Monday, November 30, 2009

Hey!! Look at me!!


Hey here's a novel concept.

Charge these two with criminal trespass and anything else you can figure out and confiscate any monies they recieve as a result of this BS.

This make two different reality show wannabees in the last month or so to do outrageous crap, (See the balloon boy episode)

And for what? To get attention? To get on TV? To get $$$?



TV Exec: Obama dinner crashers shopping interview
apnews.myway.com

NEW YORK (AP) - The couple who crashed President Barack Obama's first state dinner are peddling their story to broadcast networks for hundreds of thousands of dollars, a television executive says.

The executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the network does not publicly discuss bookings, told The Associated Press that representatives for Michaele and Tareq Salahi contacted networks to urge them to "get their bids in" for an interview. The executive said the Virginia couple was looking for a payment in the mid-six figures range.

Meanwhile, CNN confirmed that the Salahis had canceled an appearance they had scheduled for "Larry King Live" on Monday.

The rest of the story:

Put them away for life without the possibility of parole


I truly am coming to the point that I believe we need the option to assess life without the possibility of parole for many of these folks.


Sex offender suspected in child sexual assault
By Eva Ruth Moravec - Express-News

A 54-year-old registered sex offender is suspected of sexually assaulting a child.

David Fino is being held in Bexar County Jail on one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child. His bond is set at $100,000.

Earlier this month, a 7-year-old girl told Fino's relative he had been inappropriately touching her for some time.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Fino has been found guilty twice of sexual offenses involving children, and he reportedly told his relative he would not go back to jail, and would kill his accuser and have a shootout with police.

The rest of the story:

Tragic crime


My condolences and prayers go out to the families and friends of the fallen officers.

As well as to the community.

This is a tragedy.

UPDATE: More of a tragedy than I suspected. This perp should have still been in jail. Here's an excerpt from a blog by Michelle Malkin.

"Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing of four Lakewood police officers this morning, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.

Nine years ago, then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee granted clemency to Clemmons, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protestations of prosecutors.

“This is the day I’ve been dreading for a long time,” Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for Arkansas’ Pulaski County said Sunday night when informed that Clemmons was being sought in connection to the killings.

Clemmons’ criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. The record also stands out for the number of times he has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed.

Clemmons had been in jail in Pierce County for the past several months on a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child.

He was released from custody just six days ago, even though he was wanted on a fugitive warrant out of Arkansas and was staring at eight felony charges in all out of Washington state.

Clemmons posted $15,000 with a Chehalis company called Jail Sucks Bail Bonds. The bondsman, in turn, put up $150,000, securing Clemmons’ release on the pending child-rape charge.

Clemmons lives in Tacoma, where he has run a landscaping and power-washing business out of his house, according to a police interview with his wife earlier this year.

He was married, but the relationship was tumultuous, with accounts of his unpredictable behavior leading to at least two confrontations with police earlier this year.

During the confrontation in May, Clemmons punched a sheriff’s deputy in the face, according to court records. As part of that incident, he was charged with seven counts of assault and malicious mischief.

In another instance, Clemmons was accused of gathering his wife and young relatives around at 3 or 4 in the morning and having them all undress."

See her posting here:


Suspect in Lakewood police slayings wounded, may be dead
www.king5.com

SEATTLE, Wash. – A suspect in the slaying of four Lakewood, Wash., police officers gunned down in a suburban coffee shop was holed up at a Seattle house early Monday, wounded and possibly dead, police said.

Police used a loudspeaker, flashbangs and what appeared to be tear gas on a building in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood early Monday where suspect Maurice Clemmons was believed to be located.

Clemmons was shot and wounded during the attack on the four officers Sunday morning, police said, and it was unclear what his condition was, or if he was even in the building.

Clemmons has an extensive violent criminal history from Arkansas, including aggravated robbery and theft. He has also recently been arrested and charged in Pierce County for assault on a police officer and for rape of a child. After hours of calling Clemmons a "person of interest," Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ed Troyer declared Clemmons a suspect early Monday.

The rest of the story:

The game playing continues


Gee, i hardly know where to start this morning.

Let's start with Iran. When the 'eff are the folks in the State department or this Administration going to wake and smell the coffee?

They have no intention of complying with anything. Never have and never will.

We've been played as patsies. The only country who seems to have a realistic view is Israel.

But I guess that is politically incorrect.


'Iran's 10 Uranium Plants' In Defiance Of UN

Tom Bonnett, Sky News Online

Iran has approved plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants, the country's state media has said.

The announcement comes two days after the UN demanded Iran halt construction of a newly revealed enrichment facility near the city of Qom.



Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran to begin building at five new sites, state television IRIB reported on its website.

The government also ordered the Iranian body to locate sites for another five over the next two months, the media organisation said.

The US has called the expansion plans "another serious violation" of the country's international obligations.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said: "If true, this would be yet another serious violation of Iran's clear obligations under multiple UN security council resolutions, and another example of Iran choosing to isolate itself.

"The international community has made clear that Iran has rights, but with those rights come responsibilities."

He added: "Time is running out for Iran to address the international community's growing concerns about its nuclear programme."

The new enrichment plants are to be the same size as its main enrichment complex at Natanz.

Mr Ahmadinejad is reported to have said he will not allow an inch of Iranian rights to be wasted.

The cabinet is meeting on Wednesday to discuss plans to enrich uranium up to 20% purity, the president is quoted as saying on the IRIB TV website.

Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran should be producing 250-300 tonnes of nuclear fuel per year, according to IRIB.

The development is likely to add further strain to relations between Iran and Western powers.

The West suspects the Islamic republic is attempting to make nuclear bombs but Iran, the world's fifth-largest crude exporter, claims its atomic programme aims to generate electricity.

The IRIB previously reported that a strong majority of Iranian lawmakers issued a statement demanding the government should not to comply with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"The Iranian nation without a doubt knows that legally its nuclear file has no flaws and wants as soon as possible the case to be returned to the IAEA from the UN Security Council," the statement read, signed by 226 lawmakers.

The statement went on to denounce the resolution as politically motivated and said the US and England are responsible.

Lawmakers also said US President Barack Obama has failed to make the slightest change in policy towards Iran and said he has followed the same path of the hardline administration of his predecessor, George W Bush.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Ritualistic slaughter or UFO's?


What can I say its a slow news day.



Bizarre calf mutilations found on Colorado ranch
Breitbart.com

SAN LUIS, Colo. (AP) - A creepy string of calf mutilations in southern Colorado has a rancher and sheriff's officials mystified.

Four calves were found dead in a pasture just north of the New Mexico state line in recent weeks. The dead calves had their skins peeled back and organs cleared from the rib cage. One calf had its tongue removed.

But rancher Manuel Sanchez has found no signs of human attackers, such as footprints or ATV tracks. And there are no signs of an animal attack by a coyote or mountain lion. Usually predators leave pools of blood or drag marks from carrying away the livestock.

The rest of the story:

I'd like to stay here too


Can I be arrested and placed on house arrest in Gstaad?

Please?


Polanski prepares for luxury Alpine house arrest

GSTAAD, Switzerland (AP) - After two months in a Swiss jail, Roman Polanski prepared Thursday for the splendid captivity of his $1.6 million chalet in one of world's most luxurious winter resorts.

Polanski will have views of snowcapped Alpine peaks, spacious rooms and the all the amenities of a town with a reputation for catering to the wishes of the rich and famous.

But he won't be able to go out the front door.

In this isolated bastion of wealth—which Elizabeth Taylor once called home and Michael Jackson visited—the 76-year-old director will be placed under house arrest as soon as he posts $4.5 million bail, surrenders his identity documents and is fitted for an electronic bracelet that allows authorities to monitor his whereabouts.

The rest of the story:

Don't make me laugh


How can you go from zero cooperation to no cooperation?

How can you seriously decrease cooperation when to date there has been none, nada, zip, zero?

My leg you are pulling, No?


Iran warns of less IAEA cooperation
Al Jazeera

Ali Larijani, Iran's parliament speaker, has warned that his country could "seriously decrease" cooperation with the UN's atomic watchdog after international demands to cease work on a second nuclear plant.

Larijani said to parliament on Sunday that the US and the five other powers in talks with Tehran must change their approach to the Middle Eastern nation.

"The Iranian parliament warns the US and other members of the five-plus-one group not to think that such kind of outdated games will give you a chance for haggling," he said.

"Do not make the parliament and the Iranian nation choose another path and seriously decrease cooperation with the IAEA [the International Atomic Energy Agency]."

The comments by Larijani, who was previously Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, came two days after the UN's IAEA passed a resolution demanding that construction of the plant, known as Fordo, near the Shia holy city of Qom be halted immediately.

The IAEA also demanded increased cooperation from Tehran on nuclear issues.

'Political swindle'

Larijani responded in parliament: "This negotiation shows that they [world powers] are not seeking a dialogue, but are seeking to commit a political swindle because [they] should have welcomed Iran's early announcement of the Fordo plant and not use it as a pretext to issue a resolution."

The parliamentary speaker has previously claimed that international powers are attempting to "trick" Tehran in a nuclear fuel deal.

Mohammad Karamirad, a conservative Iranian legislator, has warned on Saturday that the IAEA resolution could force Tehran to pull out of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), which could seriously hamper efforts to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons.

"The parliament, in its first reaction to this illegal and politically-motivated resolution, can consider the issue of withdrawing from the NPT,'' the official IRNA news agency quoted Karamirad as saying.

"The parliament ... [also] can block the entry of IAEA inspectors to the country."

Past threats

Karamirad was not speaking for the government, but his comments may be indicative of Tehran's feeling.

Iran has made similar threats before, notably in 2006 after heightened UN pressure over its nuclear programme. However, it later backed down.

Iran disclosed the plant on September 21, but has insisted that it has not broken any IAEA regulations in not announcing the presence of the plant earlier as there is not yet any nuclear material at the facility.

Twenty-five out of 35 IAEA member nations voted for Friday's resolution, with only Venezuela, Cuba and Malaysia voting against it.

China and Russia, who have close ties with Iran, also voted for, siding with the US, UK, France and Germany.

There has been no such resolution against Iran since February 2006.

Western powers suspect Iran of using a proposed development of a peaceful nuclear-energy programme as a cover to build nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies.

Missing found


What was on his computer that got his family concerned?

I hope its been preserved for the investigators.


Houston teacher's body found after his SUV is towed
By Cindy George and Moises Mendoza - Houston Chronicle

Authorities are searching for three people in connection with the death of a Houston teacher whose body was discovered Thursday in the cargo area of his SUV, where it had remained undetected until the vehicle was towed.

The vehicle was moved to a police impound lot nearly 60 miles from the Fort Bend County farm where it was discovered abandoned last week.

Officials believe Heladio Rojas Perales, 35, a Spanish teacher at Reagan High School, might have been killed at a friend’s Wharton home last weekend, then dumped with his Toyota 4Runner in a rural section of Fort Bend County.

The rest of the story:

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Porta Potty!!


Someone needed one really badly.

Apparently.


Guest toilet stolen at Port St. Lucie home, police say

By: Will Greenlee -TCPalm.com

PORT ST. LUCIE — In what appears to be a commode caper, someone kicked open the locked front door of a home and absconded with a toilet from the guest bathroom, according to a recently released police report.

The toilet taker also stole “several items of miscellaneous camping equipment” from the garage of the residence in the 1100 block of Southwest Empire Street.

The 29-year-old resident on Saturday told police the theft happened between 7:45 a.m. Nov. 18 and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Police reported the front door was forced open and the interior frame broken.

Investigators saw muddy footprints leading from the guest bathroom — where the “unknown brand” toilet had been — to the garage.

The toilet was valued at $150, while the camping equipment, valued at about $500, was taken from the garage.

Neighbors reported seeing nothing unusual over the previous few days.

No, really, it is.....


Oh okay.

They sent Iran a strongly worded letter.

That will be sure to dissuade them from seeking to build nuclear weapons.

You betcha!


Iranian lawmaker: Iran could leave nuclear treaty
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI - Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's parliament may consider withdrawing the country from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in response to a resolution by the U.N. nuclear watchdog censuring Tehran over its nuclear program, a hardline lawmaker said Saturday.

Mohammad Karamirad, a senior lawmaker, said parliament may also consider blocking inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Tehran has allowed such inspections so far.

The threats come a day after the board of the U.N. nuclear agency passed a resolution demanding Tehran immediately stop building its newly revealed nuclear facility near the holy city of Qom and freeze uranium enrichment.

The rest of the story:

Giving back to the community


Thank you student volunteers.

What a great thing for you to do and Man o' Law salutes you for it!

God Bless you all.

Students lend a hand to improve classrooms

Come Monday, second-graders at Westwood Terrace Elementary School will walk into their classrooms to a surprise on the level of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

They'll see brightly painted walls and decorative touches, thanks to high school volunteers who gave up some of their holiday vacation to help Friday. Some 30 students are expected to pitch in through Sunday.

“I feel the school is beautiful, but it's going to look even better in their classrooms,” Principal Gracie Guess said Friday.

Westwood Terrace is in Northside Independent School District, and most of the student volunteers were from the district's Jay High School.

The rest of the story:

Surprize!!


Well, there they are.

Not only not on the guest list but actually holding hands with the President.

You just know some heads will roll over this.

As they probably should.


White House: State dinner crashers met Obama


WASHINGTON (AP) -- This time, the picture is the story.

After the Secret Service insisted that President Barack Obama was never endangered by a security breach that allowed a couple to crash his first state dinner, the White House has released a photo showing that not only did the pair get close to Obama, they actually shook hands and talked to him.

As the White House was disclosing that the Virginia couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, met Obama in the receiving line, a "deeply concerned and embarrassed" Secret Service on Friday acknowledged that its officers never checked whether the two were on the guest list before letting them onto the White House grounds.

The White House released a photo showing the Salahis in the receiving line in the Blue Room with Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in whose honor the dinner was held. Obama and reality TV hopeful Michaele Salahi are smiling as she grasps his right hand with both of hers and her husband looks on. Singh is standing to Obama's left.

The rest of the story:

Friday, November 27, 2009

BREAKING NEWS: Tiger Woods hospitalized NOW: Released from hospital


I hope he will be alright.

UPDATE: Now apparently released and may be facing unspecified charges.



Tiger Woods taken to hospital in 'serious' condition after car accident

Professional golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident outside his Isleworth home early this morning.

Orlando Sentinel:

Professional golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning, the Florida Highway Patrol just reported.

Woods, 33, pulled out of his driveway in the Isleworth community about 2:25 a.m. when he struck a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree at his neighbor's property, FHP reported.

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP said. No other information about his condition has been released.

A Health Central hospital employee said at 2:30 p.m. that Woods was not a patient. A hospital operator would not say if Woods had been treated and released.

FHP said the airbags in Woods' Cadillac Escalade did not deploy, which means the vehicle was traveling under 33 mph.

Orange County Fire Rescue received the call for aid at 2:28 a.m. Woods was transported from his Windermere-area neighborhood by the hospital's own ambulance.

FHP did not report the accident until just after 2 p.m. today. The agency said the crash remains under investigation and charges are pending.

Fried Turkey


Nothing and no one injured except the turkey and some pride.

Be careful out there folks!!


Turkey fryer catches fire, burning Ohio house
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Authorities in Ohio say a turkey fryer caused a house to catch fire as the homeowner was preparing a Thanksgiving meal.

Columbus firefighters say no one was injured in the fire Thursday. They contained it to the back of the two-story house.

The turkey fryer was set up outside near the back door. Capt. Mike Zuber said a propane tank had a worn hose that caused a gas leak, sparking the blaze.

The fire spread to a nearby wood pile and a pickup truck.

The homeowner's identity wasn't immediately released. Zuber says one other family member was home at the time.

Damage was estimated at $15,000.



Let the experts show you why you shouldn't deep fry a turkey:

Turkey run


Fowl play indeed.



Police seek bald man who swiped family's turkey

JACKSON, Mich. (AP) - Jackson police are working to crack a case of fowl play. They're searching for a man who broke into an apartment about 11 p.m. Tuesday and stole a family's holiday turkey. Police Lt. Christopher Simpson told the Jackson Citizen Patriot the suspect ran into the kitchen and stole the turkey out of the freezer.

He said the 6-foot, 300-pound bald man "fled with turkey in hand."

Police said a woman and two children were home at the time, and no one was injured.

The woman told authorities she knew the man.

Slicing the turkey


Another Happy Thanksgiving apparently.


Man stabbed in fight after argument involving mother
By Vianna Davila - Express-News

A 29-year-old man went to University Hospital in critical condition Thursday night after he was stabbed during a fight that originally started with his mother.

As the night wore on, police were still trying to piece together what led to the stabbing just after 10 p.m., in front of a group of housing units in the 11200 block of Belair Drive.

Officers received reports that the victim's mother got into a fight with another woman outside the units, said San Antonio Police Department Night Commander Captain Rosie Vasquez. A group of men watching the altercation apparently started encouraging the fight, which led one of the women to confront them, Vasquez said.

The rest of the story:

Turkey shoot


What?

This is terrible.

I hope the family can overcome their grief over their loss.


4 relatives shot dead at Fla. Thanksgiving party


JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Three women and a child in bed were shot to death during a family Thanksgiving gathering in South Florida and a male relative was being sought early Friday.

Police said 17 relatives were in the house when the shootings were reported around 10 p.m. Thursday in Jupiter, a small coastal town about 90 miles north of Miami.

Jupiter Police Sgt. Scott Pascarella said officers were looking for Paul Michael Merhige, 35, of Miami. Merhige is a cousin of the 6-year-old victim, McKayla Sitton, and has no criminal record, police said.

The rest of the story:

Turkey trot


Good going folks!!



Turkey Trot expected 200 people; got 700

-

Organizers hoped 100 local, avid runners would break their typical Thanksgiving routine for an early-morning, first-time fundraiser.

Their highest hopes were that 200 people might come — bringing their children to the participate in the “turkey chase.”

They never imagined the turnout they received on Thursday morning in Gruene for the first annual Gruene Turkey Trot. The 5k walk and run drew close to 700 participants, many of whom came from out of town.

The air was cool, crisp and just below 50 degrees when the race began at 8:30 a.m.

“Our goal was 250 people and we got 700 plus to enjoy this beautiful day,” said Detective Sergeant Tommy Ward of the Comal County Sheriff’s Office, one of the organizers of the event.

“Couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day,” he said.

Families ran together, some with jogging strollers, some as an informal team.

Lee, Traci and Kyle Kendrick joined the race as a family.

“We run occasionally. Our son (Kyle) is on the track team at Church Hill Middle School,” Traci Kendrick said.

“And we heard there would be adult beverages,” Lee Kendrick added.

After the run, bottles of water, milk and other drinks were available, or if you preferred, beer was provided in the patio area behind the Gristmill, a welcome choice for some at 9 a.m. — it is Thanksgiving, after all — along with bratwurst for those who worked up too much of an appetite to wait for turkey later in the day.

“We thought it would be a fun family thing to do today, before the family thing later in the day,” Traci Kendrick said.

The top four adult runners were given turkeys and medals for their accomplishment. John Martinez edged out Steve Dogisch to win for the men, and Stevi Armstrong took the lead over Vicki Ralph to win for the women.

Some people who came were in search for a holiday event, and found the Turkey Trot appealing.

“If you’re a runner, you look for a run on any holiday,” Vicki Ralph said.

“There’s also the guilt thing,” Bernadette Beck of San Antonio said, alluding to the feast to follow.

“Blue Santa” made an appearance, shaking hands, thanking participants for their contributions to this charitable event, and inevitably ended up sitting on a bench in front of Gruene Hall with a line of children waiting to have a word with him about the next holiday around the corner. Though he was in blue, not red, the children waiting for the turkey chase didn’t miss an opportunity to provide Santa with a wish list.

After the adult race, children participated in a “turkey chase.”

John Bell, a jail administrator for the Sheriff’s Office, dressed up in a turkey suit for the children to chase him. The chase lasted about two minutes, with dozens of children chasing him around the block, from in front of Gruene Hall, down New Braunfels Street and turning back on Hunter Road toward the finish line.

“Tommy Ward asked me to dress up, and I said I would. Anything to help out kids,” Bell said.

The turnout indicates, at least in the minds behind a new nonprofit named Comal Cops for Kids, which organized the activities, that this event was successful enough to become an annual occurrence for years to come.

“We thought it would be a success if each board member got 20 people to come,” said Jennifer Tharp with Comal Cops for Kids.

“One hundred would be a success,” she said. “But last night, we ran out of the 500 T-shirts, and today about 200 people pre-registered this morning.

“We were just ecstatic.”

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Turkey's done!


I say stick a fork in him he's done.



Police say teacher exposed himself

By Eva Ruth Moravec - Express-News

A 54-year-old special education teacher is free on bond Wednesday morning, hours after he reportedly exposed himself to an undercover San Antonio park police officer.

San Antonio police arrested Lewin Bramwell around 3 p.m. at Olmos Basin Park, in the 600 block of Devine Road. He was released around 4 a.m. on an $800 bond on one count of indecent exposure.

Bramwell, the special education specialist at Kriewald Road Elementary School, is on administrative leave in light of the allegations, said Southwest Independent School District spokeswoman Sharon Woldhagen. He's worked in the district since 2005, she said.

The rest of the story:

What the hell??


This would be really hilarious if it wasn't so serious.

So two folks gate crash a State Dinner at the White House.

Great Security President Obama.


Couple slips through security to crash state dinner

SAEN -

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michaele and Tareq Salahi didn't look out of place at Tuesday's White House state dinner. They were all smiles as they rubbed shoulders with Vice President Joe Biden, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty and CBS News anchor Katie Couric.

No one suspected the Salahis were a couple of brazen party crashers - and wannabe reality TV stars.

The Secret Service is looking into its security procedures after determining that the Virginia couple managed to slip into Tuesday night's event even though they were not on the guest list, agency spokesman Ed Donovan said.

The rest of the story:

Community service


More wonderful volunteerism this Thanksgiving.


Hundreds volunteer for community Thanksgiving

-

Forty sets of gloved hands were fast at work Wednesday, tearing the meat from the bones of smoked turkeys, sorting the meat by color and tossing the stripped bones into boxes.

It was both joyful and meticulous work. The volunteers laughed and chatted, but never lost focus on the task at hand.

“Let’s see how much more meat we can salvage off of this,” said volunteer Monique Weston.

About 40 volunteers were de-boning more than 300 smoked turkeys at McKenna Events Center Wednesday in preparation for today’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner. The turkeys were donated by Granzin’s Meat Market and prepared by the New Braunfels Smokehouse.

In other rooms, hundreds of other volunteers were decorating, and preparing side dishes — green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and gallons and gallons of gravy.

“I don’t have kids in town anymore. I’m just a senior that came to give back to people in need,” said Mimi Beall of New Braunfels, who was de-boning turkeys Wednesday.

Some friends and neighbors were reunited in their volunteer efforts.

“We’re old friends. We used to be in a garden club together, so we’re on our fourth turkey today and we’re visiting,” said Weston, who partnered up with Sandy Schlameus to de-bone turkeys.

The ninth annual New Braunfels Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the McKenna Events Center on 801 W. San Antonio St.

While the focus of the meal is for the needy, everyone is invited to come and join “a time of fellowship and Thanksgiving celebration.”

For the past eight years, the local nonprofit TIPHER (The Institute for Public Health and Education Research) coordinated the effort that has grown substantially in its volunteer base and participants, but this year the project changed hands, and now the Central Texas Advocates for Seniors (CTAFS) orchestrates the massive Thanksgiving dinner.

For those participants served by the dinner that are immobile or just cannot leave their residence, more than 380 boxed dinners were being prepared Wednesday for delivery today.

Roughly 3,000 people will be served by the community dinner’s efforts this Thanksgiving.

In August 2008, CTAFS became a nonprofit, right at the time TIPHER was looking for a new group to run the community dinner. The nonprofit status allowed CTAFS to take on a project such as the community dinner, and everyone on their board of directors agreed to take on the responsibility of keeping the dinner as a mainstay in New Braunfels year after year.

“I’ve been the vice chair for the last two years,” said Domingo Medina of CTAFS.

“I did try to get involved last year, but because my wife just had a baby then, we became participants in the dinner,” he said.

Medina, like other volunteers on Wednesday, said orchestrating the dinner provides a way for them to give back to the community.

“Most of the people we serve are in the city limits. Many volunteers have been doing this for as long as the dinner has been going on,” he said.

“People volunteer for all kinds of reasons. People say things like ‘my father passed away and so my mother doesn’t want to do dinner anymore, so we came to give back.’”

New Braunfels Community Thanksgiving Dinner When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today Where: McKenna Events Center on 801 W. San Antonio St. Cost: Free

Volunteers in Medicine


What a wonderful gift to the community.



Free medical clinic offers help to uninsured

-

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” reads the Bible quote painted on the waiting room wall at Volunteers in Medicine in New Braunfels. For Comal County’s uninsured, that room is a haven.

“We offer barrier-free access to care,” said Jennifer Malatek, executive director of Volunteers in Medicine.

Doctors and dentists volunteer their time and have served more than 3,000 patients since the facility opened in September 2008, helping those who are “caught in the middle” and don’t earn enough for insurance but don’t qualify for Medicaid.

No state or federal funding fills VIM coffers. The major contributor is Oakwood Baptist Church and its charitable foundation. The church owns the land and church parishioners built the building, which is tidy, with glazed concrete floors and meticulous treatment rooms.

Other major contributors include the McKenna Legacy Foundation, the Baptist Health Foundation, and the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation.

Patients include people whose work went from full-time with benefits to part-time. Those moving to Texas to look for work also add to the swelling ranks of local uninsured, Malatek said.

“Because of that demand, we have seen many more patients,” Malatek said.

The downtown facility, a remodeled storefront on San Antonio Avenue, is run as an independent non-profit, but is part of a nationwide network of 70 such facilities.

Three full-time employees work with an army of area volunteers to create an atmosphere devoid of stigma, where neighbors help neighbors, Malatek said.

“I see the need in the community,” said Dr. Dorothy Overman, medical director at VIM and local family practice doctor. She volunteers a half-day each week.

Overman said she works with patients to develop a treatment plan for them that they can afford, often supplying free drug samples, for example, or connecting patients with prescription drug assistance through the McKenna Prescription Access program in New Braunfels.

“If it wasn’t for y’all being here, I don’t know what I would have done,” said patient Sheryl Mckinney of New Braunfels.

Mckinney was in for a follow-up with Overman and called the facility “God-sent.”

Most patients at VIM are adults because most children in need qualify for Medicaid or other government-funded assistance, Malatek said.

There are two full-service dental chairs with digital X-rays. About ten area specialists, including Dr. Melissa Miskell, a gynecologist, and doctors from New Braunfels Cardiology donate their time.

Potential patients must call the clinic to make an appointment. After passing a screening process, including proof of residency and household income, patients qualify for free care.

The cut off to qualify for care is an income more than double the national poverty rate. The national poverty rate is $10,830 for individuals and $22,050 for a family of four.

Malatek said the organization is always in need of contributions. Despite a troubled national economy, donations have not dropped.

In fact, VIM opened when the economy was first hitting hard times in the fall of 2008, and has been able in the past year to meet the needs of increasing numbers of patients, Malatek said.

New Braunfels Volunteers in Medicine

1195 West San Antonio St.

Happy Thanksgiving!


Dear Readers;

Best wishes for a wonderful and peaceful Thanksgiving to you and your family from all of us at Man o' Law.

Regards,

Man o' Law and the Man o' Law family

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Kick, hug, kill,....... you know


One of my high school aged daughters responded to me when I asked her if she had heard of "kick a Jew Day" she said no but that there was "Hug a Jew Day" which she said (I quote) "was fricking annoying".

Anyway its a tradition with a long and infamous history as can be seen in the photo.

Hug a Jew,

Kick a Jew,

What is this world coming to? (Hey it rhymes!)


10 North Naples Middle students suspended for taking part in “kick a Jew day”

By: Karherine Albers www.naplesnews.com

— Ten North Naples Middle School students were suspended last week after district officials said they participated in “kick a Jew day.”

District Spokesman Joe Landon said a student told the dean of students at dismissal on Thursday that she was kicked because it was “kick a Jew day.”

The following morning Principal Margaret Jackson addressed the entire student body on the morning news regarding the incident, reviewing the code of student conduct, explaining why what happened was wrong, the need to respect one another and possible consequences, Landon said.

Jackson asked that anyone with information on the incident come to the office and speak with her or the assistant principal as they investigated the incident.

As a result, the district determined that 10 students should be punished. The students received a one day, in-school suspension, which was served today. The parents of the 10 students were also called and conferences with the parents followed the phone calls, according to Landon.

Parents of the students who were kicked were also notified of what happened, Landon said.

Landon said until further notice, the school will focus the first 20 minutes of each day on character traits, beginning with respect and kindness. Homeroom teachers will speak with the students about these traits and will focus on bullying prevention, he said. Videos on the topic will be sought out and used as part of the training, he said.

Landon said the first 20 minutes of the school day is normally used for reading time and tutoring time if students need help.

David Barkey, south area council for the Florida Anti-Definmation League, said the organization had been made aware of the incident.

“You are talking about an incident that has anti-Jewish bias if not anti-Semitism. You have Jewish students being singled out, harassed and assaulted,” he said. “If the allegations are true, it is possible these students violated Florida’s new anti-bullying law. And, if students were physically assaulted, it could rise to the level of criminal conduct.”

Rabbi James Perman, of Temple Shalom in North Naples, called the situation “alarming.”

“I can tell you this: I haven’t seen anything like it in my 17 years in Naples. No child deserves this kind of treatment,” he wrote in an e-mail Monday. “Their parents are understandably outraged. So far it seems that the school system has taken appropriate measures and we applaud their efforts. At this point, teaching sensitive awareness is more important than punishing anyone.”

Perman said how the situation is handled is of concern to those at the Temple because it involves children.

“Beyond that, there are critical issues for the entire Jewish community and beyond. ... These are not new issues for us here in Naples,” he wrote. “These 10 kids did not invent anti-Semitism. They found a sympathetic response that was already there on some level.”

He said the Temple is ready to help.

The Collier County School District has a policy on bullying and harassment. It defines bullying as “systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees.”

Harassment is defined as “any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, use of data or computer software, or written, verbal or physical conduct directed against a student or school employee that places a student or school employee in reasonable fear of harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property,” among other things.

The students were disciplined in accordance with the bullying and harassment policy, which can range from “positive behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion, as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct,” according to the district’s policy.

Help!! My PC isn't PC!!


Political Correctness run amok.

There will always be this crap on the Internet.

Grow up folks.

And no, I am not an anti-Semite. I are a Semite.


Google explains racist results

Washington - Google is running advertisements to explain the appearance of racist and anti-Semitic material in search results, including a picture which depicts US First Lady Michelle Obama as a monkey.

"Sometimes Google search results from the internet can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries," the Mountain View, California-based search giant said in an ad signed "The Google Team".

"We assure you that the views expressed by such sites are not in any way endorsed by Google," Google said.

The Google ad appears on a page of image search results for Michelle Obama which includes the offensive depiction of the wife of President Barack Obama.

"Search engines are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the internet," Google said.

"The beliefs and preferences of those who work at Google, as well as the opinions of the general public, do not determine or impact our search results."

Google said it will remove pages from search results if they violate the company's guidelines but it "views the integrity of our search results as an extremely important priority.

Computer algorithms

"Accordingly, we do not remove a page from our search results simply because its content is unpopular or because we receive complaints concerning it," Google said.

"We apologise if you've had an upsetting experience using Google," it added. "We hope you understand our position regarding offensive results."

A similar Google explanation appears on the page featuring search results for the word "Jew".

"If you recently used Google to search for the word 'Jew', you may have seen results that were very disturbing," Google said.

"A site's ranking in Google's search results relies heavily on computer algorithms using thousands of factors to calculate a page's relevance to a given query," it said.

"Sometimes subtleties of language cause anomalies to appear that cannot be predicted," Google said.

"A search for 'Jew' brings up one such unexpected result," it said. "One reason is that the word 'Jew' is often used in an anti-Semitic context."

Fake police, open up!


The radio said they also took about $7,000 in cash from the house.

I hope these folks get caught quickly.



Police: men dressed as cops terrorize family
By Valentino Lucio - Express-News

Authorities are looking for multiple suspects, including two armed men dressed as police officers, who terrorized a family late Monday on the city's West Side, officials said.

The robbery occurred around 11 p.m. at the home in the 5100 block of Bluff Street. A woman living there answered a knock at the door and saw two men dressed in police uniforms with a woman who appeared to be in custody, a San Antonio Police Department report states. The men forced their way into the house when the resident opened the door and assaulted her, a man who also lives there and their son. The man suffered minor injuries when one of the suspects hit him with a gun, the report said.

The rest of the story:

A terrible tragedy which was not a criminal act in all likelihood


If it isn't there it isn't there.

The best way to clear this matter IMHO is to go ahead and present it to a Grand Jury and let them decide if there was a criminal act involved. From what has been reported in the paper it certainly doesn't seem that there was any criminal act involved on the part of the pick-up truck driver.

No act you can say he had the requisite mental culpable state of acting either intentionally, knowingly, reckless or with criminal negligence.

I am terribly sorry that Gregory and Alexandra Bruehler were struck and killed, leaving an orphaned child, but accidents can and do happen without there being a criminal act.

There is always the civil litigation recourse route which, I believe, is currently underway.


DA's office gets investigation on fatal bicycle wreck
By Craig Kapitan - Express-News

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has forwarded to prosecutors its investigation of a wreck last month that killed two bicyclists along Texas 16 near Helotes. What happens next with the case is likely to remain an unresolved question until at least next year, authorities said.

“In my opinion, we have no criminal wrongdoing at this time,” said Sgt. Jose Trevino, who reviewed the inch-thick report before handing it over to the district attorney's office Monday.

But the report doesn't contain a specific recommendation, and it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether to pursue criminal charges, Trevino said, repeating a position the Sheriff's Office has held for the past two months.

The rest of the story:

Restoration


Don't be confused this is to restore the old Courthouse.

Not to build a new one.



County ask for $3.5 M to restore courthouse


After narrowly missing out in 2008, Comal County Commissioners are again shooting for state funding to restore the downtown courthouse.

County officials said the courthouse on Main Plaza has some structural issues as well as faulty plumbing and wiring. Commissioners approved a grant application Thursday to submit to the Texas Historical Commission seeking $3.5 million to refurbish the local landmark.

“I can’t tell you how important it is to bring that courthouse back to its original glory,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Jan Kennady. “It is the crown jewel of Comal County.”

The state denied Comal County funding to restore the courthouse in 2008, instead awarding grants to 14 other counties around the state.

The Texas Historical Commission grades each building’s historical significance on a point system, and last year it gave the Comal County Courthouse a score of 180 — one shy of the 181 needed to secure funding.

“If we don’t get it this time, there’s no hope for Comal County,” Kennady said.

To secure funding this time around, Cherise Bell, the historic preservation officer for the city of New Braunfels, drafted the grant application. Bell said she has experience securing these types of grants, and by offering to do the research and write the application, also saved the county from having to hire a consultant.

She was cautious, though, as the historical commission was only allocated $20 million by the legislature in 2009 to restore courthouses throughout the state.

“The probability is a lot lower this year, but I certainly think we have a courthouse that deserves it,” Bell said.

The $3.5 million would cover more than a third of the total cost to upgrade some the building’s internal systems and restore the courthouse to its original 1898 condition.

Kennady said the total project would cost around $8.5 million, and that the county already has around $6 million in reserves it set aside last year to pay for the restoration.

The grant application must be submitted to the state by Dec. 1. Kennady said the county should find out whether it will receive the grant by late January.

“This funding is critical because the courthouse really is in bad shape,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Greg Parker. “Something needs to be done.”

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Hero Cart (actually it was a bagel cart)


Thank God the cart prevented that robbery!

Brave little bagel cart!!

People are seen lining up at the cart to thank it!!


Bagel cart prevents armed robbery at Orlando Einstein Bros.
By Walter Pacheco, Orlando Sentinel

A bagel cart prevented two armed suspects from robbing an Einstein Bros. Bagels in College Park this morning.

Orlando police reports show two suspects in hooded sweatshirts, masks and armed with a shotgun walked into the eatery at 2817 Edgewater Drive around 5:37 a.m.

Sgt. Barbara Jones of the Orlando Police Department said the men tried to rob the restaurant, but one of the employees pushed a bagel cart at the suspects and they fled.

Jones said one customer was inside the restaurant at the time of the attempted robbery. There were no injuries.

He skipped skool


He can thank the school he skipped for teaching him how to write although apparently not how to spell.

Mispellings hov a wey of ruiinning thigz donut they?



Police: R.I. teen skipped school, robbed bank

WARWICK, R.I. (AP) - Police say a 17-year-old Warwick boy who skipped school to rob a bank has been arrested after leaving fingerprints on the threatening note he passed to the teller. Warwick police Capt. Sean Collins said the boy handed a note riddled with misspellings to a teller Thursday, demanding money or "everyone will be shot."

The teller at Coastway Community Bank gave the teen money, but he didn't have much time to spend it.

Police said his image was captured on surveillance cameras, and his fingerprints were found on the note.

Police said the teen was arrested six hours after the alleged theft and faces a first degree robbery charge. The teen, whom police declined to identify because he's a juvenile, was being held at the Rhode Island Training School.

A little old for school?


Why was he enrolled in the District at age 19 as a freshman?

Shouldn't he have just gone into the GED program at that time?

He'll get his education and 'diploma' from prison I guess.


Man suspected of fondling teens at Somerset Junior High
By Eva Ruth Moravec - Express-News

A 19-year-old suspected of fondling two teenage girls behind a middle school last month also is accused of assaulting a police officer, a school administrator and another student during a fight — all within five weeks of enrolling in Somerset Independent School District, according to authorities.

Ray Anthony Guerra was in Bexar County Jail on Monday on $70,000 bail. He was charged with resisting arrest, assaulting a public servant, assault with bodily injury, and two counts of indecency with a child by contact.

Guerra, a freshman, transferred to the district more than a month ago when he moved into a foster home next to the district's football stadium, district spokesman Maury Vasquez said. District police arrested him last week after a fight at the high school, Vasquez said.

The rest of the story:

Insanity defense


Boy, that will be a tough defense to sell. Let's see the planning involved, the saying good bye to a friend, the shouting of "Allahu akbar", the lectures he gave on the Koran and Jihad, the e-mails to the Iman in Yemen, all seem to run counter to an "I was crazy" defense.

Just my opinion.

His defense attorney however, would be re-miss if he didn't raise it.

Of course the military might be okay with an insanity defense too. Then that could exonerate those who ignored the warning signs concerning Major Hasan and chalk it all up to his going crazy and heading off the reservation.


Atty: Fort Hood suspect may use insanity defense
By ANGELA K. BROWN

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- An Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people during an attack on his Texas post will likely plead not guilty to the charges against him and may use an insanity defense at his military trial, his attorney said Monday.

John Galligan, the civilian attorney for Maj. Nidal Hasan, said he is considering an insanity defense among other options, but that it's too early to determine his defense strategy.

"Based on the evidence thus far, his mental status must be raised," Galligan told The Associated Press by phone from his office near Fort Hood, about 130 miles southwest of Dallas. "Anybody who allegedly engages in conduct that is completely contradictory to his lifestyle and military career - an insanity defense has to be considered."

The rest of the story:

Monday, November 23, 2009

Shrek 3 to 5 years


Some folks should just find an honest way to make a living.



The robber who is too ugly for a life of crime
By ROSS MCGUINNESS - Metro.co.uk

A big-eared bank raider nicknamed Shrek is behind bars today after being warned he is 'too ugly' to commit crime.

Unfortunate David Holyoak, 33, has rather distinctive looks and his features make it easy for police to get his description and locate him.

As Holyoak, of Whitefield, Manchester, began a three-and-a-half year jail sentence for robbery yesterday, one officer said: 'This man only needs to look at himself in the mirror to realise crime is not for him.

'With his big ears and rotund features he stands out a mile, and the officers have no trouble spotting him. He must be a total liability when he is part of a gang.

'He has already been dubbed Shrek and must be one of the ugliest robbers in the country.'

Holyoak was part of a gang who robbed a Halifax bank near Preston and threatened the cashier with a sledgehammer.

They smashed a glass security window, climbed the counter and stole cash. But it was elementary for police to identify Holyoak as one of the robbers, after they got a clear eyewitness description of him ... and his ears.

However, before they arrested him, Holyoak struck again when a security guard delivered cash to a post office in Bury. As the guard walked in, a car pulled up outside and Holyoak and his accomplices got out, carrying a weapon and wearing masks.

The driver of a police surveillance car, following the armoured van, saw the men run inside and radioed the guard to warn him of their attack.

The robbers stole the cash box and ran to a getaway car. It roared out of a side street but ploughed straight into a tree.

The robbers leapt out and fled but Holyoak, and two accomplices, were found hiding in a garden.

Holyoak, described as a 'dangerous individual,' pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court with three others to robbery.

Santa's little elf


Felonious holiday decorating.

Is it naughty or nice?

Fa-la-la felony? Sneaky decorator escapes charges


HERSCHER, Ill. (AP) -- The home-invading Christmas elf has been identified, and it turns out to be a teenage prankster.

Police in the Kankakee County town of Herscher had been puzzling over who decked the halls of an apartment while a family was away last weekend.

The family returned Monday to find Christmas tree lights and ornaments throughout the apartment.

Police Chief Rick Gilbert said Friday that the rogue elf turned out to be a 14-year-old girl, who came forward after the story appeared in a Kankakee newspaper.

The girl was a friend of children who lived in the apartment. She could have faced felony charges, even though nothing was stolen and there was no damage.

The family, however, has decided not to press charges.

BOLO!


I hope this fellow gets caught soon.

If you have any information please call CrimeStoppers at 210-224-7867.


Police offer reward for information about killer
By Eva Ruth Moravec - Express-News

San Antonio police are asking for the public's help in finding the shooter who killed a 34-year-old man earlier this month.

CrimeStoppers has offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Corey Cumby's killer.

Cumby, also known as “Gumby,” had just left a bar on Perrin Beitel Road around 3 a.m. on Nov. 8 and was driving a blue Mercury Grand Marquis south on Interstate 35 when someone in a four-door black sedan pulled up next to him and began to shoot, according to a police department press release.

The rest of the story: