"Drink or die, driver told
30/05/2005 13:47 - (SA)
Johannesburg - A truck driver was recovering from alcohol poisoning in hospital in Witbank after being forced to drink two bottles of brandy during a hijacking near Delmas, Mpumalanga police said on Monday.
'Four bogus policemen stopped the truck driver on Friday night about 22:00 and asked him to get out of the vehicle so they could check his fingerprints. When he refused, they allegedly assaulted him and forced him to drink two 750ml of brandy, or die.
'After drinking the two bottles, he had a black-out,' Captain Abie Khoabane said.
The man woke up along the highway on Saturday morning, barely able to walk, suffering from a severe hangover and with his truck missing.
He continued to sleep till Sunday, when he was able to walk to the nearest police station, Khoabane said.
Police have recovered the truck and arrested one of the suspected robbers.
The remaining three were still at large. They allegedly drive a white Golf with police markings and have police appointment cards.
The unidentified truck driver was still at hospital, reportedly in a stable condition.
'This is a new modus operandi. They force people to drink the brandy - without as much as a dash or ice - in two minutes or die.
'The victims usually can't remember much of the incident,' Khoabane said. "
01:47 Posted by David
Mom Indicted for Hiring Stripper for Son - Yahoo! News: "NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A mother faces criminal charges after she hired a stripper to dance at her 16-year-old son's birthday party. Anette Pharris, 34, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and involving a minor in obscene acts. The boy's father, the stripper and two others also face charges.
'I tried to do something special for my son,' Pharris said. 'It didn't harm him.'
About 10 people under the age of 18 were at the birthday party in September, including minors who were not related to the family, authorities said.
Police spokesman Don Aaron said minors are not permitted in adult establishments.
'A person shouldn't be allowed to circumvent that law by hiring a stripper, a lady who took all her clothes off and spent a good amount of time dancing around minors,' he said.
Anette Pharris took photos at the party and tried to have them developed at a nearby drug store. Drug store employees notified authorities, police said.
'Who are they to tell me what I can and can't show to my own children?' the mother said."
15:07 Posted by David
Drivers in the drink after beer truck flips - Yahoo! News: "Wed May 11,11:43 AM ET
TORONTO (Reuters) - A truck hauling 2,000 cases of beer flipped over and unleashed a sea of suds onto Canada's busiest highway on Wednesday, in a scene that could have been lifted from the Canadian cliche handbook.
The early morning accident brought rush hour traffic to a standstill on highway 401 in north Toronto, as rescuers worked to free a woman trapped in the small car that collided with the tractor trailer.
'Believe it or not with this crushed car, the young lady driving it is going to be okay,' Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Cam Wooley told CP24 news.
'We've got sand down now absorbing the beer,' he added.
In Canada, beer is closely co-advertised with the national obsession of hockey and an enduring national stereotype is the McKenzie brothers, the 1980s-era comedy team of Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas who swilled beer and ended every sentence with 'eh?'.
Police said the beer-soaked sand would be scooped into bins and returned to the supplier for destruction. "
15:05 Posted by David
Peruvian woman sinks teeth into robber's testicle - Yahoo! News: "Fri May 13, 4:04 PM ET
LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - A Peruvian woman sank her teeth into the testicles of a man who broke into her property to steal cattle and tried to rape her, leaving doctors no option but to lop one off, police and officials said on Friday.
'It looked like a dog bite. The man arrived with his right testicle dead and hanging by a thread ... there was nothing to do but cut it off,' said Hugo Jaime, a surgeon in the regional hospital in Huanuco in the Andes northeast of Lima.
The incident happened on Monday night in a remote village when Hermogenes Meza and 10 men broke tried to steal Elizabeth Coz's cattle.
Coz was not arrested because she acted out of self defence, the officer added. The men ran away when Coz and relatives started stoning them. "
15:01 Posted by David
Man Claims Firing Over Drinking Wrong Beer - Yahoo! News: "MILLIKEN, Colo. - A former supervisor at a Budweiser distributorship says he was fired for drinking a Coors beer in public.
Ross Hopkins, 41, filed suit in Weld County District Court, saying American Eagle Distributing Co. has no right to tell him what kind of beer to drink when he is off-duty.
Hopkins said he was fired in May 2003 after the son-in-law of the distributorship owner saw him drinking Coors in a Greeley bar.
Jeff Bedingfield, an attorney for American Eagle, declined to discuss the specifics of the lawsuit but said 'there are two sides to every story.'
In its court response, American Eagle said Hopkins was fired 'for conduct that relates to a bona fide occupational requirement that is reasonably and rationally related to the employment activities and responsibilities of a particular employee.'
The court filing does not directly challenge Hopkins' claim that he was fired, at least in part, for drinking Coors in public."
14:29 Posted by David
1010 WINS - Study: 600 Pre-school Kids Expelled In NY: "May 17, 2005 11:29 am US/Eastern
(1010 WINS) (NEW YORK) More than 600 kids are expelled from preschool in New York each year, according to a new study. That means preschoolers get kicked out at a rate nearly 18 times higher than that of kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. Preschoolers are generally three- and four-years-old.
The study shows that boys are four-and-a-half times more likely to get booted out than girls. Black children are twice as likely to get expelled as white or Hispanic preschoolers.
On average, six out of every one-thousand preschoolers are expelled from schools across the country.
In New York, the rate is nine out of every 1,000.
Preschool is not required in New York, so it's easier to remove a troublemaker than it would be in higher grades.
Roughly 42,000 kids attend preschool in New York.
The two-year study was done by Yale University researcher Walter Gilliam."
02:28 Posted by David
ZUG: Comedy Articles: Prank Phone Call to Mapquest:
"MAPQUEST: Thank you for calling MapQuest...
JOHN HARGRAVE: I'M LOST!
MAPQUEST: [Long pause]
JH: I'm TOTALLY LOST from YOUR DIRECTIONS!
MAPQUEST: Um ... OK, I'm not sure what you want me to do about this.
JH: You can HELP ME! You're the MAP company, aren't you!?
MAPQUEST: We don't usually give directions over the phone.
JH: You work for MAPquest, right?
MAPQUEST: Yes.
JH: So can you look it up on one of your MAPS?
MAPQUEST: Well, I can try to help, but I have no idea where you are, sir.
JH: I'm trying to find 150 Clarendon Street.
MAPQUEST: I ... ah, I have no idea what city you are in, sir.
JH: THAT MAKES TWO OF US!
MAPQUEST: OK. Can you spell the name of the street?
JH: C-L-A-R-E-N-D-O-N. It's in Boston. I think I'm in Boston. But man, this is not a good area. MapQuest has really taken me to a bad part of town.
MAPQUEST: What street are you on now?
JH: HOW SHOULD I KNOW!? Your directions say "Bear left on UNNAMED ROAD." What does that even MEAN?
MAPQUEST: I have no idea. I'm guessing the street just doesn't have a name. I'm not trying to be smug, I just don't know.
JH: Is it really an unnamed road, or you just couldn't find the street sign?
MAPQUEST: You'd need to call our Denver office for that. They do the web site.
JH: Are you guys too lazy to figure out the name of the road? Why didn't you ask somebody?
MAPQUEST: Sir, could you stop and ask someone there for directions?
JH: No way. There's a group of Hispanic guys on the corner, and they look kind of angry. One of them has a razor blade around his neck.
MAPQUEST: Oh my.
JH: Hang on. Oh, I'm sorry, it's a locket. It looked like a razor blade. I caught a glint in the sun.
MAPQUEST: [Uncomfortably long pause]
JH: How we doing on those directions?
MAPQUEST: Can you spell the name of the street again for me?
JH: Oh, geez. One of them is coming over here.
[At this point, I played two parts.]
JH [as Hispanic guy]: What the FUCK are you looking at, amigos?
JH: Hi, I'm just trying to find directions...
JH [as Hispanic guy]: Why don't you get the FUCK out of here then?
JH: Right, I'm leaving. I'm sorry. Very sorry.
JH [as Hispanic guy]: ¡El ma's MapQuest es un servicio muy malo!
JH: [Back to the MapQuest lady] You've got to get me out of here. You've got to help me.
MAPQUEST: I'll try. I really apologize for any inconvenience. What street are you on?
JH: THE UNNAMED ROAD!
MAPQUEST: OK, what comes after the unnamed road?
JH: It says to turn left on St. James Ave. But it says 0.0 miles. What does that mean?
MAPQUEST: I really have no idea.
JH: Why would you tell me to go 0.0 miles? Doesn't that mean to stand in place?
MAPQUEST: Sir, do you have a phone number where you're trying to get to?
JH: Why?
MAPQUEST: Could you call and ask for directions?
JH: Great. Maybe you could just put a disclaimer on the end of MapQuest driving directions that says PLEASE IGNORE THESE USELESS DIRECTIONS AND JUST CALL FIRST.
MAPQUEST: I am trying to help you, sir.
JH: Who codes this stuff? Horses?
MAPQUEST: I really don't know. You'd have to contact them.
JH: The horses? I'd have to contact the horses?
MAPQUEST: OK, can you spell the name...
JH: Oh no. He's ... hang on. Hold on?
MAPQUEST: Yes.
JH: STAY AWAY FROM ME! NO! GET AWAY! [I was now running down a busy street in Boston, carrying my laptop and cellphone. Coincidentally, an ambulance drove by me with its sirens on as I was running, adding to the effect.]
MAPQUEST: Sir? SIR?
JH: Hang on. [Breathing heavily] You there? Are you still there?
MAPQUEST: I'm still here.
JH: I found a dumpster to hide under.
MAPQUEST: Are you OK?
JH: Oh no.
MAPQUEST: What?
JH: I left my 3 year old in the car!
MAPQUEST: YOU DID WHAT?!?
JH: Oh geez.
MAPQUEST: Sir, you HAVE to get back and help that child! You cannot leave your child in a bad neighborhood like that!
JH: I know! I panicked! This is all MapQuest's fault!
MAPQUEST: We need to help get you back right now. Do you want me to phone for help?
JH: Oh, you know what? Hang on. Aha ha ha. I see it. It's just right across the street. There it is!
MAPQUEST: You found it?
JH: There's 150 Clarendon. I was just across the street this whole time! That's great. That's just great. Thanks a lot.
MAPQUEST: You go back and get your child!
JH: Viva La MapQuest! Thanks for your help!"
20:07 Posted by David
Bold thieves build complete ATM - Yahoo! News: "Fri May 6,12:18 PM ET
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Audacious thieves in Romania have constructed a complete automated teller machine (ATM), minus the cash box, to steal the details of account holders, banking officials said.
Fake ATMs have appeared at apartment buildings or in areas of the capital where there are no banks, local papers reported.
Usually criminals only place a fake panel over an existing ATM, and do not construct a complete machine.
Police are investigating the incidents.
Romania's biggest bank, Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), said customers should only use ATMs situated around bank branches. 'Banks do not install ATMs in blocks of flats,' BCR spokesman Cornel Cojocaru said. "
19:56 Posted by David
Ky. Man Charged With Drunken Horse Riding - Yahoo! News:
"SOMERSET, Ky. - A man has been charged with drunken driving — for riding a horse while allegedly intoxicated. Millard Greg Dwyer, 42, was arrested Sunday night after he rode his horse onto a downtown street in front of an off-duty state trooper, Somerset Police Lt. Allan Coomer said.
Trooper Martin Wesley told local officers that Dwyer looked like he was about to fall off the horse.
Coomer said Dwyer admitted to being drunk and told officers that he had ridden the horse from Fishing Creek, which was about 5 miles away.
Dwyer told officers that he had consumed about a twelve pack, Coomer said. Dwyer failed sobriety tests, Coomer said, and was charged with operating a vehicle other than a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants.
A breath test showed Dwyer's alcohol level at .244, more than three times the limit, Coomer said.
Dwyer was released from the Pulaski County Dentention Center Monday, jail officials said. He faces a fine of between $20-$100, plus court costs, Coomer said.
Coomer said the arrest was 'very unusual,' but Somerset police have arrested others for similar violations, such as riding a bicycle and a lawn mower under the influence."
19:55 Posted by David
Man Charged in Women's Underwear Theft - Yahoo! News: "Tue May 10, 5:57 PM ET
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - A man found outside a Westminster College dormitory over the weekend was arrested on charges of stealing the underwear of female students.
Police said James Brian Eberle, 32, was arrested Saturday near Shaw Hall dormitory and police found four pairs of women's panties and three bras stuffed into his pants. College officials had reported a suspicious man on campus days before.
Eberle was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property. He was freed on bond pending a May 17 preliminary hearing.
Eberle does not have a listed phone number and it was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney."
19:54 Posted by David
Car Hits House, but Toddler Keeps Sleeping - Yahoo! News: "NORFOLK, Va. - Wild horses might be able to wake TaylorAnn Richason, but not mere horsepower. Her whole house shook early Tuesday when a car crashed into it, destroying a sheetrock wall just inches from the 3-year-old's bed. The toddler, uninjured, slept right through it.
Marsha Richason ran to her daughter's room to find steam wafting through it from the car's smashed radiator.
'There was an angel on my daughter's side,' she said.
The car slammed into the side of the Richasons' house about 2:30 a.m., punching a hole in the child's bedroom wall. Police had tried to pull over the car, and the driver took off, said Cpl. Kurt Stanton, a police spokesman. The driver then lost control and slammed into the Richason's home.
Stanton said the driver fled, but an injured passenger was apprehended but had not been charged.
The driver was identified as George David Denardo III, 19. He is wanted for felony hit and run, evasion and driving on a suspended license. Stanton said Denardo also had been wanted for failure to appear.
Besides a hole in their home, the Richason's did get something else from the ordeal.
'I got me a souvenir,' Travis Richason said, showing a crumpled license plate he found in a crawl space under their house after the car was towed."
19:42 Posted by David
Pizza delivery ends prison siege - Yahoo! News: "Mon May 9, 1:53 PM ET
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian prison siege ended Monday after a group of inmates agreed to release a guard they had held for two days in return for a delivery of pizzas, prison officials said.
A group of up to 20 inmates seized control of the reception area of the maximum security Risdon Prison in Hobart, capital of the southern island state of Tasmania, Saturday, demanding better treatment and improvements to the jail.
The siege was resolved in far less dramatic circumstances.
'Our staff member was negotiated out with the delivery of 15 pizzas,' Graeme Barber, Tasmania's director of prisons, told reporters.
The prisoners had earlier made a list of 24 demands. But none was so pressing as the need for a take-out meal and the guard was released unharmed not long after midnight.
About 20 prisoners, some being held as hostages, were involved in the siege. The last of the hostages was released by their pizza-filled captors early Monday.
Risdon Prison holds Martin Bryant, who was convicted of Australia's worst massacre of modern times when he shot dead 35 people in 1996 in the Tasmanian tourist town and former penal colony of Port Arthur. "
19:22 Posted by David
Dog kills cat, court awards owner $45,000 - Yahoo! News: "Tue May 10,12:07 PM ET
SEATTLE (Reuters) - A woman who sued a neighbor after her cat was mauled by his dog was awarded more than $45,000, the Seattle woman's lawyer said on Monday.
Paula Roemer's cat Yofi was killed after her neighbor's dog broke through a fence in February 2004. The dog's owner, Wallace Gray, had pleaded guilty to animal-control violations in Seattle Municipal Court and admitted negligence.
Seattle District Court Judge Barbara Linde ordered Gray to pay Roemer a little over $45,000 for Yofi's death, including $30,000 for the value of the cat, $15,000 for emotional distress, and other charges.
Roemer's lawyer, Adam Karp, who specializes in animal cases, said that while multimillion-dollar judgments have been awarded over thoroughbred horses, her award was the highest for a pet in the United States that he was aware of. Roemer has said she would donate the money to animal welfare groups. "
