CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina waitress is out of a job after griping on her Facebook page about the $5 tip she got from a couple who sat at their table for three hours. The waitress says the customers kept her at work an hour after she was supposed to clock out.
The Charlotte Observer reported Monday that 22-year-old Ashley Johnson felt slighted after waiting on the couple at Brixx Pizza.
So she blasted the couple on Facebook, calling them cheap and mentioning the restaurant by name.
Brixx officials told Johnson a couple of days later that she was being fired because she violated a company policy banning workers from speaking disparagingly about customers and casting the restaurant in a bad light on a social network.
Johnson says she has apologized to Brixx and is looking for a new job.
AP
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Dog honored for leading troopers to fire
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Buddy the German shepherd was hailed as a hero for guiding Alaska State Troopers through winding back roads to a fire at his owners' workshop.
"Buddy is an untrained dog who for some reason recognized the severity of the situation and acted valiantly in getting help for his family," Col. Audie Holloway, head of the troopers, said Friday at a ceremony for the 5-year-old dog, who stood quietly before an adoring crowd.
Buddy, whose good deed was caught on a patrol car's dashcam video, received a stainless steel dog bowl engraved with words of appreciation from troopers for his "diligence and assistance."
Buddy also received a big rawhide bone, and his human family got a framed letter documenting his efforts.
"He's my hero," owner Ben Heinrichs said, his voice breaking. "If it wasn't for him, we would have lost our house."
The dashcam video shows Buddy meeting the trooper's vehicle, then dashing to their property about 55 miles north of Anchorage on April 4.
Heinrichs said he was working on parts for his truck when a spark hit some gasoline and ignited, lighting his clothes blaze. The 23-year-old man ran outside to stomp out the flames by rolling in the snow, closing the door to keep the blaze from spreading.
Heinrichs then realized Buddy was still inside the burning building and let the dog out. Heinrichs suffered minor burns on his face and second-degree burns on his left hand, which was still heavily bandaged Friday.
Buddy was not injured.
"I just took off running," Heinrichs said. "I said we need to get help, and he just took off."
Buddy ran into the nearby woods and onto Caswell Loop Road, where the dog encountered the trooper, Terrence Shanigan, whose global positioning device had failed while responding to a call about the fire. He was working with dispatchers to find the property in an area with about 75 miles of back roads.
Shanigan was about to make a wrong turn when he saw a shadow up the road. His vehicle lights caught Buddy at an intersection, and the dog eyed the trooper and began running down a side road.
"He wasn't running from me, but was leading me," he said. "I just felt like I was being led ... it's just one of those things that we're thinking on the same page for that brief moment."
The video shows Buddy occasionally looking back at the patrol car as he raced ahead, galloping around three turns before arriving in front of the blaze, which was very close to the Heinrichs' home.
From there, the trooper guided firefighters to the scene.
The workshop was destroyed and a shed was heavily damaged, but only some window trim on the house was scorched.
The Heinrich family said they knew Buddy was smart ever since they got him six weeks after he was born to a canine-officer mother and that he was brave, twice chasing bears away while Ben Heinrichs was fishing.
But saving their home beat them all.
"Downright amazing, I would say," said Tom Heinrichs, Ben's father. "Maybe there was some divine intervention."
AP
"Buddy is an untrained dog who for some reason recognized the severity of the situation and acted valiantly in getting help for his family," Col. Audie Holloway, head of the troopers, said Friday at a ceremony for the 5-year-old dog, who stood quietly before an adoring crowd.
Buddy, whose good deed was caught on a patrol car's dashcam video, received a stainless steel dog bowl engraved with words of appreciation from troopers for his "diligence and assistance."
Buddy also received a big rawhide bone, and his human family got a framed letter documenting his efforts.
"He's my hero," owner Ben Heinrichs said, his voice breaking. "If it wasn't for him, we would have lost our house."
The dashcam video shows Buddy meeting the trooper's vehicle, then dashing to their property about 55 miles north of Anchorage on April 4.
Heinrichs said he was working on parts for his truck when a spark hit some gasoline and ignited, lighting his clothes blaze. The 23-year-old man ran outside to stomp out the flames by rolling in the snow, closing the door to keep the blaze from spreading.
Heinrichs then realized Buddy was still inside the burning building and let the dog out. Heinrichs suffered minor burns on his face and second-degree burns on his left hand, which was still heavily bandaged Friday.
Buddy was not injured.
"I just took off running," Heinrichs said. "I said we need to get help, and he just took off."
Buddy ran into the nearby woods and onto Caswell Loop Road, where the dog encountered the trooper, Terrence Shanigan, whose global positioning device had failed while responding to a call about the fire. He was working with dispatchers to find the property in an area with about 75 miles of back roads.
Shanigan was about to make a wrong turn when he saw a shadow up the road. His vehicle lights caught Buddy at an intersection, and the dog eyed the trooper and began running down a side road.
"He wasn't running from me, but was leading me," he said. "I just felt like I was being led ... it's just one of those things that we're thinking on the same page for that brief moment."
The video shows Buddy occasionally looking back at the patrol car as he raced ahead, galloping around three turns before arriving in front of the blaze, which was very close to the Heinrichs' home.
From there, the trooper guided firefighters to the scene.
The workshop was destroyed and a shed was heavily damaged, but only some window trim on the house was scorched.
The Heinrich family said they knew Buddy was smart ever since they got him six weeks after he was born to a canine-officer mother and that he was brave, twice chasing bears away while Ben Heinrichs was fishing.
But saving their home beat them all.
"Downright amazing, I would say," said Tom Heinrichs, Ben's father. "Maybe there was some divine intervention."
AP
Couple stranded by volcano take vows online
LONDON (AFP) – A British-Australian couple's wedding guests watched them take their vows over the Internet on Saturday after the volcanic ash cloud disrupting European flights left them stranded in Dubai.
Sean Murtagh, 24, from west London, and his new wife Natalie, a 30-year-old Australian, were married at a civil wedding in Brisbane three weeks ago.
But they also planned a ceremony for family and friends in Ealing, west London.
Flying back from their home in the Queensland capital for the ceremony however, they found themselves stuck when they changed planes in Dubai on Thursday.
But staff at their airport hotel helped them take their vows over the web.
"They have decorated the lobby of the hotel. They made us a three-tier wedding cake, set up a laptop with Skype and a projector," Sean Murtagh said.
"It's spellbinding the amount they have done for us.
"It's been an incredible day. We were never going to forget it anyway but we certainly won't forget it now."
The groom even borrowed his smart shirt and trousers while the bride wore a dress she had in her luggage.
Caroline Black, who conducted the online ceremony from London, said: "It was just like any other wedding except the bride and groom weren't there."
AFP
Sean Murtagh, 24, from west London, and his new wife Natalie, a 30-year-old Australian, were married at a civil wedding in Brisbane three weeks ago.
But they also planned a ceremony for family and friends in Ealing, west London.
Flying back from their home in the Queensland capital for the ceremony however, they found themselves stuck when they changed planes in Dubai on Thursday.
But staff at their airport hotel helped them take their vows over the web.
"They have decorated the lobby of the hotel. They made us a three-tier wedding cake, set up a laptop with Skype and a projector," Sean Murtagh said.
"It's spellbinding the amount they have done for us.
"It's been an incredible day. We were never going to forget it anyway but we certainly won't forget it now."
The groom even borrowed his smart shirt and trousers while the bride wore a dress she had in her luggage.
Caroline Black, who conducted the online ceremony from London, said: "It was just like any other wedding except the bride and groom weren't there."
AFP
Lecturer married homeless busker - after nine days
A former university lecturer has told how she flew to LA for an impulse holiday, met a homeless man - and married him nine days later.
Even more incredibly, Joanne St Clair, from Nelson, Lancashire, is still with Daniel Orlick after seven years and expecting their second child.
Joanne, now 37, had a good job, her own home and a car but felt something was missing in her life so decided to take a break.
After two days, she met Daniel in a Venice Beach hostel, where he had formerly worked, and they began arguing - about The Simpsons.
Eventually, he told her that he was living rough and busking because he dreamt of making it as a singer-songwriter and played her some of his songs.
They fell for each other and, after they had known each other for all of five days, Daniel told Joanne: "You know we will get married" and she replied "Yes, I know".
After nine days they married at the LA Courthouse and had matching wedding ring tattoos on their fingers before spending their wedding night at the hostel.
When Joanne told her friends and family back in England that she was married - to a homeless busker - they were taken aback, to say the least.
But now they are living happily together back in the UK with Elijah, four, and their second child is due in November. Joanne is now Daniel's manager and they also run a record label together.
Joanne said: "Given the way we met there's no such phrase as 'can't' in our house.
"That chance meeting changed my life beyond my wildest dreams. People will always tell you to do the sensible thing but letting your heart rule may well be worth a try. I did and look what happened to me."
Orange
Even more incredibly, Joanne St Clair, from Nelson, Lancashire, is still with Daniel Orlick after seven years and expecting their second child.
Joanne, now 37, had a good job, her own home and a car but felt something was missing in her life so decided to take a break.
After two days, she met Daniel in a Venice Beach hostel, where he had formerly worked, and they began arguing - about The Simpsons.
Eventually, he told her that he was living rough and busking because he dreamt of making it as a singer-songwriter and played her some of his songs.
They fell for each other and, after they had known each other for all of five days, Daniel told Joanne: "You know we will get married" and she replied "Yes, I know".
After nine days they married at the LA Courthouse and had matching wedding ring tattoos on their fingers before spending their wedding night at the hostel.
When Joanne told her friends and family back in England that she was married - to a homeless busker - they were taken aback, to say the least.
But now they are living happily together back in the UK with Elijah, four, and their second child is due in November. Joanne is now Daniel's manager and they also run a record label together.
Joanne said: "Given the way we met there's no such phrase as 'can't' in our house.
"That chance meeting changed my life beyond my wildest dreams. People will always tell you to do the sensible thing but letting your heart rule may well be worth a try. I did and look what happened to me."
Orange
Woman 'bedridden by massive breasts'
A woman who developed a rare condition which caused her breasts to continually grow has had a successful operation to reduce their size.
Julia Manahuari, a 29-year-old mother-of-four from Loreto, Peru, underwent five hours of surgery at Arzobispo Loayza hospital to remove 16kg of breast tissue which had left her bedridden, Andina reports.
Health minister Oscar Ugarte visited Manahuari at her hospital bed and said: "The patient, who suffered from bilateral gigantomastia, has responded the operation well and is ready to to move."
Manahuari travelled for three days from boat and air from Requena to Lima via Iquitos after media attention over her condition reportedly secured the necessary funding for her operation.
DS
Julia Manahuari, a 29-year-old mother-of-four from Loreto, Peru, underwent five hours of surgery at Arzobispo Loayza hospital to remove 16kg of breast tissue which had left her bedridden, Andina reports.
Health minister Oscar Ugarte visited Manahuari at her hospital bed and said: "The patient, who suffered from bilateral gigantomastia, has responded the operation well and is ready to to move."
Manahuari travelled for three days from boat and air from Requena to Lima via Iquitos after media attention over her condition reportedly secured the necessary funding for her operation.
DS
Croatian teenager wakes from coma speaking fluent German
The girl, from the southern town of Knin, had only just started studying German at school and had been reading German books and watching German TV to become better, but was by no means fluent, according to her parents.
Since waking up from her 24 hourcoma however, she has been unable to speak Croatian, but is able to communicate perfectly in German.
Doctors at Split's KB Hospital claim that the case is so unusual, various experts have examined the girl as they try to find out what triggered the change.
Hospital director Dujomir Marasovic said: "You never know when recovering from such a trauma how the brain will react. Obviously we have some theories although at the moment we are limited in what we can say because we have to respect the privacy of the patient."
Psychiatric expert Dr Mijo Milas added: "In earlier times this would have been referred to as a miracle, we prefer to think that there must be a logical explanation – its just that we haven't found it yet.
"There are references to cases where people who have been seriously ill and perhaps in a coma have woken up being able to speak other languages – sometimes even the Biblical languages such as that spoken in old Babylon or Egypt – at the moment though any speculation would remain just that – speculation – so it's better to continue tests until we actually know something."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Since waking up from her 24 hourcoma however, she has been unable to speak Croatian, but is able to communicate perfectly in German.
Doctors at Split's KB Hospital claim that the case is so unusual, various experts have examined the girl as they try to find out what triggered the change.
Hospital director Dujomir Marasovic said: "You never know when recovering from such a trauma how the brain will react. Obviously we have some theories although at the moment we are limited in what we can say because we have to respect the privacy of the patient."
Psychiatric expert Dr Mijo Milas added: "In earlier times this would have been referred to as a miracle, we prefer to think that there must be a logical explanation – its just that we haven't found it yet.
"There are references to cases where people who have been seriously ill and perhaps in a coma have woken up being able to speak other languages – sometimes even the Biblical languages such as that spoken in old Babylon or Egypt – at the moment though any speculation would remain just that – speculation – so it's better to continue tests until we actually know something."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
YouTube 'cat torturer' traced by web detectives
A teenager who posted videos of himself torturing a cat on YouTube has been arrested after being traced by internet “vigilantes”.
The youth was shown throwing the animal against a wall, hitting it in the face and holding it under a running shower in the gruesome clips.
In one film titled PattyCatPattyCat he describes the cat, Dusty, as his “test subject”. Another youth can be heard laughing in the background.
The film was eventually removed by the video-sharing website and the account hosting all the clips shut down, but only after some of the 30,000 people who had been horrified by footage had begun tracking the alleged culprit.
The teenager introduced himself only as Timmy and wore a balaclava to hide his identity, but clued-up web users pieced together information from other social networking websites including Facebook, MySpace and Digg to come up with a name of a likely culprit.
They reportedly matched details in the background of one of the videos to photos of a bedroom posted on one social networking site.
Police in Lawton, Oklahoma, have arrested two youths in relation to the animal abuse after receiving information from members of the public and the animal rights group Peta. Officers are now preparing a case against the teenagers.
“It will be up to the District Attorney whether or not he files charges or not. Our job is to put the investigation together as a case and take it to the DA and that’s what we’ll do,” Sheriff Kenny Stradley told KSWO news.
Dusty is now being looked after by a local vet, and is said to be doing well.
Telegraph
The youth was shown throwing the animal against a wall, hitting it in the face and holding it under a running shower in the gruesome clips.
In one film titled PattyCatPattyCat he describes the cat, Dusty, as his “test subject”. Another youth can be heard laughing in the background.
The film was eventually removed by the video-sharing website and the account hosting all the clips shut down, but only after some of the 30,000 people who had been horrified by footage had begun tracking the alleged culprit.
The teenager introduced himself only as Timmy and wore a balaclava to hide his identity, but clued-up web users pieced together information from other social networking websites including Facebook, MySpace and Digg to come up with a name of a likely culprit.
They reportedly matched details in the background of one of the videos to photos of a bedroom posted on one social networking site.
Police in Lawton, Oklahoma, have arrested two youths in relation to the animal abuse after receiving information from members of the public and the animal rights group Peta. Officers are now preparing a case against the teenagers.
“It will be up to the District Attorney whether or not he files charges or not. Our job is to put the investigation together as a case and take it to the DA and that’s what we’ll do,” Sheriff Kenny Stradley told KSWO news.
Dusty is now being looked after by a local vet, and is said to be doing well.
Telegraph
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