Dire News

Northgate Vehicle Sales, in Darlington, County Durham, UK  was having a chain link fence erected. They hired a contractor to install the fence but failed to apply for plans showing the location of the underground utilities.

Tom Sharp didn’t know about the high voltage cables that ran underneath. So he was shocked when his jackhammer hit an 11,000 volt cable.

The burns he suffered were so severe that his clothes seared to his skin causing 20 per cent burns to his arms, face and neck. He spent more than a month in hospital receiving treatment for his wounds.

He is still receiving therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences.

Northgate Vehicle Sales admitted that it was up to them to get the plans showing the cables and they did not do so.

“Staff did not believe there were cables in the area because the company has no need for high-voltage power and there is no sub-station nearby.” said their attorney.

Some people picked an unfortunate spot to park.

Others couldn’t find them where they left them.

Lots of cars were submerged by floodwaters.

Many of the cars are obviously beyond repair and will be scrapped.

But others will just be cleaned up.

Some of these cars were under 3 feet or more of water. The wiring may be corroded by saltwater. But the insurance companies that own the cars hope to sell most of them to new owners who could fix them up and put them back on the road. Most of the cars are fairly new

At present, about 15,000 storm-ravaged vehicles are parked bumper-to-bumper on runways and taxiways at the Calverton Executive Airport on Long Island, which years ago was the site of a Grumman aircraft manufacturing plant where the military assembled F-14 and tested lunar roving vehicles.

Insurance Auto Auctions Corp. has agreed to pay the town of Riverhead, which owns the airport, $3,200 per month for every acre taken up by the cars. The city expects to collect about $ 2.7 million.

The auto dealers group, and the Illinois firm that plans to auction thousands of cars from Sandy, said car buyers can trace a vehicle’s history through online databases from the insurance and auto industries that disclose whether they were salvaged from storms.

In a recent bulletin, the National Automobile Dealers Association, a trade group, said damaged cars “offer a tempting opportunity for criminals to defraud unsuspecting consumers.” But a spokesman said the group would not support moves to destroy the cars.

Illinois has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation. If you’re determined to bring home a fresh Thanksgiving turkey, but you’re in an urban area, you might have to find an alternative method.

This hunter used a 2.2L 4-cylinder to take down his bird.

A friction fit was used to secure the kill to the front of the vehicle, but we would recommend straps, and to keep it away from the heat of the engine while in transport.

Finally, this turkey is actually a vulture.

Hunting without the proper knowledge and equipment can be hazardous. If you’re going out for the first time, start with something small.

This hunter was out looking for rabbit.

He was apparently confused by the big ears and mistook this baby moose for his intended prey.

The outcome wasn’t good for either the car or the moose.

So remember to keep it safe by using a gun. A car is dangerous in the wrong hands.

The game of Rochambeau has been used for recreation or to settle disputes for thousands of years, as this image of Jesus challenging St. Jerome illustrates.

Enthroned with Saints
By Marco d’Oggiono
1524

It’s still played world wide, by all ages.

Although there are many variations of the game, one thing is always etched in stone.

Paper always beats rock.

But rock beats damn near everything else.

After weeks of torrential rain in Mentougou, a mountainous region in the western hills of  Beijing, a few rocks dislodged and rolled down the mountain.

A two ton boulder embedded itself into a wall, but it missed the residents inside.

Gwyneth Jarman, a resident of Dulverton, Somerset, UK didn’t beat rock either.

The five metric ton boulder rolled down 60 feet, pushed a 1000 liter oil tank against the house and flattened her garden shed. The rock rested against the back of the house.

An investigation is underway to determine why the rock attacked the garden shed.

Heidi Huber had just left her VW Lupo in a parking lot in the Black Forest in Germany when she heard a horrendous sound. Two seconds after she exited, a rock tumbled down and totaled the vehicle.

They should have used paper.

Carlos Rodriguez got his 15 minutes of fame two years ago when he was arrested for soliciting prostitution.

His mug shot was posted online, and it rapidly spread around the world.

Many thought it was a hoax. But Carlos “Halfy” Rodriguez lost a large portion of his brain and skull in a crash after flying through his car’s windshield and landing on his head on the road. He was 14.

“I was barred out on drugs. I was driving and I hit a pole and flew out the front window and landed on my head,” he said in a new warning message on You Tube.

Showing his head to camera he added “And this is how the old boy has come out. That is why it is not good drinking and driving or drugness and driving. It is no good kids.”

But he admits that he still smokes a lot of pot.

“This is what I do daily; burn a stake (joint). Obama is the President of ya’ll United States and he smokes. Fucker has the whole White House growing. Then why can’t I smoke me a blunt?”.

Halfy, who also goes by the name Sosa, is still waiting for an answer from Obama.

Most people don’t have time to think about it when they lose a limb.

A brief moment of distraction or carelessness is all it takes. A lawnmower can be just as dangerous …

… as farm machinery.

A day at the beach can turn bloody.

And so can a Sunday drive.

For these people, the sudden loss of a limb was unexpected and unpleasant. It might cause you to wonder what went through the mind of a Bellingham, WA man who cut off his own arm. According to the City of Bellingham police report:

Bellingham police were called to a medical clinic in the 300 block of Birchwood Avenue late Thursday morning after a man walked into the clinic with a severed right arm. Employees from the clinic called for an ambulance and police.

Statements made by the man to police indicate that the injury was self inflicted.

Officers checked a wooded area near the clinic and discovered a camp believed to be the temporary home of the individual. At the camp, officers located the severed arm and a homemade Guillotine.

The arm was transported to the hospital in the hopes it could be reattached. The Guillotine will be dismantled.

The condition of the victim is not known at this time only that he was being airlifted to Harborview in Seattle for further treatment.

The elaborately constructed guillotine appeared to be made from discarded items, and appeared to be very effective.

The man has not explained his reason for amputating his arm. BPD Public Information Officer Mark Young revealed, ”We suspect he was suffering from mental issues.”

Indie, a two year old Labrador lives with his owner, Belinda Simpkin, and two boys, Ben, eleven, and Alex, eight. Like lots of dogs, he loves to play with his boys and chase things.

But when he took on a Jaguar, he bit off more than he could chew.

Ben had attended a wedding with his mother the day before and received a party bag with a toy car inside. Ms. Simpkin reports, “He was absolutely delighted with it and took it home to play with the next day he was messing around with it at home – I know now he was pushing it along the floor for Indie to chase. Indie would pick it up in his mouth and drop it at Ben’s feet. All of a sudden, Ben came to me and said ‘Mum, I think he’s swallowed the car.’

I had a quick look around for the car but I was in no doubt Indie had swallowed it and Ben was scared. Indie was lying on the ground panting, as if he’d run ten miles. He wasn’t acting his normal self and I knew something was wrong.”

Ms Simpkin said, “The X-rays are unbelievable. You can see the exact outline of the car in amazing detail. Now it’s out, you can even see bubbles in the paint from Indie’s stomach acid.”

The family is keeping the Jaguar as a souvenir.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

In the early 20th century, immigrants were, if not welcome, mostly tolerated. They provided an essential labor force to build a rapidly growing country. They were mostly poor people looking for a better life, and many of them had to sell all of their possessions and borrow money just to get here. They didn’t travel first class.

Fourth class travel was often called “Steerage Class” because the passengers were crowded like cattle. But that was nearly a hundred years ago. Immigrants and the way they travel have changed drastically.

Instead of Europeans arriving by ship, today’s immigrants are mostly Mexicans entering on foot or in vehicles.

But sometimes conditions aren’t any better.

Recently, Mexican police found 513 people squeezed together in two trucks just outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas – a painful 18-hour-drive away from the nearest US border.

They were caught when the trucks sped through a vehicle scanner at a police checkpoint. After the incredible X-ray image came up on the screen, police gave chase, finding 240 people in one truck and 273 crammed into the other.

The vacationers are being given spacious apartments before being repatriated to their home countries.

Bachelor quarters

Some people just can’t stand being alone. Others don’t want to be seen alone and ask their cousin to prom.

And if a driving companion is what you want, people have come up with some innovative ideas.

Maybe it’s your favorite childhood pal.

Or some random guy you picked up from the homeless shelter.

Or your special … “girl”.

The idea is to save time by using the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes, but you have to meet the requirements or risk a hefty fine.

In most cases you need two or more people, and that’s by item, not weight. So people without friends to commute with have to be creative.

A man in Houston was discovered to be traveling with a dummy after an accident in the HOV lanes.

Michael Hooper denied he was using the mannequin to sneak solo into the HOV lane.

“I was not using him for that purpose,” said Hooper, 54, an information technology consultant. “I was transporting him somewhere. He was in the front seat.”

Hooper declined to explain where he was taking the mannequin and said he couldn’t say anything about what led to the crash itself because he needed to speak with his insurance company.

And while Dora the Explorer is out exploring, her cousin Diego is riding in the HOV lanes.

At least he has his seatbelt fastened.

You can take care of a lot of things while staying in your car.  There are drive-up windows for fast food.

You can do your banking.

Drop off or pick up your dry cleaning.

You can even go grocery shopping by drive-through.

Paradoxically, there are even drive-through liquor stores.

You can pick up your stuff at the drug store.

Zurich police chief Daniel Leupi loves the idea of drive-up convenience, so he’s adopting a model that’s already being used in Essen and Cologne, Germany: Drive-in prostitution.

Discreet spot for a quick one

The idea is to let prostitutes ply their trade more discreetly. Zurich has a thriving red light district, and local homeowners have lodged thousands of complaints about the activities.

‘They get up to all sorts in broad daylight – and we’re sick to death of looking at it,’ said one.

Police spokesman Reto Casanova said: ‘We can’t get rid of prostitution, so have to learn how to control it.’

Always know the height of your vehicle before you use the drive-up