Monday, February 02, 2009
Phil Says "Six More Weeks of Winter!"
Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:Hear Ye Hear Ye
On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009
Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators
Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper
And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths
After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time
And a bright sky above me
Showed my shadow beside me.
So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Legend discovered
A US-based salvage firm is believed to have found remains from the wreck of a legendary British warship which sank in the English Channel in 1744.
Odyssey Marine Exploration is expected to announce on Monday that it has found HMS Victory, the forerunner of Nelson's famous flagship of the same name.
The valuables from the vessel, including brass cannons, could be worth millions of pounds, some experts say.
If confirmed, the find could trigger a row with the British government. The remains from HMS Victory have been reportedly found in international waters. But as a military wreck, they officially belong to the British state.
Odyssey Marine Exploration is expected to announce on Monday that it has found HMS Victory, the forerunner of Nelson's famous flagship of the same name.
The valuables from the vessel, including brass cannons, could be worth millions of pounds, some experts say.
If confirmed, the find could trigger a row with the British government. The remains from HMS Victory have been reportedly found in international waters. But as a military wreck, they officially belong to the British state.
New law for naked rambling
A local Swiss government plans to take action against a sudden and apparently unwelcome phenomenon - naked hikers.Authorities in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden plan to introduce fines for anyone found walking in the picturesque mountain region without any clothes.
They decided to act before this year's hiking season began, after noticing a sudden influx of nudists last year - many of them from Germany.
"FKK", or "free body culture", is a popular pastime in Germany.
But Appenzell Innerrhoden is not keen to encourage its spread.
"We were forced to introduce the legislation against this indecent practice before the warm weather starts," said Melchior Looser, justice minister in the canton in north-eastern Switzerland.
"The point is many children visit our mountains in the summer," he told he Guardian newspaper.
A naked hiker was detained last autumn, but could not be fined as naked rambling was not outlawed, he said - hence the need for a new law.
Obama's brother arrested
A Kenyan half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday he was briefly arrested at his home in a slum on suspicion of drugs' possession.
"I think it was a misunderstanding. I do not do drugs," George Hussein Obama, 27, told Reuters from Nairobi's Huruma slum, where he was picked up for a few hours on Saturday.
"They released me with no charge."
Local media quoted police saying Obama, who works as a mechanic, had been found with two rolls of marijuana.
Kenya's leading newspaper, the Nation, said he would be charged in court on Monday.
But Obama said that was untrue, and police officials refused to comment.
"I don't know what you are talking about," area police chief Jasper Ombati told Reuters, before hanging up the phone.
George Obama hardly knows his brother, the first black president of the United States, who is hero-worshipped in Kenya due to his ancestral roots.
"I think it was a misunderstanding. I do not do drugs," George Hussein Obama, 27, told Reuters from Nairobi's Huruma slum, where he was picked up for a few hours on Saturday.
"They released me with no charge."
Local media quoted police saying Obama, who works as a mechanic, had been found with two rolls of marijuana.
Kenya's leading newspaper, the Nation, said he would be charged in court on Monday.
But Obama said that was untrue, and police officials refused to comment.
"I don't know what you are talking about," area police chief Jasper Ombati told Reuters, before hanging up the phone.
George Obama hardly knows his brother, the first black president of the United States, who is hero-worshipped in Kenya due to his ancestral roots.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Clone
MIAMI — A Boca Raton couple got a new dog, and it's just like their old dog. Not just the same breed and gender, but the same DNA.Nina and Edgar Otto picked up their cloned yellow lab puppy at the Miami International Airport Monday night. Lancelot Encore was cloned from the DNA of the Ottos' late dog Lancelot, which died of cancer in January 2008. Guessing that pet cloning would one day be possible, the Ottos had DNA samples of their dog frozen five years ago.
The Ottos paid $155,000 in a San Francisco biotech firm's dog-cloning auction last July.
BioArts International created Lancelot Encore in South Korea, where he was born 10 weeks ago. The Ottos say he's the first single-birth, commercially cloned puppy in the United States.
Time to quit?
A lit cigarette burned a home to the ground while its occupants were attending a meeting to help them quit smoking. Officials have ruled that a blaze that destroyed a mobile home in San Luis Obispo, California was caused by a cigarette.
The mobile home was owned by 68-year-old Bill Lewis who lived there with his mother Chessie, who's in her 80s.
The fire was started by a cigarette left behind by Chessie on a table of a porch before the pair left for a meeting at the County Public Health Department to help her quit smoking.
No one was injured in the fire, which caused $200,000 worth of damage.
The mobile home was owned by 68-year-old Bill Lewis who lived there with his mother Chessie, who's in her 80s.
The fire was started by a cigarette left behind by Chessie on a table of a porch before the pair left for a meeting at the County Public Health Department to help her quit smoking.
No one was injured in the fire, which caused $200,000 worth of damage.
Octuplets !
A California woman has shocked doctors by giving birth to octuplets, believed to be only the second set of eight babies born in the United States.
The six boys and two girls were doing well and were in stable condition in the neonatal intensive care unit, said Dr Karen Maples at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre in the Los Angeles suburb of Bellflower.
But two needed some help to breath with ventilators, she told a press conference.
The eight babies were born nine weeks prematurely by Caesarean section over a five-minute period, stunning a 46-member medical team that was expecting only seven babies.
They weighed between 1 pound 8 ounces (680 grams) and 3 pounds 4 ounces (1.47 kg) and doctors initially identified them by the letters A through H as they were born.
"We decided to proceed with the delivery in anticipation of seven babies. We had done some drills, some preliminary dry runs," Maples said.
"Lo and behold, after we got to Baby G, which is what we expected, we were surprised by Baby H."
Maples said she had been following the mother, who was not identified, since the first trimester of her pregnancy.
Citing patient confidentiality rules, the hospital declined to say whether the mother had become pregnant through fertility treatments, which can raise the likelihood of multiple births.
"It was a shock, especially with the eighth baby," Maples said.
The mother plans to breast feed all eight babies, her doctors said.
The last octuplets known to have survived in the United States were born in Houston in 1998, in that case six girls and two boys. One of the babies, a girl, died one week after birth.
The six boys and two girls were doing well and were in stable condition in the neonatal intensive care unit, said Dr Karen Maples at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre in the Los Angeles suburb of Bellflower.
But two needed some help to breath with ventilators, she told a press conference.
The eight babies were born nine weeks prematurely by Caesarean section over a five-minute period, stunning a 46-member medical team that was expecting only seven babies.
They weighed between 1 pound 8 ounces (680 grams) and 3 pounds 4 ounces (1.47 kg) and doctors initially identified them by the letters A through H as they were born.
"We decided to proceed with the delivery in anticipation of seven babies. We had done some drills, some preliminary dry runs," Maples said.
"Lo and behold, after we got to Baby G, which is what we expected, we were surprised by Baby H."
Maples said she had been following the mother, who was not identified, since the first trimester of her pregnancy.
Citing patient confidentiality rules, the hospital declined to say whether the mother had become pregnant through fertility treatments, which can raise the likelihood of multiple births.
"It was a shock, especially with the eighth baby," Maples said.
The mother plans to breast feed all eight babies, her doctors said.
The last octuplets known to have survived in the United States were born in Houston in 1998, in that case six girls and two boys. One of the babies, a girl, died one week after birth.
Girl marries dog
A young girl has been married to a stray dog to ward off an evil spirit in India's eastern Jharkhand.
The locals at Munda Dhanda village performed the ceremony as they believe it will overcome any curse that might fall on the family.
Interestingly, the girl is free to get married later in life to a man without even seeking a divorce.
Superstitions are widespread in India, especially in rural areas where literacy is scarce.
The locals at Munda Dhanda village performed the ceremony as they believe it will overcome any curse that might fall on the family.
Interestingly, the girl is free to get married later in life to a man without even seeking a divorce.
Superstitions are widespread in India, especially in rural areas where literacy is scarce.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Human weights
A British gym is trying to add human interest to otherwise dreary workouts by replacing traditional dumbbell weights with human ones.The Gymbox chain gym in central London says fitness enthusiasts can now swap their usual lumps of metal for human beings in a range of shapes and sizes.
According to the gym's owner Richard Hilton, it's all about visualising strength.
"Creating a mental image or intention of what you want to happen or feel is proven to improve physical and psychological performance," he said in a statement. "The human weight lifting apparatus. . . is the ultimate embodiment of visualisation theory."
The human weights range from the "Dainty Dwarf" 32-year-old Arti Shah, who weighs just 30kg, up to the "Super Human" weight of 37-year-old – and 155kg – Matt Barnard.
Impersonating a stripper
A police force has been criticised after spending £170,000 to arrest a stripper 22 times for impersonating an officer.Stuart Kennedy, a 25-year-old genetics student from Aberdeen University, has spent 123 hours in police custody since his first arrest in March 2007.Since then he has faced charges including possession of an offensive weapon - his truncheon and a fake CS spray - and for allegedly fitting a flashing light to his car.
But so far none of the cases brought against him have yielded a successful prosecution and the latest collapsed in court last week after the Crown Office unexpectedly dropped the charges.
That followed his arrest while driving home from Aberdeen's Tiger Tiger club dressed in full uniform. He said he had been forced to flee the bar fully clothed after being threatened by an angry boyfriend.
Car trouble
PORT HURON TOWNSHIP, Mich.—A man driven to find his lost dog also lost his car after he drove onto the frozen Black River in St. Clair County, locked himself out of the idling vehicle, then watched as heat from the 1994 Buick's exhaust pipe melted the ice beneath it.
WPHM-AM, the Detroit Free Press and the Times Herald in Port Huron reported that a police dive team were expected Wednesday to help pull the car from the frigid river off Port Huron Township, about 55 miles northeast of Detroit.
The newspapers said the Buick was a loaner while the man's vehicle is being repaired at a collision shop.
WPHM-AM, the Detroit Free Press and the Times Herald in Port Huron reported that a police dive team were expected Wednesday to help pull the car from the frigid river off Port Huron Township, about 55 miles northeast of Detroit.
The newspapers said the Buick was a loaner while the man's vehicle is being repaired at a collision shop.
Underwater ironing record
128 scuba divers braved the freezing winter temperatures on the 10 January 2009, to attempt to break the world record, currently held by the Australians, for the most number of divers ironing at the same time underwater.
They each had to iron one item of linen within a 10-minute time limit - and 86 of them completed the task under the watchful eye of adjudicators.
The group beat the previous world record of 72 set in Melbourne, Australia, last year. Their incredible feat at the National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow, Wales, was captured on camera by 11 photographers armed with special underwater cameras.
Organiser Gareth Lock said the charity challenge is set to raise £10,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) - while raising awareness about the "joys" of underwater ironing.
Mr Lock, 37, said: "This was an unusual attempt, I admit, but it seemed like the perfect way for a load of divers to raise money for the RNLI. We advertised the event by word of mouth and via diving websites, and expected there to be quite a good turnout. But we were shocked when so many people arrived, ready and willing to take part - and even more stunned when we snatched the record."
Around 140 people from across the UK volunteered their time, with 128 of them qualified divers. Depending on experience, each sunk to the quarry bed at different depths with an ironing board, iron and an item of linen.
A record 86 divers managed the task simultaneously, while the remainder were either disqualified for starting too early, or penalised for overshooting the 10-minute time limit.
They each had to iron one item of linen within a 10-minute time limit - and 86 of them completed the task under the watchful eye of adjudicators.
The group beat the previous world record of 72 set in Melbourne, Australia, last year. Their incredible feat at the National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow, Wales, was captured on camera by 11 photographers armed with special underwater cameras.
Organiser Gareth Lock said the charity challenge is set to raise £10,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) - while raising awareness about the "joys" of underwater ironing.
Mr Lock, 37, said: "This was an unusual attempt, I admit, but it seemed like the perfect way for a load of divers to raise money for the RNLI. We advertised the event by word of mouth and via diving websites, and expected there to be quite a good turnout. But we were shocked when so many people arrived, ready and willing to take part - and even more stunned when we snatched the record."
Around 140 people from across the UK volunteered their time, with 128 of them qualified divers. Depending on experience, each sunk to the quarry bed at different depths with an ironing board, iron and an item of linen.
A record 86 divers managed the task simultaneously, while the remainder were either disqualified for starting too early, or penalised for overshooting the 10-minute time limit.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Stone me!
The largest kidney stones most doctors ever get to see is the size of a golf ball. So surgeons in Hungary were taken aback when they removed a stone the size of a coconut from a man earlier today.Sandor Sarkadi underwent an abdominal operation in Debrecen, 150 miles east of Budapest, after doctors discovered he had a kidney stone inside him that was 6.7 inches in diameter.
Mr Sardaki was rushed into an operation theatre in the Kenez Gyula Hospital when an X-ray revealed he was carrying around the gigantic lump.
The delicate procedure to remove the stone, which weighed a staggering 2.48lbs, passed without incident.
Kidney stones vary in size. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball, which makes Mr Sarkadi's stone all the more remarkable.
Shoplifter Run Over by Her Own Getaway Car — Twice
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Authorities are looking for a shoplifter who was run over twice by her getaway car after stealing $1,200 worth of designer purses from a Cape Coral store.
A T.J. Maxx security guard told police she saw a woman stuff six designer Dooney & Bourke purses into her pants Tuesday morning and walk out of the store. The guard says she was confronting the woman when a car pulled up.
A report says the shoplifter tried to get into the vehicle but fell out and was run over by the car. She then got up and jumped onto the hood of the car. As the car was driving away, the report says the woman fell off and was run over again. On her third attempt, she finally made it into the vehicle.
Police are using the car's license plate and a check the woman dropped to track her down.
A T.J. Maxx security guard told police she saw a woman stuff six designer Dooney & Bourke purses into her pants Tuesday morning and walk out of the store. The guard says she was confronting the woman when a car pulled up.
A report says the shoplifter tried to get into the vehicle but fell out and was run over by the car. She then got up and jumped onto the hood of the car. As the car was driving away, the report says the woman fell off and was run over again. On her third attempt, she finally made it into the vehicle.
Police are using the car's license plate and a check the woman dropped to track her down.
Man gives judge the finger
A Portuguese businessman said he cut off one of his fingers in court with a butcher's knife in an "act of despair" after a judge refused his offer to settle a 170,000 euro debt and said part of his farm must be sold.
"My intention was to tear up all the case papers and splatter them with blood so I could prevent the expropriation order for my land," Orico Silva was quoted as saying in local media after his drastic action in the court house.
Silva, who owns a 20 hectare (50 acre) farm in the central town of Figueira da Foz, was being sued by a company for holding onto a cash deposit on a land deal which had fallen through, the local newspaper said.
"I freaked out when the judge refused my offer to pay the debt and ordered the sale of part of my land. I told her I had a 1.2 million euro bank guarantee which would have allowed me to pay the debt," Silva said.
When he went to take the bank papers from his briefcase, he noticed the butcher's knife he had recently bought at a market and decided to cut off his index finger, using a court desk as a chopping board. He then cut the finger into three.
"I didn't feel anything, I could even have cut off all my fingers. It was an act of despair," he said.
"My intention was to tear up all the case papers and splatter them with blood so I could prevent the expropriation order for my land," Orico Silva was quoted as saying in local media after his drastic action in the court house.
Silva, who owns a 20 hectare (50 acre) farm in the central town of Figueira da Foz, was being sued by a company for holding onto a cash deposit on a land deal which had fallen through, the local newspaper said.
"I freaked out when the judge refused my offer to pay the debt and ordered the sale of part of my land. I told her I had a 1.2 million euro bank guarantee which would have allowed me to pay the debt," Silva said.
When he went to take the bank papers from his briefcase, he noticed the butcher's knife he had recently bought at a market and decided to cut off his index finger, using a court desk as a chopping board. He then cut the finger into three.
"I didn't feel anything, I could even have cut off all my fingers. It was an act of despair," he said.
Longer than an Obama speech?
Frenchman Lluis Colet broke the world record for the longest speech after rambling nonstop for 124 hours about Spanish painter Salvador Dali, Catalan culture and other topics.The 62-year-old Catalan and local government worker spoke for five straight days and four nights to set the record in the southern French town of Perpignan.
Three notaries were on hand to recognise the feat which allows Colet to enter it in the Guinness Book of Records. The previous record was held by an Indian man who delivered a 120-hour speech.
Colet began speaking at Perpignan's railway station on Monday by reciting the works of famous authors or using some of his own writing. He also spoke profusely about Dali, a painter he admires, and Catalan culture.
Large crowds turned out in support of Colet, who received a rapturous applause at the end of his speech.
"This is a big day for me and I dedicate this record to all those who defend Catalan language and culture," he said, his voice fainter after five days of nonstop talking.
Colet had set the record once before in 2004 when he spoke for 48 straight hours.
Spray painted
Four teenagers say police in a northern Mexican town spray-painted their hair, shoes and buttocks to teach them not to paint graffiti on public property.
Emilio Alfaro of Nuevo Leon state's Human Rights Commission said Thursday the youths have filed a complaint alleging that police in Guadelupe slapped, kicked and painted them with spray cans after detaining them for vandalism.
The youths are aged between 14 and 16. They presented paint-stained shoes and photos of their painted heads as evidence. Guadelupe's police department says several officers have been suspended while the matter is being investigated.
The youths were fined more than $200 before being released on Tuesday. Guadelupe is outside the city of Monterrey.
Emilio Alfaro of Nuevo Leon state's Human Rights Commission said Thursday the youths have filed a complaint alleging that police in Guadelupe slapped, kicked and painted them with spray cans after detaining them for vandalism.
The youths are aged between 14 and 16. They presented paint-stained shoes and photos of their painted heads as evidence. Guadelupe's police department says several officers have been suspended while the matter is being investigated.
The youths were fined more than $200 before being released on Tuesday. Guadelupe is outside the city of Monterrey.
Wrong song
Katy Perry won one of the big prizes at France's main music award ceremony - but it wasn't meant for her.
The star claimed the gong for Best International Song at the NRJ Awards in Cannes, for her 2008 worldwide smash 'I Kissed A Girl'. However, the real winner was Rihanna for 'Disturbia'.
Host Nikos Aliagas told the BBC there had been a mistake in the vote-counting.
The star claimed the gong for Best International Song at the NRJ Awards in Cannes, for her 2008 worldwide smash 'I Kissed A Girl'. However, the real winner was Rihanna for 'Disturbia'.
Host Nikos Aliagas told the BBC there had been a mistake in the vote-counting.
Couple jailed after bank error
Police said a central Pennsylvania couple did not call the bank when a $1,772.50 deposit showed up in their account as $177,250.
Authorities believe 50-year-old Randy Pratt and 36-year-old Melissa Marie Pratt took out the money, quit their jobs and moved to Florida.
The two were arraigned Tuesday and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail. District Judge Donna Coombe said a public defender and a conflicts lawyer are being assigned.
Police reported that Melissa Pratt deposited the check at FNB Bank last summer.
When the big balance showed up, investigators say, the two wrote checks to another account, bought a new vehicle and were buying a house in the Orlando area when the mistake was traced.
Police said Melissa Pratt told them her husband often got large checks and she wasn't aware of any banking error.
Authorities believe 50-year-old Randy Pratt and 36-year-old Melissa Marie Pratt took out the money, quit their jobs and moved to Florida.
The two were arraigned Tuesday and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail. District Judge Donna Coombe said a public defender and a conflicts lawyer are being assigned.
Police reported that Melissa Pratt deposited the check at FNB Bank last summer.
When the big balance showed up, investigators say, the two wrote checks to another account, bought a new vehicle and were buying a house in the Orlando area when the mistake was traced.
Police said Melissa Pratt told them her husband often got large checks and she wasn't aware of any banking error.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Court backs drunk workers
Peru's top court has ruled that workers cannot be fired for being drunk on the job, a decision the government has criticised for setting a dangerous precedent.
The Constitutional Tribunal ordered that Pablo Cayo Mendoza be given his job back as a janitor for the municipality of Chorrillos, which fired him for being intoxicated at work.
The firing was excessive because even though Cayo was drunk, he could still speak and write, and he did not hurt anybody, justice Fernando Calle said.
Calle said the court would not revise its decision, despite complaints from the labour ministry.
Celso Becerra, the administrative chief of Chorrillos, a suburb of Lima, denounced the ruling.
"We've fired four workers for showing up drunk, and two of them were drivers," he said. "How can we allow a drunk to work who might run somebody over?"
The Constitutional Tribunal ordered that Pablo Cayo Mendoza be given his job back as a janitor for the municipality of Chorrillos, which fired him for being intoxicated at work.
The firing was excessive because even though Cayo was drunk, he could still speak and write, and he did not hurt anybody, justice Fernando Calle said.
Calle said the court would not revise its decision, despite complaints from the labour ministry.
Celso Becerra, the administrative chief of Chorrillos, a suburb of Lima, denounced the ruling.
"We've fired four workers for showing up drunk, and two of them were drivers," he said. "How can we allow a drunk to work who might run somebody over?"
Can we have our tractor back?
A reward has been offered for the return of a stolen £53,000 gold-plated, diamond-encrusted model of a tractor.The model, which is one of only 500 made, is of a 1931 Caterpillar Sixty diesel tractor.
It was taken from the offices of tractor dealer Finning UK Ltd in Cannock, Staffordshire, on 20 December.
Now the company is offering an undisclosed reward for information that leads to a conviction of the thief and the safe return of the model.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Flying SkyCar
A team of British adventurers and their flying Parajet SkyCar are now set to take off in northern France at the start of their great expedition to Timbuktu.
Transgender lavatories
Transgender students have been given their own lavatory at a university union. The block is being trialled at Staffordshire University union's nightclub, and could be rolled out across the campus.
They are believed to be among the first dedicated transgender lavatories in Britain.
Members of the student union council voted in December to try them out and they were introduced for the first time a week ago.
Union President Fee Wood said: "We are trying to make things as easy as possible for all our students.
"We do have transgender students here, but the new facilities are not just for them – they are for the androgynous students as well. The decision whether to keep them or roll them out to all our venues will be taken in March time. We are also considering lobbying the University for them as well."
The "gender-neutral" lavatories are in the union on Leek Road, in Stoke, and are set apart.
Last year Manchester University renamed their men and women's lavatories to avoid offending its transgender students. The men's were labelled "toilets with urinals", while the ladies were simply called "toilets".
They are believed to be among the first dedicated transgender lavatories in Britain.
Members of the student union council voted in December to try them out and they were introduced for the first time a week ago.
Union President Fee Wood said: "We are trying to make things as easy as possible for all our students.
"We do have transgender students here, but the new facilities are not just for them – they are for the androgynous students as well. The decision whether to keep them or roll them out to all our venues will be taken in March time. We are also considering lobbying the University for them as well."
The "gender-neutral" lavatories are in the union on Leek Road, in Stoke, and are set apart.
Last year Manchester University renamed their men and women's lavatories to avoid offending its transgender students. The men's were labelled "toilets with urinals", while the ladies were simply called "toilets".
British man runs 2557 miles across Australia... with a wheelbarrow
A 112-day journey by a man pushing a wheelbarrow across Australia to raise money for Breast and Prostate Cancer Research has finally ended in Sydney. David Baird left his Cottesloe Beach home in Perth on September 21. He arrived in Manly, on Sydney's northern beaches Saturday.When he crossed the finish line he will have run the equivalent of one hundred full marathons in just 112 days. During the charity run well-wishers threw more than £9,145 ($20,000) into the barrow.
And Mr Baird said that while he has not suffered a single puncture, his feet have not fared so well.
He said: "All my adult life my feet have been a size ten but within three weeks my feet had spread out and I had to change to an eleven. Two weeks later I needed a twelve. My feet feel huge. I'm convinced my arms have got longer too".
Mr Baird has been running most of the way into a head wind and in temperatures of up to 46 degrees.
Eating mostly fruit and vegetables he has lost more than a stone (7kg) in weight. Now he is looking forward to dipping his feet into The Pacific Ocean. But he will not be taking much time off.
He said: "I'll probably get up on Sunday and go for a run without the barrow which will feel fantastic I'm sure"
Mr Baird, who emigrated to Australia and spent 21 years working in a coal-mine, got his idea for the wheelbarrow run from a race held near his home in Queensland.
Deputies Seek Pot-Bellied Man Wearing Ninja Outfit
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A ninja, or at least someone dressed like one, is lurking in the shadows of Palm Beach County.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said a heavyset man with a visible potbelly and a ninja costume unsuccessfully tried to steal two different ATMs over the past two weeks.
Security video from the automated teller machines showed the unidentified man dressed in a black ninja outfit with a hood that showed only his eyes.
Authorities said the first attempt was made at a bank on Dec. 29 and the second at a Walgreens on Tuesday. Authorities did not say how the man tried to steal the machines.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said a heavyset man with a visible potbelly and a ninja costume unsuccessfully tried to steal two different ATMs over the past two weeks.
Security video from the automated teller machines showed the unidentified man dressed in a black ninja outfit with a hood that showed only his eyes.
Authorities said the first attempt was made at a bank on Dec. 29 and the second at a Walgreens on Tuesday. Authorities did not say how the man tried to steal the machines.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Will you taco this woman to be your wife?
A quirky couple who met online have tied the knot at a US fast food restaurant. Customers in Taco Bell continued to order food as Paul and Caragh Brooks sat in an orange booth last Friday and exchanged their vows, reported the Associated Press.
"It's appropriate," said the groom. "It's an offbeat relationship."
Several dozen guests looked on as the couple's friend, Ryan Green, read the pair their vows while wearing a T-shirt. He was ordained via the internet.
"This is the way to go - there's no stress," said the groom's mother, Kathy Brooks.
Employees from the Illinois restaurant displayed hot sauce packets inscribed with the words, "Will you marry me?" The eatery was decorated with streamers and balloons.
The bride wore a bright pink dress, and the entire wedding reportedly cost US$200.
Caragh Brooks, 21 and Brooks, 30, met on an Internet dating Web site. They already shared the same last name.
"We have the same brain, just in two bodies," Mr Brooks said.
"We think alike in virtually every manner. We have the same interests, viewpoints."
He proposed on New Year's Eve and, as they both enjoyed spending time at the local Taco Bell, decided to get married there.
"It's appropriate," said the groom. "It's an offbeat relationship."
Several dozen guests looked on as the couple's friend, Ryan Green, read the pair their vows while wearing a T-shirt. He was ordained via the internet.
"This is the way to go - there's no stress," said the groom's mother, Kathy Brooks.
Employees from the Illinois restaurant displayed hot sauce packets inscribed with the words, "Will you marry me?" The eatery was decorated with streamers and balloons.
The bride wore a bright pink dress, and the entire wedding reportedly cost US$200.
Caragh Brooks, 21 and Brooks, 30, met on an Internet dating Web site. They already shared the same last name.
"We have the same brain, just in two bodies," Mr Brooks said.
"We think alike in virtually every manner. We have the same interests, viewpoints."
He proposed on New Year's Eve and, as they both enjoyed spending time at the local Taco Bell, decided to get married there.
Police surround empty shed
US police held a three hour armed standoff outside a shed in Salt Lake City only to discover there was nobody inside.
The call-out began after a woman living in a house next to the shed told police she had seen her roommate's estranged boyfriend enter the shed with a gun, reported the Associated Press.
Officers secured the area, and after searching the house and calling in police dogs, discovered the shed was locked and there was no-one inside.
Neighbours were evacuated and police shut down portions of nearby streets before the empty shed was revealed.
The call-out began after a woman living in a house next to the shed told police she had seen her roommate's estranged boyfriend enter the shed with a gun, reported the Associated Press.
Officers secured the area, and after searching the house and calling in police dogs, discovered the shed was locked and there was no-one inside.
Neighbours were evacuated and police shut down portions of nearby streets before the empty shed was revealed.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Vegetable Helmets
Motorcyclists in Nigeria have been wearing dried pumpkin shells on their heads to dodge new laws forcing them to wear helmets, authorities have said.Officials in the northern city of Kano said they had stopped several people with "improvised helmets", following this month's introduction of the law.
Road safety officials said calabash-wearers would be prosecuted.
Thousands of motorbikes have been impounded around the country and drivers have staged protests.
Calabashes are dried pumpkin shells more commonly used to carry liquid.
Farewell Woolworths
British shoppers bade a final farewell to Woolworths today as the company's remaining 200 stores closed for the last time. Most outlets had already shut down with many of the 807 shops ending trading before the New Year.Another 200 stores opened for the final time on Saturday after a one-day reprieve by the High Street chain's administrator Deloitte.
Woolworths, a family favourite on the high street for 100 years, went into administration in November with debts of £385million.
The chain - whose first British store was opened by American FW Woolworth in Liverpool in 1909 - is the most high-profile UK High Street casualty of the economic downturn, leaving 27,000 workers facing redundancy.
It ran into trouble this year after struggling with huge debts, and its problems were compounded when it was forced to pay cash for goods after credit insurers were no longer prepared to cover its suppliers.
Pill Cake
The Connecticut Department of Development Services has placed an employee on administrative leave after prescription pills were found in a cake served at a home for disabled people.
Department spokeswoman Joan Barnish said the worker will be on leave while the agency investigates Sunday's incident. The employee's name has not been released.
Five residents of the home who ate the cake on Sunday were taken to area hospitals, but Barnish said none of them suffered any ill effects.
Barnish said the pills were an antihistamine.
State police said the employee told them that a bottle of her prescription medication spilled while she was making the cake, but she didn't realize that some of the pills fell into the batter.
No criminal charges have been filed.
Department spokeswoman Joan Barnish said the worker will be on leave while the agency investigates Sunday's incident. The employee's name has not been released.
Five residents of the home who ate the cake on Sunday were taken to area hospitals, but Barnish said none of them suffered any ill effects.
Barnish said the pills were an antihistamine.
State police said the employee told them that a bottle of her prescription medication spilled while she was making the cake, but she didn't realize that some of the pills fell into the batter.
No criminal charges have been filed.
5c IRS bill
James Howarth is a little confused by two letters he has received from the Internal Revenue Service. The Detroit defense lawyer received one letter in November that said he owed the IRS money - five cents.
He was warned that he should pay "to avoid additional penalty and/or interest," the Detroit Free Press reported Saturday. Howarth says he then received a second letter telling him the government owes him money - four cents.
He was told he would have to request the refund since it's less than $1.
"When I owe them a nickel, I must pay them. It's not optional," he said. "But when they owe me, I have to ask for it."
Howarth says he's not sure if there is a connection between the two notices, or if the refund represents a recalculation of the original bill. The perplexed lawyer says he called an IRS 800 telephone number but gave up after spending a long time on hold.
IRS spokesman Luis D. Garcia says the agency doesn't comment on individual accounts.
He was warned that he should pay "to avoid additional penalty and/or interest," the Detroit Free Press reported Saturday. Howarth says he then received a second letter telling him the government owes him money - four cents.
He was told he would have to request the refund since it's less than $1.
"When I owe them a nickel, I must pay them. It's not optional," he said. "But when they owe me, I have to ask for it."
Howarth says he's not sure if there is a connection between the two notices, or if the refund represents a recalculation of the original bill. The perplexed lawyer says he called an IRS 800 telephone number but gave up after spending a long time on hold.
IRS spokesman Luis D. Garcia says the agency doesn't comment on individual accounts.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Man ordered to wear underpants
A New Zealand homeless man accused of obscene exposure has been released on bail with one important condition -- he must wear underwear.
Ben Hana, known in Wellington as the Blanket Man due to his choice of a blanket and a loincloth as clothing, was released on bail Wednesday in Wellington District Court after his Dec. 23 arrest for obscene exposure and cannabis possession, The Dominion Post reported Thursday.
Maxine Dixon, Hana's lawyer, said in her client's bail application that he plans to fight allegations that he exposed himself to children.
"He wears high-risk clothing. It's a way of life rather than a deliberate attempt at lewdness," Dixon said.
Dixon suggested the underwear bail condition to Judge Tom Broadmore, who also ordered Hana to abstain from alcohol use and to stay out of licensed businesses except for supermarkets.
Hana is due back in court Jan. 21.
Ben Hana, known in Wellington as the Blanket Man due to his choice of a blanket and a loincloth as clothing, was released on bail Wednesday in Wellington District Court after his Dec. 23 arrest for obscene exposure and cannabis possession, The Dominion Post reported Thursday.
Maxine Dixon, Hana's lawyer, said in her client's bail application that he plans to fight allegations that he exposed himself to children.
"He wears high-risk clothing. It's a way of life rather than a deliberate attempt at lewdness," Dixon said.
Dixon suggested the underwear bail condition to Judge Tom Broadmore, who also ordered Hana to abstain from alcohol use and to stay out of licensed businesses except for supermarkets.
Hana is due back in court Jan. 21.
Thor scares burglar
A man who dressed as the Norse god Thor for a costume party in Scotland said he returned home and scared off a burglar who had entered his house.
Torvald Alexander, 38, a construction firm manager who stands at 6 feet tall, said he ran after the burglar with his red cape and silver-winged helmet still in place, making for an intimidating sight, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
"As soon as he saw me his eyes went wide with terror," Alexander said of the burglar. "He looked like he had had a few drinks and decided to do a late night break in, but he hadn't counted on the God of Thunder living here."
"I had just got back from a fancy dress New Year's party and because I have a Norwegian name I decided to go as Thor," he said.
Alexander said the burglar did not have time to steal anything from the house and fled from a ground floor window without his shoes. He said the shoes will be turned over to police to help them attempt to identify a suspect.
Torvald Alexander, 38, a construction firm manager who stands at 6 feet tall, said he ran after the burglar with his red cape and silver-winged helmet still in place, making for an intimidating sight, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
"As soon as he saw me his eyes went wide with terror," Alexander said of the burglar. "He looked like he had had a few drinks and decided to do a late night break in, but he hadn't counted on the God of Thunder living here."
"I had just got back from a fancy dress New Year's party and because I have a Norwegian name I decided to go as Thor," he said.
Alexander said the burglar did not have time to steal anything from the house and fled from a ground floor window without his shoes. He said the shoes will be turned over to police to help them attempt to identify a suspect.
Honesty Box
A British shopkeeper who left an honesty box at his DIY store for customers to serve themselves on Boxing Day returned to find nearly $272 and nothing stolen.Tom Algie sold 187.66 pounds ($271.28) worth of goods when he left his shop, called Practically Everything, open and unattended in Settle, North Yorkshire, on Boxing Day.
"I wanted to spend the holidays with my family but thought it would be quite nice to open the shop," Algie told Friday's edition of the Daily Mirror.
"I didn't think twice. Settle is a lovely, quiet, rural town and there's never any trouble here."
Algie left a note on the honesty box saying: "Yes, I have given everyone the day off, including me, so please choose the items you want and place the right money inside."
Monday, December 29, 2008
Unwanted Sprouts ...
... For sale on eBay ....
Hurry, there's only 2 days left!
There have been 48 bids so far with the highest bid being around $156.04
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Urinate here signs
“A PRANKSTER has put up signs on walls across Nottingham telling people they can publicly urinate in the street after 7.30pm.The signs, which show a male toilet logo, have an accompanying letter headed with the Nottingham City Council logo, claiming the measures have been brought in over the holiday period to “address the growing problem of householders having to clean up after late night revellers.”
They have appeared in the city centre, including at the back of the Royal Concert Centre, at the bottom of Exchange Walk, as well as Radford, West Bridgford and Arnold.
Stunned Radford resident Jake Higgs took photos which clearly show the public have taken them as legitimate signs.
“There are quite a lot of them. I thought it could be genuine when I first saw them,” said Mr Higgs, 29.
“I took a closer look and there was a laminated letter attached in the same style as when the council notifies the public about planning permission. I read that and it made it out that it was a trial scheme. I think it was someone having a Christmas joke.”
World's tallest cake
An Indian bakery has attempted to break a world record by making a cake 32ft (9.75m) tall to celebrate Christmas. The cake was made by a bakery in the city of Kochi (Cochin) in the southern Indian state of Kerala, and was supported by iron pipes and wooden planks in an effort to make it stable.
Organiser Jayachandran Pillai told reporters that the cake took 15 days to make and weighed over 550kg.
"We planned to make this Christmas season something different [and] therefore, we planned to make an amazing cake. We searched on the internet and we got information about a cake of 30ft height. So we planned to make a cake 32ft high to make the record. We made this cake and right now it is a grand success and we got [a] very good response from the public," Mr Pillai said.
The cake is on display until Christmas Eve, and will then be cut and distributed to orphans across the city. There was no confirmation of whether the bakers officially broke a world record.
Organiser Jayachandran Pillai told reporters that the cake took 15 days to make and weighed over 550kg.
"We planned to make this Christmas season something different [and] therefore, we planned to make an amazing cake. We searched on the internet and we got information about a cake of 30ft height. So we planned to make a cake 32ft high to make the record. We made this cake and right now it is a grand success and we got [a] very good response from the public," Mr Pillai said.
The cake is on display until Christmas Eve, and will then be cut and distributed to orphans across the city. There was no confirmation of whether the bakers officially broke a world record.
Wheely stuck
More than 100 people were trapped for several hours after the world's largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer, suffered a breakdown. The wheel ground to a halt just before 1700, when one of the drive motors experienced a short circuit, a spokeswoman told AFP news agency.About 173 people were on board at the time. Some were later lowered to the ground in harnesses, witnesses said. The wheel restarted just after 2300, six hours after it stopped, AFP said.
The wheel is 165m (541ft) high and looks out over Singapore's Marina Bay. It is 30m taller than Britain's London Eye. One passenger who had been trapped for several hours told Channel News Asia that the wheel jerked and then ground to a halt.
About 10 people were in her cabin, she told the channel. It had been very hot when the air-conditioning went off but then it came on again, she said.
The wheel became operational in February, and a ride in it takes about 30 minutes.
Video HERE
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Billed
NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- A Floyd County man showed up at the city-county building in New Albany to pay his property taxes with more than $21,000 in coins. Frank Alford, who owns several single-family rental homes, said it's his way of protesting higher taxes, reported WLKY-TV in Louisville, Ky.
When he walked into the Floyd County treasurer's office Thursday morning, a deputy clerk immediately recognized Alford because last year, he paid his taxes with dollar bills.
Alford loaded a garbage can with $21,333 in Susan B. Anthony dollar coins, and he carried a sign that read, "Property taxes gone wild."
"I'm letting them know I'm a very unhappy taxpayer," he said.
Alford said his property taxes have gone up 48 percent since 2006, and tax relief recently passed by the Indiana Legislature has done nothing for people who own rental property.
"The owner who lives in their property got all kinds of tax breaks. They don't give you no homestead exemption, no mortgage exemption, nothing," he said. "You're paying double what you're paying than owning your own home."
Alford, a retiree with two hip replacements, loaded what he estimated was 400 pounds of coins and then headed inside to the treasurer's office to settle up.
Deputy clerk Bette Buechler did a quick tally of Alford's property taxes.
When asked if the office has to accept the Susan B. Anthony coins, Buechler said, "I think I'm understanding if it comes in pennies, we don't have to."
A Floyd County deputy sheriff was asked to lend a hand getting the money to a nearby bank to be counted.
As for Alford, this may not be his last protest.
"If we don't get some relief, it may be in quarters, dimes or pennies next year," he said. "I'm angry at them."
When he walked into the Floyd County treasurer's office Thursday morning, a deputy clerk immediately recognized Alford because last year, he paid his taxes with dollar bills.
Alford loaded a garbage can with $21,333 in Susan B. Anthony dollar coins, and he carried a sign that read, "Property taxes gone wild."
"I'm letting them know I'm a very unhappy taxpayer," he said.
Alford said his property taxes have gone up 48 percent since 2006, and tax relief recently passed by the Indiana Legislature has done nothing for people who own rental property.
"The owner who lives in their property got all kinds of tax breaks. They don't give you no homestead exemption, no mortgage exemption, nothing," he said. "You're paying double what you're paying than owning your own home."
Alford, a retiree with two hip replacements, loaded what he estimated was 400 pounds of coins and then headed inside to the treasurer's office to settle up.
Deputy clerk Bette Buechler did a quick tally of Alford's property taxes.
When asked if the office has to accept the Susan B. Anthony coins, Buechler said, "I think I'm understanding if it comes in pennies, we don't have to."
A Floyd County deputy sheriff was asked to lend a hand getting the money to a nearby bank to be counted.
As for Alford, this may not be his last protest.
"If we don't get some relief, it may be in quarters, dimes or pennies next year," he said. "I'm angry at them."
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tater record
A farmer in southern Lebanon has dug up what might be the heaviest potato in the world."This giant weighs 11.3 kilos (24.9 pounds)," Khalil Semhat told the AFP news agency at his farm near Tyre, 85 kilometres (50 miles) south of Beirut. "I've been working the land since I was a boy, and it's the first time I've seen anything like it."
Mr Semhat, 56, said he had to ask for help from a friend to get the huge vegetable out of the ground. He insisted that he had used no fertilizer or other chemicals to produce it. Mr Semhat said he hoped his potato will be recognised as the heaviest potato in the world.
The current world record, as recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, is held by K Sloan of the Isle of Man in Britain for a potato weighing a mere 3.5 kg (7 lb 13 oz).
2008 is the International Year of the Potato, a project sponsored by the United Nations which aims to focus attention on the importance of the vegetable in providing food security and alleviating poverty.
Al Capone statue stolen
A life-size statue of Al Capone has been stolen from a garden in Kent, England.Owner Pauline McCook, who discovered the fibre glass figure was missing from her Isle of Sheppey home on Wednesday, said it was like "part of the family".
The grandmother, who likes to decorate the statue for Christmas, only discovered the theft when she went outside with tinsel to drape over it.
Her family is offering a reward for the return of the statue, which was taken between 1 and 10 December.
Kent Police said it was "an extremely unusual item to steal".
Rower falls short
An Italian man who was trying to row solo across the Pacific Ocean has had to be rescued just short of his destination in Australia. The rower, Alex Bellini, had been at sea since leaving Peru in February and was about to reach Sydney.
But he was forced to call for help just 65 nautical miles away from land as fierce storms battered the eastern coast of Australia. Mr Bellini said he was nonetheless happy with his achievement.
He would have been only the fifth person to complete the crossing in a rowing boat, a journey of 18,000 kilometres (10,000 nautical miles). But facing storms and, according to Australian police, "nearing exhaustion", he was forced to radio for help.
A New Zealand tugboat which was in the area towed the adventurer's boat in Newcastle harbour in New South Wales.
"I'm not disappointed. I'm not disappointed at all," he told the AFP news agency.
"I've been not able to reach land... but the crossing has been made. I didn't put the cherry on top of the cake. But the cake is very good, very big and I will never forget about it."
He said that seeing his wife Francesca waiting for him was "one of the best moments in my life". Bellini said that he had not walked more than a few metres since February, as he averaged about 30 miles a day in his 7.5-metre (25-foot) boat.
His body weight dropped by 15kg (33lbs) during his 10 months at sea. Fear, he added, was his companion on the voyage. He kept in contact with a support team via a satellite phone and lived on dried food, drinking rain water and purified sea water.
Video HERE
But he was forced to call for help just 65 nautical miles away from land as fierce storms battered the eastern coast of Australia. Mr Bellini said he was nonetheless happy with his achievement.
He would have been only the fifth person to complete the crossing in a rowing boat, a journey of 18,000 kilometres (10,000 nautical miles). But facing storms and, according to Australian police, "nearing exhaustion", he was forced to radio for help.
A New Zealand tugboat which was in the area towed the adventurer's boat in Newcastle harbour in New South Wales.
"I'm not disappointed. I'm not disappointed at all," he told the AFP news agency.
"I've been not able to reach land... but the crossing has been made. I didn't put the cherry on top of the cake. But the cake is very good, very big and I will never forget about it."
He said that seeing his wife Francesca waiting for him was "one of the best moments in my life". Bellini said that he had not walked more than a few metres since February, as he averaged about 30 miles a day in his 7.5-metre (25-foot) boat.
His body weight dropped by 15kg (33lbs) during his 10 months at sea. Fear, he added, was his companion on the voyage. He kept in contact with a support team via a satellite phone and lived on dried food, drinking rain water and purified sea water.
Video HERE
Police seek tree poisoner
New Zealand - Palmerston North police are investigating the poisoning of an ash tree worth over $32,000, Senior Sergeant Brett Calkin said today.
The council-owned tree, on Totara Road on the outskirts of Palmerston North, was about 20 years old.
Mr Calkin said 13 large holes had been bored into the base of the tree, and it appeared agricultural chemicals were poured into the holes. The damage was first noticed by a resident on November 13.
It appeared likely the tree would die, and would have to be removed and replaced at a cost to ratepayers, he said. Palmerston North City Council had valued the tree at $32,452 using the standard tree evaluation method (STEM).
Damage to the tree was not a random act, Mr Calkin said, and some planning and preparation had been required.
"It would seem someone has taken a dislike to the tree for some reason, and then decided to get rid of it," he said. "It's a slow but effective way of killing the tree. I suspect the offender had no comprehension of the actual value of the tree."
The council-owned tree, on Totara Road on the outskirts of Palmerston North, was about 20 years old.
Mr Calkin said 13 large holes had been bored into the base of the tree, and it appeared agricultural chemicals were poured into the holes. The damage was first noticed by a resident on November 13.
It appeared likely the tree would die, and would have to be removed and replaced at a cost to ratepayers, he said. Palmerston North City Council had valued the tree at $32,452 using the standard tree evaluation method (STEM).
Damage to the tree was not a random act, Mr Calkin said, and some planning and preparation had been required.
"It would seem someone has taken a dislike to the tree for some reason, and then decided to get rid of it," he said. "It's a slow but effective way of killing the tree. I suspect the offender had no comprehension of the actual value of the tree."
Britain's oldest brain unearthed
Archaeologists have discovered what they say is the oldest surviving human brain in Britain, dating back at least 2,000 years to the Iron Age. The remains of the brain were found in a skull unearthed during excavations at York University in northern England, a statement from the university said Friday.The dig site was described by investigators from York Archaeological Trust as being in an extensive prehistoric farming landscape of fields, track ways and buildings dating back to at least 300 BC.
They believe the skull, which was found on its own in a muddy pit, may have been a ritual offering.
Rachel Cubitt, who was taking part in the dig, described how she felt something move inside the cranium as she cleaned the soil-covered skull's outer surface. Peering through the base of the skull, she spotted an unusual yellow substance.
"It jogged my memory of a university lecture on the rare survival of ancient brain tissue. We gave the skull special conservation treatment as a result, and sought expert medical opinion," she said in a statement on York University's Web site.
A sophisticated CT scanner at York Hospital was then used to produce startlingly clear images of the skull's contents.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Spider Payment
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.19pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account
Dear David,
Our records indicate that your account is overdue by the amount of $233.95. If you have already made this payment please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.37pm
To: Jane Gilles Subject:
Re: Overdue account
Dear Jane,
I do not have any money so am sending you this drawing I did of a spider instead. I value the drawing at $233.95 so trust that this settles the matter.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.07am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account
Dear David,
Thankyou for contacting us. Unfortunately we are unable to accept drawings as payment and your account remains in arrears of $233.95. Please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.32am
To: Jane Gilles Subject:
Re: Overdue account
Dear Jane,
Can I have my drawing of a spider back then please.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.42am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Overdue account
Dear David,
You emailed the drawing to me. Do you want me to email it back to you?
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.56am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account
Dear Jane,
Yes please.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 12.14pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account
Attached
From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 09.22am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Whose spider is that?
Dear Jane,
Are you sure this drawing of a spider is the one I sent you? This spider only has seven legs and I do not feel I would have made such an elementary mistake when I drew it.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.03am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Whose spider is that?
Dear David,
Yes it is the same drawing. I copied and pasted it from the email you sent me on the 8th. David your account is still overdue by the amount of $233.95. Please make this payment as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.05am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Automated Out of Office Response
Thankyou for contacting me. I am currently away on leave, traveling through time and will be returning last week.
Regards, David.
From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.08am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
Hello, I am back and have read through your emails and accept that despite missing a leg, that drawing of a spider may indeed be the one I sent you. I realise with hindsight that it is possible you rejected the drawing of a spider due to this obvious limb ommission but did not point it out in an effort to avoid hurting my feelings. As such, I am sending you a revised drawing with the correct number of legs as full payment for any amount outstanding. I trust this will bring the matter to a conclusion.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 2.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
Dear David,
As I have stated, we do not accept drawings in lei of money for accounts outstanding. We accept cheque, bank cheque, money order or cash. Please make a payment this week to avoid incurring any additional fees.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 3.17pm
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
I understand and will definately make a payment this week if I remember. As you have not accepted my second drawing as payment, please return the drawing to me as soon as possible. It was silly of me to assume I could provide you with something of completely no value whatsoever, waste your time and then attach such a large amount to it.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Tuesday 14 Oct 2008 11.18am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
Attached
The now inFAMOUS spider is currently up for auction on eBay .... And you guessed it, the starting price is $233.95 :)
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.19pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account
Dear David,
Our records indicate that your account is overdue by the amount of $233.95. If you have already made this payment please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.37pm
To: Jane Gilles Subject:
Re: Overdue account
Dear Jane,
I do not have any money so am sending you this drawing I did of a spider instead. I value the drawing at $233.95 so trust that this settles the matter.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.07am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account
Dear David,
Thankyou for contacting us. Unfortunately we are unable to accept drawings as payment and your account remains in arrears of $233.95. Please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.32am
To: Jane Gilles Subject:
Re: Overdue account
Dear Jane,
Can I have my drawing of a spider back then please.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.42am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Overdue account
Dear David,
You emailed the drawing to me. Do you want me to email it back to you?
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.56am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account
Dear Jane,
Yes please.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 12.14pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account
Attached
From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 09.22am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Whose spider is that?
Dear Jane,
Are you sure this drawing of a spider is the one I sent you? This spider only has seven legs and I do not feel I would have made such an elementary mistake when I drew it.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.03am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Whose spider is that?
Dear David,
Yes it is the same drawing. I copied and pasted it from the email you sent me on the 8th. David your account is still overdue by the amount of $233.95. Please make this payment as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.05am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Automated Out of Office Response
Thankyou for contacting me. I am currently away on leave, traveling through time and will be returning last week.
Regards, David.
From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.08am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
Hello, I am back and have read through your emails and accept that despite missing a leg, that drawing of a spider may indeed be the one I sent you. I realise with hindsight that it is possible you rejected the drawing of a spider due to this obvious limb ommission but did not point it out in an effort to avoid hurting my feelings. As such, I am sending you a revised drawing with the correct number of legs as full payment for any amount outstanding. I trust this will bring the matter to a conclusion.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 2.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
Dear David,
As I have stated, we do not accept drawings in lei of money for accounts outstanding. We accept cheque, bank cheque, money order or cash. Please make a payment this week to avoid incurring any additional fees.
Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 3.17pm
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
I understand and will definately make a payment this week if I remember. As you have not accepted my second drawing as payment, please return the drawing to me as soon as possible. It was silly of me to assume I could provide you with something of completely no value whatsoever, waste your time and then attach such a large amount to it.
Regards, David.
From: Jane Gilles
Date: Tuesday 14 Oct 2008 11.18am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?
Attached
The now inFAMOUS spider is currently up for auction on eBay .... And you guessed it, the starting price is $233.95 :)
Pensioner put on wrong flight
Employees at US Airways are looking into how an 83-year-old woman in a wheelchair flying from New York to Tampa instead found herself at an airport in Puerto Rico.Elfriede Kuemmel had gone to Newburgh, N.Y., for a day trip on Monday. Kuemmel's family said that somehow, an attendant on a connecting flight in Philadelphia wheeled Kuemmel to the wrong flight.
She spent the night in Puerto Rico and arrived at the Tampa airport Monday. A US Airways spokesperson said the airline paid for her food and hotel and flew her back to Florida first-class.
Asked how she liked Puerto Rico, she said, "I didn't see it. I was in the airport the whole time,'' although she did get to spend the night in a nearby hotel room courtesy of the airline.
She said she loved flying first class after the tiresome, unexpected diversion. She has never been to Puerto Rico before, she said, "and I'll never go again.''
Then she got into the family's car, and away they went.
Free vegetables mayhem
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. - A Colorado farm couple say they got a huge surprise when they opened their fields to anyone who wanted to pick up free vegetables left over after the harvest.
Forty thousand people showed up yesterday and picked the fields so clean that Joe and Chris Miller had to cancel a second day of gleaning.
Chris Miller says she had expected as many as 10,000 people might show up for the free potatoes, carrots and leeks. Instead an estimated 11,000 vehicles snaked around the cornfields, creating a back up of more than two miles. About 30 acres of the 600-acre farm turned into a parking lot.
One woman taking part says with everybody "so depressed about the economy," the event turned into "a pure party" with "everybody having a great time getting something for free."
The farm's operations manager estimates the visitors gathered 600,000 pounds of produce.
Owner Chris Miller says "People obviously need food."
Forty thousand people showed up yesterday and picked the fields so clean that Joe and Chris Miller had to cancel a second day of gleaning.
Chris Miller says she had expected as many as 10,000 people might show up for the free potatoes, carrots and leeks. Instead an estimated 11,000 vehicles snaked around the cornfields, creating a back up of more than two miles. About 30 acres of the 600-acre farm turned into a parking lot.
One woman taking part says with everybody "so depressed about the economy," the event turned into "a pure party" with "everybody having a great time getting something for free."
The farm's operations manager estimates the visitors gathered 600,000 pounds of produce.
Owner Chris Miller says "People obviously need food."
Meteorite lands in Canada
Scientists in Canada are hunting for pieces of a meteor that spectacularly lit up the night sky and then exploded into pieces before falling to Earth.Experts are calling it one of the biggest meteors seen in the country in the last decade.
Video footage has been broadcast of what appeared to be a fireball late on Thursday over Saskatoon.
It soared out of the sky, getting larger and brighter before disappearing as it neared the ground. Police in the province of Alberta received hundreds of telephone calls from people who say they witnessed the rare event.
Some heard a loud "boom" noise in the distance as the meteor struck.
Most meteors burn up completely after entering the Earth's atmosphere, but one in 1,000 drop meteorites that hit the Earth.
Video footage has been broadcast of what appeared to be a fireball late on Thursday over Saskatoon.
It soared out of the sky, getting larger and brighter before disappearing as it neared the ground. Police in the province of Alberta received hundreds of telephone calls from people who say they witnessed the rare event.
Some heard a loud "boom" noise in the distance as the meteor struck.
Most meteors burn up completely after entering the Earth's atmosphere, but one in 1,000 drop meteorites that hit the Earth.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Would you like fries with that?
A US couple is suing McDonald's for $3m (£2m) after nude photos of the woman, which were on her husband's mobile phone, ended up on the internet. Phillip Sherman says he accidentally left his phone, with the photos, at a McDonald's in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
He says staff promised to secure the phone until he could retrieve it. The Shermans claim they had to move to a new home after the woman's name, address, and phone number appeared online along with the photos.
Tina Sherman says she began receiving offensive calls and text messages about the pictures from her husband's mobile phone after he left it at the McDonald's on 5 July. The couple then discovered that the nude pictures she had sent to her husband's phone had been posted online.
The Shermans are suing McDonald's Corporation, the owner of the franchise involved and the restaurant's manager, saying they have suffered emotional distress, embarrassment and damage to their reputations. They also allege loss of earnings and want to recover the cost of moving to a new home.
McDonald's Corp, the franchise owner and the manager have so far refused to comment on the case. The nude pictures have been removed from the website that had posted them.
He says staff promised to secure the phone until he could retrieve it. The Shermans claim they had to move to a new home after the woman's name, address, and phone number appeared online along with the photos.
Tina Sherman says she began receiving offensive calls and text messages about the pictures from her husband's mobile phone after he left it at the McDonald's on 5 July. The couple then discovered that the nude pictures she had sent to her husband's phone had been posted online.
The Shermans are suing McDonald's Corporation, the owner of the franchise involved and the restaurant's manager, saying they have suffered emotional distress, embarrassment and damage to their reputations. They also allege loss of earnings and want to recover the cost of moving to a new home.
McDonald's Corp, the franchise owner and the manager have so far refused to comment on the case. The nude pictures have been removed from the website that had posted them.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Lost in space
It happens to everyone. Now a spacewalking astronaut has misplaced her handbag.
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was just starting to work on a solar panel when a grease gun inside her tool kit exploded and she accidentally let go of the bag.
She could only look on helplessly as the kit and everything inside floated away.
It was one of the largest items ever to be lost by a spacewalker, and occurred during an unprecedented attempt to clean and lube a gummed-up joint one of the space station's solar panels.
Stefanyshyn-Piper let the backpack-sized bag slip out of her grip while wiping grease off her camera and gloves.
"Oh, great," she mumbled.
Stefanyshyn-Piper was carrying out the spacewalk with Stephen Bowen. Luckily, he had his own tool bag with another grease gun, putty knife and oven-like terry cloth mitts to wipe away metal grit from the clogged joint.
Mission Control agreed the spacewalk would continue as planned, and that the two astronauts would share tools. Flight controllers were assessing the impact the lost bag would have on the next three planned spacewalks.
Earlier, the spacewalkers spotted a screw floating by, but were too far away to catch it. "I have no idea where it came from," Stefanyshyn-Piper told Mission Control. Mission Control said the screw was not considered a serious hazard, but did not immediately elaborate on the missing tool bag. Flight controllers were tracking its location in orbit.
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was just starting to work on a solar panel when a grease gun inside her tool kit exploded and she accidentally let go of the bag.
She could only look on helplessly as the kit and everything inside floated away.
It was one of the largest items ever to be lost by a spacewalker, and occurred during an unprecedented attempt to clean and lube a gummed-up joint one of the space station's solar panels.
Stefanyshyn-Piper let the backpack-sized bag slip out of her grip while wiping grease off her camera and gloves.
"Oh, great," she mumbled.
Stefanyshyn-Piper was carrying out the spacewalk with Stephen Bowen. Luckily, he had his own tool bag with another grease gun, putty knife and oven-like terry cloth mitts to wipe away metal grit from the clogged joint.
Mission Control agreed the spacewalk would continue as planned, and that the two astronauts would share tools. Flight controllers were assessing the impact the lost bag would have on the next three planned spacewalks.
Earlier, the spacewalkers spotted a screw floating by, but were too far away to catch it. "I have no idea where it came from," Stefanyshyn-Piper told Mission Control. Mission Control said the screw was not considered a serious hazard, but did not immediately elaborate on the missing tool bag. Flight controllers were tracking its location in orbit.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
My name is Earl?
The owner of an Indian food store in Bristol has received an apology letter and £100 from a former drug addict who stole cigarettes from the shop in 2001. Imran Ahmed, 27, who runs Raja Foods in St Marks Road, Easton, said he was stunned to open the remorseful letter.
It begins: "Dear Sirs, I am writing this letter to make amends to you for something I have done in the past."
Mr Ahmed said the thief's change of heart was "really good" and he intends to give the money to a drugs' charity.
The thief's letter continues:
"About seven years ago I was walking past your shop late one night when I noticed that someone had broken into it.
"I used this opportunity to enter your shop where I stole 400 cigarettes. The money enclosed (£100) is to pay for those cigarettes which I stole from you. At that time I was heavily using drugs and my life was in a mess, now I no longer use drugs and I strive to lead a decent and honest life. As part of my ongoing recovery I try to put right all of the wrongs I have done in the past, at least where I can, and this is why I am giving you back the money which I stole from you. I regret the harm I caused you in the past and I sincerely apologise to you for it. I was very wrong to do this and I hope that returning the money will make up for this harm, at least in some small way."
It begins: "Dear Sirs, I am writing this letter to make amends to you for something I have done in the past."
Mr Ahmed said the thief's change of heart was "really good" and he intends to give the money to a drugs' charity.
The thief's letter continues:
"About seven years ago I was walking past your shop late one night when I noticed that someone had broken into it.
"I used this opportunity to enter your shop where I stole 400 cigarettes. The money enclosed (£100) is to pay for those cigarettes which I stole from you. At that time I was heavily using drugs and my life was in a mess, now I no longer use drugs and I strive to lead a decent and honest life. As part of my ongoing recovery I try to put right all of the wrongs I have done in the past, at least where I can, and this is why I am giving you back the money which I stole from you. I regret the harm I caused you in the past and I sincerely apologise to you for it. I was very wrong to do this and I hope that returning the money will make up for this harm, at least in some small way."
Friday, November 07, 2008
Pig theft
Two thieves were caught in southern Hungary with 12 pigs stuffed in their small van during a routine traffic check, Hungarian police said on Thursday.
Police stopped two men in a Renault Kangoo near the town of Szigetvar, about 220 km (137 miles) south of Budapest, as they attempted to drive off.
"The pigs weighed about 25-30 kg (55-66 lb) each -- they were really squashed into the car very tightly," a spokesman said.
Police said the pigs came from a nearby farm, where 35 pigs have gone missing in recent days.
Police stopped two men in a Renault Kangoo near the town of Szigetvar, about 220 km (137 miles) south of Budapest, as they attempted to drive off.
"The pigs weighed about 25-30 kg (55-66 lb) each -- they were really squashed into the car very tightly," a spokesman said.
Police said the pigs came from a nearby farm, where 35 pigs have gone missing in recent days.
Blinded pilot lands safely
A pilot who suddenly went blind while flying his plane at 15,000ft (4,572m) was guided in to land by an RAF plane. A plane was scrambled from the RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire to help stricken pilot Jim O'Neill, 65.
He was flying a two-seater Cessna aircraft from Prestwick airport in Scotland to Colchester, Essex, when he suffered a stroke and lost his sight. Wing Cdr Paul Gerrard, chief flying instructor, flew his Tucano T1 about 50m next to the Cessna to bring Mr O'Neill safely down.
Mr Hynd said: "He used his voice to guide him [Mr O'Neill] down by telling him to turn left and right, to lower the plane and to do his pre-landing checks. At very short range he still couldn't see the runway and it was only at the last minute that he could. He landed about halfway down and came to a halt just at the end.
"The RAF routinely practises shepherding but we are usually shepherding lost aircraft, we are not used to shepherding blind pilots, which is what makes this amazing. It was a fantastic team effort from all those involved and we're proud that we could get him to the ground safely."
Mr O'Neill was checked over by RAF medics before being transferred to Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex where he is believed to be seriously ill.
He was flying a two-seater Cessna aircraft from Prestwick airport in Scotland to Colchester, Essex, when he suffered a stroke and lost his sight. Wing Cdr Paul Gerrard, chief flying instructor, flew his Tucano T1 about 50m next to the Cessna to bring Mr O'Neill safely down.
Mr Hynd said: "He used his voice to guide him [Mr O'Neill] down by telling him to turn left and right, to lower the plane and to do his pre-landing checks. At very short range he still couldn't see the runway and it was only at the last minute that he could. He landed about halfway down and came to a halt just at the end.
"The RAF routinely practises shepherding but we are usually shepherding lost aircraft, we are not used to shepherding blind pilots, which is what makes this amazing. It was a fantastic team effort from all those involved and we're proud that we could get him to the ground safely."
Mr O'Neill was checked over by RAF medics before being transferred to Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex where he is believed to be seriously ill.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Giant lego man appears on Brighton beach
A giant Lego man is attracting attention on a beach in Brighton - but mystery surrounds how it got there. It is thought to have washed up on the beach, and was spotted by children playing there.The Lego man is 6ft tall in red, yellow and green. It is presumed to have washed up on the beach, but whether it has come from a cargo ship or from across the Channel is not clear.
Brighton resident Gerry Turner, 34, said: "It's very odd. God knows how it got here but people are saying it's from Holland because it's got some Dutch writing on it. It must have fallen off a boat of something. The kids love it."
Children helped stand the Lego man up on the beach, but are still mystified as to where it came from. One said: "It's great, but we don't know why it's here."
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said it didn't know the origin of the Lego man, but said it was fine for it to remain on the beach.
He said: "There's no problem at all. It will be interesting to see how long the Lego man stays there for. We'll keep an eye on it."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Naked man found wedged in chimney
A naked man found wedged in the chimney of a supermarket in Wigan has been arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Police officers discovered him trapped in a chimney breast of a Tesco Express store on Ormskirk Road, Pemberton.
Firefighters were called to rescue the man who had become trapped in the chimney as he tried to get out.
Police said that because the man was naked he was taken to hospital as a precaution but was treated and discharged before being arrested.
A GMP spokeswoman said: "It is believed some his clothes came off as a result of him struggling to get out of the chimney."
A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and remains in police custody.Sarkozy Voodoo Doll
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to sue a publishing company if it does not withdraw from shops a "voodoo doll" in his image. The doll comes with pins and a manual with instructions on how to put the evil eye on the president.Users can stick the pins into choice quotes from Mr Sarkozy which are printed on the doll. Mr Sarkozy's lawyer said the president had the "exclusive and absolute rights" over his own image.
Publishers K&B have issued 20,000 editions of the kit and have also produced a similar doll of Segolene Royal - Mr Sarkozy's Socialist party rival in the presidential elections last year.
Her lawyer said she is considering legal action, calling the doll an affront to her human dignity. The publisher said Mr Sarkozy's reaction was "totally disproportionate" and has so far refused to pull the doll from shops.
The product went on sale on 9 October.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Newspaper thief
STOKES COUNTY, N.C. - It's unlikely that authorities in Stokes County will charge a thief who has stolen a woman's newspaper at least 20 times – unless they plan to prosecute man's best friend.Deputies said the Sandy Ridge woman reported the thefts, prompting investigators to set up a surveillance camera in hopes of capturing the thief on tape. The woman said her newspaper was delivered each day and left on a well house that was on her property.
Deputies said that after reviewing the tape they saw a hound dog circle the house, grab the paper, then run away.
"She does have a few neighbors, but at this point we haven’t verified who the owner is and we wouldn't begin to say at this point," said Detective Scott Gordon.
Gordon said it also wasn't known where the dog left the papers.
Video HERE
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Supergran
It was an unequal chase: a 68-year-old grandmother against a teenage thief who had just run off with her bag.The bag-snatcher had no chance.
Janet Lane was sitting on a park bench when three teenagers grabbed her handbag containing £100 in cash, her mobile phone, an umbrella, a first-aid kit and a present that she had just bought for a friend.
What the thief did not know was that Mrs Lane had won the Yorkshire cross-country championship as a schoolgirl in 1953 and had kept herself in shape ever since.
As he and his two accomplices ran away, Mrs Lane set off in pursuit, chasing them 100 metres across a park and into the grounds of a hotel. Despite wearing sandals, the 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall grandmother managed to catch up and grabbed one of the youths by the collar. The youth, aged about 15, dropped her bag and begged to be let go. All three escaped empty-handed.
Mrs Lane, a retired nurse, said: “Those boys saw a little old lady and thought I was easy pickings, but there was no way I was going to sit there and let them get away with it. I was so angry when they took it. I had been to collect my pension and I had water rates to pay with that money.
Bike tightrope record
There were moments that drew gasps from spectators. Nik Wallenda sat down and called NBC's "Today" show at one point, saying the wind was stronger than he had thought.
He gave the crowd a scare when he rebalanced on the wire during the 235 foot walk across the wire, which was suspended between two cranes next to the Prudential Center arena.
He then rode the bike back.
Wallenda wants a place in Guinness World Records for the longest distance and greatest height ever traveled by a bike on the wire. The stunt coincided with the return of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus to Newark after a 52-year absence.
Toxic nut theft
Thieves who stole 660 pounds of hazelnuts in Germany have been urgently warned not to eat them.
Hamburg police spokesman Holger Vehren said the sacks containing the nuts were full of poisonous hydrogen phosphate gas, used to extend their shelf life. The nuts must first be treated to make them safe for consumption.
"We're looking for the perpetrators because they could face a very serious health risk if they eat these hazelnuts," he said.
"The gas is even lethal if they inhale it."
Hamburg police spokesman Holger Vehren said the sacks containing the nuts were full of poisonous hydrogen phosphate gas, used to extend their shelf life. The nuts must first be treated to make them safe for consumption.
"We're looking for the perpetrators because they could face a very serious health risk if they eat these hazelnuts," he said.
"The gas is even lethal if they inhale it."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Blind speed record
Belgian Luc Costermans has broken the world blind road speed record, on an airstrip in France. Mr Costermans topped 308.78km/h (192 mph) while driving a Lamborghini Gallardo supercar at Istres, near Marseille, in southern France.
Mr Costermans thanked his co-pilot Guillaume Roman, saying: ""I'm very, very happy. It's a team effort."
Mr Costermans took the record from Briton Mike Newman, whose BMW M5 reached 268km/h three years ago. Mr Costermans, 43, was blinded in an accident four years ago.
He hit the top speed in two runs in the borrowed car. He dedicated his effort to the Formula 1 racing driver Philippe Streiff, who has been a tetraplegic since suffering an accident in a Grand Prix in Brazil in 1989.
Mr Costermans thanked his co-pilot Guillaume Roman, saying: ""I'm very, very happy. It's a team effort."
Mr Costermans took the record from Briton Mike Newman, whose BMW M5 reached 268km/h three years ago. Mr Costermans, 43, was blinded in an accident four years ago.
He hit the top speed in two runs in the borrowed car. He dedicated his effort to the Formula 1 racing driver Philippe Streiff, who has been a tetraplegic since suffering an accident in a Grand Prix in Brazil in 1989.
World Pizza Eating Champion
Joey Chestnut has set a new gut-busting record of eating 45 pizza slices in 10 minutes at the Famous Famiglia pizza-eating contest in Times Square. Chestnut broke the previous record of eating 22 slices in 10 minutes, held by a Chicago chef Patrick Bertoletti.He is also world's hot-dog eating champ. He folded the slices very quickly, and thrust them into his mouth. He jumped around some, to help them go down the hatch, or knocked back water from paper cups. He never appeared to chew. The slices were the typical cheese and tomato sauce variety, dished from a 16-inch pie carved into eight wedges.
"It's as weird as it gets," he said of competitive eating. "But it's fun. We make people smile," the New York Daily News quoted Chestnut as saying.
"He is truly a god among eaters," contestant Adam Gertler said of Chestnut. "He could probably put an entire work boot in his mouth," he added.
Chestnut beat 10 other contenders, including the previous pizza-eating recordholder Bertoletti, who ate 43 pizzas in the contest.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Toilet girlfriend man feeling flush
Things were looking down for Kory McFadden at the beginning of the year, as the world discovered that his girlfriend had been sitting on the toilet for the past two years – so long that she'd become physically stuck to the seat.
But now things have improved, as the 37-year-old Kansan has won £20,000 on his state lottery – for the second time this year.
The toilet issue came to light in February, when McFadden called authorities to report that his girlfriend, Pam Babcock, had been in the bathroom for two years.
Officials found her physically attached to the lavatory seat, which had become stuck to open sores on her body. The toilet seat was only removed once she was taken to hospital.
In July, McFadden was given six months probation after pleading no contest to charges of misdemeanor mistreatment of a dependent adult.
But on Monday, McFadden won the Kansas state lottery in Great Bend – the second time this year that he's won it.
But now things have improved, as the 37-year-old Kansan has won £20,000 on his state lottery – for the second time this year.
The toilet issue came to light in February, when McFadden called authorities to report that his girlfriend, Pam Babcock, had been in the bathroom for two years.
Officials found her physically attached to the lavatory seat, which had become stuck to open sores on her body. The toilet seat was only removed once she was taken to hospital.
In July, McFadden was given six months probation after pleading no contest to charges of misdemeanor mistreatment of a dependent adult.
But on Monday, McFadden won the Kansas state lottery in Great Bend – the second time this year that he's won it.
Here's your half!
An estranged couple in Cambodia have sawed their house in half to avoid the country's convoluted divorce process.Moeun Rim and his wife, Nhanh, who have been married nearly 40 years, split the building last week following an argument, local officials said. Mr Rim has removed his share of the property and the couple have also divided their land into four parts; two for their children, and two for them.
Divorce cases in Cambodia can be costly and may take a long time to settle.
The house - or one half of the house - is located in Prey Veng province, about 90km (56 miles) from the capital, Phnom Penh. The couple fell out after Mr Rim accused his wife of neglecting him whilst he was ill.
"We tried to persuade them to think clearly before they did this because they had been married for nearly 40 years," local chief Vorng Morn told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. "But they did not listen," he said.
A local lawyer told the newspaper that dividing a property was legal if both parties had agreed to it - but that it did not meant the pair were legally divorced.
"If in the future they have any disagreements, the provincial chief will not be responsible, as there had not been a judgment from the court," Prak Phin said.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Naked swimmer defies police
Japanese police have detained a Spanish tourist who swam naked in the moat around the Imperial Palace in the heart of the capital Tokyo. The middle-aged man jumped into the water, climbed the palace wall and splashed water at police who tried to catch him from a rowing boat.
The man then charged at police with a pole and rock while a huge crowd including journalists watched. After a chase that lasted two hours the police eventually seized the man.
Police say that it is unclear what his motives are and they believe that he may be mentally unstable, Reuters news agency reports. Local media say that he claims to have dropped a bag in the water which included his passport.
The palace is one of Japan's most sacrosanct sites and is home to their emperor and empress who are respected by the public. Most of the palace is strictly off limits but the area outside is popular with tourists and residents who can walk freely around the moat.
The man then charged at police with a pole and rock while a huge crowd including journalists watched. After a chase that lasted two hours the police eventually seized the man.
Police say that it is unclear what his motives are and they believe that he may be mentally unstable, Reuters news agency reports. Local media say that he claims to have dropped a bag in the water which included his passport.
The palace is one of Japan's most sacrosanct sites and is home to their emperor and empress who are respected by the public. Most of the palace is strictly off limits but the area outside is popular with tourists and residents who can walk freely around the moat.
Red Squirrel Beer
A new drink has been created by a Scottish brewery to help efforts to protect red squirrels. Part of the proceeds from sales of Red Squirrel Ale will be donated to the Highland Red Squirrel Group (HRSG).The Highlands are considered a stronghold for the mammals, which has been threatened by competition and a disease carried by non-native greys. The ale has been made by Atlas Brewery in Kinlochleven.
HRSG said it has been estimated that only 160,000 red squirrels are left in the UK. Loss of habitat has been identified as another factor in their demise.
Thursday's launch of the ale coincides with Red Squirrel Week from 4-12 October.
Ian Collier, chairman of the HRSG, says: ‘I hope there will be plenty of people asking for a pint of Red Squirrel Ale and a bag of nuts. We are really pleased to be in partnership with Atlas Brewery to raise the profile of red squirrels in the Highlands and to take the opportunity to raise funds for the Highland Red Squirrel Group charity’.
Goat Condoms
Maasai herdsmen in Kenya have turned to an age-old contraceptive device, the "olor", to protect their precious goat herds from an ongoing drought.The olor is made from cowhide or a square piece of plastic, and is tied around the belly of the male goat.
It prevents the bucks from mating with the female goats.
The herdsmen are using the device to limit the goat population and ensure there are not too many animals grazing on sparse vegetation.
"We don't want them to breed in this drought," says Mr Ole Ngoshoi Kipameto, a goat owner in Kajiado district.
The area, which is 80km (50 miles) from the capital, Nairobi, has received insufficient rainfall, making the landscape barren and forcing residents to move from place to place in search of pasture and water.
In the Maasai community, livestock are often people's only assets and sole means of survival.
"We tie this hide under the belly of the buck for three months. After that we remove it and then they can breed by November when the short rains come," Mr Kipameto says.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)