Our Times: March 2005

According to experts, kissing is good for your health. Apparently one kiss burns about three calories, while the saliva produced reduces plaque. It also works to reduce wrinkles through exercising 29 facial muscles.

Frock Shock For The Flock

Only half of Protestant church pastors in the US hold a biblical world view, suggests research by the Barna Research Group (BRG). Against a catalogue of six core beliefs polled—accuracy of the Bible; sinlessness of Jesus; literal Satan; omnipotent, omniscient God; salvation by grace; and personal responsibility to evangelise, 51 per cent were in accord with the Bible. But they're still well ahead of their flocks, where, according to another BRG survey, just 7 per cent agree with all six.

Dog Phones 911

Faith, the service dog, phoned 911 when her owner fell out of a wheelchair and barked urgently into the receiver until a dispatcher sent help. Then the four-year-old Rottweiler unlocked the front door so the responding police officer could enter. When the police arrived they found the occupant on the kitchen floor, unconscious after striking her head in the fall and suffering a seizure.

German's most beautiful word

The Goethe Institute has awarded the word Habseligkeiten (meaning “belongings”) as the most beautiful word in the German language. After receiving over 22,000 entries from 111 countries, Habseligkeiten was selected because it identified with “the joy or pity that comes from having certain objects.”

Witch Pardons Centuries Late

Accused witches (and their cats) executed during a wave of hysteria and religious ferment centuries ago were pardoned on Halloween, in a Scottish township. The public ceremony “pardoned” 81 people executed in the 16th and 17th centuries, and were granted with just weeks to spare, as ancient enabling feudal powers were about to be abolished.

Job Auction

The jobless in Germany are competing for work on the Internet. The job web site jobberlin.com operates along the same lines as an auction. However unlike other auction sites, where the highest bidder wins, jobs go to the bid asking for the lowest salary.