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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
How to put a 'wrap-around' Hen Holster on your chicken
The Hen Holster/Chicken Diaper is a two-in-one product that allows a chicken to walk freely around your home without leaving a mess on the ground. The Hen Holster doubles as a harness. Want to take your chicken outside for a walk? Just snap on a lead and go.
YouTube link.
Bikini style Hen Holster also available.
YouTube link.
Bikini style Hen Holster also available.
Citizens help police arrest naked job seeker at welding shop
A couple of helpful citizens assisted police in the arrest of a man who showed up at a Sacramento welding shop asking for a job in nothing but his birthday suit. The Sacramento Police Department received a call of a naked man causing a disturbance at Johnson Welding Fabrication. "I turned around and this naked man is walking into my shop," said owner Chris Johnson.
The man was speaking incoherently in Spanish and even told bystanders to call police, according to witnesses. When officers arrived to the scene the suspect, who has been identified as Jose Ayala, 36, resisted arrest and began to fight officers. Ayala grabbed a female officer's hair and refused to let go even after being taken to the ground by a pair of officers.
That's when Johnson, who'd been recording the incident on his phone jumped in to help. "I ran over, cracked him in the grill and they all three went on the ground," said Johnson. Johnson's brother Eric, who held a hamburger in one hand while lending his other to the effort, along with a cousin and a friend all pitched in to help the two officers subdue Ayala.
Ayala was described as being incoherent and appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine or some other drug. He was taken to the hospital for to be checked out and then taken to the Sacramento County Jail where he's facing charges for resisting arrest, trying to escape, assault on a police officer and indecent exposure. He was being held without bail with an immigration hold, indicating he is apparently not an American citizen.
The man was speaking incoherently in Spanish and even told bystanders to call police, according to witnesses. When officers arrived to the scene the suspect, who has been identified as Jose Ayala, 36, resisted arrest and began to fight officers. Ayala grabbed a female officer's hair and refused to let go even after being taken to the ground by a pair of officers.
That's when Johnson, who'd been recording the incident on his phone jumped in to help. "I ran over, cracked him in the grill and they all three went on the ground," said Johnson. Johnson's brother Eric, who held a hamburger in one hand while lending his other to the effort, along with a cousin and a friend all pitched in to help the two officers subdue Ayala.
Ayala was described as being incoherent and appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine or some other drug. He was taken to the hospital for to be checked out and then taken to the Sacramento County Jail where he's facing charges for resisting arrest, trying to escape, assault on a police officer and indecent exposure. He was being held without bail with an immigration hold, indicating he is apparently not an American citizen.
German sausage lovers can now pick which pig to eat
German meat lovers can now buy packs of sausages with pictures of the pig that went into the sausage as part of an initiative aimed at changing the way people think of animals. Consumers can visit a website to look at pictures of the pigs, read the latest news on each sow and then vote for the animal they want to eat.
The winner gets converted into sausages and other meat products. "I think man has lost touch with his food," said Dennis Buchman, the creator of the Meine Kleine Farm (My Little Farm) initiative. "People eat a sausage like a carrot; without any thought about what goes into it."
Mr Buchman selects the pigs from a free-range farm near Berlin, photographs them and then places the pictures online with descriptions of the animals. He also updates the website with the latest information detailing the lives of each pig so people can follow their progress.
Bernd Schulz, the farmer involved, gave the initiative his enthusiastic backing. "We have to face up to the fact that we descended from hunter-gathers," he said. "But we must also show respect and reverence for the animals, and think about those that die for us." He added that he also wants people to come to his farm to meet the pigs before sitting down for hog roast.
The winner gets converted into sausages and other meat products. "I think man has lost touch with his food," said Dennis Buchman, the creator of the Meine Kleine Farm (My Little Farm) initiative. "People eat a sausage like a carrot; without any thought about what goes into it."
Mr Buchman selects the pigs from a free-range farm near Berlin, photographs them and then places the pictures online with descriptions of the animals. He also updates the website with the latest information detailing the lives of each pig so people can follow their progress.
Bernd Schulz, the farmer involved, gave the initiative his enthusiastic backing. "We have to face up to the fact that we descended from hunter-gathers," he said. "But we must also show respect and reverence for the animals, and think about those that die for us." He added that he also wants people to come to his farm to meet the pigs before sitting down for hog roast.
Dog keeps daily 9-5 vigil outside Chinese bank
A dog named Wang Cai spends most days waiting outside the doors of a bank from 9am until 5pm, moving little, not accepting food, and chasing away other dogs from his “roost.”
Nobody knows just when exactly Wang Cai began his daytime vigil in front of the Minsheng bank, but one street sweeper has seen the dog nearly everyday for the past two years. A bank security guard also reported seeing the dog, but noted that he seldom saw it waiting after 5pm.
Many pedestrians who frequent the area assumed the dog was homeless until they noticed it was clean everyday, would wear fashionable winter “jackets” and had his hair trimmed in the summertime. Wang Cai does indeed have a home, and his daily 9-5 vigil just so happens to coincide with his owner’s schedule, who works nearby.
YouTube link.
Wang Cai was once homeless, and was found wandering outside 4 years ago when he was adopted by his new family — a possible explanation for his outdoorsy personality. Henceforth he accompanies his owner to work in the morning, waits stoically for 8 hours, and returns in the evening. The owner isn’t quite sure if Wang Cai is waiting for him or a previous master.
Nobody knows just when exactly Wang Cai began his daytime vigil in front of the Minsheng bank, but one street sweeper has seen the dog nearly everyday for the past two years. A bank security guard also reported seeing the dog, but noted that he seldom saw it waiting after 5pm.
Many pedestrians who frequent the area assumed the dog was homeless until they noticed it was clean everyday, would wear fashionable winter “jackets” and had his hair trimmed in the summertime. Wang Cai does indeed have a home, and his daily 9-5 vigil just so happens to coincide with his owner’s schedule, who works nearby.
YouTube link.
Wang Cai was once homeless, and was found wandering outside 4 years ago when he was adopted by his new family — a possible explanation for his outdoorsy personality. Henceforth he accompanies his owner to work in the morning, waits stoically for 8 hours, and returns in the evening. The owner isn’t quite sure if Wang Cai is waiting for him or a previous master.
'Unusual' relationship sees married couple invoicing each other for lightbulbs and minor bills
An Australian couple billed each other for items including a $1.60 light bulb during an "ambivalent" 20-year marriage. A magistrate left to split the pair's assets said their "unusual" and "pernickety" relationship had existed only for weekly social outings and luxury holidays. The pair, both in their 70s, married in 1991 but never moved in together - only spending weekends together at the wife's home.
The Federal Magistrates' Court heard they kept their finances separate and invoiced each other for amounts as trifling as 50 cents. They fought in court over whether the wife should contribute to a custom-made yacht the husband had built to sail the waters around Europe. The boat cost close to $600,000 and effectively sent him broke. While the wife's assets increased to close to $4 million during the marriage, the husband's assets shrank to $315,000.
The court heard one of the only things the couple did together was to take holidays. They went on trips to Britain, China, Spain, Alaska, South America and two cruises on the QE2 between 1994 and 2009. Magistrate Michael Baumann said the pair were occasional companions. "When an intelligent and creative mature age couple decided in 1991 to marry ... it might have been anticipated that 20 years later they may have at least preserved and enhanced their financial position and had many happy and shared moments," he said.
"Alas, nothing could be further from the truth in this case." Mr Baumann said the wife bore no responsibility for the boat and the pair should each keep what they had when they went into the marriage. "It is the husband's passion to be an ocean going sailor," he said. "The wife ... did not enjoy yachting and had no interest whatsoever."
The Federal Magistrates' Court heard they kept their finances separate and invoiced each other for amounts as trifling as 50 cents. They fought in court over whether the wife should contribute to a custom-made yacht the husband had built to sail the waters around Europe. The boat cost close to $600,000 and effectively sent him broke. While the wife's assets increased to close to $4 million during the marriage, the husband's assets shrank to $315,000.
The court heard one of the only things the couple did together was to take holidays. They went on trips to Britain, China, Spain, Alaska, South America and two cruises on the QE2 between 1994 and 2009. Magistrate Michael Baumann said the pair were occasional companions. "When an intelligent and creative mature age couple decided in 1991 to marry ... it might have been anticipated that 20 years later they may have at least preserved and enhanced their financial position and had many happy and shared moments," he said.
"Alas, nothing could be further from the truth in this case." Mr Baumann said the wife bore no responsibility for the boat and the pair should each keep what they had when they went into the marriage. "It is the husband's passion to be an ocean going sailor," he said. "The wife ... did not enjoy yachting and had no interest whatsoever."
HIV-positive maid laced child's porridge with menstrual blood
A 17-year-old HIV-positive maid in Zimbabwe laced the porridge of her employers four-year-old child with menstrual blood. Cruelty that has earned her a ten-month prison sentence. Pelagia Mureya of Choto village in Chief Magonde`s area, Chinhoyi, left court attendants numb after she was found guilty of mixing her blood with the pre-school going child’s porridge.
Gutu magistrate Vhitorini Nyasha sentenced Pelagia Mureya to 12 months in prison for wilful transmission of HIV. Two months were suspended on condition the accused does not commit a similar offence in the next three years. A court attendant who listened to the ordeal vomited as she could not withstand the cruel ordeal. The court heard that on February 13 2012, the accused prepared porridge for the child who was going to crèche.
After preparing the porridge Pelagia then fed the child. As the child ate, the mother noticed a drop of blood in the porridge and ordered her child to stop eating. She asked the maid where the blood came from but she professed ignorance. The mother took the porridge, the victim and the accused to Gutu Rural Hospital where it was confirmed that the blood belonged to Pelagia and that she was HIV-positive. The hospital advised the mother to report the matter to the police, leading to Pelagia`s arrest.
In court Pelagia initially professed ignorance of the matter but she gave conflicting statements under cross examination. She was asked whether she had ever slept with a man in her life and she said she did not. When the court adjourned to verify the issue, Pelagia changed her statement and said she had slept with several men. She then told the court she suspected the blood could have dropped off from her pants into the porridge without her knowledge. The court did not believe her argument leading to conviction for wilfully mixing her blood with the victim`s porridge.
Gutu magistrate Vhitorini Nyasha sentenced Pelagia Mureya to 12 months in prison for wilful transmission of HIV. Two months were suspended on condition the accused does not commit a similar offence in the next three years. A court attendant who listened to the ordeal vomited as she could not withstand the cruel ordeal. The court heard that on February 13 2012, the accused prepared porridge for the child who was going to crèche.
After preparing the porridge Pelagia then fed the child. As the child ate, the mother noticed a drop of blood in the porridge and ordered her child to stop eating. She asked the maid where the blood came from but she professed ignorance. The mother took the porridge, the victim and the accused to Gutu Rural Hospital where it was confirmed that the blood belonged to Pelagia and that she was HIV-positive. The hospital advised the mother to report the matter to the police, leading to Pelagia`s arrest.
In court Pelagia initially professed ignorance of the matter but she gave conflicting statements under cross examination. She was asked whether she had ever slept with a man in her life and she said she did not. When the court adjourned to verify the issue, Pelagia changed her statement and said she had slept with several men. She then told the court she suspected the blood could have dropped off from her pants into the porridge without her knowledge. The court did not believe her argument leading to conviction for wilfully mixing her blood with the victim`s porridge.
Desperate race to save horse stuck up to neck in mud
It was a race against the tide. For more than three hours, show horse Astro was stuck neck deep in thick mud at Avalon Beach on Corio Bay in Victoria, Australia as the tide inched closer. Rescue crews first tried to pull the 18-year-old, 500kg horse free with fire hoses, and then a winch before a vet turned up to sedate Astro and pull him clear with a tractor. They knew they only had until 5pm, after which time the rising tide would have completely submerged Astro, drowning him. But within minutes of the waters rising around him, Astro was being dragged up on to solid ground slowly but surely, the team filthy but ecstatic.
What started off as just another ride along the beach for owner Nicole Graham and her daughter Paris, 7, turned into disaster just after noon when their horses were both sucked down into the mud. Even though she sunk up to her waist in thick, smelly muck, Ms Graham refused to leave Astro's side until he was free. "It was terrifying," she said. "We went straight down and under, there was mud everyone and every time I moved it sucked me back down, it wouldn't let us go."
Ms Graham eventually crawled to Paris and together they managed to pull her smaller horse Emily out, even though she was stuck up to her chest. Paris then ran to the car and phoned 000. CFA First Lieutenant Roger Buckle called for warning signs along the popular horse beach. He said a pipe outlet trench caused the boggy section of beach to the right of the boat ramp and it was impossible to tell where it would give way. "We've pulled a few horses out before but never at a beach where it's like quicksand," Lieut Buckle said.
"The crews worked really hard and got straight in there with the horse. We ran a whole lot of different plans and finally Plan C worked. It was a race against the tide." Lieut Buckle said the rescue wouldn't have been possible without Ms Sullivan. Ms Sullivan said Astro was dehydrated but otherwise coped well. "A lot don't make it and I think without the owner there the chances (of survival) would have been a lot lower," she said.
With large photo gallery.
What started off as just another ride along the beach for owner Nicole Graham and her daughter Paris, 7, turned into disaster just after noon when their horses were both sucked down into the mud. Even though she sunk up to her waist in thick, smelly muck, Ms Graham refused to leave Astro's side until he was free. "It was terrifying," she said. "We went straight down and under, there was mud everyone and every time I moved it sucked me back down, it wouldn't let us go."
Ms Graham eventually crawled to Paris and together they managed to pull her smaller horse Emily out, even though she was stuck up to her chest. Paris then ran to the car and phoned 000. CFA First Lieutenant Roger Buckle called for warning signs along the popular horse beach. He said a pipe outlet trench caused the boggy section of beach to the right of the boat ramp and it was impossible to tell where it would give way. "We've pulled a few horses out before but never at a beach where it's like quicksand," Lieut Buckle said.
"The crews worked really hard and got straight in there with the horse. We ran a whole lot of different plans and finally Plan C worked. It was a race against the tide." Lieut Buckle said the rescue wouldn't have been possible without Ms Sullivan. Ms Sullivan said Astro was dehydrated but otherwise coped well. "A lot don't make it and I think without the owner there the chances (of survival) would have been a lot lower," she said.
With large photo gallery.
Dog causes crash that set truck full of meat on fire
Intense flames engulfing a semi-truck hauling 36,000 pounds of frozen meat on Sunday caused a shut-down on part of I-40 in Albuquerque.
After almost four hours and a massive back-up on the interstate, things were eventually back to normal. A dog running in traffic that led to this whole thing. Police say a man saw the dog running on the freeway and pulled his car over.
The man got out of the car and began walking onto the freeway to get it. That’s when a woman driving on the freeway slammed on her brakes – and a semi then slammed into her.
Police say the semi burst into flames almost instantly – and fire crews arrived quickly to put the fire out. The driver was able to escape just in time. The woman he hit is also okay. The dog died.
With news video.
After almost four hours and a massive back-up on the interstate, things were eventually back to normal. A dog running in traffic that led to this whole thing. Police say a man saw the dog running on the freeway and pulled his car over.
The man got out of the car and began walking onto the freeway to get it. That’s when a woman driving on the freeway slammed on her brakes – and a semi then slammed into her.
Police say the semi burst into flames almost instantly – and fire crews arrived quickly to put the fire out. The driver was able to escape just in time. The woman he hit is also okay. The dog died.
With news video.
Steam train rolls into Baker Street Underground station
A steam train was spotted at London's Baker Street Tube station last weekend.
The historical locomotive was there as part of Transport for London’s preparations for the Tube’s upcoming 150th anniversary.
After the services had shut down for the evening, the locomotive dating from 1923, ran along the oldest sections of the London Underground.
YouTube link.
“As part of preparations for London Underground’s 150th anniversary in 2013, LU conducted a trial run of a steam locomotive on parts of the Circle and District lines,” a TfL spokesman said.
The historical locomotive was there as part of Transport for London’s preparations for the Tube’s upcoming 150th anniversary.
After the services had shut down for the evening, the locomotive dating from 1923, ran along the oldest sections of the London Underground.
YouTube link.
“As part of preparations for London Underground’s 150th anniversary in 2013, LU conducted a trial run of a steam locomotive on parts of the Circle and District lines,” a TfL spokesman said.
NHS patient 'savaged by rat' while lying sedated on hospital ward
A vulnerable patient was savaged by a rat as he lay sedated in his hospital bed, his parents have claimed. The rodent bit terrified Jason Ketley more than a dozen times on his back and neck, leaving him with painful and bloody injuries. His ordeal only ended when staff spotted the 42-year-old stumbling around a corridor with the rat hanging from his neck by its teeth.
Nurses knocked the creature off and killed it. Hospital bosses claim it was a field mouse. But Jason’s mother Pat Boardman said: “That’s an outrageous claim. He had large, open bite marks. “I’m appalled that this sort of thing could happen to my son in an NHS hospital in this day and age. He was completely helpless and terrified. It’s a disgrace. He was very scared and the staff had to show him they had killed the rat to prove it could no longer hurt him.”
Jason, who has a mental age of two, was attacked shortly after going to bed at a specialist care unit in St Ebba’s hospital, Epsom, Surrey. Pat heard about the incident after calling the unit to see how he was doing. The 64-year-old, who lives with Jason’s stepdad Tom, in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, added: “I was horrified. He was quite heavily sedated and wasn’t able to defend himself.” Jason, who is also bi-polar, was taken to Epsom General Hospital where he was given injections against diptheria, tetanus and polio before being returned to the unit.
His parents have made a formal complaint to the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust about last November’s attack. The Trust’s director of quality and nursing Jo Young described the incident as “genuinely shocking” and said the couple’s concerns were being taken “very seriously”. She added: “Our records indicate a mouse was seen in the house and pest control was alerted immediately but we are unable to provide a complete response to all the concerns raised until we know the outcome of our investigation.”
Nurses knocked the creature off and killed it. Hospital bosses claim it was a field mouse. But Jason’s mother Pat Boardman said: “That’s an outrageous claim. He had large, open bite marks. “I’m appalled that this sort of thing could happen to my son in an NHS hospital in this day and age. He was completely helpless and terrified. It’s a disgrace. He was very scared and the staff had to show him they had killed the rat to prove it could no longer hurt him.”
Jason, who has a mental age of two, was attacked shortly after going to bed at a specialist care unit in St Ebba’s hospital, Epsom, Surrey. Pat heard about the incident after calling the unit to see how he was doing. The 64-year-old, who lives with Jason’s stepdad Tom, in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, added: “I was horrified. He was quite heavily sedated and wasn’t able to defend himself.” Jason, who is also bi-polar, was taken to Epsom General Hospital where he was given injections against diptheria, tetanus and polio before being returned to the unit.
His parents have made a formal complaint to the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust about last November’s attack. The Trust’s director of quality and nursing Jo Young described the incident as “genuinely shocking” and said the couple’s concerns were being taken “very seriously”. She added: “Our records indicate a mouse was seen in the house and pest control was alerted immediately but we are unable to provide a complete response to all the concerns raised until we know the outcome of our investigation.”
Monday, February 27, 2012
Man shot twice trying to shoot caged raccoon
A rural Redfield man is being treated for two gunshot wounds after an attempt to shoot a raccoon caught in a live trap backfired.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 68-year-old Larry Godwin, of Redfield, was using a 22-calibre handgun to shoot a trapped raccoon.
But the bullet ricocheted off the trap and struck Godwin in the stomach. Godwin dropped the gun causing it to fire again, hitting him in the same spot.
Godwin was taken to Mercy Medical Center. The DNR says his injuries are not expected to be life threatening.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 68-year-old Larry Godwin, of Redfield, was using a 22-calibre handgun to shoot a trapped raccoon.
But the bullet ricocheted off the trap and struck Godwin in the stomach. Godwin dropped the gun causing it to fire again, hitting him in the same spot.
Godwin was taken to Mercy Medical Center. The DNR says his injuries are not expected to be life threatening.
Man jailed for having sexual relations with blind 17-year-old Yorkshire terrier
A man who had sexual relations with his 17-year-old Yorkshire terrier has been ordered to serve four months in prison. Jason Willis Sanborn, 35, was sentenced in Fredericksburg Circuit Court on Wednesday to a total of five years in prison with all but four months suspended. He had pleaded guilty in December to bestiality. Judge Gordon Willis' sentenced exceeded the recommended state sentencing guidelines, which called for probation and no incarceration.
According to the evidence presented by prosecutor Kevin Gross, an investigation began in June after Sanborn placed an ad on Craigslist seeking "canine play." Lori O'Pry-Huber, who works for the Stafford County SPCA, saw the ad and became suspicious. O'Pry-Huber set up fictitious Internet accounts and began exchanging emails with Sanborn, convincing him that she shared his fetish. Sanborn eventually sent O'Pry-Huber explicit pictures of him and the dog, Buddy. He also expressed interest in obtaining a larger dog.
O'Pry-Huber and SPCA executive director William Hoyt took the pictures and other information to city police. Police raided Sanborn's home on Pitt Street in Fredericksburg and seized Buddy and two cats. A new home was found for Buddy, but he died nine days later. The dog was nearly blind and had numerous health issues. Gross said that although Sanborn was cooperative with police and had no prior criminal record, that did not excuse his "disgusting and perverted" sexual crime.
Sanborn made a statement in which he acknowledged that his life was on a wrong course and said getting arrested has actually benefited him. Sanborn was also convicted in general district court of distributing obscene materials, a Class 3 misdemeanor. He got the maximum penalty for that offense, a $500 fine. As part of his sentence Sanborn was ordered to not use the Internet and to never have a companion animal.
According to the evidence presented by prosecutor Kevin Gross, an investigation began in June after Sanborn placed an ad on Craigslist seeking "canine play." Lori O'Pry-Huber, who works for the Stafford County SPCA, saw the ad and became suspicious. O'Pry-Huber set up fictitious Internet accounts and began exchanging emails with Sanborn, convincing him that she shared his fetish. Sanborn eventually sent O'Pry-Huber explicit pictures of him and the dog, Buddy. He also expressed interest in obtaining a larger dog.
O'Pry-Huber and SPCA executive director William Hoyt took the pictures and other information to city police. Police raided Sanborn's home on Pitt Street in Fredericksburg and seized Buddy and two cats. A new home was found for Buddy, but he died nine days later. The dog was nearly blind and had numerous health issues. Gross said that although Sanborn was cooperative with police and had no prior criminal record, that did not excuse his "disgusting and perverted" sexual crime.
Sanborn made a statement in which he acknowledged that his life was on a wrong course and said getting arrested has actually benefited him. Sanborn was also convicted in general district court of distributing obscene materials, a Class 3 misdemeanor. He got the maximum penalty for that offense, a $500 fine. As part of his sentence Sanborn was ordered to not use the Internet and to never have a companion animal.
Anger at how the Irish are portrayed on hats
Would you wear a baseball hat with an image of a man being sick on the pavement? That is what the funky fashion and household store Urban Outfitters has put on a baseball cap it has launched in America for St Patrick's day. The green and white hat has a man on the front, on his hands and knees being sick.
The slogan below reads, ''Irish Yoga'' and ''downward facing upchuck''. SDLP MLA Karen McKevitt has called on the chief executive of the international clothing firm to remove the hat from his stores and online shop.
"I think it was reckless for Urban Outfitters to use this offensive image," she said. "A lot of businesses rely on St Patrick's Day to generate some revenue but when we see big companies trying to make money like this we should not be standing for it.
"The chief executive of Urban Outfitters must apologise for this and remove this insulting product from the company's stores and online shop." Ms McKevitt also encouraged the company to make a donation to Down, and Newry and Mourne Councils to help them organise St Patrick's Day events.
The slogan below reads, ''Irish Yoga'' and ''downward facing upchuck''. SDLP MLA Karen McKevitt has called on the chief executive of the international clothing firm to remove the hat from his stores and online shop.
"I think it was reckless for Urban Outfitters to use this offensive image," she said. "A lot of businesses rely on St Patrick's Day to generate some revenue but when we see big companies trying to make money like this we should not be standing for it.
"The chief executive of Urban Outfitters must apologise for this and remove this insulting product from the company's stores and online shop." Ms McKevitt also encouraged the company to make a donation to Down, and Newry and Mourne Councils to help them organise St Patrick's Day events.
Britain's stolen chewing gum ends up as change in Romanian shops
Chewing-gum theft has become big business for criminal gangs who smuggle the confectionery across Europe to be used as a substitute for cash on the streets of Romania. Prosecutors warn that the bizarre crime wave is now a "major problem" in cities across the UK, with thousands of pounds' worth of gum stolen from shops. The Crown Prosecution Service has now said that those caught will face the "full force of the law", including jail. Police believe organised gangs have identified a "soft target" in stores, where large amounts of stock are routinely left on shelves. In many cases, thieves simply load boxes of gum into trolleys and walk out.
A number of forces claim the gum is sent to Romania, where shops and kiosks give chewing gum to customers instead of change, though Romanian diplomatic sources have played down the idea. Dean Lampard, a CPS prosecutor, said: "The theft of large quantities of chewing gum is becoming big business. The police have told us this specific crime has become a major problem up and down the M5 corridor, as well as in other parts of the country." His warning came after two Romanian men were jailed last week for thefts worth more than £1,000. Ciprian Petw received a 24-week sentence for stealing £550 of gum in Norfolk and Taunton. He was picked up by police with a large foiled bag in Asda, Taunton, while out on bail for the Norfolk theft.
He was found guilty at Taunton Magistrates' Court of going equipped for theft. He had previously shoplifted in Manchester, Elgin and Suffolk, as well as Norfolk, and had made enough money to fund a trip home to Romania for Christmas, the court heard. Meanwhile, Fane Raducanu pleaded guilty to stealing chewing gum worth £430 from the same Asda store. He was given a six-week custodial sentence. Police say similar raids have been carried out in Hounslow, Northampton, Hull, Newcastle, Slough, Worcester and North Yorkshire. From April to July last year, there were seven thefts of large quantities of gum in the Shrewsbury area alone. "Since then, it's continued," PC David Walton from West Mercia Police said.
"We are not talking about a couple of packs; we are talking about five, six, seven maybe eight hundred pounds' worth in one go. It became apparent it was just Romanian nationals. The chewing gum has a tangible value back home. If you are making a purchase in a shop on a street corner or a kiosk, if they don't have sufficient change, they will give you strips of gum. The bottom line is it's going back to Romania. People are loading up the trolley and brazenly walking out with it." Lincolnshire Police sounded the alarm about "an emerging trend in chewing-gum theft" after £1,000 worth was stolen from an Asda store in Grantham earlier this month. And last month, Constantin Barbu, 31, was jailed for a week after trying to steal gum worth £436.65 from Sainsbury in Worcester, while Bogdan-Constantin Panait, 23, was caught at Morrisons in Droitwich trying to steal gum worth £388.52. In December, Lucian Mitranus, 36, pleaded guilty at Cambridge Magistrates' Court to stealing £467.70 worth of gum from Tesco in Ely.
A number of forces claim the gum is sent to Romania, where shops and kiosks give chewing gum to customers instead of change, though Romanian diplomatic sources have played down the idea. Dean Lampard, a CPS prosecutor, said: "The theft of large quantities of chewing gum is becoming big business. The police have told us this specific crime has become a major problem up and down the M5 corridor, as well as in other parts of the country." His warning came after two Romanian men were jailed last week for thefts worth more than £1,000. Ciprian Petw received a 24-week sentence for stealing £550 of gum in Norfolk and Taunton. He was picked up by police with a large foiled bag in Asda, Taunton, while out on bail for the Norfolk theft.
He was found guilty at Taunton Magistrates' Court of going equipped for theft. He had previously shoplifted in Manchester, Elgin and Suffolk, as well as Norfolk, and had made enough money to fund a trip home to Romania for Christmas, the court heard. Meanwhile, Fane Raducanu pleaded guilty to stealing chewing gum worth £430 from the same Asda store. He was given a six-week custodial sentence. Police say similar raids have been carried out in Hounslow, Northampton, Hull, Newcastle, Slough, Worcester and North Yorkshire. From April to July last year, there were seven thefts of large quantities of gum in the Shrewsbury area alone. "Since then, it's continued," PC David Walton from West Mercia Police said.
"We are not talking about a couple of packs; we are talking about five, six, seven maybe eight hundred pounds' worth in one go. It became apparent it was just Romanian nationals. The chewing gum has a tangible value back home. If you are making a purchase in a shop on a street corner or a kiosk, if they don't have sufficient change, they will give you strips of gum. The bottom line is it's going back to Romania. People are loading up the trolley and brazenly walking out with it." Lincolnshire Police sounded the alarm about "an emerging trend in chewing-gum theft" after £1,000 worth was stolen from an Asda store in Grantham earlier this month. And last month, Constantin Barbu, 31, was jailed for a week after trying to steal gum worth £436.65 from Sainsbury in Worcester, while Bogdan-Constantin Panait, 23, was caught at Morrisons in Droitwich trying to steal gum worth £388.52. In December, Lucian Mitranus, 36, pleaded guilty at Cambridge Magistrates' Court to stealing £467.70 worth of gum from Tesco in Ely.
Jacob Rees-Mogg demonstrates that the Conservative party are totally in touch with the common people
Floccinaucinihilipilification is sometimes said to be the longest word in the English language. At 29 letters, it beats antidisestablishmentarianism, though there are some longer concoctions in medical dictionaries, and the third paragraph of Finnegan's Wake, by James Joyce, has a made-up word of 100 letters.
Be that as it may, floccinaucinihilipilification is by a wide margin the longest in the printed version of Hansard that went on sale last week. There is only one MP eccentric and learned enough to use it, namely Jacob Rees-Mogg, the idiosyncratic old Etonian who represents North East Somerset, and looks and speaks as if he has stepped from the pages of a PG Wodehouse novel.
Pupils of the old school where Rees-Mogg, David Cameron and Boris Johnson received their education are credited with coining the word floccinaucinihilipilification, meaning the act of defining something as unimportant, from the Latin floccus – a wisp, naucum – a trifle, nihil – nothing, and pilus – a single hair, or trifle.
YouTube link.
Intervening in a Commons debate on the British Government's dispute with a European Court over a pay award for EU staff, Mr Rees-Mogg accused the judges of breaching the age old principle of nemo iudex in causa sua – Latin for "no one should be the judge in their own cause". He added: "Let me indulge in the floccinaucinihilipilification of EU judges and quote from the book of Amos about them: 'For we know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right'."
Be that as it may, floccinaucinihilipilification is by a wide margin the longest in the printed version of Hansard that went on sale last week. There is only one MP eccentric and learned enough to use it, namely Jacob Rees-Mogg, the idiosyncratic old Etonian who represents North East Somerset, and looks and speaks as if he has stepped from the pages of a PG Wodehouse novel.
Pupils of the old school where Rees-Mogg, David Cameron and Boris Johnson received their education are credited with coining the word floccinaucinihilipilification, meaning the act of defining something as unimportant, from the Latin floccus – a wisp, naucum – a trifle, nihil – nothing, and pilus – a single hair, or trifle.
YouTube link.
Intervening in a Commons debate on the British Government's dispute with a European Court over a pay award for EU staff, Mr Rees-Mogg accused the judges of breaching the age old principle of nemo iudex in causa sua – Latin for "no one should be the judge in their own cause". He added: "Let me indulge in the floccinaucinihilipilification of EU judges and quote from the book of Amos about them: 'For we know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right'."
Male rape charity's poster campaign targets rugby supporters
Rugby fans heading through London's Waterloo station on their way to the England versus Wales game at Twickenham on Saturday were the target of the first major advertising campaign by a male rape charity.
The charity's poster has already caused controversy after appearing in London underground stations last week to coincide with the Six Nations tournament. Featuring a rugby ball pierced by a nail and the message "Real men get raped and talking about it takes real strength", the adverts will also feature on electronic billboards in March when England play their final home match against Ireland.
Michael May of Survivors UK, a charity that runs a helpline and counselling service for adult gay or heterosexual men who have experienced rape, said the campaign was a response to new Metropolitan Police figures which reveal that on average, in London, a man is the victim of a sexual crime every hour.The government estimates that 11% of male victims report being attacked. Therefore, May believes, the 945 assaults recorded by the Met in 2009-10 suggest a true figure closer to 8,500 in the capital.
"The alpha-male imagery of rugby is clearly suited to challenging the assumptions about male rape," May said. "A victim is just as likely to be a rugby player as a City banker or a gang member. And we hope that by challenging our innate assumptions about the identity of male victims, we can make it even fractionally easier for a male rape victim to ask for help. The posters are proving a bit controversial, but we need to get more men coming forward with their experiences and lose the taboos that hold them back from seeking help."
The charity's poster has already caused controversy after appearing in London underground stations last week to coincide with the Six Nations tournament. Featuring a rugby ball pierced by a nail and the message "Real men get raped and talking about it takes real strength", the adverts will also feature on electronic billboards in March when England play their final home match against Ireland.
Michael May of Survivors UK, a charity that runs a helpline and counselling service for adult gay or heterosexual men who have experienced rape, said the campaign was a response to new Metropolitan Police figures which reveal that on average, in London, a man is the victim of a sexual crime every hour.The government estimates that 11% of male victims report being attacked. Therefore, May believes, the 945 assaults recorded by the Met in 2009-10 suggest a true figure closer to 8,500 in the capital.
"The alpha-male imagery of rugby is clearly suited to challenging the assumptions about male rape," May said. "A victim is just as likely to be a rugby player as a City banker or a gang member. And we hope that by challenging our innate assumptions about the identity of male victims, we can make it even fractionally easier for a male rape victim to ask for help. The posters are proving a bit controversial, but we need to get more men coming forward with their experiences and lose the taboos that hold them back from seeking help."
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