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Toys

Two-day power cut causes 'baby boom' in Dutch community

Baby boom
Two-day power cut causes 'baby boom' in Dutch community
A small Dutch community has recorded a 44 percent rise in baby births nine months after a power cut plunged its 23,000 inhabitants into darkness for two days, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

In December last year, the blades of an Apache helicopter accidentally severed the high voltage cables providing electricity to the nine villages that make up the municipality of Maasdriel in the east of the country.

Bomb

Smoking in a Can!

Campaigners have slammed a nicotine-packed "fag-in-a-can" drink called Liquid Smoking.

The tipple, made up of 15% nicotine, will be sold in pubs to help punters beat the smoking ban.

Makers have claimed it is a "healthy" alternative to lighting up.

But angry anti-smoking groups have attacked the drink and warned it could glamorise smoking and get more people hooked.

Control Panel

Polish driver follows GPS directions into lake

Image
© AFP A man testing a car with a navigation system. A Polish driver who was too sure of his GPS road navigation device ended up neck-deep in a lake after ignoring road signs warning of a dead-end ahead, Polish police said Friday.
Photo:/AFP
What happens when you don't rely on your own brain.

Warsaw - A Polish driver who was too sure of his GPS road navigation device ended up neck-deep in a lake after ignoring road signs warning of a dead-end ahead, Polish police said Friday.

"The man took a road that was closed a year ago when the area was flooded to make an artificial lake serving as a water reservoir -- he ignored three road signs warning of a dead-end," Piotr Smolen, police spokesman in Glubczyce, southern Poland, told AFP Friday.

Mr. Potato

John McCain's brother calls 911 to complain about traffic

Excerpts from calls made by Joe McCain, younger brother of GOP presidential candidate John McCain, made to 911 and the Alexandria Police after he got stuck in traffic.

Comment: Wait, it gets even scarier:

The operator called the caller back and received this message: "Hi this is Joe McCain I can't take this message now because I'm involved in a very (inaudible) important political project... I hope on Nov. 4th we have elected John."

The operator then called the number back and left a message for Joe about how it is illegal to use a 911 number for anything other than emergencies.

Here's the best part: An outraged Joe called the operator back to complain about being read the riot act about calling 911 and got read the riot act again.


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Mr. Potato

'Joe the Plumber' Mulling Run for Congress

Joe Wurzelbacher, a.k.a. "Joe the Plumber," said Friday he may consider running for Congress in 2010, challenging longtime Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) in the Toledo-area district.

Smiley

Police arrest naked burglary suspect

London - A naked man was arrested on suspicion of burglary Wednesday after getting stuck in the chimney of the Tesco store he was allegedly trying to steal from, police said.

Greater Manchester Police said officers were alerted to the Tesco Express store in the Pemberton area of Wigan at 5:30 a.m. after receiving a report of "concern for a man."

When police arrived at the scene, they found a man trapped in the chimney breast. The 22-year-old was freed by firefighters and, after it was discovered he was naked, officers took him to hospital. He was later discharged and is now in police custody.

Eye 1

Obsessed with saving the planet? You may be stark, raving mad

Do you feel anxious when you see a television set left on standby? Does the sight of a plastic bottle haphazardly tossed into a paper-only recycling bin make you feel nauseous? Are you consumed with rage when someone has left an empty room and not switched off the light?

Have you recently found yourself overcome with a desire to spit on your car-driving friends and family? When a loved one tells you that he is flying off for some winter sun, do you feel like bludgeoning him over the head with a blunt instrument until he appears no longer to be breathing?

If so, don't worry! You are probably suffering from "carborexia", Or "energy anorexia". Psychiatrists in America have identified a new mental illness that threatens the very fabric of society: an obsession with saving the planet. Some people are so addicted to cutting their carbon emissions that they seem to have gone quite mad.

Pistol

Italy: Violinist's right to bear arms

A concert violinist has been given a gun permit so he can protect his £6million Stradivarius violin.

Matteo Fedeli, 36, travels all round Italy with his rare instrument and has been given police permission to protect it with a a 357 Smith and Wesson Magnum.

Mr. Potato

Sarkozy needled by 'voodoo doll'

sarkodoll
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to sue a publishing company if it does not withdraw from shops a "voodoo doll" in his image.

Black Cat

The cat did come back, years after it disappeared

EDMONTON, Alberta - Mystery swirls around a cat named Smokey that suddenly reappeared seven years after she vanished from her owner's backyard.