Workers
Want Time to Watch TV |
In
Germany, major unions told employers they should grant their
workforces the flexibility to watch soccer matches during
their shifts during the last World Cup. Soccer is a
way of life in Europe (like hockey here in Canada), and employees
fought for flexible work hours so they could watch the matches.
Some World Cup sponsors, such as Adidas, even let their employees
watch the games from their desks. Imagine getting holidays from
school to watch the Stanley Cup!
Source: Reuters
| MySpace
Bragging Leads to Charges |
After
gloating to friends on MySpace.com, two 17 year-olds from Washington
face 22 charges due to their burning desire for some entertainment.
The authorities tracked down the mischievous duo after
stumbling across information the pair had posted about their
pyro tendencies on their MySpace blog. They even posted
pictures of the fires they had set for people to see!
Lesson learned: the internet isn’t a
safe hiding place.
Source: The Mercury News
| Montreal
Teen Scientist Wins Big |
A
new dawn of the science fair project is upon us. Gone are the
days of floating pop cans, papier-mâché volcanoes,
and potato clocks. At the Olympics of science fairs, the Intel
International Science and Engineering Fair, a Montreal teen
won over $10,000 for his creation, a biosensor that detects
infectious disease in any bodily fluid, such as blood. His invention
is important because it is quicker and more cost-effective than
existing technology. Currently, most diagnostic tools take three
to four days to determine the presence of a specific disease,
while the student’s invention takes less than two hours.
As if saving lives isn’t reward enough, the winner can
boast about how most middle-aged scientists wouldn’t have
been able to create his biosensor.
Source: CTV News
In
Copenhagen, Denmark, students who pursue a postsecondary education
receive $900/month from the government. When rumours arose of
cutbacks intended to motivate students to finish school more
quickly, seven young activists staged a protest at the finance
ministry in the capital. They staged a “youth buffet”,
pouring over 200 kilograms of cooked spaghetti and
tomato sauce on the stairs of the finance building.
Source: EINnews
Explosive
Underwear Sparks Bomb Scare |
Imagine
getting a birthday present that is truly “da bomb”.
A Japanese university student was sent two birthday parcels
with a written warning on each package: “If you open this,
it will explode.” The giftgivers, who wrote the notes
to stop others from opening the packages, emailed their friend
to inform her that her presents would arrive in the mailroom. But it was too
late—the written message had already caused great alarm
at the university. Inside the “explosive” parcels
were a chocolate cake and lingerie.
Source: Reuters
