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News of the Weird: From victims to tourist attractions; Wacky lawsuit By Chuck Shepherd
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Life is improving for some Burmese Kayan women who, fleeing regular assaults by soldiers of the military government of Myanmar, become valuable exhibits at tourist attractions in neighboring Thailand -- because of their tribal custom of wearing heavy metal rings around their necks from an early age. The metal stacks weigh 11 pounds or more and depress girls' clavicles, giving them the appearance of elongated necks, which the tribe (and many tourists) regard as exotic. While human rights activists heap scorn on these Thai "human zoos" of ring-necked women, a Nacogdoches, Texas, poultry plant recently began offering some of the women a more attractive choice -- lose the rings and come work in Texas, de-boning chickens. [Global Post, 1-31-2011] [KTRE-TV (Nacogdoches), 1-12-2011]
Paul Mason, 50, an ex-letter-carrier in Ipswich, England, told reporters in January he would file a lawsuit against Britain's National Health Service for negligence -- because it allowed him to "grow" in recent years to a weight of nearly 900 pounds. Mason said he "begged" for NHS's help in 1996 when he weighed 420, but was merely told to "ride your bike more." Last year, he was finally allowed gastric surgery, which reduced him to his current 518. At his heaviest, Mason estimates he was consuming 20,000 calories a day. [The Sun (London), 1-7-2011] Click here to comment on this column.
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