Weird News

[Tum0spoo]

Wow, that girl's got spunk. O.o;
She should get candy and toys for a month.

[Zaaphod]

Whoa..

They should hire that girl out as a bodyguard.

[VisibilityMissing]

Hey, if your friends went and jumped off a cliff, would . . . wait . . .

Jul 10, 3:59 PM EDT

Police Chase W.Va. Suspect Over the Edge

PRINCETON, W.Va. (AP) -- This police chase ended with a cliffhanger. A 30-year-old man fell 50 to 70 feet over a cliff near the West Virginia Turnpike while fleeing on foot from police Thursday. A police officer pursuing the man couldn't stop and tumbled after him, while a second officer jumped off the cliff to help his colleague and landed in a tree.

The suspect, who was not identified, rolled another 100 feet before stopping and suffered serious injuries, acting Princeton Police Chief W.L. Harman said. Sgt. W.E. Rose, whose fall was stopped by a tree, suffered some scratches and bruises while Sgt. C.T. Lowe, who jumped off the cliff, was not injured.

The chase began around 1 a.m. in Princeton when Rose saw a man whom authorities wanted to talk to get into the passenger side of a vehicle. The driver sped off when the officers' cruiser pulled up and the passenger jumped out.

"Everybody is real lucky that the injuries aren't worse than they are," Harman said.

[gen200]

why the heck wasn't the officer who jumped off the cliff hurt?

he fell safely or something?

the little girl is awesome.

[Foxhound]

that is one tough girl

and one crazy police chase.

San Jose Cops Don Pink for Breast Cancer
By Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - The boys in blue were pretty in pink. More than 30 San Jose bicycle patrol officers donned pink polo shirts and wore pins that said "breast man," while escorting participants in the 39-mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Some streamed feather boas from their bikes as they cleared the way along narrow streets and cheered walkers up steep hills during the weekend benefit that wound from Golden Gate Park to Marin County and back.

"There's no other city where the police department unites like they do," said Karen Borkowsky, program director for the walk. "They ride up these San Francisco hills with music on their bikes and really encourage our walkers to walk every last mile."

The officers became involved in 2000 when the walk started in San Jose. They were only supposed to travel a few miles, but they decided to accompany them the entire way.

In previous years, the officers have serenaded the women at dinner stops and have been pelted with underwear from admiring female fans.

The ride is personal for officers who have had grandmothers, mothers and friends fight the disease.

"These ladies give me so much courage and so much hope," said Sgt. Mike Sullivan, whose mother survived breast cancer.

The event that ended Sunday drew 2,300 walkers from around the country and raised $5.4 million for breast cancer research.

not so much weird as it is kinda cool

[VisibilityMissing]

Chaotic children

Parents of 'little devils' hope television show will be their salvation

By MEGAN HOLLAND
Anchorage Daily News

Published: July 10, 2006
Last Modified: July 10, 2006 at 01:53 AM

A 5-year-old graffitied his 4-month-old sister's face with a magic marker.

A 7-year-old peed in a family friend's garbage can.

Sisters -- 3 and 2 years old -- tossed out everything removable from their mother's truck, then gleefully took soap and drew all over the truck's windows and seats.

Children so nightmarish that their own parents call them "little devils" and their own grandparents won't even babby-sit them were on display Sunday for casting agents from the reality television show "Supernanny."

Parents mostly in love with the idea of their children as TV celebrities shared space under the fluorescent lights of an empty clothing store at the Sears mall with parents so tired and frustrated with their children that they said they had no place else to turn.

The auditions included a disabled mother sharing stories of her out- of-control son who hits her, a widow who is afraid of losing her children to the state because they can't deal with the death of their father, and one mother who has to prove to the state she's a good enough parent to get custody of her kids.

Casting producer Cevin Middleton said the ABC show, which places a nanny into American homes to teach parents how to control their kids, was trying to find more than simply misbehaving children for the show's third season.

"We're looking for more back stories, more facets as to why something going on in a house is going on," Middleton said. "Plus, we are trying to reflect what is really going on in our society."

Deborah Strain, mother of three, was an applicant. Her husband, Stephen Strain, died Jan. 31 on Lake Otis Parkway when his car was struck by a stolen truck driven by a man eluding police.

"It is probably a result of their Dad's death," Deborah Strain said of her children's misbehavior during her interview with Middleton.

"My 7-year-old says it's my fault."

Her husband was the disciplinarian, she said.

Strain said she's been through grief counseling, parenting classes and single-parenting classes. But since her husband's death, the children have slept in her bed, the older kids aren't eating, and the violence between the 5-year-old and 7-year-old has escalated. She's scared she will lose her children to the state's Office of Children's Services, she said.

Anne Johnson, a single mother who has already lost her older children to the state, said she needs to prove by the end of the year that she can take care of her 6- and 8-year-olds if she hopes to regain custody of her other children.

"I've lost control," she said as 6-year-old Aaron bounced balloons and ran out of the store.

Nancy and Russ Hart came because their 6-year-old son Noah takes advantage of Nancy's disability -- fused vertebrae in her back -- that makes it difficult to move quickly and stretch.

"I can't go running after him as much as my husband can," she said. "So I think he takes advantage of those limitations. When he was very young he knew to lay flat on the floor because he knew I couldn't reach him."

"The other day he threw a Mr. Incredible figurine. He threw it right there," she said, pointing to a red mark on her forehead. "It just stopped hurting today. He'll throw books. Whatever he can get his hands on."

Other parents' stories seemed more in line with light-hearted Hollywood entertainment.

"You see, he looks like a star," said one parent of a 7-year-old, as she shook the curls from her face, put an arm around her son, smiled for a camera and held up her name on a placard.

Single, full-time father Vic Shincke hasn't had a carefree date in years. Three out of four times he leaves his 8-year-old Chazz and 9-year-old Cheyanne with a babysitter, he gets a frantic call from the sitter telling him to get home.

His daughter won't eat anything but Cup O'Noodles, he said.

Michelle Gomez, a tanned and fit young mother of 3-year-old Maya and 2-year-old Julia, dressed the little girls in matching, flowery outfits with blue and green bows in their hair, which stood on end with static as they popped pink and blue balloons.

"They are like Tasmanian Devils," she said. "The 3-year-old screams randomly at the top of her lungs."

An accomplished businesswoman, Gomez once managed 40 employees. She said she would give anything to go back to work and not have to be a full-time mother.

Back stories. That's what the TV people were looking for. Middleton said a couple of the families would almost certainly get a call-back.

Daily News reporter Megan Holland can be reached at mrholland@adn.com.

[osprey]

I have a pact with my roommate that if he ever catches me watching that show, he is entitled to hit me in the face with a shaving cream pie.

[DesertFoxCat]

WILD CHASE - Strange suspect: 'Rogue' ghost on Assam police files

RAHUL Karmakar
Guwahati

HE IS no ordinary criminal ? for he wears a cloak of invisibility. The police in Assam's Boko district are on a wild goose chase for there have no clue to his whereabouts.

When a harried Sunil Das filed a complaint with the Boko police that he was being "tormented" by ghosts and their "human mentors", they thought Das was joking. But an order from the district magistrate ? seeking a "comprehensive" report on the "unseen criminals" ? made them sit up.

A month ago, the 26-year-old resident of Bamunigaon Camp moved the court of the Kamrup judicial magistrate accusing his neighbours - Harimohan, Sachin and Padu Barman - of unleashing their army of "pet djinns and poltergeists" which allegedly tortured him "mentally and physically".

Das alleged that the Barman brothers were sorcerers ? notorious for practising black magic that included setting their "obedient but malevolent" ghosts on people against whom they had an axe to grind. "They have been letting these spirits loose on me, subjecting me to physical and mental torture," he complained. Das said the "local" authorities had ignored his complaints as they were under the spell of Barman brothers.

But matters came to a head when ducks and chicken from Das' poultry farm and areca nuts from his plantation started vanishing. The youth alleged that the "djinns" were stealing them to help their masters perform "black rites". The court registered a case under Sections 380 (theft) and 448 (trespassing) and told Das to lodge a fresh FIR.

"We have dealt with hardcore criminals and armed militants, but this is the first time we have been asked to pursue a case with a spooky angle to it," said a police official from Boko. "We are yet to crack the case, but investigation is on." Black magic in common in rural Assam, bred on myths and superstitions. Witch-craft-related deaths and "ritual sacrifices" are rampant in the countryside.

[VisibilityMissing]

Adventure on the 'El! . . .

Fire on CTA Blue Line train forces evacuations

By Josh Noel and Virginia Groark
Tribune staff reporters

July 11, 2006, 8:51 PM CDT

An O'Hare-bound Blue Line train that had just exited the Loop derailed shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday and sparked a fire, prompting the evacuation of scores of people who had to navigate through the smoke-filled subway, officials said.

CTA President Frank Kruesi said the last car of an eight-car northbound train derailed around 5:09 p.m. shortly after leaving the Clark/Lake station. Kruesi said he believes that elements under the train caught on fire.

Police Supt. Phil Cline said there was no evidence that suspicious activity was involved in the incident. "There is no indication of foul play at this time," he said.

Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said a total of 120 people were taken to area hospitals, with only two people listed in serious condition. Langford described those two as elderly people.

Dozens of firefighters responded to the scene, he said.

According to Kruesi, the train, which originated in Forest Park, had just departed the Clark/Lake station when the motorman received a signal in his cab indicating there was a problem. He stopped the train and noticed there was smoke.

"He immediately called for the removal of power and evacuated the train," Kruesi said, noting the motorman pulled to the closest emergency exit.

As of 6:40 p.m., the Blue Line had been shut down in both directions between its Damen and Racine stations. Since there were a number of trains in the subway at the time of the accident, motormen berthed those trains at the nearest station and evacuated them.

"The Blue Line is shut down but ultimately there were no trains that were trapped in that area," Kruesi said.

The incident damaged the system's third rail and signals but Kruesi did not know the extent of it.

Emergency officials twice swept the tunnel and a third sweep was underway to ensure that no one was trapped in the tunnel or on the train.

As of about 8:30 p.m., the CTA was slowly restoring service on the Blue Line.

Service on the O'Hare branch was operating between the Damen and O'Hare stations.

Blue Line service on the Forest Park branch was operating to the Washington station. At Washington, customers could board a bus shuttle operating north to Damen.

As of that time there was no service operating in the Dearborn Blue Line subway, from Washington to LaSalle. A bus shuttle was in place between the Washington and Damen stations in both directions.

Passengers on the derailed train said there was a sharp jolt before the train screeched to a halt.

"We were on the last car and all of a sudden it started screeching and sparking," said Maryann Miceli, who was riding the train to her Northwest Side home.

"It was all sparking and flames," she added. "That's when everyone started to panic."

Metra was honoring CTA fare media, according to Kruesi. The No. 56 Milwaukee bus is another option for customers.

Pace spokeswoman Judi Kulm said that the suburban bus agency had extra buses positioned at CTA stations to help transport customers.

The buses are at 54th, River Road, Cumberland and Forest Park. Any paratransit riders who are stuck downtown and need transportation should call 1-800-606-1282, listen for the prompt for an emergency and press that, Kulm said.

Anyone who wants to pick up belongings left behind during the evacuation can come to the Central Police district starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to Officer Kristina Schuler.

The district is at 1718 S. State St., and can be reached by phone at 312-745-4290, she said.

jbnoel@tribune.com

vgroark@tribune.com

Copyright ? 2006, Chicago Tribune

[VisibilityMissing]

And, I'll be making post 1000 here

Jul 11, 10:08 AM EDT

Indian Cops Called to Investigate Ghosts

NEW DELHI (AP) -- Malevolent ghosts stealing your chickens and torturing you in the night? Who you gonna call? For farmer Sunil Das, his first call was the police, who laughed at what they thought was a joke, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported Tuesday.

But a judge in India's northeastern state of Assam saw little humor in Das' allegation that ghosts controlled by his neighbors were making off with his poultry at night. Instead of laughing, the judge ordered police to get to work and find the culprits, the newspaper reported.

In his complaint, Sunil Das accused his neighbors of using their "obedient but malevolent" ghosts, "subjecting me to physical and mental torture," the newspaper reported.

Das said his neighbors were notorious for using black magic against people they had a grudge against.

Superstitions and belief in ghosts are widespread across India, particularly in rural villages.

Nevertheless, police working the case said it was a first for them.

"We have dealt with hardcore criminals and armed militants but this is the first time we are required to pursue a case with a spooky angle to it," the newspaper quoted a local police officer as saying.

"We are yet to crack the case but investigations are on," said the unidentified officer.

[gen200]

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fiiiine!!!

[DesertFoxCat]

Say, that seems vaguely familiar...

WILD CHASE - Strange suspect: 'Rogue' ghost on Assam police files

RAHUL Karmakar
Guwahati

HE IS no ordinary criminal ? for he wears a cloak of invisibility. The police in Assam's Boko district are on a wild goose chase for there have no clue to his whereabouts.

When a harried Sunil Das filed a complaint with the Boko police that he was being "tormented" by ghosts and their "human mentors", they thought Das was joking. But an order from the district magistrate ? seeking a "comprehensive" report on the "unseen criminals" ? made them sit up.

A month ago, the 26-year-old resident of Bamunigaon Camp moved the court of the Kamrup judicial magistrate accusing his neighbours - Harimohan, Sachin and Padu Barman - of unleashing their army of "pet djinns and poltergeists" which allegedly tortured him "mentally and physically".

Das alleged that the Barman brothers were sorcerers ? notorious for practising black magic that included setting their "obedient but malevolent" ghosts on people against whom they had an axe to grind. "They have been letting these spirits loose on me, subjecting me to physical and mental torture," he complained. Das said the "local" authorities had ignored his complaints as they were under the spell of Barman brothers.

But matters came to a head when ducks and chicken from Das' poultry farm and areca nuts from his plantation started vanishing. The youth alleged that the "djinns" were stealing them to help their masters perform "black rites". The court registered a case under Sections 380 (theft) and 448 (trespassing) and told Das to lodge a fresh FIR.

"We have dealt with hardcore criminals and armed militants, but this is the first time we have been asked to pursue a case with a spooky angle to it," said a police official from Boko. "We are yet to crack the case, but investigation is on." Black magic in common in rural Assam, bred on myths and superstitions. Witch-craft-related deaths and "ritual sacrifices" are rampant in the countryside.

Oh yeah

[Tom Flapwell]

The Truth About Lying: We Do It, But Don't Like It
It can be hard to get people to face the truth sometimes. Especially about lying.

In a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll... 65 percent of those questioned said it was sometimes OK to lie to avoid hurting someone's feelings, even though 52 percent said lying, overall, was never justified.

So at least 17% of pollees lied on the poll, or at least contradicted themselves. Gad, what a stupid nation.

[gen200]

Gad, what a stupid nation.

what'd you expect from a country run by idiots?

dude, desertfox, Audrey 2 keeps lip synching with my music... It's creepy.

[Tom Flapwell]

83: The age of temporary Sioux Falls Canaries baseball player Jim Eriotes. Thought to be the oldest player in the sport's history, Eriotes had one at-bat in a game last week. He struck out.

Nooo kidding.