OBAMA FACES DIPLOMATIC STANDOFF IN JAPAN

bow_apTokyo, Japan –  Barack Obama faced the most embarrassing diplomatic standoff to date in his years as U.S. President. It happened during his visit to Japan, the first leg of his multi-nation tour of Asia.

Obama’s advisers sure did a good job in briefing him about Japanese culture and etiquette, so the president knew that a “bow” was the appropriate greeting when meeting with dignitaries and the Japanese people.  So when he was introduced to Asimo, the robot at Miraikan, Japan’s major science center located in Daiba, Tokyo, he did what he was supposed to do: bow his head.  To his surprise, Asimo didn’t return his bow, but instead offered its robotic arm looking for a handshake, the American way of greeting.  Obama froze and didn’t know what to do. And neither did Asimo.

The rest is history.  The meeting has now been dubbed as the worst diplomatic standoff ever encountered by a sitting U.S. president.

To diffuse the awkward situation, officials at Miraikan asked Asimo to demonstrate to the distinguished visitor its running and soccer skills, and Obama was quite impressed although he admitted he was a little “scared.”

Want an oxygen mask? That would be $50 extra!

 

 

AIRLINES CONSIDERING ADDING THREE EXTRA PASSENGER SEATS ON THEIR AIRCRAFT

gear retract wheel wells.jpgSan Jose, California – The 15-year-old boy who survived a 5-1/2-hour flight from San Jose to Maui on a Hawaiian Airlines jetliner may have stunned the airline industry, but this unbelievable incident also gave airline officials new hope for an additional revenue stream.

Authorities had said that it was a miracle that the stowaway kid survived in the wheel well of the plane, as oxygen was limited at the jet’s cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, and the temperature dropping to 50 degrees below zero or even lower.

But now that it has been established that survival is possible in aircraft wheel wells, airlines are considering adding three additional passenger spots on all their planes – one in each of the three wheel wells. With minor adjustments, such as providing sleeping bags secured by seat belts, the airlines will soon be adding three passenger spots per plane. “We expect these new spots to sell like hotcakes” one airline official said, “because they will be sold at 50% off the published airfare rates.” There will be no beverage or meal service for this special ticket class, but complimentary sleeping pills will be provided for flights lasting more than theee hours.

Want an oxygen mask? That would be $5o extra!

 

 

 

 

 

 

STANFORD UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS DISCOVER MUSIC GENE AMONG FILIPINOS

photo(1)Palo Alto, California – It’s all in the genes. It has been long established that the genetic makeup in people determines not only the color of their skin, eyes and hair but also their susceptibility to certain diseases and conditions.

Now researchers at the Department of Genetics of Stanford University School of Medicine have uncovered the gene responsible for making Filipinos such good singers and musicians. It’s called PH-13, found only among Filipinos.

Researchers studied over 2,000 individuals, 500 of whom were of Filipino heritage with the rest equally divided among Whites, Blacks and Native Americans. All respondents were pre-screened and auditioned for their musical ability.

At the conclusion of the six-month study which involved blood tests, MRIs of the vocal chords and eardrums, as well as invasive procedures to obtain genetic samples, the researchers announced the discovery of the gene responsible for musical talent.  While a few African Americans exhibited an almost undetectable level of the music gene, 100% of the Filipinos in the study tested positive for PH-13.

“We have finally found the answer to the nagging question on why Filipinos are always winning in music competitions,” the researchers said.

Could this also be the reason why almost all Filipino households have a karaoke machine?