Stupid News Story of The Day

(I've got a bong, and I'm not afraid to use it)

Man With Bong Attacks Police Dispatcher

GERMANTOWN, Wis. - A 22-year-old man was wrestled to the ground in the Germantown Police Department Friday afternoon after threatening a dispatcher with a glass bong and a shotgun, police said.

The man walked into the department and handed a threatening note to the dispatcher at a her window around 5 p.m., police said.

As she read the note, he threw a glass bong at the bulletproof glass, police said. The bong shattered, but the window did not. He then pulled out a shotgun, but three officers using a taser and pepper spray were able to subdue him, police said.

"He did have his finger on the trigger but they were able to control him," said Germantown Police Chief Peter Hoell.

The man had been arrested several times in the past on burglary, disorderly conduct and drug charges, but the motive for Friday's attack was unclear, Hoell said.

postcard from Big Bear Lake, CA - there wasn't anymore snow on Snow Summit, but there was some snow left up in the higher elevations...this is a much prettier pic than I could take at this time - lol
Posted by Hello

Vacation

I just got back from Las Vegas today...I am bushed! We got to Vegas on Tuesday, June 21st around 8:30 pm. We stayed at this casino called Silverton. It was nice. They have updated it since I last went. They have a huge Bass Pro Shop in there now, and they had some of the Orange County Chopper bikes on display (the guys that do that American Choppers show on tv). They also had a boat customized by West Coast Customs...you know...the guys that do the Pimp My Ride show on MTV. It was pretty cool to see the bikes and boat in person like that. I got a pair of hiking boots and a sleeping bag at the pro shop. It is a nice store...huge too.

We left for the Grand Canyon at around 4:30 am on Wednesday. It is about 280 or so miles to the park from Vegas, so it took a while to get there. All in all, it wasn't a bad drive (but that is probably cuz my brother and my mom did all the driving - hehe). The Canyon was awesome! It is huge! It is easy to see why it is one of the 7 wonders of the world. When you stand there on the edge and look down, it is dizzying. It is sooooo far down. At first, it was cloudy, and I thought the sun wasn't even going to come out. But it eventually did. When the sun is out, you can see all the different colors of the rock layers. It really is a breathtaking sight. I took lots of pictures...I only posted 2 on here...the rest are in my Yahoo photo album. We left around 1 or so. It was starting to cloud up and by the time we started driving out of the park, it had started to rain. We hit a few heavy downpours along the way back to Vegas, and there was lightning galore. I love to watch the lightning. My mom, however, is not too keen on it. She hates it.

We got back to Vegas around 4:30 pm. It was raining there, too, and some lightning strikes had started a few brushfires in Nevada and in Arizona. The sky was full of smoke in some areas, including Red Rock Canyon. I wanted to go there, too, but with all the smoke, it would not have been very scenic. Maybe next time.

Thursday was a day of shopping. I think we left the hotel room around 9 am and didn't get back til almost 10 pm. I was exhausted by the time we got back to the room and was ready to go to bed, but my brother wanted to gamble a bit, so I went down with him. I lost about $7 - lol. I am not much of a gambler (as you can tell).

We left Vegas around 8 am this morning. We stopped in Barstow around 10:30 am for IN-N-Out burgers. My brother decided he wanted to drive through Big Bear on the way home, so my dad almost reluctantly agreed to go. It was really beautiful up there in the San Bernadino National Forest. Big Bear Lake was huge, and the sky was clear so the water was really blue and pretty. The road getting there was steep as heck though. When we left, we opted to go the other route...the route to Los Angeles, instead of going back to Barstow. It was a nice detour, going through Big Bear, even if it did make the trip home take longer.

So now, I am back home, freshly showered and feeling sleepy already at 9:30 pm. But, I had a lot of fun. And now I have 2 more days to sleep in - hehe.

The Grand Canyon's South Rim - pictures don't do it justice
Posted by Hello

Grand Canyon National Park - South Rim - you can see the Bright Angel Trail in the middle of the picture
Posted by Hello

Stupid News Story of The Day

Police Catch Thieves With Fake Callback

FREMONT, Calif. - What's the best way to catch a thief? Call him back for a job interview. That's what Fremont police tried when they learned that two job applicants were suspected of swiping an office worker's wallet.

Timothy Wash, 22, and his pal Andrew Gonzalez, 18, used the victim's credit card to buy boxers and gift cards at Target, and topped off the shopping spree with frappuccinos at Starbucks, according to investigators.

Police suggested the firm that reported the theft call the pair back for a second job interview. Gonzalez and Wash showed up at the office Wednesday and found detectives waiting for them.

The two confessed and police recovered the missing property at Wash's home, detectives said.

Police charged the pair with conspiracy, burglary, forgery and identify theft. Wash was arraigned in Fremont Friday and is being held at the Alameda County jail. Gonzalez' status could not be immediately ascertained.

Funny Stuff From George Carlin

" 'You pays your money, and you makes your choice.' Wrong. Try this: You pays your money and you takes whatever they jolly well give you. Actually, when you get right down to it, you pays your money and you loses your money."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Somewhere, an artist is crying)

Paintings by Chimpanzee Outsell Warhol

LONDON - Monkey business proved to be lucrative Monday when paintings by Congo the chimpanzee sold at auction for more than $25,000.

The three abstract, tempera paintings were auctioned at Bonhams in London alongside works by impressionist master Renoir and pop art provocateur Andy Warhol.

But while Warhol's and Renoir's work didn't sell, bidders lavished attention on Congo's paintings.

An American bidder named Howard Hong, who described himself as an "enthusiast of modern and contemporary painting," purchased the lot of paintings for $26,352, including a buyer's premium.

The sale price surpassed predictions that priced the paintings between $1,000-$1,500.

"We had no idea what these things were worth," said Howard Rutkowski, director of modern and contemporary art at Bonhams. "We just put them in for our own amusement."

Congo, born in 1954, produced about 400 drawings and paintings between ages 2 and 4. He died in 1964 of tuberculosis.

His artwork provoked reactions ranging from scorn to skepticism among critics of the time, but Pablo Picasso is reported to have hung a Congo painting on his studio wall after receiving it as a gift.

"There's no precedent for things like this having been sold before," Rutkowski said.

Fake News Story of The Week

Bringing you the most up-to-date news around...well, not really

Two women were horrified to find that their heads had sprouted immense flowers. Dr Quack, a local doctor stated that the condition, called largafloraonadaheada although extremely rare, was not unheard of, and does not pose an immediate threat to the women's health. One woman joked around, asking if she should use shampoo or Miracle Gro on her hair. The doctor could not answer her question, but instead referred her to a local botanist for further studies. The other woman seemed a little more concerned about her condition, stating, "I like the flower. It is very pretty, and I always smell nice. But I don't know what to do about the bees."

Funny Stuff From George Carlin

"G.C's Guide to Dining Out: There are certain clues that tell you how much a restaurant will cost. If the word cuisine appears in the advertising, it will be expensive. If they use the word food, it will be moderately priced. However, if the sign says eats, even though you'll save some money on food, your medical bills may be quite high."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(I always liked grandma's apple pie...oh and her garden wasn't bad either)

Man Accused of Growing Pot at Grandma's

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Cumberland County authorities arrested a man who they say found a fertile spot to grow some illicit herbs — his grandmother's garden.

Cornelius Shaw, 30, is charged with manufacturing marijuana that he allegedly grew in his grandmother's back yard, the sheriff's department said Sunday. He was arrested at her house Friday and was freed on $3,000 bond.

An off-duty sheriff's deputy discovered the weed patch when he was at a yard sale. Tom Zilg glanced into the yard next door and spotted what investigators later established was 25 marijuana plants with a street value of $25,000, according to a department news release.

Investigators said Shaw told his grandmother he was growing tomatoes, and she had no idea what he was really up to.

Clover Meadow - in the Sierra National Forest above Mammoth Pool - the road to this place was unpaved and bumpy, but what a view - it was beautiful up here
Posted by Hello

Yosemite revisited

I went to Yosemite again this weekend and camped out in Wawona, which is not too far outside Yosemite Valley. The campsites in the valley were completely booked up. Luckily, Chris was able to make reservations for Friday, but all the Saturday spots were filled up. It was drizzly and cloudy when we got there, but atop Glacier Point, it was sunny and pretty. You couldn't see Half Dome very well though, since it was covered by clouds. But what a view! When you are standing on top of Glacier Point, everything in the valley looks so tiny, since you are over 3000 feet above it. It is an amazing sight. You can see Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls, and Mirror Lake from up there. Last time we went, Glacier Point was closed. Tioga Road was closed too, but the ranger said it would be open by the 4th of July probably. I can't wait to see Tuolumne Meadows. I heard it is pretty up there. (I just looked up some pics of it on the net, and yes, it is pretty up there - lol). We went on a hike to Vernal Bridge while we were up in Yosemite. It was a decent hike (.8 mile to the bridge), and mostly uphill, so it worked out my calf muscles - lol. We would have gone up to the top of Vernal Falls, but Chris has been having back problems so we went back to the valley after that hike. It was almost tougher going down than going up - lol. After that hike, we were ready for some food, so we went to Curry Village and had pizza, then headed down to the campsite.

On Saturday, we knew that we would have to find someplace to stay the night, so we headed on out of Yosemite, to check out Fish Camp and the Bass Lake area. On the way out of Yosemite, there was a line of cars going into Yosemite, and this was at 10 am. It looked like at least a 45 minute wait to get into the park. It was pretty much a sure thing that we would not find any place to camp in Yosemite, so we decided to head up to Bass Lake. After some searching, we found a spot up above Bass Lake in the Sierra National Forest, at a campsite called Rock Creek. It was a nice little spot right next to a stream and it was quiet. No flushing toilets though - lol. But that was ok with me. We never had flushing toilets when I went camping as a kid anyhow. After we set up camp, we drove up the road to check out the sights. We went down to Mammoth Pool and checked out the dam. That was cool. Although it was 2 miles of unpaved road...rocky, dusty and bumpy. The water was roaring down over the spillover and the spray was coming up and hit us, and man was it cold! After that, we drove up to Clover Meadow. That was really pretty . It was pretty high up, so there was a lot of snow still on the ground off to the side of the road. There was absolutely no one around either. It was like we had the whole place to ourselves. When we came back down, we checked out Arch Rock and the Mile High viewpoint. That was an awesome view of Mammoth Pool and the Minaretes.

After a long day of driving, I was ready to hit the hay when we got back to camp. I got bit by a few skeeters, so I am all itchy - lol. I had a great weekend. I took lots of pictures and posted a few below, and more in my Yahoo Photo Album. I will be taking even more pics when I hit the Grand Canyon this week. I love vacations!!!!!

Views of Nevada Falls (top) and Vernal Falls (below Nevada Falls) from atop Glacier Point
Posted by Hello

View of Yosemite Valley from atop Glacier Point - elevation 7215 ft - from here, it is over a 3000 ft straight down drop to the valley floor - pictures can't really capture the view...but trust me, it is awesome!
Posted by Hello

Stupid News Story of The Day

(You know it's time to move when...)

Car Lands on Man Sleeping in Bed

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - A vehicle went airborne Sunday morning after running off Highway 65 and plowed through a house, landing on top of a Pine Bluff man who was asleep in his bed, police said.

"It hit the outside bedroom wall, continued through the bedroom, over the bed and partially exited through the side wall," Pine Bluff Lt. Bob Rawlinson said. "The guy was pinned under the car and rolled up in the mattress."

Devlon Chandler, 34, of Pine Bluff and his wife Arninitra were traveling home from a casino in Greenville, Miss., when he fell asleep at the wheel, police said. The couple's car left the road, traveled over a grassy area, clipped a telephone pole, ruptured a gas main and went airborne before coming to rest in the bedroom of Ricky May, 42, of Pine Bluff.

The bed and other furniture were crushed under the car, Rawlinson said.

"The car was totally inside the house and a little bit sticking out through the other side," Rawlinson said. Two walls were destroyed, he said.

Rescuers were able to free May and he was taken to the Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, where he was listed in serious but stable condition on Sunday, police said.

May suffered an eye injury and burns from where the vehicle landed on him, authorities said, and he may have to have his right-hand ring finger amputated. The Chandlers also were taken to the hospital, but their injuries were not serious and they were treated and released.

Rawlinson said the Chandlers' vehicle traveled 500 feet from the spot it left Highway 65 until it came to rest in May's bedroom. Devlon Chandler was ticketed for failing to maintain control of a motor vehicle, driving on a suspended license and not having proof of insurance, police said.

The vehicle also ruptured a gas line at May's home, but police said they were able to turn it off. The other gas line break, at the intersection of Highway 65 and Grider Field Road, could not be cut off and authorities said it would require extensive repair work.

"You could hear that gas main roaring hundreds of feet away," Rawlinson said. "It completely tore it out of the ground."

Police said the area is unstable and should be avoided until the gas main is shut off, however no evacuations were ordered.

Rawlinson said alcohol was not a factor in the accident and said that there have been several fatal accidents within the last year at same spot because of a long curve in the highway.