Politician Defends Use Of Crystal Meth As Tool To Make Him ‘Better At Job’

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Photo Credit: IJ Review Michael Hartmann, a German Minister of Parliament (MP), is only the latest politician to experiment with hard drugs (see Rob Ford, pictured above) – but he said he used crystal meth only so he could be more efficient as a public official.

The Social Democratic Party member, age 51, admitted to the drug abuse only after being accused by a prosecutor who’d gained evidence from surveillance, according to reports.

Hartmann, the interior policy expert for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), admitted to using the drug for about a month.His lawyer said on Wednesday that 51-year-old Hartmann had hoped the substance would “improve performance” at work.

The lawyer went on to say his client bought and consumed a small amount of crystal meth in autumn 2013, but had not been addicted to it. He’s stressing that psychological tests for addiction have come back negative to the substance.

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WATCH: What Might Happen If A Football Coach Coached Soccer

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Photo Credit: YouTube This skit features Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage Tottenham Hotspur in England. Look at all the differences!

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Shock Claim: Police Officer Slit Dog’s Throat

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Photo Credit: Daily Caller A Baltimore police officer is facing felony animal cruelty charges after he allegedly slit the throat of a 7 year-old dog that had already been placed under control.

The incident happened Saturday, and Baltimore police officials announced charges against the unnamed officer on Wednesday.

Sarah Gossard’s Shar Pei, Nala, was loose over the weekend when police were called to catch her.

But after using a dog pole to round up Nala, one officer made a shocking move.

“Unfortunately, at some point after the dog was contained, one of our officers used a knife and cut the dog’s throat,” said Baltimore police deputy commissioner Dean Palmere, according to WBAL.

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Meth Lab Found at California Retirement Community

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Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson, APA 64-year-old Northern California man has been arrested by police on suspicion of cooking methamphetamine in his apartment at a retirement community.

Robert Short was pulled over by police in a routine traffic stop in Fresno late Saturday. During the stop, officers learned that Short was on supervised release for selling meth. While conducting a search of his car, they found 4 ounces of crystal meth, plastic bags and an electronic scale, Sgt. Brian Valles said.

Investigators then went to Short’s apartment at the California League-Fresno Village. There, they found a half-pound of crystal meth with a street value of about $1,700, some heroin and materials for a small meth lab, Valles said.

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Watch: Costner at ‘Field of Dreams’ 25th Reunion – Film’s Lesson, ‘Conventional Wisdom’ Isn’t Always Right

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ABC NewsDyersville, Iowa — This weekend’s emotional reunion in Iowa showed why “Field of Dreams” still resonates with so many after so many years.

The site of the Oscar-nominated film about an Iowa farmer who hears a voice whisper “If you build it, he will come” and follows through on his vision by building a baseball diamond over a corn field has itself become a tourist destination since the movie’s release in 1989.

So it was only natural for the farm in northeast Iowa to host a three-day celebration of the film that made it so famous.

Stars such as Kevin Costner and Timothy Busfield joined celebrities like Colin Egglesfield, past American League Cy Young award winner Bret Saberhagen and thousands of fans from all over the Midwest at the remote locale.

Costner played the role of Ray Kinsella, the farmer whose diamond lured both the 1919 Chicago “Black Sox” and his own long-gone father out of the cornstalks beyond left field.

Twenty-five years later, Costner brought his wife and kids back to Iowa to reminisce about his role in one of the most beloved sports movies of all time.


ABC US News | ABC Celebrity News

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Florida Man Paints American Flag on House to Protest City Citation

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Photo Credit: Steve Nesius / Reuters A Florida man who feels he is being unfairly treated by local code enforcement officials has mounted an unusual protest – he painted his house like the American flag.

“It’s just total government abuse. This is still America,” said Brent Greer, who lives in Bradenton, Florida.

Greer is upset that city code enforcement officers inspected his home in February after an anonymous complaint that a 15-foot(4.5-metre)-tall Christmas tree on his front porch had fallen over, he said.

A code enforcement officer came to inspect, and Greer said, “My wife gladly took it down.”

The officer went on to cite Greer for a list of violations including lack of screens on some windows, peeling house paint, yard debris, and some rotted and loose wood, according to a copy of the complaint provided by Greer.

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For the First Time Ever, a Computer Passed Turing Test for Artificial Intelligence

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Photo Credit: REUTERS / GLEB GARANICH
Yesterday, at the University of Reading in London, a computer convinced human judges that it was actually a 13-year-old Ukrainian boy. By convincing one-third of the judging panel of its humanity, it became the computer ever to pass the famous Turing Test.

The Turing Test is a controversial test invented by Alan Turing in 1950. Turing believed that if thirty percent of humans could not distinguish a human from a machine in conversation, that would mean the machine is capable of “thinking.” Until yesterday, a machine was never capable of convincing enough humans to be deemed artificially intelligent, though others have tried.

At the University of Reading, the test was a five-minute keyboard conversation with someone or something on the other side. The questions are a free-for-all — no script is applied and there are no topics assigned in advance. It’s meant to simulate a conversation with a complete stranger. The judges then determine if they believe they have been speaking to a machine or a human. As long as one-third of judges believe its human, the machine passes the test.

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Couples Now Demanding ‘Social Media Prenups’

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Photo Credit: Sky News A top US attorney says a third of her clients are now asking for social media clauses in prenuptial agreements.

Ann-Margaret Carrozza specialises in estate planning in New York and says each breach of an agreed social media rule can result in a fine of up to $50,000 (£29,700)

She said a typical clause will state couples cannot post nude photos, embarrassing photos or anything that is likely to harm a spouse’s professional reputation.

She told ABC News: “It’s a huge issue because we all know this stuff, once it’s out there, you can’t shake it.

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ABC Spends Twice As Much Time on Hedgehogs Than New EPA Regulations

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Photo Credit: MRCThe Environmental Protection Agency formally announced a slew of new regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions by coal plants by 30 percent over the next 15 years.

Despite the potential damaging impact the new regulations will have on the economy, ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer spent twice as much time on hedgehogs becoming popular pets instead of providing a full report on the new EPA regulations.

In total, Sawyer provided a mere 45 seconds on the new EPA regulations and offered no quotes or soundbites from either side. The ABC News host did state the respective positions of environmental groups and the coal industry.

Despite the brevity of the report, Sawyer managed to complain that “The president tried to get climate change in his first term with legislation but Congress was deadlocked and the new regulations do not require a congressional vote.” Nowhere in the 45 seconds did the ABC anchor mention that much of the opposition for the new regulations came from President Obama’s fellow Democrats.

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The Cowbell Returns in Will Ferrell Drum-Off with Red Hot Chili Pepper Drummer Chad Smith (+video)

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Douglas Gorenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ImagesLast week, Will Ferrell told Rolling Stone that his feud with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith “could become the beginning of a rivalry that will go on until the end of time.” It appears that competition ended Thursday night on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon with the long-awaited drum-off between the actor and his doppelgänger…

“I think you can feel the crispiness in the air,” said Fallon. “You know what the audience wants. You know what I want. You guys ready to do this?”

The pair then engaged in a “traditional drum-off,” with Ferrell seemingly locking into unexpected grooves as Smith and Ferrell increased the intensity and complexity of the solos with each successive round. (It didn’t hurt, of course, that Questlove was right to the side of Ferrell, acting as ringer/ghost drummer). Last week, Ferrell lowered the bar on his actual skills, responded to Smith’s taunts with, “I have not been practicing. There’s no amount of practice that would help me become a good drummer.”

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