Drinking and Driving.........Airplanes....

Pilot arrested 'for failing breath test' minutes before he was due to fly plane carrying 300 passengers

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:41 AM on 27th April 2009

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Marching orders: Pilot Daniel Dufour was arrested for being over the alcohol limit just before take-off from Heathrow

A pilot was marched off his plane and arrested for being over the alcohol limit moments before he was set to take off from Heathrow Airport.

Security staff at Terminal 3 alerted police claiming they could smell alcohol on Daniel Dufour's breath.

The 45-year-old captain was then hauled out of the cockpit and arrested after failing a breath test.

Dufour had been due to fly 300 passengers on a nine-hour trip to Calgary from London on the Air Canada Flight AC851.

He had allegedly been drinking with colleagues the previous night, according to The Sun.

A police source told the newspaper: 'He was amazed to be still over the limit in the middle of the day.

'He was close to tears. At this stage he appears to have thrown away his distinguished career.'

A reserve captain was called in to fly the Airbus A330.

Dufour was taken to Heathrow police station where he gave a blood sample and was reportedly bailed for further inquiries.

Shock: Horrified crew and passengers looked on as Captain Dufour was led off an Air Canada plane

His arrest comes four months after Jet Airways pilot Michael Harr was arrested at Heathrow over fears he had drunk too much to fly.

The plane, which also had 300 passengers on board, was about to begin a nine-hour flight to Mumbai when airport staff told security Harr smelled of alcohol.

Airline pilots are banned from drinking alcohol less than eight hours before flying - the so-called 'bottle to throttle' rule. They are deemed unfit to fly if they are a quarter of the drink-drive limit - 20mg per 100ml of blood.

What scares me the most about this article was that I have made that 9hr flight from Heathrow on Air Canada. Drinking and driving is obviously stupid, and even worse if you are drinking and driving on the job, such as a delivery person, or a bus driver. BUT A PILOT! It's a little harder maneuvering a massive aircraft through the sky and then landing it on a tiny airstrip while, oh yea, carrying 300 people! This guy went out drinking the night before and was STILL over the legal limit in the middle of the next day. I mean, sounds like he might be a fun guy to party with but you better make sure your taking a cab home.

I used to work at a country club which held functions upstairs and it would drive me nuts because while proms were happening upstairs, the limo drivers were at the bar having cocktails. No, they were not getting disastrously drunk. If they were just out to dinner and having a couple of drinks it would be fine. But no, they are driving 12 teenagers around. I remember how worried parents were about drinking at after prom parties. That was why you got the limo, to prevent drunk driving. But would ever think as a parent that you would need to worry about the limo driver? How about as a passenger, have you ever worried about the sober level of your pilot?!

ILVTOFU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF_2L4a75iM

Now before you get offended by my headline watch the video!

This woman found a way to express her environmentally friendly eating habits on her license plate. She wanted a custom plate to say ILVTOFU....I love Tofu.....Combined with the rest of the stickers on her car, the message is clear what she is trying to say. She's clearly vegan and promoting that she is. The DMV is denying her request so that other drivers don't take the message the wrong way. You would have to have your head in the dirt to not see what her intentions truly are, and I would say, as long as she knows what she's doing, then go for it. If it can be a play on words then that just makes it a little more fun for the rest of us. People, in the majority, would not be offended by this because it is not intended to be offensive. it is intended to be a comment about food. If she was clearly trying to flip people off, well then yes it would be offensvive. But if I saw this on the hihgway as I was driving placed right underneath "stop global warming, go vegan" I would still get a kick out of it but I would know she's not trying to flip me off. LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE.

Become a child movie star....then get sold by your parents?

Most people are familiar with the oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. Here is a very interesting article I found online related to the movie. The link to the article is found below....

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/report-slumdog-millionaire-kid-star-put-up-for-sale-by-father-2009204

The father of Slumdog Millionaire star Rubina Ali reportedly offered to sell his 9-year-old daughter for nearly $300,000, Britain's News of the World reports.
Trying to confirm that he is fielding several lucrative adoption offers, reporters from the paper posed as a wealthy Middle Eastern family interested in buying the girl.
"I have to consider what's best for me, my family and Rubina's future," said Rubina's dad, Rafiq Qureshi, who claims to be broke and left with "nothing" from the Oscar-winning flick.

The paper claims that Rubina was originally being sold for $75,000, but her father raised the price after the success of Slumdog.
"The child is special now," the girl's uncle said, according to the paper. "This is an Oscar child!"

A rep for Save The Children, a charity with offices in Mumbai, said Rubina's case should force India to crack down on child and human trafficking.
"The Indian government must sign up to the International Labor Organization's convention for abolishing the worst forms of child labor and trafficking," said the group's director of campaigns Adrian Lovett.

Her father has denied the paper's claims.
Police called Rubina and her father to a police station on Sunday night and recorded their statements.
"On Sunday, Rubina's mother Khurshid complained to us that her ex-husband was trying to sell her daughter, saying she saw some reports on television to that effect," Deputy Commissioner of Police Nisar Tamboli told Reuters.




There seems to be so much wrong with this situation. I remember when we discussed in class the movie Sulmdog Millionaire. One of the things we talked about was how supposedly these child actors who were used in the movie still haven't seen the money they were supposed to get. That is obviously rough because that money can deffinitely be important to families who don't have much to begin with. But....where do you get a right to start asking for people to bid on your child!

I can understand the concept of adoption and that whole process because when a family has a child they can no longer take care of and then want a better life for them, then it makes sense to put them up for adoption. But when you start asking for a person to buy your child from you, it is absolutely absurd. And what makes this rediculous is that her father is banking on more money because his child is a star!

This father is absolutely nuts. He isn't the only one in a tough living situation and now out of desperation you want to sell your child to the highest bidder? That is the epitome of a great father right there. Look at my little girl, she has made our family proud and being in this movie is a great thing....by the way, if anyone is interested the bidding starts at $75,000. I seriously hope this guy is thrown in jail or police take some sort of action. This guy should be ashamed of himself, his family deserves alot better.

-Kyle

Help!! I'm stupid and locked in my car!

Orlando - A 911 dispatcher had to tell a woman how to unlock her car on Sunday. A woman called Kissimmee police to say she was locked inside her car at the Walgreen's on John Young Parkway near Poinciana. "My car will not start. I'm locked inside my car," the unidentified woman said. "Nothing electrical works. And it's getting very hot in here, and I'm not feeling well." The dispatcher asked the woman if she was able to manually pull the lock up on the door. The woman said she would try, and then, she said, "Yes, I got the door open."


Wow, sorry for the two 911 moron posts back to back but this one was too good to pass up. Now I realize this was posted on April 1 but it seems legit to me. Listen to the 911 call. So after listening to that you must be pretty impressed at the complete stupidity of this woman. First of all how old is she, I mean its not like electric locks have been the standard for the past 50 years. And how come she was never curios why that little knob on her door would always go up and down when she hit the lock button.

This is crazy, I am so impressed at how good the 911 respondents are at keeping cool. Now I realize they probably get some pretty bad calls but this has to be up there with the dumbest. How the hell do you lock yourself inside a car? If I was on the other end of that 911 phone call I would make sure this girl knew how dumb she really is. And maybe it should be looked into if she should even have a license. If you cant operate the locks, how the hell are you working the pedals and steering wheel?

I know if I was dumb enough to lock myself inside a car I wouldn't call the police and tell them I was dumb enough to lock myself inside the car. Doesn't this lady have any friends or family that coulda helped her out with this situation.

I imagine the conversation going something like this.

"Hi mom"

"Hi Sarah, how are you?"

"Not good....I locked myself inside the car again mom."

"Oh sweetie, I know how tricky those darn locks are. Here I'll walk you through it again. Run your hand across the top of the door panel."

"Okay, I'm doing that"

"Now when you get to the little piece of plastic sticking up out of the door, pull it up"

"Okay, found it, pull it up?"

"Ya pull it up, and then try using the door handle. It should open."

"Yup, I'm out, thanks mom, I was about to call 911 again."


Danny

911? This is an Emergency

As reported at the Smoking Gun.com

A McNuggets "Emergency"

Floridian called 911 three times over McDonald's chicken shortage

MARCH 3--Angered that her local McDonald's was out of Chicken McNuggets, a Florida woman called 911 three times to report the fast food "emergency." Latreasa Goodman, 27, last Saturday called police to complain that a cashier--citing a McDonald's all sales are final policy--would not give her a refund. When cops responded to the restaurant, Goodman told them, "This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one." Goodman noted, "I called 911 because I couldn't get a refund, and I wanted my McNuggets," according to the below Fort Pierce Police Department report. That logic, however, did not keep cops from citing Goodman for misusing the 911 system. Even after being issued a misdemeanor citation, Goodman contended, "this is an emergency, my McNuggets are an emergency."

I am getting hungry just reading this article. Now if 911 isn't for robbery then what is it for? This greedy McDonalds took her money for nuggets and then gave her none. Granted they tried to appease the situation with a McDouble but that obviously wasn't enough.

I want to know who is running this place. First off McNuggets are delicious but you know what is even more delicious, Chicken Selects. You're telling me this woman is going crazy in your dinning room and the manager doesn't have the brains to say, "Hey give this woman a damn box of Chicken Selects and a free sundae and get her the hell out of here".

I know she is obviously insane but isn't it worth it to toss a couple freebies her way just to get her the hell out?

And for these cops...they obviously have never had a McDonalds craving before. It's like crack, once you need the grease in your bloodstream there is no stopping it. The fact that they wouldn't give this woman her nugs is a blatant 911 emergency. McDonalds is a drug dealer, they get you hooked on the greasy goodness and then to tell you NO when you need a fix...complete and utterly unacceptable.

Danny

Click below for the 911 calls.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/03/mcnuggett-911-calls-the-unhappy-meal-drama/

One cellphone per child?

Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs wants smartphones in the classroom, and after school, to help make kids smarter.

By Stephanie N. Mehta, assistant managing editor
February 23, 2009: 12:53 PM ET

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- More than two decades ago, Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs introduced the world to a new technology standard for cellphones. Now Jacobs hopes to make cell phones standard equipment in the world's classrooms.

Jacobs, who is chairman of the wireless technology company, recently spoke to Fortune about a Qualcomm-funded pilot program that put smartphones in four North Carolina high schools. "Over the years I've thought about smart phones for education," Jacobs says.
But Jacobs admits he mostly focused on using the devices to teach in the classroom; the students in the pilot program, he reports, found the phones most valuable for after-school collaboration with teachers and classmates.

"It turns out the most valuable aspect was the social networking," he says.
"They were able to interact with one another, ask questions about homework, figure out solutions."

The pilot, dubbed Project K-Nect, last year provided math students with basic HTC smartphones with limits on the people with whom the students could communicate. Using materials developed by Drexel University and Florida State University, teachers incorporated the devices into their lesson plans.

They also encouraged students to use the phones to help solve problems after school, much the way students might use computers to assist in homework.

Jacobs, who obviously has a strong personal and professional interest in promoting the use of mobile devices, maintains that cellphones are superior to computers, especially the bare-bones machines designed for classrooms in low-income and emerging markets.

"Cell phones are much more reliable and have a lot lower support costs," says Jacobs. He notes that wireless broadband connections are available om much of the U.S., making it easy for students to download rich applications and even surf the web via phones. And in markets outside the U.S., most students will only access the Net via cellphone.

Of course, not everyone agrees with Jacobs' vision of a cellphone for every student. "Texting, ringing, vibrating," Janet Bass, a spokeswoman for the American Federation of Teachers, recently told The New York Times.

"Cellphones so far haven't been an educational tool. They've been a distraction."
But the use of cell phones in education also is gaining some unexpected supporters. A recent study titled "Pockets of Potential" concluded: "While concerns about health and safety must be addressed, a new emphasis on the potential of digital media to aid learning, especially for low-income children, is overdue." The author? A research fellow at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

And teachers involved in the Qualcomm-backed project are believers, too.
Suzette Kliewer, a math teacher at Southwest High School in Jacksonville, N.C., said she saw average algebra students move into honors geometry classes in part because of the leg up the smartphones gave them. She said students used the phones to record videos of their peers explaining concepts, which not only added to their problem-solving abilities, but gave them confidence presenting information, too.

"Kids are not sitting around taking pictures or texts," says Kliewer. "This project has been very beneficial to these kids."

Cell phones in the classroom won't be an easy sell, but Qualcomm's Jacobs has overcome skeptics before: When he introduced the CDMA wireless technology (short for Code division multiple access) wireless industry insiders doubted its viability, arguing that the world didn't need another digital wireless standard. (Much of the rest of the world embraced the dominant global standard, GSM.)

Still Jacobs convinced a handful of operators, including Verizon Wireless and Sprint, to adopt CDMA, and Qualcomm's intellectual property is part of so-called 3G or third generation, broadband services deployed by most all carriers, including operators that use the GSM standard. If Jacobs could get the wireless industry to accept CDMA, he should be able to convince school districts to give cell phones a try.



When I first read this article I found it to be a very interesting concept. People don't usually consider cellphone use a "normal" activity that takes place in a high school classroom. Speaking from personal experience, I feel that being able to have technology at your disposal within the classroom is something that is truly beneficial. Going to a school when they provide every student with a laptop has been a great advantage. But there is also a downside, which usually comes from the faculty perspective. It's true that not every student uses their laptop for taking notes and it can be distracting. So what is stopping these kids from being distracted by using a cellphone? They make a valid argument within the article itself, but when reading, it seems like there is also great potential for students to utilize smart phones within the classroom. Because this trend is so new, it's hard to say if it will be able to stick and become more common place. We live in a society where technology is forever changing, growing and expanding what we are able to do. Who knows, maybe the use of smart phones and handheld devices will become common place within the classroom one day.

-Kyle

Baby-faced boy Alfie Patten is father at 13

By LUCY HAGAN

BOY dad Alfie Patten yesterday admitted he does not know how much nappies cost — but said: “I think it’s a lot.”

Baby-faced Alfie, who is 13 but looks more like eight, became a father four days ago when his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne. He told how he and Chantelle, 15, decided against an abortion after discovering she was pregnant. The shy lad, whose voice has not yet broken, said: “I thought it would be good to have a baby. “I didn’t think about how we would afford it. I don’t really get pocket money. My dad sometimes gives me £10.”

Little family ... Alfie, Chantelle and baby Maisie

Lee Thompson

Alfie, who is just 4ft tall, added: “When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble. We wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react.“I didn’t know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it.”Alfie's story, broken exclusively by The Sun today has sparked a huge political storm with Tory leader David Cameron saying: "When I saw these pictures this morning, I just thought how worrying that in Britain today children are having children."I hope that somehow these children grow up into responsible parents but the truth is parenthood is just not something they should be thinking about right now."

Secret

PM Gordon Brown refused to comment directly on the story but said it was important that the Government did all it could to prevent teenage pregnancies. Alfie’s dad Dennis yesterday told how the lad does not really understand the enormity of his situation — but seemed desperate to be a devoted and responsible father. He wanted to be the first to hold Maisie after the hospital birth. He tenderly kisses the baby and gives her a bottle. And Dennis, 45, said: “He could have shrugged his shoulders and sat at home on his Playstation. But he has been at the hospital every day.” Maisie was conceived after Chantelle and Alfie — just 12 at the time — had a single night of unprotected sex. They found out about the baby when Chantelle was 12 weeks pregnant. But they kept it a secret until six weeks later when Chantelle’s mum Penny, 38, became suspicious about her weight gain and confronted her. After that Alfie’s family told only those closest to them for fear he would be “demonised” at school. Chantelle gave birth to Maisie on Monday night after a five-hour labour at Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex. Last night she told The Sun: “I’m tired after the birth. I was nervous after going into labour but otherwise I was quite excited.

Chantelle told how she discovered she was expecting after going to her GP with “really bad” stomach pains. She said: “Me and Alfie went. The doctor asked me whether we had sex. I said yes and he said I should do a pregnancy test. He did the test and said I was pregnant. I started crying and didn’t know what to do. “He said I should tell my mum but I was too scared. “We didn’t think we would need help from our parents. You don’t really think about that when you find out you are pregnant. You just think your parents will kill you.” But Penny figured out what was going on after buying Chantelle a T-shirt which revealed her swelling tum. Chantelle admitted she and Alfie — who are both being supported by their parents — would be accused of being grossly irresponsible. She said: “We know we made a mistake but I wouldn’t change it now. We will be good loving parents. “I have started a church course and I am going to do work experience helping other young mums. “I’ll be a great mum and Alfie will be a great dad.”

Caring ... Alfie bottle feeds his little daughter

Chantelle and Maisie were released from hospital yesterday. They are living with Penny, Chantelle’s jobless dad Steve, 43, and her five brothers in a rented council house in Eastbourne. The family live on benefits. Alfie, who lives on an estate across town with mum Nicola, 43, spends most of his time at the Steadmans’ house. He is allowed to stay overnight and even has a school uniform there so he can go straight to his classes in the morning. Alfie’s dad, who is separated from Nicola, believes the lad is scared deep down. He said: “Everyone is telling him things and it’s going round in his head. It hasn’t really dawned on him. He hasn’t got a clue of what the baby means and can’t explain how he feels. All he knows is mum and dad will help. “When you mention money his eyes look away. And she is reliant on her mum and dad. It’s crazy. They have no idea what lies ahead.”

Dennis, who works for a vehicle recovery firm, described Alfie as “a typical 13-year-old boy”.

He said: “He loves computer games, boxing and Manchester United.” Dennis, who has fathered nine kids, told how he was “gobsmacked” when he discovered Alfie was to be a dad, too.

He said: “When I spoke to him he started crying. He said it was the first time he’d had sex, that he didn’t know what he was doing and of the complications that could come.“I will talk to him again and it will be the birds and the bees talk. Some may say it’s too late but he needs to understand so there is not another baby.”

Lovely

Chantelle’s mum said: “I told her it was lovely to have the baby but I wish it was in different circumstances. We have five children already so it’s a big financial responsibility. But we are a family and will pull together and get through. “She’s my daughter. I love her and she will want for nothing.” Last night Michaela Aston, of the anti-abortion Christian charity LIFE, said: “We commend these teenagers for their courage in bringing their child into the world. “At the same time this is symptomatic of the over-sexualisation of our youngsters and shows the policy of value-free sex education just isn’t working.” Today Sussex Police and the local council's children services said they have investigated the case and pledged continued support for the young parents. Britain’s youngest known father is Sean Stewart. He became a dad at 12 when the girl next door, 15-year-old Emma Webster, gave birth in Sharnbrook, Bedford, in 1998. They split six months later.

What are these parents teaching their children where they are having sexual relationships at the age of 12? Clearly not enough. Do school systems need to start sex education courses in the 5th and 6th grade? This 13 year old boy looks incredibly young. I mean when he is graduating high school he will have a 6 year old daughter probably in the same school system as himself!
There are now reports that little Alfie may not be the father of Maisie. Apparently seven other boys have come out and said that they have had sex with Chantelle. Chantelle says she lost her virginity to Alfie and has been with no one else. Alfie has agreed to a DNA test to prove he is the father. Some reports are saying they are just trying to cash in on the media. With a jobless father and five brothers all living on benefits this might not sound like a bad idea to a pregnant 14 year old.
Father or not, it is clear that these “children” have no idea what they are in for. They are not even old enough to take care of themselves let alone a baby. It appears, at least through the media, that kids these days are think it is cool to have babies. Example: The 17 girls in Gloucester that made a pact to all get pregnant no matter what it took. The media is so focused on celebrities having babies, especially when they are young and unmarried (Jamie Lynn Spears). High school girls see their role models having babies in their teens and want to do it too. So how do we break this view of premarital pregnancy? I think it comes down to good parenting and teaching your kids strong morals. Or at least teach them to wear a condom!

-Laura