Sunday, August 18, 2013
Sea snail hatched in boy's knee
A four-year-old boy from California returned home from a family beach holiday with a rather unusual souvenir - a sea snail which hatched and grew inside his knee.
Paul Franklin, from Aliso Viejo in Orange County, fell and grazed his knee on rocks whilst on a summer camping trip. His parents became worried as the wound started to become swollen and infected.
Three weeks later, the boy's mother, Rachael, decided to squeeze the sore on his knee - and out popped the sea-snail. "His knee was size of orange, and hot to the touch and he's limping.
YouTube link.
She said what came out "looked like a rock - it was a black thing and I put it on paper-towel and it had whirls and I turned it over and it was a sea-snail and I just like had to laugh". The family have now put the creature into their fish-tank and named it Turbo.
Paul Franklin, from Aliso Viejo in Orange County, fell and grazed his knee on rocks whilst on a summer camping trip. His parents became worried as the wound started to become swollen and infected.
Three weeks later, the boy's mother, Rachael, decided to squeeze the sore on his knee - and out popped the sea-snail. "His knee was size of orange, and hot to the touch and he's limping.
YouTube link.
She said what came out "looked like a rock - it was a black thing and I put it on paper-towel and it had whirls and I turned it over and it was a sea-snail and I just like had to laugh". The family have now put the creature into their fish-tank and named it Turbo.
Taiwanese vet sued by Australian diplomat for saving dog rather than euthanising it
Benji, a 10-year-old mongrel that had a debilitating stroke earlier this year was taken to veterinarian, Yang Dong-sheng in Taipei, Taiwan. According to the dog’s owner, Representative Kevin Magee of the Australian Office, Taipei, Yang had advised euthanisation. “Our family came to the difficult decision to have Benji humanely euthanised to save her needless indignity and suffering. We did so on the advice of the family vet, and in consultation with Benji’s previous owners,” said Magee in a formal statement. Unbeknownst to Magee, Yang accepted payment for euthanisation but did not euthanise the dog. Instead, Yang continued to treat Benji at his own expense. Within a few weeks, the dog had recovered enough to bound out of Yang’s home and into the net of a Beitou-based dog-catcher. “We trusted the vet and were shocked to learn that Benji had been found wandering on the street. Thankfully, she was taken to the animal shelter. Benji has now returned to our home,” said Magee, who filed a lawsuit against Yang for fraud.
Since then, the case has triggered public outcry. “At the Yangming clinic there is a dog without front legs and a dog without back legs. Dr. Yang rescued both and has adopted them. He is a really good veterinarian and the fact that he is being sued is infuriating,” said one local woman surnamed Lu. Animal rescuer Sean McCormack, another of Yang’s veterinary clients, is promoting a campaign against the Australian Office. “The diplomat may think he has a legal right to sue Dr. Yang for some kind of breach of contract, but to threaten one of Taiwan’s most compassionate vets for saving a dog’s life instead of killing him was a very unwise and undiplomatic move. He should demonstrate true Australian character and make amends by releasing Benji to Dr. Yang’s care immediately,” McCormack said. Yang has stressed he did not advise euthanisation. “When the woman brought her in, this dog couldn’t stand up. After blood work and other procedures I diagnosed the dog with a stroke,” said Yang. “Because it was only a stroke, I told the woman that the possibility for recovery is high. In most cases, these cases can be cured,” Yang said.
“She said that she would go home and discuss it ‘with them.’ I didn’t know who ‘they’ were,” Yang added. The veterinarian said he had believed the woman was the dog’s owner. He never interacted with Magee or other members of the family. “To be honest, when she came in, I did not know she was [the Magees’] maid … I could not tell from her appearance that she was their maid, and she did not tell me she was their maid … When she brought it over, of course I thought she was the owner,” said Yang. According to Yang, the woman understood that he would continue to treat the dog. “Later she brought the dog back and said that the decision is to euthanise. I said, ‘We haven’t come to that bridge yet.’ I told her I would continue trying to treat the dog, but would collect a bill for the medical care so far, the euthanising fee and the cremation fee [NT$8,500 ($180, $285) total], because it’s possible that the dog will still die,” said Yang. “I very clearly told her that the dog will continue to be treated. The woman was thankful and she cried - literally, I saw tears. I found out later that she had been the primary caretaker for the dog,” said Yang.
Earlier this month, Yang received a call from a staffer surnamed Liu at the Australian Office Taipei. “I didn’t know why she was contacting me. Then during our conversation I discovered that Benji belongs to someone at the Australian Office,” Yang said. According to Yang, the staffer said Benji is one of two dogs adopted by a former Australian representative. When the former chief left on assignment to China, his replacement, Magee, inherited the dogs. Yang later received a call from Magee himself, who requested a refund for the NT$8,500 ($180, $285) paid for euthanization and other services, as well as a formal apology. Yang refused, saying that NT$8,500 is less than the expenses incurred for Benji’s full course of treatment. “We argued violently and he said he would take it to the police,” said Yang. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Australian office said that the case is a private matter involving the family of a staff member and that the office would not be offering comment. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also emphasized the apolitical nature of the case. “This is a personal matter between Australia’s representative in Taiwan and another individual. It does not impact Australia’s relationship with Taiwan,” said a spokesperson in Barton, Australia.
Since then, the case has triggered public outcry. “At the Yangming clinic there is a dog without front legs and a dog without back legs. Dr. Yang rescued both and has adopted them. He is a really good veterinarian and the fact that he is being sued is infuriating,” said one local woman surnamed Lu. Animal rescuer Sean McCormack, another of Yang’s veterinary clients, is promoting a campaign against the Australian Office. “The diplomat may think he has a legal right to sue Dr. Yang for some kind of breach of contract, but to threaten one of Taiwan’s most compassionate vets for saving a dog’s life instead of killing him was a very unwise and undiplomatic move. He should demonstrate true Australian character and make amends by releasing Benji to Dr. Yang’s care immediately,” McCormack said. Yang has stressed he did not advise euthanisation. “When the woman brought her in, this dog couldn’t stand up. After blood work and other procedures I diagnosed the dog with a stroke,” said Yang. “Because it was only a stroke, I told the woman that the possibility for recovery is high. In most cases, these cases can be cured,” Yang said.
“She said that she would go home and discuss it ‘with them.’ I didn’t know who ‘they’ were,” Yang added. The veterinarian said he had believed the woman was the dog’s owner. He never interacted with Magee or other members of the family. “To be honest, when she came in, I did not know she was [the Magees’] maid … I could not tell from her appearance that she was their maid, and she did not tell me she was their maid … When she brought it over, of course I thought she was the owner,” said Yang. According to Yang, the woman understood that he would continue to treat the dog. “Later she brought the dog back and said that the decision is to euthanise. I said, ‘We haven’t come to that bridge yet.’ I told her I would continue trying to treat the dog, but would collect a bill for the medical care so far, the euthanising fee and the cremation fee [NT$8,500 ($180, $285) total], because it’s possible that the dog will still die,” said Yang. “I very clearly told her that the dog will continue to be treated. The woman was thankful and she cried - literally, I saw tears. I found out later that she had been the primary caretaker for the dog,” said Yang.
Earlier this month, Yang received a call from a staffer surnamed Liu at the Australian Office Taipei. “I didn’t know why she was contacting me. Then during our conversation I discovered that Benji belongs to someone at the Australian Office,” Yang said. According to Yang, the staffer said Benji is one of two dogs adopted by a former Australian representative. When the former chief left on assignment to China, his replacement, Magee, inherited the dogs. Yang later received a call from Magee himself, who requested a refund for the NT$8,500 ($180, $285) paid for euthanization and other services, as well as a formal apology. Yang refused, saying that NT$8,500 is less than the expenses incurred for Benji’s full course of treatment. “We argued violently and he said he would take it to the police,” said Yang. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Australian office said that the case is a private matter involving the family of a staff member and that the office would not be offering comment. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also emphasized the apolitical nature of the case. “This is a personal matter between Australia’s representative in Taiwan and another individual. It does not impact Australia’s relationship with Taiwan,” said a spokesperson in Barton, Australia.
Mother claims to have found live worm in child's Capri Sun juice drink pouch
A Michigan woman claims to have sucked up what appears to be a wiggling white worm when taking a sip of her son's packaged juice drink. Emmie Field of Livingston County's Howell Township usually takes the first sips of her son Carter’s Capri Sun drink because at 18 months, he has a tendency to spill it when it’s full.
She’s never been more glad about that than last week, when she sucked up what appears to be a white worm through the thin yellow straw. “I spit it out in the sink,” she said. “There wasn’t enough mouthwash in the world to get the feeling out of my mouth.” Field said when she called the company, representatives tried to pass off the worm as mould, but she said, “Mould doesn’t have a head like this or wiggle.”
She said she purchased the drink from the Walmart in Fowlerville. Carter and her 4-year-old daughter had already consumed two other pouches out of the same package as well as all of the pouches in a separate box purchased the same date. “Of course I called the doctor and asked if this is something I need to be worried about,” she said.
YouTube link.
“The doctor said they should be fine unless they start puking.” Field said she doesn’t purchase the drink for its wholesome properties. “Honestly, that stuff doesn’t cross my mind,” she said. “It’s just cheap, and they come in a pack that’s good for travelling.” Laboratory officials contracted by Kraft Foods are set to test the worm.
She’s never been more glad about that than last week, when she sucked up what appears to be a white worm through the thin yellow straw. “I spit it out in the sink,” she said. “There wasn’t enough mouthwash in the world to get the feeling out of my mouth.” Field said when she called the company, representatives tried to pass off the worm as mould, but she said, “Mould doesn’t have a head like this or wiggle.”
She said she purchased the drink from the Walmart in Fowlerville. Carter and her 4-year-old daughter had already consumed two other pouches out of the same package as well as all of the pouches in a separate box purchased the same date. “Of course I called the doctor and asked if this is something I need to be worried about,” she said.
YouTube link.
“The doctor said they should be fine unless they start puking.” Field said she doesn’t purchase the drink for its wholesome properties. “Honestly, that stuff doesn’t cross my mind,” she said. “It’s just cheap, and they come in a pack that’s good for travelling.” Laboratory officials contracted by Kraft Foods are set to test the worm.
Man who filled soon to be ex-wife's hot tub with manure arrested after police tractor chase
A Quebec man is facing charges after he allegedly filled his estranged wife's hot tub with manure after being served with divorce papers.
On Tuesday morning, Quebec provincial police were called to a house in the small town of Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie, located about an hour and a half north of Montreal, after receiving a mischief complaint. “On site, the officers saw a man with a tractor placing manure in the spa, or the hot tub, of his ex-wife and [at] the front door,” said Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau.
The man allegedly refused to stop when ordered to by police and then tried to take off on the tractor. Police soon caught up with him. “He was arrested within minutes,” Bilodeau said. “One police officer was injured, but from what I heard it was only minor injuries.”
The suspect is a retired police officer and had just received notice that his estranged wife had started divorce proceedings. He had to be subdued with pepper spray. A 64-year-old man faces four charges, including hit and run and assaulting a police officer. He appeared in court in Joliette and has been released pending his next court date.
On Tuesday morning, Quebec provincial police were called to a house in the small town of Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie, located about an hour and a half north of Montreal, after receiving a mischief complaint. “On site, the officers saw a man with a tractor placing manure in the spa, or the hot tub, of his ex-wife and [at] the front door,” said Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau.
The man allegedly refused to stop when ordered to by police and then tried to take off on the tractor. Police soon caught up with him. “He was arrested within minutes,” Bilodeau said. “One police officer was injured, but from what I heard it was only minor injuries.”
The suspect is a retired police officer and had just received notice that his estranged wife had started divorce proceedings. He had to be subdued with pepper spray. A 64-year-old man faces four charges, including hit and run and assaulting a police officer. He appeared in court in Joliette and has been released pending his next court date.
Singapore bus driver fired for nail clipping on the job
A Singapore bus driver has been fired after he was caught on video trimming his finger nails while driving along an expressway. A video posted online shows the driver resting his left hand on the steering wheel while trimming the nails with a clipper held in his right hand.
He then lifts his left hand from the steering wheel to examine the trimmed fingernails. The footage was captured a day earlier on board a SMRT bus travelling from Changi Airport to the city-state's northern suburbs. It is not clear how fast the man was driving at the time.
The maximum speed limit on expressways is 90 km/h. "We have investigated the incident and have taken appropriate disciplinary action against the Bus Captain. He was dismissed immediately," a spokesman for SMRT said.
YouTube link.
"We would like to stress that passenger safety is our priority, and our Bus Captains are constantly reminded and encouraged to observe safe driving habits while on the roads," he said. He declined to identify the driver.
He then lifts his left hand from the steering wheel to examine the trimmed fingernails. The footage was captured a day earlier on board a SMRT bus travelling from Changi Airport to the city-state's northern suburbs. It is not clear how fast the man was driving at the time.
The maximum speed limit on expressways is 90 km/h. "We have investigated the incident and have taken appropriate disciplinary action against the Bus Captain. He was dismissed immediately," a spokesman for SMRT said.
YouTube link.
"We would like to stress that passenger safety is our priority, and our Bus Captains are constantly reminded and encouraged to observe safe driving habits while on the roads," he said. He declined to identify the driver.
Stagecoach don't allow horses to travel on their buses
This pint-sized equine was spotted on a Stagecoach bus at Folkestone Bus Station ealier this week
But the four-legged creature didn't stay long ... the bus soon moved off without him.
A spokesman for Stagecoach said: "The pony didn't actually travel on our bus. It was on board for less than a minute whilst the bus was stationary at Folkestone Bus Station.
"The owner asked the driver if she could take a photo of the pony on the bus. We do not allow horses to travel on our buses." He added: "It seems the driver thought it would be silly to object."
But the four-legged creature didn't stay long ... the bus soon moved off without him.
A spokesman for Stagecoach said: "The pony didn't actually travel on our bus. It was on board for less than a minute whilst the bus was stationary at Folkestone Bus Station.
"The owner asked the driver if she could take a photo of the pony on the bus. We do not allow horses to travel on our buses." He added: "It seems the driver thought it would be silly to object."
Rogue cockatiel suspected of helping family's pet escape
A pair of cockatiels have taken flight after a daring escape from a cage. Captain, the recently bought pet of the Chandler family of Chelmsford, Essex, is believed to have been freed from his garden cage by a rogue cockatiel. The grey and yellow cockatiel, accused of unlatching the door to the wooden garden enclosure, had been spotted in the vicinity in the weeks running up to the escape. Bridget Chandler, 30, and two-year-old daughter were so upset following the great escape that they bought a budgie as a replacement.
Mother-of-three Mrs Chandler said: "I'm gutted. He is our Captain, but it is my daughter who was really upset. I had to get her the budgie because she was crying. I think the wild cockatiel might have freed Captain – it's a bit of a Romeo and Juliet escape plan." The Chandlers, who own a horse, chickens, ducks and a lizard, bought Captain for £40 about three months ago. Last month neighbours told them a wild cockatiel, whose owners are still unidentified, was flying around the outside of their property, and was seen perching on their roof.
On Tuesday of last week, Martin Stimson, who lives nearby, spotting the bird swooping over gardens in the neighbourhood. It was later that same day, as Mrs Chandler was tending to her chickens with her back to the cage, that the escape is believed to have taken place. "I came out to feed my chickens and the cockatiels were calling to each other. It has never gone out of its cage before. They must have worked together," she said.
"I could then hear them up in the trees but there was no chance I was going to go up and get them. If anyone sees it let us know." Anglia Ruskin University researcher Dr Rachel Grant, who specialises in the behaviour of parrot species, said the family's 'great escape' theory was "not impossible". "The cockatiel is not as intelligent as other parrots as it has been widely domesticated," she said. "But the wild cockatiel was probably fiddling with the cage through trial and error. They investigate with their beaks any sort of latch, nuts or bolds. It would be that rather than a calculated escape."
Mother-of-three Mrs Chandler said: "I'm gutted. He is our Captain, but it is my daughter who was really upset. I had to get her the budgie because she was crying. I think the wild cockatiel might have freed Captain – it's a bit of a Romeo and Juliet escape plan." The Chandlers, who own a horse, chickens, ducks and a lizard, bought Captain for £40 about three months ago. Last month neighbours told them a wild cockatiel, whose owners are still unidentified, was flying around the outside of their property, and was seen perching on their roof.
On Tuesday of last week, Martin Stimson, who lives nearby, spotting the bird swooping over gardens in the neighbourhood. It was later that same day, as Mrs Chandler was tending to her chickens with her back to the cage, that the escape is believed to have taken place. "I came out to feed my chickens and the cockatiels were calling to each other. It has never gone out of its cage before. They must have worked together," she said.
"I could then hear them up in the trees but there was no chance I was going to go up and get them. If anyone sees it let us know." Anglia Ruskin University researcher Dr Rachel Grant, who specialises in the behaviour of parrot species, said the family's 'great escape' theory was "not impossible". "The cockatiel is not as intelligent as other parrots as it has been widely domesticated," she said. "But the wild cockatiel was probably fiddling with the cage through trial and error. They investigate with their beaks any sort of latch, nuts or bolds. It would be that rather than a calculated escape."
'Noisy' knitters told they can no longer meet at library because of 'dangerous needles'
A knitting group said it was no
longer allowed to meet at a library because its needles are "dangerous" and its
members are "too noisy." The Knit 'n' Natter group met at the library in Cramlington, Northumberland
once a week to knit replica anatomical parts for training NHS midwives. But now the library has moved and the knitters said Northumberland County
Council had barred them.
The council said there was not enough room for the large group. But a spokesman said the women were still welcome if they split into smaller groups. Since the group began three years ago its 20 to 30 members have knitted thousands of garments for premature and sick babies. They have also made 1,500 pairs of knitted breasts and are currently knitting wombs for midwives.
Margaret Derrick, one of the group's founding members, said: "We've been told different stories and different complaints and I don't now know what to believe. We've been told knitting needles are dangerous instruments and against health and safety policy. We've also been told that it's because we are too noisy.
"We started at the library because the council asked us. As we got bigger, the council was delighted. Unfortunately, they've now got a new building and there is no room for us and it is 'bye bye'. Everything we knit goes out to help someone somewhere. It's just so sad, we can't afford to hire a room." Mrs Derrick said the knitters did not want to split into smaller groups.
With news video.
The council said there was not enough room for the large group. But a spokesman said the women were still welcome if they split into smaller groups. Since the group began three years ago its 20 to 30 members have knitted thousands of garments for premature and sick babies. They have also made 1,500 pairs of knitted breasts and are currently knitting wombs for midwives.
Margaret Derrick, one of the group's founding members, said: "We've been told different stories and different complaints and I don't now know what to believe. We've been told knitting needles are dangerous instruments and against health and safety policy. We've also been told that it's because we are too noisy.
"We started at the library because the council asked us. As we got bigger, the council was delighted. Unfortunately, they've now got a new building and there is no room for us and it is 'bye bye'. Everything we knit goes out to help someone somewhere. It's just so sad, we can't afford to hire a room." Mrs Derrick said the knitters did not want to split into smaller groups.
With news video.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)