Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

Post-Fourth of July:

It was JOEY "Jaws" CHESTNUT who won Sunday's 95th annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Brooklyn's Coney Island --his fourth consecutive triumph.
   Chestnut and his iron stomach downed a whopping 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes, outshining his competitor TIM "Eater X" JANUS, who scarfed 45 dogs. But Chestnut was still several dogs shy of the record-breaking 68 that he consumed last year. "I came out and knew what I had to do," he said, adding, "I was slower than I wanted to be." He still made $10-grand for winning, however; Tim got $5-thousand for his second place finish.
   PAT "Deep Dish" BERTOLETTI was third, SONYA "The Black Widow" THOMAS fourth.
   The event didn't lack drama, as six-time champion and Chestnut archrival (and last year's second-place eater) TAKERU "The Tsunami" KOBAYASHI bum-rushed the stage and was arrested. Kobayashi didn't compete this year after refusing to sign a contract with an organization called Major League Eating (yes, that exists --formerly called the International Federation of Competetive Eating), hoping to compete in events sponsored by other groups. As police hand-cuffed Kobayashi, crowds chanted "Let him eat! Let him eat!"
   Kobayashi was freed Monday by a Brooklyn judge after a night in jail; he pleaded not guilty to charges of obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, trespassing and disorderly conduct.
   Chestnut, by the way, earns a cool $150,000 a year from eating contests. (Maiman)

Filling a need:

A lot of amazing driving has been done at Daytona International Speedway. Perhaps none as incredible as the driving we'll see at the track next year when Virginia Tech (VT) will show off its car for the blind.
   According to TG Daily, the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at VT accepted the Blind Driver Challenge issued by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Engineers have been working on a vehicle that can be driven by a blind person. It's not a car that can drive a blind person around, but instead a vehicle that can actually allow a blind person to make driving decisions.
   The modified Ford Escape uses non-visual interfaces to help the driver control the vehicle. For instance, vibrating gloves offer information about twists and turns in the road. Puffs of compressed from behind the wheel alert the driver to the objects around the car, such as other vehicles on the road.
   The public will get a look at the new car at the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 29. (Page)

Mall Alert:

Warning: Potential sponsor conflict!
   Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has closed the New York City branch of its Hollister store thanks to a bedbug infestation.
   According to Reuters, the store --in Manhattan's SoHo district-- plans to re-open once the bugs are dealt with. Company spokesman ERIC CERNY allegedly refused to comment on whether the infestation would affect company profits. (Still)

Drug Bust of the Day:

A replica of a World Cup trophy has been confiscated by cops in Columbia, South America.
   The BBC says the 14-inch gold-colored statue turned out to be made of cocaine. Police say drug-traffickers mixed 11-kilos of coke with petroleum to form a type of clay. Then, they shaped it like the trophy and painted it.
   No word on whether anyone was arrested. (Still)

Hollywood:

DEMI MOORE is a woman of many talents. The NY Post's Page Six gossip column reports the actress used to be married to a musician named FREDDY MOORE before saying "I Do" to BRUCE WILLIS and ASHTON KUTCHER. Turns out the missus helped him write a few tunes and one of her ditties called "Changing" will be featured on the DVD release of the cult 1985 film "Screwballs II: Loose Screws" (out on Blu-Ray on Jul 27). Somebody found a rare 35mm print in Glendale, CA, and the film has been restored to its former glory. (Lee)

Grace notes:

JANET JACKSON performed at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans Friday night. The Times-Picayune said her comeback may have taken two years, but the two hours she rocked on stage made it worth the wait. The crowd at the Louisiana Superdome was on its feet for Janet's entire set which included her big hits and a very risque S&M number where a male audience member was strapped into a straight-jacket while Janet danced around him with a whip. (Marino)