California bill to force colleges to honor online credits?

Senator Darrell Steinberg will be introducing a bill that, if passed, would require California state universities to honor credits received from approved online courses of study. This would address the current backlog in students graduating. With budget cuts and the resultant shortage of courses being taught at public schools, less and less students -- as little as 16 percent -- have been able to graduate within a four year time frame. Source: The New York Times.

Man accidentally put through car wash

An eighty two year old man gets wash of a lifetime when he is accidentally put through car wash while tidying up at his son's gas station. One minute Tage Schill was cleaning up, the next he was being cleaned...and it wasn't exactly a delicate cycle. According to the elderly gentleman, "water splashed from all directions  – and there" he "was in the middle of it all. It was frightening and terribly noisy." I think we can all give a collective shudder imagining that experience. But, as Schill was able to avoid getting a wax with his wash, he is thankfully doing okay. Source.

A dolphin by any other name...is another dolphin

Apparently dolphins are just as smart as we think they are. Researchers say that dolphins, like humans, call each other by name or, more accurately, with a distinct whistle for each of their friends. They're the only animal besides humans currently known to do this. Carry on dolphins. Well done.

Alleged phone snatch suspect accidentally uploads his pic to victim's Facebook page

Another genius has allegedly stolen a New York City woman's iPhone then taken pictures of himself:

Courtesy of NYPD
 

This photo and others uploaded automatically to the woman's Facebook page. Cops are currently searching for the suspect with the aid of these images.  Source article.


That reminds me, I should go set my phone to automatically send pictures to my PC. The other thing I do is simply be vigilant when I have my phone out. I'm always alert to anyone moving towards me. I also glance around occasionally to see if anyone has taken an unusual interest. That's when the phone goes securely into my pocket and I reach for something to defend myself with if need be. Sh*t can happen...and frequently does. Just saying.

Cause of death: Swallowed Greenhouse

A beached four and a half ton sperm whale in southern Spain has been found to have died from ingesting a greenhouse. 36 square yards of plastic sheeting, several feet of plastic rope and a couple of flower pots were discovered in the whale's ruptured stomach. When any animal has fatal interaction with garbage, it's a sad end; but when such a large, majestic creature meets this kind of end, it's seems especially tragic. Source article.

Face appears on mom-to-be's stomach

British mom-to-be, Karen McMartin, was shocked recently when this outline of a human face appeared on her belly. See image here.

I want to say, "Oh, that's just the baby's face." I really want to say that...but the face is kind of adult sized. What do you guys think?

Woman arrested for trying to sell porn to neighbors

Jeanette Ellis 52 of South Carolina was arrested after a neighbor complained that she had tried to sell them porn...on VHS. Scratching your head yet? Apparently Ellis discovered a box of discarded porn near her home and decided to try to make some quick cash to the tune of $5 a piece. I'm doing my best not to imagine her going door to door with those videos...which is exactly what she did. After receiving a call from one of the neighbors she'd approached, the police confiscated the 12 videos she had in her possession. Ellis was then arrested for non-licensed solicitation. Source.

Mother asks kids to kill their grandparents

Leticia Silva of Florida is in jail on a 5 million dollar bond after allegedly plotting to have her in-laws killed...by her two young children. She is accused of mailing a knife to her daughters, ages 7 and 9, and urging them to kill their paternal grandparents who have raised them for the last seven years. The plot came to light when the knife was discovered beneath one of the girl's pillows. The grandmother took the two girls to the sheriff's office where they later confessed what they had been told to do. Source.

I understand a mother wanting her children back, but the trauma this would have inflicted upon those two girls... I'll be shaking my head over this one for some time.

Twice displaced, Biscuit the cat finds new home

St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Biscuit, the 37 pound cat who twice found himself left at a local animal shelter, has found a new home with Ed and Lisa Pyatt of Eureka, Mo. Weighing in initially at a whopping 40 pounds, Biscuit was first surrendered to the shelter by his original owner, a disabled woman living with her mother. After being adopted he was again left at the shelter when his new owner moved into a building where pets weren't allowed. His new family are fat cat veterans, already owning a 20 pound cat named Max. Like they're doing with Max, they hope to help Biscuit slim down and are committed to holding on to the twice displaced feline.

Bored Judge IMs Wife While Court's in Session

Evidently a judge can find court proceedings as dry and boring as the rest of us do. The ABA Journal reports that New Mexico Judge Eugenio Mathis has resigned from his post after admitting to using the court's Internet connection to send IMs to his wife during work hours. The IMs sent to his wife, a fellow court employee, apparently communicated insults against other employees, made reference to ongoing cases and sometimes contained sexually explicit content.

Carrying condoms while dressed sexy can get you arrested in NYC

Minority and transgender women in New York City have been stopped, searched and, if found to be carrying condoms while provocatively dressed, sometimes even arrested as being a probable prostitute. In many cases, even if the woman is not arrested, her condoms are confiscated with the intent of discouraging prostitution. The fact is however, according to a study conducted by the Sex Workers Project, that many of these women still had to engage in paid sex that night...but without the condoms that would have protected both them and their clients. Increasingly these women have chosen to stop carrying condoms for fear of continued harassment.

Story from Business Insider.

Long Island man issued summons over laughter

We'll soon find out if laughing too loudly in your own home is a crime. According to the New York Post, Robert Schiavelli of Long Island was issued two tickets for disturbing the peace on Feb. 12 and 13. The combined tickets carry a fine of $500 or 30 days in jail. The summons stem from Schiavelli, who suffers from seizures and neurological impairments, laughing from his window at his next door neighbor Daniel O’Hanian who he claims taunts him because of his disability. The laughter, according to Schiavelli and his mother, was in response to O'Hanian allegedly glaring at him from his driveway where he was wiping off his car.

Woman and her dog saved by dolphins

According to Karyn Gitsham, dolphins can be heroes too. She tells 7 News that she was walking along Carrickalinga Beach in South Australia with her dogs Buddy and Ramsay at her side when one of the dogs ventured into the water, paddled out a distance after a seagull, and was unable to return. Gitsham stuck to the shoreline, following along the beach as the dog was pulled by the current, and ended up slipping off a shoreline cliff into the water herself. One moment she was going under the water and the next she was surfacing to the unnerving sight of a dorsal fin. Given the circumstances, she feared the worst thinking a shark was in her midst; but, amazingly, it turned out to be not one but a pod of dolphins that corralled her and her dog Ramsay, pushing them back to safety.

What do you guys think of this story? It seems once again dolphins have shown not only their intelligence but their gentle nature as well. Feel free to leave any comments you may have below.

New York Millionaire on trial for modern day slavery

40 year old New York Millionaire Annie George is currently on trial for allegedly keeping an undocumented illegal immigrant in her mansion for six and a half years. Valsama Mathai (49) was rescued after the National Human Trafficking Resource Center was tiped off about her situation and has since testified, according to CBS 6 Albany, that she was initially approached by a man who spoke her native language and promised her a better job and marriage. That man took her to meet with Annie George and her late husband who offered her a position working in their home for $1000 a month. Once there, Mathai was paid a pittance and not allowed to leave. Mathai testified that she was forced to work 12 hours each day and had to sleep in a walk-in closet of the 26 bedroom Redford mansion.

Hold on to your dreadlocks...literally

Just when you thought crime couldn't get any stranger, a new trend of stealing the hair right off your head has cropped up in parts of South Africa. The thieves target individuals with dreadlocks that oftentimes have been grown for years. Unfortunately not everyone who is interested in the style is willing to take the time and effort to grow them, hence the emergence of this type of crime. What is frightening is that the thieves use whatever sharp item they have at their disposal, sometimes even broken glass to cut off the hair before making their getaway. The dreadlocks are later woven onto the existing hair of someone who has requested the look. With the style growing in popularity, one can only assume that this crime spree is far from over. Source.

If something like this happened to me, I'd feel angry and violated. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to leave a comment below.

Hostage Freed in Alabama Standoff

Many of you have been anxiously following the story of the 5 year old boy who was abducted in Alabama. Some of you have prayed for this boy each night and hoped for a peaceful resolution to the hostage standoff. I can now tell you that Ethan has been rescued and seems to be in good health. The decision to enter the bunker was made after negotiations had deteriorated and Dykes had been seen with a gun. Though details are still emerging as to what transpired when FBI agents entered the bunker, it has now been confirmed by FBI Special Agent Steve Richardson that Dykes is dead. Ethan, though he appears to be unharmed, is currently being seen at a local hospital. Source.

Alabama Hostage Situation Now in Day 7

The hostage situation in Alabama has gone into its 7th day now, with 5 year old Ethan still being held in an underground bunker by Vietnam Vet Jimmy Lee Dykes (65). Those of you who have been following this story will recall that Dykes fatally shot bus driver Charles Albert Poland (66) last week before making off with the boy. Thankfully Dykes has made an effort to keep Ethan as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. While negotiations are still ongoing, authorities have done their part in seeing to Ethan's comfort by getting food, medication and even a red Hot Wheels car to him by way of a ventilation pipe leading into the bunker. Source.

8 confirmed dead in tragic Highway 38 crash

A tour bus carrying a group from Tijuana, Mexico collided with multiple vehicles on Sunday. The accident occurred at around 6:30PM local time, on a mountain road 80 miles east of LA, the result of apparent break issues. At the time of the crash, the bus had been traveling down Highway 38 near Forest Falls after its occupants had enjoyed a day of skiing at Big Bear. After the driver reported there was a problem with the breaks, the bus collided with a Sedan, flipping over then struck a truck towing a trailer.

Mario Lopez, a highway patrol officer at the scene, confirmed that 8 are dead and 38 others, some with life threatening injuries, have been taken to hospitals. Children are among those injured. Source.

17 yr old charged with pushing boy (9) off Morris Heights rooftop

17 year old Casmine Aska is being charged with attempted murder after pushing 9 year old Freddy Martin off the roof of the 5 story Bronx apartment building they both reside in. According to NBC New York, a police source indicated that Aska told investigators Martin and he had argued preceding the incident. The youth was found unconscious with severe injuries in front of the Morris Heights building at around 8:30PM on Friday night. Martin is listed in critical condition and currently receiving medical attention at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Source.

Chapter Bus and Overpass Collide in Boston

34 passengers, high school students and their chaperons in route to Pennsylvania, were injured Saturday night when the chapter bus they were on struck an overpass. The bus was on its way back from Harvard University, carrying 42 people when the incident occurred. According to the Boston Fire Dept. twitter feed, the chapter bus struck the overpass on Soldiers Field Road sometime around 7:30 p.m Saturday evening.

34 people were hurt, according to Boston Emergency Medical Services, one with life threatening injuries, three in serious condition.

Authorities indicate that the bus did not belong on that road, the driver having failed to heed posted height restrictions. The driver was not injured in the crash and is being interviewed by police to determine if he will face more serious charges.

NYC Mother of 2 Found Dead in Turkey

33 year old NYC mother of two, aged 9 and 11, has been found dead in Turkey, a Turkish state-run news agency reports. She was scheduled to reach home on January 22, after spending two weeks there on vacation, but her family had not heard from her since the day before. Sarai Sierra's disappearance, a rarity in Turkey, had attracted widespread attention and lead to the creation of a special unit to ascertain her whereabouts.

On Saturday, her body was found by residents near ancient city walls of the Fatih district of Istanbul. At this point it is presumed that she was killed elsewhere and transported to where she was later found. Police were able to identify the body as the missing NYC woman from her driver's license. Multiple people have been questioned and the investigation remains ongoing.

Charged with gang rape of Indian student, 5 men plead not guilty

Five men being tried for the rape, beating and subsequent death of an Indian student have pleaded not guilty to the 13 charges that have been brought against them. A male friend of the student was also beaten, sustaining serious injury in the attack.

The men are accused of luring the student onto a bus and proceeding to attack both her and her male friend. The woman was raped and assaulted with a metal bar before being thrown, bleeding with severe internal injuries, onto a highway. She died of those injuries two weeks later.

The sixth individual in the attack is said to be a juvenile and will receive a separate trial according to police.

Prisoner Accidentally Released is Rearrested

44 year old Steven L. Robbins is back in custody as of late Friday, after mistakenly being released following a court appearance in Chicago. It turns out that the case, involving drugs and armed violence, which brought Robbins to Chicago had been dismissed years earlier. Due to a clerical error, Robbins was then released following his appearance in front of two Cook County circuit court judges.

Robbins was rearrested without incident Friday night, in Kankakee, Illinois; and will continue to serve out the remainder of his 60 year sentence in Indiana. His incarceration stems from the May 2002 shooting death of a young man who tried to intervene in an altercation between Steven and his then wife, Nicole Robbins. The couple has since divorced according to the Chicago Tribune.

Prison inmates rescue boys whose kayak capsized

Prison inmates on a ten man park maintenace detail lept into action when they heard screams coming from nearby Salmon creek on Thursday. Three boys, brothers aged 8, 10 and 16, had been floating downstream when their kayak capsized, plunging them into the frigid water, says Fire District 6 Fire Chief Jerry Green

Though the eldest boy was able to swim to shore,  the two younger brothers required further assistance in the form of  37 year old inmate Nelson Pettis who risked his saftey jumping into the strong current, estimated to have been moving at 25 to 30 miles per hour according to Fire District 6 paramedic Joseph Killian.

Nelson was able to float downstream to the boys and help them over to a pile of floating debris until a rescue team could arrive. Pettis was assisted in the save by 29 year old fellow Larch Corrections Center inmate  Larry Bohn, who jumped back into the water after making sure the older boy was safe. While they waited for help, both men removed their shirts, wringing them out and wrapping them around the boys in an effort to warm them.

On shore, according to The Columbian, 28 year old inmate Jon Fowler waited for the rescue team, assisting them with the inflation of their rescue boat once they had arrived and even carrying the ten year old boy to the ambulance once he'd been fished out of the water.

The three boys, The Columbian reports, were treated for hypothermia at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. Nelson Pettis and Larry Bohn also received treatment at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center and were later released back to the Larch Corrections Center, which is a minimum-security prison for nonviolent criminals.

Alaska Airlines Flight 473 Diverted Thursday Night After Pilot Passes Out

Alaska Airlines flight 473 in route from L.A. to Seattle was forced to divert when the pilot passed out in the cockpit. The co-pilot, an 11 year veteran of the airline, was able to take over the plane and, after declaring an emergency, make a successful landing in Portland, Ore. where the pilot was then taken to the hospital.

There's no word yet as to why the pilot, who has flown for Alaska Airlines for 28 years, was taken ill; but he did later regain consciousness and leave the cockpit. According to the Seattle Times, a doctor was on board the Boeing 737-700 and was able to tend to the pilot at the front of the plane.

20 of the 116 passengers were transferred to a Horizon Air shuttle flight to Seattle, according to Alaska Airlines spokesman Paul McElroy, to accommodate their tight connection schedules. The remaining passengers continued to Seattle on the same plane manned by a new pilot.

Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch Has Passed Away Today at Age 88

Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch has passed today at the age of 88. He succumbed to congenital heart failure earlier this morning at New York-Presbyterian hospital after repeated hospitalizations in prior months.

Known for his brash personality, Edward Irving Koch served as Mayor of New York City for three terms, spanning 1978 to 1989.  He was born in the Bronx on Dec, 12 1924 to Polish immigrants, Yetta (née Silpe) and Louis Koch. Koch earned a law degree from NYU and later went on to enter politics in the 1950s, winning a seat on the city council. His political career took him to Washington where, for four terms, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

During his time as Mayor, Koch was able to bring the city back from the brink of financial ruin. He had many victories over the course of three terms, but there were also times of increased racial tensions, corruption amongst his political allies, and a growing Aids/HIV epidemic.

Following his mayoral years, Koch became both a political commentator as well as a partner at New York law firm Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn, and Berman. He authored and co-authored books, reviewed movies and restaurants, starred in various movies and TV shows, and became an adjunct professor at NYU.

Koch was a man who was full of life to the very end and his influence will continue to live on. His funeral will be on Monday at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. He will later be laid to rest in the plot he purchased back in 2008 at Manhattan's Trinity Cemetery.