No, I won't take the van back

(Reuters) - On Monday David Cross, 42, of Salisbury, Massachusetts, and his wife ……………….. (buy) a van at the Portsmouth Used Car Superstore, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

His mechanic quickly ………………………..(find) a variety of problems with the van and …………………………………..(advise) him to return it to the dealer. But the business …………………………… (refuse) to take back what Cross said was a "lemon"

After the dealership ……………………………..(close) on Tuesday, Cross ………………………… (return) at midnight and …………………………………….. (use) his van to smash into seven vehicles on the dealer's lot, including a Mercedes C300 and a Ford Mustang. He ……………………………….. (cause) damage initially estimated at $20,000.

Then he ………………………… (leave) his van behind and ……………………………….. (cross)
the street to where a police cruiser ………………………….. ( be parked).

He ……………………… (report) the incident and ………………………… (lead) an officer back to the wrecks.

After his arrest, Cross …………………………. (be released). On September 19 he …………………………….. (go) back to Portsmouth District Court, police said.


Editor's note:

The Portsmouth Herald on Thursday night received the following e-mail from a person identifying himself as Gary McGilvray, sales manager of Portsmouth Used Car Superstore:

Dear Customers, Friends, Family and Associates:

You may have heard of vandalism at Portsmouth Used Car Superstore on July 19, involving David Cross.

Portsmouth Used Car Superstore would like to clarify what happened.

Mr. Cross' spouse purchased an 11-year-old van with over 100,000 miles on July 18. The van was a recent trade-in scheduled to be disposed of at auction. The buyer purchased the vehicle "as is," with a salvage title and signed an "unsafe motor vehicle form," as well as several other required documents indicating the vehicle was unsafe, uninspected and "as is." The purchaser declined to have her mechanic inspect the vehicle. The price was reflective of the condition and was equivalent to what the vehicle would have sold for at auction.

David Cross became unhappy with the purchase decision the following day. Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, he admitted to driving the van into six vehicles parked on our lot. David Cross is being charged with six felonies and has admitted guilt.

Portsmouth Used Car Superstore is a reputable and trustworthy local dealer. A large majority of our retail vehicles come with a six-month, 6,000-mile warranty and a three-day exchange policy. "As is" sales are a small percentage of our sales, and all "as is" buyers are informed the vehicle is not state inspected and is being sold as an unsafe motor vehicle.

Portsmouth Used Car Superstore has been in business for almost 15 years and has more than 10,000 happy customers. We truly appreciate our customers and our community, and strive to make our customers completely satisfied. We appreciate your continued business, and the numerous e-mails and phone calls supporting our staff and business.

The Portsmouth Used Car Superstore Team




Since the Herald published Cross' story on Wednesday, it's been retold through news wire services and by print, online and television news outlets, including Drudge Report. As a result of that coverage, "reporters have been knocking on my door all day," Cross said Thursday.

Through www.cafepress.com, fans have designed a T-shirt in Cross' honor, while suggesting the proceeds should go to a fund to cover Cross' legal costs. On the front is an image of Cross, adapted from his police mug shot, and his quote: "I was pretty crazy last night." On the back is an image of a lemon and the words, "worship the Cross."

A Facebook page has been started in support of Cross https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Cross-Worship-The-Cross/193278047397304




adapted from Reuters and CTWatchdog

Gold traders are worried (video)

You can also watch this vIdeo by clicking HERE

Quiz: 20 miscellaneous questions

Click either on the icon (left) or HERE to go to the quiz.

Transforming a house (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Genuine American BBQ (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Norwegian security after killings (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Amy Winehouse: Why is there so little understanding of addiction?

So much energy has been given to her death in the public eye and so little to the process that took her there.


Cigarettes, alcohol and photos left with flowers and messages near the house where Amy Winehouse was found on 23 July. Photograph: Carl Court/AFP/Getty


Amy Winehouse is dead and any useful understanding of the mental illness that killed her seems far away. Already the portrait is painted and ready to become myth.

There is tiny Amy with the frightened eyes, tormented by her talent and the chaos it brought, famous at 21, dead at 27, now a member of the repulsively named "27 Club" of musicians who were also addicts and died at 27 – Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison, Cobain.

It was obvious years ago that Winehouse sick was more interesting than Winehouse sober.

Winehouse was simply an alcoholic and drug addict who had no idea of her own worth or how to cure herself. She died at 27 not because she was the magical mystical twin of Janis Joplin, but because 27 is a normal age for the body of a compulsive user of hard drugs and hard alcohol to give out.

Thousands like Winehouse die every year, and they are not venerated, or even pitied. We will not educate ourselves about the disease, or reform drug laws that plunge addicts into a world of criminality and dependence on criminals.

No one yet knows what causes addiction, or how to cure it. The disease is impenetrable to outsiders. Addiction is still uniformly called "a self-inflicted disease" and only the most enlightened doctors will recommend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, self-help groups that sometimes get results, although no one knows why.

She was in the Priory Rehabilitation Center this summer. She stayed a week, came home and died. She died for nothing, because she thought she was nothing.

Not that we will learn; the beehive was too high, the eyes too photogenically tormented, the voice too beautiful. Her new album will be released and it will sell 10 million copies, maybe more. And there, reader, is your meaning. The addict is dead. Long live the myth.


By Tania Gold
Adapted from The Guardian

Amy Winehouse is found dead (article & audio)

Amy Winehouse, one of the most talented singers of her generation whose hit song "Rehab" summed up her personal struggles with addiction, died in London on Saturday at the age of 27.

The multiple Grammy winner, famed for her black beehive hair, soulful voice and erratic behaviour both on and off stage, was found dead at her home in Camden, north London. Police were called to the address at around 1500 GMT.

"Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death at this early stage. It is being treated as unexplained," a police spokesman said. Sky News quoted police sources as saying they suspected the death was caused by a drugs overdose.

"We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer," her record label Universal said in a statement. "Our prayers go out to Amy's family, friends and fans at this difficult time."

Police cordoned off the street outside Winehouse's home in Camden, where dozens of onlookers gathered along with fans, media photographers and camera crew. It is understood Winehouse had only just moved into her new home.

Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, tweeted: "sad sad news of Amy Winehouse - great talent, extraordinary voice, and tragic death, condolences to her family."

Kelly Osbourne, a singer and television personality, also took to the micro blogging site to react: "i cant even breath right now im crying so hard i just lost 1 of my best friends. i love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!"

Broadcaster and radio DJ Paul Gambaccini said Winehouse's early death was sadly no surprise.

"She just could not control herself. It's tragic because both her albums were superb. We have 40 years of Frank Sinatra records, it turns out we only have two Amy Winehouse records."

Comedian and former drug addict Russell Brand paid written tribute to the singer saying they had "shared an affliction, the disease of addiction". He accused the media of being more interested in "tragedy than talent". On his website he wrote: "We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy's incredible talent. Some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill."

Winehouse was born on Sept. 14, 1983, to a family with a history of jazz musicians. She was discovered by soul singer Tyler James at the age of 16 and in 2003 her debut album "Frank" was released, to general acclaim.

Her second album "Back to Black" was released in October 2006 and reached the No. 1 spot in Britain and earned her five Grammy awards, pop music's equivalent of the Oscars.

The album's hit single "Rehab" contained the line: "They tried to make me go to rehab. I said 'no, no, no'."



Click either HERE or on the play button to listen to some more comments on her death

Financial crisis is heating up (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Women's Soccer World Cup 2011: Japan defeat USA 3-1 on penalties

There was jubilation and praise early Monday for the national soccer team that defeated the United States in a penalty shootout to win the Women's World Cup final in Germany.

"We fought until the very end, I didn't stop running," team captain Homare Sawa said, in an interview with Japanese media. "I've been fighting to be number one for so long -- this just seems unreal to me."

The team dedicated the tournament to victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which killed 25,000 people. Their unlikely success temporarily knocked news about radiation off the front pages.


Japanese refer to the team as “Nadeshiko,” a pink flower that symbolizes purity and femininity in Japan.

Football fan Kazuhiro Teramoto calls it a wonderful moment for the troubled country. "Our national team demonstrated Japan’s tenacity, and the victory will energize us".

Keiko Muranao says she stayed up all night to watch the match. “We were able to show that we are strong and we are hanging in there and we will rebuild our nation as soon as possible”.

Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told reporters the victory is encouraging to those working in the northeastern part of the country helping it recover from devastation.

Ironically, one of the defenders on the Japan squad, Aya Sameshima, previously worked at the crippled Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant.

More than four months after the disasters, thousands of evacuees remain in shelters, while nearly 100,000 people have been displaced because of radiation concerns.

Japan's Homare Sawa (L) and head coach Norio Sasaki and pose with trophies

Photos: Reuters and AP

NASA retiring its 30-year-old shuttle fleet (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Interactive guide to Europe's economies

Harry Potter emotional end (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

USA debt limit (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Asia's door to Russia (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Flying Car Moves Closer to Reality (audio)

Photo: terrafugia.com

To listen to the audio, please click on the Play icon or HERE


After listening to the audio, think of a summary of the main ideas and details, including the following subjects

name of the company
what it can do
price
actual buyers
expected buyers
weight
safety standards
altitude
passengers
speeds
fuel

History Highlights
2006
2009
2010
2011
2012



Some more activities:

1) article Flying or Electric Car? (posted 08/08/2010) . Click on the title if you feel like reading it.

2) video: If you want to watch a test flight click HERE

Argentine singer shot dead in Guatemala

Police stand near roses laid at the scene of Saturday's shooting of Argentine folk singer Facundo Cabral in Guatemala City

(CNN) -- Gunmen shot dead Argentine folk singer Facundo Cabral Saturday as his car made its way to the airport in Guatemala City, police said.

The singer's agent was also shot and is in stable condition in the hospital, said police spokesman Donald Gonzalez.

In Guatemala on a Latin American tour, Cabral, 74, left his hotel at 5:40 a.m. in a white SUV for an eight-minute ride to the airport.

Gunmen attacked the SUV -- at least 20 bullet holes could be seen on the Range Rover. Nothing was reported stolen from the vehicle, government spokesman Ronaldo Robles said.

Police found a brown Hyundai Santa Fe nearby containing bullet-proof vests and AK-47 magazines.

A motive for the killing of one of Latin America's best-known folk singers remained unclear. Robles said an investigation was underway.

"Adios amigo!" said Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman on Twitter.

Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu traveled to the site of the attack, where she wept and said the singer had died "for his ideals," according to Notimex, the state-run news agency in Mexico.

"I can't think of a single reason why Cabral was killed here in Guatemala. He came just to sing," Notimex reported she said.

Cabral was the latest victim in a wave of violence that has rocked Guatemala ahead of elections.

In a report last month, the International Crisis Group warned that the violence and unregulated campaign finance were putting the country's political institutions at risk.

Stephen McFarland, the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, echoed that warning Saturday.

"I think this of course hurts Guatemala's image before the rest of the region and I believe that brings serious questions to the table about what can be done to prevent this from continuing," he said.

Guatemala's human rights ombudsman, Sergio Morales, expressed his condolences to Argentina.

"I ask authorities of this country that this crime not be left unsolved, to investigate," he said.

Ironically, Cabral, who said he was inspired by Jesus Christ and Mohandas Gandhi, was recognized in 1996 by the Organization of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a "World Peace Messenger."

Cabral gained fame as a protest singer. His song, "No Soy De Aqui, Ni Soy De Alla" ("I'm Not From Here Nor There") was recorded in nine languages by stars including Julio Iglesias and Neil Diamond.

from CNN

An Exxon Mobil pipeline breaks under the Yellowstone River (audio)

Photo: AP

A worker in the operation to clean up an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil that spilled from an Exxon Mobil pipeline along the Yellowstone River in Montana

Click on the Play Button or HERE to listen to the audio

IMF head Christine Lagarde's first news conference (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Moving on after Japan's disaster

A FEW days after Japan's earthquake and tsunami obliterated cities along its north-eastern coast, I met Hiromaru Sasazaki and his wife Noko at the Ofunto hospital. Readers might recall him from the online essay "Picking up the pieces". He told a remarkable story of survival. The tsunami tore off his top-floor apartment from the building; his leg was trapped in broken floorboards; he eventually swam and crawled to safety.

Last week I saw him for the first time since that moving interview. He and Noko were in Tokyo before boarding a plane to start a new chapter of their life in Canada. Often in journalism we have rich interactions with people and then simply disappear, off to chase the next headline. It creates an acute kind of institutional amnesia. Seeing Hiromaru and Noko again gave me a opportunity to measure my psychological distance from the tragedy of March 11th and to consider how much Japan has progressed, and has (or has not) changed.

Hiromaru had e-mailed me for the first time the week before last, when he was headed to Tokyo. The article, he said, had meant a lot to him. It was spotted by friends in America, who sent it around to others. It was, he says, the way in which their family and friends learned that they were alive.

After our meeting in hospital, he went into surgery. Then recuperation, then physical rehabilitation, and then a series of temporary residences. For the past two months, Hiromaru and Noko were housed with 200 evacuees in a hotel in Morioka, the capital of Iwate prefecture. "It was very calm and relaxed—like paradise for us," he says. "We didn't need to queue for food, and could bathe whenever we liked," he said. "All hot meals," Noko added gingerly, testing her English. "We were like a family," he says about life among the evacuees. The government paid the bill.

The other evacuees came from Kamaishi, a town near theirs—Rikuzentakata—which was also washed away. All needed to move out by June 30th, when the temporary housing expired. "Only a few will go back to Kamaishi," he says. "They have no jobs there, they don't want to go back." Where will they go? "Nearly all the people prefer to live in Morioka because it is easier to get jobs and start their lives again." In Kamaishi, he says, there's nothing. No shops, no homes, no work. "It is very hard to live."

And Hiromaru and Noko? "We don't want to go back," he says. It will take ten years to rebuild Rikuzentakata. Instead of reviving Hiromaru’s fishing-tackle shop, they have other plans. "I want to learn English to get a new job," he explains. His English is good but not fluent, and he speaks some Spanish too. Hiromaru's goal is to work as a tour guide or translator.

But probably not in Japan. Many countries have agreed to take in survivors on a temporary basis. Hiromaru and Noko were enticed by Vancouver. The Canadian College of English Language offered to fly them over, house them and cover tuition for a three-month stay. "It is very wonderful for us to start a new life in another country as a student," says Hiromaru. Noko smiles and nods.

After the three months? "We have no plans; we've not decided—intentionally." Both in their early 40s, they say they will let chance lead them wherever they go next, and look forward to the surprise. Both their families respect their decision to leave Japan. "We don't feel anything sad, just excited," Hiromaru says.

As he speaks, I notice a large scar bordered by stitches on his right knee, a reminder of the day that changed everything. Fate tore apart this couple’s world and that of those around them. They seem to have adapted to its randomness by harnessing it as a force to lead them away from the familiar; they are using the fact that everything they knew was destroyed to begin again. It is mainly the elderly, he explains, who are returning to places like Kamaishi or Rikuzentakata. Younger people, like Hiromaru and Noko, are using the moment to start anew.

from The Economist

Former IMF chief released from house arrest

Reuters photo

Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released from house arrest on Friday, after prosecutors raised questions about the credibility of the accuser. A New York City judge agreed to return his bail and lift some pre-trial restrictions on his movements.

More details emerged Saturday about the hotel maid who accused Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault.

In a letter Friday to Strauss-Kahn's lawyers, prosecutors said the 32-year-old maid had changed details about what she did immediately after the alleged attack by Strauss-Kahn. They also said she lied about being gang-raped in Guinea, her native country, as part of an application for U.S. asylum.

Soon after the incident the maid spoke with her boyfriend, who is in prison on a drug possession charge.
The telephone conversation was recorded. She told him " Strauss-Kahn has a lot of money. I know what I am doing"

The New York Times has reported she also may have links to criminal activities such as drug dealing and money laundering.

Despite his release Friday from house arrest, the prosecution said it is not yet moving to dismiss sexual assault and attempted rape charges against him. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The maid's attorney has insisted her case still stands, saying she has consistently described a "violent sexual assault" that Strauss-Kahn committed against her and has not changed her story about that encounter.

The next court date is set for July 18.



After reading the article, please ask questions so as to get the following answers


1. On Friday
2. Because there are some doubts about the credibility of the accuser.
3. His bail
4. On Saturday
5. 32 years old
6. Details about what she did after the alleged attack
7. With her boyfriend
8. Soon after the incident
9. Because of drug possession
10. Yes, it was
11. "He has a lot of money, I know what I'm doing"
12. Perhaps
13. On July 18th
14. I don't think so

Greece spending cuts (audio)

Photo: Reuters

Riot police and demonstrators clash Tuesday during protests against austerity measures in Athens

Click HERE or on the icon to listen to the audio




Christine Lagarde in Paris on Wednesday, a day after the IMF appointed her as its next managing director

Chavez acknowledges he has cancer

(Reuters) - Venezuela's socialist leader Hugo Chavez acknowledged he had surgery for cancer, shaking the political system he has dominated for more than a decade and alarming supporters counting on him to win re-election in 2012.

The usually loquacious Chavez, 56, confirmed in a speech on Thursday that he had undergone surgery in Cuba to remove a cancerous tumor and was receiving more treatment. He said he needed to recover before returning to Venezuela to run his self-styled socialist revolution.

"We will live and we will conquer. Until my return!" Chavez ended Thursday night's emotion-charged address from Havana.

In poor Caracas shantytowns, where Chavez is still widely loved for using oil revenues to build new clinics and schools, supporters saluted him with fireworks. "He's alive! He's alive!" one group shouted in the poor Catia area after the speech.

Opposition leaders may take the news as a sign Chavez is weakened and less likely to win next year's vote.

"For the Republic, the best thing that can happen is for the president to recover and to take over full governance, so that the natural political process can evolve, which is to carry out elections next year," said Teodoro Petkoff, who runs the opposition newspaper Tal Cual.

The opposition was trying hard to avoid appearing gleeful at Chavez's ill health, though some detractors posted vitriolic messages on Twitter and other sites.

"It is impossible to deduce if he will or will not be in a physical state and the right mood to go into the 2012 campaign," said local analyst Luis-Vicente Leon.

Known for eight-hour speeches and frequent camera appearances, Chavez left Venezuela in near silence and its government functioning at half-steam for almost three weeks after a June 10 operation to remove a pelvic abscess.

Can he still govern from Cuba? Can he control his coalition? Will he be able to rule for another decade as he has often promised?

Perhaps to answer fears of a power vacuum or succession fight, Chavez said he remained "at the helm" of government" in "permanent communication" with his Vice President Elias Jaua.

Supporters seemed shocked and at times in denial at the news of his cancer.

His popularity has been weakened in recent years as he has struggled to keep up with bread-and-butter government tasks such as keeping electricity flowing, putting criminals in jail and providing housing for the poor.

Remaining in Cuba could further compromise advances in those areas, especially since state leaders are notoriously slow to make decisions without his direct involvement.

adapted from Reuters

Europe's street protests (video)

You can also watch this video by clicking HERE

Strauss-Kahn case near collapse

NEW YORK/PARIS | Fri Jul 1, 2011 6:24am EDT

(Reuters) - The sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was close to collapse on Friday, sources close to the case said, in a dramatic turnabout that could upend French politics again.

A source familiar with the probe told Reuters that prosecutors now had doubts about the maid's credibility as a witness.

Strauss-Kahn's supporters in the French Socialist party voiced delight at the apparent reversal and some said they hoped he might re-enter the 2012 presidential race.

But political analysts said his reputation had been too tarnished for him to be a presidential contender, although he could play an influential political role if cleared.

"Even if what he did was not criminal, all this is going to take time," said Christophe Barbier, a political commentator and editor of L'Express weekly.

"There is everything we have learned about him, the damage to his reputation. All this makes the idea he could be a candidate very hypothetical, it's science fiction."

From the start, the case hinged on the purported victim, a 32-year-old Guinean immigrant who cleaned the $3,000-a-night suite at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan where Strauss-Kahn was staying.

The New York Times quoted a source close to the investigation as saying the housekeeper had lied repeatedly and prosecutors no longer believed her account of the circumstances of the sexual encounter or of her own background.

The New York Times reported that prosecutors met with Strauss-Kahn's lawyers on Thursday and the parties were discussing whether to dismiss the felony charges.

It said Strauss-Kahn could be released on his own recognizance and freed from house arrest.

Strauss-Kahn was due back to court in New York on Friday to seek changes to his bail conditions, defense attorney Benjamin Brafman said.


"This is amazing news for Dominique, for (his wife and former television journalist) Anne Sinclair, for his family. I think they must have the impression this morning that they are waking up from a terrible nightmare," Socialist lawmaker Jean-Marie Le Guen, who is close to Strauss-Kahn, told French television on Friday morning.

"All those who believed in Dominque's innocence, and in the fact that the elements as they were reported were incompatible with his personality, will feel vindicated," he said.

Some analysts said that if fully cleared, Strauss-Kahn could lend economic credibility as an adviser to a Socialist candidate and might eventually emerge as a contender to be prime minister or finance minister.

The New York Times quoted two well-placed law enforcement officials as saying prosecutors had found issues with the asylum application of the accuser and possible links to criminal activities, including drug dealing and money laundering.

They had also discovered that the woman had made a phone call to an incarcerated man within a day of her encounter with Strauss-Kahn in which she discussed the possible benefits of pursuing the charges against him, the paper said.

The conversation was recorded. The man was among a number of individuals who had made multiple cash deposits, totaling around $100,000, into the woman's bank account over the last two years, the New York Times said

After a few nights in New York's notorious Rikers Island jail, Strauss-Kahn was allowed to post $1 million cash bail and a $5 million bond. He is now under house arrest in Manhattan, equipped with an electronic monitoring device and under the 24-hour watch of armed guards.

Adapted from Reuters