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Saturday, October 25, 2008
Longest dreadlocks-world record set by Asha Mandela
Asha Mandela, of Davenport in Polk County, has an impressive hair: the longest of her locks 8 feet, 9 inches long-setting the world record for the Longest dreadlocks. Asha, who is originally from Trinidad, said she first cut all of her hair off and began growing the 20-year dreads while she was living in New York.
She said she occasionally considers cutting the dreadlocks but she has become too attached to the style to let it go. "As much as I love it, I get frustrated with it," she said. "But then I realize I'd feel naked without it."
Ryan Spinella, executive assistant to the city administrator of Longwood, Fla., was one of the witnesses on hand to verify the measuring of Mandela's locks. "I couldn't say what to compare it with. Just a lot of hair," Spinella said. "You don't believe it until you measure it, really."
Mandela's hair is her pride. It is much like a child she has raised from infancy for 20 years. She even calls it her baby. But like a child, eight feet of hair is both a blessing and a burden.
She wrings out the water as you would a wet beach towel. When the days are hot, and she takes it out by the pool in the backyard, it takes two hours to dry. When it's humid and cloudy or cool outside, it might take all day for her wet hair to lose its dampness. "I try not to have any errands that day," said Mandela, 46
Mandela says she "used to wash it three times a week. Now I do it once a week. It's very tiring. Sometimes I don't have the energy." It takes one bottle of shampoo and one bottle of conditioner every time she washes her hair.
She said she occasionally considers cutting the dreadlocks but she has become too attached to the style to let it go. "As much as I love it, I get frustrated with it," she said. "But then I realize I'd feel naked without it."
Ryan Spinella, executive assistant to the city administrator of Longwood, Fla., was one of the witnesses on hand to verify the measuring of Mandela's locks. "I couldn't say what to compare it with. Just a lot of hair," Spinella said. "You don't believe it until you measure it, really."
Mandela's hair is her pride. It is much like a child she has raised from infancy for 20 years. She even calls it her baby. But like a child, eight feet of hair is both a blessing and a burden.
She wrings out the water as you would a wet beach towel. When the days are hot, and she takes it out by the pool in the backyard, it takes two hours to dry. When it's humid and cloudy or cool outside, it might take all day for her wet hair to lose its dampness. "I try not to have any errands that day," said Mandela, 46
Mandela says she "used to wash it three times a week. Now I do it once a week. It's very tiring. Sometimes I don't have the energy." It takes one bottle of shampoo and one bottle of conditioner every time she washes her hair.
Woman accused of stealing and dumping neighbour's barking dog
A Hemet woman is under arrest, accused of stealing her neighbour's noisy dog and abandoning it 15 miles away. Riverside County Animal Services officers say Diane M. Brown, 42, had filed multiple complaints about her neighbour's dog, saying "Spike" was too noisy.
But, a Riverside County judge found that the barking dog claims were unfounded.
On Monday, the fluffy, white Maltese disappeared. The dog's owner, Lora Young, said she received a call from a veterinarian saying they had Spike.
Brown was spotted in Beaumont taking Spike out of the truck of her car, and leaving it by the Cherry Valley Water District building on Magnolia Avenue before driving away, according to Animal Services Sgt. Lesley Huennekens.
Hemet police arrested Brown, a corrections officer, on suspicion of felony possession of stolen property, according to Hemet police Sgt. Kevin Caskey. A surveillance camera caught Brown when she returned to the scene to remove the dog's collar.
Spike was unharmed and was taken to a veterinarian by two water district employees. The veterinarian used a tracking chip embedded under the dog's skin to find its owner. Brown was booked on Thursday, but released on $5,000 bail.
But, a Riverside County judge found that the barking dog claims were unfounded.
On Monday, the fluffy, white Maltese disappeared. The dog's owner, Lora Young, said she received a call from a veterinarian saying they had Spike.
Brown was spotted in Beaumont taking Spike out of the truck of her car, and leaving it by the Cherry Valley Water District building on Magnolia Avenue before driving away, according to Animal Services Sgt. Lesley Huennekens.
Hemet police arrested Brown, a corrections officer, on suspicion of felony possession of stolen property, according to Hemet police Sgt. Kevin Caskey. A surveillance camera caught Brown when she returned to the scene to remove the dog's collar.
Spike was unharmed and was taken to a veterinarian by two water district employees. The veterinarian used a tracking chip embedded under the dog's skin to find its owner. Brown was booked on Thursday, but released on $5,000 bail.
Cow drowned in the sea for being impregnated by human
Villagers from Julah in Tejakula, Buleleng, Indonesia, tow a pregnant cow behind a boat into open sea as part of a local traditional ritual.
The cow, which is five months pregnant, was thrown out to the sea about 3 kilometers from land on Monday. The villagers believe the animal was impregnated by a village elder.
During the ritual the man, who was caught red-handed having sexual intercourse with the cow two months ago, joined the boat trip in order to throw away his clothes to to symbolize him discarding his sins.
Julah customary village head Ketut Sidemen said the ritual, called gamya gamana, or freak weeding, and had been conducted there for generations. The decision to perform the ritual was made a local residents meeting.
In line with customary regulations, the perpetrator, identified only as PS, 70, was sanctioned to fund the expensive ceremony, which aimed to cleanse him of any bad influences.
Luh Ketut Suryani, a professor and activist, deplored the sancation against PS. She said drowning a cow was baseless because sexual intercourse between a human being and am animal could not cause pregnancy due to the different chromosomes and genes of the two. "The cow is not guilty, why should it be drowned?"
The cow, which is five months pregnant, was thrown out to the sea about 3 kilometers from land on Monday. The villagers believe the animal was impregnated by a village elder.
During the ritual the man, who was caught red-handed having sexual intercourse with the cow two months ago, joined the boat trip in order to throw away his clothes to to symbolize him discarding his sins.
Julah customary village head Ketut Sidemen said the ritual, called gamya gamana, or freak weeding, and had been conducted there for generations. The decision to perform the ritual was made a local residents meeting.
In line with customary regulations, the perpetrator, identified only as PS, 70, was sanctioned to fund the expensive ceremony, which aimed to cleanse him of any bad influences.
Luh Ketut Suryani, a professor and activist, deplored the sancation against PS. She said drowning a cow was baseless because sexual intercourse between a human being and am animal could not cause pregnancy due to the different chromosomes and genes of the two. "The cow is not guilty, why should it be drowned?"
US parents use drug sniffer dogs on their own children
Retired sniffer dogs that have spent years on police patrol are now working in the private sector in the US - sniffing out teenagers' bedrooms.
Parents can rent a dog and handler for $200 (£125) an hour from Sniff Dogs, a firm operating in New Jersey and Ohio.
The dogs are highly trained and can detect illegal drugs.
The company says the animals can smell marijuana from up to 15 feet away (5m) and residue on clothing from drugs smoked two days earlier.
The dogs sit when they detect the drugs but they leave the final inspection to the parents.
Sniff Dogs claims to offer a "discreet service" that avoids the confrontation that comes from drugs tests because the search can be carried out without the knowledge of their children.
Parents can rent a dog and handler for $200 (£125) an hour from Sniff Dogs, a firm operating in New Jersey and Ohio.
The dogs are highly trained and can detect illegal drugs.
The company says the animals can smell marijuana from up to 15 feet away (5m) and residue on clothing from drugs smoked two days earlier.
The dogs sit when they detect the drugs but they leave the final inspection to the parents.
Sniff Dogs claims to offer a "discreet service" that avoids the confrontation that comes from drugs tests because the search can be carried out without the knowledge of their children.
Denied sex, man urinates on roommate's dog
A dog received an unwelcome soak early yesterday when a man took out revenge on his roommate by allegedly urinating on her pet, according to Manitowoc Police Department reports.
Torey L. Devaux, 36, was arrested and charged with domestic violence-related disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. The incident took place at 1:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of South 11th Street.
According to police an argument between an intoxicated Devaux and his female roommate began after Devaux allegedly pursued sexual contact with the woman and she refused. Devaux was intoxicated and upset, the woman told police, so he went to the basement and urinated on her dog and on the floor.
A verbal argument continued and the woman’s sister stood up in defense, at which point Devaux allegedly grabbed the sister and pushed her into a wall. He then left the home and allegedly punched an exterior window, causing it to shatter. Officers located Devaux on foot near South 10th and Columbus streets and took him into custody.
Torey L. Devaux, 36, was arrested and charged with domestic violence-related disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. The incident took place at 1:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of South 11th Street.
According to police an argument between an intoxicated Devaux and his female roommate began after Devaux allegedly pursued sexual contact with the woman and she refused. Devaux was intoxicated and upset, the woman told police, so he went to the basement and urinated on her dog and on the floor.
A verbal argument continued and the woman’s sister stood up in defense, at which point Devaux allegedly grabbed the sister and pushed her into a wall. He then left the home and allegedly punched an exterior window, causing it to shatter. Officers located Devaux on foot near South 10th and Columbus streets and took him into custody.
Meet Mr Green Genes - the world's first glow-in-the-dark cat
His eyes glow ghoulishly in the right light, just like any other cat's - but so do his nostrils, gums and tongue. Mr Green Genes of New Orleans in the U.S. is the country's first 'glow in the dark' ginger tom.
In daylight he looks normal, but put him in a darkened room and switch on an ultraviolet light, and his face will beam out a bright green.
The six-month-old cat was created by scientists who are trying to combat a range of diseases such as cystic fibrosis. They modified his DNA to see if a gene could be introduced harmlessly into an animal's genetic sequence. To track where the gene went, they decided to use one that glowed under ultraviolet light.
Betsy Dresser, at the Audubon Centre for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, said the gene that was added to Mr Genes has no effect on his health.
It looks like it's blue to me.
She said: 'Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic make-up is similar to that of humans. To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, we settled on one that would glow.'
The long-term goal of this project is to develop what has been dubbed a 'knockout gene' to combat the cystic fibrosis gene and other diseases.
In daylight he looks normal, but put him in a darkened room and switch on an ultraviolet light, and his face will beam out a bright green.
The six-month-old cat was created by scientists who are trying to combat a range of diseases such as cystic fibrosis. They modified his DNA to see if a gene could be introduced harmlessly into an animal's genetic sequence. To track where the gene went, they decided to use one that glowed under ultraviolet light.
Betsy Dresser, at the Audubon Centre for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, said the gene that was added to Mr Genes has no effect on his health.
It looks like it's blue to me.
She said: 'Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic make-up is similar to that of humans. To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, we settled on one that would glow.'
The long-term goal of this project is to develop what has been dubbed a 'knockout gene' to combat the cystic fibrosis gene and other diseases.
Fifty-two cows are killed after lightning hits a wire fence
Fifty-two cows were killed after lightning hit a wire fence they were grazing next to. The Hereford and Normandy breed cows were discovered by the ranch manager in the field.
A veterinary expert who examined the carcases said they had been killed by lightning hitting the wire fence bordering the field where the animals were stood. The incident occurred in Valdez Chico, near Montevideo, Uruguay.
Lightning hits the earth an average 100 times per second, or 8.6 million times a day. Each spark of lightning can reach over five miles in length, soar to temperatures of approximately 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and contain 100 million electrical volts.
The odds of being struck by lightning are approximately 1 in 576,000 and the chance of actually being killed by lightning is about 1 in 2,320,000.
A veterinary expert who examined the carcases said they had been killed by lightning hitting the wire fence bordering the field where the animals were stood. The incident occurred in Valdez Chico, near Montevideo, Uruguay.
Lightning hits the earth an average 100 times per second, or 8.6 million times a day. Each spark of lightning can reach over five miles in length, soar to temperatures of approximately 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and contain 100 million electrical volts.
The odds of being struck by lightning are approximately 1 in 576,000 and the chance of actually being killed by lightning is about 1 in 2,320,000.
'Fart gas' link to blood pressure
The gas best known for being used in many stink bombs may also control blood pressure, say US researchers.
Small amounts of hydrogen sulphide - a toxic gas generated by bacteria living in the human gut - are responsible for the foul odour of flatulence.
But it seems the gas is also produced by an enzyme in blood vessels where it relaxes them and lowers blood pressure.
The findings in mice may lead to new treatments for high blood pressure.
Small amounts of hydrogen sulphide - a toxic gas generated by bacteria living in the human gut - are responsible for the foul odour of flatulence.
But it seems the gas is also produced by an enzyme in blood vessels where it relaxes them and lowers blood pressure.
The findings in mice may lead to new treatments for high blood pressure.
It's vandalism, not art, says council as it bans Banksy
The striking mural, painted under cover of darkness, was intended as a stinging criticism of Big Brother society. So it will come as little surprise to its creator, Banksy, that bureaucracy has ordered the removal of one of his largest works.
Westminster Council has demanded that a mural by the pseudonymous graffiti artist, a 7m (23 ft) criticism of Britain’s CCTV culture, must be painted over. While other authorities have turned a blind eye to Banksy, the council said yesterday that it would remove any graffiti, regardless of the reputation of its creator.
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Westminster said that Banksy had no more right to paint graffiti than a child – which, ironically, is the subject of the piece in question (pictured above).
Robert Davis, the chairman of Westminster’s planning committee, said that the personality behind the artwork was irrelevant. “If we condone this then we might as well say that any kid with a spray can is producing art,” he said. “To go and deface other people’s property is graffiti. Just because he’s famous doesn’t give him that right.”
Westminster Council has demanded that a mural by the pseudonymous graffiti artist, a 7m (23 ft) criticism of Britain’s CCTV culture, must be painted over. While other authorities have turned a blind eye to Banksy, the council said yesterday that it would remove any graffiti, regardless of the reputation of its creator.
Click for bigger.
Westminster said that Banksy had no more right to paint graffiti than a child – which, ironically, is the subject of the piece in question (pictured above).
Robert Davis, the chairman of Westminster’s planning committee, said that the personality behind the artwork was irrelevant. “If we condone this then we might as well say that any kid with a spray can is producing art,” he said. “To go and deface other people’s property is graffiti. Just because he’s famous doesn’t give him that right.”
Man chokes to death on his shish kebab
A man dropped dead in a takeaway after choking to death on a kebab. The customer had taken just two bites of his shish kebab before collapsing in a heap on the floor of the Super Chef in Brighton, East Sussex, and was dead within minutes.
Aja Fyndi, the kebab shop owner, said he was horrified to see the regular customer, in his 50s, slumped on the ground by a window seat with the chilli-laced kebab still on the table in front of him.
Mr Fyndi said: "He is a regular customer and came in for his usual. A shish kebab with salad and lots of chilli sauce. He had only taken a couple of bites before he died."
Mr Fyndi said that after he had handed over the meal he had nipped behind the counter to make a chicken burger for a female customer and left the man sitting at the window eating his kebab. He said the next thing he knew a customer shouted to him 'Someone has died in your shop'.
Paramedics tried to revive the customer on Wednesday at 3pm but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: We got a call that there was a man in the kebab shop and that he had choked on his kebab and was seemingly dead." Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious and that the man's relatives have been informed.
Aja Fyndi, the kebab shop owner, said he was horrified to see the regular customer, in his 50s, slumped on the ground by a window seat with the chilli-laced kebab still on the table in front of him.
Mr Fyndi said: "He is a regular customer and came in for his usual. A shish kebab with salad and lots of chilli sauce. He had only taken a couple of bites before he died."
Mr Fyndi said that after he had handed over the meal he had nipped behind the counter to make a chicken burger for a female customer and left the man sitting at the window eating his kebab. He said the next thing he knew a customer shouted to him 'Someone has died in your shop'.
Paramedics tried to revive the customer on Wednesday at 3pm but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: We got a call that there was a man in the kebab shop and that he had choked on his kebab and was seemingly dead." Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious and that the man's relatives have been informed.
Fishermen catch dog a mile out to sea
Two North Sea fishermen made an unusual catch when they caught a dog. Freddie, a 14-year-old cairn terrier, became disorientated in the fog while on a walk with his owner Jean Brigstock.
It slipped into the water as Mrs Brigstock, 73, searched for it but had no success and assumed he was hiding in a nearby holiday park. However, Freddie was swimming against the tide, almost a mile out to sea.
He was only saved when the two fishermen spotted what they thought was an otter, went to investigate and saw the dog. They pulled him out and contacted the coastguard, as they were not due to return to shore for days, which sent a boat to retrieve him.
Mrs Brigstock said: "I knew he hated water so I thought he'd head for the dunes rather than the sea. It really didn't enter my head that he would swim. He rarely goes through a puddle and has an aversion to baths."
She said: "When I found out he had been found all that way out, I felt frightened. I worried about what state he would be in. He looked like a drowned rat when they found him." Freddie was taken to the vet but was unscathed.
Mrs Brigstock added: "The night he was rescued, he was a little bit under the weather. He was quite quiet and feeling sorry for himself. But the next morning he was ready for his breakfast."
It slipped into the water as Mrs Brigstock, 73, searched for it but had no success and assumed he was hiding in a nearby holiday park. However, Freddie was swimming against the tide, almost a mile out to sea.
He was only saved when the two fishermen spotted what they thought was an otter, went to investigate and saw the dog. They pulled him out and contacted the coastguard, as they were not due to return to shore for days, which sent a boat to retrieve him.
Mrs Brigstock said: "I knew he hated water so I thought he'd head for the dunes rather than the sea. It really didn't enter my head that he would swim. He rarely goes through a puddle and has an aversion to baths."
She said: "When I found out he had been found all that way out, I felt frightened. I worried about what state he would be in. He looked like a drowned rat when they found him." Freddie was taken to the vet but was unscathed.
Mrs Brigstock added: "The night he was rescued, he was a little bit under the weather. He was quite quiet and feeling sorry for himself. But the next morning he was ready for his breakfast."
Contractors paint yellow lines around car
Council contractors painted yellow lines around Paul McCarthy's car while he was on holiday.
The 31-year-old was stunned when he returned from a weekend away to find his once legally parked motor marked out for attention on Hyde Terrace in Woodhouse.
Traffic wardens have slapped three £70 fines on it and the bar manager who lives in the centre of city is now in a wrangle with Leeds City Council.
Paul said: "The traffic warden had given me three parking tickets. I've told the council to say I've no intention of paying the fines."
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: "We do not enforce parking restrictions in any ways which are illegal and are addressing locations where signs and lines do not conform to regulations.
"We have to comply to the letter of the law and never knowingly issue a parking ticket where the lines or signs are incorrect. All of our parking attendants are specifically trained in this respect."
The 31-year-old was stunned when he returned from a weekend away to find his once legally parked motor marked out for attention on Hyde Terrace in Woodhouse.
Traffic wardens have slapped three £70 fines on it and the bar manager who lives in the centre of city is now in a wrangle with Leeds City Council.
Paul said: "The traffic warden had given me three parking tickets. I've told the council to say I've no intention of paying the fines."
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: "We do not enforce parking restrictions in any ways which are illegal and are addressing locations where signs and lines do not conform to regulations.
"We have to comply to the letter of the law and never knowingly issue a parking ticket where the lines or signs are incorrect. All of our parking attendants are specifically trained in this respect."
Almost 75% of fires in Wales are arson
New figures have shown that almost three-quarters of all blazes attended by firefighters in Wales in the period 2007-08 were started deliberately.
There were also 31 deaths due to fire during the year.
The figures from the Local Government Data Unit have been collated to give the public a snapshot of the challenges facing firefighters in Wales.
Firefighters attended 24,631 blazes across Wales in the 2007-08 period and 73% had been started on purpose, the Local Government Data Unit found.
There were also 31 deaths due to fire during the year.
The figures from the Local Government Data Unit have been collated to give the public a snapshot of the challenges facing firefighters in Wales.
Firefighters attended 24,631 blazes across Wales in the 2007-08 period and 73% had been started on purpose, the Local Government Data Unit found.
Friday, October 24, 2008
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