News briefs: April 15, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
| Wikinews Audio Briefs |
|---|
| Dateline |
| Sunday, April 15, 2012 |
| Listen to this brief |
Problems? See our media guide. |
Child killed by family dog
April 12, 2005
In what authorities call a terrible tragedy, a four-year-old boy was killed Sunday afternoon by the family dog. The Orange County, Virginia USA boy was playing in his back yard while their dog, a Rottweiler–German Shepherd mix, was chained to a stake.
The parents of the boy were home when the mauling occurred, but there were no direct eye witnesses to the attack that took place in the Placid Pines mobile home park. County Sheriff C.G. Feldman said, “We’ll probably never know what provoked the attack.” he told the Associated Press, “The boy had grown up with the dog.”
A CBS6 broadcast said investigators saw no signs of parental negligence, and the boy was their only child. No charges against the parents were filed. The dog was euthanised Monday.
Sheriff Feldman stressed there were no similarities or connection with an earlier case of an elderly woman killed in an attack by 3 pit bulls in the nearby county of Spotsylvania just over a month ago.
Finding Private Health Care Insurance Carriers When You Are Over 55
Find Out More About:
By Alston Ballkcom
Buying for medical insurance might be more challenging as we get older. We are more likely to have significant medical conditions, to have an unfavorable BMI and age alone increases the premiums we are offered.
If you have a preexisting condition finding health care insurance will likely be more difficult whether you are younger or older. Insurers may deny coverage. They could charge extra. They could eliminate coverage because of your condition and offer you a contract that won’t cover you for the thing you are most worried about.
The best way to overcome the impact of a longer medical history is to eliminate the condition. Sometimes following doctor’s orders, changing our diets and getting more exercise can make a difference. Often, however this doesnt help and we have to deal with the impact that the medical problem has on our lives.
If you are denied insurance or have a rider put on the contract, you should see what the insurance company’s competitors would do for you. You may want to accept the plan that is offered to you, but only keep it until you might find something better.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPhHPFDZcU[/youtube]
Insurance company underwriting guidelines vary from insurer to insurer. For this reason, you should make sure that the insurer that you settle on has the most favorable view of your longer medical history. One company might deny, another might eliminate coverage for the condition, a third might increase your premium. Yet a fourth company might accept you without a rider and charge you standard rates..
You should also see how close you are to qualifying for a lower premium. Often as a health condition ages, it becomes less expensive to insure. A medical diagnosis that is only a month or two old is likely to result in an automatic denial for an underwritten contract. If the condition was last treated 5 years ago, you might get a policy with standard provisions.
Finding out how close you are to qualifying applies to your BMI or body mass index as well. You may be just a few pound away from a lower insurance premium. Be sure to ask how close you are to a lower rate if your BMI affects the rate you are charged.
If you can’t find a health insurance policy that you might qualify for due to your BMI or your health condition, you may be able to get coverage through a state sponsored or federal sponsored policy. You may qualify for a special policy offered by your state. You may qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.
Government-based policies are important options, but one should be sure to look at options from private health plans first. Government-based policies are generally more costly or have lower benefits or have fewer doctors and hospitals in their networks.
We are going to be charged more as we get older. Getting older does increase the rates that we are charged for life insurance health and disability insurance.
A few medical insurance carriers will charge a lower rate if the policy is placed in the name of the younger spouse. This can result in substantial savings if your wife our husband is more than five years older or younger than you.
Whether we are younger or older, finding a good health insurance plan boils down to finding a good price, a good network and good coverage. The reason for a good premium is obvious. We need a good network so that we can visit doctors that are close to us. A policy should, of course, have good coverage.
It can be harder to get coverage when we are older. A medical issue, weight and our ages can all work together to increase our premiums. This makes finding quality health insurance harder.
About the Author: The author blogs about finding
private health insurance companies for 55 to 65 year olds
. You can also find
cheap self employed medical insurance
on Alston Balkcom’s site.
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=656549&ca=Finances
Bus crash in Victoria, Australia injures twenty, some critical
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A bus crash in Victoria, Australia has injured at least 20 people, two of whom are listed as critical. One victim is reported to be still trapped in the wreckage.
The accident occurred between a bus and a semi-trailer on the Princes Highway in the Traralgon area around 10:50am AEST. The La Trobe Valley Busliner bus was traveling east when it collided with the back of a heavy haulage truck.
Those critically injured are being airlifted to a hospital in Melbourne. Others are being transported by Ambulance to La Trobe Valley Hospital in Traralgon.
SES crews are on scene, along with St. John Ambulance and fire crews.
The eastbound lanes of the highway have been blocked by police and traffic is being diverted.
Zimbabwean rivals sign power sharing deal
Monday, September 15, 2008
Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai today signed a power sharing deal in the county’s capital, Harare.
Speaking to crowds of people celebrating the deal, Tsvangirai said that “this unity government will let businesses flourish so our people can work and provide for their families with pride.” He also said that “I’ve signed this agreement because I believe it represents the best opportunity for us to build a peaceful and prosperous democratic Zimbabwe.”
Mugabe also spoke after the deal. “Let us be allies,” he said. “People will want to see if what we promise is indeed what we strive to do … We are committed. I am committed. Let us all be committed.”
Despite the agreement, there was some tension at the protest, with supporters of the two parties throwing stones at each other.
The deal means that Tsvangirai is now the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, acting as the head of the council of ministers. Mugabe remains the president of Zimbabwe, meaning that he is still the chair of the cabinet.
|
HAVE YOUR SAY
|
|
|
Will the power sharing deal be a success?
|
|
|
Add or view comments
|
|
The cabinet contains sixteen seats from Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change, while Mugabe’s Zanu-PF has fifteen seats. The MDC also controls the police while Zanu-PF controls the armed forces.
The agreement also requires press freedom in Zimbabwe.
Category:Science and technology
|
This is the category for science and technology. Refresh this list to see the latest articles.
You can also browse through all articles in this category alphabetically. |
From Wikinews, the free news source you can write. Sister projects
|
Subcategories
Pages in category “Science and technology”
(previous page) ()(previous page) ()
Media in category “Science and technology”
About Kitchen Remodeling
Find Out More About:
byphineasgray
Choosing a kitchen designer whom you can trust is usually the first step whenever you decide to remodel your kitchen. Kitchen remodeling establishments in Mechanicsburg PA are capable of creating both modern and traditional designs aimed at complete customer satisfaction. Experience and advanced training largely plays a role in ensuring job completion on the first trial.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOPbEkWjwYI[/youtube]
Building and Kitchen Remodeling Mechanicsburg PA is commercially done by home remodeling experts at affordable rates. The basic design as well as the look of your kitchen can be customized to suit your aesthetic needs. Accessing the services of contractors with the capacity to exceptionally carry out remodeling is made easy by the availability of information in catalogs, directories as well as the Internet.
The remodeling establishments in Mechanicsburg PA take pride in having a rich history in remodeling of properties. Decades of experience have ensured complete mastery of the concept to handle every client’s preference. Creative and efficient experts offer first class services for existing and upcoming home remodeling projects .The companies discuss the client’s home remodeling priorities and offer them with the best options to ensure achievement of the needed results. A detailed budget and schedule for remodeling is also presented to make sure there are no surprise visits.
Kitchen Remodeling Mechanicsburg PA is offered by the professional contractors with the needed tools and skills necessary to complete projects of different magnitudes. On site consultations are available to assess the situation prior to engagement. Single rooms to more extensive ones pose no great challenge to the technicians when it comes to remodeling.
The service providers take pride in provision of high quality remodeling services to Mechanicsburg residents. Completion of the projects is done at reasonable time frames to avoid inconveniences. Having your kitchen remodeled professionally also goes a long way in ensuring you avoid small embarrassments and at the same time makes your kitchen a safe operational area free from danger.
In Mechanicsburg PA it is recommended you consult the services of remodeling establishments since they are licensed and insured. Customer satisfaction is also guaranteed with the deployment of cost control experts in the remodeling. Excellent service provision at a friendly approach is offered by the contractors in a move to gain loyalty of the customers . The ultimate goal is to serve the customers and ensure complete satisfaction.
Wikinews Shorts: April 1, 2007
A compilation of brief news reports for Sunday, April 1, 2007.
Contents
- 1 Nepal: Former rebels join government; elections set for June
- 2 Russia bans foreigners from retail sales jobs
- 3 Google TiSP April fools joke
- 4 Iranian students protest outside British embassy in Tehran
Five former Maoist rebels were sworn in as ministers as part of a peace pact designed to end a decade-long insurgency that has killed more than 13,000 people in Nepal. The new government has announced assembly elections for late June, 2007. Thereafter, the new assembly is due to write a new constitution for the Himalayan nation.
Related news
- “Nepal civil war ended by peace deal” — Wikinews, November 21, 2006
Sources
- AP. “Former rebels join Nepal government” — CNN, April 1, 2007
- “Nepal elections set for June” — Al Jazeera, April 1, 2007
Under a new law that went into effect today, non-Russians will not be allowed to work as salespeople in shops and markets. The ban was presented by Vladimir Putin as a way of improving employment prospects for Russian citizens. Russian media warns that it will increase the labor costs for retailers and drive up inflation. The Federal Migration Service, a government agency, reported nearly full compliance in Moscow.
Sources
- “Trading ban targets non-Russians” — BBC News Online, April 1, 2007
- “Russia bans expats from trading” — Al Jazeera, April 1, 2007
- “Moscow markets fully meet demands of new immigration legislation” — ITAR-TASS, April 1, 2007
Today, Sunday, Google “released” their Google TiSP service. This April Fool appears on their homepage as “New! Get FREE breakthrough broadband with Google TiSP (BETA).” This directs you to a page with details of Google’s TiSP package, a package that will give you broadband after you flush a fiber-optic cable down your toilet. Google issued a press release at midnight on April 1st, 2007.
Sources
- Press Release: “Google announces free in-home wireless broadband service” — Google, April 1, 2007
- Asher Bramwell. “Google April Fools!” — Geekzone, April 1, 2007
- Garrett Rogers. “Google launches TiSP — Free wireless broadband” — ZDNet, March 31, 2007
External links
Between 100 and 200 students gathered outside the British embassy in Tehran to protest the alleged incursion into Iranian waters by the Royal Navy.The protesters threw rocks, chanted “Death to Britain” and called for the expulsion of the ambassador. Police prevented the protesters from entering the compound.
Sources
- Nasser Karimi, AP. “Protest in Iran Targets British Embassy” — Guardian Unlimited, April 1, 2007
- Edmund Blair. “Protesters pelt UK embassy as Iran row worsens” — Reuters, April 1, 2007
- “Students condemn UK navy violation of Iran’s waters” — Islamic Republic News Agency, April 1, 2007
Wrong way yacht race postponed
Monday, September 11, 2006
Due to a failure to secure appropriate sponsorship, the Global Challenge Round the World Yacht Race will not be being held next time it’s due in 2008.
The unusual race features ordinary people competing as opposed to major yachting sportspeople. For a final twist, the race is the “wrong way”, namely against the prevailing winds. This leads the UK’s newspaper, The Guardian to describe it as “the world’s toughest yacht race”.
BDSM as business: An interview with the owners of a dungeon
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Torture proliferates American headlines today: whether its use is defensible in certain contexts and the morality of the practice. Wikinews reporter David Shankbone was curious about torture in American popular culture. This is the first of a two part series examining the BDSM business. This interview focuses on the owners of a dungeon, what they charge, what the clients are like and how they handle their needs.
When Shankbone rings the bell of “HC & Co.” he has no idea what to expect. A BDSM (Bondage Discipline Sadism Masochism) dungeon is a legal enterprise in New York City, and there are more than a few businesses that cater to a clientèle that wants an enema, a spanking, to be dressed like a baby or to wear women’s clothing. Shankbone went to find out what these businesses are like, who runs them, who works at them, and who frequents them. He spent three hours one night in what is considered one of the more upscale establishments in Manhattan, Rebecca’s Hidden Chamber, where according to The Village Voice, “you can take your girlfriend or wife, and have them treated with respect—unless they hope to be treated with something other than respect!”
When Shankbone arrived on the sixth floor of a midtown office building, the elevator opened up to a hallway where a smiling Rebecca greeted him. She is a beautiful forty-ish Long Island mother of three who is dressed in smart black pants and a black turtleneck that reaches up to her blond-streaked hair pulled back in a bushy ponytail. “Are you David Shankbone? We’re so excited to meet you!” she says, and leads him down the hall to a living room area with a sofa, a television playing an action-thriller, an open supply cabinet stocked with enema kits, and her husband Bill sitting at the computer trying to find where the re-release of Blade Runner is playing at the local theater. “I don’t like that movie,” says Rebecca.
Perhaps the most poignant moment came at the end of the night when Shankbone was waiting to be escorted out (to avoid running into a client). Rebecca came into the room and sat on the sofa. “You know, a lot of people out there would like to see me burn for what I do,” she says. Rebecca is a woman who has faced challenges in her life, and dealt with them the best she could given her circumstances. She sees herself as providing a service to people who have needs, no matter how debauched the outside world deems them. They sat talking mutual challenges they have faced and politics (she’s supporting Hillary); Rebecca reflected upon the irony that many of the people who supported the torture at Abu Ghraib would want her closed down. It was in this conversation that Shankbone saw that humanity can be found anywhere, including in places that appear on the surface to cater to the inhumanity some people in our society feel towards themselves, or others.
“The best way to describe it,” says Bill, “is if you had a kink, and you had a wife and you had two kids, and every time you had sex with your wife it just didn’t hit the nail on the head. What would you do about it? How would you handle it? You might go through life feeling unfulfilled. Or you might say, ‘No, my kink is I really need to dress in women’s clothing.’ We’re that outlet. We’re not the evil devil out here, plucking people off the street, keeping them chained up for days on end.”
Below is David Shankbone’s interview with Bill & Rebecca, owners of Rebecca’s Hidden Chamber, a BDSM dungeon.
Contents
- 1 Meet Bill & Rebecca, owners of a BDSM dungeon
- 1.1 Their home life
- 2 Operating the business
- 2.1 The costs
- 2.2 Hiring employees
- 2.3 The prices
- 3 The clients
- 3.1 What happens when a client walks through the door
- 3.2 Motivations of the clients
- 3.3 Typical requests
- 3.4 What is not typical
- 4 The environment
- 4.1 Is an S&M dungeon dangerous?
- 4.2 On S&M burnout
- 5 Criticism of BDSM
- 6 Related news
- 7 External links
- 8 Sources