself dead at his Seattle, Washington home in April 1994.

The footwear line, which is being launched to help celebrate Converse's 100th birthday, has the support of Cobain's widow Courtney Love.

Another Dune to climb

Berg to direct 'Dune' for Paramount
Misher producing adaptation of sci-fi novel
By TATIANA SIEGEL


Peter Berg is attached to direct a bigscreen adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel "Dune" for Paramount Pictures.

Kevin Misher, who spent the past year obtaining the book rights from the Herbert estate, will produce via his Par-based shingle.

Herbert's 1965 novel is a sweeping, futuristic tale set on the remote desert planet Arrakis, which produces the interstellar empire's sole source of the spice Melange -- used for distant space travel. An empirewide power struggle ensues over the control of the spice. Berg would be the latest helmer to take a crack at the property, which spawned a 1984 David Lynch film as well as a 2000 Sci Fi Channel miniseries starring William Hurt.

The project is out to writers, with the producers looking for a faithful adaptation of the Hugo- and Nebula Award-winning book. The filmmakers consider its theme of finite ecological resources particularly timely.

New Amsterdam's Richard Rubenstein, who produced Sci Fi's "Dune" and sequel "Children of Dune," is also producing alongside Sarah Aubrey of Film 44, Berg's production banner. John Harrison and Mike Messina exec produce.

Paramount envisions the project as a tentpole film.

Berg and Misher enjoy strong ties dating back to Misher's executive days at Universal Pictures. Misher also produced Berg's second directorial outing, "The Rundown."

Actor-turned-helmer Berg most recently directed the upcoming Will Smith starrer "Hancock." His directing credits include "The Kingdom" and "Friday Night Lights."

Harry Puffer

Daniel Radcliffe smokes 20-cigarettes a day
Mar. 17, 2008 10:26 AM
Daniel Radcliffe's friends are pleading with him to quit his "disgusting" 20-a-day cigarette habit.

The 18-year-old actor - who is currently filming 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' - has become so addicted to nicotine he has been nicknamed 'Harry Puffer' by his co-stars.

A source said: "Daniel has been smoking up to 20 cigarettes a day. Every time they call 'cut', he lights up. It's disgusting. Friends, including co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, have been warning him about the dangers of smoking. But he doesn't take any notice."

Daniel reportedly got through a whole pack of cigarettes when he had to film a difficult stunt last week.

The insider added to Britain's The Sun newspaper: "He was really nervous about the scene and was sparking up constantly."

Movie bosses are said to be worried Daniel's habit could tarnish his schoolboy image and have reportedly told him not to smoke in public.

However, their warnings have fallen on deaf ears and Daniel is still said to be "smoking like a trooper" on nights out.

The source said: "He's been having late nights out with stars including Kevin Spacey and Stephen Fry and been puffing up a storm.