Ten things which raised an eyebrow this week

Ten things which raised an eyebrow this week EP brings you a brief round-up of some of the news items which were perhaps as surprising as they were enlightening On any other day, the Singaporean man who demanded a government refund after claiming dissatisfaction with the services provided by a prostitute while travelling abroad might seem the craziest request received by The Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Shanghai - it wasn't. That accolade belongs to the man who asked for help to speed up the divorce proceedings for his girlfriend who lived overseas, so she could marry him. An obvious matter for "foreign affairs" to deal with...! Looking for a new job? The US Secret Service are hiring! A post has come available for a sarcasm detector to trawl through comments on social media and analyse which comments are serious threats compared to 'innocent jokes' Does it rain in Australia? Is there a spell to become a mermaid that actually works? How big is the Specific Ocean? The Yahoo! compilation of ridiculous questions (asked by Americans) is nothing if not entertaining It's thirsty work! Claiming to have created the perfect combination to affect "minimum dilution and maximum cooling", a drinks company is America is selling packets of 50 'perfect' ice cubes for US$325 New Yorkers are working all the time - even in the bathroom! Women in London take 6 minutes to choose a work-outfit whereas men take four. Parisians are riddled with self-doubt and if you're living in Mumbai you're more likely to have "relations" in the morning than if you're in Moscow. The Life at Home Report shows IKEA knows all about our daily routines Scientists at The University of Missouri have successfully transplanted human stem cells into pigs which had been genetically modified for the purpose Despite previously being dubbed the dirtiest hotel in America the 600-room Hotel Carter in New York is expected to sell for more than US$160 million - roaches and all! There certainly hasn't been a dearth of discoveries in the natural world this month as biologists reported finding a frightening looking creature in south-west India replete with 4 rows of teeth, the first new breed of Cavefish in 40 years in the States and an armoured stick catfish in Columbia A particularly energetic 65 year old former cheerleader in Arizona has been banned from performing cartwheels during local council meetings as they're too distracting to other participants Crime never pays! If you think you're having a bad day, spare a thought for the 5 teenage vandals in Santa Fe who ended up calling 911 on themselves when one man refused to play the part of the victim. After the boys fired pellets at his car, the man gave chase down the road, scaring them to the point where they desperately pleaded with the police for help, who showed up on scene and promptly arrested all 5 for a combination of offences including theft, property damage and speeding. For more information on initiatives run by EP and to get involved with the community please contact Arlene McCaffrey