Hiding In The Closet

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

TOKYO (AP) - A homeless woman who sneaked into a man's house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was arrested in Japan after he became suspicious when food mysteriously began disappearing.

Police found the 58-year-old woman Thursday hiding in the top compartment of the man's closet and arrested her for trespassing, police spokesman Hiroki Itakura from southern Kasuya town said Friday.

The resident of the home installed security cameras that transmitted images to his mobile phone after becoming puzzled by food disappearing from his kitchen over the past several months.

One of the cameras captured someone moving inside his home Thursday after he had left, and he called police believing it was a burglar. However, when they arrived they found the door locked and all windows closed.

"We searched the house ... checking everywhere someone could possibly hide," Itakura said. "When we slid open the shelf closet, there she was, nervously curled up on her side."

The woman told police she had no place to live and first sneaked into the man's house about a year ago when he left it unlocked.

She had moved a mattress into the small closet space and even took showers, Itakura said, calling the woman "neat and clean."

Stupid, But Ends Well

DENTON, England (UPI) -- A British woman said she escaped a conviction and fine after authorities warned her to remove posters that sought the owner of a lost cat.

Joy Tracey, a grandmother of three, said she was only trying to get the orange feline, named Copper, back his owners when she put 12 posters on lampposts surrounding her home in Denton, England, Sky News reported.

Tracey said she tried to locate the kitty's owners for two weeks after she found him in her yard, and was surprised when a law enforcement officer called her.

"He said whilst he sympathized, it was an offense, and told me to remove them all from the Denton area or face a hefty fine. The world is going potty with petty officialdom," Tracy said.

Amid a flurry of local media attention about the city's tough reaction to the posters, Tracy was able to return Copper to his rightful home.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Begging For Help

If you are kind, and have a few moments to spare, I need your help :)
Go to my other blog here: http://fwidman.blogono.com/2008/05/28/in-plain-sight/

Then take a guess as to where I am by leaving me a comment. This was a paid post and the more comments I get, the better I will look, thereby increasing my chances to do more of this type of post for them :)

Thanks!

Pot-smoking man crashes into police car

COCOA, Fla. (UPI) -- A Florida motorist faces criminal charges after allegedly backing into a police car and taking off running when officers caught him smoking pot, police said.

Travis Lee Taylor, 28, was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of marijuana, resisting without violence, resisting with violence and violation of probation, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla. reported.

Cocoa, Fla., police said Taylor backed his car into their cruiser after they pulled up behind him while he was smoking pot in a parked car.

After the crash, Taylor ran from officers before they caught him, officials told WKMG.

Officials said Taylor, who was on felony probation for selling cocaine, also received a citation for improper driving.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

'Dumb criminal' posts evidence on YouTube

LEEDS, England (UPI) -- A British man has been deemed the city's "dumbest criminal" by authorities after he posted videos of himself engaging in anti-social actives on YouTube.

Leeds City Council called Andrew Kellett, 23, the city's "dumbest criminal" after he put at least 80 videos on the Internet video-sharing site of people, including himself, participating in unlawful activities, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

It is reported the incriminating videos include footage of people taking drugs, racing cars and taking off from a gas station with stolen fuel.

"Kellett must be in the running to be Leeds' dumbest criminal. He has handed us the evidence against him on a plate," said Les Carter, a member of Leeds City Council.

Kellett Tuesday was given an interim anti-social behavior order at Leeds Magistrates Court, forbidding him from posting further illegal behaviors on YouTube until his hearing next month.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

OUCH!

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - Police say a Hutchinson woman bit off the end of her husband's finger during an argument at their home over the weekend. And investigators believe Adelghun Khinde Johnson, 45, may have swallowed the fingertip because it was nowhere to be found.

Lt. Clay Rothe said the woman hit her husband, David Johnson, three times and he pushed her away as they quarreled Saturday night.

Rothe said, "She then grabbed his right hand and bit the tip of the index finger off at the first joint. We could not find the finger."

Police said Adelghun Johnson, a native of Trinidad, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery. She was released early Sunday on $5,000 bond.

Johnson is to make her first appearance Friday in Reno County District Court. According to court records, she does not yet have an attorney.

---

Information from: The Hutchinson News, http://www.hutchnews.com

Kids picking up trash discover hand grenade

HUDSON, Wis. (AP) - Three children picking up trash along a river in Hudson for community service work found much more than garbage. Charlie Thompson, 11, Maddie Roth, 10, and Demetri Roth, 8, came across a hand grenade, picked it up and headed home to show off their discovery.

On their way back Monday, they ran into a neighbor, who immediately called 911. Hudson police cordoned off the block, then determined the grenade wasn't a danger, even though it still had the firing pin inserted. Sgt. Eric Atkinson says the grenade was rusted and contained no powder.

Thompson's mother, Heidi Hansen, says the children wanted to keep the grenade for a souvenir, but police are holding it.

Hansen says the kids plan to write a story about their adventure.

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Information from: Leader-Telegram, http://www.leadertelegram.com/

Sounds messy To Me

BOULDER CITY, Nev. (UPI) -- A Nevada company has created the Biffy, a personal cleaning product aimed at decreasing toilet paper consumption.

Warren Smith, who invented the contraption and founded the American Biffy Co., said his product is designed to clean backsides more efficiently than toilet paper or standalone bidets.

"Using toilet paper to clean our bottoms is like trying to clean dishes with a paper towel," Smith said. "Our product provides a practical and more natural way to be clean, while reducing an average family's toilet paper consumption by up to 75 percent."

The Biffy mechanism hides under the toilet seat and sprays and antibacterial concoction from a nozzle that is placed to suit the user's preference.

"The water needed to operate a Biffy is nominal compared to the amount of toilet paper that is saved," Smith said. "When you look at the best option for the environment, there really is no comparison."




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Great Shoes!

These shoes are adorable :) And the best part? They were cheap, including shipping, around 20 bucks on Ebay :)

'Ninja fighter' cop goes back to work

OVIEDO, Fla. (UPI) -- Police in Oviedo, Fla., say they have returned a badge and firearm to an officer who lost them briefly for saying he was a "super-trained killer ninja fighter."

Officer Justin Varkony has gone back to his normal job after being on office duty while officials probed a comment on his MySpace social networking Internet page, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.

"Jason is a super-trained killer ninja fighter of the night who has not had a chance to use this special skill yet," the comment said.

Authorities said there was no validity to an accusation that Varkony went against police conduct rules.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

High gas prices drive farmer to switch to mules

May 21, 2:53 PM (ET)

MCMINNVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - High gas prices have driven a Warren County farmer and his sons to hitch a tractor rake to a pair of mules to gather hay from their fields. T.R. Raymond bought Dolly and Molly at the Dixon mule sale last year. Son Danny Raymond trained them and also modified the tractor rake so the mules could pull it.

T.R. Raymond says the mules are slower than a petroleum-powered tractor, but there are benefits.

"This fuel's so high, you can't afford it," he said. "We can feed these mules cheaper than we can buy fuel. That's the truth."

And Danny Raymond says he just likes using the mules around the farm.

"We've been using them quite a bit," he said.

Brother Robert Raymond added, "It's the way of the future."

Student protests school no-hugging rule

MOLALLA, Ore. (UPI) -- An Oregon middle-school student has challenged her principal's no-hugging rule.

The Molalla River Middle School adopted the policy last year, the Molalla Pioneer reported. Principal Bob Espenel said students were spending too much time hugging between classes, impeding traffic in the school hallways.

"You'd have groups of 10 to 15 kids and they all had to hug each other

before they went to class," Espenel said. "It was getting out of hand. This is not the Love Boat."

But 7th-grader Desha Eaves thinks hugs are sometimes necessary.

"Sometimes they really need a hug and I didn't think it was fair for me to not give my friend a hug," she said.

She decided to make a formal protest, getting in touch with Espenel and writing the school board. The board decided the issue could be decided at school level, suggesting that Eaves and Espenel talk about the rule.

Espenel said he is not sure Eaves will change his mind. But he appreciates her for trying to work within the system.



Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Just Plain Stupid

Man tracked down for 51-cent tax bill
BRIGHTON, Mich. (UPI) -- A Michigan doctor says he found it funny the city of Brighton sent him a "final notice and demand of payment" for 51 cents in property taxes.

Dr. Phil Kazanji said he chuckled at a notice from the city that said legal action would be taken against him if he didn't fork over 51 cents in delinquent taxes.

"This is the most ridiculous thing a government agency would do," Kazanji told the Livingston County (Mich.) Daily Press & Argus.

Kazanji added that the city actually lost money by spending $5.21 to mail the certified letter.

Brighton officials said they are required by law to fine delinquent tax payers, regardless of the amount they owe.

"No matter how small, we can't ignore it or waive it," city finance director Dave Gajda said. "It doesn't matter how much we spend to collect (delinquent taxes), we have to collect it."




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

News anchor apologizes for saying F-word

NEW YORK (UPI) -- Seasoned WNBC-TV New York news anchor Sue Simmons issued a public apology for saying the F-word while reporting on a story about food prices.

Simmons, who has 28 years of experience working for WNBC-TV, let the expletive fly after she seemed to get angry while shooting a promotion Monday night, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

"What the f - - - are you doing?" Simmons yelled out while she was off camera but still on the air.

"I'm truly sorry. It was a mistake on my part, and I sincerely apologize," she said in an on-air apology about 30 minutes after the slip-up.

A WNBC spokeswoman said she could not explain what prompted Simmons to yell out the swear word.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

British pet psychic helps find lost dog

British pet psychic helps find lost dog

LONDON (UPI) -- A British woman said her missing Jack Russell terrier was excited to return home after a psychic used supernatural methods to pinpoint his location.

Nikki Newcombe, 35, was relieved to have her dog, Marmite, return home after he spent a week stranded in a hole, the Mirror reported.

Newcombe went to Pea Horsley, a London woman who says she has psychic abilities, for help after having no luck finding the lost pooch on her own.

Horsley used her abilities to tell Newcombe about landmarks the dog traveled past before falling into the hole, the Mirror said.

Sure enough, Newcombe took Horsley's advice and found Marmite barking from a hole in the ground.

"It's one of the quickest I've found," Horsley said.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Elderly Blind Man Bowls Perfect Game

ALTA, Iowa (UPI) -- An elderly blind man says he wasn't nervous and felt like a pro when he bowled a perfect game in front of a crowd at Century Lanes in Alta, Iowa.

Dale Davis, 78, a legally blind man nicknamed "The Hammer," made headlines when he rolled a 300 while bowling with his league, CBS News "The Early Show" reported.

"I didn't feel nervous. My hand was a little sweaty, but other than that, I wasn't really nervous. I just thought, 'Good Lord, let me throw a couple or three more good balls' ... and I got the help, I guess," he said.

It is reported Davis has had macular degeneration for 10 years, an incurable eye disease that has caused him to lose vision entirely in one eye and partially in the other.

"It was quite a thrill. For just a few minutes there, I felt like a pro," Davis said.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Mom sues after kid steps in poo

NORWALK, Conn. (UPI) -- An attorney for Norwalk, Conn., says a mother's suit against the city for her toddler's shoes being ruined by dog poo is among the most frivolous he's seen.

City Attorney M. Jeffry Spahr said Kelly DeBrocky of Mahopac, N.Y., filed suit against the city April 7, seeking $100 compensation for her child's ruined shoes and tickets for Maritime Aquarium -- which the mother said her family had to leave early because of the incident -- The (Stamford, Conn.) Advocate reported Thursday.

"I had to read it twice," Spahr said. "Immediately, what I did was say, 'You're not going to believe this one.' It was hilarious. What are these people thinking about? Just when you think you've heard it all."

DeBrocky defended he suit.

"I was just really skeeved, I thought the whole thing was disgusting," she said. "We had to pay for admission to the aquarium and my son had no shoes and it made the entire experience awful."

"The official response is her claim is denied and poop happens," said Spahr.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

No Words

Right click and select view image :)

For All Moms

Mother's Day Glitters

Very Scary Stuff

During the Gulf War under daddy Bush, I had three sons in the military, all of them involved in the war. Since they were all in the Navy,I assume none of them were on the ground, but still, they were under attack in some fashion. I would have been scared to death if something like the following had happened:

Fighting soldier accidentally calls home

OTIS, Ore. (UPI) -- An Oregon couple said their son, a soldier serving in Afghanistan, accidentally called home and left a three-minute recording on their machine during a battle.

Jeff and Sandie Petee, parents of Stephen Phillips, said the message contained shooting, shouted profanity and calls for more ammunition, KPTV in Portland, Ore., reported Monday.

"His friend died a year ago in Iraq and I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, this may be the last time I hear my son's voice on the phone,'" Sandie Petee said.

"They were pinned down and apparently his barrel was overheating," said Jeff Petee. "It's something a parent really doesn't want to hear. It's a heck of a message to get from your son in Afghanistan."

The parents said they were eventually able to make contact with their son, who told them his phone accidentally redialed their number when it was pressed up against his Humvee during the battle. Sandie Petee said Phillips, who is in the Army's military police, is expected to come home at the end of his tour next month.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Working Hard At Blogging

I have been busy lately, blogging for some extra money. And, it finally is beginning to pay off :) In the past month I have manage to make roughly 75 dollars. Not a whole lot of money, I realize, but it is extra money, and I am hoping that I am beginning to get the hang of things with these pay you to write sites.
Some of them pay you rather quickly,but others take a month or so to pay. So, I figure that if I can work this right, I should be getting paid every few days. A little here, a little there, going into a paypal account. That's fine by me.
So, I believe I am really going to have to pay attention to this, treat it like I would treat a real job. I am working on that as well,trying to be out of bed earlier in the morning. I have noticed that the best way to be a paid blogger is to be in the right place at the right time. Since I am on the West Coast and they seem to be in the East, that 3 hour time difference can be a big deal.
But, so far,so good. I have made some money and I believe I can continue to do so :)

Very Sad, Indeed

Baseball mourns Buzzie Bavasi

05/01/2008 8:47 PM ET

By Tom Singer / MLB.com
Buzzie Bavasi (center, pictured with Don Newcombe and Johnny Podres) led the Brooklyn Dodgers to a World Series championship in 1955. (AP)

Emil Joseph "Buzzie" Bavasi, the bold and often abrasive executive with three Major League franchises on both coasts and the patriarch of a family that continues to have an impact on big league baseball, has passed away at 93. Bavasi died of natural causes following a brief illness in San Diego.

From the moment he became traveling secretary of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1939 until he bowed out as executive vice president of the California Angels following the 1984 season, Bavasi earned a reputation as an imaginative, media-savvy front-office maven.

Perhaps best remembered for building the Dodgers' first World Series championship team in 1955, the only title of the team's long tenure in Brooklyn, Bavasi was also behind the California Angels' first two division titles in 1979 and 1982.

His friends and admirers in and out of baseball are legion.

"All of baseball today mourns the passing of one of its giants, Buzzie Bavasi," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "Buzzie was one of the game's greatest front-office executives during a period that spanned parts of six different decades.

"He loved the game and he loved talking about it. Buzzie was a wonderful friend. He always gave me good advice and had an excellent perspective on the issues of the day. I will miss our long and frequent correspondence. My sympathies go out to his family and friends."

"I considered Buzzie to be a friend of mine and Gene's," said Jackie Autry, the widow of the late Angels owner and honorary president of the American League, "and a man I admired and respected for his vast baseball knowledge.

"His contribution to baseball will be sorely missed by all, and I know his wife, Evit, and his sons and grandchildren will miss this wonderful human being."

Mike Port, who succeeded Bavasi as Angels GM late in the 1984 season and now is MLB's vice president of umpiring, tied a bow around the baseball statesman's legacy, saying, "Eight National League pennants, four World Series titles, two American League Championship Series titles, more than two dozen of his former players who managed at the Major League level! That just scratches the surface of Buzzie's accomplishments in this game.

"He was just simply an outstanding baseball mind," Port added. "He could be your best friend or your best motivator. It was a privilege to have been mentored by him and to have worked for him."

"He was like a father to me," said Don Zimmer, the 77-year-old senior advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays who made his big league debut for Bavasi's Dodgers in the mid-'50s. "From the time I was 19 years old ... all my life, really. I can't describe how much he meant to me."

"Buzzie had a knack about him," said Ralph Branca, one of the mainstays of the Dodgers' post-World War II pitching staff. "He was good with the players, a very warm individual who worked his way up the ladder of the Dodgers' Minor League system."

New York-born and a graduate of Bronxville High School and DePauw University, Bavasi succeeded Branch Rickey as the Brooklyn Dodgers' general manager in 1951. He formally retired from the game in 1999, having served as a special advisor to Autry.

In between those benchmarks, he served as the San Diego Padres' charter president and spearheaded organizations that captured four World Series and nine pennants.

Bavasi's survivors include Evit, his wife of 68 years; and sons Bill, the general manager of the Seattle Mariners; and Peter, the general manager of the San Diego Padres before becoming founding president of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977.

Other survivors are son Chris and his wife, Corinne; son Bob and his wife, Margaret; grandchildren Patrick, Cristina, Aimee, Amanda, Alexandra, Haley, Emily, Kyle and Katherine; and great-grandchildren Cooper, Lolly, Cole, Summer and Luke.

Bavasi respected the bottom line, both on the ledger and in the standings. He was always about substance; his fingerprints were all over the '55 club that ended the Dodgers' long run as Brooklyn's Bums. The season before, he had handed the managerial reins to an unknown, Walter Alston, and fleshed out the roster around core players Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella.

But Bavasi was also a staunch owner's man, known for irreverence.

A personification of "old school," he was one of the guardians of the reserve-clause brand of baseball.

He once said, "We operated by the Golden Rule. He who has the gold, rules."

Yet after free agency dawned in 1976, Bavasi adjusted to become one of its most fervent exploiters. With the Angels, and with The Cowboy's open saddlebags, he transformed a chronic loser into a division champ by corralling such free agents as Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Don Baylor, Bobby Grich and Fred Lynn.

"He was a very good baseball man who thoroughly knew the game and contributed a great deal for both the organizations he worked for, as well as the game itself," Carew said. "The organizations he worked for always came first in his mind, and he always tried to do the right thing for each of them."

"Buzzie was one of those rare baseball icons," Grich said. "His energy and enthusiasm were always contagious. It was a cherished opportunity to have been around him."

A proud man who always walked with his chest held a little higher when his often-questioned moves were clicking, Bavasi was not averse to eating crow when it was deserved.

He alienated much of Southern California in 1979, not so much for his inability to re-sign free agent Nolan Ryan to a new Angels contract but for his parting words about the icon, who that season had gone 16-14: "We'll just have to find a couple of 8-7 pitchers to replace him."

After the durable Ryan notched his sixth no-hitter 11 years later, Bavasi sent him a message: "Nolan, some time ago I made it public that I made a mistake. You don't have to rub it in."

As the passing of Bavasi sank in on Thursday, voices from throughout the game joined the chorus of grateful remembrances and sad farewells.

"The Dodgers, and the baseball world, lost a true pioneer today," said Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. "Buzzie's contributions to the Dodgers are immeasurable. His passion for the game and loyalty to baseball was surpassed only by his devotion to family and a willingness to stand up for what he believed in."

"We were deeply saddened to learn of Buzzie's passing," said Jeff Idelson, president of the Hall of Fame. "His passion for and dedication to the game were unsurpassed, and I know he took great pride in seeing it prosper.

"He was an icon in Brooklyn as one of the architects of its only World Series title, and he took those winning ways west. He was a tremendous friend to the Hall of Fame on many levels, and I will personally miss our deep conversations about the game he loved so much."

"Our relationship was a very good one," said Jim Fregosi, the Angels' first iconic player, who was brought back by Bavasi to manage the team in 1978. "I enjoyed the opportunity to work for and with Buzzie. He was truly one of the genuine characters of our game."

Funeral arrangements will be private to the family only. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.), 245 Park Ave., New York, N.Y., 10167 or Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, 9665 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 801, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90212.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Perils Of Internet Partnerships

Normally, I would not do this, as it was a PPP that I didn’t get, but I found this one interesting enough to me to put it in my blog anyway. More information can be found on this gentleman’s website, and his address is below the press release.

Press Release:

Ownership of RateMyTeachers.com, one of the internet’s most popular education destinations with over 70K visitors per day, and the legal effect of its purported recent sale to Patrick Nagle, is currently under dispute. RateMyTeachers was initially founded in August 2001 as a complement to RateMyProfessors.com (currently owned by Viacom) under Michael Hussey’s then “RateMy Network”. The site was restructured as a partnership in 2002 between MisterMessage LLC, John Swapceinski, and Michael Hussey. Since that time, it has grown significantly year-over-year.

Recently the partners agreed to terms according to which Message LLC would sell its partnership interest to Michael Hussey.

MisterMessage now claims to have “sold” RateMyTeachers to Patrick Nagle LLC, without consent of all the partners, for an unspecified amount of cash and a promise to participate in profits from any resale. Under California partnership law, no sale of the partnership can be effective absent the consent of all partners. Prior to the sale, Michael Hussey placed both MisterMessage LLC and Mr. Nagle on notice that he objected to any sale without his consent, and has reiterated that objection to all parties to the sale. Any prospective purchaser of RateMyTeachers should also be on notice of the dispute over ownership.

RateMyTeachers dispute