Friday, November 02, 2012
Man walks on mattresses for a living
Professional mattress walker, Reuben Reynoso, who is paid to walk on three mattresses a day says: "It's work. It's not for everybody. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it." Walking on a mattress, which is known in the trade as 'walking the bed', is one of the final steps in making a handmade mattress or, to be more precise, a hand-and-foot-made mattress. It may be true that machines can be made to walk on a mattress. But a machine cannot do what Reynoso and his toes can do, which is to expertly compress no fewer than 28 layers of fluffy cotton batting while seeking to detect tiny lumps or other imperfections.
Reynoso does his walking in the McRoskey mattress factory on Potrero Hill in San Francisco, California. McRoskey have been making high-end mattresses for 112 years and are something of a cult among mattress fanciers. The company turn out only a dozen or so mattresses per day, which sell for $2,750. In mattress walking, moderation is all. Too many steps and the cotton batting ends up either too compressed or punctured. Too few and either the mattress will not fit into the giant stitching machine for the final sewing, or an errant lump could get through and require a complete makeover.
Mattress making is something of a delicate operation. The walking part is only the last step - Reynoso and his colleagues assemble each mattress by hand from the coils out, laying the delicate, fluffy layers of cotton-polyester batting atop the core of coils one by one. After nearly three dozen layers are in position, top and bottom, the whole thing is crunched together and held in place with 40 giant safety pins. Then, a thick protective mat goes over the mattress in progress. Reynoso steps onto the middle of one edge and walks forwards, backwards and sideways. He works a precise grid pattern, covering each section of the surface once.
YouTube link.
After the walking comes the final stitching on a giant sewing machine that applies a precise line of thread to within a 1/16 -inch tolerance. Any greater than that and the inspectors won't sign off on the mattress, which means Reynoso and his fellow assemblers must take the thing apart and start all over. Reynoso says the job suits him just fine. He used to be a carpenter, roofer, construction worker, railroad engineer and maker of corn syrup. None of those jobs, he said, provided the satisfaction of making a mattress. "It just feels good to make one of these," he said. "Sleep is so important. Everybody in the world has to do it. I like being a part of that."
Reynoso does his walking in the McRoskey mattress factory on Potrero Hill in San Francisco, California. McRoskey have been making high-end mattresses for 112 years and are something of a cult among mattress fanciers. The company turn out only a dozen or so mattresses per day, which sell for $2,750. In mattress walking, moderation is all. Too many steps and the cotton batting ends up either too compressed or punctured. Too few and either the mattress will not fit into the giant stitching machine for the final sewing, or an errant lump could get through and require a complete makeover.
Mattress making is something of a delicate operation. The walking part is only the last step - Reynoso and his colleagues assemble each mattress by hand from the coils out, laying the delicate, fluffy layers of cotton-polyester batting atop the core of coils one by one. After nearly three dozen layers are in position, top and bottom, the whole thing is crunched together and held in place with 40 giant safety pins. Then, a thick protective mat goes over the mattress in progress. Reynoso steps onto the middle of one edge and walks forwards, backwards and sideways. He works a precise grid pattern, covering each section of the surface once.
YouTube link.
After the walking comes the final stitching on a giant sewing machine that applies a precise line of thread to within a 1/16 -inch tolerance. Any greater than that and the inspectors won't sign off on the mattress, which means Reynoso and his fellow assemblers must take the thing apart and start all over. Reynoso says the job suits him just fine. He used to be a carpenter, roofer, construction worker, railroad engineer and maker of corn syrup. None of those jobs, he said, provided the satisfaction of making a mattress. "It just feels good to make one of these," he said. "Sleep is so important. Everybody in the world has to do it. I like being a part of that."
Woman battered dog with mop as it bit off boyfriend's testicle
A Toronto woman battered her 70-kilogram American Bulldog with a mop in a desperate bid to save her boyfriend after the dog tore off one of his testicles, police said on Wednesday.
Staff-Sgt. Glenn Gray said the 52-year-old victim was “feeding it some treats” when the three-year-old normally well-behaved large animal “bit him on the face and neck,” then sank its teeth into the struggling man’s groin. During the attack in her apartment, Gray said the woman “beat the dog off with a mop.”
Another person was present, but was uninjured by the dog, who is called “Bully,” he said. Paramedics were dispatched following a 911 call and took the badly bleeding dog-bite victim to a hospital, where police expected him to make a recovery.
He has a separate address from his girlfriend. Their names were not released. Gray was unaware of the dog being investigated for any previous incidents. He said Bully was turned over to the city’s animal control staff and will remain under quarantine for 10 days as the attack is investigated.
Staff-Sgt. Glenn Gray said the 52-year-old victim was “feeding it some treats” when the three-year-old normally well-behaved large animal “bit him on the face and neck,” then sank its teeth into the struggling man’s groin. During the attack in her apartment, Gray said the woman “beat the dog off with a mop.”
Another person was present, but was uninjured by the dog, who is called “Bully,” he said. Paramedics were dispatched following a 911 call and took the badly bleeding dog-bite victim to a hospital, where police expected him to make a recovery.
He has a separate address from his girlfriend. Their names were not released. Gray was unaware of the dog being investigated for any previous incidents. He said Bully was turned over to the city’s animal control staff and will remain under quarantine for 10 days as the attack is investigated.
Elderly lady claims grand daughter hid 55 rocks of crack in her vagina as she slept
A grandmother has been charged with drug smuggling after police found 55 rocks of crack hidden in her privates. Berenice Fernandes, 74, claimed she knew nothing about the stash of drugs and said her granddaughter must have hidden them on her while she was sleeping.
A female police officer discovered a plastic bag containing the rocks of crack cocaine stashed in Fernandes' vagina after officers arrested the pensioner and her 33-year-old granddaughter Glaucia Bispo in Salvador, Brazil.
Police in Salvador said officers from the force's drugs squad had been monitoring Fernandes and Bispo, who they suspected were behind a surge in drug dealing in the Boca do Rio area of the city in north east Brazil. Officers were called to the grandmother's house on Friday night after neighbours complained about noise coming from a raucous party at the property.
Fernandes and Bispo were stopped as they tried to leave the house and searched by a female officer, who discovered the stash of rocks wrapped in a plastic bag in the grandmother's privates. The women were also found to be carrying the equivalent of £40 in cash - believed to be proceeds of drug deals at the party. Both women were arrested and charged with drug smuggling.
A female police officer discovered a plastic bag containing the rocks of crack cocaine stashed in Fernandes' vagina after officers arrested the pensioner and her 33-year-old granddaughter Glaucia Bispo in Salvador, Brazil.
Police in Salvador said officers from the force's drugs squad had been monitoring Fernandes and Bispo, who they suspected were behind a surge in drug dealing in the Boca do Rio area of the city in north east Brazil. Officers were called to the grandmother's house on Friday night after neighbours complained about noise coming from a raucous party at the property.
Fernandes and Bispo were stopped as they tried to leave the house and searched by a female officer, who discovered the stash of rocks wrapped in a plastic bag in the grandmother's privates. The women were also found to be carrying the equivalent of £40 in cash - believed to be proceeds of drug deals at the party. Both women were arrested and charged with drug smuggling.
Man who wore metal ring to keep track of penis size warns others not to
An emergency call for assistance to help a man with a metal ring around his sexual organ was received by the radio centre of the rescue unit of Sawangprateepthammasathan Sriracha, Chonburi province in Thailand earlier this week.
The doctor and nurse of the emergency room at Aow Udom hospital in Amphur Sriracha were asked to assist the male patient, who had the ring of a motorbike encasing his sexual organ that could not be taken off. Rescue officers found that the man’s sexual organ was swollen, so the officers used a small saw to cut the ring off, which took more than an hour.
The man, aged about 40, did not reveal his name and surname. He said after finishing work at his construction job, he always wore the ring of the motorbike to measure the size of his sexual organ. But that day his sexual organ got erect to a bigger size than usual, so he could not take off the ring, and he felt so shy so he didn’t go to see the doctor.
So he left the ring on overnight until his sexual organ was swollen and bleeding, and he felt the hurt so much, so he decided to ask his relatives to take him to the hospital. The man would like to warn other people not to do this because it was so dangerous. He said it was very frightening to see the doctors, nurses and rescue officer bringing the cutting equipment into the emergency room.
The doctor and nurse of the emergency room at Aow Udom hospital in Amphur Sriracha were asked to assist the male patient, who had the ring of a motorbike encasing his sexual organ that could not be taken off. Rescue officers found that the man’s sexual organ was swollen, so the officers used a small saw to cut the ring off, which took more than an hour.
The man, aged about 40, did not reveal his name and surname. He said after finishing work at his construction job, he always wore the ring of the motorbike to measure the size of his sexual organ. But that day his sexual organ got erect to a bigger size than usual, so he could not take off the ring, and he felt so shy so he didn’t go to see the doctor.
So he left the ring on overnight until his sexual organ was swollen and bleeding, and he felt the hurt so much, so he decided to ask his relatives to take him to the hospital. The man would like to warn other people not to do this because it was so dangerous. He said it was very frightening to see the doctors, nurses and rescue officer bringing the cutting equipment into the emergency room.
Shopkeeper foiled knife-wielding robbers with hail of chocolate bars
A female shopkeeper hurled chocolates at would-be robbers armed with knives who attempted to steal cash from an Adelaide, Australia, deli yesterday. The two teenage boys entered the Smithfield Plains mini mart at about 1.30pm, brandished their knives and demanded cash.
But their demands were refused by the woman who issued the ultimate Halloween trick, screaming at them to "f ... off" before showering them with chocolate bars she grabbed from the counter. She then chased the boys out of the store and into a nearby field, where the suspects dumped their jackets and fled empty handed.
YouTube link.
Owner Buck Nasr said there should be stricter penalties for armed robbers. "The problem is the law has to change now, it's about time (because) this is getting too much. They have to be more harsh on them," he said.
Police have seized the boys' jackets and CCTV footage of the incident. One of the boys was described as Caucasian and the other of Aboriginal appearance. One was said to be wearing a black and white striped hooded jacket and black shorts, the other a grey hooded jacket and black pants.
But their demands were refused by the woman who issued the ultimate Halloween trick, screaming at them to "f ... off" before showering them with chocolate bars she grabbed from the counter. She then chased the boys out of the store and into a nearby field, where the suspects dumped their jackets and fled empty handed.
YouTube link.
Owner Buck Nasr said there should be stricter penalties for armed robbers. "The problem is the law has to change now, it's about time (because) this is getting too much. They have to be more harsh on them," he said.
Police have seized the boys' jackets and CCTV footage of the incident. One of the boys was described as Caucasian and the other of Aboriginal appearance. One was said to be wearing a black and white striped hooded jacket and black shorts, the other a grey hooded jacket and black pants.
Firefighters in fireplace video mix-up
Worried staff at an elderly care home in Jönköping in southern Sweden alerted the emergency services on Wednesday evening after seeing what they thought was fire flickering through a window in the adjacent building.
“It was in an apartment building and because they work where they do and there was a door code for the residential building, they had no way of getting in," said firefighter Jerker Sturedahl.
The staff at the elderly care home, which houses 22 patients, decided to call emergency services before the fire spread anywhere else. “They called us and alerted us of a fire," said Sturedahl. However, when the emergency services arrived on the scene shortly after responding to the call, they were in for a bit of a surprise.
The fire that the personnel in the nearby building had spotted through the window turned out to be something much less harmful. “We quickly realized that it was one of those DVDs of a fireplace,” said Sturedahl. “We even stayed and watched the fire for a while afterwards," said Göran Gunnarson of the local police after the incident.
“It was in an apartment building and because they work where they do and there was a door code for the residential building, they had no way of getting in," said firefighter Jerker Sturedahl.
The staff at the elderly care home, which houses 22 patients, decided to call emergency services before the fire spread anywhere else. “They called us and alerted us of a fire," said Sturedahl. However, when the emergency services arrived on the scene shortly after responding to the call, they were in for a bit of a surprise.
The fire that the personnel in the nearby building had spotted through the window turned out to be something much less harmful. “We quickly realized that it was one of those DVDs of a fireplace,” said Sturedahl. “We even stayed and watched the fire for a while afterwards," said Göran Gunnarson of the local police after the incident.
Council threatened pensioner with jail for 'leaf sweeping'
A grandmother of four has been threatened with jail for sweeping the leaves outside her home. Barbara Ray, 82, was accused of 'causing a hazard' by brushing the fallen leaves into a 'large heap' for roadsweepers to collect. She was warned her simple attempts to keep the neighbourhood tidy could leave her facing prosecution for fly-tipping, punishable by a £50,000 fine and a 12-month jail term. When Mrs Ray queried the letter, she was astonished to discover council contractors had photographed her gardener, who visits once a fortnight, sweeping the leaves into the street. And the council even defended its stance by claiming that her behaviour was 'unacceptable'.
Mrs Ray branded the council officials ‘petty bureaucrats’ as she told of her anger over the letter’s threatening tone. She said: ‘It’s bureaucracy gone mad. I’m not a person who wants to make a fuss but it was a shock to read that letter. When I challenged the district council officer and asked him how he knew I’d cleared the leaves into the road from the front of my house, he said they had photos to prove it. I like to keep my house neat and tidy. The council told me to use my green bin – but that is soon full of garden waste because they only empty it once a fortnight. I’m just annoyed that the council can treat me like this.’ In a letter sent last week, an official from the district council warned Mrs Ray: ‘You were seen removing leaves from your front garden and depositing them in the road channel in front of your property.
‘Abandoning material in this manner constitutes fly-tipping under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which is punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 and/or 12 months’ imprisonment.’ A spokesman for the authority said that during the autumn, road sweepers are sent once a week to 100 of the worst roads for leaf fall in the district – one of which is Mrs Ray’s. But she claims the sweepers do not come ‘for weeks’ at a time, so she frequently has to sweep up the leaves from her garden, driveway and the footpath. Mrs Ray said: ‘I’ve lived through the war and have been in this town all my life. I pay my council tax and should receive this service. I’ve got better things to worry about at my age than this.’
Mrs Ray said the council has now dropped its threat to prosecute after she promised to stop the sweeping. She turned down the authority’s offer to supply her with a second green bin – for a £35 charge. She will now put the leaves into refuse sacks, which a friend will drive to the council waste disposal centre. A council spokesman said the ‘very large heap’ of leaves from Mrs Ray’s lawn which had been left in the ‘road channel’ were a ‘hazard’, which caused cars to move further into the road. He added: ‘Moving the leaves in this manner is unacceptable and can cause additional problems with blocking of drains. The District Council would like to apologise if the letter sent to Mrs Ray caused any concern.’ He added that the letter had been addressed to ‘The Household’, not Mrs Ray herself.
Mrs Ray branded the council officials ‘petty bureaucrats’ as she told of her anger over the letter’s threatening tone. She said: ‘It’s bureaucracy gone mad. I’m not a person who wants to make a fuss but it was a shock to read that letter. When I challenged the district council officer and asked him how he knew I’d cleared the leaves into the road from the front of my house, he said they had photos to prove it. I like to keep my house neat and tidy. The council told me to use my green bin – but that is soon full of garden waste because they only empty it once a fortnight. I’m just annoyed that the council can treat me like this.’ In a letter sent last week, an official from the district council warned Mrs Ray: ‘You were seen removing leaves from your front garden and depositing them in the road channel in front of your property.
‘Abandoning material in this manner constitutes fly-tipping under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which is punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 and/or 12 months’ imprisonment.’ A spokesman for the authority said that during the autumn, road sweepers are sent once a week to 100 of the worst roads for leaf fall in the district – one of which is Mrs Ray’s. But she claims the sweepers do not come ‘for weeks’ at a time, so she frequently has to sweep up the leaves from her garden, driveway and the footpath. Mrs Ray said: ‘I’ve lived through the war and have been in this town all my life. I pay my council tax and should receive this service. I’ve got better things to worry about at my age than this.’
Mrs Ray said the council has now dropped its threat to prosecute after she promised to stop the sweeping. She turned down the authority’s offer to supply her with a second green bin – for a £35 charge. She will now put the leaves into refuse sacks, which a friend will drive to the council waste disposal centre. A council spokesman said the ‘very large heap’ of leaves from Mrs Ray’s lawn which had been left in the ‘road channel’ were a ‘hazard’, which caused cars to move further into the road. He added: ‘Moving the leaves in this manner is unacceptable and can cause additional problems with blocking of drains. The District Council would like to apologise if the letter sent to Mrs Ray caused any concern.’ He added that the letter had been addressed to ‘The Household’, not Mrs Ray herself.
Boris Johnson calls hecklers 'lefty tossers'
Mayor of London Boris Johnson was heckled by an angry mob on Wednesday during a visit to Bristol. As the Mayor of London walked through the city, during a visit to support the Tory candidate for the upcoming police commissioner elections, a group of young men and women began tailing him yelling "Tory scum" and "pleb".
The Mayor of London's calm broke only once when he turned to the group and shouted: "Lefty tossers". A young man bellowed back: "Tory wanker".
YouTube link.
When he stopped to pose for photographs and answer questions from the press, his words were further drowned out by insults and catcalls. One woman shouted: "Boo! You are not welcome in Bristol." In a final bid to pacify the unruly mob, the floppy-haired Tory pleaded: "I don't want a crusty civil war breaking out. Come on, please.
"Can the neo-anarcho syndicalist fringe stick together please? This is not the time for disputes." His florid retort fell on deaf ears, so he swiftly retreated into an Art Warehouse cafe, but not before telling them to "bog off" as he slipped through the doorway.
The Mayor of London's calm broke only once when he turned to the group and shouted: "Lefty tossers". A young man bellowed back: "Tory wanker".
YouTube link.
When he stopped to pose for photographs and answer questions from the press, his words were further drowned out by insults and catcalls. One woman shouted: "Boo! You are not welcome in Bristol." In a final bid to pacify the unruly mob, the floppy-haired Tory pleaded: "I don't want a crusty civil war breaking out. Come on, please.
"Can the neo-anarcho syndicalist fringe stick together please? This is not the time for disputes." His florid retort fell on deaf ears, so he swiftly retreated into an Art Warehouse cafe, but not before telling them to "bog off" as he slipped through the doorway.
Dog taken to canine beauty parlour for wash and brush returned almost bald
The RSPCA is investigating after a dog had all its fur shaved off at a grooming salon in Southbourne, Dorset. Snieguole Ghuman, 50, took her white Alsatian, Simba, 7, to Starz Grooming Salon, on Southbourne Grove, for a wash and brush last Saturday, October 27, but the dog was returned to her without any fur on its body. When she asked why, Snieguole was told that Simba’s fur was too matted to brush and so it had to be shaved off, for which she would be charged £70. Her daughter, Bridget Pritchett, 28, said: “The owner of the salon said that his coat is really matted and so she contacted the RSPCA about it.
“But the lady who came from the RSPCA said it is fine, although she had never seen such a thick coat on an Alsatian. She could understand that it may get tangled, as he goes in the sea and mud a lot. If there was any matting, it would have been on his belly, so I don’t know why she shaved all his fur off up to his neck. Our Lion King now looks like an Egyptian hairless cat. Mum also had to take him to the vet’s because he had some blood coming off his legs. So it has gone from her reporting our dog to the RSPCA, to us reporting her.
“They never called to ask if it was okay to shave Simba’s fur off, they just went ahead and did it.” Georgia Barnett, 19, who runs Starz, said: “I’ve never seen a dog with such matted fur. She had no choice and back in March it was so matted then and I told her that. I don’t care what my customers think. I don’t take any notice of what the owners want, I want to do what is best for the dog and their welfare and happiness. I phoned the RSPCA and they said that it was the right thing to do.
“She wanted the dog’s fur to be washed and brushed and I said that I would do the best that I can. The dog’s skin was bright red from where the fur was so matted. The RSPCA said to keep the fur for them to see, which I have done. I’m not saying that she is cruel to the dog, but she needs to brush it more. The dog was in perfect condition when it left the place and there were no cuts on its legs.” A spokesperson for the RSPCA confirmed that they had received a complaint but said would not comment further while the issue was under investigation.
There are a series of photos taken by the grooming salon here.
“But the lady who came from the RSPCA said it is fine, although she had never seen such a thick coat on an Alsatian. She could understand that it may get tangled, as he goes in the sea and mud a lot. If there was any matting, it would have been on his belly, so I don’t know why she shaved all his fur off up to his neck. Our Lion King now looks like an Egyptian hairless cat. Mum also had to take him to the vet’s because he had some blood coming off his legs. So it has gone from her reporting our dog to the RSPCA, to us reporting her.
“They never called to ask if it was okay to shave Simba’s fur off, they just went ahead and did it.” Georgia Barnett, 19, who runs Starz, said: “I’ve never seen a dog with such matted fur. She had no choice and back in March it was so matted then and I told her that. I don’t care what my customers think. I don’t take any notice of what the owners want, I want to do what is best for the dog and their welfare and happiness. I phoned the RSPCA and they said that it was the right thing to do.
“She wanted the dog’s fur to be washed and brushed and I said that I would do the best that I can. The dog’s skin was bright red from where the fur was so matted. The RSPCA said to keep the fur for them to see, which I have done. I’m not saying that she is cruel to the dog, but she needs to brush it more. The dog was in perfect condition when it left the place and there were no cuts on its legs.” A spokesperson for the RSPCA confirmed that they had received a complaint but said would not comment further while the issue was under investigation.
There are a series of photos taken by the grooming salon here.
Agoraphobic owl given his own brick house
Gandalf the Great Grey Owl who is afraid of flying outside in big open spaces has been given an aviary inside his own red brick house.
He now spends his days watching the world go by out of his window.
"He is a bit of a wuss as he doesn't like flying in big open spaces," said owner Janet Southard, who runs the Wild Arena photography company, based inside Knowsley Safari Park near Liverpool.
"When we moved here we put him in the shed temporarily while we built his aviary outside. But he didn't want to move so now he has an aviary inside the lovely red brick shed. He loves sitting at the window and watching the other birds."
He now spends his days watching the world go by out of his window.
"He is a bit of a wuss as he doesn't like flying in big open spaces," said owner Janet Southard, who runs the Wild Arena photography company, based inside Knowsley Safari Park near Liverpool.
"When we moved here we put him in the shed temporarily while we built his aviary outside. But he didn't want to move so now he has an aviary inside the lovely red brick shed. He loves sitting at the window and watching the other birds."
Trick-or-treat children given cocaine
Children were handed packets of cocaine instead of sweets on a Halloween trick-or-treating trip, Greater Manchester Police have said.
Two people have been arrested after bags containing the class A drug were handed to children in Royton, Oldham, on Wednesday evening, officers said.
The man and woman are suspected of possessing class A drugs.
Two bags of cocaine were recovered by police after children found them in their trick-or-treat bags.
Two people have been arrested after bags containing the class A drug were handed to children in Royton, Oldham, on Wednesday evening, officers said.
The man and woman are suspected of possessing class A drugs.
Two bags of cocaine were recovered by police after children found them in their trick-or-treat bags.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)