16 Comments
A man threatening to commit suicide by jumping from a Chinese bridge was approached by a passer-by who shoved him over the edge.
Lai Jiansheng, 66, said he was fed up with the desperate man’s “selfish activity” which caused huge traffic jams in Guangzhou, southern China.
Chen Fuchao fell 26ft onto an air cushion and is recovering in hospital, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Xinhua said Mr Lai was “taken away by police”, but gave no further details.
Traffic around the bridge was stopped for five hours while officers tried to coax Mr Chen to safety.
Retired soldier Mr Lai at first volunteered to try to talk Mr Chen down but was turned away by police, Xinhua said.
Mr Lai is said to have then broken through the police cordon, climbed to where Mr Chen sat, greeted him with a handshake – and then pushed him off the edge.
Mr. Lai saluted the crowd after Chen fell onto the emergency air cushion.
 “A smile is just a frown turned upside down and skewed a bit.” |
A new national poll suggests that favorable opinions of the former vice president are on the rise….
But the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Thursday morning, indicates that a majority of Americans still have an unfavorable opinion of Cheney.
Fifty-five percent of people questioned in the poll say they have an unfavorable opinion of the former vice president. Thirty-seven percent say they have a favorable opinion of Cheney, up 8 percentage points from January when he left office….
“Former President George W. Bush’s favorable rating rose 6 points in that same time period”….
I only post this because the reporters won’t be able to figure out why the figures are up: People are starting to miss the cartoons:
I wonder if it needs a teleprompter like the real one and despite the drumbeat for change gets advice from the robot version of Bush?
Barack Obama was standing on a riser inside a warehouse here, delivering an inspirational speech about the blessings of freedom, when his left index finger began to twitch uncontrollably, unnerving his aides.
The nation’s 44th president was in obvious distress. At least it looked like him. But with silicone skin and a tangled nest of wires for veins, this Obama was a 21st-century reproduction.
More specifically, it was an audio-animatronic representation of the president, as imagined by the Walt Disney Company, and assembled with the direct involvement of the White House staff — and of Mr. Obama himself. The president supplied not just his measurements, but he also recorded that speech (which was initially drafted by a Disney writer) — and yet another recitation of the oath of office, this one in Disney high-definition sound.
In that Hollywood building here, the life-size, three-dimensional figure was being put through its final tune-up, its chin rising and hands gesturing in response to technicians, in preparation for shipment to the Hall of Presidents exhibit at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
[…]
The public is to get its first glimpse of “Robobama,” as it is known among some handlers, on July 4. The unveiling will be in a Disney World theater, alongside animatronic figures of every other president. As in the past, the program will end with each president nodding or turning toward the audience during a roll call, as if Mount Rushmore had suddenly come alive.
 |
Today’s Guests:
- Sebastian Rupley, Co-Crank, PCMagCast.com
- Tom Merritt, Executive Editor, CNET
- Roger Chang, Producer, Revision3.com
The Topics:
- Craigslist CEO Sues South Carolina’s Attorney General
- Yet Another Google Outage
- Napster’s Unlimited Streaming Plan Could Ruffle Feathers
- Microsoft and The Linux Foundation Team Up
- E-Mail Is Lacking
And so it went Friday morning when WLS radio host Erich “Mancow” Muller decided to subject himself to the controversial practice of waterboarding live on his show . “I want to find out if it’s torture,” Mancow told his listeners Friday morning, adding that he hoped his on-air test would help prove that waterboarding did not, in fact, constitute torture. Listeners had the chance to decide whether Mancow himself or his co-host, Chicago radio personality Pat Cassidy, would undergo the interrogation method during the broadcast. The voters ultimately decided Mancow would be the one donning the soaked towel and shackles, and at about 8:40 a.m., he entered a small storage room next to his studio that was compared to a “dungeon” by Cassidy.
“The average person can take this for 14 seconds,” Marine Sergeant Clay South answered, adding, “He’s going to wiggle, he’s going to scream, he’s going to wish he never did this.” With a Chicago Fire Department paramedic on hand, Mancow was placed on a 7-foot long table, his legs were elevated, and his feet were tied up.
We regret to inform you that the No Agenda podcasts for Thursday, May 21 and Sunday, May 24 will be delayed until the following week. Adam will explain all when we return.
Embarrassing disclosures about the vast expenses claims of British members of parliament amount to a “McCarthy-style witch-hunt” that risks driving politicians to suicide, a lawmaker warned on Friday.
Nadine Dorries, a member of the opposition Conservative party, wrote on her blog that the two-week scandal, in which the Daily Telegraph newspaper has drip-fed details of how members of parliament have abused their generous expense allowances, was forcing politicians to the brink…
“The atmosphere in Westminster is unbearable,” Dorries wrote on the blog (blog.dorries.org). “People are constantly checking to see if others are OK. Everyone fears a suicide. If someone isn’t seen, offices are called and checked.”
Asked about her comments on BBC radio on Friday, she sought to back away from the suicide suggestion, but said the disclosures, including that politicians charged for duck ponds, horse manure, bath plugs and pornographic films, were forcing members of parliament to breaking point…
“I have to say the last day in parliament this week was completely unbearable. I have never, ever been in an atmosphere or an environment like it, where everyone walks around with terror in their eyes. People are genuinely concerned.”
Dorries, whose own use of expenses to buy household goods was exposed by the Telegraph, joins a number of politicians who have attacked the disclosures rather than apologizing.
Is this a threat of suicide – or a promise?
Thursday was supposed to be the highlight of the year for more than 100 kindergarteners from Stafford County, Va. They got up early and took a chartered bus to the White House for a school field trip. But when they arrived, all the 5-year-olds got was a lesson in disappointment. The buses from Conway Elementary arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a little later than planned, and they were locked out..
“We were going to the White House, but we couldn’t get in so I felt sad,” 5-year-old Cameron Stine said.
Parents say they were just 10 minutes late for their scheduled tour. School officials say White House staff said they needed to get ready for the president’s event with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, so they couldn’t come in.
“I was angry cause they were disappointed,” parent and chaperone Paty Stine said. A lot of preparing had gone into the trip. Conway Elementary teachers had been planning the trip for months, each child paid $20 for a seat on the chartered bus, and names were submitted to the White House for clearance.
 “Thank you mum, ever so much!” |
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has presented her son Prince Charles with a prestigious gardening award.
The 60-year-old prince attended a preview of the Chelsea Flower Show, where he was presented with the Royal Horticultural Society Victoria Medal of Honour in recognition of his passion for plants, gardening and the environment.
Charles – who attended with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall – was awarded the honour by his mother, who is also Patron of the society. Giles Coode-Adams, President of the RHS said: “The work that the Prince of Wales does to promote and contribute to good gardening practices and the cultivation of plants, sustainable gardening and the environment are core to the RHS.”
Charles has become the second member of the royal family to receive the award and join the prestigious body of 63 horticulturalists. The honour – which was founded to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria – was previously presented to the Queen Mother in 1961. In 2002 Charles’ Healing Garden – a collection of medicinal herbs dedicated to his late grandmother – received a Silver Flora award, as did his 2001 Islamic Garden.
The royal heir – who is often teased for talking to his flowers – has dedicated over two decades to his own gardens at Highgrove, in Gloucester, south west England.
Daylife/Reuters Pictures used by permission
|
Police in New Zealand are searching for a couple who disappeared after a banking blunder deposited $6 million in their account.
The couple had applied for a NZ$10,000 overdraft but received NZ$10m in their business account instead, part of which they withdrew, local media report…
Police believe the couple have left the country and Interpol has been alerted for assistance.
Westpac media relations manager Craig Dowling said the bank was “pursuing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover a sum of money stolen“.
Adding that the incident had prompted a review of how it had occurred, he said he would not comment on the specifics of the case due to the police investigation and court actions requiring confidentiality.
They don’t dare let out a peep. It’s already embarrassing enough.
Support the Blog — Buy This Book!
For Kindle and with free ePub version. Only $9.49 Great reading.
Here is what Gary Shapiro CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) said: Dvorak's writing sings with insight and clarity. Whether or not you agree with John's views, he will get you thinking and is never boring. These essays are worth the read!
Put this ad on your blog!
Syndicate
Subscribe to Main Blog feed here:
Subscribe to Comments too (below):
Junk Email Filter
