LONDON (Reuters) - Police in central England are hunting for a badly scorched would-be copper power cable thief after finding a hacksaw embedded in an 11,000 volt power cable Saturday night. Smooth move there, top job.
The thief, who also left a lit blow torch at the scene, is expected to be badly charred, spiky haired and not exactly the brightest bulb in the socket. Coming from Reuters, that is an insult almost worse than the injury.
"The sheer stupidity of cutting through power cables should be glaringly obvious to everyone," said Phil Wilson, customer operations manager with local power company Central Networks. Mr. Wilson sounds like a responsible adult. We are not dealing with that type at this time.
"At the very least putting the hacksaw through the cable would have created an almighty bang and the line would have burned for quite a few seconds, showering them with molten copper... We can only assume they left in a great hurry or they were injured and were dragged away by an accomplice." But searches of local hospitals have so far not found the culprit, a spokeswoman for Derbyshire Police said Tuesday. I would pay REAL MONEY to see a YouTube video of that thing arcing...
"Maybe they had a lucky escape," she said. "We don't have any leads yet." Was 'leads' a joke?
Nearly 800 customers in the village of Creswell were cut off when the wannabe copper thief sawed into their power supply on Saturday night, but Central Networks got the lights back on within a few hours. They (Central Networks) must be professionals when it comes to dealing with electricity. LOTS of electricity.
Copper prices have more than doubled in the last four years as China has gobbled up huge quantities of it, sparking a wave of copper thefts across the globe from South Africa and the United States to Italy and Britain. Blame it on the ChiComs.
Thieves targeting power lines and electricity substations have already led to two fatalities in Britain and many serious injuries, while leaving thousands without power.
#4
i cut into a 220 with a pair of tin snips one time( i thought the power was cut, and a little intoxicated) and you talk about knocking the hell out of someone. I beth the guy is dead if he cut into 11,000 volts
Citing an effort to hold down costs, health insurance giant Blue Cross wants doctors in California to report conditions it could use to cancel new patients' medical coverage, it was reported Tuesday.
The state's largest for-profit health insurer is sending physicians copies of health insurance applications filled out by new patients, along with a letter advising them that the company has a right to drop members who fail to disclose "material medical history," the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site.
"Any condition not listed on the application that is discovered to be pre-existing should be reported to Blue Cross immediately," according to the letter obtained by the newspaper.
One of the conditions noted in the letter that could force a new patient to be dropped by Blue Cross pre-existing pregnancies.
WellPoint Inc., the Indianapolis-based company that operates Blue Cross of California, said it was sending out the letters in an effort to keep costs at a minimum.
"Enrolling an applicant who did not disclose their true condition (and the condition is chronic or acute), will quickly drive increased utilization of services, which drives up costs for all members," WellPoint spokeswoman Shannon Troughton said in an e-mail to the newspaper.
"Blue Cross feels it is our responsibility to assure all records are accurate and up to date for HMO providers," she said. "We send these letters to identify members early on in the process who may not have been honest in their application."
Troughton added doctors are not required, but rather can volunteer, patients' information to Blue Cross.
Doctors were unhappy about the letter, warning that some patients might hide any medical history that could affect their prospects of receiving health insurance.
"We're outraged that they are asking doctors to violate the sacred trust of patients to rat them out for medical information that patients would expect their doctors to handle with the utmost secrecy and confidentiality," said Dr. Richard Frankenstein, president of the California Medical Association. This was anticipated long ago, when government tried to force insurers to take on extremely sick patients (notably AIDS), that were guaranteed to never earn those companies a dime. In future, now, insurers will use genetic information to blackball those with any number of serious genetic conditions. They won't be able to ever get coverage, so they will have no HIPPA act protection, either.
"Blue Cross of California highly values the trust of its members and understands the personal relationship members have with their physicians and medical groups. It is our responsibility to assure all member records are accurate and up to date, both for the benefit of our members and the providers in our HMO network. One of the ways we do this is to send the member's application for medical coverage to the physicians to ensure that it mirrors what is reflected in the physician's notes for that member. We believe the sending of the application satisfies this obligation.
This notification process has been in place for several years, and to date we have not received any calls or letters of concern. However, we are now aware that the CMA has some concerns regarding a cover letter that accompanies the applications. We greatly value our relationship with the CMA and look forward to working with them to address any questions or concerns they may have regarding this letter.
It is important to note that of the approximately 300,000 new individual Blue Cross members each year, this letter pertains to less than 1,000 HMO members per month."
#5
phil_b: unfortunately, there are hundreds of genetic diseases that, even if they only increase your chances of getting a disease by 10%, mean that nobody wants to insure you. One of the big ones is breast cancer, where genetics may be the fourth or fifth most determining factor of whether you get cancer.
In truth, probably 80% of people have some known, underlying *excuse* that could be used to deny them insurance, if the insurer *or* their underwriter knew. Why gamble on people with a chance to become sick, if you can do so only with people less likely to become sick?
Optimally, a health insurer would want only to insure people who would be very healthy to the age of 65, then die of an acute heart attack before they hit the ground. That way, they would get paid a fortune, with minimal expense.
However, a whole life insurer would prefer somebody who is sickly but long-lived, so they don't have to pay a dime until they've had the premiums for years.
#6
It's fair to cancel coverage if the patient concealed a pre-existing condition - I suspect a lot of cases Blue Cross is trying to dump are patients with previously undiagnosed but pre-existing conditions. "Gee, sir, that's a pretty advanced case of colon cancer you've got there, and you've only been insured a couple of months, so I'm afraid we're going to have to cancel you." I KNOW this happens.
#7
The problem is legislative. Insurance companies assess their risks and price accordingly.
If they are required by law to price insurance without reference to pre-existing conditions, then they will do so. Of course, the cost to everyone will be substantially higher.
Take your pick?
Disclaimer: I know fraud is so rampant in Insurance that buyng lottery tickets gives you better odds than buying insurance.
UNEMPLOYED scrounger Mohammed Salim is getting the state to pay for him, his wife and their ELEVEN kidsbecause he can't be bothered to go to work. He quit his £27,000 job teaching maths and science three years ago and is BETTER OFF claiming £29,096 a year in benefits. And he has much more time to devote to his Islamic political party which ATTACKS the British government, even though this country gives his family their food, clothes and house for free.
Mohammed is also busy planning his TWELFTH baby with wife Noreen, 35, but has no plans to get a job. He grinned: "For many years I worked in Derby as a teacher, earning £27,000 a year, and Noreen would be at home with the kids. "I would come home at weekends. Then I moved back to work in Manchester and took a pay cut to £24,000. It was a load of c***. "I was teaching at a college and I'd be up at 5.30am with the kids then have to go to work.
"I just couldn't be a***d with sitting in traffic. I'd be sat in traffic for hours and I felt like I'd done a day's work by the time I got there, I was so stressed." "It's nice to be at home with the kids and for Noreen to have a hand." That's a luxury most hard-working taxpayers who struggle to support their families can only dream about. The family we're all supporting live in a comfy five-bedroom house on a quiet street in Rochdale, Gtr Manchester. They get £19,000 a year Jobseeker's Allowance, £6,600 Child Benefit, £2,496 free school meals and £1,000 Council Tax Relief.
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Posted by: john frum ||
02/13/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Geez. Why is it that I feel the sudden urge to fly to England and cave this guy's face in with a hammer?
1. That's true about multiplying - this is right of ourselves.
2. It's the local UK population responsible for caving in and allowing their own government to do idiotic things like immigration and welfare.
3. It's easier to live only for yourself, without additional efforts to feed and educate own children. However, it comes with the cost. Like Napoleon said "who does not feed own army, feeds the hostile one". UK neighbors have a right to influence the nonsense in UK since the abovementioned cost will also apply to them.
4. Same UK population is responsible for watching their immigrant neighbors and implying discipline on them,so worhers and specialists are grown up, not terrorists and criminals.
If anything logical happens in UK such as civil war, the britons deserve to pay quite a big debt to the liberators from USA or other countries. Since they didn't care about their own country when it was time; this has been way too undemocratic.
MOSCOW (AP) - Out on DVD for Valentine's Day across Russia is a heartwarming drama about a man and a woman who love each other and their countryand who bear an uncanny resemblance to Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila.
Just when it seemed like the Russian president's public image had been burnished to a spotless shine by state television, along comes a film that appears to cast the steely former spy in a softer lightas smitten suitor, loving husband and dedicated dad.
While acknowledging "many similarities" with Putin, producer Anatoly Voropayev coyly claims the lead character in "The Kiss is Off the Record" is based on a "collective image," not the president himself. "We believe that since today we are not ashamed of our leader, why not make heroes who are like him?" Voropayev told The Associated Press.
Continued on Page 49
CANBERRA - Australian surgeons carried out a further operation on Wednesday on East Timors president, who remains seriously ill from triple gunshot wounds suffered in an assassination attempt, a senior doctor said. The president underwent surgery this morning and we are very pleased with his progress, although he remains in a serious but stable condition, Len Notaras, general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital, told Reuters.
Rebel soldiers shot Jose Ramos-Horta outside his home in Dili on Monday. He was airlifted to Darwin on life support after treatment at an Australian military hospital in East Timors capital. Ramos-Horta has already had surgery to reconstruct his right lung, although Notaras refused to say what operation was carried out on Wednesday ahead of an afternoon press briefing by the Nobel Peace Prize winners family.
Ramos-Horta is expected to stay in a medically induced coma until next week after two rounds of surgery to rebuild his lung and remove bullet fragments. One fragment remained in his body ahead of surgery on Wednesday.
"This violent reaction of our anti-war forces shows how threatened we are by Americans fighting for Marines, " said Zanne Joi, a Code Pink activist. "We trust the council will be swayed by this vicious left-wing attack. I need a fix real bad! Anyone holding?"
To accommodate tonight's expected crowd of protesters and reporters, the city will broadcast the meeting outside on speakers. Oh this will go well
Move America Forward is already unhappy with what council members are not planning to do - rescinding four other items the council passed that are seen as a swipe at the Marines. Really?
Those items asked the city attorney to investigate whether the Marines are violating city law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation; ... Guess Berkley city hall trumps Federal law now, on their planet...
... urged people to 'impede' the recruiting work of the Marines in Berkeley; and gave Code Pink a free parking space and sound permit to protest once a week in front of the recruiting station. It's OK we're city approve seditionists
Meanwhile, union workers are protesting a move to put restrictions on Pacific Steel Casting, which many in Berkeley blame for a persistent odor. Tree huggers taking the the Marines and Union boys. Guess pot is stronger now a days
All that for a meeting space with a capacity of 123.
At Tuesday night's council meeting, Berkeley politicians will also consider measures that would condemn the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border as well as a request to Canadian leaders to grant sanctuary for U.S. war resisters.
#2
Looks like a city council sponsored circus all done in support of their code pinko fellow travelers. Doesn't look like anything of substance is going to be achieved. In the meantime, I hear some right thinking companies are pulling their money out of Berkeley. Way to go Berkeley, sealed in a pit of their of their own filth. Given their hygene habits, they prolly can't tell the difference. Thanks for the boilermaker TW...hit the spot!
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
02/13/2008 0:34 Comments ||
Top||
#3
request to Canadian leaders to grant sanctuary for U.S. war resisters.
Oh, they mean deserters!
Canuckian gummint says: "Ya'll shit out of luck, we don't grant sanctuary to AWOLers."
#8
check out the front of the office, isn't this illegal?
Posted by: Harry Elmavins6774 ||
02/13/2008 16:49 Comments ||
Top||
#9
If the Feds yank all that money, you could probably fire every Berkeley cop and let Code Pink handle the job for all the fuckin good the PD appears to be doing...
I personally have a big pile of pissed-off left over from the treatment of our vets during Nam, not to mention fresher anger over the 9/11 Troothies and all that has happened since.
I suspect I'd not be alone in beating the shit out of the pinkies.
#13
It would just tickle the Holy Shit out of me to find that due to "Budget Cuts" th Bezerkley Mayor is forced to call in the Marines to patrol the town, afer all the cops are fired from "Lack of funds"
(Well, I can dream, can't I?)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/13/2008 17:52 Comments ||
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Yea -- right--
Mexico's President Felipe Calderon is in California today and will unveil a plan he hopes will keep Mexicans in Mexico. Calderon's new plan to be unveiled in Sacramento today doesn't have anything to do with beefing up the border though.
Calderon is traveling to the U.S. to try to reshape the immigration debate in the midst of the presidential campaign. He is not meeting personally with any of the presidential candidates, but he is urging them not to scapegoat immigrants.
He arrived last night in Sacramento and had dinner with Governor Schwarzenegger. Today, President Calderon will address state lawmakers. That's when he's expected to detail plan to slow illegal immigration into the state.
He's expected to announce that Mexico will be spending about $45 billion a year for the next four years to create jobs in Mexico so fleeing to California isn't as attractive. Those billions will build new airports, highways and ports all designed to create jobs for Mexicans.
#1
He is not meeting personally with any of the presidential candidates, but he is urging them not to scapegoat immigrants.
Of course not. It's just the white pure Spanish decendents who feel the need to scapegoat the indio o mezitos for the condition of Mexico. How dare they want part of the pie and power! Why else would the white ruling class in Mexico City promote the exit of their unwanted, unskilled, uneducated upon their neighbor.
Calderon is traveling to the U.S. to try to reshape the immigration debate in the midst of the presidential campaign.
Let's take a page out of your own Mexican Constitution - Article 33:Foreigners are those who do not possess the qualities determined in Article 30. They have the right to the guarantees of Chapter I of the first title of this Constitution, but the Executive of the Union has the exclusive right to expel from the national territory, immediately and without necessity of judicial proceedings, all foreigners whose stay it judges inconvenient. Foreigners may not, in any manner, involve themselves in the political affairs of the country.
However, we do need to reshape the debate from one focused upon any useless solution from Washington and to one where the problem really is - Mexico City.
#3
Wonder what Vincente's up to these days?
Probably sitting on the front porch of his hacienda having a cold one with his feet up watching Guatemalan's mow his lawn...
Some people learn by example. Others learn by getting hurt.
Boulder's elected leaders are expected to decide next week whether to draft and vote on a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
For the past few weeks, activists have been showing up at Boulder City Council meetings, carrying signs, handing out "impeach" pins and asking City Council members to take up such a resolution. Similar measures have passed in cities across the country, including Detroit and Telluride.
Liz Robinson, one of the organizers of the effort, said people hoping to see impeachment proceedings have given congressional Democrats who won a majority in the fall of 2006 plenty of time to act. But since they haven't, she said, locally elected officials should take up the slack.
"If they're not willing to make us all look like beauzeaus, we'll just have to do it for them!"
"Whether or not it's the city's business directly, like potholes, I feel this affects all of us," she said. "We're the ones who are paying the taxes to support this administration's depredations, especially the war."
Impeachment proceedings would be worth doing even if they only put the last few months of Bush's eight years in office at risk, Robinson said. "We need to send a message that this all matters to us, whether it's last-minute or not," she said.
"We'll keep it up for the next thirty years if we have to!"
The group appears to have some support among the City Council, although it's not clear if it has the five votes it would take to get a resolution drafted and subsequently debated.
City Councilman Macon Cowles wrote in a memo to his colleagues that he'll likely make a motion at the Feb. 19 meeting asking that a resolution be drafted. "I believe that these citizens deserve a hearing," Cowles wrote to the council.
It wouldn't be the first time the City Council has weighed in on matters far outside the city's physical boundaries. In 2006, the council approved a resolution calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and in 2003, the council passed a resolution opposing the invasion.
Deputy Mayor Crystal Gray, who helped draft the 2006 resolution, said Boulder has a tradition of debating big-picture issues. "I'm a believer that the council should be responsive at the level of local government to issues that the residents raise, just like the Iraq war resolution," she said.
But City Councilman Ken Wilson said he's not on board. During a recent retreat, the City Council agreed to priorities ranging from fixing structural problems in the budget to doing better land-use planning.
That doesn't leave much time for issues over which the city doesn't have direct jurisdiction, he said. "We did not identify national issues as a priority for work by council and staff. We are already seeing scheduling problems trying to address our priorities and the immediate needs of the city," he said. "Hours spent discussing national issues will reduce the amount of time we can spend on city issues."
#1
Sure. Go ahead Boulder. Do it.
I love the way The Evil Cheney is always added in. Maybe they can add a provision about driving a wooden stake through his cold black heart...
Pull all funding from CU as well. Hell, pull all funding from any city that preaches this nonsense, revoke all clearances and watch the unemployment go up.
On the down side, they will migrate somewhere else... Maybe if we mine the roads heading out of town...
#5
Since they have no power except symbolic why don't they vote for something like world peace, or and end to hatred and racism or free good quality government issued pot.
As for whoever ratted about the dog: I hope you grow up someday.
As for whoever insisted on getting rid of the dog: Not all rules really need to be followed, you heartless ba$tard. If that dog can find this guy over 70 miles of desert in his condition, I'm sure you can find a way to protect the dog.
As for your threat to kill the dog in four days: Makes you the big man, doesn't it? Oh, I forgot: you had no choice.
And when you're deciding how you're going to mess with that Marine for going around you to save the dog, remember that he's going to have one heck of a platform to beat on you with one of these days, and that some day you'll find that you will have to live with yourself. Might as well not make it any harder than it already will be.
Save the hard stuff for the terrorists, not the innocents.
#3
I know heart strings go out for dog stories, but the truth of the matter is that, in a combat zone, halfway around the world, dogs are expendable.
To start with, taking an animal across an international border is a major, expensive pain, which, in most cases, takes several months and a lot of money. But bringing an animal back to the US is a LOT worse.
America is hyper-sensitive about animal diseases being imported into the US. The Major will have to pay over a thousand dollars just for shipping. Then a thousand more for quarantine and veterinary inspection on arrival.
Any sign of disease and the dog is dead. In that it is a larger breed, and probably about 4 or 5 years old, the Major has that long again, or less, before the dog will die of old age.
This Major may have enough chutzpah to go through it all, but most soldiers don't. That is why the military is so hard-assed about it.
They bloody well make it impossible for a soldier to marry an Iraqi woman and bring her back. Dogs? Forget it.
#4
To start with, taking an animal across an international border is a major, expensive pain, which, in most cases, takes several months and a lot of money. But bringing an animal back to the US is a LOT worse.
Not like bringing in illegals is it Moose? We certainly have our priorities right. YJCMTSU
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
LONDON (Reuters) - Police in central England are hunting for a badly scorched would-be copper power cable thief after finding a hacksaw embedded in an 11,000 volt power cable Saturday night.
MOSCOW (AP) - Out on DVD for Valentine's Day across Russia is a heartwarming drama about a man and a woman who love each other and their countryand who bear an uncanny resemblance to Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila. 
