More stockpiling ammunition: Fear of potential Obama laws causing mass sales

By PERRY BACKUS Ravalli Republic

FLORENCE - Every day, Darren Newsom's three Bitterroot Valley Ammunition facilities crank out 300,000 rounds of ammunition.

It's not nearly enough.

“I'm going about 100,000 rounds in the wrong direction every day,” Newsom said. “We probably have about six months of back orders right now.”


Fearful of the Obama administration's potential to tighten gun control laws, people from all over the country are stocking up on guns and ammunition.

“I went through the Clinton years and there was a bit of a scare then,” Newsom said. “This is like the Clinton years on steroids. � On the day of the election, our phones started going nuts. It hasn't stopped since.”

As a master distributor for ATK - the world's largest ammunition business - Bitterroot Valley Ammunition supplies other ammunition manufacturers around the country with the components needed to make bullets.

“I get a million primers in every other day and most are shipped out the very next day,” he said. “I have 100 million primers on back order right now. We just can't get enough of them.”

At a recent gun show in Salt Lake City, Newsom sold somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 rounds in the first two hours.

“It's just unreal,” he said. “Somewhere in lots of basements around the country, there are millions of rounds of ammunition being stored.”

Local businesses have felt the ammunition shortage.

At Bob Ward's in Hamilton, Mike Matteson said there has been quite a run on ammunition and reloading supplies like bullets and powder since the election.

“We are especially low right now with pistol ammunition,” Matteson said. “There are four or five calibers that we don't even have on our shelves.”

Matteson said he didn't believe manufacturers were prepared for the panic buying that's occurred since the election.

“They tell us that they're months behind on some calibers - .22 ammo is really tough to come by,” he said. “Our gun sales are up somewhere between 30 (percent) to 35 percent or better. A good percentage of those sales are pistols.”

Firearm and ammo sales aren't the only place where concerns about gun control are cropping up.

Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman has seen a marked increase in the number of people applying for concealed weapons permits since November.

Montana is a “will-issue” state for concealed weapons permits. Any law-abiding citizen who fills out the application and can show they've completed some form of firearm safety course can obtain a permit.

The county is averaging about 38 requests for renewals or new permits a month. Last year, the requests averaged about 25.

“It's definitely a noticeable increase,” Hoffman said.

The sheriff said he's hearing from people who are concerned about what might happen over the next four years with the gun control issue.

“We are being asked what would be the stance of local law enforcement if the federal government calls for the confiscation of firearms,” Hoffman said. “That's a very real concern for people.”

Gary Marbut, the longtime president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association in Missoula, said the seeds of the current ammunition shortage can be traced back almost a decade to the Y2K scare.

“Many people became concerned about their ability to get ammunition back then and they stocked up quite a bit,” Marbut said.

In the intervening years, China blossomed and bought up world copper supplies. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan used up warehouses full of U.S. ammunition that needed to be replenished. That forced higher prices for civilian ammunition and people started using some of the bullets they had squirreled away after Y2K, Marbut said.

And now, with the current economic and political uncertainty, people are looking to restock their supplies at a time when most ammunition manufacturers aren't willing to expand their operations.

“The whole demand side of this is so flexible and the supply side is not,” he said.

The ammunition shortage is creating a bit of an economic boon for Ravalli County.

Newsom plans to open a fourth manufacturing facility in Stevensville sometime in September. He employs about 50 people right now and could add up to another 100.

“There are a lot of people out of work right now,” he said. “Two years ago, I probably couldn't find 10 people to go to work for us. Now I have 10 people a day coming in here looking for a job.”

Newsom believes the need for ammunition won't go away. This scare is creating a whole new group of ammunition customers for the future, he said.

Need proof?

Take the .380 caliber pistol. A year ago, Newsom said there was hardly a demand for the ammunition. Since then, the .380 auto pistol has become very popular with women.

“One year ago, it wasn't in demand and now it's some of the most sought ammunition in the U.S.,” he said. “There are more people getting into shooting and that's one thing about ammunition - you can only shoot it once.”

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Have you been on the dog and bone? Bailey the Labrador sparks 999 alert after biting phone and spooking operator with his whining

By David Wilkes
Last updated at 2:04 AM on 21st May 2009

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It was the most sinister of 999 calls - a whimpering noise followed by a shout of: 'Come out, or else - I'm warning you' before the line went dead.

Fearing that a murder might be in progress, the operator phoned the number back - and discovered the culprit was a mischievous dog with a fascination for telephones.

The 14-month-old golden retriever, named Bailey, had crept into the bedroom of his owners Jodie and Jamie Halfpenny while they were downstairs watching television and picked up their cordless phone in his mouth.

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Dialling for help: Bailey managed to call 999 on a phone, sending police to his home after they heard the chaos as his owners tried to retrieve it

Bailey, who has previous form for breaking mobiles, then came bounding into the lounge and when the couple saw he had the phone they chased him to try to get it back.

He ran outside into the garden, at some point having managed to bite the 9 key three times.

'He was so keen to keep hold of the phone that he got himself wedged behind our shed and by this time we could hear someone had answered his call,' said 20-year-old Mrs Halfpenny, a care worker from Withington, Herefordshire.

As she and her 24-year-old husband tried in vain to make him come out, their shouts and Bailey's whines were heard by the police operator.

'It was only when we got out his favourite biscuits and treats that he finally crawled out,' said Mrs Halfpenny.

'But that wasn't the end of it because he left the phone behind and we had to crane round to try and get it. We got it back and then the police rang asking if we were OK.'

Pet calls: Jamie and Jodie Halfpenny with their mischievous golden retriever Bailey

When you dial 999, you are asked which service you require: police, fire or ambulance.

If you do not or cannot answer, the BT operator will put the call through to the police.

The West Mercia force confirmed they received the bizarre phone call at 4.30pm on a Monday and that the whining and shouts had made staff think they had 'a violent domestic or even a potential murder on their hands'.

A spokesman said: 'That was when the line went dead and for a few moments the operator wondered what sort of incident they were dealing with.

'The operator phoned the number back hesitantly, only to be greeted by a very apologetic woman who confirmed all was well.'

Mrs Halfpenny said she and her husband, a car dealer, had vowed to keep their phones well out of Bailey's reach.

'I don't know what it is about phones, but he goes wild whenever they ring and has cracked a few mobiles in his mouth when he gets hold of them.'

She said that 'the whole police thing was a bit embarrassing', but she was able to see the funny side now.

'You never know when a dog that can dial for help could come in handy.'

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Reflections on "Voices from the Great Depression"

When the politicians and pontificators began comparing the 2009 economic woes with 1929, I thought of my parents. I remember as a kid, my father bending over in a parking lot or on a sidewalk — it could be anywhere — then proudly plucking a penny from the ground and placing it in his black coin purse. He was born in 1928 and raised in a poor Italian family in northern Michigan. There were hardships. His father died when he was in sixth grade. His mother put cardboard in her worn-out shoes because money was tight. But when he talks about those tough times, he always adds, “We were happy.”

My mother was born near the end of the Great Depression but also grew up poor in South Carolina. My parents passed their experiences on to me in the form of simple economic lessons. Live within your financial means. Don’t waste your resources. Save some of your income.

Like my parents, I thought that others who endured those earlier hard times could provide more personal and thought-provoking insights than today's pundits. I started with retirement organizations that might be able to help. John Knox Village in Tampa responded first and provided several great subjects. I then approached the Lions Club, community leaders, fellow journalists, anyone who could point me in the right direction. Many were eager to tell their stories. Some weren’t. The memories were too painful, too private. One man just figured that younger generations didn’t care enough to listen.

I hope he’s wrong. In today’s digital, mass-produced era, the penny lacks value for most. Still, when Bill Jackson — who worked in a grocery store making less than a dollar a day — mentioned that at age 93 he still picks up pennies from the ground with the help of a walker, I was amazed and delighted. I thought of my father. He still picks up pennies. [CHRIS ZUPPA, Times]

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Helmeted protestors, orange moon, owl monkeys

Student demonstrators wearing black helmets are surrounded by a cloud of teargas and spray from a fire extinguisher directed at the police. The clash took place Tuesday in Turin, outside a meeting of Italy's university rectors. Organizers have dubbed the gathering of more than 40 rectors the "G-8" university summit, although the meeting has nothing to do with the annual Group of Eight summit of leading industrialized nations, which will be held in July in L'Aquila, Italy. (AP Photo /Massimo Pinca)

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Elephant bath, Pakistan refugee, Buddhists in Nepal

Firefighter Eforrest Allmond houses down an Asian Elephant from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Wednesday is scheduled to be the opening night for the circus in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Pills-therapy combination work best at treating insomnia, study says

By Letitia Stein, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Losing sleep over the economy? For the growing numbers of Americans tossing and turning at night, a new study on treating sleep disorders may offer hope.

But like the repair of the financial markets, there is no quick fix to insomnia. Treatment, according to a report released Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, can be most effective when combining a brief spell on sleeping pills with extended therapy to change bedtime behaviors that exacerbate sleep disorders.

Dr. Mac Anderson, director of the University of South Florida's sleep medicine training program, said this approach bridges a patient's desire to get quick results with the long-lasting benefits from behavioral therapy.

"Most Americans, in our culture, it's a pill for everything," said Anderson, who is also the medical director of Tampa General Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center. "That may help people get started on their treatment for insomnia, but those physiological behaviors that have to be learned and taught are what's going to, in my opinion, help them the most over a long period of time — not the medicine."

The new insight into insomnia treatment comes at a time when many Americans report trouble sleeping. In a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, more than one in four people surveyed said they had lost sleep worrying about personal finances and employment, the U.S. economy and health care costs.

Even in good times, an estimated 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from ongoing sleep disorders, affecting their daily ability to function, the Institute of Medicine reported in 2006. It called the cumulative affect of sleep loss and insomnia "an under-recognized public health problem," one associated with diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack and stroke.

More than just a pill

Both behavioral therapy and prescription medication are effective treatment options, experts say. The new study in JAMA examined the effectiveness of using them together on chronic insomniacs.

For the first six weeks, half of the participants received a regimen of "cognitive behavioral therapy," a short-term therapy that focuses on sleep habits and attitudes about sleep. The rest received a nightly dose of Ambien, a well-known sleeping medication, combined with the behavioral therapy.

After the initial treatment phase, half of the therapy-only group continued the therapy for the next six months. The rest discontinued it.

The patients taking Ambien were also divided into two groups — one that stuck with behavioral therapy and discontinued drug use. The other received ongoing therapy, and were allowed to use Ambien if needed.

Six months later, researchers found the best results among the patients who initially received a combination of behavioral therapy and sleeping medication, but then stopped taking Ambien entirely.

"We can't expect that just with a sleeping pill, we will cure the problem forever," said Charles Morin, the lead author and a professor of psychology at Laval University in Canada. "When we discontinue the treatment, usually people get back to where they were initially, whereas with CBT, it's based on teaching behavior principals and psychological principals — and once we end the teaching, what people have learned does not disappear."

No overnight change

It takes time to see results with CBT's multi-pronged approach to changing bedtime habits, which includes "sleep hygiene'' education and correcting misconceptions that could aggravate an insomniac's distress. For example, many people think they should sleep eight hours a night, but sleep needs vary.

The study, conducted in the Quebec City area, involved 160 white men and women with chronic insomnia ranging in age from 30 to 72.

After the initial six-week phase, more than half of participants in both treatment groups were sleeping better. Those who combined behavioral therapy with Ambien (a brand of zolpidem), part of a newer generation of sleeping medications that are generally not addictive, slept a little longer than the other groups.

But after the next six months of treatment, the best results were seen in participants who stopped taking medication, and continued their behavioral therapy.

Behavioral therapy seeks to correct a vicious cycle in which the stress of losing sleep can lead to further insomnia.

"The thought of going into the bedroom and having a sleepless night creates anxiety," said Anderson, the USF sleep specialist. "Tossing and turning, worrying about not being able to sleep and worrying about tomorrow and not being able to perform at work, wakes the brain up."

Medication is effective, Anderson noted, but "in some patients, the effectiveness may wear off with time." And most of the prescription drugs approved for insomnia treatment are labeled for short-term use.

The nonprofit National Sleep Foundation, which receives a mixture of public and private funding, cautions against a do-it-yourself approach to insomnia treatment. It advises consulting a health professional.

Sleep medications range widely, and it is wise to research a drug before taking it. Most over-the-counter drugs use antihistamines, which have the potential for side effects including continued daytime sedation, dry mouth and incontinence problems.

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'Drunk' man ploughs his Rolls-Royce into Tesco store just minutes after staff refuse to sell him alcohol

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:36 AM on 21st May 2009

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A man drove a Rolls-Royce through the front window of a Tesco superstore yesterday after staff refused to sell him alcohol.

Six women shoppers were injured as the car shattered the glass, demolished two checkouts and sent shelves crashing down.

A 50-year-old man was last night arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and drink-driving.

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Narrow escape: A Tesco store in Andover, Hants, had to be evacuated after an allegedly drunk 50-year-old man drove his Rolls-Royce through the shop window

Staff and customers claimed the driver - who is thought to run a firm of chauffeurs - had tried to buy alcohol in the store but was turned away because he was drunk.

Moments later, after returning to the car park, he tried to drive the car through a store window.

He failed first time, but then reversed and picked up higher speed before crashing through the front of the shop.

Devastation: The Rolls-Royce sits in the superstore after it was driven through the window. Shoppers and staff fled for their lives

A 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and drink-driving after crashing a Rolls-Royce into the supermarket

Shoppers, including parents and children, ran for cover at the scene in Andover, Hampshire, just after 4.30pm.

The force of the impact pushed two checkouts 10ft into a sweet aisle.

An air ambulance, six ambulances and three fire engines were scrambled.

The six victims were taken to hospital and the store was evacuated. The injured are thought to include a pregnant woman.

Customer Patrick Ford, 49, said: 'I heard a huge crash and shattering glass and the shelving started collapsing around me. It was like a tidal wave of shelving coming towards me and then I saw that a car had come through the window.'

A Tesco worker, who did not want to be named, said she thought a bomb had gone off when the crash happened.

She said: 'People were running for their lives, scattering in all directions. Everyone was screaming. It was terrifying. Checkout girls were shocked and crying.'

It is thought the man sat in his car until police arrived. Paramedics gave him oxygen at the scene. The injured women were treated for cuts, bruises and shock.

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Angelina Jolie aparece com barriga saliente em Cannes

A atriz acompanhou o marido, Brad Pitt, à exibição de gala de "Inglorious Basterds" e surpreendeu com uma barriguinha

Angelina não consegue esconder a barriguinha

Angelina Jolie alimentou os rumores de que estaria grávida novamente ao aparecer no Festival de Cinema de Cannes, nesta quarta-feira, com uma barriguinha saliente. Nem o vestido com detalhes disfarçou o que é dado como certo por alguns veículos de imprensa norte-americanos.

Mas se ela colocou fogo nos boatos de que espera mais um filho, o fato de acompanhar o marido, Brad Pitt, à exibição de gala do filme "Inglorious Bastards", do qual ele é protagonista, acabou jogando um balde de água fria nos burburinhos sobre uma suposta crise entre o casal.

Em abril, a revista "Star" afirmou que Angelina estava realmente esperando um sétimo filho, mas que a relação entre ela e Pitt estaria completamente abalada depois do suposto flagra dele trocando carinhos com a babá dos filhos.

O casal, claro, desconversa sobre desavenças, mas confirma que é difícil manter a paixão com seis filhos pequenos.

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"Não fiz um filme gay", diz diretor de longa sobre irmãos amantes

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  João Gabriel Vasconcellos e Rafael Cardoso vivem irmãos amantes em "Do Começo ao Fim"

EDUARDO TARDIN
Da Redação

Desde que vazou na rede no início do mês, o vídeo promocional do filme "Do Começo ao Fim" tem causado polêmica na internet. Dirigido por Aluízio Abranches, de "Um Copo de Cólera" e "As Três Marias", o filme mostra a relação incestuosa entre os meio-irmãos Francisco e Thomás, vividos pelos atores João Gabriel Vasconcellos e Rafael Cardoso. No elenco, estão ainda Julia Lemmertz, como mãe dos rapazes, e Fábio Assunção como o pai de um deles.

Apesar das cenas dos irmãos trocando carinhos no banho e na cama, Abranches faz questão dizer que não fez um "filme gay", e nem saberia dizer se os personagens que criou são necessariamente homossexuais. "Pode ser uma relação que acontece só entre os dois", desconversa. "Quis apenas tratar de dois assuntos que me interessam bastante, que são as relações amorosas e a família".

• O que achou da prévia do filme "Do Começo ao Fim"? Comente

O fato de Francisco e Thomás serem meio-irmãos não foi uma forma de aliviar a história. "Não tinha nem o que aliviar ali", diz o diretor, que também assina o roteiro. "Quando jovem fui um ávido leitor de Eça de Queiroz e reli 'Os Maias' várias vezes, talvez na esperança de que alguma vez os protagonistas fossem ter um final feliz", diz. "No meu filme, queria uma história de amor entre irmãos que não tivesse que acabar em sangue, como sempre acontece", diz Abranches, que não vê problemas numa relação como a retratada no filme: "estou esperando alguém me dizer porque não poderia acontecer".

Uma das características do filme que mais deve causar desconforto, segundo o diretor, é o fato de a relação de Francisco e Thomás ser tratada como algo perfeitamente normal. "Quero poder levantar uma discussão sobre esses dois tabus, mas sem focar neles; em nenhum momento no filme isso [a viabilidade do romance] é posto em discussão".

Ele também acredita que a relação incestuosa retratada não é mais polêmica do que o fato de serem dois homens. "Já li comentários indignados por causa do incesto, mas tenho certeza de que o que incomoda mais é a relação entre dois rapazes. A homossexualidade é mais tabu que o incesto intre irmãos", acredita o diretor.

CENAS DO FILME "DO COMEÇO AO FIM"

Sucesso na internet
Desde o vazamento do vídeo promocional - a idéia era divulgar um trailer mais próximo da estreia - já foram criadas 25 comunidades sobre o filme no Orkut, que somam mais de 40 mil membros. O vídeo no Youtube já atraiu 300 mil visualizações, apesar de ter sido apagado algumas vezes, segundo o diretor. Os quase mil comentários dos internautas em apenas um deles vão da indignação ao entusiasmo.

Para Abranches, o fato de serem dois atores bonitos (Vasconcellos também é modelo) não tem nada de apelativo. "O filme não é sobre a beleza dos dois. Mas o tema principal do filme - o amor - é bonito, e nada mais coerente do que atores bonitos nesses papeis". Preocupado com a estética do filme, o diretor conta que convidou seu colega Ueli Steiger para cuidar da fotografia de "Do Começo ao Fim". Steiger já assinou a fotografia de blockbusters hollywoodianos como "10.000 BC" e "O Dia Depois de Amanhã".

"Do Começo ao Fim" está em fase de finalização e deve ficar pronto em três meses, e ainda não tem data de estreia definida. Com cenas rodadas no Rio de Janeiro e em Buenos Aires, o orçamento deve chegar a R$ 2 milhões, valor considerado baixo por Abranches. Se o tema polêmico do filme pode ter compremetido a captação de recursos, a distribuição está garantida, conta o diretor. E depois das primeiras discussões e debates, as expectativas são otimistas.

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RUMORES DE SEPARACIÓN

Y 'Brangelina' llegó a Cannes

Efe | Cannes

Actualizado el miércoles 20/05/2009

Y 'Brangelina' se hizo carne. La pareja más cotizada, fotografiada y rumoreada del cine actual, Angelina Jolie y Brad Pitt, apareció en Cannes. Impecable ante la alfombra roja del festival para el pase de gala de 'Malditos bastardos', la nueva película de Quentin Tarantino.

Sea o no cierta su crisis de pareja, Jolie-Pitt han conseguido solucionar, aunque sea por el día de hoy, la crisis de glamour confirmada del festival de Cannes, al que han devuelto la expectación y la aglomeración de fans de sus mejores tiempos.

Con gafas de sol y esmoquin negro él, al contrario que los trajes blancos de Armani que luce en la película, y un vestido de gasa rosa palo ella, dieron sin duda la foto más esperada de todo el festival.

Jolie, con un peinado de vampiresa y los labios pintados de rojo cereza al estilo de Jessica Rabbit, lució escote pronunciado por delante, la sensualidad que provoca un hombro descubierto y la desnudez de parte de su espalda, dejando ver el inicio (y sugiriendo el final) de un enorme tatuaje.

Pitt había comparecido ya con un aire a lo Gran Gatsby en la rueda de prensa, con traje color vainilla, foulard y un voluminoso anillo. Angelina había sido fotografiada por algunos medios en restaurantes de la ciudad.

Ambos firmaron autógrafos, mientras Tarantino animaba el circo bailando al estilo del mítico Vincent Vega (John Travolta) en 'Pulp Fiction', la película que le dio la Palma de Oro hace quince años.

Aprovechando la expectación, pasearon bajo la excusa de la épica cómica y bélica de Tarantino una espectacular Sharon Stone, Ornella Mutti, Dita von Teese, Elsa Pataky (con un vestido negro de cola), Claudia Cardinale, Anna Galianna, que optó por el amarillo limón, y el vampiro atractivo para el sector adolescente, Roger Pattinson, el protagonista de 'Crepúsculo'.

Y como siempre, Isabelle Huppert siguió explotando nuevos modelos de Chanel, y Robin Wright, esta vez de blanco, confió en la infalible elegancia de su sencillez.

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