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User talk:220.253.101.187

Hi, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions; I hope you like the place and decide to stay! I see that you've been contributing to articles about Australia. If you're an Aussie, you may want to take a look at the Australian portal, and the Australian discussion page. If you haven't done so already, you may want to create an account.

By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! - Borofkin 04:49, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:220.253.101.187


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User talk:Anand indianboy

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome!
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Copying
I hope some of the above links explain why I've blanked your story, we can't copy other people's material and if you want to cover the story you'd need to find another source on the topic and write the story in your own words. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:52, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:Anand indianboy


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User talk:122.104.21.44

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions; I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! --Brian McNeil / talk 09:04, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
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 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
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 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:122.104.21.44


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User talk:Thegolfviewplaza

Welcome
Thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. , welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions; I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! --Brian McNeil / talk 11:28, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
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Spam
If you add spam again someone will block you. This is a news site and we do not have any way of dealing with PR and press releases within our policies. Our policy is to delete promotional material as hopelessly inappropriate in the face of our neutral point of view policy. --Brian McNeil / talk 11:35, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:Thegolfviewplaza


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Talk:Putin promises to complete Iran's nuclear reactor

What would be useful is to know what sort of reactor they're building. Some are useless for enrichment leading to weapons-grade fissile material. --Brian McNeil / talk 11:31, 17 October 2007 (UTC)


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First A380 enters commercial service

October 17, 2007 It was a milestone in aviation history: the first Airbus A380 landed at Singapore's Changi International Airport at 6:40 p.m. (GMT+8) after a 12-hour flight from Airbus' Delivery Center. The aircraft was greeted by some 400 guests, including the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, at the soon-to-open Terminal 3 of Changi International Airport.

In his speech, the Prime Minister applauded Singapore Airlines (SIA) - the recipient carrier - and cited its success as a source of pride for all Singaporeans. He also said that the landing was a milestone not only for SIA, but also for Changi International Airport, the country's main airport. All existing terminals are currently A380-ready, and the SGD1.75-billion Terminal 3 will open its doors in January next year.

The A380 will make a special charity flight on October 25 from Singapore to Sydney and will begin regular service on the Singapore-Sydney route on October 28.

title: First A380 enters commercial service


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Category:UEFA Cup

The UEFA Cup.

title: Category:UEFA Cup


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Talk:Studies: raw fish risky

If to eat sashimi would be done all that inconveniece japenese peoples would then all deat! I'll think this fact ocurred why these fish were infected or not cleaned suficintly before eating. So, these fact wouldn't be considered by consumers. I'm a convict consumer of these sort of food and this wouldn't afect my habit.

Studies? That's pretty vague. I visited the links cited as sources, and the most I could get out of it was that there were at some point 2 studies, apparently from Japan, The End. So we end up with no real sources that we can verify or even glance at. It's definitely not a requirement for news to have a basis in fact, but "Studies show-" is about as vague as "Some people have said-." I found the media release from the American College of Gasteroenterology where the story came from, and they were similarly elusive. (I may have found out more with a $150 annual membership to see the members only links.) I just think the claims are a bit strong considering the number of people that eat sushi, and the conspicuous black hole of data to back it up. Maybe the ACG just needs a new pair of shoes. —Matkuna 15:18, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Studies: raw fish risky


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American Indian Movement spokesperson dies, age 75

October 17, 2007 , once the primary spokesperson for the, died recently at age 75. Bellecourt, an who fought for Native rights, was perhaps best known for his.

First in the headlines in 1972, Bellecourt organized a cross-country caravan of the Movement, to Washington. Once there, members of the group occupied the offices. His goal of international recognition for nations and their treaties found him meeting with figures like Libyan Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, and Palestine's. In 1977 was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murder of two FBI Agents during a 1975 shoot-out on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation; Bellecourt led the campaign to free him.

Most recently, he visited Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, to discuss getting free or cheap heating oil for reservations.

His work as president of the made a much wider known mark, though. Bellecourt emphasized that he believed such names perpetuated racial stereotypes, clouding the real identities and problems facing natives.

Teams with native-related names could almost guarantee on Bellecourt showing up at major games. He twice burned an effigy of, the baseball team mascot, and both times was arrested. When the Washington Redskins of the National Football League made the, Vernon was there to protest. The was critical of such names by 2001, calling them "insensitive in light of the long history of forced assimilation". Some newspapers have stopped using the names of teams with Native origins.

None of his "big four" targets have shown any indication of changing: the, the , the Cleveland Indians or the.

Post-season use of American Indian mascots were banned by the in 2005, suggesting the names are "hostile or abusive". Bellecourt was pleased with the NCAA sanctions, but suggested such actions were only going "half way".

The Florida State Seminole and the Illinois Illini were among the 18 colleges affected by the ban. Florida president T.K. Wetherell threatened legal action in response. The Florida tribes have endorsed the University's usage of the name, but some out-of-state tribes were "not supportive", according to the NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion.

Born WaBun-Inini, Bellecourt died from complications of pneumonia on October 13, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.


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Category:Mascots

This category is for articles relating to mascots, either illustrated or costume-based.

title: Category:Mascots


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Satirist Stephen Colbert runs for U.S. President

October 17, 2007 The American satirist Stephen Colbert has announced that he will run for the Presidency of the United States. He made his announcement on his mock news show The Colbert Report.

However, Colbert said that he would only run in his home state of South Carolina as a favorite son. He also said that he would represent both major political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. It is not known how far Colbert will go with his character during his electoral run.

Colbert has hosted The Colbert Report, a spin-off to another satirical television series, The Daily Show, since its creation in 2005. "I didn't have a job back then. I wonder what it was like to have a job back then.  I am sure I could ask a dentist or a surgeon.  He would know." On the show he plays a right-wing political pundit, based on real-life pundits such as Bill O'Reilly and Stone Phillips. Colbert has been credited with popularizing certain words such as "Truthiness", meaning to believe something intuitively, without regard for actual facts, logic or evidence.

Filling in for New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd on Sunday, Colbert wrote: "I am not ready to announce yet — even though it's clear that the voters are desperate for a white, male, middle-aged, Jesus-trumpeting alternative."


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Talk:Satirist Stephen Colbert runs for U.S. President

Orignal reporting
My original reporting many concerns the last paragraph, about the history of the show and of Colbert personally. ISD 15:33, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

 * Original reporting is only if you are directly involved with the subject of the article or information contained in the article. The information in the last paragraph doesn't sound like original, it sounds like normal information. How is the information in the last paragraph original reporting?  —Fellow Wiki  Newsie 15:48, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

 * It isn't original reporting, just because you wrote about what you watched on a TV show. If it were something that happened on TV, unscripted and live, but not in the real world, then maybe... say Kelly Ripa broke a leg, live, on Live with Regis and Kelly, and it hadn't been reported elsewhere yet, I could see maybe that qualifying. But otherwise, no.

 * I've added a source link to the recent NYT column. --  Zanimum 16:18, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Truthiness
The article says 'truthiness' means "to believe something intuitively, without regard for actual facts, logic or evidence" which isn't right - believing in it is not in the word's definition. Truthiness is simply "truth from the gut" as opposed to "truth from the facts." Mrn71 20:36, 17 October 2007 (UTC) Mrn71

"On the show he plays a right-wing political pundit, based on real-life pundits such as Bill O'Reilly and Stone Phillips."

You're putting Stone Phillips in the same category as Bill O'Reilly as a "right-wing political pundit"? Seems like a poorly written, disingenuous, and unfair statement to me.
 * Not really. He plays a right-wing political pundit.  The character is based on Bill O'Reilly and Stone Phillips.  None of those things are secret.  I think he goes after Stone Phillips mannerisms and Bill O'Reilly's bravado; but parsing that down for this is not particularly necessary.  But you're welcome to try.  --David Shankbone 20:53, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Not news
Not really news is it? Sounds just like a joke for his comedic show, doesn't it? 202.124.104.19 21:29, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Well, with over 400 stories on it found on Google News, I think it counts. --David Shankbone 21:34, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Pundit Stone Phillips?
Why would Stone Phillips be named as one of the "real-life pundits" that Stephen Colbert parodies? Stone Phillips and Bill O'Reilly are in two completely different worlds when it comes to the world of politics. Phillips simply reads the news--he's an anchorman, not a pundit--whereas O'Reilly fabricates it. Phillips' gravitas is not the same as O'Reilly's "analysis" of political news.
 * Colbert himself has said that his character may reflect the politics and antics of O'Reilly, but the gravitas of Phillips. See: http://campusprogress.org/features/375/five-minutes-with-stephen-colbert  --David Shankbone 19:59, 22 October 2007 (UTC)


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Talk:Satirist Stephen Colbert runs for U.S. President/Comments

It's just like the movie Man of the Year, only I think Robin Williams has better chances of becoming president. Contralya 15:52, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

This is excellent news!!! I'm Canadain but I would love to see him as the President. Apollo 82
 * Colbert for president! --Brian McNeil / talk 16:57, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Filip Dewinter for PM of Belgium! Seriously, what are you thinking? --SVTCobra 03:20, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
 * It's too bad you have to be a full Republican or Democrat to win. Contralya 17:03, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Is that "have to" as in must because it's the law (or something along those lines), or as in need to be to stand any chance of actually winning? --86.140.226.39 17:09, 17 October 2007 (UTC).

It's certainly not the law. No party affiliation is required by the US Constitution. He's certainly breaking ground by doing this. -Rich
 * Me too, so long as it's not the character right-winger Stephen Colbert taking office, and the actual man himself. Wikisoup 18:57, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

I'll agree with Colbert why I think he could be right when he says "I am not ready to announce yet — even though it's clear that the voters are desperate for a white, male, middle-aged, Jesus-trumpeting alternative". All cautions are welcome in this specific subject. Questions sorrounding his life couldn't have easy solution on future life projects. Kermit

In response to 86.140.226.39, a third party or independent hasn't won a SINGLE presidential election since the Republican and Democrat juggernaut parties were established about 100 years ago. it's not law, its just how things work. I think it is unfortunate, about 40% of eligible voters don't vote, and half of the ones that do vote are independent... Contralya 19:33, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Colbert for President!

It would be the single most amazing even in the history of the United States if he was actually elected. It would be just like "Man of the Year" but better and without the crappy computer manipulation subplot.

While I understand this is a joke...I do not believe it is impossible. If he were to take this seriously he would not be completely rediculous in doing so. The fact is he would not need to convince anybody under the age of 25 and would probaby spur absolute records in youth voting simply because they would want to take part in it. If he could get our 80 percent of the youth vote and have them vote for him, and then convince 10-15 percent of the rest of the 30 percent of the country that votes he could put up some numbers. If only it were possible.

22:48, 17 October 2007 (UTC)22:48, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

What you are talking about is a third party or independent in general, not about this candidate though. Right? I don't think he has a chance of winning. I don't think his intention is to win (he isn't stupid). Contralya 23:16, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm all for colbert/stewart running.. I know their both very smart guys and know alot about politics. Their job is essentially to reveiw everything thats happening in the political world and find whats messed up. They're more qualifeid then alot of the people in government right now...I mean Scwazenneger is governer of california. I don't know how many south carolinians are going to use their vote on a canidate that isn't fully running.. I know I would though, lol -70.42.116.9
 * I think he would be much better then the current president. Bawolff ☺☻ 00:05, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

If he is to run he has to stay in character. Otherwise it just amounts to more broken campaign promises. Stephen Colbert, the actor is unelectible. --SVTCobra 02:38, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

Was Viggo Mortensen on The Colbert Report?
This is a question, not an opinion. During the September 2007 episode of the Report when Stephen considers running and asks for a sign, when a crazed knight runs onstage offering Colbert a sword (to Stephen, a "letter opener"), was that knight Viggo? It really looked like him... I'd really appreciate an answer to this question. Thanks.

Political Experience?!
Show me one politician who hasn't cheated, lied or stole and I'll vote for him.

Ron paul!

political experience is working out soo well for america right now! whats the name of that idiot that's been around for years, and said that going into iraq would be crazy if you removed sadam it would be caos, o right its the 'experienced' Donald rumsfeld! shame ron paul isnt doing anything about globabl warming tho! 82.45.210.78

Colbert/Putin
From what I heard, he is claiming Putin as his running mate (as a gag). Contralya 06:33, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

 * No... Kasporov was on the show and said that Putin should run with him - and in a series of jokes regarding bumper stickers the night before he had "Colbert/Stewart 08", "Colbert/Colbert 08" and "Colbert/Putin 08". Lyellin 21:41, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

Stephen Colbert for president?
Is this serious? Is it possible to even run for elephants and donkeys? Could he be the first Donkephant? Are the sources true enough?

 * I believe his position is called 'moderate'. I am a moderate. Contralya 16:04, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

 * I don't think it's a question of moderate, but instead that official party policies require that you have to pick one or the other.

 * It's not like he is actually trying to win. Contralya 22:17, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

he will win
Stephen,Stephen,Stephen, what are you doing, drop the demicrats and can win, because the repulican love you but who wants someone run as a demicrat.

he will win
Stephen,Stephen,Stephen, what are you doing, drop the demicrats (and putin) and can win, because the repulican love you but who wants someone run as a demicrat.

colbert, hockbee '08

he will win
Stephen,Stephen,Stephen, what are you doing, drop the demicrats (and putin) and can win, because the repulican love you but who wants someone run as a demicrat.

colbert, hockbee '08

ps colbert is the new and enpproved (and he was a good presdent in the first place) reagan

so america vote for truthiness

usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa

he will win
Stephen,Stephen,Stephen, what are you doing, drop the demicrats (and putin) and can win, because the repulican love you but who wants someone run as a demicrat.

colbert, hockbee '08

ps colbert is the new and enpproved (and he was a good presdent in the first place) reagan

so america vote for truthiness /Users/student/Desktop/120px-Stephen_Colbert_at_FSU_Pow_Wow.jpg usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa

he will win
Stephen,Stephen,Stephen, what are you doing, drop the demicrats (and putin) and can win, because the repulican love you but who wants someone run as a demicrat.

colbert, hockbee '08

ps colbert is the new and enpproved (and he was a good presdent in the first place) reagan

so america vote for truthiness

usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa, usa


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Euro 2008 Qualification: Russia vs. England

October 17, 2007

England's qualification for UEFA Euro 2008 is in doubt after a 2-1 defeat to Russia.

scored two goals in the second half today, although both sides had their chances.

Russia had a penalty appeal turned down by the Spanish referee after eleven minutes, while Konstantin Zyrianov saw his drive pushed onto the goalposts by England's goalkeeper Paul Robinson. Needing to win on an artificial pitch in Moscow to be certain of qualification, England took the lead after 29 minutes when Wayne Rooney opened the scoring with a volley.

Both Steven Gerrard and Micah Richards missed chances to seal victory for England, and Russia equalised with a Roman Pavlyuchenko penalty after Wayne Rooney brought down Konstantin Zyrianov. England manager Steve McClaren said the penalty shot was a 'disgraceful' decision, as the offence appeared to have happened just outside the penalty area. Pavlyuchenko scored Russia's winner just four minutes later.

England have one match remaining against leaders Croatia on November 21, but the defeat to Russia means that other results must go their way if they are to qualify for next year's tournament in Austria and Switzerland. Russia will qualify ahead of England if they defeat both Israel and Andorra in their final two matches.


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Richard Roberts takes leave of absence from Oral Roberts University

October 17, 2007

Under fire for illegal political and financial wrongdoing, Oral Roberts University president stepped down from his position and  was named acting-president. Richard and his wife,, are also members of the ORU Board of Regents, and it is not mentioned if Richard and/or Lindsay stepped down from the board.

On October 12 the plaintiffs of the original lawsuit amended it adding the university's Board of Regents, which includes, , , , , , , Lindsay Roberts, Richard Roberts, and  to the suit. ORU Board member Kenneth Copeland was Oral Roberts airplane pilot in the 1960s, and current Board chairman, George Pearsons, is married to Copeland's oldest daughter.

The plaintiffs cited that three days after the original lawsuit was filed, Roberts fired the university's financial comptroller (who had been employed by ORU for 26 years) and "witnesses have reported voluminous materials and documents were shredded and destroyed, constituting spoilation of evidence." The lawsuit argued that the Regents were a party to the suit due to negligence in failing to handle the issue as well as allowed a convicted child molester "mentor" students.

Also ORU recently admitted to the press that the IRS had warned ORU against the illegal nature of ORU's political activity. That political campaign is what the plaintiffs alleged caused the wrongful dismissal of Tim Brooker. While the university declined to offer the IRS' letters, a spokes-person confirmed the IRS sent two letters in 2006 about the political involvement.


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User:86.140.226.39

Well, I'll think that actually he would have all chances to winning, why not? Kermit

title: User:86.140.226.39


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User talk:206.182.134.70

I'm wouldn't understand why Dalay Lama could receive award? I think that the world need so much peoples such as Dalay Lama, that have in his life one single proposit "to instruct peoples to made goodness". Kermit

title: User talk:206.182.134.70


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Euro 2008 Qualification: Georgia vs. Scotland

October 17, 2007

Scotland were defeated 2-0 by Georgia in of UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying.

Seventeen-year-old, in his second match for Georgia, gave the home side the lead after 16 minutes with a header. Scotland could not convert any of their opportunities, and Georgia sealed the victory in the 64th minute with a goal from.

Georgia are already eliminated from qualification and lie sixth in Group B. Scotland are second in the group, behind France and one point ahead of world champions Italy. However Italy have a game in hand over Scotland, who may need to beat Italy in their final match to qualify.


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Drug-resistant staph deaths surpass AIDS in the United States

October 17, 2007 Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant strain of bacteria, killed nearly 19,000 Americans in 2005 alone, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That is more people than were killed by AIDS in the United States. More than 94,000 Americans were afflicted with MRSA infections in 2005.

Although the supergerm, or superbug, is primarily found in hospitals, a growing number of cases have been contracted at public gyms and schools. In Moneta, Virginia, a high school senior died from an infection that spread to his kidney, liver, lungs and heart. In Bedford County, where Moneta is located, school officials have reported five cases of the Methicillin-resistant strain of the Staph bacteria. County officials closed the schools to clean them.

"Certainly, MRSA now has to be viewed as a very important target for prevention and control," said Dr. David A. Talan, an infectious diseases specialist at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center.


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Comments:Supergerm deaths soar, surpass AIDS in the United States

Funny how I have never heard of this, given that it kills so many people. Everyone always talks about Cancer, or Aids, or the Flue...Contralya 19:29, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Maybe I've been living under a rock, but...
I haven't heard much (anything) about "supergerms" or supergerm deaths until now... Is there a reason for this?
 * I've known about supergerms at least since 1997. And yes, the threat can not be underestimated.  --David Shankbone 21:10, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

*Gulp*
I read about supergerms in Reader's Digest (r), but they're BECOMING MORE COMMON!?!?!?! I'm scared!!!!!! Mutton333 22:56, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * You have to remember that nearly EVERY media dramatizes. For instance, it becoming more common probably means that more people actually have it, not that more people are getting it. Contralya 23:13, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * No, you have it wrong. This is quite serious.  --David Shankbone 23:55, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

aww man...
dont drink the water they put something in it~!!!


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Dalai Lama seeks autonomy not independence

October 17, 2007

The Dalai Lama spoke today as he accepted the Congressional Gold Medal in front of the World's leaders and press. After spending some time fixing his formal robes he explained how despite learning English from 1947 he still felt like he was at kindergarten level but would not speak in Tibetan as it would be long and boring.

The Dalai Lama called it a great honour to receive the medal and that it would bring joy and encouragement to the Tibetan people. He accepted responsibility for his people and spoke about how he was always thinking of them and looking after their welfare. The medal would be a powerful symbol to promote peace.

He was personally touched that a monk from such humble beginnings should be awarded this honour and he regretted the tension it was causing between the United States and China.

After saying that both China and India were deserving of a role in the world's arena he went on to give more specifics on his stance with China. He claimed China would need more transparency, rule of law and more freedom of information. He showed concern at how the Chinese government would manage to integrate such a wide range of cultures without losing their diversity and was worried about Tibetans becoming a minority in Tibet.

Then he explained the future was not an independent Tibet but for an autonomous state as China could offer many economic benefits. He reiterated past comments of wanting no future political role in an independent Tibet and that he had no hidden agenda.


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Talk:Dalai Lama seeks autonomy not independence

The article may be used under creative commons licenses 2.5 I have added a line to the end of the original article on netnewspublisher.com to show ownership and the license. Thank you
 * Thank-you for choosing a compatible license. I have fixed the article so it properly credits you and won't be marked as a copyvio (although you might want to link to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ on your webpage where you say its cc-by 2.5). Please note however the article still has to pass Wikinews editing standards (Which I think it does, but I havn't actually read it so I didn't want to give you the wrong impression that just because its not being marked as a copy-vio, its published). Happy editing. Bawolff ☺☻ 00:28, 18 October 2007 (UTC)


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Comments:First Airbus A380 delivered

yay!
two trade towers go down and what do we do? build bigger commercial planes lol!

title: Comments:First Airbus A380 delivered


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Floods spared historic Farnsworth House in Illinois

October 17, 2007 American preservationists breathed a sigh of relief in August as the Farnsworth House, a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed house widely considered a masterpiece of modern architecture, was spared by flooding along the Fox River in Plano.

Storms deluged much of the Midwest, causing rivers throughout the region to overflow their banks. At the Fox River in Plano flood waters spilled over four acres of the 58-acre Farnsworth House site. Waters continued to rise through August 24, until they were just 18 inches from the front door.

According to the reporting of the Chicago Tribune preservationists developed a disaster management plan on the spot. Staff used boats to access the house and once inside raised the vulnerable furnishings to higher levels atop crates.

Flooding along the Fox River in 1996 caused a large plate glass window in the steel and glass home to break, resulting in $250,000 damage and preservationists feared a repeat of that incident.

"We really lucked out and can look at this as a drill," Barbara Campagna, architect for National National Trust for Historic Preservation, told Preservation Online.

The Farnsworth House was completed in 1951 and designed by internationally famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Chicago doctor Edith Farnsworth. The house is a National Historic Landmark and a nationally significant example of modern architecture. As one of the most famous examples of such architecture, the Farnsworth House was unprecedented at the time of its completion.


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Talk:Oil prices at new high on fears of Turkish attack in Iraq

this article is still a mess. --SVTCobra 00:38, 18 October 2007 (UTC)


title: File:18October2007.pdf


title: File:18October2007.sxw


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Comments:Drug-resistant staph deaths surpass AIDS in the United States

Funny how I have never heard of this, given that it kills so many people. Everyone always talks about Cancer, or Aids, or the Flue...Contralya 19:29, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Maybe I've been living under a rock, but...
I haven't heard much (anything) about "supergerms" or supergerm deaths until now... Is there a reason for this?
 * I've known about supergerms at least since 1997. And yes, the threat can not be underestimated.  --David Shankbone 21:10, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

*Gulp*
I read about supergerms in Reader's Digest (r), but they're BECOMING MORE COMMON!?!?!?! I'm scared!!!!!! Mutton333 22:56, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * You have to remember that nearly EVERY media dramatizes. For instance, it becoming more common probably means that more people actually have it, not that more people are getting it. Contralya 23:13, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
 * No, you have it wrong. This is quite serious.  --David Shankbone 23:55, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

aww man...
dont drink the water they put something in it~!!!

Let me get this straight: this is for the superbug, what Aids is for HIV? Contralya 00:49, 18 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Not precisely, but they both refer to the same disease (I think). Super-bug is slang for drug-resistant staph, where AIDS is the disease caused by the virus HIV (You can have HIV without AIDS, as you don't get AIDS the moment you get HIV). Bawolff ☺☻ 01:28, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

Front page scared the shit out of me. 71.84.195.131 01:44, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

 * Yeah, according to the L.A. Times, we're all gonna die.

Don't panic
It isn't the plague. Just wash you're hands and avoid areas were many people gather. It's not worth staying awake all night about. Contralya 06:32, 18 October 2007 (UTC)
 * It certainly isn't worth panicking about it, but it is a serious issue. --Brian McNeil / talk 07:54, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

I believe the statistics are in error. The original artical was on MSNBC a few days ago and it wasn't just Vermont ... in fact, Hawaii had it worst of the 50 states in USA. Seems it was something like 10,000 cases and the article said that the flesh eating staph COULD exceed AIDES sometime in the future.

Be very skeptical of this over-hyped article designed to scare people. There is a problem; but, the statistics are blown out of proportion in this article and the linked picture that brings you to the article is mis-stated as well.
 * Everything is backed up by sources. Your musing is bizarre when you could easily just go find out facts for yourself by looking at the sources or going MSNBC.com.  Be skeptical of people who write claims "because seems it was they heard somewhere" instead of just verifying information easily.    Everything is backed up by the sources - if anything is over-hyped, then blamed the American Medical Association, not us.  We just report. --David Shankbone 12:18, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

Ugh
I get a cold everytime I go to the doctor. Sure hope I don't need surgery anytime soon. I should have spent more time having unprotected sex, I think my chances of long term survival would be better.

numbers appear to be wrong..
The tribune article states 'Nearly 19,000 Americans died in 2005 of invasive infections caused by drug-resistant staphylococcus bacteria', and 'More than 94,000 Americans contracted life-threatening MRSA infections in 2005'.

Where did the 190,000 + 190,000 numbers in the wikinews article come from?
 * The numbers are 19,000 and 94,000, respectively. Unfortunately, the project isn't always the best at fighting vandalism that makes our news stories look ridiculous, including our lead stories. --David Shankbone 14:11, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

LOL THIS VIRUS IS FUN LOLZ

MRSA
this is the new T B  or Cancer  aides, or  STD. I've been in the hosp for 4 or 5 times for MRSA. I now realize it's chronic. And remember folks, you CAN get it from sexual intercourse. So it's also an S T D. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.3.1.129 (talk) 04:31, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

Hospital doesn't want to talk about it?
On an recent trip to the hospital and several surgeries I was said to have MRSA. It was responsibe for several extra days in FMC (Flagstaff, Arizona) When I was discharged I had to do my own antibio drip at home and at first it was 3 times a day, then I had a alergic reaction to the stuff, started shaking, developed a 105 degree fever and was back in the hospital again, released after a week and given a new drip to administer at home. Now it's over. What I am writing about is that no one at the hospital seemed to want to talk about it. I'm a pretty good judge of people and can usually tell when someone is avoiding something. Does anyone know why this avoidance is happening???

Did the hospital screw up or something? Thanks for any help>>>>>        John Kovacsics  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Johkov (talk • contribs) 21:25, 9 November 2008 (UTC)

MRSA
i think all jails should inforce cleaning instead of saying if you want to clean you can if you dont want to than you dont have too. Carmi white county jail in illinois is the nastiest jail they will leave you lay in your own shit they dont inforce any thing people need to put a stop and non- sanatized jails.

Comments from feedback form - "Excellent"
Excellent —86.185.183.11 (talk) 17:09, 28 September 2010 (UTC)

Original Article
Could someone who knows how to wiki edit actually add the original published article by JAMA? It's free to access for everyone. http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/304/6/641.full?sid=eb415545-cec8-41b1-9f74-d11f2d9ffd56


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Turkish Parliament approves military action in Iraq

October 18, 2007 On Wednesday, Turkey's Grand National Assembly voted 507-19 to authorize sending troops into northern Iraq to pursue Kurdish rebels. Although the authorization is valid for one year, Turkish officials made clear that it would not necessarily result in military action. Both the United States and Iraq have recently warned Turkey against such an incursion.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that although the motion does not indicate that a military operation is imminent, it is necessary for Turkey to be able to respond to bomb attacks which have been blamed on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels in Iraq. Turkey has been asking for help in dealing with the PKK for months, and the Turkish public has grown frustrated with America's perceived lack of action on the issue. Both the United States and Iraq have recently warned Turkey against an incursion into Iraq. "The Iraqi government calls on the Turkish government to pursue a diplomatic solution and not a military solution to solve the [problem] of terrorist attacks which our dear neighbor Turkey has witnessed from the PKK," Iraq government spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh said earlier this week. White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe called on Turkey "to continue their discussions with us and the Iraqis and to show restraint from any potentially destabilizing actions."

Responding to the motion, U.S. President George W. Bush urged Turkey not to carry out an attack, saying "[we are] making it clear to Turkey it is not in their interest to send more troops in... there is a better way to deal with the issue."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defended Turkey's decision and criticized the U.S. position, saying "It is important to note that the powers that have invaded Iraq are those primarily responsible for the terror activities and attacks because they control the country." "We certainly support and back the decisions by the Turkish government in combat against terror and terror activities," he said.

Murat Karayilan, the leader of the armed wing of the PKK, warned Turkey of the consequences of an attack in an interview with The Times. "If the Turkish Army attacks Iraqi Kurdistan we will struggle and resist against this until the end," he said. Karayilan nevertheless said he hoped that the crisis could be resolved peacefully but continues attacks on Turkish soldiers, killing 12 in an ambush yesterday.

U.S.-Turkish relations have been strained recently after a U.S. House of Representatives resolution passed committee, labeling the World War I era killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as "genocide". Turkey strongly disputes these claims. Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi says the US House of Representatives will vote on the resolution "soon."

President Bush criticized the resolution at a press conference on Wednesday, saying "One thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire."


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Comments:Turkish Parliament approves military action in Iraq

So, the U.S. wants Turkey to do as they say and not as they do? 129.97.62.113 13:34, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

 * ?? Contralya 16:02, 18 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I believe the point was that it is rather...hypocritical for Bush to, well, basically demand that Turkey do nothing to Iraq in terms of a military "incursion", when he saw it fit to actually invade the country 4 years ago, for the reason that "Iraq has WMDs and will use them against us" (well, as good as), which there was and is no proof for, apparently. --86.143.247.114 21:16, 18 October 2007 (UTC).

Responding to the motion, U.S. President George W. Bush urged Turkey not to carry out an attack,
saying "[we are] making it clear to Turkey it is not in their interest to send more troops in... there is a better way to deal with the issue."

HA


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Wikinews:Briefs/October 18, 2007

The time is 10:45 UTC and this an Audio Wikinews Brief for Thursday, October 18, 2007.

'Large-scale attack' against ex-Prime Minister Bhutto leaves more than 100 dead in Pakistan
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was the target of a bombing which has killed at least a hundred people, including police within her motorcade. Bhutto was apparently not harmed in the attack.

Bhutto's arrival in the country, breaking eight years of self-imposed exile, was met by more than 20,000 police and military troops. Security was tight, after a warning that al-Qaeda militants could attempt to assassinate the former leader, who is disliked by many traditionalist Pakistanis who consider her rule to have brought the country too close to the United States.

Turkish Parliament approves military action in Iraq
On Wednesday, Turkey's Grand National Assembly voted 507-19 to authorize sending troops into northern Iraq to pursue Kurdish rebels. Although the authorization is valid for one year, Turkish officials made clear that it would not necessarily result in military action. Both the United States and Iraq have recently warned Turkey against such an incursion.

Brownback to drop out of Presidential race on Friday, says AP
The Associated Press is reporting that Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is expected to drop out of the Presidential race on Friday in a speech scheduled in Topeka, Kansas. "I know Senator Brownback enjoyed campaigning and meeting new people in talking about ideas for the future of America, but I think it came down to money," an anonymous source told AP. "It's just time," said a source to Reuters. "He is not going to endorse anyone else right away."

In an interview with Wikinews, Brownback confirmed money was an issue. He reported raising only $800,000 in the third quarter of this year, his lowest since entering the race.

First A380 enters commercial service
It was a milestone in aviation history: the first Airbus A380 landed at Singapore's Changi International Airport at 6:40PM (GMT+8) on Wednesday after a 12-hour flight from Airbus' Delivery Center. The aircraft was greeted by some 400 guests, including the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, at the soon-to-open Terminal 3 of Changi International Airport.

American Indian Movement spokesperson dies, age 75
Vernon Bellecourt, once the primary spokesperson for the American Indian Movement, died recently at age 75. Bellecourt, an Ojibwa who fought for Native rights, was perhaps best known for his opposition to Native names and mascots for sports teams.

Satirist Stephen Colbert runs for U.S. President
The American satirist Stephen Colbert has announced that he will run for the Presidency of the United States. He made his announcement on his mock news show The Colbert Report.

However, Colbert said that he would only run in his home state of South Carolina as a favorite son. He also said that he would represent both major political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. It is not known how far Colbert will go with his character during his electoral run.

This has been an Audio Wikinews brief and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license at http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

title: Wikinews:Briefs/October 18, 2007


text:
Brownback to drop out of Presidential race on Friday, says AP

October 18, 2007 The Associated Press is reporting that Republican Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is expected to drop out of the presidential race on Friday in a speech scheduled in Topeka, Kansas. "I know Senator Brownback enjoyed campaigning and meeting new people in talking about ideas for the future of America, but I think it came down to money," an anonymous source told AP. "It's just time," said a source to Reuters. "He is not going to endorse anyone else right away."

In an interview with Wikinews, Brownback confirmed money was an issue. He reported raising only US$800,000 in the third quarter of this year, his lowest since entering the race. Brownback said he was baffled by how poorly candidates appealing to the Christian right were doing in the Republican party primaries. "Why we haven't gotten more traction," Brownback said, "I don't know." Originally Brownback said that he would pull out if he did not finish better than fourth in the Iowa caucus; AP's report anticipates a sooner-than-expected announcement.

"That a guy can grow up on a farm in Eastern Kansas and run for President of the United States," Brownback reflected, "I love a country like that."


text:
Comments:Brownback to drop out of Presidential race on Friday, says AP

The important thing to know about the election, is that people are just starting to actually care, so poll numbers are going to fluctuate rapidly. Contralya 16:06, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

Ugh, good riddance. -Spacehusky 17:37, 18 October 2007 (UTC)


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Avro Vulcan returns to the air after restoration

October 18, 2007 For the first time in 14 years, an Avro Vulcan heavy bomber has taken to the skies over England. The newly-restored aircraft took off from Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Leicestershire.

The craft flew for about 25 minutes in the first of three planned test flights from Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, meant to prove that the craft is officially "airworthy", the only Vulcan to hold such a distinction. It has taken £6 million to return the aircraft to service.

The aircraft, XH558, bombed the Argentinian-held Port Stanley in the Falkand Islands during the 1982 conflict.


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User talk:89.234.122.74

Spam
Hi, please do not place any kind of on our website - it will be  so no-one will ever see it. If you do want to contribute to Wikinews, see the introduction.–Doldrums(talk) 18:39, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:89.234.122.74


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BDSM as business: An interview with the owners of a dungeon

October 21, 2007 Torture proliferates American headlines today: whether its use is defensible in certain contexts and the morality of the practice. Wikinews reporter David Shankbone was curious about torture in American popular culture. This is the first of a two part series examining the BDSM business. This interview focuses on the owners of a dungeon, what they charge, what the clients are like and how they handle their needs.

When Shankbone rings the bell of "HC & Co." he has no idea what to expect. A BDSM (Bondage Discipline Sadism Masochism) dungeon is a legal enterprise in New York City, and there are more than a few businesses that cater to a clientèle that wants an enema, a spanking, to be dressed like a baby or to wear women's clothing. Shankbone went to find out what these businesses are like, who runs them, who works at them, and who frequents them. He spent three hours one night in what is considered one of the more upscale establishments in Manhattan, Rebecca's Hidden Chamber, where according to The Village Voice, "you can take your girlfriend or wife, and have them treated with respect—unless they hope to be treated with something other than respect!"

When Shankbone arrived on the sixth floor of a midtown office building, the elevator opened up to a hallway where a smiling Rebecca greeted him. She is a beautiful forty-ish Long Island mother of three who is dressed in smart black pants and a black turtleneck that reaches up to her blond-streaked hair pulled back in a bushy ponytail. "Are you David Shankbone? We're so excited to meet you!" she says, and leads him down the hall to a living room area with a sofa, a television playing an action-thriller, an open supply cabinet stocked with enema kits, and her husband Bill sitting at the computer trying to find where the re-release of Blade Runner is playing at the local theater. "I don't like that movie," says Rebecca.

Perhaps the most poignant moment came at the end of the night when Shankbone was waiting to be escorted out (to avoid running into a client). Rebecca came into the room and sat on the sofa. "You know, a lot of people out there would like to see me burn for what I do," she says. Rebecca is a woman who has faced challenges in her life, and dealt with them the best she could given her circumstances. She sees herself as providing a service to people who have needs, no matter how debauched the outside world deems them. They sat talking mutual challenges they have faced and politics (she's supporting Hillary); Rebecca reflected upon the irony that many of the people who supported the torture at Abu Ghraib would want her closed down. It was in this conversation that Shankbone saw that humanity can be found anywhere, including in places that appear on the surface to cater to the inhumanity some people in our society feel towards themselves, or others.

"The best way to describe it," says Bill, "is if you had a kink, and you had a wife and you had two kids, and every time you had sex with your wife it just didn't hit the nail on the head. What would you do about it?  How would you handle it?  You might go through life feeling unfulfilled.  Or you might say, 'No, my kink is I really need to dress in women's clothing.'  We're that outlet.  We're not the evil devil out here, plucking people off the street, keeping them chained up for days on end."

Below is David Shankbone's interview with Bill & Rebecca, owners of Rebecca's Hidden Chamber, a BDSM dungeon.

Meet Bill & Rebecca, owners of a BDSM dungeon
'''David Shankbone: What first attracted you to this business?
 * Bill: Nothing other than it seemed like it would be profitable; we had a third partner who knew someone who was involved in this business.  It was supposed to be a business that we weren't going to run, if you recall.
 * Rebecca: Right.
 * Bill: We were going to be absentee.  Nothing but money.

'''DS: You would provide start-up costs and get it going?
 * Bill: Precisely.  But there were some setbacks; we ended up running it ourselves, learning a lot about the business and doing it really well.  I had a doctorate in psychology; my wife is probably the best salesperson I've ever seen in the world.  Together, we've been able to put together a nice model business.  We're probably the best S&M-fantasy-role-playing dungeon in Manhattan.  We are that way because we think of the client first.  What makes us different than all the other dungeons:  we treat them like human beings first.
 * Rebecca: We're not--the typical.
 * Bill: We are atypical.
 * Rebecca: Right.

'''DS: What makes you atypical?
 * Bill: A couple of things.  We run it like a business.  We do not run it like a club.  We did our homework and found most of the places in the city are run by people that aren't the smartest, aren't the sanest, aren't great businesspeople; they don't have a business background.  They are people more inclined to be interested in S&M.  Where my wife and I, we're sort of interested in money first.

'''DS: You don’t a have personal interest in S&M?
 * Bill: No, I don't.  I do not.
 * Rebecca: [Shakes her head no]

'''DS: How is it that you're able to run a business that's centered around S&M and caters to those clients, when you don't have that inclination for yourselves?
 * Bill: Good question for you.
 * Rebecca: We're still looking out for their needs.  They're still human beings, and they have needs.  So each and every person, I look out for their needs.  And they all think I'm their best friend.

Their home life
'''DS: What do your kids feel about this as a business?
 * Bill: They don't know.
 * Rebecca: They don't know.  That's why we want to be anonymous.

'''DS: What would they think?
 * Bill: I don't know, but I don't think it'd be healthy.
 * Rebecca: I think my almost-seventeen-year-old would be okay with it.  My middle one I don't think would be very happy, and my youngest would probably want to do it.

'''DS: What do they think you do?
 * Bill: They know I'm a psychologist.

'''DS: Do you have a practice?
 * Bill: I haven't for a long time.  They know I have some other businesses as well; we run some other businesses.

'''DS: Kids just don’t care what their parents do.
 * Rebecca: Right.  Exactly. But in a way, I feel like I'm mothering 30 girls sometimes.

'''DS: Is that taxing on you?
 * Rebecca: It's exhausting.
 * Bill: That's why people can't do this business.

'''DS: How do you handle that?
 * Rebecca: Sometimes, some days I go home and cry.

'''DS: So when people bring problems into work, which happens in any workplace, you're the one that they probably turn to.
 * Rebecca: Yeah.

'''DS: Do either of you think ever of leaving this business?
 * Bill: Yeah, we will.
 * Rebecca: We will at some point.
 * Bill: I'll retire and live off my millions.
 * Rebecca: At this point, I--we've worked so hard.  I mean, at the beginning, I didn't think I'd actually be proud of it.  Now it's something--
 * Bill: We have a lot of people that depend on us here.  A lot of girls we put through grad school, a lot of girls.  We've lent money to a lot of people here; we've helped out a lot of people--we've done that.
 * Rebecca: It's so much part of who I am, and I would never believe that it was actually me.  I would never have thought this would be part of who I am, and at this point it is.

'''DS: But your kids know you work nights. What do you tell them when you're leaving?
 * Rebecca: I just try to tell them--I try to condense my work so that I can be home with them also.

'''DS: But what do they think that you're doing?
 * Rebecca: Work.

'''DS: Work. Just--generic work?
 * Rebecca: I am doing work.
 * Bill: A non-issue.  I have an advertising business as well, a little advertising business.

'''DS: I got you. So it's just we're going to work on the business.
 * Rebecca: Right.
 * Bill: Since Rebecca works in the advertising business anyway, she might be there at another time, so it doesn't really matter.
 * Rebecca: I'm a really bad liar, so I tell them, "I'm working."  I really am working.

'''DS: Yeah.
 * Bill: She's not always here.  She may be at the advertising, doing some stuff, working with some print ads.  So it's kind of nice to be able to tell the truth that way--
 * Rebecca: You know, so I'll--maybe I'll bring some papers with me and stuff, but I really am working.  So--work is work.

The costs

 * Bill: There's a misconception in this industry.  Your exposure to this is probably primarily what you see in movies, scanning magazines, scanning the Internet, just snippets everywhere.  It's portrayed as though it's dark, black and evil.  And--
 * Rebecca: Oh man, well?
 * Bill: What's up?
 * Rebecca: I do wear a lot of black.

'DS: [chuckles'']
 * Bill: It's anything but that.  If you look at the rooms, there's all the accouterments you'd find in these types of places--but more than anything, there's a lot of good feeling around here.  We hire the opposite of what you'd think we would hire, what the average person would think we would hire.  We hire educated, nice people.
 * Rebecca: I remember one of our ads that I had put in said, "If you think nice girls don't do S&M,"--I forgot what the rest of it said--
 * Bill: “--think again.”
 * Rebecca: Yeah, "think again" or something like that.  And that ad had pulled so many girls, because they--I think they all thought that nice girls don't do this.  And a bunch of them had called and they said, "Wow."  And I think I remember, a bunch of guys called because of that also.  Do you remember?
 * Bill: I sure do, I sure do.

'''DS: What are the startup costs involved?
 * Bill: It varies; look around Manhattan, look around rents, look around build-outs, look around hiring, look around advertising...

'''DS: What's your greatest non-fixed cost?
 * Bill: The single most costly thing we spend on is rent and advertising, those two together make up the bulk of what we spend.  There's supplies, and there's wear and tear and maintenance, and bookkeeping and things like that that you have to do.  That's about it.  The hardest thing in running this business, which is why people can't do it, is the relationship that my wife has with the gals and with the customers.

'''DS: Where do you advertise?
 * Bill: A lot on the web, we've used most of the local city papers, New York Press, things like that, L Magazine.

'''DS: In the back of the paper?
 * Bill: Typically in the back of the paper.  Magazines constantly change their policy on it; they want it, they don't want it…
 * Rebecca: Depending on the election year--
 * Bill: Who's buying the paper, who's selling the paper.  So it changes, so one year we got to be in the Press, but they have now stopped adult ads.
 * Rebecca: Completely.
 * Bill: So now we'll be in the Voice for a while.  We're moving more towards the Internet at this point, because the Internet is a much easier, safer way for a person to look at sensitive material and not get caught with it.

Hiring employees

 * Bill: Pursuant to your business question: we only hire nice people.  I don't care if a girl is absolutely exquisite looking--
 * Rebecca: My husband has met beautiful, beautiful girls--
 * Bill: --beautiful girls--
 * Rebecca: --and he's in the end, he would say, "Well, I won't hire them."  I'm like, ‘Are you insane?
 * Bill: I won't hire them.  I hire--

'''DS: Why not?
 * Bill: Because I want someone who's going to treat people nicely and well.  We have--

'''DS: How can you tell whether they will or will not? Just by talking to them?
 * Bill: Having been a psychologist for a number of years gives me a leg up on it.
 * Rebecca: And he's been right.  And I have made him hire these girls, and ultimately he's been right They've been complete pain in the asses!
 * Bill: I also have a profile they fill out for me, a mini-MMPI that I developed, so that I have an idea--Rebecca and I put it together
 * Rebecca: I don't know if you'd like to see one.
 * Bill: No, no, no.  Just--
 * Rebecca: I could show you.
 * Bill: So I have a mini-MMPI that I--

'''DS: Could I have a sample, not necessarily one that's filled out, but just one that you--
 * Rebecca: I'll show you.
 * Bill: Sure.  The questions are--
 * Rebecca: Be careful.  He'll make you fill one out.

'DS: [laughs''] You'd be scared. You wouldn't hire me. Is it only girls you hire?
 * Rebecca: Yeah.

'DS: [Looking at list of questions''] What would a question like "the greatest woman in the world" reveal to you?
 * Bill: No question would reveal anything independently of all the questions together--

'''DS: Sure.
 * Bill: --but I have a chart that I'll go through; the MMPI.  The baseline data that I use to--

'''DS: How did you originate these questions?
 * Bill: Where did I make them?  You get a baseline from asking girls and refining profiles--

'''DS: And it's an amalgamation of questions.
 * Bill: Of many, many questions--
 * Rebecca: What's your favorite question?  I don't know, the O.J. Simpson . . ..

'''DS: Yeah, I see O.J. Simpson. What would that be an indicator of?
 * Bill: I'm not sure which one you gave him, but there's a brief, brief, brief IQ test there.  Very brief.

'''DS: Do you ask for references?
 * Bill: No, because I really can't call and tell them I'm [laughs] yeah, so-and-so's applying here for a position.

The prices
'''DS: What does it typically cost for a session?
 * Bill: In the two hundred dollar range.

'''DS: And there's lower, and there's higher?
 * Rebecca: Right.
 * Bill: Yeah, mostly.

'''DS: Depending on what they want to do?
 * Bill: Exactly.  A little lower.  Mostly higher.

'''DS: What would be the most expensive thing that someone would ask for?
 * Rebecca: Competitive wrestling.
 * Bill: Multi-girl sessions.

'''DS: Multi-girl? And what would they do in that?
 * Bill: What did you charge the one guy?  Eight hundred dollars an hour for--
 * Rebecca: For a few girls.
 * Bill: Three girls, you said?

'''DS: Three girls would be eight hundred dollars an hour?
 * Rebecca: Something like that.

'''DS: And does it vary based upon what they're asking for?
 * Bill: Yes.
 * Rebecca: Yes.

'''DS: What would be an expensive, and what would be a cheap thing?
 * Rebecca: It just varies, there's so much--I mean, tickling can be $210 for the hour--
 * Bill: But the prices change--
 * Rebecca: Right.
 * Bill: --as we go up, so whatever you put in Wikipedia--

'''DS: Sure.
 * Bill: By next year, it's gonna be all new.  But probably say for your article, it's two plus--

'''DS: And for an expensive thing? What would be something that's--
 * Bill: It can go up to a thousand, two thousand, we've had--

'''DS: What kind of an experience would that be that someone asks--?
 * Bill: Usually multi-girls--

'''DS: But what would they do--multi-girls, just. . . . Like some--
 * Bill: The sky’s the guy. There's no intercourse, there's no--

'''DS: Intercourse is completely off.
 * Rebecca: Completely off.

'''DS: What about orgasms?
 * Bill: They do.
 * Rebecca: But they do themselves.

'''DS: They're allowed orgasms.
 * Bill: Sure.

'''DS: And that's typical?
 * Rebecca: That's completely typical.
 * Bill: But there's no sex.

The clients
'''DS: What are your clients like?
 * Bill: We cater to a human being first.  If you came in here, and you were a client and had to use the bathroom, before you gave me dollar one--
 * Rebecca: This is a true story, by the way.
 * Bill: You could use our bathroom and leave.  Sometimes when I hire girls, I'll ask them if they want to use the bathroom, because I know it's Manhattan.  And I've had to go sometimes really bad, and just can't find a bathroom.  And they look at me like I'm strange, like I have a peephole or something in there.
 * We hired a young lady when we first started doing this--I won't mention names—and a guy came in. He was standing there hopping on both feet, back and forth, because he had to use the bathroom.  She wouldn't let him use the bathroom, because in her mind, he was a slave.  Now, everybody who comes in here are people first, and then they're--whatever their fetish is.
 * Rebecca: And she would let him know when it was appropriate for him to use the bathroom.

'''DS: And he didn't like that?
 * Rebecca: Well, he was so used to that being the way that it was--

'''DS: It was acceptable to him.
 * Rebecca: Right, but that's not the way we are.

'''DS: And you don’t want that to be a slippery slope. That's not the kind of clientèle that you really want…
 * Rebecca: No.
 * Bill: We have a very, very good clientèle.  We are upscale--

'''DS: What's your typical client?
 * Bill: Looks like you.  Looks like you.

'''DS: For typical client "John." Who is John? What is his background, what is he coming here for, what's he looking for?
 * Bill: There is no typical client.  I know you're looking for generalities.  There is no typical client in terms of what fetish he's looking for.  They're like snowflakes.  I'm not in on the sessions.  I hear from my wife.  I'm always asking questions.  There is no typical role play fetish.  You might want to get dressed up in a red dress.  I might want to get dressed up in a blue dress.  I might want to wear high heels; you might want a pair of pumps.  You might want a whip; everything is different.

'''DS: So each person that approaches you at first, you don't really know what they're going to look for? Do you have ideas like, "Mmm--I bet this is this kind of guy"? Or is it just completely difficult to tell?
 * Rebecca: It's completely difficult to tell.  And a lot of times I don't even have them ask me.  I don't even have them tell me.  I wait until they--I just have them come in the room, and I introduce them to the girls; they meet the girls, and then--

'''DS: They choose one?
 * Rebecca: They choose one or two, and then they get--

'''DS: How many girls typically work on one night?
 * Rebecca: Anywhere between four to eight.

'''DS: And whoever's not currently engaged will be there.
 * Rebecca: Even the girls that are busy will sometimes just come in to say, "Hi, how are you?"

'''DS: How large is your client base?
 * Bill: That's a good question.  Would you say thousands?
 * Rebecca: Thousands.

'''DS: Of repeat people.
 * Rebecca: Yes.
 * Bill: That come at different times, and--
 * Rebecca: And I probably know ninety percent of them.

'''DS: How many times would a regular be considered?
 * Bill: Once a month?  Once every two months?  Do you have guys every six months?  You have guys every six months, right?
 * Rebecca: More than that.
 * Bill: No, no, you can--If you had ten thou--let's say you had five thousand clients, and they came twice a week.
 * Rebecca: Yeah.
 * Bill: That would be--you'd do ten thousand sessions a week.  Right?  You follow what I'm saying?
 * Rebecca: No--I do, but I see them more often than that.  I can't tell you.
 * Bill: Okay.  Probably we do have guys that come twice a week.  Like a regular percentage of them come twice a week.  But the bulk of the--
 * Rebecca: I have guys come every day.
 * Bill: Do you?
 * Rebecca: Yeah.  I have guys that I know that--every day, 10:30 in the morning, they will be here.
 * Bill: We have a lot of wealthy, wealthy people who--
 * Rebecca: I can't tell you how insane of a business it is.
 * Bill: But what I was trying to tell you is, it's not that we're that great.  It's that everybody else out there--
 * Rebecca: Is that bad.  And so unkind.  So unsympathetic, and so nasty.
 * Bill: Are you familiar with Africa and what goes on in Africa and when one warlord takes over, what happens?  They get a power hold and they just goes to their heads. Well, that's what happens in these places.  You give a twenty-five-year old, thirty-year-old girl in power, and it goes to their head.  And so these places, what happens is they get nasty, nasty girls.

'''DS: Which is not what the clients are coming for.
 * Rebecca: No.

What happens when a client walks through the door

'''DS: So I'm that person, and I walk in the door, and I'm nervous as anything--what do you do?
 * Bill: Right.  I let you go to the bathroom--My wife lets you go to the bathroom, because you probably have to pee, because you've been holding it--

'''DS: Holding it and didn't realize it.
 * Bill: And you're tense.  Yeah.

'''DS: So then I go to the bathroom.
 * Rebecca: And the first thing I'm going to tell you is, ’Listen.  Meet the girls, find someone you like, it's great!’

'''DS: So you'll introduce me to the girls first.
 * Rebecca: Right.  But first I'm going to tell you, before that--

'''DS: You're going to talk to me first. Out there, or in a room?
 * Rebecca: No, in a room.
 * Bill: Can I interject --I'll tell you what we won't do:  We won't have some six-foot big girl grab you by the scruff of the neck and throw you into a room, and kick you in the ass--

'DS: [laughs''] Sure, sure.
 * Rebecca: With a big guy standing outside.
 * Bill: And make you think, oh, my God.  I'm gonna end up dead in a dumpster with nothing in my wallet, and they're going--

'''DS: What if  I'm not ready--too much, too soon. So Rebecca's going to sit down or Alex or whoever's running the place that night is gonna sit down--
 * Rebecca: Right.  Right.

'''DS: And I'm just-- I'm here, and I'm nervous.
 * Rebecca: And we say, 'Listen, people come here all the time, and there's lots of lawyers.'

'''DS: And how do they typically react? How does the conversation usually go?
 * Rebecca: I would say, "Hi, how are you?"  I would say, "Look, I know you're nervous.  Relax."  I would say, "Meet them, say hello.  You don't have to tell them anything that you don't want."

'''DS: Is it important to have body contact, touching them on the knee or hand, to form a bond?
 * Rebecca: It depends--I don't want them to--I just say, [taking Shankbone's hand] 'Listen, I know you're nervous.  Relax,"--

'''DS: What if I shrinked away when you did that?
 * Rebecca: Then, it's okay, it's all right.  I say, "If you think you meet someone you like, that's fine.  If you don't, that's fine, too.  If you feel that tonight's not the night, that's okay."   I don't know if you noticed, we have cards that look like dungeon cards, which are very pretty and very black, and it looks like what an S&M card should look like.  Which nobody takes, or maybe one or two guys take.
 * [retrieves two different business cards, see photo] And then we have cards that are the kind of cards that everybody takes.

'''DS: A bit more discreet.
 * Rebecca: Right.

'''DS: So they get to the point where they feel comfortable.
 * Rebecca: Then they'll say, ’Yeah, but this is what I want--‘ and I say, ‘It's okay, you don't have to say anything to me.  The girls will come in, and you can talk to them, if you feel comfortable.  Or, if you find one that you really like, you can tell her, and then we'll talk about it.’  And usually, they'll say well--okay, I'll come back, and I'll say, ‘That’s fine, come back in.’  And it's really funny because usually it's in order.  I can't figure out why this is--
 * That's why I need the pen or a pencil in the room. They never say, "The redhead," or "The one with the short blue skirt," or--

'''DS: What do they say?
 * Rebecca: It's usually in order.  They'll say oh, the third one, or the fourth one.  Guys have this thing about in order, which order they are in.
 * Bill: Really?  Right, okay.
 * Rebecca: It's always that.
 * Bill: Probably easier for them to remember.
 * Rebecca: It's a guy thing.

Motivations of the clients
'''DS: Is it important to establish the motivations of the clients at the outset, such as whether they're looking for something that's a sheer thrill or whether it seems that they are maybe depressed and looking for self-abuse?
 * Rebecca: No, because that's not who comes.  It's not abusive at all to come here.  It's somewhere between--

'''DS: What if they want it to be abusive, though?
 * Bill: What's abuse in your mind?  Is striking someone with a paddle abuse?  Is that what you mean--do you mean physical abuse, or--see, we--

'''DS: Well, that's the idea:  I don't know. I think it would be the motivation of the person who's on the receiving end. But there must be people out there who do want abuse--
 * Rebecca: Right.  I'll give you a good example of somebody.  There used to be a fellow who used to come in here, and I won't even mention his name, he used to come in here with a big bag, full of really big implements.  Frying pans.
 * Bill: Mention no names.
 * Rebecca: I mean, really big implements.  I mean, he wanted--

'''DS: Frying pans?
 * Rebecca: Yeah.  He wanted raw emotion; he wanted people to beat the living crap out of him.  And, like I said, he wanted raw emotion. He would only come in like once every six, seven months.  But he felt that it was a good, healthy outlet for him.  He would feel bad about himself, and he got this massive beating two, three times a year, and he was fine.  You know, once in my life I was having a tough time and I was feeling pretty crappy.  He says, “I get, you know, my good beating, I feel great about myself, and look at you, you're a mess.  You're having a tough time.”  I said, “You know, you're kind of right.”  So who is the better of the two?

'''DS: So it's not really possible to establish why they're coming in here.
 * Rebecca: I think most of the time it's somewhere between taking it to the next level of looking at the girl--of looking at the Playboy magazines--and turning the pages.  After that, you have the girl lying in front of you, and you're talking to her.  Because once they masturbate and it's over, there's still plenty of time in the appointment.  They go on and talk about normal things.  They dump their problems, they talk about them, and the girls are, you know, listening about it.  And that's why Bill said, he doesn't want pictures of all this stuff hanging on the walls.  Because the girls can get really emotional.  After three, four sessions, five sessions, you kind of get, you know…
 * Bill: I look at the girls as psychotherapists to a degree.  They ferret out what they really want.  They need to get close to the person.  There's a chemistry between two people that happens quicker in our rooms than it does if you meet somebody for a first date or online.

'''DS: What if a guy wants a guy? Is it only male clientèle that you have?
 * Bill: We have couples, we have females.

'''DS: You have couples. Do you ever have just female?
 * Bill: Oh yeah.

'''DS: And you have just male, too.
 * Bill: Mostly male.  But we do have females, and we have couples.

'''DS: What if they want another male involved, that's not a couple?
 * Bill: It's not, um--

'''DS: It's not one of the things that you--
 * Bill: I don't want to engage in it; it's not safe.

Typical requests
'''DS: It's typical that they will orgasm during a session, but do it themselves.
 * Rebecca: Mostly.

'''DS: Mostly?
 * Rebecca: I mean, some men don't have orgasms at all.

'''DS: Got you. Just more of a psychological thing than it is [related to the] experience. What's typical? Something you would say, ‘Ahh, this is just a standard--‘
 * Bill: You want to get a bell curve.  What's the average session?  Somebody getting tied up, spanked?
 * Rebecca: A foot fetish.
 * Bill: Foot fetish--
 * Rebecca: Very, very typical.

'''DS: I read that recently.
 * Rebecca: Very.  Yeah.
 * Bill: You've been saying that for a long time--
 * Rebecca: Well, I saw it not too long ago.

'''DS: Yeah, I recently saw that foot fetish is like the number one fetish.
 * Rebecca: Well, it's true.

'''DS: Is it licking feet? Is it tickling them? Do the girls lick feet?
 * Bill: Yes.  Yes.  Yes.
 * Rebecca: No, the girls don't lick the feet.

'''DS: They won't lick the feet?
 * Rebecca: The guys lick.
 * Bill: The guys--

'''DS: The guys will lick the feet.
 * Rebecca: Right.  But there's so many things you can do with feet--

'''DS: Do girls ever act as bottoms in the rooms?
 * Rebecca: Do girls what?

'''DS: Ever act as the bottoms.
 * Rebecca: Yeah.
 * Bill: He knows that term.

'''DS: Well, I did my research. [laughs]
 * Rebecca: Subs.  Subs.

'''DS: Yeah, subs.
 * Rebecca: Subs, right.
 * Bill: Yeah, sure.  Yup.  Yup.  Usually pretty mild sessions.

What is not typical
'''DS: Are there some girls who will not act as a sub?
 * Rebecca: Yes.
 * Bill: Yes.  I don't want most girls getting bruised--
 * Rebecca: And that's where we're very, very different; in a lot of places, you don't have a choice.
 * Bill: We have a theory, and I have a theory.  I have girls that come in for jobs, and I told you, I don't hire them--I have one girl that wanted to get like--there was one girl that wanted to get really--one girl, the blonde, and she wanted to get beaten, and this and that--

'''DS: And that girl's not for you?
 * Bill: I'll tell you why she's not for me, and I'll tell you what I tell the girls who come here.  I don't want anybody--when you get a bruise--if you're involved in this, and you bruise your wife--if you bruise your wife, and you bruise her all up, I don't think that hurts your spirit¬  I think when somebody gets bruised--someone that doesn't love them, doesn't care about them, I think ultimately it tears away at the fabric of their spirit.  That's my theory--
 * Rebecca: The girls here have the complete option to do exactly what they want, and what they don't want.  So--
 * Bill: If you get in here and say, ‘Listen.  I want to suspend this girl, and I want to spank her until she's black and blue, and I have a girl that wants to do that, I probably--when I met her and interviewed her, I probably would have told her, don't do it.  I don't want you getting black and blue for a number of reasons.  Primarily, if you get too black and blue, you're gonna burn out.  You're not going to want to do this, and you're not going to feel good about yourself.
 * Rebecca: But aside from that, there are girls that will do A, B, and C, and there are girls that--

'''DS: But that probably also attracts a certain clientele that you may not want to have…the bruisers…
 * Rebecca: Right.  Right.
 * Bill: Right.
 * Rebecca: But the customers that we have--I mean, there are girls that are not comfortable with complete nudity; there are girls that are not comfortable with having their, let's say, breasts touched--and that's okay.  We don't make anybody do anything that they don't feel comfortable with--
 * Bill: The girls basically can do what they want.  If they get to a point where they don't do anything, then nobody's going to take them.  So there's hopefully a happy balance--
 * Rebecca: And there is.  And there is, usually.

The environment
'''DS: Are your employees allowed to meet clients outside of the dungeon?
 * Bill: No.
 * Rebecca: No.

'''DS: How do you control that?
 * Bill: I have checkers; people that come in.  So I kind of know.
 * Rebecca: But a lot of them don't want to meet people -- they want to keep it in this other situation.

'''DS: In the workplace.
 * Rebecca: Right.  Right.

'DS: Is this one of the rooms that's typically used [We are seated in the yellow room found in the photographs'']?
 * Bill: One of them; one of the less pleasant ones, because there are no windows in it.
 * Rebecca: But a lot of times they want a room that has nothing to do with S&M.

'''DS: This one seems very plain, there's a few things in the corner over there--
 * Rebecca: And behind there, there are clothes...
 * Bill: Contrary to what you may think, once again, they don't want that black, dark leathery--they want to look--they--where'd you grow up?  Where did you grow up?

'''DS: All over. I've lived in 17 cities, six states and three countries.
 * Rebecca: Wow.
 * Bill: If you grew up in a neighborhood with a cute--did you grow up in a neighborhood?

'''DS: Yeah, I had many, I had neighborhoods.

 * Bill: Yeah, cute neighbors--cute older women--girls that you saw when you were growing up, you were fourteen or whatever--in your mind, you didn't think, "I'd love her to take me to a basement, and"--I'm not saying you're into this, you don't have to--

'''DS: But some people would, right?
 * Bill: Most would.

'''DS: Of course. But those people wouldn't also have a desire to come here, right? You're meeting a particular need for a particular segment of the population.
 * Bill: No question about it.  And we have that room, but which is the most popular room?  The Blue Room [see photo]?  Her and I fight all the time because I want to paint it.  I'd like you to see it before you go.
 * Rebecca: We cannot figure out why that room is so popular--
 * Bill: We can't.
 * Rebecca: Actually, one person has told me, it's because the [seals?]--

'''DS: What's the blue room, first? Can you describe it?
 * Bill: It's like if you and your wife were into it, and you lived somewhere where you had enough room to make a room like a bondage room.  It's a nice, moderate color; there's not that much stuff in it.  It looks like we took a living room and threw a bondage table in it, and a cross in there.

'''DS: Got you. Why is it popular?
 * Bill: They feel very unthreatened.  Assume you came here for a session, okay?  And assume you have a wife and your three kids at home; you finally take the plunge to come to a place.  You wanna know why we do really, really well, and why we're the leader in this industry?  You come here, and you've been calling us, you've been thinking about it, and you're in your mid-thirties and you finally say, ‘You know something? I'm going.  I'm just--I'm going.’  You call your wife and you go, ‘Listen, I'm gonna be stuck in the law library tonight, studying.’  You come here and your heart's pounding away; you're going to get treated with dignity, with kid gloves.  And you're gonna get treated well.  And you're not going to feel like, wow.

Is an S&M dungeon dangerous?
'''DS: If you introduce the girls and you don't know what the clients want, how do you know that it's going to be a safe situation for one of your employees?
 * Bill: Because everybody's filmed as they come in. Have you ever been to a topless bar?

'''DS: No.
 * Bill: You've never been to a topless bar?

'''DS: Never been to a topless bar.
 * Bill: No kidding!  Well, if you did, they're probably the safest environment around.  Let's assume you came here, and you have a wife at home or a girlfriend or a family, would you want to get into trouble here?

'''DS: What if they don't?   What if they're just a mental case? What if they're a wild card?
 * Bill: In our dozen years plus, we've never had one.

'''DS: You've never had one problem
 * Rebecca: No, no, no, we've not had problems--and any problems--

'''DS: Can you give me an example of a problem that you've had and how you handled it?
 * Rebecca: Yeah, a guy that wants his money back, doesn't like the girl.  Doesn't happen often.

'''DS: What happens when that's the case?
 * Rebecca: We'll give him his money back.

'''DS: And you've never had a dangerous situation?
 * Bill: Have we ever had a dangerous situation here?
 * Rebecca: What do you mean by dangerous?

'''DS: Instead of dangerous, let's say threatening, where there was concern for either your safety or--
 * Bill: I want to answer that question by asking you a question.  Do you have a preconceived notion that there could be more danger in this business than let's say, a Taco Bell?

'''DS: I would say that the nature of the desire between eating and the desire for some sort of sexual pleasure, gratification, that there's always more of a chance for a threatening situation. Someone who wants to go for a taco versus someone who wants to go for a BDSM session--
 * Bill: So, if I told you--

'''DS: I would say that my notion would be yes, I would think that there is more of a likelihood of a threatening situation. Now, if you're talking about a Taco Bell in the middle of the South Bronx, versus this place, I would say they're probably equal in danger.
 * Bill: Taco Bell down the block?

'''DS: A Taco Bell on Park Avenue versus here, I would say that there's more likelihood of a threatening situation occurring in a place like this than in a Taco Bell on Park Avenue.
 * Bill: If you look at the holdups, and you look at the robberies at Taco Bells, you take it in the metropolitan area and compare it to us, we've had far fewer problems.  Never had a holdup, never had a--Anybody ever have a gun or anything like that or a knife?
 * Rebecca: Well, don't forget I have the dog, and I've always had a dog.  Before I had her, I had a black lab.  I've always--
 * Bill: Before you go down that road, David--see, David is inclined, I think, this is what I'm thinking--

'''DS: I would make an assumption that yes, all things equal, that there might be more of a chance of a dangerous situation happening here. You are rooting around in people’s psychology here.
 * Bill: You're more likely to get yourself into trouble in a regular straight bar at night, a regular--a local bar at night, than you would at a topless bar.
 * Rebecca: Maybe because we're not a typical place.  I have had clients tell me of places that they've gone to--

'''DS: Where they didn't feel safe. And that's part of the main business model at Rebecca’s, right? That it needs to be a safe environment for the client?
 * Bill: We don’t leave a lot of money on the table by not being open that late.  We're not open past--
 * Rebecca: And we haven't.  We've been open 'til one, two, three, four; most of our competition, which I don't ev--
 * Bill: We're not open until four.  When have we ev--
 * Rebecca: No, at times, we've tried--
 * Bill: Only if we had a client here.  We--
 * Rebecca: No, we--in the past, we've tried different hours.
 * Bill: We never tried staying open until four in the morning.
 * Rebecca: I think three was the latest.
 * Bill: No, we tried until one.  When we've had special clients, we've stayed open.  We've never tried to stay open 'til three or four in the morning.
 * Rebecca: I think that one time we stayed open until--
 * Bill: We may have stayed open for a special client.  We never set our hours until three, because we know that two o'clock, three o'clock in the morning is when the crazies come out in life.  When you're in a bar, you see the drunks, you see the guys doing blow at that time.

'''DS: Is it usually appointments, or is it walk-ins?
 * Bill: Always appointments.
 * Rebecca: No, it's always appointments.  Always appointments.  Even though we do have clients who know us very well who will come up and say, "I'm sorry, I was in the neighborhood . . . ."
 * Bill: Right, right.  That's true.  That's true.
 * Rebecca: But I have--

'''DS: You make exceptions for certain clients.
 * Rebecca: Right.
 * Bill: Even then, what percentage would you say that is?
 * Rebecca: It's nothing.
 * Bill: Like what percentage?  Give him a percentage he could go on.
 * Rebecca: It's very, very small.

'''DS: Is that because their desire--when they have a desire to come here--it's usually something that they plan out?
 * Rebecca: It's because honestly, they're so respectable.
 * Bill: I guess that's the point.  The people that come here--[you wouldn't hear screaming; you might hear they’ve got a big spanking going, but they have money.  We're not getting the sociopathic group--pathological group--they probably wouldn't have the money--the people, the maniacal crazies--they're not going to have the money to come up and do this type of session.  If they would like to come here a second, third and fourth time, they know how to behave and fly straight.
 * Rebecca: Well, we in turn treat them well.  What has been printed out from that script.
 * Bill: But David's question is very interesting.  And your question really is asking another question.  How dangerous, how heavy is this?

'''DS: If I went to a Taco Bell and I said, "Can you name a dangerous situation?" they would say, "Oh, that time I got held up." So I guess I'm curious about a threatening situation that you might encounter or have encountered.
 * Bill: And I guess that's the interesting thing.  Given what we do, it's probably not as threatening as Taco Bell.  In the first place, we had all sorts of bolts and deadbolts on the door.
 * Rebecca: Right.
 * Bill: I mean, it’s like Fort Knox.  I mean, you can get hurt anywhere.

'''DS: Sure. Sure. But all that aside, what would be a threatening situation that you've had to handle?
 * Bill: Has anybody ever attacked you with a gun or a knife--
 * Rebecca: No, I mean--
 * Bill: Have we ever had to call the cops on anybody?

'''DS: Have you ever had to kick somebody out?
 * Rebecca: No, I've said to people, "Listen, I'm going to ask you to leave," and they'd be like, "Okay, fine."  I--

'''DS: Why have you had to ask people to leave?
 * Rebecca: Um, because they're being obnoxious.  Because they're--but I do think having the dog with me has made things--

'''DS: It's preventative.
 * Rebecca: Yeah.  Yeah.  I've always had the dog with me.
 * Bill: You didn't have the dog in the other place always.

On S&M burnout

 * Bill: But back to the room.  I don't want them going into a threatening room, and looking around and seeing threatening black, dark objects that you would just think, "Oh, my God--"

'''DS: The seven circles of Hell. . ..
 * Bill: Yeah, yeah.
 * Rebecca: We used to have a lot of S&M pictures, and we thought it was not good for the girls or the guys--

'''DS: Why would it not be good for the girls or the guys?
 * Bill: Rebecca and I both like to sleep at night and feel that we have a good conscience.  We don't want to burn anybody out.  I don't want anybody working here and in a bad position when they leave.  I tell them right before I hire them, ‘You know, I'm open to the exchange.  When you leave here, I'll meet you somewhere.  I always tell them, I'd like to be able to buy you a meal or a cup of coffee at the very least somewhere, and hope that you'll take something out of here.’  What happens is, they get so involved with this stuff and so quickly that they it’s like they just overfeed on it.  And they--

'''DS: --need a break?
 * Bill: I don't want them looking at a pair of stilettos and this and that--they see enough of it.  What I call "Hairy Ass Syndrome."  What that means is a girl can only look at so many hairy asses until after a while you want to, like, explode!

'''DS: Give me a smooth one.
 * Bill: Or give me no ass, give me a Disney film!
 * Rebecca: You have to know, most other people that own these type of places don't think about it.
 * Bill: They really don't.
 * Rebecca: No, they don't.  They don't care.

'''DS: Are there people who would not be attracted to this kind of an environment, that want the crazier--
 * Bill: Yeah, oh yeah, sure.  They want the, uh--the hardcore crew.

'''DS: And probably so you wouldn't see them, but you'd probably have an idea about the--
 * Bill: We have--I'll call the black room.  We have that room for them that looks heavier.  And we have girls that--
 * Rebecca: I want to tell you.  We also have girls that work at other places, like Jada, and the girl who said, "Hi, nice to meet you."  And she's a darling girl!
 * Bill: You might wanna talk to some--see--

'''DS: Yeah, I'd love to talk to them, too. What's their average length of employment?
 * Rebecca: It's usually pretty long.
 * Bill: We have one girl that's been--how long has Tracy been here?  Ten years?  Eleven years?  There's nowhere to go if they leave here.  If you want to stay in the industry--

'''DS: Is it usually a temporary job, until they move on to something else?
 * Bill: Yeah.

'''DS: Like "I'm putting myself through school."
 * Bill: Well, no, probably most of our girls are post-college.

'''DS: Paying debts down?
 * Bill: I guess.

Criticism of BDSM
'''DS: Some critics of BDSM say that it encourages domestic violence.
 * Bill: When they talk about BDSM, they have no idea what the real world of BDSM is all about.  They are maybe the way you were before you came in here.  You researched it a little; I don't know if you watched a few movies; I don't know if you went online to see what you could find out about BDSM.  They get a very, very skewed, incorrect view of what BDSM is.  That's the problem in our world.  If you go to a mainstream, Hollywood movie and they include a minute of it—it’s usually all wrong.
 * The critics of BDSM--it's not like being a critic of pedophiles. You pretty much know what pedophiles do.  How does a critic of BDSM learn what BDSM is all about?  And how do they substantiate that it promotes domestic violence?  That's what I would love to know.

'''DS: And you don't think it does.
 * Bill: I think on the contrary.  You know what I think?  I think that if somebody comes in here--let's say I want to beat my wife.  My big, fat, two-hundred-and-forty-pound, tub-of-shit, fat-assed wife.  I come in here, and I find somebody that will allow me to spank them to the degree that I--they will allow me.  And maybe I meet in the middle somewhere.  Maybe she's a hundred and twenty pounds and beautiful; I'm willing to say, you know something?  I'll spank you a lot less hard than I'd like to spank my wife.  My feeling is that they're not going to go spank that girl and go home and beat the shit out of his wife.  I think they're going sublimate it that way.  I'd love to see literature somewhere that has any kind of data that will illustrate that people that enter into a BDSM relationship are more likely.
 * Rebecca: I think the true pedophile knows he can't do it to little girls, little boys.  I mean isn't it proven that even though they try to make them stop liking it, they can't stop liking it.  If you like ice cream, you like it, and you're just not going to be able to stop liking it, no matter how many drugs, how many things they do to you.  So if they come in here, and a woman is wearing a skirt and maybe a ponytail or pigtails, and he's able to act out his fantasies that way, is that not a healthier release than to go out and maybe--
 * Bill: --there's different theories in aggression and violence--they're polar opposites.   One of them is you have a child, and you teach the child that when they're angry, you take this plastic bag and beat the living shit out of that dummy outside.  The child's learning at an early age how to associate the violence with the hitting and sublimate his violence.  But how's he sublimating it?  By hitting.  As we get to be adults and we learn how to sublimate it, we're able to draw a conclusion, "Hey, I'm hitting the dummy."  But it feels good to get it out, which is why--
 * Rebecca: Right.
 * Bill: --you look like maybe run-- do you do some athletics?

'''DS: Yes, some.
 * Bill: Okay.  You look like you're in nice, good shape, flat stomach.  You feel angry, you feel aggressive, does the gym help you?

'''DS: Yeah, sure.
 * Bill: Why would you push those weights around and pull 'em and curl 'em and then take a weight and smack a girl on the head with it?  In other words--to use a very lay term--you are getting it out of your system to a point.  Now can I categorically say that somebody can come in here and get it out?  No.  But I really, strongly believe that people who do this are much less likely to commit a violent act.  It's like when a guy ejaculates--orgasms--the brain fuel subsides.  The fantasies that he might have prior to masturbating, after they masturbate, they subside.  So, if a guy can do this once a month, once every month and a half, once every six months, and let's assume he is a pedophile--


text:
Category:Eyewitness

Category on eyewitness reports.

title: Category:Eyewitness


text:
'Large-scale attack' against ex-Prime Minister Bhutto leaves more than 100 dead in Pakistan

October 18, 2007 Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was the target of a bombing which killed at least 136 people Thursday night, hours after landing at Karachi Airport.

Bhutto's arrival in the country with more than 100 supporters, breaking eight years of self-imposed exile, was met by more than 20,000 police and military troops. Security was tight, after a warning that militants could attempt to assassinate the former leader.

Bhutto is disliked by many traditionalist Pakistanis who consider her rule to have brought the country too close to the United States. Bhutto had told reporters she was "not scared" and was concentrating on her mission, only hours before the attack.

Bhutto, who was traveling from the airport to a rally atop an armoured truck, was unharmed and taken back to her ancestral home of Bilawal House by police and security forces. At least 20 police were killed in the bombing.

Sources indicate there may have been multiple explosions, with a smaller blast preceding the main one, in what CNN's Dan Rivers described as a "large-scale attack". Two other men were taken into custody following the attacks, one carrying a belt of explosives and another carrying a pistol.

Pakistani Minister of Information Tariq Azim Khan has stated that the attack, which injured another 150 people, was believed to be a suicide bombing. Manzur Mughal, a Karachi police officer, reported that a skull believed to belong to one of the bombers had been found, and taken to a forensics lab.

Bhutto was in the country, having been waived of any corruption charges by President Pervez Musharraf last week, to discuss the possibility of a joint government dedicated to fighting extremism in the volatile country. Bhutto had told reporters that she did not want the country associated with the training of terrorists.