The Express Tribune T2 - November 12

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Explore

Wacky Wardrobes!

Maze

Baju Melayu

Kroje

SOURCE: COWBOYKIDS.NATIONALCOWBOYMUSEUM.ORG

Kimono

Djellaba

Dashiki PHOTOS: FILE

ha ha ha

How can you get four suits for a dollar?

Buy a deck of cards.

What did the rug say to the floor?

Don’t move, I’ve got you covered.

Why did the boy blush when he opened the fridge?

He saw the salad dressing!

Why was the belt arrested?

Because it held up a pair of pants!

What did the the tie say to the hat?

You go on a head, I’ll just hang around!

What do you get when you put a fish and an elephant together?

Swimming trunks.

What bow can’t be tied?

A rainbow What kind of coat can be put on only when wet?

A coat of paint.

Why doesn’t the Gingerbread Man wear shorts?

Because he has crummy legs.

What kind of button won’t unbutton?

Its 7:00 a.m, you wake up and start rubbing your eyes. You quickly wash your face and brush your teeth and finally spot that boring uniform which you’re supposed to wear for the next six hours or so, wondering why on earth uniforms are so white when it’s so not the colour that suits your mood that day. Ever wondered what would happen if you turned up in school one day clad in a kimono or a dashki? Oh wait… you might be wondering what these weird words mean. Let me first introduce you to an array of clothes that are of cultural importance in many different countries.

Baju Melayu...Huh?

What’s a Kimono?

If you’re in the mood to twirl, then a Kroje is what you should be wearing. Worn by Czechs and Slovaks, this attire is characterised by a simple blouse, vest, apron and stocking with special attention given to the apron to attract attention. For men, this outfit is a lot more simple with a shirt that has slits at the wrists and the neck. White embroidery is usually done on the sleeves and collar while a silk handkerchief is visible at the slit at the throat.

If you have balancing problems, then this dress is a definite no no for you. Worn most commonly in Japan, it is characterised by a T-shaped straight lined robe, worn so that the hem falls to the ankles with attached collars and long wide sleeves. Kimonos are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial), and secured by a sash called an obi, which is tied at the back. Kimonos are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially zori or geta) and split-toe socks. You should not consider dancing in this though…

How to make Seed bead tube bracelet 2.

If you have small pieces of plastic tubing left over from setting up a fish tank, fill them with seed beads to make pretty wrist or ankle bracelets.

3.

4.

Craft supplies: • Clear plastic tubing, used or new (this type of transparent tubing is commonly sold in pet stores or hardware stores to use with fish tank filters and pumps) • Seed beads • Hot glue • Transparent tape

5.

6.

Instructions: 1. If you are using tubing that has already been used for

a fish tank, make sure you wash and dry the tube thoroughly before beginning this craft project.

Cut the tubing to fit your wrist or ankle, but do keep in mind that the finished bracelet must also fit over your hand or foot as well.

Tape over one end of the tube.

Start filling the tube with different colours of seed beads, so you make different coloured sections. You can make a pattern by repeating the colours. Continue repeating the coloured beads until you get to the end of the tube.

Carefully remove the tape, making sure that you hold both ends of the tube upwards so the beads don’t fall out. Ask an adult to put a little bit of hot glue on the ends and hold them closed until the glue dries.

Wrap clear tape around the join so that if the hot glue comes apart, the bracelet will still stay together.

SOURCE: ALLFREECRAFTS.COM

You may get tongue tied with this word but this attire is of national importance in Malaysia. It comprises of a long-sleeved tunic with a raised collar and trousers. Both of these are made of the same material; usually silk, cotton or a mixture of cotton and polyester. A cloth is also commonly wrapped around the aforementioned attire like a skirt.

‘Smokin’

Watch Your Step!

A kaftan is a garment that is worn in many diverse styles; from Russia across the African continent to the gateway of Europe, Turkey. A kaftan is basically a man’s coat that is but-

toned up from the front with the robe hanging at the ankles and really long sleeves. However, if you feel like looking funky then try out Moroccan styled kaftans, Djellaba. These are also long robes with full sleeves, but they’re special! Why, you ask? Because they come with hoods! The hoods and the long robes are thought to protect the wearer against harsh climatic conditions. One small problem... how is one supposed to distinguish between a male or female from the back?

Simple. Male kaftans are usually baggy whereas female kaftans are more fitted and have elaborate embroidery on them.

Is that a rainbow!

Still having difficulty making up your mind? Want a more edgy, colourful look? Then try out the dashiki. This colourful attire is particularly common in West Africa and is designed according to the climatic conditions of the region. Locals of this area are clad in a V-shaped collar with tailored embroidery around the neck and sleeves of a pullover garment.

Dashikis even have their own varieties, they can be worn as a garment with trousers, draped with a long robe. This style is used by local priests. The dashiki and draw string pants with a kufi(brimless short round cap) is worn by grooms on their wedding day!

A bellybutton

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Teen spirit Health tips

The (dis)advantages of studying the (social) sciences Keeping trim GOHAR WARRAICH

Most people nowadays recognise the need for exercise. It helps you stay in shape, look good and feel great. Exercise is especially recommended in cases of mild depression because it releases endorphins — chemicals which help elevate the mood. The feeling of accomplishment after a good workout and a physically fit body elevates you to cloud nine.

Teens might think that they are too young to bother with physical fitness (which is different from simply being skinny), but that’s not exactly true. They should be getting at least an hour of exercise five days a week, which can consist of a combination of exercises to increase flexibility and strength as well as aerobic training.

Aerobic exercise, or popularly known as cardio, consists of activities which trigger the heart to thump. The idea behind aerobic exercise is that it trains the heart to pump oxygenated blood more efficiently to the muscles and organs of the body. Examples of aerobic exercises include dancing, jogging, biking, using the elliptical cycle and the treadmill.

Flexibility training helps loosen the muscles, reinforce the joints support apparatus and increase their range of motion. Stretching exercises should only be done after a brief warm up lasting at least five to ten minutes.

Initially, it was believed that stretching be done as part of warming up for a workout, however, it has been shown that stretching ‘cold’ muscles, in a manner of speaking, can lead to muscle tears and other injuries.

Stretching should be done up till the point that pain doesn’t set in and the stretched position should be held for 10 – 30 seconds.

Isolated groups of muscles are exercised in strength or resistance training. Broadly, the different groups of muscles include those of the arms, forearm, thighs, calves, shoulders, back and abdomen.

Strength exercise can be done using free weights — machines or the body’s own weight, for example — in pushups, pull-ups, squats or sit-ups. It is often confused with competitive body building and power lifting, both of which are ill-advised in teens since their bodies are still growing. Strength training should be done with caution. To start off, one should first learn the right technique without the weights. No more than 40 minutes of this regimen should be done on alternative days, exercising different groups of muscles each time and building up the weights gradually.

If you’re the type who gets bored in the gym, then choose a sport based on whether you like to go solo or play team sports, and how much you want to invest in sports gear. Most importantly, your chosen sport should excite you.

Few guiding principles are important to adhere to when aspiring to join the ranks of the physically fit. Always warm up before a workout, which can be a less powered version of the activity you are about to commence, such as a brisk walk before you start jogging or slow paced biking. This will prep your body for the coming burst of activity. Stretching and cooling down before you complete your work out. These practices will lengthen the workout, prevent stiffness, injuries, cramps and light headedness experienced by some towards the close of a taxing physical activity. Lastly, never ignore activity related pain; stop in your tracks as soon as it sets in.

ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID

ZOYA NAZIR

As I rushed to attend my sociology class the other day in school, my friend — a student of pure sciences — stopped me in my tracks.

“Bunk the class, man,” he urged.

“Such a loser you are for attending classes of the easiest subjects.” I just laughed off his obnoxious comment because I was getting late, but more importantly because I knew better than to tell him that sociology is not such a piece of cake. I really didn’t want to hear him boasting about physics or biology.

But many other students have gotten annoyed with similar comments. When a classmate asked me which subjects I had selected for my A levels (which by the way are purely social sciences), my response made her blurt out, “Did you flunk your O levels?” The look of surprise and sympathy she gave me was infuriating and how she assumed that choosing social sciences had a relation with flunking O levels was beyond me.

I simply hate the generalisations associated with being a

student of the social sciences.

Yes, I have taken up social sciences in my A Levels and I’m absolutely delighted about it. Now I would very much appreciate it if you don’t quibble about how easy my life must be or come up with reckless theories of how I must have had horrible grades in O levels, to land with subjects which are “useless”.

No, I wasn’t forced to jump into the social sciences bandwagon because I was a poor student who failed to make it to the allegedly more difficult streams of commerce or applied sciences. I also didn’t choose to take these subjects because I want my life to be a breeze. The fact is that I happen to be genuinely interested in studying sociology, psychology and English literature. Physics and chemistry don’t fascinate me at all. Will I have to give up citizenship of the country for not pursuing a career in medicine or engineering? Will everyone now call me a “psycho” for studying psychology?

A deep-seated and narrow-

A deep-seated and narrowminded notion in our society is that the social sciences don’t have ‘scope’ in our society minded notion in our society is that the social sciences don’t have ‘scope’ in our society. What on earth does “scope” mean? Abused and overused as this idea is, ironically many of us don’t know what it means. We are just used to repeating the clichéd dialogue we’ve

heard over and over again from our parents, adults or friends.

We need to move beyond a society which only aims to produce doctors, engineers and accountants and realise that the social sciences are just as important.

As a matter of fact, they are even more important, in many ways.

I appreciate the value of natural sciences; they are an essential branch of education and are required because they state the laws of nature. Nevertheless, they are exact sciences. Anywhere in the world you go, it’s acknowledged that two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen make water.

This formula will never change.

Social sciences, on the other hand, are approximate sciences and they examine change in social interaction across time and space. The charm of social sciences comes from the uncertainty of things.

Studying about society, people and their interactions is no less helpful than healing patients.

If we want to improve our lives, choices, and institutions do we not first need to learn about how

they work, why they exist and their history?

Did materialism always play an important role in human societies? Why does military rule keeping recurring in Pakistan’s politics? Why did the Arab Spring happen so spontaneously in countries which had experienced decades of stable dictatorship? How should we interpret our dreams? Is our society traditional or modern?

All these are important questions and the social sciences give us answers for them. How else will we be able to explain social relations and change societies for the better without their knowledge? There is so much that social sciences have to offer and people just don’t realise that.

But luckily I do. I know that students of commerce and science will continue to give me looks of surprise, shower me with naïve criticism about lack of “scope” and pass sardonic comments about not carrying books half as heavy as theirs. But I’ll just excuse their ignorance and continue to study the subjects I love.

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Tech Society

Generation Text Pakistan had the third highest SMS traffic in the world in 2010

Brain scanner used to communicate with patients in vegetative state CHICAGO. Scientists have used a portable device that tracks changes in brain waves to communicate with people in a vegetative state, some of whom have been locked in their bodies for more than a year. In a study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers showed it was possible to communicate with and detect awareness in people in a vegetative state using functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI. The team then tried far less expensive, portable equipment to get a better idea of how many people classified as being in a vegetative state are actually aware of their surroundings.

The researchers instructed 16 people in a vegetative state to imagine they were making a fist with their right hand or wiggling their toes, and then measured brain activity while electrodes were attached to their scalp.

They compared the patients’ brain responses to those of 12 healthy volunteers. Three of the 16 people in a vegetative state were able to reliably activate the same parts of their brain that become active when healthy individuals are given the same command.

“It was possible to detect that these patients were actually aware, despite being diagnosed as being ‘entirely unconscious’ using standard clinical assessments,” said Professor Adrian Owen of the Centre for Brain and Mind

GRAPHIC: CREATIVE COMMON

YASMIN MALIK

Recently, you and I received an sms from the government of Pakistan, which read: “…Ghar aanay walay Election Commission key numainday ko apna CNIC number faraham kar k apna naam voter list mein darj karwain….[Give your CNIC number to the Election Commission representative visiting your house, in order to register your name in the voting list]”. The message even ended very politely with a Shukria (Thank you).

This is a small, but a conspicuous reminder, of how the use of SMS has become an integral part of our lives. According to a report published recently by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in 2010, Pakistanis collectively sent over 151 billion text messages during the year 2009. The PTA itself terms this rather “awesome” — and indeed it is.

This report cites the Philippines as the “texting capital of the world” as it generated 10 per cent of the world’s total SMS by volume. Pakistan is not far off this mark: it was ranked

among the top five countries in 2009 with the highest SMS traffic during the festive season after the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia according to PC World. The year before, it had the largest year-on-year growth in text messaging for the Asia Pacific region. In 2010, Nokia Pakistan cited Pakistan as being the third country in the world with respect to highest SMS traffic.

So, without a doubt, Pakistanis love to text. Even late entrants in the industry of mobile service provision like Zong, have been quick to capitalise on this trend. The PTA reported that in 2009-2010, the daily average of outgoing SMS traffic on Zong’s network was approximately 29 million, whereas an independent telecoms analyst estimates that almost 55 million SMS were sent out on Zong’s network in mid July 2011.

Yet texting so frequently — or rather so freely — has not always been second nature to us. By design, when cellular services were first introduced in Pakistan in 1994 by the then sole

Pakistanis collectively sent over 151 billion text messages during the year 2009 GSM operator Mobilink, users could only send text messages of users of the same network. Hence if you were a Mobilink customer, you could only send an SMS to another Mobilink number and not to (the now defunct) Instaphone, for example.

Things did not improve when other cellular operators entered the market as the practice of “cross-network” texting was not implemented for some time. In fact inter-service SMS was not fully operational as late as 2003.

This “single-network texting” phe-

nomenon was used by operators in the early years of mobile services, especially to attract new customers who wanted to benefit from what was considered the added privilege of being able to send (expensive) onnetwork texts growing cellular network, thereby initially creating an “exclusive member” network.

Compare this to the current scenario where operators give away “buckets” of SMS as a free reward for reusing their defunct SIMs. Whereas the low cost and ease of use has resulted in phenomenal growth in SMS traffic, it has also given rise to a four-letter word: spam. Unsolicited SMS-based marketing by both operators and independent marketers have availed the low-cost and widereaching avenue of text messaging, resulting in unwanted and obnoxious messages clogging our phones.

And in fact now spam no longer remains confined to messages with commercial or humorous content. It has ventured into the domain of emotionally charged messages — classi-

Geek Guide

World wide web of weirdness AMEER HAMZA

The Inflatable Crowd Company http://www.inflatablecrowd.com/

Here’s your weekly dose of bizarre websites.

Kitty Wigs http://kittywigs.com/ Does your cat dream of entering high society? Help your kitty cat climb the social ladder with Kitty Wigs!

It’s understandable that your cat can’t always be so decked up — especially when chasing down prey — but when at a kitty party it only makes sense for them to spend their downtime purrfectly groomed. There is no doubt it that these utterly fashionable hair pieces are the hottest pet trend since cats in hats!

Does the fear of a low turnout thwart you from throwing a birthday bash? If you suffer in the popularity department and don’t have thousands of adoring followers on Facebook, then why not settle for inflatable friends? You can rent blown up figures from The Inflatable Crowd Company, to attend your birthday parties, film screenings and political dharnas.

When viewed from a distance, these inflated figures are nearly indistinguishable from real people and are actually quite cheap. And they can actually help you boost your popularity. Invite thousands of guests over for dinner, and while the conversation might be a little strained, the food tab will be zero!

fied as “mobile begging”— aimed to manipulate mobile subscribers into parting with, for example, their credit balance.

To curb the growing problem of spam, the PTA proposed draft amendments this year to its “Protection From Spam, Unsolicited, Fraudulent and Obnoxious Communication Regulations-2009,” which stipulates all operators to control spam by blacklisting subscribers. The legislation was followed by a national ad campaign, to make mobile phone aware that they can now report SMS-based spam to their respective operators via PTA-designated short codes.

Despite the negative aspects of SMS usage in Pakistan, its application for mobile banking, customer services and potentially for voting in the future is certainly impressive.

I, for one, have gladly accepted the government’s invitation mentioned earlier. Via SMS, of course…

About the Author: Yasmin Malik is a Telecoms Analyst and a Visiting Faculty at the IBA

at the University of Western Ontario. Findings from the newer study were published in the British journal Lancet on Wednesday.

Patients in a persistent vegetative state have periods of wakefulness, but they are completely unresponsive and are thought to be unaware.

Owen said the three patients ranged in age from 20 to 45 years and had different types of injuries.

“One of the patients had been in a vegetative state for almost two years and yet he was able to understand what we were trying to do and show he was aware,” despite looking completely vegetative, Owen told a news briefing.

Curiously, three of the 12 healthy volunteers were not able to reliably activate areas in the brain used when making a fist or wiggling toes, even though they were very much aware of their surroundings.

Cruse said patients in a vegetative state may have been much more motivated to do the task because they were eager to show that they were aware of their surroundings.

“We don’t actually know how many vegetative patients there are. It’s now possible to find that out,” said Dr. Damian Cruse of the University of Western Ontario, who led the study.

The use of this bedside brain scanner— a portable electroencephalography (EEG) device— to record electrical activity in the brain of patients categorised as unconscious, has several advantages over using an MRI machine. Using an MRI machine requires moving patients from nursing home facilities to academic medical centers for the costly scans, and some have metal implants, ruling out use of magnetic-based scanners. The devices also cost far less, from $25,000 to $90,000, compared with some $3 million for an MRI machine.

Owen said the findings of the experiment are preliminary, but they show it is possible to use less expensive equipment to reassess patients in a vegetative state who may have been misdiagnosed.

In the future, the researchers envision using the devices to help people communicate with the outside world, giving doctors important information about their state of mind and whether or not they are in pain.

“All of the technological and scientific building blocks are already in place. We know we can develop brain computer interfaces to move cursors and even spell out words,” Owen said.

SOURCE: REUTERS

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

offbeat

Squirrels pose for peanuts A Florida grandmother has been ‘bribing’ squirrels with peanuts to pose for a series of hilarious photographs.

Retired postwoman Kathy Pruyn set up the scenes by strategically placing peanuts and peanut butter on her grandchildren’s toys.

Mrs Pruyn, from Tampa, Florida, then photographed the squirrels riding a skateboard, playing a piano, and even pushing a wheelchair.

One comical shot shows a squirrel apparently

‘singing’ into a microphone while another shoots a game of pool.

She said: “I fed the squirrels after they fell out of a nest and when I released them they still came back to my garden for food.”

“One day I was going through the old toys that needed throwing out and I just thought it would be funny to see the squirrels with them.”

“I thought the idea of seeing what the squirrels

Crazy bike

might do with the Barbie hand-me-downs, scented with peanut butter, might be kind of interesting.”

“Since they are really wild animals and live in the trees I have to hope they have a taste of hunger for peanuts or peanut butter that day.”

“Sometimes they eat too fast and I can’t get the picture, other times they run off with the toy and leave it in the tree.”

SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK

A Chinese man made a bicycle with the front wheel more than five feet high “just for fun”.

Zhang Lianjun, of Tangshan, Hebei Province, spent about £1,800 (Rs248,400) creating the unusual bike.

It also features a huge lamp, a loud horn and four tiny rear wheels.

The original plan was to use a seven feet high tractor wheel but it was too high and heavy to ride.

So he decided instead to build it with a slightly smaller front wheel which he got from a shovel loader.

“Although the tyres vary greatly in size, it’s actually very safe and comfortable to ride,” claimed Zhang.

SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK

British ‘dead man’ caught in Australia

Pregnant woman by night...scavenger by day Artist and taxidermist Alison Brierley has found herself craving feasts of road kill as a result of her pregnancy.

The 42-year-old has been eating an array of animals killed along her local roads in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Brierley often used her road kill to make jewellery from their hides, but now the mum-to-be has gone full throttle with her new diet. “Usually I eat really healthily but now I’m pregnant I get strong cravings for road kill,” explained Brierley. “It’s more gamey than other meat and I love the taste. I also don’t have to feel guilty about eating it because I know it’s had a completely free range and natural life.”

Ms Brierley has eaten hare, deer, pigeon, rabbit and owls, with

Gigantic leg continues growing!

Living like a lady bird!

Battling Mandy Sellars had one of her gigantic legs amputated when doctors warned her that the limb would kill her.

But 22 months after the op, it is growing back at an alarming rate.

Mandy, 36, suffers from a rare disease meaning she has a normal sized body but massive feet and legs. Her left leg, which had weighed about five stone, led to serious infections.

When she developed septicaemia in the limb her worried doctors said: “It’s you or the leg.”

But after the op it began ballooning again. It now weighs three stone and has a circumference of one metre.

Mandy said: “I hoped the amputation would stabilise my condition but I think I knew in my heart that it would start growing again.

“Almost straight away the stump began increasing in circumference and I was finding it harder to fit it into my prosthetic leg.

“Then the stump got so heavy that it broke the prosthetic leg.”

The ex-RSPCA voluntary worker suffers from a condition similar to Proteus syndrome, the illness that is thought to have affected Elephant Man Joseph Merrick in the 19th century.

Mandy, of Accrington, Lancs, is hopeful that a cure can be found and said: “I will not let this thing beat me. I’m determined to stay as mobile as possible and fight for my independence. I just have to live day to day, week to week.

“I have got a life and I have to live it as best as I can. There are people far worse off than me.”

A transvestite bird that disguises itself as a female to avoid being bullied by rivals in the breeding season has been discovered by scientists.

Forty per cent of male marsh harriers were seen displaying “feminine” brown plumage rather than their traditional greybrown during a study.

They were far less aggressive and drew fewer attacks from rival males.

Experts say “sexual mimicry” among species has been seen before — but only the harrier and a wading bird called the ruff do it permanently.

Researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain studied nests in central western France last year.

Dr Audrey Sternalski said: “Female mimicry may allow female-like males to access key breeding resources that could be too costly if they had to fight other males.

Permanent mimicry may be beneficial and viewed as a ‘nonaggression pact’.”

SOURCE: MIRROR.CO.UK

SOURCE: THESUN.CO.UK

PHOTO: LIVESCIENCE.COM

pheasant being the most prevalent of her dishes.

“I would like to try fox and badger but they’re never in good enough condition to eat; although I have used them for my artwork.” said Brierley.

The 42-year-old admitted she has even hosted road kill dinner parties for friends.

“They trust me and they know I’m a good cook so I think they love it. I get the best meat from friends who ring me up to tell me about a kill they’ve spotted on their way to work,” she added.

Eating fresh road kill is something close to Brierley’s heart as she believes in an alternative food lifestyle.

SOURCE: METRO.CO.UK

Crazy fan chose band over husband

A British man who allegedly faked his own death and made off with the life insurance payout has been arrested in Australia.

Hugo Jose Sanchez, 47, also known as Alfredo, was taken into Australian Federal Police custody overnight in Sydney, ending a six-year manhunt.

Ecuadorian-born Sanchez’s wife Sophie was sentenced to two years in jail last year over the scam, in which the couple allegedly faked his death to claim more than one million pounds ($1.6 million) (Rs 2,208,000,000) in life insurance in 2005.

She was arrested after returning to Britain for her sister’s wedding last September, with their plot reportedly unravelling after Sanchez’s fingerprints were found on his own death certificate.

Police refused to comment on media reports that Sanchez was facing extradition to Britain to face fraud charges, saying it was now a matter for Sydney’s Central Local Court, where he was due to appear. AFP

Did Puss wear boots?

When Sheree Gale moved from Berry Springs, Australia to Ungarra she brought her cat Jessie with her, but a few weeks later Jessie bolted. More than a year later, Gale’s former neighbors spotted Jessie in her old haunts, 1,865 miles from her new home. “I can’t explain it. She hates getting into cars, so I think she has walked,” says Gale. Gale identified Jessie from pictures but let an old neighbor adopt her, since she seems pretty determined to stay in her first home.

SOURCE: GAWKER.COM

Dummy police officer no fool Fans were in tears when Westlife announced they were splitting, especially Jane Holmes — who knows a thing or two about breakups. Obsessed Jane, 44, ditched her second husband when he issued her with an ultimatum: “Choose Westlife or me.”

Jane’s skin has become a shrine to the chart toppers. She has eight tattoos of the group and has screamed her way through 60 of their concerts, spending £30,000 (Rs4,140,600) following them around the country.

The pub cleaner says she warned hubby Norman Holmes, 46, that the Irish lads would always be her biggest passion.

She says: “I think he thought I was joking but he soon realised I wasn’t. Westlife are a really big part of my life. I’m completely devoted to them and the tattoos are my way of showing my loyalty.

I like to think I am their biggest fan. Jane, who split from Norman last November after a year of marriage, has not had a holiday for seven years because her spare cash goes on her love of Westlife.

The mum-of-two, of Nottingham, became a fan shortly after they formed in 1998. She said: “When I heard they were splitting I was devastated. I threw my phone down and cried. I love them for the music — and they are quite hunky.”

Tattoos of the group — Shane Filan, 32, Mark Feehily, 31, Nicky Byrne, 33, and Kian Egan, 31 — take pride of place on Jane’s legs.

She also has two Westlife logos on her left arm and all the boys’ names on the inside of one forearm. The inkings cost £1,100 (Rs151,800).

SOURCE: MIRROR.CO.UK

In an effort to reduce bad driving a dummy police officer holding a camera has been erected at the side of the road.

The fake police officer can be seen standing on the Zhengjiang Section of the Funing Highway between Shanghai and Nanjing in China.

It is hoped that its presence will deter people from driving unsafely.

If it doesn’t, while the police officer may be fake the camera isn’t and it records all the cars that pass the section of the road.

SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK