The Inquisitr » JR

Thirsty? Try Bakon, the Bacon-Flavored Vodka

JR — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:23:46 +0000

If you love a good cocktail and love the taste of bacon, you may be in luck: A new kind of bacon-flavored vodka is now on the market. Yes, this is for real — I think.

Bakon: The Bacon-Flavored Vodka

The aptly named “Bakon” is described as a “superior quality potato vodka with a savory bacon flavor.” Because apparently, that’s just the flavor the world’s been craving.

The company behind Bakon — a beverage-maker called Black Rock Spirits, which has a coming-soon-style page up on its own Web site — says it wanted to create a “savory” alternative to the sweet vodka varieties currently on the market. Teams worked for two years, Black Rock says, to refine the formula. And what they came up with — well, I’ll let them describe it for you:

“It’s clean, crisp, and delicious. This is the only vodka you’ll ever want to use to make a Bloody Mary, and it’s a complementary element of both sweet and savory drinks.”

“Bakon Vodka is also a great Bar-B-Q companion. Use it in a marinade or sip it chilled with a steak.”

“No tinge or burn on the tongue, no obnoxious smoky or chemical flavors, just a clean refreshing potato vodka with delicious savory bacon flavor.”

While I’m not quite fully convinced this isn’t some sort of joke, Black Rock Spirits sure seems to be serious (even if it does refer to the bacon-flavored vodka as a “seductive indulgence”).

Bakon is currently said to be available in “limited quantities” in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Black Rock — based in Seattle — anticipates expanding its distribution in the future, if the demand is there.

Update: A Seattle news station reports sales of Bakon are “sizzling.” Even so, part of me still thinks it has to be some kind of well-orchestrated prank. I mean…bacon-flavored vodka? Really?

Jennifer Espinosa, Maine East Teacher, Accused of Sex With 16-Year-Old

JR — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:08:23 +0000

Jennifer Espinosa, a teacher at Maine East High School in suburban Chicago, has been arrested on accusations of having sex with a student. Espinosa is charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to Chicago-area media outlets.

Jennifer Espinosa: Maine East Teacher Arrested

Jennifer Espinosa was arrested on Saturday, when police say they found her in a car with illegal drugs inside. A 16-year-old boy was reportedly with her.

Investigators believe Espinosa had been having a sexual relationship with the boy for the past eight months. He is said to be a former student of hers prior to his expulsion last September. Espinosa, 38, taught science and special education at Maine East High School.

According to published reports, Espinosa told police she had been a “mentor” to the boy during his time at Maine East. She reportedly said the two had sex “numerous times,” both in her vehicle and in her home. She is quoted as saying the relationship did not begin until after the boy had left the school. She also is quoted as saying she “loves” the teenager.

Jennifer Espinosa is currently being held with bail set at $50,000. She is next scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

A spokesperson for school district has said Espinosa will be reassigned to non-classroom duty until the investigation is complete.

Saving Captain Phillips: The Pirate Rescue Video Game

JR — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:54:13 +0000

The U.S. Navy’s rescue of an American captain held captive by pirates has now inspired a video game. Saving Captain Phillips, by online gaming site Games2Win, lets players re-enact the pirate rescue with their own keyboards.

Saving Captain Phillips

Saving Captain Phillips is a Flash-based adventure available for both free online play and free downloading. It allows players to take shots at the pirates and try to save the captain’s life.

The game itself is simple enough; it’s presumably its tie to the intense real-world event generating most of its buzz. Games2Win isn’t the only developer to try to get in on the action, either: Kuma Games has also released its own pirate rescue game entitled Somali Showdown: Pirates on the High Seas.

Former Wilco Member Jay Bennett Dies

JR — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:24:15 +0000

Jay Bennett, a former member of the band Wilco, has reportedly died. The company that released his 2002 solo album posted the announcement over the weekend.

Jay Bennett Dies

Jay Bennett died Saturday, the posting says. The cause of his death is not immediately clear.

“We are profoundly saddened to report that our friend died in his sleep last night,” the message states. “Jay was a beautiful human being who will be missed.”

Other reports indicate an autopsy is currently underway to determine what caused Bennett, 45, to pass away.

Jay Bennett played with Wilco for seven years up until 2001. He’d been pursuing a solo career since that time and had apparently also been studying at the University of Illinois and Urbana-Champaign.

As of this publication, Wilco had yet to release any statement about the news of Bennett’s death.

Map the Fallen: Honoring U.S. Troops Through Google Earth

JR — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:14:48 +0000

Map the Fallen, a project created to honor fallen troops through Google Earth technology, is launching in honor of Memorial Day this week. The system includes photos and information about more than 5,700 men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Map the Fallen

Map the Fallen was started by a content developer with the Google Earth Outreach team. Using Google Earth, it allows users to sift through thousands of photos, then click on any to see how and where that person died, visit their memorial Web site, and peruse comments left by their family and friends.

Map the Fallen utilizes data from several sources, including the Department of Defense’s Statistical Information Analysis Division, icasualties.org, MilitaryTimes.com’s Honor the Fallen, Washington Post’s Faces of the Fallen, the Iraq and Afghanistan Pages, and Legacy.com. Its data goes all the way through March of this year.

“I recognize that this map is just a slice of the story in these conflicts,” its creator says. “The Iraqi and Afghani people have incurred substantial civilian losses through these wars; there are also U.S. and Coalition civilians, contractors, and reporters who have died as well.”

You can read more about the Map the Fallen project here and can download its software here. Note that you need to have Google Earth 5.0 installed for the program to work.

VIDEO: Starbucks Explosion in NYC

JR — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:59:21 +0000

Police are trying to figure out who set off a Starbucks explosion in New York City. Some sort of explosive device caused the windows to shatter at the Starbucks at Third Avenue on East 92nd Street, on the Upper East Side, just before 4 a.m. on Monday.

Starbucks Explosion: The Details

The actual Starbucks explosion took place on a bench outside the store, according to media reports from the New York City area. The store was closed at the time and no one was injured; however, some residents who live in apartments above the store did have to evacuate their homes.

Media outlets are noting the similarity in time with the Starbucks explosion and past blasts set outside New York’s British Consulate, Mexican Consulate, and Armed Forces recruiting booths. All those explosions also occurred between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m., a commissioner tells WABC-TV.

Starbucks Explosion: Video Report

The following video shows the scene of the Starbucks explosion shortly after the blast took place. It also includes accounts from some of the neighbors who witnessed the explosion from above the store.

LIVE WEBCAST: Shuttle Landing Delayed Due to Weather

JR — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:39:40 +0000

The shuttle landing scheduled for Friday has been delayed due to inclement weather, NASA has announced. The shuttle Atlantis had been set to return to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center before the weekend.

Shuttle Landing Schedule

With Friday’s return off, the shuttle landing schedule now shifts to Saturday. Atlantis will have four opportunities to land then, both at Kennedy and at California’s Edwards Air Force Base. The first possibility comes at 9:16 a.m. ET at Kennedy.

The space shuttle is wrapping up an 11-day mission repairing the Hubble Space Telescope. If need be, Atlantis has enough resources to remain in space through Monday.

Shuttle Landing Live Webcast

The following is a live Webcast from NASA TV about the shuttle landing and other space-related news. Click the play button to begin the stream.

Mary Kay LeTourneau Hosting ‘Hot For Teacher’ Bar Night

JR — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:24:39 +0000

Mary Kay LeTourneau — the former teacher jailed for having sex with a sixth-grader, back before that kind of thing was even fashionable — is in the spotlight once again. LeTourneau will be hosting a “Hot For Teacher” night at a Washington bar this weekend, Seattle media outlets report.

Mary Kay LeTourneau 2009

Mary Kay LeTourneau served 7 1/2 years in prison until her release in 2004. She’d been convicted of raping Vili Fualaau when he was 12 and she was 34.

Fualaau, now 26 and married to LeTourneau, will be the DJ at the “Hot For Teacher” event. The owner of the establishment, Fuel Sports Eats and Beats bar, tells Seattle TV station KOMO that it’s “all in fun” and he “hopes people take it in the right spirit.”

Mary Kay LeTourneau and Vili Fualaau have evidently hosted similar events at the bar before, but previous engagements were more “low-key,” reports indicate.

No related posts.

Hanalei Bay Named Nation’s Best Beach

JR — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:03:24 +0000

Hawaii’s Hanalei Bay is the best beach in America, according to a new list released by a guy who calls himself “Dr. Beach.”

Stephen P. Leatherman (oddly fitting last name for a dude who spends his days basking in the sun) published his annual “America’s Best Beaches” list this week. Leatherman — er, sorry, Dr. Beach — says he looked at dozens of different factors in making his selections. Everything from water quality to temperature and cleanliness to safety, he says, came into play.

Hanalei Bay & Beyond

While Hanalei Bay, Hawaii takes the honor of best beach, nine other sandy locations are also getting a nod. Here’s Dr. Beach’s list of “America’s Best Beaches” for 2009:

1. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

2. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Fla.

3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, N.Y.

4. Coronado Beach, San Diego.

5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii.

6. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.

7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, N.C.

8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Fla.

9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.

10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.

VIDEO: Adam Lambert With KISS

JR — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:56:48 +0000

Adam Lambert may not have won American Idol 2009, but — love him or hate him — his performances won’t soon be forgotten. During Wednesday night’s Idol finale, Lambert took the stage with rock legends KISS to perform an anthem of classic rock hits.

Adam Lambert With KISS

The Adam Lambert-KISS teaming sent sparks flying from the stage (quite literally). The gang took on “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll All Nite” in an epic, fire-filled performance.

Watch Adam Lambert with KISS below. Or, if you prefer the stylings of the other Idol finalist, check out Kris Allen and Keith Urban here as the two perform “Kiss a Girl.”

VIDEO: Kris Allen and Keith Urban

JR — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:56:23 +0000

American Idol is officially over for 2009. While the Idol results are certainly stirring up their share of discussion today, plenty of people are also buzzing about the Idol finale performances.

Kris Allen with Keith Urban

One of the most discussed performances of the night was Kris Allen and Keith Urban teaming up to perform “Kiss a Girl.” Acoustic guitar in hand, Allen joined Urban for a duet that, for many, proved to be one of the show’s most memorable moments.

Watch the Kris Allen-Keith Urban duet video below. Or, if you’re more of a Lambert kind of fan, check out Adam Lambert with KISS here.

Christin Engelberth Wins Doodle 4 Google

JR — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:37:09 +0000

Christin Engelberth, a sixth grader from Texas, has won Google’s 2009 Doodle 4 Google competition. Engelberth, who attends San Antonio’s Bernard Harris Middle School, has her design featured on the google.com home page today.

Christin Engelberth: Doodle 4 Google Winner

Christin Engelberth’s drawing is entitled “A New Beginning.” She says it’s meant to “express her wish that ‘out of the current crisis, discoveries will be found to help the Earth prosper once more.’”

Here’s one wish come true: For her winning entry, Engelberth will receive a $15,000 college scholarship and a laptop, in addition to having her work on display for the whole world to see. Her school will also get a $25,000 technology grant.

Christin Engelberth is joined by three Doodle 4 Google national finalists who will each receive a new laptop: Miriam Elizabeth Lowery from Covington, Tenn., Blakely Linz from Cincinnati, and Emerald Lu, from Covington, Ky.

The top Doodle 4 Google entries will all be displayed at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum from now until July 5.

Lucy Gordon, Actress, Dead in Apparent Suicide

JR — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:47:53 +0000

British actress Lucy Gordon has died in what police are calling a suicide. Gordon was found hanging from the ceiling in her Paris apartment Monday, published reports indicate. Gordon would have turned 29 just two days later.

Lucy Gordon, Actress: 1980 – 2009

Lucy Gordon’s career appeared to be on an upward slope: She had played a reporter in 2007’s Spider-Man and had a part in the critically acclaimed Frost in 2008. Two other movies in which she appears, Cineman (a French comedy) and Serge Gainsbourg (in which she played the part of Jane Birkin), are both listed as being in post-production on the Internet Movie Database.

The exact circumstances leading up to Gordon’s death are not yet clear. Police tell media outlets that she “had taken her own life in terrible circumstances” and that they are “not seeking anyone else” in the investigation. A friend of Gordon’s (who, by some accounts, was a boyfriend) reportedly told police he was in the home asleep and found Gordon hanging when he awoke.

Friends of Lucy Gordon have suggested the actress was “deeply affected” by a recent friend’s suicide. Her agents are quoted as simply saying she “ended her own days.”

An autopsy is now pending.

Oscar Mayer Coupons: Free Hot Dogs!

JR — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:03:39 +0000

Continuing our streak of free stuff announcements this week, today Oscar Mayer is handing out free hot dogs. The Oscar Mayer coupons (sometimes mistakenly called “Oscar Meyer coupons”) are available online as of Wednesday morning.

Oscar Mayer Coupons

Oscar Mayer’s coupons are good for a full pack of the company’s “Jumbo Beef Franks.” Oscar Mayer says it’ll hand out up to $1 million worth of the coupons before ending its promotion.

All you have to do to get yours is head over to OscarMayer.com and enter some basic info (name, e-mail, and mailing address). The company will then send the coupon your way in four to six weeks.

The Oscar Mayer hot dog giveaway is a result of the company’s apparent win in a national taste test. Whatever the reason — and whether you choose to call them “Oscar Mayer hot dogs” or “Oscar Meyer hot dogs” — they’re free, and that’s one price almost always worth paying.

VIDEO: Chinese Woman Goes Crazy at Car Dealership

JR — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:51:34 +0000

Have you seen the video of a Chinese woman going ballistic at a car dealership? The woman evidently wants her boyfriend to buy her a car and doesn’t stop her antics until he gives in.

In the clip, seemingly shot by someone on a cell phone, the woman screams and starts driving the car around in the showroom. According to translations, she’s yelling: “The car doesn’t suit you. It suits me!”

The boyfriend, translators say, retorts with: “It’s like this each time we go shopping. I’m not buying this car for you!”

After she revs the engine and drives it back and forth in the showroom while screaming for a while, he finally relents, saying: “Stop, stop! I’ll buy it. I’ll buy it!”

I somehow suspect this guy will be working hard to gain back his friends’ respect now that the video is going viral.

Google Adds Message Translation Into Gmail Labs

JR — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:33:53 +0000

Google has introduced a new autotranslation feature into its Gmail Labs menu. Gmail Message Translation helps you detect what language a message was sent in, then convert it into your own.

Gmail Message Translation

Once you enable Message Translation, any message in a foreign language will have a link at the top: “Translate message to: English” (or whatever your default language is). One click, and the message will be converted.

“If all parties are using Gmail, you can have entire conversations in multiple languages with each participant reading the messages in whatever language is most comfortable for them,” says Gmail Software Engineer Darren Lewis.

“I use this feature everyday to help me work with teammates around the globe (they think my Japanese is much better than it really is…shhhh!),” he jokes.

Gmail Message Translation is now available in the Gmail Labs menu found under the green lab symbol on the top right of the page.

Watch the New ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Trailer

JR — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:49:47 +0000

Warner Brothers has released the first official Sherlock Holmes trailer, previewing the upcoming 2009 film. The Sherlock Holmes movie stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams.

The ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Movie

The Sherlock Holmes movie features Downey in the starring role of Sherlock Holmes. McAdams plays Irene Adler, and Jude Law is Dr. John Watson. The film is currently set to hit theaters this coming December.

‘Sherlock Holmes’ Trailer Video

Below is the official Sherlock Holmes trailer. You can read more about the movie at IMDB here.

Free Stuff: P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Coupons

JR — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:39:29 +0000

We here at The Inquisitr love free stuff, and today P.F. Chang’s China Bistro is giving away coupons for a complimentary lettuce wraps appetizer.

The P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Coupons

The P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps offer is available for anyone in the United States. It’s part of a promotion with PGA tour pro Briny Baird, who teed off from an Omni Hotel roof in San Diego as part of a Navy/Marine Corps benefit Tuesday.

To get the P.F. Chang’s coupons, all you have to do is go here and enter your e-mail address. The company will then e-mail you a printable P.F. Chang’s coupon for a free lettuce wraps appetizer with the purchase of any entrée.

Bon appetit!

VIDEO: ‘The Cosby Show’ Cast Reunites

JR — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:14:48 +0000

“The Cosby Show” cast is back together — for a day, at least. The “Cosby” cast reunited on “The Today Show” Tuesday morning to mark the 25th anniversary of the show’s first airing. Bill Cosby, Raven-Symone, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and the entire gang all sat down to relive the memories.

‘The Cosby Show’ Cast Reunion

“The Cosby Show” started on NBC back in 1984. The Huxtables quickly became an American staple, and the show stayed on-the-air until 1992.

The following two videos show “The Cosby Show” cast reunion on “Today” this morning.

Cheesus: The Cheeto Jesus

JR — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:04:32 +0000

A man and woman from New York say they’ve found Jesus — inside a bag of Cheetos. The so-called “Cheesus” popped out of a snack bag the two bought while driving cross-country recently, and it’s quickly becoming quite the online phenomenon.

Meet Cheesus

Image courtesy Preston Hollow People

Cheesus just “appeared,” the two say, and they’re not sure what to do about it. For now, the Cheeto Jesus is being kept carefully wrapped inside a wristwatch box.

“What I’ve been worried about is if I have it around my house, it’ll get eaten,” the woman, a retired teacher, tells a local newspaper.

The two tell local media outlets their friends have urged them to put the Cheeto Jesus up for sale on eBay, or to try to get it on the Ellen talk show. For now, though, they’ve made no decisions.