Thursday, March 19, 2015
Dalmatian pelican chick barks like a dog
San Diego Zoo recently welcomed a new resident in the form of a Dalmatian pelican chick, one of the rarest pelican species in the world.
At just two days old the baby, along with its 11-day-old sibling, will be in the zoo’s care until it is old enough to return to a Safari Park. The action was taken as their parents were ‘unable to raise them’, said the zoo’s spokesperson.
YouTube link.
At just two days old the baby, along with its 11-day-old sibling, will be in the zoo’s care until it is old enough to return to a Safari Park. The action was taken as their parents were ‘unable to raise them’, said the zoo’s spokesperson.
YouTube link.
Man arrested after being found with his head in a hole in the ground
A Florida man was arrested after being found with his head in a hole.
Louis Pisapia, 44, was jailed on disorderly intoxication and resist officer without violence charges after the Feb. 28 incident in Stuart, an arrest affidavit states.
A Martin County sheriff’s investigator went to a home in Stuart at about 3am after a “man down/sick person” report. A deputy saw Pisapia “on his knees with his head and face in a hole in the front yard.”
“It would appear that Louis created the hole with his hands, due to the fact that his hands and body were covered in dirt,” the affidavit states. A deputy asked whether he needed help getting up.
“(Expletive) you, I don’t have to get up,” Pisapia, who reportedly smelled of alcohol, is quoted as yelling. Pisapia kept yelling obscenities and was arrested. The affidavit doesn’t state why Pisapia, of Stuart, had his head in the hole.
A Martin County sheriff’s investigator went to a home in Stuart at about 3am after a “man down/sick person” report. A deputy saw Pisapia “on his knees with his head and face in a hole in the front yard.”
“It would appear that Louis created the hole with his hands, due to the fact that his hands and body were covered in dirt,” the affidavit states. A deputy asked whether he needed help getting up.
“(Expletive) you, I don’t have to get up,” Pisapia, who reportedly smelled of alcohol, is quoted as yelling. Pisapia kept yelling obscenities and was arrested. The affidavit doesn’t state why Pisapia, of Stuart, had his head in the hole.
Man charged with burglary after taking back 'unappreciated' Christmas gift from neighbours
A man from Burnsville, Minnesota, has been charged with burglary after police say he broke into his neighbours' home to take back a Christmas gift because “they did not appreciate it.”
Burnsville officers were called to a home after a woman said her neighbour, 54-year-old Alfred Joseph Guercio, had forced his way into her home.
The woman told police Guercio went to their home around Christmas and gave them a knife set, which they placed on top of their refrigerator. On March 11, she said Guercio rang their doorbell, and he got into an argument with her about the knife set. He said he was upset that she didn’t appreciate the knife set and wanted it back.
The woman told Guercio to stay there and that she would get him the knives, but she said Guercio forced his foot in the door and wouldn’t let her shut it. She said Guercio pushed his way into the house and got the knives. Guercio then left in a car. Police say they later spotted his car and stopped him.
Guercio told police he gave the knife set to the woman and her husband and was upset that she wasn’t using them “in the way they had agreed for her to use them,” according to the criminal complaint. He said he went inside the house because he felt like she wasn’t going to get the knives.
The woman told police Guercio went to their home around Christmas and gave them a knife set, which they placed on top of their refrigerator. On March 11, she said Guercio rang their doorbell, and he got into an argument with her about the knife set. He said he was upset that she didn’t appreciate the knife set and wanted it back.
The woman told Guercio to stay there and that she would get him the knives, but she said Guercio forced his foot in the door and wouldn’t let her shut it. She said Guercio pushed his way into the house and got the knives. Guercio then left in a car. Police say they later spotted his car and stopped him.
Guercio told police he gave the knife set to the woman and her husband and was upset that she wasn’t using them “in the way they had agreed for her to use them,” according to the criminal complaint. He said he went inside the house because he felt like she wasn’t going to get the knives.
Florida teacher given five-day suspension for calling Muslim student a ‘Rag Head Taliban’
A French teacher at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida, has been suspended for five days without pay, and will have to undergo a diversity training programme, for calling a Muslim student a “Rag Head Taliban’’ when the 14-year-old walked into class wearing a hoodie last month.
The punishment didn’t please the student’s father. Youssef Wardani wanted the teacher, Maria Valdes, fired or suspended for a year without pay for what he calls racist comments.
On Tuesday, Wardani addressed the Broward School Board, who voted unanimously to discipline the teacher, who has been teaching in Broward Schools for 11 years. “My son is Deyab-Houssein Wardani, [and] he’s not a rag head Taliban,” Wardani told the school board members. Wardani said his son, who is of Lebanese and Moroccan descent, was bullied by his teacher, and accused the school board of not acting swiftly enough. He referred to Valdes’ suspension as a “five-day vacation.”
“I promise you for the rest of my life, until my dying breath, I’m going to make sure no child goes through what my Deyab-Houssein had to go through,” he said after the meeting. According to the administrative complaint, Valdes stated, “Ah no! The Taliban is here,” when Deyab-Houssein would walk into the classroom at the school. She’d also call on him by saying, “Okay the Taliban, what is the answer?” and “Let’s ask the Taliban.”
YouTube link.
The teacher continued to refer to Deyab-Houssein as “the Taliban,” and “terrorista,” which means terrorist in Spanish, until Wardani complained to the school administration. Deyab-Houssein said other students laughed when she made her remark. He said he didn’t know the teacher was referring to him by the name of a terrorist organisation until he asked his parents what the Taliban is, following the first incident. After learning what the name meant, his response was: “This is definitely not funny.”
On Tuesday, Wardani addressed the Broward School Board, who voted unanimously to discipline the teacher, who has been teaching in Broward Schools for 11 years. “My son is Deyab-Houssein Wardani, [and] he’s not a rag head Taliban,” Wardani told the school board members. Wardani said his son, who is of Lebanese and Moroccan descent, was bullied by his teacher, and accused the school board of not acting swiftly enough. He referred to Valdes’ suspension as a “five-day vacation.”
“I promise you for the rest of my life, until my dying breath, I’m going to make sure no child goes through what my Deyab-Houssein had to go through,” he said after the meeting. According to the administrative complaint, Valdes stated, “Ah no! The Taliban is here,” when Deyab-Houssein would walk into the classroom at the school. She’d also call on him by saying, “Okay the Taliban, what is the answer?” and “Let’s ask the Taliban.”
YouTube link.
The teacher continued to refer to Deyab-Houssein as “the Taliban,” and “terrorista,” which means terrorist in Spanish, until Wardani complained to the school administration. Deyab-Houssein said other students laughed when she made her remark. He said he didn’t know the teacher was referring to him by the name of a terrorist organisation until he asked his parents what the Taliban is, following the first incident. After learning what the name meant, his response was: “This is definitely not funny.”
Egyptian woman forced to dress as man to earn a living honoured by government as ideal mother
An Egyptian woman who has disguised herself as a man for 43 years in order to make a living for her daughter after the death of her husband was honoured on Tuesday by the government as the “ideal mother” of Luxor governorate.
The Social Solidarity Directorate of Luxor said it was awarding the “woman breadwinner” award to Sisa Abu Daooh for her years of hard work providing for her daughter and her grandchildren.
64-year-old Abu Daooh lost her husband while she was pregnant and after giving birth, she found herself without an income. Her situation was complicated by a local culture opposed to women in the work place, which forced her to dress as a man and work outside the home to support her baby daughter Houda. She worked making bricks and polishing shoes in the street among other jobs. Eventually, she married off her daughter to a man who later fell ill and couldn’t work.
So, being a resourceful woman, Abu Daooh kept up her work as the breadwinner of her family. She donned a local “jilbab” - a loose, full-length robe with wide sleeves – as well as a white turban, or sometimes a men’s hat known as a “Taqiyah” and black masculine shoes. “I preferred working in hard labour like lifting bricks and cement bags and cleaning shoes to begging in the streets in order to earn a living for myself and for my daughter and her children,” she said.
“So as to protect myself from men and the harshness of their looks and being targeted by them due to traditions, I decided to be a man … and dressed in their clothes and worked alongside them in other villages where no one knows me.” She added that she worked in an array of jobs, from “polishing shoes, to construction to agriculture.” At the moment, Abu Daooh says she is polishing shoes, which earns her a “decent income.” She gave thanks to those who had helped her along the way. “Thanks to everyone who has helped me. I hope to see Egypt in a better situation.”
64-year-old Abu Daooh lost her husband while she was pregnant and after giving birth, she found herself without an income. Her situation was complicated by a local culture opposed to women in the work place, which forced her to dress as a man and work outside the home to support her baby daughter Houda. She worked making bricks and polishing shoes in the street among other jobs. Eventually, she married off her daughter to a man who later fell ill and couldn’t work.
So, being a resourceful woman, Abu Daooh kept up her work as the breadwinner of her family. She donned a local “jilbab” - a loose, full-length robe with wide sleeves – as well as a white turban, or sometimes a men’s hat known as a “Taqiyah” and black masculine shoes. “I preferred working in hard labour like lifting bricks and cement bags and cleaning shoes to begging in the streets in order to earn a living for myself and for my daughter and her children,” she said.
“So as to protect myself from men and the harshness of their looks and being targeted by them due to traditions, I decided to be a man … and dressed in their clothes and worked alongside them in other villages where no one knows me.” She added that she worked in an array of jobs, from “polishing shoes, to construction to agriculture.” At the moment, Abu Daooh says she is polishing shoes, which earns her a “decent income.” She gave thanks to those who had helped her along the way. “Thanks to everyone who has helped me. I hope to see Egypt in a better situation.”
Father in trouble for taking his eight-year-old daughter to school while tied to his motorcycle
Police in India have charged a man who took his eight-year-old daughter to school while tied with ropes to his motorcycle.
40-year-old Bhagwat Singh was arrested after local newspapers in Uttar Pradesh state published photos taken by passers-by. He has now been freed on bail.
Onlookers accuse Singh of cruelty - he says his daughter had an exam and was reluctant to go to school. It took place in a village in the district of Mathura on Friday. The incident comes at a time when the prime minister has launched a huge campaign to educate girls in India.
Singh, a father of two sons and three daughters, works as a security guard at a private school. Police say he tried to persuade the girl, his youngest child, to go to school, particularly since she had a test to write. The child was promised sweets and gifts, but when she refused to relent, her angry father tied her to the back of his bike with ropes and took her to school.
Singh has been charged with breach of peace, Mathura superintendent of police Shailesh Pandey said. Singh spent a day in the cells but still believes he did the right thing. "My daughter will not die if I take her to school. But she will surely die if she does not study," he said.
Onlookers accuse Singh of cruelty - he says his daughter had an exam and was reluctant to go to school. It took place in a village in the district of Mathura on Friday. The incident comes at a time when the prime minister has launched a huge campaign to educate girls in India.
Singh, a father of two sons and three daughters, works as a security guard at a private school. Police say he tried to persuade the girl, his youngest child, to go to school, particularly since she had a test to write. The child was promised sweets and gifts, but when she refused to relent, her angry father tied her to the back of his bike with ropes and took her to school.
Singh has been charged with breach of peace, Mathura superintendent of police Shailesh Pandey said. Singh spent a day in the cells but still believes he did the right thing. "My daughter will not die if I take her to school. But she will surely die if she does not study," he said.
Daughter says huge pile of rubble dumped on mother's grave is disrespectful
A family were left "heartbroken" when they visited a relative's grave on Mother's Day and found a huge pile of rubble on top of it.
Loretta Perminas, 54, took her two children and three of her grandchildren to see her mother Jadvyga's resting place at Carlton Cemetery in Nottingham on Sunday.
She had left items, including an angel ornament and flowers, next to a name plaque but found them all tossed to the side.
Gedling Borough Council has apologised to the family for the distress caused, but said that when it is digging new graves workers sometimes have to put soil on the adjacent plot for a short time. Ms Perminas, of Carlton, said: "It's just heartbreaking. We didn't even have anywhere to put the flowers. To cover up someone's grave with a pile of rubble is so disrespectful – I couldn't believe it." Jadvyga died in January last year, aged 89. The family have been saving up for a headstone but had placed a memorial plaque, vases and a Holy Mary ornament, which had been blessed by the Pope in Rome, on the grave.
Grandmother-of-five Ms Perminas visited the grave last Wednesday to leave flowers and the angel ornament. When she returned with her family, she found another grave had been dug about six inches away, with soil and rocks dumped on her mother's resting place. Gedling Borough Council, which runs the cemetery, has apologised. Peter Barnes, portfolio holder for the environment, said: "We are really sorry for any distress experienced by the Perminas family.
YouTube link.
"Carlton Cemetery is a working cemetery, which means that graves are being dug out and prepared for new burials all the time. In this case, a grave was being prepared adjacent to the grave of the Perminas family and, as a result, earth was placed on the adjacent grave, pending the new burial. Given the close proximity between graves, this practice is often unavoidable but we always remove any earth that is left on adjacent graves as quickly as possible. We also ensure that any family items that are removed as part of the preparation for a new grave are carefully returned to where they came from."
Gedling Borough Council has apologised to the family for the distress caused, but said that when it is digging new graves workers sometimes have to put soil on the adjacent plot for a short time. Ms Perminas, of Carlton, said: "It's just heartbreaking. We didn't even have anywhere to put the flowers. To cover up someone's grave with a pile of rubble is so disrespectful – I couldn't believe it." Jadvyga died in January last year, aged 89. The family have been saving up for a headstone but had placed a memorial plaque, vases and a Holy Mary ornament, which had been blessed by the Pope in Rome, on the grave.
Grandmother-of-five Ms Perminas visited the grave last Wednesday to leave flowers and the angel ornament. When she returned with her family, she found another grave had been dug about six inches away, with soil and rocks dumped on her mother's resting place. Gedling Borough Council, which runs the cemetery, has apologised. Peter Barnes, portfolio holder for the environment, said: "We are really sorry for any distress experienced by the Perminas family.
YouTube link.
"Carlton Cemetery is a working cemetery, which means that graves are being dug out and prepared for new burials all the time. In this case, a grave was being prepared adjacent to the grave of the Perminas family and, as a result, earth was placed on the adjacent grave, pending the new burial. Given the close proximity between graves, this practice is often unavoidable but we always remove any earth that is left on adjacent graves as quickly as possible. We also ensure that any family items that are removed as part of the preparation for a new grave are carefully returned to where they came from."
Drink-drive awareness course leader convicted of drink-driving
A drink-drive awareness course leader who was three times over the drink-drive limit one morning has been banned from driving for 26 months.
But Alison Baker, who ran courses for Devon County Council, was allowed to go on one of the drink-drive awareness course she used to run - which would see her reduce her ban by a quarter.
Baker, now 60, had twice driven to her local filling station to buy bottles of wine within a couple of hours of one morning last May.
The garage cashier was concerned she was not in a fit state to drive on the second visit and tipped off police. Officers turned up at her home in Pinhoe near Exeter, Devon, and when she eventually answered the door she was so drunk she had to grip walls and furniture to stand up. Baker had denied drink-driving but was convicted after a trial last month - she blamed the high reading on post driving consumption and said she had downed one and a half bottles of wine in around ten minutes before the police came to her home.
But the district judge rejected her account and she was convicted. Prosecutor Sonia Croft said Baker was a trainer on drink drive awareness courses and said she should not be allowed her to go on such a course. She told Exeter magistrates court that Baker would know the ins and outs of the course and would gain nothing from it. But defence lawyer Vanessa Francis said the Crown's case to prevent her client from paying to go such a course was "spiteful and unnecessarily punitive".
She said this was Baker's first drink-driving offence and it would be unfair to refuse a first time offender the opportunity to go on the course where each individual has to talk about the offence they have committed. District Judge Stephen Nicholls agreed and offered her a place on a course. He banned her from driving for 26 months but that could be reduced by 26 weeks if she passes the course by August 2016. She was also given an 18 month community order and told to pay a total of £430 in costs.
The garage cashier was concerned she was not in a fit state to drive on the second visit and tipped off police. Officers turned up at her home in Pinhoe near Exeter, Devon, and when she eventually answered the door she was so drunk she had to grip walls and furniture to stand up. Baker had denied drink-driving but was convicted after a trial last month - she blamed the high reading on post driving consumption and said she had downed one and a half bottles of wine in around ten minutes before the police came to her home.
But the district judge rejected her account and she was convicted. Prosecutor Sonia Croft said Baker was a trainer on drink drive awareness courses and said she should not be allowed her to go on such a course. She told Exeter magistrates court that Baker would know the ins and outs of the course and would gain nothing from it. But defence lawyer Vanessa Francis said the Crown's case to prevent her client from paying to go such a course was "spiteful and unnecessarily punitive".
She said this was Baker's first drink-driving offence and it would be unfair to refuse a first time offender the opportunity to go on the course where each individual has to talk about the offence they have committed. District Judge Stephen Nicholls agreed and offered her a place on a course. He banned her from driving for 26 months but that could be reduced by 26 weeks if she passes the course by August 2016. She was also given an 18 month community order and told to pay a total of £430 in costs.
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