Definitely an article for the “what’s wrong with these people” heading…

Police in America have arrested a man who robbed a bank ‘disguised’ as a tree. CCTV footage shows the man entering the bank with branches and leaves taped to his body. After patiently waiting in the queue with fellow customers, the man makes his move, ordering the bank cashier to fill a bag full of cash, Fox News reported.

Unfortunately for the suspect, a dye pack inside the bag exploded. And in a second stroke of bad luck, the man’s face could be clearly seen by the CCTV camera through his foliage. He was later arrested at his home in Manchester, New Hampshire.

It is just the latest in a run of odd attempts by robbers trying to get their hands on some extra cash.

Earlier this year, two teenage girls robbed a bank in Georgia, USA, and their only disguise was their sunglasses. The so-called Barbie Bandits were soon caught. Last summer in Dorset, a pair of bungling robbers who targeted a pub for its takings were caught after dressing up in heavy puffa jackets, parkas and hats - on the hottest day of the year.

In April this year, a man who tried to steal an entire cash machine in California was captured after his prosthetic leg fell off during his getaway attempt.

And in Italy in 2006, a pair dubbed “Bonnie and Clyde” distracted potential victims in a park by kissing passionately and then suddenly attacking and robbing them.

I mean, come on. Tell me you didn’t laugh when you saw the headline. The funny part to me is that this is real. This guy woke up that morning, thought over his “plan” of duct taping TREES to him, and said, “yup… this is a great idea. This is really going to work…”

Too funny…

Ok, I originally posted this picture, but it’s too gross to leave up. So, click here to see the picture that is referenced in the caption below.

Zhou Guizhen, who is 86-years-old, shows one of her bound feet where the bones in the four small toes were broken and forced underneath the foot over a period of time, at her home in Liuyi village in China’s southern Yunnan Province, February 2007. Villages in China where women with bound feet survive are increasingly rare but the millennium-old practice nevertheless took almost four decades to eradicate after it was initially banned in 1911.(AFP/File/Mark Ralston)

I suppose this is helpful to know as well. This link tells a little bit more about WHY they do this.

From the world of Erica L. Peterson…

I walked upstairs at work today to use the bathroom. When I walked in, there was a trash bag lying in the middle of the floor - and a bottle of water and a box of instant white rice sitting on the windowsill… but no one was in there.

Mind you, this is in an administrative building. No students are on campus right now…

What do YOU think it means???

Yes. You read that right. Check it out by clicking on this map.

Technically, in Wisconsin, it’s only legal under certain circumstances to marry your cousin. Specifically, if the woman is 55 or older, or one is unable to reproduce. But COME ON. That’s your blood relative!!! Who does that??

From Yahoo:

How many states allow a resident to marry a cousin?

When Texas made marriage between first cousins illegal last year, that left 19 states and the District of Columbia as havens for those who want to get jiggy with the offspring of their aunt or uncle. Six more states allow marriage between first cousins under certain circumstances. All states allow marriage between second or more-distant cousins.

A 2002 research study concluded that the offspring of first-cousin couples “inherited recessive genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease, in 7% to 8% of cases.” That’s 2 to 3% greater than the general population, which is significant but much lower than the overall perception. And since genetic testing can now alert couples to heightened risk, the danger is potentially even lower. Many societies actually encourage marriage between cousins; the U.S. is “virtually alone among developed nations” in outlawing them.

If you’re still not convinced, perhaps a little name-dropping will help. Charles Darwin, who knew a thing or two about genetics, married his first cousin. Other famous cousin-marriers include Queen Victoria, Rudy Giuliani, and FDR.

Giuliani’s first marriage was to his 2nd cousin. They were married for 14 years, before Giuliani, a good Catholic, had their marriage annulled by the church on the grounds that he and Peruggi were a little too closely related for God to approve. Nooo… really???

Yahoo has some pretty interesting year-end photos online and I thought this one was pretty cool.

Giant waves crash over onlookers washing them off the sea wall of Cape Town’s Kalk Bay harbour, August 27, 2005. The two men were later rescued as storms created waves of an estimated nine metres. Picture taken August 27, 2005. REUTERS/Philip Massie PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2005

Don’t ask me what these dudes were thinking… but I would NOT be out by that lighthouse if the weather was like that!

There are so many things wrong with this picture (and the story, for that matter!)…

LONDON (AFP) - Schoolchildren as young as 12 are to be offered nicotine patches to help them kick the habit, according to health officials.

“It does not take long for young people to be addicted to nicotine,” Iain Miller, a smoking cessation adviser with local healthcare provider Derwentside Primary Care Trust (PCT) in northeast England, said Tuesday.

The PCT has teamed up with the Government’s Sure Start scheme — which aims to improve the health of the nation’s children — to provide patches to 12- to 17-year-olds at six schools.

Seven percent of boys and 10 percent of girls aged 11 to 15 smoke, national statistics suggest. Almost a quarter of 16- to 19-year-olds smoke, figures show.

“By the time they have overcome the spluttering start to smoking and learned to smoke three full cigarettes, inhaling the smoke properly, they can be displaying the key signs of addiction,” he added.

“Young people deserve the same opportunities to break their addiction as older people do.”

So, Kindergarteners are watching santa hotbox a cig AND he’s got an empty liquor bottle in front of him. What’s up with that??

Pregnant Skydiver Survives Face-First Fall

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — Shayna Richardson was making her first solo skydiving jump when she had trouble with her parachutes and, while falling at about 50 mph, hit face first in a parking lot.

Although badly hurt, she survived - and doctors treating her injuries discovered she was pregnant. Four surgeries and two months later, Richardson said she and the fetus are doing fine.

“Just this last week we went and saw the doctor and we’ve got arms, we’ve got legs. We’ve got a full face. The baby is moving around just fine. The heart rate looks good. So not only did God save me but he spared this baby,” she said.

Richardson, 21, of Joplin, Mo., was skydiving in Siloam Springs on Oct. 9 when her main parachute failed.

“I heard a snap and I started spinning and I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what to do to fix it. I didn’t know how to make it stop,” Richardson told Fort Smith, Ark., television station KFSM.

She cut away her primary chute so her reserve could deploy, but it didn’t open all the way. She spun out of control, heading straight for the asphalt below.

“At the end I said, ‘I’m going to die. I’m going to hit the ground. I’m going to die,’” she said. “I don’t remember it. I don’t remember hitting the ground. I don’t remember the impact or anything that came with it.”

Rescuers got her to a hospital in Fayetteville, where Richardson underwent surgery. She broke her pelvis in two places, broke her leg, lost six teeth and now has 15 steel plates.

“”To hit the ground belly first - that’s dangerous. I mean at any stage of pregnancy that’s dangerous. That’s not something you want to do let alone at 50 miles per hour,” Richardson said.

Her fall was videotaped and Richardson said she was able to watch it, without qualms.

“I wanted to watch it,” said Richardson. “And the whole reason I’m comfortable with watching it because I know how it ends.”

Richardson said her due date is June 25. She plans to make her next parachute jump in August.

What the heck? Most people wouldn’t even survive the fall, much less have a fetus survive. And I don’t think I’d be comfortable watching a videotape of me falling face-first into a parking lot at 50 mph–even if I knew what was coming. Lady is nuts…

This is just Gross.

Woman Says Boss Ejaculated On Her On Her Second Day On The Job

HOUSTON (CN) – Jorge E. Garcia Jr., of JEG Advertising, on Texas Avenue in Houston, ejaculated on a young woman as she worked at her desk on her second day with the company, the woman claims in Harris County
Court. “Plaintiff was sitting at her desk doing the work she was given earlier that day when Mr. Garcia came up behind her,” the complaint states. “He asked (the plaintiff) to turn around, and when she did, Defendant roceeded to ejaculate onto her and her clothing. Mr. Garcia apologized and stated that he did not mean to do that.” Plaintiff, represented by Ken Bigham Jr. of Schulenberg, Texas, seeks damages for assault and battery and intentional infliction of distress.

Oops. Seriously. How is that an accident? How do you not mean to come up to someone and ejaculate on them? Maybe the question should be, what kind of office is this lady working in?

Yuck.

Tim, what is your girlfriend doing drinking 6 beers at one time?? I thought for sure she could do 8…

A contestant prepares to drink six cans of beer at one time at the Great American Trailer Park Pageant in New York November 17, 2005. Contestants across the country showcased a vast array of talents for a panel of judges and talk show host Jerry Springer during the competition REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

What the F is wrong with people?!??!?!?

Who in their RIGHT MIND is THAT desperate for $20 that they would drink drain cleaner for it? HONESTLY!

A 33-year-old Grafton woman was fighting for her life Thursday night after she drank concentrated drain cleaner given to her by a man who then videotaped her violent vomiting for his sexual gratification, Milwaukee police said.

With just two gulps, the caustic solution seared a path from the woman’s lips down to her stomach, burning holes along the way and then likely scorched her again as she vomited the poison.

Ok–so I think we can all agree that the “victim” was a dumbass, right? Well, get a load of this guy–this isn’t the first time that he’s dne something like this.

Detectives are studying a videotape that shows the woman drinking the solution and then throwing up. Police said the tape shows at least three other women drinking solutions and becoming ill.

On Tuesday, police arrested Sean A. Kobin, 20, of Mequon, near the former Northridge Mall on suspicion of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, according to arrest records.

A registered sex offender in Wisconsin, Kobin was convicted last year of exposing a 13-year-old girl to harmful materials by urging her, in a series of phone calls and computer messages, to drink bleach, lighter fluid and urine to arose him sexually, according to a Waukesha County criminal complaint.

Seriously. I don’t know what ticks me off more–how disgusting and twisted this guy is, or how utterly STUPID these girls are. Isn’t one of the first things that any parent teaches their child how NOT to hurt themselves? Whether it is by pointing out a sharp corner on a table, telling them that household cleaners are poisonous and locking that cabinet, or by telling them not to put their hand on a hot stove, it’s something that is imbedded in a child’s mind from a very young age. WHY are these girls moronic enough to believe this guy when he says it won’t hurt them?

Society never ceases to disappoint me once in a while…

So, am I the only person that is absolutely baffled by this Steven Avery case? For those of you that aren’t in Wisconsin (or for those of you that are in Wisconsin and don’t pay attention to current events), here is a link to what has been going on with this story.

The summary of it is that this Steven Avery guy served 18 years in prison for rape and was exonerated in 2003 because DNA showed that he didn’t commit the crime. Because of being wrongfully jailed, Avery sued Manitowoc County for a few million dollars–that case is currently ongoing.

Enter Teresa Halbach. Halbach, a 25-year-old photographer from Hilbert, was last seen Oct. 31. Avery was among the last people to see her when she visited his home that day to take photos for Auto Trader magazine of a vehicle he was selling.

As this story slowly unfolded, the police found more and more evidence that Avery killed Halbach. Today was basically the culmination as Avery is being charged in her death. Read the article if you want specifics as to why they think he did it.

I’ll be interested to hear what the motive of this Avery guy was. He got of jail less than 2 years ago. Yeah, I’d be a little pissed off if I was him–who wants to spend 18 years in jail for something that they didn’t do? But, you get out, you move on with your life and you sue the crap out of the county that put you in jail in the first place. MILLIONS of dollars. Even if they settled or he didn’t get all of the money, he was bound to get something that would probably make his life pretty posh for a while. Why in the world would he go out and kill someone after that? It just doesn’t add up to me.

Am I the only one that this doesn’t completely add up for?

This article caught my eye on jsonline.com this morning:

Defiant woman with TB is jailed
Citing ‘huge health risk,’ judge says she must be detained for six months

Ruby Washington is sitting in the Milwaukee County Jail after a judge gave her at least six months behind bars, deeming her a grave risk to the public.

But Washington, 38, hasn’t been convicted of assault or some other violent crime.

She has tuberculosis. And she won’t take her medicine.

Using a rarely invoked part of state law aimed at uncooperative TB patients, Circuit Judge Clare Fiorenza on Wednesday jailed Washington, the last twist in a tale that shows the difficulty of handling someone with a contagious disease who balks at help.

Fiorenza said she regretted having to incarcerate Washington but had no choice after she repeatedly bolted from treatment over the past four months.

“This is no easy thing, but I don’t know what else to do,” Fiorenza said. “Ultimately, as an adult she makes her own decisions. But by not taking her medicine, she is making decisions for others. She is a huge health risk.”

Health officials said Washington is not contagious now, but could start spreading the disease or possibly spawn a drug-resistant strain of TB if she continues to go off her medicine. She was being held among the general population of the jail late Thursday after county medical staff cleared her, said Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.

The article goes on to say how Washington is a consistent drug and alcohol abuser and has 16 children. SIXTEEN. The youngest, a 5 week old, also has TB. I can only imagine that that poor child isn’t being properly cared for either.

This type of thing just baffles me. I can’t understand how someone can be so oblivious to the fact that she is not only killing herself by not taking her meds, but she is also putting others at risk. Her mind is so clouded that she can’t even see that having more children and slutting herself (she’s a known prostitute as well) around are not a good thing.

I am glad that this judge put her in jail. And not even for a judicial reason, but for the medical reason. I think if she is in a confined, secured place, she will have no choice but to take her meds or ignore them and kill herself. At least that way, she is not putting other people at risk.

The last of this article also gives me hope that the judicial system isn’t just “by the book” and that judges don’t let emotions take a part. Check this out:

After the hearing, as Washington waited to be taken away, Fiorenza emerged from her chambers, without her robe.

The judge walked up behind the patient-turned-defendant, hugged her and whispered, “I just want you to take your medicine.”

What do you think? Did the judge do the right thing in putting her in jail?

Underage driver’s crash injures ‘sex party’ mom

GOLDEN, Colo. - A woman who authorities said had sex with high school boys so she could be a “cool mom” was injured while riding in an SUV that veered off an interstate a day before she was to be sentenced. T he driver was a 14-year-old girl.

Sentencing for 41-year-old Silvia Johnson, who pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual assault and nine felony counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, was postponed. A review hearing was set for Oct. 6. She could be sentenced to 58 years in prison.

The Arvada woman held parties for teenage boys almost weekly between October 2003 and October 2004, according to investigators. They said she gave drugs and alcohol to eight boys and had sex with five. Johnson told police she wanted to be known as a “cool mom,” authorities said.

On Sunday, Johnson was in a 2000 Jeep Liberty that rolled over after the teen drove off Interstate 25 and down an embankment, Colorado State Patrol Trooper Eric Wynn said.

Johnson and three other passengers — her 14-year-old daughter, 11-year-old son and a 12-year-old boy — were hospitalized with serious injuries, authorities said. Only the driver was wearing a seat belt and escaped serious injury, authorities said.

The crash was under investigation; no charges have been filed, Wynn said.

Prosecutor Lori Toll said Johnson could be charged with allowing an underage driver to take the wheel. She also said Johnson was violating a restraining order barring her from having contact with her children.

Johnson’s attorney, Phil Cherner, said: “My client has gone through a great tragedy … It’s a sad day for everyone on both sides of the case.”

Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey said he was “very surprised and shocked” that a 14-year-old may have been driving while Johnson was in the vehicle. “That’s very upsetting to me, especially considering what her history has been in this case,” he said.

What the F??? Ok, I had NO IDEA that this is how you become a “cool” mom. If that is the case, I’m guessing there are a lot of dorky moms out there.

And how must this lady’s daughter feel to know that her mom is banging her classmates? Yuck.

(and I had to italicize the “my client has gone through a great tragedy” part. I’m sorry, but this lady brought this all on herself. She’s the one that let a 14-year old drive with no license and she’s the one that decided to sleep with pre-pubescent boys. A tragedy yes, but not anything that we should feel sorry towards this lady about.

Was your mom “cool?”

Tim, you were just talking the other day about having a Toga Party. Looks like you already missed it at the Emmy’s!

Gas prices have gradually been going down around this area, but I think they probably topped out at $3.49 in some areas within the past week or so. Thank God they are finally down around $2.85. But check this out from a gas station in Georgia on August 31st….

Yup. It could always be worse…