Published on April 27, 2005

-MEASURING UP INTERNATIONALLY

Although Chinese men are typically small, the same can’t be said about their organs. According to a recent study, the average length of a Chinese man’s flaccid penis is 8.45cm, which compares favourably with men from other countries. For example, Germans have average lengths of about 8.63cm, Italians hold strong at 8.99 cm and Americans average at about 8.78cm each.

- RED RAIN IN RUSSIA

Some say when it rains it means God is crying, but what does it mean when the drops are red? That’s what happened in Russia last week, when water droplets combined with pollutants from a paint factory and red rain began to fall. The Itar-Tass news agency reports the rusty-red rain fell on agricultural land in the southern part of the country.

- GIVING BIRTH AS ART

Childbirth has been turned into art by a German woman who gave birth to her first child in front of an audience at a Berlin art gallery. Ramune Gele’s labour and delivery of a baby girl was part of an exhibition at the DNA gallery and proud papa Winfried Witt calls the public birthing, “an existential work of art”.

- UNHOLY CYBER SQUATTING

An American man who registered the Internet name BenedictXVI.com before the new pope was announced will be putting the rights to his site up for sale. However, Rogers Cadenhead figures it would be a sin to sell it to a pornographer. The Florida resident says he might even give the site to the pope’s people adding, “whatever I decide, it’s going to be guided by a desire not to anger 1.1 billion Catholics”.

BizarreBites

- RUBBER DUCKIES CAN’T BE DIGESTED

Swedish vets have removed a rubber duck from a dog’s stomach that had been there for more than five years. The owner of Apollo the Boxer assumed the toy had dissolved in his dog years ago but took the animal to the vet when it began vomiting and refused to drink. The Lanstidningen newspaper reports the duck had turned black and gone rock hard.

- ARRESTED FOR MURDERING HIS CAR

A Florida man has been arrested for, in his words, “putting my car out of its misery”, by pumping it full of bullets. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports the 64-year-old emptied five shots into his broken-down Chrysler LeBaron in front of the property manager of his apartment building, then walked calmly back into his home. Police were called in and the suspect was arrested and charged with a firearms violation. He’s now out on bail.

n GOING PUBLIC

British marathon runner Paula Radcliffe has apologised for dropping her shorts and taking a bathroom break in the middle of the Flora London Marathon. Radcliffe, who ended up winning the race, crouched down by the side of the road in front of shocked spectators a few kilometres from the finish to do her business. She tells BBC Sport, “I’ve got to apologise to the nation for having to stop, but I was losing 10 seconds every time my stomach cramped up.”

- CHEESY THERAPY

To deal with mounting stress, the Swedish prime minister has admitted he’s been stuffing his pie-hole with cheese – and lots of it. Goran Persson has been under scrutiny recently for failing to tackle unemployment and the government’s lax response to the Asian tsunami, which killed hundreds of Swedes. He tells the Expressen newspaper, “I eat when I am stressed. I’m doing that right now. I’m stuffing myself with cheese – whole plates with four or five pieces of different types at least once a day.”

- SEASCAPE TEAMED WITH CYBERSPACE

Web surfers will soon be able to do it at the beach now that a wireless Internet network is being set up seaside in the town of Hollywood. The net access will be free to beach bums at Hollywood Beach who have a wireless hook-up on their laptop, cell phone or PDA. The service should start up by the end of the month.

- CHEAPSKATE GOURMAND BUSTED

Romanian police have nabbed a low-down lothario who habitually invited women out for romantic meals and then ditched them before the bill arrived. The 23-year-old dressed in nice suits and demanded the best wines while dining with his victims, then left the ladies high and dry by explaining he had to make an important call on his cell phone outside, where the reception was better. Ananova.com reports five women have come forward so far to say they were duped by the phoney Romeo but police believe the real number of victims is much larger.

Post your comment to this story here