Wednesday Round Up

So like I said, it's difficult for me to finish a newspaper in a day. Which is really sad, cause I just peruse the articles. There used to be a time when I even read the Legal Notices, but those days are long gone. Anyway, is a summary of what I found interesting in the paper (or other media) today.

Japan: Baby Badges Help Pregnant Women Get to Work
Tokyo rail companies are providing pregnant women with badges in the hope of prompting other passengers on the capital's crowded trains to offer them seats. The pink-and-blue badges, which say "There is a baby in my belly." are being handed out at stations. The move comes as Japan scrambles for ways to persuade women to have more babies. The dwindling birthrate has left the nation with a shrinking population and the world's highest proportion of elderly people.

Hhhm, let's see wear a button or fake labor pains? Which will get me seated faster?



Mangosteen...It's the hot new fruit trend. But what does it taste like?
The NYTimes does this whole write up on mangosteens. You can get pure juice at mangosteens.com. And you can see all the information accrued by Ian Crown, the man on a mangosteen mission. In all of this I haven't figured out what a Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) tastes like. When I find out I'll let you know. If you find out, please let me know.

Penguins Spill Onto Texas Highway
A truck transporting zoo animals overturned, spilling 24 penguins, an octopus and some tropical fish along a highway, the authorities said. Three penguins that landed on the highway were killed by traffic. Workers from the Caldwell Zoo in nearby Tyler helped officers chase the other penguins and rescue endangered fish. The executive director of the zoo, Hayes Caldwell, said the animals were treated and sent on to Galveston. "They were doing remarkably well for what they had been through." Mr. Caldwell said.

Is it me or does "Penguins in Texas" sound like an oxymoron?