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Doctor to pay for unwanted baby
Contraceptive implant
A doctor who carried out a failed contraceptive operation has been ordered by a German court to pay financial support for the child.
The gynaecologist had inserted a patch into the patient's arm, but it failed to prevent pregnancy six months later.
The woman, who had recently qualified as a teacher, had to give up her new job to care for her child.
The highest judicial court has ruled the doctor must pay 600 euros (?400) a month until the child reaches 18.
German gynaecologists now fear a flood of lawsuits, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin.
The decision in Karlsruhe, made on Tuesday, has met with disapproval in the German press.
The conservative Die Welt said the whole idea of damages being paid for the birth of a child was "perverse": "In addition to the highly private inkling that he was not wanted by his parents, he now has official confirmation that he was born by mistake," it said.
The device is meant to protect against pregnancy for up to three years, but six months after the operation, the implant could no longer be found in the woman's body, the court said.
The parents, who had known each other six months at the time of the conception, were no longer together, the court said.
The father will also be compensated for the maintenance he is paying for the child.
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Patient gamers buy PlayStation 3
Patient American gamers are buying Sony's new PlayStation 3 console after queuing in some cases for many days.
Four hundred thousand machines have gone on sale, following its debut in Japan last week.
Many shops opened at midnight to sell the console, which costs $499 (?264) to $599 depending on the model.
Kaz Hirai, chief executive of Sony's American games division said: "We're going to try and get as many units into the North American market as possible."
He added: "Usually most companies would boat the product in, but we're actually chartering airplanes to bring them into the North American market to try to shorten that lead time, so we get as many units into the hands of consumers as possible."
The console in action
At a midnight launch event at a shop in New York, Sergio Rodriguez was the first to walk away with a new console as people queuing outside cheered. He had been camped outside the shop since Sunday.
"This is the best game ever. It's so worth the wait," the 25-year-old graphics designer said. "Some people may call me crazy, but I really love to play."
About 400,000 consoles have been made available for the North American launch, four times the number on sale in Japan last week where there were reports of homeless people being paid to queue for the console.
European gamers have to wait until March next year before being able to buy the machine.
Saby Madrigal, an 18-year-old college student who worked for a month at a shop to save up for a PS3, stood and queued outside a Circuit City store in New York for 24 hours but failed to buy a PS3.
She vowed to keep looking.
"For the work we had to do to get all the money to get the stupid system, I'm going to search every single store in town," she said. "I don't care, I'm going to get it."
Sony, which has suffered problems in the last 12 months with laptop battery recalls and lags behind rivals in key products such as music players and high definition TVs, is counting on the PS3 to maintain and build its market lead in video game consoles.
More than 200m PlayStations 1 and 2s have been sold over the last 12 years, making the firm the dominant company in the $30bn a year videogame industry.
Some customers were buying PS3 machines for themselves or as gifts, but many were hoping to resell them at a profit.
Even before Friday's launch, units were fetching four or five times their retail price on the online auction website eBay.
James Salterio, 27, waiting outside a shop in Houston, said greed was his motivation.
"I'm gonna sell mine," Mr Salterio said, estimating he would make anywhere between $1,500 (?794) and $4,000 (?2,119).
$4,000??? [img]eek.gif[/img]
if you check E-Bay right now you can see bids for a brand new Playstation 3 ranging as high as $10,000. That is just INSANE.... [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img]
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LMAO... $30,000??????????????? That's more than a lotta people make in a whole year... i wanna meet this asshole that has too little patience and too much money... and marry him... HAHAHAHA. if he's dumb enough to pay $30,000 for a game system, i'm pretty sure he'd buy me a Lexus SUV!!!! [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/sure.gif[/img]
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lol, to quote the movie the waterboy...
....which brings me to my next point, gentlemen... DON"T SMOKE CRACK. lmaooooooooooooooo.
Man Attacked By Gator After Smoking Crack!
Lakeland, Florida (WTSP-TV) - A Polk City man is in critical condition after being attacked by an alligator early Wednesday morning.
Officials say the man had been smoking crack cocaine and was naked when he walked into a swampy area of Lake Parker in Polk County around 4 AM. While walking through the water, an alligator believed to be about 12 feet in length attacked the man. Authorities say the victim, identified as 45-year-old Adrian Apgar, then started screaming for help.
A short time later, three deputies and a Sgt. from the Polk County Sheriff's office arrived on the scene. Within seconds, the men started walking through the swampy area looking for the victim.
"When I first saw him (Apgar), he was crouched down, you could tell the alligator had him by the arms," says Billy Osborne, a Polk County Deputy.
Eventually the men were able to get Apgar from the alligator and pull him to shore.
"I would be lying if I didn't say I was somewhat scared," says Michael Parker, one of the other deputies who responded.
Apgar was taken to a local hospital and according to the sheriff is in critical condition. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says Apgar has a broken right arm, a partially amputated left arm and major trauma to his left leg and rear.
"I asked the deputies how big do you thing the alligator was?" say Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "They said 'about the size of a school bus."
About 10 hours after the attack, professional trappers removed an alligator from the lake that measured almost 12 feet in length. Officials believe it's the gator that attacked Apgar. According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesperson, the alligator will be destroyed.
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gonna post two entertaining little stories here and you people can decide which is the dumber of the two... [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Man Picks Wrong Time to Use Bogus Check
From Associated Press
December 07, 2006 4:10 PM EST
CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A man who police say tried to pass a counterfeit check at a Wal-Mart chose the wrong store at the wrong time. Dozens of officers were at the suburban Detroit store Tuesday helping needy children pick out items as part of an annual "Shop with a Cop" charity event.
That didn't stop Calvin E. Fluckes Jr., 21, from pulling into the parking lot next to 40 marked squad cars, police said. He apparently was unfazed by the police presence as he tried to pay for merchandise with a poorly photocopied check for $847.83.
The cashier called over a manager, who alerted one of the 80 officers who happened to be in the store.
"He was immediately apprehended," Chesterfield Township police Lt. David Marker told the Detroit Free Press. "I can't even imagine what he was thinking."
Fluckes was arraigned Wednesday on one count of uttering and publishing. He was being held in the Macomb County Jail on $2,000 bail.
He could face up to 14 years in prison if convicted, The Detroit News reported.
now for the other one....
Holiday Shoppers Keep Buying During Fire
From Associated Press
December 07, 2006 4:07 PM EST
MENTOR, Ohio - An electrical fire that filled a department store with thick smoke didn't deter holiday shoppers, and firefighters had to block the doors to keep customers from coming in, authorities said.
No one was injured in the fire at Dillards South at Great Lakes Mall on Wednesday, but some bargain hunters were inconvenienced.
"It was amazing," said Mentor fire Battalion Chief Joe Busher. "Even though there was heavy smoke in there, they all wanted to stay and shop. We even had to put people at the door to keep people from coming in."
The fire burned circuits of a high-voltage electrical panel near a women's dressing, firefighters said. It took them eight minutes to put it out.
Busher estimated fire damage of about $30,000 and about $100,000 in smoke damage to merchandise.
Manager Mary White said the store would reopen Friday.
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Information from: The News-Herald, http://www.news-herald.com/jrc-html/...index_p33.html
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Did you hear about the woman who was kicked off an American Airline flight for lighting matches to hide her...er...flatulance problem.
The FBI forced everyone off the plane, searched all luggage and let everyone else resume the flight (3 hours later) except the gassy woman who had no charges brought against her, but is now banned from American Airlines.
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RCMP commissioner's resignation not enough, Maher Arar insists
CBC News
The resignation of the RCMP commissioner alone won't ensure accountability on matters of national security, Maher Arar said Friday.
Arar spoke publicly for the first time since Giuliano Zaccardelli resigned Wednesday, under pressure for the RCMP's handling of Arar's case.
"It is only my hope that Justice [Dennis] O'Connor next week in his report will recommend an agency that can oversee the activities of all those departments that have to do with national security," Arar said from his home in Kamloops, B.C.
"The public deserves to have the full truth," he added. "Accountability is about more than one person, or one agency, or one government department."
Arar, a Canadian citizen who was born in Syria, was stopped at a New York airport on his way home from a vacation in September 2002. U.S. officials accused him of links to al-Qaeda and deported him to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured for months.
O'Connor, who led the public inquiry into Arar case, said in September that misleading information the RCMP provided "very likely" paved the way for U.S. officials to send the 36-year-old to Syria.
Continue Article
The judge found the RCMP broke rules designed to restrict and qualify the kinds of intelligence information they routinely exchange with their counterparts in the U.S.
Arar's lawyer, Julian Falconer, said Friday it is essential that the source of leaks to the media that smeared Arar's reputation be uncovered.
"These leaks had a devastating effect on my psychological, mental and financial well-being," Arar said. "We still do not know who these officials are and I am afraid that they will destroy other people's lives unless they are caught and held accountable."
Soon after O'Connor's findings were made public, Zaccardelli testified to a Commons committee that he learned about the incorrect information the RCMP had passed on and tried to correct the error during Arar's detention.
But earlier this week, Zaccardelli said he didn't learn about the incorrect information until after O'Connor's inquiry report was released. He resigned a day later, after serving as commissioner for five of his 36 years in the RCMP.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper declined to say Friday whether he believed an independent oversight agency was necessary, and said he would defer to the policy recommendations in the second phase of O'Connor's report, expected to be released next week.
"We'll probably take a fair amount of guidance from [the] conclusions," Harper said.
'Objective search'
The prime minister said the government would undertake a "thorough, professional and objective search" for Zaccardelli's successor.
In the House of Commons Friday, the Opposition continued to hammer Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day over the RCMP commissioner's inconsistencies and when the government first became aware of them.
Day pointed to O'Connor's report findings that a Liberal minister questioned whether Arar was in fact being tortured and the fact the solicitor general did not contact the Syrians about the Canadian citizen.
"It was horrifying how they mishandled this file," Day said.
Falconer characterized the government position since Zaccardelli testified in September as "observer status" and said the Conservatives shouldn't consider themselves off the hook.
He told CBC News that the government should make available portions of the O'Connor report that have yet to be released in order to restore public faith.
"There were many institutions involved in this sad tale," he said, citing CSIS and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
It is expected government officials will meet with Arar next week to begin talks about compensation.
While the House of Commons issued an apology in September, an official apology from the government could follow a settlement.
in depth: Maher Arar
couldn't make a person prouder of their country..... -shakes my head-
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*nodding*... i read something about once a day, paige, that makes me feel the same way....
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Check this weird ...er...news...
SYDNEY, Australia - An Australian diver on Wednesday told of how he wriggled free from the jaws of a Great White Shark that had half-swallowed him head first, saying he could feel the shark?s teeth sink into his weight vest.
?I?ve never felt fear like it til I was inside those jaws, with those teeth getting dragged across my body,? abalone diver Eric Nerhus told the Nine television network from his hospital bed a day after the attack off Australia?s south-east coast.
Nerhus, 41, was partly swallowed by the 9-foot shark when it attacked at less than three feet below the surface, but said he managed to fight his way free by jabbing the shark?s eye with his free left hand.
?I went straight into its mouth, front onwards. My shoulders, my head and one arm went straight down into its throat. I could feel the teeth crunching up and down on my weight vest,? he said.
Nerhus said he was collecting abalone when the shark struck, knocking the regulator, which supplies oxygen, from his mouth and leaving him inside the shark?s open jaws and throat.
?I put my left arm down the side of its face because my head and shoulders and right arm were right down in its throat. Half my body was in its mouth,? Nerhus said.
?I felt down to the eye socket with my stiff fingers. I poked my fingers into the eye socket, which the shark reacted to in a way that it opened its mouth a bit, and I just tried to wriggle out,? he said.
As he pulled his head from the shark?s mouth, it crushed his goggles against his face, leaving Nerhus with a broken nose.
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My question is, If it swallowed him head first, didn't that mean he saw it coming??? If I was in the water and saw a shark coming at me, that damn shark would be tasteing butt...know what I mean
