Sunday, February 28, 2010

Man Trying To Get Unemployment

A man spent so much time on hold with a state unemployment agency trying to claim his benefits that he racked up a $700 cell phone bill.
Ernie Sanchez called the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, a government-run unemployment relief agency over a thousand times trying to get his unemployment money to cover his basic needs, but could not seem to get through. Now, he has to use almost all of the benefits to pay his Verizon bill. "It's almost the same amount for two weeks of benefits that I was trying to get," Sanchez said.
"The bill shows Sanchez made 1,114 calls to the unemployment office in one month. Some days, it took hundreds of calls to get through -- each call costing $0.45. When he would get through, he says he would be put on hold. One time, he was on hold for almost 3 1/2 hours." That one phone call cost Sanchez nearly $100.
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Woman driver caught flossing teeth at 70mph on motorway

Traffic police spotted the driver, 36, on the M4 motorway using dental floss to clean her teeth in her rear view mirror.
She was pulled over, lectured about careless driving and given a fixed penalty notice of £60.
Police say it is the latest example of people risking lives for a moment of high-speed vanity.
A spokesman said: "We've caught women applying lipstick, make-up and checking their hair in the mirror - and even men using an electric razor on their way to work.
"But this is the first time we've seen someone flossing their teeth at the wheel. It was a quite bizarre sight.
"It is particularly dangerous because you need to use both hands which clearly should be used to drive the car."
Experienced traffic police often say some people's driving is mental - but one joked: "On this occasion it was dental."
The woman was caught by Gwent Police near junction 24 of the M4 at Coldra, Newport, during an eight-day clampdown.
Officers in an unmarked police car caught 57 drivers committing offences on a stretch of the M4.
Only one was caught cleaning her teeth - and she accepted the fixed penalty fine instead of fighting the case.
Other offences included driving without a seatbelt, using a mobile phone, vehicle defects and a learner driver towing a load.
Inspector Lee Ford said: "It is very concerning that a number of drivers are driving irresponsibly and carelessly on our motorways.
"The potential risks not only risk the safety of the driver involved but also other road users."
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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Not what you think

A journalist walked into the hospital and told a nurse, "I want to see the eye-ear doctor."
"There is no such doctor" she tells him.
"Perhaps you would like to see someone else?"
"No, I need to see an eye-ear doctor," he says
"But there is no such doctor," she replies.
"We have doctors for the eyes and doctors for the ear, nose and throat, but no eye-ear doctor
"No help. He repeats, "I want to see the eye-ear doctor."
They go around like this for a few minutes and then the nurse says:
"Listen to me there is no eye-ear doctor, but if there were one, why would you want to see him?"
"Because," he replies, "I keep hearing one thing and seeing another."
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How It’s Made - Trombones

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Gigantic Kit Kat

Expectant couple ties the knot — mid-labor

Couple married in hospital when baby was born one week premature
A Wisconsin couple had just one request for the hospital where their baby was to be born this week: Get us married, STAT.
Originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, the wedding of parents-to-be Erin Heather and Mark Weber was to take place only a week before their baby's Feb. 26 due date.
But when Heather went into labor prematurely, at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, she and her boyfriend of 11 years rushed to St. Mary's Hospital in Madison to say their "I dos" in a makeshift chapel there instead, at 11 in the morning rather than 4:30 in the afternoon.
On the way, they stopped to pick up the marriage license — and notified St. Mary’s about their needs.
An ordained minister friend of Weber's officiated at the ceremony, which was attended by a few friends, a few hospital staff.
The couple were in such a hurry to get married because, of "old-fashioned grandparents" and a desire to officially be "a family" when their child arrived.
The baby, a girl, was born Thursday night.
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Scientist says “People learn more after a napping”

Psychologists say an afternoon nap after lunch improves people's learning capacity
Psychologists say sleep clears the brain's short term memory and makes space for new facts to be remembered
Curling up for an afternoon nap can improve the brain's ability to learn by clearing out cluttered memory space, psychologists say.
People who nodded off for an hour after lunch performed better in learning tests than those who stayed awake all afternoon, the scientists found.
A study of students revealed that their brains were refreshed by napping only if they entered what is called stage 2 non-REM sleep, which takes place between deep sleep and the dream state, known as REM or rapid eye movement sleep.
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Smart or is it Lazy - Pigeon Rides Subway

He has places to go, pigeons to see....
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Monday, February 22, 2010

Pediatricians call for a choke-proof hot dog

Nutritionists have long warned of the perils of hot dogs: fat, sodium and preservatives to name a few.
Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants foods like hot dogs to come with a warning label — not because of their nutritional risks but because they pose a choking hazard to babies and children.
Better yet, the academy would like to see foods such as hot dogs "redesigned" so their size, shape and texture make them less likely to lodge in a youngster's throat.

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Sky-writer proposal

A lucky woman named Sally would have had the surprise of her life when she looked skyward this morning.
The words "Marry me Sally" were written above Sydney’s inner west around 10am, much to the delight of thousands of people and hopefully Sally.
The original – and expensive – proposal had a slight glitch when the sky-writer missed the "e" on the end of "me".
But a quick turnaround saw the missing letter added on at the end, completing the big question.
Sally’s partner picked the perfect day to pop the question – the first day of clear sky in several weeks.
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Woman’s $1,600 water bill is correct

A Minneapolis woman has received a $1,600 water bill, a bill the city believes is accurate even though it's 20 times the woman's usual bill. Erica Kocur said her bill is generally $70 to $80 per month. She said her "heart just dropped" when she got her latest bill. The city said she must have a running toilet or dripping faucet.
But they billed her for using almost 200,000 gallons of water. That's three times the volume of her entire home. A shower would have to run nonstop for almost two months to use that much water.
The city's director of treasury is LeeAnn Stagg. She said the city believes the bill is accurate, but the city will check Kocur's meter one more time.
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Weightlifting ant is photo winner

An amazing image of an ant lifting 100 times its body weight has won first prize in a science photography contest.
The image shows an Asian weaver ant hanging upside down on a glass-like surface and holding a 500mg (0.02oz) weight in its jaws.
It was taken by zoology specialist Dr Thomas Endlein of Cambridge University as he researched insects' sticky feet.
Dr Endlein won £700 in photographic vouchers from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
The research shows how ants change the size and shape of the pads on their feet to enable them to carry heavier loads.
He hopes it could help scientists develop better glues.
"The pads on ants' feet are self-cleaning and can stick to almost any type of surface," he said.
"No man-made glue or adhesive system can match this. Understanding how animals can control their adhesive systems should help us come up with clever adhesives in the future."
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The 30 most important cats of 2009

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On 81st birthday, man gives company to employees

Bob Moore, standing in his retail store, had his 81st birthday this week and celebrated by transferring his business to his workers. His successful whole-grain production business mills grains, operates a retail store and restaurant, and ships products internationally.
He's turned down almost daily offers to buy the multi-million dollar company saying, "These people are far too good at their jobs for me to just sell it."
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Tiny Courts Abuses - Law and Power

Some of the courtrooms are not even courtrooms: tiny offices or basement rooms without a judge’s bench or jury box. Sometimes the public is not admitted, witnesses are not sworn to tell the truth, and there is no word-for-word record of the proceedings.
Nearly three-quarters of the judges are not lawyers, and many — truck drivers, sewer workers or laborers — have scant grasp of the most basic legal principles. Some never got through high school, and at least one went no further than grade school.
But serious things happen in these little rooms all over New York State. People have been sent to jail without a guilty plea or a trial, or tossed from their homes without a proper proceeding. In violation of the law, defendants have been refused lawyers, or sentenced to weeks in jail because they cannot pay a fine. Frightened women have been denied protection from abuse.
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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Help Me

When a mixed breed pit bull terrier walked into a busy supermarket, animal welfare officers, called in by staff, were shocked to find it had a stillborn puppy trapped inside.
The staff at Scotts Supermarket, in Naxxar called the Animal Welfare Department on Saturday afternoon to report that a stray dog had walked into the supermarket, welfare officer Godric Marston said.
The dog, named Mel after the girl who called for help, lay down on a carpet in the supermarket and remained still.
"On arriving at the supermarket, I realized there was something unusual about the dog. On closer look, I could see a part of the puppy. It was dead but still inside her. It was clear this dog needed to be operated upon immediately or she would die," Mr. Marston said.
He rushed the dog to Happy Paws, a veterinary clinic, where it was immediately operated on. Recovering after undergoing operation.
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American - 1 - Greedy Bank - 0

Is this the tipping point? Americans have been taken advantage like no one on earth by greedy Banksters and corporations. Like many of them, a man named Terry Hoskins has had troubles with his bank. But his solution to foreclosure might be somewhat unique.
Hoskins said he's been in a struggle with RiverHills Bank over his Clermont County home for nearly a decade, a struggle that was coming to an end as the bank began foreclosure proceedings on his $350,000 home.
"When I see I owe $160,000 on a home valued at $350,000, and someone decides they want to take it – no, I wasn't going to stand for that, so I took it down," Hoskins said.
Hoskins said the Internal Revenue Service placed liens on his carpet store and commercial property on state Route 125 after his brother, a one-time business partner, sued him.
The bank claimed his home as collateral, Hoskins said, and went after both his residential and commercial properties.
"The average homeowner that can't afford an attorney or can fight as long as we have, they don't stand a chance," he said.
Hoskins said he'd gotten a $170,000 offer from someone to pay off the house, but the bank refused, saying they could get more from selling it in foreclosure.
"I'll tear it down before I let you take it," Hoskins told them.
And that's exactly what Hoskins did.
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Italian landslide caught on video

About 200 residents have been evacuated from their homes after a landslide split a hillside apart in the southern Italian town of Maierato.
The landslide, which caused power failure, could have been caused by heavy rains in the region, initial reports say.
Footage shows residents being urged to leave their houses and "run away" from the huge flow of mud falling from the hillside.
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Quads start work together

Patients of a South Korean hospital could be forgiven for doing a double - or even quadruple - take on these new nurses.
Identical quads Hwang Suel and her three sisters Seol, Sol and Mil have all just started work at the same hospital where they were born 21 years ago.
All four started their training at Gacheon University Gil Hospital in Incheon on the same day.
"I feel like I'm a real nurse since I am wearing this yellow-green gown, and I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of people," said the second-oldest, Seol.
The Hwang sisters created headline news when they were born in Korea 21 years ago, the country's second ever set of identical quadruplets.
Hospital chairman Lee Gil-ya said: "I would like to praise the mother for raising all four girls - such a rare thing in the world - with such good care.
"I look forward to seeing those four women becoming great nurses like Florence Nightingale."
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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Player Makes Half-Court Shot From His Knees


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In the News

Dumbest crook leaves trail of evidence
Within an hour of being charged and bailed over other break-ins, Bendigo man Andrew Bawden, 36, was back in business, busting into cars and houses and robbing offices and a cathedral.
But his one-man crime wave came unstuck when he dropped his police charge sheet at one crime scene.
Two hours later he dropped the DVD of his police interview at another.
"You get crooks sometimes that leave one thing that's stupid. Both things are extraordinary," Bendigo police Sgt Brendon Murphy said.
"From the police perspective it's quite good. We appreciate people who leave this evidence for us."
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'Why do I need to give my name, I have done nothing'
A 22-year-old man was arrested for resisting law enforcement after he wouldn't tell a deputy his date of birth, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office arrest report.
A deputy responded to a call of a disturbance at 955 Airport Road around 5:35 p.m. Feb. 9, the report said. When the deputy found the man standing on the sidewalk and asked him what was going on, the man said, "Nothing, I am just standing here."
The deputy asked the man what his name was, and the man said, "why do I need to give my name, I have done nothing," according to the report. The man then gave his name.
When the deputy asked for his date of birth, he said, "7, I am cold," according to the report, but would not provide his date of birth.
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Bag Holder

Clutch bag holder prevents messy spills in the car. Keep bags upright and contents securely inside with this uniquely designed holder. Just stretch the elastic cord around the passenger seat's headrest poles and secure bag's handles with hook and loop strip.
Holds four bags.
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Heterochromia

The term means variation in coloration.
Perhaps most striking when it involves coloration of the iris
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Breaking driving laws caused indigestion to one man

A trucker who ate evidence of breaking Swiss speed limits has paid the price -- a stomach ache from swallowing the discs which recorded his driving, police said Tuesday.
The 34-year-old trucker from the Balkans was stopped for speeding on a highway in the southern canton of Tessin and was found to have driven more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) in 18 hours without stop, local police said.
Hunkered down in his cab, the man reportedly gobbled up the paper discs of his truck's tacho graph, which records speed and the time driven. He was hospitalised after suffering stomach pains.
The incident posed no serious health consequences, police said, and the driver was fined for the infraction.
Tacho graphs are intended to ensure that truck drivers do not work overly long hours as part of overall road safety requirements.
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Determined Dog

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Dog Flies Down Stairs - His feet barely touch.

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Ladies wait patiently in traffic jam

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In the News

Dubai driver racks up $97,000 in traffic penalties
A Dubai student who racked up traffic offence penalties of $97,000 (£61,888) has been caught by police.
The man, who eluded officers for two years and continued to collect speeding tickets, also had his 4X4 vehicle seized, the Gulf News reported.
He was forced to pay fines of $69,754 immediately, and must find a further $27,247 to get his car back.
Local media said the man, who committed 400 separate offences, has had his driver's license revoked.
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Man sets record for most hugs in 24 hours
A 51-year-old Ohio man has embraced the Valentine’s Day spirit faster than anyone before, giving 7,777 hugs in 24 hours for a new world record.
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Baby leopard wanders into Indian village
A leopard cub has become the talk of the town in northern India after appearing out of nowhere in the early morning and wandering onto a family's doorstep. Nobody knows if the mother of the one-month-old cub abandoned her baby or whether she was killed or lost.
After receiving information that villagers had spotted a cub, Deputy Ranger of India's Forest Department Ram Gopal Chauhan arrived at the village of Bijnor.
"When we reached the site, we saw it was a leopard cub, one-month-old", he said. "To ensure his safety we took the cub to our station, where we fed it some milk. Then we took it for a medical check-up."
Ranger Chauhan and his team hope the cub will be reclaimed by its mother, if she is still alive.
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Is this the place I go to get this thing off my head?


A cat walked into the Scottish SPCA's Wildlife Rescue Center by her self
After the can was carefully removed she was checked over.
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Monday, February 15, 2010

Bride, 91, groom, 90, wed on Valentine's

A 91-year-old woman and a 90-year-old man who share a love of sailing tied the knot in a Valentine's Day ceremony at their favorite bar in Beaufort, S.C.
The staff at Hemmingway's Bistro introduced Helen Smith and Roger Briggs several months ago thinking they would be good companions, The Island Packet, Hilton Head, S.C., reported Monday.
Smith, whose is legally blind and a regular at the bar, needed someone to escort her from her houseboat at Beaufort Marina and Briggs was in mourning after losing his wife of 63 years about a year and a half ago.
Briggs, a retired salmon fisherman from Alaska, knows boats and will be able to help around Smith's docked houseboat, her son, Butch England, said.
While the couple has made no firm plans for the future, Briggs dreams of buying a schooner and sailing to Alaska with his new bride.
"He's got his heart set on getting another boat, but we'll see," Smith said. "I'm a very fortunate girl either way."
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I'm All Ears

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Blood buddies'

Puppy's life saved by blood transfusion
A purebred six-week-old puppy in Australia owes her life to a blood transfusion from a gentle greyhound more than 15 times her size.
Cairns resident Sami Knoblock had a tearful reunion with her English Staffordshire terrier after their scary ordeal. Ms Knoblock said her dog, Buddy, was vomiting and could hardly lift her 1.6kg body to stand on.
She rushed her sick dog to Brinsmead Veterinary Surgery where Greencross principal surgeon Max Fargher found a hookworm infestation that had caused a massive hemorrhage.
With Buddy at death's door, Dr Fargher raced home to get his trusty pooch Hurley, a male, six-year-old 34kg greyhound.
Dr Fargher then performed a transfusion by transferring a "drop" of Hurley's blood - 120ml - to Buddy.
He said a young dog's first blood transfusion could be from any donor dog, but if it needed a second, it would have been a far trickier situation.
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Laughing quads are marking a decade of mischief

The Mathias quads still laugh a lot. Not in perfect unison, but with the undeniable joy of youngsters in a house full of love and animals and look-alike siblings who hatch mischief together.
The identical quadruplets, who giggled their way into the hearts of millions as babies on "America's Funniest Home Videos," are about to turn 10 (on Feb. 16).
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The famous video featured the four babies sprawled in bed around their mother, Allison, and cackling at the funny faces made by the man behind the camera, dad Steve. Years later, people still can't get enough of it. One YouTube version has received nearly a million hits in the past year alone.
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Baby Quadruplets Laughing
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Tiny Chihuahua Blown Away By 70mph winds

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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Massive Snow Slide

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Walking the pets

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Just Pictures.......

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$2.5 million lottery ticket goes unclaimed

A winning lottery ticket worth $2.5 million purchased in Indianapolis has expired without anyone cashing it in, authorities say.
The Hoosier Lotto ticket -- bought at the Southport Road Meijer store for the drawing Aug. 19, 2009 -- won for somebody, but reached its 180-day deadline for cash-in at 5 p.m. Friday without that somebody coming forth.
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Warehouse worker lost hid job for excessive farting

A warehouse worker's job has gone with the wind - after he was sacked for excessive farting.
Daniel Cambridge, 27, was dismissed from Waterstones' warehouse after 35 complaints to management about him breaking wind.
Daniel insists his flatulence problem is a common side-effect of the antidepressant Citaloprama, which he has been taking for the past three weeks.
He has even highlighted that fact in the manufacturer's leaflet that comes with the prescription drug.
Daniel said yesterday: "I'm really annoyed. I can't believe I've been dismissed for passing wind. I know I'm not going to get my job back and I really liked it.
"I could understand them getting rid of me for fighting or something, but for passing wind is ridiculous.
"To me it's like having a disability and you wouldn't get rid of somebody with one arm or leg."
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Saturday, February 13, 2010

Do elephants walk or run?

Elephants can walk and run both at the same time
With their awkward, lumbering gait, elephants moving at high speed are not the most graceful of animals - but are they walking or running?
Now scientists believe they have an answer: new research confirms that they do both - at the same time.
By observing elephants moving across a hi-tech track, the team found the hefty creatures run with their front legs but walk with their back legs.
VIDEO

'Watering Can Man' leaves 3,000 watering cans to niece

Hilary Taylor was left a rather unusual part of her uncle’s estate when he died – 3,000 watering cans.
Ken Stickland – known as Watering Can Man – filled his shed, greenhouse, garden and even an entire floor of his house with his beloved collection.
Mr. Stickland – who died last month, aged 78 – even kept a meticulous record of every watering can, including many he made himself.
‘I have heard of people collecting teapots or stamps... but this?’
‘He was such a fascinating person. He started his collection in 2001 but I have no idea why. I suppose it kept his mind occupied and he had something to get up for.
‘Nearly every charity shop in the area knew him because he was always looking for watering cans.
‘He did not have a favorite, he just loved them all. Sometimes he would come home to find people had left them on his doorstep.’
Mrs Taylor admits she doesn’t know what to do with the collection and may sell it in aid of charity.
One particular can will be always special though – as her uncle’s ashes are held in it.
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Only worth sixpence, but it cost one man his job

He only misplaced a single letter but it was one “L” of a costly mistake for the general manager of the Chilean mint.
Gregorio Iñiguez and several other employees have reportedly been sacked after they minted a set of 50-peso coins with the name of their nation spelt incorrectly.
The coins were released into the circulation
with C-H-I-I-E stamped on the front where it should read C-H-I-L-E.
The coins have since become collectors' items and the mint says it has no plans to take them out of circulation.
People have reportedly been hoarding the coins in the hope their value rises.
But the mistake has cost the mint's general manager, Gregorio Iniguez, and several other employees, their jobs.
It is not the first embarrassing blunder at the Chilean mint. Last October, someone there sold a rare medal, which should have been housed in the institution's museum, to a coin collector.
A month later, another medal - this one bearing the face of the country's then President Michelle Bachelet - was inadvertently sold on the open market.
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Friday, February 12, 2010

Missing cat poster brings £75 graffiti fine

A teacher who put up "missing" posters in a bid to find her beloved cat Fluffy was astonished to be hit with a £75 for graffiti by her local council.
Lynda Dyson was overjoyed when the A4 computer print-outs she taped to trees and lampposts near her home in east London helped to reunited her with the three year-old, black Persian cat.
But her delight was short-lived after a demand for £75 from the local council's enforcement department landed on her doormat.
The fine was issued under Section 43 of the Anti-social Behavior Act, which polices fly-posting and graffiti.
Mrs. Dyson said home-made posters have helped people to find missing pets for centuries and should be treated differently.
"In a world where there is less and less community spirit, to impose a law and fine me for something like this is horrible," she said. “Pets are a very important part of people's lives. Without those notices, I would never have got her back.
“I don't see it as being anti-social behavior at all. Fluffy is outraged.”
A spokesman for Waltham Forest Council said the fine, issued last month, was given "in error" and later cancelled.
"In this case a mistake was made and we would like to apologize unreservedly to Ms Dyson for any offence or alarm that was caused," he said.
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Dog Allergic to Pet Food

A dog which is allergic to pet food, going for walks and even chasing cats has been put on a strict diet and given antibiotics to help ease his pain.
Joey, an Alsatian-Collie cross, had been constantly breaking out in a rash.
His owner, Scott Muirhead, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, took him to vets at Taylors Practice in Glasgow who diagnosed numerous allergies.
Since the poorly pooch began his new medication his condition has vastly improved.
Mr. Muirhead, 36, told the BBC Scotland news website: "We've spent the past year trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
"His skin was terrible. He was breaking out in boils and scratching all the time.
"We have been trying special diets but really weren't getting anywhere."
Vets at Taylors eventually carried out blood tests on Joey and were astonished by the results.
"He was basically allergic to everything," said Mr. Muirhead.
"We were given a list and it included all types of meat, dairy produces, long grass, daisies, dandelions, cat hair and other dog hair."
Scott Muirhead, and his partner Lisa McCormack, 25, have had Joey, who turns five next week, since he was a puppy and were baffled by the fact that up until last year he had never had any problems with his diet.
"We used to feed him everything and anything but now Joey can't have any treats, "said Mr. Muirhead.
"We were told he could only eat things like potatoes, porridge and barley."
The couple hopes a new medication they are trying Joey on might give him a new lease of life.
Mr Muirhead added: "His hair is starting to grow back and his skin seems to be in better condition. "It is still early to tell but he seems to be picking up and it does seem to be making a difference."
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What Big Eyes You Have

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Open Up

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Injured duckling helps teach young boy to walk

He was expected to spend his life in a wheelchair, but here's Finlay Lomax taking his first steps after learning to walk by copying a disabled duckling.
The four-year-old suffered a stroke as a baby and developed cerebral palsy. Doctors told his mum Becci he'd never be able to stand on his own two feet.
But he began studying the way pet duckling Ming-Ming walked with a splayed leg and started mimicking him. He told astonished Becci: "I walk like the duck mummy."
She said: "I had been told Finlay might never be able to walk so it's amazing to think he is taking steps thanks to the duckling.
"He's been having physio all his life but never really responded until we got the duckling."
Becci, 29, took in tiny Ming-Ming after a farmer friend told her the duckling struggled to walk because of his bad leg and was going to be put down.
A vet gave the duck physiotherapy and fitted him with a splint. He began to ' home as his leg strengthened. Single mum Becci, of Plymouth, Devon, added: "As soon as Ming-Ming started physio and began walking so did Finlay. I was brimming with pride. Finlay has really taken to him. He is now much stronger and it's great to see him walking.
"I've told him if he works hard then one day he will be able to take Ming-Ming for walks on a lead. That is what he is really working towards."
Finlay can now manage to walk five yards at a time with the help of a Zimmer frame.
Becci added: "Basically when Ming-Ming laid or sat down, his leg was right up near his head and he was unable to walk.
"I was told the duckling was to be put down.
"I was trying all over to find a vet that knew about ducks. At first I didn't think he would make it, I felt sick.
"The most amazing thing is, in helping the duckling; Finlay has also taken his first steps."
Finlay suffered brain damage as an infant and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy - which affects the way the brain co-ordinates movement in the body.
Law student Becci rescued Ming-Ming - named after a character in TV show Wonder Pets - when he was just a day and-a-half-old.
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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Praying Mantis preys on cursor

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Colorado Springs cuts into services considered basic by many

This tax-averse city is about to learn what it looks and feels like when budget cuts slash services most Americans consider part of the urban fabric.
More than a third of the streetlights in Colorado Springs will go dark Monday. The police helicopters are for sale on the Internet. The city is dumping firefighting jobs, a vice team, burglary investigators, beat cops — dozens of police and fire positions will go unfilled.
The parks department removed trash cans last week, replacing them with signs urging users to pack out their own litter.
Neighbors are encouraged to bring their own lawn mowers to local green spaces, because parks workers will mow them only once every two weeks. If that.
Water cutbacks mean most parks will be dead, brown turf by July; the flower and fertilizer budget is zero.
City recreation centers, indoor and outdoor pools, and a handful of museums will close for good March 31 unless they find private funding to stay open. Buses no longer run on evenings and weekends. The city won't pay for any street paving, relying instead on a regional authority that can meet only about 10 percent of the need.
"I guess we're going to find out what the tolerance level is for people," said businessman Chuck Fowler, who is helping lead a private task force brainstorming for city budget fixes. "It's a new day."
Some residents are less sanguine, arguing that cuts to bus services, drug enforcement and treatment and job development are attacks on basic needs for the working class.
"How are people supposed to live? We're not a 'Mayberry R.F.D.' anymore," said Addy Hansen, a criminal justice student who has spoken out about safety cuts. "We're the second-largest city, and growing, in Colorado. We're in trouble. We're in big trouble."
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Dog got his coat stolen right of him

A New York pooch was left shivering in the buff after a coldhearted mugger stole his coat just days before a raging winter storm bore down on the city.
Donna McPherson, 42, says she tied up Lexie, her 10-year-old Westie, in front of Ace Supermarket "for two minutes" so she could buy milk.
When she returned, his $25 green wool coat with leather trim and belt was gone.
Fortunately, she said, Lexie wasn't wearing his pricier Burberry.
"How could anyone steal a coat off someone's back in the freezing cold?" McPherson said. "I asked him, 'Where's your coat?' like he could answer me. I looked all over and could not find it."
At Ace Supermarket on Seventh Avenue and Berkeley Place, employees insisted the neighborhood is normally safe for all dogs. "This is highly unusual for the area," said one.
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Teenager sleeps her life away - Literally

When 15-year-old Louisa Ball takes a nap, she doesn’t mess around. She sleeps for days on end, and no amount of shaking or prodding can fully wake her up.
Rare illness turns girl, 15, into ‘sleeping beauty’
But it’s no fairy tale; asleep for days on end, she has to be wakened to eat.
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Man banned from carrying daughter on shoulders in Tesco

A father was banned from carrying his daughter on his shoulders during a shopping trip to Tesco.
Martin Dunkley was confronted by a security guard when he tried to enter a branch of the store in Cambridge.
The guard told the 45-year-old taxi driver to take six year-old Natalie down for health and safety reasons.
But he refused and decided to shop elsewhere.
A Tesco spokeswoman: "We take the safety of our staff and customers very seriously. Each store can make these decisions on an individual basis. We have no blanket policy on this issue."
The incident comes after other Tesco stores recently banned customers from wandering around stores wearing pajamas, then from going barefoot. Tesco ban on shoppers in pajamas
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Monday, February 8, 2010

Dog Saves Diabetic Owner!

Don Callahan rescued his four-legged companion, Wyatt Earp, at an adoption fair held at the Detroit Zoo five years ago. Now, Wyatt Earp has returned the favor.
On January 23, Callahan collapsed while on a walk with the dog by Rotary Park on 13 Mile Road. Drivers and pedestrians couldn't see Callahan as he lay in the dark on the sidewalk.
His loyal companion stayed by his side and barked incessantly. Finally, someone called the police about the dog being a nuisance. When police responded, they found Callahan and rushed him to the hospital.
Callahan who is a diabetic, went into a coma after his blood sugar level dropped to 18, far below normal levels.
Besides being thankful for Wyatt Earp, Callahan says he is thankful to Marlene Burgess who called the police about the barking dog, which brought him the help he so greatly needed.
Callahan is recuperating at home with Wyatt Earp right by his side.
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Retirement village is exclusively for cats

Homeleigh retirement village is a perfect place to spend the twilight years, with staff to clean and cook, a garden and immaculate quarters.
But forget about signing up - unless you are a cat.
Inside a fully functional house next to Keysborough Animal Shelter in outer Melbourne, the only residents are eight aged felines.
A shelter staff member visits every morning and night to feed the cats and human visitors pop and to spend a few hours.
Elizabeth Johns, one of the directors of the village, said the cats never fought and would roam the house and garden at will.
Ms Johns, who visits twice a week, said owners can rest easy knowing their pets will be cared for. That's the case even if an owner dies or is incapacitated.
"You can't often rehome a cat, especially an older cat, and people want peace of mind," she said.
To become a resident, cats must be at least eight years old and owners must donate $6000 to cover expenses for the cat's life.
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