A white tiger in a field in Hedge End near Southampton caused police emergency measures until identified as a life-size toy “Typical tiger country has three main features,” reads an entry on Tigerpedia.com , online authority on all things tiger-related. “It will always have good cover, it will always be close to water and plenty of prey.” So perhaps it should have come as no surprise to Hampshire police when they were alerted to the presence of a white tiger in a field in Hedge End, near Southampton on the south coast. The force quickly liaised with a local zoo to arrange a tranquiliser dart, before scrambling a helicopter and team of police officers to pursue the beast, only to later discover that the tiger was in fact a life-sized soft toy. Police were contacted at 4pm on Saturday afternoon by “several” members of the public, each reporting the presence of a white tiger in a field in Hedge End. One of the callers had examined the predator through the zoom lens of his camera, and was convinced the animal was real, and threatening. A police officer, who has not been named, was duly dispatched to the field to investigate, and was able to “confirm” that there was indeed a tiger lurking in the grass. Several more officers were sent to the field, and air support called in, but not before nearby Marwell Zoo was contacted by police. “They gave us the option to dart and tranquilise the animal rather than destroy it,” explained a police spokeswoman. She added that officers cleared a nearby golf course and were prepared to close the M27 motorway should the tiger make a run for it, but in the end that proved unnecessary. “After a brief stalk through the Hedge End savannah, the officer realised the tiger was not moving and the air support using their cameras realised there was a lack of heat source,” the spokeswoman said. “The tiger then rolled over in the down draft and it was at that point it became obvious it was a stuffed life-size toy.” It is understood that the tranquiliser dart was not used. On Sunday police revealed a photograph of the tiger, which is being treated as lost property. A spokeswoman said officers had been unable to confirm the owner of the toy, or determine how it had come to be in a field in Hedge End. “The life-sized stuffed animal, of the kind that can be won at funfairs, is being treated as lost property,” she said in a statement. “Police are keen to reiterate that they have a duty to protect the public and therefore take calls of this nature as seriously as any other calls reporting potential dangers to members of the public. There is no further information on this incident available as police continue to focus on more urgent matters.” Animals Police Wildlife Adam Gabbatt guardian.co.uk
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Britain may be at risk as early as Tuesday, although the impact is not expected to be as great as it was in April 2010 Ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano that has already grounded planes locally could enter UK airspace by Tuesday, forecasters have warned. The Grimsvotn volcano began erupting on Sunday, causing flights to be cancelled at Iceland’s main Keflavik airport after it sent a plume of ash smoke and steam 12 miles into the air. However experts said the eruption was unlikely to have the dramatic impact that the Eyjafjallajökull volcano had in April last year, when flights were cancelled over the UK and much of Europe for several days. Paul Mott, forecaster at Meteogroup, said ash from the volcano could potentially reach the UK by Tuesday. “Both the upper level and lower level winds will be becoming north-westerly through Monday and Tuesday as well, so between Iceland and Scotland there’ll be northwesterlies,” he said last night. “So certainly any ash plume could potentially move from Iceland towards northern Scotland. I think that risk does increase through tomorrow night and into Tuesday.” Mott said that ash was “fairly unlikely over southern Scotland or anywhere south of that”, although the Met Office said it was too early to rule out ash entering other parts of Britain. “At the moment if the volcano continues to erupt to the same level it has been, and is now, the UK could be at risk of seeing volcanic ash later this week,” said Helen Chivers, Met Office spokeswoman. “Quite when and how much we can’t really define at the moment.” Chivers said the weather situation is set to be different to last year, with the wind direction set to change continuously. She added: “If it moves in the way that we’re currently looking, with the eruption continuing the way it is, then if the UK is at risk later this week, then France and Spain could be as well.” While the ash has grounded aircraft in Iceland, it is not anticipated that it will have a similar impact in the rest of Europe. Dr Dave McGarvie, volcanologist at the Open University, said that the amount of ash reaching the UK “is likely to be less than in the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption”, and said the last two times Grimsvotn erupted it did not affect UK air travel. “In addition, the experience gained from the 2010 eruption, especially by the Met Office, the airline industry, and the engine manufacturers, should mean less disruption to travellers.” The April eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, in south-east Iceland, caused the worst disruption to international air travel since 9/11. Flights across Europe were cancelled for six-days stranding tens of thousands of people and was estimated to have cost airlines £130m a day . Eurocontrol, the Europe-wide air traffic control network, said in a statement : “There is currently no impact on European or transatlantic flights and the situation is expected to remain so for the next 24 hours. Aircraft operators are constantly being kept informed of the evolving situation.” Iceland Natural disasters and extreme weather Europe Air transport Weather Transport Adam Gabbatt guardian.co.uk
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President Barack Obama warned America’s pro-Israel lobby on Sunday that the Jewish state will face growing isolation without a credible Middle East peace process. (May 22)
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A tornado swept through a small eastern Kansas town, killing one person and destroying at least 20 homes, as severe thunderstorms pelted the region with hail that some residents said was the size of baseballs, authorities said early Sunday. (May 22)
Continue reading …Chair of House Oversight Committee Issa’s Company Underpaid Millions in Tariffs on Chinese Imports
May 22, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media As Cenk Uygur noted here, apparently the current Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wasn’t doing much oversight of his own company. And as he noted, ironically this is the same man who once made the statement that “There will be a certain degree of gridlock as the president adjusts to the fact that he has been one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times.” Par for the course, Republican hypocrisy knows no bounds. Here’s more from The San Diego Union-Tribune. Company Issa founded underpaid tariffs : The Vista car-alarm company once owned by Congressman Darrell Issa was paying about half the required tariffs on certain parts it imported from China for years and paid an estimated $2.5 million in back duties earlier this year to rectify the situation. Issa no longer owns DEI Holdings Inc., although he is still on the board of the company, which is being sold to Boston-based Charlesbank Capital Partners for $285 million in cash. In a prepared response to questions from The Watchdog, Issa said he was aware of the misclassifications and participated in efforts to resolve them. “Once these issues came to the attention of the board of directors, we called for an independent review by expert counsel,” he wrote. “My understanding is the company has made appropriate tariff adjustments and disclosures both to Customs and our independent auditors.” DEI said the classifications were corrected as quickly as possible when the problem was discovered early in 2010. In the first quarter of this year, the company reported the underpayments to Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency that enforces tariffs. Former DEI executive Mike Wilhelm noted that the disclosure was made a year after the fact, and only after he filed a whistle-blower complaint with Customs on March 14 of this year. “They weren’t going to do it unless I forced them to,” said Wilhelm, a DEI vice president who resigned over the issue in March after 10 years with the company. “Frankly, I became ashamed to work there.” Read on…
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WASHINGTON — In a blunt display of differences, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of using his country’s 1967 boundaries as the basis for a neighboring Palestinian state on Friday, declaring his objections face-to-face to President Barack Obama who had raised the idea just 24 hours earlier in an effort to revive stalled Mideast peace talks. Though the two leaders, meeting in the Oval Office, found cordial and predictable agreement on the other central element that Obama outlined in his Mideast address Thursday – ironclad Israeli security alongside a Palestinian nation – progress on the bedrock issue of borders seemed as elusive as ever. In his speech, Obama gave unprecedented prominence to a long-held U.S. stand that Israel opposes: A Palestinian state should be shaped around the border lines that existed before the 1967 war in which Israel took control of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. An essential part of what Obama proposed was that Israelis and Palestinians would also have to agree to swaps of land to account for Israeli settlements and other current conditions, a point Netanyahu failed to mention. “While Israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace, it cannot go back to the 1967 lines,” Netanyahu declared. “These lines are indefensible.” As they sat together for public comments after their private meeting, Obama sought to put the disagreement in the best light, and in the context of a relationship of two allies – one, however, showing strains of impatience. “Obviously there are some differences between us in the precise formulations and language,” Obama said. “That’s going to happen between friends.” He quickly added in a reassurance to Netanyahu: “What we are in complete accord about is that a true peace can only occur if the ultimate resolution allows Israel to defend itself against threats, and that Israel’s security will remain paramount in U.S. evaluation of any prospective deal.” Obama and Netanyahu showed cordiality before the cameras. The president listened intently, his hand cupping his chin, as Netanyahu spoke passionately about his country’s plight and how the path to peace should run. “Remember that, before 1967, Israel was all of nine miles wide,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing his words with his hands. “It was half the width of the Washington Beltway. And these were not the boundaries of peace; they were the boundaries of repeated wars, because the attack on Israel was so attractive.” Obama, frustrated by Mideast peace talks that have collapsed, is seeking to get both sides to contend with the issues of borders and security. Even progress on those enormous fronts would still leave unsettled the fate of Jerusalem and of Palestinian refugees. Netanyahu underscored just how difficult that last issue is alone, declaring that Palestinians will not be allowed to settle in Israel as part of any peace plan. “It’s not going to happen. Everybody knows it’s not going to happen,” he said. “And I think it’s time to tell the Palestinians forthrightly it’s not going to happen.” Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Netanyahu’s comments with Obama were tantamount to “his total rejection of the Obama vision and speech.” “Without Mr. Netanyahu committing to two states on the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps, he is not a partner to the peace process,” Erekat said. “I think, when President Obama gave him a choice between dictation and negotiations, he chose dictation.” On the border matter, the Obama administration up until now has tried to summarize the positions of each party but had not taken a position itself. Obama’s direct reference to the 1967 borders and land swaps in his speech incensed Israel, adding tension to the atmosphere of Netanyahu’s visit. As Obama pushes for a return to negotiations that he championed prominently last year, that prospect seems bleak. Netanyahu said his nation could not negotiate with a Palestinian unity government that includes the radical Hamas movement, which refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist. He said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to choose between continuing the deal with Hamas and making peace with Israel. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Netanyahu’s rejection of a return to 1967 lines was “clear evidence that the negotiations option was a waste of time.” The comments from Netanyahu and Obama, after a longer-than-scheduled meeting that lasted over an hour-and-a-half, shed little light on how the peace process will advance. The two leaders did not take questions from the press, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was unable in a subsequent briefing to point to any concrete signs of progress. Netanyahu is to address Congress on Tuesday to press Israel’s position. On Thursday, Netanyahu was informed shortly before Obama’s speech of its contents by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to U.S. officials. Netanyahu sought in vain to get the border language removed from the speech, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic exchange. ___ Associated Press writers Erica Werner in Washington, Amy Teibel traveling with Netanyahu, Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank and Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City contributed to this report.
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Well, tomorrow, May 21, 2011, is supposed to be the end of the world. Wait, I thought the Mayans said it was supposed to be December 21, 2012? Either way, it gets a lot of publicity. (This post is a good example.) A Christian Family Radio station in Oakland, Calif. has been spending of lot of time, money and effort letting people know that if they step up and believe, they will be beamed to heaven when the giant worldwide earthquake hits tomorrow, while the rest will be left to suffer. So what’s the truth? The quick and dirty answer is who knows? But these claims have been made for centuries on end, and each time, the next day comes. So my guess is that the probability of this happening is smaller than I can even imagine. So what is it about the need to find a definitive date in religious or spiritual teachings when all things will come to an end? Why strike fear into people’s hearts and minds? It doesn’t get us anywhere to judge the people who are lighting up this movement, but it is more helpful to get curious about it. My guess is that it’s not intentionally vindictive; there is a deep belief that this is true. If a person who believes is reading these lines right now, it’s highly likely that they think I am ignorant and feel sad for me as I will likely go to hell. They’re sure of this. But how does that happen? How do these deep, unshakable beliefs come to be, and how is it reconciled when the next day comes? I think these are all important questions to ask because to some degree, we all have deep-seated beliefs that we aren’t even aware of. We believe we have to dress and act a certain way to belong. We may believe that deep down we’re unlovable, or that we’ll never be able to write a book, get that job or lose weight. Beliefs are probably the most powerful subconscious thoughts that exist as they color the way we see life and influence our behaviors moment to moment. We don’t know when beliefs start, exactly, but we do know that from the moment we open our eyes in this world, we are sponges for how things work, and we absolutely buy what we see and hear in our environments. Our brains are in critical stages of formation and the wiring is happening quickly. So we wire together beliefs based on our experience. If you were abused as a child, it’s highly likely that you felt unworthy or unlovable. If you were brought up in a loving and attuned environment, you may believe that you can do anything you set your mind to. However, beliefs can be brought to light, and if they are unhealthy, they can be shattered. Certainly many African Americans believed deeply that there would be no way they would see a black president in their lifetime, but it happened, and the glass ceiling disappeared. Practice: Consider whether you have any beliefs suggesting you are unlovable or unworthy, or that you just can’t do something. See if you can ride the string back to earlier times in your life and see where that message came from. Then each time you experience those thoughts, let the emotion, whether it’s fear, shame, etc., as it comes up in your body, ground you to the reality of the present moment. Then see if you can see an alternative vantage point. Try this out as a practice over and again and see if you start to see cracks in your beliefs. It’s through these cracks that the light shines through. And by the way, if you’re reading this post after May 21, congratulations, we’ve all made it! As always, please share your thoughts, stories and questions below. Your interaction provides a living wisdom for us all to benefit from. This piece is adapted from Elisha Goldstein’s publication on Mentalhelp.net.
Continue reading …MF Doom Sneaker Speakers are perfect for the supervillain rapper who has everything (video)
May 22, 2011 No Comment
Back in March, Nash Money showed off a pair of Nike Air Force 1s that he had turned into desktop speakers — pretty rad, but hardly flashy enough for a supervillain / rapper. The professional sneaker customizer has significantly stepped up his game after being commissioned by Sneaker Freaker Magazine , creating two pairs of speakers from some giant suede Pumas. Nash consulted MF Doom for the project, and the masked emcee offered up suggestions like “sci-fi and laser guns,” “modern architecture and geometry,” and “mad exclamation marks.” The finished Sneaker Speaker Doomsday Edition (how timely is that?) Models have mic inputs and red, green, and blue lights with eight effects, like speed control and a dim function. They’ve got plenty of power and can can only be fired up by someone with the key — in this case Doom and the magazine, both of whom walked away with a pair. That is, as much as someone with high-end speaker components in their shoes can walk away with anything. Click the source link for more pics or check a “making of” video after the break. Continue reading MF Doom Sneaker Speakers are perfect for the supervillain rapper who has everything (video) MF Doom Sneaker Speakers are perfect for the supervillain rapper who has everything (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 May 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …The killing of Osama bin Laden by US special forces has strained US-Pakistan relations, but President Obama says he would do it again if another militant leader was discovered there. “Our job is to secure the United States,” Obama said in an interview with the BBC . “We are very respectful…
Continue reading …More than a year after an Iceland volcano spewed ash high into the atmosphere, wreaking havoc with European air travel, another volcano has started erupting in the small, island nation, reports the AP . The Grimsvotn volcano—Iceland’s most active, with 13 eruptions in the last century—began erupting yesterday just…
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