truesee's Blog

The initiative has been launched in an area where theft from cars has been rife.

"We have had a bit problem with thefts from cars, so we decided to be a bit more innovative," said Superintendent Jim Davis, the officer behind the initiative.

If items are needed urgently, police will return the goods immediately.

"We want to stop people from being the victims of crime," he said. "We are not talking about £3 in loose change in the glove compartment, we are talking about cameras, laptops and expensive leather jackets. People would be far more upset if their property really was stolen."

Police are only removing items from unlocked cars. Where they see either an unlocked car or valuables left exposed in a locked vehicle, owners are being sent a letter advising them to take better care or their property.

The initiative was welcomed by the AA. "It would be quite irritating for motorists to come back to their car and find that items have gone missing. But on reflection they may think it is better that the stuff has been taken by the police rather than local thieves.

"I would imagine police patience is wearing thin and there have been other projects where they have set up cars as decoys and caught thieves.

Peru|

25 August, 2009 [ 08:50 ]

Live turkeys used for drug trafficking in Peru

Living in Peru
Isabel Guerra

The Anti Drugs Police at Tarapoto (San Martín Region, in the Peruvian jungle) was startled when some his officers discovered a new method used by the local thugs to send drugs from one town to another: sewing cocaine into live turkeys.

Tarapoto's anti-drug police stopped a bus, expecting to find a package with drugs; however, they found a crate containing two live turkeys instead.

Otero Gonzalez, the local police chief, said to the press that they detected a handmade seam in the bird's chest area.

Then, a veterinarian was called, and he found 11 plastic capsules containing 1.9 kilograms (4.2 pounds) of cocaine from one turkey and 17 capsules with 2.9 kilograms (6.4 pounds) from the other.

The Anti Drugs Prosecutor Nancy Castillo said that the destination of the birds was the northern city of Trujillo (in Peru's northern coast

Police nab Linden man accused of hailing cab to rob Roselle bank

Eliot Caroom

The Star-Ledger

ROSELLE -- Cabbie Derrick Cooper didn't think twice when the man he picked up in Linden asked to stop at a bank in Roselle so he could get some money.

The only problem was the man never said he was planning to rob the place.

Michael Restaino, a 36-year-old unemployed Linden resident, was arrested moments after the Roselle Savings Bank on Chestnut Street was robbed when police officers, their guns drawn, surrounded the taxi.

"I had no idea. I was just shocked," Cooper said today. "I pulled over, and there was just a whole bunch of guns pointing at the cab."

Police said Restaino hailed the cab in Linden shortly before 2 p.m. Monday, telling Cooper he wanted to go to Elizabeth. But first, he asked the driver to stop at the bank, Roselle police Capt. Gary Riccardelli said.

When Restaino entered the bank, he handed the teller a note demanding money, Riccardelli said. As Cooper waited in the cab -- apparently unaware of what was happening inside -- the teller handed over more than $2,000.

Restaino never said a word during the hold-up.

"It was on the note: 'This is a hold-up. Give me the money and no one will get hurt,'" Riccardelli said.

After leaving the bank, Restaino got back in the cab and told Cooper to drive to Elizabeth.

In the meantime, bank employees called police and gave a description of the robber and the cab, which they said was headed north on Chestnut Street.

Moments later, police spotted the vehicle.

"Next thing you know, we got about three blocks from the bank and the officers came from out of nowhere and surrounded my car," Cooper said.

Restaino was found with a $20 bill in his hand and $2,381 stuffed in his pants pocket, Riccardelli said. He was also carrying the hold-up note, the captain said.

Restaino, who did not have a weapon, was charged with second-degree robbery and is being held at the Union County jail in Elizabeth on $100,000 bail.

After interviewing Cooper, police are certain he knew nothing about the crime.

"Usually you don't take a cab to a bank robbery," Riccardelli said.

Cooper, who has been driving a cab for Joan's Transportation in Linden for a year, said he's glad no one was hurt, and that situation seems funny a day later.

"It's something out of the movies," he said. "It's hilarious."

Tuesday August 25, 2009, 7:45 PM

FOUND: PAPA JOHN’S LONG-LOST CAMARO!
KENTUCKY MAN RECEIVES $250,000 FINDER’S FEE

Pizza chain founder recovers beloved car he sold in 1983 that led to start of Papa John’s;
Celebrates by offering free pizza to all Camaro owners Wednesday, August 26

 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (August 25, 2009) – “Papa” John Schnatter conquered roller coasters and the sweltering Texas heat, took the mound at professional ballparks, attempted a record for the world’s highest pizza delivery, taught children how to toss
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (August 25, 2009) – “Papa” John Schnatter conquered roller coasters and the sweltering Texas heat, took the mound at professional ballparks, attempted a record for the world’s highest pizza delivery, taught children how to toss pizza dough, chatted in football broadcast booths, rang the Closing Bell at NASDAQ, and met countless customers and team members as part of a nationwide Road Trip this summer, all for one purpose: finding the beloved 1971 Z28 Camaro he sold more than 25 years ago to help his dad’s tavern stay afloat and ultimately launch Papa John’s.

Just how beloved? So much so that Schnatter, founder of the world’s third-largest pizza company, initially offered a $25,000 “finder’s fee” to the person who could produce the title to his long-lost Camaro, and later offered $250,000 to whomever could produce the title and transfer the car. The search was chronicled online at www.papasroadtrip.com, where thousands of people logged on to offer tips on how to find his car.

Today, Papa John’s cherished Z28 Camaro is coming home to Louisville, Ky. And, as a result Jeff Robinson from nearby Flatwoods, Ky. (pop. 7,605) is $250,000 richer. The company has also extended a $25,000 reward offer to the family who originally bought the car from Schnatter in 1983, in appreciation for their help in linking the contest winner with Papa John’s.

“What a complete shock to know that the car in my garage was partly to thank for starting a company like Papa John’s,” said Jeff Robinson who has owned the car since 2004 and modified it slightly for various races and car shows, but retained most of the original body parts including the hood, rims and tires. “When I realized this was Papa John’s Camaro, I immediately wanted to get him his car back.”

Robinson, who had previously heard about the contest from a friend in Cincinnati, learned last week that he in fact might have Schnatter’s car. The family who originally purchased the car heard about the contest while watching an interview with Schnatter during the Washington-Baltimore preseason football game on August 13 and began searching for details online – ultimately directing them to Matt Hardigree, associate editor of Jalopnik.com, a Web site devoted to daily news and gossip for those obsessed with the cult of cars. Hardigree, who met Schnatter during his Road Trip stop in Houston in May, investigated the details himself then contacted Papa John’s with the lead.

“Papa John’s story was an immediate hit with our readers, who flooded the site with clues and tips on how to find the Camaro,” said Hardigree. “Everyone on our site loves cars and felt empathy for John, who traded one dream for another.

“Jalopnik is proud to have helped reunite another enthusiast with his prized Camaro. Not only is Papa John’s rewarding the contest winner with $250,000, but has also extended $25,000 to the Jalopnik reader who originated the lead.”

The company spent last week confirming the authenticity of the Camaro, including verifying title with the Kentucky Division of Motor Vehicles, pulling ownership records, and finally tracing the “out of state transfer” back to the state of Indiana where records indicated the car’s previous owner as Robert Schnatter, John’s father. After the final step of traveling to Flatwoods, Ky., to inspect the car and confirm the VIN, Papa John’s arranged for Robinson to deliver the car to Schnatter at Papa John’s headquarters in Louisville, in exchange for the promised $250,000.

“The Camaro represents what I gave up to start Papa John’s,” said Schnatter. “Words cannot capture the emotions I am feeling in getting back that part of my history. I didn’t have much back then, but for my business dreams to come true, I had to part with the one true asset I had to my name, and even then, there were no promises of success. I never gave up hope that someday I would get that car back.

“The foundation of Papa John’s was built on my decision to sell the Camaro, and while it may not appear to be a huge sacrifice to some, it represents my roots in this business. And, perhaps it can serve as proof to others that hard decisions today can pay off for you later, if you’re willing to believe in what you are doing. I’m extremely grateful for the success of Papa John’s, and really wanted this critical piece of our history back.”

The search has been scrambled in the past due to the car originally being described as a 1972 model. In fact, the car is a 1971 ½ model, so technically it’s a ’71. At some point in the company’s history, the year was rounded up to 1972.

In celebration of Schnatter finding his Camaro, Papa John’s will offer a free large, one-topping pizza on Wednesday, August 26, 2009, to Camaro owners. To redeem, Camaro owners must arrive at their nearby Papa John’s restaurant in their Camaro to order and pick up their free pizza. Limit one pizza per Camaro, and one visit per Camaro.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/6087174/Poodle-power-dogs-creatively-groomed-to-look-like-pandas-and-camels.html

http://lawmedconsultant.com/?p=137

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/5966251/The-weirdest-animals-on-Planet-Earth.html

One million giraffes: the art project that is taking over the web

One man's attempt to collect a million hand-created giraffes to prove the power of the internet is on target – after the project caught the attention of Twitter and Facebook users

Giraffe by Dawndelver, 21, from Southampton Photo: One Million Giraffes

Giraffe by Anette, 23, from Trondheim, Norway Photo: One Million Giraffes

Giraffe by Emily Vit, six, from Squamish, Canada Photo: One Million Giraffes

More than 130,000 giraffe drawings and models have already been submitted to OneMillionGiraffes.com by people inspired to take up their pencils and paintbrushes in the name of collaborative online art.

What started as an eccentric bet between two friends has grown into a minor web phenomena, with thousands of new giraffes posted on the website everyday.

The entries range from colourful children's scrawls to impressive watercolours, with a few arrangements of fruit and vegetables thrown in to boot.

The 24-year-old web designer who devised the website said that he has been overwhelmed by the response to his project, which grew out of a conversation with his friend Jørgen earlier this year about the creative potential of the web.

"We were just small-talking and discussed the Internet and how amazing it is. I proclaimed that anything is possible nowadays, there are no limits anymore, and said I could easily get one million of anything if I wanted to," Ola Helland, who lives in Stavanger, Norway, explained.

"Jørgen refused to agree with me and said there was no way I could get one million giraffes. So we made a bet.

"Two days later I made the website almost as a joke just to play around with the idea. I posted the link on my Facebook and Twitter account thinking I would get 10-15 giraffes from my friends and then it would just die off.

"I went out for lunch and when I came back I had 60 giraffes. By the end of the day I had 134. I started to realise that I had started something I immediately lost control over."

Under the rules of the bet all giraffes must be created by hand; any submissions drawn on computers or bought from shops are rejected.

Mr Helland says he is now confident of hitting one million by the bet deadline of the end of next year. He has amassed 134,227 in a little over two months, leaving 494 days to collect the remaining 865,773.

But what began as a "silly art project" had grown into something more meaningful, he said, showing how the internet could help spur traditional family activities and old-fashioned fun.

"It's become a way of spreading joy and to get people to turn off their televisions and creating something real," he said.

"I love getting emails from parents and grandparents telling stories of how they sat down with their kids and fooled around with crayons for a few hours.

"Drawing, laughing and sharing something real with the people around them really seems to bound people together."

Mr Helland is now appealing for Telegraph.co.uk readers to design their own giraffes to push him nearer the one million target.

As well as the pleasure of winning the bet ("I will mention this to Jørgen every single day for the rest of my life"), Mr Helland hopes that his whimsical project will do some concrete good.

He is trying to attract a corporate sponsor to donate £1 to the World Wildlife Fund for every picture submitted, with the money used to protect giraffes in the wild.

LINK TO SUBMIT GIRAFFE ART WORK:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6081316/One-million-giraffes-the-art-project-that-is-taking-over-the-web.html

 

Andy Bloxham
Daily Mail

1:45PM BST 24 Aug 2009

Knickers: police have arrested a town's mayor after underwear was stolen.

Ian Stafford, 58, was arrested after women in the area called police to report knickers repeatedly disappearing from their homes.

One woman was so peturbed she installed a hidden camera in her bedroom, which recorded a semi-naked man rifling through her drawers and putting on her underwear before performing a sex act.

Investigations later revealed a collection of knickers, allegedly matching those reported stolen, at the home of the mayor.

He was arrested on suspicion of burglary and bailed.

Mr Stafford, who works as a handyman and gardner, has now resigned from his post in Preesall near Fleetwood,Lancs.

A fellow councillor has taken over the chain of office.

A spokesman for the town council confirmed that as a result of Mr Stafford's arrest he had stood down.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said an investigation into stolen underwear had taken place in Preesall and a suspect was currently on police bail after being questioned.

Ian Stafford, mayor of Preesall,

near Blackpool, has been charged

with stealing womens underwear

10 Easy Paths to Self Destruction

Rocker Tommy Lee once said we're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time. Amen, Tommy. Many of us follow his lead every day by shunning the most basic principle of Darwinian evolution?trying to survive?with food, toxins and reckless lifestyles. If you'd like to get in on the act, we present our easiest catalysts to self-destruction. Heather Whipps

  http://www.livescience.com/health/top_10_self_destruction.html

Girl, 10, handcuffed and locked in a cell for six hours


Sophie Freeman

Daily Mail
Last updated at 11:42 AM on 24th August 2009

The father of a 10-year-old girl who was arrested, handcuffed and locked in a cell for almost six hours has criticised police for being 'heavy-handed'.

Shannon Blake was apprehended by police and taken to a police station in the back of  a van after she slapped a man who shouted at her in a park.

She then went through the ordeal of having a mug shot and finger-prints taken before she was locked in a tiny cell with just a bucket for a toilet.

Imprisoned: 10 year old Shannon Blake, seen here with her father Michael, was arrested and put in an adult police cell for six hours

Her father, Michael Blake, claims he wasn't even told she had been arrested until two hours later - and was then refused access to see her.

The 55-year-old lorry driver, from Tiverton, Devon, believes his daughter - who was given a formal reprimand for assault - should have been brought home instead.

He said: 'It seems absolutely ridiculous, she was treated like a criminal. I never received any information about it until more than two hours later.

'They locked her in a cell with a bucket if she wanted to use the toilet.

'They took her shoes away and the strings of her trousers.

'They finger-printed her and took her photo and then gave her a sandwich and half a cup of cold tea.

'It's absolutely appalling they can treat a 10-year-old in that way - what they did was really heavy-handed.

'What are they doing putting cuffs on a young girl? They should have just brought her home to me and I would have dealt with it.'

Shannon was arrested at 3pm on Tuesday after she slapped a man following an argument concerning his dog at a park in Tiverton, Devon.

Michael claims Shannon, who has never been in trouble before, attempted to stroke the unnamed man's pet but was shocked when he shouted at her.

Mr Blake said: 'Shannon had been playing in the BMX park when she went to stroke this man's dog.

'He shouted at her so she slapped him and gave him a push. My daughter has never been in trouble before. She's a bit of a tomboy but that's it.'

But police say they received a 999 call from a member of the public claiming that up to 20 youths were attacking a man who had been walking his dog.

Shannon was arrested with two boys aged 16 and 15 and taken to Heavitree Road Police Station in Exeter, Devon.

Mr Blake claims he was not informed his daughter had been arrested until  5.15pm and when he arrived at the station was not allowed to see her.

Shannon was eventually returned home at 8.45pm after spending almost six hours in the hands of police and received a formal reprimand.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said officers handcuffed Shannon after an assessment of the situation.

'We had a call from a member of the public that a man who had been walking his dog had been attacked by a gang of up to 20 youths,' said Alan Mobbs.

'An initial report was that one of the youths had a stick in his hands.

'Handcuffing a 10-year-old is never done as a matter of routine. A decision was made by the officer at the scene, based on the girl's demeanour, likelihood of escape and likelihood of injuring someone else.

'The officer that made the decision considered it serious enough to use the handcuffs.

Mr Mobbs said Shannon was detained in an adult cell because there was no other secure accommodation for her.

'If there's the right sort of accommodation available (a young person) would be detained in a cell specifically for juveniles, closer to custody staff. It was busy so she had to go in a cell.

'You put drunks and people making a noise to the back of the custody blocks. You put juveniles near custody staff so they can be supervised closely.'

But Mr Mobbs said that, despite being further away from custody staff, Shannon had 'regular checks'. He added that Mr Blake was not told about his daughter's detention straight away due to the sheer volume of cases the police station was dealing with that day.

'It's not something we delay on but with a busy custody centre, sometimes it takes a while to get hold of the relevant people.'

Following her arrest, Shannon was reprimanded for an assault and a 15-year-old boy was also reprimanded for a public order offence.

A 16-year-old boy was charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, for allegedly using threatening or insulting words or behaviour. He was bailed until September 2.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208622/Girl-10-handcuffed-locked-cell-hours.html#ixzz0P6P1t0Mm

America's Best Public Restrooms

The 2009 winner of the award for the best public restrooms in America is presented in the photos below. These incredible public potties can be found at the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre in Branson, MO. Cintas Corporation, which provides restroom hygiene products and services, is the sponsor of the best public restroom award and has been presenting these awards annually for the last eight years.

LINK TO PHOTOS:

http://inthespotlite.blogspot.com/2009/08/americas-best-public-restrooms.html

Homeless Man Leaves Behind Surprise: $4 Million

July 27, 2009

LISTEN TO STORY:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111091624&sc=nl&cc=es-20090823

Every day on NPR, listeners hear funding credits — or, in other words, very short, simple commercials.

A few weeks ago, a new one made it to air: "Support for NPR comes from the estate of Richard Leroy Walters, whose life was enriched by NPR, and whose bequest seeks to encourage others to discover public radio."

NPR's Robert Siegel wondered who Walters was. So Siegel Googled him.

An article in the online newsletter of a Catholic mission in Phoenix revealed that Walters died two years ago at the age of 76. He left an estate worth about $4 million. Along with the money he left for NPR, Walters also left money for the mission.

But something distinguished Walters from any number of solvent, well-to-do Americans with seven-figure estates: He was homeless.

Walters was a retired engineer from AlliedSignal Corp.; an honors graduate of Purdue with a master's degree; and a Marine. Walters never married, didn't have children and was estranged from his brother. But he wasn't friendless.

Rita Belle, a registered nurse, met Walters at a senior center 13 years ago.

"He always came in with a little backpack on and a cap on," Belle tells Siegel. "And always kind of looked at me, but [was] very reserved. And I'm very outgoing and outspoken. So I said to him, 'Hey, you got a minute can we sit down to visit?' And we'd have coffee there at the senior center."

Belle and Walters became friends. Belle stayed with Walters when he was ill. She became his nurse and ultimately the executor of his estate — as well as one of the beneficiaries — despite fundamental differences between them.

"He was an atheist and I'm a very profound practicing Catholic, and I'd never met an atheist," Belle says. "And that just blew my mind that somebody could not believe in the Lord."

Belle volunteers at the mission in Phoenix, which like NPR and several other nonprofits got about $400,000 from Walters.

Belle knew him as a very well-informed man who could fix her air conditioning — someone she just assumed had a place to live. Then he told her that he had no home. She heard that he slept on the grounds of the senior center. He told her he ate at the hospital and used a telephone there or at the center.

"And I'm sure that's when he was making his trades and so on," Belle says. "He was involved in investing; we talked investments a lot." Belle says Walters even did his own income taxes.

When Walters retired, he evidently retired from the world of material comforts. He didn't have a car.

"He just gave up all of the material things that we think we have to have," Belle says. "You know, I don't know how we gauge happiness. What's happy for you might not be happy for me. I never heard him complain."

Evidently, among his few possessions was a radio. Hence those announcements listeners hear now and again on NPR stations.

Richard Walters, a homeless man who lived in Phoenix, died two years ago. 

He left behind a surprise: a $4 million estate.

Cheater's Porsche on the market

ANDREW PARKER

The Sun

A WIFE who caught her hubby romping with the babysitter in his Porsche is taking revenge by selling the car online at a knockdown price.

She has also put the love rat's prized wine collection in the boot.

The unnamed woman put the car on classified ads site Gumtree yesterday with a furious explanation why the 911, which cost around $70,000 brand new, was going for $2,000. She wrote:

Last week, I caught my husband having it off with our babysitter in our Porsche (actually, MY Porsche as I bloody paid for it). So I'm selling his beloved car. See how the p***k likes that!

I'd been to my mum's but came back early 'cos we had a fallout.

The children were in bed. My husband wasn't. I heard something in the garage.

'I thought it was a rat. It was a blooming rat alright - my husband with our babysitter. She's barely 17! I treated her like my own daughter. He told me it didn't mean anything. It sounds crazy but I would have preferred it if had meant something. Why risk 15 years of marriage for anything less?'

The scorned wife, from Solihull, West Midlands, goes on to explain it wasn't the first time she had caught him cheating.

But she says she took him back each time, thinking he had changed.

The wife added: "Every single time, like the hopeful naive cow that I was, I gave him another chance. Deep down, I knew he wouldn't change.

"But I went along with it for the kids, for the sanctity of a marriage, for 'what will the neighbours think?'

"Well, no more. The penny's finally dropped."

She finishes by promising a "hot surprise" for the "babysitter-turned-slut", revealing: "I rubbed pepper sauce over every condom wrapper I could find in the house. That should give them a night to remember."