Silly/Odd News Stories from around the World

[mg1942]

This should get some people all riled up. The latest trend from EU and The Commonwealth might soon spread to USA...

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22227/1023/

[Mystique]

Dangers of kissing!
(reason to stay away from mistletoe in 2 weeks time)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7772902.stm

Are you female?!
Addicted to sex?!
Well for a mere £20,000 a month, we can help you get rid of wanting to jump anything that moves!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/he...00/7774735.stm
(Maybe cause I'm british, but i gotta love america for their 'retreats' and 'addiction treatements' which usually cost a bundle and are filled with wishy-washy cheesy ass beliefs, constant source of humour to us brits...)

[SeijiSensei]

Move along, Chi'i. Aiko is here!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle2023392.ece

Originally Posted by The Sun

Devoted Aiko — “in her 20s” — has a stunning 32-23-33 figure, pretty face and shiny hair.

She is always happy to clean the house for “husband” Le, help with his accounts or get him a drink.

Computer ace Le, 33, from Ontario, Canada, has spent two years and £14,000 building his dream girl.

He had planned to make an android to care for the elderly.

But his project — inspired by sci-fi robots like Star Wars’s C3PO — strayed off-course.

Le said: “Aiko is what happens when science meets beauty.”

Slashdot discussion of this story: http://idle.slashdot.org/article.pl?.../12/11/0348217

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by Mystique

Are you female?!
Addicted to sex?!
Well for a mere £20,000 a month, we can help you get rid of wanting to jump anything that moves!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/he...00/7774735.stm
(Maybe cause I'm british, but i gotta love america for their 'retreats' and 'addiction treatements' which usually cost a bundle and are filled with wishy-washy cheesy ass beliefs, constant source of humour to us brits...)

And the rest of the world, esp. the British Commonwealth Nations. Because speaking and learning British English will make you have that kind of a pragmatic, unbelieving mindset.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by Mystique

Are you female?!
Addicted to sex?!
Well for a mere £20,000 a month, we can help you get rid of wanting to jump anything that moves!
(Maybe cause I'm british, but i gotta love america for their 'retreats' and 'addiction treatements' which usually cost a bundle and are filled with wishy-washy cheesy ass beliefs, constant source of humour to us brits...)

Well...British food and weather are equally rich sources of humour to people outside Britain...so I'd say everyone's just about even.

...all that and, yeah, british women generally look like cows...something non-brits like to laugh about behind the backs of british lads...

[Kakashi]

Everyone's just about even?

Britain has a temperate climate, neither cold nor hot. Perfect!
America is the 9th fattest country in the world, the United Kingdom is 28th.
Talk about food, how about those super-sized cheese burgers which are so greasy they cause humans to produce thick layers of blubber instead of actual fat?
Or the enormous portions which, to be able to finish properly, require the consumer to go outside and vomit, in order to accomadate for the sheer bulk of meat one must digest.

US citizen: Brits suck at Halo!

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Kakashi

Everyone's just about even?

Britain has a temperate climate, neither cold nor hot. Perfect!
America is the 9th fattest country in the world, the United Kingdom is 28th.
Talk about food, how about those super-sized cheese burgers which are so greasy they cause humans to produce thick layers of blubber instead of actual fat?
Or the enormous portions which, to be able to finish properly, require the consumer to go outside and vomit, in order to accomadate for the sheer bulk of meat one must digest.

US citizen: Brits suck at Halo!

you forgot the British gets plaster when they go on vacation

[Shadow Kira01]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Well...British food and weather are equally rich sources of humour to people outside Britain...so I'd say everyone's just about even.

...all that and, yeah, british women generally look like cows...something non-brits like to laugh about behind the backs of british lads...

This isn't funny. What an ignorant racist!

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Shadow Minato

This isn't funny. What an ignorant racist!

I think you need to watch Monty Python or more European humor shows (especially Britain and its colonies/formercolonies) to see how they rake each other and themselves across the coals on silly stereotypes. There are certain body builds typical to certain people of a nation and I can certainly see someone from Singapore saying "omg, they're HUGE! Big as cattle!" in reference to certain segments of the British population (though in general they're much thinner than Random American).

As an American, I find this jab:

Brit citizen: Britain has a temperate climate, neither cold nor hot. Perfect!
America is the 9th fattest country in the world, the United Kingdom is 28th.
Talk about food, how about those super-sized cheese burgers which are so greasy they cause humans to produce thick layers of blubber instead of actual fat?
Or the enormous portions which, to be able to finish properly, require the consumer to go outside and vomit, in order to accomadate for the sheer bulk of meat one must digest.

US citizen: Brits suck at Halo!

wonderfully on the nail (especially the US response line that simply accentuates the Brit point).

I would now make jokes at British cooking... but its already been burned.

I just keep thinking of those internationally cast films of the 1960s that played directly on national stereotypes for laughs (no country was left unspared):
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or The Great Race.

Per the "fat" charge, by every survey in the last few years -- the US isn't "ninth", the US by numbers is the fattest country in the world though its in a tight race percentage-wise with Australia and coming-from-behind Mexico.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/he...health-obesity
http://ezinearticles.com/?Fattest-Co...-Yet?&id=69491
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...9230653AAm2U1m
http://www.wisegeek.com/contest/why-...-the-world.htm
http://www.forbes.com/2008/06/20/aus...markets06.html
This article (http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/200...orldfat_2.html) has been superceded within a year ... not that it matters :P since every country in front of the US on that list is *tiny*.

The other day I was eating at a rather nice Japanese restaurant in the USA and ordered a single order of donburi for a reasonable price.... what came out probably was almost half a kilo of food. I'm a fairly large guy (100kg) and I could eat less than half of it. The waiter admitted the dishes were huge. Unfortunately, I routinely watch Americans eat that much and more at restaurants (and the results show it). Wife and I often buy one meal and an appetizer, split it, and call it good.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Le said: “Aiko is what happens when science meets beauty.”

... It hits the uncanny valley?

[Kakashi]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I think you need to watch Monty Python or more European humor shows (especially Britain and its colonies/formercolonies) to see how they rake each other and themselves across the coals on silly stereotypes.

It's been a while since I've watched Monty Python, must have been back in high school when my geeky friend made me sit through all of his box sets. Best part for me was when the knight slowly but surely got delimbed and eventually decapitated while defiantly blocking the path of some random guy. Hilarious! Monty Python and the Holy Grail probably.

As an American, I find this jab:
wonderfully on the nail (especially the US response line that simply accentuates the Brit point).

Playstation network, MMORPG's - hear it a lot. I have a WiFi headset but rarely talk, just listen to the hilarity as Brits and Americans go at it.

"You suck you tea-drinking-queen-lovin..."
"Shut the f**** up you pie-eating-trailer-livin..."

Seriously I could add a lot of hypens but my memory's not good enough. It's kind of impressive.

This article (http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/200...orldfat_2.html) has been superceded within a year ... not that it matters :P since every country in front of the US on that list is *tiny*.

Was going say *first* but then thought to double check, in case someone responded with a snappy comeback and turned the tables on me. Unfortunately forbes let me down.

The waiter admitted the dishes were huge. Unfortunately, I routinely watch Americans eat that much and more at restaurants (and the results show it). Wife and I often buy one meal and an appetizer, split it, and call it good.

It's incredible.

[mg1942]

USA in 9th place? I don't believe it!

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by mg1942

USA in 9th place? I don't believe it!

Ninth by PERCENTAGE in 2007 (its gotten worse then then).

The tiny countries of:
1. Nauru 94.5 (pop 12K)
2. Micronesia, Federated States of 91.1 (pop 135K)
3. Cook Islands 90.9 (pop 18K)
4. Tonga 90.8 (pop 120K)
5. Niue 81.7 (pop 1.6K)
6. Samoa 80.4 (pop 180K)
7. Palau 78.4 (pop 21K
8. Kuwait 74.2 (pop 2.6M)

Those 8 countries have a combined total population of just over 3 million people.
The USA (population 301M) with 1 out of 2 people in the OBESE category and 3 out 4 people in the OVERWEIGHT category....
well, that's 150 million people destined for diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, etc at earlier and earlier ages. Its a medical disaster that makes all the other eating disorders just drown in the tidal wave. Ever seen someone die from diabetic complications? Trust me, you don't want to...

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I would now make jokes at British cooking... but its already been burned.

Burned and not up-to-date.
British food is mixing with others ''culturals group's '' ( jamaican, indian, etc...) food, becoming something far from some traditional boilled lamb with mint sauc. And they make a serious effort to get junk food out of the schools deserve to be taking into account.

By the way,, it may not eb somethig t remember to a French, but the great Escoffier worked much more in England than in France.

[Vexx]

Aye..... *traditional* (native) British cooking is iffy (as is Irish/Scots) to many people (I've had haggis and blood pudding ) but with the "diversity influx" I hear its actually quite a treat to eat in London now....

I love any town with a UN listing of food....

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Aye..... *traditional* (native) British cooking is iffy (as is Irish/Scots) to many people (I've had haggis and blood pudding ) but with the "diversity influx" I hear its actually quite a treat to eat in London now....

I love any town with a UN listing of food....

Having talking with at least 2 ex-coworker than worked previously in London, I can affirm than it true. Even in many pub, the food is said to be exellent, and there is always the West-End...

[GuidoHunter_Toki]

London is indeed a great food hub. I've been to London only once and when I was there was not one restaurant I ate at that the food was not a treat to the taste buds. I may be a little over generous since I'm just a huge European food lover in general.

[Mystique]

wow, i love how my simple mentioning of giggling at american cheesiness from the sex article, spouts of a multitude of posts on slagging off brits too, lol.

Originally Posted by Vexx

I think you need to watch Monty Python or more European humor shows (especially Britain and its colonies/formercolonies) to see how they rake each other and themselves across the coals on silly stereotypes. There are certain body builds typical to certain people of a nation and I can certainly see someone from Singapore saying "omg, they're HUGE! Big as cattle!" in reference to certain segments of the British population (though in general they're much thinner than Random American).

This is true.
Not that i watch monty python, but the BBC comedy shows of the 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's, generally compass that. We take the piss out of ourselves and then we take the piss out of the world too.

I'm only part the 9% minoirity of the UK population, so a lot of 'traditional' british stuff flies over me, including food, but perhaps. I'm sure there's a food thread we can move UK recipies over too, for now, someone paste something amusing already


edit:
that aikobot is freaking me out, it can read off the damn sheet :s

[mg1942]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Ninth by PERCENTAGE in 2007 (its gotten worse then then).

The tiny countries of:
1. Nauru 94.5 (pop 12K)
2. Micronesia, Federated States of 91.1 (pop 135K)
3. Cook Islands 90.9 (pop 18K)
4. Tonga 90.8 (pop 120K)
5. Niue 81.7 (pop 1.6K)
6. Samoa 80.4 (pop 180K)
7. Palau 78.4 (pop 21K
8. Kuwait 74.2 (pop 2.6M)

I was expecting USA to take #1 or 2 spot

The USA (population 301M) with 1 out of 2 people in the OBESE category and 3 out 4 people in the OVERWEIGHT category....
well, that's 150 million people destined for diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, etc at earlier and earlier ages. Its a medical disaster that makes all the other eating disorders just drown in the tidal wave. Ever seen someone die from diabetic complications? Trust me, you don't want to...

Diabetes is something I fear besides getting pancreatic cancer or going blind (result from diabetes or from physical injury)

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Mystique

that aikobot is freaking me out, it can read off the damn sheet :s

It doesn't appear to be mobile... but whatever else people might think, its an impressive integration of technologies - though the weakest element is still the "motivator" (the AI).

I should start scrounging around for autonomous AI research and see if there's anything understandable to link to. Just to be very superficial about it -- the problem is "hard" in that its easiest to 'raise/grow' one using neural simulation tech and much of the sophistication possible depends on the quality and breadth of environment sensors you give one. I have a sneaking suspicion that the best AI will end up incorporating neural tissue as a core system. I also suspect that production will consist of growing a number of sets and then creating copies of that, each of which will then evolve a separate sense of self as it interacts with its environment.