What do you think?MOSCOW — Amid a huge bounty of contraband goods seized recently at a Russian airport, one far-out find floored customs officials: chunks of meteorite.
"On the customs declaration, the smugglers identified it as granite for construction and decoration of office space," Larisa Ledovskikh, a spokeswoman for customs at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, told AFP on Thursday.
"But our officials could see it was clearly not granite!"
The two smugglers -- who also tried to ship out silver antiques, fossils, semi-precious stones, microscopes and old books in the suspect cargo -- were initially charged with making a false declaration on their customs form.
Only after a three-month investigation did officials discover that the mystery lumps were fragments from outer space and the men part of a larger crime ring including experts and scientists, Ledovskikh said.
"They were part of an organized criminal gang. They had worked out a plan in advance to smuggle out of Russian territory and to the Czech Republic... two meteorite chunks, each weighing 100 grams," she said.
The two men were arrested on Sunday and charged with contraband, a sentence that carries a maximum of 12 years in prison in Russia.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Meteorite Smuggling
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Florida Man Shoots Himself by Accident
JUPITER, Fla. -- A man accidentally shot himself in the leg shortly after leaving a Jupiter gun store.
Police say the unidentified man went to Chuck's Guns and Ammo Monday afternoon, looking for batteries for the laser sight on a small handgun. When the man was back in his car, the gun accidentally fired, hitting him in the leg.
The man was taken to a West Palm Beach hospital for treatment.
Why do you think the Associated Press writer used the phrase, "the gun accidentally fired?" Isn't that impossible? Maybe he was a pro-gun guy trying to downplay the stupidity of the incident.
I've got an idea. Since the proliferation of handguns is such a big problem in America and the majority of gun owners are responsible people who don't want to be inconvenienced unnecessarily, let's do this. Anyone who has an "accidental" shooting forfeits his right to own guns. It should be automatic and incontestable. Further, any minor offense, misdemeanor, or documented incident of rage, results in the same, immediate forfeiture of gun rights.
This way, the vast majority will be free to enjoy their guns while many of the "bad apples" will be removed from their company.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
Off-Duty Dallas Cop
An off-duty police officer is accused of hitting two bar workers and pulling a gun on them because they refused to let him back inside after closing.
Sgt. Hector Roa, 37, was charged Sunday with two counts of aggravated assault, Dallas police said. Police said Roa, a 14-year veteran currently assigned to central patrol, has been placed on administrative leave pending criminal and administrative investigations.
Matthew Kirchmeyer, a bouncer at the bar, said they were closing about 2 a.m. Sunday when Roa, who had been at the bar, tried to get back inside. He said Roa was in plain clothes and didn't identify himself as a police officer.
"He kind of tried to muscle his way back inside," Kirchmeyer told The Dallas Morning News. Kirchmeyer said that when he and the bar owner would not let Roa in, Roa hit both of them.
"I pushed him to the ground," Kirchmeyer said.
He said Roa then pulled a gun out of his waistband.
Officer Roa said the reason he was behaving so badly is because the bouncer called him a racial epithet. Is that an excuse, do you think? Can this kind of incident ever be excused?
What about the charge? Would aggravated assault be enough to get him kicked off the police force and barred from owning firearms in the future? Is anything less than that appropriate in a case like this?
Please leave a comment.
Delaware Man Stressed over Snow Shoveling
New Castle County Police said a man pointed a gun at a neighbor who was shoveling snow on Saturday at the Hampton Walk Apartments. A man told police a neighbor came outside while he was shoveling, pointed a gun and threatened to shoot him if he didn't stop shoveling snow onto his car.A man, 43, was arrested and charged with aggravated menacing.
Does that mean the gun was legally owned? How can a man who is unstable enough to do something like that own a gun in the first place?
I realize there's no practical way we can prevent it. Psychological testing and other measures would be too difficult to do. But does that mean we should continue to make it easier for folks to own guns in the certain knowledge that the unstable types will become proportionately more numerous? What percentage do you think that is anyway?
Please leave a comment.
Tepper Charged with Murder
A murder warrant was issued Monday against a former Philadelphia police officer accused of fatally shooting a neighbor during an off-duty altercation in November.
Frank Tepper, 43, faces charges of murder and other counts in the shooting of 21-year-old William Panas Jr. in the city's Port Richmond section. Tepper's attorney said that his client acted in self-defense.
Former District Attorney Lynne Abraham announced last year that she was convening a grand jury in the killing. But the city's new top prosecutor said Monday that his office reviewed the case and determined there was enough evidence to issue a warrant.
"The community cries out for justice," said District Attorney Seth Williams, inaugurated last month as the city's first new DA in nearly 20 years. "Our job is to seek justice. But it won't be at the loss of a thorough investigation."
The new District Attorney may be trying to make a name for himself, but Frank Tepper is no stranger to trouble. I'm sure more will come out during the trial.
What's your opinion? Is Tepper the "neighborhood bully" who goes around looking for trouble and when he finds it, pulls his gun? Or, is he a responsible ex-policeman who lives in a tough area of Philadelphia where trouble is everywhere?
Please leave a comment.