If 29-year-old world pole dancing champion Mai Sato gets her wish, her sport will finally get the non-sweaty attention it deserves. Along with many other dancers, Sato would like to see pole dancing become an Olympic event. Ania Przeplasko, the founder of the International Pole Dancing Fitness Association, thinks it's only a matter of time before you'll be able to watch pole tricks from the comfort of your living room. She says, "There will be a day when the Olympics see pole dancing as a sport. The Olympic community needs to acknowledge the number of people doing pole fitness now. We're shooting for 2012."

But she'd been using it for a year and a half.

An anonymous reader writes "Homeopathic remedies work no better than placebos, and so should no longer be paid for by the UK National Health Service, a committee of British members of parliament has concluded. In preparing its report, the committee, which scrutinizes the evidence behind government policies, took evidence from scientists and homeopaths, and reviewed numerous reports and scientific investigations into homeopathy. It found no evidence that such treatments work beyond providing a placebo effect." Updated 201025 19:40 GMT by timothy: This recommendation has some people up in arms.

An anonymous reader writes "Hundreds of Star Wars fans descended on a shopping center in Bristol, UK for what has been dubbed 'the world's largest lightsaber fight.' Bristolian Jedis brought their imitation weapons to the shopping center to take part in a 'flashmob,' a seemingly spontaneous event that was organized over the internet."

I want it to recognize the sound of one hand clapping.

mobileworker writes "If you don't like your bags being out of your sight and it makes you uncomfortable to think that airline workers are rifling through your stuff, you should read this article by Jason Fitzpatrick of Lifehacker who explains how you can take advantage of the TSA's own security rules by — eek — packing a gun. You can alternatively decide to have your luggage shipped to your destination by FedEx, UPS or US Postal Service ground shipping. It's cheaper than having them checked with the airline, and you can be sure that you'll have them delivered, and on time!"

At the end of every week Michael Hanley leaves his job in Kansas and starts his 530 mile trip back to his home in Wisconsin. After the local GM plant closed down, his family couldn't afford to go without his $28 an hour job or his health insurance. Now Hanley drives over 1,000 miles round-trip weekly with his brother and two brothers-in-law who find themselves in the same situation. "I like to say I gave up an eight-minute commute for an eight-hour commute," he says.

Instead of lining up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat, Florida officials have decided to open a season for hunting pythons. Anyone who has a hunting license and gets a $26 permit can kill the snakes from March 8 to April 17 on state-managed lands around the Everglades in South Florida. In addition to the non-native pythons, hunters are encouraged to kill any green anacondas and Nile monitor lizards they might find.

When residents at the Bethesda Retirement Center asked the Life Enrichment Director if they could all take a trip to the Evil Olive, a local biker bar, she did what any responsible person would. She got hairstylists, make-up artists, a professional costumer and a tattoo artist to help make the residents look tougher, and drove them to the bar. “These women were serious, man,” said Evil Olive General Manager Eric Bollard. “They showed up with pink hair and skull caps. It was for real. One woman walked straight up to the bar and ordered a Dirty Martini. It was great.”

RendonWI writes "Nutritionists have long warned of the perils of hot dogs: fat, sodium and preservatives to name a few. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants foods like hot dogs to come with a warning label not because of their nutritional risks but because they pose a choking hazard to babies and children."

Shaneco writes "The hero and the villain. It's the age-old formula that pervades today's reality TV showdowns, the shenanigans of professional wrestling and cinematic classics like Star Wars. Tech is no different, with its passionate heroes who balance profit with innovation and social responsibility, and the money-mad, egomaniac villains who simply cannot be trusted. Here's a slideshow of tech's good guys and bad guys."

Hugh Pickens writes "The Telegraph reports that an an 'obsessed' American couple, Josh and Ting Li, have become the first to marry inside one of the technology giant's stores saying "iDo" at the city's Apple store on Fifth Avenue, at 12.01 on Valentine's Day in a ceremony dominated with the company's products and references to them. A video shows that the pair, who met in the Apple store, had their priest, dressed as Steve Jobs, read their vows from their iPhones while the rings were tied to a ribbon wrapped around a first generation iPod. Mrs Ling, dressed in a strapless wedding dress, had her vows written on a card that said 'I love you more than this' followed by a picture of an iPhone. 'We got to know each other because Ting was looking to buy an iPod and I managed to strike up a conversation that way,' says Mr. Ting. 'I used to joke that the Apple Store is my church because I am not religious, and I loved everything Apple.' No word on where the couple honeymooned although some say they may have remained in The Big Apple."

Being unable to pay your bills is a terrible feeling, but it could be worse. You could be in debt in Spain. Instead of harassing phone calls or threatening letters, Spanish debt collectors are using public shaming to get their money. Some of the things the debt collectors have tried include: sending a man in a tuxedo and top hat who follows you around everywhere, and men dressed up like superheroes who ask your neighbors to help you out of your bad financial situation. One of the biggest collection agencies, El Cobrador del Frac, which translates to "The Debt Collector in Top Hat and Tails," employs more than 250 shame collectors. Mr. Granda El Cobrador del Frac's manager says, "The government and justice system don't do anything ... and people think they can get away with anything. We are here to do public justice. I see us as sort of Robin Hoods. We are helping honest clients get their rightful money back. I do not feel sorry for these professional debtors. I feel sorry for our clients who have to close their businesses and whose families might go hungry because these bad people don't pay."

xkcd really hit the nail on the head today.

jasper_amsterdam writes "The Daily Mail has a story about a study looking into women's preference for men. More specifically, about how women say they want one kind of man, but really want another. From the article: 'Most women claim to be attracted to tall, dark and handsome men, but a new study has revealed that facial stubble and a geeky personality are their biggest secret turn-ons. Despite complaining that it looks unkempt and feels rough to touch, the unshaven look on a man is actually a turn-on for 41 per cent of women. A slightly geeky personality came second, proving that women really do like a guy who knows their stuff when it comes to technology. A hairy chest was voted third, followed by a man who loves to read or cries at a soppy film.'"

In a screw up so big it could only be brought to you by the government or a famous athlete, 243 guns were lost by Homeland Security agencies between 2006 and 2008. 179 guns, were lost "because officers did not properly secure them," an inspector general report said. One of the worst examples of carelessness cites a customs officer who left a firearm in an idling vehicle in the parking lot of a convenience store. The vehicle was stolen while the officer was inside. "A local law enforcement officer later recovered the firearm from a suspected gang member and drug smuggler," the report said.

The state of Florida has delayed Rusty Cole's tax return for back child support of a child that was born in 1995. The problem is Mr. Cole was born in late 1987, making him seven years old at the time of the child's birth. Phone calls and office visits to state officials yielded no results, but an email to Governor Charlie Crist has led to a promise of straightening the records out. Just in case the allegations are true, let me be the first to say, that-a-boy Rusty!

The greatest action movie ever made. Written by a 5-year-old boy.

paiute writes "Matt Karolian, a Marketing Communications major at Emerson College in Boston 'won' a netbook in a Microsoft re-tweet competition (whatever that is). Then the prize arrived, and it was not exactly the high-quality major award he had expected from Microsoft."

astroengine writes "In 1965, the first manned Gemini mission launched, carrying Gus Grissom and John Young into space. Obviously unimpressed with the NASA rations they had in the spaceship, Young whipped out a fresh deli-bought corned beef sandwich while in orbit. Although surprised, Commander Grissom had a bite of the sandwich and both astronauts commented on how strong it smelled. This high-jinx landed Young in some hot water however, annoying NASA, Congress and the media. But the pair did learn something valuable from the experience: deli sandwiches fall apart in the absence of gravity."