Welcome to Olamama's blog!!!: August 2015

Monday, 31 August 2015

Meet Nitama, the new cat stationmaster at Japan’s Kishi station

Nitama the feline stationmaster (C)ToruYamanaka/GettyImages

Hard work indeed pays off. Nitama was said to have started as a receptionist cat before being promoted to a stationmaster cat. The calico cat is the successor to Tama, the famous feline stationmaster who saved the Wakayama Electric Railway from financial ruin. Tama served as stationmaster for about eight years before she died in June at the age of 16. You can read the story here. Following the feline stationmaster’s death, a traditional 50-day mourning period was observed before a successor was named.

Roberto E. Cabrera pictured with the X-ray of his 19 inches penis

World records are being set for various reasons and while it is being celebrated by many, to 52-year-old Roberto Esquivel Cabrera, it is a predicament. With a penis so long, it is just two inches shorter than the world’s smallest man, Cabrera’s penis measures awhopping 18.9 inches (48.2cm), with a tip circumference of 10 inches (25cm), at certification by World Record Academy officials.

Wes Craven 1939-2015

Wes Craven, the famed horror film director, creator of Nightmare on Elm Street has died at the age of 76. A statement released by his family said Craven died at his Los Angeles home on Sunday from brain cancer.
Craven wrote and directed A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. His Scream franchise grossed over $300m (£195m) in the US alone.
Craven, whose iconic Freddy Krueger character horrified viewers for years, died at his home in Los Angeles and is survived by his wife, producer and former Disney Studios vice president Iya Labunka.
Craven claimed to have gotten the idea for Elm Street from living next to a cemetery on a street of that name in the suburbs of Cleveland. The five Nightmare on Elm Street films were released from 1984-89 and drew big crowds.
He will surely be remembered for his many works! RIP.

38 Swazi virgins killed in an accident on their way to reed dance

Topless virgins during the reed dance

38 Swaziland virgins have been confirmed dead in a road accident while travelling to the annual reed dance, where the King of Swaziland, King Mswati III was to choose his new wife. “The girls are packed into these trucks, standing room only, like cattle. This was an accident that was waiting to happen for a long time,” said an eyewitness to the carnage that ensued on Friday night when a truck carrying 50 teenage girls struck a car that police escorts had directed to the roadside, eNCA reports.

Christina Colantonio, 28 (C)AP

A New York mum, Christina Colantonio, 28, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her daughter, Genesee, County District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said. Police launched an investigation when an acquaintance visiting Colantiono at her apartment in Batavia, about 45 miles from Buffalo, found the baby's lifeless body and called 911, Batavia Police Det. Sgt. Todd Crossett said at a news conference Saturday evening.
Investigators believe Colantonio killed the girl "shortly after birth," about three months ago, Crossett said. Authorities would not say how the baby died, but Friedman said investigators "have enough evidence to come to a conclusion it was intentionally caused." A medical examiner will determine the infant's official cause of death. Friedman said the investigation was still ongoing.
Police said Colantonio, who has two other children, lived alone in the apartment. She was arraigned Saturday at Batavia City Court and ordered held without bail.
Source: FoxNews

Sunday, 30 August 2015

Beware of head to head selfies: Mutant head lice on the increase!

Picture for illustration (C)GettyImage

Recent research has shown an increase in head lice infestations, especially amongst social media savvy teens taking ‘selfies’ or ‘groupies’ with their head touching others. Its been reported that head lice have developed a high level of resistance to some of the most common popular treatments. Specialists are now warning snappers to beware unwelcome guests who wont be captured on camera, the Mirror reports.

Pineapple cuts

1. Fights inflammation
Bromelain is an enzyme that has anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain helps the body get rid of toxins by fighting off inflammation which impacts all the tissues and organs in the body. Regular consumption of pineapple can help to treat mild forms of arthritis and sports injuries by reducing inflammation and pain.

2. Helps with weight loss
Due to the fiber contained in pineapple, it takes more time to digest, thus causing a prolonged feeling of satiety. Drinking pineapple water in the morning prevents sugar and fat cravings. Thiamine helps boost your body metabolism by converting carbohydrates into energy.

A stuffed leopard (C)TonKoene/ExclusivepixMedia

Taxidermy is the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals for display. The Namibian taxidermy factory is said to stuff more than 6,000 animals a year for trophy hunters. The prices for each stuffed animals vary. Elephants are €38,000 (£27,000) to stuff, giraffes €8,500 (£6,000), leopards €1,800 (£1,300), rhinos €14,000 (£10,000). According to a guide, taxidermy is legal in Namibia and with enough money, you can shoot what you want!
Below are some of the works from the workshop of Louw Mel and his 45 professional staff just outside the capital of Windhoek.
Warning: Graphic pictures

Law enforcement officers examining the seized tusks and horns (C)TuoiTre

Customs officers at Tien Sa Port in the central city of Da Nang were reported to have seized more than 700Kg of rhino horns and elephant tusks hidden inside blocks of fake marble shipped from Mozambique. The smuggled animal parts were hidden in two containers on board the Liberian-flagged ship King Brian.
According to the customs declaration form made for the goods, these containers contained raw natural marble worth VND450 million (US$20,250) and the importer was Da Nang-based Van An Co. Ltd., the TuoiTreNews reports.

The front is all glass, making it airy and bright (C)Re/Max

At just eight-foot-wide and 1,000 square foot, this Toronto house whose listing is described as “the narrowest detached house in Toronto,” but “it’s surprisingly spacious,” according to realtor Frank Leo, features two bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as a sauna and numerous features like granite counter tops and cathedral ceiling. The house is located at 383 Shuter St. in Regent Park.
According to Leo, the house is for someone who appreciates being different, the Toronto star reports. The house comes with a baggage though...your stuff must be able to fit through the door!
More pictures of the unique house after the cut

Mum robs 3 banks in 30minutes for daughter’s graduation party

Cindy Sanchez Carabeo (C)HillsboroughCountySheriff'sDept.

A 50-year-old Florida woman, Cindy Sanchez Carabeo was arrested within 15minutes, after making the super-woman mistake of robbing three banks in just 30minutes, all for the sake of raising money for her daughter’s graduation bash. She was trailed by the red smoke trailing her car from an exploded dye pack.
She robbed three Brandon, Fla., banks less than one mile apart during her hectic heist spree i.e. from the BB&T Bank on Brandon Blvd. and Wells Fargo on Kings Ave. to the Florida Central Credit Union on Oakfield Drive.

Sara Cole before the bleach bath (C)DailyTelegraph

Sara Cole, 29, from Dapto was reported to have received burns to 98 percent f her body after mixing a full cup of bleach into the bath and soaking her entire body in it, the Daily Telegraph reports. The mother of three nearly came close to death after the therapy she claimed to have been given by a skin specialist for treatment of eczema which she has suffered from since birth. There was some initial pain while in the tub, but it wasn’t until two days later that things took a turn for the worse.
Pictures of Sara's burnt face after the cut.
Warning: Graphic pictures

.....somewhere in Chennai International Airport, India

Friday, 28 August 2015

East African nations to stop foreigners from adopting African children

East African countries (C)Forbes

According to a report on AfricanGlobe, members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), who are currently sitting in Kampala, want EAC partner states to abolish international child adoption to stop the likelihood of children falling into the hands of traffickers. EALA in August passed a general purpose report on the rights of the child, which wants EAC partner states i.e. Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi, to change their laws to restrict adoption of children to their nationals only.

Picture of a .380 handgun (C)bearingarms

A third-grade pupil whose name is yet to be made public because of the age, was reported to have accidentally discharged a gun in his classroom, hitting one of the students. Richmond County Department of School Safety Chief Alfonzo Williams said in a statement the boy was looking around his house for a toy and found the gun hidden in a curio stand in the kitchen. Williams said he used a chair to climb onto a counter to get to the gun.
The gun was said to have been owned by the boyfriend of the child’s maternal grandmother. The child took the .380 handgun to his east Augusta school and was playing with it when it went off, wounding a classmate. The girl was taken to the hospital, treated and later released.
His case has since been referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice, Williams said.

Apple set to unveil new iPhones in September

Apple has disclosed it will be hosting his annual announcement even on September 9. The email invitation sent to journalists includes a colorful Apple logo with the sentence "Hey Siri, give us a hint," referring to Apple's popular digital voice assistant, the Reuters reports.
Apple is expected to unveil new iPhones and potentially a new version of its Apple TV set-top box. The new iPhones are also said to feature Force Touch technology, which can distinguish between a light tap and deep press. However, no details have been released on what specs and upgrades they will have.
When users posed the question in the invitation to Siri on their iPhones, Siri threw back responses such as "You're cute when you're desperate for information" and "You'll have to wait until Sept. 9. I bet you were one of those kids who snuck downstairs to open presents early, weren't you?"

Babysitter to serve 14 years for pushing toddler in the face, causing him to fall and die

29-year-old Kinjal Patel (C)NewHavenPoliceDept.

Kinjal Patel, 29 was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter for the death of 19 months old Athiyan Sivakumar, and would be serving 14years in prison.
Reporting on New Haven Register, the office of the chief state medical examiner ruled the child’s death a homicide and that the cause of death was blunt-force trauma with multiple sites of impact.
Apparently, Patel told police several versions of what had occurred before ultimately stating that after the toddler gave Patel a hard time about eating rice and spat water in her face, Patel picked up the boy and slammed his feet onto the kitchen floor about three times, then shook his head back and forth. The warrant quoted her saying she then pushed the boy in the face and he fell backward, hitting his head. Athiyan was reported to have died at the Yale-New Haven Hospital as a result of the injury he sustained.
Patel entered a plea under the Alford Doctrine. That means she does not agree with the state's case, but concedes there is enough evidence to secure her conviction. She will serve 14 years in prison.

11 killed, over 50 injured in Deoghar temple stampede

Baidyanathdham temple (left)

At least, 11 people have been reported dead and over 50 injured in Jharkhand’s Deoghar town following a stampede close to Baidyanathdham temple, India Today reports. The tragedy took place when people started trying to jump queue in order to get closer to the temple, the district administration said.
Thousands of people had gathered to pray at the temple and that on the occasion of the second Monday of the month of Sawan. Monday is considered as the most auspicious day of Shravan month of the Hindu calendar.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

UEFA Champions League draw

(C)UEFA

Steve Esmond (left) and wife Theresa Devine (right) (C)Facebook

A Delaware family, whom while on vacation in Virgin Island got poisoned by pesticide will likely never recover from the illness that left three of them paralyzed, the DailyNews reports.
Steve Esmond, 49, and his two young sons’ hopes of returning to normal have been dashed as doctors have confirmed there is little to be done. Steve and his two sons fell ill four months ago when they breathed in a highly toxic pesticide while staying at a $800-a-night rental villa at the luxury Sirenusa resort in Cruz Bay, St. John, Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp said. The pesticide called Terminix left Steve Esmond, an official at the private Tatnall School in Greenville, Del., severely paralyzed.

.....we all want to feel safe!

Teenager Builds $3.5 million global enterprise

Jaylen D. Bledsoe (C)JaylenBledsoe.com

17-year-old Jaylen D. Bledsoe is a nationally recognised entrepreneur, investor, motivational speaker and business development consultant. At the age of 12, Bledsoe started his own information technology consulting business called, Bledsoe Technologies, LLC. With only $100, he began marketing his tech services and within two years, he had 150 contractors working for him and a company valued at $3.5 million.

Note left by Laura after paying for the parking ticket (C)Facebook

According to Buzzfeed, one new mom, who didn't want to identify herself, felt this frustration after spending days in Canberra Hospital in Australia with her nine-week-old son. She approached her car with her baby in tow and noticed a parking ticket staring right at her. This, as the already exhausted mom said in a Facebook post, "was one more thing that I didn't need" after all that time spent in the hospital.

Drone for illustration

Jonathan Elias, 18, and Brayan Valle, 19, has admitted in federal court to using drones to smuggle nearly 30 pounds of heroin from Mexico to the United States.
It was the first drug seizure involving a drone along California’s border with Mexico, said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego. She was unaware of any other drone-related seizure on the 1,954-mile divide between the two countries, the Associated Press reports.
The teenagers said they drove to a field in Calexico, California where they picked up the 28.6 pounds of heroin that was sent across the border. Elias took over control of the drone from an operator in Mexico after the aircraft crossed the border, Mack said.
“With border security tight, drug traffickers have thought of every conceivable method to move their drugs over, under and through the border,” said Laura Duffy, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. “We have found their tunnels, their Cessnas, their jet skis, their pangas, and now we have found their drones.”
The defendants, both from El Centro, each face maximum sentences of 20 years in prison when they are sentenced Oct. 20 for possession of heroinwith intent to distribute.

After 20-years on the run, terrorist behind 1996 Khobar Towers bombing caught

Ahmed al-Muhassil

Ahmed al-Mughassil, the main suspect in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing has been captured in Beirut. The attack which killed 19 U.S. service personnel and wounded almost 500 people occurred when a truck bomb exploded outside the building. It resulted in the US and Saudi Arabia accusing Iran of orchestrating the bomb attack. Iran has since denied any responsibility.

AR-15 rifle (C)AATTP

Walmart, the United States top seller of guns and ammunition has disclosed that it would stop selling AR-15 and other semi-automatic rifles, and focus more on selling other sports and hunting firearm.
Although the store has claimed the decision was unrelated to high-profile incidents that has taken place in recent times but rather, as a result of lack of customer demand, a Walmart spokesman Kory Lundberg said.
"This is done solely on what customer demand was," said Lundberg. "We are instead focusing on hunting and sportsman firearms."
Wal-Mart recently came under pressure from New York City's Trinity Church, an investor pushing for tighter oversight of sales of guns with high-capacity magazines. In April a federal court ruled in Wal-Mart's favor and vacated an injunction that would have required a vote on the issue at its annual shareholders' meeting in June.

Obese woman rescued from East Harlem apartment in net

Obese woman being rescued by firefighters (C)AngusMordant/NewYorkDailyNews

A sick obese woman, Marie Bowman, 70, reported to have been about 910 pounds had to be rescued by firefighters as they tried to transport her to the hospital, officials and witnesses said. Marie was said to have been suffering from lymph disease that cause swelling. The last time she left the apartment was September 2014.

Picture for illustration

An elephant in northern Thailand reportedly ‘went berserk’ when it attacked and killed its rider, before running off into the jungle with three terrified Chinese tourists still on its back. The Chinese family, two parents and their young child, were rescued soon after as other elephant keepers came to the rescue.
The police commander of Mae Wang district, Colonel Thawatchai Thepboon told AFP that "The mahout (elephant keeper) who was killed was Karen and he was not familiar with the elephant. They (the tourists) are safe now".

Toddler got his head stuck in a potty, firemen to the rescue!

Toddler with potty stuck on his head

A 10-month-old boy got the scare of his life when his older brother jammed a plastic potty on his head, thus getting stuck. His mum was forced to call fire-fighters to help out when she discovered the toddler’s head was firmly wedged inside the potty. The Russian family watched anxiously as the firemen cut the plastic potty using shears and thus freeing the boy.
More picture after the cut

A recent research by Consumer Reports have shown that almost all ground beef consumed in the US contains food poisoning bacteria which are very harmful when the meat is not properly cooked. 300 packages of ground beef from 103 stores in 26 cities across the country were purchased in order to test the prevalence of bacteria in the meat. Incredibly, every product purchased contained bacteria showing fecal contamination - which can lead to E. coli and blood or urinary infections.

Quinn Swales, 40 (C)Facebook

Profesional guide Quinn Swales, 40, on Monday placed himself "unflinchingly" between a male lion and his guests when it charged and bit him on the shoulder and neck, the luxury lodge that employed Swales in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe said in a statement. The tourists were on a walking safari when the heroic guide was killed in front of them. The lion has been identified by the state’s National Parks Authority as Nxaha.

(C)WDBJ7/Twitter

Two television journalist have been confirmed dead as gunman opened fire on news crew during a live broadcast at Virginia shopping plaza, says CBS New.
The station said that journalists Alison Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, a reporter and videographer for affiliate WDBJ respectively died in the incident.
Franklin County Sheriff's Office told Sky News the suspect targeted the news crew and remains at large.

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

9 ways to improve your oral health

Picture for illustration

Natty Burgess, a London dental practitioner, told MailOnline: 'People think that missing one brush won't be a problem, but over time a lack of good hygiene can cause a whole host of unwanted oral health conditions.
'Not brushing at least twice a day can cause the build-up of plaque and calculus (hardened plaque), as well as tooth decay which can lead to sensitivity and cavities that require fillings.
'In a 24-hour period, we are awake for around 17 hours, equivalent to 1,020 minutes.
'You only need to spend around four minutes brushing, and a couple of extra minutes per day flossing to avoid having problems.'

......improvised escalator!

ISIS acknowledges blowing up 2,000-year-old Palmyra’s Baalshamin temple

A picture of the temple in 2007 (C)ElizabethRoberts

The Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for blowing up the 2,000-year-old historic ruin in Syria, by releasing footage of how the act was carried out. Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syria's director-general of antiquities and museums, said that sources in Palmyra informed him that ISIS members rigged the temple with large quantities of explosives and detonated them, CNN reports. Captions on the photos claim that ISIS used IEDs, improvised explosive devices, to completely level the temple, which dates back to the first century.

This amazing pictures captured by a photographer shows a young python snake eating a kingfisher bird for dinner at the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
The snake can be seen wrapping its body around the poor bird, before bending its head backwards over its body in order to swallow the kingfisher whole without getting injured by the sharp beak.
More pictures after the cut

Julie Mott's body was discovered stolen when it was to be cremated (C)Facebook

The family of Julie Mott, 25. Are forced to deal with losing her a second time as her body have been reported stolen from inside a San Antonio funeral home, following her service on August 15. According to investigators, Julie’s body was taken from her casket at Mission Parks Funeral Chapel North, baffling all parties involved.

9-year-old Jamyla Bolden

Jamyla Bolden, 9, was on the bed doing her homework in the 9200 block of Ellison when she was shot by an unknown gunman who is still at large. Her mother was also shot in the leg but has since been released from the hospital, KMOV reports.
Police said the bullets came from outside of the home and the St. Louis County coroner confirmed the girl died of a gunshot wound.
"I never in a million years thought that I'd be laying my daughter to rest," said James Bolden, Jamyla’s father.
No arrests have been made, but police said they have received several tips. Officials also said they do not believe there is a public safety risk. The victim's family, along with police, urge anyone with information about the shooting to contact CrimeStoppers or the Ferguson Police Department.

Monday, 24 August 2015

Alleged aftermath of China explosion: Thousands of dead fish wash up Tianjin beach

Tonnes of dead fish wash up near Tianjin blast (C)DailyMirror

Thousands of dead fish have washed up Tianjin’s Haihe River, causing crowds to gather to see the grim and unnerving scene. The dead fish were found a few miles from the scene of the deadly explosion of a chemical warehouse that rocked the northern Chinese port city of Tijiani, leaving at least 114 people dead, many more injured and about 70 people still missing.

Christopher Duntsch

Christopher Duntsch, 44, a North Texas neurosurgeon, was charged for botching several spinal surgeries in 2011 and 2012, injuring 4 people and killing a woman. Duntsch whose bail was set at $600,000 was refused a reduction in bail by Judge Carter Thompson after an incriminating email was presented by prosecutors. The email which Duntsch sent to an employee reads: "I'm ready to leave the love and kindness and goodness and patience that I mix with everything else that I am and become a cold blooded killer."

Restaurant adds poo-flavored curry to menu

Poo-flavored curry

Curry Shop Shimizu is a new restaurant in Tokyo that has, in an attempt to be original, add a poo-flavored curry to their menu. Curry Shop Shimizu had set out from the start to be “the world’s first” something. After extensive brainstorming it appeared that curry which tasted like literal crap probably isn’t being sold anywhere else in the world. So, they decided to do just that.

(C)Reuters

For the very first time in the nation’s history, Saudi Arabian women can register to vote. However, the roadblocks to voting they still face are a reminder of how much progress the country has yet to make on gender equality.
In 2011, the late King Abdullah announced that women would be allowed to run for office and vote in municipal elections. According to Arab News, at least 70 women intend to run for office and more than 80 has registered as campaign managers.

Point to ponder on...

.......I wonder if this has made Africans in general better in any way?

Graphic content: Man loses leg after a friend jokingly sets it on fire

Craig after his legs were amputated (C)NorthNews

25-year-old Craig Finn had his leg amputated after his friend set him on fire while he was asleep, on account of a costly joke. Craig had organised a get together for a few friends after moving into a new flat in Spennymoor, County Durham, the Metro News reports.
While he was asleep, 24-year-old James Gillibrand set him on fire as a ’prank’ which left Crai with third degree burns. Surgeons were forced to amputate his leg below the knee and kept him in a coma for an entire month in Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Santadevi Meghwal (C) Nilima Pathak/Gulf News

At the age of 16, Santadevi Meghwal discovered that her parents had entered an arranged marriage for her when she was just 11-months to the ‘husband’ she has since described as crude and aggressive. When her would-be husband and in-laws showed up at her home in the western state of Rajasthan, she refused to leave her house. In addition, the husband’s family wanted her to abandon her education and become a housewife, which is not the life Meghwal, a college student studying to become a teacher, has in mind.

The picture of the suspect as released by the NYPD

A subway rider resolved to using her teeth to attack after she was asked by a fellow passenger to move her bag from a seat, police said. The incident which took place on a Manhattan-bound F train from Queens, was triggered when the 45-year-old victim asked the suspect to move her bag so she could sit down. The suspect was reported to have ignored her and the victim went ahead to sit down anyway. The police reported that that was when the suspect pushed the victim, scratched her on the chest, pulled her hair and bit her on the forearm, causing her to bleed. The suspect fled when the train stopped at the 21st Street and Queenbridge station in Long Island City.
The police have since released the picture of the suspect who remains at large.

Saturday, 22 August 2015

Mo Farah wins 10,000m World Championship gold

Mo Farah

Mo Farah has won his sixth consecutive global title in Beijing, China, on Saturday to lay claim to being Britain’s best ever championship performer,insidethegame.com reports.
Farah, who claimed the 10,000m gold on the opening day of the 15th International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships, has been beleaguered this summer by allegations of doping abuse, levelled at his coach Alberto Salazar rather than him personally.

Jet seen skimming the top of trees before the crash

A Hawker Hunter fighter jet participating in the Shoreham Airshow has crashed on a highway near Brighton, hitting several cars. Seven people were reported to have died with many more injured. Eyewitnesses told the BBC the plane appeared to be performing a loop before it crashed. Apparently, the jet failed to pull out of a loop manoeuvre.

(C)MediaDrumWorld

......Rhino caught helping a Zebra foal out of a mud pit with its horn