Largest German cruise ship for Disney.

Biggest German-built cruise ship completed

Published: 30 Oct 10 10:22 CET

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The "Disney Dream", the largest cruise ship ever built in Germany, is to leave its dry dock in the northern town of Papenburg on Saturday. It is the first of two ships to be built there for the US-based Disney Cruise Line company.

The completion of the ship will be marked by a firework display in the late afternoon, ahead of its maiden voyage, scheduled for January 2011.

The ship, built in the Meyer Werft shipyards, is the third and largest in the Disney fleet, with a length of 340 metres and a capacity for 4,000 passengers. Its special features include the first seaborne water-slide and virtual portholes in the inner cabins, which allow high-definition cameras to provide real-time views of the ship's exterior.

The ship will initially be docked at an adjoining pier, where it will undergo a number of technical tests on Sunday. It is scheduled to sail to the North Sea in two weeks' time, and will join the rest of the Disney fleet in the Bahamas by the New Year.

Its sister ship the "Disney Fantasy" is scheduled for completion at the end of 2011.

Underwater scooter for travel destinations.

• 28 October 2010, 11:05

Brit invents underwater scooter

A British inventor has created a new underwater scooter that allows tourists to explore coral reefs without learning to scuba dive - or even swim.

Holidaymakers can sit on the HydroBOB and dive to depths of 100ft at tourist sites around the world.

Andrew Sneath, HydroBOB designer and company founder, said: "With minimal training the rider can cruise the underwater world without the need to wear cumbersome dive equipment."

Mr Sneath, a former car factory worker from Bromsgrove, near Birmingham, now based in Florida, added: "Riding HydroBOB is a unique memorable experience of a life time."

The HydroBOB's helmet-like dome contains an air bubble that is continually filled with oxygen from an onboard tank.

The clear acrylic dome gives a 180 degree view and the oxygen tank is big enough to give over an hour's use before resurfacing.

Users don't need goggles, breathing apparatus or a wet suit. They can wear glasses and even talk underwater.

A 12 volt battery stored under the seat allows the scooter to move at two knots. Depth is controlled by a bounce bag, similar to that worn by a scuba diver to control buoyancy.

Users are given a simple ten minute briefing on underwater signalling and how to equalise the pressure in their ears.

Hydrodome has made 350 HydroBOBs - or breathing observation bubbles - for rental at tourist destinations worldwide, including the Bahamas, Australia and Tenerife.

Police now have patrol lorry...

Latest fight against dodgy lorry drivers: Police trucks marked like patrol cars

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 9:31 AM on 30th October 2010

They have long been the bane of drivers on the motorway.

But now dodgy lorry drivers are to be targeted with police's latest weapon - a truck decorated like a panda car.

The HGV cabin comes complete with blue-flashing lights and the blue and yellow liveried pattern that is used on regular patrol cars.

Riding high: The Metropolitan Police hope that their own trucks will give them a higher view to help them to catch dodgy drivers

In the past it has been hard for officers to catch truckers breaking the law because the cabs are too high to see inside from their patrol cars. 

Reckless drivers who have used phones or even watched DVDs while they have been driving have all escaped the law.

But by using an unmarked truck themselves, police are at the same height and are able to film drivers which is then used as evidence.

The uniformed officer in the police wagon follows the drivers before pulling them over on the shoulder. 

The Metropolitan Police's new HGV will be unveiled at Earl’s Court from next Thursday until Sunday as part of the Top Gear Live show.

The HGV will also be used to educate lorry drivers and cyclists of the dangers of blind spots, especially a cab’s left-hand turn blind spot, a major cause of cyclist fatalities.  

Cyclists are also being invited into the cab to see how a driver’s vision can be restricted.

The height is also useful for checking on drivers of vehicles such as horse boxes.

Last month, model Katie Price was fined £1,000 by Mid Sussex magistrates and given three penalty points for sending a text message while driving her pink horsebox.

Forces in the West Midlands first used the idea earlier this year in a crackdown on lorry drivers.

Department of Transport figures show that although goods vehicles account for only 10 per cent of all motorway traffic they are involved in nearly a third of all collisions.

Former trucker Gus Nairn, of Central Motorway Police Group, said being at the same height as other lorries is a real advantage.

He said the truck gives an 'elevated position where you can see in the cab which is something you don't normally have the benefit of in a patrol car'.

On a level: The new Met police truck will make it easier to catch bad lorry drivers on the motorway

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1325092/Latest-fight-dodgy-lorry-drivers-Police-trucks-marked-like-patrol-cars.html#ixzz13qJ7pp5I

Polizei high on cannabis motif.... - Germany

The high-way police: German officers spotted by motorists wearing cannabis motifs on their uniforms

By ALLAN HALL
Last updated at 5:37 PM on 29th October 2010

A legal row has begun after police officers in a German town began wearing cannabis leaf emblems on their uniforms.

Bemused motorists reported sightings of the white, green and red motifs on the shoulders and arms of officers stopping them at routine checks in Hamburg.

The reports prompted one local newspaper to run the headline: 'New fashion or bad joke?'

Drug force: A legal row has emerged after motorists spotted German police officers wearing uniforms with cannabis motifs in Hamburg

German police have resembled foresters since World War Two with supposedly non-threatening brown and green uniforms adopted after the days of the black-clad Gestapo.

Forces across the country have only recently begun getting more modern, sober uniforms.

It is these new uniforms that the 'cannabis patch', as the German media has dubbed them, have begun appearing.

Authentic? The arm badge shows as green cannabis leaf with a police emblem, but Hamburg and Bremen officers are unsure if it is legal

Mystery now surrounds whether the logos are official after Hamburg police said they had not authorised their officers to wear it and blamed the sightings on officers carrying out a drugs exercise for rival force Bremen.

Bremen police have also shrugged their shoulders and admitted they do not know if the badges are legal or renegade.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1324920/The-High-way-police-German-officers-spotted-motorists-wearing-cannabis-motifs-uniforms.html#ixzz13ncK9F8b

Tall ship loses mast in Atlantic

A tall ship lost its mast during gales, prompting the Navy to launch a rescue mission.

 

Published: 11:57AM BST 29 Oct 2010

The Royal Navy sent search and rescue helicopters from its base at Culdrose, Cornwall, to aid the stricken ship, which is in difficulties 100 miles south west of the Isles of Scilly.

The twin-masted The Fryderya Chopin has lost one of its masts in stormy conditions with 47 people on board, including several children.

 

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A Royal Navy spokesman said: ''Arrangements are being put in place to attempt to tow the vessel to safety and Culdrose's helicopter Rescue 193 is en route with a back-up helicopter standing by at Culdrose.''

The Polish-registered 180ft (55m) long ship has so far lost one of its two masts, but there are fears it could lose the second.

A spokesman for the Coastguard confirmed the ship was carrying teenage cadets.

He said: "There are currently 47 people aboard the training vessel, including some teenagers.

"No injuries have been incurred and the vessel is awaiting tow. We are constantly monitoring the situation and staying in touch with the master."

The master requested immediate assistance at 8:03am saying they were in danger of losing their second mast and were experiencing Gale Force 9 winds.

Falmouth Coastguard put out a broadcast for help from other ships in the area and three vessels were heading towards the tall ship.

On route were the Container Vessel 'Andromodar' and Bulk Carrier 'Cornelia' and a large fishing vessel 'Nova Spirro'.

Pilot lands on two cars during 2nd solo flight.

Mind if I park here? Lucky escape after trainee pilot crash lands on two parked cars during second solo flight

By DAVID GARDNER
Last updated at 11:57 AM on 29th October 2010

Perhaps the student pilot was confused when he was told to taxi on to the runway.

Or maybe he was simply taking a crash course in landing.

Either way, the 60-year-old trainee walked away unhurt from the accident at Tampa North Aero Park in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

Crash landing: The single-engined plane came to rest on top of two parked cars in a car park next to Tampa North Aero Park

It was only his second solo flight and a preliminary report revealed he had problems during take-off and lost control over the aircraft during his descent.

The single-engine plane skidded off the runway and landed on top of two cars parked in front of a nearby medical factory.

Eyewitness Alayne Perkins said she heard a loud bang when the plane crashed.

'I thought it was a big bird hitting the door,' shed told the St Petersburg Times.

'I went "aha!" and I jumped. My husband went to the door. He said "there's a plane on two cars out here!".'

Demetrius Tolbert, 38, of Tampa, works as a solderer for the Rochester Electro-Medical company. His white 2005 Chevy Impala was badly damaged in the crash.

He said: 'I want to see what GEICO is going to say about this one.'

Shirley Manzella, 44, of Port Richey, is the owner of the other car damaged by the plane - a blue 2007 Chevy Aveo.

Talking to her insurance company, she said: 'A plane landed on my car. If you guys hurry up, you can see it.'

Dave Allen, acting battalion chief for Pasco Fire Rescue, said the pilot was uninjured.

He said: 'He climbed out of the plane on his own. He was a little rattled.'

The plane had 35 gallons of fuel which had not leaked from the aircraft, he added.

The red-faced pilot has not been named. Federal Aviation Authority officials are investigating the incident.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1324755/Lucky-escape-trainee-pilot-crash-lands-plane-parked-cars-second-solo-flight.html#ixzz13kffLikD

McDonalds ordered to pay man thousands after food made him fat..

McDonald's ordered to pay ex-employee £10,000 after he claims their food made him fat

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:41 AM on 29th October 2010

A former McDonald's worker has won £10,000 compensation after claiming the free meals he ate during his 12-year employment made him fat and unhappy.

The unnamed man decided to sue after putting on four stone in weight.

A Brazilian court ruled this week that McDonald's must pay the former franchise manager $17,50.

A McDonald's worker was shocked to find the food made him fat, even though the chain's Big Tasty with Bacon sandwich alone has 890 calories and 55 grams of fat

McDonald's famous Big Mac has 490 calories, 24 grams of fat and 42% of one's recommended daily salt intake

The 32-year-old said he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure quality standards remained high, because McDonald's hired 'mystery clients' to randomly visit restaurants and report on the food, service and cleanliness.

The man also said the company offered free lunches to employees, adding to his caloric intake while on the job.

The ruling was signed by Judge Joao Ghisleni Filho in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Ghisleni said McDonald's could appeal the case, and the Brazilian headquarters of the chain said in an e-mailed statement Thursday it was weighing its legal options.

While even a cheeseburger Happy Meal can contain 630 calories and 23 grams of fat, McDonald's noted that it offers healthier food choices as well.

'The chain offers a large variety of options and balanced menus to cater to the daily dietary needs of its employees,' the company said in the statement.

They now serve salad and fruit.

McDonald's headquarters is in Oak Brook, Illinois. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1324807/McDonalds-ordered-pay-worker-10-000-says-food-FAT.html#ixzz13kdYmgAf

Firemen live abroad but collect huge London bonus..

Living abroad, the firemen paid a £5,000 bonus to live in London

By TIM SHIPMAN
Last updated at 7:21 AM on 29th October 2010

In dispute: Many firemen plotting to strike on bonfire night claim a £5,000 bonus for living London when they actually live abroad

Firemen plotting the Bonfire Night strike are claiming £5,000 annual bonuses for living in London when they are actually living abroad.

Leaked documents show that more than 2,700 firemen live outside the capital, one as far afield as Spain. 

Eight London firemen are based overseas, including one who is understood to live in the holiday hotspot of Majorca and another in Denmark.

Another six live in the Republic of Ireland, three in Northern Ireland, two in Scotland and 26 in Wales.

Fifty firemen commute to London from Portsmouth, another 37 from Bournemouth and 11 from Exeter.

Others live in Newcastle, Truro, Sheffield, Doncaster, Teesside, Sunderland and Darlington - hundreds of miles from London.

Yet all of them claim the same £5,021 London weighting allowance, taking their average wages to £33,000 a year - a sum that can increase to between £40,000 and £50,000 with overtime.

The allowance is supposed to compensate the firemen for the high costs of living in London, but nearly half of them are using the money to enjoy more luxurious lifestyles in cheaper parts of the country.

Most of the firemen who do not live in London have homes in South-East England’s commuter belt and face travelling up to six hours each day to get to and from their fire stations.

But others live far beyond the normal range of commuting. Firemen work two days and two nights before getting four days off, giving them plenty of time to commute the length and breadth of Britain, boosting their incomes with a second job.

Fire Brigade sources say that absent staff share bedsit rooms in London to minimise their costs and then take four days off in their real homes.

 

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The damning details explain why firemen are planning to strike on Bonfire Night in order to avoid changes to their rotas.

In total 3,101 firemen live in London but 2,743 live elsewhere.

A Fire Brigade source told the Mail: ‘We keep hearing from Fire Brigades Union officials that changing shift patterns will disrupt their family life. 

‘But what they don’t let on is that many of them are conducting family lives in Manchester and Liverpool and Newcastle. There is at least one London firefighter living in Spain. No wonder they don’t want any change to their working hours.’

Another insider said: ‘These guys share rooms and pay a tenner each to save money and then go home for half the week.’

Enlarge 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1324704/Living-abroad-firemen-paid-live-HERE.html#ixzz13kc0QLnY

Airport security stole my half used cleanser. Plane madness!

By LIZ JONES 

Last updated at 1:51 AM on 28th October 2010

Funny, outrageous and downright rude. Who's in Liz Jones' firing line this week?

Illogical: Liz has her half full Sisley cream confiscated at airport security

A British Airways boss has criticised the draconian checks before you board a flight to the U.S.

He cited the inconsistency of sometimes asking people to remove their shoes, sometimes waving them through (my objection here is they don’t offer disposable white terry slippers, so I don’t have to walk on the awful, dirty carpet).

But what he should have talked about is discrimination, profiling if you like, of beauty products. Now, I flew to Edinburgh last week.

On the way up, I checked in my bag but, as the airport workers managed to cover it in awful black grease (have they never heard of Wet Wipes?), I refused to allow it in the hold on the way home.

I put it through the X-ray machine, and it was taken to one side and opened. The man got out my wash bag. He proceeded to empty it. 

‘Everything needs to fit in this clear plastic bag,’ he said, waving one. ‘What is this, a branch of Boots?’

‘These items are over 100ml.’

‘But the bottles are half full.’

‘That makes no difference.’

‘But the cleansers are by Sisley — you are looking at about £120 worth. And it is a domestic flight. Just think of it as like being on a train, except it’s in the air.’

I was marched back to check-in, but was told it was too late to deposit my case, and so my Sisley products were confiscated.

They let me keep the Retardent mouthwash, as I had bought it in duty free on the outward journey — this despite the fact I had opened it and used it over the previous two days.

You see, it makes no logical sense at all. I sometimes wonder whether these people see a lovely bag, an exquisite vat of Chanel scent (also confiscated) and they wreak a horrible revenge.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1324332/Airport-security-stole-half-used-cleanser-Plane-madness.html#ixzz13i7aFLge

Snow globes banned by Homeland Security - USA

HowTo:Smuggle a snow globe

HowTo This article is part of Uncyclopedia's HowTo series.See more HowTos

Following recent terrorism attempts, the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has enacted some extreme safety measures to ensure the population believes they are doing something. 

Snow Globes are now contraband

In addition to reducing the speed of the conveyor belt and upping the amount of time spent staring at the X-ray Machine's screen, the TSA has banned snow globes amongst a plethora of other highly dangerous items.

Snow globes, originally harmless pieces of memorabilia and holiday spirit, have recently become items of interest for the United States Department of Homeland Security as they've proven their utility as weapons and smuggling vessels.

Contents  [hide] 1 Why Smuggle a Snow Globe? 2 Methods 2.1 Method One: Snow Globe Breasts 2.2 Method Two: Traditional Smuggling 3 Safety First 4 Notes 5 See Also

[edit]Why Smuggle a Snow Globe?

Most innocent civilians will wonder why the TSA has bothered to ban snow globes. The snow globe is a modern day descendant of the Holy Hand Grenades first used by Medieval Knights

An homage to the days yore

 to launch balls of fire at their opponents, and disarm small, vicious, white rabbits. These traditional Anglo weapons fell out of favor for centuries, once knives were invented, but were rediscovered in Northern Ireland and have become a weapon of choice for some Islamic extremist groups.

The deadly snow globe is an ideal weapon for such low-budget organizations, since few organizations can manufacture their weapons from scratch. Most opt to use mass produced, readily available trinkets, that can be disassembled and remade into festive Molotov Cocktails. The benign, nay, joyous, appearance of these snow globes is what makes them so very dangerous.

Because many Non-Judeo–Christian-Disney cultures do not manufacture their own snow globes, the ban will result in decreased supply, and drive the demand for smuggled goods.

This How-To guide will help you achieve your snow globe smuggling dreams (and become rich in the process), whether you have larger nefarious plans, or simply want to bring your souvenir home without paying $25 to check a bag. 

Snow Globe Breasts

If you are female, or a particularly pretty boy, this is the optimal method for you. This works best if you have small breasts to begin with, so try to recruit a modestly endowed woman or preteen.

This is why you should not wear a low cut shirt when using this method

What You'll Need

• Small breasted female, or pretty boy
• Two (2) evenly sized snow globes
• A large bra
• Duct tape
• Stretchy, but not low cut, top
• Band-aids

This is a professional snow globe smuggler, don't expect to look this good on your first try.

Once you've assembled these items, you're ready to get started.

• Place the snow globes in the bra cups, and put the bra on carefully.
• Use duct tape to secure the globes, and ensure they are level.
• Carefully put on the top. You're ready to go.

If any security screener tries to pat you down, tell them you've recently have a breast enhancement and would appreciate if they did not touch your tender breasts. Do not use snow globes that contain metal; the metal detector will catch that.