Friday, January 28, 2011 It's Alive! Oops, Maybe Not...

Reported on several sites, but the original source seems to be the website of RT TV, a Russian media outlet:

Mummy fried - woman sets fire to house while trying to reanimate long-dead sister

26 January, 2011, 15:19

A night fire in an apartment block has been caused by a woman who tried to reanimate her long-dead elder sister with electricity.

­The horrific story happened in Ekaterinburg, the biggest city in the Urals.

The suspect, 69, apparently was not completely of sound mind, judging by her mental health record.

A year ago, her 73-year-old sister died from natural causes, prosecutors told Noviy Region news agency. However, instead of reporting the death, the woman preserved the body with gasoline and had been trying to reanimate it ever since.

Her last macabre experiment on Tuesday night involved “jump starting” the mummified corpse with two wires connecting the body’s hand and neck to the mains.

Despite what Frankenstein movies suggest, the electric current did not revive the body, instead setting it on fire.

The surviving sister is now in hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.

The story namechecks Frankenstein, but the incident seems more like Weird Science to me.

Thursday, January 20, 2011 Highlander vs. Fire!

I am vastly disappointed that the Fire Chief's rank is not "captain". From the January 18th edition of the South Bend Tribune (Indiana):

LaPorte County house fire turns into sword fight

Cops use Taser after man refuses to let go of sword as home burns.
By STAN MADDUX
January 18. 2011 6:59AM

Two LaPorte County sheriff's deputies responding to a report of a house fire wound up in a fierce struggle with a man who refused to leave the smoke-filled dwelling over a sword.

The man didn't let go of the sword until he was struck with Taser darts, police said.

Police revealed Monday that warrants seeking charges of criminal recklessness and resisting law enforcement, both Class D felonies, are being pursued against 50-year-old Peter Thompson, who was taken to LaPorte Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained when two probes carrying 50,000 volts fired from the Taser stuck into his back.

According to LaPorte County police, emergency responders were called about 6 p.m. Friday to the house on North 125 West near Springville. Smoke was filtering out the front door when Deputies Al Ott and Donald Hicks went inside and urged Thompson to leave.

Police said Thompson was sitting on a couch with a blanket draped over his right hand. He refused commands to show his hands, so one of the deputies removed the blanket, and in his right hand was the handle of a sword. It was being held in such a way that the blade was behind the man's back, said police.

Hicks grabbed the handle of the sword while the other officers grabbed both the man's hand and the blade, which was covered by a scabbard.

Hicks in his report said Thompson refused to obey commands to let go of the sword as he and the other deputy tried desperately to maintain control of the weapon.

At one point, Hicks let go of Thompson's hand and reached for his Taser.

Thompson pulled the sword out of its sheath and pointed the 2-foot-long silver blade at Ott.

Hicks immediately fired his Taser, allowing Ott to remove the sword from Thompson's clutches, police said.

Springfield Township Fire Chief Steve Marvel said Monday there was just minimal fire damage to the residence.

He said Thompson lit some articles in the home on fire and the blaze burned itself out as firefighters were arriving.

“It was more of a police matter than a fire matter,” Marvel said.

Monday, January 3, 2011 The Next Step is a Black Magic Union

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Romania declares witchcraft legal profession, witch threatens a spell

Associated Press
Last update: January 1, 2011 - 1:17 PM

BUCHAREST, Romania - Romania has changed its labor laws to officially recognize witchcraft as a profession, prompting one self-described witch to threaten retaliation.

The move, which went into effect Saturday, is part of the government's drive to crack down on widespread tax evasion in a country that is in recession.

In addition to witches, astrologists, embalmers, valets and driving instructors are now considered by labor law to be working real jobs, making it harder for them to avoid income tax.

For months the measure had been debated, protested by witches and mocked by the media.

On Saturday, a witch called Bratara told Realitate.net, the website of a top TV station, that she plans to cast a spell using black pepper and yeast to create discord in the government.

Black pepper and yeast. Yeah, that'll fix 'em. One of my cousins was killed by black pepper and yeast back in the 70's. We never did get the stains out of the shag carpeting.

Highlander vs. the New Year!

From the BBC:

Man charged by police after Knaresborough sword attack

2 January 2011 Last updated at 10:42 ET

A man has been charged with wounding with intent after two men were injured in an attack involving a Samurai-type sword in Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire Police said the men were assaulted at a house on Inman Walk at about 0030 GMT on New Year's Day.

A 31-year-old man has been charged with two counts of wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.

A force spokesman said he was due to appear at Harrogate Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The men, aged 31 and 21, are being treated in hospital.

North Yorkshire Police said they were both in a "stable" condition after undergoing surgery.