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Weird and Wonderful Weekly
May 16, 2009 5:32 PM
Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People From Around the World
By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
Quotes of the Week
"Super-balanced make-up. All over again, like painting a wall" -- instructions left in a cab on how to achieve the perfect natural look for … British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's make-up.
“Lusting after someone does wonders and is good for the skin” – advises actress/socialite Liz Hurley.
"Death to potatoes" -- a slogan adopted by campaigners against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the lead up to the Iranian election.
WWW News
No More Spinsters: This week in Tokyo, bra manufacturer Triumph unveiled the "marriage hunting" bra. The contraption comes complete with a countdown clock showing the marriage deadline, which must be set by the wearer. When the alarm goes off, the lucky man must insert an engagement ring in a carefully placed slot at which point the “The Wedding March" will play.
The Bling Police: The Gloucestershire Constabulary in England is asking members of the public to report anyone who looks especially glitz and glam. The police force hopes that in these tough economic times, criminals will stick out from the crowd if they flaunt their ill-gotten gains.
Caveman Erotic Art: A 35,000-year-old sculpture carved from a mammoth's tusk has been unveiled by archaeologists in Germany. The two-and-a-half-inch high ivory figurine depicts a woman with a swollen belly, wide-set thighs and large, protruding breasts. It was found in six fragments in Germany's Hohle Fels cave and is believed to be the world's oldest sculpture of the human form.
More in the Head, Better in Bed: Women who are more "emotionally intelligent" have more pleasure in the bedroom, say researchers at King's College London. The researchers believe there is a connection between pleasure and the ability to fantasize. Over 2,000 female twins were interviewed for the survey.
Facts and Figures
$9.4 million. The price fetched by a flawless vivid blue diamond weighing 7.03 carats at Sotheby's auction house.
180,000. The approximate number of Christians in Israel. 50,000 – the approximate number of Christians living in the occupied territories.
13 percent. The amount of anti-terrorism arrests that end in a conviction.
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May 16, 2009 in Gabriel O'Rorke | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Weird and Wonderful Weekly
May 08, 2009 9:39 AM
Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People From Around the World By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
Quotes of the Week
"They wanted to call me grandpa but daddy is better, don't you think?" – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, explaining the reason behind his nickname from an 18-year-old model who calls him Papi.
“Sometimes I wish I had a gold sovereign for every time that phrase is used … so I could put them in a sock to smack over the head the next person who says it.” – Stephen Fry got straight to the point when he told the Royal Geographical Society how he feels about being described as a “quintessential Englishman.”
“Isn’t it clear you’re just not up to the job? The public know it. Your party know it and now the cabinet knows it!” -- said David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
WWW News
Stuck in the … Bath: Rosemarie Batey, a 49-year-old from County Durham, has sworn to lose weight after spending the night wedged in her bath tub. Batey was taking a shower when the bath cracked, and she slipped and got stuck. Her son found her the next morning and called firefighters who used an electronic saw to cut away the bath to free the naked victim.
Lone Porker: The only known pig in Afghanistan has been quarantined due to the recent outbreak of swine flu. Pigs are a curiosity in Muslim Afghanistan, because pork is illegal and considered sacrilegious. This little piggy from Kabul zoo normally spends his days munching on grass alongside deer and goats.
Official Misbehavior:
- The Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko was prevented from boarding his flight at Frankfurt, Germany, airport and detained by police on the grounds of drunken and disorderly behavior. Meanwhile, in London a speed camera boss has been banned for speeding. Tom Riall, a senior executive, admitted to driving at 103 mph in a 70 mph limit zone.
Facts and Figures
$120 million. The cost of a typing error. Kenya's Finance Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta, told reporters that a typo was behind the six-digit inflation on funds for the 2008/09 fiscal year.
34 years old. The age of the man with the "best job in the world." Ben Southall, a British charity fundraiser, beat 34,700 entrants from 200 countries to become the caretaker of an Australian tropical island.
85 feet. The distance Philip German-Robin threw a biscuit. German-Robin, from Dorset, England, was named biscuit-throwing world champion.
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Weird and Wonderful Weekly
April 25, 2009 11:16 AM
Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People From Around the World
By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
Quotes of the Week
“Had a massive ice cream fight dressing room based, cost me $2,000.” -- Lily Allen wrote this update on Twitter after she was presented a bill for damages for an ice cream fight backstage at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto.
“Often times when you face such an overwhelming challenge as global climate change, it can be somewhat daunting. It’s kind of like trying to lose weight, which I know something about.” -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a speech to the U.S. State Department Wednesday.
WWW News
Indian Barbie From London: Katrina Kaif from Finchley, London, has become the face of Indian Barbie. Her British upbringing – her father is Kashmiri and mother is English -- meant that the 24-year-old has had to take classes in dancing or singing and Hindi, according to The Telegraph newspaper Katrina is now accomplished in all of these things and says she feels "honored" to be chosen as the face of Barbie.
Saved By the Bra: A 57-year-old woman from Detroit was saved from gunfire thanks to the underwire in her bra. With a stroke of luck, the bra wire deflected a bullet shot at her by a group of men breaking into her neighbor's house, Reuters reported.
World's Most Expensive Suit: The world's most expensive suit was unveiled in Pall Mall, London, this week. The 'Alexander Amosu' is going on sale for just over $100,000, the designer told ABC News. As part of customer service, Alexander Amosu and his tailors will travel to clients anywhere in the world to take measurements and fit the suits. The luxury designer creates the garments from gold and platinum threads, precious stones and a mixture of the world's finest wools: Vicuna, Pashmina & Qiviuk.
Facts and Figures
560,000 The total number of Iraqi police; 270,000 the total number of Iraqi soldiers.
32 percent The amount of work completed on the stadium for the 2012 Olympics in Stratford, near London.
10 jobs Researchers say these are the jobs safest from layoffs in these tough economic times: teachers, doctors, public service workers, public transport workers (e.g contractors building roads or railways), home insulation and other 'green' initiatives, energy, IT, human resources, interim managers and accountants officers.
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April 25, 2009 in Gabriel O'Rorke | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Homo Sapiens for Supper?
April 13, 2009 7:40 AM
By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
A 32-year-old German woman jumped into a polar bear enclosure at feeding time Saturday.
Six zoo-keepers fought for her life, using all their efforts to prevent the four inhabitants from eating the woman as she swam across the enclosure.
An older polar bear took a particular interest in trying to get a bite of the soggy intruder. But Knut, the bear who came to fame after being hand-raised by a zoo-keeper, resisted the temptation to nibble on human flesh.
Heiner Kloes, a Berlin Zoo spokesman, released a statement explaining how challenging it is to enter the enclosure, since it is surrounded by a fence, a wall and a line of hedges.
Kloes continued to explain that the keepers had to push back the attacking bear before pulling the woman to safety.
It is not known why the woman took the dangerous leap which left her with several bites on her limbs.
She is now in the hospital undergoing surgery for her wounds.
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Weird and Wonderful Weekly
April 03, 2009 10:47 AM
Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People From Around the World
By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
Quotes of the Week
“He is the most popular president on earth,” President Obama said about Brazilian President Lula de Silva, adding, “It’s because of his good looks.”
When Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi shouted “Obama!” Her Majesty was not amused: “Why does he have to shout?” the queen asked.
“I had meetings with the Chinese, the Russians, and I'm proud to say I did not nod off in any of those meetings,” President Obama said to the Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their first meeting. Prince Philip, famous for his gaffes, joked, "How could you tell them all apart?"
WWW News
April Fools? A gaping hole in the backside of a statue of Vladimir Lenin looked like an April Fools’ gag, but it was the result of a bomb. The motivation behind the attack is unknown, but the bronze statue of the Bolshevik leader will never look the same.
The Dog’s Dinner: Also in Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's dog had a real feast when he devoured a special tea prepared for leaders of the United Russia Party. Ironically, Putin was discussing the local food industry when the black Labrador took “hands on” action next door and devoured pastries, biscuits and jellied desserts.
A husband too clean? After 15 years, a German woman had simply had enough of her husband. Filing for a divorce is not unusual in this day and age; but there was no word of infidelity or unreasonable behavior here. The problem? The man would not stop doing the housework. The last straw came when he knocked down and rebuilt an “unclean” wall at their home in Sondershausen.
Facts and Figures
$1 trillion. The sum world leaders agreed to at the G-20 summit to tackle the global economic crisis.
13. The number of rooms booked by Madonna and her entourage in Malawi, where the pop singer tried - and failed - is trying to adopt a second child.
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April 3, 2009 in Gabriel O'Rorke | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Weird and Wonderful Weekly
March 27, 2009 8:25 AM
By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
Quotes of the Week
“Even God would have a difficult time being Treasury secretary right now,” said Fred Bergsten, head of the Peterson Institute of International Economics, in sympathy with Tim Geithner who this week unveiled the Obama administration’s plan to buy $1 trillion worth of toxic assets.
British reality TV star, Jade Goody, died last week at the age of 27 from cervical cancer.
Here are some of her priceless comments, for which she was renowned and loved:
“Rio De Janeiro – ain’t that a person?”
“Do they speak Portuganese in Portugal?”
“Has Greece got its own moon?”
“Sherlock Holmes invented toilets.”
“Margaret Thatcher -- ain’t she a prostitute?”
“Mother Theresa is from Germany.”
And about the USA: “They do speak English there, don’t they?”
WWW News
No Toilet, No Bride: Mothers in the Northern Indian state of Haryana are laying down the law for prospective sons-in-law: “If you don't have a proper lavatory in your house, don't even think about marrying my daughter.” The campaign -- on billboards, and heard on television and radio -- might sound like too-good-to-be-true toilet humor, but it bears a serious message in a country where more households have TVs than toilets.
An End to Dirty Laundry: Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata took a unique approach to fashion this week as he modeled a new line of odor-free clothing. The clothes, called J-ware, were developed by textile experts at Japan Women's University in Tokyo. The material is flame-resistant and anti-static, and can apparently kill bacteria, absorb water, insulate the body and dry quickly. It could be a breakthrough, not just for traveling light in space but for teenage boys with an aversion to changing their underpants.
See Switzerland and America in Germany: The world's longest model railway has been constructed by 41-year-old German twins, Frederick and Gerrit Braun. A fleet of 700 trains traverses 6 miles of track, speeding past mini reconstructions of the Swiss Alps and the Rocky Mountains. So far, the project has taken roughly 500,000 hours and cost $12 million, but there is still a way to go, with the complete layout scheduled for 2014 to encompass France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Member on the Roof: What’s the worst that could happen when you see an aerial photo of your house? How about discovering that your 18-year-old son has painted a 60-foot phallus on the roof? That was the exact surprise awaiting the owners of a $1.5 million mansion in Berkshire, England. The image went unnoticed for a year, and the “artist’s” parents say it will have to stay until their son can scrub it off when he returns from his travels.
Facts and Figures
$60 billion. The value of Mexican drugs traded around the globe each year.
300,000. The number of people who get married in the U.K. each year.
2,390. The number of executions worldwide in 2008; 72 percent took place in China.
$2,000. The cost of the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano. It goes on sale in India early next month.
200 miles. The distance covered by 25-year-old British runner Jack Jones, who set the world record after completing seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.
20 percent. The annual proportion of the world’s food crops that is damaged by rats.
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Weird and Wonderful Weekly
March 20, 2009 10:49 AM
Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People From Around the World
By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
Quotes of the Week
AIDS “cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problem,” said Pope Benedict XVI on his first trip to Africa as pontiff. Speaking of first times, it is thought that this is the only time the pope has used the word “condom” in public.
“I love beauty – it’s not my fault,” designer Valentino takes no blame for his love of all things good-looking.
“Kiss my fat a--,” said John McCain’s daughter Meghan, in response to right-wing critics who mocked her for being a “plus-sized model” and a “valley girl gone awry.”
WWW News
Transformational Benchmark: The British government has drawn up a list of 200 words it wants public institutions to avoid. The idea is that for companies to communicate properly they steer clear of "cascading" and simply “e-mail.” Margaret Eaton, the chairwoman of the Local Government Association, said: “Why do we have to have 'coterminous, stakeholder engagement' when we could just have 'talk to people' instead."
A Unique Approach: An Italian adult-entertainment actress had a truly individual way of protesting against the financial crisis: She stripped down to her panties at the Milan stock exchange. Laura Perego, 22, climbed up onto a table to make a stand and draw attention to… well, to her panties, oh and an Italian flag she had painted on herself.
Winnie the Pooh Take Note: The best way to get your hands on some honey is to go armed with a club. Scientists in the Republic of Congo have discovered that chimps make clubs from branches to break their way into bees’ nests. The study, published in the International Journal of Primatology, revealed that chimps use different wooden instruments for the most effective way to retrieve honey.
Facts and Figures
$27.5 million. The estimated cost of the upcoming G-20 summit in London next month. Part of the cost is accounted for by increased security to protect world leaders.
2.03 million. The number of Brits who are unemployed, the highest since 1997, proving that the financial crisis has hit home.
61,000. The number of illegal immigrants that have been seized crossing from Calais to the United Kingdom during the last five years.
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Weird and Wonderful Weekly
March 13, 2009 12:07 PM
Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People from Around the World
By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London
Quotes of the Week
“He looked like a banjo player in Appalachia. There goes my knighthood.” Photographer David Bailey gives a description of the young Prince Charles that does him no Royal favors.
“It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society.” President Obama warns against human cloning after lifting restrictions on funding for stem-cell research.
“For every ten years we delay, another 0.5C will be added to the likely temperature rise,” cautions Dr Vicky Pope, Met Office Head of Climate Change Advice.
“Believe me, real men don’t twitter,” British journalist, Matthew Parris, from The Times stands strong against the Twitter frenzy.
"Nagging Wife. No Tax, No MoT. Very high maintenance - some rust." This was the description used by builder for his wife when he placed an advertisement for her sale in a British trade magazine.
WWW News
Chili at the Wheel: Police in China have come up with a hot new way of preventing drivers from falling asleep at the wheel: raw chili. In the southwest Chongqing region drivers are being given chili peppers when they stop at highway service stations. A van driver, Chen Jun, was quoted in a Chinese newspaper saying that chilies make you alert. "It's really good to have some hot peppers when you are tired from driving," Jun said.
No Phones at School: In a bid to boost education Tajikistan in Central Asia has banned mobile phones from all schools and universities. A member of parliament, Dodikhudo Saimutdinov, said that cell phones are a distraction: "This measure has been taken in order to improve the quality of teaching at schools."
To Reset or To Overcharge? In a gesture which aimed to symbolize improved relations between Russia and the United states, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a red "reset button". The meaning, however, was lost in translation. The gift, a yellow box with a red button, read "Peregruzka", which means "overcharge," rather than “reset.” "You got it wrong," said Lavrov, but he assured Mrs Clinton he would put it on his desk.
Liberated by the Washing Machine: The Vatican had a novel take on International Women’s Day: women should give thanks for the washing machine. The article, entitled “The washing machine and the emancipation of women: put in the powder, close the lid and relax”, was published in the official Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano. It argued that freedom from the sink has done more for women’s liberation than the contraceptive pill or working outside the home.
Facts and Figures
$50 trillion is the figure that simply disappeared from world finances in 2008. According to the World Bank, the global economy will sink this year for the first time since the Second World War.
$35 million was the price tag for an entire village put up for sale in Hampshire, England. The package included a cricket club and manor house.
$18 million is the amount of funds set aside for therapy to help people in England suffering from “recession depression”.
96 million metres of fabric has been used in the production of clothes for Barbie dolls during the past 50 years. Barbie is available in 150 countries, and one doll is sold every 3 seconds.
355 people have dropped off the Forbes rich list, losing their “billionaire” titles.
25% of Iraqi women have no access to a daily water supply (according studies by Oxfam).
21 couples shared a joint wedding in Somalia, in an effort to cut the cost of tying the knot. The mass-nuptials were carried out at a hotel in Hargeisa, and were arranged by Telsom, a telecoms company that employs all the bridegrooms.
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Weird and Wonderful Weekly
March 08, 2009 11:40 AM
Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People From Around the World
By Gabriel O’Rorke, ABC News, London
Quotes of the Week
“A bowl of flowers for my wife to be sick into would have been nice.” -- Jim Rosenthal, British TV sports presenter, when he and his wife succumbed to food poisoning after dining in Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant, The Fat Duck.
“I hope the financial crisis gets a bit worse,” said Oasis singer Noel Gallagher. “At least we’ll get a few good albums out of it. Times of crisis usually bring out the best in music.”
“My greatest pain in life is I will never be able to see myself perform.” -- Rapper Kanye West reveals that his ego lies at the bottom of his heart.
"Therefore we have reached an agreement to stimulate, to favor, to f---." Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, accidentally swearing in a news conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
"This is it. This is really it. It's the final curtain call, OK? I'll see you in July." -- Michael Jackson, appearing in London to introduce his upcoming, “final” concerts.
WWW News
A Degree in Beatles: Students at Liverpool Hope University can now graduate with a Master of Arts in The Beatles. Forty years after the Fab Four broke up, the city that produced Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr will play host to a course entitled "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society."
Lord Mandy Goes Green: British Business Secretary Lord Mandelson had green custard thrown over him by a protester as he arrived at the launch of a low-carbon summit in London. The protester, Leila Deen, is a member of the Plane Stupid group campaigning against a third runway at Heathrow.
Japanese “Naked Festival”: A centuries-old festival known as "hadaka matsuri" saw revellers outside Tokyo frolicking in mud in just a loincloth, or nothing at all. Participants braved the freezing temperatures to take part in this ritual dedicated to the gods of the rice fields. The festival is believed to prepare farmers physically for the planting season, after having spent the winter months indoors.
Facts and Figures
$100 billion is being injected into the British economy by The Bank of England. The notes are being printed in an attempt to ease the recession.
$1.8 million was the price that Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles, leather sandals, silver pocket watch, brass bowl and plate fetched. The buyer was Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya.
56,420 is the total number of foreign troops in Afghanistan -- 24,900 American, 8,300 British.
$56,000 was Jennifer Aniston’s hair bill for a week of pruning during her stay in Europe to promote her latest romantic comedy, “Marley & Me.”
1,000 people face medical checks after 400 reports of food poisoning at Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred restaurant the Fat Duck.
19 standing ovations were notched by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during his speech to the U.S. Congress.
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British Zoo Flooded With Job Applicants
March 02, 2009 3:54 PM
By Gabriel O’Rorke, ABC News, London
When Twycross Zoo advertised job openings for gift shop workers, caterers and park rangers, the last thing it expected was a 5-mile back-up of applicants.
But Great Britain is in recession. The proof is in the queue. Roughly 3,000 people arrived for one of 150 openings to work during weekends, bank holidays and school vacations this year.
The zoo, home to lions, elephants and giraffes, attracts about half a million visitors a year. The advertised vacancies are for jobs running from March to September. Some positions entail cleaning up after the animals.
Zoo spokeswoman Kim Riley told ABC News that interviews were scheduled for 11 a.m., but “by 9.30 in the morning, over 400 people were lined up outside the main gate.”
People traveled to the zoo in central England from as far away as London, Wales and Yorkshire. “There was a 5-mile tail-back by 11:30 a.m.,” Riley said. “We had to open an overspill car park, which never happens.”
Zoo personnel were completely taken aback by the surge.
“At 11:45, just 15 minutes after interviews were scheduled to begin, we had to put signs up saying recruitment day had closed,” Riley said.
It was not just the amount of applicants that took recruitment staff by surprise but also the caliber of hopefuls for jobs that are normally filled by students.
“The openings are for 150 seasonal jobs in retail, food and beverage, catering and front of house. We had managers, personal assistants and lawyers coming along -- really overqualified people,” Riley said.
Britain’s unemployment rate is currently at 6.3 percent, with experts predicting further increases. A small consolation, at a local level anyway, is that Twycross had to take on extra staff just to evaluate the job applications.
Indeed, the zoo is recruiting 150 extra staff this year to deal with an expected increase of visitors, as Britons chose to holiday at home to save money during the economic downturn.
Riley emphasized that they are looking for “friendly and enthusiastic applicants regardless of qualifications,” but added that they believe they’ll find the right people in the group of candidates who have already applied.
“Please, please, stress to your readers that we do not need more applications!” she said.
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March 2, 2009 in Gabriel O'Rorke | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
