Santa Claus' way to impress girl
A Form Two student gave away HK$40,000 (RM16,230) and eight iPhones to those who called him "Hin Go" (Brother Hin).
The student of Valtorta College in Hong Kong was said to have done that to impress the girl he likes.
Last Thursday, a long queue formed in teh school compound when the student started giving away the "presents".
A Form Three student said he heard about the present while returning to the classroom after lunch.
"Some schoolmates told me a student named Ah Hin received HK$40,000 pocket money from his grandmother.
"Ah Hin split the money into HK$100 (RM40.60) and HK$500 (RM203) notes to give to those who called him 'Hin Go'," he said, adding that the 'Santa Claus' also gave away eight iPhones worth some HK$30,000 (RM12,173).
He said he also went to queue up but two disciplinary teachers took away all the "presents" from Ah Hin before his turn.
He said Ah Hin has become a popular figure in the school since.
Another student said Ah Hin was to impress a girl he likes, thus did the act to show off and attract her attention.
School principal Ip Tak Ming said the case has been handed to the disciplinary board for further action.
Source: Ming Pao, HK
Source: Ming Pao, HK
Statue made of panda faeces
A Venus statue that is made of panda faeces
A statue of Venus displayed at Henan Provincial Art Gallery in China has attracted the attention of many visitors.
Popular Chinese contemporary art collector Uli Sigg from Switzerland is paying 300,000 yuan (RM141,732) for the statue which is made from Panda faeces.
Chengdu artist Zhu Chengzhi used up 10kg of faeces to create this 60cm-tall and 30cm-wide statue.
Its notes read: "It is learnt that panda faeces smells the best of all other animals. The unique statue made of panda farces, is it the most beautiful Venus?"
Some visitors said it smelled like bamboo, some others said it is like Pu'er tea.
Source: Agencies
Source: Agencies
Attractive women get less job offers
Do pretty girls like Angelababy have a hard time getting a job?
That depends whether you’re talking about men or women, according to a new study.
A total of 5,312 CVs were sent in pairs to 2,656 advertised job openings.
In each pair, one CV was without a picture while the second, otherwise almost identical CV contained a picture of either an attractive male/female or a plain-looking male/female.
Employer callbacks to attractive men were significantly higher than to men with no picture and to plain-looking men, nearly doubling the latter group.
Strikingly, attractive women did not enjoy the same beauty premium.
In fact, women with no picture had a significantly higher rate of callbacks than attractive or plain-looking women.
The study explored a number of explanations and provided evidence that female jealousy of attractive women in the workplace was a primary reason for the punishment of attractive women.
Previous research, however, found that good-looking female workers received higher raises than their plain or ugly counterparts.
Source: nytimes.com
Teens survive 50 days in sea eating bird and drinking rain
From left: Filo Filo, Samuel Perez and Edward Nasau leaning against the craft in which they spent 50 days adrift (Photo: Tai Fredricsen)
Three teenagers miracally survived 50 days adrift a tiny boat in the South Pacific Ocean.
Samuel Pelesa and Filo Filo - both 15 - and 14-year-old Edward Nasau had been surviving on rainwater, coconuts, raw fish and a seagull.
The boys were rescued and arrived in Fiji on Friday to find that a funeral had been held for them.
They are now receiving treatment at a military hospital.
The location of Tokelau
The boys set off on Oct 5 from their home island Tokelau - located north of Samoa but is New Zealand's territory - to another one nearby but soon went missing.
New Zealand's Air Frce launched a sea search but there were no signs of the teenagers.
Giving them up for dead, the people of Tolelau held memorial services for them.
The teenagers were found floating in the seat on Wednesday by fishermen on San Nikuna, a trawler some 1,300km from their island.
They were undernourished, severely dehydrated and badly sunburned, but otherwise well.
The teenagers are being helped on their arrival at the Stanley Brown Naval Base in Fuji
Tai Fredricsen of the trawler said a crew member spotted a small vessel bobbing in the open sea northeast of Fiji.
As it moved closer, the crew saw three people aboard waving frantically and asked them if they needed help.
"All they could say was 'Thank you very much for stopping'," Fredricsen told Radio New Zealand National.
As news of their survival spread, the village erupted in joy that the villagers cried and sang songs as they hugged each other.
Fredricsen said the boys told him they had just two coconuts with them when they set out.
During their ordeal, they drank rainwater that collected in the boat and ate fish which they had caught.
Once, they managed to grab a sea bird that landed on the boat and they also devoured that raw.
They had begun to drink seawater shortly before the rescue because it had not rained in the past few nights, Fredricsen said.
Semen' mixer pleads guilty
Protein shakes, anyone?
Sim Keng Tee, 39, mixed semen into his colleagues’ drinks on two separate occasions in 2008 at his office along Irrawady Road.
He has since been sacked from the force.
On February 2008, he collected his semen in a small bottle after he masturbated to a photograph of his colleague.
The act was recorded on his handphone.
When he returned to the office, he waited for her to leave her desk before mixing his semen with her water bottle. He also recorded this.
The victim did not realise that the water was tainted because the bottle was tinted red. He went on to record her as she drank the water.
Two months later, he repeated the same act on another colleague. This time, he poured his semen into a bottle of green tea.
As the bottle was wrapped in plastic, the victim had no idea what he had done. Sim also took a video of her ingesting the tainted mix.
Sim was busted when a third female colleague reported him to the authorities after she caught him taking up-skirt photos of her.
Police later discovered that he saved the videos on his personal computer in a 2009 raid.
They also revealed that Sim had taken photos of four of his colleagues and had organised the videos on his personal computer into separate folders named after each victim.
Besides the two charges of mischief, Sim also pleaded to eight other offences in court.
For intending to violate the privacy of a woman, he faces imprisonment of up to a year or a fine, or both, for each of the charges he face.
Source: asiaone.com
Blonde' baby girl abandoned on the street
A woman abandoned her newborn baby on a street in China - because the little girl was blonde.The fair-hairedChinese baby was discovered by a passer-by on a street corner in Nanning, Guangxi Province.
"I was walking to work and heard cries from a wrapped-up quilt in the corner. Opening it, I found a baby crying very sadly, " said a passer-by.
Police found a bag of baby clothes besides the quilt and an envelope containing 3,900 Yuan (RM1,833).
On the envelope the mother wrote: "I hope warm-hearted people can help to send the baby to the orphanage. Wish you all the best."
"My dear baby I am an irresponsible mother and an incapable mother. I am sorry."
The little girl was found on a street in Nanning, China, with a note and some baby clothes
She may have been given up because she was a girl or because her mother could not afford the fine for keeping her.
Most Chinese families are allowed only one child to reduce the 1.3 billion-plus population and cut unsustainable demand on resources.
Many children, mostly girls, are abandoned because of the policy.
The policy also leads to an estimated 13 million abortions every year, with many of those ordered by local authorities.
Infanticide is also widespread in many rural areas.
Source: whatsonxiamen.com
Woman run over by her own car. Twice
A woman in Melbourne, Australia, is in serious but stable condition after she was run over by her own car twice Wednesday night.Fairfax reports the 37-year-old forgot to put on the handbrake after she pulled into her Noble Park driveway.
The car knocked her down as it rolled, injuring her legs and stomach. It then hit a fence and rolled over her again as she lay injured on the ground.
The woman who was injured in her right leg and hips, was taken to The Alfred hospital by intensive care paramedics.
Paramedics said the woman was incredibly unfortunate to be run over twice but also very lucky that her injuries were not even worse.
After the incident, the woman told paramedics she thought she had engaged the handbrake, but admitted she was clearly mistaken.
Source: caradvice.com.au
Operation saved baby with eight limbs
The boy with eight limbs.
Rishabh was born with a massive growth attached to his stomach.
It was a half-formed parasitic twin, with two arms and two legs but no head, which was feeding off his blood supply and slowly draining life from the stricken child.
Mercifully Rishabh's life was saved thanks to a ground-breaking operation earlier this year, which removed the deadly growth.
The story of the eight-limbed youngster - dubbed Octoboy - gripped Rishabh's native Nepal and India, where some even believed he was a Hindu god.
Born to dad Rishi and mum Januka in January last year, Rishabh is one of 200,000 children afflicted with the rare condition annually.
It occurs when twins fail to separate in the womb and the less developed body remains attached to its host sibling, leeching energy to remain alive.
Time was running out for Rishabh, who would certainly have died without the operation.
In a new TV documentary that tells the fascinating story, Januka is shown struggling as she picks up her screaming son and his parasitic growth before the surgery has taken place.
She says: "He is my little king, but he can't eat and he cries all the time.
"He is so thin and he gets sick day and night. When I first saw Rishabh I didn't know what to think.
"We were confused as we had never heard or seen anything like it before.
"Some villagers believed Rishabh is the divine reincarnation of a many-limbed Hindu god, but superstitious locals call me a witch and mother to a living ghost.
"When people say nasty things it feels horrible. As a mother I cry on the inside. I put on a brave face, but it troubles me."
Without surgery Rishabh risked death because the killer twin was placing a severe strain on his heart.
Luckily, through children's charity Mending Kids International, leading US paediatric surgeon Dr James Stein agreed to conduct the life-saving operation at Los Angeles Children's Hospital.
The documentary - My Shocking Story: Octoboy, will be shown on Discovery UK on Nov 24 - sees Dr Stein visiting the Ghimire family in Nepal last year.
The procedure was scheduled in the US for early 2010.
Prior to surgery, Dr Stein said: "It's a big decision to undertake such a separation.
Rishabh Ghimire after the operation.
"Rishabh is seriously beginning to fail to thrive. He's not growing like he should and these are the first signs he's beginning to deteriorate and desperately needs this operation."
His mum and dad's nerves show as they prepare for the 8,000-mile journey from Nepal to California.
They are a poor family who farm crops and livestock and are daunted by the prospect of travelling to the United States.
Dad Rishi says: "We cannot speak their language. They don't eat with their fingers. We have no idea how we should act.
"I know this is a major operation. My fear is what happens if the operation fails.
"How would we return home? What would I tell my parents? How would I take it? It scares me.
"My prayer for Rishabh is that he becomes well and his life is a success."
Early the morning after arriving in California, Rishi, Januka and Rishabh meet Dr Stein to discuss the operation.
In Nepal, a CAT scan confirmed the parasitic twin had no brain, heart or internal organs of its own, besides a liver that is fused with Rishabh's.
Hospital staff delicately ask how the parents feel towards the lifeless body soon to be removed from their son. It would have been his brother, but its excess skin may be useful to cover wounds.
Rishi says: "You can use whatever Rishabh needs. The rest isn't much use."
Januka feels the same. She says: "I want him to be normal and someone that others will look up to in the village."
The next day is full of emotion as staff take Rishabh away for his operation. He has never left his mother's side and she collapses in floods of tears.
At 5am, Dr Stein and a medical team of 10 set to work. The intensive procedure will take five hours.
It begins by cutting open the parasitic twin's back to see into Rishabh's stomach cavity. Dr Stein says: "I think we have a basic understanding of the anatomy from the CAT scan but there is always a surprise.
"There is always going to be something in there that is a little different.
"Babies aren't born with a conjoined twin with a completely standard anatomy.
"That's going to be the interesting part - figuring out what to do with the little surprises."
The intestinal tracts are found to be separate, but with fused livers Dr Stein decides to leave both inside Rishabh.
With the tot sound asleep, the doctor uses a black marker to draw a cutting line on the body parts he is about to remove.
He says: "You do a final check with everybody that they have everything they need. Then it's the moment of truth. The trunk of the parasitic twin was really just a skin flap we could use to close up later.
"The upper extremities - the shoulders and arms - were then separated from the lower along with the lower extremities - the abdomen complete with large intestine and legs."
An exhausting five hours later, Dr Stein rests the two large body parts on a surgical table.
He says: "In this line of work it's pretty unusual to be handing a whole part over to a scrub nurse.
"In this case it was a good feeling. We knew we were removing something that shouldn't have been there."
Afterwards the two pieces are taken for examination, while little Rishabh is rushed to intensive care.
Ten days later, Januka and Rishi choke back tears at a final meeting with Dr Stein, when it is confirmed Rishabh can go home.
Free from his twin, the tot has even started to crawl for the first time.
Januka says: "He seems so happy now. He won't stop playing and moving around. Before he couldn't even get to his knees. Now he can wear ordinary clothes and there's no stopping him."
Tears well up in Rishi's eyes as he thanks the doctor for helping his son. He says: "Thank you so much for everything.
"You have given my child new life. I'll never forget my time in America. This has changed our lives and Rishabh has completely transformed.
"He has a new happiness in his life. It's so beautiful.
"The only other person that could do this is God himself."
Thieves escape with wrong dough
Police in New York City say thieves held up the owners of a pizzeria and then fled with a bag full of dough - the kind that crusts are made of.
Police tell the Daily News that Salvatore LaRosa was charged with robbery after surrendering to police.
According to court papers, LaRosa and an accomplice followed the owners of Brothers Pizzeria on Staten Island. After donning masks, the papers say, they pointed guns and demanded the men turn over a bag they believed held the day's proceeds.
But instead, the bag was full of pizza dough.
LaRosa was released on $1 million bail on Monday. His attorney, James Froccaro, declined to comment. - AP
Spain's 'orgasm election ad' courts controversy
Spain has been criticised for showing a woman simulating an orgasm while casting her vote in a public television advertisement aimed at encouraging people to vote.
In the absolutely absurd ad, the female voter is depicted as becoming "increasingly excited" as she appears to cast her vote for the Socialist Party in the regional elections, the BBC reports.
The video concludes with the line: "Voting is a pleasure" (in Spanish, of course).
To watch the video, click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9eHI3ieQk&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Needless to say, the public advertisement has come under fire from both sides of the political divide.
Alicia Sanchez-Camacho, leader of the conservative opposition Popular Party of Catalonia, said that the video is an "attack on the dignity of women".
Bibiana Aido, the Socialist equality minister, added: "If it was true, electoral participation would go up greatly, but I think we are dealing with a misleading advert."
The leader of the Green coalition in Catalonia, Joan Herrera, said that it would be "very difficult to reach orgasm voting for any of the candidates, [himself] included".
The only politician who was in favour of the controversial ad was the leader of the Socialist Party of Catalonia, Jose Montilla, who said: "If it encourages people to vote, it's a good thing."
However, speaking in a TV interview, he appeared surprised to learn that it was a video by the youth wing of his own party.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ancient vest used to cheat in exams
The mandarin jacket used by cheating students in exams
An ancient vest, used by Chinese students to cheat while sitting for imperial examinations, has been unveiled.
The overcoat - a ropey-looking mandarin vest – has about 50,000 Chinese characters written on both sides.
And the content is about "The Four Books and Five Classics" (a series of Chinese classical works).
The overcoat has some 50,000 Chinese characters written on both sides
A 50-cent coin placed on the jacket shows eight characters huddled within the 1.5cm diameter.
It was specially designed for cheating during the Imperial exams, the highest-level exam presided over by the emperor, in the Ming Dynasty (1369-1644).
"It caught my eyes once I saw it," said its current owner, who only identified himself as Song.
"He even annotated in the text with much ado," he added.
"Generally it takes three or four years to complete this," said a staff member with the Laizhou museum in Shandong Province.
"It is also the first time we have found clothes used for cheating in exams."
Source: China Daily
Source: China Daily
Woman who gave pot to 2yr old daughter
A woman in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, admitted giving her 2-year-old daughter marijuana and using her cell phone to record the child smoking it.Jessica Gamble, 21, pleaded guilty to corruption of another with drugs and tampering with evidence, court officials said.
Prosecutors dropped a child endangering charge in exchange for the plea, prosecutor's spokeswoman Julie Wilson said.
Gamble had faced a maximum sentence of 11 1/2 years on all three charges. She now faces up to 6 and a half years.
Gamble has suffered from learning disabilities and mental health issues, including depression, defense attorney James Hartke said. He said he hopes the judge will sentence her to probation."That would allow her to go into parenting and substance abuse programs and come out of this situation a better person," Hartke said.
The child is now being cared for by a relative, but Hartke said he hopes Gamble can eventually be reunited with her.
Gamble gave the toddler marijuana and used her cell phone to record video of the girl smoking at her home in August, prosecutors said.
The video shows the child handling and puffing on a marijuana cigarette. It came to authorities' attention after another person gave a copy of the video to the state family services agency.
Judge Ethna Cooper ordered Gamble to be held without bond pending her Dec. 16 sentencing and undergo mental health evaluation.
Source: AP
Loyal dog gains fame
Jingjing waiting behind the cordon outside the building devastated by fire in Shanghai on Nov 15
Jingjing trembling under a blanket while waiting for his owner outside the apartment after the fire
He refused to eat any food offered by concerned onlookers.
Jingjing taking his first bite of food after reuniting with his owner
A caring firefighter took the dog home after his owners could not be traced.
Photos of Jingjing lingering at the scene of the blaze were posted on the Internet in a bid to help find his owner.
Touched by the dog's loyalty, netizens rallied to trace the dog's owner.
One viewer recognised Jingjing as his aunt's dog. Jingjing took his first bite of food after reuniting with his owner on Wednesday.
Source: whatsonxiamen.com
Toddler cries himself to death
Beware of crying babies. Image source: New York Times
He started screaming and crying after his grandmother switched off the television for his afternoon nap.
He was also sweating profusely.
The grandmother later called the emergency services.
According to doctors, male toddlers who have cardiovascular or cerebrovascular ailments may be more prone to such deaths.
Causes include anger or over-exercise.
Purple lips or bruising of the body can indicate problems of the heart.
Doctors also pointed out that some children may inherit psychiatric ailments that cause them to be overly agitated. They may also sweat profusely and suffer from lack of oxygen.
The doctors advised parents who face such problems to admit their children into the hospital immediately.
Source: AsiaOne
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