Socialist Hollande wins French election

Francois Hollande was elected president of France in the 2012 French presidential election Sunday, becoming France’s first Socialist president in 17 years. Hollande defeated incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy on promises to reassess austerity deals aimed at solving Europe’s financial crisis in favor of pro-growth remedies, and to increase taxes for the rich. The results of the French presidential election were echoed in Greece, where voters also punished pro-austerity parties in the polls, and are a major rejection for Franco-German led belt-tightening under former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Is the end of “Merkozy,” the Franco-German partnership that has enforced the austerity regime, a good thing? Leave your thoughts in the comments below….

Stoudemire punch extinguishes Knicks’ playoff hopes

New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire will miss at least two games after injuring his hand following the Knicks second heavy loss to Miami Heat in Game 2 of the NBA playoffs. Stoudemire had surgery to repair a lacerated left hand after he punched a fire extinguisher case near the locker room following the Knicks’ 104, 94 loss to the Lebron James, Dwayne Wade inspired Heat. With the Knicks 2-0 down to a so far vastly superior Heat team the loss of Stoudemire, in addition to other missing stars such as Iman Schumpert and Jeremy Lin, looks to have ended the Knicks slim hopes of edging past Miami. Stoudemire has apologized to Knicks fans…

Cute baby raccoons and baby foxes rescued after mothers abandon them

This woman adopted four baby raccoons and six baby Artic foxes after their mothers abandoned them. Ms Jian, a 35-year-old cashier at a farm in Hualien, Taiwan, was nicknamed “super nanny” by her co-workers because the cute baby Artic foxes and baby raccoons are with her 24/7.

Where is the G-spot? Doctor says he found it!

Who has to die for a woman to have a good orgasm around here? An 83-year-old Polish woman, DUH! Adam Ostrzenski, a 71-year-old gynecologist in Florida, claims to have discovered the G-spot while performing a postmortem exam on a woman in Poland. Some critics are finding Ostrzenski’s discovery hard to believe. Just three months ago scientists published a study explaining why there was no real G-spot. In what could be the least-sexy story about the G-spot ever, Ostrzenski says he had to travel to Poland because of looser regulations surrounding the dissection of human remains. Before you start doing your happy dance, ladies, the actual piece of tissue is teeny tiny, measuring 8.1mm by 3.6mm…

Is America turning back into a cash society?

With the rise of the credit card and electronic transactions, many thought it would spell the end of cash. But does electronic commerce really makes our life better? Cash-free transactions make life more convenient, but at a cost. There’s fees. There’s the risk of personal information leaks. Companies know what you buy. And the tax man can track your every move. Still, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before cash — and even credit cards, with smartphones increasingly being used for consumer spending — go the way of the dodo. Do you think a cashless society is a good thing? ENGLISH:

Robot prostitutes could replace humans by 2050

Scientists in New Zealand say brothels staffed by robot prostitutes could be a reality by 2050. In the paper Robots, Men And Sex Tourism, Ian Yeoman and Michelle Mars of the Victoria Management School in Wellington imagine a world in which sex tourism has become respectable and human trafficking and the spread of STDs stemmed by replacing human prostitutes with lifelike sex robots. Made with bacteria-resistant materials, these robots will ensure safe sex and may be seen as a more ethical way of hiring a prostitute. Although prostitutes themselves may not be keen on the developing technology, researchers believe robot sex workers can bring a level of respectability to the prostitution game. The paper describes…

Valeria Lukyanova: Ukraine model real-life Barbie doll

Have you heard of Valeria Lukyanova? She is 21 years old and from the Ukraine. Valeria describes herself as the most famous Russian woman on the Russian-language internet. It’s easy to see why. Valeria’s Barbie doll looks have made her the focus of much online interest. Her proportions are exaggerated by her super-sized boobs relative to her thin waist. Others say Valeria’s face looks made of plastic. She looks like a victim of plastic surgery gone wrong. Some people say her self-portraits look photoshopped. Valeria is beginning to find fans in France and elsewhere in Europe. On her blog, Valeria talks about the music she makes. She’s also into astroplaning. What do you think? Are…

NHL playoff violence: fights, hits mar hockey playoffs

Violence is up in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs — and so are ratings. NHL head of player safety Brendan Shanahan has doled out nine suspensions this postseason, already twice as many compared with the entire 2011 postseason. The NHL has become more aware of the long-term effects of head injuries sustained by hockey players. But after taking a tough stand against nasty fights and dirty hits at the beginning of the 2011-2012 season, Shanahan has been inconsistent in disciplining players. Some say it’s because NHL owners don’t want him to. In the most egregious incident in this year’s NHL playoffs, Phoenix Coyotes winger Raffi Torres has been suspended indefinitely for a brutal head shot…