Modern mathematics lessons

February 10, 2012 at 6:12 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Uproar as KFC runs out of chicken: “Viral footage of a Chinese customer being assaulted by Malay KFC staff has sparked racial outrage online. Graphic designer Danny Ng, 26, entered a KFC outlet in Kuala Lumpur on Monday with family to redeem online vouchers that were due to expire. After waiting for 45 minutes, he was told by fellow customers that the outlet had run out of chicken. An irate Mr Ng tried to complain, but staff swore at him instead of referring him to the manager. When he attempted to photograph KFC staff and take down their names, a group of uniform-clad staff members rushed out from behind the counter and punched him in the head. Race relations are a sensitive issue in Malaysia and Mr Ng was forced to host a press conference emphasising that the incident was about customer service not race. KFC have confirmed that the staff members involved have been suspended pending investigations.” [Video at link]

Sheriff sells house for only $1,000: “A man who took on the Chinese government in Tiananmen Square is taking on the Victorian sheriff for selling his $630,000 home for just $1000. Zhiping Zhou says his Braybrook home – built with his own hands – was seized by the sheriff and sold without a reserve price. The $1000 comes nowhere near paying a $96,000 debt he allegedly owes another Chinese expatriate. Records show the house went to auction at the sheriff’s Carlton office in December 2010, and was knocked down to Ronald Geoffrey Kousal. Mr Zhou has begun Supreme Court action to quash the sale and prevent transfer of ownership to Mr Kousal. “This is quite an extraordinary case,” his lawyer, Paul Hayes, told the court. He said Mr Zhou had had a mortgage on the property of about $460,000, and equity of about $170,000. Mr Hayes said the sale should be quashed because the sheriff had breached his duty of care to obtain a realistic sale price.”

You can’t beat Maccas: “A NAKED man climbed to the top of a radio tower in downtown Los Angeles and refused to come down from his perch for hours – until police bought him two hamburgers from McDonald’s. It was not yet clear what prompted him to scale the tower – which was part of a city personnel building – but he remained there in a standoff with police for hours. Police sources told the newspaper that, at one point, he asked for hamburgers from McDonald’s. Officials apparently fulfilled his request and the man agreed to come down after eating his meal. The man was wrapped in a blanket, lowered to the ground in a basket by a makeshift pulley system and taken into custody.”

Tall temple: “The Taung Kalat Temple near the Mount Popa volcano in central Burma is built on top of a volcanic plug – a rock formation creation by magma seeping from a volcanic vent. The temple is a Mecca for tourists and followers of the Buddhist faith. A total of 777 steps take visitors and worshippers alike to the summit which enjoys stunning panoramic views. ‘There is a long and steep climb through stairs covered by a roof and on the sides of the stairs that go up to the top there are some merchants selling souvenirs and Buddhist objects of all kinds. ‘The mount has an approximate height of 1,500 metres. ‘Its hillsides are always covered with flowers and fruit trees and a legion of monkeys that also accompany you throughout the route. ‘Once at the top there is a spectacular view of the valley and the villages surrounding the monastery.”

Vexatious litigation by PETA: “A court has thrown out a legal bid to free whales from SeaWorld by campaigners claiming they are enslaved. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claimed that five killer whales at the San Diego SeaWorld are treated like slaves because they are forced to live in tanks and perform daily. But a federal judge yesterday dismissed the lawsuit saying the 13th amendment – which outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude – applies only to humans. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller had become the first judge in history to listen to the arguments in court over the possibility of granting constitutional rights to the group of orcas, Fox News said. SeaWorld’s attorney Theodore Shaw called the lawsuit a waste of the court’s time and resources.”

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