posted 05-11-2007 09:49 AM                       

quote: BBC News Online

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A 20-year-old student's car was wrecked by a train after she followed her sat nav system onto a railway track.

Paula Ceely, was driving her Renault Clio from Redditch, Worcestershire, to see her boyfriend at his parents' home in Carmarthenshire for the first time. She was trying to cross the line in the dark when she heard a train horn, realised she was on the track, and the train smashed into the car.

Transport police said drivers must take care with satellite navigation.

The car was carried about half a mile (800m) down the line by the Pembroke Dock to Swansea train, although Ms Ceely escaped injury in the incident near Whitland. A second-year student at Birmingham University, she had borrowed the sat nav from her boyfriend, Tom Finucane, 21.

"I put my complete trust in the sat nav and it led me right into the path of a speeding train," she said. "The crossing wasn't shown on the sat nav, there were no signs at all and it wasn't lit up to warn of an oncoming train. Obviously I had never done the journey before so I was using the sat nav - completely dependent on it," she said.

"I came to this crossing at Ffynongain and there was like a metal gate, which looked like just a normal farmers' gate with a red circle on it. I thought it was a dead end at first and then there was a little sign saying, if the light is green, open the gates and drive through. So I opened the gate, drove forward, closed the gate behind me and then went to go and open the gate in front of me. Then I heard this train and I noticed there was train tracks. It was only then that I did realise I was on a train crossing. I just stood back and I just watched this train come in front of me. I could feel the air just pass me and then my car just did a 360 degree turn on the tracks and was knocked to the other side."

She said her initial thought when she heard the horn had been to get into her car and move it. "It was so quick that if I had done that, I would have been in the car when it was hit," she said. "I can't completely blame the sat nav because up until there, it did get me where I needed to go," she added. If maybe I had been more aware of the situation, I wouldn't have had the accident. But I would be a bit more wary of the sat nav next time because they try to take you the shortest route and not always the most accessible route and not always the safest route."

She has returned to Wales since, but took the train rather than drive.

"I'll never use a sat nav again. You rely on them and if it all goes wrong, you're horribly stuck. People should be more careful with them - you never know where they might lead you."

Chief Inspector Paul Richards of British Transport Police said they was investigating the incident. "We would advise people to use sat navs with due caution," he added.

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Good job she isn't blonde, or I could think of some more politically incorrect responses to this story...

posted 06-15-2007 03:20 AM                       

quote: BBC News Online

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Russian men are risking death by drinking aftershave and cleaning agents, a study has suggested.

UK researchers estimated that half of all deaths in working age men in the country are due to hazardous drinking. The products, which also include herbal tinctures sold in pharmacies, are widely available, cheap and contain up to 97% alcohol, the Lancet study says. It was found that they contain very few toxins but are deadly simply because of the extreme alcohol levels.

Russian men have an "exceptionally low" life expectancy of 59 years, compared with 72 years for women. Men of working age are three-and-a-half times more likely to die than men in Britain. Past studies have shown levels of alcohol consumption among the Russian population, where spirits such as vodka are popular, are high.

But the team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine wanted to take into account non-beverage alcohol. They looked at 1,750 deaths in men aged 25 to 54 years in 2003 and 2005 in Izhevsk, a typical Russian city in the Ural mountains. Family members were interviewed about the drinking habits of the deceased.

Hazardous drinking - classed as excessive consumption of regular drinks such as beer, wine and spirits or drinking of non-beverage alcohol - was found to cause 43% of deaths. Men who drank heavily or who drank non-beverage alcohol, were six times more likely to die than similar men who did not drink at all or did not have a drinking problem.

Those who specifically drank non-beverage alcohol were nine times more likely to die than those who did not. Lead researcher Professor David Leon said: "We're talking about things like eau de cologne and aftershave which are widely available at kiosks and cheaper because they are not subject to excise duty.

"The important work we have done is the toxicology and with many of these products all that's in them is water and ethanol and something to make them smell a bit - people are dying because of the concentration of alcohol in a cheap, readily available form.

Andrew McNeill, director of the Institute of Alcohol Studies said there was a problem with heavy drinking in Eastern Europe in general. "It has fluctuated in Russia - under Communism, alcohol was the only thing people could afford. "Gorbachev tried to sober everyone up but he couldn't sustain it."

He added that rapid economic development in recent years may have added to the social problems which often underlie heavy drinking. "In Western countries, there's a link between alcohol and health inequalities. We don't find much more heavy drinking in poorer populations but morbidity and mortality tends to be higher because it compounds other problems."

Dr Jurgen Rehm from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada, said that many factors might have affected death rates in Russia during the time covered by the study, with non-beverage alcohol "highly unlikely to the main contributor".

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posted 06-20-2007 03:27 AM                    

quote:

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03/27/2007 4:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Dotmusic

Michael Jackson is in discussions about creating a 50-foot robotic replica of himself to roam the Las Vegas desert, according to reports.

The pop legend is currently understood to be living in the city, as he considers making a comeback after 2004's turbulent child sex case.

It has now been claimed that his plans include an elaborate show in Vegas, which would feature the giant Jacko striding around the desert, firing laser beams.

If built, the metal monster would apparently be visible to aircraft as they come in to land in the casino capital.

It is the centerpiece of an elaborate Jackson-inspired show in Vegas, according to Andre Van Pier, the robot's designer.

Luckman Van Pier, his partner at the company behind the proposal, claims blueprints have been drawn up for the show and seen by the star.

"Michael's looked at the sketches and likes them," he told the New York Daily News.

On the subject of the robot, he continued: "It would be in the desert sands. Laser beams would shoot out of it so it would be the first thing people flying in would see."

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posted 06-22-2007 06:06 PM                    

quote:

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(CNN) -- A teen who lost her feet in an accident at a Kentucky amusement park has undergone surgery, a park spokeswoman said Friday, while two park operators closed similar rides around the country.

The Superman Tower of Power at Louisville's Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom was shut down after Thursday's accident, and Six Flags spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg said Friday the company closed similar rides at parks in St. Louis, Missouri; Gurnee, Illinois; and near Washington, D.C., as a precaution, The Associated Press reported.

Another park operator, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., closed drop rides at Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio; Canada's Wonderland in Toronto, Ontario; Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia.; Carowinds, in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Great America in Santa Clara, California, the AP reported.

"We're going to keep these things down until we're certain it's safe," Cedar Fair spokesman Craig Ross told the AP. "We'll wait and see."

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom spokeswoman Carolyn McLean said she has been in touch with the injured 13-year-old girl's family and believed the girl is still receiving treatment at the University of Louisville Hospital.

Hospital spokeswoman Julie Gordon would not discuss details of the surgery or recovery, citing patient privacy.

The girl's name was not released because she is a minor.

The girl's feet were completely amputated just below the ankle Thursday afternoon while riding the Superman Tower of Power at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville.

Her feet were recovered by Six Flags staff and were sent to the hospital with her, McLean said.

During the Tower of Power ride, passengers are hoisted aloft, suspended momentarily, then pulled down, according to the park's Web site. Passengers -- secured with bars and seat belts but with arms and legs free -- drop 154 feet at 54 mph, stopping "just 20 terrifying feet above the pavement," the Web site says.

A police dispatcher said a cord wrapped around the girl's feet while she was on the ride.

"I seen the car go up. Then, like, the cable broke ... and I heard a lot of people screaming," Chris Stinnett, who was at a ride next to the Tower of Power, told CNN affiliate WDRB/WMYO-TV in Louisville.

"The cable went under the car -- and I seen it pull up and hit a lot of people -- and I seen them bring their legs up," he said. (Watch witnesses describe the accident Video)

"We are not confirming that happened," McLean said. "There was a lot of misinformation from witnesses."

The ride will remain closed until a full investigation by state officials and "our team of experts" is conducted, McLean said.

The inspectors will interview staff members, witnesses and speak with the girl and her family, she said.

"Every ride, every investigation is different," she said.

The rest of the park was operating as normal on Friday.

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posted 06-22-2007 08:32 PM                       

quote:

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Car culture meets car crusher as squeeze put on street racing
Six vehicles were destroyed at an auto graveyard as local law enforcement ramped up enforcement against illegal street racing.
From the Associated Press
9:25 PM PDT, June 20, 2007



RIALTO -- Charles Hoang winced when the whoosh went out of the tires. Daniel Maldonado took pictures with a digital camera as glass exploded and rained down to the ground.

The two teens didn't know each other but they shared a common grief standing near each other under the sweltering sun Wednesday. They both watched helplessly as the cars they had so meticulously souped up and tricked out were crushed and turned into metal pancakes as part of a crackdown on illegal street racing in Southern California.

"That's my heart, my dream," said a visibly upset Hoang, 18, of Chino, who was surrounded by friends as his 1998 Acura Integra was put into a compactor. "That's my girlfriend, the love of my life. The cops can crush my car, but they can't crush my memories."

Six vehicles were destroyed at an auto graveyard as local law enforcement ramped up enforcement against illegal street racing, which is responsible for or suspected in 13 deaths in Southern California since March.

The thrill-seeking, adrenaline-pumping activity is rampant in Riverside and San Bernardino counties east of Los Angeles where rows of tract homes line wide streets ideal for racing. Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested for investigation of street racing activities over the past two years in San Bernardino County alone. That includes spectators as well as drivers.

Police need a court order to destroy the cars. They must prove that the serial or identification numbers on a vehicle or its parts are removed, altered or destroyed.

Although police said they have managed to reduce illegal racing and related fatal collisions, they are well aware the underground hobby still thrives.

"We are making a dent," said Ontario police Cpl. Jeff Higbee. "But it's summertime and ... we expect to see more activity."

Hoang said he was caught late last year racing his prized car on which he spent at least $10,000 to get into top shape. The 350-horsepower engine topped out at 160 mph, Hoang said, swearing it could beat a Corvette or even a Ferrari.

When police popped open the hood, Hoang said, they found a stolen transmission. Hoang flashed a receipt for the transmission he bought from his father who runs an auto shop and doubted the item was hot.

"Everything on that car was practically brand new," Hoang said as he watched his car get moved to auto death row. "They should take out the stuff that matters, auction it off, and give the money to charity."

Because racers put heavy stress on their vehicles, they often burn out or blow up parts. Higbee said the need for the expensive parts has created a "theft mill" where additional cars -- usually Hondas or Acuras -- are stolen and stripped of the necessary replacements.

Most of the cars police examine are illegally modified. Sergio Zavala, 18, was pulled over in his 1993 yellow Honda Civic for a broken tail light in December. He had purchased a B-20 Vtech engine with a double-overhead cam a couple months before, and after a police investigation, was told it was stolen.

Zavala, who admits he's been involved in street racing, estimates he and his mother spent about $10,000 to make improvements to his car.

After watching his Civic demolished, Zavala is left without a car as he plans to attend a fire academy in the fall.

"It's heartbreaking to see this," said Zavala, who graduated from high school last week. "This is where all my time and money went."

Maldonado also said he put plenty of time and effort working on his 1992 black Honda Civic. He was stopped in November by police in what Higbee described as an area where racers gather.

The 18-year-old mechanic said a vehicle identification sticker apparently fell off and without it, police suspected some of the parts were stolen. Maldonado stood several feet away from his car as it was pounded into a heap of metal.

Maldonado said he has taken the advice of police -- by racing legally on one of several race courses around Southern California. For the money spent in fines and other penalties -- on average about $5,000 for illegally modified cars -- Higbee said street racers could compete about 250 times a year at a legitimate track.

"If you have to race, take it to a legal venue," Higbee said. "But as long as they keep racing illegally, we keep crushing their cars."

All three men who saw their vehicles destroyed accused the police of auto profiling. They said they target only Hondas and Acuras, hoping to find something. Maldonado said he's driven a 1989 Toyota Supra but never been stopped.

They also believe illegal street racing will continue to prosper across the region.

"It will never go away," Maldonado said. "If it's in your heart, you will continue to do it until you can't anymore."

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posted 07-07-2007 08:08 AM                       

quote: York Evening Press

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Police have received reports of a man having sex with a cow.

The shocking incident is said to have happened in the early hours of the morning in Skipwith.

A passer-by saw a young man with what is believed to have been an English longhorn cow and when challenged the man pulled up his brief-style underwear and rode off on a bicycle.

Police say it is not the first time an incident of this nature in Skipwith - which is between York and Selby - has been reported to them.

Farmer Richard Parish, who owns the longhorn cattle in Skipwith, said he could hardly believe it when police telephoned him, but thought anyone who wanted to engage in an unnatural act with one of his cows would have serious difficulty. He said that if the animals know a person is there, but cannot see them, they will move until the person is in their eye line.

But he added: "If we get a bovine-cross-human it might be the making of me."

Sgt Mike Pickersgill, of Selby Police, confirmed that a man had been seen with an animal last month and that it was not the first time.

Sgt Pickersgill said the man has been seen by members of the public engaged in activity with animals at least twice. He has been challenged by members of the public and he has quickly ridden off on his bike.

He added that police have spoken to a man in his 20s from the local area about the incident and that someone found to have had sex with animals could be charged with bestiality. Under UK law the maximum sentence for someone found guilty of bestiality is two years imprisonment.

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posted 07-07-2007 11:32 AM                    

quote: 11-year-old charged with driving drunk in Alabama

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MIAMI (Reuters) - An 11-year-old girl was charged with drunken driving after leading police on a chase at speeds of up to 100 mph that ended when she flipped the car in an Alabama beach town.

A video camera in the police car captured the look of surprise on the officer's face when he approached the wrecked car and got a look at the motorist.

The Mobile Press-Register newspaper said the patrolman saw the Chevrolet Monte Carlo speeding and flashed his lights to signal the driver to stop. Instead, the car sped faster, travelling at up to 100 mph (160 kph) before sideswiping another vehicle and flipping over in the Gulf Coast town of Orange Beach, Alabama, on Tuesday night.

The young driver, who lived nearby in Perdido Key, Florida, was treated at a hospital for scrapes and bruises and released to relatives. Police also charged her with speeding, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless endangerment.

The car belonged to a relative and police were still trying to find out where she got the alcohol. There was none in the vehicle but her blood alcohol level was over the limit for adult motorists, police told the newspaper.

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posted 09-13-2007 02:48 AM                    

quote:

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A new battery brand from Japan called NoPoPo comes with a little straw-like attachment. When the batteries get week, just use the straw to RECHARGE THEM WITH YOUR PEE! And, no, I'm not making this up. (props to The Boy Genius Report and Weird Asia News

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posted 09-25-2007 11:36 AM                       

quote: CNN

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Crew member on new Batman film killed in crash
LONDON, England (AP) -- A special effects technician has been killed in a crash during production of the latest Batman film, Warner Bros. said Tuesday.
Dark Knight

Christian Bale plays Batman in "The Dark Knight."

The studio said the man, who was not identified, died when a truck carrying a camera platform crashed into a tree while following a stunt vehicle on Monday. Filming on the movie, "The Dark Knight," was not taking place at the time, and no actors were involved in the accident.

The accident took place during a test run at a racetrack near Chertsey, south of London.

The studio said producers, cast and crew "are deeply saddened by this tragedy and their hearts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased."

Britain's Health and Safety Executive said it was investigating the accident.

Directed by Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight" stars Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and Heath Ledger as his nemesis the Joker. It's scheduled for release next year.

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