The crew members in Tennessee were following the rules when they stood by as a man's house burned.
Also: 
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Fafnir - a symbol of greed
In Norse mythology, Fáfnir (Old Norse and Icelandic) or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother of Regin and Ótr. In the Volsunga saga, Fáfnir was a dwarf gifted with a powerful arm and fearless soul. He guarded his father's house of glittering gold and flashing gems. He was the strongest and most aggressive of the three brothers.Illustration by Arthur Rackham, from Siegfried & The twilight of the gods, by Richard Wagner, London, 1911. Source, via Old Book Illustrations Scrapbook Blog.
After Ótr was killed by Loki, Hreidmar received the cursed gold of Andvari's as repayment for the loss of his son. Fáfnir and Regin then killed their father to get the gold, but Fáfnir decided he wanted it all, turning into a dragon (symbol of greed). Regin then sent his foster-son, Sigurd, to kill the dragon. Sigurd succeeded by digging a pit under the trail Fáfnir used to walk to a stream and plunging his sword Gram into his heart as he walked past. Regin, however, corrupted by the curse on Andvari's gold, planned to kill Sigurd to take the treasure for himself, but Sigurd, having eaten part of Fáfnir's cooked heart, was warned by birds of Regin's attack and ended up killing him.
Ptolemy's locations in Germania identified
A group of classical philologists, mathematical historians and surveying experts at Berlin Technical University's Department for Geodesy and Geoinformation Science has produced an astonishing map of central Europe as it was 2,000 years ago.The rest of the story is at Der Spiegel.
The map shows that both the North and Baltic Seas were known as the "Germanic Ocean" and the Franconian Forest in northern Bavaria was "Sudeti Montes." The map indicates three "Saxons' islands" off the Frisian coast in northwestern Germany -- known today as Amrum, Föhr and Sylt...
This unusual map draws on information from the mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy, who, in 150 AD, embarked on a project to depict the entire known world. Living in Alexandria, in the shadow of its monumental lighthouse, the ancient scholar drew 26 maps in colored ink on dried animal skins -- a Google Earth of the ancient world, if you will...
Ptolemy demonstrated extensive knowledge of this remote area, indicating the locations of mountains, rivers and islands. An index lists 94 "poleis," or cities, noting their latitude and longitude accurately to within a few minutes...
Yet the data the ancient geographer used is distorted. Errors of scale crept in as he transcribed the Earth's sphere to the flat plane of a map. Ptolemy believed the northern lands to be narrower and more elongated than they are and bent Jutland in Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany too far to the east.
Ptolemy also failed to accurately connect the different parts of his map. Mistakes worked their way in despite his attempts to locate calibration points to tie together his patchwork of geographical information. The inevitable result was confusion.
Linguists and historians have tried repeatedly to decode the yellowed document -- in vain. Among researchers, it came to be known as an "enchanted castle," a mystery no one could crack. Access to Germany's prehistory was believed closed off forever...
The Berlin-based team pored over the recalcitrant data for six years, working together to develop a so-called "geodetic deformation analysis" that would help to correct the map's mistakes...
But the team of experts in Berlin had the great fortune to be able to refer to a parchment tracked down at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, the former residence of the Ottoman sultans. The document, consisting of unbound sheepskin pages with writing in Roman capital letters, is the oldest edition of Ptolemy's work ever discovered. A reproduction of this version is due to be published next year...
The new map suggests that minor German towns such as Salzkotten or Lalendorf have existed for at least 2,000 years. "Treva," located at the confluence of the Elbe and Alster Rivers, was the precursor to Hamburg; Leipzig was known as "Aregelia."
All this offers up rather exciting prospects, since it makes half the cities in Germany suddenly 1,000 years older than previously believed... Archaeological interest in the map will likely be correspondingly large...
Stonehenge Drew Prehistoric Tourists
- Analysis of ancient remains found near Stonehenge suggest that prehistoric people traveled long distances to see the circle of stones.
Oldest High-Altitude Settlements Discovered
The remains of fires, stone tools and food surface at six campsites dating back up to 49,000 years.Neanderthals had feelings too
Pioneering new research by archaeologists at the University of York suggests that Neanderthals belied their primitive reputation and had a deep seated sense of compassion.
Bricks made with wool
Spanish and Scottish researchers have added wool fibres to the clay material used to make bricks and combined these with an alginate, a natural polymer extracted from seaweed. The result is bricks that are stronger and more environmentally-friendly …
School is Full of Fax
Another edition of "kids say the darndest things" ...especially when they haven't studied for the test!
Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.
Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.
Q: What is a planet?
A: A body of earth surrounded by sky.
Q: In a democratic society, how important are elections?
A: Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election.
Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.
Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.
Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.
Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A: Premature death.
Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.
Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (E.g., abdomen.) A: The body is consisted into three parts -- the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.
Q: What is the Fibula?
A: A small lie.
Q: What does "varicose" mean?
A: Nearby.
Q: What is the most common form of birth control?
A: Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium.
Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarian Section."
A: The caesarian section is a district in Rome.
Q: What is a seizure?
A: A Roman emperor.
Q: What is a terminal illness?
A: When you are sick at the airport.
Q: Give an example of a fungus. What is a characteristic feature?
A: Mushrooms. They always grow in damp places and so they look like umbrellas.
Q: What does the word "benign" mean?
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.
Q: What is a turbine?
A: Something an Arab wears on his head.
Q: What is a Hindu?
A: It lays eggs.
Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.
Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.
Q: What is a planet?
A: A body of earth surrounded by sky.
Q: In a democratic society, how important are elections?
A: Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election.
Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.
Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.
Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.
Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A: Premature death.
Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.
Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (E.g., abdomen.) A: The body is consisted into three parts -- the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.
Q: What is the Fibula?
A: A small lie.
Q: What does "varicose" mean?
A: Nearby.
Q: What is the most common form of birth control?
A: Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium.
Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarian Section."
A: The caesarian section is a district in Rome.
Q: What is a seizure?
A: A Roman emperor.
Q: What is a terminal illness?
A: When you are sick at the airport.
Q: Give an example of a fungus. What is a characteristic feature?
A: Mushrooms. They always grow in damp places and so they look like umbrellas.
Q: What does the word "benign" mean?
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.
Q: What is a turbine?
A: Something an Arab wears on his head.
Q: What is a Hindu?
A: It lays eggs.
Cops raid Montessori School greenhouse for pot, find tomatoes
New Mexico state cops swooped in for a daring raid on a Montessori School greenhouse, where they were growing tomatoes, not pot.
"We were all as a group eating outside as we usually do, and this unmarked drab-green helicopter kept flying over and dropping lower," she said. "Of course, the kids got all excited. They were telling me that they could see gun barrels outside the helicopter. I was telling them they were exaggerating." After 15 minutes, Pantano said, the helicopter left, then five minutes later a state police officer parked a van in the school's driveway. Pantano said she asked the officer what was happening, but he only would say he was there as a law-enforcement representative.
Then other vehicles arrived and four men wearing bullet-proof vests, but without any visible insignias or uniforms, got out and said they wanted to inspect the school's greenhouses. Pantano said she then turned the men over to the farm director, Greg Nussbaum.
"As we have nothing to hide, you know, they did the tour and they went in the greenhouses and they found it was tomato plants and so that was the story," she said.
Dumb Crooks
Dumb Crooks
Authorities said sleeping behind the wheel wasn't the only problem for a western Illinois man they caught napping at a gas station.On The Job
On The Job
These hot professions combine new technology with some tried-and-true skills.
Also: Seven ways to save big on car insurance
You might lower your premiums by $500 in one hour by making these smart moves.
Also: Evening Chores
More than half of British women do not finish their domestic chores until 10.30pm, a new survey found.
Can I Freeze That
Most fruits and vegetables can be stored for 8 to 12 months, but other items won't keep as long.
Also: 
Six Weird Health Things That Are Actually Harmless
#1.) RED SKIN SPOTS. They’re little, round, and bright-red, and more common in people with light skin over the age of 40. But a lot of people get them. Technically they’re called “cherry angiomas” (–pronounced an-jee-OH-mahs).
They’re just old blood vessels that weren’t reabsorbed into your skin. If you can’t stand looking at them, they can be removed. But unless you find one that’s asymmetrical or starts getting bigger, you’re fine.
#2.) SKIN TAGS. They’re little rubbery bumps that you can actually pinch between your fingers. And it SEEMS like you should be able to pull them right off. But if you try, it hurts.
They’re usually flesh-toned, and most of the time, they’re found in spots where your skin rubs against something . . . like clothing or other skin.
A few common spots are under the arms, around the neck, and even on the EYELIDS. But they’re almost never cancerous, and a dermatologist can just snip them off if they’re bothering you.
#3.) HAND TREMORS. If your hands shake sometimes, don’t worry. It’s usually because you’re stressed out or your blood sugar is low . . . which just means you need to eat something.
Drinking too much coffee can do it too, but you don’t have to worry about Parkinson’s disease . . . unless the shaking ONLY happens on one side of your body.
#4.) EYE FLOATERS. These are just pieces of collagen inside your eyeball that clump together and cast shadows on your retina. They look like little dots or squiggly lines, and they’re annoying, but they’re nothing to worry about.
But go to the doctor if you’re also seeing flashes of light, or your vision is blurred. They’re both early warning signs of a detached retina.
#5.) TWITCHY EYES. It’s usually just a muscle spasm in your eyelid, which can be caused by stress, fatigue, excess caffeine, too much alcohol, or just staring at your computer for too long.
Eye twitches usually go away on their own, but if it really starts to bother you, use eye drops and a warm compress to help relax the muscles. And see a doctor if the twitching lasts more than a few weeks.
#6.) HEART PALPITATIONS. If you have shortness of breath at the same time, it COULD be a sign that something’s wrong with your heart.
But a lot of things can cause heart palpitations, including allergy medication, decongestants, antidepressants, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. And it’s usually not a big deal.
Loud workplaces may increase heart problems
What's bad for your ears may also be bad for your heart. According to a new study, people who work in noisy places for at least a year and a half could have triple the risk of a serious heart problem compared to those who work in quiet environments, a new study says.
A thirst for excitement is hidden in your genes
Sensation seeking—the urge to do exciting things—has been linked to dopamine, a chemical that carries messages in your brain. For a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, scientists analyzed genes in the dopamine system and found a group of mutations that help predict whether someone is inclined [...]
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Scientific Minds What To Know
Scientific Minds Want To Know
The first dinosaur-like creatures emerged up to nine million years earlier than previously thought.
Brightly coloured frogs, spiny ants and a katydid with pink eyes were among finds from the remote rainforests of Papua New Guinea's mountain ranges.The Truth About Dinosaurs
What really killed the dinosaurs?
This funny animation uncovers the truth about why the dinosaurs became extinct.
Good Stuff
On a more serious note:
New fossil suggests dinosaurs not so fierce after all
A new species of dinosaur discovered in Arizona suggests dinosaurs did not spread throughout the world by overpowering other species, but by taking advantage of a natural catastrophe that wiped out their competitors.Fight!
Sometimes it is simply play, at others it is in deadly earnest. Yet when animals fight there is something that draws us to watch despite the potential fatal outcome.
Perhaps it appears to something visceral and basic in our instincts - or perhaps we just like to watch a good old fashioned tooth and claw fight.
No Charges for Puppy Thrower
A Bosnian girl who gained worldwide notoriety after footage of her gleefully throwing puppies into a river was posted online has escaped punishment.Police in her home town of Bugojno have said the girl, who is believed to be 12 years old, is too young to be prosecuted. They also claim the puppies were saved by an elderly woman who fished them out of the river, and was later photographed with them.
The 44-second video shows a blonde girl in a red jumper casually taking the squealing black-and-white puppies out of a white bucket and tossing them into the fast-moving river one by one. Animal rights group PETA has condemned the decision not to prosecute the girl.
"This is outrageous," the group was quoted as saying in German newspaper Bild.
"The puppies that the old woman was with were completely different ones to those thrown into the river in the video. The puppies would never have survived in the river. "
That's the bad news
When Cats Attack
Angry lions turn on tamer during circus act
A tourist's video has caught the moment two lions turned on their trainer in front of hundreds of spectators in a savage attack at an Ukrainian circus. The video, made by an American family visiting the town of Lviv in western Ukraine, shows one angered lion brushing past attempts by Oleksie Pinko, the trainer, to keep it at bay with a metal rod to bite him in the leg.A second lion then joined in on the mauling, seizing the Mr Pinko's left arm in its jaws. As children in the audience, some of whom were just 10 feet away from the lions, screamed in terror, circus workers used high-pressure hoses and blows from metal bars in a desperate attempt to save Mr Pinko.
"I was just grabbing my daughter and trying to run because I thought they were going to get out," Masha Shepherd, the wife of Douglas Shepherd, the video maker, said. After a brief struggle the lions were driven off but they then attacked again knocking the trainer to the floor.
He eventually managed to escape, and was seen limping from the ring with blood dripping from his left arm. Mr Pinko later underwent emergency surgery in hospital, where his condition was described as "stable".
Tiger attack in India
At least six people have been injured by a tiger in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state after it strayed into a village in the Mathura district.The locals living in the outskirts of Fatiha village, armed with batons, rushed to the spot to drive the beast away, but the tiger was elusive and remained hidden in the fields. The locals had been attacked when they went into the fields early in the morning.
"It injured four people at once. Then at 7 O'clock, it injured a child. After that it injured the child's father or his relative, who had gone to see the child. It is a fully grown tiger. Sometime back, it ran from one field to another," said Chetan Singh, a villager.
Forest officials rushed to the spot to try to capture the big cat. Many wild animals such as tigers, leopards and elephants have strayed in villages due to loss of habitat.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:There's a cosmic debate going on at the moment, and if you're not extremely careful, someone who's a bit jealous -- okay, quite a bit jealous -- of what you've accomplished will do their very best to interfere quite suddenly from behind the scenes, in soap-opera style.
Don't let them get away with it.
Anyone who's trying to manipulate you should definitely be put in their place right away, especially since you just so happen to be quite good at picking up on those things before they happen.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany
Salerno, Campania, Italy
Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
Montpellier, Languedoc, Rousillon, France
Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia
Swindon, England, United kingdom
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Tychy, Salaskie, Poland
as well as Indonesia, Sri Lanka and in cities across the United States such as Solon, Belford, Gaffney, Augusta and more.
Today is:
Today is Tuesday, October 5, the 278th day of 2010.
There are 87 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
There isn't one.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Microsoft supports National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pink mouse
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month.Microsoft is showing its support for the month, by releasing a pink mouse.
Stewart rips Rick Sanchez over 'bigot' flap
The "Daily Show" host answers the fired CNN anchor's tirade with a scathing montage.
Also: Belly dancer wows crowd
Zahra is enjoying a leisurely lunch when she's suddenly offered a chance to win $10,000.
Also: Culinary DeLites
Culinary DeLites
Subtly smoky grilled eggplant pairs perfectly with fresh mozzarella and basil.
Also: 
You'd have to eat 19 bowls of cereal to equal the 2,460 calories in one chain's French toast.
Also: Helpful Hints
Helpful Hints
Hiring a contractor can be essential, but make sure to keep these 10 things in mind.
Also: Celebrity homes for sale
Dr. Phil's 11,036-square-foot Hollywood home is going for a cool $16.5 million.
Also: Prince William aids in daring rescue
The 28-year-old royal plucks a stricken worker from an offshore gas rig on his first mission.
Also: Venice mayor mocks disappointed tourists
Critics say huge billboards "grotesquely" deface iconic monuments, but Giorgio Orsoni defends them.
Also: Mosque design ideas
Proposed renderings for the controversial center near Ground Zero prompt quick reactions.
Also: Cotton
In the country lived a family that made its living weaving cloth. One day, a debt collector knocked on the door."Is Jack home?" he asked the woman who answered the door.
"I'm sorry," the woman replied. "Jack's gone for cotton."
A few weeks later the collector tried again.
"Is Jack here today?"
Once again the answer was "No, sir, I'm afraid he has gone for cotton."
When he returned for the third time and Jack was still nowhere to be seen,
he complained, "I suppose Jack is gone for cotton again?"
"No," the woman answered solemnly, "Jack died yesterday."
Suspicious that he was being avoided, the collector decided to wait a week and investigate the cemetery. Sure enough, he found poor Jack's tombstone, with this inscription:
"Gone, But Not for Cotton."
An 18th-century etching of a meteor breaking apart
This detail is from an etching was done by artist Paul Sandby, based on a watercolor by his brother Thomas. Recently acquired by Harvard's Houghton Library, it depicts a meteor watching party at Windsor Castle.
Shortly after 9:00 PM on the evening of August 18th, 1783, a fireball streaked across the night sky, and thanks to the warm and muggy weather, was widely observed. Perhaps the best constituted party of observers was gathered on the terrace at Windsor Castle: their numbers included both the physicist Tiberius Cavallo and the artist Thomas Sandby. Cavallo would go on to publish his account and a diagram of the meteor's progressive breakup in the atmosphere in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society the following year, along with the observations of several other members who also witnessed the event.You can read excerpts from Cavallo's manuscript at the Houghton Library blog.
Teen drinks her own brain fluid
But unfortunately, the only way she can relieve crippling migraines is by having a tube that siphons fluid from her brain straight into her stomach.
‘I still get a dull ache when I wake up in the morning but as the fluid drains away, I start to feel a bit better,’ said the 17-year-old.
Melissa has a condition that causes her body to produce too much spinal fluid, which collects in her skull and pushes on her brain.
Female crash dummies aid car crash tests
Women finally get represented behind the wheel as government safety ratings get tougher.
Also: UAV That Uses No Wing Flaps
Britain’s new DEMON unmanned aerial drone doesn’t need wing elevators or ailerons to fly:It is instead maneuvered by hundreds of tiny jets that blast air in order to influence to change the lift, drag and other features of performance.The end result is an aircraft with fewer moving parts in need of maintenance and a reduced radar signature.
The result is a more streamlined, aerodynamic craft that cuts down on edges and gaps – features that can increase radar detection.
New "Scratched Glasses" Give Perfect Vision
Bifocals and trifocals allow people with limited vision to see objects at varying distances, but only by refocusing on the object from a different vantage. A scientist named Zeev Zalevsky responded to this problem by developing a lens that allows the user to focus on any distance out from 33 centimeters:It involves engraving the surface of a standard lens with a grid of 25 near-circular structures each 2 millimeters across and containing two concentric rings. The engraved rings are just a few hundred micrometers wide and a micrometer deep. “The exact number and size of the sets will change from one lens to another,” depending on its size and shape, says Zalevsky.
The rings shift the phase of the light waves passing through the lens, leading to patterns of both constructive and destructive interference. Using a computer model to calculate how changes in the diameter and position of the rings alter the pattern, Zalevsky came up with a design that creates a channel of constructive interference perpendicular to the lens through each of the 25 structures. Within these channels, light from both near and distant objects is in perfect focus.
“It results in an axial channel of focused light, not a single focal spot,” Zalevsky says. “If the retina is positioned anywhere along this channel, it will always see objects in focus.”
Scientists Fold DNA into Möbius Strips
A Möbius strip is a ribbon of material that has only one side. A group of nanotechnology researchers experimenting with manipulating tiny objects was able to reshape a DNA strand into a Möbius strip.
The ability to create complex structures on the tiniest of scales is one of the great challenges of nanotechnology. In particular, chemists are looking for particular topological structures, or structures that keep their basic properties no matter how much you stretch or twist them. A Möbius strip is a good example of such a structure, because no matter what you do it (short of tearing it, of course), it will always have only one side.
New language identified in remote corner of India
In the midst of a period of rapid language extinction, with one language estimated to die every two weeks, linguists have found a small ray of hope.
Linguists reporting from a National Geographic expedition to India’s remote northeast corner have identified a language completely new to science. The language, known as Koro, belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family, a group of some 400 languages that includes Tibetan and Burmese, the linguists said. Although some 150 Tibeto-Burman languages are spoken in India alone, [...]
Linguists reporting from a National Geographic expedition to India’s remote northeast corner have identified a language completely new to science. The language, known as Koro, belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family, a group of some 400 languages that includes Tibetan and Burmese, the linguists said. Although some 150 Tibeto-Burman languages are spoken in India alone, [...]
Druids: Mystery, Faith, and Myth
More than 2,000 years after Druids first emerged as a spiritual practice in Britain, the UK government has officially recognized Druidry as a religion. ""It's nice to have that official recognition," Phil Ryder, chairman of the trustees of the Druid Network told the BBC. "It's not why we applied originally. We applied because we were legally obliged to do so." As an appreciation of Druids everywhere, LIFE published a series of photos from their archives in a slideshow titled "Druids: Mystery, Faith, and Myth." Image above, "Druids at the ruins in Stonehenge, 1978, ready to celebrate the summer solstice."
Russia to ban witches, faith healers
Russian lawmakers backed a bill banning faith healers, witches and sorcerers from advertising their services today in a potential blow to the booming business.
Mother headbutts woman for telling off her son
All Mary Holland did was to ask a child to stop misbehaving in a Cambridge supermarket. This good deed landed the 86-year-old former teacher in hospital with a broken wrist and a cut face after she was headbutted in the face by the child’s angry mum. Cambridge Crown Court heard mum-of-two Danielle Wilks took offense at the pensioner’s actions. Miss Holland was left flat on the floor after she was headbutted and punched in the attack at Sainsbury’s on Coldham’s Lane. Wilks, of Seymour Street, Cambridge, admitted assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. But the 34-year-old was spared an immediate jail term after her victim asked the court to offer Christian forgiveness and raised concerns about the impact prison would have on Wilks and her young family.
Suspending the custodial term, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth praised Miss Holland’s attitude as “extraordinary”. Sara Walker, prosecuting, said the attack happened at lunchtime on April 10, two days after Wilks’ close friend Penny Taylor had been murdered at her home in Fanshawe Road, Cambridge. She said Miss Holland had asked Wilks’ young son to stop messing around with barriers at the supermarket moments before the crime. The pensioner still suffers pain from the attack after falling on her back but Ms Walker said that while Miss Holland believed Wilks should be punished, she would be “very much against her going to prison”.
Michael Duffy, mitigating, said Wilks had been traumatized by Miss Taylor’s stabbing but was trying to carry on with her normal routine for the sake of her son. He said Wilks believed she had been protecting her son, and added: “A situation arose which ordinarily might have led to a few harsh words on this occasion went much further.” Judge Hawkesworth said he believed Wilks was “prone to feeling sorrier for herself than other people”. He told Wilks: “You lost your temper because you felt affronted that she had complained about the behavior of your child. That sort of conduct is a reflection first of the high standards that Mary Holland has and expects within the community and a reflection of your poor standards of behavior.”
He imposed a six-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, and ordered Wilks to pay her victim £750 compensation. He told Wilks: “You are an extremely lucky woman because of the extraordinary approach to this whole matter that has been taken by Mary Holland: one of Christian forgiveness and an interest in your future.” Miss Holland, now 87, said the court hearing had been very fair. She said: “I’ve seen women in prison, which does them eternal harm. I have to say the judge acted very honorably.”
Suspending the custodial term, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth praised Miss Holland’s attitude as “extraordinary”. Sara Walker, prosecuting, said the attack happened at lunchtime on April 10, two days after Wilks’ close friend Penny Taylor had been murdered at her home in Fanshawe Road, Cambridge. She said Miss Holland had asked Wilks’ young son to stop messing around with barriers at the supermarket moments before the crime. The pensioner still suffers pain from the attack after falling on her back but Ms Walker said that while Miss Holland believed Wilks should be punished, she would be “very much against her going to prison”.
Michael Duffy, mitigating, said Wilks had been traumatized by Miss Taylor’s stabbing but was trying to carry on with her normal routine for the sake of her son. He said Wilks believed she had been protecting her son, and added: “A situation arose which ordinarily might have led to a few harsh words on this occasion went much further.” Judge Hawkesworth said he believed Wilks was “prone to feeling sorrier for herself than other people”. He told Wilks: “You lost your temper because you felt affronted that she had complained about the behavior of your child. That sort of conduct is a reflection first of the high standards that Mary Holland has and expects within the community and a reflection of your poor standards of behavior.”
He imposed a six-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, and ordered Wilks to pay her victim £750 compensation. He told Wilks: “You are an extremely lucky woman because of the extraordinary approach to this whole matter that has been taken by Mary Holland: one of Christian forgiveness and an interest in your future.” Miss Holland, now 87, said the court hearing had been very fair. She said: “I’ve seen women in prison, which does them eternal harm. I have to say the judge acted very honorably.”
British couple thrown off Queen Mary 2 after 'anti-semitic' row
A British man and his Broadway producer wife have been ejected from the Queen Mary 2 after she responded angrily to an allegedly anti-Semitic comment made at the dinner table. Frederick Evans, 91, and his wife Gloria Sher, 82, were at a black tie dinner a few days into a five-week, $20,000 (£12,000) cruise when the trouble flared. According to Miss Sher, who is Jewish, another passenger told her to shut up and then said: "There are too many Jews on board."
Sher, admits she got angry, shouting back, "F- - k you!" and "How dare you insult me!" before storming off to her stateroom. She said the following morning the captain came to the room and told the couple, who live in Manhattan, that they had insulted another passenger and would have to leave the ship. Miss Sher said: "He told two seniors we had to get off in Quebec and make our way home. We begged him not to do this."
The couple were eventually allowed to remain on board for another six days until the ship passed through New York but had to stay in their cabin. Miss Sher produced the 1970s musical Shenandoah which won two Tony Awards. She said: "I was treated with no respect and unbelievably rude and shockingly terrible. I've been sick ever since. It has ruined our lives. It's changed us forever."
Mr Evans said the captain had acted like a modern day Captain Bligh. However, the Cunard cruise line disputed the couple's version of events and issued a statement in which it said they had engaged in "multiple incidences of disrespectful and disruptive behavior towards crew members and other guests." The cruise line said it "fully supported" the captain's decision and was refunding the couple $839 (£530).
Sher, admits she got angry, shouting back, "F- - k you!" and "How dare you insult me!" before storming off to her stateroom. She said the following morning the captain came to the room and told the couple, who live in Manhattan, that they had insulted another passenger and would have to leave the ship. Miss Sher said: "He told two seniors we had to get off in Quebec and make our way home. We begged him not to do this."
The couple were eventually allowed to remain on board for another six days until the ship passed through New York but had to stay in their cabin. Miss Sher produced the 1970s musical Shenandoah which won two Tony Awards. She said: "I was treated with no respect and unbelievably rude and shockingly terrible. I've been sick ever since. It has ruined our lives. It's changed us forever."
Mr Evans said the captain had acted like a modern day Captain Bligh. However, the Cunard cruise line disputed the couple's version of events and issued a statement in which it said they had engaged in "multiple incidences of disrespectful and disruptive behavior towards crew members and other guests." The cruise line said it "fully supported" the captain's decision and was refunding the couple $839 (£530).
Burglar stole next door neighbor's curtains for his home
From the "He's a 'Real' Genius" Department:
It was curtains for a burglar who was rumbled after he stole his next door neighbor's nets and put them up in his own window. Jason Williams was caught out when his neighbors spotted the curtains and asked why he had got them. The 38-year-old was jailed for burglary for two years and five months at Reading Crown Court on Friday for the crime, which his own barrister described as 'not very sophisticated'.
The court heard the neighbors had moved out of the property in Cumberland Avenue, Slough and left only a few items inside after a separate burglary incident, which was nothing to do with Williams. He broke down boarding on the home and stole the net curtains, tools, two glass ashtrays and some lamb steaks from the freezer.
Williams initially denied stealing the curtains to neighbors, but later confessed in police interviews and admitted burglary when he appeared before magistrates. Alastair Smith, defending, said it was an 'opportunistic' crime, adding: "The fact that this defendant went on to place the curtains in his own window shows a lack of sophistication and realization of the seriousness of the offense," he said. If he realized it could lead to three years in custody he might have taken more time to consider his actions."
Williams has a history of alcohol and drug addiction and 28 previous convictions for 76 offenses dating back to 1985, the court was told. Judge Gordon Risius jailed Williams for two years and five months under the "three strikes" rule because it was his fourth burglary of a dwelling. He told Williams: "You knew what had been going on there and took advantage of the situation."
It was curtains for a burglar who was rumbled after he stole his next door neighbor's nets and put them up in his own window. Jason Williams was caught out when his neighbors spotted the curtains and asked why he had got them. The 38-year-old was jailed for burglary for two years and five months at Reading Crown Court on Friday for the crime, which his own barrister described as 'not very sophisticated'.
The court heard the neighbors had moved out of the property in Cumberland Avenue, Slough and left only a few items inside after a separate burglary incident, which was nothing to do with Williams. He broke down boarding on the home and stole the net curtains, tools, two glass ashtrays and some lamb steaks from the freezer.
Williams initially denied stealing the curtains to neighbors, but later confessed in police interviews and admitted burglary when he appeared before magistrates. Alastair Smith, defending, said it was an 'opportunistic' crime, adding: "The fact that this defendant went on to place the curtains in his own window shows a lack of sophistication and realization of the seriousness of the offense," he said. If he realized it could lead to three years in custody he might have taken more time to consider his actions."
Williams has a history of alcohol and drug addiction and 28 previous convictions for 76 offenses dating back to 1985, the court was told. Judge Gordon Risius jailed Williams for two years and five months under the "three strikes" rule because it was his fourth burglary of a dwelling. He told Williams: "You knew what had been going on there and took advantage of the situation."
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