Click for bigger.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Car anti-theft system?
"It will break your arms".
I had a bit of a search around yesterday, and whilst this may prove to be a very effective deterrent, it is actually a faulty steering rack in action.
I had a bit of a search around yesterday, and whilst this may prove to be a very effective deterrent, it is actually a faulty steering rack in action.
Cyborg chicks cluck into Japan toy stores
A Japanese firm is selling cyborg chicks that look and feel like the real thing - but you don't have to feed or clean up after them.
The palm-sized, fluffy robots, named Yume Hiyoko, or "dream chicks", went on sale last week in time for the Easter holidays. They join toy maker Sega's line of mechanical pets that includes dogs, cats and ponies.
"I think it is good as a pet because you don't have to feed it and clean its droppings," said Masahiro Okada, a chicken farm worker who was looking at the toys.
Sega spokeswoman Minako Sakanoue said the robot chicks were modeled on newly hatched bird since "at this stage they seem cutest". The chicks cost 2,310 yen (about $19).
The palm-sized, fluffy robots, named Yume Hiyoko, or "dream chicks", went on sale last week in time for the Easter holidays. They join toy maker Sega's line of mechanical pets that includes dogs, cats and ponies.
"I think it is good as a pet because you don't have to feed it and clean its droppings," said Masahiro Okada, a chicken farm worker who was looking at the toys.
Sega spokeswoman Minako Sakanoue said the robot chicks were modeled on newly hatched bird since "at this stage they seem cutest". The chicks cost 2,310 yen (about $19).
Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap
Shower Shock is an all vegetable based glycerine soap which does not contain any harsh ingredients like ethanol, diethanolamine, polyethylene glycol or cocyl isethionate. So it's a gently invigorating soap.
Scented with peppermint oil and infused with caffeine anhydrous, each bar of Shower shock contains approximately 12 servings/showers per 4 ounce bar with 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving.
The caffeine is absorbed through the skin.
Scented with peppermint oil and infused with caffeine anhydrous, each bar of Shower shock contains approximately 12 servings/showers per 4 ounce bar with 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving.
The caffeine is absorbed through the skin.
Deaf black lesbian accused of chainsaw murder
The trial in South Dakota of a deaf, black lesbian accused of murdering a rival and dismembering her with a chainsaw has shocked the rural midwestern US state.
Daphne Wright, 43, could become the first woman sent to death row in South Dakota, which has not executed a prisoner in more than 60 years.
Wright is accused of kidnapping and murdering a heterosexual deaf woman, Darlene VanderGiesen, 42, whom she thought was spending too much time with her girlfriend.
Prosecutors said a vengeful Wright persuaded VanderGiesen to meet her and to enter her car on February 1, 2006. Wright then killed her with either a blow to the head or by suffocation, according to prosecutors.
After two days spent scrounging up money to buy a chainsaw, Wright chopped up the body at the knees and navel and disposed of the pieces, prosecutor Dave Nelson said in opening statements last week.
"The reason for this murder? Jealousy," he told jurors.
Daphne Wright, 43, could become the first woman sent to death row in South Dakota, which has not executed a prisoner in more than 60 years.
Wright is accused of kidnapping and murdering a heterosexual deaf woman, Darlene VanderGiesen, 42, whom she thought was spending too much time with her girlfriend.
Prosecutors said a vengeful Wright persuaded VanderGiesen to meet her and to enter her car on February 1, 2006. Wright then killed her with either a blow to the head or by suffocation, according to prosecutors.
After two days spent scrounging up money to buy a chainsaw, Wright chopped up the body at the knees and navel and disposed of the pieces, prosecutor Dave Nelson said in opening statements last week.
"The reason for this murder? Jealousy," he told jurors.
Banksy self-portrait for sale
A work of art is coming up for auction this month that many owners of defaced property, a scattering of museum curators and journalists have pined to get their hands on: a self-portrait by Banksy.
The portrait, to be sold by Bonham's, is predicted to fetch £30,000 - £40,000.
The portrait, to be sold by Bonham's, is predicted to fetch £30,000 - £40,000.
Can this note stamp out corruption in a land where it’s the norm?
In the secret language of corruption in India, an official expecting a bribe will ask for Mahatma Gandhi to “smile” at him. The revered leader of the independence movement is on all denominations of rupee notes.
With rampant dishonesty ingrained in the bureaucratic culture, an anticorruption group has decided to interpret the euphemism literally by issuing a zero-rupee note.
A direct copy of the 50-rupee note, including Gandhi’s portrait, it is designed to be handed out to officials who demand backhanders.
In the place of the usual promise of redemption by the central bank governor, the new pledge is: “I promise to neither accept nor give bribe.”
5th Pillar, the organisation behind the initiative, says that the note will allow ordinary Indians to make a statement against corruption without provoking a confrontation with people in authority.
It has printed 25,000 notes and is distributing them in the southern city of Chennai as part of a wider mission to stamp out corruption “at all levels of society”.
With rampant dishonesty ingrained in the bureaucratic culture, an anticorruption group has decided to interpret the euphemism literally by issuing a zero-rupee note.
A direct copy of the 50-rupee note, including Gandhi’s portrait, it is designed to be handed out to officials who demand backhanders.
In the place of the usual promise of redemption by the central bank governor, the new pledge is: “I promise to neither accept nor give bribe.”
5th Pillar, the organisation behind the initiative, says that the note will allow ordinary Indians to make a statement against corruption without provoking a confrontation with people in authority.
It has printed 25,000 notes and is distributing them in the southern city of Chennai as part of a wider mission to stamp out corruption “at all levels of society”.
Thailand hopes holy sour candy will stop road accidents
Thai police on Monday started distributing "super sour" sweets blessed by a Buddhist abbot in the hope of curbing road accidents by keeping motorists awake with the lip-puckering treats.
Police began distributing 140,000 of the hard sweets ahead of the Buddhist New Year celebrations that run over five days starting Friday.
It's the most important holiday and biggest party time in Thailand, but also a time of carnage on the highways due to the heavy incidence of drunk driving.
An abbot in the southern province of Prachaup Khiri Khan donated 200,000 baht (5,700 dollars) to make 140,000 packets of sweets to give to drivers nationwide.
"The taste is very sour, which can keep you awake. The candy was also blessed by the monks, which makes people more comfortable and confident when driving," said regional highway police chief Colonel Panya Pinsuk.
Police began distributing 140,000 of the hard sweets ahead of the Buddhist New Year celebrations that run over five days starting Friday.
It's the most important holiday and biggest party time in Thailand, but also a time of carnage on the highways due to the heavy incidence of drunk driving.
An abbot in the southern province of Prachaup Khiri Khan donated 200,000 baht (5,700 dollars) to make 140,000 packets of sweets to give to drivers nationwide.
"The taste is very sour, which can keep you awake. The candy was also blessed by the monks, which makes people more comfortable and confident when driving," said regional highway police chief Colonel Panya Pinsuk.
Get A Free House - With A Catch
There's a man in Ohio who wants to give away his house. But there is one big catch.
It's in Bellevue, about 45 miles southeast of Toledo, and whoever takes it will have to get it out of there.
Mike Bassett's house is a big one. It's 3,600 square feet, with a fireplace, built-in cabinets, a bay window, two full bathrooms and walk-in closets. He estimates it's worth between $125,000 and $150,000, not including the land on which it sits.
One woman offered to buy it for $200,000, if Bassett would leave it in its place. But he said no. And, if he doesn't find a taker by July 1, he said he will raze the structure.
It's estimated moving the house could cost $50,000 to $80,000, depending on where it's going.
With news video and slideshow.
It's in Bellevue, about 45 miles southeast of Toledo, and whoever takes it will have to get it out of there.
Mike Bassett's house is a big one. It's 3,600 square feet, with a fireplace, built-in cabinets, a bay window, two full bathrooms and walk-in closets. He estimates it's worth between $125,000 and $150,000, not including the land on which it sits.
One woman offered to buy it for $200,000, if Bassett would leave it in its place. But he said no. And, if he doesn't find a taker by July 1, he said he will raze the structure.
It's estimated moving the house could cost $50,000 to $80,000, depending on where it's going.
With news video and slideshow.
Turkish band faces jail for exam protest
Five Turkish punk rockers and their agent face up to 18 months in jail for insult after a bureaucrat took offence at their song criticising the country's unpopular university entrance exam.
The head of Turkey's central examination board, OSYM, Unal Yarimagan reportedly smiled when he first saw a clip of OSYM, Kiss My Arse by Deli (mad), a group from the western city of Bursa.
"I'm a tolerant person, but that didn't stop me doing my duty and checking it wasn't breaking any laws," he said. Last month, an Ankara prosecutor said it was, and a court case is due to begin on May 2.
"It's ridiculous," says the lead singer and lyricist, Cengiz Sari, 24. "I was 17 when I wrote that song. I was just your typical rebellious teenager."
Turkey's understanding of freedom of expression surfaced again last month when a judge ordered the website YouTube to be blocked. YouTube has a central role to play in Deli's story. Until last June, few had heard of the band. It was then that a fan uploaded a clip of himself lip-synching his way through OSYM. "Let me tell you something:/ screw your exam system," Hako mouthed over a sound track reminiscent of the Sex Pistols.
Posted days before 1.5 million Turkish teenagers took the much-criticised university entrance exam, Hako was an overnight sensation.
The head of Turkey's central examination board, OSYM, Unal Yarimagan reportedly smiled when he first saw a clip of OSYM, Kiss My Arse by Deli (mad), a group from the western city of Bursa.
"I'm a tolerant person, but that didn't stop me doing my duty and checking it wasn't breaking any laws," he said. Last month, an Ankara prosecutor said it was, and a court case is due to begin on May 2.
"It's ridiculous," says the lead singer and lyricist, Cengiz Sari, 24. "I was 17 when I wrote that song. I was just your typical rebellious teenager."
Turkey's understanding of freedom of expression surfaced again last month when a judge ordered the website YouTube to be blocked. YouTube has a central role to play in Deli's story. Until last June, few had heard of the band. It was then that a fan uploaded a clip of himself lip-synching his way through OSYM. "Let me tell you something:/ screw your exam system," Hako mouthed over a sound track reminiscent of the Sex Pistols.
Posted days before 1.5 million Turkish teenagers took the much-criticised university entrance exam, Hako was an overnight sensation.
Filial piety key to Chinese jobs
Working hard is no longer enough to warrant a promotion in one Chinese county, according to state media.
New rules state that government employees in Changyuan county, in Henan province, must be nice to their parents as well as being good at their jobs.
Assessors will interview relatives and friends of employees, to see if they espouse the values of filial piety.
Filial piety was one of the main criteria for the selection of officials as early as the Han Dynasty (from 206 BC to AD 220).
Now it looks set to gain importance again. Special investigators in Changyuan county will grill relatives, friends and colleagues on each official's behaviour, including their family values and whether they have any drinking or gambling habits.
Only those with a perfect record will be promoted.
New rules state that government employees in Changyuan county, in Henan province, must be nice to their parents as well as being good at their jobs.
Assessors will interview relatives and friends of employees, to see if they espouse the values of filial piety.
Filial piety was one of the main criteria for the selection of officials as early as the Han Dynasty (from 206 BC to AD 220).
Now it looks set to gain importance again. Special investigators in Changyuan county will grill relatives, friends and colleagues on each official's behaviour, including their family values and whether they have any drinking or gambling habits.
Only those with a perfect record will be promoted.
Mystery cat takes regular bus to the shops
Bus drivers have nicknamed a white cat Macavity,after the mystery cat in T.S Elliot's poem, after it has started using the No 331 several mornings a week.
The feline, which has a purple collar, gets onto the busy Walsall to Wolverhampton bus at the same stop most mornings - he then jumps off at the next stop 400m down the road, near a fish and chip shop.
Since January, when the cat first caught the bus he has done it two or three times a week and always gets on and off at the same stops.
Passenger, Paul Brennan, 19, who catches the 331 to work, said: "I first noticed the cat a few weeks ago. At first I thought it had been accompanied by its owner but after the first stop it became quite clear he was on his own.
"He sat at the front of the bus, waited patiently for the next stop and then got off. It was was quite strange at first but now it just seems normal. I suppose he is the perfect passenger really - he sits quietly, minds his own business and then gets off."
The feline, which has a purple collar, gets onto the busy Walsall to Wolverhampton bus at the same stop most mornings - he then jumps off at the next stop 400m down the road, near a fish and chip shop.
Since January, when the cat first caught the bus he has done it two or three times a week and always gets on and off at the same stops.
Passenger, Paul Brennan, 19, who catches the 331 to work, said: "I first noticed the cat a few weeks ago. At first I thought it had been accompanied by its owner but after the first stop it became quite clear he was on his own.
"He sat at the front of the bus, waited patiently for the next stop and then got off. It was was quite strange at first but now it just seems normal. I suppose he is the perfect passenger really - he sits quietly, minds his own business and then gets off."
Police order boy, 5, to stop chalking hopscotch 'graffiti' on the street
A boy of five playing hopscotch with friends looked up to find himself confronted by two police officers.
They ordered Ryan Badland and his five playmates to stop because chalking the grids on the road in their quiet cul-de-sac was "graffiti".
Ryan and 10 pals aged three to 11 were playing outside their homes in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, after his mother, Lisa gave them special pavement chalks.
Two police officers then lined them up for a lecture on graffiti and road safety.
Lisa said: “Ryan was petrified. He saw their handcuffs and thought they were going to take him away. It got totally blown out of proportion.”
A spokesman said: "Officers attended because anti-social behaviour is a priority. When they got to the scene they realised that it was chalk on the road and therefore no crime had been committed."
The road was later washed clean by the rain.
More here.
They ordered Ryan Badland and his five playmates to stop because chalking the grids on the road in their quiet cul-de-sac was "graffiti".
Ryan and 10 pals aged three to 11 were playing outside their homes in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, after his mother, Lisa gave them special pavement chalks.
Two police officers then lined them up for a lecture on graffiti and road safety.
Lisa said: “Ryan was petrified. He saw their handcuffs and thought they were going to take him away. It got totally blown out of proportion.”
A spokesman said: "Officers attended because anti-social behaviour is a priority. When they got to the scene they realised that it was chalk on the road and therefore no crime had been committed."
The road was later washed clean by the rain.
More here.
How boffins cooked up the perfect bacon sandwich
Scientists have created a mathematical formula of how to make the perfect bacon butty.
Experts at Leeds University discovered the secret to the ideal sandwich lay in how crispy and crunchy rashers were.
They found that two or three back bacon rashers should be cooked under a preheated oven grill for seven minutes at about 240C (475F).
The bacon should then be placed between two slices of farmhouse bread, 1cm to 2cm thick.
Four researchers at the Department of Food Science spent more than 1,000 hours testing 700 variations on the traditional bacon sandwich.
The formula is: N = C + {fb (cm) . fb (tc)} + fb (Ts) + fc . ta, where N=force in Newtons required to break the cooked bacon, fb=function of the bacon type, fc=function of the condiment/filling effect, Ts=serving temperature, tc=cooking time, ta=time or duration of application of condiment/filling, cm=cooking method, C=Newtons required to break uncooked bacon.
Experts at Leeds University discovered the secret to the ideal sandwich lay in how crispy and crunchy rashers were.
They found that two or three back bacon rashers should be cooked under a preheated oven grill for seven minutes at about 240C (475F).
The bacon should then be placed between two slices of farmhouse bread, 1cm to 2cm thick.
Four researchers at the Department of Food Science spent more than 1,000 hours testing 700 variations on the traditional bacon sandwich.
The formula is: N = C + {fb (cm) . fb (tc)} + fb (Ts) + fc . ta, where N=force in Newtons required to break the cooked bacon, fb=function of the bacon type, fc=function of the condiment/filling effect, Ts=serving temperature, tc=cooking time, ta=time or duration of application of condiment/filling, cm=cooking method, C=Newtons required to break uncooked bacon.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)