Michele Bachmann involved with own Twitter scandal

By Darnell Washington, Newsophile Staff Writer

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Amidst the continuing drama centered around raising the national debt limit, a new story is emerging about Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) sending out inappropriate images with her own Twitter account. Considering that former Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-NY) was forced to resign in disgrace in June of 2011 due to his own Twitter scandal, it's likely that these revelations could at least derail her ambitions to clinch the Republican nomination for President in 2012.

However, according to Becky Rocknell, Communications Director for Rep. Bachmann, in this case the Twitter account was 'clearly hacked' and the FBI is investigating. "These images bear no likeness whatsoever to the Congresswoman," says Rocknell, "and are simply meant to degrade the fine work she does on behalf of the country."

The images in question, which focus on a woman in a business suit sitting inappropriately without underwear as well as a close-up of what Ms. Rocknell claims is in fact a "healthy serving of roast beef" and not the Congresswoman's private parts, have been making the rounds on Capitol Hill as well as on multiple sites on the Internet.

Rep. Bachmann's husband, Dr. Marcus Bachmann, refused to confirm or deny whether or not the photos -- and especially the one possibly masquerading as roast beef -- were those of his wife. "Honestly, between her political career, raising our many kids and running our Christian-based clinic, I haven't been that far south since the 1980s," Mr. Bachmann retorted when questioned after a campaign rally. "And frankly, it's really nobody's business anyway. You try having five kids and see what your vajayjay looks like."

"Where in the World is Casey Anthony?" game in development

By Darnell Washington, Newsophile Staff Writer

BOSTON, MA -- As a result of the enormous publicity surrounding the whereabouts of the infamous Casey Anthony, who was acquitted on July 5th in Miami, Florida of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee, the makers of the children's game "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" are planning an update of the storied game to focus on the alleged child killer.

The game is made by The Learning Company, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the world's largest provider of educational products and solutions for preschool through Grade 12 students. Although the new game, tentatively entitled, "Where in the World is Casey Anthony?" will share some common traits with the original made famous in the 1990s, there will be also some distinct differences.

According to Tony Bardot, President of The Learning Company, instead of searching for various villains around the world as in the original game, players will receive clues in order to guess where Anthony is participating in wet t-shirt contests, drinking games, strip pole dancing and other similar activities. "It's such a different world than when Carmen Sandiego was first launched," says Bardot, "so we thought this new game should reflect the current reality. At the same time, players will still learn about world geography in a fun and entertaining way."

However, the new game has certainly not been greeted with universal enthusiasm. According to Rita Dutmeyer, Founder and CEO of Mothers Against Matricide (MAM) in Atlanta, Georgia, the new game seems to make light of a very serious issue. "Our concern is that fame-seeking mothers elsewhere will commit similar atrocities in order to get games named after them. And just where does this end -- games about past serial killers around the world? Maybe the life of Hitler or Stalin to learn about Europe? It's just sick."

Responds The Learning Company's Bardot, "No, we had never actually considered that, she's clearly exaggerating. But, honestly, it's not a bad idea!"

Betty Ford sex films released day before funeral

By Darnell Washington, Newsophile Staff Writer

LONDON, U.K. -- In an apparent bid to make sure the final issue of its scandal-plagued "News of the World" tabloid was memorable, Rupert Murdock's News Corp. decided to post steamy sex films of former First Lady Betty Ford on its Web site, just one day before memorial services are scheduled for Tuesday, July 12 in Palm Desert, California.

Ford, who died Friday, July 8 at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, was most famous for her candor and discussion of her personal battles with breast cancer, addiction to prescription pills and alcoholism. Since the recovery center bearing her name was opened in 1982, it has welcomed over 75,000 patients.

What was less known about the former First Lady was her life prior to meeting and marrying the future President Gerald Ford in 1948. While studying dance with Martha Graham and other choreographers in the late 1930s, Ford also modeled part-time with a local agency while living in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. It is thought that the adult films in question were made as the aspiring model was attempting to make a career transition from a life as a traditional dancer.

The film reels, stored on several reels of 8-millimeter stock found in a Grand Rapids, Michigan storage unit in 2003 but kept in hiding until after her death, were sold to News of the World, which was the highest bidder under the terms of a secret auction.

According to editor Sebastian Colson- now under fire for his role in a wire-tapping scandal that brought down the storied paper - the Ford films were extremely vulgar by the standards of the time, and even today would be considered rather distasteful.

"These celebrity sex tapes you see today might have better technology," said Colson, "but Betty really knew how to keep an audience enraptured with an amazing body, a very dirty mind and a copious amount of liquids. What kind of liquids? You'll have to log on to find out!"

Since the Web site for the paper has also shut down, parent company News Corp. has set up a separate Internet address at www.bettyfordhotstuff.com and also converted the films for viewing on the site YouTube.com.

According to family spokesperson and daughter Susan Ford Bayless, the Ford family is not amused by the timing of the release of these films and has asked the online versions to be removed. Complains Bayless, "Sure, I know my mother was photogenic, but can't you people just show photos of her in the White House?"

Peter Falk's glass eye listed for sale on eBay

By Darnell Washington and Lillian Rasmussen, Newsophile Staff Writers

SAN JOSE, CA -- The glass eye of recently deceased actor Peter Falk, who died at his home at age 83 in Beverly Hills on the night of Thursday, June 23, has recently been listed on the online auction site ebay.com. With a minimum bid of $50,000 and a "Buy It Now" price of $2.5 million, it is not known how the seller of the eye, "PFALKFAN," managed to gain possession of the medical device.

Falk received the glass eye at age 3, when the original eye was removed due to a cancerous tumor. Yet it was the combination of his unique squint resulting from this prosthesis and a slight speech impediment which made his most famous character, Frank Columbo, one of the most beloved on NBC's line-up during the 1970s and, with less frequency, on ABC from 1989 through 2003.

According to Larry Lawson, a longtime friend of Falk's and his personal attorney, the family does not support the selling of the eye, and suspects that an employee at the mortuary they used, Bel Air's Beauty Rest Funeral Home & Spa, surreptitiously removed the stolen eye during the embalming process. "They knew what they were doing," said Lawson, "because even with an open-casket viewing, it's not like they're going to prop his eyes open so we would even know one was gone. Frankly, it's unconscionable."

According to ebay's Matthew Ambrose, however, the listing of the eye has not violated the company's Terms of Service. "I grew up watching re-runs -- endless reruns -- of Columbo at my Nana's house almost every summer of my childhood, so I'm just as upset as anyone else by this tacky item," said Ambrose, "but I can't find anything in our guidelines which prevents it from being listed."

Added ebay's Chief Security Officer David Collonate, "Our user 'PFALKFAN1' is a member with excellent standing, boasting a positive feedback rate of 98.7%. If the Falk family can prove that the eye in question was stolen from the body, then we welcome reviewing the evidence and making a decision for delisting at that time."

Should the eye sell at the suggested retail price of $2.5 million, ebay would collect over $31,000 in fees and commissions.

Florida toddlers riot after Casey Anthony acquittal

By Darnell Washington and Lillian Rasmussen, Newsophile Staff Writers

ORLANDO, FL -- Moments after hearing about the the not guilty verdict of Casey Anthony for killing her 2-year-old daughter three years ago, toddlers throughout Florida escaped local playgrounds, ran out of their homes and tore away from their parents' and babysitters' hands in order to stage what has been deemed 'the nation's first toddler flash mob riot.'

Anthony, 25, wept after the clerk read the verdict after less than 11 hours of deliberation over two days. Instead, she was convicted only of four counts of lying to investigators looking into the disappearance of her daughter in June of 2008. The report of the conviction of these minor offenses was met with was met with shock and anger among the state's pre-school population.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Miami Police Chief Juan Esposito. "Apparently these kids are really angry about this verdict, calling it 'our own OJ' and have decided to express themselves in public -- with and without Pampers." Proctor & Gamble, the company which makes Pampers, did not return phone calls but said in an email response that 'this storied diaper brand is one of peace and not violence. We ask that all clients wearing our diapers go to your rooms immediately.'

In South Miami, a crowd of approximately 500 truant preschoolers began turning over Smart Cars and throwing half-eaten ice cream cones against policemen attempting to quell the violence. Reports Police Sergeant Anna Ramirez, "The only thing that saved us was their sugar levels crashing, and suddenly everyone just sat down in the middle of the street and started crying. Wow, talk about a relief!"

According to spokesman Mikey Johnson, 4, of Azalea Park, a suburb of Orlando, he and his group of 20 followers didn't escape his pre-school yard to riot in the streets but to simply express their anger, stomping his feet repeatedly and yelling, "No! Not fair!"

Casey Anthony will be sentenced on Thursday, and could receive up to a year in jail for each count of lying.