Joe Biden has got no taste at all

March 11, 2012 at 3:41 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Homeless men help subdue thief: “Deputy Kevin Myer of the Broward Sheriff’s Office in Pompano Beach, Florida arrived at the a Macdonalds restaurant in the town after a report of a disturbance on March 3. Dep. Meyer was told that the suspect, Patrick Davis was accused of stealing another man’s backpack but when he tried to stop Mr Davis from leaving the scene a violent struggle ensued. As they grappled on the floor it became obvious the officer needed help and that’s when three homeless men decided to intervene. Peter Finch and Jose Ramos, who both stay at a nearby homeless shelter, came to Dep. Meyers aid with Mr Finch grabbing Davis’ feet while Mr Ramos helped to hold him down. Homeless man Carmello Maldonade also offered to assist. When a back-up deputy arrived Davis was cuffed and secured.”

Photo of former ‘Unidentified’ Civil War soldier spotted by family: “A young 1860s Civil War soldier whose ambrotype photograph has swapped hands for over a century collecting a value of thousands of dollars without his identification known has been finally named. Thanks to his family’s recognition among hundreds of other photographs donated to the Library of Congress in 2010, the photograph capturing the seated solider with a saber in one hand and a pistol under his belt, has been identified as David M. Thatcher. At 17-years-old, David Thatcher, a farmer’s son, had enlisted in the First Virginia cavalry regiment a week after the war began on April 19 of 1861. Since identifying David Thatcher, his ‘unidentified’ description has been scrubbed away from the Library’s master catalog, presenting the solider with a name that now connects him to the family who proudly hasn’t forgotten him back home. ‘This anonymous young boy has gotten his life back,’ Mr Liljenquist said.”

Cricket for France?: “It is the quintessential English game, yet cricket has suffered a slow decline – today less than one-in-ten schoolchildren play the sport. But now it is to enjoy an unexpected revival – in France. Cricket is being introduced into the national curriculum for French primary schools, and enthusiasts hope the move will lead to cricket becoming a part of French culture. ‘We have far more open spaces here, so beautiful pitches will not be a problem and the French are certainly clever enough to understand the complicated rules,’ says Gilles Lefevre, an English teacher from Bordeaux, who learnt to love the game on holidays to the UK…. They can even argue they have a historic claim to the sport as French archives refer to the game of ‘criquet’ being played as early as 1478.”

Sculptures out of chicken wire! “This artist has achieved a real ‘coop’ – he’s found a way to turn chicken wire into money. Derek Kinzett has made spectacular life-size sculptures of figures including a cyclist, gardener and fairy from the galvanized wire. The 45-year-old spends at least 100 hours making each model, which sell for around £6,000 apiece. Derek, from Dilton Marsh, near Bath, Wiltshire, twists and cuts 160ft of wire to create incredibly detailed replicas of people and creatures from the world of fantasy. His models of people, which stand around 6ft tall and take a month to make, even include eyes, hair and lips. He spends so long twisting and cutting the tough wire that his hands are covered in calluses. Derek first sketches the designs or uses his computer to convert photographs into line drawings. He then uses these as a guide as he cuts moulds from blocks of expanding foam with a carving knife. Derek wraps the wire around the mould, typically layering it up five times to add strength, before removing the mould to create a see-through sculpture.”

Rex is my partner, I love him’: “A woman who served in Iraq for more than three years is now fighting to adopt the German Shepherd who she survived a roadside bomb with. As a dog handler for the military, Megan Leavey, 28, completed over 100 missions during two six-month tours in Iraq with the military service dog Rex. And since being discharged from the military in December 2007 Leavey has campaigned to adopt the bomb-sniffing canine so he can enjoy a civilian life with her in Rockport, New York. ‘Rex is my partner; I love him,’ Leavey told Msnbc.com ‘We have been through so much together … I’ve spent day and night with this dog. It’s a very strong bond.’ Indeed Leavey and Rex, who she handled since her earliest days as a Marine at Camp Pendleton, California, survived the blast of a roadside bomb in Ramadi in 2006, which took them both out of service. But now Leavey is struggling to adopt the dog she served her country with for more than three years.”

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