Heard This One Before!!!

Hinduja College ask Parents to Bring Identity Cards

2011-09-25T11:43:00.000+05:30

Charni Road-based KPB Hinduja College asked defaulting students to bring their parents, along with identity proof, to a parent-teacher meet, to curb instances of students hiring actors to pass off as mommy and dad

College students may no longer be able to pass off older friends, lenient relatives, and rented actors as parents when brought to book over low attendance in front of teachers, if the move made by authorities at KPB Hinduja College at Charni Road is any precedent.

On September 21, the college authorities surprised students of second year, junior college, by displaying a notice that asked 51 defaulters to show up with parents who were carrying identity proof, at the parents meet yesterday, failing which they would not be allowed to fill the HSC examination form.

Naturally, the students were all at sea. Suraj Shah (name changed), one of the defaulters, said, "I haven't heard of this happening anywhere else."

Bhavin Mehta (name changed), another defaulter, added, "Even if parents bring identity proof for verification, the college will ask them further questions about the child's personal life to ensure that they are in fact, the real parents."

Parents, however, are positive about the move. Rupal Jha, (name changed) a parent of an SYJC student, said, "It's a good initiative. We don't mind bringing identity proof along."

Smita Parekh, (name changed) another parent, agreed, adding, however, that the identity proof wasn't checked all that thoroughly at the meeting. "We just signed on a muster and left the college. Students who are defaulters usually bring along fake parents."

Dr T.A. Shiware, principal of KPB Hinduja College explained the reason behind the decision. "Students are smart, and believe they can hoodwink college authorities. They hire 'parents' when asked to attend meetings after their names appear on the defaulters' list. This year, we decided to demand ID proof from the parents."

Source: Mid-day

Molestor Organizes Feast Instead of Getting Arrested

2011-06-07T22:33:00.000+05:30

Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh), March 15 (IANS) Defying the law, a village panchayat here dealt in its own way with a molester -- it ordered him to organise a feast for the villagers as his punishment, police said Tuesday.

But the accused was later arrested as the disappointed victim approached the police to seek justice.

The order was pronounced March 13 by the panchayat of Kapsa village on a complaint by a 45-year-old widow, who had accused one Ram Bahadur, a native of the same village, of molesting her.

'The incident clearly reflects how some people just don't care about the law and pronounce their own judgment in criminal cases,' police inspector Nand Kishore told reporters in Allahabad, some 200 km from Lucknow.

'After an initial enquiry on the complaint by the woman, we have arrested Ram Bahadur,' police inspector Nand Kishore told reporters Tuesday in Allahabad, around 200 km from Lucknow.

'The probe is still on. On the completion of the enquiry, we may initiate legal action against those who ignored the law and gave their own judgment on such a sensitive issue,' Kishore said.

According to police, Bahadur, who was arrested Monday, molested the woman March 9 when she was returning from the fields.

'The woman approached the panchayat the same day, seeking action against Ram Bahadur,' Sewak Ram, a local, told reporters.

'However, the panchayat took four days to pronounce the judgment. As a punitive action it ordered that Ram Bahadur organise a feast for the entire village,' he said.

'The panchayat's order proved to be a major disappointment for the woman, who later publicly announced that she would approach the police to get justice,' he added.

source: MSN News

Bhagwan Ram Protects People's Fixed Deposits

2011-05-22T18:21:00.000+05:30

In a bank with no security gates, guards or locks, deposits from thousands of customers from across India are stacked on shelves, protected from theft by the grace of God.

In a cramped room in a small house in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Ram Ram Bank offers no interest or loans, but has around 5,000 customers who flock to deposit documents bearing God's name.

"There is no need for security as there is no fear of any theft," said Lovelesh Tewari, who founded the bank 25 years ago.

"People feel better by writing God's name as it becomes a medium to release their pent up frustrations and eventually the faith makes them work toward their goals."

The bank's customers scribble "Ram," the protagonist in the Indian mythological epic Ramayana, on pieces of paper as many as 100,000 times and deposit them in the bank. Ram is also known as Rama.

Ram Ram used to accept scribbles on cigarette packs or on pieces of old newspaper. But now Tewari provides proper notebooks for the purpose, courtesy of one of his customers.

"My daughter got admission in the engineering college after I deposited Ram's name in the bank," says Shahikala, one of many happy depositors.

The bank's list of depositors includes bureaucrats, politics and members of the judiciary. Even the father of superstar cricketer Gautam Gambhir is a customer.

Religion is no barrier. Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims write the name of Ram in their native languages.

Every six months the stacks of "deposits" are sent to be displayed in a temple in Ayodhya, the birth place of Ram.

Ram Ram's growing popularity has seen two new branches open in other cities, while Ram Ramapati Bank, a similar bank in the tourist city Varanasi, boasts customers from across the world.

Source: Reuters

Call Wife Unfaithful Makes Husband Face Jail or Pay Rs.1 Lakh Fine

2011-05-08T21:22:00.000+05:30

MUMBAI: Levelling baseless allegations of adultery against one's wife amounted to mental cruelty, said the Bombay high court while pronouncing a city resident guilty of the charge.

Justice A R Joshi offered the husband, Nilesh Chauhan, two options: pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation or go to jail.

"Going through the evidence presented by the prosecution witnesses and the allegations made against (the wife), it is definitely a case of mental cruelty on (her)," said the judge. "Needless to say, the conduct of the applicant comes within the purview of Section 498A of Indian Penal Code, so far as mental cruelty is concerned."

Chauhan's plea to suspend his conviction and release him on a bond of good conduct was rejected by the court, saying doing so would be "misplaced sympathy" . The judge said considering Chauhan's conduct "in imputing wild allegations to his wife of having illicit relations with her brother-in-law (of her father's age)", it would not be fit to release him on a bond of good conduct.

Source: TOI

Human Excrement Selling Like Hot Cakes

2011-04-24T13:28:00.001+05:30

Everyone knows North Korea is one of the more…weird countries out there. It’s ruled by the diminutive and utterly insane Kim Jong-Il and is fiercely militaristic, ensuring the world that you best bring your A-game if you want to challenge it to a game of RISK. What people don’t know, however, is its love of human excrement.

Yes, human excrement. Poop. Feces. The end result of a Taco Bell bender. All of this and more is apparently a hot commodity just north of the DMZ.

According to Professor Kim Young-soo of Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea, interviews with a number of North Korean defectors revealed that skinny jeans (Hipster couture), adult films, and yes, human excrement are selling like “hot cakes.”

When I first read that I pictured pancake-shaped feces sold in a Denny’s. Clearly North Korea isn’t that weird.

Of course, there is semi-logical reason for all of this. Everyone loves pornography, regardless of country of origin, and “fashionable trousers” were banned, making skinny jeans a hot ticket item for North Korean women. But what of the human excrement?

According to Kim, households used human waste as fertilizer. Since the average human probably doesn’t produce enough waste each day, some shops have begun selling it to deal with the shortage.

This is all well and good – you gotta do what you gotta do to survive – but makes us ask: where do they get it, and how much do they pay for it?

Source: Weird News

UAE Five Star Hotel Sued as Women is Raped and Jailed for having Sex outside Marriage

2011-03-30T21:05:00.000+05:30

An Australian woman is suing a five-star UAE hotel after she was drugged and raped by co-workers - but ended up in jail for eight months for having sex outside marriage.

Alicia Gali, 29, had her drink spiked and was raped by four co-workers at the luxury Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in the United Arab Emirates in June 2008.

She is seeking compensation from her former employer for breaching its workplace duty of care after she reported the assault to authorities, only to be jailed for eight months on an adultery charge.

Ms Gali claims the hotel failed to protect staff against assault and its legal consequences.

She alleges the resort encouraged workers to drink illegally, despite strict laws and the requirement of drinking permits.

The 'harrowing' ordeal has since caused Ms Gali severe post traumatic stress disorder, nightmares, flashbacks, depression and claustrophobia, according to her lawyer Melissa Payne.

Trey Maurice from the resort's parent company Starwood Hotels, said safety and security of staff is a paramount priority.

Mr Maurice says the management of the resort was aware of the unfortunate circumstances and provided support and assistance to Ms Gali and her family during her imprisonment.

Ms Payne said Ms Gali's lawsuit against the resort was likely to take place in court in Queensland, Australia, but could possible happen in the UAE.

An exact figure for the compensation has yet to be determined, Ms Payne said.

Source: Daily Mail

Villagers Worship "Dog God"

2011-03-27T12:16:00.000+05:30

In the A V Halli village, situated in the Ramnagaram district of India, the Karnataka villagers of South India have taken to worshiping “Sri Naayidole Veerappa,” also known as “dog God.” The temple of the dog God is located right next to the temple of “‘Sri Veeramasti Kempamma,” a local village deity, and the villagers believe that the dog serves as the god’s lieutenant.

According to Rajesh, a devotee of Sri Naayidole Veerappa, ‘‘People come here and make wishes. They return to pay respects after their wishes are fulfilled.”

The dog God, in addition to serving as a sort of local fortune teller, seemingly warning the villagers of bad events to come, as proven to be a bit of inspiration for the naming of newborns. In an attempt to prove their devotion to the dog God, many families have taken to naming their children after the dog God. If it’s a boy, the child is named Veerappa or Veeranna; girls are named Veeramma. Give it a few years and it’ll become the new “Steve” or “Jennifer.”

Beyond this, however, is the abolishment of caste discrimination that the dog God has brought to the village. The dog God’s priest is a member of the dalit caste, the Sanskrit of which means “broken to pieces.” In essence, they’re outcasts. Given the dalit status of the priest, the dog God’s significance in the village is incredibly important within the context of the Indian caste system.

Source: Weird News Asia

Low IQ Results In Man Getting Banned For Sex

2011-02-06T17:18:00.000+05:30

A man with a low IQ has been banned from having sex by a High Court judge who admitted the case raised questions about “civil liberties and personal autonomy”.

The 41 year-old had been in a relationship with a man whom he lived with and told officials “it would make me feel happy” for it to continue.

But his local council decided his “vigorous sex drive” was inappropriate and that with an IQ of 48 and a “moderate” learning disability, he did not understand what he was doing.

A psychiatrist involved in the case even tried to prevent the man being given sex education, on the grounds that it would leave him “confused”.

Mr Justice Mostyn said the case was “legally, intellectually and morally” complex as sex is “one of the most basic human functions” and the court must “tread especially carefully” when the state tries to curtail it. But he agreed that the man, known only as Alan, should not be allowed to have sex with anyone on the grounds that he did not have the mental capacity to understand the health risks associated with his actions.

Under the judge’s order, the man is now subject to “close supervision” by the local authority that provides his accommodation, in order to ensure he does not break the highly unusual order. The judge concluded: “I therefore make a declaration that at the present time Alan does not have the capacity to consent to and engage in sexual relations.

Source: The Telegraph

McDonald's Mascot Kidnapped, Faces Execution

2011-02-04T12:34:00.000+05:30

HELSINKI: A group calling itself the Food Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for "kidnapping" a statue of the McDonald's food chain mascot Ronald McDonald in Helsinki and has threatened to "execute" the figure if their demands are not met.

The group later posted a video on YouTube where balaclava-clad "terrorists", holding the clown statue with a bag over its head, demanded that the world's largest fast food chain answer questions about its corporate responsibility and food production.

"We love burgers, fries and McDonald's, but we can no longer watch in silence as the food we love is being destroyed and brought to shame because of greed and indifference," one of the "terrorists" said, speaking in Finnish.

The man said the statue, which was taken from a Helsinki restaurant on January 31 by two men posing as maintenance personnel, would be executed on February 11. "Have a nice day," the 'terrorist' signed off.

Source: TOI

Man Leaves Home For A Week, Finds 15 Squatters Living In It On Return

2010-10-22T23:38:00.000+05:30

In the middle of completely refurbishing his five-bedroom house, Connan Gupta felt he deserved a week off.

It is a decision he is now regretting because 15 squatters took advantage of his short absence to occupy the £700,000 property.

The jobless Italians changed the locks and have taken up residence along with their three dogs and two cats.

They claim the fact they cannot afford to rent gives them the right to take over the Victorian property in Camberwell, South-East London.

Police are powerless to intervene because squatting is a civil rather than criminal offence.

‘This is just ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Everything’s in there. All my worldly possessions, clothes, valuables, and medication I need for a skin condition. It is hellish. I always triple-lock the house and when I went away I made sure everything was locked.

‘It is really scary that you can go on holiday and come back and your house has been taken. I’m profoundly shocked that this can happen.

‘I tried to open the door and found the locks had been changed. Then I saw the note, and banged on the door saying I was the owner and a voice inside said “Just go away”.

‘I just have to sit here and wait. It’s as if the squatters have more rights than I do.’

The squatters claim the front door was open when they arrived at the house two weeks ago.

One, Valentina, 26, said: ‘None of us have any money or jobs. I don’t feel guilty about being here because no one else had been here for at least two years, the neighbours told us.

‘There’s no sink, no running water, no electricity, no carpets and the place was filthy. All of the owner’s stuff was packed away and stored.

‘I’ve never squatted before but when three of us found it we called our friends who are having difficulties of their own and told them about it.

An eviction hearing is expected to be held in the next two weeks.

Source: Daily Mail

Child Rapper Posts Music Video Telling People To Stop Ogling At His Mom

2010-10-17T13:11:00.000+05:30

He may only be 14 and tiny, but this youngster has a big attitude - and if you look at his mom then he'll beat the living daylights out of you.

At least, that's what Brian Bradley promises in his song, 'Stop Looking at My Moms', which has become an Internet sensation.

The Brookyn-based bad boy, who calls himself Astronomical Kid, has seen his video attract over 210,000 hits on YouTube in less than two months.

Bradley told the New York Daily News: 'I didn't like the way people were staring at my mother when I walked down the street. It was very offending.

'Every kid goes through that; every mother goes through that.

'Women, they are not pieces of meat. They are human beings. They should be respected. Men should know better.

'I decided instead of being violent, and going about it the wrong way, I'd put it on a record. It's a track everyone can relate to. I don't like people lookin' at my moms. I'm pretty sure nobody likes it.

'Sometimes I gotta turn around and give them the evil eye. Mentally, I'm a grown man. Height, I'm a kid.'

His mother, who didn't wish to be named, is delighted with the video. She said: 'It shows he loves his mom, and he knows what it means to respect a woman,' she said.

'I don't think that any child wants anyone catcalling their mother. What he is trying to say is, "This is my mom, have some respect, not only for her, but for me, too". I think it's a good message.

Source: Daily Mail

University Student Sex Rating List Becomes Internet Sensation

2010-10-09T20:09:00.001+05:30

Karen Owen made the 'unofficial senior thesis' on her sex life with athletes at Duke University in North Carolina and originally emailed it to three of her friends. The project spread to the university's entire 14,000 student body and from there on to websites across the globe.

In the list, written in the form of a 42-slide PowerPoint presentation, Miss Owen rates 13 of the men she slept with - mainly from the university lacrosse team - out of 10 and created a bar graph charting their sexual prowess.

The project leaves little to the imagination and describes her sexual encounters in the university library during finals week, showers, on a balcony, in cars and while drunk.

In one of the entries, she said: 'In my blackout state, still managed to crawl into bed with a Duke athlete.'

In another, in which she rates a tennis player, she said: 'He was terrible, did not even bother to kiss me more than a few seconds and finished in about five minutes, after which he simply walked out of the room and did not return.'

Miss Owen rates all 13 men according to eight categories: physical attractiveness, size, talent, creativity, aggressiveness, entertainment, athletic ability and a bonus factor including whether they have an accent.

The top ranked man scored 10.25 out of 10, while the worst got just one.

The list has since been taken down from internet sites and Miss Owen has deleted her profiles from social networking sites.

Speaking after it was made public, she told The News Of Today: 'I regret it with all my heart. I would never intentionally hurt the people that are mentioned on that.'

Source: Daily Mail

Flight Attendants Dance to Lady Gaga

2010-10-08T23:35:00.001+05:30

Flight attendants for Cebu Pacific Air have turned the preflight safety demonstration into a pop music party with a little help from Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

Instead of the standard spiel about emergency exits and smoking in the lavatories, video captured by a passenger aboard a flight on the Philippine carrier shows a troupe of flight attendants sashaying their way down the aisle to the sound of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance."

The cabin crew struts its stuff and dances with props including seat belts, flotation devices and oxygen masks while a prerecorded voice narrates the safety instructions.

The presentation might be more entertaining than the in-flight movie, but that doesn't mean Cebu thinks spectacle is more important than safety, said Candice Lyog, the airline's vice president for marketing and distribution.

"We do not compromise safety in anything we do, and it will remain our primary concern. We just really know how to have fun too," Lyog told CNN.com. "The safety demo dance rendition is just another way to bring out our fun culture and showcase our homegrown talents. We plan to roll this out onto more flights after receiving great commendations from the global public."

Here is the video:

Source: AOL News

Newborn’s Picture Goes Viral in Japan

2010-10-02T00:44:00.000+05:30

Ten years ago Florida-resident Allen Rout posted a picture of his newborn son, Stephen, on the Internet. Then just two month ago, while googling his own name, he was shocked to discover that his son’s picture had become a sensation in Japan. It was on dolls, in game shows, and even in video games. It was essentially being used as an “open-source stock image.”

According to KnowYourMeme, it all started back in 2004 when a user of 2chan.net, a Japanese imageboard, discovered the picture and added an interactive cartoon talk-bubble to it so users could have the unknown baby say anything they desired. Soon after it was picked up by the Japanese media, and a sensation was born! Nowadays Stephen’s photo is even used to censor explicit images on television!!

Source: WeirdAsiaNews

TV Host Announces Wrong Winner

2010-10-02T00:38:00.000+05:30

Producers of Australia's Next Top Model have been left red faced after supermodel host Sarah Murdoch announced the wrong winner in what newspapers said was the country's most awkward TV moment.

Murdoch, the daughter-in-law of media baron Rupert Murdoch, was close to tears after realizing she had mistakenly announced Sydney 19-year old Kelsey Martinovich as the winner of the Foxtel TV series during the live finale.

Martinovich had completed her acceptance speech before Murdoch backtracked on stage to reveal the real winner from a public vote was 18-year-old Gold Coast rival Amanda Ware.

"I don't know what to say right now. I'm feeling a bit sick about this," Murdoch told a 2,000-strong live audience.

"I'm so sorry. Oh my God, I don't know what to say. This is what happens when you have live TV folks, this is insane, insane, insane."

Foxtel publicity director Jamie Campbell Wednesday blamed a miscommunication between series directors in a broadcasting truck control room and Murdoch on stage.

Series judge and fashion designer Alex Perry told Sydney radio that Murdoch had made a genuine mistake, denying accusations in media reports that the bizarre mix-up was a publicity stunt.

"Everybody wants to tag something sinister on it and say it was done for ratings. I know Sarah and I know the executive producer. It's just not their style," Perry said.

Martinovich may have had a short-lived reign as Australia's Next Top Model, but it wasn't all bad news as Foxtel said she would receive a A$20,000 ($19,360) cash prize and trip to New York as consolation, almost matching Ware's series spoils.

Ware won an appearance in Harpers Bazaar magazine, a modeling contract, A$20,000, a trip to New York and a car.
Source: Reuters

Women Enters into Suicide Pact with Stranger on Internet Forum

2010-09-22T21:47:00.000+05:30

Joanne Lee, 34, and truck driver Steve Lumb, 35, were found dead in a Vauxhall Astra parked alongside an area of overgrown wasteland on an industrial estate in Braintree, Essex on Monday.

They had gassed themselves after meeting just hours earlier after making contact on the internet. The pair first made contact on an internet suicide forum. Mr Lumb then drove 200 miles to Braintree to meet Ms Lee.

She is understood to have posted a message pleading for a partner to end her life with and told of her repeated failed bids to kill herself. Miss Lee, who had an eating disorder, wrote on the forum: 'I haven't the strength to do this alone. I'm not a cop, a cannibal or a murderer, just desperate. I ... want to do it ASAP. 'You should... be willing to pick me up when it is time to (kill myself). 'If you are "very" serious, please email me'.

Cyber 'friends' responded by giving her tips on how to successfully kill herself and expressed their sorrow that she had failed to end her life.

Mr Lumb is believed to have then contacted Miss Lee under his username.

The bodies were found in the fume-filled car, which had notes placed on the windows warning of the toxic material inside. A source close to the investigation said: We believe they met a few hours before this tragedy. The bodies were found on Monday morning by a warehouse worker behind two rows of offices. However sources said it is possible the car had been parked on the site over the weekend, when the area is largely deserted.

Essex Police are treating the deaths as unexplained and the vehicle has been taken to a secure compound.

Source: DailyMail

Miner Digs Underground Home To Avoid Mortgage

2010-09-08T16:05:00.000+05:30

ZHENGZHOU - Chen Xinnian, a 64-year-old former miner in Central China's Henan province, is now anxiously awaiting the results of a government investigation into the underground apartment that he has been digging for about four years.

Chen's dream for years has been to improve housing for his family, but because he cannot afford the high housing prices, he has been trying to built a home underground. He successfully dug an 50-square-meter space six meters below the ground in his own yard in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan.

Living in a shantytown about seven kilometers away from downtown Zhengzhou, Chen owns a comparatively big yard in front of his 20-sq-m room.

"It's quite hot in the summer to live in the bunkhouse and the roof leaks. I just wanted my daughters to live in a better place," Chen told China Daily.

A former mineworker, Chen said he came up with the idea four years ago.

"At the beginning, I told my wife about the idea, but she disagreed and said it's too dangerous," he said.

But Chen bought all the necessary tools, safety lamp and helmet, and started the project.

"Seeing that I was so dedicated to the construction, my wife began to assist me," he said.

After nearly two years' effort, a 50-sq-m space was dug out, including an entrance hall, corridors and an 8-sq-m decorated bedroom.

Source: China Daily

British MP Wife Works As Prostitute

2010-09-06T17:00:00.001+05:30

Mike Weatherley, 53, is one of PM David Cameron’s fresh breed of ambitious MPs and a pillar of the community in his seaside constituency.

But his Brazilian wife Carla, 39 – pictured with him at the House of Commons just two months ago – sells her body to strangers in three seedy brothels.

Twice-married Mr Weatherley met Carla 10 years ago while on a business trip to the hedonistic party city of Rio de Janeiro –when, sources say, she was already selling herself for sex.

They wed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2003. The marriage certificate gives her occupation as housewife. And initially, lorry driver’s daughter Carla successfully put her sex-for-sale past behind her.

But by February, as her husband prepared for a rigorous election campaign, she had slipped back into the sex industry. And when our reporter visited her at a South London massage parlour on Friday she offered to perform a list of sex acts, before stripping off and dancing naked.

During the encounter the tattooed blonde, who also goes by her middle name Adriana, revealed that she also plies her trade in two other brothels. She then recited a price list, “£30 for hand relief, £40 for oral sex with a condom followed by sex and £70 for oral sex without a condom followed by full sex with a condom”.

She then spoke about the other two brothels where she works, nearby North Cheam Massage and Intimate Massage in Bedford. She said: “I started working in Bedford in February, but it is very far away. Here we have two houses, this one and one in Cheam. And I work there at the moment. I cover for my friend because she’s on holiday. I work Thursday there and Friday here. Then, when she is back, I will work Mondays. Thursdays here, Mondays there.”

Source: Mirror

Nurse Cancer Patient Turns Out Long Lost Father

2010-09-05T11:39:00.000+05:30

CORTLANDT, N.Y. - Wanda Rodriguez rarely works Wednesday nights, but she was on duty at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx when a new patient was admitted to the medical institution where terminally-ill cancer patients spend their final days.

She couldn't believe it when she heard the patient's name: Victor Peraza, just like her father, a man who had walked out on her and her family when she was just an infant, remaining a stranger for more than 40 years.

It was him, and he's not a stranger any more.

After a tearful reunion that Wednesday night, they've been drawn together as father and daughter even as their time together runs out. The years they've spent apart have been put aside, they said, by compassion and a bond they both can feel, and inside the room where her father lies, Rodriguez has been feeding him meals of rice and beans, bathing him and speaking in soft tones about the times they missed together.

"I welcomed him with open arms," Rodriguez said.

A nurse and a married mother of three young children who lives in Cortlandt, N.Y., Rodriguez, 41, said she never expected to meet her long-lost father on an otherwise quiet night at work Aug. 25.

"I overheard the name, 'Victor Peraza.' The second I heard that name, I froze," she recalled, then decided to see for herself who the man was. Yes, the same complexion. Yes, the same hazel eyes that run in the family, and those strong features she has, too.

"I quickly asked him if he had any kids," Rodriguez said. When he responded that he had two daughters named Wanda and Gina, "I couldn't help myself, I ran from the room and started to cry."

After collecting herself, she went back in and told him that she was his daughter. "He looked at me and said, 'I know,' " she recalled, and it became clear that he, too, had sensed quickly that fate had brought them together.

Though it would be understandable to turn her back on the man who left her when she was in diapers, Rodriguez said she never thought of spurning him.

"For 41 years, I've always wondered where my dad had been. Maybe he passed me in the street without me knowing. He's here now. He's terribly ill. It's not my nature to hold a grudge. I want to appreciate the valuable time we have left. You can't change the past, and he's begged me for forgiveness. . . . I'm cherishing every moment," she continued.

Peraza, 60, though racked with pain and sedated with medication, speaks clearly when asked about his daughter.

"I've been waiting for 41 years. When we embraced each other, it was a miraculous moment," he said, speaking with effort and emphasis. "I thank God for my daughter, and for being here."

Other members of the family have been reluctant visitors.

Rodriguez notes that her mother, Esther, a retired mail carrier, and her sister, Gina, are conflicted about the sudden reappearance of Peraza. Esther and Victor Peraza married when they were very young, high-school sweethearts who went to the altar. He was overwhelmed by parenthood, his daughter said, and took the easy way out.

Peraza was working in a bank before being diagnosed with cancer about 18 months ago. He did not start another family.

That was one question posed early on. Wanda Rodriguez has a million others for her father, but she knows as a nurse who works with the terminally ill, that the role of interrogator is not compatible with the role of caregiver.

They've found out they have quite a bit in common. They both like classical music, and they're both dog lovers - he had a Labrador retriever for many years, and she has two Maltese. She hopes to bring her two dogs to the room on his 61st birthday on Sept. 12.

"It makes me feel good to be with him," she said. "When I said good night, I called him 'Daddy, Papi.' I said 'I love you.' I couldn't believe it, it sounded so natural."

The story of their unlikely reunion, with its overtones of the biblical parable of the prodigal son, has astounded those who have heard about it.

"I think it's a wonderful, heartfelt story," Judy Getz of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., a good friend of Wanda Rodriguez's, said Friday. "My eyes tear up just thinking about it. It's an unbelievable story of fate, forgiveness and the most priceless gift of all, the gift of love."

Source: azcentral.com

Teens Raped 90 year old women

2010-08-30T20:20:00.001+05:30

WASHINGTON: In a shocking case, three US teenagers have been charged with a 90-year-old woman's rape in Detroit city, a media report said.

On August 12 the home of a 90-year-old woman was broken into. The woman was raped, beaten and robbed.

Three teens from Detroit have been arrested and charged with home invasion, beating and sexual assault of the 90-year-old woman. They are 17-year-old Maurice Randall, 18-year-old Anthony L. Hardy and a 15-year old. Also being charged for another home invasion are Randall and Hardy. The charges for the 17-year-old and 18-year-old are home invasion, criminal sexual conduct first degree, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and home invasion second degree. In addition Randall is charged with receiving and concealing stolen property. The 15-year-old was charged as a juvenile with home invasion first degree. 

detnews.com reports Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens said, "The assistance of the community definitely contributed to us apprehending the suspects." 

A grandson of the victim, Nimrod Sherman said, "I can't thank them enough. My grandma is doing better; she's still healing. So many people sent prayers, and came out and searched with us. It was great to see."

Source:  Digital Journal

Baby Declared Dead Comes Alive After Mother Cuddles Him

2010-08-28T15:15:00.000+05:30

It was a final chance to say goodbye for grieving mother Kate Ogg after doctors gave up hope of saving her premature baby.

She tearfully told her lifeless son - born at 27 weeks weighing 2lb - how much she loved him and cuddled him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

Although little Jamie's twin sister Emily had been delivered successfully, doctors had given Mrs Ogg the news all mothers dread - that after 20 minutes of battling to get her son to breathe, they had declared him dead.

Having given up on a miracle, Mrs Ogg unwrapped the baby from his blanket and held him against her skin. And then an extraordinary thing happened.

After two hours of being hugged, touched and spoken to by his mother, the little boy began showing signs of life.

At first, it was just a gasp for air that was dismissed by doctors as a reflex action.

But then the startled mother fed him a little breast milk on her finger and he started breathing normally.

'I thought, "Oh my God, what's going on",' said Mrs Ogg.

'A short time later he opened his eyes. It was a miracle. Then he held out his hand and grabbed my finger.

'He opened his eyes and moved his head from side to side. The doctor kept shaking his head saying, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it".'

Source:  Daily Mail

Chicken Feet From India

2010-08-25T13:54:00.000+05:30

MANGALORE: Guess what is discarded as waste in India and shipped thousands of miles to land up as a delicacy on dining tables in China? Chicken feet!

The feet, claws and all, as a gastronomical delight might sound comical to Indians who relish chicken legs but definitely nothing below. But hatcheries in Mangalore have found a thriving market for it in places like China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. A prominent hatchery in this coastal town in Karnataka exports 25 tonnes of chicken feet to the Far East every month.

Popularly known as phoenix talons in China, chicken feet is sold as street food, often deep fried, in other parts of Asia as well. It is a culinary delicacy in some regions, most notably in China and South Africa where every part of the bird is utilized to its fullest potential.

Lester D'Souza, managing partner of Souza Hatcheries, told TOI that they had started exports last year, though inquiries were made four years back. "Last year, a person came here, looked at the hatchery and gave us the specifications for the product to be exported," he said. Neatly cut and cleaned without using detergent or chemicals, the chicken feet are shipped out in freezer units used for fish exports, once a month to China, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Chinese restaurants in India don't use chicken feet simply because desi palates can't take claws on the plate. When asked, they said they never used feet for stock and they get their chicken meat without feet.

Source: TOI

Cat survives 2000 mile journey to find his owner

2010-07-04T21:23:00.001+05:30

When Ravila Hairova and Lev Kondratyev moved from Uzbekistan to Russia two years ago， they decided to leave their cat Karim in the care of their neighbor， concerned that he would not adjust well to the drastic change. Recently， however， on her way back from work Ravila saw at a distance a cat who seemed to be waiting at the doorstep of her Liska， Russia home. To her astonishment， she saw that it was ９-year-old Karim， thin and frazzled but recognizable especially by certain marks on his body.

Hairova had made sure to leave the cat's favorites items behind for him, including his favorite chair and food bowls. But a few days after she arrived at her new home and called her neighbors to see how he was doing, she was told he had run away. At that point she assumed she would never see him again.

"I knew he had disappeared from my neighbours' home a few days after we left which was very sad but we never heard another word about him," she told the news provider.

Karim travelled from Uzbekistan to Russia, crossing three state borders, and found his owners once again. He looked frail and malnourished, but was in good spirits.

"He is very happy now and so are we. I've no idea how he found us but I'm very glad he did," she said to the news source.

Source: The Survivor's Club

Gay Dog Refused Entry

2010-05-02T21:40:00.001+05:30

SYDNEY: An Australian restaurant that refused a blind man entry because a waiter thought his seeing-eye dog was "gay" has been ordered to apologise and pay compensation.

Ian Jolly was told he could not take guide dog Nudge into Adelaide's Thai Spice last May because a member of staff objected, The Sunday Mail reported.

The restaurant's owners said a misunderstanding had arisen between Jolly's female companion and a waiter who understood the woman "to be saying she wanted to bring a gay dog into the restaurant".

"The staff genuinely believed that Nudge was an ordinary pet dog which had been desexed to become a gay dog," the owners said in a statement to South Australia's Equal Opportunity Tribunal.

The tribunal on Friday ordered the restaurant to pay Jolly 1,500 dollars (1,400 US) and offer him a written apology for discriminating against him on the grounds of disability.

The restaurant, which displays a "guide dogs welcome" sign, refused to comment to the newspaper and was unavailable to respond on Sunday.

Jolly told the Sunday Mail he was happy with the result.

"I just want to be like everybody else and be able to go out for dinner, to be left alone and just enjoy a meal," he said.

Source: TOI (link)

Son Sues Mom Over Facebook

2010-04-10T01:06:00.001+05:30

SAN FRANCISCO (US): A 16-year-old boy from Arkansas is suing his mother for harassment, claiming that she hacked his Facebook account and posted slanderous remarks, according to Arkansas TV station KATV Thursday.

The mother, Denise New, denied the charges, claiming that her son left his Facebook page open on her computer and that she was entitled to take over his account because he had posted incriminating information on his Facebook page.

According to the boy, who was not named because he is a minor, his mother hacked into his Facebook and email accounts, then changed both passwords so he could no longer access them. She also allegedly posted remarks that involved slander and information about his personal life.

According to the report, the mother was upset about a post that suggested he had driven home one night at 95 mph (152 kph) because he had been upset with a girl. She plans to fight the charges, as she believes she was fully within her legal rights as a parent to monitor her son's online behaviour.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to fight it. If I have to go even higher up, I'm going to. I'm not gonna let this rest. I think this could be a precedent-setting moment for parents," she told KATV-TV. "You're within your legal rights to monitor your child and to have a conversation with your child on Facebook whether it's his account, or your account or whoever's account."

Source: TOI(link)