NOSE PICKING is a form of human behaviour that has received far too little
scientific attention, but at last that neglect is being redressed. In the June
issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Chittaranjan
Andrade and B.S. Srihari report on a study of nose picking in a sample of 200
adolescents from four urban schools.
Almost the entire sample admitted to nose picking, the authors tell us, with
17 per cent considering they had a serious nose-picking problem. Pointing out
that 鈥渢here is little world literature on nose-picking behaviour in the general
population鈥�, the authors conclude that 鈥渘ose picking is common among
adolescents鈥� and that 鈥渘ose picking may merit closer epidemiologic and nosologic
[sic] scrutiny鈥�.
Perhaps most important of all, Andrade and Srihari introduce a new term for
the activity鈥攔hinotillexomania. You may care to remember that the next
time you are looking round at other drivers in a traffic jam.
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THE TWELVE-MONTH period beginning 24 July 2001 鈥渕ay have a sweet and rich
effect on your life鈥�. So said Anthony Carr, a world-renowned psychic and master
of paranormal arts, in a letter he wrote in June to a neighbour of readers
Diarmid and Kieran Roberts.
Emphasising how much he likes to be 鈥渋n psychic harmony with the people who
can benefit from my friendship鈥�, Carr told the lady in question, who we will
call Mrs X: 鈥淭he unique help I am about to give you will be based on 30 years of
paranormal experience and the mystical information derived from your very own
star chart.鈥�
Carr went on to say that the signs governing potential changes in Mrs X鈥檚
life 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 be more favourable鈥�, that he suspected she was going to
experience 鈥渕arvellous feelings of well-being and a new zest for life鈥�, and that
鈥渢here may be a hidden bonus in the form of a new romantic interest鈥�. All she
had to do to receive Carr鈥檚 help in attaining all this was to stump up 拢59
for an Astrological Destiny Report and a pendant.
Sadly, however, Mrs X was unable to take advantage of this offer, since she
had died at the age of 80 in a house fire at the beginning of February.
So much for psychic powers.
AFTER BRAZIL鈥橲 humiliating loss to soccer minnows Honduras in the
quarter-finals of the Copa America, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari (鈥淏ig Phil鈥�) made
a big show of keeping faith with his players.
Eighty per cent of the team would still play in the crucial world cup
qualifier against Peru on 15 August, he said. That makes 8.8 men. We can only
speculate which player will be taking to the pitch with 20 per cent lopped off.
Presumably defender Juninho Belletti, who scored an own goal to put Honduras
ahead.
JUST FOR a moment, a colleague of Feedback鈥檚 wondered if McDonald鈥檚
hamburgers are available even from beyond the grave. He was travelling from
Amsterdam to London by coach and stopped at a service station near the Belgian
border. In the McDonald鈥檚 there, a notice proclaimed: 鈥淭his McDonald鈥檚 can also
be reached from the other side鈥�.
After a moment鈥檚 perturbed thought, our colleague realised that a pedestrian
tunnel under the motorway connected the two sides of the service station. He
hopes that this is what the notice was referring to.
WORKING ON an operating procedure document during a summer job at LEO
Electron Microscopy, reader Katy Warner was shocked to read how dangerous fruit
can be to the workings of an electron microscope:
鈥淔ault conditions in electrical equipment or installations can cause large
currants to flow to earth rather than down the neutral line. These currants have
been known to flow through steelwork in buildings, ventilation trunking and
water pipes causing large magnetic fields.鈥�
BE PREPARED if you want to make use of the programming language on offer at
gtk.php.net. A disclaimer on the site proclaims: 鈥淲arning! This code is a highly
experimental adaptation of the instructions beamed to us by the friendly aliens
of Tau Ceti. The API can鈥攁nd will鈥攂e changing, evolving, and
unpredictably morphing into little furry Ewoks, fluorescent killer bunny
rabbits, and the knights who say `Ni鈥�. Use the code at your own risk, as it may
cause flooding, polydactism, frogs falling from the sky, and the return of the
Inca empire. It will definitely warp the space-time continuum in your local
补谤别补.鈥�
A 鈥淐LIPPER鈥� hair-cutting set from the Grace Brothers department store in
Sydney comes with a label promising a 鈥渓ifetime 2 year warranty鈥�
AFTER HE had finished a print job on his Epson Stylus Photo 870 Printer,
reader Martin McCann wanted to get rid of the dialogue box left on his screen.
Headed 鈥淓pson Spool Manager鈥�, it said: 鈥淐ancel printing, delete all print jobs.
OK.鈥� Underneath it gave two options to click on鈥斺�滳ancel鈥� or 鈥淥K鈥�.
McCann was flummoxed. Did this mean cancel the cancel, cancel the OK, OK the
cancel or OK the OK?
It turned out that whatever it meant made no difference. He clicked on both
鈥淐ancel鈥� and 鈥淥K鈥�. Either way, the dialogue box refused to go away.
ARISE AND CLAIM. The small print of reader Mark Burbige鈥檚 travel insurance
with the Portman Building Society advises him: 鈥淧rimary Assistance鈥�24-hour
global assistance. You must contact Primary Assistance in the event of you
dying, incurring medical expenses in excess of 拢500, being admitted to
hospital or curtailing for medical reasons.鈥�
SICK BAGS on China Northern Airlines flights advise potential users: 鈥淔or
vomiting and discarding.鈥�
We wonder who would want to keep them after use.
FINALLY, reader Mike Blair tells us that a shower in a hotel in Lisbon had
this instruction etched on a plastic plaque on the tiles: 鈥淧lease ensure mat is
firmly fixed to bottom before entering shower鈥�.
How do you do that?