Don Imus reaches settlement with CBS, sued by Rutgers member

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Don Imus has reportedly reached a settlement with CBS and is now negotiating with New York’s WABC radio for a job there.

CBS spokesman Dana McClintock said Imus and CBS Radio reached a settlement to pre-empt Imus’ threatened $120 million breach-of-contract lawsuit.

Martin Garbus, Imus’ lawyer, and CBS Radio issued a joint statement, saying “[Imus and CBS Radio] have mutually agreed to settle claims that each had against the other regarding the Imus radio program on CBS,” but did not release any specific details about the settlement.

Imus was fired from both CBS radio and MSNBC in April after using the phrase “nappy headed hos” when describing the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

CBS and MSNBC argued Imus’ remark was racist and sexist. Meanwhile, Imus’ attorney cited a clause in his contract that said CBS acknowledged that Imus’ services were “unique, extraordinary, irreverent, intellectual, topical, controversial.”

On the same day, Imus was sued by Kia Vaughn, a Rutgers team member. That suit also named NBC and CBS as defendants. The suit alleges libel and seeks monetary damages as of yet unannounced.

Wikinews interviews Australian disability standing skier Jonty O’Callaghan

Monday, December 17, 2012

Recently, Wikinews spent time with with Australian Paralympic skier Jonty O’Clallaghan who was in Copper Mountain, Colorado for the IPC Nor-Am Cup.

((Wikinews)) I’m interviewing Jonty O’Callaghan, one of the Australian skiers with the IPC [International Paralympic Committee] Nor-Am Cup, and you’re a fifteen-year-old?

Jonty O’Callaghan: Yup. Yeah, I’ve been skiing since I was about ten and I really enjoy racing.

((WN)) I talked to your father, he said you’re kind of thinking Sochi?

Jonty O’Callaghan: It’s the matter of if I qualify by getting enough good races and points.

((WN)) How do you balance skiing with doing school?

Jonty O’Callaghan: Over the past few years in Australia I’ve been doing full time in tenth grade in the Australian winter, which means the school at the mountain brings up my work from my home school in Melbourne to do up at the mountain when I’m not skiing.

((WN)) Since you’re not on the development team, do you get enough support or your parents are supporting this?

Jonty O’Callaghan: Yeah, my parents support me all the way. I’ve never doubted their support always though the journeys and I [thank them] for their support throughout and continuing through my journeys.

((WN)) What classification are you?

Jonty O’Callaghan: I am LW9-1.

((WN)) What does that mean for people who know nothing about classification?

Jonty O’Callaghan: I basically have a disability on the right side of my body.

((WN)) Yep.

Jonty O’Callaghan: which weakens two of my limbs and which means I favor my left side a lot more.

((WN)) Did you have that from birth?

Jonty O’Callaghan: Yeah, it was caused by premature birth.

((WN)) Do you do any other sports anything other than skiing or are you one of those Australian ski bunnies?

Jonty O’Callaghan: I’ve done a lot of sports doing my journey, I’ve always played cricket, Australian football, played a little tennis, and I like golf too as a hobby.

((WN)) Are you going to and be one of those dual Paralympians for Winter and Summer?

Jonty O’Callaghan: No, because I don’t think any other sports I like are in the Summer Olympics. I think I’ll pursue them after I finished my skiing career, because cricket you can do when you’re much older.

((WN)) Is there anything else people should know about you?

Jonty O’Callaghan: Yeah, I’m just looking forward to the future and hoping for the best and maybe some medals.

((WN)) Okay cool, thank you very much.

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Eleven die in Libya over Muhammad cartoon T-shirt

Sunday, February 19, 2006

At least 11 people died in Benghazi, Libya on Friday when about 1,000 protesters surrounded and set fire to an Italian consulate and burned Danish flags. The demonstration was in protest of Italian Reforms Minister Roberto Calderoli, who had worn a T-shirt displaying the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons.

A Libyan government statement said, “eleven casualties, including dead, resulted from the clashes.” some of the casualties were police officers.

After wearing the T-shirt, Calderoli offered to resign.

On Saturday, Libya suspended its Interior Minister, Nasr al-Mabrouk. Libya said that “excessive use of force” was used in the riots the day before. The government also said that “all those involved in Friday’s riots and the officials responsible for them” should be investigated and referred to the courts. “We condemn the excessive use of force and the inappropriate way that went beyond the limits of carrying out the duties of the police.”

Historic Scottish island castle wins the lottery

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The UK’s Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) announced today a grant of £4.6 million towards the restoration of Lews Castle on the Western Scottish island of Stornoway. Estimates suggest approximately £14 million (US$ 21.9m, € 16.2m) will be spent to restore and convert the Victorian era property into a museum with four-star hotel accommodation.

Originally built as a home for James Matheson, who made his fortune in the Chinese and Indian opium trade, the castle has lain empty, and on the at-risk register, since the late 1980s. A gap of £1.6 million in required funding remains a concern the local Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (previously, Western Isles Council) is actively seeking help from both Europe and the Scottish government.

Council leader Angus Campbell intends to press the Scottish Government on the final funding; “it would be a huge shame if all the other funding is lost”, he said. “We are optimistic about getting some European funding, which is absolutely crucial, and are asking the Scottish Government to close the funding gap.” Campbell describes what would be the first UK museum with Gaelic as its primary language as “a generational project” with benefits throughout the communities of the Outer Hebrides. Local MSP Alasdair Allan commended the council’s efforts to save Lews Castle saying they, and other agencies, “have been working tirelessly to progress plans that would ensure Lews Castle becomes both a cultural and economic asset to the islands.”

We are optimistic about getting some European funding, which is absolutely crucial

Throughout its colourful history, the castle was at one time owned by William Lever who founded Unilever. Before gifting the castle to the local people in 1923, Lord Leverhulme invested in electric lighting, central heating, an internal telephone system, and the extension of the ballroom for social gatherings. In World War II, the castle was the base for a Naval hospital and squadron of amphibious biplanes. Post-war, it spent 30 years as a technical college and school.

If the final tranche of funding is secured, in 2014 the castle will become the first-ever archive facility in the Western Isles. The collections of Museum nan Eilean (MnE) could move from their current home into the castle; items held by the National Archives of Scotland could return to their native isles. And, modern facilities would permit collections from the National Museum of Scotland and the British Museum – such as the Lewis Chessmen – to be exhibited there.

The Most Unusual Of Plants

By Dave Poult

They might be static and for the most part a shade of green, but that does not limit the wonder of plant life. Their diversity is unsurpassed amongst the natural world and some are truly extraordinary. Here are some examples of the more unusual plants that can be found on our green and pleasant earth.

Venus Fly Trap

One of the most well-known carnivorous plants The Venus Fly Trap is a remarkable organism. Its latin name is dionaea muscipula. Dioneae refers to being the daughter of Dione from Greek mythology that was Aphrodite and the muscipula translates directly as mousetrap. The plant is available all over the world due to cultivation on a large scale and the result has been a plethora of cultivars. However they all still have the hair triggered trap they’re known for. Interestingly if only one hair is disturbed the trap won’t shut, a safe guard against wasting energy.

Aloe Plant

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbihHAwH2DY[/youtube]

Again it’s not the rarest plant in the world but it is unusual. A lot of modern medicine begins with the study of plants and the gradual refinement into a chemical substance that treats a specific ailment. However in the case of the aloe plant, it’s ready to go. If you’ve suffered sun burn and ran out of after sun, simply snap open an aloe leaf and slap on the fluids inside. It does the trick like nothing else.

Pitcher Plants

Pitcher plants or nepenthes vary as a genus; there are over one hundred species. Despite this the carnivorous fellows comprise of the same parts and are a miracle of evolution. They have a pitcher, a rim and a lid. The pitcher is a where they snare their lunch of insects and other bugs, the rim is often colourful and works as a lure to the soon to be dinner, whereas the lid simply keeps rain water out of the pitcher. If the pitcher were to fill with water its lovely waxy sides and syrupy delights would become useless when snaffling and digesting unsuspecting prey.

Sensitive Plant

The mimosa pudica is called the sensitive plant among many other names all of which reflect its extraordinary ability to fold up or ‘sleep’. Pudica translates roughly as ‘shy’ or ‘bashful’ and the movement of the plant when touched does give that impression. It reacts instantly when either touched or exposed to heat, leaves closing up all over the plant. First it occurs and point of origin but travels through the plant like a shockwave. It reopens in a matter of minutes if left alone. Why the plant does this is not categorically known, but it is believed to be a defence mechanism against predators. Either to ward off larger animals that might spook at a plant that moves, or to simply dislodge harmful insects that come to rest on it.

Millions of years of evolution can do some pretty strange stuff as far as unusual plants go, and these four are just a tiny section of what’s out there. I didn’t even cover the triffid…

About the Author: Dave Poult spends his days researching and writing about

unusual gifts for him

over at Find Me A Gift, the gift ideas people.

Source:

isnare.com

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Crossrail set to only compensate £50 for land rights, London, UK

Friday, July 22, 2005

The British Parliament approved the first stage of the new Crossrail underground railroad through London as a £15 billion construction project earlier this month. Crossrail is the first major new train line to be built in London in decades.

The rail line being implemented as a hybrid bill in Parliament. After a second reading in Parliament, it was voted upon and decided that the government will commit to the project so that the line will be built.

The next issue before Parliament of to ensure that the implementation of the bill so it is consistent with private interests of neighborhoods to be affected by Crossrail. This is when residents can petition Parliament to change the way the line is constructed.

As a result of construction of the Crossrail line, hundreds of homes will have new tunnels excavated beneath them.

On contacting Crossrail, they have indicated approximately £50 will be offered to each landowner to buy all the land rights-of-way to build the train tunnel more than 9 meters below the residential buildings. The average value for properties in the affected areas is £350,000.

Under UK compulsory purchase laws to be used in this bill, the residents are entitled to the difference in the value of the whole property with and without a tunnel under it. If the offer given by Crossrail is not accepted by any of the residents, the residents can take the case to the Land Tribunal, where the fair value will be established.

This however, could be cost prohibitive. Crossrail does not indicate that it will attempt to assign a fair value in the original offer and instead is only going to offer around £50 per property in the hope that not many people take the matter to the Land Tribunal.

Diet Herbs: Yerba Mate, Yohimbe And Yucca

By G. Kharchenko

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is a South American plant whose leaves are dried and made into tea or put into capsules. The herb contains vitamins A, B-complex, and C, and the minerals calcium, magnesium, and iron.

Yerba mate is usually touted as a natural upper. And for good reason: It is a central nervous system stimulant. But the herb’s invigorating or fatigue-reducing effect is due mostly to its 2 percent caffeine content.

Yerba mate is found in some natural weight-loss supplements because it is believed to help control appetite, although there is no concrete proof of this. What is known, however, is that the herb has a mild diuretic effect. As with any diuretic, supplementing with it might produce temporary water weight loss.

Potential side effects of yerba mate may include confusion, excessive urination, irritability, nausea, nervousness, and rapid heartbeat. Consumed in very large amounts, yerba mate tea (also known as Paraguay tea) may be cancer-causing. However, medical experts say the herb is relatively safe when taken in small quantities for short periods of time.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wnMVq-37sc[/youtube]

Yohimbe

Yohimbe is an herb derived from the bark of an evergreen grown in West Africa. It is best known for its aphrodisiac properties because it stimulates erection. An extract of the herb, yohimbine, is available as a prescription drug for treating erection problems.

Yohimbine is ail FDA-approved treatment for erection impairment, and it produces good results. What is less certain about the herb or its extract is its effect on fat loss. Yohimbine stimulates the release of noradrenaline (norepinephrine), a hormone that raises body temperature and helps liberate fatty acids from cells to be burned as fuel. When patients on a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet supplemented with yohimbine hydrochloride (a prescription medicine), they lost an average of 7.8 pounds in 3 weeks, compared with a control group who lost an average of 4.8 pounds. Whether or not the whole herb yohimbe produces the same effect is unclear. Still, the herb is included in some natural weight-loss formulas.

Yohimbe is considered a dangerous herb, even by herbalists’ standards. It can cause anxiety, elevated blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, headaches, painful erections, flushing, hallucinations, kidney failure, seizures, and death. The prescription form of the herb produces fewer side effects. This is one of those rare exceptions in which the raw herb is more toxic than its pharmaceutical cousin. It’s best to avoid any natural weight-loss formula containing yohimbe. In fact, the American Botanical Council, which promotes herbal supplements, has recommended that consumers avoid it. Further, the FDA considers it to be potentially unsafe.

Yucca

The yucca plant is a member of the lily family that has been used by Native Americans in the southwestern United States to treat colds, flu, indigestion, and constipation.

A 1992 article published in Health News & Reviews related the story of an anthropology professor who went on a diet of desert herbs, including yucca blossoms, and lost 30 pounds in 3 months. The truth be told, there is no scientific evidence supporting yucca as a weight-loss agent, although you may find it listed as an ingredient in some natural weight-loss products.

Yucca is probably safe in the trace amounts found in natural weight-loss supplements.

About the Author: Georgiy Kharchenko –

ephedra

,

lipodrene ephedrine products

,

nutritional products

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isnare.com

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Oil in Alberta spill may be carcinogenic

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

The province of Alberta, Canada is considering legal action against Canadian National Railway for failing to warn that a derailment last week contaminated Wabamun Lake with a hazardous chemical.

The 700,000 litres of heavy Bunker C fuel oil that spilled into the lake asphyxiated birds and killed fish.

In addition, one of the ruptured tanker cars sent 70,000 liters of Imperial Pole Treating Oil into the lake. This oil is a yellow mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Naphthalene, a component of this “very toxic material” is suspected of causing skin cancer if touched and lung or other cancers if inhaled.[1] Inhalation is promoted by actions that cause splashing or foaming. The mineral oil is used in connection with pentachlorophenol for preserving wooden utility poles.

Wabamun Lake is a popular summertime recreational area about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Edmonton, Alberta.

The 766-megawatt Keephills power generating plant, one of 3 in Wabamun, was shut down because the coal-fired plant uses water from the lake. Edmonton’s health authority ordered people not to swim, boat or rescue animals in the lake and to stop using its water or any water from nearby wells for cooking, drinking, showering or brushing teeth. These warnings came 3 days after many residents, including children, had been wading into the oil slick without protective clothing to save wildlife injured by the spill and others had been routinely depending on the lakewater for home use. Why the alert was not issued sooner remains under investigation and may result in criminal charges. Canadian National Railway had been informed of the nature of the oil when it was loaded by Imperial Oil Ltd., Canada’s largest petroleum company. Imperial Oil is posting informational updates on a special website [2]. In addition The Wabamun Residents Committee has established an information website [3].

Manchester City loans Joe Hart to Torino

Saturday, September 3, 2016

On Wednesday, English football club Manchester City F.C. announced that they had loaned their goalkeeper Joe Hart to Italian club Torino F.C. till the season end.

Hart joined City from Shrewsbury Town F.C. in 2006. Since then, he has won four Premier League Golden Gloves for keeping most clean sheets in a season, which is a League record. In a decade at the Etihad Stadium, Hart has won two Premier League trophies, two Football League Cups and one FA Cup.

Hart debuted for England at the age of 21, and has represented the country at UEFA Euro 2012 and 2016 and FIFA World Cup 2014.

Signing the contract, Hart said, “I am very excited to compare myself in an important and beautiful League such as Serie A.” ((it)) Italian language: Sono molto felice di potermi confrontare in un campionato bello e difficile come la Serie A.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart’s move away from Manchester City came about a week after Pep Guardiola signed Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from FC Barcelona.

Twelve injured in Washington after ride at fair topples over

Sunday, April 19, 2009

At least twelve children have been injured after a swing ride at the Puyallup, Washington Spring Fair toppled over.

The ride is called a ‘LollySwing’, which is located in Kiddyland, where the riders sit in swings while the machine spins them around. It is owned by Funtastic Traveling Shows which has been a ride provider for the fair for over 50 years. The accident happened at around 6:30 p.m. (PDT).

Injuries are being described as mostly cuts and bruises, but one child was reported to have been in a neck brace and was taken to a local hospital. Five other children were also hospitalized.

According to one witness, “it just all of a sudden topped over.” The cause is under investigation. The ride has been at the fair for the past five years. Among the seven largest operators of fair rides in Washington, from 2001 to 2007 there were only seven reports of injuries related to mechanical failures.

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