In Other News

[The Mad Monk]

Well...I suppose he has a home for now.

[Broken_Erika]

Burglar hung out washing and cooked meal for victim

A woman discovered her house had been broken into by a burglar who hung out her washing, put her shopping away and cooked a meal on her stove.
Damian Wojnilowicz, 36, was jailed for 22 months at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday for carrying out the unusual burglary in Monmouthshire on 16 July.
The woman said she was was left too scared to stay in her own home after returning from work to find items had been moved in the garden and her recycling bin had been emptied.
The burglar left her a note saying: "Don't worry, be happy, eat up and scratch."

The court also heard the bird feeders had been refilled and plant pots had been moved.
Inside the house, a pair of shoes had been removed from packaging, which was placed in the recycling bin.
Prosecutor Alice Sykes said a meal had been cooked using items from the woman's cupboard.
Shopping had been taken from a bag and placed in the fridge, which had been rearranged.
Kitchen utensils had been placed in the bin, and new ones from the shopping bag had been laid out.
And toothbrush heads had been replaced on toothbrushes, an empty bottle of wine had been placed in a rack having been drunk, and the floor had been cleaned with a mop and bucket left out.
The victim also saw a bottle of red wine had been left out next to a glass and bottle opener, and there was a bowl of sweets on the living room table.

'Too scared to stay in my own home'

She spoke to her neighbour who described seeing someone hanging out washing.
In a victim personal statement, the female victim said: "Two weeks after the crime until he was caught, I was living in a state of heightened anxiety I had never experienced before.
"I wondered if it was somebody who knew me, if it was going to turn into a stalking incident, if he knew I lived alone and if I had been targeted.
"I was too scared to stay in my own home and stayed with a friend."

Second burglary

A second burglary took place at another home on 29 July, when the male homeowner received a CCTV alert on his phone which showed Wojnilowicz walking on his driveway.
The defendant went on to use the shower in a summerhouse to wash and clean his clothes. Food and drink had also been consumed and the hot tub had also been left dirty.
The victim asked his son-in-law to attend the property and the defendant appeared to be drunk and was holding a glass.
He was asked to leave and did so, but the burglar was later arrested. His DNA was found on fingerprints from the first property he burgled.
The homeowner said he felt "sick, horrified, and useless" when he became aware of the burglary.
Tabitha Walker, defending Wojnilowicz, said her client was homeless at the time of the offences and was undergoing a number of difficulties. She said he was apologetic to the victims, and for the harm he had caused to them.
Sentencing, Recorder Christian Jowett said: "This was a significant intrusion in their homes."
Wojnilowicz, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary.
The court heard he has four previous convictions for offences including common assault, public order offences, and failing to surrender.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czeg6xk6rkko

[Ming]

Taxidermist turns rats into ‘sexy showgirls’ with nipple covers and fake eyelashes

Sarah Hooper Published Oct 1, 2024, 10:08pm|Updated Oct 2, 2024, 1:51pm




Caitlin runs Showtime Taxidermy from her home in Texas (Picture: PA Real Life)

A mother who transforms frozen rats into ‘sexy showgirls’ with coloured feathers, handmade nipple covers and fake eyelashes has said her novelty taxidermy business regularly requires 12-hour days to keep up with demand.

Caitlin Hillis, 36, runs her business called Showtime Taxidermy from her home, where she sells ‘quirky and bizarre’ rats for £148.

The rodents are dressed and posed as glam performers – and it all began during a craft night four years ago.

Caitlin said: ‘We watched videos online and we made our first taxidermy together, me, my daughter and my sister, and it was comically bad, but we loved it. We had such a fun time, so we did it again and we made others, and the natural next step was, ‘Let’s make it sexy and fun and add costumes’.’

After posting pictures online, Caitlin realised people were not only ‘delighted’ to see her creations but they wanted to buy them as well – and Showtime Taxidermy was born.

Since then she has been ‘blown away’ by her business’s popularity, selling the preserved rats online and at Oddities and Curiosities Expos around the US.


Caitlin says her hobby has turned into a full time business (Picture: PA Real Life)

She said: ‘When people come up to me they gasp or they clutch their pearls when they see what I have made and they get really excited, I love it so much.

‘It still blows my mind that my artwork is all over the country. I think I’ve got one in almost every state now. It’s a really cool feeling to be weird, to do something different, and to have so many people enjoy it – that’s my favourite part, for sure.”’

Since she was young, Caitlin said she has enjoyed visiting museums and ‘seeing the animals in real life’, but she never dreamed she would one day become a taxidermist.

Previously working as a wedding photographer and a graphic designer, she thought taxidermy was ‘too specialised’ and not conducive to working from home.

However, when her daughter suggested they try preserving smaller animals such as rats during a craft night, the idea for her business was formed.

‘When people think about taxidermy, I think they mostly picture deer and game animals and, just to simplify it, let’s say that takes 100 steps,’ she said.


The rats look fantastic in their jewels (Picture: PA Real Life)

‘The rats take 20 steps and the process is less complicated, and because I’m doing one thing over and over again I’m really able to hone… my abilities. I started out with videos online and then I started practising, and they’ve just become cuter and cuter over time.’

Caitlin explained that she buys the rats frozen from an ethical local breeder who supplies food for zoos, and she keeps them in a large freezer.

The rats cost four dollars each, but Caitlin ensures there is as little waste as possible, as a friend uses the bones to make jewellery.

With materials such as clay, foam and wire, Caitlin puts the skins in borax, which is a preservative, and then shapes the skins around her desired moulds before letting them solidify.

Caitlin said the rats’ poses are inspired by acrobats, burlesque performers and belly dancers, but tailored to suit the animals’ smaller limbs, which is part of their ‘charm’.

The drying process typically takes two to three weeks, and she then adds decorations such as coloured feathers, rhinestones, velvet and fake eyelashes, and she even makes her own ‘signature’ nipple coverings for the rats, with six on each animal.

‘I’m crossing into these multiple territories, where people who do like taxidermy like my work because it’s fun and it’s whimsical, and people who don’t necessarily like taxidermy are drawn to it because they like that it’s pretty and it’s glamorous,’ she said.

The whole process takes about a month from start to finish, but she completes her work in batches, meaning she sometimes has up to 100 completed rats around her home.

‘I don’t have a big home, so when I have a stockpile growing, the place that I put them is my laundry room, and I’ve hung dowel rods across the room so that I can hang them. That’s what I’ve got going on. I’ve just got this tunnel to my washing machine and my dryer, and the rest is just rats – that’s my world.’

While she questions whether she will be making rats into her old age, she said she is currently ‘riding the wave’ and wants to continue providing joy and fun to her customers.

‘It’s the coolest job in the world – I get to be creative, I get to be artistic, I get to have my own schedule, I get to interact with awesome people,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t improve on this, I love it.’

[Ming]

Hollywood star shepherds sheep over London bridge


Damian Lewis said his coat was his grandfather's from World War One

Hollywood actor Damian Lewis has taken part in an "eccentric" tradition dating back hundreds of years by herding sheep over the River Thames.

The star joined more than 1,000 Freemen of the City who ushered their sheep along a historic trading route on Sunday.

The Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor, who is himself a Freeman of the City, described the event as "fabulous".

It is part of celebrations which began in 2013 to mark the medieval right to bring produce to market over the Thames without paying tolls.

Lewis wore his grandfather's wool coat and carried a crook as he herded the animals over Southwark Bridge.

The 53-year-old said he was asked to attend by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, one of the oldest livery companies in the city which dates back to 1180.


Freemen were historically allowed to bring livestock and tools into the City without paying tax

Lewis was photographed keeping the animals in check ahead of other freemen dressed in black hats and red and fur cloaks at the London Sheep Drive.

"It was fabulous, I'm down here on this eccentric, very British day, honouring an old tradition where Freemen of the City of London can drive their sheep... toll free, free of charge, across the bridge - London Bridge as it was in the day - into the City of London in order to sell their produce," he said.

Master Woolman at the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, Manny Cohen, said Lewis' great grandfather, grandfather, and his brother, were all Lord Mayors of London.

Those in the position are elected annually and run the governing body of the City of London Corporation.

Lewis studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and "has a really close link to the City of London", Mr Cohen added.


The annual sheep drive began in 2013 as a way of celebrating the 45,000 sheep farmers in the UK

He explained the tradition of taking sheep over London Bridge was resurrected about 15 years ago and the event is sometimes held on Southwark Bridge, depending on traffic plans.

"We've just started with a few sheep and it's sort of taken a life of its own now, and it's a huge event - it's the second largest outdoor event of the City of London, other than the Lord Mayor's Show," he added.

The fundraiser also has stalls and is expected to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the Woolmen Charity, which supports the wool trade, and the Lord Mayor's Appeal, which works to improve "London's most pressing societal issues".

[The Mad Monk]

That one could definitely be used in a "Florida or Russia?" game.

[Ming]

SUV spotted parked atop dumpster in Florida



Sept. 20 (UPI) -- The mystery of an SUV seen perched on top of a Florida dumpster was revealed to have involved a poorly-timed parking job, a construction site and a forklift.

Scott Greenberg said he was on his way to the store when he spotted the vehicle parked on top of a dumpster off East Point Drive in Fort Myers.

"I had to do a double take. I texted my buddy. I'm like, 'Is that fair game? Is that free?' It's in the dumpster," Greenberg told WBBH-TV.

It turned out the SUV had been lifted onto the dumpster by a forklift operated by a construction worker helping to build a new apartment complex.

Workers said the vehicle had been left parked in a work area.

"Sometimes when you park where you're not supposed to, this is what happens," a construction worker said.

The vehicle was later removed from the dumpster and relocated to a parking space away from the work area.

Construction workers said they learned the SUV belongs to a contractor who loans it out to out-of-town workers in need of transportation.

[Dinner]

That poor cucumber and why did he put it back in his lunch box after he was done using it?

https://youtu.be/XZAYm7org2I?si=lmzksw_aE4_HhWHF

[Ming]

'Panda Dogs': Chinese zoo goes viral for luring visitors with painted pups
Source: CNN


A video screengrab shows two Chow Chow dogs painted to look like pandas at a zoo in China.
Image: Douyin

A zoo in China has admitted its star attraction, two so-called pandas, are just painted dogs.

The fluffy Chow Chow dogs painted to resemble the country's beloved national animal were seen in a video shot by a visitor to the zoo in southern Guangdong province.

The video, posted Monday on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, has gone viral, being shared more than 1.4 million times and liked by over 725,000 users.

In a photo shared by another user on social media, the black and white canines can be seen in an enclosure next to a sign that says "painted dogs."

"We are called Panda Dogs, a pet dog that looks like a panda, dyed and dressed up by Chow Chow. We are gentle, smart, friendly, cute and adorable!" the sign says.

The zoo's manager, Huang, said the dogs are one of its top attractions.

"You can see by our name, we are 'Strange Animals and Cute Pets Paradise,'" she told state-affiliated outlet Sichuan Observation. "These are Chow Chow dogs being painted (as pandas), as this is part of our specialties."


A video screengrab shows visitors, to a zoo in China's southern Guangdong province, feed a Chow Chow dog painted to resemble a panda.
Image: Douyin

This is not the first time dogs have been painted to look like pandas or other wild animals in China.

In May, a zoo in eastern Jiangsu province sparked outrage after visitors discovered it painted two dogs black and white to resemble pandas. Following widespread criticism, the zoo admitted the ruse.

A café in the southwestern city of Chengdu also came under fire in 2019 for offering a dyeing service for people to make their pets look like pandas. And in 2016, pet shops in Guangdong were caught selling dogs dyed to look like miniature tigers.

[The Mad Monk]

In other news, our old friend Asher:
1. is an American citizen now, and
2. recently got married.

The once and future American?

[pchang]

If only there were Haitian immigrants available to eat these squirrels.....

[Ming]

Gatwick train cancelled after squirrels board and 'refuse to leave'

The squirrels boarded "without tickets, breaching railway byeclaws", a spokesperson for the train operator joked.


One of the offending squirrels. Pic: Great Western Railway

Two squirrels who boarded a rush hour train to Gatwick forced operators to cancel the service.

The squirrels jumped on the Great Western Railway (GWR) 8.54am train from Reading to Gatwick on Monday, forcing passengers to flee to other carriages.

The passengers alerted staff, who tried to lure the squirrels off the train at Redhill with snacks, before trying to force them off with brooms - but to no avail.

They subsequently called the journey off entirely.

It may have been disruptive, but a GWR spokesperson certainly saw the funny side.

"We can confirm that the 0854 Reading to Gatwick was terminated at Redhill after a couple of squirrels boarded the train at Gomshall without tickets, breaching railway byeclaws," the spokesperson said.

"We attempted to remove them at Redhill, but one refused to leave and was returned to Reading to bring an end to this nutty tail."

[Ming]

Missing Boy Caught Playing Hooky from School by News Helicopter: 'First Time We've Seen Something Like This'

"It was a really gratifying experience," said reporter Dan Rice after finding the missing New York City boy



A child who was reported missing in New York City was caught playing hooky by none other than a local news helicopter.

The 9-year-old was reported missing around 9:45 a.m. local time after he did not show up to school at 7 a.m. on Aug. 22, the New York Police Department (NYPD) told CBS affiliate WCBS-TV, Fox News and the New York Post.

The NYPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Following the report, a news helicopter was sent to the area where the boy was reported missing.

Inside the chopper, WCBS and WNYW aerial reporter Dan Rice said he and his pilot Eric Ross were “circling around” his Brooklyn apartment building when they came across someone that “fit the description of the missing child” sitting on a chair on the rooftop," according to WCBS-TV.

An NYPD alert had noted that the child had been wearing an orange tie when he had gone off to school in the morning — a detail that tipped off Rice.

“I looked down at my notes. I see what the assignment desk had sent me, and I see what the child was wearing. I look back at the child, and that child was wearing everything that's in the description. He looked to be about 9 years old," Rice told the station.

Rice then called the NYPD, who eventually made their way up on the roof and confirmed that it was indeed the child reported missing earlier in the day.

"He just packs up his computer and his book bag and goes off with the police officers,” Rice recalled to WCBS-TV. “They look back at our helicopter, gave us a big thumbs up and took [the] child down to his parents.”

Police confirmed to the outlets that the boy was eventually reunited with his mother.

Rice noted that the incident was “the first time we've seen something like this happen,” adding that he was glad "to be able to find that child for the parents down in that building. It was a really gratifying experience.”

Another neighbor told WCBS-TV that they had gone up to the rooftop to have a “cup of coffee” around 8 a.m. and noticed the child as well, but didn’t think anything of it at the time.

“There's a swinging bench up there, sort of. The kid was sitting on the bench playing on his iPad," the neighbor said. "I thought his parents gave him permission to go up there. I didn't even think, 'Why would the kid be up there?' It's a community place.”

Another neighbor told WCBS-TV that they had gone up to the rooftop to have a “cup of coffee” around 8 a.m. and noticed the child as well, but didn’t think anything of it at the time.

“There's a swinging bench up there, sort of. The kid was sitting on the bench playing on his iPad," the neighbor said. "I thought his parents gave him permission to go up there. I didn't even think, 'Why would the kid be up there?' It's a community place.”

[Ming]

Town Is Missing its Clothing as 4-Pawed Cat Burglar Pilfers Items from Neighbors and Brings Them Home


Taboo pictured with her stash of hot property

There are cat burglars, then there are cat-burglars.

Taboo, a 12-year-old black and white resident of West Yorkshire in England, has stolen gloves, socks, underpants, and shoes from properties across the area.

Her owner, Sandra Danskin has now been forced to share regular pictures of the loot on social media so residents can reclaim their stolen items.

But Danskin, who works night shifts, said sneaky Taboo is rarely caught and has become a master of her criminal trade.

“Whenever I come home from my shift there are all sorts of things waiting for me, either dragged in through the cat flap or left on the drive,” Danskin told the British news media service SWNS. “This morning I had four pairs of socks and a pair of underpants. She loves bringing back items of clothing like that, but also we’ve had a mop head and kitchen rolls.”

“We even had half a dozen eggs once, still in their box, but all broken. We think she must have taken them off someone’s doorstep when the milkman dropped them off.”

Neighbors have joked that they changed the locks of their houses, and that Danskin should figure out how to train her little thief to discern worthless goods from high-end goods like Rolexes.

Sandra believes that Taboo steals clothes from people’s washing lines or sneaks into their houses if their doors are left open. The little Lupin has only been caught once so far when a neighbor spotted her trying to take a T-shirt from his clothes dryer in the kitchen.

“If she brings back a sock she will always go back and get the matching one so there’s a pair,” Danskin said. “I have a box full of stuff she’s brought for me and every now and then I go on Facebook and post a photo of it all so people can claim it.”

Taboo was originally a house cat and belonged to Sandra’s daughter, Gemma. Eventually, Gemma could not bear with the kleptomaniac cat any longer, and Taboo went to live with Sandra and her three other cats.

Now the cat burglar loves to let her current owner know when she’s pulled off a successful heist by emitting a signature howl.

“Whenever she gets something she sits outside and makes this high-pitched whining noise to let me know,” says Danskin. “I’ve tried talking to her about it but she doesn’t change her ways. Underwear, socks, shoes… she just keeps bringing them.”

“I can’t tell you how many pairs of gardening gloves she’s brought me. I’ve never heard of a cat doing anything like this before, and she shows no signs of stopping.”

Evidently, she’s never heard of Charlie, the Klepto-Cat of Bristol. Charlie became famous some years ago for stealing toys from the houses around her owner’s home in very similar circumstances. Must be something with tuxedo cats.

[-Jrabbit]

Well, of course. No "probably" about it...

[Meticulous Man]