'Free phones' for freshers

What is the first thing to think about after enrolling in college? The answer, of course, is a mobile phone. Now some colleges in Heilongjiang, Gansu, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces are handing out free mobile phones to freshers, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported. The new student guide at Zhejiang Industry & Trade Vocational college says "find your dormitory, pick up the key and your free mobile phone." The phone can be used to borrow books from library, as a security card to dorms and as a pre-payment card for the cafeteria. The phone can also be used to record class attendance and choose courses. Some freshmen say they already have phones and don't want the hassle of using two at the same time. Others attacked the scheme as compulsory consumption. But a college official said the phones are not compulsory; students have the right not to use them and can use a card instead for on-campus purchases. A telecom operator said the phenomenon reflected unhealthy competition in the local market.

200 pilots lied about experience

When China's Civil Aviation Administration mounted an investigation into airline pilots in 2008 and 2009, it turned out that more than 200 had lied about their work experience, and 103 of those worked for Shenzhen Airlines, China Business News reported. Following the recent Yichun plane crash, the capacity and quality of pilots is once again attracting public concern. A safety check is under way and a detailed report is expected to be finished by Sep. 15. Insiders told the newspaper that the Civil Aviation Administration is set to tighten control over the growth and technology of aviation industry, and that in the near future, the utilization ratio of planes will be strictly monitored. Taking a longer view, this will further control the introduction of new planes.

Power cuts to save energy

Residents in Anping County, Hebei Province faced power cuts from Sept. 3, as part of a local government drive to save energy, the Beijing Times reported. The county was divided into three areas and power was cut for 22 hours from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the next day every two days. Even hospitals and traffic lights were not exempt. But normal power supplies were resumed today as the government looked for alternative ways to restrict the use of electricity. According to local officials, they were set a target of reducing energy consumption by 6.6 percent over the whole year, but only managed to achieve a cut of 0.9 percent in the first six months. Residents in neighboring Wuqiang County, were even worse off, only having power in the evenings between 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., every day except Saturday.

How to beat 'vacant flats probe'

Media reports can give birth to new professions. Last week, reports that Beijing was investigate the huge numbers of vacant houses in the city upset some but delighted others. A new group of professional "house-sitters" has appeared on the scene. Mr. Wang, a pioneer in the profession, says he has all bases covered when it comes to satisfying investigators. He makes sure that water and electricity services are connected and deals with property managers. "We will send people to stay in the house during inspections, turn the taps and lights on to make sure the meters record usage every month, and make contact with property managers, acting as the owner of the house if necessary."

The service does not come cheap. The price for monthly cleaning and fortnightly inspections ranges from 350 yuan for a one-bedroom apartment to 1150 yuan for a four-bedroom. For 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom villas, the cost ranges from 700 yuan to 1450 per month.

Whale meat back on school menu

Whale meat is back on the menu at around a sixth of Japan's state-run elementary and junior high schools, AFP reported. In Japan, eating whale meat was common in the 1960s and 1970s, and annual consumption of the meat reached a peak of 220,000 tons. It subsequently fell out of favor, with the supply dwindling to around 1,000 tons in the 1990s after an international ban on commercial whaling was introduced. But whale meat has recently reappeared on the school lunch table as the country gradually increases its catch of the ocean giants. The Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research, which carries out whaling in the name of research, sells whale meat to local municipalities for school lunches at one-third of the market price.

Morrissey: Chinese a 'subspecies'

British singer Steven Morrissey

British singer Steven Morrissey has caused outrage by branding the Chinese a "sub-species", FemaleFirst Magazine reported. After responding to a news article about Chinese circuses and zoos, the former Smiths frontman told The Guardian, "Did you see the thing on the news about their treatment of animals and animal welfare? Absolutely horrific. You can't help but feel that the Chinese are a 'sub-species'".

Girls are made of beans and cheese

Scientists from Maastricht University in Holland have discovered that a combination of the right food and careful timing of sex is the key to the nursery being painted pink rather than blue. But the father's diet has no effect on what sex the baby will be, the Daily Mail reported. The trick, the scientists say, is to refrain from eating sodium- and potassium-rich foods, such as olives, bacon, salami, smoked salmon, prawns, potatoes, bread and pastries. Instead women should concentrate on foods rich in calcium and magnesium, including yoghurt, hard cheese, spinach, tofu, almonds, oatmeal, broccoli, oranges and beans. The scientists also recommend having regular sex – but not on days immediately prior to or after ovulation.

Car exhausts top cause of pollution

An official from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection, Liu Zhiquan, said Sunday that vehicle exhausts had become the top cause of air pollution in cities, Xinhua reported. About a fifth of Chinese cities suffer from severe air pollution.

Good Samaritan - with a camera

On Sep 4, a van ran into a tricycle, knocking an elderly woman to the ground in Xuanbao Town of Taixing County, Jiangsu Province. A passer-by called Li rushed the injured woman to hospital in his own car, along with the van driver. He later told Yangtze Evening Post that he had taken photos of the accident scene before offering help, in order to prove his own innocence. He said that he would always lend a hand in such cases, but would first make sure he had protected his own interests.

Baby blues

A common temporary psychological state right after childbirth when a new mother may have sudden mood swings, feeling very happy, then very sad, cry for no apparent reason, feel impatient, unusually irritable, restless, anxious, lonely and sad.

Since 2000 the number of women suffering baby blues has doubled from one in ten to one in five.

(China.org.cn September 7, 2010)