MAN RUNNING NAKED IN EFFORT TO PERSUADE GIRLFRIEND TO MARRY HIM SHOT BY NEIGHBOR

ANN ARBOR, Michigan-A marriage-minded man ran naked through his neighborhood, trying to show his hesitant girlfriend that taking risks is important.

He got more than he bargained for when he ended up being chased and shot at.

The couple were discussing marriage early Wednesday when the woman said she was not sure if she was ready, according to Ann Arbor police reports.

After running naked across the street, the man ducked into some bushes when he spotted a couple walking.

A 28-year-old man spotted the bushes rustling and bare feet underneath, and drew his .40-caliber handgun, and ordered the naked man to come out, according to police.

The naked suitor ran away, but the armed man gave chase and eventually fired a shot, police said. The naked man fell to the ground, suffering minor injuries.

Police arrested the gunman on charges of aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon. The naked man was not arrested.

and she said NO to this dude? Well, I'll have to strike this from my list of possible marriage proposal scenarios.

Perhaps if he'd been serenading while accompanied by a banjo, he might have sealed the deal.

He had to have other shortcomings.

Reminds me of the cases about bb guns vs. pellet/CO2 guns

EL PASO � A 9-year-old boy who was shot in the eye with a screwdriver-loaded paintball gun died Tuesday, El Paso police said.
Matthew Holguin was injured late Monday when two men were playing with a paintball gun with a screwdriver loaded inside, police said. When the gun was fired by one of the men, Matthew was wounded in his right eye and taken to a local hospital.
Police said Christian Sifuentes, 22, of El Paso, and Filiberto Soto, 21, of Las Vegas, were both arrested after the shooting on charges of injuring a child and possession of marijuana.
Both men remained jailed Tuesday at the El Paso County jail. Bond was set at $35,000.

quote:

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Matthew Holguin was injured late Monday when two men were playing with a paintball gun with a screwdriver loaded inside, police said.

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Who ... why would you ... what kind of idiot ... agh! All I can think to say is "stupid is as stupid does" ....

or perhaps it was the "Aerosmith soundtrack"??

the link

Boy dies after riding Disney World roller coaster

12-year-old from Kentucky dies after riding Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney-MGM Studios.

Orlando Sentinel
June 29, 2006

ORLANDO -- A 12-year-old died today after riding the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney-MGM Studios theme park, going limp near the end of the ride as he sat next to his mother, officials said this afternoon.

His father, riding behind his son with the boy's 7-year-old brother, noticed the boy's condition and immediately began CPR when the coaster stopped, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The family was on vacation to Florida from Fort Campbell, Ky., where the father serves in the military.

A 911 call at 11:21 a.m. said the boy was unconscious and not breathing after the ride. Reedy Creek Fire Rescue, which responds to emergency calls at Walt Disney World, noted in its 911 call report that there was no defibrillator available before rescue workers arrived about 11:26 a.m.

The boy, identified this afternoon as Michael Russell, was taken to Celebration Hospital, where he was officially declared dead.

Disney World officials said they closed the roller coaster "pending an investigation," but added that an "initial review of the attraction shows the ride was operating normally." It is not known where the coaster will reopen.

"We offer the family our deepest sympathies," Disney said in a statement at 2:46 p.m. "A company representative is with them providing assistance."

According to information released at a news conference this afternoon, the boy's parents said Michael Russell was in good health and had not complained about being sick before the ride. Byron and Charlotte Russell and sons, Michael and 7-year-old Houston, had checked out of their Disney hotel this morning before heading to MGM.

According to state records reviewed by the Orlando Sentinel, this would be the seventh person whose death is associated with Disney attractions since the Christmas season of 2004. The most recent was in April, when Hiltrud Blumel, a 49-year-old German woman, died after riding Epcot's Mission: Space simulator ride.

The coaster, known for its fast start and pulsating Aerosmith soundtrack, is the second-fastest ride at Disney, with a top speed of 57 mph. According to the Disney Web site, "This attraction pulls between 4 and 5 big, fat, monster Gs. Space shuttle astronauts, by comparison, experience 3 Gs at liftoff.''

The indoor ride, which opened in 1999, catapults people from zero-to-its-top-speed in 2.8 seconds, then takes them through a make-believe night in Southern California in a 24-passenger stretch limo.

The Russell family were riding together in one of the coaster's six cars.

The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster has the tallest height requirement in Disney's four parks -- tied with Animal Kingdom Primeval Whirl. (There is a 52 inch height requirement to drive at the Magic Kingdom's Indy Speedway, but you can be any height on that to be a passenger.)

The fastest ride at Disney is Epcot's Test Track, which can reach a speed of 65 mph.

Visitors to Disney-MGM Studios this afternoon said they were unaware of the death. A sign posted at the front of the park noted that the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was closed, but did not explain why. (See comments in story here.)

Disney workers at the ride entrance were telling people they did not know why the ride was closed or that it involved technical difficulties.

quote:

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Originally posted by Andy Porter:
Perhaps if he'd been serenading while accompanied by a banjo, he might have sealed the deal.

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Or better yet, he could have used an enema apparatus and a bottle of vintage cooking sherry. By the way, at the TDCAA seminar last week, I learned that the Brazoria County Enema murder case is STILL PENDING, with a former intern of mine at the helm. (banjo music fades)

quote:

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Matthew Holguin was injured late Monday when two men were playing with a paintball gun with a screwdriver loaded inside, police said.

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Three last words: "Ya'll watch this." OR
"Damn, that hurt!" OR "That's gonna leave a mark." (Okay, the last one wasn't three, but math was never my strong point. )

Flip-flops may cause foot damage
7/7/2006 9:46 AM
By: Gina Swanson


The season's favorite footwear says its name with every step you take.

Flip-flops are comfortable and easy to put on but they may be silently taking a toll on your feet, doctors said.

"I have seen a wide variety of injuries, pain or strain just from wearing flip-flops," podiatrist Dr. Jeff LaMour of Family Foot Care said.

The slinky sandals offer little protection and support for your feet and wearing them could lead to future foot problems, podiatrists say.

"It's not uncommon for a patient to come in with arch pain, heel pain or even ankle pain as a result of wearing shoes without any support," LaMour said.

Knowing the risks, Jessica Munice said she's not ready to retire her favorite sandals.

"Maybe in a couple years," she said.

The shoes should be worn sparingly, LaMour said.

"If you are really active or doing a lot of walking you would be better off wearing something with more shock absorption," he said.

Even though the warm weather may tempt you to expose your toes, doctors hope just knowing the risks involved with wearing flip-flops may give you cold feet.

Not all flip-flops are created equal. Doctors recommend buying the sandals that have built-in arch supports, though they may cost a little more.

July 14, 2006, 12:58AM
Falling TVs pose a growing danger
Local girl's death highlights what one doctor calls 'a real public health issue'

By TODD ACKERMAN and ZEKE MINAYA
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

The 37-inch television sits in the dirt of the backyard, wet from the rain and dented and cracked from the fury of Alejandro Pe�a. His hands are swollen and the knuckles scabbed after he attacked the set as if it were a blood enemy.

In a way, it is. On Wednesday, the television fell on his 3-year-old daughter, Lizzette, after she tried to climb it to retrieve a toy. The set split her skull, Pe�a said.


"She was such a happy girl," said Pe�a, his eyes red from a sleepless night spent in tears. While at the hospital, Pe�a remembered the staff recalling other such similar accidents. "I didn't know this happened so much," he said.

In the past year, at Memorial Hermann Hospital alone, there have been 11 injuries from falling televisions. In the past four months, five of those have resulted in death. The extent of the problem at other Houston-area hospitals could not be determined at press time.

The previous incident occurred July 6, when 2-year-old Diego Martinez knocked a large television set onto himself and was pinned beneath it for several minutes. He died later that day.

There are no national numbers for fatalities, but in 2005, U.S. emergency-room doctors treated 2,600 children younger than 5 injured by falling televisions, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

"It's become a real public health issue," said Dr. Stephen Fletcher, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. "Who would have thought?"


Keep out of reach

Experts say the problem, already the subject of at least three academic studies, is really more about inadequate anchoring of TVs than it is about their design or size. Faulting a lack of parental awareness and an absence of fundamental prevention steps, they stressed the problem is easily avoidable.
Because many new televisions tend to be front-heavy, accidents tend to happen when small children climb them or try to retrieve objects on them. Experts said the most important thing is to keep TVs out of reach of small children or at least anchor them against a wall, and don't put things on them.

One of the studies called for manufacturers to make available or include an inexpensive furniture-securing device, such as a strap, and to add labels warning of the potential danger of units toppling.

It also called for a public awareness campaign. The study noted that a similar strategy involving injuries caused by falling vending machines resulted in more units being secured to floors and walls.

"More aggressive education about the risk of injury must be implemented so parents take the time to display their televisions safely," said Dr. Todd Maxson, medical director of trauma at Children's Hospital of Austin and co-author of a study that appeared in the June issue of Academic Emergency Medicine. "If there is any silver lining that comes from tragedies likes this, it is that sometimes, that's what it takes to bring a problem to light."

Maxson's study found 85 percent of parents interviewed for the study were not aware of the potential danger. None of the 26 cases his team reviewed at Children's Medical Center in Dallas resulted in death, but Maxson noted that they were very severe � "head injuries that can easily lead to death."

The study found bigger televisions sets were not a primary factor. Televisions with 20- to 30-inch screens were most commonly involved, making up 65 percent of cases. Sets between 30 and 40 inches constituted another 16 percent, and those 19 inches or smaller made up 19 percent of cases. Eighty-five percent of the toppled TVs were situated between two and five feet off the floor.


Easy to topple

At the Pe�a home in Houston, the television sat on a small wooden stand, no more than four feet off the ground. Thursday afternoon, Alejandro Pe�a said he realizes how easily the now-battered set could be toppled; to demonstrate, he put his hand on top and gently pushed down, causing the set to teeter on the ground.
Inside, Lizzette's mother, Rubi Soria, slept in a bedroom, exhausted from crying. "She has slept nothing all night," Alejandro Pe�a said. "She was saying it was her fault."

It normally would be a happy time for the family; Soria is expecting another child, and Thursday was Pe�a's 23rd birthday. But it may be some time before happiness finds his doorstep again, Pe�a said. "I feel like ... " he began to say, before choking on the words.

More than 98 percent of U.S. homes have at least one TV set, and one household of every four purchases a new model each year, according to the Consumer Electronic Association, which puts out TV-safety brochures for the industry. Researchers say that pattern leads to unfamiliarity with issues such as size, required safe clearance and weight distribution.

Woman blinded in one eye by carrot

MONROE, CT (AP) - A 46-year-old man is accused of assaulting his wife with a carrot, causing her to lose sight in one eye.

Roderick Vecsey is charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

Pamela Vecsey, 46, underwent six outs of surgery after being hit in the left eye with the vegetable Saturday night, but doctors were not able to restore her vision, prosecutor Stephanie Damiani said.

The couple was arguing when Roderick Vecsey tossed the carrot, Damiani said.

Roderick Vecsey told Judge Patrick Carroll that it was a terrible accident, and was advised to remain silent.

The judge set a hearing for Thursday. Vecsey is currently free after posting $500 bond.

Must have been one of those purple carrots developed down there in Bryan! They are known for their unusual accuracy when flung during the heat of a domestic dispute. On contact, their staining is more pronounced and has been compared to that made by the stain packets used by financial institutions. An ad hoc committee is currently discussing the future of this nefarious weapon. One matter under consideration is additional legislation to restrict throwing of the vegetable to outdoor contests.

Only in the Onion! (aren't they purple in Bryan too?)

And I always heard that carrots were good for the eyes. For details, web page

The Boy in the Chimney
The examiner believed the youth got trapped. The detective suspected murder. An answer to part of the mystery left both in disbelief.
By Hector Becerra, Times Staff Writer
July 20, 2006

Inside the chill of the county coroner's office, the detective and the forensic anthropologist stood over soot-covered bones arrayed on a metal table.

Over two hours, Elizabeth Miller provided a running dialogue for each bone. She picked up one rib after another, studying them for knife scrapes.

The bones were those of a boy, perhaps 12 to 15 years old, found in the chimney of an abandoned building in South Los Angeles. The boy wore faded and stained tan jeans and a white shirt, but no shoes.

"I'm sure if we had a photograph, we'd be able to recognize him," Miller said.

More than once, Los Angeles Police Det. Chris Barling asked: Was he killed?

There was no sign of trauma, Miller said. No self-defense wounds on the finger bones, no scrapes or damage to other bones. The jaw suggested major dental work to repair an injury, but that was it.

That was March 28, 2005, and the homicide detective and the anthropologist had hunches, nothing more.

Miller said she thought the boy sneaked into the chimney and died either of starvation or positional asphyxiation. Perhaps the clay pipe of the chimney muted his calls for help. Maybe the same pipe carried the smell of decay up and out. The remains still gave out a waxy, organic odor, which led Miller to believe that he had probably been dead less than five years. The boy's two front teeth protruded, and his skull had strong African American features.

"I tend to go with weird accidents more," she said. "I prefer to think weird things happen as opposed to somebody killing and dumping a boy into a chimney."

Barling felt differently.

"Maybe I'm just morbid," he said. "I just had a hunch that it didn't make sense it was accidental�. My gut is that we're dealing with a murder."

The discovery of the skeletal remains at 89th and Main streets in South Los Angeles had been a fluke. On March 24, 2005, an 11-year-old girl had climbed on the roof of the abandoned halfway house to retrieve a soccer ball.

The girl peered down into the chimney. She ran to her father and told him she had seen a skull.

BARRING REPRIEVE, VA. INMATE TO DIE IN ELECTRIC CHAIR
Failing intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court or Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), Virginia today could become the first state in more than two years to use the electric chair to execute a death-row inmate.

Convicted murderer Brandon Wayne Hedrick is scheduled to be electrocuted in the death chamber at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt at 9 p.m.

In a move that is becoming increasingly rare in death-penalty states across the nation, Hedrick, 27, chose electrocution over lethal injection under a state law that allows condemned inmates to pick the way they will die. If the execution goes forward, Hedrick would be the first death-row inmate in more than three years to be electrocuted in Virginia.

July 21, 2006

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.(AP) - A jury acquitted a man who had been charged with assault after authorities said an assistant prosecutor, police officer and courtroom bailiff got sick after shaking hands with him.

John Curtis Ridgeway, 42, was seen pulling out a vial of liquid and rubbing his hands with the contents after a December jury trial in which he was found guilty of driving without insurance, authorities said.

The assistant prosecutor, Amanda Swanson, became suspicious and tried to avoid contact when Ridgeway offered his hand for a handshake. Ridgeway insisted on shaking hands with her, the police officer who pulled him over and a bailiff, authorities said.

The three got sick within an hour or so, according to testimony. Symptoms, which lasted about 24 hours, included nausea, headaches, numbness and tingling. Two of the three went to the hospital.

Ridgeway told The Associated Press after he was charged that the substance was olive oil. He testified that he used oil to anoint "corrupt buildings" and that it was meant to rid the buildings of demons.

He was acquitted Friday of assaulting a police officer and two counts of assaulting a public officer. If convicted, he could have faced six years in prison.

Prosecutor Keith Kushion declined to comment. Defense lawyer William Shirley said Ridgeway had not intended to harm anyone.

Prison ceremony lands pagan on death row

July 24, 2006 12:50 am

By KRISTEN GELINEAU

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

STAUNTON--The six inmates gathered around a makeshift altar to pay homage to the Norse gods they worshipped as part of their dedication to Asatru, a pagan religion.

But tension was brewing among the Ironwood Kindred, as the men were known in the Augusta Correctional Center. Inmate Michael Lenz thought Brent Parker committed blasphemy. For that, Lenz believed, his fellow inmate must pay.

The peaceful ceremony exploded into a bloody m�lee that left Parker dead and landed Lenz on Virginia's death row. He is slated for execution July 27.

Asatru has been growing in popularity among the nation's inmates, say religious leaders and prison experts, who believe the it's roots in Viking mythology attract prisoners seeking power, protection and unity.

"Those ancient gods were really very revered--they were perceived to have power," said M. Macha NightMare, a California priestess and witch who has written several books on paganism. "That's a cool thing to identify with if you're feeling weak and insecure. It's an overcompensation--and they are disempowered because they're in shackles."

Asatru is often referred to as Odinism, although some followers believe the two are independent religions. It is a polytheistic, pre-Christian faith native to Scandinavia and worships such gods as Thor and Odin. The religion emphasizes a connection with one's ancestors and values the principles of honor, loyalty, generosity and truth.

There are an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people in the United States who consider themselves Asatruars or Odinists, said Stephen McNallen, director of the Asatru Folk Assembly, one of the nation's leading Asatru groups. Local groups of followers are called "kindreds."

One common Asatru ceremony is called a blot, in which followers make offerings to the gods. Generally, this involves an offering of mead which is dedicated to the deities and then shared among the participants.

National statistics aren't kept on how many inmates follow Asatru. But experts say its popularity among inmates has steadily increased over the past 15 years and enjoyed a recent boost from court rulings supporting the rights of prisoners to practice minority religions.

Last year, the Supreme Court sided with an Asatru inmate by upholding a federal law requiring state prisons to accommodate the religious affiliations of prisoners. Several Ohio inmates who followed unconventional religions such as Wicca and Asatru had sued, claiming they were denied access to religious literature and ceremonial items and denied time to worship. Asatru inmates in Ohio had argued they were banned from purchasing items such as altar cloths and hammer-shaped amulets, which represent Thor's hammer and symbolize holiness, power and fertility.

That ruling helped make it easier for Asatruars to practice their religion, which attracted the attention and curiosity of other inmates, said Patrick McCollum, Wiccan chaplain of the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., and national religious adviser for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The gang culture in prison also helped contribute to the rise in Asatru's popularity behind bars, said theologian Britt Minshall, a former police officer and Baltimore pastor who ministers to inmates. Some white inmates who felt threatened by black prison gangs formed their own gangs and sought out a belief system they felt would provide additional security, he said.

"It's a way of grouping together for safety," he said. "And you have to have a god in the middle of that to really keep you safe."

Asatru is often associated with white supremacy, although most Asatru leaders bristle at suggestions of any such relationship. The majority of Asatruars are white, but Asatru welcomes members of all races, said the Asatru Folk Assembly's McNallen, who contends a few bad seeds--such as Lenz--have sullied the faith's reputation.

McNallen said most Asatruars are peaceful people who abhor the kind of violence seen in the case of Lenz, who was sentenced to death in 2000 for Parker's murder. Lenz and another inmate, fellow Asatruar Jeffrey Remington, fatally stabbed the 41-year-old Parker a combined 68 times with makeshift knives during the prison ceremony. Remington was also sentenced to death, but committed suicide in 2004.

At trial, Lenz testified that Parker had not been taking the religion seriously, and to protect the honor of the gods, Parker had to die.

Lenz's belief that fatal force was warranted is not surprising, said Art Jipson, who studies white racial extremism and directs the University of Dayton's criminal justice studies program.

"If he believes the fight was necessary, whether or not it was legal is the least of his concerns," Jipson said. "If he's a truly devout practicing Odinist or Asatruar, he's doing what he must do."

(No, not due to talking-while-driving ...)

Man Accused of Shoving Phone Down Throat
July 26 2006

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) - The assault trial of a man accused of shoving a cell phone down a woman's throat has begun.

Prosecutors say 24-year-old Marlon Brando Gill was angry and jealous when he forced the phone into Melinda Abell's throat in December. But defense attorneys insist the 25-year-old victim swallowed the phone intentionally to prevent Gill from finding out who she'd been calling.

Gill is charged with felony first-degree assault.

A doctor at a Kansas City hospital's emergency room used a tool called a "pincher" to remove the phone from Abell's throat.

She testified yesterday that she couldn't remember how the phone got in her throat, saying she drank too much that night. Court records show that her blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit.