Tiny fox approaches two men for help

The young red fox had got itself in a bit of a jam. There was only one thing for it - the notoriously shy creature was going to have to ask humans for help. It clearly couldn't resist having a look at a discarded glass jar and ended up with its head stuck inside.

In this short but sweet footage, the fox is spotted by two men on a Russian dirt road.
Instead of running away, like a wild fox normally would, the trapped fox scurried up to the men. One of the men reached down to grab the jar, which made the creature wriggle to try to escape. But the fox quickly realised that tactic wouldn't work and stood still for its rescuer.

The man, who appeared to be wearing camouflage army gear, grabbed the fox by the scruff of its neck and pulled the jar away with his other hand. In a flash, the fox made the most of its freedom and ran away.

The man joked in Russian: 'Where is the thank you?'
He then said: 'Thank you' in a higher-pitched voice, pretending to be their bushy-tailed friend.
The other man pointed out: 'He would have died that way.'

Ban low-slung trousers

The sight of exposed skin or underwear has attracted complaints from tourists, says Wildwood Mayor Ernest Troiano. He is introducing a dress code prohibiting trousers that hang more than 3inches below the hips.

Wildwood joins a handful of other small US communities that have acted against wearing low-slung trousers. Under its plan, people would also be required to wear shoes and shirts on the boardwalk.

Anyone who breaks the rules would be fined $25-$100 the first time, and $200 for a repeat offence, or might have to complete 40 hours of community service.

Swimming costumes are already banned on Wildwood's boardwalk. The fashion trend is believed to have originated in US prisons, where inmates are not allowed to wear belts. But the look was taken up by hip-hop artists and is commonly worn by young people.

Tech experts accuse Apple of ditching unique look

It is funny that since the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple have not had much luck with these so called 'Tech experts'.

During the final few years of Steve Jobs, Apple came out with the iPhone in June 2007 which was a big hit. Almost everyone with a smart phone had an iPhone. Then the iPhone 3G in June 2008, looked like iPhone but with 3G. Fair enough there is nothing wrong with that. Then the iPhone 3Gs in June 2009, just like the iPhone 3G, just a little quicker. Then people was starting to moan that all the iPhones were looking the same.

Apple responded with a brand new iPhone 4 in June 2010 (are you starting to see a pattern here), with brand new deign. Another big hit. Then a year later the anouncement of Steve death on the 5th October 2011.

Then iPhone 4s in October 2011 (Ok this one was a little late but they will be back to normal next time), and suprise, suprise just like the iPhone 4 just a little quicker. People didn't moan because they are still loving the new(ish) look of the iPhone 4 and the shock of Steve's death.

Then iPhone 5 (nothing new there and still not back into regular pattern yet) in September 2012 which had complaints that looks a lot like the iPhone 4 and 4s just a little taller and quicker again. There where complaints that there was nothing new about it, it wasn't original any more.

Now with the new update there are people that are complaining that they have changed to much. People moan if Apple don't make enough change to the iPhone and when they do make changes the same people moan again that Apple made the wrong
changes.

Smart TV's and Social Consoles

There was a craze less than a year ago on 'Smart' TVs where the viewer was able to access online content though the TV. Personally I did not see much use in this, especially since many 'Smart TV' allowed you to access social media sights such as Twitter and Facebook.

I do find it useful if you are going to use the internet enabled TVs for accessing video content online on sights such as YouTube, Netflix or LoveFilm. The logical thing that you are going to be doing with such a TV would be watching videos, TV episodes, or films.

It's just more hassle if your trying to 'Tweet' about the TV episode that you are watching on Netflix and it is also very distracting for the other viewers that are with you. To be fair it seams all the social activities that we do have now gone apparently according to Samsung with there latest advert. They seem to think that we spend many hours of our lives by our selves in front of the TV asking it what to watch next.

 

Really? Is that what they think that is what we need? Do we want to be lonely and talk to the TV like it is our only friend?

 

It's not only TVs that are stepping away from the initial porpoise of the device. XBox One by Microsoft is the new "Gaming Console" where you can have a Skype call whilst you are watching an episode of Dexter at the same time, and then later you can find out when the next time the Game of Thrones is on. That's not a game console any more, it's an arveerage computer with no mouse or keyboard.

Where is the gaming in that? Also you would have your 'Smart TV' to do that for you anyways.

At least Sony have concentrated more on the experience of gaming with there PlayStation 4. At least that is what is coming across in there advertising. Ok, they are making a thing about there new controller and there is not much significant change in the graphics or speed.

 

The release of the Nintendo Wii U late last year did raise some concerns. One of which is that they almost did not change a thing. They had created a new controller and redesigned the look of the console itself. Other than the two things they had not changed a thing. The game play was the same and the graphics was the same.

 

Personally what I would do is buy the best computer that allows you to add or alter parts to and internet broadband you can afford. Then you would be able to all of the things that the game consoles are able to do and more.

Steer clear of Manchester to avoid an early grave

Manchester tops the league of premature deaths - with the highest rate of people dying before their time, according to new figures. They show the best place to avoid an early demise is the market town of Wokingham in Berkshire, with the lowest level of avoidable deaths in England.

The north-south divide is laid bare in a national league table published today of premature deaths under the age of 75 over a two-year period. But England also fares badly in a European league table of premature mortality in 17 countries in 2010.

Women in England have the third worst rate - with only Belgium and Denmark doing more badly - and men are seventh for avoidable deaths, according to data released earlier this year.

The new Longer Lives league table website from Public Health England ranks 150 local authorities using a traffic light system, ranging from red for the worst areas to green for the best. There are 103,000 avoidable early deaths in England each year, with four major killers including heart disease and cancer responsible for 75 per cent of those deaths.
In Manchester, there were 455 premature deaths per 100,000 people from 2009 to 2011 - more than twice as many as the best performing area of Wokingham with 200 such deaths in the same period.
Manchester has the highest death rate from cancer in the country, with 152 deaths per 100,000 people recorded, as well as from heart disease and stroke, with 116 deaths per 100,000 people. But Blackpool has the highest rates for liver and lung disease, with 39 and 62 premature deaths per 100,000 in that time.

The new Longer Lives league table website from Public Health England ranks 150 local authorities using a traffic light system, ranging from red for the worst areas to green for the best.

There are 103,000 avoidable early deaths in England each year, with four major killers including heart disease and cancer responsible for 75 per cent of those deaths. England is seventh out of 17 European countries for men and 15th for women.

The peer ranking shows Rotherham, Redcar and Cleveland are doing well among the most deprived areas, while Bracknell in Berkshire and Central Bedfordshire have some of the highest rates of early death in the least deprived areas.

Under the NHS reforms, local councils have been given new responsibilities to enhance public health in their catchment areas. The new website aims to give them information about the current situation in their region so health funding can be spent where it is most needed.

Life Changing Moment

One lucky sailor had an incredible experience when a baby sea lion boarded his boat in California then spent over half an hour affectionately snuggling into his leg. The man, called J.R. Gilkinson, uploaded a video of the astonishing event to YouTube where it has had 290,000 views.

Gilkinson described the footage as 'My Life Changing Experience with a Baby Sea Lion' and 'A day at sea that I will never forget!!!'

The sailor said that the welcome visitor hopped on their boat approximately two miles off the coast of Newport Beach, California, on May 18. The pup first swims round the boat and then climbs aboard. Eventually the creature moves closer to the Gilkinson and then nuzzles and rubs its head against the man's leg.

Throughout the video he can be heard urging his 11-year-old niece not to touch the wild animal. But after several minutes of unusual affection from the animal, he can resist the temptation no longer. The sea lion then apparently stayed with Gilkinson for some time. The man told The Huffington Post: 'It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.

Is protien shakes for everyone?

Protein products are increasingly being marketed in supermarkets to ordinary people. Do they serve any real purpose for non-athletes?

There's now a wave of products where the branding marks a departure from the traditional world of the protein supplement. The classic protein drinks have usually been characterised by displays of over-sized bottles and tubs, often with labels depicting rippling torsos. The powders and bars targeted hardcore gym-goers and amateur athletes. The typical customer was someone who wanted to build muscle and aid recovery after a serious workout. But the latest generation is positioned more around healthy lifestyle.

In the UK, a "high protein dairy drink" called Upbeat is the latest product to get a big marketing push. It follows the path blazed by For Goodness Shakes, a drink primarily aimed at gym-goers and athletes that was picked up by a wider pool of buyers.

Similar lifestyle protein products can be seen in the US on the shelves of the likes of Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Walgreens, and CVS.

But there's an elephant in the room. People in the West usually already get more than enough protein. Healthy protein intake depends on weight, with a recommended intake figure of 0.8g per kg of weight per day often cited. Age is also a factor. Over the course of a day, the average man should be eating around 55g of protein, while a woman needs 45g. In the US, the national public health body, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends 56g for an average man and 45g for a woman.

In the UK the mean intake for men is 86.5g per day, with women consuming 65g.

In the US, UK people have diets that easily supply enough protein. A chicken breast might contain around 40g of protein, a cod fillet 30g, a helping of tofu 15g and an egg 6g.

Everybody needs protein in their diet on a daily basis as it is essential to body tissues, is necessary for growth and contributes to muscle mass and bone health. But processing excess intake can put pressure on the kidneys. Excess animal protein is linked with kidney stones. In people with a pre-existing condition, excess protein can accelerate kidney disease.

Only vulnerable groups, such as those recovering from surgery or frail older people, tend to need more protein - something for which medical advice should be sought.There are those who advocate higher protein ratios in diets, arguing that the mainstream nutritional advice is outdated and that active people might need considerably more. Even the CDC allows a range of between 10-35% of daily calories coming from protein.

So what is behind the appearance of the ever-expanding range of protein supplements?

The idea was that muscles damaged during intense weight training could be repaired and developed by turning dried and concentrated whey, a by-product of cheese-making, into a drink. These shakes were seen as more efficient and convenient than having to eat large amounts of high-protein foods. Only a handful of specialist shops sold the powder and new customers were often found by targeting their personal trainers.

They benefit from the general aura of healthiness that hovers over the word "protein". If protein is so healthy, and I want a snack, one that will fill me up, I might very well be drawn to something with protein written on the packet.

Protein supplements do have a place used once a day after muscle-building training, but most people - including regular gym goers - would find that milk contains the right combination of protein and carbohydrates for rehydration and repair.

Worrying sight when a police officer looks like this

Policemen and women have to be in good shape to catch criminals every day. But judging by this photo, undoubted competence does not include chasing down a fleet-footed crook.
The heavyweight Metropolitan Police officer was spotted marshalling a row of protesters campaigning against cuts to the NHS. Sporting a hi-vis jacket, he was pictured escorting marchers crossing Waterloo Bridge in London last month.  One onlooker said: 'How can he possibly chase and catch crooks? This chap wouldn't be able to scale walls and nick anyone - he'd be out of breath in seconds. He's not a good example of a lean, mean police machine. I can't believe he's passed all the health tests cops must have to go through.'

At the moment recruits have to pass fitness tests when they join but there are no requirements for non-specialist officers to complete tests once they are in the job
 Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'For serving police officers, there is not a requirement for a regular fitness test.  However, we are confident that all operational police officers have the required levels of physical fitness to carry out their duties safely and effectively. All operational officers up to Chief Inspector level undertake regular refresher courses in officer safety training and must possess the minimum standard of fitness required for officer safety training.'
According to a survey of 2,000 members of staff working for the Metropolitan Police, just 35 per cent were of normal weight with 44 per cent overweight, 19 per cent obese and one per cent morbidly obese. John Tully, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: 'In general terms the Federation agree that officers should be fit for the role they perform.
'In the MPS, all operational Constables to Chief Inspectors have to perform regular officer safety training, clearly those officers taking part in safety training must have a minimum standard of fitness.'
This year it was announced that police officers are to be forced to take new fitness tests – and will have their pay slashed if they fail. A review of policing called for running tests and assault course-style assessments to ensure officers can carry on chasing criminals. Anyone who could not meet minimum fitness standards – including the most senior officers – would face pay cuts and ultimately dismissal.

Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes

It's a tradition that dates back to the 1930s and it's designed to give all children in Finland, no matter what background they're from, an equal start in life. The maternity package - a gift from the government - is available to all expectant mothers. It contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress.

With the mattress in the bottom, the box becomes a baby's first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box's four cardboard walls. Mothers have a choice between taking the box, or a cash grant, currently set at 140 euros, but 95% opt for the box as it's worth much more.

The tradition dates back to 1938. To begin with, the scheme was only available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949.

"Not only was it offered to all mothers-to-be but new legislation meant in order to get the grant, or maternity box, they had to visit a doctor or municipal pre-natal clinic before their fourth month of pregnancy," says Heidi Liesivesi, who works at Kela - the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

So the box provided mothers with what they needed to look after their baby, but it also helped steer pregnant women into the arms of the doctors and nurses of Finland's nascent welfare state. In the 1930s Finland was a poor country and infant mortality was high - 65 out of 1,000 babies died. But the figures improved rapidly in the decades that followed.

Mika Gissler, a professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, gives several reasons for this - the maternity box and pre-natal care for all women in the 1940s, followed in the 60s by a national health insurance system and the central hospital network. At 75 years old, the box is now an established part of the Finnish rite of passage towards motherhood, uniting generations of women.

Reija Klemetti, a 49-year-old from Helsinki, remembers going to the post office to collect a box for one of her six children."It was lovely and exciting to get it and somehow the first promise to the baby," she says. "My mum, friends and relatives were all eager to see what kind of things were inside and what colours they'd chosen for that year."

Her mother-in-law, aged 78, relied heavily on the box when she had the first of her four children in the 60s. At that point she had little idea what she would need, but it was all provided. More recently, Klemetti's daughter Solja, aged 23, shared the sense of excitement that her mother had once experienced, when she took possession of the "first substantial thing" prior to the baby itself. She now has two young children.

"It's easy to know what year babies were born in, because the clothing in the box changes a little every year. It's nice to compare and think, 'Ah that kid was born in the same year as mine'," says Titta Vayrynen, a 35-year-old mother with two young boys.

For some families, the contents of the box would be unaffordable if they were not free of charge, though for Vayrynen, it was more a question of saving time than money. She was working long hours when pregnant with her first child, and was glad to be spared the effort of comparing prices and going out shopping."There was a recent report saying that Finnish mums are the happiest in the world, and the box was one thing that came to my mind. We are very well taken care of, even now when some public services have been cut down a little," she says.

When she had her second boy, Ilmari, Vayrynen opted for the cash grant instead of the box and just re-used the clothes worn by her first, Aarni. A boy can pass on clothes to a girl too, and vice versa, because the colours are deliberately gender-neutral. The contents of the box have changed a good deal over the years, reflecting changing times.

During the 30s and 40s, it contained fabric because mothers were accustomed to making the baby's clothes. But during World War II, flannel and plain-weave cotton were needed by the Defence Ministry, so some of the material was replaced by paper bed sheets and swaddling cloth.

The 50s saw an increase in the number of ready-made clothes, and in the 60s and 70s these began to be made from new stretchy fabrics. In 1968 a sleeping bag appeared, and the following year disposable nappies featured for the first time.

Not for long. At the turn of the century, the cloth nappies were back in and the disposable variety were out, having fallen out of favour on environmental grounds. Encouraging good parenting has been part of the maternity box policy all along.

"Babies used to sleep in the same bed as their parents and it was recommended that they stop," says Panu Pulma, professor in Finnish and Nordic History at the University of Helsinki. "Including the box as a bed meant people started to let their babies sleep separately from them."

At a certain point, baby bottles and dummies were removed to promote breastfeeding.

"One of the main goals of the whole system was to get women to breastfeed more," Pulma says. And, he adds, "It's happened."

He also thinks including a picture book has had a positive effect, encouraging children to handle books, and, one day, to read. And in addition to all this, Pulma says, the box is a symbol. A symbol of the idea of equality, and of the importance of children.

'I always felt I had the wrong face' but no plastic surgery needed to fix this one.

Before surgery

A young woman who had four teeth removed and her jaw broken, fitted with metal plates and then realigned to fix her lifelong underbite has said she finally feels her face looks the way it was meant to - even though she didn't realise quite how much it would change her face. Sophie Yates, 24, from London, had underbite correction surgery - known as orthognathic surgery - on the NHS at the age of 18 to remove the 2cm horizontal gap between her top and bottom front teeth that had made her self-conscious since the age of 10.

Sophie, who now works in marketing in the City, said her awkward underbite meant she was bullied as a child growing up in a small village in East Kent, and that 'people often asked why my teeth didn't line up'.She said: 'My jaw was just growing in a way it shouldn't have been

and I was really self-conscious about it. People did bully me a bit - my sister probably the most! It wasn't so much painful as really awkward to hold in that position, and it always felt more natural to have my mouth open than closed.'

When she was 10, Sophie's orthodontist said hers was an 'extreme case', and that she should seriously think about having the surgery when she was 18 and her bones stopped growing, otherwise the problem was going to continue getting worse and worse. 'Because of that I always felt I had the wrong face,' she said. 'I knew I was going to have the operation so I was just waiting for it to be done so I could look like I was supposed to.'

After surgery

Sophie visited the orthodontist every three months growing up and had braces for 10 years. Then, in 2009, when she reached 18 and began studying at Royal Holloway, University of London, the visits became more frequent. 'I went about once every week, and then in the run-up to the operation I had four of my top back teeth removed to make room for where my jaw would be afterwards,' she said.

She added: 'I suppose my reasons for having the surgery were partly aesthetic and partly because it was uncomfortable. But it was going to keep growing and I didn't want to wait and see how bad it might get. 'Sophie spoke to a number of people who'd had the surgery - which costs between £4,000 and £5,000 if done privately - and others who'd had operations to correct overbites, and says she wasn't at all nervous, having prepared herself for the procedure for almost a decade. They also made a hole in her chin into which they weaved a tube so Sophie could breathe during the operation.

The operation - which was last week reported to be on the rise among women in South Korea - involved staying two nights in hospital and being put asleep under general anaesthetic while surgeons cut away the skin between her gums and her jaw to break the jawbone, fit it with metal plates and reposition it correctly, sewing her gums back together with stitches.

'When I woke up and the painkillers wore off it was rather sore,' she said. 'Then the next day my face swelled up and the bottom half was really black and bruised.'

Sophie's mouth was held together with elastic bands for one month to set her teeth and keep the stitches in place, and she could only drink through a straw ('I ate quite a lot of processed spinach!'). She spent a week resting in bed, took one week off university, then bravely returned to class, even though doctors said she would probably be bed-bound for a month. Speaking about the way her new face looks, Sophie said: 'Everybody asks if I had an identity crisis after my face changed - and it's true that I didn't realise quite how much it would change - but because the recovery took so long I got used to my new face gradually.'The healing process for the operation is quite long - it took seven months for the swelling to subside completely - but I could still walk so I decided to go back. Even though I couldn't speak and nobody recognised me. I had to wave to communicate with people.

'It's funny how nobody recognises me - it can be quite a good thing when I want to avoid old friends back in Kent! - but I also look completely different on my passport which led to me being held up in China in customs recently because they didn't believe I was me!'

When asked how the operation changed her life, she said: 'I don't feel it changed my life too much, though I do prefer the way I look now - I don't miss my old face at all! I feel this is what my face was meant to look like all along. My friends think it's an improvement and my family are really pleased for me.

'I'm also lucky that I've managed to avoid most of the side effects. Some people report completely losing feeling in their face, and I only really lost a tiny bit in my chin. I would definitely recommend the operation to anyone who needed it. It's improved my confidence and made me happier - but having seen how long the healing process is I don't think I'll be getting any more cosmetic surgery for a while...'

Just a little turbulence, thats all.

The aftermath of the vigorous ride

We may have all experienced turbulence on flights, but when a rough patch is so bad that the ceiling ends up covered in coffee then you know it's serious. Passengers on a recent Singapore Airlines flight were left surrounded by a chaotic mess after their flight fell 20 metres when it hit severe turbulence.

A total of 11 passengers and one crew member were injured on flight SQ308 from Singapore to London last Sunday. One passenger on the flight, who saw his coffee end up on the ceiling, managed to take pictures of the destruction which he posted to Instagram.

Alan Cross told ABC News that passengers had been warned to expect turbulence and that the breakfast service would be temporarily suspended. A short while after the seat belt sign came on, the captain issued an abrupt order for all flight attendants to take their seats immediately.

Mr Cross said the subsequent turbulence felt 'like being in an elevator with a cut cable or free-falling from some amusement park ride.'

Coffee stains managed to end up on the ceiling.

He said everything that was not tied down, including people, hit the ceiling. The airline told The Australian: 'Eleven passengers and one crew member sustained minor injuries when the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude and were attended to by medical personnel on arrival at Heathrow Airport. Seat-belt signs were on at the time and meal services had already been suspended.'
Within just an hour, the carnage had been almost completely tidied up and the plane was practically back to normal.

Mr Cross said: 'The cabin crew was amazing in the aftermath, as were fellow passengers who helped everyone around them then in a calm and efficient clean-up.'

He said crew checked for injuries before cleaning up the mess and gave passengers boxes of chocolates as they departed at Heathrow, where they were met by paramedics.

Meat flavoured products with no meat?

Shock! Horror! Newly descovered that many products that clame that they contain meaty flavours do not even conatain any meat. With the recent horse meat scandal making many people sensitive about what's in their food, campaigners now want firms to be more honest with their packaging.

Be more honest my arss! You don't have to be a neroscientist to know that bacon flavoured chrisps dosen't mean that it has bacon in it or ham and mushroom flavoured Pot Noodle have to contain actual ham and mushrooms in it. The hint is in the word flavoured.

Flavoured means to alter or enhance the taste of something. So you could get a icecream that tastes like roast chicken or chewing gum that tastes like ciniman but it dose not have to contain the ingreadient. As long as it alters the taste like the food on the lable.

Nearly all of this information was buried on the back of the packet where shoppers are often too busy to look and that is the problem is that the word 'flavour' is miss understood when the customer dose not read or have the time to read the information on the back of the pacage.

How can food companies put all the nessary information that the customer wants to see on the front of the product and still look apealing enough to buy? There is no way that you can make the package any way to deplay all the information, easy enough for all to understand, and still look good. All that you would end up with is one large lable on every product. There will be no way of destinguse the difference between the each product.

If you are worried about what you are eating then either dont buy it or read the information on the back of the packet. Its not that difficult. There will be times that you will not know what some of the ingreadence are but offten they are just fa
ncy names for something that is harmless.

Too ugly to punt

I have blogged about being too pretty to work. Now someone has been told that they are too ugly to be able to work. It is understandable that in some line of work that looks are a nassary but there more that 90% of the time looks dose not matter and should not be taken into consideration and piloting a punt past the colleges of Cambridge isn’t the first thing springs to mind.

So student Ben Cronin, 20, was shocked to be turned down for work with a punt hire firm because he was not good looking enough.

I was with a group of university friends when two of us decided to enquire after punting jobs,’ he said. ‘A friend and I approached a sales guy standing on the bridge. He looked us up and down and replied in a bolshy manner, saying: “Sorry mate, you have to be good looking to do this job”.’

Mr Cronin, a student at Anglia Ruskin University, had been punting four times before. He said that after the man’s remarks, he and his friends abandoned their plan to rent one of the traditional boats that afternoon.

Mr Cronin made a complaint to punting company Scudamore’s, the largest operating on the River Cam. The firm said it had launched an investigation, but did not recognise the description of the staff member.

Ben described the venomous puntsman as being tall, dark-haired and 'built for the female population.'
Rob Ingersent, general manager of Scudamore's said: 'The alleged comment is not something we endorse, as we recruit purely on the basis of work criteria and individual merit.'