Man marries pillow

"True love can take many forms. In this case, it has taken the form of a Korean man falling in love with, and eventually marrying, a large pillow with a picture of a woman on it."

Photo Outtakes from the NYT Dining feature about killing and eating rabbits

"We needed a cover image that would carefully illustrate this sensitive topic. We wanted to avoid being cute and avoid being cruel."

If you've ever had a delicious rabbit dish, click on the link to experience some serious cognitive dissonance.

The 7 foods experts won't eat

How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers. Although these foods don’t necessarily make up a "banned” list, as you head into the holidays—and all the grocery shopping that comes with it—their answers are, well, food for thought:

Kangaroo, emu flavored chips spur controversy

Aussies up in arms over ‘Coat of Arms’ snack to celebrate country’s heritage

What's in an unusual name? More than you might think

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes might have thought twice about naming their daughter Suri if they'd known that it means "pickpocket" in Japanese, "turned sour" in French, and "horse mackerels" in Italian.

Wanted in Halloween assault: Not so Super Mario and his brother Luigi in cabbie beatdown

Cops are hunting for a group of robbers caught on camera assaulting a cabbie in Staten Island while wearing Halloween costumes of the popular video game characters.

Probe after students eat fire, step on glass

Training center comes under investigation after tales of abuse.

Man plays Grand Theft Auto IV for 40 hours, breaks record

Chirantan Patnaik, a resident of Mumbai, India, became an official Guinness Record holder last month when he clocked over 40 continuous hours playing Rockstar's 2008 smash Grand Theft Auto IV, reports GameCulture.

Filipino Basketball Player Banned for Season After Punching Fan

Professional sports overseas receives a brief "American" feel. Complete with video.

Snake with a Foot Discovered in China

Robot Helps Aging Japanese Stay in Shape

Indonesian woman gives birth to 8.7 kilo boy

JAKARTA (AFP) – An Indonesian woman has given birth to an 8.7-kilogramme (19.2-pound) baby boy, the heaviest newborn ever recorded in the country, a doctor said Wednesday.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il is desperate to bring about the demise of England and David Beckham.

The 68-year old was furious when he saw recent photos of the LA Galaxy star posing with American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee after they were freed from a North Korean jail.

According to sources, Jong-Il is now intent on defeating Beckham and the English team if they happen to come across them at next year’s World Cup and has promised his players cash bonuses if they can topple Fabio Capello’s men.

CHENNAI, India- An unfavored rugby team is told to bulk up if they wish to have an impact at next year’s Commonwealth Games. Told to eat 15 eggs and seven meals a day, they are to eat six eggs for breakfast and nine any time throughout the day. Compared to rugby players in South Africa who eat seven meals a day, the rugby coach says eating three meals a day is not enough. The average rugby player weighs between 88 and 100 kg, whereas these Indian players weigh 72-77 kg. India will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in October 2010 and these players must make up the weight difference by then.  

PATNA, India- In dire need of monsoon rain, farmers in an eastern Indian state have asked their unmarried daughters to plow dry fields naked. This is thought to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed rain. The naked girls plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods while elderly women helped the girls drag the plows. This is considered the most “trusted social custom” and Villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains heavily.

TOKYO- 81 year old marathon runner, Keizo Yamada, has decided to retire and hang up his sneakers. Yamada was one of the pioneers of Japanese marathon running and dubbed “Iron Man”, winning the Boston marathon in 1951 and 1955, and taking bronze in the men’s marathon at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Iron Man ran three marathons this year, made an appearance 19 times in Boston, and ran the Tokyo Marathon in five hours, 34 minutes and 50 seconds. Although he will no longer race, he says he plans on jogging 20 km daily.  

Love hotels all throughout Japan are continuing to flourish and prosper. Due to the crowded living spaces of most Japanese families, couples find it very convenient to be able to go to a place like love hotels to have their privacy. Love hotels have many different themes, according to what customers enjoy and they also have minimum contact with staff if desired. Run on discretion, these hotels are ideal for couples who want their privacy. With about 25,000 love hotels in Japan which are visited an estimated 500 million times a year, the business brings in $40bn a year. In this way, the hotels are also ideal for the investors who are not being negatively affected by the recession.

Beijing has effectively halted its purchase of millions of dollars worth of U.S. chicken, half of which is chicken feet. This is in reaction to the U.S.’s ban on imports of Chinese chicken products due to food safety concerns. China is a huge importer of U.S. chicken feet, and according to the USA Poultry and Egg export Council, China bought 421,000 tons, $280 million worth, in 2008. Without exporting to China, U.S. chicken companies will bring in less money, making no use of the chicken feet. If this ban lasts past September, major U.S. chicken producers will be impacted.  

Beijing, China- Beijing has ordered a new government-mandated Internet filter be installed in all computers sold in China starting on July 1, 2009. All computers must be preinstalled with the Green Dam software which is designed to block pornographic and violent images. Some may say the software will be used to extend censorship. Although the software is used to block violent and pornographic images, it easily mistakes innocent images such as the cartoon cat Garfield and dishes of flesh-color cooked pork.   

TOKYO- Due to a high number of women being groped by men on crowded trains during rush hour, there has been a petition for carriages reserved only for men. There have been women-only carriages implemented for rush hour, and some commuters are asking for more than that. The board of directors for Seibu, Tokyo’s leading train company, opposes the idea and says it is unlikely that Seibu Railway will implement the men-only cars.