Thursday, April 28, 2005

 

Hey, I'd be pissed, too

No pizza, no pay

MONTOURSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A man who said he was roughed up and arrested for refusing to pay for pizza delivered late and cold would receive $25,000 under a settlement agreement filed in federal court.

Larry A. Phillips, of Montoursville, said he wouldn’t pay for pizza a delivery man brought to his home two hours after it was ordered, according to court documents.

posted by Anne 4/28/2005 03:01:00 PM (0) comments

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

 

Life imitating art?

Uranium missing, Teaneck lab says

A small amount of enriched uranium fuel is missing from a Teaneck laboratory, triggering a state and federal search for the nuclear material from Bergen County to Virginia.

The 3.3 grams of powdered uranium - about one-tenth the weight of a paper clip - was reported missing Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.

~*~*~

My advice? Start looking for an eccentric scientist with a DeLorean, a dog named Einstein and a friend named Marty.

posted by Anne 4/19/2005 02:34:00 PM (0) comments

Thursday, April 14, 2005

 

Should we shoot her?

OK. I'll admit the cop may have been out of line, but I can understand it. I have a friend who's a cop. One time, a mother called him because she had driven her kid to school and the kid refused to get out of the car. So, I have to wonder how many calls like that the Texas cop got before he let "Do you want us to come over to shoot her?" slip out.

posted by Anne 4/14/2005 11:34:00 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

 

Bizarre? To say the least.

By COLIN FLY
Associated Press Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man was beaten to death after catching his wife’s lover living in a closet in their home, police said Tuesday.
Rafael DeJesus Rocha-Perez, 35, was charged with homicide in the slaying of 44-year-old Jeffrey A. Freeman over the weekend.
‘‘From time to time, you come across a case with very unique — even bizarre — circumstances,’’ police spokesman Don Aaron said. ‘‘This one probably rates right up there with them.’’
Freeman’s wife had allowed Rocha-Perez to live in a closet of the Freemans’ four-bedroom for about a month without her husband’s knowledge, police said. On Sunday, her husband heard Rocha-Perez snoring and discovered him, authorities said.
Freeman ordered his wife to get the man out of the house while he went for a walk, authorities said. Martha Freeman told authorities that when her husband returned, Rocha-Perez confronted him with a shotgun, forced him into a bathroom and bludgeoned him.
The Freemans were co-owners of a company that does background checks for apartment rental and job applicants.
?

posted by Anne 4/12/2005 02:37:00 PM (0) comments

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

 

Freaky

I can't even begin to imagine what Bobbi Parker went through.

posted by Anne 4/06/2005 06:13:00 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

 

I'm not surprised by this story. When I was in California I gained 100 pounds in just over a year. Thank God I lost it when I got back to PA. So, when I move back to CA, at least I'll be a little wiser about that part of the left coast lifestyle.

Here's the story that explains the study:

By JIM WASSERMAN
Associated Press Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, the land of body worshippers and vegetarians, is getting alarmingly fat, with more than half of all adults overweight, according to a study released Tuesday.
The study estimates that overweight and inactive Californians cost $21.7 billion a year in medical bills, injuries and lost productivity.
It noted that a decade of overeating and sitting in front of the television has given California ‘‘one of the fastest rates of increase in adult obesity of any state in the nation,’’ and there is sign that the rise is slowing.
Nearly 53 percent of Californians over 25 are overweight, and more than 17 percent are obese, or extremely overweight, the study found.
The rates among Hispanics, blacks and adults with less than a high school education are even higher and exceed 60 percent, said the study, which was prepared for the California Department of Health Services.
The findings come in a state led by former bodybuilder Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who crusades against junk food in schools and wants vending machines stocked with fresh vegetables, milk and other healthy products.
‘‘The obesity epidemic is more than public health crisis; it is an economic crisis,’’ said Kim Belshe, Schwarzenegger’s secretary for health and human services. She said employers can save money and maintain a healthy work force by offering nutritious food at work and opportunities to exercise.
The $30,000 report, conducted for the state by North Carolina-based Chenoweth & Associates, estimates that obesity costs California $11.2 billion annually in lost productivity, $10.2 billion in medical care and $388 million in workers’ compensation.
‘‘The majority of those costs were shouldered by public and private employers in the form of health insurance and lost productivity,’’ said the study, which analyzed medical claims data.

posted by Anne 4/05/2005 02:27:00 PM (0) comments

 

I told you I wanted Stouffer's, dammit!

This story is so out of the mainstream that it hasn't even hit any of the wire services yet. I'm sure it will eventually. It's too strange not to.

A person in Pennsylvania has been charged with assault for throwing a frozen dinner at another person.

I wish I had more details. I don't know if the dinner was still frozen. That would hurt. If it was cooked, that could cause a nasty burn. But, for me, the big question is: You were in the kitchen, you find anything better than a frozen dinner to use as a weapon?

If I ever find a link to the story, I'll post it.

posted by Anne 4/05/2005 08:12:00 AM (0) comments

Saturday, April 02, 2005

 

Pettiness Part II

In an obvious slam at Fox's "fair & balanced" slogan as well as its erroneous reporting of the Pope's death, MSNBC unveiled its new slogan: Fair & Accurate.

posted by Anne 4/02/2005 09:31:00 AM (0) comments

Friday, April 01, 2005

 

Pettiness

At a time like this, I hate to be petty but I dislike Fox so much that I can't help it.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel erroneously reported the death of Pope John Paul II on Friday afternoon, backpedaled several minutes later, then apologized to viewers for the mistake.

Television networks were marshaling resources and dealing with conflicting reports as the pope’s illness took a turn for the worse Friday, maintaining an electronic vigil like the Roman Catholic faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Viewers could be forgiven for confusion as the cable news networks flashed reports at them. At 12:30 p.m. EST, MSNBC posted the words ‘‘Pope lost consciousness’’ on its screen. At the same moment, CNN was reporting: ‘‘Pope visibly joining in prayers of those around him.’’

But at 1:23 p.m., Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith reported that the pope had died. At least initially, he did not cite sources.
By 1:30 p.m., Fox reporter Greg Palkot in Rome was sending signals of caution, saying the report had not been confirmed and the network was checking into it.

‘‘The exact time of death, I think, is not something that matters so much at this moment for we will be reliving John Paul’s life for many days and weeks and even years and decades and centuries to come,’’ Smith said.

Smith explained to viewers that a Fox sister company in Italy had been listening to an inaccurate report and it was transmitted to Fox.
Fox spokeswoman Irena Briganti said a Fox producer, monitoring a translation of reports from Italian media, erroneously shouted that the pope had died and it had gotten on the air through an open mike. Smith was responding to the producer’s words.

About 1:55 p.m., Smith apologized to Fox viewers for the initial unsubstantiated report.

‘‘By way of explanation, I am very sorry,’’ Smith said. ‘‘That’s all I can say.’’

posted by Anne 4/01/2005 02:53:00 PM (0) comments

 

This is just sick

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for allowing her young son to develop diaper rash so severe that it caused a fatal infection was charged for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Amy Livingston, 27, of Johnstown, was likely having sex with the teenager in the weeks before her 15-month-old son Harley died from a serious infection and dehydration, said Cambria County District Attorney David Tulowitzki.

Livingston was already charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and other offenses in the Dec. 12 death of her son. She was charged Thursday with offenses that included statutory sexual assault.

posted by Anne 4/01/2005 02:35:00 PM (0) comments