On Being A Parent

Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman was questioned yesterday by police and child welfare officials after her 4-year-old autistic son showed up at school with a black eye and bite marks. Orange County’s Child and Family Services and two La Habra police detectives visited Suleman’s home but it was not clear if any action would be taken against the mother of 14, said Jeff Czech, Suleman’s attorney.

The 45-minute visit, first reported by RadarOnline.com, was arranged when a teacher noticed Aidan’s injuries and reported them to authorities, Czech said. The attorney said the boy likely got the black eye from a fall and suggested one of Suleman's 2-year-old twins may have caused the bite marks.

Czech said he doubts Suleman will be seriously reprimanded, “but I know CPS takes it very seriously.”

I started to post a picture of my son Evan here, taken this weekend. Evan had just gotten a bath and was trying to get away from his mother (that seems to be his favorite new game—running away from us). He was holding a plastic cup in his hands. As he ran, he tripped and fell. His chin hit the cup and caused a cut on his chin. If you have ever cut your face, you know how much you bleed. He bled. He has a cut on his chin. And, no bandaid will stay on that little boy! Seriously? It’d be like putting a bandaid on a slick, slimy fish. The drool just prevents a bandaid sticking and staying.

Now, should his teachers at daycare have called child protective services on us? Did we do something wrong? Should the police be involved? Should we need to hire a lawyer and keep him/her on retainer, just in case?

Well, if his cut on his chin would get us in trouble, I’m sure the small bruise on his leg would really get us in trouble, because in all honesty, who knows how he got that bruise. I would think he bumped against the table or fell in the yard as he played or tripped on his toy fire truck. Why don’t I know for sure? Well, Evan is active. He’s all boy. He runs. He plays. He falls. No one is pushing him. No one is hurting him intentionally. No one is abusing him. he’s just playing and having a great time with life.

Now, if Nadya Suleman is abusing her son or any of her children, then throw the book at her. Lock her up. Throw away the key. Seriously. But, children are children. They have bruises, cuts, bumps on the head.

That is unless all they do is sit and watch TV and play video games. Then, in that situation, parents get in trouble because their children aren’t active enough, maybe overweight, and obviously lazy! Lousy parents.

It really is impossible to be a parent.

Speed Racer He Ain't!

When I first read the following story, my first thought was “California!”

After you read the story, I bet many of you will think the same thing! We’ve just come to expect things like this from California. But, not this time. This time, it’s from Little Falls, Minnesota. Yes, Minnesota!

It seems that a 40-year-old man is behind bars after leading deputies on a 57-mile chase—in a garbage truck. At one point, a Morrison County sheriff’s deputy tried to stop the truck by firing a shotgun into its engine.

Police said the pursuit started when authorities received a report Tuesday about an intoxicated man trying to get into a home. The man left, driving the truck, before deputies arrived. Authorities said the driver swerved at squad cars and accelerated in reverse. Deputies tried stopping the truck with stop sticks, but it kept going with several flat tires.

The driver eventually pulled over and was caught by a police dog as he ran into the woods.
The suspect was treated for dog bites, then jailed, pending charges.

Well. At least it ended well. The man was arrested. A police dog got involved. He’s now in jail. A few dog bites. All’s well that ends well. Police 1. Drunken thief 0.

I Am Invisible! Really I Am!

Police say a man dressed liked a ninja used a sword in an attempt to rob a Weymouth (MA) dry cleaner. According to police, a convenience store clerk called police Monday after she noticed a man walking into the store wearing a ski mask and carrying a sword in a sheath on his belt.

When the man noticed her, he pulled his mask off and asked if she was calling about him, police said. Pulling off your mask is a good move too. Shows real brains!

When she said she was, police said the man left the store and walked into nearby Galaxy Cleaners.

There, police said he pointed a sword at the register and asked a clerk to give him all the money inside. Police said he left after she told him she couldn’t open the drawer.

Police still are searching for the man, who witnesses said appeared to be in his late 20s. I think it might be important to note that he was dressed in a ninja outfit, with a sword on his waist. That might help in the apprehension, don’t you think?

I guess the ninja didn’t think the police would spot him if he robbed the store next to the store where the manager was calling police. Then again, it would appear that the thief was correct, the police didn’t catch him at the scene! Not sure which is more foolish. The man in a ninja outfit, or the police not being able to catch him.

A Mother's Love

[Photo from Google, not the real criminal]

A 37-year-old Great Falls, Montana, woman is accused of driving her son and his friends around the city as the teens stole items from cars.

Police learned about the case Saturday morning when the woman’s husband called authorities to report he found a pile of stuff in his back yard that he suspected had been stolen. Court records say over $3,000 in items were stolen, including a set of golf clubs and power tools.

Lisa Dilley is charged with accountability to theft and accountability to criminal trespass to a vehicle, along with endangering the welfare of children.

Two 18-year-olds, Justin Julian and Julie Surratt, also face the accountability charges. Five juveniles were arrested in the case, including Dilley's 16-year-old son.

You know, I could never have imagined my mother doing this. My mother would even let us stay out pass 10:00 PM on the weekends!

Not For Long

An NFL coach once told an official that if he kept making calls like he was making that he wouldn't be calling games in the league for long, literally telling him what NFL stood for--Not For Long.

Maybe it is time for that same coach to tell NFL players that!

It's been a terrible off-season for NFL players. One player has been arrested for the death of a person, while he was DUI. Other players have been arrested on various charges across the country. Two NFL players died at seas when their boat capsized. Now, there's another story in the news.

It seems that NFL receiver Reggie Williams has been charged with drug possession after off-duty policemen used a Taser to subdue him when he refused to leave a bar.

Houston police spokesman Kese Smith says Williams was impaired when he refused to leave a bar Sunday night. He struggled with two off-duty officers who tried to escort him out and one of them used a Taser on him.

Police say jail officials later found a small bag believed to contain cocaine in Williams’ back pocket. He was charged on Monday with possession of a controlled substance and freed after posting a $2,000 bond.

In February, the 25-year-old unrestricted free agent was arrested in Houston on drink driving and possession of marijuana charges, which were later dropped. He played for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.

You know, I love sports. I really do. I used to love playing sports. I still love watching sports. But, what I don't love is the attitude of so many players, many who have been pampered their entire live, and given anything they want. Now, they believe they can live above the law, do what they want, and will suffer no penalty for it.

As a fan, I'm tired of it. And maybe I need to learn the meaning of NFL--if this stupidity keeps up, that's about how long I should keep watching--Not For Long!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling All the Way to Jail

Authorities on Florida’s east coast have arrested a man in a wheelchair who they say robbed a credit union on Merritt Island and hid the money in his prosthetic leg. I promise, I’m not making this stuff up!

Brevard County deputies say 45-year-old Christopher Warren Reed was caught Friday afternoon about 10 minutes after they say he robbed Space Coast Credit Union. Reed is a paraplegic who uses a motorized wheelchair. I have to wonder at this point why it took 10 minutes to locate Mr. Reed.

Investigators say he came into the credit union about 4:00 p.m., told a teller he was armed with an explosive, and demanded money. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash—don’t all robbers leave with an undisclosed amount of money?

Mr. Reed told deputies that two people had threatened him with a gun, told him to commit the robbery, and were going to take the money for themselves. He was charged with robbery, grand theft, threatening to use a hoax explosive device, and aggravated assault.

So many questions come to mind here. How did Mr. Reed get away? Did he have a getaway van parked in the handicapped parking spot closest to the bank? Did he simply roll down the sidewalk, heading toward his house? Or, did he simply try to blend in to his surroundings?

I suppose it takes desperation to rob a bank. Or, maybe it takes stupidity. But, someone should remind Mr. Reed that the excuse he offered police has already been used, and if memory serves me correctly, those police officers didn’t believe that crook either!

Well, hopefully the bank got their money back in a timely manner. With our economic downturn, they’ll need all they can get.

Little Explanation Required

An Alaskan motorist who was confronted by a state trooper said he was stunned when the officer told him the car he was driving had been stolen. Charles J. Schultz explained that he was driving his Chevy Cavalier and everything was fine.

That’s when the trooper informed Schultz that he was actually behind the wheel of a Ford Escort.

Police charged Schultz with auto theft, felony driving under the influence and misdemeanor drugs misconduct. And to no one’s surprise, police said the 27-year-old’s blood-alcohol content was .166, more than twice the legal limit.

The whole incident started when Fairbanks police received a report shortly after midnight last Friday that a Ford Escort had been stolen from the parking lot of a gentlemen’s club. An officer spotted the stolen Ford two hours later—with Schultz driving.

Schultz swore he had no memory of taking the wrong vehicle outside the club, according to a criminal complaint.

Let’s see…the incident started at a gentlemen’s club—never been sure why they call it that, no gentlemen would be caught dead in one of those places! It took place after midnight—that’s when my mother and father said most people get into trouble! He was found to have a blood alcohol level of .166, .08 is considered drunk. He was charged with having drugs or drugs misconduct.

Do you really think his swearing he has no memory of the incident taking place will hold up in court? I certainly hope not!

But, this is the new America. Who knows what the outcome will be!

I Have the Solution

[Photo from Google Search Engine. Not the actual photo of person discussed below]

A 76-year-old woman who gave her address as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been arrested for the 73rd time in almost four decades. This time, on charges of stealing a police decoy wallet in a supermarket and stuffing it in her bra.

The woman, who prosecutors say has used 36 aliases, was indicted Tuesday as Katherine Kelly in Manhattan Criminal Court in connection with the wallet. A criminal complaint filed earlier in this case charged Kelly with grand larceny and attempted grand larceny. It said she took a wallet, left by police as bait, from a shopping cart in a supermarket a few blocks north of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on October 15. It said an officer recovered the wallet from Kelly’s “bra area.”

Before Kelly was accused of taking the wallet, the complaint says, undercover police saw her trying to steal from several people inside the supermarket by putting her hand inside their bags.

Kelly’s lawyer, James Neilson, (and don’t you think he loves his job!) said Tuesday his client has not been convicted in this case and expects due process. He acknowledged his client has a rap sheet but wouldn’t comment on it.

And oh what a rap she has! The district attorney’s office says Kelly’s arrest record dates from December 21, 1971. On that date, office spokeswoman Tracy Golden said, Kelly was arrested as Charlotte Martinelli and charged with forgery. Golden did not know how the case was resolved.
Golden also noted that the woman has been arrested under 36 names, including Robin Shapiro, Antoinette Lombardi, Mildred Friedman, Sylvia McGuire, Victoria Velloti, and Charlotte Petrovas.

Golden said prosecutors are investigating the woman’s true identity. She said that although Kelly has given police 26 birth dates, her office is listing her as 76 because the age conforms to the birth date she gave with her latest arrest. Most of the defendant’s 73 arrests have occurred in Brooklyn, Golden said, with some in Manhattan and in Suffolk County, on Long Island.
The arrests have resulted in at least 16 convictions, Golden said. Most of the charges were felonies that were pleaded down to misdemeanors, she said.

I’m not a lawyer and have never played one on TV. However, I do know how to put an end to this woman’s criminal activity—put her in jail and leave her there! I’m serious. Lock her up. Give her an orange jumpsuit. Shut the door behind her. Turn the key. And, tell Katherine or Robin or Antoinette, or even Mildred goodbye, good riddance, adios!

I’m all for due process Mr. Lawyer. But somewhere between the first arrest and the 73rd due process almost seems unnecessary!

What do you think folks? Am I being too hard on her or the court system?

Everybody Has an Opinion

Let’s file this one under the category of: I’d Like to Know Your Opinion.

I’ll do my best from sharing my opinion, at least right away. But, read the following news story and tell me your thoughts.

The story comes from Pittsburg, PA. (Bill, your favorite town.) Pittsburg City police wrote nearly 200 disorderly conduct citations over a 32-month period for swearing, obscene gestures, and other acts deemed disrespectful.

After filing a Right to Know request, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) found 188 such citations. “Nobody likes to get sworn at, but you can’t make it a crime,” said Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Foundation of Pennsylvania.

The ACLU’s request came in connection with a federal lawsuit involving David Hackbart, who was cited after allegedly making an obscene gesture at another driver, and then at a police sergeant. In a recent court filing, the city said the citation was not for Hackbart’s gestures, but because he was blocking traffic.

Walczak told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the city had initially claimed it had only one disorderly conduct citation involving rude remarks to police or other people over that period. Walczak said officers were wrong to cite a woman who said, “I’m a (expletive deleted) passenger,” during a traffic stop; a woman who was “swearing profanities to a companion in front of the Girl Scouts”; and a man who “engaged in loud noise, racial slurs, and pig remarks.”

Okay, there you go. You make the call. Where the police correct or out of hand? Is the ACLU taking this matter too far or to the logical conclusion?

Thoughts?

Can You Hear Me?

The adorable picture above is our dog, Peanut. Peanut is a mixed breed dog. We were told that she is a mix between a Chihuahua and a Dachschund. I don't know whether or not that is true. Peanut is long like a Dachschund and she is short like a Chihuahua. We got Peanut from a rescue organization. I'm not sure I want to know what she was rescued from. Some things, you just don't want to know. Understand?

Anyway, Peanut is the smartest dog I've ever had. She knows how to sit, roll over, play dead, shake hands, etc. She also knows more words than any dog I've ever known. I've read the average dog "knows" 200 words or less. Peanut sure seems to know more than that.

But, as smart as she is, I've never taught her what may be the most important lesson she needs to know. I read an article over the weekend about what took place in Phoenix, Arizona. Buddy is a trained German shepherd who saved his owner’s life by dialing 911 when he began having a seizure.

In listening to the recorded 911 call, Buddy is heard whimpering and barking after the somewhat confused dispatcher answers the phone and repeatedly asks if the caller needs help.

“Hello, this is 911. Hello ... Can you hear me? Is there somebody there you can give the phone to,” says the dispatcher, Chris Scott. Buddy barks loudly when police arrive about three minutes after the call is placed. An officer asks Buddy’s owner, Joe Stalnaker, if he’s OK. Stalnaker coughs, and the call ends.

Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said Stalnaker spent two days in the hospital following the seizure and has recovered. “It’s pretty incredible,” Clark said. “Even the veteran dispatchers—they haven’t heard of anything like this.”

Clark said police are dispatched whenever 911 is called, but that Stalnaker’s address was flagged in Scottsdale’s system with the fact that an assistance dog dials 911 when the owner cannot. He said Buddy made two other 911 calls when Stalnaker was having seizures, the first last August. He said Stalnaker's seizures are the result of a head injury he sustained about 10 years ago during a training exercise in the U.S. military.

Clark said Stalnaker adopted Buddy when he was eight weeks old and trained him to get the phone if he began to have seizure symptoms. Buddy, now 18 months old, also is trained to press programmed buttons until a 911 operator is on the line, Clark said.

He said Stalnaker got Buddy through Michigan-based Paws with a Cause, which trains assistance dogs nationwide for people with disabilities.

Now, that would be good for Peanut to know. That’s more than a trick or something to show off to guests who come over. This feat could save my life!

But, I do have a question, how do I train her to do this without actually getting the police on the phone and at my door?

So, what’s the best trick you’ve ever taught your pet? I know many of you aren’t pet owners and this post won’t make much sense to you. That’s okay. But for the others, share your favorite story.