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Dumb lawsuits: Dr Robert Woo, of Auburn near Washington, sounds like a fun boss. The oral surgeon played a practical joke on his assistant by implanting fake boar tusks in her mouth while she was under anaesthesia. The dentist then took photos of her and shared them around the office. The employee, Tina Alberts, felt humiliated and quit, later suing her boss. When Woo's insurance company wouldn't cover the lawsuit, he settled out of court with Alberts for US$250,000. He then sued the insurers and was awarded US$750,000, plus the US$250,000 he had already paid. (Source: nbc4.com)
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Some parents feel "unprecedented levels of angst" trying to pick cool enough names for their kids, with some even hiring consultants, says the Wall Street Journal. Baby-book authors charge clients US$50 for a list of "special" names, and half-hour phone consultations go for US$95. Another adviser charges US$350 for three calls plus a comprehensive linguistic history of the selected name, and one California mother paid US$475 to a numerologist to "test" the name Leah Marie for "positive associations". The Journal blames the problem on too much information about names (from the internet), as well as parents' fear of dooming their child for life by insufficiently distinguishing their kid from others. (Source: News of the Weird)
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An online game in China that allows players to deal to corrupt officials has proved so popular its website has crashed. Since its launch eight days ago, Incorruptible Fighter has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Devised by a regional government in east China to highlight the problems of corrupt officialdom, it allows players to kill and torture bent bureaucrats, while assisting the upstanding ones. Along the way, they are led through a series of moral challenges before entering a corruption-free paradise. (Source: BBC Online)
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Today's Video Webpick: An instructional video: How To Avoid Trapped Arm Whilst Cuddling In Bed. Watch his ad here. These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
