The thread for Strange News Stories [Archive] - Front Office Football Central

JPhillips

04-09-2009, 09:28 PM

Indianapolis woman dies trying to stop sword fight

7 hours ago

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A 77-year-old woman suffered a fatal stab wound while trying to break up a sword fight Thursday between her grandson and brother-in-law, police said.

An autopsy determined Franziska Stegbauer died of a wound from one of the swords, police Sgt. Matthew Mount said. Both men were hospitalized with stab wounds and one was critically hurt.

"We're unsure yet who started this fight, how the swordplay got involved," Mount said. "We're not sure who it was who stabbed the woman. We'll have to do some testing on the swords and figure out who had which sword, whose blood is on which sword."

One of the weapons was a World War II-era Japanese officer's sword with a thin blade, and the other had a thicker blade, Mount said.

Police placed Stegbauer's grandson, 39-year-old Chris Rondeau, under arrest on a preliminary charge of attempted murder. Stegbauer's brother-in-law, 69-year-old Adolf Stegbauer, suffered several serious stab wounds, police said.

Franziska Stegbauer was not breathing when officers arrived about 1 a.m. at the home on the city's northwest side and she was later pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.

Adolf Stegbauer was listed in critical condition at Wishard Hospital, a spokesman said.

Rondeau also was taken with stab wounds to Wishard. Police said he was alert at the scene, but a condition update was not immediately available. He was being held in the hospital's detention unit.

Crim

04-09-2009, 09:32 PM

In other news, police Sgt. Mount used the word, "swordplay" in a statement. Awesome.

Izulde

04-09-2009, 11:53 PM

Mount and Blade anyone? :D

Peregrine

04-10-2009, 12:09 AM

I guess this is the difference between real life and fantasy worlds - in a computer RPG no one's grandmother gets killed when you're trying to fight the bad guys.

Sgran

04-10-2009, 07:20 AM

It's like West Side Story.

Ksyrup

04-10-2009, 07:39 AM

Too much of a good thing...?

Woman divorces husband for cleaning too much

Thu Apr 2, 2009 10:56am EDT
<SCRIPT src="http://static.reuters.com/resources/js/articlePartnerAttribution.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>
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BERLIN (Reuters) - A German woman has divorced her husband because she was fed up with him cleaning all the time.

German media reported the wife got through 15 years of marriage putting up with the man's penchant for doing household chores, tidying up and rearranging the furniture.

But she ran out of patience when he knocked down and rebuilt a wall at their home when it got dirty,[LOL!] Christian Kropp, court judge in the central town of Sondershausen, said on Thursday.

"I'd never had anyone seek a divorce for this," he said.
(Reporting by Franziska Scheven; editing by Myra MacDonald)

Ksyrup

04-10-2009, 07:42 AM

Another bizarre one:

Skeleton found in tree 29 years after suicide

Tue Apr 7, 2009 7:22am EDT

BERLIN (Reuters) - The skeleton of a German retiree who tied himself to the top of a tree and shot himself to death nearly 30 years ago has been found by a hiker.

German police in the southern town of Landshut said on Monday the 69-year-old man disappeared in 1980 and had been classified as missing.

An 18-year-old hiker discovered a bone in the forest last week and brought it to police. They searched the area and spotted the skeleton hanging about 11 meters up, near the top of the spruce tree.

"After searching the area we found the skeleton up in the tree with the pistol hanging on a rope next to it," police spokesman Leonard Mayer said. Police were able to identify the man through DNA testing and an artificial hip.
(Reporting by Franziska Scheven; Editing by Farah Master)

Mustang

04-10-2009, 12:41 PM

CNN is streaming the delivery of the first brat of the season to Miller Park.

Umm.. ya.

DataKing

04-10-2009, 12:46 PM

CNN is streaming the delivery of the first brat of the season to Miller Park.

Umm.. ya.

Slow sports day?

JPhillips

04-10-2009, 12:53 PM

German police in the southern town of Landshut said on Monday the 69-year-old man disappeared in 1980 and had been classified as missing.

An 18-year-old hiker discovered a bone in the forest last week and brought it to police. They searched the area and spotted the skeleton hanging about 11 meters up, near the top of the spruce tree.

"After searching the area we found the skeleton up in the tree with the pistol hanging on a rope next to it," police spokesman Leonard Mayer said. Police were able to identify the man through DNA testing and an artificial hip.

69 years old with an artificial hip and he can still get 11 meters high in a spruce tree? That's dedication to killing yourself.

Passacaglia

04-10-2009, 12:54 PM

PETA to Pet Shop Boys: Rescue Shelter Boys, perhaps? - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/10/peta.pet.shop.boys/index.html)

ONDON, England (CNN) -- Just because they named their new CD "Yes," does not mean that British electro-pop duo, the Pet Shop Boys, will agree to just about anything.

The band has turned down a request from an animal rights group to rename itself the Rescue Shelter Boys.

The organization, the People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA), sent a letter to Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe acknowledging that its request, at first blush, might appear "bizarre."

But, by changing its name, the band could raise awareness at every tour stop of the "cramped, filthy conditions" that breeders keep animals in before selling them to pet stores, PETA said in its letter. Read how the Pet Shop Boys got their name

The duo, which has performed under its current name for more than 20 years, reproduced PETA's written request in full on its Web site.

The musicians said they were "unable to agree" to the request "but nonetheless think (it) raises an issue worth thinking about."

The animal rights group said it was pleased the Pet Shop Boys had drawn attention to the issue by posting its letter so prominently on the band's site. Talking about its campaign on a blog entry, a PETA staffer wrote:

"I think I may have to stick "West End Girls" on my iPod right now to celebrate."

"West End Girls" is one of the many hits the group has had in its long career.

PETA is no stranger to oddball campaigns. A recent one was aimed to re-christen fish as "sea kittens" because "who could possibly want to put a hook through a sea kitten?"

404 Not Found (http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/SH...hopboys.gi.jpg)

eta: peta's letter.

this is from the pet shop boy's website:

The organisation PETA Europe, dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of all animals, has written to Pet Shop Boys with a request they are unable to agree to but nonetheless think raises an issue worth thinking about. Their Special Projects Manager, Yvonne Taylor, wrote the following letter:
"Dear Neil and Chris,
You have many loyal fans of the Pet Shop Boys here at PETA. We have a request that may at first seem bizarre, but we hope that after considering the following facts, you will understand why we are asking this of you: will you please consider changing your name from the Pet Shop Boys to the Rescue Shelter Boys?
Most dogs and cats sold in pet shops are sourced from profit-hungry breeders who may have bred them in cramped, filthy conditions. With an emphasis on quantity rather than quality, unmonitored genetic defects and personality disorders pass from one generation of puppies and kittens to the next. Many animals end up with abnormalities that result in both heartbreak and high veterinary bills for the unsuspecting people who buy them. For every bird who reaches a pet shop, three others have died during capture, confinement and transportation. Hamsters, mice and other rodents are often bred by the pet shops themselves, leading to inbreeding, genetic weaknesses, physical deformities and behavioural disorders.
Most pet-shop animals are kept in cages or runs that are far too small for their needs. Exercise is minimal, and they often never leave their cages until the day that they are sold. Nocturnal animals are displayed throughout the day under glaring lights. Predators, such as snakes, may be displayed alongside their prey. No screening is done to ensure the suitability of prospective guardians.
By agreeing to change your name to the Rescue Shelter Boys, you would help raise awareness about the cruelty involved in the pet trade and encourage your millions of fans to consider giving a home to an abandoned or unwanted animal from an animal shelter. So, what do you say?"

Ksyrup

04-10-2009, 01:47 PM

OK...so which one got charged with "assault with a deadly weapon," the stabber or the farter?

<TABLE style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=topstory style="PADDING-RIGHT: 2px; PADDING-LEFT: 2px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; PADDING-TOP: 2px; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Man causing real stink in motel room gets stabbed</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px; TEXT-ALIGN: right" vAlign=top noWrap width=220> 
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Posted: 9:30 AM Apr 10, 2009
Last Updated: 9:30 AM Apr 10, 2009
Reporter: Associated Press
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 2px; PADDING-LEFT: 2px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; PADDING-TOP: 2px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" vAlign=center></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px">WACO, Texas (AP) -- A man was stabbed after causing a stink - literally - in a motel room while eating with a friend, police said. Five men from the Houston area were sharing a Waco motel room Tuesday night, and two were inside the room eating when one had a flatulence problem, Waco police Officer Steve Anderson said. One man was so upset about the gas that he threw a large knife at him, cutting his leg, and then stabbed him in the chest, Anderson said.

The 35-year-old man was transported to a Waco hospital, where he was treated for what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries, Anderson said.
<SCRIPT language=Javascript type=text/javascript>if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']) document.write('<table style=\"float : right;\" border=\"0\"><tbody><tr><td align=\"center\" valign=\"bottom\">');if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']){ document.write(plpm['Mid-Story Ad']);} else { if(self['plurp'] && plurp['97']){} else {document.write('<scr'+'ipt language="Javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://cas.clickability.com/cas/cas.js?r='+Math.random()+'&p=97&c=6500&m=216&d=196037&pre=%3Ctable+style%3D%22float+%3A+right%3B%22+border%3D%220%22%3E%3Ctbody%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd+align%3D%22center%22+valign%3D%22bottom%22%3E&post=%3C%2Ftd%3E%3C%2Ftr%3E%3C%2Ftbody%3E%3C%2Ftable%3E"></scr'+'ipt>'); } }if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']) document.write('</td></tr></tbody></table>');</SCRIPT>

<TABLE style="FLOAT: right" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom align=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Jose Braule Ramirez, 33, of Houston, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He was arraigned Wednesday and was being held in the McLennan County Jail on $15,000 bond and placed on an immigration hold, according to jail records. He cannot be released, even if he posts bond, until authorities verify he is in the country legally.

A jail spokeswoman who declined to give her name said she was not allowed to release information on whether Ramirez had an attorney.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Mustang

02-05-2010, 09:44 AM

hxxp://www.wisn.com/news/22473107/detail.html

MILWAUKEE -- A 21-year-old man was shot by his mother around 9:00 p.m. Thursday on West Nash Street and North 13th Street.

Milwaukee Police said the victim told investigators he thought it would be amusing to frighten his mother as she returned from shopping.

He put on a ski mask and confronted her behind their residence, pretending to rob her.

The 37-year-old female responded by drawing a .357 revolver from her waistband and firing several shots at the victim, striking him at least twice.

He was conveyed to a local hospital by the Milawukee Fire Department and his condition is unknown.

The suspect surrendered to the first responding squad and was in custody according to Milwaukee police.

Officers also recovered a blue steel revolver with an obliterated serial number from the suspect.

JPhillips

02-05-2010, 09:46 AM

Izulde

02-05-2010, 10:07 AM

JediKooter

02-05-2010, 12:54 PM

Nice to see the copy editors are doing their jobs well!

It's because they were too busy looking in the thesaurus trying to come up with a different word other than 'taken'.

He was conveyed to a local hospital by the Milawukee Fire Department and his condition is unknown.

Mustang

02-05-2010, 01:06 PM

Nice to see the copy editors are doing their jobs well!

Isn't that the way Alice Cooper pronounced it in Wayne's World?? :)

JPhillips

02-10-2010, 02:13 PM

Human microchips seen by some in Virginia House as device of antichrist

By Fredrick Kunkle and Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 10, 2010; B01

RICHMOND, FEB. 9 -- The House of Delegates is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill that would protect Virginians from attempts by employers or insurance companies to implant microchips in their bodies against their will.

It might also save humanity from the antichrist, some supporters think.

Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg), the bill's sponsor, said that privacy issues are the chief concern behind his attempt to criminalize the involuntary implantation of microchips. But he also said he shared concerns that the devices could someday be used as the "mark of the beast" described in the Book of Revelation.

"My understanding -- I'm not a theologian -- but there's a prophecy in the Bible that says you'll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times," Cole said. "Some people think these computer chips might be that mark."

Cole said that the growing use of microchips could allow employers, insurers or the government to track people against their will and that implanting a foreign object into a human being could also have adverse health effects.

"I just think you should have the right to control your own body," Cole said.

The religious overtones have cast the debate into a realm that has made even some supporters uneasy and caused opponents to mock the bill for legislating the apocalypse.

Del. Robert H. Brink (D-Arlington) said on the House floor that he did not find many voters demanding microchip legislation when he was campaigning last fall: "I didn't hear anything about the danger of asteroids striking the Earth, about the threat posed by giant alligators in our cities' sewer systems or about the menace of forced implantation of microchips in human beings."

Microchips, which use radio frequency identification, have been used in pets to identify and track them. Proponents suggest that such chips could be invaluable in making people's medical records portable and secure and in helping to identify and find missing children. Others have urged they be used with Alzheimer's disease patients.

But the growing use of microchips has collided with the Book of Revelation. The biblical passage in question is in Chapter 13 and describes the rise of a satanic figure known as "the Beast": "He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

David Neff, editor of the magazine Christianity Today, said that some fundamentalist Christians believe that bar codes and implanted microchips could be used by a totalitarian government to control commerce -- a sign of the coming end of the world.

"This is part of a larger attempt to constantly read current history in the light of the symbolic language of the Book of Revelation," he said.

That book has been sifted for clues to contemporary events almost since the ink on the parchment dried, and Caesar, Nero, Napoleon, Hitler and some of history's other controversial one-namers have been identified as possible antichrists. Now, it's President Obama's turn, as tea partyers and others warn of federal intrusions into the debate over health-care reform.

Now, the book is giving new life to worries about microchips.

Such fears seemed futuristic until veterinarians began implanting microchips in pets in the 1990s and especially after a Delray Beach, Fla.-based company, VeriChip, introduced an implantable FDA-approved chip in 2001 that could store a person's medical records.

A voluntary initiative by the federal government to control disease outbreaks by tracking livestock using microchips and 15-digit numbers has also whipped up fears of government intrusion in some farming communities.

"I think it's kind of a lot of things. It's everything from civil liberties to privacy rights to the mark of the beast," said Katherine Albrecht, a nationally syndicated radio host who co-wrote "Spychips," a book about corporations' use of microchips and other potentially invasive technologies.

Several states, including Wisconsin, have approved bans such as the one Virginia is proposing, and the Georgia Senate passed a similar bill last week.

Virginia Del. Charles W. Carrico Sr. (R-Grayson) said that he would probably back the bill because his rural community is leery of government intrusions. But Carrico said he also gives credence to biblical teachings on the importance of being vigilant against an antichrist.

"As a Christian, I believe there is a time that Christ will come back to receive his people home, and that's just the basis of what the Bible shows, and that there will be an antichrist that arises during that time, and those that remain, to buy or sell anything, they will have to take on this mark," Carrico said. "I don't know that it's a microchip."

As the measure moved through House committees, Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax) said that lawmakers wrestled with whether the military or military contractors should be able to require that employees receive implants as a condition of employment.

"This whole end-of-days thing I just heard about through rumors," Albo said. "The fact that some people who support it are a little wacky doesn't make it a bad idea."

Others dismissed the legislation, calling it a sideshow as lawmakers grapple with a huge budget gap.

"We've got a $4 billion hole, and we're spending time on microchips," said Del. Albert C. Pollard Jr. (D-Northumberland). "At least when Nero fiddled, they got good music."

DataKing

02-10-2010, 02:28 PM

"We've got a $4 billion hole, and we're spending time on microchips," said Del. Albert C. Pollard Jr. (D-Northumberland). "At least when Nero fiddled, they got good music."

Awesome. :D

JediKooter

02-10-2010, 02:51 PM

Scoobz0202

06-23-2010, 08:46 PM

I wasn't sure where else to put this...

hxxp://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jun/19/colo-man-went-on-solo-mission-to-kill-bin-laden/

Colo. man went on solo mission to kill bin Laden
The Associated Press
Saturday, June 19, 2010 | 9:49 a.m.

An American construction worker has been detained in the mountains of Pakistan after authorities there found him carrying a sword, pistol and night-vision goggles on a solo mission to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden.

Catching bin Laden was Gary Brooks Faulkner's "passion," his brother said, noting that the 50-year-old has been to Pakistan at least six times, learned some of the local language and even grew a long beard to blend in. Relatives and acquaintances said Faulkner is a devout, good-humored Christian who requires dialysis and did time in prison years ago.

"A lot of kids grow up and say, `I want to be Rambo,' you know? Well, he is," said Faulkner's brother, Scott Faulkner, 43.

Gary Faulkner arrived June 3 in the town of Bumburate and stayed in a hotel there. The Greeley, Colo., man was assigned a police guard, as is common for foreigners visiting remote parts of Pakistan.

When he checked out without informing police, officers began looking for him, according to the top police officer in the Chitral region, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan. Faulkner was found late Sunday in a forest.

"We initially laughed when he told us that he wanted to kill Osama bin Laden," Khan said. But when officers seized the weapons and night-vision equipment, "our suspicion grew." He said the American was trying to cross into the nearby Afghan region of Nuristan.

Chitral and Nuristan are among several rumored hiding places for bin Laden along the mountainous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pakistan's military and intelligence establishment generally deny the possibility that bin Laden is hiding somewhere along the Pakistan-Afghan border, as Western intelligence agencies believe.

On Tuesday, Faulkner was being questioned by intelligence officials in Peshawar, Pakistan's main northwestern city. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Scott Faulkner dropped his brother off at Denver's airport May 30, and the two discussed the possibility Faulkner would not return alive from his search of bin Laden.

"He talked about why he was so passionate" to find bin Laden, Scott Faulkner recalled, adding that his brother retained vivid memories of the Sept. 11 attacks. "He has not forgotten."

But Scott Faulkner insisted his brother was on a rational mission.

"He's as normal as you and I," Scott Faulkner said. "He's just very passionate, and, as a Christian, he felt, when Osama mocked this country after 9/11, and it didn't feel like the military was doing enough, it became his passion, his mission, to track down Osama, and kill him, or bring him back alive."

Scott Faulkner said his brother sold all his tools to finance his trip and was prepared to die in Pakistan. He also said his brother took no weapons and had a valid visa for Pakistan. Scott Faulkner hoped his brother wouldn't be charged with a crime.

Faulkner's sister, Deanna M. Faulkner of Grand Junction, Colo., said her brother suffers from kidney disease that has left him with only 9 percent kidney function. But she told The Associated Press that she did not think his illness was his motivation to go to Pakistan.

"I don't believe this was, 'I'm dying, and I'm going to do a hurrah thing,'" she said.

Khan said Faulkner told investigators he was angry after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I think Osama is responsible for bloodshed in the world, and I want to kill him," Khan quoted him as saying.

Asked why he thought he had a chance of tracing bin Laden, Faulkner replied, "God is with me, and I am confident I will be successful in killing him," Khan said.

He said police confiscated a small amount of hashish, enough for a single joint, from Faulkner.

"I'm worried about him," Deanna Faulkner said. "I'm worried that in Pakistan, they won't give him his dialysis. And if he doesn't get it, he's in serious trouble."

Bin Laden, who is also reported to have kidney problems, has evaded a massive manhunt since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, which he is accused of masterminding along with other attacks. The federal government has offered a bounty of $25 million for information leading to his capture.

Hugo Corral, who owns a barber shop in Greeley, recalled cutting Faulkner's hair a few months ago. He said Faulkner was quiet and wouldn't answer his questions. After the haircut, Corral said, he saw Faulkner acting strangely outside his shop.

"He would walk, then stop, then do something like he was saluting something. It was kind of weird," Corral said. Through the glass of his shop, he said he could hear Faulkner cursing at no one in particular.

Stacey Stienmetz, who lived in Faulkner's apartment building in Greeley, described him as adventurous. Two years ago, he recalls Faulkner planning a hang gliding trip. More recently, he said Faulkner spoke about going to Pakistan to climb a mountain.

Gary Faulkner was in and out of Colorado state prisons between 1981 and 1993, serving a total of about seven years in five separate stints for burglary, larceny and parole violations, state officials said.

The Larimer County sheriff released a mug shot from a 2006 arrest on charges of failing to have car insurance. It shows Faulkner with shoulder-length gray hair parted in the middle with bangs that reach the sides of his wire-rim glasses.

He also has a shaggy, black beard with traces of gray hair in it, and he appears to be wearing a camouflage-patterned shirt.

A family photo of him leaving Denver's airport for Pakistan on May 30 shows him with a beard.

Faulkner told Pakistani police he visited Pakistan seven times, and this was his third trip to Chitral, a mountainous region that attracts adventurous Western tourists and hikers. Unlike much of northwestern Pakistan, it is considered relatively safe for foreigners.

Deanna Faulkner said her brother had been "all over the world many times" but declined to give details of past trips.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said the embassy had received notification from Pakistani officials that an American citizen had been arrested. He said embassy officials were trying to meet the man and confirm his identity.

Deanna Faulkner said her brother usually gets dialysis every three days but can go up to two weeks without it.

"We contacted the State Department to let them know of his medical condition and that his family is here and we love him," she said.

___

Chris Brummit reported from Islamabad. Associated Press Writers Kristen Wyatt and P. Solomon Banda in Denver, Catherine Tsai in Greeley, Colo., and AP researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York also contributed to this report.

JPhillips

06-23-2010, 10:02 PM

I love the optimism of his brother. Hopefully my brother would tell me that I'm being a dumbass.

SackAttack

06-23-2010, 10:26 PM

I love the optimism of his brother. Hopefully my brother would tell me that I'm being a dumbass.

I'm one up on you. I *know* my brother would tell me that.

molson

06-24-2010, 05:21 PM

I've read about this guy before, always feel sorry for him when I do:

The gambling man who co-founded Apple and left for $800 - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/06/24/apple.forgotten.founder/index.html?hpt=C1)

Suburban Rhythm

08-12-2010, 01:54 PM

Don't get me wrong, this is odd...but not that odd compared to some of the other stories in this thread. Mr Gary Guy Matthews wanted to change his name to Boomer the Dog.

In the story about the initial request:

Man tries to get his name legally changed to Boomer the Dog (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10223/1079103-53.stm)

"I wish Mr. the Dog luck in his pursuit, with the earnest hope that he has chosen a career path for which such a monicker would be of benefit."

Today, the ruling, that he would remain Mr. Matthews:

Boomer the Dog to remain Gary Guy Mathews (http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10224/1079431-455.stm)

"Doggone it, well I wasn't too confident about it going through at this stage, just from the vibe that I was getting in the courtroom," Mr. Mathews responded in an e-mail.

This third article gets included just because of the great headline:

Judge unleashes ruling on name change (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10223/1079394-100.stm)

:lol:

molson

08-12-2010, 02:40 PM

It seems like there's been a lot of whackos in the news lately. I wonder if that's because there's more nutjobs or less real news.

Sun Tzu

08-12-2010, 02:47 PM

Mr. Mathews, who is single

Shocker

boberot

08-13-2010, 10:47 AM

Dude is from the town I grew up in:

Traffic stop saves cat from ownerâ€™s plate (http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article97630.ece)

Traffic stop saves cat from owner’s plate

Buffalo police rescued a cat from a Cheektowaga man who apparently was planning to make a meal out of his pet because he thought it was ill-tempered, authorities said Monday.

When Ferry-Fillmore District officers pulled over a car driven by Gary L. Korkuc on Sunday night during a traffic stop, they said they heard a cat crying from inside the trunk and investigated.

What they found has left animal lovers at the SPCA Serving Erie County in shock.

The cat, according to police, was in a cage “marinating” in a mixture of crushed red peppers, chili pepper, salt and oil.

“It’s disgusting. It surprises me every day what people are capable of when it comes to violence, whether it is animals or people,” said Gina M. Browning, the SPCA’s director of public relations. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”

Korkuc, 51, was arrested on one count of cruelty to animals by Officers Jerry Guilian and John Poisson, shortly after he was stopped on the 1100 block of Broadway at about 7:45 p. m. for allegedly passing a stop sign.

Police took the 4-year-old cat to the SPCA on Ensminger Road in the Town of Tonawanda, where Korkuc had adopted it May 11. He told police the cat had been “mean” to him, authorities said.

In condemning the treatment of the cat, whose name is Navarro, Browning read from an SPCA memo put together in part from information provided by the officers and shelter staff:

“Do not under any circumstances adopt to this man ever again. He claims he did not want the cat because it was ‘possessive, greedy and wasteful.’ That the cat got pregnant after ‘spaying,’ even though it was a neutered male. This man is a danger to animals. . . . was soaking cat in marinade to ‘cook.’ ”

Workers at the SPCA gave Navarro two baths Sunday night to clean the spices off and were letting him calm down before bathing him again, Browning said late Monday, adding that the cat is adjusting well.

“We can learn lessons in resiliency. He is purring away and getting ready for his next checkup. He’s looking around like, ‘What am I doing here?’ He might be put [back] up for adoption,” Browning said.

Praising Guilian and Poisson, she added, “Thank God that police heard him. Thank God those cops took the initiative. By all appearances that cat may have wound up dead.”

Korkuc was also charged with passing a stop sign and failure to signal. After his arrest, he was later released on an appearance ticket.

Navarro has black and white markings, weighs 12 pounds and is described as having a good disposition. Adoption hours today at the SPCA, 205 Ensminger, are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

lungs

08-13-2010, 11:17 AM

Is marinating before butchering a common practice?

molson

08-13-2010, 11:46 AM

Ya, his technique was a bit off, but is it wrong to buy a cat for food?

Sun Tzu

08-13-2010, 01:19 PM

Tucker Rocky would love this one.

QuikSand

08-13-2010, 01:25 PM

Is marinating before butchering a common practice?

Strongly smacks of "cry for help" rather than "I'm going to do this."

JediKooter

08-18-2010, 11:20 AM

WTF? It may not be 'WTF?' to others, but, to me it was.

Remains of babies dead for possibly 70 years found in L.A. basement [Updated] | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/08/babies-dead-for-70-years-found-in-la-basement.html)

Ksyrup

08-18-2010, 11:47 AM

On the heels of the woman in the UK who confessed to killing 8 babies, this is the second story like this I've seen in the last couple of weeks. There was one in another country where, after the UK story was publicized, some people reported a suspcious situation where, over the years, a woman who appeared pregnant never had any kids (or something suspicious along those lines). Turns out she did the same thing, just not as many babies.

JediKooter

08-18-2010, 11:50 AM

Wow. That's just crazy. I'm just always amazed at how long something like this goes without the person being found out.

Kodos

08-18-2010, 12:04 PM

When I lived in Ohio, we had an infanticide happen in my neighborhood. It got some national press, I believe. (You can google Rebecca Hopfer if you're curious.) Sad situation. She was convicted of murder, but eventually got clemency from the Governor. I didn't know her, but one of my friends knew her pretty well because he was friends with her brother.

Passacaglia

08-18-2010, 12:06 PM

It actually doesn't seem like a murder to me.

molson

08-27-2010, 11:24 AM

Oops:

I love that there's a pre-recorded, "we're crashing in the water" button in the cockpit. I wonder what else is in there. (Pilotman?) "Ladies and gentlemen, we're about to fly into a mountain. Thank you for choosing Delta".

We're about to crash, passengers told in error - Travel - News - msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38877692/ns/travel-news/?Gt1=43001)

LONDON — British Airways apologized on Friday after a crew member mistakenly played an emergency message warning Hong Kong-bound passengers that the plane they were on was about to plunge into the sea.

About 275 passengers on a Tuesday flight out of London's Heathrow Airport heard the message: "This is an emergency. We may shortly need to make an emergency landing on water," NBC News reported.

"People were terrified, we all thought we were going to die," passenger Michelle Lord, 32, told Britain's The Sun newspaper, which first reported the incident. "They said the pilot hit the wrong button because they were so close together."

"I can't think of anything worse than being told your plane's about to crash," the Sun quoted another passenger as saying.

The plane was flying over the North Sea at the time.

Cabin crew on the Boeing 747 quickly reassured passengers that the message was a mistake and there was no emergency, NBC News reported.

"We would like to apologize to passengers on board the flight for causing them undue distress," British Airways said in a statement.

"Our cabin crew immediately made an announcement following the message advising customers that it was played in error and that the flight would continue as normal," the airline said.

The airline is investigating the incident to determine whether it was human error or a computer glitch, British Airways told Reuters.

Similar incident last year
Britain's Telegraph newspaper on Friday reported that a similar incident occurred on an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Paris in 2009.

Crew played an announcement in English warning of turbulence, followed by one in French saying the crew was preparing for an emergency landing about twenty minutes into the flight, the newspaper reported.

An Aer Lingus spokesman apologized for that incident, saying a malfunction of the public address system was to blame, according to the paper.

"This sort of thing happens very rarely," the spokesman told the paper.

Chief Rum

08-27-2010, 12:08 PM

lol... so is this emergency crash landing in water button located between the "Start Engine" and "Lower Wheels" buttons.

"Oops, hit the wrong one..."

cartman

08-27-2010, 05:15 PM

So, a guy is arrested for choking his wife. What does he do with his one call from jail? Call the wife and say he's going to kill her once he gets out.

Man calls wife calls from jail, threatens to kill her: cops :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime (http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2643016,CST-NWS-onecall27.article)

molson

08-31-2010, 03:01 PM

For Christ's sake...

NH teen who zapped nipples during shop class sues - Boston.com (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/31/nh_teen_who_zapped_nipples_during_shop_class_sues/?p1=Local_Links)

DOVER, N.H.—A New Hampshire high school student shocked so severely in shop class that his heart stopped beating is suing his teacher, the school district and the city of Dover.

Tweet 1 person Tweeted this people Dugg thisdiggYahoo! Buzz ShareThis Kyle Dubois and his parents claim teacher Thomas Kelley did not warn Dubois and other students of the dangers of the electrical demonstration cords in their electrical trades class.

On March 11, Dubois attached an electrical clamp to one nipple while another student attached another clamp to the other. A third student plugged in the cord.

Dubois was critically injured.

The New Hampshire Union Leader says Dubois' suit contends he suffered permanent brain damage.

Kelley resigned from his teaching position about a month after the incident. He declined to comment on the lawsuit.

JediKooter

08-31-2010, 03:05 PM

Ksyrup

08-31-2010, 03:06 PM

The New Hampshire Union Leader says Dubois' suit contends he suffered permanent brain damage.

Before the incident, right?

Ksyrup

08-31-2010, 03:07 PM

Damn, you beat me to it!

Ksyrup

08-31-2010, 03:15 PM

Cops: Calif doctor gets stuck in chimney, dies
– <ABBR class=recenttimedate title=2010-08-31T12:52:33-0700>21 mins ago</ABBR>
<ABBR class=recenttimedate title=2010-08-31T12:52:33-0700></ABBR>

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Police say a California doctor apparently tried to get into the home of the man she had been dating by sliding down the chimney. Her decomposing body was found there days later.

Police Sgt. Mary DeGeare says investigators do not suspect foul play in the death of Dr. Jacquelyn Kotarac.

Authorities say the 49-year-old apparently climbed on the roof Wednesday night, removed the chimney cap and slid feet first down the flue after unsuccessfully trying to get into the house other ways.

DeGeare says the man whom Kotarac was pursuing had left the home unnoticed to avoid a confrontation.

The body went undiscovered for several days until someone noticed odors coming from the fireplace.

Firefighters dismantled the chimney Saturday to remove the body.

DataKing

08-31-2010, 03:17 PM

Santa claims another victim.

Ksyrup

08-31-2010, 03:37 PM

Stalker Claus is what it sounds like, actually.

cartman

08-31-2010, 03:50 PM

I think the police need to take a closer look at the homeowner. He might be a "Buffalo Bill" fan who either watched Silence of the Lambs standing on his head, or with the TV turned upside down.

DataKing

08-31-2010, 03:54 PM

It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the smoke again.

Honolulu_Blue

09-14-2010, 11:51 AM

St. Clair Shores woman jailed over naked joyride in taxi | detnews.com | The Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/article/20100914/METRO03/9140397/St.-Clair-Shores-woman-jailed-over-naked-joyride-in-taxi)

St. Clair Shores woman jailed over naked joyride in taxi

JIM LYNCH
The Detroit News
A St. Clair Shores resident is sitting in a Louisiana jail this week after taking off her clothes and stealing a taxi cab, according to authorities.
Jennifer Gille, 29, faces theft and obscenity charges stemming from a bizarre incident early Sunday morning in the city of Covington, north of New Orleans. Gille called for a taxi and accepted a ride to a city address.

After arriving, she refused to leave the cab, police said.

"The driver said, 'Here you are,' but she wouldn't get out of the car," said Covington Police Capt. Jack West. "She said 'I need to go to Michigan' and began taking her clothes off."

The driver responded by driving his cab to the police department. Figuring she was too intoxicated to cause further problems, the driver went inside the station to get help -- leaving the keys inside, police said. When he and officers came back outside, the cab and passenger were gone.

A quick search of the area turned up the taxi cab, roughly a block away from the station in a parking lot.

"She had crawled into the back seat and was still unclothed," West said. "Officers told her to get out of the car and she refused."

Police said officers physically removed Gille from the car and put her clothes back on. According to the incident report, they "realized she was intoxicated on alcohol and possibly on drugs also."

Gille refused to answer questions while she was booked and is at St. Tammany Parish Jail. She faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.

http://cmsimg.detnews.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C3&Date=20100914&Category=METRO03&ArtNo=9140397&Ref=AR

Passacaglia

09-14-2010, 12:00 PM

the driver went inside the station to get help -- leaving the keys inside

Good idea.

cartman

09-15-2010, 11:21 AM

Man claiming to have a bomb in Watsonville bank gets talked into filling out loan paperwork, then arrested - Santa Cruz Sentinel (http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16033532)

Ksyrup

09-17-2010, 01:42 PM

Prosecutors: Woman stabbed man over feet insult

EVERETT, Wash. – Prosecutors in Washington state say an 18-year-old woman stabbed a 19-year-old man for teasing her that her feet smelled.

The Herald of Everett reports the man was found by police with a steak knife sticking out of his back, buried a few inches in. His lung had collapsed. Officials say he'll recover.

Charging papers say trouble started when Dallas Amber Smith was drinking and hanging out with friends and was challenged to do a back flip. When she took off her shoes to do the back flip, the teasing started.

Smith had no criminal history. She faces charges of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.

Just once I'd like to read a story like this that occurred without alcohol or drugs being involved.

sterlingice

09-18-2010, 09:50 AM

Turns out people do a lot more stupid stuff when drugs and alcohol are involved.

SI

cartman

10-15-2010, 01:38 PM

Washington County sheriff's deputies arrest man clad in camouflage suit on burglary charges | OregonLive.com (http://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2010/10/washington_county_sheriffs_deputies_arrest_man_clad_in_camouflage_suit_on_burglary_charges.html)

JediKooter

10-15-2010, 01:42 PM

Nice Ghillie suit.

DataKing

10-15-2010, 01:44 PM

Mustang

11-02-2010, 10:17 AM

I'm starting to think that his Cousin Eddie character really wasn't acting...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Randy Quaid and his wife are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for an arraignment on felony vandalism charges, although it remains to be seen whether the couple will return from Canada for the hearing.

The couple have been staying in Vancouver in recent weeks and have sought asylum there from a mysterious group they have dubbed "Hollywood star whackers." With a string of missed court appearances on a previous criminal case, the couple had to post $1 million bail to guarantee their appearance.

The previous case of defrauding an innkeeper was resolved earlier this year and the Quaids had remained out of trouble until September, when they were found living in a guesthouse of a home they previously owned. The current owners called authorities and accused Quaid and his wife, Evi, of causing serious damage to the property.

In mid-October they missed a hearing after felony vandalism and misdemeanor trespassing charges were filed and were arrested days later in a posh shopping area of Vancouver.

They immediately sought refugee status and through an attorney said they were fearful of "star whackers" who they say may have had a role in the deaths of stars such as David Carradine, who was found hanging in a Bangkok hotel room, and Heath Ledger, who died of accidental drug overdose in New York City.

They repeated their claims in an interview aired Monday on "Good Morning America" and indicated they hoped to remain in Canada.

Whether their stated fears will keep them away from court remains to be seen. A prosecutor said Monday that their hearing remained scheduled. The Quaids' attorney, Robert Sanger, declined to comment.

Randy Quaid, 60, is the older brother of Dennis Quaid. Best known for his quirky supporting roles in films such as "Independence Day" and "National Lampoon's Vacation," he has also been nominated for an Oscar.

He won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson in a 1988 TV movie, and even brought his award to a hearing in the previous criminal case.

JPhillips

11-02-2010, 10:19 AM

Sounds like he seriously needs mental help.

JediKooter

11-02-2010, 05:51 PM

Boy Gets Detention for Farting on School Bus (http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/must_read/detention-school-bus-gas-11012010?obref=obinsite&ref=nf)

DataKing

11-03-2010, 09:45 AM

Slow news day in Phoenix, I take it?

JediKooter

11-03-2010, 11:13 AM

It had to be.

lighthousekeeper

11-08-2010, 09:41 PM

Philly Man Shot in Hiney (http://trentonian.com/articles/2010/11/08/news/doc4cd8980b7b6ee890575775.txt)

Hiney? :( Newspapers are getting worse and worse.

Ksyrup

11-11-2010, 09:24 AM

Saw this on the morning news and did a double take - Man Forced to Eat Beard.

Man's Beard Was Cut, Stuffed In His Mouth During Fight | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky (http://www.lex18.com/news/man-s-beard-was-cut-stuffed-in-his-mouth-during-fight)

JediKooter

11-11-2010, 11:24 AM

Critch

11-11-2010, 11:41 AM

Not sure why, but this one made me giggle like a juvenile:

BBC News - Perth Sheriff Court closed for fumigation (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-11735226)

Perth Sheriff Court closed for fumigation

A Scottish court has been cleared and fumigated after a man who was charged with breach of the peace appeared to lose control of his bodily functions.

Proceedings were halted at Perth Sheriff Court after the man was spotted with a large brown mark on the rear of his trousers.

Staff then removed stained cushions before the court was recalled.

The court's public toilet was also closed due to a hygiene issue but it is unclear if the incidents are related.

Mustang

11-11-2010, 11:44 AM

Philly Man Shot in Hiney (http://trentonian.com/articles/2010/11/08/news/doc4cd8980b7b6ee890575775.txt)

Hiney? :( Newspapers are getting worse and worse.

My head hurts just reading that article.

Ksyrup

11-11-2010, 11:55 AM

I tihnk that article was a 2nd grade writing assignment.

JediKooter

11-11-2010, 12:18 PM

So is "Staff Writer" the journalistic equivalent of Alan Smithie?

DanGarion

11-11-2010, 01:18 PM

Philly Man Shot in Hiney (http://trentonian.com/articles/2010/11/08/news/doc4cd8980b7b6ee890575775.txt)

Hiney? :( Newspapers are getting worse and worse.

You know I don't consider myself a journalist, but if that is the shit they throw out as I should look into being one. I do better than that on my blog.

lungs

11-16-2010, 06:20 PM

Those Palins sure drum up some strong emotions in people (http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_3a5b6914-f1ce-11df-80f8-001cc4c002e0.html)

Bristol Palin’s dancing on TV set off man in standoff, complaint says
ED TRELEVEN | [email protected] | 608-252-6134 | Posted: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 4:06 pm

Allegedly set off by Bristol Palin’s appearance on “Dancing with the Stars,” a rural Black Earth man kept police at bay outside his home for 15 hours Monday and Tuesday before he surrendered to police.
Steven N. Cowan, 66, railed at the television as the daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin appeared on the ABC program, his wife told police Monday after she fled from the town of Vermont house, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.
Cowan had also been under stress because of a financial situation and was receiving care for a mental health problem, the complaint states. Cowan’s wife, Janice, told police that her husband had been drinking, but she did not think he was intoxicated.
The complaint charged Cowan with second-degree reckless endangerment.
According to the complaint, Cowan and his wife were watching “Dancing with the Stars” when Cowan jumped up and swore as Bristol Palin appeared, saying something about “the (expletive) politics.” Cowan was upset that a political figure’s daughter was on the show when he didn’t think she was a good dancer, the complaint states.
According to the complaint:
Cowan went upstairs for about 20 minutes and returned, demanding his pistols, which had been taken by his daughter about a month ago for safety reasons. He was carrying a single-shot shotgun, which he loaded and fired into the television.
Cowan continued to yell, demanding his pistols. He re-loaded the shotgun and pointed it toward his wife. She left the house and drove to Black Earth, where she called 911. She told police she was afraid for her safety.
Cowan kept sheriff’s deputies at bay outside his home until 11 a.m. Tuesday, when he surrendered without incident, sheriff’s spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said.

Mustang

11-17-2010, 10:34 AM

I looked for this thread to post that story too. :)

JPhillips

11-17-2010, 10:47 AM

They have some strong emotions themselves. From TMZ:

During the premiere of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" Sunday night -- a boy named Tre who went to school with the Palin kids wrote a status update that read, "Sarah Palin's Alaska, is failing so hard right now." The comment sparked an intense response from Willow -- who replied on the boy's wall, "Haha your so gay. I have no idea who you are, But what I've seen pictures of, your disgusting ... My sister had a kid and is still hot."

Willow followed up that comment with another that read, "Tre stfu. Your such a faggot."

Bristol Palin also got in on the smacktalk -- writing a message to Tre saying, "You're running your mouth just to talk shit."

JediKooter

11-17-2010, 04:07 PM

And the bat shit crazy of San Francisco continues: San Francisco plans tolls between Peninsula and the city - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_localsfo/20101117/ts_yblog_localsfo/san-francisco-plans-tolls-between-peninsula-and-the-city)

This from the same city that still thinks cell phones cause brain cancer and require warning stickers to be placed in places that sell cell phones and most recently banned Happy Meals.

Sorry, but, this city isn't cool enough to charge an entrance fee.

lighthousekeeper

11-17-2010, 04:17 PM

Sorry, but, this city isn't cool enough to charge an entrance fee.

NJ, on the other hands, knows its place in the world and charges people anytime they try to leave, but doesn't have tolls for entering.

cartman

11-17-2010, 04:27 PM

Good thing this guy didn't first see a knitting needle and think of Pulp Fiction.

Police: Man injures overdosed friend (http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/localnews/headlines/Police_Man_injures_overdosed_friend_108569334.html)

JediKooter

11-17-2010, 04:30 PM

NJ, on the other hands, knows its place in the world and charges people anytime they try to leave, but doesn't have tolls for entering.

They must be making a killing...

Suburban Rhythm

11-18-2010, 11:05 AM

Is attorney faking illness to avoid trial? (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10322/1104331-455.stm)

A prosecution psychiatrist testified Mr. Morrison's answers on some tests raised "red flags" that he may be faking, including naming the months of the year as "A, B, C, X and Q."

Noop

11-20-2010, 05:20 PM

Why isn't the Palin thread its own entity?

Suburban Rhythm

12-01-2010, 01:52 PM

Man says vending machine made him attack mother (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10335/1107380-100.stm)

Police say a Beaver County man told them that a vending machine "made him" attack his mother, breaking her wrist.
Thirty-three-year-old David Huffman was jailed unable to post bond after his arrest on assault charges Tuesday by New Sewickley Township police.
Police Chief Ron Leindecker said Mr. Huffman's father reported his son was "flipping out" and attacked Ethel Huffman, who was found lying in bed with a broken wrist Tuesday afternoon.
Police say Mr. Huffman claimed "that the Pepsi machine at Costco made him hurt his mother" and he repeatedly apologized for his actions after his arrest.

Ksyrup

12-01-2010, 02:29 PM

Coke should jump all over this.

DataKing

12-01-2010, 02:31 PM

Further proof that big box stores are the devil...

Chief Rum

12-01-2010, 03:24 PM

Further proof that big box stores are the devil...

Apparently along with big box junk food dispensers.

JediKooter

12-01-2010, 07:33 PM

Saginaw man who shares name with Star Wars character arraigned on shooting charges after five years on run | MLive.com (http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2010/11/saginaw_man_who_shares_name_wi.html)

cartman

12-02-2010, 11:42 AM

Lincoln police seize a mace (http://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_f1c73e4f-9ed2-5286-80a6-4eff49126d52.html?mode=story)

JPhillips

12-16-2010, 07:20 AM

Ouch.

Authorities: Woman rips off daughter-in-law's nipple in drunken brawl (2:46 p.m.)
By Ashley Meeks / [email protected]
Posted: 12/15/2010 02:38:25 PM MST

LAS CRUCES - A 44-year-old woman who allegedly ripped her daughter-in-law's nipple off during a drunken argument could be facing criminal charges, the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office confirmed Wednesday.

Las Cruces police officers responded to Memorial Medical Center on Sunday morning, when doctors were already in the process of reattaching the nipple to the 30-year-old victim's breast.

It's believed to be the first time a local victim has suffered a body part being torn from them, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Amy Orlando. The victim told officers she, her husband, his mother and one of her husband's friends had spent Saturday night drinking at an apartment in the 1000 block of Idaho Avenue, according to the police report. Sometime after 3 a.m., the victim's husband had started arguing with his mother, and because it was becoming "very intense," the victim went to stand in between the two to separate them.

When the victim began arguing with her 44-year-old mother-in-law, the older woman allegedly "grabbed (the victim's) right breast and began to squeeze and pull on her nipple." The victim yelled to stop, but her mother-in-law allegedly continued to pull until the younger woman began punching her in the face, according to the police report.

The victim then told police she threw her mother-in-law into the yard, but the older woman allegedly kicked in the back door and had to be physically removed again. It was when the victim was putting her
Advertisement
mother-in-law's belongings in the yard that she felt fluid on her breast and realized there was blood on her shirt.

When she untucked her tank top, her nipple fell on the floor, she told police.

The victim put the nipple in a bag and, after several hours, decided she should go to the emergency room.

Police attempted to make contact with the mother-in-law - a convicted felon who spent two and a half years in prison for drug possession and being a habitual offender earlier in the decade - but were unable to immediately find her.

The victim later told police she did not want to press charges, but the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office could charge the mother-in-law with felony aggravated battery against a household member after the police investigation is over.

Ksyrup

12-16-2010, 09:33 AM

It's the matter-of-factness of this article that kinda makes me laugh. The university is LSU, btw...

Coates glory hole still in use, Middleton inactive
Steel plate covering frequently torn off

Despite the University's many efforts to rid the campus of glory holes, users continue to persevere.

The holes, carved in bathroom stall partitions, are used for anonymous oral sex.

The University recently patched the glory hole in the rear men's restroom of Coates Hall with a piece of sheet metal. It has since been torn and is open for business again.

Paul Favaloro, director of Facility Services, said in September that blocking holes with steel plates is how Facility Services combats glory holes, which he called a "recurring" problem.

Postings on CruisingForSex.com indicate the glory hole in Coates returned to operation in July.

"The glory hole in Coates Hall is up and running again. Traffic has been steady," July postings on the website said. "[Middleton] is completely shut down, but Coates Hall is once again like it was back in the day."

There have been no postings about the Coates Hall glory hole since July.

This is not the first time Coates has had trouble with glory holes, said LSU Police Department spokesman Capt. Russell Rogé in September. Police responding to complaints made a series of arrests in 2001 involving the same restroom in Coates.

In the past few years, Facility Services spent nearly $40,000 repairing the damaged wood partitions in Middleton Library bathrooms, according to an Oct. 1, 2008, report by The Daily Reveille.

Since July 1, Facility Services has received three Middleton glory hole calls— Sept. 1, Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 — according to Tammy Millican, Facility Services Manager.
Every time the glory hole was reported, Facility Services had it repaired, according to Millican.

Millican also described the issue as a "recurring problem" and encouraged anyone who sees glory holes in restrooms to report them to Facility Services.

There have been no obscenity complaints concerning glory holes on campus since early 2008, LSUPD spokesman Sgt. Blake Tabor told The Daily Reveille in September.

Penalties for drilling a glory hole and exposing oneself may result in a property damage charge and a felony charge of obscenity, Tabor said.

If students are approached, they should notify police, Tabor added.

" + pageTitle + " (http://www.lsureveille.com/news/coates-glory-hole-still-in-use-middleton-inactive-1.2422128)

Mustang

12-29-2010, 11:18 AM

'CLEMSON, S.C. – A man has been hospitalized after police in South Carolina say he was hit by an SUV while playing a real-life version of the video game "Frogger."

Authorities said the 23-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Anderson after he was struck at around 9 p.m. Monday.

In the "Frogger" arcade game, players move frogs through traffic on a busy road and through a hazard-filled river. Before he was hit, police say the man had been discussing the game with his friends.

Chief Jimmy Dixon says the man yelled "go" and darted into oncoming traffic in the four-lane highway.

No charges are expected against the driver. The name of the man who was struck has not been released. He was in stable condition Monday night.

Easy Mac

12-29-2010, 11:51 AM

'CLEMSON, S.C. – A man has been hospitalized after police in South Carolina say he was hit by an SUV while playing a real-life version of the video game "Frogger."

I am shocked that this happened in Clemson. Shocked I say.

Second, how is the frog? Because if a frog was not involved, I fail to see how it was a real-life version of "Frogger."

Ksyrup

12-29-2010, 12:00 PM

Chief Jimmy Dixon says the man yelled "go" and darted into oncoming traffic in the four-lane highway.

...while his buddies who promised to play the game with him watched on in drunken amusement from the side of the road.

Ksyrup

01-04-2011, 07:29 PM

Police Taser Camel With Behavior Problem

Updated: Sunday, 02 Jan 2011, 12:46 PM EST
Published : Sunday, 02 Jan 2011, 12:46 PM EST

(NewsCore) - Mississippi police were continuing to monitor a camel that has a history of attacking people and damaging property Saturday after a bout of belligerent behavior forced a police officer to use a Taser to subdue it, the Sea Coast Echo reported.

The camel, which lives on a farm for domesticated animals in Kiln, Miss. was spotted by a woman driving by who noticed it was standing outside of its fence on Dec 4.

When she pulled into the farm’s driveway to alert its owners, she said the animal began attacking her car. Terrified, she called police.

Deputy Ed Merwin told the Echo he tried to chase the single-humped beast away from the car, but was unsuccessful.

"As I approached the animal in an attempt to run it away from attacking the female's car, the animal turned and started to come towards me," the paper quoted Merwin as saying.

"I tried to chase the animal away so the female could get her car to safety outside the gate,” he continued. “The animal was not complying with my commands. At this time, the animal was Tased once. It fled to the other side of the property."

The camel’s owner, Donna Berdine, offered to pay for the scratches the camel left on the car, the report said.

Following that incident, police received an additional complaint after the camel knocked a man down on Christmas Day, sending him to the hospital.

Hancock County Sheriff Department Major Bobby Underwood said the situation is unprecedented in the small town.

"In my 42 years in law enforcement, I've never had to deal with a camel problem," the paper quoted Underwood as saying. "I've been told the camel is really gentle. I don't know what got him fired up. We are going to continue to monitor the situation."

Ksyrup

01-04-2011, 07:30 PM

Must have gotten pissed over the Favre/Sterger resolution.

Suburban Rhythm

01-07-2011, 11:09 AM

Intruders break into wrong apartment, apologize (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11007/1116297-100.stm)

Police are investigating after at least one intruder injured a Clairton resident during a home invasion this morning.
KDKA-TV reported the intruder or intruders broke into an apartment in the 2700 block of Lincoln Avenue overnight. The suspect or suspects pistol-whipped the resident and grabbed several pieces of electronic equipment.
However, a suspect realized they had invaded the wrong apartment and apologized to the resident, returning some of the electronic items, according to KDKA-TV. The suspects then went to the apartment they originally intended to invade.
Clairton police declined to comment on the case

molson

01-07-2011, 11:24 AM

This doesn't really fit the spirit of this thread, but it doesn't really deserve a new thread, so:

When ‘Viewing’ is Not ‘Possession’: Oregon High Court Voids Child Porn Prosecutions - Law Blog - WSJ (http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/01/07/when-viewing-is-not-possession-oregon-high-court-voids-child-porn-prosecutions/)

It is legal to view child porn in Oregon as long as you don't pay for it, download it, or print it.

Don't blame the judges, they're just upholding the law. Blame the state legislature (who I imagine will remedy this quickly).

cartman

01-27-2011, 09:23 PM

This is a new one:

Report: Arizona fugitive planned suicide by bear (http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/jan/27/272041/report-arizona-fugitive-planned-suicide-by-bear/news-breaking/)

Icy

01-28-2011, 02:35 AM

Baseball player quits saying he doesn't deserve $12M

Okay, Gil Meche hasn't been great since signing a big contract with the Kansas City Royals. But not many players would feel so badly about their performance that they would walk away from a guaranteed $12 million.

Meche announced last week he will retire, giving up the payday due on the last year of his deal. Meche has always been known for his integrity, according to The New York Times, but this move left the baseball world stunned. Meche said he just didn't like the idea of not earning his keep.

“When I signed my contract, my main goal was to earn it,” Meche told the paper from his temporary home in Lafayette, La. “Once I started to realize I wasn’t earning my money, I felt bad. I was making a crazy amount of money for not even pitching. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I deserved it. I didn’t want to have those feelings again.”

Source: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/Baseball-Player-Quits-Says-I-Dont-Deserve-12M-114712809.html?dr

PilotMan

02-02-2011, 08:51 AM

Man Says Parkinson's Drug Made Him Addicted to Gambling and Gay Sex

Didier Jambart, 51, of Nantes, France, is suing the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, claiming the drug he took to treat his Parkinson's symptoms, Requip, turned him into a gambling and gay sex addict.

The married father of two said he blew through his family's savings and even took to stealing to finance his online gambling habit, the French Press Agency reported. He also became addicted to gay sex and risky sexual encounters that led to him being raped, his lawyers said.
damn.

GlaxoSmithKline Lawsuit: Didier Jambart Claims Parkinson's Drug Requip Made Him Addicted to Gambling and Gay Sex - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodResourceCenter/man-parkinsons-drug-requip-made-addicted-gambling-gay/story?id=12813788)

Ksyrup

02-02-2011, 09:45 AM

That's what I call a true gateway drug.

CAsterling

02-02-2011, 10:22 AM

Burglars 'mistook ashes for cocaine'
Five teenage burglars have been arrested - after they allegedly snorted the ashes of their victim's father and dogs, mistaking them for drugs.

The victim returned to her home in Silver Springs, Florida, to find valuables, including electronic equipment and jewellery missing, reports Fox News.

But what she found most troubling was the theft of her late father's ashes and the ashes of her two beloved Great Danes.

During their investigation, Marion County Sheriff's deputies learned the ashes had been taken because the suspects thought they were cocaine or heroin.
Detectives say the suspects snorted some of the ashes believing them to be cocaine. They later realised their mistake and got rid of the ashes.

Police have arrested and charged Waldo Soroa, 19, Matrix Andaluz, 18, Jose David Diaz Marrero, 19, and two juvenile suspects who cannot be named
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Burglars_mistook_ashes_for_cocaine

M GO BLUE!!!

02-02-2011, 07:45 PM

Piled-up snow covered car containing Kevin Ronan after he committed suicide - NYPOST.com (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/chilling_secret_Nx3umxuqMiqYIjT2K0MdLN)

M GO BLUE!!!

02-05-2011, 12:32 AM

This brings a whole new level to "It wasn't me."

BBC News - Malawi row over whether new law bans farting (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12363852)

molson

02-08-2011, 09:38 AM

I always enjoy the "animals get revenge" stories.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/02/07/1518473/california-man-killed-by-armed.html

DELANO, Calif. — A Central California man who was at a cockfight died after being stabbed in the leg by a bird that had a knife attached to its own limb, officials confirmed Monday.

Jose Luis Ochoa, 35, of Lamont, was declared dead at a hospital about two hours after he was injured in neighboring Tulare County on Jan. 30, the Kern County coroner said.

An autopsy concluded Ochoa died of an accidental "sharp force injury" to his right calf.

Sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt said it was unclear if a delay in seeking medical attention contributed to Ochoa's death.

"I have never seen this type of incident," Sgt. Martin King, a 24-year veteran of the sheriff's department, told the Bakersfield Californian.

Ochoa and the other spectators fled when authorities arrived at the scene of the fight, King told the newspaper. Deputies found five dead roosters and other evidence of cockfighting at the location, he said.

No arrests were made at the cockfight.

Cockfighting is a sport, illegal in the United States, in which specially bred roosters are put into a ring and encouraged to fight until one is incapacitated or killed.

According to Kern County Superior Court records, Ochoa paid $370 in fines last year after pleading no contest to one count of owning or training an animal for fighting, according to the newspaper.

Attending or organizing a cockfight, or training an animal to participate in one, are all misdemeanors under California law, although a second offense is a felony.

I. J. Reilly

02-08-2011, 10:01 AM

Fatally stabbed in the calf? Sounds like Hitman Monkey has some competition.

DataKing

02-08-2011, 12:32 PM

This is a little different...

Bless me iPhone for I have sinned | Technology Headlines | Comcast.net (http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-technology/20110208/iphone.confession/)

Ksyrup

02-08-2011, 01:18 PM

I guess we don't have to ask if she spits or swallows....

Shopper Ingested Semen-Tainted Yogurt Sample
Lab tests confirm New Mexico woman’s suspicion

FEBRUARY 7--Confirming the suspicions of a New Mexico woman, a yogurt sample provided to her last month by a grocery clerk contained semen, according to test results that prompted police to secure a search warrant authorizing them to collect blood and DNA samples from the suspect.

The disclosure that the yogurt sample from an Albuquerque market tested positive for “sperm cells” and saliva is contained in a search warrant affidavit seeking blood and DNA samples from Anthony Garcia, the 31-year-old suspect.

The January 28 warrant, which was approved by a District Court judge, notes that the samples were needed to “make sure Mr. Garcia does not have any illness or disease that could harm” the victim, whose name TSG has redacted from court documents due to the nature of the incident.

When police arrived to investigate the January 25 incident at the Sunflower Farmers Market, they arrested Garcia after determining he was the subject of two outstanding warrants connected to a 2009 bust for criminal sexual contact with a minor. Garcia is pictured in the above mug shot.

According to a police report, the 28-year-old victim was shopping with her daughter in the store’s cereal aisle when she was approached by Garcia, who worked in the store’s dairy department. After accepting Garcia’s offer of a yogurt sample, the woman immediately thought the sample tasted “gross and disgusting” and, cops reported, “said it tasted like ‘semen.’”

In a handwritten statement, the woman said, “I spit it out on the floor many times cuz I was upset.” The woman recalled that when she talked to manager Catherine Flores, “she told me was a Greek yoghurt. People love it has lot of protein on it.”

The woman paid for her groceries and returned home, where she told her boyfriend about the incident. She told of how Garcia had “just come with one sample just for me,” and that “he was so pushy to tell me how taste it.” The woman and her boyfriend eventually returned to the market, where they summoned police.

When questioned by cops, an “extremely nervous” Garcia denied putting bodily fluids in the yogurt container, which he admitted discarding in a trash compactor after the woman complained about the sample’s taste.

An Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson said today that blood and DNA samples have been collected from the incarcerated Garcia, and that results from lab tests are expected later this week.

albionmoonlight

02-08-2011, 01:28 PM

I wonder if "I jizzed in some lady's yogurt container and tricked her into eating it" gets you more respect in prison, or if it gets you beaten up in prison.

I could honestly see it going either way.

albionmoonlight

02-08-2011, 01:30 PM

dola.

Maybe both. "Props to you man, and I am laughing at that dumb bitch that you made drink it. That's awesome. But I am still going to shiv you in the spine because that could have been my sister you sick weirdo fucker!"

Ksyrup

02-08-2011, 01:35 PM

On second reading, maybe she shouldn't have been surprised:

She told of how Garcia had “just come with one sample just for me,”

Unfortunate choice of words for $1,000, Alex.

Autumn

02-08-2011, 01:47 PM

now that's a crazy ass story.

sabotai

02-08-2011, 02:10 PM

“she told me was a Greek yoghurt. People love it has lot of protein on it.”

LMAO!

Ksyrup

02-08-2011, 02:23 PM

Well, the manager was being truthful about the protein part!

Autumn

02-08-2011, 02:38 PM

And maybe that guy was Greek.

molson

02-08-2011, 02:52 PM

Nice job for those cops to follow up on what must have seemed like an insane story.

Warhammer

02-08-2011, 05:30 PM

To pick something like semen in the flavor of yogurt, she must have quite a bit of experience with the other.

JPhillips

02-08-2011, 05:45 PM

Woman may have died from butt enhancement

The Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office is currently conducting an autopsy on a woman who may have died after receiving a buttocks enhancement procedure at a Philadelphia airport hotel.

Police said the incident happened around 2:46 a.m. at the Hampton Inn on Bartram Avenue, but offered few other immediate details.

An autopsy on the woman is expected to be completed later today. It's unclear whether she was allegedly receiving buttocks implants or a series of silicone injections.

Surgery in an airport hotel?

Chief Rum

02-08-2011, 06:08 PM

Surgery in an airport hotel?

Another interesting factoid: 2:46 a.m.?

Ksyrup

02-08-2011, 06:14 PM

I like big butts and I cannot die.

molson

02-08-2011, 06:33 PM

That's why I never go any cheaper than the Mariott for my ass surgeries.

JPhillips

02-08-2011, 08:57 PM

That's why I never go any cheaper than the Mariott for my ass surgeries.

Nice.

tyketime

02-09-2011, 06:21 AM

Raccoon 1, Carrington Wrestling 0

The Carrington (N.D.) High wrestling team never got a shot to defend it's run of three consecutive Region 2 dual tournament titles, yet the reason they missed out had nothing to do with any ineligible player or poor results. Rather, the team was foiled by an uninvited visitor on their bus to the event: A wild raccoon.

According to the Grand Forks Herald and the Associated Press, among other outlets, Carrington was getting ready to compete at the duals championship when administrators discovered the team had been exposed to the animal on the ride from Carrington to Grafton, N.D., where the event was being held. With no time to assess whether any athletes had been in direct contact with the raccoon -- or whether the animal had rabies -- school officials immediately pulled the team out of the event to ensure that they wouldn't put any other wrestlers at risk. No players were bitten or scratched by the animal, but it was unknown if the raccoon was rabid, meaning that officials couldn't ensure opposing wrestlers would be safe from risk if the event continued as scheduled.

"We (school administrators) found out as the tournament was going on that while our students were on the way to the event, they were exposed to a raccoon," Carrington school superintendent Brian Duchscherer told the Herald. "Once we found that out, we didn't know if there was the potential of spreading anything, if the raccoon had rabies or not, so we decided to bring our kids home."

While the incident certainly provides a new watershed moment for "strangest self-disqualification from a postseason tournament," it actually gets even stranger when details surrounding the encounter are explored. According to the Herald, the team's coaches learned that there was a raccoon on the bus when their athletes picked up the animal, believing it was dead.

The decision to pick up a dead wild animal is questionable enough, but what the team's coaches decided to do next is arguably more bizarre: Instead of immediately removing the animal from the bus, they decided to move it to rear storage area instead.

That's right, the Carrington wrestling team knowingly rolled along to the Region 2 duals championship in the full knowledge that they had a wild animal in the back of the bus, dead or alive. In fact, it was only when the team arrived in Grafton that they discovered the animal was quite alive, as it trotted off the bus calmly after the storage area was opened, eluding capture to prevent any rabies testing that would have possibly cleared the way for the team to compete.

Ksyrup

02-09-2011, 06:35 AM

Apparently rabies can be transferred from thumb to butt, so they decided not to risk it.

Passacaglia

02-09-2011, 07:34 AM

defend it's run

:nono:

Ksyrup

02-09-2011, 10:00 AM

Holy crap this one is great! Especially the headline.

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%" height="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Scratch 'Harry Baals' off list of names for government center
Fort Wayne, Ind., officials against putting former mayor's giggle-inducing name on building

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A former Indiana mayor who won four terms in the 1930s and 1950s is proving less popular with modern-day city leaders, who say they probably won't name a new government center for him because of the jokes his moniker could inspire.

Harry Baals is the runaway favorite in online voting to name the new building in Fort Wayne, about 120 miles northeast of Indianapolis. But Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy said that probably won't be enough to put the name of the city's longest-tenured mayor on the center.

The issue is pronunciation. The former mayor pronounced his last name "balls." His descendants have since changed it to "bales."

Supporters said it's unfair that the former mayor can't be recognized simply because his name makes some people snicker. But opponents fear that naming the center after Baals would make Fort Wayne the target of late-night television jokes.

"We realize that while Harry Baals was a respected mayor, not everyone outside of Fort Wayne will know that," Malloy said Tuesday in a statement to The Associated Press. "We wanted to pick something that would reflect our pride in our community beyond the boundaries of Fort Wayne."

An online site taking suggestions for names showed more than 1,300 votes Tuesday for the Harry Baals Government Center. That's more than three times the votes received by the closest contender.

Jim Baals, 51, who has lived in the city his entire life, said it's unfortunate that his great-uncle's name won't be considered for the building.

"Harry served four terms and was a wonderful mayor. I don't know what the problem is," he said. "I understand people are going to poke fun at it. That's OK. I've lived with that name for 51 years now, and I've gotten through it. I think everybody else can, too."

City spokesman Frank Suarez said the city has no regrets about opening the name selection up to people online.

"It is a new way of reaching out to the community," he said. "The fact that 17,000 votes have come in tell us the buzz created by this is really good. When was the last time somebody could say they had fun with their government? We've had fun with this."

Suarez told The Journal Gazette that Mayor Tom Henry will meet with local groups and choose from up to 10 finalists from the suggestions submitted. Online voting ends Friday. 

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=windowbg bgColor=#efefef vAlign=bottom colSpan=3 align=left><TABLE border=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD align=left></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Suburban Rhythm

02-09-2011, 10:04 AM

This title pretty good too

Fort Wayne officials refuse to slap Harry Baals on public building â€¢ The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/09/fort_wayne_harry/)

molson

02-09-2011, 10:09 AM

I wonder if they would have found that as hillarious in the 30s and 50s too - maybe that's the reason he was elected to all those terms in the first place.

JediKooter

02-09-2011, 10:37 AM

They just really liked Harry Baals back then.

Ksyrup

02-09-2011, 10:38 AM

The issue is pronunciation. The former mayor pronounced his last name "balls." His descendants have since changed it to "bales."

There's a female attorney in my firm with the last name Fuchs. She pronounces it fox. I could see fukes, and obviously fucks, but not fox.

JediKooter

02-09-2011, 10:53 AM

I would have guessed 'fukes'. Like from the movie The Thing with Kurt Russel.

tyketime

02-09-2011, 11:01 AM

But Harry Baals is probably better than Schweddy Balls (http://www.hulu.com/watch/4156/saturday-night-live-nprs-delicious-dish-schweddy-balls).

Autumn

02-09-2011, 11:05 AM

Vote for Dick Swett!

http://www.nndb.com/people/875/000127494/

JediKooter

02-09-2011, 11:09 AM

Nice!!

sterlingice

02-09-2011, 07:20 PM

The Harry Baals story has kindof made me chuckle most of today

SI

JediKooter

02-11-2011, 05:33 PM

What I want to know is: How fast did he throw the hot dog??

Court: Baseball Fan Did Not Assume Risk Associated With Hot Dog Toss - Lowering the Bar (http://www.loweringthebar.net/2011/02/court-baseball-fan-did-not-assume-risk-associated-with-hot-dog-toss.html)

sterlingice

02-12-2011, 09:41 AM

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

So now no more hot dog toss because guy wasn't paying attention and decided to sue

SI

Ksyrup

02-22-2011, 09:47 AM

Someone posted these summaries on another board and I thought of this thread:

The Key Underwood Memorial Graveyard near Cherokee, Ala., is reserved as hallowed ground for burial of genuine coon dogs, which must be judged authentic before their carcasses can be accepted, according to a December report in The Birmingham News. The Tennessee Valley Coon Hunters Association must attest to the dog's having had the ability "to tree a raccoon." (In March, a funeral for one coon dog at Key Underwood drew 200 mourners.) [Birmingham News, 12-30-2010]

Safety Harbor, Fla., trailer-park neighbors Joe Capes and Ronald Richards fought in December, with sheriff's deputies called and Capes arrested for assaulting Richards. The two were arguing over whether the late country singer Conway Twitty was gay. [BayNews9.com (St. Petersburg), 12-3-2010]

RendeR

02-22-2011, 10:01 AM

JPhillips

02-22-2011, 12:07 PM

I love that there are two people that passionate about Conway Twitty's sexuality and that they managed to find each other.

terpkristin

02-22-2011, 06:23 PM

At least you weren't dubbed:

Richard Trickle

when you were born.

Thats right, some poor bastard grew up being called Dick Trickle his entire life. He was a stock car driver for decades.

I still giggle when I watch the classic races and teh announcers mention "Dick Trickle slides to the inside and makes his move!"

Need I remind you of my nephew Otto Maddock Pilotte (automatic pilot) or my high school classmate Richard Handler III (yes, Dick Handler)

/tk

Critch

02-22-2011, 09:07 PM

How could a solid plan like this go wrong?

Clydebank man cut boy's penis with plastic loyalty card

A man who cut a child's genitals with a broken supermarket loyalty card in a bungled attempt to reduce swelling has been sentenced to 18 months probation.

Ross McBride, 23, from Clydebank, took the action after accidentally kicking the boy while playing with a football at a house in Glasgow in February 2008.

The toddler needed 11 stitches to repair the damage he caused but has since made a satisfactory recovery.

McBride, who is autistic, admitted using culpable and reckless conduct.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how McBride was in a bad mood when the incident happened because his girlfriend had not bought him a Valentine's card.

He was kicking the ball hard out of frustration when he missed and caught the toddler instead.

When he noticed that the child's penis was red and swollen, McBride decided to snap a shop loyalty card and compress it around the injured area.
Police examiner

He then tried to saw at the youngster in a failed attempt to reduce the swelling.

The court heard that when the boy's mother arrived back the accused told her what had happened and she took her son to hospital.

The youngster was examined by doctors and a police child examiner and was found to have bruising, swelling and cuts to his genitals and thighs.

He was operated on and received 10 stitches to one wound and one to another but has since made a satisfactory recovery.

McBride was later charged with injuring the boy.

Defence advocate Laura Reilly told the court that her client suffers from autism which was not diagnosed until he was an adult.

Miss Reilly added that McBride has limited intelligence and suffers from emotional difficulties.

tyketime

02-23-2011, 02:11 PM

Is that a chainsaw in your pants, or are you just happy...? (from MSNBC)

CHICKASHA, Okla. — A suspected thief was taken into custody after allegedly trying to conceal a stolen chainsaw by stuffing it down his pants as one would a candy bar, according to local news reports.

Police say 21-year old Anthony Black was eyeing an Echo chainsaw, but decided that a grab and dash wasn't in the cards.

The man, who police say appeared intoxicated, took the mechanical saw from the wall and put it down the front of his pants instead, according to NBC affiliate KSHB.

While some employees initially thought Black — who by this point was walking with a noticeable waddle — was handicapped, others were suspicious.

George Graham, an employee at the Ross Seed Company, witnessed the incident, telling NBC affiliate KEOR, "I seen the bar between his legs. It was pretty obvious. Imagine it in the front of your pants."

"This is a little unique, simply because of how large the item was," Chickasha Police Assistant Chief Elip Moore explained.

Paul Horton, the hardware store's manager, told KEOR it was "the first time I've ever seen a chainsaw go down anyone's britches."

A limping Black was eventually chased from the store, ditching the chainsaw in the process.

A short pursuit ensued, with the suspected thief diving headfirst into a creek, police say.

Authorities fished Black from the shallow water, placing him under arrest.

"He could have cut himself up real good. He'd have been walking with a permanent limp," Graham explained.

The chainsaw in question was eventually returned to the store.

DataKing

02-23-2011, 02:59 PM

And properly disinfected, one hopes...

Ksyrup

02-23-2011, 03:27 PM

Who puts a candy bar down the front of their pants?

Ksyrup

02-25-2011, 10:18 AM

I think I might have found the original guy that the semen yogurt guy copycatted. The best part of this story is the fact that they managed to capture a pic of the woman that makes her look like she just took a drink of a semen-flavored water bottle.

Man Found Guilty In Semen Assault Case

February 24, 2011 3:45 PM
Print (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/) Share (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0);) 157 (http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/24/man-found-guilty-in-semen-assault-case/#comments)

http://cbsla.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/semenattack.jpg?w=420

SANTA ANA (CBS) — A Fullerton man has been found guilty of ejaculating into his female co-workers water bottle.

Michael Lallana, 32, was found guilty Thursday afternoon of assault and battery. Jurors also found true the allegation that he did it for sexual gratification.

Lallana admitted in a taped interview submitted to jurors that he ejaculated into an “attractive” co-worker’s water bottle because “her lips had touched it,” but told detectives he never thought she would drink it.

Lallana and the woman — identified only as Tiffany G. — began working together at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Newport Beach. They were both later transferred last year to the company’s office in Orange.

“It was the closest I could ever get to someone as good looking as that without tampering with my marriage or hurting anyone,” Lallana said in the interview with Orange Police Department detectives in explaining why he ejaculated into the woman’s water bottle twice last year.

When the detectives quizzed him on why he didn’t just throw the water bottle away when he was done, Lallana said he figured she would dump the water and was afraid of leaving anything out of place on her desk.

“Can I honestly say I wanted her to drink it? No,” Lallana said in the taped interview. “Why I left it there, I don’t know.”

Tiffany testified that she left her water bottle on her desk in the Newport Beach office on a Friday in January of last year. She said that when she returned the following Monday and drank from the bottle, she tasted what she believed to be semen.

“I had a hunch that’s what it was, but I wouldn’t dream in a million years that’s what it was,” she said.

After being transferred to the company’s office in Orange, the woman said she again tasted semen in her water last April 6. Up to that point, she had been more careful with her water, dumping it when she left, she said.

Tiffany testified she threw the water bottle away that January. But after the second time in April, she kept the fouled liquid and asked her fiancee put his semen in a water bottle to see if that’s what she had tasted at work.

“At the time, I had no idea how else to figure out what this was,” she testified.

Convinced it was semen in the water bottle she had at work, the witness said she approached Orange police but was told they could not do anything based on the suspicion of a crime.

She then went to human resources officials at her workplace. “They heard me out, but they didn’t know what to do,” she testified. The woman said she was told the company’s legal representatives would be consulted but decided on her own to seek out an independent laboratory to test the water.

When she found a lab and got the results back, she had a friend, whose husband is a former Orange police officer, call the department’s investigators and they picked up the case in June, she testified.

Tiffany and Lallana did not have much to do with each other than small talk or an occasional greeting because he did much of his work outside the office, according to testimony.

When pressed by detectives, Lallana said he found his co-worker attractive and that part of the allure was that “her lips had touched” the water bottle, according to the tape played for jurors.

Lallana also gave investigators a DNA sample, and Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon told jurors the evidence showed it was Lallana’s semen in the water bottle.

Chubby

02-25-2011, 12:29 PM

At least you weren't dubbed:

Richard Trickle

when you were born.

Thats right, some poor bastard grew up being called Dick Trickle his entire life. He was a stock car driver for decades.

I still giggle when I watch the classic races and teh announcers mention "Dick Trickle slides to the inside and makes his move!"

a classmate of mine in HS was Brian Hole, yes, his father's name was Richard...

DataKing

02-25-2011, 12:38 PM

Met a guy once named Richard Head.

JPhillips

02-25-2011, 12:42 PM

There was a guy in my hometown named Harold Richard Head. He preferred to be called Harry Dick.

sterlingice

02-25-2011, 01:04 PM

He's no Harry Baals

SI

JediKooter

02-25-2011, 03:01 PM

Charleston Police Blotter | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC - News, Sports, Entertainment (http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/feb/24/charleston-police-blotter/)

"Charleston Police Blotter
EDWARD C. FENNELL,
Thursday, February 24, 2011

Tweet

Punch unexpected for 'cartoon' character

A man walking downtown at 2 a.m. acting like the "Futurama" TV show's cartoon lobster character, "Dr. Zoidberg," was punched in the face, according to a Charleston police report.

The 22-year-old man, who had a chipped tooth and possible broken nose, drove himself to a hospital, the report says.

The man told police he was "just playing around" Feb. 11 near King and Calhoun streets when he began imitating Zoidberg. The report says the 22-year-old described Zoidberg as "a lobster doctor that walks sideways with his claws out and makes noise."

When "Zoidberg" passed another man on the street, the other man reportedly asked, "What did you say to me?" The 22-year-old's friends pulled him away from the man, "telling him, 'keep going, he said nothing to you,' " according to the report.

The man reportedly followed for about 20 feet and threw the punch. The alleged assailant, who is known by the 22-year-old, reportedly ran away, the report states.

The report says the 22-year-old told officers he wants to press charges."

Autumn

02-26-2011, 08:12 AM

You would think these women would be smarter than to say in the public record that they thought they recognized the taste of semen.

tyketime

03-01-2011, 07:14 AM

Apparently the local pizza shop competition is heating up:

Two police officers smelled a rat Monday afternoon when they were eating lunch at an Upper Darby pizza place and watched the owner of a competing pizza restaurant walk into the shop carrying a suspicious bag into the restaurant’s bathroom.

After the man left, the owner of Verona Pizza on West Chester Pike discovered footprints on the toilet in the bathroom and a bag tucked into the ceiling tiles, police say.

Thinking the bag contained drugs, the owner turned the bag over to the officers who were in the restaurant at the time. They found something white -- but it wasn’t drugs.

Three white mice were in the bag left behind by Nina’s Bella Pizzeria owner Nikolas Galiatsatos, police told NBC Philadelphia.

The 47-year-old didn’t stop there with his hairy scheme.

Galiatsatos, whose pizza place is also on West Chester Pike, walked from Verona Pizza to Uncle Nick’s Pizza across the street and dumped another bag into a garbage can inside that pizza shop, according to Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

Police discovered that the bag Galiatsatos dumped into Uncle Nick’s garbage contained five living mice and one dead mouse.

Galiatsatos was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment, and animal cruelty.

The mice were all turned over to local animal control.

Police say the motive behind the mice dropping may be the fact that Nina’s Bella Pizzeria has only been open for a short period of time and may not be doing well.

"We believe that he was trying to put the competitive pizza places out of business," Chitwood said.

I. J. Reilly

03-01-2011, 08:58 AM

You would think these women would be smarter than to say in the public record that they thought they recognized the taste of semen.

Because an adult should be ashamed of that?

Autumn

03-01-2011, 03:16 PM

Because an adult should be ashamed of that?

Well, you could write them a note and see if they're enjoying the attention and reaction they're getting to their comments. I'm guessing they're now wishing they hadn't said it, but YMMV.

Ksyrup

03-03-2011, 07:23 AM

Bare your soul: Meet the naked therapist who solves patients' problems by stripping off during sessions

By Rachel Quigley
Last updated at 6:25 PM on 2nd March 2011

There is something about getting a man to talk about his feelings that usually sends him running in the other direction.

But a 24-year-old psychology buff believes she has the answer - getting naked.

Sarah White has brought a brand new type of therapy to the people of New York.

By slowly peeling away the layers of her clothes during the session, she believes it will allow her to peel away the layers of her clients' subconscious.

She said: 'During the sessions I use the power of arousal to let you gain more control over your life.

'The goal is to use nakedness so you can understand yourself and your world better, so you can feel great and powerful, and so the excitement you feel during the sessions can lead to more excitement outside the sessions.'

The naked therapist's unique approach to helping people has aroused interest from dozens of people.

Unsurprisingly, most of her clients are men.

Miss White, from the Upper West Side, studied psychology as an undergraduate at university but believed there was something missing and uninspiring from the classical training - and that was an open interest in sexuality.

She told the New York Daily News: 'For men especially, who are less likely than women to go to therapy, it is more interesting, more enticing, more exciting. It's a more inspiring approach to therapy.

'I felt early on that something was missing from classical therapy, it seemed to encourage repression as opposed to encouraging people to open up.'

The 24-year-old begins the session with her clothes on, as the hour-long appointment progresses, she takes off every item of clothing until there is nothing left.

The initial sessions, which cost $150, are conducted via a one-way web cam and text chat.

Once she builds a rapport with a client she moves to two-way Skype video appointments and then, in some cases, in-person consultations.

Online: The 24-year-old advertises herself on her website, which also contains a host of modelling shots of her in various stages of undress

Online: The 24-year-old advertises herself on her website, which also contains a host of modelling shots of her in various stages of undress

So far, she has around 30 clients which are an eclectic mix of college students with sexual issues, middle-aged men with relationship problems and even some women who enjoy a chat with a nude peer.

She said of her approach: 'Naked therapy has been very eye opening and worldly for my clients.

'The goal is to show patients I have nothing to hide, and encourage them to be more honest.

'For men in particular, seeing a naked woman can really help them focus, look deeply into themselves and speak their minds openly.

'Freud used free association. I use nakedness.'

Clients schedule appointments through her website, sarahwhitelive.com.

She conceded that naked therapy is not approved by any mental health association. And she is not a licensed therapist.

While Miss White's boyfriend supports her new business, her parents are still in the dark.

She said: 'I should probably tell them before they read it in the paper.'

Not surprisingly, professional psychologists are not sold on her idea.

Diana Kirschner, a New York-based clinical psychologist, told the Daily News: 'She's using the word therapy here, but I don't consider this therapy. I consider this interactive soft-core Internet porn.'

Any sexual interaction between patient and therapist is considered highly unethical by the American Psychoanalytic Association, the largest and oldest such organization in the nation.

Even physical contact violates its code of professional conduct.

But there is no physical contact in naked therapy. And, as Miss White points out: 'It’s not like I’m having relationships with any of my patients.'

Ksyrup

03-03-2011, 07:28 AM

Gotta love Europe!

An Englishman's home is his castle, so the saying goes.

After squatters moved into John Hamilton-Brown's new £1million five bedroom home he has been forced to beg them to get out through his letterbox.

The group of foreigners were granted legal aid to fight to stay - while he was forced to represent himself.

The father-of-two was having the property renovated for his wife and two young daughters before they moved in when a dozen people from France, Spain, Poland and England sneaked in during the night.

The occupants are part of a growing army of squatters banding together and seeking out empty homes.

It emerged today that squatters, often young people, are swapping information online as they move from property to property before they get evicted.

On a forum details of empty homes are being posted - and squatters are advertising for housemates to move in with them.

Squatting is legal as long as occupants do not use force to break in.

On the Advisory Service for Squatters, users swap tips for getting into properties and bypassing alarms.

One user said: 'i can help u to open/secure buildings. i have my own tools. price up on agreement, quality work.'

Another person asked for assistance getting into a different London home. He wrote: 'I'll be opening a new house in Highgate in the following days, if you can move in immediately and possibly help out opening it as it's kind of tricky, call me...'

The group occupying Mr Hamilton Brown's home qualified for legal aid because they are EU citizens and unemployed.

One of the squatters, who said he was 20, told the Sunday Telegraph: 'There are many empty homes and we should be able to live wherever we want.'

Shoreditch County Court refused to issue an interim possession order forcing them to vacate the property within 24 hours because of a technicality - and it could now be six weeks before they are told have to go.

An eviction order was made by the judge but it could be weeks before they are out.

Mr Hamilton-Brown, who has a wife and daughters aged four and two, bought the home in December and was having the place done up while living in a nearby flat.

‘I was horrified they were given legal representation,’ he said. ‘As I work and pay taxes, I’m at a disadvantage.

‘I’ve saved up for ten years to move into this house and this is what I get. It’s remarkable that they can get away with this.’

The house in Archway, North London, is near the homes of actress Patsy Kensit and comedian Rob Brydon.

A legal notice put in the front window by the squatters states that anybody who enters without their permission could face six months in jail and a £5,000 fine.

A neighbour said: ‘They have more rights than we do.

‘They know what they’re doing on the legal side of things as they’ve been in houses before in the area.’

Neighbours have told Mr Hamilton-Brown that squatters forced entry to his property - although it is almost impossible for him to prove in court.

The father-of-two, who has a business graphics company, has had to appear before a court five times to get the order made.

It is thought that squatting has increased dramatically since the onset of the recession.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman confirmed they are looking whether the law can be strengthened to give homeowners greater protection.

Suburban Rhythm

03-03-2011, 09:03 AM

Tot wanders into street while mom's at parenting class (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11062/1129392-100.stm)

The story not so much, but the title made me laugh

Suburban Rhythm

03-07-2011, 10:25 AM

Clogged toilet delays Continental flight to Houston (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11066/1130339-100.stm)

mckerney

03-08-2011, 08:59 AM

Great tits also have age-related defects (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110307130215.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily:+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader)

sterlingice

03-08-2011, 09:07 AM

Looks like a fake news site

SI

mckerney

03-08-2011, 10:22 AM

Looks like a fake news site

SI

Or a science news site.

JPhillips

03-18-2011, 02:38 PM

OMG. Even if it's made up it's horrific.

Meat Lover! The Scariest (True) NYC Sublet Story You've Ever Heard

In the summer of 2005, I moved to New York to live with a girl I had been dating long distance. And—as "moving across the country to be with a girl" stories usually go—it didn't work out. Our reunion was short-lived, and I needed someplace to stay, quick.

In my experience, finding good housing in New York is largely based on luck, and I had that in low reserve. I tried all the usual avenues—Craigslist, friends, friends of friends, acquaintances of friends… and, after a few weeks of searching, I finally managed to be put in contact with a guy who had a spare room to sublet for a super-low price in the Lower East Side.

The owner of this apartment (we’ll call him Doug) was a heavy-drinking, chain-smoking freelance writer who had also recently split from his girlfriend. His ex-girlfriend's office space was in the apartment, which made the perfect bedroom to rent out. I was in a sort of headspace at the time that necessitated a lot of shut-door boozing and miscellany, and I found it highly attractive that Doug seemed to be into the same kind of mopery that I was. Plus, the room for rent was large (for the Lower East Side), seemed cloistered enough from Doug's area that I would have a decent amount of privacy, and—while it gave off the kind of "dude" funk smell that some might have shied away from—it wasn't that big of a deal considering it was also devoid of rats, mold, and water damage. It seemed perfect.

"This place seems perfect!" I said to Doug. And of course, the follow-up: "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing's wrong with the room," he said a little too cautiously. "But you're talking about the price right? Why it's so low?"

"Ha," I joked. "Did someone die in here or what?"

"No, nothing like that. But something did happen, and I'd feel like an ass if I rented the place to you and didn't tell you what happened here a few months ago." …Ah, the words every subletter wants to hear. And with that, he launched into the best story I've ever heard about NYC housing.

After Doug's girlfriend left him a few months before I met him, he became unable to afford the rent by himself. He quickly found Jack via Craigslist, a recent Columbia journalism school graduate and fellow writer. Like Doug, Jack was also quiet and a loner, choosing to order Chinese food and chip away at his novel instead of getting drunk like the LES revelers on the sidewalks bellow. But he was courteous and stayed out of Doug's perma-sedated way, which is the exact kind of stranger you want to be living with.

After living with Jack for a few months, Doug was running home through the middle of a raging rainstorm, and noticed that Jack’s window was wide open, water pouring into the room. He rushed up the stairs, still dripping wet, and knocked on Jack’s door. Nobody answered, and Doug figured Jack was out. He found his master key, opened the door, and clicked on the light.

Neatly piled into stacks were Chinese food containers, some 10 boxes high, some already toppled, with their half-eaten contents strewn on the floor. The cartons covered all the available area on the floor except for a narrow walkway to the bed and the desk. Doug stood horrified at the doorway, then noticed the water flooding the floor by the window. He rushed over to close it.

Compulsive hoarders—as anyone who's spent a decent time watching TV will know—are not rare. There are between six to 15 million hoarders living in the United States, with many of them carrying on seemingly normal lives outside of their obsessive disorder. This fact didn't make Doug any more comfortable with the toy city of rotting Chinese food in his spare bedroom. He was going to kick Jack out when he got back to the apartment.

Then he saw the boot.

Doug leaned over to pick it up, knowing what the contents were before his fingers even made contact. Spilled out from the tops were strings of Lo Mein noodles, and hard pieces of dried rice. Doug was sure he could see crusted-over mounds of meat and hardened sauce. Sickened, Doug sat down the shoe, and as he did so, he noticed a shadow in the shape of a human body beneath the twin bed.

With absolute trepidation, Doug lifted the bed and slid it a few feet away, knocking over a pile of takeout boxes. What he uncovered wasn't—to his immediate relief—a real person. But it was a person's shape, with a hooded sweatshirt attached to gloves and a pair of jeans, with the other boot tucked into the leg. Coming out of the seams were remnants of noodles, rice, and meat, grease stains pooling through the fabric and onto the floor, spoiled scraps of food filling the hoodie to the brim. Doug scanned the body—and...yep, there it was. Noodles oozed out of the unzipped fly; a glory hole that Jack had ostensibly been taking advantage of all spring long.

Doug called an emergency locksmith who came and changed the locks within the hour. Jack arrived home not too long afterward and found it locked.

"I just need my laptop," he called through the door.

Doug slid the laptop through the mail slot. He could hear Jack's footsteps click down the hall, and the apartment entrance door slam shut. During the following days, Doug hired cleaners to remove all the food that Jack had left behind. Though the room had been cleared of all the takeout containers (along with the Meat Lover, which I've since started using to describe the effigy), the floors and walls scrubbed clean, and the room aired out for days, the smell still lingered.

Doug paused. "So, yeah. The room is cheap. What happened was fucked up." Doug looked ready to pass out, and I felt faint. "I'm sorry, dude. I can't," I muttered, and headed for the door. I regret leaving in such haste now, as the amount of questions I have are overwhelming—Didn't Doug smell something weird coming from Jack's room before he went in? Didn't he notice that Jack never took out any trash? What did he think was on his laptop? I've considered calling him to tie up those loose mental ends (which would lend this story that I've retold at least a hundred times much more credence), but really, I hate to bother the guy. That summer was an especially damaging one for me, and I wasn't the one who had to clean up a leaking sex toy my ex-roommate had constructed out of decomposing Chinese food.

Young Drachma

03-18-2011, 03:04 PM

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2011-03-06-mcnulty-vermont-boys_N.htm

Hannah McNulty
more than holds her
own for Vt. boys
team

Posted 3/6/2011 3:42:33 PM |

By Andy Gardiner, USA TODAY

STOWE, Vt. — A senior season that took a
historic turn for Hannah McNulty could end
Tuesday when Stowe plays Thetford in the
opening round of the Vermont Division III
basketball playoffs. The 13th-seeded
Raiders endured a 2-18 regular season
and are heavy underdogs against the No. 4
Panthers (14-6).

But McNulty won't be playing in the girls
tournament; she will be a starting guard for
Stowe in the boys playoffs. Vermont has had
girls play on boys hockey teams and even in
football. Last week Rachel Hale of Mount
Anthony became the first girl to win a state
title in wrestling.

But McNulty is the first girl to play boys
basketball.

McNulty was a three-year starter on Stowe's
girls team, piling up 685 points. She hoped
to reach the 1,000-point career mark this
season at Stowe, one of Vermont's smaller
high schools with an enrollment of 107 girls
and 119 boys.

But a perfect storm of injuries and academic
ineligibilities forced the girls team to
abandon the season after one game.

McNulty had three options: give up her
senior season, petition for permission to
play at a neighboring school or attempt to
play for the boys team at Stowe.

McNulty had friends who played at nearby
Lamoille Union in Hyde Park and Peoples
Academy in Morrisville. But because of
Vermont Principals Association guidelines,
she would have had to play on the junior
varsity at those schools.

Veteran Stowe boys coach Evans Bouchard
had coached both of McNulty's brothers and
known Hannah since she was a sixth grader
tagging along to her brothers' practices. He
offered her a place on his team.

"In my mind, knowing Hannah, it wasn't a
hard decision," Bouchard said. "I knew she
could handle the defensive part. But I
worried that offensively, the boys would be
too fast for her."

McNulty was apprehensive, but determined.
She will play at Suffolk University in Boston
next season and did not want to waste any
chance to improve.

"I wasn't sure I how I would do with the
physical aspect and the speed," she said.
"But my first love is basketball, and I just
couldn't walk away from it. So I decided to try
to earn my spot on the team."

Bouchard inserted her in the starting lineup
after three games, where she has stayed,
averaging 5.2 points.

"Hannah knew she had to earn playing time,
and she came in and went to work,"
Bouchard said. "She has brought a lot of
energy to our team, and opposing coaches
know now she is not just a girl on the boys
team."

McNulty was the goalie on Stowe's girls
soccer team that won its first state title this
year, winning all three playoff games in
penalty kick shootouts. She'll play soccer
and basketball at Division III Suffolk next
year.

"I think she's a great fit and a great catch for
us," said Suffolk women's basketball coach
Ed Leyden. "I give Hannah a lot of credit for
taking the road less traveled. It seems like
I'm getting a kid with confidence, courage
and a sense of humor."

McNulty has pushed the thought that this
might be the end of her high school career
to the back of her mind: "Just being able to
play this year in the sport I love the most is
most important."

Young Drachma

03-21-2011, 03:42 AM

Woman, 23, Becomes World's Youngest Grandmother - FoxNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/07/woman-23-worlds-youngest-grandmother/)

A woman from Romania said she became the world’s youngest grandmother – at the age of 23.
Ridca Stanescu, who gave birth to her daughter Maria when she was just 12 years old, said she urged her daughter not to follow in her footsteps – but Maria gave birth to her son when she was just 11.
Now 25, Stanescu, said she wanted more for her daughter.
“I am happy to be a grandmother but I wished something else for Maria – and something else for me,” she said.
Stanescu said “marrying young” is a way of life in the Romanian gypsy culture. She was married at the age of 11.
“I did not try to stop my daughter getting married because this is the tradition, it's what happens,” she said.
The youngest British grandmother was an unnamed 26-year-old from Rotheram, Yorkshire, whose 12-year-old daughter gave birth in 1999.

Read more: Woman, 23, Becomes World's Youngest Grandmother - FoxNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/07/woman-23-worlds-youngest-grandmother/#ixzz1HDo7MLrP)

CrimsonFox

03-21-2011, 05:49 AM

Yes there are 3 events at every renaissance faire. Jousting, dueling, and grandmother-killing. The winner gets the honorary title of dumbass.

RendeR

03-21-2011, 07:55 AM

Yes there are 3 events at every renaissance faire. Jousting, dueling, and grandmother-killing. The winner gets the honorary title of dumbass.

Maybe I'm just bleary eyed and tired, but WTF are you on about with this post? I don't understand any correlation to much of anything in what you just posted.

Young Drachma

03-21-2011, 11:28 AM

L.A. Marathon: It's official, Kelly Gneiting sets Guinness World Record as heaviest man to finish | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/03/la-marathon-its-official-kelly-gneiting-sets-guiness-world-record-as-heaviest-man-.html)

JPhillips

03-21-2011, 09:22 PM

Spartanburg Police: Crack Found In Man's Buttocks

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/mar/15/spartanburg-police-crack-found-mans-buttocks-ar-1584174/

Suburban Rhythm

03-22-2011, 10:40 AM

Man in zombie mask attacks with stun gun (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11081/1133851-455.stm)

LEECHBURG, Pa. -- A man is charged with attacking another man with a stun gun while using a zombie mask to conceal his identity.
Allegheny Township police say 28-year-old Darob Wright was arrested Saturday, a day after the alleged attack.
Police Chief John Fontaine says the victim went to Mr. Wright's apartment to collect money for auto body work but Wright didn't answer the door so the man returned to his car to wait. Investigators say Mr. Wright, wearing a Halloween mask, then suddenly opened the victim's car door and repeatedly discharged the stun gun in the man's face.
Fontaine says the mask fell off during the attack, revealing Mr. Wright's identity. He is free on bail facing charges including aggravated assault and robbery.

Maybe this isn't that strange...more like a horror movie gone bad.

JediKooter

03-22-2011, 11:12 AM

Spartanburg Police: Crack Found In Man's Buttocks

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/mar/15/spartanburg-police-crack-found-mans-buttocks-ar-1584174/

Oh man, sometimes the headlines just write themselves.

PilotMan

03-22-2011, 03:30 PM

Taco Rage: Man upset at burrito price rise fires shots.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/21/us-taco-rage-idUSTRE72K4A920110321

(Reuters) - A Taco Bell drive-through customer who became enraged because of a price increase on Beefy Crunch Burritos fired a BB gun through the window at a manager on Sunday, police said.
No one was hurt from the shots fired by the man, who also waved a pistol and an assault rifle in the parking lot, Police Sergeant Chris Benavides said.
As the restaurant's employees and customers hit the floor, the manager called police, and when officers arrived, the angry patron fired several shots at the police cars, Benavides said.
The man then barricaded himself inside a nearby motel room, sparking a standoff that lasted until police lobbed tear gas inside and the man surrendered.
Benavides said the burritos had been sold for 99 cents each as a promotion, but the man was apparently angry that the promotion had ended, and the price had gone up to $1.49.
The name of the 'taco rage' suspect has not been released because he had not yet been formally charged early Monday. Benavides said that the man will be charged with three counts of attempted capital murder, and that additional charges are possible.
The man never did get his burritos.

sterlingice

03-22-2011, 05:53 PM

Ah, memories:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/news/1999/11/18/kansas_chalupa_ap/

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - A 270-pound University of Kansas football player got stuck in the drive-thru window of a Taco Bell when he tried to charge employees who left the chalupa out of his order, authorities said.

Dion Rayford, a 6-foot-3 senior defensive end, was suspended for the game Saturday against Iowa State, the last game of his college career. He was released on his own recognizance after appearing in court Wednesday on charges of disorderly conduct, having an open container of alcohol and misdemeanor damage to property.

An innocent plea was entered for Rayford, who had started all 11 games this season.

Rayford, 24, allegedly became angry about 2 a.m. Wednesday when he didn't get the chalupa.

He tried to climb through the 14-by-46-inch drive-thru window, said Lawrence police Sgt. George Wheeler. But the window couldn't support Rayford and broke, Wheeler said. Rayford was stuck hanging halfway.

"When you take a big guy and put him through a small space, something's got to give," Wheeler said.

The night manager, Tiffany Holly, and three other employees locked themselves into an office, said restaurant manager Tito Lopez.

None of the employees was injured.

"I'm disappointed for the young man, and frustrated as a coach to be put in the position to suspend someone from the final game of their career," said Kansas coach Terry Allen. "But we can't tolerate that type of behavior in our program."

SI

cartman

03-23-2011, 08:26 AM

Hugo Chavez theorizes that capitalism might have ended life on Mars.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/us-venezuela-chavez-mars-idUSTRE72L61D20110322

JediKooter

03-23-2011, 07:14 PM

A New Yorker Is Suing His Boss For $2 Million Because Working In New Jersey Caused Him "Anguish" (http://www.businessinsider.com/worker-sues-boss-elie-tahari-for-being-forced-to-work-in-new-jersey-2011-3)

sterlingice

03-23-2011, 07:27 PM

Stupid people cause me anguish. If he wins, I want $2,000,001 and a kick to his nuts from a little girl. $2M goes to charity, he owe me a dollar, and he gets what he deserves

SI

DataKing

03-30-2011, 02:46 PM

Giving new meaning to the term "Die Hard Fans"

NASCAR may let fans stay forever - News (http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/03/29/nascar-may-let-fans-stay-forever.html)

DataKing

03-30-2011, 03:08 PM

Stranger than fiction.....

http://jalopnik.com/#!5787316

DougW

03-30-2011, 03:25 PM

Stranger than fiction.....

Jalopnik - Drive Free or Die (http://jalopnik.com/#!5787316)

haha

the Youngquists were members of the "nation of Kansas" and that "outlying minion islands" did not have dominion over them

Ksyrup

03-30-2011, 03:32 PM

The American Pickers guys just had a coronary.

Young Drachma

03-30-2011, 05:54 PM

Kappa Sigma suspends University of Southern California student over sex photos on campus roof (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/03/30/2011-03-30_kappa_sigma_suspends_usc_student_over_sex_photos_on_campus_roof.html)

Birds do it. Bees do it. USC college students do it, too, on the roof of a school building in full view of the entire campus.

The all-too public sex act atop Waite Phillips Hall at the University of Southern California was captured in a series of photos that spread around the campus this weekend, then on the Internet.

The male student was suspended from his fraternity, Kappa Sigma, and could face similar punishment from the school.

The woman involved does not attend USC.

"While the actions that were taken did involve a member of our chapter we, in no way, support this kind of behavior," Zach Timm, president of USC's Kappa Sigma, said in a statement.

"The member in question has been suspended from Kappa Sigma for conduct unbecoming of a Kappa Sigma and a gentleman until a more detailed investigation can be conducted."

USC refused to comment on what actions it may take concerning the student, citing privacy concerns. It did say, however, that his behavior was "a violation of our code of conduct and of our most basic community standards."

"To say that we are disappointed in this type of behavior does not begin to capture the seriousness with which we regard this type of activity," Denzil J. Suite., USC's associate vice president for student affairs, told the LA Weekly.

He also noted that access to the roof was restricted and going up there was a violation of university policies.

This is just the latest incident to befall the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Earlier this month, an unidentified member embarrassed the frat when he sent a memo that ranked women (referred to as "targets") for their sexual skills and beauty.

M GO BLUE!!!

03-31-2011, 12:15 AM

BBC News - Puppy thrown at German biker gang (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10333211)

Puppy thrown at German biker gang
A German student "mooned" a group of Hell's Angels and hurled a puppy at them before escaping on a stolen bulldozer, police have said.

The man drove up to a Hell's Angels clubhouse near Munich, wearing only a pair of shorts and carrying a puppy.

He dropped his shorts and threw the dog, escaping on a bulldozer from a nearby building site.

He was arrested later at home by police. The 26-year-old is said to have stopped taking depression medication.

After making his getaway on the bulldozer, he had driven so slowly that a 5km tailback built up behind him on the motorway.

After driving about 1km, he had abandoned the bulldozer in the middle of the motorway, near Allershausen. He continued his journey by hitchhiking.

"What motivated him to throw a puppy at the Hell's Angels is currently unclear," a police spokesman said.

The puppy is now being cared for in an animal shelter.

sterlingice

03-31-2011, 06:48 PM

I don't know where to start with that story, but I like it

SI

DataKing

04-05-2011, 03:53 PM

I don't live in Texas. I'm not from Texas. And I don't hunt. But this is still awesome.

Texplainer: How Real Is the Feral Hog Menace? — Texas Legislature | The Texas Tribune (http://www.texastribune.org/texas-legislature/texas-legislature/texplainer-how-real-is-the-feral-hog-menace/)

Ksyrup

04-05-2011, 04:07 PM

Odd reports from last week’s blotter

La Grange, IL —

Two unusual reports showed up in La Grange’s police blotter in the past week, both products of the time of the year.

In the first incident, police responded about 2 p.m. Friday to a report of an intruder in an apartment in the 900 block of South Eighth Avenue.

The report was called in by the resident’s sister, according to records. Upon arrival, police learned the resident had been playing an April Fools prank on her sister. She received a warning.

In the second incident, police received a report about 7:15 p.m. Saturday of a teenage boy who had been at Borders, 1 N. La Grange Road, four straight days for at least 10 hours a day. The caller was concerned he could be neglected.

According to reports, police found the boy was “well dressed, well spoken and appeared to be well cared for.” He told police he was at the bookstore to read over Spring Break.

Police confirmed with his mother that he loves to read, according to reports.

HA!

M GO BLUE!!!

04-05-2011, 11:12 PM

MY NEW HERO!

BBC News - Naked soldier smashes window to stop Salford car thief (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-12978065)

Any bloke who takes on three burglars, chases one stealing his car, punches through the glass & beats the masked thief at 6am without caring that he is in fact naked... I'll buy him a beer!

Passacaglia

04-06-2011, 08:48 AM

HA!

Kid was probably just trying to figure out why there are two La Granges in Illinois.

Rizon

04-07-2011, 09:03 AM

Maryland man glued to Wal-Mart toilet seat - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/06/maryland.toilet.prank/index.html?hpt=T2)

Ksyrup

04-07-2011, 09:08 AM

An April Fools day prank at Wal-Mart on March 31st. Awesome.

Passacaglia

04-07-2011, 09:12 AM

Maybe the idea was for the dude to be stuck there overnight, and found in the morning on April 1.

Ksyrup

04-09-2011, 10:24 AM

Short Anus-to-Scrotum Length Predicts Poor Sperm Count
7-Fold Higher Risk of Low Sperm Count With Below-Average Anogenital Distance
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 9, 2011 -- Men whose anus-to-scrotum distance is shorter than average are 7.3 times more likely to have low sperm counts than men with a longer anogenital distance.

The finding comes from Shanna Swan, PhD, of the University of Rochester, N.Y., and colleagues. In earlier studies, Swan found that pregnant animals exposed to phthalates -- commonly used chemicals suspected of hormone-disrupting effects -- had infertile male offspring with short anogenital distance.

In a 2005 study, Swan's team found that male infants with prenatal exposure to phthalates had decreased anogenital distance.

In their current study, the researchers found poor sperm quality in men with short anus-to-scrotum distance. They tended to have low sperm counts, low sperm motility, low sperm concentration, poor sperm morphology, and low total mobile sperm count.

"The associations we observed between these sperm parameters and anogenital distance were stronger than those for most [other factors] known to be associated with semen quality," Swan and colleagues note. "If our results are confirmed, anogenital distance may provide a useful adjunct to these traditional measures of male reproductive function."

Swan's team studied 126 young men (most were 19 years old) who volunteered for the Rochester Young Men's Study. Their anogenital distance was measured in two ways: from the center of the anus to the base of the scrotum, or from the center of the anus to the top of the penis at the point where it intersects with the abdomen. Only the scrotal measure turned out to be linked to subpar fertility.

One surprise from the study was that nearly a fourth of the young men in the study had low sperm counts.

Swan and colleagues did not report on whether the men's mothers reported exposure to phthalates during pregnancy, and they did not report data on the men's hormone levels.

"Poorer semen quality and shorter anogenital distance in adulthood may reflect a common origin, including a disruption of testicular development in utero," they suggest.

Although there may be many reasons for this, they note, it "may be caused by exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals" in the womb.

Swan and colleagues report their findings in the March 4 online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.

Curiously, most males' research indicates that the distance between penis and vagina is a far greater factor in failed reproduction.

Suburban Rhythm

04-09-2011, 11:56 AM

Anogenital Distance would be a great name for a band.

Ksyrup

04-09-2011, 12:06 PM

Ha, I said the same thing on another board!

sterlingice

04-09-2011, 07:43 PM

Didn't Dave Barry popularize that phrase?

SI

molson

04-14-2011, 01:07 PM

America gets a bad rap nowadays, and China is almost willing itself towards world acceptance through a quickly growing economy - so it's always nice have a litttle reminder, that in a lot of ways, America rules and China is run by weirdo crazies:

China bans time travel on the tube - The Source - Latest news and updates from Boston.com (http://www.boston.com/news/source/2011/04/china_bans_time.html)

If you're living in China right now and want to enjoy a nice quiet evening on the sofa watching the classic 1960 film version of "The Time Machine," you may be out of luck.

The New York Times recently reported that China's State Administration for Radio, Film & Television has issued new guidelines as to how TV shows should treat the issue of time travel, saying that shows that involve rocketing through time and space lack meaning and promote an unhealthy belief system.

The Times reports that a press release in Chinese says that these shows "casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation."

While plots involving time travel have been part of western culture for centuries – from "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," to "Back to the Future" – TV dramas with plot twists involving time travel have apparently been on the rise in China. One such show, "Palace," involves woman traveling back in time to the Qing Dynasty and falling in love with several princes.

Such shows are deemed by the Chinese media administration as insulting because they are "treating the serious history in a frivolous way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore," according to a Time magazine article.

This news comes as no surprise considering China's recent history with censorship. Besides flagging some keywords and blocking certain topics on the Internet, the country's government has also banned online games featuring mafioso and has blocked popular websites like Youtube and Twitter on quite a few occasions.

What else has the Chinese government censored? See a list of just a few of the items restricted and monitored by the government.

JediKooter

04-14-2011, 01:13 PM

Read that this morning. Don't let their economic status fool you (ubiquitous you) into forgetting they are still a dictatorial communist government and are not supporters of free speech, workers rights, human rights, etc...

Ksyrup

04-14-2011, 01:38 PM

The Times reports that a press release in Chinese says that these shows "casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation."

....

"Back to the Future" .

[Insert Chicago Cubs winning the WS joke here].

Wolfpack

04-14-2011, 06:53 PM

[Insert Chicago Cubs winning the WS joke here].

Hey, it could happen. They've got until 2015...well, that and the Marlins would have to switch leagues and turn their mascot into an alligator, but still....

Suburban Rhythm

04-19-2011, 08:36 AM

Missing bull semen package located (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11109/1140402-100.stm)

JPhillips

04-19-2011, 08:51 AM

One of these?

http://www.elpasoinfo.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/bullie%20bags.jpg

Ksyrup

04-19-2011, 09:25 AM

In other !SHOCKING! news...

Playboy Mansion illness traced to hot tub bacteria

– Fri Apr 15, 10:27 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County health officials say the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in a hot tub at the Playboy Mansion where scores of people became ill after attending a fundraiser in February.

The Los Angeles Times says health officials presented their findings Friday at an annual conference at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

The legionella bacteria also causes a milder illness called Pontiac fever. Symptoms include fever and headache.

Many people who attended a fundraiser party at the Playboy Mansion came down with a respiratory illness after the DomainFest conference in February.

Officials contacted 439 people and found that 123 had fevers and at least one other symptom with 69 falling ill on the same day. Epidemiologists used social media to contact the conference attendees.

molson

04-19-2011, 11:06 AM

In other !SHOCKING! news...



Ha. There was a snl weekend update bit about this a while back:

"It was reported this week that Los Angeles County health officials discovered the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease at the Playboy Mansion. [ sarcastically ] Oh, did they find a weird old-timey disease at that bastion of health and cleanliness? The home of the world’s oldest man and his stripper collection, its grounds crawling with weird zoo animals that you know aren’t being looked after by any kind of a zookeeper? Just a bunch of sick peacocks and gimpy llamas running around, using the badminton court as a toilet while a 19-year-old runaway in a bikini Googles what you’re supposed do when a spider monkey has a cough? And they just found Legionnaire’s disease? Keep looking, county health officials, that’s probably just the tip of the petri dish!"

JediKooter

04-20-2011, 12:36 PM

It's a Jersey thing, you wouldn't understand...

NJ woman chides NYC smoker, gets stabbed with pen - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pen_attack)

tyketime

04-22-2011, 08:36 AM

Another passenger on the Idiot Express:

A Montgomery County woman could spend time in jail for faking cancer and then taking money from sympathizers, including her own family, who wanted to help her with treatments.

Alicia E. Tolton, 26, pleaded guilty Thursday to theft by deception, forgery and tampering with records. Earlier this year she entered guilty pleas to other charges related to the cancer scam.

Last year, Tolton lied to family and friends when she told them she had ovarian and breast cancer. The Upper Moreland woman even shaved her head so she could tell people it fell out during her treatments, according to a report in The Intelligencer.

Tolton took money that her own grandfather, friends and total strangers thought was being spent on cancer treatments and medical bills.

But Tolton's story fell apart as friends were organizing a fundraising event last October. That's when a family member who'd become suspicious, went to police because he "did not want innocent, good-hearted people to lose their money," according to The Intelligencer.

When police confronted Tolton, she handed over forged hospital invoices, admitted she did not have cancer and that she used the money to settle some drug debts and pay bills, according to report.

In February, she pleaded guilty in a $24,000 credit card scheme. Her parents were the victims.

Tolton will be sentenced at a later date. She faces a maximum of 14 years behind bars.

Young Drachma

04-23-2011, 04:20 AM

BBC News - The anti-social network: avoiding online darkness (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13158351)

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/52296000/jpg/_52296602_georgiancrop.jpg

A 75-year-old Georgian woman who says she has never even heard of the internet is facing a possible prison sentence for single-handedly cutting off the web to an entire country.

Georgian police arrested Hayastan Shakarian after she allegedly hacked through a fibre optic cable that runs through Georgia to Armenia, while digging for copper.

With one stroke, the pensioner plunged 90% of internet users in Armenia into online darkness for nearly 12 hours.

The episode is a timely reminder that all it takes in our hi-tech world to shut down thousands of companies for a day is a determined old lady with a spade.

JediKooter

04-26-2011, 12:23 PM

Fuck yea!! I hope someone had a plus 2 saving throw.

Sword fight erupts at NYC Sikh temple; 7 charged - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_temple_melee)

Lathum

04-27-2011, 02:28 PM

â€˜Stolenâ€™ hot dog, 99 cents. Baffled jurors, priceless - Spokesman Mobile - April 27, 2011 (http://m.spokesman.com/stories/2011/apr/27/shawn-vestal-stolen-hot-dog-99-cents-baffled/)

what a horrible waste of tax payers money

Ksyrup

04-27-2011, 02:39 PM

I find fault almost completely with the store on this for offering consumable food on the premises of a grocery store and not having a way to deal with payment.

molson

04-27-2011, 02:45 PM

I understand the annoyance of the prosecutors that led to their bad decision here. People constantly steal little things with the idea that they'll just pay if caught and nobody will care. Usually those cases are easier to prove though. But everybody still thinks the police/prosecutors are nazis if they enforce any theft under a certain amount. Thieves are a pain in the ass.

Lathum

04-27-2011, 02:46 PM

I find fault almost completely with the store on this for offering consumable food on the premises of a grocery store and not having a way to deal with payment.

Certainly a fair argument, but almost every grocery store has some kind of consumable food on the premise. The whole situation is absurd.

Suburban Rhythm

04-27-2011, 02:50 PM

Who buys crunchy peanut butter? Creamy PB is where it's at!

molson

04-27-2011, 02:51 PM

If you want a free lunch by the way, this is the perfect blueprint. Go in a store, eat something, buy a couple of other things that you need anyway, and then leave. 95% of the time, nobody will stop you, and the other 5% of the time, nobody will be able to prove you intended to steal anything.

Ksyrup

04-27-2011, 02:57 PM

Certainly a fair argument, but almost every grocery store has some kind of consumable food on the premise. The whole situation is absurd.

Yes, they do - and they remedy this problem by either making you pay at the counter or giving you your item in a wrapper with a bar code so that if you eat it on premise, you can still easily pay for it when you are finished.

You think about a place like Target or KMart that have those food places up front - there's a reason why they don't just hand you a pretzel or slice of pizza and let you go on your merry way.

Lathum

04-27-2011, 04:16 PM

Yes, they do - and they remedy this problem by either making you pay at the counter or giving you your item in a wrapper with a bar code so that if you eat it on premise, you can still easily pay for it when you are finished.

.

Really?

Does your grocery store not have a bakery?

JeeberD

04-28-2011, 09:31 AM

Really?

Does your grocery store not have a bakery?

...or giving you your item in a wrapper with a bar code...

.

DanGarion

04-28-2011, 09:59 AM

Really?

Does your grocery store not have a bakery?

Huh?

Lathum

04-28-2011, 12:57 PM

So none of you have even been in a grocery store that has the donuts, buns, etc...in bins or glass cabinets?

What is the difference between grabbing a donut from a cabinet and grabbing a hot dog?

DanGarion

04-28-2011, 01:01 PM

So none of you have even been in a grocery store that has the donuts, buns, etc...in bins or glass cabinets?

What is the difference between grabbing a donut from a cabinet and grabbing a hot dog?

Those donuts are intended to go in the bags they place under the cabinet, not to just be ate in the store. That is like saying, don't you have fresh produce at your grocery store?

Lathum

04-28-2011, 01:37 PM

Those donuts are intended to go in the bags they place under the cabinet, not to just be ate in the store. That is like saying, don't you have fresh produce at your grocery store?

I don't think that is true at all. There are many people who grab a donut in the morning for their breakfast or one for a snack and give to their kid.

DanGarion

04-28-2011, 01:39 PM

I don't think that is true at all. There are many people who grab a donut in the morning for their breakfast or one for a snack and give to their kid.

It must be a regional thing, because here in the Southern California, I have never seen someone just grab a donut out of the bin and start chomping away on it. Just like I don't see people grab and apple and start eating it, or anything else in the store. I would consider anyone that does do that probably stealing it.

molson

04-28-2011, 01:43 PM

It must be a regional thing, because here in the Southern California, I have never seen someone just grab a donut out of the bin and start chomping away on it. Just like I don't see people grab and apple and start eating it, or anything else in the store. I would consider anyone that does do that probably stealing it.

Same here. But maybe I'm missing out - could I just go around the store, eating stuff for an hour, and then try to remember what I ate to tell the cashier (And if I missed anything, you can't prove anything - I just forgot). If everybody did this, the system just wouldn't work. Unless the supermarkets just didn't allow you eat something until you paid for it, which is the most sensible solution - but that's a "rule" it seems like almost everyone just sort of follows as a societal norm anyway.

Autumn

04-28-2011, 01:48 PM

Same here. But maybe I'm missing out - could I just go around the store, eating stuff for an hour, and then try to remember what I ate to tell the cashier (And if I missed anything, you can't prove anything - I just forgot). If everybody did this, the system just wouldn't work. Unless the supermarkets just didn't allow you eat something until you paid for it, which is the most sensible solution - but that's a "rule" it seems like almost everyone just sort of follows as a societal norm anyway.

But here's the loophole. If you never leave, you never have to pay! Grab a lawnchair from the summer beers display, a bag of donuts, some fried chicken and have yourself a sitdown!

molson

04-28-2011, 01:49 PM

But here's the loophole. If you never leave, you never have to pay! Grab a lawnchair from the summer beers display, a bag of donuts, some fried chicken and have yourself a sitdown!

Intriguing.

JPhillips

05-02-2011, 07:07 PM

Wow, this guy can party on a whole different level.

Man arrested after being found standing over goat, wearing women's underwear
by Ashley B. Craig

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- An Alum Creek man has been arrested after neighbors allegedly found him standing over the dead body of a stolen pygmy goat while wearing women's underwear.

Mark Lucas Thompson, 19, of Greenview Road was taken into custody early Monday at his home. Deputies had dealt with the man before and believe him to be mentally unstable.

Thompson told deputies he had been high on bath salts for the last three days, said Cpl. Sean Snuffer, a detective with the sheriff's office.

Deputy J.S. Shackelford was dispatched about 3:15 a.m. Monday to the home on Quebec Drive to investigate a possible animal cruelty complaint. Lisa Powers called 911 to report that her neighbor, Thompson, had stolen and killed her grandson's pet pygmy goat, according to a complaint filed in Kanawha Magistrate Court.

The goat, which had been a gift for Powers' grandson and was named Bailey, was on a leash attached to a tree in her front yard. Powers said the small white-and-gray goat wore a pink collar.

Three people who were with Powers told the deputy they had been inside Thompson's home and had seen the goat and it was dead. They had learned of the goat's whereabouts from an acquaintance who was in Thompson's home and called.

Two of the three went to Thompson's home to look for the goat and found the front door open. They went inside the house, and one went into the middle bedroom where she found Thompson in a bra and woman's panties standing three feet from the goat's body.

Thompson ran out of the house wearing only a muscle shirt and thong underwear.

Cpl. M.B. Cummings and Sgt. R.P. Boone went to the Greenview Road home to help Shackelford with the investigation. Thompson came down from the hillside while deputies were at his home. He was immediately taken into custody.

"He told the deputies out there that he had been high on bath salts and wasn't in his right mind," Snuffer said.

"They knew who he was when the call came out," he said. "They've dealt with him before."

He said the man is mentally unstable and lives with another person who is not always home. Snuffer said deputies were concerned for the man's health and contacted Adult Protective Services.

The detective said the goat had a single stab wound. The body was taken to a veterinarian to determine the cause of death and whether it had been sexually assaulted.

Neighbors told deputies they were concerned about the safety of their neighborhood with Thompson still living nearby.

Thompson has been charged with felony animal cruelty and is being held at South Central Regional Jail on $50,000 bond.

molson

05-06-2011, 03:40 PM

Next time you fire up your ipad, you can feel better knowing that the Chinese guy who assembled it signed a "no suicide" pledge, and that the worker's "dormitory" (jail cell) has been sensibly outfitted with "anti-suicide netting" beneath the windows.

Apple's Chinese workers treated 'inhumanely, like machines' | Technology | The Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/30/apple-chinese-workers-treated-inhumanely)

An investigation into the conditions of Chinese workers has revealed the shocking human cost of producing the must-have Apple iPhones and iPads that are now ubiquitous in the west.

The research, carried out by two NGOs, has revealed disturbing allegations of excessive working hours and draconian workplace rules at two major plants in southern China. It has also uncovered an "anti-suicide" pledge that workers at the two plants have been urged to sign, after a series of employee deaths last year.

The investigation gives a detailed picture of life for the 500,000 workers at the Shenzhen and Chengdu factories owned by Foxconn, which produces millions of Apple products each year. The report accuses Foxconn of treating workers "inhumanely, like machines".

Among the allegations made by workers interviewed by the NGOs – the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations and Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (Sacom) – are claims that:

■ Excessive overtime is routine, despite a legal limit of 36 hours a month. One payslip, seen by the Observer, indicated that the worker had performed 98 hours of overtime in a month.

■ Workers attempting to meet the huge demand for the first iPad were sometimes pressured to take only one day off in 13.

■ In some factories badly performing workers are required to be publicly humiliated in front of colleagues.

■ Crowded workers' dormitories can sleep up to 24 and are subject to strict rules. One worker told the NGO investigators that he was forced to sign a "confession letter" after illicitly using a hairdryer. In the letter he wrote: "It is my fault. I will never blow my hair inside my room. I have done something wrong. I will never do it again."

■ In the wake of a spate of suicides at Foxconn factories last summer, workers were asked to sign a statement promising not to kill themselves and pledging to "treasure their lives".

Foxconn produced its first iPad at Chengdu last November and expects to produce 100m a year by 2013. Last year Apple sold more than 15m iPads worldwide and has already sold close to five million this year.

When the allegations were put to Foxconn by the Observer, manager Louis Woo confirmed that workers sometimes worked more than the statutory overtime limit to meet demand from western consumers, but claimed that all the extra hours were voluntary. Workers claim that, if they turn down excessive demands for overtime, they will be forced to rely on their basic wage: workers in Chengdu are paid only 1,350 yuan (£125) a month for a basic 48-hour week, equivalent to about 65p an hour.

Asked about the suicides that have led to anti-suicide netting being fitted beneath the windows of workers' dormitories, Woo said: "Suicides were not connected to bad working conditions. There was a copy effect. If one commits suicide, then others will follow."

In a statement, Apple said: "Apple is committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility throughout our supply base. Apple requires suppliers to commit to our comprehensive supplier code of conduct as a condition of their contracts with us. We drive compliance with the code through a rigorous monitoring programme, including factory audits, corrective action plans and verification measures."

Ksyrup

05-10-2011, 09:34 AM

Man jailed for tortilla dough | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com (http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110507/NEWS/305070023/Tortilla-dough-lands-man-Asheville-jail-drug-charges?odyssey=tab)
---------------------

ASHEVILLE — Antonio Hernandez Carranza took a wrong turn, and it turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes he's ever made.

The Carson, Calif., man had driven more than 2,000 miles — three days straight — to see his sister in Johnson City, Tenn.

But instead of reaching the home of his sister, whom he hadn't seen in nearly a decade, the 45-year-old carpet cleaner found himself in the Buncombe County jail under a $300,000 bond on charges of driving while intoxicated, failing to heed police lights and sirens and possession of 91 pounds of cocaine.

He was released four days later after sheriff's deputies realized Hernandez, who said he doesn't drink at all, wasn't intoxicated and that what was in the back of his truck was exactly what he had said — $400 worth of cheese, shrimp and tortilla and tamale dough meant as a gift to his sister.

Now struggling to reclaim his truck and dog that were taken away, Hernandez said he wants only to see his family and possibly get some compensation for his time and expenses.

While in jail, he called his wife, Bernice, to tell her that he could be facing 40 years in prison and may never see her or their two boys again.

“She and the kids were crying. She was inconsolable,” Hernandez said through an interpreter.

Local residents affiliated with Latino advocacy groups say Hernandez, a legal resident who understands a fair amount of English but doesn't speak it well, was targeted because of his ethnicity.

Deputies said Hernandez appeared drunk and they acted quickly to get narcotics test results after he was jailed.

Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Lt. Randy Smart acknowledged that four days in jail under an extremely high bond seemed a stiff penalty for failing to heed police lights and sirens, of which Hernandez was found guilty.

“It's one of those things when you go back and look at it, it does seem a little harsh,” the Sheriff's Office spokesman said.

Hernandez, who came to the United States in1985 to harvest grapes and strawberries, was not a legal resident until 1989 when he received amnesty under a federal program signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

Through that status, he was able to gain employment, such as at the carpet cleaning company, where he now works and had accrued vacation.

While driving to his sister's home, he said he encountered police in Arizona and Texas who also questioned him about what he was carrying and appeared to suspect drugs.

“The police in Texas used dogs to check,” he said.

Each time, he said he was sent on his way.

He's not sure how he ended up in Asheville, but believes he stayed on Interstate 40 when he should have turned onto Interstate 81 after Knoxville.

He was tired, but he said he kept driving because he was excited to see his sister.

In Asheville, he pulled over after he thought he saw steam coming from his truck. A deputy's car approached and an officer told him he couldn't stop there because he was blocking traffic, Hernandez said.

He started driving away and put his flashers on. The law enforcement car followed him with its lights on. Hernandez said he thought the car was shepherding him in the direction the officer wanted him to go. But ahead there were other law enforcement cars blocking his way.

Investigators' incident reports say stop sticks were used, but Hernandez said he doesn't remember seeing them or noticing his tires being deflated until seeing his truck days later in the impound lot.

Officers pulled him from the car, put a knee in his back and pinned his arm behind him, leaving scrapes and bruises.

He was tested several times for alcohol but it came back negative. It was after he was jailed that he learned of the cocaine charges.

He said he tried to explain about the dough and how some was already made up for sweet pineapple tamales, but no one seemed to listen.

“Later I was speechless. I didn't eat or sleep while I was in jail. I was thinking about how this could have happened to me,” he said.

His court date was set for May 19. But Wednesday, he was brought out of the jail and to the courtroom where there was a public defender, a prosecutor and a judge.

He said he was told he was being found guilty of the one misdemeanor charge and would get credit for his time served in jail. He doesn't remember being asked to enter a plea.

On Thursday, Fay Burner, who defended Hernandez, said she couldn't talk about the case without his permission.

It's not clear why deputies originally thought the food was cocaine. It could have been that initial checks showed the dough and other items were narcotics, Smart said.

“We do field tests for presumptive testing,” the lieutenant said.

Officers later appeared to push to get full lab tests done quickly, he said.

District Attorney Ron Moore said he wasn't sure of the details of the case and hadn't seen a written report.

Others said Hernandez was treated poorly because he is a Latino of Indian origin with limited English.

“If he were white it would have been different,” said Gustavo Silva, a local Latino rights advocate.

Silva, a U.S. citizen originally from Uruguay, went to help Hernandez after getting a call from someone in the courthouse about his plight.

Neither he nor Hernandez is sure he'll ever be paid for his trouble, including the food which is gone or the fees for retrieving his truck.

“I asked in court, ‘Who's going to pay me for what I lost?' They said, ‘I don't know. It's not my problem,'” Hernandez said.

AnalBumCover

05-10-2011, 10:19 AM

How Zombie Ants Lose Their Minds (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110509/sc_livescience/howzombieantslosetheirminds)

New gruesome details have emerged explaining how a parasitic fungus manipulates an unfortunate ant, filling its head with fungal cells and changing its muscles so the ant can grab a leaf in a death grip just when and where the fungus wants it.

Research in a Thai rain forest has shown the fungi, a species of Ophiocordyceps, forces an infected ant to wander drunkenly over the forest's low leaves before clamping its jaws around the main vein on the underside of a leaf in an ant zombie graveyard.

By watching 16 infected ants bite down, the researchers found that their last bites took place around noon, indicating they are synchronized to either the sun or a related cue, like temperature or humidity.

"Synchronized arrival of zombie ants at the graveyards is a remarkable phenomenon. It adds a layer of complexity on what is already an impressive feat," wrote David Hughes, a study researcher from Pennsylvania State University, in an email to LiveScience. "However, although ants bite at noon they don't in fact die until sunset. Likely this strategy ensures (the fungus) has a long cool night ahead of it during which time it can literally burst out of the ant's head to begin the growth of the spore-releasing stalk"

The bizarre sequence that leads up to the ant's death is completely out of step with its normal behavior and appears to be a way for the fungus to get itself to the perfect spot to spread its spores, according to the researchers.

The ants, a species called Camponotus leonardi, live in the canopies of trees, but come to the ground occasionally, where they contract the fungus. Healthy ants travel on trails unlike infected ones, which zigzag in a drunken walk over low vegetation, sometimes falling and convulsing before taking their final bite.

Hughes and colleagues observed a total of 42 infected ants, some of which they dissected. While holding its death grip, the ant's head was filled with fungal cells and the muscles that operated the ant's mandible, or jaw, was atrophied, they found.

"In the context of biting, it allows the mandibles, we feel, to work in one direction and one direction only," Hughes told LiveScience. "Normally, they open and close, but in this case they can only close."

This keeps the dying ant from losing its grip. The fungus also appears to suck all of the calcium out of the muscles, causing a condition similar to rigor mortis, he said.

Fungi have been observed to manipulate the behavior arthropods as well, including crickets, bees, wasps and perhaps even spiders.
"We are quite confident we could see this and similar phenomen
on across a broad range of organisms, because it is such a neat evolutionary trick if you are fungus to use the muscles of an animal to transport you to another environment," he wrote. (Many fungi rely on wind or other means to passively disperse their spores.)

More broadly, many parasites -- be they plant, animal or virus -- can alter the behavior of their hosts.

In the most recent study, published in the journal BMC Ecology, Hughes and colleagues observed and examined healthy and infected ants to compare their movements and reveal the physiological effects of the fungus. In a previous study, published in 2009, they found that the fungus manipulates infected ants to take it to ideal places for it to reproduce in the forest understory. As result the dead ants wound up on leaves on the north-northwestern side of plants approximately 9.8 inches (25 centimeters) above the ground.

Rizon

05-10-2011, 10:30 AM

Man allegedly stole free cheese and was arrested by Chicago cops - Chicago Conservative | Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-chicago/man-allegedly-stole-free-cheese-and-was-arrested-by-chicago-cops)

With all that's going on in Chicago, you would think the local courts would have better things to do than to bring in Michael Richards, 50, of the southside for allegedly stealing free cheese.

As the story goes, Richards bought a bag of chips, opened the bag, and began pumping cheese into the bag. The clerk told him to stop because the cheese was only for persons who bought nacho chips and had the chips in a specific container. Richards allegedly gave the clerk a piece of his mind, verbally, and continued pumping cheese into his bag of chips.

Callers-in on Chicago talk radio Monday morning claim there is a sign that says 'Free Cheese' at that 7-Eleven convenience store where the incident took place Therefore, it looks like this case would have been a closed case in favor of the customer were it not for Richards allegedly twisting the clerks arm. But, hold on. Did the clerk touch Richards first in an effort to stop him from taking the free cheese?

If there really is a 'Free Cheese' sign on the cheese container in the store at 1300 South Halsted, the clerk was clearly wrong. It's impossible to charge someone with stealing something that's labeled free - especially when they're using it on a product they've paid for at the store. Nonetheless, Richards was faced with a felony charge after spending the night in jail. Additionally, his bond is set at $10,000 bond for stealing free cheese.

Apparently Richards won't be 'thanking heaven for 7-Eleven' - it's more like he'll be blaming them for a night of hell.

Source: Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, WLS

Noop

05-10-2011, 10:37 AM

I wonder if the guys from the Chicago Code would have investigated that one. You know they would have said it was the Mob who was behind the free cheese scam.

Lathum

05-11-2011, 04:36 PM

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015010671_apaschinaconjoinedtwins.html

warning, there is a picture

Rizon

05-13-2011, 02:25 PM

Man decapitates apparent stranger in Canary Islands supermarket - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/05/13/canary.islands.supermarket.beheading/index.html?hpt=T2)

A knife-wielding man attacked a woman in a supermarket, eventually cutting off her head and running away with it...

molson

05-13-2011, 02:34 PM

Cleanup in Aisle 9.

lighthousekeeper

05-13-2011, 02:45 PM

Cleanup in Aisle 9.

gold.

Rizon

05-13-2011, 03:11 PM

I couldn't help but think about ...

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kiUt5HuW3xc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Matthean

05-13-2011, 05:29 PM

Botox mommy goes on TV to defend giving child cosmetic surgery - Parenting - Salon.com (http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/05/12/botox_britney_pageant_8/index.html)

mckerney

05-13-2011, 05:38 PM

I couldn't help but think about ...

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kiUt5HuW3xc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I couldn't help but think about...

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L-eZwksJoMo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

JonInMiddleGA

05-19-2011, 04:51 PM

'Botox mom' saga: Is it a hoax? - (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/05/botox-mom-saga-appears-to-be-a-hoax/1)

tyketime

05-19-2011, 05:38 PM

Spank You very much...

A Virginia Beach man is facing charges after three young women who agreed to be spanked in exchange for money say he took it too far.

Fifty-four-year-old Henry Allen Fitzsimmons agreed to provide college tuition and a $200 weekly allowance to the women as part of the so-called Spencer Scholarship Plan. In return, the women agreed to be spanked if they violated certain rules, such as failing to call Fitzsimmons or drinking alcohol.

A judge on Thursday allowed a grand jury to decide whether to indict Fitzsimmons on two felony abduction charges and three felony object sexual penetration charges.

Six other assault and sexual battery charges were dropped because the women had agreed to the spankings.

Fitzsimmons' attorney says the bar and restaurant owner did not commit a crime.

tyketime

05-19-2011, 05:48 PM

This would make a great TV Movie of the Week (or Law & Order episode):

Drugged & duped: Bolaris' perfect storm

By DAVID GAMBACORTA
Philadelphia Daily News

THE GUY tossed restlessly in his bed, night after night, for the better part of a year.

He couldn't sleep. He had nightmares whenever he did - bizarre, Kafkaesque snippets of dialogue involving the Russian mob, a pair of mysterious, dark-haired women, a goofy-looking painting and an incomprehensible credit-card bill.

The shadowy characters and confusing plots from the bad dreams haunted John Bolaris in real life, too.

Yeah, that John Bolaris.

Few people know that the affable local weatherman's life was turned upside down during a visit to Miami Beach last spring that started out pleasantly and ended with his getting drugged - twice - while his credit card was used by Eastern European scam artists to rack up $43,000 worth of expenses in just two days, while he staggered around in a stupor.

Even fewer people would probably believe that story, with all its seemingly borrowed-from-the-movies clichés.

American Express, Bolaris' credit-card company, didn't buy it. The company abruptly ended an investigation into his claims and demanded that he pay the five-figure bill.

Bolaris balked, and American Express referred his account to a collection agency, which decimated his credit score. He recently filed a civil lawsuit against the credit giant.

The FBI believed Bolaris. In fact, his testimony helped a federal grand jury last month indict 17 members of a massive wire-fraud scheme that victimized 87 out-of-town men who had visited South Beach bars and restaurants between February 2010 and last month.

"It really has been a year of hell, dealing with all of this," said Bolaris, victim No. 88. "I don't even know where to begin."

Every spring, Bolaris and a pal head to Florida for a couple of days of hanging out in the sun.

Last March, his pal bailed at the last second. Bolaris went anyway.

He checked into his Miami Beach hotel, the Fontainebleau, and headed to dinner at another hotel. A few diners recognized him from TV and started asking about the weather.

Unbeknown to Bolaris, federal authorities said, two Latvian women - Marina Turcina and Anna Kilimatova - had been watching him. They sized him up - good-looking middle-aged guy with an expensive watch - and made their move.

"They came up from behind me, and said, 'Are you weather presenter?'

"The bartender said, 'Yeah, he's a weatherman!' " Bolaris said.

"They asked me if I could guess where they were from. I said Poland. They said they were from Estonia."

Marina, 24, and Anna, 25, were dark-haired, blue-eyed and beautiful, and were elegantly dressed. Bolaris said he ordered them wine.

Fast forward a few minutes. "We were sitting by a pool bar, and they asked if I did shots," Bolaris said. "I said no.

"One of them started rubbing me, opened my mouth, and said, 'Do [a] shot.' "

It was days before Bolaris figured out that the women had slipped him a roofie, the infamous date-rape drug.

What happened next is a blur. Bolaris said he remembered sharing a cab with the women, who mentioned something about visiting a friend having a charity fundraiser.

"I remember someone holding me up and making me sign something," he said.

"Then I woke up in a taxi. My shirt was stained with red wine, and I had this huge painting of a woman's head."

He tracked down Marina and Anna, who said he had bid for the painting at the fundraiser. They met him at his hotel - ostensibly to return his sunglasses, which they had taken by accident - and promised to straighten the whole thing out, if only Bolaris would share a cab with them to the Caviar Bar, where one of the women said she left her purse.

Bolaris obliged. Then he was drugged again, according to the FBI.

"They got me twice," he said. "I couldn't put anything together. I had no idea what happened."

A few days later, Bolaris said, he got a phone call from American Express. The company asked about the $43,000 he had just spent on booze and caviar in South Beach.

Bolaris was apoplectic. The charges, he said, were outrageous and clearly the result of a scam.

"They promised they would look into it," Bolaris said. "Two weeks later, I got a call from their fraud department. They said, 'You're liable.'

"They said, 'You were at the Caviar Bar . . . we have pictures, and you were having a good time,' " Bolaris said.

The credit card company sent him receipts from purchases that were made with his card. "None of them had my signature," he said.

Bolaris hired Philadelphia attorney Chuck Peruto Jr. to sort out the situation. Letters were sent and phone calls were made, but American Express was adamant that Bolaris had not been the victim of a scam, and had to pay the huge bill.

"They closed my account and referred me to a collection agency," Bolaris said. "My credit was ruined. I was humiliated and embarrassed."

American Express declined last night to comment. Bolaris' lawsuit claims that the company had failed to protect him against fraud, and seeks more than $50,000 in damages.

While his battle with American Express simmered, Bolaris contacted Miami police.

The FBI picked up the case, and asked Bolaris to testify before a grand jury.

Last month, the feds busted 17 members of the Eastern European ring, which relied on "bar girls" from overseas who targeted wealthy out-of-towners at South Beach bars.

The FBI said the women hunted late at night for men who wore expensive watches and shoes, and typically lured their prey to private clubs run by other members of the ring. The clubs - including the Caviar Bar - were just fronts, and were not open to the public.

The men were often drugged or fed a heavy stream of alcohol until they were barely coherent.

Some "victims are propped up by the B-Girls long enough to obtain signatures on credit card receipts," the FBI wrote in a criminal complaint.

"Helping to take down those criminals," Bolaris said, "that felt really good. That was my redemption."

samifan24

05-19-2011, 10:10 PM

Glengoyne

05-25-2011, 07:08 PM

Chinese prisoners forced to play video games

Link Here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/25/china-prisoners-internet-gaming-scam)

As a prisoner at the Jixi labour camp, Liu Dali would slog through tough days breaking rocks and digging trenches in the open cast coalmines of north-east China (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/china). By night, he would slay demons, battle goblins and cast spells. Liu says he was one of scores of prisoners forced to play online games (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games) to build up credits that prison guards would then trade for real money. The 54-year-old, a former prison guard who was jailed for three years in 2004 for "illegally petitioning" the central government about corruption in his hometown, reckons the operation was even more lucrative than the physical labour that prisoners were also forced to do.
"Prison bosses made more money forcing inmates to play games than they do forcing people to do manual labour," Liu told the Guardian. "There were 300 prisoners forced to play games. We worked 12-hour shifts in the camp. I heard them say they could earn 5,000-6,000rmb [£470-570] a day. We didn't see any of the money. The computers were never turned off."
Memories from his detention at Jixi re-education-through-labour camp in Heilongjiang province from 2004 still haunt Liu. As well as backbreaking mining toil, he carved chopsticks and toothpicks out of planks of wood until his hands were raw and assembled car seat covers that the prison exported to South Korea and Japan. He was also made to memorise communist literature to pay off his debt to society.
But it was the forced online gaming that was the most surreal part of his imprisonment. The hard slog may have been virtual, but the punishment for falling behind was real.
"If I couldn't complete my work quota, they would punish me physically. They would make me stand with my hands raised in the air and after I returned to my dormitory they would beat me with plastic pipes. We kept playing until we could barely see things," he said.
It is known as "gold farming", the practice of building up credits and online value through the monotonous repetition of basic tasks in online games such as World of Warcraft. The trade in virtual assets is very real, and outside the control of the games' makers. Millions of gamers around the world are prepared to pay real money for such online credits, which they can use to progress in the online games.
The trading of virtual currencies in multiplayer games has become so rampant in China that it is increasingly difficult to regulate. In April, the Sichuan provincial government in central China launched a court case against a gamer who stole credits online worth about 3000rmb.
The lack of regulations has meant that even prisoners can be exploited in this virtual world for profit.
According to figures from the China Internet (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet) Centre, nearly £1.2bn of make- believe currencies were traded in China in 2008 and the number of gamers who play to earn and trade credits are on the rise.
It is estimated that 80% of all gold farmers are in China and with the largest internet population in the world there are thought to be 100,000 full-time gold farmers in the country.
In 2009 the central government issued a directive defining how fictional currencies could be traded, making it illegal for businesses without licences to trade. But Liu, who was released from prison before 2009 believes that the practice of prisoners being forced to earn online currency in multiplayer games is still widespread.
"Many prisons across the north-east of China also forced inmates to play games. It must still be happening," he said.
"China is the factory of virtual goods," said Jin Ge, a researcher from the University of California San Diego who has been documenting the gold farming phenomenon in China. "You would see some exploitation where employers would make workers play 12 hours a day. They would have no rest through the year. These are not just problems for this industry but they are general social problems. The pay is better than what they would get for working in a factory. It's very different," said Jin.
"The buyers of virtual goods have mixed feelings … it saves them time buying online credits from China," said Jin.
The emergence of gold farming as a business in China – whether in prisons or sweatshops could raise new questions over the exporting of goods real or virtual from the country.
"Prison labour is still very widespread – it's just that goods travel a much more complex route to come to the US these days. And it is not illegal to export prison goods to Europe, said Nicole Kempton from the Laogai foundation, a Washington-based group which opposes the forced labour camp system in China.