Reckless Reality |

Serbian union official who chopped off his finger and ate it in a protest over wages that in some cases have not been paid in years, said Monday he did it to show how desperate he and other workers were.

“We, the workers have nothing to eat, we had to seek some sort of alternative food and I gave them an example,” Zoran Bulatovic said. “It hurt like hell.”

Bulatovic, a union leader at the Raska Holding textile factory in Novi Pazar in southwest Serbia, used a hacksaw to cut off most of his left-hand little finger Friday. Read the rest of this entry »

EL PASO, Texas – Santos says he became one of the thousands of American and Mexican teenagers recruited into the dangerous world of drug smuggling.

Santos’ journey into the underworld of teenage drug smuggling offers a glimpse into how drug cartels lure teenagers into doing their dirty work.

They’re often called mules. These teenagers are usually hired only to smuggle drug loads across the border. It’s a short drive or walk that offers quick cash but can carry serious consequences. Read the rest of this entry »

Growing populations, falling energy sources and food shortages will create the “perfect storm” by 2030, the UK’s chief scientist Professor John Beddington has said.

The demand for resources will create a crisis with dire consequences, Prof Beddington predicts.

Demand for food and energy will jump 50 per cent by 2030 and for fresh water by 30 per cent, as the global population tops 8.3 billion. Climate change will exacerbate matters in unpredictable ways. Read the rest of this entry »

In the rolling countryside of the North Wessex Downs, Linkenholt is the archetypal English village. Now, for a cool £22.5 million, it could all be yours, as the entire village – including every house in it – goes up for sale.

The historic village of 22 houses and cottages is part of a 2,000 acre estate which will go on the market later this month. t is located in the Test Valley, north Hampshire, near the borders with Berkshire and Wiltshire – a region officially designated by Natural England as an area of outstanding natural beauty

Among the properties included for sale are a cricket pitch and pavilion, which doubles as the village hall, a large three-storey manor house, and a village shop run from the front room of one of the homes.
Also included in the sale are two properties from which agricultural blacksmiths operate, a commercial shoot, farming land, and an educational activity centre for children. Read the rest of this entry »

A Finnish millionaire Jari Bär, the former owner of the Iisalmi’s company Finnritilä was handed a fine of 111,888 euros (141,661 dollars) for doing 82 km/h (51 mph) in a 60 km/h (37 mph) zone  in Siilijärvi, Finland.

According to Savon Sanomat if the speed had been 80 km/h the fine would have been only 115 Euros.

Looks like these extra 2 km were critical and cost him more than a brand new Porsche 911 GT3. In his case 20 km more would have been a standard fine, but these 2 extra kilometers made the difference. Read the rest of this entry »

It seems like the financial crisis over the world really has not affected the Austrian jeweler Peter Aloisson, because he created a record for himself by designing the world’s most expensive phone Apple iPhone 3G King’s Button.

The Apple iPhone 3G King’s Button’s main operating button is integrated with high quality 6.6 carat diamonds, this impression itself of the phone is very attractive. This exquisite phone is made of solid 18-carat yellow gold, white gold and rose gold. It flaunts a white gold line encrusted with a total of 138 brilliant cut diamonds of the best quality. Read the rest of this entry »

BRUSSELS – A Belgian car dealer is luring customers with the famous pitch line “buy one, get one free.”

Antwerp-based Cardoen, which sells about 10,000 new and nearly new cars per year, started the promotion at the end of November and said it would run until December 15.

During that period, customers can choose from a range of new, full-price cars — the cheapest being a 22,800 euro ($28,930) Hyundai van — and then pick a second free vehicle from a selection that goes up to 14,000 euros. Read the rest of this entry »

The economic crisis has not only clobbered the restaurant industry, but now it’s brought at least one business to hire monkeys. CNN reports that a sake house in Tokyo has “recruited” two Japanese Macaques as waitstaff. Yes, you heard right—they’re using trained monkeys as employees.

The monkeys’ job duties—which can last no more than two hours a day to avoid violating animal rights regulations—include offering hot towels to diners, delivering change, and serving beers. While health regulations in the area are as strict as anywhere else, the monkeys have been “deemed sanitary” by health inspectors so long as they wear their (adorable) checkered kimono uniforms. Read the rest of this entry »

GENEVA – Fixing the world’s largest atom smasher will cost at least $25 million Cdn and may take until early summer.

An electrical failure shut down the Large Hadron Collider on Sept. 19, nine days after the $12 billion machine started up with great fanfare.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research recently said Monday that the repairs would be completed by May or early June. Read the rest of this entry »

Air Canada’s regional carrier Jazz is removing life vests from all its planes to save weight and fuel.

Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stuart said Thursday that government regulations set by Transport Canada allow airlines to use floatation devices instead of life vests provided the planes remain within 50 nautical miles of shore.

Safety cards in the seat pockets of Jazz aircraft now direct passengers to use the seat cushions as floatation devices.

“The nature of our operations doesn’t require that we carry both,” Stuart said.

Stuart said Jazz is a transcontinental carrier that doesn’t fly over the ocean.

Jazz planes do fly over the Great Lakes and along the Eastern seaboard from Halifax to Boston and New York. Read the rest of this entry »

Thesaaloniki, Greece- A group of people have taken on a new strategy to combat soaring food prices in Greece.

Greek anarchists stormed up a supermarket on Thursday and handed out food for free in what has been the latest of a wae of raids provoked by high consumer prices.

About 20 unarmed people, mostly wearing black hoods, carried out the midday robbery in the northern Greek city.

They only take packets of pasta, cartons of milk, and rice and throw them on the street for the passersby to collect them.

The local media has coined them “Robin Hoods”.

“They have never stolen money or hurt anyone. They ask people to remain calm but use ambush tactics, jumping over cash desks,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »