News of the Weird - this just in!

[PeteC]

Know your toads!

Two die after eating grilled toad

...."The poisons normally protect the toads from predators, which learn to leave them alone. Grilled frog, a different animal but often of similar appearance, is a common snack in parts of Thailand."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... illed-toad

[Nereus]

Robot to build 11 houses in world-first for Perth

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/ ... erth/#stop

Robotic bricklaying company Fastbrick Robotics has signed an agreement with a Perth-based builder to construct the world’s first brick homes using the company’s innovative machine.

Under a framework agreement, Fastbrick and Archistruct Builders and Designers will collaborate to build 11 homes using the company’s Hadrian X robot.

Long article and photo at the link.......................
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Hadrian is probably turning over in his grave!

[PeteC]

All you can do is shake your head in disbelief.

"AHMEDABAD, India - Pokemon Go is blasphemous and should be banned, an Indian court was told Wednesday, because it rewards religious vegetarians with eggs.

Lawyer Nachiket Dave argued that the game offended the religious sensibilities of Hindus and Jains -- some of whom do not eat meat or other animal products -- by giving players virtual eggs, including in places of worship.

"Those who succeed are rewarded with eggs. Offering eggs to people in temples, even in the virtual world, is highly objectionable and amounts to blasphemy,".......

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakin ... 94754.html

[Big Boy]

Thai students in NZ asked to pick 'acceptable' nicknames

Some Thai students are being asked to consider changing their nicknames for "smoother cultural integration" in New Zealand.

The Smart NZ Education Centre said six out of 10 students who applied through the agency had been advised to rethink their nicknames, according to a New Zealand Herald report on Friday.

"Some nicknames may contain unfavourable pronunciation like 'poo', 'pee', 'chit', which resemble 'shit' or 'porn'," Chonnanit Na Songkhla, an agent at the centre, told the newspaper.

"There are nicknames that you know will result with the student getting harassed if nothing is done."

Full story: Bangkok Post

[Bristolian]

I can think of quite a few friends and colleagues who's legitimate first names that would also cause a few issues
Superporn
Superat
Phorntit
Pornchai
Peeane

[Nereus]

Only in TIT:

Non-aligned road in Si Racha raises eyebrows

CHON BURI - Residents of Noen Pha Suk village in tambon Nong Kham of Si Racha district have been puzzled by the fact that what is supposed to be a road through their community has turned out to be two, of which ends do not meet properly.

two roads.jpg (48.13 KiB) Viewed 952 times

[Big Boy]

as you say, TIT.

[Bristolian]

You have to give them some credit, they did get close.

[PeteC]

The strangest part is how it got to that completed point without any resident villagers noticing? That is not a cheap road. You have a concrete trough drainage ditch with removable concrete covers, concrete road where rebar mesh was put in place first etc., etc. It must have been a village wide massive brain fart, a monumental case of mai pen rai, or alien abduction. You take your pick! Pete

[aragon]

You have a concrete trough drainage ditch with removable concrete covers,

At least the drainage troughs on each section of the road are almost aligned, the only problem is that they are on opposite sides of each section of the road

[Vital Spark]

Thai students in NZ asked to pick 'acceptable' nicknames

Some Thai students are being asked to consider changing their nicknames for "smoother cultural integration" in New Zealand. Full story: Bangkok Post

I think it's a good idea. The nicknames are not on any official documents, and some of my students just change theirs on a whim. Apart from some of them being a tad rude in an English speaking country, some of them are utterly unpronounceable to native speakers, e.g. Aoey, Aeoi, Nuay, etc. I have a new first year student, whose nickname is Frong. It's a new one to me, so I asked her what it meant. "The France language", she said proudly.

I always tell my students that if they want to work for an international company, they need to have a nickname that is easy to remember and pronounce. Just for work. It may just get them their dream job.

VS

[PeteC]

Strange, isn't it?

Anti-immigration sentiment on the rise in Thailand

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion ... 96536.html

Study shows that most Thais spend majority of time doing nothing

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/09/28/s ... ng-nothing

[hhfarang]

"Real-life Tarzan’ lived in isolated Vietnam jungle for 40 years"

https://nypost.com/2016/10/04/real-life ... -40-years/

[Nereus]

Without prejudice:
..........................................................
Should we be offended by the word Pom?

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/328 ... pom/#page1

Two Pommie Sheilas - Natalie Richards - The West Australian on October 12, 2016, 8:55 am

While you’re reading this, there will be a pale Brit sitting on a Perth beach in our unseasonable hot spell thinking the sun protection factor six they bought in Majorca last July will protect them from the inevitable.

Alas, that stuff they’re slathering on will be about as useful as a chocolate kettle and, before you can say “it’s called a base tan”, they’re as red as an overripe tomato. Or a pomegranate.

And, if the Collins Dictionary is to be believed, that is where the term Pom likely originates — a comparison between our “base-tanned” bodies and the skin of a fruit.

Another suggestion is that the preferred term for our sunburnt mob is instead a reference to the convicts who were sent over here for stealing pigs and tree clippings — Prisoners of Mother England.

The truth might lie somewhere in-between, but I think it’s about time someone took issue with the third thing suggested by the boffins at Collins HQ — that Pom is deemed “mildly offensive”.

Us northerners are renowned for kicking off if there’s trouble down t’mill, but if there’s one thing I won’t take offence to, it’s being called a Pom.

Nine times out of 10, the person who calls me a Pom does so in endearing tones or because they can’t decide whether my brassy accent is Irish, English or Sean Bean-ish.

If someone’s cheesed off with me, they’ll find a way to let me know, whether they call me a “bleeding Pom” in angry tones or something much nastier.

Few are sitting there sussing out acronyms thinking about how they can cleverly have a pop at those who stole tree clippings 200-odd years ago.

Yes, call me a Pom all you like, and while you’re at it pass the factor 50, would you?
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Not in widespread use anymore. The Poms have been out gunned by a multitude of others of many differ colours!

Many moons ago in another life, I worked with a bunch of Italians. Friendly and hard working, but most of them lacked English.
The Australian slang for Italians(a bit derogatory) is "Ding". One of the better spoken ones used to say to me" Yous canna calla me a "Ding", or yous canna calla me a "Bastard", but DONNA yous calla me a "Ding Bastard"!

[Nereus]

A feel good story for a change:
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Mercy flight for Monty the chocoholic dog

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regio ... -dog/#stop

We’ve all been guilty of a chocolate binge, but that rarely ends in an emergency plane trip, as it did for one Mid West station pooch who bit off more than he could chew.

Boolardy Station resident Carolyn Halleen discovered the family hound, Field Marshall Montgomery, or “Monty” to his friends, wandering around the backyard among a field of chocolate wrappers earlier this month.

Mrs Halleen had been catering on the nearby Murchison Radio astronomy Observatory, but with her term of employment finishing up last week, she had to busily move all of her supplies back to the homestead.

Due to the massive workload and short time-frame, a few corners got cut and the huge supply of cooking chocolate, which should have been locked away in the cool room, ended up sitting next to the pantry.
Mrs Halleen said she would not repeat this mistake.

While the family slept, Monty seized his chance for a king-size midnight snack.
“He’s a labrador — what more can I say,” Mrs Halleen said.

“When I’d found all the packets, I tallied up the total amount, it was two kilograms.
“I think I’d be in intensive care if I had two kilograms of chocolate.”

A stroke of luck came for the canine greedy guts though, when Mrs Halleen heard the buzzing sound of aeroplane engines while on the phone with the vet.

Geraldton Air Charter chief pilot Wendy Mann was flying in the observatory’s science team, as she does every Monday morning, and realising this was her chance to get Monty some emergency care, Mrs Halleen ran over to the plane to ask if Monty could climb aboard for the return trip.
Ms Mann was more than happy to help, flying Monty in to town in just an hour, where driving may have taken more than four.

“He happily sat in the back and thought he was absolute royalty,” Mrs Halleen said.
“I’m a little surprised he didn’t poke his head out the window and wave.”
She said after one night at the vet, Monty was doing much better, and ready to come home.

“Since he’s got back, he’s brought me a few extra packets of chocolate that he must have hidden away, but he hasn’t opened them,” she said.
“I think he just realised he was in big trouble, so he’s trying to fix things as much as he can.”

The RSPCA warns that chocolate is toxic to dogs and advises immediate veterinary treatment.

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