California cops want spider guns
Courtesy of depth

I was browsing CNN.com today and came across this article. It gets funny towards the end.

The idea for a suicide spider gun was first floated by a local radio talk-show host following a 13-hour standoff between cops and a blade-wielding man threatening to jump off the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Marshall said.

After hours in traffic, some motorists were so furious that some yelled out for the man to jump.

Click here for the full story.
- posted by d3pth @ 9:21 PM (0) comments

 
$4,000 fine for station that pranked Castro
Courtesy of d3pth.

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- A radio station that crank-called Cuban President Fidel Castro and broadcast the recording should be fined $4,000, the Federal Communications Commission said.

The Spanish-speaking hosts of "The Morning High Jinks" used snippets of an earlier prank involving Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to move the call from a receptionist up the chain to Castro in a five-minute broadcast June 17.

The hosts of the show on WXDJ-FM, Joe Ferrero and Enrique Santos, fed pleasantries to Castro before breaking in and calling him an assassin. The conversation ended after Castro denounced the callers with a stream of vulgarities.

Click here for the full story.
- posted by d3pth @ 12:16 AM (0) comments

 
Duke University cuts out 8 a.m. classes
Brought to you by d3pth.

DURHAM, North Carolina (AP) -- Duke University is eliminating 8 a.m. classes and trying to come up with other ways help its sleep-deprived students, who too often are struggling to survive on a mix of caffeine, adrenaline and ambition.

This is a good start, now if we could just get colleges to eliminate 9, 10, and 11am classes life would be great wouldn't it?

The school is also considering new orientation programs this fall that would help freshmen understand the importance of sleep.

"Generally, the people I know, we don't see sleep as that important compared to what school and the curriculum have to offer," said Marcel Yang, a Duke freshman from Chapel Hill.

Lack of sleep among college students is an old problem, but one that appears to be getting worse, according to some national surveys.

College students sleep an average of six to seven hours a night, down from seven to seven and a half in the 1980s. Last month, the University of Michigan held a national conference on sleep, stress, depression and college students. Sleep deprivation can hurt academic performance and increase stress levels.

Six to seven hours, that would be like a dream come true, I sometimes view 5 to 6 as luxury. :)

Click here to read the full story. Take THE MAYHEM's Poll below.
- posted by d3pth @ 1:04 AM

 
Recycled News
The best of the Archives.


Jun 13th 1998 - Robbers take $1.6 million in World Trade Center heist. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Three masked men interrupted a currency delivery to a bank in the World Trade Center Tuesday, handcuffed the guards and escaped with three bags of cash containing $1.6 million in international currency.

The suspects cornered the two Brinks armored car guards at 8:30 a.m. outside the offices of Bank of America on the 11th floor of One World Trade Center, said Allen Morrison, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the building.

A law enforcement source said the guards arrived by freight elevator to deliver $4 million to the bank and were met by three masked bandits, one holding a handgun, another carrying a money bag with a blue "B" on it.

Sources say the robbers bound the Brinks delivery and five other people on the elevator with handcuffs and cables and sent the elevator to the 22nd floor.

They then took three of the seven bags the guards were hauling by dolly, took off their masks and rode another elevator going down.


Click here for the full story.



Recycled News is brought to you daily here at THE MAYHEM.

- posted by d3pth @ 8:59 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News
The best of the archives.

Acts of Brilliance.

Drug maker who videotaped himself gets 35 years. - A California man who videotaped himself cooking methamphetamine was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison under the state's "three strikes" law. Because it was his third offense, Aaron Yost, 34, of Hemet, California, received a mandated term of 25 years to life. Riverside Superior Court Judge J. Thompson Hanks tacked on 10 more years because of the amount of methamphetamine involved. Jurors convicted Yost of manufacturing more than 25 gallons of methamphetamine oil, used in making the illegal narcotic. During the trial, jurors watched a home video of the wise-cracking defendant injecting chemicals into a glass jar and amazing himself with the high yield of methamphetamine. Sheriff's deputies seized the tape during a 1996 raid at a mobile home in Homeland where Yost had a drug lab. Click here for the full story.


Geraldo screws up. - For those of you who remember this happening, here it is again, as funny as ever, and for those who didn't hear about it, check it out. The U.S. military said Monday that Fox News Channel Correspondent Geraldo Rivera was being expelled from Iraq for divulging details of a future military operation, though later in the day a Central Command spokesman said he was not sure whether the newsman would be forced out. What sparked the controversy was a Monday report by Rivera that U.S. military officials said violated an important Pentagon rule imposed on its so-called embedded correspondents working inside fighting U.S. military units. Rivera had provided crucial details of a future military operation, officials said.

In a live broadcast from the Iraqi desert, Rivera instructed his photographer to tilt the camera down to the sand in front of his feet so that he could draw a map. Rivera then outlined a map of Iraq, and showed the relative location of Baghdad and his location with the Army's 101st Airborne unit. The reporter then continued with his diagram to illustrate where the 101st would be going next. Absolutely brilliant move Geraldo. Click here for the full story.
- posted by d3pth @ 9:13 PM (0) comments

 
Article review.

The new war against terror. Noam Chomsky, October 18th, 2001 - Transcribed from audio recorded at The Technology & Culture Forum at MIT.

I recommend reading the article for yourself, it can be found here - If it moves, let us know and THE MAYHEM will have it available on our own server, or email it to you directly.

I found this article interesting for a variety of reasons. One being, the time it was created. As you can see this talk was given 5 weeks after September 11th, 2001. Noam asks five important questions in regards to the events of September 11th, 2001.

What is happening right now? The starvation of 3 to 4 Million people in Afghanistan.

Why was September 11th, 2001 a historic event? Mainly because "The last time the national territory of the United States was under attack, or for that matter, even threatened was when the British burned down Washington in 1814. There have been many, it was common to bring up Pearl Harbor but that's not a good analogy. The Japanese, whatever you think about it, the Japanese bombed military bases in two US colonies not the national territory; colonies which had been taken from their inhabitants in not a very pretty way. This is the national territory that's been attacked on a large scale, you can find a few fringe examples but this is unique."

What is the War Against Terrorism? Talks about who what when where why and how. Talks about the Reagan administration and the situations in Nicaragua, as well as Haiti, and Guatemala, Columbia, and Turkey.

What are the origins of the September 11th crime? The likely perpetrators, where they came from, what they think, and why they turned against the US, and where they get their support.

What are the policy options? Very interesting stuff, a must read for ANYONE.

I have included some quotes from the text below.

"Violence usually works. That's world history."

"[Terrorism] It is held to be a weapon of the weak because the strong also control the doctrinal systems and their terror doesn't count as terror."

"Terrorism is not the weapon of the weak. It is the weapon of those who are against 'us' whoever 'us' happens to be. And if you can find a historical exception to that, I'd be interested in seeing it."

Like most of Noams writings and lectures, this is fairly straight forward and to the point, providing tons of background information on the subject in an attempt to provide an honest answer to issues that are not widely discussed or reported on by the US news media, but are extremely important that we as a free society are aware of.

Click here for Noam Chomsky's Official Website.

As always, THE MAYHEM welcomes your comments on this reading below.
- posted by d3pth @ 7:14 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News
The best of the news archives.

Road Rage Healines -

An article on road rage in the US.
Hugh Grant and his road rage fiasco.
OJ Simpson's road rage incident.
Man tosses woman's small dog into oncoming traffic in a fit of road rage.

Reheated by THE MAYHEM
- posted by d3pth @ 3:57 PM (0) comments

 
You heard it here first. THE MAYHEM's predictions come true.

As most of you read a few days ago I wrote an article about Google's upcoming email service, Gmail. It seems our predictions were correct. Look at this article from CNN.com today.

Below are excerpts from the article.

Google unveils targeted local ads

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- Google Inc., the world's No. 1 Web search provider, Thursday it was launching a local advertising service that aims to help companies reach nearby customers.

The new program makes it possible for advertisers in eight countries -- including the United States, Germany and France -- to use the company's keyword advertising program to deliver ads targeted to people in particular cities or regions.

It also would enable advertisers around the world to target ads to Web searchers who are located within a set radius around the advertiser's location. For example, a florist in Frankfurt could choose to deliver his or her ads only to Web searchers who are located within 20 miles of the flower shop.

What does this mean?
this means that Google will be using this new search technology with their Gmail service, because in a sense, every email will be like it's own web search, a search to find advertisements for you, and advertisements that are close to home. Read my first post on this subject a few articles back for the full implications of this.
- posted by d3pth @ 1:32 AM (0) comments

 
Update

THE MAYHEM - reported a few weeks ago a story of a missing college girl that had appeared in just about every news source in the world. Audrey Seiler, from Wisconsin, faked her abduction to gain the attention of a boyfriend authorities say. The question THE MAYHEM asks is….do you think that she should be liable for the costs of the search for her and other miscellaneous costs of law enforcement regarding her disappearance?

Here are some up to date excerpts from an article on CNN.com
Plea bargain sought in fake abduction - Fading relationship possible motive for disappearance
Audrey Seiler, 20, a University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore from Rockford, Minnesota, faces up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine for each of two misdemeanor charges. Her attorney, Randy Hopper, appeared on her behalf Thursday in Dane County Circuit Court.

Seiler disappeared from her off-campus apartment March 27 without her coat or purse. She was discovered curled in a fetal position in a marsh four days later, and told police that a man had abducted her at knifepoint.

But police concluded Seiler made up the story after obtaining a store videotape that showed her buying the knife, duct tape, rope and cold medicine she claimed her abductor used to restrain her. Seiler confessed after she was confronted with the tape, according to authorities.

"I set up everything. I'm just so messed up. I'm sorry," they quoted her as saying. But she later recanted the statement, insisting she had been abducted.

The criminal complaint depicts Seiler as a young woman upset by a fading relationship with her boyfriend, Ryan Fisher.

Friends said the two had been fighting, and Seiler's roommate, Heather Thue, told officers that Fisher did not pay as much attention to Seiler as she wanted. Seiler's mother told police her daughter had not been herself lately and was "extremely needy" of Fisher.

Three days before she disappeared, her laptop was used to log onto Fisher's e-mail account and read exchanges "with romantic overtones" between him and another woman, according to the complaint.

Hundreds of people from Madison and Seiler's hometown searched for her after she disappeared, and her claim about an armed man touched off a major manhunt that authorities said cost the police about $96,000.

d3pth charge - I think the penalty of nine months in jail and a $10,000 dollar fine is perfectly suitable. She did waste appoximately $96,000.00 and a lot of peoples time and effort in the search.
- posted by d3pth @ 9:25 PM (0) comments

 
Man stole vehicles to run down pedestrians

RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- The father of a man accused of going on a deadly hit-and-run rampage said he repeatedly warned mental health officials that his son was a danger to himself and others. Click here for the full story.

They should have known just by looking at him too. Look at those "crazy eyes." Why no one thought to contain this individual before this happened is beyond me. Listen to how ridiculous this story gets.

Abdullah El-Amin Shareef, 25, is charged with first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder stemming from the hit-and-runs, in which five pedestrians were struck. One victim was killed, and another was critically injured.

Authorities said Shareef stole a Fayetteville city-owned van, then a truck, and drove across three counties seeking out pedestrians.

Police and witnesses said the rampage began shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday, with the theft of a city van in Fayetteville. It ended with Shareef's arrest a little over two hours later in Fuquay-Varina, more than 40 miles north.

Lonel Bearl Bass, 56, of Linden, died after he was hit by the van and pinned. Gary Lee Weller, 55, was in critical condition early Thursday at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

Also struck were David McCaskill and Robert Fortier in Cumberland County. McCaskill was hit while walking his two dogs, and said the driver beat him after an unsuccessful attempt to back over him. "I was holding my hands above my head trying to block him. I asked him, 'What have I done to you?' but he never opened his mouth," said McCaskill, 65.

The attacker drove off when neighbors came out of their houses.
Shareef said his son had in recent years been troubled by psychological problems, family troubles and drug use.

Doctors at SackLunch describe this as a textbook case of Grand Theft Auto III disease.
- posted by d3pth @ 8:44 PM (0) comments

 
THE MAYHEM asks.....what do you think?


Lawmaker moves to block Google's Gmail. SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- A California state senator on Monday said she was drafting legislation to block Google Inc.'s free e-mail service "Gmail" because it would place advertising in personal messages after searching them for key words. "We think it's an absolute invasion of privacy. It's like having a massive billboard in the middle of your home," Sen. Liz Figueroa, a Democrat from Fremont, California, said in a telephone interview.

"We are asking them to rethink the whole product," she said.

In late March, the world's No. 1 Web search company announced plans to launch Gmail -- a service that would offer users 1 gigabyte of free storage, more than 100 times the storage offered by other free services from Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

But in return for the extra storage, users would agree to let Google's technology scan their incoming e-mail, then deliver targeted ads based on key words in the messages. For instance, a user receiving a message about a friend's flu symptoms might also receive ads for cold and flu remedies.

Gmail is now being tested with a limited number of users. Privacy advocates are assailing Gmail even before its formal launch. Google faces heavy opposition in Europe, where privacy laws are stricter than they are in the United States.

European groups recently lodged a complaint with UK authorities, charging that Gmail may violate Europe's privacy laws because it stores messages where users cannot permanently delete them. Europe's privacy protection laws give consumers the right to retain control over their communications.

More than two dozen privacy groups in the United States and Europe have demanded that Google suspend Gmail's launch until privacy issues are adequately addressed.

Google has responded in several statements.

"We are confident that Gmail is fully compliant with data protection laws worldwide," Google said in a recent statement.

"Google has the highest regard for the privacy of our users' information. We have taken great care to architect Gmail to protect user privacy and to deliver an innovative and useful service," said Google, which added that it is actively soliciting user feedback on its privacy policies.

Tell us what you think. - After reading the above article, THE MAYHEM asks....

a) Do you think that Google's Service, Gmail, and the 1 Gigabyte of free storage is worth having your email archived for the purpose of being searched at a later date, even if the only person who can search it is you?

b) Do you mind having your personal Email scanned for keywords by a computer program and then having advertising based on your conversation inserted by Google?

c) Do you trust that Google will keep all of your information private and searchable only by you, and not sell your data, or a generalized outline as to the content of your email and or keywords of correspondence, also including or not including your actual Gmail address to other companies for marketing and research purposes?

d3pth sounds off - What I see here, is the opportunity for Google to make a lot of money, and I mean a lot. If you think about how many email messages are sent in the United States alone in one day, it is exhausting. Now, think of the possibilities. They don't need your direct personal information to make a killing off of this service.

I am almost certain you will be prompted to enter (when registering) Name, Address (or at least a zip code), phone number will be optional, and it will most likely log your IP and whatever other info it can get about your machine, your OS, and other miscellaneous configurations that are exposed to viewing.

This information which is "kind of personal" but not too personal to make people feel like guinea pigs, is what they are looking for. They can sell and distribute this information to outside companies, and here is the beauty of things. They get to see inside of your head.

Marketing and things is often done through comment cards, surveys, etc. And companies, with this new Google service, have what they have always wanted, a look into your mind, so they can custom fit your ad-filled existence to you. Here is how it will work.

I send an email to my cousin about how I am sick, and I am about to start a new semester of school, and my car needs a brake job, and how I wish there was a Best Buy closer to me. There is tons of useful information in this email that companies would LOVE to get hold of. First they would know I am sick, and insert ads for various medications and things into the email and the response. Second, they would know I was in school, and send me ads for websites that sell textbooks and supplies. Third car advertisements for things in my area, and also Best Buy ads.

Sounds simple right...... think of this.

This takes internet advertising to a whole new level. They have my zip code, and some of my "kind of personal" information. So when I send an email with certain words in it, they send me advertisements tailored to me by scanning and searching my email. And direct me to things.....in my area. This is the new key concept that Google is trying to cash in on. The businesses in my area who register with Google, and pay to have their ad inserted into people in my area's emails that have X, Y, and Z keywords in them, are the only ads I will see. So it will become necessity for all local businesses in the area to register with Google's new Gmail Advertising Department and pay a fee to have their ads targeted at local users.

So it will no longer be just big companies broad ads that people will receive, now, even "mom and pop" local businesses will have to register with Google and pay them if they want to be seen. I think most of you can see the far reaching effects this could have, and the INSANE amount of money that there is to be made off of this service.

Again THE MAYHEM asks...what do you think?
- posted by d3pth @ 2:11 PM (0) comments

 
Children on Easter egg hunt find guns instead
Courtesy of d3pth.

FLINT, Michigan (AP) -- -- A group of children hunting for Easter eggs Saturday during a church event found two loaded handguns outside an elementary school. Flint police said officers were called to the scene and also recovered a BB gun and a broken toy gun on the grounds of Gundry Elementary School. No one was injured, Sgt. Michael Coote said. One of the guns discharged when it was dropped, according to a police report, but it was unclear who dropped it.

Click here for the full story.
THE MAYHEM
- posted by d3pth @ 2:02 PM (0) comments

 
Emulators


A great story on CNN.com today about video game Emulators, like MAME. The story talks about the legal aspects of Emulator gaming, and lists some good resources for doing so legally. The other funny tidbit to file away in your mental filing cabinet, Xbox and Playstation gaming consoles can be hacked to play emulated games, but the Xbox, once hacked, can no longer be used on Xbox Live.




Having an emulator program on your computer is not illegal, however downloading the ROM's (game files) is technically like downloading a song from a P2P network or something, although no one has successfully sued over it yet, mostly because the original creators of the games are no longer being compensated for them, so no one would really benefit from a lawsuit, because these games are no longer generating any substantial revenue anyway. I just thought it was nice to see an article about this on the front page of CNN. Click here for the full article.


THE MAYHEM
- posted by d3pth @ 8:58 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News
The best of the archives.

Karaoke Headlines
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A fire that raged for almost 12 hours in a karaoke bar on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has killed at least 40 people. Click here for the full story.

TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- The karaoke craze that swept the nation is now hitting a smaller section of the population -- nudists. A growing number of nudists are becoming regulars at weekly karaoke bars, jumping on stage to belt out a tune in the nude. Click here for the full story.

THE MAYHEM
- posted by d3pth @ 8:49 PM (0) comments

 
Robots give hugs and therapy in Japan.

OHBU, Japan (AP) -- The elderly patients suffer from severe dementia, but their faces light up when they see the dog-shaped robot, swaddled in soft clothing, waddle around the hospital floor. Some clap; others break into feeble smiles. Urged by nurses, a few cautiously reach out and touch it.

This is one in a budding series of robot-therapy sessions at Japanese hospitals and senior citizens' homes. To some scientists, robots are the answer to caring for aging societies in Japan and other nations where the young are destined to be overwhelmed by a surging elderly population.

When Grandma and Grandpa get too old, we'll send them to play with the robots.
Click here for the Full Story.


-THE MAYHEM-
- posted by d3pth @ 9:47 AM (0) comments

 
Recycled News.
The best of the Archives.

The birth of the Grand Theft Auto Series. I was sifting through the debris in the CNN.com archives and came across a great story. It is an article from when the first Grand Theft Auto (GTA) game appeared. I was working at Best Buy at the time and bought it on the day of it's release. The series has been the subject of much controversy throughout the years, and I wanted to take a moment to look back on this article, and think about all that has happened because of this particular series of games. If you're looking for my opinion, well, the games are great, and have done a lot for free speech and for gaming in general. Open ended, choose your own adventure type of gaming with enough mission based play to keep things flowing.
Click here to read the article.

Recycled News brought to you daily by THE MAYHEM.
- posted by d3pth @ 10:42 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News
THE MAYHEM brings you the best of the news archives.

David Blaine Headlines

Frozen in a block of Ice.
Buried alive in New York.
Paul McCartney gets in a fight at the site of Blaines UK stunt.
No more stunts like that, Blaine tells media after UK glass box.
UK Police officers in trouble for leaving post to go watch David Blaine stunt.

Recycled News brought to you daily by THE MAYHEM.
- posted by d3pth @ 8:01 PM (0) comments

 
Research shows video game playing may help surgeons.

All those years on the couch playing Nintendo and PlayStation appear to be paying off for surgeons.
Researchers found that doctors who spent at least three hours a week playing video games made about 37 percent less mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and performed the task 27 percent faster than their counterparts who did not play video games.

"I use the same hand-eye coordination to play video games as I use for surgery," said Dr. James "Butch" Rosser, 49, who demonstrated the results of his study Tuesday at Beth Israel Medical Center. Click here for the full story.
- posted by d3pth @ 7:07 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News
The best of the news archives. Daily at THE MAYHEM.

Pokemon Insanity.

Remember when Pokemon was Banned in Saudi Arabia?
Pokemon Web Browser. And you thought IE was bad.
Banned from schools.

Oops...
Baby chews and rattles that contain Carcinogens.

- posted by d3pth @ 6:59 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News
One man, with access to only two websites, brings you the best recycled news from the CNN and Fox News archives.
Served up to you daily by THE MAYHEM.

Y2K Bug Frenzy - Headlines from a Ridiculous Era.
Article from 12/30/1999 detailing peoples preparation efforts
Will the Y2K bug blow up in your face?
More troubles
Will the Y2K Bug stop the flow of Milk?
Will medical devices still work after Y2K?
Y2K and the threat to National Security
The Pentagon


Other Ridiculous articles from our past.
Themed Funerals
Contest Prize Options - Week in Hawaii, or Cryonic Preservation
Brawl breaks out at an Anger Management Assembly

Recycled News. Brought to you by THE MAYHEM daily.
- posted by d3pth @ 7:45 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News
One man, one job, access to two websites. The best of the news archives.

Today THE MAYHEM offers up some old news stories about toys and things that have been recalled for various reasons.

Fisher Price Crib Leaks Battery Acid.
A Basketball net that strangles kids.
Baby Strolers that spontaneously collapse.
Cabbage Patch Dolls that Bite Check out the picture of the guy half way down the page on this article.
Koreans ban Japanese Toys Notice what they were so violently chanting.
Kids getting Strangled by Window Blinds.
Wal-Mart sells some not so safe bikes.
Deadly Play Pens

This one falls under the "Irony" category.


Tune in to THE MAYHEM daily to get a lethal dose of Recycled News, the best of the CNN and Fox News Archives.


- posted by d3pth @ 9:21 PM (0) comments

 
Unofficial (Alleged) Photos of Saddam Hussein's Capture
Courtesy of The Memory Hole.

THE MAYHEM just thought we would post this for those of you who haven't seen them yet.

From "Apparent Saddam capture photos surface: Unauthorized photos circulating on Internet" by CNN, 15 Jan 2004:

New photographs that appear to be of Saddam Hussein on the day of his capture by U.S. forces are circulating around the Internet one month after the ousted Iraqi leader was found in a narrow hole in the ground.

One photo apparently shows Saddam shortly after he was pulled from the infamous "spider hole" where he had been hiding on December 13.

...

Although CNN has not independently verified the authenticity or source of the photos, they do appear genuine, according to a senior U.S. government official.

Certain key details known about the event match with the photographs.

For instance, Saddam appears to be wearing the same clothes and the same beard as seen in the pictures officially released by the U.S. military.



- posted by d3pth @ 7:43 PM (0) comments

 
Recycled News -

This column is brought to you by d3pth. One man whose job only allows him access to CNN.com and FoxNews.com brings you the best finds from the old news archives.

What do I do when I can only access two websites on the entire internet, and I have already read all of the newest news stories? I search the archives for things past that catch my attention and reheat them and serve them up to be enjoyed again for some, and the first time for many. I will publish the most interesting of finds in the Recycled News section, brought to you daily.

08/30/2002 - Man accused of attempted murder in wedgie case. LOWER SOUTHAMPTON, Pennsylvania -- A man accused of trying to kill a friend for giving him a "wedgie" during a Phish concert will stand trial for attempted first-degree murder, a judge ruled last week.

Eric Kassoway, 19, was reveling at a concert last year when he decided to sneak up behind his friend, Daniel Strouss, and yank up his underwear. Apparently it must have hurt, because Strouss, 19, held a grudge for months. So much so, that on the night of June 12, he drove to Kassoway's home and shot him in the arm and leg. Kassoway nearly died from loss of blood. Click here for the full story.
- posted by d3pth @ 2:11 AM (0) comments

 
THE MAYHEM asks, what do you think?

As most of us know, California as well as a few other states I believe have outlawed smoking in offices, restaurants, bars, and many public parks. Now according to an article found here the beaches are their next target. Many smokers feel they are being unfairly targeted, and the state and cities say that they are doing this in an effort to prevent pollution of the beaches by cigarette butts, among other reasons, also including the second hand smoke.

San Clemente and Solana Beach have already banned lighting up on the sand.
"The smokers still have opportunities to smoke," said Glenn Maddalon of the American Lung Association (search). "This is a public area that we're trying to protect for the public and protect against the harmful effects of secondhand smoke."

Smoker John Dopilka said he understands the aversion non-smokers have to cigarettes, but feels like smokers are being slowly stamped out.

"They're picking on the smokers and I understand that, and I'm a smoker. I don't like to mess with other people and blow smoke at them and all that," he said. "But also at the same time you have to let us have a place. We're outside, where else are you going to go?"

If they get caught lighting up, smokers could be fined $250. But some smokers say there's an easy solution: creating 'smoking beaches' along the lines of nude beaches and dog-friendly beaches.

THE MAYHEM would like to ask for our readers opinions on this subject? Do you think there should be separate beaches for smokers and non smokers? Do you favor the laws that are already in place in California pertaining to the Bars and Restaurants? Would you support these laws in your own city/state?

Comments by d3pth courtesy of THE MAYHEM - I have always been of the opinion that people of like interests should just make specialized places to share them. I think a law that says that smoking is not allowed in any restaurant or bar in a state is wrong, and unfair. For the sake of non smokers, I can understand to a point. A lot of restaurants offer different sections, but they most often are not distinguished very well, and the smoke finds it's way all over the restaurant. I think that a restaurant and or bar, should have to declare itself either a smoking bar or a non smoking bar. Smoking bars could also include a non smoking section if they chose, but customers would understand before going in that there was going to be people in the building smoking. However, bars and or restaurants who declared themselves non smoking, would have to maintain a completely smoke free environment for their customers.

And as far as the beach is concerned, I can understand their concern about litter, so they should impose a fine for people who are caught not cleaning up their ashtrays and cigarette butts and taking the mess with them when they leave the beach. It is no different from any other form of litter, pop cans, napkins, pet wastes, etc. So if they make the decision based on the littering alone, they would also have to prohibit any other item with any type of outside packaging or pieces, ie. EVERYTHING. Lol. And as far as second hand smoke at a beach is concerned, I don't know who they think they are kidding. I have never once been to a beach or a pool where someone smoking directly affected me at all, that excuse is an attack that is picking on smokers. Like the above man mentioned, they're outside, where else are they supposed to go? If people wanted I would suggest the same set of principles for the beach that I applied to the restaurant scenario?

What do you think? Sound off in the comments section below and let us know your thoughts on this subject!
- posted by d3pth @ 7:59 PM (0) comments

 
City Seeks Protection From G-8 Protesters

I found an interesting story on Foxnews.com today regarding the Next G-8 meeting. There is always fairly large-scale protests whenever the G-8 or the WTO meets. The WTO is an assembly of world leaders and big business that basically get together to decide what is going to happen economically with the world. So the working classes, who belong to a “Democratic” society, but feel they have no say, and that big business makes all of the rules, tends to get a little worked up when they find out that the Ultra-rich are all getting together to make all of their decisions for them. And not only their own government and businesses, but the governments and big businesses, and the ultra-wealthy from all over the world. So basically, instead of things being “Democratic”, and people having a say in the goings on of their own country, the leaders and the big corporations, and the ultra wealthy just all get together and figure out how to stay that way, and how to make things easier on themselves. The G-8, the eight person meeting that has in the past consisted of Canada: Jean Chretien France: Jacques Chirac Germany: Gerhard Schroeder Italy: Silvio Berlusconi Japan: Junichiro Koizumi Russia: Vladimir Putin Britain: Tony Blair
United States: George W. Bush. People move in on these meetings as a chance to protest Globalization.

The interesting thing about today’s story on Foxnews.com is this. The next G-8 meeting is scheduled to be in Sea Island, Ga. A historic Georgia town where they don’t want a lot of things to get damaged, burned, etc. Here are some links so that you can see how warmly the WTO and the G-8 summit have been welcomed in the past.

Protests

More Protests.

Genoa

Retaliation.

So, what the town of Sea Island Georgia plans on doing is imposing a charge of $1.50 a head for any organization or basically any large group of people to assemble and protest. They are charging anyone who protests the same per person fee that the city charges people to hold outdoor weddings, and other outdoor festivals. So anyone who gathers to protest the G-8 meeting will have to prove that they have a permit and that they have paid the $1.50 for their right to be there, otherwise they are of course “Breaking the law” and “Stealing” and “Trespassing”, and the guys in the black helmets with the shields come out and start launching smoke….

Savannah GA officials say they're not singling out protesters. The permit fees also apply to weddings, festivals and other big events that take place on city property — to cover wear and tear — which they hope to keep to a minimum.

I could have sworn that when I was in school, they had me look at the fake history books, and told me all about how incredible this country is and how “Free” we are, and something about a right to assemble…..
- posted by d3pth @ 7:38 PM (0) comments

 
Beat Windows Annoyances

What Windows features annoy you the most? Is it the constant "Are you sure?" prompts, the smiling paperclip from MS Word? Sound off in the comments section below and let us know what you hate about MS Windows, any version, any feature. Here are some tips to beat some of the most common annoyances.

1. Kill pop-ups. My first suggestion would be to Click here and download Mozilla, but if you insist on using Internet Explorer, Click here for a great free pop up stopping program recommended by TechTV, and Click here for plenty of others.

2. Associate files with programs. Computing is completely personal, and you can customize the programs you use for different types of files to the default of your choice. For example, listen to all of your MP3s in Winamp or view all your JPEGs in IrfanView.

In general here's how to associate specific file types with programs.


1. Single-click a file to select it.
2. Hold down the Shift key and right-click the file.
3. Click Open With.
4. Select a program.
5. Check "Always use this program to open this type of file." If you don't, this is a one-time solution.
6. Click OK.

Chances are that the multiple audio players on your system are competing for your MP3s' attention. Here's what to do if your initial file re-association doesn't stick.


Windows Media Player

1. Go to the Tools menu and choose Options.
2. Go to the File Types tab.
3. Select the file formats you want to play back in Windows Media Player.
4. Save your selections.

Winamp
On install, Winamp will ask you if you would like it to play all the supported media types. If you said yes and want to change those file associations, do the following.

1. Right-click anywhere on the Winamp player not occupied by a button.
2. Click Options and choose Preferences.
3. Under the Setup heading, choose Files Types.
4. If you would like Winamp to be the default player for an extension, toggle it on, or simply select the All button or the None button.
5. Click Close.

3. Delete without the Recycle Bin. Are you sure you want to delete that file? Are you sure you're sure? Here's a great trick to delete files without going through the hassle of emptying the Recycle Bin. Before you do this, make sure you're deleting a file you won't want to get back later.

1. Select the file you want to delete.
2. Hold down the Shift key and press Delete.
3. Click Yes to confirm you want to delete the file.
Voilà! The file is gone.

4. Extract Zip files quickly. When you open a .zip file do you launch your unzip utility, choose to export the archive, search for a place to put the files on your hard drive, and save? Stop going through all that effort you slowpoke! This little trick reduces the time it takes to unzip .zip files to mere seconds.


1. When you install your unzip utility, WinZip for example, make sure the program adds shell extensions to your right-click contextual menu. You should have new Extract to and Extract to Folder options.
2. Save or copy the .zip file to your desktop.
3. Right-click the file and choose Extract to Folder to extract, you guessed it, all the files in the .zip to a folder.

You can even use this tip to unzip multiple files at once. Simply select them all and right-click.

Click here for a full article on TechTV about Windows annoyances.
- posted by d3pth @ 9:54 AM (0) comments

 
News for today.

Aristide Launches Lawsuit - According to a BBC article found here, ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has filed a lawsuit against unnamed French and US officials, accusing them of kidnapping him.

I remember in the news around the time of his exile, CNN.com I read articles stating a few things. And if you do a search on CNN.com you can find the articles, unless of course they have been thrown down the memory hole already. One was an article about a statement by Aristide saying that he would not flee no matter what the cost. The other, a few days later was an article saying that armed rebels were converging on the capital and that he was fleeing to Africa.

Now, after some time has passed, Aristide himself is issuing statements that the US kidnapped him and forced him into exile, he is even officially filing a lawsuit against unnamed members of French and US forces.

The suit for "threats, death threats, abduction and illegal detention" was lodged in Paris on Tuesday, Mr Aristide's lawyer, Gilbert Collard said.

It designated the defendant as X - a French legal term for persons unknown.

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Janet flash prompts new TV rules - Viacom announces new guidlines for decency after Janet Jackson and Howard Stern incidents - Also launches new "Gay" channel.

When asked about the Janet Jackson flash, Chairman Sumner Redstone said Viacom was "not a culprit, we were a victim" - but will be more careful after the flash, which provoked 200,000 complaints.

Meanwhile, Viacom, which also owns channels including Nickelodeon, is planning to launch a gay cable channel. Redstone said there was no reason why Viacom should not try and reach "such an enormous demographic". Full story found here.

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Great Link

Click here for the National Security Archive. A great listing of all declassified government documents updated daily.

Here is one of todays listings. U.S. DOCUMENTS SHOW EMBRACE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN IN EARLY 1980s
DESPITE CHEMICAL WEAPONS, EXTERNAL AGGRESSION, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. Fear of Iraq Collapse in Iran-Iraq War Motivated Reagan Administration Support;
U.S. Goals Were Access to Oil, Protection of Power, and Protection of Allies.

Click the link above for the full details about this meeting, and much much more useful information. Photo Left:Iraqi President Saddam Hussein greets Donald Rumsfeld, then special envoy of President Ronald Reagan, in Baghdad on December 20, 1983.) Click here for the full story regarding this meeting.

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Canadian Judge blocks online piracy action

A judge in Canada has ruled internet service providers cannot be forced to identify people who swap songs online. Judge Konrad von Finkenstein said uploading tracks to the internet was not in itself a breach of copyright.

"Before it constitutes distribution, there must be a positive act by the owner of the shared directory, such as sending out the copies or advertising that they are available for copying," -Judge Konrad von Finkenstein Click here for the full story.
- posted by d3pth @ 9:11 AM (0) comments