Parrot is a Hero

Headline: Parrot Awarded for Yelling About Choking Baby
Origin of Clip: FOXNews.com 24.3.9
Caption: Parrot is a Hero

DENVER — A parrot that alerted his owner about a baby who was choking was recognized as a hero by the Red Cross.

Willie the parrot was given the Animal Lifesaver Award during the "Breakfast of Champions" event attended by Gov. Bill Ritter and Mayor John Hickenlooper.

Willie received the award Friday for his actions in November, when he and owner Megan Howard were baby-sitting a toddler. Willie repeatedly yelled "Mama, baby" when Howard went to the bathroom and the toddler started to choke on her breakfast.

Headline: U.S. Jobs Threatened by Cheap Chinese Condoms
Origin of Clip: FOXNews.com 24.3.9
Caption: Baby Booming Condoms

With the American economy in turmoil, the government has decided to drop a long-standing contract with a U.S. company and give it to a foreign one, the Kansas City Star reported.

In a move that will cost around 300 American jobs, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has decided to purchase condoms from foreign companies — in countries like South Korea and China — because they cost less than American-made prophylactics, the Star reported.

The agency distributes billions of condoms to poor countries around the world, but has previously used only American-made condoms because of "Buy American" regulations, the Star reported. The stimulus bill that recently passed in Congress, however, does not include that provision for condoms...

Condoms And The Economy

Headline: Sagging sales for global condom king
Clip from: news.com.au
Date of clip: 11.2.9
Caption: Condoms And The Economy

THE libido-draining effect of the global financial crisis has been demonstrated in the full-year earnings guidance downgrade of rubber glove and condom maker Ansell.
Ansell chief executive Doug Tough said weaker sales in November and December had led to the revision of full-year earnings forecast to a range between US65c and US70c a share.

This is 2 per cent down from its earlier forecast of US70-74c a share, The Daily Telegraph reports.

In the condoms division, total sales were slightly lower. While sales of branded condoms were robust and with overwhelming US demand for Ansell's new SKYN polyisoprene condom, it wasn't enough to prop up its private label division's sagging sales.

Headline: Cops: Teen Billed School for $37,000 Worth of Candy
Clip from: FOXNews.com
Date of clip: 11.2.9
Caption: The Candy Man Can

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Police say an Ohio teenager tried to pull off a sweet deal by ordering more than $37,000 of candy online and charging the bill to his former high school.

Police say the 18-year-old used a Middletown High School purchasing number to place orders for thousands of lollipops and candy bars from Michigan-based The Goodies Factory. It wasn't clear how he accessed the number.

Headline: Secret Thoughts No Longer Secret
Clip from: FOXNews.com
Date of clip: 10.2.9
Caption: I've Got a Secret--We Know

Canadian researchers say they can glean simple preferences from a person's brain by shining near-infrared light into the noggin.

The study, reported in the Journal of Neural Engineering, demonstrated the ability to decode a person's preference for one of two drinks with 80 percent accuracy by measuring the intensity of near-infrared light absorbed in brain tissue, the scientists said in a statement today.

"This is the first system that decodes preference naturally from spontaneous thoughts," says Sheena Luu, a University of Toronto doctoral student in biomedical engineering who led the work under the supervision of Tom Chau, a specialist in pediatric rehab engineering at the university's Bloorview Kids Rehab center.

Headline: Va. Man Charged With Killing Hawk To Help Squirrel
Clip from: cbsnews.com
Date of clip: 10.2.9
Caption: Squirrel Saver

For a Virginia doctor, squirrels are a man's best friend, too. Thomas Shepler, a hand surgeon, shot a hawk to death in his backyard when he said the bird was eyeing a young squirrel that he and his wife had helped raise.

Shepler, 65, said the hawk had previously killed an adult squirrel near his suburban Washington home in Vienna. When the doctor tried to chase away the bird over the weekend by yelling and throwing a crowbar at it, the hawk didn't leave the area.

So Shepler got a shotgun and killed it.

A police officer heard the shot Saturday and Shepler was arrested. He was charged with discharging a firearm in public and cruelty to animals.

Headline: Naked chief splits after YouTube stunt
Clip from: news.com.au
Date of clip: 10.2.9
Caption: Weird-- figure this one out by yourself

THE head of the advertising firm behind the controversial Witchery Man advertising campaign featuring a fake YouTube video has parted ways with the company.
Naked Communications' issued a press release this afternoon saying chief executive Mat Baxter would leave the company today to "pursue other new business opportunities'', The Australian reports.

Mr Baxter's departure comes days after controversial magazine ads placed by Naked appeared, naming and thanking the media who reported on the search for love of "Heidi Clarke'' - the fake identity of the model who appeared in the video looking for the owner of a men's jacket.

Mr Baxter said Naked was moving in a new direction and the decision for him to leave was mutual. He said it was not connected with a backlash over the Witchery Man campaign.