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Topics - ravenite
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« on: July 20, 2007, 09:35:44 PM »
Melanie McGuire, the 34-year-old fertility clinic nurse convicted of killing her husband and stuffing his remains into suitcases, was sentenced to life in prison this morning.
"The depravity of this murder simply shocks the conscience of this courtroom," Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa said as he issued the sentence, calling the crime especially "heinous" and "cruel."
"The nature and the complexity and the scope of this criminal episode involved many, many overt actions committed over a three-week period spanning four different states, and reflected a willfullness and a malice that goes far beyond the elements of the crime of murder," the judge said.
McGuire has remained in custody since her April 23 conviction, after prosecutors said she drugged, shot and dismembered her husband, William T. McGuire, 39, in their Woodbridge townhouse on April 28, 2004, and then stuffed his remains into three matching suitcases before dumping them in the Chesapeake Bay.
"His sons were just babies, only 2 and 4 years old, when the sun rose on that April morning and their daddy was nowhere to be found," said Cindy Ligosh, William McGuire's elder sister, as she testified before the sentencing. The boys, she said, "were denied a chance to even say goodbye."
Laura Ligosh, William McGuire's niece, said she could no longer remember her uncle by "his infectious grin and the boyish mischief in his eyes."
"I see the pencil sketch rendered by the Virginia police department of a body that was pulled out of the water on three separate days," she said. "No name, no voice, just lifeless eyes set in a bloated, misshapen head."
Melanie McGuire sat handcuffed, wearing a green jail sweatshirt. She sobbed through much of this morning's hearing.
Allison LiCalsi, McGuire's best friend, spoke on her behalf, saying she is big-hearted woman who became a nurse to help others. During her time in jail, McGuire has helped a fellow inmate cope with heroin withdrawal, LiCalsi said.
McGuire winced and cried, sometimes bowing, as LiCalsi spoke. When Ligosh mentioned William and Melanie McGuire's young sons, the defendant screamed silently - her mouth wide open, her eyes shut tight.
Her attorney, Joseph Tacopina, said his client was wrongly convicted. He asked the judge to sentence McGuire to 30 years without parole.
"Melanie McGuire is innocent. We respect the jury's verdict, but we don't agree with it," he said. "She is always giving of herself, and she has gotten people through incredibly difficult times. Melanie McGuire continues to be that person today, even though she's in a place where she does not belong."
Assistant Attorney General Patricia Prezioso told the judge there is "ample reason" to give McGuire the maximum penalty.
"This defendant desecrated his body then she tried to desecrate his memory," she said. "(Melanie McGuire) continues to deny her part and displays a total and complete lack of remorse. She displays an arrogance as if she is entitled to be above the law. She should never, ever walk free again."
During the trial in Middlesex County, prosecutors said McGuire killed her husband so she could be with her lover Bradley Miller, a doctor at the Morristown fertility clinic where they both worked. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/07/mcguire_due_for_sentencing_in.html
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« on: July 20, 2007, 09:32:18 PM »
According to Reuters, "Nigerian schoolchildren who received laptops from a U.S. aid organization have used them to explore pornographic sites on the internet." The article says that the Nigerian government, who released the statement, felt the educational program had "gone awry" on account of the boobies, but did not say whether government officials were angry at the schoolchildren, angry with the US-based providers of laptops, or angry that they themselves did not have the necessary laptoppage to do some "exploring" of their own.
Although the laptops were not the celebrated OLPCs that will soon be manufactured for distribution throughout the developing world, OLPC officials were asked about the porn-savviness of the upcoming $180 laptop. http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/booby-trap/kids-use-us+donated-laptops-to-surf-the-porn-of-course-280715.php
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« on: July 19, 2007, 11:02:47 PM »
HEMLOCK, Mich. (AP) A woman who hates spiders is crediting them with helping save her from a house fire. Danielle Vigue, 18, says she awoke early Tuesday to find spiders in her room, and started killing them. When more showed up, she says she went across the hall and got into bed with her 15-year-old sister, Lauren.
"At first there were five, they were all around the light fixture," Danielle Vigue told The Saginaw News. "I hate spiders, they freak me out."
A fire apparently was smoldering in the attic of the home about 90 miles northwest of Detroit.
A few hours later, Vigue's 48-year-old mother, Debra, and 8-year-old sister, Shelby, smelled smoke, and flames greeted the family when they opened the door to the room Danielle Vigue had earlier left.
"I will never kill another spider again," she told WNEM-TV in Saginaw.
Richland Township Fire Chief Gary Wade, a 30-year veteran of the Saginaw County department, was surprised by Vigue's story.
"I've never heard of spiders saving someone from a fire before," Wade said. http://www.beaufortgazette.com/24hour/weird/story/3661444p-13027959c.html
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« on: July 19, 2007, 10:45:18 PM »
A 3-month-old kitten is on the mend after being set on fire, allegedly by two teenage girls last month.
The male shorthaired kitten, named Adam, received second- and third-degree burns over 75 percent of its body and was being treated at the Animal Hospital of Cotati, located in Northern California's Sonoma County, officials said.
Two girls have been charged with cruelty to animals in connection with the case. They were arrested last Friday, accused of pouring flammable liquid on the cat, only 8 weeks old at the time, and setting it on fire. The girls are being held in Sonoma County's Juvenile Hall. The maximum penalty carried by the charges against them is three years of confinement.
The kitten has undergone two surgeries and had its tail and the tips of its ears amputated. Tina Wright, the lead nurse at the animal hospital, said Adam was scheduled for another surgery on Tuesday and would likely have three more in addition to that. The operations are essentially skin grafts, she said, and would be performed pro bono by Lisa Alexander, a board-certified surgeon.
Click here to find out more!
The weekly surgeries are necessary because the kitten continues to grow, said Wright.
Adam is 12 weeks old now and doing well, said Wright. The cost of his care and medical attention at the shelter would normally cost between $20,000 and $30,000, she said. Anybody interested in contributing to the costs of caring for Adam can go to the animal hospital in the 500 block of E. Cotati Avenue in Cotati or call 707-792-0200.
An 11-year-old boy and his friend said they saw the smoke and heard the cat shrieking while the girls laughed. The boy brought the animal to a woman he knows named Eve, which is how he ended up with the name Adam.
Wright said the kitten was found on June 19 and brought to the animal hospital two days later. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/13708685/detail.html?rss=dgo&psp=news
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« on: July 18, 2007, 10:47:17 PM »
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - A crew of Brazilian fishermen was captured on video killing 83 dolphins and joking about their illegal haul, Brazil's Ibama environmental protection agency said Tuesday.
The video obtained by an Ibama researcher and broadcast by Globo TV showed the fishermen netting the dolphins, which suffocated because they could not surface to breathe.
The researcher was contracted by the agency and sent undercover aboard the fishing boat to monitor hauls of other fish. The dolphin kill was filmed while the boat was off the coast of Amapa state, near the point where the Amazon River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
As the dolphins were hauled from the sea and piled on the boat's deck, fishermen on board laughed after someone said, "Everyone's going to jail after this filming!"
No one has been charged or fined because authorities were still trying to identify the fishermen caught on video, Globo reported.
Ibama confirmed the Globo report that aired Monday night, but said Tuesday that no one was immediately available to provide additional details. It was not immediately clear whether the researcher or a crew member filmed the dolphins being killed.
Fishermen who illegally snag dolphins usually sell the meat to other boats that use it to haul up sharks, Globo TV said.
The images appalled groups trying to protect dolphins around the world.
"Brazil has strict laws to protect whales and dolphins in their waters, and they are very clearly being abused," said Claire Bass, program manager for marine mammals with the London-based World Society for the Protection of Animals. "Using nets to kill these extremely sociable and intelligent animals by drowning them is completely diabolical."
Dolphins are also caught off the coast of Africa for shark bait, she said.
Dolphin jaws complete with all the teeth are sold in an open air market in the large Amazon city of Belem, and the eyes are also sold as fetishes to men who believe they have magical powers attract riches and women. Dolphins penises are ground into a powder thought to make men more virile.
Killing dolphins is a crime in Brazil punishable by up to 1.5 years in prison. Ibama is working on a plan to ban fishing in the areas where the dolphins were killed.
The country has also had problems with the killing of river dolphins harpooned in the Amazon River and used as bait, Bass said.
Fishermen who illegally kill the river dolphins try to wound them so they can be tied to trees while still alive.
"Then they come and kill them for the bait as and when they need it," Bass said. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/brazil_dolphins_killed
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« on: July 18, 2007, 10:32:45 PM »
A British teenager who bought a Sony PlayStation 2 on eBay for £95 ($194) got more than he bargained for when he opened the package. Instead of a shiny, happy gaming console, there was a whole heap of euros - €65,400 ($90,000) to be precise—stacked neatly inside. A spokesman for eBay said that the parcel's contents were "somewhat unusual," but that they would help the police in any way they could.
When the parcel arrived, on March 20, the boy's parents contacted the Norfolk Constabulary, who are now holding the money under the Proceeds of Crime Act. If the owner does not come forward by September 22, then the family can apply to have the cash returned to them—unless the police apply to hold onto the money for a longer period. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/6903433.stm
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« on: May 30, 2007, 01:46:32 AM »
Google Maps just released a new feature that lets you actually look around the street. Seems to only be working in major us cities for now.
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« on: April 27, 2007, 12:44:02 AM »
Halo 2 is finally making its way to the PC platform after its initial 2004 release for the Xbox console. The game is still going through the official GameSpot review process right now, but based on our initial impressions, the Vista version feels like an accurate port. The game doesn't include any new DirectX 10 features, but the platform switch alone will ensure that Halo 2 looks better on Windows Vista than on the Xbox. Going from 480p to PC resolutions will still give players a sharper picture and more detailed environments. http://www.gamespot.com/features/6169711/index.html?tag=topslot;title;1&om_act=convert&om_clk=topslot
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« on: April 26, 2007, 01:55:59 PM »
Ken Kutaragi, has announced that he is stepping down from his executive position at Sony. Of course, the conspiracy theorists will go nutso over this one, but nomatter what you may think, he is one of the forefathers of modern gaming. The Playstaion 3's bad numbers we are sure played a part, but whether or not u like him, he will be missed. http://www.gamersreports.com/news/5532/ken-kutaragi-steps-down-from-his-position-at-sony/
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« on: April 19, 2007, 04:39:40 PM »
Pomona, California: Two men have been arrested after they accidentally contacted the police department when setting up a drug deal.
The men apparently punched in "911" at the end of a page to emphasize the importance of the transaction.
When an officer arrived at the location to investigate the incomplete call, he saw the two men by the pay phone and a parked vehicle. The officer then ran the license plate, only to find that it was a stolen vehicle. When the officer searched the car, he found several suspicious instruments including saws, bolt cutters and a shaved ignition key. http://newsvoid.com/911dealer
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« on: April 18, 2007, 08:58:40 PM »
An incredibly hilarious/awesome animated fight scene involving Master Chief, Samus, the Covenant and Matrix-inspired feats of strength. Stay tuned after the credits for fanservice. http://www.gametrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=57998
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« on: April 18, 2007, 08:51:47 PM »
Microsoft spent millions of dollars advertising its next generation OS 'Windows Vista' in China, in fact the IT juggernaut threw up the biggest Vista Ad on the 421 meter high Jin Mao tower in Shanghai China. However after 2 weeks (Jan 19 to Feb 2) from launch Microsoft managed to sell a mere 244 copies of Windows Vista. Software piracy is rampant in the middle kingdom and a pirated version of Vista sells for a mere $1 on the streets. The following numbers are quoted by Windows Vista chief distributor in Bejing.
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« on: April 18, 2007, 12:10:35 AM »
The new book is told in fragmentary form, similar to “The Silmarillion”, and is much darker than “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. The story is set long before “The Lord of the Rings” in Middle-earth and tells the tale of Turin and his sister Nienor who are cursed by Morgoth, the first Dark Lord. http://www.ifitsmovies.com/2007/04/17/new-jrr-tolkien-novel-to-become-film/Laertes here, I've edited the title so it isn't as misleading
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« on: April 17, 2007, 06:54:22 PM »
Check out the difference in how they advertised the product and what you really got. Each item was purchased, taken home, and photographed immediately. Nothing was tampered with, run over by a car, or anything of the sort. It is an accurate representation in every case. http://www.thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm
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« on: April 16, 2007, 10:56:44 PM »
Xbox 360 Rally was the first to report the rumor that Gamestop was planning a special deal for current Xbox 360 owners who wanted to trade up to the Xbox 360 Elite. Well, now they can report that it is, in fact, now a universal truth. In a story that was FIRST reported here at Xbox 360 Rally, it’s now been confirmed that Gamestop will indeed have a special trade-in deal for your current Xbox 360 system!
Xbox 360 Premium: $250
Xbox 360 Core: $200
Xbox: $50
Yes, you even get fifty bones for your original Xbox. Pretty awesome, isn’t it? I think so — and I know for a fact that I’ll be buying an Xbox 360 Elite, so this works out great for me.
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« on: April 16, 2007, 07:47:00 PM »
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Capcom's previously Xbox 360-exclusive third person sci-fi action shooter, is in development for PC, the publisher announced at a San Francisco press event last night. Having taken flak for the SourceNext-developed, Ubisoft-published PC ports of Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, perceived by some to be inferior to their console originals, Capcom stated that it is handling the PC version of Lost Planet entirely in-house, with assistance from NVidia. During last night's event, the company cited the success of the game on Xbox 360 and "the resurgence of the PC market" as factors in the decision to put Lost Planet on PC. Last month, Capcom announced that its anticipated action game Devil May Cry 4 is also in development for PC as well as Xbox 360, in addition to the previously announced PlayStation 3 version. Both Lost Planet and Devil May Cry 4 are based on Capcom's newly developed in-house multiplatform engine. The company was clear in its intent to continually increase its focus on multiplatform development.
Numerous enhancements are being made to the game to improve upon the already highly lauded graphical fidelity of the Xbox 360 version. Lost Planet on PC will feature DirectX 10 support (neither DirectX 10 nor Windows Vista is required), resolutions of up to 2560x1600, higher-res textures, and more detailed shader and particle effects. Capcom was sure to point out that, in the PC version, bullet holes and impact points caused by objects hitting the snow are now rendered in the game's geometry rather than with flat normal-mapped textures, leading to a greater sense of depth.
Lost Planet's PC incarnation will feature online multiplayer and downloadable content, though Capcom refrained from going into further detail on these points at this time.
By default, the game uses a standard WASD-style control scheme with mouselook, which translates over well from the dual analog stick configuration of the Xbox 360 controller. The game also includes built-in support for the Xbox 360 controller, and features fully mappable keyboard and mouse controls. Last night, the game was being demonstrated on a machine equipped with a quad-core PC and an NVidia 8800GTX video card; there did not seem to be any major performance issues.
Capcom expects to ship Lost Planet for PC this June.
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