Society's Child
A Federal Aviation Administration official warned this week about the dangers of even small unmanned aircraft, pointing specifically to a recent close call involving a drone and a commercial airliner that could have had "catastrophic" results.
Jim Williams, the head of the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) office, discussed various potential perils during a presentation Thursday to those attending the Small Unmanned Systems Business Expo. A video of his talk in San Francisco, and those of others, to those who operate, create or otherwise are involved or interested in such unmanned aircraft was posted to YouTube.
After saying "the FAA has got to be responsive to the entire industry," Williams referred to a pair of incidents in which drones caused injuries to people on the ground. One came at an event at Virginia Motor Speedway in which an "unauthorized, unmanned aircraft" crashed into the stands, and in the other a female triathlete in Australia had to get stitches after being struck by a small drone.
Then, Williams segued to a pilot's recent report of "a near midair collision" with a drone near the airport in Tallahassee, Florida. The pilot said that it appeared to be small, camouflaged, "remotely piloted" and about 2,300 feet up in the air at the time of the incident.
SkyCall: The drone that's your personal tour guide
"The pilot said that the UAS was so close to his jet that he was sure he had collided with it," Williams said. "Thankfully, inspection to the airliner after landing found no damage. But this may not always be the case."
According to the FAA, the incident took place on March 22 and involved as U.S. Airways Flight 4650 going from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Tallahassee.
Flightaware.com lists that flight as a CRJ-200, with a capacity for 50 passengers.
© Justice for Azry/Facebook
Brandon Carpenter and his dog Arzy.
Brandon Carpenter and his dog Arzy.
Officers were called about 7:20 a.m. to the parking lot of the Southwest Daily News in Sulphur, where two transients from Maine had just hopped off a freight train.
A caller said the pair looked suspicious, and police found them with a large black dog hanging around the newspaper's box trucks.
Officers placed Brandon Carpenter and his friend, Logan Laliberte, in handcuffs and made them lie down on the ground while they investigated.
© PA
For sale: Best is now set to own the house valued at as much as £400,000
For sale: Best is now set to own the house valued at as much as £400,000
Keith Best has spent over a decade renovating 35 Church Road, Newbury Park in Ilford in north east London after finding it in 1997.
He says he found the house empty in 1997 and that no one has challenged his ownership of the semi-detached dwelling since then.
The original owner, a Doris May Curtis, died and her son had not been seen since 1996.
Best applied to register title to the property on the basis that he had been in 'adverse possession' or 'squatters title' as it is known for a period of 10 years.
His lawyers say the 'adverse possession' principle dates back to Roman Law and allowed "someone in possession of a good without title to become the lawful proprietor if the original owner didn't show up after some time".
FCC protest at 445 12th St SW, Washington, DC, all day, all night, until May 15.
We're camping out day and night on the FCC's doorstep to defend net neutrality and keep the Internet free from discrimination and "slow lanes"
The FCC is proposing new rules that will be great for Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon, but terrible for the rest of us. This agency has been surrounded by corporate lobbyists for too long. Help us surround FCC headquarters with people who love the Internet and want to keep it open.
© Kelly J. Huff/Reuters
A Cobb County police officer escorts a worker out of the FedEx warehouse in Kennesaw, Ga., on Tuesday following a gunman's rampage.
A Cobb County police officer escorts a worker out of the FedEx warehouse in Kennesaw, Ga., on Tuesday following a gunman's rampage.
FedEx employees were being told to leave as they showed up to work Tuesday morning, according to 11Alive News.
The suspect in the shootings died from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to WSB-TV.
The shooter also had explosive devices that weren't used, according to the Associated Press.
It's so far unclear exactly why the shooting took place.
© Newsfiber.com
- Classmates said he loved heavy metal music, felt he was an outcast
- Threatened to commit suicide after reporting he had been bullied
- His mother, a human resources manager, seemed 'attentive'
- 'Really clever' but suffered from bouts of depression, peers claim
Classmates told yesterday how the middle-class teenager, who loved heavy metal music, felt he was an 'outcast'.
They said he had previously threatened to commit suicide after complaining of bullying and had experimented with drugs.
Neighbours added that he would not make eye contact with them or acknowledge their greetings as he walked past.
Generations of devastated friends and pupils pay tribute to Ann Maguire, stabbed to death by druggie
Loved: Pupils described Ann Maguire, 61, as the heart of Corpus Christi College, where she taught generations.
- RE and Spanish teacher Ann Maguire, 61, was due to retire next year
- Known for treating Corpus Christi pupils as if they were her own
- Former students travelled across the country to pay tribute last night
- Notes left outside school in Leeds called her 'best teacher ever'
She taught whole families from the local estate - first the parents, as well as their cousins, then their children and their children's children.
Known for her dedication and kindness, the Spanish and religious studies teacher was remembered last night in the fondest of terms by her devastated friends and pupils.
They said Mrs Maguire, 61, was the matriarch of Corpus Christi, striving for excellence and coaching even the most difficult children with care and patience.
© Democracy Now! Screen Shot
Cecily McMillan
Cecily McMillan
'This has become something bigger than Cecily McMillan. It's about protests and dissent.'People across the United States responded with outrage after Occupy Wall Street activist Cecily McMillan was found guilty Monday afternoon of "assaulting" the very police officer who she says sexually assaulted her.
Over 100 people rallied in New York City's Zuccotti Park Monday night and, according to advocates, messages of support immediately began pouring in from across the country.
"I know Cecily would be in gratitude for how much people care," Stan Williams of support group Justice for Cecily told Common Dreams. "But this has become something bigger than Cecily. It's about protests and dissent."
McMillan's supporters on Monday filled a New York court room with cries of "Shame!" when the 25-year-old organizer was handed a guilty verdict and then promptly handcuffed and taken away to Rikers Island, where she is currently detained pending sentencing. In a Democracy Now! interview Tuesday morning, Martin Stolar, criminal defense attorney affiliated with the National Lawyers Guild and co-counsel for McMillan's case, derided her felony verdict - that could land her a sentence of two to seven years with a chance of probation - as "ridiculous" and vowed an appeal.
© Andrew Gombert/EPA
The letter was sent to judge Ronald Zweibel and copied to Cecily McMillan's attorney Martin Stolar, pictured.
The letter was sent to judge Ronald Zweibel and copied to Cecily McMillan's attorney Martin Stolar, pictured.
- Guardian obtains copy of letter from nine of 12 jurorsA majority of the jurors who this week convicted an Occupy Wall Street activist of assaulting a New York police officer have asked the judge in her case to not send her to prison.
- McMillan faces up to seven years in prison for assault
Cecily McMillan was on Monday found guilty of deliberately elbowing officer Grantley Bovell in the face, as he led her out of a protest in March 2012. She was convicted of second-degree assault, a felony, and faces up to seven years in prison. She was denied bail and is being detained at Riker's Island jail.
However, nine of the 12 jurors who unanimously reached the verdict have since taken the unusual step of writing to Judge Ronald Zweibel to request that he not give her a prison sentence on 19 May.
© Reuters / Frank Polich
"Live free or die" is the motto of the state of New Hampshire. I hope the residents are prepared to die, because living free is not what they do. NH is merely a cog within the Amerikan Stasi State, but I am referring to what goes on within NH itself, not the police state existence imposed by Washington. On May 5 attorney William Baer was arrested at a school board meeting at which he went over a 2-minute speaking rule while trying to get some explanation from the Gilford, NH, school board for assigning sexually explicit reading material to his 14-year old daughter's English class. The evasiveness of the school board angered Mr. Baer, and he spoke out again in support of another parents protests, and was promptly arrested by a goon thug cop.
The school board chairman, Sue Allen, who has no legislative power nevertheless managed to create a law backed by police violence. After all if Bush and Obama can create laws by edict, why not a school board chairman? Under Allen's edict, if a parent violates the 2-minute rule that Allen imposed, she has the parent arrested. The goon thug cop wasn't embarrassed to arrest a parent for making a legitimate complaint during the public comment period of a school board meeting.
Remember, we "freedom and democracy" 'mericans have free speech and protest rights. Actually, don't remember that, because you no longer have any such rights.These rights are dangerous. They enable terrorists and extremists such as those dangerous people who don't believe The Government.
