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Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: LendaL on February 23, 2008, 03:25:20 pm

Title: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on February 23, 2008, 03:25:20 pm

CBS) Every kid wants a special ring tone.

"What's wrong with the ringtones that come with the phone?" CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson asked teenager Kelsi Dolan.

"They're Beethoven!" Kelsi said.

So imagine Kelsi Dolan's excitement when she got a text message on her brand new phone.

"It said, 'you've qualified for a free ringtone,' and they sent it to me three times," Kelsi said. "So I asked my Mom if I could get it and she said 'no.' So I texted 'no' back."

But saying "no" wasn't enough. A charge for $19.99 showed up on her phone bill. When her mom tried to get it removed, her phone company told her it was a monthly subscription and it couldn't be stopped.  :bs:

"I didn't even want a refund for the first month because I figured, 'okay, ya got me.'" Debbie Dolan, Kelsi's mother, said. "Fine I'll take the $20 hit. But when you're gonna keep doing it and you won't do anything to stop it?!"

It's called "cramming," Attkisson reports: Charges for services you didn't order and don't want that can be next to impossible to stop.

And it's not just happening to kids. Last year, the FCC ordered millions of dollars returned to angry cell phone customers who said they were scammed.

Rebecca Anderson did nothing more than search the Web for free ringtones. Then she, too, got hit by monthly charges.

"I did not agree to any charges. I did not download anything," Anderson said.

An innocuous-looking website run by a company called Ringaza. Peel away the layers of Ringaza and you find a man named Scott Richter, better known to some as "the King of Spam."

A few years ago, Richter was one of the biggest e-mail spammers in the world. He even paid a $7 million settlement over it. And now he's in the ringtone business. He didn't respond to our repeated interview requests.

But carriers like Ringaza owe some of their success to carriers like Verizon Wireless ... which agree to add the charges to your regular phone bill.

"If you believe that you've been charged in error or that you didn't subscribe, we'll credit that charge," said Verizon Wireless spokesman John Johnson.

Johnson says if you suspect fraud, all you have to do is call. But it's not always that easy.

"Verizon said that this was an outside carrier and they were not responsible for these charges," Anderson said.

And in Dolan's case: "They told me they wouldn't take it off and they couldn't stop it."
turns out the big carriers are making money off the deal.

"What is Verizon's share?" Attkisson asked Johnson. "What kind of cut do you get from these bills?"

"I don't have a percentage," Johnson said.

"Does 30 to 40 percent sound accurate?" she asked.

"It doesn't sound unreasonable, but again I don't know," Johnson said.

It looks to the customers like Verizon or other companies may not be very responsive because they're getting a cut of the action.

"Well, sometimes it looks that way and that really concerns us," Johnson said.

Since CBS News first began working on this story, Verizon decided to change its policy. Customers can now block those unwanted charges.

And Kelsi is still looking for the right ring tone ... one that's really free.
*******************************************************
Why you should read TOS very carefully...and even then.. you could get scammed..I dont dont even look twice at those so-called free ring tone offers..

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: Madd4Money on February 23, 2008, 03:53:12 pm

Thanks Lendal  That is a great article.  Hopefully some of the new people won't be so willing to enter their cell phone numbers into those ringtone offers, unless of course they read the TOS and want the subscription. 

I know I won't touch them!!!

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: froggyjoe on February 23, 2008, 03:54:36 pm

wow very interesting.. ty for the share on that one..  :wave: I have not purchased a celular yet. but planning it on in it very soon.. I would of been one of those people that would of looked for ringtones.. and my luck that probably would of happened to me.. .. im also interested in a safte place to get ringtones in the very near future like the end of next month thanks again :wave:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on February 27, 2008, 02:52:26 am

great post.

i'm an old geezer.... my cell has the same ring it had when i bought it.

i dont want to watch vids on my phone, i dont want to read my phone (texting).. hell, most times.... I DONT WANT TO TALK ON MY PHONE.

my main objective in life is to live a very long life.... and be the only person in the western world who has never sent nor received a "text" message.

 :thumbsup:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: joclt22 on February 27, 2008, 08:11:23 am

thanks. this is way i only get my ringtones from ordering them from my phone carrier. i tried a ringtone offer on another site awhile back.... i did get teh charges stopped after the 1st month but i never got credit for the offer so i was a bit mad. yes i know you do offer that you are interested in. and i was..... but i read the whole tos and every word everywhere on their site and no where does it say anything about any charges other then a one time 1.00 fee for the download/tranfer of the ringtone.... so yeah.... i got scammed. but i won't no more! live and learn i guess.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: MystedMoon on February 27, 2008, 03:20:25 pm

Quote from: jlb001 on February 27, 2008, 02:52:26 am

great post.

i'm an old geezer.... my cell has the same ring it had when i bought it.

i dont want to watch vids on my phone, i dont want to read my phone (texting).. hell, most times.... I DONT WANT TO TALK ON MY PHONE.

my main objective in life is to live a very long life.... and be the only person in the western world who has never sent nor received a "text" message.

 :thumbsup:

Too late!

You're not the only one who never has text messaged, etc.  :thumbsup:

I use my phone for conversation and that's all!  :confused1:

I have the ability to access the web on my phone, text message and I choose not to do so.  :wave:

If something important has to be said, I will call a person, NOT get charged extra to text message them. Nor will I spend a connection charge on top of getting charged per minute for using the internet option on my phone. Yes, my carrier charges per minutes usuage and a connection fee.  :bs:

And I am with you, I actually HATE talking on the phone. Mine is used for work and emergencies.  :sad1:

As for the ringtones, I get free ringtones at one per month from my carrier that are automatically loaded into my phone. I do not get charged for them and it's an extra service they provide to their timely paying customers.  :angel12:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: tjones911 on February 27, 2008, 04:35:35 pm

Hehe I made my own ringtone :P

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on February 27, 2008, 05:07:49 pm

Quote from: MystedMoon on February 27, 2008, 03:20:25 pm

Quote from: jlb001 on February 27, 2008, 02:52:26 am

great post.

i'm an old geezer.... my cell has the same ring it had when i bought it.

i dont want to watch vids on my phone, i dont want to read my phone (texting).. hell, most times.... I DONT WANT TO TALK ON MY PHONE.

my main objective in life is to live a very long life.... and be the only person in the western world who has never sent nor received a "text" message.

 :thumbsup:

I use my phone for conversation and that's all!  :confused1:

I have the ability to access the web on my phone, text message and I choose not to do so.  :wave:

If something important has to be said, I will call a person...

And I am with you, I actually HATE talking on the phone. Mine is used for work and emergencies.  :sad1:

perfect comment.

two things for which i'm greatful....

1) for most of the 80's and into the 90's... i was in germany. i missed ***thank god*** when crack busted out here in the states.

so, when i got back to the states, after hearing all these stories about crackheads.... i was a bit older and MUCH wiser about drug use.

i remember... when i got back.... looking around and thinking *** WHAT IN THE *F*!!!*** it was like being in a "night of the living dead movie" in some neighborhoods.

2) being born at the time that i was.... 1966.... it put me at the very end of the baby boomer gen and the very beginning of "gen x". while ours may not be the greatest generation... i feel that we may have certain quailites that arent shared by the current generations.

but we arent without our problems either.... my main disappoint with us, collectively.... is the parents that dont teach their kids the value of work.... of getting the job done.... of goal setting and achievement.

something is really WRONG with a teen driving a $20K-$30K (OR MORE!) car to high school.... and wearing $100 jackets/shoes.

when your mommy and daddy has bought everything for you.... how in the hell are you supposed to learn the real value of busting your *bleep*?

my friend just gave his 16 year old a frigging mercedes. as i asked him.... "whatever happened to people paying their dues?"

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: Administrator on February 28, 2008, 03:59:22 am

I'm not advocating drug use, nor have I tried either, but you should check out the pending legislation regarding crack cocaine:
http://www.sentencingproject.org/AdvocacyMaterialDetails.aspx?AdvocacyMaterialID=64

Crack cocaine was widely maligned because racists saw it as a "black drug".  It's not some mega-drug that causes neighborhoods to fall apart -- in fact:

Quote

Crack cocaine and powder cocaine are derived from the same drug and, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, have the same effects on the brain and nervous system.

Politicians passed laws hugely over-criminalizing possession of small quantities of crack and then selectively enforced them:

Quote

More than 80% of the defendants sentenced for federal crack cocaine offenses are African American, despite the fact that more than 66% of crack users are white or Hispanic.

If you want to talk about why there are ghettos, I think you should consider going back to some of the root causes of poverty.

Again, I'm not advocating drug use nor intending to defend those who do... I just think this is a pretty racist con job on the part of our elected representatives.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jetskimax on February 28, 2008, 04:44:26 am

Thank you for a very interesting thread.  I admit I'm a news junkie and appreciate good content when posted!  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on February 28, 2008, 08:58:24 am

Quote from: Administrator on February 28, 2008, 03:59:22 am

***crack vs coke***

while you have some valid points in your post... crack and coke didnt have an equal end result.

meaning.... crack has destroyed entire neighborhoods. coke never did that. so, which is worse? the one family thats ripped apart by drugs.... or a neighborhood going from a group of middleclass people, working to make something of themselves... to one where gunfire, robberies, murders, etc are the order of the day?

i'll take you to areas right in augusta that i saw this transformation with my own eyes.

lastly.... drug use within itself isnt necessarily a bad thing.... depending on the drug and the person.

i know, i know.... the PC mindset says "jumping on the bandwagon" is a good thing.

however, i can supply you with a list of nobel prize winners and well known businessmen... not to mention artists... who not only advocate certain drug use, but used drugs themselves while doing work that led to them being nobel prize winners or developing products ... or works of art... that changed the world for the better.

mind altering drugs CAN have a positive effect, its just the masses cant handle it.

THERES the problem.
   

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: Administrator on February 28, 2008, 09:23:45 am

There's no doubt that drugs contribute to the downward spiral of poor urban areas, but I really don't think that the situation would be any different if crack had never come into prominence.  There are plenty of other highly addictive and destructive drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and other uppers, and heroin.  I challenge you to give compelling evidence that crack itself is to blame for poor urban neighborhoods.

Crack is the drug of choice in that situation due to its cheapness.  If it was unavailable, they'd potentially have to spend a bit more on a different drug, but the same abuse would occur.

Quote from: http://bitchkittie.blogspot.com/2007/11/crack-myths-die-hard.html

the Journal of American Medical Association also released a study (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/276/19/1580) that disputed the notion that crack cocaine was more chemically addictive than the powder version.

Hint: your personal, anecdotal experience with one neighborhood does not a compelling argument make

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on February 28, 2008, 09:33:12 am

Quote from: Administrator on February 28, 2008, 09:23:45 am

There's no doubt that drugs contribute to the downward spiral of poor urban areas, but I really don't think that the situation would be any different if crack had never come into prominence.  There are plenty of other highly addictive and destructive drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and other uppers, and heroin.  I challenge you to give compelling evidence that crack itself is to blame for poor urban neighborhoods.

Crack is the drug of choice in that situation due to its cheapness.  If it was unavailable, they'd potentially have to spend a bit more on a different drug, but the same abuse would occur.

Quote from: [url=http://bitchkittie.blogspot.com/2007/11/crack-myths-die-hard.html

newscat[/url]]the Journal of American Medical Association also released a study (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/276/19/1580) that disputed the notion that crack cocaine was more chemically addictive than the powder version.

Hint: your personal, anecdotal experience with one neighborhood does not a compelling argument make

crack gained the upper hand due to its VERY low cost in comparison... and availability... to the other drugs that you listed.

if youd reread my comment youd see i said.... "areas right in augusta that i saw this transformation with my own eyes"

the "s" at the end of "areas" indicates the plural form of the word.... plural means more than one.

i was in field collections for 7 years my friend.... and know the complete city of augusta better than you probably know your own neighborhood.

 ;D

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on February 28, 2008, 09:41:39 am

while admin is a good sport.... i guess he/she has no other name.... BUT....

the argument of "there would be a same end result with any other drug" really holds no water.

DRUGS have been around forever.... in some form since man found out he could take a trip and never leave the farm.

i have DIRECT PROOF.... of cracks effect.

anything else is speculation.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: trishmj40 on February 28, 2008, 11:01:39 am

I also learned the hard way with free ringtones  :(
I was charged over 50.00 even though i texted STOP after my free trial and received a confirmatin text that my
services were cancelled, yet low and behold, they were on the bill.  I now am fighting with verizon to have them removed, i have saved copies of all text messages, yet they (verizon) said they cant retrieve them!!

Agree with "stay away from free ringtones"  they are NOT free!    :BangHead:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: orchidchild on February 28, 2008, 11:02:54 am

PLEASE READ-Through a Rapist's Eyes (No Joke)
When this was sent to me, I was told to forward it to my lady friends, but I forwarded it to most everyone in my address book. My men friends have female friends and this
information is too important to miss someone.
Please pass it along and share it with your children. //cb
A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed . They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair . Women with short hair are not common targets.

2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look forwomen who's clothing is easy to remove quickly . Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing.

3) They also look for women on their cell phone ,searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.

4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5: 00a.m. and 8:30a.m.

5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots . Number two: is office parking lots/garages. Number three: is public restrooms.

6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.

7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.

8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouragedbecause it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas , or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.

10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question , like what time is it, or make general small talk: 'I can't believe it is so cold out here,' 'we're in for a bad winter.' Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.

11) If someone is coming toward you , hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK ! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back .
Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes) , yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

13) If someone grabs you , you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the
arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in the upperinner thigh VERY VERY HARD . One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it - it hurts.

14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN . I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out of there.

15) When the guy puts his hands up to you , grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible . The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

16) Of course the things we always hear still apply.Always be aware of your surroundings , take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!

You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

1 Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide in  New Orleans  . If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM . Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head  DO NOT DRIVE  OFF, repeat:  DO NOT DRIVE  OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5 A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:

A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.

B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control,ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it , but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ----This
should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned onAmerica's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer inLouisiana .

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

 

 

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: trishmj40 on February 28, 2008, 11:04:29 am

Thank you for sharing--very thoughtful of you!   :thumbsup:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: orchidchild on February 28, 2008, 11:05:52 am

NO PROBLEM-I KNOW IT IS LONG-BUT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on February 28, 2008, 11:35:55 am

Quote from: orchidchild on February 28, 2008, 11:05:52 am

NO PROBLEM-I KNOW IT IS LONG-BUT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

great info.

however.... APPLIED knowledge is power.

knowing everything in the world doesnt do you one bit of good unless you use it.

 :thumbsup:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: Administrator on February 28, 2008, 06:31:47 pm

Augusta is still not a statistically significant sample size.  We're arguing semantics since neither of us have provided proof that crack itself is the cause of urban degradation.  But really, you have to examine the reason that they're turning to drugs in the first place...

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on February 28, 2008, 09:06:57 pm

Quote from: Administrator on February 28, 2008, 06:31:47 pm

Augusta is still not a statistically significant sample size.  We're arguing semantics since neither of us have provided proof that crack itself is the cause of urban degradation.  But really, you have to examine the reason that they're turning to drugs in the first place...

OH MY GOD, YOURE A LIBERAL.
 
i NEVER said crack was THE cause for urban degradation.... but denying the affect that crack has had on the (mostly) poor.... while implying that cokes destruction on society is equal... is silly at best.... and reeks of "feel good" politics at worst.

i know that you dont like personal stories to make a point.... so, i'll just ask you a question.

have YOU ever lived in a crack neighborhood?

seriously.

i have.

have YOU sat on the toilet and listened to the cops shoot your neighbor in the *bleep* while on a drug bust?

i have.

have YOU ever had to think.... each and every time you walked out of your door, there was a chance you might have to fight someone?

i have.

have YOU looked out into the parking lot.... in front of your apartment and see young teens/20 somethings walking around with guns clearly tucked in the front of their pants?

i have.

CRACK..... its a whole different world, my friend.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: texans08 on February 28, 2008, 09:18:41 pm

Thank you so much ORCHIDCHILD, i will most definately pass this along.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: Cuppycake on February 28, 2008, 10:08:46 pm

Quote from: tjones911 on February 27, 2008, 04:35:35 pm

Hehe I made my own ringtone :P

Me too ! I love making my own so I can have w/e I want and not have to pay for it!

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on March 07, 2008, 07:32:54 am

(CBS) Alton Logan doesn't understand why two lawyers with proof he didn't commit murder were legally prevented from helping him. They had their reasons: To save Logan, they would have had to break the cardinal rule of attorney-client privilege to reveal their own client had committed the crime. But Logan had 26 years in prison to try to understand why he was convicted for a crime he didn't commit.

Logan, still in jail, speaks to 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon in his first interview for a report that also includes the lawyers which will be broadcast this Sunday, March 9, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

"Yes. Sympathize with [the lawyers’ dilemma], yes. Understand it, no," Logan tells Simon. "If you know this is an innocent person, why would you allow this person to be prosecuted, convicted, sent to prison for all these years?" asks the 54-year-old inmate.

Lawyers Jamie Kunz and Dale Coventry were public defenders when their client, Andrew Wilson, admitted to them he had shot-gunned a security guard to death in a 1982 robbery. When a tip led to Logan's arrest and he went to trial for the crime, the two lawyers were in a bind. They wanted to help Logan but legally couldn't.

"The rules of conduct for attorneys, it's very, very clear…. We're in a position to where we have to maintain client confidentiality, just as a priest would or a doctor would. It's just a requirement of the law. The system wouldn’t work without it," says Coventry.

They watched Logan’s trial to see whether he got a life or death sentence. "We thought that somehow we would stop at least the execution," Coventry tells Simon. "Morally, there’s very little difference and we were torn about that, but in terms of the canons of ethics, there is a difference -- you can prevent a death."

Logan doesn't see it that way. "There is no difference between life in prison and a death penalty, none whatsoever. Both are a sentence of death," says Logan, who pointed out that it is easy to be murdered in a dangerous prison.

The lawyers say it was hard on them mentally. "There’s nothing you can say [to Logan]," says Coventry. "It's been difficult for us. But there’s no comparison whatsoever to what it's been for this poor guy," he says "Alton, whether or not you can understand it, we’ve been hurting for you for 26 years," says Kunz. "How often did I think about it? Probably 250 times a year. I mean I thought about it regularly."

It’s little consolation to Logan. "Everything that was dear to me is gone," he tells Simon.

The lawyers did get permission from Wilson, to reveal upon his death his confession to the murder Logan was convicted for. Wilson died late last year and Coventry and Kunz came forward. Next Monday, a judge will hear evidence in a motion to grant Logan a new trial. It's the first step in what could be a long process. "They are quick to convict but they are slow to correct their mistakes," says Logan.

Coventry is satisfied with his decision. "In terms of my conscience, my conscience is that I did the right thing. Do I feel bad about Logan? Absolutely, I feel bad about Logan."   ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

Logan doesn’t know when he will be exonerated and released, but when that time comes, he has a plan. "To leave this state on the quickest thing I can get. I want nothing more to do with the state of Illinois," he tells Simon.

...and i dont blame him one damn bit....sons of bytches...smh

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: Cuppycake on March 20, 2008, 05:22:59 am

Artificial Muscle Heals Itself, Charges IPod
Eric Bland, Discovery News

Closer to the Real Thing
 (http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1319/musclefiber324x205af5.jpg)

March 19, 2008 -- Researchers in California have created an artificial muscle that heals itself and generates electricity.

The research, parts of which are already being used in Japan to generate electricity from ocean waves, could be used to make walking robots, develop better prosthetics, or even charge your iPod.

"We've made an artificial muscle that, when you apply electricity to it, it expands" more than 200 percent, said Qibing Pei, a scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles and study author. "The motion and energy is a lot like human muscles."

Artificial muscles have been around for years but have essentially hamstrung themselves. Some artificial muscles get so big they tear, developing uneven film thickness and random particles that cause muscle failure.

The researchers used flexible, ever-more ubiquitous carbon nanotubes as electrodes instead of other films, often metal-based, that fail after repeated use.

If an area of the carbon nanotube fails, the region around it seals itself by becoming non-conductive and prevents the fault from spreading to other areas.

"During long-term tests with the new device the actual material experiences a number of events but still worked," said Pei.
By "events" Pei actually means they stabbed the artificial muscle with pins. Any other artificial muscle would have failed, but their model kept operating.

The self-healing muscle is also energy efficient.

"It conserves about 70 percent of the energy you put into it," said Pei.

As the material contracts after an expansion the rearranging of the carbon nanotubes generates a small electric current that can be captured and used to power another expansion or stored in a battery.

Scientists in Japan charge batteries from ocean waves using the same idea. Other scientists have speculated that the artificial muscle could be used to capture wind energy.

"The way he's put these carbon nanotubes together is really quite innovative," said Kwang Kim, a material scientist at the University of Reno who was not involved in the research. "Some people want to use this to charge their batteries."

The research appeared in the January issue of Advanced Materials..

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on March 20, 2008, 06:39:46 am

I swear i found this on CBSnews.com

Things You Didn't Know About Your *bleep*

Mar 18, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(WebMD) Here are some things you might have wondered about your *bleep*, but were
afraid to ask.

No. 1: Your *bleep* Does Have a Mind of Its Own

You've probably noticed that your *bleep* often does its own thing. You may remember times when it was completely inappropriate to have an erection; and yet you couldn't wish it away.

It's true that you have less command over your *bleep* than body parts like your arms and legs. That's because the *bleep* answers to a part of the nervous system that's not always under your conscious control. This is called the autonomic nervous system, which also regulates heart rate and blood pressure.

Sexual arousal usually isn't voluntary. The conscious mind is complicit in it, but a lot of sexual arousal goes on in the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, impulses from the brain during the REM phase of sleep cause erections, whether you're dreaming about sex or about a test you forgot to study for. Heavy lifting or straining to have a bowel movement can also produce an erection.

Just as the *bleep* grows without your consent, sometimes it shrinks. "The flaccid *bleep* varies in size considerably within a given man," says Drogo Montague, MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Exposure to cold water or air makes your *bleep* shrink. That's a function of the sympathetic nervous system.

Psychological stress also involves the sympathetic nervous system, and stress has the same effect as a cold shower, Montague says. When you're relaxed and feeling well, your flaccid *bleep* looks bigger than when you're stressed out.

The *bleep* is "kind of a barometer of the sympathetic nervous system," Montague says. So the greeting, "How's it hanging?" is more apt than you might have realized.

No. 2: Your *bleep* May Be a 'Grower' or a 'Show-er'

Among men, there is no consistent relationship between the size of the flaccid *bleep* and its full erect length.

In one study of 80 men, researchers found that increases from flaccid to erect lengths ranged widely, from less than a quarter inch to 3.5 inches longer.

Whatever the clinical significance of these data may be, the locker-room significance is considerable. You can't assume that a dude with a big limp *bleep* gets much bigger with an erection. And the guy whose *bleep* looks tiny could surprise you with a big erection.

An analysis of more than thousand measurements taken by sex researcher Alfred Kinsey shows that shorter flaccid penises tend to gain about twice as much length as longer flaccid penises.

A *bleep* that doesn't gain much length with an erection has become known as a "show-er," and a *bleep* that gains a lot is said to be a "grower." These are not medical terms, and there aren't scientifically established thresholds for what's a show-er or a grower.

Kinsey's data suggest that most penises aren't extreme show-ers or growers. About 12 percent of penises gained one-third or less of their total length with an erection, and about 7 percent doubled in length when erect.

No. 3: Your *bleep* Is Shaped Like a Boomerang

Your *bleep* is shaped like a boomerang. Just like you don't see all of a big oak tree above ground, you don't see the root of your *bleep* tucked up inside your pelvis and attached to your pubic bone.

In an MRI picture, the *bleep* looks distinctly boomerang-like, as noted by a French researcher who studied men and women having sex inside an MRI scanner.

One method of surgical "*bleep* enlargement" is to cut the ligament that holds the root of the *bleep* up inside the pelvis. This operation may give some men a little extra length if more of the *bleep* protrudes from the body, but there are side effects. This ligament, called the suspensory ligament, makes an erection sturdy. With that ligament cut, the erect *bleep* loses its upward angle and it wobbles at the base. The lack of sturdiness can lead to injury.

No. 4: You Can Break Your *bleep*

There is no "*bleep* bone," but you can break your *bleep* all the same. It's called penile fracture, and it's not a subtle injury. When it happens, there's "an audible pop or snap," Montague says. Then the *bleep* turns black and blue. And there's terrible pain.

Penile fracture is rare, and it typically happens to younger men because their erections tend to be quite rigid.

Here's how to avoid penile fracture: don't use your *bleep* too roughly. A common way that penile fracture happens, Montague says, is when a man is thrusting too hard and fast during sex, and slams into his partner's pubic bone. Also, a woman who moves wildly while on top of a man during sex can break a man's *bleep*.

Peyronie's syndrome is a related condition that tends to show up more in older men, Montague says. An older man's erection may not be as rigid, but still is hard enough for sex. Over time, if the *bleep* bends too much a certain way during sex, small tears in the tissue can form scars, and the accumulated scar tissue gives the *bleep* an abnormally curved shape.

Not all *bleep* curvature is a problem, however. "There is a lot of variability in what normal is," Cummings says.

No. 5: Most Penises in the World Are Uncut

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV /AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that worldwide only 30 percent of males aged 15 and up are circumcised.

Rates vary greatly depending upon religion and nationality. Almost all Jewish and Muslim males in the world have circumcised penises, and together they account for about 70 percent of all circumcised males globally.

The United States has the highest proportion of males circumcised for non-religious reasons. A whopping 75 percent of non-Jewish, non-Muslim American men are circumcised. Compare that to Canada, where only 30% are. In the U.K. it's 20 percent; in Australia it's merely 6 percent.

The practice of circumcising baby boys for medical and cosmetic reasons has become controversial in the U.S. But recently the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UUNAIDS recommended circumcision for adult men, based upon evidence that men with circumcised penises have a lower risk of being infected with HIV.

The CDC estimates that about 65 percent of all newborn boys get circumcised in the U.S.


..i dont think i have read so many crazy comments on an article in my life!..

[I have a tatoo on my unit. Sometimes it says "Shorty". And sometimes it says "Shorty''''''''s Bar and Grill Tallahassee, Tennessee" ]
[Posted by shanev137 at 05:26 PM : Mar 19, 2008]

what''''s the size of the typeface?

Posted by bobnjersey at 05:35 PM : Mar 19, 2008
Must be 4 pitch, but nobody reads fine print anymore!

LOL! (just kidding shane).
****************************************
It is the only organ that can be wrinkle free
in seconds.

Posted by rushlimpdrug at 05:12 PM : Mar 19, 2008

*****************************************
Mine is only 2 inches.....
....from the FLOOR!

Posted by easeup at 04:46 PM : Mar 19, 2008
I won''t lie, mine is only 6 inches.

of course where I come from we measured across not length.

Posted by Klingon69 at 04:57 PM : Mar 19, 2008

*************************************************
OK. Well, I''m sure there are thing''s that Mr.Whoopie does''nt know about me either, but we both appreciate a vertical smile so we get along just fine. :)

Posted by generey at 04:27 PM : Mar 19, 2008
****************************************************
..and my all time favorite:

Only in America, can an ordinary "D!ck"
grow up to be President!

Posted by exCoachKen at 02:14 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on March 20, 2008, 11:39:32 pm

Quote from: LendaL on March 20, 2008, 06:39:46 am

I swear i found this on CBSnews.comNo. 4: You Can Break Your *bleep*

There is no "*bleep* bone," but you can break your *bleep* all the same. It's called penile fracture, and it's not a subtle injury. When it happens, there's "an audible pop or snap," Montague says. Then the *bleep* turns black and blue. And there's terrible pain.

happened to a friend of mine..... at the time, i thought he was lying... but, later found out it does happen.

but as he and his wife was being intimate..... she was on top and facing him.... then, without warning... fell backwards (i guess in was in the heat of the moment)

but he said there was a pretty loud "pop" sound.... along with some terrible pain.

put him out of commission for some MONTHS.

BUT, YES..... SHE BROKE HIS WEE-WEE.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: fire_fighter_rick on March 21, 2008, 07:53:20 am

did anyone here about the manta ray that jumped into somebody's boat and killed the lady?

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on April 05, 2008, 07:43:50 am

Money Lost In Internet Scams Hits New High

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(CBS/AP) Money lost in Internet crimes hit a new high last year, topping about $240 million, according to a government report showing increases in scams involving pets, check-cashing schemes and online dating.

The number of reported Internet scams dropped slightly from previous years, but the total lost jumped by $40 million, according to the report released Thursday by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.

The report, based on data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, shows that more men than women were scammed over the Internet. The average loss for men was $765; for women, $552.

The report also shows the amounts lost increased with age. Victims in their 20s lost $385 on average while people over 60 reported lost an average $760 per scam.

The jump in money lost online might be due to new scheming techniques and generally more expensive electronic items being purchased online, said John Hambrick, a spokesman for the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

"Contrary to what a lot of people think, you're more likely to be tricked into giving up your money than hacked," says CBS News technology analyst Larry Magid. "While there are ways for crooks to break into your computer, the more likely scenario is for them to trick people into giving up passwords, donating to fake charities or buying products that are worthless or will never be delivered. Basically it's old fashioned low-tech crime being applied to a high-tech environment."
The report cites repeated increases over the years in pet scams, online dating fraud, unsolicited e-mail known as spam and "phishing," in which scammers send phony e-mails to retrieve consumers' personal or financial information.

The most common crime reported was auction fraud, in which consumers did not get the right merchandise they paid for.

A consumer might "pay $25 for a DVD that somebody actually recorded in the back of a movie theater," said FBI spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan.

The second most common crime was through non-delivery of a purchased good, followed by confidence fraud, in which scammers ask consumers to rely on them, resulting in a financial lost.

Many cases of crime involve scammers asking for charity relating to natural disasters or crises. Milhoan said scammers tried to profit from the Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minnesota last year, in which 13 people were killed.

"The scammer tries to prey on victims who are kind of in tune with what's going on in the world," she said. "The scam changes, but ultimately they're preying on the good will of people."

Among complaints of a reported money loss, more than half involved a loss of less than $1,000. About a third reported losses between $1,000 and $5,000.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on April 05, 2008, 07:56:57 am

wow here is a nice phishing scheme..dont even use BOA..smh
Subject: Bank Of America Online Alert : Verify Your Information
From: "Bank Of America INC." <security.bankofamerica.com@host98.hrwebservices.net<
Im guessing their email addy really doesnt look like that
Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:54:06 -0400

..-All scammers need to have spell check on their pc's or they should at least take lessons on how a letter should be written-

Dear  member
  During our usual security enhancement protocol, we observed multiple login attempt error while login in to your online banking account. We have believed that someone other than you is trying to access your account for security reasons, we have temporarily suspend your account and your access to online banking and will be restricted if you fail to update.
 
 To get started :
 
  > Log on to  https://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/update.jsp <riiiiiiiiiiight...

 Please Note:
If we do no receive the appropriate account verification within 48 hours, then we will assume this  Bank account is fraudulent and will be suspended. The purpose of this verification is to ensure that your bank account has not been fraudulently used and to combat the fraud from our community.(not mentioning they are perpetrators of said fraud
 

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: sms0922 on April 05, 2008, 09:29:12 am

Quote from: fire_fighter_rick on March 21, 2008, 07:53:20 am

did anyone here about the manta ray that jumped into somebody's boat and killed the lady?

Yes I did!  That was so crazy!

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: fire_fighter_rick on April 06, 2008, 06:10:40 pm

wierd first the hunter no the inocent ppl!!! when will it end,

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: sms0922 on April 07, 2008, 05:05:05 am

I read that it was a major coincidence that the boat was in the right(or wrong) place just as the ray jumped out of the water.  I didn't know they jumped out of the water!  It said at that time they didn't know if it had stung her or if she died from the impact.  That was a couple weeks ago and I haven't heard anything since.  Wasn't it  like 50 lbs or something close to that?  I can't remember....

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: fire_fighter_rick on April 07, 2008, 12:33:12 pm

I believe so but still DAAAAANNNNNGGGGGAAAA!

Did you guys hear about the giant squid they found a couple of years ago, or about the giant star fish they found near the alaskan coast I think? the star fish was 2ft tall from point to point

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: ClintonShawIII on April 07, 2008, 09:37:54 pm

Bethany Wrote:
Are ya freaking kidding me right now?  Thats funny *bleep*.


----- Original Message ----
From: Clinton Shaw III <clintonshawiii@>

Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 7:31:30 PM
Subject: ROFLMF@O This *bleep* is still going around the Internet. You gotta love their persistance in trying to rip someone's bank account off.



UBA Group <allengodwill@yahoo com hk> wrote:
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 2:38:59 -0000
From: "UBA Group" <allengodwill@yahoo com hk>
Subject: ORDER NUMBER 250-153

There is an issue with the Money Gram Transfer in the amount of $500,000.00
directed at the owner of this email address. THE EX GOVERNOR OF KANO STATE
IN NIGERIA, contacted us for your transaction a couple of hours ago. He said
that he choose to send it to an email address instead of a name. We are
unable to complete a transfer directed at an email address, so we require
some more information in order to complete this transfer. You are required
to provide confirmation of the following:

-The name in which you wish to receive this transfer:
-Telephone / Fax Number:
-Occupation :
-Age
-:Sex.
-Full Address Contact:
-State/ City:
-Zip Code:
-Country:

In order to resolve this problem, please call our offices at
+234-703-443-4414 or at this Email : allengodwill110@yahoo.com.hk As soon as
this information is received, your payment will be made to you Via
Electronic Bank Wire Transfer to your nominated bank accountdirectly from
The UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA [U.B.A] as soon as you comply with the
requirements . When calling or emailing , please use reference number
250-153 for our mutual convenience.
THE MANAGEMENT OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA [U.B.A]
OFFICE NIGERIA BRANCH.
MONEY GRAM TRANSFER DEPARTMENT.
Mr. Allen Godwill




I always thought this one was funny.
I'd always reply promptly.
With as many spammy Email websites I could think of. Would sign Mister Allen Godwill up for everything from, The Transvestite Singles, to Free Ringtones in your Email, and the always fun Free Ciallis!
I mean, it's my civic duty to help him out, in his time of need.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on April 07, 2008, 11:21:06 pm

Quote from: ClintonShawIII on April 07, 2008, 09:37:54 pm

You gotta love their persistance in trying to rip someone's bank account off.

what?

a buncha dipsh*ts attempting to rip people off and you "love" their persistance?

i'll tell you what i'd love... never having to delete another one of their emails.

i'd LOVE it.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: ClintonShawIII on April 07, 2008, 11:34:09 pm

Heh. I have sort of a morbid sense of humor.

Gotta admit though, that scam has been around for over a decade.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on April 07, 2008, 11:53:23 pm

Quote from: ClintonShawIII on April 07, 2008, 11:34:09 pm

Heh. I have sort of a morbid sense of humor.

Gotta admit though, that scam has been around for over a decade.

and some STILL fall for it.

i saw a case on judge judy not long ago where some woman fell for something like this.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: ClintonShawIII on April 08, 2008, 12:06:56 am

Welcome to the Internet.

It happens.
I got ripped myself last year. TVBoxSet .com scam. If I'da checked www (dot) ripoffreport (dot) com sooner. I'd have known better. But sadly I didn't think to do my research, and it cost me $90 bucks. Thankfully my bank seems to have an almost fanatical zeal on prosecuting internet fraud, and I got my money back.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: meadowsmay1130 on April 08, 2008, 02:28:48 am

i found this, i cant believe someone thought this was funny selling a baby on craigslist

 

The ad shows a baby covered in food or mud being held by an adult.

Text with the ad reads, "We are out of tweak and we will sell this baby for a thousand dollars." Tweak is another word for methamphetamine, Local 6 reported.

Lt. Dave Okada said detectives are trying to track down whoever posted the message.

"Whether it's a joke or truly serious, it is not funny," Okada said.

Nicholas Dunbar and his friends said they spotted the advertisement on Craigslist under the Salem-area "rants and raves" section and immediately called police.


now i did find one that was funny, it said looking to trade, my 17 yr old, he has a bad mouth talks back and doesn't listen, he has trashed my home, car, and furniture so any of those trades considered. any new home must have financial means to support a pot smoking teen who eats all your food and steals your money if interested please respond via craigslist. now that was funny

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on April 08, 2008, 02:39:56 am

Quote from: meadowsmay1130 on April 08, 2008, 02:28:48 am

now i did find one that was funny, it said looking to trade, my 17 yr old, he has a bad mouth talks back and doesn't listen, he has trashed my home, car, and furniture so any of those trades considered. any new home must have financial means to support a pot smoking teen who eats all your food and steals your money if interested please respond via craigslist. now that was funny

 :thumbsup:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on April 10, 2008, 01:08:49 pm

Man Finds $140,000, Turns It In To Cops

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 10, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(CBS/AP) It was a tempting sight for struggling landscaper Eli Estrada: a bag filled with $140,000 on a Cerritos street.

There was his credit card debt, upcoming wedding and making ends meet with his artificial grass and landscaping business.

But turning it over to Long Beach police last month was the right thing to do, he said.

The 40-year-old Estrada admits that some days "I think I was nuts," but he adds, "I know in my gut that to keep that money would be wrong."

The Bank of America money bag was lost March 11 by Brinks Armored truck drivers. The unmarked $20 bills were bundled into wads of $20,000 and bound for ATMs.

Long Beach police Sgt. Dina Zapalski said Estrada handed over the money bag to an officer who took a report at one of the landscaper's job sites.

Zapalski said she had never heard of someone turning in so much cash.

"I've had people come to me with purses and wallets with cash in it and they'll turn it in," Zapalski told the Los Angeles Times. "But not like this."

Brinks later gave him a $2,000 reward.

"They should have given him 10 percent," Estrada's mother told the Times.


*...the Lord must know im crooked as hell, and thats why i never find such things..cuz i wouldnt have turned in shyt*...

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on April 10, 2008, 03:58:58 pm

Quote from: LendaL on April 10, 2008, 01:08:49 pm

Man Finds $140,000, Turns It In To Cops

weeeeeeelllllllllllllllll.........

depending on his location and if it was traced back to him in some way..... he could have been tied up for years in court.... using that money PLUS more to hold on to it.

but, lets not focus on that.

he did the right thing. (and could have saved MANY a headache in the process)

 :thumbsup:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: sms0922 on April 10, 2008, 04:04:16 pm

Quote from: LendaL on April 10, 2008, 01:08:49 pm

Man Finds $140,000, Turns It In To Cops

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 10, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(CBS/AP) It was a tempting sight for struggling landscaper Eli Estrada: a bag filled with $140,000 on a Cerritos street.

There was his credit card debt, upcoming wedding and making ends meet with his artificial grass and landscaping business.

But turning it over to Long Beach police last month was the right thing to do, he said.

The 40-year-old Estrada admits that some days "I think I was nuts," but he adds, "I know in my gut that to keep that money would be wrong."

The Bank of America money bag was lost March 11 by Brinks Armored truck drivers. The unmarked $20 bills were bundled into wads of $20,000 and bound for ATMs.

Long Beach police Sgt. Dina Zapalski said Estrada handed over the money bag to an officer who took a report at one of the landscaper's job sites.

Zapalski said she had never heard of someone turning in so much cash.

"I've had people come to me with purses and wallets with cash in it and they'll turn it in," Zapalski told the Los Angeles Times. "But not like this."

Brinks later gave him a $2,000 reward.

"They should have given him 10 percent," Estrada's mother told the Times.


*...the Lord must know im crooked as hell, and thats why i never find such things..cuz i wouldnt have turned in shyt*...

I can't believe they only gave him 2000!!!  I agree with the mother!  10% would have been a real award.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on April 11, 2008, 06:42:26 am

yall just remember.....

the common sense laws in the minds of children .... specificially....

"finders, keepers... losers, weepers"

doesnt hold up too well in adult courts.

 :thumbsup:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on April 18, 2008, 03:07:37 am

 

Prosecutors: U.S. sailors' marriages a scam
Story Highlights


From Deborah Feyerick
CNN
NEW YORK, New York (CNN) -- It was a scam involving green cards and greed, prosecutors said Thursday.

Dozens of young Eastern European women have been accused of marrying U.S. sailors not for love but for the right to stay in the United States. The sailors received marriage benefits they were not entitled to, court papers said.

In recent days, federal authorities have arrested 33 couples in eight states, including New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia and California, and charged them with marriage fraud.

One woman taken into custody Wednesday by U.S. marshals in Queens, New York, was found in an apartment with her boyfriend. Handcuffed and put into a police car, she denied the charge, saying, "It's not an illegal marriage."

Agents with the Naval Criminal Investigation Service said the sailors were in on the scam, which ultimately cost the Navy about $500,000. Watch a report on the investigation »

"What we see are small pockets of friends forming this conspiracy," said Samuel Worth, special agent in charge of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service in Norfolk, Virginia.

The sailors, based at Naval Station Norfolk, are said to have met the women at bars and restaurants in nearby Virginia Beach or were set up by Navy buddies.

In some cases, documents show, the couples married within hours of meeting.

"I don't know if they targeted sailors, but they did meet them, befriended them, and a verbal contract was formed," said Deputy Chief Jim Cervera of the Virginia Beach Police Department.

According to the indictment, the sailors are accused of receiving thousands of dollars in housing allowances to which they were not entitled. The women, most of whom are from Russia or Ukraine and had arrived on work or student visas, got a fast track to citizenship.

Some of them received military identification cards from the Defense Department, exposing a security vulnerability, Worth said. "In these cases, we don't know where they come from or what their intentions are."

Five of the accused sailors served on the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship. Two others served on the USS Wasp, also an amphibious assault ship. Those on active duty were taken from the ships to face charges in Virginia, which added another cost.

"There's an impact to mission readiness," Worth said. "Those sailors have to be replaced, and the replacements have to be trained."

Several attorneys representing the sailors and their brides did not return calls seeking comment.

A Navy spokeswoman said, "Our sailors are expected to act in an ethical and responsible manner."

She added, "Sailors who commit these crimes represent a very small percentage of sailors in the U.S. Navy."

Officials said they believe that similar schemes may be taking place at other naval bases.

tsk tsk tsk...smh
 

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on April 23, 2008, 08:59:17 pm

Quote from: LendaL on April 18, 2008, 03:07:37 am

Prosecutors: U.S. sailors' marriages a scam

thats nothing new.

back in the 80's i knew of three "couples" with sham marriages.... thats what we called it back then.

abusing the system has been around for as long as there was a system to abuse.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: fire_fighter_rick on April 24, 2008, 10:13:10 am

MAIL CARRIER SAVES FALLING BABY in ALBANY NY.  :angel11:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: meadowsmay1130 on May 06, 2008, 11:32:52 am

this wasnt in the news but in an email and thought i would share

I knew about the red light on cars, but not the *77.
 
It was about 1:00
p.m. in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend. An UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put his lights on. Lauren's parents have always told her never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather to wait until they get to a gas station, etc.

Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly called *77 on her cell phone to tell the police dispatcher that she would not pull over right away.

 
She proceeded to tell the dispatcher that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing red light on his rooftop behind her. The dispatcher checked to see if there were police cars where she was and there weren't, and he told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back up already on the way.

Ten minutes later 4 cop cars surrounded her and the
unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground. The man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.
 
I never knew about the *77 Cell Phone
face="Gill Sans MT" size="6"> Feature, but especially for a woman alone in a car, you should not pull over for an unmarked car. Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a safe & quiet place.  You obviously need to make some signals that you acknowledg e them (i.e. put on
your hazard lights) or call *77 like Lauren did.
 
Too bad the cell phone companies don't generally give you this little bit of wonderful information.
 So, now it's your turn to let your friends know about *77.
 
Send this to every woman (and person) you know; it may save a life.
This applies to ALL 50 states.

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: jlb001 on May 06, 2008, 09:09:14 pm

Quote from: meadowsmay1130 on May 06, 2008, 11:32:52 am

I never knew about the *77 Cell Phone...

This applies to ALL 50 states.

according to snopes, *77 doesnt work in all states.

but who doesnt know about 9-1-1?

by the way... they couldnt find any evidence to confirm or deny this story, although its been around since the internet began.

 ;D

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on May 07, 2008, 03:55:13 am

A young lady named Candace Harms was murdered here some years back because an unmarked police car stopped her, when she was leaving her boyfriends home, she was found months later, they claimed they did it cus they wanted to know what it would feel like to harm someone like that.

All they did was take a kids life an break my towns heart, back then a crime of that sort was practically unheard of..police chief told us not to let anyone in an unmarked car pull us over.. ever...we had permission to keep driving.

at least one of the bastards died in prison, the other, i guess is still sitting in prison looking stupid...

I SAY KEEP DRIVING AN DIAL 911...

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: meadowsmay1130 on May 07, 2008, 04:12:05 pm

i actually found out that its *55 for missouri

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: wildangelc66 on May 07, 2008, 07:23:13 pm

CANTON Cheese off the king and you pay the price.

Local Papa John's shops are offering 23-cent pizzas Thursday as part of a promotion stemming from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards first-round series in the NBA playoffs.

It all started when a Washington, D.C., Papa John's operator wanted to have some fun and diss Cavaliers star LeBron James by giving out T-shirts mocking James, emblazoned with James' jersey number (23) and "CRYBABY," while sporting the national pizza chain's logo.  :crybaby2:

A total of eight shirts were distributed, without corporate approval, said Chris Sternberg, senior vice president of corporate communications for Papa John's. But images of the shirts, including a Washington fan wearing one, were shown during the television broadcast of game 6 Friday.

"This was not a game-wide promotion," Sternberg said. "A picture is worth a thousand words."

"Cleveland fans were upset and rightfully so, and we felt it was the right thing to say Papa John's doesn't endorse this," he said.

CARRYOUT ONLY

As a goodwill gesture for Cleveland fans, Papa John's is offering the apology pizza. One large, one topping pizza for 23 cents. And for the skeptics out there who believe it may be too good to be true, yes, cheese does not count as the one topping. Pick pepperoni, sausage, onions, whatever your tastebuds desire.

There are restrictions: Carryout only. Orders can be made by phone or at a Papa John's shop. No on-line orders. And there's a limit of one pizza per person per visit.

All proceeds from the 23-cent pizzas are being donated to the Cavaliers Youth Fund. The company is donating $10,000 to the fund and $10,000 to the LeBron James Family Foundation.

The Canton, Massillon, Perry Township, North Canton, Louisville, New Philadelphia, Alliance, and Uniontown Papa John's locations are among 49 in Ohio participating in the promotion, Sternberg said. The list expanded from 40 to 49 stores when Toledo and Youngstown franchises wanted to join in.

The participating Stark County restaurants include:

• 3001 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton

• 4527 Tuscarawas St. W, Perry Township

• 1206 Lincoln Way E., Massillon

• 13038 Cleveland Ave., Uniontown

• 1115 North Main St., North Canton

508 W. Main St., Louisville

1210 W. State St., Alliance

1315 Fourth St., New Philadelphia

FANS UPSET

The jab at James outraged some Cleveland fans. Papa John's corporate office received about 200 complaints Saturday and Sunday through phone calls or e-mail, Sternberg said.

The saga started when James, nicknamed "King James," commented about the hard fouls and physical style of play displayed by Washington players during the playoff series, which Cleveland won 4-2, advancing to the second round against the Boston Celtics.

A Washington player responded to James' comments by calling him a "crybaby."

Papa John's is bracing for an onslaught of hungry Cavaliers fans.

Sternberg expects the Cleveland area locations to do eight to nine times more business than on a typical Thursday. Papa John's is sending in employees and supervisors from other stores and extra food supplies.

"We think it's going to be probably the largest one-day sales event in the history of the Cleveland area Papa John's restaurants," Sternberg said.

In a press release, the pizza chain tries to make peace with King James.

"There is no question that LeBron James is an excellent role model and great for the NBA," said Bill Freitas, president of the Papa John's advertising cooperative in Washington, D.C. "We sincerely apologize to LeBron James and Cavaliers fans throughout the country and wish the Cavaliers luck during the rest of the playoffs."

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: wildangelc66 on May 15, 2008, 07:53:28 am

We actually received a call last week from the 809  area code.  The woman said "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you--get back to us quickly. I Have something important to tell you." Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809 . "We didn't respond".

Then this week, we received the following e-mail:

Subject:  DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809 , 284  AND 876

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFOR MATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809

This one is being distributed all over the US . This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get
you to call.
Be sure you read this and pass it on.
They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you
someone has-been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc.
In each case, you are told to call the 809  number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return  these calls.

If you call from the US , you will apparently be charged $2425.00 per-minute.

Or, you'll get a long recorded message.
The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $24,100.00.

WHY IT WORKS:

The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas).
The charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you
complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong.

Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this  scam

Additional information on these area codes can be found from ATT at:

http://www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/areacode.html
<http://www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/areacode.html>

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: LendaL on May 16, 2008, 12:41:50 am

Thats awful, most folks dont keep up with area codes from other countries, ..im so sick of folks always trying to run a damn scam on somebody...you cant go to the mailbox, to your email, pick up the telephone, or lately even sign up to a new GPT site without someone being out to "get you"..sewer dwellers i swear

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: fire_fighter_rick on May 19, 2008, 07:12:42 pm

So nobody has said anything about china yet....? :sad1:

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: wildangelc66 on May 20, 2008, 09:03:56 am

CANTON

Lisa West wasn't drunk, on drugs, taking prescription medications or morbidly obese the night her 4-month-old son died.

She was asleep.

"I awoke to the screams of my mother-in-law," said West of Plain Township.

West awoke to find that her shoulder blade was pressed against her son's face. She and Dayton Lee West-Mullen had been lying together on a foldaway bed in the living room of the baby's paternal grandmother's home in October 2002.

The family was supposed to take Dayton and his older sister, Malayah, trick-or-treating that day. Instead, they took him to Mercy Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The coroner's office said the boy accidentally suffocated.

West propped an enlarged picture of Dayton, dressed in a blue-and-white stripped onesie, with bare feet and a toothless grin, on a table at the Stark County Health Department on Monday. She wanted to show the members of the Stark County Safe Sleep Task Force the importance of making mothers aware of the possible dangers that exist when they share a bed with a newborn.

"Stories like mine are on the rise in the United States," said West, now 26.

PREVENT THE NIGHTMARE

She showed the task force — which includes hospitals, health department, emergency service and wellness agency officials — a DVD she made to remember Dayton. Played to "The Dance" by country singer Garth Brooks, the slideshow chronicled the bubbly, healthy boy from the day he was born to his time at home with his family.A few task force members dabbed their eyes watching the DVD. West concluded the slideshow with statistics of states such as Kentucky and North Carolina, where instances of infants dying while sleeping in bed with their parents have skyrocketed.In Stark County, 14 children died from sleep-related deaths in 2005 and 2006. Nine of those infants suffocated while sleeping with an adult or another child.

"I wish I would have heard about this happening to children (sooner)," West said.

Doctors and nurses told her about sudden infant death syndrome, but nothing about safe sleep.

"Everyone we knew slept with their babies," West said. "They said, 'Bond with the baby, sleep with the baby.' But when you are in state of sleep you are in a state of unconsciousness. You don't know what you are doing."

The task force, which began last year, has created a brochure and posters that explain the risk to infants who sleep on adult beds, couches or pillows.

"There are many good moms that made a bad decision to sleep with their baby," said Marsha Miller, a registered nurse at the Canton City Health Department and a task force member.

Soon, the task force will provide portable cribs to parents who don't have one. County Coroner P.S. Murthy has donated $1,000 to launch the "Cribs for Kids" program, and the group is seeking donations.

DIFFERING VIEWPOINTS

Not everyone agrees that parents who sleep with their babies pose a danger. The La Leche League, an international group that promotes mothering through breast-feeding, distributes a brochure with guidelines for safe sleeping with a baby.

"We don't say, 'To do the La Leche way, you have to do co-sleeping,' " said Jacqueline Kralovic, a leader for the Canton-based La Leche League group. " ... But to say it should never be done is an uninformed choice."

Guidelines say parents: Should not be obese, inebriated, under the influence of drugs or sedatives, should use a firm mattress, should keep loose pillows and blankets away from the child, lie between the baby and any other child in the bed and either push the bed against a wall or keep it far enough away from the wall so the baby wouldn't get trapped.

Kralovic said she often refers mothers to the research of James J. McKenna, a University of Notre Dame professor who has studied and published studies about infant sleep, breast-feeding and sudden infant death syndrome.

McKenna, on a Web site for the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory that he chairs, said babies who share a bed with their parents tend to cry less and are comforted knowing their parents are nearby. Parents also can respond to emergencies more easily and can bond longer with babies who sleep in the same bed.

But West sees only one choice for her children. West has given birth to two sons, Jayden and Braylan, since Dayton died.

"They are in the crib," West said. "The crib is the safest place for them to sleep, end of story."

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: wildangelc66 on May 20, 2008, 09:32:39 am

China: 40,000 dead, 5 million homeless after quake

CHENGDU, China - Rescuers freed a 60-year-old woman Tuesday who was trapped for more than 195 hours after last week's earthquake and had survived by drinking rainwater, while the confirmed death toll rose to more than 40,000.

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The woman suffered a hip fracture and facial bruises during her eight-day ordeal, which began after a landslide swept away a temple in the city of Pengzhou, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television reported.

The official Xinhua news agency identified her as *bleep* Youqun, a retiree, and said she had been unconscious for a day when a falling girder hit her head in the May 12 quake.

She was one of only two people believed to have been rescued Tuesday, Xinhua said. The other was a man pulled from a flattened power plant just after midnight.

The tales of survival came after the confirmed death toll from the disaster rose to 40,075, according to the State Council, China's Cabinet. Officials have said the final number killed by the quake was expected to surpass 50,000.

Five million people lost their homes in the quake, said Jiang Li, vice minister of civil affairs.

The government was setting up temporary housing for victims unable to find shelter with relatives, but there was a "desperate need for tents" to accommodate them, she said.

Nearly 280,000 tents have been shipped to the area and 700,000 more ordered, with factories working triple shifts to meet demand.

"Despite generous donations, the disaster is so great that victims still face a challenge in finding living accommodations," Jiang said.

In Washington, President Bush and his wife, Laura, visited the Chinese Embassy to sign a condolence book for quake victims and said the country was "ready to assist in any manner that China deems helpful."

"We stand with you during this tragic moment as you mourn the loss of so many of your loved ones and search for those still missing," Bush wrote, before pausing for a moment of silence.

China has said it will accept foreign medical teams, as the relief efforts shift from searching for survivors to caring for the homeless. A growing number of countries responded to the call, dispatching doctors to the quake area Tuesday.

A Russian medical team with a mobile hospital arrived Tuesday in the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said. A 37-member medical team sent by the Taiwan Red Cross organization also arrived in the disaster zone.

A 23-member medical team from Japan also departed Tuesday for China, replacing a rescue team in the disaster zone, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Crews of doctors were also en route from Germany and Italy, Qin said.

At the West China Hospital in Chengdu, staff were trying to find relatives of victims being treated. A relief tent in the courtyard doubled as a bulletin board displaying about 50 snapshots of people who had not been claimed by families, mostly elderly patients or children.

Liu Yuanzhong said his son lost both legs when his office building collapsed in the town of Hanwang. The 38-year-old man, Liu Rui, was a manager at a coal mining company and was attending a weekly meeting about safety issues when the tremor struck, his father said.

"It'll be up to the government to help him, but we don't know how much the government will do," the elder Liu said. "His wife doesn't work and we don't know what she will do."

Nearer the epicenter in the town of An Xian, a crew of volunteers arrived from Tangshan, the Chinese city that suffered the country's worst quake in 1976 that killed at least 240,000 people.

"Now it's time for us to help the others that are suffering," said Song Zhixian, a farmer among a group of 15 older men wearing red hard hats and vests. "It is part of the Chinese virtue and spirit: when one place suffers, then everyone else helps."

Flags in the country remained at half-staff and entertainment events canceled on the second day of a three-day national mourning period declared by the Chinese government, an unprecedented gesture normally reserved for dead state leaders. The Olympic torch relay also was suspended.

Thousands of quake survivors awoke Tuesday after spending a night sleeping in cars and in the open, frightened by government warnings of a potential strong aftershock. The alarm compounded uneasiness in the region, which has been rumbled by dozens of aftershocks since the quake.

Elsewhere, a panda from the Wolong Nature Preserve that disappeared during the quake returned safely, but two of the endangered animals were still missing, Xinhua reported. The others were "very likely to be alive," forestry official Xiong Beirong told the agency, because they were adults.

The quake killed five staff members at the reserve and destroyed or damaged all of its 32 panda houses. The local government has sent emergency supplies of bamboo, apples and veterinary medicine for the pandas, along with food and tents for staff.

Thirty-two radioactive sources also were buried under rubble, Xinhua reported, citing Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian.

Only two have not been recovered, although authorities have located them and restricted access to nearby areas, Zhou was cited as saying. They were expected to be transported to safety soon. The rest have been disposed of.

The Chinese government has previously said all nuclear facilities affected by the earthquake were safe and under control, but did not give any details.

A French nuclear expert said the radioactive sources likely came from materials used in hospitals, factories or in research, not for weapons.

"It doesn't shock me that there would be radioactive items found," particularly hospital equipment, said Thierry Charles, director of plant safety at the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, has seen reports from the Chinese nuclear safety agency.

An unknown number of hospitals were damaged or destroyed in the earthquake. The Sichuan province health department listed 489 major hospitals in areas that were hardest hit.

(This version CORRECTS Corrects woman's name to *bleep* Youqun sted *bleep* Liqun; ADDS detail on second survivor found early Tuesday, Bush comment.)

Title: Re: In The News Today...just interesting articles found in the news
Post by: fire_fighter_rick on May 25, 2008, 10:04:38 pm

TORNADO HITS OK AND TX!!!!