WhiteBoard News for Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Taipei, Taiwan: (SMH.AU):

As if it was divine retribution, three men were struck by lightning while they peeped at a pair of passionate lovers having sex in a car in a hillside area in Taipei. 

Hiding in a broken hut and each using a high-powered telescope, the three were so oblivious as they watched the lovers' act that they did not notice lightning flashing in the sky before a bolt hit the hut, police said yesterday. 

"All three were hit at the same time, but survived as they appeared to have evenly shared the impact of the super-high voltage electric current when the lightning struck," a police spokesman said. 

The officer said the three, who remained speechless for several hours, suffered minor burns in the skin of their hands and legs, while their hairs were all standing and their stares were fixed. 

Doctors later said the three had a narrow escape because if there had been only one of them in the hut, the one struck would have been killed instantly.

As for the lovers, they quickly drove the car away after the lightning flashed and heavy rains started pouring down - without even knowing what had happened, the officer said. 
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New York, New York (AP):

Ever wonder how many hot dogs can the Fridge can hold? Well you'll find out this summer as William "The Refrigerator" Perry, the 400-pound-plus ex-NFL star, has earned a spot in the annual July 4th hot dog eating contest in Coney Island sponsored by Nathan's Famous. 

Over the weekend, Perry earned a berth in the competition by winning a qualifying contest despite an unimpressive total of just 12 franks in 12 minutes. 

Contest spokesman Richard Shea says Perry now has the chance to follow in the footsteps of other two-sport stars like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. 

Perry has his work cut out for him. The two-time defending champ, Takeru Kobayashi, won last year's competition with a record 50-and-a-half hot dogs in 12 minutes, establishing a new world record. 

Kobayashi weighs in at 130 pounds. 
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Zagreb, Croatia (Ananova):

A Croatian dubbed the world's luckiest man after surviving seven major disasters has won the jackpot with his first lottery ticket in 40 years.

Frane Selak, 74, who has won $1,005,000 said: "I am going to enjoy my life now - I feel like I have been reborn. I know God was watching over me all these years."

His first lucky escape came in 1962 when a train he was travelling on from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik jumped the rails and plunged into an icy river.

Seventeen people drowned and he barely made it to the riverbank suffering from hypothermia, shock, bruises and a broken arm. A year later, he was thrown out of a DC-8 airplane between Zagreb and Rijeka when a door flew open. This time 19 people died but Mr Selak landed in a haystack and escaped with cuts, bruises and shock.

In 1966, a bus he was travelling on in Split lurched into a river, killing four. He swam to safety with cuts, bruises and even more shock.

Accident number four was in 1970 when his car caught fire as he drove along a motorway and he managed to get out with seconds to spare before the fuel tank exploded. His friends began to call him Lucky and he said: "You could look at it two ways. I was either the world's unluckiest man or the luckiest. I preferred to believe the latter."

Three years later, he lost most of his hair when a faulty fuel pump spewed petrol over the hot engine of his Wartburg car and blew flames through the air vents.

In 1995 came his sixth accident when he was knocked down by a bus in Zagreb but sustained only minor injuries - plus the inevitable shock The following year, he was driving in the mountains when he turned a corner to see a UN truck coming straight for him.

His Skoda car crashed through the barrier and over the edge but Mr Salek managed to jump out at the last minute and landed in a tree to see his car explode 300ft below him.

He has also had four failed marriages and, after his lottery win, commented: "I suppose my marriages were disasters too!" But he is now buying a house, a car, a speedboat and is planning to marry his girlfriend who is 20 years his junior.
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Essen, Germany (Ananova):

A German boy made an emergency call to police because he didn't want to go to kindergarten.

Police in Essen received a call from a four-year-old early in the morning.

He told officers he didn't want to go to kindergarten and asked them to help him.

He then started crying and hung up. Police rang back and talked to the boy's mother.

She said her son had threatened to call police if she made him go, but she hadn't thought anything of it.

The boy ended up having to go after all, a police spokesperson said.
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Grand Island, Nebraska (AP):

Relax, recline and pray. 

Some worshippers at Evangelical Free Church didn't have to kneel at Sunday's services. They instead sat back in special seats of their own rocking armchairs. 

The royal treatment didn't stop there. They also enjoyed refreshing drinks pop, coffee or water and were given TV remote controls to hold so they would feel at home. 

It was all part of the church's way of honoring fathers in the congregation on Father's Day, said the Rev. Gary Schulte, an associate pastor. 

Among those chosen to sit in the chairs were the oldest and youngest dads in attendance, those who coached numerous sports and the father who most recently changed a diaper. 

Seven fathers enjoyed the armchairs at the church's early service, while five more were pampered at the later service. 

"It was a total surprise," said Shay McGowan, who was honored for coaching more than five sports for his two sons and daughter. 

Justin Rogers also got to sit in one of the seats. He had changed his 1-year-old daughter's diaper an hour and 15 minutes before church started. 

"To sit in a recliner in church, what's better than that?" he asked. 

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Valdivia, Chile (Ananova):

A Chilean man who tried to commit suicide by shooting himself, drove to hospital after he failed in his attempt.

The 41-year-old put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger but the bullet went straight through the back of his throat.

He drove to hospital in the city of Valdivia in his underwear and checked himself into the casualty department.

Doctors told La Razon newspaper his wound was bleeding heavily but wasn't life threatening.

A police spokesman said: "This is tragic-comic. He wanted to die but all he could manage was a neck wound.

"He was very embarrassed because he had to drive here and ask to be treated after trying to end his life. He will really need some therapy now."
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Chow
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