Wikinews interviews Joe Schriner, Independent U.S. presidential candidate

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Journalist, counselor, painter, and US 2012 Presidential candidate Joe Schriner of Cleveland, Ohio took some time to discuss his campaign with Wikinews in an interview.

Schriner previously ran for president in 2000, 2004, and 2008, but failed to gain much traction in the races. He announced his candidacy for the 2012 race immediately following the 2008 election. Schriner refers to himself as the “Average Joe” candidate, and advocates a pro-life and pro-environmentalist platform. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, and has published public policy papers exploring solutions to American issues.

Wikinews reporter William Saturn? talks with Schriner and discusses his campaign.

Fix Your Car With The Best Experts In Auto Repair In Tarpon Springs, Fl

byAlma Abell

It might happen when you’re on your way to visit your family for that long-planned vacation. It might happen when you’re stuck in the middle of midday traffic on your way to the office. It might happen when you’re racing to school to pick up the kids or driving home with them in tow. Whenever and however it happens, though, one thing is for certain. When you suffer an auto accident or your car breaks down, you need your auto repaired, and fast.

That’s why you’ll want to work with the best experts in auto repair in Tarpon Springs, FL.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1-JftDO78k[/youtube]

Rapid Response

When your car has broken down or been smashed up in an accident, the last thing you want to hear is that you’ll “have to wait” to get it fixed. That’s why the best experts in auto repair work to provide their clients with rapid response and repair times on all projects they undertake.

Repair Services

The best auto repair experts can tackle a variety of issues, including:

  • Worn-down or punctured tires
  • Transmission systems that are leaking or otherwise not functioning properly
  • Suspension systems that have your car drifting or rattling along
  • Air conditioning systems that have ceased to function
  • Engine problems of all shapes and sizes
  • Brakes that aren’t working
  • And much more

In any or all of these cases, a car repair team will assess the damage and then make suggestions to you as to the best way to repair or replace the problem area.

Experience You Can Trust

When it comes to something as important as your car, you’re going to want to work with a team you can trust. That’s why the best experts in auto repair can point to decades’ worth of dedicated experience to their credit and a great customer service record to match.

Visit Teddybearsusedparts.com and get your car the help it needs today.

Canada’s Don Valley West (Ward 25) city council candidates speak

Friday, November 3, 2006

On November 13, Torontonians will be heading to the polls to vote for their ward’s councillor and for mayor. Among Toronto’s ridings is Don Valley West (Ward 25). Three candidates responded to Wikinews’ requests for an interview. This ward’s candidates include John Blair, Robertson Boyle, Tony Dickins, Cliff Jenkins (incumbent), and Peter Kapsalis.

For more information on the election, read Toronto municipal election, 2006.

Computer professionals celebrate 10th birthday of A.L.I.C.E.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005File:Turing1.jpg

More than 50 programmers, scientists, students, hobbyists and fans of the A.L.I.C.E. chat robot gathered in Guildford, U.K. on Friday to celebrate the tenth birthday of the award winning A.I. On hand was the founder the Loebner Prize, an annual Turing Test, designed to pick out the world’s most human computer according to an experiment laid out by the famous British mathematician Alan Turing more then 50 years ago. Along with A.L.I.C.E.’s chief programmer Dr. Richard S. Wallace, two other Loebner prize winners, Robby Garner and this year’s winner, Rollo Carpenter, also gave presentations, as did other finalists.

The University of Surrey venue was chosen, according to Dr. Wallace, not only because it was outside the U.S. (A.L.I.C.E.’s birthday fell on the Thanksgiving Day weekend holiday there, so he expected few people would attend a conference in America), but also because of its recently erected statue of Alan Turing, who posed the famous A. I. experiment which inspired much of the work on bots like A.L.I.C.E. University of Surrey Digital World Research Centre organizers Lynn and David Hamill were pleased to host the event because it encourages multi-disciplinary interaction, and because of the Centre’s interest in interaction between humans and computers.File:ALICE Birthday Cake.jpg

Dr. Wallace gave a keynote address outlining the history of A.L.I.C.E. and AIML. Many people commented on the fact the he seemed to have moved around a lot in the last ten years, having lived in New York, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, Maine, Amsterdam and Philadelphia, while working on the Alicebot project. The A.L.I.C.E. and AIML software is popular among chat robot enthusiats primarily because of its distribution under the GNU free software license. One of Dr. Wallace’s PowerPoint slides asked the question, “How do you make money from free software?” His answer: memberships, subscriptions, books, directories, syndicated ads, consulting, teaching, and something called the Superbot.

Rollo Carpenter gave a fascinating presentation on his learning bot Jabberwacky, reading from several sample conversations wherein the bot seemed amazingly humanlike. Unlike the free A.L.I.C.E. software, Carpenter uses a proprietary learning approach so that the bot actually mimics the personality of each individual chatter. The more people who chat with Jabberwacky, the better it becomes at this kind of mimicry.

In another interesting presentation, Dr. Hamill related present-day research on chat robots to earlier work on dialog analysis in telephone conversations. Phone calls have many similarities to the one-on-one chats that bots encounter on the web and in IM. Dr. Hamill also related our social expectations of bots to social class structure and how servants were expected to behave in Victorian England. He cited the famous Microsoft paperclip as the most egregius example of a bot that violated all the rules of a good servant’s behavior.

Bots have advanced a long way since philanthropist Hugh Loebner launched his controversial contest 15 years ago. His Turing Test contest, which offers an award of $100,000 for the first program to pass an “audio-visual” version of the game, also awards a bronze medal and $2000 every year for the “most human computer” according to a panel of judges. Huma Shah of the University of Westminster presented examples of bots used by large corporations to help sell furniture, provide the latest information about automotive products, and help customers open bank accounts. Several companies in the U.S. and Europe offer customized bot personalities for corporate web sites.

Even though Turing’s Test remains controversial, this group of enthusiastic developers seems determined to carry on the tradition and try to develop more and more human like chat bots.Hugh Loebner is dedicated to carry on his contest for the rest of his life, in spite of his critics. He hopes that a large enough constituency of winners will exist to keep the competition going well beyond his own lifetime. Dr. Wallace says, “Nobody has gotten rich from chat robots yet, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. There is such a thing as ‘bot fever’. For some people who meet a bot for the first time, it can pass the Turing Test for them, and they get very excited.”

Borussia Dortmund announces former Ajax coach Peter Bosz as team’s new boss

Friday, June 9, 2017

On Tuesday, German football club Borussia Dortmund (BVB) announced Peter Bosz as their new head coach. Bosz, who spent one season with the Dutch Eredivisie runners-up Ajax, was to sign a two-year deal with the DFB Pokal winners BVB which runs through June 2019. Ajax’s assistant coach Hendrie Krüzen also was to leave the Dutch side for Dortmund.

The 53-year-old Dutch manager led the the Dutch capital club to a second place finish in the Dutch league Eredivisie, finishing just one point below Feyenoord Rotterdam and won a silver medal in the UEFA Europa League, losing 2–0 against Manchester United.

Bosz’s predecessor Thomas Tuchel led Dortmund to the DFB Pokal victory, third place finish in Bundesliga the last season and a qualification to next season’s Champions League group stage. Two years ago, Tuchel succeded Jürgen Klopp and his side remained unbeaten in the home games. On May 30, days after winning his first trophy with Borussia Dortmund, the club announced Tuchel was sacked with immediate effect via their official website. “‘Unfortunately we couldn’t see a basis for continued work together built on trust with a successful outlook in the current personnel constellation.”, the CEO said.

Edwin van der Sar, Ajax’s General Manager said, “I have mixed feelings about this transfer. When we brought Peter in to Ajax last summer, it wasn’t our intention that our partnership would end after just one season. Especially in the Europa League, we’ve had an amazing season. For our players, and our coach, that has attracted extra attention from clubs in top European competitions. But we couldn’t go so far as to bind him to his contract, and we worked out a good deal with Dortmund. It’s now up to us, prior to the start of the pre-season, to sign on a good successor.” ((nl))Dutch language: ?Ik heb gemengde gevoelens bij deze overgang. Toen we Peter vorige zomer naar Ajax haalden was het niet de bedoeling dat na één jaar alweer een einde zou komen aan de samenwerking. We hebben, met name in de Europa League, een geweldig seizoen neergezet. Net als bij onze spelers trekt dat ook voor de trainer de aandacht van clubs uit de Europese topcompetities. Het ging ons te ver om hem aan zijn contract te houden en we zijn er met Dortmund goed uitgekomen. Het is nu aan ons om, voordat de voorbereiding begint, een goede opvolger te contracteren.

Under former coach Thomas Tuchel, Borussia Dortmund’s key players ?lkay Gündo?an, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Dortmund then-captain Mats Hummels left Signal Iduna Park last season, but signed Ousmane Dembélé, André Schürrle, Marc Bartra and Mario Götze.

This season, Dortmund signed Ömer Toprak, Mahmoud Dahoud, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Maximilian Philipp.

Fifteen people killed in attack on Nigerian college

Friday, September 19, 2014

Officials said at least fifteen people were killed in an attack on a teachers training college in the Northern Nigerian city of Kano by a group of armed gunmen on Wednesday. Over 30 others were wounded.

News agencies have reported while there has been no claim of responsibility, suspicion will likely fall on the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. The group has previously targeted Western-style schools within the country, including past attacks on secondary schools.

According to official reports, police first approached the group in the area of the school, concerned about their unusual activity, and the attackers engaged police in a firefight. The attackers gained entry to the school and started throwing bombs.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan described the incident as a “dastardly attack”. He has already declared a state of emergency in three northern states, and is being criticized along with the country’s armed forces for failure to prevent extremist attacks.

A police spokesman said police killed two attackers at the scene.

UK Mobile Data Network Collapses

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

London, UK — The Vodafone GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Mobile Data Network within the UK was off the air for several hours, but Vodafone staff were unable to supply any details as to how or why this had happened. The incident seems to have originated within Southern England, but spread “nationwide” within a short period.

Customers were therefore unable to access data services for a protracted period, including WAP browsing from mobile phones, email from personal devices like Blackberries and Windows Mobile Messengers, and full access over data cards from laptops.

Some criticism has been levelled at the company for failing to provide an easy source of information on the problem, with the only realistic option being to queue for a response from a call centre, as no information could be found on their public-facing website. This practice, whilst far from unique to Vodafone within the telecommunications industry, contrasts poorly with the common practice for most ISPs (Internet Service Providers), who conventionally provide a “system status” page on their website.

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.

Several injured at campground in Maine as storm topples trees

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

A family of six were injured at Flat Rock Bridge Family Resort and campground in Lebanon, Maine after a severe thunderstorm caused trees to topple, with one landing on a tent. A 10-year-old girl was critically injured after a tree fell on the tent she was sleeping in. Witnesses say the girl was pinned under the tree for at least 10 minutes before they were able to remove it.

Witnesses also say the day was beautiful and sunny, but at around 6:00 p.m. (EDT) a storm rolled in, darkening the sky, followed by heavy winds and rain. Witnesses describe a “funnel-like wind” which lifted items off the ground and threw them around. The strong winds then brought down trees and limbs, with one landing on the family’s campsite and tent. Severe lightning was also reported.

“The female patient was loaded into Lebanon Ambulance One and transported to Frisbie Hospital in Rochester to be stabilized and then was transferred to the trauma center at Maine Medical Center. Her injuries were considered critical and life threatening when she left the scene,” said Jason Cole, the assistant rescue chief for the area. The victims names have not been released and the girl’s current condition is not yet known.

Rescuers responding to the scene noticed several other trees and limbs scattered around other campsites and searched all 350 sites, but no other injuries were reported. Other campers say they had several close calls with tree limbs and debris. At least 12 trees were reported to have toppled during the storm. The family’s car was also destroyed when a tree limb landed on it.

The National Weather Service in Maine says it will investigate whether or not the storm produced a tornado.

Investigation into US Airways river ditching in New York completed

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed its investigation into the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 into New York’s Hudson River. The fifteen-month probe began after the Airbus A320 performed a water landing when bird strikes damaged both engines in a move dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson” by the media. Nobody was killed.

The NTSB’s final report, adopted after a board meeting today, concluded that a combination of safety equipment better than the mandatory minimums and good reactions by the crew were the main reasons the 150 passengers and five crew survived. The board stated that the aircraft’s equipment met the standards required for “extended overwater operations”, equipment that was not needed for the January 2009 flight.

The aircraft was equiped with escape slides that doubled as water rafts at the front and aft emergency exits, but the aft ones were rendered unavailable. Airbus assumed when designing the aircraft that only one engine would be inoperative during an emergency ditching, and current emergency checklists assume plenty of prior warning for dual-engine failure since the aircraft would be at a high altitude. The A320 was at just 2,700 feet when the incident occurred, having just taken off when it collided with a flock of Canada geese, almost completely removing the engines’ ability to generate thrust.

The final report has blamed a number of factors for extensive fuselage damage caused in the impact, which cracked a rear bulkhead and caused the aircraft to flood, as well as taking the rear slides out of action. The board said standards aircraft should meet in ditchings – set by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) – were inadequate, training in industry was not sufficient for ditchings and the high level of tasks the crew had to focus on made it difficult for the pilot to maintain his airspeed. The pilot’s decision to ditch was credited as being the best possible solution to the emergency.

The NTSB noted that while the rear rafts failed, 64 people climbed into the forward rafts, and said many of these people would have been immersed in the frigid river. The board claimed that this could induce “cold shock”, which can lead to drowning within minutes.

The report found that the good visibility, calm water, nearby ferries which provided rescues within twenty minutes and good cockpit resource management, allowing the crew to maintain control, were further factors that contributed to the survival of those on board. However, it also found that “more creative and effective methods of conveying safety information to passengers” are required after learning that most passengers had not paid attention to the in-flight safety announcement. It also noted that many passengers had difficulty putting on the life vests supplied under the seats.

The report further stated that the accident was hard to predict due to the fact that bird strikes tend to occur much lower, usually below 500 feet. It considered the possibilities of fitting engine screens or redesigning engines to mitigate bird strike risk, but these proposals were rejected after consideration since they were deemed unfeasable.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman described the circumstances as “a great example of the professionalism of the crewmembers, air traffic controllers and emergency responders who all played a role in preserving the safety of everyone aboard.” She further discussed the safety recommendations the report will contain when it is released. “I believe the safety recommendations that have come out of this investigation have an extraordinary origin – a very serious accident in which everyone survived. Even in an accident where everyone survives, there are lessons learned and areas that could use improvement. Our report today takes these lessons learned so that, if our recommendations are implemented, every passenger and crewmember may have the opportunity to benefit from the advances in safety.” A total of 35 recommendations have been made seeking improved checklists for emergencies, better certification standards for aircraft and their engines, advances in crew training, better safety equipment and improved safety briefings to passengers.

One result of these findings is that the board will likely ask the FAA to require emergency equipment for water landings on all commercial aircraft. The FAA has until now held that such a move would place a disproportionately high cost on airlines.

Looking For Used Transmissions For Sale?

byAlma Abell

Replacing an old or faulty transmission is something that many drivers have to deal with at least once in their driving careers. And without that vital system working properly, your vehicle won’t get you very far! But transmissions often come with hefty price tags and this leaves many consumers looking for alternative options. If you’ve turned to the web in search of used transmissions for sale, you’re on the right track. Many transmission mechanics have now taken their services online and are offering rebuilt systems that can ship just about anywhere.

The ProsInstead of scouring your local junkyard and hoping you end up with something salvageable, why not buy a used transmission from someone who actually knows what they’re doing? Used transmissions for sale through various transmission mechanics across the US are generally professionally refurbished, meaning any broken or missing parts have been replaced or repaired. While the tranny itself it used, the inside has been altered to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability.

Don’t Ignore the ProblemOn the flip side, many drivers choose to ignore their transmission problems and wind up in an even bigger mess. Unlike some other problems, transmission issues will not resolve themselves and will only get worse if left unattended. When you find used transmissions for sale that offer the price and benefits that you’re looking for, it’s best to act sooner rather than later to ensure that you don’t end up risking your safety or the safety of others by continuing to drive it. With resources now available online, it’s easier than ever to get the rebuilt transmission you need quickly.

Experience MattersBecause there are mechanics that specialize in transmissions, it’s a great idea to turn to them over those who are generalists in the auto industry. Often, they directly repair/refurbish transmissions themselves or they can refer you to a certified dealer. Because transmissions are so intricate and contain so many working parts, you don’t want to buy from just anyone. However, making the choice to explore used options prior to buying new could end up saving you hundreds of dollars when everything is all said and done.

Visit Trannyman.net to find out more about Trans Works Transmissions. Offering a wide selection of rebuilt transmissions, they’re the perfect place to purchase a reliable system that is backed by three decades of industry experience.