Goats
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Love Your Body
This is a female exercise video.
When appearing in one of these, it's probably best not to break wind.
When appearing in one of these, it's probably best not to break wind.
Chavs' shoplifter chic
Chavs just love their brands, but simply sporting a designer label or two is not enough these days, it seems.
The latest chav fashion trend is to leave on the price tags and manufacturer's labels – to make out the clothes have been shoplifted.
Young chavs also believe it shows how new their baseball caps, trainers and tracksuits are and shows how much they cost.
Shopkeepers have condemned the trend, saying it glamourises and encourages thieving from shops.
The latest chav fashion trend is to leave on the price tags and manufacturer's labels – to make out the clothes have been shoplifted.
Young chavs also believe it shows how new their baseball caps, trainers and tracksuits are and shows how much they cost.
Shopkeepers have condemned the trend, saying it glamourises and encourages thieving from shops.
Las Vegas passes public defecation law
City officials have made it illegal to sleep within 500 feet of urine or faeces, but the city attorney says the new law was passed by mistake and won't be enforced.
The new ordinance makes it illegal to "knowingly establish" sleeping quarters near defecation unless that "deposit" is made in an appropriate sanitary facility. It was passed unanimously by the Las Vegas City Council as part of a bill making it a misdemeanor to go to the bathroom in public.
City Attorney Brad Jerbic says the council will consider a revised version of the ordinance that shortens the distance between sleeper and deposits.
"We were reviewing all park rules, including sleeping, camping and a number of other things people associate with parks," Jerbic said Thursday. "The decision, by me, was to take this (provision) out of the defecation urination bill and look at it with respect to park rules in general. It was my mistake that it didn't come out."
The new ordinance makes it illegal to "knowingly establish" sleeping quarters near defecation unless that "deposit" is made in an appropriate sanitary facility. It was passed unanimously by the Las Vegas City Council as part of a bill making it a misdemeanor to go to the bathroom in public.
City Attorney Brad Jerbic says the council will consider a revised version of the ordinance that shortens the distance between sleeper and deposits.
"We were reviewing all park rules, including sleeping, camping and a number of other things people associate with parks," Jerbic said Thursday. "The decision, by me, was to take this (provision) out of the defecation urination bill and look at it with respect to park rules in general. It was my mistake that it didn't come out."
Mona Lisa's smile stops traffic in the US
Standing at a majestic 60-feet tall, this new feature on the US landscape is certainly a traffic stopper.
Motorists have been left open-mouthed at the sight of this landscape image of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous masterpiece, the Mona Lisa.
The amazing reproduction of the Mona Lisa has been created by local artist Samuel Clemens, who says he has been waiting to create a piece of landscape art since he was a child and saw a picture of a farmer who had transformed a field into art using fertilizer to darken the green of the grass.
The masterpiece was recreated by making a stencil on a tarpaulin, then dusting the hillside with black water-based pigment. It took him 14 hours just to lay out the tarpaulin and another nine to spray the 40-by-60-foot painting.
Motorists have been left open-mouthed at the sight of this landscape image of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous masterpiece, the Mona Lisa.
The amazing reproduction of the Mona Lisa has been created by local artist Samuel Clemens, who says he has been waiting to create a piece of landscape art since he was a child and saw a picture of a farmer who had transformed a field into art using fertilizer to darken the green of the grass.
The masterpiece was recreated by making a stencil on a tarpaulin, then dusting the hillside with black water-based pigment. It took him 14 hours just to lay out the tarpaulin and another nine to spray the 40-by-60-foot painting.
Recovered after 20 years, £1m 'Mona Lisa of Peru'
A 1 million gold headdress - considered one of Peru's most prized artifacts and missing for more than two decades since being looted from an archaeological dig - has been recovered in a raid on a London law firm.
Detectives seized the centuries-old antiquity, described as 'the Mona Lisa of Peru', from the Bond Street firm after a lengthy investigation into stolen goods, London's Metropolitan police said.
Made in the image of an ancient sea god and said to date back to 700AD, the gold headdress is a prized example of artwork by the Mochica civilization of northern Peru
Police plan to hand the valuable over to Peruvian authorities at a ceremony at London's Scotland Yard on August 29.
With photo.
Detectives seized the centuries-old antiquity, described as 'the Mona Lisa of Peru', from the Bond Street firm after a lengthy investigation into stolen goods, London's Metropolitan police said.
Made in the image of an ancient sea god and said to date back to 700AD, the gold headdress is a prized example of artwork by the Mochica civilization of northern Peru
Police plan to hand the valuable over to Peruvian authorities at a ceremony at London's Scotland Yard on August 29.
With photo.
It's art, says the naked woman who'll hug a dead pig on stage
After pickled sheep, unmade beds and painting with elephant dung, some questioned where modern art could go next.
Kira O'Reilly will provide her own answer today by spending four hours naked, hugging a dead pig - at the taxpayer's expense.
The controversial Irish performance artist will invite one person at a time to watch her sit in a specially-constructed set and perform a 'crushing slow dance' with the carcass in her arms.
She claims the bizarre exhibition is an attempt to 'identify' with the pig, which she cuts with a knife during the show.
With NSFW photo.
Kira O'Reilly will provide her own answer today by spending four hours naked, hugging a dead pig - at the taxpayer's expense.
The controversial Irish performance artist will invite one person at a time to watch her sit in a specially-constructed set and perform a 'crushing slow dance' with the carcass in her arms.
She claims the bizarre exhibition is an attempt to 'identify' with the pig, which she cuts with a knife during the show.
With NSFW photo.
Chinese treasure trove buried for over a thousand years
They've laid buried for over a thousand years, their mystery concealed by the compact soil of China’s ancient hinterland.
This team of six horses once pulled the two-wheeled Emperor’s cart through the streets of Luoyang in Central China's Henan Province, a city that dates back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which ruled from between 256 BC and 1046.
Archaeologists recently excavated the burial and uncovered a treasure trove from a period that saw the introduction of horse back riding, iron, ox-drawn plows and crossbows.
This team of six horses once pulled the two-wheeled Emperor’s cart through the streets of Luoyang in Central China's Henan Province, a city that dates back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which ruled from between 256 BC and 1046.
Archaeologists recently excavated the burial and uncovered a treasure trove from a period that saw the introduction of horse back riding, iron, ox-drawn plows and crossbows.
Judge Gets 4 Years for Exposing Himself (update)
A former judge convicted of exposing himself while presiding over jury trials by using a sexual device under his robe was sentenced to four years in prison.
Donald Thompson had spent almost 23 years on the bench and had served as a state legislator before retiring from the court in 2004. He showed no reaction when he was sentenced.
At his trial this summer, his former court reporter, Lisa Foster, testified that she saw Thompson expose himself at least 15 times during trial between 2001 and 2003. Prosecutors said he also used a device known as a penis pump during at least four trials in the same period.
He said he may have absentmindedly squeezed the pump's handle during court cases but never used it to masturbate.
Donald Thompson had spent almost 23 years on the bench and had served as a state legislator before retiring from the court in 2004. He showed no reaction when he was sentenced.
At his trial this summer, his former court reporter, Lisa Foster, testified that she saw Thompson expose himself at least 15 times during trial between 2001 and 2003. Prosecutors said he also used a device known as a penis pump during at least four trials in the same period.
He said he may have absentmindedly squeezed the pump's handle during court cases but never used it to masturbate.
Filipino 'dwarf' judge loses case (update)
A Philippines judge who said he consulted imaginary mystic dwarves has failed to convince the Supreme Court to allow him to keep his job.
Florentino Floro was appealing against a three-year inquiry which led to his removal due to incompetence and bias.
He told investigators three mystic dwarves - Armand, Luis and Angel - had helped him to carry out healing sessions during breaks in his chambers.
The court said psychic phenomena had no place in the judiciary.
The bench backed a medical finding that the judge was suffering from psychosis.
Judge Floro has been quite a regular vistor to this page over the past year or so since I first posted about him. He appeared to scour search engines for mention of himself then bombard those sites with huge amounts of legalese, as you can see from his comments here and here.
Florentino Floro was appealing against a three-year inquiry which led to his removal due to incompetence and bias.
He told investigators three mystic dwarves - Armand, Luis and Angel - had helped him to carry out healing sessions during breaks in his chambers.
The court said psychic phenomena had no place in the judiciary.
The bench backed a medical finding that the judge was suffering from psychosis.
Judge Floro has been quite a regular vistor to this page over the past year or so since I first posted about him. He appeared to scour search engines for mention of himself then bombard those sites with huge amounts of legalese, as you can see from his comments here and here.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Chrystil Rijkeboer
Creates art using human hair.
The reason I work with human hair is that hair has symbolic significance: beauty, strength, health, attraction, etc. The moment it is separated from the human all these factors turn around, hair is considered dirty, unsavoury and dead.
Hair is also an important indicator of our life, as well in the past as in the present.
Hair shows us when we reach maturity (pubic, chest and armpit hair) and also shows us when we reach the menopause (we become grey and bald). It shows our age and health.
Coming soon: 'smart' clothes with MP3 players
The South Korean government said yesterday it would give financial backing to efforts to launch "smart" clothes with built-in digital music players by the end of the year. It declined to give details.
The clothing would allow people to enjoy an MP3 player's functions while avoiding the hassles of carrying the units separately.
Some devices would have to be unplugged from the clothes for washing.
The government, which has already backed research into smart clothing, hopes South Korea will account for more than 20% of a market that it estimates will be worth $7bn (£3.7bn) by 2014.
The clothing would allow people to enjoy an MP3 player's functions while avoiding the hassles of carrying the units separately.
Some devices would have to be unplugged from the clothes for washing.
The government, which has already backed research into smart clothing, hopes South Korea will account for more than 20% of a market that it estimates will be worth $7bn (£3.7bn) by 2014.
Family faces eviction for loud night prayers
A seven-member family faces eviction from an east Berlin apartment tower after neighbours complained about loud prayer sessions that keep the whole building awake at night, a German newspaper said Thursday.
"I really don't want to disturb the neighbours but the high volume is needed in the battle against the devil," Pierre D., the 42-year-old father of the Christian family, told Bild newspaper. He is fighting an eviction order in court.
Neighbours told Bild the screams and singing that are part of the family prayers in the second storey sometimes begin at 2:30 a.m. and can be heard all the way up to the fifth floor.
"We have to work in the morning and need our sleep," said taxi driver Horst Berghahn, who lives on the third floor. He said he asked the family to lower the volume several times since they moved into the building 10 months ago but to no avail.
"I really don't want to disturb the neighbours but the high volume is needed in the battle against the devil," Pierre D., the 42-year-old father of the Christian family, told Bild newspaper. He is fighting an eviction order in court.
Neighbours told Bild the screams and singing that are part of the family prayers in the second storey sometimes begin at 2:30 a.m. and can be heard all the way up to the fifth floor.
"We have to work in the morning and need our sleep," said taxi driver Horst Berghahn, who lives on the third floor. He said he asked the family to lower the volume several times since they moved into the building 10 months ago but to no avail.
Father Accused Of Drunken Driving Says 4-Year-Old Son At Wheel
Police said a man accused of drunken driving told them his 4-year-old son was at the wheel of his sport utility vehicle when it crashed into a tree.
They said 33-year-old Albert Monroe Boyce Jr., of Hyndman, told them his son, who was sitting on his lap, had turned the wheel too far to one side, sending the SUV careening off the road.
Police said Boyce had an open 30-pack of Budweiser and a cooler in the vehicle when the crash occurred.
Boyce faces a preliminary hearing Sept. 21 on charges of drunken driving, child endangerment, reckless endangerment and driving without a license.
They said 33-year-old Albert Monroe Boyce Jr., of Hyndman, told them his son, who was sitting on his lap, had turned the wheel too far to one side, sending the SUV careening off the road.
Police said Boyce had an open 30-pack of Budweiser and a cooler in the vehicle when the crash occurred.
Boyce faces a preliminary hearing Sept. 21 on charges of drunken driving, child endangerment, reckless endangerment and driving without a license.
'Hybrid Mutant' Found Dead in Maine
Residents are wondering if an animal found dead over the weekend may be the mysterious creature that has mauled dogs, frightened residents and been the subject of local legend for half a generation.
The animal was found near power lines along Route 4 on Saturday, apparently struck by a car while chasing a cat. The carcass was photographed and inspected by several people who live in the area, but nobody is sure exactly what it is.
It was charcoal grey, weighed between 40 and 50 pounds and had a bushy tail, a short snout, short ears and curled fangs hanging over its lips.
With photos.
Thanks Mountain Girl.
The animal was found near power lines along Route 4 on Saturday, apparently struck by a car while chasing a cat. The carcass was photographed and inspected by several people who live in the area, but nobody is sure exactly what it is.
It was charcoal grey, weighed between 40 and 50 pounds and had a bushy tail, a short snout, short ears and curled fangs hanging over its lips.
With photos.
Thanks Mountain Girl.
Crew rescues dolphin in a Speedo swimsuit
A lucky adolescent male bottlenose dolphin is back to living nude and free in Gulf Coast Florida's Sarasota Bay after making a potentially fatal wardrobe choice early this summer.
The 10-year-old dolphin, known as Scrappy, probably owes its life to a Brookfield Zoo marine mammal research team that works year round in the bay.
The drama began July 6, when a member of the team working in the bay spotted Scrappy unaccountably and uncomfortably swimming around while wearing a black, Speedo-brand man's bikini swimsuit.
"He must have found the swimsuit floating in the water," said Randall Wells, a population biologist who runs the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program for the Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo's parent organization.
"Somehow he got his head and torso through the waist and one of the leg holes of the suit, and it was hugging him right where his pectoral fins and body meet."
The 10-year-old dolphin, known as Scrappy, probably owes its life to a Brookfield Zoo marine mammal research team that works year round in the bay.
The drama began July 6, when a member of the team working in the bay spotted Scrappy unaccountably and uncomfortably swimming around while wearing a black, Speedo-brand man's bikini swimsuit.
"He must have found the swimsuit floating in the water," said Randall Wells, a population biologist who runs the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program for the Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo's parent organization.
"Somehow he got his head and torso through the waist and one of the leg holes of the suit, and it was hugging him right where his pectoral fins and body meet."
New House Design Either Cactus Or Middle Finger
A vent cover on the side of a house looks like it might be a rude hand gesture. Then again, it might be a cactus, abstract art-style. It depends if you're the owner or a neighbour.
"Anyone in their right mind would only interpret that as an obscene gesture," said neighbour Stan Torgersen, who lives directly behind the home.
Torgersen sees it as a hand giving the finger, visible from all his back windows.
"It speaks for itself, really," said the home's builder, Darren Wood. "It's such beautiful art. It's a cactus."
With video.
"Anyone in their right mind would only interpret that as an obscene gesture," said neighbour Stan Torgersen, who lives directly behind the home.
Torgersen sees it as a hand giving the finger, visible from all his back windows.
"It speaks for itself, really," said the home's builder, Darren Wood. "It's such beautiful art. It's a cactus."
With video.
Where the streets have no shame
Maori living in a number of New Zealand towns have - not to put too fine a point on it - been living in Shit Street for years.
Their road name signs actually read Kaka Street and, having been erected by predominantly English-speaking local councils, are supposed to be the name of a native parrot.
But Maori say kaka in their language means excrement, while the parrot that councils are trying to honour is either spelled "Kaakaa" or should have two macrons to indicate the vowels are long.
The local council in the North Island town of Tokoroa has now agreed to add the macrons to Maori street names following protests from people such as language teacher Chris Mckenzie, who complained that Kaka Street was 10 metres away from the town's only Maori school.
"It means Shit Street," the New Zealand Herald quoted him as saying today.
Their road name signs actually read Kaka Street and, having been erected by predominantly English-speaking local councils, are supposed to be the name of a native parrot.
But Maori say kaka in their language means excrement, while the parrot that councils are trying to honour is either spelled "Kaakaa" or should have two macrons to indicate the vowels are long.
The local council in the North Island town of Tokoroa has now agreed to add the macrons to Maori street names following protests from people such as language teacher Chris Mckenzie, who complained that Kaka Street was 10 metres away from the town's only Maori school.
"It means Shit Street," the New Zealand Herald quoted him as saying today.
Web sites add info on beers, ice creams, UV rays to summer weather forecasts
If you want to know whether it's a good day to put a beer or two in the fridge or how much you'll be sweating, look no further than the Internet. This summer, online weather services are offering viewers more than just a look at the weather itself.
Yahoo Japan's online weather service is providing four extra "indexes" during the summer months this year: a "beer index," a "heat-exhaustion index," a "sweat index" and a "UV ray index."
The beer index covers 138 points across Japan, rating the best days to drink beer on a 10-level scale. Among the suggestions are, "90: It's sweltering! Don't forget to cool the beer," and "70: It's hot! Beer will probably go down well today."
The Japan Weather Association provides advice on sunburn protection with its "UV care information," which independently analyzes the weather and the quantity of ultraviolet rays. For 12 main cities across Japan it gives a sunburn protection factor (SPF), along with graphs on the danger of getting sunburned, listed by hour, making it easy to know when to go outside.
The information available is not just for humans. One site, operated by dog food manufacturer Masterfoods, has provided "summer weariness forecasts for dogs." The forecasts offer owners advice on taking their dogs for walks and replenishing their water.
Yahoo Japan's online weather service is providing four extra "indexes" during the summer months this year: a "beer index," a "heat-exhaustion index," a "sweat index" and a "UV ray index."
The beer index covers 138 points across Japan, rating the best days to drink beer on a 10-level scale. Among the suggestions are, "90: It's sweltering! Don't forget to cool the beer," and "70: It's hot! Beer will probably go down well today."
The Japan Weather Association provides advice on sunburn protection with its "UV care information," which independently analyzes the weather and the quantity of ultraviolet rays. For 12 main cities across Japan it gives a sunburn protection factor (SPF), along with graphs on the danger of getting sunburned, listed by hour, making it easy to know when to go outside.
The information available is not just for humans. One site, operated by dog food manufacturer Masterfoods, has provided "summer weariness forecasts for dogs." The forecasts offer owners advice on taking their dogs for walks and replenishing their water.
Spanish man lived in park toilet for 15 years
Care in the community took on a new meaning in the southern Spanish town of Carcaixent after a 66-year-old man was discovered to have lived in a park toilet for 15 years - with the blessing of the town hall. José Tormo was allowed to move into the small space adjoining the toilet as an emergency measure in the early 1990s, when he lost his job and separated from his wife. In exchange, he cleaned the toilet and did odd jobs for the town during the first eight years of his stay.
The mayor, Lola Botella, said she did not find out Mr Tormo was still living in the toilet - with a camping stove, bed, cluttered shelves and donated furnishings - until last month.
"I had no idea," said Ms Botella. "Sometimes he would ask me for money when I passed the park and I would give it to him without knowing who he was."
Ms Botella said Mr Tormo would be allowed to remain in the toilet until the city could house him or he went to live with one of his five children. Mr Tormo told a local newspaper, El Mercantil Valenciano: "I wake up at seven and open the restroom, then spend the day in the park, making sure everything is more or less in order, even though I don't work for the city any more."
The mayor, Lola Botella, said she did not find out Mr Tormo was still living in the toilet - with a camping stove, bed, cluttered shelves and donated furnishings - until last month.
"I had no idea," said Ms Botella. "Sometimes he would ask me for money when I passed the park and I would give it to him without knowing who he was."
Ms Botella said Mr Tormo would be allowed to remain in the toilet until the city could house him or he went to live with one of his five children. Mr Tormo told a local newspaper, El Mercantil Valenciano: "I wake up at seven and open the restroom, then spend the day in the park, making sure everything is more or less in order, even though I don't work for the city any more."
Ex-con tries to break back into jail
A young Austrian convict missed prison so much after his release that he tried to break back in.
Detlef Federsohn, 23, was released from the Josefstadt prison in the Austrian capital Vienna after serving two years for theft.
But he was arrested last week when police were called out to a suspected prison break after he was spotted on the roof of the jail.
Federsohn said: "Life is so much easier on the inside. They feed you, do your washing and let you watch TV, which I can tell you is a lot more than my mum does. So I thought if I could sneak back in I would blend in with the others and the screws wouldn't notice."
Detlef Federsohn, 23, was released from the Josefstadt prison in the Austrian capital Vienna after serving two years for theft.
But he was arrested last week when police were called out to a suspected prison break after he was spotted on the roof of the jail.
Federsohn said: "Life is so much easier on the inside. They feed you, do your washing and let you watch TV, which I can tell you is a lot more than my mum does. So I thought if I could sneak back in I would blend in with the others and the screws wouldn't notice."
Workers Discover Chocolate Virgin Mary
As a chocolatier to the rich and famous, Martucci Angiano has posed with many celebrities but on Thursday she held in her hand a figure that dazzles her more than any Hollywood star.
Workers at Angiano's gourmet chocolate company, Bodega Chocolates, discovered under a vat a 2-inch-tall column of chocolate drippings that they believe bears a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary.
Since the discovery Monday, Angiano's employees have spent much of their time hovering over the tiny figure, praying and placing rose petals and candles around it.
More here.
Workers at Angiano's gourmet chocolate company, Bodega Chocolates, discovered under a vat a 2-inch-tall column of chocolate drippings that they believe bears a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary.
Since the discovery Monday, Angiano's employees have spent much of their time hovering over the tiny figure, praying and placing rose petals and candles around it.
More here.
Internet giant searches for hidden gold in garden of Nazi e-mail pest
AOL plans to go digging for gold in the garden of the internet’s notorious “Spam Nazi”.
The treasure hunt comes after he defaulted on a court judgment ordering him to pay the internet company $12.8 million (£6.7 million) in damages for flooding its members with unwanted e-mail adverts. The spammer has now disappeared.
Davis Wolfgang Hawke, a former neo-Nazi, and his partners made up to $600,000 (£315,000) a month from unsolicited advertisements for pornography, weight-loss tablets, mortgages and penis- enlargement pills.
AOL says that it has receipts showing that Mr Hawke, 28, bought bars of gold and platinum with his profits, and it wants to find them. The company believes that he buried the ingots in the two-acre garden of his parents’ home, 20 miles southwest of Boston, which was his last known address.
The treasure hunt comes after he defaulted on a court judgment ordering him to pay the internet company $12.8 million (£6.7 million) in damages for flooding its members with unwanted e-mail adverts. The spammer has now disappeared.
Davis Wolfgang Hawke, a former neo-Nazi, and his partners made up to $600,000 (£315,000) a month from unsolicited advertisements for pornography, weight-loss tablets, mortgages and penis- enlargement pills.
AOL says that it has receipts showing that Mr Hawke, 28, bought bars of gold and platinum with his profits, and it wants to find them. The company believes that he buried the ingots in the two-acre garden of his parents’ home, 20 miles southwest of Boston, which was his last known address.
Cheers ... mine's a £750 cocktail
The race is on to see if the world's most expensive cocktail is being sold in Ireland.
A Belfast hotel is awaiting notification from the Guinness Book of Records about its most extravagant tipple, which will set you back £750.
The newly-built Merchant Hotel in the Cathedral Quarter says it has acquired an extremely rare bottle of 17-year-old Wray and Nephew Rum, one of the key ingredients of the Mai Tai cocktail.
The rum which motivated its creation was a "fine, golden, medium bodied" variety from Kingston in Jamaica.
Across the border, and only thirsty beneficiaries of Ireland's Celtic Tiger economy may be able to afford a cocktail on offer at a Dublin hotel.
The "Minted" cocktail - a vanilla and chocolate Martini - is on sale at the Mint Bar in the five-star hotel at College Green in the city centre. It costs 500 euro (about £340).
It also includes vanilla-infused vodka, 200-year-old cognac and flakes of 23-carat gold.
A Belfast hotel is awaiting notification from the Guinness Book of Records about its most extravagant tipple, which will set you back £750.
The newly-built Merchant Hotel in the Cathedral Quarter says it has acquired an extremely rare bottle of 17-year-old Wray and Nephew Rum, one of the key ingredients of the Mai Tai cocktail.
The rum which motivated its creation was a "fine, golden, medium bodied" variety from Kingston in Jamaica.
Across the border, and only thirsty beneficiaries of Ireland's Celtic Tiger economy may be able to afford a cocktail on offer at a Dublin hotel.
The "Minted" cocktail - a vanilla and chocolate Martini - is on sale at the Mint Bar in the five-star hotel at College Green in the city centre. It costs 500 euro (about £340).
It also includes vanilla-infused vodka, 200-year-old cognac and flakes of 23-carat gold.
Fireworks record 'looks broken'
Organisers of the launch of 55,000 firework rockets believe they have set a world record but may have to wait a week for official confirmation.
About 50,000 people watched the record attempt above the Plymouth Sound in Devon on Wednesday.
It took place at the 10th anniversary British Firework Championships, and to qualify all rockets had to be fired within a five-second period.
Fifteen specially-constructed frames laced with pyrotechnic fuses were ignited electronically to challenge the previous tally of 39,210 rockets set by Terry McDonald in the Channel Island of Jersey in 1997.
With video.
About 50,000 people watched the record attempt above the Plymouth Sound in Devon on Wednesday.
It took place at the 10th anniversary British Firework Championships, and to qualify all rockets had to be fired within a five-second period.
Fifteen specially-constructed frames laced with pyrotechnic fuses were ignited electronically to challenge the previous tally of 39,210 rockets set by Terry McDonald in the Channel Island of Jersey in 1997.
With video.
Woman jailed for giving son drugs
A drug addict mother has been jailed for nine years for supplying heroin and crack cocaine to her son from the age of nine.
Emma Kelly, 31, formerly of Eastbourne, in East Sussex, admitted the offences, which could have killed the child.
Kelly was sentenced to nine years in total for supplying her son with class A drugs, including five years to be served concurrently for child cruelty.
This includes two six-year sentences to be served concurrently for supplying him with heroin and crack cocaine, and a consecutive sentence of three years for giving him heroin when he was in foster care.
The court was told Kelly had plied her son with opiates from the age of nine, until he was 11.
There's more information here, including a video of Emma Kelly's flat.
Emma Kelly, 31, formerly of Eastbourne, in East Sussex, admitted the offences, which could have killed the child.
Kelly was sentenced to nine years in total for supplying her son with class A drugs, including five years to be served concurrently for child cruelty.
This includes two six-year sentences to be served concurrently for supplying him with heroin and crack cocaine, and a consecutive sentence of three years for giving him heroin when he was in foster care.
The court was told Kelly had plied her son with opiates from the age of nine, until he was 11.
There's more information here, including a video of Emma Kelly's flat.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Unfortunate Chelsea fan
This clip is from before the Community Shield football match between Liverpool and Chelsea held in Cardiff last Sunday.
The Liverpool supporters are the beer-swilling one's in the red shirts, whilst the Chelski supporter is the bedraggled individual in the blue shirt who eventually emerges from the crowd.
Cheeky Scousers, eh.
The Liverpool supporters are the beer-swilling one's in the red shirts, whilst the Chelski supporter is the bedraggled individual in the blue shirt who eventually emerges from the crowd.
Cheeky Scousers, eh.
Dart Coat Hooks
Stainless steel darts with a special wall fixing.
Pack of 3. Available soon.
They sell a load of other peculiar products. Here's the homepage.
UK chav video is hit in US
Two schoolgirls have been bombarded with US emails after posting a video on the net which shows them transforming themselves into chavs.
Lucy Whiteside and Kellie Munckton, both 17, filmed the jokey makeover, How To Be the Perfect Chav, at home in Somerset.
Starting in their normal clothes, they pile on blue eye-liner, scrape their hair back into “Croydon facelifts” and don hoodies before taking to the local “mean streets” in search of a car park to smoke in.
Computer-users worldwide are logging on to view the eight-minute film every day, hailing it as a “hilarious insight” into Brit culture.
Should you wish, you can see the video here.
Lucy Whiteside and Kellie Munckton, both 17, filmed the jokey makeover, How To Be the Perfect Chav, at home in Somerset.
Starting in their normal clothes, they pile on blue eye-liner, scrape their hair back into “Croydon facelifts” and don hoodies before taking to the local “mean streets” in search of a car park to smoke in.
Computer-users worldwide are logging on to view the eight-minute film every day, hailing it as a “hilarious insight” into Brit culture.
Should you wish, you can see the video here.
An All-American Reject
Meet James Hulsey. A parole violation landed the hirsute Alabaman in a Birmingham jail yesterday.
Hulsey, 40, is notable for a forehead tattoo that makes him resemble a denied mortgage application.
Hulsey, 40, is notable for a forehead tattoo that makes him resemble a denied mortgage application.
Boy tied to tree for nine years for biting dogs
Authorities in Indian state of West Bengal rescued a 15-year-old boy tied to a tree for nine years because he used to bite dogs and goats besides gnawing on the feet of relatives and neighbours.
Rahul Amin Dhali was just six when he first bit a dog in Biramnagar village, 60km north of Kolkata, the state capital.
When neighbours' complaints increased, the Dhalis chained their son by the wrist to a tree in front of their house, where the boy has since been taught to read.
Doctors said the boy was suffering from a serious neurological disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Kolkata for treatment.
Rahul Amin Dhali was just six when he first bit a dog in Biramnagar village, 60km north of Kolkata, the state capital.
When neighbours' complaints increased, the Dhalis chained their son by the wrist to a tree in front of their house, where the boy has since been taught to read.
Doctors said the boy was suffering from a serious neurological disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Kolkata for treatment.
Bees built nest in starving dog
East Pennsboro Police Chief Dennis McMaster has seen a lot of horrible things in his long career as a police officer.
But he says nothing was more shocking than seeing bees flying in and out of an open tumour in the side of a dog named Merrick.
McMaster says the insects had built a nest in the 9-year-old yellow Labrador retriever.
Merrick was so emaciated, his ribs were protruding from his hide, police said. A large tumor on the dog's right side was open and infested. Merrick was unable to walk and laboured to breathe.
On Friday, police filed animal cruelty charges against Merrick's owner, John L. Shafer, 31, of the first block of State Road in Silver Spring Twp. The count carries a possible penalty of up to two years in jail and a fine.
But he says nothing was more shocking than seeing bees flying in and out of an open tumour in the side of a dog named Merrick.
McMaster says the insects had built a nest in the 9-year-old yellow Labrador retriever.
Merrick was so emaciated, his ribs were protruding from his hide, police said. A large tumor on the dog's right side was open and infested. Merrick was unable to walk and laboured to breathe.
On Friday, police filed animal cruelty charges against Merrick's owner, John L. Shafer, 31, of the first block of State Road in Silver Spring Twp. The count carries a possible penalty of up to two years in jail and a fine.
Sebastian the cat gets 'grilled'
This cool cat has traded in his catnip for some bling. Sebastian, a one-year-old Persian with long black hair, sports gold crowns on his two bottom canines, which grew sticking out from his lips in an underbite similar to a bulldog's.
His owner, dentist David Steele, said he gave Sebastian gold crowns to help strengthen the fanged feline's teeth. Steele said he was worried the unique canines would break off or become a problem.
"It's possible to work on animals the same way we do humans," he said. "I did it to strengthen (Sebastian's) teeth, but it had an excellent cosmetic result. The cat gets a lot of attention now. Everyone is tickled to death when they see him."
His owner, dentist David Steele, said he gave Sebastian gold crowns to help strengthen the fanged feline's teeth. Steele said he was worried the unique canines would break off or become a problem.
"It's possible to work on animals the same way we do humans," he said. "I did it to strengthen (Sebastian's) teeth, but it had an excellent cosmetic result. The cat gets a lot of attention now. Everyone is tickled to death when they see him."
Raw gulls keep trio alive for nine months
Three Mexican shark fishermen survived nine months at sea in a small boat by eating raw birds and fish and drinking rain water as they drifted thousands of kilometres across the Pacific Ocean.
The fishermen said they left their home town of San Blas on Mexico's Pacific coast last November and were blown 8,000km off course after their 8-metre fibreglass boat ran out of gas and they were left to the mercy of the winds and the tides.
Their families had given them up for dead but they found a way to survive.
"We ate raw fish, ducks, sea gulls. We took down any bird that landed on our boat and we ate it like that, raw," said Jesus Vidana, one of the three survivors, in an interview with a Mexican radio station from the ship that rescued them.
The odyssey finally ended when Vidana and the other two men, identified as Salvador Ordonez and Lucio Rendon, were rescued last week by a Taiwanese tuna fishing trawler in waters between the Marshall Islands and Kiribati.
The fishermen said they left their home town of San Blas on Mexico's Pacific coast last November and were blown 8,000km off course after their 8-metre fibreglass boat ran out of gas and they were left to the mercy of the winds and the tides.
Their families had given them up for dead but they found a way to survive.
"We ate raw fish, ducks, sea gulls. We took down any bird that landed on our boat and we ate it like that, raw," said Jesus Vidana, one of the three survivors, in an interview with a Mexican radio station from the ship that rescued them.
The odyssey finally ended when Vidana and the other two men, identified as Salvador Ordonez and Lucio Rendon, were rescued last week by a Taiwanese tuna fishing trawler in waters between the Marshall Islands and Kiribati.
YouTube aims to show music videos
Video sharing website YouTube is in talks with record labels about offering current and archive music videos.
YouTube co-founder Steve Chen told Reuters news agency it was hoped that within 18 months the site would "have every music video ever created".
The company said it planned to offer the videos free of charge.
YouTube co-founder Steve Chen told Reuters news agency it was hoped that within 18 months the site would "have every music video ever created".
The company said it planned to offer the videos free of charge.
Camera which comes with a slim-fast setting
If you have ever studied your holiday snaps and wished you'd lost a few pounds before hitting the beach, then this is the camera for you.
The 'slimcam setting' on the gadget uses high-tech digital trickery to shave a few inches off its subject. Marketed at women, the feature squeezes the picture in the middle, so the main object in focus looks thinner - but its surroundings are left unchanged.
It is believed the setting on the HP Photosmart R727, could give women the appearance of having lost a dress size.
The 'slimcam setting' on the gadget uses high-tech digital trickery to shave a few inches off its subject. Marketed at women, the feature squeezes the picture in the middle, so the main object in focus looks thinner - but its surroundings are left unchanged.
It is believed the setting on the HP Photosmart R727, could give women the appearance of having lost a dress size.
Go-ahead for Wild West town plans
A Wild West enthusiast from Huntly has been given the go-ahead to create his very own frontier town, despite the concerns of nearby residents.
Alistair Baranowski plans to stage cowboy re-enactments on his land at Drumblair, Aberdeenshire.
Mr Baranowski, or Johnny B as he is known, already has a saloon.
He has now been granted permission to add a sheriff's office, a jail and an undertakers, after agreeing to limit events at the site.
Alistair Baranowski plans to stage cowboy re-enactments on his land at Drumblair, Aberdeenshire.
Mr Baranowski, or Johnny B as he is known, already has a saloon.
He has now been granted permission to add a sheriff's office, a jail and an undertakers, after agreeing to limit events at the site.
'Burglar' squirrel ransacks house
A family today told how they returned from a weekend away to find their house had been trashed by a berserk squirrel.
Retired engineer Alan White, 67, and his wife Janice, 65, came home to find their lounge ransacked, with thousands of pounds worth of damage.
The couple initially feared burglars had broken into their home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, but the culprit was found to be a squirrel which had left sooty paw prints all over the room.
The trapped rodent had tried chewing through the window frames and tore the curtain and settee to shreds in a desperate bid to escape.
You can see some photos here.
Retired engineer Alan White, 67, and his wife Janice, 65, came home to find their lounge ransacked, with thousands of pounds worth of damage.
The couple initially feared burglars had broken into their home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, but the culprit was found to be a squirrel which had left sooty paw prints all over the room.
The trapped rodent had tried chewing through the window frames and tore the curtain and settee to shreds in a desperate bid to escape.
You can see some photos here.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Capital King
A quickfire against-the-clock quiz to test your knowledge of capital cities.
I scored 27649, putting me in 72nd place.
I scored 27649, putting me in 72nd place.
Superheroes unmasked as drink drivers
Police who pulled over a suspected drink driver found he was dressed as Batman and had a drunken Superman sitting beside him.
Batman, a provisional driving licence-holder, was found to be over the drink-drive limit. Superman, who held a full driving licence, was also breath-tested and found to be the same. Both men have now been charged.
A source at Fife Police said: "This is a real fall from grace for two superheroes. I am sure drink driving is not allowed in Gotham City, and it is certainly not to allowed in Fife.
Batman, a provisional driving licence-holder, was found to be over the drink-drive limit. Superman, who held a full driving licence, was also breath-tested and found to be the same. Both men have now been charged.
A source at Fife Police said: "This is a real fall from grace for two superheroes. I am sure drink driving is not allowed in Gotham City, and it is certainly not to allowed in Fife.
Randy Dutch ape seeks mate on Net
Single male (red hair, long arms, interests include hanging in trees and grooming) seeks female for long-distance relationship and possibility of meeting up in future to help save species.
Zookeepers in the Netherlands are planning to hook up Dutch and Indonesian orangutans over the Internet and believe the link could at some stage be used as an online dating service where apes could get to know one another and keepers could work out whether they would be compatible mates.
"We are going to set up an Internet connection between Indonesia and Apeldoorn so that the apes can see each other and, by means of pressing a button, be able to give one another food, for example," said Anouk Ballot, a spokeswoman for the Apenheul ape park in the central Dutch city of Apeldoorn.
She said the chance of two orangutans actually mating as a result of the online interaction was small due to the problem of transporting them between the Netherlands and Indonesia. "But I wouldn't rule it out completely."
Zookeepers in the Netherlands are planning to hook up Dutch and Indonesian orangutans over the Internet and believe the link could at some stage be used as an online dating service where apes could get to know one another and keepers could work out whether they would be compatible mates.
"We are going to set up an Internet connection between Indonesia and Apeldoorn so that the apes can see each other and, by means of pressing a button, be able to give one another food, for example," said Anouk Ballot, a spokeswoman for the Apenheul ape park in the central Dutch city of Apeldoorn.
She said the chance of two orangutans actually mating as a result of the online interaction was small due to the problem of transporting them between the Netherlands and Indonesia. "But I wouldn't rule it out completely."
Lesson in Electricity Leads to Child Abuse Charges
Paul Cameron Trotman and his wife, Margaret, of Middleburg wanted to teach a three-year-old boy in their care about electricity.
"He became interested in electricity and it frightened me," Margaret said.
She said he's pulled at the lightbulbs on the Christmas tree, poked around at the nightlight when it was plugged in, and even one time urinated on the electrical socket.
They were fearful the toddler would really hurt himself. Cameron, an electrician, showed the boy a variable autotransformer. Cameron said it's a device that controls low levels of electricity to incubators.
Cameron said it creates a feeling that is less than what it feels like to touch a nine volt battery to your tongue.
An anonymous call to the department of Children and Families about the incident led to DCF taking the boy from the Trotman home. Friday, Cameron was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse.
A Clay County Sheriff's Detective, Ken Rodgers, said, "We feel administering any electrical charge to a child, in this case he was three years old, for anything beyond a medical purpose delves into the realm of abuse and willful torture."
"He became interested in electricity and it frightened me," Margaret said.
She said he's pulled at the lightbulbs on the Christmas tree, poked around at the nightlight when it was plugged in, and even one time urinated on the electrical socket.
They were fearful the toddler would really hurt himself. Cameron, an electrician, showed the boy a variable autotransformer. Cameron said it's a device that controls low levels of electricity to incubators.
Cameron said it creates a feeling that is less than what it feels like to touch a nine volt battery to your tongue.
An anonymous call to the department of Children and Families about the incident led to DCF taking the boy from the Trotman home. Friday, Cameron was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse.
A Clay County Sheriff's Detective, Ken Rodgers, said, "We feel administering any electrical charge to a child, in this case he was three years old, for anything beyond a medical purpose delves into the realm of abuse and willful torture."
The great Chinese fake-away
The church spire gleams in the evening sun, children scamper across the market square and punters sip pints of bitter in a canal-side Tudor pub. But rather than enjoying a bucolic corner of Ye Olde England, we are nearly 6,000 miles away - in tumultuous, smoggy Shanghai.
Thames Town, a spanking new replica of a quaint little British community, owes more to the Home Counties than to its location in the Far East. All that's missing is the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (although there is a chippy!).
With photos.
Thames Town, a spanking new replica of a quaint little British community, owes more to the Home Counties than to its location in the Far East. All that's missing is the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (although there is a chippy!).
With photos.
The alligator's skin that spells God
First an image of the Virgin Mary appeared in a grilled cheese sandwich in Florida. Next the face of Christ was discovered on a Hawthorn tree in Kent... Now it seems even a pet alligator has God in its side - quite literally.
Owner, Michael Wilk from Wisconsin, was astonished when he noticed distinct white markings pop out against a backdrop of black scales on the side of his four-feet long pet alligator's side, spelling the word GOD.
"When I first saw it, my jaw dropped," Wilk told the Chicago Tribune. "It's just sort of like a phenomenon."
Owner, Michael Wilk from Wisconsin, was astonished when he noticed distinct white markings pop out against a backdrop of black scales on the side of his four-feet long pet alligator's side, spelling the word GOD.
"When I first saw it, my jaw dropped," Wilk told the Chicago Tribune. "It's just sort of like a phenomenon."
Tory MP's Jack Russell shakes polecat to death in front of show crowd
An MP apologised to a member of a ferret club yesterday after his Jack Russell savaged her polecat to death in front of crowds at a county show.
Andrew Turner, the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, was walking around the island's annual show when his nine-year-old terrier, Bert, caught sight of Socks, a four-year-old polecat, which was being exercised on a harness.
Bert lunged forward, causing Mr Turner to lose hold of his lead. The dog sank its teeth into the polecat and it took four people and a bucket of cold water to force him to loosen his grip. By then it was too late to save Socks and he was put down by the show's vet.
Andrew Turner, the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, was walking around the island's annual show when his nine-year-old terrier, Bert, caught sight of Socks, a four-year-old polecat, which was being exercised on a harness.
Bert lunged forward, causing Mr Turner to lose hold of his lead. The dog sank its teeth into the polecat and it took four people and a bucket of cold water to force him to loosen his grip. By then it was too late to save Socks and he was put down by the show's vet.
Train driver laptop plea
A train driver borrowed a passenger’s laptop to find out why he was stuck at signals for three hours.
He appealed for a computer as he could not get through to his control room in London for an explanation.
The driver went on the intercom, saying: “I can’t find out what’s going on. Has anyone got a wireless laptop?”
But after looking at the South West Trains website, he told jeering passengers: “Apparently, there are no delays.” Hundreds of irate travellers were stuck on the train between Basingstoke and Woking after heavy rain flooded tracks.
He appealed for a computer as he could not get through to his control room in London for an explanation.
The driver went on the intercom, saying: “I can’t find out what’s going on. Has anyone got a wireless laptop?”
But after looking at the South West Trains website, he told jeering passengers: “Apparently, there are no delays.” Hundreds of irate travellers were stuck on the train between Basingstoke and Woking after heavy rain flooded tracks.
Charity fish face slap on offer
A man is giving a stranger the chance slap him around the face with a wet fish, to raise money for charity.
Ben Fillmore, 24, will be ready to tak
Ben Fillmore, 24, will be ready to tak