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  Friendly Police Visits Lead To Reduced Crime on Tuesday January 05, @11:48AM Comments: 0

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday January 05, @11:48AM
from the spare-the-rod-spoil-the-criminal dept.
Police in Southland, New Zealand are using a new strategy in their work. They now take a less heavy-handed approach which includes visiting criminals at home for friendly chats. Commander Inspector Barry Taylor says they now focus on reducing crime rather than just arresting criminals. As a result the overall crime in Southland was down 17 per cent for the first five months of the reporting year. "We have just had a bit of a look at how we are going about our business and we felt we could do it a bit smarter, and the initial indicators are we are on the right track. A lot of it is problem-solving work. For example, houses we may regularly visit over the weekend may be visited again during the week to work out why we were called and what interventions can be put in place to prevent us being called the following weekend," he said.

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Comments: 652 +-   Iraq Swears By Dowsing Rod Bomb Detector on Wednesday November 04, @08:16PM

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday November 04, @08:16PM
from the one-man's-junk-is-another-man's-junk-science dept.
military
jggimi writes "According to the New York Times, more than fifteen hundred remote sensing devices have been sold to Iraq's Ministry of the Interior, at prices ranging from $16,500 to $60,000 each. The devices are used for bomb and weapon detection at checkpoints, and have no battery or other power source. Sounds great, but according to a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, they work on the same principle as a Ouija board — the power of suggestion. He described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod. Even though the device has been debunked by the US Military, the US Department of Justice, and even Sandia National Laboratories, the Iraqis are thrilled with the devices. 'Whether it's magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs,' said Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior's General Directorate for Combating Explosives."
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Comments: 24 +-   Terrorists Ban Musical Ringtones on Wednesday November 04, @11:12AM

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday November 04, @11:12AM
from the dunes-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music dept.
idle
If you're a al Shabaab insurgent in Somalia with a Mylie Cyrus ringtone you probably have a lot of problems. The newest one is that your organization has formally banned musical ringtones. The official ring is "...to be only a Muslim cleric reading the Hadith or Koranic verse." Terrorist and Bollywood movie song aficionado Sacdiyo Sheeq says. "I used to listen to my favorite Indian songs on my cell phone, but now I have just thrown that memory away."
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Comments: 1 +-   Uganda Radio To Ban Witch-Doctor Ads on Wednesday November 04, @10:59AM

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday November 04, @10:59AM
from the he-told-me-what-to-do dept.
idle
Uganda's ethics minister, James Buturo, is leading a movement to ban witch-doctors from advertising on the radio. Witchcraft is a major problem in Uganda, particularly in rural areas. Buturo says that radio stations, "...are promoting witchcraft-related activities to the detriment of Uganda's integrity." When asked for comment a witch-doctor spokesman said, "Ooo eee, ooh ah ah, ting tang walla walla, bing bang." Bing bang, indeed.
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Comments: 218 +-   Could GPS Keep Tabs On Your Pets? on Wednesday November 04, @01:41AM

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday November 04, @01:41AM
from the lassie-tracking dept.
idle
An anonymous reader writes "Google Latitude has already made headlines for allowing phone users to locate their friends, and there are countless other iPhone and Android phone apps already designed to transmit your location — but could pets be the next big thing in GPS tracking? A number of device manufacturers are marketing GPS technology as a futuristic tool for tracking your cat or dog, and even discovering exactly where they've been. These devices are sold under a number of names and brands, including Sportdog, LoCATor, RoamEO, Petcell, Zoombak and Pettrack."
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Comments: 1 +-   Strange Bedfellows Online on Tuesday November 03, @12:42PM

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday November 03, @12:42PM
from the there's-someone-for-everyone dept.
humor
digitalfever writes 'One of the most celebrated functions of the Internet is an unprecedented ability for people to connect. This has led to social networks, online dating, and, it turns out, a lot of people connecting over really strange things. Here are some of the more interesting clubs that the internet has helped give life to.'
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Comments: 2 +-   'Shoe-Thrower' Footwear Top Seller In Bangladesh on Tuesday November 03, @12:03PM

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday November 03, @12:03PM
from the hearts-minds-and-feet dept.
idle
What's made of black and brown leather and a top seller in northeastern Bangladesh? The "Zaidi shoe." The footwear named after the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at George W. Bush has become very popular in some circles. "It's the latest fad in Sylhet. Every one wants to be wearing the Zaidi. It looks like your average men's dress shoe but it's been sold for up to 2,200 taka (30 dollars) which is at the very top end of the market in Bangladesh, " shop owner Abdul Awal says.
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Comments: 8 +-   Civilian Accidentally Ejects From Air Force Plane on Tuesday November 03, @11:58AM

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday November 03, @11:58AM
from the shiny-red-button dept.
idle
An unamed man learned how important it is to keep your hands to yourself inside an South African Air Force training plane when he mistakenly pulled his ejection lever. He crashed through the plane's perspex canopy and was propelled 320' by the rockets under his seat. A helicopter was sent to pick up the accidental ejector and he had no reported injuries. Let's hope he got to enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way down.
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Comments: 4 +-   Student Gets Psychic Scholarship on Tuesday November 03, @11:55AM

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday November 03, @11:55AM
from the he-knew-he-would dept.
idle
Callum Cooper won a $3,000 grant from the Parapsychology Foundation to finish his studies in telepathy and clairvoyance at The University of Northampton. Cooper says, ''My interest in the paranormal began growing up in Nottinghamshire where there is a vast amount of history of hauntings. I am constantly involved in the investigation of purportedly haunted locations with my own research team... and more recently I have been researching 'Phone Calls and Text Messages from the Dead'." Callum hopes to begin a PhD Research Degree on apparitions and hallucinations in 2010.
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Comments: 9 +-   Woman Calls 911 To Report Herself As Drunk Driver on Monday November 02, @11:57AM

Posted by samzenpus on Monday November 02, @11:57AM
from the right-thing-to-do dept.
idle
49-year-old Mary Strey feels strongly about keeping drunk drivers off the road, so strongly in fact that she recently called 911 to report herself as one. The dispatcher told Mary to pull over, turn on her flashers and wait for the police. When officers arrived they gave her a field sobriety test which she failed. Mrs. Strey was arrested and was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.17.
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Comments: 17 +-   Fruit Bats Have Oral Sex Too on Monday November 02, @11:52AM

Posted by samzenpus on Monday November 02, @11:52AM
from the pics-or-it-didn't-happen dept.
idle
sciencehabit writes "Researchers at Guangdong Entomological Institute in Guangzhou, China, have observed oral sex for the first time in a non-primate. During intercourse, female short-nosed fruit bats lick the genitals of their partner, a possible ploy to increase copulation time. The discovery suggests there may be a biological advantage to fellatio."
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