When Karen Kilgour decided to spend a day at home tidying the house and playing with her infant son, she got a lot more than she bargained for.
Mrs. Kilgour, from Mt Eden in Auckland, New Zealand, had to be rescued after spending seven hours trapped inside a tiny wardrobe after her 14-month-old son Harry shut the door on her.
“I’m slowly starting to see the funny side,” Mrs. Kilgour told The Times, after recalling her household ordeal.
The 32-year-old antiques dealer was tidying up the clothes in her son’s bedroom wardrobe at 9.30am on Friday morning when the toddler, playing on the bedroom floor next to her, decided to play a game of hide and seek.
“I could see him at the door and he was closing it ever so slightly, but it was just like a game,” she said. “But the next thing I know he pushed the door to and I suddenly I thought: ‘Oh my god, I’m locked in here by myself’.”
The wardrobe was about 16in (40cm) deep and unfortunately for Mrs. Kilgour, unlike the others in the newly built home, it did not have a magnetic lock.
Mrs. Kilgour spent about three hours trying to open the door. First she tried to bang it open with her hip. Then she pulled a shelf off the wall and tried to wedge it in the door crevice, and even tried to pull bits of metal off an ironing board in the wardrobe to break the door frame – to no avail.
Screaming for the neighbors did not help either as every time Mrs. Kilgour screamed, her son became distressed and began crying too.
At one point she put her fingers under the door and called out for Harry, who came over and played with them. But he grew bored and crawled out of the bedroom.
“I could hear him bashing and screaming and crashing and crying all over the house,” Mrs. Kilgour said.
“For a few hours he wasn’t in the room and I was very worried about what he was doing, I was very concerned for him because he’s only 14 months old. He can’t walk but he’s definitely into climbing. I was just thankful the back door was closed so he couldn’t go out into the garden.”
Eventually Harry came back into the room, and as Mrs. Kilgour began to sing to him, he eventually fell asleep on the bedroom floor. “It was only then that I was finally able to totally relax,” she said.
At about 4.30pm – seven hours after she became locked in the wardrobe – Mrs. Kilgour’s husband Jason came home from work and let her out. She was lucky – Mr. Kilgour was supposed to have been out until midnight but had come home between work functions because of heavy traffic.
Mrs. Kilgour was unharmed apart from being dehydrated and hungry. And Harry seemed to have survived his day at home by helping himself to food left over from breakfast, and playing with his favorite toys.
As for the wardrobe door, the family is planning to get builder back to put a handle on it.
“Harry is actually quite scared of the wardrobe now; he bursts into tears every time we go near it,” Mrs. Kilgour said.
“It will be a funny story for his 21st, but I’m just happy he was ok.”
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009
'Cavemen' inherit billions
Two penniless brothers who are so poor they live in a cave could be set to inherit a share of a £4 billion fortune.
Zslot and Geza Peladi live in the cave outside Budapest, Hungary, and sell scrap they find on the street for pennies.
Now they and a sister who lives in America are said to be on the verge of inheriting their grandmother's massive fortune after a life of poverty.
They learned of their good fortune after homelessness charity workers in Hungary were contacted by lawyers handling the estate of the brothers' maternal grandmother who died recently in Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany.
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Zslot and Geza Peladi live in the cave outside Budapest, Hungary, and sell scrap they find on the street for pennies.
Now they and a sister who lives in America are said to be on the verge of inheriting their grandmother's massive fortune after a life of poverty.
They learned of their good fortune after homelessness charity workers in Hungary were contacted by lawyers handling the estate of the brothers' maternal grandmother who died recently in Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany.
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American Airlines redefines the term "Wide Body"
Obese air passenger in economy seat has picture taken
An image of an obese passenger squeezed into an economy airline seat has reopened a debate about how airlines deal with growing numbers of oversized passengers.
The picture, posted on an aviation blog, was reportedly taken by a flight attendant to illustrate to airline managers the difficulty of dealing with passengers who cannot fit into seats.
It is unclear if the man was aware his picture was being taken or whether the flight, on US carrier American Airlines, took off with the passenger spilling out of his seat.
Airlines already offer extended seatbelts to larger passengers to comply with safety rules but a number of carriers now insist obese customers buy an extra seat.
An image of an obese passenger squeezed into an economy airline seat has reopened a debate about how airlines deal with growing numbers of oversized passengers.
The picture, posted on an aviation blog, was reportedly taken by a flight attendant to illustrate to airline managers the difficulty of dealing with passengers who cannot fit into seats.
It is unclear if the man was aware his picture was being taken or whether the flight, on US carrier American Airlines, took off with the passenger spilling out of his seat.
Airlines already offer extended seatbelts to larger passengers to comply with safety rules but a number of carriers now insist obese customers buy an extra seat.
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30 Secrets Your Waiter Will Never Tell You
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Servers reveal the truth about what goes on behind the kitchen doors.
What We Lie About
What You Don’t Want to Know
What Are You Really Swallowing
What Drives Us Crazy
What We Want You to Know
What Tells Us You’re Trouble
What We Lie About
What You Don’t Want to Know
What Are You Really Swallowing
What Drives Us Crazy
What We Want You to Know
What Tells Us You’re Trouble
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Prime minister loses job after forgetting absence note
The Prime Minister of the tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has been left red-faced and out of a job, after he lost his seat in parliament thanks to a simple paperwork error - he didn't hand in a note explaining his absences.
Prime Minister Edward Natapei fell foul of a rule that members of parliament in Vanuatu will forfeit their seat if they miss three consecutive sittings of parliament without notifying the speaker of the reason for their absence.
All he needed to do while away on official business was hand in a signed note explaining why he wasn't there. But, in a mistake that one analyst called 'flabbergasting', the Prime Minister's office somehow overlooked this rule - with the result that Natapei has now lost his seat, plunging Vanuatu into a political crisis.
Natapei's cabinet hurriedly convened emergency talks, while Natapei himself was reported to be rushing back to Vanuatu from a Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago.
Vanuatu will now have a caretaker government until the parliament elects a new prime minister next week.
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Prime Minister Edward Natapei fell foul of a rule that members of parliament in Vanuatu will forfeit their seat if they miss three consecutive sittings of parliament without notifying the speaker of the reason for their absence.
All he needed to do while away on official business was hand in a signed note explaining why he wasn't there. But, in a mistake that one analyst called 'flabbergasting', the Prime Minister's office somehow overlooked this rule - with the result that Natapei has now lost his seat, plunging Vanuatu into a political crisis.
Natapei's cabinet hurriedly convened emergency talks, while Natapei himself was reported to be rushing back to Vanuatu from a Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago.
Vanuatu will now have a caretaker government until the parliament elects a new prime minister next week.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Burger King’s 1000 calorie monster burger
Burger King has just unleashed a new monster burger, criticized as “a heart attack on a plate".
The new four-meat patties, five-layered cheese burger dubbed the “Quad Stacker” are being slammed by New Zealand dieticians, due to its phenomenal fat content.
The Burger King creation contains 1000 calories and 68 grams of fat.
ABC nutritionist Angela Beryl says it's an extremely large amount of fat for just one burger.
“Ideally you should only be having one to two servings of meat a day, and a serve of red is what fits into the palm of your hand.”
Australian fast-food joints have been subject to criticism recently - because they're offering similar overloaded burgers.
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The new four-meat patties, five-layered cheese burger dubbed the “Quad Stacker” are being slammed by New Zealand dieticians, due to its phenomenal fat content.
The Burger King creation contains 1000 calories and 68 grams of fat.
ABC nutritionist Angela Beryl says it's an extremely large amount of fat for just one burger.
“Ideally you should only be having one to two servings of meat a day, and a serve of red is what fits into the palm of your hand.”
Australian fast-food joints have been subject to criticism recently - because they're offering similar overloaded burgers.
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Sunday, November 29, 2009
Your wallabies can't hop on bus
Sunbus says it was just following rules when it would not let a volunteer animal rescue worker carrying two wallaby joeys on board.
The incident happened on Thursday as Tanya Dunham was trying to make her way to open the Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue Center at Manunda.
She had been called in to cover for a sick colleague and, with her car off the road, Ms Dunham was forced to take the bus.
Trying to get a ride from Kewarra Beach, Ms Dunham was not allowed on the bus after the driver was told by head office not to let the eight-month-old wallaby passengers on.
Ms Dunham then started walking in the rain with her laptop, brief case and two wallabies named Diego and Dexter in her handbag.
The wallaby orphans were brought into the refuge a couple of months ago and Ms Dunham took them home to care for them.
"I have to be with the wallabies all the time, they’re like kids … I told him (the bus driver), normally I wouldn't but the center has been inundated with calls," she said.
"I thought it was very un-Australian."
Ms Dunham was eventually given a lift by a friend who saw her walking in the rain.
Sunbus spokesman Richard Gabasa said under State Government law, an animal not used to assist a passenger with a disability was prohibited from entering the bus.
"A person must not take an animal, that is not an assistance animal, on a public passenger vehicle without the permission of the operator or driver of the vehicle," he said.
"Our first priority is the consideration of the travelling public."
All workers at the volunteer rescue organization have to take home animals brought into the center, which acts as a call service and drop-off zone.
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The incident happened on Thursday as Tanya Dunham was trying to make her way to open the Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue Center at Manunda.
She had been called in to cover for a sick colleague and, with her car off the road, Ms Dunham was forced to take the bus.
Trying to get a ride from Kewarra Beach, Ms Dunham was not allowed on the bus after the driver was told by head office not to let the eight-month-old wallaby passengers on.
Ms Dunham then started walking in the rain with her laptop, brief case and two wallabies named Diego and Dexter in her handbag.
The wallaby orphans were brought into the refuge a couple of months ago and Ms Dunham took them home to care for them.
"I have to be with the wallabies all the time, they’re like kids … I told him (the bus driver), normally I wouldn't but the center has been inundated with calls," she said.
"I thought it was very un-Australian."
Ms Dunham was eventually given a lift by a friend who saw her walking in the rain.
Sunbus spokesman Richard Gabasa said under State Government law, an animal not used to assist a passenger with a disability was prohibited from entering the bus.
"A person must not take an animal, that is not an assistance animal, on a public passenger vehicle without the permission of the operator or driver of the vehicle," he said.
"Our first priority is the consideration of the travelling public."
All workers at the volunteer rescue organization have to take home animals brought into the center, which acts as a call service and drop-off zone.
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National Geographic Otter Chaos
Fascinated by these otters?
Here's fair warning: cute doesn't necessarily mean cuddly.
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Here's fair warning: cute doesn't necessarily mean cuddly.
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Saturday, November 28, 2009
Pet pig farting prompts gas leak fears
A pig with flatulence triggered a minor emergency near Bendigo this week when smells wafting from the 120kg porker sparked fears of a potentially dangerous gas leak.
Two Country Fire Authority tankers and 15 firefighters turned out in darkness to search the source of the leak at a property at Axedale, east of Bendigo. But the likely culprit was soon sniffed out, the pet sow startled from slumber in the dead of night.
"She got very excited when two trucks and 15 firefighters turned up and she squealed and farted and squealed and farted," said fire chief Peter Harkins.
"I haven't heard too many pigs fart but I would describe it as very full-on."
Mr. Harkins said the family had done the right thing by calling 000 to report a suspected gas leak: "It's all bottled gas up here and a leaking cylinder could pose a major fire risk.
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Two Country Fire Authority tankers and 15 firefighters turned out in darkness to search the source of the leak at a property at Axedale, east of Bendigo. But the likely culprit was soon sniffed out, the pet sow startled from slumber in the dead of night.
"She got very excited when two trucks and 15 firefighters turned up and she squealed and farted and squealed and farted," said fire chief Peter Harkins.
"I haven't heard too many pigs fart but I would describe it as very full-on."
Mr. Harkins said the family had done the right thing by calling 000 to report a suspected gas leak: "It's all bottled gas up here and a leaking cylinder could pose a major fire risk.
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Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Couple busted for not paying tip
The gratuity was mandatory for large parties, but what if the service stinks?
Bizarre story of the week: Two restaurant patrons were arrested on a charge of theft when they refused to pay a $16 mandatory tip that was part of their bill.
College student Leslie Pope told a reporter that the service was so bad at the Bethlehem, Pa., establishment that she had to get the table’s silverware and napkins and walk to the bar to refill her soda. An hour after the group of eight ordered chicken fingers and other bar grub, the food arrived.
Tipping etiquette
The menu says an 18% tip is included in the bill for parties of six or more. The tip on their bill amounted to $16.35 (inexplicably higher than 18%).
After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.
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Bizarre story of the week: Two restaurant patrons were arrested on a charge of theft when they refused to pay a $16 mandatory tip that was part of their bill.
College student Leslie Pope told a reporter that the service was so bad at the Bethlehem, Pa., establishment that she had to get the table’s silverware and napkins and walk to the bar to refill her soda. An hour after the group of eight ordered chicken fingers and other bar grub, the food arrived.
Tipping etiquette
The menu says an 18% tip is included in the bill for parties of six or more. The tip on their bill amounted to $16.35 (inexplicably higher than 18%).
After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.
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Woman gets $14,000 for toilet paper injury
Cook County taxpayers will write a $14,022 check to a custodian who claims she twice injured her back by "reaching around to pick up a piece of toilet paper," according to county documents.
More than 1,000 county workers file workers compensation claims each year, but this one got the attention of County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, who spent 11 years in the insurance industry.
"Do I think it's excessive? I think we end up compensating employees for illnesses and injuries they bring with them to work," she said after Wednesday's meeting in which the settlement was approved.
Gainer stressed she didn't know anything about the custodian's case.
Mary Lait, the worker injured on the job in October 1997 and March 1998, remains a custodian in the sheriff's office, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Patterson.
The state's attorney's staff defends the county in these claims. Deputy State's Attorney Pat Driscoll had no details about the Lait case.
Driscoll said anyone filing a claim must prove the injury happened in the line of duty.
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More than 1,000 county workers file workers compensation claims each year, but this one got the attention of County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, who spent 11 years in the insurance industry.
"Do I think it's excessive? I think we end up compensating employees for illnesses and injuries they bring with them to work," she said after Wednesday's meeting in which the settlement was approved.
Gainer stressed she didn't know anything about the custodian's case.
Mary Lait, the worker injured on the job in October 1997 and March 1998, remains a custodian in the sheriff's office, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Patterson.
The state's attorney's staff defends the county in these claims. Deputy State's Attorney Pat Driscoll had no details about the Lait case.
Driscoll said anyone filing a claim must prove the injury happened in the line of duty.
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Friday, November 20, 2009
All Good Things Must Come To A End
Oprah Winfrey is canceling her own show. The show will end on September 9, 2011. Winfrey will announce the end on tomorrow's show:
"Oprah will be ending her talk show," Harpo spokesman Don Halcombe said Thursday. "She will be speaking about it on tomorrow's live show."
"Oprah will be ending her talk show," Harpo spokesman Don Halcombe said Thursday. "She will be speaking about it on tomorrow's live show."
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Man carrying $600 stole a pencil
Police have arrested a man after he allegedly stole a pencil from a Bellingham store even though he was carrying $600 in cash. The man, 44, was booked into the Whatcom County Jail after police learned he had an outstanding warrant from Everett.Officers questioned the man about why he stole the mechanical pencil, worth $5.99, when he had enough money to pay for it. Police said the suspect just responded: "I don't know, being stupid I guess."
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Soldiers Given Onions, Garlic to Fight H1N1 Flu
Moldova's army is feeding its soldiers onions and garlic to help them ward off swine flu.
Defense Ministry chief doctor Col. Sergiu Vasislita says about 0.9 ounces (25 grams) of onions and 0.5 ounces (15 grams) of garlic will be added to each soldier's daily diet. That roughly corresponds to a small onion and a couple of garlic cloves.
Onion and garlic are traditional remedies in Moldova where they are widely believed to boost the immune system.
Vasislita said Thursday that the measure was taken after 24 soldiers fell sick with swine flu in the past two weeks. More than 1,000 Moldovans have swine flu with 90 new cases reported daily.
About 6,500 troops serve in the army of Moldova, a small former Soviet republic bordering Romania and Ukraine.
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Defense Ministry chief doctor Col. Sergiu Vasislita says about 0.9 ounces (25 grams) of onions and 0.5 ounces (15 grams) of garlic will be added to each soldier's daily diet. That roughly corresponds to a small onion and a couple of garlic cloves.
Onion and garlic are traditional remedies in Moldova where they are widely believed to boost the immune system.
Vasislita said Thursday that the measure was taken after 24 soldiers fell sick with swine flu in the past two weeks. More than 1,000 Moldovans have swine flu with 90 new cases reported daily.
About 6,500 troops serve in the army of Moldova, a small former Soviet republic bordering Romania and Ukraine.
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Monday, November 16, 2009
Man, 96, holds pre-emptive wake
A 96-year-old photographer in Beaverton, Oregon said he decided to plan and hold his own wake prior to his death so he could attend the event.
Hugh Ackroyd, 96, said he held the wake for family and friends Sunday at the Beaverton home of friend Edda Sigurdar, The Oregonian reported Monday.
"Well, why not?" Ackroyd said of leading his own wake. "Why bother when (I'm) dead?"
Ackroyd, a father of two whose wife died about 12 years ago, sat in his padded wheelchair and greeted his friends as they arrived for the event. He said one of his favorite items at the wake was a wreath bearing a ribbon reading: "Eventually, Hugh, rest in peace."
"It's quite magnificent," Ackroyd said of his wake.
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Hugh Ackroyd, 96, said he held the wake for family and friends Sunday at the Beaverton home of friend Edda Sigurdar, The Oregonian reported Monday.
"Well, why not?" Ackroyd said of leading his own wake. "Why bother when (I'm) dead?"
Ackroyd, a father of two whose wife died about 12 years ago, sat in his padded wheelchair and greeted his friends as they arrived for the event. He said one of his favorite items at the wake was a wreath bearing a ribbon reading: "Eventually, Hugh, rest in peace."
"It's quite magnificent," Ackroyd said of his wake.
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
Wind Extinguishes Eternal Flame
Flame's Self-Starter Is Broken, Won't Be Fixed Until January.
The day America sets aside to honor its veterans, many visitors to Jacksonville's Veterans Memorial Mall noticed the eternal flame was not burning.
The city said it learned two weeks ago that the self-starter built into the marble pedestal of the flame had stopped working, so when the wind blows out the flame, it has to be manually restarted by someone with a lighter.
Because the marble-covered ground around the pedestal has to be dug up to fix the flame, city leaders decided to wait to make the repairs until after the football season, when traffic in the surrounding sports complex drops off.
Harrison Conyers of the city's office of veterans affairs said it was unfortunate the flame was out much of Veterans Day, but the wind kept blowing it out.
The city plans a $20,000 repair project to not only fix the self-starter on the eternal flame, but also repair damage done by skateboarders and add an additional panel so more names of Jacksonville's war dead can be added.
"We're sorry the flame was out but it was something that was really out of our control," Conyers said Thursday. "Our staff was out working at the parade yesterday. There were multiple events going on all over town. We did the best we could."
The city is coming up with a schedule to have people check on the flame and relight it as necessary, but there is no way to ensure the eternal flame is constantly burning until permanent repairs are made.
"Could we have re-run the electric line in the last two or three days? Probably. But it would have meant tearing up all the marble that is out here. We could not have fixed that quickly," Conyers said. "So you would have had a flame but you would have had a monument that is defaced."
The day America sets aside to honor its veterans, many visitors to Jacksonville's Veterans Memorial Mall noticed the eternal flame was not burning.
The city said it learned two weeks ago that the self-starter built into the marble pedestal of the flame had stopped working, so when the wind blows out the flame, it has to be manually restarted by someone with a lighter.
Because the marble-covered ground around the pedestal has to be dug up to fix the flame, city leaders decided to wait to make the repairs until after the football season, when traffic in the surrounding sports complex drops off.
Harrison Conyers of the city's office of veterans affairs said it was unfortunate the flame was out much of Veterans Day, but the wind kept blowing it out.
The city plans a $20,000 repair project to not only fix the self-starter on the eternal flame, but also repair damage done by skateboarders and add an additional panel so more names of Jacksonville's war dead can be added.
"We're sorry the flame was out but it was something that was really out of our control," Conyers said Thursday. "Our staff was out working at the parade yesterday. There were multiple events going on all over town. We did the best we could."
The city is coming up with a schedule to have people check on the flame and relight it as necessary, but there is no way to ensure the eternal flame is constantly burning until permanent repairs are made.
"Could we have re-run the electric line in the last two or three days? Probably. But it would have meant tearing up all the marble that is out here. We could not have fixed that quickly," Conyers said. "So you would have had a flame but you would have had a monument that is defaced."
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Didn't get the Memo
Planners have driven motorists into a pole - by leaving a 40ft utility pole in the middle of a six lane highway.
The unmarked and unlit pole - in Zhengzhou, central China - has been the cause of dozens of accidents as unwary drivers smash into it.
And road signs only a few yards from the pole show an arrow directing drivers right into it at 50mph.
"We have complained to the council but they say it would cost too much to bury the cables underground so we are stuck with it," said local resident Chang Feng, 33.
The problem was caused when the road was widened and made worse when builders added an arrow less than 350 feet from the pole pointing straight at it.
The utility pole belongs to the local power authorities who explained that the pole used to be on the road side, but due to the widening of the road, the pole is now in the middle of the road.
A spokesman from the power authorities said: "They should have informed us before the road widening project, but none of us knew this. Now it's too expensive to move the pole."
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The unmarked and unlit pole - in Zhengzhou, central China - has been the cause of dozens of accidents as unwary drivers smash into it.
And road signs only a few yards from the pole show an arrow directing drivers right into it at 50mph.
"We have complained to the council but they say it would cost too much to bury the cables underground so we are stuck with it," said local resident Chang Feng, 33.
The problem was caused when the road was widened and made worse when builders added an arrow less than 350 feet from the pole pointing straight at it.
The utility pole belongs to the local power authorities who explained that the pole used to be on the road side, but due to the widening of the road, the pole is now in the middle of the road.
A spokesman from the power authorities said: "They should have informed us before the road widening project, but none of us knew this. Now it's too expensive to move the pole."
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Bird Feathers "Sing"
Solving a longstanding puzzle among bird experts, scientists have found that the sharp, violin-like sounds of a South American songbird come not from the beak but from a suite of specially evolved, vibrating feathers.
A new study offers the first hard evidence that birds use feathers for audible communication as well as for flight and warmth.
In 2005 Kimberly Bostwick theorized that the male club-winged manakin—a tiny bird of the Andean cloud forest—was vibrating a club-shaped wing feather against a neighboring, ridged feather to "sing" when trying to attract females.
Proving the feather-song connection, though, would be a huge challenge.
"It was very hard to mess with the birds' feathers and still have them do their display," said Bostwick, curator of birds and mammals at the Cornell University of Vertebrates in Ithaca, New York.
"There were many times where I listened to the sound and started doubting that a feather could possibly make [the sound]," she recalled.
Bird Vibrations
To determine, once and for all, how the manakin was making its bizarre sounds, Bostwick and colleagues decided to take feather samples and analyze them in a lab.
She knew from previous work that the frequency of the sound made by the manakin was 1500 hertz—1,500 cycles per second. If the two feather types were making the sound, they should resonate when vibrated at the same frequency during the experiments.
The team used lasers to monitor vibrations as they were oscillated by a lab device called a mini-shaker. The special feathers vibrated at exactly 1500 hertz—proving they're responsible for the strange sounds.
But there's a twist: Bostwick was surprised to find that club and the ridged feathers aren't a duet, but part of a chamber orchestra.
Individually the manakin's "regular" feathers didn't resonate like the special ones. But when the nine feathers closest to the special feathers were still attached to the ligaments, they vibrated at around 1500 hertz, harmonized with the club feathers, and amplified the volume of the sound.
The results, Bostwick said, could lead to better understanding of the newly discovered form of bird communication.
Lots of birds make simple clapping sounds or whooshing noises with their wings, and we haven't even begun to understand how the sounds are made or how they've evolved, she added.
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A new study offers the first hard evidence that birds use feathers for audible communication as well as for flight and warmth.
In 2005 Kimberly Bostwick theorized that the male club-winged manakin—a tiny bird of the Andean cloud forest—was vibrating a club-shaped wing feather against a neighboring, ridged feather to "sing" when trying to attract females.
Proving the feather-song connection, though, would be a huge challenge.
"It was very hard to mess with the birds' feathers and still have them do their display," said Bostwick, curator of birds and mammals at the Cornell University of Vertebrates in Ithaca, New York.
"There were many times where I listened to the sound and started doubting that a feather could possibly make [the sound]," she recalled.
Bird Vibrations
To determine, once and for all, how the manakin was making its bizarre sounds, Bostwick and colleagues decided to take feather samples and analyze them in a lab.
She knew from previous work that the frequency of the sound made by the manakin was 1500 hertz—1,500 cycles per second. If the two feather types were making the sound, they should resonate when vibrated at the same frequency during the experiments.
The team used lasers to monitor vibrations as they were oscillated by a lab device called a mini-shaker. The special feathers vibrated at exactly 1500 hertz—proving they're responsible for the strange sounds.
But there's a twist: Bostwick was surprised to find that club and the ridged feathers aren't a duet, but part of a chamber orchestra.
Individually the manakin's "regular" feathers didn't resonate like the special ones. But when the nine feathers closest to the special feathers were still attached to the ligaments, they vibrated at around 1500 hertz, harmonized with the club feathers, and amplified the volume of the sound.
The results, Bostwick said, could lead to better understanding of the newly discovered form of bird communication.
Lots of birds make simple clapping sounds or whooshing noises with their wings, and we haven't even begun to understand how the sounds are made or how they've evolved, she added.
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Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Did You Know.....
From 1939 to 1942, there was a undersea post office in the Bahamas.
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Central Park located in New York has 125 drinking fountains.
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In 1907, on New Year's Eve, the original ball that was lowered in Times Square was made of wood and iron and had 100 light bulbs on it.
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Americans consume the most peanut butter in the world.
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850 peanuts are needed to make an 18 oz. jar of peanut butter.
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Carbonated water, with nothing else in it, can dissolve limestone, talc, and many other low-Moh's hardness minerals. Coincidentally, carbonated water is the main ingredient in soda.
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Annually 17 tons of gold is used to make wedding rings in the United States.
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Levan, which is located in Utah, got its name from "navel" which is levan spelt backwards.
It was named this because it is in the center of Utah
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A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
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Thousands says “NO” color television.
Almost 30,000 people across the UK still tune into their favorite programs on black and white TV sets.
The figures were released by TV Licensing to mark the 40th anniversary of the first color transmissions on BBC1 and ITV.
The 28,000 black and white license holders included 1,950 in Scotland.
The figures showed the black and white sets have not yet been consigned to history despite the rise of flat-screens and the iPlayer.
While the figures show there is still life in the oldest TV equipment, BBC statistics show that emerging technologies are changing the way many of us watch TV.
In September, the BBC iPlayer attracted more than one million unique users a day, who watched a total of 60.8 million TV programs on the internet using computers, smart phones and games consoles, as well as on televisions equipped with the Virgin Media set-top boxes.
“These figures show TV has never been more popular across the spectrum”
Fergus Reid TV Licensing
Yet despite the increasingly divergent ways to watch, leaning back on the sofa in front of your TV set is still the most popular - with sales of flat-screen televisions almost trebling in the past three years.
TV Licensing spokesman Fergus Reid said: "These figures show TV has never been more popular across the spectrum, and with so many ways to watch TV now available, it is important people are aware of their legal responsibilities.
"Whether you watch in black and white on a 40-year-old TV set or in color on a brand new 37in LCD flat screen, you need to be covered by a TV License if watching or recording programs as they are broadcast.
"The same is true if you access programs via the internet as they are being shown on TV - if you're using a laptop, mobile phone, games console or any other device."
The first color TV broadcasts began in 1967 on BBC2 and on 15 November 1969 on BBC1 and ITV. The first color pictures were seen on BBC1 in Scotland in December 1969.
Comedy classic Dad's Army was among the first programs to receive a color makeover.
'Technological breakthrough'
Ian Lavender, who played Private Pike in the series, recalled: "I remember we bought our first color television set to watch the 3rd series of Dad's Army, which had been recorded in color.
"I was also the first actor to be killed by a color TV set on color TV in Z Cars when a robbery went wrong and the TV set was dropped on me from a great height by Nicholas Jones".
Iain Logie Baird, curator of television at the National Media Museum in Bradford and a grandson of John Logie Baird, the inventor of the first television, said he believed the arrival of color TV had an enormous social impact in the UK.
"The arrival of mass color television was a technological breakthrough," he said.
The figures were released by TV Licensing to mark the 40th anniversary of the first color transmissions on BBC1 and ITV.
The 28,000 black and white license holders included 1,950 in Scotland.
The figures showed the black and white sets have not yet been consigned to history despite the rise of flat-screens and the iPlayer.
While the figures show there is still life in the oldest TV equipment, BBC statistics show that emerging technologies are changing the way many of us watch TV.
In September, the BBC iPlayer attracted more than one million unique users a day, who watched a total of 60.8 million TV programs on the internet using computers, smart phones and games consoles, as well as on televisions equipped with the Virgin Media set-top boxes.
“These figures show TV has never been more popular across the spectrum”
Fergus Reid TV Licensing
Yet despite the increasingly divergent ways to watch, leaning back on the sofa in front of your TV set is still the most popular - with sales of flat-screen televisions almost trebling in the past three years.
TV Licensing spokesman Fergus Reid said: "These figures show TV has never been more popular across the spectrum, and with so many ways to watch TV now available, it is important people are aware of their legal responsibilities.
"Whether you watch in black and white on a 40-year-old TV set or in color on a brand new 37in LCD flat screen, you need to be covered by a TV License if watching or recording programs as they are broadcast.
"The same is true if you access programs via the internet as they are being shown on TV - if you're using a laptop, mobile phone, games console or any other device."
The first color TV broadcasts began in 1967 on BBC2 and on 15 November 1969 on BBC1 and ITV. The first color pictures were seen on BBC1 in Scotland in December 1969.
Comedy classic Dad's Army was among the first programs to receive a color makeover.
'Technological breakthrough'
Ian Lavender, who played Private Pike in the series, recalled: "I remember we bought our first color television set to watch the 3rd series of Dad's Army, which had been recorded in color.
"I was also the first actor to be killed by a color TV set on color TV in Z Cars when a robbery went wrong and the TV set was dropped on me from a great height by Nicholas Jones".
Iain Logie Baird, curator of television at the National Media Museum in Bradford and a grandson of John Logie Baird, the inventor of the first television, said he believed the arrival of color TV had an enormous social impact in the UK.
"The arrival of mass color television was a technological breakthrough," he said.
"As more viewers made the switch, it gradually altered the effect of television as a medium, changing both program styles and viewers' perceptions.
"The addition of color enabled viewers to have a greater feeling of actually 'being there' for live events and similarly, an increased sense of involvement in pre-recorded material, which had a major impact on the cultural fabric of the nation."
"The addition of color enabled viewers to have a greater feeling of actually 'being there' for live events and similarly, an increased sense of involvement in pre-recorded material, which had a major impact on the cultural fabric of the nation."
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Medals Of Dishonor
FBI: Prodigiously decorated California man never served in military
NOVEMBER 11--Just in time for Veteran's Day, a California bank employee is facing federal charges for allegedly masquerading as a decorated Marine and wearing a host of bogus medals, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Navy Cross. Steven Burton, 39, is scheduled to surrender tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Riverside, California (Burton, who has never served in the armed forces, was named last week in misdemeanor criminal information charging him with the unauthorized wearing of military medals). According to a search warrant affidavit, Burton's charade was discovered after an actual Navy commander, Colleen Salonga, ran into Burton at their high school reunion. Online records indicate that Salonga and Burton graduated in 1988 from Alhambra High School in Martinez, California (and that their class's 20th reunion was last October). Suspicious that Burton was playing dress up, Salonga asked to take a photo with him. That image was later provided to FBI agents. A subsequent investigation turned up another photo of Burton in uniform as well as blog postings in which he recounted his "combat experience" and tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the real world, Burton is employed at Rabobank in Palm Springs, California.
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NOVEMBER 11--Just in time for Veteran's Day, a California bank employee is facing federal charges for allegedly masquerading as a decorated Marine and wearing a host of bogus medals, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Navy Cross. Steven Burton, 39, is scheduled to surrender tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Riverside, California (Burton, who has never served in the armed forces, was named last week in misdemeanor criminal information charging him with the unauthorized wearing of military medals). According to a search warrant affidavit, Burton's charade was discovered after an actual Navy commander, Colleen Salonga, ran into Burton at their high school reunion. Online records indicate that Salonga and Burton graduated in 1988 from Alhambra High School in Martinez, California (and that their class's 20th reunion was last October). Suspicious that Burton was playing dress up, Salonga asked to take a photo with him. That image was later provided to FBI agents. A subsequent investigation turned up another photo of Burton in uniform as well as blog postings in which he recounted his "combat experience" and tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the real world, Burton is employed at Rabobank in Palm Springs, California.
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Girl Sneezes Approximately 12,000 Times a Day
It’s that time of year when everyone seems to be coughing and sneezing, but for a 12-year-old girl from Virginia, she can’t sit for more than a few seconds without someone saying "bless you."
It’s so bad, on a regular day Lauren Johnson can sneeze more than 12,000 times a day.
"I can't stop sneezing. It goes off about eight to nine times a minute," Lauren said.
The condition, described as "machine gun sneezing," started about two weeks ago when the sixth-grader caught a cold and ever since then she’s been miserable.
"I know this is terrible for her," Lauren’s mom, Lynn Johnson said.
Lauren hasn’t been able to go to school and has visited six different doctors since the non-stop sneezing began. Although there’s no clear diagnosis, one neurologist told the family Lauren’s condition could be "irretraceable psychogenic disorder," which could be triggered by stress, according to the report.
It’s so bad, on a regular day Lauren Johnson can sneeze more than 12,000 times a day.
"I can't stop sneezing. It goes off about eight to nine times a minute," Lauren said.
The condition, described as "machine gun sneezing," started about two weeks ago when the sixth-grader caught a cold and ever since then she’s been miserable.
"I know this is terrible for her," Lauren’s mom, Lynn Johnson said.
Lauren hasn’t been able to go to school and has visited six different doctors since the non-stop sneezing began. Although there’s no clear diagnosis, one neurologist told the family Lauren’s condition could be "irretraceable psychogenic disorder," which could be triggered by stress, according to the report.
"There's less than 40 cases ever documented ever in the entire world," Johnson said. "Nobody really knows how to treat it, what's going to work, and even in the cases where it might have worked or turned the sneezing off for awhile, a lot of times it comes back again and then you're right back to where you started," she added.
However, there are a few hours when Lauren does not sneeze."It turns off when she sleeps," her mom said. "Only in a deep REM sleep it turns off."
However, there are a few hours when Lauren does not sneeze."It turns off when she sleeps," her mom said. "Only in a deep REM sleep it turns off."
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Funny Animals
Stunt Hamster Hammy
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Hamster runs Dog Agility Coarse!
The obstacle course consists of 5 hurdles, a see-saw, an up-down weave, a hoop and a collapsed tunnel. Watch as this hamster go through the whole course.
Hamster runs Dog Agility Coarse!
The obstacle course consists of 5 hurdles, a see-saw, an up-down weave, a hoop and a collapsed tunnel. Watch as this hamster go through the whole course.
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34 years ago yesterday...The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729 foot ore carrier, which apparently broke apart and sunk last night on Lake Superior. The ship and its 29-man crew vanished in a storm with 80 mile-an-hour winds and wave heights up to 25 feet. All that has been found is an oil slick and some debris.
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Lyrics:
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee"
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,
that big ship and true was a bone to be chewed
when the Gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
with a crew and good captain well seasoned,
concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
when they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang,
could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
and a wave broke over the railing
And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too
'twas the witch of November come stealin'
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
when the Gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
in the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya"
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said,
"Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
and the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight
came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does any one know where the love of God goes
when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
they may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
in the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
the islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
with the Gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
in the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee"
"Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early"
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee"
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,
that big ship and true was a bone to be chewed
when the Gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
with a crew and good captain well seasoned,
concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
when they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang,
could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
and a wave broke over the railing
And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too
'twas the witch of November come stealin'
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
when the Gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
in the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya"
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said,
"Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
and the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight
came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does any one know where the love of God goes
when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
they may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
in the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
the islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
with the Gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
in the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee"
"Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early"
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Student suspended for shaved head
The mother of a 15-year-old girl suspended from school for shaving her head to raise money for cancer charities says her leukemia-stricken husband is proud of her actions.
Emily Pridham was sent home from Mount Alvernia College yesterday and will not be allowed back until her hair grows back after she shaved it off as part of a cancer research fundraiser on Saturday.
The Catholic girls' school has cited its dress code policy for the temporary ban.
She told ABC radio her daughter had made the decision to part with her locks as a way to cope with her father's battle with leukemia.
"I understand that school rules have to be abided by. However, I've gone through the school rules and the uniform policy and nowhere does it say that a girl cannot shave her head," Ms Pridham said.
"At no stage did [the school] contact me or tell me. At no stage did I think I needed their permission for Emily to do this.
A Facebook group supporting Emily's decision to shave her head has appeared, with members calling the school's decision a 'joke' and an 'absolute disgrace'.
Emily's mother said her daughter had struggled with her father's diagnosis and saw the fundraiser as a way to deal with it.
"Ten months ago he was given six months to live and we had to explain all of this to Emily," she said.
"I didn't want her to do it. She had beautiful, long blonde hair halfway down her back and I told her she might regret it because she can't just stick it back on ... but she's just been so determined to do it."
The school has defended its actions to enforce uniform guidelines and has said other, "ongoing issues" were behind the suspension.
But Ms Pridham said the only trouble her daughter had been involved in included a warning over nail polish after the school formal two weeks ago and her use of a rude word in the presence of a teacher.
She said her husband, who has undergone a bone marrow transplant, was supportive of Emily's decision to go bald.
"He is very proud of her as everybody that knows her is," Ms Pridham said.
"He is very angry and worried about the rest of her academic year."
Ms Pridham said she had been in contact with the school about the suspension order.
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Emily Pridham was sent home from Mount Alvernia College yesterday and will not be allowed back until her hair grows back after she shaved it off as part of a cancer research fundraiser on Saturday.
The Catholic girls' school has cited its dress code policy for the temporary ban.
She told ABC radio her daughter had made the decision to part with her locks as a way to cope with her father's battle with leukemia.
"I understand that school rules have to be abided by. However, I've gone through the school rules and the uniform policy and nowhere does it say that a girl cannot shave her head," Ms Pridham said.
"At no stage did [the school] contact me or tell me. At no stage did I think I needed their permission for Emily to do this.
A Facebook group supporting Emily's decision to shave her head has appeared, with members calling the school's decision a 'joke' and an 'absolute disgrace'.
Emily's mother said her daughter had struggled with her father's diagnosis and saw the fundraiser as a way to deal with it.
"Ten months ago he was given six months to live and we had to explain all of this to Emily," she said.
"I didn't want her to do it. She had beautiful, long blonde hair halfway down her back and I told her she might regret it because she can't just stick it back on ... but she's just been so determined to do it."
The school has defended its actions to enforce uniform guidelines and has said other, "ongoing issues" were behind the suspension.
But Ms Pridham said the only trouble her daughter had been involved in included a warning over nail polish after the school formal two weeks ago and her use of a rude word in the presence of a teacher.
She said her husband, who has undergone a bone marrow transplant, was supportive of Emily's decision to go bald.
"He is very proud of her as everybody that knows her is," Ms Pridham said.
"He is very angry and worried about the rest of her academic year."
Ms Pridham said she had been in contact with the school about the suspension order.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Woman diagnosed with fear of vegetables
Vicki Larrieux, a 22-year-old student from Portsmouth, claims she is unable to keep to a healthy diet because she is frightened of vegetables.
She suffers from a fear known as lachanophobia, which leaves her sweating and stricken with panic attacks at the merest sight of a sprout or a pea.
Miss Larrieux survives on a diet of meat, potatoes, cereals and an occasional apple but refuses even a single slice of carrot on her dinner plate.
"I have always had an irrational fear of vegetables even as a child I used to properly freak out if some carrots or a few peas were on my plate," she said.
"But as it continued into adult life I started to think it might not just be a dislike for vegetables but an actual phobia.
"Every time I would see vegetables not just on my plate, but anywhere I would get feelings of panic, start sweating and my heart rate would shoot up.
"People might think it is a bit of a laughable affliction but I have a genuine fear of greens it's not just that I dislike the taste of sprouts or broccoli, but the actual sight of them fills me with dread and I could never touch them."
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She suffers from a fear known as lachanophobia, which leaves her sweating and stricken with panic attacks at the merest sight of a sprout or a pea.
Miss Larrieux survives on a diet of meat, potatoes, cereals and an occasional apple but refuses even a single slice of carrot on her dinner plate.
"I have always had an irrational fear of vegetables even as a child I used to properly freak out if some carrots or a few peas were on my plate," she said.
"But as it continued into adult life I started to think it might not just be a dislike for vegetables but an actual phobia.
"Every time I would see vegetables not just on my plate, but anywhere I would get feelings of panic, start sweating and my heart rate would shoot up.
"People might think it is a bit of a laughable affliction but I have a genuine fear of greens it's not just that I dislike the taste of sprouts or broccoli, but the actual sight of them fills me with dread and I could never touch them."
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This girls’ heart could stop when she cries
A couple has spoken about a medical condition which can stop their toddler daughter's heart every time she cries. Tianne Lewis, two, from Wrexham, suffers from reflex anoxic seizures (RAS), which start when she is shocked by something, or bursts into tears.
Andy McHugh and his fiancée Ceri Lewis feared they might lose their daughter after one terrifying episode.
Mr. McHugh said: "Anything that causes her to cry - falling down to bath water being too hot - can stop her heart."
The condition was discovered when Tianna was about 18 months old.
Although the family has been told there are no known fatalities, Mr. McHugh said doctors were once concerned Tianna might not survive.
“As soon as she starts to cry we head for the shower or the tap, and it goes straight to her face... I know it sounds awful, but we have to act quickly and it shocks her into taking a breath”
Andy McHugh, Tianna's father.
He said: "She had a seizure and this led to her fitting, and it went on for about two hours.
"The doctors told us that if she didn't come around within 10 or 15 minutes, she might not make it."
Mr McHugh, a car salesman, added: "When she cries, she suffers seizures.
"Whereas a normal baby will cry and take a breath, she cries and her heart stops.
"We basically have to shock her out of it before it happens.
"As soon as she starts to cry we head for the shower or the tap, and it goes straight to her face.
"I know it sounds awful, but we have to act quickly and it shocks her into taking a breath."
Mother Ceri, a hotel receptionist, remembers the moment her daughter first had a seizure.
'Deathly grey'
She said: "I picked her up out of her high chair and put her on the floor and she cried for seconds and then she looked like she had died.
"She went a deathly grey, her lips and around her eyes was blue and her eyes rolled back in her head.
"When she has the fits she stops breathing and looks dead because she stiffens up and her back arches.
"I thought she was dead and I was hysterical."
On that occasion, Mr. McHugh rushed home from work and gave his daughter mouth-to-mouth resuscitation - after which she took a "massive breath".
The couple is slowly getting used to their daughter's condition, which they hope she will grow out of.
The pair has been supported by the Syncope Trust and Reflex Anoxic Seizures charity (Stars).
Mr. McHugh now hopes to raise awareness of the condition and to raise money for the charity with friends by cycling around Wales next year.
Stars founder and chief executive Trudie Lobban said the condition could be as common as epilepsy, but it is thought it is being misdiagnosed.
She added: "Stars is working to support to increase awareness of RAS and to ensure children are correctly diagnosed.
"Unfortunately, statistics have shown that up to 39% of children diagnosed with epilepsy are actually misdiagnosed and many of them will be suffering with RAS."
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Andy McHugh and his fiancée Ceri Lewis feared they might lose their daughter after one terrifying episode.
Mr. McHugh said: "Anything that causes her to cry - falling down to bath water being too hot - can stop her heart."
The condition was discovered when Tianna was about 18 months old.
Although the family has been told there are no known fatalities, Mr. McHugh said doctors were once concerned Tianna might not survive.
“As soon as she starts to cry we head for the shower or the tap, and it goes straight to her face... I know it sounds awful, but we have to act quickly and it shocks her into taking a breath”
Andy McHugh, Tianna's father.
He said: "She had a seizure and this led to her fitting, and it went on for about two hours.
"The doctors told us that if she didn't come around within 10 or 15 minutes, she might not make it."
Mr McHugh, a car salesman, added: "When she cries, she suffers seizures.
"Whereas a normal baby will cry and take a breath, she cries and her heart stops.
"We basically have to shock her out of it before it happens.
"As soon as she starts to cry we head for the shower or the tap, and it goes straight to her face.
"I know it sounds awful, but we have to act quickly and it shocks her into taking a breath."
Mother Ceri, a hotel receptionist, remembers the moment her daughter first had a seizure.
'Deathly grey'
She said: "I picked her up out of her high chair and put her on the floor and she cried for seconds and then she looked like she had died.
"She went a deathly grey, her lips and around her eyes was blue and her eyes rolled back in her head.
"When she has the fits she stops breathing and looks dead because she stiffens up and her back arches.
"I thought she was dead and I was hysterical."
On that occasion, Mr. McHugh rushed home from work and gave his daughter mouth-to-mouth resuscitation - after which she took a "massive breath".
The couple is slowly getting used to their daughter's condition, which they hope she will grow out of.
The pair has been supported by the Syncope Trust and Reflex Anoxic Seizures charity (Stars).
Mr. McHugh now hopes to raise awareness of the condition and to raise money for the charity with friends by cycling around Wales next year.
Stars founder and chief executive Trudie Lobban said the condition could be as common as epilepsy, but it is thought it is being misdiagnosed.
She added: "Stars is working to support to increase awareness of RAS and to ensure children are correctly diagnosed.
"Unfortunately, statistics have shown that up to 39% of children diagnosed with epilepsy are actually misdiagnosed and many of them will be suffering with RAS."
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The Great Panda Escape
In a Chinese zoo, two pandas escaped from the room.
One abstracted the keeper's attention and the other opened the door.
One abstracted the keeper's attention and the other opened the door.
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Did You Know.....
The Capitol Building in
Washington, D.C. has 365 steps, representing every day of the year.
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A average person breathes 7 quarts of air every minute.
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A average person breathes 7 quarts of air every minute.
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Monday, November 9, 2009
Dog Has 21 Puppies It took more than 20 hours labor
An American Bulldog named Daisy Mae must be dizzy after giving birth to 21 pups, nearly double the average litter size which is 11.
"Every couple hours one would come out. I kept thinking 'Well, that has to be the end,'" said owner Scott Ballard. The Ballards live on a 28-acre farm near Columbia, Ill., and bred Daisy Mae with Groucho, a friend's registered bulldog.
Four of the puppies didn’t make it through the labor that lasted more than 20 hours, but the 17 that survived just celebrated their 6-week birthday and can be adopted. But don't pack up the car just yet -- they're all spoken for.
"Every couple hours one would come out. I kept thinking 'Well, that has to be the end,'" said owner Scott Ballard. The Ballards live on a 28-acre farm near Columbia, Ill., and bred Daisy Mae with Groucho, a friend's registered bulldog.
Four of the puppies didn’t make it through the labor that lasted more than 20 hours, but the 17 that survived just celebrated their 6-week birthday and can be adopted. But don't pack up the car just yet -- they're all spoken for.
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Sunday, November 8, 2009
Scots Island kids must take two-minute plane journey to get to school
A small group of Scots children are bringing new meaning to "flying lessons" as they use the shortest scheduled air route in the world to get to school.
It is all due to the temporary loss of their normal ferry service.
Holly Crocker, Leanne Cursiter, Solan and Cassia Dodman, Shane Houston and Rowan Pierce, all aged 13 and 14, will make a two minute flight from Papa Westray to Westray in the Orkney Islands to go to Westray Junior High.
The distance covered is just over a mile - shorter than the runway at Glasgow airport.
The Loganair school run service will last until the end of the year, when the ferry returns to service.
Meanwhile, the kids will fly four times a week and stay overnight twice a week with families on Westray - which has about 60 residents - while Papa Westray is home to just 70 people.
Loganair boss Jonathan Hinkles said: "The flight is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the worlds shortest. It is a popular tourist route for many visitors to Scotland but it is also a vital link for people who live in Orkney.
"It will make all the difference in ensuring the children from Papa Westray can continue their schooling throughout the winter."
Westray Junior High head Willie McEwen said: "Our children will enjoy flying at this time of year, as it can be quite rough on the boat."
MAP
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It is all due to the temporary loss of their normal ferry service.
Holly Crocker, Leanne Cursiter, Solan and Cassia Dodman, Shane Houston and Rowan Pierce, all aged 13 and 14, will make a two minute flight from Papa Westray to Westray in the Orkney Islands to go to Westray Junior High.
The distance covered is just over a mile - shorter than the runway at Glasgow airport.
The Loganair school run service will last until the end of the year, when the ferry returns to service.
Meanwhile, the kids will fly four times a week and stay overnight twice a week with families on Westray - which has about 60 residents - while Papa Westray is home to just 70 people.
Loganair boss Jonathan Hinkles said: "The flight is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the worlds shortest. It is a popular tourist route for many visitors to Scotland but it is also a vital link for people who live in Orkney.
"It will make all the difference in ensuring the children from Papa Westray can continue their schooling throughout the winter."
Westray Junior High head Willie McEwen said: "Our children will enjoy flying at this time of year, as it can be quite rough on the boat."
MAP
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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Miniature Animals
Falabella miniature horses are intelligent, easily trained pets. They can only be ridden by very small children but can be taught to drive a little cart, if that's your thing.
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Pygmy goats are fun-loving pets that need at least one other goat for company, or even another species such as a horse or donkey.
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Pygmy hedgehogs were last year's must-have pet.
They are similar to a hamster in that they are nocturnal, enjoy exercise wheels and live for three to five years. They are different because they are carnivorous - and prickly.
Fennec foxes can be kept as pets, believe it or not, and are very sociable creatures.
However, they are extremely boisterous and difficult to train, so inexperienced owners may prefer to stick with a dog.
Micro pigs make brilliant pets - they are intelligent, affectionate, can be house-trained and learn their names. They need a large garden, should be kept in pairs and can live for 18 years
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Miniature mules - a cross between a miniature donkey and a miniature mare - make feisty pets. They are especially popular in America, where they are used for driving and showing.
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Philippine tarsiers used to be kept as pets, but as they need live insects to eat, may spread worms, and often die in captivity, that no longer seems a good idea.
Oh, and they're endangered, so you can't buy one anyway.
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Pygmy leaf chameleons are miniscule, secretive and really good at camouflage, so you probably wouldn't see much of your new pet.
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Pygmy marmosets are popular with zoo visitors - but they're a lot happier scurrying up and down trees in a rainforest.
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These sand cats may look like cute little kitties, but even if you turn up your central heating really high they probably won't like living with you - they prefer the desert (as you might have guessed from the name.)
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Friday, November 6, 2009
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