At a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island a cat is reported to be able to sense when elderly individuals are about to die.
The cat, known as ‘Oscar‘ is reported to have sensed the deaths of at least 25 elderly people. According to nursing home employees, Oscar has been living at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for two years and seems to sense the deaths at least two to four hours before they happen, and he is rarely wrong.
“It’s not that the cat is consistently there first. But the cat always does manage to make an appearance, and it always seems to be in the last two hours,” said professor of community health at the home, Dr. Joan Teno.
Oscar would go from room to room on a daily basis to watch and smell the patients, eventually curling up next to one that dies within a few hours, but since most of the patients he visits are too ill they do not notice his presence.
One veterinarian and expert on cats says that cats and dogs sense things that humans are not able to sense.
“It’s such a cat thing to do. Those things are hard to study. I think probably dogs and cats can sense things we can’t,” said University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, chief of veterinarian medicine at the college, Thomas Graves who also added that he does not believe it has anything to do with being a ‘psychic cat’ saying “there’s probably a biochemical explanation.”
This weekend saw the opening of two new exhibitions at Edinburgh’s National Gallery of Modern Art. Wikinews attended Thursday’s press preview for the event where a full contingent of the capital’s press turned out to see the striking collection of paintings, photographs, and other works. Presented below are a selection of images captured at the preview.
REFLECTIONS: A Series of Changing Displays of Contemporary Art, billed as a showcase of a “diverse range of internationally-renowned contemporary and modern artists” is to display major works from the Gallery’s permanent collection, alongside important loans. Alongside this broad range of works, a three-room display of pieces on-loan from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation — with a dramatic painted steel relief, ‘borrowed’ from the Tate in London — runs from March 14 through to January 10 next year.
Admission to both exhibitions is free; being located in Dean, to the north-west of Edinburgh’s city centre, a free Gallery bus service is available.
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Edinburgh’s press pack at the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition preview. Image: Brian McNeil.
The exterior of the Modern One building of Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
A film crew sets up with one of Roy Lichtenstein’s works as a backdrop, and the steel roundel on-loan from the Tate Gallery in London dramatically displayed on the wall of the main Artists’ Room. Image: Brian McNeil.
The exterior of the Modern One building of Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
A rather unusual installation; part of the REFLECTIONS exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
Dorothy Lichtenstein, at the press preview for an exhibition of her late husband’s works. Image: Brian McNeil.
A pair of Lichtenstein’s paintings, hanging in the main gallery of the Artists’ Rooms. Image: Brian McNeil.
The exterior of the Modern One building of Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
A selection of prints and postcards, available for sale in the Gallery’s shop. Image: Brian McNeil.
The ‘scrum’ of photographers capturing Roy Lichtenstein’s widow, Dorothy, in front of one of her late husband’s paintings. Image: Brian McNeil.
Dorothy Lichtenstein, being lit as she poses for the cameras at the press preview of her late husband’s work. Image: Brian McNeil.
Another pair of Lichtenstein’s paintings, with the doorway through to another part of the Gallery. Image: Brian McNeil.
A corridor in the Gallery makes an effective space to display a range of the works from the REFLECTIONS exhibit. Image: Brian McNeil.
The main Artists Room of the Gallery, displaying some of Lichtenstein’s dramatic works. Image: Brian McNeil.
A different take on the corridor display part of the REFLECTIONS exhibit, with mirror at end of corridor. Image: Brian McNeil.
A display of photographs from the REFLECTIONS exhibit. Image: Brian McNeil.
Member of the press admiring one of Lichtenstein’s works at new exhibition in the Modern One building of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. Image: Brian McNeil.
One of the display galleries hosting part of the REFLECTIONS exhibit. Image: Brian McNeil.
Wall of artworks making up part of the REFLECTIONS exhibit, with mirror at end of corridor. Image: Brian McNeil.
Press film crew sets up and tests lighting levels in front of one of Lichtenstein’s most-famous works. Image: Brian McNeil.
The licensed cafe on the lower level of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
The kitchen garden to the rear of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
The licensed cafe on the lower level of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
Rear of the Modern One building of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. Image: Brian McNeil.
Display of cakes and biscuits in cafe of the Modern One building of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Image: Brian McNeil.
Douglas Gordon’s dramatic List of Names which adorns the wall of the stairwell in the Modern One building. Image: Brian McNeil.
Sixteen policemen were killed by unidentified assailants in Kashgar, in the predominantly Muslim Xinjiang region of China. Another sixteen officers were wounded in the attack, in which two attackers drove a lorry into the station. The government of the People’s Republic of China has repeatedly warned of unrest leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Xinhua News Agency reports that the attackers drove a dump truck into the police officers during the officers’ morning exercise at about 8:00 am local time (0:00 GMT), then threw grenades into the police barracks and attacked with knives. The BBC reports that fourteen of the police deaths occurred at the scene, with two more dying en route to hospital. They also report one of the alleged attackers received a leg injury. The attackers were arrested, according to police.
After they were arrested by the police, the assailants were described as being 28 and 33, and of the Uyghur minority, a Turkish speaking people who reside primarily in the Xinjiang region. The police found an additional 10 explosives in the truck as well as what was described as a “home-made gun.”
The autonomous Xinjiang region of China is a large, sparsely-populated territory in the north-west of the country. The population includes many groups, but the largest is the Turkic peoples including the largely Muslim Uyghurs. Kashgar is an oasis city at an important junction of trade routes, near China’s western borders, and was a part of the historic “Silk Road.”
A U.S. District Court in Tarrant County, Texas, issued a summary judgment Thursday against Circuit City’s InterTAN Inc., requiring all 950 RadioShack stores in Canada to stop using the RadioShack brand in store signs, packaging, products and advertising after June 30.
RadioShack’s Canadian operations were spun off in 1986 to a new corporation, InterTAN Canada, which was purchased in 2004 by RadioShack’s major U.S. competitor, Circuit City. Shortly thereafter, RadioShack sued InterTAN, alleging it had violated the terms of their licensing agreement and seeking the right to terminate the contract early.
In a statement released following the judge’s ruling, RadioShack’s general counsel, Mark Hill, claimed: “The most important thing to us was to protect our brand position in Canada.”
Circuit City chairman and chief executive officer, W. Alan McCollough responded today in a press release seeking an appeal: “We respectfully believe the court has erred in the partial ruling entered yesterday and we will use every means of relief possible to exercise our rights under the agreements, including all appeal rights. The Company believes the positions taken by InterTAN are correct and believe InterTAN will ultimately prevail in the legal proceedings.”
Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero portrayed in the film “Hotel Rwanda”, visited Atlanta, Ga. and Washington, D.C. this week to address American students and business leaders at schools and conferences centers. His appearances coincide with World Refugee Day events in Washington.
At Sleepy Hollow Elementary School in the Falls Church section of Fairfax County, he spoke to elementary school students who had learned about his accomplishments in the weeks prior to his appearance.
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Rusesabagina said. “You also should do the right thing.” He explained the situation he faced in simple terms. “There were bad people and good people. The good people came to hide in my hotel, I had to give them food. I had to give them shelter and keep away the bad people for two and a half months.” When asked if he was scared, he responded “No, fortunately I did not have time to be scared. I did not know that what I was doing was different. I thought other people were doing it.”
In Atlanta, speaking with business leaders, he focused on the present and future.
“What is going on in Darfur is exactly what had been going on in Rwanda, the government is killing its own citizens.” He encouraged business leaders to bring money into Africa but made it clear that Africa was in need of more than just business interest. “What Africans need as a whole is not only someone who will come and pay their education, but it is also to change the systems in Africa. To help us to change, to find lasting solutions. Africa is ruled by dictators. And those dictators should know that one day they also can be brought to justice,” emphasizing the idea that Africa needed a political revamping to stabilize.
PRS for Music is the UK’s music royalty collection society tasked with working on behalf of copyright holders, specifically authors and music publishers. Founded in 1914, the PRS is a non-profit organisation with 350,000 UK businesses holding PRS licenses. The society works in conjunction with PPL which collects fees on behalf of the copyright holders of the actual recording.So, if a cover version of a song is played on UK radio, PRS collect a fee on behalf of the original writer and publisher, whilst PPL collect a fee on behalf of the record company of the cover. In a recent Wikinews interview, Paul Campbell, founder of Amazing Radio, an unsigned UK radio station, lambasted PRS for their “barmy standard contract” and their outdated equipment. That interview can be found here.
The music industry is changing and the way we use music is continually changing
Wikinews reporter Tristan Thomas interviews PRS, following up on Campbell and others’ criticism as well as finding out about future plans.
((Wikinews)) Firstly, thank you for the time in doing this interview.
((WN)) Last year, you were involved in a high profile dispute with YouTube. Can you briefly explain to our audience what that was all about and the final outcome of it?
((PRS)) PRS for Music was the first collecting society in the world to license the YouTube service, meaning if music videos were watched online then our members – who created them – would receive a small royalty payment. When we went to renew the licence that YouTube held we couldn’t agree as to how much should be paid and exactly what should be covered within it. We believed that music had become a much larger part of the YouTube service and that YouTube/Google should reflect the increased use of our members’ creative talent in the amount they paid.
The great thing is that we kept talking to YouTube throughout the dispute and managed to reach an agreement in September which meant that the videos could be accessed again by UK YouTube users and that our 65,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members would be paid.
((WN)) How many artists do you represent and how much did you collect during 2009 for them?
((PRS)) We represent 65,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. We haven’t released our 2009 figures yet but in 2008 we collected over £600m for them. The main sources of revenue come from recorded media (CDs, DVDs etc), international use, public performance use and use in television, radio and online.
((WN)) Paul Campbell in a recent interview with us said the following:“PRS has a barmy standard contract for using their members’ music online. It requires us to pay them a fixed percentage of ALL revenue from that website – whether or not the revenue is derived from their members’ work. So if we had 100,000 songs from non-PRS artists on amazingtunes.com, and one song from a PRS artist, we’d have to pay them a percentage of the revenue from ALL 100,000 songs. I.e., we’d have to take money out of the pockets out of non-PRS artists to pay to PRS. That would be immoral.”How do you respond to that?
((PRS)) Anyone using music in a commercial way – such as a radio station – is required to obtain the permission of those that created the music. This could be numerous writers, publishers and a record label for each song, possibly in different countries around the world. By obtaining a PRS for Music and PPL licence in the UK you are ensuring you have those permissions for over 10million musical works. Obviously much of the music used on radio comes from non-UK writers who may not be members of PRS for Music. Radio and television stations give us almost 100% accurate reports of their music use through their own playlists; this data then enables organisations such as ours to work out who should be paid and how much. PRS for Music has 144 agreements in place with similar societies around the world, resulting in us representing almost 2 million writers worldwide. If French, American, Spanish, Australian or any other writer’s music is used we will pay the respective societies so they can pay their members.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Is PRS’ standard contract “barmy” as Paul Campbell asserts?
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Similarly a writer of musician may be ‘unsigned’ by that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t earn from their music when it is used by others. Many bands, writers and performers are currently unsigned but by being members of PRS for Music they ensure that they can begin earning vital royalties that allow them to continue with their musical career.
((WN)) How does the PRS ensure that artists outside the UK are properly compensated when their music is used within the UK, such as Thai or Chinese restaurants paying their PRS dues and exclusively using music which is from outside Europe?
((PRS)) As mentioned before PRS for Music has agreements in place in over 90 countries around the world to ensure that when music is used the right creators are rewarded. The system – built up over the last century – works both ways and when UK music is used internationally, PRS for Music receives royalties from foreign societies so we can pay our members. In 2008 £139.8m was collected from UK music use abroad, with the UK being one of only a few net exporters of music in the world.
((WN)) There have been a few cases in which PRS have been forced to apologise, exemplified by the threat of prosecution and a fine towards “singing granny” Sandra Burt, a shelf-stacker who sung to herself whilst stacking shelves. How has PRS moved forward from these incidents in order to ensure they do not happen again?
((PRS)) If we have made mistakes we will of course put our hands up and say so. For example when we were approached about the Sandra Burt case – by a journalist incidentally and not Sandra – we did give out slightly incorrect advice, although the questions were a little ambiguous. Once we realised our mistake we contacted Sandra to explain that she wouldn’t need a licence to sing to her customers and offered our sincere apologies. As an organisation we are very quick to admit where we get things wrong and ensure they are put right. We’re proud of our record with our customers and currently have 350,000 businesses choosing to use music in the UK.
Once we realised our mistake we contacted Sandra
To put the complaints in context we have only have 1 for approximately every 5,000 customer contacts we make. This is an exceptionally low ratio and there are many firms who would be envious of a record like this. During 2009 our complaints fell by 50% and we appointed an independent ombudsmen who could handle any complaints if they were not resolved internally. As of January 2010 no complaints have needed to be passed on to the ombudsmen.
((WN)) How does the PRS work with musicians who are not signed to major labels, may make music available for download via their own websites or MySpace, and do not have the financial resources to protect their copyright?
((PRS)) Many of the PRS for Music membership is not signed to a major record label and we represent creators from all genres of music in the UK and abroad. By joining PRS for Music, which only costs £10 deferred to your first royalty payment, you ensure you can begin earning royalties whenever your music is played, performed or reproduced. We have worked hard to license such sites as YouTube, MySpace, Spotify and Sky Songs to name a selection to ensure our members can be rewarded when their work is used.
Our membership team also work hard to support our creators holding showcase events, offering advice of how to get their music used as well as legal and financial advice.
((WN)) Finally, what future plans do you have as an organisation in order to further protect and enhance your members work as new technologies emerge over the next few years?
((PRS)) PRS for Music will continue to be at the forefront of licensing new digital and online services to ensure creators are paid. We aim to get the balance right to ensure new products and music services can launch and develop, but that also they pay for the music they use.
The music industry is changing and the way we use music is continually changing (it always has) but we’ll still be at the forefront enabling people to use music whenever they want, and rewarding those that have created that music.
((WN)) Thank you for taking the time out for this interview. Good luck for 2010.
Flag of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Image: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
George M. Leader, former Governor of the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, died in Hershey, Pennsylvania yesterday at the age of 95.
Leader’s death, at a retirement community he and his wife founded in 1985, comes after the former governor suffered a short illness. The community’s spokeswoman, Kelly S. Kuntz, announced Leader’s death.
Leader was born in York County, Pennsylvania in 1918. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1939, he joined his father’s poultry business. Shortly thereafter, in World War II, Leader served as an ensign in the U.S. Navy.
After serving in the State Senate for four years, Leader, a Democrat, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in the 1954 election. Sworn-in in 1955, he served as Governor until 1959.
Upon taking office at the age of 37, Leader became the second-youngest Governor of Pennsylvania behind Robert E. Pattison, who was 32 years old at his 1883 inauguration.
Current Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett mandated state flags be flown at half staff until the evening of Leader’s burial. Corbett also praised Leader, describing him as someone who “defied political labels and conventional thinking in his tireless work for Pennsylvania and its people.”
Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell also commented on Leader’s death, saying he would be remembered as “a man who cared very deeply about what happened around him.”
A British man, Ronald West, has been convicted of animal neglect after authorities received complaints about his five-year-old dog being severely overweight. Authorities discovered the case of neglect in December 2008 after a neighbor complained that West’s Border Collie Taz appeared to be too fat.
File photo of a Border Collie (not Taz).Image: Pleple2000.
When authorities arrived at West’s residence, they found Taz’s feces scattered around the house and in every room. Authorities made several more visits to West’s home until March 2009, at which point they determined that there had been no improvements in living conditions, and so they seized the dog. Taz weighed 88lbs (40kg) when authorities seized him.
West had said that he had been ill with the flu and was unable to clean up after Taz or take him for walks. He admits that he and his friends overfed Taz which led to his obesity, but West says it was not intentional.
“I’ll put my hands up and say I’m guilty of [Taz] being overweight, but it wasn’t deliberate. You can be cruel with kindness,” said West in March, according to the police report.
West’s sentencing has been postponed because he failed to appear at today’s hearing. When sentenced, West could face a fine of up to £5,000 (US$7,581), six months in prison, and may be forbidden from owning any pets.
A full crowd showed up at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon earlier today, only to watch their home side fall to Roma of Italy. The previous leg in the series saw the two teams draw 0-0 which gave Roma a slight advantage from the start, as a draw would allow them to advance. The previous match was extremely undisciplined, and Roma was given eight yellow cards. The Italian side showed a much calmer demeanor this game, earning only two yellows in comparison to Lyon’s four.
Lyon produced the first chance of the game as Romas keeper Alexandre Doni was unable to cope with Juninho, but defender Philippe Mexes was able to clear the ball from nearby strikers. Roma had their own chance soon after, as Daniele De Rossi was left open, and he headed the ball home. The goal was disallowed by the referee after he spotted a push by De Rossi on Eric Abidal. Juninho continued to threaten Roma, but his crosses were not able to do any damage to the Rossinari. Lyon fell behind on 22 minutes when Max Tonetto clipped a cross into the middle, and Francesco Totti was in the right place to head the ball past Gregory Coupet. Crosses continued to be the only attack Lyon could muster, and they produced a good chance off a Juninho corner kick. The ball ricoched off several players before Squillaci latch on for a shot, but the ball was sent directly at Doni, and the keeper made the save. Mancini then doubled the visitors lead just before halftime. After some quick stepovers to fool Anthony Reveillere, he struck the ball soundly into the top corner of the net.
After the break, Roma could have killed off the game indefinitely, as Tadei beat Lyon’s offside trap, but was unable to regain the composure required to smash the ball home. Doni then produced a few saves for Roma, kicking out Sylvan Wiltord’s shot, and then diving to palm away a curling shot by Juninho. Both teams then made vain attempts for a penalty, but both Fred and Perrotta diving, but the referee made the right decisions and awarded only a yellow to Perrotta. Fred was then given a yellow for cruelly smashing Chivu in the face with his arm. Fred was lucky to receive a red for his actions. Roma held on for the win, and the 5 time french champions bowed out of the Champions League.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
Saturday, December 2, 2006
As families fled their homes in the early morning hours on Thursday October 26, there was no warning. The Esperanza Fire southeast of Los Angeles and West of Palm Springs, California, had ballooned under the influence of Santa Ana winds to more than 19,000 acres as of the morning of October 27. No time to get the animals, no time for crates or even a leash. Sadly, owners left behind not only their horses, lamas, donkeys, chickens, rabbits, but also their dogs and cats.
Many of the families who did manage to evacuate their pets found themselves in the parking lot at the Fellowship in the Pass Church Red Cross Shelter where a MuttShack Animal Rescue team caught up with them.
Pam Anderson, Director of the emergency Red Cross shelter said that many people with animals had come and left.
The air was thick with smoke, and ash was raining down on the parking lot where dog owners, not able to take their dogs into the shelter were camping out in pup tents andin their cars.
Those who could afford it checked themselves into pet friendly hotels in nearby towns.
Some were prepared. Jane Garner, a small dog breeder was able to get all her animals out, and had set up her puppy runs alongside her RV in the parking lot. Others were not doing too well, having left home without as much as a leash.
The same scenario played out at the Red Cross shelter at Hemet High School. Animals were being boarded in vans, trailers and cars and small travel crates.
When MuttShack Animal Rescue arrived, a small fracas had sent several dogs off in different directions, running out of the school parking lot down busy streets necessitating an instant rescue response.
The Incident Command for the Esperanza Animals, Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto welcomed MuttShack‘s offer to help at the shelters.
Ramona Humane Society had recently published a notice in their Newsletter about the newly passed “PETS Act”and warned owners not wait until a major disaster such as an earthquake or fireto prepare. “Be proactive to ensure that your pet will be taken care of.”
MuttShack and PetSmart Charities set up ad hoc facilities for the animals at both shelters.
The Red Cross shelter, run by Madison Burtchaell of the Orange County Red Cross was very accommodating about allowing a small emergency pet shelter adjacent to the School.
Barbara A. Fought of PetSmart Charities, an organization that works with animal welfare organizations and provide assistance in disasters, provided crates and emergency supplies.
MuttShack and Red Cross volunteers, Martin St. John, Tom Hamilton, and Steve Meissner helped assemble the crates to secure a safe environment for evacuated pets.
It was a great relief for evacuees who had camped out in the parking lot to finally leave their vehicles and relax at the shelter, setting up their cots to grab some sorely needed rest.
Firefighters and residents reported loss of wildlife and animals. The Esperanza fire burned 34 homes, consumed 40,000 acres and cost five Firefighters their lives before it was contained four days later on October 30. Firefighting operations cost nearly $10 million.
MuttShack Animal Rescue is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization active in disasters and dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and care of lost or discarded dogs, cats and other animals.
