BL0GGER'S RAMBLINGS

US drone fired at Qaddafi convoy after negotiated truce

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:43:00 +0000

Did Hillary Clinton know of Qaddafi ‘White Flag’ truce?:
US drone fired at Qaddafi convoy after negotiated truce
By Daya Gamage – Asian Tribune Foreign News Desk

October 26, 2011 _- Washington, DC. 27 October (Asiantribune) -- Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi was traveling under a negotiated “White Flag” truce last Thursday in an agreement to leave Libya. More claims from sources inside Misrata, Libya that the Libyan National Transitional Council did in fact agree to allow Qaddafi and his convoy safe passage out of Libya.

In addition rebel sources in Misrata claim US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was informed of the “White Flag” truce negotiated and agreed to by Libya’s NTC while visiting Libya Wednesday October 19.

A widely read Internet blog site Larry Sinclair.org reveals the above information noting that the site received them from reliable sources inside Libya.

The question now emerge is whether Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama engage in the firing on a White Flag convoy with the intent to assist in the capture and murder of Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi?

The web site Larry Sinclair.org further reports: “It is our opinion that the information received from our sources inside Libya is factual. It has also been reported that journalists were not immediately allowed to report from the site of the US Drone attack on Qaddafi’s convoy until the rebels had the opportunity to dispose of any remaining evidence of the “White Flags” which were clearly connected to the convoy vehicles.”

The question today is: Was Secretary Clinton told of the “White Flag” truce giving Qaddafi safe passage out of Libya? Did Secretary Clinton use this information to prepare a US Drone attack on Qaddafi’s “White Flag” convoy? Who authorized the US Predator Drone strike on the “White Flag” convoy? Will Barack Obama be called to answer for the US firing on a “White Flag” convoy?

Wednesday October 19 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Libya meeting with the Libyan armed rebels. It has come to the attention of Larry Sinclair.org Web Site via sources inside Libya that the Qaddafi convoy was traveling under a White Flag of truce which sources say had been negotiated with Qaddafi. If the information concerning a negotiated truce to allow Qaddafi to leave Libya is true and verifiable, and the United States was involved in or even made aware of this agreement, the US Drone strike on the convoy would be in direct violation of the Geneva Convention and a war crime.

The Asian Tribune previously reported that it was the US drone fire on Colonel Qaddafi’s convoy that led the rebels to capture and brutally assassinate the former Libyan leader.

The web site a day later confirmed that there was an agreement to allow Qaddafi convoy with white flags to proceed and that the agreement was reached between the NTC and Qaddafi representatives.

Sources inside Misrata, Libya have claimed Qaddafi’s convoy was traveling under a “White Flag” truce and also claims Qaddafi was sodomized by rebels before shot in the head.

While Obama stated back in the spring that the UN Resolution did not call for nor allow the targeting of Qaddafi, and stating the US would not target Qaddafi, last Thursday he referred to the capture & murder of Qaddafi as “we have done what we went in to do.” The claims that a truce was negotiated to allow Qaddafi to leave the country raise some serious questions as to what role Secretary of State Hillary Clinton played in the agreement. It also raises the question did Hillary Clinton and the Obama Administration knowingly authorize a US Drone strike on a convoy traveling under a White Flag truce? If so, the Web Site raises, both Clinton and Obama should immediately be charged with war crimes and accessory to murder.

The web site Larry Sinclair.org having obtained reliable information from inside Libya asks: Did Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama engage in the firing on a White Flag convoy with the intent to assist in the capture and murder of Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi?

Asian Tribune media survey has shown that many political pundits and non-mainstream media have question the circumstances the Libyan leader was brutally killed.

The “White Flag” issue is sure to dominate the political talk here in the United States and among global rights organizations, Asian Tribune understands.

-Asian Tribune-

Tiangong-1 launch betrays China's earthly ambitions

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:47:00 +0000

By Professor Michael Sheehan

The successful launch of the Tiangong-1 space station by China is an event of huge geopolitical significance, just as the orbiting of China's first astronaut was in 2003.Swansea University

It can be argued that China's achievements, though impressive, only demonstrate how far China lags behind Russia and the US.

Russia after all launched its first cosmonaut in 1961 and its first space station in 1971. The US achieved these landmarks in 1962 and 1973, and, at just over eight tonnes, Tiangong-1 is smaller than the American Skylab station launched in 1973.

But to focus on the 40-year gap is to ignore what lies behind China's space programme, and the Chinese governments' determination to achieve a series of dramatic space objectives that will confirm the country's status as a new superpower.

The space programme also offers clues to the thinking behind China's long-term foreign policy goals and its strategic logic.

Reaching for the stars

Tiangong forms just one part of a much broader Chinese space exploration programme.

In 2007 China put the Chang-e 1 satellite into orbit around the Moon. It surveyed the Moon for two years before being deliberately crashed into the lunar surface in March 2009 as part of China's research into developing a robotic craft to return lunar samples, a mission likely to take place around 2014.

In 2017 China is due to land a lunar rover and there are longer term plans for a manned lunar base. In 2013 Yinghuo-1, a joint Chinese-Russian robot probe to Mars, will be launched.

The manned space programme is crucial to achieving China's long-term political goals.

The successful orbiting of a "taikonaut" (Chinese astronaut) in 2003 was a dramatic assertion of China's rise. China became only the third country in history to orbit one of its own astronauts using a domestic launch technology.

China plans to orbit its own 60-tonne space station by 2020 and the purpose of the series of smaller Tiangong stations is to develop expertise in docking manoeuvres and longer term human spaceflight.

The Tiangong-1 is an essential step toward the goal of building a space station.

Going it alone

China is the only country currently building a space station by itself, and with a clear plan to land humans on the moon.

The US, Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe are collaborating on the International Space Station, partly in order to share costs. China's determination to put its own space station into orbit has only been strengthened by the US's vetoing of its repeated attempts to join the ISS.China was only the third country in history to astronauts into space using its own technology

China is in the same situation as the US in the 1960s, where the space programme plays a central role in achieving national political and technological goals.

It wants its space successes to reflect China's ambitions, rather than being shared with other states.

And President Obama's decision last year to reverse the Bush administration's decision to resume manned lunar expeditions has left China as the only country committed to achieving this goal in the medium term - it is likely to achieve the goal soon after 2020.

It will do this thanks to fruitful collaboration with the Russian and European space industries - the Chinese capsule is almost identical to the Russian Soyuz - and despite US restrictions on transferring space technology to China.

Statement of intent

The Tiangong station will see a number of rendezvous missions in the next two years. The unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft will aim to achieve China's first space docking with the Tiangong-1 station, with docking manoeuvres controlled from the ground.

In 2012 Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 - the two other spaceships scheduled to dock with Tiangong-1 - are set to carry crews of two or three to the Tiangong space laboratory. These may include China's first female astronauts.

The true significance of Tiangong-1 is that it is a statement of China's intent to achieve superpower status.

Chinese acquisition of new technologies such as aircraft carriers, high-speed trains, anti-satellite systems and so on is not just for any intrinsic value they possess, but because the Communist Party leadership see them as symbols that distinguish great powers from their competitors.

In this regard, what is significant about the manned space programme is that only superpowers have achieved this capability, and Tiangong-1 and its successors are for China, symbolic proof that China is emerging as a 21st Century superpower.

Blair Mayne SAS diary released

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 01:46:00 +0000

BBC News
By Simon Hunter

He is one of Northern Ireland's most famous soldiers - a war hero, rugby international and the subject of dozens of thrilling campfire tales.

But there is still much more to learn about Blair 'Paddy' Mayne and a secret Second World War diary which was has been hidden since 1946 has more stories to add.

The BBC has exclusive access to the diary, which has been published to mark the 70th anniversary of the forming of the Special Air Service.

Mayne's brushes with authority, his exceptional bravery and the controversial decision not to recommend him for a Victoria Cross - the highest honour in the British Army - are all covered in the diary.

It includes operational reports and photographs from the very first SAS operations, deep behind enemy lines in north Africa from 1941 onwards.

David Stirling, a lieutenant in the Scots Guards at the time, set up the SAS and there was one man who he wanted to lead the small, mobile commando teams taking the fight to Field Marshall Rommel.

Military historian Gordon Stephens has examined the diary and found some new information about the recruitment of Mayne to what is now the most famous military regiment in the world."The diary covers the SAS from 1941-44, all the operational reports during that period," he said.

"Mayne was involved in a lot of them and he comes forward as an amazing soldier.

"David Stirling, who founded the SAS, wanted certain people and one of them was Paddy Mayne but Paddy was in the clink for beating up his commanding officer.

"Stirling had to go into prison to confront Mayne and say 'I want you out but do not hit this commanding officer' and Mayne agreed.

"At that stage it was top secret and they moved on together. I think it supports what people thought about Mayne, that he was an amazing soldier, an amazing SAS operator."

Victoria Cross

Mayne received the Distinguished Service Order an incredible four times during the Second World War but the top military honour still eluded him.

"The diary actually carried the report of the operation where Mayne was commended for the Victoria Cross. The witness statements, all the recommendations up to Montgomery recommend him for the Victoria Cross."

So why did Mayne not get the highest honour in the British Army? Mr Stephens believes at that time certain soldiers were not treated as equals.

"If you want to be cynical, he was Irish, he was SAS," said the historian.

As well as the stories of desert heroism in the fight against the Germans, the diary also helps paint a picture of the real Mayne and his relationship with his mentor Stirling.

"Mayne had to come back from an operation and he didn't like that," explained Mr Stephens.

"When Stirling got back from the operation Mayne had gone into a tent and started drinking. Everyone expected a big punch up between these two great warriors of the SAS.

"Stirling tells the story that he went into the tent and Mayne was there reading James Joyce and he looks up and said 'all I wanted to do was write' and Stirling sat down with him, poured another whiskey and said 'all I ever wanted to do was paint'.

"These two great SAS figures sit down and discuss painting and writing. That's the other side of Mayne people don't know about."

Google denies 'cooking' search results

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:18:00 +0000

Google's executive chairman has denied that the company fixes its search results to promote its own websites and services.

Eric Schmidt told a congressional hearing in Washington: "May I simply say that I can assure you we're not cooking anything."

The Senate Judiciary subcommittee on anti-trust is looking at whether Google abuses its market position.

The US Federal Trade Commission is also investigating the same issue.

The website search giant faces a further continuing investigation by the European Commission.

'Extraordinary advantage'

Mr Schmidt told the senators: "Google does nothing to block access to any of the competitors and other sources of information."

When asked whether Google was a monopoly company, Mr Schmidt said the search engine giant was "in that area", adding that it recognised it had a special responsibility because of its market power.

In reference to software giant Microsoft - which faced years of anti-competition investigations and subsequent fines - Mr Schmidt said: "We get it. By that I mean, we get the lessons of our corporate predecessors."

Concern over Google's domination of the internet search - it has a global market share of about two-thirds - has grown as the company continues to expand into other internet areas, such as its own price comparison website and buying US mobile phone firm Motorola Mobility.

Sen Michael Lee of Utah said that Google's market dominance gave it an "unnatural and extraordinary advantage", and it had a "clear and inherent conflict of interest".

Mr Schmidt was chief executive of Google for 10 years until April, when he was replaced by Larry Page, one of the company's two founders.

'Don't ask, don't tell'

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:24:00 +0000

ban on gays in US military ends

A policy banning open homosexuality in the US military has been repealed after nearly two decades.

The dropping of "don't ask, don't tell" means service members can now reveal they are gay without fear of investigation or discharge. "Repeal Day" parties have been organised across the country to mark the victory for gay rights.

The US Congress voted last year to repeal the law, which was introduced in 1993 under the Clinton administration. It replaced an outright ban on gay people serving in the military.

'Huge step'

Under the policy, gay people were permitted to serve as long as they did not openly acknowledge their sexual orientation, while commanders were not allowed to ask. Navy Lt Gary Ross, right, and Dan Swezy exchange wedding vows, as the repeal takes effect In Vermont, Navy Lt Gary Ross and his partner of 11 years, Dan Swezy, exchanged wedding vows after midnight, as the repeal took effect.

"Today is about every man and women in uniform, regardless of how they identify themselves," said Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen in a news conference on Tuesday. "The heart of the issue for me is the integrity of the institution," Adm Mullen said. "Seeing this change is a huge step in the right direction to be consistent with that value." Defence secretary Leon Panetta told reporters that he was committed to removing "all of barriers that would prevent American from serving their country, and from rising to the highest level of responsibility that their talents warrant".

US President Barack Obama in a statement: "As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love." He added that the US military had taken "another great step toward keeping our military the finest in the world and toward fulfilling our nation's founding ideals". The armed forces have been accepting applications from openly gay recruits for a number of weeks and will begin processing them now that the new law has taken effect.

Revised regulations

The military has also published a revised set of regulations, without references to any ban against homosexual service members. Those who have been discharged under the don't ask, don't tell rule are entitled to re-enlist. But existing standards of personal conduct, such as those pertaining to public displays of affection, will not change. Nor will there be any change to the eligibility standards for military benefits.

Under current rules, service members are allowed to choose a partner as care-giver under the Wounded Warrior programme, or as a life insurance beneficiary. Some in Congress remain opposed to repeal, arguing it could undermine efficiency and discipline in the military. After the Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal Act was passed by Congress last December, Mr Obama, Mr Panetta and Adm Mullen certified that allowing openly gay service members would not undermine the military.

Drinks firm trademarks F-word

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:01:00 +0000

16 September 2011, 12:54

A German drinks company has won a court battle to register the F-word as a trademark.

Liquor manufacturer EFAG will now enjoy legal protection of the brand name of its 'Ficken' schnapps.

Drinkers in Germany might feel a little embarrassed about asking for the drink - it is named after the German word for "f***."

But the manufacturer can take solace in the fact that the brand name is now legally protected.

EFAG took the case to Germany's Federal Patent Court after officials refused to register the name as a trademark, arguing that it was socially offensive.

Following its legal victory, EFAG now owns the 'Ficken' trademark for clothing, mineral water and fruit drinks, as well as alcoholic drinks.

In its ruling, the court explained that, although the name was unquestionably in poor taste, it was not "sexually discriminatory" and did not violate public morals.

German State Makes History with eGaming Treaty

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:59:00 +0000

Gaming history was made this week as the Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein passed Germany’s first gaming treaty.

The decision couldn’t have passed by a narrower margin.

The vote was 46 to 45.

Schleswig-Holstein is the first of sixteen German states to pass such a motion. This is putting a lot of pressure on the other states to follow course.

Germany has been discussing online gaming regulations for some time.

Back in August, many parties opposed the movement. The asked the ruling party to consider the long-term implications. They were concerned that the decision would turn Schleswig-Holstein into what they dubbed the "Las Vegas of Germany."

Australia's Kevin Rudd fights to get Vegemite on plane

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:08:00 +0000

Mr Rudd was heading to New York from Mexico City when he attracted the authorities' attention.

He explained that the dark brown paste was his breakfast and, with help from local diplomats, was allowed through.

Vegemite, a savoury paste made from yeast extract, is popular in Australia.

It is similar to Marmite, which is widely eaten in the UK, but is hard to buy in many countries.

"Only problem travelling to NY is that they tried to confiscate our Vegemite at the airport. Needed Foreign Ministerial intervention," Mr Rudd tweeted.

"Airport staff were surprised when I said it is good for you and I ate it for breakfast. They then waved me through," he said.

Mr Rudd is not Vegemite's only high-profile defender - Prime Minister Julia Gillard also spoke out in its support when she visited the US in March.

The subject came up when she and US President Barack Obama visited a school in Virginia.

Describing Vegemite as "a quasi-vegetable by-product paste that you smear all over your toast", the US president pronounced it "horrible".

But Ms Gillard said it was "good", as long as you remembered to spread it thinly.

Denver men 'take dead friend Jeffrey Jarrett to bar'

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:47:00 +0000

The two men left the body in their car as they drank and ate at bars and a strip club

Two US men face charges in Denver for allegedly driving around with the body of a friend after discovering him dead.

The pair bought drinks, dinner and took $400 (£253) from Jeffrey Jarrett's bank, visiting a strip club before reporting his death, police said.

Robert Young, 43, and Mark Rubinson, 25, are charged with identity theft, criminal impersonation and abuse of a corpse.

Jarrett was pronounced dead at home in Denver after the 28 August incident.

The cause of death is not currently known, with police saying the results of toxicology tests may not be available for several weeks.

'Bizarre and unfortunate'

Mr Young discovered Jarrett's body on 27 August 2011 when he arrived at his friend's home after being offered the chance to stay there for a while, according to a statement of probable cause released by Denver police.

Instead of calling the police, though, he went to the restaurant where Mr Rubinson worked.

The two men, both friends with Jarrett, put his body in the back seat of Mr Rubinson's car and took it to Teddy T's and Sam's No 3 - both bars in Denver - before taking the body back to Jarrett's home.

They continued to Viva Burrito, a Mexican restaurant, and Shotgun Willie's, a strip club in nearby Glendale.

At Shotgun Willie's they also withdrew $400 from Jarrett's account, although court documents do not make clear whether either of the men knew Jarrett's PIN number.

The two men stayed at Shotgun Willie's until closing time, and reported Jarrett's death to the police at around 04:00 in the morning.

Denver Police Department spokesman Sonny Jackson called the incident a "bizarre and unfortunate crime".

He added: "This isn't anything you want to have happen to a loved one. You want them treated with respect in death."

The two men have been released from custody on bail, and are due in court in late September and early October.

Nasa satellite UARS nearing Earth "could land anywhere"

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:17:00 +0000

The 'productive scientific life' of the UARS ended in 2005 when it ran out of fuel

A five tonne, 20-year-old satellite has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth on or around 24 September, according to Nasa.

Nasa says the risk to life from the UARS -Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite - is just 1 in 3,200.

Hurtling at 5m (8km) per second, it could land anywhere between 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south of the equator - most of the populated world.

However, most of the satellite will break or burn up before reaching Earth.

Scientists have identified 26 separate pieces that could survive the fall through the earth's atmosphere, and debris could rain across an area 400-500km (250-310 miles) wide.

Nasa said scientists would only be able to make more accurate predictions about where the satellite might land two hours before it enters the Earth's atmosphere.

Re-entry

The 1 in 3,200 risk to public safety is higher than the 1 in 10,000 limit that Nasa aims for.

However, Nasa told reporters that nobody had ever been hurt by objects re-entering from space.

Falling space debris

Hardware re-enters at shallow angles (<1 degree)
Some 50 items weighing >1 tonne re-enter a year
Major break-up occurs about 80km altitude
10-40% of dry mass on orbit will survive
Debris spreads over long, thin "footprints"
It can be a hazard to people and property

Members of the public are not allowed to keep pieces of the satellite that may fall to Earth, or sell them on eBay, as they remain the property of the US government.

The UARS was launched in 1991 by the Discovery space shuttle, and was decommissioned in 2005.

The latest satellite re-entry is much smaller than Skylab, a satellite that re-entered the earth's atmosphere in 1979.

It was some 15 times heavier than the UARS, and when it crashed in Western Australia the US government was fined a $400 clean-up fee by the Australian government.

Sputnik 2 crashed on Earth in 1958, travelling from over New York to the Amazon in 10 minutes. It was viewed by many people and left a trail of brightly coloured sparks behind it.

Madonna’s utter disdain for hydrangeas!

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Posted by Emily Exton on 09/08/2011 at 3:50 PM News Photo: josiejose via flickr (hydrangeas), Ian Gavan/Getty Images (Madonna)

Madonna’s utter disdain for hydrangeas made news over the weekend, largely because of her failure to realize such a public display of snobbery was caught on tape, as well as the ridiculousness behind her bemoaning such a gift. A quick recap: flowers were presented to Madge by a fan during a press conference for her new film W.E., to which she not-so-quietly proclaimed: “I absolutely loathe hydrangeas.” Never meet your idols, kids. After the world exploded with viral riffs and humorous musings on Her Madgesty’s comment, which has likely led many devout followers to rethink their own floral preferences, a spokesperson issued an official response to the non-controversy. “She’s entitled to like any flower she wants and she didn’t want to hurt the feeling of the hydrangeas of the world. No disrespect to the hydrangeas lovers of the world but she prefers different types of flowers,” Madonna’s rep said in a statement.

Maybe we don’t get a lot of flowers around here, but the whole things sounds a little ungrateful to us. But maybe not. Hydrangeas might just be a really, really terrible breed of flowers that have secretly been responsible for some of the worst happenings in world history (or just music, specifically). We’re not florists, which is why we threw this one to the professionals, hoping to discover if loathing is the typical reaction one might have in the presence of such (seemingly pretty) flowers.

“Everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to flowers, but I will say she is the only person I’ve ever heard of that hates hydrangeas,” said Jeff Leatham, notable floral designer to the stars. While Leatham lists orchids, calla lilies and roses among his most popular client requests, hydrangeas have been an American garden staple since beings transported from England in the 1700s, later becoming a fixture in mainstream households thanks to the Tao of Martha Stewart. While their Northern European origin alone should satiate the notorious Anglophile’s craving for all things born and bred across the pond, hydrangeas are frequently used in both Japanese herbs and teas, leading us to demand an ingredients list for wherever her fountain of youth creams and potions come from.

Marketing Graphics Toolkit V2

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Marketing Graphics Toolkit V2: Create ALL Your Marketing Graphics With or Without Photoshop!
Nice bit of kit.

BBC News - 9/11 anniversary: National Memorial in New York opens

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:54:00 +0000

The huge memorial pools are located on the original World Trade Center site, amid ongoing construction of the new skyscraper

The New York memorial to those killed on 9/11 is due to open to the public, a day after its dedication on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

The National 9/11 Memorial will open its doors to several thousand people at 10:00 on Monday (14:00 GMT).

It includes the names of 2,983 people killed by al-Qaeda in New York, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

On Sunday night, President Barack Obama said Americans should honour those who died but look forward with "hope".

He said the decade since the attacks showed the resolve of those in the US to defend their way of life.

The ideal that "men and women should govern themselves... has only been strengthened", Mr Obama said.

Mr Obama was speaking during a memorial concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, closing a day of official commemorations marking the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Bronze names

The opening of the memorial in New York will see several thousand visitors each day allowed into the area once occupied by the World Trade Center towers.

Ongoing construction work in the vicinity - most notably of the unfinished One World Trade Center, the new skyscraper being erected by the site - means visitor numbers are being restricted at present.

9/11 DEAD

NEW YORK

World Trade Center: 2,605
Flight American 11: 87
Flight United 175: 60

PENTAGON

Building: 125
Flight American 77: 59

SHANKSVILLE

Flight United 93: 40

TOTAL KILLED: 2,976

In pictures: US flag tributes

Drunk Swedish elk found in apple tree near Gothenburg

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:57:00 +0000

A homeowner in southern Sweden got a shock when he found a drunken elk stuck in his neighbour's apple tree.

The animal was apparently on the hunt for fermenting apples when she lost her balance and became trapped in the tree.

Per Johansson, from Saro near Gothenburg, found the elk making a roaring noise in the garden next door.

He called the emergency services, who helped him free the boozed-up beast by sawing off branches. She spent the night recovering in the garden.

The next day she took herself off into the woods with her hangover.

It is not unusual to see elk, or moose as they are known in North America, drunk in Sweden during autumn, when there are plenty of apples about.

Other residents of Saro had seen the elk on the loose in the preceding days.

Mr Johansson said the elk appeared to be sick, drunk, or "half-stupid", the Associated Press reported.

Video: Indy car goes airborne

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Autoblog UK

By Tom Webster, Sep 6, 2011

Filed under: Motorsport

Getting rear-ended at any speed is no fun, but getting rear ended while braking at the end of a 180mph straight in an Indy Car is even less enjoyable.

Thankfully no-one was hurt in this incident at the Baltimore Grand Prix on Sunday, which saw Tony Kanaan lose his brakes at 180mph and cannon into the rear three-quarters of Helio Castroneves' car, sending him flying into the air and narrowly missing a marshall.

In fact, the crash did Kanaan a favour, as it slowed him down heavily while he was flying towards the sharp right hand bend at the end of the straight.

He certainly recognised this, saying to Castroneves later on Twitter that "if wasn't for you my friend I wouldn't be here".

But the two drivers weren't the only ones with a lucky escape: look closely at the left hand side of the track at 0.42 seconds to see the white suited marshall who has his quick reactions to thank for his survival.

InterCasino agogo...

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Holy crap...

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:44:00 +0000

My new Desktop Background!

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:45:00 +0000

Sacrebleu!

A lightning strike gives a vivid backdrop to the iconic Eiffel Tower, while the Paris landmark is illuminated in vibrant blue lights. Amateur photographer Bertrand Kulik captured the shot which will appear in an exhibition titled "Lumieres celestes, lumieres des hommes", in Issy L'eveque, Burgundy. It was taken 21:02 GMT, 28 July 2008 during a storm in the French capital.

USA Guatemalan "tests"

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Guatemala STD tests 'may have infected 2,500'

Hundreds of people were infected with syphilis bacteria during the experiments

The extent of US medical experiments in Guatemala on STDs during the 1940s is greater than previously thought, health authorities have told the BBC.

The number of infected people could be as high as 2,500, says the president of the Medical Association of Guatemala.

According to a US report released on Monday, 1,300 Guatemalans were infected without their knowledge to study the effects of penicillin.

US scientists knew they were violating ethical rules, the report found.

There is also enough evidence to conclude there was collaboration between US and Guatemalan authorities at the time of the tests, Carlos Mejia, a member of the commission established by the Guatemalan government to investigate the experiments, told BBC Mundo.

At least nine Guatemalan doctors were involved in these experiments, he said.

Eight of them have already died, but authorities still do not know the whereabouts of a ninth, who would now be over 90 years old, he added.

The commission's final report is due in October.

“Start Quote

The Nazis used Poles, Russians and Jews, while the Americans made almost the same use of Guatemalans”

Carlos MejiaPresident of the Medical Association of Guatemala

Many of the same US government scientists who carried out the Guatemalan tests had sought consent from participants in an earlier study in the US.

'Nazi-like'

The US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues had said some 5,500 Guatemalans were involved in all the research that took place between 1946 and 1948, with a view to applying the results on US troops stationed around the world.

Of these, some 1,300 prisoners, psychiatric patients and sex workers were deliberately infected with syphilis, gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted disease, chancroid.

Concentrations of bacteria were injected into the eyes, the central nervous system and male genitals. Mr Mejia says this was behaviour very similar to that of the scientists in Nazi Germany.

"It took place in the context in which they [the United States] were judging the German doctors who had been experimenting with typhus and malaria on prisoners of war. The Nazis used Poles, Russians and Jews, while the Americans made almost the same use of Guatemalans," he says.

Of the group of 1,300, only about 700 received some sort of treatment.

According to documents the commission had studied, at least 83 of the 5,500 subjects had died by the end of 1953.

The commission was unable to say whether any of those deaths were caused directly or indirectly by the deliberate infections.

US President Barack Obama set up the commission when academic research carried out on the experiments by US government scientists first came to light last year.

He also apologised to his Guatemalan counterpart, Alvaro Colom, saying the acts ran contrary to American values.

Earlier this year, a group of Guatemalans who were involved in the study announced they were suing the US government over the affair.

The Dirty Dollars

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:24:00 +0000

James Cheyne, freelance journalist in Rangoon, Burma Mid Afternoon.

I stepped from a seriously old and battered Toyota into Pazunduang Township, Rangoon, Burma. A sticky 35 Celsius, I felt like I’d just landed on Mars. Fittingly some of the locals looked at me like I’d just come from there. White western tourists are still very few and far between. I’d organized a place to stay. $15 for a double room. Not the best price ever but not bad. I handed the lady a $20 bill. She immediately gave it straight back to me. “Do you have another?” She asked. “Why what’s wrong with this one?” “It’s broken” she replied, pointing to a tiny tear near the top right hand corner. I dug out a second but to no avail. “It’s dirty” she gestured to an ink stain on the edge which hadn’t seemed important back at Bangkok airport. After a bit more back and forth it emerged around a third of my budget for the week was unuseable. “Where’s the nearest ATM to here?” I asked with slight but rising panic. You might already have guessed her answer … Bangkok Airport. And so began the battle to get rid of my dirty dollars. Which I did through the black market and by swapping with other departing westerners. They weren’t acceptable because of that very fact, there’s no banks here – at least none accessible to ordinary Burmese. Ordinary Burmese instead hand their dollars to the boss who hands them to a broker who gets them out of the country – often through the hands of people who deal in drugs and weapons as well – people who insist on crisp, clean, smooth notes. They, at the top of the chain, have the power of refusal; those at the bottom have no choice but to comply. It’s a depressing, frustrating situation, made worse by the fact that when you use some of the local currency, The Kyat, the notes come tattered, torn, faded and held together with tape – another offshoot of having no banks of course, few new ones are ever printed. A constantly shifting exchange rate between the two currencies can leave you ripped off or clutching huge piles of notes, depending on what hour you head down the local market and who you ask for help. Fifteen years ago there were some U.S. forgeries bearing serial numbers beginning CB, find yourself stuck with a real hundred dollar bill like this and it also becomes useless. This system seems insane but it’s by no means the biggest financial problem the country has faced. The old President Ne Win, had a habit of declaring certain banknotes officially useless, no longer legal tender. His random decisions would wipe out people’s savings overnight and he’d then introduce new bills with bizarre numbers. He dreamed up a 75 Kyat note on is 75th birthday and a 90 Kyat note because he was obsessed with the number 9. I know this is true because I managed to track a couple of these notes down, buy them for well over their value then break the rules by taking them out of the country. Many Burmese people are poor, many are hungry. Here in Pazunduang Township many of their children run around the backstreets naked and dirty with little future to speak of right now. Being forced to turn down a sale from a comparatively rich westerner because of a tiny tear in a dollar bill seems to add a pointless layer of sadness to the tragic situation they face. It seems to bring a whole new meaning to our beloved phrase ‘financial crisis.’ It just seems wrong.

"saucy" banter banished from the BBC!

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:42:00 +0000

By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor7:00AM BST 30 Aug

John Lloyd, creator of the panel show QI, which is hosted by Stephen Fry, said executives were so terrified of causing offence that "saucy" banter was banished from the flagship channel before the watershed.
Lloyd expressed relief that the show is leaving BBC One and returning to its original home on BBC Two, even though that might lead to a drop in viewing figures.
"Sauciness is no longer allowed before 9pm anywhere on the BBC - particularly not on BBC One," said Lloyd, writing in Radio Times.
"The Commissioning, Legal, Compliance and Editorial Policy police hover over the scripts and the recordings, alert to the merest potential offence. There are blanket proscriptions, passed down from on high, which reduce everything to a bland vichyssoise that suits comedy programmes not at all.
"Heaven knows what they would have done to The Two Ronnies."

Northern Ireland Snooker referee Len Ganley dies

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 03:02:00 +0000

Len Ganley pictured between David Taylor and Tony Knowles before the 1982 International Open final
Len Ganley, the snooker referee from Northern Ireland who took charge of four World Championship finals, has died at the age of 68.

Ganley, who suffered from diabetes, died at home in Lurgan after his health deteriorated over recent weeks, World Snooker has announced.

The former milkman and bus driver became the best-known referee during snooker's boom years in the 1980s.

Ganley was awarded the MBE for charity work and services to snooker in 1994.

He officiated at world finals in 1983, 1987, 1990 and 1993 before retiring from refereering in 1999.

Six-times world champion Steve Davis, who included the 1983 and 1987 titles among his haul, paid tribute to Ganley.

Davis said: "Len did a very good job of being a referee and a personality at the same time.

"A referee is supposed to be unseen and he liked the limelight, but he still managed to do the job properly.

"He was a great character off the table, but in the arena he was an excellent referee.

"He knew the game as a player, having made century breaks himself, so when he was in charge of your match it was nice to know how well he understood the game."

Ganley's funeral will take place on Wednesday morning at St Paul's Chapel in Lurgan, with the family requesting donations to the Paul Hunter Foundation rather than flowers.

(You couldn't make it up...) G4S sacks pair who tagged offender's false leg

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:56:00 +0000

Private security firm G4S has sacked two members of staff who tagged a man's false leg allowing him to remove it and break a court-imposed curfew.

The pair were fooled by Christopher Lowcock, 29, who wrapped the prosthetic limb in a bandage when G4S set up the system at his Rochdale home.

He was then able to remove the limb and break a curfew imposed for offences involving drugs, driving and a weapon.

G4S sacked the pair for committing a serious disciplinary offence, it said.

In a statement the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said procedures "were clearly not followed in this case and G4S have taken action against the staff involved".

"Two thousand offenders are tagged every week and incidents like this are very rare," a spokesman added.

'Prosthetic leg'
G4S revealed managers became suspicious last month but when they returned to Lowcock's home he had been returned to custody accused of a driving-related offence.

The company revealed the second employee who went to check on the monitoring equipment at Lowcock's home was also sacked for failing to realise he had fooled them into tagging his false leg.

A spokeswoman for the company said it placed electronic tags on "70,000 subjects a year on behalf of the Ministry of Justice".

"Given the critical nature of this service we have very strict procedures in place which all of our staff must follow.

"In this individual's case two employees failed to adhere to the correct procedures when installing the tag. Had they done so, they would have identified his prosthetic leg."

The two staff involved had committed a serious disciplinary offence by failing to follow procedure and had been dismissed, she said.

The MoJ said contractors were expected to adhere to "the highest standards of professionalism" and strict guidelines had to be followed when tagging offenders.

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noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:27:00 +0000

32Red Bingo, one of the best. You know you want to....

Storms of the Century

noreply@blogger.com (BL0GGER) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Details

1876 -- September 12-19

The "San Felipe" hurricane hit Puerto Rico first before heading out to the Atlantic. It then made landfall in Wilmington, N.C., before moving north. Although it was estimated to be a Category 1 hurricane as it plowed through Virginia, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached Washington.

1878 -- October 23

This hurricane, a Category 2, is the strongest to have hit the Washington area since record-keeping began in 1851. With winds peaking early in the morning, the storm uprooted trees and tore roofs of buildings. Its rain and storm surge submerged cornfields in the D.C. metro area, turned Rock Creek into a "raging river," filled downtown basements full of water, and washed out county roads crossing a branch of the Anacostia River. The hurricane also flattened telegraph lines between Washington and New York City.

1879 -- August

The hurricane hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 3, then weakened, moving into Virginia as a Category 2.

1893 -- October

A Category 1 hurricane moved through the region.

1894 -- September

Another Category 1 hurricane moved through the region.

1896 -- September 22-30

This hurricane started as a Category 2 near Georgia, but by the time its eye passed slightly to the west of Washington, the winds had dropped considerably. Here it caused significant damage to trees, but not to much else.

1933 -- August 23-24

The Chesapeake Bay hurricane made landfall near Virginia Beach and followed the bay's west side, passing slightly to the west of Washington. Most of the resulting damage was caused by the storm surge, which in the Washington area reached 11 feet -- the highest on record. Eleven people died as a result of the storm, which caused $79 million in damage (in 1969 dollars).

1954 -- October 15

As the eye of Hazel passed to the west of Washington, its strongest winds hit the city, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs, and blowing out windows. By the time it reached D.C., after having made landfall near Wilmington, N.C., though, it technically wasn't a hurricane. Near Washington it had merged with another weather front, making it an extratropical storm with hurricane-force winds, according to NOAA. Twenty-two people died in Virginia, D.C., and Maryland. The storm caused more than $500,000 in damage (in 1954 dollars) in Washington.

1955 -- August 13 and August 18

Hurricane Connie moved up the Chesapeake Bay along a path to that of the 1933 hurricane and dropping a tremendous amount of rain, including nearly 10 inches in Prince Georges County, Md., which is just outside Washington. Total damage costs included about $4 million in Virginia and $1 million in Maryland. Five days later, Hurricane Diane came through central and northern Virginia, dumping another 10 inches of rain in some places on topsoil already saturated by Connie. The resulting flooding pushed the Rappahannock River in Virginia to crest at 8.5 feet above flood stage in Remington, Va., and 11 feet in Fredericksburg, Va.

2003 -- September 19

Hurricane Isabel was "one of the most significant tropical cyclones to affect the Chesapeake Bay region" since Hazel in 1954 and the 1933 Chesapeake Bay hurricane, according to NOAA. The storm damaged or destroyed nearly 8,000 homes in the D.C. area, mainly due to fallen trees, and left about 2 million residents without power -- many for several days. Isabel also produced an extensive storm surge, inundating many low-lying areas, including Old Town, Alexandria, portions of which were under five- to six-feet of water, and the Georgetown waterfront in Washington, where the water level reached 8.72 feet.

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InterCasino, Get on this, cant be bad.

Storms of the Century

Details