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Snakes on a Plane
CAIRO, Egypt — Customs officers at Cairo's airport on Thursday detained a man bound for Saudi Arabia who was trying to smuggle 700 live snakes on a plane, airport authorities said.
The officers were stunned when a passenger, identified as Yahia Rahim Tulba, after being asked to open his carry-on bag, told them it contained live snakes.
Tulba opened his bag to show the snakes to the police and asked the officers, who held a safe distance, not to come close. Among the various snakes, hidden in small cloth sacks, were two poisonous cobras.
The Egyptian said he had hoped to sell the snakes in Saudi Arabia. Police confiscated the snakes and turned Tulba over to the prosecutor's office, accusing him of violating export laws and endangering the lives of other passengers.
According to the customs officials, Tulba claimed the snakes are wanted by Saudis who display them in glass jars in shops, keep them as pets or sell them to research centers.
The value of the snakes was not immediately known.
Weirdnews you can't make this stuff up
#53
Posted 26 May 2007 - 06:28 AM
I was listening to the Radio at work the other day and they were telling about a man and his wife.It seems they were arguing while stopped at a railroad crossing waiting for the train to go by.The man pulled onto the tracks just before the train got there.He got out and left his wife in the car to get killed by the train.The train hit the car with his wife still in it.When the Train hit the car it flew into the air and landed on the man killing him.The wife survived with only a few scatches and bruises.
#54
Posted 26 May 2007 - 07:43 AM
halffast, on May 26 2007, 10:28 AM, said:
I was listening to the Radio at work the other day and they were telling about a man and his wife.It seems they were arguing while stopped at a railroad crossing waiting for the train to go by.The man pulled onto the tracks just before the train got there.He got out and left his wife in the car to get killed by the train.The train hit the car with his wife still in it.When the Train hit the car it flew into the air and landed on the man killing him.The wife survived with only a few scatches and bruises.
http://www.news.com....74505-2,00.html
#55
Posted 30 May 2007 - 01:37 AM
Taking the reality show to the extreme:
Kidney donation reality show will go ahead, Dutch network says
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 | 9:39 AM ET
The Associated Press
More articles on the subject:
-- Herald Sun
-- Times
-- BBC
Kidney donation reality show will go ahead, Dutch network says
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 | 9:39 AM ET
The Associated Press
Quote
A Dutch reality show that claims to be trying to draw attention to a shortage of organ donors said Tuesday it will go ahead with a program in which a terminally ill woman will choose a contestant to receive one of her kidneys.
Big Donor Show has been attacked as unethical and tasteless. At least one member of the Dutch parliament plans to ask the government to block Friday's broadcast.
"We know that this program is super controversial and some people will think it's tasteless, but we think the reality is even more shocking and tasteless: waiting for an organ is just like playing the lottery," Laurens Drillich, chairman of the BNN network, said in a statement.
He said waiting lists in the Netherlands are more than four years long and 200 patients die annually for lack of a donor.
The network identified the donor as "Lisa," a 37-year-old woman with an inoperable brain tumour. During the show, she will hear interviews with the three candidates, their families and friends before choosing who will get her kidney.
The show is being produced by Endemol NV, the creator of the Big Brother series.
A spokeswoman for BNN said that could be no guarantees the donation would actually be made, "but the intention is" Lisa's donation would be carried out before she died.
That's because her wish to donate to a particular candidate "wouldn't be valid anymore after her death" under Dutch donation rules, Marieke Saly said. If Lisa does donate one kidney while living, the other kidney may still be awarded to someone else on a national donation waiting list under the country's organ allotment system.
Viewers will be able to vote for the candidate they feel is most deserving via SMS text message, but "Lisa will determine who the happy one is," BNN said in a statement.
Saly could not say how much it will cost to send a text message but most TV programs charge around $1.35 US.
Joop Atsma, a lawmaker of the ruling Christian Democrats, said he would try to persuade the health and communications ministers to halt the program.
"I want to block this. This is truly not permissible," he told NOS radio on the weekend. "How are the two rejected candidates supposed to feel after the broadcast?"
In Brussels, the European Union Commission, which is due to announce an organ donor policy on Wednesday, criticized the scheduled TV program.
"It seems in rather bad taste to do a real TV show on something like this, which is after all a very serious issue," said EU spokesman Philip Tod.
Paul Beerkens, director of the country's Kidney Institute said he thought it was "fantastic" that BNN was drawing attention to the problem of donor shortages.
"But the way in which they're doing this is definitely not our choice," he told the Dutch news agency ANP. "This is not a structural solution."
Big Donor Show has been attacked as unethical and tasteless. At least one member of the Dutch parliament plans to ask the government to block Friday's broadcast.
"We know that this program is super controversial and some people will think it's tasteless, but we think the reality is even more shocking and tasteless: waiting for an organ is just like playing the lottery," Laurens Drillich, chairman of the BNN network, said in a statement.
He said waiting lists in the Netherlands are more than four years long and 200 patients die annually for lack of a donor.
The network identified the donor as "Lisa," a 37-year-old woman with an inoperable brain tumour. During the show, she will hear interviews with the three candidates, their families and friends before choosing who will get her kidney.
The show is being produced by Endemol NV, the creator of the Big Brother series.
A spokeswoman for BNN said that could be no guarantees the donation would actually be made, "but the intention is" Lisa's donation would be carried out before she died.
That's because her wish to donate to a particular candidate "wouldn't be valid anymore after her death" under Dutch donation rules, Marieke Saly said. If Lisa does donate one kidney while living, the other kidney may still be awarded to someone else on a national donation waiting list under the country's organ allotment system.
Viewers will be able to vote for the candidate they feel is most deserving via SMS text message, but "Lisa will determine who the happy one is," BNN said in a statement.
Saly could not say how much it will cost to send a text message but most TV programs charge around $1.35 US.
Joop Atsma, a lawmaker of the ruling Christian Democrats, said he would try to persuade the health and communications ministers to halt the program.
"I want to block this. This is truly not permissible," he told NOS radio on the weekend. "How are the two rejected candidates supposed to feel after the broadcast?"
In Brussels, the European Union Commission, which is due to announce an organ donor policy on Wednesday, criticized the scheduled TV program.
"It seems in rather bad taste to do a real TV show on something like this, which is after all a very serious issue," said EU spokesman Philip Tod.
Paul Beerkens, director of the country's Kidney Institute said he thought it was "fantastic" that BNN was drawing attention to the problem of donor shortages.
"But the way in which they're doing this is definitely not our choice," he told the Dutch news agency ANP. "This is not a structural solution."
More articles on the subject:
-- Herald Sun
-- Times
-- BBC
#56
Posted 04 June 2007 - 02:18 PM
1,683 guitarists play 'Smoke on Water'
http://tinyurl.com/2zp6js
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KANSAS CITY, Kansas - More than 1,680 guitar players turned out, tuned up and took part in what organizers say was a world record rendition of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" — a song that was the first many of them ever learned.
Some came from as far away as California and Germany on Sunday to take part in a Kansas City radio station's effort to break a Guinness world record for the most people playing the same song simultaneously. The record had been 1,323 people playing the same song in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994.
"It was cool to see little kids playing, people who had been playing for their whole lives, like older people, and then I'm sure there were people like me who just picked up the song a couple days before," said Autumn McPherson, of Winfield, a senior at the University of Kansas.
Preliminary numbers show 1,683 people played the popular early '70s guitar riff on Sunday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
"I thought it was going to be kind of cheesy," said Hannah Koch, of Prairie Village, who came clad in an elf costume. "But after I got here, I got caught up in the excitement of it."
Tanna Guthrie, a morning show host for KYYS (99.7 FM), came up with the idea for the record attempt. She said her station will send participant sign-up lists, photos, videos and copies of media coverage to Guinness seeking official recognition of a record.
Guthrie said she chose "Smoke on the Water," a track off Deep Purple's "Machine Head" album, because it's one of the first songs many guitarists learn.
"You never know if you can pull something like this off," she said.
One of the participants, John Cardona of Hanford, California, said he brought felt-tip pens so he could get others to sign his guitar.
"It was the guitar I learned on," the 41-year-old said. "It was very dispensable on the way here, but very valuable to me now."
http://tinyurl.com/2zp6js
------
------
KANSAS CITY, Kansas - More than 1,680 guitar players turned out, tuned up and took part in what organizers say was a world record rendition of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" — a song that was the first many of them ever learned.
Some came from as far away as California and Germany on Sunday to take part in a Kansas City radio station's effort to break a Guinness world record for the most people playing the same song simultaneously. The record had been 1,323 people playing the same song in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994.
"It was cool to see little kids playing, people who had been playing for their whole lives, like older people, and then I'm sure there were people like me who just picked up the song a couple days before," said Autumn McPherson, of Winfield, a senior at the University of Kansas.
Preliminary numbers show 1,683 people played the popular early '70s guitar riff on Sunday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
"I thought it was going to be kind of cheesy," said Hannah Koch, of Prairie Village, who came clad in an elf costume. "But after I got here, I got caught up in the excitement of it."
Tanna Guthrie, a morning show host for KYYS (99.7 FM), came up with the idea for the record attempt. She said her station will send participant sign-up lists, photos, videos and copies of media coverage to Guinness seeking official recognition of a record.
Guthrie said she chose "Smoke on the Water," a track off Deep Purple's "Machine Head" album, because it's one of the first songs many guitarists learn.
"You never know if you can pull something like this off," she said.
One of the participants, John Cardona of Hanford, California, said he brought felt-tip pens so he could get others to sign his guitar.
"It was the guitar I learned on," the 41-year-old said. "It was very dispensable on the way here, but very valuable to me now."
#57
Posted 04 June 2007 - 02:27 PM
Man falls off balcony in spitting contest
------
Fri Jun 1, 2:29 PM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A 43-year-old German man was taken to hospital in critical condition after he fell off a second storey balcony during a spitting contest with his 12-year-old son, police said Friday.
A spokesman for the police in the eastern town of Cottbus said the man in Forst had apparently lost his balance after thrusting too far forward in his attempt to outspit his son.
He tumbled over the ledge and landed on a balcony of the ground floor apartment, police said. He was taken to hospital in a rescue helicopter.
------
Fri Jun 1, 2:29 PM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A 43-year-old German man was taken to hospital in critical condition after he fell off a second storey balcony during a spitting contest with his 12-year-old son, police said Friday.
A spokesman for the police in the eastern town of Cottbus said the man in Forst had apparently lost his balance after thrusting too far forward in his attempt to outspit his son.
He tumbled over the ledge and landed on a balcony of the ground floor apartment, police said. He was taken to hospital in a rescue helicopter.
#58
Posted 05 June 2007 - 02:18 AM
Michigan triples deposit on beer kegs
Mon Jun 4, 10:08 PM ET
BAY CITY, Mich. - Buying a keg for your next party is a little more expensive. Large breweries have complained about losing thousands of beer kegs a year in Michigan because retail beer customers have been selling off the stainless steel barrels at scrap yards rather than returning them to stores to get their $10 deposit back.
As a result, state alcohol officials have boosted the deposit from $10 to $30, The Bay City Times reported Sunday.
For scrap-metal thieves, anything is fair game — siding, gutters, spools of electric cable, pipes, even beer kegs. Some of the more brazen ones raid salvage yards, then sell the stolen metal back to the businesses.
Thefts of copper wire, auto parts and aluminum siding let crooks tap the market for scrap metal, where some items brought record amounts per pound in May, said Tim Neal, materials manager at a Bay City scrap yard.
"Copper prices peaked out about a month ago at more than $3 a pound," Neal said.
Stainless steel was worth about 25 cents a pound late in 2005, but fetched about $1.75 per pound in early May, he said.
It costs a beer manufacturer about $152 to buy a new half-barrel when one disappears, according to Ken Wozniak of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
He said a Michigan brewing company asked the commission last year to raise the $10 deposit to $90 per keg.
"The Commission thought that request was a little steep," Wozniak said. "The purpose of the increase in the barrel deposit to $30 was to ensure the return of the keg, not necessarily to cover the (beer manufacturer's) cost of the keg."
___
Information from: The Bay City Times, http://www.bc-times.com
Mon Jun 4, 10:08 PM ET
BAY CITY, Mich. - Buying a keg for your next party is a little more expensive. Large breweries have complained about losing thousands of beer kegs a year in Michigan because retail beer customers have been selling off the stainless steel barrels at scrap yards rather than returning them to stores to get their $10 deposit back.
As a result, state alcohol officials have boosted the deposit from $10 to $30, The Bay City Times reported Sunday.
For scrap-metal thieves, anything is fair game — siding, gutters, spools of electric cable, pipes, even beer kegs. Some of the more brazen ones raid salvage yards, then sell the stolen metal back to the businesses.
Thefts of copper wire, auto parts and aluminum siding let crooks tap the market for scrap metal, where some items brought record amounts per pound in May, said Tim Neal, materials manager at a Bay City scrap yard.
"Copper prices peaked out about a month ago at more than $3 a pound," Neal said.
Stainless steel was worth about 25 cents a pound late in 2005, but fetched about $1.75 per pound in early May, he said.
It costs a beer manufacturer about $152 to buy a new half-barrel when one disappears, according to Ken Wozniak of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
He said a Michigan brewing company asked the commission last year to raise the $10 deposit to $90 per keg.
"The Commission thought that request was a little steep," Wozniak said. "The purpose of the increase in the barrel deposit to $30 was to ensure the return of the keg, not necessarily to cover the (beer manufacturer's) cost of the keg."
___
Information from: The Bay City Times, http://www.bc-times.com
#59
Posted 05 June 2007 - 05:40 AM
AV Dezign, on Jun 5 2007, 06:18 AM, said:
Michigan triples deposit on beer kegs
Mon Jun 4, 10:08 PM ET
BAY CITY, Mich. - Buying a keg for your next party is a little more expensive. Large breweries have complained about losing thousands of beer kegs a year in Michigan because retail beer customers have been selling off the stainless steel barrels at scrap yards rather than returning them to stores to get their $10 deposit back.
As a result, state alcohol officials have boosted the deposit from $10 to $30, The Bay City Times reported Sunday.
For scrap-metal thieves, anything is fair game — siding, gutters, spools of electric cable, pipes, even beer kegs. Some of the more brazen ones raid salvage yards, then sell the stolen metal back to the businesses.
Thefts of copper wire, auto parts and aluminum siding let crooks tap the market for scrap metal, where some items brought record amounts per pound in May, said Tim Neal, materials manager at a Bay City scrap yard.
"Copper prices peaked out about a month ago at more than $3 a pound," Neal said.
Stainless steel was worth about 25 cents a pound late in 2005, but fetched about $1.75 per pound in early May, he said.
It costs a beer manufacturer about $152 to buy a new half-barrel when one disappears, according to Ken Wozniak of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
He said a Michigan brewing company asked the commission last year to raise the $10 deposit to $90 per keg.
"The Commission thought that request was a little steep," Wozniak said. "The purpose of the increase in the barrel deposit to $30 was to ensure the return of the keg, not necessarily to cover the (beer manufacturer's) cost of the keg."
___
Information from: The Bay City Times, http://www.bc-times.com
Mon Jun 4, 10:08 PM ET
BAY CITY, Mich. - Buying a keg for your next party is a little more expensive. Large breweries have complained about losing thousands of beer kegs a year in Michigan because retail beer customers have been selling off the stainless steel barrels at scrap yards rather than returning them to stores to get their $10 deposit back.
As a result, state alcohol officials have boosted the deposit from $10 to $30, The Bay City Times reported Sunday.
For scrap-metal thieves, anything is fair game — siding, gutters, spools of electric cable, pipes, even beer kegs. Some of the more brazen ones raid salvage yards, then sell the stolen metal back to the businesses.
Thefts of copper wire, auto parts and aluminum siding let crooks tap the market for scrap metal, where some items brought record amounts per pound in May, said Tim Neal, materials manager at a Bay City scrap yard.
"Copper prices peaked out about a month ago at more than $3 a pound," Neal said.
Stainless steel was worth about 25 cents a pound late in 2005, but fetched about $1.75 per pound in early May, he said.
It costs a beer manufacturer about $152 to buy a new half-barrel when one disappears, according to Ken Wozniak of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
He said a Michigan brewing company asked the commission last year to raise the $10 deposit to $90 per keg.
"The Commission thought that request was a little steep," Wozniak said. "The purpose of the increase in the barrel deposit to $30 was to ensure the return of the keg, not necessarily to cover the (beer manufacturer's) cost of the keg."
___
Information from: The Bay City Times, http://www.bc-times.com
Here in the metro DC area... people are stealing window AC units to strip out the copper piping. I had pulled one out of the garage about a month ago. Left it on the front porch for the afternoon while I was out running errands. By the time I got home... it was gone.
#60
Posted 05 June 2007 - 12:48 PM
AV Dezign, on May 30 2007, 11:37 AM, said:
Taking the reality show to the extreme:
Kidney donation reality show will go ahead, Dutch network says
Kidney donation reality show will go ahead, Dutch network says
This turned out to be a hoax, to raise awareness of transplant issues. The patients awaiting a donor were real (and in on the hoax), but the so-called dying donor was a healthy actress.
I think it was a brilliant idea.
#61
Posted 06 June 2007 - 02:22 AM
Judge now wants just $54M from cleaner
By LUBNA TAKRURI, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 6, 2:25 AM E
WASHINGTON - A judge who was seeking $67 million from a dry cleaners that lost his pants has loosened the belt on his lawsuit. Now, he's asking for only $54 million, according to a May 30 court filing in D.C. Superior Court.
Roy L. Pearson, a District of Columbia administrative law judge, first sued Custom Cleaners over a pair of pants that went missing two years ago. He was seeking about $65 million under the D.C. consumer protection act and almost $2 million in common law claims.
He is now focusing his claims on signs in the shop that have since been removed. The suit alleges that Jin Nam Chung, Soo Chung and Ki Chung committed fraud and misled consumers with signs that claimed "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service."
But Chris Manning, the Chungs' attorney, says that can be considered fraud only if the signs misled a "reasonable" person. No reasonable person, he says, would interpret them to be an unconditional promise of satisfaction.
Pearson, who is representing himself, said in an e-mail that the focus of the case, from the start, was based on the "false, misleading and fraudulent advertisements displayed by the Chungs."
By LUBNA TAKRURI, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 6, 2:25 AM E
WASHINGTON - A judge who was seeking $67 million from a dry cleaners that lost his pants has loosened the belt on his lawsuit. Now, he's asking for only $54 million, according to a May 30 court filing in D.C. Superior Court.
Roy L. Pearson, a District of Columbia administrative law judge, first sued Custom Cleaners over a pair of pants that went missing two years ago. He was seeking about $65 million under the D.C. consumer protection act and almost $2 million in common law claims.
He is now focusing his claims on signs in the shop that have since been removed. The suit alleges that Jin Nam Chung, Soo Chung and Ki Chung committed fraud and misled consumers with signs that claimed "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service."
But Chris Manning, the Chungs' attorney, says that can be considered fraud only if the signs misled a "reasonable" person. No reasonable person, he says, would interpret them to be an unconditional promise of satisfaction.
Pearson, who is representing himself, said in an e-mail that the focus of the case, from the start, was based on the "false, misleading and fraudulent advertisements displayed by the Chungs."
#62
Posted 06 June 2007 - 07:09 AM
AV Dezign, on Jun 6 2007, 06:22 AM, said:
Judge now wants just $54M from cleaner
By LUBNA TAKRURI, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 6, 2:25 AM E
WASHINGTON - A judge who was seeking $67 million from a dry cleaners that lost his pants has loosened the belt on his lawsuit. Now, he's asking for only $54 million, according to a May 30 court filing in D.C. Superior Court.
Roy L. Pearson, a District of Columbia administrative law judge, first sued Custom Cleaners over a pair of pants that went missing two years ago. He was seeking about $65 million under the D.C. consumer protection act and almost $2 million in common law claims.
He is now focusing his claims on signs in the shop that have since been removed. The suit alleges that Jin Nam Chung, Soo Chung and Ki Chung committed fraud and misled consumers with signs that claimed "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service."
But Chris Manning, the Chungs' attorney, says that can be considered fraud only if the signs misled a "reasonable" person. No reasonable person, he says, would interpret them to be an unconditional promise of satisfaction.
Pearson, who is representing himself, said in an e-mail that the focus of the case, from the start, was based on the "false, misleading and fraudulent advertisements displayed by the Chungs."
By LUBNA TAKRURI, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 6, 2:25 AM E
WASHINGTON - A judge who was seeking $67 million from a dry cleaners that lost his pants has loosened the belt on his lawsuit. Now, he's asking for only $54 million, according to a May 30 court filing in D.C. Superior Court.
Roy L. Pearson, a District of Columbia administrative law judge, first sued Custom Cleaners over a pair of pants that went missing two years ago. He was seeking about $65 million under the D.C. consumer protection act and almost $2 million in common law claims.
He is now focusing his claims on signs in the shop that have since been removed. The suit alleges that Jin Nam Chung, Soo Chung and Ki Chung committed fraud and misled consumers with signs that claimed "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service."
But Chris Manning, the Chungs' attorney, says that can be considered fraud only if the signs misled a "reasonable" person. No reasonable person, he says, would interpret them to be an unconditional promise of satisfaction.
Pearson, who is representing himself, said in an e-mail that the focus of the case, from the start, was based on the "false, misleading and fraudulent advertisements displayed by the Chungs."
Sue the pants off them!!!
#63
Posted 06 June 2007 - 07:34 AM
AV Dezign, on Jun 6 2007, 02:22 AM, said:
Pearson, who is representing himself, said in an e-mail that the focus of the case, from the start, was based on the "false, misleading and fraudulent advertisements displayed by the Chungs."
#64
Posted 09 June 2007 - 11:55 PM
Teen in mall drive-through faces charges
By FRANK ELTMAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Jun 8, 11:04 PM ET
MINEOLA, N.Y. - A teenager who smashed his car through the front of a Long Island mall, careening 500 yards past screaming shoppers before blasting through an exit, was apparently angry with an ex-girlfriend who worked there, police said Friday.
"It's a miracle that nobody was injured," said Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a spokesman for the Nassau County police. "You've got kids, women pushing strollers, elderly people walking around. ... It's amazing to me that nobody was injured."
Dwight Thomas, 19, of Amityville, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead on felony charges of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and third-degree arson. He was ordered held on $750,000 bond or $350,000 cash bail.
His attorney, Arthur Edwards, told District Court Judge Norman Janowitz that Thomas has a mental condition and is being treated with prescription drugs, but did not specify the condition. "We believe this matter should be resolved in a non-criminal setting," Edwards told reporters after the proceeding. He did not elaborate.
Repalone said that shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday, Thomas drove through the main glass doors of the Westfield Sunrise Mall in Massapequa. He continued past a JCPenney, passed the mall's central court, knocked over a kiosk and then made two left turns before exiting near a McDonald's.
Witnesses told police he was going fast, but Repalone said it was difficult to determine his rate of speed.
Once outside, Thomas got out of the car and was making rambling remarks before an off-duty police officer and mall security restrained him.
"People were running into stores, you know, and screaming," said witness Theresa Schuessler.
The rampage caused about $60,000 worth of damage, Repalone said. One onlooker suffered minor cuts after stepping on broken glass.
It all started, Repalone said, because Thomas was upset with a girlfriend who wanted to end their relationship. The woman, who was not identified, apparently worked at the mall.
"He was going in and talk to her. However, his method of doing so obviously was criminal in nature," Repalone said.
Earlier this week, police said Thomas went to the Broadway Mall in Hicksville and set fire to an SUV he suspected was owned by a man dating his ex-girlfriend. It turned out that the vehicle was owned by someone who has no connection to the case.
The mall, which closed early on Thursday night, was open for business on Friday. Westfield spokeswoman Trish Ketelsen said permanent barriers, called bollards, will placed outside the entrances of the mall "as soon as possible."
By FRANK ELTMAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Jun 8, 11:04 PM ET
MINEOLA, N.Y. - A teenager who smashed his car through the front of a Long Island mall, careening 500 yards past screaming shoppers before blasting through an exit, was apparently angry with an ex-girlfriend who worked there, police said Friday.
"It's a miracle that nobody was injured," said Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a spokesman for the Nassau County police. "You've got kids, women pushing strollers, elderly people walking around. ... It's amazing to me that nobody was injured."
Dwight Thomas, 19, of Amityville, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead on felony charges of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and third-degree arson. He was ordered held on $750,000 bond or $350,000 cash bail.
His attorney, Arthur Edwards, told District Court Judge Norman Janowitz that Thomas has a mental condition and is being treated with prescription drugs, but did not specify the condition. "We believe this matter should be resolved in a non-criminal setting," Edwards told reporters after the proceeding. He did not elaborate.
Repalone said that shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday, Thomas drove through the main glass doors of the Westfield Sunrise Mall in Massapequa. He continued past a JCPenney, passed the mall's central court, knocked over a kiosk and then made two left turns before exiting near a McDonald's.
Witnesses told police he was going fast, but Repalone said it was difficult to determine his rate of speed.
Once outside, Thomas got out of the car and was making rambling remarks before an off-duty police officer and mall security restrained him.
"People were running into stores, you know, and screaming," said witness Theresa Schuessler.
The rampage caused about $60,000 worth of damage, Repalone said. One onlooker suffered minor cuts after stepping on broken glass.
It all started, Repalone said, because Thomas was upset with a girlfriend who wanted to end their relationship. The woman, who was not identified, apparently worked at the mall.
"He was going in and talk to her. However, his method of doing so obviously was criminal in nature," Repalone said.
Earlier this week, police said Thomas went to the Broadway Mall in Hicksville and set fire to an SUV he suspected was owned by a man dating his ex-girlfriend. It turned out that the vehicle was owned by someone who has no connection to the case.
The mall, which closed early on Thursday night, was open for business on Friday. Westfield spokeswoman Trish Ketelsen said permanent barriers, called bollards, will placed outside the entrances of the mall "as soon as possible."
#65
Posted 15 June 2007 - 09:21 AM
"Blow From Crutch Ends Squirrel's Rampage
BERLIN (June 14) - An unusually aggressive squirrel bit three people in a German town before its last victim finished it off with a crutch, police said.
The rodent jumped through a living-room window in Passau, on the Austrian border, on Tuesday and bit its first victim. With the squirrel hanging on by its teeth, the woman ran out into the street, where she managed to shake the animal off.
The squirrel then bit a construction worker before running into a nearby garden, where it bit a 72-year-old man who eventually killed it with a crutch, police said.
The dead animal was to be tested for rabies."
Man, that is one pissed off squirrel!
BERLIN (June 14) - An unusually aggressive squirrel bit three people in a German town before its last victim finished it off with a crutch, police said.
The rodent jumped through a living-room window in Passau, on the Austrian border, on Tuesday and bit its first victim. With the squirrel hanging on by its teeth, the woman ran out into the street, where she managed to shake the animal off.
The squirrel then bit a construction worker before running into a nearby garden, where it bit a 72-year-old man who eventually killed it with a crutch, police said.
The dead animal was to be tested for rabies."
Man, that is one pissed off squirrel!
#66
Posted 15 June 2007 - 11:02 AM
atmguy775, on Jun 15 2007, 01:21 PM, said:
Man, that is one pissed off squirrel!
(In my best Inspector Cleuseau voice) "Not anymore..."
#67
Posted 15 June 2007 - 02:26 PM
Sorry! I thought that the use of documents filed in divorce proceedings to be considered to be libelous and compensatory to be quite hilarious.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion of crazy squirrels and snakes.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion of crazy squirrels and snakes.
This post has been edited by Harry Dolphin: 16 June 2007 - 03:28 AM
#68
Posted 15 June 2007 - 07:17 PM
Harry Dolphin, on Jun 15 2007, 02:26 PM, said:
Weird News - You couldn't make this up...
Anything having to do with the divorce proceedings of our former Governor, James E. McGreevey, and his wife Dina Matos-McGreevey.
For those unaware of this on-going saga, McGreevey announced in August 2004 that he is a "Gay American" and had an affair with a man. The reason for this announcement was that he said he was being blackmailed by that man. McGreevey (divorced, with one daughter) resigned office. Matos-McGreevey filed for divorce.
McGreevery states that he is gay. Matos-McGreevey characterized him as 'bisexual.'
The latest in this saga, as reported by the Star-Ledger of Newark, 6/14/2007: In divorce proceedings, McGreevey contended that his wife is 'homophobic' for thinking that he is bisexual, when he states that he is gay.
"Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy prepares to rule on whether Matos McGreevey can continue to claim in her divorce filing that McGreevey libeled and defamed her when he called her homophobic.
"Matos McGreevey has argued that her estanged husband's characterization of her cause her to lose potential readers in the gay community and the public at large. For that, McGreevey whould have to pay her damages, she has argued in court papers.
"Matos McGreevey published "Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage" last month. She appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to launch her book, just as McGreevey had last year when he published "My Confessions."
' "Instead of blaming the failure of her book on her awful appearance on the Oprah Show ... or blaming the fact that her book is poorly written ... (or) the unbelievable assertion that she did not know that her husband was gay." she blamed him.'
This kind of stuff never even made it onto Peyton Place!
Anything having to do with the divorce proceedings of our former Governor, James E. McGreevey, and his wife Dina Matos-McGreevey.
For those unaware of this on-going saga, McGreevey announced in August 2004 that he is a "Gay American" and had an affair with a man. The reason for this announcement was that he said he was being blackmailed by that man. McGreevey (divorced, with one daughter) resigned office. Matos-McGreevey filed for divorce.
McGreevery states that he is gay. Matos-McGreevey characterized him as 'bisexual.'
The latest in this saga, as reported by the Star-Ledger of Newark, 6/14/2007: In divorce proceedings, McGreevey contended that his wife is 'homophobic' for thinking that he is bisexual, when he states that he is gay.
"Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy prepares to rule on whether Matos McGreevey can continue to claim in her divorce filing that McGreevey libeled and defamed her when he called her homophobic.
"Matos McGreevey has argued that her estanged husband's characterization of her cause her to lose potential readers in the gay community and the public at large. For that, McGreevey whould have to pay her damages, she has argued in court papers.
"Matos McGreevey published "Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage" last month. She appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to launch her book, just as McGreevey had last year when he published "My Confessions."
' "Instead of blaming the failure of her book on her awful appearance on the Oprah Show ... or blaming the fact that her book is poorly written ... (or) the unbelievable assertion that she did not know that her husband was gay." she blamed him.'
This kind of stuff never even made it onto Peyton Place!
that just toasts my tootsies. so he's gay. so what? i think the larger issue is infidelity. still none of my honkin' business. still gets filed under so what?
petty people being stupid.
i'd much rather hear about squirrels.
where i live the biggest news is that there have been two weddings ths week downtown at wheeler field (a little league field). the whiffle ball season (different field) is open, there is a bumper crop of chipmunks, and i saw a crawdad crossing the road.
you could make that stuff up, but why would you?
#69
- US Geocacher of the Year 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011
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- Group: Moderators
- Posts: 37306
- Joined: 14-September 01
Posted 20 June 2007 - 12:39 PM
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS/AP) - Columbia police are investigating the deaths of a young couple found naked on a city street after apparently falling four stories from a rooftop.
Columbia Police Sergeant Florence McCants says the man and woman were in their early 20s.
Shortly after 5am Wednesday, authorities say a taxi driver found the two nude bodies on Laurel Street between Gadsden and Assembly streets in downtown Columbia.
Police Chief Dean Crisp said it appears the people fell from a building. The two were alive when found but were pronounced dead after being taken to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital.
McCants says the preliminary investigation appears to show the couple died accidentally. She says there were no indications of foul play.
Clothing was discovered on the roof, about 50 feet above the street. And that leads authorities to suspect the man and woman may have been having sex.
The incident happened near the Old Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Columbia near Finlay Park.
The names of the victims have not been released.
Columbia Police Sergeant Florence McCants says the man and woman were in their early 20s.
Shortly after 5am Wednesday, authorities say a taxi driver found the two nude bodies on Laurel Street between Gadsden and Assembly streets in downtown Columbia.
Police Chief Dean Crisp said it appears the people fell from a building. The two were alive when found but were pronounced dead after being taken to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital.
McCants says the preliminary investigation appears to show the couple died accidentally. She says there were no indications of foul play.
Clothing was discovered on the roof, about 50 feet above the street. And that leads authorities to suspect the man and woman may have been having sex.
The incident happened near the Old Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Columbia near Finlay Park.
The names of the victims have not been released.
#70
Posted 21 June 2007 - 05:09 AM
SOMERSET, Pa., Jun. 19, 2007 (AP) Someone kicked in the door of a man's apartment, stuck a knife in the door and took a chilled salad from his refrigerator.
Somerset police said the man reported the bizarre burglary on Monday. He told investigators someone broke into his apartment while he went to a nearby tavern. Nothing but the salad was missing, police said.
Police said they have a suspect and expect to file charges once they finish their investigation.
Somerset police said the man reported the bizarre burglary on Monday. He told investigators someone broke into his apartment while he went to a nearby tavern. Nothing but the salad was missing, police said.
Police said they have a suspect and expect to file charges once they finish their investigation.
#71
Posted 21 June 2007 - 09:36 AM
This is taking place just south of where I used to live:
------------------------------
PLAINFIELD, New Hampshire (AP) -- To avoid serving prison sentences for tax evasion, Ed Brown and his wife, Elaine, have locked themselves off from the world on their own terms.
From behind the 8-inch concrete walls of their 110-acre hilltop compound, the couple taunt police and SWAT teams and play to reporters and government-haters with references to past standoffs that turned deadly.
Residents want the Browns' circus to end before their small town along the Connecticut River becomes the next Ruby Ridge or Waco.
The Browns raised the specter of the first case, the 1992 shootout at an Idaho property called Ruby Ridge, by holding a news conference Monday with Randy Weaver, whose wife and child were killed there along with a deputy U.S. marshal.
Ed Brown warned authorities they wouldn't take him alive: "We either walk out of here free or we die."
The Browns were sentenced in absentia to 63-month prison sentences in April, after being convicted of conspiring to evade taxes on nearly $1.9 million in Elaine Brown's income and of plotting to disguise large financial transactions.
Though they have refused to leave the compound, U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier insists he has no plans to raid it to make them serve their time and will instead seek a peaceful surrender.
Expert observers praise the authorities' hands-off approach, but patience is wearing thin for Plainfield's 2,400 residents. Town selectmen recently asked Monier to stop the influx of militiamen and other anti-government groups to the Browns' home and to bring the couple to justice.
"While we understand and support efforts to achieve a quiet resolution to this matter, the longer the Browns remain at large the better the chance, in our view, that our local police force will be involved in an incident with them or their group of supporters," the letter reads. "In short, we believe that it is time that definitive action be taken."
It's a sentiment echoed throughout the town.
"The people of Plainfield feel the whole thing has been mismanaged from the get-go," says Stephen Taylor, a Plainfield native who is state agriculture commissioner. "He's got this band of loonies up there right now. There's this constant traffic and helicopters overhead and everything. Goddamn crazies."
The town south of bustling Lebanon has a "live-and-let-live" reputation that no one wants linked to the Browns, Taylor said.
"Everybody feels a tiny bit of embarrassment. This is what we're going to be known for?" Taylor said. "We don't want to be known for this."
The Browns' home on an isolated dirt roads includes a turret that offers a 360-degree view of the property and a driveway that is sometimes barricaded with SUVs.
Ed Brown, a retired exterminator, and his wife, a dentist, have bragged that the compound is self-sufficient and capable of running entirely on solar, wind and geothermal energies.
While saying repeatedly that he has no interest in harming the Browns or their supporters, Monier has not said what he does plan to do.
He says the massive law enforcement turnout on June 7, complete with roadblocks and planes, was for surveillance of the compound while agents seized the Lebanon building that housed Elaine Brown's dental practice.
But Ed Brown and many town residents believe it was a botched raid that apparently had to be called off when someone walking a dog stumbled onto federal agents in camouflage near the home.
"We were much better off before the federal government tried to take him into custody and it didn't go well," fumed town administrator Steve Halleran. "The fervor had died down. That was one of the things we were hoping, that people would go on to other things. But that's all by the wayside."
Weaver's news conference with the couple only added to local frustrations.
"That must've been a first. We've never really seen convicted felons just be able to hold press conferences," Halleran said. "There has to be a restriction of access to and from their property. If people can continue to visit them, to bring them supplies, with diesel fuel and food, they can stay there for a long time."
Brown neighbor David Grobe, a former patient of Elaine Brown, just wants the dirt road to be silent again. He said satellite news trucks parked at a softball field for Monday's news conference at the same time residents wanted to play.
"This used to be a very quiet street," he said.
Sitting in lawn chairs around the Browns' long gravel driveway, the couple's supporters rail against Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Federal Reserve, the Vatican and the mainstream media.
Some defend the Browns' claim -- repeatedly rejected by courts -- that no law authorizes the federal income tax and that the 1913 constitutional amendment permitting it was never properly ratified.
"The income tax can take more than the Mafia can with a machine gun. Believe me," said Alfred Liseo of Meriden, Connecticut.
"The Mafia doesn't have popular support," interrupted Bill Walker. "The government has support of millions of ignorant people who have the wool pulled over their eyes. They think they need to pay. They don't."
------------------------------
PLAINFIELD, New Hampshire (AP) -- To avoid serving prison sentences for tax evasion, Ed Brown and his wife, Elaine, have locked themselves off from the world on their own terms.
From behind the 8-inch concrete walls of their 110-acre hilltop compound, the couple taunt police and SWAT teams and play to reporters and government-haters with references to past standoffs that turned deadly.
Residents want the Browns' circus to end before their small town along the Connecticut River becomes the next Ruby Ridge or Waco.
The Browns raised the specter of the first case, the 1992 shootout at an Idaho property called Ruby Ridge, by holding a news conference Monday with Randy Weaver, whose wife and child were killed there along with a deputy U.S. marshal.
Ed Brown warned authorities they wouldn't take him alive: "We either walk out of here free or we die."
The Browns were sentenced in absentia to 63-month prison sentences in April, after being convicted of conspiring to evade taxes on nearly $1.9 million in Elaine Brown's income and of plotting to disguise large financial transactions.
Though they have refused to leave the compound, U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier insists he has no plans to raid it to make them serve their time and will instead seek a peaceful surrender.
Expert observers praise the authorities' hands-off approach, but patience is wearing thin for Plainfield's 2,400 residents. Town selectmen recently asked Monier to stop the influx of militiamen and other anti-government groups to the Browns' home and to bring the couple to justice.
"While we understand and support efforts to achieve a quiet resolution to this matter, the longer the Browns remain at large the better the chance, in our view, that our local police force will be involved in an incident with them or their group of supporters," the letter reads. "In short, we believe that it is time that definitive action be taken."
It's a sentiment echoed throughout the town.
"The people of Plainfield feel the whole thing has been mismanaged from the get-go," says Stephen Taylor, a Plainfield native who is state agriculture commissioner. "He's got this band of loonies up there right now. There's this constant traffic and helicopters overhead and everything. Goddamn crazies."
The town south of bustling Lebanon has a "live-and-let-live" reputation that no one wants linked to the Browns, Taylor said.
"Everybody feels a tiny bit of embarrassment. This is what we're going to be known for?" Taylor said. "We don't want to be known for this."
The Browns' home on an isolated dirt roads includes a turret that offers a 360-degree view of the property and a driveway that is sometimes barricaded with SUVs.
Ed Brown, a retired exterminator, and his wife, a dentist, have bragged that the compound is self-sufficient and capable of running entirely on solar, wind and geothermal energies.
While saying repeatedly that he has no interest in harming the Browns or their supporters, Monier has not said what he does plan to do.
He says the massive law enforcement turnout on June 7, complete with roadblocks and planes, was for surveillance of the compound while agents seized the Lebanon building that housed Elaine Brown's dental practice.
But Ed Brown and many town residents believe it was a botched raid that apparently had to be called off when someone walking a dog stumbled onto federal agents in camouflage near the home.
"We were much better off before the federal government tried to take him into custody and it didn't go well," fumed town administrator Steve Halleran. "The fervor had died down. That was one of the things we were hoping, that people would go on to other things. But that's all by the wayside."
Weaver's news conference with the couple only added to local frustrations.
"That must've been a first. We've never really seen convicted felons just be able to hold press conferences," Halleran said. "There has to be a restriction of access to and from their property. If people can continue to visit them, to bring them supplies, with diesel fuel and food, they can stay there for a long time."
Brown neighbor David Grobe, a former patient of Elaine Brown, just wants the dirt road to be silent again. He said satellite news trucks parked at a softball field for Monday's news conference at the same time residents wanted to play.
"This used to be a very quiet street," he said.
Sitting in lawn chairs around the Browns' long gravel driveway, the couple's supporters rail against Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Federal Reserve, the Vatican and the mainstream media.
Some defend the Browns' claim -- repeatedly rejected by courts -- that no law authorizes the federal income tax and that the 1913 constitutional amendment permitting it was never properly ratified.
"The income tax can take more than the Mafia can with a machine gun. Believe me," said Alfred Liseo of Meriden, Connecticut.
"The Mafia doesn't have popular support," interrupted Bill Walker. "The government has support of millions of ignorant people who have the wool pulled over their eyes. They think they need to pay. They don't."
#72
Posted 27 June 2007 - 03:03 AM
Man with headache finds bullet in head
Tue Jun 26, 10:56 PM ET
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A woman was arrested Tuesday after her husband woke up in the middle of the night with a terrible headache and later learned he had a bullet lodged in his head.
St. Lucie County Sheriff's deputies initially thought Michael Eugene Moylan had been hit by a stray bullet, but later realized the couple's story did not match up, Sheriff Ken Mascara said.
April Moylan, 39, was arrested Tuesday and was in the process of being charged with attempted murder, Mascara said.
Moylan, 45, woke up at 4:30 a.m. and thought he had suffered an aneurism or that his wife had elbowed him in his sleep, authorities said.
His wife drove him to the hospital where doctors said a bullet had lodged behind his right ear. Authorities obtained a search warrant for the couple's home, located in an upscale gated community, and later arrested the wife, Mascara said.
Evidence indicated that Moylan had been shot at close range by someone in the house and it was clear there were inconsistencies with the couple's story, Mascara said.
April Moylan eventually told authorities she accidentally shot her husband. It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney.
"How can this guy be shot, not know that he was shot in bed and then walk into a hospital room. It was just amazing to all of us," Mascara said.
Michael Moylan did not undergo surgery, but was transferred to a trauma facility, authorities said. His condition is not known.
Tue Jun 26, 10:56 PM ET
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A woman was arrested Tuesday after her husband woke up in the middle of the night with a terrible headache and later learned he had a bullet lodged in his head.
St. Lucie County Sheriff's deputies initially thought Michael Eugene Moylan had been hit by a stray bullet, but later realized the couple's story did not match up, Sheriff Ken Mascara said.
April Moylan, 39, was arrested Tuesday and was in the process of being charged with attempted murder, Mascara said.
Moylan, 45, woke up at 4:30 a.m. and thought he had suffered an aneurism or that his wife had elbowed him in his sleep, authorities said.
His wife drove him to the hospital where doctors said a bullet had lodged behind his right ear. Authorities obtained a search warrant for the couple's home, located in an upscale gated community, and later arrested the wife, Mascara said.
Evidence indicated that Moylan had been shot at close range by someone in the house and it was clear there were inconsistencies with the couple's story, Mascara said.
April Moylan eventually told authorities she accidentally shot her husband. It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney.
"How can this guy be shot, not know that he was shot in bed and then walk into a hospital room. It was just amazing to all of us," Mascara said.
Michael Moylan did not undergo surgery, but was transferred to a trauma facility, authorities said. His condition is not known.
#73
Posted 29 June 2007 - 04:03 AM
High Dutch driver spurs police chase in cornfield
Reuters | Thursday, 28 June 2007
A Dutch farmer watched in disbelief as a driver under the influence of cocaine drove a slalom course through his corn field, only to be joined by two police vehicles in hot pursuit, adding to the damage.
Police, backed up by a helicopter, eventually managed to corner the 35-year-old driver after he careered into a neighbouring orchard and crashed into a ditch.
"Shoot out two tyres... then the problem is solved," irate farmer Ad van Schendel told police, according to the Brabants Dagblad newspaper.
Van Schendel said he estimated the damage to his field near the southern town of Dussen last Friday at 7000-8000 euros ($NZ12,500 to $NZ14,290).
Reuters | Thursday, 28 June 2007
A Dutch farmer watched in disbelief as a driver under the influence of cocaine drove a slalom course through his corn field, only to be joined by two police vehicles in hot pursuit, adding to the damage.
Police, backed up by a helicopter, eventually managed to corner the 35-year-old driver after he careered into a neighbouring orchard and crashed into a ditch.
"Shoot out two tyres... then the problem is solved," irate farmer Ad van Schendel told police, according to the Brabants Dagblad newspaper.
Van Schendel said he estimated the damage to his field near the southern town of Dussen last Friday at 7000-8000 euros ($NZ12,500 to $NZ14,290).
#74
Posted 29 June 2007 - 04:24 AM
Muggers leave their own pictures behind
Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:13AM EDT
BERLIN (Reuters) - Two German teenagers robbed a girl but accidentally left their own pictures behind for police on a discarded mobile phone.
After stealing a 15-year-old's shoes, money and mobile phone, the two older girls gave her an old mobile phone, police in the western city of Bochum said on Wednesday.
But the two 17-year-olds had forgotten the phone had their own photos, striking smiley poses, which police published online on Tuesday in an effort to find the culprits.
The two muggers turned themselves in almost simultaneously when the pictures appeared on the evening news.
"One girl was brought down by her father after he saw her on the television," said police spokesman Frank Plewka. "Today the pictures were in the papers, so the father's phone has been ringing all day, because everyone recognized them."
Neither of the two had been in trouble with the law before.
Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:13AM EDT
BERLIN (Reuters) - Two German teenagers robbed a girl but accidentally left their own pictures behind for police on a discarded mobile phone.
After stealing a 15-year-old's shoes, money and mobile phone, the two older girls gave her an old mobile phone, police in the western city of Bochum said on Wednesday.
But the two 17-year-olds had forgotten the phone had their own photos, striking smiley poses, which police published online on Tuesday in an effort to find the culprits.
The two muggers turned themselves in almost simultaneously when the pictures appeared on the evening news.
"One girl was brought down by her father after he saw her on the television," said police spokesman Frank Plewka. "Today the pictures were in the papers, so the father's phone has been ringing all day, because everyone recognized them."
Neither of the two had been in trouble with the law before.
#75
Posted 29 June 2007 - 06:18 AM
AV Dezign, on Jun 29 2007, 08:03 AM, said:
Looks like the saved track from my last DNF!
#76
Posted 29 June 2007 - 06:25 AM
BRTango, on Jun 5 2007, 09:40 AM, said:
AV Dezign, on Jun 5 2007, 06:18 AM, said:
Michigan triples deposit on beer kegs
Mon Jun 4, 10:08 PM ET
BAY CITY, Mich. - Buying a keg for your next party is a little more expensive. Large breweries have complained about losing thousands of beer kegs a year in Michigan because retail beer customers have been selling off the stainless steel barrels at scrap yards rather than returning them to stores to get their $10 deposit back.
As a result, state alcohol officials have boosted the deposit from $10 to $30, The Bay City Times reported Sunday.
For scrap-metal thieves, anything is fair game — siding, gutters, spools of electric cable, pipes, even beer kegs. Some of the more brazen ones raid salvage yards, then sell the stolen metal back to the businesses.
Thefts of copper wire, auto parts and aluminum siding let crooks tap the market for scrap metal, where some items brought record amounts per pound in May, said Tim Neal, materials manager at a Bay City scrap yard.
"Copper prices peaked out about a month ago at more than $3 a pound," Neal said.
Stainless steel was worth about 25 cents a pound late in 2005, but fetched about $1.75 per pound in early May, he said.
It costs a beer manufacturer about $152 to buy a new half-barrel when one disappears, according to Ken Wozniak of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
He said a Michigan brewing company asked the commission last year to raise the $10 deposit to $90 per keg.
"The Commission thought that request was a little steep," Wozniak said. "The purpose of the increase in the barrel deposit to $30 was to ensure the return of the keg, not necessarily to cover the (beer manufacturer's) cost of the keg."
___
Information from: The Bay City Times, http://www.bc-times.com
Mon Jun 4, 10:08 PM ET
BAY CITY, Mich. - Buying a keg for your next party is a little more expensive. Large breweries have complained about losing thousands of beer kegs a year in Michigan because retail beer customers have been selling off the stainless steel barrels at scrap yards rather than returning them to stores to get their $10 deposit back.
As a result, state alcohol officials have boosted the deposit from $10 to $30, The Bay City Times reported Sunday.
For scrap-metal thieves, anything is fair game — siding, gutters, spools of electric cable, pipes, even beer kegs. Some of the more brazen ones raid salvage yards, then sell the stolen metal back to the businesses.
Thefts of copper wire, auto parts and aluminum siding let crooks tap the market for scrap metal, where some items brought record amounts per pound in May, said Tim Neal, materials manager at a Bay City scrap yard.
"Copper prices peaked out about a month ago at more than $3 a pound," Neal said.
Stainless steel was worth about 25 cents a pound late in 2005, but fetched about $1.75 per pound in early May, he said.
It costs a beer manufacturer about $152 to buy a new half-barrel when one disappears, according to Ken Wozniak of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
He said a Michigan brewing company asked the commission last year to raise the $10 deposit to $90 per keg.
"The Commission thought that request was a little steep," Wozniak said. "The purpose of the increase in the barrel deposit to $30 was to ensure the return of the keg, not necessarily to cover the (beer manufacturer's) cost of the keg."
___
Information from: The Bay City Times, http://www.bc-times.com
Here in the metro DC area... people are stealing window AC units to strip out the copper piping. I had pulled one out of the garage about a month ago. Left it on the front porch for the afternoon while I was out running errands. By the time I got home... it was gone.
Some twit came by in the middle of the night and stole my stainless steel fire pit off my front porch! Left the half-burned log, as well as the base and the lid. Just took the bowl.
Gurk.
#77
Posted 03 July 2007 - 06:37 AM
Price of machetes drops after elections
Mon Jul 2, 2007 12:56PM EDT
ABUJA (Reuters) - The price of machetes has halved in parts of Nigeria since the end of general elections in April because demand from thugs sponsored by politicians has subsided, the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported.
NAN surveyed prices in the northeastern state of Gombe and found that a good quality machete was now selling for 400 naira ($3) compared with 800 naira before the elections, which were marred by politically motivated violence in many states.
"A price survey on machetes, which served as a popular weapon among political thugs in the state, indicated ... a drop in the price of the implement," NAN reported over the weekend.
Machetes are primarily used as a tool for farming in Nigeria but they are also popular among political gangsters.
"Before the conduct of the general elections, I was selling a minimum of seven machetes daily but can hardly sell one a day now," said Usman Masi, a trader quoted by NAN.
Africa's most populous country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after three decades of almost continuous army rule but violence remains a feature of politics, especially during the build-up to elections.
European election monitors estimated that at least 200 people were killed in politically motivated violence during months of campaigning ahead of the April polls.
Mon Jul 2, 2007 12:56PM EDT
ABUJA (Reuters) - The price of machetes has halved in parts of Nigeria since the end of general elections in April because demand from thugs sponsored by politicians has subsided, the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported.
NAN surveyed prices in the northeastern state of Gombe and found that a good quality machete was now selling for 400 naira ($3) compared with 800 naira before the elections, which were marred by politically motivated violence in many states.
"A price survey on machetes, which served as a popular weapon among political thugs in the state, indicated ... a drop in the price of the implement," NAN reported over the weekend.
Machetes are primarily used as a tool for farming in Nigeria but they are also popular among political gangsters.
"Before the conduct of the general elections, I was selling a minimum of seven machetes daily but can hardly sell one a day now," said Usman Masi, a trader quoted by NAN.
Africa's most populous country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after three decades of almost continuous army rule but violence remains a feature of politics, especially during the build-up to elections.
European election monitors estimated that at least 200 people were killed in politically motivated violence during months of campaigning ahead of the April polls.
#78
Posted 03 July 2007 - 09:35 AM
AV Dezign, on Jul 3 2007, 10:37 AM, said:
Price of machetes drops after elections
Mon Jul 2, 2007 12:56PM EDT
ABUJA (Reuters) - The price of machetes has halved in parts of Nigeria since the end of general elections in April because demand from thugs sponsored by politicians has subsided, the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported.
NAN surveyed prices in the northeastern state of Gombe and found that a good quality machete was now selling for 400 naira ($3) compared with 800 naira before the elections, which were marred by politically motivated violence in many states.
"A price survey on machetes, which served as a popular weapon among political thugs in the state, indicated ... a drop in the price of the implement," NAN reported over the weekend.
Machetes are primarily used as a tool for farming in Nigeria but they are also popular among political gangsters.
"Before the conduct of the general elections, I was selling a minimum of seven machetes daily but can hardly sell one a day now," said Usman Masi, a trader quoted by NAN.
Africa's most populous country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after three decades of almost continuous army rule but violence remains a feature of politics, especially during the build-up to elections.
European election monitors estimated that at least 200 people were killed in politically motivated violence during months of campaigning ahead of the April polls.
Mon Jul 2, 2007 12:56PM EDT
ABUJA (Reuters) - The price of machetes has halved in parts of Nigeria since the end of general elections in April because demand from thugs sponsored by politicians has subsided, the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported.
NAN surveyed prices in the northeastern state of Gombe and found that a good quality machete was now selling for 400 naira ($3) compared with 800 naira before the elections, which were marred by politically motivated violence in many states.
"A price survey on machetes, which served as a popular weapon among political thugs in the state, indicated ... a drop in the price of the implement," NAN reported over the weekend.
Machetes are primarily used as a tool for farming in Nigeria but they are also popular among political gangsters.
"Before the conduct of the general elections, I was selling a minimum of seven machetes daily but can hardly sell one a day now," said Usman Masi, a trader quoted by NAN.
Africa's most populous country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after three decades of almost continuous army rule but violence remains a feature of politics, especially during the build-up to elections.
European election monitors estimated that at least 200 people were killed in politically motivated violence during months of campaigning ahead of the April polls.
Don't all thugs already own machetes? Why would they need to buy them? Unless their old machetes broke from overuse?
This post has been edited by CacheNCarryMA: 03 July 2007 - 09:36 AM
#79
Posted 03 July 2007 - 06:52 PM
CacheNCarryMA, on Jul 3 2007, 09:35 AM, said:
AV Dezign, on Jul 3 2007, 10:37 AM, said:
Price of machetes drops after elections
Mon Jul 2, 2007 12:56PM EDT
ABUJA (Reuters) - The price of machetes has halved in parts of Nigeria since the end of general elections in April because demand from thugs sponsored by politicians has subsided, the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported.
NAN surveyed prices in the northeastern state of Gombe and found that a good quality machete was now selling for 400 naira ($3) compared with 800 naira before the elections, which were marred by politically motivated violence in many states.
"A price survey on machetes, which served as a popular weapon among political thugs in the state, indicated ... a drop in the price of the implement," NAN reported over the weekend.
Machetes are primarily used as a tool for farming in Nigeria but they are also popular among political gangsters.
"Before the conduct of the general elections, I was selling a minimum of seven machetes daily but can hardly sell one a day now," said Usman Masi, a trader quoted by NAN.
Africa's most populous country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after three decades of almost continuous army rule but violence remains a feature of politics, especially during the build-up to elections.
European election monitors estimated that at least 200 people were killed in politically motivated violence during months of campaigning ahead of the April polls.
Mon Jul 2, 2007 12:56PM EDT
ABUJA (Reuters) - The price of machetes has halved in parts of Nigeria since the end of general elections in April because demand from thugs sponsored by politicians has subsided, the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported.
NAN surveyed prices in the northeastern state of Gombe and found that a good quality machete was now selling for 400 naira ($3) compared with 800 naira before the elections, which were marred by politically motivated violence in many states.
"A price survey on machetes, which served as a popular weapon among political thugs in the state, indicated ... a drop in the price of the implement," NAN reported over the weekend.
Machetes are primarily used as a tool for farming in Nigeria but they are also popular among political gangsters.
"Before the conduct of the general elections, I was selling a minimum of seven machetes daily but can hardly sell one a day now," said Usman Masi, a trader quoted by NAN.
Africa's most populous country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after three decades of almost continuous army rule but violence remains a feature of politics, especially during the build-up to elections.
European election monitors estimated that at least 200 people were killed in politically motivated violence during months of campaigning ahead of the April polls.
Don't all thugs already own machetes? Why would they need to buy them? Unless their old machetes broke from overuse?
You wouldn't want to be seen with last year's model! How gauche!
#80
Posted 03 July 2007 - 07:45 PM
Yes, you can make this stuff up.
Quote
Friday, October 19, 2001
YakYakYak Exclusive - huge, obese hedgeghog in orbit>>>>
A large hedgehog, or echidna, as it is know in the wild has been spotted orbiting earth. Although the spiky mammal poses no immeadiate threat, plans are now being made to coax the hedgehog out of orbit by placing a large saucer of milk and an empty shoe box on the moon in the hope that it will curl up and hibernate.
A NASA employee said "this will be the biggest project NASA has worked on involving a show box of this size."
The mission is expected to cost in excess of $185,000,000,000,000 of taxpayers money.
YakYakYak Exclusive - huge, obese hedgeghog in orbit>>>>
A large hedgehog, or echidna, as it is know in the wild has been spotted orbiting earth. Although the spiky mammal poses no immeadiate threat, plans are now being made to coax the hedgehog out of orbit by placing a large saucer of milk and an empty shoe box on the moon in the hope that it will curl up and hibernate.
A NASA employee said "this will be the biggest project NASA has worked on involving a show box of this size."
The mission is expected to cost in excess of $185,000,000,000,000 of taxpayers money.
#81
Posted 04 July 2007 - 02:26 AM
Woman returns to husband who took her hostage
Tue Jul 3, 2007 3:24PM EDT
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Brazilian woman whose estranged husband held her hostage at gunpoint on a bus for 10 hours along with dozens of passengers last year has decided to reunite with him.
"I forgave him out of love ... I believe it was an irrational act and that we can resume our life in peace," Brazil's Globo news agency quoted Cristina Ribeiro, 35, as saying on Monday, eight months after the nationally televised hostage drama.
The couple, who have three children, have decided to live together again, Globo reported.
The husband, Andre Ribeiro da Silva, 36, was paroled from prison in late April and is awaiting trial.
"I hear people warning me that he will do it again, but we've talked and grown into the idea of getting back together," the woman said.
Armed with a pistol, Ribeiro da Silva took Cristina hostage on November 10 on a suburban bus on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. He released dozens of hostages during negotiations with police and then surrendered without a shot being fired.
During the incident, he accused her of having cheated on him and threatened to kill her and then commit suicide. The two had been married for 10 years and separated four months earlier.
Tue Jul 3, 2007 3:24PM EDT
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Brazilian woman whose estranged husband held her hostage at gunpoint on a bus for 10 hours along with dozens of passengers last year has decided to reunite with him.
"I forgave him out of love ... I believe it was an irrational act and that we can resume our life in peace," Brazil's Globo news agency quoted Cristina Ribeiro, 35, as saying on Monday, eight months after the nationally televised hostage drama.
The couple, who have three children, have decided to live together again, Globo reported.
The husband, Andre Ribeiro da Silva, 36, was paroled from prison in late April and is awaiting trial.
"I hear people warning me that he will do it again, but we've talked and grown into the idea of getting back together," the woman said.
Armed with a pistol, Ribeiro da Silva took Cristina hostage on November 10 on a suburban bus on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. He released dozens of hostages during negotiations with police and then surrendered without a shot being fired.
During the incident, he accused her of having cheated on him and threatened to kill her and then commit suicide. The two had been married for 10 years and separated four months earlier.
#82
Posted 04 July 2007 - 02:28 AM
Priest plans his own perfumes
Tue Jul 3, 2007 9:41AM EDT
WARSAW (Reuters) - A prominent Polish cleric known for preaching against communism and for his anti-Semitic remarks said on Tuesday he planned to launch perfumes, clothing and cafes branded with his image.
Father Henryk Jankowski took part in strikes which led to the end of communism in 1989 as part of Solidarity movement. He was later suspended from preaching for a year after insulting remarks about Jews.
Setting out his plans, Jankowski told the daily Dziennik newspaper that his initiative would "do everyone good."
"I am for it as long as it serves a good purpose. If necessary I will also sing and dance," he said.
The money from the initiative would go to the "Father Henryk Jankowski Institute," which says it supports charities and social projects.
Jankowski, who already has a wine branded with his image under the name "Monsignore," said he would be on the panel for "castings" of waitresses for the 16 cafes he plans to open in major Polish cities.
Jankowski is admired by many Catholics for his role in supporting Solidarity.
Tue Jul 3, 2007 9:41AM EDT
WARSAW (Reuters) - A prominent Polish cleric known for preaching against communism and for his anti-Semitic remarks said on Tuesday he planned to launch perfumes, clothing and cafes branded with his image.
Father Henryk Jankowski took part in strikes which led to the end of communism in 1989 as part of Solidarity movement. He was later suspended from preaching for a year after insulting remarks about Jews.
Setting out his plans, Jankowski told the daily Dziennik newspaper that his initiative would "do everyone good."
"I am for it as long as it serves a good purpose. If necessary I will also sing and dance," he said.
The money from the initiative would go to the "Father Henryk Jankowski Institute," which says it supports charities and social projects.
Jankowski, who already has a wine branded with his image under the name "Monsignore," said he would be on the panel for "castings" of waitresses for the 16 cafes he plans to open in major Polish cities.
Jankowski is admired by many Catholics for his role in supporting Solidarity.
#83
Posted 04 July 2007 - 02:29 AM
Drunk takes a free bike ride on car roof
Tue Jul 3, 2007 9:40AM EDT
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Police officers in the Dutch city of Alkmaar were surprised to see a car passing by with a man sitting on a bicycle on its roof.
The driver and his wife, when stopped by the police, said they heard a noise while waiting at a traffic light, but did not realize they were taking on an extra passenger.
The 26 year-old man who took the free ride was fined for public drunkenness, not carrying an identity card and providing a false identity to the police.
Tue Jul 3, 2007 9:40AM EDT
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Police officers in the Dutch city of Alkmaar were surprised to see a car passing by with a man sitting on a bicycle on its roof.
The driver and his wife, when stopped by the police, said they heard a noise while waiting at a traffic light, but did not realize they were taking on an extra passenger.
The 26 year-old man who took the free ride was fined for public drunkenness, not carrying an identity card and providing a false identity to the police.
#84
Posted 04 July 2007 - 02:35 AM
A pound of tongue, thinly sliced, please…
July 3rd, 2007, filed by Robert Basler
Hey, Blog Guy, I just took an IQ test and it made me wonder. Are tests for measuring intelligence pretty much the same around the world?
An intelligent question, and no, they’re not. This photo shows one that is commonly used overseas. It divides people into two groups - those who are willing to stick their tongue in a fan, and those who are not.
Wow. And what happens to the people who are willing to do that?
They no longer need to budget money for ice cream cones.
German Marco Boehm stops a rotating fan with his tongue during the German TV show “Wetten dass…?” (”Bet that..?”) staged in the bullring arena Coliseo Balear in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. June 23, 2007. REUTERS/Eckehard Schulz/Pool
July 3rd, 2007, filed by Robert Basler
Hey, Blog Guy, I just took an IQ test and it made me wonder. Are tests for measuring intelligence pretty much the same around the world?
An intelligent question, and no, they’re not. This photo shows one that is commonly used overseas. It divides people into two groups - those who are willing to stick their tongue in a fan, and those who are not.
Wow. And what happens to the people who are willing to do that?
They no longer need to budget money for ice cream cones.
German Marco Boehm stops a rotating fan with his tongue during the German TV show “Wetten dass…?” (”Bet that..?”) staged in the bullring arena Coliseo Balear in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. June 23, 2007. REUTERS/Eckehard Schulz/Pool
#85
Posted 04 July 2007 - 02:37 AM
In the heat of the knight…
This must be what they call an armored vehicle. And, unless they are shooting the long-awaited sequel to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, then I presume we’re seeing yet another new, trendy weight-loss program in the making.
Here’s how it would work: You go to Spain, which isn’t exactly known for its mild summers, you put on a suit of armor, and then head out on the highway on a motorcycle, so the merciless sun can turn you into a raisin. Don’t forget to open the little spigot at on your helmet, so the steam has someplace to go.
A biker dressed as a medieval horseman rides his motorbike at the 16th European Annual Harley Owners Group Rally in Fuengirola, southern Spain, June 23, 2007. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
This must be what they call an armored vehicle. And, unless they are shooting the long-awaited sequel to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, then I presume we’re seeing yet another new, trendy weight-loss program in the making.
Here’s how it would work: You go to Spain, which isn’t exactly known for its mild summers, you put on a suit of armor, and then head out on the highway on a motorcycle, so the merciless sun can turn you into a raisin. Don’t forget to open the little spigot at on your helmet, so the steam has someplace to go.
A biker dressed as a medieval horseman rides his motorbike at the 16th European Annual Harley Owners Group Rally in Fuengirola, southern Spain, June 23, 2007. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
#86
Posted 05 July 2007 - 07:12 AM
Least Competent Criminals
Can't Stop Ourselves: Sheriff's deputies in Hilmar, Calif., arrested Tasha Silva, 30, in April and charged her with stealing a deputy's pickup truck, but her boyfriend and co-suspect, Marcus Schulze, fled. According to the sheriff's office, the couple drove away, thought they were in the clear, and stopped to have sex in the truck, but left the engine idling, and the truck ran out of gas before they were finished. When deputies finally spotted the truck, the couple had to flee on foot, and only Schulze escaped. [Merced Sun-Star, 5-1-07]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cultural Diversity
In Congo, which has lost an estimated 4 million people in the civil wars of the last decade and where many must get by on about 30 cents a day, "gangs" of designer-clothes-wearing men periodically square off against each other in preening contests in the streets of Kinshasa to prove that Versace and Gucci look better on them than on others. Papy Mosengo, 30 (interviewed for a November 2006 Los Angeles Times report), still lives with his parents, sleeps in a dingy, closet-sized room, and leaves child-care expenses to his ex-girlfriend, but he owns 30 top-of-the-line outfits and spends $400 monthly on clothes. Said he, "This is just what I am." (The "cloth cults" of Congo are said to have been around since the 1970s.) [Los Angeles Times, 11-28-06]
Can't Stop Ourselves: Sheriff's deputies in Hilmar, Calif., arrested Tasha Silva, 30, in April and charged her with stealing a deputy's pickup truck, but her boyfriend and co-suspect, Marcus Schulze, fled. According to the sheriff's office, the couple drove away, thought they were in the clear, and stopped to have sex in the truck, but left the engine idling, and the truck ran out of gas before they were finished. When deputies finally spotted the truck, the couple had to flee on foot, and only Schulze escaped. [Merced Sun-Star, 5-1-07]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cultural Diversity
In Congo, which has lost an estimated 4 million people in the civil wars of the last decade and where many must get by on about 30 cents a day, "gangs" of designer-clothes-wearing men periodically square off against each other in preening contests in the streets of Kinshasa to prove that Versace and Gucci look better on them than on others. Papy Mosengo, 30 (interviewed for a November 2006 Los Angeles Times report), still lives with his parents, sleeps in a dingy, closet-sized room, and leaves child-care expenses to his ex-girlfriend, but he owns 30 top-of-the-line outfits and spends $400 monthly on clothes. Said he, "This is just what I am." (The "cloth cults" of Congo are said to have been around since the 1970s.) [Los Angeles Times, 11-28-06]
#87
Posted 05 July 2007 - 12:21 PM
Chinese villagers eat dinosaur bones
July 5, 2007
BEIJING --Villagers in central China spent decades digging up bones they believed belonged to flying dragons and using them in traditional medicines. Turns out the bones belonged to dinosaurs, and now scientists are doing the digging.
Until last year, the fossils were being sold in Henan province as "dragon bones" at about 25 cents a pound, scientist Dong Zhiming said Wednesday.
The calcium-rich bones were sometimes boiled with other ingredients and fed to children to treat dizziness and leg cramps. Other times they were ground up and turned into a paste applied directly to fractures and other injuries, he said.
Dong was part of a team that recently excavated in Henan's Ruyang County a 60-foot-long plant-eating dinosaur that lived 85 million to 100 million years ago. The find was shown to the public Tuesday.
Dong said that when the villagers found out last year the bones were from dinosaurs, they donated 440 pounds to him and his colleagues for research. Over the last two decades, the villagers had dug up an estimated 1 ton of bones.
"They had believed that the 'dragon bones' were from the dragons flying in the sky," said Dong, a professor with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
July 5, 2007
BEIJING --Villagers in central China spent decades digging up bones they believed belonged to flying dragons and using them in traditional medicines. Turns out the bones belonged to dinosaurs, and now scientists are doing the digging.
Until last year, the fossils were being sold in Henan province as "dragon bones" at about 25 cents a pound, scientist Dong Zhiming said Wednesday.
The calcium-rich bones were sometimes boiled with other ingredients and fed to children to treat dizziness and leg cramps. Other times they were ground up and turned into a paste applied directly to fractures and other injuries, he said.
Dong was part of a team that recently excavated in Henan's Ruyang County a 60-foot-long plant-eating dinosaur that lived 85 million to 100 million years ago. The find was shown to the public Tuesday.
Dong said that when the villagers found out last year the bones were from dinosaurs, they donated 440 pounds to him and his colleagues for research. Over the last two decades, the villagers had dug up an estimated 1 ton of bones.
"They had believed that the 'dragon bones' were from the dragons flying in the sky," said Dong, a professor with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
#88
Posted 06 July 2007 - 06:10 AM
AV Dezign, on Jan 5 2007, 12:38 PM, said:
Here's one:
Police hunt pub urinal thief
LONDON (Reuters) - British police said Friday they were hunting a man who stole a urinal from a pub toilet.
The suspect walked into the Royal Oak pub in Southampton, on the English south coast, ordered half a pint of beer and then made several visits to the men's toilet.
There he carefully removed a white urinal from the wall, stuffed it into a rucksack and was captured on closed circuit television walking out with the bulging sack on his back.
For more click on the link above...
Police hunt pub urinal thief
LONDON (Reuters) - British police said Friday they were hunting a man who stole a urinal from a pub toilet.
The suspect walked into the Royal Oak pub in Southampton, on the English south coast, ordered half a pint of beer and then made several visits to the men's toilet.
There he carefully removed a white urinal from the wall, stuffed it into a rucksack and was captured on closed circuit television walking out with the bulging sack on his back.
For more click on the link above...
Wow... and now they have nothing to go on!
#89
Posted 06 July 2007 - 06:49 AM
I can't find the link at the moment, but I read an article where a woman attacked/threatened her husband with a sword and a shotgun, then the first officer on the scene gets a kick square in the yambag.
Can't you see that officer's evening report? "Hey Smith, how was YOUR day?"
Can't you see that officer's evening report? "Hey Smith, how was YOUR day?"
#90
Posted 06 July 2007 - 06:53 AM
You're Udder Arrest!
Side note... Squealy is in Europe as we speak...
Side note... Squealy is in Europe as we speak...
This post has been edited by joefrog: 06 July 2007 - 06:54 AM
#91
Posted 06 July 2007 - 07:39 AM
joefrog, on Jul 6 2007, 06:10 AM, said:
AV Dezign, on Jan 5 2007, 12:38 PM, said:
Here's one:
Police hunt pub urinal thief
LONDON (Reuters) - British police said Friday they were hunting a man who stole a urinal from a pub toilet.
The suspect walked into the Royal Oak pub in Southampton, on the English south coast, ordered half a pint of beer and then made several visits to the men's toilet.
There he carefully removed a white urinal from the wall, stuffed it into a rucksack and was captured on closed circuit television walking out with the bulging sack on his back.
For more click on the link above...
Police hunt pub urinal thief
LONDON (Reuters) - British police said Friday they were hunting a man who stole a urinal from a pub toilet.
The suspect walked into the Royal Oak pub in Southampton, on the English south coast, ordered half a pint of beer and then made several visits to the men's toilet.
There he carefully removed a white urinal from the wall, stuffed it into a rucksack and was captured on closed circuit television walking out with the bulging sack on his back.
For more click on the link above...
Wow... and now they have nothing to go on!
wouldn't that be kind of a small urinal? i know what fits in my knapsack, and i've seen a number of urinals. i'm just not making the connection.
#92
Posted 09 July 2007 - 08:27 AM
11-year-old girl charged with driving drunk...
Fri Jul 6, 2007 3:23PM EDT
MIAMI (Reuters) - An 11-year-old girl was charged with drunken driving after leading police on a chase at speeds of up to 100 mph that ended when she flipped the car in an Alabama beach town.
A video camera in the police car captured the look of surprise on the officer's face when he approached the wrecked car and got a look at the motorist.
The Mobile Press-Register newspaper said the patrolman saw the Chevrolet Monte Carlo speeding and flashed his lights to signal the driver to stop. Instead, the car sped faster, traveling at up to 100 mph (160 kph) before sideswiping another vehicle and flipping over in the Gulf Coast town of Orange Beach, Alabama, on Tuesday night.
The young driver, who lived nearby in Perdido Key, Florida, was treated at a hospital for scrapes and bruises and released to relatives. Police also charged her with speeding, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless endangerment.
The car belonged to a relative and police were still trying to find out where she got the alcohol. There was none in the vehicle but her blood alcohol level was over the limit for adult motorists, police told the newspaper.
Fri Jul 6, 2007 3:23PM EDT
MIAMI (Reuters) - An 11-year-old girl was charged with drunken driving after leading police on a chase at speeds of up to 100 mph that ended when she flipped the car in an Alabama beach town.
A video camera in the police car captured the look of surprise on the officer's face when he approached the wrecked car and got a look at the motorist.
The Mobile Press-Register newspaper said the patrolman saw the Chevrolet Monte Carlo speeding and flashed his lights to signal the driver to stop. Instead, the car sped faster, traveling at up to 100 mph (160 kph) before sideswiping another vehicle and flipping over in the Gulf Coast town of Orange Beach, Alabama, on Tuesday night.
The young driver, who lived nearby in Perdido Key, Florida, was treated at a hospital for scrapes and bruises and released to relatives. Police also charged her with speeding, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless endangerment.
The car belonged to a relative and police were still trying to find out where she got the alcohol. There was none in the vehicle but her blood alcohol level was over the limit for adult motorists, police told the newspaper.
#93
Posted 09 July 2007 - 08:34 AM
Dinner guest finds host's wife and son in the freezer...
Sat Jul 7, 2007 10:28PM EDT
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Belgian man appeared in court on Friday after a woman at his dinner party found the bodies of his wife and stepson in the freezer as she put away the leftovers, prosecutors said.
The woman went to the police after discovering the 46-year-old woman and her 11-year-old son and officers arrested the man in the town of Verviers, near Liege in east Belgium, on Wednesday.
"She went to the freezer and that is what she saw. She then alerted the police," said Georges Lahaye of the local public prosecutors' office. Prosecutors want the suspect, aged 43, to be remanded in custody to allow more time for an investigation into the deaths.
Lahaye said the suspect had not made a confession. He added that the couple argued a lot.
Sat Jul 7, 2007 10:28PM EDT
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Belgian man appeared in court on Friday after a woman at his dinner party found the bodies of his wife and stepson in the freezer as she put away the leftovers, prosecutors said.
The woman went to the police after discovering the 46-year-old woman and her 11-year-old son and officers arrested the man in the town of Verviers, near Liege in east Belgium, on Wednesday.
"She went to the freezer and that is what she saw. She then alerted the police," said Georges Lahaye of the local public prosecutors' office. Prosecutors want the suspect, aged 43, to be remanded in custody to allow more time for an investigation into the deaths.
Lahaye said the suspect had not made a confession. He added that the couple argued a lot.
#94
Posted 09 July 2007 - 08:44 AM
Man's smelly feet trigger police raidMon Jul 9, 2007 12:08PM EDT
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police broke into a darkened apartment fearing they would find a dead body, after neighbors complained of a nasty smell seeping out onto the staircase.The shutters of the apartment had been closed for more than a week and the mailbox was filled with uncollected mail.
But instead of a corpse, they found a tenant with very smelly feet, asleep in bed next to a pile of foul-smelling laundry, police in the southwestern town of Kaiserslautern said on Sunday.
#95
Posted 09 July 2007 - 04:38 PM
Since I was expecting negative feedback from: "Man attacks bird he claims was vampire", I'll go with the more humorous:
Leaf-clad Man Arrested in New Hampshire Heist.
Manchester, N.H. Leaf it to New Hampshire, where a bank branch was held up by a man disguised as a tree. Just as the Citizen Bank branch opened Saturday morning, a man walked in with leafy boughs duct-taped to his head and torso, and robbed the place.
"He really went out on a limb," police Sgt. Ernie Goodno said yestrday. Police said the leafy man didn't say anything about having a weapon, just demanded cash, and was given and undisclosed amount.
Although the branches and leaves obscured much of the man's face, someone who saw images from the bank's security camera recognized the robber and called police.
Officers said James Coldwell, 49, was arrested early yesterday at his Manchester home and charged with robbery. Arraignments were not expected until today.
Leaf-clad Man Arrested in New Hampshire Heist.
Manchester, N.H. Leaf it to New Hampshire, where a bank branch was held up by a man disguised as a tree. Just as the Citizen Bank branch opened Saturday morning, a man walked in with leafy boughs duct-taped to his head and torso, and robbed the place.
"He really went out on a limb," police Sgt. Ernie Goodno said yestrday. Police said the leafy man didn't say anything about having a weapon, just demanded cash, and was given and undisclosed amount.
Although the branches and leaves obscured much of the man's face, someone who saw images from the bank's security camera recognized the robber and called police.
Officers said James Coldwell, 49, was arrested early yesterday at his Manchester home and charged with robbery. Arraignments were not expected until today.
#96
Posted 13 July 2007 - 06:33 AM
This item is not all that weird. I'm posting it because I liked the link that boston.com (Boston Globe) used for the story. The link on their front page read "Police shot a bear in Athol". 
Athol is a small town northwest of Boston.
Bear shot, then euthanized after tranquilizers fail to slow it
July 13, 2007
ATHOL, Mass. --Police concerned with the safety of a crowd that gathered in downtown Athol to see a bear that had wandered into the area shot the animal after several efforts to tranquilize it failed.
The bear, weighing an estimated 500 to 600 pounds, was eventually euthanized by state environmental police.
"The Athol Police Department truly regrets the incident had to end in the manner that it did with the destruction of this truly awe-inspiring and amazing wild creature," Chief Timothy Anderson said in a statement.
The bear first showed up early in the afternoon, police Sgt. Christopher Casella said.
Local police surrounded the bear until environmental police responded to the scene and shot it twice with tranquilizer darts so it could be relocated to an unpopulated area.
But the drugs barely slowed the animal, which resisted several more efforts at tranquilization and forced police to tell onlookers to back up on several occasions.
The bear eventually forced its way into an enclosed area surrounding a warehouse, and after another effort at tranquilization, was shot as it charged a gate in an attempt to escape.
Athol, a community with roughly 11,500 residents, is about 70 miles west of Boston.
Athol is a small town northwest of Boston.Bear shot, then euthanized after tranquilizers fail to slow it
July 13, 2007
ATHOL, Mass. --Police concerned with the safety of a crowd that gathered in downtown Athol to see a bear that had wandered into the area shot the animal after several efforts to tranquilize it failed.
The bear, weighing an estimated 500 to 600 pounds, was eventually euthanized by state environmental police.
"The Athol Police Department truly regrets the incident had to end in the manner that it did with the destruction of this truly awe-inspiring and amazing wild creature," Chief Timothy Anderson said in a statement.
The bear first showed up early in the afternoon, police Sgt. Christopher Casella said.
Local police surrounded the bear until environmental police responded to the scene and shot it twice with tranquilizer darts so it could be relocated to an unpopulated area.
But the drugs barely slowed the animal, which resisted several more efforts at tranquilization and forced police to tell onlookers to back up on several occasions.
The bear eventually forced its way into an enclosed area surrounding a warehouse, and after another effort at tranquilization, was shot as it charged a gate in an attempt to escape.
Athol, a community with roughly 11,500 residents, is about 70 miles west of Boston.
#97
- US Geocacher of the Year 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011
-
- Group: Moderators
- Posts: 37306
- Joined: 14-September 01
Posted 15 July 2007 - 07:11 PM
Good wine thwarts robbery
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2007
A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest.
"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he demanded, according to D.C. police and witness accounts.
The five other guests, including the girls' parents, froze -- and then one spoke.
"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, blurted out. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"
The intruder took a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry and said, "d@mn, that's good wine."
The girl's father, Michael Rabdau, 51, who described the harrowing evening in an interview, told the intruder, described as being in his 20s, to take the whole glass. Rowan offered him the bottle. The would-be robber, his hood now down, took another sip and had a bite of Camembert cheese that was on the table.
Then he tucked the gun into the pocket of his nylon sweatpants.
"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said, looking around the patio of the home in the 1300 block of Constitution Avenue NE.
"I'm sorry," he told the group. "Can I get a hug?"
Rowan, who lives in Falls Church and works part time at her children's school, stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Then it was Rabdau's turn. Then his wife's. The other two guests complied.
"That's really good wine," the man said, taking another sip. He had a final request: "Can we have a group hug?"
The five adults surrounded him, arms out.
With that, the man walked out with a crystal wine glass in hand, filled with Chateau Malescot. No one was hurt, and nothing was stolen.
The homeowner, Xavier Cervera, 45, had gone out to walk his dog at the end of the party and missed the incident, which happened about midnight June 16. Police classified the case as strange but true and said they had not located a suspect.
"We believe it is a true robbery," said Cmdr. Diane Groomes, who is in charge of patrols in the Capitol Hill area. But it's one-of-a-kind, she said, adding, "I've never heard of a robber joining a party and then walking out to the sunset."
The hug, she said, was especially unusual. "They should have squeezed him and held onto him for us," she said.
Rabdau said he hasn't been able to figure out what happened.
"I was definitely expecting there would be some kind of casualty," Rabdau said this week. "He was very aggressive at first; then it turned into a love fest. I don't know what it was."
Rabdau, a federal government worker who lives in Anne Arundel County with his family and lived on Capitol Hill with his wife in the 1980s, said that the episode lasted about 10 minutes but seemed like an hour. He believes the guests were spared because they kept a positive attitude during the exchange.
"There was this degree of disbelief and terror at the same time," Rabdau said. "Then it miraculously just changed. His whole emotional tone turned -- like, we're one big happy family now. I thought: Was it the wine? Was it the cheese?"
After the intruder left, the guests walked inside the house, locked the door and stared at each other. They didn't say a word. Rabdau dialed 911. Police arrived quickly and took a report. They also dusted for fingerprints -- so far, to no avail.
In the alley behind the home, investigators found the intruder's empty crystal wine glass on the ground, unbroken.
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2007
A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest.
"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he demanded, according to D.C. police and witness accounts.
The five other guests, including the girls' parents, froze -- and then one spoke.
"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, blurted out. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"
The intruder took a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry and said, "d@mn, that's good wine."
The girl's father, Michael Rabdau, 51, who described the harrowing evening in an interview, told the intruder, described as being in his 20s, to take the whole glass. Rowan offered him the bottle. The would-be robber, his hood now down, took another sip and had a bite of Camembert cheese that was on the table.
Then he tucked the gun into the pocket of his nylon sweatpants.
"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said, looking around the patio of the home in the 1300 block of Constitution Avenue NE.
"I'm sorry," he told the group. "Can I get a hug?"
Rowan, who lives in Falls Church and works part time at her children's school, stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Then it was Rabdau's turn. Then his wife's. The other two guests complied.
"That's really good wine," the man said, taking another sip. He had a final request: "Can we have a group hug?"
The five adults surrounded him, arms out.
With that, the man walked out with a crystal wine glass in hand, filled with Chateau Malescot. No one was hurt, and nothing was stolen.
The homeowner, Xavier Cervera, 45, had gone out to walk his dog at the end of the party and missed the incident, which happened about midnight June 16. Police classified the case as strange but true and said they had not located a suspect.
"We believe it is a true robbery," said Cmdr. Diane Groomes, who is in charge of patrols in the Capitol Hill area. But it's one-of-a-kind, she said, adding, "I've never heard of a robber joining a party and then walking out to the sunset."
The hug, she said, was especially unusual. "They should have squeezed him and held onto him for us," she said.
Rabdau said he hasn't been able to figure out what happened.
"I was definitely expecting there would be some kind of casualty," Rabdau said this week. "He was very aggressive at first; then it turned into a love fest. I don't know what it was."
Rabdau, a federal government worker who lives in Anne Arundel County with his family and lived on Capitol Hill with his wife in the 1980s, said that the episode lasted about 10 minutes but seemed like an hour. He believes the guests were spared because they kept a positive attitude during the exchange.
"There was this degree of disbelief and terror at the same time," Rabdau said. "Then it miraculously just changed. His whole emotional tone turned -- like, we're one big happy family now. I thought: Was it the wine? Was it the cheese?"
After the intruder left, the guests walked inside the house, locked the door and stared at each other. They didn't say a word. Rabdau dialed 911. Police arrived quickly and took a report. They also dusted for fingerprints -- so far, to no avail.
In the alley behind the home, investigators found the intruder's empty crystal wine glass on the ground, unbroken.
This post has been edited by briansnat: 15 July 2007 - 07:12 PM
#98
Posted 16 July 2007 - 07:58 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Three protesters disrupted a prayer by a Hindu chaplain Thursday at the opening of a Senate hearing, calling it an abomination and shouting slogans about Jesus Christ.
Chaplain Rajan Zed, left, and Sen. Robert Casey looks toward the Senate's public gallery during the protest.
It was the first time the daily prayer that opens Senate proceedings was said by a Hindu chaplain.
Capitol police said two women and one man were arrested and charged with causing a disruption in the public gallery of the Senate. The three started shouting when guest Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada, began his prayer. Watch the disruption »
They shouted "No Lord but Jesus Christ" and "There's only one true God," and used the term "abomination."
Religious figures from various faiths have said the prayer, which is normally recited by a Christian chaplain.
Barry Lynn, executive director of religious watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest showed the intolerance of the "religious right."
"I don't think the Senate should open with prayers, but if it's going to happen, the invocations ought to reflect the diversity of the American people," Lynn said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had invited Zed.
"I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly father regarding peace," he said after the disruption.
Chaplain Rajan Zed, left, and Sen. Robert Casey looks toward the Senate's public gallery during the protest.
It was the first time the daily prayer that opens Senate proceedings was said by a Hindu chaplain.
Capitol police said two women and one man were arrested and charged with causing a disruption in the public gallery of the Senate. The three started shouting when guest Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada, began his prayer. Watch the disruption »
They shouted "No Lord but Jesus Christ" and "There's only one true God," and used the term "abomination."
Religious figures from various faiths have said the prayer, which is normally recited by a Christian chaplain.
Barry Lynn, executive director of religious watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the protest showed the intolerance of the "religious right."
"I don't think the Senate should open with prayers, but if it's going to happen, the invocations ought to reflect the diversity of the American people," Lynn said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had invited Zed.
"I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly father regarding peace," he said after the disruption.
#100
Posted 17 July 2007 - 05:31 AM
MELBOURNE, Australia — A major condom brand said Friday it expected thousands of applicants for a new unpaid job on offer — condom tester.
Durex said 200 adult Australians — men and women — are wanted to test a range of its condoms.
While the successful applicants will not be paid, each will receive a pack of Durex sex products, a chance to win 1,000 Australian dollars ($857 U.S.), plus professional prestige, the company said in a statement.
"Who wouldn't want to have a chance with an actual authorized professional?" Durex marketing manager Sam White asked.
"Durex is expecting thousands of applicants," the statement said.
Hopefuls must explain in their applications why they would make "expert" condom testers.
How they test the condoms is not specified, but testers must provide honest feedback about how they find the products.
No deadline is set for evaluating a range of four condoms and other sex products.
Durex said 200 adult Australians — men and women — are wanted to test a range of its condoms.
While the successful applicants will not be paid, each will receive a pack of Durex sex products, a chance to win 1,000 Australian dollars ($857 U.S.), plus professional prestige, the company said in a statement.
"Who wouldn't want to have a chance with an actual authorized professional?" Durex marketing manager Sam White asked.
"Durex is expecting thousands of applicants," the statement said.
Hopefuls must explain in their applications why they would make "expert" condom testers.
How they test the condoms is not specified, but testers must provide honest feedback about how they find the products.
No deadline is set for evaluating a range of four condoms and other sex products.
