Scott Krause is accused of crashing into a UPS truck and killing driver Drew Reynolds in 2004.
A California man facing life in prison for crashing his car into a UPS truck will not dispute that his actions resulted in the death of the driver when his trial opens Monday in Nevada County Superior Court. Instead, Scott Krause's defense will argue that the defendant believed he was trying to escape man-eating subterranean beings when he ran into Drew Reynolds' truck on Jan. 6, 2004.
Krause has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to five felony counts, including first-degree murder, carjacking, and burglary, stemming from a string of alleged criminal activities leading up to the fatal highway crash.
In three court-ordered evaluations, the defendant stated he was fleeing subterranean beings he called "hemadrones" when he carjacked a commercial vehicle near a Nevada City, Calif., gas station and then crashed into Reynolds' service vehicle. "Everything had to do with his escape from the hemadrones," said Nevada County District Attorney Michael Ferguson. "According to the defendant, he was afraid they were going to put him in cargo and ship him to China to be eaten."
Calls to public defender Gary Gordon went unanswered.
"Go away. Leave me alone. I went to law school to do this?"
The evidentiary burden will fall on the defense to prove that Krause, a known methamphetamine addict with a history of drug-related arrests, was suffering from a pre-existing mental condition that either prevented him from understanding the consequences of his actions or knowing the difference between right or wrong.
A psychologist testified in a preliminary hearing that when he examined Krause in 2002, the divorced father of two displayed signs of delusions and paranoid schizophrenia. He also testified that for at least two years before the incident, Krause was using methamphetamine at least twice a day. "This is purely a case about mental state," Ferguson said. "Were his actions methamphetamine-induced or was he suffering from a pre-offense illness?"
The state will argue the latter in light of Krause's lengthy rap sheet and evidence that his alleged activities began much earlier that day.
Police responded to the home of Krause's ex-wife, Tracie, just after midnight on Jan. 7, 2004, where Krause had unexpectedly showed up "strung out" and in search of a place to crash after his girlfriend kicked him out. Officers left Krause with the order to dump his can of beer and leave her home, according to police reports.
About 16 hours later, authorities received another call from an elderly woman who said a man later identified as Krause broke into her home and demanded keys to her car. She told police she began to scream, and he left empty-handed. About 10 minutes later, police received a report that Sierra Tile and Stone truck driver Tina Harrison was sitting in the cab of her truck at a gas station when Krause climbed into the passenger seat, "freaking her out," Ferguson said. "He didn't force her out, but he scared her and that's enough for a carjacking charge," he said.
As Krause sped onto Highway 49, he swerved around cars and he crossed lanes before slamming into Reynolds' UPS truck, sending it into a utility pole. At the time of his death, Reynolds, 34, was pursuing a degree in computer science from the University of Phoenix while holding a full-time job with UPS.
Of Krause's lengthy rap sheet, Grass Valley police chief John Foster simply said, "We're aware of him," in an interview with the local newspaper, The Union.
When the accident occurred, Krause was already on misdemeanor probation after pleading to charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance, possessing controlled substance paraphernalia and resisting a peace officer in August 2003. That arrest occurred four days before he was to begin drug counseling for a previous arrest for possessing a hypodermic needle. Earlier in 2003, he was arrested for attempted vehicle theft, removing car parts and damaging property while attempting to hot-wire a neighbor's car.
Jurors will have the option of convicting Krause of vehicular manslaughter if they cannot find premeditation in connection with Reynolds' death. He is also facing charges of carjacking, burglary and battery in connection with the day's previous events.
#1
the defendant stated he was fleeing subterranean beings he called "hemadrones" when he carjacked a commercial vehicle near a Nevada City, Calif., gas station and then crashed into Reynolds' service vehicle.
Oscar-winning director STEVEN SPIELBERG is baffled that fewer UFO sightings are made now than were made twenty years ago - because the technology to record would-be aliens is so commonplace today. The 59-year-old film-maker has made a string of alien-themed movies - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, ET: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL and WAR OF THE WORLDS - and is disappointed it seems he'll never get the chance to see evidence of a UFO himself.
Spielberg says, "There are millions of video cameras out there and they're picking up less videos of UFOs, alleged UFOs, than we picked up in the 1970s and 1980s. There's 150 per cent more cameras, so why are we getting less from up there?
Huuummmm, maybe because they weren't there in the first place?
"I think that we all know that we're not alone in the universe. I can't imagine that we are the only intelligent biological life form out there. I'm a little less sure in my fifties that I was in my late twenties whether we're actually ever going to find out."
That's OK, Steve, just stick to the movie biz. We'll let you know when the Mothership arrives.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 14:45 ||
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Oscar-winning director STEVEN SPIELBERG is baffled that fewer UFO sightings are made now than were made twenty years ago
The aliens probably took a look at the movie showtimes, saw "Herbie" was still playing and gave up on us.
#7
Its all part of the Bushchimp plan for universe domination. Its the new missle defence shield and all of that weaponize space stuff. The trully inlightened aliens who would have just tomorrow gave us all to the next plain exept the evil bush-hitler just scared them off with his evil Neo conservative warmongoring aliance to solidify the US as the only Dominator of the Earth.
#8
We will never meet Aliens even if they exist. Those who are able to travel to earth would be so incredibly superior that we would be like amoebia to them.
I can't imagine that we are the only intelligent biological life form out there.
Whaddya mean "we," kemosabe?
You've made it quite clear in recent years that YOU aren't intelligent, Steverino. And I'm beginning to wonder about the "biological life form" part, too.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/28/2005 21:50 Comments ||
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#11
I'm reminded of the cartoon of two aliens, talking to each other hovering over earth in their spaceship saying, "yeah, they're still fighting among themselves"
Sigh....
Posted by: Jan ||
06/28/2005 23:16 Comments ||
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Wal-Mart heir John T. Walton, who died in the crash of his experimental, ultralight aircraft, was remembered as a friendly man who threw his considerable financial support behind efforts to educate low-income children. Walton, of Jackson, Wyo., crashed shortly after takeoff Monday from Jackson Hole Airport in Grand Teton National Park, the company said. The cause of the crash was not known and park rangers planned an investigation, officials said. Walton was 58.
"I think all you can say is he was just a good man and today, you grieve," Jay Allen, Wal-Mart senior vice president of corporate affairs, told The Morning News of Springdale.
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John Walton was an Army veteran who served with the Green Berets as a medic during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Silver Star for saving the lives of several members of his unit while under enemy fire, according to the company.
John Walton left Wooster College to volunteer for Viet Nam. But he didn't just volunteer for combat duty, he volunteered several times to be a Paratrooper and Special Forces Medic. He was assigned to Military Assistance Command - Vietnam - Studies and Observations Group (MAC-V-SOG). BLACKFIVE has more on this brave man. Rest in peace, John
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 11:43 ||
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he also maintained a (large) house in the not-very-affluent community of National City, southeast part of San Diego, and did selfless wonderful philanthropic things for the children and citizens who had little. A very good man gone.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/28/2005 16:33 Comments ||
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See the cool image at the link.
A spectacular, luminous ring offers the best evidence yet that a nearby star is circled by a newly formed solar system.
The ring is composed of dust particles in orbit around Fomalhaut, a bright star located just 25 light years away in the constellation Pisces Austalis â or the Southern Fish. A recent image captured with the Hubble Space Telescope - which makes the system look uncannily like the Great Eye of Sauron from the blockbusting Lord of the Rings trilogy - confirms that Fomalhautâs ring is curiously offset with respect to the star.
The most likely explanation is that the gravity of one or more unseen planets is dragging the ring askew. The fact that the inner edge of the ring is relatively well-defined adds further weight to the argument because it suggests the unseen planets are sweeping up stray dust within the radius of the ring.
If they confirm the existence of a planet, I vote they name it "Mordor."
Posted by: Mike ||
06/28/2005 09:31 ||
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Very nice! Feel good pic of the day (well, night).
IN what has been billed as a world first, two dwarf brahman cattle are scheduled to get married next month. The nuptials were set over the weekend in the province of Sa Kaew, 160km east of Bangkok, where the owners of a dwarf brahman cow and bull agreed to get their diminutive bovines together to reproduce the petite breed.
Krachang Kanokprasert, owner of the bull, originally wanted to buy the intended bride - who stands 70cm tall and weighs 50kg -but her owner refused to sell. Instead, the farmers agreed to join the diminutive breeding stock in matrimony, with the date set for July 10. The ceremony will be conducted with all the usual wedding pomp.
An experiment, I wish I had performed. ECONOMISTS often like to speak of Homo economicusârational economic man. In practice, human economic behaviour is not quite as rational as the relentless logic of theoretical economics suggests it ought to be. When buying things in a straight exchange of money for goods, people often respond to changes in price in exactly the way that theoretical economics predicts. But when faced with an exchange whose outcome is predictable only on average, most people prefer to avoid the risk of making a loss than to take the chance of making a gain in circumstances when the average expected outcome of the two actions would be the same.
There has been a lot of discussion about this discrepancy in the economic literatureâin particular, about whether it is the product of cultural experience or is a reflection of a deeper biological phenomenon. So Keith Chen, of the Yale School of Management, and his colleagues decided to investigate its evolutionary past. They reasoned that if they could find similar behaviour in another species of primate (none of which has yet invented a cash economy) this would suggest that loss-aversion evolved in a common ancestor. They chose the capuchin monkey, Cebus apella, a South American species often used for behavioural experiments.
First, the researchers had to introduce their monkeys to the idea of a cash economy. They did this by giving them small metal discs while showing them food. The monkeys quickly learned that humans valued these inedible discs so much that they were willing to trade them for scrumptious pieces of apple, grapes and jelly.
Preliminary experiments established the amount of apple that was valued as much as either a grape or a cube of jelly, and set the price accordingly, at one disc per food item. The monkeys were then given 12 discs and allowed to trade them one at a time for whichever foodstuff they preferred.
Once the price had been established, though, it was changed. The size of the apple portions was doubled, effectively halving the price of apple. At the same time, the number of discs a monkey was given to spend fell from 12 to nine. The result was that apple consumption went up in exactly the way that price theory (as applied to humans) would predict. Indeed, averaged over the course of ten sessions it was within 1% of the theory's prediction. One up to Cebus economicus.
The experimenters then began to test their animals' risk aversion. They did this by offering them three different trading regimes in succession. Each required choosing between the wares of two experimental âsalesmenâ. In the first regime one salesman offered one piece of apple for a disc, while the other offered two. However, half the time the second salesman only handed over one piece. Despite this deception, the monkeys quickly worked out that the second salesman offered the better overall deal, and came to prefer him.
In the second trading regime, the salesman offering one piece of apple would, half the time, add a free bonus piece once the disc had been handed over. The salesman offering two pieces would, as in the first regime, actually hand over only one of them half the time. In this case, the average outcome was identical, but the monkeys quickly reversed their behaviour from the first regime and came to prefer trading with the first salesman.
In the third regime, the second salesman always took the second piece of apple away before handing over the goods, while the first never gave freebies. So, once again, the outcomes were identical. In this case, however, the monkeys preferred the first salesman even more strongly than in the second regime.
What the responses to the second and third regimes seem to have in common is a preference for avoiding apparent loss, even though that loss does not, in strictly economic terms, exist. That such behaviour occurs in two primates suggests a common evolutionary origin. It must, therefore, have an adaptive explanation.
What that explanation is has yet to be worked out. One possibility is that in nature, with a food supply that is often barely adequate, losses that lead to the pangs of hunger are felt more keenly than gains that lead to the comfort of satiety. Agriculture has changed that calculus, but people still have the attitudes of the hunter-gatherer wired into them. Economists take note.
#2
or maybe the monkeys just thought the guy who put out a piece of apple, and then pulled it back, was a jerk and bought from the other guy to spite him.
#3
Try the same experiment with birthday cake and watch what happens.
Posted by: ed ||
06/28/2005 9:12 Comments ||
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#4
The salesman offering two pieces would, as in the first regime, actually hand over only one of them half the time
The researchers were, whether they know it or not, engaged in operant conditioning. Offering 2 pieces sometimes, but not always, is a standard form of strong reinforcement in that training technique. It's how dolphins and killer whales are trained at Sea World and how some of the best dog trainers produce top agility and obedience dogs who work happily and intently.
Great little paperback book on all this: Karen Pryor's Don't Shoot the Dog. Pryor used to do behavioral research and training with sea mammals, does wonderful work with dogs and horses. The book has a clever and humane approach to dealing with annoying habits in spouses and roomates, too LOL.
#6
It is not irrational to settle for a solution who guarantees minimum instead of one who guarantees you a higher output on average but with a possibility to get nothing.
In economics there is a thing called the law of decreasing marginal usefulness. For instance to a man who s on the verge of dying from thirst the first glass of water has more value than diamonds,
successive glasses have lower and lower value until he reaches a point where more water will make him sick.
So while the low risk solution gaves you less goods on average, it provides more usefulness on average because you ever get that highly valuable first unit (usefulness 100) while the other solution provides less useful fourth and fifth units (usefulness 20 and 10 respectively).
* Weighting of usefulness is arbitrary, but consistant with theory ie decreasing
#12
Indeedy do, we need a grant. I've always figured the BD problem was a leadership deal, perhaps there's something else going on. Kidz do like the cut or choose method tho. Weird.
I may have to pitch one in the pool to see what effect it has on residual goods.
Not exactly sure where they're heading with this, but it involves the Soddies, the UN, and "social monitoring." Doesn't strike me as the best synergy...
#1
The review will cover eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of universal primary education; gender equality and empowerment of women; reduction of child mortality; improvement in maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; environmental sustainability; and global partnership for development
WONDERFUL! Such an all encompassing agenda. I wonder why they forgot to include curing baldness, impotence and obesity.
#2
But nothing about reducing Saudi Arabia's high level of birth defects resulting from sustained inbreeding? How on earth did they manage to miss that one?
Lieutenant-Commander Dick Raikes, who has died aged 93, took part in the Fleet Review for King George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935, and six years later launched the "Cockleshell heroes" on their raid in canoes against German shipping in the Gironde estuary. His calm, cool personality, physical stamina and seeming ability to command his boat without speaking made a clear impression on the raid's leader, Major "Blondie" Hasler, when Raikes took his submarine Tuna to a remote part of the Argyll coast where Hasler and his fellow canoeists practised to reduce their launch time by half to just over 20 minutes.
Early in December 1942, Raikes threaded his way underwater through a fishing fleet and a minefield laid by the RAF before deciding to run a serious risk by moving the launch point two miles south into the mouth of the Gironde, from which his "magnificent black-faced villains" were to set off. When Tuna broke surface in the "beastly calm" water, Raikes was first on the bridge to check that he had a better view than the enemy. One canoe was damaged, and he regretfully ordered its two-man crew not to go on the raid, even though "the two brave marines were almost in tears".
LONDON - Millions of Britons will have to attend an interview to get a new passport to try to combat identity fraud, the passport service head said in an interview published on Tuesday.
Bernard Herdan, chief executive of the UK Passport Service, told the Financial Times that by July 2006 all new passports would have computer chips and facial recognition data. By the end of 2008, more than 4.5 million people each year would be questioned if they want a new-style passport that will contain security features such as fingerprints, iris scanning and facial recognition, he added.
âThe next stage will be putting fingerprints into passports ... so we will be moving from 600,000 being interviewed at the end of 2006 to interviewing more than 4.5 million a year from the end of 2008,â he told the FT.
The 4.5 million people subject to interviews will cover all adult first time applicants, people whose passports have expired and those who report their passports lost or stolen. âFor the law-abiding citizen there might be a 10-minute meeting ... for others it will be different,â Herdan said.
This is so common sense oriented it boggles the mind.
He said he hoped the measures would tackle illegal immigration, organised crime and financial fraud. He played down any role in fighting terrorism.
Ministers announced plans for a more limited passport interview system last year, saying the infrastructure could form the âbuilding blockâ for an identity card scheme. Some political opponents and civil rights groups say the scheme is too expensive, the legislation is flawed and will compromise individual privacy. Members of parliament debate new legislation for ID cards in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/28/2005 00:00 ||
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"He played down any role in fighting terrorism, because ex-Taliban members and Algerian terror-suspects will be granted asylum, whereas political dissidents from Zimbabwe will be refused entry."
Posted by: New England ||
06/28/2005 0:15 Comments ||
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#2
This is a good thing. I hope the U.S. plans to do something similar.
RIO de Janeiro legislators have voted to end enforcement of speed limits in parts of the crime-plagued city at night to try to cut down on attacks on slow-moving cars.
The city's legislative assembly passed a bill on Thursday to turn off cameras used to enforce speed limits of 40 km/h in accident-prone points of the seaside city.
It was unclear whether Mayor Cesar Maia would approve the legislation, which is necessary for it to go into effect. He argues that most accidents occur during the night.
Many drivers already ignore traffic signals late at night for fear of being robbed or killed in a carjackings. The city has one of the world's highest murder rates.
Rio's beleaguered population, frustrated by police inefficiency, is resorting to inventive ways to fight crime.
#1
Many drivers already ignore traffic signals late at night for fear of being robbed or killed in a carjackings. The city has one of the world's highest murder rates.
More than 500,000 people have been killed by firearms in Brazil between 1979 and 2003, according to a new report by the United Nations.
The study found that there were more gun-related killings in Brazil than in most war zones. Guns are the single biggest cause of death among young people in the Latin American nation, the organisation says. The UN has urged lawmakers to approve plans for a referendum in October on whether to ban the sale of firearms.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 11:08 Comments ||
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Guns are the single biggest cause of death among young people in the Latin American nation
No, people are the single biggest cause.
I guarantee you not one damn gun ever got up off the table and killed anyone by itself.
Standard UN gun-grab. Security for me but not for thee. Arrange it so only the criminals can own guns. (The UN clowns, of course, will have armed guards if they have to travel there.)
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/28/2005 14:59 Comments ||
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#4
Last time I checked, Brazil was a big place, and most war zones around the world were small. And any rate is going to sound big if you integrate it over 25 years. How to Lie with Statistics ought to be part of every reporter's education, but I think the media select against reporters who know how to deal with numbers.
Posted by: James ||
06/28/2005 15:50 Comments ||
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In Australia two very strong pulse signals are appearing on HF amateur bands and the hunt is on to determine the source of these intruders. A radar like pulse which peaks at 10dB over signal strength 9, and reported to be up 100kHz wide is being heard regularly 7020-7080 kHz in the (VK) mornings and 3590-3800 kHz in the (VK) evenings. Reports from VK and ZL point to it being north-west of Australia. JAÂŽs and WÂŽs during QSOs with VK also say they can detect the signal but at a lower strength. ItÂŽs an unwelcome reminder of the havoc caused by the over-the-horizon radar dubbed the Russian Woodpecker that fired up in 1976 and lasted a decade. Hopefully this latest pulse signal is not another OTHR.
A repetitive cyclic sounding pulse signal is also being experienced in VK on most amateur HF bands and often simultaneously on more than one band. An inquiry by the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) has received assurances that neither the (JORN) Jindalee over-the-horizon Defence radar in central Australia or a new SECAR system in the Torres Strait north of Queensland are to blame.
The (SECAR) Surface wave Extended Coastal Area Radar has begun trials. It will enhance the monitoring ability for Defence and Customs to detect illegal fishing and immigration. It could also be developed to provide early storm warnings. With JORN and SECAR being given alibis, the WIAÂŽs Intruder Watch intruders@wia.org.au is now seeking reports from radio amateurs on the harmful interference.
In particular it needs directional information and reported incidents of these intruders disrupting QSOs and causing harmful interference. The WIA will then take the matter up with the Australian Communications Authority for its investigation.
#4
Hey - careful
A buddy invented and deployed the Woodpecker - then defected. His efforts made huge profits for those selling special filters to remove it from received signals.
He's been a productive member of US society since about 1975.
It was fun introducing him to a PavePaws designer.
#9
Radar pulses at ~7 and 3.5 GHz? The 3.5 gig freq is close to resonant for water (2.45 gig last I heard), which might make it a poorly-designed weather radar, but 7 gig? And different in AM and PM? Wierd with a beard.
#12
Whoa, there, mojo. The article says 7000 kHz, not 7000 MHz. That's down in the 40 meter ham band (and 80 meter for the other). I don't know if there is any radar that ever went that low. You'd need a pretty big antenna. The original Chain Home system (Battle of Britain) was something like 30 MHz and that had huge towers.
Maybe it's a typo and they really mean 3.5 and 7 GHz, but they also mention interference on other amateur HF bands. (HF is 3 MHz to 30 MHz).
The scientific requirements dictated that the Indian MST Radar should be located preferably below 15 degrees North latitude. Hence after careful consideration of the various constraints, a site at Gadanki Village, near the temple town of Tirupati in the Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh was selected for locating the Indian MST Radar . NMRF is located off the Chitoor -Tirupati main road in a picturesque landscape spreading over an area of about 42 acres.
The Indian MST Radar is a highly sensitive VHF phased array radar operating at 53 MHz with an peak power aperture product of 3 x 1010 Wm 2. The system design specifications, including that of the intermediate stage of ST mode , are presented below :
The phased array consists of 1024 crossed three-element Yagi antennas occupying an area of 130m x 130m. It generates a radiation pattern with a main beam of 3 deg , gain of 36 dB and a side lobe level of -20 dB.The main beam can, in principle, be positioned at 82 different look angles in NS and EW plane.
A total transmiting power of 2.5 MW ( peak ) is provided by 32 transmitters ranging in power from 20 kW to 120 kW, each feeding a subarray of 32 Yagis. To achieve the desired low side lobe level to the adiation pattern, the power is tapered across the array according to a modified Taylor distribution. The required power taper is accomplished in one principal direction by the differential powers of the transmitters and in the other direction by the series feed network.
If Bush and Rumsfeld had only dispatched more troops, this looting would not have.....oh, wait.
The chief curator of France's national library was questioned by police yesterday as it emerged that the establishment is missing at least 30,000 books and manuscripts, including nearly 2,000 considered to be of "exceptional historical value". Michel Garel, in charge of the BibliothÚque Nationale's (BNF's) collection of ancient Hebrew manuscripts, is suspected of playing a part in the disappearance of 25 priceless manuscripts, five of them dating from the Middle Ages, and 121 printed pages torn from precious tomes of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The curator, who has denied the allegations, is the subject of one of half a dozen police inquiries into suspected thefts at the institution, which was founded in the 16th century and, as France's principal copyright and legal deposit library, holds some 35m books, documents, manuscripts, maps, plans and photos. EFL
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 10:05 ||
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collection of ancient Hebrew manuscripts
Ah, HA! The jooooos are behind it! Behead them all!
Posted by: Ali Boom-Boom ||
06/28/2005 11:01 Comments ||
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France's interior minister said Monday that European Union enlargement should be suspended after the entry of Romania and Bulgaria — a clear swipe at Turkey's efforts to join the bloc. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said France's rejection of the EU constitution in a May referendum showed the need for several changes. "We have to rethink and rework our European politics," he said.
The comments came after Sarkozy met with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who was chairing a series of meetings with political party leaders on the lessons to be learned from France's "no" to the EU constitution. French and Dutch voters soundly rejected the constitution in separate referendums, with many expressing misgivings over a wave of immigrants in countries like France struggling with double-digit joblessness. Many also said they rejected the treaty because they were opposed to mostly Muslim Turkey joining the EU — an issue that became a point of contention in the run-up to the vote. Membership talks with Turkey are to begin in October.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/28/2005 00:00 ||
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According your countrymen, Nicky, it shouldn't even include France.
#3
Tut-tut, those silly French. First they let six million muslims into the country to fill all those job vacancies for doctors, engineers and computer programmers, and then they suddenly change their minds! Talk about fickle!
In American slang, this is called "getting screwed without getting kissed". Believing Phrawnce when they promised you that monkey-wrenching the US plan for a 2-front assault into Iraq was a reeeeeeally bad move. Pity we can't do a TAFTA (Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Area) arrangement with you, either.
It's been real,
The U.S.A.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
06/28/2005 0:42 Comments ||
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#5
Aaarrggh...meant to say "monkey-wrenching the US plan for a 2-front assault into Iraq would grease the skids for your EU app..."
"Now Ricky, write on the blackboard 100 times: Preview is my friend. Preview is my friend. Preview is my friend..."
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
06/28/2005 0:45 Comments ||
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#6
a clear swipe at Turkey's efforts to join the bloc
...and not only at Turkey, but Ukraine and Poland (indirectly) too.
Hint: it may not be that phone-book-of-a-constitution, or even EU expansion, that is the problem with Europe today. It may be your, um, social model. Look into it. It might be worth it for you.
Posted by: Rafael ||
06/28/2005 0:54 Comments ||
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#7
Hey Turkey, see how France rewards you for stabbing the US in the back? So, how is that whole EU thing working out?
#8
Heh, this is just sooo entertaining. Erdogan says that they won't accept any new conditions for EU membership, and the Phrogs just come right out and say that adding to the membership should be halted outright.
#9
Funny how fast the French can make a thing ugly, I mean really ugly ... it's their gift to the world I suppose. Can't have the european empire of Napoleon through diplomacy so off they go throwing fits and issuing thinly veiled slurs at their formerly beloved minions to be.
Ricky bin Ricardo nailed it, also--so much for Turkey rolling over for France and doing their bidding during OIF, thereby putting the second knife wound into the back of their bestest ally and friend, the USA.
Was it worth it, Erdogan?
Uh, NON.
#4
Less anarchists than malcontents and halfwits without focus or the ability to communicate effectively. Sounds like just something to do for the would be do-gooder on summer holidays. The whole protest thing is something of a ritual farce especially the self-proclaimed "anarchists". When questioned about what they are doing and why invariably they find themselves at a real loss for words. It's hard for most of them to articulate what it is as they've given precious little thought to the details.
#7
I have a friend whose an anarchist. He lives in a home he built himself in an isolated valley that has its own water, supplies own power using wind and solar, and grows or hunts a good portion of his own food. He has a diesel pickup truck that he runs off of biodiesel, loads his own ammunition, mills his own gun parts, brews his own liquor, and spends his holidays arguing with his son, a local sheriff. Heâs one tough SOB of an old man and, yeah, if you want to engage him in a political discussion is against government in all forms. âWorldâs got nuthing I need nor anything I want.â he once told me.
Now, thatâs an ANARCHIST. He is as outside of the system as he can get. These guys are, well, socialist hippies who should just take their welfare check, smoke their âmedicalâ marijuana, and STFU.
#8
diesel pickup truck - I assume that he mined his own bauxite, smelted it into aluminum ore and cast the frame of the vehicle.
loads his own ammunition - I assume that he found his own source of saltpetre to manufacture gunpowder and mines his own copper and zinc for the brass casings
mills his own gun parts - I'm certain that he manufactured the lathe and other equipment all by his lonesome.
supplies own power - no doubt a peerless researcher of the first order who discovered that alternating current was preferable to direct current
Sorry to be snarky, but this "world's got nuthing I need" is total crap unless you are willing to live like the tribes in the deepest parts of the Amazon or out in the Andaman Islands.
We live the good lives we have to today because we are reaping the hard work and cleverness of those who came before us.
These anarchists are idiots because they don't even realize how good they have it.
#11
Alright, people, alright: I hear you. Good points all.
Frank G, actually he did make his own road. Thatâs not a big deal; I did that out at my place too.
Out in the desert all it takes is a bobcat and some gravel.
Yes, Dreadnought, obviously he didnât refine the metal he uses to make things out of or invent the solar panel. I do believe that he is probably capable of making his own gun powder, but I am also certain he would never share that fact with me.
I was merely asserting that I know a guy whose ass seems more or less able to cash the checks his mouth writes, as opposed to these guys who are, for lack of a better word, posers. I would also point out that anarchism is not by any known definition specifically anti-capitalist. These G8 protestors are Marxists who know that the word âanarchyâ sells, so thatâs what they call themselves.
Today's (June 27) New York Times untangles a recent Hollywood lawsuit filed by the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson, against Time Warner's New Line Cinema subsidiary, in The Lawsuit of the Rings." Jackson's suit charges that New Line defrauded him out of millions by the way it sold the rights to merchandise, books, and DVDs related to his first installment of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. The studio used "pre-emptive bidding" to sell some of the rights to other Time Warner subsidiaries rather than accepting open bidding. This suppressed the gross receipts, the suit contends, and because Jackson's deal with New Line was for a percentage of the gross, he may have been underpaid by $100 million for all three movies, according to his lawyers.
So far, so good. But then the piece turns to an unnamed New Line lawyer, "speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is working on this lawsuit," writes Times reporter Ross Johnson, who says "the money paid to Mr. Jackson so far is in line with the contract he signed." The lawyer is quoted as saying:
Peter Jackson is an incredible filmmaker who did the impossible on Lord of the Rings. ... But there's a certain piggishness involved here. New Line already gave him enough money to rebuild Baghdad, but it's still not enough for him.
Whoa! That's great dish, but shouldn't there be a Times policy against giving a partisan source, in this case a defense attorney, the cover of anonymity to call the plaintiff in a case against his client piggish? As a matter of fact, there is such a published policy limiting what anonymous sources can say in Times articles. In "Confidential News Sources," on the paper's corporate Web site, the policy reads in part:
We do not grant anonymity to people who use it as cover for a personal or partisan attack. If pejorative opinions are worth reporting and cannot be specifically attributed, they may be paraphrased or described after thorough discussion between writer and editor. The vivid language of direct quotation confers an unfair advantage on a speaker or writer who hides behind the newspaper, and turns of phrase are valueless to a reader who cannot assess the source.
#1
Right, a $100 million is enough for him. Time Warner is the outfit that needs another $100 million! Doesn't matter what's fair, or what the contract said, *I* think he's been paid enough!
Since that is a distinctly liberal viewpoint, NYT encourages it.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/28/2005 9:08 Comments ||
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(Geoffrey Rush pirate voice on)
They're really more like guidelines anyway.
(Geoffrey Rush pirate voice off)
#3
And since his children appear in the movie as, like, twenty different character extras, they should get that many paychecks plus royalties for any use of their images. ;)
When it comes to dabbling in the black arts, former U.S. President Bill Clinton has much in common with deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Saddam reportedly wore a stone around his neck to ward off evil. When he was ensconced in his Iraqi palaces, he summoned up the jinn (genies) to do his bidding.
According to historian Joel A. Ruth, a Voodoo sorcerer, supplied to Clinton by the exiled-by-coup John-Bertrand Aristide, once put a curse on incumbent President George W. Bush, "by manipulating a doll made in the presidentâs image."
Neither Saddamâs magic stone, a special talisman meant to keep the Grim Reaper at bay, nor the Voodoo sorcererâs curse against George W. worked. Saddam languishes in prison awaiting trial. Clinton, relegated to the public speakerâs tour, was last week paid a $300,000 fee to address a business audience in Bogotá, Colombia.
The long road of destruction Aristide carved through poverty-stricken Haiti was paved in part by one William Jefferson Clinton.
Clintonâs friendship with Aristide, a former Catholic priest turned Voodoo practitioner dates back to 1991 when Aristide, ousted in a coup, took up residence in Washington, D.C. Joining the cocktail circuit and networking for the political aid needed to help restore his power, he soon found his way within the inner circle of the soon-to-be Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Clinton.
As time would tell, Clinton paid more than a politicianâs lip service to the practice of Voodoo.
According to the Haiti Observateur, "During a March 31, 1995 visit to Haiti under Aristideâs restored rule, Clinton took part in a Voodoo initiative ceremony intended to keep him impervious to Republican attacks and to guarantee his re-election." (FrontPageMag.com, Feb. 20,. 2004).
No Voodoo ceremony could ward off Monica Lewinsky and the rest, as they say, is history.
His friendship with Clinton now cemented, Aristide later began shipping Haitians to the U.S., many of them to Florida shores 600 miles away.
In 1998, Senator John F. Kerry followed in Clintonâs footsteps and co-sponsored a bill that resulted in amnesty for an estimated 125,000 Haitians granted "temporary asylum" before 1996 because they were fleeing the chaos, terror and poverty inflicted on them, largely by Aristide.
Aristide, whose last act for Haiti was to declare Voodoo an official religion, fled the country on February 29, 2003 amid a rebellion and pressure from the U.S. and France.
"Voodoo," Aristide professed in a speech to Congress attendees, "is one of the great religions in the world alongside Christianity, Islam and Judaism"...
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
06/28/2005 14:01 ||
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Duplicate. Posted on Page 1. Who'da thought to look there?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
06/28/2005 14:08 Comments ||
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Seems that the Souter House is going the way of the Thomas Hutchinson house.
Acting Royal Governor of Massachusetts (June through August 1760)
Acting Royal Governor of Massachusetts (August 1769-November 1770)
Royal Governor of Massachusetts (1770-1774)
He resisted Boston's gradual drift away from England and perceived the revolution was stoked by hotheads, seizing on miniscule issues, which they used to inflame sentiments. Hutchinson was unflinchingly rational and held an enmity for the revolutionary radicals. They returned this feeling, when in 1765, as a mob they attacked and looted his personal residence.
Weare, New Hampshire (PRWEB) Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land.
Justice Souter's vote in the "Kelo vs. City of New London" decision allows city governments to take land from one private owner and give it to another if the government will generate greater tax revenue or other economic benefits when the land is developed by the new owner.
On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home. Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.
Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans. "This is not a prank" said Clements, "The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."
Clements' plan is to raise investment capital from wealthy pro-liberty investors and draw up architectural plans. These plans would then be used to raise investment capital for the project. Clements hopes that regular customers of the hotel might include supporters of the Institute For Justice and participants in the Free State Project among others.
"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence."
#3
What they also need is someone to get rid of that eyesore called the Kennedy compound. Prime realestate for a Walmart/Hotel/Haliburton HQ. I love this country!
Posted by: Tom ||
06/28/2005 14:14 Comments ||
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Humm, Weare is just outside of Concord in the southern part of the state. Lot's of Mass ex-pats living there, but still fairly conservative. And with a strong view of property rights. The Selectmen may just have enough of a sense of humor to let this go forward enough to make him testify why they shouldn't do this.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 14:16 Comments ||
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I'd be willing to invest a couple of hundred $. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/28/2005 14:36 Comments ||
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Ain't America grand! What a way to make a point to those "Men/Women in Black" that have been chipping away at our rights since the 70's (many would argue even before that). This one crossed the line and it's only a matter of time before this is used against our overlords government officials themselves. I love that quote, WS5976!
Posted by: BA ||
06/28/2005 14:53 Comments ||
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I'd donate to the cause and I'm not even in your country.
Posted by: Rafael ||
06/28/2005 15:01 Comments ||
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I think we have just hit upon a safety valve to prevent City Council meddling. If any gov't official wants to condem something, get folks together and request their property be condemned to build ANYTHING.
EXAMPLE
Councilman Jones now regrets his decision to vote to condemn the Smith family residence to build the Joseymainia Ferris wheel.
Restauranteur Smith decided that he needed to open a new storefront, and the location of Councilman Jones' former home seemed the 'ideal' spot.
#22
Souter has a house in "Live Free or Die" New Hampshire and he still voted for Kelo? Next election, get 5 guys to run for Weare Selectmen on the platform of approving "The Lost Liberty Hotel". They would be shoo-ins.
Posted by: ed ||
06/28/2005 17:19 Comments ||
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Yeeeeee-haaaaaaah! I called for something similar to this on Thursday (comment #33) when this godawful decision was first announced, but I didn't think anyone would be able to go after one of the Justices directly like this! This is WONDERFUL news!
Eat that, Souter! It sucks when your own overlording decisions come back to bite you in the ass, doesn't it?
Posted by: Dar ||
06/28/2005 20:14 Comments ||
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Did Souter and the others think that this would not happen? Ah, the smell of arrogance in the morning. And, if I were city council members voting against, I'd be a bit worried about that upcoming election when there will be three of five.
It's a nightmare really. That's why it's such an insane decision. I hope our lawmakers will move quickly to fill in the gap - but I hope they write a special clause in that the new laws don't apply to SCOTUS judges who voted for this unreal violation of our rights.
Advisory - the link goes to Sound Politics (a blog) I could have linked to the actual legislation but didn't want the legalese....
This discusses the 'Voter Reform' bill (written specifically to restore voter confidence...) which recently because law in Washington State.
The bill even provides explicit instructions for committing this fraud. See (SB 5743, Sec. 7):
(1) If a voter who registered by mail indicates on the voter registration form that he or she does not have a Washington state driver's license, Washington state identification card, or Social Security number, he or she must provide one of the following forms of identification the first time he or she votes after registering:
(a) Valid photo identification;
(b) A valid enrollment card of a federally recognized Indian tribe in Washington state;
(c) A copy of a current utility bill; Yup - that proves citzenship!
(d) A current bank statement;
(e) A copy of a current government check;
(f) A copy of a current paycheck; or
(g) A government document that shows both the name and address of the voter.
(2) If the voter fails to provide one of the above forms of identification prior to or at the time of voting, the ballot must be treated as a provisional ballot regardless of whether the voter is voting at a poll site or by mail. The ballot may only be counted if the voter's signature on the outside envelope matches the signature in the voter registration records.
Translation: if the signatures match you must count - regardless of lack of identification, citizenship, etc...
Here's all one needs to do to commit this fraud. I publicize this not to encourage people to commit fraud, but to show how thoroughly cynical the Democrats were in hiding this behind the "voter identification" provision, and to encourage people to demand that Christine Gregoire, Jim Kastama and the other Democrats in the Legislature who gave us this abomination go back and fix it.
Here's how to commit Gregoire-Kastama fraud --
1) Download a voter registration form from the Sec. of State's website.
2) Fill it out, using a made-up name and any plausible address in the county/city/legislative district where you wish to vote. In the box that asks for ID, write "none". In the box that asks for last 4 digits of social security number, write "none". Just remember the signature you used.
3) On election day vote a provisional ballot. Go to a polling place in a community where nobody knows who you are. A busy polling place that attracts a lot of transients, such as near a university or in a large city downtown would be ideal. When you sign your provisional envelope, be sure to use the signature you used for the registration.
4) Repeat steps 1 - 3 for several different names. Use different addresses, in order to avoid suspicion. Naturally, you will want to cast your ballots at different polling places.
As an enhancement to (2) above, pick an address that is designed to avoid suspicions, such as a large apartment building. To really throw off anybody who is bold enough to attempt "proportional deduction" in the future, give yourself a residence in a precinct that votes the opposite way that you do. e.g. if you want to swing the vote to a Democrat, register your phony persona in a Republican precinct.
What makes Gregoire-Kastama fraud so perfect?
1. A Gregoire-Kastama voter is impossible to challenge. Under existing law, in order to challenge an illegal voter
The person filing the challenge must furnish the address at which the challenged voter actually resides.
so it's impossible to challenge a voter who doesn't exist and has no address.
2. Even if discovered after the fact, a Gregoire-Kastama vote wil stand. For the purposes of the election contest statute, a Gregoire-Kastama vote will not be considered an illegal vote, because: Illegal votes do not include votes cast by improperly registered voters who were not properly challenged under RCW 29A.08.810 and 29A.08.820.
(CNSNews.com) - Although the Supreme Court's Ten Commandments ruling dominated Monday's headlines, a property rights ruling handed down last week still has many Americans shaking their heads -- including some lawmakers, who plan to do something about it. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) has introduced a bill, the Protection of Homes, Small Businesses, and Private Property Act of 2005, in response to last week's 5-4 decision in Kelo v. City of New London .
The Supreme Court ruled that the government may seize the home, small business or other private property of one citizen and transfer it to another private citizen -- if the transfer would boost the community's economic development and its tax base. The Cornyn legislation, introduced Monday, would prohibit transfers of private property without the owner's consent if federal funds were used; and if the transfer was for purposes of economic development rather than public use.
"It is appropriate for Congress to take action...to restore the vital protections of the Fifth Amendment and to protect homes, small businesses, and other private property rights against unreasonable government use of the power of eminent domain," Cornyn said. "This legislation would declare Congress's view that the power of eminent domain should be exercised only for 'public use,' as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment," Cornyn said. "Most importantly, the power of eminent domain should not be used simply to further private economic development." Cornyn's legislation would clarify that 'public use' shall not be construed to include economic development.
In remarks on the Senate floor Monday, Cornyn said the protection of homes, small businesses, and other private property rights against government seizure is "a fundamental principle and core commitment of our nation's Founders." He noted that the Fifth Amendment specifically provides that "private property" shall not "be taken for public use without just compensation." The Fifth Amendment, he emphasized, permits government to seize private property only "for public use." Cornyn called the Supreme Court's June 23, 2005, ruling in Kelo v. City of New London an "alarming decision" that should prompt lawmakers to take action. "The power of eminent domain should not be used simply to further private economic development," Cornyn said. "In the aftermath of Kelo, we must take all necessary action to restore and strengthen the protections of the Fifth Amendment. I ask my colleagues to lend their support to this effort, by supporting the Protection of Homes, Small Businesses, and Private Property Act of 2005."
Cornyn also said the Supreme Court's Kelo decision partly vindicates those who supported the nomination of Justice Janice Rogers Brown to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. "That nomination attracted substantial controversy in some quarters, Cornyn said, "because of Justice Brown's personal passion for the protection of private property rights. The Kelo decision announced last Thursday demonstrates that her concerns about excessive government interference with property rights is well-founded and well within the mainstream of American jurisprudence."
Sen. Cornyn currently chairs the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship, and in the last Congress he was chairman of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights subcommittee. A former Texas Supreme Court justice, Texas attorney general, and Bexar County District judge, Cornyn is the only former judge on the Judiciary Committee.
Sounds like he could be a good future choice for the Supremes.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 09:36 ||
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If there is a Conservative out there that has the power we can turn this around and on it's ear. Pick any one of the LLL politicians and seize their luxury home for the "good of the public." Can you imagine Mitt Romney grabbing the Kennedy compound with the intent of making a mall, amusement, park, or Liquor emporium. I bet that the Kelo ruling would fast become a distant memory.
#3
You are thinking of Uncle Teds "Private Stock" it just looks like an emporium. I think they should confiscate the compound and put up a Super Walmart and a new office building for Haliburton.
#4
Or they just make new Wal-mart owned chain called "Booze-Mart".
Posted by: Charles ||
06/28/2005 13:12 Comments ||
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Just remember the Socialist left believes that there is no personal property, it all belongs to the state. People are just granted trust of the land till their betters have use of it. Don't expect the Left to be too concerned about all this.
#7
Even better, why not take over some land owned by the Nature Conservatory or someone like that so we can explore for oil? Energy independence is certainly a public benefit.
#2
It is hard to imagine how an institution that is regarded highly around the world can be treated with such disdain here.
Wassa matter? don't remember what Mom used to tell you?
Just because everyone else is being stupid, doesn't mean you have to be.
#3
So what happens to that 35 story building when the renovations done? Do they sell it off and pocket the money to finance the latest scam?
Screw 'em. Paris would love to have them.
#2
"Open to" is not the same as "pushing." But, like France did to Turkey, sometimes even the suggestion can modify a country's behaviour. And as we dislike Schroeder as much as he does us, this feels ever so gently aimed at encouraging Angela Merkel.
#5
I'd be inclined to offer a seat, though it would be a booster seat with childproof snaps off in the corner for bad behavior noted over the past 10 years.
#10
If the UNSC really is enlarged the way it is proposed the US won't veto a German seat. A UNSC with 25 seats will have Germany as a permanent member. Imagine China and Russia voting for a German seat and the US against. You'd place the Merkel goverment in a very awkward position.
Oh and btw, Germany paid for all those seats in the UNSC... I mean the (physical) chairs.
#11
The problem is that Germany is prepared to do little to secure the world and so a seat at the security council with a couple of dozen other countries who are equally disposed will lead to the ultimate irrelevance of the entire UN. If that is what every body wants, I'm sure Bush will let them have it. That's when we get together to for the league of Democratic States. Now, does Germany want to be part of that?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
06/28/2005 19:16 Comments ||
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#12
Mrs Davis, you nailed the question.
Or, in the words of the immortal Groucho Marx:
"Would I want to join a club that's ready to have me?"
Frankly, the enlargement makes no sense. A 15seat UNSC doesn't work already. A 25seat would work even less.
So unfortunately it's nothing but an ego boost.
I can't even see a major issue on which only the US, Russia and China would agree now.
#3
What, the muftis in man dresses couldn't come up the entrance fee?
Posted by: ed ||
06/28/2005 1:41 Comments ||
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#4
It'll take years of therapy to undo the damage caused by these hoodlums. Time to make all the Islamic Defenders Front members take sensitivity training. Just keep sending them back through until they know all the popular Indo show tunes by heart. And the white tunics and prayers caps, darling - really, they'll just have to go. I'm thinking a permanent Fashion Advisor - Queer Eye for the Hate Guy.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A newspaper investigation of a former columnist for The Sacramento Bee could not verify 43 sources she used in a sampling of 12 years of her work. Diana Griego Erwin resigned May 11 as she came under scrutiny about the existence of people she quoted. She has denied making up information, but Executive Editor Rick Rodriguez said the Bee should have been able to locate the people named in the stories."It kills us that we can't," said Rodriguez, whose comments were included in a story about the investigation published in Sunday's Bee. "We still hope they will turn up, but we're presenting the facts as we found them. Obviously, we feel strongly that we should have been able to find these individuals."
Was one of them named "Lucy Ramirez" by any chance?
Griego Erwin, who has said her resignation was for personal reasons, joined the Bee after a distinguished career at other newspapers. She worked on a project that won a Pulitzer Prize at the Denver Post in 1986 and also won a George Polk award and the 1990 commentary prize from the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
With credits like these, she should be able to find a job at the New York Times. She certainly is qualified
The discrepancies in Griego Erwin's work were discovered after the Bee tightened its anonymous sources policy and questioned whether columnists were given too much latitude. Griego Erwin declined to be interviewed for the Bee's article but responded by e-mail.
"The story has been told and I am sad that The Bee continues to pursue this," she wrote. "Surely there are more important stories out there than another about me. I know there are. Even now, I come across them every day."
But, do you have a source for them?
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 14:31 ||
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"The story has been told and I am sad that The Bee continues to pursue this," she wrote. "Surely there are more important stories out there than another about me. I know there are. Even now, I come across them every day."
Women in an eastern Indian forest are stripping naked to distract police and to help a criminal gang avoid arrest while illegally chopping down trees, the Hindustan Times reported Tuesday. Some of the women belong to a timber mafia in the heavily-forested state of Jharkhand while others are paid to strip in front of the police, who are too embarrassed to arrest them or too distracted to hunt the gang down, the daily said. "It is proving tough to deal with these women," Jharkhand forest official B.K. Singh said. "It has almost become a regular practice for them to strip."
India's forest cover has fallen due to illegal cutting of trees in the past few decades. Anyone felling a tree faces up to a year in prison, a fine of up to 5,000 rupees ($115) or both. Only 21 percent of India is covered by forests compared with a recommended 33 percent by the federal government.
Avian flu has killed 5,000 wild birds in China's northwest, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, five times the number previously reported by the Chinese government.
Twenty birds a day are still dying in Qinghai province, but that rate is falling and the outbreak appears to be winding down, said a member of a WHO team that visited the remote region last week with Chinese health officials.
Chinese authorities haven't killed any birds to prevent the spread of the disease because they are rare, protected species, said Dr. Julie Hall, WHO's China-based coordinator for communicable diseases, surveillance and response.
The 5,000 dead birds came from five species and included gulls, geese, shelduck and cormorant, according to the World Organization for Animal Health Web site.
Hall urged the Chinese government to carry out more testing for the deadly H5N1 flu virus, saying only 12 dead birds and two people have been tested, with the people coming up negative.
"What we want to see is more testing going on," she said at a news conference.
China reported in May that 178 geese had been found dead in Qinghai Lake, a vast saltwater lake in Qinghai that is a major transit point for migratory birds. Authorities later raised that to 519 and then to about 1,000 in late May. The official toll hasn't changed since then.
The government's early reluctance to release information about the outbreak fueled concern about a possible cover-up and rumors on Web sites that as many as 120 people had died of the flu. Chinese authorities deny that any people have been infected.
#1
The government's early reluctance to release information about the outbreak fueled concern about a possible cover-up and rumors on Web sites that as many as 120 people had died of the flu. Chinese authorities deny that any people have been infected.
This is going to be the death of us all. If those damned Commies insist on covering up shit, threaten them with some sort of quarantine, or some other punitive action. They need to be made to understand that a global epidemic is a Bad Thing, and is best nipped off in the bud before it gets much, MUCH worse.
#2
Hall urged the Chinese government to carry out more testing for the deadly H5N1 flu virus, saying only 12 dead birds and two people have been tested, with the people coming up negative
Nice effort - slackers and liars
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/28/2005 15:17 Comments ||
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Latest rumours are hundreds dead. BTW, both Japan and Korea have found H5N1 in imported duck meat, while China claimed there were no outbreaks. It appears the tests used are unreliable (or even unable to detect recent variants) and this allows the Chicoms to claim no human/animal infection. If there is human infection in china we will know very shortly. Flu is just too infectious to control through isolation (unlike SARS).
NEW YORK â U.S. consumer confidence rose to a three-year high in June, buoyed by a more optimistic view of the labor market, The Conference Board said in a report Tuesday. The Conference Board said its gauge of sentiment rose nearly three points to 105.8 from a revised 103.1 in May. Analysts on average had expected a rise to 104.0 in June.
The improved confidence index came as consumers felt more optimistic about the U.S. labor market. The proportion of consumers saying jobs were "hard to get" in The Conference Board survey declined to 22.6 percent from 24.1 percent. "This improvement in consumers' mood suggests that business activity and labor market activity will continue to pick up over the next several months," said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board's Consumer Research Center. "And with consumers in better spirits, and job concerns remaining relatively steady, there is little reason to expect a dramatic shift in consumers' spending," Franco added. Consumer spending is the backbone of the U.S. economy, accounting for two-thirds of overall activity, and changes in confidence are seen as a possible precursor to softer or stronger growth.
The Conference Board's confidence index present situation reading rose to 120.7 from 117.8 while its expectations index measure rose to 95.8 from 93.4. "The numbers are encouraging and suggest that there's still life in the American consumer," said Rick Egelton, senior vice president and chief economist at BMO Financial in Toronto. "Both the present situation and expectations components were up more than the market had anticipated. The important 'jobs hard-to-get' measure also fell in the month so it was a broad-based improvement on consumer confidence," he said.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 11:21 ||
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How could this be? Dumb Dubya is in office, the war continues, and gas prices are high. Why isn't the world ending?
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/28/2005 12:58 Comments ||
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A wild idea to combat global warming suggests creating an artificial ring of small particles or spacecrafts around Earth to shade the tropics and moderate climate extremes.
There would be side effects, proponents admit. An effective sunlight-scattering particle ring would illuminate our night sky as much as the full Moon, for example.
And the price tag would knock the socks off even a big-budget agency like NASA: $6 trillion to $200 trillion for the particle approach. Deploying tiny spacecraft would come at a relative bargain: a mere $500 billion tops.
But the idea, detailed today in the online version of the journal Acta Astronautica, illustrates that climate change can be battled with new technologies, according to one scientist not involved in the new work.
All scientists agree that Earth gets warmer and colder across the eons. A delicate and ever-changing balance between solar radiation, cloud cover, and heat-trapping greenhouse gases controls long-term swings from ice ages to warmer conditions like today.
Those who are often called experts admit to glaring gaps in their knowledge of how all this works. A study last month revealed that scientists can't pin down one of the most critical keys: how much sunlight our planet absorbs versus how much is reflected back into space.
Nonetheless, most scientists think our climate has warmed significantly over the past century and will grow warmer over the next hundred years. Various studies claim the planet is destined to warm by anywhere from 1 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit over the next few centuries. Seas will rise dramatically, the scenario goes, inundating coastal cities. But another group of scientists argue that the temperature data supporting a warming planet is not firm and that projections, based on computer modeling, might be wildly off the mark.
Either way, perhaps our fate is more in our hands than we might have imagined.
"Reducing solar insolation by 1.6 percent should overcome a 1.75 K [3 degrees Fahrenheit] temperature rise," contends a group led by Jerome Pearson, president of Star Technology and Research, Inc. "This might be accomplished by a variety of terrestrial or space systems."
The power of scattering sunlight has been illustrated naturally, the scientists note. Volcanic eruptions, such as that of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, pumped aerosols into the atmosphere and cooled the global climate by about a degree. Other researchers have suggested such schemes as adding metallic dust to smoke stacks, to flood the atmosphere and reflect more sunlight back into space.
In the newly outlined approach, reflective particles might come from the mining of Earth, the Moon or asteroids. They'd be put into orbit around the equator. Alternately, tiny micro-spacecraft could be deployed with reflective umbrellas.
A ring created by a batch of either "shades the tropics primarily, providing maximum effectiveness in cooling the warmest parts of our planet," the scientists write. An early version of their idea was presented but not widely noticed in 2002.
Those researchers who don't buy the argument that global warming is occurring at any significant rate nor that humans are largely to blame may warm up quickly to the new idea.
Benny Peiser, a social anthropologist at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, tracks climate research and the resulting media coverage. He's among the small but vocal group that goes against mainstream thought on the topic of global warming.
"I don't think that the modest warming trend we are currently experiencing poses any significant or long-term threat," Peiser told LiveScience. "Nevertheless, what the paper does show quite impressively is that our hyper-complex civilization is theoretically and technologically capable of dealing with any significant climate change we may potentially face in the future."
Peiser also notes that the Kyoto Protocol, a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is estimated to cost the world economy some $150 billion a year. He also sees a broader rationale for supporting the seemingly bizarre manner of managing Earth's temperature budget.
"I believe that this mindset, despite its apparent eccentricity, is actually rather reassuring," Peiser said. "It provides concerned people with ample evidence of the extraordinary human ingenuity that, as so often in the past, has helped to overcome many predicaments that were regarded as impenetrable in previous times."
He also sees an ultimate big-picture reasoning to look favorably on the notion of controlling Earth's climate.
"Whatever the cost and regardless of whether there is any major risk due to global warming," Peiser said, "it would appear to me that such a space-based infrastructure will evolve sooner or later, thus forming additional stepping stones of our emerging migration towards outer space." Of course, the astronomical cost would be if NASA did it. If private enterprise did it, it would probably cost around $200B. The mistake is confusing "the idea" with "you have to do it our way".
#1
For example, a tiny amount of obscuration can go a long way. One great big Russian spaceship with an extra stage just for "polluting" the high atmosphere, could cover a large area with a thin layer of 'smoke'. There doesn't have to be just one layer, either, several layers multiply the effects. Also, lateral diffusion isn't too much of a problem, even though you want concentration around the equator--because it still obscures, but in the higher latitudes. Best of all, you have a very powerful ally in the Earth itself, which tries to create a "cooler" equilibrium. The whole project can be inexpensive if you just shoot for incremental change, and not try and brute force a five degree drop in temperature overnight.
#2
Consider a more bio-friendly approach: Perhaps we could collect the dung from male cattle and distribute that in a ring above the tropics. Sort of symbolic of the never-ending cycle of global warming bullshit.
Posted by: Tom ||
06/28/2005 11:00 Comments ||
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#3
And the price tag would knock the socks off even a big-budget agency like NASA: $6 trillion to $200 trillion for the particle approach. Deploying tiny spacecraft would come at a relative bargain: a mere $500 billion tops.
That's okay - the Americans can easily afford this.
Posted by: Kofi Annan ||
06/28/2005 11:01 Comments ||
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#4
Much easier to just spread rust (iron oxide) in some of the southern seas in the summer. Acts like fertilizer and would eat up lots and lots of CO2.
(Gov even has a plan to do it if things ever got rough.)
#5
This reminded me of a book I read about 20 years ago... Check out Rings of Ice Piers Anthony's first book:
The idea behind this story is an interesting one, but you can tell this is his first novel. The idea is that a large comet(s) are exploded and diverted in such a way as to bring some additional rain to Earth. The ill conceived plan goes drastically wrong, and the earth is once again deluged with non-stop rain. Cilivization and the environment break down, and Anthony's band of misfits - being led by a man with a vision in a Winnebago - try to survive.
#8
Seems like a bad idea. What happens if they've done their math wrong and we end up knocking twenty degrees off the Earth's mean temperature? Planetary engineering seems to be too risky for us at our present stage of development.
#9
Stupidist idea I've heard in a long time. It would be much better to build solar satelites to suck up that great solar power up there and get us off of the oil economy. If we're gonna spend a ton of money we might as well get other benefits out of it.
#12
Handing out tins of reflective metal paint so people could paint their roofs and any other surface would be at least as effective and a hell of a lot cheaper. Note, that as Kyoto is now costing in the trillions, only alternatives that cost more are proposed, in order to make Kyoto look like a bargain.
#13
An expenditure of $600 trillion would require the literal enslavement of most of the world's population for several generations, an eco-activist's dream come true.
#14
perhaps they could use Pepsi cans, a la "Twister"
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/28/2005 21:44 Comments ||
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#15
I've been thinking more about my original proposition, and I think I could improve on it considerably. While ordinary persistant smoke is good at obscuration, if it was a very fine dust, literally a specially made "nano-dust", the effect could be much stronger. That is, particles that are *mirrored* on one side, the "light" side that points up. Instead of diffusing the light, they would reflect a lot of it back into space, which is far more efficient at reducing radiation getting through the atmosphere.
United Nations peacekeepers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been involved in a sustained battle with militia fighters. Some 200 peacekeepers were dismantling a militia camp in Ituri when they were attacked with mortars, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
A UN spokesman said the militias used women and children as human shields during the clashes that followed. More than 50,000 have died in Ituri province in ethnic clashes since 1999.
Quagmire! Better call in the.....oh, wait..
UN patrols are being stepped up after threats by armed militias to disrupt official independence day celebrations on 30 June. The UN Mission in the Congo (Monuc) military spokesman Thierry Provendier said that after eight hours of fighting on Monday the militiamen began retreating. The Pakistani and Bangladeshi peacekeepers were backed up by Mi-25 helicopters. "While we don't have an exact militia death count at the moment, the peacekeepers inflicted considerable damage," Monuc spokesman Kemal Saiki said.
Any word on the "human shields"? Hello?
More than 16,000 troops are deployed in DR Congo, predominantly in the east, as part of the UN's largest peacekeeping mission. Since last September, they have disarmed about 15,000 militia fighters.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/28/2005 09:22 ||
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#1
I can see the militiamen holding a 8-year old girl: "Halt, or your lover gets it!"
An Indian tribe sued Monday to regain about 150 square miles of Ohio that it says was illegally taken in 19th century treaties. The attorney for the Eastern Shawnee of Oklahoma said the aim is to negotiate a deal to open a casino. The tribe would seek title to the land and repayment of taxes and other revenue the state has collected on it since taking it over in 1831.
#1
Hell, just negotiate a revenue sharing deal and the state will use the Kelo decision for acquring the land for you. Its is easier to PO a couple landowners to avoid raising taxes in an election year which will PO even more people.
#2
Can you say "statute of limitations"? Nevermind, we're talking greed here. While we are at it I think maybe somebody and some governments (shawnee actually on the first two counts) killed, maimed, enslaved or cheated my ancestors at some time so gimme gimme gimme gimme. Do I get a cut of the casino's take? I know my ancestors would be proud to know I am honoring our long cultural history by seeking to open a modern casino! Isn't that what it's all about? I mean the redress of all the wrongs and largely self-inflicted suffering that kept my people from opening a casino for generations?! Where's Ward Churchill when you need em?
#3
I once had an argument with my brother in law, a died in the wool liberal. He was defending (verbally) a case in New York where they were trying this same stunt against some property owners. He was all high and mighty on me until I reminded him that his own property was once Indian territory. Conversation over.
At least in dogs (and maybe Jackals?). Human trials in a few years. At first, I was going to suggest some jihadis for testing, but then again, who would want them other than permanently dead?
SCIENTISTS have created eerie zombie dogs, reanimating the canines after several hours of clinical death in attempts to develop suspended animation for humans. US scientists have succeeded in reviving the dogs after three hours of clinical death, paving the way for trials on humans within years. Pittsburgh's Safar Centre for Resuscitation Research has developed a technique in which subject's veins are drained of blood and filled with an ice-cold salt solution.
The animals are considered scientifically dead, as they stop breathing and have no heartbeat or brain activity. But three hours later, their blood is replaced and the zombie dogs are brought back to life with an electric shock. Plans to test the technique on humans should be realised within a year, according to the Safar Centre. However rather than sending people to sleep for years, then bringing them back to life to benefit from medical advances, the boffins would be happy to keep people in this state for just a few hours, But even this should be enough to save lives such as battlefield casualties and victims of stabbings or gunshot wounds, who have suffered huge blood loss.
During the procedure blood is replaced with saline solution at a few degrees above zero. The dogs' body temperature drops to only 7C, compared with the usual 37C, inducing a state of hypothermia before death. Although the animals are clinically dead, their tissues and organs are perfectly preserved. Damaged blood vessels and tissues can then be repaired via surgery. The dogs are brought back to life by returning the blood to their bodies,giving them 100 per cent oxygen and applying electric shocks to restart their hearts. Tests show they are perfectly normal, with no brain damage.
#1
If you could find enough body parts to sew the jihadi back together again, it would be pretty good, especially if you sewed his legs on back-to-front and stuff like that.
Posted by: Rafael ||
06/28/2005 1:54 Comments ||
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#5
I'll pass, for now. I would rather be Cyberized.
Part starts going bad, replace it. I am too old to procreate even if Momma and I still had all the parts needed for our ends of the deal so Cyberization would be good enough for me.
#10
BillH: Actually, at the end of the excerpt they say that the dogs are normal, with no brain damage. On the other hand, they probably had some seriously intense dreams about running across the frozen tundra.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
06/28/2005 10:00 Comments ||
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LAHORE: The gang war between Billa Truckanwala and Gogi Butt took a new turn on Monday when Amir Butt of the Gogi group announced that Arif Ameer, alias Tipu Truckawala, was trying to kill him. Talking at the Lahore Press Club, Butt said that his life was in danger and Ameer, the son of Billa Truckanwala, and his accomplices would be responsible for his murder. Giving the details of the âassassination planâ, Butt said that Ameer would go aboard to Dubai or Saudi Arabia for Umra. In the meantime, Ameerâs comrades Bhola Gaddi and Usman would kill him, Butt added. âIn any case, Ameer, his two maternal uncles, and Shahid Bilal, Hassan, Paiga Butt, Usman and Bhola Gaddi will be responsible for my murder,â Butt said. âAn FIR should be registered against them if I am murdered.â He said that to save his life, the government should not allow Ameer to travel abroad.
Butt said that Ameer, who is also his cousin, wants to take over his business, he said. Butt said that Ameer was using various tactics to take over his business. Once he had planted hashish at his transport company office, for which a cashier and a driver of his company spent 17 months in prison. Butt claimed that he went to Ameerâs uncle to settle their enmity but in return, Ameer lodged an FIR with Mozang police against him, his elder brother and Khawaja Adnan, his friend and a reporter of an Urdu daily, for attempted murder. He said that investigations of the case proved that it was a false case and Ameer was being tried under Section 182 of the Pakistan Penal Code for false prosecution. He said that the police had not arrested Ameer even though the trial court had issued arrest warrants for him.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/28/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
Don't anyone dare make fun of the names in this story. It's not nice and I have been told that PakiWakiSquirrellyGirlyMynInDresses are our, um, bestest friends.
SHEIKHUPURA: Angry villagers set Ajnianwala Police Station on fire on Monday night. Reportedly, some villagers handed over a mentally disabled person, Mazhar Iqbal alias Gogi, to the station for allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran. The police later released Gogi. On finding out the man had been released, the villagers demonstrated against the police and attacked the station, housed in a tent, setting it on fire. Damages could not be ascertained. Later, a heavy police contingent from Sheikhupura pacified the villagers.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/28/2005 00:00 ||
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Later, a heavy police contingent from Sheikhupura pacified the villagers
WASHINGTON - Indiaâs defence minister appealed on Monday for a quick end to restrictions on nuclear and technology cooperation with the United States, saying they limit Indiaâs ability to become a stabilizing force in Asia. On his first visit to Washington since taking up his post, Pranab Mukherjee said such limitations were among factors âthat prevent India from realising its potential to contribute to international peace, stability and development.â
In a speech to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he said India and the United States have a âconvergence of our security concerns,â including âfundamentalist activism and terrorismâ and weapons proliferation. India is on the front line of this struggle and hence merits Washingtonâs assistance, Mukherjee added.
He met earlier in the day with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and is due to visit Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday at the Pentagon. Mukherjee is preparing the way for a White House visit next month by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
President George W. Bush has greatly accelerated predecessor Bill Clintonâs initiative to strengthen ties between the worldâs two biggest democracies, at odds through most of the Cold War and the years immediately afterward. Economic and diplomatic relations have mushroomed.
But nuclear, military and other technology dealings have been more cautious, largely because of US concerns over Indiaâs status as an undeclared nuclear power that has refused to join most international non-proliferation regimes. The administration has begun to cooperate on nuclear-related safety programs with India. But US Undersecretary of State Robert Joseph said last week âweâre moving forward in an incremental and reciprocal wayâ in this regard and no immediate changes in US law or policy are contemplated.
Mukherjee said if India is to realize its economic potential, it needs alternative sources of energy and foremost among those available is nuclear energy.
As opposed to the Iranians, who don't need alternative sources of energy.
Insisting Indiaâs nuclear energy and weapons programs are separate, he said ârestrictions against Indiaâs nuclear energy programs are anachronistic.â
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/28/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
It makes sense, the horse is out of the barn in respect to India and militatry uses of the4 atom.
#2
Hell, givem a good safe bomb and our latest permissive action link or whatever the hell is in use these days. And missile guidance at least as good as we gave the Chinee.
#3
They are a good counterweight to China, Russia and Iran. India is going to be an economic powerhouse. Might as well make them a military powerhouse too.
Washington, June 29, 2005
The Defence Ministers of India and the United States signed a 10-year agreement on Tuesday paving the way for stepped up military ties, including joint weapons production and cooperation on missile defence, officials said.
Posted by: john ||
06/28/2005 20:52 Comments ||
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#5
Washington June 29th? Another AP future-read carried on Hindustan Times? LOL -.....I know.....dateline...
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/28/2005 21:15 Comments ||
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Scientists should today finally get the go-ahead to build a prototype nuclear fusion reactor which could offer a clean source of unlimited energy. Ministers are expected to announce at a meeting in Moscow that a £7bn experimental reactor, designed to prove the new type of nuclear power is commercially viable, will be built in France.
Today's announcement follows years of often bitter negotiations. The international project - called the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or Iter - has been deadlocked since December 2003, when the world's leading scientific pow ers fell out over where to build it. Russia and China supported the EU's plan for Cadarache in southern France while the US and South Korea favoured a rival bid from Japan for Rokkasho. Reports say Japan has been persuaded to drop its claim in return for lucrative construction contracts.
Supporters claim such fusion reactors could produce enough electricity to solve the world's energy demands and, because they would not release carbon dioxide, the problem of global warming. Critics argue that the science is unproven, and say that the promise of nuclear fusion has been 30 years away since the 1960s. Iter will show who is right.
Sir Christopher Llewellyn Smith, director of a fusion research facility called the Joint European Torus (Jet) in Culham, Oxfordshire, said: "It's great news because it will enable us to get on with fusion. Iter is the absolutely vital step on the way to building a real fusion power station."
Experimental reactors such as Jet have proved fusion can work in principle but they have not been able to produce more energy than they use to get the reactions going in the first place. Iter aims to produce 500 megawatts of power, or 10 times its predicted input.
Some problems remain. The US cannot ratify any agreement until Congress looks at complaints from domestic energy researchers that their grants have been slashed to pay the US contribution.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/28/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
... will be built in France.
Well, if there's going to be a failure, might as well be in ...
#2
A £7bn experimental reactor, but they have not been able to produce more energy than they use to get the reactions going in the first place. Let Iran build it.
Posted by: Tom ||
06/28/2005 9:39 Comments ||
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#3
I hate to see Chirac's France get a contract for anything let alone bleeding high tech.
Think about it. They're going to try to float a $10 billion project with the French, Russians, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, and God knows who else grubbing over money, perks and prestige.
By the time they're done, the only thing they'll be able to point to is the world's largest strip club built right outside the fence from the headquarters of this travesty.
It'll make the Edsel look like one of the great technological triumphs of all time.
#7
a £7bn experimental reactor, designed to prove the new type of nuclear power is commercially viable Bulls&&&! If it works it will prove technical feasibility. Proven commercial viability is another generation away - 15 years + 15 years = 30 years away. Where have I heard that number before?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
IN what has been billed as a world first, two dwarf brahman cattle are scheduled to get married next month. The nuptials were set over the weekend in the province of Sa Kaew, 160km east of Bangkok, where the owners of a dwarf brahman cow and bull agreed to get their diminutive bovines together to reproduce the petite breed. 
France's interior minister said Monday that European Union enlargement should be suspended after the entry of Romania and Bulgaria — a clear swipe at Turkey's efforts to join the bloc. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said France's rejection of the EU constitution in a May referendum showed the need for several changes. "We have to rethink and rework our European politics," he said. 
LAHORE: The gang war between Billa Truckanwala and Gogi Butt took a new turn on Monday when Amir Butt of the Gogi group announced that Arif Ameer, alias Tipu Truckawala, was trying to kill him. Talking at the Lahore Press Club, Butt said that his life was in danger and Ameer, the son of Billa Truckanwala, and his accomplices would be responsible for his murder. Giving the details of the âassassination planâ, Butt said that Ameer would go aboard to Dubai or Saudi Arabia for Umra. In the meantime, Ameerâs comrades Bhola Gaddi and Usman would kill him, Butt added. âIn any case, Ameer, his two maternal uncles, and Shahid Bilal, Hassan, Paiga Butt, Usman and Bhola Gaddi will be responsible for my murder,â Butt said. âAn FIR should be registered against them if I am murdered.â He said that to save his life, the government should not allow Ameer to travel abroad.
SHEIKHUPURA: Angry villagers set Ajnianwala Police Station on fire on Monday night. Reportedly, some villagers handed over a mentally disabled person, Mazhar Iqbal alias Gogi, to the station for allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran. The police later released Gogi. On finding out the man had been released, the villagers demonstrated against the police and attacked the station, housed in a tent, setting it on fire. Damages could not be ascertained. Later, a heavy police contingent from Sheikhupura pacified the villagers.
