Pediatricians call for a choke-proof hot dog

Nutritionists have long warned of the perils of hot dogs: fat, sodium and preservatives to name a few.
Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants foods like hot dogs to come with a warning label — not because of their nutritional risks but because they pose a choking hazard to babies and children.
Better yet, the academy would like to see foods such as hot dogs "redesigned" so their size, shape and texture make them less likely to lodge in a youngster's throat.

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Sky-writer proposal

A lucky woman named Sally would have had the surprise of her life when she looked skyward this morning.
The words "Marry me Sally" were written above Sydney’s inner west around 10am, much to the delight of thousands of people and hopefully Sally.
The original – and expensive – proposal had a slight glitch when the sky-writer missed the "e" on the end of "me".
But a quick turnaround saw the missing letter added on at the end, completing the big question.
Sally’s partner picked the perfect day to pop the question – the first day of clear sky in several weeks.
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Woman’s $1,600 water bill is correct

A Minneapolis woman has received a $1,600 water bill, a bill the city believes is accurate even though it's 20 times the woman's usual bill. Erica Kocur said her bill is generally $70 to $80 per month. She said her "heart just dropped" when she got her latest bill. The city said she must have a running toilet or dripping faucet.
But they billed her for using almost 200,000 gallons of water. That's three times the volume of her entire home. A shower would have to run nonstop for almost two months to use that much water.
The city's director of treasury is LeeAnn Stagg. She said the city believes the bill is accurate, but the city will check Kocur's meter one more time.
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Weightlifting ant is photo winner

An amazing image of an ant lifting 100 times its body weight has won first prize in a science photography contest.
The image shows an Asian weaver ant hanging upside down on a glass-like surface and holding a 500mg (0.02oz) weight in its jaws.
It was taken by zoology specialist Dr Thomas Endlein of Cambridge University as he researched insects' sticky feet.
Dr Endlein won £700 in photographic vouchers from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
The research shows how ants change the size and shape of the pads on their feet to enable them to carry heavier loads.
He hopes it could help scientists develop better glues.
"The pads on ants' feet are self-cleaning and can stick to almost any type of surface," he said.
"No man-made glue or adhesive system can match this. Understanding how animals can control their adhesive systems should help us come up with clever adhesives in the future."
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The 30 most important cats of 2009

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On 81st birthday, man gives company to employees

Bob Moore, standing in his retail store, had his 81st birthday this week and celebrated by transferring his business to his workers. His successful whole-grain production business mills grains, operates a retail store and restaurant, and ships products internationally.
He's turned down almost daily offers to buy the multi-million dollar company saying, "These people are far too good at their jobs for me to just sell it."

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Tiny Courts Abuses - Law and Power

Some of the courtrooms are not even courtrooms: tiny offices or basement rooms without a judge’s bench or jury box. Sometimes the public is not admitted, witnesses are not sworn to tell the truth, and there is no word-for-word record of the proceedings.
Nearly three-quarters of the judges are not lawyers, and many — truck drivers, sewer workers or laborers — have scant grasp of the most basic legal principles. Some never got through high school, and at least one went no further than grade school.
But serious things happen in these little rooms all over New York State. People have been sent to jail without a guilty plea or a trial, or tossed from their homes without a proper proceeding. In violation of the law, defendants have been refused lawyers, or sentenced to weeks in jail because they cannot pay a fine. Frightened women have been denied protection from abuse.

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