Monday, May 30, 2011

The University of Chicago’s Joe and Rika Mansueto Library was shut down by a power outage for a short time on Saturday, preventing library personnel from providing full services to its patrons.

The US$81 million library, which opened May 16, includes a 180-seat reading room under a 691-panel glass dome. Five stories underground, a system of five cranes retrieves books sorted into bins, carrying a maximum of about 3.5 million volumes. As of 3:50 p.m. CDT, the automated storage and retrieval system, along with staff computers at the circulation desk, were shut down, preventing patrons from retrieving materials stored underground.

The glass ceiling normally allows enough natural light to pass, but rain clouds in the area darkened the room. Patrons began to flip light switches in front of their seats, but to no avail, and a circulation clerk announced that there had been a power outage. Some patrons then moved to the adjacent Regenstein Library, which still had power. Power was still running along the corridor linking Mansueto and Regenstein Libraries, along with the nearby restrooms and Special Collections Research Center.

An electrician arrived at the building at around 3:50 p.m., and power had been restored by 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Croatia’s sea and transport ministry said the UND Adriyatik, a Turkish freight ship caught fire in the Adriatic Sea 13 nautical miles west of the town of Rovinj on the early morning hours of February 6, 2008. An SOS was launched at 4.04 local time. It said that the 193-metre long ship was sailing from Istanbul in Turkey to Trieste in Italy and was carrying 200 trucks and nine tons of dangerous material, in addition to between 100 and 200 tons of ship fuel, causing fears of environmental damage. An official said Croatian fire-fighting planes and ships were trying to extinguish the blaze. As the fire started inside the ship, there was no way of extinguishing it from the outside. The ship’s 22 crew members and nine passengers were rescued by the Greek ship Ikarus Palace that was sailing nearby and were on their way to Venice.

There were fears of an explosion if the fire was to reach the fuel tanks. Also, the water currents were pushing the ship towards the Croatian coast. However, reports said the fire was diminishing by the end of the day.

Friday, July 20, 2007

A body was found in the nose gear of a United Airlines 747 jet from Shanghai, China, which arrived in San Francisco at 7:42 a.m. (PST).

According to San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault, the man appeared to be Chinese and in his 50s, and had sustained several injuries prior to his death. Foucrault says that the man could have died from lack of oxygen, hypothermia, or being crushed by the landing gear.

The man, currently unidentified, entered the plane’s wheel well, and attempted to stowaway, making him the 65th similar stowaway attempt, and the 59th death resulting from the attempts, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

John Comparetto, a retired New York City Police Department lieutenant, was held at gunpoint on Friday morning by an armed nineteen year old in a hotel bathroom who demanded Comparetto’s money and cellphone.

Comparetto handed over both to the thief. When the criminal took off with the money, Comparetto drew his gun from an ankle holster and immediately chased after the robber. Comparetto asked the hotel desk clerk which way the suspect went, and told the clerk to alert officers at a police convention that a fellow policeman was “in need of assistance”.

A police officer’s convention was being held at the Holiday Inn near Harrisburg Friday for 300 narcotics police officers in attendance from Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The teen departed the scene in a taxi cab outside the hotel.

Comparetto said, “I stopped the cab at gunpoint. Ten other cops came running out and we arrested probably the dumbest criminal in Pennsylvania.”

Jerome Marquis Blanchett is being held at Dauphin County Prison following his arrest.

Tuesday, April 5, 2005

China is questioning a decision by the U.S. Commerce Department that seeks to re-impose trade quotas on Chinese textiles. The three-decade long system of quotas was lifted on January 1.

“This is not reasonable,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters. “This is unfair. This is protectionist.”

The U.S. administration justified their decision by presenting data which showed increases of over one thousand percent for cotton knit shirts and cotton trousers. The administration also cited a 300 percent increase of imports of underwear.

Qin disputed the U.S. reasoning for the decision.

“The major reason for this issue is that the United States has over-protectionist, irrational and unreasonable arrangements,” he said.

“Other countries that are more competitive will still take over from China, and the US can’t impose safeguards on those countries,” Peter Liu, chairman of the textiles and apparel committee at the American Chamber of Commerce, told the Financial Times in Hong Kong. “Obviously, the US textile industry has concerns about job elimination, but on the other hand there are a lot of US industries that like to do business with China by exporting to China. If this escalates into a trade war, that’s to nobody’s benefit,” he said.

The U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (AITA) also supports China’s product imports.

“There is no reason to believe that imports of these products from China are causing market disruption,” AITA spokeswoman Laura E. Jones said.

The U.S. administration cited a need to avoid “market disruption.”

“Free trade must be fair trade, and we will work to ensure that American manufacturers and workers compete on a level playing field,” read a statement issued by U.S. Commerce department spokeman Carlos M. Gutierrez. “The decision is the first step in a process to determine whether the U.S. market for these products is being disrupted and whether China is playing a role in that disruption.” The statement also said the administration was “providing assistance to our domestic textile and apparel industry consistent with our international rights and obligations.”

“We are very pleased that the government is taking this action,” Lloyd Wood, a spokesman for the American Manufacturing Trade Coalition told The New York Times. “It sends a strong message to China that predatory trade practices will be investigated.”

The U.S. Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements issued its decision on Monday, under the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). China joined the WTO in 2001.

Shirts, trousers, and underwear are one of the few remaining types of clothing manufactured in the United States. The United States is running an all-time high trade deficit with China of US$162 billion.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Zimbabwe’s 4.5 million students will not receive what was once the golden standard of education in Africa—or any education at all this school year.

Political violence during the country’s recent presidential elections hit schools hard with strikes, murder and violence against teachers, and looting. Some schools were turned into places of torture after teachers were driven out.

The country’s educators were targeted by Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF party, for alleged support of the opposition.

Now the country faces a second crisis due to economic troubles and an inflation rate of two trillion percent. The few teachers still around have seen their salaries made worthless and are unable to acquire teaching supplies. “We don’t even have chalk, or red pens, never mind books,” says Amos Musoni, one of the few teachers still working. Schools like the one where Musoni works have given up educating and simply entertain the children before sending them off for lack of equipment.

Not even Zimbabwe’s four top universities have been spared. The universities have been unable to open without funds, water, or electricity, like many public schools. College students, unable to register, are left waiting for more information.

Pass rates in the nation went from 72 to eleven percent, with many schools not seeing even one pass. Schools in the countries have not been able to prepare students for tests without timetables or even the results from last year.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

According to the Christian Post, Don Levine, the creator of the G.I. Joe, will be creating a line of action figures based on characters from the Old Testament. Released this month are action figures of Samson, David, Noah, Moses, and dolls of Queen Esther and Deborah the Warrior. The toys come with their own Bible storybook. By the fall, the line will expand to 35 products. Levine has began developing a DVD series and television show.

While certainly not the first action figures, dolls, or animated programs based on Biblical characters, it is perhaps the first to launch with a full-fledged licensing program. Already a comic book, narrated CDs, wallet, flashing pins, dog tags, and necklaces have been released.

Levine created G.I. Joe for Mattel in 1963, after a licensing agent suggested soldier figures might have the same success as their Barbie line.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

The 1999 and 2000 year model Honda Civic SiR tops the list of Canada’s most stolen cars.

Consumer popularity also assures the cars will be popular with thieves. Its the second year in a row the Honda SiR has topped the list.

Rick Dubin Vice President of Investigations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada said “The Civics are easy targets.”

Dubin said that once stolen, the cars are most often sold to “chop shops” where thieves completely dismantle the vehicles. The automobile’s individual parts are worth more than the entire car.

The sheer numbers of the cars and their lack of theft deterrent systems make them thieves’ preferred choices.

1999 and 2000 Honda Civics do not come with an electronic immobilizer, however all Hondas from 2001 and onward are equipped with an immobilizer. Immobilizers will be mandatory on all new cars sold beginning September 2007. The devices enable an engine computer to recognize an electronic code in the key. If the code in the key and the engine don’t match exactly, the vehicle can’t be started.

In third place was the 2004 Subaru Impreza, while the 1999 Acura Integra came in fourth, with the 1994 Honda Civic rounding out the top five.

In sixth place, the 1998 Acura Integra, and the 1993 Dodge Shadow completed seventh.

When asked why early model vehicles are selected, he said that, “auto thieves continue to find it easier to steal older vehicles lacking an IBC-approved immobilizer. We’ve seen this trend developing for several years, and these results confirm it.”

Another Honda automobile, the 1996 year model Civic filled eighth place, with the 2000 German Audi TT Quattro in ninth.

The American 1996 Chevrolet/GMC Blazer rounded out the top ten.

None of the above cars had an electronic immobilizer.