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facts & arguments

Toy dragons are seen on a merchandise stand at a Chinese New Year decorations market in Singapore, January 16, 2012.Reuters

Year of the diaper?

The Year of the Dragon begins today. "The dragon, the only mythical creature among the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, is regarded as a symbol of might and intelligence," says BBC News. "In ancient China, the dragon was associated with the emperor. Boys born in the year of the dragon, especially, are said to be destined to be successful and wealthy. … In previous dragon years, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and countries such as Singapore with a strong Chinese diaspora have experienced baby booms. In 2000, Hong Kong saw more than a 5-per-cent rise in the number of births, according to official data." The BBC adds: "Traditionally, it is believed that female dragons, while wise and talented, will face some difficulties in their lives, particularly in the area of romance."

Money worth burning

"A snowshoer who was lost in a blizzard for two days on Mount Rainier, in Washington State, said he stayed alive by digging a snow tunnel and burning dollar bills to keep warm," The Guardian reports. "Yong Chun Kim of Tacoma said he carried a lighter and other emergency supplies and burned personal items including socks, packaging and money from his wallet. Mr. Kim – a 66-year-old who served in the South Korean military during the Vietnam war – told KOMO-TV in Seattle that skills he picked up as a soldier helped him to survive."

Birdsong unruffles feathers

"Crime is down in this city [Lancaster]on the desert fringe of Los Angeles County and Mayor R. Rex Parris is sure he knows one reason: It's the chirping," writes John Letzing in The Wall Street Journal. "'Do you feel that?' he asked as he inched forward in his cowboy boots on a city sidewalk, anticipating a calming sensation from the faint sound of birds above his head. The chirps subconsciously discourage criminality, Mr. Parris says: 'Everybody is now in a better mood, a better place.' Those chirps aren't from here. The mayor bought them in recordings from England, and for the past 10 months he has had his city play them over 70 speakers along a half mile of Lancaster Boulevard, blended with mellow synthesizer tones, five hours a day. His claim: The birdsong and music calm citizens by fine-tuning brain chemicals."

Pink hawk in a can

"Birdwatchers who hoped they had found a new species of hawk were shot down – when a farmer turned out to have been painting them pink for fun," reports Orange News UK. "The strangely coloured hawks caused great excitement in the twitching community when they were first spotted in New Zealand three years ago. But suspicions set in when one of the birds was hit by a car – and closer investigation revealed that it had been spray-painted a pinkish-red colour. Animal protection officers began investigating and local farmer Grant Teahan was uncovered as the culprit, reports the Manawatu Standard." Last week, Mr. Teahan was found guilty of two charges of ill-treating animals. He is due to be sentenced on Jan. 30.

Freedom without pants

"A Swedish man who completed a two-month prison sentence walked out of prison without pants or shoes after he was denied money to buy new clothes," United Press International reports. "The man, referred to only as Percy in media reports, told officials in Brinkeberg prison in Vanersborg he had outgrown the pants he was wearing when he was arrested for unlawful driving, The Local reported … The prison service said in denying Percy money for new clothes that he had $120 (Canadian) among the personal items he reclaimed upon his release and was therefore able to purchase his own pants and shoes. … The former prisoner said he was able to find a ride to Trollhattan while wearing only his shirt, underwear and socks. He said he was able to find pants and shoes for a more reasonable price than those offered by the prison."

Flowers need perking up?

"Viagra can help perk up wilting cut flowers, it has been claimed," says The Daily Telegraph. "Just one milligram of the sex drug can give them another week of life, according to TV gardener David Domoney. He said: 'You only need a tiny amount of Viagra to stiffen things up nicely. Just 1 mg – there are 50 mg in a single tablet – dissolved into water with your plants will make them last a week longer. Viagra contains nitric oxide – which slows down the dying process in plants …'"

One-hit wonders

"Music professor to aspiring pop stars: Don't quit your day jobs," says The Denver Post. "More than a third of pop musicians will only strike it big once, according to a University of Colorado-Denver professor's analysis of decades of Billboard charts. And that's a generous filtering of the sobering reality, using the wider measure of the album charts." Storm Gloor, an MBA and assistant professor in UCD's College of Arts and Media, said the analysis of more than 50 years of Billboard charts shows that artists need a fallback."

Thought du jour

"It is tact that is golden, not silence."

Samuel Butler (1835-1902), English author

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