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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Rare moment as iceberg flipping over caught on camera
Tourists have captured rare footage of the moment a small iceberg from the Upsala Glacier in an Argentina flips over.
LiveLeak link.
LiveLeak link.
Garbage's Shirley Manson throws violent fan out of gig for 'punching woman'
Shirley Manson, frontwoman of rock band Garbage, told a man to leave after he allegedly punched a female fan.
The incident happened during the band's performance last Friday at House Of Blues in Atlantic City. Manson stopping her band members mid-way through 1995 hit Stupid Girl and berating the male fan.
Contains NSFW language. Action starts 30ish seconds in.
YouTube link.
She said: "Dude, never hit a ******* woman, what is wrong with you man?" The man was then ejected by security, before Manson continued: "You’re fighting baby, you gotta leave now.
"You’can’t fight, man. You can’t fight. I’m sorry, that’s the rules. We just need to all simmer down," she added. Garbage recently reformed after an extended hiatus, and released their first album in seven years earlier this month.
The incident happened during the band's performance last Friday at House Of Blues in Atlantic City. Manson stopping her band members mid-way through 1995 hit Stupid Girl and berating the male fan.
Contains NSFW language. Action starts 30ish seconds in.
YouTube link.
She said: "Dude, never hit a ******* woman, what is wrong with you man?" The man was then ejected by security, before Manson continued: "You’re fighting baby, you gotta leave now.
"You’can’t fight, man. You can’t fight. I’m sorry, that’s the rules. We just need to all simmer down," she added. Garbage recently reformed after an extended hiatus, and released their first album in seven years earlier this month.
'Cleaning Fairy' breaks into home, cleans and leaves $75 bill
Ohio police have identified a real life cleaning fairy - who may be flapping her wings into a jail cell. The woman broke into a Westlake, Ohio home, did some light cleaning, then left a bill. The family thought a cleaning service sent someone to the wrong house, but the "cleaning fairy" told them it was no mistake, and they better pay up. "There were some coffee mugs that my husband had out," said Sherry Bush, the homeowner. "She had washed them all."
Last week, while she was away and her daughter was sleeping upstairs, someone broke in the house, took out trash, vacuumed the carpet and cleaned up the playroom, Bush said. "She wrote a note on a napkin and left it on the table, saying, '$75 I was here to clean,' and left her name and number," Bush said. When the Bushes read it, they thought Sue Warren just cleaned the wrong house, so they gave her a call.
"I think our jaws just dropped to the ground," Bush said. "I said, what happened, did you get the wrong house? She said, 'No, I do this all the time.' I said, What do you mean? She said, 'I just stop and clean your house.'" It isn't clear if Sue Warren does this all the time, but she did do it last month, and was charged with criminal trespassing. A friend living at Warren's Elyria home said Sue is always working and owns her own business.
YouTube link.
Sue Warren Cleaning can be found online. "That's what she does for a living. She cleans," Bush said. "Now that we've seen the job that she did, it was like whoa, $75? $15 maybe," Bush said laughing. No charges have been filed against Warren yet in Westlake, but they may still come. Despite the strange nature of these crimes, nothing was stolen from the home.
Last week, while she was away and her daughter was sleeping upstairs, someone broke in the house, took out trash, vacuumed the carpet and cleaned up the playroom, Bush said. "She wrote a note on a napkin and left it on the table, saying, '$75 I was here to clean,' and left her name and number," Bush said. When the Bushes read it, they thought Sue Warren just cleaned the wrong house, so they gave her a call.
"I think our jaws just dropped to the ground," Bush said. "I said, what happened, did you get the wrong house? She said, 'No, I do this all the time.' I said, What do you mean? She said, 'I just stop and clean your house.'" It isn't clear if Sue Warren does this all the time, but she did do it last month, and was charged with criminal trespassing. A friend living at Warren's Elyria home said Sue is always working and owns her own business.
YouTube link.
Sue Warren Cleaning can be found online. "That's what she does for a living. She cleans," Bush said. "Now that we've seen the job that she did, it was like whoa, $75? $15 maybe," Bush said laughing. No charges have been filed against Warren yet in Westlake, but they may still come. Despite the strange nature of these crimes, nothing was stolen from the home.
8-year-old girl given 'Catastrophe Award' for most homework excuses
Usually an award from your child's teacher is something to brag about. It means they did a good job. But that wasn't the case for one Tucson family - and now a teacher could be in big trouble. At first glance, the certificate given to 8-year-old Cassandra Garcia looks harmless. "You're tops" is printed in colourful letters across the top.
But take a look at what's written underneath. "The Catastrophe Award" - given to the one student with the most excuses for not having their homework done. "No child is going to be excited or happy, because they received and award like this," said Cassandra's mother. She is furious about the award that was given to Cassandra in front of her daughter's entire 3rd grade class.
"All the children were laughing at her." The teacher, Mrs. Plowman, calls the award a joke. Cassandra's mother however calls it bullying. "It is difficult to say whether their intent really was to humiliate or make an example of one child in order to motivate others," said Sheri Bauman, psychologist at the University of Arizona.
YouTube link.
She says it's hard to define this one instance as "bullying." "So if this had been repeated whether in some way or in other ways, publicly embarrassing someone, pointing out their deficits, how they don't quite measure up," said Bauman. She adds that any negative award given by a teacher is inappropriate - whether it's a joke or not. The teacher works at Desert Springs Academy. It's unclear if the school will punish the teacher.
But take a look at what's written underneath. "The Catastrophe Award" - given to the one student with the most excuses for not having their homework done. "No child is going to be excited or happy, because they received and award like this," said Cassandra's mother. She is furious about the award that was given to Cassandra in front of her daughter's entire 3rd grade class.
"All the children were laughing at her." The teacher, Mrs. Plowman, calls the award a joke. Cassandra's mother however calls it bullying. "It is difficult to say whether their intent really was to humiliate or make an example of one child in order to motivate others," said Sheri Bauman, psychologist at the University of Arizona.
YouTube link.
She says it's hard to define this one instance as "bullying." "So if this had been repeated whether in some way or in other ways, publicly embarrassing someone, pointing out their deficits, how they don't quite measure up," said Bauman. She adds that any negative award given by a teacher is inappropriate - whether it's a joke or not. The teacher works at Desert Springs Academy. It's unclear if the school will punish the teacher.
Jesus found in mouldy shower
A family in Splendora, Texas claims they have a holy vision inside their home, an image of Jesus created by mould in a bathroom. They say the image is giving them strength. "People say your house is blessed," said Chyanna Richards. "I see the head, the hair, a cloak."
Richards doesn't know if it's mould or mildew or what, but she knows in her heart what she sees: a likeness of Jesus, it's presence not without meaning. "Maybe it means something. Maybe look into yourself and see if you need to change something in your life," she said.
The mould started a couple of months ago while Thomas George, who also lives in the house, was in prison. "He's just watching over us to make sure nothing wrong happens or I get in trouble and go back," George said. "It gives me inspiration just to do better," George said.
YouTube link.
Another woman who lives in the home has HIV. Her family says she has been doing better since they discovered that mouldy likeness of Jesus in their shower just a few months ago.
With full news video.
Richards doesn't know if it's mould or mildew or what, but she knows in her heart what she sees: a likeness of Jesus, it's presence not without meaning. "Maybe it means something. Maybe look into yourself and see if you need to change something in your life," she said.
The mould started a couple of months ago while Thomas George, who also lives in the house, was in prison. "He's just watching over us to make sure nothing wrong happens or I get in trouble and go back," George said. "It gives me inspiration just to do better," George said.
YouTube link.
Another woman who lives in the home has HIV. Her family says she has been doing better since they discovered that mouldy likeness of Jesus in their shower just a few months ago.
With full news video.
Five have lucky escape after China bike crash
Five people have had a lucky escape after the motorcycle they were travelling on in eastern China was hit by a car.
Surveillance cameras showed the bike crossing an intersection in Zhejiang province, despite the traffic light being red.
YouTube link.
A few moments later, it was hit by a car which, according to police, had crossed during a yellow light. The five people riding on the motorcycle were knocked into the air before landing on the road.
They were all taken to a nearby hospital. Remarkably, none of them had sustained life-threatening injuries.
Surveillance cameras showed the bike crossing an intersection in Zhejiang province, despite the traffic light being red.
YouTube link.
A few moments later, it was hit by a car which, according to police, had crossed during a yellow light. The five people riding on the motorcycle were knocked into the air before landing on the road.
They were all taken to a nearby hospital. Remarkably, none of them had sustained life-threatening injuries.
Pickup truck crashes into bar pinning patrons
A pick-up truck, whose driver suffered from a medical condition, crashed through a bar in Little Canada, Minnesota, knocking and pinning customers inside. The 51-year-old-driver hit a light pole first before slamming into the building.
“I seen a pole flying through and I thought that was kind of strange,” said bartender Pat Sazenski. “And I heard a boom. Then a truck came right through the wall.” Three people were pinned up against the bar; two of them were seriously hurt. A total of six people were taken to the hospital.
YouTube link.
“They were dazed. They didn’t know what happened,” said Jim Cossak, who was working in the parking lot at the time and used his Bobcat to pull the truck away. “My fiancée went up to the woman pinned to try to help her and free the stuff away from her,” Cossak said.
Authorities said if the bartender had been serving someone at the opposite end of the bar, he would have been crushed. The driver was also taken to the hospital, but police aren’t releasing details about the medical condition.
“I seen a pole flying through and I thought that was kind of strange,” said bartender Pat Sazenski. “And I heard a boom. Then a truck came right through the wall.” Three people were pinned up against the bar; two of them were seriously hurt. A total of six people were taken to the hospital.
YouTube link.
“They were dazed. They didn’t know what happened,” said Jim Cossak, who was working in the parking lot at the time and used his Bobcat to pull the truck away. “My fiancée went up to the woman pinned to try to help her and free the stuff away from her,” Cossak said.
Authorities said if the bartender had been serving someone at the opposite end of the bar, he would have been crushed. The driver was also taken to the hospital, but police aren’t releasing details about the medical condition.
Have-a-go-hero, 71, thwarts sledgehammer wielding robbers
Police have released CCTV footage of the moment a 71-year-old have-a-go-hero thrawted robbers armed with sledgehammers who targeted a Bury St Edmunds jewellers. Michael Graver confronted a man wielding a sledgehammer and grabbed a bag containing £22,000 worth of watches during the raid on Thurlow Champness jewellers. This week the man who organised transport for the raid was found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery at Ipswich Crown Court. Dwayne Marsh, 34, of Dewey Road, Islington, who had denied the charge, hired a van to transport two scooters, which were used during the incident.
Photo from SWNS.
The court heard that Mr Graver, who was in the town centre shopping with his wife Penelope on February 28 last year, had seen two scooters pull up outside the Abbeygate Street jewellers. One of the scooters was used to smash open the shop door, allowing the two passengers to run inside where sledgehammers were used to smash open display cabinets containing Rolex watches. Mr Graver also ran inside and was faced by a man holding a sledgehammer in one hand and a bag containing stolen watches in the other. He said the man appeared more interested in getting out of the shop than attacking him.
The jury heard how as the man pushed past, Mr Graver tried to grab him but could not keep hold of his arm and he managed to reach the doorway. Mr Graver said that as the robber fled he managed to keep hold of the bag containing the gang’s entire haul of watches. The two scooters used by the gang, who had all been wearing black crash helmets, were later found abandoned in Long Brackland.Andrew Shaw, prosecuting, said that while Marsh had not been in Bury St Edmunds when the robbery took place, it was alleged he had played an important role in the crime by hiring a van in which the two scooters were moved to Suffolk.
YouTube link.
Both scooters had earlier been stolen in London, the jury were told. Giving evidence, Marsh denied any knowledge of the robbery and said that at the time he had been out shopping. Marsh accepted he had hired a van but told the jury it had been on behalf of a man known only to him as ‘Martin’ and with no knowledge that it was going to be used in connection with the robbery. He will be sentenced on a date yet to be fixed with four others, who have already pleaded guilty to the same offence.
Photo from SWNS.
The court heard that Mr Graver, who was in the town centre shopping with his wife Penelope on February 28 last year, had seen two scooters pull up outside the Abbeygate Street jewellers. One of the scooters was used to smash open the shop door, allowing the two passengers to run inside where sledgehammers were used to smash open display cabinets containing Rolex watches. Mr Graver also ran inside and was faced by a man holding a sledgehammer in one hand and a bag containing stolen watches in the other. He said the man appeared more interested in getting out of the shop than attacking him.
The jury heard how as the man pushed past, Mr Graver tried to grab him but could not keep hold of his arm and he managed to reach the doorway. Mr Graver said that as the robber fled he managed to keep hold of the bag containing the gang’s entire haul of watches. The two scooters used by the gang, who had all been wearing black crash helmets, were later found abandoned in Long Brackland.Andrew Shaw, prosecuting, said that while Marsh had not been in Bury St Edmunds when the robbery took place, it was alleged he had played an important role in the crime by hiring a van in which the two scooters were moved to Suffolk.
YouTube link.
Both scooters had earlier been stolen in London, the jury were told. Giving evidence, Marsh denied any knowledge of the robbery and said that at the time he had been out shopping. Marsh accepted he had hired a van but told the jury it had been on behalf of a man known only to him as ‘Martin’ and with no knowledge that it was going to be used in connection with the robbery. He will be sentenced on a date yet to be fixed with four others, who have already pleaded guilty to the same offence.
Pigs on the run cause chaos after escape from abattoir
A group of runaway pigs caused chaos after escaping from an abattoir and going on the run through Glossop town centre. The six hogs made a break for freedom through a gap in the fence of their holding pen on Monday afternoon. Traffic was brought to a standstill as they raced along High Street West before scattering in different directions.
John Mettrick, who owns the butchers on High Street West, was left alone to man the shop as staff rushed out to snare the runaway swine. He said: “We had every available member of staff that we could trying to round them up. We took our own trailer down and eventually we managed to get them all but they were scattered all over the place.
“One of them decided to go to the loo in Norfolk Square and as one of the lads went to apprehend it, he stood in it and ended up on his back. It was eventually captured in the storeroom of Esso Service Station and the other five were in various yards around Glossop.
“We got them all in the end but the lads were absolutely exhausted! It certainly caused much amusement in the town centre.” He added: “Members of the public were brilliant. We had loads of people ringing up. The office upstairs was like pig HQ! The pigs were no worse for their experience but obviously it’s something we don’t like to happen and we will be reviewing our procedures.”
John Mettrick, who owns the butchers on High Street West, was left alone to man the shop as staff rushed out to snare the runaway swine. He said: “We had every available member of staff that we could trying to round them up. We took our own trailer down and eventually we managed to get them all but they were scattered all over the place.
“One of them decided to go to the loo in Norfolk Square and as one of the lads went to apprehend it, he stood in it and ended up on his back. It was eventually captured in the storeroom of Esso Service Station and the other five were in various yards around Glossop.
“We got them all in the end but the lads were absolutely exhausted! It certainly caused much amusement in the town centre.” He added: “Members of the public were brilliant. We had loads of people ringing up. The office upstairs was like pig HQ! The pigs were no worse for their experience but obviously it’s something we don’t like to happen and we will be reviewing our procedures.”
Fox cub trapped between walls for two days
This exhausted little fox cub spent 36 hours trapped in between two cavity walls before being rescued from the three inch gap. Barney Rubble – as rescuer Buster Brown named him – was heard calling out for more than a day before the owner of the house in Emsworth discovered the noise was coming from his garage. He called Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service who sent out animal rescue expert Buster to the property in Birch Tree Close.
Using chimney rods to try to measure how far in the gap the cub was stuck, he then had to remove bricks to get to the animal. Buster said: ‘I’ve rescued three or four cats in similar circumstances and, believe it or not, a goat but never a fox cub. He is obviously at the age where his mum didn’t want him in the den any more and he has gone off to find his own place to live and got stuck in here. It was about 6in wide one end and down to 3in the other.
‘He was totally silent while I was rescuing him and it was quite tricky. After I had taken the first few bricks I took a picture to see if I could see him in there. He was well and truly stuck, his face was all twisted and lopsided. Then I had a go but just couldn’t get my hand in to get him out. It meant that, with the owners permission, I had to take more bricks out from behind him. There was a load of debris and rubble in the gap I had to get out of the way first so that’s why I named him Barney Rubble.’
Eventually Buster managed to get the cub’s hind legs and the owner of the garage gently prodded him with the chimney rods to help ease him out. The delicate operation took nearly two hours and part of the wall was taken off with a drill, hammer, bolster and chisel. But despite its ordeal the fox cub emerged into the light uninjured. Buster added: ‘It was quite lively, which was a good sign. He wasn’t too lethargic, just a bit dehydrated. I let it rest in my arms to make sure it was alright. As soon as I put it down it scampered off under a tree.’
Using chimney rods to try to measure how far in the gap the cub was stuck, he then had to remove bricks to get to the animal. Buster said: ‘I’ve rescued three or four cats in similar circumstances and, believe it or not, a goat but never a fox cub. He is obviously at the age where his mum didn’t want him in the den any more and he has gone off to find his own place to live and got stuck in here. It was about 6in wide one end and down to 3in the other.
‘He was totally silent while I was rescuing him and it was quite tricky. After I had taken the first few bricks I took a picture to see if I could see him in there. He was well and truly stuck, his face was all twisted and lopsided. Then I had a go but just couldn’t get my hand in to get him out. It meant that, with the owners permission, I had to take more bricks out from behind him. There was a load of debris and rubble in the gap I had to get out of the way first so that’s why I named him Barney Rubble.’
Eventually Buster managed to get the cub’s hind legs and the owner of the garage gently prodded him with the chimney rods to help ease him out. The delicate operation took nearly two hours and part of the wall was taken off with a drill, hammer, bolster and chisel. But despite its ordeal the fox cub emerged into the light uninjured. Buster added: ‘It was quite lively, which was a good sign. He wasn’t too lethargic, just a bit dehydrated. I let it rest in my arms to make sure it was alright. As soon as I put it down it scampered off under a tree.’
Man changes name to Tim Pppppppppprice to stop cold-callers
Pestered Tim Price was fed up by cold calling telephone salesmen calling so he’s added an extra nine Ps to his name in a desperate bid to make them stop. Tim, 49, has changed his name by deed poll to Tim Pppppppppprice. “It’s pronounced Tim Per-per-per-per-per-per-per-per-per-per-rice,” he said. “I like it. I did it to put them off, all these people who keep calling me trying to sell me things I don’t want. I must be on some kind of list. God knows how – I’m ex-directory. Anyway, my theory is that when these salesmen see my name on their list of names to call, they’ll think: ‘Blow that – I can’t even pronounce his name, so I won’t call him’.” Tim, a former RAF man and dispatch rider who lives in New Parks, Leicester, said he had no regrets. He now refers to himself as Tim ‘10p’ Price.
“Most people I’ve told have had a real laugh about it,” he said. When I rang the woman at the HSBC, my bank, she was wetting herself. I think it’s funny. One of my neighbours told in me great detail how much he hates it. He said I was a bloody idiot, but I told him where to get off.” It cost Tim £30 to change his name via deed poll and a further £70 to change the name on his passport. “I’ve just got my driving licence and passport back. I’m looking forward to the next time I go abroad – it should raise a few eyebrows going through customs. It’s taken a long time to sort everything out, but I don’t regret it,” he said.
“I hope the name acts as fly repellant to those people – and it attracts funny people with a good sense of humour.” But would it not have been cheaper and easier to register with the TPS, the Telephone Preference Service, a regulatory body that can stop these marketing calls? “I’ve not heard of it,” Tim said. It exists purely to help householders stop the sort of tele-marketing calls that drive Tim mad. “Well, I read about something similar, but I was told it would cost £15 a month, so I didn’t bother with it,” he said. A spokesman for the Telephone Preference Service – which is free – said it would be happy to help.
“We can’t comment on individual cases and haven’t been made aware of the specific details of Mr Pppppppppprice’s particular experiences of unsolicited marketing calls. However, we can say that Mr Pppppppppprice should have first spent a few seconds registering his telephone number with the Telephone Preference Service. This free service is proven to be far more effective than the Deed Poll Service at blocking cold calls.” Mr Pppppppppprice, however, has no regrets. “I like it. I like to make people smile. My mum and dad are dead, but my dad had a great sense of humour. He would have liked it. I have two brothers. One of them thinks it’s funny. The other one isn’t speaking to me.”
“Most people I’ve told have had a real laugh about it,” he said. When I rang the woman at the HSBC, my bank, she was wetting herself. I think it’s funny. One of my neighbours told in me great detail how much he hates it. He said I was a bloody idiot, but I told him where to get off.” It cost Tim £30 to change his name via deed poll and a further £70 to change the name on his passport. “I’ve just got my driving licence and passport back. I’m looking forward to the next time I go abroad – it should raise a few eyebrows going through customs. It’s taken a long time to sort everything out, but I don’t regret it,” he said.
“I hope the name acts as fly repellant to those people – and it attracts funny people with a good sense of humour.” But would it not have been cheaper and easier to register with the TPS, the Telephone Preference Service, a regulatory body that can stop these marketing calls? “I’ve not heard of it,” Tim said. It exists purely to help householders stop the sort of tele-marketing calls that drive Tim mad. “Well, I read about something similar, but I was told it would cost £15 a month, so I didn’t bother with it,” he said. A spokesman for the Telephone Preference Service – which is free – said it would be happy to help.
“We can’t comment on individual cases and haven’t been made aware of the specific details of Mr Pppppppppprice’s particular experiences of unsolicited marketing calls. However, we can say that Mr Pppppppppprice should have first spent a few seconds registering his telephone number with the Telephone Preference Service. This free service is proven to be far more effective than the Deed Poll Service at blocking cold calls.” Mr Pppppppppprice, however, has no regrets. “I like it. I like to make people smile. My mum and dad are dead, but my dad had a great sense of humour. He would have liked it. I have two brothers. One of them thinks it’s funny. The other one isn’t speaking to me.”
New £48,000 logo comes with just a hint of pretentiousness
University of the Arts London (UAL) has unveiled its new logo in a bid to help build a strong identity through contemporary branding. The new scheme cost £48,000 to create and its main concepts are simplicity and identity.
Domenic Lippa, a UAL alumnus, designed the logo and took charge of the project with Pentagram, his design consultancy. Lippa explained the importance of the colon in the new logo to emphasise the university's new identity.
He said: “The colon is the connection between UAL and the completion of the identity. A variety of colleges and variety of creativities exist. So it’s quite a challenge for us. This is a sort of new generation of our expression for the university”
Minami Takahashi, a student of Foundation Art and Design at Central Saint Martins, said: “Though £48,000 seems expensive for creating a logo, the new logo will bring a fresh feeling to the place and give me more motivation to study.”
Domenic Lippa, a UAL alumnus, designed the logo and took charge of the project with Pentagram, his design consultancy. Lippa explained the importance of the colon in the new logo to emphasise the university's new identity.
He said: “The colon is the connection between UAL and the completion of the identity. A variety of colleges and variety of creativities exist. So it’s quite a challenge for us. This is a sort of new generation of our expression for the university”
Minami Takahashi, a student of Foundation Art and Design at Central Saint Martins, said: “Though £48,000 seems expensive for creating a logo, the new logo will bring a fresh feeling to the place and give me more motivation to study.”
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Squirrel delays monorail
Monorail passengers at DisneyWorld had a 45-minute ride between stops because a squirrel got on the track and the lady driving couldn't bring herself to run it over. They made progress a few feet at a time, honking at the squirrel to continue further down the track.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
Baby bird with two heads and three beaks found
There are plenty of rare sights during spring in the Pioneer Valley, but perhaps few quite as rare as what April Britt found in the backyard of her Northampton, Massachusetts, home: a two-headed, three-beaked baby bird. Britt said she found the bird near the base of a tree in her yard on Monday afternoon and, figuring it wouldn't survive for long on the ground, returned it to its nest and to the pair of cardinals inside.
Britt said the deformed bird didn't make any sound that she could hear and appeared to only be able eat with assistance from the adult birds in the nest. It seemed that the bird's middle beak didn't work well and wasn't fully formed to grip food or eat on its own. And the partially formed beaks on either side didn't appear to be connected to the bird's throat, she said. Tom Lautzenheiser, regional scientist for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, said abnormalities like the one Britt found do occur from time to time, but most times they're not witnessed.
Lautzenheiser said that in most cases, animals with such severe deformities do not survive to birth, and the ones that do usually perish a short time after. Finding an animal with such a pronounced deformity having lived long enough to move about on its own and find its way out of the nest make the find that much more unusual, Lautzenheiser said.
The bird's abnormalities, Lautzenheiser said, could be the result of random chance, some type of problem during development in which a pair of embryos didn't split as they should have, man-made chemicals affecting the development of the embryo, or a combination of those factors. On Tuesday morning, the baby bird and two adults were no longer in the tree where they had made a home, Britt said, leaving the question of whether it could survive on its own up for debate.
Britt said the deformed bird didn't make any sound that she could hear and appeared to only be able eat with assistance from the adult birds in the nest. It seemed that the bird's middle beak didn't work well and wasn't fully formed to grip food or eat on its own. And the partially formed beaks on either side didn't appear to be connected to the bird's throat, she said. Tom Lautzenheiser, regional scientist for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, said abnormalities like the one Britt found do occur from time to time, but most times they're not witnessed.
Lautzenheiser said that in most cases, animals with such severe deformities do not survive to birth, and the ones that do usually perish a short time after. Finding an animal with such a pronounced deformity having lived long enough to move about on its own and find its way out of the nest make the find that much more unusual, Lautzenheiser said.
The bird's abnormalities, Lautzenheiser said, could be the result of random chance, some type of problem during development in which a pair of embryos didn't split as they should have, man-made chemicals affecting the development of the embryo, or a combination of those factors. On Tuesday morning, the baby bird and two adults were no longer in the tree where they had made a home, Britt said, leaving the question of whether it could survive on its own up for debate.
Serpent-handling pastor dies from rattlesnake bite
Mack Wolford, a flamboyant Pentecostal pastor from West Virginia, hoped the outdoor service he had planned for Sunday at an isolated state park would be a “homecoming like the old days,” full of folks speaking in tongues, handling snakes and having a “great time.” But it was not the sort of homecoming he foresaw. Instead, Wolford, who had turned 44 the previous day, was bitten by a rattlesnake he had owned for years. He died late on Sunday evening. Mark Randall “Mack” Wolford was known all over Appalachia as a daring man of conviction. He believed that the Bible mandates that Christians handle serpents to test their faith in God — and that, if they are bitten, they trust in God alone to heal them.
He and other adherents cited Mark 16:17-18 as the reason for their practice: “And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” The son of a serpent handler who had himself died in 1983 after being bitten, Wolford was trying to keep the practice alive, both in West Virginia, where it is legal, and in neighbouring states where it is not. He was the kind of man reporters love: articulate, friendly and appreciative of media attention. Many serpent-handling Pentecostals retreat from journalists, but Mack didn’t. He’d take them on snake-hunting expeditions. Last Sunday started as a festive outdoor worship service on a sunny afternoon at Panther Wildlife Management Area, a state park roughly 80 miles west of Bluefield, W.Va.
In the preceding days, Wolford had posted several teasers on his Facebook page asking people to attend. “I am looking for a great time this Sunday,” he wrote on May 22. “It is going to be a homecoming like the old days. Good ‘ole raised in the holler or mountain ridge running, Holy Ghost-filled speaking-in-tongues sign believers. Praise the Lord and pass the rattlesnakes, brother” he wrote on May 23. He also invited his extended family, who had largely given up the practice of serpent handling, to come to the park. “At one time or another, we had handled [snakes], but we had backslid,” his sister, Robin Vanover, said late Monday evening. “His birthday was Saturday and all he wanted to do is get his brothers and sisters in church together.” And so they were gathered at this evangelistic hootenanny of Christian praise and worship.
About 30 minutes into the service, his sister said, Wolford had been passing a yellow timber rattlesnake to a church member and his mother. “He laid it on the ground,” she said, “and he sat down next to the snake, and it bit him on the thigh.” The festivities came to a halt shortly thereafter and Wolford was taken back to a relative’s house in Bluefield to recover, as he always had when suffering from previous snake bites. By late afternoon, it was clear that this time was different, and desperate messages began flying about on Facebook asking for prayer. Wolford got progressively worse. Paramedics transported him to the Bluefield Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead early on Monday morning. It could not be determined when the paramedics were called.
He and other adherents cited Mark 16:17-18 as the reason for their practice: “And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” The son of a serpent handler who had himself died in 1983 after being bitten, Wolford was trying to keep the practice alive, both in West Virginia, where it is legal, and in neighbouring states where it is not. He was the kind of man reporters love: articulate, friendly and appreciative of media attention. Many serpent-handling Pentecostals retreat from journalists, but Mack didn’t. He’d take them on snake-hunting expeditions. Last Sunday started as a festive outdoor worship service on a sunny afternoon at Panther Wildlife Management Area, a state park roughly 80 miles west of Bluefield, W.Va.
In the preceding days, Wolford had posted several teasers on his Facebook page asking people to attend. “I am looking for a great time this Sunday,” he wrote on May 22. “It is going to be a homecoming like the old days. Good ‘ole raised in the holler or mountain ridge running, Holy Ghost-filled speaking-in-tongues sign believers. Praise the Lord and pass the rattlesnakes, brother” he wrote on May 23. He also invited his extended family, who had largely given up the practice of serpent handling, to come to the park. “At one time or another, we had handled [snakes], but we had backslid,” his sister, Robin Vanover, said late Monday evening. “His birthday was Saturday and all he wanted to do is get his brothers and sisters in church together.” And so they were gathered at this evangelistic hootenanny of Christian praise and worship.
About 30 minutes into the service, his sister said, Wolford had been passing a yellow timber rattlesnake to a church member and his mother. “He laid it on the ground,” she said, “and he sat down next to the snake, and it bit him on the thigh.” The festivities came to a halt shortly thereafter and Wolford was taken back to a relative’s house in Bluefield to recover, as he always had when suffering from previous snake bites. By late afternoon, it was clear that this time was different, and desperate messages began flying about on Facebook asking for prayer. Wolford got progressively worse. Paramedics transported him to the Bluefield Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead early on Monday morning. It could not be determined when the paramedics were called.
Leopard escapes slimy pond by climbing ladder
Stuck in a slimy pond, this leopard was certainly in a tight spot.
But the wild cat, who fell in the gungy reservoir surrounded by a 14ft wall, was given a lucky escape after rescuers put a ladder in the water.
The beast, who had been languishing in the tank for more than an hour, duly climbed out and disappeared into the forest near the tea estate in Sangatram, north-east India.
YouTube link.
A team of foresters from the Sukna Wildlife Squad had earlier tried to pull the leopard out of water with a net. But the animal refused to let himself be caught. The ladder was a lucky last resort.
But the wild cat, who fell in the gungy reservoir surrounded by a 14ft wall, was given a lucky escape after rescuers put a ladder in the water.
The beast, who had been languishing in the tank for more than an hour, duly climbed out and disappeared into the forest near the tea estate in Sangatram, north-east India.
YouTube link.
A team of foresters from the Sukna Wildlife Squad had earlier tried to pull the leopard out of water with a net. But the animal refused to let himself be caught. The ladder was a lucky last resort.
Well-dressed piglet causes scene on busy road
Motorists reported a sharply-dressed pig running loose on the Parkway West in Pittsburgh on Wednesday morning, where state troopers also spotted the animal but failed to catch it before it scurried off into the woods.
The pig seen wearing a scarf was reported just west of the city near the Green Tree exit. The reports came in between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.
State troopers from the nearby barracks in Findlay Township were able to spot the pig, but couldn't catch up to it.
Police said the pig appeared to be a baby and confirmed it was wearing a scarf. Police don't know why that is or who may own the animal.
The pig seen wearing a scarf was reported just west of the city near the Green Tree exit. The reports came in between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.
State troopers from the nearby barracks in Findlay Township were able to spot the pig, but couldn't catch up to it.
Police said the pig appeared to be a baby and confirmed it was wearing a scarf. Police don't know why that is or who may own the animal.
Five Wives Vodka deemed offensive to Mormons
Five Wives Vodka was declared to be bad taste for offending Mormons, and will not be stocked or special ordered at stores operated by the state of Idaho, regulators said. It is made by Ogden's Own Distillery in Utah, where the Mormon church is based. Its label carries the name and an image of five women, an apparent reference to polygamy, a practice abandoned by the church more than a century ago. Idaho State Liquor Division administrator Jeff Anderson said the brand is offensive to Mormons who make up over a quarter of Idaho's population.
Regulators in Idaho notified Elite Spirits Distributor that the brand's concept is "offensive to a prominent segment of our population and will not be carried," according to a letter sent on Thursday. "The bottom line is, we represent everybody," Anderson added. "It's masterful marketing on their part. But it doesn't play here." Anderson said state stores already make hundreds of vodka brands available for sale and don't have room for another brand priced at around $20 (£13) a bottle.
Ogden's Own Distillery is trying to make the most of the rejection with a media campaign and sale of "Free the Five Wives" T-shirts. It says the snub is unfair because a Utah beer named Polygamy Porter is available in Idaho. Anderson said Idaho doesn't decide what beer brands can be sold in grocery and convenience stores. "We're a little dumbfounded by it all," said Steve Conlin, a partner and marketing chief for Ogden's Own Distillery. "The average person can look at our bottle and they don't find it offensive. It's certainly not obscene, which is what it would require for it to be banned."
Five Wives Vodka has been approved for sale in Utah, a state dominated by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nobody in Utah is raising a fuss over the brand, said Vickie Ashby, a spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Utah regulates all sales of hard liquor, wine and heavy beer, making the products available only at state-owned stores. Idaho controls liquor sales with a mix of state-owned and privately-operated stores.
Regulators in Idaho notified Elite Spirits Distributor that the brand's concept is "offensive to a prominent segment of our population and will not be carried," according to a letter sent on Thursday. "The bottom line is, we represent everybody," Anderson added. "It's masterful marketing on their part. But it doesn't play here." Anderson said state stores already make hundreds of vodka brands available for sale and don't have room for another brand priced at around $20 (£13) a bottle.
Ogden's Own Distillery is trying to make the most of the rejection with a media campaign and sale of "Free the Five Wives" T-shirts. It says the snub is unfair because a Utah beer named Polygamy Porter is available in Idaho. Anderson said Idaho doesn't decide what beer brands can be sold in grocery and convenience stores. "We're a little dumbfounded by it all," said Steve Conlin, a partner and marketing chief for Ogden's Own Distillery. "The average person can look at our bottle and they don't find it offensive. It's certainly not obscene, which is what it would require for it to be banned."
Five Wives Vodka has been approved for sale in Utah, a state dominated by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nobody in Utah is raising a fuss over the brand, said Vickie Ashby, a spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Utah regulates all sales of hard liquor, wine and heavy beer, making the products available only at state-owned stores. Idaho controls liquor sales with a mix of state-owned and privately-operated stores.
Woman faints at Passport Office after telepathic sex attack by elderly man
A Zimbabwean woman fainted waiting for her passport after a daring man using mubobobo magic pounced on her with his unusual sexual antics.
The accused man was in the same queue with the victim at Masvingo Registrar General’s Office, applying for passports. Several women complained of feeling dizzy as the man unleashed the mubobobo on unsuspecting victims. The man who is thought to be in his late 60s stood behind women and word is that he usually comes to the offices when there are many people.
Old as he appeared, he stands outside the offices as if he wants to obtain a passport but many people have since found out that he would be having a different agenda of executing his 'African Technology' mission. The man would apparently, after satisfying his sexual ego through mysterious ways popularly known as mubobobo, which is akin to witchcraft, move away from the queue.
Last month, the man is said to have seduced one woman twice before she fainted and was taken to the guardroom where upon recovery, she confirmed that she felt as if she had been having sex with a man. "Ndange ndichinzwa sendiri kukwirwa ndobva ndapunzika, uye handisati ndambopunzika ( someoneI felt as if I was having sex with, and I have never experienced this before)," she confirmed this to her female rescuer who later told all and sundry about the remote control man.
The accused man was in the same queue with the victim at Masvingo Registrar General’s Office, applying for passports. Several women complained of feeling dizzy as the man unleashed the mubobobo on unsuspecting victims. The man who is thought to be in his late 60s stood behind women and word is that he usually comes to the offices when there are many people.
Old as he appeared, he stands outside the offices as if he wants to obtain a passport but many people have since found out that he would be having a different agenda of executing his 'African Technology' mission. The man would apparently, after satisfying his sexual ego through mysterious ways popularly known as mubobobo, which is akin to witchcraft, move away from the queue.
Last month, the man is said to have seduced one woman twice before she fainted and was taken to the guardroom where upon recovery, she confirmed that she felt as if she had been having sex with a man. "Ndange ndichinzwa sendiri kukwirwa ndobva ndapunzika, uye handisati ndambopunzika ( someoneI felt as if I was having sex with, and I have never experienced this before)," she confirmed this to her female rescuer who later told all and sundry about the remote control man.
Former bank vice president sued by landlord over 14th-floor Bronx apartment fish farm
A Bronx landlord has sued a tenant who turned his high-rise living room into a fish farm that allegedly leaks water into the apartment below and has the hallway stinking like a fish market. Former bank vice president Christopher Toole, 47, created an “aquaponic” — a nonprofit business that encourages urbanites to grow tilapia and other denizens of the deep in their cramped city apartments.
Fed-up neighbours complain that Toole constantly drags water-filled fish-farming equipment across his 14th-floor apartment’s wooden floors at all hours of the night and is to blame for several major water leaks. “It’s irritating because you hear noise all the time. It’s 3:30 in the morning, and you hear him dragging his aquarium or whatever it is across the floor.
It has changed my life,” fumed a frustrated Roch McDowell, whose apartment directly below the oddball fish farmer’s has been swamped with fish-waste tainted water. McDowell said he is reduced to screaming at the ceiling when Toole gets too loud: “Hey a--hole, that’s enough!” The landlord claims Toole is violating his lease by illegally breeding fish and running his Society of Aquaponic Values and Education from his apartment at 4705 Henry Hudson Parkway. Toole has “refused to refrain [from] making noises and causing odors,” the lawsuit charges.
“He’s running a business out of his apartment,” said Errol Brett, the lawyer for landlord Windsor Apts. Inc. Toole’s brainchild is catching on so quickly, he expanded to the Point, a community centre in Hunts Point where he raises fish in a colony of 55-gallon tanks and plastic recycling bins. Toole — who earned an economics degree from Tufts and worked at Morgan Stanley and as a vice president for Sovereign Bank — now toils away teaching neighbourhood kids about fish farming and the art of aquaponics in exchange for space.
There's a video about Mr Toole and his activities here.
Fed-up neighbours complain that Toole constantly drags water-filled fish-farming equipment across his 14th-floor apartment’s wooden floors at all hours of the night and is to blame for several major water leaks. “It’s irritating because you hear noise all the time. It’s 3:30 in the morning, and you hear him dragging his aquarium or whatever it is across the floor.
It has changed my life,” fumed a frustrated Roch McDowell, whose apartment directly below the oddball fish farmer’s has been swamped with fish-waste tainted water. McDowell said he is reduced to screaming at the ceiling when Toole gets too loud: “Hey a--hole, that’s enough!” The landlord claims Toole is violating his lease by illegally breeding fish and running his Society of Aquaponic Values and Education from his apartment at 4705 Henry Hudson Parkway. Toole has “refused to refrain [from] making noises and causing odors,” the lawsuit charges.
“He’s running a business out of his apartment,” said Errol Brett, the lawyer for landlord Windsor Apts. Inc. Toole’s brainchild is catching on so quickly, he expanded to the Point, a community centre in Hunts Point where he raises fish in a colony of 55-gallon tanks and plastic recycling bins. Toole — who earned an economics degree from Tufts and worked at Morgan Stanley and as a vice president for Sovereign Bank — now toils away teaching neighbourhood kids about fish farming and the art of aquaponics in exchange for space.
There's a video about Mr Toole and his activities here.
Bear takes a leisurely dip in Californian pool
Two sisters in Monrovia were shocked to find a big bear taking a dip in their family’s backyard infinity pool. The two teens, Rachel and Valerie Gasparini, were alone in the kitchen of their Monrovia home when they spotted the animal.
The girls started shooting video, but from a safe distance inside the house. “It kind of like walks over to the pool, and we thought it was gonna drink some water,” Rachel said. It ends up jumping over the ledge, and it’s kind of like floating around there, chilling.”
YouTube link. Original video.
They said the bear — which they named “Larry” — was sitting on the built-in underwater stools and enjoying the view. The teens said the bear took its time, and didn’t seem too threatening, but they weren’t going to find out.
They called their parents, but never called 911. “It wasn’t any making a ruckus or it wasn’t like destroying things in our backyard, so we didn’t really feel the need to call anybody,” Valerie explained. “Ya, it was more of entertainment than a scare,” Rachel added.
The girls started shooting video, but from a safe distance inside the house. “It kind of like walks over to the pool, and we thought it was gonna drink some water,” Rachel said. It ends up jumping over the ledge, and it’s kind of like floating around there, chilling.”
YouTube link. Original video.
They said the bear — which they named “Larry” — was sitting on the built-in underwater stools and enjoying the view. The teens said the bear took its time, and didn’t seem too threatening, but they weren’t going to find out.
They called their parents, but never called 911. “It wasn’t any making a ruckus or it wasn’t like destroying things in our backyard, so we didn’t really feel the need to call anybody,” Valerie explained. “Ya, it was more of entertainment than a scare,” Rachel added.
German couple face jail over poaching charge for fake fishing
German dad Alexander Donninger and his wife Stefanie are facing jail after they were accused of poaching when they hung a deep frozen fish on their children's fishing line to give them a bit of fun while on holiday in the Austrian Tyrol. The couple were with their twins Enya and Arthur aged seven and had purchased the rainbow trout costing two pounds a day before.
But a local who spotted the family at the river at Kufstein called police and they arrested the couple for illegal fishing. A police spokesman said: "Regardless of whether he had a frozen fish on the line or not it is illegal to have a rod in the water without a licence."
Donninger, 42, said: "What really annoyed me was the man who reported this. He came up to me and was talking to me and he knew we were using a frozen fish, because I didn't have a licence he called police but he didn't say anything at the time otherwise it could have been speedily settled."
The dad could face up to 6 months in prison if convicted after the man that owned the river insisted that there was no way of proving whether it was a frozen fish and that the maximum penalty be applied, because otherwise everybody would use the same excuse. Lawyer Taddaeus Schaefer, defending, said: "It is madness that such a small offence with a fish worth no more than a few euros is even coming to court. It is like we are living in the mediaeval ages again."
But a local who spotted the family at the river at Kufstein called police and they arrested the couple for illegal fishing. A police spokesman said: "Regardless of whether he had a frozen fish on the line or not it is illegal to have a rod in the water without a licence."
Donninger, 42, said: "What really annoyed me was the man who reported this. He came up to me and was talking to me and he knew we were using a frozen fish, because I didn't have a licence he called police but he didn't say anything at the time otherwise it could have been speedily settled."
The dad could face up to 6 months in prison if convicted after the man that owned the river insisted that there was no way of proving whether it was a frozen fish and that the maximum penalty be applied, because otherwise everybody would use the same excuse. Lawyer Taddaeus Schaefer, defending, said: "It is madness that such a small offence with a fish worth no more than a few euros is even coming to court. It is like we are living in the mediaeval ages again."
Man turned away from court for wearing shorts returned wearing a blouse and skirt
A man wore a woman’s skirt and blouse in court after being told he could not wear shorts in front of magistrates.
David Jeffries-Tipton had been told he was not dressed appropriately when he arrived at Cannock Magistrates Court so went and bought a set of ladies’ clothes as a protest. Wearing a red floral skirt and light coloured silk blouse, the 47-year-old had his trial heard.
Speaking after the case, in which magistrates made no reference to his attire, Jeffries-Tipton, of Deer Hill, Brocton, Stafford said: “I had to go to a charity shop to get these clothes and I will be making a complaint.”
Jeffries-Tipton was charged with criminal damage to a dog basket and a flat-screen TV after going to see his ex-girlfriend, licensee Karen Griggs at the Langtry’s Pub in Stone. He had denied the charge over the TV and was acquitted. He admitted damaging the dog basket. A report will be compiled and he will re-appear in court on June 20. He was given bail.
David Jeffries-Tipton had been told he was not dressed appropriately when he arrived at Cannock Magistrates Court so went and bought a set of ladies’ clothes as a protest. Wearing a red floral skirt and light coloured silk blouse, the 47-year-old had his trial heard.
Speaking after the case, in which magistrates made no reference to his attire, Jeffries-Tipton, of Deer Hill, Brocton, Stafford said: “I had to go to a charity shop to get these clothes and I will be making a complaint.”
Jeffries-Tipton was charged with criminal damage to a dog basket and a flat-screen TV after going to see his ex-girlfriend, licensee Karen Griggs at the Langtry’s Pub in Stone. He had denied the charge over the TV and was acquitted. He admitted damaging the dog basket. A report will be compiled and he will re-appear in court on June 20. He was given bail.
Laa-Laa insists the Teletubbies were not gay
A former Teletubby has broken her silence to insist: Laa-Laa, Tinky Winky, Dipsy and Po weren't gay. Nikky Smedley, who played yellow-suited Laa-Laa, spoke out to rubbish claims smash hit children’s show Teletubbies was laced wih gay innuendo. She said: “I think it’s embarrassing for the people who said it.
“What kind of person can take the obvious innocence and turn it into something else? We were hardly sexual beings.” Nikky, now working as a professional storyteller, last donned the famous furry outfit in 2007. During her ten years as Laa-Laa, the BBC show battled rumours of gay undertones.
In 1999, American cleric Jerry Falwell claimed Tinky Winky was a homosexual role model for children, based on the fact he wore purple and had a triangular antenna. Both are symbols in the gay pride movement. Nikky, from Solihull but now living in Shipston on Stour, has rubbished the rumour-mill.
She’s proud of her part in the BBC blockbuster, but doesn’t miss it. “I don’t pine for pink custard, if that’s what you mean,” said the 49-year-old. When the show was explained to me, I thought it was a work of genius. I thought it will be massive. It came from a place of love and engagement for young children. It is fantastic that somewhere in the world a child will be looking at Laa-Laa and laughing.”
“What kind of person can take the obvious innocence and turn it into something else? We were hardly sexual beings.” Nikky, now working as a professional storyteller, last donned the famous furry outfit in 2007. During her ten years as Laa-Laa, the BBC show battled rumours of gay undertones.
In 1999, American cleric Jerry Falwell claimed Tinky Winky was a homosexual role model for children, based on the fact he wore purple and had a triangular antenna. Both are symbols in the gay pride movement. Nikky, from Solihull but now living in Shipston on Stour, has rubbished the rumour-mill.
She’s proud of her part in the BBC blockbuster, but doesn’t miss it. “I don’t pine for pink custard, if that’s what you mean,” said the 49-year-old. When the show was explained to me, I thought it was a work of genius. I thought it will be massive. It came from a place of love and engagement for young children. It is fantastic that somewhere in the world a child will be looking at Laa-Laa and laughing.”
Cornish joke on Have I Got News For You sparks MP anger
An MP has complained to the BBC and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) over a joke about the Cornish on Have I Got News For You. The joke was made on the latest edition of the TV satire show by panellist Andy Hamilton in response to a question. Dan Rogerson, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, said the comments showed that "Cornish are discriminated against as a group".
The show's producers said the comment was "clearly tongue in cheek". In the show, guest host William Shatner asked a question about the Olympic torch relay: "What caused confusion in Truro?" Panellist Andy Hamilton responded: "Well, they're Cornish aren't they? They'll always be confused in Truro."
Mr Rogerson, who didn't actually see the show, said: "Of course I like a joke as much as the next person, but on this occasion I can't help but feel that these comments wouldn't be tolerated if they were aimed at the Welsh, Scottish or indeed any other nationality or cultural minority. I feel that it is comments like this which show that the Cornish are discriminated against as a group, and that they should be recognised as a distinct cultural minority."
He added: "This would give protections to make sure the Cornish are not stopped from maintaining and celebrating our distinct identity. I don't want kids in Cornwall to see this kind of thing and and think, 'Is there something about me, maybe I'm not as bright as all the others, maybe I haven't got the chance to be as successful as everybody else.'" BBC Radio Cornwall listener Steve Dawe, 47, from Callington, said: "It was not offensive, it was very funny. People seem to be having a major sense of humour bypass. Everyone was being picked on, MPs, bankers, the Welsh, Scots. The whole programme was having a bash at everyone."
With audio.
The show's producers said the comment was "clearly tongue in cheek". In the show, guest host William Shatner asked a question about the Olympic torch relay: "What caused confusion in Truro?" Panellist Andy Hamilton responded: "Well, they're Cornish aren't they? They'll always be confused in Truro."
Mr Rogerson, who didn't actually see the show, said: "Of course I like a joke as much as the next person, but on this occasion I can't help but feel that these comments wouldn't be tolerated if they were aimed at the Welsh, Scottish or indeed any other nationality or cultural minority. I feel that it is comments like this which show that the Cornish are discriminated against as a group, and that they should be recognised as a distinct cultural minority."
He added: "This would give protections to make sure the Cornish are not stopped from maintaining and celebrating our distinct identity. I don't want kids in Cornwall to see this kind of thing and and think, 'Is there something about me, maybe I'm not as bright as all the others, maybe I haven't got the chance to be as successful as everybody else.'" BBC Radio Cornwall listener Steve Dawe, 47, from Callington, said: "It was not offensive, it was very funny. People seem to be having a major sense of humour bypass. Everyone was being picked on, MPs, bankers, the Welsh, Scots. The whole programme was having a bash at everyone."
With audio.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tony and the Hand Jive
While attending the The Leveson Inquiry on Monday, The Reverend Tony Blair threw some shapes.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
Drunk woman crashed right through home
A boozed-up driver tore through a 96-year-old woman’s Long Island house on Monday, spinning such a devastating path of destruction that the stove wound up in the back yard, police said. Sophia Anderson, 21, was behind the wheel of a red convertible Mercedes at about 4 a.m. when she failed to turn at a T-shaped intersection and slammed into the Huntington home of Helen Indiere.
The car tore through the kitchen and busted through the flowery wallpapered rear wall. It finally came to a stop when it hit a tree in the backyard garden. It struck with such force it shook neighbouring homes. “I never heard brakes,” said next-door neighbour Kimberly Steinberg, who called 911. The driver’s mother, Susan Anderson, was in shock when told her about the crash. “Oh, my God! This is not like her. I don’t know what’s going on,” the shaken-up mother said. “She doesn’t have a car in the city. I don’t know whose it is.”
Anderson, who grew up in the tony Connecticut town of Deep River, left for the city two years ago, her mother said. She moved from Queens to Harlem to her current digs in Bushwick, Brooklyn — all the while working and applying to schools. “She has her own life; she’s been away for a couple of years now. I don’t even know who her friends are,” her mother said. Anderson works as a waitress at the Union Square restaurant Kibo, and was informed on Sunday that it was closing, a friend and co-worker said.
She told colleagues she was headed to the Hamptons for the weekend, the friend said — though Huntington is nowhere near the Hamptons. “Nothing seemed wrong,” said the friend, who did not want to be identified. “She likes to have fun after the job, but nothing crazy,” the friend added. Indiere and her live-in caretaker were not injured, police said. Anderson and an unidentified man riding in the car suffered minor injuries. Anderson refused to take a Breathalyzer or blood test, police said, and was charged with driving while intoxicated.
The car tore through the kitchen and busted through the flowery wallpapered rear wall. It finally came to a stop when it hit a tree in the backyard garden. It struck with such force it shook neighbouring homes. “I never heard brakes,” said next-door neighbour Kimberly Steinberg, who called 911. The driver’s mother, Susan Anderson, was in shock when told her about the crash. “Oh, my God! This is not like her. I don’t know what’s going on,” the shaken-up mother said. “She doesn’t have a car in the city. I don’t know whose it is.”
Anderson, who grew up in the tony Connecticut town of Deep River, left for the city two years ago, her mother said. She moved from Queens to Harlem to her current digs in Bushwick, Brooklyn — all the while working and applying to schools. “She has her own life; she’s been away for a couple of years now. I don’t even know who her friends are,” her mother said. Anderson works as a waitress at the Union Square restaurant Kibo, and was informed on Sunday that it was closing, a friend and co-worker said.
She told colleagues she was headed to the Hamptons for the weekend, the friend said — though Huntington is nowhere near the Hamptons. “Nothing seemed wrong,” said the friend, who did not want to be identified. “She likes to have fun after the job, but nothing crazy,” the friend added. Indiere and her live-in caretaker were not injured, police said. Anderson and an unidentified man riding in the car suffered minor injuries. Anderson refused to take a Breathalyzer or blood test, police said, and was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Indian doctors remove live fish from lung of 12-year-old boy
In a rare piece of surgery, a team of Indore doctors saved the life of a 12-year-old boy who had swallowed a nine-centimetre long live fish while playing on the riverside with his friends. According to the doctors, Anil Barela, a resident of Khargone district, was playing with his friends on May 23. It was a routine for the kids to swallow live fish but this time when Anil swallowed the fish, instead of going to food pipe it entered the left lung through the wind pipe.
Anil soon started feeling short of breath and his breathing rate was reported 34 per minute while 17 per minute is considered to be normal. He had to undergo X-ray when the oxygen level in blood was measured 80 percent, 18% per cent lower than the normal.
Dr Pramod Jhawar, chest specialist and bronchoscope expert said, "X-ray displayed the left lung completely opaque due to the presence of a foreign object. The fish was live and taking its last breath when the bronchoscopy was done, restricting the functioning of both the longs resulting in low intake of oxygen." He said, "It is the first case of this sort that we have come across in 20 years time."
YouTube link.
Dr Jhawar with ENT specialist Dr Nikhil Saxena and anesthetists performed a 45-miutes long surgery to get the fish out of the lungs. Dr Saxena said, "We have come across cases where kids swallow plastic or other materials, but this case was unique in its own way,"
Anil soon started feeling short of breath and his breathing rate was reported 34 per minute while 17 per minute is considered to be normal. He had to undergo X-ray when the oxygen level in blood was measured 80 percent, 18% per cent lower than the normal.
Dr Pramod Jhawar, chest specialist and bronchoscope expert said, "X-ray displayed the left lung completely opaque due to the presence of a foreign object. The fish was live and taking its last breath when the bronchoscopy was done, restricting the functioning of both the longs resulting in low intake of oxygen." He said, "It is the first case of this sort that we have come across in 20 years time."
YouTube link.
Dr Jhawar with ENT specialist Dr Nikhil Saxena and anesthetists performed a 45-miutes long surgery to get the fish out of the lungs. Dr Saxena said, "We have come across cases where kids swallow plastic or other materials, but this case was unique in its own way,"
Man tried to steal clock from police station wall
Two men are in the Bay County Jail after attempting to steal a clock off the wall of the Panama City Police Station, Florida.
Dennis W. Baugham, 51, and Michael A. Marquez, 34, were fighting near the Hathaway Bridge at about 3 a.m. Tuesday when police were called to the scene.
Panama City police found the pair in the possession of a shopping cart taken from a store a few miles from the bridge, along with new camping items such as a tent, camping stove, and camping fuel, which the police said they believe was stolen as well. Both men were taken to the Panama City Police station.
As officers tried to figure out who owned the camping equipment, officers monitoring Marquez saw him take a clock from the wall of an interview room and try to hide it in his backpack. Officers retrieved the clock. Both men were charged with possession of a stolen shopping cart, while Marquez was also charged with petit theft. Both men were booked into the Bay County Jail.
Dennis W. Baugham, 51, and Michael A. Marquez, 34, were fighting near the Hathaway Bridge at about 3 a.m. Tuesday when police were called to the scene.
Panama City police found the pair in the possession of a shopping cart taken from a store a few miles from the bridge, along with new camping items such as a tent, camping stove, and camping fuel, which the police said they believe was stolen as well. Both men were taken to the Panama City Police station.
As officers tried to figure out who owned the camping equipment, officers monitoring Marquez saw him take a clock from the wall of an interview room and try to hide it in his backpack. Officers retrieved the clock. Both men were charged with possession of a stolen shopping cart, while Marquez was also charged with petit theft. Both men were booked into the Bay County Jail.
Builders save kittens beneath concrete floor
Meet Crete. As in, concrete. He's named that because his owner rescued him from inside of a garage floor. Builders were working on a new home in West Jordan when they thought they heard meowing. "The sheetrockers said they kept hearing the cat," said contractor David Best. "So they started tearing apart the walls and cutting holes in things looking for this cat." The workers made their way around the home, cutting holes in numerous rooms trying to find the animal.
"I thought maybe it had climbed up in there and slid down and got stuck," said contractor Russell Evans. "So I just cut it out and I'm like tearing it out, and I'm like, 'Where is the cat?' These guys would call, 'Hey kitty, kitty, kitty,' and it would meow, and I thought, 'Wow, it's in the middle,' and we've got our ears to the ground and everything," Best said. The bizarre reality finally set in. "I call Rich, and I'm like, 'I can hear the cat. It's in the concrete, I know it,'" Evans said.
This home's garage floor has a hollow-core concrete slab underneath it, with compartments like a honey-comb. The cat had apparently made its way into one of the segments before the garage floor was poured, 12 days earlier. When workers realized where the cat was, they made plans to rescue the cat, because the alternative was just too grim. Despite the cost of damages the rescue would cost, into the garage floor they went. As soon as the hole was big enough, the cat dashed away.
But there was another surprise waiting for them; several other sets of glowing eyes shined out of the darkness. It hadn't been just one cat, but a mother and her litter of three kittens. The kittens were extremely malnourished, and the 12-day darkness left little Crete blind. "He can kind of see once in a while, but for the most part he's pretty blind, is what the doctor said," Evans said. The workers adopted two of the kittens, and the third, which was too deep in the hole to reach, seems to have been taken by the mother.
With news video.
"I thought maybe it had climbed up in there and slid down and got stuck," said contractor Russell Evans. "So I just cut it out and I'm like tearing it out, and I'm like, 'Where is the cat?' These guys would call, 'Hey kitty, kitty, kitty,' and it would meow, and I thought, 'Wow, it's in the middle,' and we've got our ears to the ground and everything," Best said. The bizarre reality finally set in. "I call Rich, and I'm like, 'I can hear the cat. It's in the concrete, I know it,'" Evans said.
This home's garage floor has a hollow-core concrete slab underneath it, with compartments like a honey-comb. The cat had apparently made its way into one of the segments before the garage floor was poured, 12 days earlier. When workers realized where the cat was, they made plans to rescue the cat, because the alternative was just too grim. Despite the cost of damages the rescue would cost, into the garage floor they went. As soon as the hole was big enough, the cat dashed away.
But there was another surprise waiting for them; several other sets of glowing eyes shined out of the darkness. It hadn't been just one cat, but a mother and her litter of three kittens. The kittens were extremely malnourished, and the 12-day darkness left little Crete blind. "He can kind of see once in a while, but for the most part he's pretty blind, is what the doctor said," Evans said. The workers adopted two of the kittens, and the third, which was too deep in the hole to reach, seems to have been taken by the mother.
With news video.
Four men and two women sentenced to death for dancing at Pakistan wedding
Religious hardliners have ordered the deaths of four men and two women after they were filmed dancing together at a wedding in northern Pakistan, according to local police and relatives. A traditional jirga, or tribal council, condemned the six to death for “staining the honour” of their families after they defied local customs that require men and women to remain separate at weddings.
They were sentenced after mobile phone footage of the event surfaced, infuriating residents of a remote village in the mountainous district of Kohistan, 100 miles north of the capital Islamabad. Muhammad Afzal, brother of the two men, said: “A tribal jirga has declared them fornicators and they might be killed any time.” Police officers said they were working to rescue the six and local officials said a cleric had been arrested.
Abdul Majeed Afridi, district police officer, said: “It was decided that the men will be killed first, but they ran away so the women are safe for the moment. I have sent a team to rescue them and am waiting to hear some news.” However, he added that the six might be victims of a local tribal dispute and it was not clear whether the six had been dancing together. “All of them were shown separately in the video. I’ve seen the video taken on a cell phone myself, it shows four women singing and a man dancing in separate scenes and then another man sitting in a separate shot,” he added.
The wedding happened two months ago but the controversy only came to light this week. “Police have arrested a cleric and his companion for issuing the death decree, but they totally denied it,” local administration official Aqal Badshah Khattak said. The case highlights the issue of honour killings in Pakistan, where women are treated as second-class citizens in conservative, rural areas.
They were sentenced after mobile phone footage of the event surfaced, infuriating residents of a remote village in the mountainous district of Kohistan, 100 miles north of the capital Islamabad. Muhammad Afzal, brother of the two men, said: “A tribal jirga has declared them fornicators and they might be killed any time.” Police officers said they were working to rescue the six and local officials said a cleric had been arrested.
Abdul Majeed Afridi, district police officer, said: “It was decided that the men will be killed first, but they ran away so the women are safe for the moment. I have sent a team to rescue them and am waiting to hear some news.” However, he added that the six might be victims of a local tribal dispute and it was not clear whether the six had been dancing together. “All of them were shown separately in the video. I’ve seen the video taken on a cell phone myself, it shows four women singing and a man dancing in separate scenes and then another man sitting in a separate shot,” he added.
The wedding happened two months ago but the controversy only came to light this week. “Police have arrested a cleric and his companion for issuing the death decree, but they totally denied it,” local administration official Aqal Badshah Khattak said. The case highlights the issue of honour killings in Pakistan, where women are treated as second-class citizens in conservative, rural areas.
Students celebrated graduation day as college burned
Students have been criticised in China - for celebrating their graduation day as a huge blaze broke out at their college.
The students - from Dalian, Liaoning province, northern China - had to flee when the fire broke out in a storage warehouse beside their dormitory during the event.
Graduation snaps taken on the day show the smiling students grinning as what looks like their college goes up in smoke behind them.
Angry college officials later uploaded pictures onto the college website showing students tackling the blaze with super-soakers. "They show the true spirit of the college. Our students shouldn't be celebrating destruction," explained one.
The students - from Dalian, Liaoning province, northern China - had to flee when the fire broke out in a storage warehouse beside their dormitory during the event.
Graduation snaps taken on the day show the smiling students grinning as what looks like their college goes up in smoke behind them.
Angry college officials later uploaded pictures onto the college website showing students tackling the blaze with super-soakers. "They show the true spirit of the college. Our students shouldn't be celebrating destruction," explained one.
BBC mistake computer game logo for United Nations Security Council symbol
The BBC mistakenly aired the logo from a computer game rather than the United Nations in what seems to be an example of when a Google search goes wrong. In a News at One bulletin about the United Nations Security Council, the channel accidentally used the logo of the fictitious United Nations Space Command from Microsoft's Halo.
The presenter Sophie Raworth was talking about Amnesty International's criticism of the UN involvement in the ongoing conflict in Syria. But next to the Amnesty symbol behind her was not the light blue of the UNSC symbol but the black and gold of the computer game organisation.
It appears to be the result of a Google image search gone wrong, as a simple search for UNSC only returns images from Halo. This is perhaps because the UN security council does not have a logo of its own, instead using the United Nations globe symbol surrounded by laurel leaves.
YouTube link.
A BBC spokesman apologised for the mix up in a statement. "BBC News makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all images broadcast, however very occasionally mistakes do happen," a spokesman said. Unfortunately an incorrect logo was used during a segment on last week's News at One bulletin and we apologise to viewers for the mistake. The image was not broadcast in our later bulletins."
The presenter Sophie Raworth was talking about Amnesty International's criticism of the UN involvement in the ongoing conflict in Syria. But next to the Amnesty symbol behind her was not the light blue of the UNSC symbol but the black and gold of the computer game organisation.
It appears to be the result of a Google image search gone wrong, as a simple search for UNSC only returns images from Halo. This is perhaps because the UN security council does not have a logo of its own, instead using the United Nations globe symbol surrounded by laurel leaves.
YouTube link.
A BBC spokesman apologised for the mix up in a statement. "BBC News makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all images broadcast, however very occasionally mistakes do happen," a spokesman said. Unfortunately an incorrect logo was used during a segment on last week's News at One bulletin and we apologise to viewers for the mistake. The image was not broadcast in our later bulletins."
Driver died after breathing in airbag fumes
A driver died after breathing in fumes from an airbag during a car crash, an inquest heard. Ronald Smith inhaled noxious chemicals after the airbag was deployed when he was involved in an accident. Although unhurt in the smash, the 59-year-old began suffering chest and breathing problems almost immediately after coming into contact with the gas. His wife noticed his face was reddened after exposure to the contents of the safety device.
South Tyneside Coroner Terence Carney heard Mr Smith, of Whitby Avenue, South Bents, near Whitburn, died in January, after the accident on November 12, 2010. His widow, June Smith, from Marsden, South Shields, said: “I knew from the very beginning that it was the airbag. I just knew. It’s just not fair that you have to lose someone because of something that is meant to save a life.” Mr Smith, a father-of-two, was driving through Hartlepool on his way home, when he was involved in a six-car shunt. The engineer, originally from Paisley, Scotland, crashed into the car in front at the same time that another hit the back of his Vauxhall Insignia.
The impact set off the car’s airbag, but also broke a window, which cut the bag, and he inhaled the gas from inside it. Mrs Smith told the inquest that her husband was not injured in the accident, but that his face was red from an irritation caused by the contents of the airbag. She said that following the crash, he then began suffering from a cough and shortness of breath. On January 5 last year, he was taken to South Tyneside District Hospital. Mr Smith was taken to the hospital’s accident and emergency unit where he was given a chest X-ray and, the next day, he was moved to intensive care and died in hospital on January 31, last year.
Forensic pathologist, Dr Stuart Hamilton told the inquest that Mr Smith’s lungs were both extremely “heavy and firm”. Dr Hamilton said they showed signs of infection and that he died of bronchial pneumonia. Mr Carney said: “I accept that the death was attributed to bronchial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis and that it was developed after this incident in November, and the deceased’s exposure to noxious substances. This man died as a result of this incident and more pointedly because of the explosion of his airbag, and this death should be recorded as misadventure.”
South Tyneside Coroner Terence Carney heard Mr Smith, of Whitby Avenue, South Bents, near Whitburn, died in January, after the accident on November 12, 2010. His widow, June Smith, from Marsden, South Shields, said: “I knew from the very beginning that it was the airbag. I just knew. It’s just not fair that you have to lose someone because of something that is meant to save a life.” Mr Smith, a father-of-two, was driving through Hartlepool on his way home, when he was involved in a six-car shunt. The engineer, originally from Paisley, Scotland, crashed into the car in front at the same time that another hit the back of his Vauxhall Insignia.
The impact set off the car’s airbag, but also broke a window, which cut the bag, and he inhaled the gas from inside it. Mrs Smith told the inquest that her husband was not injured in the accident, but that his face was red from an irritation caused by the contents of the airbag. She said that following the crash, he then began suffering from a cough and shortness of breath. On January 5 last year, he was taken to South Tyneside District Hospital. Mr Smith was taken to the hospital’s accident and emergency unit where he was given a chest X-ray and, the next day, he was moved to intensive care and died in hospital on January 31, last year.
Forensic pathologist, Dr Stuart Hamilton told the inquest that Mr Smith’s lungs were both extremely “heavy and firm”. Dr Hamilton said they showed signs of infection and that he died of bronchial pneumonia. Mr Carney said: “I accept that the death was attributed to bronchial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis and that it was developed after this incident in November, and the deceased’s exposure to noxious substances. This man died as a result of this incident and more pointedly because of the explosion of his airbag, and this death should be recorded as misadventure.”
My internet connection woes have returned
I thought I'd got them sorted, but obviously not.
Normal service will resume as soon as possible.
In the meantime here's a hamster being shot.
YouTube link.
Normal service will resume as soon as possible.
In the meantime here's a hamster being shot.
YouTube link.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Dog holds world record for having biggest eyes
Guinness World Records announced on Friday that 4-year-old Bruschi the Boston terrier holds the record for dog with the largest eyes. Each one measures 28 millimeters in diameter.
According to the Guinness World Records website, Bruschi’s owner, Victoria Reed, didn’t really notice her pooch’s enormous eyeballs until many of her friends and family started commenting on their size. That’s when she submitted an application for a Guinness World Records title.
Reed thinks Bruschi would be delighted if he understood the title he holds.
“I honestly feel like he would be really happy about it,” Reed said. “Some people do make fun of him for his looks, but I feel like he would go up to them and say: 'Haha, look where I am now, I've got a record for my looks!’"
According to the Guinness World Records website, Bruschi’s owner, Victoria Reed, didn’t really notice her pooch’s enormous eyeballs until many of her friends and family started commenting on their size. That’s when she submitted an application for a Guinness World Records title.
Reed thinks Bruschi would be delighted if he understood the title he holds.
“I honestly feel like he would be really happy about it,” Reed said. “Some people do make fun of him for his looks, but I feel like he would go up to them and say: 'Haha, look where I am now, I've got a record for my looks!’"
'Retard doll' fights condescending approach taken towards disabled people
A doll billed as a "real retard" found its way into stores in Gothenburg in western Sweden on Thursday, prompting strong reactions about a campaign meant to draw attention to the treatment of people with disabilities. "Treat her like a real retard," reads the packaging of the doll, created by the Gothenburg Cooperative for Independent Living (Göteborgskooperativet för independent living – GIL). "She doesn't swear, have sex, drink, or poop. So much better than a normal retard."
According to the group, a non-profit which provides personal assistants to people with disabilities so they can live independently, the doll is meant to stimulate thinking about how people think about and treat disabled people in Sweden. "Most often people say things like, 'Oh, it's so great that you buy your own food!'. It makes you feel like you're seen like a total idiot," GIL's Anders Westgerd said in a statement.
According to Westgerd the controversial doll, which was placed in shops around Gothenburg on Thursday, is meant to create a debate around the sometimes condescending approach taken towards disabled people. "It's often those who say they aren't prejudiced who suffer the most moral panic because of the doll. They are often the people who treat people with disabilities with an exaggerated kindness," he said. The doll, called "CP-docken" in Swedish (literally 'The Cerebral Palsy Doll'), relies on "CP", a Swedish insult roughly equivalent to "retard" in English.
According to GIL, the doll was made to appear as if it had clear signs of cerebral palsy and wasn't meant to be "cute" at all. "We're not cuter than anyone else. We're just as stupid, smart, confident, horny and happy as you are," Westgerd said in a statement. "We are people just like everyone else. Treat us that way. If you have an overwhelming need to be cuddly with a retard, you can buy a doll from us instead."
According to the group, a non-profit which provides personal assistants to people with disabilities so they can live independently, the doll is meant to stimulate thinking about how people think about and treat disabled people in Sweden. "Most often people say things like, 'Oh, it's so great that you buy your own food!'. It makes you feel like you're seen like a total idiot," GIL's Anders Westgerd said in a statement.
According to Westgerd the controversial doll, which was placed in shops around Gothenburg on Thursday, is meant to create a debate around the sometimes condescending approach taken towards disabled people. "It's often those who say they aren't prejudiced who suffer the most moral panic because of the doll. They are often the people who treat people with disabilities with an exaggerated kindness," he said. The doll, called "CP-docken" in Swedish (literally 'The Cerebral Palsy Doll'), relies on "CP", a Swedish insult roughly equivalent to "retard" in English.
According to GIL, the doll was made to appear as if it had clear signs of cerebral palsy and wasn't meant to be "cute" at all. "We're not cuter than anyone else. We're just as stupid, smart, confident, horny and happy as you are," Westgerd said in a statement. "We are people just like everyone else. Treat us that way. If you have an overwhelming need to be cuddly with a retard, you can buy a doll from us instead."
Alien political poster defacer temporarily released from prison
A Czech bus driver who was sent to prison after refusing to fulfill part of a sentence for defacing politicians’ election posters by adding bugs’ antennae to politician’s heads has been freed temporarily while one of the country’s highest court looks into the controversial case.
Photo from here.
The temporarily quashed the verdict against Olomouc bus driver Roman Smetana on Thursday, releasing him from his ongoing prison sentence while it looks into the circumstances surrounding the original verdict from his regional court. Supreme Court spokesman Petr Knötig stressed that the temporary lifting of the criminal penalty should not be taken as any indication of how the court will eventually rule.
Smetana’s case became a cause célèbre in the country after he was sentenced to 100 days in prison for refusing to fulfill part of a community service order handed down as part of the original sentence for defacing political election posters in mid-2010. The jail sentence was imposed by the wife of former top Civic Democratic (ODS) politician and former minister of the interior, Ivan Langer, who originally launched the complaint with police against Smetana and whose political material was the main target for his pen.
Condemnations of the sentence included one from the Czech human rights watchdog, the branch of the Helsinki Commission for Human Rights, which pointed out that the penalty was out of proportion with the original offence with Czech also signing nationwide petitions in Smetana’s support. Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil (ODS) promised to hand over the case to the Supreme Court at the start of May, saying that the court should go to the heart of the matter and rule whether drawing on a political poster was a criminal act or just a minor offence.
Photo from here.
The temporarily quashed the verdict against Olomouc bus driver Roman Smetana on Thursday, releasing him from his ongoing prison sentence while it looks into the circumstances surrounding the original verdict from his regional court. Supreme Court spokesman Petr Knötig stressed that the temporary lifting of the criminal penalty should not be taken as any indication of how the court will eventually rule.
Smetana’s case became a cause célèbre in the country after he was sentenced to 100 days in prison for refusing to fulfill part of a community service order handed down as part of the original sentence for defacing political election posters in mid-2010. The jail sentence was imposed by the wife of former top Civic Democratic (ODS) politician and former minister of the interior, Ivan Langer, who originally launched the complaint with police against Smetana and whose political material was the main target for his pen.
Condemnations of the sentence included one from the Czech human rights watchdog, the branch of the Helsinki Commission for Human Rights, which pointed out that the penalty was out of proportion with the original offence with Czech also signing nationwide petitions in Smetana’s support. Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil (ODS) promised to hand over the case to the Supreme Court at the start of May, saying that the court should go to the heart of the matter and rule whether drawing on a political poster was a criminal act or just a minor offence.
School reported over 'holy' yoga lessons
The "om" chant featured in yoga lessons at a Stockholm school has prompted a complaint calling for the lessons to be banned because of the term's ties to the Hindu religion. "Schools should be free from religious compenents, according the the education act," reads the complaint filed with the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen). "The law has led the Schools Inspectorate to criticize graduation ceremonies in church, but not when one practices yoga in school."
The complaint cites recent Swedish media reports featuring teachers and students who praised the yoga lessons offered at the Östermalm school in Stockholm and explained how the word “om” creates “physical vibrations in the body”. During the spring, the school has experimented with the new subject from kindergarten through to grade six. Once a week, an instructor teaches the students yoga, the ancient meditative discipline which originated in India.
However, the complaint claims that the syllable “om” is the most sacred syllable in the whole of the Hindu religion, and even in Buddhism, and represents the holy trinity of the Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The complaint also references Hindu literature, which explains that “om” has deeply religious connotations related to thought, knowledge and insight. As a result, argues the complainant, yoga shouldn't be allowed to be taught in Swedish schools.
“I ask therefore that the Schools Inspectorate examine whether yoga at Östermalm school of Stockholm, and at other schools in the country where yoga is practiced, is a religious component and should be forbidden,” reads the complaint. The letter also demanded more information about whether the students have a choice in participating, and whether parents are being informed of this “religious component”. Following the complaint, the agency has sent a request to education officials with the city of Stockholm asking them to look into the matter. Education officials have been given until the May 29th to submit their response to the complaint.
The complaint cites recent Swedish media reports featuring teachers and students who praised the yoga lessons offered at the Östermalm school in Stockholm and explained how the word “om” creates “physical vibrations in the body”. During the spring, the school has experimented with the new subject from kindergarten through to grade six. Once a week, an instructor teaches the students yoga, the ancient meditative discipline which originated in India.
However, the complaint claims that the syllable “om” is the most sacred syllable in the whole of the Hindu religion, and even in Buddhism, and represents the holy trinity of the Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The complaint also references Hindu literature, which explains that “om” has deeply religious connotations related to thought, knowledge and insight. As a result, argues the complainant, yoga shouldn't be allowed to be taught in Swedish schools.
“I ask therefore that the Schools Inspectorate examine whether yoga at Östermalm school of Stockholm, and at other schools in the country where yoga is practiced, is a religious component and should be forbidden,” reads the complaint. The letter also demanded more information about whether the students have a choice in participating, and whether parents are being informed of this “religious component”. Following the complaint, the agency has sent a request to education officials with the city of Stockholm asking them to look into the matter. Education officials have been given until the May 29th to submit their response to the complaint.
Thousands turn out for World Watercress Eating Championship
Thousands of people enjoyed a day of watercress themed activities.
The annual Alresford Watercress Festival in, Hampshire featured a parade through the streets which included pupils from Sunhill Infant and Junior School, morris dancers and a horse and cart carrying the festival’s king and queen who distributed watercress to members of the public.
There was music and around 120 stalls.
The World Watercress Eating Championship saw last year’s winner Rajesh Peter crowned again over ten other competitors, taking 55.6 seconds to eat two bags of watercress – he failed to beat the record held by champion from two years ago Sam Batho.
The annual Alresford Watercress Festival in, Hampshire featured a parade through the streets which included pupils from Sunhill Infant and Junior School, morris dancers and a horse and cart carrying the festival’s king and queen who distributed watercress to members of the public.
There was music and around 120 stalls.
The World Watercress Eating Championship saw last year’s winner Rajesh Peter crowned again over ten other competitors, taking 55.6 seconds to eat two bags of watercress – he failed to beat the record held by champion from two years ago Sam Batho.
Fire halts cremation
Fire crews were called to put out a blaze at a crematorium. Dozens of mourners at a funeral had to flee when the furnace doors failed to close behind a coffin and sent smoke billowing into the chapel.
The drama at Blackley Crematorium in Manchester happened towards the end of a service. It it thought the doors on the furnace – which reaches temperatures of 1,200 celsius – failed after the coffin went in. Two shocked workers spotted the fault and with flames pouring out – putting the building at risk – one hit the stop button on the conveyor belt and called for help.
Fire crews raced to the scene to tackle the still-burning coffin as dozens of mourners gathered outside. Subsequent services were delayed, causing a traffic jam of hearses, while the fire was put out. One mourner, who was waiting for the next service, said: “The vicar came out and told us that there would be a delay because the building had caught fire. You couldn’t see anything but you could smell it.
“We had a bit of a laugh about it – you don’t expect a cremation to be stopped because of a fire.” Another added: “It was like a Carry On film. They do the funerals one after the other so there was a bit of a back up. There were a couple of hearses backed up and two fire engines.”
The drama at Blackley Crematorium in Manchester happened towards the end of a service. It it thought the doors on the furnace – which reaches temperatures of 1,200 celsius – failed after the coffin went in. Two shocked workers spotted the fault and with flames pouring out – putting the building at risk – one hit the stop button on the conveyor belt and called for help.
Fire crews raced to the scene to tackle the still-burning coffin as dozens of mourners gathered outside. Subsequent services were delayed, causing a traffic jam of hearses, while the fire was put out. One mourner, who was waiting for the next service, said: “The vicar came out and told us that there would be a delay because the building had caught fire. You couldn’t see anything but you could smell it.
“We had a bit of a laugh about it – you don’t expect a cremation to be stopped because of a fire.” Another added: “It was like a Carry On film. They do the funerals one after the other so there was a bit of a back up. There were a couple of hearses backed up and two fire engines.”
Fire-breathing vicar lights up church
A fire-breathing vicar has lit up his church with a demonstration of the party trick he learnt in order to entertain friends at barbecues.
Reverend Nick Davies, at St Philip and St James' in Cheltenham, said he hoped his sermon would be "a bit of a spiritual firelighter". The church was marking Pentecost; when Christians celebrate the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus's disciples and appearing as tongues of flame.
Video.
Reverend Nick Davies, at St Philip and St James' in Cheltenham, said he hoped his sermon would be "a bit of a spiritual firelighter". The church was marking Pentecost; when Christians celebrate the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus's disciples and appearing as tongues of flame.
Video.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Stray dog runs 1,700km to Tibet with Chinese cyclists
Call her a canine with a dogged determination to keep running, wherever the road may lead. The homeless dog, known as Xiao Sa, has been following a team of cyclists for 24 days along 1,700 kilometres of highway from Kangding, Sichuan province, to Lhasa in Tibet. Zhang Heng, 22, a student in Wuhan, Hubei province decided to face the challenge of riding to Lhasa alone. On the way he met a lonely dog.
"She was lying, tired, on the street around Yajiang, Sichuan province," he said. "So we fed her, and then she followed our team." They thought she was following for fun, but found she insisted on sticking around them day and night. "We felt she might want to come along with us, so we decided to bring her along to the end. We thought the dog was encouraging us," he said.
They created the name Xiao Sa by combining xiao meaning "little" with the last syllable of Lhasa. During their journey, Xiao Sa, Zhang and his team covered more than 1,700 kilometres and climbed 10 mountains higher than 4,000 meters. Xiao Sa just ran up the mountains or along dirt roads. "Many people stopped cycling in some sections, then took the bus, but the dog made it," he said.
YouTube link.
Zhang put the dog on the back of the bike when the team was riding downhill. "The speed can reach 70 kilometres per hour, impossible for the dog to catch us." Zhang Heng, who accompanied Xiao Sa for 20 days, called her "a buddy and a friend". "I would like to take the dog home and take care of her. She has been a stray on the road for a long time. She needs a home."
"She was lying, tired, on the street around Yajiang, Sichuan province," he said. "So we fed her, and then she followed our team." They thought she was following for fun, but found she insisted on sticking around them day and night. "We felt she might want to come along with us, so we decided to bring her along to the end. We thought the dog was encouraging us," he said.
They created the name Xiao Sa by combining xiao meaning "little" with the last syllable of Lhasa. During their journey, Xiao Sa, Zhang and his team covered more than 1,700 kilometres and climbed 10 mountains higher than 4,000 meters. Xiao Sa just ran up the mountains or along dirt roads. "Many people stopped cycling in some sections, then took the bus, but the dog made it," he said.
YouTube link.
Zhang put the dog on the back of the bike when the team was riding downhill. "The speed can reach 70 kilometres per hour, impossible for the dog to catch us." Zhang Heng, who accompanied Xiao Sa for 20 days, called her "a buddy and a friend". "I would like to take the dog home and take care of her. She has been a stray on the road for a long time. She needs a home."
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