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Saturday, May 28, 2011

School bans pupils from hugging....

  • 27 May 2011, 10:41

School bans pupils from hugging

Hug /PA
A school has banned pupils from giving each other high-fives, handshakes - and even hugs.
Governors imposed a 'no contact' rule which they say prevents fighting or bullying, reports The Sun.
Dayna Chong, 15, was thrown into detention for cuddling a female pal at The Quest Academy, in Croydon, South London.
Her mother, Anita, 33, from New Addington, said the policy was "extreme" and "ludicrous".
She said: "If the kids can't even hug each other at school some of them will never learn how to be socially interactive.
"You need an embrace to comfort you when things go wrong. I've never heard of anything so crazy in my life."
Year Ten pupil Dayna said: "I was just hugging my friend in the morning to say hello and I had to sit on my own and miss out on break because of it."
Sarah Hope's 15-year-old daughter got into trouble for giving a friend a high-five.
She said: "It's a very, very cold policy. I think it's sad that the children are missing out on this sort of closeness."
A Quest Academy spokesman said: "Physical contact between students is not allowed because it is often associated with poor behaviour or bullying and can lead to fighting."

Hourglass figure Vs. rectangle figure....


Marilyn Monroe hourglass figure? British women are more likely to be a rectangle

Last updated at 7:03 PM on 28th May 2011
Forget the hourglass – British women are more likely to be a ‘rectangle’, it seems.
There are now five times as many rectangular-shaped women as those with the classic Marilyn Monroe hourglass, research suggests.
Despite this, many of the fashions sold on the high street still apply this outdated silhouette.
Perfect proportions: Christina Hendricks, left, and Marilyn Monroe, right, both have the iconic hourglass shapePerfect proportions: Christina Hendricks, left, and Marilyn Monroe, right, both have the iconic hourglass shape
Perfect proportions: Christina Hendricks, left, and Marilyn Monroe, right, both have the iconic hourglass shape
As a result, nearly 60 per cent of women complain that they are unhappy with the fit of clothes labelled as being their size. 
Almost one in two British women fall into the rectangle category, where there is  little difference between the bust, waist and hip measurements. Examples include actresses Keira Knightley, Cameron Diaz and Nicole Kidman.
The figures have been collated by clothing fit analysts at Alvanon, which develops size models used by designers and retailers.
Using 3D imaging technology to measure 50,000 women in the UK and Europe, it has produced ‘more accurate’ templates.
Right angle: One in two British women have rectangle body shapes just like Keira Knightley, left, and Cameron Diaz, right, doRight angle: One in two British women have rectangle body shapes just like Keira Knightley, left, and Cameron Diaz, right, do
Right angle: One in two British women have rectangle body shapes just like Keira Knightley, left, and Cameron Diaz, right
Its ‘size 12’, for example, measures 35.4in on the bust, 28.3in on the waist, 35.4in around the high hip and 38.6in on the low hip.
Once applied in the high street, the proportion of women who find an excellent or adequate fit rises from 40 per cent to 63 per cent, Alvanon insists.
There are three other mainstream body types in the UK, a spokesman added. 
    One in three women is a ‘spoon’, where the hips are at least four inches wider than the bust. And slightly more than one in ten are ‘inverted triangles’, where the bust is at least four inches greater than the hips.
    Nearly one in ten falls into the hourglass category, where the bust is at least 7in bigger than the waist while the hips are within 4in of the bust.
    Christina Hendricks, who starred in hit U.S. TV series Mad Men, fits this shape. It is still seen as the ‘ideal’ form, and shops report strong sales of corsetry designed to achieve this.
    How British women are shaping up
    Alvanon chief executive Janice Wang said: ‘People are frustrated and confused by the different sizes and fits they find on the high street. 
    ‘The industry uses an hourglass figure, which has not changed for many years. 
    ‘However, the reality is that the most prevalent shapes are  the rectangle, which is not as curvy, the spoon and the inverted triangle. Brands need to adapt to reflect this reality.’
    The research suggests there are some significant differences between British women and those on the continent.
    Here, the average bust size is biggest - at 37.5in.
    Dutch women, who are the tallest in Europe, have the thickest waists at an average of 32in. Britons rank second at 31.6in. 
    In terms of hips, the Germans and Dutch are most bottom heavy at 39.6in.
    The British are at 38.8in, slightly above the Italians - who are smallest in every category - at 38.4in.
     


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1391671/Hourglass-No-shapes-like-rectangle.html#ixzz1Nhc4d7oN

    German brewers call on 500-year-old purity law...

    German brewers call on 500-year-old purity law to be recognised by UNESCO

    Germany's brewers are campaigning for the country's 500-year-old beer purity law be included along with French cuisine and Spanish flamenco to be included on a UNESCO list of cultural treasures.

    German brewers call on 500-year-old purity law to be recognised by UNESCO
    The German institute for pure beer said 'beer is and remains Germany's national drink' Photo: EPA
    A brewers' association argue the ancient law, known as Reinheitsgebot, protecting the purity and quality of German beer merits its place on a list generally associated with historic buildings.
    "This almost 500-year-old law is one of the oldest food and drink regulations in the world," the German institute for pure beer said in a statement after its annual meeting.
    "It has been the best guarantee for consumers for a very long time of an absolutely pure, tasty and high quality product. Beer is and remains Germany's national drink."
    The law, enacted in 1516 by Wilhelm IV of Bavaria, limited the ingredients of beer to just malt, hops, yeast and water and no artificial additives. It threatened anybody "transgressing this ordinance" with the seizure of their beer and barrels "without fail".
    As the law also applied to imported beer, foreign brewers eager to tap into the expanding German beer market had to adhere to its strict stipulations, and so the influence of the law spread across the continent.
    In their effort to get Reinheitsgebot added to the UNESCO list the brewers have garnered cross-party support from the German parliament, and Peter Hahn, chief executive of the pure beer institute, reported the government would add its weight to the campaign.
    But the brewers face a problem in that Germany has so far failed to ratify the UNESCO convention on the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which aims to protect and preserve an eclectic mix of living cultural traditions from across the world.
    The beer association wants the government to ratify the convention so the law can take its place amongst other items on the list such as traditional Mexican food, Turkish oil wrestling and flamenco dancing.
    The German UNESCO office in Bonn said it expected ratification within months.

    Bigfoot caught on iPhone video....


    Is this Bigfoot caught on video? Hiker swears she really HAS caught him this time 

    Last updated at 4:02 PM on 28th May 2011
    A woman hiker got the fright of her life after she went walking with a friend in Spokane, Washington, and stumbled across what she claims is Bigfoot.
    Samantha, who has not revealed her surname, caught the footage in Downriver Park with her iPhone camera and posted the video on YouTube.
    After capturing the mysterious creature, also known as a Sasquatch, on film, her YouTube video has become a hit and has already been viewed almost 8,000 times within four days.
    The hiker took a walk in Downriver Park in Spokane, Washington, and end up catching Bigfoot on her iPhone
    The hiker took a walk in Downriver Park in Spokane, Washington, and end up catching Bigfoot on her iPhone
    In her post, Samantha said she didn’t realise Bigfoot was there until she replayed her video after the hike at home.
    She wrote an email to KXLY news website in the US, and said: ‘Someone asked me in the comments section if I believed in Bigfoot before the video.
    ‘I have never given it much thought, but now I’m not so sure. Seem real enough to me.
      KXLY apparently showed the video to students and staff at Spokane Community College to ask for their opinion, seeing as their school mascot dresses as Bigfoot.
      Student Margaret Clarke said: ‘Looks like just a normal person to me.’
      While fellow pupil Ryan Constable added: ‘I think there is something big and hairy walking around out there like that.’
      The Bigfoot YouTube video has become a hit and has already been viewed almost 8,000 times
      The Bigfoot YouTube video has become a hit and has already been viewed almost 8,000 times
      And Professor of Theatre and Film Arts, Adam Sharp, said he has seen Bigfoot around their school grounds from time to time.
      He said laughing: ‘We do get messages from him, from the faculty and staff. But he’s pretty elusive, he doesn’t like the spotlight a whole lot.’
      Bigfoot is allegedly an ape-like cryptid that is said to inhabit forests mainly in the Northwest regions of North America, but his existence has not been scientifically proven.
      Watch the video of the alleged Bigfoot below:
       


      Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391825/Is-Bigfoot-caught-video-Hiker-swears-really-HAS-caught-time.html#ixzz1NgKOtK7K

      Blackbeard's anchor recovered from 1718 wreck

      Blackbeard's anchor recovered off US coast

      An anchor from what's believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's flagship has been raised from the ocean floor off the North Carolina coast.

       Blackbeard's anchor recovered off US coast
      The anchor has been in the ocean since 1718  Photo: AP Photo
      Archaeologists believe the anchor recovered on Friday is from the Queen Anne's Revenge, which sank in 1718. That was five months before Blackbeard was killed in a battle.
      The artefact is the third-largest item at the shipwreck, outsized only by two other anchors.
      Researchers retrieved the anchor from the shipwreck about 20 feet (6.1 meters) under water and were bringing it to shore. The work to retrieve it began last week. The anchor is about 11 feet (3.3 meters) long.
      The recovery coincides with the release this month of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

      'It's a lot to remember.... because I'm stupid'..... TV reporter


      'It's a lot to remember... because I’m stupid': Hilarious out-take of reporter fluffing warm-up lines is broadcast by mistake 

      Last updated at 1:28 PM on 28th May 2011
        When the pressure is on, TV reporters can usually rely on the retake - and hope no one ever digs out the original tapes of all their embarrassing bloopers.
      Unfortunately for this journalist, however, her humiliating out-take moment accidentally became her TV station's headline news.
      During a report on child abuse at a local school, news anchors at Connecticut-based WTNH News 8 cut to reporter Erica Grow. 
      But instead of showing her polished version of the story, they accidentally showed a humiliating warm up clip.
      Scroll down for video

      Embarrassing: She looks up to the sky for help with her words
      Embarrassing: She looks up to the sky for help with her words
      She begins the piece eloquently, stating: 'Two teachers here at Clinton Avenue Elementary in New Haven are being investigated' before hesitating on the word 'for' as she forgets her lines.
      The reporter looks embarrassed and looks up while mouthing 'I'm sorry'.
      A moment passes before she shamelessly announces: 'It's a lot to remember... cos I'm stupid.'
       
        Realising the error, the shot quickly returns to the anchors in the television studio.
        While the female in the studio looks bemused, her male colleague attempts to redeem the situation, stating: 'Obviously a problem with that tape, the wrong tape loaded in there.'
        Poised: Grow began the piece to camera eloquently as usual
        Poised: Grow began the piece to camera eloquently as usual
        Unimpressed: Grow's co-stars attempt to redeem the situation after the blooper
        Unimpressed: Grow's co-stars attempt to redeem the situation after the blooper
        He then adds: 'We'll get back to that in a minute.'
        After the footage was accidentally aired on television it quickly went viral online, with tens of thousands watching a video of the moment on Youtube.
        Viewers speculated about whether the slip up was an editing mistake, or whether the reporter actually fluffed her lines live on air.
        One wrote: 'It was definitely live, it was the 11pm news that night and as you can tell it was dark...last time i saw Erica after this they threw her onto their online weather updates.'
        Another added, simply: 'Fail?!'


        Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391685/Its-lot-remember--I-m-stupid-Hilarious-outtake-reporter-fluffing-warm-lines-broadcast-mistake.html#ixzz1NeebAy6V

        History in a bra cup....


        History in a bra cup: How the booms and busts of bra sizes reflect the UK economy

        Last updated at 1:15 PM on 28th May 2011
        It really is a case of 'boom or bust' according to new research claiming women favour bras which mirror the state of the economy.
        Findings show that traditional financial cycles have been reflected by British women's preferred bra, from the subdued, subtle support offered in the impoverished post war years to the bra-burning liberalism of the sixties and early seventies.  
        Technological advances of the late sixties and seventies saw bras become more comfortable and fitted for those women who kept theirs on, while a craze for all things space age saw a surge in the popularity of cone-shaped bra cups.
        Madonna took the conical bra shape to its natural conclusion in 1990 in this iconic Jean-Paul Gaultier corset
        Madonna took the conical bra shape to its natural conclusion in 1990 in this iconic Jean-Paul Gaultier corset
        And today's women tend to opt for bigger bras than ever before.
        Soaring obesity rates and a desire for women to make the most of their assets using 'chicken fillets' and other enhancements has prompted the introduction of ever-larger bras.
        The 'History of the Great British Bust,' released today by department store Debenhams charts the history of bras in Britain over the past century and reveals an uncanny link between Britain's economic situation and women's preferred method of displaying their assets.
          Former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's post-war claim that Brits had 'never had it so good' was supported by British bra shapes, which 'rose rapidly and jutted proudly out,' in a Marilyn Monroe-style, as woman gained independence and took control of their lives.
          And the liberal politics of the swinging 60s was also seen in the nation's attitude to bras, with feminists burning theirs and leaving their chests as nature intended - reflecting the 'dominant liberal political agenda' of the time.
          As the housing market grew in the 1990s, so did cup sizes like Geri Halliwell's in her Spice Girls days
          As the housing market grew in the 1990s, so did cup sizes like Geri Halliwell's in her Spice Girls days
          Technological advances of the late 60s and 70s - such as the moon landing - became reflected in bra technology, with space-age conical cup shapes and new production methods making bras that were both fitted as well as comfortable to wear.  
          Soon after, the advent of power-dressing in the 80s saw cup-shapes 'rise to the occasion' becoming higher and narrower, in order to accommodate the sharp suits worn by female executives.
          More recently, the Cool Britannia years of the 90s and popularity of Wonderbra's 'Hello Boys' advert saw women become keen to put their bras on show.  
          Breast enhancements also became more popular, prompting a surge in demand for larger bras.
          Recent economic austerity has left women keen to 'make the most of their existing assets' with sharp rises in sales of products which enhance the bust temporarily, a cheaper alternative to surgical implants.
          This, coupled with rising obesity rates has seen cup sizes swell, with Debenham's recently launching its biggest ever K-cup bra.
          Spokesperson for Debenhams Ed Watson said: ‘Currently, British bust sizes are holding firm, despite trying times.
          ‘It is clear that Britain's history has been marked by a series of booms and busts in bra sizes in the same way that the economy has fluctuated.
          ‘Our figures show that we are currently at a peak in the cycle. Experts are speculating whether bust sizes will continue to climb, or whether there will be a sudden collapse in the trend.
          Since the 21st century, women like Katie Price have inflated their assets with surgery - as inflation also increased in the earlier part of the century
          Since the 21st century, women like Katie Price have inflated their assets with surgery - as inflation also increased in the earlier part of the century
          ‘It's a question which is vital to the entire UK economy. Whoever gets it right will win a big advantage over competitors in the fashion markets.’ 
          He added: ‘It is now possible to chart Britain's economic record merely by keeping 'abreast' of the times.
          ‘This is history in a bra cup. Our research has revealed a direct correlation between the events of each decade and the position of a woman's bust.
          ‘Instead of spending months of research in dusty libraries, historians such as Simon Schama and David Starkey now only have to look at women's busts to gain an accurate insight into the mood of the nation.’
          Wonderbra's Hello Boys campaign in the 1990s featuring Eva Herzigova
          Wonderbra's Hello Boys campaign in the 1990s featuring Eva Herzigova


          Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391815/History-bra-cup-How-booms-busts-bra-sizes-reflect-UK-economy.html#ixzz1NedH2bxw

          Friday, May 27, 2011

          Queen's security car clamped by parking warden....


          Two unmarked police cars clamped as surveillance officers sat INSIDE... who then arrested the clamper for obstruction

          Last updated at 7:06 PM on 27th May 2011
          Police officers assigned the task of protecting the Queen during a Royal visit could be forgiven for focusing all their attention on their VIP guest.
          But undercover security officers in Portsmouth should have perhaps been more aware of their immediate surroundings after two of their unmarked cars were clamped - with the officers still inside.  
          The incident happened after the Queen made an impromptu visit to the Hampshire port on Wednesday for a private lunch aboard a luxury yacht. 
          Oblivious: The Queen during her unannounced visit to Portsmouth where she had lunch with Sir Donald Gosling on his yacht the Leander
          Oblivious: The Queen during her unannounced visit to Portsmouth where she had lunch with Sir Donald Gosling on his yacht the Leander
          The officers were sat in their unmarked cars parked at the Gunwharf Quays marina retail complex - and were too slow to react when the clamper struck.  
          The clamper, Gareth Andrews, 37, from Fareham, was then arrested by the officers and charged with wilfully obstructing a police constable in the execution of his duty.
          He was also charged with contravening the Private Security Industry Act by not displaying the appropriate licensing badge.
          A Hampshire police spokesman said: 'The arrest followed an incident in which Mr Andrews clamped two unmarked police vehicles, preventing the officers - who were at Gunwharf as part of a security operation - from conducting their duties.
          'The officers had not left the vehicles at the time they were clamped.'
          Shoppers at Gunwharf Quays were taken by surprise when word spread that the Queen had arrived at the centre, and a small crowd gathered to greet her.
          Out of action: The two unmarked police vehicles were clamped while officers sat behind the wheel (File photo)
          Out of action: The two unmarked police vehicles were clamped while officers sat behind the wheel (File photo)
          It is understood the Queen had arranged to have lunch with NCP car park boss Sir Donald Gosling on board his yacht, Leander.
          She arrived in Southsea by helicopter and was taken by a green Range Rover to Gunwharf Quays.
          Wearing a pink coat and headscarf, the Queen waved to the crowds before boarding the 245ft yacht.
          A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said that she could not confirm details of the visit as it was a private engagement.
          Andrews will appear at South East Hampshire Magistrates' Court next Friday.


          Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391594/Two-police-cars-clamped-surveillance-officers-sat-INSIDE-clamper-arrested-obstruction.html#ixzz1Na7Map6M