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Marco Simoncelli was killed after being involved in a horrific crash in the MotoGP race at Sepang, Malaysia.

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:30:00 +0000

after horrific crash

The Italian lost the front end of his bike on the second lap of the race and fell to his right, with the bike's wheels continuing to grip and throwing him into the path of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.
Both riders appeared to hit Simoncelli, whose helmet came off during the incident.
The race was red flagged immediately, and cancelled a few minutes later when it emerged that Simoncelli was in a critical condition.
Honda rider Simoncelli was in his second season in MotoGP, and established himself as a fan favourite with his flamboyant riding style.
He took his maiden podium spot in the series in the Czech Republic two months ago, and followed that up with a second place finish at the recent Australian Grand Prix.
Simoncelli's death is the second casualty in the top level of motorsport, coming just a week after British driver Dan Wheldon was killed in an IndyCar race in Las Vegas.
Eurosport

RIP Marco Simoncelli

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:28:00 +0000

Marco Simoncelli has died after a horrific crash at the Malaysian MotoGP in Sepang.

The race was cancelled after four minutes when Honda rider Simoncelli fell and was hit by Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi as he slid across the track.

The 24-year-old had his helmet knocked off in the accident and the race was immediately red-flagged.

Honda rider Simoncelli first entered MotoGP for the 2010 season.

He won his first pole position at the Catalunya race in June this year.

The accident happened at Turn 11 when Simoncelli's bike veered across the track into the path of Edwards and Rossi.

Simoncelli, who was motionless on the track after the impact, had been fourth at the end of lap one after qualifying in fifth.

R.I.P. Marco Simoncelli - Colin Edwards Crash in Sepang - Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:21:00 +0000

Marco Simoncelli - Colin Edwards Crash in Sepang - Malaysia 2011...R.I.P. Marco!

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:12:00 +0000

Marco Simoncelli in a critical condition after crash in Sepang

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:08:00 +0000

Simoncelli was involved in a crash with two other bikes

The Malaysian MotoGP has been cancelled after a horrific crash which left Italian rider Marco Simoncelli in a critical condition in Sepang.

World champion Casey Stoner said: "When the red flag came out, we thought it was a bit of rain on the circuit.
"We can only hope and pray he's OK. Hopefully everything will be all right. The fact they've cancelled the race is not looking good."
Fellow racer Tony Elias said: "We have to wait. It was a difficult crash."
He added: "I hope Marco is OK."

video Marco Simoncelli crash Sepang Motogp 2011 MOTO GP fatal accident

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:03:00 +0000

video Marco Simoncelli crash Sepang Motogp 2011 MOTO GP fatal accident

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

MotoGP Race Sepang,… Simoncelli crash, red flag dikibarkan… Sepang tegaaaang …!!!

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 08:55:00 +0000

Well,… ketika race dimulai, trio repsol Honda sudah didepan… seolah tidak menghadapintantangan berarti …!!! Setelah trio repsol dilapis oleh Simoncelli dan Bautista dari Suzuki …!!! Rossi bisa menempati posisi ke 8 … di akhir lap 1 …!!! Duel terjadi antara Simoncelli vs Bautista … ketika Bautista melebar… Edwards nyodok… dan sehabis tikungan terjadi tabrakan antara Simoncelli vs Edwards …. !!! Edwards kondisi nya ok… namun Simoncelli geletaaak di track… dan red flag pun dikibarkan …!!!

Crash fails to prevent Spaniard from grabbing pole ahead of Stoner

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 08:52:00 +0000

SEPANG: Not even an early tumble could stop Spain’s Dani Pedrosa from clinching pole position in the MotoGP class at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix here.
Pedrosa crashed in his fifth lap but clawed his way back to the top of the timesheets after fighting off both his Honda Repsol team-mates – Casey Stoner of Australia and Andrea Dovizioso of Italy – to take pole in 2:01.462.
Stoner, who wrapped up the world title in Phillip Island, Australia, last week, was denied his 12th pole of the season after clocking 2:01.491.

Side show: Ducati MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi of Italy performing a wheelie during the qualifying session at the Sepang International Circuit yesterday.

Italian Dovizioso capped Honda’s dominance by posting 2:01.666. Yamaha’s American rider Colin Edwards was fourth fastest in 2:02.010.
Marco Simoncelli, who finished second in Phillip Island last weekend, was fifth while American Nicky Hayden was the top Ducati qualifier in sixth spot.
Pedrosa, who missed the Malaysian race last year with a broken collarbone, also led the third and final practice earlier in the day.
Pedrosa, fastest in both practice sessions on Friday, was pleased to have claimed his second pole position in Sepang since his first in 2007.
His effort was also a new lap record at the Sepang circuit, bettering the previous mark of 2:01.537 set by Jorge Lorenzo last year.
“I went faster in the afternoon and qualifying was a good improvement from the free practice time in the morning,” said Pedrosa, who will be hoping to emerge tops today after two runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009.
“I changed some settings on my bike and I’m really happy with how things turned out as the weather was hot and that made it difficult for everybody.”
Stoner, meanwhile, was not too disappointed with his failure to secure pole.
“It’s a very physical track with different speed bumps and the humidity makes it a tough race to expect tomorrow. I did not do as many laps as I would have wanted to as we have been struggling to get the balance between the tyres,” said Stoner, who has won here twice in 2007 and 2009. “But I am happy with the race pace.”
American John Hopkins had to withdraw from the race when the third finger on his right hand, which he broke in the Czech Republic recently, swelled up overnight, making it impossible for him to ride a MotoGP machine competitively or safely.
MotoGP: 1. Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 2:01.462, 2. Casey Stoner (Aus) Honda 2:01.491, 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 2:01.666, 4. Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha 2:02.010, 5. Marco Simoncelli (Ita) Honda 2:02.105, 6. Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 2:02.172, 7. Hiroshi Aoyama (Jpn) Honda 2:02.254, 8. Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Suzuki 2:02.332, 9. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Ducati 2:02.395, 10. Cal Crutchlow (Bri) Yamaha 2:02.756, 11. Randy De Puniet (Fra) Ducati 2:02.939, 12. Loris Capirossi (Ita) Ducati 2:03.077, 13. Karel Abraham (Cze) Ducati 2:03.438, 14. Hector Barbera (Spa) Ducati 2:03.619, 15. Toni Elias (Spa) Honda 2:03.646, 16. Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 2:03.678, 17. Katzuyuki Nakasuga (Jpn) Yamaha 2:04.072.
Moto2: 1. Thomas Luthi (Swi) Suter 2:07.512, 2. Stefan Bradl (Ger) Kalex 2:07.724, 3. Michele Pirro (Ita) Moriwaki 2:08.004, 4. Yuki Takahashi (Jpn) Moriwaki 2:08.069, 5. Pol Espargaro (Spa) FTR 2:08.107, 6. Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Kalex 2:08.154, 7. Mika Kallio (Fin) Suter 2:08.240, 8. Claudio Corti (Ita) Suter 2:08.319, 9. Scott Redding (Bri) Suter 2:08.412, 10. Mattia Pasini (Ita) FTR 2:08.414.
125cc: 1. Nicolas Terol (Spa) Aprilia 2:13.579, 2. Hector Faubel (Spa) Aprilia 2:13.594, 3. Sandro Cortese (Ger) Aprilia 2:13.954, 4. Efren Vazquez (Spa) Derbi 2:14.581, 5. Luis Salom (Spa) Aprilia, 2:14.682, 6. Jonas Folger (Ger) Aprilia 2:14.776, 7. Maverick Vinales (Spa) Aprilia 2:15.055, 8. Alberto Moncayo (Spa) Aprilia 2:15.272, 9. Adrian Martin (Spa) Aprilia 2:15.304, 10. Danny Kent (Bri) Aprilia 2:15.590.
n TODAY
8.30-9.30am: Superbikes/Superstock/Supersports Race 2 (10 laps)
10.40-11am: 125cc warm-up
11.10-11.30am: Moto2 warm-up
11.40am-noon: MotoGP warm-up
1pm: 125cc race (18 laps)
2.15pm: Moto2 race (19 laps).
4pm: MotoGP race (20 laps).

The Malaysian MotoGP race was abandoned after just one lap due to an horrific accident involving Marco Simoncelli on Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 08:50:00 +0000

Marco Simoncelli © MCNews

The Malaysian MotoGP race was abandoned after just one lap due to an horrific accident involving Marco Simoncelli on Sunday.
Simoncelli (Honda) was seriously injured in a very serious crash on the second lap of the race at Sepang.
Simoncelli had been involved in a fierce battle for fourth place with Alvaro Bautista (Suzuki) from the end of the first lap and the pair swopped places repeatedly during the first part of the second lap.
Coming out of Turn 11, Simoncelli fell as the front tyre of his Honda lost traction and the bike fell away under him and he was skating to the left towards the outside of the track. But then the front tyre gripped again and swerved sharply to the right and the bike with the rider down on the track veered straight into the path of Colin Edwards who crashed into Simoncelli and his bike, and Simoncelli's helmet was ripped off in the crash. Both also crashed into Valentino Rossi (Ducati) as he was swerving right trying to avoid them. Neither Edwards nor Rossi had any chance of avoiding the accident
Rossi was pushed out onto the grass but remained mounted and rode away slowly while Edwards was able to get up and walk away, but Simoncelli remained prone and motionless on the track.
The race was immediately red-flagged and the Italian was removed to the track's medical facility by ambulance within minutes.
Unconfirmed reports said that Edwards had dislocated his shoulder in the accident. Rossi, a great friend of Simoncelli, was sitting very subdued in his garage awaiting news of his countryman.

Simoncelli's girlfriend had been watching the race from his garage.
Half an hour after the incident, the race was abandoned.

SIMTech staff has died after he was involved in a boating accident in Agatti island

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:24:00 +0000

SINGAPORE: A Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) staff has died after he was involved in a boating accident in Agatti island, off India, on Monday.

Mr Yong Kian Fei was on vacation when the incident happened.

While it is not fully known how the accident occurred, Mr Yong and his colleague, research engineer Desmond Ho, were believed to be attending a wedding on the island.

Thirty-two-year-old Mr Ho was injured during the accident and was sent to a local hospital. He is said to be in stable condition.

An A*STAR spokesperson said it was making arrangements for him to return to Singapore last night.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson said Wednesday that its consulate general in Chennai is aware of the incident and is in contact with the families of both Singaporeans.

MFA will also provide the families with all the necessary consulate assistance they might need.

A SIMTech supervisor has accompanied Mr Yong's family members to India and is helping the family to make arrangements to repatriate Mr Yong's body back to Singapore.

Agatti island is situated about 459km off Kochi and is a popular beach resort destination due to its blue lagoons and coral reefs.

K-ON ep 11 – Teen yuri drama, inanimate objects join the fight for attention and the stage is set.

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:18:00 +0000

Let the yuri show begin!

Subs took rather long today… Screencaps have been around for at least a day, rather funspoiling when I can’t watch the raw thing, PLUS screencaps with SOME sort of subs to make what the characters say evident is many times better than raw screencaps. So yeah, I had to wait for the subs >_< Not many episodes to go (actually there’s just one more) so let’s all enjoy whatever yuri we can get. :P *drums* *fanfare* I give you yet ANOTHER episode full of yuri, along with a number of surprises.
In episode 11 the fun starts almost immediately.The girls are discussing their imminent performance in the auditorium and talk about last year’s performance, the one were Mio exposed her inner world to all her fans. Well not really but it was close. We DID get stripes after all

I thought they fixed Azunyan some episodes ago... Or is that an excuse for more private lessons?

Mio doesn’t like it but people have not forgotten her live show last year. And since we’re talking about showing Azusa the ropes, what’s better than a DVD with Mio at her best performance?

Nutcase-sensei, should you really be showing your students stuff like that?

Azusa has reached Ecchi level 4! Azusa gains 3 Pervert Points! Azusa can pick a new Ero Ability!

Aftermath... Azusa has advanced in her quest for pleasure.

Tissues are right there girls, help yourselves

Anyway, after all the lustful individuals are done watching Mio’s debut, it appears Ritsu has once again forgotten to submit the Auditorium usage application. It turns out they also need to supply a group name so they start coming up with ideas, not successfully if I may add, although one can only appreciate the irony of them…

Is there even HALF a person in that club who's not a complete lech?

And we come to one of the main topics of the episode (yes, besides yuri and all that). Yui, being Yui, wasn’t maintaining her guitar for a year so the strain was becoming obvious (not sounding as good, strings were getting rusty, etc). And no, you don’t explain ALL that to Yui in one go, Azusa, cause her lazy processor cannot comprehend more than one new concept per day.
So anyway, the girls decide to visit the music store and have Yui’s guitar inspected and fixed. Mio comments on the stores not having instruments for left-handed people but she’s extremely happy when she finds out it’s a special left-handed sales day. Leaving shyMoe to her left-handed instrumental heaven, Yui and Azusa visit the shop’s counter where ONE of the extremely few males in K-ON resides.

Guy : Hmm... kinda small... Yui : So THAT'S how it looks like!

Seeing Yui interested, Azusa tries to strike up a convo with the guy but I suppose being inexperienced hurts there.

Nice one, Azusa! Let's see how Yui picks up from there!

Only Yui can take something normal and make it utterly insane, perverted and hot. Watch carefully, Azusa. This is how a pro works.

Yui eventually gets her guitar fixed without realizing she has to pay for it, we get some “Mugi-sama” scenes as she saves Yui again (woot! another TWO whole guys in K-ON! It’s not an urban legend!), then Ritsu tried to drag shyMoe out of the store and there’s where the yuri drama begins.

Clouds in the horizon... and some moe Ritsu footage

Not sure what’s shyMoe’s problem there, I mean Ritsu’s always playing so there’s no point getting pissed like that. To make matters worse, the company splits because Yui promised to meet with Nodoka and shyMoe wants to tag along. Ritsu doesn’t like that, so they end up spying on the other three after all. Yuri jealousy is evident.

Declaration of ownership! "Back off! She's mine!"

Things aren’t better afterwards, with shyMoe and Nodoka spending lunchtime together all the time and Ritsu trying to push her way between them. Nodoka seems like the unwilling participant in this yuri triangle. Anyway, it gets even worse, as Ritsu teases shyMoe to no end and shyMoe gets pissed. Yuri emo drama ensues.

Ohoho, Ritsu revealed her true feelings. Pity, I kinda liked her with Yui, they think alike.

Oh? So what's all that about then? Trying out tsundere moe cause you missed the attention?!

Ero Azunyan willing to give her everything to the group again... "Sa-wan has taught you well".

She does manage something though and they start practicing a bit but Ritsu’s performance sounds weird.

Emo?? Nah, can't be... Yandere?! Is it Yandere?!! It is, isn't it?!! Yuri Yandere!! Nodoka is doomed!

Ritsu drops the practice and leaves, and no one sees her for some days afterwards.

Well... Some people are REALLY into it in that school...

Anyway, back to the music club, with Ritsu missing, there’s obviously going to be a problem with the live performance. Not that everyone seems to care much about it, going emo over Ritsu’s strange absence. Nutcase-sensei however understood the situation perfectly.

Well... Now that I think about it... *nosebleed* RitsuxMio works, too.

Nutcase-sensei warns that in any other case, Ritsu may descend to the realm of delinquents and heavy metal. Yui, who’s natural at a number of things, picks up the vital information instantly.

... So, let me get this straight... You're both saying that Ritsu and Mio were going out? Ah, good, cause I wasn't 100% sure they were dating. Thanks for clarifying the matter.

So wait, does that mean YuixRitsu was just a vacation affair…? Is Ritsu trying to start a harem? Since she’s already going out with Mio, is AzusaxYui going canon? What about Mugi? Damn… this episode puts many complicated issues on the table… And that’s not all…

Careful, Mio! There's another one who's after Ritsu here.

The meeting leads to nowhere. Trsundere-shyMoe tries to find Ritsu at school and we finally learn that Ritsu hasn’t been coming to the club because she’s absent due to sickness. So shyMoe goes to pay her a visit.

"Mio! Don't leave me! I love you! Yui was just a passing thing!! T-T"

Using weak, pleading eyes attack.

Aaaw... Mio loves Ritsu, too...

Yes, it- what?! How did YOU get here?!

Anyway, try to forget you saw TransMomoko from Shangri-la and let’s move on. Shortly afterwards the other three girls drop by for a visit, too.

Yui is Yui. Yui owns everything in K-ON. And I thought we all left the jealousy thing behind...

Ritsu finally recovered thanks to the combined power of deep yuri love or something along these lines and the girls are ready for their performance. Of course, no one submitted the Auditorium application AGAIN, although at least Ritsu has an excuse now. Nodoka pleads the student council with Ritsu and manages to get one more day to submit the application. And finally, the yuri triangle is resolved.

Ritsu finally approves Nodoka...

So that's what you were up to! Good thinking! Now you can keep shyMoe AND expand your harem without anyone objecting.

They are having problem with the name again, so Nutcase-sensei takes the matter into her hands and just signs them up. So everything, from Yui’s now-naughty guitar named GITA~ to the complicated yuri polygons have been resolved. Time for a group pic to celebrate this happy occurrence.

Yui, stupid people don't catch a cold... But then, it was Ritsu first so this must be a unique kind of cold.

I think I’ve said it before… I’m not really into K-ON emo episodes. At least this one was better than the other cause it was kinda funny even around the supposed teen drama and the RitsuxMio bed scenes were rather touching. While there were many things to pick up in this episode, as well as Yui’s brain overheating, it didn’t FEEL as fun as, say, the last beach episode, although many will just disagree on episode 10 being good and stuff. This episode felt something between Azusa’s episode and a normal K-ON episode. I suppose I do rank it higher than the emo-Azusa ep, but it always feels weird watching emo teen drama in K-ON. In the end it was K-ON alright but I kinda miss the old pure light-hearted K-ON days. I know teen life is full of emo drama so sometimes you can’t escape from a bit of that even if you want to. Anyway, I guess it was a good episode overall. The yuri was there, ero guitar and tissues were there, even actual GUYS were there, which is a K-ON commodity. Not that I care about them, they just make the setting feel a bit more realistic. Yui ruled in yet another episode and, yes, I’m rather Yui-biased as you may have noticed
Next ep is apparently Yui catching a cold for good and her timing is terribly bad as the performance is around the corner, so we’ll just have to wait and see what she’ll do. Please, God, let this be a non-emo episode… For those who might not know already… this is it… the mother of all episodes…

The End approaches

PS If you notice changes when you refresh, it’s just me editing typos and fixing grammar :p Yes, 4am is a bad time to review stuff
PS2 Remind me never to review episodes at 4am in the morning… I decide on something and I end up writing something completelly different >_>

The mountains to the north has eight of the ten highest in the world

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:15:00 +0000

News about Npal.Latest result Npal.All Npal.Search Npal.Singapore Npal.The trend information services for students NPal site offered to you conditioned on your agreement to the terms and conditions. I am looking for motivated, talented students for the laboratory. Strong background cognitve psychology.Nepal (नेपाल) (I / nɛpɔ ː l / N-Pawl [5] Nepali: नेपाल [Nepal] (listen)), officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, a landlocked sovereign state located in the south East Asia. It is located in the Himalayas, and is limited to the People's Republic of China in the north and south, east and west of the Republic of India. When the area is 147,181 square kilometers (56,827 square kilometers) and a population of about 30 million, Nepal is the world's third largest mass ninety Mon March [6], and 41 most populous country. Kathmandu is the capital and largest metropolis.Nepal the country has a rich geography.

The mountains to the north has eight of the ten highest in the world, including mountains the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, Sagarmatha in Nepali called. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20,000 feet (6,096 m) above sea level. [7] The south fertile, moist is highly urbanized.

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3 MILITARY SHIRTDRESS

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9 RUCHE SHOULDER MINI DRESS

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16 POCKET CASUAL BLOUSE

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The ruched of poise dress is an elegant selection for any semi-formal event such as corporate dinners or cocktail parties. With the correct accessories such as a pair of wedges and a flash of silver accessories, you will be the standout among the crowd. When don on, this dress creates an artful feminine figure with style and charm. Featuring a V neckline and ruched across bodice, the effect is gracefully wrapped around the body. This dress also features a perfect body-hugging cut to accentuate the feminine silhouette. Made of high quality lycra, the piece is definitely a good buy. Fully lined and non sheer. This highly raved number is one of our best designs so far :)

Measures 32.5" down, 15 - 18" ptp
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25 HIGHWAISTED SKIRT

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Measures 19" down, 12 - 14.5" across waist
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28 PRETTY IN MIDI SKIRT

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Available in assorted bold and striking colours, this skirt is the hot flavour for this collection. Featuring a contrasting bright colour palette, this skirt can be your perfect complement for your tops. For the conventional image, match this skirt with a solid coloured tube and heels yet still look strikingly gorgeous. Easy to throw on yet not losing out on the style factor, this lovely number is suitable for almost all occasions. Featuring an elastic waistband to suit almost all feminine silhouettes. Made of cotton polyester blend. Definitely worth your every cent :)

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Match this Victorian-inspired piece with accessories such as rosette hair pins, and you are ready for your outdoor tea parties or picnics. The exquisite and intricate crochet detail rosettes along the neckline and skirt line. Featuring ¾ sleeves and a perfect cut, this dress is suitable for most feminine silhouettes. Made of good quality soft chiffon and fully lined. Comes with a concealed side zip for fuss-free wearing and a complimentary detachable sash as featured. A gorgeous classic number that is worth your every penny :)

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Flaunt your feminine shoulders in this gorgeous Antoinette Ruche Dress. The perfect cut of the dress is made to hides bulges and give the figure a flattering effect. White on top with contrasting bright summer colours for the skirt makes this one-piece ruche dress a must-have for this collection. An extremely versatile number that can be worn off shoulder or on. Made of lycra polyester blend, bottom fully lined. A favourite among the Ohvola team!

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The perfect piece for the stylish and classy fashionista. This fashion forward dress uniquely stands out with a structural and futuristic twist. Featuring a one shoulder strap and sleeveless styling, this piece flaunts your feminine shoulders. The fitted panelled design with strong accentuated lines offers a subtle image and at the same time, defines the great lines of the feminine silhouette. Made of structured cotton blend, concealed side zip for fuss-free wearing. One of the best buys of the collection.

Measures 32.5" down, 15 - 17" ptp
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Revenge of the Factory Woman 與愛別離

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:10:00 +0000

By Derek Elley
Mon, 03 October 2011, 09:15 AM (HKT)

Simple but impressive drama set in '70s Taiwan, with lucid direction and acting. Beyond festivals, largely niche TV

Story

Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, 1978. Yen Yu-hua (Peggy Tseng), a young woman from a modest background, works on a production line in a factory in the port city's Export Processing Zone. The production supervisor, Chi Kuo-wei (Yin Chao-te), is also her boyfriend. One night, he proposes to her, and she accepts. Her best friend, Tseng Shun-fang (Chou Heng-yin), whose father (Yeh Teng-yuan) owns the factory, seems delighted for them both; but underneath she realises she also secretly loves Kuo-wei. Kuo-wei and Yu-hua settle into what seems a perfect marriage. However, one evening, alone at the factory by chance, Kuo-wei and Shun-fang share a moment together. Later, Yu-hua tells Kuo-wei that she's pregnant. But then Shun-fang, whose father wants to marry her off to a business colleague, tells Kuo-wei that she is pregnant too. Overhearing their conversation, Yu-hua is devastated and leaves Kuo-wei, as well as publically disclosing his adultery with Shun-fang. Shamed by the incident, Shun-fang's father tries to force her to have an abortion, further precipitating events.

Review

A simple story, simply told, writer-director Gavin LIN 林孝謙's second feature is an impressive achievement that has a quite different feel from most movies by young Taiwanese film-makers who are either more interested in scoring intellectual points or more focused on narrow, local subject matter. Partly recalling the classic style of '60s Taiwan cinema by directors like LEE Hsing 李行 (though without those films' underlying nationalism), but more particularly the "pure", ingenuous dramas of '80s director CHEN Kun-hou 陳坤厚 (The Matrimony 結婚 (1985)), Revenge of the Factory Woman 與愛別離 references many of the conventions of Asian melodrama without either condescending to them or trying for some kind of post-modern reinterpretation. Lin and co-writer Hermes Lü (呂鑨謚) believe in their characters and don't judge them — even the more conservative older generation — and, after what seems like a beautifully composed but uninvolving first hour, this approach pays off emotionally as the bonds of family and friendship re-assert themselves in interesting ways.
Though a tad more formally composed than his first feature, youth romance In Case of Love 街角的小王子, the film has a similarly easy style pitched between arthouse and mainstream, with attractively clean visuals by d.p. Mahua FENG 馮信華 (who also shot Rendy HOU 侯季然's '70s-set episode in Juliets 茱麗葉) and a simple, melodious score by composer Justin CHEN 陳忠義 that matches the sentiments on display. As in Love, Lin seems to have a natural feel — way beyond his years and experience — for when to hold a close-up, when to cut away, and how to blend contrasting elements into a smooth viewing experience. Even when little is actually happening on screen, Lin keeps the viewer interested in his characters.
None of this, however, would have worked without the cast, which features no star names but handpicked actors in each role. Actress-model Peggy TSENG 曾珮瑜 is far better employed here than in the vacuous Honey PuPu 消失打看, playing the demure and uncomplicated factory girl Yu-hua with a believable innocence that's matched by the sympathetic YIN Chao-te 尹昭德 (The Red Lotus Society 飛俠阿達 (1994)) as her errant husband Kuo-wei. However, the revelation of the movie is CHOU Heng-yin 周姮吟, 21, as Yu-hua's best friend, spoiled rich kid Shun-fang.
Recalling a younger René Liu, Chou was previously best known for playing the sexy mistress in CHO Li 卓立's Rear Window-like drama, Zoom Hunting 獵豔, but here gets her first real chance to strut her stuff. Even during the opening 25 minutes, when the story is technically centred on the romance and marriage between Kuo-wei and Yu-hua, it's Chou's calculatedly fey performance as the friend-in-the-middle that holds the attention and maintains a sense of edge, of impending drama, when not much is going on apart from character exposition. Though Shun-fang, like Kuo-wei, is never vilified, it's still to the credit of Chou that she's able to make the "other woman" role so rounded and, ultimately, sympathetic.
The gambit by Lin and Lü of leaving the plot's major twist until so late in the game initially seems to unbalance the movie. With enough happening in the final 20 minutes to fuel another hour of drama, the texture of the movie seems to thicken unnaturally after the spacious and lucid feel of the preceding hour. In fact, this compressed finale, which blends flashbacks with the present, brings the film to a very moving close just when it looked as if there would be no major emotional pay-off.
The period look for late '70s Kaohsiung looks well-researched but a little stiff. English subtitles are fine, except for the silly decision to give the main characters western names like "Gordon", "Yvonne", "Sophie" and "Jamie" that's both unnecessary and distracting. The film's dramatic English title doesn't really reflect the tone of the movie, though it's better than the original one, A Departure from Love. The Chinese literally means Taking Leave of Love.

Jail Looms for Lindsay Lohan

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Lindsay Lohan is due in court today.

Another episode in the drama of Lindsay Lohan will play out today at her latest Los Angeles court hearing.
Lohan is required to attend the hearing, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT. The Associated Press reported that a city prosecutor will recommend that she be sent to jail once again for being booted from her required community service at the Downtown Women’s Center.
In July, Lohan was ordered in April to serve 360 hours at the Downtown Women’s Center as part of her probation from her January shoplifting case. It’s unclear how many hours she completed there, but she was terminated by the center. She’s now doing community service with the American Red Cross.
Lohan’s publicist, Steve Honig, told the AP that his client is working hard to get back on track, undergoing psychological counseling and completing a Shoplifters Anonymous course.
“She’s really pounding away,” Honig said. ”She’s on a good track. We’re optimistic the judge will see that.”
To help her case, Lohan took to Twitter Tuesday night.
“I just want it to be known, that just because I was not followed&photographed during the times I’ve gone to community service, does NOT mean that I wasn’t following my obligations (by going) to the court,” she wrote.

Killing scores of exotic animals after they were set free from a farm in Zanesville, Ohio

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:15:00 +0000

Killing scores of exotic animals after they were set free from a farm in Zanesville, Ohio on Tuesday night was the right thing to do, according to Director Emeritus of Columbus Zoo Jack Hanna.
Terry Thompson, the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm in Ohio, set free the animals before committing suicide, the Associated Press reports. Nearly 50 animals on the loose, including lions, bears, monkeys, and 18 rare bengal tigers, were hunted down by officers.
Hanna said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference that the officers who had to kill the animals were struggling with what they had to do. He said, "Going home and saying to their kids they had to shoot a tiger, one of the rarest animals in the world, I wouldn't want to be one of these guys, having to tell my kids."
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species estimates there are fewer than 2,500 Bengal tigers left in the wild as of 2010, due in large part to poaching and habitat loss.
In an interview with MSNBC following the press conference, he said, "We did the right thing. I think the sheriff did the right thing. Obviously the loss of animal life is tragic but what happened, happened."
At the Wednesday press conference, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said 49 animals had been killed, and a monkey possibly infected with herpes B virus was still on the loose. He said there were a total of 56 animals kept on the farm.
Center for International Policy's Glenn Hurowitz wrote on his HuffPost blog about the "wildlife slaughter": "Police too often respond to one complaint with a hail of bullets - even when it's native wildlife like black bears, wolves or mountain lions. This is especially true in areas where predators were exterminated decades past, but are now migrating in from other areas."

He added: "Lethal measures should only be used as a last resort - and especially in cases like this, where police are dealing with highly endangered animals like tigers (3,000 left in the wild) and lions (just 23,000)."
"We are not talking about your normal everyday house cat or dog," Lutz said, according to CNN. "These are 300-pound Bengal tigers that we have had to put down. "When we got here, obviously, public safety was my number one concern. We could not have animals running loose in this county," he said.
USA Today reported Lutz said deputies did not have tranquilizer guns. "Deputies were shooting animals at close range with sidearms," he said.
"We found a mature adult bengal tiger in some brush… this veterinarian got very very close and tried to tranquilize this thing. I think we hit it, but as we did, it got up, showed very aggressive behavior towards her, then turned and started going away from her," Lutz said at the press conference. He added that because they did not know for sure if the animal had been properly hit with the tranquilizer and may have got away, they "did not want to take any chances and shot it."
According to CNN, in nearby Licking County, Sheriff Randy Thorp said the county SWAT team had been activated and equipped with night vision equipment and "necessary weapons."
WKYC-TV reports that Hanna said: "The main thing is we have a couple animal auctions in the state of Ohio that have to be shut down. It's like a drug dealer. You finally get the drugs and, you know, then the man gets the animals. So where's the source of these animals coming from? That has to be stopped and if the governor wants me involved, we will stop these animal auctions and stop it immediately. It has to be done. This is an example here. What happened here should not happen again."
CNN reports that Thompson was cited in the past for animal abuse and neglect.
Hanna said in the MSNBC interview that three leopards, some monkeys and a young grizzly had been taken to Columbus zoo until it could be figured out what to legally do with them.
MSNBC writes: "Animal-welfare groups say Ohio is notoriously lax when it comes to wild-animal ownership. It's one of fewer than 10 states that have no rules regulating the sale and ownership of exotic animals."
Delcianna Winders, Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement at PETA told HuffPost: "This is a tragic example of how things can go very wrong when people are allowed to keep exotic animals." She added, "Animals always pay the price and [this situation] is a perfect example of this."
She said PETA hopes it will be "a wake up call to the governor" to tighten legislation on keeping exotic animals.
---

Animals on the Loose

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:13:00 +0000

Dozens of exotic animals were released from their cages in Zanesville, Ohio, last night. The wolves, lions, tigers, bears, and other species were set free by the owner of a game park, who then committed suicide. Schools in the area were closed today, and law-enforcement officers were told to shoot to kill. Many of the escaped animals have since been shot dead.
In 1970, prompted by the news that a casqued hornbill had liberated itself from the Bronx Zoo, Susan Sheehan looked into the matter of zoo escapes and found that it was not an uncommon occurrence in New York (remember the cobra and the peacock from earlier this year?):

Not surprisingly, birds are the most common fugitives, but several varieties of monkeys have slipped out of their enclosures in the Bronx Zoo and so have beavers, otters, a pygmy hippopotamus, a Himalayan black bear, a leopard, and a platypus. Central Park’s roster of escapees includes a deer, a civet cat, and an Indian sun bear. Two black bear cubs have gone on the lam from the Prospect Park Zoo, in Brooklyn, and three chimpanzees (father, mother, infant) once got loose from Staten Island’s Barrett Park Zoo….The civet cat loped down Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf Goodman’s, where it tried unsuccessfully to enter the store first by the front door and later by the employees’ entrance; it was finally caught climbing up the store’s water pipes.

Sheehan acknowledged that while many zookeepers describe their animals’ quarters as escape-proof, “neither ingenuity nor diligence is required of animals set free by an act of man.”

More recently, Susan Orlean wrote about a tiger that walked through the township of Jackson, New Jersey, in 1999. When the tiger did not succumb to tranquilizer darts, it was shot dead by wildlife officials. Jackson, Orlean reveals, had, at that time, one of highest concentrations of tigers per square mile in the world. It was home to fifteen tigers at Six Flags Wild Safari and some two dozen more at the Tigers Only Preservation Society, owned by a woman named Joan Byron-Marasek. (Byron-Marasek’s compound was later shut down by the police and tigers relocated to Texas.)
Officials were unable to determine the dead tiger’s provenance, and Orlean points that it’s not hard to buy a tiger:

Only eight states prohibit the ownership of wild animals; three states have no restrictions whatsoever; and the rest have regulations that range from trivial to modest and are barely enforced. Exotic-animal auction houses and animal markets thrive in the Midwest and the Southeast, where wildlife laws are the most relaxed. In the last few years, dealers have also begun using the Internet. One recent afternoon, I browsed the Hunts Exotics Web site, where I could have placed an order for baby spider monkeys ($6,500 each, including delivery); an adult female two-toed sloth ($2,200); a Northern cougar female with blue eyes, who was advertised as “tame on bottle”; a black-capped capuchin monkey, needing dental work ($1,500); an agouti paca; a porcupine; or two baby tigers “with white genes” ($1,800 each). From there I was linked to more tiger sites—Mainely Felids and Wildcat Hideaway and NOAH Feline Conservation Center—and to pages for prospective owners titled “I Want a Cougar!” and “Are You Sure You Want a Monkey?” It is so easy to get a tiger, in fact, that wildlife experts estimate that there are at least fifteen thousand pet tigers in the country—more than seven times the number of registered Irish setters or Dalmatians.

The articles—and the complete archives of The New Yorker, back to 1925—are available to subscribers. Non-subscribers can purchase the individual issues.
Any favorite New Yorker articles come to mind? Send us an e-mail.
Cartoon by Mischa Richter.

Ohio law mostly silent on regulating wild animals

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:09:00 +0000

Jack Hanna wipes a tear from his eye as Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz announces that at that point they had killed 48 of the 56 exotic animals that were set free from the property of Terry Thompson Kopchak Road in Zanesville, Ohio on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Lutz later said that 49 of the animals were killed and the others had been obtained except one monkey. Jack Hanna and members of the Columbus Zoo assisted the sheriffs throughout the day. Zach Gray/The Advocate / Zach Gray, CentralOhio.com

When animal sanctuary officials in neighboring states found out what happened in Zanesville, Ohio, they said they weren't surprised.

Ohio has some of the most lax laws regarding private ownership of exotic animals, being one of fewer than 10 states with no regulation.

"My reaction was, 'Here we go again.' said April Truitt, executive director and founder of the Primate Rescue Center in Nicholasville, Ky. "Ohio is simply full to the brim with exotic animal breeders. ... You can buy anything you want in Ohio."

The same response came from Ohio's eastern neighbor.

"We knew something like this was going to happen, we just hoped it wouldn't be on this scale," said Melissa Bishop of the East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in Fairfield, Pa.

Truitt and Bishop were responding to a situation that broke late Tuesday, when authorities killed 49 of 56 exotic animals that escaped from a Zanesville farm after owner Terry Thompson killed himself.

These organizations say they get calls to come into the Buckeye State to pick up animals, or they get calls within their own states about animals that had been purchased in Ohio.

Joe Taft, founder of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Ind., said his center is frequently fielding calls from Ohio to handle exotic animals.

"While personally I'm not one of those people who thinks (private ownership) should be banned, I'm certainly one of those who thinks these activities should be regulated," Taft said.

He said there are auctions near the Indiana border.

"I constantly hear stories of people who have gone to Ohio and bought animals."

Truitt said there will be also be exotic animal auctions right on the Ohio-Kentucky border. Even though federal law bans interstate transport of these animals except in certain circumstances, it's ill-enforced.

"There's nothing cuter than a baby cougar when it's got blue eyes," Truitt said. "But six months later when it's grown up, people say, 'What did I buy?'"

Bishop's organization in Pennsylvania at capacity.

"We get phone calls all the time, mostly from Ohio ..." she said. "The market is flooded with exotic animals that have no place to go now that it's no longer a cute little baby being bottle-fed. Now it's going to eat them (the owners)."

Aside from the obvious, it's riskier to own an exotic animal because there are fewer veterinarians, and fewer places that will take them if they aren't wanted, Bishop said.

"If you're sick of your dog, you put an ad in the paper or take it to the (humane society). If you're sick of your tiger, you're stuck."

One of the auctions that used to sell tigers and bears is the Mid-Ohio Alternative Animal and Bird Sale in Holmes County, less than two hours from the Pennsylvania border.

There will be an auction on Nov. 4. A flier advertises the auction of primates, hedgehogs, swans, buffalo, mini-donkeys and ostriches, but no lions, tigers and bears.

The auction had to limit its operations after Gov. Ted Strickland issued an executive order that prohibited the possession, sale or transfer of certain dangerous wild animals in Ohio.

Even after the ban expired in April, however, the auction decided not to sell dangerous animals.

Thurman Mullet, owner of the auction, said the business fell under too much scrutiny by television crews for including these types of animals. The auction sold them up until last year.

Mullet said he supports regulation of these types of dangerous animals.

"If you ban them, no one can own them," he said.

Jeff Kremer, of the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla., said 18 states have banned private ownership of big cats. Ten states have partial bans. Thirteen states require the owner to register the animal. Ohio is not one of them.

Kremer said some of the worst offenders are "pay-to-play" breeders. It's legal to allow public interaction with the animals when they are eight to 12 weeks old, so some organizations will take the baby animals to malls and fairs. "You can cuddle with the babies legally for a big fee," Kremer said.

But then the animals grow up, he said, and "that baby isn't cute any longer."

Ohio's climate is a non-issue, Kremer said, since these animals have lived in both this climate and in captivity their entire lives.

Should they escape, he said, "Their No. 1 threat for survival is going to be ... people with guns and finding food."

Truitt is hopeful that Ohio will finally pass laws following the Zanesville incident. "Perhaps some good can come of this and Ohio can finally pass something meaningful."

Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 lions

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:07:00 +0000

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 lions, tigers and other beasts in a big-game hunt across the Ohio countryside Wednesday after the owner of a wild-animal park threw their cages open and committed suicide in what may have been one last act of vengeance against neighbors and police.
As homeowners nervously took cover indoors, officers spread out through fields and woods to hunt down about 56 animals, including bears, wolves and monkeys.
After an all-night hunt that extended into the afternoon, 48 animals had been gunned down and six captured alive and taken to the Columbus Zoo, authorities said. As of midafternoon, the only animals still on the loose were a wolf and a monkey, according to the sheriff's office.
Schools closed in the mostly rural area of widely spaced homes 55 miles east of Columbus. Parents were warned to keep children and pets indoors. And flashing signs along highways told motorists, "Caution exotic animals" and "Stay in vehicle."
Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said at an afternoon news conference that the danger had passed and they could reopen. The animals killed included 18 Bengal tigers, 17 lions, eight bears and a wolf, he said.
The only animals not found were a wolf and a monkey. Authorities said the monkey should be shot if caught because it could be carrying a disease.
The owner of the privately run Muskingum County Animal Farm, Terry Thompson, left the cages open and the fences unsecured before committing suicide, Lutz said earlier.
Authorities would not say how he killed himself, and Lutz wouldn't speculate on why he did it or why he went out with what appeared to be one last act of vengeance.
But Thompson had had repeated run-ins with the law, and Lutz said the sheriff's office had received numerous complaints since 2004 about animals escaping from the property. Thompson had gotten out of federal prison just last month after serving a year for possessing unregistered guns.
"This is a bad situation," the sheriff said earlier. "It's been a situation for a long time."
--
Associated Press writers Ann Sanner, Julie Carr Smyth and Doug Whiteman contributed to this report.

The Associated Press

Dozens of wild animals are on the loose in Zanesville

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:07:00 +0000

Dozens of wild animals are on the loose in Zanesville, Ohio, after escaping from a 40-acre exotic animal farm in the area, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Schools were closed all through the area and local residents feared for their lives as the dangerous creatures began to roam freely across Muskingum County.
We're not talking about dogs and cats here.
Nearly 50 animals, including lions, Bengal tigers, cheetahs and wolves, escaped from the Zanesville farm whose suicidal owner, Terry Thompson, 62, apparently set them free late Tuesday night before killing himself.

Some have been shot to death after efforts to tranquilize them failed.

"We are not talking about your normal everyday house cat," Sheriff Matt Lutz said at a news conference. "We could not have animals running loose in this county."
Lutz described a particularly frightening incident in which officials were confronted by a 300-pound tiger, who eventually was killed when officials had no choice.
The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium described the situation as being "like Noah's ark wrecked" and defended killing the animals out of concern for public safety.
Thompson reportedly was charged with animal cruelty in 2005. Why he was allowed to legally keep such an exotic menagerie is a mystery, at least to THG.
UPDATE: As of midday today, all the animals were accounted for, except a monkey and a wolf. "Public safety is our No. 1 concern," Lutz emphasized.

by-wild-animals/#ixzz1bGudauK9

Ohio escape renews call for exotic animal crackdown

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Heather Ellers And Dustin Burton / AP

A dead lion lies by the fence on Terry Thompson's farm near Zanesville, Ohio, Tuesday after being killed by sheriff's deputies.

The case of an Ohio man who set loose his collection of wild bears, lions, tigers and other beasts before apparently killing himself has animal-welfare organizations renewing their call for a clampdown on ownership of exotic animals.

“Exotic, dangerous animals simply do not belong in private hands. It’s not worth the risk,” said Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA.
Authorities believe Terry Thompson, owner of a 73-acre exotic-animal farm near rural Zaneville, Ohio, opened the cages to free his collection of animals before shooting himself Tuesday. Muskingum County sheriff’s deputies frantically raced to track down the 50-plus animals that escaped before they could harm anyone. Deputies fatally shot 49 of the animals — including 18 rare Bengal tigers.
By late Wednesday afternoon, authorities said only one animal remained missing — a monkey carrying potentially deadly herpes B virus.
Thompson, 62, had a criminal record. He was released from federal prison just last month, after serving a one-year term for weapons violations stemming from the discovery of more than 100 guns on his property in 2008, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Story: Sheriff defends order to shoot bears, tigers He was also convicted in municipal court in 2005 of cruelty to animals, having an animal at large and two counts of rendering animal waste without a license, according to the Dispatch. His preserve was home to a menagerie of lions, tigers, bears, wolves, giraffes, monkeys and other animals, many bought at auctions.
Video: Cops: Preserve owner freed dangerous animals Animal-welfare groups say Ohio is notoriously lax when it comes to wild-animal ownership. It's one of fewer than 10 states that have no rules regulating the sale and ownership of exotic animals.
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, said Thompson would have been barred from owning exotic animals had a state emergency rule on keeping dangerous exotics animals been in effect.
An executive order issued by former Gov. Ted Strickland just days before he left office in January prohibited people convicted of animal cruelty from owning exotic animals. The administration of current Gov. John Kasich allowed the order to expire in April, noting concerns about its enforceability and its impact on small businesses.
Story: Animal advocates defend shootings on Ohio farm Kasich has convened a stakeholder group to develop standards, but Pacelle said immediate action is needed until the Ohio Department of Natural Resources or the Legislature can adopt a permanent legal solution.
“Every month brings a new, bizarre, almost surreal incident involving privately held dangerous wild animals,” Pacelle said in a statement. “In recent years, Ohioans have died and suffered injuries because the state hasn’t stopped private citizens from keeping dangerous wild animals as pets or as roadside attractions. Owners of large, exotic animals are a menace to society, and it’s time for the delaying on the rulemaking to end.”
The Humane Society says it has documented 22 "incidents" with dangerous exotic animals in Ohio since 2003, including the widely reported killing last year in Lorain County of a 24-year-old man, Brent Kendra, by a captive black bear he reportedly was feeding.
Animal-welfare activists wanted the bear's owner, Sam Mazzola, charged with reckless homicide, but Kendra's death was ruled a workplace accident. The bear was later euthanized.
Mazzola was found dead in July, face-down on a water bed and restrained with handcuffs and chains, in his Columbia Station home. Authorities said he apparently choked on a sex toy.
Video: Woman survives kangaroo attack Born Free says it has tracked more than 1,598 reported attacks and incidents since 1990 across the United States, including 86 in Ohio. The most recent incident prior to this week was on Sept. 22, when an 80-year-old man was injured after reportedly being attacked by his 6-foot-tall, 200-pound kangaroo at an exotic animal farm near Green Camp.
Laura Jones, director of comminations for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said a stakeholders group hopes to have a wild-animal proposal completed by the end of the year for the state Legislature to consider early next year.
"We’ve been working aggressively on having this proposal in place. I’m sure yesterday’s situation will be uppermost in their (lawmakers') minds as they consider this legislation," Jones told msnbc.com.
Roberts said the mass-escape of wild animals from Thompson's compound is particularly troubling because animal-welfare groups have been trying for years to get Ohio to strengthen its exotic-animal laws. Thompson had been warned about animals wandering off his property.
"The bottom line is, because Ohio like many other states didn’t have necessary laws in place to prevent this kind of exotic animal ownership, it really sets the stage for a potential catastrophic incident," Roberts told msnbc.com.
According to Born Free, Ohio is one of eight states that have no or extremely lax regulations on exotic-animal ownership. Twenty-one states ban private ownership, eight have partial bans and 13 have permitting or licensing regulations, the animal-welfare group says.
"The biggest lesson is, when groups like Born Free and others advocate against keeping of exotic animals as pets and the general reaction is we’re nothing more than Chicken Little going around saying the sky is falling, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," Roberts said.

Police Kill 24 of Animals Freed From Ohio Preserve

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:58:00 +0000

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

A tractor carried a carcass for burial at the Muskingum County Animal Farm on Wednesday in Zanesville, Ohio.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Law enforcement officials in Ohio on Wednesday said they believed that they had captured or killed all but three of the animals that escaped from an exotic animal preserve after the owner of the property released the animals, then fatally shot himself.

At least 25 animals — including lions, wolves, bears and at least one tiger — were shot and killed by deputies and other law enforcement personnel armed with assault rifles to prevent the animals from attacking humans, said Sheriff Matt Lutz of Muskingum County.

At least one of the fleeing animals — it was unclear which species — was struck by a vehicle on a highway adjacent to the 46-acre preserve, and one of the monkeys kept at the compound was killed by a lion, officials said.

Sheriff Lutz said in a news conference on Wednesday that the authorities had sought to shoot one of the fleeing Bengal tigers with a tranquilizer dart, but that the dart had either missed or served only to enrage the 300-pound tiger.

“It just went crazy,” Sheriff Lutz said. “We had to put it down.”

Officials said that either 48 to 51 animals were kept at the compound, based on two conflicting lists kept by caretakers, and that only a mountain lion, a grizzly bear and a monkey remained unaccounted for.

Various species of monkeys found inside a house on the property were not harmed. They had been left inside their cages.

The sheriff described some of the animals that had been killed as “mature, very big, aggressive” with “high potential” for being dangerous to humans.

“Our main priority right now is protecting our public,” he said as the hunt for the remaining animals continued.

The owner of the preserve, Terry Thompson, 62, was found dead on the property. He had been released from federal prison on Sept. 30, said Fred Alverson, a spokesman for the United States attorney’s office in Columbus. Officials said they believed Mr. Thompson had shot himself.

There were no other reports of injuries or attacks on people, the authorities said.

Although many details about the incident remained unclear, the authorities described a chaotic, bloody scene on Tuesday when deputies first arrived at Mr. Thompson’s rambling preserve.

It was not clear what prompted deputies to respond to the property, but Mr. Thompson had had numerous run-ins with local law enforcement officials for years, many involving charges of animal neglect.

As deputies arrived at the property Tuesday at about 5:30 p.m., they observed dozens of animals out of their cages and behaving aggressively, officials said.

Sheriff Lutz said given that it was only about an hour and a half to nightfall — and that the prospect of finding bears and big cats under such conditions would have been difficult and dangerous — he had little choice but to give his deputies permission to shoot animals as they encountered them. He said his deputies do not carry tranquilizer darts with them.

In addition to lions, Bengal tigers, mountain lions and various varieties of monkeys, the preserve contained grizzly and black bears, cheetahs, leopards and wolves.

During the height of the bedlam on Tuesday night, the sheriff told reporters, “Right now, we’re shooting to kill.”

On Wednesday, he told reporters how unprepared his officers were for dealing with large, fleeing animals.

“I had deputies that had to shoot with sidearms,” Sheriff Lutz said. “These are 300-pound Bengal tigers that we had to put down.”

Once the extent of the danger became apparent, he said, deputies were given high-powered assault rifles and rode in the beds of pickup trucks, where throughout the night they shot the animals as they cornered them.

At one point during the confusion, Sheriff Lutz said, it was unclear how many animals had been killed, saying, “When they’re shooting animals in all directions, it’s hard to keep track.”

After receiving criticism from animal rights activists, the sheriff justified his decision.

“We could not have animals running loose in this county,” he said. “We could not have that.”

Law enforcement authorities said they believed that Mr. Thompson opened the animal cages before shooting himself.

“We feel he released these animals,” Sheriff Lutz said. “We are not looking for suspects in this case.”

Schools and businesses in the area were closed on Wednesday morning, and the authorities asked people to remain indoors and to call the sheriff’s office if they saw any animals.

Greg Bishop reported from Zanesville, Ohio, and Timothy Williams from New York. J. David Goodman contributed reporting from New York. Barclay Walsh contributed research.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Large earthquake strikes Bali

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:18:00 +0000

THE police headquarters in Denpasar where a 14-year-old Australian boy is being detained has been evacuated following a large earthquake in Bali.

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the popular tourist island at 11.16am, according to the US Geological Survey.
Tourist Andrea Eyden, who is staying in Seminyak, told PerthNow residents raced into the street after the earthquake hit.
"We have just had a big earth tremor, whole house rocked, residents raced into the streets," she said.

"(Semynak) villa has lots of new cracks but we haven't seen anywhere else ... it sure shook us up."
Channel 7 reporter Geof Parry, in Bali covering the arrest of the 14-year-old boy, told ABC radio the tremor lasted up to a minute and was widespread.
"A big tremor was felt all over Bali," he said.
"A colleague of mine in Kuta was evacuated from their hotel.
"It lasted 45 seconds to a minute and just increased and increased."
Another twitter user, @sshearmaines, described the tremor.
"Just experienced my first ever earthquake tremor or volcanic eruption! The whole villa was shaking!"
USGS reported the magnitutde 6.1 quake struck 109km southwest of Kuta at a depth of 69km.

It was not clear if the boy had been evacuated from the building, where he has been held since being arrested for allegedly buying a small amount of cannabis last Tuesday.
No tsunami warnings have been issued.

163,978 died in sparsely populated Aceh - how many would die on Bali?

noreply@blogger.com (news unik) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:17:00 +0000

It is an unfortunate fact that the very same fault line which caused the December 26th 2004 tsunami, where the Eurasia plate pushes over the Australia plate, runs just south of Bali. It is also a chilling thought that Bali's main tourist areas are just 20 minutes away from a similar tsunami should a similar earthquake occur in the wrong place. But what makes this even more worrying is that some experts in Europe have indicated such a quake may be long overdue and perhaps hastened by the extra tension created between the plates just off south Sumatra, Java and Bali by the December 2004 disaster. You see, after the December 26th quake that caused the killer tsunami across the Indian Ocean, virtually all of the aftershocks happened to the north of the main quake's epicenter. Aftershocks are where smaller quakes occur elsewhere along the main and neighboring fault lines to give off the extra tension caused there by the main quake. So it is probable that extra tension, unrelieved by aftershocks, has built up along the Sunda Trench (fault line) to the south.

Bali and potential visitors to the island have been lulled into a false sense of security by the fact the island was untouched by the December 2004 tsunami, by token of the fact it was shielded by Java and Sumatra (the large X marks the epicenter, so you can see this), and by the unsubstantiated optimism of both the Indonesian Government and tour operators / travel agents that it could never happen to Bali. There has even been talk of implementing the tsunami warning system used elsewhere in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. But this would not help Bali during a local event, as it is just 20 short minutes by tidal wave away from the fault line. This warning would only help other countries, further away get advanced warning.
Anyway, there would be no siren alarm needed if a major quake happened along the Sunda Trench just south of Bali. Anyone and everyone on Bali would feel such a quake and how. The damage to buildings erected without any strict building codes would likely be considerable. The irony being, those that were flexible enough to survive the quake would almost certainly not have the constructed strength, by default, to withstand an incoming tsunami if they are near the beach. Anyway, even if we assume there was not utter devastation from the quake, getting away from any resulting tidal wave would be a major problem for people in the low lying tourist areas close to the ocean. You see, the largest wave that hit Aceh (nearest to the quake) on December 26th 2005, was some 30 meters (100 feet) high. Tidal waves as high as 60 meters have been known. To put this in proportion, a London double decker bus is 4.2 meters high. For many buildings, 30 meters equates to 7 storys / floors. It is perhaps ironic, due to Bali's regulations for building heights, that no building can be higher than a coconut palm tree. The maximum height of a coconut palm tree is 30 meters, although most are much smaller of course.
Experts in Europe have predicted further quakes in the area, and were confirmed as accurate by further quakes along this fault line on the 28th March (8.7 on the Richter scale) and 8th June (6.3 on the Richter scale). Optimists will point out that it takes a large and very specific kind of quake under the sea to generate a tsunami. A quake above 9 on the Richter scale where the sea bed is raised by 15 meters or more. Unfortunately, the Sunda trench is a fault line that causes mostly vertical movements in the earth's crust, as one plate rises above another. Other fault lines, as you can see on the above image, such as the Sumatra fault (which runs parallel to the Sunda Trench fault) are lateral faults. That is they move in opposite direction and grate against each, not move above / beneath each other. So whatever magnitude of quake happens along the Sunda trench will almost certainly result in the sea bed being raised. And the fact is, the Sunda trench is a major fault line and well capable of producing 9+ Richter scale quakes.
Some may well say this page is not fair on the Balinese / Indonesians, as it is not something they are guilty of or can easily solve. But we believe the Indonesian Authorities should produce Earthquake, Volcano (Bali has 2 active ones) and Tsunami education information sheets for tourists. More stringent building codes would certainly help too. So in lieu of this, how can you avoid and / or protect yourself and earthquakes while on Bali?
Earthquakes
First, find a strong structure such as a heavy table or doorway to protect yourself under. Do not run out into the street unless you have no choice, as you are more likely to be injured from falling glass and debris. Once the quake is over, immediately move to a safe area if you can to avoid the risk of gas leaks, further quakes, etc. Avoid beach areas or areas with weak soil, as strong quakes may turn these into quicksand. If you suspect the quake was out to sea and significant enough, try to make your way to higher land / inland to avoid any resultant tsunamis.
Tsunamis / Tidal Waves
To lessen your chances of being affected by a tsunami, stay at a hotel at least 50 meters (160 feet) above sea level or 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) inland from the beach. Or stay in a beach area sheltered by land mass from the potential wave source. Although these sheltered beach areas are likely to experience some flooding if the land mass is not that great; as what happened on Koh Phi Phi and Koh Phuket in Thailand, the sheltered side of the islands experienced some rising water). The main tourist areas in Bali most at risk are Jimbaran Bay, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Tanjung Benoa, Nusa Dua, Sanur and Candi Dasa. As they have low lying beach areas which directly face the Sunda trench.
If you believe a tsunami is imminent, chose whichever is the most available option;
a) Move as quickly as possible inland and / or to higher ground.
b) Get to the top of the tallest building you are able or climb the nearest tree.
Please do not become a victim or part of the problem. Read:
Bali Tourism (Should I go, where, and how do I avoid adding to the problem / putting myself / my family at risk in Bali?).