Robot attacked Swedish factory worker

Published: 28 Apr 09 10:12 CET A Swedish company has been fined 25,000 kronor ($3,000) after a malfunctioning robot attacked and almost killed one of its workers at a factory north of Stockholm. Public prosecutor Leif Johansson mulled pressing charges against the firm but eventually opted to settle for a fine. "I've never heard of a robot attacking somebody like this," he told news agency TT. The incident took place in June 2007 at a factory in Bålsta, north of Stockholm, when the industrial worker was trying to carry out maintenance on a defective machine generally used to lift heavy rocks. Thinking he had cut off the power supply, the man approached the robot with no sense of trepidation. But the robot suddenly came to life and grabbed a tight hold of the victim's head. The man succeeded in defending himself but not before suffering serious injuries. "The man was very lucky. He broke four ribs and came close to losing his life," said Leif Johansson. The matter was subject to an investigation by both the Swedish Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket) and the police. Prosecutor Johansson chastised the company for its inadequate safety procedures but he also placed part of the blame on the injured worker. Is this a case of Terminator X? Just imagine if all the robots in all the factories of the world suddenly conspired against the human race! ARMAGEDON!!

Swiss canton bans nude hiking

The small Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden will no longer welcome nude hikers to their meadows and valleys. The region has seen a rise in the number of hikers in the buff and local sensitivities were offended.

Visitors to Appenzell who chose to pursue a hike through the Alps without wearing a stitch could now face a fine of 200 Swiss francs (132 euros).

Residents in the Alpine region approved the measure banning nude hiking on Sunday under the traditional "Landsgemeide" voting system.

The Landsgemeide system has the the citizens of Appenzell meeting once a year on the last Sunday in April to vote, by raising their hands, on local issues.

Voting was an exclusive right of men until 1990 when women were allowed to participate.

At this year's meeting, between 3,000 and 4,000 voters showed up. On the matter of the nude hiking ban, there were hardly any dissenting votes regarding prohibiting what the local police department called "immoral habits."

Unwelcome attention

Last fall citizens began noticing an influx of visitors to the region who shed their clothes before enjoying a hike through the region. It was trend the locals frowned upon and threatened to establish a reputation Appenzell didn't want.

"It's ridiculous that Appenzell is getting an international reputation for such a despicable habit," said Peter Schmid in an interview with the Reuters news agency.

But supporters of nude hiking say roaming in nature in one's birthday suit provides a liberating feeling that's hard to beat.

Switzerland isn't the only country where people are known to experience nature without the hindrance of clothing. It's seen in Germany and France, for example, but doesn't meet as much hostility.

"Switzerland is a lot more conservative and very traditional," Edith Zweifel of the Swiss tourism board told Reuters.

Now I say, why would anyone in their right mind want to hike through the Swiss Alps in the buff, especially if the temperature is somewhere around the minus twenty degrees Celsius!!