Words About Things

A recent study by the University of Valencia has discovered that men experience stress when meeting a beautiful women, particularly one who is ‘out of their league’. An encounter with an attractive woman can raise a mans Cortisol levels (cortisol is commonly referred to as a stress hormone). High Cortisol levels can increase the negative effects of medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes although it can also have a positive effect in small doses.

The researchers asked 84 (presumably straight) male students to solve a Sudoku puzzle in a room with two strangers, a man and an attractive woman. They monitored the student’s stress levels which did not alter when the woman left the room. When the man departed leaving the students on their own with the woman their stress levels rose.

The researchers came to the conclusion that the possibility of courtship had the male participants hot under the collar:

“In this study we considered that for most men the presence of an attractive woman may induce the perception that there is an opportunity for courtship. While some men might avoid attractive women since they think they are ‘out of their league’, the majority would respond with apprehension and a concurrent hormonal response. This study showed that male cortisol levels increased after exposure to a five-minute short social contact with a young, attractive woman.”

It would be interesting to see if the level of stress hormones released was effected by other variables. Would men who were happily married for instance, be less likely to feel stressed due to the reduced chance of courtship? Would what the woman was wearing effect stress levels, for instance what effect would sexy lingerie have? Would the presence of the male volunteer’s girlfriend make the situation more or less stressful?

Beautiful women: Bad for your health?

Finally the question on everybody’s lips has been answered. In order to put an end to the endless debates and arguments Farmer’s Weekly magazine has taken on the noble task of working out who is Britain’s sexiest farmer. After weeks of closely examining photos from around the country the winners have been announced.

I live in Devon and you can’t throw a stick around here without hitting a farmer. Most aren’t what you might consider ‘good looking’ unless you like your men/women ruddy, overfed and slightly disheveled (each to their own). Apparently though there are good looking farmers including the winner Anna Simpson of Hutton Rudby in Yorkshire.

Miss Simpson was awarding the title along with £250 and a pair of welly boots. She said she had entered the competition in order to prove that not all farmers are 60 year old men with their trousers held up by a bit of old rope (I’m paraphrasing).

‘When they told me I’d won I thought it was a wind-up. I saw the competition and I thought I’d give it a go and I was short-listed which was brilliant. I was quite surprised I got through as there were so many good entries so I’m really happy. I won £250 but I think the title alone is a great thing to have.”

The male winner was Pete Mortimore of Widdecombe-on-the-Moor, Devon. Mr Mortimore and Miss Simpson fought off some surprisingly fierce competition although some entrants looked suspiciously like farm animals.

A teenage girl in New Zealand is recovering after being hit by a car whilst flashing her breasts at passing motorists. The driver of the car was distracted by the sight of Cherelle Dudfield’s breasts and accidentally plowed into her.  Ms Dudfield was fined $275 after the incident in Invercargill.

“I was stupid… Don’t get drunk and stand in the middle of the road and flash anyone ’cause it hurts when you get hit,”

The girl told the police that her friends had encouraged her to flash herself to oncoming motorists but she regretted her actions. After rolling over the bonnet of the car she hit the windshield and was lucky to escape serious injury. The Judge charged Ms Dudfield with ‘disorderly behavior’ and encouraged her to keep her attention grabbing breasts undercover.

An 18 year old Sumatran boy has told how he became trapped in rubble after the earthquake in Indonesia and was forced to sever his own leg. The boy, called Ramlan, was working on a construction site in Padang City when the earthquake hit. His leg became trapped under a concrete girder and he was unable to move. Fearing that an aftershock would bring down more rubble on top of him Ramlan was forced to make a quick decision.

The boy used a nearby hoe to try and cut through his leg below the knee. When he found that the hoe was too blunt he called his workmate Eman on his mobile phone. Eman came running despite the danger posed by the remaining building on the site. Eventually with Eman’s help Ramlan managed to cut though his shin bone with a saw. Ramlan was rushed to Yos Sudarso Catholic hospital where he is recovering well.

Ramlan and his friend Eman

“Ramlan’s actions were extraordinary and the courage and determination he showed is typical of many survivors with whom we are working. After the earthquakes in Indonesia, and the typhoons in the Philippines and Vietnam, survivors would have been the first to help themselves and others. Now they urgently need international support, including that being provided by DEC members and partners who are bringing in urgently-needed aid and medical supplies.”

DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley