News
in a few
Contest • A
San Fransisco computer engineer who
lost his job because he ate two pieces
of pepperoni pizza left over from a
company meeting has been named the
winner of an offbeat Internet contest
that solicited stories about outrageous
firings. A panel of Silicon Valley
judges assembled by Simply Hired, a
Mountain View startup that sponsored
the contest, picked Jim Garrison’s
strange tale from more than 1,000 entries
submitted during the past month. The
reward: a free Caribbean cruise that
will include passengers famously fired
by Donald Trump on his popular television
show, “The Apprentice.”
Study • Preschoolers
pretending to shop for a Barbie doll’s
social evening were more likely to choose
cigarettes if their parents smoked, and
wine or beer if their parents drank,
a study found. Researchers observing
the children at play found that those
who watched PG-13 or R-rated movies were
also more likely to choose alcohol for
Barbie. The study suggests that prevention
efforts should target younger children,
said study co-author Madeline Dalton
of Dartmouth Medical School.
Safety • Japanese
automaker Toyota has developed a safety
technology that it says will keep the
driver’s eyes on the road. An image-processing
computer system developed by Toyota Motor
Corp. and a Toyota affiliate uses a camera
near the steering wheel to detect when
the driver stops looking straight ahead.
The system flashes a light on the dashboard
display and emits a beeping noise when
the eyes start to wander. If the driver
still doesn’t respond, brakes kick
in, Toyota said Tuesday.
Rescue • A Malaysian
man was about to jump to his death
from a highway overpass but changed
his mind when told his pet dog was
dying, a news report said Monday. The
40-year-old man who recently lost his
job had threatened to jump from the
33-foot bridge in Kuala Lumpur Sunday.
After no reaction when rescue workers
told him to think of his wife and kids,
the workers told the man that his dog,
locked inside his nearby car, was dying
of suffocation.
Trivia • German saboteurs designed an exploding
chocolate bar for a campaign of sabotage against Britain in World War II,
according to documents released Monday by the British National Archives.
There was no evidence, however, that such lethal treats were ever deployed.
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