Yahoo! News - Record Drug Haul Goes Up in Smoke: "Tue Nov 18,10:43 AM ET
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Police began burning 20 tons of marijuana and cocaine in a steel furnace on Tuesday in the biggest ever incineration of drugs seized in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state.
'About 95 percent is marijuana. This was the year for marijuana,' said Antonio Carlos Silveira, a spokesman for Denarc, the police's narcotics investigation division. Police have seized a record 25 tons of marijuana in Sao Paulo state this year, five times more than in 2002, he said.
The incineration should take up to 10 hours, Silveira said.
The steel furnace was the same one used when Brazil claimed a world record for a drugs incineration in mid-2001 when police burned 140 tons of marijuana and cocaine seized across the country over a period of 12 months. "
22:42 Posted by David
local6.com - News - Police: Man Kills Puppy With Ax As Children Beg Him To Stop: "6:19 a.m. EST November 18, 2003
LaGRANGE, Ga. -- A LaGrange man accused of hacking his estranged wife's puppy to death with an ax as three children begged him to stop faces animal and child cruelty charges, police said.
Stephen Jay Williams, 38, of LaGrange got into a fight with his 34-year-old wife at a home on Sunday, then killed her pet and threatened her with the ax, police said.
Children ages 9, 10 and 13 witnessed the attack. It's not clear if they are related to the suspect.
Williams told investigators he was upset because the dog had bitten him two weeks ago, police said.
Williams was charged with three counts of first-degree child cruelty, aggravated cruelty to an animal and aggravated assault. He was being held without bail Monday.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press."
22:40 Posted by David
local6.com - News - Baby Recovering After Doctors Perform Rare Anal Surgery: "5:50 a.m. EST November 19, 2003
NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. -- A Texas baby is recovering Tuesday, one day after doctors at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park created an anal opening for him.
Chief of Pediatric Surgery Dr. Alberto Pena performed the rare anorectal surgery on the 10-month-old baby boy Monday. The operation was teleconferenced live to Hadassah Hospital in Israel, where about 80 surgeons from Israel, Greece, Turkey and Italy watched.
Pena developed the procedure and has done about 1,700 anorectal surgeries since 1986.
He says the problem is a birth defect in which the anus and rectum do not develop properly. This type of malformation affects one in 5,000 newborns annually.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press."
22:35 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Town Donates Only $8 for Christmas Lights: "Tue Nov 18, 8:27 AM ET
LONDON - Asked to give money for a public display of Christmas lights, the 6,500 residents of Diss in eastern England came up with 5 pounds (US$8), all from one shop worker.
Business leaders sent out 250 letters to shops and businesses, and placed posters and newspaper adverts appealing for funds.
'We ... didn't expect to get nothing after all our hard work touting around the town delivering these notices, which is basically what happened,' Chamber of Trade chairman Ken Wells said in an interview with the Eastern Daily Press newspaper.
'I suppose it is a sign of the times,' he added. 'Last year, people really did rally to the cause and went door to door collecting, but this year we didn't get enough volunteers to do the rounds.'
Last year, major sponsors and local traders gave a total of 6,500 pounds (US$10,000). "
22:34 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man's Finger Stuck in Pay Phone for Hours: "Tue Nov 18,10:53 AM ET
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A man and a pay phone were rushed to a hospital after he got his finger stuck in the coin return slot while trying to retrieve his 50 cents.
Emergency room doctors gave Emanuel Fleming a painkiller Monday and pried his middle finger loose using a wooden device and lubricant, ending the three-hour ordeal.
'The bone in my finger felt like it was going to break. My finger was numb. It was very painful,' said Fleming, an elementary school janitor.
Fleming had tried to call his wife, but the line was busy. Two passers-by tried to help. When they failed to free him, Fleming used his other hand to dial 911.
Emergency crews and a representative of the company that owns the phone were sent to the scene. But they were also unable to free Fleming.
The phone was near a busy bus stop.
'People on the bus who know me were laughing at me,' Fleming said.
With few options left, ambulance crew members cut the telephone off at the base and took it and Fleming to St. Mary's Hospital.
'I've been in this business more than 30 years and I've seen a lot of weird things, but never anyone trapped in a telephone,' said Herb Simmons, manager of the ambulance company. "
22:31 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Robber Forgets to Cut Eye Holes in Mask: "Wed Nov 19, 7:31 AM ET
MODESTO, Calif. - Police said a masked man who robbed a Modesto bank Monday forgot to cut eye holes into his disguise, occasionally lifting up a corner of the flannel cloth to see his feet as he fumbled his way through the heist, and crashing into the Oak Valley Community Bank's steel door frame on the way out.
The robbery was successful, and the man, who was wearing a pink shirt, big white gardening gloves and tight jeans, was last seen driving away with an accomplice and an undisclosed amount of money, Detective Tom Blake said.
Police did not return messages Tuesday asking whether the man had been caught. "
22:30 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Truck Load of Pudding Spills Onto Highway: "Wed Nov 19,10:05 AM ET
HIAWATHA, Iowa - Parts of Interstate 380 were creamed when a semitrailer load of pudding went splat.
Rodney Shepard, 61, of Waverly, lost control of the semi when its contents shifted, police said.
The semi bounced off of three or four pillars, ripping the trailer open and spilling 'literally a truck load' of pudding on the highway and in the ditch, police Officer Chuck Allaire said.
More than 100 cases of pudding were spilled, police said.
Traffic was reduced to one lane during the cleanup. "
22:28 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - School Sprays Skunk Scent on Pine Trees: "Wed Nov 19, 4:17 PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS - There's a stinky surprise waiting for thieves who snatch pine trees from the University of Minnesota to use as Christmas trees: Instead of the smell of a freshly-cut tree, they'll get a whiff of roadkill skunk.
The university is spraying balsam fir, Scotch pine and anything that looks like a holiday tree with skunk scent ordered from a West Virginia trapping store.
Grounds superintendent Les Potts said the university lost seven evergreens last year to poachers. Christmas tree thieves have been sawing down trees in the middle of the night for years, but last year they lopped the tops off 18-foot trees that were more than 20 years old. The trees probably are permanently disfigured, Potts said.
The spray, which is being administered on still, rainless days, should cover at least the tops of 400 to 500 trees.
So, why skunk?
'Can you think of something worse?' Potts asked.
Cold weather masks the smell. But warm, indoor air releases it.
'We'll probably still lose some trees, but I have some satisfaction in knowing that it's not going to work out the way the thief thinks it will,' Potts said.
He admitted wondering what the campus will smell like when warm weather hits next spring. "
22:26 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Dies After Winning Vodka-Drinking Contest: "Wed Nov 19, 9:36 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A vodka-drinking competition in a southern Russian town ended in tragedy with the winner dead and several runners-up in intensive care.
'The competition lasted 30, perhaps 40 minutes and the winner downed three half-liter bottles. He was taken home by taxi but died within 20 minutes,' said Roman Popov, a prosecutor pursuing the case in the town of Volgodonsk.
'Five contestants ended up in intensive care. Those not in hospital turned up the next day, ostensibly for another drink.'
Popov said the director of the shop organizing this month's contest had been charged with manslaughter. He had offered 10 liters of vodka to the competitor drinking the most in the shortest time.
Russians drink the equivalent of 15 liters of pure alcohol per head annually, one of the highest rates in the world. Some experts estimate one in seven Russians is an alcoholic. "
22:23 Posted by David
'Family Guy' may return
'Family Guy' may return
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
Baby Stewie could be staging a comeback.
In a sign of the growing importance of DVD sales to Hollywood, 20th Century Fox is considering a plan to resume production of Family Guy, a sometimes crude animated comedy that the Fox network took off the air more than 18 months ago.
As many as 35 new episodes could return in January 2005, marking the first time that a canceled series has been revived based on strong DVD demand and ratings in syndication.
Fox Television Entertainment Group chairman Sandy Grushow said a decision is expected soon and called the series a late-blooming phenomenon that may have aired before its time.
A DVD set of the show's first 28 episodes released in April has sold nearly 1 million copies, making it this year's top-selling TV show and the No. 4 television title ever, according to Video Store magazine. A second collection, of 22 episodes, has sold 520,000 copies. And the series is Cartoon Network's most popular among adults.
Family Guy premiered with a big audience — 22 million viewers — and some controversy after Fox's 1999 Super Bowl telecast. In the pilot episode, Stewie, a talking toddler with a clipped British accent, was openly contemptuous of his loutish dad and bent on killing his sweet-natured mother in a quest for world domination.
Creator Seth MacFarlane, then 24, wrote scripts, drew characters, provided voices and infused the show with rapid-fire sight gags, a nod to The Simpsons. But ratings faded, and the show ended with a whimper early last year.
The relatively short network run may have helped DVD sales, Video Store's Judith McCourt says. "It really speaks to something that had a following, was cut off network TV, and people said, 'What did I miss?' "
DVD and cable viewers have "created kind of a groundswell that could lead to better ratings" on Fox, Grushow says, although new episodes could end up going directly to Cartoon Network.
A decision to restart the show suggests a reversal from the old TV business model, in which a network hit predicts a profit windfall in syndication. This time, the promise of DVD and syndication gold could justify a show's return even if low network ratings didn't.
But canceled favorites aren't likely to rise from the grave en masse. Family Guy has one major advantage: With no actors and no sets, it can simply be drawn back into existence.
15:05 Posted by David
Ok sorry for the delay but the Knott's Scary Farm pictures are now up. Click the PICTURES link to the left! If there are anymore just tell me and I will put them up. Dave
20:09 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Posing As Marshal Calls for Backup: "Wed Nov 12,10:15 AM ET
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - A motorist upset that he had been cut off pulled over the other driver, falsely claimed to be a U.S. marshal and called for a local police backup, authorities say.
Donald Sebastian, 54, of Middleburg Heights, is charged with impersonating a federal agent in this Cleveland suburb. He was released on a personal bond after a court appearance.
Sebastian's wish to become a U.S. marshal was blocked by a criminal record with 29 arrests since 1975, including state and federal gun convictions, the marshal's service said Monday.
'Who would call for backup?' U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said. 'That's what is so strange.'
A search of his home showed marshal service business cards, shirts, jackets, leather gloves and other marshal gear. He told authorities his ruse was his 'way of giving back to the community.'
Sebastian, who does not have a phone listing in Middleburg Heights, could not be reached for comment. "
20:06 Posted by David
Man Fined for Scratching While Driving : "Thu Nov 13, 1:53 PM ET
MADRID, Spain - Highway police who stopped a driver they believed was using his cell phone erred twice. First, he was just scratching his ear. Second, he was a lawyer.
Tomas Valdivielso showed the two officers that the last call from his phone went out the night before. The duo huddled, then came back and fined him $70 anyway.
The charge: driving while 'holding his ear with his right hand in a permanent fashion.'
'Am I on hidden camera?' Valdivielso recalls saying, according to Thursday's edition of the newspaper El Mundo.
The flap happened Nov. 7 while Valdivielso drove into Madrid on a busy highway in the morning rush hour.
Valdivielso filed a 10-page appeal that El Mundo praised as a work of tongue-in-cheek art.
The appeal says the fine failed to say which ear was being held, or even how many ears Valdivielso has, and argues that Spanish law does not bar scratching them while driving or oblige motorists to pull over to do it.
Valdivielso wrote: 'To presume that this unconscious act cannot be performed would lead us to the absurd situation of having to wait to stop the vehicle in a place that does not pose a danger for other occupants of the road in order to scratch, by which time, depending on how bad the itch is, I probably would have crashed before finding an adequate place to stop, or the itch would have gone away, reducing the pleasure I get from scratching."
20:04 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Taxi driver glued to wheel in stick-up: "Thu Nov 13,12:42 PM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - Two robbers left a German taxi driver glued to his steering wheel before running off with 300 euros (208 pounds), police say.
After the 31-year-old drove the men to a village near the eastern city of Dresden they threatened him with a gun, glued his hands to the wheel and escaped with the money, police spokesman Claus Schneider said on Thursday. "
20:03 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Stepmother Made Boy Sleep in Chicken Coop: "Thu Nov 13, 9:08 AM ET
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police said on Thursday they had rescued an 18-year-old boy who was forced by his stepmother to sleep in a chicken coop for the past 10 years.
Investigators acting on a tip-off found James Kimathi Mwirigi badly malnourished and scarred from apparent beatings in the central Kenyan district of Meru, a police official said.
'His stepbrother confirmed to us that he has been maltreated. But he is above the age of what is considered a child, so we have to proceed very carefully,' the commanding police officer told Reuters.
Villagers told police that the teenager -- thought to be mentally disabled -- was denied food and a proper education, while being made to carry out household duties and farm chores.
According to neighbors, the stepmother had a reputation for cruelty and was shunned in the village. Police said they were searching for the parents. "
20:02 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Drowns Self in Cesspool Over Missing Bike: "Thu Nov 13, 9:06 AM ET
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - A Tanzanian who thought his boss's bicycle had been stolen while in his care killed himself by diving into a cesspit -- only for a friend to return the bike a little later, a newspaper said Thursday.
Samuel Boniface, 20, committed suicide Tuesday after telling his employer the bicycle had gone missing, police in Dar es Salaam told the Daily Times.
Shortly after his body was found floating in the cesspool, his friend returned the bicycle, saying he had borrowed it. "
19:35 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Woman uses fists, feet to save teenage nephew from crocodile in Australia: "DARWIN, Australia (AP) - A woman punched and kicked a three-metre saltwater crocodile on the nose to free her teenage nephew from its jaws during an attack in Australia's outback, the young man said Monday from his hospital bed.
Manual Gandigorrtij, 19, was loading wild geese into his small tin boat at the water's edge when a crocodile lunged at his leg and pulled him into the creek, 400 kilometres east of Darwin on Saturday. Without hesitation, his aunt and uncle raced to his rescue.
'He dragged me into the water and then my uncle and my aunty went and jumped it,' Gandigorrtij told the Australian Associated Press from the hospital.
His aunt, Margaret Rinybuma, 53, let her fists and feet fly.
'She punched it, the croc, and she kicked it,' Gandigorrtij said.
'I hit him with my fist on the nose and I yelled out 'Help! In the name of Jesus!' and it let him go,' Rinybuma told the Northern Territory News in a story printed Monday.
After the crocodile let go, his aunt and uncle dragged the teen from the water.
Gandigorrtij was recovering in Royal Darwin Hospital following surgery for three deep cuts in his left leg. "
19:30 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Policeman gets two years for oral sex: "Thu Nov 6,11:53 PM ET
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singaporean police sergeant has been jailed for two years for having oral sex in a country where prostitution is legal but oral sex is not, a newspaper reports. The Straits Times reported that the 27-year-old police coast guard sergeant landed in court after a 16-year-old reported to the police that she had performed oral sex on the man.
She was above the age of consent and agreed to perform the act, but oral sex is against the law in the city-state, the paper said.
'The act by itself is an offence. It is not a question of consent or no consent. Even between consenting people, it is an offence,' criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan told the paper.
The maximum punishment for the offence is life imprisonment. "
19:28 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Police Dog Drops Chase, Gulps Down Candy: "Thu Nov 6, 3:18 PM ET
OSLO, Norway - When Varg the police dog was sent into a candy factory to track down two intruders, his sense of taste got the better of his sense of duty. The German Shepherd nearly ate himself sick.
Leif Berglund, of the police in the central Norway city of Trondheim, on Thursday said police were called to the Nidar candy factory after seven 13 -to 15-year-olds were found helping themselves to candy after they broke in.
Five surrendered at once, but two ran away. So police sent Varg to follow their trail. What he found was the trail of candy they left behind, as well as more candy in the building.
'He helped himself greedily,' said Berglund. He said he was so full of candy 'that we had to immediately transfer him to a more urgent assignment' on the lawn outside the building.
The two children remained at large.
'He is fine now. He is one tough gentleman,' said Berglund, after Varg's dereliction of duty.
At 9.5 years, Varg is set for retirement, so wouldn't face any disciplinary action, Berglund said. "
19:26 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Steals Meat but Leaves ID Behind: "Fri Nov 7,10:16 AM ET
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A man shoplifted some meat and escaped in a stolen pickup truck, but police are confident he'll be arrested soon because he left behind his wallet and identification.
'That's pretty dumb,' Memphis police Lt. Richard Granderson said Thursday. 'We'll catch him. It's just a matter of time.'
A man in shorts, T-shirt and sandals walked out of the Metro Market Wednesday without paying for some packaged meat.
'One of the clerks chased him out, and he had his truck running,' store manager Howard Abdullah said. 'It was like a planned operation.'
The truck had been stolen from the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, police said.
After a brief scuffle with the clerk, the thief left his wallet behind. Police say they are looking for 40-year-old Willie Patrick of Memphis but didn't find him at home Wednesday night.
Patrick was on parole from a previous conviction for car theft, Granderson said. His parole term was set to expire Wednesday.
'It won't now, though,' Granderson said. "
19:24 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Police Charge Teens Dressed As Women: "Sun Nov 9,12:24 PM ET
NEW YORK - Five young men who police said dressed as women were arrested on charges that they impersonated police officers and robbed men in Greenwich Village, authorities said.
Police said the teenagers are implicated in six robberies between Oct. 5 and Nov. 6. They are accused of handcuffing men and taking their wallets, stealing amounts ranging from $85 to $1,200, police said.
In at least one case, the teenagers produced a 'police-like badge' before robbing a 33-year-old man, police said.
The five were arrested on Thursday after plainclothes officers with a description of the suspects in the string of robberies saw one of the teenagers and took him into custody.
Police said they were charging the teenagers with robbery and criminal impersonation. An investigation was continuing, said Detective Carolyn Chew, a police spokeswoman. "
19:21 Posted by David
Police Go Fishing While on Terror Patrol
Fri Nov 7,10:23 PM ET
AUSTIN, Texas - Five police officers assigned to protect a power plant from possible terrorism went fishing at a nearby lake instead, and were once seen in uniform cleaning the fish they had just caught, according to disciplinary records.
A lieutenant, a sergeant and three other officers were disciplined for fishing while on duty and another sergeant was disciplined for not reporting the others, according to records obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.
"Quite frankly, we are very disappointed," Assistant Police Chief Rick Coy told the newspaper for Friday's edition. "We believe our job is to protect the community, and that's what we expect our officers to do."
Most of the officers were assigned to the Decker Creek Power Plant near Austin as part of the department's Homeland Defense Unit. The lake is part of the plant's property.
Five of the officers received suspensions from one to 30 days for violating civil service commission rules. The punishment for the lieutenant was not available because he is appealing.
Internal affairs investigators received a complaint in June that the officers were fishing while they were supposed to be patrolling at the plant, according to the memos.
Police cited a number of department violations, including continuing to fish after being ordered to stop and instructing plant security guards to allow fellow officers onto the facility to fish.
Coy said homeland security assignments will now be rotated to prevent similar incidents.
19:19 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Kills Lion After Overnight Stay: "Fri Nov 7,10:13 PM ET
TUCSON, Ariz. - A mountain lion was shot and killed after it wandered into the fenced yard of a Tubac home and stayed there overnight, a game official said.
The lion was discovered in the yard the night of Oct. 29.
Two large barking dogs didn't scare it away, which is unusual.
The next morning, the homeowner's neighbor killed the animal, said Tom Whetten, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.
The neighbor had a hunting license and a mountain lion permit, which allows a hunter to kill one mountain lion per year, Whetten said.
Whetten said Game and Fish would have the animal tested for rabies because of the abnormal behavior. "
19:18 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Family gets tracker for son: "Mon Nov 10,11:22 AM ET
OSLO (Reuters) - A Norwegian family may use a state radio surveillance device to help track down their six-year-old son if he runs away, an Oslo appeals court has ruled.
The court overruled a decision by a welfare office, which said the parents should keep a closer eye on the boy without recourse to the state-funded $1,400 radio transmitter.
The court ruling, obtained by Reuters on Monday, agreed with the family that the boy needed extra care because he suffered from autism and was prone to running off.
'We don't want (the tracker) to feel safe if he runs off, but so that we have a real possibility of finding him if he gets lost,' the parents said in their appeal.
The family may borrow the surveillance equipment from the state. Norway is one of the richest nations in the world thanks to oil wealth with a generous cradle-to-grave welfare state. "
19:16 Posted by David
Town Complains About Soup Factory Smell
Mon Nov 10, 9:44 AM ET
WOODINVILLE, Wash. - The reek from the StockPot soup factory is back, and so are complaints from neighbors of the Campbell Soup Co. subsidiary.
"I can always tell when it's Tuesday," said Stephen Koplan, who lives about three miles north of the plant. "You can wake up on a Tuesday and the stench will be so bad it's nauseating. It's that B.O. smell.
"If I drive on (Washington) 522, my car will smell like it the rest of the day, and my home, the garage, the whole house. It's just disgusting."
StockPot has paid $18,000 in fines because of the odors, traced mainly to production of onion soup, and installed equipment to spray an odor-reducing enzyme into the exhaust system, officials said. For a time, that seemed to work.
"We even got a few e-mails thanking us, believe it or not," said Jim Nolan, compliance director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
StockPot president Kathleen Horner blamed weather conditions for the recent complaints.
"We sit in a valley out here," she said. "It's an inversion zone. Cold air can get trapped, and when it warms up you get an 'odor puff.'"
Additional spending doesn't make sense if King County builds a proposed sewage treatment plant on neighboring land, Campbell's officials said. In March the company asked the county to buy out StockPot's lease, which runs through 2012.
"We're not delaying things," Horner said, "but there is the question about how much to invest in this building before we know what King County is going to do."
Nolan said he would meet with company officials soon to discuss the issue.
19:12 Posted by David
Women Claim Condom Found in Clam Chowder
Mon Nov 10, 5:05 PM ET
SANTA ANA, Calif. - Four women sued an Irvine restaurant after one of them said she found a condom in her clam chowder when they dined there last year.
Laila Sultan said she was eating at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant on Feb. 26, 2002, when she bit into something rubbery.
"We said, `Of course. You're chewing on a clam,'" said Paula Wild, one of her dining companions.
When she spit it out, Sultan, 48, said she discovered it was an unwrapped, rolled-up condom.
She said she spent the next 15 minutes in a restroom, vomiting, and has since seen a psychiatrist and taken medication for depression and anxiety.
Sultan, Wild, Cindy Hammond and Annamarie Sigala, who were all having the clam chowder that day, filed suit, claiming negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Their case is scheduled for trial Jan. 12.
A lawyer for the restaurant said McCormick & Schmick's has no idea how the condom got into the soup.
"It's as big a mystery to us as it is to anybody else," said attorney Patrick Stark. "We are going to argue there is absolutely no evidence to suggest the restaurant was the source of the condom, or any employee of the restaurant."
McCormick & Schmick's, a privately owned chain that owns 42 upscale restaurants in 19 states, sued the company that supplied its clams. A judge ruled in favor of the supplier last September.
Sultan, who lives in Stanton, said she had visited the restaurant before and never had a problem.
On this occasion, she said, she and her companions ordered drinks, appetizers and soup, but sent the soup back because it was lukewarm. When she got it back she found the condom.
19:06 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Smokers Bury Health Warning Under Humor: "Mon Nov 10,10:41 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - German smokers fed up with the eye-catching health warnings now required on cigarette packets sold in the European Union (news - web sites) have begun covering them with their own messages rich in gallows humor.
'Begging cigarettes from others can lead to sudden death,' reads one black and white warning, imitating one of the 14 EU-mandated health messages required since last month.
'Move out of the way! I'm headed for the graveyard' and 'I smoke because you stink' are two other warnings that German smokers are sticking on their packs.
EU rules dictate that warnings such as 'Smoking Kills' must now cover at least 30 percent of the front of each packet and 40 percent of the back. Smoking-linked diseases kill more than 500,000 EU citizens each year.
Other messages mock EU warnings that smoking can lead to impotence: 'The cigarettes contained in this package can lead to a renewed erection,' reads one. 'Hey, do you want to jump in the sack with me?' is another popular choice. "
17:11 Posted by David
TheBostonChannel.com - News - Woman On Cell Phone Dies In Car Crash: "Woman On Cell Phone Dies In Car Crash
Car Plows Into Cell Phone Store
POSTED: 7:50 a.m. EST November 3, 2003
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- An Abington, Mass., woman, driving and talking on her cell phone, died after her car plowed into a cell phone store in West Bridgewater.
Bethaney Lawton, 20, was not wearing a seat belt when her car crashed into a Cingular Wireless building shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, officer Thomas Richmond said.
'She was on a cell phone, talking to a friend,' Richmond said. 'She told her friend, 'I'm about to get into an accident.' ... The friend heard the crash, the phone went dead.'
Lawton swerved to avoid a utility pole, crossed into the oncoming lane and crashed into the building, Richmond said.
The car was three-fourths into the building, and it took 20 minutes to free her from the wreckage, according to Fire Chief Leonard Hunt. She died while undergoing surgery at Boston Medical Center.
Police said Lawton was alone in her car after dropping off a friend in Bridgewater. She was studying to be an EMT at Massasoit Community College.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. "
