Your heartbeat accelerates, you have butterflies in the stomach, you feel euphoric and a bit silly. It's all part of falling passionately in love -- and scientists now tell us the feeling won't last more than a year.
The powerful emotions that bowl over new lovers are triggered by a molecule known as nerve growth factor (NGF), according to Pavia University researchers.
The Italian scientists found far higher levels of NGF in the blood of 58 people who had recently fallen madly in love than in that of a group of singles and people in long-term relationships.
But after a year with the same lover, the quantity of the 'love molecule' in their blood had fallen to the same level as that of the other groups.
The Italian researchers, publishing their study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, said it was not clear how falling in love triggers higher levels of NGF, but the molecule clearly has an important role in the "social chemistry" between people at the start of a relationship.
20051130
Longer needles needed for fatter buttocks
Fatter rear ends are causing many drug injections to miss their mark, requiring longer needles to reach buttock muscle, researchers said on Monday.
Standard-sized needles failed to reach the buttock muscle in 23 out of 25 women whose rears were examined after what was supposed to be an intramuscular injection of a drug.
Two-thirds of the 50 patients in the study did not receive the full dosage of the drug, which instead lodged in the fat tissue of their buttocks, researchers from The Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Dublin said in a presentation to the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Besides patients receiving less than the correct drug dosage, medications that remain lodged in fat can cause infection or irritation, researchers Victoria Chan said.
"There is no question that obesity is the underlying cause. We have identified a new problem related, in part, to the increasing amount of fat in patients' buttocks," Chan said.
"The amount of fat tissue overlying the muscles exceeds the length of the needles commonly used for these injections," she said.
The 25 men and 25 women studied at the Irish hospital ranged in age from 21 to 87.
The buttocks are a good place for intramuscular injections because there are relatively few major blood vessels, nerves and bones that can be damaged by a needle. Plentiful smaller blood vessels found in muscle carry the drug to the rest of the body, while fat tissue contains relatively few blood vessels.
Obesity affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is based on a measure of height versus weight that produces a body mass index above 30. An estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.
Standard-sized needles failed to reach the buttock muscle in 23 out of 25 women whose rears were examined after what was supposed to be an intramuscular injection of a drug.
Two-thirds of the 50 patients in the study did not receive the full dosage of the drug, which instead lodged in the fat tissue of their buttocks, researchers from The Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Dublin said in a presentation to the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Besides patients receiving less than the correct drug dosage, medications that remain lodged in fat can cause infection or irritation, researchers Victoria Chan said.
"There is no question that obesity is the underlying cause. We have identified a new problem related, in part, to the increasing amount of fat in patients' buttocks," Chan said.
"The amount of fat tissue overlying the muscles exceeds the length of the needles commonly used for these injections," she said.
The 25 men and 25 women studied at the Irish hospital ranged in age from 21 to 87.
The buttocks are a good place for intramuscular injections because there are relatively few major blood vessels, nerves and bones that can be damaged by a needle. Plentiful smaller blood vessels found in muscle carry the drug to the rest of the body, while fat tissue contains relatively few blood vessels.
Obesity affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is based on a measure of height versus weight that produces a body mass index above 30. An estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.
20051128
Armed robbers snatch lion cub from zoo
Armed robbers made off with a lion cub and two Arabic-speaking parrots in a recent raid on Gaza's zoo, Palestinian police chief and newspapers said.
Suod al-Shawwa, the zoo's chairman of the board, told Palestinian newspapers four masked gunmen used blankets to try and snatch a pair of lion cubs, but only managed to capture one.
"They wrapped the lion cub in a blanket and took him away," Shawwa said.
He said the Kalashnikov-toting gang first tied the zoo keeper up in a cafeteria and then made their way to the cages, where they also seized the parrots.
Palestinian police chief Ala Husni said forces were investigating the theft and believed the cub and parrots were being concealed in a Gaza hide-out.
Shawwa promised a $1,000 reward to whoever managed to track the animals down.
The small zoo opened last month in the crowded, poverty-stricken coastal strip and is also home to squirrels, monkeys, an ostrich, and some household pets.
Lawlessness in Gaza has increased since Israel completed its pullout in September, ending 38 years of occupation.
Rival armed groups have been trying to stake a claim to power in Gaza ahead of key parliamentary elections in January.
Suod al-Shawwa, the zoo's chairman of the board, told Palestinian newspapers four masked gunmen used blankets to try and snatch a pair of lion cubs, but only managed to capture one.
"They wrapped the lion cub in a blanket and took him away," Shawwa said.
He said the Kalashnikov-toting gang first tied the zoo keeper up in a cafeteria and then made their way to the cages, where they also seized the parrots.
Palestinian police chief Ala Husni said forces were investigating the theft and believed the cub and parrots were being concealed in a Gaza hide-out.
Shawwa promised a $1,000 reward to whoever managed to track the animals down.
The small zoo opened last month in the crowded, poverty-stricken coastal strip and is also home to squirrels, monkeys, an ostrich, and some household pets.
Lawlessness in Gaza has increased since Israel completed its pullout in September, ending 38 years of occupation.
Rival armed groups have been trying to stake a claim to power in Gaza ahead of key parliamentary elections in January.
20051125
Good news for inmates who aren't already tattooed
Canadian inmates can now get tattoos in prison parlors under a pilot program aimed at cutting down use of unclean needles and the spread of disease.
The Canadian government showed off its tattoo parlor program on Thursday at a prison in Bath, Ontario, where it is being tested.
"The program has advantages in that we can take a practice that already occurs, and make it safer," said Holly Knowles, a spokeswoman for Correctional Services Canada. "We're trying to reduce the amount of make-shift needles."
The government believes secret tattooing contributes to the spread of disease in prisons because of the use of shared needles.
Prison authorities say rates of hepatitis B and C among prisoners are about 30 times higher than outside prison walls. HIV rates are about 10 times higher.
To be eligible for the program, tattoo designs must be approved by prison officials and must not be gang-related, or deemed racist. Participating inmates must have a good prison record.
Prisoners are allowed a one-hour controlled session with an inmate tattoo artist for C$5 (US$4.25).
Officials said that if the pilot project is successful, it may be expanded to more prisons across Canada.
The Canadian government showed off its tattoo parlor program on Thursday at a prison in Bath, Ontario, where it is being tested.
"The program has advantages in that we can take a practice that already occurs, and make it safer," said Holly Knowles, a spokeswoman for Correctional Services Canada. "We're trying to reduce the amount of make-shift needles."
The government believes secret tattooing contributes to the spread of disease in prisons because of the use of shared needles.
Prison authorities say rates of hepatitis B and C among prisoners are about 30 times higher than outside prison walls. HIV rates are about 10 times higher.
To be eligible for the program, tattoo designs must be approved by prison officials and must not be gang-related, or deemed racist. Participating inmates must have a good prison record.
Prisoners are allowed a one-hour controlled session with an inmate tattoo artist for C$5 (US$4.25).
Officials said that if the pilot project is successful, it may be expanded to more prisons across Canada.
20051124
CNN explains 'X' glitch over Cheney's face
CNN apologized on Tuesday and offered a rare explanation from its control booth for a technical glitch many viewers failed to notice -- a large "X" the network flashed over Vice President Dick Cheney's face.
The wayward graphic, which CNN said lasted for about one-seventh of a second, appeared during the network's live coverage of Cheney's speech on Monday addressing critics of the Bush administration's conduct of the war in
Iraq.
Word of the snafu quickly surfaced on the Internet, including still photos of the image posted by online columnist Matt Drudge, along with a story suggesting that some who saw the momentary "X" thought it might have been deliberate.
CNN, a unit of Time Warner Inc., later issued a mea culpa saying an investigation by senior management concluded "this was a technical malfunction, not an issue of operator error" and expressing regret for the incident.
The network followed up with a special on-air segment during its "CNN Live Today" broadcast, in which anchor Daryn Kagan joined the network's technical manager, Steve Alperin, in the control room to offer a fuller explanation.
The "X" image, a place-holding marker used by technicians to cue up graphics, is not supposed to be visible to viewers but was inadvertently projected onto the screen by a malfunction in a "switcher" device, they explained.
"So, for all the conspiracy theories out there," Kagan said, " ... that's not what this is about. It's a computer bug that people deal with everyday. It's just that ours was in front of millions of people."
A spokesman for the vice president said Cheney had no comment on the incident.
The wayward graphic, which CNN said lasted for about one-seventh of a second, appeared during the network's live coverage of Cheney's speech on Monday addressing critics of the Bush administration's conduct of the war in
Iraq.
Word of the snafu quickly surfaced on the Internet, including still photos of the image posted by online columnist Matt Drudge, along with a story suggesting that some who saw the momentary "X" thought it might have been deliberate.
CNN, a unit of Time Warner Inc., later issued a mea culpa saying an investigation by senior management concluded "this was a technical malfunction, not an issue of operator error" and expressing regret for the incident.
The network followed up with a special on-air segment during its "CNN Live Today" broadcast, in which anchor Daryn Kagan joined the network's technical manager, Steve Alperin, in the control room to offer a fuller explanation.
The "X" image, a place-holding marker used by technicians to cue up graphics, is not supposed to be visible to viewers but was inadvertently projected onto the screen by a malfunction in a "switcher" device, they explained.
"So, for all the conspiracy theories out there," Kagan said, " ... that's not what this is about. It's a computer bug that people deal with everyday. It's just that ours was in front of millions of people."
A spokesman for the vice president said Cheney had no comment on the incident.
20051123
Woman gets probation for sex with student
Debra LaFave, a former Florida school teacher, pleaded guilty Tuesday to having sex with a 14-year-old male student and was sentenced to 10 years of community control and probation.
LaFave, 25, pleaded guilty to committing two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on the Greco Middle School student.
LaFave could have been sentenced to 30 years or more in prison if she had been convicted in a trial, which had been scheduled to begin next month in Tampa.
Under a plea agreement with Hillsborough County prosecutors in Tampa, LaFave agreed to accept three years of community control, including electronic monitoring, and seven years of probation.
She must enter a sexual offender treatment program and cannot have any unsupervised contact with children.
"I accept responsibility for my actions. I'm very sorry for everything that has occurred," LaFave said in court before she was sentenced.
Another condition of the agreement is that LaFave cannot profit from her conduct through book deals, television appearances or other commercial activity.
Her attorney had planned to offer an insanity defense if there was a trial.
LaFave was married at the time she began having sex with the student, but is now divorced. She had taught reading at the school for two years prior to her arrest in June 2004.
After the boy's parents found out he was having sex with LaFave, they allowed police to tape telephone calls between the two, which led to her arrest. The boy has not been identified.
Prosecutors said the boy's parents approved of the plea deal because they did not want him to testify at trial.
The case gained national attention after pictures of LaFave wearing a bikini and straddling a motorcycle appeared on the Internet.
LaFave's attorney, John Fitzgibbons, made headlines in July when he said his client was too pretty to survive prison. "To place an attractive young woman in that kind of hell-hole is like placing a piece of raw meat in with the lions," he said then.
LaFave, 25, pleaded guilty to committing two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on the Greco Middle School student.
LaFave could have been sentenced to 30 years or more in prison if she had been convicted in a trial, which had been scheduled to begin next month in Tampa.
Under a plea agreement with Hillsborough County prosecutors in Tampa, LaFave agreed to accept three years of community control, including electronic monitoring, and seven years of probation.
She must enter a sexual offender treatment program and cannot have any unsupervised contact with children.
"I accept responsibility for my actions. I'm very sorry for everything that has occurred," LaFave said in court before she was sentenced.
Another condition of the agreement is that LaFave cannot profit from her conduct through book deals, television appearances or other commercial activity.
Her attorney had planned to offer an insanity defense if there was a trial.
LaFave was married at the time she began having sex with the student, but is now divorced. She had taught reading at the school for two years prior to her arrest in June 2004.
After the boy's parents found out he was having sex with LaFave, they allowed police to tape telephone calls between the two, which led to her arrest. The boy has not been identified.
Prosecutors said the boy's parents approved of the plea deal because they did not want him to testify at trial.
The case gained national attention after pictures of LaFave wearing a bikini and straddling a motorcycle appeared on the Internet.
LaFave's attorney, John Fitzgibbons, made headlines in July when he said his client was too pretty to survive prison. "To place an attractive young woman in that kind of hell-hole is like placing a piece of raw meat in with the lions," he said then.
20051122
Sometimes you just have a really bad day..
A German man drank too much, wet his bed and set fire to his apartment while trying to dry his bedding, police in the western town of Muelheim said Monday.
"He was too drunk to go to the toilet," said a police spokesman. "The next morning he put a switched-on hairdryer on the bed to dry it and left the apartment." When the 60-year-old returned, his home and belongings were in flames.
Firemen eventually put out the blaze.
"He was too drunk to go to the toilet," said a police spokesman. "The next morning he put a switched-on hairdryer on the bed to dry it and left the apartment." When the 60-year-old returned, his home and belongings were in flames.
Firemen eventually put out the blaze.
20051120
Friday work meetings may mask love trysts
Employers be warned: UK workers who schedule Wednesday meetings are potentially going to a job interview and regular Friday afternoon meetings could be an excuse for a rendezvous with their lover.
A survey of 167 companies revealed a growing trend of so-called "me me meetings," out-of-office meetings used to cover a more personal encounter.
The poll, by Genesys Conferencing, showed 81 percent of office workers admitted arranging meetings to fit in with personal activities.
It also showed that over half of their colleagues were suspicious of the motives behind the meetings for which many of their workmates left the office.
Genesys said the most popular reason for a "me me meeting" was to get away early for the weekend.
But the survey also showed Friday afternoons were the best for meeting lovers or to go shopping. Monday mornings were the most popular time for scheduling a meeting to mask looking after the children and Wednesdays were the preferred time for job interviews.
A survey of 167 companies revealed a growing trend of so-called "me me meetings," out-of-office meetings used to cover a more personal encounter.
The poll, by Genesys Conferencing, showed 81 percent of office workers admitted arranging meetings to fit in with personal activities.
It also showed that over half of their colleagues were suspicious of the motives behind the meetings for which many of their workmates left the office.
Genesys said the most popular reason for a "me me meeting" was to get away early for the weekend.
But the survey also showed Friday afternoons were the best for meeting lovers or to go shopping. Monday mornings were the most popular time for scheduling a meeting to mask looking after the children and Wednesdays were the preferred time for job interviews.
20051118
Hollywood Madam to open Nevada 'stud farm'
Former "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss, whose previous career running a call-girl ring landed her in prison, is returning to the world's oldest profession -- to open a Nevada brothel catering to women.
Fleiss said on Thursday she has struck a deal with a licensed brothel owner in Nevada, where prostitution is legal, to turn one of his three establishments, the Cherry Patch, into a glitzy new bordello that she will rename Heidi Fleiss' Stud Farm.
She plans to remodel the building, located outside the town of Pahrump, Nevada, west of Las Vegas near the California border, with skylights, marble tiling, palm trees and waterfalls, and hopes to reopen the business within two months.
Fleiss said she is taking applications from men seeking to work in what she says will be the world's first licensed brothel catering exclusively to female clients.
"The Hollywood Madam is looking for a few good men out there," she told Reuters in a telephone interview in the midst of her move from Los Angeles to Nevada. "It's going to be an oasis in the desert."
Fleiss said she is aiming for an initial stable of about 20 male prostitutes who would charge $250 an hour -- far less, she said, then the fees paid by clients of the call-girl ring she ran a decade ago.
"Prostitution and modeling are the only businesses where women make more money than men," she said, adding that her "studs" would split their earnings 50/50 with her, but "keep all their tips."
Fleiss acknowledged that her biggest potential obstacle is her 1995 conviction on federal charges of tax evasion and money laundering, stemming from her prostitution service catering to the rich and famous. She ultimately served 21 months in prison and was released in November 1998.
Nevada state law allows counties to deny a brothel license to convicted felons, although Fleiss said she knows of several bordello owners with criminal records. She also said her plan was to operate her "stud farm" under an existing license.
"There's still a little bit of legalities that we're working through, but it's going to be OK," she said.
Her Las Vegas-based lawyer, Richard Schonfeld, said Fleiss will not be an owner or licensee of the establishment but merely an employee with the title of "madam/hostess."
She must first obtain a work card from the county sheriff's department, a process that requires far less scrutiny than applying for a business license, Schonfeld said.
"She just wants to be employed there and go through the regular steps that any employee at a brothel has to go through," he said. "She going to lend her name and her charm to the business."
Representatives of the Nye County Commission could not immediately be reached for comment. Commission chairwoman Candice Trummell told the Los Angeles Times that county attorneys were reviewing the proposed business and it was unclear whether it would be approved.
Assuming the brothel opens as planned, Fleiss said she is certain there will be plenty of demand for its services.
"Women make more money these days, they're calling the shots, they're more powerful. And let's face it, it's hard to meet someone," she said.
"And then you've got the situation with the old husband leaving his wife for the younger girl, and the lady sitting at home crying. Well, now she has a place to go, and say, 'Right back at you, buddy, and on your credit card.'"
Fleiss said on Thursday she has struck a deal with a licensed brothel owner in Nevada, where prostitution is legal, to turn one of his three establishments, the Cherry Patch, into a glitzy new bordello that she will rename Heidi Fleiss' Stud Farm.
She plans to remodel the building, located outside the town of Pahrump, Nevada, west of Las Vegas near the California border, with skylights, marble tiling, palm trees and waterfalls, and hopes to reopen the business within two months.
Fleiss said she is taking applications from men seeking to work in what she says will be the world's first licensed brothel catering exclusively to female clients.
"The Hollywood Madam is looking for a few good men out there," she told Reuters in a telephone interview in the midst of her move from Los Angeles to Nevada. "It's going to be an oasis in the desert."
Fleiss said she is aiming for an initial stable of about 20 male prostitutes who would charge $250 an hour -- far less, she said, then the fees paid by clients of the call-girl ring she ran a decade ago.
"Prostitution and modeling are the only businesses where women make more money than men," she said, adding that her "studs" would split their earnings 50/50 with her, but "keep all their tips."
Fleiss acknowledged that her biggest potential obstacle is her 1995 conviction on federal charges of tax evasion and money laundering, stemming from her prostitution service catering to the rich and famous. She ultimately served 21 months in prison and was released in November 1998.
Nevada state law allows counties to deny a brothel license to convicted felons, although Fleiss said she knows of several bordello owners with criminal records. She also said her plan was to operate her "stud farm" under an existing license.
"There's still a little bit of legalities that we're working through, but it's going to be OK," she said.
Her Las Vegas-based lawyer, Richard Schonfeld, said Fleiss will not be an owner or licensee of the establishment but merely an employee with the title of "madam/hostess."
She must first obtain a work card from the county sheriff's department, a process that requires far less scrutiny than applying for a business license, Schonfeld said.
"She just wants to be employed there and go through the regular steps that any employee at a brothel has to go through," he said. "She going to lend her name and her charm to the business."
Representatives of the Nye County Commission could not immediately be reached for comment. Commission chairwoman Candice Trummell told the Los Angeles Times that county attorneys were reviewing the proposed business and it was unclear whether it would be approved.
Assuming the brothel opens as planned, Fleiss said she is certain there will be plenty of demand for its services.
"Women make more money these days, they're calling the shots, they're more powerful. And let's face it, it's hard to meet someone," she said.
"And then you've got the situation with the old husband leaving his wife for the younger girl, and the lady sitting at home crying. Well, now she has a place to go, and say, 'Right back at you, buddy, and on your credit card.'"
20051117
A story to show your hairdresser
A Japanese hair salon was ordered to pay 240,000 yen in compensation this week after a customer sued the hairdresser for cutting her hair too short and dying it the wrong color.
A Tokyo court agreed with the 27-year-old cabaret club hostess's claim that the unflattering hairstyle had affected her ability to do her job, the English language Daily Yomiuri newspaper said Thursday.
"Hairstyles are a major influence on appearance," the paper quoted Judge Yuki Mizuno as saying in the ruling. "A hairstyle is a selling point for a cabaret club hostess and there was a period when her self-confidence was affected when she waited on customers."
The woman had claimed 6 million yen in compensation.
A Tokyo court agreed with the 27-year-old cabaret club hostess's claim that the unflattering hairstyle had affected her ability to do her job, the English language Daily Yomiuri newspaper said Thursday.
"Hairstyles are a major influence on appearance," the paper quoted Judge Yuki Mizuno as saying in the ruling. "A hairstyle is a selling point for a cabaret club hostess and there was a period when her self-confidence was affected when she waited on customers."
The woman had claimed 6 million yen in compensation.
20051115
No coins in the fountain....da de da de da de da...
Italian police arrested four street cleaners Monday as they tried to pocket hundreds of euros scooped from Rome's famed Fountain of Trevi.
Each day, thousands of tourists stand with their backs to the Renaissance masterpiece and throw coins over their shoulders into its shallow basin in a tradition which is supposed to ensure they return to Rome.
The money, which adds up to several hundred euros a day or more, is regularly swept out by a cleaning firm with half of the proceeds handed over to Roman Catholic charity Caritas.
However, Caritas workers had noted a sharp decline in recent takings and alerted the police, who caught the quartet of cleaners Monday trying to walk off with some 1,200 euros.
A police official estimated they might have stolen as much as 110,000 euros in recent weeks before being stopped.
The quartet were not the first to try to cash in on the Trevi Fountain. In 2002 police arrested a homeless man, dubbed d'Artagnan, who made up to 12,000 euros a month with his pre-dawn raids on the tourist attraction.
Each day, thousands of tourists stand with their backs to the Renaissance masterpiece and throw coins over their shoulders into its shallow basin in a tradition which is supposed to ensure they return to Rome.
The money, which adds up to several hundred euros a day or more, is regularly swept out by a cleaning firm with half of the proceeds handed over to Roman Catholic charity Caritas.
However, Caritas workers had noted a sharp decline in recent takings and alerted the police, who caught the quartet of cleaners Monday trying to walk off with some 1,200 euros.
A police official estimated they might have stolen as much as 110,000 euros in recent weeks before being stopped.
The quartet were not the first to try to cash in on the Trevi Fountain. In 2002 police arrested a homeless man, dubbed d'Artagnan, who made up to 12,000 euros a month with his pre-dawn raids on the tourist attraction.
20051113
Prosecutors not amused by accused mobster on TV
A reputed New York mobster has made a "mockery" of his bail conditions by starring in a reality television show in which he is seen frolicking with topless dancers at a strip club, prosecutors said on Thursday.
Christopher Colombo, who is charged with racketeering and extortion, spent the past few months filming HBO's upcoming "House Arrest," said prosecutor Benjamin Lawsky in a letter to a federal judge.
Lawsky sought stricter bail conditions for Colombo, who prosecutors have said belongs to the Colombo organized crime family. In August 2004, the judge allowed Colombo to spend more time out of his home because he said he wanted to spend more with his family.
Instead, Lawsky said, he spent much of his time on the town filming "House Arrest," which HBO billed on its Web site as a "a docu-comedy based on reality."
In the show, Colombo visits a Reiki therapist, a strip club, a Bronx tailor, a church confessional, a Chinese restaurant and a nightclub, before racing home to meet his curfew and play poker with friends.
"Colombo seems to have spent a large amount of his time filming his show, which reportedly makes a mockery of Colombo's conditions of release," Lawsky wrote the judge.
In his letter to the judge, Lawsky quoted a press release that he said Colombo gave him that describes a scene where "topless dancers cozy up to Colombo and wish him luck in fighting his indictment."
The prosecutor also noted a media report that said during the episode Colombo is seen witnessing an associate using a credit card to break in to a church and notes: "This could be a violation of my bail restriction."
"Colombo has used and abused the freedom the court granted him over the government's objection to go to strip clubs, attempt to break into churches, and generally gallivant around town with his associates," said Lawsky.
Lawsky, noting Colombo wanted to make the show into a series, asked the judge to forbid him to film further episodes of the show as part of his bail conditions.
Neither a lawyer for Colombo nor a spokesperson for HBO could be immediately reached.
Christopher Colombo, who is charged with racketeering and extortion, spent the past few months filming HBO's upcoming "House Arrest," said prosecutor Benjamin Lawsky in a letter to a federal judge.
Lawsky sought stricter bail conditions for Colombo, who prosecutors have said belongs to the Colombo organized crime family. In August 2004, the judge allowed Colombo to spend more time out of his home because he said he wanted to spend more with his family.
Instead, Lawsky said, he spent much of his time on the town filming "House Arrest," which HBO billed on its Web site as a "a docu-comedy based on reality."
In the show, Colombo visits a Reiki therapist, a strip club, a Bronx tailor, a church confessional, a Chinese restaurant and a nightclub, before racing home to meet his curfew and play poker with friends.
"Colombo seems to have spent a large amount of his time filming his show, which reportedly makes a mockery of Colombo's conditions of release," Lawsky wrote the judge.
In his letter to the judge, Lawsky quoted a press release that he said Colombo gave him that describes a scene where "topless dancers cozy up to Colombo and wish him luck in fighting his indictment."
The prosecutor also noted a media report that said during the episode Colombo is seen witnessing an associate using a credit card to break in to a church and notes: "This could be a violation of my bail restriction."
"Colombo has used and abused the freedom the court granted him over the government's objection to go to strip clubs, attempt to break into churches, and generally gallivant around town with his associates," said Lawsky.
Lawsky, noting Colombo wanted to make the show into a series, asked the judge to forbid him to film further episodes of the show as part of his bail conditions.
Neither a lawyer for Colombo nor a spokesperson for HBO could be immediately reached.
20051111
Woman raises multi-tasking to a new level
A young woman robbed four banks in Washington's suburbs without ever interrupting conversations her cell phone, a sheriff's spokesman said on Friday.
In the most recent heist, the woman, with sunglasses casually pushed up on her dark hair and a mobile phone at her ear, walked up to a bank teller in Ashburn, Virginia, on November 4 and opened her purse to show a handgun and a note demanding cash, said Loudoun County sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell.
"During the entire sequence, she was on her cell phone," Troxell said by telephone. "When we compared it with other robberies that have occurred in the area, we determined she was involved in three other robberies. ... In those cases, she was also on the cell phone."
The four jurisdictions -- Loudoun County, Prince William County, Fairfax County and the city of Vienna, Virginia -- are working together to track the suspect, circulating surveillance video to local media.
No one was injured in the robberies, and the amount taken was not disclosed. Troxell said it was unclear what role the cell phone may have played in the case.
"With the use of the cell phone, was she just trying to act nonchalant, not drawing any attention to herself? Was there anyone even on the other line? Was there an accomplice? Was she just talking to someone on the phone who may not have been aware of what she was doing, just to help her through the crime?"
Troxell said there might have been an accomplice waiting outside, or "it could be ... she was just doing it to make herself look like anybody else.".
In the most recent heist, the woman, with sunglasses casually pushed up on her dark hair and a mobile phone at her ear, walked up to a bank teller in Ashburn, Virginia, on November 4 and opened her purse to show a handgun and a note demanding cash, said Loudoun County sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell.
"During the entire sequence, she was on her cell phone," Troxell said by telephone. "When we compared it with other robberies that have occurred in the area, we determined she was involved in three other robberies. ... In those cases, she was also on the cell phone."
The four jurisdictions -- Loudoun County, Prince William County, Fairfax County and the city of Vienna, Virginia -- are working together to track the suspect, circulating surveillance video to local media.
No one was injured in the robberies, and the amount taken was not disclosed. Troxell said it was unclear what role the cell phone may have played in the case.
"With the use of the cell phone, was she just trying to act nonchalant, not drawing any attention to herself? Was there anyone even on the other line? Was there an accomplice? Was she just talking to someone on the phone who may not have been aware of what she was doing, just to help her through the crime?"
Troxell said there might have been an accomplice waiting outside, or "it could be ... she was just doing it to make herself look like anybody else.".
Singer Chuck Berry sues karaoke distributors
Rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry has sued three leading karaoke music distributors, claiming they sold sing-along versions of his most popular hits without paying royalties or obtaining licenses.
If he prevails in court, Berry, 79, stands to gain several hundred thousand dollars for each of his songs, including such hits as "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybellene" and "My Ding-A-Ling," his lawyer, Peter Haviland, told Reuters on Wednesday.
His lawsuit filed on Monday names three leading karaoke distributors in North America -- UAV Corp. of Fort Mill, South Carolina, Madacy Entertainment of Montreal and Top Tunes Inc. of Hilliard, Ohio. Representatives from the three companies could not immediately be reached for comment.
Karaoke is a sing-along genre that originated in Japan largely as a nightclub novelty has turned into a highly lucrative retail business as it increasingly moves from bar and restaurant lounges to family living rooms.
Haviland also represents several copyright holders of lesser-known songs who filed similar actions in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
The suits seek royalties that are alleged to have gone uncollected on more than two dozen songs in all.
Unlike many recording stars of his era, Berry owns all the publishing rights to his songs through his Isalee Music Co., his attorneys said.
A New York Times article in May estimated the collective revenues generated by karaoke record labels at $50 million a year.
If he prevails in court, Berry, 79, stands to gain several hundred thousand dollars for each of his songs, including such hits as "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybellene" and "My Ding-A-Ling," his lawyer, Peter Haviland, told Reuters on Wednesday.
His lawsuit filed on Monday names three leading karaoke distributors in North America -- UAV Corp. of Fort Mill, South Carolina, Madacy Entertainment of Montreal and Top Tunes Inc. of Hilliard, Ohio. Representatives from the three companies could not immediately be reached for comment.
Karaoke is a sing-along genre that originated in Japan largely as a nightclub novelty has turned into a highly lucrative retail business as it increasingly moves from bar and restaurant lounges to family living rooms.
Haviland also represents several copyright holders of lesser-known songs who filed similar actions in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
The suits seek royalties that are alleged to have gone uncollected on more than two dozen songs in all.
Unlike many recording stars of his era, Berry owns all the publishing rights to his songs through his Isalee Music Co., his attorneys said.
A New York Times article in May estimated the collective revenues generated by karaoke record labels at $50 million a year.
20051107
Three die playing catch with grenade
A hand grenade being used instead of a ball in a game of catch exploded early on Saturday killing three youths in this Bosnian town, police and news agencies said.
Two youths aged 19 and 20, one of them from neighboring Croatia, were killed instantly while a 20-year-old woman died on her way to hospital, police said. Her sister was slightly injured but two other youths suffered serious injuries.
The blast occurred at 2:00 a.m. in the western town of Novi Grad at a place in the town center frequented by youngsters. Police said an inquiry was under way and declined further comment. It was not clear why the grenade exploded.
ONASA news agency quoted witnesses as saying the youths tossed the hand grenade to each other before it exploded in the hands of one of them.
Bosnia is awash with illegal weapons left over from the 1992-95 war and tragic incidents are frequent despite several successful campaigns by international peacekeepers and police to get people to hand over illegal weapons.
Two youths aged 19 and 20, one of them from neighboring Croatia, were killed instantly while a 20-year-old woman died on her way to hospital, police said. Her sister was slightly injured but two other youths suffered serious injuries.
The blast occurred at 2:00 a.m. in the western town of Novi Grad at a place in the town center frequented by youngsters. Police said an inquiry was under way and declined further comment. It was not clear why the grenade exploded.
ONASA news agency quoted witnesses as saying the youths tossed the hand grenade to each other before it exploded in the hands of one of them.
Bosnia is awash with illegal weapons left over from the 1992-95 war and tragic incidents are frequent despite several successful campaigns by international peacekeepers and police to get people to hand over illegal weapons.
20051105
Man glued to toilet seat, sues store
A Colorado man who had a panic attack when he found he was glued to a toilet seat in a Home Depot restroom has sued the home improvement giant for negligence, saying staff ignored his plight.
Retired electrical engineer Bob Dougherty, 57, said on Thursday he was stuck in the stall with his pants down for about 20 minutes and that two years after the 2003 incident he was suffering from post-traumatic stress, which has triggered diabetes and heart complications.
"I have these nightmares every night where I am locked in this dark room, with no windows, no doors, no fresh air, no route for escape. I wake up in these cold sweats," Dougherty said.
Spokesmen for Home Depot Inc. could not immediately be reached for comment.
Dougherty said in a lawsuit filed last week in Boulder, Colorado, that he thought he was having a heart attack when he realized his buttocks and legs were stuck to the toilet seat in the Home Depot restroom in Louisville, Colorado.
He explained his plight to an employee who came into the restroom but other Home Depot staffers thought it was a hoax and he had to wait until someone else came in to again summon help.
Dougherty is claiming unspecified damages for help with medical and psychiatric bills, for humiliation and for the diabetes he said he has developed as a result of the stress.
"Home Depot not only ignored my plight, they refused my plight," he said. Dougherty said he suspected the glue had been placed there as a prank by three teens seen earlier in the store.
Retired electrical engineer Bob Dougherty, 57, said on Thursday he was stuck in the stall with his pants down for about 20 minutes and that two years after the 2003 incident he was suffering from post-traumatic stress, which has triggered diabetes and heart complications.
"I have these nightmares every night where I am locked in this dark room, with no windows, no doors, no fresh air, no route for escape. I wake up in these cold sweats," Dougherty said.
Spokesmen for Home Depot Inc. could not immediately be reached for comment.
Dougherty said in a lawsuit filed last week in Boulder, Colorado, that he thought he was having a heart attack when he realized his buttocks and legs were stuck to the toilet seat in the Home Depot restroom in Louisville, Colorado.
He explained his plight to an employee who came into the restroom but other Home Depot staffers thought it was a hoax and he had to wait until someone else came in to again summon help.
Dougherty is claiming unspecified damages for help with medical and psychiatric bills, for humiliation and for the diabetes he said he has developed as a result of the stress.
"Home Depot not only ignored my plight, they refused my plight," he said. Dougherty said he suspected the glue had been placed there as a prank by three teens seen earlier in the store.
20051104
Dentist severs finger and fakes car crash
A Dutch dentist who chopped off his finger and then faked a car crash before claiming 1.8 million euros ($2.2 million) from insurers was given a suspended sentence and fined by a court Thursday.
The man, aged 50, mutilated himself and crashed his car into a tree in Belgium in the hope of convincing insurers that the steering wheel had inflicted the injury, the court said.
However, the shape of the cut on his index finger, the level of anaesthetic in his blood and the absence of skid marks on the road suggested otherwise.
"It was not an accident but an amputation he carried out himself, or he had someone do it for him," a court spokeswoman said.
The dentist was fined 25,000 euros and received a six-month suspended jail sentence with 240 hours community service.
The man, aged 50, mutilated himself and crashed his car into a tree in Belgium in the hope of convincing insurers that the steering wheel had inflicted the injury, the court said.
However, the shape of the cut on his index finger, the level of anaesthetic in his blood and the absence of skid marks on the road suggested otherwise.
"It was not an accident but an amputation he carried out himself, or he had someone do it for him," a court spokeswoman said.
The dentist was fined 25,000 euros and received a six-month suspended jail sentence with 240 hours community service.
20051103
Boys get gunshots, not treats, for Halloween
Two Italian boys were recovering in hospital on Tuesday after a 70-year-old man shot them with his hunting rifle because he was frightened by their Halloween costumes.
The 14-year-old boys, dressed as demons, had knocked on the man's door during an evening of "trick or treat" near the northern town of Turin and set off a firecracker.
When the door opened, instead of a treat, the man fired four shots at the boys having been scared by the noise and their strange outfits, the news agency ANSA said.
Police arrested the man, who lived alone and was the victim of several robberies, for attempted murder, ANSA said. Police said the boys' lives were not in danger but one risked losing an eye.
The tradition of asking neighbors for sweets or money on Halloween is relatively new to Italy but is gaining popularity.
The 14-year-old boys, dressed as demons, had knocked on the man's door during an evening of "trick or treat" near the northern town of Turin and set off a firecracker.
When the door opened, instead of a treat, the man fired four shots at the boys having been scared by the noise and their strange outfits, the news agency ANSA said.
Police arrested the man, who lived alone and was the victim of several robberies, for attempted murder, ANSA said. Police said the boys' lives were not in danger but one risked losing an eye.
The tradition of asking neighbors for sweets or money on Halloween is relatively new to Italy but is gaining popularity.
20051102
The place that has no secrets..
Care to find out what your neighbor earned last year, or how much your partner really has stashed in the bank? In Finland you can -- and a lot of people did Wednesday.
Every November when the Nordic nation's tax records of the previous year become public, Finns indulge on a massive scale in satisfying their curiosity about each other's finances.
Newspapers were crammed with lists of the wealthiest and highest-earning men and women in 2004.
Veroporssi, a private firm which offers income details on everyone in Finland via mobile text message, said it was its busiest day of the year and had no time to comment.
Iltalehti tabloid devoted a 24-page supplement to juicy details on which celebrity earned what, while sports stars like Formula 1's Kimi Raikkonen and Liverpool footballer Sami Hyypia, who escape high taxes by living abroad, were highlighted for being "zero-income millionaires."
"People have always been interested in taxation, because in Finland you don't talk about your income, it's considered very vulgar, and even more impolite is to ask what someone earns," said Reijo Ruokanen, managing editor of Iltalehti.
"This is your chance to see if you're keeping up with the Joneses."
In a country where keeping your head down and not sticking out has traditionally been considered a virtue, the tax and income publication is a chance to brag a bit, Ruokanen said.
"A lot of them don't like it when we publish their names, but for some it's a way to be known as wealthy people without having to say so for themselves."
So who's the richest man of the republic?
Aatos Erkko, the main owner of media house SanomaWSOY, topped the list with a personal fortune of 192 million euros, while Olli Riikala, an executive of U.S. General Electric, was the top wage earner, making 5.3 million euros.
Every November when the Nordic nation's tax records of the previous year become public, Finns indulge on a massive scale in satisfying their curiosity about each other's finances.
Newspapers were crammed with lists of the wealthiest and highest-earning men and women in 2004.
Veroporssi, a private firm which offers income details on everyone in Finland via mobile text message, said it was its busiest day of the year and had no time to comment.
Iltalehti tabloid devoted a 24-page supplement to juicy details on which celebrity earned what, while sports stars like Formula 1's Kimi Raikkonen and Liverpool footballer Sami Hyypia, who escape high taxes by living abroad, were highlighted for being "zero-income millionaires."
"People have always been interested in taxation, because in Finland you don't talk about your income, it's considered very vulgar, and even more impolite is to ask what someone earns," said Reijo Ruokanen, managing editor of Iltalehti.
"This is your chance to see if you're keeping up with the Joneses."
In a country where keeping your head down and not sticking out has traditionally been considered a virtue, the tax and income publication is a chance to brag a bit, Ruokanen said.
"A lot of them don't like it when we publish their names, but for some it's a way to be known as wealthy people without having to say so for themselves."
So who's the richest man of the republic?
Aatos Erkko, the main owner of media house SanomaWSOY, topped the list with a personal fortune of 192 million euros, while Olli Riikala, an executive of U.S. General Electric, was the top wage earner, making 5.3 million euros.
20051101
Firefighters capture python in shop
A dozen French firefighters were called in to cut their way to a 10-foot-long python hiding a shop just outside Paris, an official said Sunday.
"We were alerted by someone who said he had seen a snake on the roof of a shop," a fire brigade spokesman said.
"We don't know where it escaped from. Probably from an apartment," he said. Police had taken charge of the reptile.
The firefighters cut a hole in the false ceiling of a shop in Gentilly, south of Paris, to retrieve the snake.
Pythons are among the longest species of snakes. They feed on birds and small mammals, squeezing them to death.
"We were alerted by someone who said he had seen a snake on the roof of a shop," a fire brigade spokesman said.
"We don't know where it escaped from. Probably from an apartment," he said. Police had taken charge of the reptile.
The firefighters cut a hole in the false ceiling of a shop in Gentilly, south of Paris, to retrieve the snake.
Pythons are among the longest species of snakes. They feed on birds and small mammals, squeezing them to death.
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