News of the Weird

http://www.newlyswissed.com/police-dog-whisk-canine-cargo-bike/ 8)Not a typical police dog, this one looks like it would lick you to death. :lol:
Whisk is one lucky K9. His drug sniffing skills are valued to the point where the Lausanne police department has constructed a special cargo bike for him.
Whisk is a lab retriever of two years, and he is considered a passive police dog. This means that he was trained to find illegal drugs on people by patrolling in public spaces. Once Whisk has sniffed out a suspicious smell, he will simply sit down to let his handler know.
Since hustling from place to place can wear Whisk out, his handler had an ingenious idea: Why not transport him in a cargo bike? A canine cargo bike? "I had this idea while watching deliverymen pass by," the officer who handles Whisk has said.
"My colleagues from the cycling brigade told me that we were not going fast enough for (drug) checks because we were getting around in a service vehicle, so I said why not try with a bicycle?" This solution would be environmentally friendly, innovative and most of all, time saving.
Switzerland's first canine cargo bike
With no such solution on the market, the Lausanne Police Department put their thinking caps on. In coming up with Switzerland's first police dog bicycle, they were inspired by the cargo bikes commonly used for deliveries in Dutch cities.
You might wonder why they need an electric bike? Well, there is a saying that Lausanne’s ladies have the nicest legs in Switzerland because of the steep slopes...
With this tailor made bike, the Lausanne patrol cops can now whisk their K9 to hotspots across town, such as the train station, the parks or the promenade along Lake Geneva. Whisk is loving the canine cargo bike so far. He has completed training and is one of ten police dogs in the canine squad of the Lausanne police department.
 
Taking our vehicle to a car wash is typically not a traumatizing experience.

However, seeing a recognizable portion of a human face lying on the floor could quickly escalate the situation.

Kimberley Kriege alleges that is exactly what she encountered after pulling into a Livingston, Montana car wash in September of 2013.

Recently, she filed a lawsuit claiming emotional distress.

The suit is against the trucking company that employed David Welk, the driver convicted of a hit-and-run involving an elderly man who was walking along the side of a highway.

He fled the scene and left the body, which was later run over by other vehicles.

One of them was taken to Super Car Wash, resulting in the portion of face being left on the facility's floor. He was travelling to see his grandchildren in Texas but his car ran off the road. According to the lawsuit he was walking along the highway when he was struck by a CRST truck driven by David Welk, The Missoulian reported.

According to court documents seen by Courthouse News and tendered to Gallatin County Court, Ms Kriege said Welk turned around after the impact and thought he’d seen clothing on the road — in fact it was Mr Bedford’s body.

Welk was eventually arrested when a colleague who was with him reported they had hit something. The colleague was asleep in the truck and told police Welk got out and had a look, but dismissed the object as clothing. However, he remembered Welk was very nervous and upset by whatever he’d seen on the dark highway.

Ms Kriege said Welk should have called police but just “left the body on the highway, knowing that someone could be held responsible for the hit and run death”.

It was found several hours later but, by that time, he had been hit by at least one other car. That driver is named in court documents as 31-year-old Wryan Young, who washed her car at the car wash and “left a large portion of Bedford’s face on the car wash floor,” Mr Kriege’s lawsuit says.

The face was left there until it was seen by Ms Kriege — who says she has been left badly traumatised and required counselling.

It was apparently large enough to be clearly recognisable as “part of a human face”.

To make matters worse, she claims police treated her like a criminal when she phoned them to tell them what she had found.

Park County Coroner Al Jenkins was seen vacuuming water from a floor drain at the car wash, then searched through the vacuum filter looking for evidence.

Welk was convicted in 2014 to a six-year suspended jail term after he was given credit for the year he spent in custody, reported ABC Montana.

Ms Young was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence. She maintained she thought she hit clothing left on the ground and charges against her were eventually dropped.
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-Man-filmed-cycling-road-two-GOATS-back.htmlThis guy needs a livestock trailer really bad. Omaha Standard, anyone? :lol:
Cycling one-handed can be difficult at the best of times, but one man has taken the challenge to a whole new level.
He was spotted cycling down the the road with two goats clinging to him.
Filmed from a passing vehicle, the footage shows one goat with it legs wrapped around the rider's waist and its hoofs on his shoulders.
A second is slung around the man's shoulders, behind his head and held on to with his left hand.
The goats peer around at the street scene as they pass but seem unperturbed by their unusual mode of transport.
Whether the trio reached their destination in one piece is impossible to say.
Numerous viewers of the videos have commented on the amusing spectacle.
Some humorous comments include: 'Watch the video again - it's actually two sheep kidnapping a human. One of them has him in a headlock and the other one is peddling' and 'He's in charge of entertainment for the bachelor party.'
Another commentator writes: 'Sheep be all like: "OK... which one of us is his wife, and which one of us is his dinner?"'
It is not clear where the footage was filmed but it is believed to be in Central Asia.
 
So of course there's people with their feet in their mouths complaining about this. The fact remains the not having kids IS the deciding factor for most women in this world getting an education ever, or for a few at least while their young. But nooooo, squall your fool head off that they should accept prostitution, etc. (I couldn't believe that one.)

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/27/africa/south-africa-virgin-scholarship/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool&iref=obinsite

Ladysmith, South Africa (CNN)Soon 18-year-old Thubelihle will leave her home in rural KwaZulu-Natal to head by bus to attend university in Pretoria.

Thube, as her friends call her, says her family could not afford college, but help came in the form of a government scholarship offered by the local uThukela municipality, one of 11 districts in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The main requirement -- Thube must remain a virgin.

"We are keeping away from boys because we want to achieve our goals," says Thube.

"I don't have children. I am 18 years old, I must study hard to change and conquer the world."

To qualify for the so-called "Maiden's Bursary Award," Thube will need to undergo virginity testing every vacation. A female elder in the community will determine if she has remained a "maiden" by conducting a manual inspection, usually on a grass mat.

"You only have one chance to be a maiden," says Thube.

News of the virgin-based scholarship has prompted fierce debate in South Africa, with rights groups saying that it is invasive and sexist.

"The scholarship promotes stereotypes — that you only get a bursary because you are a virgin, not based on your capabilities," says Javu Baloyi, of the Commission on Gender and Equality.

"There are better ways of getting an education."

South Africa's main opposition party has lodged a complaint with the country's human rights commission and some activists have called it unconstitutional.

But the Mayor behind the scholarships is standing her ground.

"What I have noticed about all the critics is that they are not bringing solutions," says uThukela Mayor Dudu Mazibuko, who says she got pregnant in high school as a teenager and doesn't want girls to go through the same struggle.

Mazibuko says they have tried different ways to stop teenage pregnancies in the schools of her district, but nothing has worked.

According to the most recent figures from 2012, KwaZulu-Natal province has the highest rate of births to teenage mothers in South Africa.

That year, more than 26,000 babies were born to girls aged between 15 and 19. Some new mothers were even younger.

Scholarships for virgins: Outrage over South Africa 'maiden's bursary'

By David McKenzie and Brent Swails, CNN

Updated 4:57 AM ET, Wed January 27, 2016
Mayor defends scholarships for virgins

Mayor defends scholarships for virgins 02:11
Story highlights

"We are keeping away from boys because we want to achieve our goals," Thube says
She's one of the teenagers being offered free schooling if she remains a virgin
District is trying to reduce teen pregnancy rates; mayor says nothing else has worked

Ladysmith, South Africa (CNN)Soon 18-year-old Thubelihle will leave her home in rural KwaZulu-Natal to head by bus to attend university in Pretoria.

Thube, as her friends call her, says her family could not afford college, but help came in the form of a government scholarship offered by the local uThukela municipality, one of 11 districts in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The main requirement -- Thube must remain a virgin.

"We are keeping away from boys because we want to achieve our goals," says Thube.

"I don't have children. I am 18 years old, I must study hard to change and conquer the world."

To qualify for the so-called "Maiden's Bursary Award," Thube will need to undergo virginity testing every vacation. A female elder in the community will determine if she has remained a "maiden" by conducting a manual inspection, usually on a grass mat.

"You only have one chance to be a maiden," says Thube.

'Invasive and sexist'

News of the virgin-based scholarship has prompted fierce debate in South Africa, with rights groups saying that it is invasive and sexist.

"The scholarship promotes stereotypes — that you only get a bursary because you are a virgin, not based on your capabilities," says Javu Baloyi, of the Commission on Gender and Equality.

"There are better ways of getting an education."

South Africa's main opposition party has lodged a complaint with the country's human rights commission and some activists have called it unconstitutional.

But the Mayor behind the scholarships is standing her ground.

"What I have noticed about all the critics is that they are not bringing solutions," says uThukela Mayor Dudu Mazibuko, who says she got pregnant in high school as a teenager and doesn't want girls to go through the same struggle.

Mazibuko says they have tried different ways to stop teenage pregnancies in the schools of her district, but nothing has worked.

According to the most recent figures from 2012, KwaZulu-Natal province has the highest rate of births to teenage mothers in South Africa.

That year, more than 26,000 babies were born to girls aged between 15 and 19. Some new mothers were even younger.

High rates of HIV

uThukela district still suffers from staggering HIV/AIDS rates -- around half of pregnant mothers have contracted the disease, according to Mayor Mazibuko's office.

South Africa has more than six million people living with HIV, the highest in the world.

"Young girls are vulnerable. They can't refuse to have sex with an older person. They cannot even instruct an old man to wear a condom. They are not ready to have sex," Mazibuko says.

Thube says many of her high school friends have succumbed to the charms of "sugar-daddies" who provide money, gifts and favors in return for sex.

In South Africa, schoolgirls who get pregnant are encouraged to finish their education, but in practice many drop out and never return.

Last year, in a speech to traditional leaders -- who still hold significant power in rural parts of the country -- South Africa's president Jacob Zuma said teenagers who got pregnant should be separated from their infants and sent to finish their studies at Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed.

Mayor Mazibuko says the idea for the scholarship came from the girls themselves, who had banded together in preparation for the annual reed-dance held at the eNyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal.

"We don't make the virgins, they were already starting up groups," she says.

Held every year in September, the reed-dance was introduced in South Africa in the early 1990s by King Goodwill Zwelethini to promote abstinence in the face of the HIV epidemic.

It's attended by young Zulu women who must first pass virginity tests within their communities.

However, the tests have done little to curb rampant HIV infection and teenage pregnancy in the past decade, and for many South African women, the reed-dance is anachronistic and offensive.

But for Thube, remaining a virgin is one way to stay safe.

"This is my choice," she says.

And here in KwaZulu-Natal, the virgin scholarship is her only real chance of getting an education.
 
Massive killer hornets on deadly rampage heading to America
Tatiana Danger

In not-so-awesome news, when you head to the RV park with the family you may have some not-so-cool camping guests, because...MASSIVE KILLER HORNETS ARE KILLING PEOPLE! Yes, it's true. First it was testicle-eating fish invading American lakes, then it was ginormous spider crabs stalking our beaches. Now, it's MASSIVE KILLER HORNETS KILLING PEOPLE!

The Asian Giant Hornets kill about 40 people each year in Japan. It's considered the deadliest of the hornet species. It's as thick as a thumb, and it's gang-like behavior makes it a ruthless predator. Basically, after a Giant Hornet goes on a honey scouting expedition, it goes to its nest grabs a bunch of other hornets and attacks the honey hive.

A video by National Geographic has captured such an attack. About 30 hornets are known to kill about 30,000 bees in their bee hive in about three hours. The goal of the Asian Giant Hornet is to attack the larvae of the bees, which are used as feed for their own nests.

Japanese-Hornet-and-European-Honey-Bee

If that's not nightmare-fuel enducing, try this on for size: "In Japan, the Asian Giant Hornets kill the bees by splitting them in half with their mandibles." They literally tear bees apart with their jaws!

Illinois' Arlington Cardinal reports that a lone Japanese Giant Hornet was spotted flying in Arlington Heights on Sunday, July 29, 2012.

Sunday, an Asian Giant Hornet or Japanese Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia) was spotted at a residence west of St. Viator High School. The insect was at least two inches long and as thick as a human thumb. It had a wide orange-yellow head with large eyes, and distinct yellow-orange and brownish-black bands on its body — like a bee. The Asian Giant Hornet patrolled around a house in the front yard — occasionally hovering and landing on shrubbery. The Asian Giant Hornet studied a yellow-jacket nest that was recently destroyed with Raid wasp spray on the property. Yes, the giant hornets attack Yellow Jacket nests.

Asian Giant Hornets have appeared in Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Most recently, CNN reports that Giant Asian Hornets are responsible for the deaths of dozens of people in China, with over 1,500 wounded by "their powerful venomous sting." Her scientific name is Vespa mandarinia and her venom is so deadly it annihilates your red blood cells, which can cause kidney failure, and in some extreme cases, death.

But perhaps a bigger problem than the toxicity of the venom is allergy, Schmidt says. Some people are naturally more allergic to stinging insects than others; a sting can trigger a deadly anaphylactic reaction, which may involve airway closure or cardiac arrest. Since July, hornet attacks have killed 42 people and injured 1,675 people in three cities in Shaanxi province, according to the local government. Among those attacked, 206 are receiving treatment in hospitals.

Killer hornets are also on the move...

Now experts have warned that they could now be headed to the South of England. The warning is contained in the latest House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) report on invasive non-native species. The British Beekeepers Association says it is "likely" that the Giant Asian hornets are heading this way. Their toxic sting can cause death through anaphylactic shock and kidney failure.

The Asian Giant Hornet measures between 3.5 to 3.9 cm in length (which is 1.4 to 1.5 inches). It's black tooth is "used for burrowing" and a queen can grow up to 2 inches in length!
6026467-large

During breeding season a Giant Asian Hornet can produce between 1,000 and 2,000 offspring!

Here's the fun part: "The giant hornets are attracted to human sweat, alcohol and sweet flavors and smells. They are especially sensitive to when animals or people run..." Awesome! So, now when you're out camping, soaking up the sun, building up a sweat and drinking profusely with your buddies, just remember, if you see a giant hornet coming at you don't run away! Or, whatever, run away. I mean, if I see a Giant Killer Hornet coming after me, I'm running away screaming.
hornet

If you're lucky enough to catch a Giant Killer Hornet you could make it into a tasty drink:

There is a sports drink in Japan called VAAM that incorporates amino acids derived from hornets. In Taiwan, where the giant hornet is known as the "tiger head," the insect is sometimes used in alcoholic drinks, Starr said, the idea being that "the essence of this great big strong hornet will go out into the booze, and when you drink it, you'll become strong."
 
https://roadtrippers.com/stories/testicle-eating-fish-invading-american-lakes?lat=40.81381&lng=-96.67969&z=5

Animal rights groups say the dang fish has the right to bite your nuts. Do you agree?

Testicle-Eating Fish Are Invading American Lakes!
Tatiana Danger

This past week, a testicle-eating fish was caught in Third Ward Park, only 10 miles from NYC. It’s a type of fish commonly referred to as “pacu”. It’s a freshwater, omnivorous species from South America. It’s a relative of the Piranha…and it enjoys munching on balls.

The “pacu” fish generally refer to the smaller fish, whereas the Colossoma macropomum are the larger fish of the pacu genus, that were introduced to the United States. While piranha have an overbite of razor-sharp teeth, pacu have square, straight teeth, similar to a human. A testicle-eating pacu was also found last year in Illinois’ Lake Lou Yeager.

Testicle-Eating Fish Are Invading American Lakes!

Once fully-grown pacu can get as big as 3 feet and weigh 55 pounds and often mistakes testicles for tree nuts, cause well, you can see why:

Discoveries in the United States have been reported in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

So, how do you get rid of pacu that get to be out-of-control? According to state wildlife authorities: You cut off the heads!

Of course this method doesn’t go over too well with animal-rights groups such as Habitattitude, “a U.S. national initiative led by the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force”, which humanely recommends disposing of the unwanted testicle-biters by “donating them to a local aquarium society, school, or aquatic business.”

Or you could always eat them…I’m told they taste delicious when fried.
 
Welcome to your beach nightmare: this giant crab eats coconuts, kittens, and even people
Greg Newkirk

If you thought the new freshwater plague of testicle eating fish was scary, now you've got a reason to be terrified of the beach too. Meet the coconut crab, the humongous, flesh-eating hermit crab strong enough to crack coconuts... and some are saying it's what killed, and ate, Amelia Earhart.

When it comes to "terrestrial arthropods", which just a fancy way of saying "really big bugs that live on land", the coconut crab is the largest of them all. Very closely related to the favorite housepet of ten year olds, the hermit crab, these monstrous crustaceans can grow up to three feet across, weigh over nine pounds, and can easily live twenty years or more. As you can imagine, their name comes from a steady diet of coconut, but they've also been known to chow down on household pets, chickens, other coconut crabs... and even people.

According to Environmental Graffiti, these horrible little creatures might even be the monsters that ate Amelia Earhart after her fateful crash on a remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

In 1940, researchers discovered a fraction of a skeleton on the island that matched the description of Amelia Earhart. Now, even more interesting clues are arising that seem to substantiate the idea that this is where she met her demise. The most compelling hypothesis currently under consideration is that coconut crabs overwhelmed her where she lay.

Researchers carried out an experiment to validate whether the coconut crabs had a part in her demise.

Back in 2007, they used a small pig carcass to assess what the coconut crabs might have done. The bones were removed very quickly and scattered, according to Patricia Thrasher, TIGHAR’s president.

Yikes. After all that, would you believe that some people keep this guys as pets? Apparently, they're pretty well behaved... so long as you keep them well fed.

Luckily, your chances of running into them in North America are pretty slim. They tend to live in the islands of the Indian and Pacific oceans where humans are more scarce (their meaty bodies make good eatin'), but it's not uncommon to run into them in Southern Florida... so make sure you keep Fido on a leash the next time you visit the Keys.
 
http://sf.streetsblog.org/2016/02/0...ke-parking-shuts-down-san-tomas-aquino-trail/
:x
Want to walk or bike to Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium this Sunday? It won’t be easy. The big game’s organizers have banned the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) from providing free valet bike parking at the stadium. The City of Santa Clara also agreed on a ten-day closure, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 9, of the San Tomas Aquino Trail for the construction of an entertainment area on the surface parking lot next to the stadium.
“Many of us were hoping to see Super Bowl 50 be the most bike-friendly big game yet. Instead, attendees will apparently have no place to park a bike, even if they are able to navigate past the closed bike path and double detour on surrounding streets,” wrote SVBC in an online petition to the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee that has gathered 280 signatures. “In a region with soaring traffic and a country where transportation accounts for 27 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, ignoring people-powered transportation seems both irresponsible and antiquated.”
Valet bike parking and quality pedestrian and bike infrastructure cut both car traffic and reduce demand for car parking on event days, direct benefits to both Levi’s Stadium and those living or working in the area.
“The largest bike parking area takes up about 4000 square feet for up to 285 bikes,” wrote SVBC Bike Parking Coordinator Alison Pauline in an email. “We are parking up to 285 bikes in an area that could fit 13 cars.” Paluine said volunteers typically park between 100 and 200 bikes at 49ers games, depending on how many fans show up to watch the team play. Record turnout to date was over 700 bikes for a two-day Grateful Dead concert in June of 2015.
A network of over 100 miles of continuous off-street walking and bicycling paths stretching from Mountain View to San Jose connect directly to the football stadium’s main entrances along the San Tomas Aquino Trail in northern Santa Clara. “Our publicly funded San Tomas Aquino Trail has been taken over by a private corporation with the complicit support of the City of Santa Clara,” said former SVBC Board of Directors member Scott Lane. “This world-class network of off-street trails is intended for everyone to enjoy, not only those wealthy enough to afford 49ers football tickets.” Lane led successful negotiations in October 2014between active transportation advocates and Santa Clara Police Chief Mike Sellers to allow trail access for people walking or bicycling to stadium events.
“While there will likely be a sizable increase in pedestrians on the San Tomas Aquino Creek
trail before and after NFL events, the creek trail is open to both pedestrians and cyclists and there are no restrictions on use,” promised Santa Clara city officials in the stadium’s Environmental Impact Report. “Anyone at anytime can access and use the trail.”
Additionally, the Super Bowl will cost Caltrain an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 to operate extra trains to shuttle fans to and from Mountain View, where they can transfer to Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail trains – operating for the exclusive use of Super Bowl ticket-holders. VTA rail ridership to the stadium is capped at 12,000, and even at $20 a ticket the agency said it will not recover Super Bowl costs either. SamTrans is paying 12 bus drivers to remain on call so that bus bridges can be set up in case Caltrain breaks down. None of the transit agencies will be compensated by the National Football League or Levi’s Stadium.
 
http://sploid.gizmodo.com/heres-weirdest-bigwheel-bike-in-the-world-1760814336 :lol:
Walking is cool. Bikes are fun. But this invention which sort of does both is just unsettling.
The Boneshaker Bigwheel is a project of Jacksonville, Florida artist Ron L. Schroer. It combines the eeriness of kinetic sculptures with a penny-farthing’s blatant disregard for safety. More recently, he built a giant facemonster called “Ol’ Fence” which is definitely not terrifying.
 
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tech...d-on-londons-streets-next-month-a3186586.html
What a bunch of idiots! :p They even call them "Drones". :roll: Next they'll be used to deliver terrorist explosive devices to the middle of crowded public squares. Twenty pounds of dynamite can do a lot of damage. :evil:

A delivery robot tested among the crowds of central London is set to start being deployed in the capital.
The self-driving, battery-powered box on wheels is poised to undertake local delivery trials in Greenwich following 3,000 hours of testing.
The robots by Starship Technologies have been described as “ground drones” and were created by former Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis.
Their invention is expected to be popular at smaller local businesses, such as bakeries and corner shops, that could send out the robot containing goods in its tub body costing only a pound or two.
They are part of the €25 million EU Smart Cities project to test if new and unproven technologies to see if they can enhance people’s lives.
An on-board battery lasts for about two hours and the delivery range will be up to 30 minutes away base, guided by GPS using 3G signals.
They travel at up to 4mph and are programmed with software to help avoid obstacles and are CO2-free, apart from power used charging batteries.
The six-wheeled drone can “hop” up kerbs and over cobbles, plus sensors help it dodge people.
It also knows to wait if it is about to encounter a large group so they can pass.
The “cargo bay” is locked throughout the journey and can only be opened by the recipient via their smarthphone.
If troublemakers think of damaging the robot, it features nine cameras to capture their face, plus a microphone and speaker to warn them off.
The company is also looking in the future at using drones to police their robot workforce.
An operator can take over control remotely if the robot gets into trouble.
The company says they hope to replace the need to shopping trips, which is currently the purpose of one third of British car journeys.
Speaking to the Standard at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Allan Martinson, chief operating officer of Starship Technologies said: “We went to the South Bank on a Saturday, near to the London Eye, where it is crowded are lots of tourists and we didn’t have any problems with pedestrians or cyclists.”
Keith Cornell, the firm’s senior advisor, said: “It weighs 20lbs and is able to hold 20lbs worth of goods.
“It can’t hold a flatscreen TV but it holds three bags of groceries or two pairs of shoes.
“When you request a delivery, rather than get a text saying you will get it between these hours, you call it up, you see a map of it coming to you, it alerts you when it gets there and you then push the button that unlocks it.
“You take out your goods, put the top back down and away it goes.
“We’re waiting to start the tests and show it actually working in a populated area.
“We want to get public acceptance and show that it works.
“It’s not obtrusive and it’s not scary, most people say it’s cute.”

UNBEFREAKINLEAVEABLE! :twisted:
 
An argument I have not yet heard against the wearing of bicycle helmets, your DNA could be used against you in a court of law. :twisted:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/375177/bike-helmet-dna-linked-tully

We need an ebike record for this. I'm sure lots of people here could easily blow that record away. How about it folks? Don't look at me. :pancake:
http://road.cc/content/news/181046-bradford-cyclist-faces-summons-pulling-180-metre-wheelie

How about having these guys for neighbors. :twisted:
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2016/03/01/boy-claims-hells-angel-attacked-him-for-riding-bike

Parking in a bike lane never looked this bad. :roll:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2016/03/sellwood_bridge_driver_walks_a.html
 
http://mashable.com/2016/03/15/family-bike-ride/#.DdhjolinmqgWhat a wonderful, inspirational, adventurous family. :mrgreen:
In 2013, Patrick Jones and Meg Ulman were hankering to scratch an itch for travel that hadn’t been satisfied in years. There were just two stipulations: their trip would have to cost almost nothing and be as close as possible to carbon neutral.
The couple, who’d given up air travel and their car years earlier in pursuit of an eco-friendly lifestyle, looked to their bikes.
With kids, Woody and Zephyr, and Jack Russell terrier, Zero, in tow, they set off that spring from their home in tiny Daylesford, Victoria and headed north. Little did they know their journey would stretch to 14 months and take them 6,000 kilometres (3,728 miles).
"I guess what we wanted to do is take our permaculture activism and our principles, through reading and studying permaculture and enacting it, and try to apply it to the road," Jones said in Melbourne Thursday, explaining the philosophy of living in tune with the natural environment.
For the family, that meant living almost entirely off foraged plants and weeds and fish and shellfish they caught themselves. By the end of the trip, they had documented the names and practical uses of some 250 plant species.
"Almost every culture, generation before us had a far greater ecological literacy," Jones said, while speaking at a talk organised by Melbourne Free University. "Most people knew the wild plants in their area that they could turn into soups and medicines and poultices."
The family and Zero also ate roadkill and animals that Zero hunted himself. "[Zero] basically found his own food — lots of road kill. And if we were camped somewhere for a few days, he would take off for half an hour, 45 minutes and then find something to eat and come back to us," Ulman said.
The couple, whose book "The Art of Free Travel: A frugal family adventure" was released last year, said their journey taught them to embrace uncertainty. But they admitted they had scary moments.
Once, Jones nearly drowned after being caught up in a rip current. "In my desperation to tell another story, enact another way to live, I’d failed to observe the laws of the natural world," Jones recalled, reading a passage of the book. "I’d put ideology before safety."
Less a one-off challenge, the couple’s marathon cycle fit into a continuing campaign to change hearts and minds. They firmly believe that modern Australia’s reliance on the car, the airplane and the supermarket is leading the country toward ecological disaster.
"People look at how we are living and think it’s kind of extreme, but they don’t see that driving a car is extreme," Ulman said.
Mainstream antidotes to environmental destruction like solar cars and biodegradable packaging are far too conservative, the couple say. They believe modern affluence itself will have to go to save the planet.
"We are not seeing ourselves as dropped out completely, not as total purists, but I believe that if the average Australian family lived without carbon input, we wouldn’t have a climate change crisis," Jones said. "Why I say that is [because] car use, supermarket food and air travel are the big numbers in climate change."
He admitted it was a "tough sell" to convince Australians to follow their radical path. But if even 15% of the population embraced permaculture, he said, the monetary economy would roll backwards and the "household economy" could begin to grow.
Some aspects of their radical approach to environmental protection are likely to draw criticism. For example, they downplay the regression of things like modern medicine that would accompany the mass adoption of their ideas.
"You can’t prevent accidents, but you can prevent most of the food-related illnesses we have in Australia ... I strongly believe that," Jones said, claiming his family rarely needs to visit the doctor.
Despite Jones's claims, Australians have never lived so long — with an average life expectancy in 2015 of 80.3 years for men and 84.4. years for women. Poor diet accounts for 11 percent of the burden of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic conditions, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
When they aren’t on the road, the family’s everyday life in Daylesford is similarly built around their idea of ecological harmony. They grow their own food and shower just once a week. They heat water using scavenged wood — although only in winter.
"If the household and community economies change, so will the top have to, maybe not how radicals want to see things, but they will have to," Jones said.
 
In New Zealand, ebike saves car driver! (To get a reduced sentence after knocking ebike rider off her ebike.)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/bik...that-injured-palmerston-north-city-councillor
Woman admits causing crash that injured Palmerston North City Councillor

JONO GALUSZKA
Last updated 16:58, March 18 2016

A Palmerston North woman's careless driving case has thrown the spotlight on electric bikes, after she got a reduced sentence due to the fact her victim was riding one.

Yu-Chieng Cheng, 51, pleaded guilty in the Palmerston North District Court on Friday to careless driving causing injury.

Her victim was Palmerston North City councillor Rachel Bowen, who was riding an electric bike she had hired from Ezy Rider on the day of the crash.

Bowen was hit when Cheng turned in front of her to try enter Huia St, Palmerston North, on November 30.

Bowen came off the bike, which she had hired from Ezy Rider, and broke her elbow.

Cheng was ordered to pay $283 economic loss reparation, $1500 emotional harm reparation, has to take part in a defensive driving course, and was disqualified from driving for three months.

Careless driving causing injury carries a mandatory six-month disqualification, but Judge Gregory Ross decided the fact Bowen was riding an electric bike at the time warranted special circumstances.

Cheng pleaded guilty after being given a sentence indication hearing, during which defence lawyer Philip Drummond said the bike was a unique feature.

While non-electric bikes travel at about 15kmh, electric bikes can go much faster, he said.

Some countries have speed limits on how fast the bikes can go - Canada's 30kmh limit the fastest Drummond said he could find - but New Zealand did not have a legal speed limit, he said.

That meant some electric bikes could go in the cycle lane, but possibly move as fast as a car, he said.

"Hence, there is room for misjudgment that is not expected as a motorist.

"She had no way to know it was an electric bike."

Police prosecutor Sergeant Stu Oram said Bowen told police she thought she was going at the "average cyclist speed", while a witness said nothing about the speed.

Police accepted the electric bike could travel faster, but there was no evidence that had happened in this case, he said.

The judge said the crash was partly because of the electric bike, but Cheng was clearly at fault.

Both road users were going in the same direction, and Cheng decided to turn in front of Bowen instead of giving way, the judge said.

HOW FAST CAN YOU GO?

According to the Land Transport Act, an electric bike is primarily pushed by "the muscular energy of the rider", and must have an engine with a maximum power output of 300 watts.

Ezy Bike owner Kelvin Tong said anything above that had to be classified as a moped.

Some of the more powerful ones were in the country, but were used off-road and on farms.

The biggest market for electric bikes was the Baby Boomer generation, and those who wanted to ride bikes with fitter people.

Wellington's Bicycle Junction owner Dan Mikkelsen said the wattage limit could not correlate to a speed limit.

Someone riding a heavy bike with some luggage on board would not get enough power from an engine to get up a hill, but others would be able to go quite fast, he said.

He set all bikes he sold to have a maximum speed of about 32kmh, and said most electric bike retailers did the same.

Having a speed limit would make things clearer, he said.

"It just takes people with fast electric bikes to get into some danger, and [the government] will tighten things up."

'CRASH CHANGED PERSPECTIVE' - BOWEN

Bowen said her elbow has healed, but her confidence was taking longer to come right.

The doctor ordered her off the bike until Christmas, and she spent summer riding along bike paths.

But she has still not tried to commute to work on a bike, having realised how vulnerable cyclists can be.

The crash had also changed her view on what changes may be needed to try keep cyclists safe in Palmerston North, especially because there was a big push to get children cycling more.

"It has been really educational - unfortunately so."
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This one was too weird for a new battery tech post. Power from urine.....No Yoke!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160316105543.htm
Smaller, cheaper microbial fuel cells turn urine into electricity

A new design could help produce sustainable energy in developing countries

Date: March 16, 2016


A new kind of fuel cell that can turn urine into electricity could revolutionize the way we produce bioenergy, particularly in developing countries. The research, published in Electrochimica Acta, describes a new design of microbial fuel cell that's smaller, cheaper and more powerful than traditional ones.

The world's supply of fossil fuels is being depleted, and there is increasing pressure to develop new renewable sources of energy. Bioenergy is one such source, and microbial fuel cells can produce it.

In their study, researchers from University of Bath, Queen Mary University of London and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory describe a new design of microbial fuel cell that overcomes two limitations of standard microbial fuel cells: their cost and low power production.

"Microbial fuel cells have real potential to produce renewable bioenergy out of waste matter like urine," said Dr. Mirella Di Lorenzo, corresponding author of the study from the University of Bath. "The world produces huge volumes of urine and if we can harness the potential power of that waste using microbial fuel cells, we could revolutionize the way we make electricity."

Microbial fuel cells are devices that use the natural processes of certain bacteria to turn organic matter into electricity. There are other ways of producing bioenergy, including anaerobic digestion, fermentation and gasification. But microbial fuel cells have the advantage of working at room temperature and pressure. They're efficient, relatively cheap to run and produce less waste than the other methods.

There are, however, some limitations. Microbial fuel cells can be quite expensive to manufacture. The electrodes are usually made of cost-effective materials, but the cathode often contains platinum to speed up the reactions that create the electricity. Also, microbial fuel cells tend to produce less power than the other methods of bioenergy production.

The new miniature microbial fuel cell uses no expensive materials for the cathode; instead it's made of carbon cloth and titanium wire. To speed up the reaction and create more power, it uses a catalyst that's made of glucose and ovalbumin, a protein found in egg white. These are typical constituents of food waste.

"We aim to test and prove the use of carbon catalysts derived from various food wastes as a renewable and low-cost alternative to platinum at the cathode," said corresponding author Dr. Mirella Di Lorenzo from the University of Bath.

They then tweaked the design to see what would produce more power. Doubling the length of the electrodes, from 4mm to 8mm, increased the power output tenfold. By stacking up three of the miniature microbial fuel cells, the researchers were able to increase the power tenfold compared to the output of individual cells.

"Microbial fuel cells could be a great source of energy in developing countries, particularly in impoverished and rural areas," said Jon Chouler, lead author of the study from the University of Bath. "Our new design is cheaper and more powerful than traditional models. Devices like this that can produce electricity from urine could make a real difference by producing sustainable energy from waste."

"We have shown that the cell design has an incidence on performance and we want to further investigate the relevance of electrode surface area to volume ratio on performance. Our aim is to be able to effectively miniaturize the MFC and scale-up power production by generating compact batteries of multiple miniature units," added Dr. Di Lorenzo.
Click to expand...
 
http://mashable.com/2016/04/12/chinese-man-naked-fraud/#h6K.NaLXn5qQ :roll:
One man's elaborate attempt to commit fraud by lying under a Mercedes-Benz butt naked, has led to his exposure on Weibo and possible jail time.
According to The Paper, the unidentified 31-year-old man from Henan, China, stopped traffic when he was spotted lying under a car on the streets of Wenling County in the Zhejiang province.
Interestingly enough, witnesses also reported seeing the man getting off a bicycle and removing his clothes before lying under the car.
Initially thought to be mentally ill, local media reports said that the man was in fact sane and committing pengci — a type of fraud in China where people pretend to be hit by a car to demand financial compensation from a driver.
Police later revealed that the man in question had just served a seven-day sentence in jail for committing the same offence.
This time round, the police were called to the scene again when the female driver of the Mercedes-Benz freaked out after seeing the man pinned under her car.
It remains unclear why the man was naked or whether he's been put behind bars again.
The incident sparked off several rounds of mudslinging between Henan locals and other Chinese netizens on Weibo, who accused Henan people of a history of dishonesty.
 
In Finland, Burger King offers a sauna for it"s customers:

http://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/suomen-burger-king-toteutti-ehdan-erikoisuuden-ensimmaisena-maailmassa-sai-siita-kansainvalisen-palkinnon-6549852

(it"s in Finnish but there"s a picture)
 
Burger King fast food Finnish sauna was awarded in international competition.

Finland Burger King -hampurilaisketjun specialty, the world's first fast-food sauna, reached third place in the international new and innovative restaurant concepts in evaluating the Euromonitor competition. Located in Helsinki Fast Food sauna was praised for clever integration of the international restaurant brand and the local culture.

"It feels incredibly nice that we Finns invention is highly valued internationally," says Burger King chain of restaurants chain leader Mikko Mollberg.



No 'comments' though. They're usually the best part :D
Also, why wouldn't google just have a tool to convert others' webpages?
Looks like it only works to embed code on your own for readers' option.
______________________________________
Burger Kingin Suomen-pikaruokasauna palkittiin kansainvälisessä kilpailussa.

Suomen Burger King -hampurilaisketjun erikoisuus, maailman ensimmäinen pikaruokasauna, ylsi kolmannelle sijalle kansainvälisessä uusia ja innovatiivisia ravintolakonsepteja arvioivassa Euromonitorin kilpailussa. Helsingissä sijaitseva pikaruokasauna sai kehuja kansainvälisen ravintolabrändin ja paikallisen kulttuurin nerokkaasta yhdistämisestä.

"Tuntuu uskomattoman hienolta, että meidän suomalaista keksintöä arvostetaan kansainvälisesti", iloitsee Burger King -ravintoloiden ketjujohtaja Mikko Mollberg.
 
http://road.cc/content/news/190208-no-cycling-sign-buckinghamshire-shared-use-pathLiving in the states and looking at this photo, I'm all turned around. :lol:
Messages don’t come much more mixed than a sign telling people they can’t cycle on a designated cycle path. The Bucks Free Press (link is external) reports that just such a thing has been spotted in High Wycombe. The ‘no cycling’ sign appears at the junction of Arch Way and Premier Way, at a point where a painted cycle lane on the road becomes a shared use path. The sign has apparently been there for some time. Transport for Bucks suggest that it may have been tampered with and turned to point the wrong way. However, despite it being reported several weeks ago, it has still not been addressed. In 2011, ‘no cycling’ signs were placed immediately above National Cycle Network (NCN) route signs by Birmingham City Council. In that instance, a third sign attempting to clarify things read: “The cycle route here follows the roadway. Please DO NOT ride on the footway.” The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) joined Sustrans in asking for the Birmingham signs to be removed. “To be effective, signage needs to be clear and consistent,” said Kevin Clinton, the charity’s head of road safety. “These two signs could easily confuse cyclists because they appear to be giving conflicting messages.”
 
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/30/europe/germany-baader-meinhof-robberies/index.html

Well, not ALL bomb throwing psycho killers can wind up getting off on technicalities and be allowed to become college professors and poison young minds, a la Obama mentors Bill and Bernardine. If the terrorist groups were required to have pension plans, it wouldn't come to this. Governments are so indulging of left wingers. What do you suppose the Bernie supporters will do next?

(CNN)Police in Germany are appealing for sightings of former members of the infamous far-left Baader-Meinhof terror group, who appear to have come out retirement to attempt armed robberies to fund their lives on the run. Law enforcement officials in the German state of Lower Saxony released pictures, taken this year, they believe are of Ernst-Volker Staub, 61, and Burkhard Garweg, 47, who are being sought on suspicion of attempted murder and attempted robbery.

Police are also seeking a third member of the group, Daniela Klette, 57, although their most recent photo of her dates back to 1988.
The wanted trio are former members of the Red Army Faction, a radical-left terrorist organization better known as the Baader Meinhof Group, which once terrorized German society with a campaign of bombings, assassinations and kidnappings. The anti-capitalist group officially disbanded in 1998, but former members have remained on the run, avoiding prosecution for their crimes.

Suspected of involvement in a string of violent crimes, the three are most recently under investigation in two failed attempts to rob armed security vans last year.
The public prosecutor's office in the town of Verden said that in the first attempted robbery, in the town of Stuhr on June 6, perpetrators were armed with an assault rifle and a grenade launcher, and may have used a cell phone jammer to prevent the victims from calling for help.
When the van's security system prevented any money being taken, one of the offenders shot three times into the vehicle, although the occupants were not injured.

A similar attack then took place in Wolfsburg on December 28, officials said. Officials said they believe the crimes were carried out to fund the suspects' lives on the run.

The three are also suspected of having carried out a 1993 bomb attack on a prison in Weiterstadt in Hesse, and a similar robbery, armed with a bazooka, on a security van in the town of Duisburg in 1999.

Deadly left-wing radicals. Since its formation in 1970, the Red Army Faction, an "urban guerrilla" organization that formed links with Palestinian militant groups, has been responsible for dozens of deaths. Staub, Garweg and Klette are members of the so-called third generation of the group, which continued its violent attacks throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. During this period, it carried out assassinations of a number of prominent German executives.

By then, however, the Red Army Faction was a far cry from the disruptive force of its 1970s heyday when its activities caused a national crisis in Germany.
In a statement, police said Staub had a "lack of dental hygiene," while Garweg was described as having a "big nose" and "pointy face."
A reward of 20,000 euros ($22,276) is being offered for their capture.

Police have warned the three could be armed and should not be approached.
Click to expand...
 
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