In Other News

[Ming]

Paraglider Spots Stray Dog Chilling Atop Great Pyramid of Giza
101824*

A man flying a paramotor over the Giza Pyramid Complex on the outskirts of Cairo spotted a stray dog barking at birds from atop the 138.5-meter-tall Great Pyramid of Giza.

Marshall Mosher, a “pro adventure athlete” who travels around the world, was flying his paramotor over the pyramids of Giza on October 14 when he came across a very peculiar sight – a lone canine chilling on top of the Great Pyramid, seemingly barking at the birds flying overhead. Not exactly the kind of thing you expect to see while flying over one of the Seven Wonders of the World, so it’s no wonder that the clip he posted on his Instagram went viral almost instantly. Some users of the popular social network joked that the pooch must have been the Egyptian God Anubis, while others were worried about its well-being.



Luckily, Mosher followed up his viral video with another clip, this time shot at the foot of the pyramid. It showed both the daredevil canine and a fellow companion, and the human globetrotter explained that there are many stray dogs in the Giza area and they often climb up and down the pyramids, something that we humans are forbidden from doing.


Interestingly, tourists were once allowed to scale the ancient pyramids, but Egypt imposed a ban on the practice and offenders now risk up ti three years behind bars. The same rules apparently don’t apply to dogs…

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1847212274462728395

[Uncle Sparky]

Colombian pizza?
Better than pineapple.

[BeBMan]

A councillor has suggested using birth control as a means of limiting a local gull population.

Councillor Jill Desayrah said the number of gulls near Worcester's Elgar retail park had increased in the last year.

The birds have damaged locals' cars and homes, and disrupted people's sleep by screeching.

Desayrah said the rise in gulls in the area was "partly due" to their displacement from the city centre, where they had previously been a problem.

In July, a hawk was flown around Worcester city centre in an attempt to get the gulls to move on.

"I'm glad to see the city centre is more free of them, that's a good thing for everybody, but it's not good to see so many of them appear to be displaced here," she said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg787exdlmeo

[BeBMan]

Did this improve the pizza or not, is the question.

Or was item 40 just delivered as a raw amount of cocaine without any pizza added? That would be criminal

[Broken_Erika]

German police raid pizzeria serving side order of cocaine

Police have raided a pizzeria in western Germany which they alleged served customers a side of cocaine when they ordered item number 40 on the menu.
Authorities were tipped off about the scheme in March by food inspectors, and drug squad officers began watching the restaurant, criminal director Michael Graf von Moltke said on Monday.
When police went to detain the pizzeria manager at his apartment, the 36-year-old reportedly threw a bag of drugs out of the window, which "fell right into the arms of the police officers", Düsseldorf police said.
Police found 1.6kg (3.5lb) of cocaine, 400g (14.1oz) of cannabis and €268,000 (£223,120) in cash in the apartment.

The restaurant manager was released by police a few days later, and he reopened his restaurant and continued to sell the drug and pizza combination.
Investigators used the opportunity to explore the drug supply chain to the pizzeria, leading them to bust a drug ring in western Germany weeks later.
Around 150 officers raided two cannabis plantations - one in Mönchengladbach, to the west of Düsseldorf where 300 plants were found, and another in Solingen, to the east of the city, where 60 plants were found.
The homes and businesses of 12 suspects were also raided, resulting in the arrests of three people, including a 22-year-old suspected of being the head of the drug operation.
Police also found weapons, money and expensive watches during the raids.
The pizzeria manager was rearrested while trying to leave the country and remains in custody.
"The number 40 was one of the best-selling pizzas," Mr Moltke said.
Police have not released the name of others involved in the drug operation, or the price of the pizza and cocaine combination.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cew1wq8dr02o

[-Jrabbit]

My daughter informs me the the "not a bag of drugs" bag is actually a real product. It is marketed as a makeup bag.

[Ming]

Oregon police find bag full of drugs marked 'definitely not a bag full of drugs'
Driver and passenger arrested after search of car in Portland turns up fentanyl, methamphetamine, cash and loaded gun
Source: The Guardian


Police said they found fentanyl, oxycodone, money and a loaded gun.
Image: Portland Police Bureau Eeast Precinct

Police officers in Portland, Oregon, stopped a car Tuesday night when they noticed a bag inside that said "Definitely not a bag full of drugs". It, in fact, was – full of drugs: 79 blue fentanyl pills, three fake oxycodone tablets, and 230g of methamphetamine, to be exact.

Officers pulled over a man and a woman who were driving a stolen car near the intersection of SE 162nd Avenue and Division, according to the Portland police bureau. Inside the car, officers noticed that the Ford Taurus's ignition had been visibly tampered with – and spotted baggies of drugs.

"The driver and passenger were both arrested," said Portland police public information officer Sergeant Kevin Allen. "Inside the vehicle was a substantial number of packaged drugs, including methamphetamine and blue fentanyl pills, multiple scales, money and a loaded firearm."

Many of the baggies of drugs had been stored in a brown canvas bag reading, "Definitely not a bag full of drugs". A photo of the officers' bust – including the bag – garnered media attention on Twitter.


— PPB East Precinct (@ppbeast) October 9, 2024

The suspects – Reginald Reynolds, 35, and Mia Baggenstos, 37 – are both facing charges of drug possession and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Reynolds has been charged with delivery of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of a controlled substance in the first degree. Baggenstos faces nearly the same charges – except for possession of a controlled substance in the second degree.

In 2020, Oregon made history when it decriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs (much smaller than the amounts officers found Tuesday), in an effort to redirect city funding from criminalization and toward treatment of substance-use disorders. The measure passed with high levels of public support that faltered as overdose and homelessness rates rose in the state during the Covid-19 pandemic – when fentanyl also became widely available and affordable housing less so.

In September, the state recriminalized drug possession under a Democratic-controlled legislature.

[BeBMan]

https://www.reddit.com/r/weather/comments/1fx58ml/kirks_forecast_track/

Kirk!

[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