You will stay in jail until you die, judge tells the Suffolk Strangler
Steve Wright became one of the select few prisoners to be told that they will never be released when he was sentenced yesterday for murdering five women.
The killer whose reign of fear lasted six weeks in the winter of 2006 was taken under high security to Belmarsh prison, in South London, where he was placed on suicide watch.
Mr Justice Gross told Wright at Ipswich Crown Court that the campaign of murder had led to his sombre conclusion that Wright should die in jail. Only 35 other people in the British penal system, including Rose West and Ian Brady, have been told that their life sentences should mean life. Wow- truth in sentencing. What a concept.
Wright, 49, a former publican, killed, stripped and disposed of the women, all of whom worked as prostitutes and were addicted to hard drugs. The families of some of his victims called for him to face the death penalty after a jury found him guilty on Thursday of murdering Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Annette Nicholls, 29, and Paula Clennell, 24.
Wrights brother, David, and sister, Jeanette, sat behind the families of some of the victims in the courtroom at Ipswich Crown Court, and sobbed as the judge handed down the sentences.
The serial killer sat impassively in the dock and stared straight ahead as his sentence was handed down, occasionally taking a sip of water.
The judge said that he had reached his sombre conclusion after considering the facts and arguments put forward by prosecution and defence lawyers. I must pass a sentence which meets the justice of the case, he said. In my judgment upon reflection it must be a whole-life term. It is right you should spend your whole life in prison. This was a targeted campaign of murder.
Mr Justice Gross said Wright had targeted vulnerable women. Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk. But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did. " So if this (dare I say) EVIL man is going to stay in prison for good, shouldn't they just execute him now? Even if he lives only 10 more years, wouldn't that cost be far more than a gallows and some rope?
#1
Mr. Wright is a very powerful man. He's taken five lives. The State in all its manifest glory can't take one.
For the same reason, fellows, just like Mr. Wright, effect our daily lives as we choose not to travel to certain parts of our urban communities, why we worry where our children are when the night comes, and why we lock our doors and windows sealing ourselves in nightly. Who says the death penalty doesn't alter behavior?
#2
suicide watch? If I were in charge, that would be a pay-per-view webcam and providing long strips of cloth, shoelaces, and a belt along with convenient points of attachment along the ceiling.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/23/2008 16:03 Comments ||
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#3
The Brits are throwing criminals in jail? That *is* newsworthy!
#2
something about the headline doesn't scan. Since she's missing, obviously they didn't do an autopsy on her, so the only logical conclusion is they did the autopsy on the family.... this was in the SF Chronicle/Exmainer, right?
#1
Mother Mary, Oil on canvas, 1913 by Adolf Hitler
Side view of Minoriten Church of Vienna. Water color 1910 - 1912 by Adolf Hitler
Klosterneuburg near Vienna, on the River Danube. Water color, 1911 by Adolf Hitler
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 12:57 Comments ||
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#2
Like him, or hate him, those paintings are pretty good.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/23/2008 13:19 Comments ||
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#3
If true, that has to be one of the creepiest things I've ever heard. What a betrayal it would be if the whole Disney thing were to somehow be a Hitler inspired creation. The mind boggles.
#4
So Hitler liked Disney films and decided to do a few sketches in his spare time. So what? Stalin liked to drink Indian tea. Does that reflect poorly on Darjeeling?
#5
Postcards for tourists. Herr Schickelgruber's work has no soul, which is why he couldn't make a living at it. Look at the drawing of Sleepy -- he copied from the film, not the other way round. With all the talented cartoonists at his disposal, why would Mr. Disney rely on a foreign head of state to provide him with characters?
#7
World would have a lot different if Walt had hired him. Then the worst damage Adolf could have done would have been on Tom and Jerry cartoons.
Posted by: ed ||
02/23/2008 15:27 Comments ||
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#8
Herr Schickelgruber's work has no soul
That's because like all failed great artists, their best works would have been after their time. Now had he lived to the 'Elvis On Velvet'Era(tm) things may have gone differently.
#9
Somehow that evoked the mental picture of a portly Adolf with a bad comb-over wearing a white suit with spangles and crooning Ein Prosit to hordes of fainting hausfraus.
#10
What a betrayal it would be if the whole Disney thing were to somehow be a Hitler inspired creation.
Except that the Disney characters -- particularly Mickey -- predate Hitler being anything but a noisy jerk. The first MM cartoon was made in 1928.
Since the Disney shorts were *HUGE*, it's no surprise that Hitler saw them, or that he drew them.
I doubt he ever saw the one with Donald Duck that used "In Der Fuhrer's Face" as its score. Or the animations for "Why We Fight", or the weapons-training films Disney produced for the War Department.
(NB -- all of the "Disney was a fascist" crap started after Walt resisted a CPUSA-backed unionization attempt. Walt himself was amused by the number of artsy-types who went from praising his productions as stunning art to condemning them as dreck, and how the closer to the CPUSA the source, the sooner it started.
But I'm a committed Disney partisan, so...)
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
02/23/2008 18:40 Comments ||
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#11
most forget the eighth dwarf "Der Jewey", who sucked the resources (and blood) from the other seven, and was perhaps "the brains and money" behind the evil queen. An incident which has been played down by Hollywood, and New York, which have a lot of....you got it, Joooooos
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/23/2008 19:26 Comments ||
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No, tell us how you really feel.
General Motors Corp Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has defended remarks he made dismissing global warming as a "total crock of s---," saying his views had no bearing on GM's commitment to build environmentally friendly vehicles. Lutz, GM's outspoken product development chief, has been under fire from Internet bloggers since last month when he was quoted as making the remark to reporters in Texas.
In a posting on his GM blog on Thursday, Lutz said those "spewing virtual vitriol" at him for minimizing the threat of climate change were "missing the big picture." "What they should be doing in earnest is forming opinions, not about me but about GM and what this company is doing that is ... hugely beneficial to the causes they so enthusiastically claim to support," he said in a posting titled, "Talk About a Crock."
GM, the largest U.S. automaker by sales and market share, has been trying to change its image after taking years of heat for relying too much on sales of large sport-utility vehicles like the Hummer and not moving faster on fuel-saving hybrid technology.
"My thoughts on what has or hasn't been the cause of climate change have nothing to do with the decisions I make to advance the cause of General Motors," he wrote.
Lutz said GM was continuing development of the battery-powered, plug-in Chevy Volt and other alternatives to traditional internal combustion engines. GM is racing against Toyota Motor Corp to be first to market a plug-in hybrid car that can be recharged at a standard electric outlet.
Lutz has previously said GM made a mistake by allowing Toyota to seize "the mantle of green respectability and technology leadership" with its market-leading Prius hybrid.
A 40-year auto industry veteran who joined GM earlier in the decade with a mandate to shake up its vehicle line-up, Lutz is no stranger to controversy. As part of a campaign against higher fuel economy standards, Lutz wrote in a 2006 blog posting that forcing automakers to sell smaller cars would be "like trying to address the obesity problem in this country by forcing clothing manufacturers to sell smaller, tighter sizes."
Automakers ended their opposition to higher fuel standards in 2007 when it became clear that proposed changes would become law with or without their support. In December, President George W. Bush signed a law mandating a 40 percent increase in fleetwide fuel economy by 2020, the first substantial change in three decades.
#1
"What's good for General Bullmose, is good for the USA."
Seriously I agree, it's Bullshit.
Those who object to automobiles, and think they cause "Global Warming" (Oops, climate Change) are welcome to sell or destroy their vehicles, buy (Or Make, be Eco-friendly) Bicycles.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/23/2008 13:17 Comments ||
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#2
No RJ, they can repopulate urban cores [like Detroit] and walk just like the Euros they admire. Note well how so few ever repatriate themselves to their ancestors' point of origin to do just that?
#3
Lutz is dead on. The whole global warming/climate change/carbon tax proposal is the most brazen scam in world history. The criminals behind it are attempting to make a multi-trillion dollar market out of--wait for it--NOTHING! Hell, even the South Sea Bubble had some actual land for sale.
They're likely to succeed, too, since it will benefit a)the enviromental movement, b)strengthen governments (at the expense of individuals), and c)already rich liberals. The fact that it will seriously injure Western economies while greatly aiding the Asian economies that are the world's worst polluters is, for them, an added benefit.
Bjorn Lomborg was, and is, right. The fact that this nonsense ever got half as far as it has is proof of both the dumbing down of Western schools and the criminal dishonesty of Western liberals. And those bastards have the temerity to wonder why 15% of Americans are homeschooling these days...
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has directed all the Internet service providers of the country to block access to the video-sharing website Youtube for containing blasphemous content.
The order, issued by the director enforcement agency, says that the ratio of non-Islamic objectionable video has increased on the website. Following the order, all local ISPs have blocked the website from their servers. The site would remain blocked till further orders from the PTA, a local ISP worker said.
YouTube, powered by Google, allows people to easily upload and share video clips through websites, mobile devices, blogs, and email, and is used by people all over the world.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/23/2008 00:00 ||
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SUNNYVALE -- In an environmental dispute seemingly scripted for eco-friendly California, a man asked prosecutors to file charges against his neighbors because their towering redwoods blocked sunlight to his solar panels. But the couple next door insisted they should not have to chop down the trees to accommodate Mark Vargas' energy demands because they planted the redwoods before he installed the solar panels in 2001.
After more than six years of legal wrangling, a judge recently ordered Richard Treanor and his wife, Carolyn Bissett, to cut down two of their eight redwoods, citing an obscure state law that protects a homeowner's right to sunlight. The couple does not plan to appeal the ruling because they can no longer afford the legal expenses, but they plan to lobby state lawmakers to change or scrap the law. The Solar Shade Control Act means that homeowners can "suddenly become a criminal the day a tree grows big enough to shade a solar panel," Treanor said.
The case marks the first time a homeowner has been convicted of violating the law, which was enacted three decades ago, when few homeowners had solar systems.
[The plaintiff] says the law protects his $70,000 investment in solar power, and he thinks it should be strengthened. "I think it's unfair that a neighbor can take away this source of energy from another neighbor," he said.
The law requires homeowners to keep their trees or shrubs from shading more than 10 percent of a neighbor's solar panels between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is strongest. Existing trees that cast shadows when the panels are installed are exempt, but new growth is subject to the law. Residents can be fined up to $1,000 a day for violations, though the judge did not impose any fines against the Treanors. Vargas says the law protects his $70,000 investment in solar power, and he thinks it should be strengthened.
"I think it's unfair that a neighbor can take away this source of energy from another neighbor," he said.
Treanor and Bissett, who drive a hybrid Toyota Prius, argue that trees absorb carbon dioxide, cool the surrounding air and provide a habitat for wildlife.
Vargas, who recently bought a plug-in electric car, counters it would take 2 or 3 acres of trees to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as much as the solar panels that cover his roof and backyard trellis.
Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate for Environment California, says the solar shade law might need to be revised to prevent similar disputes.
"We want to make sure we are protecting individuals who have invested a lot of money in solar power, which is an important resource for the state," she said. But lawmakers might want to "take a look at the policy and make sure it's written in a way that's fair to everybody."
#3
Maybe his solar panels will overheat, torching his house, which will burn down the trees which will then fall on and total their little electric cars.
Then they can save the world by living in tents and walking to work...
#5
Although amusing, I come down on the side of the Solar Panel owner.
A material change to his conditions has come about because of his neighbours. If it were his swimming pool, or anything else I'd feel exactly the same.
P.S. That 70,000 USD on solar panels isn't an investment, it's a cost. Unless he's spending multi-thousands a year on fuel bills!
#6
BP did you miss this? "... they planted the redwoods before he installed the solar panels.."
There is not material change anymore than the "yuppie scum" here in Massachusetts that bitched when the pig farm they moved next too got "too ugly" for their sensibilities.
If the trees were planted AFTER the solar panels were installed that would be one thing, but before?
#7
I agree, anyone too dumb to not realise "Trees shade Solar Panels" shouldn't be allowed to breed.
Sounds to me like poor planning, remedy? lawsuit.
(No, No, I couldn't be wrong.)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/23/2008 13:25 Comments ||
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#8
I don't see that it is that big of a deal. It is not that different from a noise ordinance, animal restrictions, height limits on buildings, parking restrictions etc. Space is limited in suburban cities and the city ordinance books are full of things that prevent the lifestyle of one person from impacting the quality of life of their neighbors.
I also agree that someone who lives in a suburban city should not have to worry about their property being denied sunlight from gigantic trees - Redwood or otherwise. You are responsible for cutting down branches that extend into your neighbors yard so they don't have to rake up leaves they didn't sign up for. And it makes sense to me that trees that can grow up and block out a neighbors ability to get sunlight (irregardless of solar panels) are a valid concern.
#9
Redwoods are pretty special to those who live with them. Among other things, they add value to a house lot - ESPECIALLY in Sunnyvale and other towns along the southern Bay, where they're less often found anymore.
I have some sympathy for the guy with the solar, though. Two homes ago, I had a fence with lovely rambling roses I'd planted and carefully tended. The tiny lot next to us got sold to a couple who built a house that literally covered just about every square foot of the lot except for the small mandated setbacks. And .. the house was 3 stories tall.
I not only lost the rambling fence roses, I lost half of a very large walking garden with antique varieties of roses and other plants carefully procured and tended. And the house blocked every inch of view from our deck. grrrr
#12
mixed feelings. Redwoods are beautiful, but not usually suitable for a suburban neighborhood. Also, sounds like the next door neighbor didn't plan well on the solar siting, huh? Perhaps a real feud is necessary to determine the outcome
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/23/2008 16:10 Comments ||
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#13
I agree with Frank. "Redwoods" and "Neighborhoods" are two words that have no business in the same sentence. In the suburbs, trees that big are a true menace. Heck, here in Atlanta 75 foot Oak trees cause tons of mischief when they fall over ... I can't even imagine the drama 200' redwoods would cause.
Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca.
The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported. They were arrested following a request of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Request?
The mutaween enforce Saudi Arabia's conservative brand of Islam, Wahhabism.
Earlier in the month, the authorities enforced a ban on the sale of red roses and other symbols used in many countries to mark Valentine's Day. The ban is partly because of the connection with a "pagan Christian holiday", and also because the festival itself is seen as encouraging relations between the sexes outside marriage, punishable by law in the kingdom.
The Prosecution and Investigation Commission said it had received reports of such "bad" behaviour by 57 young men at a number of shopping centres in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi Gazette said. The guardians of some of the men defended their actions, however, saying they would regularly get together at the weekend to have fun without ever violating laws governing the segregation of the sexes, it added.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 13:06 ||
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#1
No fun allowed assholes.
Get back to sweltering and suffering for allah.
Senior Muslim figures have said that they are shocked that a number of Walkers snacks contain traces of alcohol and eating them is therefore against their religion. A tiny amount of alcohol is used in some products as a chemical agent to extract flavour.
The use of alcohol was discovered by Besharat Rehman, who owns a halal supermarket in Bradford, and reported in the Eastern Eye. Mr Rehman said: Our suppliers were unaware of the alcohol. Walkers must make it clear on the packaging so customers can make an informed choice.
Shuja Shafi, who chairs the food standards committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said that he intended to investigate. Certainly we would find it very offensive to have eaten food with alcohol.
Masood Khawaja, of the Halal Food Authority, said that it had raised labelling issues and alcohol flavouring with Walkers before. They should have looked into the matter and solved it instead of hiding behind labelling regulations. It does not matter what percentage of alcohol is involved.
However, a Walkers consumer care team representative was unapologetic. She said: There is not enough room on the packaging to list things beyond allergy-causing ingredients that can make people ill. A minimal amount of alcohol is used to extract the flavour of some crisps.
Snacks that are likely to be boycotted by Muslims are Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli, Doritos Chilli Heat Wave and Quavers Cheese.
Can we get those here in the States?
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 14:39 ||
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#1
Wait till they find out that bread yeast make alcohol and carbon dioxide... both haram and global warming...
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 14:53 Comments ||
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#2
Wonder what glorious fatwas will result from the "discovery" of digestive tract and, ahem, other body parts yeast? May I suggest a time honored motion with a red hot pöker.
Posted by: ed ||
02/23/2008 15:23 Comments ||
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#3
She said: There is not enough room on the packaging to list things beyond allergy-causing ingredients that can make people ill. A minimal amount of alcohol is used to extract the flavor of some crisps.
Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better even if I'm not a Muslim. What are we eating anyways? Grandma never put alcohol in my chips! What else?
#5
Grandma never put alcohol in my chips! What else?
This whole bit about the alcohol is silly. Most flavorings for baking come in an alcohol base - vanilla extract, for instance. In the case of potato chips I'm guessing that Walkers sprays flavoring on the hot chips after cooking, in which case a truly tiny bit of alcohol might - might - linger for a while before it evaporates at room temperature.
The alcohol itself, all 1 teaspoon or so in a cake, evaporates during backing.
#6
Ummm, bad editing on that comment. But you get the gist. Vanilla extract, lemon extract, almond extract ..... all consist of mild alcohol as the base for the essential oils and other organic components for flavorings. In baked goods the alcohol evaporates quickly. When sprayed on top it evaporates a tiny bit more slowly.
#7
Clearly the ban on alcohol consumption was aimed at inebriation. Trace amounts of alcohol are inconsequential.
What this is all about is reinforcing a separate Muslim identity. They create anxiety in the faithful about what they can and cannot consume and thus reinforce the divide between the Muslim and the majority culture. The majority, by being forced to actively consider the minutae of Muslim custom, also begin to see the Muslims as "the other"
The insistence on wearing of certain types of "islamic" clothes is also aimed at this end. The purpose is political - establishment of an Islamic state.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 16:37 Comments ||
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#8
Dear Granny, you tell em!
IIRC natural OJ and other juices have alcohol in them as well as many fruits.
[hey, fruit from plants not the other kind]
#9
Oh, fer crissake. They can't use anti-bacterial lotion because it contains alcohol. Now they can't eat chips flavored with alcohol-extracted flavors.
So, wait -- does this mean that Muslim cashiers ringing up those foods are selling alcohol? What about Muslim cabbies carrying passengers who have a bag of groceries?
A local radio personality shills for a local potato chip company -- claims he carries an empty chip bag in his back pocket. If those chips are flavored with alcohol-extracted flavors, and he takes a cab with a Muslim cabbie, is that cabbie condemned to hell?
Can Muslims use canned heat to warm chafing dishes? What about alcohol-based wood stains?
Can we mandate that all for-hire cabs run on alcohol? Would that drive Muslims from those jobs?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
02/23/2008 18:48 Comments ||
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#10
pretty obviously they don't know/care that bad cologne contains alcohol
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/23/2008 19:29 Comments ||
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#11
and no, to our cab-driver friends, it IS NOT a substitute for bathing, thankyouverymuch for keeping the windows part-way down
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/23/2008 19:31 Comments ||
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#12
It takes alcohol as part of a process to make that Lebanese hashish they love to smoke so much in their water pipes.
Without alcohol it would be green.
Taking it to a 3rd stage of a red oil requires ether. Is ether Halal?
Next we can talk about the stronger narcotics found with terrorists by US troops and the likely hood of alcohol or gasoline used in their production.
Summary: Blah blah blah blah blah blah cover-a$$ blah blah blah.
The U.S. Secret Service Friday denied reports that security measures at a recent Barack Obama rally in Texas were relaxed or deviated from established plans. Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said there was no order from the Secret Service to stop screening people going to the Obama rally Wednesday at Dallas's Reunion Arena. He said that the event's security plans didn't involve having each participant pass through a magnetometer, as may be the case at other events.
The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported that some police at the event expressed concern about people not passing through metal detectors. "Any allegations to the fact that we had suspended screening or deviated from the original security plan would be entirely inaccurate," Zahren said.
Obama, D-Ill., spoke before some 17,000 supporters at the rally ahead of the March 4 primary election in Texas. There were no security-related incidents. While stressing that security preparations are different for each venue and event, Zahren said officials were happy with the security plan for the rally at Reunion Arena and the way it was implemented.
Limited use of metal detectors "in no way constituted a security lapse at this venue," Zahren said, adding that the security measures were developed with Dallas-area law enforcement personnel.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Having long played down the idea that she might someday run for president, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday said she had no plans to serve as a vice president either. There has been speculation that Republican presidential front-runner Sen. John McCain of Arizona might tap Rice as his running mate.
"I have always said that the one thing that I have not seen myself doing is running for elected office," Rice said at a news conference. "I didn't even run for high school president. It's sort of not in my genes."
While her comments were not a categorical refusal to run, Rice also said she had no expectation of playing a role in the campaign by speaking out for McCain or other candidates. "We all take life a day at a time in terms of trying to get the job done," she said, saying she planned to concentrate on her work as secretary of state. "I don't expect in any way to be involved in this campaign."
I realize there are folks here who don't like her performance at State, but I had rather hoped at one time that she'd seek elective office: not necessarily VP, but perhaps California governor after Ahnuld completed his term. Guess that isn't going to happen ...
A B-2 stealth bomber crashed early Saturday morning local time in Guam, according to the Air Force.
Ouch. Those aren't cheap.
Two pilots who were aboard during the crash, at Andersen Air Force Base, ejected from the bomber and were in good condition afterward, according to an Air Force statement. The pilots were from the 509th Bomb Wing. The military didn't release their names.
Emergency responders were on the scene of the crash. A board of officers will investigate its cause.
#8
Reminds me of a story from the World War 2 era.
A GI in training slips on a rope bridge and drops his M-1 Garand into a fast-moving Georgia stream. All efforts to retrieve the weapon fail.
Payday rolls around and our hero goes to collect. He receives just a few dollars and change. "What gives?" he asks the paymaster, "there's just a few bucks here."
"Simple," replies the paymaster, "We took out for the rifle you dropped. If you lose government propery you have to pay for it."
"Sheesh, now I see why the captain always goes down with his ship."
#12
You still have a career in politics if you build an assembly line that can build a hundred of these a year and have it shut down after building twenty at five a year.
Congress and the Air Force signed off on that monstrosity of a production plan.
If they want to be assholes to the crews that risk flying the thing I'm _sure_ they can find volunteers from the PLAAF to fly it for them instead.
(And I'm sure they'll actually do a proper production run with it, like sober people instead of crackheads, once they're through with their measurements).
#14
I sure hope the Air Force isn't using up B-2 flight hours flying circles over Afghanistan and Iraq. If long duration is needed better to use up airframes that will soon be retired.
BTW, if I remember correctly, the 21 B-2s had a fly away cost of $350M. Think the Air Force could be interested in a B-767 or is it required to spend $40B on R&D before congress cuts the buy to 10 airframes?
Posted by: ed ||
02/23/2008 15:56 Comments ||
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#15
Glad the pilots ejected safely. They were on take off to return to Whiteman AFB in Missery after completing the Guam deployment. They were just a few feet above the runway and the wreckage came down onto runway. Maybe a fuel failure or engines shut down due to malfunction. Too bad, we don't have any extra. Joe M., any poop on this ?
#19
BTW, if I remember correctly, the 21 B-2s had a fly away cost of $350M. Think the Air Force could be interested in a B-767 or is it required to spend $40B on R&D before congress cuts the buy to 10 airframes?
Ed, I hear that the Communist Chinese are very interested in B-767's for the US Air Force.
KOLKATA: The government should ban Twenty20 cricket and ascertain the source of income for the BCCI-backed multi-billion dollar Indian Premier League, veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta demanded on Saturday.
Describing Twenty20 cricket as a "gamble" involving "widespread betting" and "free investment of unaccounted money", Dasgupta alleged that a cabinet minister was involved in the "caricature of the game and looting cricket lovers."
Dasgupta was apparently referring to Agriculture Minister and Maharashtra political heavyweight Sharad Pawar, who heads the cash-rich BCCI.
"No player can exhibit talent in this format. It's a shameful attempt by unscrupulous people to make money. Unfortunately, there is no opposition to this, either from cricketers or from the government," the senior parliamentarian said.
"The standards and morality of cricket will go down because of Twenty20 cricket and events like IPL. Cricket will be destroyed," Dasgupta said.
Filmstars Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Preity Zinta, and industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Ness Wadia were among those who recently shelled out billions of rupees in bids to become franchise owners of Indian Premier League teams and rope in star players from India and abroad.
The tournament would be held at eight venues in India from April 18 to June 1.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 11:30 ||
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#1
Ness Wadia
The Indian industrialist Ness Wadia is the grandson of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.
Ironic that Jinnah's descendants are Indian not Pakistani.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 11:39 Comments ||
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#2
Is that a "burkha babe" next to him? How many fatwas has he accumulated?
#3
That is his girlfriend, the Indian actress Preity Zinta.
He isn't a Muslim though. Jinnah's daughter married a Zoroastrian.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 12:34 Comments ||
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#4
BTW
The Star Spangled Banner was written in 1812 on the HMS Minden, a British Navy ship built in Bombay by the Wadia family shipbuilders.
His ancestor Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia began the Wadia shipbuilding dynasty in 1736, when he obtained a contract from the British East India Company. They built over a hundred warships for the Royal Navy.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/23/2008 12:42 Comments ||
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Two candidates, accused of murder, have been elected to the NWFP Assembly. Murder cases were registered against the two men before the elections.
Awami National Partys (ANP) Bashir Ahmad Bilour was charged in a murder case in the first information report (FIR) after a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) worker Abdul Wahab died in an exchange of fire between the workers of ANP and PPP. As a result of shooting, a bystander woman died, while PPPs worker Abdul Wahab was injured. Later, Wahab died at the hospital. The incident took place in the first week of December, 2007, when workers of both the parties candidates, were dispatching posters of their candidates in Shah Qabool area of the city.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/23/2008 00:00 ||
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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.
Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Having long played down the idea that she might someday run for president, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday said she had no plans to serve as a vice president either. There has been speculation that Republican presidential front-runner Sen. John McCain of Arizona might tap Rice as his running mate.
