VENEZUELA: While Britons have politely debated whether to scrap BritishSummer Time for the past 30 years (and not got very far), President HugoChavez unilaterally decreed the country would step back 30 minutes intime from now on. His excuse: to allow his people to be more productive,by enabling them to get up in tune with when the sun rises rather thanstumbling out of bed in the dark.
BELGIUM: Have you heard the one about the Belgium Federal Police'sbat-like super-sleuths who are all blind? Blind people's celebratedacute hearing is being used by the police to help them pick up clues inrecorded conversations. Apparently the officers can detect echoesbouncing off walls to determine whether suspects are in, say, airportlounges or busy eateries. There are six people in the dedicated unit,which gives a new meaning to the blind leading the blind.
US: The Wacky Warning Label Contest - which takes a swipe at its ownlitigation culture - named it silliest public sign last month. 'Danger:Avoid Death', found on a tractor, narrowly beat a label on a T-shirtwhich read: 'Do not iron while wearing shirt' and a baby's pouch whichread: "Do not put child in bag'.
