Click for bigger.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Dog swallows 1000 magnets, computer mouse and gloves
Polly the iron-guts Australian pooch has animal magnetism. The blue heeler swallowed 1000 magnets, weighing a kilogram, forcing life-saving emergency surgery. The blue heeler swallowed 1000 magnets, weighing a kilogram, forcing life-saving emergency surgery.
Greedy Polly is lucky to be alive, but it's not the first time her strange taste in tucker has caused concern for owner Cathy James. She has wolfed down a computer mouse, gardening gloves, a large rubber band, several rolls of fax paper and handfuls of gravel in the three years she has lived with Ms James.
Sunbury Animal Hospital vet Dr Glen Hastie was stunned by the X-ray, which showed a clump of magnets clogging Polly's stomach. The pointy-edged magnets chewed through 11-year-old Polly's stomach lining, making her dangerously ill.
Ms James, who runs a printing business, left Polly alone in her office for 20 minutes 10 days ago to feed horses on her Mickleham farm. "One of my jobs is to stick magnets on the back of cards, and after all these years she thought the box of magnets looked just delicious," Ms James said.
"I came back to do my work, and I noticed her rustling around, and I stuck my hand down (her throat) and pulled them out, and she was fine for the rest of the day. The next day she started drastically heaving and four of them came out, and I thought, 'uh-oh, I think she has eaten a whole lot more'.
"She weighed half a kilo heavier, and the vet said it wouldn't be that many, but when they operated there was half a gravel track in there as well." Ms James said Polly turned up her nose at the easily digestible food vet staff tried to feed her.
Greedy Polly is lucky to be alive, but it's not the first time her strange taste in tucker has caused concern for owner Cathy James. She has wolfed down a computer mouse, gardening gloves, a large rubber band, several rolls of fax paper and handfuls of gravel in the three years she has lived with Ms James.
Sunbury Animal Hospital vet Dr Glen Hastie was stunned by the X-ray, which showed a clump of magnets clogging Polly's stomach. The pointy-edged magnets chewed through 11-year-old Polly's stomach lining, making her dangerously ill.
Ms James, who runs a printing business, left Polly alone in her office for 20 minutes 10 days ago to feed horses on her Mickleham farm. "One of my jobs is to stick magnets on the back of cards, and after all these years she thought the box of magnets looked just delicious," Ms James said.
"I came back to do my work, and I noticed her rustling around, and I stuck my hand down (her throat) and pulled them out, and she was fine for the rest of the day. The next day she started drastically heaving and four of them came out, and I thought, 'uh-oh, I think she has eaten a whole lot more'.
"She weighed half a kilo heavier, and the vet said it wouldn't be that many, but when they operated there was half a gravel track in there as well." Ms James said Polly turned up her nose at the easily digestible food vet staff tried to feed her.
9-year-old leads police on car chase
A 9-year-old boy who took his parents' car led officers on a chase Saturday night, police said. Officers responding to reports of a driver swerving on the road tried to pull over a car on U.S. 40 just after 11 p.m. Saturday, said Greenfield police Maj. Derek Towle.
"He was driving from side to side. He would speed up and slow down, which is a good indication of an intoxicated person," Towle said. Police said the boy often crossed into the opposite lane and that his speed hit 80 mph at times.
The chase went on for quite some time, until police used stop sticks to puncture one of the car's tyres, forcing it into a ravine. When officers approached the car, they said, they found a 9-year-old huddled in the back seat. Police said the boy told them he took the car because he was angry at his parents.
"This young man, I guess, was upset because his mom and dad told him that it was time to come in late last night, around 8 p.m. He was upset because they told him that he had to come in and quit playing, so he was mad and took off," Towle said.
Investigators said the boy left while his parents were sleeping by stealing the keys out of his mother's purse. He told officers that he was going to a friend's house.
The boy was arrested and turned over to the custody of his parents. Hancock County probation officers and Child Protective Services will meet with the boy this week.
"He was driving from side to side. He would speed up and slow down, which is a good indication of an intoxicated person," Towle said. Police said the boy often crossed into the opposite lane and that his speed hit 80 mph at times.
The chase went on for quite some time, until police used stop sticks to puncture one of the car's tyres, forcing it into a ravine. When officers approached the car, they said, they found a 9-year-old huddled in the back seat. Police said the boy told them he took the car because he was angry at his parents.
"This young man, I guess, was upset because his mom and dad told him that it was time to come in late last night, around 8 p.m. He was upset because they told him that he had to come in and quit playing, so he was mad and took off," Towle said.
Investigators said the boy left while his parents were sleeping by stealing the keys out of his mother's purse. He told officers that he was going to a friend's house.
The boy was arrested and turned over to the custody of his parents. Hancock County probation officers and Child Protective Services will meet with the boy this week.
Australian survey reveals favourite underwear terms
A study has finally got to the bottom of the age-old question: what’s the best word for undies?
The rather unscientific study by adventure gift supplier Adrenalin revealed “reg grundies” as Australia’s favourite term for knickers.
“Budgie smugglers”, “fart filters”, and “banana hammock” fell behind in the race for the title, but they reportedly had a crack.
“Sausage sling,” “wiener warmer” and“fire break” were favourites amongst the blokes while women went for “bush basket”, “bum floss” and “fundies”.
Other more unusual terms included “sausage pouch”, “nut hut”, and “Underpanticus maximus”.
You can see the full list here.
The rather unscientific study by adventure gift supplier Adrenalin revealed “reg grundies” as Australia’s favourite term for knickers.
“Budgie smugglers”, “fart filters”, and “banana hammock” fell behind in the race for the title, but they reportedly had a crack.
“Sausage sling,” “wiener warmer” and“fire break” were favourites amongst the blokes while women went for “bush basket”, “bum floss” and “fundies”.
Other more unusual terms included “sausage pouch”, “nut hut”, and “Underpanticus maximus”.
You can see the full list here.
Boy, 10, 'shot and killed strict father'
Police in America have charged a 10-year-old-boy with first-degree murder over the shooting death of his father.
Police claimed the boy called the local police in Belen, New Mexico, after the shooting. The officers arrived at the family's home to find Byron Hilburn, 42, shot once in the head.
The authorities claim the boy, who has not been named, used his own rifle to shoot his father.
They said he told officers that his father had been disciplining him too harshly and too often in the lead up to the shooting. Police believe the boy's 6-year-old sister witnessed the shooting. The girl is now staying with other family members.
The boy was taken into the custody of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department at an undisclosed location. Though neighbours said the family seemed normal, the state agency responsible for protecting children had been called about problems in the home.
Romaine Serna, spokeswoman for CYFD, said the agency was called to check on the family more than seven times since 2003 after receiving anonymous reports of child abuse and neglect. "We had concerns about this family. There were red flags," Ms Serna said.
Police claimed the boy called the local police in Belen, New Mexico, after the shooting. The officers arrived at the family's home to find Byron Hilburn, 42, shot once in the head.
The authorities claim the boy, who has not been named, used his own rifle to shoot his father.
They said he told officers that his father had been disciplining him too harshly and too often in the lead up to the shooting. Police believe the boy's 6-year-old sister witnessed the shooting. The girl is now staying with other family members.
The boy was taken into the custody of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department at an undisclosed location. Though neighbours said the family seemed normal, the state agency responsible for protecting children had been called about problems in the home.
Romaine Serna, spokeswoman for CYFD, said the agency was called to check on the family more than seven times since 2003 after receiving anonymous reports of child abuse and neglect. "We had concerns about this family. There were red flags," Ms Serna said.
A hard landing for drunk pilot
A drunk amateur pilot had to be guided to land by a rescue helicopter after he radioed the control tower of his airfield to ask: ''Where the bloody hell have you hidden yourself?'' The 65-year-old drank a large quantity of beer and wine before flying over the central German state of Thuringia in his Cessna light aircraft on Saturday.
Once airborne, he continued to drink while at the controls. Two hours later he was happy but alcoholically challenged - so much so he was unable to read the instruments telling him where the Schoengleida airfield was.
''Come on, I know you're down there,'' he radioed. ''Where the bloody hell have you hidden yourself?'' Control tower staff say he also sang a few songs, cracked a mother-in-law joke and told them to ''pull their fingers out as I've got a party to go to''.
Fearing instrument failure, the tower scrambled a rescue helicopter, which homed in on the man in clear-blue skies west of the airport, and gave instructions for the pilot to follow it back. Officials at Schoengleida said the pilot, who has not been named, managed to make a safe landing.
''But when the helicopter pilot went over to see him, that was when he got the full force of the alcohol fumes in his face,'' a spokesman said. The man wobbled from the cockpit to his car. Airfield authorities alerted police.
He was stopped on the way home, breathalysed, and found to be nearly four times over the legal limit for driving. Now he has lost his pilot's licence - and his driving licence.
Once airborne, he continued to drink while at the controls. Two hours later he was happy but alcoholically challenged - so much so he was unable to read the instruments telling him where the Schoengleida airfield was.
''Come on, I know you're down there,'' he radioed. ''Where the bloody hell have you hidden yourself?'' Control tower staff say he also sang a few songs, cracked a mother-in-law joke and told them to ''pull their fingers out as I've got a party to go to''.
Fearing instrument failure, the tower scrambled a rescue helicopter, which homed in on the man in clear-blue skies west of the airport, and gave instructions for the pilot to follow it back. Officials at Schoengleida said the pilot, who has not been named, managed to make a safe landing.
''But when the helicopter pilot went over to see him, that was when he got the full force of the alcohol fumes in his face,'' a spokesman said. The man wobbled from the cockpit to his car. Airfield authorities alerted police.
He was stopped on the way home, breathalysed, and found to be nearly four times over the legal limit for driving. Now he has lost his pilot's licence - and his driving licence.
Man's car stranded by Chinese authorities
When stubborn Qu Liming refused to make way for a government building project, he had no idea just how far officials would go to turn a molehill into a mountain.
Planners wanted Qu to quit his cliffside home to make way for a new village in Liulin, northern China, but were furious when he tried to block their diggers with his car.
"I thought that would slow them down so we could talk, but it just made them mad," said Qu.
"They began to dig out all the earth around my car and my home so now it sits on a mountain all of its own I think as a warning to others," he added.
Now the silver Chrysler sits on top of its own mini-mountain nearly 60ft up in the air amid the £500,000 construction site.
"I tried to climb up and fell all the way down - but the police said it was all my fault for being big-headed," wailed Qu.
Planners wanted Qu to quit his cliffside home to make way for a new village in Liulin, northern China, but were furious when he tried to block their diggers with his car.
"I thought that would slow them down so we could talk, but it just made them mad," said Qu.
"They began to dig out all the earth around my car and my home so now it sits on a mountain all of its own I think as a warning to others," he added.
Now the silver Chrysler sits on top of its own mini-mountain nearly 60ft up in the air amid the £500,000 construction site.
"I tried to climb up and fell all the way down - but the police said it was all my fault for being big-headed," wailed Qu.
Woman raped in bed at resort while husband slept
A woman was raped while her partner slept beside her during a horrific attack on an idyllic North Queensland island. The 35-year-old tourist and her partner were asleep in their hotel room at the Dunk Island Resort, Australia when the attacker broke in and raped her about 4.30am yesterday. The woman awoke as she was being attacked and her partner was roused shortly after.
Innisfail Police District Inspector David Tucker said the woman's partner had followed the man out of the room, where they had a short conversation. It was understood the attacker had told the man that he had entered the wrong hotel room - and it was only when the husband returned to his partner that he realised she had been sexually assaulted.
''This person has gone in and committed the sexual assault and the victim has basically woken up and he's decamped from the room,'' Insp Tucker said. ''The partner woke and saw the person in the room. He followed him and actually had a conversation with him ... but didn't realise that the assault had taken place.
''I believe there was some conversation along those lines (of entering the wrong hotel room) that didn't arouse any suspicion in the partner. ''He went back, spoke to his partner, and police were called. It is a very, very disturbing incident, particularly for Dunk Island.''
He said it was likely the assailant had left the island in a private vessel as ferries and water taxis don't operate at that time of the morning. A police officer spent the morning combing incoming vessels on the shore at Mission Beach, however no suspicious activity was detected.
Insp Tucker said police had not been able to immediately investigate vessels in the vicinity of Dunk Island as they had no boat of their own. The island is widely advertised as an idyllic, family friendly holiday destination.
Innisfail Police District Inspector David Tucker said the woman's partner had followed the man out of the room, where they had a short conversation. It was understood the attacker had told the man that he had entered the wrong hotel room - and it was only when the husband returned to his partner that he realised she had been sexually assaulted.
''This person has gone in and committed the sexual assault and the victim has basically woken up and he's decamped from the room,'' Insp Tucker said. ''The partner woke and saw the person in the room. He followed him and actually had a conversation with him ... but didn't realise that the assault had taken place.
''I believe there was some conversation along those lines (of entering the wrong hotel room) that didn't arouse any suspicion in the partner. ''He went back, spoke to his partner, and police were called. It is a very, very disturbing incident, particularly for Dunk Island.''
He said it was likely the assailant had left the island in a private vessel as ferries and water taxis don't operate at that time of the morning. A police officer spent the morning combing incoming vessels on the shore at Mission Beach, however no suspicious activity was detected.
Insp Tucker said police had not been able to immediately investigate vessels in the vicinity of Dunk Island as they had no boat of their own. The island is widely advertised as an idyllic, family friendly holiday destination.
She Loves You named as best selling Beatles track
It was only the band’s second number one, issued as Beatlemania was in its infancy, but newly compiled figures show She Loves You to be the biggest-selling Fab Four track released in the UK. The 1963 single topped a chart of the act’s greatest sales tallies pushing its follow-up, I Want To Hold Your Hand, into second spot.
The Official Chart Company — which puts together the weekly Top 40 — has trawled its records to pull together an all-time bestseller list of the band’s singles, including the many re-releases over the years.
Despite the later acclaim for the band’s innovations and experimentation during the studio-bound years, the list is dominated by tracks up to and including 1965.
As well as She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand, the Top 5 is made up of Can’t Buy Me Love, I Feel Fine and the double A-side Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out.
The figures show that Love Me Do, the band’s first chart hit that reached No 17 on its initial release, went on to outsell the No 2 hit that followed it, Please Please Me, as well as later No 1s such as The Ballad of John and Yoko, the figures reveal.
Despite its enduring popularity, Yesterday — often cited as the most-covered song of all time — figures at No 24, even though the track was never issued as a single in the UK during the band’s existence. It was not released until 1976 and only made No 8 in the chart.
The Top 30 biggest-selling Beatles songs.
The Official Chart Company — which puts together the weekly Top 40 — has trawled its records to pull together an all-time bestseller list of the band’s singles, including the many re-releases over the years.
Despite the later acclaim for the band’s innovations and experimentation during the studio-bound years, the list is dominated by tracks up to and including 1965.
As well as She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand, the Top 5 is made up of Can’t Buy Me Love, I Feel Fine and the double A-side Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out.
The figures show that Love Me Do, the band’s first chart hit that reached No 17 on its initial release, went on to outsell the No 2 hit that followed it, Please Please Me, as well as later No 1s such as The Ballad of John and Yoko, the figures reveal.
Despite its enduring popularity, Yesterday — often cited as the most-covered song of all time — figures at No 24, even though the track was never issued as a single in the UK during the band’s existence. It was not released until 1976 and only made No 8 in the chart.
The Top 30 biggest-selling Beatles songs.
White pedigree poodle gives birth to eight black puppies
A dog owner is celebrating after her white pedigree poodle gave birth to eight black puppies.
Retired nurse Carol Marsden, 50, helped deliver the litter at her home near Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The pedigree dog is called Sukanto My Fair Lady.
The father of the puppies, four boys and four girls, is a black pedigree poodle called Alfie, whose full name is Kertellas on Easy Street at Montravia.
Beverly Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today, said: “Black is the dominant gene in poodles so this is not unusual but the exact outcome would depend on the genetic history of the father and the mother.” Carol has named the male puppies Shadow, Victor, Leo and Duke and the girls Lucy, Belle, Duchess and Tess.
Retired nurse Carol Marsden, 50, helped deliver the litter at her home near Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The pedigree dog is called Sukanto My Fair Lady.
The father of the puppies, four boys and four girls, is a black pedigree poodle called Alfie, whose full name is Kertellas on Easy Street at Montravia.
Beverly Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today, said: “Black is the dominant gene in poodles so this is not unusual but the exact outcome would depend on the genetic history of the father and the mother.” Carol has named the male puppies Shadow, Victor, Leo and Duke and the girls Lucy, Belle, Duchess and Tess.
Model golf caddy service banned
An owner of a string of golf courses in south-east England has banned an all-female caddy service. Leaderboard had a number of complaints from male and female members at a course in Kent about the women.
The caddy service is provided by Eye Candy Caddies, which says it employs female models trained in golf etiquette, to carry players' clubs. Leaderboard said the service was not appropriate for a game that has been selected as an Olympic sport.
A spokesperson for Leaderboard said: "Anyone who seriously cares about the development of the game should work to ensure that it is as professional, inclusive, and culturally inoffensive as any other major sport.
"Exploiting outmoded notions of golf as a male bastion is not 'just a bit of fun' - it damages the reputation of the sport as a whole as well as its appeal to members of the younger generation of either sex."
Managing Director of Eye Candy Caddies, Sarah Stacey, said all her models complete a special training programme managed by golf professionals.
She added: "We add that extra sparkle and difference to any golf day and put a smile on people's faces. All the girls are trained in the etiquette of golf and uniformed in appropriate golf attire. They all sign a code of conduct so everyone is clear about the boundaries."
The caddy service is provided by Eye Candy Caddies, which says it employs female models trained in golf etiquette, to carry players' clubs. Leaderboard said the service was not appropriate for a game that has been selected as an Olympic sport.
A spokesperson for Leaderboard said: "Anyone who seriously cares about the development of the game should work to ensure that it is as professional, inclusive, and culturally inoffensive as any other major sport.
"Exploiting outmoded notions of golf as a male bastion is not 'just a bit of fun' - it damages the reputation of the sport as a whole as well as its appeal to members of the younger generation of either sex."
Managing Director of Eye Candy Caddies, Sarah Stacey, said all her models complete a special training programme managed by golf professionals.
She added: "We add that extra sparkle and difference to any golf day and put a smile on people's faces. All the girls are trained in the etiquette of golf and uniformed in appropriate golf attire. They all sign a code of conduct so everyone is clear about the boundaries."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)