Police in the Lithuanian city of Klaipeda were baffled to discover that a woman arrested for shoplifting last weekend had been registered as dead a month earlier.
The woman's parents had mistakenly identified a body found in a forest as that of their 27-year-old daughter, Natalya Pavlova, who disappeared from home in November, police said on Wednesday.
It emerged that Pavlova was alive and well and living with her boyfriend in the same town.
"Her parents identified the corpse as their daughter. What could we do?" Petras Mikalauskis, a deputy police chief for the area, told Reuters.
"It was the first such case in my experience."
The real identity of the dead woman was not known. The police have launched an investigation.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Pickled mice:- normal
A Slovenian woman who found a mouse foot in a jar of pickles was shocked to be told it was "completely normal".
Lenka Komparova contacted the Health Ministry as she prepared to sue the company producing the food.
But, instead of supporting her claim for compensation, officials said she should see the mouse foot as a "special additive".
Ministry spokeswoman Vivijan Potocnik said: "It is completely normal in big factories to have mice wandering around, and yes, every now and then they get caught amongst the machines and do get bottled, seasoned, preserved and even make it in one piece to consumers.
"Although not very pleasant to see, however, they pose no health threat at all.
"During the preservation process even traces of any salmonella bacteria are eliminated in food. A mice-foot therefore could be classified as a special additive to the pickles."
Komparova said after she received the response: "I couldn't believe it. I don't know what they eat at the ministry - but finding dead animals in jars of food isn't normal."
Lenka Komparova contacted the Health Ministry as she prepared to sue the company producing the food.
But, instead of supporting her claim for compensation, officials said she should see the mouse foot as a "special additive".
Ministry spokeswoman Vivijan Potocnik said: "It is completely normal in big factories to have mice wandering around, and yes, every now and then they get caught amongst the machines and do get bottled, seasoned, preserved and even make it in one piece to consumers.
"Although not very pleasant to see, however, they pose no health threat at all.
"During the preservation process even traces of any salmonella bacteria are eliminated in food. A mice-foot therefore could be classified as a special additive to the pickles."
Komparova said after she received the response: "I couldn't believe it. I don't know what they eat at the ministry - but finding dead animals in jars of food isn't normal."
Young blue eyes
HE gets his name from Ol' Blue Eyes himself - and no wonder given Frankie is the world's only blue-eyed koala. His piercing eyes have dumbfounded animal carers who were so worried they tested his vision.Staff at his Dreamworld home on the Gold Coast found that apart from some reduced pigmentation, Frankie, named after Frank Sinatra, has perfect vision. Dreamworld supervisor Michelle Barnes said she doubted her own eyes when she first saw Frankie.
While Frankie, now nine months old, was the centre of media attention yesterday, it will be a couple of months before he faces the public. Those eyes are impressive but his nose is his most important feature with its keen sense of smell.
Asylum from waste
An Italian couple from Naples have applied for asylum in Switzerland, saying toxic waste dumped around the city poses a health risk to their unborn child.
Piles of trash have lined the streets of Naples since waste collection stopped before Christmas after dumps in the region were declared full. The crisis has led to protests.
Switzerland's mass-circulation Blick newspaper named the couple as Sergio, 32, and Giusi, 30, and said they had applied for asylum in the town of Bellinzona, on the border between Switzerland and Italy.
"If we remain in Naples then we risk dying of cancer," Sergio, a management consultant, was quoted as saying. "We have to save our child." His wife, a molecular biologist, is four-months pregnant.
The couple said thousands of tonnes of chemical and radioactive waste was being dumped around the city.
A spokesman for the department for health and social security in the Swiss canton of Tessin confirmed that a couple from Naples had made a request for asylum.
Since there are agreements on the free movement of people between Italy and Switzerland, it is unlikely their claim – if serious – would be upheld.
Piles of trash have lined the streets of Naples since waste collection stopped before Christmas after dumps in the region were declared full. The crisis has led to protests.
Switzerland's mass-circulation Blick newspaper named the couple as Sergio, 32, and Giusi, 30, and said they had applied for asylum in the town of Bellinzona, on the border between Switzerland and Italy.
"If we remain in Naples then we risk dying of cancer," Sergio, a management consultant, was quoted as saying. "We have to save our child." His wife, a molecular biologist, is four-months pregnant.
The couple said thousands of tonnes of chemical and radioactive waste was being dumped around the city.
A spokesman for the department for health and social security in the Swiss canton of Tessin confirmed that a couple from Naples had made a request for asylum.
Since there are agreements on the free movement of people between Italy and Switzerland, it is unlikely their claim – if serious – would be upheld.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
VA bans testicles
Richmond, Va. - It's one thing to dangle fuzzy dice from a rear view mirror, but decorating a trailer hitch with a large pair of rubber testicles might be a bit much in Virginia.State Del. Lionel Spruill introduced a bill Tuesday to ban displaying replicas of human genitalia on vehicles, calling it a safety issue because it could distract other drivers.
Under his measure, displaying the ornamentation on a motor vehicle would be a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $250.
He said the idea came from a constituent whose young daughter spotted an example of the trail hitch adornment and asked her father to explain it.
"'I didn't know what to tell her,'" Spruill said the constituent told him before Spruill vowed to stop such displays.
"I said, 'Sir, I'm going to be a laughingstock, but I'm going to do it,'" he said.
The Virginia General Assembly has some experience with offbeat bills. Three years ago, it drew widespread attention with an unsuccessful effort to outlaw baggy pants worn so low they expose underwear.
Spruill, 61, said the indignity of the "droopy drawers" debate wouldn't deter him. He said he won't hesitate to bring a set of $24.95 trailer testicles with him for a legislative show-and-tell.
"I'm going to do it," Spruill told a handful of reporters after Tuesday's House session adjourned. "I'm going to bring them out here and show them to you till they tell me to stop."
Donuts?- check, Coffee? - check, Prisoner? ... erm, ooops
A court security deputy was fired and two others suspended after an inmate was left in a holding cell for more than two days without food.
The three deputies were disciplined for dereliction of duties, the Marion County Sheriff's Department said Monday.
Deputy Tucker M. Parker forgot to take James Logan back to the county jail Friday following a sentencing hearing on cocaine dealing and possession charges in Marion Superior Court, said Julio Fernandez, a spokesman for the sheriff's department.
"He completely forgot," Fernandez said. "He just forgot that the guy was in there."
Logan, 21, spent more than 48 hours in the court holding cell, a news release said. The cell had running water and a toilet, but no food was available, the sheriff's department said.
"He told me that he was going to come back and get me, but he never came back," Logan told reporters in a jailhouse interview Monday.
Logan was discovered by other officers Sunday and transferred to the jail.
Chief Deputy Kerry Forestal said deputies now will check each holding cell at 8 p.m. and again after 11 p.m. to make sure they are empty.
Parker was fired, Deputy Richard A. Edgemont was suspended two days and Lt. James L. Wampler was suspended 10 days, Fernandez said. Wampler also will be demoted to sergeant and transferred out of the courtroom security detail, officials said.
"Mr. Parker was really responsible to come back and move this prisoner. The other gentlemen left shift without checking with him and that's where the suspension came about," said Fernandez.
Logan was sentenced Friday to two years in jail with a recommendation that the time be served in work-release.
The three deputies were disciplined for dereliction of duties, the Marion County Sheriff's Department said Monday.
Deputy Tucker M. Parker forgot to take James Logan back to the county jail Friday following a sentencing hearing on cocaine dealing and possession charges in Marion Superior Court, said Julio Fernandez, a spokesman for the sheriff's department.
"He completely forgot," Fernandez said. "He just forgot that the guy was in there."
Logan, 21, spent more than 48 hours in the court holding cell, a news release said. The cell had running water and a toilet, but no food was available, the sheriff's department said.
"He told me that he was going to come back and get me, but he never came back," Logan told reporters in a jailhouse interview Monday.
Logan was discovered by other officers Sunday and transferred to the jail.
Chief Deputy Kerry Forestal said deputies now will check each holding cell at 8 p.m. and again after 11 p.m. to make sure they are empty.
Parker was fired, Deputy Richard A. Edgemont was suspended two days and Lt. James L. Wampler was suspended 10 days, Fernandez said. Wampler also will be demoted to sergeant and transferred out of the courtroom security detail, officials said.
"Mr. Parker was really responsible to come back and move this prisoner. The other gentlemen left shift without checking with him and that's where the suspension came about," said Fernandez.
Logan was sentenced Friday to two years in jail with a recommendation that the time be served in work-release.
Puppet actor tribunal
An actor who played a character in an award-winning BBC children's television show claims he was put in danger by being made to wear a faulty pink and brown costume for three months.
28-year-old Isaac Blake told an employment tribunal that he went to hospital twice and was forced off work for a week after suffering injury while performing on the CBBC show In The Night Garden, which stars the character Iggle Piggle.
Mr Blake, who played one of the Tombliboos in the toddlers show, said he was dismissed for complaining about a faulty animatronic suit he wore on the show. He claimed that production company Ragdoll Limited ignored his concerns.
Injury and discrimination
Blake told the tribunal that he fell off a chair and hurt himself after being told to jump around after the camera inside his costume had cut out. As the suit covered him completely, he was dependent on cameras to be able to see what he was doing.
In another incident, he said he was signed off work for a week when he suffered pelvic injuries after wearing the Tombliboo suit for a long period of time. He also claimed that he had been the victim of homophobic abuse. Ragdoll have denied all of Mr Blake’s allegations.
28-year-old Isaac Blake told an employment tribunal that he went to hospital twice and was forced off work for a week after suffering injury while performing on the CBBC show In The Night Garden, which stars the character Iggle Piggle.
Mr Blake, who played one of the Tombliboos in the toddlers show, said he was dismissed for complaining about a faulty animatronic suit he wore on the show. He claimed that production company Ragdoll Limited ignored his concerns.
Injury and discrimination
Blake told the tribunal that he fell off a chair and hurt himself after being told to jump around after the camera inside his costume had cut out. As the suit covered him completely, he was dependent on cameras to be able to see what he was doing.
In another incident, he said he was signed off work for a week when he suffered pelvic injuries after wearing the Tombliboo suit for a long period of time. He also claimed that he had been the victim of homophobic abuse. Ragdoll have denied all of Mr Blake’s allegations.
Squinty bridge closed
Engineers are trying to establish what caused a support cable to snap and crash down on the newest bridge over the River Clyde in Glasgow. The Clyde Arc bridge - better known as the "Squinty Bridge" - has been closed since a loud snapping noise was heard at about 2330 GMT on Monday night.The bridge between Finnieston and Pacific Quay opened in 2006. Its designers and builders have now carried out an initial inspection into what went wrong. Further inspection by designers Halcrow and civil engineering contractor Edmund Nuttall Ltd, who built the bridge, is due to be carried out later on Tuesday afternoon.
It is hoped engineers will then have a better idea of the full extent of the damage, and how long the bridge will need to remain closed. A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said the damaged cable, which fell onto the carriageway, would be sent back to the manufacturers for testing.
In the meantime efforts were being made to organise traffic management systems, she said.
The spokeswoman added: "The bridge is designed to allow for struts to be removed one at a time to be repaired. We don't believe the bridge's integrity is at risk, but it has been closed for public safety reasons."
Swiss Sausage Shortage
Swiss butchers have raised the alarm over a shortage of the Brazilian cows' intestines used to wrap the nation's favourite sausage, the Cervelat. The Swiss Meat Association says dwindling stocks may run out by the summer, when football fans descend for the Euro 2008 championship.
Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, it does accept import rules handed down by Brussels. And BSE fears have led to curbs on the purchase of the intestines.
Around 160 million of the sausages are eaten in Switzerland every year. They are made of beef, bacon and pork rind and then wrapped in intestine, and can be boiled, grilled or eaten raw.
A joint "Task Force Cervelat" composed of scientists, bureaucrats and industry representatives has been formed to tackle the sausage crisis.
"We're under no illusion that we can get Brussels to change its rules quickly, so we're hoping that they will make an exception for Switzerland," said Swiss Meat Association spokesman Balz Horber.
Though the Swiss are looking at alternative suppliers including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and South Africa, they "would much rather stick with Brazil", he added.
Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, it does accept import rules handed down by Brussels. And BSE fears have led to curbs on the purchase of the intestines.
Around 160 million of the sausages are eaten in Switzerland every year. They are made of beef, bacon and pork rind and then wrapped in intestine, and can be boiled, grilled or eaten raw.
A joint "Task Force Cervelat" composed of scientists, bureaucrats and industry representatives has been formed to tackle the sausage crisis.
"We're under no illusion that we can get Brussels to change its rules quickly, so we're hoping that they will make an exception for Switzerland," said Swiss Meat Association spokesman Balz Horber.
Though the Swiss are looking at alternative suppliers including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and South Africa, they "would much rather stick with Brazil", he added.
Non-smoking firing a hoax
A Hamburg newspaper that reported last week on a computer company manager who said he fired three non-smokers because they had threatened disruptions after asking for a smoke-free environment said on Monday the story was a hoax.
Stephanie Lamprecht, a journalist at the Hamburger Morgenpost, said Thomas Joschko first told her he had fired the three from his 10-person staff because they were causing a disruption with their non-smoking but later admitted it was a hoax.
Lamprecht, whose story was published widely in the German and international media last week, said: "He said it was a joke and worth the trouble. He said he's a chain-smoker himself and said he was tired of smokers being hassled so much."
Joschko could not be reached for comment.
Lamprecht said she drove 120km from Hamburg to Buesum on Monday to try to confirm the story after doubts about its accuracy surfaced. She said the Morgenpost planned to publish an updated version of the story in its Wednesday edition.
"He said he was on a pro-smoker mission," said Lamprecht. She said she had checked some of the facts of his story last week after he called in his claim and that he was registered as the owner a small company in Buesum.
Stephanie Lamprecht, a journalist at the Hamburger Morgenpost, said Thomas Joschko first told her he had fired the three from his 10-person staff because they were causing a disruption with their non-smoking but later admitted it was a hoax.
Lamprecht, whose story was published widely in the German and international media last week, said: "He said it was a joke and worth the trouble. He said he's a chain-smoker himself and said he was tired of smokers being hassled so much."
Joschko could not be reached for comment.
Lamprecht said she drove 120km from Hamburg to Buesum on Monday to try to confirm the story after doubts about its accuracy surfaced. She said the Morgenpost planned to publish an updated version of the story in its Wednesday edition.
"He said he was on a pro-smoker mission," said Lamprecht. She said she had checked some of the facts of his story last week after he called in his claim and that he was registered as the owner a small company in Buesum.
Hats off to the Judge
Bev Williams of Richland wears a knitted beanie cap to cover her hairless head everywhere she goes, but not in Judge Holly Hollenbeck's courtroom. The District Court judge told Williams, 43, to take her cap off or leave his court in the Benton County Justice Center on Friday morning.
"I was embarrassed. It made me cry," said Williams, who recently underwent six months of chemotherapy for cancer.
Williams said she wouldn't remove the cap as Hollenbeck instructed and left the courtroom, but she believes he could have made an exception when he learned why she wears a cap in public.
Hollenbeck said Williams was one of several people in his packed courtroom on Friday who were told to remove their hats or caps. All complied but Williams, he said. Hollenbeck said each judge is different in how the no-hat rule is enforced.
"I ask everybody to remove hats," he said, noting the only reason he has allowed one — once — was for a religious reason.
Hollenbeck said, "I am very understanding with people who battle with cancer. My own mother died from cancer. I've had hundreds of cancer victims come through my court, and I've never had one not remove their hat, ever." He added, "Refusal to remove shows contempt for the court and for the judge."
But Williams didn't see it that way. "It was rude and uncalled for," she said. Williams said she was in court as moral support for her daughter, who was facing a misdemeanor charge.
"I was embarrassed. It made me cry," said Williams, who recently underwent six months of chemotherapy for cancer.
Williams said she wouldn't remove the cap as Hollenbeck instructed and left the courtroom, but she believes he could have made an exception when he learned why she wears a cap in public.
Hollenbeck said Williams was one of several people in his packed courtroom on Friday who were told to remove their hats or caps. All complied but Williams, he said. Hollenbeck said each judge is different in how the no-hat rule is enforced.
"I ask everybody to remove hats," he said, noting the only reason he has allowed one — once — was for a religious reason.
Hollenbeck said, "I am very understanding with people who battle with cancer. My own mother died from cancer. I've had hundreds of cancer victims come through my court, and I've never had one not remove their hat, ever." He added, "Refusal to remove shows contempt for the court and for the judge."
But Williams didn't see it that way. "It was rude and uncalled for," she said. Williams said she was in court as moral support for her daughter, who was facing a misdemeanor charge.
It's official! - Beer is good for you!
Researchers in Germany say that a cancer-fighting substance found in hops could be enhanced to brew a special anti-cancer beer. The discovery could lead to healthier beers and food supplements.
One day when you hold up a glass and say, "To your health," you would actually be toasting a triumph of the brewer's art over disease.
The preliminary studies indicate xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a family of enzymes that can trigger the cancer process, as well as help the body detoxify carcinogens, according to the science newswire Ivanhoe.
"It's very healthy. I think the ingredients in the beer are very good," says Dr Werner Back, a brewing technology expert at the Technical University of Munich.
Xanthohumol contains more powerful antioxidants than vitamin E and some studies indicate it helps reduce oxidation of bad cholesterol, the newswire reported.
"Xanthohumol has been shown to be a very active substance against cancer," says Dr Markus Herrmann, also of Munich. "It comes in small sticky beads, which you find within the hops."
Hops have always been known to possess medicinal properties and are used in herbal medicines as a muscle relaxant. Other compounds found in hops are potent phytoestrogens. Scientists say these compounds could ultimately help prevent post-menopausal hot flashes and osteoporosis.
Preliminary studies at Oregon State University show that xanthohumol can kill breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancers, the newswire reported.
But don't toast your health too soon. The German researchers warn that it would take 60 regular beers to equal the amount of xanthohumol researchers are able to brew in this one beer.
That's why scientists are now working on ways to give all beers higher levels of Xanthohumol, and even find ways to add it to other foods, like chocolate.
And they say, just like chocolate - the darker the beer, the better it is for you.
One day when you hold up a glass and say, "To your health," you would actually be toasting a triumph of the brewer's art over disease.
The preliminary studies indicate xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a family of enzymes that can trigger the cancer process, as well as help the body detoxify carcinogens, according to the science newswire Ivanhoe.
"It's very healthy. I think the ingredients in the beer are very good," says Dr Werner Back, a brewing technology expert at the Technical University of Munich.
Xanthohumol contains more powerful antioxidants than vitamin E and some studies indicate it helps reduce oxidation of bad cholesterol, the newswire reported.
"Xanthohumol has been shown to be a very active substance against cancer," says Dr Markus Herrmann, also of Munich. "It comes in small sticky beads, which you find within the hops."
Hops have always been known to possess medicinal properties and are used in herbal medicines as a muscle relaxant. Other compounds found in hops are potent phytoestrogens. Scientists say these compounds could ultimately help prevent post-menopausal hot flashes and osteoporosis.
Preliminary studies at Oregon State University show that xanthohumol can kill breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancers, the newswire reported.
But don't toast your health too soon. The German researchers warn that it would take 60 regular beers to equal the amount of xanthohumol researchers are able to brew in this one beer.
That's why scientists are now working on ways to give all beers higher levels of Xanthohumol, and even find ways to add it to other foods, like chocolate.
And they say, just like chocolate - the darker the beer, the better it is for you.
An 'armless wave
A 20-year-old man is stable after undergoing surgery on his arm that was partially severed as he waved out a car window at two girls in Western Australia. He was a passenger in a Nissan utility that drove past two girls washing their vehicle at a car wash in Bunbury, south of Perth, last night, police said today.
"He put his arm out the window and waved at the girls as the Nissan made a right hand turn at the intersection, and was struck by a Toyota Hi-Lux twin-cab vehicle," a police statement said. "His left arm was partially severed and doctors believe the limb may need to be amputated."
The man was transferred from Bunbury Regional Hospital overnight and underwent surgery in Royal Perth Hospital this morning, a hospital spokeswoman said.
"He has just had surgery, it went well and he is in a stable condition," she said. She could not confirm whether his arm had been saved due to patient confidentiality.
Police are calling for witnesses to the accident.
"He put his arm out the window and waved at the girls as the Nissan made a right hand turn at the intersection, and was struck by a Toyota Hi-Lux twin-cab vehicle," a police statement said. "His left arm was partially severed and doctors believe the limb may need to be amputated."
The man was transferred from Bunbury Regional Hospital overnight and underwent surgery in Royal Perth Hospital this morning, a hospital spokeswoman said.
"He has just had surgery, it went well and he is in a stable condition," she said. She could not confirm whether his arm had been saved due to patient confidentiality.
Police are calling for witnesses to the accident.
Mona Lisa Identified
German academics believe they have solved the centuries-old mystery behind the identity of the "Mona Lisa" in Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait. Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant, Francesco del Giocondo, has long been seen as the most likely model for the sixteenth-century painting.But art historians have often wondered whether the smiling woman may actually have been da Vinci's lover, his mother or the artist himself.
Now experts at the Heidelberg University library say dated notes scribbled in the margins of a book by its owner in October 1503 confirm once and for all that Lisa del Giocondo was indeed the model for one of the most famous portraits in the world.
"All doubts about the identity of the Mona Lisa have been eliminated by a discovery by Dr. Armin Schlechter," a manuscript expert, the library said in a statement on Monday.
Until then, only "scant evidence" from sixteenth-century documents had been available. "This left lots of room for interpretation and there were many different identities put forward," the library said.
The notes were made by a Florentine city official Agostino Vespucci, an acquaintance of the artist, in a collection of letters by the Roman orator Cicero.
The comments compare Leonardo to the ancient Greek artist Apelles and say he was working on three paintings at the time, one of them a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo.
Art experts, who have already dated the painting to this time, say the Heidelberg discovery is a breakthrough and the earliest mention linking the merchant's wife to the portrait.
Monday, January 14, 2008
No Pants Subway Ride
About 900 New Yorkers shed their bottoms - but not their underwear - and took to the 2, 6 and R trains for the seventh annual No Pants Subway Ride. "This is what I'd be doing anyway on a Saturday - sitting at home with my pants off," proclaimed Matt Gernt, 22, a finance consultant from Harlem, before boarding an R train.
His pal, Nick Wild, 23, couldn't wait to show off his black Speedo, although he did have some concerns. "I'm afraid to catch a disease on a subway seat," he said, before confessing that his dad probably wouldn't approve of the stunt. My mom would laugh, though," he added.
The scantily clad herd was shepherded by Improv Everywhere leaders, who started riding the trains without pants in 2002 with only seven participants. This year, nine other cities, including Chicago, Toronto and Washington, joined in.
"Today, there are a few guys in suits you'd see on the street and you'd never expect to see them with no pants on, and yet here we are," said organizer Jesse Good, 29.
On the 6 train, tourist Casey Deshotels, 32, of Lafayette, La., couldn't believe his eyes. "What the hell is going on? My friends at home aren't gonna believe this," Deshotels said when a man in white briefs sat down next to him and his girlfriend as the "If you see something, say something" announcement played over the loudspeaker. If you see a suspicious package? I think I just did," he added, bursting into laughter.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Ozzy gets 1st cellphone
Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy Osbourne received a special gift for Christmas - his first ever cellphone at the age of 59.
The singer now loves his new mobile phone, and calls daughter Kelly incessantly - and recently phoned her just to inform her he was a fan of her 2005 album Sleeping In The Nothing.
But Kelly admits her dad's constant calling can be annoying.
She says, "He never had a mobile before and I f**king hate it. He calls me all the time. I was out having dinner with my friends the other night and he called me and said, 'I've just got to tell you. I've been listening to your album. It's really good. I don't know why it didn't do so well.
"I spent half the night talking to him instead of my friends."
The singer now loves his new mobile phone, and calls daughter Kelly incessantly - and recently phoned her just to inform her he was a fan of her 2005 album Sleeping In The Nothing.
But Kelly admits her dad's constant calling can be annoying.
She says, "He never had a mobile before and I f**king hate it. He calls me all the time. I was out having dinner with my friends the other night and he called me and said, 'I've just got to tell you. I've been listening to your album. It's really good. I don't know why it didn't do so well.
"I spent half the night talking to him instead of my friends."
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Blind Ambition
A blind man is set to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Dave Heeley, 49, will begin his Seven Magnificent Marathons Challenge on April 7, with the aim of increasing awareness of visual impairment around the globe and raising funds for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.His gruelling week begins in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands (Antarctica), followed by Santiago, Chile (South America), Los Angeles, USA (North America), Sydney, Australia(Australasia), Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Asia) and Nairobi, Kenya (Africa).
The final leg will bring him back to Europe, where he will run the Flora London Marathon on April 13.
Mr Heeley, a carpenter from West Bromwich in the West Midlands, said: “Having suffered sight loss, I know how terrifying life can seem.
“I am determined to create awareness of visual impairment around the globe in an effort to improve services for blind and partially sighted people, while also raising money for Guide Dogs. I am hoping to make a personal difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted people worldwide by bringing mobility issues to the forefront of people’s minds.”
Mr Heeley, who has been registered blind for the past 20 years, will rely on his sighted guide Malcolm Carr to accompany him on the marathon circuit.
The challenge will require Mr Heeley, an experienced marathon runner, to cover 183.4 miles in a week.
Details of Mr Heeley’s Seven Magnificent Marathons challenge can be found at www.7mm.org.uk
Feigning illness for food
A homeless man hoodwinked hospitals in Austria into admitting him so that he could get a hot meal and a bed for the night more than 100 times in three years.
The 59-year-old Viennese pensioner toured the country's hospitals and clinics, often citing illnesses which were hard to diagnose to ensure the longest possible stay. "I came up with the idea of living in hospital in the cold winter of 2004-5," he told the police. "It's so wonderfully warm and you get something to eat."
The case of Reinhard D, which is believed to have cost the sate around €100,000 (£75,000), titillated some Austrians, while prompting others to ask why it was so easy to swindle the system.
Following a two-year odyssey which saw him admitted to hospital on more than 100 separate occasions, he was rumbled by a doctor in the Steiermark region, who noticed his story was full of contradictions.
Reinhard D had performed a trick that had worked many times. He pulled the emergency cord on a train as it entered the town of Mürzzuschlag, telling railway staff that he had fallen and lost consciousness. For the umpteenth time after recounting such a tale, he was taken by ambulance to the local hospital. Only on this occasion, the disbelieving doctor called the police.
The man told police he had variously pretended to have lost consciousness, or faked problems with his kidneys.
After Vienna hospitals started treating him just as an outpatient, Reinhard D went looking for unsuspecting hospitals in other parts of the country.
For the time being Reinhard D will no longer have to worry about where he will get his next bed and meal - he is in a prison cell, awaiting trial.
The 59-year-old Viennese pensioner toured the country's hospitals and clinics, often citing illnesses which were hard to diagnose to ensure the longest possible stay. "I came up with the idea of living in hospital in the cold winter of 2004-5," he told the police. "It's so wonderfully warm and you get something to eat."
The case of Reinhard D, which is believed to have cost the sate around €100,000 (£75,000), titillated some Austrians, while prompting others to ask why it was so easy to swindle the system.
Following a two-year odyssey which saw him admitted to hospital on more than 100 separate occasions, he was rumbled by a doctor in the Steiermark region, who noticed his story was full of contradictions.
Reinhard D had performed a trick that had worked many times. He pulled the emergency cord on a train as it entered the town of Mürzzuschlag, telling railway staff that he had fallen and lost consciousness. For the umpteenth time after recounting such a tale, he was taken by ambulance to the local hospital. Only on this occasion, the disbelieving doctor called the police.
The man told police he had variously pretended to have lost consciousness, or faked problems with his kidneys.
After Vienna hospitals started treating him just as an outpatient, Reinhard D went looking for unsuspecting hospitals in other parts of the country.
For the time being Reinhard D will no longer have to worry about where he will get his next bed and meal - he is in a prison cell, awaiting trial.
Medal for "just being there"
Australia's first Olympic champion, runner Edwin Flack, has been officially recognised as having won a third medal, in tennis doubles, more than 100 years after the event and despite failing to win a match.Flack was the first Australian to compete in an Olympics and has been widely lauded as the first 800m and 1500m champion. What has not been widely known until now is that the Melbourne runner also competed in the tennis doubles.
Flack and his English partner George Robertson lost the only match they played in Athens in 1896 after a bye in the first round. By pure luck of the six-team draw, the pair took third place.
The third placing was not recognised for Australia at the time, but the Australian Olympic Committee has now claimed the result.
Academic and Olympics researcher John McPherson said: "There were no bronze medals issued in the 1896 Olympics. They issued them retrospectively and that's why Flack's was missed. So he went to his death not knowing that he had won a bronze medal."
Associate Professor McPherson, a University of Wollongong PhD candidate, stumbled upon the discrepancy while researching for a radio documentary on the history of the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee, however, does not allocate medals won by teams comprised of more than one nationality to the tally of each individual's country. The IOC's medal tallies for the first three Olympics include "mixed teams" as a separate entry from individual nations.
Associate Professor McPherson said Flack, who was born in 1873 and died in 1935, was a "half-decent" middle-distance runner who was working in London as an accountant when he decided to compete in Athens. "He was a relatively conservative accountant and he was very interested in the classical history of the Games. So he thought let's take holidays to the Olympic Games site."
As a result Flack became an Australian sporting legend.
However, even Associate Professor McPherson admits Flack's bronze was a bit "Stephen Bradburyesque", referring to the Olympic skater who won gold in 2002 after a pile-up among his competitors.
"Flack did a Bradbury," he said. "He simply got a medal for being there. But Bradbury wasn't a lame duck whereas Flack was. But we should acknowledge that he got a bronze medal."
Teens suspended over hair
Four Texas teens have been suspended from school for refusing to get their hair cut over the Christmas break. The students had been warned that the district was cracking down on dress code violators after they repeatedly let their locks loose on school grounds.
"Our policy states that the hair (on male students) cannot extend beyond the collar in the back,'' said Kevin Stanford, superintendent of the Kerens Independent School District. "What we were doing is allowing the students to bind their hair, but there was very inconsistent compliance.''
After several complaints from parents in the small rural town south of Dallas, school officials decided to eliminate the hair-binding loophole.
Students were told to go to the barber over the break or face the consequences.
"I don't know exactly what the students are going to - the ball's in their court,'' Mr Stanford said. "Persistent insubordination could go as far as a disciplinary alternative school placement. That's the worst case.''
Strict dress codes were common in Texas, Mr Stanford said, and had been upheld by challenges which went as far as the Texas Supreme Court.
Students at Kerens high school are also prohibited from wearing sleeveless shirts, excessively tight or baggy pants, mismatched socks, "disruptive hair styles'' and "unnatural'' hair colours, according to an 86-page student handbook.
"The Kerens ISD dress code promotes the effective personal presentation skills which contribute significantly to successful living in adult society,'' the handbook explained.
"Our policy states that the hair (on male students) cannot extend beyond the collar in the back,'' said Kevin Stanford, superintendent of the Kerens Independent School District. "What we were doing is allowing the students to bind their hair, but there was very inconsistent compliance.''
After several complaints from parents in the small rural town south of Dallas, school officials decided to eliminate the hair-binding loophole.
Students were told to go to the barber over the break or face the consequences.
"I don't know exactly what the students are going to - the ball's in their court,'' Mr Stanford said. "Persistent insubordination could go as far as a disciplinary alternative school placement. That's the worst case.''
Strict dress codes were common in Texas, Mr Stanford said, and had been upheld by challenges which went as far as the Texas Supreme Court.
Students at Kerens high school are also prohibited from wearing sleeveless shirts, excessively tight or baggy pants, mismatched socks, "disruptive hair styles'' and "unnatural'' hair colours, according to an 86-page student handbook.
"The Kerens ISD dress code promotes the effective personal presentation skills which contribute significantly to successful living in adult society,'' the handbook explained.
DUI on a scooter
A disabled man has been prosecuted for drink-driving after riding his "3mph" mobility scooter while four times the limit. Thomas Lowry, 59, would not have committed an offence had he remained on the pavement, Burnley magistrates were told.But he fell foul of the law after travelled into the road - where drink-driving laws become applicable for the scooters.
Police saw Lowry's scooter in Daneshouse Road, Burnley "swerving all over the road", causing vehicles to manoeuvre around him. When officers approached, he had an open bottle of vodka in the scooter's basket and was "clearly very drunk", the court heard.
Magistrates banned Lowry, who had previous drink- drive convictions, from driving a car for three years, despite the fact that he does not use one due to his disabilities. They were unable to ban him from using the scooter as it does not need a licence or insurance.
Tarzan run over
A woman has been charged with aggravated assault after running over her husband in her car. Her husband's name is King Money Tarzan Jenkins.
The sensibly-named Candida Jenkins of Madisonville, Tennessee – carried out the attack shortly after dropping her husband off by the side of the road, according to eyewitness reports.
King Money Tarzan got out of the car by the side of the road and started walking away, according to the eyewitnesses – at which point, Mrs. Jenkins accelerated and tried to run him over.
Luckily for Tarzan, she missed him, and careened through the yard of a roadside house. Unluckily for Tarzan, she made her way back onto the road and tried again
This time, she was more successful, hitting King Money Tarzan Jenkins before fleeing from the scene in her car.
KMTJ was airlifted to a local hospital in a helicopter, while Candida Jenkins was apprehended by police at her house after dumping her car en route. She has been charged with aggravated assault and leaving the scene of an accident, according to the Monroe County Advocate & Democrat.
The sensibly-named Candida Jenkins of Madisonville, Tennessee – carried out the attack shortly after dropping her husband off by the side of the road, according to eyewitness reports.
King Money Tarzan got out of the car by the side of the road and started walking away, according to the eyewitnesses – at which point, Mrs. Jenkins accelerated and tried to run him over.
Luckily for Tarzan, she missed him, and careened through the yard of a roadside house. Unluckily for Tarzan, she made her way back onto the road and tried again
This time, she was more successful, hitting King Money Tarzan Jenkins before fleeing from the scene in her car.
KMTJ was airlifted to a local hospital in a helicopter, while Candida Jenkins was apprehended by police at her house after dumping her car en route. She has been charged with aggravated assault and leaving the scene of an accident, according to the Monroe County Advocate & Democrat.
Living in a pigsty
China's worries about soaring pork prices have reached new heights in a southwestern town where a man has been raising three squealing pigs in his apartment.
Su Yanshan, a livestock slaughterer, has been keeping the none-too-fragrant animals on the enclosed balcony of his second-floor home in Dazu County since June, according to the Chongqing Evening News.
Su's wife told the newspaper they planned to sell the 100-kg pigs for the Lunar New Year holiday in early February, when pork is in peak demand for dumplings, sausage and other traditional dishes.
Other residents were not happy about their new neighbours, who were guarded by a barking Alsatian dog.
"Day and night the pigs constantly squeal," an upstairs neighbour told the paper in a report reprinted by Xinhua news agency on Thursday. "Sometimes the steam from the pig manure floats out the window. It's been driving me stark raving mad."
Another neighbour said she doused her clothes with perfume whenever she stepped out the door. "It's not vanity. It's to take the stench of pig manure from my clothes," she said.
Su Yanshan, a livestock slaughterer, has been keeping the none-too-fragrant animals on the enclosed balcony of his second-floor home in Dazu County since June, according to the Chongqing Evening News.
Su's wife told the newspaper they planned to sell the 100-kg pigs for the Lunar New Year holiday in early February, when pork is in peak demand for dumplings, sausage and other traditional dishes.
Other residents were not happy about their new neighbours, who were guarded by a barking Alsatian dog.
"Day and night the pigs constantly squeal," an upstairs neighbour told the paper in a report reprinted by Xinhua news agency on Thursday. "Sometimes the steam from the pig manure floats out the window. It's been driving me stark raving mad."
Another neighbour said she doused her clothes with perfume whenever she stepped out the door. "It's not vanity. It's to take the stench of pig manure from my clothes," she said.
Snake balls (Update)
Four golf balls swallowed by an unlucky carpet python and removed from its gut in a world-first operation have sold for $A1,401 ($1,241) in an Australian online auction.
The balls were removed from the reptile in emergency surgery at the Gold Coast's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary last week.
The winning bidder will take home the four unwashed golf balls removed from the snake’s stomach and veterinary photographs and x-ray’s before and after the world-first surgery.
The balls were removed from the reptile in emergency surgery at the Gold Coast's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary last week.
The winning bidder will take home the four unwashed golf balls removed from the snake’s stomach and veterinary photographs and x-ray’s before and after the world-first surgery.
What's in a name?
In 2006, America’s largest and most powerful organisation of trial lawyers changed its name from the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) to the American Association for Justice (AAJ). The reason it gave for the change was that “trial lawyers” was a phase that excited negative connotations.
Not long afterwards, a group of lawyers formed another organisation to compete with the AAJ and adopted their abandoned name, adding “the” to the title: The American Trial Lawyers Association, or TheATLA for short. A recent membership recruitment letter describes it as an “elite organisation” whose members "exemplify superior qualifications, trial results, leadership, influence, reputation, stature, and profile in the trial attorney community". In other words, they know their way around a court room and you’d want to think twice before suing them.
The AAJ, however, has thought twice and has issued proceedings in Minneapolis in order to force TheATLA to drop the name, arguing that the existence of the old name was confusing AAJ members and infringing a trademark. The claim also demands that AAJ is awarded any money that TheATLA collects in membership dues, and —you guessed it — treble damages and attorneys' fees. The lawyers who argue the case will no doubt be very good: a trial lawyer whose client is composed of 56,000 other trial lawyers can expect some professional feedback.
If they cannot settle on their own names, perhaps the two groups ought to commission some market research. It wouldn’t be a job for the faint-hearted. Imagine some of the replies you’d get, stopping people in the shopping mall and asking: “What do you call a collection of lawyers?”
Not long afterwards, a group of lawyers formed another organisation to compete with the AAJ and adopted their abandoned name, adding “the” to the title: The American Trial Lawyers Association, or TheATLA for short. A recent membership recruitment letter describes it as an “elite organisation” whose members "exemplify superior qualifications, trial results, leadership, influence, reputation, stature, and profile in the trial attorney community". In other words, they know their way around a court room and you’d want to think twice before suing them.
The AAJ, however, has thought twice and has issued proceedings in Minneapolis in order to force TheATLA to drop the name, arguing that the existence of the old name was confusing AAJ members and infringing a trademark. The claim also demands that AAJ is awarded any money that TheATLA collects in membership dues, and —you guessed it — treble damages and attorneys' fees. The lawyers who argue the case will no doubt be very good: a trial lawyer whose client is composed of 56,000 other trial lawyers can expect some professional feedback.
If they cannot settle on their own names, perhaps the two groups ought to commission some market research. It wouldn’t be a job for the faint-hearted. Imagine some of the replies you’d get, stopping people in the shopping mall and asking: “What do you call a collection of lawyers?”
Too stingy to get drunk
A North Canadian man from Whitehorse has won a court challenge of his breathalyzer test, after telling a judge he is too "cheap" to buy enough drinks to be impaired.
In a written decision, territorial court Judge Cunliffe Barnett dismissed impaired driving charges against Thomas Wood, who argued that he could not have consumed enough beer on March 30, 2007, to have had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08.
On March 30, Wood admitted to consuming some alcohol that night, failed the police's roadside breathalyzer test and was arrested. Further tests showed readings of 0.13.
Wood testified at his trial in December that he drank a pint and a glass of draft beer over the course of 2½ hours while talking with his employer at a hotel bar after work that evening.
As an aircraft mechanic, he does not drink on the job, he told the court, adding that he also doesn't drink much after work.
"Mr. Wood says that he is 'quite cheap,' and that for that and other reasons, it is his custom to restrict his drinking, as he says he did that evening," Barnett wrote in his decision.
A blood-alcohol expert from Vancouver backed Wood's argument, testifying that he needed to drink nearly four bottles of beer in order for him to have a high enough blood alcohol level to fail the breathalyzer test.
Barnett cited past Supreme Court of Canada rulings in deciding not to dismiss Wood's account of what happened simply because he failed the breath test.
"When I consider all the remaining relevant evidence and testimony, I cannot say that I am convinced by Mr. Wood's testimony; far from it, but Mr. Wood does not bear the burden of proving his innocence. He is required only to raise a reasonable doubt, and I find that he has done that."
At the same time, the judge invited the Crown lawyers to appeal the decision if they disagreed with it.
In a written decision, territorial court Judge Cunliffe Barnett dismissed impaired driving charges against Thomas Wood, who argued that he could not have consumed enough beer on March 30, 2007, to have had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08.
On March 30, Wood admitted to consuming some alcohol that night, failed the police's roadside breathalyzer test and was arrested. Further tests showed readings of 0.13.
Wood testified at his trial in December that he drank a pint and a glass of draft beer over the course of 2½ hours while talking with his employer at a hotel bar after work that evening.
As an aircraft mechanic, he does not drink on the job, he told the court, adding that he also doesn't drink much after work.
"Mr. Wood says that he is 'quite cheap,' and that for that and other reasons, it is his custom to restrict his drinking, as he says he did that evening," Barnett wrote in his decision.
A blood-alcohol expert from Vancouver backed Wood's argument, testifying that he needed to drink nearly four bottles of beer in order for him to have a high enough blood alcohol level to fail the breathalyzer test.
Barnett cited past Supreme Court of Canada rulings in deciding not to dismiss Wood's account of what happened simply because he failed the breath test.
"When I consider all the remaining relevant evidence and testimony, I cannot say that I am convinced by Mr. Wood's testimony; far from it, but Mr. Wood does not bear the burden of proving his innocence. He is required only to raise a reasonable doubt, and I find that he has done that."
At the same time, the judge invited the Crown lawyers to appeal the decision if they disagreed with it.
Scots authors are NOT English
One of the world's largest libraries has reversed a controversial decision to reclassify Scots authors as English. Writers, politicians and academics in Scotland reacted angrily when the Library of Congress in the US first made the proposal.
The move would have seen classic novels like "The Thirty Nine Steps" by the Scottish author John Buchan, listed as an English adventure story.
Scottish Culture Minister Linda Fabiani welcomed the U-turn. "I am delighted that the Library of Congress has listened to our concerns and recognised the distinctive nature of Scottish literature," she said.
"In fact I recently discussed this with Congressman McIntyre of the Friends of Scotland Caucus to make our position clear. I am sure this will help those exploring the wealth and wonders of Scottish literature while properly acknowledging our nation's great contribution over the years and the success of modern day writers."
The British Library also said it supported the decision to return to classifying Scottish literature as a separate category.
The move would have seen classic novels like "The Thirty Nine Steps" by the Scottish author John Buchan, listed as an English adventure story.
Scottish Culture Minister Linda Fabiani welcomed the U-turn. "I am delighted that the Library of Congress has listened to our concerns and recognised the distinctive nature of Scottish literature," she said.
"In fact I recently discussed this with Congressman McIntyre of the Friends of Scotland Caucus to make our position clear. I am sure this will help those exploring the wealth and wonders of Scottish literature while properly acknowledging our nation's great contribution over the years and the success of modern day writers."
The British Library also said it supported the decision to return to classifying Scottish literature as a separate category.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Twins unwittingly marry
A pair of twins who were separated at birth got married without knowing they were brother and sister, a crossbench peer (a seat in the House of Lords occupied by a member who is independent of any political party) has told the House of Lords. A court annulled the UK couple's union after they discovered their true relationship, Lord Alton said.
He said that they were adopted by separate families, and neither was told that they had a twin sibling. Details of their identities have been kept secret, but Lord Alton said the pair did not realise they were related until after their marriage.
The former Liberal Democrat MP raised the couple's case during a House of Lords debate on the Human Fertility and Embryology Bill in December.
"They were never told that they were twins, he told the Lords. "They met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction, and the judge had to deal with the consequences of the marriage that they entered into and all the issues of their separation."
He told the BBC News website that their story raises the wider issue of the importance of strengthening the rights of children to know the identities of their biological parents .
He said that they were adopted by separate families, and neither was told that they had a twin sibling. Details of their identities have been kept secret, but Lord Alton said the pair did not realise they were related until after their marriage.
The former Liberal Democrat MP raised the couple's case during a House of Lords debate on the Human Fertility and Embryology Bill in December.
"They were never told that they were twins, he told the Lords. "They met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction, and the judge had to deal with the consequences of the marriage that they entered into and all the issues of their separation."
He told the BBC News website that their story raises the wider issue of the importance of strengthening the rights of children to know the identities of their biological parents .
Thursday, January 10, 2008
RIP Sir Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, has died aged 88. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark described the explorer as a heroic figure and said all New Zealanders would deeply mourn his passing.Sir Edmund's health had reportedly been in decline since April, when he suffered a fall while visiting Nepal. He was the first man to climb the 8,850m (29,035ft) peak with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.
Returning to Everest base camp, he famously greeted another member of the British expedition group with the words: "Well, George, we've knocked the bastard off."
After the ascent, Sir Edmund led a number of expeditions to the South Pole and devoted his life to helping the Sherpas of Nepal's Khumbu region. His Himalayan Trust has helped build hospitals, clinics, bridges, airstrips and nearly 30 schools. He was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003.
Announcing Sir Edmund's death in Auckland after a brief illness, New Zealand's prime minister described him as a "heroic figure who not only 'knocked off' Everest but lived a life of determination, humility and generosity".
Elephants as pets
The British government today ruled out the possibility of allowing elephants to be kept as pets. The announcement came following a petition to 10 Downing Street calling for UK pet shops to be allowed to sell elephants to the public.
More than 650 signatories supported the petition, which argued that children could get a better understanding of the giant creatures if they were kept as pets. But the government dismissed the suggestion by the 12-year-old petitioner, Jack Smithies, claiming "it would not be safe for people" to keep elephants.
The bizarre petition stated: "We the undersigned petition the prime minister to allow the sale of elephants in pet shops in the UK. We believe that every child in the UK would benefit from owning an elephant.
"We would like to make it legal to import African/Indian elephants to sell in pet shops across the UK. Elephants are creatures that children could learn about better by owning their own and keeping them in easily and cheaply converted sheds."
Smithies succeeded in obtaining 655 supporters. There have been rumours that he received the backing of TV natural history presenter Sir David Attenborough.
Smithies wrote: "It was my dream as a child to care for these magnificent creatures but, at the age of 12, I find that nobody takes me seriously. Please take my idea into account."
The government was keen to give proper attention to the proposal.
In response to the petition, it wrote: "The government agrees that keeping a pet has many benefits, not just for children but people of all ages. However, the government does not think elephants would make good pets. They are very large animals that are not used to being kept as pets, and have welfare needs that would be impossible to meet in pet shops or people's homes. Elephants can also be dangerous and it would not be safe for people to be able to keep them in their backyard."
More than 650 signatories supported the petition, which argued that children could get a better understanding of the giant creatures if they were kept as pets. But the government dismissed the suggestion by the 12-year-old petitioner, Jack Smithies, claiming "it would not be safe for people" to keep elephants.
The bizarre petition stated: "We the undersigned petition the prime minister to allow the sale of elephants in pet shops in the UK. We believe that every child in the UK would benefit from owning an elephant.
"We would like to make it legal to import African/Indian elephants to sell in pet shops across the UK. Elephants are creatures that children could learn about better by owning their own and keeping them in easily and cheaply converted sheds."
Smithies succeeded in obtaining 655 supporters. There have been rumours that he received the backing of TV natural history presenter Sir David Attenborough.
Smithies wrote: "It was my dream as a child to care for these magnificent creatures but, at the age of 12, I find that nobody takes me seriously. Please take my idea into account."
The government was keen to give proper attention to the proposal.
In response to the petition, it wrote: "The government agrees that keeping a pet has many benefits, not just for children but people of all ages. However, the government does not think elephants would make good pets. They are very large animals that are not used to being kept as pets, and have welfare needs that would be impossible to meet in pet shops or people's homes. Elephants can also be dangerous and it would not be safe for people to be able to keep them in their backyard."
Boss sacks non-smokers
The owner of a small German computer company has fired three non-smoking workers because they were threatening to disturb the peace after they requested a smoke-free environment.
The manager of the 10-person IT company in Buesum, named Thomas J., told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper he had fired the trio because their non-smoking was causing disruptions.
Germany introduced non-smoking rules in pubs and restaurants on January 1, but Germans working in small offices are still allowed to smoke.
"I can't be bothered with trouble-makers," Thomas was quoted saying. "We're on the phone all the time and it's just easier to work while smoking. Everyone picks on smokers these days. It's time for revenge. I'm only going to hire smokers from now on."
The manager of the 10-person IT company in Buesum, named Thomas J., told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper he had fired the trio because their non-smoking was causing disruptions.
Germany introduced non-smoking rules in pubs and restaurants on January 1, but Germans working in small offices are still allowed to smoke.
"I can't be bothered with trouble-makers," Thomas was quoted saying. "We're on the phone all the time and it's just easier to work while smoking. Everyone picks on smokers these days. It's time for revenge. I'm only going to hire smokers from now on."
Woman posed as 13yr old boy
A student in Norway who posed as a 13-year-old boy turned out to be a 33-year-old woman on the run from police investigating a child abuse case in the Czech Republic, Norwegian media has reported.
Barbora Skrlova duped Norwegian police, classmates, child care workers and teachers for four months into believing she was a teenage boy named "Adam", daily Dagbladet reported.
"Looking back, we can say that we wondered about "Adam's" behaviour. But this is not easy to know. Children at this age are very different, and can be masculine or feminine," Ingjerd Eriksen, principal at Marienlyst school in Oslo where the woman was a student, told Dagbladet.
Barbora Skrlova duped Norwegian police, classmates, child care workers and teachers for four months into believing she was a teenage boy named "Adam", daily Dagbladet reported.
"Looking back, we can say that we wondered about "Adam's" behaviour. But this is not easy to know. Children at this age are very different, and can be masculine or feminine," Ingjerd Eriksen, principal at Marienlyst school in Oslo where the woman was a student, told Dagbladet.
Groom turns up in wedding dress
A cross-dressing factory worker's family only found out he had a secret double life as a transvestite when he arrived at his own wedding - wearing a bride's dress. Dean Dudley, 35, has been dressing up in women's clothes and make-up since the age of six but never even told his mother.And he kept his alter-ego 'Deanne' a secret from his macho workmates at an engineering factory for fear of being teased.
Dean met Robyn, 28, in 2003 in the ladies' toilets of Chicago Rock Cafe in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, while she was trying to tidy her hair with her hands and he offered her a brush.
They chatted for 45 minutes, swapped mobile phone numbers and began dating.
Chicago-born Robyn said: "I had seen what appeared to be a tall, gorgeous red-headed woman moving on the dance floor, but when she offered me her hairbrush, it turned out to be a man called Dean. We got on really well immediately. I accepted who he was and that it was not my place to change him. Even if we had got together in normal circumstances and he had come out with it later, I wouldn't have had a problem. It is something that is just part of him. I love being with my husband and the person he is."
Dean goes clubbing with his wife every Tuesday and Friday night as Deanne but has also made shopping trips to Manchester, Blackpool, London and on holidays abroad in women's outfits.
It takes him 10 minutes to get ready for a night out when he is Dean but two-and-a-half hours to prepare as Deanne.
Bank chairman ID victim
The high-profile chairman of Barclays Bank has become the latest victim of identity fraud after a conman stole £10,000 from his personal account in a credit card scam.Marcus Agius, 61, who took over as Barclays chairman last January, lost the money after a fraudster convinced a call centre worker to issue a credit card in his name.
Armed with the card and personal details about Mr Agius, the conman went to a Barclays branch and withdrew £10,000 of the banking executive’s money.
Barclays, which has initiated a security review after the incident, said Mr Agius, who is paid £800,000 a year plus bonuses, has been reimbursed in full.
The only surfer on the wave
This is the moment that Jim Moore, 28, rode the 30ft wave that is known to surfers as “The Widow-maker”, and which was caused by storm-swell and winds off Cornwall. Mr Moore, an engineer from Porthtowan, Cornwall, was the only person to paddle out from Fistral Beach to ride the wave, which happens only once a year and is also known as the Cribbar, off the beach in Newquay. He was in the water for just over an hour.
Man banned from living in his own house
A homeowner who terrorised his next-door neighbours for five years has been banned from living and sleeping in his own house in what could be a legal first.A court order has been imposed on Carl Bridson, 40, after he waged a campaign of harassment on his neighbours by shouting abuse, playing loud music through the night and damaging their car.
He forced Andrew Pennington, 45, whom he nicknamed Teletubby, to retreat to his garage to grab a few hours’ sleep before his early shifts as a postman. Mr Pennington, and his wife Janette, 45, also had blackcurrant cordial poured into their car and a new conservatory flooded and smoked out. Their fence panels went missing and reappeared, cemented into Bridson’s garden, and the CCTV camera that they put up to monitor his behaviour was shot down with an air rifle.
The final straw came when the terrified couple heard Bridson say: “Tellytubby had a chance to move but didn’t, so he’s going to get trouble.”
The couple breathed a sigh of relief yesterday after magistrates in Bolton ordered Bridson to abide by a restraining order that bans him from living in his own home after he is released from a six-month prison sentence for harassing them. He will only be allowed to visit his £85,000 house at set times.
Man breaks in to play pool
One of the oldest billiard halls in America calls Wilmington, NC home, and on early Tuesday morning it was broken into, but the intruder says he was only looking for a friendly game of pool.
Jeremy Turner, 20-years-old, broke into the Orton Pool Hall on early Tuesday morning.
Turner did not get away with any money, in fact, when he was found, it looked as though he was just visiting, and hoping to have a little fun.
"It turns out the guy had been here for four hours. He was playing pool, drinking, and watching sports, he broke into the first and second door and gained entry to the place," explained Eric Rylander, owner of the pool hall.
Turner has been charged with two counts of breaking and entering and larceny for the alcohol authorities say he drank.
Rylander said Turner was cooperative so he was able to hold him until police arrived.
Wilmington Police Department spokeswoman Lucy Crockett said Turner claimed he had come to the pool hall to look for keys he left there the night before.
Jeremy Turner, 20-years-old, broke into the Orton Pool Hall on early Tuesday morning.
Turner did not get away with any money, in fact, when he was found, it looked as though he was just visiting, and hoping to have a little fun.
"It turns out the guy had been here for four hours. He was playing pool, drinking, and watching sports, he broke into the first and second door and gained entry to the place," explained Eric Rylander, owner of the pool hall.
Turner has been charged with two counts of breaking and entering and larceny for the alcohol authorities say he drank.
Rylander said Turner was cooperative so he was able to hold him until police arrived.
Wilmington Police Department spokeswoman Lucy Crockett said Turner claimed he had come to the pool hall to look for keys he left there the night before.
Mom of the year
A St. Paul woman has been charged with child neglect after she allegedly left her two young children inside a bedroom door tied with a bungee cord so that they could not get out, according to a criminal complaint.
St. Paul police went to the apartment of Alexis Anabelle Kennedy, 24, after a caller reported Sunday that a 5-year-old girl had crawled out of a bedroom window and was walking around outside without a coat or shoes, according to the complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court.
The caller also heard the girl yell out the window that she was hungry, the complaint said.
The caretaker of the building, located in the 1000 block of Suburban Avenue, told police that she had seen the children's bedroom door tied with a bungee cord, and had to clean up the mess the children made because they could not go to the bathroom, the complaint said.
When police went to the apartment around 1:40 p.m. Sunday, they found Kennedy asleep in a bedroom with her boyfriend while her 2-year-old son cried in the secured bedroom. The child's diaper was soaked, there were no sheets on the bed and the room had a "very bad smell," police said in the complaint.
Kennedy told police that she only put the bungee cord on the children's bedroom for an hour. But her brother said she did it every night from about 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m., the complaint said.
St. Paul police went to the apartment of Alexis Anabelle Kennedy, 24, after a caller reported Sunday that a 5-year-old girl had crawled out of a bedroom window and was walking around outside without a coat or shoes, according to the complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court.
The caller also heard the girl yell out the window that she was hungry, the complaint said.
The caretaker of the building, located in the 1000 block of Suburban Avenue, told police that she had seen the children's bedroom door tied with a bungee cord, and had to clean up the mess the children made because they could not go to the bathroom, the complaint said.
When police went to the apartment around 1:40 p.m. Sunday, they found Kennedy asleep in a bedroom with her boyfriend while her 2-year-old son cried in the secured bedroom. The child's diaper was soaked, there were no sheets on the bed and the room had a "very bad smell," police said in the complaint.
Kennedy told police that she only put the bungee cord on the children's bedroom for an hour. But her brother said she did it every night from about 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m., the complaint said.
Meanest mom on the planet
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Jane Hambleton has dubbed herself the "meanest mom on the planet."After finding alcohol in her son's car, she decided to sell the car and share her 19-year-old's misdeed with everyone -- by placing an ad in the local newspaper.
The ad reads: "OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."
Hambleton has heard from people besides interested buyers since recently placing the ad in The Des Moines Register.
The 48-year-old from Fort Dodge says she has fielded more than 70 telephone calls from emergency room technicians, nurses, school counselors and even a Georgia man who wanted to congratulate her.
"The ad cost a fortune, but you know what? I'm telling people what happened here," Hambleton says. "I'm not just gonna put the car for resale when there's nothing wrong with it, except the driver made a dumb decision.
"It's overwhelming the number of calls I've gotten from people saying 'Thank you, it's nice to see a responsible parent.' So far there are no calls from anyone saying, 'You're really strict. You're real overboard, lady."'
The only critic is her son, who Hambleton says is "very, very unhappy" with the ad and claims the alcohol was left by a passenger.
Hambleton believes her son but has decided mercy isn't the best policy in this case. She says she set two rules when she bought the car at Thanksgiving: No booze, and always keep it locked.
The car has been sold, but Hambleton says she will continue the ad for another week -- just for the feedback.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Dog Un-buries Cat Companion
A pet dog missed the family’s dead cat so much that he dug up his grave and brought the body back into the house. When Oscar’s owners woke up the next morning they discovered the dog curled up beside Arthur, the late cat, in his basket.
His owners, Robert Bell, 73, and his wife, Mavis, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, believe that the dog had licked the cat clean before falling asleep.
Mr Bell said that the two pets were constant companions. Arthur, who was a large cat, used to help Oscar to climb on to the sofa.
Oscar, an 18-month-old Lancashire Heeler, had watched Mr Bell dig a grave in the garden and then lower the cat into the hole.Mr Bell said: “He had managed to climb out through the cat flap in the night, obviously with the intent to get Arthur back. Bearing in mind that Arthur was a huge cat, Oscar must have used all the strength he could muster.
“Then he pulled him into the basket and went to sleep next to him. Arthur’s coat was gleaming white. Oscar had obviously licked him clean. It must have taken him nearly all night.”
Arthur is now reburied in a secure grave. And Oscar has a new playmate, a kitten called Limpet.
His owners, Robert Bell, 73, and his wife, Mavis, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, believe that the dog had licked the cat clean before falling asleep.
Mr Bell said that the two pets were constant companions. Arthur, who was a large cat, used to help Oscar to climb on to the sofa.
Oscar, an 18-month-old Lancashire Heeler, had watched Mr Bell dig a grave in the garden and then lower the cat into the hole.Mr Bell said: “He had managed to climb out through the cat flap in the night, obviously with the intent to get Arthur back. Bearing in mind that Arthur was a huge cat, Oscar must have used all the strength he could muster.
“Then he pulled him into the basket and went to sleep next to him. Arthur’s coat was gleaming white. Oscar had obviously licked him clean. It must have taken him nearly all night.”
Arthur is now reburied in a secure grave. And Oscar has a new playmate, a kitten called Limpet.
Anonymous donator makes 400th payment
A Japanese police station Wednesday paid tribute to an anonymous donor who has handed in envelopes full of cash to give to the needy every month for more than 33 years. The police station in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, received the first envelope in August 1974, which contained 1,000 yen, or nine dollars at the current rate.
It did not bear a sender's name but enclosed a piece of paper only saying: "Please use this for the unprivileged people."
The envelopes kept arriving punctually every month with the enclosed money gradually increasing to 3,000 yen, 5,000 yen and eventually 8,000 yen, the police said.
The station received the 400th envelope on Tuesday, taking the total amount donated to 1,744,000 yen ($15 992.48), the police said, adding that the money had been given to the town's social welfare council.
"I just take my hat off for the act of continuing sending donations over three decades without expecting rewards," said station chief Taisuke Kimura.
"We will continue working for the safety of this town in return for this goodwill act," he said.
It did not bear a sender's name but enclosed a piece of paper only saying: "Please use this for the unprivileged people."
The envelopes kept arriving punctually every month with the enclosed money gradually increasing to 3,000 yen, 5,000 yen and eventually 8,000 yen, the police said.
The station received the 400th envelope on Tuesday, taking the total amount donated to 1,744,000 yen ($15 992.48), the police said, adding that the money had been given to the town's social welfare council.
"I just take my hat off for the act of continuing sending donations over three decades without expecting rewards," said station chief Taisuke Kimura.
"We will continue working for the safety of this town in return for this goodwill act," he said.
Czech mates
Two Czechs stuck in a billiard table while searching for a ball had to call the fire squad and were freed only when rescuers took the table apart, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.
At first, the two players in the western Czech city of Karlovy Vary thought it was funny when both of their hands became trapped inside the table. But panic struck when they could not free themselves, daily Lidove Noviny reported.
“Their trapped hands hurt them quite a bit,” a fire brigade spokesman said. “We have no clue at all how they could become stuck in there. In the end we had no other option but to dismantle the entire table.”
At first, the two players in the western Czech city of Karlovy Vary thought it was funny when both of their hands became trapped inside the table. But panic struck when they could not free themselves, daily Lidove Noviny reported.
“Their trapped hands hurt them quite a bit,” a fire brigade spokesman said. “We have no clue at all how they could become stuck in there. In the end we had no other option but to dismantle the entire table.”
Garaged tractor ticketed
The owner of a vintage tractor said he was stunned to get a parking ticket for his 1957 Ferguson machine which had not left its storage shed for years. Derek Coldrick, 61, received the £60 penalty ticket from Herefordshire Council claiming his tractor was parked illegally in Broad Street, Hereford.
"It looks lovely and shiny but it doesn't have any brakes or lights and a top speed of 3mph," he said.
The council said it appeared his number plate details had been cloned. When Mr Coldrick, who lives in Cirencester, contested the ticket, Herefordshire Council accepted his explanation and cancelled the penalty charge
He had bought the tractor for £600 in 1994 with the aim of restoring it and had only recently painted it.
He said: "When I saw the letter it was a big shock, but after seeing the registration I realised it was not for my car but for the tractor in my shed. To my knowledge the tractor has never been out of it. I think I would have been pulled over very quickly if I had been spotted. It would have been even funnier if it had been a speeding ticket. It is an amazing vehicle but you could barely get it to the edge of town, let alone Hereford."
The council said it believed the registration plates were copied and warned him that he was likely to contacted again if the other vehicle was involved in similar incidents.
"It looks lovely and shiny but it doesn't have any brakes or lights and a top speed of 3mph," he said.
The council said it appeared his number plate details had been cloned. When Mr Coldrick, who lives in Cirencester, contested the ticket, Herefordshire Council accepted his explanation and cancelled the penalty charge
He had bought the tractor for £600 in 1994 with the aim of restoring it and had only recently painted it.
He said: "When I saw the letter it was a big shock, but after seeing the registration I realised it was not for my car but for the tractor in my shed. To my knowledge the tractor has never been out of it. I think I would have been pulled over very quickly if I had been spotted. It would have been even funnier if it had been a speeding ticket. It is an amazing vehicle but you could barely get it to the edge of town, let alone Hereford."
The council said it believed the registration plates were copied and warned him that he was likely to contacted again if the other vehicle was involved in similar incidents.
80 yr old shoots lion
Acting to protect her dog, 80-year-old Martha Smith killed a mountain lion at her home along French Creek near Fairburn, South Dakota. She missed with her first shot, went into the house to call 911, then went back outside with a .22-caliber rifle.
"And he was a spittin' and a growlin'," said Smith. "All I saw was flashing eyes and teeth. And I knew I was gonna have to kill him if I could."
Smith, who lives alone, said she'd like to have the lion mounted, but doubts the state Department of Game, Fish & Parks will return the carcass to her.
"And he was a spittin' and a growlin'," said Smith. "All I saw was flashing eyes and teeth. And I knew I was gonna have to kill him if I could."
Smith, who lives alone, said she'd like to have the lion mounted, but doubts the state Department of Game, Fish & Parks will return the carcass to her.
Corpse wheeled through NYC
NEW YORK - Two men wheeled a dead man through the streets in an office chair to a check-cashing store and tried to cash his Social Security check before being arrested on fraud charges, police said.
David J. Dalaia and James O'Hare pushed Virgilio Cintron's body from the Manhattan apartment that O'Hare and Cintron shared to Pay-O-Matic, about a block away, spokesman Paul Browne said witnesses told police.
"The witnesses saw the two pushing the chair with Cintron flopping from side to side and the two individuals propping him up and keeping him from flopping from side to side," Browne said.
The men left Cintron's body outside the store, went inside and tried to cash his $355 check, Browne said. The store's clerk, who knew Cintron, asked the men where he was, and O'Hare told the clerk they would go and get him, Browne said.
A police detective who was having lunch at a restaurant next to the check-cashing store noticed a crowd forming around Cintron's body, and "it's immediately apparent to him that Cintron is dead," Browne said.
The detective called uniformed New York Police Department officers at a nearby precinct. Emergency medical technicians arrived as O'Hare and Dalaia were preparing to wheel Cintron's body into the check-cashing store, Browne said. Police arrested Dalaia and O'Hare there, he said.
Cintron's body was taken to a hospital morgue. The medical examiner's office told police it appeared Cintron, 66, had died of natural causes within the previous 24 hours, Browne said.
"He was deceased in the apartment when he was removed by these two," Browne said.
Dalaia and O'Hare, both 65, were being held by police and faced check fraud charges, Browne said.
David J. Dalaia and James O'Hare pushed Virgilio Cintron's body from the Manhattan apartment that O'Hare and Cintron shared to Pay-O-Matic, about a block away, spokesman Paul Browne said witnesses told police.
"The witnesses saw the two pushing the chair with Cintron flopping from side to side and the two individuals propping him up and keeping him from flopping from side to side," Browne said.
The men left Cintron's body outside the store, went inside and tried to cash his $355 check, Browne said. The store's clerk, who knew Cintron, asked the men where he was, and O'Hare told the clerk they would go and get him, Browne said.
A police detective who was having lunch at a restaurant next to the check-cashing store noticed a crowd forming around Cintron's body, and "it's immediately apparent to him that Cintron is dead," Browne said.
The detective called uniformed New York Police Department officers at a nearby precinct. Emergency medical technicians arrived as O'Hare and Dalaia were preparing to wheel Cintron's body into the check-cashing store, Browne said. Police arrested Dalaia and O'Hare there, he said.
Cintron's body was taken to a hospital morgue. The medical examiner's office told police it appeared Cintron, 66, had died of natural causes within the previous 24 hours, Browne said.
"He was deceased in the apartment when he was removed by these two," Browne said.
Dalaia and O'Hare, both 65, were being held by police and faced check fraud charges, Browne said.
Bill Gates retirement video
Before Bill Gates got into the major news of his last CES keynote address last night, he played a video portraying what his last day on the job would be like. A star-studded cast bid him farewell from Microsoft as they parodied Gates' struggle to fill up all the free time he'd inevitably have after he leaves his full-time job in July.
Gates goes on to a recording studio with Jay-Z. After an attempt at rapping, Gates turns incredulously to Jay-Z and says, "So let me get this straight. You can retire, and then unretire?"
He calls Bono, Jon Stewart and Steven Spielberg begging for work. They all turned him down. He called Barack Obama to ask him if he was in need of a running mate. Obama, not knowing which Bill was on the line said, "Bill? Bill Clinton?"
From what was heard from people after the keynote, his retirement video was one of the most entertaining of Gates' many speeches over the years.
Gates goes on to a recording studio with Jay-Z. After an attempt at rapping, Gates turns incredulously to Jay-Z and says, "So let me get this straight. You can retire, and then unretire?"
He calls Bono, Jon Stewart and Steven Spielberg begging for work. They all turned him down. He called Barack Obama to ask him if he was in need of a running mate. Obama, not knowing which Bill was on the line said, "Bill? Bill Clinton?"
From what was heard from people after the keynote, his retirement video was one of the most entertaining of Gates' many speeches over the years.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Snake's balls for auction
A carpet python that found international fame after gulping down four golf balls could raise a bundle for its rescuers, with the balls to be auctioned online. The 80cm snake, dubbed Augusta, received emergency surgery after mistaking four golf balls for eggs last week.The balls had been placed in a northern NSW henhouse to encourage a stubborn hen to lay, but were almost a recipe for disaster for the snake. The Gold Coast's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary veterinarians say the animal would have died if it hadn't been brought to them for what was believed to be a world-first operation.
Now, the golf balls will be auctioned on eBay, (So far 9 bids have produced A$227) with proceeds to go to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's new community wildlife hospital. The hospital, which treats more than 4000 wild animals each year, receives no government funding and relies on community and corporate donations.
The winning eBay bidder will take home the four golf balls removed from the snake's stomach during the surgery, veterinary photographs and original X-rays of the snake before and after surgery.
The sanctuary hopes the items will attract high bids from around the world, after Augusta's story appeared in more than 400 national and international news outlets, including The Times of London, the Chicago Herald Tribune, CBS, the UK's Daily Mail, Dom's Weird News, Fox News and Forbes New York.
Spicy chicken waiver
A Chicago tavern will begin selling chicken wings coated in one of the world's hottest peppers - a dish so hot that patrons first have to sign a waiver agreeing not to sue for injuries.
Jake Melnick's Corner Tap said the wings made with Red Savina pepper will be served with an alarm bell for patrons to summon waiters with sour cream, milk sugar and white bread if things get out of hand.
Levy Restaurants, which owns the tavern, said its chef d'Cuisine Robin Rosenberg had been working on the concept for years but was never sure he'd be able to serve it.
"This isn't the right sauce for everyone, but for someone out there, this is going to be absolute heaven. Of course, for a handful of people, it's going to be hell," he said.
Jake Melnick's Corner Tap said the wings made with Red Savina pepper will be served with an alarm bell for patrons to summon waiters with sour cream, milk sugar and white bread if things get out of hand.
Levy Restaurants, which owns the tavern, said its chef d'Cuisine Robin Rosenberg had been working on the concept for years but was never sure he'd be able to serve it.
"This isn't the right sauce for everyone, but for someone out there, this is going to be absolute heaven. Of course, for a handful of people, it's going to be hell," he said.
Cat survives on condensation
A cat was forced to lick condensation off windows to survive after being accidentally locked in a garden shed for more than two months.
The owner of Emmy the cat thought she had died after spending weeks looking for her in the UK town of Torquay, in Devon, the Daily Mail reported.
But the 10-year-old feline instead spent nine weeks licking the moist windows of the garden shed that she had snuck into before her owner finally found her.
Manager of the Blue Cross animal centre in nearby Watcomb, Laura Valentine, told the Daily Mail that Emmy was lucky to have survived her ordeal.
Ms Valentine was quoted as saying “It is remarkable - she must have been in torment in there… her owner really had no idea where she was. They didn't think she would survive because she was so skeletal but she's fine now.”
A spokesman for the Blue Cross animal charity told the newspaper that Emmy’s owners were “too upset to keep her” after the ordeal.
“Emmy is still traumatised and has a fear of tight spaces and of being left alone,” the spokesman said. “She has recovered physically but mentally she is still a bit fragile. She also seems to have lost the ability or the will to jump and won't even hop on or off things.”
Emmy has been placed up for adoption by Blue Cross.
The owner of Emmy the cat thought she had died after spending weeks looking for her in the UK town of Torquay, in Devon, the Daily Mail reported.
But the 10-year-old feline instead spent nine weeks licking the moist windows of the garden shed that she had snuck into before her owner finally found her.
Manager of the Blue Cross animal centre in nearby Watcomb, Laura Valentine, told the Daily Mail that Emmy was lucky to have survived her ordeal.
Ms Valentine was quoted as saying “It is remarkable - she must have been in torment in there… her owner really had no idea where she was. They didn't think she would survive because she was so skeletal but she's fine now.”
A spokesman for the Blue Cross animal charity told the newspaper that Emmy’s owners were “too upset to keep her” after the ordeal.
“Emmy is still traumatised and has a fear of tight spaces and of being left alone,” the spokesman said. “She has recovered physically but mentally she is still a bit fragile. She also seems to have lost the ability or the will to jump and won't even hop on or off things.”
Emmy has been placed up for adoption by Blue Cross.
French Minister gets the finger
France's justice minister wants to know why someone sent her a severed finger in the mail, a ministry spokesman said yesterday.
A package, containing the finger and a letter addressed to Justice Minister Rachida Dati, was opened by the ministry's mail service after it was received on Friday, spokesman Guillaume Didier said. He gave no information about what the letter said.
"The minister asked her services to look into this person's situation, to see what could have driven him or her to carry out this act," he said.
Didier said he could not confirm a report in regional daily Ouest France, which said the sender was a former hair-salon owner in western France with business and legal problems, who had cut off part of his own finger and sent it to Dati.
A package, containing the finger and a letter addressed to Justice Minister Rachida Dati, was opened by the ministry's mail service after it was received on Friday, spokesman Guillaume Didier said. He gave no information about what the letter said.
"The minister asked her services to look into this person's situation, to see what could have driven him or her to carry out this act," he said.
Didier said he could not confirm a report in regional daily Ouest France, which said the sender was a former hair-salon owner in western France with business and legal problems, who had cut off part of his own finger and sent it to Dati.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Record Tuna
A Hong Kong sushi restaurant owner Saturday paid a record 55,700 dollars for a massive bluefin tuna in the first auction of the year at the world's largest fish market in Tokyo, an official and media reports said.
The 276-kilogram (607-pound) bluefin tuna -- caught off Japan's northern region of Aomori -- sold for 6.07 million yen (55,706 dollars) or 22,000 yen (about 202 dollars) per kilo, an official at the Tsukiji fish market said.
The final price was a record for Japan and nearly two million yen more than the previous year, he added.
A Hong Kong-based sushi restaurant chain owner made the highest bid, local media reported although the fish market official was unable to confirm details about the buyer.
Prices of tuna caught overseas were on average 20 to 30 percent higher than the previous year as imports of cultured tuna from Mediterranean countries including Croatia and Spain have dropped sharply, Kyodo News said.
The record prices comes amid a decline in tuna supply due to tighter international controls on the catch for bluefin tuna. Japan, which eats a quarter of the world's tuna, is moving towards limiting bluefin tuna fishing in its own waters in a bid to help protect the species from extinction.
The Tsukiji market sold a total of 2,904 bluefin tuna or 176.6 tonnes Saturday, down from 3,268 or 178.6 tonnes at last year's opening auction.
The 276-kilogram (607-pound) bluefin tuna -- caught off Japan's northern region of Aomori -- sold for 6.07 million yen (55,706 dollars) or 22,000 yen (about 202 dollars) per kilo, an official at the Tsukiji fish market said.
The final price was a record for Japan and nearly two million yen more than the previous year, he added.
A Hong Kong-based sushi restaurant chain owner made the highest bid, local media reported although the fish market official was unable to confirm details about the buyer.
Prices of tuna caught overseas were on average 20 to 30 percent higher than the previous year as imports of cultured tuna from Mediterranean countries including Croatia and Spain have dropped sharply, Kyodo News said.
The record prices comes amid a decline in tuna supply due to tighter international controls on the catch for bluefin tuna. Japan, which eats a quarter of the world's tuna, is moving towards limiting bluefin tuna fishing in its own waters in a bid to help protect the species from extinction.
The Tsukiji market sold a total of 2,904 bluefin tuna or 176.6 tonnes Saturday, down from 3,268 or 178.6 tonnes at last year's opening auction.
Police crack down on accordion players
Police in the northern city of Tromsø are cracking down on the accordion players who have been trying, unsuccessfully, to strike a lucrative chord with passersby.
The police have had enough of the so-called street musicians, whom residents don't think are very musical at all. They're being firmly escorted off the city streets.
"The reports we've had indicate that people are being driven mad by the tunes coming from the accordions all day long," said police chief Truls Fyhn. "I have myself stopped to listen, and let me make it very clear: The quality of the music is very, very low."
Many of the accordion players have come to Norway from central and eastern Europe, and use their accordions to beg for money from passersby. They started cropping up in Norway, also in Oslo, a few years ago.
In Tromsø, it's now only legal to play accordion music outside in the city's main central square.
The police have had enough of the so-called street musicians, whom residents don't think are very musical at all. They're being firmly escorted off the city streets.
"The reports we've had indicate that people are being driven mad by the tunes coming from the accordions all day long," said police chief Truls Fyhn. "I have myself stopped to listen, and let me make it very clear: The quality of the music is very, very low."
Many of the accordion players have come to Norway from central and eastern Europe, and use their accordions to beg for money from passersby. They started cropping up in Norway, also in Oslo, a few years ago.
In Tromsø, it's now only legal to play accordion music outside in the city's main central square.
Man arrested for painting cop
A man in Hawaii has been arrested for spray-painting a police officer. The 51-year-old man, who hasn't been identified, painted the female officer with gold spray-paint, after she had initially tried to arrest him for painting the road.
The man was spotted painting the road in front of a shopping centre in Honolulu last Thursday. When the female officer ordered him to stop, he refused, at which point she tried to arrest him, reports say.
It was at this point, according to reports, that he spray-painted her instead.
He also grabbed the officer's leg, leaving her with bruises. In keeping with the people-spraying-other-people theme of the evening, the police then sprayed him with pepper spray.
He was detained on charges of first-degree assault against a police officer and third- and fourth-degree criminal property damage.
The man was spotted painting the road in front of a shopping centre in Honolulu last Thursday. When the female officer ordered him to stop, he refused, at which point she tried to arrest him, reports say.
It was at this point, according to reports, that he spray-painted her instead.
He also grabbed the officer's leg, leaving her with bruises. In keeping with the people-spraying-other-people theme of the evening, the police then sprayed him with pepper spray.
He was detained on charges of first-degree assault against a police officer and third- and fourth-degree criminal property damage.
Judge blasts human rights
A judge has condemned the "barking mad" human rights rules that allowed a drug dealer to stay in his prison cell rather than appear in court. Amir Ali, who was jailed for almost four years last September, refused to leave the "comfortable" cell because he was afraid of losing it to another inmate.
Judge Richard Hayward said: "I didn't know that prisoners could choose whether or not to come to court. I just assumed they would be scooped up by a burly prison warden and dumped in the back of a van. Now I hear this prisoner is refusing to leave his cell, and no one's doing anything about it. Once again, it's down to barking mad human rights rules."
A court source said: "Judge Hayward is known for his no-nonsense approach to criminals and he is sick and tired of coming up against barriers which slow down the legal process. It's incredible that this drug dealer finds his cell so comfortable he doesn't want to leave it. If they make prison that easy then it is no surprise the jails are full up."
Judge Richard Hayward said: "I didn't know that prisoners could choose whether or not to come to court. I just assumed they would be scooped up by a burly prison warden and dumped in the back of a van. Now I hear this prisoner is refusing to leave his cell, and no one's doing anything about it. Once again, it's down to barking mad human rights rules."
A court source said: "Judge Hayward is known for his no-nonsense approach to criminals and he is sick and tired of coming up against barriers which slow down the legal process. It's incredible that this drug dealer finds his cell so comfortable he doesn't want to leave it. If they make prison that easy then it is no surprise the jails are full up."
Naples, city of rubbish
The Italian army has begun bulldozing the 100,000 tonnes of rubbish that has piled up in the streets of the southern city of Naples. The government is to hold an emergency meeting to find a solution to the rubbish crisis. Naples refuse collectors stopped collecting rubbish two weeks ago.With nowhere to put it local people are forced to burn it. The fire brigade has been struggling to put out the fires. Protesters have clashed with police near an overflowing landfill site.
Police tried to reopen the site, but residents of Pianura, a western suburb, said it was a health risk and blocked the roads. They threw stones at police, who responded with batons. At least three people were taken to hospital.
Prime Minister Romano Prodi has returned from his holidays to a national embarrassment. The EU is warning there will be tough penalties unless Italy resolves the crisis this week.
Schools which have been closed were reopened on the orders of the government, though only a handful of students have left their homes.
Finding a solution to this problem means tackling the mob.
The Camorra, the Neapolitan version of the Mafia, has turned this into a hugely profitable business.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
I'm Gettin' married in the morning
Well, afternoon actually, so posting may be sparse ... or none.
Debbie & I are finally getting hitched :)
Friday, January 04, 2008
Faux Police
FORT WORTH, Texas,-- Two Texas teenagers were charged early Thursday with posing as police officers in Fort Worth and pulling over drivers.
Nasr Emad Saleh, 18, and Lonnie Lee Berry, 19, allegedly made their last stop at 2 a.m. Thursday in front of two real Fort Worth police officers, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The officers at first thought the pair were real sheriff's deputies but then realized that the red and blue lights on their Ford Taurus were not standard ones -- and wondered why one of the "deputies" remained in the car instead of backing up his partner.
Berry's sheriff's badge turned out to have a price sticker -- $9.99 -- still fixed to the back.
Investigators said the pair may have made two earlier traffic stops. They are unsure what their motive was.
Nasr Emad Saleh, 18, and Lonnie Lee Berry, 19, allegedly made their last stop at 2 a.m. Thursday in front of two real Fort Worth police officers, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The officers at first thought the pair were real sheriff's deputies but then realized that the red and blue lights on their Ford Taurus were not standard ones -- and wondered why one of the "deputies" remained in the car instead of backing up his partner.
Berry's sheriff's badge turned out to have a price sticker -- $9.99 -- still fixed to the back.
Investigators said the pair may have made two earlier traffic stops. They are unsure what their motive was.
Woman frozen to rail track
A Russian woman was frozen to a railway track after she slipped and fell in temperatures of minus 30 Celsius and grabbed the metal track with her bare hands.
Irina Ivanova, 62, slipped as she walked across railway tracks in Tyumen in western Siberia. But when she tried to get up she found her bare hand had stuck to the track in the cold.
She was found an hour later by a passer by who called rescue services. Workers who could not free her hand from the metal track had to use welding torches to cut the metal - and she was taken to hospital where doctors managed to release her.
She was treated for hypothermia and frost bite - and doctors are still waiting to see if she will lose the use of her hand or not.
Irina Ivanova, 62, slipped as she walked across railway tracks in Tyumen in western Siberia. But when she tried to get up she found her bare hand had stuck to the track in the cold.
She was found an hour later by a passer by who called rescue services. Workers who could not free her hand from the metal track had to use welding torches to cut the metal - and she was taken to hospital where doctors managed to release her.
She was treated for hypothermia and frost bite - and doctors are still waiting to see if she will lose the use of her hand or not.
Speed camera lumberjacks
Two Austrian teenagers have been fined £75,000 for hacking down and burying a roadside speed camera.
Peter Hochstacher and Thomas Moebel, both 19, were snapped by the camera speeding in the town of Lustenau in Austria.
They used a pair of axes and a saw they had with them in their car to chop it down and then buried it in a nearby field.
But the box was found by a local farmer as he ploughed his land and police who examined it found pictures of the pair on the camera inside and they later confessed to tearing down the device.
A local court said the fine would cover the cost of replacing the machine.
Peter Hochstacher and Thomas Moebel, both 19, were snapped by the camera speeding in the town of Lustenau in Austria.
They used a pair of axes and a saw they had with them in their car to chop it down and then buried it in a nearby field.
But the box was found by a local farmer as he ploughed his land and police who examined it found pictures of the pair on the camera inside and they later confessed to tearing down the device.
A local court said the fine would cover the cost of replacing the machine.
Window cleaner survives 47-storey fall
Doctors say they have never seen anything like it: A window washer who fell 47 stories from the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper is now awake, talking to his family and expected to walk again.
Alcides Moreno, a 37-year-old Ecuadorean immigrant, plummeted almost 500 feet (150 meters) in a Dec. 7 scaffolding collapse that killed his brother. Somehow, Moreno lived, and doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center announced Thursday that his recovery has been astonishing.
He has movement in all his limbs. He is breathing on his own. And on Christmas Day, he opened his mouth and spoke for the first time since the accident.
His wife, Rosario Moreno, cried as she thanked the doctors and nurses who kept him alive. "Thank God for the miracle that we had," she said. "He keeps telling me that it just wasn't his time."
Dr. Herbert Pardes, the hospital's president, described Moreno's condition when he arrived for treatment as "a complete disaster."
Both legs and his right arm and wrist were broken in several places. He had severe injuries to his chest, his abdomen and his spinal column. His brain was bleeding. Everything was bleeding, it seemed.
In those first critical hours, doctors pumped 24 units of donated blood into his body - about twice his entire blood volume. They gave him plasma and platelets and a drug to stimulate clotting and stop the hemorrhaging. They inserted a catheter into his brain to reduce swelling and cut open his abdomen to relieve pressure on his organs.
Moreno was at the edge of consciousness when he was brought in. Doctors sedated him, performed a tracheotomy and put him on a ventilator.
His condition was so unstable, doctors worried that even a mild jostle might kill him, so they performed his first surgery without moving him to an operating room. Nine orthopedic operations followed to piece together his broken body. Yet, even when things were at their worst, the hospital's staff marveled at his luck.
Incredibly, Moreno's head injuries were relatively minor, for a fall victim. Neurosurgeon John Boockvar said the window washer also managed to avoid a paralyzing spinal cord injury, even though he suffered a shattered vertebra.
"If you are a believer in miracles, this would be one," said the hospital's chief of surgery, Dr. Philip Barie.
Moreno will remain in the hospital for at least a few more weeks, doctors said. After that, he will need extensive physical rehabilitation. It may be another year before doctors know how much he will improve.
Alcides Moreno, a 37-year-old Ecuadorean immigrant, plummeted almost 500 feet (150 meters) in a Dec. 7 scaffolding collapse that killed his brother. Somehow, Moreno lived, and doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center announced Thursday that his recovery has been astonishing.
He has movement in all his limbs. He is breathing on his own. And on Christmas Day, he opened his mouth and spoke for the first time since the accident.
His wife, Rosario Moreno, cried as she thanked the doctors and nurses who kept him alive. "Thank God for the miracle that we had," she said. "He keeps telling me that it just wasn't his time."
Dr. Herbert Pardes, the hospital's president, described Moreno's condition when he arrived for treatment as "a complete disaster."
Both legs and his right arm and wrist were broken in several places. He had severe injuries to his chest, his abdomen and his spinal column. His brain was bleeding. Everything was bleeding, it seemed.
In those first critical hours, doctors pumped 24 units of donated blood into his body - about twice his entire blood volume. They gave him plasma and platelets and a drug to stimulate clotting and stop the hemorrhaging. They inserted a catheter into his brain to reduce swelling and cut open his abdomen to relieve pressure on his organs.
Moreno was at the edge of consciousness when he was brought in. Doctors sedated him, performed a tracheotomy and put him on a ventilator.
His condition was so unstable, doctors worried that even a mild jostle might kill him, so they performed his first surgery without moving him to an operating room. Nine orthopedic operations followed to piece together his broken body. Yet, even when things were at their worst, the hospital's staff marveled at his luck.
Incredibly, Moreno's head injuries were relatively minor, for a fall victim. Neurosurgeon John Boockvar said the window washer also managed to avoid a paralyzing spinal cord injury, even though he suffered a shattered vertebra.
"If you are a believer in miracles, this would be one," said the hospital's chief of surgery, Dr. Philip Barie.
Moreno will remain in the hospital for at least a few more weeks, doctors said. After that, he will need extensive physical rehabilitation. It may be another year before doctors know how much he will improve.
New Zealand's oldest immigrant
A 102-year-old retired dentist looks set to become New Zealand's oldest immigrant when he quits Britain tomorrow to start a new life in Nelson. Eric King-Turner has packed up all his belongings to sail to the other side of the world with his 87-year-old, New Zealand-born wife Doris, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.He departs tomorrow, on the Saga Rose cruise ship which will dock in Auckland on February 16. Mr King-Turner, who lives in the village of Titchfield, near Southampton, said he was looking forward to a British way of life in a country which is not as crowded.
Mrs King-Turner – who still has a house near Nelson – has been living in England since marrying her husband 12 years ago. Mr King-Turner, who was Surgeon Commander on the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable during World War 2, said:
"I think Doris has been a little bit homesick but has never complained. I like New Zealand. The way of life is very much the same as it is here but it is not so crowded and the weather is certainly better. I'm an Englishman through and through and there will be things I miss such as my friends but New Zealanders are very easy to get on with."
18 trapped uʍop-ǝpısdn on a rollercoaster
A roller coaster has stalled at the top of a loop at China's biggest amusement park, leaving passengers stranded upside down, their legs pointed toward the sky.Eighteen passengers were left hanging for half an hour several meters above the park on New Year's Eve in the eastern province of Anhui, the China Daily said. The passengers were riding the "Fireball" attraction at the Wuhu Fangte Amusement Park when the rollercoaster came to an abrupt halt.
"Park officials and local authorities rescued the stranded passengers after about 30 minutes and six were rushed to hospital and treated for dizziness," Xinhua news agency said.
Investigations revealed that strong headwind had triggered a mechanical fault, the agency said.
9 Jockeys banned
A jumps race at Tramore in south-east Ireland ended in farce with nine of the jockeys banned for five days.
All 14 riders finished a circuit too early in the fifth race of the afternoon over two miles five furlongs (4.2 km), eased down and began to head towards the unsaddling enclosure.
But five of them then realised their mistake, returned to action and completed the final circuit, Andrew McNamara winning the race on 9-4 favourite Mr Aussie by six lengths.
While jockeys individually occasionally ride a finish too early it is rare for an entire field to do so. Their mistake even fooled the commentator who described the first "finish" in animated terms before also realising the error.
The jockeys of the horses that finished second, third and fifth were among those banned, the stewards deciding that like the others they had also failed to give their mounts every chance to obtain a best possible finishing position.
All 14 riders finished a circuit too early in the fifth race of the afternoon over two miles five furlongs (4.2 km), eased down and began to head towards the unsaddling enclosure.
But five of them then realised their mistake, returned to action and completed the final circuit, Andrew McNamara winning the race on 9-4 favourite Mr Aussie by six lengths.
While jockeys individually occasionally ride a finish too early it is rare for an entire field to do so. Their mistake even fooled the commentator who described the first "finish" in animated terms before also realising the error.
The jockeys of the horses that finished second, third and fifth were among those banned, the stewards deciding that like the others they had also failed to give their mounts every chance to obtain a best possible finishing position.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Giant Knickers save house
A family home was saved from burning down when a pair of giant knickers were used to put out a fire. Jenny Marsey's size 18-20 cotton pants were a lifesaver when they were grabbed to cover a frying pan fire at her home in Meryl Gardens, Hartlepool, Teesside.
Her son and nephew were trying to fry some bread when the blaze broke out. But the quick-thinking pair used the Marks & Spencer underwear from a pile of washing, doused them in water, and threw them over the fire.
Mrs Marsey, 53, said: "My £4.99 parachute knickers have come in handy for something. We've had a good laugh that they were a bit like a fire blanket."
The incident happened on Sunday, while Mrs Marsey was out for the day. Her son John and his cousin Darren, 23, were cooking, when they went to answer a knock at the door, only to return to a blazing kitchen.
Mrs Marsey said: "When they found the pan on fire they did what most people do and panicked. But they found a pair of my knickers in a washing basket and basically used them as a fire blanket to put out the fire."
Mrs Marsey, who is also mother to Sarah, 23, Joanne, 24, and Donna, 27, added: "I think if they had been my daughter Sarah's skimpy knickers they wouldn't have done any good."
Her son and nephew were trying to fry some bread when the blaze broke out. But the quick-thinking pair used the Marks & Spencer underwear from a pile of washing, doused them in water, and threw them over the fire.
Mrs Marsey, 53, said: "My £4.99 parachute knickers have come in handy for something. We've had a good laugh that they were a bit like a fire blanket."
The incident happened on Sunday, while Mrs Marsey was out for the day. Her son John and his cousin Darren, 23, were cooking, when they went to answer a knock at the door, only to return to a blazing kitchen.
Mrs Marsey said: "When they found the pan on fire they did what most people do and panicked. But they found a pair of my knickers in a washing basket and basically used them as a fire blanket to put out the fire."
Mrs Marsey, who is also mother to Sarah, 23, Joanne, 24, and Donna, 27, added: "I think if they had been my daughter Sarah's skimpy knickers they wouldn't have done any good."
World's largest ice rink
What is believed to be the world's biggest ice rink has opened in Mexico City, double the size of Olympic rinks and taking up its famous Zocalo Square. What is more, the shift from Aztec to Arctic, so to speak, comes free to the public, the brainchild of the city's flamboyant mayor, Marcelo Ebrard.Once the site of offerings to the gods, the Zocalo has now seen cars sacrificed to make way for the skaters. Mexico, its mayor hopes, can now rank among the world's "coolest" cities.
"It is an opportunity to compete with New York or Paris or any country," he says. "This rink is big and beautiful and this place is perfect."
In a city of 20 million people they had to build big. This rink has 74km (46 miles) of piping underneath to maintain the ice that is now attracting 12,000 very happy people a day to the Zocolo, which is 3,000 sq m (sq yd) in size.
Water Tower Shot At
MAIDEN,North Carolina - Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water is draining from a water tower in Maiden because of recently discovered bullet holes.
The tower holds 750,000 gallons of water for Maiden, which is just south of Hickory. Officials must wait for most of the water to drain because repairs must be done inside the holding tank.
Catawba County Sheriff's deputy Major Coy Reid said the tower appears to have been shot three times with a high-powered rifle. He said authorities believe the shooting took place early Monday morning.
Nearby residents heard gun shots but no one called authorities, so the damage wasn't discovered until hours later.
Fixing the damage will likely cost between $15,000 and $20,000
The tower holds 750,000 gallons of water for Maiden, which is just south of Hickory. Officials must wait for most of the water to drain because repairs must be done inside the holding tank.
Catawba County Sheriff's deputy Major Coy Reid said the tower appears to have been shot three times with a high-powered rifle. He said authorities believe the shooting took place early Monday morning.
Nearby residents heard gun shots but no one called authorities, so the damage wasn't discovered until hours later.
Fixing the damage will likely cost between $15,000 and $20,000
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Twins double celebration
Twin sisters who have lived through five royal reigns are celebrating their 100th birthdays in Cornwall. The sisters, who now live one mile apart in Truro, are heading to Budapest to mark their centenaries.Mrs Pelmore said: "We have so many memories. I don't think I would change anything. The only horrible part was the last World War." The twins grew up in Kent with their three siblings and moved to Cornwall 52 years ago. Both were married but are now widows. Mrs Richards, who trained as a teacher and later became a beekeeper, has two children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The sisters each received a message from the Queen for their New Year's Day birthday.
Mrs Pelmore said: "We do everything together now. We have lived through five reigns. There's so many things happening so quickly now whereas everything was on bicycle, horseback or on foot when we were young. The doctor who came for our birth came on horseback."
Shortage of rats in Russia
Russian pet shops are reporting a shortage of domestic rats, as shoppers snap them up ahead of the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Rat. Shoppers are said to be buying even mice, hamsters or gerbils. But vets warn that some unwanted rats will be released in the streets.
While Russia's main religion is Christian Orthodox, Chinese astrology is a pastime for many. Chinese New Year, based on the Moon's cycles, begins on 7 February this year. Rats are soft, charming and clean and do not need a great deal of care, traders say.
But "not everyone is going to be delighted to get a real rat as a present, and those that can't house them will either return them to a shop, or release them in the streets," said one Moscow vet quoted by the AFP news agency.
In December customers hoping to buy rats formed long queues in pet shops in the northern city of Novgorod, Itar-Tass news agency reported.
While Russia's main religion is Christian Orthodox, Chinese astrology is a pastime for many. Chinese New Year, based on the Moon's cycles, begins on 7 February this year. Rats are soft, charming and clean and do not need a great deal of care, traders say.
But "not everyone is going to be delighted to get a real rat as a present, and those that can't house them will either return them to a shop, or release them in the streets," said one Moscow vet quoted by the AFP news agency.
In December customers hoping to buy rats formed long queues in pet shops in the northern city of Novgorod, Itar-Tass news agency reported.
Tattoo accident
Getting a tattoo can be a painful proposition, but usually it's just the needle you have to worry about. Two men trying to trace a loaded .357-caliber Magnum as a pattern for a tattoo accidentally shot themselves, the Otero County Sheriff's Department said Monday.
Robert Glasser and Joey Acosta, both 22, were treated at a hospital in El Paso, Texas, after the shooting Thursday evening in nearby Chaparral.
Authorities said Glasser was struck in the hand when the gun accidentally went off, and Acosta was hit in the left arm. Their injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.
Robert Glasser and Joey Acosta, both 22, were treated at a hospital in El Paso, Texas, after the shooting Thursday evening in nearby Chaparral.
Authorities said Glasser was struck in the hand when the gun accidentally went off, and Acosta was hit in the left arm. Their injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.
Rare pearl found in clams
A Florida man was about halfway through a plate of steamed clams when he chomped down on something hard — a rare, iridescent purple pearl. George Brock and his wife, Leslie, had been spending a day at the beach Friday in South Florida and stopped at Dave's Last Resort & Raw Bar for a bite. Their find could be worth thousands.
"Few are round and few are a lovely color, so this is rare," said gemologist Antoinette Matlins. "I think they have found something precious and lovely and valuable."
The gems occur most frequently in large New England quahogs, clams known for violet coloring on the inside of their shells. The clams in the $10 plate came from Apalachicola in the Florida Panhandle, said restaurant manager Tom Gerry.
The Brocks, of Royal Palm Beach, plan to have the pearl appraised and said they may sell it if it is valuable.
"Few are round and few are a lovely color, so this is rare," said gemologist Antoinette Matlins. "I think they have found something precious and lovely and valuable."
The gems occur most frequently in large New England quahogs, clams known for violet coloring on the inside of their shells. The clams in the $10 plate came from Apalachicola in the Florida Panhandle, said restaurant manager Tom Gerry.
The Brocks, of Royal Palm Beach, plan to have the pearl appraised and said they may sell it if it is valuable.
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