Riccardo Crossland used a pellet gun to rob a man legally carrying a real gun outside a Bridgeton motel Tuesday morning and ended up shot, police said.

Crossland went off to a hospital with wounds of the hand and leg; the victim went on his way with the congratulations of police.

"Here was a robbery where we have a good ending for once," said Bridgeton Police Major Don Steinman, who said the shooting was clearly self-defense.

The 23-year-old victim holds a concealed-carry permit from his home state of Florida, which is honored in Missouri, officials said. Advertisement

"He had his gun aimed at my face," the robbery victim said in an interview granted on the condition that his name and hometown not be used. "I definitely thought he was going to shoot me, so I started firing."

Crossland's weapon turned out to be a pellet gun that resembled a .45-caliber handgun, police said. The victim had a real .45 in his waistband.

Crossland, 39, of the 7100 block of Beulah Avenue in Jennings, was taken to DePaul Health Center, police said, for treatment of his wounds, which were not considered life-threatening. He was charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.

Police said Crossland is on probation for a drug-related offense, and has convictions for robbery, burglary, stealing and drug-related crimes.

The victim gave this account:

He had stayed several days at the Motel 6, near Interstate 270 and St. Charles Rock Road, while looking at a race car engine to buy from a man in St. Louis.

About 3 a.m. Tuesday, he took his pit bull on an errand for food. Just outside the motel, he encountered two men who asked questions about the dog before one of them pulled out what looked like a gun and announced a holdup.

"The one guy started to pat me down, and I didn't want him to find my gun, so I was handing them over everything I could," the victim said. "I was just waiting for the right opportunity to get my gun."

The robbers then started to depart with the man's wallet, necklace, ring and cash.

"The guy with the gun was walking away with the gun at his side, but then he turned around and aimed it at my face," the victim said. "I definitely thought he was going to shoot me, so I pulled my gun out and started firing."

He fired seven shots and the pair fled.

Crossland was found about a quarter of a mile away, hiding on a parking lot in the 12900 block of St. Charles Rock Road, police said. The accomplice was not caught.

The victim said he had the concealed-carry permit for two years but had never used the weapon. Missouri has no tracking system for cases in which people with concealed-carry permits use their weapons.

Wamp Says Thompson Likely To Run For President

The Chattanoogian
March 19, 2007

Rep. Zach Wamp said Monday that former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is very likely to run for president.

The Third District congressman told the Chattanooga Pachyderm Club, "I had a follow-up conversation with Fred Thompson, and there is a real, real strong possibility that he will run."

He said Thompson "has to meet some obligations" with the "Law and Order" TV show and with broadcaster Paul Harvey.

He said Thompson has set aside April 18 and will meet with members of Congress. Rep. Wamp said he has already lined up over 40 members who are interested in the Thompson candidacy.

Rep. Wamp said, "These are from some key places like Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky."

Rep. Wamp said he and Rep. John Duncan will be co-chairmen of a committee designed to encourage Thompson to seek the Republican presidential nomination.

They will lead the "Draft Fred Thompson 2008" committee. The committee's goal is "to recruit and organize citizens from both the public and private sectors into a leadership group that will serve as a clearinghouse for Thompson supporters from across the country."

Rep. Wamp said, "It is becoming increasingly obvious that a growing number of Americans want Fred Thompson to join the 2008 presidential campaign.

"Sen. Thompson's ability to communicate an optimistic vision for America, coupled with his strong conservative credentials, makes him an ideal choice for thousands of our fellow citizens."

Rep. Duncan said he was "proud to lend my name and energy to this important draft effort."

He said, "I have known Fred Thompson for many years, and I believe he is an exceptional national leader who has the character and integrity to be an outstanding president."

A third congressman from Tennessee, freshman David Davis, has also agreed to become a member of the committee.

The co-chairmen said they believe that "scores of other prominent leaders from Tennessee and across the country will be joining the draft movement in the next several weeks."

Rep. Duncan said, "I believe that thousands of Americans from every walk of life will join this grass-roots effort. They will help us send a clear message to Sen. Thompson that he should take the next step and announce his candidacy."

Rep. Wamp said Thompson "personifies strength and trust. His charisma, eloquence, and exemplary public service have inspired Tennesseans and Americans alike. When I ask my conservative colleagues in Congress if Fred should run, it’s like setting off fireworks above the Capitol."

Rep. Wamp said, "America needs Fred Thompson to answer this call."

Dean Rice of Knoxville, a former aide to Thompson and now a government relations executive, is the treasurer of the Draft Fred Thompson 2008 committee.

He urged those interested in the campaign to visit the committee's website, www.fred08.com or e-mail runfred@fred08.com.

Rep. Wamp told the Pachyderm Club that a poll by conservative TV host Sean Hannity gave Fred Thompson 52 percent of the vote. He said it was "about twice what McCain received."

He said the Wall Street Journal, writer Bob Novak and others have been commenting on the possible Thompson candidacy.

News Corp., NBC pull together to challenge YouTube...
Thu Mar 22 2007 10:45:59 ET

NEW YORK, March 22, 2007 -- News Corporation and NBC Universal will launch the largest Internet video distribution network ever assembled with the most sought-after content from television and film, it was announced today by Jeff Zucker, President and Chief Executive Officer, NBC Universal and Peter Chernin, President and Chief Operating Officer, News Corporation. The video-rich site will debut this summer with thousands of hours of full-length programming, movies and clips, representing premium content from at least a dozen networks and two major film studios.

AOL, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo! will be the new site’s initial distribution partners. Their users, who represent 96 percent of the monthly U.S. unique users on the Internet, will have unlimited access to the site’s vast library of content. This media alliance will offer consumers free long- and short-form video and create a compelling platform for advertisers, targeting the rapidly growing audience of online video consumers. Charter advertisers include Cadbury Schweppes, Cisco, Esurance, Intel Corporation and General Motors.

“This is a game changer for Internet video,” said Peter Chernin, President and Chief Operating Officer of News Corporation. “We’ll have access to just about the entire U.S. Internet audience at launch. And for the first time, consumers will get what they want -- professionally produced video delivered on the sites where they live. We’re excited about the potential for this alliance and we’re looking forward to working with any content provider or distributor who wants to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity.”

“Anyone who believes in the value of ubiquitous distribution will find this announcement incredibly exciting,” said Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal. “This venture supercharges our distribution of protected, quality content to fans everywhere. Consumers get a hugely attractive aggregation of a wide range of content, and marketers get a novel way to connect with a large and highly engaged audience.”

At launch, full episodes and clips from current hit shows, including Heroes, 24, House, My Name Is Earl, Saturday Night Live, Friday Night Lights, The Riches, 30 Rock, The Simpsons, The Tonight Show, Prison Break, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader and Top Chef, plus hits from the studios’ vast television libraries, will be available free, on an ad-supported basis, within a rich consumer experience featuring personalized video playlists, mashups, online communities and video search. Plus, the extensive programming lineup will include fan favorite films like Borat, Little Miss Sunshine, Devil Wears Prada, The Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy with bonus materials and movie trailers. Post- launch, plans will be considered for acquiring additional content as well as producing and licensing original programming for the new site’s audience.

Its launch distribution partners will provide the biggest potential reach of any player on the Internet. Moreover, the new site will actively seek agreements with a variety of additional distribution partners.

“This new venture is further proof that the Internet is now a full-fledged entertainment medium, and we are delighted to serve as a major online distribution partner for the quality content produced by these media powerhouses, as well as a provider of strategic services to the new venture,” said Randy Falco, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AOL.

“This partnership is completely aligned with our continued investment in video on MSN and will allow hundreds of millions of our consumers to tune into a vast library of high-quality, safe and legal online video,” said Kevin Johnson, President, Platform and Services Division, Microsoft. “Our alliance proves that you can deliver quality online video entertainment and protect intellectual property and copyright at the same time. We look forward to working together to explore additional opportunities to distribute this content across other Microsoft services and devices.”

“By delivering the new site’s content to our more than 65 million users, we can build on MySpace’s position as a leading destination for online video, and enable content creators to tap into the power of social networking,” said Peter Levinsohn, President of Fox Interactive Media. “The ability to embed video clips within over 160 million profile pages will empower members of the MySpace community to view, share and truly interact with some of the entertainment world’s most popular content.”

“We are excited to be a part of this landmark partnership that connects people to the content they care about. As the most visited site in the U.S., this deal gives Yahoo!’s users unprecedented access to their favorite shows and offers them engaging content in a premium video format,” said Terry Semel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Yahoo! Inc. “We believe that this relationship underscores Yahoo!'s respect for content owners and copyrights and positions us as one of the premier distribution sites on the Web for entertainment programming.”

Each distribution partner will feature the site’s content in an embedded player customized with a look and feel consistent with each site, making the offering organic to each destination. The new company will offer innovative advertising sales propositions by being able to sell cross-platform -- on-air and on-line. Post-launch, sites affiliated with founding companies, including iVillage and IGN, will also have the opportunity to become distribution partners.

The new company will be located in New York and Los Angeles. A transitional management team led by NBC Universal’s Chief Digital Officer George Kliavkoff, along with an experienced group of executives from NBC Universal and News Corporation, will work together to launch the site. The company’s permanent management will be announced shortly, along with branding details and additional advertising partners. Each company will devote a significant marketing and promotional budget to the new site’s launch.

News Corporation and NBC Universal are creating this strategic alliance at a time when Internet users and advertisers are embracing online video as never before. In January, there were 123 million unique video streamers and downloaders (comScore Video Metrix). In 2005, video streams totaled nearly 18 billion, and that amount is expected to triple by 2010 (AccuStream iMedia Research, 2006). And research firm eMarketer estimates $410 million was spent on online video advertising in 2006, an amount that is expected to almost double this year.

S.C. lawmakers advance abortion bill

By SEANNA ADCOX, Associated Press Writer Wed Mar 21, 7:49 PM ET

COLUMBIA, S.C. - With calls of emotional blackmail from opponents, a measure requiring women seeking abortions to first review ultrasound images of their fetuses advanced Wednesday in the South Carolina Legislature.

The legislation, supported by Republican Gov. Mark Sanford, passed 91-23 after lawmakers defeated amendments exempting rape or incest. The House must approve the bill again in a routine vote before it goes to the Senate, where its sponsor expects it to pass with those exemptions.

Some states make ultrasound images available to women before an abortion, but South Carolina would be alone in requiring women to view the pictures.

Critics consider the proposal a tool to intimidate women who already have made an agonizing decision.

"You love them in the womb but once they get here, it's a different story," said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a Democrat and a social worker. "You're sitting here passing judgment? Who gave you the right?"

Proponents hope women will change their minds after seeing an ultrasound.

Rep. Alan Clemmons, choking back tears as he talked about his two adopted children, recalled a prayer given by his 11-year-old daughter.

"She thanked her God, her father in heaven for her birth mother for loving her enough to give her life," said Clemmons, a Republican. "I thank my God for those young mothers who chose to give them life."

The state's three abortion clinics already perform ultrasounds, paid for by the woman seeking the procedure, to determine the fetus' age. The state's informed-consent law, passed in 1994, requires abortion doctors to tell women at least an hour before the operation the likely age of their fetus and give them information about fetal development and alternatives to abortion.

RIAA University Campaign Sputters: Group Asked To Pay Up For Wasting School's Time
from the sticking-up-for-the-students dept

Lately, the RIAA has been on a high-profile campaign to get college students that the RIAA believes have been involved in illegal file trading to settle lawsuits against them at a "discount". As part of this strategy, the company has tried to enlist universities to help them identify and turn over the names of offending students. But it's heartening to see that some universities aren't spinelessly acquiescing to the RIAA's demands. The University of Wisconsin has told the RIAA that it has no obligation to rat its students out unless it's compelled to do so by a subpoena. Meanwhile, the University of Nebraska has told the RIAA that it can't help them identify many of the students accused of file trading. The school's system changes a computer's IP address each time its turned on, and it only keeps this information for month. After that month, the school has no way of associating an IP address with a computer or its user. The RIAA is angry about this, and a spokesman for the group criticized the university for not understanding "the need to retain these records". This is a ridiculous complaint. The university doesn't have a need to retain these records, and there's no reason it should do so out of some obligation to the RIAA. If there were any doubt that the university is really irritated by the RIAA's requests, it has requested that the RIAA pay the university to reimburse its expenses from dealing with this (good luck with that). If all of this back and forth sounds familiar, it's because it very closely resembles what happened a few years ago when the RIAA tried getting ISPs to share data on their users. Fortunately, the ISPs stood up for their users and told the RIAA to get lost. It's too bad the group didn't seem to learn its lesson.