Friday, November 07, 2014
Owl meets pussycat
Filmed last December, this great horned owl visited a home in Texas and was greeted by Jasmine the cat.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
Orphaned sea otter pup has a swimming lesson
Just 5 weeks old and weighing less than 6 pounds, this orphaned southern baby sea otter known as Pup 681, who was rescued along the southern California coast by state wildlife officials, arrived at Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium in Chicago on Oct. 28 and is receiving around-the-clock care behind the scenes from their sea otter specialists and veterinarians.
YouTube link.
Man surprised after being charged $3,750 for bottle of wine he was told cost 'thirty-seven-fifty'
Joe Lentini was at Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, New Jersey last week when he asked the server to select a bottle of wine for his party of 10.
The host of the dinner, who would be paying the bill, told Lentini to pick a bottle, Lentini said.
"I don't know much about wine at all," the Hazlet man said.
"I asked the waitress if she could recommend something decent because I don't have experience with wine," Lentini said. "She pointed to a bottle on the menu. I didn't have my glasses. I asked how much and she said, 'Thirty-seven fifty.'"
The drinkers at the table agreed to the price and they ordered, Lentini said.
Soon, the sommelier presented the corked bottle at the table. Lentini said he was having conversation with his companions and didn't really pay attention, but he approved of the bottle.
A taste of the wine was served for him to sample. He approved, he said, and the bottle was placed on the table. "It was okay. It was good," Lentini said of the wine. "It wasn't great. It wasn't terrible. It was fine." When dinner was over, the bill was handed to the host, who was sitting opposite Lentini at the round table, Lentini said. "[The host] was sitting across from me and he handed the bill to person next to him, who handed it to the next person until it got to me," he said. "I showed the gentleman next to me and we were shocked. We couldn't believe it." The total bill was $4,700.61, including tax. The bottle of wine, Screaming Eagle, Oakville 2011 - cost $3,750. "I thought the wine was $37.50," Lentini said.
Lentini said he called the waitress over and said there was a problem. He said he explained that he never would have ordered such expensive wine, and repeated that when he asked about the price, the waitress said "thirty-seven fifty," not "three-thousand, seven-hundred-and-fifty." The waitress disagreed, and a maître d'/manager was called over. "I said the waitress told me it cost 'thirty-seven fifty,' not 'three-thousand, seven-hundred and fifty dollars,'" Lentini said. The maître d'/manager offered to give separate bills, so the dinner bill, which wasn't being disputed, could be paid. Next, Lentini said he was told the best price the restaurant could offer was $2,200. Lentini said he couldn't afford that, but to be able to leave, he and two other diners agreed to split the $2,200 bill. The diner sitting to Lentini's left at the table, Don Chin, said he heard what Lentini heard when the wine was ordered.
"Joe had asked for a suggestion on the wine and the waitress pointed to a wine," he said. "Joe asked the price and she said 'thirty-seven fifty,' not 'three-thousand, seven-hundred and fifty,' which is what I would have said, so we all thought it was $37.50." When the bill came, "We all had a heart attack," Chin said. Marcia Lentini was sitting to Joe Lentini's right at the table. "My husband said to the waitress, 'I don't know much about wine. Can you pick for me?'" Marcia Lentini said. "He asked her how much, and she said, 'thirty-seven fifty.'" "But then it was $3,750. Who would expect that in a restaurant?" she said. Borgata said it conducted a thorough investigation of the incident, and it believes the proper practices were followed. "As the leading culinary destination in this region, we consistently serve as many, if not more high-end wine and spirits without incident," executive vice president Joseph Lupo said. "In this isolated case, both the server and sommelier verified the bottle requested with the patron."
A taste of the wine was served for him to sample. He approved, he said, and the bottle was placed on the table. "It was okay. It was good," Lentini said of the wine. "It wasn't great. It wasn't terrible. It was fine." When dinner was over, the bill was handed to the host, who was sitting opposite Lentini at the round table, Lentini said. "[The host] was sitting across from me and he handed the bill to person next to him, who handed it to the next person until it got to me," he said. "I showed the gentleman next to me and we were shocked. We couldn't believe it." The total bill was $4,700.61, including tax. The bottle of wine, Screaming Eagle, Oakville 2011 - cost $3,750. "I thought the wine was $37.50," Lentini said.
Lentini said he called the waitress over and said there was a problem. He said he explained that he never would have ordered such expensive wine, and repeated that when he asked about the price, the waitress said "thirty-seven fifty," not "three-thousand, seven-hundred-and-fifty." The waitress disagreed, and a maître d'/manager was called over. "I said the waitress told me it cost 'thirty-seven fifty,' not 'three-thousand, seven-hundred and fifty dollars,'" Lentini said. The maître d'/manager offered to give separate bills, so the dinner bill, which wasn't being disputed, could be paid. Next, Lentini said he was told the best price the restaurant could offer was $2,200. Lentini said he couldn't afford that, but to be able to leave, he and two other diners agreed to split the $2,200 bill. The diner sitting to Lentini's left at the table, Don Chin, said he heard what Lentini heard when the wine was ordered.
"Joe had asked for a suggestion on the wine and the waitress pointed to a wine," he said. "Joe asked the price and she said 'thirty-seven fifty,' not 'three-thousand, seven-hundred and fifty,' which is what I would have said, so we all thought it was $37.50." When the bill came, "We all had a heart attack," Chin said. Marcia Lentini was sitting to Joe Lentini's right at the table. "My husband said to the waitress, 'I don't know much about wine. Can you pick for me?'" Marcia Lentini said. "He asked her how much, and she said, 'thirty-seven fifty.'" "But then it was $3,750. Who would expect that in a restaurant?" she said. Borgata said it conducted a thorough investigation of the incident, and it believes the proper practices were followed. "As the leading culinary destination in this region, we consistently serve as many, if not more high-end wine and spirits without incident," executive vice president Joseph Lupo said. "In this isolated case, both the server and sommelier verified the bottle requested with the patron."
Honeymooners arrested over fruit fight
A fruit fight at an exclusive hotel in Queenstown has landed a honeymooning Australian couple before the court on assault charges.
The Gold Coast couple, who married recently, each face a charge of assault after an alleged altercation at the Rees Hotel and Luxury Apartments just two days after their nuptials.
Olivia Mihaljevich, 29, and Ayman Elarnaouty, 33, were arrested after the clash in the hotel on Saturday night which left evidence of the flying fruit on the floor outside their room. The new bride had earlier posted happy photos of the couple's wedding on her Facebook page. Queenstown police Sergeant Keith Newell said that what began as an argument escalated. "
"She threw some fruit at him, which struck him in the head, and he threw it back, striking her," he said. "They then had a physical altercation in the foyer." A hotel spokeswoman said that when staff arrived at the scene outside the couple's room, there were broken apple pieces on the floor. "It's not a big deal - there was nothing smashed," she said. The newlywed couple checked out of the hotel on Tuesday morning.
The hotel supplied fruit bowls in its rooms. Neither Mihaljevich nor Elarnaouty entered a plea when they appeared in Queenstown District Court this week. They were remanded on bail to be considered for diversion before another court appearance this month. It was reported on Thursday that diversion had been completed but police were unable to immediately confirm this and the court said it had not been advised. The hotel offers accommodation from $750 per night for a luxury three-bedroom apartment with a lake view to rooms without a view for $275 a night.
Olivia Mihaljevich, 29, and Ayman Elarnaouty, 33, were arrested after the clash in the hotel on Saturday night which left evidence of the flying fruit on the floor outside their room. The new bride had earlier posted happy photos of the couple's wedding on her Facebook page. Queenstown police Sergeant Keith Newell said that what began as an argument escalated. "
"She threw some fruit at him, which struck him in the head, and he threw it back, striking her," he said. "They then had a physical altercation in the foyer." A hotel spokeswoman said that when staff arrived at the scene outside the couple's room, there were broken apple pieces on the floor. "It's not a big deal - there was nothing smashed," she said. The newlywed couple checked out of the hotel on Tuesday morning.
The hotel supplied fruit bowls in its rooms. Neither Mihaljevich nor Elarnaouty entered a plea when they appeared in Queenstown District Court this week. They were remanded on bail to be considered for diversion before another court appearance this month. It was reported on Thursday that diversion had been completed but police were unable to immediately confirm this and the court said it had not been advised. The hotel offers accommodation from $750 per night for a luxury three-bedroom apartment with a lake view to rooms without a view for $275 a night.
Boar broke into hardware store
Police came face-to-face with a wild boar after a burglar alarm sent them racing to a hardware store in Dillenburg, Germany, on Wednesday morning.
“The animal apparently ran at full speed against the entrance door of the large do-it-yourself shop and broke through two glass doors, which triggered the alarm,” police spokesman Guido Rehr said.
Surveillance camera footage captured the animal roaming the store's aisles.
YouTube link.
After the manager opened the outlet's front doors, the animal escaped “without any loot and apparently unharmed,” according to police.
“The animal apparently ran at full speed against the entrance door of the large do-it-yourself shop and broke through two glass doors, which triggered the alarm,” police spokesman Guido Rehr said.
Surveillance camera footage captured the animal roaming the store's aisles.
YouTube link.
After the manager opened the outlet's front doors, the animal escaped “without any loot and apparently unharmed,” according to police.
Man questions cleanliness of London buses after finding used condom on seat
A man from Catford, south east London, has spoken of his disgust at finding a used condom on a bus seat on Tuesday morning.
Nick Campbell, 34, tweeted a picture of the grim discovery aboard the 124 bus with the caption: “Some different kinda bus ride!”
He said: “Once I got on the bus and saw it on the seat I just looked at it and thought 'really?'
“I understand that kids at school will mess around with condoms and throw them around the back of a bus but this one was definitely used.” He added: “I wasn’t shocked when I saw it because I’ve lived in Catford all my life and I’ve seen the changes the area has gone through – from good to bad and so on – but it wasn’t nice seeing it first thing on my way to work.”
Mr Campbell said the incident has made him question the cleanliness of the bus service. He said: “What bothered me about it was that I got the first bus service of the day and I just thought to myself “that condom has been sat there all night in the bus depot and the driver didn’t even think to check the cleanliness of the bus before driving off”.”
Head of TfL's bus operations Ken Davidson said: “I am very sorry to hear of this customer’s experience. We take these types of issue very seriously as we want every journey to be as pleasant as possible. The behaviour of our customers affects the travelling experience of others and I would call on all our passengers to make sure that they behave appropriately when travelling on the transport network.”
“I understand that kids at school will mess around with condoms and throw them around the back of a bus but this one was definitely used.” He added: “I wasn’t shocked when I saw it because I’ve lived in Catford all my life and I’ve seen the changes the area has gone through – from good to bad and so on – but it wasn’t nice seeing it first thing on my way to work.”
Mr Campbell said the incident has made him question the cleanliness of the bus service. He said: “What bothered me about it was that I got the first bus service of the day and I just thought to myself “that condom has been sat there all night in the bus depot and the driver didn’t even think to check the cleanliness of the bus before driving off”.”
Head of TfL's bus operations Ken Davidson said: “I am very sorry to hear of this customer’s experience. We take these types of issue very seriously as we want every journey to be as pleasant as possible. The behaviour of our customers affects the travelling experience of others and I would call on all our passengers to make sure that they behave appropriately when travelling on the transport network.”
University's £300,000 video screen not allowed to show videos
A university spent nearly £300,000 on a giant video screen despite being told it could not broadcast video.
Plymouth University bought the screen for £206,000, and agreed installation costs of £89,600 in August.
Two years earlier, planners granted permission for the project providing only still pictures were used, as the site is visible from two major roads and could distract drivers.
A university spokesman said the screen will show "time-lapsed information". The screen, which measures 9m (30ft) by 5m (16ft), was approved by the office of the vice chancellor, which was being led at the time by acting chief executive, Prof David Coslett. The University and College Union (UCU) said the spending was "shocking".
Philippa Davey, UCU regional official, said: "Quite frankly we are shocked that you would spend that amount of money for something that's just going to be showing still images." Planning documents reveal that in November 2012, the university "agreed to conditions being imposed on their permission to prevent the display of moving images" and stated "still images will now be displayed which fade in and out".
A university spokesman said: "The university was fully aware of the planning terms from the outset, indeed planning permissions were granted and understood well before the project was finally approved and the screen ordered." In September it emerged that the university had spent £150,000 on seven chairs to be used for graduation ceremonies.
A university spokesman said the screen will show "time-lapsed information". The screen, which measures 9m (30ft) by 5m (16ft), was approved by the office of the vice chancellor, which was being led at the time by acting chief executive, Prof David Coslett. The University and College Union (UCU) said the spending was "shocking".
Philippa Davey, UCU regional official, said: "Quite frankly we are shocked that you would spend that amount of money for something that's just going to be showing still images." Planning documents reveal that in November 2012, the university "agreed to conditions being imposed on their permission to prevent the display of moving images" and stated "still images will now be displayed which fade in and out".
A university spokesman said: "The university was fully aware of the planning terms from the outset, indeed planning permissions were granted and understood well before the project was finally approved and the screen ordered." In September it emerged that the university had spent £150,000 on seven chairs to be used for graduation ceremonies.
Octopuses given own art exhibition
The world's first art exhibition for a non-human audience goes on display at Brighton Sea Life Centre on November 7.
Creations include a bunch of grapes, a piece of swiss cheese and a plate of spaghetti, made of materials including ceramic, plastic, wood and rope.
The art will be displayed in five tanks and each piece is designed to stimulate an octopus's natural curiosity about colour, shape and texture. 'Das Balloon', a team of two sets of brothers from Worthing, are behind the collaboraiton and are renowned for the out-of-the-ordinary.
Sea Life curator Carey Duckhouse said: "Octopuses are among the brainiest of sea creatures and welcome the chance to explore and manipulate new objects. We think they're going to love them."
Creations include a bunch of grapes, a piece of swiss cheese and a plate of spaghetti, made of materials including ceramic, plastic, wood and rope.
The art will be displayed in five tanks and each piece is designed to stimulate an octopus's natural curiosity about colour, shape and texture. 'Das Balloon', a team of two sets of brothers from Worthing, are behind the collaboraiton and are renowned for the out-of-the-ordinary.
Sea Life curator Carey Duckhouse said: "Octopuses are among the brainiest of sea creatures and welcome the chance to explore and manipulate new objects. We think they're going to love them."
Foxy the racehorse who fell backwards into a well finally back on her feet
Foxy the racehorse is back on her feet again after she fractured her leg falling backwards into a well.
The 11-year-old grey mare is lucky to be alive after being found trapped in bizarre fashion in May, in field near Hinckley, Leicestershire.
Firefighters were called to the stables and found that she had wedged herself vertically in a water-filled hole and seemed to be in distress.
Mark Edwards, from southern station’s technical rescue team, was one of the first on the scene.
He said: “We were faced with a metre diameter well, with the only part of the horse visible being the knees, head and neck – the rest of her body was submerged below water.
“It’s out of the ordinary - not something you come across every day. We’ve only ever seen one other animal in a well and that was a bull. We’d never seen anything quite like this before. It’s not a situation you can train for or envisage because you wouldn’t have thought a horse could get into that position in the first place.” Mark and his team, along with members of the Hinckley and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Animal Rescue, used a safety harness to haul the large animal out of the well and she was assessed by a waiting vet.
Mark said: “There was a considerable amount of discussion that took place as to whether it was a viable rescue or not, and there were divided opinions about whether we were going to be actually able to achieve the rescue within animal welfare. So we requested the police in case we needed a marksman.” Vet Jonathan Bryars, of Chine House Vets, in Sileby, said: “As Foxy got to the top we gave her some sedation so she didn’t get too excited. We also had to keep her laying on the ground until the heavy sedation had worn off. We wanted to assess that she didn’t have any broken legs. Then when she was more awake we helped her up.”
Foxy was examined and Jonathan found she had suffered a fracture on the back of her knee - which led to a joint infection - along with superficial wounds. She was taken to Rossdales Equine Hospital, in Newmarket, and she received intensive care and treatment for a total of eight weeks. Her owner Amy Badge said: “I couldn’t believe it when I heard what had happened to Foxy, I broke down into tears - it was devastating news and it’s something my family and I, along with those involved, will never forget. She added: “She’s always been a gentle horse, but considering how bad the injuries were she’s not really been as spooked as we expected her to be, although having a lot of people around her unnerves her at the minute, but nowhere near as bad as we expected.”
“It’s out of the ordinary - not something you come across every day. We’ve only ever seen one other animal in a well and that was a bull. We’d never seen anything quite like this before. It’s not a situation you can train for or envisage because you wouldn’t have thought a horse could get into that position in the first place.” Mark and his team, along with members of the Hinckley and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Animal Rescue, used a safety harness to haul the large animal out of the well and she was assessed by a waiting vet.
Mark said: “There was a considerable amount of discussion that took place as to whether it was a viable rescue or not, and there were divided opinions about whether we were going to be actually able to achieve the rescue within animal welfare. So we requested the police in case we needed a marksman.” Vet Jonathan Bryars, of Chine House Vets, in Sileby, said: “As Foxy got to the top we gave her some sedation so she didn’t get too excited. We also had to keep her laying on the ground until the heavy sedation had worn off. We wanted to assess that she didn’t have any broken legs. Then when she was more awake we helped her up.”
Foxy was examined and Jonathan found she had suffered a fracture on the back of her knee - which led to a joint infection - along with superficial wounds. She was taken to Rossdales Equine Hospital, in Newmarket, and she received intensive care and treatment for a total of eight weeks. Her owner Amy Badge said: “I couldn’t believe it when I heard what had happened to Foxy, I broke down into tears - it was devastating news and it’s something my family and I, along with those involved, will never forget. She added: “She’s always been a gentle horse, but considering how bad the injuries were she’s not really been as spooked as we expected her to be, although having a lot of people around her unnerves her at the minute, but nowhere near as bad as we expected.”
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