  Policemen suspended over porn report Sun 15 August, 2004 01:03 LONDON (Reuters) - Two policemen have been suspended from duty after a newspaper reported they had been filmed enjoying the attentions of porn stars while they were supposed to be on patrol. The News of the World reported on Sunday that the two policemen, aged 30 and 34, had been called to calm down a crowd who spotted a pornographic movie being filmed in a street in London's Soho district. But the officers talked their way into the film crew's van and allowed the two female stars to perform a sex act on them, while the crew secretly rolled the cameras, the paper said. "I was just expecting them to want their photo taken with the girls or get an autograph," the paper quoted the film's director, Marino Franchi, as saying. "It was unbelievable. They just decided to have their very own private porn movie while on the job. " Scotland Yard said two male officers from the Central London Territorial Support Group had been suspended from duty and that a disciplinary investigation had been launched into their conduct while on duty in Soho on July 26.
"The Metropolitan police service demands the highest standards from all its staff, and patrolling forms a vital part in keeping London's streets safe," a Scotland Yard spokesman said. "We are disappointed by conduct which, if substantiated, brings the service into disrepute. " From: urlLink www.reuters.co.uk Man arrested for stealing twist ties from Cash Wise By Mike Albrecht, Bismarck Tribune A 55-year-old Bismarck man was arrested Wednesday night for stealing twist ties from a Bismarck grocery store. A Cash Wise Foods loss prevention officer spotted the man opening a box of Hefty Garbage Bags at about 8 p.m. and pocketing the paper-covered wire ties. The man was stopped in the bathroom after he paid for his other groceries. The man said he took the twist ties to secure bags of bulk candy he purchased. The candy display usually includes twist ties, but there were none there Wednesday. The name of the man was not released pending a misdemeanor shoplifting charge.
The value of the twist ties is unknown, but the garbage bags cost $3.88. From: urlLink www.bismarcktribune.com Computer Games Teach Nutrition By Ira Dreyfuss Associated Press Writer Published: Aug 14, 2004 urlLink urlLink WASHINGTON (AP) - The virtual baked beans were falling fast. The unopened can had to go somewhere, but where? Not the simulated freezer. "This food wouldn't spoil in that location," the computer-generated voice said. "But the quality of food could be affected, or you might be using space in your freezer unnecessarily. " Another lesson learned from the Fantastic Food Challenge, a package of four computer games designed to teach people who get nutrition aid such as federal food stamps how to make better use of their food. Because so many young adults played such games as kids, they ought to be able to learn more easily from them, too, said the project's director. "We wanted to create a game that didn't just feel like you were learning something," said Brian Winn, an assistant professor of telecommunication, information studies and media at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The player feels like a contestant in a marathon of futuristic television game shows that also happen to give instruction about how to buy food at the lowest cost, store it properly and prepare healthy meals, Winn said. One game is called Store It Safe. It involves placing baked beans, tortillas, frozen chicken and other virtual groceries into a cartoon-drawn freezer, cupboard or refrigerator. In another game, a version of Concentration, players turn over blank cards that flash a food and a menu item made with that ingredient, then try to remember which card had the milk that matches the macaroni and cheese. The on-screen opponent is an sore-loser robot that blows steam out of its ears when it guesses wrong, but which gets better as the game becomes more difficult. In the Great Meal Deal, players test their knowledge of the five food groups (milk, meat, fruit, vegetables and grains) by dragging randomly generated bananas, peanuts, applesauce and other items into the correct group.
Players in the Price Makes Sense have to use their math skills to figure out the best food deal; for instance, that six servings of eggs at $1.20 is cheaper per serving than five servings of chicken at $2.00. The program is being distributed to employees in Michigan's extension offices who teach food aid recipients how to be efficient shoppers. So far, they seem to like it better than the usual brochures and charts, said Gayle Coleman, the extension service's interim state program leader for family consumer science.
Food stamp users are not the only people who can benefit from these kinds of projects, said Melinda Johnson, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. But the poor may need the help more because they have fewer options, she said. For example, people in every income level have to squeeze healthy meals into busy lives, although those who are better off do not feel the budget pinch when they buy prepared meals at the supermarket, Johnson said. Researchers also have tried computer games to improve eating habits for about 1,600 fourth graders in Houston.
They played a medieval-themed game called Squire's Quest, developed by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine's Children's Nutrition Research Center. Kids win by getting promoted from squire to knight. But the real goal is to get them to eat more fruits and vegetables. In the game, players advanced by learning such things as how to talk a parent into serving orange juice for breakfast and they gained negotiation skills by accepting pineapple juice if that was available instead, said Tom Baranowski, lead scientist in the game's development.
"We do role-playing to encourage the kid to go home and ask Mom," he said. From: urlLink http://ap.tbo.com We're Not Sorry, Say Puddle Case Police By Will Batchelor, PA News A police force stood its ground today after being criticised for prosecuting a motorist who accidentally splashed an officer. Driving instructor Tahir Mahmood, 33, was driving in Blackburn, Lancashire, when he went through a large puddle. The water splashed over Pc Anthony Ellison, who was on traffic duty at the time, leaving him “completely drenched“. Mr Mahmood was pulled over by a police patrol car and immediately apologised, but was arrested and charged with driving without consideration for other road users. It was claimed he could have avoided splashing the officer by pulling into the right hand lane, which was free of traffic. But Mr Mahmood told Blackburn magistrates this week he had been looking into his wing mirror to change lanes and did not see the puddle until it was too late. The legal proceedings cost an estimated £20,000 and were described by one local councillor as “an utter waste of time“.
A spokesman for Lancashire Constabulary today insisted the force had acted correctly.He said: “It is not a question of apologising.“ The officers presented a file to the Crown Prosecution Service and they judged it appropriate to prosecute.“ This was rejected by the court, which is something that happens in the British legal system. ”A CPS spokeswoman said: “On every case we decide whether there is enough evidence to bring a case and whether it is in the public interest to do so.
“The answer to both of these in this particular case was ’yes’. ”Mr Mahmood was unavailable for comment today. From: urlLink http://news.scotsman.com Idaho Man's Romantic Gesture Turns Fiery Aug 13, 4:30 PM (ET) LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) - A young man's passion ignited a fire this week that only his girlfriend and the Lewiston Fire Department could put out. Police said that on Wednesday evening, Chihao Wu, a student studying English at Lewis-Clark State College, arranged rolled-up clothes, doused in lamp oil, in a parking lot to spell "Happy Birthday" in his native language. He then summoned his girlfriend and lit the fiery display. When police and members of the Lewiston Fire Department arrived, they found Wu stomping on the still-burning clothing. The would-be Casanova's conflagration ended when the fire department took an extinguisher to the flames, police said. Despite a language barrier, police officer Nick Krakalia questioned Wu. "It was his lady friend's birthday and he lit this fire in celebration," Krakalia wrote in his report. Wu said there was no tradition of such displays in his country, but he was trying "to show devotion to the female," Krakalia said. Wu cleaned up the mess and was not ticketed for the incident. When Krakalia asked if she was impressed with the display, she simply said "No. " From: urlLink http://apnews.myway.com 
