Washington: A dog in the US got the retirement party of a lifetime after nearly five years of dedicated service at an airport in the country. Gema, who worked at Orlando International Airport, was given the party last week. She was treated to an over-sized doggie treat and a pink tiara, which the airport called her “retirement crown”. The pup was surrounded by her furry friends, according to the airport which documented the party on social media.”We’re celebrating the retirement of one of our most loyal and dedicated employees – & we’re sending her off in style,” the Florida airport wrote on Twitter. (PTI)
Rare signed copy of Hitler’s autobiography sold for 17k pounds
London: An extremely rare, signed copy of German dictator Adolf Hitler’s autobiography, Mein Kampf, has been sold for a whopping 17,000 pounds at an auction in the UK. Presented to English writer Peter Cadogan on his visit to Munich in the late 1930s, the swastika-embossed 1935 edition bears the Nazi dictator’s signature on the front fly leaf. The copy of the book is especially rare because Hitler was known to be reluctant to sign documents or souvenirs. “Hitler didn’t sign books. He did it this time on the request of Unity Mitford (a member of Hitler’s inner circle of devotees),” James Thompson, auctioneer at Silverwoods in Clitheroe, told ‘BBC News’. Thompson said he was ‘surprised’ by the interest in the book as most people ‘wouldn’t touch anything Nazi with a bargepole’. However, others believe the book should be preserved, despite Hitler’s appalling reign, he added. “In a way, it’s a way to touch a monster,” he said. (PTI)
19th century oil lamp fetches 15,000 pounds
LONDON :A 19th century miner’s oil lamp has been sold for a staggering 15,000 pounds at an auction in the UK. The Newcastle-type Davy lamp – designed for use in flammable atmospheres made – was estimated to sell for just 100 to 150 pounds. Auctioneer Philip Allwood, from Moore Allen and Innocent, said he was “staggered” by the amount and believed it could be a world record high price for such an object. The lamp had been “very, very difficult” to value, the auction house said. It was bought by an anonymous buyer for a ‘staggering’ 15,000 pounds, ‘BBC News’ reported. “It was in a box of bits and pieces that came into the auction for a general sale,” Allwood said. “As far as I can see, I can’t find any miner’s lamp making any more money than this at any other auction,” he added. (PTI)
Varsity offers philosophy course based on Game of Thrones
London: A university in the UK is offering a new course next month on philosophy based on the popular Game of Thrones fantasy TV series. Over a two six-hour sessions John Donaldson from University of Glasgow in the UK will introduce key philosophical principles by using themes from the show. Through the course named ‘Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Politics, Power and War’, Donaldson will explore some of the many philosophical ideas embedded in the show’s tales of struggle and conquest. These include the nature of political authority and legitimacy, war theory and game-theory analyses of conflict. Donaldson, who previously ran a course examining the virtues of Homer Simpson – a popular animated character – said he hoped it would be popular with students and newbies alike. “We will use important scenes from the show to introduce philosophy. The first thing we will look at is game theory,” Donaldson was quoted as saying by ‘Glasgow Live’. “Game theory was huge during the Cold War in the 1960s because Russia and the USA used it in regards to their nuclear weapons.” Game theory in the Cold War was used by both countries believing that any move, offensive or defensive, would be a mistake. “The other two areas we will look at are political legitimacy and war theory,” Donaldson said. “The first looks at the right to a throne. Philosophers look at anyone’s right to govern by discussing possible scenarios,” he said. “The final part is on war theory. Game of Thrones is just incessant war so we will look at whether or not war is ever justified,” he added. “In Game of Thrones, there’s always a side which believes it is justified in attacking while the other side thinks otherwise. We will look at the argument from both sides while using one particular scene,” he said. Donaldson previously ran a course called ‘D’oh! The Simpsons introduce philosophy’. He also ran an introductory course to philosophy based on the Star Wars series. (PTI)
Father meets daughter after 40 years
Washington: It was truly a happy Father’s Day for 63-year-old Al Annunziata who came face to face with his 40-year-old daughter he never knew he had. Annunziata and Jyll Justamond had an emotional first meeting on June 11. “I’m never going to let you go, ever,” ABC News quoted Annunziata as telling his daughter during the meeting. Justamond of Littleton, Colorado, said that she found Annunziata after tracking him down on Facebook on April 3 — her 40th birthday. She started searching for her biological father years after learning that people she thought were her parents were actually her grandparents. “My biological mother was 18 when she had me and for whatever the reason, felt that she wasn’t capable or old enough to raise me,” Justamond said. “She asked her stepfather and mother to raise me and I didn’t know I wasn’t their child. I found out when I was 10. It turns out that the person I thought was my half-sister was actually my mom,” she said. Justamond said she approached her biological mother, Linda to ask about her father. “She told me it could be this guy Al and she said, ‘When I met him, he was bartending at this bar called Neary’s and it was essentially a one night stand. A first name and the bar he worked in — that was all I had to go on. That, and he was Italian.” In April, Justamond posted in a Facebook group dedicated to natives of Palisades Park, New Jersey, where the bar Neary’s was located in the 1970s. One user asked her to speak with Don Neary, the owner of the former bar. “I said, ‘I know this is crazy, but do you happen to know a guy named Al that worked or you in 1976, 1977?'” Justamond asked. “He said, ‘Oh, you mean Al Annunziata.'” Justamond found and reached out to Annunziata on Facebook. Justamond and Annunziata exchanged messages via Facebook and on April 24, Annunziata took a paternity test. The results were 99.9966 probability that he is Justamond’s biological father. Annunziata said he and his daughter have a lot in common and the pair are already close. The father-daughter duo now plan to spend Christmas together in Las Vegas, where Justamond will meet her aunt. (PTI)