Yes. You read that right. Check it out by clicking on this map.

Technically, in Wisconsin, it’s only legal under certain circumstances to marry your cousin. Specifically, if the woman is 55 or older, or one is unable to reproduce. But COME ON. That’s your blood relative!!! Who does that??

From Yahoo:

How many states allow a resident to marry a cousin?

When Texas made marriage between first cousins illegal last year, that left 19 states and the District of Columbia as havens for those who want to get jiggy with the offspring of their aunt or uncle. Six more states allow marriage between first cousins under certain circumstances. All states allow marriage between second or more-distant cousins.

A 2002 research study concluded that the offspring of first-cousin couples “inherited recessive genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease, in 7% to 8% of cases.” That’s 2 to 3% greater than the general population, which is significant but much lower than the overall perception. And since genetic testing can now alert couples to heightened risk, the danger is potentially even lower. Many societies actually encourage marriage between cousins; the U.S. is “virtually alone among developed nations” in outlawing them.

If you’re still not convinced, perhaps a little name-dropping will help. Charles Darwin, who knew a thing or two about genetics, married his first cousin. Other famous cousin-marriers include Queen Victoria, Rudy Giuliani, and FDR.

Giuliani’s first marriage was to his 2nd cousin. They were married for 14 years, before Giuliani, a good Catholic, had their marriage annulled by the church on the grounds that he and Peruggi were a little too closely related for God to approve. Nooo… really???

Neill forwarded me this story–it’s one of those “feel-good” stories that I thought was pretty good…

Autistic team manager shows skills on floor

GREECE, N.Y. - Jason McElwain had done everything he was asked to do for the Greece Athena High School basketball team - keep the stats, run the clock, hand out water bottles.

That all changed last week for the team manager in the final home game of the season. The 17-year-old senior, who is autistic and usually sits on the bench in a white shirt and black tie, put on a uniform and entered the game with his team way ahead.

Ok, so right there, already a coach “doing the right thing.” Even though, as you’ll see later on, the game was pretty much already won, he did the right thing by letting McElwain in the game. But check this out…

McElwain proceeded to hit six 3-point shots, finished with 20 points and was carried off the court on his teammates’ shoulders.

I’m guessing that not many NBA players could drain six 3-pointers after not having played all season… and do it in FOUR MINUTES.

McElwain, 5-foot-6, was considered too small to make the junior varsity, so he signed on as team manager. He took up the same role with the varsity, doing anything to stay near the sport he loves. Coach Jim Johnson was impressed with his dedication, and thought about suiting up McElwain for the home finale.

His performance was jaw-dropping: 20 points in four minutes, making 6-of-10 3-point shots. The crowd went wild.

“It was as touching as any moment I have ever had in sports,” Johnson told the Daily Messenger of Canandaigua.

McElwain didn’t begin speaking until he was 5. He lacked social skills but things got easier as he got older. He found many friends and made his way through school in this Rochester suburb, although many of his classes were limited to a half-dozen students. And he found basketball.
On the varsity, he never misses practice and is a jack-of-all-trades.

“And he is happy to do it,” Johnson said. “He is such a great help and is well-liked by everyone on the team.”

Even though McElwain was in uniform for the Feb. 15 game, there was no guarantee he would play - Athena was battling for a division title.

The fans, however, came prepared. One section of students held up signs bearing his nickname “J-MAC” and cutouts of his face placed on Popsicle sticks.

This was good to see too. I know how brutal high school kids can be to each other. These fans could have easily came out and started making rude comments about the autistic kid. But instead, they embraced him and made him feel like he matters. Which he does.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking on the link above–very good story.

Ok, now, I understand wanting to promote a website… but couldn’t you have done this at a more “prime-time” event? I don’t think Curling is even shown on primetime.

‘Chicken man’ left out in the cold

“Please will someone bring me my clothes”, the streaker said as he was dragged off the ice.TORINO, Italy (Reuters) — Britain’s match against the United States for the men’s curling bronze medal was interrupted on Friday when a male streaker ran across the ice.

With poultry for a loin cloth, the man vaulted the barriers and danced up and down the side of the ice sheet for several minutes before being bundled away by bemused rink attendants.

The British team, skipped by David Murdoch, who were lagging the U.S. 6-2 in the sixth end, rested on their brooms, laughing, while the streaker jiggled past.

As armed police ejected the man, naked into the cold mountain air, he was heard to plead in a Scottish accent: “Please will someone bring me my clothes?”

A similar situation occurred during the Athens Games in 2002 when a man sporting a tutu splashed into the pool during the men’s synchronized three-meter springboard event sparking security fears.

The British team, made up of all Scots, went on to lose the game 8-6.

When Kylie Hodgson gave birth to twin daughters by caesarean section, she was just relieved that they had arrived safely.

It was only when the midwife handed them over for her to hold that she noticed the difference between them.

Remee, who weighed 5lb 15oz, was blonde and fair skinned. Her sister Kian, born a minute later weighing 6lb, was black.

“It was a shock when I realised that my twins were two different colours,” said Kylie, 19. “But it doesn’t matter to us - they are just our two gorgeous little girls.”

The amazing conception happened after two eggs were fertilised at the same time in the womb.

Both Kylie and her partner Remi Horder, 17, are of mixed race. Their mothers are both white and their fathers are black.

According to the Multiple Births Foundation, baby Kian must have inherited the black genes from both sides of the family, whilst Remee inherited the white ones.

“I noticed that both of them had beautiful blue eyes, but whilst Remee was blonde, Kian’s hair was black and she had darker skin.

“It seemed strange, but I was feeling so ill that I didn’t really take it in at that stage.”

The next day she mentioned the colour difference to her mother, who told her that Remee’s skin would darken as she grew older.

But as the weeks passed, Remee became lighter still while Kian went darker. And while Remee’s eyes stayed blue, Kian’s turned brown.

“There are some similarities between them,” said their mother. “They both love apples and grapes, and their favourite television programme is Teletubbies.

“If they haven’t seen each other for a few hours, they are so pleased to see each other and will hold out their arms, wanting to hug each other. And their smiles just light up their faces.

“I’ll explain it all to them when they get older about why they look so different.”

The odds against of a mixed race couple having twins of dramatically different colour are a million to one.

If a sperm containing all-white genes fuses with a similar egg and a sperm coding for purely black skin fuses with a similar egg, two babies of dramatically different colours will be born.

The odds of this happening are 100 x 100 x 100 - a million to one.

Pretty unique story and pretty cute girls.

No wonder the world thinks Americans are assholes.

NBC has touted in its commercials that the United States has it’s “best Olympic team ever” at the games this year. Sure–maybe that’s true. But, the Olympians seem to think they’re the best ever as well, which has lead to some pathetic stories in the Olympics.

1. Lindsey Jacobellis
Snowboarding is the US’s sport. We seem to dominate world tournaments and we were heavy favorites going into the Olympics. The men win the Gold with ease. The women should have done the same thing. Jacobellis was close to getting an EASY gold medal, when she decides to showoff by grabbing her board on her last jump. Funny, it caused her to lose her balance and in turn, lose the gold medal. I give her credit–she admitted she got “caught up in the moment” and made a mistake. But still. Maybe if she hadn’t gotten so cocky, then she might not have fell, hmmmm?

2. Shani Davis
This guy was trying to make history by becoming the first African-American speedskater to win a gold medal. Cool. He could have been a positive role-model like Vonetta Flowers was in the women’s bobsled competition in Salt Lake City. And he won the gold. Good for him. But he also is being accused of not being a team-player by not participating in the team race event for speedskating, possibly causing the US team to lose a medal in that race. He said hey–he looks out for him first and the USA second. I give this guy credit today though–he lost in the 1,500 race, and took it like a man, going on a victory lap with the Italian that did win it. Thanks for redeeming yourself. Wish I could say the same thing about the next guy.

3. Chad Hedrick
At the beginning of the Olympics, I remember hearing about this guy ALL the time. He was the one that was going to try and get 5 Olympic gold medals. He was one of America’s best. He wins the first one, but since then, has taken a nightmarish-public relations slide. He made a big stink about Shani Davis not doing the team event, because it cost them a medal. Then, when he lost in the 1,500 today, he refused to congratulate the Italian that won it. “After the bouquets were presented, Davis and Hedrick stepped up and joined Fabris. Davis tousled the Italian’s hair and they talked to each other. Not Hedrick. He stared straight ahead. There was no traditional handshake between the medalists.” Come on, you big baby. Stop being a pouting bitch. Someone was BETTER THAN YOU. Fair and square. It’s alright to be pissed off, but show some respect for the guy that did his best today. Your teammate did–why couldn’t you?

4. Michelle Kwan
Girl should have never been on the Olympic team to begin with. You missed the cut. You were injured. I don’t care if this was your last chance to medal or if you’re a veteran. That spot should have been Emily Hughes spot all along. Once again, a cocky, selfish American who thought she should get special treatment.

5. Bode Miller
Here’s an idea, Bode. Don’t make commercials about working so hard for your sport and then blow all of your races. Sure–you worked so hard, but you also partied hard and thought you knew everything about the courses. Guess not. I don’t see your medal anywhere.

Hopefully the USA and our media can give us some better stories than these this week. Focus on the Emily Hughes and the Vonetta Flowers of the US. Not these losers.

Got a good chuckle out of this one this morning:

Marion County man killed over toilet paper

Moss Bluff, Florida - Marion County authorities say a man is charged with fatally beating his roommate with a sledgehammer and a claw hammer because there was no toilet tissue in the home.

The sheriff’s office says 56-year-old Franklin Crow was arrested Monday for the death of 58-year-old Kenneth Matthews.

Crow told investigators that the men were fighting over the weekend about the toilet tissue when Matthews pulled out a rifle.

According to an affidavit, Crow says he then began beating Matthews with the sledgehammer and claw hammer.
Authorities say Crow initially denied his involvement with the crime, but confessed when questioned.

Detectives say Matthews was beaten so badly he had to be identified through his fingerprints.

Crow is being held at the Marion County jail without bond.

Ok, first of all, by the time you reach your mid-to-late 50’s, aren’t you usually living on your own? I mean, who has a roommate at that point in your life unless you are in a nursing home?

Second of all, TOILET PAPER?? These are two grown men my Dad’s age fighting about TOILET PAPER?? Who pulls out a rifle when they go into the bathroom and there is no toilet paper? Use some kleenex. Use a towel. Heck, use your hand. And get pissed at your roommate about it if you have to. But seriously. I don’t think a rifle, sledgehammer and claw hammer were really necessary.

Did it solve anything anyway? I guess the dude is in jail now, so he’s got toilet paper. Hey, whatever works, man.

We here in Wisconsin just had the worst winter-storm of this season. At my house, I probably had 7 inches of snow (higher in places in my driveway that it drifted) that was not only snow, but there was rain, ice, and sleet mixed in there, making it crappy to shovel and deal with. North of me, they got a LOT more snow and actually had blizzard-conditions. Now, 2 days later, the temperatures have dropped and last night we had windchills that reached down in the -30s. That cold.

But usually, when we get a bad storm, the Northeast gets exactly what we got. And many times, the storm gains strength and hits them worse than it hit us. Here’s a picture that shows that…

That was taken in Hamburg, NY on Friday, after their winds hit 77mph. Yeah. A little chilly out here in the middle of February.

In my productive Saturday afternoon, I got the chance to watch the movie, “Air Force One.” I’ve seen it before, but obviously, I don’t mind watching it again. And from watching it, I gotta admit–Harrison Ford would be one bad-ass president. I mean, afterall, he’s not just the President, he’s Indiana Jones. Think about it. Air Force One gets taken over by terrorists. Harrison Ford hides in the “basement” and works against the terrorists by beating up anyone that comes down there and dumping fuel. When he gets captured, the movie shows he’s still human by “negotiating with terrorists” when they threaten to kill his daughter. (And, in the process, they count up to 5 before they shoot her. I think it’s cool that the terrorist barely says 2 before Harrison Ford says he’ll do it. No question when it comes to his daughter being in trouble) In the process of it all, he’s flying a plane, he’s beating up people left and right and he dangles from another plane by a mere cord. Of course, there is also always the cool line of “Get off my plane!” and a woman vice president in Glenn Close who kicks ass as the 2nd in command.

Can you picture President Bush doing this? Or Clinton? Or Daddy Bush? No way. Actually, I can’t think of any president in my lifetime that would be like that in the face of pressure. I laugh when I think of Clinton trying to talk meanly to someone he doesn’t like.

So yeah, just had to share. Harrison Ford, we’ll take you as our president anytime. Ok, well, at least in that situation.

I’m so proud that Wisconsin makes national news once in a while. No, I’m not talking about the big winter storm we got today. I’m talking about the Doorknob man from Racine.

Man Obsessed With Doorknobs Faces Prison

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. - A man who claims he is obsessed with doorknobs faces three years in prison for a burglary spree in which dozens of them were taken from construction sites, along with tools and other materials.

A criminal complaint said Thor Jeffrey Steven Laufer told police he took a variety of items from the construction sites in the Milwaukee suburb of Mequon to disguise his obsession, “so that it would look like a typical burglary rather than someone just stealing doorknobs.”

Laufer, 43, of Racine, was sentenced this week by Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Joseph McCormack to the three-year prison term, plus five years of extended supervision, and ordered to pay restitution. He had pleaded no contest to felony counts of burglary.

The thefts occurred in December 2004. Laufer also faces charges in Milwaukee County for similar incidents in suburban Franklin.

Thor? Seriously? That’s your name? Haha… At least steal a thunderbolt or something like that. Who steals doorknobs, honestly???

I was originally going to put this under the “Rantings and Ravings” heading, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought it was more appropriate to put it under the “Inappropriate Acts of my Friends” category. Much more fitting.

Some of my friends make me happy. They call me when Grey’s Anatomy is SO good. They email when they have a story to share that they knew I’d appreciate. They tell me about their experiences and travels. They relate to my health problems. They make fun of me. They genuinely care about what I’m doing and how my life is treating me. They know me.

Then there are one, maybe two, “friends” who make me sad. They don’t call. They don’t write. They don’t know what is going on in my life or how I’m doing. If they do call or write, the conversations are very superficial because both of us realize that we really don’t know each other that well anymore and we’re corresponding more out of guilt than anything. Or, I can speculate that they have become so engulfed in a relationship that their friendships are either inadvertantly pushed to the side, OR, in one case, our friendship was forced to be ended. Are you kidding me?

I know I’m only 26 years old, and when I go back and look at this post 20 years from now I’m going to read it and say “I thought I knew SO much”… but seriously. One thing I have learned that I don’t think is going to change is that your good friends are there for you through thick and thin. When you think you’re life can’t get any worse, your friends are there. They are there to give you a hug and tell you everything is going to be ok. They are there to give you their baseball hats when you are given the worst haircut of your life. They are there to listen to your venting emails when you’re pissed at the world. They’re there to help you fake like you’re ok, even though you’re not.

So, tell me. Why…. why would you isolate those friends when a “significant other” is a little threatened by your friendship? To me, that’s a MAJOR issue of trust in your relationship, not a reason to stop being friends with someone. I know there are sacrifices that need to be made in order to make a relationship worth, but I think that maintaining friendships should be a challenge you step up to, not something you agree to get rid of. Grow some balls.

Therefor, I am now removing the “friend” title from this one person’s relationship with me. They are now a “former-acquaintance.” I’ve said my peace. Thanks for listening, and, goodnight.

If you aren’t watching Grey’s Anatomy yet, where have you been!?!? This is easily the best show in television right now. I used to really like Desperate Housewives, but now, I only watch it because I want to make sure I don’t miss a second of Grey’s. Seriously. THE BEST. And last night’s episode–easily the best they have ever put out. It made me laugh, it made me tense up, it made me gasp and it made my cry. It is THAT good.

The writers of this show have this uncanny way of being able to make you feel something for every person on this show–good or bad.

George? Want him to be my friend–the perfect man… that you would never date.
Addison? Want to hate her, but deep down, I really like her.
Burke? Loosen up.
Shephard? Hot. Still loves Meredith.
Meredith? You want her to “win.”
Christina? No way around this one–she’s a bitch.

You see what I mean. So seriously. Next Sunday night at 9pm, turn on ABC. Screw the Olympics. You can listen to the news during the day and find out what is going to happen on primetime. WATCH GREY’S!!! Who’s with me??

I was watching Sportscenter this morning and they had an interview with Ron Artest. This guy is so full of himself, it’s disgusting.

I can’t find the interview online anywhere, but basically he said that people shouldn’t be surprised about his negative attitude. He says he’s just a product of the environment that he grew up in. That he grew up with “thugs and gangsters, not Donald Trump.” And how he’s ticked that the Olympic team for 2008 thinks that he’s too “ghetto” to represent the United States in the Olympics.

Hey Artest, did you ever stop to think that maybe it might not have everything to do with your kick-a-fan’s-ass-during-a-game skill? That maybe, just maybe, there are other people in this world that play basketball better than you do? Heard of a guy named Lebron James? Shawn Marion? Paul Pierce? Camelo Anthony? Think about it… even if you could argue that one of these guys is close to the level of skill that you are, none of them bring the “I’m better than all of you” attitude to their teams. Who wants that? I believe the “problem” that we had with our Olympic team in 2004 was that there were too many superstars on the team that couldn’t work as a TEAM. No team even wants you on their team. All you do is bitch and complain. Complain about managmeent, complain about not getting the ball enough, complain that you aren’t getting enough endorsements.

Come on, Artest. Most of us didn’t grow up with Donald Trump, and I’m guessing a number of guys in the NBA also grew up with “thugs and gangsters.” No one though, is using it as an excuse. Take some responsibililty, get your ass on the court, and start proving that you’re a great ball player.

If you don’t go to www.neillobrien.com, you won’t know that he is in Ireland for vacation with Greg. He already sent back a picture–he looks like he’s having a blast!

This is a different bullfighting picture–usually, it’s the dude getting nailed in the rear or something with the horn of the bull. This man is SUPERMAN!

A recortador jumps over a bull during the opening ceremony of the World Bull Fair in Seville February 1, 2006. The show pays homage to the bulls used in traditional bullfights around Spain, and the fair will run from February 1 to 5. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo

So, yesterday, after Aaron Neville and Aretha Franklin absolutely massacred the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, it got Neill and I to talking about anthems of years past. I suggested that if Aretha Franklin were to have sang it herself, it might not have been that bad. But Neill said the reason he thought it sucked is because they try and do too much with it. They are adding all sorts of notes and frills to try and “make it their own.” Come on. I still think the best singing of it ever was when Whitney Houston sang it before Super Bowl XXV in 1991. I listened to it today, and Neill’s right. The reason it was so good is because she just SANG THE SONG. Her voice is strong enough and unique enough that she didn’t have to add anything to make it more Whitney Houstonesque.

So, Peter King, you were way off in your column today when you said this:

Aretha Franklin, Dr. John, Aaron Neville. Second-best anthem of the 22 Super Bowls I’ve covered, next to Whitney Houston’s. Moving, terrific. Did you see Cowher’s reaction? I’ve never seen a coach clap so enthusiastically for an anthem. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a coach respond to one, period.

What do you think? Did you like yesterday’s performance of the anthem? Which anthems have you liked in the past? Mariah Carey? Backstreet Boys? Neil Diamond?