10 April 2007: Space Marathon

One of the International Space Station's astronauts plans to run the Boston Marathon, despite still being up in space.

Suni Williams plans to run the 26 miles on the Space station's treadmill, which astronauts use to ward off the muscle loss that results from living in the station's low-gravity environment.

While she won't face hills or jostling competitors, she will face challenges unlike those confronting her earthbound rivals.

Because of the low gravity she will have to be strapped to the treadmill with a harness to prevent her floating away.

And apparently sweating is a problem too. "One of the interesting things about sweating or working out up here is that the stuff doesn't evaporate off you or drop off you," she said.
"The water just sort of stays on you until it makes a big enough glop, and then it kind of floats away."

5 April 2007: Google It!

Staff at Internet search-engine Google had to do a different type of searching this week, after a pet snake escaped in the building.

A member of staff brought the 3-foot long python into work because he didn't want it to be left alone all day. It escaped during the weekend and started roaming around the building. The owner claimed the snake was dangerous to mice but not humans.

Happily, a company spokesman was able to report that Kaiser the snake was located in the office and had been taken home by his owner.

Unusually for Google, how many other snakes they found and how long the search took was not reported.

4 April 2007: Working Hard

Following China's plan to make civil servants work for their salaries, now Malaysia's deputy premier has told the country's government workers they need to work harder and spend more time at their desks.

The Deputy Prime Minister told a gathering of civil servants to condition their minds to see work as a virtue, not a punishment.

He urged them to think of the benefit to the country's productivity if people extended their working hours. "I don’t think nine hours per day is too much to ask," he said.

Malaysian government offices currently run working days from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

3 April 2007: Robot Customs

Passengers arriving at Norway's busiest airports can now be 'helped' by a robot customs officer.

The new machine is a bit like a cash machine in reverse. Customers declare their additional booze or cigarettes to the machine and then pay the applicable duty using a credit or debit card.

The Finance Minister said the machine would free staff from routine duties to enable them to fight more serious smuggling.

2 April 2007: The Everyday Life of Bogans

A New Zealand university researcher has won a government grant to study the habits of heavy rock fans.

The grant will allow student Dave Snell to study different types of dancing to heavy rock music -- including head-banging -- as well as the importance of tattoos and body piercing.

The study is entitled "The Everyday Life of Bogans: Identity and Community Among Heavy Metal Fans." Bogan is an insulting term in Australasia for an unsophisticated person, but Snell confesses he himself is a bogan, saying he loves heavy rock music.

New Zealand's Tertiary Education Commission defended the study, saying "This research will help us to understand our communities and our younger people".

Exactly what he will spend the 35 thousand pound grant on was not revealed, but SaintFM would be happy to suggest a few albums.