It hardly seems possible, but the Leader of the Club -- Mickey Mouse -- is 75 years old. Created by Walt Disney, Mickey first appeared in a cartoon called "Steamboat Willie" - the first animated talking cartoon - with Disney himself as Mickey's squeaky voice. It was considered a technological marvel and its success paved the way for more cartoons. The motion picture industry produced $623 million in revenue in 1928, the year of Mickey's debut. Today, the motion picture industry is a $56 billion a year business, according to the U.S. Census.

Have you ever counted clouds? If you have you might be interested to know that there are 10 types: cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, altocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, stratus, cumulus, cumulonimbus. Each of these clouds has a different shape and internal structure.

The 103 known elements are listed on the periodic chart vertically, according to the similarity of the structure of their atoms, and horizontally, in order of increasing atomic number.

MOSCOW - A Russian man died after winning a drinking contest. He consumed several pints of vodka and all five contestants had to receive hospital treatment for alcohol poisoning. "The competition lasted 30, perhaps 40 minutes and the winner downed three half-liter bottles. He was taken home by taxi but died within 20 minutes," said Roman Popov, a prosecutor pursuing the case in the town of Volgodonsk. The prize for winning the drinking contest was 10 bottles of vodka, reported the London Telegraph. However, the Itar-Tass news agency says Volgodonsk police are charging competition officials with involuntary manslaughter. Russians frequently down about a quart of vodka at one sitting, but last year 40,000 Russians died of alcohol related illnesses.

Once only found in seedy "men's clubs" poles for pole dancing have become the new hot exercise item. Lessons have been given on "Oprah," Kate Moss features a pole in her latest "White Stripes" video and Angelina Jolie is said to have purchased her own pole. The new trend is being supported by many sporting organizations as an interesting way to get fit and pole dancing schools offering lessons have been opening. Sport England supports the activity and a spokesman tells Britain's Sky News that as long as it's safe, any activity that encourages people to get off the sofa is a good idea.

"When my cats aren't happy, I'm not happy. Not because I care about their mood but because I know they're just sitting there thinking up ways to get even."

The same document quotes Janklow as telling investigators there was another vehicle that was coming toward him and that he accelerated around it.

The prosecution filed the document Monday. State's Attorney Bill Ellingson was trying to persuade the judge to allow Janklow's speeding tickets entered as evidence. At a hearing Monday, Judge Rodney Steele affirmed an earlier ruling not to allow Janklow's driving record into his trial.

Motorcyclist Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minn., died in a collision with the Cadillac Janklow was driving on Aug. 16 at an intersection east of Trent.

Janklow's trial starts Dec. 1. He also is accused of running a stop sign, speeding and reckless driving.

The affidavit quotes Janklow's passenger and chief of staff, Chris Braendlin, as telling investigators in an interview that the former governor was slowing down.

"And I do recall seeing a motorcycle going across the intersection and then something came by us," the affidavit quotes Braendlin as saying. "But (Janklow) was slowing down. I do remember that. He was slowing down."

The motorcycle referred to by Braendlin is that of Scott's friend, Terry Johnson, who went through the intersection a few seconds before Scott.

The document says Janklow told two state troopers and a sheriff's deputy that he "gunned" the Cadillac to get around another vehicle.

"I was slowing up for that stop sign and I just raced around it. I gunned around him," the document said, quoting Janklow.

In Monday's hearing, Steele said he may allow testimony on two other accidents in which Janklow reported seeing a vehicle that nobody else did if the defense brings up the so-called phantom vehicles.

One of those happened Dec. 27, 1993, when Janklow rear-ended a vehicle while traffic on a Sioux Falls street slowed to make way for two police cars with their lights and sirens on. Janklow said he saw an oncoming blue Bronco that appeared to be getting out of the way of the police cars and he was trying to avoid it. The other driver "stated he did not see the blue Bronco," according to court documents earlier released.

In the other accident, on Nov. 24, 1993, Janklow collided with a Sioux Falls city bus after pulling forward "to avoid being struck by a phantom vehicle," according to the accident report.

Braendlin has made no public statements since the crash. He still works for Janklow.

Sounds a bit over zealous to me-FLFLHTC
New York state resident Michael Damone was arrested last week for allegedly running a motorcycle chop-shop out of his home.

Police were tipped off when a man from Williamson saw the seat from his stolen motorcycle for sale on E-Bay. "He had an E-Bay account. Our Computer Crime Unit did correspondence on E-Bay that led to a search warrant of the residence", said Capt. Michael Manning of the NYSP.

Mr. Damone stated he purchased a Detachable backrest locally and has a receipt for it. "It is a backrest off a FatBoy Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This is an item that is in production now and has been for years."

The identifying characteristic of the backrest is a skull with wings. This emblem is also sold through H-D P/N is 91723-02 and has no serial number to identify it. It is not currently known how many of these backrests have been sold.

A search warrant was signed by a Monroe County Court Judge John J. Connell. Solely on the basis of the identification of this backrest. The purchased item eBay item # 2438942794 was exchanged and a printed payment slip including sales tax was given to the 2 undercover State Police officers.

Within minutes, SWAT officers entered the residence and searched it for eight hours. No other parts were claimed to be illegal. Several motorcycle frames were confiscated although proper documentation was available. Although Mr. Damone is under the care of a physician, 33 pills, claimed by the police to be narcotics, were confiscated.

Police also claim to have confiscated illegal weapons in the house but reportedly the weapons were one AAL Model B 00009 model B Sportster with a missing barrel and cannot be fired. The second weapon is a Saxon Crossbow with a missing a string which is legal in New York.

The thousands of motorcycle parts reported to have been found were all purchased by two local Harley Davidson parts houses, both having been in existence for over 10 years, Headmans Cycle on Lake Ave. Roch NY and Johns Cycle in Leroy NY with documentation. Much of the leather goods such as saddle bags were purchased from Motor Trike of Daytona.

Mr. Damone has no prior criminal arrests, has been married for 25 years and has an 11 year old son. Damone's house was ransacked along with his son's bedroom after the door had been broken off the hinges although all doors in the house were unlocked.

Mr. Damone believes he was targeted because he is a member of a motorcycle club. The search warrant was based solely on the picture of an untraceable backrest sold by Harley Davidson. No other parts of the reported stolen motorcycle, or any other stolen motorcycles were found.