In Other News

[pchang]

And he’s probably > 40 years old….

[-Jrabbit]

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

[Broken_Erika]

Suspected burglar caught after sitting down with book

A would-be burglar in Rome was caught after stopping to read a book on Greek mythology in the middle of a robbery, Italian media report.
The 38-year-old reportedly gained access to a flat in the Italian capital's Prati district via the balcony but became distracted after picking up a book about Homer's Iliad on a bedside table.
The 71-year-old homeowner is said to have awoken and confronted the alleged thief, who was engrossed in the book.
News of the failed robbery attracted the attention of the book's author, who told local media he wanted to send the man a copy so he could "finish" his read.

​ After being caught off-guard, the alleged robber reportedly attempted to make a quick getaway by escaping via the same balcony, but was arrested shortly afterwards.
He is said to have told police he had climbed the building to visit a person he knew.
"I thought I had ended up in a B&B, saw the book and started to read it."
Giovanni Nucci, the author of The Gods at Six O'Clock, which explains the Iliad from the perspective of the gods, told Il Messaggero: "It's fantastic."
"I'd like to find the person caught red-handed and give him the book, because he'll have been arrested halfway through reading it. I'd like him to be able to finish it.
"It's a surreal story, but also full of humanity."
The thief was reportedly in possession of a bag containing expensive clothing allegedly stolen from another house earlier that evening.
Nucci said his personal favourite deity was Hermes, the god of thieves.
"He is also the god of literature. It is clear: everything fits," he joked.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4kpv3p4zo

[BlackCat]

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cn87608w389o

Meh, the sailors could at least have dressed as stormtroopers

[BeBMan]

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cn87608w389o

[Ming]

Nationwide shares most unusual pet insurance claims of the year
By Ben Hooper



Insurance company Nationwide announced the finalists for this year's Hambone Award, which celebrates the most unusual pet insurance claims of the year. Photo by Ben Hooper/UPI




Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Insurance company Nationwide announced the finalists for this year's Hambone Award, which celebrates the most unusual pet insurance claims of the year.


The Hambone Award, named in honor of a dog who ate an entire holiday ham while stuck in a refrigerator, aims "to shed light on the everyday and sometimes bizarre incidents that can befall our beloved pets."


This year's finalists include Archie, a New Jersey dog who injured his paws when he broke through a vintage plate glass door while trying to alert his family of the mail carrier's arrival, and Bear, a Pennsylvania corgi who bit into a bottle of nail adhesive and effectively glued his mouth shut.

A New Jersey parrot named Clover also made the list after a growth spurt caused toenails on her feet to hook together.


A Florida dog named Irma suffered from gastrointestinal issues that turned out to have been the result of eating metal wire pieces believed to be from a barbecue brush, and a Virginia dog named Gordon swallowed two large rocks from her owner's garden.


Rounding out the finalists is Lambeau, a North Carolina dog who ate more than 250 jigsaw puzzle pieces.


All of the pets nominated for the award have made full recoveries. Members of the public can vote for the favorite of the finalists through Thursday, with the winner set to be announced Aug. 27.


"Every year, the Hambone Award celebrates the recoveries of our pet nominees, made possible by the dedication of their pet parents and the expertise of their veterinary healthcare teams," Jules Benson, vice president of pet health and chief veterinary officer for Nationwide, said in a news release. "We applaud both and continue to focus on supporting them as they provide pets with the care they need."​

[Ming]

Beware of the klepto kitty! Town terrorised by cat who 'steals' clothes from other people's houses and then takes them home to her mortified owner

A sneaky cat burglar has been tormenting a town by stealing dozens of clothes from unsuspecting homeowners.

Taboo, a 12-year-old black and white moggie, has nicked gloves, socks, underpants and shoes from properties across Otley, West Yorkshire.

Her owner, Sandra Danskin, 62, has now been forced to share regular pictures of the items on social media so residents can collect them.

But the carer, who works night shifts, said mischievous Taboo is rarely caught and has become a 'master' of her criminal trade.

She said: '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.


Taboo, a 12-year-old black and white moggie, has nicked gloves, socks, underpants and shoes from properties across Otley, West Yorkshire

'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.

'Somebody joked to me that I should train her to go and visit the nearest Rolex watch shop.'

Sandra believes that the feline steals clothes from people's washing lines or sneaks into their houses if doors are left open.

So far, she has only been caught once when a neighbour spotted her trying to take a T-shirt from his clothes dryer in the kitchen.

She also said the moggie is quite fastidious and brings back a 'full set' of anything she managed to find.

Sandra said: 'If she brings back a sock she will always go back and get the matching one so there's a pair.


A collection of clothing that Taboo has taken from people's homes across Otley in West Yorkshire

'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.'

Sandra said Taboo was originally a house cat and belonged to her daughter, Gemma.

She had honed her craft by taking items out of the clothes dryer and putting them upstairs.

Eventually, Gemma could not bear Taboo's antics any longer, and she went to live with Sandra and her three other cats.


Sandra believes that Taboo steals clothes from people's washing lines or sneaks into their houses if doors are left open

Now the moggie loves to let her current owner know when she's pulled off a successful theft by emitting a signature howl.

Sandra said: 'Whenever she gets something she sits outside and makes this high-pitched whining noise to let me know.

'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. She also has a bit of a strange taste for pieces of wet cardboard.

'I've never heard of a cat doing anything like this before, and she shows no signs of stopping.'​

[N35t0r]

Good luck to whoever rescued it waking up tomorrow instead of today again!

[Ming]

Pennsylvania game machine 'displays' living 'prize' along with stuffed animals for kids

Employees at a miniature course in Duncansville, Pennsylvania, were met with an unusual sight after they noticed that a "prize" was moving inside a claw machine at the Meadows Family Fun Mini Golf venue.
Animal officials were called to the scene when the mini golf course workers found not a "stuffed" animal, but a living one.

Officials at the Pennsylvania Game Commission shared the discovery on Instagram, posting photos of a woodland creature.
The officials shared images of a groundhog hiding in between the stuffed prizes inside the machine.

State Game Warden (SGW) Salvadore Zaffuto was sent to investigate and help remove the stuck groundhog, according to the post.
A groundhog can weigh as much as 11 pounds, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.
Groundhogs live near rocky outcrops from valley bottoms to alpine tundra, but they avoid dense forest.
The lowland animals are surprisingly quick — and are good tree climbers.
"Upon approach of the machine (to investigate, not play), SGW Zaffuto saw the stuffed animals move and the groundhog [then] popped its head out amongst [the] prizes," said the post.
Officials called the vending machine company to unlock the machine and safely remove the woodchuck back into its habitat unharmed.

Officials joked that "next time," they hoped "the groundhog [would] just play the game with tokens, and not try to cheat to win the prize."

The groundhog, found in a claw machine at a Pennsylvania miniature golf course, was rescued safely and released back into the wild. (Pennsylvania Game Commission)​

[Dinner]

This is kind of interesting for curious people, Oerdin may even be factually interested

That is an interesting video and I actually like the geologic battery theory though I confess when I started watching that video I thought the answer would be chemotrophic bacteria.

[Uncle Sparky]

Guatemala, Great Britain, Serbia, Sweden, Turkiye, Ukraine, Australia, Coatia, Switzerland have also won medals in the shooting events at the Paris Olympics.
Still nothing for the USA.

[BlackCat]

This is kind of interesting for curious people, Oerdin may even be factually interested

[Uncle Sparky]

China, South Korea, India, Italy, and Kazakhstan have all won medals in the shooting events in Paris.
Nothing for the US.
Trump should make a speech about this. It would be funny.

[BeBMan]

I'm wondering how this would affect spamsharks

[BlackCat]

BeBMan, I'm worried for you

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cek9mr43x1xo