mrBadak.com

The authorities in China has finally ban the open practise of leg-lengthening surgery (news link). From now on, only hospitals that has passed certain criteria can perform these procedures and only after explaining to the patients the risk involve in going through with the procedure.

This measure is taken after more stories of botched operations that has left patients disfigured and some unable to walk. This is because many of the “doctors” are unqualified and offering cheap prices, taking advantage of one of China’s social prejudice on short people.

Actually I’ve seen this procedure highlighted in a documentary shown on Discovery Channel (or National Geographic - not really sure) this year.

First these so-called doctors break the patient’s legs and insert steel pins into the bones, all of them connected to a metal frame located outside of their skin. On this frame, there is a knob that the patient can turn just a little bit everyday.

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Microsoft launched a Live Search-powered search engine web site with a female character fronting the website. Her name is Ms. Dewey.

What’s so cute about her is her re-action and clever quotes when presenting the results. While I don’t see this becoming “mainstream” soon but human-like interactivity as this will appeal to non-techie users (like my dad) but of course she needs to be more intelligent, like talking more about the results and converse in the local language.

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