text:
Interview with US political activist and philosopher Noam Chomsky

April 4, 2009 Noam Chomsky is a professor emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Linguistics and Philosophy. At the age of 40 he was credited with revolutionizing the field of modern linguistics. He was one of the first opponents of the Vietnam War, and is a self described Libertarian Socialist. At age 80 he continues to write books; his latest book, Hegemony or Survival, was a bestseller in non-fiction. According to the Arts and Humanities Citation Index Professor Chomsky is the eighth most cited scholar of all time.

On March 13, Professor Chomsky sat down with Michael Dranove for an interview in his MIT office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

I just wanted to know if you had any thoughts on recent NATO actions and the protests coming up at the 60th NATO conference, I know you’re speaking at the counter-conference.

Could be I give so many talks I can’t remember (laughs).

On the NATO conference, well I mean the obvious question is why should NATO exist? In fact you can ask questions about why it should ever have existed, but now why should it exist. I mean the theory was, whether you believe it or not, that it would be a defensive alliance against potential Soviet aggression, that’s the basic doctrine. Well there’s no defense against Soviet aggression, so whether you believe that doctrine or not that’s gone.

When the Soviet Union collapsed there had been an agreement, a recent agreement, between Gorbachev and the U.S government and the first Bush administration. The agreement was that Gorbachev agreed to a quite remarkable concession: he agreed to let a united Germany join the NATO military alliance. Now it is remarkable in the light of history, the history of the past century, Germany alone had virtually destroyed Russia, twice, and Germany backed by a hostile military alliance, centered in the most phenomenal military power in history, that’s a real threat. Nevertheless he agreed, but there was a quid pro quo, namely that NATO should not expand to the east, so Russia would at least have a kind of security zone. And George Bush and James Baker, secretary of state, agreed that NATO would not expand one inch to the east. Gorbachev also proposed a nuclear free weapons zone in the region, but the U.S wouldn’t consider that.

Okay, so that was the basis on which then shortly after the Soviet Union collapsed. Well, Clinton came into office what did he do? Well one of the first things he did was to back down on the promise of not expanding NATO to the east. Well that’s a significant threat to the Soviet Union, to Russia now that there was no longer any Soviet Union, it was a significant threat to Russia and not surprisingly they responded by beefing up their offensive capacity, not much but some. So they rescinded their pledge not to use nuclear weapons on first strike, NATO had never rescinded it, but they had and started some remilitarization. With Bush, the aggressive militarism of the Bush administration, as predicted, induced Russia to extend further its offensive military capacity; it’s still going on right now. When Bush proposed the missile defense systems in Eastern Europe, Poland and Czechoslovakia, it was a real provocation to the Soviet Union. I mean that was discussed in U.S arms control journals, that they would have to regard as a potential threat to their strategic deterrent, meaning as a first strike weapon. And the claim was that it had to do with Iranian missiles, but forget about that.

Take say on Obama, Obama’s national security advisor James Jones former Marine commandant is on record of favoring expansion of NATO to the south and the east, further expansion of NATO, and also making it an intervention force. And the head of NATO, Hoop Scheffer, he has explained that NATO must take on responsibility for ensuring the security of pipelines and sea lanes, that is NATO must be a guarantor of energy supplies for the West. Well that’s kind of an unending war, so do we want NATO to exist, do we want there to be a Western military alliance that carries out these activities, with no pretense of defense? Well I think that’s a pretty good question; I don’t see why it should, I mean there happens to be no other military alliance remotely comparable — if there happened to be one I’d be opposed to that too. So I think the first question is, what is this all about, why should we even be debating NATO, is there any reason why it should exist?

'''We’ve seen mass strikes all around the world, in countries that we wouldn’t expect it. Do think this is a revival of the Left in the West? Or do you think it’s nothing?'''

It’s really hard to tell. I mean there’s certainly signs of it, and in the United States too, in fact we had a sit down strike in the United States not long ago, which is a very militant labor action. Sit down strikes which began at a significant level in the 1930’s were very threatening to management and ownership, because the sit down strike is one step before workers taking over the factory and running it and kicking out the management, and probably doing a better job. So that’s a frightening idea, and police were called in and so on. Well we just had one in the United States at the Republic Windows and Doors Factory, it’s hard to know, I mean these things are just hard to predict, they may take off, and they may take on a broader scope, they may fizzle away or be diverted.

'''Obama has said he’s going to halve the budget. Do you think it’s a little reminiscent of Clinton right before he decided to institute welfare reform, basically destroying half of welfare, do you think Obama is going to take the same course?'''

There’s nothing much in his budget to suggest otherwise, I mean for example, he didn’t really say much about it, about the welfare system, but he did indicate that they are going to have to reconsider Social Security. Well there’s nothing much about social security that needs reconsideration, it’s in pretty good financial shape, probably as good as it's been in its history, it's pretty well guaranteed for decades in advance. As long as any of the famous baby boomers are around social Security will be completely adequate. So its not for them, contrary to what’s being said. If there is a long term problem, which there probably is, there are minor adjustments that could take care of things.

So why bring up Social Security at all? If it’s an issue at all it’s a very minor one. I suspect the reason for bringing it up is, Social Security is regarded as a real threat by power centers, not because of what it does, very efficient low administrative costs, but for two reasons. One reason is that it helps the wrong people. It helps mostly poor people and disabled people and so on, so that’s kind of already wrong, even though it has a regressive tax. But I think a deeper reason is that social security is based on an idea that power centers find extremely disturbing, namely solidarity, concern for others, community, and so on.

The fundamental idea of Social Security is that we care about whether the disabled widow across town has food to eat. And that kind of idea has to be driven out of people’s heads. If people have a commitment to solidarity, mutual aid, support, and so on, that’s dangerous because that could lead to concern for other things. Like, it’s well known, for example, that markets just don’t provide lots of options, which today are crucial options. So for example, markets today permit you to buy one brand of car or another. But a market doesn’t permit you to decide "I don’t want a car, I want a public transportation system". That’s just not a choice made available on the market. And the same is true on a wide range of other issues of social significance, like whether to help the disabled widow across town. Okay, that’s what communities decide, that’s what democracy is about, that’s what social solidarity is about and mutual aid, and building institutions by people for the benefit of people. And that threatens the system of domination and control right at the heart, so there’s a constant attack on Social Security even though the pretexts aren’t worth paying attention to.

There are other questions on the budget; the budget is called redistributive, I mean, very marginally it is so, but the way it is redistributive to the extent that it is, is by slightly increasing the tax responsibility to the extremely wealthy. Top couple of percent, and the increase is very marginal, doesn’t get anywhere near where it was during the periods of high growth rate and so on. So that’s slightly redistributive, but there are other ways to be redistributive, which are more effective, for example allowing workers to unionize. It’s well known that where workers are allowed to unionize and most of them want to, that does lead to wages, better working conditions, benefits and so on, which is redistributive and also helps turn working people into more of a political force. And instead of being atomized and separated they’re working to together in principle, not that humans function so wonderfully, but at least it’s a move in that direction. And there is a potential legislation on the table that would help unionize, the Employee Free Choice Act. Which Obama has said he’s in favor of, but there’s nothing about it in the budget, in fact there’s nothing in the budget at all as far as I can tell about improving opportunities to unionize, which is an effective redistributive goal.

And there’s a debate right now, it happens to be in this morning's paper if Obama’s being accused by Democrats, in fact particularly by Democrats, of taking on too much. Well actually he hasn’t taken on very much, the stimulus package; I mean anybody would have tried to work that out with a little variation. And the same with the bailouts which you can like or not, but any President is going to do it. What is claimed is that he’s adding on to it health care reform, which will be very expensive, another hundreds of billions of dollars, and it’s just not the time to do that. I mean, why would health care reform be more expensive? Well it depends which options you pick. If the healthcare reforms maintain the privatized system, yeah, it’s going to be very expensive because it's a hopelessly inefficient system, it's very costly, its administrative costs are far greater than Medicare, the government run system. So what that means is that he’s going to maintain a system which we know is inefficient, has poor outcomes, but is a great benefit to insurance companies, financial institutions, the pharmaceutical industry and so on. So it can save money, health care reform can be a method of deficit reduction. Namely by moving to an efficient system that provides health care to everyone, but that’s hardly talked about, its advocates are on the margins and its main advocates aren’t even included in the groups that are discussing it.

And if you look through it case after case there are a lot of questions like that. I mean, take unionization again, this isn’t in the budget but take an example. Obama, a couple of weeks ago, wanted to make a gesture to show his solidarity with the labor movement, which workers, well that’s different (chuckles) with the workers not the labor movement. And he went to go visit an industrial plant in Illinois, the plant was owned by Caterpillar. There was some protest over that, by human rights groups, church groups, and others because of Caterpillar’s really brutal role in destroying what’s left of Palestine. These were real weapons of mass destruction, so there were protests but he went anyway. However, there was a much deeper issue which hasn’t even been raised, which is a comment on our deep ideological indoctrination. I mean Caterpillar was the first industrial organization to resort to scabs, strikebreakers, to break a major strike. This was in the 1980’s, Reagan had already opened the doors with the air controllers, but this is the first in the manufacturing industry to do it. That hadn’t been done in generations. In fact, it was illegal in every industrial country except apartheid South Africa. But that was Caterpillar’s achievement helping to destroy a union by calling in scabs, and if you call in scabs forget about strikes, in other words, or any other labor action. Well that’s the plant Obama went to visit. It’s possible he didn’t know, because the level of indoctrination in our society is so profound that most people wouldn’t even know that. Still I think that it’s instructive, if you’re interested in doing something redistributive, you don’t go to a plant that made labor history by breaking the principle that you can’t break strikes with scabs.

'''I live out in Georgia, and a lot of people there are ultra-right wing Ron Paul Libertarians. They’re extremely cynical. Is there any way for people on the left to reach out to them?'''

I think what you have to do is ask, what makes them Ron Paul Libertarians? I don’t happen to think that makes a lot of sense, but nevertheless underlying it are feelings that do make sense. I mean the feeling for example that the government is our enemy. It’s a very widespread feeling, in fact, that’s been induced by propaganda as well.

So pretty soon it will be April 15th, and the people in your neighborhood are going to have to send in their income taxes. The way they’re going to look at it, and the way they’ve been trained to look at it is that there is some alien force, like maybe from Mars, that is stealing our hard earned money from us and giving it to the government. Okay, well, that would be true in a totalitarian state, but if you had a democratic society you’d look at it the other way around You’d say "great, it's April 15th, we’re  all going to contribute to implement the plans that we jointly decided on for the benefit of all of us." But that idea is even more frightening than Social Security. It means that we would have a functioning democracy, and no center of concentrated power is ever going to want that, for perfectly obvious reasons. So yes there are efforts, and pretty successful efforts to get people to fear the government as their enemy, not to regard it as the collective population acting in terms of common goals that we’ve decided on which would be what have to happen in a democracy. And is to an extent what does happen in functioning democracies, like Bolivia, the poorest country in South America. It’s kind of what’s happening there more or less. But that’s very remote from what’s happening here.

Well I think Ron Paul supporters can be appealed to on these grounds, they're also against military intervention, and we can ask "okay, why?" Is it just for their own security, do they want to be richer or something? I doubt it, I think people are concerned because they think we destroyed Iraq and so on. So I think that there are lots of common grounds that can be explored, even if the outcomes, at the moment, look very different. They look different because they’re framed within fixed doctrines. But those doctrines are not graven in stone. They can be undermined.


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Talk:Interview with US political activist and philosopher Noam Chomsky

Here's a link to the interview on youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SaRnl0J_O0
 * We will need more OR notes. I am not suggesting you did this, but I don't know that the video was found on YouTube and then just transcribed. Does anyone have an e-mail we can contact this guy at? Sorry just saw the user's talk page about this. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 13:12, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

What's the best way to integrate the YouTube files into the article? --Killing Vector (talk) 10:21, 28 March 2009 (UTC)
 * You can't really, because of the terms YouTube uses. What would be much, much better is if the files can be converted to a format Commons supports, and uploaded there. It then becomes possible to actually embed them in the Wikinews article. --Brian McNeil / talk 11:00, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Soapy, are you the interviewer seen in the YouTube video? In other words, by what authority are you publishing this as CC-BY-2.5. Also, the interview on YouTube is a six-parter to which you only linked to the last part. --SVTCobra 11:55, 28 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Soapy's talk page indicates he is the interviewer. --Killing Vector (talk) 12:29, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

 * if the video is cc-by, to put it on the wikinews article (the following instructions assume some technical knowledge), you can download the video off youtube (in firefox, you can do this by watching the video, going to the url about:cache?device=disk then clicking on the video url (not the youtube webpage, the actual video. it will be a _really_ long url, probably starting with something.googlevideo and an 7-9 digit long data size. ) once you click on that, firefox will bring up a page showing you where on your disk that file is. Find it, rename it so it ends with .flv. Then get the program ffmpeg2theora to convert that file to ogg). Of course its a lot easier just to have the original video file. Bawolff ☺☻ 18:38, 2 April 2009 (UTC)

 * Yeah I've been trying to contact the person who taped the video for me, and he wont respond, this sounds like the best option. Soapy (talk) 20:52, 2 April 2009 (UTC)
 * From what I understand the main problem was that he couldn't upload the video to the wiki commons because of some format issue, and since he's busy he doesn't want to convert the file, and I don't have the file so I think that we can pretty much give up hope that the orginal video file will get uploaded. Soapy (talk) 23:12, 2 April 2009 (UTC)

I put the article as dev, pending the upload of the video, just so it isn't in the review category. --SVTCobra 21:08, 2 April 2009 (UTC)

 * If it's OK for us to just download the YouTube video and convert that, I can do that. I thought we couldn't use the YouTube version. --Killing Vector (talk) 16:50, 3 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I'd be willing to do it too, I just don't exactly know what to do.  Also I think we should hurry up and publish it seeing as the 60th NATO conference is now days away and I'd like this interview to still be relevant when it's published. Soapy (talk) 18:38, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

 * I think a goal of publishing on the 4th, to coincide with the conference is both reasonable and feasible. --Killing Vector (talk) 19:29, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

cleanup
I don't have time until later, but this article should not be deleted at all. I hope, though it is long, that we can at least start c/e in small portions. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 18:25, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Chomsky files uploaded
Killing Vector (talk) 21:35, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

Great work!
Since noone seems to have said it: Awsomesauce ! You got Noam Chomsky for an interview, bloody brilliant ! Sean Heron (talk) 15:22, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Seriously! Very nice. 24.85.251.235 17:52, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
 * thanks! Soapy (talk) 18:34, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Good work! I wanted to interview Chomsky, but I never got the courage to ask. Oh well, there's still Howard Zinn. --Saint-Paddy (talk) 23:39, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
 * ^ Err.. that was me... on my alternate account.... --Patrick M (TUFKAAP) (talk) 23:46, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
 * ....oops. Did I just welcome one of our bureaucrats? ♪ Tempo di valse ♪  00:06, 5 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes. Yes you did. :P --Patrick M (TUFKAAP) (talk) 02:39, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

Many thanks ! French translation ongoing
Thanks ! Al Maghi (talk) 17:19, 7 April 2009 (UTC)
 * French translation achieved. DocteurCosmos (talk) 07:59, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

Latest book
It says Hegemony or Survival is Chomsky's latest book, but he's written Failed States since then. --82.6.49.31 21:50, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

He's also had a few books published since then, mostly oral dialog. For example, What We Say Goes, 2006, and Imperial Ambitions, 2006, both with David Barsamian. And Perilous Powers with Gilbert Achcar, 2006.

He revolutionized the field of linguistics with the publication of Syntactic Structures, in 1957 (I believe). He was about 28, not 40.

His latest book (not including collections of interviews, or previously published articles) is "Failed States" published in 2005. There may be a later authored book, it's hard to keep up with him.

Edit request
Edit protected

Please fix The interview's audio ends with Chomsky saying, "...they can be undermined", but it has been transcribed as "...they can be overcome." Clearly, they mean the same thing, but these are not his words. Koavf (talk) 21:47, 4 July 2011 (UTC)
 * ✅ — Thanks for finding this! These types of errors can often last for years before someone catches them... as this one did... so it's always nice when they're pointed out. Gopher65talk 23:11, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

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


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Irish economy sees biggest contraction in decades

March 26, 2009 The economy of Ireland shrank by 7.5% in the last quarter of 2008 compared to the same period a year previously, according to official statistics. The decline is the worst in decades. For the entire period of 2008, the economy contracted by 2.3%, the first loss since 1983.

The construction industry has suffered badly as a result of the recession, with a 24% fall in output, the largest decline ever recorded. Industrial output plunged at an annualised rate of 12.5%.

Unemployment has also shot up. It currently stands at around 10%, twice as high as the levels reported last year. The economy has also experienced deflation.

Alan McQuaid, the senior economist at Bloxhams Stockbrokers, said that the statistics "highlight the extent of the Irish economic out-turn and the huge task facing the Government in attempting to get the country’s public finances back in order."

"Quite simply, there is no hope of sorting out our budgetary position by 2013 without economic growth, and we are a long way off that at the moment," McQuaid said, noting that "(...) one has to go back to the 1956-1958 period for the last time we had a decrease of this magnitude."

"(...) As things currently stand, it is not hard to see double digit declines in real GDP over the coming quarters," he said. "The extreme weakness of the economy at this point in time must also raise serious questions marks about the wisdom of the Government’s intention of imposing further income levies on already hard-pressed consumers and PAYE workers. All that can be said is that the outlook for economic output and employment in 2009 are fairly bleak indeed."

The Irish government is creating an emergency budget, due to be unveiled in April.


text: Talk:Tornadoes rampage through Mississippi


text: Talk:Irish economy sees biggest contraction in decades


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User talk:93.115.62.107

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! Please refrain from using content pages for testing. Here are a few good links for newcomers on how to edit Wikinews:

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! ♪Tempo di Valse ♪  21:40, 26 March 2009 (UTC)
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title: User talk:93.115.62.107


text:
Talk:Girls in Florida sell pink lemonade, donate money to breast cancer research

Is that 65 million gallon thing accurate? If you assume 8 hours each day, that would make them going through 1128 gallons of the stuff every SECOND for 8 hours straight, 2 days in a row. If they MEANT to say 65 thousand, that would be a much more reasonable number to believe. Remember: they ARE 8, they could've miscalculated that --Gimmethegepgun (talk) 02:13, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

 * Hm. One of the sources says 65 million, the other simply 65 -- don't know which one to believe, but they obviously can't both be correct. The latter figure seems much more believable. Perhaps you could try searching on Google for more sources, and see what they say? ♪Tempo di Valse ♪  02:17, 27 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Not to mention that if it was indeed millions, they'd be getting less than 4 cents per 100 gallons, while if it was thousands it's a much more believable (after expenses) 37 cents per gallon --Gimmethegepgun (talk) 02:18, 27 March 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree, the source that cited millions is most likely incorrect -- 65m gallons is really unbelievable. Thanks for changing the article. ♪Tempo di Valse ♪  02:24, 27 March 2009 (UTC)


text:
User talk:Blood Red Sandman/Archive 1

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! Bawolff ☺☻ 22:37, 28 May 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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 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * Audio Wikinews could always use more contributors
 * And of course, stories need writing!

development training program article
As I explained in the comments section, this article clearly violates the Wikinews policy of writing about a single current event--Most of the article is simply a long POV attack on a company. Much of the article has nothing to do with the article's supposed subject, religious lawsuits, and simply is reprinting years old critical information. Goldenmonkey (talk) 17:43, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the welcome
[crossposted as i don't know if you're checking my talk or not]

Just a note of thanks. OK, so I know it's a varient on the standard welcome template I've stuck on dozens of Wikipedia newbie's talk pages, but I allways really apreciated those few who made the effort to work out how to say thanks (especialy considering it took me so long to work it out that the time to say thanks in was ong-gone - something I cared little about then but have come to regret). Blood Red Sandman (Talk)   (Contribs) 22:42, 28 May 2007 (UTC)
 * No problem. Its fun to everywhere [[image:Smile.png]]. Anyways, if you ever need any help with anything (which you probably won't that much as you seem fairly experienced in the wiki-ways), don't hesitate to ask. Also, consider using IRC, We use IRC here quite a lot. Bawolff ☺☻ 22:47, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

links
When you link to 'pedia, add a pipe at the end to automatically get rid of the namespace. automatically gets converted to  (brackets get removed too, but usually that doesn't concern us) on save. This way it looks prettier. Happy editing. Bawolff ☺☻ 23:10, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

Spelling and such
Hi,

I've noticed that you've had some problems with spelling and such on your articles, also sometimes sentences don't really add up. I'm not a native English speaker myself so what I use is a spelling checker in my browser, maybe you could also download an add-on for yours (it's easy with Mozilla, don't know what you're using). Alternatively, you could try to read through your stories again before you publish them.

--Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 17:59, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

new article ready for immediate publication
Don't forget to add categories to your articles. --SVTCobra 18:28, 13 June 2007 (UTC)

Careful with the wiki links
Hi Blood Red Sandman. Just wanted to remind you to be careful when applying the links to Wikipedia. Several of the links you have used were dead and needed fixing. I think the problem is that you are assuming the spelling of the item that you want to link matches the entry over at Wikipedia. In many cases it doesn't, so you should search out the item first on Wikipedia to see the actual spelling of the title, and then use that in the link. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jcart1534 01:51, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

ATC article
It was discovered that the author of the articles on the copyvio site, was actually the same author posting on Wikinews. I was informed by a user of this, did the small amount of research, and the auther has the right to post her material anywhere they want, as long as they accept our licenses. :) DragonFire1024 14:41, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

Zimbabwe
Yes, sorry, man. I was hasty. I'm republishing it now. One thing that would help make it stronger would be to use the original Guardian story, rather than BBC as a source. And, if it's possible to track down links to the local newspaper and government propaganda services that would make it better, too. Wisekwai 13:57, 23 June 2007 (UTC)
 * I saw that AP was the author on the CNN source. I should have checked that first. No worries on tracking down the original sources; they are nice to have, but what you have is adequate. Good to see an Africa story on here. Wisekwai 14:03, 23 June 2007 (UTC)

Its
I wasn't aware that it's was both possessive and contraction in British English. In six years of editing in Commonwealth English (which has been a struggle), I've never had that pointed out to me. For sure I learned something new today. Thanks! Wisekwai 06:35, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

NTSB releases updates on status of 3 major US investigations
I reverted you addition of the Wikipedia article link on NTSB releases updates on status of 3 major US investigations. The Wikipedia article wasn't created until July 5, and as such couldn't have been part of the Wikinews article which was published many days earlier. I hope you understand. Cheers, --SVTCobra 00:25, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

New 'Pedia articles on old news
I didn't think it was a problem to add cross-project links in at a later date; I thought that fell under the kind of things you might normally contact an admin to do for you on an archived story. In particular, Slovak transport plane crashes over Hungary recently had a link added to 2006 Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 crash, despite a huge difference in creation times. So either your revert or that adition was wrong, and don't ask me to sort out which one! Blood Red Sandman (Talk)   (Contribs) 11:38, 6 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Certainly a valid point. I will ask Doldrums and see if there is a policy or longstanding precendent. I'll get back to you on this. --SVTCobra 22:13, 6 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Doldrums agrees with you. You can see the explanation Here. I'll add back the WP link to NTSB releases updates on status of 3 major US investigations. --SVTCobra 10:39, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

Thanks
Hi. Thanks for the help with the links and the publication of Miles Levin - Teen Blogger Dies before 19th Birthday. —CocoaZen 21:56, 20 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes, thanks again. Your explanation was helpful, and I appreciate the welcome message.  I've gone over to Wikipedia to create a redirect from "alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma" to "rhabdomyosarcoma".  Right now Wikipedia does not have an article on Miles Levin.  One was created earlier, but someone deleted it with the comment that "CNN tends to report a lot of people who have diseases; even ESPN does it. No lasting notability."  I'm not sure if something should be created there or not.  Given the fact that he was interviewed on US National news shows more than once, I tend to think it belongs.  But, that's all the time I have to write for today.  —CocoaZen 22:12, 20 August 2007 (UTC)

Nokia article
Cheers for adding more info and finding new source. I tried Engadget etc. but couldn't seem to find more on the store. Thanks anyway. —Meekel 21:33, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Pilot dies as Dutch F-16 fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan
Category added. In the future, drop stuff like that straight on to my talk page, and I'll deal with it. :) irid:t 16:33, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Organisation
Organisation is an 's' rather than a 'z' lol. Celticfan383 11:32, 1 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm pretty sure that that was the only one. You might want to double check but I'm 98% sure. Celticfan383 11:44, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Preliminary report sheds light on SAS landing gear incident
Sorry Blood Red Sandman. Normally I can go through and edit your articles. Just didn't have time right now (work). Ironiridis took care of it. But seriously, you should try an inline spell checker. I am not sure which browser you are using, but with Firefox you can have a spell checker review you articles. Just a thought! Cheers, Jcart1534 19:32, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

Finland scrambles fighter jet to respond to Russian aircraft
Excellent job on this, Blood Red Sandman. Good stuff! Cheers, Jcart1534 12:51, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Re: Late edits
Done! irid t i [mailto:ironiridis@gmail.com e] 16:25, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Finland
Hi! I recently read this and just couldn't hold myself to agree with you that Finland is quite an interesting country. In fact, I represented it in a UN Model (that is, we sort of "played" to be delegates from the UN representing a country, and I represented Finland, though a rather severe and anti-Cuba Finland xD  ). Well, only that xD - Jurock (reply here) 23:00, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Are you serious
Do you really want to delete my work in progress on Webcomics versus Wikipedia? There is method in my madness, and this issue has come up on the foundation mailing list. --Brian McNeil / talk 20:42, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

Are you serious?
Regarding Why the heck do they care if the real names are used? And second, since when do we care about whether someone is threatening us with a boycott? Would you redact similarly if it were some religious group that didn't want something reported? I think not. JoshuaZ 23:07, 31 October 2007 (UTC)

Are you serious!?
You got three are you seriouses, each with different punctiations! You must be a very serious person. Anyways on a slightly more serious note, the comment watch script works in IE now. Add  into special:mypage/monobook.js (or whatever skin you use) and do a hard refresh. Bawolff ☺☻ 03:01, 12 December 2007 (UTC)

Spelling Errors
In ur new article u spellt manny word wrong like oficially and return

 * If you spot typos, feel free to fix them. Also, not counting the shortened bits, above you've typo'd on 'manny' and 'spellt', as well as missed a plural. ;-) Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 14:22, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

Userpage
You created a user-page. Now you won't have a blood red username in RC! Bawolff ☺☻ 04:01, 27 December 2007 (UTC)

Benazir Bhutto buried; violence erupts in assassination aftermath
You can use editing if you're working on an article, if you have stopped working on this, please add your sources. --Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 19:44, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

Admin status granted
Congratulations, you have just been made a sysop! You have volunteered for boring housekeeping activities which normal users sadly cannot participate in. Sysops basically can't do anything: They cannot delete pages arbitarily (only obvious junk like "jklasdfl,öasdf JOSH IS GAY"), they cannot protect pages in an edit war they are involved in, they cannot ban users except in cases of obvious vandalism or excessive edit warring (24-hour "cool down" ban). What they can do is delete junk as it appears, ban vandals, remove pages that have been listed on Deletion requests for more than a week, protect pages when asked to by other members, and help keep the few protected pages there are up to date. Note that almost everything you can do can be undone, so don't be too worried about making mistakes. You will find more information on Administrators, please take a look before experimenting with your new powers. Drop me a message if there are any questions or if you want to stop being a sysop (could it be?). Have fun! Brian | (Talk) | New Zealand Portal 02:02, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Welcome to the Cabal! Congrats!  —Fellow Wiki  Newsie 02:05, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Congrats, Here's the adminmobile (great for traveling to all the secret cabal parties). Bawolff ☺☻ 09:17, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
 * TINC ;-) --Brian McNeil / talk 15:23, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Eh.. Cabal? What cabal? Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 15:34, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Re: RfA thanks
You're welcome, and I look forward to working with you in the near future! --Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 15:35, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, congratulations, BRS! I know you'll be a great asset. Cheers, Jcart1534 00:41, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Archiving
You are "the man", BRS! Thanks for helping out with the archiving. I want to point out the Archive Conventions page for you to read over, if you haven't already. A couple of things to keep in mind. Try to sort the sources or related into newest --> oldest. Change wikipedia links to local Wikinews links, where possible. Check for spelling errors. Follow the conventions for where things should go (i.e. publish tag just above archived etc.). Thanks again and let me know if you have any questions. Cheers, --Jcart1534 21:06, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

Lordi
You seem to be a fairly reliable reporter when it comes to Lordi news... have you ever tried to get an interview with them? Would you want an interview with them? While I'm not I fan of their music, I think they're a fantastic band, and would love to help you try to arrange an interview with them, through Sony BMG Finland. -- Zanimum 17:57, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

Publicity image
That's probably the best route. I was run ragged last week with Fashion Week stuff (which I didn't even finish), the CariDee interview, school and work, so even if I did have spare time to get her picture...oh, I'd rather just sleep. TheCustomOfLife 18:55, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Ridiculous
Are you really suggesting that my name couldn't be William Harrison because somebody else in the past had that name. That's a bit rude. Don't reply.--Uga Man - (talk) 18:03, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Blocking 198.151.202.175
I blocked, whose vandalism you helped revert, as he has made threats to me (which warrants a block) and has vandalized twice (which also usually results in a block. If you disagree with my decision, please revert it. --Anonymous101 (talk · contribs) 18:31, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

 * It's not at all a problem to me. However, a second opinion may later be usefull to me on my block of User:Uga Man, which I suspect he will whine about when it expires. Could you check and inform me if you support, please? Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 18:37, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

 * Based on the comments on his talk page and above I think the 2 hour cool down block for is appropriate. He has been disrupting Wikinews with his complaints to several talk pages  in the past.--Anonymous101 (talk · contribs) 18:42, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Hello to you, too!
''[...] Now that you've got through the standard welcome message, a little more personal welcome from me! You may remember bumping into me before on Wikipedia... Blood Red Sandman (Talk)   (Contribs) 23:37, 15 March 2008 (UTC)''
 * Haha, of course I remember you. I almost left a message on your talk page just to say "hi," but hadn't yet gotten to it. Nice to see you're here, too, and thanks for the welcome! -HamatoKameko - (talk) 03:40, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

Editing articles in the archive
Hi, just a reminder. Please remove editprotected from the talk page of the article when you fulfill a request to make the edit (remove it also if it is an invalid request). Otherwise, it remains on the list for other admins to check. Case in point is Talk:5 dead in Chicago-area store shooting. Thanks, --SVTCobra 00:25, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

 * I thought by adding t1 into the template, so it displayed as, would remove it. Why, then, do our talk pages not also show up in the list? Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 01:05, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

 * Ah, that explains it. You are adding t1 (letter "T" number "1") when the proper notation is tl (letter "T" letter "L"). However, I would still just remove the template altogether since the text and the date stamps explain everything. --SVTCobra 01:13, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Uwe Flade
Hi, just wanted to say great interview. Thanks for including my question, I enjoyed his thoughtful response. Cheers, --SVTCobra 21:39, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Interviews
Are all your interviews carried out without giving away your real name. If so, can you gove me some tips on how to conduct interviews without giving away my real name. I have to compromise and give the interviewees my real name but if you can give me some tips on how to conduct interviews without doing so please tell me. --A101 - (talk) 19:25, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for responding - I never knew I had the right to use a false name (I'm also in the UK) --A101 - (talk) 19:33, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for checking. That is certainly much better than giving people my real name. I will just triple check it is legal and if it is I will start using a false name in my interviews--A101 - (talk) 19:40, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks
Thanks for reverting the vandalism to my talk page. --A101 - (talk) 14:44, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

Your deletion of Category:Adolf Hitler
The category was not eligible for speedy deletion per WN:SD. I'm applying the SNOW concept in that it didn't have a chance of getting a Keep in its current state, so I'm not going to restore it - but it should not have been speedy deleted, as it did not fit any of the criteria for doing so. There's far too much need for speed on DR these days - we need to let things run their course. --Skenmy(t•c•w) 20:10, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
 * It's hardly a problem - but i'm seeing a lot of mistakes made on DR recently because people are trying to "get things done quick". Wikis don't work quickly. Wikis work painfully slowly. --Skenmy(t•c•w) 20:15, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

Eos Airlines files for bankruptcy
Hi, I had to unpublish this since your forgot to list the sources. Cheers, --SVTCobra 20:07, 28 April 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia is Not Reliable
Why was the article deleted? Censorship?--71.217.200.78 21:05, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

 * Rather ironically the article lacked any reliable sources. Adambro - (talk) 21:11, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

 * It's what would would call Original Reporting.--71.217.200.78 21:13, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

 * Hope you don't mind the reply here, but it seems you keep an eye on what's happening here so I will keep the conversation together. There is a bigger problem with the article: it isn't news. Wikipedia doesn't claim to be reliable, it advises you specifically to check the stuff it cites and therefore onlyserves to bring information together, not provide anything that's guaranteed accurate, mainly because that's impossible. Wikipedia's own advice to people is not to use it as a source for research (at uni or anywhere else) so the only reaction by any Wikimedia Foundation spkesperson on the project being banned for research somewhwere would be "good" and to ask why it wasn't done before. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 06:39, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

Ukranian manufacturer preparing to sell Adolf Hitler dolls
I noticed you created a follow up article saying this was a hoax. Do you think the previous article should be retracted A101 - (talk) 16:33, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

WN:TO-DO
I have started WN:TO-DO as a place to list what should be daily or weekly points to check for regular contributors. Some parts are admin-only (e.g. Archiving) but others are things that anyone can get involved with. Feel free to add additional points and spread the word about this shortcut to get people helping do Wikignome tasks. --Brian McNeil / talk 15:48, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Five of six accused over 9/11 to be tried; charges against '20th hijacker' dropped
any particular reason you have chose to remove Sources from that article? It has no sources.--Ryan524 (talk) 21:51, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

My RFA
I am, once again, putting myself up for Rfa. I would appriciate it if you could stop by My RFA and vote. Wheter support or oppose I would appriciate your vote to avoid another situation of having too few votes.-Ryan524 (talk) 23:13, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Commons deleted
FYI: Commons deleted the Jokela photos. --SVTCobra 03:26, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

Catching massive removal of content
Thank you for your catch at Controversial development training cited in religious discrimination lawsuits. I have to step out now for a bit, but please keep in mind that I am very strongly of the opinion that everything in the article is highly related and belongs in the article and should not be removed. In addition, everything is highly sourced, in some cases to multiple sources, and in others directly to legal documents and/or U.S. federal documents. Thanks again, Cirt (talk) 17:42, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Please also note that the article was reviewed prior to publish by, who changed the tag from ready to publish after a review. Cirt (talk) 17:44, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

What is being written above by Cirt appears to be untrue. Most of the information in the story is not about current events--Most of the article isn't about religious discrimination, but whatever other negative information the author chooses to cite about the company in the article. Goldenmonkey (talk) 17:55, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Again, the article has been reviewed prior to publish by a respected contributor, it is most certainly factually accurate, and highly relevant to not just the religious discrimination issues but to the labor/workers' rights issues as well. Please stop with the personal comments, and focus on comments about the content of the article.  Cirt (talk) 17:57, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

 * There are no personal comments here, simply a noting of the facts. Wikinews articles are about current events. The current event is a lawsuit about sexual harassment and freedom of religion. A years old labor complaint has absolutely nothing to do with a current news story about freedom of religion. Goldenmonkey (talk) 18:02, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
 * The prior complaints all have to do with labor, workers rights, and religious discrimination. It is an investigative piece which gives historical background which is very highly correlated to the present situation.  I notice you have also removed material about a 2nd ongoing lawsuit from the article.  Cirt (talk) 18:03, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
 * The second lawsuit was filed last year. This article deceptively presents the article as something which just happened. Again, Wikinews content policy indicates that stories are news stories--about a current event or phenomenon. Goldenmonkey (talk) 18:07, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, both lawsuits are currently ongoing, as described in the article. The fact that there are two lawsuits both dealing directly with religious discrimination is one of the focal points of the article. Cirt (talk) 18:09, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
 * News agencies use background information on news reports all the time. Most news articles would nothing but a paragraph without background information. But regardless, it does not justify you removing almost every piece of that article. Please do not continue the vandalism. If you have an issue with the article, discuss it on its talk page. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 18:10, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Contest
Does the contest requires us to have user subpages? Kingjeff (talk) 18:23, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

Some of the rules seem to be a little ambiguous. Kingjeff (talk) 19:49, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

So, for coverage in areas with low coverage, would you say all except for Europe and North America? Kingjeff (talk) 04:27, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Abandoning articles
When tagging article as abandoned please include the date. This can be done automatically by using. Cheers, --SVTCobra 14:05, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Recent image uploads
Hi, could you please add an appropriate licensing template and ensure that you have provided a comprehensive fair use rationale for both of these images. Thanks. Adambro (talk) 19:03, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * Fair use rationale supplied. It only needs two points when they between them cover the entire point. As for a template, the dropdown list didn't cover 'released by the Finnish cops but under terms too vague for Commons'. If you must see a template create a relevant one, although not everything must be templated. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 19:20, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * Firstly, since I am watching your talk page I have moved your comment back here in order to keep the discussion together which makes it easier to follow.

 * To address your comments, the information on the image page fails to clarify under which of the fair use whitelist criteria the image is being used. For each of these there is an appropriate template so finding a template shouldn't be a problem if the image is permitted by our fair use policy. Each image also needs details of the source which is currently missing. The information you have provided fails to explain why the use of the image can be defended as fair use. Specifically it doesn't address why an unfree image is used rather than a free one, explaining how the unfree image contributes significantly to the article rather than a free image or no image at all, and why a free image couldn't reasonably be obtained or created. Adambro (talk) 20:19, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * I will look at getting the FUs modified now you've actually specified the problem. My old comments about the templates remain; if you honestly believe there's an apropriate one then add it. I'll emial a Commons admin to see if there is a URL for an exact source. However, for now I'm going to complete the article I started before. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 20:29, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * As a Commons admin myself I'll look to see what details of the source there are there presuming I can find these images. The template issue remains, if the use of this image is permitted by the fair use policy then there will be an appropriate template to use, if there isn't then this is a sign that the images fail to meet the image policy. Adambro (talk) 20:31, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * The idea everything must have a perfect template is absurd. Wikipedia's Template:Non-free fair use in is used on vast numbers of images which don't fall under standard FU. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 20:47, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * Our WN:FU policy doesn't allow us to use the fair use defense in any circumstances, only those which fall within the fair use whitelist criteria, this is stricter than on Wikipedia. For every whitelist criteria there is a template so if the usage complies with our fair use policy then there should be a template which will explain which criteria it falls under and places it in the appropriate category etc. Adambro (talk) 20:54, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * I'll drop the argument since after some diggng I've discovered that Template:Publicity actually covers it, since it talks only about "released for use in news and editorials" - which it was. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 21:07, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

 * Okay, great, I'm glad you've been able to confirm that this falls under one of the fair use whitelist criteria. Adambro (talk) 21:10, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Accept nom for ArbCom?
I have nominated you for the 2008 Arbitration Committee elections. Please indicate if you accept and if you do then please add a brief candidate statement at Arbitration Committee/Elections July 2008. Cirt (talk) 11:56, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Get a chance?
take a look at my contributions see what ya can do. like the new mexico plane crash —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.87.59.241 (talk) 19:59, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

 * I will take a look. Thanks for everything you've done so far. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 20:06, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

thank you blood red sandman :) --72.87.59.241 20:07, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

 * its just that i dont have enough time on my hands to complete anything srry and also i make way to many typos but will fix sometime. --72.87.59.241 20:09, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Great Job!
thank you so much nice article with photo and everything. good work. --72.87.59.241 20:24, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

so whats next blood? --OfficerLeRoy (talk) 21:19, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

 * Well I'm headed off to bed soon but next evening I will take a look at what article to work on next. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 21:23, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

ok sounds good thx again. --OfficerLeRoy (talk) 21:24, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Contest
Congratulations!! For your work in the Wikinews Writing Contest! And winning! Could you contact me off wiki to arrange prize :) My email is bcandertonATgmailDOTcom. Once again well done! Brian | (Talk) | New Zealand Portal 10:04, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Story preparation/Åse Kleveland
Check that out, tell me what you think, and ask some questions! Mike Halterman (talk) 06:25, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Philippines ferry disaster: ship owner sues over toxic cargo; recovery deadline set & more
The rename I did earlier came from a discussion on IRC #wikinews-en. In order to avoid 3RR, I'm willing the comprise, but, honestly, the current title matches nothing like it on Wikinews. Can we get something that flows some more? terinjokes | Talk 14:56, 9 July 2008 (UTC)

Define trolling versus joking
Just read the diff on your revert of the "sausage in pants" comment. I'm not so sure that qualifies as trolling, and is more a childish joke. It made me chuckle anyway.

Trolling is where someone is trying to get people to lose their cool and start ranting or invoking Godwin's Law. That comment was, well, silly but not nasty. No profanity, which is one thing I'd say should likely be reverted, just a double-entendre. --Brian McNeil / talk 20:02, 10 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Addendum: An appropriate response would have been, "sausages should be kept in the fridge and tell your girlfriend to poke holes in them with a fork before you cook them." --Brian McNeil / talk 20:04, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

South Korean scientists claim they have cloned pet dog
Would you mind reviewing South Korean scientists claim they have cloned pet dog to see if it is should e published. Thanks, Anonymous101talk 13:40, 5 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Don't worry about reviewing it as you aren't editing at the moment. I'll ask on IRC instead. Anonymous101talk 13:57, 5 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm back online, I'll go do it unless someone's halfway through. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 14:40, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

FlaggedRevs
If you have not already seen this, please look, comment, and vote both here and on bugzilla. Further assistance such as contact information for Google would be a very useful detail to share and help in petitioning for a listing in their news index. --Brian McNeil / talk 14:54, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

Flame Interview
Nice job. A few things to consider: update the grammar, even though it's an e-mail, there is no need to make them looks stupid with incorrect grammar. Also, if you wish, you could add your real name(I assume Blood Red Sandman isn't your real name and I could be wrong) to the interview instead of you SUL. —Calebrw (talk) 16:36, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

 * Hate to go semi off topic but you said it is legal to use a pseudonym here on Wikinews. Where exactly does it say that? The Mind's Eye (talk) 17:31, 7 August 2008 (UTC)
 * The Mind's Eye, Blood Red Sandman is probably referring to UK law, which allows pseudonyms. I have used pseudonyms when reporting in the past to stop my real name being made public. Anonymous101talk 17:55, 7 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Sound like a plan, though I too would be interested in finding out more about the pseudonym aspect. —Calebrw (talk) 17:34, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

 * Yes, Mind's Eye, that's exactly what I meant. Even things like bank accounts can be opened in whichever name takes your fancy, so long as things like passports carry your legal name. So long as you honestly use that alias, I think you're even allowed to give a different name to the police if asked, although I'm not 100% on that one. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 18:08, 7 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Oh okay cause i was curious if it was possible to be accredited with a pseudonym at least dealing with US law. The Mind's Eye (talk) 18:12, 7 August 2008 (UTC)
 * US law is beyond me and my contacts, I wouldn't be surprised either way on it. Sorry. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 18:14, 7 August 2008 (UTC)
 * "bank accounts can be opened in whichever name takes your fancy" [citation needed] . Can you? However, I would strongly defend the right to use an alternative name on Wikinews as I think this can be wise in certain circumstances. Adambro (talk) 18:16, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

 * (unindent) Not easily, no. My knowledge in this comes direct from a relative qualified in such things, but I doubt even he would know the exact document without going and tracking it down. Which I imagine would normally incur a fee, it isn't fun to find a specific law unless its in an area you regularly work with - the guy in question rarely strays beyond representing people, normally pursuers, in civil actions (the word 'lawsuit' never caught on in the UK). I'll pop it to him in case, however. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 18:21, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

In response to the US law question, I have this quote "In some states it [using a false name for Wikinews accredition] will also be considered fraud and that's a felony here. DragonFire1024 19:27, 13 March 2007 (UTC) " Thanks, Anonymous101talk 18:44, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

 * In the UK fraud requires actually defrauding someone. Gaining money by pretending something. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 18:47, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Governments 'concerned' by situation in Ossetia
If you have time, would you mind reviewing Governments 'concerned' by situation in Ossetia. Thanks, Anonymous101talk 16:15, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Sorry I didn't get your message about reviewing your article until now. Anonymous101talk 17:18, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

I've reviewed Four British Airways executives charged with price fixing Anonymous101talk 18:37, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Revert
Hello Blood Red Sandman, thanks for the revert! Wanted to let my bot revert it (but it took a while ;-) Sorting is now correct, see also Bots. --- Best regards, Melancholie (talk) 17:23, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

RE: Wikinews pseudonym use
Thanks for notifying me, very helpful. Anonymous101talk 16:44, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Thanks
Thanks for reviewing Bristol Organic Food Festival 2008 lauched, 100 thousand expected to attend. Also, good work at Interim report blames ice for British Airways 777 crash in London. Anonymous101talk 17:24, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

FYI: Channel Tunnel between France and Britain resumes limited service after major fire
Channel Tunnel between France and Britain resumes limited service after major fire has been published. —Calebrw (talk) 17:22, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

 * Thank you Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 17:24, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

New polls show third party U.S. presidential candidates varying radically in popularity
Blood Red Sandman, could you do a peer review for the article above? Thanks. --WNewsReporter (talk) 19:02, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

 * I'll give it a little while first, since as I'm outside the US I'd rather someone over there did the review. If no-one shows up soon then I'll do it, sure, but it's less interesting for someone already decided on who he's rooting for and isn't following third parties too close. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 19:07, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Award
Anonymous101talk 17:42, 17 September 2008 (UTC)

Greek bulk carrier with 25 crew seized by Somali pirates
Sorry for the confustion/waste of time caused by removing review from Greek bulk carrier with 25 crew seized by Somali pirates. I am plaaning on adding a bit more info, per a request by on IRC. Anonymous101talk 18:30, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

 * (Hope you don't mind me replying here when I usually don't) It's quite OK - the more info the better. We all do such things from time to time - that's why everything can be undone ;-) Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 18:32, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Libertarian U.S. presidential nominee Bob Barr trying to remove running mate Wayne Allyn Root, reports say
Could you do a peer review for the article above? Thanks. --WNewsReporter (talk) 19:12, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Why
are you never on IRC? Anonymous101talk 17:01, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

 * Coming ;-). And I dunno why, I'm lazy I guess... Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 17:02, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

Telephone need
Whats your contact telephone number ?? Please reply

I got oportunity to take interview with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Co-chairman Pakistan Peoples Party son of twice elected former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto and current President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.154.44.228 (talk) 16:37, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

 * The fact that you immediatly went on to blank the Islamabad bombing article makes it hard for me to believe that. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 17:04, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

Thanks
Thanks for reviewing Wikileaks claims news organisations pressured to remove articles on billionaire fraudster Anonymous101talk 20:30, 28 September 2008 (UTC)

 * Sure thing. It's an interesting article, too, nice one. If you're feeling brave, you could always email lawyers@carter-ruck.com... Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 20:56, 28 September 2008 (UTC)

updates
I guess I just don't grasp it. What's the right thing to do with update info if not add it at the story?LeadSongDog (talk) 17:18, 10 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Quite a culture clash with WP, isn't it?LeadSongDog (talk) 19:33, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

Third party U.S. presidential candidates varying radically in popularity, new polls say
Could you do a peer review for the article above? Thanks. --WNewsReporter (talk) 21:26, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

Oscar Diös tells Wikinews about his hostel within a Boeing 747
Oscar Diös tells Wikinews about his hostel within a Boeing 747 is an excellent article. I really enjoyed reading it. 20:46, 15 October 2008 (UTC)

 * Thanks alot, A101. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 20:49, 15 October 2008 (UTC)

jumbo hostel questions
Please see User talk:PatrickFlaherty. I loved reading your article and interview, but do have a couple questions. TransUtopian (talk) 08:16, 16 October 2008 (UTC)

Talk:Wikinews interviews UK pro darts player Kirk Shepherd
Please see concerns raised about this article on its talk page. Cirt (talk) 21:29, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

Ass Pus/Mumfum
I see you got this vandal. This is a regular thing every now and then, but he'll be a little while before he's back as I checkusered and tested the underlying IP. It came up as a proxy and is now hard blocked.

I also protected several of the vandal's categories against recreation. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:47, 3 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Oh, and the vandal also hit meta. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:49, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

Wikivoices/Wikinews
Hi, I noticed you're active today. Would you like to join us at WikiVoices in a few hours for a Wikinews session? Durova (talk) 18:32, 3 November 2008 (UTC) Here's a link. WikiVoices used to be Not the Wikipedia Weekly. It discusses wiki issues and does collaborative editing in a voice and text environment via Skype (which is free to download and use). I'll be glad to help get you started and get you into the room if you'd like to join us; we'll be talking about Wikinews and writing an article today. :) Durova (talk) 20:05, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

You seem to have deleted comments from an opinions page
http://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Comments:Israel_bans_two_Arab_political_parties&diff=prev&oldid=752581 Ya'ir Hunter (talk) 11:53, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Oops?
Did we make an error? Please see Talk:Chemical firm LyondellBasell collapses --InfantGorilla (talk) 16:25, 16 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I have requested more help at the same talk page. --InfantGorilla (talk) 10:53, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Hi
Hi BRS, sorry to bother you but I noticed you seem to be currently active. If you have time, would you mind reviewing my article at Royal bank of Scotland shares plummet (I won't be offended if you don't want to review it). Thanks, Anonymous101talk 17:24, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks. :) Anonymous101talk 18:24, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

The NYSE info is just below the chart on the Google Finance source. Thanks, Anonymous101talk 18:57, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks. Anonymous101talk 19:11, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

Seeking review
Hi,

could you review Details emerge on fatal stabbing at Belgian day care centre if you're online?

--Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 17:23, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

 * Gopher65 is reviewing it, I asked him on IRC. I provided some English-language sources which confirm the majority of the article. --Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 17:55, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

Tip? Ebay to implement knife ban in UK..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/02/illegal_knives_sold_on_ebay_2.html ? 62.56.84.82 20:06, 9 February 2009 (UTC)

 * You caught me at a bad time; I was very busy for several days. In future several people watch Requested articles including me; you can try there. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 20:09, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Review
Are you awake to do a review on my Eurovision interview? If so, please go to IRC. Thanks! Mike Halterman (talk) 08:59, 5 March 2009 (UTC)
 * I got someone to review it, now it just needs to be sighted for some reason. Can you help? Mike Halterman (talk) 09:46, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Marine jet crash into San Diego house blamed on string of errors
The results weren't removed, they were given their own sentence. See the last sentence. Cheers, --SVTCobra 10:10, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

User:Tempodivalse/Writing contest
Hi! The contest that I was planning on creating is finally up, the link to the rules is at the above link, if you're interested in participating. Thanks. ♪Tempo di Valse ♪ 14:38, 20 March 2009 (UTC)

Emergency directive for Sikorsky S-92A helicopters
Thank you for your comment on the article, I have re-phrased the article, as now even more articles are out and about, and only one article states the fact as I had, and all the others state the fact as you have. So I have gone with the majority. There were very few articles out and about this morning.SriMesh | talk  01:03, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Blood Red Sandman/Archive 1


text:
Businesses and individuals worldwide to turn lights off as part of Earth Hour 2009

March 27, 2009

Earth Hour 2009 takes place Saturday, March 28, 2009 between 8:30 to 9:30 pm local time when communities will participate by turning out their lights starting in New Zealand and progressing along time zones around the world.

Earth Hour began as a symbolic initiative against global warming by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). "[It is] The largest demonstration of public concern about climate change ever attempted." Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General said.

Earth Hour began in 2007 with around 2 million participating, and increased to about 50 million in 2008. The Empire State Building, Las Vegas Strip, the Eiffel Tower, Petronas Twin Towers, the Peace Tower, the Parliament Buildings, the Christ the Redeemer statue, Acropolis of Athens, the Egyptian pyramids, and the Colosseum are some notable landmarks which will honour Earth Hour Saturday evening.

WWF organisers wished 1,000 cities would enlist in Earth Hour, however this was surpassed as this year over 2,400 have signed up to take part.

"The Government of Canada's continued participation in Earth Hour is an indication of our commitment to being mindful consumers. As the custodian of one of the largest office building portfolios in the country, Public Works and Government Services Canada is committed to incorporating environmental practices into waste management, water conservation and the efficient use of energy in our buildings." Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Service said.

"Supporting Earth Hour is part of our commitment to help create a healthier environment for Canadians. Simple actions such as turning off the lights can help improve our environment and tackle climate change as well as empower Canadians to make important lifestyle changes that benefit their families and their environment. We encourage Canadians to take part in Earth Hour." Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment.


text:
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton says America helps fuel illegal drug trade

March 27, 2009 United States secretary of state, Hillary Clinton stated in an interview on Mexican radio that Americans are helping to fuel the illegal drug trade between the U.S. and Mexico. Clinton was on a two day tour of the nation.

"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the death of police officers, soldiers and civilians. I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility," said Clinton.

Clinton also gave thanks to and praised the effort Mexico was putting forth to stop the flow of drugs over the border. "Clearly, what we have been doing has not worked and it is unfair for our incapacity...to be creating a situation where people are holding the Mexican government and people responsible."

Mexico's president, Felipe Calderón responded by saying that "binational cooperation in this area should be strengthened." Mexico has used troops in some towns in an attempt to regain control of the cities, which has resulted in many gun battles with drug cartel members and Mexican troops. Ongoing trucking disputes between the U.S. and Mexico have also contributed to an already tense situation.

Increased drug related violence in towns and cities on the Mexico – United States border has claimed more than 6,000 lives since 2008.


text:
Talk:Canada commits C$127.4 million to fighting tuberculosis

Ambiguous title
flag The title says $127.4 million. When you see only the headline, you may expect US$? I'm not sure whether $ signs in the title should be more specific, but I think renaming the article to one with C$ is an improvement. Cheers, Van der Hoorn (talk) 21:48, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

 * Hm, good point. To me, it's clear that it's Canadian dollars from the title, because Canada is mentioned, but that might not be obvious to everyone. I think I'll change the title to CA$127.4 million instead, just to be there's no ambiguity. ♪Tempo di Valse ♪  01:01, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

 * It should be C, not CA. See also the style guide. Cheers, Van der Hoorn (talk) 01:09, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

 * Oops, thanks for pointing this out. I wasn't aware of that. ♪Tempo di Valse ♪  01:14, 27 March 2009 (UTC)


text:
Preliminary investigation results released on Canadian helicopter crash

March 27, 2009

Two stud bolts of the that  off the coast of Canada broke causing first a loss in oil pressure followed by a deadly crash landing on Thursday March 12, 2009 killing 17 of 18 people on board.

"I can safely say now that the stud broke in flight and the loss of oil pressure was a result of that," Mike Cunningham, the  (TSB) of Canada's lead investigator said, "So far, we cannot find any other anomaly that would account for that loss of oil pressure. There is further analysis and work to be done on exactly how and why that stud broke."

Upon examination of the wreckage and seats, it was determined the helicopter landed at an acceleration of about 20. On impact windows and doors flew off. It is not known at this time whether the victims drowned or were killed in this violent impact.

"It was [...] belly first in an upright position with a tail low attitude. That's what the damage is telling us," Allan Chaulk, a TSB investigator, "We are just scratching the surface of analyzing the data we've so far collected."

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did issue a directive to replace the titanium studs to steel studs before any Sikorsky S92 helicopters can resume flights. So far about 30% of helicopters worldwide still need to make the update.

Sikorsky had issued an Alert Service Bulletin to helicopter operators in January to replace the studs by 1,250 flight hours or within the year. A S-92A flight in Australia prompted the alert when it lost oil pressure and needed to make an emergency landing.

During the examination of the wreckage, TSB investigators are uncertain why two of three aircraft flotation devices did not activate to keep the aircraft from sinking. The cockpit voice and flight data recorders were operational between cruising altitude of 9,000 feet and the descent to 800 feet, and then an unexplainable electrical malfunction caused them to cease operating.


text:
User talk:Gimmethegepgun

♪Tempo di Valse ♪  02:17, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Gimmethegepgun


title: File:27March2009.pdf


text:
Parts of US airplane fall from sky in Brazil

March 27, 2009

Portions of a DC-10 jet registered to the Miami, Florida-based Arrow Cargo company fell from the sky over a residential area in the city of Manaus, Brazil on Thursday.

Parts of one of the turbines of the aircraft caused some damage to a car and a few houses, but no injuries were reported. The airplane was traveling to its destination of Bogota, Colombia. According to the Brazilian Defense Ministry, the parts that detached are the rear exhaust diffuser and a section of the exhaust. The involved plane, registered N526MD, was built in 1978.

"I opened the window after I heard this huge boom and I see this thing up in flames, right in front of my doorway," said Aparecida Silva, a local resident, to Globo TV.

Rai Marinho, a representative for the Arrow Cargo in Manaus, said that the jet, which was carrying an engineer and three crew members, had engine difficulties soon after taking off. It was able to keep flying, but was obliged to divert to Medellin due to inclement weather, where it landed without incident. The representative added that his company would pay residents for the damage.


text:
Manitoba residents receive evacuation flood alerts

March 28, 2009 Evacuation alerts were issued to 850 Manitoba residents as they prepare for the worst flooding from the Red River.

Dominion City declared a state of emergency on Monday regarding rising water levels. The area is already experiencing overland flooding. Southern Manitoba is under a winter storm warning which will worsen the situation with further precipitation. Besides working on dikes and sandbagging efforts, communities are breaking up ice jams and frozen culverts.

Ice jams have already caused the evacuation of 40 homes north of Winnipeg, and dozens of homes were flooded. A state of emergency was declared Wednesday for the rural municipalities (RM) of St. Andrews, St. Clements, East St. Paul, West St. Paul, Blanshard, St. Laurent and Franklin. Roads are being wiped out and basements flooded due to the overland flooding caused by frozen culverts and ice jams. The Red River Floodway was constructed to divert flowing waters from the river basin around the city and communities, however ice jams have caused the waters to flow over the river banks.

"The road is eventually going to get washed over so we want to get the elderly out for that reason," said Curtis Smith of the Manitoba Association of Native Fire Fighters. 95 have already been evacuated to Winnipeg from Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation.

“All the plans are in the offing. It all depends on the elevation of the water, how fast it's going to approach. You need to do a phased evacuation so it's elderly and people with special needs first." said Don Brennan acting executive director of Manitoba's Emergency Measures Organization.

Paul Guyader, Manitoba's emergency measures coordinator reported that residents are setting sandbags into place as fast as they can be made, however the height of flooding won't come for yet another week in southern Manitoba. Towns throughout the area are surrounded by ring dikes.

During the week of April 5 to 10 is when the Red River is expected to crest around Emerson, Manitoba. Emerson is located on the east banks of the Red River near the Canada – United States border.

The river should reach its maximum during the week of April 12 to 17 in the region around Winnipeg.

"We don't want to be in a scramble this time, because one of the problems that we had last time [in 1997] was making sure that everyone understood who was in charge," said Chief Terry Nelson of the Roseau River First Nation. "Last time, the people, we weren't too much involved in what the authorities were doing."

The United States National Weather Service recorded levels at on Thursday, and the predictions are that it should reach  by the weekend. Mayor Dennis Walaker of Fargo, North Dakota has put into place contingency plans. The Red River's recorded highest cresting at Fargo was in 1897 when it reach. The Flood of the Century in 1997 crested at at Grand Forks, North Dakota. Manitoba officials feel that this year flooding should not be as bad as the 1997 flood.

"Mother Nature will decide when she's going to crack this baby loose", said Steve Strang, mayor of the RM of St. Clements, Manitoba.


text:
Study of soft cheese wins oddest book title award

March 27, 2009 The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais has won the Diagram Prize, the British award for the year's oddest book title.

The Philip M. Parker study about the future of soft cheese beat out the runner-up, Baboon Metaphysics, for the annual humorous literary award.

Other contestants this year included the medical manual Curbside Consultation of the Colon and the hobby handbook Strip and Knit With Style.

The Parker book was an 188-page study of the global retail market for fromage frais, which literally means "fresh cheese". Fromage Frais got 32 percent of the 5,034 votes cast by the public for the award. Baboon Metaphysics received 22 percent.

Horace Bent, who runs the competition, said he thought one of the more risque titles would win because four of the last seven winners had vulgar titles: High Performance Stiffened Structures, Living with Crazy Buttocks, The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories and If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs.

"But I'm thrilled that the public steered clear of smut and bestowed the 'odd title' crown on Prof Parker's worthy winner, and turned the supermarket chiller into the Petri dish of literary innovation," Bent said in a statement.

The Diagram Prize was first awarded in 1978, and has been voted on by the public since 2000. Previous winners include People Who Don't Know They're Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It; Bombproof Your Horse; and How to Shit In The Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art.


text:
Royal Commission recommends single council for Auckland

March 27, 2009 The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance has recommended that Auckland, New Zealand's existing local governments be abolished and replaced with a single body.

The eight existing local bodies — the Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City, Manukau City, Waitakere City, North Shore City, Papakura District, Rodney District and Franklin District — would be abolished. They would be replaced by a single Auckland Council responsible for air, water, waste, transport, planning and services, supplemented by six local councils responsible for service delivery. The eight existing mayors would be replaced by a single directly elected Mayor of Auckland, with additional powers to function in a more executive role.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide welcomed the release of the report, calling it "an important matter for Auckland", but he expressed concern about the democracy of the proposal. "I have some concerns about whether the report provides for adequate local representation in our many diverse communities, and I want to look more closely at this issue," he said.

The government will now consider the report. They are expected to respond within two weeks.

The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance was established in 2007 to produce a plan to reform Auckland's local government to improve economic growth and service delivery in the region. It received over 3,500 written submissions and heard from over 550 individual submitters.

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city.


text: Talk:Businesses and individuals worldwide to turn lights off as part of Earth Hour 2009


text: Talk:Study of soft cheese wins oddest book title award


text:
Talk:Relics of 39 saints found by British Museum

"John the Baptist, James, John, and Mary Magdalen, and 35 others" is 39. "However, only 39 bundles were found, indicating that . . . one had been lost." 39 - 1 != 39. According to the Irish Times article (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0324/1224243318094.html) there were 40 names. It should read "and 36 others", no? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.45.136.225 (talk) 12:53, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

 * ✅ Thanks for pointing that out. ♪Tempo di Valse ♪  02:38, 29 March 2009 (UTC)


text:
User:RedLynx1989

--RedLynx1989 (talk) 04:38, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

title: User:RedLynx1989


text:
Comments:Businesses and individuals worldwide to turn lights off as part of Earth Hour 2009

I will turn them off. —Alemaco (talk) 08:05, 27 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Same here...except, I will leave my computer on. Papercutbiology (talk) 10:16, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

Human Hour 2009
I'm going to turn on so many lights I'll light up the neighborhood. This is stupid! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.175.206.2 (talk) 15:46, 28 March 2009 (UTC)


text:
User talk:RedLynx1989

Welcome
--Brian McNeil / talk 08:10, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:RedLynx1989


text:
Talk:Utah legalizes homebrewing

Original reporting
E-mail from Rep. Kraig Powell forwarded to scoop. Douglas Wawrzynski has promised exclusive comment; I'm waiting for that to come in. --Killing Vector (talk) 10:09, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

Exclusive reply from Douglas Wawrzynski is at:  --Killing Vector (talk) 17:13, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

Comment e-mail from Rep. Rita Menlove forwarded to scoop. --Killing Vector (talk) 13:09, 28 March 2009 (UTC)
 * I can confirm all these emails have been forwarded to scoop and appear from credible source email addresses. Not checked the other cited sources or I'd pass review. --Brian McNeil / talk 17:25, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Douglas Wawrzynski
I moved to Utah from Connecticut in 2005 and started into the hobby shortly thereafter. There are multiple homebrew shops that have been operating legally in Utah for several years, so it wasn't until after I started law school in the fall of 2007 that someone suggested to me that the hobby might not be legal in Utah. After having done some research and contacting the American Homebrewers Association, I began to understand the current ambiguity of the law and how it could certainly be interpreted to adversely effect homebrewers. In fact in 2005 the city of South Salt Lake had taken steps to affirmatively enact penalties for engaging in homebrewing. While that effort was ultimately abandoned it illustrated just how the current state of the law could have a negative impact on homebrewers. It was then that I chose to contact my local Utah House Representative, Christine Johnson. I wrote her a letter explaining who I was and my suggestion for a change in the law. I accompanied my letter with a memo that discussed the history of homebrewing, what it entails, and various policy arguments for why homebrewing could be legalized in a state that is skeptical of change to existing restrictive liquor laws (if you would like I can make that document available to you). This was in 2008, in the middle of the legislative session for that year. Rep. Johnson chose to sponsor the bill and it experienced great success but expired before receiving a Senate vote when the session ended. This year Rep. Johnson got the process moving much earlier and made sure we had plenty of time to get the bill through. While there was plenty of skepticism throughout the legislative process about the effort to pass a bill that would grant an affirmative right to practice the art and craft of homebrewing in Utah, I found that ultimately that skepticism was overcome. In each of the several committee meetings this bill went through, the bill was met with challenging and sometimes bizarre questions regarding its impact and what this would enable people to do. One Senator, Senator Lilenquist even inquired if this bill would make it legal for someone to put beer in a baby bottle and give it to a one year old. However through the efforts, emails and testimony of people like Representative Johnson and Gary Glass, and most importantly, from Utah homebrewers themselves, we changed minds through education. In fact, the Chairman of the Senate Business and Labor Committee, Senator Valentine openly admitted on the record that he had been compelled to change his vote to a favorable one after hearing compelling testimony from member of the Utah community. In short I think that many of the attitudes and perceptions about drinking and homebrewing in particular have been shaped by a dominant and relatively homogeneous subculture, that never had never before had an opportunity to learn form fellow responsible community members what responsible alcohol consumption really means. I think that as the state of Utah continues to grow in diversity, the community will become enriched with a wide array of backgrounds and opinions. As this happens we will have an opportunity to develop a greater understanding of our own neighbors and how differences in lifestyle can ultimately be respected and embraced.

Ronda Rudd Menlove
Dear Edmund, When the vote was taken on HB 51, I had a constituent sitting by me, a young high school student. I briefly explained the bill to him during the debate and then asked him how he would vote on the bill and why. This is what he told me. He said that he was concerned that young people would have greater access to alcohol because alcohol would be brewed in homes resulting in great accessibility for youth living in those homes. This concerned him greatly as a member of a local youth city council as well. He is concerned about the amount of under-age drinking in his community and believed that greater access to alcohol could cause an increase in under-age drinking in Utah.

I appreciated this insightful feedback and realized that what he was saying was accurate. That is the primary reason that I voted against the bill.

My secondary reason for voting against the bill is that I am adamantly opposed to the excess use and abuse of alcohol. I am opposed to any use of alcohol by pregnant mothers. As a secondary level teacher and high school administrator, I worked with troubled youth and special education populations. I have struggled with young people who live with the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. If you want to be very depressed, read about the lifelong effects of FAS. This syndrome affects learning and behavior that is often erratic and unpredictable. Most of the students with FAS fail miserably in school and find little success in school, jobs, or life. This is a very serious problem related to alcohol use and one that affects the innocent fetus and not the perpetrator of this action.

Utah has quirky alcohol laws. The overarching goal of preventing under-age drinking and the abuse of alcohol has created these laws. The intention is admirable and one that I support. How to achieve these goals is challenging and has resulted in laws that may seem strange to others living outside of Utah. Utah's Governor and Legislature has struggled with this and recently passed legislation revamping these laws. I voted against those changes due to the fact that little information was provided about the impact of the changes.

Thanks for your interest and your message.

Thank you, Rep. Ronda Rudd Menlove District #1 Utah House of Representatives

Kraig Powell
Dear Mr. Schluessel:

I am sorry that I do not have anything profound or quotable to say about my vote on this bill. The only reason I ultimately voted no is because, between the time of the first House vote and the final vote on the conference committee report, I had a constituent contact me at one of my Town Hall meetings who was concerned about increased access to alcohol and drunk driving dangers from the bill. Since this constituent was the only one who had recently shared specific thoughts with me about this legislation, I voted no as a courtesy to her.

Thank you and good luck.

Sincerely,

Rep. Kraig Powell

Category:Connecticut
This category does not seem particularly accurate...it is only mentioned as the home state of one of the parties involved. -Runningonbrains (talk) 03:44, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Utah legalizes homebrewing


text: Talk:Parts of US airplane fall from sky in Brazil


text: Talk:Preliminary investigation results released on Canadian helicopter crash


title: User:Nz26


text: User talk:Nz26

title: User talk:Nz26


text:
User talk:Saqib Qayyum usurped

♪Tempo di Valse ♪  13:44, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Saqib Qayyum usurped


text:
New Jersey teen faces child porn charges for posting nude photos of herself online

March 27, 2009

A 14-year-old American girl, living in New Jersey, is facing possible child pornography charges after posting nude photos of herself online.

The teen, who was not identified by media reports due to her age, was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography for posting 30 nude photos of herself on MySpace. If convicted, she may have to register as a sex offender. The Passaic County Sheriff's Office investigated the teen for about a month before filing the charge. They were informed after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off a state task force about the photos.

The girl, who posted the photos online for her boyfriend, could also face up to 17 years in prison, although authorities said such a lengthy sentence is unlikely. She has been released on her mother's custody.

"We consider this case a wake-up call to parents," said Bill Maer, Passaic County sheriff's spokesman. Authorities said there could be other arrests like this one in the future.

Maureen Kanka, the mother of seven-year-old Megan Kanka, whose death led to the Megan's Law requiring authorities to make information public about registered sex offenders, said charging the 14-year-old was doing more harm than good.

"This shouldn't fall under Megan's Law in any way, shape or form," Kanka said. "She should have an intervention and counseling, because the only person she exploited was herself."

Prosecutors have charged teens who send and receive sexually suggestive photos in such states as Connecticut, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington

However, legal experts told media reporters that the recent New Jersey case was a rarity.

"I'm not sure I've seen a prosecution like this coming out of a social networking site," said Seth Kreimer, a constitutional law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.


text:
Courts uphold firing of Pennsylvania cop who lost sense of smell

March 28, 2009 An appeals court said a Pennsylvania police department was justified in firing an officer because he lost his sense of smell in an off-duty motorcycle accident.

The court said the Collier Township firing was valid because police need their sense of smell to detect substances like drugs, alcohol, hazardous materials, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled.

David Agostino, 44, suffered anosmia, a partial or full lack of sense of smell, due to head trauma suffered from a 2004 crash in Ohio. Officials in Collier Township, a Pittsburgh suburb in Allegheny County, honorably discharged him because they were worried the condition created a risk.

Attorneys for Agostino unsuccessfully argued a sense of smell is not part of the physical exam for prospective police officers, and that there was no statute or police regulation that cited lack of sense of smell as grounds for firing a police officer.

But during the court hearing, a fellow officer testified Agostino could not smell the odor of marijuana and alcohol after pulling over a motorist following a high-speed chase. His police chief also said he failed to smell leaking gas from an elderly resident's furnace.

"[The chief] explained that Agostino's inability to smell if the furnace was leaking gas created a hazardous situation, placing Agostino, the resident and the public in danger because 'it could have possibly caused an explosion,'" Judge Bernard L. McGinley wrote in the decision.

Agostino, of South Fayette Township, could not be reached for comment by media reports after the decision by the three-judge Commonwealth Court panel.


text: Talk:New Jersey teen faces child porn charges for posting nude photos of herself online


text:
Dam in Indonesia bursts, dozens killed

March 28, 2009

On Friday, a dam burst in a southwestern suburb of Jakarta, Indonesia, killing at least 52 people and displacing a further 1,490. Officials, however, warn that the death toll will likely increase.

The cause of the accident appears to be due to heavy rains that night, which overfilled the Situ Gintung lake behind the broken dam. "The dam was an old dam, 16 metres deep. Last night, because of heavy rain, the dam could not hold back the water so it broke," said the governor of the Banten province, Ratu Atut Chosiyah.

The breach occurred at approximately 02:00 local time (UTC+7), when many people were in bed, asleep. "People were still sleeping and couldn't do anything. Many people are still trapped and the rescue is ongoing," a local official said to Agence France-Presse.

Rescue efforts were hampered due to a deluge of mud and debris from the dam. "We're still trying to get into the houses, but the problem is, mud is getting in our way," social affairs spokesman Mardjito said.

The President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, offered his condolences to the victims of the disaster. "On behalf of the government, I express my condolences to the families of the dead victims and may their souls be accepted by God almighty," he said.

Indonesia's Vice President Yusuf Kalla has visited the scene of the incident. "We will provide emergency help to the victims. For those whose homes were destroyed, the government will help with the repairs," he told Metro TV.

A major concern following this flood is the risk of water-borne diseases such as malaria. These problems are made worse by the local climate being very hot and humid.

The Situ Gintung dam was built early last century, during the Dutch colonial rule. It was holding back a lake of about two million cubic metres (70 million cubic feet) of water.

title: Dam in Indonesia bursts, dozens killed


text:
User talk:168.169.82.230

Blocked
♪Tempo di Valse ♪  15:57, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:168.169.82.230


text:
'Freedom Tower' renamed '1 World Trade Center'

March 28, 2009

The 108-floor central component of the new in New York City has been officially renamed, ending the Freedom Tower moniker it had sported since 2003.

Freedom Tower was envisioned as a symbol of America's victory over terrorism. It is currently on track for completion in 2013, with 10 floors partially finished so far. Chairman Anthony Coscia commented on the change, "It's the one that is easiest for people to identify with — and frankly, we've gotten a very interested and warm reception to it."

Former George Pataki, who revealed the Freedom Tower name nearly six years ago, was critical of the switch, saying "The Freedom Tower is not simply another piece of real estate and not just a name for marketing purposes."

1 World Trade Center has been the building's legal name and address for the past two years, with the public change precipitated by the ramp up of construction and the commencement of lease marketing.

Michael Bloomberg seemed ambivalent to the change, saying "I would like to see it stay the Freedom Tower, but it's their building, and they don't need me dumping on it. If they could rent the whole thing by changing the name, I guess they're going to do that, and they probably, from a responsible point of view, should. From a patriotic point of view, is it going to make any difference?"

The change was approved following the signing of a two-decades-long lease by a Chinese real estate company, which plans to occupy floors 64 through 69. Other future tenants include the and the New York State Office of General Services.


text:
User talk:69.144.48.226

You have been temporarily blocked from editing for vandalism of Wikinews. If you wish to make useful contributions, you may do so after the block expires. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 20:26, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:69.144.48.226


text: Talk:Turks and Caicos Islands Premier resigns


text: Talk:North Korea missile launch looks imminent