Sunday, July 05, 2009
Rejected koala
At Wonderland Park in Victoria, Australia, a pair of twin koalas were born, but in the mother's pouch there is room only for one.
Costa Rica is world's greenest, happiest country
Costa Rica is the greenest and happiest country in the world, according to a new list that ranks nations by combining measures of their ecological footprint with the happiness of their citizens.
Britain is only halfway up the Happy Planet Index (HPI), calculated by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), in 74th place of 143 nations surveyed. The United States features in the 114th slot in the table. The top 10 is dominated by countries from Latin America, while African countries bulk out the bottom of the table.
The HPI measures how much of the Earth's resources nations use and how long and happy a life their citizens enjoy as a result. First calculated in 2006, the second edition adds data on almost all the world's countries and now covers 99% of the world's population.
NEF says the HPI is a much better way of looking the success of countries than through standard measures of economic growth. The HPI shows, for example, that fast-growing economies such as the US, China and India were all greener and happier 20 years ago than they are today.
"The HPI suggests that the path we have been following is, without exception, unable to deliver all three goals: high life satisfaction, high life expectancy and 'one-planet living'," says Saamah Abdallah, NEF researcher and the report's lead author. "Instead we need a new development model that delivers good lives that don't cost the Earth for all."
Costa Ricans top the list because they report the highest life satisfaction in the world, they live slightly longer than Americans, yet have an ecological footprint that is less than a quarter the size. The country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of what NEF calls "one-planet living": consuming its fair share of the Earth's natural resources.
There's more information about why Costa Rica is the happiest place here.
Britain is only halfway up the Happy Planet Index (HPI), calculated by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), in 74th place of 143 nations surveyed. The United States features in the 114th slot in the table. The top 10 is dominated by countries from Latin America, while African countries bulk out the bottom of the table.
The HPI measures how much of the Earth's resources nations use and how long and happy a life their citizens enjoy as a result. First calculated in 2006, the second edition adds data on almost all the world's countries and now covers 99% of the world's population.
NEF says the HPI is a much better way of looking the success of countries than through standard measures of economic growth. The HPI shows, for example, that fast-growing economies such as the US, China and India were all greener and happier 20 years ago than they are today.
"The HPI suggests that the path we have been following is, without exception, unable to deliver all three goals: high life satisfaction, high life expectancy and 'one-planet living'," says Saamah Abdallah, NEF researcher and the report's lead author. "Instead we need a new development model that delivers good lives that don't cost the Earth for all."
Costa Ricans top the list because they report the highest life satisfaction in the world, they live slightly longer than Americans, yet have an ecological footprint that is less than a quarter the size. The country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of what NEF calls "one-planet living": consuming its fair share of the Earth's natural resources.
There's more information about why Costa Rica is the happiest place here.
Soul demanded as loan collateral
Ready to give your soul for a loan in these difficult economic times? In Latvia, where the crisis has raged more than in the rest of the European Union, you can. Such a deal is being offered by the Kontora loan company, whose public face is Viktor Mirosiichenko, 34.
Clients have to sign a contract, with the words "Agreement" in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, "that is, my immortal soul."
Mirosiichenko said his company would not employ debt collectors to get its money back if people refused to repay, and promised no physical violence. Signatories only have to give their first name and do not show any documents. "If they don't give it back, what can you do? They won't have a soul, that's all," he said in a basement office, with one desk, a computer and three chairs.
Wearing sunglasses, a black suit and a white shirt with the words "Kontora" (office) emblazoned on it, he reaches into his pocket and lays out a sheaf of notes on the table to show that the business is serious and not a joke.
Latvia has been the EU nation worst hit by economic crisis. Unemployment is soaring and banks have sharply reduced their lending, meaning that small companies offering easy loans in small amounts have become more popular.
Mirosiichenko said his company was basically trusting people to repay the small amounts they borrowed, which has so far been up to 250 lats ($500) for between 1 and 90 days at a hefty interest rate. He said about 200 people had taken out loans over the two months the business was in operation.
Clients have to sign a contract, with the words "Agreement" in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, "that is, my immortal soul."
Mirosiichenko said his company would not employ debt collectors to get its money back if people refused to repay, and promised no physical violence. Signatories only have to give their first name and do not show any documents. "If they don't give it back, what can you do? They won't have a soul, that's all," he said in a basement office, with one desk, a computer and three chairs.
Wearing sunglasses, a black suit and a white shirt with the words "Kontora" (office) emblazoned on it, he reaches into his pocket and lays out a sheaf of notes on the table to show that the business is serious and not a joke.
Latvia has been the EU nation worst hit by economic crisis. Unemployment is soaring and banks have sharply reduced their lending, meaning that small companies offering easy loans in small amounts have become more popular.
Mirosiichenko said his company was basically trusting people to repay the small amounts they borrowed, which has so far been up to 250 lats ($500) for between 1 and 90 days at a hefty interest rate. He said about 200 people had taken out loans over the two months the business was in operation.
Samoa provokes fury by switching sides of the road
The pace of life on the Pacific island of Samoa may be slow but mention the topic of transport and you are likely to get a quick and fiery response. The usually placid public is up in arms over government plans to force motorists to switch to driving on the left hand side of the road.
It will be the first time a country has attempted to switch sides in almost four decades and has presented the island with huge logistical problems. As well as staging the largest demonstrations in the nation's history, opponents have warned the change will be an unmitigated "disaster".
The country's drivers have used the right-hand side of the road for more than a century, like their close neighbours in American Samoa. However, unless they can convince the government into a complete back down, motorists will be forced on to the other side of the road at 6am on Sept 7.
The switch is the brainchild of Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the Samoan Prime Minister. He hopes that by changing sides, the country will be able to put an end to the importation of costly left-hand drive cars from the US and that the 250,000 Samoans who live in Australia and New Zealand will send over British-style right-hand drive cars to their extended families.
In an attempt to give Samoans practice at driving on the right, Sept 7 and 8 have been declared national holidays and a test track has been created next to the National Soccer Stadium.
However, the normally sedate public is up in arms over the change. Protesters have set up a pressure group – People Against Switching Sides (PASS) – which has since turned into a political party that aims to depose the prime minister at the next general election. PASS also unsuccessfully sued to block the switch, claiming driving on the left would infringe on the constitutional right to life. One of the prime arguments was that buses – including those for schoolchildren – will be picking up and dropping off in the middle of the road.
It will be the first time a country has attempted to switch sides in almost four decades and has presented the island with huge logistical problems. As well as staging the largest demonstrations in the nation's history, opponents have warned the change will be an unmitigated "disaster".
The country's drivers have used the right-hand side of the road for more than a century, like their close neighbours in American Samoa. However, unless they can convince the government into a complete back down, motorists will be forced on to the other side of the road at 6am on Sept 7.
The switch is the brainchild of Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the Samoan Prime Minister. He hopes that by changing sides, the country will be able to put an end to the importation of costly left-hand drive cars from the US and that the 250,000 Samoans who live in Australia and New Zealand will send over British-style right-hand drive cars to their extended families.
In an attempt to give Samoans practice at driving on the right, Sept 7 and 8 have been declared national holidays and a test track has been created next to the National Soccer Stadium.
However, the normally sedate public is up in arms over the change. Protesters have set up a pressure group – People Against Switching Sides (PASS) – which has since turned into a political party that aims to depose the prime minister at the next general election. PASS also unsuccessfully sued to block the switch, claiming driving on the left would infringe on the constitutional right to life. One of the prime arguments was that buses – including those for schoolchildren – will be picking up and dropping off in the middle of the road.
Famous prostitute's gravestone deemed too 'slutty'
An artist’s design for the gravestone of Germany's most famous prostitute has been rejected by the cemetery authorities for being too "slutty." The 77-year-old artist Tomi Ungerer’s parting gift to his friend Domenica Niehoff was to be a gravestone featuring two ample pink marble boulders in homage to her famously top-heavy figure. But those responsible for the Garden of Women cemetery, resting place of Hamburg’s most famous women, turned his design down.
Ungerer, who declared his interest in designing her gravestone immediately after her death, reacted bitterly to the decision. “Domenica would have liked my design. She was not ashamed of herself,” he said.
Ungerer and Niehoff were friends for decades, and even shared a flat for a while in 1984. He published drawings of Niehoff and her colleagues in a book entitled “Guardian Angels of Hell” at the time.
But the cemetery officials are not alone in criticising Ungerer’s memorial. Photographer Günther Zint, another friend of Niehoff, said, “There was a bit of a debate among her friends whether Tomi needed to emphasise her breasts like that. They were after all a bane of her life.”
Niehoff, who gained fame for advocating the rights of sex workers in the 70s and 80s, died at age 63 in February 2009. Originally from Cologne, Niehoff lived through drugs, child prostitution and desperate attempts to get out of the sex trade. She grew up in an orphanage before slipping into prostitution, when she married a brothel owner, who committed suicide ten years later.
She worked as a prostitute in Munich and Hamburg and had her own brothel before she began to push for the legalisation of prostitution in Germany in the 1980s. She then became a social worker to help women to get off the street.
Ungerer, who declared his interest in designing her gravestone immediately after her death, reacted bitterly to the decision. “Domenica would have liked my design. She was not ashamed of herself,” he said.
Ungerer and Niehoff were friends for decades, and even shared a flat for a while in 1984. He published drawings of Niehoff and her colleagues in a book entitled “Guardian Angels of Hell” at the time.
But the cemetery officials are not alone in criticising Ungerer’s memorial. Photographer Günther Zint, another friend of Niehoff, said, “There was a bit of a debate among her friends whether Tomi needed to emphasise her breasts like that. They were after all a bane of her life.”
Niehoff, who gained fame for advocating the rights of sex workers in the 70s and 80s, died at age 63 in February 2009. Originally from Cologne, Niehoff lived through drugs, child prostitution and desperate attempts to get out of the sex trade. She grew up in an orphanage before slipping into prostitution, when she married a brothel owner, who committed suicide ten years later.
She worked as a prostitute in Munich and Hamburg and had her own brothel before she began to push for the legalisation of prostitution in Germany in the 1980s. She then became a social worker to help women to get off the street.
Man accused of drawing foot-long penis on TV screen
A Cincinnati man is accused of drawing a large picture of the male anatomy on the screen of a pricey plasma television inside a Colerain Township Sears store.
Police responded to the store in the 9000 block of Colerain Avenue around 5:30 Thursday night after someone reported seeing surveillance video of a man drawing a one foot penis on a display television.
Twenty-year-old Jordan Puckett of Germantown is now facing one misdemeanor charge of criminal damaging.
The plasma TV was priced at $1599.99, police say, but is now unsellable because Puckett allegedly used a permanent marker for his illustration. A motive is not yet known.
Police responded to the store in the 9000 block of Colerain Avenue around 5:30 Thursday night after someone reported seeing surveillance video of a man drawing a one foot penis on a display television.
Twenty-year-old Jordan Puckett of Germantown is now facing one misdemeanor charge of criminal damaging.
The plasma TV was priced at $1599.99, police say, but is now unsellable because Puckett allegedly used a permanent marker for his illustration. A motive is not yet known.
US nuns on the run from Vatican inquiry
American nuns could be said to have their habits in a twist in the face of two investigations by the Vatican into whether they have come to espouse lifestyles and views on the Church that may just be a tad too modern. Except that many don't wear habits any more. They wear regular clothes, even jeans.
Many nuns have stretched beyond the cloistered life to enter professions like teaching, the law and social work, and often eschew convents in favour of living alone. But, for the Vatican, it seems that American nuns may have strayed a bit too far from the traditional path. There was a warning shot in March when the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a decree telling Catholics that they should desist from practising Reiki, an ancient Japanese healing technique increasingly favoured by nuns involving the laying-on of hands, and very far from the traditional approach that Rome seems to prefer.
Pressure on the nuns, whose numbers in the US have dwindled in the last four decades from 180,000 to just 60,000, has grown however since the launch of a so-called Apostolic Visitation ordered by the Vatican. With interviews and questionnaires, this is a formal inquiry into the activities of women's religious institutions being conducted by Mother Mary Clare Millea, an American nun who lives in Rome.
In addition, a so-called doctrinal assessment has been ordered by the Vatican into the course being followed by an umbrella group of women's religious orders in the US, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which may not have been toeing the line on issues such as the primacy of the Vatican.
Some nuns may have angered the Vatican with their views on the ordination of women and letting priests marry. Cardinal Franc Rode, who is in charge of religious orders in Rome and who ordered the visitation, complained last year about nuns who "have opted for ways that take them outside" the Church.
Other nuns are also expressing disquiet about the new scrutiny from Rome. Sister Mary Traupman of Pittsburgh long ago left the convent but remains loyal to her faith as a lawyer. She still remembers the years of struggling with the long restrictive habits. "All this for the church," she said this week. "And now we're being investigated." Some nuns are refusing to cooperate. Sister Sandra Schneiders, who teaches theology at Berkeley, said that the Vatican authorities are out of touch. "Our vision of our lives and their vision of us as a workforce are just not on the same planet," she said. And in a leaked email to colleagues she said investigators should be treated as "uninvited guests".
Many nuns have stretched beyond the cloistered life to enter professions like teaching, the law and social work, and often eschew convents in favour of living alone. But, for the Vatican, it seems that American nuns may have strayed a bit too far from the traditional path. There was a warning shot in March when the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a decree telling Catholics that they should desist from practising Reiki, an ancient Japanese healing technique increasingly favoured by nuns involving the laying-on of hands, and very far from the traditional approach that Rome seems to prefer.
Pressure on the nuns, whose numbers in the US have dwindled in the last four decades from 180,000 to just 60,000, has grown however since the launch of a so-called Apostolic Visitation ordered by the Vatican. With interviews and questionnaires, this is a formal inquiry into the activities of women's religious institutions being conducted by Mother Mary Clare Millea, an American nun who lives in Rome.
In addition, a so-called doctrinal assessment has been ordered by the Vatican into the course being followed by an umbrella group of women's religious orders in the US, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which may not have been toeing the line on issues such as the primacy of the Vatican.
Some nuns may have angered the Vatican with their views on the ordination of women and letting priests marry. Cardinal Franc Rode, who is in charge of religious orders in Rome and who ordered the visitation, complained last year about nuns who "have opted for ways that take them outside" the Church.
Other nuns are also expressing disquiet about the new scrutiny from Rome. Sister Mary Traupman of Pittsburgh long ago left the convent but remains loyal to her faith as a lawyer. She still remembers the years of struggling with the long restrictive habits. "All this for the church," she said this week. "And now we're being investigated." Some nuns are refusing to cooperate. Sister Sandra Schneiders, who teaches theology at Berkeley, said that the Vatican authorities are out of touch. "Our vision of our lives and their vision of us as a workforce are just not on the same planet," she said. And in a leaked email to colleagues she said investigators should be treated as "uninvited guests".
Barkeeper guilty in deadly teenage drinking match
A barman was jailed on Friday at Berlin's state court for serving at least 44 shots of tequila to a 16-year-old German boy during a faked drinking contest that killed the teenager.
The 28-year-old barman gave himself glasses of water, but served the teenager with alcohol during the drinking bout the pair had in February 2007. After about an hour the youngster fell into a coma and died five weeks later.
The bartender, who admitted his guilt, was sentenced to three years and five months in jail for causing grievous bodily harm with fatal consequences. Two other bar staff who were involved in tricking the dead teenager were convicted at an earlier trial of causing grievous bodily harm. They were sentenced to receive social training for 10 months, while a third bartender at that trial was acquitted.
The case triggered a national debate over teenage alcohol abuse and the danger of "flat-rate" binge-drinking parties where customers pay a one-off entry fee and are served unlimited strong spirits all night.
The 28-year-old barman gave himself glasses of water, but served the teenager with alcohol during the drinking bout the pair had in February 2007. After about an hour the youngster fell into a coma and died five weeks later.
The bartender, who admitted his guilt, was sentenced to three years and five months in jail for causing grievous bodily harm with fatal consequences. Two other bar staff who were involved in tricking the dead teenager were convicted at an earlier trial of causing grievous bodily harm. They were sentenced to receive social training for 10 months, while a third bartender at that trial was acquitted.
The case triggered a national debate over teenage alcohol abuse and the danger of "flat-rate" binge-drinking parties where customers pay a one-off entry fee and are served unlimited strong spirits all night.
Pachyderms outdo humans in one-sided eating competition
Three American "competitive eaters" have taken on three Asian elephants in a hot-dog-bun-eating competition in New York.
And they were genuinely surprised when they lost.
Juliet Lee, Gravy Brown and Eric "Badlands" Booker ate an impressive 143 buns in the allotted six minutes.
But circus jumbos Bunny, Susie and Minnie were not to be outdone, thrashing them more than three to one with a score of 505 buns at the inaugural Coney Island bun-eating contest.
George Shea, the chairman of Major League Eating seemed startled that the three-ton pachyderms beat his brave boys and girl. He said: "This was a great challenge for our species. I expected that the humans would beat them."
The elephants, who eat about 10 per cent of their body weight every day, up to 440lb (200kg), scooped up buns by the trunkful, leaving their nominal opponents eating little but their dust.
And they were genuinely surprised when they lost.
Juliet Lee, Gravy Brown and Eric "Badlands" Booker ate an impressive 143 buns in the allotted six minutes.
But circus jumbos Bunny, Susie and Minnie were not to be outdone, thrashing them more than three to one with a score of 505 buns at the inaugural Coney Island bun-eating contest.
George Shea, the chairman of Major League Eating seemed startled that the three-ton pachyderms beat his brave boys and girl. He said: "This was a great challenge for our species. I expected that the humans would beat them."
The elephants, who eat about 10 per cent of their body weight every day, up to 440lb (200kg), scooped up buns by the trunkful, leaving their nominal opponents eating little but their dust.
Award-winning female manager was born a man
Of all those named in a new list of young female business leaders, Kate Craig-Wood has perhaps the most unusual success story. She was born male, and was able to afford a £50,000 sex change operation after developing a career in technology. Now the managing director of her own server hosting firm, Memset.com, the 32-year-old has been ranked one of Management Today's 35 Women Under 35.
But as well as championing the role of women in IT, Miss Craig-Wood also acts as a role model to other young transexuals. "We're not quite there yet in how to deal with transgendered people," she said. "I could have gone stealth, my surgery was good enough that people wouldn't have known, but I decided it was more important than my own bit of comfort to use my experience to help other people.
"Every couple of days now I get emails from people thanking me for being visible and showing the world we're not freaks. They say that it gives them hope and confidence that they can live a normal life."
Miss Craig-Wood, who lives in Guildford, Surrey, believes her unique position has played a hand in her success. "Having been one of the guys – or at least doing a good job of pretending I was – I have seen it from both sides. I can see if I'm being closed out of a conversation and can push my way back in, while other women don't, perhaps because of assertiveness or they don't recognise what's happening because they haven't been in that situation," she said.
She has also seen how men will assume that "if you're pretty then you're dim". "People do judge you based on your appearance," she said. "In the past few years, I have become progressively more attractive. My hips have developed more and I have this blonde hair and it has become more difficult to establish credibility with male colleagues who don't know me. They will often make the presumption that I don't know my maths or technology."
But despite her confidence in business and the decision to undergo surgery, she said that awards recognising her as a businesswoman are still particularly important to her. "Something like this is very affirming," he said. "It just shows me that they see my sexuality as something I have had to struggle with and totally recognised me as a woman because I am that – just a woman. What I had is a medical condition and can be treated."
But as well as championing the role of women in IT, Miss Craig-Wood also acts as a role model to other young transexuals. "We're not quite there yet in how to deal with transgendered people," she said. "I could have gone stealth, my surgery was good enough that people wouldn't have known, but I decided it was more important than my own bit of comfort to use my experience to help other people.
"Every couple of days now I get emails from people thanking me for being visible and showing the world we're not freaks. They say that it gives them hope and confidence that they can live a normal life."
Miss Craig-Wood, who lives in Guildford, Surrey, believes her unique position has played a hand in her success. "Having been one of the guys – or at least doing a good job of pretending I was – I have seen it from both sides. I can see if I'm being closed out of a conversation and can push my way back in, while other women don't, perhaps because of assertiveness or they don't recognise what's happening because they haven't been in that situation," she said.
She has also seen how men will assume that "if you're pretty then you're dim". "People do judge you based on your appearance," she said. "In the past few years, I have become progressively more attractive. My hips have developed more and I have this blonde hair and it has become more difficult to establish credibility with male colleagues who don't know me. They will often make the presumption that I don't know my maths or technology."
But despite her confidence in business and the decision to undergo surgery, she said that awards recognising her as a businesswoman are still particularly important to her. "Something like this is very affirming," he said. "It just shows me that they see my sexuality as something I have had to struggle with and totally recognised me as a woman because I am that – just a woman. What I had is a medical condition and can be treated."
Overweight people to be paid to lose weight in £ for lb scheme
Obese residents in Basildon are to be paid to lose weight in the first Pound-for-Pound scheme in the UK.
Under the slogan, “We are looking for big losers”, the local health authority is inviting 100 volunteers to take part in a pilot scheme which will see them paid £1 in Asda shopping vouchers for every pound they lose in weight.
The project is the first of its kind in the country and follows a similar initiative in America. If successful it could be rolled out across the UK.
Sarah Stanton, 36, a care worker, of Sunnedon, Vange, is one of 16 who have already signed up for the scheme. The married mum-of-four, who weighs 14stone 7lbs, says she hopes the incentive will help her to shed about two-and-a-half stone.
She said: “I saw the poster and just thought, ‘Why not?’ “I have gone on a load of diets before and they have not worked, so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m not excessively overweight, but I am overweight and I just want to get fit and healthy.”
The scheme has been commissioned by NHS South West Essex in response to a growing obesity problem among adults. The Pound-for-Pound programme is part of the Get Out There scheme, which aims to introduce more than 50 activities across the district to encourage healthy eating and exercise.
Under the slogan, “We are looking for big losers”, the local health authority is inviting 100 volunteers to take part in a pilot scheme which will see them paid £1 in Asda shopping vouchers for every pound they lose in weight.
The project is the first of its kind in the country and follows a similar initiative in America. If successful it could be rolled out across the UK.
Sarah Stanton, 36, a care worker, of Sunnedon, Vange, is one of 16 who have already signed up for the scheme. The married mum-of-four, who weighs 14stone 7lbs, says she hopes the incentive will help her to shed about two-and-a-half stone.
She said: “I saw the poster and just thought, ‘Why not?’ “I have gone on a load of diets before and they have not worked, so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m not excessively overweight, but I am overweight and I just want to get fit and healthy.”
The scheme has been commissioned by NHS South West Essex in response to a growing obesity problem among adults. The Pound-for-Pound programme is part of the Get Out There scheme, which aims to introduce more than 50 activities across the district to encourage healthy eating and exercise.
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