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Sunday, February 24, 2008
Ireland's Eurovision song entry is guaranteed to be a turkey
A puppet called Dustin the Turkey was chosen last night to represent Ireland in the 2008 Eurovision song contest, singing the song 'Irelande Douze Pointe'.
He was voted for by the public after a two-and-a-half hour competition broadcast by the Irish television station RTE. Although it was a telephone and text message vote, there was some booing from the live studio audience when the result was announced.
An exclusive interview with Dustin the Turkey.
Dustin will now take the hopes of the Irish nation to the final stages of the competition, which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, in May. If he wins the title it will be Ireland's eighth victory.
The glove-puppet, a character on an Irish children's TV programme, won the heats despite having the backing of Dublin-born Bob Geldof, who declared that Dustin was 'one of the greatest talents this country has ever produced' and that he should represent Ireland's 'glorious musical heritage' on the world stage. 'The mere fact that he is a turkey should give Ireland the edge', said Geldof.
The winning performance.
Some of Ireland's higher-minded musicians, however, suffered a sense-of-humour failure when Dustin was chosen for the heats.
Frank McNamara, who wrote two Eurovision winners, asked whether RTE, the state broadcaster that selected the six acts, was 'giving two fingers' to Irish songwriters. 'I think it is absolutely disgraceful,' he said.
He was voted for by the public after a two-and-a-half hour competition broadcast by the Irish television station RTE. Although it was a telephone and text message vote, there was some booing from the live studio audience when the result was announced.
An exclusive interview with Dustin the Turkey.
Dustin will now take the hopes of the Irish nation to the final stages of the competition, which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, in May. If he wins the title it will be Ireland's eighth victory.
The glove-puppet, a character on an Irish children's TV programme, won the heats despite having the backing of Dublin-born Bob Geldof, who declared that Dustin was 'one of the greatest talents this country has ever produced' and that he should represent Ireland's 'glorious musical heritage' on the world stage. 'The mere fact that he is a turkey should give Ireland the edge', said Geldof.
The winning performance.
Some of Ireland's higher-minded musicians, however, suffered a sense-of-humour failure when Dustin was chosen for the heats.
Frank McNamara, who wrote two Eurovision winners, asked whether RTE, the state broadcaster that selected the six acts, was 'giving two fingers' to Irish songwriters. 'I think it is absolutely disgraceful,' he said.
Snake hunt filmed for first time
The fearsome hunting skills of a wild rattlesnake have been caught on camera for the first time.
Using a specially designed camera trap, a BBC crew managed to film the snake killing and then eating his victim - a small mouse - in the wild.
The mouse died almost immediately after being stabbed and injected with the timber rattlesnake's deadly venom.
The snake hunt was filmed in New York State, US, under the guidance of rattlesnake expert Harry Greene.
He helped the crew track the snake by using radio telemetry.
Using a specially designed camera trap, a BBC crew managed to film the snake killing and then eating his victim - a small mouse - in the wild.
The mouse died almost immediately after being stabbed and injected with the timber rattlesnake's deadly venom.
The snake hunt was filmed in New York State, US, under the guidance of rattlesnake expert Harry Greene.
He helped the crew track the snake by using radio telemetry.
Delivery man saves angry woman from fire
A man who kicked down a door to rescue a woman from a burning building was surprised at the greeting he received.
"She was mad at me for coming in," said Allen Donehoo, a delivery man who noticed smoke billowing out of the building Friday. "I said 'I'm sorry, there's a fire' and tried to get her out. She wasn't coming too easily."
Smoke was entering the basement apartment even as the woman resisted Donehoo's rescue attempt. Donehoo said she was worried about her cats, which he thinks were all rescued.
"I don't think she realized the severity of it," he said. "The whole top of the building was in flames."
The woman's apartment was one of three in the building. Investigators believe an unattended candle in one of the other apartments started the fire. There were no injuries.
"She was mad at me for coming in," said Allen Donehoo, a delivery man who noticed smoke billowing out of the building Friday. "I said 'I'm sorry, there's a fire' and tried to get her out. She wasn't coming too easily."
Smoke was entering the basement apartment even as the woman resisted Donehoo's rescue attempt. Donehoo said she was worried about her cats, which he thinks were all rescued.
"I don't think she realized the severity of it," he said. "The whole top of the building was in flames."
The woman's apartment was one of three in the building. Investigators believe an unattended candle in one of the other apartments started the fire. There were no injuries.
Woman says dog saved her from choking
Mary Jo Heidenreich was eating what she thought would be a relaxing dinner.
Sitting in her living room, she put her dinner on a tray and began to eat while watching television — and she felt something lodge in her throat. As she began to choke, her 4-year-old Shih Tzu, Chewie, jumped on her chest.
"He went to jump up in my lap, he hit right below my rib cage," she said. "He wanted to comfort me." Heidenreich, 45, said, at that point, a small piece of tooth came out of her throat.
Heidenreich is convinced 15-pound Chewie saved her life by jumping on her chest, and perhaps even inadvertently performing the Heimlich manoeuvre.
Chewie could have landed in the right spot, but it was probably his owner's reaction that ended her choking spell, said Dr. Robert Kahn, who practices family medicine in Kettering.
The piece of tooth might have been lodged in Heidenreich's posterior pharynx – the back of her throat – and that caused her to choke, he said. The pressure of the dog's paws, along with her startled reaction, was probably enough to dislodge the tooth piece, he said.
Sitting in her living room, she put her dinner on a tray and began to eat while watching television — and she felt something lodge in her throat. As she began to choke, her 4-year-old Shih Tzu, Chewie, jumped on her chest.
"He went to jump up in my lap, he hit right below my rib cage," she said. "He wanted to comfort me." Heidenreich, 45, said, at that point, a small piece of tooth came out of her throat.
Heidenreich is convinced 15-pound Chewie saved her life by jumping on her chest, and perhaps even inadvertently performing the Heimlich manoeuvre.
Chewie could have landed in the right spot, but it was probably his owner's reaction that ended her choking spell, said Dr. Robert Kahn, who practices family medicine in Kettering.
The piece of tooth might have been lodged in Heidenreich's posterior pharynx – the back of her throat – and that caused her to choke, he said. The pressure of the dog's paws, along with her startled reaction, was probably enough to dislodge the tooth piece, he said.
Philippine bride sues groom who left her at the altar
A Filipina bride is suing her former fiance after he ran off with another woman before the wedding ceremony had even finished, the Philippine Star newspaper reported yesterday.
The couple had nearly finished saying their vows when a woman appeared at the back of the church and shouted that the wedding should stop, the newspaper said.
The groom - who had been about to say "I do" - hesitated before walking to the woman and hugging her, and the pair fled in a taxi, the newspaper added.
The bride says she suffered "irreparable damages" and has not slept well after the incident in December.
She is reportedly seeking 549,630 pesos (13,520 dollars) in damages.
The couple had nearly finished saying their vows when a woman appeared at the back of the church and shouted that the wedding should stop, the newspaper said.
The groom - who had been about to say "I do" - hesitated before walking to the woman and hugging her, and the pair fled in a taxi, the newspaper added.
The bride says she suffered "irreparable damages" and has not slept well after the incident in December.
She is reportedly seeking 549,630 pesos (13,520 dollars) in damages.
Saudi men arrested for 'flirting'
Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca.
The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported.
They were arrested following a request of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Here are some young Saudi ladies attacking a young man who had 'flirted' with them.
The mutaween enforce Saudi Arabia's conservative brand of Islam, Wahhabism.
The Prosecution and Investigation Commission said it had received reports of such "bad" behaviour by 57 young men at a number of shopping centres in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi Gazette said.
The guardians of some of the men defended their actions, however, saying they would regularly get together at the weekend to have fun without ever violating laws governing the segregation of the sexes, it added.
The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported.
They were arrested following a request of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Here are some young Saudi ladies attacking a young man who had 'flirted' with them.
The mutaween enforce Saudi Arabia's conservative brand of Islam, Wahhabism.
The Prosecution and Investigation Commission said it had received reports of such "bad" behaviour by 57 young men at a number of shopping centres in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi Gazette said.
The guardians of some of the men defended their actions, however, saying they would regularly get together at the weekend to have fun without ever violating laws governing the segregation of the sexes, it added.
Piggy banks are given the chop as bank tries to attract young Muslims
Knorbert the piglet has been dropped as the mascot of Fortis Bank after it decided to stop giving piggy banks to children for fear of offending Muslims.
The decision has been viewed in the Netherlands as the ritual slaughter of a popular pig by political correctness. To some, it is the latest sign of uncertainty in Europe's most tolerant country about how far it should go to accommodate the sensitivities of minorities.
Pigs are considered an unclean animal by Muslims and Jews, and Knorbert was culled after seven years as the Fortis mascot. A spokesman told the Dutch media that “Knorbert does not meet the requirements that the multicultural society imposes on us”.The bank added that there had been “a number of reactions to the pig” and that a new gift and character were being developed that would be “fun for children of any persuasion”. Children who had received a Knorbert piggy bank for opening a EuroKids account will be given a junior encyclopaedia instead.
The bank, which is based in the Netherlands and Belgium, was keen to play down the influence of cultural concerns on its decision. Lilian Tackaert, a spokeswoman, said that Knorbert had reached the natural end of his product life cycle. “The piglet was indeed being given to children opening a savings account but we ran out of stock, although some branches still had some,” she said. “Now we are looking for something else.”
The decision has been viewed in the Netherlands as the ritual slaughter of a popular pig by political correctness. To some, it is the latest sign of uncertainty in Europe's most tolerant country about how far it should go to accommodate the sensitivities of minorities.
Pigs are considered an unclean animal by Muslims and Jews, and Knorbert was culled after seven years as the Fortis mascot. A spokesman told the Dutch media that “Knorbert does not meet the requirements that the multicultural society imposes on us”.The bank added that there had been “a number of reactions to the pig” and that a new gift and character were being developed that would be “fun for children of any persuasion”. Children who had received a Knorbert piggy bank for opening a EuroKids account will be given a junior encyclopaedia instead.
The bank, which is based in the Netherlands and Belgium, was keen to play down the influence of cultural concerns on its decision. Lilian Tackaert, a spokeswoman, said that Knorbert had reached the natural end of his product life cycle. “The piglet was indeed being given to children opening a savings account but we ran out of stock, although some branches still had some,” she said. “Now we are looking for something else.”
Porker on the rampage at alloments
Allotment holders are after a greedy pig's bacon because she's been running amok in Wantage.
The pesky porker has been pigging out on home-grown vegetables in Stockham Park allotment since October - clearing out an estimated two tonnes of the root vegetables.
The stray sow - believed to be a Gloucester Old Spot - is often seen hamming it up at the allotments before she trotters off "home" to an empty barn in a field close to the West Site of King Alfred's Community and Sports College.
A vegetarian porker, she has now munched through all the parsnips, carrots and cabbages growing in the 41 allotments.
Allotment holder Mick Sutton, 71, said: "It has left a great big hole in some of the allotments and all the parsnips are gone." Bob Turner,72, of Stockham Park, said: "She has eaten everything. All my parsnips are gone and I'm not very happy because we love parsnips. They normally would have kept us going until Easter.
"We can't really laugh about it now, we are paying £17 per year for our rent and all my vegetables are gone."
The pesky porker has been pigging out on home-grown vegetables in Stockham Park allotment since October - clearing out an estimated two tonnes of the root vegetables.
The stray sow - believed to be a Gloucester Old Spot - is often seen hamming it up at the allotments before she trotters off "home" to an empty barn in a field close to the West Site of King Alfred's Community and Sports College.
A vegetarian porker, she has now munched through all the parsnips, carrots and cabbages growing in the 41 allotments.
Allotment holder Mick Sutton, 71, said: "It has left a great big hole in some of the allotments and all the parsnips are gone." Bob Turner,72, of Stockham Park, said: "She has eaten everything. All my parsnips are gone and I'm not very happy because we love parsnips. They normally would have kept us going until Easter.
"We can't really laugh about it now, we are paying £17 per year for our rent and all my vegetables are gone."
Singing shopkeeper told he needs £90 performance licence
A sandwich shop owner who sings while serving his customers has been ordered to shut up - or pay up for a performance licence.
Mark Neves, 50, who runs The Sandwich Shop, in Wellington Street, Burton, with wife Sally, has been instructed to get a £90 permit by The Performing Rights Society (PRS) if he wants to continue serenading his customers. The organisation, which collects licence fees from music users and distributes it to writers, publishers and affiliates, says he needs the licence to comply with copyright law.
Mr Neves has sung work-themed lyrics to a mix of traditional and modern tunes throughout his business's 25-year history, 'treating' his long-suffering customers to classics such as How Much Is That Shopkeeper In The Window and A Shopkeeper's Life's For Me.
However, his harmonies were interrupted when the PRS phoned and said that, although he did not play a radio or CDs, he still needed a licence as his singing constituted 'a public performance' - an observation which prompted Mr Neves to put the phone down in disgust. Despite this, his melody-making suffered a further blow when the PRS sent him a letter confirming the conversation and his apparent agreement to stop performing material from its repertoire - as well as warning that it carried out spot checks.
Mr Neves said: "I kept the letter for some weeks to show customers, because I knew they would find it amusing - and they did, mainly because the quality of my performances could not be deemed entertaining. It's just bureaucracy gone slightly awry. I think the PRS is very active in phoning businesses and pushing for these licences to be paid. A lot of local businesses have been phoned by them."
Despite the threat of an official visit, Mr Neves is continuing to entertain his lengthy lunchtime queues with improvised ditties set to favourites like Jingle Bells and classics from The Sound of Music.
Photo from here.
Mark Neves, 50, who runs The Sandwich Shop, in Wellington Street, Burton, with wife Sally, has been instructed to get a £90 permit by The Performing Rights Society (PRS) if he wants to continue serenading his customers. The organisation, which collects licence fees from music users and distributes it to writers, publishers and affiliates, says he needs the licence to comply with copyright law.
Mr Neves has sung work-themed lyrics to a mix of traditional and modern tunes throughout his business's 25-year history, 'treating' his long-suffering customers to classics such as How Much Is That Shopkeeper In The Window and A Shopkeeper's Life's For Me.
However, his harmonies were interrupted when the PRS phoned and said that, although he did not play a radio or CDs, he still needed a licence as his singing constituted 'a public performance' - an observation which prompted Mr Neves to put the phone down in disgust. Despite this, his melody-making suffered a further blow when the PRS sent him a letter confirming the conversation and his apparent agreement to stop performing material from its repertoire - as well as warning that it carried out spot checks.
Mr Neves said: "I kept the letter for some weeks to show customers, because I knew they would find it amusing - and they did, mainly because the quality of my performances could not be deemed entertaining. It's just bureaucracy gone slightly awry. I think the PRS is very active in phoning businesses and pushing for these licences to be paid. A lot of local businesses have been phoned by them."
Despite the threat of an official visit, Mr Neves is continuing to entertain his lengthy lunchtime queues with improvised ditties set to favourites like Jingle Bells and classics from The Sound of Music.
Photo from here.
Gambler scoops £1million - after placing 50p bet
It started with a horse called Isn't That Lucky and ended with one called A Dream Come True - a run of eight winners that turned a 50p stake into Britain's first million pound betting-shop pay-out.
An unnamed small-time gambler, believed to be in his sixties, backed eight horses to win races in a multiple bet called an accumulator, at combined odds of nearly 2.8 million to one. If just one had lost, he would not have received a penny.
The punter will collect exactly £1 million in winnings, William Hill's maximum pay-out on horse racing, which it says has never been reached in a betting shop before.
David Hood, a spokesman for William Hill, said: "It is a staggering bet, and earns him a place in history as the world's first betting shop millionaire. Even a scriptwriter couldn't have dreamt this one up."
The man is a regular punter at one of William Hill's betting shops in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. He struck his bet on Friday but did not find out about his giant win until he went to place more small bets yesterday.
The horses were: Isn't That Lucky, 2.55 Sandown; Mutamarres, 3.05 Nad Al Sheba; Mutasallil, 3.40 Nad Al Sheba; Racer Forever, 4.15 Nad Al Sheba; Ede's, 4.50 Warwick; Rio L'Oren, 7.50 Wolverhampton; Guadaloup, 8.20 Wolverhampton; and A Dream Come True, 9.20 Wolverhampton 5/2.
An unnamed small-time gambler, believed to be in his sixties, backed eight horses to win races in a multiple bet called an accumulator, at combined odds of nearly 2.8 million to one. If just one had lost, he would not have received a penny.
The punter will collect exactly £1 million in winnings, William Hill's maximum pay-out on horse racing, which it says has never been reached in a betting shop before.
David Hood, a spokesman for William Hill, said: "It is a staggering bet, and earns him a place in history as the world's first betting shop millionaire. Even a scriptwriter couldn't have dreamt this one up."
The man is a regular punter at one of William Hill's betting shops in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. He struck his bet on Friday but did not find out about his giant win until he went to place more small bets yesterday.
The horses were: Isn't That Lucky, 2.55 Sandown; Mutamarres, 3.05 Nad Al Sheba; Mutasallil, 3.40 Nad Al Sheba; Racer Forever, 4.15 Nad Al Sheba; Ede's, 4.50 Warwick; Rio L'Oren, 7.50 Wolverhampton; Guadaloup, 8.20 Wolverhampton; and A Dream Come True, 9.20 Wolverhampton 5/2.
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