‘An accused child molester in Wisconsin cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet, then took a limousine to Chicago to appear on “The Jerry Springer Show,” authorities said. [..]
“A significant bond is legally necessary given the fact he absconded, admittedly for one of the more unique reasons I’ve heard in my time on the bench,” the judge said.
According to court records, Sims had been out of jail about three weeks when he cut off the bracelet and missed a court date September 6. His defense attorney at the time, Domingo Cruz, told the judge his client was seen getting into the television show’s limousine.’
‘A Chandler man has been arrested after his condominium caught fire while he was cooking methamphetamine in a toaster oven, authorities said.
Jonathan Zaletel, 19, was arrested on suspicion of drug manufacturing, drug possession and criminal damage.
Zaletel was cooking meth at about 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of North Alma School Road near Ray Road when his condominium bedroom closet caught fire, authorities said.
He unsuccessfully attempted to stop the fire with water and window cleaner. He then went to Wal-Mart to buy a fire extinguisher.’
‘It could be a scene from Kafka or Brazil. Imagine a government agency, in a bureaucratic foul-up, accidentally gives you a copy of a document marked “top secret.” And it contains a log of some of your private phone calls.
You read it and ponder it and wonder what it all means. Then, two months later, the FBI shows up at your door, demands the document back and orders you to forget you ever saw it.
By all accounts, that’s what happened to Washington D.C. attorney Wendell Belew in August 2004. [..]’
‘The Government’s financial support for tertiary students was among the most generous in the world and students should be more frugal, Education Minister Julie Bishop said today.
Her comments follow a study that found university students were regularly going without food because they could not afford to eat.
The Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee’s 2006 survey found one in eight students (12.5 per cent) regularly went without food or other necessities because they could not afford them.
It also revealed university students were worse off financially last year than they were in 2000, with 70.6 per cent of full-time undergraduates working about 14.8 hours a week to make ends meet.’
‘A 24-year-old man called police to tell them he was trying to break into a church, but he wasn’t having much luck.
Police said the would-be thief’s call prompted them to show up at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where they found him waiting. The man told them he had hoped to get married in the church and was trying to use a metal shovel to break through the doors. He told them, if anything, he figured they could help.
Officers search the man and found marijuana. He then invited them to his home, where he told them they would find more drugs.
They did: He showed them his stash of marijuana and stolen prescription drugs.’
‘This year’s Super Bowl telecast generated about 150 complaints to the Federal Communications Commission, with the bulk of the beefs centering on Prince’s halftime performance and a Snickers commercial. As seen in the letters on the following pages, many correspondents were upset because they believed that the rock star was manipulating his guitar as if it were a penis. As one viewer noted in an e-mail, the “pro-homosexual theme” of this year’s event, telecast on CBS, was “disgraceful.” The writer added that “just because 6% of the population is gay,” porn did not need to be included in the broadcast. Another purportedly offended viewer was concerned that the halftime show would have an unfortunate lasting effect on his son, who “hoped to be a quarterback and now he will turn out gay…Thanks CBS for turning my son GAY.” [..]’
‘Attempts to duplicate a stunt from Jackass landed one man in hospital with burnt genitals and left another facing criminal charges.
The men were trying to do a stunt from one of the hit show’s movies, in which a character lights his genitals on fire.
Jared W. Anderson, 20, suffered serious burns to his hands and genitals, according to the criminal complaint.
Randell D. Peterson, 43, who sprayed lighter fluid on Anderson and lit him on fire, was charged with felony battery and first-degree reckless endangerment in Eau Claire County Court.’
‘A public high school has suspended three 16-year-old girls who disobeyed officials by saying the word “vagina” during a reading from “The Vagina Monologues.”
Their defiant stand is being applauded by the author of the well-known feminist play, who said Tuesday that the school should be celebrating, rather than punishing, the three juniors.
“Don’t we want our children to resist authority when it’s not appropriate and wise?” said author Eve Ensler.
The three honor students, Megan Reback, Elan Stahl and Hannah Levinson, included the word because “we knew it was the right thing to do. Since we’re comfortable saying it, we should make other people comfortable saying it,” Levinson said.’
‘As authorities stormed into a middle school office to arrest an alleged meth-dealing principal inside, they found an even more surprising scene inside. Sources said 50-year-old John Acerra, of Allentown, was naked and watching gay pornography when they arrived at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem to arrest him on Tuesday.
Acerra also had sex toys, drugs, cash and a pipe in his school office when authorities stormed his office, the sources added.
He remained jailed on $200,000 bail Thursday night, police said.’
Followup to: Principal Accused of Selling Meth
‘Even if you try to look past the eight-metre-high chain-link fence, beyond the scores of uniformed guards patrolling the perimeter and away from the cameras, metal detectors and lasers, there isn’t the slightest evidence of children inside the T. Don Hutto Family Detention Center.
No one is playing outside; there are no sounds of laughter.
But inside the thick, whitewashed walls of this former maximum-security prison in the heart of Texas are about 170 children — including a nine-year-old Canadian boy named Kevin.’
‘Two middle school boys facing sex abuse charges in connection with “spanking” incidents at Patton Middle School in McMinnville are back home with their parents after appearing in court on Tuesday.
The two boys, ages 12 and 13, face the equivalent of felony sex abuse charges. In court, Yamhill County authorities said their investigation showed the boys slapped female classmates on their buttocks numerous times over the past several weeks, and poked their breasts.
According to authorities, the boys were sometimes acting out a character known as ‘Party Boy’ from a movie based on a popular MTV television series.
Two of the victims testified in court they did not feel threatened and did not want the boys punished.’
‘A worker at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom bonded out of jail, Thursday. Deputies said he attacked a co-worker and threatened to set him on fire, Wednesday night. [..]
“I think they’re all inaccurate,” [Kim] said. [..]
Kim and the other contract worker, 22-year-old Brandon Hoffman, according to deputies, had been having an ongoing argument as the two cleaned out a pond. Deputies said, when Hoffman turned his back, kim doused him with gasoline and even pulled out a lighter. Hoffman ran, but Kim didn’t give up.
“The suspect picked up a shovel and continued his assault on the victim, trying to hit him with the shovel. The victim then got on his cell phone, contacted us and Disney security,” said Commander Bruce McMullen, Orange County Sheriff’s Office.’
This is a good prank. I will need to try it on someone. :)
(3.3meg Windows media)
see it here »
‘Separated by adoption in their native East Germany, the siblings met for the first time in 2000 when Patrick tracked down his birth mother and the younger sister he had never met.
If their mother, Ana Marie, were alive today, however, she would, in all likelihood, be wishing her estranged son had never found his way home.
Because for the past seven years, brother and sister have been lovers. In that time they have had four children together – two of whom are mentally and physically disabled and all of whom are now in care.
And despite the fact that 29-year-old Stuebing, an unemployed locksmith, has already served two jail sentences for committing incest with his sister, now aged 22, the couple defiantly refuse to give each other up. ‘
‘Kevin Russell found out it’s not easy trying to cash a check from God. The 21-year-old man was arrested Monday after he tried to cash a check for $50,000 at the Chase Bank in Hobart that was signed “King Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Servant,” Hobart police Detective Jeff White said. [..]
Police were called to the bank after Russell tried to cash the check, which was written on an invalid Bank One check with no imprint, White said. Russell had several other checks with him that were signed the same way but made out in different dollar amounts, including one for $100,000.’
See how the bomb squad ‘disarms’ what is very probably a traffic counting device belonging to the Department of Transport.
‘If you are too drunk to drive, you might want to think about ditching the assault rifle. And the cocaine. Ditto the marijuana. And you definitely don’t want to pretend you’re a police officer.
Gwinnett police have arrested a 24-year-old Lawrenceville man after he asked for change for $100 at a fast-food drive-through last week and the clerk noticed an assault rifle in his lap.
He was slurring his words as he asked for change at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday at a McDonald’s on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth, police said in a news release Monday. When the driver noticed that the clerk had seen the gun, the driver claimed he was a police officer. He either passed out or fell asleep at the wheel.
Store clerks called police and said the man appeared to have been drinking. The driver awoke a moment later, got upset because he didn’t get his change and left.’
‘A middle school principal accused of selling crystal methamphetamine from his office after school and on weekends was arrested after police found the drug on his desk, authorities said Wednesday.
There was no indication that John Acerra sold the drug to students at Nitschmann Middle School, where he was arrested Tuesday, said Dennis Mihalopoulos, an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Police said they began investigating Acerra in early February after an informant told them the principal was using and distributing the drug.’
‘As various parties continue to fight over the remains of Anna Nicole Smith and custody of her baby, John Travolta has stepped into the fray.
The Pulp Fiction star has decided to use her death as a chance to promote Narconon – the controversial Church of Scientology drug rehab programme – saying it could have saved the Playmate’s life. [..]
Travolta said: ‘It’s so sad. We could have helped her with Narconon but didn’t get a chance to. I wish we had.’ [..]
Scientologists claim Narconon is 85 per cent effective.
However, critics say it is a front to recruit vulnerable drug abusers into the religion.
Either way, it is sadly too late to help Smith now.’
‘Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.
The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh – more than 20 times the national average.
Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh – guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.’
‘A 28-year-old Chico man was killed Monday after he lost control of his car while working on his laptop computer while driving, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“We have reason to believe he was operating his laptop because it was still on and plugged into the cigarette lighter,” said CHP Cmdr. Scott Silsbee. [..]
The crash closed lanes in both directions for nearly two hours and traffic was diverted to alternate routes while a helicopter transported an injured couple to Rideout Hospital and work crews cleared the debris.’
‘A Cloquet teenager who told police he found it funny to throw ice water on a nursing home resident was charged with stalking, and a prosecutor wants him to stand trial as an adult. [..]
According to a criminal complaint, the Cloquet teenager told police he found it so funny when he dumped a pitcher of ice water on a 90-year-old nursing home resident in June that he returned and did it twice more, in December and again last month.
“Me and (another teenager) were like, this is gonna be hilarious, ’cause this lady was talking to herself and she was yelling and stuff so we threw it on her,” the 16-year-old boy told police, describing the first incident.
“She started screaming and freaking out so we thought this was hilariously funny, and we were all talking about it in school and everyone was laughing about it,” he said, according to the complaint.’
‘A woman admitted Monday that she coached her two children to fake retardation starting when they were 4 and 8 years old so she could collect Social Security benefits on their behalf.
Rosie Costello, 46, admitted in U.S. District Court that she collected more than $280,000 in benefits, beginning in the mid-1980s. Most was from Social Security, but the state social services agency paid $53,000. [..]
According to the plea agreement, Costello began coaching her daughter at age 4, and later used the same ruse with her son. He feigned retardation into his mid-20s – picking at his face, slouching and appearing uncommunicative in meetings with Social Security officials.’
‘Ten cats are competing to find their perfect owner on a reality TV programme being shown in the US.
The feline competitors, who all come from animal shelters or rescue groups, are being filmed in a New York shop window until 23 June.
As on Big Brother, the cats will have to complete tasks, and will be graded on purring and catching toy mice.
One cat will get the boot each day until a winner is chosen, but all 10 will be given a permanent home.’
‘To cut down on costly imports of petroleum, of which Myanmar does not have much, its ruling generals want every vehicle in the country to run on natural gas, of which it has plenty.
Since 2005, the junta has managed to get around 11,000 taxis and buses in Yangon [..] to convert to compressed natural gas (CNG).
Unfortunately, during this time it has installed only 20 filling stations for a city of 5 million people.
More unfortunately, the CNG pumps they have installed are so archaic they can take 30 minutes to fill up one vehicle.
Even more unfortunately, every time a power blackout strikes — which is at least once a day — the pumps grind to a halt.’
‘At least 11 people died and more than 100 people were injured at an annual spring festival in eastern Pakistan celebrated with the flying of thousands of colorful kites, officials said Monday.
The deaths and injuries were caused by stray bullets, sharpened kite-strings, electrocution and people falling off rooftops on Sunday at the conclusion of the two-day Basant festival, said Ruqia Bano, spokeswoman for the emergency services in the city of Lahore.
The festival is regularly marred by casualties caused by sharp kite strings or celebratory gunshots fired into the air. Kite flyers often use strings made of wire or coated with ground glass to try to cross and cut a rival’s string or damage the other kite, often after betting on the outcome.’
