Sunday, November 24, 2013

Impatient with NIH, cancer researcher turns to crowdfunding




Dr. Daniel Saltzman says he can prove that bacteria that ordinarily cause food poisoning in people can be modified for use as guided missiles to deliver cancer-killing payloads into tumors.
But he needs $500,000 for some preliminary work, and despite his project’s potential, he’s not holding his breath for funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s leading source of biomedical research grants.
So Saltzman has teamed up with an entrepreneur in the television industry and Twin Cities advertising and public relations professionals to make an unusual direct appeal to the public. In the process, he’s helping to bring so-called crowdsourcing to the field of medical research.
“This is very different … and so there has to be a leap of faith’’ for the research to be funded, said Saltzman, surgeon-in-chief at Amplatz Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis and an associate professor at the University of Minnesota.
To convince people of his work’s promise, Saltzman and his partner have built a website branding his research “Project Stealth,” created an eye-catching plush toy to represent the salmonella bacterium, made a video featuring Saltzman and a golden retriever named Buddy, and turned to private fundraising events and crowdfunding avenues like Razoo.com.
Saltzman, who has raised about $32,000 since launching Project Stealth in mid-October, acknowledges that the approach is unusual. But he says that, with federal research funds getting tighter every year, he had little choice.
“The bottom line is, there’s a lot of competition, a lot of labs, and only so much money.”
Saltzman is not the first scientist who turned to public appeals for funding in an era of tight federal research budgets. Over the past decade, inflation has eroded more than 20 percent of the buying power of NIH grants for scientists studying genomics, neurology, cancer, heart disease and countless other health issues. With so many competing projects, NIH has reduced the percentage of requests it has funded.
Such novel fundraising methods raise concerns because they don’t go through the conventional peer-review process, said Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. And when they rely on celebrities, as some do, they can draw money for reasons other than scientific merit, he said.
But after reviewing Saltzman’s video at the request of the Star Tribune, Caplan said: “One can always niggle at these things, but it seems fine — [a] strong plea for money but from a very legit research program,” he said in an e-mail. Caplan’s only concern was why the project hadn’t drawn NIH or foundation funding given its promising results in animals.
$250,000 a year
Saltzman has been studying the use of bacteria as a potential way to fight cancer since 1993 and thinks he’s on the verge of a breakthrough. He says he needs about $250,000 a year for two years to develop the data required to convince the Food and Drug Administration to authorize human testing. If approved, he said, the U has committed to pay for the $800,000 it would take to run the “phase 1” trial in humans.
Although the U provides researchers with expensive tools like electron microscopes and a fertile environment for the exchange of ideas, Saltzman said, “They give you a room and they turn on the lights. They charge rent for the room. But every lab and every … principal investigator is basically charged with raising their own funds to do research.”
The idea of crowdfunding Saltzmans’ work came from Max Duckler, a semiretired entrepreneur who in 1993 founded CaptionMax, a closed-captioning service for television. Duckler has a degree in biology and a lifelong fascination with medicine. He attended a fundraiser where he bid to spend a day with a surgeon. He won, shadowed Saltzman on six surgeries, and learned about the cancer research.
Duckler said he was disturbed to find that Saltzman and his lab workers were worried whether they could afford to spend $600 to buy special research mice.
“Six hundred dollars and you have to ask whether you can afford it? This is not good,” Duckler said.
A medical advertising firm called StoneArch and a public relations firm named PineappleRM donated their services to publicize Saltzman’s work, and the Twin Cities office of BusinessWire distributed the news release at no charge.
In the marketing video, Saltzman describes how the engineered salmonella penetrate a tumor and activate the body’s immune system to destroy it. “We have tested this therapy in over 4,000 mice. In addition, in small pilot studies in humans and dogs with cancer, we have not seen any side effects at all. Can you imagine a cancer treatment without side effects, whatsoever?”
For full article click on link.

 http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/233176591.html



 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Officials: Several killed, wounded in Navy Yard shooting; police look for possible 2nd shooter | Star Tribune

 
 

Officials: Several killed, wounded in Navy Yard shooting; police look for possible 2nd shooter

  • Article by: BRETT ZONGKER , Associated Press
  • Updated: September 16, 2013 - 10:30 AM

WASHINGTON — At least one gunman opened fire inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday morning, and officials said several people were killed and as many as 10 were wounded, including a law enforcement officer.
A shooter was "contained" but not yet in custody, according to a Defense Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Two other officials — one with the Defense Department and the other with law enforcement — said police were looking into the possibility of a second shooter.
Witnesses described a gunman opening fire from the fourth floor, aiming down on people in the first-floor cafeteria. Others said a gunman fired at them in a third-floor hallway.
As witnesses emerged from the building, a helicopter hovered over the building, schools were on lockdown and airplanes at nearby Reagan National Airport were briefly grounded. Less than 2 miles away, security was beefed up at the Capitol, but officials said there was no known threat there.
The exact number of people killed and the conditions of those wounded was not immediately known. About 3,000 people work at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters, which builds, buys and maintains the Navy's ships and submarines and combat systems.
Todd Brundidge, an executive assistant with Navy Sea Systems Command, said he and other co-workers encountered a gunman in a long hallway of their building on the third floor. The gunman was wearing all blue, he said.
"He just turned and started firing," Brundidge said.
Terrie Durham, an executive assistant with the same agency, said she also saw the gunman firing toward her and Brundridge.
"He aimed high and missed," she said. "He said nothing. As soon as I realized he was shooting, we just said, 'Get out of the building.'"
Rick Mason, a program management analyst who is a civilian with the U.S. Navy, said a gunman was shooting from a fourth floor overlook in the hallway outside his office. He said the gunman was aiming down at people in the building's cafeteria on the first floor. Mason said he could hear the shots but could not see a gunman.
Shortly after the gunfire, Mason said someone on an overhead speaker told workers to seek shelter and later to head for the gates at the complex.
Patricia Ward, a logistics management specialist, said she was in the cafeteria and heard shots. They sounded like "pop, pop, pop," she said. After a few seconds, there were more shots.
"Everybody just panicked at first," she said. "It was just people running, running, running."
Ward said security officers started directing people out of the building with guns drawn.
Police and federal agents from multiple law enforcement agencies responded. Ambulances were parked outside, streets in the area were closed and departures from Reagan National Airport were temporarily halted for security reasons.
Among the wounded was a D.C. police officer, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.
A U.S. Park Police helicopter hovered over the building and appeared to drop a basket with a person onto the roof.
Officials at MedStar Washington Hospital Center said two shooting victims had been brought there.

Officials: Several killed, wounded in Navy Yard shooting; police look for possible 2nd shooter | Star Tribune

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

As Human Remains Are Unearthed, Florida ‘House Of Horrors’ Reform School Survivor Recalls ‘Brutality And Barbarity’ | Radar Online

 
Photos of the infamous White House at the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida.
Bill Straley was one of the first alumnus of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys to speak out against the notorious Florida reform school.
Now that an archeological dig is underway trying to locate the bodies of up to 100 boys believed to have been tortured to death there — two have already been identified — Straley is again recalling his years at the house of horrors.



As Human Remains Are Unearthed, Florida ‘House Of Horrors’ Reform School Survivor Recalls ‘Brutality And Barbarity’ | Radar Online

Michele Bachmann takes reckless act to Egypt

Michele Bachmann takes reckless act to Egypt

  • Article by: EDITORIAL BOARD , Star Tribune
  • Updated: September 11, 2013 - 12:41 PM
Congresswoman implies U.S. backs brutal crackdown in Egypt.

Michele Bachmann, whose failed presidential 2012 run embroiled her in allegations of ­campaign-finance violations, has chosen not to run for a fifth term in Congress. This week, the controversial Sixth District congresswoman’s reckless statements broadcast during a recent trip to Egypt served up a reminder of why Minnesota and the nation will be better off once she’s left office.



Michele Bachmann takes reckless act to Egypt | Star Tribune

'We miss you': 9/11 families, friends mark 12th anniversary with somber tributes to victims | Star Tribune

'



We miss you': 9/11 families, friends mark 12th anniversary with somber tributes to victims | Star Tribune

Obama’s terrible speech didn’t answer doubts about attack on Syria | MinnPost

 Obama’s terrible speech didn’t answer doubts about attack on Syria





Obama’s terrible speech didn’t answer doubts about attack on Syria | MinnPost

Monday, July 15, 2013

Black racism killed Trayvon … and Paula Deen’s career

 author-image

Exclusive: Jesse Lee Peterson wants Americans to take stand against intimidation

 

Rachel Jeantel, the troubled young woman who was speaking on the phone to Trayvon Martin just before he was killed, testified in George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial that Martin called Zimmerman a “creepy a– cracka” before their violent confrontation.
I’ve been warning for the past 23 years that black racism is out-of-control – it appears black racism killed Trayvon Martin, and Paula Deen’s career!
Since the shooting of Martin, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the NAACP (along with the liberal media) have done their best to portray Martin as an innocent kid tiptoeing through the tulips who just happened to be the victim of a racist white vigilante (even though Zimmerman is half Hispanic).
Blatant hostility and racism toward whites is common among black youth. Martin’s friend Rachel Jeantel admitted that where she comes from the term “cracka” is a common term used to describe whites.
Before his death, Martin was suspended from school; he was caught with a marijuana pipe; it was reported he had burglary tools in his locker; and it was recently revealed that pictures of marijuana plants and someone suspected to be Martin holding a gun were found on his cell phone. Does this sound like a well-adjusted teenager?
Trayvon Martin was the product of a broken home. He was also a victim of the corrupt civil-right leaders who peddle racism infecting the minds of young blacks. Martin’s parents (Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton) stood next to race hustlers and knowingly allowed this case to be framed as a race issue. As a result, supporters have taken to Twitter, threatening to kill Zimmerman and random white people if he gets off:
  • @HotTopicLys: f**k Don West. f*** George Zimmerman. I’ll kill both them n***as.
  • @StayFocus_Jones: ima kill a white person in self-defense if Zimmerman go free lol on everything.
  • @ZackSlaterExe: If they don’t kill Zimmerman Ima kill me a cracka.
  • @BE4L_Pervis: If Zimmerman win, I’m gonna kill a white kid by mistake.
All the threats and screams of racism from these thugs, as well as Sharpton and Jackson, have nothing to do with justice for Trayvon! Just as the uproar over celebrity chef Paula Deen’s use of the word “N–-er” decades ago has nothing to do with eradicating racism.
 
 FOR MORE OF ARTICLE CLICK ON LINK.
Black racism killed Trayvon … and Paula Deen’s career

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Courts will treat Asiana passengers differently.


 

SAN FRANCISCO — When the courts have to figure compensation for people aboard Asiana Airlines Flight 214, the potential payouts will probably be vastly different for Americans and passengers from other countries, even if they were seated side by side as the jetliner crash-landed.
An international treaty governs compensation to passengers harmed by international air travel — from damaged luggage to crippling injuries and death. The pact is likely to close U.S. courts to many foreigners and force them to pursue their claims in Asia and elsewhere, where lawsuits are rarer, harder to win and offer smaller payouts.
Some passengers have already contacted lawyers.
"If you are a U.S. citizen, there will be no problem getting into U.S. courts. The other people are going to have a fight on their hands," said Northern California attorney Frank Pitre, who represents two Americans who were aboard the plane.
Federal law bars lawyers from soliciting victims of air disasters for the first 45 days after the crash. Pitre said his clients called him.
Congress enacted that law in 1996 amid public anger over lawyers who solicited clients in the days immediately following the ValuJet Flight 592 crash in the Florida Everglades and the crash of TWA Flight 800 off the New York coast.
National Transportation Safety Board attorney Benjamin Allen reminded attorneys of the rules in a mass email sent Thursday.
"We are closely monitoring the activities of attorneys following this accident, and will immediately notify state bar ethics officials and other appropriate authorities if impermissible activity is suspected," the message said.
The flight that broke apart recently at the San Francisco airport was carrying 141 Chinese, 77 South Koreans, 64 Americans, three Canadians, three Indians, one Japanese, one Vietnamese and one person from France when it approached the runway too low and too slow. The Boeing 777 hit a seawall before skittering across the tarmac and catching fire.
Three girls from China were killed and 182 people injured, most not seriously.
Two girls, Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, both 16, died right away. It is unclear, however, whether Ye Mengyuan died in the crash or in the chaotic aftermath. Both girls' parents appeared at a vigil Saturday near the airport, and thanked, through a translator, the more than 100 people in attendance for their support, KGO-TV reported. The other victim killed, 15-year-old Liu Yipeng, died Friday at a hospital where she had been in critical condition since the July 6 crash.
The dozens who were seriously injured — especially the few who were paralyzed — can expect to win multimillion-dollar legal settlements, as long as their claims are filed in U.S. courts, legal experts said.
Northern California attorney Mike Danko, who is consulting with several lawyers from Asia about the disaster, said any passenger who was left a quadriplegic can expect settlements close to $10 million if the case is filed in the United States. Deaths of children, meanwhile, may fetch in the neighborhood of $5 million to $10 million depending on the circumstances in U.S. courts.
In other countries, he explained, the same claims could be worth far less.
In 2001, a South Korean court ordered Korean Air Lines to pay a total of $510,000 to a woman whose daughter, son-in-law and three grandsons were killed in a 1997 crash in the U.S. territory of Guam that killed 228 people.
Broken bones in plane accidents usually mean $1 million settlements in the Unites States and in the low five-figure range overseas, Danko said.
In 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration put the value of a human life at $6 million when it was contemplating the cost-benefit of a new "cockpit resource management" regulation. But again, Danko said, that estimate applies only in U.S. courts. Foreign courts can be expected to pay far smaller settlements.
In all, the South Korean government agency that regulates that country's insurance industry expects Asiana's insurers to pay out about $175.5 million total — $131 million to replace the plane and another $44.5 million to passengers and the city of San Francisco for damage to the airport. Suh Chang-suk, an official at Financial Supervisory Service, declined to discuss how the watchdog agency calculated its estimate.

Courts will treat Asiana passengers differently, even if they were sitting side by side | StarTribune.com
 http://www.startribune.com/nation/215437071.html



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Minnesota to become 12th state to legalize gay marriage

 

Amid roaring chants from supporters and tears from opponents, the state Senate took a historic, final step Monday to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota.

The 37-30 vote came after a failed, last-ditch attempt by opponents to scuttle the measure.

“I’m going to be a married man in Minnesota!” DFL Sen. Scott Dibble, the Senate’s only openly gay member, proclaimed to supporters after emerging from the chamber.

One Republican, Sen. Branden Petersen, joined a majority of DFL legislators to make Minnesota the 12th state to legalize gay marriage. Three DFLers voted against the measure.

Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, pleaded with colleagues to vote the bill down: “Don’t vote what you know is morally wrong,” said Hall, a former CEO of Midwest Chaplains. “May God help us.”


Minnesota to become 12th state to legalize gay marriage | StarTribune.com

Friday, May 10, 2013

Two Minneapolis police officers shot

 

Two Minneapolis police officers were wounded and a suspect killed Friday afternoon at 2717 Bryant Avenue, police spokeswoman Cyndi Barrington said.

The officers were listed in stable condition with gunshot wounds at Hennepin County Medical Center, police said.

Also, an officer responding to the shooting incident hit and killed a male motorcyclist at 26th Street and Blaisdell Avenue. A female passenger on the motorcycle was injured when the squad car hit the back of bike, throwing both riders off.

Enrique Martin, a witness, said police were heading west on 26th Street and the motorcycle was going south on Blaisdell Avenue. Another witness, Ben Coffman, said the woman was taken away in an ambulance.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Police Chief Janeé Harteau arrived at the hospital shortly after the shooting and Harteau spoke briefly, confirming that the officers were stable and one man was dead. Investigators are not looking for any other suspects, she said.

“This is a very tough day for the Minneapolis Police Department,” Harteau said.
Two Minneapolis police shot and taken to Hennepin County Medical Center | StarTribune.com

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Slap Yo Mama Oven-Baked Fried Smart Chicken


Oh My! This is a "Slap Yo Mama" recipe for delicious southern "fried" chicken. You get the taste of fried Smart Chicken without all the mess; plus you get the added benefit of it being so much healthier for you!

4+ cups Rice Krispy cereal, crushed in food processor, blender or in a zip-lock bag, use more if needed*
1/2 package Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning Mix, optional
Or
3 Tablespoons Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning Mix, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 stick unsalted butter, melted, or more if needed
1 package Smart Chicken, your choice of pieces (thighs, drumsticks, breasts, etc.)
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, place melted butter. Line baking sheet with parchment paper to aid in clean up. Set aside.
  • In a gallon-size zip-lock bag, add crushed cereal, powdered ranch seasoning, if using, and salt and pepper. Dip Smart Chicken pieces in butter and place in zip-lock bag. Shake well. For extra-crispy Smart Chicken, repeat process. You can dip the Smart Chicken in a container filled with crushed cereal.
  • Place Smart Chicken pieces on baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. With a fork or pair of tongs, turn Smart Chicken over and bake approximately 20 more minutes, or until a digital thermometer reads at least 170 degrees F. Remove and place on serving platter or plate. Serve.
Serves 4.
Note: The drippings and crunchies found in the bottom of baking sheet can be added to your homemade gravy recipe.
Note: Because the Smart Chicken pieces are already rinsed for you, you do not have to rinse them again, unless you feel it is absolutely necessary for your peace of mind.



Slap Yo Mama Oven-Baked Fried Smart Chicken - KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather & Sports

PoliceOne's Gun Control Survey: 11 key lessons from officers' perspectives

 When asked what they believe is the biggest cause of gun violence in the United States, officers place most of the blame on the decline in parenting and family values. They also feel criminals are released onto parole too often and too early, while others receive inadequate sentences to begin with.
The full breakdown on this section reads:
Decline in parenting and family values: 38 percent
Parole, early release, and short sentencing for violent offenders: 15 percent
Pop culture influence (violent movies, video games):14 percent
Poor identification of mentally ill individuals: 10 percent
Guns are too prevalent and easy to obtain: 4 percent
Economic factors/income quality: 2 percent
Other: 14 percent
Unsure: 2 percent 
It would seem that officers responding to the survey believe that increased numbers of dysfunctional families and an increasingly-violent culture increases the risk that unstable individuals may resort to mass murder.

PoliceOne's Gun Control Survey: 11 key lessons from officers' perspectives

Minnesota House abandons plans to vote on gun legislation this year

 
 House Speaker Paul Thissen

The Minnesota House will not vote on expanding gun background checks to private sales or on any other gun legislation this year, House Speaker Paul Thissen said Wednesday.
Coping with a deeply divided DFL caucus, Thissen told the Star Tribune that despite months of work, legislators and advocates remain too polarized to allow any compromise.
“Neither side has been willing to come to an agreement,” said Thissen, a Minneapolis DFLer. “Because of the intensity on both sides of the issue, even some common-sense solutions can’t be agreed upon right now.”
His decision left those who had been working for passage steaming.
“I’m very disappointed, very angry,” said Rep. Michael Paymar, the committee chairman who shepherded the gun measures through tough, emotional hearings. The St. Paul DFLer said Thissen had pledged to him that “he wanted to do something about gun violence. He committed to me we would have a vote, we would have a debate on the floor.”

Monday, April 1, 2013

German flea circus freezes to death - TwinCities.com

 
 A flea pulls a little cart during a flea circus performance at the Munich Oktoberfest beer festival in this 2005 file photo. (Associated Press/dpa: Frank Leonhardt)

An entire troupe of performing fleas has fallen victim to the freezing temperatures currently gripping Germany.
Flea circus director Robert Birk says he was shocked to find all of his 300 fleas dead inside their transport box Wednesday morning.
The circus immediately scrambled to find and train a new batch so it could fulfill its engagements at an open-air fair in the western town of Mechernich-Kommern.
Michael Faber, who organizes the fair, told The Associated Press that an insect expert at a nearby university was able to provide 50 fleas in time for the first show Sunday.
Faber says he hopes they'll "get through this without any more fatalities."
Birk said it was the first time his circus had lost all of its fleas to the cold in one go.
German flea circus freezes to death - TwinCities.com

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Senate Staffer: ‘DiFi was pissed:

 ZET9jXc7nPlozM4GqmcPNnsOgTXb0XV_n6LRPwzLt_Y
  Last week, Gun Owners of America began executing a strategy for defeating Harry Reid’s gun control bill (S. 649): put Senators on record and force them to reveal where they stand on gun rights.
Part of that strategy was an amendment to the bill put up by Mike Lee (R-UT), which would require Senators to muster 67 votes before adopting gun control legislation.
The good news is that a majority of Senators supported the Lee amendment by a 50-49 vote. The bad news is, since the Senate rules requires 60 votes, the Lee amendment fell ten votes short.
Nonetheless, one high-level Senate staffer told GOA that “The gun grabbers were livid when Senator Lee forced the vote. Mark Pryor looked nervous as hell, and DiFi [aka, Dianne Feinstein] was pissed.”
Senate Staffer: ‘DiFi was p*****’ : gunnews

Bloomberg Mayor Buddy Faces Criminal Charges : gunnews

 Mayor-James-Schiliro
 Another name has been added to a list of Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns who have run afoul of the law with Thursday’s criminal charges against Marcus Hook, Pa. Mayor James Schiliro, the Second Amendment Foundation reports.
“Mayor Schiliro is one more example of why we started the ‘Gun Owners Against Illegal Mayors’ campaign,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. “He joins recently-convicted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and recently-indicted former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, both of whom were MAIG members.”
SAF launched Gun Owners Against Illegal Mayors last fall, “and the list keeps growing,” said Gottlieb.
“Schiliro’s case is not only bad, but bizarre,” Gottlieb said. “He’s been charged with false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment, serving alcohol to a minor and other crimes, and he also allegedly used more than one gun in this incident, in which at least one shot was fired.”
According to published reports, Schiliro’s attorney says the mayor has sold his guns and entered alcoholism treatment.
Schiliro — who signed an infamous anti-gun letter to the U.S. Senate with 600 other mayors — has suddenly disappeared from the MAIG roster on that group’s website.

Bloomberg Mayor Buddy Faces Criminal Charges : gunnews

‘Loopy’ Colo. Gov. Signs Magazine-Restrictions Bill; Magpul Makes Plans to Exit the State Ricky-Tick; Hunters Immediately Begin Canceling Trips : gunnews

156416_566074536738233_1473177041_n
‘Loopy’ Colo. Gov. Signs Magazine-Restrictions Bill;
Magpul Makes Plans to Exit the State Ricky-Tick;
Hunters Immediately Begin Canceling Trips
(GunAuction.com) — Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed three firearm-related bills last week, including restrictions that would limit magazine capacity, require checks on private sales, and tack on background check fees. In response, Magpul is making plans to exit the state. Also, hunters across the country say they are boycotting Colorado because of recent legislation meant to curtail gun violence.
Opponents argue that these bills will do nothing to lower crime, but instead infringe on Second Amendment rights. Some also worry that the wording in the high capacity magazine ban (HB 1224) will eventually make all lowered-capacity magazines illegal due to “readily convertible” parts.
Magazine and gun accessory manufacturer Magpul had previously announced that it will uproot from its Colorado location should the magazine ban be passed. On the eve of the signing, the company stood by its promise with a release on its facebook page that said, “[Should HB 1224 be signed] we will start our transition out of the state almost immediately, and we will prioritize moving magazine manufacturing operations first. We expect the first PMAGs to be made outside CO within 30 days of the signing, with the rest to follow in phases.”
Magpul has not yet finalized all the details for its move and is now considering potential sites for a future company headquarters. From the company’s Facebook page:‘Loopy’ Colo. Gov. Signs Magazine-Restrictions Bill; Magpul Makes Plans to Exit the State Ricky-Tick; Hunters Immediately Begin Canceling Trips : gunnews

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Lawmaker lectures rape victim at gun hearing


Lawmaker lectures rape victim at gun hearing
 
Amanda Collins told: 'statistics aren't on your side'
Lawmaker lectures rape victim at gun hearing | Fox News Video

South Dakota governor signs bill allowing armed teachers in the classroom | Fox News


South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard on Friday signed a bill allowing teachers to carry guns in school, making his state the first to enact such a law since the Newtown shooting tragedy.
The bill was pushed by gun-rights supporters who say arming teachers could help prevent tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 students and six educators died. The law, which goes into effect July 1, will allow school districts to arm teachers and other personnel.
But the measure prompted intense debate in the capital, as several representatives of school boards, school administrators and teachers opposed the bill during committee testimony last month. They said the measure could make schools more dangerous, lead to accidental shootings and put guns in the hands of people who are not adequately trained to shoot in emergency situations.
The issue of guns in schools has been a co

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/08/sd-governor-signs-bill-allowing-teachers-to-be-armed/#ixzz2NBJbv7yB


South Dakota governor signs bill allowing armed teachers in the classroom | Fox News

Thursday, February 7, 2013

A T-mobile experience, horrible customer service. Read this and then drop T-mobile.

Really wished you guys had more compassionate and understanding Customer Service. I just called, explaining that my Father, is now living in a facility and I needed to cancel his account immediately, whether or not there was going to be an cancellation charge, to preserve his small monthly income, for his new living & medical expenses... My Dad can hardly speak and cannot see well, due to the dozens of strokes he had last month.... I was told too bad. All you could do was put his account on suspension and that after 3 months, you would go back to charging him full price, for all the additional months it will take to get proper "legal" forms... But, they gave me the Fax number, where I could send a copy of his Death Certificate, when he passes... HORRIBLE!! My Father still had Webtv too. When I called them, they apologized for our difficulties, disconnected service immediately, refunded the past two months, as just a kind jester and wished our family all the best... Big difference, huh? Shame on you guys... Hope you never have beloved parents you are trying to take care of.... 

The Hatchet has been informed that T-mobile did finally take care of this, but only after the family went public on Facebook.


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Accent Signage sued in Mpls. shootings | StarTribune.com

 

The family of a graphic artist slain in Minnesota's deadliest workplace shooting is suing the company, alleging its leaders should have known his co-worker was potentially dangerous and taken greater precautions when firing him.
Deborah Beneke filed the lawsuit as the trustee for the family of Jacob Beneke. Beneke, 34, of Maple Grove was one of six people shot and killed last fall at Accent Signage Systems by Andrew Engeldinger, 36, before he turned the gun on himself.
The lawsuit also names Engeldinger's estate as a co-defendant and alleges that the Minneapolis company was grossly negligent, citing the Sept. 27, 2012, shootings as "reasonably foreseeable based on Engeldinger's past incidents of employment misconduct and his known propensity for abuse and violence."
The lawsuit requests damages in excess of $50,000.
"In my 33 years as an attorney, this is the most tragic case I have ever been part of," the family's attorney, Phil Villaume, said during a news conference Friday.
Despite the lawsuit's claims, Engeldinger's court and employment records show no history of physical threats or violence before the shootings -- only repeated warnings for being late to work and being verbally abrasive with colleagues.
Villaume said that they have "reason to believe" that Engeldinger had threatened other employees and that Beneke feared for his safety on the day of the killings.
"There were people, we believe the evidence will show, that were in fear of their safety of this man," he said.
However, Villaume admitted there was no evidence that Engeldinger made any direct threats against or was violent with Beneke or any of his other co-workers.
Difficult to prove
Peter Riley, a personal injury lawyer for Schwebel Goetz & Sieben who is not involved in the case, said it's typically "extraordinarily difficult" to prove gross negligence against an employer.
"It takes a very, very high level of culpability, almost to the nature of an intentional act," he said. "I've been doing this for 36 years, and I cannot recall a case where the facts were found to satisfy the gross negligence standard."
However, he said Beneke's family does have a case against Engeldinger's estate, although it's unclear whether the assets are worth much.
Accent Signage spokeswoman Wendy Khabie declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the company's attorney has not yet had a chance to review it. Engeldinger's father, Chuck Engeldinger, referred questions to the family's attorney, Julia O'Brien. She did not return a telephone message seeking comment.
Engeldinger's parents told the Star Tribune last fall that their son may have had schizophrenia, although they were unaware whether it was ever diagnosed. He spiraled into depression after high school and eventually became delusional, rejected medications and eventually cut off contact with his family.
After a 12-year career with Accent, Engeldinger was fired the afternoon of Sept. 27. Before the meeting he retrieved a gun from his car and returned to the building, where he shot and killed owner Reuven Rahamim and five others, including Beneke. Also killed were Ronald Edberg, Rami Cooks, Eric Rivers and Keith Basinski. John Souter was seriously wounded but survived.
Beneke left behind a wife, Iliyana, and a 6-year-old son. His family also includes his parents and a sister.
Suit: Security was needed
The lawsuit alleges "that a reasonable employer in Accent's position would have, among other things, provided adequate security on its premises, locked its doors, monitored Engeldinger and would have attempted to terminate Engeldinger in a safe manner."
Villaume said Friday that smaller companies that terminate employees have security guards on premises to escort fired employees off the property.
Asked whether he had ever fired a colleague, Villaume admitted that he had and that he had done so without security.
"I didn't feel I needed it," he said.
Pressed on what evidence showed that security would have been necessary when Engeldinger was fired, he said:
"We believe they knew he had problems with mental instability. It was generally known that he had mental illness problems."
However, he said there was no evidence yet to back the claim that the company knew or believed Engeldinger was mentally ill. According to the lawsuit, the company should have known he owned several firearms and routinely practiced at a firing range.
Villaume said Friday he believed the company was aware, but could not say how he knew that.
The suit claims that Beneke, who referred to Engeldinger as his "nemesis," was killed "as a result of personal animosity, wholly unrelated to employment at Accent."
Beneke allegedly knew the firing was going to occur that day and was asked to keep the informatin a secret.
On the day of the shootings, the lawsuit said, Beneke drove a different vehicle to work than he normally did and told his wife: "It's good I'll have the truck, because if he goes crazy, he won't recognize that I have a different car."
Accent Signage sued in Mpls. shootings | StarTribune.com

Friday, February 1, 2013

Family of Accent Signage shooting victim files suit

The family of a man who was among six people gunned down at his Minneapolis office last year are suing the company, claiming it botched the firing of the employee who carried out the attack and should have known he was mentally ill and potentially dangerous.
The lawsuit being filed on behalf of Jacob Beneke's family is the first to come from Andrew Engeldinger's Sept. 27 attack on Accent Signage Systems, said the family's attorney, Phil Villaume.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the lawsuit in advance of Friday's formal announcement.
"It's probably one of the most horrendous, saddest cases I've ever been involved in in my 33 years of lawyering," Villaume said. "The Beneke family has suffered terribly, beyond comprehension. It's just a very, very sad situation all the way around."
Engeldinger, 36, fatally shot Beneke, four other co-workers and a UPS deliveryman before taking his own life.
The company had repeatedly cited Engeldinger for offensive behavior, tardiness and poor job performance, and it warned him a week before the attack that executives wanted to meet with him about his employment on the day of the attack. That day, Engeldinger was reminded of late afternoon meeting, and before heading in, he when to his vehicle to retrieve a gun. When company executives told him they were firing him, he pulled it out and began killing.
Engeldinger's parents have said he was mentally ill but had refused their offers to get him help. His mother declined to comment for this story.
The wrongful death suit, which names the company and Engeldinger's estate as defendants, alleges that Accent Signage should have known from Engeldinger's pattern of behavior that he had violent tendencies, suffered from a severe mental illness, and could hurt or even kill others.
The lawsuit says the company acted in a careless, negligent and grossly negligent manner when it gave Engeldinger notice of his potential firing in advance and allowed him to go to his vehicle. The lawsuit claims the company had no security cameras that would have filmed Engeldinger as he retrieved his weapon, and there was no extra security on hand for his meeting.
The lawsuit says: "a reasonable employer in Accent's position would have, among other things, provided adequate security on its premises, locked its doors, monitored Engeldinger, and would have attempted to terminate Engeldinger in a safe manner."
"They should've had security. They didn't take action. They knew they had a problem employee," Villaume said. "We have reason to believe that he was planning this for a long period of time. He was going through gun training at a gun range and had become quite proficient, if you will, at handling a handgun."
According to the lawsuit, Engeldinger was hired in 1999 and worked in Accent's engraving department. Beneke was hired in 2005 as an engraver, and eventually became a supervisor in the digital imaging department.
The lawsuit says Engeldinger held personal animosity toward Beneke, and Beneke often called Engeldinger his "nemesis." The company's owner and founder, who was also killed in the attack, told Beneke on Sept. 24 that Engeldinger was going to be fired three days later and that the information should be kept secret.
The lawsuit alleges that Beneke knew Engeldinger was prone to violence, and that he was afraid of what might happen on the day of the shooting. Beneke drove a different vehicle to work and told his wife, "It's good I'll have the truck, because if he (Engeldinger) goes crazy, he won't recognize that I have a different car," the family contends.
The lawsuit claims Accent is liable for Engeldinger's wrongful acts. Villaume said the Beneke family is seeking "substantial" damages. Beneke, 34, left behind a wife and a young son.
Messages left with Accent Signage and with the attorney handling Engeldinger's estate were not immediately returned Friday.
Villaume said the lawsuit is important, especially given the recent attacks like the one in Newtown, Conn., in which 20 elementary school students were gunned down.
"It's about time that people step up and speak out against gun rights," he said. "Guns in the hands of dangerous people are a dangerous thing, and they kill and harm and maim innocent people — and that's what happened here."
The shooting at Accent Signage was Minnesota's deadliest workplace shooting.

Family of Accent Signage shooting victim files suit | StarTribune.com