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Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
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Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
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clip-on car
GM’s Hy-wire, a futuristic fuel cell–powered car, has a lift-off modular body and cockpit that contains the entire vital instruments, including the car’s drive-by-wire technology. The lift-off shell unclips from the body frame allowing another in its place. The Hy-wire’s driving system is unconventional, being totally electrical rather than mechanical and hydraulic.
freedom
Some 28 years after being forcibly shut down, the Nha Trang Theological Seminary is set to reopen. Vietnamese authorities have granted permission to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam–South, which represents over half of Vietnam’s 1.2 million Protestants, to open a class for training church leaders. Meanwhile, over 400 churches in Dak Lak Province were forcibly disbanded in the spring of 2002, and in December, police used gas to break up a worship service in the Dien Bien Dong district of North Vietnam. Christian villages are under constant surveillance, preventing any Christian meetings and burning any Christian literature found.
b happy 2
A survey of 1000 people has concluded that “happiness” is the product of the mathematical formula P+(5E)+(3H), where P = personal traits (outlook on life, resilience and adaptability), E = existence needs (health, money and friends), and, H = higher-order needs (sense of humour and self-esteem). You do the maths. The survey also revealed differences in what makes us happy: for women, spending time with family is the most important factor, while men are more cheered by holidays, sex and sporting victories. (Like we didn’t know.)
oral ad aids
Toothpicks are set to become the advertising medium of the future, or so a Berliner businessman hopes. He uses a laser to write up to 48 letters on a single toothpick, with engravings ranging from company names and “Enjoy your meal!” to wedding souvenirs. Next is a range of engraved matchsticks.
Dracula returns
Rumours have circulated in Malawi that senior government officials were harbouring vampires for political purposes. As a result, horrifying tales of vampires sucking blood began to circulate, frightened villagers beat to death a man suspected of being one and attacked and almost lynched three visiting priests and destroyed an aid group’s encampment, where they feared the vampires were quartered.
high growth
Over the past 50 years the world output of goods has risen from $US4 trillion to $US20 trillion. Not surprising since the population growth in that time exceeds that of the total population of the earth for all human history.
going up . . .
Otis, the elevator and escalator company, estimates it raises and lowers the equal of the world’s population every nine days. The world’s fastest lift—in a Yokahama sightseeing tower—rises at 12 m/sec, which is good, even for an aeroplane.
rest of your life
The US National Sleep Foundation estimates the average time we spend sleeping has fallen by about 20 per cent over the past century.
blessed pets
An Italian priest blesses pets, as Totti, an attentive French bulldog, joins in, in Rome, on Saint Antonio Abate Day (January 17). Romans follow a popular tradition of blessing their domestic pets, a practice they believe brings long life to their animal companions.—afp/aap
The following appeared in the Signs 100 years ago.
(Signs was then known as the Bible Echo and Signs of the Times.)
The motion of censure on which the Roseberry Government was turned out of office in 1895 was based on the neglect of the War Office, during Mr Henry Campell Bannerman’s term as Secretary for War, in allowing the normal supply of 142,000,000 of small arms ammunition to fall to 93,000,000. The Salisbury Ministry raised this to 170,000,000 rounds, but this, owing to the war pressure in South Africa, is almost exhausted, although the public and private ammunitions factories have made tremendous efforts to keep up the supply.
Extract from Signs of the Times, April 2003.
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