CLIVE, Iowa - A Nebraska man has been arrested in central Iowa for allegedly delivering some unwanted Christmas gifts. Reno Tobler, 54, was arrested Thursday in Clive after police caught him lobbing urine bottles into backyards. "We've got a Grinch that has been lobbing urine," said Clive Police Chief Robert Cox. "Since this fall, we've had eight to 10 incidents reported where people have found containers full of urine thrown into their backyards."
Tobler is a truck driver whose route regularly takes him to the Clive area. He was charged with littering and harassment for allegedly tossing detergent-sized bottles of his urine over fences.
Tobler told police that it was a longtime hobby of his to deliver the bottles. Police searched his vehicle and found several other urine- filled bottles ready for delivery.
Tobler was taken to the Polk County Jail and was released on a $500 bond.
Dec 28, 2005
Dec 22, 2005
Russian oligarchs ready to pay millions for huge penises
The exposition of the rising star of German arts, Jonathan Meese, has recently opened in Moscow. The artist's work has already shocked residents of Berlin and Hamburg, who did not miss their chances to become familiar with Mr. Meese's very unusual artistic view of the world. However, three wealthiest Russian citizens have expressed their wish to purchase several paintings and sculptures of the German artist for their home collections, Express Gazeta wrote.
When the “Dr.Dracula” show opened its doors for Moscow visitors, it attracted women's attention first. Jonathan Meese's paintings and sculptures depict weird creatures with one-meter-long and salami-thick erect penises. A 500-kilo bronze statue is one of the most impressive exhibits at the show. The statue, entitled Propagandist, bears some resemblance to a devilish being carrying a bag of gold in its hand. The statue personifies a modern oligarch, the artist said. However, instead of making a winged or a horned devil, the German artist decided to equip his creation with outrageously large phalluses. Furthermore, there are six testicles hanging down underneath the huge reproductive organs: the artist apparently intended to emphasize the virility and vitality of a contemporary oligarch. Jonathan Meese is probably right: male billionaires in Russia have rather large families. Boris Berezovsky is a father of six children, Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich has five and Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former CEO of Yukos oil giant has four kids in his family.
”A very wealthy Russia man saw my Propagandist at one of my European shows. He personally asked me to bring the statue over to Moscow some day. He said he would like to purchase the statue to decorate the interior of his country house. When I said that I wanted 500,000 euros for this work, the price did not confuse him at all. Russians have learnt to appreciate arts now,” Jonathan Meese said.
When the “Dr.Dracula” show opened its doors for Moscow visitors, it attracted women's attention first. Jonathan Meese's paintings and sculptures depict weird creatures with one-meter-long and salami-thick erect penises. A 500-kilo bronze statue is one of the most impressive exhibits at the show. The statue, entitled Propagandist, bears some resemblance to a devilish being carrying a bag of gold in its hand. The statue personifies a modern oligarch, the artist said. However, instead of making a winged or a horned devil, the German artist decided to equip his creation with outrageously large phalluses. Furthermore, there are six testicles hanging down underneath the huge reproductive organs: the artist apparently intended to emphasize the virility and vitality of a contemporary oligarch. Jonathan Meese is probably right: male billionaires in Russia have rather large families. Boris Berezovsky is a father of six children, Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich has five and Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former CEO of Yukos oil giant has four kids in his family.
”A very wealthy Russia man saw my Propagandist at one of my European shows. He personally asked me to bring the statue over to Moscow some day. He said he would like to purchase the statue to decorate the interior of his country house. When I said that I wanted 500,000 euros for this work, the price did not confuse him at all. Russians have learnt to appreciate arts now,” Jonathan Meese said.
Dec 2, 2005
Dec 1, 2005
Russian squirrel pack 'kills dog'
Squirrels have bitten to death a stray dog which was barking at them in a Russian park, local media report.
Passers-by were reportedly too late to stop the attack by the black squirrels in a village in the far east, which reportedly lasted about a minute.
They are said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh.
A pine cone shortage may have led the squirrels to seek other food sources, although scientists are sceptical.
The attack was reported in parkland in the centre of Lazo, a village in the Maritime Territory, and was witnessed by three local people.
A "big" stray dog was nosing about the trees and barking at squirrels hiding in branches overhead when a number of them suddenly descended and attacked, reports say.
"They literally gutted the dog," local journalist Anastasia Trubitsina told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.
"When they saw the men, they scattered in different directions, taking pieces of their kill away with them."
Mikhail Tiyunov, a scientist in the region, said it was the first he had ever heard of such an attack.
While squirrels without sources of protein might attack birds' nests, he said, the idea of them chewing at a dog to death was "absurd".
"If it really happened, things must be pretty bad in our forests," he added.
Komosmolskaya Pravda notes that in a previous incident this autumn chipmunks terrorised cats in a part of the territory.
A Lazo man who called himself only Mikhalich said there had been "no pine cones at all" in the local forests this year.
"The little beasts are agitated because they have nothing to eat," he said.
Passers-by were reportedly too late to stop the attack by the black squirrels in a village in the far east, which reportedly lasted about a minute.
They are said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh.
A pine cone shortage may have led the squirrels to seek other food sources, although scientists are sceptical.
The attack was reported in parkland in the centre of Lazo, a village in the Maritime Territory, and was witnessed by three local people.
A "big" stray dog was nosing about the trees and barking at squirrels hiding in branches overhead when a number of them suddenly descended and attacked, reports say.
"They literally gutted the dog," local journalist Anastasia Trubitsina told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.
"When they saw the men, they scattered in different directions, taking pieces of their kill away with them."
Mikhail Tiyunov, a scientist in the region, said it was the first he had ever heard of such an attack.
While squirrels without sources of protein might attack birds' nests, he said, the idea of them chewing at a dog to death was "absurd".
"If it really happened, things must be pretty bad in our forests," he added.
Komosmolskaya Pravda notes that in a previous incident this autumn chipmunks terrorised cats in a part of the territory.
A Lazo man who called himself only Mikhalich said there had been "no pine cones at all" in the local forests this year.
"The little beasts are agitated because they have nothing to eat," he said.
'Eaten Alive' By Bedbugs
Ksenija Knezevic, of Zurich, and Marlies Barisic, of Kreuzlingen, both in their early 30s, say the bloodsucking insects began attacking Sept. 17, the night they checked into the hotel across from Madison Square Garden.
The women's lawsuit, filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, says they suffered bedbug bites over their torsos, arms and legs. Their lawyer, Alberto Ebanks, said bugs also bit their cheeks and necks and caused possibly permanent scarring.
"They were eaten alive," Ebanks said Wednesday.
He said the women had to seek medical treatment while in New York, where they were given antibiotics, and when they returned to Switzerland. He said photographs of the women's wounds are "gruesome."
Ebanks said that when the women told employees of the Seventh Avenue hotel that they were uncomfortable and something was wrong, one immediately exclaimed, "Bedbugs!"
"That tells us that this hotel was certainly on notice that they had a bedbug problem," the lawyer said. "They knew what was going on, but no one wanted to stand up and take responsibility the right way."
Ebanks said the women "came here looking for a New York experience and looked forward to their vacation." He said both are now seeing a Swiss dermatologist.
Ebanks said one of the women tried to enter her office the day after she returned to Switzerland, but "she wasn't 10 feet into that office when a co-worker told her she looked terrible and asked her to please go home immediately."
Court papers say that because of the hotel's "extreme and outrageous" negligence regarding the bedbug assaults, the women have suffered "physical pain, mental anguish, emotional distress and lost earnings."
The lawsuit names the hotel and owners Vornado Realty Trust, 401 Hotel Management Co. LLC and 401 Hotel TRS as defendants. It seeks unspecified damages.
Roann Kulikoff, a spokeswoman for the hotel and its owners, said her clients did not comment on pending litigation.
Ebanks was the lawyer for two Mexican businessmen who sued Leona Helmsley's upscale Park Lane Hotel in 2003 after they complained they had been dined on by bedbugs. That case reportedly was settled confidentially in 2004.
The women's lawsuit, filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, says they suffered bedbug bites over their torsos, arms and legs. Their lawyer, Alberto Ebanks, said bugs also bit their cheeks and necks and caused possibly permanent scarring.
"They were eaten alive," Ebanks said Wednesday.
He said the women had to seek medical treatment while in New York, where they were given antibiotics, and when they returned to Switzerland. He said photographs of the women's wounds are "gruesome."
Ebanks said that when the women told employees of the Seventh Avenue hotel that they were uncomfortable and something was wrong, one immediately exclaimed, "Bedbugs!"
"That tells us that this hotel was certainly on notice that they had a bedbug problem," the lawyer said. "They knew what was going on, but no one wanted to stand up and take responsibility the right way."
Ebanks said the women "came here looking for a New York experience and looked forward to their vacation." He said both are now seeing a Swiss dermatologist.
Ebanks said one of the women tried to enter her office the day after she returned to Switzerland, but "she wasn't 10 feet into that office when a co-worker told her she looked terrible and asked her to please go home immediately."
Court papers say that because of the hotel's "extreme and outrageous" negligence regarding the bedbug assaults, the women have suffered "physical pain, mental anguish, emotional distress and lost earnings."
The lawsuit names the hotel and owners Vornado Realty Trust, 401 Hotel Management Co. LLC and 401 Hotel TRS as defendants. It seeks unspecified damages.
Roann Kulikoff, a spokeswoman for the hotel and its owners, said her clients did not comment on pending litigation.
Ebanks was the lawyer for two Mexican businessmen who sued Leona Helmsley's upscale Park Lane Hotel in 2003 after they complained they had been dined on by bedbugs. That case reportedly was settled confidentially in 2004.
Nov 21, 2005
Teen Charged For Sex With Dummy
A teenager has been charged with indecent exposure after he was caught trying to have sex with a female mannequin on display at an arts centre.
Security guards found Michael Plentyhorse, 18, sprawled with the dummy on the floor with his trousers and pants down.
Police spokesman Loren McManus said: "There was inappropriate activity between him and the mannequin.
"That's the only way I know how to put it."
Guards said they had noticed several times before that the dummy's clothes had been removed at the centre in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US.
If convicted, Plentyhorse may be registered as a sex offender.
Hope Matchan, of the prosecutors' department, said: "People might say it's relatively harmless.
"But I certainly would want to know if this person was my neighbour."
Security guards found Michael Plentyhorse, 18, sprawled with the dummy on the floor with his trousers and pants down.
Police spokesman Loren McManus said: "There was inappropriate activity between him and the mannequin.
"That's the only way I know how to put it."
Guards said they had noticed several times before that the dummy's clothes had been removed at the centre in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US.
If convicted, Plentyhorse may be registered as a sex offender.
Hope Matchan, of the prosecutors' department, said: "People might say it's relatively harmless.
"But I certainly would want to know if this person was my neighbour."
Nov 17, 2005
Four women forced to consume human excreta in Orissa
Uparkhandadhar (Orissa), Nov.14 : In a revolting incident of superstition some villagers in Uparkhandadhar village of Sundergarh district in Orissa allegedly forced four women accused of being witches to eat human excreta under the disguise of witches. The police have arrested eight persons, including two women for this heinous action.
These four women were locked in a room for three days by six men and two women. They were allegedly forced to pay a fine of 500 rupees each and forced to consume human excreta.
“They beat us with a bible and said we were lying and that we are practicing witchcraft. They also fined us for it and forced us to consume human excreta,” said Kapri, one of the victim.
According to police, the four women were tortured as they were accused of practicing sorcery and spreading disease in the village.
“Our police team rushed to the spot and rescued the four women. We also filed cases against the two women and eight men accused of branding four women as witches. We also filed a Court challan against them,” said Bibudhendu Ku Aich, Officer In Charge, Lahunipara.
The Government of Orissa has a law against aiding and abetting witchcraft.
In 1999, the Government also passed an act against witchcraft, “Witch Prohibition Act-1999”, according to which six months imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 rupees can be imposed on a person found guilty of torturing innocent women.
Surprisingly, in most cases the practitioners of witchcraft as well as their victims are women.
While cases of women practicing the occult is known, in most cases it is innocent women who are branded as witches and subjected to torture and even death.
These four women were locked in a room for three days by six men and two women. They were allegedly forced to pay a fine of 500 rupees each and forced to consume human excreta.
“They beat us with a bible and said we were lying and that we are practicing witchcraft. They also fined us for it and forced us to consume human excreta,” said Kapri, one of the victim.
According to police, the four women were tortured as they were accused of practicing sorcery and spreading disease in the village.
“Our police team rushed to the spot and rescued the four women. We also filed cases against the two women and eight men accused of branding four women as witches. We also filed a Court challan against them,” said Bibudhendu Ku Aich, Officer In Charge, Lahunipara.
The Government of Orissa has a law against aiding and abetting witchcraft.
In 1999, the Government also passed an act against witchcraft, “Witch Prohibition Act-1999”, according to which six months imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 rupees can be imposed on a person found guilty of torturing innocent women.
Surprisingly, in most cases the practitioners of witchcraft as well as their victims are women.
While cases of women practicing the occult is known, in most cases it is innocent women who are branded as witches and subjected to torture and even death.
Nov 16, 2005
Ashes of 'Star Trek' actor grounded by dud rocket
"In life, James Doohan was the 'Star Trek' engineer who worked miracles on the Enterprise, but a rocket meant to blast his remains into space has engine trouble.
A Falcon One rocket was to lift the ashes of Doohan, who played engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott aboard the fictional Starship Enterprise, into space next month but the launch has been delayed at least until February, organizers said Tuesday.
'They had an engine test they didn't like so they will do another month of testing,' Charles Chafer of Space Services Inc. told AFP.
Unlike Scotty, who told Captain James T. Kirk in a Scottish accent, 'She'll launch on time and she'll be ready,' the US Department of Defense engineers involved with the rocket mission needed more time to sort out engine problems, Chafer said.
The 'Explorers Flight' launch in California was to follow the launch of an identical rocket this month in the Marshall Islands.
Concerns about an engine on the rocket in the Marshall Islands prompted the additional testing, throwing off the schedule for the originally planned California launch in December, Chafer said.
'We want to fly,' Chafer said. 'But, this will give us the opportunity to accept some additional participants for the ride.'
The Explorers Flight was already billed by Space Services as the largest ever memorial spaceflight, with 168 participants from eight countries aboard.
Doohan, who died in July at the age of 85, had asked that his ashes be launched into the final frontier following his death.
Canadian-born Doohan played engineer Montgomery Scott in the original 'Star Trek' television series that started in 1966 and spawned a decades-long cult following of the show.
Doohan immortalized the starship's engineer, a pragmatically blunt bear of a man who repeatedly managed miraculous repairs while crew members dealt with the adversities and adventures of "space, the final frontier".
Space Services, a Texas-based company, has rocketed the remains of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and 1960s drug guru Timothy Leary into the firmament.
A Falcon One rocket was to lift the ashes of Doohan, who played engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott aboard the fictional Starship Enterprise, into space next month but the launch has been delayed at least until February, organizers said Tuesday.
'They had an engine test they didn't like so they will do another month of testing,' Charles Chafer of Space Services Inc. told AFP.
Unlike Scotty, who told Captain James T. Kirk in a Scottish accent, 'She'll launch on time and she'll be ready,' the US Department of Defense engineers involved with the rocket mission needed more time to sort out engine problems, Chafer said.
The 'Explorers Flight' launch in California was to follow the launch of an identical rocket this month in the Marshall Islands.
Concerns about an engine on the rocket in the Marshall Islands prompted the additional testing, throwing off the schedule for the originally planned California launch in December, Chafer said.
'We want to fly,' Chafer said. 'But, this will give us the opportunity to accept some additional participants for the ride.'
The Explorers Flight was already billed by Space Services as the largest ever memorial spaceflight, with 168 participants from eight countries aboard.
Doohan, who died in July at the age of 85, had asked that his ashes be launched into the final frontier following his death.
Canadian-born Doohan played engineer Montgomery Scott in the original 'Star Trek' television series that started in 1966 and spawned a decades-long cult following of the show.
Doohan immortalized the starship's engineer, a pragmatically blunt bear of a man who repeatedly managed miraculous repairs while crew members dealt with the adversities and adventures of "space, the final frontier".
Space Services, a Texas-based company, has rocketed the remains of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and 1960s drug guru Timothy Leary into the firmament.
Nov 9, 2005
Kissimmee Bans Children From Playing In Streets
Children in Kissimmee, Fla., are no longer allowed to play in the streets or on sidewalks, according to a Local 6 News report.
Tuesday night, Kissimmee City commissioners agreed to a new ordinance that makes it illegal for children to play with portable recreational equipment, like basketball hoops and hockey nets in the streets or sidewalks.
Violators will face a $100 fine.
Commissioners said the ordinance will keep kids safe and cut down of liability for the city.
Tuesday night, Kissimmee City commissioners agreed to a new ordinance that makes it illegal for children to play with portable recreational equipment, like basketball hoops and hockey nets in the streets or sidewalks.
Violators will face a $100 fine.
Commissioners said the ordinance will keep kids safe and cut down of liability for the city.
Man Breaks Into Parent's Home, Stabs Stepfather
"Sheriff's deputies in Marion County, Fla., are searching for a 27-year-old man who allegedly broke into his parent's home and attacked his stepfather with a knife Monday night, according to a police news release.
Investigators said Brent Bevil entered his parent's home located on 10909 189 Terrace in Dunnellon, Fla., and stabbed his stepfather in the abdomen, foot and shin.
Bevil then allegedly took the man's wallet and stole his car, according to the report.
Police believe Bevil may still be driving his parent's green 2003 KIA Sorrento hatchback. It has the Florida tag A985MN
( His name rhymes with Devil and he has a tatoo on his neck. Go figure! ED.)
Woman Arrested After Putting Rare Parrot In Bra
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A woman has been arrested for padding her bra -- with a stolen rare parrot.
Jill Knispel, 35, of Englewood, hid the Greenwing parrot in her bra after taking it from her employer, Baby Exotic Birds of Englewood, police said.
When Knispel went to trade the bird for a vintage car, she told the car's owner how she got the animal, according to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Its was later determined that the car's owner is friends with the man who owns the $2,000 bird.
DNA tests confirmed the bird's identity and Knispel was charged with grand theft.
"The circumstances of the case are the most bizarre I've ever encountered," said veteran wildlife investigator Lenny Barshinger.
Jill Knispel, 35, of Englewood, hid the Greenwing parrot in her bra after taking it from her employer, Baby Exotic Birds of Englewood, police said.
When Knispel went to trade the bird for a vintage car, she told the car's owner how she got the animal, according to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Its was later determined that the car's owner is friends with the man who owns the $2,000 bird.
DNA tests confirmed the bird's identity and Knispel was charged with grand theft.
"The circumstances of the case are the most bizarre I've ever encountered," said veteran wildlife investigator Lenny Barshinger.
Man 'Fighting Devil' Before Mom Killed
A Lake County, Fla., man who was heard saying he was fighting the devil Tuesday was arrested on suspicion of killing his mother, police told Local 6 News.
Police in Mascotte, Fla., said Keith Howard, 40, was found just after noon in traffic on Highway 50 screaming that he had just killed his mother.
"Witnesses stated to us that the victim said he killed his mother and was going to kill himself," Mascotte Police Chief Steve Allen said. "
After officers took Howard into custody, they found his mother's body, Carolyn, inside her home located on 27 Fiske St., just off Highway 50 at Sunset Lake.
Friends of the mother told Local 6 News that Howard is mentally ill and had recently stopped taking his medication.
Every day, sometimes for eight hours at a time, Howard would hang out at the Rainbow Restaurant, according to the report.
Employees at the restaurant said Howard was at the restaurant early Tuesday, waving his arms and saying he was fighting with the devil, Local 6 reporter Mike DeForest said.
Neighbors said Carolyn Howard worked at Disney World and a local bar
Police in Mascotte, Fla., said Keith Howard, 40, was found just after noon in traffic on Highway 50 screaming that he had just killed his mother.
"Witnesses stated to us that the victim said he killed his mother and was going to kill himself," Mascotte Police Chief Steve Allen said. "
After officers took Howard into custody, they found his mother's body, Carolyn, inside her home located on 27 Fiske St., just off Highway 50 at Sunset Lake.
Friends of the mother told Local 6 News that Howard is mentally ill and had recently stopped taking his medication.
Every day, sometimes for eight hours at a time, Howard would hang out at the Rainbow Restaurant, according to the report.
Employees at the restaurant said Howard was at the restaurant early Tuesday, waving his arms and saying he was fighting with the devil, Local 6 reporter Mike DeForest said.
Neighbors said Carolyn Howard worked at Disney World and a local bar
Sep 27, 2005
Man Killed With Fork
POSTED: 2:15 pm EDT September 26, 2005
UPDATED: 10:19 pm EDT September 26, 2005
A Green Bay, Wis., man is charged with killing his neighbor with a fork, according to police.
Investigators said Gordon Senecal was taking care of Todd Charles' 15-year-old pit bull over the weekend when an argument broke out between the two men.
The men began fighting at Charles' home and Senecal was stabbed with a large serving fork, police said.
Senecal was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Charles is expected in court Monday for his first appearance.
UPDATED: 10:19 pm EDT September 26, 2005
A Green Bay, Wis., man is charged with killing his neighbor with a fork, according to police.
Investigators said Gordon Senecal was taking care of Todd Charles' 15-year-old pit bull over the weekend when an argument broke out between the two men.
The men began fighting at Charles' home and Senecal was stabbed with a large serving fork, police said.
Senecal was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Charles is expected in court Monday for his first appearance.
Satellites to monitor panda sex
Scientists in China plan to use satellites to track pandas to learn more about their sexual behaviour.
A Chinese-US project will use Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites to monitor panda movements in a reserve in remote Shaanxi province.
It is part of an attempt to understand the panda's poor breeding record.
"Tracking them with advanced technology and observing their sex activities might help us find ways to avoid their extinction," an official said.
Wei Fuwen, from the China Academy of Sciences' Institute of Zoology, said pandas living in the wild were inaccessible for long periods of time.
"Traditional observation cannot unravel the ecological mystery of the animals," he told the official Xinhua news agency.
China's scientists have come up with a series of more or less surprising ideas for improving panda reproduction, including showing them sex education videos.
Despite such efforts, the animal remains endangered.
China last year said there were an estimated 1,600 of the creatures left in the wild, 40% more than previous figures suggested.
A further 161 pandas were reported to be living in captivity.
A Chinese-US project will use Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites to monitor panda movements in a reserve in remote Shaanxi province.
It is part of an attempt to understand the panda's poor breeding record.
"Tracking them with advanced technology and observing their sex activities might help us find ways to avoid their extinction," an official said.
Wei Fuwen, from the China Academy of Sciences' Institute of Zoology, said pandas living in the wild were inaccessible for long periods of time.
"Traditional observation cannot unravel the ecological mystery of the animals," he told the official Xinhua news agency.
China's scientists have come up with a series of more or less surprising ideas for improving panda reproduction, including showing them sex education videos.
Despite such efforts, the animal remains endangered.
China last year said there were an estimated 1,600 of the creatures left in the wild, 40% more than previous figures suggested.
A further 161 pandas were reported to be living in captivity.
Aug 26, 2005
Need Sleep? Mall Of America Sells Naps For 70 Cents A Minute
Irresistible Headlines - Need Sleep? Mall Of America Sells Naps For 70 Cents A Minute: "The Mall of America has a 74-foot Ferris wheel, a shark tank and a dinosaur museum. And now, if all that tires you out, a nap store will sell you some shuteye for 70 cents a minute.
The new store will be called MinneNAPolis. It's just the thing for shoppers -- or their spouses -- who get worn out traversing the more than four miles of storefronts in the Minnesota mall.
Founded by PowerNap Sleep Centers of Boca Raton, Fla., the new store will include at least three themed rooms: Asian Mist, Tropical Isle and Deep Space. Each will have walls thick enough to drown out the sounds of squealing children at the indoor amusement park.
The fee of 70 cents per minute works out to $42 an hour. Some said it would be cheaper to buy an $8 movie ticket and spend two hours sleeping through a movie. "
The new store will be called MinneNAPolis. It's just the thing for shoppers -- or their spouses -- who get worn out traversing the more than four miles of storefronts in the Minnesota mall.
Founded by PowerNap Sleep Centers of Boca Raton, Fla., the new store will include at least three themed rooms: Asian Mist, Tropical Isle and Deep Space. Each will have walls thick enough to drown out the sounds of squealing children at the indoor amusement park.
The fee of 70 cents per minute works out to $42 an hour. Some said it would be cheaper to buy an $8 movie ticket and spend two hours sleeping through a movie. "
Postal Worker Puts Urine In Office Coffee Pot
AKRON, Ohio -- An Ohio postal worker faces charges after being accused of putting urine in the coffee of his co-workers.
Authorities said the co-workers caught him by setting up a video camera in their break room after they became suspicious.
Thomas Shaheen, 49, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of adulteration of food or placing harmful objects in food. He's due in court on Monday.
Shaheen works as a mechanic for the U.S. Postal Service in Akron. Prosecutors said he was unhappy at work.
His co-workers believe he poured urine into a coffee pot in a break room on July 5 and July 6. Authorities said no one was harmed.
Shaheen has been a postal employee for 11 years, Cleveland TV station WEWS reported. He is due in court on Monday.
Authorities said the co-workers caught him by setting up a video camera in their break room after they became suspicious.
Thomas Shaheen, 49, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of adulteration of food or placing harmful objects in food. He's due in court on Monday.
Shaheen works as a mechanic for the U.S. Postal Service in Akron. Prosecutors said he was unhappy at work.
His co-workers believe he poured urine into a coffee pot in a break room on July 5 and July 6. Authorities said no one was harmed.
Shaheen has been a postal employee for 11 years, Cleveland TV station WEWS reported. He is due in court on Monday.
Aug 23, 2005
Turkman president bans recorded music
Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov has deemed recorded music a negative influence on society and banned it from public events, TV and weddings.
Niyazov has already banned opera and ballet from the former Soviet state, saying they were unnecessary, the BBC reported.
"Unfortunately, one can see on television old voiceless singers lip-synching their old songs, Niyazov told his cabinet regarding music on TV. "Don't kill talents by using lip-synching ... create our new culture."
In 2001, Niyazov, the country's president for life, banned gold tooth caps, long hair and beards on young men.
He has also banned car radios, closed all hospitals except those in the capital and renamed calendar months after his relatives, the BBC said.
Niyazov has already banned opera and ballet from the former Soviet state, saying they were unnecessary, the BBC reported.
"Unfortunately, one can see on television old voiceless singers lip-synching their old songs, Niyazov told his cabinet regarding music on TV. "Don't kill talents by using lip-synching ... create our new culture."
In 2001, Niyazov, the country's president for life, banned gold tooth caps, long hair and beards on young men.
He has also banned car radios, closed all hospitals except those in the capital and renamed calendar months after his relatives, the BBC said.
Aug 18, 2005
Residence Of Inspirational Animal Author Raided
FORWARD TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Human officers raided a home in Forward Township Thursday.
Officers say they responded after neighbors complained of the stench coming from the residence on Mentor Road.
When they arrived on the scene, they found an animal house -- but this one had a twist.
Officers found dozens of dogs, cats, ferrets, birds living in deplorable conditions.
But they also found something else.
One of the people who lived in the residence was Jim Willis, author of inspirational animal books, such as "Pieces of My Heart -- Writings Inspired By Animals and Nature," "The Animals' Savior," and "The Basset Chronicles."
The owner of the home, Erin Schmidt, has been charged with running an illegal kennel on the property.
Animals found in the home were taken to Animal Friends.
Officers say they responded after neighbors complained of the stench coming from the residence on Mentor Road.
When they arrived on the scene, they found an animal house -- but this one had a twist.
Officers found dozens of dogs, cats, ferrets, birds living in deplorable conditions.
But they also found something else.
One of the people who lived in the residence was Jim Willis, author of inspirational animal books, such as "Pieces of My Heart -- Writings Inspired By Animals and Nature," "The Animals' Savior," and "The Basset Chronicles."
The owner of the home, Erin Schmidt, has been charged with running an illegal kennel on the property.
Animals found in the home were taken to Animal Friends.
Aug 16, 2005
Beechview Man Admits To Drugged-Up Sex Pics
Donald Preik, 48, of Pittsburgh's Beechview section, admitted on Monday that he sexually assaulted his former live-in girlfriend, her mother, four of their relatives and an unrelated woman.
Prosecutors said Preik stole sleeping pills and other drugs from the pharmacy he once managed and slipped the drugs into his victims' drinks.
The women didn't know they were assaulted until one of them found a photo album containing pictures of the assaults, prosecutors said. One of the assaults was videotaped, they said.
Preik's attorney, Anthony Bittner, declined to comment after the hearing.
Preik pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, drug possession and invasion of privacy. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison because one of the victims was older than 60."
Prosecutors said Preik stole sleeping pills and other drugs from the pharmacy he once managed and slipped the drugs into his victims' drinks.
The women didn't know they were assaulted until one of them found a photo album containing pictures of the assaults, prosecutors said. One of the assaults was videotaped, they said.
Preik's attorney, Anthony Bittner, declined to comment after the hearing.
Preik pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, drug possession and invasion of privacy. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison because one of the victims was older than 60."
Mob scene, several hurt in rush for cheap laptops
"What started as a sale turned into a mob scene as thousands of people pushed their way through the Richmond International Raceway gates to buy a $50 iBook laptop computer from Henrico County Schools this morning. The school district had only 1,000 of these surplus computers to sell, and Henrico County residents got first dibs.
Starletta Wilson came to the sale but when the gates opened at 7 a.m., chaos broke out.
Yeah, they pushed me, look at my child's stroller... they actually pushed me and stampeded over me. Those people who are down there now were behind us,' Wilson said.
Dustin Coppinger, who attended the sale, said he saw an older man get trampled.
'An old man in a walker was trampled to the ground. Trampled to the ground... walked all over,' he said.
Dozens more were pushed to the ground as the crowd races through the gates.
A one-year-old baby almost became a victim. Her father pulled her out of her stroller.
'Look at her stroller. Her stroller's demolished. Look at my stroller, said Wilson.
Alice Jemerson was one victim who got trampled.
'Look at my knees. They ran on top of me. I just starting kicking the people,' she said.
A man who had been standing in line since 2 a.m. came to Jemerson's rescue. Bair Hossai was almost guaranteed to get one of the coveted computers.
'I'm not going to leave somebody who's hurt. It's not worth it. I could have been in the line, but I'm not going to do it, because it's not worth it,' Hossai said."
Starletta Wilson came to the sale but when the gates opened at 7 a.m., chaos broke out.
Yeah, they pushed me, look at my child's stroller... they actually pushed me and stampeded over me. Those people who are down there now were behind us,' Wilson said.
Dustin Coppinger, who attended the sale, said he saw an older man get trampled.
'An old man in a walker was trampled to the ground. Trampled to the ground... walked all over,' he said.
Dozens more were pushed to the ground as the crowd races through the gates.
A one-year-old baby almost became a victim. Her father pulled her out of her stroller.
'Look at her stroller. Her stroller's demolished. Look at my stroller, said Wilson.
Alice Jemerson was one victim who got trampled.
'Look at my knees. They ran on top of me. I just starting kicking the people,' she said.
A man who had been standing in line since 2 a.m. came to Jemerson's rescue. Bair Hossai was almost guaranteed to get one of the coveted computers.
'I'm not going to leave somebody who's hurt. It's not worth it. I could have been in the line, but I'm not going to do it, because it's not worth it,' Hossai said."
Researchers Aim To Grow Meat In Test Tube
A research team is proposing a new technique that would allow meat to be grown in a laboratory for mass consumption, according to a report.
Researchers in the U.S. say the technology now exists now to produce processed meats such as burgers and sausages, starting with cells taken from cows, chickens, pigs, fish or other animals.
Researchers in the U.S. say the technology now exists now to produce processed meats such as burgers and sausages, starting with cells taken from cows, chickens, pigs, fish or other animals.
Growing meat without the animal would not only reduce the need for the animals -- which often are kept in less than ideal conditions -- but may also address a number of environmental ills blamed on meat production.
Cultured meat could also be tailored to be healthier than farm-raised meat, while satisfying the increasing demand for protein by the world's growing population, proponents say.
Industrializing the process could involve growing muscle cells on large sheets or beads suspended in a growth medium.
Once the cells have grown enough, they could be scraped off and packaged. If edible sheets or beads are used, all of it could be eaten.
But butchers and vegetarians are just two groups of people who are yet to be convinced.
"To he honest anything they can do with test tubes or whatever, it can't be made," butcher Rodney Macken said.
"I don't like eating a cow that's been pumped full of growth hormones that artificially grow it so it gets onto our plates quicker," a diner said. " I would feel the same about a lump of meat that had been pumped full of chemicals and that had been artificially modified."
Supporters also said growing meat would reduce the number of animals killed and cut environmental waste that comes from livestock.
Researchers in the U.S. say the technology now exists now to produce processed meats such as burgers and sausages, starting with cells taken from cows, chickens, pigs, fish or other animals.
Researchers in the U.S. say the technology now exists now to produce processed meats such as burgers and sausages, starting with cells taken from cows, chickens, pigs, fish or other animals.
Growing meat without the animal would not only reduce the need for the animals -- which often are kept in less than ideal conditions -- but may also address a number of environmental ills blamed on meat production.
Cultured meat could also be tailored to be healthier than farm-raised meat, while satisfying the increasing demand for protein by the world's growing population, proponents say.
Industrializing the process could involve growing muscle cells on large sheets or beads suspended in a growth medium.
Once the cells have grown enough, they could be scraped off and packaged. If edible sheets or beads are used, all of it could be eaten.
But butchers and vegetarians are just two groups of people who are yet to be convinced.
"To he honest anything they can do with test tubes or whatever, it can't be made," butcher Rodney Macken said.
"I don't like eating a cow that's been pumped full of growth hormones that artificially grow it so it gets onto our plates quicker," a diner said. " I would feel the same about a lump of meat that had been pumped full of chemicals and that had been artificially modified."
Supporters also said growing meat would reduce the number of animals killed and cut environmental waste that comes from livestock.
Aug 11, 2005
Heat dashes Palestinian quest for longest sandwich
Palestinians abandoned a quest to build the world's longest sandwich on Wednesday after health officials told them their 750-meter construction risked rotting in the West Bank summer sun.
Hundreds of volunteers spread a 750-meter bun on tables along a dusty roadside in the West Bank city of Jenin, long a hotspot of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
But the attempt was called off for health reasons before volunteers got a chance to add 180 kg of mortadella meat, 350 kg of tomatoes and 250 kg of green peppers.
Organizers had planned to serve the sandwich to the poor, and said they were aiming to beat a record set in Portugal in 2004 for a 634-meter sandwich.
'We were planning to add the mortadella and stuffing at the last minute to rule out any possibility of rotting,' chef Ahmed Nazzal told Reuters. 'There must be a conspiracy against us by other competitors.'"
Hundreds of volunteers spread a 750-meter bun on tables along a dusty roadside in the West Bank city of Jenin, long a hotspot of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
But the attempt was called off for health reasons before volunteers got a chance to add 180 kg of mortadella meat, 350 kg of tomatoes and 250 kg of green peppers.
Organizers had planned to serve the sandwich to the poor, and said they were aiming to beat a record set in Portugal in 2004 for a 634-meter sandwich.
'We were planning to add the mortadella and stuffing at the last minute to rule out any possibility of rotting,' chef Ahmed Nazzal told Reuters. 'There must be a conspiracy against us by other competitors.'"
Aug 10, 2005
Embalmed fetus found in a laundry room
NEW ORLEANS -- New information was uncovered Tuesday about an embalmed fetus found in a laundry room at Charity Hospital Monday.
The male fetus was 20 weeks old, weighed less than one pound and could have been dead for more than a month, according to Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. Frank Minyard.
Minyard said the body had started to mummify, and he is especially concerned about the fact that it had been embalmed.
"They took organs out and stuffed the baby's cavity with cotton," Minyard said. "Usually a professional embalmer doesn't take all the organs out."
Minyard said most licensed embalmers work for funeral homes. He wants to know who embalmed the body and how it got to Charity.
"(The mother) evidently had some help, and they embalmed it themselves, or they took it to a funeral parlor," Minyard said. "We don't know."
One theory among hospital insiders is that a funeral home employee dumped the fetus at the hospital after being left with a prepared body that the family didn't have the money to bury.
"I'd like to know what happened to the organs," Minyard said.
Minyard is turning his findings over to police and the district attorney's office.
Right now, police do not consider the finding a criminal matter because the coroner didn't rule the baby's death a homicide.
The male fetus was 20 weeks old, weighed less than one pound and could have been dead for more than a month, according to Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. Frank Minyard.
Minyard said the body had started to mummify, and he is especially concerned about the fact that it had been embalmed.
"They took organs out and stuffed the baby's cavity with cotton," Minyard said. "Usually a professional embalmer doesn't take all the organs out."
Minyard said most licensed embalmers work for funeral homes. He wants to know who embalmed the body and how it got to Charity.
"(The mother) evidently had some help, and they embalmed it themselves, or they took it to a funeral parlor," Minyard said. "We don't know."
One theory among hospital insiders is that a funeral home employee dumped the fetus at the hospital after being left with a prepared body that the family didn't have the money to bury.
"I'd like to know what happened to the organs," Minyard said.
Minyard is turning his findings over to police and the district attorney's office.
Right now, police do not consider the finding a criminal matter because the coroner didn't rule the baby's death a homicide.
Aug 8, 2005
Marilyn: Her Own Words?
"On Aug. 5, 1962, the body of Marilyn Monroe was found in the bedroom of her Brentwood home. The 36-year-old movie star was naked and facedown on her bed.
An autopsy conducted by Dr. Thomas Noguchi, then deputy medical examiner, concluded that death was due to acute barbiturate poisoning, and a psychiatric team tied to the investigation termed it a 'probable suicide.'
Today, 43 years later, fans from around the world will gather, as they have for decades, near Monroe's crypt at Westwood Village Memorial Park to celebrate her life and mourn her death. John W. Miner, 86, will mourn too.
But there is bitterness and frustration as well for the former Los Angeles County prosecutor, who was at her autopsy and was one of those looking into her death. He didn't believe that the actress took her life in '62 and he doesn't believe it now, and Miner says he's heard secret tapes that Monroe made in the days before she died that prove the actress was anything but suicidal.
Whether Monroe died by her own hand has been debated and dissected by books, documentaries, conspiracy theorists, and Hollywood and Washington insiders alike for years.
Enough credence was given to the various reports that in 1982, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office reexamined the case. Miner, by then in private practice, was among those interviewed.
The resulting report notes that Miner mentioned the tapes. However, he did not say he had a transcript. Although the report concedes that 'factual discrepancies' and 'unanswered questions' remained in the case, it did not find enough evidence to warrant launching a criminal investigation.
As head of the D.A.'s medical-legal section when Monroe"
An autopsy conducted by Dr. Thomas Noguchi, then deputy medical examiner, concluded that death was due to acute barbiturate poisoning, and a psychiatric team tied to the investigation termed it a 'probable suicide.'
Today, 43 years later, fans from around the world will gather, as they have for decades, near Monroe's crypt at Westwood Village Memorial Park to celebrate her life and mourn her death. John W. Miner, 86, will mourn too.
But there is bitterness and frustration as well for the former Los Angeles County prosecutor, who was at her autopsy and was one of those looking into her death. He didn't believe that the actress took her life in '62 and he doesn't believe it now, and Miner says he's heard secret tapes that Monroe made in the days before she died that prove the actress was anything but suicidal.
Whether Monroe died by her own hand has been debated and dissected by books, documentaries, conspiracy theorists, and Hollywood and Washington insiders alike for years.
Enough credence was given to the various reports that in 1982, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office reexamined the case. Miner, by then in private practice, was among those interviewed.
The resulting report notes that Miner mentioned the tapes. However, he did not say he had a transcript. Although the report concedes that 'factual discrepancies' and 'unanswered questions' remained in the case, it did not find enough evidence to warrant launching a criminal investigation.
As head of the D.A.'s medical-legal section when Monroe"
Aug 3, 2005
Naked Man With Sword Chases Complaining Neighbors
I thought the naked swordsmen problem was under control but I guess I was just being pollyanna about it. (kw)
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa -- The naked swordsman is pleading guilty. Curtis Rarick of North Liberty, Iowa, was accused of chasing his neighbors with a sword.
His neighbors told police a nude Rarick was standing in his front yard and they complained.
According to the neighbors, Rarick got upset then ran into his house, came back out and threatened them with a sword. He's now pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Rarick will be sentenced next month and faces up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa -- The naked swordsman is pleading guilty. Curtis Rarick of North Liberty, Iowa, was accused of chasing his neighbors with a sword.
His neighbors told police a nude Rarick was standing in his front yard and they complained.
According to the neighbors, Rarick got upset then ran into his house, came back out and threatened them with a sword. He's now pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Rarick will be sentenced next month and faces up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
S Korea unveils first dog clone
Scientists in South Korea have produced the first dog clones, they report in Nature magazine this week.
One of the puppies died soon after birth but the other, an Afghan hound named Snuppy, is still doing well after 16 weeks, the researchers say.
Snuppy joins a host of other cloned animals including Dolly the sheep, CC the cat and Ralph the rat.
Scientists hope dog clones will help them understand and treat a range of serious human diseases.
The overall objective of this programme is to learn about the root causes of diseases
Dr Gerald Schatten, University of Pittsburgh
"The dog has characteristics similar to human beings," lead researcher Woo Suk Hwang of Soul National University, South Korea, told the BBC. "Some of their diseases are almost the same as human diseases.
"So [dog clones] could be very valuable in finding technologies useful for curing human diseases. This is our main research call."
Tricky process
Snuppy, whose name stands for Seoul National University puppy, was made from a cell taken from the ear of a three-year-old male Afghan hound.
Scientists took the genetic material from the ear cell and placed it into an empty egg cell. This egg was then stimulated to start dividing and develop into an embryo.
Once growing, it was transferred to Snuppy's surrogate mother, a yellow labrador. The Afghan pup was born by caesarean section after a full 60 days of pregnancy.
Although many other animals have been successfully cloned, dogs are notoriously difficult: the South Korean team only obtained three pregnancies from more than 1,000 embryo transfers into 123 recipients.
Of these, one miscarried and one died soon after birth; only Snuppy remains.
The hairy puppy, like other cloned animals, is generating a flurry of interest around the world.
Some people are concerned about the ethical implications of this research.
"Canine cloning runs contrary to the Kennel Club's objective 'To promote in every way the general improvement of dogs'," Phil Buckley, spokesman for the Kennel Club told the BBC News website. "Cloning cannot be used to make improvements because the technique simply produces genetic replicas of existing dogs.
"Also, will these cloned dogs end up being used in the laboratory? That opens a whole new can of worms."
Moral concerns
Dr Freda Scott-Park, President Elect of the British Veterinary Association, is concerned about the likely reaction of dog lovers.
"This report demonstrates just how fast the world of genetic manipulation is moving and no one should underestimate the far-reaching consequences of this work," she said.
"Sadly however, the media interest is likely to attract pet owners keen to re-create their much loved pets.
"No one can deny that techniques that advance our understanding of diseases and their therapy are to be encouraged. But cloning of animals raises many ethical and moral issues that have still to be properly debated within the profession."
However, another member of the cloning team, Dr Gerald Schatten from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, US, said they are not in the business of cloning pets.
"The overall objective of this programme is to learn about the root causes of diseases," he told the BBC. "We believe it is possible, if you can responsibly develop the ability to derive stem cells from cloned dog embryos, that our very best friends may turn out to be the first beneficiaries of stem cell medicine.
"And as we treat naturally occurring diseases in dogs, we'll learn about whether it is effective in our pets and we'll also learn whether it's safe and effective for our loved ones."
One of the puppies died soon after birth but the other, an Afghan hound named Snuppy, is still doing well after 16 weeks, the researchers say.
Snuppy joins a host of other cloned animals including Dolly the sheep, CC the cat and Ralph the rat.
Scientists hope dog clones will help them understand and treat a range of serious human diseases.
The overall objective of this programme is to learn about the root causes of diseases
Dr Gerald Schatten, University of Pittsburgh
"The dog has characteristics similar to human beings," lead researcher Woo Suk Hwang of Soul National University, South Korea, told the BBC. "Some of their diseases are almost the same as human diseases.
"So [dog clones] could be very valuable in finding technologies useful for curing human diseases. This is our main research call."
Tricky process
Snuppy, whose name stands for Seoul National University puppy, was made from a cell taken from the ear of a three-year-old male Afghan hound.
Scientists took the genetic material from the ear cell and placed it into an empty egg cell. This egg was then stimulated to start dividing and develop into an embryo.
Once growing, it was transferred to Snuppy's surrogate mother, a yellow labrador. The Afghan pup was born by caesarean section after a full 60 days of pregnancy.
Although many other animals have been successfully cloned, dogs are notoriously difficult: the South Korean team only obtained three pregnancies from more than 1,000 embryo transfers into 123 recipients.
Of these, one miscarried and one died soon after birth; only Snuppy remains.
The hairy puppy, like other cloned animals, is generating a flurry of interest around the world.
Some people are concerned about the ethical implications of this research.
"Canine cloning runs contrary to the Kennel Club's objective 'To promote in every way the general improvement of dogs'," Phil Buckley, spokesman for the Kennel Club told the BBC News website. "Cloning cannot be used to make improvements because the technique simply produces genetic replicas of existing dogs.
"Also, will these cloned dogs end up being used in the laboratory? That opens a whole new can of worms."
Moral concerns
Dr Freda Scott-Park, President Elect of the British Veterinary Association, is concerned about the likely reaction of dog lovers.
"This report demonstrates just how fast the world of genetic manipulation is moving and no one should underestimate the far-reaching consequences of this work," she said.
"Sadly however, the media interest is likely to attract pet owners keen to re-create their much loved pets.
"No one can deny that techniques that advance our understanding of diseases and their therapy are to be encouraged. But cloning of animals raises many ethical and moral issues that have still to be properly debated within the profession."
However, another member of the cloning team, Dr Gerald Schatten from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, US, said they are not in the business of cloning pets.
"The overall objective of this programme is to learn about the root causes of diseases," he told the BBC. "We believe it is possible, if you can responsibly develop the ability to derive stem cells from cloned dog embryos, that our very best friends may turn out to be the first beneficiaries of stem cell medicine.
"And as we treat naturally occurring diseases in dogs, we'll learn about whether it is effective in our pets and we'll also learn whether it's safe and effective for our loved ones."
Jul 15, 2005
Man dies after Sex with Horse
King County sheriff's detectives are investigating the owners of an Enumclaw-area farm after a Seattle man died from injuries sustained while having sex with a horse boarded on the property.
Investigators first learned of the farm after the man died at Enumclaw Community Hospital July 2. The county Medical Examiner's Office ruled that the death was accidental and the result of having sex with a horse.
A surveillance camera picked up the license plate of the car that dropped the man off at the hospital, which led detectives to the farm and other people involved, said sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart.
Deputies don't believe a crime occurred because bestiality is not illegal in Washington state and the horse was uninjured, said Urquhart.
But because investigators found chickens, goats and sheep on the property, they are looking into whether animal cruelty — which is a crime — was committed by having sex with these smaller, weaker animals, he said.
The farm was talked about in Internet chat rooms as a destination for people looking to have sex with livestock, he said.
"A significant number of people, we believe, have likely visited this farm," said Urquhart.
The Humane Society of the United States intends to use the case during the next state legislative session as an example of why sex with animals should be outlawed in Washington, said Bob Reder, a Humane Society regional director in Seattle.
"This and a few other cases that we have will allow us a platform to talk about sex abuse of animals," Reder said.
Thirty-three states ban sex with animals, he said.
Susan Michaels, co-founder of local animal-rights organization Pasado's Safe Haven, said she has been fighting to have bestiality made illegal. "It's animal cruelty behind closed doors," Michaels said.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan
Investigators first learned of the farm after the man died at Enumclaw Community Hospital July 2. The county Medical Examiner's Office ruled that the death was accidental and the result of having sex with a horse.
A surveillance camera picked up the license plate of the car that dropped the man off at the hospital, which led detectives to the farm and other people involved, said sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart.
Deputies don't believe a crime occurred because bestiality is not illegal in Washington state and the horse was uninjured, said Urquhart.
But because investigators found chickens, goats and sheep on the property, they are looking into whether animal cruelty — which is a crime — was committed by having sex with these smaller, weaker animals, he said.
The farm was talked about in Internet chat rooms as a destination for people looking to have sex with livestock, he said.
"A significant number of people, we believe, have likely visited this farm," said Urquhart.
The Humane Society of the United States intends to use the case during the next state legislative session as an example of why sex with animals should be outlawed in Washington, said Bob Reder, a Humane Society regional director in Seattle.
"This and a few other cases that we have will allow us a platform to talk about sex abuse of animals," Reder said.
Thirty-three states ban sex with animals, he said.
Susan Michaels, co-founder of local animal-rights organization Pasado's Safe Haven, said she has been fighting to have bestiality made illegal. "It's animal cruelty behind closed doors," Michaels said.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan
Jul 8, 2005
450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in Turkey
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.
In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.
"There's nothing we can do. They're all wasted," Nevzat Bayhan, a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam.
The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.
"Every family had an average of 20 sheep," Aksam quoted another villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. "But now only a few families have sheep left. It's going to be hard for us."
In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.
"There's nothing we can do. They're all wasted," Nevzat Bayhan, a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam.
The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.
"Every family had an average of 20 sheep," Aksam quoted another villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. "But now only a few families have sheep left. It's going to be hard for us."
Jun 28, 2005
Man: Flesh-eating aliens were chasing me when I caused fatal car crash
"A California man facing life in prison for crashing his car into a UPS truck will not dispute that his actions resulted in the death of the driver when his trial opens Monday in Nevada County Superior Court.
Instead, Scott Krause's defense will argue that the defendant believed he was trying to escape man-eating subterranean beings when he ran into Drew Reynolds' truck on Jan. 6, 2004.
Krause has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to five felony counts, including first-degree murder, carjacking, and burglary, stemming from a string of alleged criminal activities leading up to the fatal highway crash.
In three court-ordered evaluations, the defendant stated he was fleeing subterranean beings he called 'hemadrones' when he carjacked a commercial vehicle near a Nevada City, Calif., gas station and then crashed into Reynolds' service vehicle.
'Everything had to do with his escape from the hemadrones,' said Nevada County District Attorney Michael Ferguson. 'According to the defendant, he wasFkF afraid they were going to put him in cargo and ship him to China to be eaten.'
Calls to public defender Gary Gordon went unanswered.
The evidentiary burden will fall on the defense to prove that Krause, a known methamphetamine addict with a history of drug-related arrests, was suffering from a pre-existing mental condition that either prevented him from understanding the consequences of his actions or knowing the difference between right or wrong.
A psychologist testified in a preliminary hearing that when he examined Krause in 2002, the divorced father of two displayed signs of delusions and paranoid schizophrenia.
He also testified that for at least two years before the incident, Krause was using methamphetamine at least twice a day.
'This "
Instead, Scott Krause's defense will argue that the defendant believed he was trying to escape man-eating subterranean beings when he ran into Drew Reynolds' truck on Jan. 6, 2004.
Krause has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to five felony counts, including first-degree murder, carjacking, and burglary, stemming from a string of alleged criminal activities leading up to the fatal highway crash.
In three court-ordered evaluations, the defendant stated he was fleeing subterranean beings he called 'hemadrones' when he carjacked a commercial vehicle near a Nevada City, Calif., gas station and then crashed into Reynolds' service vehicle.
'Everything had to do with his escape from the hemadrones,' said Nevada County District Attorney Michael Ferguson. 'According to the defendant, he wasFkF afraid they were going to put him in cargo and ship him to China to be eaten.'
Calls to public defender Gary Gordon went unanswered.
The evidentiary burden will fall on the defense to prove that Krause, a known methamphetamine addict with a history of drug-related arrests, was suffering from a pre-existing mental condition that either prevented him from understanding the consequences of his actions or knowing the difference between right or wrong.
A psychologist testified in a preliminary hearing that when he examined Krause in 2002, the divorced father of two displayed signs of delusions and paranoid schizophrenia.
He also testified that for at least two years before the incident, Krause was using methamphetamine at least twice a day.
'This "
Ohio Nursing Home Resident Dies After Sunbathing
"Temperature Was In Mid-90s"
POSTED: 12:22 pm EDT June 27, 2005
WATERVILLE, Ohio -- A woman sunbathing for several hours in 95 degree heat at her nursing home was found unconscious and died at a hospital with a temperature of 109 degrees, a coroner's investigator said.
Staff members at the Heartland of Browning nursing home periodically checked on Patricia Matney, 49, before she was found unconscious in the late afternoon, said Steve Kahle of the Lucas County coroner's office.
Matney, who had multiple sclerosis, regularly spent time outdoors at the facility, said Julie Beckert, communications director for owner HCR Manor Care. She was found in a courtyard popular with residents and visitors that is monitored by staff, the company said in a statement.
The coroner's office started an autopsy Monday.
HCR is assisting officials in their investigations, Beckert said.
'Quality care is of paramount concern at Heartland,' the company's statement said.
Matney lived in the 120-bed nursing home near Toledo since 2001. "
POSTED: 12:22 pm EDT June 27, 2005
WATERVILLE, Ohio -- A woman sunbathing for several hours in 95 degree heat at her nursing home was found unconscious and died at a hospital with a temperature of 109 degrees, a coroner's investigator said.
Staff members at the Heartland of Browning nursing home periodically checked on Patricia Matney, 49, before she was found unconscious in the late afternoon, said Steve Kahle of the Lucas County coroner's office.
Matney, who had multiple sclerosis, regularly spent time outdoors at the facility, said Julie Beckert, communications director for owner HCR Manor Care. She was found in a courtyard popular with residents and visitors that is monitored by staff, the company said in a statement.
The coroner's office started an autopsy Monday.
HCR is assisting officials in their investigations, Beckert said.
'Quality care is of paramount concern at Heartland,' the company's statement said.
Matney lived in the 120-bed nursing home near Toledo since 2001. "
Jun 16, 2005
'Child sacrifices in London'
By Richard Edwards Crime Reporter, Evening Standard
16 June 2005
Boys from Africa are being murdered as human sacrif ices in London churches.
They are brought into the capital to be offered up in rituals by fundamentalist Christian sects, according to a shocking report by Scotland Yard.
Followers believe that powerful spells require the deaths of "unblemished" male children.
Police believe such boys are trafficked from cities such as Kinshasa where they can be bought for a little as £10.
The report, leaked ahead of its publication next month, also cites examples of
African children being tortured and killed after being identified as "witches" by church pastors.
The 10-month study was commissioned after the death of Victoria Climbié, who was starved and beaten to death after they said she was possessed by the devil.
The aim of the Met study was to create an "open dialogue" with the African and Asian community in Newham and Hackney. In discussions with African community leaders, officers were told of examples of children being murdered because their parents or carers believe them to be possessed by evil spirits. Earlier-this month Sita Kisanga, 35, was convicted at the Old Bailey of torturing an eight-year-old girl from Angola she accused of being a witch.
Kisanga was a member of the Combat Spirituel church in Dalston. Many such churches, supported mainly by people from West Africa, sanction aggressive forms of exorcism on those thought to be possessed.
There are believed to be 300 such churches in the UK, mostly in London.
The report was put together by an expert social worker and lawyer for the Met after talking to hundreds of people in African communities in a series of workshops. It uncovered allegations of witchcraft spells, child trafficking and HIV-positive people who believe that by having sex with a child they will be "cleansed".
An extract reads: "People who are desperate will seek out experts to cast spells for them.
"Members of the workshop stated that for a spell to be powerful it required a sacrifice involving a male child unblemished by circumcision. They allege that boy children are being trafficked into the UK for this purpose."
It adds: "A number of pastors maintain that God speaks through them and lets them know when someone is possessed.
"It is therefore their duty to deliver the child or adult from the evil spirit.
"After much debate they acknowledge that children labelled as possessed are in danger of being beaten by their families.
"However, they would not accept they played a role in inciting such violence."
Last month Scotland Yard revealed it had traced just two out of 300 black boys aged four to seven reported missing from London schools in a three-month period.
The true figure for missing boys and girls is feared to be several thousand a year.
The scale of the problem emerged through the murder inquiry following the discovery of a child's torso in the Thames in September 2001. The identity of the victim, named Adam by police, is not known but his background was traced to Nigeria. It is believed he died in a ritual sacrifice.
John Azar, who helped the police on that inquiry, told Radio4's Today programme that the known cases could be "the tip of the iceberg".
Police working on the Adam case have found children are being sold to traffickers on the streets of major African cities for less than £10 and then smuggled into the UK. The children arrive in London armed with false documents and accompanied by adults who believe they will bolster their asylum claims.
Dr Richard Hoskins, a lecturer of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College, said: "We know this through work we have been doing on the Adam inquiry. These children are ripe for people to abuse. They are easy prey."
A Met spokesman said: "We undertook a project aimed at improving our knowledge of issues impacting child abuse within the African and Asian communities of London. The aim of the project was to open a dialogue within these communities and encourage a debate which would help reduce the risks of harm to children."
The report says there is a wide gulf between these communities and social services and protection agencies with many people in ethnic communities scared to speak out.
The report concludes police face a "wall of silence" when dealing with such cases.
Experts differ on the merits of the Scotland Yard report.
Dr William Les Henry, a lecturer in sociology at Goldsmiths College, said aspects of the reports were pigeonholing crimes together and were patronising and racist.
He said: "When we think about these cases we can see the same kind of patterns of behaviour in European cultures but they are interpreted in completely different ways.
"This is one of the crises with social sciences anyway, when they are supposedly interpreting the folk ways or cultural habits of alien cultures." He said that the models such reports are based on are that "Africans are less civilised, less rational".
But Dr Hoskins said: "This is very detailed, qualitative report that actually comes out of the communities.
"This is not white people saying this. This has actually comes from the communities authored by people in the community and that really stymies the racist line." He added: "We are dealing with real cases here. When you actually talk to them, these are hard and fast facts.
"So I don't think we are getting wrong, but it is right to treat it sensitively."
He believes vulnerable people are being manipulated by spiritual leaders.
"This is absolutely what is going on. They are often very vulnerable, poor people.
"It is people in positions of power and money that are manipulating poor people."
Jun 15, 2005
Oprah Winfrey could be a Zulu
DNA experts have questioned Oprah Winfrey's belief that she is a member of South Africa's Zulu nation.
The African-American chat-show host announced during a recent visit to South Africa that she had had a DNA test that had shown her to be a Zulu.
She also told South Africans she felt "at home" in the country.
"I went in search of my roots and had my DNA tested, and I am a Zulu," Ms Winfrey said at a seminar in Johannesburg last week.
Professor Himla Soodyall of South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service said it was likely that Oprah Winfrey would have taken a mitochondrial DNA test.
Genetic line
"This involves tracing only one particular line in a person's ancestry, which passes from mother to all her children but then only transmitted to the next generation by her daughters," she said.
There is not much to distinguish between various linguistic groups... because they have diversified more recently than genetic differences
Professor Himla Soodyall
In other words, the test can trace a genetic line of a person only to their mother, their maternal grandmother, and so on, matching only one ancestor in each generation.
Identifying a person on the basis of their DNA can only be done by comparing their DNA results with the those of other people who were already tested and their data recorded in a database.
"The conclusion that she had Zulu ancestry would indicate that Oprah's mitochondrial DNA lineage must have had an identical match to someone in the global database who was identified as a Zulu individual," Prof Soodyall said.
Language groups
Prof Soodyall pointed out, however, that genetic lineages did not correspond precisely to cultural or linguistic groups such as the Zulu nation.
"There is not much to distinguish between various linguistic groups, particularly the different language groups spoken in southern Africa, because they have diversified more recently - perhaps within the past 1,000-1,500 years - than genetic differences which have been evolving in our species for about 150,000 years ago," she said.
The historical movement of people around the African continent makes the situation still more complicated.
This could, however, explain how Ms Winfrey's DNA matched with a sample from a Zulu person, even though most African-Americans have ancestors who have been traced to west Africa as a consequence of the slave trade.
According to most historical accounts, the Zulu nation was consolidated only after the departure of slaves from west Africa to the Americas.
South Africa nevertheless has a special place in Ms Winfrey's heart.
"I'm crazy about the South African accent," she said. "I wish I had been born here."
The African-American chat-show host announced during a recent visit to South Africa that she had had a DNA test that had shown her to be a Zulu.
She also told South Africans she felt "at home" in the country.
"I went in search of my roots and had my DNA tested, and I am a Zulu," Ms Winfrey said at a seminar in Johannesburg last week.
Professor Himla Soodyall of South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service said it was likely that Oprah Winfrey would have taken a mitochondrial DNA test.
Genetic line
"This involves tracing only one particular line in a person's ancestry, which passes from mother to all her children but then only transmitted to the next generation by her daughters," she said.
There is not much to distinguish between various linguistic groups... because they have diversified more recently than genetic differences
Professor Himla Soodyall
In other words, the test can trace a genetic line of a person only to their mother, their maternal grandmother, and so on, matching only one ancestor in each generation.
Identifying a person on the basis of their DNA can only be done by comparing their DNA results with the those of other people who were already tested and their data recorded in a database.
"The conclusion that she had Zulu ancestry would indicate that Oprah's mitochondrial DNA lineage must have had an identical match to someone in the global database who was identified as a Zulu individual," Prof Soodyall said.
Language groups
Prof Soodyall pointed out, however, that genetic lineages did not correspond precisely to cultural or linguistic groups such as the Zulu nation.
"There is not much to distinguish between various linguistic groups, particularly the different language groups spoken in southern Africa, because they have diversified more recently - perhaps within the past 1,000-1,500 years - than genetic differences which have been evolving in our species for about 150,000 years ago," she said.
The historical movement of people around the African continent makes the situation still more complicated.
This could, however, explain how Ms Winfrey's DNA matched with a sample from a Zulu person, even though most African-Americans have ancestors who have been traced to west Africa as a consequence of the slave trade.
According to most historical accounts, the Zulu nation was consolidated only after the departure of slaves from west Africa to the Americas.
South Africa nevertheless has a special place in Ms Winfrey's heart.
"I'm crazy about the South African accent," she said. "I wish I had been born here."
ThePittsburghChannel.com - News - Alleged Chicken-For-Sex Offer Lands Meat Man In Jail
KEENE, N.H. -- A door-to-door meat salesman from Maine is accused of assaulting a potential customer after she turned down his offer of chicken in exchange for sex.
Ryan Park, 22, of Waterboro, Maine, is accused of grabbing the woman in Stoddard, N.H., and forcefully kissing her after she rejected his offer last month.
Park has been charged with assault and is due in Keene District Court on June 28.
Ryan Park, 22, of Waterboro, Maine, is accused of grabbing the woman in Stoddard, N.H., and forcefully kissing her after she rejected his offer last month.
Park has been charged with assault and is due in Keene District Court on June 28.
4 held in goat-for-coke scheme
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Associated Press
Four men were ordered to stand trial in the theft and butchering of a pet pygmy goat, allegedly so its meat could be traded for crack cocaine or money.
James W. Albright, 37, Gilbert W. Fisch, 38, Charles W. Smith Sr., 48, and Charles W. Smith Jr., 20, all of Connellsville, were held on theft, cruelty to animals and related charges yesterday.
Albright allegedly dragged the goat from its pen and tied it to a shrub, where he and Smith Jr. beat it to death on Dec. 24 in Bullskin Township, about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, police said. They then took the goat to Smith's residence, where his father and Fisch skinned it and cut it up, police said.
Police said Albright told them he intended to get money or drugs for the goat, but got neither.
Associated Press
Four men were ordered to stand trial in the theft and butchering of a pet pygmy goat, allegedly so its meat could be traded for crack cocaine or money.
James W. Albright, 37, Gilbert W. Fisch, 38, Charles W. Smith Sr., 48, and Charles W. Smith Jr., 20, all of Connellsville, were held on theft, cruelty to animals and related charges yesterday.
Albright allegedly dragged the goat from its pen and tied it to a shrub, where he and Smith Jr. beat it to death on Dec. 24 in Bullskin Township, about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, police said. They then took the goat to Smith's residence, where his father and Fisch skinned it and cut it up, police said.
Police said Albright told them he intended to get money or drugs for the goat, but got neither.
Abortionist accused of eating fetuses
Kansas City clinic closed
as grisly house of horrors
A Kansas City abortionist is out of business after investigators discovered a grisly house of horrors at his clinic with fetuses kept in Styrofoam cups in his refrigerator and one employee accusing him of microwaving one and stirring it into his lunch.
The unsanitary conditions in Krishna Rajanna's clinic prompted legislative approval of new abortion regulations in Kansas, a bill that was vetoed by the governor. Rajanna's activities have reportedly been the subject of law-enforcement investigations for nearly two years.
Rajanna first came to the attention of police in September 2003 when he called police to investigate alleged employee theft.
Detective William Howard of the Kansas City Police Department responded.
"I thought I had heard and seen every vile, disgusting crime scene, but was in for a new shock when I started this investigation," he would say later. Howard turned the matter over to the local district attorney and three state agencies.
Topping the list of horrors was an employee's account that she and others witnessed Rajanna "microwave one of the aborted fetuses and stir it into his lunch," as Howard recalled earlier this year when testifying before a Kansas House committee.
Rajanna denied the accusation. But he did keep fetuses in Styrofoam cups in the refrigerator along with food and drink.
"Dr. Rajanna lacked personal hygiene," testified Howard. "His hair was messy, hands dirty, and his clothing was wrinkled and stained. He put on old, used foot booties while we were there."
Howard testified the clinic was dark, dingy, had poor lighting and smelled musty. There were dirty dishes in the break-room sink and on the table, trash everywhere, and roaches crawling on the countertops. Howard was afraid to sit down.
Howard noted there were no hazardous waste containers anywhere. (An employee later testified Rajanna took home all contaminated, medical and biohazard waste for residential trash pick-up.)
As for the "procedure room," Howard's partner spotted dried blood on the floor and said the room looked "nasty."
Two dishwashers located next to the staff toilet served as sterilizers, according to employee testimony. Photographs show the toilet was bloody and functioned as a human waste disposal in the literal sense.
On Saturday, the State Board of Healing Arts voted unanimously to revoke Rajanna's license.
In March, a board inspector made two surprise visits to Rajanna' clinic. He reported the facility was unclean and that he found syringes of medications in an unlocked refrigerator. The inspector also reported finding a dead mouse in the hallway.
Rajanna said in his 10 years of performing abortions in Kansas City, no patient has complained about care.
Rajanna can appeal the decision to district court. He argued that he had not been given an opportunity to meet with the inspector to correct the deficiencies. But board members concluded that Rajanna's clinic represented a danger and said that as a doctor, he shouldn't have needed the board's prodding to keep a clinic clean and safe.
Board members also noted that Rajanna had been previously disciplined, in 2000 and 2001, for not properly testing his patients for their blood types and for improperly labeling medications. Also, in February, Rajanna signed an agreement to improve his clinic's conditions and paid a $1,000 fine.
With Rajanna's case pending, abortion opponents won legislative approval of a bill requiring abortion clinics to obtain an annual license from the Department of Health and Environment, hire surgeons as their medical directors and report patient deaths to the state within a day. The measure also mandated that the department set standards for equipment, medical screenings, ventilation and lighting.
But Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, an abortion-rights advocate, vetoed the measure, saying medical professionals – not legislators – should set standards.
as grisly house of horrors
A Kansas City abortionist is out of business after investigators discovered a grisly house of horrors at his clinic with fetuses kept in Styrofoam cups in his refrigerator and one employee accusing him of microwaving one and stirring it into his lunch.
The unsanitary conditions in Krishna Rajanna's clinic prompted legislative approval of new abortion regulations in Kansas, a bill that was vetoed by the governor. Rajanna's activities have reportedly been the subject of law-enforcement investigations for nearly two years.
Rajanna first came to the attention of police in September 2003 when he called police to investigate alleged employee theft.
Detective William Howard of the Kansas City Police Department responded.
"I thought I had heard and seen every vile, disgusting crime scene, but was in for a new shock when I started this investigation," he would say later. Howard turned the matter over to the local district attorney and three state agencies.
Topping the list of horrors was an employee's account that she and others witnessed Rajanna "microwave one of the aborted fetuses and stir it into his lunch," as Howard recalled earlier this year when testifying before a Kansas House committee.
Rajanna denied the accusation. But he did keep fetuses in Styrofoam cups in the refrigerator along with food and drink.
"Dr. Rajanna lacked personal hygiene," testified Howard. "His hair was messy, hands dirty, and his clothing was wrinkled and stained. He put on old, used foot booties while we were there."
Howard testified the clinic was dark, dingy, had poor lighting and smelled musty. There were dirty dishes in the break-room sink and on the table, trash everywhere, and roaches crawling on the countertops. Howard was afraid to sit down.
Howard noted there were no hazardous waste containers anywhere. (An employee later testified Rajanna took home all contaminated, medical and biohazard waste for residential trash pick-up.)
As for the "procedure room," Howard's partner spotted dried blood on the floor and said the room looked "nasty."
Two dishwashers located next to the staff toilet served as sterilizers, according to employee testimony. Photographs show the toilet was bloody and functioned as a human waste disposal in the literal sense.
On Saturday, the State Board of Healing Arts voted unanimously to revoke Rajanna's license.
In March, a board inspector made two surprise visits to Rajanna' clinic. He reported the facility was unclean and that he found syringes of medications in an unlocked refrigerator. The inspector also reported finding a dead mouse in the hallway.
Rajanna said in his 10 years of performing abortions in Kansas City, no patient has complained about care.
Rajanna can appeal the decision to district court. He argued that he had not been given an opportunity to meet with the inspector to correct the deficiencies. But board members concluded that Rajanna's clinic represented a danger and said that as a doctor, he shouldn't have needed the board's prodding to keep a clinic clean and safe.
Board members also noted that Rajanna had been previously disciplined, in 2000 and 2001, for not properly testing his patients for their blood types and for improperly labeling medications. Also, in February, Rajanna signed an agreement to improve his clinic's conditions and paid a $1,000 fine.
With Rajanna's case pending, abortion opponents won legislative approval of a bill requiring abortion clinics to obtain an annual license from the Department of Health and Environment, hire surgeons as their medical directors and report patient deaths to the state within a day. The measure also mandated that the department set standards for equipment, medical screenings, ventilation and lighting.
But Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, an abortion-rights advocate, vetoed the measure, saying medical professionals – not legislators – should set standards.
Jun 10, 2005
Potato-chip can sits where woman's ashes were
Synagogue sued over missing ashes
Potato-chip can found in place of woman's remains in mausoleum
By ROMA KHANNA
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Carlos Antonio Rios/Chronicle
When relatives of Vivian Shulman Lieberman went to visit her final resting place in a Houston mausoleum one year ago today, they discovered that the cedar chest containing her ashes was missing.
In its place, behind the locked, glass door of Lieberman's niche in Congregation Beth Israel's mausoleum, was a can of sour-cream-and-onion potato chips.
The ashes are still missing, says Philip Hilder, an attorney for Lieberman's two daughters.
"We have been devastated," Marcelle Lieberman said this week. "We hope we will be able to find her remains before we die, to give us closure of some sort."
The strange disappearance led Marcelle Lieberman and her sister, Harriet Lieberman Mellow, to file a lawsuit recently against Congregation Beth Israel and two funeral businesses.
Officials with the synagogue and the two companies deny responsibility.
"It is obviously very upsetting to the family and to all three of the defendants," said Neal Manne, a lawyer and Beth Israel board member who is representing the synagogue. "But a lawsuit is about whether there is any legal responsibility, and Congregation Beth Israel did not do anything wrong."
Though it is not unheard of for bodies to be mixed up before cremation or even buried in the wrong graves, officials with national cemetery groups say such a disappearance is extremely rare once ashes have been placed in a mausoleum.
"This is a first for me," said Robert Fells of the Virginia-based International Cemetery and Funeral Association.
In addition to suing Beth Israel, which owns and operates the cemetery on West Dallas just west of downtown, the sisters are suing the companies that arranged for their mother's cremation and inurnment, Levy Funeral Directors and Schlitzberger's Family Craft Monumental Services. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and alleges that each defendant was negligent and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.
Beth Israel, one of Houston's largest Reform congregations, played a major role in the Liebermans' lives, the lawsuit states. Vivian and Seymour Lieberman bought side-by-side mausoleum niches in 1964.
The Liebermans were active in the community, with Vivian working as a Texas Children's Hospital volunteer and Seymour being honored with an exercise trail named for him in Memorial Park.
He died in February 1981 and his ashes were placed in the mausoleum. His wife died July 2, 2003, at age 95.
In their lawsuit, the daughters say they arranged for her cremation through Levy Funeral Directors and gave its director, Stan Ford, a cedar chest in which to put the ashes. Ford locked the chest and gave it to Schlitzberger's, which was to make a brass nameplate for the chest, the daughters contend.
But when a Schlitzberger's employee took the ashes to the mausoleum in July 2003, he discovered another person's remains in Lieberman's niche, according to the lawsuit.
About two weeks later, after the congregation's executive director learned of that problem, a Schlitzberger's employee placed her ashes in the niche, court documents state.
Marcelle Lieberman says she visited the niche that July and her sister visited in fall 2003.
The daughters say they returned to the mausoleum together on June 10, 2004, their father's birthday, and discovered the potato chip can in their mother's niche.
A locksmith opened the niche and Houston police took custody of the can, which still contained potato chips.
"To their added horror," the lawsuit states, "Harriet and Marcelle learned that the ... can had been visible in the niche for at least six months."
The daughters allege that Schlitzberger's failed to close and lock the niche.
Company co-owner Dianne Schlitzberger says none of her employees ever had a key.
"Putting the name tag on the box is a little thing," she said. "We wouldn't ruin our reputation by losing something so valuable."
She noted that the mausoleum itself is never locked.
Manne said that although the congregation owns and operates the cemetery, families get keys to the niches they purchase.
"They can do with them as they wish," he said. "Some choose to leave them in the lock at the niche and some don't."
The lawsuit also alleges that Congregation Beth Israel breached its contract by "placing the remains of another person in the niche" and "by failing to provide adequate care, maintenance or security for the mausoleum."
"It is unknown at this time whether this was an individual episode," Hilder said, "or if that is a snapshot to wider problems."
Manne maintains that the synagogue fulfilled its duties.
"In court, we will be able to demonstrate what happened and that it was not related to anything Beth Israel did," he said.
The lawsuit also claims that Levy Funeral Directors failed to ensure that Vivian Lieberman's ashes were in a secure place.
Greg Bolton, a spokesman for Service Corporation International, the parent company of Levy, says the funeral home upheld its responsibilities.
"We fulfilled the family's wishes by arranging for the cremation and delivering the remains to the custody of the mausoleum," he said. "We had no involvement or knowledge of anything that happened after that."
Potato-chip can found in place of woman's remains in mausoleum
By ROMA KHANNA
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Carlos Antonio Rios/Chronicle
When relatives of Vivian Shulman Lieberman went to visit her final resting place in a Houston mausoleum one year ago today, they discovered that the cedar chest containing her ashes was missing.
In its place, behind the locked, glass door of Lieberman's niche in Congregation Beth Israel's mausoleum, was a can of sour-cream-and-onion potato chips.
The ashes are still missing, says Philip Hilder, an attorney for Lieberman's two daughters.
"We have been devastated," Marcelle Lieberman said this week. "We hope we will be able to find her remains before we die, to give us closure of some sort."
The strange disappearance led Marcelle Lieberman and her sister, Harriet Lieberman Mellow, to file a lawsuit recently against Congregation Beth Israel and two funeral businesses.
Officials with the synagogue and the two companies deny responsibility.
"It is obviously very upsetting to the family and to all three of the defendants," said Neal Manne, a lawyer and Beth Israel board member who is representing the synagogue. "But a lawsuit is about whether there is any legal responsibility, and Congregation Beth Israel did not do anything wrong."
Though it is not unheard of for bodies to be mixed up before cremation or even buried in the wrong graves, officials with national cemetery groups say such a disappearance is extremely rare once ashes have been placed in a mausoleum.
"This is a first for me," said Robert Fells of the Virginia-based International Cemetery and Funeral Association.
In addition to suing Beth Israel, which owns and operates the cemetery on West Dallas just west of downtown, the sisters are suing the companies that arranged for their mother's cremation and inurnment, Levy Funeral Directors and Schlitzberger's Family Craft Monumental Services. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and alleges that each defendant was negligent and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.
Beth Israel, one of Houston's largest Reform congregations, played a major role in the Liebermans' lives, the lawsuit states. Vivian and Seymour Lieberman bought side-by-side mausoleum niches in 1964.
The Liebermans were active in the community, with Vivian working as a Texas Children's Hospital volunteer and Seymour being honored with an exercise trail named for him in Memorial Park.
He died in February 1981 and his ashes were placed in the mausoleum. His wife died July 2, 2003, at age 95.
In their lawsuit, the daughters say they arranged for her cremation through Levy Funeral Directors and gave its director, Stan Ford, a cedar chest in which to put the ashes. Ford locked the chest and gave it to Schlitzberger's, which was to make a brass nameplate for the chest, the daughters contend.
But when a Schlitzberger's employee took the ashes to the mausoleum in July 2003, he discovered another person's remains in Lieberman's niche, according to the lawsuit.
About two weeks later, after the congregation's executive director learned of that problem, a Schlitzberger's employee placed her ashes in the niche, court documents state.
Marcelle Lieberman says she visited the niche that July and her sister visited in fall 2003.
The daughters say they returned to the mausoleum together on June 10, 2004, their father's birthday, and discovered the potato chip can in their mother's niche.
A locksmith opened the niche and Houston police took custody of the can, which still contained potato chips.
"To their added horror," the lawsuit states, "Harriet and Marcelle learned that the ... can had been visible in the niche for at least six months."
The daughters allege that Schlitzberger's failed to close and lock the niche.
Company co-owner Dianne Schlitzberger says none of her employees ever had a key.
"Putting the name tag on the box is a little thing," she said. "We wouldn't ruin our reputation by losing something so valuable."
She noted that the mausoleum itself is never locked.
Manne said that although the congregation owns and operates the cemetery, families get keys to the niches they purchase.
"They can do with them as they wish," he said. "Some choose to leave them in the lock at the niche and some don't."
The lawsuit also alleges that Congregation Beth Israel breached its contract by "placing the remains of another person in the niche" and "by failing to provide adequate care, maintenance or security for the mausoleum."
"It is unknown at this time whether this was an individual episode," Hilder said, "or if that is a snapshot to wider problems."
Manne maintains that the synagogue fulfilled its duties.
"In court, we will be able to demonstrate what happened and that it was not related to anything Beth Israel did," he said.
The lawsuit also claims that Levy Funeral Directors failed to ensure that Vivian Lieberman's ashes were in a secure place.
Greg Bolton, a spokesman for Service Corporation International, the parent company of Levy, says the funeral home upheld its responsibilities.
"We fulfilled the family's wishes by arranging for the cremation and delivering the remains to the custody of the mausoleum," he said. "We had no involvement or knowledge of anything that happened after that."
Jun 6, 2005
LIKE A FISH
An Israeli Inventor has developed a breathing apparatus that will allow breathing underwater without the assistance of oxygen tanks. This new invention will use the relatively small amounts of air that already exist in water to supply oxygen to both scuba divers and submarines. The invention has already captured the interest of most major diving manufacturers as well as the Israeli Navy.
The idea of breathing underwater without cumbersome oxygen tanks has been the dream of science fiction writers for many years. In George Lucas� movie 'The Phantom Menace', Obi-Wan whips out a little Jedi underwater breathing apparatus and dives in. As things tend to happen in our world, yesterday's science fiction has turned into today's science fact due to one Israeli inventor with a dream.
There are a number of limitations to the existing oxygen tank underwater breathing method. The first is the amount of time a diver can stay underwater, which is the result of the oxygen tank capacity. Another limitation is the dependence on oxygen refueling facilities near the diving site which are costly to operate and are used to compress the gas into the tanks which might be dangerous if not handled properly. The final problem has to do with the actual use of oxygen tanks underwater. When these tanks are in use they empty out and change the balance of the diver in the water.
Engineers have tried to overcome these limitations for many years now. Nuclear submarines and the international space station use systems that generate Oxygen from water by performing 'Electrolysis', which is chemical separation of Oxygen from Hydrogen.
These systems require very large amounts of energy to operate. For this reason, smaller, diesel fueled submarines cannot use these systems and are required to resurface to re-supply their oxygen tanks every so often. Divers can't even consider carrying such large machines not to mention supplying them with energy. To overcome this limitation an Israeli inventor, Alon Bodner, turned to fish.
Fish do not perform chemical separation of oxygen from water; instead they use the dissolved air that exists in the water in order to breathe. In the ocean the wind, waves and underwater currents help spread small amounts of air inside the water. Studies have shown that in a depth of 200m below the sea there is still about 1.5% of dissolved air. This might not sound like much but it is enough to allow both small and large fish to breathe comfortably underwater. Bodner’s idea was to create an artificial system that will mimic the way fish use the air in the water thus allowing both smaller submarines and divers to get rid of the large, cumbersome oxygen tanks.
The general structure of the system
The system developed by Bodner uses a well known physical law called the "Henry Law" which describes gas absorption in liquids. This law states that the amount of gas that can be dissolved in a liquid body is proportional to the pressure on the liquid body. The law works in both directions – lowering the pressure will release more gas out of the liquid. This is done by a centrifuge which rotates rapidly thus creating under pressure inside a small sealed chamber containing sea water. The system will be powered by rechargeable batteries. Calculations showed that a one kilo Lithium battery can provide a diver with about one hour of diving time.
Alon Bodner
Bodner has already built and tested a laboratory model and he is on the path to building a full-scale prototype. Patents for the invention have already been granted in Europe and a similar one is currently pending examination in the U.S. Meetings have already been held with most major diving manufacturers as well as with the Israeli Navy. Initial financial support for the project has been given by Israel Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Bodner is currently looking for private investors to help complete his project.
If everything goes according to plan, in a few years the new tankless breathing system will be operational and will be attached to a diver in the form of a vest that will enable him to stay underwater for a period of many hours.
The idea of breathing underwater without cumbersome oxygen tanks has been the dream of science fiction writers for many years. In George Lucas� movie 'The Phantom Menace', Obi-Wan whips out a little Jedi underwater breathing apparatus and dives in. As things tend to happen in our world, yesterday's science fiction has turned into today's science fact due to one Israeli inventor with a dream.
There are a number of limitations to the existing oxygen tank underwater breathing method. The first is the amount of time a diver can stay underwater, which is the result of the oxygen tank capacity. Another limitation is the dependence on oxygen refueling facilities near the diving site which are costly to operate and are used to compress the gas into the tanks which might be dangerous if not handled properly. The final problem has to do with the actual use of oxygen tanks underwater. When these tanks are in use they empty out and change the balance of the diver in the water.
Engineers have tried to overcome these limitations for many years now. Nuclear submarines and the international space station use systems that generate Oxygen from water by performing 'Electrolysis', which is chemical separation of Oxygen from Hydrogen.
These systems require very large amounts of energy to operate. For this reason, smaller, diesel fueled submarines cannot use these systems and are required to resurface to re-supply their oxygen tanks every so often. Divers can't even consider carrying such large machines not to mention supplying them with energy. To overcome this limitation an Israeli inventor, Alon Bodner, turned to fish.
Fish do not perform chemical separation of oxygen from water; instead they use the dissolved air that exists in the water in order to breathe. In the ocean the wind, waves and underwater currents help spread small amounts of air inside the water. Studies have shown that in a depth of 200m below the sea there is still about 1.5% of dissolved air. This might not sound like much but it is enough to allow both small and large fish to breathe comfortably underwater. Bodner’s idea was to create an artificial system that will mimic the way fish use the air in the water thus allowing both smaller submarines and divers to get rid of the large, cumbersome oxygen tanks.
The general structure of the system
The system developed by Bodner uses a well known physical law called the "Henry Law" which describes gas absorption in liquids. This law states that the amount of gas that can be dissolved in a liquid body is proportional to the pressure on the liquid body. The law works in both directions – lowering the pressure will release more gas out of the liquid. This is done by a centrifuge which rotates rapidly thus creating under pressure inside a small sealed chamber containing sea water. The system will be powered by rechargeable batteries. Calculations showed that a one kilo Lithium battery can provide a diver with about one hour of diving time.
Alon Bodner
Bodner has already built and tested a laboratory model and he is on the path to building a full-scale prototype. Patents for the invention have already been granted in Europe and a similar one is currently pending examination in the U.S. Meetings have already been held with most major diving manufacturers as well as with the Israeli Navy. Initial financial support for the project has been given by Israel Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Bodner is currently looking for private investors to help complete his project.
If everything goes according to plan, in a few years the new tankless breathing system will be operational and will be attached to a diver in the form of a vest that will enable him to stay underwater for a period of many hours.
May 25, 2005
Conspiracy theory keeps polio alive...
"A worldwide campaign begun in 1988 to eradicate polio was on the verge of success when, early in 2003, a conspiracy theory took hold of the Muslim population in northern Nigeria. That conspiracy theory has singlehandedly returned polio to epidemic proportions.
The theory's source seems to be one Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, 68, a physician and president of Nigeria's Supreme Council for Shari'a Law. Ahmed, an Islamist, accuses
Americans of lacing the polio vaccine with an anti-fertility agent that sterilizes children (or, in an alternate theory, infects them with AIDS) and considers them, according to John Murphy of The Baltimore Sun, 'the worst criminals on Earth... Even Hitler was not as evil as that.'
This fear of polio vaccines caught on, explains a doctor with the World Health Organization, because of the war in Iraq. 'If America is fighting people in the Middle East,' goes the Islamist logic, 'the conclusion is that they are fighting Muslims.'
Local imams repeated and spread the sterilization theory, which won wide acceptance despite vocal assurances to the contrary from the WHO, the Nigerian government and many Nigerian doctors and scientists.
Ibrahim Shekarau, governor of Kano, one of the three Nigerian states that refused the polio vaccine, justified the decision not to vaccinate on the grounds that 'it is a lesser of two evils to sacrifice two, three, four, five, even 10 children [to polio] than allow hundreds of thousands or possibly millions of girl-children likely to be rendered infertile.'
The Baltimore Sun offers the example of a young Nigerian mother who rejected polio vaccine for her child. The child did get polio, and the mother was asked i"
The theory's source seems to be one Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, 68, a physician and president of Nigeria's Supreme Council for Shari'a Law. Ahmed, an Islamist, accuses
Americans of lacing the polio vaccine with an anti-fertility agent that sterilizes children (or, in an alternate theory, infects them with AIDS) and considers them, according to John Murphy of The Baltimore Sun, 'the worst criminals on Earth... Even Hitler was not as evil as that.'
This fear of polio vaccines caught on, explains a doctor with the World Health Organization, because of the war in Iraq. 'If America is fighting people in the Middle East,' goes the Islamist logic, 'the conclusion is that they are fighting Muslims.'
Local imams repeated and spread the sterilization theory, which won wide acceptance despite vocal assurances to the contrary from the WHO, the Nigerian government and many Nigerian doctors and scientists.
Ibrahim Shekarau, governor of Kano, one of the three Nigerian states that refused the polio vaccine, justified the decision not to vaccinate on the grounds that 'it is a lesser of two evils to sacrifice two, three, four, five, even 10 children [to polio] than allow hundreds of thousands or possibly millions of girl-children likely to be rendered infertile.'
The Baltimore Sun offers the example of a young Nigerian mother who rejected polio vaccine for her child. The child did get polio, and the mother was asked i"
May 24, 2005
Suspicious package indeed: Device that forced I-75 and Daniels shut was a prosthetic penis
The suspicious object that jammed traffic Monday on Interstate 75 and Daniels Parkway was not explosive, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
The device — found on the side of Daniels Parkway under the northbound I-75 overpass — a was prosthetic penis. There's no word yet on whether the penis was designed to serve medical or recreational needs.
A motorist called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shortly after 3 p.m. about the suspicious package on the side of the road under the northbound Interstate 75 overpass.
The cylinder was more than a foot long in a plastic bag and wrapped with duct tape. It looked like pipe bomb.
Deputies arrived and alerted the bomb squad, which used a robot to disable the cylinder. The north- and southbound lanes of Intestate 75 were closed for about an hour between Alico Road and Colonial Boulevard. Traffic was blocked on Daniels Parkway at the overpass for an hour while the device was removed.
The device — found on the side of Daniels Parkway under the northbound I-75 overpass — a was prosthetic penis. There's no word yet on whether the penis was designed to serve medical or recreational needs.
A motorist called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shortly after 3 p.m. about the suspicious package on the side of the road under the northbound Interstate 75 overpass.
The cylinder was more than a foot long in a plastic bag and wrapped with duct tape. It looked like pipe bomb.
Deputies arrived and alerted the bomb squad, which used a robot to disable the cylinder. The north- and southbound lanes of Intestate 75 were closed for about an hour between Alico Road and Colonial Boulevard. Traffic was blocked on Daniels Parkway at the overpass for an hour while the device was removed.
Two hurt in mock light sabre duel
Two Star Wars fans are in a critical condition in hospital after apparently trying to make light sabres by filling fluorescent light tubes with petrol.
A man, aged 20, and a girl of 17 are believed to have been filming a mock duel when they poured fuel into two glass tubes and lit it.
The pair were rushed to hospital after one of the devices exploded in woodland at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
A third person present at the incident had been questioned, police said.
Videotape found
A videotape was found nearby by police called to the scene on Sunday.
A police spokeswoman said the pair were taken to West Herts Hospital before being transferred to the specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, in Essex.
They are both said to be in a critical condition.
She said the 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man from Hemel Hempstead suffered serious injuries.
She added: "At this stage we are unable to confirm the exact circumstances, but glass tubes and traces of accelerant (flammable substance) were found at the scene."
The final film in the Star Wars series, Revenge Of The Sith, arrived at UK cinemas last week.
One of the crucial scenes features a light sabre battle between Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.
A man, aged 20, and a girl of 17 are believed to have been filming a mock duel when they poured fuel into two glass tubes and lit it.
The pair were rushed to hospital after one of the devices exploded in woodland at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
A third person present at the incident had been questioned, police said.
Videotape found
A videotape was found nearby by police called to the scene on Sunday.
A police spokeswoman said the pair were taken to West Herts Hospital before being transferred to the specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, in Essex.
They are both said to be in a critical condition.
She said the 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man from Hemel Hempstead suffered serious injuries.
She added: "At this stage we are unable to confirm the exact circumstances, but glass tubes and traces of accelerant (flammable substance) were found at the scene."
The final film in the Star Wars series, Revenge Of The Sith, arrived at UK cinemas last week.
One of the crucial scenes features a light sabre battle between Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.
May 18, 2005
Hostile Grackles Attack People in Houston
"HOUSTON (AP) - Like a scene from the horror movie 'The Birds,' large black grackles are swooping down on downtown Houston and attacking people's heads, hair and backs.
Authorities closed off a sidewalk after the aggressive birds, which can have 2-foot wingspans, flew out of magnolia trees Monday in front of the County Administration Building.
'They were just going crazy,' said constable Wilbert Jue, who works at the building. 'They were attacking everybody that walked by.'
The grackles zeroed in on a lawyer who shooed a bird away before he tripped and injured his face, Jue said. The lawyer was treated for several cuts.
It appears that the birds are protecting their offspring. On Monday a young grackle had fallen out of its nest and adult birds attacked people who got too close, Jue said.
Another bird attacked a deputy county clerk.
'I hit him with a bottle,' said Sylvia Velasquez. 'The other birds came, and one attacked my blouse and on my back.'
Two women came to help her after she fell to the ground, and the birds attacked them as well. The group escaped by running into the building.
'This is a very Hitchcock kind of story. Very Tippi Hedren,' said downtown worker Laura Aranda Smith, referring to one of the stars of Alfred Hitchcock's move 'The Birds.' "
Authorities closed off a sidewalk after the aggressive birds, which can have 2-foot wingspans, flew out of magnolia trees Monday in front of the County Administration Building.
'They were just going crazy,' said constable Wilbert Jue, who works at the building. 'They were attacking everybody that walked by.'
The grackles zeroed in on a lawyer who shooed a bird away before he tripped and injured his face, Jue said. The lawyer was treated for several cuts.
It appears that the birds are protecting their offspring. On Monday a young grackle had fallen out of its nest and adult birds attacked people who got too close, Jue said.
Another bird attacked a deputy county clerk.
'I hit him with a bottle,' said Sylvia Velasquez. 'The other birds came, and one attacked my blouse and on my back.'
Two women came to help her after she fell to the ground, and the birds attacked them as well. The group escaped by running into the building.
'This is a very Hitchcock kind of story. Very Tippi Hedren,' said downtown worker Laura Aranda Smith, referring to one of the stars of Alfred Hitchcock's move 'The Birds.' "
May 16, 2005
'Piano Man'
If only we could get Billy Joel to shut up too. :
A helpline set up to identify a mystery man who stunned carers by giving a virtuoso piano performance has been inundated with calls, his social worker said today.
Look here too
Riddle of the Piano Man
The man has not uttered a word since police picked him up walking aimlessly on the streets of Sheerness, Kent, dressed in a dripping wet suit and tie.
All efforts to communicate with the shy and agitated man, aged in his 20s or early 30s, have failed, leaving experts baffled as to his identity and where he is from.
Staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital gave him a pen and paper in the hope he might write his name or even draw his country's flag.
Instead the patient, dubbed the Piano Man, drew highly detailed pictures of a grand piano, showing not only the keys but also the intricate inner workings of the instrument.
His social worker, Michael Camp, showed him a piano in the hospital chapel and to his amazement the man delivered a stunning, two-hour performance of classical playing. Since then, he has written music, but remains mute.
Mr Camp said today: 'The Missing Persons Helpline has been inundated with calls. It's a fantastic response.
It's a fantastic response.
Mr Camp said someone had called local police and given the name and address of who they believe the "Piano Man" may be.
He said: "A name has been given of a possible person from the Sussex area. I haven't been able to phone the person that phoned in to check it out."
He added: "We had one of these before, from the local area, and it sounded promising but ... people start to think 'It might be this person that we know' and it doesn't quite materialise. We'll just have to wait and see."
A helpline set up to identify a mystery man who stunned carers by giving a virtuoso piano performance has been inundated with calls, his social worker said today.
Look here too
Riddle of the Piano Man
The man has not uttered a word since police picked him up walking aimlessly on the streets of Sheerness, Kent, dressed in a dripping wet suit and tie.
All efforts to communicate with the shy and agitated man, aged in his 20s or early 30s, have failed, leaving experts baffled as to his identity and where he is from.
Staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital gave him a pen and paper in the hope he might write his name or even draw his country's flag.
Instead the patient, dubbed the Piano Man, drew highly detailed pictures of a grand piano, showing not only the keys but also the intricate inner workings of the instrument.
His social worker, Michael Camp, showed him a piano in the hospital chapel and to his amazement the man delivered a stunning, two-hour performance of classical playing. Since then, he has written music, but remains mute.
Mr Camp said today: 'The Missing Persons Helpline has been inundated with calls. It's a fantastic response.
It's a fantastic response.
Mr Camp said someone had called local police and given the name and address of who they believe the "Piano Man" may be.
He said: "A name has been given of a possible person from the Sussex area. I haven't been able to phone the person that phoned in to check it out."
He added: "We had one of these before, from the local area, and it sounded promising but ... people start to think 'It might be this person that we know' and it doesn't quite materialise. We'll just have to wait and see."
Personal Nuclear Power: New Battery Lasts 12 Years
Sound Scary to me
A new type of battery based on the radioactive decay of nuclear material is 10 times more powerful than similar prototypes and should last a decade or more without a charge, scientists announced this week.
The longevity would make the battery ideal for use in pacemakers or other surgically implanted devices, developers say, or it might power spacecraft or deep-sea probes.
You might also find these nuclear batteries running sensors and other small devices in your home in a few years. Such devices "don't consume much power," said University of Rochester electrical engineer Philippe Fauchet, "and yet having to replace the battery every so often is a real pain in the neck."
Fauchet told LiveScience the batteries could last a dozen years. They're being developed at Rochester and the technology has been licensed by BetaBatt Inc.
How it works
The technology is called betavoltaics. It uses a silicon wafer to capture electrons emitted by a radioactive gas, such as tritium. It is similar to the mechanics of converting sunlight into electricity in a solar panel.
Until now, betavoltaics has been unable to match solar-cell efficiency. The reason is simple: When the gas decays, its electrons shoot out in all directions. Many of them are lost.
"For 50 years, people have been investigating converting simple nuclear decay into usable energy, but the yields were always too low," Fauchet explained. "We've found a way to make the interaction much more efficient, and we hope these findings will lead to a new kind of battery that can pump out energy for years."
Fauchet's team took the flat silicon surface, where the electrons are captured and converted to a current, and turned it into a three-dimensional surface by adding deep pits.
Each pit is about one micron wide. That's four ten-thousandths of an inch. They're more than 40 microns deep.
Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen. Mixed with chemicals that emit light, it is used to illuminate exit signs without electricity -- the sort commonly found in schools and other public buildings.
"It is safe and can be implanted in the body," Fauchet said. "The energetic particles emitted by tritium do not penetrate inside the skin."
Tritium emits only low energy particles "that can be shielded by very thin materials, such as a sheet of paper," said Gadeken of BetaBatt. "The hermetically-sealed, metallic BetaBattery cases will encapsulate the entire radioactive energy source, just like a normal battery contains its chemical source so it cannot escape."
The device is detailed in today's issue of Advanced Materials.
Improvements needed
The manufacturing process is standard to the semiconductor industry, so no other technology breakthroughs are needed to bring the batteries to market. Still, don't expect anything on the store shelves for at least two years, Fauchet said. His team is now working to improve the manufacturing process, aiming for batteries many times more efficient than those announced today.
"If we are as successful as we think we may be, it will take less than five years before this technology is adopted," he said.
A new type of battery based on the radioactive decay of nuclear material is 10 times more powerful than similar prototypes and should last a decade or more without a charge, scientists announced this week.
The longevity would make the battery ideal for use in pacemakers or other surgically implanted devices, developers say, or it might power spacecraft or deep-sea probes.
You might also find these nuclear batteries running sensors and other small devices in your home in a few years. Such devices "don't consume much power," said University of Rochester electrical engineer Philippe Fauchet, "and yet having to replace the battery every so often is a real pain in the neck."
Fauchet told LiveScience the batteries could last a dozen years. They're being developed at Rochester and the technology has been licensed by BetaBatt Inc.
How it works
The technology is called betavoltaics. It uses a silicon wafer to capture electrons emitted by a radioactive gas, such as tritium. It is similar to the mechanics of converting sunlight into electricity in a solar panel.
Until now, betavoltaics has been unable to match solar-cell efficiency. The reason is simple: When the gas decays, its electrons shoot out in all directions. Many of them are lost.
"For 50 years, people have been investigating converting simple nuclear decay into usable energy, but the yields were always too low," Fauchet explained. "We've found a way to make the interaction much more efficient, and we hope these findings will lead to a new kind of battery that can pump out energy for years."
Fauchet's team took the flat silicon surface, where the electrons are captured and converted to a current, and turned it into a three-dimensional surface by adding deep pits.
Each pit is about one micron wide. That's four ten-thousandths of an inch. They're more than 40 microns deep.
Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen. Mixed with chemicals that emit light, it is used to illuminate exit signs without electricity -- the sort commonly found in schools and other public buildings.
"It is safe and can be implanted in the body," Fauchet said. "The energetic particles emitted by tritium do not penetrate inside the skin."
Tritium emits only low energy particles "that can be shielded by very thin materials, such as a sheet of paper," said Gadeken of BetaBatt. "The hermetically-sealed, metallic BetaBattery cases will encapsulate the entire radioactive energy source, just like a normal battery contains its chemical source so it cannot escape."
The device is detailed in today's issue of Advanced Materials.
Improvements needed
The manufacturing process is standard to the semiconductor industry, so no other technology breakthroughs are needed to bring the batteries to market. Still, don't expect anything on the store shelves for at least two years, Fauchet said. His team is now working to improve the manufacturing process, aiming for batteries many times more efficient than those announced today.
"If we are as successful as we think we may be, it will take less than five years before this technology is adopted," he said.
May 12, 2005
Police: White paint found on hands, face of slain fortuneteller
05-04) 16:21 PDT Westminster, Calif. (AP) --
White paint was applied to the hands and faces of a Vietnamese fortuneteller and her daughter after the two were stabbed to death, police said Wednesday.
Police hoped new details about the slayings would provide them with leads in a case that has baffled detectives since the bodies of Ha Jade Smith, 52, and Anita Nhi Vo, 23, were found on April 21.
"We have exhausted what we feel are local leads are as far as the white paint and the significance of that," said Lt. Derek Marsh, spokesman for the Westminster Police Department.
"We would request an outreach to the Asian community ... and (ask) if anyone has any information in reference to the symbolic aspect of it — if there is any symbolic reference to it," he said.
Marsh said Smith was known nationally among Vietnamese-Americans as a skilled fortuneteller and had clients from as far away as New York. Clients often came to her home, he said.
Police believe the crime was motivated by robbery, however, and had no link to Smith's profession, he said.
Smith, known as Miss Ha in the local Vietnamese community, did card and palm readings from an office at a strip mall in Midway City. Her daughter was a student at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.
Police said Smith was robbed and her house burglarized in separate incidents in 2001. Marsh said those crimes, which remain unsolved, do not appear related to the murders.
White paint was applied to the hands and faces of a Vietnamese fortuneteller and her daughter after the two were stabbed to death, police said Wednesday.
Police hoped new details about the slayings would provide them with leads in a case that has baffled detectives since the bodies of Ha Jade Smith, 52, and Anita Nhi Vo, 23, were found on April 21.
"We have exhausted what we feel are local leads are as far as the white paint and the significance of that," said Lt. Derek Marsh, spokesman for the Westminster Police Department.
"We would request an outreach to the Asian community ... and (ask) if anyone has any information in reference to the symbolic aspect of it — if there is any symbolic reference to it," he said.
Marsh said Smith was known nationally among Vietnamese-Americans as a skilled fortuneteller and had clients from as far away as New York. Clients often came to her home, he said.
Police believe the crime was motivated by robbery, however, and had no link to Smith's profession, he said.
Smith, known as Miss Ha in the local Vietnamese community, did card and palm readings from an office at a strip mall in Midway City. Her daughter was a student at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.
Police said Smith was robbed and her house burglarized in separate incidents in 2001. Marsh said those crimes, which remain unsolved, do not appear related to the murders.
Jacko used chimps as cleaners
By Metro
Michael Jackson used his pet chimpanzees to clean Neverland ranch, his trial heard yesterday.
The creatures would help the star by dusting, cleaning windows and brushing the toilets, the jury heard.
In a clip of outtakes from Martin Bashir's ITV1 documentary Living With Michael Jackson, the singer described how he got his animals to help with household chores.
'They are very smart. Their DNA is identical to humans when you look under a microscope,' he said.
He also revealed his beloved pet chimp Bubbles was moved to a monkey sanctuary after he became too strong and started to rebel against him - like a teenage child.
He said: 'They are very, very strong. They are very powerful.'
In the video, which showed a relaxed looking Jackson sitting on a floor cushion in an emerald green silk shirt, he laughed and joked with British journalist Bashir.
He said that although the upkeep of Neverland cost him 'millions' each year, it was worth it for the happiness it brought visiting children. He said he employed between 150 and 200 people to run the ranch.
'That costs a lot of money,' he added. 'I get it all back if I see them [children] smile. That's all worth it.'
Asked why he wanted to make children happy he told Bashir: 'I've always just felt that they are very special to me. I see God through them. Everything I do is inspired by the children. I'm a nut for innocence. I love innocence. If it wasn't for the children. I would throw in the towel.'
And he invoked the memory of Princess Diana to explain why he felt he had to provide fun for youngsters.
He added: 'Especially now that Mother Teresa is not here, Princess Diana is not here, there's no voice for the kids.'
Jackson also joked about the Pope - saying he had trouble telling the difference between the various Catholic leaders.
'Why do they all look alike? That confuses me.'
Michael Jackson used his pet chimpanzees to clean Neverland ranch, his trial heard yesterday.
The creatures would help the star by dusting, cleaning windows and brushing the toilets, the jury heard.
In a clip of outtakes from Martin Bashir's ITV1 documentary Living With Michael Jackson, the singer described how he got his animals to help with household chores.
'They are very smart. Their DNA is identical to humans when you look under a microscope,' he said.
He also revealed his beloved pet chimp Bubbles was moved to a monkey sanctuary after he became too strong and started to rebel against him - like a teenage child.
He said: 'They are very, very strong. They are very powerful.'
In the video, which showed a relaxed looking Jackson sitting on a floor cushion in an emerald green silk shirt, he laughed and joked with British journalist Bashir.
He said that although the upkeep of Neverland cost him 'millions' each year, it was worth it for the happiness it brought visiting children. He said he employed between 150 and 200 people to run the ranch.
'That costs a lot of money,' he added. 'I get it all back if I see them [children] smile. That's all worth it.'
Asked why he wanted to make children happy he told Bashir: 'I've always just felt that they are very special to me. I see God through them. Everything I do is inspired by the children. I'm a nut for innocence. I love innocence. If it wasn't for the children. I would throw in the towel.'
And he invoked the memory of Princess Diana to explain why he felt he had to provide fun for youngsters.
He added: 'Especially now that Mother Teresa is not here, Princess Diana is not here, there's no voice for the kids.'
Jackson also joked about the Pope - saying he had trouble telling the difference between the various Catholic leaders.
'Why do they all look alike? That confuses me.'
May 11, 2005
'Oddball rodent' in Laos takes scientists by surprise
By John Noble Wilford The New York Times
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005
They live in the forests and limestone outcrops of Laos. With long whiskers, stubby legs and a long, furry tail, they are rodents but unlike any seen before by wildlife scientists.
They are definitely not rats or squirrels, only vaguely like a guinea pig or a chinchilla. And they often show up in Laotian outdoor markets being sold for food. There, visiting scientists came upon the animals and determined that they represented a rare find: an entire new family of wildlife.
The discovery was announced Wednesday by the Wildlife Conservation Society and described in a report in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity.
The new species in this previously unknown family is called kha-nyou (pronounced ga-nyou) by local people.
Scientists found that differences in the skull and bone structure and in the animal's DNA revealed this to be a member of a distinct family that diverged from others of the rodent order millions of years ago.
'To find something so distinct in this day and age is just extraordinary,' said Robert Timmins of the Wildlife Conservation Society, one of the discoverers. 'For all we know, this could be the last remaining mammal family left to be discovered.'
Naturalists had trouble recalling when a new family of mammals was last identified. It may have been when, in the 1970s, a new family of bats was found in Thailand. The most active period of finding and classifying new species and families was in the 19th century, when explorers and settlers moved into remote interiors of the continents.
Timmins "said, no Western scientists have ever seen a kha-nyou alive.
The encounter occurred in the late 1990s, about the same time that another scientist, Mark Robinson, independently collected several of the carcasses as specimens. The adults have bodies about a foot long, or 30 centimeters with a tail that is not as bushy as a squirrel's. They knew immediately that this was, as Timmins said, "an oddball rodent."
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005
They live in the forests and limestone outcrops of Laos. With long whiskers, stubby legs and a long, furry tail, they are rodents but unlike any seen before by wildlife scientists.
They are definitely not rats or squirrels, only vaguely like a guinea pig or a chinchilla. And they often show up in Laotian outdoor markets being sold for food. There, visiting scientists came upon the animals and determined that they represented a rare find: an entire new family of wildlife.
The discovery was announced Wednesday by the Wildlife Conservation Society and described in a report in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity.
The new species in this previously unknown family is called kha-nyou (pronounced ga-nyou) by local people.
Scientists found that differences in the skull and bone structure and in the animal's DNA revealed this to be a member of a distinct family that diverged from others of the rodent order millions of years ago.
'To find something so distinct in this day and age is just extraordinary,' said Robert Timmins of the Wildlife Conservation Society, one of the discoverers. 'For all we know, this could be the last remaining mammal family left to be discovered.'
Naturalists had trouble recalling when a new family of mammals was last identified. It may have been when, in the 1970s, a new family of bats was found in Thailand. The most active period of finding and classifying new species and families was in the 19th century, when explorers and settlers moved into remote interiors of the continents.
Timmins "said, no Western scientists have ever seen a kha-nyou alive.
The encounter occurred in the late 1990s, about the same time that another scientist, Mark Robinson, independently collected several of the carcasses as specimens. The adults have bodies about a foot long, or 30 centimeters with a tail that is not as bushy as a squirrel's. They knew immediately that this was, as Timmins said, "an oddball rodent."
May 10, 2005
Jesus Christ in Legal Battle in W.Va..."Christ is not speaking to the press at this time,"
By ERIK SCHELZIG
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Even Jesus Christ can't circumvent the rules for getting a driver's license in West Virginia.
Attempts to prove his name really is Christ have led the man born as Peter Robert Phillips Jr. through a lengthy legal battle and a recent victory in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
'This all started with him expressing his faith and his respect and love for Jesus Christ,' attorney A.P. Pishevar told The Associated Press. 'Now he needs to document it for legal reasons.'
Described by his attorney as a white-haired businessman in his mid-50s, Christ is moving to West Virginia to enjoy a slower lifestyle. He bought property near Lost River, about 100 miles west of Washington, and has a U.S. passport, Social Security card and Washington driver's license bearing the name Jesus Christ.
But he still falls short of West Virginia title and license transfer requirements because his Florida birth certificate has his original name on it and he has been unable to obtain an official name change in Washington.
'We just need official documentation that that's his name,' said Doug Stump, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. 'He will be treated no different than anybody else.'
Christ applied for the legal name change in May 2003, but it was denied by District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Tim Murphy because 'taking the name of Jesus Christ may provoke a violent reaction or may significantly offend people.'
In his appeal, Christ's attorney argued that Phillips had changed his name to Jesus Christ 15 years earlier, and 'has been using the name since then without incident.'
name since then without incident."
The appeals court last month sent the name-change proposal back to the lower court, saying some required hearings in the case had not been held.
Any comment from the man in the middle of this legal tussle?
"Christ is not speaking to the press at this time,"Pishevar said.
This is much more real than an image in a slice of toast. (Editor)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Even Jesus Christ can't circumvent the rules for getting a driver's license in West Virginia.
Attempts to prove his name really is Christ have led the man born as Peter Robert Phillips Jr. through a lengthy legal battle and a recent victory in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
'This all started with him expressing his faith and his respect and love for Jesus Christ,' attorney A.P. Pishevar told The Associated Press. 'Now he needs to document it for legal reasons.'
Described by his attorney as a white-haired businessman in his mid-50s, Christ is moving to West Virginia to enjoy a slower lifestyle. He bought property near Lost River, about 100 miles west of Washington, and has a U.S. passport, Social Security card and Washington driver's license bearing the name Jesus Christ.
But he still falls short of West Virginia title and license transfer requirements because his Florida birth certificate has his original name on it and he has been unable to obtain an official name change in Washington.
'We just need official documentation that that's his name,' said Doug Stump, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. 'He will be treated no different than anybody else.'
Christ applied for the legal name change in May 2003, but it was denied by District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Tim Murphy because 'taking the name of Jesus Christ may provoke a violent reaction or may significantly offend people.'
In his appeal, Christ's attorney argued that Phillips had changed his name to Jesus Christ 15 years earlier, and 'has been using the name since then without incident.'
name since then without incident."
The appeals court last month sent the name-change proposal back to the lower court, saying some required hearings in the case had not been held.
Any comment from the man in the middle of this legal tussle?
"Christ is not speaking to the press at this time,"Pishevar said.
This is much more real than an image in a slice of toast. (Editor)
May 4, 2005
Just Icky
Farrell's failed seduction
By Henry Meller, Daily Mail
At the age of 70 she may have thought her days of being romanced by Hollywood heart-throbs were behind her.
But Dame Eileen Atkins says Colin Farrell - some 42 years her junior - spent more than two hours trying to seduce her.
Dame Eileen, one of the creators of the classic television series Upstairs Downstairs, revealed in an interview yesterday that she was propositioned by the actor just a few months ago.
Asked about her sex life on the ITV chat show Loose Women, she said: 'I was doing a movie and three weeks before my 70th birthday, a simply stunningly gorgeous big film star aged 28 years old, came into my hotel room for sex without strings.
'I spent two and a half hours saying No. But it was pure bliss and it made me sail through my 70th birthday without a care in the world.'
Asked whether she was tempted, she said: 'Of course I was!'
She told how she followed the advice of another respected British actress, her friend Sian Phillips, and kept saying 'this is deeply inappropriate'.
Dame Eileen added: 'It cheered me up fantastically. I said No in the end because he said, "The reason you won't do it is because your body isn't as good as it was when you were young isn't it? That's why you're saying No. I don't care about that. I don't care".
'But I'm too proud of how I looked when I was younger. My body is still the same weight, but it's all distributed in a different way!' The actress, who was made a Dame in June 2001, intended to spare Mr Farrell the embarrassment of having his rejection made public.
But her agent said later: 'I can confirm that it is Colin Farrell that made an advance.'
Dame Eileen and Farrell will be seen together in the film Ask The Dust, which is due for release later this year.
Quite what Dame Eileen's second husband, film producer Bill Shephard makes of the incident is unknown. Her spokesman added: 'As far as I know they are happily married.'
Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, Demi Moore and Naomi Campbell are among the women said to have fallen for Farrell, star of the epic flop Alexander.
Dame Eileen has pursued a distinguished career on TV, stage and screen. Her recent movies include Cold Mountain, Gosford Park and Vanity Fair.
By Henry Meller, Daily Mail
At the age of 70 she may have thought her days of being romanced by Hollywood heart-throbs were behind her.
But Dame Eileen Atkins says Colin Farrell - some 42 years her junior - spent more than two hours trying to seduce her.
Dame Eileen, one of the creators of the classic television series Upstairs Downstairs, revealed in an interview yesterday that she was propositioned by the actor just a few months ago.
Asked about her sex life on the ITV chat show Loose Women, she said: 'I was doing a movie and three weeks before my 70th birthday, a simply stunningly gorgeous big film star aged 28 years old, came into my hotel room for sex without strings.
'I spent two and a half hours saying No. But it was pure bliss and it made me sail through my 70th birthday without a care in the world.'
Asked whether she was tempted, she said: 'Of course I was!'
She told how she followed the advice of another respected British actress, her friend Sian Phillips, and kept saying 'this is deeply inappropriate'.
Dame Eileen added: 'It cheered me up fantastically. I said No in the end because he said, "The reason you won't do it is because your body isn't as good as it was when you were young isn't it? That's why you're saying No. I don't care about that. I don't care".
'But I'm too proud of how I looked when I was younger. My body is still the same weight, but it's all distributed in a different way!' The actress, who was made a Dame in June 2001, intended to spare Mr Farrell the embarrassment of having his rejection made public.
But her agent said later: 'I can confirm that it is Colin Farrell that made an advance.'
Dame Eileen and Farrell will be seen together in the film Ask The Dust, which is due for release later this year.
Quite what Dame Eileen's second husband, film producer Bill Shephard makes of the incident is unknown. Her spokesman added: 'As far as I know they are happily married.'
Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, Demi Moore and Naomi Campbell are among the women said to have fallen for Farrell, star of the epic flop Alexander.
Dame Eileen has pursued a distinguished career on TV, stage and screen. Her recent movies include Cold Mountain, Gosford Park and Vanity Fair.
This may hit you a little low.
How can you figure out the insane? Imagine the horor of the new home owner. What does the artice mean by One neighbour said: "This place has a bad reputation but everyone is shocked by the discovery."
Woman arrested over dead babies in attics
By Sarah Getty, Metro
A former nurse was arrested last night after police discovered the bodies of three newborn babies in two attics.
Anne Mahoney, 64, was first questioned six weeks ago after a baby's corpse was found wrapped in bags in a loft.
When police searched the attic of her own home yesterday, they found the remains of two more infants. They had been 'bagged up' in a similar way, said an officer.
Detectives sealed off the two-bedroomed council house in a cul-de-sac on the Gurnos estate in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. Other properties are to be searched.
One officer said: 'This has come as quite a shock and we are not sure what we are dealing with at the moment.'
The first baby was found on March 20 by a family moving into their new home.
The father was putting empty packing cases into the attic when he found the remains in a plastic bag.
He thought the bones were a rabbit's before realising in horror it was a baby.
Pathologists said the body - that of a fullterm child - was hidden years ago but failed to establish a cause of death.
Forensic tests were being carried out on the latest corpses last night. One neighbour said: 'This place has a bad reputation but everyone is shocked by the discovery.
'It was bad enough when one baby was found. This is too horrific to think about.'
Residents said Mrs Mahoney worked as a nurse at the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, then became a carer for the elderly until her retirement.
May 3, 2005
10.5 pounds of ground beef
My Way News: "CLEARFIELD, Pa. (AP) - The burger war is growing. Literally. Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, which lost its crown as the home of the world's biggest burger earlier this year, is now offering a new burger that weighs a whopping 15 pounds.
Dubbed the Beer Barrel Belly Buster, the burger comes with 10.5 pounds of ground beef, 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, a cup-and-a-half each of mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, mustard and banana peppers - and a bun.
It costs $30.
'It can feed a family of 10,' said Denny Liegey Sr., the restaurant's owner.
Denny's Beer Barrel Pub had offered a 6-pound burger - with 5 pounds of toppings.
In February, a 100-pound female college student became the first to eat the burger within the three-hour time limit. Kate Stelnick, of Princeton, N.J., was awarded a special certificate, a T-shirt and other prizes and Leigey picked up the $23.95 tab for the burger.
One month later, the Clinton Station Diner in Clinton, N.J., introduced a 12.5-pound burger dubbed Zeus.
So Liegey responded, and the Belly Buster was born.
Over the weekend, four men took the challenge, but couldn't get through the entire burger. They opted for doggie bags, instead.
'It's a little too much for me to handle,' said Steve Hepburn, of Clearfield. 'It's like trying to eat half a cow.'"
Dubbed the Beer Barrel Belly Buster, the burger comes with 10.5 pounds of ground beef, 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, a cup-and-a-half each of mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, mustard and banana peppers - and a bun.
It costs $30.
'It can feed a family of 10,' said Denny Liegey Sr., the restaurant's owner.
Denny's Beer Barrel Pub had offered a 6-pound burger - with 5 pounds of toppings.
In February, a 100-pound female college student became the first to eat the burger within the three-hour time limit. Kate Stelnick, of Princeton, N.J., was awarded a special certificate, a T-shirt and other prizes and Leigey picked up the $23.95 tab for the burger.
One month later, the Clinton Station Diner in Clinton, N.J., introduced a 12.5-pound burger dubbed Zeus.
So Liegey responded, and the Belly Buster was born.
Over the weekend, four men took the challenge, but couldn't get through the entire burger. They opted for doggie bags, instead.
'It's a little too much for me to handle,' said Steve Hepburn, of Clearfield. 'It's like trying to eat half a cow.'"
Rampage of naked, shocking behavior
"INVERNESS - An Inverness man was arrested Saturday after breaking into his neighbors' house and threatening them, shocking himself by sticking his fingers into a lamp socket, threatening a deputy with a metal rod, running naked through his yard and chewing through a cable in a patrol car, authorities said.
Authorities arrested Shyne Harris Phelps, 39, of 2510 Jupiter St., at 1:45 a.m., on charges of kidnapping, burglary of a dwelling, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with intent to commit a felony, resisting an officer with violence, battery and criminal mischief, an arrest report said.
Deputies were called to a home on East Dawson Drive, just behind Beall's, at 1:35 a.m. after getting a call of a burglary in progress.
On arrival, Deputy Lynn Tabb saw several people standing in the yard, pointing and yelling. Then he heard something hit the rear passenger side of the patrol car.
When Tabb turned, he saw a man holding a metal rod and wearing only a sheet wrapped around his waist, a report said. He was yelling that he was 'ready to go to jail.'
Tabb got out of his car and ordered the man to drop the rod. He did, but quickly picked it up again and made a threatening gesture. Tabb pulled his gun. The man dropped the rod but shouted that he was 'ready to die' and took off running.
The man tried to scale a chain-link fence to get back to his home on the adjoining property.
The deputy fired a Taser at him, but it didn't connect. The man threw dirt and rocks in the deputy's face, the report said.
The suspect made it over the fence, losing his sheet in the process and sprinted, naked, into his home, the report said.
Neighbors told Tabb that the man had several guns in the house, but the suspect soon"
Authorities arrested Shyne Harris Phelps, 39, of 2510 Jupiter St., at 1:45 a.m., on charges of kidnapping, burglary of a dwelling, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with intent to commit a felony, resisting an officer with violence, battery and criminal mischief, an arrest report said.
Deputies were called to a home on East Dawson Drive, just behind Beall's, at 1:35 a.m. after getting a call of a burglary in progress.
On arrival, Deputy Lynn Tabb saw several people standing in the yard, pointing and yelling. Then he heard something hit the rear passenger side of the patrol car.
When Tabb turned, he saw a man holding a metal rod and wearing only a sheet wrapped around his waist, a report said. He was yelling that he was 'ready to go to jail.'
Tabb got out of his car and ordered the man to drop the rod. He did, but quickly picked it up again and made a threatening gesture. Tabb pulled his gun. The man dropped the rod but shouted that he was 'ready to die' and took off running.
The man tried to scale a chain-link fence to get back to his home on the adjoining property.
The deputy fired a Taser at him, but it didn't connect. The man threw dirt and rocks in the deputy's face, the report said.
The suspect made it over the fence, losing his sheet in the process and sprinted, naked, into his home, the report said.
Neighbors told Tabb that the man had several guns in the house, but the suspect soon"
May 2, 2005
Burrito Leads To School Lockdown, Armed Officers On Roof Tops
CLOVIS, N.M. -- A 911 call about a possible weapon at a middle school prompted police to put armed officers on rooftops, close nearby streets and lock down the school.
All over a giant burrito.
Someone called authorities Thursday after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped up into Marshall Junior High School.
The drama ended two hours later when the suspicious item was identified as a 30-inch burrito filled with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalapenos. It was wrapped inside tin foil and a white T-shirt.
"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," school Principal Diana Russell said.
Russell said the mystery was solved after she brought everyone in the school together in the auditorium to explain what was going on. Afterward, eighth-grader Michael Morrissey approached her.
"He said, 'I think I'm the person they saw,"' Russell said.
The burrito was part of Morrissey's extra-credit assignment to create commercial advertising for a product. "We had to make up a product and it could have been anything. I made up a restaurant that specialized in oddly large burritos," Morrissey said.
After students heard the description of what police were looking for, he and his friends began to make the connection. He then took the burrito to the office.
"I have a new nickname now. It's Burrito Boy," Morrissey said.
Which brings up a older story.
All over a giant burrito.
Someone called authorities Thursday after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped up into Marshall Junior High School.
The drama ended two hours later when the suspicious item was identified as a 30-inch burrito filled with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalapenos. It was wrapped inside tin foil and a white T-shirt.
"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," school Principal Diana Russell said.
Russell said the mystery was solved after she brought everyone in the school together in the auditorium to explain what was going on. Afterward, eighth-grader Michael Morrissey approached her.
"He said, 'I think I'm the person they saw,"' Russell said.
The burrito was part of Morrissey's extra-credit assignment to create commercial advertising for a product. "We had to make up a product and it could have been anything. I made up a restaurant that specialized in oddly large burritos," Morrissey said.
After students heard the description of what police were looking for, he and his friends began to make the connection. He then took the burrito to the office.
"I have a new nickname now. It's Burrito Boy," Morrissey said.
Which brings up a older story.
Apr 25, 2005
Exploding Toads Baffle Experts
local6.com - News - Exploding Toads Baffle Experts: "POSTED: 10:34 am EDT April 24, 2005
UPDATED: 11:10 pm EDT April 24, 2005
Scientists in Hamburg, Germany, are baffled by the strange deaths of hundreds of toads after they apparently exploded in and around a pond, according to a Local 6 News report.
As many as a thousand toads have died after their bodies swelled to bursting point and then exploded, according to reports.
As many as 1,000 toads have died after their bodies swelled to bursting point and then exploded, according to reports from animal welfare workers and veterinarians.
The area around the pond in Hamburg has been cordoned off as experts investigate the dead toads.
Scientists are looking at a fungus that may have been spread by foreign race horses from a nearby track.
UPDATED: 11:10 pm EDT April 24, 2005
Scientists in Hamburg, Germany, are baffled by the strange deaths of hundreds of toads after they apparently exploded in and around a pond, according to a Local 6 News report.
As many as a thousand toads have died after their bodies swelled to bursting point and then exploded, according to reports.
As many as 1,000 toads have died after their bodies swelled to bursting point and then exploded, according to reports from animal welfare workers and veterinarians.
The area around the pond in Hamburg has been cordoned off as experts investigate the dead toads.
Scientists are looking at a fungus that may have been spread by foreign race horses from a nearby track.
Apr 20, 2005
They live in Mexico
Bot Flies Are Our Friends - Gallery
Warning this is really gross.
Is there such a thing as a human bot fly? Yes, we're sorry to say there is. Called the torsalo, Dermatobia hominis, occurs in Mexico and Central America. Fortunately, getting one is an extremely unlikely occurrence for the average visitor.
Warning this is really gross.
Is there such a thing as a human bot fly? Yes, we're sorry to say there is. Called the torsalo, Dermatobia hominis, occurs in Mexico and Central America. Fortunately, getting one is an extremely unlikely occurrence for the average visitor.
Select thumbnail for larger picture.
Rabbit Bot Fly Adult 
Mouse With Rodent Bot Larva
Rabbit Bot Fly Larva 
Rodent Bot Fly Larva
Human Bot Fly Wound
Human Bot Larva From Wound
Nose Bots 
Human Bot Fly Warbles
Bot Fly Abscesses
Human Bot Fly Infection
Human Bot Fly Surgery 
Human Bot Fly Larvae
Rodent Bot Fly Warbles 
Rodent Bot Fly
Rodent Bot Fly Eggs
Stomach Bot Fly Larvae
2nd instar torsalo larva, note the hooks to hold it in place! One of the really cool things about this insect is that it lays its eggs on a mosquito and the eggs hatch when the mosquito feeds on a host. Do humans get warbles? Yes, (are you disgusted yet)?
While the maggot feeds on its host (you) it has to have a hole in the skin so it can continue to breath. It takes about 6 weeks to complete development on its host. There are stories of entomologists rearing torsalos on themselves in order to get a good specimen of an adult (which are rarely captured), but we regard this as taking your profession a little too far.
Apr 18, 2005
"Eureka! Extraordinary discovery unlocks secrets of the ancients
17 April 2005
Thousands of previously illegible manuscripts containing work by some of the greats of classical literature are being read for the first time using technology which experts believe will unlock the secrets of the ancient world.
Among treasures already discovered by a team from Oxford University are previously unseen writings by classical giants including Sophocles, Euripides and Hesiod. Invisible under ordinary light, the faded ink comes clearly into view when placed under infra-red light, using techniques developed from satellite imaging.
The Oxford documents form part of the great papyrus hoard salvaged from an ancient rubbish dump in the Graeco-Egyptian town of Oxyrhynchus more than a century ago. The thousands of remaining documents, which will be analysed over the next decade, are expected to include works by Ovid and Aeschylus, plus a series of Christian gospels which have been lost for up to 2,000 years. "
Thousands of previously illegible manuscripts containing work by some of the greats of classical literature are being read for the first time using technology which experts believe will unlock the secrets of the ancient world.
Among treasures already discovered by a team from Oxford University are previously unseen writings by classical giants including Sophocles, Euripides and Hesiod. Invisible under ordinary light, the faded ink comes clearly into view when placed under infra-red light, using techniques developed from satellite imaging.
The Oxford documents form part of the great papyrus hoard salvaged from an ancient rubbish dump in the Graeco-Egyptian town of Oxyrhynchus more than a century ago. The thousands of remaining documents, which will be analysed over the next decade, are expected to include works by Ovid and Aeschylus, plus a series of Christian gospels which have been lost for up to 2,000 years. "
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