Some Stories that Caught my Eye

Man is bitten by cobra he keeps as pet

"A man from south St. Louis County was bitten by a cobra on Saturday as he was trying to feed the creature, which he kept as a pet.

He was rushed to St. Anthony's Medical Center. St. Louis County police used its helicopter to airlift cobra anti-venom from the St. Louis Zoo to the hospital.

Police and the hospital declined to make public the name of the bite victim or his condition. Police did not provide additional information about the incident."

Dubious insurance claims 'rising'
"A man who tried to sue a local authority after he soiled his trousers has made it on to a list of the most spurious compensation claims.

He blamed the accident on the closure of a bus station toilet and demanded the price of a new pair of trousers.

The case was among thousands of public liability claims - costing councils and insurance firms £250m a year - recorded by public insurer Zurich Municipal.

The firm said exaggerated and spurious claims were on the increase.

'Time-wasting'

Other spurious claims to make the list included a bin man who took legal action against his council claiming he was "startled" by a dead badger which fell out of a bag.

Also included were a shoplifter who tried to sue after she fell down stairs while running from the scene of a crime, and a motorist who filed a claim after failing to see a roundabout in broad daylight - despite there being a tree in the middle."

"British academics to tackle fashion's bottom line
LONDON (AFP) - It is one of the most fundamental -- and, for men, potentially hazardous -- questions of modern life, for which academics now hope to provide the definitive answer: "Does my bum look big in this?"The School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have begun what is believed to be the world's first-ever study on how women's clothing affects the bottom.

Models with variously sized posteriors will wear different types of clothing as part of the research, which will examine how designs, colours, patterns and fabric types affect perception.

Others will be asked to assess how big or small each model's backside appears to look in the outfits.

"This study will provide for the first time detailed and usable information that would enable designers to make the clothes that help women make the most of their natural assets," said Dr Lisa Macintyre, who is leading the study."