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YouTube – Dance Off USF vs Uconn 2009 Big East Baseball Tournament as seen on PTI.

As seen on PTI. The 2009 Dance off between USF and UCONN which took place at bright house field May 21st, 2009. Filmed by the staff at Bright House Field. This dance off was a result of the two teams waiting though a 5 hour rain delay. This is the most complete video of the of the event and is largely un-editied.


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Tennessee man fathers 21 kids – WTOL.com, Toledo’s News Leader, News 11 |

TENNESEE (CBS) – A Tennessee man who’s fathered more than 20 kids says he can’t pay all their mother’s child support. 29-year-old Desmond Hatchett works a minimum wage job. His children range in age from newborn to 11. They were born to at least 11 different women. “I had four kids in the same year. Twice,” said Hatchett. When his paycheck is split up, some get less than $2.00 in child support. “The children can’t be supported all by Desmond, so the state of Tennessee has had to step in,” Hatchett’s attorney Keith Pope said. The state says it can’t stop him from having more kids, but are working out how to pay the mothers.

Police: Shoplifting aunt used baby as weapon

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) – Memphis police are searching for a shoplifting suspect who used a tiny baby as a weapon against a security guard during an escape attempt Wednesday. The incident happened early Wednesday afternoon at Wal-Mart on Austin Peay in Raleigh, where police say a woman was caught shoplifting. While attempting to escape, the woman hurled her two-month old nephew at a security guard. The infant, seated in a carrier, fell onto the concrete floor. The suspect then threw the baby at a good samaritan who tried to tend to the infant. The suspect ran from the store and escaped in a blue Ford Escort, abandoning the baby and his mother, who was in the women’s restroom during the incident. The child’s mother tended to him as the infant was treated in the back of an ambulance. Child abuse investigators are working with the infant’s family to locate the suspect. Officials said the baby will be okay. Neither the loss prevention officer nor the good samaritan were seriously injured. All requests for comment from Wal-Mart management were referred to the retailer’s corporate office.

Passer-By Pushes Man Contemplating Suicide Off Bridge in China

BEIJING — Chen Fuchao, a man heavily in debt, had been contemplating suicide on a bridge in southern China for hours when a passer-by came up, shook his hand — and pushed him off the ledge. Chen fell 26 feet onto a partially inflated emergency air cushion laid out by authorities and survived, suffering spine and elbow injuries, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday. The passer-by, 66-year-old Lai Jiansheng, had been fed up with what he called Chen’s “selfish activity,” Xinhua said. Traffic around the Haizhu bridge in the city of Guangzhou had been backed up for five hours and police had cordoned off the area. “I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interest,” Lai was quoted as saying by Xinhua. “They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities’ attention to their appeals.” Xinhua said Lai was “taken away by police” but did not elaborate. A police officer who answered the telephone Saturday at a station close to the bridge confirmed the incident and said it was under investigation. He refused to give any other details and hung up.

Houstonian gets 2 years for bribing IRS — with pizza | News Bizarre | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle

Moral of this story: Don’t try to bribe the IRS with pizza, officials aren’t that hungry. Ramesh G. Khilnani, 51, a native of India and a Houston-area resident, learned that lesson to the tune of the two-year prison sentence he received from a federal judge on Friday for bribing a public official. In February 2008, the restaurant owner asked the IRS agent investigating him if she wanted to “work” for him after the audit showed Khilnani owed about $49,000 in back taxes from 2004 to 2007, a release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson said. The auditor reported the suspicious incident to her supervisor and started recording her future meetings with Khilnani. That’s how the IRS got him for not only nearly $50,000 in back taxes but also for offering the agent a $2,500 bribe. He delivered $2,000 of the bribe before his arrest, the release said. Authorities said Khilnani, who is subject to deportation to India after he serves his sentence, “repeatedly offered the agent pizza from his restaurant as part of the deal.”

Police searching for “ninja biker”

SPOKANE – There is a man on a motorcycle riding around Spokane, and some police officers are calling him the “ninja biker”. Some officers and neighbors tell KREM 2 News, the rider speeds through North Spokane neighborhoods topping speeds in the triple digits. Police say they won’t even pursue the driver, because it’s too dangerous. Police say the “ninja biker” is on a bright lime green motorcycle with no license plate. He is a white man, possibly in his early 20’s. He wears a black and blue full faced helmet.

WOMAN GETS ARM STUCK AFTER DROPPING GOLD TOOTH IN CITI FIELD TOILET – New York Post

A hapless Mets fan tried to make a diving catch when her gold tooth fell into a Citi Field toilet — and got her arm stuck in the commode. The unidentified woman’s bizarre Flushing adventure happened during last Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, sources said yesterday. It’s unclear how long she was trapped screaming in the john, but stadium security guards and emergency medical personnel eventually showed up. But they could not pry her loose on their own. They called for back-up — dialing up a worker from Cardoza Plumbing, the company that installed all 646 ultra-low-flow toilets at Citi Field. He rushed to the scene from his company’s Jamaica headquarters 7.2 miles away, the sources said. The anxious victim, meanwhile, could only wait as the toilet continued to flush over her arm. At one point, she became more entertaining than the game — which the Mets lost 8-7 — as fans gathered outside the bathroom near Section 338 to see the off-field action. It’s unclear if the toilet had to be destroyed to free her. The woman did not recover her tooth, but was plenty relieved just to leave the bathroom. The Mets and Cardoza Plumbing declined to comment. Some low-flow toilets use powerful vacuum suction to minimize the amount of water needed, but it’s unlikely that contributed to the woman’s hand being stuck, a Queens plumber said. “The truth is, this kind of thing happens all the time — usually with wedding rings or cellphones,” he said. “People have probably been getting their hands stuck in toilets as long as there have been toilets.” In 2003, 41-year-old Edwin Gallart dropped his phone in the toilet on a rush-hour Metro-North train, and went in after it. Railroad employees could not pry his arm loose, and it took an army of emergency personnel 90 minutes, using Jaws of Life rescue equipment, to free Gallart and his phone. During the rescue, the track was shut down, passengers were evacuated, and dozens of other trains were delayed. Last year, a woman in China spent two days with her hand stuck down a toilet when she tried to save a pet turtle that she had accidentally flushed.

Phoenix man killed in gun-safety demo | www.azstarnet.com ®

A 26-year-old Phoenix man accidentally killed himself early Sunday while explaining gun safety to two Sierra Vista residents. Samuel Benally Jr. was at an apartment on West Tacoma Street when he said guns should be kept unloaded because people could point them at their heads, said Sierra Vista police Sgt. Brett Mitchell. Benally then demonstrated by putting his own 9mm Ruger, which he believed to be unloaded, to his head and firing it, Mitchell said. Benally was flown to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Mitchell said. An investigation is ongoing, but police do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved, Mitchell said.

Robber leaves name, address inside bank he allegedly robbed – 5/19/09 – Raleigh News – abc11.com

DURHAM (WTVD) — Police say they caught a suspected bank robber after he left identifying paperwork inside during the holdup. The suspect, 51-year-old William Richard Bullock of Cary, is charged with armed robbery. On the afternoon of May 15, Durham police say a man entered the RBC Centura Bank at 2313 E. NC Highway 54. After approaching a teller and having a conversation, the teller asked the man if he was “all set.” According to the teller, the man, who wore a gauze patch on his right eye replied, “I’ll be all set after you give me all your money.” Then the man allegedly revealed a gun and pointed it at the teller before demanding that several other employees come out of their offices. The teller said the suspect forced another teller to open the cash drawers. That’s when he grabbed money and fled the bank to a Nissan Altima that was parked outside. Employees say after the suspect got into his car, he got out, returned to the bank and tried to re-enter. The door was locked, but he eventually broke it after repeatedly and forcefully pulling on the handle. Employees told police the suspect retrieved a notebook he had dropped on the floor and then left the bank a second time. He got away with over $19,000. When officers arrived at the scene, they found papers, presumably left in the bank by the suspect. On the papers, were Bullock’s name and address. Police also used the information to search for a registered vehicle through the DMV. That search revealed a 2003 Nissan Altima registered in Bullock’s name. It was similar to the one described by witnesses at the bank. Investigators say they positively identified Bullock by taking a surveillance photo from the robbery and comparing it to Bullock’s DMV photo.

Teen John Szwalla Accused Of Using Banana In Robbery Attempt In Winston-Salem, North Carolina – cbs2.com

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Authorities say a North Carolina teen who was thwarted as he tried to rob a store with a banana ate it before they could arrive. Winston-Salem authorities say 17-year-old John Szwalla held the banana under his shirt when he entered the store Thursday, saying he had a gun and demanded money. Owner Bobby Ray Mabe says he and a customer jumped Szwalla, holding him until deputies arrived. While they waited, Mabe says the teen ate the banana. Mabe says deputies took pictures of the banana peel. Forsyth County Sheriff’s office spokesman Maj. Brad Stanley says deputies joked about charging Szwalla with destroying evidence. Szwalla faces a charge of attempted armed robbery. Jail officials say he doesn’t have an attorney.

Girl, 12, takes takes dad’s car on joy ride in Plantation — South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

PLANTATION – A 12-year-old girl who took her dad’s car on a joy ride and initially refused to stop for police has been charged with grand theft auto at her father’s request, police said today. Police quickly spotted the girl Monday because she forgot a basic tenet of night driving: headlights. The child disappeared with the yellow Nissan about 10:30 p.m. while her father was visiting her ailing 19-month-old sibling at Plantation General Hospital, said police Detective Robert Rettig. The ordeal started and ended in the hospital parking lot at 401 NW 42 Ave., Rettig said. She drove south on State Road 7 and made a U-turn, but didn’t get far, hitting a police car near the hospital, Rettig said.

Daily Express | UK News :: Red faces as fireman’s college burns down

Bosses of a college which trains ­firefighters are red-faced after one of their own buildings went up in smoke – destroying 11 fire engines worth £1.3million. Workers at the National Fire Service Training College say the damage would have been much less serious if the ­building had been equipped with ­sprinklers. “We are always told that large commercial buildings should have sprinklers but it seems the fire college did not practise what it preaches,” said one worker who did not want to be named. The fire broke out in the large ­workshop at the College in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, early on ­Saturday. Almost 60 firefighters from Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire raced to the college but were unable to save 11 of the 12 elderly fire engines stored in the single storey workshops. A Gloucestershire fire service ­spokesman said: “The building was well alight but the fire was brought under control without injury and without it spreading to any other buildings. The building contained 12 fire engines, 1,200 litres of diesel fuel and 500 litres of hydraulic oil.” The college offers training courses in fire prevention and control to students from brigades all over the world. Phil Abraham, group manager at the county fire service, said: “Firefighters quickly stopped the spread of the blaze, and no one has been injured. The building which caught fire contains old equipment, the loss of which won’t impact on the day-to-day running of the college.” The college said the building was severely damaged in the fire, but that the majority of other buildings and the training fleet had been saved.

Mother-son duo charged in drive-by murder :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

A mother and son are scheduled to appear in court today after being charged in a killing last week. The son is accused of pulling the trigger, and the mom is charged with driving the getaway car and hiding evidence, police said. Delfino Juarez, 18, is charged with first-degree murder. His mother, Karen Juarez, 49, is charged with obstruction of justice. Delfino Juarez allegedly shot 18-year-old Jesus Sanchez Friday in the 2000 block of West Garfield after exchanging gang signs with him. Karen Juarez allegedly was driving the van that her son fired from, police said.

Woman Dies After Using Jackhammer As Dildo « decent community

ARNDALE, OK – Sheriff’s investigators have closed the unsettling case of a 49-year-old female construction worker found dead in her driveway after a neighbor witnessed her using a high-powered jackhammer to pleasure herself. After a two-day investigation in which officials initially suspected foul play–Shirley Dent’s death on May 1 has now been ruled an accident “after severe internal distress induced by the machine was discovered,” Det.-Sgt. Karl Sprout of the Alpara County Sheriff’s Office said yesterday. On May 1, a neighbor witnessed a naked Ms. Dent in her driveway “struggling to direct a jackhammer toward her mid-section.” The alarmed neighbor notified police after hearing ear-splitting moans of distress that carried over the raucous jackhammer. Authorities arrived at the scene to an unresponsive Ms. Dent, who was then transported to West Grenier Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The recently divorced Ms. Dent had been questioned by authorities three times over the past month after neighbors complained of her running a prostitution ring from her home. Records also show that Ms. Dent supplemented her income as the sole proprietor of a sex toy distributor. Ms. Dent’s alleged extracurricular activities appear to be unrelated to her death. A neighbor who declined to be identified said, “She was a horny lady, especially after her husband moved out. My family could hear moans coming from her place all the time.”

STAR TREK: The Jewish Origin of the Vulcan Salute

Back in the 1960s, hippies who watched “Amok Time” thought the salute was a variation of the two-fingered peace sign. But we Jews knew better. The Vulcan salute came not from protest marches, but from the pulpit of Nimoy’s childhood synagogue. The Vulcan greeting is based upon a blessing gesture used by the kohanim (koe-hah-NEEM) during the worship service. The kohanim are the genealogical descendants of the Jewish priests who served in the Jerusalem Temple. Modern Jews no longer have priests leading services as in ancient times, nor do we have animal sacrifices anymore. (Yes, people really do ask about that!) The sacrificial system ended with the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in the year 70. C.E. However, a remnant of the Temple service lives on in the “kohane blessing” ritual (duchenen in Yiddish) that is performed on certain holy days. The actual blessing is done with both arms held horizontally in front, at shoulder level, with hands touching, to form the Hebrew letter “shin.” This stands for the Hebrew word for “Shaddai”, meaning “Almighty [God].” Nimoy modified this gesture into one hand held upright, making it more like a salute. So, technically, the Vulcan greeting is not the same thing as the ceremonial Jewish blessing. Still, the resemblance is close enough to evoke instant recognition among knowledgeable Jews.

Belgian bodybuilding championship canceled after competitors flee doping officials – ESPN

BRUSSELS — The Belgian bodybuilding championship has been canceled after doping officials showed up and all the competitors fled. A doping official says bodybuilders just grabbed their gear and ran off when he came into the room. “I have never seen anything like it and hope never to see anything like it again,” doping official Hans Cooman said Monday. Twenty bodybuilders were entered in the weekend competition. Cooman says the sport has a history of doping “and this incident didn’t do its reputation any good.” During testing of bodybuilding events last year, doping authorities of northern Belgium’s Flanders region found that three-quarters of the competitors tested positive.

Friday Night Quickies: Bills RB Charged With Public Wanking « Style Points

Bills running back Corey McIntyre allegedly took excessive measures to practice his no-huddle offense. The journeyman back faces a misdemeanor exposure of sexual organs charge after a 59-year old woman told police that she heard a knock at her window, then witnessed McIntyre masturbating outside. There has been no report as to what he used to knock on the window. McIntyre denied the charges, described his activities as his usual bicycle routine, and says he did not actually run the waggle in front of the woman. His agent has released a statement:

Corey McIntyre is one of the highest character people around and the last guy who would do what he’s been accused of. We look forward to proving that these embarrassing accusations are completely false and that Corey is guilty of absolutely nothing.

Although McIntyre is a former Saint, at this time there seems to be no connection between this incident and the similar charges recently brought against current Saints players Biren Ealy and Kolomona Kapanui. There also appears to be no truth to rumors that McIntyre was practicing the naked bootleg in anticipation of a position switch to quarterback.

Women gives birth to twins with different fathers – Telegraph

Mia Washington, an American mother, has given birth to twins who have different fathers. Miss Washington admitted she was having an affair when she conceived, when two eggs were fertilised by the sperm of two men. “I have twins, but they’re by different fathers,” said Miss Washington told Fox News. Miss Washington and her partner James Harrison took DNA tests after noticing twins 11-month-old Justin and Jordan, had different facial features. “Out of all people in America and of all people in the world, it had to happen to me. I’m very shocked,” Miss Washington said. According to the paternity test, there’s a 99.999 percent chance Justin and Jordan do not have the same father, and zero percent chance they do. The lab claims it has never seen this type of result, nor do they expect to see it again. “It is very crazy. Most people don’t believe it can happen, but it can,” said Clear Diagnostics President Genny Thibodeaux. Only a handful of cases – of what doctors call heteropaternal superfecundation – are documented in the world.

Paris Hilton: Sex tape ruined my chance to be like Princess Diana | The Sun |Showbiz|Film

PARIS HILTON says her scandalous life has prevented her from fulfilling her dream of being like PRINCESS DIANA. The heirhead socialite makes the claims in a new documentary on her life, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last September and was shown in Cannes at the weekend. You can watch the trailer below: Hilton’s bad behaviour includes her infamous sex tape with RICK SOLOMON, other leaked saucy videos and pictures, a charge for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and a short spell behind bars. Talking about that sex vid, she says: “When I heard about it I thought: ‘Yeah right. It’s going to be a look-a-like. It’s going to be a joke.’ “But a couple of hours later it was all over online and then I saw it. “It’s the most intimate thing you can do and the whole f***ing world is watching it and laughing at you. “That’s not what I wanted when I was a little girl. It’s not what I planned. I always looked up to people like Princess Diana and now I can never be like that.” The documentary Paris, Not France – shot in London, New York, Tokyo, LA and Las Vegas – explores the empire the millionaire has created for herself and the girl that lies beneath the public persona. She says: “People see me as a Barbie with a perfect life, a fantasy… maybe that’s what they like.” “There’s a mystery about me because how I am in public is completely different to how I am in private.”

URINATED INTO OLD FAITHFUL

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –Two seasonal Yellowstone National Park concession workers have been fired after a live webcam caught them urinating into the Old Faithful geyser. Park spokesman Al Nash says a 23-year-old man was fined $750 and placed on three years of unsupervised probation for urinating, being off-trail in a restricted area and taking items from the area. The man also was banned from Yellowstone for two years. The second employee’s case is pending. The park’s dispatch centre was called after someone watching a webcam on the geyser saw six employees leaving the trail and walking on Old Faithful on May 4. The geyser was not erupting at the time.

43 stun-gunned at prisons’ Take Your Kids to Work Day | McClatchy

A total of 43 children were directly and indirectly shocked by electric stun guns during simultaneous ”Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day” events gone wrong at three state prisons, according to new information provided Friday by the Florida Department of Corrections. Also, a group of kids was exposed to tear gas during a demonstration at another lockup. Three prison guards have been fired, two have resigned and 16 more employees — from corrections officers to a warden — will be disciplined due to the incidents that unfolded April 23, said DOC Secretary Walt McNeil. An investigation is ongoing. None of the children in any of the incidents required medical attention or was notably harmed, McNeil said. He said the children, who ranged in age from 5 to 17, were all children of prison officials. In nearly every case, the guards had permission from parents or grandparents to administer the ”electronic immobilization devices,” McNeil said. ”I can’t imagine what these officers were thinking to administer this device to children, nor can I imagine why any parent would allow them to do so,” McNeil said. “This must not happen again.” McNeil called the episode ”embarrassing” for the nation’s fourth-largest prison system. It has been rocked by far more serious scandal.

Mentally Disabled Forced Into ‘Fight Club’

May 12, 2009— Terrified residents at a Corpus Christi, Texas, state school for the mentally disabled were forced to be part of a brutal “fight club” operated by night shift employees, who made videos of the sessions with their cell phones, the newly released videos show. On the videos employees can be seen and heard laughing and prodding the residents to fight. One resident is seen on the video trying to run away from his attacker and a large group of employees and residents tracking him through the halls. When cornered, he wails and moans and tells the employees, “I will behave.” The videos were discovered by police in March when one of the school employees left his phone at a hospital and it was turned over to police. In an effort to find its owner, officers saw the disturbing videos. A judge ordered the tapes released to an attorney suing the state on behalf of a former resident also forced into the “fight club.” “It happened for over a year and it happened for many nights out of the week,” said the attorney, Bob Hilliard. Hilliard’s client, Armando Hernandez, says he was told he would “go to prison” if he did not fight. Hernandez, who is mentally disabled, says he was fearful to even tell his mother of what was happening inside at night. “They say ’snitches get stitches,’” Hernandez told ABC News. A judge ordered police to provide the tapes to Hilliard on Friday for use in his lawsuit against the state, without any restriction on their use. They were played twice in open court. “There are no words as strong as the faces of these residents,” Hilliard said. “It’s a place past fear. It’s a place where they have almost accepted that the school where they’re locked into could very well end up being a coffin for them.” A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, which oversees the state schools, says the agency was “shocked and disgusted by the unconscionable actions of a few employees.” Spokesperson Cecilia Fedorov said the department has taken a number of steps to “stop this kind of abuse again,” including hiring additional security and increased supervision of night shifts.

Bring Your Gun, Get Free Brats and Burgers

TOWN OF ONALASKA, Wis. (AP) — A picnic open to the public at a park in La Crosse County will offer free brats and hamburgers and an invitation to bring your gun. Organizer Hubert Hoffman says Sunday’s picnic at Marvin Gardens Park in the Town of Onalaska celebrates a recent opinion from state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen that citizens who openly carry firearms should not be cited for disorderly conduct. Hoffman says the picnic is open to everyone, including children and those who don’t want to bring a gun. The gun rights advocate says it’s a way to let the public know that openly carrying a firearm isn’t dangerous or risky. La Crosse County sheriff’s Capt. Mike Horstman says Hoffman is “legally entitled” to host the open carry picnic.

Police: Man Wanted 1 Last Burrito Before Jail – Indiana News Story – WRTV Indianapolis

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A suspected drug dealer who led police on a high-speed chase was arrested after he got a case of the munchies, police said. Several officers were chasing Jermaine Cooper, 36, Tuesday when he suddenly pulled into a Taco Bell parking lot. Fort Wayne police Sgt. Mark Walters said Cooper told them he “knew he was going to jail for a while” and wanted to get one last burrito. Cooper was held without bail on four counts of dealing cocaine and other charges, and he never got the burrito he craved. A voicemail mailbox for a listing for a Jermaine Cooper in Fort Wayne was full and not accepting messages. Police said the chase began Tuesday after Fort Wayne officers spotted Cooper, who was wanted on other charges, and started the chase that ended in the nearby city of Decatur.

Police: Bank robber nabs $3K, leaves wallet behind

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Police didn’t have to dust for fingerprints to find this suspect — they just rifled through the wallet he left behind at the scene. Albert Vincent Perkins was charged with robbing First Federal Bank in Kansas City on Thursday. Police said he walked into the bank, handed the teller a plastic bag and ordered her to give him all of the $100 bills. Then he walked out of the bank — but left his wallet sitting on the counter. The U.S. attorney’s office said the teller and a customer in the bank identified the photo on the driver’s license and another photo in the wallet as the robber. Perkins was arrested Thursday night. Police say he took about $3,100.

Raffle ticket helps nab liquor thief, police say – JSOnline

Hartford – A 20-year-old shoplifter with a bottle of whiskey in his pants delayed his escape from a liquor store this week just long enough to write his name and address on a raffle ticket before running out the door, a criminal complaint says. Authorities say Shawn M. Piering of Hartford can be seen on security camera video stuffing the bottle of Jack Daniel’s into his clothing. Then he decided to try his luck at winning a ticket to a Slinger Speedway race through the store’s weekly raffle drawing, B&S Liquor owner Steve Jost said Friday. After filling out the form at the store’s counter, Piering snatched two more whiskey bottles before he fled the store, the complaint says. A store clerk working Wednesday evening watched Piering fill out the raffle ticket, Jost said. “So she wasn’t going to chase him after he ran out the door,” he said. The box for tickets had been emptied the previous day, so the clerk simply opened the box after calling police. Officers recognized the man’s name from other incidents and drove to his home on E. Monroe Ave. “This is one of the stupidest crimes I’ve ever seen,” Jost said. Police and the store owner could watch the crime unfold: More than a dozen security cameras, inside and outside the store at 696 Grand Ave., captured the thief’s every move. When officers confronted Piering at his home Wednesday, he appeared to be intoxicated, the complaint says. Though Piering turned over the store’s missing liquor bottles, he struggled with an officer attempting to arrest him. Thursday, Piering was charged in Washington County Circuit Court with misdemeanor retail theft, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. Judge Patrick Faragher set a May 28 hearing on the charges. Faragher prohibited Piering from entering B&S Liquor and ordered him to maintain absolute sobriety as conditions of his release from the County Jail on a $750 signature bond.

Reports Claim Man Has Not Bathed, Brushed Teeth in 35 Years – Incredible Health – FOXNews.com

An Indian man with seven daughters has not bathed or brushed his teeth in 35 years, Agence France-Presse reported. Kailash “Kalau” Singh, 63, told the Hindustan Times he will bathe when his nation’s troubles are over, but not everyone is buying that story. According to one person, Singh’s ritual is an attempt to guarantee his next offspring will be a male heir. “A seer once told Kalau that if he does not take a bath, he would be blessed with a male child,” a man named Madhusudan told the newspaper. Each evening, Singh takes a “fire bath” to rid himself of germs. A fire bath consists of praying to the Lord Shiva next to a bonfire and smoking marijuana.

Port Orange man calls 9-1-1 to report robbery of drug money

Instead of scoring 20 pounds of pot, two men were robbed at gunpoint of the $12,000 they were carrying to make the purchase, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said. The men even called 9-1-1 to have deputies help them recover the money. “Yeah I was scared,” said Wesley Fehl of Port Orange. “I had two guns pointed at my head.” Fehl, 22, said Tuesday by phone that he and Kenneth Jones, 20, South Daytona, drove to a house on Sunset Boulevard near Holly Hill about 6:30 p.m. Monday to buy marijuana from two acquaintances of Jones. “They invited me inside the house so they could do this,” he said. “They both jumped me. My buddy had walked outside. When he came back in they threw him to the ground.” By then, Fehl had already been relieved of the $12,000, his wallet, and cell phone. Jones’ acquaintances ran out of the house and drove off. Fehl and Jones jumped into their own vehicle, drove after their assailants and called 9-1-1 to report the robbery, sheriff’s spokesman Gary Davidson said in a written report. “I was just held at gunpoint trying to buy drugs. We’re following the dude right now,” the caller told a Sheriff’s Office dispatcher. The dispatcher urged the men not to follow the car and put themselves in further danger, Davidson said. “But he’s got my money,” the caller said. “I don’t want him to get away with my money.” Fehl still feels that way. “I don’t think police have gone back to the house yet,” he said. “As far as they know, they aren’t in trouble. And, I want my money back.” But investigators followed up, Davidson said. Suspects were identified and after warrants were issued for their arrest, the home was raided. Craig Anthony Williams, 34, who lives in the house, was arrested charged with one count of armed robbery. He was being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail with no bail allowed Tuesday night. Investigators continue to look for Lavarus Peterkin, 29, Daytona Beach. He is described as about 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on his right hand. Because the investigation is ongoing, Davidson would not say if deputies found marijuana in the house when it was searched. He didn’t know if the guns had been recovered. While all of the men have criminal records, Fehl’s is the longest and includes drug-related arrests, according to court records. Pending the completion of the investigation, charges could be filed against the victims — including a third man, Patrick Marsh, 22, Lake Helen, who was not with Fehl and Jones but reportedly supplied the money, Davidson said. “We’re still evaluating everyone’s actions,” he said Tuesday.

Maryland man sentenced after riding bike 180 miles here for teen sex – News – The Times-Tribune

A man who rode his bicycle 180 miles to have sex with a Scranton teen he met on the Internet will serve one to four years in prison, a judge ruled Wednesday. William Wagner, 26, 414 Battery Drive, Havre de Grace, Md., met the 15-year-old girl through the social networking Web site MySpace. In June, he biked to Scranton to meet the teen. In February, Mr. Wagner pleaded guilty to unlawful contact with a minor. He slept at Pine Brook baseball field, Sanderson Avenue and Green Place, while he was in Scranton. He took the teen to the baseball field and had intercourse with her there several times, police said. After he left Scranton, the girl told her parents she had sex with Mr. Wagner, who reported it to police. The Times-Tribune does not identify sexual assault victims. The teen told police she considered herself to be “in a relationship” with Mr. Wagner at one time. He knew she was only 15, she told police. “It was a peculiar set of circumstances, including that he rode his bike to meet her,” said Deputy District Attorney Michelle Olshefski. “I think the sentence is very fitting. He acknowledged that he knew her age and what he did was wrong.” After serving his prison sentence, Mr. Wagner will have to register as a sex offender under the state’s Megan’s Law requirements for 10 years.

Man Smoking Pot Sets Fire To Parents’ Garage – San Diego News Story – KGTV San Diego

SAN DIEGO — A 23-year-old man smoking marijuana in his parents’ garage sparked a fire at a Rancho Peñasquitos home, injuring himself and a firefighter and causing $100,000 in damage, authorities said Friday. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which broke out at a two-story home in the 8800 block of Adobe Bluffs Drive shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday, according to a San Diego fire-rescue dispatcher. The young man blamed for the blaze was using some sort of torch device to smoke marijuana and apparently left the torch on, setting fire to a couch in the garage, San Diego police Sgt. Alan Hayward said. He went to get water from another room and returned to find the garage and its contents ablaze, including his Jeep, which he tried to push out of the structure, according to the sergeant. As flames continued to spread, the young man scrambled to alert his family members, who were in other parts of the house, Hayward said. Paramedics later took the man and a firefighter to the hospital, the fire dispatcher said. The man was treated for second-degree burns to two fingers, while the firefighter was treated for second-degree burns to his face and later released, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. San Diego fire Battalion Chief John Thomson told the newspaper that firefighters found a large hookah pipe, bongs and other pipes in the garage. Damage was estimated at $80,000 to the structure and $20,000 to its contents, according to the fire dispatcher.

Father who asked prostitute to take 14-year-old son’s virginity as a present is spared jail | Mail Online

A man who tried to hire a prostitute to take his 14-year-old son’s virginity as a present was spared jail today. The Polish national drove the boy to a red-light district in Nottingham, suggesting he pick a woman they saw standing at the roadside. But the 42-year-old father was arrested because the teenager had chosen an undercover police officer, Nottingham Crown Court heard. Today, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was handed a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for a year. The full-time carer, from Bulwell, Nottingham, earlier admitted a charge of trying to solicit a woman to have sex with a child. The court heard that the father was arrested in the Mapperley area of the city at 11.30pm on July 26 last year during an undercover vice squad operation. Adrian Harris, prosecuting, told the court how the officer kept up the pretence until a deal had been struck. ‘An undercover police officer whose codename was Sarah said a car drove up to her,’ he said. ‘It was driven by the defendant who beckoned her over. ‘He was not alone in the car and in the passenger seat was a boy. The defendant said: “Hello baby, how much?” ‘She said, “It depends what you want.” He replied, “Come on baby, what is it that you do? How much for a proper sh*g for him?” And then he pointed to his son.’ Mr Harris said the undercover officer gave a price of £25 which was negotiated down to £20. ‘The defendant said he would pull over and at this point he was arrested by plainclothes police officers and both he and the boy were interviewed separately.’ Mr Harris added: ‘The boy said that they had driven past the girl and his dad pointed to her and said “Will she do?” ‘He said yes and they had turned round. He said his dad did this because he was still a virgin and he was taking care of that for him.’ Judge Jonathan Teare said he was sparing the man from jail because of his otherwise excellent character. The judge told him: ‘You have a duty of care to your son and that is to look after his moral welfare, not as you might think to break him in to the ways of sex through a prostitute.’ The father listened with the help of an interpreter as his barrister Matthew Smith said: ‘There is a thorough sense of shame the defendant feels – it’s completely at odds with every other part of his character.’ The court heard the two arrived from Poland eight years ago following the death of the boy’s mother. The father had remarried but his new wife suffered from schizophrenia. The boy will be allowed to stay with his father, who must sign the sex offenders register for five years.

Woman Dies After Using Jackhammer As Dildo « decent community

ARNDALE, OK – Sheriff’s investigators have closed the unsettling case of a 49-year-old female construction worker found dead in her driveway after a neighbor witnessed her using a high-powered jackhammer to pleasure herself. After a two-day investigation in which officials initially suspected foul play–Shirley Dent’s death on May 1 has now been ruled an accident “after severe internal distress induced by the machine was discovered,” Det.-Sgt. Karl Sprout of the Alpara County Sheriff’s Office said yesterday. On May 1, a neighbor witnessed a naked Ms. Dent in her driveway “struggling to direct a jackhammer toward her mid-section.” The alarmed neighbor notified police after hearing ear-splitting moans of distress that carried over the raucous jackhammer. Authorities arrived at the scene to an unresponsive Ms. Dent, who was then transported to West Grenier Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The recently divorced Ms. Dent had been questioned by authorities three times over the past month after neighbors complained of her running a prostitution ring from her home. Records also show that Ms. Dent supplemented her income as the sole proprietor of a sex toy distributor. Ms. Dent’s alleged extracurricular activities appear to be unrelated to her death. A neighbor who declined to be identified said, “She was a horny lady, especially after her husband moved out. My family could hear moans coming from her place all the time.”

Lowell man and his daughter, 16, badly burned – Lowell Sun Online

LOWELL — A 49-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter were flown to Boston hospitals last night after they were badly burned when a pipe they had filled with gunpowder exploded inside the garage of a home on Riverside Street, authorities said. Exactly what they were up to, and why, remains under investigation. Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Winward said firefighters were called to the rear of 447-449 Riverside St., at 6:53 p.m., for a report of a structure fire in which a girl had been burned. They soon learned that the girl and her father had filled a pipe with gunpowder and ignited it, apparently without incident. But then they went into a garage behind the tan duplex home on Riverside Street and began filling the pipe with more gunpowder. The gunpowder ignited this time, causing a flash fire that also ignited a can of gasoline nearby.

globeandmail.com: Woman cuffed for not holding escalator handrail

MONTREAL — Anyone who has ridden an escalator and bothered to pay attention has seen – and likely ignored – little signs suggesting riders hold the grimy handrail. In Montreal’s subway system, the friendly advice seems to have taken on the force of law, backed by a $100 fine. Bela Kosoian, a 38-year-old mother of two, says when she didn’t hold the handrail Wednesday she was cuffed, dragged into a small holding cell and fined. “It was horrible, disgusting behaviour [by police],” said Ms. Kosoian, a 38-year-old student of international law. “I did nothing wrong. They should go find the guys who stole my tires off the balcony.”

NBA star Corie Blount jailed over Cheech and Chong size stash

Former NBA player and University of Cincinnati basketball star Corie Blount has been sentenced to one year in prison on two charges of marijuana possession. Forty-year-old Blount pleaded guilty in Butler County Common Pleas Court last month to two felony possession charges as part of a plea bargain which saw prosecutors withdraw two trafficking charges. Bount was arrested on December 4, 2008 after sheriffs deputies intercepted 11 pounds (4.99kg) of marijuana sent to him at a relatives house through the US Postal Service. A search of Blount’s home later unearthed an additional 18 pounds (8.16kg) of marijuana. Facing a maximum 10-year sentence, Blount’s claim that the marijuana was for personal use was rejected by Judge Craig Hedric, who told Blount at todays sentencing hearing, “Cheech and Chong would have had a hard time smoking that much,”

Study: Only 58.5% of Houston freshmen graduate | Chronicle | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle

As thousands of Houston-area high school seniors prepare to accept their diplomas in the coming weeks, a study released Friday shows that only 58.5 percent of the region’s freshmen make it to graduation day. Children at Risk, a Houston-based advocacy group, commissioned the Texas Education Agency to conduct study of six-year graduation rates for the region’s 130 high schools. They learned that 53 percent of the students who begin as ninth-graders in the Houston Independent School District had not graduated from any Texas high school in six years. The combined graduation rate for the entire region’s high schools is 58.5 percent.

New Zealand couple who benefited from bank mistake take $2.3 million and run

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – The bank that mistakenly handed a New Zealand couple a $6.1 million credit limit said Friday it had recovered less than a third of the money from the pair, who have disappeared. An international police search is under way for the couple, who are believed to have gone on the run to avoid having to give the money back. Police have not identified the couple. Detective Senior Sgt. David Harvey said Interpol was investigating in Hong Kong and was also working with officials in Beijing. Westpac Bank on Friday offered more details of its mistake. The bank said in a statement that the couple, who ran a gas station in the city of Rotorua, had a bank overdraft of New Zealand $100,000 ($61,000). Westpac had said on Thursday that the couple’s overdraft was worth NZ$10,000. The bank “sought to formalize that limit, at which stage an error occurred, the consequence of which was opening up that limit to” NZ$10 million ($6.1 million), the statement said. The account holder had tried to transfer about NZ$6.7 million ($4 million) out of the account, but the bank had been able recover NZ$2.8 million ($1.7 million) of it. The statement did not specify just how it got the money back. “Westpac is continuing to vigorously pursue the outstanding amount,” of NZ$3.8 million ($2.3 million), the bank said. Westpac says it considers the money to have been stolen but conceded it was human error at the bank that made the couple accidental millionaires.

Liverpool Echo.co.uk – News – Liverpool Local News – Liverpool Chinatown sword battle: karaoke gang link

TWO Chinese gangs involved in a bloody straightener at a Liverpool restaurant were rival karaoke performers. Prominent members of Liverpool’s Chinese community said a turf war over cockle picking was behind the violent brawl. Detectives were today investigating the mass fight which saw meat cleavers, machetes, hammers and a Samurai sword wielded in Chinatown’s Chilli Chilli. Up to 40 men sat at a table in the Nelson Street restaurant enjoying drinks together before a signal was given for a mass brawl to begin. Mob members drew out their weapons and began hacking at each other. Today it emerged the two gangs were well known karaoke singers who frequent bars and restaurants in the city. Detectives from Merseyside Police are probing the cockle picking allegations – but dismissed suggestions that Triad gangs were behind the violence. A source told the ECHO: “Everyone knows these people like to sing karaoke in Liverpool and it’s a big deal in the community. They aren’t established members of the Chinese community here and are comparatively new groups. They are dangerous. It’s incredible that after the fighting they walked out of the restaurant arm in arm.”

World Briefing – The Americas – Mexico – Drug Cartel’s Code of Ethics – NYTimes.com

The reputed leader of a Mexican drug cartel arrested over the weekend told authorities that he trained his members in ethics and personal development and that he urged them to avoid drugs and alcohol, the federal police said Monday. Rafael Cedeño, 47, whom authorities consider a leader of the criminal group known as “The Family,” was arrested Saturday. The federal police said that the training Mr. Cedeño provided was intended to keep “better motivational and emotional control over the members.”

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Jewelry store employee, Teresa Tambunting, arrested for stealing gold in purse lining over six years

A Scarsdale mom was busted for stealing $12 million in gold from a posh Queens jewelry store by slipping it out piece-by-piece in her purse lining, prosecutors said. For at least the past six years, Teresa Tambunting, a vault manager at Jacmel Jewelry, stole 500 pounds of fine gold jewelry and raw gold, which she hid in the suburban home she shared with her husband and three children, prosecutors said. The 50-year-old Tambunting hoarded her growing treasure trove in 5-gallon buckets in their basement, law enforcement sources said. The theft began to unravel in January, when the company audited its Long Island City headquarters vault and discovered $12 million in inventory missing, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. They had grown suspicious that their losses were more than the normal 3% annual rate, law enforcement sources said. When Tambunting got wind of the audit, she decided to fess up. She arrived at work in early February dragging rolling luggage bags filled with some of the booty, her boss said.

Alabama man sleeps with a 40-caliber pistol and accidentally shoots himself in the shoulder

NORTHPORT, Ala. – A 24-year-old man likely will rethink his habit of sleeping with a gun after police said his 40-caliber pistol discharged and hit him in the shoulder on Wednesday. A police detective said the wound was not life threatening. The shooting at his apartment complex was ruled an accident.

The Associated Press: Girl beats off muggers with marching band baton

QUARTZ HILL, Calif. (AP) — Don’t mess with the marching band. That’s what California authorities are saying after a 17-year-old girl used her marching band baton to beat back two would-be muggers. Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Michael Rust says the Quartz Hill girl was walking to school April 24 when two men approached her from behind, tried to grab her coat and demanded money. Instead, one got a punch in the nose and the other a kick to the groin. Rust says the girl then beat both of them with her band baton before she ran away. The men had not been caught. But Rust says there’s a clear message to take from the encounter: “The moral to this story is don’t mess with the marching band girls, or you just might get what you deserve. Final score: marching band 2, thugs 0.”

The Gaggle : Holy Moly Is Right: Palin on American Chopper

Sarah Palin is a guest on TLC’s American Chopper tonight. The guys meet up with Palin to talk about a motorcycle they are building to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Alaska’s statehood. The preview, up on YouTube, shows Palin cozying up against a HUGE bear rug that’s about, oh, three times her size. We’d seen it in pictures before, but for some reason, it just looks bigger this time. Wow.


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‘Can A Brotha Get A Break’ Florida License Plate? | Firstcoastnews.com | Florida

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Fighting a Republican move to approve religiously oriented specialty license tags, and bitter about proposed salary cuts for state workers, Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson has a specialty tag idea of his own. Worried about the separation of church and state, Democratic critics are incensed about one proposed tag that would feature an image of Christ on the cross. Lawson’s amendment to SB 2326 is called, “Can A Brotha Get a Break License Plate.” “The plate must prominently display an image of state Senator Alfred ‘Al’ Lawson, Jr. The phrase ‘Can a Brotha Get a Break?’ shall appear in bold letters on the bottom of the plate.” Proceeds from the plate would go to, “Employees Relief Fund for the purpose of offsetting salary and benefit cuts by the Legislature and providing grief counseling.” The amendment doesn’t mention that Lawson is running for Congress next year.

YouTube – Anderson Cooper & The Bus Driver Texting – Then Crashing

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The Irony of Satire: Political Ideology and the Motivation to See What You Want to See in The Colbert Report — LaMarre et al. 14 (2): 212 — The International Journal of Press/Politics

This study investigated biased message processing of political satire in The Colbert Report and the influence of political ideology on perceptions of Stephen Colbert. Results indicate that political ideology influences biased processing of ambiguous political messages and source in late-night comedy. Using data from an experiment (N = 332), we found that individual-level political ideology significantly predicted perceptions of Colbert’s political ideology. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements. Conservatism also significantly predicted perceptions that Colbert disliked liberalism. Finally, a post hoc analysis revealed that perceptions of Colbert’s political opinions fully mediated the relationship between political ideology and individual-level opinion.

io9 – Robot Beats Man In Sweden, Grabbing His Head and Shaking Him – Robots

A Swedish industrial worker was attacked by a malfunctioning robot two years ago in Sweden, and has this week won a lawsuit against the company that owned the vicious bot. Apparently, the man tried to fix the robot, which was designed to lift rocks. But he failed to turn the robot off first, and it grabbed him by the head and lifted him up. Could this be the beginning of the robot revolution? Here is the story, translated from a Swedish newspaper:

A company must pay fines of 25,000 kronar because it has been deemed responsible for the [robot attack]. “I have never heard of a robot who beat a man in this way,” said prosecutor Leif Johansson. In June 2007, a man who is employed at a factory in Bålsta north of Stockholm took a look at a malfunctioning robotized machine. The machine was used for lifting heavy stones. When the man went into the building he thought that he had cut the power to the machine but he had not. Instead, the robot was activated and forcibly grabbed the man’s head. He managed to defend himself, but received serious injuries on the body. “The man was very lucky. He had four broken ribs and was almost killed,” said Leif Johansson

via SvD (thanks, Lars!)

Olmsted Township Police Chief Charles McNeeley arrested on sex charges – News Sun – Cleveland.com

OLMSTED TWP. Police Chief Charles McNeeley was arrested Tuesday morning on sex charges. According to Cleveland Metroparks Capt. Jack Hall, McNeeley was apprehended for public indecency, a third-degree misdemeanor, at the Memphis picnic area in Brooklyn at 8:30 a.m. Hall said a Metroparks ranger was on foot patrol in the area when she noticed two cars side-by-side. She saw two men adjacent to the car engaged in sexual conduct and masturbation.

According to a report issued by the Metroparks police, the ranger approached the cars and McNeeley looked in her direction and appeared startled. He then entered his car and was repeatedly ordered to stop. McNeeley asked the ranger to give him a warning saying, “Can’t you just warn me. I’ll never come back to the park again, please just give me a warning.” He admitted he was going to perform a sexual act on 61-year-old Daniel Crown of Brooklyn, but didn’t. McNeeley later denied being employed in law enforcement and claimed officers were confusing him with his brother.

It was unknown at press time what disciplinary action would be taken by the township. “I want to make sure all the facts are there before I say anything,” Township Trustee Jim Carroll said. McNeeley, who is married and lives in Olmsted Falls, retired from the Cleveland Police Department as a Commander of the First District in 2002 before being hired as the township’s police chief. Both McNeeley and Crown were released on a $1,000 personal bond. They will appear at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Parma Municipal Court.

Man caught having sex with table gets 6 months : News : WNWO NBC24

BELLEVUE, OH — Police say a man was arrested after admitting to, and being caught on DVD having sex with his picnic table repeatedly. Investigators say they received a tip that Art Price Jr., 40, of 146 Brinker St. in Bellevue was having sex with a picnic table while outside on the deck. The incidents occurred between January and March 2008. Police say on March 13, the tipster dropped off three DVDs which showed Price in the act. On four occasions, Price is seen naked and masturbating in the rear room near the open doorway; he then comes out to the deck. He tilts the metal round picnic table on its side and lays up against it and has sexual intercourse with the table. Afterwards he cleans the table and the deck. Police say the the incidents occurred close to Ridge Elementary School. On March 20 Huron County prosecutors met with investigating officers and were shown the DVDs. Later that day, Price was brought in for questioning. Police say that during questioning, Price admitted he had sex with the picnic table. He also confirmed the incidents caught on the DVD and admitted to having sex with the table inside his home. On June 18, 2008, Price pleaded ‘no contest’ to disseminating harmful material to juveniles and public indecency. According the the Huron County Department of Corrections, he was sentenced to six months in jail.

Repossessed home missing $150,000 in fixtures | 10connects.com | Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater

Bradenton, Florida — A bank agent checking a house that was just foreclosed discovered a Big Empty Sunday – all the interior fixtures were gone. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said the property was a $3-million residence at 6959 Westchester Circle, recently repossessed from Mark P. Riley, 48, of Sarasota by First Bank of Florida. When bank agent Ted Allen went to inspect the property, he found a lot of things had been removed. “Items missing include the fireplace, granite counter tops, cabinets, carpets, plumbing and light fixtures, window treatments, interior doors, and appliances,” the sheriff’s office said. The fixtures had an estimated value of $150,000. Allen told deputies he found the home locked up, with no signs of forced entry. The sheriff’s office said its investigation is continuing.

Iceland tries to flush crisis away | FP Passport

A man urinates on April 25, 2009 in the toilets of the Sodoma bar in central Reykjavik where photographs of the former bankers who left their country after the financial crash have been stuck on the urinals. AFP PHOTO OLIVIER MORIN.

YouTube – Bull in shop, bullinrobe, county mayo Ireland

Ballinrobe Co. Mayo.Ireland – A bull filmed rampaging around a supermarket after escaping from a cattle in the west of Ireland. It was market day when the bull jumped out of the ring at the catle mart and headed off up the main street of ballinrobe. John Cummins(Supermarket owner ) said: “He got out of the mart about a kilometre away and galloped right up the town, past Tesco and then turned left, then right and came straight into the front door.

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“He went straight through the shop, out into the store, had a good look about, turned around and went straight out again. I could not believe my eyes.” While Mr Cummins is laughing about it now, he said it could have been a very different story. “It is a good news story but it could have been a bad news story, a pregnant woman could have been hurt, a child could have been hurt, anyone in the store. There could have been a lot of damage or there could have been damage to cars, thank goodness no one was injured.” The film footage, put together from various CCTV camera’s in the store, shows the bull entering through the electrically operated double doors and racing to the rear store and – appropriately – a butcher trying to corral it with a shopping trolley.

Federal convicts travel unescorted from prison to prison

DALLAS – Among the hundreds of bus passengers arriving everyday in downtown Dallas, there are some the government doesn’t want the public to know about. “It’s an inherent safety and security risk for the industry as a whole,” said Kim Plaskett, a spokeswoman with Greyhound Bus Lines. German Cruz is one of the passengers at issue. With a record of felony assault in New York ten years ago, a federal judge recently sentenced him to 41 months in prison for repeatedly sneaking into the United States.

Cruz is now serving that sentence in federal prison. But, he was recently discovered at a bus stop – ticket in hand – transferring himself from one federal prison in Minnesota to another in Texas. There wasn’t a guard in sight. “We don’t want our bus system to turn into Con Air, but you would think there would be some safety measures that could be put into place here, which doesn’t seem to be the case,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minn., who is also a member of the U.S. Senate Transportation Committee and was unaware of the practice of unescorted prisoners. Our affiliate in Minneapolis tracked Cruz from Rochester, Minn. to Dallas on his way to Houston. The reporter was the only one watching the convict as he made a 1,400 mile journey – alone.

Tennessee House makes time for congrats | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean

One out of every five minutes on the floor of the Tennessee House this year has been spent honoring and congratulating constituents or greeting visitors. Out of a total of about 37 hours spent in session, nearly eight hours have been consumed by what are known in the House as “personal orders.” Representatives are now meeting an hour earlier than usual on Monday afternoons to accommodate the ceremonies.

House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol, who often escapes to the balcony outside the chamber while the clerk reads out honoring resolutions, explained to members last week that the 4 p.m. start time was necessary “so we can more thoroughly enjoy the personal orders.” Many lawmakers read newspapers, chat or work on laptops while the presentations are made. They often offer only tepid applause. Recent groups honored on the House floor range from the Soddy-Daisy cheerleading team to the Mule Day queen and her court.

Sex-Doll Threesome Man Gets Off – News- msnbc.com

George Bartusek, who got freaky with two blow-up sex dolls in a grocery store parking lot, wont do jail time, a judge has ruled. Bartusek was let off with six months probation for his open-air synthetic threesome in a Publix Parking Lot in Cape Coral in February. Stunned onlookers had seen the 51-year-old inappropriately touching his — ahem — companions in plain sight. “As I walk by I saw this guy with two blow up dolls kissing them and bouncing them and trying to get peoples attention,” a female witness told WPBF after the incident. “Its just crazy, you know, and Im with my daughter and she couldnt believe what we were seeing,” added another witness, Arthur Castro.

Bartusek, like his blow-up friends, stayed silent as he left court after the sentencing yesterday, refusing to answer any reporters questions. Charged with breach of peace and trespassing, Bartusek was facing a year in jail for his escapade. Now hell likely have to go to Winn-Dixie for groceries — the judge told him he isnt welcome back at Publix.

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

One imagines that this 1973 design for the Catholic Church’s Archdiocesan Youth Commission would not make the cut today.

Indian business students snap up copies of Mein Kampf – Telegraph

Booksellers told The Daily Telegraph that while it is regarded in most countries as a ‘Nazi Bible’, in India it is considered a management guide in the mould of Spencer Johnson’s “Who Moved My Cheese”. Sales of the book over the last six months topped 10,000 in New Delhi alone, according to leading stores, who said it appeared to be becoming more popular with every year. Several said the surge in sales was due to demand from students who see it as a self-improvement and management strategy guide for aspiring business leaders, and who were happy to cite it as an inspiration. “Students are increasingly coming in asking for it and we’re happy to sell it to them,” said Sohin Lakhani, owner of Mumbai-based Embassy books who reprints Mein Kampf every quarter and shrugs off any moral issues in publishing the book. “They see it as a kind of success story where one man can have a vision, work out a plan on how to implement it and then successfully complete it”.

Man bits snake after attack_English_Xinhua

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhuanet) — A Kenyan man survived a Python attack, partly because he bit the snake after it tried to drag him into a tree. According to local media Wednesday, Ben Nyaumbe, a local farmer, was attacked by the 13-foot snake and fought him for several hours. The enormous reptile wrapped him in its coils and hauled him up a tree, but Nyaumbe was able to cover the snake’s head with his shirt, and reach his cell phone, where he called police for help. The man’s employer arrived with police and local villagers who tied the python with a rope and pulled them both down from the tree with a thud. They found that Nyaumbe had also bitten the python on the tail, causing his lip to split open where it came in contact with the sharp tip. When asked why he bit the python, the man explained: “I stepped on a spongy thing on the ground and suddenly my leg was entangled with the body of a huge python. I had to bite it.”

Suspect flees from police station while officer dozes – The Mainichi Daily News

NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo — A man being questioned over a car break-in escaped from a police station while a 19-year-old officer dozed, sparking a search involving 170 officers before the suspect turned himself in. Nishinomiya Police Station officials said the 32-year-old suspect, Takami Yonezawa, a resident of Osaka, escaped from the police station at about 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The station quickly deployed a search team with about 170 officers looking for the 32-year-old, who turned himself in at the same police station on Tuesday afternoon. Officials said that Yonezawa was arrested on suspicion of stealing a bag from a vehicle in a coin-operated parking lot in Nishinomiya at about 3 a.m. on Monday. A 34-year-old sergeant and a 19-year-old officer began questioning Yonezawa in an investigation room at the police station at about 3:30 p.m. on Monday. However, when the sergeant left the room for about 10 minutes to print out a report, the suspect fled. The younger officer was dozing at the time and reportedly did not notice Yonezawa escaping.

Police said Yonezawa’s handcuffs had been removed in the investigation room, but he was tied to a chair with a leash. The door to the room was unlocked, and Yonezawa apparently untied the leash and escaped through the corridor. “It’s extremely unfortunate that he escaped while we were questioning him,” police station head Chiaki Yoneda said. The 19-year-old officer had emerged from a police academy at the end of January, and was assigned to the police station, where he was undergoing criminal investigation training.

Police: Dad beat son over video game | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com

EAST PRICE HILL – An East Price Hill father beat his 6-year-old son for playing a video game poorly, Cincinnati police say. Advertisement Terry Taulbee, 50, was held Tuesday on a domestic violence charge at the Hamilton County jail. Taulbee is accused of hitting the boy on his lower back and buttocks, leaving a large red hand mark, court records state. The area swelled and caused pain for the child. The victim’s mother told police Taulbee became upset when the boy didn’t play a video game well. The boy is with his mother, while Taulbee has been put under a safety plan which forbids him from having contact, said Brian Gregg, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Job and Family Services. “We are investigating these allegations and looking into it, whether everyone is safe and healthy,” he said. The safety plan will continue until Family Services makes sure everything is OK in the home, Gregg said. “It is going to take some time to investigate and see what kinds of services are needed for the family,” he said.

Longest place name in US spelt wrongly – Telegraph

The lake in Webster, Massachusetts – known as Webster Lake for short – was always going to be a challenge for sign writers. But after researching historical spelling combinations, the local newspaper the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester said local Chamber of Commerce officials agreed that some signs at the lake were wrong. There was an “o” at letter 20 where a “u” should have been, and an “h” at letter 38 where an “n” should go. The name comes from the language of the local Nipmuck tribe and translates to “Englishmen at Manchaug at the fishing place at the boundary although” and was applied in the 19th century when White people built factories in the area. One debunked myth suggested the actual words were “You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle.” It is believed the latter was a hoax believed to have been concocted by the late Larry Daly, the editor of The Webster Times. The stretch of water has several alternative names is also shortened to Lake Chaubunagungamaug to avoid the 45 letter tongue twister. Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, the full-length version of the name, is the longest place name in the United States and 6th longest in the world. Its 17 uses of “g” are the most instances of any letter in a word. The name also contains 10 instances of the letter “a” (not including the “a” in “lake”), more than any word in the English language.

Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan – Net protects Modi against shoe attacks

ISLAMABAD: Leader of Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed a public rally surrounded by a protective net in Naroda Patiya region of Gujarat. After a series of shoe attacks on Indian politicians by disgruntled individuals in the past few days, authorities have deemed it worthwhile to take extra measures to protect leaders, a private TV channel reported. The shoe-hurling bug has gained popularity in India after an Iraqi journalist hurled shoes at former US president George W Bush. The first Indian politician to face the footware assault was Indian Interior Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram during a news conference. Soon afterwards, a slipper was lobbed at BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani while he was addressing a public rally.

Woman burnt to death after setting her own car alight in road-rage incident – Times Online

It was the ultimate expression of road rage. A furious woman driver died after ramming another vehicle and spinning her wheels so fast that her own car burst into flames. Serena Sutton-Smith, 54, burnt to death after refusing to get out of her Vauxhall Nova as she sat with her foot flat on the accelerator. She spun the wheels so fast that her tyres disintegrated and the metal rims sent a shower of sparks into the engine, igniting the brake fluid and setting the car on fire. Appalled onlookers urged her to get out of the car as the flames licked around her but she told them to “F*** off”, an inquest in Gloucester was told.

Sun girl gets drunk on air

HAVE I mist something? When I found out there was a new bar opening that didn’t serve a single drink, I wasn’t sure it was worth the look in. But Alcoholic Architecture near Carnaby Street in London is not about drinking booze – it’s about breathing the stuff. Fumes of gin and tonic are billowed out through a giant vaporiser to create a kind of hazy Glade plug-in effect. Paying a credit-crunch busting five pounds, partygoers stuff themselves into a white body suit, head down into the basement and let the boozy steam room take effect. The concept is the brainchild of wild and wacky duo Sam Bompass and Harry Parr. Advertisement As it was a Thursday, and the weekend wasn’t far off, I bobbed down there for a few breaths to see what all the fuss is about. While I definitely felt a little tiddly on the way home, I don’t think I’ll be swapping my Cosmopolitans for Eau de G & T too quickly. The white suit did nothing for my fash credentials either and all that boozy fog in an underground space just made my head spin.

Taser Sues Second Life Virtual World Creator Over Gun Sales – Bloomberg.com

April 20 (Bloomberg) — Taser International Inc. filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit against the Second Life online virtual world creator over claims it sells unauthorized virtual versions of its electric stun guns. Taser, the world’s biggest maker of stun guns, claims San Francisco-based Linden Research Inc. is damaging the company’s reputation and hurting its sales by allowing virtual weapons to be sold online under the Taser brand name, according to a 102- page complaint filed April 17 in federal court in Phoenix. Linden and third-party companies such as Virtualtrade LLC, which also was sued, are “selling virtual weaponry in a fully fledged copy of plaintiff’s real ones for use in the Second Life computer simulation,” Taser, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, said in the complaint. In the virtual world, participants create alter egos known as avatars that use real money to buy property, open businesses, dance at clubs, engage in combat or have sex. Companies including International Business Machines Corp. and Xerox Inc. have established presences in Second Life. The complaint also names Linden founder and Chairman Philip Rosedale, as well as its chief executive officer, Mark Kingdon, and chief financial officer, John Zdanowski. Linden was founded in 1999 and has more than 250 employees. Taser says the alleged infringement is especially harmful because the online stores include pornographic content.

Man jailed for urinating on woman during flight

HONOLULU – A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to three weeks in jail for urinating on a 66-year-old woman during a Continental Airlines flight last month from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Jerome Kenneth Kingzio, a resident of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, was sentenced after pleading guilty Tuesday to assault charges in federal court in Honolulu. The victim was headed to Hawaii on March 21 for a scuba diving vacation and was watching an in-flight movie when Kingzio stood up and began urinating on her. He had been drinking on the flight. U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo Jr. said the woman reported that not only was her entire vacation ruined, but she continues to suffer emotionally from the incident. The case was investigated by the FBI.

Golfer with one arm and one eye gets hole in one – mirror.co.uk

Brave bomb blast victim Alan Perrin has notched up his first hole-in-one despite being nearly blind and having only one arm. Alan, now 45, had to quit the Royal Marines in 1992 after suffering the horrific injuries in a training exercise explosion. But he fell in love with golf, despite being left partially blind in his remaining eye. And he defied the odds to hit the amazing 160-yard shot at his local club.

After hitting the one-handed drive at Exminster Golf Club near Exeter, Devon, Alan and his partner thought the ball was lost after there was so sign of it on the green. He explained: “We spent five minutes looking but didn’t want to hold up the next group so we moved on. When those behind us saw the ball in the hole. I was stunned.” Alan, who has a handicap of 28, said: “I took up golf because it is one sport where the rules are the same if you are disabled.” And sheer guts is no handicap…

The Associated Press: Israeli official: Swine flu name offensive

JERUSALEM (AP) — The outbreak of swine flu should be renamed “Mexican” influenza in deference to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork, said an Israeli health official Monday. Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said the reference to pigs is offensive to both religions and “we should call this Mexican flu and not swine flu,” he told a news conference at a hospital in central Israel. Both Judaism and Islam consider pigs unclean and forbid the eating of pork products. Scientists are unsure where the new swine flu virus originally emerged, though it was identifed first in the United States. They say there is nothing about the virus that makes it “Mexican” and worry such a label would be atigmatizing.

Deadspin – Feds Seize Brandi Chastain’s Bra, Demand Ransom – Brandi chastain must pay back bra support

If you want to see the bra alive again, leave $250 in unmarked bills at the enclosed location. No tricks. Bra will be shipped within 5-7 business days.

From The Wall Street Journal:

The black sports undergarment that Brandi Chastain famously exposed to the world after a game-winning goal in the 1999 World Cup had been taken into custody by U.S. bankruptcy court. To secure its release from a storage facility in Newark, N.J., Ms. Chastain would have to pay $250 — plus shipping. “Thank goodness I have another one,” she jokes.

Several celebrity sports items were grabbed in the bankruptcy case, among them Tony Hawk’s childhood skateboard and Richard Petty’s sunglasses. They had all been on loan to New York’s Sports Museum of America, which recently declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If the celebrities don’t claim them, they’ll be auctioned. Hawk is not amused. And he ain’t getting his board back like this.

Chinese students learn English by imitating PTI with Kornheiser and Wilbon.

Video

How we got Swine Flu

Baby dies after breastfeeding on drunk mother’s milk / MosNews.com

The Russian Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the death of a four-month-old baby that allegedly died after being poisoned by the alcohol-loaded milk of his drunk mother in Saransk, Siberia. The 28-year-old mother, who has a severe drinking problem, reportedly drank half a liter of pure alcohol mixed with water, and then breastfed her baby son three times before sobering up. The next morning, the child was found dead in his bed, RIA Novosti reports.

Russian man survives drinking 8 bottles of vodka / MosNews.com

A Russian man has miraculously survived drinking eight bottles of vodka. The percentage of alcohol in his blood was at least twice the lethal dose. Pavel Kondratyev, 39, was found unconscious in the street of Yekaterinburg city in Russia’s Ural Mountains and taken to hospital, Life.ru website reports Friday. The doctors suspected a head trauma, but the test proved different. The man’s blood tests showed that he had drunk at least four liters, or eight bottles of vodka.

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Benton County jailer accused of impersonating deputy

William J. Reese, 58, of Newhall, was charged Monday with impersonating a police officer and two counts of disorderly conduct. Reese is a civilian jailer employed by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and was on-duty in that capacity when the incident took place. Vinton police say that about 3:25 p.m. May 1, while operating a fully marked Benton County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle, Reese attempted to initiate a traffic stop on another vehicle just south of Vinton on Hwy 218. The other vehicle was operated by an off-duty full-time Benton County Sheriff’s deputy who was aware that Reese had no lawful authority to act as a peace officer. The full-time deputy proceeded to his home and called 911 while Reese pursued at high rates of speed in the marked Benton County Sheriff’s Office vehicle, passing through school zones as Vinton-Shellsburg schools were dismissing. When the full-time deputy arrived at his residence, Reese exited the patrol vehicle and began using loud and profane language and threatening gestures directed at the full-time deputy, as school children passed by. The entire incident was captured on the in-car video system inside the vehicle Reese was operating. In addition to the three criminal charges, Reese also will be cited for unauthorized use of emergency lighting and three counts of speeding as much as 35 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Vinton police want to assure the public that at this point, this appears to involve a single individual and the public should not have any concerns about stopping for any law enforcement vehicle as a result of this incident. Reese is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Benton County Magistrate Court on Wednesday.

Inmate On Cigarette Run, Caught Sneaking Back Into Jail

CAMDEN COUNTY, GA — Officials say an inmate sneaked out of confinement early Saturday for a cigarette run at a nearby convenience store, and got caught as he was sneaking back into the jail. Camden County Sheriff Tommy Gregory tells First Coast News 25-year-old Harry Jackson of St. Marys broke out of the Camden County jail at 1:55 a.m. The sheriff says Jackson got help from other inmates to use a bent wire from a broom to bypass electronic locks on a back door. Jail officials had spotted suspicious activity on surveillance video, prompting an emergency headcount, so they immediately set out on Jackson’s trail. Shortly thereafter, a burglary alarm went off at a nearby convenience store. Shirtless after taking off part of his uniform Jackson smashed the front door at Snappy Foods store and grabbed 14 packs of cigarettes, then took off. Around 3 a.m. blood hounds spotted Jackson trying to get back into the jail. “He must have done it because he really wanted to smoke …I’ve never had an inmate try to sneak back into the jail.” Sheriff Gregory says he hasn’t seen anything like it. He adds that his new no-smoking policy may have had something to do with it. “They say smoking is a hard habit to kick, well if they’re willing to break out of jail and back in jail for fourteen packs of cigarettes, I tend to believe them,” says Gregory. Gregory says jail officials had heard rumors that inmates were sneaking out this way, but Jackson was the first person they caught. The sheriff says a county engineer was already on schedule to come out Monday, to weld plates over the locks. Jackson’s prior convictions include cocaine charges, violation of probation, and obstruction of an officer. He will face further charges of Escape and Burglary.

Gong’an county government tells officials ’smoke or be fined’ | The Australian

OFFICIALS in a county in central China have been told to smoke nearly a quarter million packs of locally made cigarettes annually or risk being fined, state media reports. The Gong’an county government in Hubei province has ordered its staff to puff their way through 230,000 packs of Hubei-produced cigarette brands a year, the Global Times said. Departments that fail to meet their targets will be fined, according to the report. “The regulation will boost the local economy via the cigarette tax,” said Chen Nianzu, a member of the Gong’an cigarette market supervision team, according to the paper. The measure could also be a ploy to aid local cigarette brands such as Huanghelou, which are under severe pressure from competitors in neighbouring Hunan province, according to the paper. China has 350 million smokers, of whom a million die of smoking-related diseases every year. More than half of all male doctors in China smoke, but the government is now trying harder to get them to kick the habit in order to set an example for others, state media reported recently.

Proof is in the pudding after messy vandal arrested | Metro.co.uk

A man is suspected of being behind a series of burglaries in which apartments were vandalised with chocolate pudding and spray paint, after he was caught by police covered in silver paint and chocolate syrup. Authorities say that Hipolito Junior Vasquez broke into three apartments occupied by students at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He allegedly stole a variety of items, including a crate of beer and some frozen chicken breasts, then spread chocolate pudding over the floor. He also sprayed insulting graffiti on the walls, including – according to the website of the local Express-Times newspaper – the oddly Chaucerian phrase ‘LHU Suckes’.

Girl allegedly finds condom in ‘Happy Meal’ – Weird news- msnbc.com

FRIBOURG, Switzerland – Swiss police said they are investigating a 7-year-old girl’s discovery of a condom in her McDonald’s Happy Meal. Fribourg state police said the mother called them after the girl discovered the condom among her French fries. Police said Monday they were investigating where the condom came from and how it got into the Happy Meal. They said an analysis was being done to determine if the condom posed a health risk. Story continues below ?advertisement | your ad here McDonald’s in Switzerland declined to comment because of the ongoing investigation.

Asked to leave, man urinates on bar

Oh, classy guy. Graham Brunson, 21 was causing a disturbance at the Naple’s Bayfront Inn. He was doing the usual obnoxious drunk routine –yelling obscenities and disturbing customers at the bar, according to an arrest report. When security asked him to leave, reports say Brunson unzipped his pants and urinated at the bar, reports the Naples Daily News. Guess he really wanted a pissing match.

Except when cops arrived, Brunson ran. Four cops searching for him found Brunson hiding in the bushes about a quarter-mile from the bar. Brunson then attempted to punch and kick a cop. Judging from his mug shot that was a BIG mistake.

Afghanistan’s only pig

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s only known pig has been locked in a room, away from visitors to Kabul zoo where it normally grazes beside deer and goats, because people are worried it could infect them with the virus popularly known as swine flu. The pig is a curiosity in Muslim Afghanistan, where pork and pig products are illegal because they are considered irreligious, and has been in quarantine since Sunday after visitors expressed alarm it could spread the new flu strain. “For now the pig is under quarantine, we built it a room because of swine influenza,” Aziz Gul Saqib, director of Kabul Zoo, told Reuters. “We’ve done this because people are worried about getting the flu.” Worldwide, more than 1,000 people have been infected with the virus, according to the World Health Organization, which also says 26 people have so far died from the strain. All but one of the deaths were in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.

There are no pig farms in Afghanistan and no direct civilian flights between Kabul and Mexico. “We understand that, but most people don’t have enough knowledge. When they see the pig in the cage they get worried and think that they could get ill,” Saqib said. The pig was a gift to the zoo from China, which itself quarantined some 70 Mexicans, 26 Canadians and four Americans in the past week, but later released them. Some visitors were not concerned about the fate of the pig and said locking it away was probably for the best. “Influenza is quite contagious and if it passes between people and animals then there’s no need for the pig to be here,” zoo visitor Farzana said.

Shabby and rundown, Kabul Zoo is a far cry from zoos in the developed world, but has nevertheless come a long way since it suffered on the front line of Afghanistan’s 1992-4 civil war. Mujahideen fighters then ate the deer and rabbits and shot dead the zoo’s sole elephant. Shells shattered the aquarium. One fighter climbed into the lion enclosure but was immediately killed by Marjan, the zoo’s most famous inhabitant. The man’s brother returned the next day and lobbed a hand grenade at the lion leaving him toothless and blind. The zoo now holds two lions who replaced Marjan who died of old age in 2002 as well as endangered local leopards. In all, it houses 42 species of birds and mammals and 36 types of fish and attracts up to 10,000 visitors on weekends.

Stormy Daniels visits Baton Rouge – WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -Adult film star Stormy Daniels kicked off her bid to unseat U.S. Senator David Vitter Wednesday in Baton Rouge. Daniels handled multiple questions from the media during her “listening tour”. Daniels stopped short of saying she was definitely running against Vitter, saying only that she was “drafted” to do so. Daniels is one of the biggest adult movie stars. She says if she runs she will no longer be in adult films. “I’ve worked very hard to become at the top of my industry and becoming as successful as I can. Um I am stopping performing because I am at the age that I said I was gonna stop. The two things are not related and I just feel like with all the encouragement and support I have to sound cheesy but maybe its my duty. ” The draft Stormy group says they have been labeled as a “cheap political stunt” by the old Louisiana status quo. She will be in New Orleans Wednesday for a similar appearence.

Pilot’s miracle escape as plane crash lands … on a pile of Portaloos | Mail Online

With his plane stalling at 150 feet, and no time to return to the runway, the pilot of a Cessna 182 was probably in need of the toilet. Luckily, he found a whole pile of them, and the crash landing on top of piles of portable loos probably saved his life. The Cessna 182 crashed on Friday afternoon in Washington state after taking off from Thun Field, an airfield owned by Pierce County southeast of Tacoma. The plane was about 150 feet (45 meters) in the air when the engine quit. Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said the pilot tried to turn around to land but didn’t quite make it. The plane hit a fence, flipped over and landed upside down on top of the portable toilets standing in a storage yard. The pilot, whose identity has not been released, was able to walk away apparently unharmed.

Aussie burglar stuck on roof, rescued by police

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A man trying to rob a factory in Sydney got stuck on its slippery, steep roof in pouring rain, triggering a three-hour rescue operation by police and firefighters in the early hours of Sunday. New South Wales state police said in a statement a rescue unit tried to reach the man, three storeys above ground, but it was too risky to climb onto the roof in the rain. Firefighters then tried to get to the man with a ladder, but couldn’t reach him. Another truck with a longer ladder was brought in while a police helicopter was used to light the area. After his rescue the man was found to be carrying items including a helmet with a light, bolt cutters, a small ladder, backpack, tarpaulin, ropes and harnesses, police said. The 53-year-old has been charged with an attempted break-in. He was refused bail.

Porn scandal shakes Swedish airport agency – The Local

Sweden’s airport authority is reeling after an investigation into computer network problems revealed that several employees were surfing pornographic websites while on the job. Seven workers from the LFV Group have been fired, while another worker has quit after being reported to police for suspected violations of Sweden’s anti-child pornography laws. “This is an awful story and I’m both shocked and disappointed,” said LFV Group head Lars Rekke to the TT news agency. The porn site surfing was uncovered following an LFV investigation into why the agency’s computer network seemed to be so slow. As a part of the probe, LFV performed a more detailed analysis of internet traffic on the agency’s computers and found a large amount of traffic directed toward pornographic websites, including at least one site featuring child pornography.

According to Rekke, the employees’ porn surfing habits don’t appear to be a part of any organized activity. “They worked in different facilities throughout the country, from Luleå in the north and southwards. We’re talking about various islands of activity,” he said. According to LFV’s investigation, the employees had spent sizeable portions of their workdays visiting various pornographic websites. “It was between 25 and 75 percent of the workday,” said LFV spokesperson Lars Röhne to the Aftonbladet newspaper. He said it’s not possible to discern whether the LFV employees were actively surfing the entire time or if they were downloading material while completing other, work-related tasks.

The Associated Press: Calif. men accused of smuggling songbirds

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man was charged Tuesday with smuggling songbirds into the United States by hiding more than a dozen of them in an elaborate, custom-tailored pair of leggings during a flight from Vietnam to Los Angeles. Sony Dong, 46, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in March after an inspector spotted bird feathers and droppings on his socks and tail feathers peeking out from under his pants, prosecutors said. “He had fashioned these special cloth devices to hold the birds,” said U.S. attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek. “They were secured by cloth wrappings and attached to his calves with buttons.” Authorities later linked Dong’s scheme to Duc Le, who was arrested after investigators searched his Orange County home and found 51 songbirds in an outdoor aviary. Both are charged with conspiracy in an eight-count federal indictment. The songbirds sell for $10 to $30 in Vietnam and are sold to collectors in the United States for about $400, Mrozek said. “They’re rare and there are collectors who are willing to pay top dollar for these things,” he said. U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspectors flagged Dong for inspection because he had abandoned a suitcase containing 18 birds at the Los Angeles airport in December, Mrozek said. Five of the birds died in transit. Dong returned to Vietnam in February to pick up more birds and returned a month later with three red-whiskered bul-buls, four magpie robins and six shama thrush under his pants, prosecutors said. The birds are now in quarantine and could be donated to a zoo if they are healthy.

Dad accused of using dog shock collar on his kids | Stuff.co.nz

An Oregon father has been accused of using a dog shock collar on his four children. Salem Police Lieutenant Dave Okada said the 41-year-old man was jailed Tuesday on charges of criminal mistreatment. He said the father acknowledged putting the electronic dog collar on his four children and shocking all of them at least once. According to Okada, the father didn’t do it as a punishment. Rather, he thought it was funny. The children, all younger than 10, are in the custody of their mother. The case has been referred to state Department of Human Services.

Man accidently kills wife with chainsaw

OTSEGO, Mich. (WOOD) – Investigators say Deb Daniels was likely trying to help her husband roll a log out of the way when the chainsaw he was using accidentally cut her neck. “Autopsy results and the husband’s story are consistent,” says Allegan County Sheriff’s Lt. Frank Baker. Baker says Jerry Daniels was cutting a log at the couple’s Otsego home, 765 Woodlea Drive in Otsego, Sunday afternoon when his wife came up behind him. Lt. Baker says Jerry would not have heard his wife, who likely kneeled down to help him roll the cut log away. When he pulled the saw from the log it came back and caught Deb in the neck, according to Baker. “I heard a cry for help, so I came outside and at that time I saw what was going on, and I rendered as much aid as I possibly could,” said David Labonte, a neighbor and deputy for the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department. “I’m glad that based on my position that I was the one that was the first to respond.” But nothing could help the 39-year-old woman. She bled to death at the scene. Investigators have ruled the incident as accidental. The tragedy is being felt throughout the Allegan County government. Deb Daniels was the county’s human resource director. “Deb was clearly committed to working and living in the community she served,” said Allegan County Administrator Rob Sarro. “Deb’s warm friendly personality touched those around her,” Sarro said in an e-mail to county employees. “And she will be sorely missed.” Daniels joined the county in 2003. She was promoted the HR director in 2006. “Deb built a very close team here at the County,” says Sarro. “She will be forever missed, but her contributions will not be forgotten.” Funeral arrangements are still pending.

Gun vs. sword standoff ends with neighbor slain | KATU.com – Portland, Oregon | News

ST. HELENS, Ore. – A confrontation in St. Helens between two friends – one armed with a handgun and the other armed with a sword – ended Saturday night with the sword-wielding man suffering from what turned out to be a lethal gunshot wound, authorities said. The two men, who were next-door neighbors, had golfed together during the day, but investigators were not sure what sparked an argument in the evening, according to St. Helens police Sgt. Rick Graham. About 11:30 p.m., Graham said 43-year-old Todd Edward Marchant brought a 9mm handgun over to the home of 28-year-old Everett Briley and started threatening his friend. Briley then grabbed a sword, and the two confronted each other in Briley’s front yard, located near the intersection of North 2nd and Lemont streets, Graham said. Marchant fired before Briley ever swung the sword, Graham said. The bullet entered the man’s chest and passed through him. He was taken to a Portland hospital, where he later died, Graham said. Police said two neighbors held Marchant while someone called police. Marchant was taken to the Columbia County jail, where he was being held without bond on a criminal homicide charge on Sunday. Investigators believe alcohol played a factor in the incident. Marchant was convicted of DUII last month, his second such conviction, KATU has learned. The two families had no past history of fights, practically shared their yards and even attended the same church. Rick Snider, a St. Helens resident, said his niece was engaged with Briley and was raising two little boys with him. “Everett is a super nice guy,” Snider said. “I mean, not a very angry person, just down to earth. Got two little boys. And it’s just sad to see. The kids are really gonna take it hard.” He said his niece is no longer living in the home and doesn’t know if she can ever return.

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