Car Repairers News

Source: Daily Mail ()

Why am I expected to accept that we can’t catch the man who blew my son apart, says father of Omagh bombing victim
By BECKY SHEAVES - More by this author »
Last updated at 00:53am on 26th December 2007

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Aidan Gallagher was killed in the Omagh atrocity

At the beginning of last week, Michael Gallagher visited his son Aidan’s grave.

Before he set off, he checked under his car as he does every day, for a bomb. Just in case.

He went to the churchyard where Aidan is buried and placed a small Christmas tree and model of Santa in front of the headstone.
Then it was time for a few quiet words to his boy who was killed at the age of 21, just as he was becoming a man, someone Michael could rely on.
To lose a child is surely the hardest thing for any parent to bear.

But for Michael, 58, and his wife Patsy, the intense grief has been mingled with a sense of outrage and injustice ever since their son died. For he was murdered in the notorious Omagh bomb attack nine and a half years ago.
“He’s still very much here with us and part of our family,” says Michael.

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Carnage: The scene of the Omagh bombing

“It’s important for me to visit his grave often. He was full of life and laughter, our middle child and such a joker, always up to something. I remember him with love as well as sorrow.”
Sadly, last week saw Michael’s last hope of criminal justice for Aidan expire.

Sean Hoey, 38 - the only man accused in a British court of setting the bomb - was released on Thursday due to what the judge called “flawed” DNA evidence and a “slapdash” police investigation.
It’s been a huge blow for the man who lost his only son - a 6ft 2in, 14-stone “gentle giant” - in the bombing.

Back then, Aidan lived at home and worked alongside Michael in the family car repair business.
Of course, they will never forget him. Indeed, Michael Patsy, also 58, talk about him often, with love and affection.

Although they’ve moved house, they …

Source: TheNewsTribune.com (subscription) ()

Thieves slide under a vehicle, cut the piece of emissions hardware with a power tool and later sell it for the precious metals inside.

“This is just an extension of metal theft,” Sgt. Bob Thompson said. “It’s starting to evolve and we’d like to put a damper on it.”

Tacoma police and Pierce County sheriff’s officials say they haven’t yet seen problems with catalytic converter theft. But Puyallup officers have seen a handful of thefts in the past two months.

Puyallup officers now want residents to be on the lookout for suspicious activity related to the theft.

“If you see someone working on a car and especially on a car with power equipment, call the Police Department,” Thompson said. “That’s suspicious in nature.”

Catalytic converters are part of a vehicle’s emissions system and contain platinum, palladium and rhodium.

“They are very valuable for recyclers,” Thompson said.

Thieves can bank between $40 to $100 for each converter they sell to recyclers.

Officers suspect the thieves use a power tool equipped with a quick-cutting blade. They pull up to a vehicle, hook the power tool into a generator in the back of a pickup truck and cut the exhaust pipes at both ends, dropping the catalytic converter to the ground.

All done in 60 to 90 seconds.

“It doesn’t take very long,” Thompson said.

Drivers returning to their cars don’t notice the stolen piece until they turn the key.

“It’s going to sound like your muffler fell off,” Thompson said. “Part of that is gone.”

Thompson said thieves might be going after the converters because of crackdowns that have made it harder to make methamphetamine and steal copper wire.

Over the years, state have restricted access to the key ingredients used in making the white powdery drug. In response, …

Source: BBC News ()

Pc Sherlock spent six weeks in hospital

A police officer who was knocked down by a stolen car still has no feeling in his arm two months after the crash.

Pc Jonathan Sherlock, 31, of Carlisle, was badly injured when he was struck by a car after a chase on the A66 near Cockermouth in October.

He spent six weeks in hospital and thanked staff and his girlfriend Katie for their “overwhelming” support.

Two youths, aged 17 and 14, have admitted a string of offences in relation to the crash.

Pc Sherlock is due to undergo an operation on his knee at the beginning of February to repair torn ligaments.

He has had treatment in West Cumberland Hospital, Carlisle Infirmary and Newcastle General Hospital.

He said: “I have been overwhelmed by the many, many people who have expressed their concern for me since the accident and I would like to thank my family, friends, colleagues and the general public for all their kind cards and support.

‘Job I love’

“At the moment I have no feeling in my right arm at all but hopefully with ongoing physiotherapy and further treatment this will heal.

“It is a long process but I am hopeful for the future. I am keen to get back to work and the job I love so much.”

The 17-year-old driver of the stolen car, from Carlisle, has admitted dangerous driving, wounding, driving while disqualified and aggravated vehicle taking and will be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on 15 February.

The 14-year-old youth, who was a passenger in the car, pleaded guilty to aiding abetting dangerous driving and burglary.

He is next due to appear at West Allerdale Magistrates’ Court on 2 January.

Source: Waikato Times ()

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A brave Morrinsville couple involved in a freak accident are determined to rebuild their lives. Martin Tiffany reports.
 
 
 
Trudee Mashlan feels as though she has had two lives one before August 2005 and one since.
The 37-year-old Morrinsville woman was involved in a freak accident in August 2005.
She and her husband Glenn were making the 15-minute trip from Hamilton Airport to their home when a 5kg starter motor crashed through the windscreen of their car. It hit her on the right side of her face and she was seriously injured.
Mrs Mashlan has had extensive reconstructive surgery over the past two years, and two final operations are planned for early next year.
The accident happened after her husband had picked her up on her return from Christchurch after visiting her sister and celebrating her nephew's first birthday.
"We said (this year) that it was his third birthday and my second," Mrs Mashlan said.
It is not that she wants to forget her life before the acccident, but things are very different now.
"Life will never be like it used to be… not 100 per cent like it was," she said.
"I can't sit there and get down. I have my moments, but life is too short."
When she first went out after their accident people would stare at her scared face.
"I suppose it's natural to take a second look but it got to me. Now it doesn't worry me … I ignore it. I am much more confident."
The horrific injuries have meant countless operations to reconstruct her shattered face so many she has lost count.
Operations so far have included a bone graft from her jaw to repair her cheek and having an artificial tear duct put in.
But the two most important ones will hopefully happen in the next three months. Important, because one next month repair lost teeth and one in March on her eye, hopefully will be the last she …

Source: Trading Markets (press release) ()

BUYINS.NET: (BBY) SqueezeTrigger Price is $51.386. There is $3,057,481,130.00 That Short Sellers Still Need To Cover

Thursday, December 20, 2007; Posted: 12:37 PM

Dec 20, 2007 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) — BBY | charts | news | PowerRating — BUYINS.NET / www.squeezetrigger.com is monitoring BEST BUY CO INC (NYSE:BBY) in real time and just received an alert that is crossing above its primary SqueezeTrigger Price, the price that a short squeeze can start in any stock. There are 59138900 shares that have been shorted at the volume weighted average SqueezeTrigger Price of $51.386. To access SqueezeTrigger Prices ahead of potential short squeezes beginning, visit http://www.squeezetrigger.com. From January 2005 to November 2007, an aggregate amount of 1018255448 shares of BBY have been shorted for a total dollar value of $51,931,027,848.00. The BBY SqueezeTrigger price of $51.386 is the volume weighted average price that all shorts are short in shares of BBY. There is still approximately $3,057,481,130.00 of potential short covering in shares of BBY. SqueezeTrigger.com has built a massive database that collects, analyzes and publishes a proprietary SqueezeTrigger Price for each stock that has been shorted. The data has then been integrated into an automated trading platform which can be used to connect to a live online broker and automate your trading of short squeeze events. It is extremely powerful with lightening fast execution at a very low price. Both the trading software and SqueezeTrigger data feed are available at http://www.squeezetrigger.com. BEST BUY CO INC (NYSE:BBY) Best Buy Co., Inc. (Best Buy) is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services. The Company operates retail stores and commercial Websites under the brand names Buy (BestBuy.com and BestBuyCanada.ca), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Magnolia Audio Video (MagnoliaAV.com) and Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com and …

Source: phillyBurbs.com ()

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Police news for Dec. 19
The Intelligencer
Abington woman killed in blaze
A bedridden 87-year old woman died in a fire that swept through a home in the 1500 block of North Hills Avenue around 10:54 a.m. Tuesday. Eris Connor, 87, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her son-in-law, John Teran, was treated at Abington Memorial Hospital for injuries he suffered trying to rescue her. Two police officers also tried to rescue Connor but were driven back by flames.
The fire appeared to have started in the bedroom where Connor was trapped. At least six local fire companies put out the blaze. Abington police, the state fire marshal’s office and county detectives are investigating. The Red Cross was helping the victim’s family.
Hatboro
Scrap metal theft arrests: William Dillon, 42, of Philadelphia, and Matthew Spiker, 24, of Philadelphia, were arrested Dec. 1 after the U-Haul they were driving was found loaded with stolen scrap metal, police said. An officer spotted the U-Haul leaving a closed commercial business on the 300 block of Jacksonville Road around 12:30 a.m., pulled the truck over and found the metal that had just been stolen from the business. A third person in the truck fled on foot and was not caught.
Eight days later, about $3,000 worth of scrap metal was stolen from the business on the 300 block of Jacksonville Road around 9:45 p.m. Dec. 9, police said. A witness saw an older model brown Ford pickup truck leaving the area with some of the stolen scrap metal spilling onto the road. Scrap metal and construction material thefts have been prevalent in the area lately because high prices are being paid for them, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call Hatboro police at (215) 675-2832.
Copper wire stolen: About $12,000 worth of copper wire stolen between Saturday and Sunday from a construction site in the 300 block of South Warminster …

Source: Calcutta Telegraph ()

Q: I am going to retire in two years and want to build a house. My architect has designed the house with split levels. I am not too comfortable with this and would like to ask for your guidance.

D. Phukan

A: The level of the floor should be uniform if one wishes to be happy and blissful in life. However, you can still go for split levels, provided you make the southwest portion of the house higher than the northeast. The floor level of the rest of the house should be on a par with the northeast. Any other split level can disturb the energy pattern of the tai chi area or Brahmasthan that falls in the centre of the house.

Q: I was born on January 26, 1962, at 1.26am. I bought a custom-built red Scorpio Passion in July 2006. On the first week, the car received a very small scratch while I was parking. A month ago, while I was reversing the car on the road, the top portion of the vehicle received another scratch. On December 6, around 12.20pm on Rajerhat Highway, I had a narrow escape when a Maruti Zen coming from the opposite side rammed into my vehicle. I somehow managed to swing my car left and avoid a head-on collision. I would like you to tell me whether the car is lucky for me. It definitely saved me from a fatal accident, but did the incident occur because red is not my colour? Or was it God’s grace? Please help me clear my doubts. The vehicle is in the garage for repairs and will be back after a month.

Rakesh Bhatia

A: According to your pillars of destiny, you are a wood person. At present you are going through the metal period.

This period definitely affects your lifestyle as far as a new house or a car is concerned. However, the metal element touches the person’s body in the form of accidents or surgeries. This year is the year of the pig and this animal represents a void in your life. It was totally God’s grace that you were saved. The colour red is fine. You can start using your car after it returns from the garage …

Source: Earthtimes ()

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Source: San Diego Union Tribune ()

Two young men on opposite sides of the globe, one in Australia, the other in San Diego, were fed up with the actions of their neighbors, but instead of moving away, they moved to do something about it online.

EARNIE GRAFTON / Union-Tribune
Plugging away at his laptop in University City, Brant Walker founded RottenNeighbor, a Web site for people to rant and rave on about their neighbors.

In San Diego, Brant Walker, 27, couldn't stand the smell of spicy Asian food wafting continually into his University Towne Centre-area apartment from his neighbors' kitchen on the other side of a wall.

“They had some bad smelling cooking going on,” said Walker. “It was not very pleasant in the summer. When it's hot, they always opened their doors and windows and the smell traveled over to our apartment. I couldn't get rid of it.”

And thus was born RottenNeighbor.com last summer. Besides inconsiderate cooking habits, complaints often involve noisy dogs, family spats, apparent drug use and late-night car repairs.

Walker's day job is running the Web site for a Rancho Santa Fe eating-disorder and drug-rehabilitation clinic. But he said RottenNeighbor.com may morph into a full-time job, thanks to a venture capital and management firm, Attenunit.com, that now owns RottenNeighbor and is ramping up the service with 20 people in Austin, Texas, doing the technical work.

In Australia, Jason Spencer, 35, bought a home five years ago in a nice area of Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria. But he wasn't complaining about the neighbors – they were complaining about him.

“Shortly after we moved in, we had all sorts of problems with the neighbors,” he said in a phone interview. “They complained about noise. One neighbor complained about our conditioning; the kids were noisy all the time. They were the kind of neighbors that complain …

Source: Washington Post ()

Q Dear Tom and Ray:

I purchased a new Nissan Sentra GXE in 1999. At 120,000 miles, the "service engine" light came on, and I brought it to the dealer. He found that the metal fuel-filler tube was corroding and leaking fumes. But the dealership said Nissan doesn’t make the part anymore, and it could neither fabricate it nor find the part anywhere else. I asked whether the car was safe to drive, and the said yes. Is this true? And why did Nissan stop making parts on a car that’s eight years old?