Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Man Trapped in a Lavatory for 100 hours
LONDON (Reuters) - A retired Scottish school teacher was recovering on Monday after spending nearly four days trapped inside a men's toilet with no food or mobile phone.
David Leggat was locked inside the bathroom at a lawn bowling club near the Scottish city of Aberdeen after the door jammed and the handle on the outside fell off. The 55-year-old kept warm by dipping his feet in hot water but only managed to get about three hours' sleep a night in the freezing temperatures, the local Evening Express newspaper reported.
He was rescued when the cleaner at the club, which is little used in winter, turned up to collect her cleaning equipment. Leggat said a survival course he had once done had helped him endure his captivity. The cleaning lady said he looked shaken and grey when he emerged. Leggat was stoical.
"At least there was a toilet to use," he said. "The only thing I regret is not getting trapped behind the bar."
Source: Reuters
John Darwin - The case continues
LONDON (Reuters) - A British man, who is facing fraud charges after he "returned from the dead" five years after going missing, had grown a beard and used an assumed name to hide the fact he was still alive, police said Monday.
John Darwin, 57, walked into a London police station last week claiming amnesia after apparently drowning at sea in a canoeing accident five years ago, sparking days of international media coverage.
Cleveland Police in northeast England issued a photo of Darwin with a straggly beard and appealed for information from anyone who might have known him under the name John Jones.
Earlier Monday Darwin was remanded in custody until December 14 at Hartlepool Magistrates Court charged with obtaining money by deception and making a false declaration to get a passport.
Earlier Monday Darwin was remanded in custody until December 14 at Hartlepool Magistrates Court charged with obtaining money by deception and making a false declaration to get a passport.
Police said they had also started questioning his wife Anne, 55, who they arrested on suspicion of fraud Sunday following her return from Panama, where she had recently moved. Detective Superintendent Tony Hutchinson told reporters that Mrs Darwin was cooperating with police. "She's not saying 'no comment' to every question," he said.
Hutchinson said there was nothing to suggest that couple's sons were anything other than victims of the suspected deception, adding that he felt "dreadfully sorry" for them. "They have believed for the past five years their father is dead," said Hutchinson. "Now they find out that not only is he alive, but he has been arrested. And they now find out from the newspapers that their mother knew that their father was alive."
The sons said last week they wanted no further contact with their parents after their mother told newspapers a photo of her and her husband taken together in Panama last year was genuine. Hutchinson said the motive for Darwin's reappearance and earlier disappearance remained unknown.
He said Darwin's sons could not identify any event which could have triggered the disappearance, but said police would investigate whether there were financial issues.
International coverage of the case had resulted in "countless calls" to police with information about the couple as well as emails from Spain and the Caribbean, Hutchinson said. He appealed for the flow of information to continue.
"We need to know where Mr and Mrs Darwin have been both in Europe and North and South America. We need to know who they have been with and we need to know what they have been doing."
Anne Darwin had had reported her husband missing in 2002 when he failed to return home after canoeing in the North Sea near their home in Hartlepool, northeast England.
A few weeks later the shattered remains of his red kayak were discovered. A coroner declared Darwin dead in 2003 after a police inquiry.
A few weeks later the shattered remains of his red kayak were discovered. A coroner declared Darwin dead in 2003 after a police inquiry.
Source: Reuters
Shahrukh Khan - The King
When Shah Rukh sent an impromptu message asking all his associates to come to a suburban five-star hotel on Monday afternoon, they were quite surprised as no one knew the reason behind the get-together.
SRK not only sent a message to Red Chillies's SFX team and top officials but also to all his cooks, drivers, and clerks inviting them all to the do. When all the members gathered at the hall, booked by Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri, they were in for a pleasant surprise.
What followed was a huge celebration to celebrate the success of SRK's production company, Red Chillies. SRK, Gauri, Farah Khan, and other friends of SRK made it a point to celebrate and thank all those who have been associated with the actor's company and films. Apart from the champagne, wine and a lavish spread of food personally selected by Shah Rukh and Gauri, bonus cheques were handed over to each and every member present there. (Incidentally, Vidhu Vinod Chopra usually follows this custom too, of distributing bonus to his employees, from the profits of hit films.)
Says a source present at the do, "Everyone was quiet surprised by SRK's gracious gesture. Initially, no one had a clue about the reason behind the party. But SRK is great. He decided to share the profits made by his company with everyone rather than enjoy it just by himself. This obviously is a kind gesture as it was not a part of any deal or contract that he'd pay a bonus to all his employees. He simply wants all the people working with him to enjoy and be a part of his success. Everyone was very surprised."
Adds another employee from Red Chillies Studio, "This is quite difficult to digest especially in an industry where we have to stand outside the producer's office to get our dues. Getting a share of the company's excess profits is really unheard of in this industry."
While the hall was packed and everyone was cheering and celebrating, SRK and Gauri personally thanked each employee for their services.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Rose Within
A man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.
We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.
This is one of the characteristic of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life... all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the "rose" within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.
We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.
This is one of the characteristic of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life... all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the "rose" within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.
Eagles in a Storm
Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them.
God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them.
God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
The Gift of Life
On the very first day, God created the cow. He said to the cow, "Today I have created you! As a cow, you must go to the field with the farmer all day long. You will work all day under the sun! I will give you a life span of 50 years."
The cow objected, "What? This kind of a tough life you want me to live for 50 years? Let me have 20 years, and the 30 years I'll give back to you." So God agreed.
On the second day, God created the dog. God said to the dog, "You are supposed to do is to sit all day by the door of your house. Any people that come in, you will have to bark at them! I'll give a life span of 20 years."
The dog objected, "What? All day long to sit by the door? No way! I give you back my other 10 years of life!" So God agreed.
On the third day, God created the monkey. He said to the monkey, "Monkeys have to entertain people. You've got to make them laugh and do monkey tricks. I'll give you 20 years life span."
The monkey objected. "What? Make them laugh? Do monkey faces and tricks? Ten years will do, and the other 10 years I'll give you back." So God agreed.
On the fourth day, God created man and said to him, "Your job is to sleep, eat, and play. You will enjoy very much in your life. All you need to do is to enjoy and do nothing. This kind of life, I'll give you a 20 year life span."
The man objected. "What? Such a good life! Eat, play, sleep, do nothing? Enjoy the best and you expect me to live only for 20 years? No way, man!....Why don't we make a deal? Since the cow gave you back 30 years, and the dog gave you back 10 years and the monkey gave you back 10 years, I will take them from you! That makes my life span 70 years, right?" So God agreed.
AND THAT'S WHY.... In our first 20 years, we eat, sleep, play, enjoy the best and do nothing much. For the next 30 years, we work all day long, suffer and get to support the family. For the next 10 years, we entertain our grandchildren by making monkey faces and monkey tricks. And for the last 10 years, we stay at home, sit by the front door and bark at people!
Value
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it!
"Returned from Dead"
"Returned-from-dead" canoeist charged
December 08, 2007
LONDON (Reuters) - A man who "returned from the dead" after apparently being lost at sea in a canoeing accident five years ago was charged by police on Saturday with obtaining money by deception and making a false declaration to get a passport.
The charges come after a week of revelations that began with John Darwin, 57, walking into a London police station claiming amnesia and ended with his wife Anne telling newspapers she had hidden him at the family home during the missing years.
Anne Darwin described how her husband had avoided discovery by using a small passage to an apartment in an adjoining house owned by the couple.
"For three years, while virtually everyone close to us believed John was missing presumed dead, he was actually at home with me," Anne Darwin, who recently left Britain for Central America, told the Daily Mirror.
"We were living as man and wife, although it was far from a conventional life," she added.
"There were a few hairy moments and I lived in fear of being found out," she told the Daily Mail in another interview.
"We were living as man and wife, although it was far from a conventional life," she added.
"There were a few hairy moments and I lived in fear of being found out," she told the Daily Mail in another interview.
On Saturday police urged her to make contact with them as soon as possible but said they did not know when she intended to return to Britain.
Newspaper reports said Darwin's life insurance and work benefits had been paid to his wife.
Living a Lie
She told the Daily Mirror her husband had partly lived with her in the family home but, if visitors called, had to flee through the passage hidden by a wardrobe with a false back to the neighboring apartment.
Former prison officer Darwin vanished in March 2002 from his home, but according to his wife, turned up at their house a year later.
"I didn't even recognize him at first," she told the Mirror. "He was an absolute mess, all disheveled. I was relieved he was alive, of course, but I was also very angry with him."
She said the couple decided to move to Panama but Darwin, who was missing their sons Anthony and Mark, invented a plan to "return from the dead" to see his sons.
In 2002, Anne Darwin reported her husband missing, saying she feared he had suffered an accident while canoeing in the North Sea near their home in Hartlepool, northeast England.
A few weeks later the shattered remains of his red kayak were discovered. In 2003, following a police inquiry, a coroner declared him dead.
SOURCE: REUTERS
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Cremator dumps half-burned bodies
Cremator dumps half-burned bodies to save fuel
December 10, 2007
HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's worst fuel crunch in years has led a crematorium to dump half-burnt corpses to try saving on diesel costs, a Hong Kong newspaper said on Friday.
Villagers in Hengyang County, in the southern province of Hunan, discovered the practice when an "unbearable stench" started coming from the site, and tried to block a road on Wednesday to stop funeral vehicles from delivering more bodies.
The village sent people to investigate the smell and the South China Morning Post said they saw "crematorium workers putting half-burnt human remains and organs in plastic bags and throwing them into a nearby ditch."
"As the price of diesel rose, we saw more and more bags thrown out from the crematorium," the paper quoted Xiao Gaoyi, a village representative and one of the witnesses, as saying.
China was hit by its worst fuel supply crisis in four years from October to November, as a widening gap between low, state-regulated domestic prices and market-driven international prices forced Chinese refiners to cut output.
China was hit by its worst fuel supply crisis in four years from October to November, as a widening gap between low, state-regulated domestic prices and market-driven international prices forced Chinese refiners to cut output.
Fuel in many parts of the country was rationed and there were long queues at petrol stations.
An increase of nearly 10 percent in the prices of domestic diesel and gasoline from November 1, the first in almost a year and a half, failed to lift refining margins back into the black.
An increase of nearly 10 percent in the prices of domestic diesel and gasoline from November 1, the first in almost a year and a half, failed to lift refining margins back into the black.
SOURCE: REUTERS
COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
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