Canadian stun gun death on video
The video shows Mr Dziekanski being pinned down by police. Credit: CBC Amateur video Video footage has been released in Canada showing the last moments of an immigrant who died after being stunned with a Taser by police.
Robert Dziekanski, 40, of Pieszyce, Poland, was restrained by police after becoming agitated at Vancouver International Airport on 14 October.
Mr Dziekanski, who spoke no English, was declared dead at the scene by an emergency medical team.
The incident is being investigated by police, the airport and the coroner.
Police spokesman Cpl Dale Carr said the video was just one piece of evidence, and urged people to wait for the results of the inquest.
Mr Dziekanski, a construction worker, was emigrating to Canada to join his mother, who lived in the western province of British Columbia.
The incident has prompted a debate about the use of Taser stun guns by police in Canada.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation says up to 18 people have died after being stunned by a Taser in Canada since 2003.
Screams
The video was shot by Canadian traveller Paul Pritchard and handed over to police, and has only just been returned to him.
It starts before the police arrive, with Mr Dziekanski seen through a glass wall in a customs area. He appears agitated, sweating and breathing heavily. Airport security officials and passengers watch from the other side.
Having landed 10 hours earlier, he is seen pacing back and forth through an automatic door, standing briefly in the doorway with a small folding table, and then later with a chair.
At one point, he takes what looks like a laptop computer off a counter and throws it to the ground, and then throws the small table against the glass wall.
Four policemen then walk into view. They walk through the glass doors towards Mr Dziekanski, who turns his back on them. Witnesses say he appeared to pick up a stapler.
Seconds later, Mr Dziekanski is stunned by a Taser and falls down screaming and convulsing.
He is stunned a second time, and then the police officers restrain him on the floor. Mr Dziekanski's screams die down, and he is seen lying still.
A voice is heard saying "code red", which is code for a medical emergency.
An autopsy found no sign of drugs or alcohol in Mr Dziekanski's system, and failed to pinpoint the cause of death.
Airport mix-up
Walter Kosteckyj, the victim's family lawyer, said Mr Dziekanski's mother had seen portions of the video and had approved its release to the public.
"She had a son in distress, he was looking for help, he was frightened, and he didn't get that help," Mr Kosteckyj said.
He said he was disturbed by the video because Mr Dziekanski was not violent.
"I was expecting to see a confrontation, a discussion and things go sideways, then the tasering... That's not what you see," he said.
Mr Dziekanski, who had not flown before, had boarded a plane a day earlier in Germany, and arranged to meet his mother at the baggage carousel in the international terminal.
Neither of them knew the baggage carousel was inside a secure area, with no view of the public arrivals hall area, except for a short distance through sliding glass doors, Mr Kosteckyj said.
No airport, customs or security employees at the airport apparently tried to help either of them, he added.
Eventually Mr Dziekanski emerged into the public area, but his mother had left after six hours and Mr Dziekanski apparently panicked, the lawyer said.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7095875.stm
ALSO:
Terror police 'shot' man in coma A man who had gone into a diabetic coma on a bus in Leeds was shot twice with a Taser gun by police who feared he may have been a security threat.
Nicholas Gaubert has described how the incident happened in July 2005, just a week before the fatal shooting of Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes.
Mr Gaubert, 34, said he was suffering severe post-traumatic stress as a result of the shooting.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating.
Mr Gaubert, who lives in Leeds, said he had now decided to speak out after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled no officers involved should be charged with any criminal offences.
The IPCC is still considering whether any disciplinary matters will be brought against the officers.
Armed police deployed
Mr Gaubert said he was on his way to meet friends when he suffered a hypoglycaemic fit on the bus which left him slumped on his seat clutching his rucksack.
Armed police were called to the bus depot in Headingley and when he failed to respond to their challenges he was shot with the Taser.
He said as this was happening, another officer was pointing a real gun at his head.
He was restrained and eventually came round in the police van.
He said it was only then that the officers realised it was a medical emergency, despite him wearing a medical tag round his neck to warn of his condition, and took him to hospital.
Mr Gaubert said he was told the police believed he looked "Egyptian".
He is completely traumatised by this - he is living with it every day Solicitor Ifti Manzoor
Mr Gaubert's solicitor Ifti Manzoor said the incident had clear parallels with the shooting of Mr Menezes at Stockwell tube station and showed there was evidence of a breakdown in communication between the police on the ground and their commanders.
Mr Gaubert said: "When I heard about that Brazilian man in London I just thought, 'oh no, that could have been me'."
Mr Manzoor added: "The evidence is there was an order that officers be deployed and contain the scene. This direct order seems to have been ignored.
"I really appreciate that under the circumstances and at that time the police had an enormously difficult job.
"But Mr Gaubert was alone in a bus depot.
"He is completely traumatised by this. He is living with it every day."
'Potential security threat'
A statement from the IPCC said: "The IPCC managed an investigation into an incident on 13 July 2005 in which West Yorkshire Police discharged a Taser at a man while he sat on a bus in Leeds.
"The man was mistakenly treated as a potential security threat when he was, in fact, in a hypoglycaemic state. The investigation report was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in November 2006.
"The CPS returned its initial decision in February 2007 stating that no officers should be charged with any criminal offences.
"Consideration was then given by the CPS as to whether any offences had been committed under health and safety law.
"A decision was received recently to advise that no charges would be brought under this legislation.
"The IPCC must determine whether any disciplinary matters need to be considered against the officers involved.
"Initial recommendations regarding discipline put forward by the police forces involved have not been agreed by the IPCC and discussions are ongoing. "
West Yorkshire Police said the matter was in the hands of the IPCC.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/7096456.stm
ALSO:
Chief constable zapped by Taser North Wales Police chief constable Richard Brunstrom has been zapped with a Taser electronic stun gun.
Mr Brunstrom, 53, offered himself as a target to feel the effects of being shot with 50,000 volts, and was hit for less than two seconds.
Footage on the force's website shows him swearing as he is floored. He warns people who disobey Taser-armed officers they will "not enjoy the consequences".
North Wales Police is expanding the use of Tasers to rural areas.
'Strangulated yell'
Under a heading marked "An interesting experience!", Mr Brunstrom's blog described the force's use of the stun gun since 2003 as "a great success".
"We're prepared to use this on members of the public when we have to. It's right and proper that the head of the organisation tries it out for himself," he says.
Video footage shows him being supported by two officers as he is zapped with a Taser by a third officer.
He makes what he described as a "strangulated yell" as he is zapped for 1.5 seconds, and tells his officers: "That was long enough, thanks".
Speaking to camera afterwards, Mr Brunstrom - who recently passed his force's fitness test - said: "What was it like? Not pleasant, is the answer."
He added: "I was completely incapable of movement. I would have fallen if I hadn't been supported by my colleagues.
"I very strongly advise you, if faced by an officer and a Taser, that you follow the instructions of the nice police officer, because you will not enjoy the consequences of disobedience."
Mr Brunstrom's blog said the trial involving the 28 officers in rural areas began last Saturday and the effects of the deployment would be measured "over the next year or so".
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_east/6980867.stm
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Jail term cut for 'feral' killers
Two Cheshire teenagers who terrorized a vulnerable man before beating him to death and throwing his body in a river, have had their life sentences cut.
Craig Dodd, aged 17, will now serve a minimum of three-and-a-half years in prison and Ryan Palin, 15, three years.
The pair were dubbed as "feral" when they were jailed for life for the manslaughter of Raymond Atherton, 40, in Warrington.
They beat and urinated on Mr Atherton before dumping him in the River Mersey.
These are two very dangerous young men whose future progress will have to be very carefully considered Judge Justice Rix sitting at the Court of Appeal
Despite the severity of their crime, Lord Justice Rix overturned the life terms and replaced them with sentences of detention for public protection, giving each a minimum tariff to serve before parole can be considered.
Lord Justice Rix decided the sentencing judge at Warrington Crown Court had not been right to impose life sentences for the killing.
He said: "We think it was an error of principle to say that a discretionary sentence of detention for life should be imposed."
"These are two very dangerous young men whose future progress will have to be very carefully considered."
The court heard Palin, of Grasmere Avenue, Orford, and Dodd, of Lisguard Close, Runcorn spent months systematically abusing the victim, who had severe learning difficulties, in a process they nicknamed 'terroring'.
They regularly broke into his council flat on St Katherine's Way, Howley, where they wrote graffiti on the walls, burnt his hair and daubed his face with paint.
On the night of his death in May 2006, the boys were seen by neighbours beating him with planks of wood until he bled.
Days later his body was discovered floating in the River Mersey in Westy, Warrington.
The judge in the original trial described the killers as "feral, wild and untamed".
After Mr Atherton's killing it was revealed that he had been rehoused in a different part of the town by Warrington Borough Council when Palin and Dodd started their "terror campaign" against him.
They were arrested by police after boasting of what they had done to friends.
Judge Rix added: "Mr Atherton's life had been made a misery by the loutish behaviour of those who attacked him.
"They had not sought to kill, but this was a savage, cruel, brutal and vicious attack."
Craig Dodd, aged 17, will now serve a minimum of three-and-a-half years in prison and Ryan Palin, 15, three years.
The pair were dubbed as "feral" when they were jailed for life for the manslaughter of Raymond Atherton, 40, in Warrington.
They beat and urinated on Mr Atherton before dumping him in the River Mersey.
These are two very dangerous young men whose future progress will have to be very carefully considered Judge Justice Rix sitting at the Court of Appeal
Despite the severity of their crime, Lord Justice Rix overturned the life terms and replaced them with sentences of detention for public protection, giving each a minimum tariff to serve before parole can be considered.
Lord Justice Rix decided the sentencing judge at Warrington Crown Court had not been right to impose life sentences for the killing.
He said: "We think it was an error of principle to say that a discretionary sentence of detention for life should be imposed."
"These are two very dangerous young men whose future progress will have to be very carefully considered."
The court heard Palin, of Grasmere Avenue, Orford, and Dodd, of Lisguard Close, Runcorn spent months systematically abusing the victim, who had severe learning difficulties, in a process they nicknamed 'terroring'.
They regularly broke into his council flat on St Katherine's Way, Howley, where they wrote graffiti on the walls, burnt his hair and daubed his face with paint.
On the night of his death in May 2006, the boys were seen by neighbours beating him with planks of wood until he bled.
Days later his body was discovered floating in the River Mersey in Westy, Warrington.
The judge in the original trial described the killers as "feral, wild and untamed".
After Mr Atherton's killing it was revealed that he had been rehoused in a different part of the town by Warrington Borough Council when Palin and Dodd started their "terror campaign" against him.
They were arrested by police after boasting of what they had done to friends.
Judge Rix added: "Mr Atherton's life had been made a misery by the loutish behaviour of those who attacked him.
"They had not sought to kill, but this was a savage, cruel, brutal and vicious attack."
Friday, October 26, 2007
Ex-army Urinates on Dying Woman in Doorway
Man jailed for urinating on woman
A man who urinated on a woman as she lay dying and shouted "this is YouTube material" has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Anthony Anderson also covered Christine Lakinski with shaving foam after she collapsed in a Hartlepool street.
The 50-year-old, who suffered from a number of medical conditions, was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Anderson, 27, and from Raby Road in the Teesside town, had earlier admitted outraging public decency.
The court heard how, on 27 July, Miss Lakinski was making her way home with a box of laminate flooring when she fell ill and stumbled into a doorway.
Totally shocked
Anderson, a former soldier, had smoked a cannabis joint and been drinking when he and two friends spotted her.
He tried to rouse her by throwing a bucket of water over her, before urinating on her and covering her with shaving foam.
A crowd had gathered around, watching and laughing, and the incident was filmed on a mobile phone.
She was later declared dead at the scene, the cause of death being given as pancreatic failure.
Magistrates in Hartlepool had referred the case to Teesside Crown Court so a longer jail term could be handed out.
Judge Peter Fox, the recorder of Middlesbrough sitting at Teesside Crown Court, said: "You violated this woman in an incredible way, and the shocking nature of your acts over a prolonged period of time must mean that a prison sentence of greater length is appropriate in this case."
'Sick and inhumane'
Outside court, Miss Lakinski's family said in a statement: "We remain totally shocked that anyone could behave in such an appalling way.
"The fact that Christine was dying makes this man's actions even more sick and inhumane.
"However, those who stood by and did nothing to stop Anderson are also guilty in our eyes.
"It beggars belief that these people chose not only to condone his cruelty, but also to walk away from a neighbour who was clearly in distress and needed help."
The family statement added that Christine had "faced immense challenges throughout her life", yet still had managed to "forge an independent life for herself".
A man who urinated on a woman as she lay dying and shouted "this is YouTube material" has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Anthony Anderson also covered Christine Lakinski with shaving foam after she collapsed in a Hartlepool street.
The 50-year-old, who suffered from a number of medical conditions, was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Anderson, 27, and from Raby Road in the Teesside town, had earlier admitted outraging public decency.
The court heard how, on 27 July, Miss Lakinski was making her way home with a box of laminate flooring when she fell ill and stumbled into a doorway.
Totally shocked
Anderson, a former soldier, had smoked a cannabis joint and been drinking when he and two friends spotted her.
He tried to rouse her by throwing a bucket of water over her, before urinating on her and covering her with shaving foam.
A crowd had gathered around, watching and laughing, and the incident was filmed on a mobile phone.
She was later declared dead at the scene, the cause of death being given as pancreatic failure.
Magistrates in Hartlepool had referred the case to Teesside Crown Court so a longer jail term could be handed out.
Judge Peter Fox, the recorder of Middlesbrough sitting at Teesside Crown Court, said: "You violated this woman in an incredible way, and the shocking nature of your acts over a prolonged period of time must mean that a prison sentence of greater length is appropriate in this case."
'Sick and inhumane'
Outside court, Miss Lakinski's family said in a statement: "We remain totally shocked that anyone could behave in such an appalling way.
"The fact that Christine was dying makes this man's actions even more sick and inhumane.
"However, those who stood by and did nothing to stop Anderson are also guilty in our eyes.
"It beggars belief that these people chose not only to condone his cruelty, but also to walk away from a neighbour who was clearly in distress and needed help."
The family statement added that Christine had "faced immense challenges throughout her life", yet still had managed to "forge an independent life for herself".
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Dodi Fayed bought £11,000 engagement ring for Diana
Stephen BatesFriday October 19, 2007The Guardian
Dodi Fayed, the son of the Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, did buy Princess Diana an £11,600 engagement ring a few hours before the couple's death in the Paris crash in 1997, though he had no chance to give it to her, the inquest jury heard yesterday.
The jury, sitting in the high court, was shown grainy CCTV footage from the Repossi jeweller's shop, across the square from the Ritz hotel in Paris, taken the afternoon before the crash. It showed Dodi Fayed, who was not accompanied by the princess, surrounded by staff as he inspected rings before leaving with a brochure.
Later footage showed Claude Roulet, assistant to the president of the Ritz hotel, visiting the shop and taking an item in a bag to the couple's room in the hotel's Imperial suite. The bag was deposited in the hotel strongroom before the couple went to Dodi's flat elsewhere in the city.
A ring bearing the inscription "Dis-moi Oui" ("Tell me Yes") was recovered from the flat after the couple's death. A receipt dated August 30 1997, the day before the crash, listing a "bague de fiançaille" (engagement ring), was also recovered.
It has been a key part of Mohamed Fayed's case that the couple were about to get engaged, that the princess was pregnant and that they were murdered by British secret service agents on the instructions of the Duke of Edinburgh to prevent their marriage.
Mr Fayed says that the couple had met the jeweller Alberto Repossi at his Monte Carlo store to choose the ring during their holiday on the Fayed yacht in the Mediterranean. He claims that the ring was then sized in Italy and sent to Paris. There was no indication yesterday that Dodi Fayed had got round to giving Diana the ring but the jury was told that his father believes he was planning to present her with it on the night they died.
The inquest was told earlier this week that paparazzi photographers crowded around the Ritz hotel on hearing rumours that there was to be an announcement of the princess's engagement, or pregnancy.
Friends of the princess have denied that the couple were engaged or that Princess Diana was thinking of marriage to Dodi Fayed.
The inquest has also heard that the princess was taking the pill at the time of her death and doctors treating her following the crash detected no sign that she was pregnant.
The inquest into the couple's deaths has completed the third week of what is expected to be a hearing which will last up to six months.
Dodi Fayed, the son of the Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, did buy Princess Diana an £11,600 engagement ring a few hours before the couple's death in the Paris crash in 1997, though he had no chance to give it to her, the inquest jury heard yesterday.
The jury, sitting in the high court, was shown grainy CCTV footage from the Repossi jeweller's shop, across the square from the Ritz hotel in Paris, taken the afternoon before the crash. It showed Dodi Fayed, who was not accompanied by the princess, surrounded by staff as he inspected rings before leaving with a brochure.
Later footage showed Claude Roulet, assistant to the president of the Ritz hotel, visiting the shop and taking an item in a bag to the couple's room in the hotel's Imperial suite. The bag was deposited in the hotel strongroom before the couple went to Dodi's flat elsewhere in the city.
A ring bearing the inscription "Dis-moi Oui" ("Tell me Yes") was recovered from the flat after the couple's death. A receipt dated August 30 1997, the day before the crash, listing a "bague de fiançaille" (engagement ring), was also recovered.
It has been a key part of Mohamed Fayed's case that the couple were about to get engaged, that the princess was pregnant and that they were murdered by British secret service agents on the instructions of the Duke of Edinburgh to prevent their marriage.
Mr Fayed says that the couple had met the jeweller Alberto Repossi at his Monte Carlo store to choose the ring during their holiday on the Fayed yacht in the Mediterranean. He claims that the ring was then sized in Italy and sent to Paris. There was no indication yesterday that Dodi Fayed had got round to giving Diana the ring but the jury was told that his father believes he was planning to present her with it on the night they died.
The inquest was told earlier this week that paparazzi photographers crowded around the Ritz hotel on hearing rumours that there was to be an announcement of the princess's engagement, or pregnancy.
Friends of the princess have denied that the couple were engaged or that Princess Diana was thinking of marriage to Dodi Fayed.
The inquest has also heard that the princess was taking the pill at the time of her death and doctors treating her following the crash detected no sign that she was pregnant.
The inquest into the couple's deaths has completed the third week of what is expected to be a hearing which will last up to six months.
Suspect says he killed, not ate, his girlfriend
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican writer suspected of frying and eating pieces of his ex-girlfriend after strangling her has confessed to murdering the woman but denies being a cannibal, a government prosecutor said on Tuesday.
Police burst into Jose Luis Calva's Mexico City apartment last week and found fried human flesh on a dining table set with cutlery. They found more flesh in the refrigerator and an unfinished book by Calvo called "Cannibal Instincts."
The mutilated body of Alejandra Galeana, 32, was in the bedroom closet.
Calva told prosecutors he killed Galeana after an argument, then cut an arm and a leg off of her body so that he could dispense of it in parts.
"He denies having tasted her flesh," Mexico City's chief homicide prosecutor Gustavo Salas told reporters. "According to him, he thought it was better to cook the meat so he could feed it to the dogs."
Prosecutors also suspect Calva of strangling and dismembering two other women in the last two years. One victim, Veronica Martinez, had lived with Calva before her death.
Calva denied any involvement in those crimes.
Galeana's mother had reported her missing for two weeks and said she suspected her daughter's former lover was involved.
Calva kept books on black magic and apparently made a living selling his writings on the street. He was injured falling from his balcony when he tried to escape police as they forced their way into his apartment.
Police found copies of the Hannibal Lecter films, which tell the tale of a genius serial killer who eats his victims.
A former girlfriend told police Calva was a jealous, possessive lover who believed in witchcraft and practiced rituals, including hammering a cow's tongue to a board.
Police burst into Jose Luis Calva's Mexico City apartment last week and found fried human flesh on a dining table set with cutlery. They found more flesh in the refrigerator and an unfinished book by Calvo called "Cannibal Instincts."
The mutilated body of Alejandra Galeana, 32, was in the bedroom closet.
Calva told prosecutors he killed Galeana after an argument, then cut an arm and a leg off of her body so that he could dispense of it in parts.
"He denies having tasted her flesh," Mexico City's chief homicide prosecutor Gustavo Salas told reporters. "According to him, he thought it was better to cook the meat so he could feed it to the dogs."
Prosecutors also suspect Calva of strangling and dismembering two other women in the last two years. One victim, Veronica Martinez, had lived with Calva before her death.
Calva denied any involvement in those crimes.
Galeana's mother had reported her missing for two weeks and said she suspected her daughter's former lover was involved.
Calva kept books on black magic and apparently made a living selling his writings on the street. He was injured falling from his balcony when he tried to escape police as they forced their way into his apartment.
Police found copies of the Hannibal Lecter films, which tell the tale of a genius serial killer who eats his victims.
A former girlfriend told police Calva was a jealous, possessive lover who believed in witchcraft and practiced rituals, including hammering a cow's tongue to a board.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
DVDStation & Blockbuster Articles
Author: ERIK GRUENWEDEL egruenwedel@questex.com Posted: November 25, 2005
How should Blockbuster Inc. retool itself? Observers say the No. 1 video rental chain can emerge from its dire state by slashing dated business practices. Overstaffing and the chain’s reluctance to ditch the “superstore” concept, among other missteps, have resulted in bloated stores with significantly higher-than-needed operating expenses. Blockbuster may enjoy a healthy 60 percent gross margin (70 percent rental, 20 percent merchandise), which puts it in the same league as Starbucks. But Blockbuster’s overhead — officially known as sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses — tops 51 percent of revenue (59 percent for Movie Gallery) compared to 43 percent and 35 percent for Starbucks and McDonald’s, respectively, analysts and observers note. That’s not good. The idea is to get maximum revenue from retail space. If store-operating expenses (rent, personnel, utility costs, etc.) are relatively fixed, the more sales generated with those costs result in a lower SG&A as a percentage of sales. Analysts and observers contend that if Blockbuster gets its SG&A expenses below 40 percent, even with the current contraction in the industry, its market capitalization could increase dramatically. “You have to visit Tiffany’s to get store operating expenses anywhere close to those of video stores,” said Bill Fischer, VP of corporate development for DVD Station, a San Francisco-based operator of proprietary kiosks. “And Blockbuster has neither Carrera marble nor chandeliers.” Blockbuster spokesperson Randy Hargrove reiterated the company intends to lower its cost structure through a combination of reduced marketing spending, overhead reductions (above the store level) and the elimination of operational costs associated with non-Blockbuster-branded assets. “Our plan is to lower SG&A by more than $100 million in 2006 and by an incremental $50 million in 2007,” Hargrove said, adding this is in addition to cost reductions announced earlier this year. Analysts and observers say the average Blockbuster store occupies about 6,000 square feet and is staffed by 11 full-time employees during a 12-hour business day. The central retail space of Blockbuster stores (about 60 percent) is not particularly productive. Only about 11 percent of rentals come from this area, compared to 89 percent from primarily new releases on the back wall. “You have 5,000 square feet of real estate that is dedicated to 11 percent of the business,” Fischer said. “It just doesn’t make sense.” Analysts and observers say Blockbuster should adjust staffing to reflect key peak periods. Big Blue also should eliminate large-format stores and raise the a la carte rental price 25 cents. “I don’t know why they don’t do that,” said Michael Pachter, media analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles. “People who rent do so out of habit and wouldn’t say anything about a price increase.” Fischer said DVD Station contacted Blockbuster and Gallery about implementing automated cash transactions and kiosk-style library shelf storage. He said the switch could reduce Blockbuster’s staffing 50 percent. Pachter likes DVD Station’s 500-to-700-square-foot kiosk business model and believes Blockbuster could begin implementing kiosks as present stores come off lease. “I think that concept only makes sense in high-traffic, expensive real estate like in New York,” Pachter said. He said Blockbuster could enter traditionally cost-prohibitive areas such as office buildings by emulating Starbucks’ business model and strength of brand by establishing rental and sellthrough kiosks in major downtown lobbies and walkways for impulse consumption. Pachter also said Blockbuster could sublet unproductive retail space to third-party businesses, including cell phone providers, coffee shops and fast food eateries. “Those are the kind of things they should be talking about,” he said.
How should Blockbuster Inc. retool itself? Observers say the No. 1 video rental chain can emerge from its dire state by slashing dated business practices. Overstaffing and the chain’s reluctance to ditch the “superstore” concept, among other missteps, have resulted in bloated stores with significantly higher-than-needed operating expenses. Blockbuster may enjoy a healthy 60 percent gross margin (70 percent rental, 20 percent merchandise), which puts it in the same league as Starbucks. But Blockbuster’s overhead — officially known as sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses — tops 51 percent of revenue (59 percent for Movie Gallery) compared to 43 percent and 35 percent for Starbucks and McDonald’s, respectively, analysts and observers note. That’s not good. The idea is to get maximum revenue from retail space. If store-operating expenses (rent, personnel, utility costs, etc.) are relatively fixed, the more sales generated with those costs result in a lower SG&A as a percentage of sales. Analysts and observers contend that if Blockbuster gets its SG&A expenses below 40 percent, even with the current contraction in the industry, its market capitalization could increase dramatically. “You have to visit Tiffany’s to get store operating expenses anywhere close to those of video stores,” said Bill Fischer, VP of corporate development for DVD Station, a San Francisco-based operator of proprietary kiosks. “And Blockbuster has neither Carrera marble nor chandeliers.” Blockbuster spokesperson Randy Hargrove reiterated the company intends to lower its cost structure through a combination of reduced marketing spending, overhead reductions (above the store level) and the elimination of operational costs associated with non-Blockbuster-branded assets. “Our plan is to lower SG&A by more than $100 million in 2006 and by an incremental $50 million in 2007,” Hargrove said, adding this is in addition to cost reductions announced earlier this year. Analysts and observers say the average Blockbuster store occupies about 6,000 square feet and is staffed by 11 full-time employees during a 12-hour business day. The central retail space of Blockbuster stores (about 60 percent) is not particularly productive. Only about 11 percent of rentals come from this area, compared to 89 percent from primarily new releases on the back wall. “You have 5,000 square feet of real estate that is dedicated to 11 percent of the business,” Fischer said. “It just doesn’t make sense.” Analysts and observers say Blockbuster should adjust staffing to reflect key peak periods. Big Blue also should eliminate large-format stores and raise the a la carte rental price 25 cents. “I don’t know why they don’t do that,” said Michael Pachter, media analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles. “People who rent do so out of habit and wouldn’t say anything about a price increase.” Fischer said DVD Station contacted Blockbuster and Gallery about implementing automated cash transactions and kiosk-style library shelf storage. He said the switch could reduce Blockbuster’s staffing 50 percent. Pachter likes DVD Station’s 500-to-700-square-foot kiosk business model and believes Blockbuster could begin implementing kiosks as present stores come off lease. “I think that concept only makes sense in high-traffic, expensive real estate like in New York,” Pachter said. He said Blockbuster could enter traditionally cost-prohibitive areas such as office buildings by emulating Starbucks’ business model and strength of brand by establishing rental and sellthrough kiosks in major downtown lobbies and walkways for impulse consumption. Pachter also said Blockbuster could sublet unproductive retail space to third-party businesses, including cell phone providers, coffee shops and fast food eateries. “Those are the kind of things they should be talking about,” he said.
Spurned husband testifies for polygamist 'prophet'
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Stranded airline passengers push for federal legislation
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Passengers are at the mercy of the jetliner pilot when the plane is stuck on the tarmac, and activists say Congress should pass a mandatory "Bill of Rights" to limit waiting in such situations to three hours.
At a demonstration Tuesday on the National Mall, organizers hoped to show what it is like to be trapped in a closed jetliner cabin with overflowing toilets, screaming babies, and little food or water.
Using a portable vinyl carport painted to resemble the outside of a jetliner, volunteers sat in closely packed folding chairs as a recording of crying children played in the cramped quarters.
A pilot for one of the major airlines told reporters that airport gates are often filled with other planes, leaving no place to return, park and let people off. The pilot, Bruce Hedlund, also noted that today's jetliners typically do not have their own stairs that passengers could use away from a gate.
"Airlines have not provided an infrastructure that would include stairs and buses to provide me, as the captain, with additional options to get you safely off of my aircraft," Hedlund said.
He also said that a plane loses its place in line if returns to the gate instead of waiting through a backed-up departure.
Rep. John Hall, D-New York, co-sponsor of an amendment to a federal funding bill, said that airlines have failed to make good on a promise to voluntarily "create their own standards for behavior" and that "there will be no effective protections for passengers until the government steps in and forces the issue."
He told CNN the legislation would see to it that "if you are on the tarmac for three hours, it would let you come back to the gate, get off the plane, and not lose your place in the takeoff line."
As it stands, Hall said, "you're basically a prisoner."
He said he was recently stuck on the tarmac at New York's LaGuardia airport for three hours. "You have no idea how long it will be until you take off."
The plan would assign delayed takeoffs in the order they were originally scheduled.
The proposal, which is an amendment to a budget proposal for the Federal Aviation Administration, is scheduled to come up in the House on Friday.
At a demonstration Tuesday on the National Mall, organizers hoped to show what it is like to be trapped in a closed jetliner cabin with overflowing toilets, screaming babies, and little food or water.
Using a portable vinyl carport painted to resemble the outside of a jetliner, volunteers sat in closely packed folding chairs as a recording of crying children played in the cramped quarters.
A pilot for one of the major airlines told reporters that airport gates are often filled with other planes, leaving no place to return, park and let people off. The pilot, Bruce Hedlund, also noted that today's jetliners typically do not have their own stairs that passengers could use away from a gate.
"Airlines have not provided an infrastructure that would include stairs and buses to provide me, as the captain, with additional options to get you safely off of my aircraft," Hedlund said.
He also said that a plane loses its place in line if returns to the gate instead of waiting through a backed-up departure.
Rep. John Hall, D-New York, co-sponsor of an amendment to a federal funding bill, said that airlines have failed to make good on a promise to voluntarily "create their own standards for behavior" and that "there will be no effective protections for passengers until the government steps in and forces the issue."
He told CNN the legislation would see to it that "if you are on the tarmac for three hours, it would let you come back to the gate, get off the plane, and not lose your place in the takeoff line."
As it stands, Hall said, "you're basically a prisoner."
He said he was recently stuck on the tarmac at New York's LaGuardia airport for three hours. "You have no idea how long it will be until you take off."
The plan would assign delayed takeoffs in the order they were originally scheduled.
The proposal, which is an amendment to a budget proposal for the Federal Aviation Administration, is scheduled to come up in the House on Friday.
Bloodied 70-year-old woman cuffed for having a brown lawn
OREM, Utah (AP) -- A 70-year-old woman arrested in a dispute over her brown lawn pleaded not guilty Tuesday, then stood by as a Los Angeles lawyer waved handcuffs for the cameras outside court.
Betty Perry is charged with resisting arrest and failing to maintain her landscaping, both misdemeanors.
She was arrested July 6 after failing to give her name to a police officer who visited her home.
During a struggle, Perry fell and injured her nose. She spent more than an hour in a holding cell before police released her.
"I ask the citizens of Orem: How many of you would like to have your great-grandmother taken from her home with bruises and blood and placed in handcuffs for failing to water her lawn?" attorney Gloria Allred said.
"Let's bring sanity back to law enforcement," she said.
The mayor and City Council apologized, and the police department said the situation could have been handled differently. But the city attorney still is pressing charges, and Perry is due back in court next month.
A state investigation found that Officer James Flygare acted properly in arresting Perry after trying to get her to cooperate.
Perry's water had been turned off for about nine months, at her request, although she was living at the house at the time of the arrest. Orem has a shutoff policy for people who are away for extended periods.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press
Betty Perry is charged with resisting arrest and failing to maintain her landscaping, both misdemeanors.
She was arrested July 6 after failing to give her name to a police officer who visited her home.
During a struggle, Perry fell and injured her nose. She spent more than an hour in a holding cell before police released her.
"I ask the citizens of Orem: How many of you would like to have your great-grandmother taken from her home with bruises and blood and placed in handcuffs for failing to water her lawn?" attorney Gloria Allred said.
"Let's bring sanity back to law enforcement," she said.
The mayor and City Council apologized, and the police department said the situation could have been handled differently. But the city attorney still is pressing charges, and Perry is due back in court next month.
A state investigation found that Officer James Flygare acted properly in arresting Perry after trying to get her to cooperate.
Perry's water had been turned off for about nine months, at her request, although she was living at the house at the time of the arrest. Orem has a shutoff policy for people who are away for extended periods.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press
Whites vs Blacks in Jena
CNN) -- A Louisiana appeals court ruled it was too early to consider a motion to release an black teenager who allegedly took part in beating up a white classmate in Jena, Louisiana, last year.
The Tuesday ruling is the latest turn in the racially charged saga of a group known as the Jena 6 -- six black teens initially charged with attempted murder after they allegedly knocked out classmate Justin Barker and stomped him during a school fight. Five of the teens were charged as adults.
Civil rights groups and other organizations have marshaled thousands of people to march on Jena on Thursday, a day originally slated for 17-year-old Mychal Bell's sentencing hearing on battery and conspiracy convictions.
However, a district judge earlier this month tossed out Bell's conviction for conspiracy to commit second-degree battery, saying the matter should have been handled in the juvenile court. On Friday, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Lake Charles did the same with Bell's battery conviction.
A three-judge panel ruled Tuesday, however, that it would not consider a motion to free Bell from prison.
"The motion for release from custody, filed by the defendant in this court, is premature," the panel ruled without setting a date for considering the motion.
The future of Bell's case is up to the district attorney, who must decide whether to refile the charges in juvenile court, Bell's attorney Bob Noel said last week.
Charges against four of the teens -- Bell, Carwin Jones, Theodore Shaw and Robert Bailey -- have been reduced to battery and conspiracy. Shaw and Jones have not gone to trial. Bailey has pleaded not guilty to the charges and his trial is scheduled for November 26.
Bryant Purvis and an unidentified juvenile remain charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Advocates of the Jena 6 say the story began well before the December 4 beating. They say it began in September when three white students decided to hang nooses from a tree on campus.
In September 2006, a black student asked the vice principal if he and some friends could sit under an oak tree where white students typically congregated.
Told by the vice principal they could sit wherever they pleased, the student and his pals sat under the sprawling branches of the shade tree in the campus courtyard.
The next day, students arrived at school to find three nooses hanging from those branches.
According to The Town Talk in nearby Alexandria, the school's principal recommended expulsion for those behind the nooses. Instead, the newspaper reported, a school district committee suspended three white students for three days for hanging the nooses, a gesture written off as a "prank."
Racial tensions flared. The district attorney was summoned to address the student body. Off-campus fights were reported. On November 30, someone torched the school's main academic building. The arson remains unsolved, but many suspect it was linked to the discord.
Four days after the arson, several students jumped Barker, knocking him unconscious before stomping and kicking him.
Parents of the Jena 6 say they heard Barker was hurling racial epithets. Barker's parents insist he did nothing to provoke the beating.
Barker was taken to a hospital with injuries to both eyes and ears as well as cuts. His right eye had blood clots, said his mother, Kelli Barker. He was treated and released that day.
Bails for the Jena 6 were set at between $70,000 and $138,000. All but Bell posted bond. The judge has refused to lower his $90,000 bail, citing Bell's criminal record, which includes four juvenile offenses -- two simple battery charges among them.
The Tuesday ruling is the latest turn in the racially charged saga of a group known as the Jena 6 -- six black teens initially charged with attempted murder after they allegedly knocked out classmate Justin Barker and stomped him during a school fight. Five of the teens were charged as adults.
Civil rights groups and other organizations have marshaled thousands of people to march on Jena on Thursday, a day originally slated for 17-year-old Mychal Bell's sentencing hearing on battery and conspiracy convictions.
However, a district judge earlier this month tossed out Bell's conviction for conspiracy to commit second-degree battery, saying the matter should have been handled in the juvenile court. On Friday, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Lake Charles did the same with Bell's battery conviction.
A three-judge panel ruled Tuesday, however, that it would not consider a motion to free Bell from prison.
"The motion for release from custody, filed by the defendant in this court, is premature," the panel ruled without setting a date for considering the motion.
The future of Bell's case is up to the district attorney, who must decide whether to refile the charges in juvenile court, Bell's attorney Bob Noel said last week.
Charges against four of the teens -- Bell, Carwin Jones, Theodore Shaw and Robert Bailey -- have been reduced to battery and conspiracy. Shaw and Jones have not gone to trial. Bailey has pleaded not guilty to the charges and his trial is scheduled for November 26.
Bryant Purvis and an unidentified juvenile remain charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Advocates of the Jena 6 say the story began well before the December 4 beating. They say it began in September when three white students decided to hang nooses from a tree on campus.
In September 2006, a black student asked the vice principal if he and some friends could sit under an oak tree where white students typically congregated.
Told by the vice principal they could sit wherever they pleased, the student and his pals sat under the sprawling branches of the shade tree in the campus courtyard.
The next day, students arrived at school to find three nooses hanging from those branches.
According to The Town Talk in nearby Alexandria, the school's principal recommended expulsion for those behind the nooses. Instead, the newspaper reported, a school district committee suspended three white students for three days for hanging the nooses, a gesture written off as a "prank."
Racial tensions flared. The district attorney was summoned to address the student body. Off-campus fights were reported. On November 30, someone torched the school's main academic building. The arson remains unsolved, but many suspect it was linked to the discord.
Four days after the arson, several students jumped Barker, knocking him unconscious before stomping and kicking him.
Parents of the Jena 6 say they heard Barker was hurling racial epithets. Barker's parents insist he did nothing to provoke the beating.
Barker was taken to a hospital with injuries to both eyes and ears as well as cuts. His right eye had blood clots, said his mother, Kelli Barker. He was treated and released that day.
Bails for the Jena 6 were set at between $70,000 and $138,000. All but Bell posted bond. The judge has refused to lower his $90,000 bail, citing Bell's criminal record, which includes four juvenile offenses -- two simple battery charges among them.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
The Virginia Tech Killings: When Privacy Laws Do More Harm Than Good
Okay, I've read the 260 pages filed by the review panel that investigated the Virginia Tech shootings, and I understand that the university should have stepped in to help Seung Hui Cho but didn't, that Cho's parents should have alerted the college to his condition but didn't and that the state mental health system should have acted more decisively but didn't.
Here's what I don't get. In the hundreds of interviews the panel conducted, why didn't they ask all those people whose job it is to care for students one question: How would you have handled Cho if you had let your conscience, not privacy laws, guide you?
Maybe they didn't ask because we all know the answer, and it is a most discomfiting one. If the mental health professionals, police and college administrators who saw or knew about Cho's disturbing actions had acted as if their own child were involved, there might not have been any need for an investigation.
Boil down the report, cast aside the pointless second-guessing of police tactics, and you're left with this: Virginia Tech failed to intervene to help Cho because we as a society have trapped ourselves inside rules that stigmatize mental illness and paralyze our natural instinct to reach out and help someone in need.
This is no theoretical exercise in hindsight. This is a direct comparison between what some people did and what others didn't. At Virginia Tech, students who were frightened by their encounters with Cho took action. They told adults in positions of authority. The responsible adults then met and, in the words of the report, "did nothing." Why? "Lack of resources, incorrect interpretation of privacy laws and passivity," the panel concludes in its report.
Now compare what the Fairfax school system did and what Virginia Tech failed to do. In 1999, when Cho was in eighth grade, his teachers noticed, as Tech professors would later, that the youngster was thinking seriously about suicide and homicide. The boy wrote, the report says, that he "wanted to repeat Columbine."
Fairfax acted. The middle school asked Cho's parents to get him counseling. A psychiatric evaluation led to a diagnosis and treatment, which enabled Cho to perform well in school.
Again in high school, Fairfax stepped in and developed a plan for dealing with Cho's silences and other unusual behaviors. With therapy, he improved.
From there on, a lack of openness hid Cho's illness and prevented the care that might have averted disaster. No information about Cho's condition moved with him from Fairfax to Virginia Tech. The university, unlike many colleges that look at essays, recommendations and other subjective material, doesn't require much beyond test scores and grades to assess applicants. The admissions staff, the report says, "did not see the special accommodations that propped up Cho and his grades."
The culprit here is the culture of privacy that we have allowed to pervade certain areas of life, especially health and education. We have done this even as we have relied on openness to lead us into enormous change in other social realms. Does anyone doubt that it was transparency that led to deep and lasting shifts in American attitudes toward disability, race, religion and sexuality? We grew to accept people unlike ourselves because of greatly increased familiarity with and exposure to others. We came to see that we had something in common.
But in the name of protecting the mentally ill, the law stigmatizes their condition. By walling off mental illness, we prevent the power of light from reaching those who are suffering.
Privacy laws leave everyone from health workers to college administrators confused and defensive about what they may do and say. They react by doing less than they would if left to their own empathy and common sense.
"The current state of information privacy law and practice is inadequate," the report concludes. "The privacy laws need amendment and clarification."
Colleges require students to submit immunization records, yet records of emotional problems are sealed. The intent is to protect the mentally ill from discrimination in the admissions process. But that doesn't justify hiding information that can make the difference between success and failure in a student's career. "Perhaps students should be required to submit records of emotional or mental disturbance . . . after they have been admitted but before they enroll," the report says. "Maybe there really should be some form of 'permanent record.' "
"I hate this!" Cho wrote in an English paper the university did not disclose until The Post's Sari Horwitz revealed its existence. "I hate all these frauds! I hate my life. . . . This is it. . . . This is when you damn people die with me."
Lots of kids write provocative, even incendiary fiction. Nothing should discourage that. But as panel member Roger Depue, a longtime FBI profiler, says: "Just writing fantasies isn't the problem. It's the combination of disturbing writing and all the other danger signs."
Ultimate responsibility for the shootings rests squarely on Cho. But that does not absolve others of the need to act when something goes very wrong. Parents, as Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said, cannot "just drop your child off on campus." Rather, they must seek out resident advisers and counselors and say, "Let me tell you about my precious child." And colleges must exhibit the same care toward young adults that parents, friends or good bosses do -- no matter how much the law may seek to separate us from our human obligations.
Here's what I don't get. In the hundreds of interviews the panel conducted, why didn't they ask all those people whose job it is to care for students one question: How would you have handled Cho if you had let your conscience, not privacy laws, guide you?
Maybe they didn't ask because we all know the answer, and it is a most discomfiting one. If the mental health professionals, police and college administrators who saw or knew about Cho's disturbing actions had acted as if their own child were involved, there might not have been any need for an investigation.
Boil down the report, cast aside the pointless second-guessing of police tactics, and you're left with this: Virginia Tech failed to intervene to help Cho because we as a society have trapped ourselves inside rules that stigmatize mental illness and paralyze our natural instinct to reach out and help someone in need.
This is no theoretical exercise in hindsight. This is a direct comparison between what some people did and what others didn't. At Virginia Tech, students who were frightened by their encounters with Cho took action. They told adults in positions of authority. The responsible adults then met and, in the words of the report, "did nothing." Why? "Lack of resources, incorrect interpretation of privacy laws and passivity," the panel concludes in its report.
Now compare what the Fairfax school system did and what Virginia Tech failed to do. In 1999, when Cho was in eighth grade, his teachers noticed, as Tech professors would later, that the youngster was thinking seriously about suicide and homicide. The boy wrote, the report says, that he "wanted to repeat Columbine."
Fairfax acted. The middle school asked Cho's parents to get him counseling. A psychiatric evaluation led to a diagnosis and treatment, which enabled Cho to perform well in school.
Again in high school, Fairfax stepped in and developed a plan for dealing with Cho's silences and other unusual behaviors. With therapy, he improved.
From there on, a lack of openness hid Cho's illness and prevented the care that might have averted disaster. No information about Cho's condition moved with him from Fairfax to Virginia Tech. The university, unlike many colleges that look at essays, recommendations and other subjective material, doesn't require much beyond test scores and grades to assess applicants. The admissions staff, the report says, "did not see the special accommodations that propped up Cho and his grades."
The culprit here is the culture of privacy that we have allowed to pervade certain areas of life, especially health and education. We have done this even as we have relied on openness to lead us into enormous change in other social realms. Does anyone doubt that it was transparency that led to deep and lasting shifts in American attitudes toward disability, race, religion and sexuality? We grew to accept people unlike ourselves because of greatly increased familiarity with and exposure to others. We came to see that we had something in common.
But in the name of protecting the mentally ill, the law stigmatizes their condition. By walling off mental illness, we prevent the power of light from reaching those who are suffering.
Privacy laws leave everyone from health workers to college administrators confused and defensive about what they may do and say. They react by doing less than they would if left to their own empathy and common sense.
"The current state of information privacy law and practice is inadequate," the report concludes. "The privacy laws need amendment and clarification."
Colleges require students to submit immunization records, yet records of emotional problems are sealed. The intent is to protect the mentally ill from discrimination in the admissions process. But that doesn't justify hiding information that can make the difference between success and failure in a student's career. "Perhaps students should be required to submit records of emotional or mental disturbance . . . after they have been admitted but before they enroll," the report says. "Maybe there really should be some form of 'permanent record.' "
"I hate this!" Cho wrote in an English paper the university did not disclose until The Post's Sari Horwitz revealed its existence. "I hate all these frauds! I hate my life. . . . This is it. . . . This is when you damn people die with me."
Lots of kids write provocative, even incendiary fiction. Nothing should discourage that. But as panel member Roger Depue, a longtime FBI profiler, says: "Just writing fantasies isn't the problem. It's the combination of disturbing writing and all the other danger signs."
Ultimate responsibility for the shootings rests squarely on Cho. But that does not absolve others of the need to act when something goes very wrong. Parents, as Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said, cannot "just drop your child off on campus." Rather, they must seek out resident advisers and counselors and say, "Let me tell you about my precious child." And colleges must exhibit the same care toward young adults that parents, friends or good bosses do -- no matter how much the law may seek to separate us from our human obligations.
Russia Announces Plans for Space Program
Russia will send a cosmonaut to the moon by 2025 with the intention of opening a lunar base by 2032, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
That may only be the beginning for the former communist nation, whose officials indicate they will send a manned flight to Mars after 2035. By the end of this year, its total number of satellites in orbit around earth will jump from 95 to 103, RIA Novosti reported.
Click here to read the RIA Novosti report.
The bold new initiatives by the Russian space program are funded mainly by tourist flights to the international space station, which are going for about $30 million a pop. Five wealthy tourists have been shipped to space since 2001, according to RIA Novosti.
That may only be the beginning for the former communist nation, whose officials indicate they will send a manned flight to Mars after 2035. By the end of this year, its total number of satellites in orbit around earth will jump from 95 to 103, RIA Novosti reported.
Click here to read the RIA Novosti report.
The bold new initiatives by the Russian space program are funded mainly by tourist flights to the international space station, which are going for about $30 million a pop. Five wealthy tourists have been shipped to space since 2001, according to RIA Novosti.
Texas signs new self-defense by gun law
By Ed Stoddard
DALLAS (Reuters) - Criminals in Texas beware: if you threaten someone in their car or office, the citizens of this state where guns are ubiquitous have the right to shoot you dead.
Governor Rick Perry's office said on Tuesday that he had signed a new law that expands Texans' existing right to use deadly force to defend themselves "without retreat" in their homes, cars and workplaces.
"The right to defend oneself from an imminent act of harm should not only be clearly defined in Texas law, but is intuitive to human nature," Perry said on his Web site.
The new law, which takes affect on September 1, extends an exception to a statute that required a person to retreat in the face of a criminal attack. The exception was in the case of an intruder unlawfully entering a person's home.
The law extends a person's right to stand their ground beyond the home to vehicles and workplaces, allowing the reasonable use of deadly force, the governor's office said.
The reasonable use of lethal force will be allowed if an intruder is:
- Committing certain violent crimes, such as murder or sexual assault, or is attempting to commit such crimes
- Unlawfully trying to enter a protected place
- Unlawfully trying to remove a person from a protected place.
The law also provides civil immunity for a person who lawfully slays an intruder or attacker in such situations.
Texas joins several other states including Florida that have or are considering similar laws.
Sympathy for violent offenders and criminals in general runs low in Texas, underscored by its busy death row. The state leads the United States in executions with 388 since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 by the U.S. Supreme Court.
A conservative political outlook and widespread fondness for hunting also means Texans are a well-armed people capable of defending themselves with deadly force.
It is easy to acquire guns over the counter in Texas and lawful to carry a concealed handgun with a permit.
DALLAS (Reuters) - Criminals in Texas beware: if you threaten someone in their car or office, the citizens of this state where guns are ubiquitous have the right to shoot you dead.
Governor Rick Perry's office said on Tuesday that he had signed a new law that expands Texans' existing right to use deadly force to defend themselves "without retreat" in their homes, cars and workplaces.
"The right to defend oneself from an imminent act of harm should not only be clearly defined in Texas law, but is intuitive to human nature," Perry said on his Web site.
The new law, which takes affect on September 1, extends an exception to a statute that required a person to retreat in the face of a criminal attack. The exception was in the case of an intruder unlawfully entering a person's home.
The law extends a person's right to stand their ground beyond the home to vehicles and workplaces, allowing the reasonable use of deadly force, the governor's office said.
The reasonable use of lethal force will be allowed if an intruder is:
- Committing certain violent crimes, such as murder or sexual assault, or is attempting to commit such crimes
- Unlawfully trying to enter a protected place
- Unlawfully trying to remove a person from a protected place.
The law also provides civil immunity for a person who lawfully slays an intruder or attacker in such situations.
Texas joins several other states including Florida that have or are considering similar laws.
Sympathy for violent offenders and criminals in general runs low in Texas, underscored by its busy death row. The state leads the United States in executions with 388 since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 by the U.S. Supreme Court.
A conservative political outlook and widespread fondness for hunting also means Texans are a well-armed people capable of defending themselves with deadly force.
It is easy to acquire guns over the counter in Texas and lawful to carry a concealed handgun with a permit.
Judge Strikes Down Iowa Gay Marriage Ban
Friday August 31, 2007 1:31 PM
By DAVID PITT
Associated Press Writer
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Less than two hours after a judge struck down Iowa's decade-old gay marriage ban, two Des Moines men applied for a marriage license as bride and groom, and county officials said they expected to see more same-sex couples doing the same on Friday.
``I started to cry because we so badly want to be able to be protected if something happens to one of us,'' said David Curtis Rethmeier, 29, who was listed as the bride on that first marriage form, with Gary Allen Seronko, 51, as his groom.
Polk County Judge Robert Hanson cleared the way for the two men on Thursday when he ruled that a state law allowing marriage only between a man and woman violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection.
The judge ordered local officials to process marriage licenses for the six gay couples who sued. With the ruling, gay couples across the state can now apply for a marriage license in the central-Iowa county.
County attorney John Sarcone said the county would appeal to the state Supreme Court, and he immediately sought a stay from Hanson that would prevent gay couples from seeking a marriage license until the appeal is resolved.
A hearing on the stay motion is likely next week, said Camilla Taylor, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization.
In the meantime, Deputy County Recorder Trish Umthun is taking calls from gay couples, five of them in the first hours after the judge filed his ruling Thursday afternoon.
The office's web site explaining how to apply for a marriage license still began with the words, ``Marriages in Iowa are between a male and a female ...,'' on Friday morning, but Umthun expected a rush of applications through the day. The marriage license approval process takes three business days.
Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
``I can't believe this is happening in Iowa,'' Rants said. ``I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January,'' when the Legislature convenes.
Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and nine other states have approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples. Nearly all states have defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and 27 states have such wording in their constitutions, according the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Dennis Johnson, the lawyer for the six gay couples who sued in 2005 after they were denied marriage licenses, had argued that Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender.
The Defense of Marriage Act, which the Legislature passed in 1998 declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman, contradicts previous rulings regarding civil rights and is simply ``mean spirited,'' he said.
Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the issue is not for a judge to decide.
---
Associated Press writer Henry C. Jackson contributed to this report.
By DAVID PITT
Associated Press Writer
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Less than two hours after a judge struck down Iowa's decade-old gay marriage ban, two Des Moines men applied for a marriage license as bride and groom, and county officials said they expected to see more same-sex couples doing the same on Friday.
``I started to cry because we so badly want to be able to be protected if something happens to one of us,'' said David Curtis Rethmeier, 29, who was listed as the bride on that first marriage form, with Gary Allen Seronko, 51, as his groom.
Polk County Judge Robert Hanson cleared the way for the two men on Thursday when he ruled that a state law allowing marriage only between a man and woman violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection.
The judge ordered local officials to process marriage licenses for the six gay couples who sued. With the ruling, gay couples across the state can now apply for a marriage license in the central-Iowa county.
County attorney John Sarcone said the county would appeal to the state Supreme Court, and he immediately sought a stay from Hanson that would prevent gay couples from seeking a marriage license until the appeal is resolved.
A hearing on the stay motion is likely next week, said Camilla Taylor, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization.
In the meantime, Deputy County Recorder Trish Umthun is taking calls from gay couples, five of them in the first hours after the judge filed his ruling Thursday afternoon.
The office's web site explaining how to apply for a marriage license still began with the words, ``Marriages in Iowa are between a male and a female ...,'' on Friday morning, but Umthun expected a rush of applications through the day. The marriage license approval process takes three business days.
Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
``I can't believe this is happening in Iowa,'' Rants said. ``I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January,'' when the Legislature convenes.
Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and nine other states have approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples. Nearly all states have defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and 27 states have such wording in their constitutions, according the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Dennis Johnson, the lawyer for the six gay couples who sued in 2005 after they were denied marriage licenses, had argued that Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender.
The Defense of Marriage Act, which the Legislature passed in 1998 declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman, contradicts previous rulings regarding civil rights and is simply ``mean spirited,'' he said.
Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the issue is not for a judge to decide.
---
Associated Press writer Henry C. Jackson contributed to this report.
10 Years After Princess Diana's Death/Murder
MOHAMED AL-FAYED has angrily rejected a plea by the Bishop of London for the memorial service for Diana, Princess of Wales, to mark the end of skirmishing over her.
The Harrods owner dismissed Richard Chartres as a “stuffed shirt” after he urged the congregation, including the Queen, Prince Charles and members of Diana’s family: “Let it end here.”
In a clear sign that next month’s inquest into her death in a 1997 Paris car crash will be a bitter affair, Fayed, whose son Dodi died with Diana, accused Chartres of “hijacking” Friday’s memorial service.
“Prince Harry had the grace to acknowledge the suffering of other families who lost someone that night . . . This stuffed shirt of a clergyman should take lessons from the 22-year-old prince in how to behave. He certainly shouldn’t have hijacked a memorial service dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales, to let us know various of his personal opinions - for that’s all they were.
“He preached at us to let her memory rest, but how can that happen when the truth is still being covered up? As a religious man the bishop has no right to interfere in the court process which will establish what happened that night.”
Fayed’s legal team will allege at the inquest that Diana, Dodi and their driver Henri Paul were murdered in an MI6 plot orchestrated by the Duke of Edinburgh.
The duke and Diana’s closest friends firmly reject the claim. Lord Stevens, the former Metropolitan police commissioner, concluded in a report last year that they died in a tragic accident caused by Paul driving while he was over the drink limit.
In a statement yesterday Fayed said he could not understand why Chartres, an executor of Diana’s will, appeared to want to dismiss his search for the truth.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Anyone who loses a child in such a horrific way should be allowed to know what really happened and I am not resting until I uncover the murderers who took the life of two beautiful people.
“A poll today says 89% of people think their deaths were not an accident. I get hundreds of letters of support each week. We need justice, for my family’s sake, and for the sake of the princes.”
Meanwhile, a surgeon who operated on Diana after the car crash has claimed that medical treatment that could have saved her life was delayed because her fame caused doctors and paramedics to be overcautious.
Dr Leonardo Esteves Lima, a Brazilian cardiologist who treated Diana at the Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, said: “They spent 30 to 40 minutes at the place of the accident when she could have been brought directly to the hospital. It was a tragic occurrence and perhaps she paid a price in part for her celebrity.”
The Harrods owner dismissed Richard Chartres as a “stuffed shirt” after he urged the congregation, including the Queen, Prince Charles and members of Diana’s family: “Let it end here.”
In a clear sign that next month’s inquest into her death in a 1997 Paris car crash will be a bitter affair, Fayed, whose son Dodi died with Diana, accused Chartres of “hijacking” Friday’s memorial service.
“Prince Harry had the grace to acknowledge the suffering of other families who lost someone that night . . . This stuffed shirt of a clergyman should take lessons from the 22-year-old prince in how to behave. He certainly shouldn’t have hijacked a memorial service dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales, to let us know various of his personal opinions - for that’s all they were.
“He preached at us to let her memory rest, but how can that happen when the truth is still being covered up? As a religious man the bishop has no right to interfere in the court process which will establish what happened that night.”
Fayed’s legal team will allege at the inquest that Diana, Dodi and their driver Henri Paul were murdered in an MI6 plot orchestrated by the Duke of Edinburgh.
The duke and Diana’s closest friends firmly reject the claim. Lord Stevens, the former Metropolitan police commissioner, concluded in a report last year that they died in a tragic accident caused by Paul driving while he was over the drink limit.
In a statement yesterday Fayed said he could not understand why Chartres, an executor of Diana’s will, appeared to want to dismiss his search for the truth.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Anyone who loses a child in such a horrific way should be allowed to know what really happened and I am not resting until I uncover the murderers who took the life of two beautiful people.
“A poll today says 89% of people think their deaths were not an accident. I get hundreds of letters of support each week. We need justice, for my family’s sake, and for the sake of the princes.”
Meanwhile, a surgeon who operated on Diana after the car crash has claimed that medical treatment that could have saved her life was delayed because her fame caused doctors and paramedics to be overcautious.
Dr Leonardo Esteves Lima, a Brazilian cardiologist who treated Diana at the Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, said: “They spent 30 to 40 minutes at the place of the accident when she could have been brought directly to the hospital. It was a tragic occurrence and perhaps she paid a price in part for her celebrity.”
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Balloon fire kills mother, daughter
(CNN) -- The bodies of a mother and her daughter were retrieved Saturday after a hot-air balloon fire Friday evening in South Surrey, British Columbia, authorities said.
Stephen Pennock, who owns Fantasy Balloon Charters, said 12 passengers were in the balloon's gondola when the fire began. It was still tethered to the ground at a recreational vehicle park.
The pilot and crew helped all but three passengers out before the tether burned through and the balloon started to rise, said John Kageorge, a crew member who was not at the scene.
"The thing went up about 400 feet in the air, at which point it melted enough of the balloon -- it collapsed," said Don Randall, a resident of the RV park, according to The Associated Press.
"The basket was basically a fireball. It just dropped like a stone. I'm just thinking, 'Oh geez, I hope there's nobody in that thing. It's basically a burning death up there,' " Randall told the AP.
One passenger jumped out as the balloon drifted about 100 yards, Kageorge said, and the bodies of the other two were found about midday Saturday, said Yves Portelance, a spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Watch a report on the fiery crash »
Witnesses said there was a struggle on board as the flames engulfed the basket of the balloon.
"In my mind, I was thinking somebody's dying right now, right this minute, you know, right near me, which is a rather scary thought," Nigel Vonas told CNN.
"It was horrifying," witness Perry Kendall told the AP. "Just looking at people screaming and jumping out of there. Some of them, I think, had fire on their clothes. It was just awful."
Eleven people were injured, but most were treated at a British Columbia hospital and released, Portelance said. The conditions of the others -- including the passenger who jumped -- were not known.
Kageorge said he didn't know how high the balloon drifted. Video taken by someone nearby seemed to show the balloon above treetops.
"The terrain can be deceiving, depending on your vantage point. It's rolling horse country," he said.
Witnesses told the AP that propane tanks fell from the balloon and set fire to three trailers and an unknown number of vehicles. Those fires caused no injuries, AP reported.
Pennock, who suffered a first-degree burn on his arm, called it a "freak fire." He said it would be investigated.
Fantasy Balloon Charters deeply regrets the injuries and damage that occurred in the accident, Pennock said in a written statement. The company's "immediate concern and efforts is to help everyone affected by the very unusual, tragic event," he said.
Stephen Pennock, who owns Fantasy Balloon Charters, said 12 passengers were in the balloon's gondola when the fire began. It was still tethered to the ground at a recreational vehicle park.
The pilot and crew helped all but three passengers out before the tether burned through and the balloon started to rise, said John Kageorge, a crew member who was not at the scene.
"The thing went up about 400 feet in the air, at which point it melted enough of the balloon -- it collapsed," said Don Randall, a resident of the RV park, according to The Associated Press.
"The basket was basically a fireball. It just dropped like a stone. I'm just thinking, 'Oh geez, I hope there's nobody in that thing. It's basically a burning death up there,' " Randall told the AP.
One passenger jumped out as the balloon drifted about 100 yards, Kageorge said, and the bodies of the other two were found about midday Saturday, said Yves Portelance, a spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Watch a report on the fiery crash »
Witnesses said there was a struggle on board as the flames engulfed the basket of the balloon.
"In my mind, I was thinking somebody's dying right now, right this minute, you know, right near me, which is a rather scary thought," Nigel Vonas told CNN.
"It was horrifying," witness Perry Kendall told the AP. "Just looking at people screaming and jumping out of there. Some of them, I think, had fire on their clothes. It was just awful."
Eleven people were injured, but most were treated at a British Columbia hospital and released, Portelance said. The conditions of the others -- including the passenger who jumped -- were not known.
Kageorge said he didn't know how high the balloon drifted. Video taken by someone nearby seemed to show the balloon above treetops.
"The terrain can be deceiving, depending on your vantage point. It's rolling horse country," he said.
Witnesses told the AP that propane tanks fell from the balloon and set fire to three trailers and an unknown number of vehicles. Those fires caused no injuries, AP reported.
Pennock, who suffered a first-degree burn on his arm, called it a "freak fire." He said it would be investigated.
Fantasy Balloon Charters deeply regrets the injuries and damage that occurred in the accident, Pennock said in a written statement. The company's "immediate concern and efforts is to help everyone affected by the very unusual, tragic event," he said.
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