'Spider-Man' rescues autistic Thai boy !

BANGKOK (AFP) - A Thai fireman turned superhero when he dressed up as comic-book character Spider-Man to coax a frightened eight-year-old from a balcony, police said Tuesday.

Teachers at a special needs school in Bangkok alerted authorities on Monday when an autistic pupil, scared of going to lessons, sat out on the third-floor ledge and refused to come inside, a police sergeant told AFP.

Despite teachers' efforts to beckon the boy inside, he refused to budge until his mother mentioned her son's love of superheroes, prompting fireman Sonchai Yoosabai to take a novel approach to the problem.

"My fireman rushed back to the fire station and took out his Spider-Man costume... The boy immediately ran into his arms with a smile," sergeant Virat Boonsadao said.

He said the fireman keeps the costume at work to liven up school fire drills.

Ten ways to have more money!

Simplify your life by cutting out those needless extra expenses. Here are 10 ways to cut back on the money you don't need to spend.

Number Ten:
Pay in cash -- this means you will always know exactly how much money you have. With credit cards, debt can add up quickly and you may not pay them off as fast as you would like to. When you pay in cash, it's also a great feeling because you know it's done and paid for and you won't have any bills piling up.

Number Nine:
Don't get someone else to do it for you -- stop paying extra to get things done for you when you can do them yourself. Instead of automatically taking your shirts to the dry cleaners, wash them by hand and hang them to dry.

Number Eight:
Eat out less -- Visit your local supermarket and pick up fresh ingredients to make homemade meals. You can also take your leftovers to work or have them the next day for dinner.

Number Seven:
Shop with a purpose -- Whether you're grocery shopping or attending to other errands, it's best to shop with a list. A list reminds you of your reason for shopping and to resist impulse items. It is also a good idea to plan your meals in advance, so that when you get to the store you know exactly what you need to make meals throughout the week. Try to avoid shopping when you're hungry.

Number Six:
Get some fresh air -- Walking is good for you, and it's cheaper than driving. If it's possible for you to hike or bike to your destination, do it.

Number Five:
Keep your car longer -- do you really need that brand new car? Maybe your old one will operate just fine for a few more years. If you maintain the car you have now, you may be able to put off buying a new one for quite awhile.

Number Four:
Give up your car altogether -- if you live in a city with well-equipped public transportation, chances are you might not even need a car. When you add up the expenses of car ownership including insurance, maintenance and parking, the costs may outweigh the benefits. Make a detailed list of what you actually need your car for. Try renting a car if you need it for a weekend away, or for the monthly trip to Costco you could take advantage of a car-sharing service such asAutoShare orZipcar .

Number Three:
Find cheaper ways to entertain yourself -- instead of going to the movie theatre, rent a movie, relax and make some popcorn. Movies in the comfort of your own home can be a great way to spend an evening. You can go even further and rent movies from your local library. All you need is a library card and you will have plenty of movies, books and CD's at your disposal.

Number Two:
Limit the luxuries -- do you really need over 500 channels? Most of the time when you order satellite or digital cable, you are paying for a lot of channels that you don't actually watch. You also pay more depending on the speed of internet you have. If you only use the computer to send emails and read online, you probably don't need the fastest service available.

Number One:
Skip the little things -- make your own coffee in the morning. Instead of spending $5 a day on gourmet coffee, take it with you from home. Make it a special treat to buy a coffee once a week from your favourite coffee shop

Here are some reasons to be proud to be Canadian:

1. Smarties

2. Crispy Crunch, Coffee Crisp

3. The size of our footballs fields and one less down

4. Baseball is Canadian

5. Lacrosse is Canadian

6. Hockey is Canadian

7. Basketball is Canadian

8. Apple pie is Canadian

9. Mr. Dress-up kicks Mr. Rogers ass

10. Tim Hortons kicks Dunkin' Donuts ass

11. In the war of 1812, started by America, Canadians pushed the Americans back...past their 'White House'. Then we burned it...and most of Washington, under the command of William Lyon McKenzie who was insane and hammered all the time. We got bored because they ran away, so we came home and partied...Go figure..

12. Canada has the largest French population that never surrendered to Germany.

13. We have the largest English population that never ever surrendered or withdrew during any war to anyone, anywhere.

14. Our civil war was a bar fight that lasted a little over an hour.

15. The only person who was arrested in our civil war was an American
mercenary, who slept in and missed the whole thing... but showed up just in time to get caught.

16. We knew plaid was cool far before Seattle caught on.

17. The Hudsons Bay Company once owned over 10% of the earth's surface and is still
around as the worlds oldest company.

18. The average dog sled team can kill and devour a full grown human in under 3 minutes.

19. We still know what to do with all the parts of a buffalo.

20. We don't marry our kin-folk.

21. We invented ski-doos, jet-skis, velcro, zippers, insulin, penicillin, zambonis, the telephone and short wave radios that save countless lives each year.

22. We ALL have frozen our tongues to something metal and lived to tell about it.

23. A Canadian invented Superman.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT!

24. The handles on our beer cases are big enough to fit your hands with mitts on. OOOoohhhhh Canada!!

Oh yeah... and our elections only take one day.
Hey, stick that in your pipe and toke it.
FUCK YA!

Lose weight doing chores!!

Summer is a good time to start losing weight; the sun is out, the birds are chirping and you can't hide behind those bulky layers anymore. Greg Harvey, personal trainer and manager of Fit 'N' Well in Alberta says, "Not only do people tend to be a little more active in the summer, but hot weather and activity tends to encourage us to drink more fluids. The more water we drink, the less hungry we are."

Chores around the garden or the house can be modified into a calorie-burning workout with a few simple techniques. To ensure your back is safe Harvey strongly recommends using your abs to lift rather than your upper or lower back. "As you lift, suck in your tummy as though you are putting on a tight pair of jeans. Contract your stomach muscles and lift. When you use these techniques, your transverse abdominus (outer abdomen) activates, providing stability to your lower back so more muscles are incorporated, thus lessening the strain on the back."

Any landscaping projects are good exercise as you move dirt and bricks, plant trees, mow the lawn, or rake etc. Here are three modified indoor household chores so you get the most from your time spent cleaning.

Laundry exercise

Fill your basket with laundry. Squat down, pick up your basket and as you are standing up, raise the basket over your head. Fully extend your arms until your elbows are almost straight. Bring the basket down again until it almost touches the floor and repeat 20 times. Keep your abdominals tight throughout the exercise.

This exercise works your buttocks, front and back of thighs, chest, triceps (the back of your arms), shoulders, lower and upper back, and biceps. To make it harder, put some magazines in the basket, or lift the basket a little further out from your body. Ensure you keep your abdominals tight throughout the movement, to protect your lower back.

Washing the floor exercise

Wet a rag in soapy water, kneel on a cushion of some sort and slide your upper body away from your knees and back again. This exercise works your abdominals, your lower back, shoulders, chest and triceps. Listen to your body and be sure not to extend your body too far out from your legs, since the farther out you go, the harder it will be on your lower back and arms. As you get stronger, extend further.

Stair climbing exercise

Going up and down stairs works your quads and calves. Take two stairs at a time and now it works your quads, calves, and the front and back of your thigh. Add a basket of laundry and you just added resistance. Hold the laundry out from your body a few inches and your abdominals and lower back will work to stabilize you as you go up and down the stairs. Holding the laundry basket away from your body slightly will also work your chest, biceps, shoulders, forearms and upper back.

The best thing you can do for your health is to listen to your body. Harvey says aches and pains are normal when you exercise, but not sharp lower-back or joint pain. So make sure pay attention to how your body is responding to the activity and you'll be a happier, healthier person for it.


Provided by Dayna Boyer