WhiteBoard News for Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Brussels, Belgium (Reuters):

A former Belgian ambulance driver put his first aid skills to good use by reviving one of his pond fish with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, a newspaper said Tuesday. 

Leo Van Aert was so happy about having saved the life of his cherished koi he wants to name it after one of his grandchildren, the Gazet Van Antwerpen said. 

Van Aert, 57, was hosting a party at his home near the Belgian port of Antwerp when his wife noticed the koi -- a spotted Japanese carp -- floating on the surface of the garden pond. 

Van Aert said the 60-cm (24-inch) long fish was "acting funny," swimming and jumping frantically before stopping dead in the water. 

He figured the koi had had a heart attack and took it out of the water to try to resuscitate it, giving it heart massages before joining lips with the fish. 

"After 15 minutes, the fish started to move again so I put him in the pond...but when he fell over again I again applied mouth-to-mouth and heart massages," he said. "That's when the fish recovered." 
===============

London, England (AP):

A mysterious transmission that baffled British intelligence analysts for days was caused by a ram rubbing up against an aerial mast, a government agency said Tuesday. 

Scientists at Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham, western England, an intelligence-gathering station, were baffled by strange high-frequency noises coming from Scarborough signal station in Yorkshire, northeastern England. 

GCHQ's in-house paper, the Daily Observer, said the noises were unlike anything staff had encountered before and an investigating team initially thought they were coming from spies or aliens. 

Their investigation found the signal only happened in the day time, went across all the high-frequency bands and only Scarborough aerials could pick it up. 

Eventually, investigators discovered that a ram was rubbing its horns against the aerial masts "in between servicing some local ewes," the paper said. 

"It's possible the ram was attracted to the mast which may have given off some kind of tingling sensation, but it was probably just a post to rub against," said GCHQ spokesman Bob McNally. 
==============

Berlin, Germany (Ananova):

A German man who survived five days in the Alps in freezing temperatures by eating snow has been fired because he missed work.

Aeronautical engineer Thomas Milnik received written notification of his dismissal from Schroeder & Uehlken while doctors at the hospital were deciding whether to amputate six of his frost-bitten toes.

Mr Milnik, from Berlin, who designed helicopters for the Munich-based company, was air-lifted to safety in a helicopter he personally equipped.

The 41-year-old hiker found himself stuck on the 2,962-metre-high Zugspitze, one of the Alps' highest peaks, when a sudden snow storm swept in.

He was eventually rescued five days later when workers at a nearby research station heard his cries for help and alarmed mountain rescue services.

Speaking from his hospital bed in Reutte, Tyrol, Milnik said: "I'm a bit of an adventurer and definitely an outdoors man. I hate being indoors. On weekends I usually try to get out and about.

"On that particular weekend I decided to tackle the Zugspitze. I didn't know the weather was due to turn bad and I thought I'd be back in Munich the next day."

Employer Schroeder & Uehlken, who dispatched the dismissal letter to the hospital as soon as they found out what happened, rejected criticism they were being unfair.

Company head Florian Schroeder said: "We only hired Mr Milkin at the beginning of October and he is still in his trial period. This is the second time something like this has happened within that time.

"We hired him as a consultant for a special one-year project and he is already behind deadline. And all because of his foolhardy exploits. We just can't take the risk of having him on this project anymore."
================

Assen, The Netherlands (Ananova):

A Dutchman who lost both legs in separate accidents says the health service has given him two false right legs.

Jelle Wagt, from Assen, says he will not stand up until he gets a prosthetic left leg because he would look ridiculous.

He lost his right leg after he fell into the hold of a ship in 1998, then lost his left leg in another accident three years later.

Mr Wagt says the Dutch health service originally gave him a prosthetic right leg which was too long for him.

They corrected that mistake but sent him home with another right leg after his left leg was amputated.

He told Gazet van Antwerpen: "I didn't want to undress to try on the new prosthetic leg, so I opened the bag when I got home.

"I was stunned to find a right foot on my left leg. I'd love to try to walk again but with two right feet it just doesn't feel comfortable."
==============

Wellington, New Zealand (AP):

A couple with a combined age of 183 will tie the knot in New Zealand. 

Jim Gorringe, 99, and Dinah Leach, 84, plan to wed Sunday at the St. James Rest Home in the southern city of Christchurch where they both live. 

St. James' nurse manager Barbara Stanton said Thursday the home was trying to shield the couple from some of the intense public interest the wedding had generated. 

"We're even fielding calls from the (United) States," asking whether they are "robust enough to fly over to appear on television," she said. 

Gorringe has been married once before, while it will be Leach's third wedding. Great great grandchildren will be among the guests. 

Both bride and groom emigrated to New Zealand from England years ago. 

The Guiness World Records Web site lists elderly achievements including the oldest tandem skydiver, oldest windsurfer and oldest hedge maze, but does not have a listing for oldest wedding couple. 

Stanton said both are sound of mind and body, and Jim is "very alert for his age" _ just seven months short of 100. 

He still goes to the pub three times a week for a pint of beer, although he said on New Zealand television this week that he will pass on the pint Saturday. 

"I don't want to go to the altar with a sore head," he told Television New Zealand's "Holmes" show. 

Dinah said her marriage to Jim "was not for his money. I've known him for a long time now and we've got along very well together." 

Quipped Jim: "We won't be having children." 
==============

Chow
SuperChef
www.joeha.com