A certain ring to it ....

A little while ago I blogged about a ringtone being used by US students because it could not be heard by adults. Well, they've started advertising it on Australian television - and I admit I was perplexed when I saw it - because I couldn't hear it. The ad featured a picture of a mobile phone ... but was the ringtone being played? I guess I'll have to co-opt someone young enough to hear it to find out. Talk about feeling old!

And now for the ... nose

The NY Times has become the first English-language newspaper to introduce a regular column on perfume: so declared the BBC Select podcast I was listening to. The question then is what other language newspapers already have a perfume column? And thanks to the Mail & Guardian Online (South Africa) I now know it's Swiss. Also thanks to the Mail & Guardian Online for coming up with the headline: New York Times hires man with nose for a story. The man is Chandler Burr, author of "The Emperor of Scent: A True Story of Perfume and Obsession" (Random House, 2003) and he will review and rate fragrances in his column called Scent Strip in the NY Times' T:Style magazine.

Advertising ruses

An ad on this morning's television spruiked the benefits of a new abdominal exercise apparatus. It was demonstrated with some not very firm "before" shots and some very firm "after" shots - which is reasonable except the "after" shots were tagged with the line "results dramatised". Yep, we'll all be running out to buy that one.

Finally ....

Elizabeth Bolden may be breathing a sigh of "finally" this week - after becoming the world's oldest person. You wouldn't think it would be that hard - but she had to wait her turn. The title was only recently given up by the woman previously considered to be the world's oldest person - Maria Esther de Capovilla who died on the weekend of pneumonia. Elizabeth Bolden was born 11 months after Maria - in 1890 - yes, that's right - 1890! Elizabeth celebrated her 116th birthday a couple of weeks ago with her two favourite things - candy and ice cream (mmmmm .... ice cream).

Noticed ...

Chicago's main airport had a couple of noteworthy features including what must be about the longest concourse in the world! On the way to Louisville earlier this month, we had to change planes and that meant walking from one end of the airport to the other - a brisk 15-20 minute journey. But on the way I noticed the dinosaur (I'd walked past it without noticing it earlier in the day!).
Another feature was the hygienic toilet seat covers: the plastic sleeve is "moved along" one seat's worth when you pass your hand in front of a sensor. I tested: it's not the same bit being moved back and forth. Also worked by sensors:the flush, and the sink taps. And, as you'd expect, there are no main restroom doors so there's no fear of door germs on your way out either The other feature of Chicago that has left me intrigued is the Towers around the City - they look like huge golf tees complete with ball. What are they? Some have suggested water towers; some not. Homeland security devices perhaps - given that Chicago is the busiest airport in the US according to a recent poll - and I'd agree that it seems to be one of the biggest!
But it didn't have the fog San Francisco had that day - or the snow we flew over on the mountains (amazing given how hot it's been in the States!). (Notice the difference in quality between photos taken on the camera - and on the phone!)

Lies

It's probably never too early to learn that you should not lie - but is not telling the truth justified at any time? And is it something you should have to go to court over? And are these questions too "big" for an 11-year old? That's the age of the girl, who cannot be named because of her age, who's off to court for allegedly lying about the whereabouts of a seven-year-old boy who was later found hiding under her bed. The boy, Tyler Deacon, had apparently run away the day before. State Emergency Service (SES) officers had asked the girl if she could help, but she allegedly lied to them. The girl has been reported for hindering police and will be summonsed to face court. The report I read in The Daily Telegraph raised more questions for me than it answered. If she "lied" to SES officers, why was she reported for "hindering police"? If she was asked is she could help, is it a matter of semantics - yes, she could help but no she wouldn't. And what were her reasons for concealing Tyler's whereabouts? Did she consider him to be in danger and was she protecting him? Had he asked her to keep his whereabouts secret? And is Tyler to be charged with any offences? Of course, this is not to imply that running away and having someone say you're not there or somewhere else is the right thing to do ... but I wonder how many of us have done it or something similar. The next time the phone rings and you wave to your partner or whoever answers the phone for them to say you're not there, spare a moment think about it.

And now for the news (and how to edit it)

It's good to know when changes have been made to a news item - but it may not be exactly what the publishers had in mind. I had found an item on Yahoo News which read:

Man accused of online overseas extortion
AP - Charges have been filed against a man accused of persuading a teen to send him a nude photograph by threatening to ruin her parents' credit rating and saying he would come from the Middle East to have sex with her.

The encounter turned into a sting operation because the alleged perpetrator did visit the States (from Dubai) and tried to set up a meeting with the girl - who by that time had been to the police who began posing as her online. A number of charges have now been laid.

At the very end of the article is this statement:

(Rewrites throughout to correct suspect's first name to `Babir' sted `Babar,' based on updated information from sheriff's department; ADD that Chaudhry was visiting a brother, other details.)

Make a wish

For her 100th birthday, Gwen Dorling wished for a stripper. Now, two years later - she's finally had one - and for her next birthday - she wants two! Various reports from the UK today tell of Gwen, who lives in a residential facility called The Nunnery in Diss (not sure if Diss is the place), and how she had a few games of ten pin bowls and a "bit of alright" stripper as part of her 102nd birthday celebrations.
For those who can't imagine this story not having a photo to go with it - you're right - you can see it at the EDP site (... where Norfolk really matters!).

In case you missed it ...

Psycho Killer Raccoons Terrorize Olympia, Devouring Cats, Attacking Dog, Frightening Residents

OLYMPIA, Washington Aug 22, 2006 (AP)— A fierce group of raccoons has killed 10 cats, attacked a small dog and bitten at least one pet owner who had to get rabies shots, residents of Olympia say.
Some have taken to carrying pepper spray to ward off the masked marauders and the woman who was bitten now carries an iron pipe when she goes outside at night.
"It's a new breed," said Tamara Keeton, who with Kari Hall started a raccoon watch after an emotional neighborhood meeting drew 40 people. "They're urban raccoons, and they're not afraid." ...
Read the full report at the ABC News site.

Stargate SG-None

The Sci-Fi Channel has decided not to order another series of StarGate SG-1 - "the longest-running science fiction series on US television to date" (according to the Yahoo News). But StarGate fans will still be able to enjoy the spin-off StarGate Atlantis. I am an unashamed fan of SG-1 but I am still in a daze as to why one of the characters, alien T'elc, suddently went from bald to haired on the show - without explanation.

"… shut up"

The BBC recently carried an interview with Sha Zukang, China's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. The interview looked at China's emergence as a super power - and its military build-up (it's third in the world - behind the U.S. and Russia). The big question is whether the world should be concerned. It may be that this quote as reproduced in the NY Sun's article reporting the interview, is not the best indicator:

"It's better for the U.S. to shut up," he said. "Keep quiet. It's much, much better." His voice rising, Mr. Sha continued: "It's the U.S.'s sovereign right to do whatever they deem good for them — but don't tell us what is good for China. Thank you very much!"

For more information on the BBC program "What China Wants", and for a link to a transcript of that program, click here.

Root cause analysis

A woman is suing an American company after being attacked by a legless female mannequin in one of its stores. The incident happened a year ago as the woman shopped for a blouse. The only one in her size was on the mannequin and as a sales assistant removed the garment, the dummy's arm flew off and hit the woman in the head. She was treated at the scene by paramedics - and later took herself to hospital. Injuries from the incident: bleeding scalp, cracked molar (requiring a root canal) and recurring shoulder pain.

Of course, in retrospect, it’s easy to see that this was an accident waiting to happen - obviously the mannequin was legless but it wasn't 'armless (well, initially, anyway).

Pardon me?

War is … hard when you're being shot at by both sides. It seems that 306 British soldiers were shot for cowardice, desertion and other offences in the 1914-1918 war. One of them was Private Harry Farr - and for years now, his family has been fighting to have him awarded a posthumous pardon and to have his name cleared. Why? Because they believe he was suffering from shell-shock and should not have been returned to the front-lines. The same seems to be true of others - although there may not be full and accurate records to satisfactorily show this - which is why a review of the cases has not gone quickly - and why, in 1998 the Government decided that it could not issue a blanket pardon because: it could not "distinguish between those who deliberately let down their country and their comrades and those who were not guilty of desertion of cowardice".

But that's changed now - and Defence Secretary Des Browne has announced that a group pardon would be presented to Parliament for their approval. After the announcement, Pte Farr's daughter Gertrude Harris, now 93, said: "Well to be truthful, I'm overwhelmed. I prayed that it would happen in my lifetime but I never realised really that it would. It's come really as a shock today. "We were determined for my mother' sake because she always said he was no coward, he was a very brave soldier and he fought for his country and he died fighting for his country." For more on this, see the BBC report.

Of course, the question is - what kind of civilised country executes its own people?

Flying suits

How long will it be before you have to strip naked and don an attractive one-size-almost-fits-all "flying suit" prior to boarding an international aircraft?

Public service

Spare a thought this week for Boy George - hitting the streets of New York - with shovel, broom, plastic bags and gloves to do five days of sweeping as part of community Service awarded for "wasting police time". He called them to his apartment late last year - where they found cocaine - and subsequently arrested him. Now, I know there has to be more to it than that - because isn't that what police are supposed to do? But back to the present - where Boy George's first day on the job seemed to be more about the media's interest in his community service than him getting the dose of "humility" he thought the exercise was meant to engender. In the end, the foreperson decided it would be better/safer all round if Boy George went back to the depot and spent his time working on their parking lot. Hopefully the media's interest in the star will fade enough by the end of the week to allow him to return to the streets.

Mystery solved

Listening to an American podcast earlier this year - 24 June - the announcer said "Enjoy the first weekend of Summer!" Does American Summer start early? Well, according to some American colleagues the answer is yes. It starts with the Solstice ... not on the first day of the month.

Raising the bar?

There's apparently a bar in China which lets patrons pummel the staff. BBC World's Select Today's podcast ran an item on it and discovered it does exist but it's only female patrons who get to strike up more than a conversation. And said a gentleman interviewed for the report: "there are a lot of stressed women out there". At least the staff are well-protected and seem to suffer no injuries in the course of these slightly unconventional - by any standards but possibly more so by Chinese standards - duties.

Namesake

The FBI has nicknames for some of America's most wanted criminals: and it's a Marketing tool. Names like the Miss Piggy Bandit, the Uncle Fester Bandit, and Attila the Bun (whose partner may or may not be the Cookie Monster Bandit!) helps get the media - and the public - interested in helping identify the wrongdoers. Easier to ring up and dob in Miss Piggy rather than "the person who held up ..." - you get the idea. Nicknames are not new of course: remember Billy the Kid and Jack the Ripper?

Aspirations

An English woman in her 90's has started a new hobby - parachuting. She's not just in it for the thrills - she's decided she wants to get the drop on the Americans who have the record for the world's oldest jumper at 96. The UK grandmother - her oldest child is in their '60s - wants to keep jumping into her "hundreds".

Now you see it ...

Just when you thought you'd never be able to have a tattoo because you work in a conservative industry ... here's a solution. A Colorado tattoo artist has worked out how to use ink that is reactive to ultraviolet light to create tattoos. You can see some of the results -in regular light (oops, perhaps not - since that's the point of it) and under blacklight on the Wired site. Of course, the banking industry and other places of work where they do use blacklight might present something of a challenge for keeping your new tattoo under wraps.