Playboy sugar free energy drink 「花花公子」無糖能量飲料

Playboy Magazine just launched this gulp energy drink days ago. The 8.4 ounce black can drink directly competes for Red Bull. According to Chicagotuibune.com's Leisureblogs, the Playboy Energy Drink makes from “subtle notes of fruit and vanilla...low-fat chive cream cheese, braised radicchio, salmon roe, traces of medianoche, celery, butternut squash, winter squash, summer squash, pumpkin, lump crab, King crab, razor clam, duck clam, quahog, mussels, scallop, oyster... ginseng and guarana extract.” And it gives “customers a taste of the lifestyle that has always been associated with the Playboy brand.” (Chicagotuibune.com)

Australian farmer finds mystery space junk 澳洲農民發現神秘太空垃圾

A cattle farmer in Australia's remote northern outback on Friday said he had found a giant ball of twisted metal, which he believes is space junk from a rocket used to launch communications satellites.

Farmer James Stirton found the odd-shaped ball last year on his 40,000 hectare property, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) west of the northern Queensland state capital of Brisbane.

But Stirton only started inquiring into what the ball of metal really was, and where it had come from, in the past week.

"I was riding out to check some cattle, and I came around the corner and there it was in a paddock," Stirton told Reuters on Friday.

"I know a lot of about sheep and cattle but I don't know much about satellites. But I would say it is a fuel cell off some stage of a rocket."

He said the object was hollow, and covered in a carbon-fibre material. He has contacted some U.S.-based aerospace companies to try to find out what the object really is.

Sydney's Powerhouse Museum said it was not uncommon for people to find spacejunk in remote areas of Australia.

In 1979, large parts of the Skylab space station fell to earth near a tiny outback town in Australia's west. A local council sent NASA a ticket for littering and then United States President Jimmy Carter rang a local motel to apologise. (Reuters)

RAF's birthday bikini 英國皇家空軍的週年慶比基尼

The Royal Air Force is celebrating its 90th anniversary - with a "show-stopping" diamante-encrusted bikini.

The swimwear is part of the RAF Collection's Spring range, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The new range coincides with the RAF's 90th anniversary on April 1. The RAF hopes sales of the bikini, which features diamante roundels, will soar.

A spokeswoman for the RAF Collection said: "The collection will enable the next generation to own a piece of one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious brands."

In RAF colours, the bikini top retails at £20, while the bottoms are £15. Sizes are available in 8 to 18.

The RAF Collection website, which sells the bikini online, describes it as a "show-stopping bikini which will make anyone's head turn, yet which is distinctly tasteful and flattering to the figure".

Some of the money raised by the licensing of the collection will support the RAF free museums, helping to preserve the history of the RAF.

Group Captain Andy Turner, communications director of the RAF, said the merchandising campaign helps promote understanding and awareness.

"By associating our brand marks, including the RAF logo, on high-end leisure products, we build up our image around the UK and globally and, just as importantly, bring us to the attention of young people who are the next generation of RAF personnel," he said. (Daily Telegraph)

World’s biggest chocolate castle 世界最大的巧克力城堡

A Croatian man claimed that he has built the biggest castle made of chocolate after working for 24 hours on his candy construction in a central Zagreb square, national television reported.

The three-meter high construction with a six-by-two-meter base was made of chocolate bars from a local producer Kras.

The candy castle builder, Krunoslav Budiselic, boasted that his effort deserved a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Some 100,000 chocolate bars were used to build the castle, which weighs 10 tonnes.

After the castle was built its "bricks" were put on sale as part of a charity event ahead of Easter to help disabled athletes. (AFP)

World's tallest man struggles to fit in 全世界最高的人 無車可容身

Leonid Stadnik's phenomenal height has forced him to quit a job he loved, to stoop as he moves around his house and to spend most of his time in his tiny home village because he cannot fit in a car or bus.

But Stadnik, who according to the Guinness World Records is the world's tallest human, says his condition has also taught him that the world is filled with kindhearted strangers.

Since his recognition by Ukrainian record keepers four years ago, and by Guinness last year, people from all over Ukraine and the world have shipped him outsized clothing, provided his home with running water and recently presented him with a giant bicycle.

"Thanks to good people I have shoes and clothes," said the 37-year-old former veterinarian, who still lives with his 66-year-old mother.

In 2006, Stadnik was officially measured at 2.57 meters tall (8 feet 5 inches), surpassing a Chinese man to claim the title of the world's tallest person.

His growth spurt began at age 14 after a brain operation that apparently stimulated the overproduction of growth hormone. Doctors say he has been growing ever since.

While he may appear intimidating due to his size, Stadnik charms visitors with a broad grin and childlike laugh. He seems at times like a lonely boy trapped in a giant's body, even keeping stuffed toys on his pillow.

Stadnik's stature has earned him worldwide attention, but it has mostly a burden to him. He has to battle to lead anything close to a normal life.

All the doorways in his one-story brick house are too short for him to pass through without stooping. His 200 kilograms (440 pounds) cause constant knee pain and often force him to move on crutches.

Stadnik loves animals, but he had to quit as a veterinarian at a cattle farm in a nearby village, after suffering frostbite when he walked work in his socks in winter. He could not afford specially made shoes for his 43-centimeter (17-inch) feet.

But his recent fame has brought him friends from all over the world and taught him not to despair.

A German man who said he was his distant relative invited Stadnik for a visit several years ago. On the trip, Stadnik got to sample frog legs in an elegant restaurant and saw a roller coaster in an amusement park — both for the first time. (AP)

World record smashed 劈磚高手 打破金氏世界紀錄

A Cornish strongman has set a new world record by breaking 55 concrete blocks with his bare hands in less than five seconds.

Karate expert Ed Byrne, 40, chopped through the granite and concrete edging stones in 4.86 seconds, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The ninth dan black belt shattered the previous record of 17.49 seconds.

He said: "I used to break things when I was a kid for fun with my friends and I would break things easily whereas my friends wouldn't.

"People think it's a lot easier to break blocks than it actually is - I make it look easy. I have hypnotherapy and picture breaking the slabs. I also feed off the energy of the crowd."

Mr Byrne is now aiming to beat the existing record for breaking the most blocks in one stack which currently stands at 31. ( Daily Telegraph)

Man surprised by massive roof penis 男子被住家屋頂上的大陽具嚇了一跳

An Arizona homeowner got a surprise when a news crew informed him that he had a giant penis painted on his roof.

Ryan Walker, of north Phoenix, AZ, said that the enormous phallus was probably painted on there by band members during his bachelor party. The vast member had been there for six months, but he only found out about it when a crew from the local Channel 12 News turned up to ask him about the roof-penis.

Walker commented: 'I think it's hilarious. If you woke up and the news is at your house, and you had a giant penis on your roof what would you think?'

A good question.

The reaction of his neighbours ranged from being offended to taking it in good humour. According to azcentral.com, one neighbour, Darnell Whitfield, said: 'It was like a hit of coffee or something in the face. A penis on the roof. I was like, huh? Are you serious?'

Walker says that he plans to paint over the roof penis in the spirit of good neighbourliness – but maintains that penises on roofs could be just the thing that America needs in these troubled times. Placing the huge dong in context, he noted: 'With the economy, with the Bear Stearns thing happening today, why not a giant penis on the roof?' (metro.co.uk)

Man forced to have breast reduction 重慶男子被迫進行縮乳手術

A Chinese woman forced her boyfriend to have breast-reduction surgery because his man boobs made her look flat.

Xiao Feng, of Chongqing, threatened to break up with Zhang Jianguo unless he underwent surgery.

Zhang, who is 5ft 7ins tall and weighs 15 stone, explained: "She said that whenever we went out, she felt embarrassed because my breasts were eye-catching compared to hers."

Doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University sucked out more than 200ml of fat and tissue from his breasts, reports Chongqing Business News. (Chongqing Business News)

Japan's new ambassador: A cartoon cat 日本新大使：哆啦A夢

Japan's newest ambassador might be among the most listened to in the diplomatic corps, even if he has no ears himself.

The foreign ministry announced last Friday (March 14th) it was appointing the cartoon cat Doraemon as the nation's first "anime ambassador," in Japan's latest effort to promote its soft power through its animation industry.

Doraemon - or at least a person dressed as the earless, blue-and-white cat - will receive his official assignment letter from Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura in a ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, officials said.

The character will appear in films to be shown in Japanese missions overseas, talking about the country's lifestyle and customs.

"By appointing Doraemon, we hope people in other countries will understand Japanese anime better and deepen their interest in Japanese culture," said Yuko Hotta, a foreign ministry official.

Created by a cartoonist under the penname Fujiko F. Fujio, Doraemon is the main character in an animation series that is among the most popular in Japan and is widely known in much of Asia.

The friendly cat travels back to the present from the 22nd century to help out a schoolboy by lending him an "anywhere door," which allows people to travel wherever they please.

The government has been trying to turn growing worldwide interest in its anime cartoons, manga comics and cuisine into political capital with a campaign promoting "Cool Japan."

Last year, Japan launched the International Manga Award for foreign artists. The first winner was Hong Kong's Lee Chi Ching. (AFP)

Smart glasses can find lost car keys 精靈眼鏡能找到遺失的車鑰匙

Scientists have invented a pair of glasses that will help you remember where you put your car keys.

The Smart Goggle records everything the wearer sees - and can recognise objects, reports the Daily Telegraph.

So you can tell the glasses what you're looking for and the technology will show you when, and where, you last saw it.

Inventor Yasuo Kuniyoshi and his team at Tokyo University School of Information Science and Technology have created the world's most advanced object recognition software.

If a user initially tells the glasses the name of everything he or she looks at, the glasses will remember.

They can then locate the last time the object was seen if it is misplaced, and replay the footage.

In the future, the glasses will be more intelligent than the wearer, able to identify objects their owner doesn't even recognise.

The experimental model is too large for everyday use, but Prof Kuniyoshi's team is working on miniaturising it.

In theory, the only question that the glasses will not be able to answer is: "Where have I put my glasses?" (Daily Telegraph)

Dolphin rescues stranded whales 海豚拯救擱淺的鯨魚

A dolphin has come to the rescue of two whales which had become stranded on a beach in New Zealand.

Conservation officer Malcolm Smith and volunteers had tried in vain for an hour and a half to get the whales to sea.

The pygmy sperm whales had repeatedly beached, and both they and the humans were tired and set to give up, reports the BBC.

But then the dolphin appeared, communicated with the whales, and led them to safety.

The bottlenose dolphin, called Moko by local residents, is well known for playing with swimmers off Mahia beach on the east coast of the North Island.

Mr Smith said: "I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the dolphin quite willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea."

Mr Smith said he felt fortunate to have witnessed the rescue, and was delighted for the whales, as in the past he has had to put down animals which have become beached.

The whales had not been seen since, but the dolphin had returned to its usual practice of playing with swimmers in the bay.

"I shouldn't do this I know, we are meant to remain scientific," Mr Smith said, "but I actually went into the water with the dolphin and gave it a pat afterwards because she really did save the day." (BBC)

Bangkok residents shop while dodging train 曼谷居民邊閃火車邊買菜

Fast food attack on go slow doctor 醫生車速太慢遭丟擲起司漢堡

An Austrian doctor lodged a complaint after a lorry driver threw a cheeseburger at him for driving too slowly.

But police told Hannes Kohl, from Vienna, that burger throwing was not an offence.

He was hit on the head by the cheese burger thrown by an overtaking lorry driver through his open car window.

Dr Kohl, who was on his way to a medical congress in the Czech Republic, said: "I was going slowly but that was no excuse for this outrageous attack.
"I complained to the police but they told me it was not an offence to throw a burger at someone, and my insurance company also refused to pay up even though there was melted cheese and ketchup on my suit and all over my car." (Ananova.com)

Balloon couture 氣球裝

Two US fashion designers have been attracting a lot of hot air over their new collections - made entirely out of balloons.

Katie Laibstain, 23, and Steven Jones, 39, create outfits from bikinis to party dresses out of nothing but modelling balloons twisted together.

Their exhibitions have been the talking point of the Kim Tom clown festival fashion show in Shanghai, China, where they are on show

And, even though each dress can be worn only once, they have sold some of their more elaborate designs for as much as £1,000.

Their clothes can consist of up to 300 modelling balloons. Most of the balloons are 60ins long and either one or two inches thick.

Katie, of Richmond, Virginia, said: "Balloon clothes are ultra chic. They are the finest couture available. My dresses contain 300 or more balloons, depending on the design.

"They may not always be easy to get into, but there are so many creative ways to take them off - pop, pop, pop!" (Ananova.com)

World's smallest mum 全世界最矮小的母親

A 28ins (約72公分) tall woman believes she has set the world record for the smallest person ever to give birth.

Stacey Herald was told by doctors that having a child could kill her, crushing her internal organs, reports the Daily Telegraph.

But the 33-year-old recently gave birth to her second daughter, Makya, who measured 18ins.

Guinness World Records is now investigating whether Mrs Herald, from Dry Ridge, Kentucky, US is officially the smallest mother on earth.

Makya, who her mum says is "growing like a weed", is expected to reach an average height. But her 16-month-old sister Kateri suffers from the same condition as her mother, osteogenesis imperfecta.

Mrs Herald and her husband - who is 5ft 9in tall - believe their children are gifts from God.

She said: "My whole life I've been told that I wasn't able to have children... And something inside me just didn't believe that."

Mrs Herald, who uses a wheelchair, added 20lb to her 52lb frame during the pregnancy.

"I had the biggest belly you've ever seen in your life. If I laid down, I looked like a snail. That's how big my belly was. I looked like an Idaho potato with arms and legs. And you couldn't see my feet," she added.

Her husband Wil, who is studying to become a priest, said: "I'm proud to have her as my wife. It's just a blessing that we have two wonderful children. She's a great mum. She's a terrific mum." (Daily Telegraph)

'Wife's nagging left me impotent' 「太太的嘮叨使我性無能」

An Italian man is demanding ￡140,000 in compensation after claiming his wife's constant nagging left him impotent.

Sergio Vinucci, from Parma, has produced medical evidence in court that backs up his claims that his wife's nagging caused him so much stress that he has been left impotent.

He said: "All she ever does is complain. It is extremely stressful and it has left me unable to be a man. I want some compensation." (Ananova.com)

Student gets rich staying in bed 荷蘭學生窩在床上就能賺錢

A Dutch student has come up with the ultimate way of making easy money - by staying in bed.

Yde Van Deutekom, 22, from Zoetermeer, is selling advertising on a website featuring a webcam showing him in bed.

So far, he has been in bed for 21 days and has had more than £3,500 paid into his bank account, reports GVA.

Mr Van Deutekom said: "Sleeping is just a hobby of me, and it is the only thing I'm very good at. Everyone is asking what I want to do with me life, but what I really want to do is sleep.

"I stay in bed all day, except for taking a shower, going to the bathroom and making something to eat. That's all I want to do. And I want to stay in bed until I'm very rich."

More than 450,000 people have visited his website - www.slapendrijk.nl. (GVA)

I need a day off - so shoot me 我需要休假一天，所以開槍射我吧!

A 21-year-old US man reportedly asked his friend to shoot him so he could skip work.

Sheriff's detectives say Daniel Kuch, of Pasco, Washington state, took a bullet in the shoulder to avoid taking a drug test at work.

Mr Kuch claimed he'd been the victim of a drive-by shooting while jogging with a friend, reports the Daily Telegraph.

But his story unravelled when detectives were called to the medical centre where Mr Kuch sought treatment for his bullet wound.

Detectives told KONA radio that Mr Kuch later acknowledged that he asked his friend to shoot him so he could get some time off work and avoid the drug test.

Pasco detective Jason Nunez said: "It's extremely concerning that someone would come up with a story like this. It presents such a serious situation, when someone makes up a false story just to help themselves."

Mr Kuch is expected to be charged with false reporting, while his friend has been arrested for reckless endangerment.

Police declined to say where he worked or if he still had a job. (Daily Telegraph)

Man saves father and son - 20 years apart 大陸男子在同一地點拯救一對父子 – 先後相隔20年

A Chinese man has rescued a seven-year-old boy from a pond - 20 years after rescuing the boy's father from the same place.

Wang Weiqing, 58, of Beicheng village, Danyang city, is being hailed as a hero, reports the Yangtse Evening News.

"I was walking along the pool with my own grandson, then spotted a boy struggling in the water," he said.

When the grandfather of the rescued boy arrived, he was amazed to see the rescuer was the same man who saved his son, the boy's father, from the same pool 20 years ago.

"I can hardly believe it, and don't know how to express my gratitude," said the grandfather, Wang Huajian.

The grandfather later made a silk banner to thank Wang for saving two generations of his family. (Yangtse Evening News)

Romanian police officers to take ballet classes 為優雅地執勤 羅馬尼亞交警學芭蕾

Regulating traffic can be difficult but police officers in western Romania have found a solution to their pains and are taking ballet classes to help them do their work more gracefully.

"The aim is to develop an ability to regulate traffic and achieve elegance in their movements, which will not only be agreeable to the eyes but could also help drivers waiting at a red light get rid of their stress or sadness," the head of the community police in the town of Timisoara, Dorel Cojan, told AFP.

Some 20 members of the local community police are already attending classes under two former dancers of the Timisoara Opera Ballet.

Classes, which have just begun, will initially take place twice a week for a month.

"We started by filming our pupils' awkwardness and I'm sure we will already see some progress in a month's time," Cojan said.

The classes are exclusively for members of the community police. Unlike the local police, they do not conduct investigations but are mainly responsible for road safety and can be called up to regulate traffic. (AFP)