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Virus/Trojan Alert

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:37:00 -0500

The latest trojans to watch out for.

bankerfox.a
a.exe
b.exe
c.exe

These will reside in your sys32 folder. Bankerfox.a is not a very destructive trojan. It's main goal is to get you to purchase a particular malware removal program. A.exe,b.exe,c.exe all are basically of the same "mold" of trojans and a bit nasty to get rid of.

Chain of Love, Pay it Forward

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:09:00 -0500

by Bob Freeman

I heard this song on the radio today for the first time in a long time.

'Chain of Love' by Clay Walker

He was driving home one evening,
In his beat up Pontiac
When an old lady flagged him down,
Her Mercedes had a flat
He could see that she was frightened,
Standing out there in the snow
'Til he said I'm here to help you ma'am,
By the way my name is Joe

She said I'm from St. Louis,
And I'm only passing through
I must have seen a hundred cars go by,
This is awful nice of you
When he changed the tire,
And closed her trunk
And was about to drive away,
She said how much do I owe you
Here's what he had to say

You don't owe me a thing, I've been there too
Someone once helped me out,
Just the way I'm helping you
If you really want to pay me back,
Here's what you do
Don't let the chain of love end with you

Well a few miles down the road,
The lady saw a small cafe
She went in to grab a bite to eat,
And then be on her way
But she couldn't help but notice,
How the waitress smiled so sweet
And how she must've been eight months along,
And dead on her feet

And though she didn't know her story,
And she probably never will
When the waitress went to get her change,
From a hundred dollar bill
The lady slipped right out the door,
And on a napkin left a note
There were tears in the waitress's eyes,
When she read what she wrote

You don't owe me a thing,
I've been there too
Someone once helped me out,
Just the way I'm helping you
If you really want to pay me back,
Here's what you do
Don't let the chain of love end with you

That night when she got home from work,
The waitress climbed into bed
She was thinkin' about the money,
And what the lady's note had said
As her husband lay there sleeping,
She whispered soft and low
Everything's gonna be alright, I love you, Joe

It got me to really thinking. Uh oh....

This is a form of 'Pay it Forward'. It's something we should do daily. We should search people out that we can help out in some way.

It seems to me that the coming winter and the Christmas holiday seems to make this a bit more prevelant. But it should be something we do all year round. I try, but know I could do it more.

I want to hear about others doing it. If you had someone do something for you, or if you know of someone that did an unselfish deed, I would like to hear about it. Please tell your stories to my e-mail and I will post them here.

My e-mail is robertfreeman@yahoo.com..

I think it's time we try to spread the habit of paying it forward, but I also think it's time to let others know the good so many people do.

Pirates Attack US-Flagged Ship Again

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:39:00 -0500

foxnews.com

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama on Wednesday for the second time in seven months and were thwarted by private guards on board the U.S.-flagged ship who fired off guns and a high-decibel noise device.

A U.S. surveillance plane was monitoring the ship as it continued to its destination on the Kenyan coast, while a pirate said that the captain of a ship hijacked Monday with 28 North Korean crew members on board had died of wounds.

Pirates hijacked the Maersk Alabama last April and took ship captain Richard Phillips hostage, holding him at gunpoint in a lifeboat for five days. Navy SEAL sharpshooters freed Phillips while killing three pirates in a daring nighttime attack.

Four suspected pirates in a skiff attacked the ship again on Wednesday around 6:30 a.m. local time, firing on the ship with automatic weapons from about 300 yards away, a statement from the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said.

An on-board security team repelled the attack by using evasive maneuvers, small-arms fire and a Long Range Acoustic Device, which can beam earsplitting alarm tones, the fleet said.

Vice Adm. Bill Gortney of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the Maersk Alabama had followed the maritime industry's "best practices" in having a security team on board.

"This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas," Gortney said in a statement.

However, Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the London-based think tank Chatham House, said the international maritime community was still "solidly against" armed guards aboard vessels at sea, but that American ships have taken a different line than the rest of the international community.

"Shipping companies are still pretty much overwhelmingly opposed to the idea of armed guards," Middleton said. "Lots of private security companies employee people who don't have maritime experience. Also, there's the idea that it's the responsibility of states and navies to provide security. I would think it's a step backward if we start privatizing security of the shipping trade."

A Massachusetts Maritime Academy professor, who is also the father of a sailor who was on the Maersk Alabama during the first pirate attack in April, said about 20 percent of the ships off East Africa are armed.

The owners of the Maersk Alabama have spent a considerable amount of money since the April hijacking to make the vessel pirate-proof, Murphy said, including structural features and safety equipment. The most dramatic change is what he called a security force of "highly trained ex-military personnel."

"Somali pirates understand one thing and only one thing, and that's force," said Capt. Joseph Murphy, who teaches maritime security at the school. "They analyze risk very carefully, and when the risk is too high they are going to step back. They are not going to jeopardize themselves."

The wife of the Maersk Alabama's captain, Paul Rochford, told WBZ-AM radio in Boston that she was "really happy" there were weapons on board for this attack.

"It probably surprised the pirates. They were probably shocked," Kimberly Rochford. "I'm really happy at least it didn't turn out like the last time."

A self-proclaimed pirate told The Associated Press from the Somali pirate town of Haradhere that colleagues out at sea had called around 9 a.m. — 2 1/2 hours after the attack.

"They told us that they got in trouble with an American ship, then we lost them. We have been trying to locate them since," said a self-described pirate who gave his name as Abdi Nor.

A U.S. Navy P-3 surveillance aircraft "is monitoring Maersk Alabama and has good voice communication with the vessel," said Lt. Nathan Christensen, the Bahrain-based spokesman for the 5th Fleet. The ship was heading for the Kenyan port town of Mombasa.

"The crew and the captain are safe," Amanda Derick, a spokeswoman for Maersk Line Limited in Norfolk, Va., said on Wednesday. "The appropriate security measures were taken. That's the main thing, everyone's safe."

In Philadelphia, former crew members of the Maersk Alabama said they had asked the company to rename, repaint or reroute the ship after it was first attacked last spring.

Former crew members John Cronan and Shane Murphy were on the freighter when it was attacked. They said they feared another attack but that the company didn't heed their request.

Maersk officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the allegations.

Maritime experts said it was unlucky but not unprecedented that the Maersk Alabama had been targeted in a second attack.

"It's not the first vessel to have been attacked twice, and it's a chance that every single ship takes as it passes through the area," Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force. "At least this time they had a vessel protection detachment on board who were able to repel the attack."

Phillips' ordeal last spring galvanized the attention of the U.S. public to the dangers of operating merchant ships in the Horn of Africa, one of the busiest and most precarious sea lanes in the world.

Underscoring the danger, a self-proclaimed pirate said Wednesday that the captain of a ship hijacked Monday had died of wounds suffered during the ship's hijacking. The pirate, Sa'id, who gave only one name for fear of reprisals, said the captain died Tuesday night from internal bleeding.

The EU Naval Force has said the Virgin Islands-owned chemical tanker the Theresa was taken Monday with 28 North Korean crew.

Pirates have greatly increased their attacks in recent weeks after seasonal rains subsided. On Tuesday, a self-proclaimed pirate said that Somali hijackers had been paid $3.3 million for the release of 36 crew members from a Spanish vessel held for more than six weeks — a clear demonstration of how lucrative the trade can be for impoverished Somalis.

Phillips told the AP last month from his farmhouse in Vermont that he was contemplating retiring from sea life after his ordeal. He's been given a book deal and a movie could be in the works.

Phillips was hailed as a hero for helping his crew thwart April's hijacking before he was taken hostage, but he says he never volunteered, as crew members and his family reported at the time. He says he was already a hostage when he struck a deal with the pirates — trading him for their leader, who was taken by the Maersk Alabama's crew.

Teenagers Guilty of Bullying Girl to Death

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:31:00 -0500

timesonline

Two teenage girls were found guilty today of causing the death of a vicar’s daughter who leapt from a window, but were told that the dead girl's parents have forgiven them.

Kemi Ajose and Hatice Can, then aged 17 and 13, bullied and beat up Rosimeiri Boxall, 19, just before she died in May last year.

The prosecution at the Old Bailey said that she plunged from the third-floor window to escape their abuse.

Ajose, now 19, of Charlton, southeast London, and Can, now 15, were found guilty of Miss Boxall’s manslaughter. The younger girl can be named for the first time today after the judge lifted reporting restrictions.

She and Ajose had blamed each other for telling Miss Boxall to jump when she climbed up to the window after she was attacked.

As Miss Boxall lay dying of multiple injuries, Can picked up her mobile phone and, after throwing it back down, said: "Serves you right, bitch."

Part of the attack on Miss Boxall by Ajose was filmed on a mobile phone by a neighbour and played to the jury. The sound of slaps and punches echoed around the courtroom. Her hair was pulled and hairspray was aimed at her face.

Can was remanded into the care of her local authority. She wept after hearing the verdict and hugged and kissed her mother before walking with her hands covering her face, to the cells with two dock officers.

Her sobs could be heard long after the doors were closed. Her mother buried her head in her hands and started shaking as a solicitor comforted her.

Some of the eight female members of the jury wiped away tears as Judge Peter Thornton told them: "These things are always distressing."

Miss Boxall's adoptive parents, the Rev Simon Boxall and Rachel Boxall, who sat holding hands at the side of the court while the verdicts were read out, said afterwards in a statement that they would continue to pray for Rosimeiri's killers and added: "We want them to know that we forgive them."

The couple added: "That does not mean that what they did ’doesn’t matter’. Of course it does. A life is of such worth that only God can show us its value.

Chinese diners eat live fish in restaurant

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:36:00 -0500

telegraph.co.uk

The YouTube video shows diners, who are laughing and joking, prodding the fish while it is still moving, before picking it apart with chopsticks.

Peta, the animal rights group, called the video, which had more than 120,000 views on YouTube in a week, "disgusting".

A spokesperson said: "Every decent person should be shocked when anyone mocks or abuses a helpless dying animal."

It is not the first time that the Chinese have been criticised for their extreme eating habits.

Reports have claimed some restaurants offer monkey's brains. Other dishes include rats, dogs, snakes, lizards and baby mice.

Last month Stephen Fry was criticised by the Chinese embassy after he singled out the Chinese culture as being the biggest threat to some endangered species.

“It is not very pleasant for us to single out a culture, but, if you care about lions and tigers and whales and sharks, it is the Far East and the way they eat, or the way they attempt to cure themselves, that seems to be the biggest threat," he said.

A spokesman at the Chinese embassy responded: “I don’t think it is fair to accuse other cultures of having certain negative habits and traditions.

“We have our traditions, as the Spanish have bullfighting, and you, until recently, had foxhunting. We did not criticise you or the Spanish for this. Tiger bones for traditional medicine are now banned, to the suffering of the Chinese industry.”

Woman tries to kill new husband twice

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:37:00 -0500

UPI.com

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A Florida woman allegedly tried twice to kill her husband within a few months of their wedding before being set up with a police officer posing as a hit man.

In documents released this week, police in Boynton Beach said Dalia Dippolito tried to find a hired killer, ending up paying someone who took her money and failed to follow through, The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported Tuesday. She then allegedly decided on a do-it-yourself killing and gave her husband, Michael, antifreeze concealed in tea from Starbucks, but it tasted so bad he spat it out.

Her third alleged attempt made headlines when she was arrested in August. Police say she asked a friend to help her find a killer, but the friend called the police.

After Dippolito and her "hit man" made plans, she returned home from the gym to find officers at her house and crime scene tape around it. At the police station, she learned she had been duped.

Police said Dippolito made other preparations for her husband's death, including getting him to put their home in her name. Michael Dippolito was also making restitution payments for fraud and his wife allegedly said she would make them for him and then stashed the money.

The couple had been married about six months when she was arrested.

Police search yields alleged prowler and fugitive imposter

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:32:00 -0500

redding.com

Two men were arrested Monday night - including one man who police say pretended to be a fugitive - after an hourlong chase that took officers through the streets and backyards of a south Redding neighborhood.

Redding police were called about 9:20 p.m. to a report of two men trying to break into Northern California Recycling on Clear Creek Road, police Sgt. Mike Thomas said.

When an officer spotted the two men, one ran away, while the second remained at the scene, police Sgt. Steve Moravec said.

At least six officers, a helicopter and a police dog were called to the area to find the fleeing man, Thomas said.

During the chase through the Westwood neighborhood off Highway 273, a resident apparently heard on an emergency radio scanner that police were looking for a man wearing khaki pants and a San Francisco 49ers sweatshirt.

Moravec said the man wondered if police would notice him if he went outdoors wearing the clothing of the suspect they were searching for.

"Well, we noticed him," Moravec said. Russell Spade, 41, of Redding was arrested on suspicion of obstructing and delaying a police officer, Moravec said.

He does not face charges in connection with the alleged burglary because, other than his clothing, he didn't fit the description of the suspect, Moravec said.

Police also arrested Matthew Padel, 23, of Redding on suspicion of prowling and possessing a dangerous drug, in this case methamphetamine, Moravec said.

Police called off the search for the second man about 10:20 p.m., Thomas said.

Woman demanded to be arrested and put in Prison

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:27:00 -0500

pennlive.com

An intoxicated Carlisle woman went to the Cumberland County Prison on Monday and demanded to be arrested "so she could help the prisoners inside," police in Middlesex Township said.

Police said Janet L. Ritter, 67, pulled into the prison parking lot at 4:19 p.m., locked her car and left the headlights on, then went to the jail's front door and demanded to be admitted.

When a corrections officer told her she couldn't come in, Ritter grabbed his shirt and tried to push past him, police said.

While she didn't get into the prison, police said Ritter was charged with drunken driving, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and trespassing.

Flat fee for trash thrown out, but not far.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:46:00 -0500

by Bob Freeman

City Council voted down the Pay As You Throw system, as predicted.

Instead, Jim Leinhoop amended the proposed fee ordinance to include three different sized totes. The idea is that those who throw less away will be charged less. But, the difference is $2 increments. He said he wished it was a larger difference. So you can pick a tote to fit your needs and pay $10, $12, or $14.

I believe the rates of $8, $12, and $16 would be more effective, for that goal. The idea is to snuff the argument that someone with little trash shouldn't have to pay as much as someone with a lot of trash. And that is a very legitimate point.

If this proposal survives, which I believe it will, the city will need to buy the other 2 tote sizes, as well as trade people that want a different size.

I propose we use the one size we have, charge $16 per month, and start curbside recycling.

The Mayor made it clear that curbside recycling is still being considered and will probably be initiated one day. Sounds to me like they are working on some sort of plan and have been working on it for some time.

He convinced me of his sincerity, but I'm a fan of the Mayor so I might be a bit biased. I hope they can get it done. Recycling is a big issue with the city now. They recycle a lot. The expense of the curbside recycling is the toe stubber.

If you look at what we have now, you can see that Columbus is all for recycling already. They have quite a recycling system at the landfill. They recycle leaves as well as tree, bush, and lawn clippings down by the city garage. They have a great composting system there. And they have free mulch and compost to those who want to haul it off.

As I was watching Susan Fye speak last night for the Bartholomew County Landlord Association, I was thinking about how petty her group was being.

$12 a month, $3 a week, $144 a year. They are here because they run businesses renting places to live.

They can't absorb $144 a year? They can't force their renters to pay $12 per month for trash service? They don't make enough money to eat $72 if their place sits empty for 6 months? I bet they crap their pants when their tax bills come.

I bet they hate to pay heat bills to keep the pipes from freezing when a place sits empty through the winter. And they raise this much hell over $12 a month?

They charge $25 per year to be a member of their organization so I guess they are paid to whine about petty stuff like this. (When I get some time, I have an interesting story about Ms. Fye and her mother's car getting stolen, crashing into a car, then being returned to it's garage. I will try to write that one tonight.)

Last night, people were sincere and direct with their opinions. That's a good thing.

But the Mayor had to stop everything in the middle of it and tell people to be civil or he would stop the meeting. That's a shame. People WERE rude. People WERE talking over speakers who had the floor.

I disagree with some things the City Council does. But I try to listen to their side and try to debate in a civil manner.

I will guess that the Council will vote on December 1 and we will have 3 different sized toters and 3 different rates.

Priscilla Scalf has been noble in her efforts, but she is outnumbered 6-1 at every turn.

The only solution to this is Election Day.

If they vote against curbside recycling, no matter who they are, we should vote against them.

City Council Decides on Trash System Tonight at 6:00

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:34:00 -0500

by Bob Freeman

Tonight at 6:00 pm, the City Council will have the second, and most likely the final, reading of the new trash billing system. The proposal would charge every property in the city a $12 flat fee per month for trash removal.

This new billing doesn't include a curbside recycling route. Actually, the only change in the current system this proposes is the $12 fee per month. The cost for trash removal has always been included in our property taxes. Since that revenue has decreased, the need for a monthly bill has arisen.

City Council member Priscilla Scalf, the only Democrat on the Council, has proposed adding a curbside recycling route instead of a monthly fee. Since she is the only Democrat on the panel with six republicans, she and her suggestions will most likely be overlooked and out-voted. Former Democrat member, August Tindall, who for years held the seat Scalf holds, was always treated the same way.

Majority rules is the name of the game and this crew flaunts that crown at every turn. Common sense makes no difference. The will of the people is irrelevant.

Most likely, they have already decided that we will pay the $12 fee and tonight is only for show. This reading is only because the law requires it. But I'm sure they already know what the vote will be.

As much as I like to think that Columbus likes to be a trendsetter; as mush as I like to think that Columbus wants to do what's best, tonight will most likely be a real disappointment.

I predict that there will be some debate, a few people voicing their objection to the council, then it will be a 6-1 vote in favor of the new fee and no new recycling system whatsoever.

I think the $12 fee is simpler for them. I think a lot of people see problems with the Pay As You Throw system. Special colored bags you have to buy; bags that they have to monitor as the only bags used.

Simpler. That's what it boils down to. That makes sense, seeing how that's how most of them get elected.

It's much simpler to just vote for a republican than to read and research a bit to see who might be a better person to hold the seat. This is a great example of that simplicity.

It's easier to vote for a flat fee and not add anything that might help the city.

It's simpler to keep the routes the same and not add a curbside recycling route.

Besides, our trash collection people get to go home when their route is done; while drawing 8 hours pay anyway. It might be inconvenient to throw them on a truck to pick up recyclables after they finish their trash route.

Common sense people. THAT should be the rule around here. But it isn't.

Common sense. Let's see.

The state has totally screwed up our property taxes and cut revenue. Thank you Mitch.

We cut way back, across the board, on services from each department; even at least threatening to lay off some city workers, including fire and police. Then the council gives raises to city workers across the board, including themselves.

Now we have a few suggestions for trash proposals that will be completely ignored. The PAYT system is good, but I can see problems with it. But we need something other than what we have been doing.

I would rather see them charge us $15-18 per month and add a curbside recycling route than to charge $12 and keep everything the same. We need to plan ahead and try to make our landfill last as long as we can.

Remember the headaches we had just a few years ago trying to start the new landfill where it is now? Do we want to go through that again in 5 or 10 years? We will, unless we start recycling more to keep crap out of it.

Anyway, I have rambled on too long. Go tonight and watch the circus. Enjoy the show. They will let people speak and have their say. Then they will vote 6-1 to start charging us for trash pick up and NO recycling will be included. It will be entertaining.

Call me psychic or call me psycho.

But I bet ya I'm right.

Veteran, 84, fights off would-be thief

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:29:00 -0500

UPI.com

TORONTO (UPI) -- A young, gun-toting would-be thief fled a Legion branch in Toronto empty-handed after an angry 84-year-old World War II veteran tackled him.

John Dietsch and 64-year-old volunteer Earl Gray were counting money from donation boxes for veterans and their families midday Thursday when the gunman appeared and said, "Give me all your bills," the National Post reported.

Dietsch, who has five great grandchildren, said he was enraged and lunged at the man.

"There was no way I was going to let him get away with the money," the navy veteran told the Toronto Sun. "Our veterans and their widows need that money."

Dietsch was knocked off his feet by the thief and that's when Legion volunteer Gray tackled the man, who wrestled him off and fled, the reports said.

The men were counting about $10,000 in coins and bills, the Post said.

Dietsch said he was a little disappointed with the outcome.

"I would've punched his head in, if I had the opportunity," he said.

Chefs unveil Viagra-laced passion fruit dessert

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:25:00 -0500

breitbart.com

A group of young Colombian student chefs have unveiled a new dessert made from passion fruit and Viagra, claiming it had aphrodisiac effects on everybody who has tried it.

"We got the idea four months ago when we were dealing with a nutrition project for older people," Juan Sebastian Gomez said at an international gastronomy fair on Thursday.

"It occurred to us that we could use passion fruit, with all its connotations.. and Viagra, and we came up with this dessert," added Gomez, who along with his three colleagues is studying the culinary arts at a national college.

Gomez said the new dessert was tried on a group of volunteers.

"It's really an aphrodisiac. By trial and error we found out it works. We gave it to a group without telling them it contained Viagra. A second group was in the know and both experienced heightened libido," he said.

"They felt their bodies' need to quench that desire," he added.

The young chef said women have been the most enthusiastic about the desert.

"They eat slowly, savoring every little spoonful. They take very small portions and after a few minutes begin to smile and confess that they feel delicious little tickles," he said.

"We know it's an innovative idea that might seem crazy to some, but it's having success. Since it contains a medication, it requires delicate handling but we have always had medical and scientific accompaniment."

Woman mistook officer for carhop

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:21:00 -0500

UPI.com

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Police in Tennessee said a woman arrested on a charge of driving under the influence apparently mistook an officer for a server at a Sonic Drive-In.

Investigators said a 911 caller Saturday reported a woman slumped over a steering wheel was driving out of Ingle's Market in Elizabethton and nearly striking several vehicles, the Johnson City (Tenn.) Press reported Friday.

An officer approached the car after it pulled into a parking space at the nearby Sonic Drive-In and found the driver asleep, police said. The woman woke up and attempted to hand the officer a $20 bill and continued to attempt to hand over the money despite the officer's protests that she was not a Sonic employee. The officer said the woman did not seem to realize she was being addressed by a police officer.

The officer arrested the woman and discovered a used syringe, a spoon with white powdery residue and numerous bottles of prescription medicine in the car, police said.

Veletta Cuba Newman, 31, was charged with second offense driving under the influence and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was jailed on $1,000 bond.

Man Says He’ll Choose Pet Pig Over Town

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:15:00 -0500

cbs

SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla. (AP) ― Town officials have ordered a man to get rid of his 300-pound pet pig, but the owner says he'd rather leave town than give up the animal.

Rob Falk of Southwest Ranches has a Yorkshire pig named Strawberry, and council members cited Falk's landlord for a code violation in July. Last week, officials gave Falk 30 days to remove Strawberry from the home, saying that the town allows only one Vietnamese pot bellied pig per household.

Officials are also worried that the pig will get bigger and grow large tusks.

Falk says the family will move because "the pig is like one of our children."

Library books returned 51 years late

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:11:00 -0500

Miami Herald

PHOENIX -- A high school librarian in Phoenix says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1,000 money order to cover the fines.

Camelback High School librarian Georgette Bordine says the two Audubon Society books checked out in 1959 and the money order were sent by someone who wanted to remain anonymous.

Bordine says the letter explained that the borrower's family moved to another state and the books were mistakenly packed.

The letter said the money order was to cover fines of 2 cents per day for each book. That would total about $745. The letter says the extra money was added in case the rates had changed.

Bordine says the money will buy more books, and the overdue books will be returned to the shelves.

JFK’s last autograph sells for $39,000

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:03:00 -0500

CNN.com

A California businessman shelled out $39,000 for what may have been President John F. Kennedy's last autograph.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Newspaper signed by John F. Kennedy shortly before his assassination sells for $39,000
California businessman says he plans to put it on display with other Kennedy memorabilia
Jack Ruby's gray fedora sold for nearly $54,000 at same auction

(CNN) -- What could be the last autograph signed by President Kennedy was sold recently at an auction of items linked to his assassination in Texas.

Kennedy reportedly signed the front page of the Dallas Morning News, which contained a photo of him and the first lady and a preview of their arrival that day in Dallas.

A Dallas woman handed the president the newspaper and he signed it for her, according to Heritage Auctions, the company that sold the item. The date of his assassination, which came about two hours later, was on the front page of that paper near his signature.

"It's chillingly historic because it documents the day, documents the location and it's certainly one of the last signatures of John Kennedy," Doug Norwine, a director at Heritage Auctions told CNN affiliate KDAF.

The newspaper was purchased by Joe Maddalena, president and owner of Profiles in History in Calabassas, California for $39,000.

He received his purchase Thursday and "immediately insured it for a quarter million dollars."

Maddalena told CNN he was prepared to pay six figures for it, but he would not say just how high he would have bid. He said he got an "impressive piece of history at a bargain price."

Maddalena said he will "hold on to it for a while and put it on display with other JFK items at the appropriate times" such as the celebration of Kennedy's birth date.

The gray fedora worn by Jack Ruby when he shot Lee Harvey Oswald sold for $53,775 at the same auction.

Priscilla Scalf explains why we CAN afford Curbside Recycling....

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:05:00 -0500

Found on www.priscillascalf.com

"How City Council Member Priscilla Scalf's Pay As You Throw plan meets the city's fiscal requirements while providing Curbside Recycling."

"Total gross revenue for PAYT bag sales $ 2,246.400

Bag vendor cost and retailer incentive - 168,480

Net revenue to city $ 2,077,920

Annual Curbside Recycling cost - 345,600

Estimated savings for landfill tipping fees - 300,000

Net available to city after paying recycling costs(est) $ 2,032,320

Flat fee revenue(without snowbirdclause) $ 2,073,600"

"Nearly the same. Even after providing

Curbside Recycling the Columbus wants!"

Columbus should have had curbside recycling years ago. The vote at Tuesday's City Council meeting will determine the route they intend to take.

This will be the first time Columbus residents will been billed directly for trash collection services. This is a very big change. A change that should include curbside recycling.

Be at the City Council meeting Tuesday evening to let the City Council know that you are watching what they do.

Let them know that a vote against curbside recycling could mean many votes against them in their next election! Let them know that they could be put on the curb as well.

Wives from different states...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:55:00 -0500

Three men married wives from different states.

The first man married a woman from Texas. He told her that she was to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man married a woman from Wisconsin. He gave his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. The first day he didn't see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done and there was a huge dinner on the table.

The third man married a girl from Indiana, He ordered her to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't see anything but by the third day, some of the puffiness had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye, and his arm was healed enough that he could fix himself a sandwich and load the dishwasher.

Man found asleep in ditch with rifle, moonshine

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:41:00 -0500

tennesseean.com

ATHENS, Tenn. — When Ricky Butler went to sleep on a rural, East Tennessee roadside, he didn't have to worry about comfort but apparently he was feeling insecure.

McMinn County deputies found the 31-year-old Decatur man sleeping on his back in a roadside ditch, with a loaded rifle on his chest and an almost empty jar of moonshine in the bib of his overalls.

Butler told deputies who woke him up Sunday that he didn't know where he was. He also told them the jar had been full.

Deputies said Butler also had a machete and hand-rolled cigarettes believed to be marijuana.

He is free on bond, charged with public intoxication, possession of drugs and unlawful possession of a weapon.

A public defender has been appointed but has not yet spoken to Butler, whose telephone number isn't listed.

Male Principal Drove Drunk Wearing Dress

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:35:00 -0500

FOXNews.com

An Indiana elementary school principal was placed on leave from work after police say they stopped him driving home from a Halloween party drunk -- and in a dress.

Police say Tracy Tredway's blood alcohol level was .188 percent when he was pulled over on the way back from a bar in Argos, Ind., early Nov. 1, WSBT.com reported.

Tredway was photographed for his mug shot in a pink dress, presumably part of his costume. Marshall County Sheriff's officers said he also was wearing a wig and high heels, and they stopped him when they noticed he was walking unsteadily toward his car.

Tredway, the principal at Riddle Elementary School in Rochester, Ind., faces preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering another person, WSBT.com said.

Tredway was placed on administrative leave pending further review, according to the school superintendent.

New warning on perfect vaginas

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:21:00 -0500

BBC News

Women are undergoing surgery to create perfect genitalia amid a "shocking" lack of information on the potential risks of the procedure, a report says.

Research published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology also questions the very notion of aesthetically pleasing genitals.

Operations to improve the appearance of the sex organs for both psychological and physical reasons are on the rise.

But surgeons said the report overplayed the risks of an established procedure.

Researchers from University College London reviewed all the existing studies on cosmetic labial surgery - which generally involves reducing the amount of tissue that protrudes from the lips which cover the vagina. They found there had been little work to document any longer-term side effects.

Labioplasty, as it is known, costs about £3,000 privately and is offered for a variety of reasons: some women complain that wearing tight clothes or riding a bike is uncomfortable, while others say they are embarrassed in front of a sexual partner.

This is a procedure which we have been doing since the 1970s - any operation performed poorly carries risks, but when it's done properly there are very few issues at all

Angelica Kavouni
Plastic surgeon

But consultant gynaecologist Sarah Creighton and psychologist Lih-Mei Liao challenged the ethics of offering women surgery to address such insecurities, suggesting it was adverts for a "homogenised, pre-pubescent genital appearance" which created these anxieties in the first place.

They also suggested that any pain apparently caused by protrusion may well have a psychological root - noting that male genitalia protrude far further without causing major discomfort.

Counselling and support could therefore be a preferable alternative to surgery, they argue.

Female circumcision

The number of women undergoing labioplasty nationwide is unknown as the majority of the operations are performed privately, but last year procedures on the NHS increased by 70% on the previous year to 1,118.

In studies dating back to 1950, examined by the researchers, dissatisfaction with the way the vagina looked was the primary reason for surgery, with patients also speaking of low self-esteem and sexual difficulties.

Advertisements promote labial surgery as easy answers to women's insecurities about their genital appearances - insecurities that are fuelled by the very advertisements that prescribe a homogenised, pre-pubescent genital appearance standard for all women

Lih-Mei Liao
Report author

But rather than curing sexual problems, Dr Creighton suggested surgery might exacerbate them by damaging the nerve supply to the area, impairing sexual sensitivity and satisfaction.

She also suggests that women who undergo this procedure might experience similar problems in childbirth as those who have experienced female genital mutilation, in which parts of the vagina are ritualistically removed.

It is now well documented that women who have undergone such circumcision are more likely to experience significant tearing and bleeding after labour and even the death of their babies, problems which are overcome by Caesarean delivery.

"Labial surgery needs to be rigorously evaluated in future, and for longer term," said Dr Creighton.

"Furthermore, quality research is needed to improve our understanding of the psychological drivers behind women's decision to sacrifice sexually sensitive tissue that contributes to erotic experiences, for a certain genital appearance that used to be an obligation only for some glamour models."

'Terrorising' patients

Douglas McGeorge, past president of the the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, rejected the comparison with female circumcision, arguing it was a relatively minor operation with few possible complications.

"They've gone a bit over the top. Essentially this is just about removing a bit of loose flesh, leaving behind an elegant-looking labia with minimum scarring. The procedure won't interfere with sexual function.

"Women want this for a number of reasons - some find it uncomfortable to ride a bike for instance, but for the majority it is aesthetic, that's true.

"Lads' mags are looked at by girlfriends, and make them think more about the way they look. We live in times where we are much more open about our bodies - and changing them - and labioplasty is simply a part of this."

Angelica Kavouni, a cosmetic surgeon who carries out labioplasty, said it was wrong to "terrorise patients" with suggestions of long-term consequences.

"This is a procedure which we have been doing since the 1970s. Any operation performed poorly carries risks, but when it's done properly there are very few issues at all.

"I have seen women who I have sent away because I don't think they have a problem, but for women with serious hypertrophy - when the tissue is dark and hangs down - there is a simple way to deal with it. The feedback I receive is very positive indeed."

BJOG editor Professor Philip Steer said the study "underlines the need for multidisciplinary research to investigate the range of factors that affect women's sexual function and wellbeing.

"Reliable information on the risks and benefits of labial surgery, as well as alternative approaches, is vital to ensuring informed choice for women."

Family Calls Sticky Notes On Car Hate Crime

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:04:00 -0500

10news.com

RANCHO PENASQUITOS, Calif. -- A Rancho Penasquitos man, who asked not to be identified, woke up Wednesday morning and found his daughter's car tagged with hundreds of Post-it notes. The man, who is Jewish, feels the incident is a hate crime.

"There was words like 'pig,' 'Jesus loves you,' 'oink.' I was furious and scared," the man told 10News.

Other notes said "secret admirer," "pigs are cool and so are you," "chicken." The notes found on the hood spelled out "have fun."

"I think its either vandalism or hate crime," said the man.

The man said his famiy has lived in the area for 10 years and have never had a problem like this.

Rancho Penasquitos has a history of situations of religious intolerance. In 2008, vandals tore into Westview High School at least three times, smashing windows, drawing swastikas and even defecating on school grounds.

The man said he wasn't sure if he and his family were targeted and hoped police could help them figure it out. However, he said police refused to write a report.

"I don't think that's right. The police came and they said, 'Oh, it's probably just kids. They call me pig all the time,'" the man said.

Neighbor Lotes Yong said, "I don't know if it's a hate crime but it certainly is obnoxious and hurtful."

Robert Robinson with Hate Free San Diego said there is no doubt in his mind the sticky notes were about hate and believes the family deserves a thorough investigation.

The man told 10News he was going to talk to neighbors and ask them to keep a closer eye on things around the neighborhood.

State's high court hears case of gambler who won't pay casino

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:17:00 -0500

Indystar.com

A lawyer for a Tennessee woman who says the former Caesars Indiana took advantage of her gambling addiction told the Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday that Hoosier casinos have a responsibility to prevent compulsive gamblers from hurting themselves.

"The law protects the sick. It protects the helpless," Evansville attorney Terry Noffsinger told the justices.

Casinos have an implied duty not to prey upon players who can't control themselves, he told the justices in Indianapolis, even though court rulings elsewhere have held that casinos don't have to shield compulsive gamblers.

As a result, the casino industry and gambling law experts are watching the Indiana case closely.

The court heard about 45 minutes of arguments by casino lawyer Gene Price, Louisville, and Noffsinger, who is representing Jenny Kephart, an unemployed suburban Nashville resident.

The justices appeared skeptical of arguments, with some questioning why the casino doesn't have an obligation to customers, while others asked how far the courts should intervene in casino business practices.

A ruling is expected next year.

During a night of gambling in March 2006, Kephart said she lost $125,000 at the Harrison County riverboat, now renamed Horseshoe Southern Indiana. The casino sued Kephart after she failed to repay the money it loaned her to play blackjack.

Kephart countersued, claiming the Harrah's-owned boat aggressively pursued her with meals, limo rides and classy lodging, knowing she was addicted and had a $1 million inheritance.

Harrison Circuit Judge H. Lloyd "Tad" Whitis denied the casino's motion to dismiss, launching a round of appeals that landed the case before the state Supreme Court.

Price told the justices that Kephart could have asked the casino to ban her, which under Indiana law would prevent it from conducting marketing toward her or even letting her aboard. He asked the court to examine the casino's actions in the context of the broad, comprehensive state regulations it operates under, including the self-exclusion program.

Justice Brent Dickson asked Price whether a person who slips and falls in a casino is prevented from suing the business.

Price said the person could sue, but he said Kephart could have prevented her predicament by asking not to be allowed on the boat.

Dickson replied the issue isn't what Kephart failed to do. "Doesn't your client owe a duty" to its customers, he asked.

Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. asked Price why there shouldn't be a remedy if a casino preys on an addicted gambler.

Price, citing a ruling by the Indiana Court of Appeals in the case, said Kephart put herself in harm's way, gambling at a place where losers are far more common than winners.

Noffsinger, meantime, was asked by Chief Justice Randall Shepard where the court should draw the line in deciding what's permissible for a business trying to attract customers.

"I get mailings almost every day asking me to go shopping and offering . . . inducements when I go," Shepard said.

But Noffsinger said the casino's action toward Kephart went far beyond mailings. Kephart's suit contends the casino sent limos to her house to take her to gamble and let her borrow money to play.

Kephart, who sat in front row with her husband, Bob, during the arguments, said after the hearing that she hopes she gets a chance to tell her story in court.

She said she takes responsibility for her actions, but "I want the casino to take some responsibility for their actions as well."

Caesars sued Kephart in Harrison Circuit Court for failing to repay six "markers," or loans. If she ultimately loses, she could be forced to repay triple the amount, plus legal fees.

Man distracted by bird drives Bugatti into marsh

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500

Associated Press

LA MARQUE, Texas – A man blamed a low-flying pelican and a dropped cell phone for his veering his million-dollar sports car off a road and into a salt marsh near Galveston. The accident happened about 3 p.m. Wednesday on the frontage road of Interstate 45 northbound in La Marque, about 35 miles southeast of Houston.

The Lufkin, Texas, man told of driving his luxury, French-built Bugatti Veyron when the bird distracted him, said La Marque police Lt. Greg Gilchrist. The motorist dropped his cell phone, reached to pick it up and veered off the road and into the salt marsh. The car was half-submerged in the brine about 20 feet from the road when police arrived.

Gilchrist said he doesn't know if the car was salvageable, but in his words, "Salt water isn't good for anything." He says the man, whose identity hasn't been released, was not injured.

A 2006 Bugatti Veyron was recently offered for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., for $1.25 million.

Help solve the trash issue.

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:54:00 -0500

by Bob Freeman

Trash, trash, trash.

Anyone else getting sick of hearing about trash pickup around here? I know I am.

My first thought on it is that this shouldn't be an issue. This should have been settled 30 years ago. But we never had a direct bill for trash collection before. It was always included in our property taxes.

Now we get to debate the same stuff we debated when I was in high school over 30 years ago.

I find it sad that recycling needs to be discussed. You would think that in this day and age everyone would automatically recycle everything they can. You would think that people would have a weekly routine and take their recyclables to the recycle place. The need for curbside recycling wouldn't be needed.

But it is. Because most of us are a bunch of lazyasses, like we've always been. Yes, WE. I'm guilty too. My form of recycling is to put everything that I don't want anymore into the tote that the city empties each week. It's time that stops.

We need curbside recycling. If it was available, I would sort my trash like everyone should. I don't have the time to go to the landfill each week with my recyclables. And there are a lot of people like that. Some can't. Some don't want to.

I understand the city council thinking they need to charge us for trash pickup since property tax revenue went down. I get it. So we pay it a different way. I understand they have to charge us more at the same time they give themselves a pay raise. That's life.

So, instead of charging me $12 for the service I have been getting 'free' for 30 years, charge me $15 or $20 and start curbside recycling too. Then the change and the new bill will mean something.

But, while they make this change, they need to find a way to start curbside recycling.

If they don't do it now, while this big change is being made, it will never get done.

If they fight to stop it while a generational policy change is being made, they will easily stop it when it is suggested in the future.

I repeat.

START A RECYCLE ROUTE NOW OR BE LAUGHED OUT OF THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS WHEN YOU BRING IT UP 2 OR 3 YEARS FROM NOW.

IF YOU CAN'T GET IT PASSED NOW, YOU WILL NEVER GET IT PASSED.

Comprende?

I don't care if you want no recycling, all recycling, free trash compactors, red trash bags, rainbow colored trash boxes, little green men to eat your trash, or a small landfill on every corner.

Go to the meeting and let them hear about it.

November 17th. That's this coming Tuesday for those who can't read a calendar. Not sure when it starts but if you're there by 5:00 pm you might get a decent seat or decent place to stand.

That's my opinion. You don't agree? Too bad. Go to the meeting on November 17th and say what you think about it.

We should all be there to let them know how we feel. Even if you don't say a word, your presence will send a message of just how important this issue is to you.

City Council meetings usually get more people watching than County Council does. You can usually hear an echo at the County Council meetings. Nobody ever goes to those.

And when we don't go to the meetings to object or to simply voice our opinions, they do whatever they wish.

So, speak now, or forever hold your piece.

Man’s last 10-spot turns into $50 million

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:47:00 -0500

UPI.com

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- A Canadian stroke victim said Tuesday he plunked his last sawbuck down on the lottery ticket that made him rich to the tune of $50 million.

Lottery officials presented a tearful Kirby Fontaine of the Sagkeeng First Nation, northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and his wife Marie with a symbolic oversized check.

Kirby Fontaine said he had been off work from his casino job after suffering a stroke several months ago and bought the winning ticket with his last $10.

"My community -- everybody prayed for me," Kirby Fontaine said between sobs. "This is hard for a stroke victim."

The couple, who have two children, had learned Saturday they had matched all of the numbers in Friday's Lotto Max draw.

"It's a new life for us," Marie Fontaine said, adding. "Everything's still up in the air. We are going day by day."

They intend to "help those who have helped us," she said. "This is something that's going to affect everybody."

Pilot Charged With Being Over Alcohol Limit

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:43:00 -0500

FOXNews.com

LONDON — A United Airlines pilot who failed a breathalyzer test shortly before he was due to take off has been charged with having too much alcohol in his system, British police said.

Erwin Vermont Washington, 51, is the third U.S. pilot in 13 months to be arrested for being over the strict alcohol limits imposed on airline staff.

Washington was arrested after officers were called to United Airlines Flight 949, which was already full of passengers and due to leave London's Heathrow Airport just after noon on Monday.

A spokeswoman for BAA Airports Ltd., Heathrow's operator, said late Tuesday the pilot had been reported to authorities by another member of United's staff. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying it was company policy.

It was not immediately clear how much alcohol Washington was accused of having consumed. Under British law, pilots are forbidden from having any more than 20 micrograms of alcohol for each 100 milliliters of blood in their system, or .02 percent. For most average-sized men, that is the equivalent of having just had about half a glass of regular strength beer.

Scotland Yard said that Washington, who has been released on bail, would have to appear at a court in northwest London on Nov. 20. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.

United Airlines, a subsidiary of Chicago-based UAL Corp., said the pilot had been removed from service pending an investigation.

Monday's incident echoes the arrest in May of an American Airlines pilot — also at Heathrow and also scheduled to fly a plane to Chicago — after he failed a breath test. In October 2008, another United Airlines pilot was arrested by police for being over the alcohol limit.

Union leaders say pilots are under increased scrutiny by security agents and passengers because of high-profile cases involving drunk pilots.

Man catches mother’s bed on fire

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:39:00 -0500

mcall.com

A Breinigsville man who accidentally killed his ailing mother by catching her mattress on fire after he flicked a lighter under the bed to get her cats to jump up and join her has been spared jail time.

Chad Matthew Lever, 26, was placed on two years' probation by Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony immediately after pleading guilty yesterday to involuntary manslaughter, a misdemeanor that could have landed Lever behind bars for up to five years.

Lehigh County First Assistant District Attorney Steven Luksa said Lever was "grossly negligent and reckless," but had no intent to start a fire or kill his mother, 47-year-old Lisa House, who suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease.

Luksa said Lever continues to grieve over the loss of his mother and his family, including House's sisters and mother, say Lever has suffered enough. Lever, represented by public defender John Baurkot, was his mother's primary caregiver.

"We don't believe that incarceration would serve anyone," Luksa said.

The fire started around 11 p.m. on Feb. 3. at House's home at 424 W. Washington St. in Slatington.

Lever told police he had just put his mother to bed and wanted her cat to join her, so he reached behind the bed and flicked a lighter to see if the cat was back there.

The cat never appeared, so Lever went downstairs to look elsewhere. Before Lever reached the bottom step, his mother began yelling after the mattress had caught fire. House was unable to walk on her own.

After repeated attempts to get his mother out of her burning bedroom, Lever was overcome by smoke and called 911.

Rescue crews responded, put out the blaze and pulled the woman out, but she died on the way to the hospital.

During interviews with detectives, Lever said he had played the lighter trick with the cat in the past and normally, the cat would be scared by the flicker of the lighter and jump onto the bed, joining his mother.

Luksa said Lever has been free on bail and has no criminal record.

Man Hit By Two Secret Service Vehicles

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:32:00 -0500

myfoxdc.com

MARLOW HEIGHTS, Md. - U.S. Park Police say a man was fatally struck by two U.S. Secret Service vehicles at a Suitland Parkway intersection.

Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley says the two armored vehicles were traveling from Andrews Air Force Base to a Washington garage when the pedestrian was hit around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Suitland Parkway and Naylor Road in Temple Hills.

Wiley says the vehicles were returning from a vice presidential trip to Fort Lewis in Washington state. He says the Secret Service employees driving the vehicles immediately stopped to help the man.

The man was taken to Prince George's Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The pedestrian's identity has not been released.