Oh, how stupid!

Impersonating a cop's flashing light?

2011-03-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

There's an app for stupid people.

Police in Idaho say Alexander A. Welch used a cell phone app with flashing red and blue lights to pull over a motorist on March 12. The suspect was accused of a felony charge of unlawful exercise of the function of peace officers.

Rich dentist bought pizza with student's hot credit card

2011-03-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

Police say a millionaire dentist used a stolen credit card to buy pizza, and bragged to investigators about his wealth.

Even though he had $250 in his wallet, Richard Ludwig charged $40.64 on a stranger's credit card that he found in a parking lot, according to deputy sheriffs in Polk County, Florida.

The Michigan dentist -- who was in town to watch his son's baseball game -- was charged with credit card theft, forgery and attempting to use the ID of another person without consent.

(Info from the Orlando Sentinel)

Man drove wife on hood of van, hit 100 MPH

2011-03-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

With the temperature in the low 30s, Christopher Carroll drove 35 miles from Manteca, California to nearby Pleasanton on Saturday with his wife clinging to the hood of their minivan.

Carroll was held without bail on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and domestic assault.

Carroll got into the family's minivan around 12:30 a.m. Saturday after he and his wife had an argument. A police spokesman said, "She kind of goes with the van to try to stop him, gets up on the hood and is hanging on to the wiper blade. She obviously didn't think he would keep driving."

Eventually, Carroll slowed down the vehicle and his wife rolled off. A driver following the vehicle took the woman to a hospital where she was treated for hypothermia.

Carroll returned home, where police arrested him. The wild ride happened several days after Carroll was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Police received a phone call February 23 from a witness who reported that Carroll had climbed into a 6-foot-deep trash bin and was threatening to drown himself in the 5 inches of water that had collected at the bottom.

(info from the Associated Press)

Burglar reported his getaway car was stolen

2010-10-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

A man was arrested in Old Saybrrok, Connecticut after police said he burglarized three condos then called officers to report that the car he allegedly used in the break-ins had been stolen. Geraldo "Tito" Figueroa reported late Monday that his car had been taken.

An officer responding to the burglaries just hours before said he had spotted Figueroa fleeing the scene with a pillow case full of items. A car linked to Figueroa was left at the condo complex with items inside that had been reported stolen there.

Figueroa was arraigned Wednesday on burglary and larceny charges and was ordered held on $300,000 cash bond. (info from the Associated Press)

Shoplifter caught because he left wallet in store

2010-10-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Police in Gallatin, Tennessee said Dustin Marshall tried on jeans in a Walmart store and left without paying, but employees found his old jeans and wallet in a dressing room.

The cops caught up with Marshall and a woman companion on Saturday night after they sneaked out of a restaurant without paying their bill. A search of their home turned up evidence of other crimes.

Marshall and his companion were booked on charges of theft, burglary and other counts. (Info from http://www.newschannel5.com/ )

Woman stole doughnut, peed in public, offered cop sex

2010-10-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Police say a woman in Bartlesville, Oklahoma was in triple-trouble because she stole a doughnut from a truck, peed in a parking lot and offered to perform oral sex act on a cop for money.

The woman was being held in jail on charges of vehicle burglary, trespassing, indecent exposure and soliciting prostitution.

The truck owner complained to police that the woman stole the doughnut at about 2 a.m. Wednesday. A convenience store clerk asked police to charge the woman because he said she relieved herself outside the store.

Officer R.S. Detherow says that when he told the woman she was under arrest, she offered to perform a sex act for money.

(Info from: Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise)

Woman tried to kill man who insulted her feet

2010-09-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

Prosecutors in Everett, Washington said that a friendly challenge ended in bloodshed when a man teased a woman about having stinky feet.

Dallas Smith is accused of stabbing a man in the back at a party at her ex-boyfriend’s home on Sept. 7. Smith first became upset when she was unable to do a back flip. Smith boasted to party-goers that she was good at doing back flips and that she could do a flip off anything.

A man challenged her to do a flip off the deck. Smith took off her shoes and attempted the maneuver. She couldn’t do it. Then the man laughed at her and told her that her feet smelled.

Smith started to playfully wrestle with the man, rubbing her socks in his face. She started hitting him. After several seconds, he pushed her away.

She grabbed her coat, picked up a steak knife and headed for the door. On the way, Smith walked up to the man and stabbed him in the back. After calls to 911, a sheriff’s deputy found the man sitting on porch with the knife sticking out of his back, with the blade a few inches in. His lung had collapsed from the stabbing, but he is expected to recover from the injury.

Police arrested Smith at her parents’ home. She denied knowing about the stabbing and declined to speak with investigators. A witness told police that Smith came to his house that night and told him that she had hurt someone and she was in trouble. She told him someone had taunted her.

Smith, who has no criminal history, was charged with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. She posted $50,000 bail and was released. On Wednesday a $250,000 warrant was issued for her arrest after Smith told a detective she was leaving for Australia on Saturday, and planned to be gone for several months. She surrendered her passport to a sheriff’s deputy and the warrant was quashed.

(info from http://www.heraldnet.com/ )

NH woman accused of break-in, impersonating a cop

2010-09-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Police said a New Hampshire woman faces several charges after she broke into a home and told the owners she was a police officer after she was discovered in the kitchen. Police said the woman, 34, said Wednesday she was chasing a burglar from the house.

Police said when the homeowners asked the woman for identification, she said the burglar had fled with it. Police said the woman pretended to call her sergeant and said she had to go to the station and type up her report and left.

The homeowners wrote down her license plate number and called police. The woman was arrested after a car accident.

She wass charged with burglary, impersonating a police officer, driving under the influence and simple assault.

Burglar arrested after falling through ceiling

2010-09-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

Jose Parada fell through the ceiling of a business in Pico Rivera, California and was captured by sheriff's deputies who were searching for the suspected burglar of three businesses and had .responded to an alarm at William's Boots.

County sheriff Sgt. Debbie Gallego says a responding deputy saw someone inside nearby De La Cruz Jewelry, and called in a K-9 unit for a search. Deputies sprayed pepper spray in the attic of the store shortly before Parada fell through the ceiling. A nearby antique store was also burglarized.

Parada was being held in lieu of $20,5000 bail. (Info from the Whittier Daily News)

Teen texted sheriff to buy pot

2010-09-04T03:05:00.000-07:00

A teenager in Helena, Montana tapped a wrong number on his cellphone and accidentally sent a text message to Sheriff Leo Dutton, saying "Hey Dawg, do you have a $20 I can buy right now?"

A detective posing as dealer scheduled a meeting at a store with the would-be customer. The detective spotted two teenage boys and one of the boy's fathers--who was unaware of what was going on--at the store. When the detective showed the teens his badge, one of the boys fainted.

(info from: Independent Record)

Man was released from jail, drank liquor, and fainted during burglary

2010-07-31T05:06:00.000-07:00

Sheriff's deputies in Livingston Parish, Lousiana, arrested a man who passed out while trying to break into a mobile home where an 82-year-old woman was calling 911 and holding crowbar for defense.

Derrick Gauthreaux was booked into jail on one count of attempted burglary and remained jailed in lieu of $50,000 bond.

Chief of Operations Perry Rushing said Gauthreaux had been released from the New Orleans jail late on the night before the burglary attempt, and received a summons for an open alcoholic drink about an hour before his arrest at about 11 a.m.. (info from The Associated Press)

Woman lied to cops, claiming car crashed while providing oral sex

2010-07-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

Police in Vineland, New Jersey said that a woman lied twice to cover up the theft of a laptop computer, claiming first that she was carjacked and then that her car crashed because she was having sex.

Apparently 23-year-old Sarah Blasse of Vineland initially told police Saturday that she broke her arm during a carjacking. Blasse later claimed her car crashed into a tree while she was performing a sex act on a man she had picked up.

Camden County prosecutor's spokesman Jason Laughlin says Blasse and her boyfriend actually stole a laptop computer from a car and slipped away from pursuing police in her car, but then crashed and attempted to set the vehicle on fire.

Blasse and Henry Goode Jr. face charges including arson, burglary and hindering apprehension. (info from The Associated Press)

Wrong number call to 911 led to drug bust

2010-05-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

A man staying in Room 118 of the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Wenatchee, Washington meant to call room 119, but instead dialed 911. His digit transposition led to the arrest of two people.

Sgt. John Kruse, a Wenatchee Police Department spokesman, said when officers arrived to find out if there was a problem, the man explained the misdialing. Officers asked for the name of the person he was calling in Room 119. They did a background check on the name of the man in Room 119 and determined there was a warrant out for his arrest.

Officers then went to Room 119, arrested the man and discovered a half ounce of heroin and other drugs in the room.

The man was arrested on suspicion of three counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

A woman in Room 119 was arrested on suspicion of two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. (info from Wenatchee World)

Streaker said God told him to do it

2010-05-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

Police in Thibodaux, Lousiana found Shafiq Mohamed strolling nude around 2 a.m. Thursday.

Mohamed told the cops that "America raped him" and that God told him to walk the streets naked to save his soul.

Mohamed was taken into custody and charged with obscenity. (info from The Associated Press)

HA-HA! Would-be iPad thief lost finger

2010-04-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

A man in Denver lost his pinky finger as a result of trying to steal an iPad.

Police arrested Brandon Smith for second-degree assault and robbery of Bill Jordan.

Jordan had just purchased an iPad when the suspect followed him down a staircase to the parking garage and accosted him, yanking so hard at the iPad that he stripped some of the skin to the bone on his little finger.

Jordan's finger was so badly damaged it required amputation. (info from UPI)

Woman gets prize for setting her hair on fire

2010-04-13T03:46:00.000-07:00

A woman in Story, Indiana whose hairspray-coated hair ignited when she lit a cigarette is now her town's official "Village Idiot." Dani Hamm earned the honorary title by getting the most votes from regulars at the restaurant where she's a bartender. The title awarded every April comes with a $100 bar credit.

Hamm was driving to work in February when she lit a cigarette and then heard a "whoosh" as her hair ignited.

She wasn't injured because she used her hands to douse her hair, which she had coated with a liberal layer of hairspray. (info from The Associated Press)

Woman crashes car while shaving her crotch

2010-03-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

And you thought it was dangerous to text while driving.

A two-car crash on a Florida highway was caused by a 37-year-old woman who was shaving her bikini area while in the driver's seat. Her ex-husband was steering from the passenger's seat.

Megan Barnes and her ex-husband Charles Judy slammed into the back of a pick-up driven by David Schoff after he slowed to take a turn.

Barnes said she was meeting her boyfriend and wanted to be "ready for the visit," trooper Gary Dunick explained.

Barnes and Judy allegedly drove another half-mile before switching seats. When they were pulled over, Judy claimed to have been driving. The trooper noticed burns on Judy's chest from the passenger-side airbag, which disproved their story. The airbag in the steering wheel apparently did not deploy.

Three passengers – a man and two women – were treated for minor injuries.

Barnes had been driving with a suspended license, just a day after being convicted for DUI. She was sentenced to nine months of probation, and her license was revoked for five years.

Now, Barnes is being charged with reckless driving, driving with a revoked license, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, and driving with no insurance. She could face a year in jail if found guilty of violating her probation.

Judy was not charged in the crash. (info from CBS News)

Prisoner squirts breast milk at jailer

2010-03-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

A woman in jail in Kentucky for public intoxication was accused of assaulting a jailer by squirting breast milk at her. As she was changing into an inmate uniform, she squirted into the face of a female deputy.

The woman now faces a felony charge of third degree assault on a police officer. Her bond was set at $10,000. (info from The Associated Press)

"You want fries with that?" Man arrested for putting hair in cop's food

2010-03-06T03:21:00.000-08:00

Ryan Burke, a cook in a restaurant in Evesham, New Jersey, was charged with aggravated assault, food tampering and retaliation for a past official action after an officer said he found "body hair" in a sandwich prepared by Burke last month.

Authorities said Burke was holding a grudge because the officer had previously given him several tickets. Burke says he never intentionally put any hair in the officer's bagel sandwich.

Burke spent four hours in jail before his wife bailed him out.

The officer involved in the incident identified Burke as someone he had encountered previously. Burke said he was arrested by the officer in March 2009, after he failed to pull over for a traffic violation. Burke said the officer had frequented the restaurant many times without any incidents.

Burke said he didn't know of a problem with the sandwich until four officers arrested him in the restaurant's kitchen about 30 minutes after the food was served on Feb. 21.

"At first, (Burke) denied placing anything in his food, but then further investigation provided information that he indeed placed body hair in his sandwich," a police spokesman said.

Burke, a seven-year employee, was fired after the incident and is now unemployed. He said his life has been wrecked.

"I think that this is absurd," he said, standing on the front porch of his home as his wife and 5-month-old daughter watched. "They decided to ruin my life." (info from http://www.courierpostonline.com/ )

Drunk tried to break INTO jail

2010-01-26T06:18:00.000-08:00

A jailbreak usually involves someone trying to get out of jail, but police in Medford, Orgon arrested a man trying to break into the County Jail early Monday morning.

At 4:10 a.m., sheriff's deputies at the jail spotted a man scrambling over a tall fence that surrounds a secure lot where arresting officers unload potential prisoners and escort them inside. Jail officials met the man on the ground and contacted police.

The jailbreaker, James DeVore, told police that he was distraught over the death of his mother and that he had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, and went to the jail to ask for assistance. When he didn't get an answer at the front entrance, he decided to go around to the back.

Medford police charged him with disorderly conduct and trespassing.

However, the two criminal charges didn't get DeVore into the jail. He was taken to the county's sobering center, referred to a mental health program and cited to appear in court later. (Info from MailTribune.com)

Man arrested after complaining about prostitute

2010-01-21T03:49:00.000-08:00

Robert Smith and Jeanna Mercure were charged with prostitution in Marlborough, New Hampshire on Tuesday after Smith called the police to report that Mercure would not have sex with him after he paid for it.

Police said Smith called the Marlborough Police Department on Monday and reported that he had paid Mercure and another person $150 to have sex with him on Sunday night but he failed to receive the requested service.

Police said they were still investigating the third person. (info from WMUR TV)

Help Haiti!

2010-01-14T02:54:00.001-08:00

Haiti shares the island of Hispanola with the more prosperous Dominican Republic. The island is between Cuba and Puerto Rico. Christopher Columbus visited the island in 1492 and founded settlements.

Even during the best of times, Haiti has been a miserable place to live.

Its people suffered as slaves under French colonists, and after revolting and becoming "free," the country was known for turmoil and frequent government takeovers. The United States occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934.

In 1937 Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered the Dominican Army to kill Haitians living on the Dominican side of the border.

Later in the 20th Century, Haitians suffered again under the brutal and corrupt regimes of "Papa Doc" Duvalier and his slightly nicer son "Baby Doc."

Haiti is home to a proud people with a rich culture and important history, but the country is pathetically poor, with a very low literacy rate and one of the worst living standards in the world. Many Haitians left the country.

Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion. Haiti is the only predominantly French-speaking independent nation in the Western Hemisphers, and one of just two (with Canada) that designate French as an official language

And now, an earthquake has caused thousands of poorly made buildings to collapes, killing as-yet-uncounted tens of thousands of people.

President Obama, the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense have changed their schedules to deal with the crisis. I changed my blogging schedule to ask readers to donate some money to help, and to encourage others to donate, too.

Google has made it easy to make a donation to help the people of Haiti. Please CLICK to give, and post this information wherever you can.

(Some info above came from Wikipedia)

...

Walmart wackos fought cop and witness to theft

2010-01-01T02:12:00.000-08:00

In the early evening a couple of days after Christmas, an off-duty Chattanooga police officer was attacked by shoplifters when the cop tried to stop the theft.

Officer Josh Wright was leaving a Walmart store after shopping when he saw a man trying to force his way past a greeter with a shopping cart loaded with televisions and a computer. When Walmart loss prevention officers tried to stop the man, he forced his way past them and refused to produce his receipt, according to police.

At this point Officer Wright stepped in, identified himself as a Chattanooga Police officer and showed his badge. The man looked at the badge, declared it to be a fake and tried to get by Officer Wright.

Officer Wright then forced suspect Joseph Hill to the floor and placed him under arrest.

Within minutes the arrest, the suspect’s wife, identified as Lisa Hill, began acting as if she was having a heart attack and stated she did not know the suspect.

A witness then told Officer Wright that she had seen Mr. and Mrs. Hill in the store together. The witness began to leave the store when Mrs. Hill became belligerent and began calling the witness a liar and threatening her. Mrs. Hill followed the witness to the parking lot, grabbed her by her hair, threw her to the ground and began hitting her.

Police said the witness got a pocket knife from her purse and stabbed Mrs. Hill in the arm in order to get her off her. Mrs. Hill was taken to a local hospital, treated for minor injuries and released.

The woman who stabbed Mrs. Hill declined to press charges, and surveillance video from Walmart confirmed the witness’s statements.

Mr. Hill was charged with theft over $1,000 and assault on a police officer. The investigation into Mrs. Hill’s actions still is open. (info from Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Does anybody know what this means?

2009-12-24T06:41:00.000-08:00

"The more we diversify the marketing spend, the more important it is to tie the attribution back to a purchase path."

(from DMNews, 12/14/09)

Man with knife in chest walked a mile to restaurant and ordered coffee

2009-12-22T01:58:00.000-08:00

OK, this may not be techically stupid, but it's certainly weird.

Diners at a restaurant in Warren, Michigan got some strange entertainment with their meals on Sunday when a man walked in with a 5-inch knife stuck in his chest.

Police said that the man called 911 at about 10 p.m., saying he had been attacked in Warren but had just walked a mile to the Bray’s Hamburgers in Hazel Park.

Restaurant employee George Mirdita said the man walked in, ordered a coffee and said he was waiting for an ambulance to come. “It was like out of a movie,” Mirdita said. “It kind of freaked us all out here. Then, the customers realized it and they were all turning their heads in disgust.”

Police said the man told them he had been walking when another man approached him and demanded cash. The victim told police that he was stabbed when he refused to hand over any cash. The knife was shoved into the left side of his chest all the way to the handle.

Police said the man tried to get help at a nearby apartment complex, but when he couldn't get help, he called 911 from a pay phone.

“Yes ma’am, could uh … is it possible to send an ambulance here?” the man is heard saying to a 911 operator. “There’s a knife stuck in my chest.”
The man then told the operator that he thinks it’s a steak knife.

Mirdita said tha tthe man was calm and did not complain of being in pain. “he was mingling with the guy next to him,” he said.

The vistim was treated and is expected to be fine. (info from ClickOnDetroit)

A blatant commercial message:Flashing red Batphone can be delivered before Christmas

2009-12-17T01:28:00.001-08:00

Now everyone can have a red phone with a flashing light like Batman.

In general, I write at night. My day job is running a company that sells a wide range of telecommunications products. We sell business phone systems, installation supplies and tools, phone accessories like headsets, and fun stuff like this Batphone, which I designed.

When there’s trouble in Gotham City, Police Commissioner Gordon calls caped crusader Batman, the secret alter ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne.

At Wayne Manor, the flashing red Batphone is answered by Alfred the butler, who tells Wayne about the trouble. Then Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson put on their superhero costumes. As Batman and Robin, they race from the Batcave in the Batmobile to battle evil-doers, or rescue citizens in distress.

Now everyone can have a bright red flashing Batphone just like a superhero. When an emergency call -- or even an ordinary call -- comes in, a bright red light centered in a shiny chrome ring starts flashing to attract attention.

The Batphone has classic sixties styling, with heavy-duty construction, a two-year warranty, and is made in the USA. It gets all of its power from the phone line, and doesn’t require a power cord or batteries. It can work on an ordinary home phone line, or on an "analog extension port" in a business phone system.

The phone rings when the light flashes, unless a purchaser prefers the bell to be disconnected for silent signaling, or an optional high-pitched "BatSignal" or buzzer to be installed instead of the bell. Price with the bell is $122, including Priority Mail shipping to all 50 states.

Order online at www.GetABatPhone.com, or call toll-free 1-888-225-3999.

Teen titty flasher hit by car and fined by cops

2009-12-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

An 18-year-old girl in Invercargill, New Zealand has been found guilty of disorderly behavior for flashing her breasts at passing cars. Cherelle Dudfield was hospitalized after a distracted driver ran into her. She pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined about $200.

The alcohol-fueled prank went awry when a car hit her as she tried to run to the side of the road. A police spokesman said, "She was extremely lucky as the vehicle had slowed because of her behavior. She rolled up onto the [hood] and cracked the [windshield]."

The prank occurred in the city center, where a ban on alcohol use is in force, he noted. (info from The Assocatd Press)

Drunk driver goes to jail after pissing on cop's head

2009-12-10T03:01:00.000-08:00

Daniel Shilts of Waldo, Wisconsin urinated on a police officer during a fifth drunken driving arrest. He has been sentenced to a year in jail and three years probation.

Shilts was arrested in November 2008 after crashing into a pole at a gas station and then nearly backing up into a police car. That was after a police officer saw him drive in the parking lane and narrowly miss the curb while making several turns.

Shilts was taken into custody after failing field sobriety tests. On the way to the police station, he urinated in the back seat of the police car and also sprayed some urine through the center divider, striking the officer in the back of the head.

Shilts was convicted of felony counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and bail jumping. A felony count of expelling bodily substances at a public safety worker was among those dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

The judge also fined Shilts $3,599 and revoked his driver’s license for three years. (info from the Sheboygan Press)

Pot growers busted after reporting crop theft

2009-12-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

Deputees in Hernando County, Florida arrested five people Tuesday after they reported that some of their marijuana plants had been stolen.

The deputies were responding to a home invasion report, and the people said that the suspects stole three to five pounds of pot. Deputies found 59 marijuana plants growing in the home, plus irrigation and ventilation equipment and other items used to grow pot.

All five suspects face charges of felony cultivation of marijuana. (info from Central Florida News)

$45 to receive a phone call!

2009-11-30T07:20:00.000-08:00

There was a time when collect phone calls (particularly from people who were at pay phones and did not have a lot of coins) were quite common.

With the ubiquity of cellphones, both pay phones and collect calling are fading fast.

There are many teenagers who have never used either -- but collect calls can still be made, at a very high price. Most collect calls are probably made from prison.

Pat Devine of Toluca Lake, California assumed that her collect-call days were behind her. Like most people, she carries a cellphone.

But when she was running late for a beauty salon appointment, Devine realized that her cellphone battery had died. She didn't want to be rude and leave her hairstylist waiting. So she looked around for a pay phone.

It was hard to find one. Most of the big phone companies have gotten out of the pay phone business.

There are now about 700,000 pay phones in operation nationwide, compared with nearly 277 million wireless subscribers. Most pay phones are owned by local businesses, such as gas stations.

Devine finally found a phone but it ate up all of her quarters without completing a call. Desparate, Devine pressed zero and was connected to an operator. Devine said she'd like to make a collect call and provided the number.

Barbara James runs the Fandango Salon in Silver Lake. She said that when Devine's collect call came in, a salon employee didn't hesitate to accept the charges.

There was no indication from the operator that this would be an expensive call. Devine was calling from only about a mile away and the call lasted roughly three minutes.

When the salon's AT&T bill arrived, it included a charge for $45.09 from Network Communications International Corp., a Texas company that says it's the largest privately held provider of collect-call services for pay phones, prisons, hospitals and hotels.

NCIC charged her $37.40 for the short local call, $4.74 in regulatory fees and taxes, and an extra $2.95 "billing cost recovery fee".

Pay phones were deregulated in 1996.

AT&T says it might charge two cents per minute for a local call made from about a mile away, albeit without an operator.

An NCIC customer-service supervisor said that Devine's call consisted of a nearly $25 "connection charge" and a rate of about $2.50 per minute.

NCIC provides collect-call services on behalf of pay phone owners and typically kicks back more than half of the revenue to the owner.

After James got her phone bill, she called NCIC to complain and about $20 was deducted from the total.

"It's like they were expecting me to complain," James said. (info from the Los Angeles Times)

Man paid to be spit at

2009-11-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

A main in Thousand Oaks, California was arrested for misdemeanor child annoyance after allegedly paying a teenager $31 to spit in his face.

Ventura County authorities say the man had been paying Westlake High School male students to yell profanities at him and slap and spit in his face.

Investigators say several teens also alleged the man offered them money to urinate and defecate on him. He was booked into Ventura County Jail, then released on a promise to appear in court. (info from The Associated Press)

Couple busted after reporting theft of marijuana

2009-11-19T04:13:00.000-08:00

A man and woman in Wichita, Kansas who told police that robbers stole their marijuana are now facing drug charges themselves. They said that five armed men came to their apartment late Monday night and took marijuana.

Police said one suspect accidentally fired his gun and spooked the other suspects. They ran from the apartment to a car, dropping marijuana along the way.

Police found more marijuana inside the apartment. The couple were booked on suspicion of various drug charges, including selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school. (info from The Associated Press)

Pencil thief had $600 with him

2009-11-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

Police in Belingham, Washington arrested a man for stealing a pencil from a store even though he was carrying $600 in cash. The man was booked into the County Jail after police learned he had an outstanding warrant for another crime.

Officers questioned the man about why he stole the mechanical pencil, worth $5.99, when he had enough money to pay for it. Police said the suspect responded: "I don't know, being stupid I guess." (info from the Associated Press)

People need people.Sometimes robots are just not smart enough

2009-11-16T00:47:00.000-08:00

From DoTellAll.com:

Question: i have written a few books, and i am trying to get them published. i have been trying for over two years, but i haven't found anything. i want to find a publishing company that is reliable and will edit my books and work with me to get them in hard cover.

Answer: When dogs lose their hair it is normally a skin condition. You will need to converse with a vet for a skin scraping to ensure it is not a more serious condition. Long haired breeds are prone to hotspots wich cause this however, so you should not be overly concerned.

Question: i need a childrens book publisher that is in rochester ny my book is ready to be proof read and published thankk you

Answer: You can obtain a day care license through the Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services.

Drunk woman arrested after thinking a cop was a car hop

2009-11-14T03:30:00.000-08:00

A woman in Elizabethton, Tennessee mistook a police officer for a car hop at a drive-in, and was charged with DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The incident began when someone called 911 after seeing a woman slumped over the steering wheel of a car in the parking lot of a food market. The caller then reported the woman left the parking lot, nearly striking several vehicles. The driver pulled into a parking space at the nearby Sonic Drive-In.

Elizabethton Police Officer Sarah Ellison responded to the call and approached the car. She said Veletta Newman was slumped forward with her keys in the ignition switch. When she tried to get Newman’s attention, Ellison said the woman woke up and sleepily handed her a $20 bill.

Ellison explained she was not a car hop bringing her food and identified herself as a police officer. She said Newman continued to hold the money toward her and did not seem to realize she was a police officer.

Ellison arrested Newman and during an inventory of the car Ellison reported finding a used syringe, a spoon with white powdery residue and numerous bottles of prescription medicine. (info from Johnson City Press)

Woman called 911 because boyfriend wouldn't marry her

2009-11-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

A woman was arrested after she repeatedly made nonemergency calls to the Clarksville, Tennessee 911 system. Hee Orama was arrested after police said she complained about a man lying about marrying her.

Police said they responded to two calls from Orama and explained that this was not an emergency situation and to stop calling. Orama then called again and was cited by police and told she would be arrested if she kept calling them with nonemergencies.

Orama called 911 a few minutes later but would not say why she called. Police arrested her and took her to jail. Police said they had arrested Orama previously for repeatedly calling 911 because she couldn't find her car. (info from KOCO TV)

...

Someone should've known that ham is not kosher.

2009-11-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

"Chabad-Lubavitch" is an Orthodox Jewish philosophy, organization and movement founded in the late 18th century. There are about 3,300 Chabad institutions worldwide, including community centers, synagogues and camps.

The Chabad Center in Hamden, Connecticut distributed the postcard shown above. It's an invitation to a "New York Kosher Deli Evening."

The turkey shown on the platter in the photograph might have beeen kosher. The ham, however, definitely was not.