Saturday, May 10, 2008

Thief crawls through mail flap

A thief broke into the headquarters of Austria's ruling political party last month by wriggling through a post flap in the front door.

The burglar squeezed through the 35x35cm hole early on April 17th and stole laptops, mobile phones, notebooks and cash before crawling out, Catherina Straub, spokeswoman for the Social Democrats, said. "It is such a tiny door for post and newspapers, he must have obviously been extremely small," she said, adding that the culprit had not been caught.

She said it was unlikely the robbery was politically motivated and that the data stolen was not sensitive.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Nagging really does wonders on men

Women who think that they are wasting their time and energy nagging their husbands should reassess their opinion, for a new study has found that nagging does work on men.

The study by US researchers found that the mental fatigue generated by a continuous stream of questions or orders leaves men susceptible to persuasion.

In other words, the researchers say, it leaves most males too tired to oppose.

In one experiment, the researchers tried to convince a group of students to sanction one month's summer holiday rather than three.

Half the students came to the study fresh, while the other half given a mentally-draining task ahead of time were more willing to sacrifice two months of holiday, the researchers found.

The team says that other tips to win over your man include not wavering when making your pitch ums and ahs sound less convincing not giving too many choices and meeting face to face.

Moreover, flattery and mirroring the body language of the person being persuaded also helps in convincing the person.

"Avoid engaging in argument or doing battle with sales people when your mental batteries are low. Or, if you are trying to be persuasive, strike when your target is low on mental energy," New Scientist quoted the researchers, as saying.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Drivers fined for slow-drive

China opened the world's longest cross-sea bridge last week aiming to cut travel time between two major ports, but hundreds of drivers have been fined already for, unexpectedly, driving too slow to enjoy the view.

The 36-km (22.4 miles) structure spans Hangzhou Bay in the booming province of Zhejiang, designed to slash travel time between its port city of Ningbo and the financial hub Shanghai from four hours to two and a half.

But since its opening on May 1, police have fined more than 300 drivers, most for driving too slowly or illegal parking on the emergency lanes while enjoying the ocean view and taking photos, local media reported on Monday.

"I just wanted to drive a bit slowly and enjoy the sea breeze. Is that wrong?" Zhejiang's official news portal (www.zjol.com.cn) quoted an unnamed driver as complaining.

Long lines of cars carrying whole families eager to see the bridge and sea vista have caused serious traffic problems and led to a series of accidents, the news portal said.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

300-pound jail inmate complains being ill-fed

BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS: An inmate awaiting trial on a murder charge is suing the county, complaining he has lost more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms) because of the jailhouse menu.

Broderick Lloyd Laswell says he isn't happy that he's down to 308 pounds (140 kilograms) after eight months in the Benton County jail. He has filed a federal lawsuit complaining the jail doesn't provide inmates with enough food.

According to the suit, Laswell weighed 413 pounds (187 kilograms) when he was jailed in September. Police say he and a co-defendant fatally beat and stabbed a man, then set his home on fire.

"On several occasions I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out," Laswell wrote in his complaint. "About an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again."

But Laswell then goes on to complain that he undertakes little vigorous activity.

"If we are in a small pod all day (and) do next to nothing for physical exercise, we should not lose weight," the suit says. "The only reason we lost weight in here is because we are literally being starved to death."

The suit also asks that the county be ordered to serve hot meals. The jail has served only cold food for years.

The meals, provided through Aramark Correctional Institution Services, average 3,000 calories a day, jail Capt. Hunter Petray told The Morning News of northwest Arkansas for a story last week.

A typical Western diet consists of 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day. Laswell's suit was filed without a lawyer in US District Court in Fayetteville.

Monday, May 5, 2008

When diamonds become girls' worst friends

Diamonds may be forever. But what's a girl to do when she gets dumped or divorced and those rings, necklaces and love gifts lose their emotional sparkle?

Help is just a click away on new Web sites that provide an outlet for selling jewelry from past relationships, sharing break-up stories and helping broken hearts heal.

"You go through a divorce. What do you do with that ring? Maybe you have a child you can pass it on to. Maybe you don't. It just sits there," said Marie Perry of Los Angeles, who with her stepdaughter Megahn Perry runs such a website.

"We wanted to create a platform in the community where people can get in contact with others with similar needs," Perry told. Three months after its launch with the slogan "You Don't Want It. He Can't Have It Back," the Web site has 3,000 registered users and more than 600 postings of rings, bracelets and earrings for sale -- all with a personal tale attached.

"Studs from a Dud," rites one woman, selling a pair of cubic zirconia earrings given to her three years ago. Six months later, she says, the boyfriend dumped her over the phone -- while she was recovering from brain surgery.

"Oops," writes another, selling a white gold wedding band. "Hey, Mom and Dad, remember that time I got married really young? Sorry about that. I can't pay you back for the wedding, but I'll split whatever I get for these with you. Deal?"

"We wanted to keep the tone fun and tongue in cheek. There are some bitter women but most stories are really light-hearted although a few are about people who have been in an abusive situation. But now they are ready to move on," said Perry.

The idea was born when Megahn Perry, a Los Angeles actress and writer, was looking for a safe, reliable place to sell a wedding set after an amicable divorce and realised others might have boyfriend jewelry languishing in drawers or with attendant memories that make them too painful to wear.

The local pawn shop proved an unattractive option. So she teamed up with her stepmother Marie, researched the market and found a gap in it. New Orleans students, Allison Wasserman and Elizabeth Rothbeind, set up a similar venture in April after a teary afternoon sorting out photographs, jewelry and other mementos of an ex-boyfriend.

With the motto "Don't Get Mad - Break Even," it offers independent appraisals of jewelry, matches buyers with sellers, and provides a social network.

Although aimed at women, the Web sites welcome men. "Some men thought it was going to be another male-bashing site but that's not what we're trying to do," said Perry. But she admits the "He Can't Have It Back" slogan has rankled some who believe jewelry should be returned to the giver.

"Etiquette says that if the engagement is broken off, you should absolutely give the ring back. But sometimes the man says no, and sometimes it depends on circumstances," she said.

As one woman posting a diamond ring for $3,500 wrote: "Beautiful ring came with the wrong man. Decided to sell to regain the money that I spent finishing payments on the ring that my ex didn't."