#safety sheriff labrador

[subhollic]

*octonaut-tifys your sheriff labrador*

[daily-sheriff-labrador-gifs]

😅

[aleespace-art]

I was forced to watch kids cartoon called Sheriff Labrador and I'm too embarrassed to admit that I kinda enjoyed it (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)

Long chatter below (it is long. I'm not joking)

So umm basically it's a Babybus YouTube cartoon and it is exactly the quality you expect from youtube kids show

It's not secretly good or something the whole family can enjoy like "Bluey". It's just okay and yet here I am dumping bunch of art about it, idk how this works ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

My sibling made me watch it and while I'm at it let me tell you about some things I actually enjoyed about this cartoon

Umm first of all if I watched this cartoon as a kid I just know I would've had a huge crush on this fucking cartoon Labrador, he's just the type I really liked (still do) — responsible, perfect, good at everything adult in kids show (the other character close to this is Sportacus from "Lazytown" which I did watch as a child and did have a crush on this sports dude so that checks out)

Second — the themes. This cartoon teaches kids safety so I expected some basic stuff like "Don't play with fire" or "Don't cross the road on red". And I was actually surprised when the first ever episode I saw was about food delivery and how you should always read reviews before ordering something online. Idk maybe I haven't watched modern kids show in a while but I think it's cool that they talk about that kind of stuff (and ! there was also an episode about AI face swapping! wow modern problems ig)

Also an episode that stuck with me was about a pool. I saw the video preview and thought "yeah pools.. don't run.. don't drown.. basic stuff" and while later I discovered that they have an episode about safety at pools, this specific episode was about something else. It taught children to never go with strangers anywhere and never let them touch your private parts. The episode literally showed a bad character grabbing the child and taking him away, then the child was rescued when police came in with the words "Don't touch the child, that's illegal!"

I'm writing this not because I "criticize" the show for it, I actually think it's important to show what actually can happen to you if you go with strangers, it was just a surreal experience when I watched two cartoon police dogs arresting a cartoon representation of an actual pedophile and then hearing this said character cry and say "I'm sorry, I won't do this again!" Like...wow... I fucking hope you won't because you're going to cartoon jail forever 💀

I also was really surprised when I discovered the show actually has small fandom on tiktok let's goo??

TL;DR This is a show for little kids and I accidentally got hooked because of my sibling

[sabiraclouds]

My little siblings watch a show called Sheriff Labrador, and for a little kids show, it's super crazy. It is a series that teaches safety lessons to children, things like not following strangers nor receiving anything from them; but constantly, to teach these lessons, it shows the WORST possible result for not following the safety rules

Such as, for example, a simple lesson, "do not spend a lot of time in front of screens or too close to them, it could hurt your eyesight", how is this problem represented? By a child getting lost after his glasses broke (that it has for spending a lot of time in front of screens) and having the WORST luck in the world to end up in a CARGO ship container almost frozen to DEATH! I feel the need to say that the boy, before his glasses broke, was in the supermarket, nowhere near the cargo ship, his luck was just really that bad

The video covers are amazing by the way

[awkwardnessandbaseball]

As promised, here’s Chapter One!!!

So many thanks to: @cspupstravaganza, @sherlockianwhovian​, and @lassluna.

AO3 if that’s your jam.

I’d Pick You (and Your Little Dog, Too)

A Captain Swan Pupstravaganza Story

Summary: According to everyone in the known universe, Emma Swan’s dog is supposed to lead her to her soulmate. But she’s not even sure if she wants that. Soulmates are pretty idealistic, don’t you think?

Chapter One:

There is a good chance that Rascal is going to break Emma Nolan’s neck one of these days. She loves her dog dearly, but he isn’t easy to walk on a crowded street. Even down a limb, he still barrels down the sidewalk, always on a mission, pulling Emma this way and that. Most of the time, somehow or another, it turns out that he’s gotten her away from some accident or pulled her towards the exact food she’s been craving.

One time, she’d been distracted, looking down at her phone, and a car had run straight through a red light while she was in the crosswalk. Rascal yanked her across the street so hard, she’d nearly fallen flat on her face. But she couldn’t be mad at him, because he’d quite literally saved her life. A little shoulder soreness from the pulling sure beat being flattened in the middle of an intersection.

“You really should have more control over your dog, you know.” A strange man is wrinkling up his nose at Emma as Rascal drags her down the sidewalk. It’s odd enough that the man has an unfamiliar face in a small town like Storybrooke, where Emma’s lived for her entire life, but the judgement apparent on his face just rubs her the wrong way. She doesn’t respond as Rascal leads her directly to the door of her favorite coffee shop. It’s been a long week, and Rascal knows it, so he knows this is what she needs this morning. Emma returns her attention to the man, unsure why he feels the need to comment on her dog owning skills. Catching her eye, he continues speaking to her. “They’re very important creatures in our lives. It would be a shame if something happened before he could fulfill his duty.” The man turns and walks away, and Emma notices that he doesn’t even have a dog of his own.

She knows he’s right, of course. Her dog is supposed to somehow lead her not only into coffee shops and out of trouble, but also directly into the arms of her soulmate. If she’s even got one.

At 28, most of her friends have already been paired off. Ruby’s tiny little Cairn terrier, Toto, got her leash tangled up with Dorothy’s oversized Siberian Husky, Wolf, when they were only twenty. Ashley’s white Labrador Retriever, Tommy, had brought home her neighbor’s Yorkie as if they were on a play date – Sean wasn’t happy about it until he’d seen who owned the lab who’d stolen his dog, Boots. Even Will Scarlet’s beautiful little cocker spaniel, Lady, had somehow led him straight to Belle and her mess of a mutt, Tramp.

Emma and her brother, David, are the only ones left out of their friends without soulmates. It’s absurd. The whole thing is, really. Dogs are too good and pure to be used just as tools to find your soulmate.

Emma doesn’t know if she even buys into the whole soulmate thing. The idea that a dog chooses you, fine, but that it then leads you to another human just seems so…idealistic. Like maybe people just love their dogs so much that they want to find people just like them, and the soulmate thing is just an excuse.

She’s tried to make this argument before, but David has always shut her down. He’s an optimistic fool who is the very definition of hopeless romantic. His soulmate’s dog probably sleeps beside its human in bed every night, snuggled up for warmth and safety.

Emma does let herself wonder, occasionally, what her soulmate’s dog is like. She wonders if the dog runs away often, or is afraid of small spaces like she is. She wonders if her soulmate lives across the world in Europe or something and that’s why it’s taking so long to find them.

She wanders into the coffee shop, looking around at all of the human-canine pairs lounging about on couches and sipping drinks at the counter. There are hitches for dog leashes throughout the shop, but most people choose to keep them in-hand, their dogs as much a part of them as their hands or arms or legs. The shop, like most, gives out a small plastic container of water to each customer for their canine counterparts, and some people have taken to labeling the makeshift bowls the way their cups are labeled by the baristas. Emma sees a lot of ‘Charlies’ and ‘Stellas’ on these bowls, but so far, hers is the only Rascal.

Sometimes, she watches Rascal when they enter a building full of dogs, just to see if he’ll lead her to someone special. So far, he never has. Today is no different, and she approaches the counter as she shakes the idea from her head, ordering a latte for herself and a black coffee for David.

They hand her a plastic container and she leaves it unlabeled, truthfully wishing she could leave her own cup unmarked as well. It’s a small thing, but she always feels as though everyone stares at her when the baristas call out her name, particularly when it’s spelled, and therefore pronounced, incorrectly.

The amount of times she’s been called ‘Enya’ is far higher than it has any right to be.

She places the container on the ground so Rascal can have a drink while they wait, and then tosses the empty bowl into the recycling bin when he’s done.

“Irma?” the barista calls out, and Emma turns red as she grabs the two cups from her and nearly runs out the door, Rascal the one struggling to keep up for once.

She heads to the station to start her shift. The nice thing about being the sheriff of Storybrooke is that it’s a sleepy little town, which makes her job extremely easy. Plus, her twin brother is her deputy. All in all, there are worse life choices she could have made.

A shudder goes down her spine as her ex, Neal, pops into her mind, but she ignores it and forces his smug face out of her mind. No sense thinking about the life she could have had on the other side of the law, now that she’s quite happy enforcing it. Rascal senses her sudden discomfort and stops walking, staring at her for assurance that she’s okay.

“I’m good, bud. Just thinking about you-know-who.” Emma nods once, balancing the two cups in the palm of her hand - a skill leftover from her waitressing days - and leans down to pet him briefly before continuing on their way. Rascal never liked Neal – and that should have been Emma’s first and biggest red flag, really – and he still growls at the mere mention of the man’s name.

When Emma arrives at the station, David sees her struggling with the door and runs over to open it for her, giving Rascal a head scratch while he’s at it. Once his collar and leash are unclipped, Rascal runs ahead of Emma and joins Princess in what has become their designated corner of the station. They circle each other for a moment, sniffing each other with happy, wagging tails, before settling in together on their extra-large dog bed. David takes his coffee from Emma’s hand with a thank you and a kiss to her cheek, and then fills her in on the day thus far.

“Leroy had a few too many at the Rabbit Hole last night, so he slept it off in a cell but was good to go about an hour ago. Regina called, claiming she needed extra security for the town hall meeting next week.” David glances at Emma quickly and they both burst into laughter.

The last time the mayor had a town hall meeting, it had been when Emma was up for election as sheriff. People had filed in endlessly, filling the room to the brim, to support their favorite deputy. Regina had nominated one of her pawns, a man named Sidney Glass who ran the local gossip paper, and the entire town rallied against it.

But the police hadn’t been prepared for such a turnout, and there’d nearly been several fights and they’d narrowly avoided a small fire. At least three pieces of artwork had been somehow spoiled – a rip here, a small dent in the frame there, and one barely noticeable piece of graffiti in the corner of Mayor Mills’ portrait.

It’s really no surprise that Regina wants additional security for this meeting. Although Emma doubts as many people will be showing up to vote on whether to use the abandoned plot of land in the center of town for a new library or a playground.

“Do you think it’s weird that some people don’t have soulmates?” David asks her suddenly.

Emma looks at him and tilts her head, unsure of where his question has come from or where it’s leading. She sips her latte while she thinks of how to answer.

Her brother is, after all, a hopeless romantic who’s been holding out nearly his entire adult life for someone he’s introduced to by way of Princess. It was difficult for him to go through his entire adolescence without a dog at all, and when they were kids, he had asked Emma almost daily if she thought it meant there was no one out there for either of them.

“No, David, I think it just means... maybe we’re not ready to meet them yet,” she had told him once when they were in high school. He had nodded his head and seemed to accept her answer. At any rate, he’d stopped asking, finally, and they found Rascal and Princess by the end of the following summer, right after their 18th birthdays.

She thinks about this moment, about how he’d stopped asking her questions, and what it means that he’s bringing up the topic of dog-less humans again now, more than ten years later.

“No, I don’t. I think people can find someone to fall in love with, even if fate didn’t choose that person for them. You fell in love with Kathryn,” Emma points out in the present moment, hoping David won’t notice that she’s conveniently forgetting her own former love story. Princess raises her head at David’s ex-girlfriend’s name and lets out a surprisingly human-like sigh.

“Right, but then I found Princess and she found Dodger, and we realized soon after that we weren’t meant to be. What about people who never get dogs at all?”

Emma raises an eyebrow.

“I saw a guy today who didn’t have a dog. He was really bitter and told me I needed to have better control over Rascal.” She rolls her eyes. “But I’m sure not everyone without a soulmate is like that. There’s enough of them out there that they’re bound to find their way together some way or another.”

“Or they end up alone, watching the rest of us get our happy endings.” David is staring into space now, absentmindedly chewing on the end of a pen.

“Where is this coming from?” Emma finally asks.

“I saw a woman yesterday,” he begins, and Emma’s eyes nearly roll right out of her head. “She was absolutely beautiful and had the most radiant smile. I had just finished up my talk with the sixth graders on peer pressure and drugs and all that, and she was walking towards me when I was leaving. I think she’s a teacher, but I’ve never seen her before.” A smile is forming on David’s face and Emma doesn’t think she’s ever seen him look like this. When he met Kathryn, she was simply pretty and nice, and seemed to be as lonely and romantic as he was. It was logical and it was easy. The look on David’s face makes Emma think that this might not be quite so cut and dry.

“And she didn’t have a dog?” Emma guesses, and David is brought back down to earth. He pulls the pen from his mouth and meets her eyes.

“Nope,” he admits, with a shake of his head. “So we can’t be soulmates, right? Because I have Princess and she doesn’t have a dog at all.”

“That’s what they say,” Emma shrugs. The whole thing is silly to Emma. Because yes, sometimes dogs lead you to your soulmate, but the randomness of it all, the fact that there’s no age, and no definitive way that your dogs lead you together, just seems plain old unfair. Besides, Emma’s pretty certain that she doesn’t even have a soulmate, that she doesn’t really need one, but she’s still got Rascal. So maybe she and David are just different somehow. Maybe she doesn’t have a soulmate but she has a dog, and maybe David’s got a soulmate who doesn’t have one at all. Truthfully, Emma wishes David would just forget about this woman and move on. The hopeful look in his eyes, especially over a woman he’s just met, breaks her heart because she can’t stand the thought of him being heartbroken all over again. But she knows, deep in her heart, what he wants her to say. And so, because she’s the worst sister in the world, she says it. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to her. Maybe she just hasn’t gotten matched yet.”

David looks a bit hopeful at her last statement, and Emma can see the wheels turning in his head as he wonders if it’s worth the risk – meeting someone and falling for them again, only to have fate tear them apart. She’s not sure if her brother can take a heartbreak like that again.

Emma certainly can’t. Not for either of them.

They settle into a companionable silence, each of them lost in their own separate thoughts, when the phone rings.

“Hello, Storybrooke Police,” David answers casually. His brows furrow as he listens. “Yes. Yes. Okay, please stay calm, we’ll be right there. Thank you.” He stands as he hangs up the phone. “There’s two dogs running around the park off of Main Street. They don’t have tags or collars and they won’t let anyone near them. There are apparently no owners in sight, and no one saw where they came from.”

Throughout Emma’s life, she’s seen a few people without dogs. Some of them are older, some of them young and still hopeful for a match. They all tell themselves different stories about why they’ve never been matched. They aren’t common, but as Emma told David, there are enough of them that it’s not necessarily strange.

But in all of Emma’s 28 years on this earth, aside from the day that she herself found Rascal, she’s never seen a loose dog without a human.

[atlanticcanada]

Minister Parsons announces new Superintendent of Prisons

Minister of Justice and Public Safety, Andrew Parsons has named Daniel Chafe as the new Acting Superintendent of Prisons of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Daniel Chafe is taking over from Don Roche who is retiring after more than 30 years working in corrections in the province.

Chafe has served as High Sheriff since October 2015. He is a peace officer under the Criminal Code of Canada and a Federal Marshal under the Federal Court Act.

The Superintendent of Prisons is responsible for ensuring public protection through the provision of safe, secure, and humane custody of accused, detained, remanded and sentenced adult offenders across five correctional facilities and two lockups.

Chafe will begin his new role on May 1, 2020.

    The post Minister Parsons announces new Superintendent of Prisons appeared first on ntv.ca.

from ntv.ca https://ift.tt/3bhR2HX

[paulbenedictblog]

%news%

New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%

Usa today Plane crashes in Florida neighborhood, 2 men and dog emerge 'without a scratch,' police said

Usa today

Wendy Victora, Northwest Florida Each day News Published 7: 05 p.m. ET March 8, 2020 | Updated 7: 24 p.m. ET March 8, 2020

CLOSE

DESTIN, Fla. — Emergency officers were known as to an set shut to Destin Govt Airport in Florida, after a little plane went down on Sunday, in accordance with preliminary stories.

The incident became known as in at 10: 08 a.m. local time.

A Facebook submit by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Enlighten of enterprise indicated that two men and a yellow Labrador retriever were aboard the plane and all three emerged from the wreck “with out a scratch.”

Preliminary indications were that individuals on the bottom helped the trio aboard the airplane receive out.

Video from the wreck set recommended the plane became a Beechcraft Bonanza standard aviation plane. The Bonanza is able to seating six and has been in production longer than any other plane in historical previous.

A call to airport officers became not straight answered.

Beth Cann lives with her husband and two teenagers about four houses down from the set the plane crashed.

Cann said she didn’t hear the wreck, however her son Griffin had ridden his bike to a meals mart down the avenue and came lend a hand with the news.

“He came lend a hand and said, ‘Oh, incidentally, there’s an airplane in a tree,’ ” Cann said. “He said every person became beautiful, there were two guys and a dog, they’re out of the plane.”

Coronavirus: Dwell updates

Cann and other neighbors went to scrutinize the plane and said it became simplest about 5 feet far off from the lady’s house. The lady who lives there became not within the house at the time and came lend a hand to search out a neighbor bringing a ladder into her backyard to attend the two men and the dog receive away the plane.

Cann said residents of the set enjoy repeatedly timid that such an tournament would happen on memoir of their shut proximity to the airport.

“We’re not within the narrate route of the flight landing, however we’ve repeatedly said that it’s not a matter of if it’ll happen, however when it’ll happen,” she said. “That is a preferrred instance. ... Everyone is amazingly lucky.”

The Sheriff’s Enlighten of enterprise said in its submit that the Federal Aviation Administration and the Nationwide Transportation Safety Board had been notified of the wreck and would oversee the investigation as to the recommended.

'Terrifying for everyone': That is what or not it's be pleased in Seattle and King County, areas below siege from the coronavirus

'Chaos, confusion and corruption': Violence persists in Alabama's prisons despite federal investigation

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Final DragSubsequent Drag

Read or Part this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/08/destin-florida-plane-wreck-planet-pressure-no-accidents-reported/4996441002/

[awkwardlyamusing-blog]

Comfort dog makes some service-dog handlers uncomfortable

New Post has been published on http://doggietrainingclasses.com/comfort-dog-makes-some-service-dog-handlers-uncomfortable/

Comfort dog makes some service-dog handlers uncomfortable

A dog who came to Spokane to provide comfort to people in distress is now drawing criticism from area service-dog handlers who say the animal has been aggressive and that its handlers have been unresponsive to their concerns.

Redeemer Lutheran Church brought Marie the Comfort Dog to Spokane a month ago from an Illinois training center, after working for two years to get the dog through Lutheran Church Charities.

Doug Weinrich, Redeemer’s minister of servant leader development, told The Spokesman-Review that Marie received more than 2,000 hours of training before Lutheran Church Charities sent Marie to Spokane, where she became the denomination’s first comfort dog in the Northwest.

Neither Lutheran Church Charities nor members of Redeemer’s 27-person comfort dog team responded to multiple requests for comment for this story.

After less than a month of service, Marie the Comfort Dog had several confrontations with other service dogs during sensory day at the Spokane County Interstate Fair on Tuesday.

The first sensory day was designed for individuals with disabilities and people who are sensitive to environmental factors. Resources were available in Bay 3 at the fairgrounds, including a booth for Marie.

Emily Vincent attended the fair specifically for sensory day and was accompanied by her service dog, Athena, and her 17-year-old daughter, who has Asperger’s syndrome.

They had been at the fair for about an hour when they decided to visit the resource booths.

“I didn’t even notice that there was a therapy dog on the right side,” Vincent said.

That’s when she heard a loud noise of a dog barking, growling and scrambling.

It was Marie lunging toward Athena.

Marie’s handlers attempted to calm her down but after about five minutes they “dragged” her out of the bay, Vincent said.

“It just sucks because I was there for my daughter,” Vincent said. “She can’t handle loud noises.”

Vincent left the fair a bit shaken almost immediately after the incident, but with the understanding that Marie would be removed from the fair, she said.

“I didn’t think it was an issue initially because I was told the dog was going to be removed,” Vincent said.

Holly Lytle, founder of the Isaac Foundation, was at her booth a few feet away.

While she didn’t see the incident occur she did see the aftermath. There was “just that upset dog sound and then the handlers took her out,” she said.

After a while outside, Marie was back at the booth with her handlers.

That’s when Laura Renz entered the area with her service dog, Little One, an 85-pound chocolate Labrador.

The fair isn’t something Renz would normally attend but “one of the reasons I went was to see Marie the Comfort Dog.”

“I heard some noises,” Renz said. “It sounded like a chair scraping on the floor.”

She later was told the noises were a low growl from Marie, but since Renz is hard of hearing she was unable to identify the sound.

Renz turned to head toward Marie’s booth.

“I approached and kept my service dog behind me because that’s protocol,” Renz said.

That’s when Marie tried to scramble at both Renz and her dog.

“I said, ‘Oh my god, what’s wrong with your dog?’ ” Renz recalled. “And the lady said she’s only dog aggressive not people aggressive.”

Marie was eventually removed, Renz said.

“I was shaking and I was pretty upset,” Renz said. “My dog didn’t react but I could tell he was shaken.”

Renz’s main concern was her service dog’s reaction.

“She’s my lifeline for balance and things,” Renz said. “It sets their training back.”

Throughout the incident, Renz said she tried to engage with Marie’s handlers.

“The lady didn’t care at all,” she said.

A few booths over, Lytle heard commotion for a second time. This incident was different, with fewer people around since it was late in the afternoon.

“The second person was wanting to engage the handlers during the situation,” Lytle said.

Renz then called fair security and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department, which already had deputies stationed at the fair. The deputies asked bystanders including Lytle what happened before referring the issue to the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS).

“I would never want to see her put to sleep over this,” Lytle said.

Days later, Vincent is still dealing with the effects of the incident. Her service dog began showing signs of agitation and regression, which meant Athena can no longer work until she is evaluated by her trainer, Vincent said.

“She’s kept me from falling,” Vincent said. “I haven’t had any falls since she’s been working. It just sucks.”

A longtime local dog trainer, Carol Byrnes, acknowledged that an incident like this could take a service dog out of commission.

“We all feel great going out in public until we’re mugged, and then we see the world differently,” Byrnes said. “If it happens again and again it can certainly affect their job.”

A service dog goes through years of training both individually and with their handler before often being certified.

“A dog who has been carefully trained is monumental to these people,” Byrnes said. “Their sense of safety and security can be blasted by being attacked by another dog over and over again.”

Fair officials are still gathering information about the incident, said spokeswoman Erin Gurtel. Service dogs with identification are welcome at the fair, Gurtel said.

Both Vincent and Renz contacted authorities and Lutheran Church Charities. They also posted reviews on the Marie the Comfort Dog Facebook page, but all reviews on the page have since been removed.

Through Facebook, the women found Sally Schiller, who had a run-in with Marie at the Sept. 7 Out of the Darkness Spokane Walk for suicide prevention.

In a public Facebook post Schiller wrote, “All of a sudden their dog was growling, snarling, like it wanted to rip something or someone to shreds. They had to drag it out of the building snarling and growling. The man got in my face, telling me to keep my dog away, theirs is a puppy and just learning.”

Lutheran Church Charities is a national organization that trains and places comfort dogs as part of their charitable work.

Their comfort dogs receive a minimum of 2,000 hours of training; however, they are not technically service dogs because they work with multiple handlers and caregivers, Weinrich from Redeemer Lutheran said in a previous interview.

Redeemer Lutheran Church in Spokane Valley applied for Marie over two years ago and she had her official receiving-of-the-vest ceremony on Aug. 18.

Editors note: This story has been changed to clarify that service dogs are not required by the American with Disabilities Act to complete a certification. The Lutheran Church Charities training center is in Northbrook, Illinois.

Source link Dog Training Information

[subhollic]

sheriff labrador fans might kill me but….

i made the trio into octonauts…. (im so sorry)

[euroman1945-blog]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Wednesday 23rd May 2018

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you….  

TAXING TIMES FOR EUROPE'S TOURISTS…. Edinburgh councillors have hit the headlines by reviving plans to introduce a tourism tax for the city. The local authority is drawing up proposals which could involve tourists paying a "transient visitor levy", otherwise known as an occupancy or bed tax, for hotel stays. It argues a levy is needed to help the city cater for growing visitor numbers. Edinburgh is not alone in pushing the idea, which has been raised elsewhere in the UK, including Hull and London. But it has already taken hold in much of the European Union. About two-thirds of member states currently impose occupancy taxes on visitors - the exceptions being Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxemburg, Sweden and the UK. Typically, occupancy taxes are charged per person, per night, with significant municipal discretion over the rates applied. The rate also typically varies by the standard of accommodation, location and local authority, and children often attract reduced rates or are exempt entirely. As far back as 2011, councillors agreed in principle to a tourism tax plan, estimating then that it could raise up to £10m a year by charging between £1 and £2 per room each night. The council's new plans are expected to be revealed this summer, followed by a consultation with local businesses. But that could mean the end of the line for the proposals, because Edinburgh - as with all local authorities - does not have the power to introduce a tourist tax. Establishing such a power would require an act of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish government has remained lukewarm over the idea of taxing visitors. A government spokesman said: "We have no plans to introduce a visitor levy on the tourism sector, which is already subject to the second highest VAT rates in Europe by the UK government. "We continue to deliver a fair deal to councils across Scotland, with revenue and capital funding increasing in real terms over the next financial year."

FIRE CHIEF ISSUES WARNING AFTER A SERIES OF WILDFIRES…. Fire chiefs in Scotland have warned of an increased risk of wildfires, following a series of blazes across the country. They said discarded cigarettes and unattended barbecues or campfires can start fires which burn for days and devastate vast areas of land. It came as 30 firefighters tackled a large heather fire in the Spittal area of Caithness on Saturday afternoon. And in Argyll the A85 near Dalmally was closed by a wildfire for several hours. The fire was on both sides of the road at Glenlochy. In Caithness, nine fire engines were sent to the blaze at Mobster Croft, after the alarm was raised shortly before midday on Saturday. Firefighters spent more than six hours tackling the wildfire. Bruce Farquharson, an area manager with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, urged the public to play their part in preventing further fires. "Right now, many firefighters across Scotland are actively tackling wildfires, working to protect our communities and their efforts have to be commended," he said. "However, many of these fires are preventable, and we again urge people to read our safety advice, and enjoy the weather responsibly."

NEW ADVICE ON TAKING DOGS INTO SCOTLAND'S HILLS…. A group representing outdoor pursuits enthusiasts has published new guidance for walkers taking their dogs into Scotland's hills. Mountaineering Scotland said certain breeds, such as collies, spaniels or Labradors, have the build and energy to handle the treks. It added that with "sufficient preparation" most breeds could cope with hillwalking. However, it said the activity could be potentially harmful to young dogs. The new advice on Mountaineering Scotland's website follows the rise in popularity of hillwalking, and the number of people taking their pet with them. It includes advice on how to protect a dog's paws from sharp rocks, and giving the animals time to recover from long walks. Owners of small or large breed dogs and puppies are also encouraged to seek advice from their vet or a qualified dog trainer on the right age to start taking their dogs into the mountains. During the first six to 12 months of a dog's life their bones, joints and soft tissues are developing rapidly and it is "extremely important not to over-exercise young dogs during this period to prevent long-term skeletal damage", said Mountaineering Scotland.

ARREST OVER ALLEGED FARMHOUSE 'MACHETE' RAID…. A man has been arrested in connection with a robbery where a machete was allegedly used to threaten a family. The incident took place at a farmhouse near East Kilbride at about 04:00 on 14 April. A couple and their son were woken by smashing glass at Castlehill Farm, Kittochside, and told police they were robbed by four men. Police said a 27-year-old man had been arrested and is expected to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday.

TRACTOR FOOTBALL TAKES TO THE FIELD FOR FETTERCAIRN TOURNAMENT…. Tractors are to use a giant football for a tournament with a difference. The specially-made ball - 6ft in diameter - will be used by four teams at the Fettercairn Show on 7 July. The three-vintage-tractor-a-side games will be 15 minutes each way, with the two winners of the semi-final matches meeting in the final. Mike Robertson, chairman of Mearns Vintage Vehicle Club, said: "The ball took quite a bit of making. And the pitch will have a buffer round it." "The goals will be two bales, about 20 yards apart, but there will be no goalkeepers. "We'll have to look at what to do if we have penalties. "We just wanted to do something a bit different." The tractors for each team will be orange, blue, red and grey.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Scottish tractor drivers revving up for barmy footie match with vintage vehicles and 6ft ball...

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Wednesday 23rd May 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus #robertmcangus

[96thdayofrage]

BATTLEFIELD MAIN STREET

Pentagon project lets police forces – even in small towns – arm themselves with military gear By Benjamin Carlson Monday, December 5, 2011

In today’s Mayberry, Andy Griffith and Barney Fife could be using grenade launchers and a tank to keep the peace. A rapidly expanding Pentagon program that distributes used military equipment to local police departments — many of them small-town forces — puts battlefield-grade weaponry in the hands of cops at an unprecedented rate.

Through its little-known “1033 program,” the Department of Defense gave away nearly $500 million worth of leftover military gear to law enforcement in fiscal year 2011 — a new record for the program and a dramatic rise over past years’ totals, including the $212 million in equipment distributed in 2010.The surplus equipment includes grenade launchers, helicopters, military robots, M-16 assault rifles and armored vehicles.And the program’s recent expansion shows no sign of slackening: Orders in fiscal year 2012 are up 400 percent over the same period in 2011, according to data provided to The Daily by the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency.Passed by Congress in 1997, the 1033 program was created to provide law-enforcement agencies with tools to fight drugs and terrorism. Since then, more than 17,000 agencies have taken in $2.6 billion worth of equipment for nearly free, paying only the cost of delivery.Experts say the recent surge is simply the continuation of a decades-long trend: the increasing use of military techniques and equipment by local police departments, tactics seen most recently in the crackdowns on Occupy Wall Street protesters across the country. But critics of the program say that the recent expansion of 1033 distributions should be setting off alarm bells.“The trend toward militarization was well under way before 9/11, but it’s the federal policy of making surplus military equipment available almost for free that has poured fuel on this fire,” Tim Lynch, director of the libertarian Cato Institute’s project on criminal justice, told The Daily.Thanks to it, cops in Cobb County, Ga. — one of the wealthiest and most educated counties in the U.S. — now have an amphibious tank. The sheriff of Richland County, S.C., proudly acquired a machine-gun-equipped armored personnel carrier that he nicknamed “The Peacemaker.”This comes on top of grants from the Department of Homeland Security that enable police departments to buy vehicles such as “BearCats” — 16,000-pound bulletproof trucks equipped with battering rams, gun ports, tear-gas dispensers and radiation detectors. To date, more than 500 of these tanklike vehicles have been sold by Lenco, its Massacusetts-based manufacturer, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel.  When asked why they need equipment that might seem better suited to Fallujah than Florida, many police point to safety concerns, even as violent crime nationwide has fallen to 40-year lows.Sheriff Bill Hutton’s department in Washington County, Minn., purchased a $237,000 BearCat four weeks ago using a federal grant. Hutton said it has already come in handy during a kidnapping.“Our SWAT team used a BearCat in order to retrieve the victim,” he said. “We negotiated the release of the victim, who went immediately into the BearCat and they were able to retrieve her safely. Previously, we would have pulled up in a van, which would not have protected anybody or anything.”His department also received grants to buy a 3-foot-tall, $70,000 robot and a $75,000 riverboat, he said.The allure of saving money is no small part of why police embrace these programs, especially when budgets are shrinking. Chief of Police Bill Partridge, who heads a 50-officer department in Oxford, Ala., said his goal in pursuing the 1033 program was to “save money, bottom line.”Over the last several years, he said, his department had collected equipment worth $2 million to $3 million. The take included M-16s, helmet-mounted infrared goggles, four remote-controlled inspection robots, a mobile command unit worth $270,000 and a “Puma” armored tactical vehicle.“If you’re quick on the trigger on the Internet, usually you can get what you want,” Partridge said, noting his department visited the program’s website “weekly or daily” to check for gear. “My philosophy is that I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”While the equipment is free, the cost of maintenance, insurance and upkeep falls on law enforcement. In 2010, city leaders in Tupelo, Miss., debated whether to return the police department’s helicopter after spending nearly $274,000 maintaining it for five years. The helicopter flew an average of 10 missions per year.Administrators of the 1033 program rely on state-level coordinators to assess whether a department qualifies for the equipment they request.“They’re the ones who verify for us that the ‘West-wherever Police Department’ is, in fact, a police department, and yes, in fact, it has five sworn officers,” said Kenneth Macnevins of the Defense Logistics Agency, which oversees the 1033 program.“Some of that factors into how much stuff they could receive. If a police department with 12 officers wanted to acquire 85 sets of snow shoes and they were in Arizona, you might say, wait a second, tell us more.”Some skeptics say acquiring military hardware can lead to a desire to use it, even when it’s not needed. “It’s kind of had a corrupting influence on the culture of policing in America,” the Cato Institute’s Lynch told The Daily. “The dynamic is that you have some officer go to the chief and say, people in next county have [military equipment], if we don’t take it some other city will. Then they acquire the equipment, they create a paramilitary unit, and everything seems fine.“But then one or two years pass. They say, look we’ve got this equipment, this training and we haven’t been using it. That’s where it starts to creep into routine policing.”He and other critics of the policy highlight incidents in which heavily-armed SWAT teams injured or killed innocent people.Earlier this year, a grandfather of 12 who was not suspected of any wrongdoing was killed in Framingham, Mass., when a SWAT team member accidentally shot him. In 2008, police raided the home of a mayor of a small Maryland town, broke down his door and killed his two black Labrador retrievers. They interrogated him and his mother-in-law for hours regarding a drug ring to which they had no connection.As the number of SWAT raids has ballooned from a few thousand per year in the 1980s to 50,000 per year in the 2000s, the risks of such tragedies occurring rises.For Joseph McNamara, former chief of police in Kansas City, Mo., and San Jose, Calif., the militarization is not only risky, but also counterproductive.“It’s totally contrary to what we think is good policing, which is community policing,” he said. “The profile of these military police units invading a neighborhood like the occupation army is contrary to what you want to do as a police department. You want the public to feel comfortable calling you to report crime and supporting you in working against crime and coming forward as witnesses.”“The idea that some police have that by being really super tough and military and carrying military weapons is a way to prevent crime — this is false,” he continued. “We have a lot of evidence on how to prevent crime and the major component is to win support for police, that we’re not this aloof occupation army.”The police force of Erie, Pa., has worked to avoid that perception by taking its BearCat out into the community. SWAT team commander Lt. Les Fetterman told The Daily that his department took the armored vehicle to a city picnic, where “a couple hundred inner-city kids” played in and around it.“Most of the people, they see it — it looks, I don’t want to use the word, intimidating — so you get some stares,” Fetterman said. “But it’s actually become a community relations tool … It’s an ice breaker, like a firetruck when they take it to parades.”For some critics, though, the concern is not alienating neighbors, but the change in attitude of police themselves.Arthur Rizer, a Virginia lawyer who has served as both a military and civilian police officer, stressed that their outlooks and missions are fundamentally different.“If we’re training cops as soldiers, giving them equipment like soldiers, dressing them up as soldiers, when are they going to pick up the mentality of soldiers?” he asked.“If you look at the police department, their creed is to protect and to serve. A soldier’s mission is to engage his enemy in close combat and kill him. Do we want police officers to have that mentality? Of course not.”

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Friday 2nd June 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. where ever you are, as we spin endlessly through space and time on this little blue planet we call Earth.. Bella my Black Labrador and my constant companion, had a great walk this morning around the quiet street of Estepona our home town, the smell of the night blooming Jasmine was very heady this morning as we had a very light shower before we went out, and that seems to increase the intensity of the smell 100% .. not that I'm complaining, I love the smell it hides all the other pongs that you find in a small town... Our walk over it's back to the house, fresh cold water for Bella and Hot fresh Colombian Coffee for me.. a look at the news and then I'm ready to write, You ready to read.. good then let’s go!

POLICE SCOTLAND CATCH 339 DRIVERS USING PHONES ILLEGALLY…. An average of 12 drivers a day were caught using their mobile phones illegally in Scotland, in the wake of a major crackdown on the practice. A total of 339 motorists were penalised for the offence by Police Scotland in the four weeks after tougher punishments took effect on 1 March. They were among almost 6,000 drivers caught using a phone at the wheel by police forces across Britain. Penalties for the offence doubled to six points and a £200 fine. The changes mean new drivers risk losing their licence for sending a single text. The figures emerged in response to a series of freedom of information (FOI) requests by the Press Association. Campaigners claimed the "worrying" findings suggest many drivers are ignoring repeated warnings about the dangers of using phones at the wheel despite a string of publicity campaigns and the risk of harsher sanctions. It found that police recorded 5,977 instances of the practice between 1 and 28 March in England, Scotland and Wales. The actual figure is likely to be higher as seven forces did not provide figures and some cases may not have been logged at the time FOI responses were issued. The Metropolitan Police registered the highest number at 2,037, while Police Scotland recorded the third highest total. The RAC Foundation described the increased penalties as "a start", but warned the figures for March suggest "the key message still isn't sinking in". Steve Gooding, director of the motoring research charity, said: "Driving is a safety-critical activity that requires our full attention. Hands need to be on the wheel and eyes looking out of the windscreen, not down at the phone screen." Brake spokesman Jack Kushner described the number of drivers "selfishly using their mobile phones behind the wheel" as concerning. "Driver distraction is a growing menace and it's worrying that drivers don't seem to be getting the message," he said. The charity wants the £200 fine to be "significantly increased" to deter offenders. Police say they want to make using a mobile while driving as "socially unacceptable" as drink-driving. Anthony Bangham, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "Drivers need to understand that this is not a minor offence and you will be prosecuted under new, tougher penalties." He said forces were committed to tackling the behaviour, adding: "Encouraging results from recent campaigns show how effective new tactics and innovative approaches can be."

NEARLY A HALF OF BRITS ‘COD NO CLUE’…. New research from Seven Seas has revealed that Brits are totally clueless when it comes to Cod Liver Oil and Omega-3 - despite over a third claiming they take fish oil capsules on a regular basis. While some people can site the health benefits of Omega-3 relating to joints, cardiovascular and memory, a shocking one in 10 adults believe fish fingers, calamari rings and fish cakes will provide them with enough of the health-boosting nutrient. Seven Seas consultant dietician, Helen Bond says: “Our research shows that while a lot of people understand the many health benefits of Omega-3, they are clearly confused about what it is and where it comes from. Regular portions of oily fish can help people boost their Omega-3 intake. In addition, Cod Liver Oil naturally contains Omega-3 - and also contains other health boosting vitamins including vitamins D.” Even though 80% of adults are aware that oily fish contains high levels of Omega-3, 1 in 2 made the ultimate fishy faux pas by admitting they didn’t have any idea at all about where cod liver oil actually comes from. And those that did were shockingly torn between believing it was a ‘mix of plants’ and a mixture of ‘man-made chemicals’. Helen Bond continued: “It’s so important that we eat oily fish in order to increase our intake of omega-3 nutrients. Omega-3’s cannot be produced by the body, but are essential to good health, which means they must be obtained from the diet or through supplementation. “Oily fish such as trout, salmon, mackerel, sardines and fresh tuna are rich in essential long chain omega 3-fats - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which have been clinically proven to help maintain normal brain function and healthy vision, healthy triglyceride levels, normal blood pressure and healthy heart function. “While a healthy balanced diet should always come first, a high quality fish oil supplement can support your daily Omega-3 intake.”

THREE CALLOUTS OVER WEEKEND FOR KINGHORN LIFEBOAT…. Kinghorn Lifeboat had a busy bank holiday weekend with three callouts in two days. The lifeboat crew was paged just after 8.30am on Saturday morning to assist a disabled boat north east of Inchkeith, followed by a request to assess the safety of shellfish collectors on Pettycur Sands. Then at 12.20am on Sunday morning the team was called out to help in a search off the coast at Leven. Following reports of a person shouting at Leven beach just after midnight on Sunday, the Coastguard launched a search following concern that someone may have been in the water. Kinghorn Lifeboat launched around 12.35am, and arrived at Leven beach 20 minutes later. An extensive search of the area was undertaken, along with Coastguard rescue teams from Leven and Kinghorn. Mel McGarva, a member of the crew, said: “Following concern that someone may have been in the water at Leven, we were tasked to undertake a search off Leven golf course. “Search conditions were good, coupled with the use of four flares to illuminate the area. Following an hour of searching we were stood down, returning to station just after 2.30am.” Crewmembers on the search were Mark Brown, Paul Stather, Mel McGarva, Suzanne Baillie and Steve Robinson.

BMW DRIVER ‘CLOCKED AT MORE THAN 122MPH,’ SAY POLICE…. A police patrol car accelerated to 122mph but was unable to keep up with a speeding driver in Fife, a court has heard. Two officers claimed a BMW kept pulling away from despite them hitting the top speed their vehicle could manage. On trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court is Shahzad Aslam, 44, of Dean Park Court, Kirkcaldy. He denies that on September 25, 2015, on the M90 northbound between junctions two and three and the A92 eastbound, he drove a car dangerously and drove at speeds of up to 100mph in a 70mph speed restricted zone. It is alleged he pulled over sharply from the offside lane into the nearside lane, into the path of a vehicle and then braked sharply to exit the M90, entered the overpass slip road for the A92 at excessive speed for the road conditions, which had advisory 50mph speed limit signs and braked sharply to avoid collision with vehicles entering the vehicles entering from the Halbeath slip road. PC Stuart Gibson (36) told the court he was driving the police patrol at around 12.25am in wet conditions near Rosyth when he saw the car being driven by the accused. He said he believed the car was being driven at excess speed through an area of roadworks with a 40mph limit. PC Gibson said the car then accelerated sharply and he tried to carry out a tracking operation. This is where a police car maintains a consistent distance behind another vehicle to see what speed it is travelling at. However, this was not possible as the BMW driven by Aslam was pulling further away. “We were travelling at 122mph and that was as fast as our car could go,” said the officer. He added that it was only when Aslam’s car had to brake because of other vehicles on the road that the police were able to catch up and he pulled over to a lay-by. PC Andrew Siggers (49) was the passenger in the police patrol car. He said Aslam’s car had to brake to avoid cars coming to the A92 from a slip road. Both officers said they were not able to give the speed Aslam’s car was travelling at but that it was faster than their vehicle. The trial was adjourned until July 20.

ANNUAL POLL SHOWS SIX IN TEN PARENTS RAID THEIR CHILDREN’S PIGGY BANKS TO COVER COSTS…. Parents are plundering children’s ‘piggy banks’ to the tune of nearly £50 a year, according to an annual poll that shows a significant rise in the amount borrowed by mum and dad. The Nationwide Financial Planning survey into ‘piggy bank raiding’ quizzed 2,000 parents of children between four and 16. It shows three in five (60 per cent) admit taking money from their offspring – a 14 per cent increase on last year’s study. According to the Society’s poll, the average amount taken by parents over a 12 month period is £46.20 – a sharp rise of 115 per cent on the £21.41 indicated last year – while one in five (20 per cent) admit to pilfering £60 or more annually. Just over a fifth (21 per cent) admit to raiding the piggy bank twice or more times a month. And when it comes to the parental divide, dads (£51.12 per annum) take more than mums (£44.52). The money is used for: Paying the school lunch money (32 per cent), needing loose change for parking (29 per cent) and covering school trips (24 per cent) are the primary reasons parents need to dip into the ‘Bank of Child’. Other reasons include donating to school charity days (21 per cent) and paying for clubs and societies (20 per cent). In terms of mum and dad, it’s women who need the cash for school charity days (23 per cent v 16 per cent for men), school lunch money (33 per cent v 30 per cent for men) and school trips (24 per cent v 20 per cent for men). Men, on the other hand, will take money to pay a bill (16 per cent v 12 per cent for women), buy Christmas presents (14 per cent v 10 per cent for women) and to cover any doorstep charity requests (10 per cent v 7 per cent for women). However, both mum and dad are prone to raiding their children’s piggy banks to get a takeaway (12 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women). While the reason for borrowing money may be genuine, three quarters (76 per cent) of parents feel some sort of guilt, with a third (33 per cent) admitting they feel bad each time they do it. Children aren’t oblivious to this parental piggy bank raiding, however, as around two in five (39 per cent) parents admit their children had noticed the money had gone missing – the same percentage as in 2016’s survey. More than a third (34 per cent) parents say they don’t always pay the money back and it’s dads who are the biggest culprits, with 43 per cent admitting to this versus just 30 per cent of mums.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Scurdie Ness Lighthouse in Angus

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Friday 2nd June 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus