BF 9 last thingy, weather cold, news is even worse.
Dave C is about to try to worm his way out of his promise of a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, but the goodish news is that we can leave Europe if we want-let’s do that then.
And: It seems that it will cost £4,350 per “family” in taxes to procure the latest bank bailout, thanks Ali and Gord.
First up:
People scared of flying can now press a button on their iPhone to help them deal with their panic.
Long-haul airline Virgin Atlantic Airways has launched an application, or app, for its Flying Without Fear course which boasts a success rate of over 98 percent. Apps are a source of information, games and other novelty ideas for users of Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
The airline said in a statement that this app was designed to help people overcome fear, be it of the unfamiliar aircraft, the strange noises a plane makes, or of losing control.
"The app will put many travellers at ease and enable them to prepare for their first Virgin Atlantic flight."
The airline developed the app with Mental Workout, a company developing software to help people resolve issues and increase mental performance. A spokesman from Mental Workout said an estimated one in every three adults were scared of flying.
The Flying Without Fear app has an introduction by Branson, a video-based in-flight explanation of a flight, frequently asked questions, relaxation exercises and a fear attack button for emergencies with breathing exercises.
And what about those that don’t have an iPhone?
From over the pond:- BEDFORD, Pa. — In exchange for jail time, a woman and her adult daughter have agreed to stand outside a courthouse holding signs saying they stole a gift card from a 9-year-old girl on her birthday.
Fifty-six-year-old Evelyn Border and 35-year-old Tina Griekspoor stood outside the court for 4 1/2 hours Tuesday. They held signs that read: “I stole from a 9-year-old girl on her birthday! Don’t steal or this could happen to you!”
Because the women agreed to hold the signs, Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins says he’ll ask for probation instead of jail when they plead guilty to the theft.
Higgins says they swiped a gift card that the girl set on a shelf while a Wal-Mart employee helped her.
The girl’s mother planned to drive by the courthouse to teach her daughter the importance of obeying the law
Sign of the times?
From underneath: While most people were watching the race that stops the nation, locals at a Northern Territory hotel gathered for a very different kind of race.
The annual frog race at the Noonamah Tavern, 45 kilometres south of Darwin, attracted a crowd of about 300 people.
Twenty-four green tree frogs were pitted against each other as trainers used spray bottles filled with water to prod them into action.
The frogs have a much shorter distance to hop than their thoroughbred counterparts in the Melbourne Cup, but some took a while to get moving.
The frogs were auctioned off before the race, with one fetching more than $2,000.
The winning frog, which was called XXXX Summer, will earn almost $12,000 dollars for its owner, while $9000 has gone to charity.
Time to hop it.
A man who wore women's clothing to use his dead wife's gym membership has appeared in a Hong Kong court.
Lau Siu-wah, 51, was charged after he allegedly used his wife's identification card to exercise in the female-only section of the gym at the city's Sheraton hotel, The Standard daily reported on Tuesday (local time).
But the man's looks aroused suspicion and police were called, the report said, adding that Lau was quickly arrested.
The paper said Lau admitted to police that he used the card to impersonate his wife, who died in 2007.
Lau, who appeared in court Monday in women's clothes and wearing red nail polish, was granted bail on a charge that he used an identity card relating to another person, the paper said.
The case was adjourned until later this month.
What worries me is that no one who works at the gym noticed until he got to the women’s’ section.
And finally:
Baffled Santa’s are being sent on a crash course in hi-tech toys to help them keep up with today's gadget-obsessed kids.
The training scheme was launched after ageing Santa’s complained they couldn't understand what children were asking for in their Christmas lists.
An online helpline has also been set up so Santa’s can call experts and ask for technical advice on computer games, consoles, cameras, and MP3 players.
Jeremy Fennell from PC World told The Sun: "There are more than 40,000 different gadgets and technologies on sale right now, a great many of which are going to be on children's Christmas lists.
"The Santa’s we are training are going to be faced with a very technically literate and technology savvy generation of youngsters over the next two months and we want them to be able to show that they understand what these kids are asking for.
"Nothing could be more depressing than being asked by Santa what you want for Christmas and finding he doesn't have a clue what you're talking about."
Santa’s from across the UK will be attending the training before heading to grottos across Britain.
A recent study found that only one in five Father Christmases had heard of the Nintendo DSi white while less than one in 10 knew about the must-have Sony reader.
One Santa, from Leicester, said: "There are so many new gadgets around now that I don't have the time to keep up with all the latest ones.
"It was much easier when all kids wanted was Connect 4 or a Scalextric but now they're asking for things like a Flip Mini Chrome Camcorder which, before my training, meant nothing to me."
And still means nothing to me.
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