In the news today

[Dark Matter]

An on-going thread:

Man wrestles croc to rescue wife

A woman has been rescued from the jaws of a saltwater crocodile in Australia after her husband jumped onto its back and forced it to flee.

The attack took place in the Litchfield National Park near Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.

The crocodile lunged at its victim as she stood on the banks of a river, locking its jaws around her legs before trying to drag her into the water.

Police have said the heroism of her husband almost certainly saved her.

He leapt onto the large reptile's back, gouging at its eyes with his fingers trying to free his wife.

Eventually, after a brief but almighty struggle, the animal relented.

The 36-year-old woman suffered serious injuries and will have surgery in Darwin.

Her husband escaped unharmed.

Source - BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7327984.stm)

[Erinion]

I like his thinking - use the wife as a tank while he went DPS crazy.

How much XP did he get for that?

[elsegundo]

I like his thinking - use the wife as a tank while he went DPS crazy.

How much XP did he get for that?

lol omg thats so funny. gouge in action!

[Kalos]

"So here's this massive enemy crab...and you attack its weak point for massive damage" :grin: - Quote taken from an old now famous Sony Press Conference


Sony had it right all along...

[elsegundo]

Gas Prices Set New National Record
CBS News Interactive: Gas Prices
NEW YORK (AP) ― Gasoline prices extended their record run at the pump Thursday, but took a breather in futures trading as investors collected profits from the previous session's huge advance.

Crude oil futures, meanwhile, extended their own upward trek on expectations that the dollar will continue its protracted decline.

At the pump, the national average price of a gallon of gas rose 0.2 cent overnight to $3.289 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. That's the latest in a string of records set as gas prices have followed surging oil futures higher.

In futures trading Thursday, May gasoline fell 1.54 cents to $2.7582 a gallon on the New York Mercantile Exchange, dropping back after soaring 13.44 cents to a new record of $2.7736 on Wednesday.

Wednesday's surge in gas futures, accompanied by a big gain in oil prices, is expected to send prices even higher at the pump in the near future; retail prices follow the futures market, although with some time lag. Gas got a boost from an Energy Department report Wednesday that gasoline supplies fell last week while demand rose for the first time since January.

The report also showed that refiners are holding back on producing gasoline due to low refining profit margins. The combination of low production and higher demand during peak summer driving season - and high crude prices - could boost gas prices even further into record territory.

"There's always concern ahead of the driving season," said Tim Evans, an analyst at Citigroup Inc. in New York.

The Energy Department expects gas prices to peak near $3.50 a gallon later in the spring. Many analysts think prices could rise as high as $3.75 or $4.

In oil trading Thursday, May light, sweet crude rose $1.22 to $106.05 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The continuing advance in energy prices has raised concerns about the impact of inflation on consumer spending. While gas prices are hurting consumers' budgets, so is the price of diesel, used to transport the vast majority of the world's food, consumer and industrial goods. Diesel slid 0.2 cent overnight to a national average of $4.023 a gallon, but remains within 2 cents of a record set in late March.

Oil has taken much of its price direction in recent months from the dollar. Commodities such as oil become attractive to investors seeking a hedge against inflation when the greenback is falling. The trend typically reverses when the dollar strengthens.

On Thursday, the dollar gained ground, but investors were more focused on dismal economic reports. The Labor Department said jobless claims jumped last week to their highest level in more than two years, and the Institute for Supply Management said the economy's service sector shrank in March for the third straight month.

In the sort of "bad news is good news" logic the market often employs, investors took the reports as a sign the Fed will sharply cut interest rates later in the year to boost the economy. Rate cuts tend to weaken the dollar.

"It looks like we're running to the commodities again for cover," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago.

In other Nymex trading Thursday, May heating oil futures rose 2.27 cents to $2.9737 a gallon, while May natural gas futures fell 10 cents to $9.732 per 1,000 cubic feet. The Energy Department said natural gas inventories fell last week by 29 billion cubic feet, less than analysts had expected.

In London, May Brent crude rose 43 cents to $104.18 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
i live in the SF bay area, so take the national average and add 50 cents to it. im glad i take public transportation to work, but i do drive on weekends for pleasure. <_<

[Dark Matter]

elsegundo; My intention was to add nice warm stories that you might not have happened across - although the Croc Story made every news bulletin in the UK yesterday...

---

UAE stages camel beauty contest

Ten thousand camels will be fluttering their long eyelashes in a unique international beauty pageant being held in the United Arab Emirates.
http://i31.tinypic.com/15ow68p.jpg
The contest in Abu Dhabi is one of the richest and biggest events of its kind, with more than $9m (£4.5m; 5.8m euros) and 100 cars in prizes up for grabs.

The contest will feature camels or "ships of the desert" from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Organisers hope it will remind Emiratis of traditional desert values.

The contest is part of the Mazayin Dhafra festival, which starts on Wednesday, and organisers say it is the biggest contest of its kind to be staged in the Arabian Gulf.

A panel of expert camel appreciators will choose the best animals for each age group.

Entry is open to anyone who can prove ownership of a pedigree camel, and the animals must be free from contagious diseases, and without any serious defects.

The ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, has sponsored the event.

It is said he wants Emiratis to help preserve their national identity through the respect of an animal central to Arab culture.

The first camel beauty contest in the UAE took place six years ago.

Camel racing is a popular sport, with money from the region's oil riches often placed in huge bets.

Long before the oil industry moved in, the Bedou tribes prized the animal known as the "ship of the desert".

Camels were the main measurement of wealth, along with horses and falcons.

Source - BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7325790.stm)

[elsegundo]

dark... i was posting things that i found interesting and of some importance. but ok... if i come across something like what you described, i'll post it.

[Dark Matter]

NZ man 'used hedgehog as weapon'

A man in New Zealand has been charged with using a hedgehog as a weapon, the New Zealand Herald has reported. :shocked:

Police said William Singalargh, 27, had hurled the hedgehog about 5m (16ft) at a 15-year-old boy.

"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," said Senior Sgt Bruce Jenkins, in the North Island town of Whakatane.

It was unclear whether the hedgehog was still alive when it was thrown, though it was dead when collected as evidence.

The police spokesman said the suspect was arrested "for assault with a weapon, namely the hedgehog."

Mr Singalargh is due to appear in court on 17 April. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

Source BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7334233.stm)

[Valas Azuviir]

He might get charged with animal cruelty as well, if the coppers can prove that the hedgehog was still alive prior to the throw. :P