NZ’s Corey Anderson slams fastest ever ODI century

Corey Anderson slammed a century off just 36 balls against the West Indies and start 2014 with a real bang.

Anderson finished the innings on 131 off 47 balls with 6 fours and 14 sixes. The match was curtailed to just 21 overs-a-side due to bad weather. New Zealand finished on a mind-numbing 283-4 off just 21 overs.

At one point, Anderson was going along at a very brisk 59 off 24 balls (2x4, 7x6) but then he slammed Ravi Rampaul for four successive sixes and things just took off.  

He reached 85 off 31 balls -- 2 fours, 11 sixes... 15 runs and 5 balls to get them in. A few singles and and even a dot ball ensued. But then he reached the mark -- as it seemed just -- with another six off Nikita Miller. 

The previous fastest century in ODIs was by Shahid Afridi, who got it in just 37 balls way back in 1996.

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Rapper Doe B Shot And Killed In Alabama

    

     Rapper Doe B is dead following a shooting in Alabama. He was 22 years old.

     Doe B, real name Glenn Thomas, of Montgomery died after an early morning shooting on Saturday, Dec. 28, local NBC affiliate WSFA reported. Police responded to a call of multiple gunshots at the 900 block of Highland Avenue around 1:30 a.m.

     The shooting occurred at a venue called the Centennial Hill Bar and Grill, according to AL.com. It was formerly known as Rose Supper Club, but that establishment lost its liquor license and closed a year ago after a December 2012 shooting left six people injured. Centennial Hill opened earlier this year.

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Airline sorry for 'H8GAYS' confirmation code

A US airline has apologised to a passenger after he was given a boarding pass with the confirmation code ‘H8GAYS’.

Jeff White discovered the code after checking in for a Delta Air Lines flight from Pensacola, Florida, to Albany, New York.

Delta Air Lines apologised for any “concern or misunderstanding”, but insisted that the confirmation codes “are computer-generated and are completely random”.

“We will make every effort to ensure that a similar combination does not occur in the future,” added Russell Cason, a spokesman for the airline.

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Free the Nipple

It’s fine for a guy to walk around topless on a hot summer’s day but in many countries it’s ILLEGAL for a woman to be topless in public.

LA based filmmaker Lina Esco’s “FREE THE NIPPLE” is based on true events about a topless group of women who bravely fought the censorship laws in New York.

The film is almost done. Now we need your help to push it over the finish line and into theaters, as we are facing some very challenging censorship laws - Filmmaker said

In New York City, in 1992 it became LEGAL to be topless in public, but the NYPD continued to arrest women anyway!

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Only in Japan - Brothel without Sex

    

     Soineya (which translates to “sleep together shop”) is Japan’s first “co-sleeping specialty shop” where customers can pay to sleep in the arms of a beautiful girl with no strings attached.

     You get to pick the girl you want to sleep with, how long you’d like to sleep for, whether you want a foot massage, or whether you want to give your girl a foot massage, you could rest your head on her lap and fall asleep, or have her rest her head in your lap and fall asleep…

     Soineya can be found in Akihabara, Tokyo’s electronics district. Visit: http://soineya.net

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Accidentally crushed her nephew under her 1,028-pound frame,she decided to lose as much of the weight as possible And Now...

In Jan. 2012, she was acquitted of the 2008 murder of her nephew, Eliseo, which she allegedly did when she accidentally rolled over and crushed him under her 1,028-pound frame.

Next, she decided to lose as much of the weight as possible.

Her life since her acquittal is now the focus of a new documentary, "Half-ton Killer: Transformed," debuting Dec. 4 on TLC.

Since the acquittal, Rosales has turned over a new leaf and went on a strict weight-loss regimen and is now down to nearly 200 pounds.

"A lot of it is the diet," she told Access Hollywood. "I'm eating healthy food. Everything is measured by a dietician."

TLC is trying to keep Rosales' new appearance a secret until the show debuts, but an image which appeared on her Facebook page offered a sneak-peek.

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Billboard honoring Mandela mistakenly featured a picture of Morgan Freeman

   

  Morgan Freeman, who played Nelson Mandela in the movie Invictus, must have done one heck of a job because a billboard in India confused him for the anti-apartheid fighter.

     NDTV.com reports that a billboard honoring Mandela mistakenly featured a picture of Morgan Freeman with other famous figures like Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi. The message on the billboard read, “We should be proud that we were part of an era when they lived.”

     The billboard was paid for by a local cloth merchant identified only as “Chandrashekhar”. The billboard will be corrected and blamed the designer for the mistake. When in doubt blame the designer. Just like Mandela taught us.

     This isn’t the first time people have confused the two men. Ever since Mandela died on December 5th, people on Facebook and Twitter have been posting pictures of Morgan Freeman believing that he’s actually Nelson Mandela.

     

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Washington State Smokes About Twice As Much Marijuana As Previously Thought

     Washington state smokes about twice the amount of marijuana than previously thought, a new study claims.

      Federal data and survey information compiled by the Rand corporation puts yearly marijuana use in Washington state in the range of 135 metric tons to 225 metric tons during 2013, with 175 metric tons as the median estimate.
   

     The median estimate of 175 metric tons of marijuana used amounts to more than 6 million ounces, enough for around 340 million joints, according to the Associated Press.

     Washington state legalized marijuana in December of 2012.

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Lions Defend A 12 Year Old Ethiopian Girl From Rapists

Ethiopia – A  missing girl who was taken and beaten by seven much older men attempting to force her in a marriage with one of them was found being guarded by three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said Tuesday said Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo, on telephone from the  capital of Bita Genet.

She was beaten repeatedly before she was found June 9 by police and relatives on the outskirts of Bita Genet, Wondimu said. She had been guarded by the lions for about half a day, he said.“They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest,” Wondimu said. Her siblings were shocked by the abduction and her rescuers. Four abductors have been caught so far.                                                                                              

A True miracle

The girls family and friends feel this is a miracle but Stuart Williams, a wildlife expert with the rural development ministry, said the girl may have survived because she was crying from the trauma of her attack.“A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why they didn’t eat her,” Williams said. These abductions however are not that uncommon here in fact the UN estimates almost 70% of all Ethiopian marriages are by forced abduction.

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Brazillian women strip off in protest against ban on topless sunbathing

     A protest against Brazil's ban on topless sunbathing fell flat yesterday, with only a handful of women turning up.

     Thousands of women were expected to gather on Rio de Janeiro's Ipanema beach, taking off their bikinis in defiance of Brazilian law, which describes female toplessness as an "obscene act".



     Hundreds of photographers filled Ipanema beach, eager to catch a glimpse of the first women to strip in defiance of the law - but only a few women joined in.

     One of the first to strip off was 73 year-old Rio native Olga Salon.

     The protest was organised in response to an incident in November when actress Cristina Flores was stopped by police during a half-naked photoshoot on the beach.

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Man wakes up from 10 hour sleep with knife stuck in his back

If you’ve ever been to Trenton, New Jersey, you know the city can seem a little bit sketchy — like it’s the kind of place where getting stabbed isn’t that big of a deal.

Turns out that’s the case.

According to NJ.com, a man in Trenton woke up from a deep, ten-hour sleep to find a knife had been stuck in the middle of his back the entire time.

Police spokesman Lt. Mark Kieffer said that the unnamed 42-year-old man was out for a smoke after a night of drinking at around 2 a.m. on Sunday. During the victim’s smoke break, a fight ensued when he refused to give another man a light.

At some point, the scuffled ended when the other man fled. Thankful that the incident was over, the victim decided to head in and get some shut eye. But when he woke up that morning complaining about a sore back, his brother inspected the situation only to discover that there was a knife lodged in there.

The man was taken to the Capital Health Regional Medical Center where the knife was removed and apparently that’s where the victim wanted to end it. Lt. Kieffer called the man “very uncooperative” when asked for more information about his attacker.

Apparently, after another ten hours of sleep, he’ll have forgotten about the whole thing.

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262 Pounds Of weed Falls From The San Diego Sky, Two Arrested

These suspected drug dealers got high. Really high.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

But the marijuana they allegedly hoped to deliver won't be getting anyone high.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection found more than 260 pounds of marijuana bundled tightly together in San Diego last Monday, and arrested two men who allegedly showed up to claim the prize, NBC Bay Area reported.

Officials say an ultra-light aircraft coming from Mexico dropped the massive payload -- which was tied to a large metal cage used to hold cargo -- in a field near Brown Field Airport. The Office of Air and Marine tracked the plane as it crossed the border.

According to Raw Story, the plane crossed at 4:15 a.m. and dropped the ten heavy bundles before escaping back across the border.

Two suspects arrested at the drop zone were a 49-year-old, and a 32-year-old undocumented immigrant, according to CBS LA. The street value of the ganja was $157,000.

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Facebook fan's challenge to meet 730 friends face-to-face

A social media fan has set himself a challenge to be reunited with every single one of his 730 Facebook friends in person.

Daniel Shaw, 38, has Facebook friends all over the world and has vowed to meet each one face-to-face.

The youth worker has set himself the challenge of meeting at least 730 within a year – meaning he needs to meet an average of at least two a day to hit his target.

Since he launched the ambitious plan in August – reminiscent of a TV series by comic Dave Gorman – Mr Shaw has already notched up 129 'meets' with a range of people.

After wife Emma, 36, volunteered to be the first friend on his list, Mr Shaw has reconnected with former colleagues, schoolmates and other long-lost pals thanks to the project.

He has even started carrying his custom-made 'Facebook Friend' T-shirt with him everywhere he goes – after people started stopping him in the street.

So far Mr Shaw from Stoke-on-Trent, has travelled to Manchester and Birmingham to meet friends.

However, he fears a costly travel bill as his friends list stretches all the way to Japan and Australia.

Mr Shaw embarked on the challenge after his cousin bet him that he had not met everyone on his friends list.

Mr Shaw said: "He said to me 'you've got so many Facebook friends, but surely you don't know them all?' so I thought about it and then it turned into this challenge.

"It's been great going around and meeting up with old friends and proving him wrong."

"I've started with my local friends first, and I met one in Birmingham last week, but I'll soon have to book some time off work to travel around and meet others.

"There's one or two people I know in Devon and I've got a cousin in Germany, but hopefully they'll be able to come here, otherwise it might start to get very expensive.

"I've also got some friends in Australia and Japan, who might be too difficult to meet for now, but that's why I decided to set the number at 730 – two friends a day is still a very good rate."

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Colorado man posts on Facebook moments before murdering daughter

Merrick McKoy allegedly shot and killed 19-month-old Mia McKoy-Phanthavongsa. He wrote on Facebook moments before shooting her that his relationship with the girl’s mother was the motive. The chilling message: ‘I told u I can’t live without u lol u thought I was joking now me n Mia out this b----.’

A jilted Colorado man captured the moment just before he shot his own daughter and then wrote about it on Facebook.

Merrick McKoy gunned down his 19-month-old daughter, Mia McKoy-Phanthavongsa, in an attempted murder-suicide in the Westminster area, according to reports.

Just before the cowardly McKoy, 22, allegedly shot his daughter in the head and killed her, he posted a photo of the two together and wrote several social media missives explaining his motive.

“I told u I can’t live without u lol u thought I was joking now me n Mia out this b----,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

The little girl’s mother, Kimphone “Kim” Phanthavongsa, 21 had an active restraining order against McKoy following domestic violence incident. McKoy was charged with assault, burglary, trespassing and harrassment.

The Monday shooting was his only way out, he reasoned in his final Facebook post. It came five minutes after the photo of him and little Mia was posted to the social media site - and as responding cops tried to get into the apartment where the man had barricaded himself. 

“Don’t judge me had no choice,” he wrote.

Phanthavongsa, 21, frantically phoned police to report McKoy was in her Stuart St. apartment with a gun. The two had a heated argument and she stormed out on Monday.
Cops did not make it in time. McKoy shot the girl in the head and then turned the gun on himself. The father’s condition was not released.

Little Mia’s relatives painted McKoy as a jealous and possessive brute.

“He was the type to say, if you’re not with me, you can’t be with anybody else,” Smaly Chham, the girl’s cousin.

Little Mia had just hit had just hit a major milestone — her first steps — according to friends who knew the little girl.

“She just learned how to walk,” 

“What an angel. Whenever she smiled it was bright.”

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£60,000 worth of bank notes found floating in Lincolnshire river by dog walker

Police have launched an investigation after banknotes worth tens of thousands of pounds were mysteriously found floating down a river.

Detectives are liaising with the Bank of England after £60,000 worth of damaged notes were seen floating in the water by a stunned dog walker - but so far there are no clues to where it has come from. 

The cash was spotted in South Drove Drain near Spalding town centre, Lincolnshire, on Friday 25 October. 

The money was retrieved from the river by officers, whose initial count estimated the cash to be in the region of sixty thousand pounds.

Lincolnshire Police are intending to consult with the Bank of England for assistance with a formal inspection of the money and a final accurate count.

 A large amount of the money has been damaged due to time it spent being the water but there is a good quantity of bank notes that appear to be in fair condition. 

Police are considering detailed forensic examination of the money and have been granted a seizure order by the local Magistrates Court to carry out an investigation into its origins.

DC Steve Hull, of Spalding CID, says, ‘It isn’t everyday that an amount of money like this is found and somebody must have information that will help the police trace the lawful owner.

'I would be grateful to hear from people who have genuine information to pass on to me.'

The money will remain with the police until the investigation is complete. If the money can not be reunited with a legitimate owner then it will become the subject of a further court forfeiture order.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said evidence of ownership of the money would  be required if the owner wishes to come forward.

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Naked woman boards Chicago subway, claims to be ‘Goddess of the Train’

 

The 31-year-old woman, who was not identified, was nude when she entered the L Train at the Granville station on Saturday. She allegedly told riders to leave the train as she headed towards the motorman's car, where she planned to take over the controls.

A 31-year-old woman was tossed in a psychiatric ward after she boarded a Chicago subway naked and claimed to be the “Goddess of the Train,” witnesses and police said.

The wild ordeal unfolded after the woman, who was not identified, stripped down before stepping on an L Train at the Granville station on the city’s north side on Saturday afternoon.

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Florida teen who fatally shot commissioner dad after insult over Megan Fox is guilty of murder

Jason Beckman, now 21, who killed his father, South Miami city commissioner Jay Beckman, after his father joked that he couldn’t ‘handle’ the actress, faces life in prison.

Jason Beckman was found guilty of first degree murder in the death of his father, South Miami city commissioner Jay Beckman in April 2009.

A Florida teen who fatally shot his commissioner father in the face after the man allegedly joked that his son couldn’t “handle” actress Megan Fox has been found guilty of first-degree murder, the Miami Herald reports.

After deliberating for two hours, a jury convicted Jason Beckman just before 9 p.m. Monday in the shooting death of his father, South Miami city commissioner Jay Beckman, four years ago.

Beckman, who was 17 at the time of his father's death, faces life in prison.

Prosecutors described the then South Miami High School student as plotting out his father's death in great length long before carrying out the execution in his home as his father showered.

“He leveled that shotgun, aimed it and he fired,” prosecutor Gail Levine told the jury, the Herald reports.

Defense attorneys had argued that there were no witnesses to the man's death which they called an accident.

Immediately after Jay Beckman was shot, a neighbor reported hearing his son shout, “Oh my God, somebody call 911,” said Defense Attorney Herb Smith.

An inmate who testified against Jason Beckman, now 21, in November instead told the court that Beckman confessed to the crime while behind bars.

He said the fatal blow was over his father delivering a snarky insult over the sultry “Jennifer’s Body” star and Beckman's inability to get physical with her.

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Sex-change politician says she became lesbian after being raped four years after she became a woman

Britain's first sex-change parliamentarian has told how she became a lesbian after she was raped.

Former UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire, 45, was born a boy but had gender reassignment surgery on the NHS 18 years ago.

Today she revealed how four years after the operation, just as she was beginning to find women attractive, she was raped by a man, and subsequently realised she was a lesbian.

Miss Sinclaire, MEP for the West Midlands, founded a new party, We Demand A Referendum Now, campaigning for a referendum on British membership of the European Union, after she was ejected from UKIP after a row over policy.
The ambitious politician now hopes to become Britain's first transsexual MP.

Today she told The Sun how she was the victim of a brutal assault in central London, which she described as  'the most horrendous experience of my life', and one which contributed to her realising she was a lesbian.

In a revealing interview with the paper, Miss Sinclaire said she was walking home along a busy road in central London shortly before midnight when someone gripped her arm and kicked her leg, knocking her over.

She said: 'I gasped, overbalanced and landed painfully with a suffocating weight on top of me.'

After the attack, which she said left her feeling vulnerable despite being brought up in the capital, she went with a nurse friend to a hospital in Dartford, Kent, where DNA samples were taken and medics photographed her bruised body.

Because the attack happened in 1999, before the 2004 change in the law that recognised transsexual people's new genders, the rape was only classified as an assault.

Miss Sinclaire said that she had begun to feel attracted to women shortly before the attack, and had her first sexual experience with a woman with a lesbian she met playing pool in Liverpool.

She said she put the 'scary' idea that she might be attracted to women out of her mind, but said the rape made her 'very anti-men', and contributed to her realising she was a lesbian soon afterwards.

Now the anti-EU politician, who intends to become an MP and cabinet minister, has a long-term female partner who shuns publicity.  They do not live together but have been in a relationship since 2006.

She said her fellow UKIP politicians had been very accepting of her sexuality, whereas she had encountered the most homophobia from Liberal Democrats.

Miss Sinclaire said yesterday she had been 'overwhelmed by all the support' she had received after revealing in the Sun on Sunday that she had had gender reassignment surgery at the age of 23.

Her new book, Never Give Up, tells how until now only her family and close friends were aware of her past.


The book's foreword said: 'There was one great secret that Nikki never shared with anyone other than her family and close friends.

'Hers is a powerful personal story.  Yet she insists it is only one facet of her life, and though it tormented her childhood and teenage years, it is one that no longer dominates her or her future.


It adds: 'As the first "sex change" parliamentarian in Britain, Nikki Sinclaire has made history.

'But she is likely to be far happier, in the future, being known less as a statistic than for her conviction politics.'

Miss Sinclaire is keen that her revelations do not overshadow her politicial ambition, and has commissioned a poll to see whether voters minded if a candidate was transsexual.  It showed that two-thirds of people said it would make no difference to how they voted and fewer than 10 per cent said it would make them much less likely to favour a candidate.

'I don't want my past to overshadow it and believe my constituents will continue to support me,' she said.

Miss Sinclaire, who suffered from depression throughout her teenager years, said she 'knew she was different' before undergoing gender reassignment surgery at the age of 23.

The politician was arrested by West Midlands Police in February last year as part of a probe into allowances and expenses.

However, Miss Sinclaire denies the allegations and remains on bail.

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The rich guys of Instagram show off their incredible wealth with the latest craze in the Persian Gulf for big cats as pets

For mega-wealthy young men of the Gulf Arab states nothing says 'I am rich' more aptly than to Instagram yourself and your lion or cheetah posing alongside your Mercedes or Lamborghini or motoring along in a speedboat.


Showing off the Persian Gulf's latest 'ultimate status symbol', the penchant for posting big cat photos on Instagram betrays the young men's sheer bravado or stupidity, depending on your point of view.

Indeed, while the intimacy on display the owners seem to share with their cats is clearly touching, others could possibly think of better ways to flaunt their wealth than sharing feeding time or bathing with fully grown 400 pound lions.

Rich guys with lions on Instagram: One young man bravely stands atop a Mercedes sports car with lion while a Lamborghini sits to the right - it appears another man has wisely decided to stay inside the Mercedes rather than play with the big cat.

Eagerly followed by over 250,000 followers on the popular photo-sharing website, Humaid AlBuQaish, has become cult viewing as he regularly posts himself and his big cats online.

While it is not entirely clear what AlBuQaish does for a living or how he accumulated his fabulous wealth and pets, it is clear that he lives a life of luxury that most can only dream of.


Trusting his cats implicitly, AlBuQaish is pictured feeding his menagerie of lethal predators and wrestling with them - all the while showing off the fact that he owns such magnificent creatures.
Feeding time: Another mildly disturbing picture reveals that the lions are not without want when it comes to being well looked after.

Open wide: Trust doesn't seem to be an issue with these lions - who are one of nature's most lethal killing machines on the savannah's and plains of Africa as (right) lion ion cubs tuck into food that wouldn't usually be considered to be on the diet of a big cat that roams Africa at the home of one of the rich guys with lions Instagram accounts.

Affection: The trust on display between owner and pet is truly staggering as the lion allows itself to be hugged and gives a ride.

Engaging in one-upmanship online, others have posted pictures of their big cats being taken for a spin in a speedboat - while others are happy to place their heads into their prized possession's mouth.

The trade in big cats in the Gulf reflects how status among the wealthy is all important, where a rare white lion will sell for around $50,000.

Jasim Ali runs the Ras Al Khaimah Wildlife Park in the United Arab Emirates and he adopts and cares for those animals that are discarded once they become too large and dangerous for their boastful owners.

Showing off: Taking to the water in their speed boat the only accessory needed is clearly a cheetah who seems very much into the ride while (right) another display of trust between a lioness and her owner
Not worried about scratches then? One lioness is allowed to sit atop the owners Mercedes sports car while his friend takes refuge inside the expensive car model.

Bathtime: The lions of Instagram get cleaned up after a hard days play with their owner who seems unworried about being so close to the deadly predators


Write caption here

'If someone buys a very expensive animal, he is boasting that he has enough money to get anything he wants,' he said to CNN.


'If he has a tamed wild animal like a lion, he is trying to show off that he is brave. But this is not courage; this is animal rights abuse.'


Of course there is nothing to suggest that any of those in these pictures would openly flaunt ownership of illegal animals so publicly online.


However, the problem is such that in 2010 over 200 illegal animals were confiscated in the United Arab Emirates in 2010.


Among the animals taken into custody are white lions, tigers, panthers and cheetahs as well as hyenas
Relaxing: Another lion and his owner relax in a picture posted to the account of Humaid AlBuQaish - who regularly updates his Instagram account with pictures of his incredible big cats
And when this animal bites his head off people will...

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Get Paid $100 a Day... to Review Public Toilets

 Need some extra cash?

 If you live in New York and are willing to spend a lot of time in public restrooms, you can earn $100 a day for reviewing the facilities, the Daily Dot reports.

Michael Li, the creator of ToiletFinder.com, which helps people find nearby restrooms, makes the offer on Craigslist: He needs a copywriter and business partner, and instead of just accepting résumés and cover letters, he's asking candidates to submit "humorous" toilet reviews that are "creative, helpful, and slightly disgusting." 

Anyone who makes him laugh gets $20; the winner gets the gig—and the $100/day to keep the reviews coming.                                                                

                                                                     Need some extra cash? If you live in New York and are willing to spend a lot of time in public restrooms, you can earn $100 a day for reviewing the facilities, the Daily Dot reports. Michael Li, the creator of ToiletFinder.com, which helps people find nearby restrooms, makes the offer on Craigslist: He needs a copywriter and business partner, and instead of just accepting résumés and cover letters, he's asking candidates to submit "humorous" toilet reviews that are "creative, helpful, and slightly disgusting." Anyone who makes him laugh gets $20; the winner gets the gig—and the $100/day to keep the reviews coming.                                                                 

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Cigarette-smoking toddler who shocked the world with his 40-a-day habit has given up... but now he's addicted to food

At the age of two he shocked the world after being pictured chain-smoking cigarettes.

Two years on he's now a normal, cheeky five-year-old - and, while he's managed to kick the habit, he now has another addiction. Food.

Aldi Rizal became an international media sensation when he was discovered in a poor village in Sumatra, Indonesia, puffing on a cigarette while riding his tricycle.

The outcry led to the Indonesian government launching a campaign to tackle the problem of children smoking and organising special rehabilitation treatment to help Aldi quit.

Aldi was taken for play therapy sessions in the capital Jakarta for two weeks to take his mind off his 40-a-day habit and learn to be a normal toddler for the first time.

A new documentary series revisits the family two years on to find out how Aldi is getting on and reveals he has managed to stay off the cigarettes, but is still dangerously unhealthy.


During his rehabilitation treatment, Aldi saw psychiatrists who encouraged his mother to keep him busy with playing and taught her about the dangers of smoking.

One of them - Dr Kak Seto - still sees Aldi and his family at regular intervals to ensure he is not falling back into old habits.

His mother Diane Rizal, 28, said: 'There are many people still offering Aldi cigarettes, but Aldi no. He says "I love Kak Seto. He would be sad if I started smoking again and made myself ill."


'At first when we were weaning Aldi off the cigarettes he would have terrible tantrums and I would call Dr Seto for help.

'But now he doesn't want them.'
However, Mrs Rizal is now worried about her son's weight, as he developed food cravings while quitting smoking, and now has a big appetite.

Mrs Rizal said the strong-willed little boy now demands food in the same way he used to beg for cigarettes, and the family struggles not to give in to his tantrums.

Mrs Rizal said: 'When Aldi first quit smoking he would demand a lot of toys.

'He would bang his head on the wall if he couldn't get what he wanted. That's why I get him cigarettes in the first place - because of his temper and his crying.

'Now I don't give him cigarettes, but he eats a lot. With so many people living in the house it's hard to stop him from getting food.'
Aldi also helps his mother and father Mohamed out on their market stall, where his bright bubbly character and cheekiness wins him lots of attention.

'I feel happy when people want to speak to him because the know him,' admitted Mrs Rizal.

'But I feel annoyed when they refer to him as 'the smoking kid'. It makes me feel like they are accusing me of being a bad parent.'

Mr and Mrs Rizal decided to take Aldi to a nutritionist for medical checks and now they've been given advice on how to put him on a healthier diet so he can start to lose some weight.

'Aldi is very overweight, his weight doesn't match his age,' said nutritionist Fransisca Dewi. 'His ideal weight is 17kg to 19kg. He's 24kg already.

'I think it is difficult for them. The mother says Aldi is a spoilt kid. If Diana wants to forbid him eating, it will be hard.

'She will need the cooperation from the entire household. One obvious thing is they let him have too much condensed milk. He drinks three cans a day and eats too many carbohydrates.'

Paediatric specialist Dr William Nawawi is also concerned that smoking at an early age has made Aldi more likely to suffer weight issues.

He explained: 'Nicotine can increase the endocrine hormone in the body. This condition can cause resistance to insulin.

'The blood will not be able to break glucose from food. This will make Aldi become bigger and bigger.'

Now, Aldi is back at home in his fishing village and is on a strict diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and smaller portions.
Mrs Rizal must also persuade Aldi's siblings and the rest of the family not to give in and provide him with junk food when she is not around.

Doctors hope that if Aldi can lose around half a stone to a stone, his weight will eventually even out as he starts to grow taller.
It is thought one-third of children in Indonesia try smoking before the age of ten. The Government has launched efforts to tackle the problem.

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Salt of the earth: Stunning 5,000-year-old mines inside caves and tunnels in Turkey which are still in use today

From the surface there is nothing special about the hilly countryside around the city of Cankiri in Turkey.

However 1,300ft below ground is a stunning salt mine which was first dug by primitive humans around 5,000 years ago.

Despite its incredible age the mine is still in use today and produces more then 500 tonnes of salt each year which is used in cooking and for a range of souvenirs.

According to a 1971-79 survey there is still more than 1billion tonnes of ore left in the mine, which is extracted using machines and underground blasting.

These pictures were taken by Melih Sular, 32, who was guided through the caves by Murat Danaci as part of the National Geographic photography contest.

He said: 'When I first entered the salt cave I was afraid. I thought to myself: "What happens if it collapses?"

He added: 'I've never seen anything like it before. The most striking part of the caves is the old gallery, which were dug by Hittites.

'It's interesting because they dug this gallery with simple tools and their own hands, unlike today's methods.'

While temperatures in the city regularly reach 92 Fahrenheit (33C), the mercury never strays much above 59 degrees (15C) inside the ancient caves.


The Hitties were an ancient race who built an empire in the Middle East which covered most of modern-day central Turkey, northern Syria and Iraq and flourished between 1,400 and 1,200BC.

They were famous for their skill in building and making chariots and wrote in a hieroglyphic-type language called cuneiform.

They were eventually destroyed after several costly wars, particularly a defeat to the army of Ramses II, pharaoh of the Egyptians. Competition for succession of the throne also drained their resources.

Today the mine has 16 workers and contains a small canteen, a mosque, repair room, workshop and a first aid room.

All the ore extracted from the mine, which measures in at around 90 per cent purity, is taken by diggers to nearby railway tracks where it is transported to a factory for processing.

There is so much salt contained in the ground around the mine that it appears around the edge of a nearby lake after being dissolved into the water.

• Salt mine is located outside of Cankiri city in northern Turkey
• It was first mined by ancient race called Hittites in 3000BC
• Despite its age it still produces 500 tonnes of salt a year
• Photographs were taken for National Geographic contest

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