Saturday, August 30, 2014
Ant tries to steal gold nugget
These gold prospectors in Australia dropped a small nugget they'd just found when this happened.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
School closed due to feral cat inside building
Anne Arundel County schools in Maryland weren't taking any chances on Friday morning.
Richard Henry Lee Elementary School in Glen Burnie closed due to what officials said was a "building safety" issue
after a feral cat wandered in.
The feline, whose size and breed have yet to be disclosed, was detected before students got into the building.
A teacher noticed the cat in her classroom at 7:30am, but it ran away. School officials then kept around 500 students outside of the building, which typically starts at 8:45am. A decision to close the school was made at 9:45am. School officials said they're working with police and Animal Control to capture the animal.
Robin Catlett, with the Anne Arundel County Animal Control, said the situation is still up in the air. The cat has not been identified by Animal Control yet, so they’re unsure of how they will proceed if they find the cat, Catlett said. "It would really depend on all the facts," she said.
Schools spokesman Bob Mosier said: "We have no idea the health status of the cat and certainly, we weren't going to put the nearly 500 students here in potential danger by having them in a building where a frightened cat might start running around, so we made a decision to close the school. Hopefully we'll trap it." Mosier added that it was too early to consider what happens if the cat is not found. "We’re hoping this ends far sooner rather than later," he said.
A teacher noticed the cat in her classroom at 7:30am, but it ran away. School officials then kept around 500 students outside of the building, which typically starts at 8:45am. A decision to close the school was made at 9:45am. School officials said they're working with police and Animal Control to capture the animal.
Robin Catlett, with the Anne Arundel County Animal Control, said the situation is still up in the air. The cat has not been identified by Animal Control yet, so they’re unsure of how they will proceed if they find the cat, Catlett said. "It would really depend on all the facts," she said.
Schools spokesman Bob Mosier said: "We have no idea the health status of the cat and certainly, we weren't going to put the nearly 500 students here in potential danger by having them in a building where a frightened cat might start running around, so we made a decision to close the school. Hopefully we'll trap it." Mosier added that it was too early to consider what happens if the cat is not found. "We’re hoping this ends far sooner rather than later," he said.
Cardboard cutout dogs used in attempt to scare off geese
Park officials in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, have recently planted cardboard cutouts of dogs in an attempt to fend off flocks of geese that are making a mess in popular regions of the park.
The geese congregate "in front of the band shell where we have concerts and get in the grass,” Tom Schrader, director of Parks and Recreation at Pfiffiner Park, said. “People want to put their blankets down on the ground but can’t.” There are anywhere from 25 to 120 geese in front of the band shell at once and they usually relieve themselves every 20 minutes, Schrader said.
In an attempt to move the geese into the lake, park officials placed three cardboard dog cutouts at $40 each around the band shell. “The geese generally stay about 30 to 40 yards away from the cutouts because they resemble coyotes,” he said. This is one of many efforts the park has used in the past two years to deflect the wild animals,
YouTube link.
Other attemps have included mounting handcrafted owls in trees, purchasing plastic clappers and employing volunteers to shoo them into the nearby lake. “This year we didn’t have as many people so we tried different alternatives and Googled ways to scare geese,” he said. Two of the three cutouts have since been stolen. The park plans to make their own to replace them.
The geese congregate "in front of the band shell where we have concerts and get in the grass,” Tom Schrader, director of Parks and Recreation at Pfiffiner Park, said. “People want to put their blankets down on the ground but can’t.” There are anywhere from 25 to 120 geese in front of the band shell at once and they usually relieve themselves every 20 minutes, Schrader said.
In an attempt to move the geese into the lake, park officials placed three cardboard dog cutouts at $40 each around the band shell. “The geese generally stay about 30 to 40 yards away from the cutouts because they resemble coyotes,” he said. This is one of many efforts the park has used in the past two years to deflect the wild animals,
YouTube link.
Other attemps have included mounting handcrafted owls in trees, purchasing plastic clappers and employing volunteers to shoo them into the nearby lake. “This year we didn’t have as many people so we tried different alternatives and Googled ways to scare geese,” he said. Two of the three cutouts have since been stolen. The park plans to make their own to replace them.
Firefighters sent to rescue runaway guinea pig
A runaway guinea pig was rescued by firefighters in New Zealand on Thursday.
Nadine Vasquez, 18, had bought her two guinea pigs Highlight and Munchkin only that morning and let them loose in her Glenfield home on Auckland's North Shore.
But Highlight got a fright at around 11am and ran behind the bathroom sink, crawling through a hole in the floor and into the roof void.
Vasquez spent the rest of the day ''panicking'' and trying to lure the runaway out with food. She gave up when it got dark and called the Auckland Council for help - the council sent the Fire Service. Takapuna station officer Mark Neville and his team arrived at about 6.30pm and were able to remove a grid and use a ladder to reach the roof void.
Neville sent in one of the tallest firefighters whose arms were just long enough to scoop up Highlight and return her to Vasquez. He said the guinea pig would otherwise have been trapped in the roof ''forever''. It is unclear who had a more alarming experience, Highlight or Nadine's dad, who came home from work to discover a fire truck in his driveway and firefighters all over the house.
He did not even know his daughter had bought the guinea pigs. Vasquez said she talked to her mum about getting the pets but ''I don't think she took me seriously''. Highlight is now safely back in her cage with Munchkin. Vasquez said she could not imagine leaving Highlight stuck in the roof overnight. ''It's my first guinea pig, I'd like it to grow old and not die on me.''
Vasquez spent the rest of the day ''panicking'' and trying to lure the runaway out with food. She gave up when it got dark and called the Auckland Council for help - the council sent the Fire Service. Takapuna station officer Mark Neville and his team arrived at about 6.30pm and were able to remove a grid and use a ladder to reach the roof void.
Neville sent in one of the tallest firefighters whose arms were just long enough to scoop up Highlight and return her to Vasquez. He said the guinea pig would otherwise have been trapped in the roof ''forever''. It is unclear who had a more alarming experience, Highlight or Nadine's dad, who came home from work to discover a fire truck in his driveway and firefighters all over the house.
He did not even know his daughter had bought the guinea pigs. Vasquez said she talked to her mum about getting the pets but ''I don't think she took me seriously''. Highlight is now safely back in her cage with Munchkin. Vasquez said she could not imagine leaving Highlight stuck in the roof overnight. ''It's my first guinea pig, I'd like it to grow old and not die on me.''
Hole lot of trouble after toddler got his fingers stuck in bathtub plughole
A toddler from the Brighton suburb of Melbourne, Australia, had to be rescued by firefighters after a bath-time misadventure.
What was supposed to be a routine bath became a circus when two-year-old Charlie Salmons decided to poke his fingers in the plughole and discovered they were jammed.
His mother, Holly, desperately tried to free the little boy's hand, but she was forced to call in back up after several failed attempts. Emergency crews worked for almost five hours to free the trapped toddler, eventually demolishing part of the bath, but Charlie's hand was still attached to the drain.
YouTube link.
In hospital, a hacksaw eventually helped give Charlie his fingers back. Charlie suffered some swelling but was otherwise in good health. In May last year, little Charlie got his head stuck between the bars on his patio. The ambulance, fire brigade and police were called to the rescue for that incident.
What was supposed to be a routine bath became a circus when two-year-old Charlie Salmons decided to poke his fingers in the plughole and discovered they were jammed.
His mother, Holly, desperately tried to free the little boy's hand, but she was forced to call in back up after several failed attempts. Emergency crews worked for almost five hours to free the trapped toddler, eventually demolishing part of the bath, but Charlie's hand was still attached to the drain.
YouTube link.
In hospital, a hacksaw eventually helped give Charlie his fingers back. Charlie suffered some swelling but was otherwise in good health. In May last year, little Charlie got his head stuck between the bars on his patio. The ambulance, fire brigade and police were called to the rescue for that incident.
Housing department apologises for notice asking residents to consider 'debarking' noisy dogs
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) in Singapore said a notice put up in Ang Mo Kio, advising residents to possibly 'debark' their dogs if they make too much noise, does not accurately reflect its position.
The notice had listed debarking as one option, alongside obedience training sessions and training collars, to manage the problem of excessive barking by dogs, which HDB says, could become a nuisance to neighbours. In a statement, HDB said the notice has been taken down and apologised for the anxiety caused to dog owners.
"The notice had meant to seek the assistance of dog owners to help manage the issue of excessive dog barking at an Ang Mo Kio block, arising from complaints received. We agree it should have been handled more sensitively," the statement read. HDB said when residents complain about excessive dog barking, they have always advised and counselled dog owners to manage their pets' barking and behaviour through obedience training.
"Debarking should only be considered by pet owners as a last resort when all other measures, especially training, are ineffective and only if the dog owner considers it an option," HDB stated. Ms Corrine Fong, Executive Director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said the initial recommendation to debark dogs was "disappointing". She called the debarking procedure "outdated and inhumane", noting that many veterinarians refuse to do the surgery on ethical grounds.
The notice had listed debarking as one option, alongside obedience training sessions and training collars, to manage the problem of excessive barking by dogs, which HDB says, could become a nuisance to neighbours. In a statement, HDB said the notice has been taken down and apologised for the anxiety caused to dog owners.
"The notice had meant to seek the assistance of dog owners to help manage the issue of excessive dog barking at an Ang Mo Kio block, arising from complaints received. We agree it should have been handled more sensitively," the statement read. HDB said when residents complain about excessive dog barking, they have always advised and counselled dog owners to manage their pets' barking and behaviour through obedience training.
"Debarking should only be considered by pet owners as a last resort when all other measures, especially training, are ineffective and only if the dog owner considers it an option," HDB stated. Ms Corrine Fong, Executive Director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said the initial recommendation to debark dogs was "disappointing". She called the debarking procedure "outdated and inhumane", noting that many veterinarians refuse to do the surgery on ethical grounds.
Brewery removes 'fart-smelling' beer from sale
A Norwegian brewery has removed all stock of one of its beers after drinkers complained of its foul-smelling aroma.
Mack brewers, based in Tromsø, produced the “Isbjørn” (“Polar beer”), but a flaw in the manufacturing process created a drink with stomach-churning properties.
It was found that contamination in the bottling system led to a bad odour in many of the beer cans.
A build-up of lactic acid in cans led to an unpleasant smell of sulphur and rotten eggs. The contamination was particularly rife when the weather was at its warmest this summer. In reaction to complaints, Mack, who have sold tens of thousands of cans of the "fart-smelling" drink, has over the last few weeks tried to withdraw all “Isbjørns” produced on July 21st and 22nd this year.
Roger Karlsen, Mack's director, said to Harstad Tidende: “These bacteria are not dangerous. They are normally used in acidic milk products, such as yoghurt, but can give an unpleasant smell and taste in beer. The smell can be like anything from lemon and vinegar to rotten fish. It is something caused by, among other things, decomposition of the proteins in the beer.”
Any customers who purchased 12-packs of the “Isbjørn” beer could have received cans of foul-smelling liquid. The brewery has attempted to retrieve all cans, but has not got them all back yet. The affected beer has an expiration date of October 22nd and 23rd. Customers who have bought the beer will get their money back from the brewery, Mack said.
A build-up of lactic acid in cans led to an unpleasant smell of sulphur and rotten eggs. The contamination was particularly rife when the weather was at its warmest this summer. In reaction to complaints, Mack, who have sold tens of thousands of cans of the "fart-smelling" drink, has over the last few weeks tried to withdraw all “Isbjørns” produced on July 21st and 22nd this year.
Roger Karlsen, Mack's director, said to Harstad Tidende: “These bacteria are not dangerous. They are normally used in acidic milk products, such as yoghurt, but can give an unpleasant smell and taste in beer. The smell can be like anything from lemon and vinegar to rotten fish. It is something caused by, among other things, decomposition of the proteins in the beer.”
Any customers who purchased 12-packs of the “Isbjørn” beer could have received cans of foul-smelling liquid. The brewery has attempted to retrieve all cans, but has not got them all back yet. The affected beer has an expiration date of October 22nd and 23rd. Customers who have bought the beer will get their money back from the brewery, Mack said.
Physiotherapist alleged to have bitten client while growling like a baby lion
A physiotherapist bit a client's shoulder and growled "like a baby lion" for sexual gratification, a tribunal has heard.
Christopher Lewis also pressed his body against the woman and squashed her breasts, a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) panel was told.
The woman was having treatment for a fractured shoulder at the Verulam clinic in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
Mr Lewis said she may have "mistaken contact with facial hair for a bite". Sophie Lister, representing the HCPC, told a conduct and competence committee Mr Lewis had spoken to his client about how physical injuries could affect sexual relationships. "[He] started to work her right shoulder and slowly leaned across and squashed her breasts, still keeping eye contact and bit the skin of her left shoulder playfully," she said. "It made her feel uncomfortable, vulnerable and shocked.
"We say the intention was for his sexual gratification and no other reason." The woman, who cannot be named, said she thought Lewis made "a bit of a growl ... like a baby lion" as he bit her, which was "no way a peck or a kiss". "He had my skin in his teeth and shook his head in a similar way to a cat does," she said. Mr Lewis said it was "completely false" to suggest he bit the woman or that his actions were sexually motivated, but admitted he had "not acted appropriately".
The length of his facial hair "probably feels quite prickly" and the woman may have perceived that as a bite, he told the panel. He had squashed his client's breasts with his torso "in the context of a hug" because he wanted to show he could "sympathise with her and provide emotional support". "I completely accept what I did was wrong .... it crossed physical boundaries," he said. The incident is alleged to have happened when the woman visited the clinic on 13 May last year. The hearing continues.
Mr Lewis said she may have "mistaken contact with facial hair for a bite". Sophie Lister, representing the HCPC, told a conduct and competence committee Mr Lewis had spoken to his client about how physical injuries could affect sexual relationships. "[He] started to work her right shoulder and slowly leaned across and squashed her breasts, still keeping eye contact and bit the skin of her left shoulder playfully," she said. "It made her feel uncomfortable, vulnerable and shocked.
"We say the intention was for his sexual gratification and no other reason." The woman, who cannot be named, said she thought Lewis made "a bit of a growl ... like a baby lion" as he bit her, which was "no way a peck or a kiss". "He had my skin in his teeth and shook his head in a similar way to a cat does," she said. Mr Lewis said it was "completely false" to suggest he bit the woman or that his actions were sexually motivated, but admitted he had "not acted appropriately".
The length of his facial hair "probably feels quite prickly" and the woman may have perceived that as a bite, he told the panel. He had squashed his client's breasts with his torso "in the context of a hug" because he wanted to show he could "sympathise with her and provide emotional support". "I completely accept what I did was wrong .... it crossed physical boundaries," he said. The incident is alleged to have happened when the woman visited the clinic on 13 May last year. The hearing continues.
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