moonbuggy

‘Whether it’s screaming brats at the pool, impossibly long lines, or stolen luggage, summer vacations rarely deliver the stress-free escape you’ve been hoping for. But stop your bitching. It could be much worse. From Salmonella smeared BBQ pits to amusement park rides that sever limbs (as one did in June to a 13-year-old girl at Six Flags), the season is full of perils most of us are lucky enough to avoid. Then again, the most rewarding experiences always come with a little risk. If you’re tired of the same old sanitary, injury-free, cookie-cutter holiday routine, we recommend the following itinerary from hell. Strap yourself in. It’s going to be a terrible trip.’

‘Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours.

His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

“He doesn’t make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die,” said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.’

‘A man who drowned trying to save his two sons trapped in a rip current could have been helped by tourists passing by from a parasailing trip, according to a captain who jumped in to save the boys.

Police say 38-year-old Renald Charles of Fruitland died Sunday while attempting to rescue his sons, 10 and 13. The boys and their father were spotted by Michael Andrew, owner of a 31-foot boat that was taking tourists to shore from a parasailing trip.

Andrew and one of his crew members jumped in, but the tourists videotaped the drowning instead of helping Charles, Andrew told The (Salisbury) Daily Times.

“I mean, c’mon, who are these people?” Andrew said.’

‘Workers at a water park in central Russia have found the body of a 14-year-old boy in a swimming pool pump chamber three weeks after he went missing, Russian newspapers reported today.

Staff at the amusement park in the city of Kazan checked the pump on Saturday evening because it had been spewing out cloudy water and not working as normal, the Kommersant newspaper said. Inside the pump chamber, workers found Sergei Matveyev’s body.’

‘Drunk but intent on driving, Jesenia Vega fought off her boyfriend as she left a Centereach block party and got into her car, Suffolk police said.

“You’re going to get arrested,” Louis Wiederer, 26, of Westbury, warned his girlfriend, a witness heard them arguing late Saturday. “You can’t drive like that!”

“Leave me alone!” she said.

With that, Vega, 27, of Carle Place, put her key in the ignition and drove off – as Wiederer hung onto an open window. She continued north, dragging him on the pavement, then underneath her car, before coming to a stop three blocks later, police and witnesses said.

Jay Steiner, 60, a retired nurse, who lives near the scene, rushed to the man’s aid.

“Oh, my God,” Steiner recalled Vega telling him. “Don’t tell me I just killed my fiance.”‘

‘Jason Shenfeld’s parents noticed their 26-year-old son was acting nervous, locking his bedroom door every time he left.

He wouldn’t give his mother his complete set of bedsheets to wash. When his father went in to retrieve them Friday night, he saw why: Shoved into Shenfeld’s bedroom closet, stuffed among sheets and clothing, was 18-year-old Amanda Buckley’s body.

Shenfeld told his father that the teen overdosed on drugs and he panicked, a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report states. Then he fled.

Investigators found duct tape in Buckley’s hair, bruises on her body and evidence of rape, according to the report. They also found a garbage bag filled with duct tape and rope.

An autopsy Saturday revealed that the college-bound softball star was strangled, beaten in the head and sexually abused.’

‘Authorities say a diver was killed after lightning struck his oxygen tank in Deerfield Beach.

Fire rescue officials say the victim had been diving with three others off a boat yesterday. When he surfaced, lighting struck his tank. He was about 30 feet from the boat.’

‘A Dutch association of shops that sell “magic mushrooms” on Monday called for a self-imposed ban on the sale of the hallucinogenic fungi to minors.

The move comes during an ongoing debate in the Netherlands about the safety of the magic mushrooms after a number of incidents involving tourists who had taken them.

A majority in Dutch parliament said it was in favour of a total ban but in June Health Minister Ab Klink said he just wants an age limit because a total ban was not legally possible. [..]

In the Netherlands the sale of dried magic mushrooms is banned but fresh ones are allowed because they can also be found naturally in some Dutch woods.’

‘They share more than 90 per cent of human DNA. And like a family grieving one of its own, Taronga Zoo’s troupe of chimps have shown the most human qualities as they mourn the death 60-year-old matriarch, Fifi.

For about an hour after the primate passed away on Thursday, the 19 chimpanzees, who share the enclosure, virtually closed ranks, surrounding her body in a poignant gesture of shared heartache.

They each had their moment of closure; some patting and sniffing the fallen ape, while others simply sat in silence. [..]

Ms Beaven said the chimps spent the hours leading to her death filing in and out of the enclosure, as if paying their final respects.’

‘Purdue Pharma L.P., the maker of OxyContin, and three of its executives were ordered Friday to pay a $634.5 million fine for misleading the public about the painkiller’s risk of addiction. [..]

Designed to be swallowed whole and digested over 12 hours, the pills can produce a heroin-like high if crushed and then swallowed, snorted or injected.

From 1996 to 2001, the number of oxycodone-related deaths nationwide increased fivefold while the annual number of OxyContin prescriptions increased nearly 20-fold, according to a report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In 2002, the DEA said the drug caused 146 deaths and contributed to another 318.’

‘A parasite common in Asian bees has spread to Europe and the Americas and is behind the mass disappearance of honeybees in many countries, says a Spanish scientist who has been studying the phenomenon for years.

The culprit is a microscopic parasite called nosema ceranae said Mariano Higes, who leads a team of researchers at a government-funded apiculture centre in Guadalajara, the province east of Madrid that is the heartland of Spain’s honey industry.

He and his colleagues have analyzed thousands of samples from stricken hives in many countries.’

Followup to Mystery of the dying bees.

‘She sits on the lookout in a lawn chair on their front porch, her forehead glossy with sweat, Bible next to her left foot, wind chimes clinking at her back. Her husband of 24 years is by her side, German shepherd at his knee, handgun tucked beneath the belt on his jeans.

High in these humid hills, Ed and Elaine Brown have been holed up in their home for six months, refusing to serve a five-year prison sentence for tax evasion. They all but dared law officials to come and get them. This, they say, is a fight they’re ready to die for. [..]

“There’s no more America,” Ed says. “It’s already gone.”

“I’ll die fighting, rather than live in slavery,” Elaine says. “I’ll tell you that.” [..]

“There’s two freight trains going just like this toward each other,” Ed says. “So you better take a side, buddy, because when they hit, it’s going to be hellacious.

“And,” he says, “it all could start right here.”‘

‘A judge ruled that a teenager will be tried as an adult for the death of an 18-month old boy he is accused of repeatedly swinging against a wall because he was frustrated with the child’s toilet training.

Derris Smith, 18, the live-in boyfriend of the child’s mother, has been charged with murder. He was 17 on June 27, when authorities say he delivered the beating that led to Malakai Glenn’s death four days later.

The boy’s mother, 20-year-old Sasha Glenn, testified Wednesday that the impact of the child hitting the wall left drywall stuck to his head and cracked a wooden door.’

‘A woman accused of killing her daughter by microwaving the newborn in an oven told police she was drunk, but couldn’t recall doing anything that caused the child’s burns, according to testimony Thursday.

China Arnold, 26, is charged with aggravated murder in the Aug. 30, 2005, death of her month-old daughter, Paris Talley. She has pleaded not guilty.

At a pretrial hearing, detective Michael Galbraith testified that Arnold told him during questioning then: “If I hadn’t gotten so drunk, I guess my baby wouldn’t have died.”

But questioned by defense attorney Jon Paul Rion, Galbraith acknowledged that Arnold told him she didn’t know how the baby suffered the burns, and that she had nothing to do with it that she could recall.’

‘A 22-year-old man whose truck broke down Tuesday afternoon along Route 309 in West Rockhill Township grabbed a pistol from the vehicle, apologized to his brother, who was with him, and shot himself in the head, police said. [..]

Philippi and his brother were returning home from work when their truck broke down, police said. The shooting happened about 3 p.m.

Chief David Mettin of Pennridge Regional police, which patrols that area, said the man had been dealing with ”mental health issues” stemming from the recent death of a loved one.

”It seems to me, that was like the final straw for this gentleman,” Mettin said.’

‘The rotting cadaver of a dead whale was floating in a west coast fjord on Wednesday, sending a foul odor over the area while officials worried it could explode at any time.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it an explosion, but it can be like an enormous fart,” said Tore Haug of the Norwegian Marine Research Institute in Bergen.

He warned emergency crews trying to tow the cadaver out of the fjord that gases built up in the dead whale’s stomach could cause a blowout.

“It would be quite unpleasant if the stomach blows up,” Haug told web site bt.no. “It’s not very nice to have rotten whale parts showering over you.”‘

‘A 55-year-old Port Orange woman who said she killed her neighbors because their “green mothball cookies” made her sick was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, according to a judge. [..]

A short time after the shooting, Anderson was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder.

During questioning, Anderson told police, “I didn’t see any blood or bullet holes in their clothing. …They are over there watching TV aren’t they? I was shooting blanks.”

Anderson also said, “They make me cookies with green mothballs in them and I get sick.’

‘Volcanic activity on the ‘bald mountain’ towering over St Pierre, Martinique, was usually so inconsequential that no one took seriously the fresh steaming vent-holes and earth tremors during April, 1902. By early May, however, ash began to rain down continuously, and the nauseating stench of sulphur filled the air. Their homes on the mountainside made uninhabitable, more than 100 fer-de-lance snakes slithered down and invaded the mulatto quarter of St Pierre. The 6-ft long serpents killed 50 people and innumerable animals before they were finally destroyed by the town’s giant street cats. But the annihilation had only begun. On May 5, a landslide of boiling mud spilled into the sea, followed by a tsunami that killed hundreds and, three days later, May 8, Mt Pelee finally exploded, sending a murderous avalanche of white-hot lava straight toward the town. Within three minutes St Pierre was completely obliterated. Of its 30,000 population, there were only two survivors.’

‘A round-the-clock television channel devoted exclusively to ageing, dying and death is to be launched in Germany.

Eos TV will feature documentaries about graveyards, televised obituaries, tips on finding a decent retirement home and even how to install in-house stair lifts.

Wolf Tilmann Schneider, 51, a former TV producer, has joined forces with Germany’s funeral association to launch the 24-hour, seven days a week channel on cable television and the internet. [..]

“It may come as a surprise, but older people really enjoy visiting cemeteries – not just to mourn, but for their peace and quiet,” Mr Schneider said.’

‘Gov. Bill Ritter heard the shots echo in the hallway — pop, pop, pop.

Just outside his Capitol office, a man who declared “I am the emperor” had been shot and killed by a state trooper when he refused to drop his gun, authorities said. [..]

Authorities said the unidentified man — described as wearing dark pants and a white shirt — had at least two verbal confrontations with state troopers in Ritter’s security. The man had walked into the reception area of Ritter’s office and was being escorted out before he produced a gun and refused orders to put it down, police spokesman Sonny Jackson said. [..]

Before he was shot, the gunman said, “I am the emperor and I’m here to take over state government,” said Evan Dreyer, the governor’s spokesman.

Police said they did not know his name or motive.’

‘A 24-year-old Texas mother is in jail after she treated her 2-year-old son’s head injury with a Popsicle instead of calling 9-1-1.

Ebony Thorne’s son Joshua later died of the injury.

Arlington police said the boy fell eight feet down a U-shaped stairwell in Thorne’s apartment Wednesday morning. Investigators said instead of calling for an ambulance, Thorne placed a Popsicle on her son’s head and put him to bed.

When the boy’s father arrived later, he found Joshua unresponsive. Police said he called Thorne’s mother, who drove to the apartment from Fort Worth and called 911.’

‘Prince Harry revealed this week that he’s been bullied because he has red hair. That takes some nerve — bullying someone whose grandma holds the keys to the Tower of London.

In Britain, redheads don’t have it easy, but since you can no longer say nasty things about race, religion, ethnic origin, disability or gender orientation, the only ones left to abuse seem to be redheads. It’s being called “gingerism.” In Britain, red hair is called ginger, and redheads, gingers. [..]

In the meantime, it looks like another home for the Chapman family in Newcastle. The Chapmans have already moved three times in as many years because of the abuse suffered by the six red-haired family members. Kevin Chapman says his 11-year-old son attempted suicide over it — not uncommon. According to the International Gingerkids Foundation, 10 percent of red-headed kids commit suicide by the age of 16.’

‘A convicted killer who had already staged one helicopter-assisted prison break, again escaped from a French prison today using a helicopter.

Pascal Payet, 43, broke out of Grasse prison, southeast France, after a helicopter hijacked by four masked men landed on the roof of one of the prison buildings, said a source close to the investigation.

The helicopter landed some time later at Brignoles, 38 km northeast of Toulon, on the Mediterranean coast. Payet and his accomplices released the pilot unharmed and fled the scene.’

‘Jim Morrison lived life in the fast lane, blowing fans’ minds with his trippy lyrics and magnetic stage presence. So it has always seemed strange that according to official records he died in benign circumstances: from heart failure in a Paris bathtub. Now, a new book suggests the singer may have met his maker with a psychedelic bang after all.

Sam Bernett, a former Paris nightclub manager, has claimed that the Doors frontman died on 3 July 1971 in a lavatory cubicle at his club. The suspected cause of death: heroin overdose.

Although rumours of this have circulated since Morrison’s death 36 years ago, no witnesses have come forward, until now.

The author, who managed the venue in question, believes two drug dealers carried Morrison out of the club and took him to his apartment. After arriving there, Bernett claims, Morrison was thrown into a bath in an attempt to revive him.’

‘A woman has been banned from going into the sea around the British coastline after trying to drown herself more than 50 times.

Amy Beth Dallamura’s suicide attempts over the past five years have cost emergency services up to £1million.

The 44-year-old has tried to kill herself by jumping off piers and jetties and wading into the ocean.

Police, lifeboats, coastguards and the RAF’s air and sea rescue helicopters have all been involved in rescuing her. [..]

The former golf professional was stopped by police from going into the sea on June 21.

Later that day she was winched from a cliff face after again trying to go into the sea.

On June 23, she had to be airlifted to hospital after going into the sea and being pulled out of the water. Two days later she phoned police threatening to kill herself in the sea. She was found on rocks suffering from hypothermia.’

‘Prison overcrowding is contributing to a sharp rise in inmate suicides in jails in England and Wales, the Chief Inspector of Prisons said today.

So far this year, some 50 prisoners have taken their own lives, compared to 67 in the whole of last year.

If deaths continue at the same rate, it would reverse a trend which has seen prison suicides fall from levels such as 95 in 2002, 94 in 2003 and 95 in 2004 to 78 in 2005 and 67 in 2006.

Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, said that the recent overcrowding crisis had seen newly-convicted prisoners housed in police and courthouse cells, where they do not have access to the support proper jails offer at their time of greatest vulnerability.’

‘Two people are expected to be charged Wednesday in connection with the bizarre 2003 case in which a pizza deliveryman died after a collar bomb attached to him exploded, CNN has learned.

Brian Wells died August 28, 2003, in Erie, Pennsylvania, after he claimed gunmen grabbed him, locked the bomb around his neck and ordered him to rob a bank. Police detained him after the robbery, and the device exploded as he waited on the pavement. A bomb squad was en route to the scene but did not arrive in time.’

The Smoking Gun has more.

‘An Indian man “mortgaged” his baby son to pay for his wife’s cremation after she died giving birth, reports said today.

Bipin Gagarai of the southeast state of Orissa said he “mortgaged” his son for 1,200 rupees ($31) because he did not have enough money to pay for the funeral.

“As he had no money to transport the body to his village and undertake funeral expenses, he handed over the baby to a childless couple who paid him 1,200 rupees,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

But district official Shivaji Bhuyan said Mr Gagarai had promised he would reclaim the infant once he had earned enough money to pay back the debt.’

‘A female Muslim juror has been arrested in Britain after allegedly listening to an MP3 player under her hijab headscarf during a murder trial, police said Monday.

The woman in her early 20s was spotted by a fellow juror listening to music as she was meant to be helping try the case of a pensioner accused of bludgeoning his wife to death after 50 years of marriage.

She could now be charged with contempt of court and, if convicted, may be punished with an indefinite jail sentence and an unlimited fine.’

‘Divers recovered the body of a 18-year-old boy this morning from a pond north of Greeley after he and a friend had driven an old car into the water during a stunt Friday night.

The 18-year-old, David Griego, and 19-year-old Darren Bucklen, both of Greeley, sped over a dirt ramp they built at the lake’s edge and flew 40 feet from the shore in an older car that they had cut the roof off of, said Dale Lyman, spokesman for the Union Colony First Rescue Authority in Weld County.

The car quickly sank, and the victim and his companion came to the surface, Lyman said.

Friends watched as the boys struggled in the water at 9 p.m. and one sank in 25 feet of water, Lyman said. Apparently Griego was having trouble swimming, possibly because he was injured, Lyman said.’