The thread for Strange News Stories

[JPhillips]

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]

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

[Izulde]

Mount and Blade anyone?

[Peregrine]

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]

It's like West Side Story.

[Ksyrup]

Too much of a good thing...?

Woman divorces husband for cleaning too much

Thu Apr 2, 2009 10:56am EDT


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]

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]

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

Umm.. ya.

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by Mustang

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

Umm.. ya.

Slow sports day?

[JPhillips]

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]

PETA to Pet Shop Boys: Rescue Shelter Boys, perhaps? - CNN.com

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


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]

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

__________________
M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

[Mustang]

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]

Originally Posted by Mustang

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.

Can't wait to see that on AFV.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Mustang

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.

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

Also, not surprising considering she had the kid when she was 16.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by Izulde

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]

Originally Posted by Izulde

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]

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]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

"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.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

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."

Jesus Fucking H Christ...

[Scoobz0202]

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]

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

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

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]

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

[Suburban Rhythm]

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

"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

"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

[molson]

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]

Mr. Mathews, who is single

Shocker

[boberot]

Dude is from the town I grew up in:

Traffic stop saves cat from owner’s plate

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]

Is marinating before butchering a common practice?

[molson]

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

[Sun Tzu]

Tucker Rocky would love this one.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by lungs

Is marinating before butchering a common practice?

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

[JediKooter]

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

[Ksyrup]

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]

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

[Kodos]

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]

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

[molson]

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

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]

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]

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

[molson]

For Christ's sake...

NH teen who zapped nipples during shop class sues - Boston.com

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]

Originally Posted by molson

For Christ's sake...

NH teen who zapped nipples during shop class sues - Boston.com

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.

Are they so sure the brain damage happened after the electrocution?

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by molson

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

Before the incident, right?

[Ksyrup]

Damn, you beat me to it!

[Ksyrup]

Cops: Calif doctor gets stuck in chimney, dies
– 21 mins ago


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]

Santa claims another victim.

[Ksyrup]

Stalker Claus is what it sounds like, actually.

[cartman]

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]

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

[Honolulu_Blue]

St. Clair Shores woman jailed over naked joyride in taxi | detnews.com | The Detroit News



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.