Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Wacky World of Sports: Part 2

The USA Today seems to agree with my last post about this: Wacky World of Sports

Analysis: If Brady earns less than Stafford, system is broken

As much as the NFL does right — and few have a business model that works nearly as well as professional football — the one thing that doesn't work, that needs desperately to be changed, is the way the NFL pays its rookies.

Right now, it's a free-for-all.

It needs to be capped, regulated, somehow worked the way it works in the NBA, where picks are slotted into established salaries and first rounders don't make more than established stars.

Put it this way: Matthew Stafford, who hasn't thrown a pass in the NFL, makes more money than three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.


Now isn't that CRAZY? I hate Tom Brady, but some untested rookie shouldn't be making more than him.
The way it is now, if a team is wrong on a high, first-round pick, the franchise is doomed for years. If Stafford turns out to be Joey Harrington, the Lions will be hamstrung for years to come — in much the same way as the San Diego Chargers, who were terrible for years after whiffing on Ryan Leaf.

If I'm in the union, I'm thinking, "Wait a minute, I want to be sure there's a place for me on the back end of my career after I've established myself as an NFL player. Let the rookies wait their turns."

As it should be. Pay for play. Not for how you might play, hopefully. Yes, there is risk in this, but seriously, the highest paid quarter back ever (or close to it) and he had never played a single NFL game? Yes, this is a problem. Totally.

Here are my humble suggestions:
There has to be some kind of maximum rookie contract based on the round you were picked. (years, amount and bonus included) It should be flexible to allow for rise in salaries. I included bonuses in the max, because I have seen excessive signing bonuses. I would suggest 3 year contract is reasonable.

They would need to keep the minimum rules about being out of high school for at least 3 years as incentive for college play and to allow players to mature. Maybe even include a College Graduate bonus in pay structure. This would help players be better able to move on once their NFL career ends. Especially for the ones who never make it.

So, that is my 2 cents worth.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Proof Idiots are *everywhere*

I saw this story and just HAD to comment. I would have posted my comment on twitter... alas I can't squeeze all my wit and sarcasm in to 140 characters.

From KDKA online :
Is Social Networking Spreading Misinformation?

Kenneth Pickett is 38; manages a store in Wicker Park, and gets much of his news from social networking sites.
On sites like Twitter, 140 character messages deliver the latest news and opinions in shorthand to users hanging on every word.

"When I read it and I look at the news, I already know about it because I Twittered," said Chicagoan Susan Alvarez.

Alvarez says her main source of information is Twitter and she believes what she reads on it.

If you get ALL your news from Twitter... In the words of Red Foreman: Your a dumb ass.
If that offends you and then you don't have to follow me.
I want to get Susan Alvarez to become one of my followers and then twitter that the world is flat, the British are coming, and zombies are real. Just to see if she believes me. Twitter makes me go look at the news sites like MSNBC and such. Twitter should never be considered news gospel.


Remember, pic's can be fakes, twitters can be lies. And stop being so damn STUPID.

Sports Odds n Ends

First up:
CONGRATULATIONS to the Pens for sending the Flyers home.

I am glad to see them cry on their way back to Philly... Especially after last year's playoffs when they accused us of throwing the end of the season to avoid playing them.

Also, welcome Dan Bylsma as the New (for real) Head Coach. Congrats to you as well. :-)


Second up:

Pirates? Who? What record?
They are 11-8 and still in second place, what a shocker. However, they have to play the Brewers 2 more times. If they drop those games in as horrible a fashion as the first (10-5), they will be dangerously close to .500. Honestly, I would really like to see the Pirates have a winning record, even if they miss the playoffs. We don't want to continue the Pittsburgh version of the Detroit Lions here. SRSLY.

Third up:

I am a huge Steeler Fan, but I will not discuss draft pics here. I'll leave that to the guys over at Blitzburgh Blog. Personally, until preseason starts I don't pay a lot of attention. Too much changes, injuries and roster cuts to be considered. I just don't have time blog about it.

I have a wicked cold (no it's not pig flu) so there may be a lull in posts.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Wacky World of Sports

It's the start of the NFL Draft. Evey year I shake my head at the money unproven players get in the draft.

From MSNBC (my favoritest)
Georgia QB, Lions strike deal

Stafford and the Lions agreed on a six-year contract, agent Tom Condon told The Associated Press on Friday night. Condon and Ben Dogra, who also represents Stafford, negotiated the deal with $41.7 million in guarantees and a maximum value of $78 million

Yeah, he started in GA for 3 years, but honestly guys, college football is not the NFL. If Detroit puts too much pressure on this kid, he could just crack under it. Most rookie quarterbacks suck their first year of actually playing. There are a few exception to that though. Detroit has sucked the big one the last 8 years. They are NOT known for their quarterback development.

Detroit hasn’t had a quarterback play in the Pro Bowl since Greg Landry in 1971. Long-term stability at the position has been elusive since Bobby Layne starred for them in the 1950s.
The Lions’ lack of star power at QB is a major reason why the franchise has only one playoff victory since winning the 1957 NFL title.

But the Lions can’t afford to draft another bust as they did with quarterback Joey Harrington, who they took No. 3 overall in 2002. Harrington was traded after four lackluster seasons to Miami for a fifth-round pick. The Dolphins later cut him, Atlanta added him and got rid of him and he is now a third-stringer in New Orleans.
So, their last quarterback drafted, they broke him. So, here is a new quarterback with a lot of money and pressure thrown at him. I hope for Detroit's sake, they don't break this one too.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Stupid Hall of Fame

Today I have a reason for not letting stupid people drink and a tie for Horrible Parent of the Month...
From MSNBC:
Man pretending to fall off bridge actually falls

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Police said a 23-year-old man is in stable condition after he pretended that he was falling off a bridge over the Minnesota River, then actually fell off the bridge. Police got a call just before 5 a.m. Sunday from a 21-year-old man who said his friend fell off the Highway 77 bridge and into a marshy area about 30 feet below.

The caller said he was driving north when his friend, who he said had been drinking, told him to pull into the bridge's emergency lane so he could urinate.

The 23-year-old stood eventually climbed to the ledge of the bridge, then looked at his friend and pretended to fall. "He then in fact fell," reads a press release from the Bloomington Police Department.

Police from Bloomington and Eagan responded, and the Eagan Fire Department used a chair lift to retrieve the man. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where was treated.

Natural Selection should have weeded this moron out. Personally, he should be billed for what it cost to rescue his dumb ass. Note to Self: Pretending to fall off a bridge is NEVER a good idea.
And for the Horrible Parent(s) of the month, we have a tie:

Parents accused of taking children on burglary
Prosecutors said Erika Santana, 23, drove the van with her four-year-old and five-month-old children inside after Hugo Lantigua, 22, who is the baby's father, and Pedro Camillo, 19, broke into two houses in the borough of Queens.
The story also states they had a loaded hand gun in the car with the kids. All I want to know is how do you NOT get a baby sitter? I mean come on! "Sorry, kids. We have to wait in the car while daddy steals from people. When he comes back we are gonna drive away real fast! It'll be fun!"
Note to Self: When committing crimes it is better to leave the kids at home and not have them in the getaway vehicle.
The title of Horrible Parent(s) of the month is shared with this mom:

Police: Mom ordered daughters out, drove off
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Usually, it's an empty threat: "If you kids don't stop fighting, I'm going to stop this car right now and leave you here!" But a mother from an upper-crust New York suburb went through with it, ordering her battling 10- and 12-year-old daughters out of her car in White Plains' business district and driving off, police said Tuesday.
Now what really bothers me is this:

She left them at Post Road and South Broadway, an area of shops and offices 3 miles from their home, then drove off, the police report said. The report does not say whether the girls had cell phones.

Police would not say if Primoff ever returned to look for the girls, but they said, without explaining how, that the 12-year-old eventually caught up with the mother. The 10-year-old was found by a "Good Samaritan" on the street, upset and emotional about losing her mother, police said.

OK. Hmmm... You leave them behind and just drive home. Apparently this family is so dysfunctional that the 2 girls did not stay together. So, the 12 year old ditches the 10 year old. How exactly did the 12 year old get home? What kind of parent abandons her 2 young daughters on the side of the street? In New York? Do you really blame the 10year old for being upset at this point? Ditched by her mom AND her sister... Nice.

Briccetti would not comment on details of the case. But he said, "Madlyn is a great mother connected with a great family, and she is grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and family."
Somehow, unless these are devil children... I think that whole statement is a LIE. Oh she is connected. To money. That's what that means. Let me translate, what he meant to say is this:
"If this was some poor middle class woman, CYF would have taken the kids already and it would be months before she even got a hearing. She is grateful that money can buy her way out of shit. And by the way, her kids are horrible spoiled brats because she raised them that way."

Note to self: One damn kid is enough trouble.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Why I am proud of Pittsburgh

Police: Citizens Stop East Liberty Attacker

Pittsburgh Police said several ordinary citizens stopped an attack on a woman in the city's East Liberty neighborhood.Officers said two people saw a woman being dragged by her pants behind the library at Baum Square and South Whitfield Street.
One of the witnesses called 911 while another confronted the suspect, who let the woman go and ran off. Police said that witness then chased the attacker until police arrived to arrest him.
Jermaine Angelo Pryor, the suspect in the case, is facing charges which include aggravated assault and unlawful restraint.
Now that makes me proud to know that people won't just stand around when something bad is happening. Thank you Pittsburgh :-)

What? Are you sure? Pirates what?

NL Central W/L
St. Louis 10-5
Pittsburgh 9-6
Chi. Cubs 8-5
Cincinnati 8-6
Houston 6-9
Milwaukee 5-9

That's right boys and girl. At this moment in time, Pirates are in second place

Ok, I am sure writing about it will jinx it, but i am doing it anyway. To prevent the jinx, I am still gonna make fun of them ok?

From the PG:
LaRoche's four hits bring 7-4 victory, thorough sweep of Florida

"This is fun."
Those three words from veteran reliever John Grabow, perhaps better than any summaries or statistics, illustrate why the Pirates seemed to appreciate so genuinely their 7-4 victory against Florida yesterday at PNC Park, one that brought a three-game sweep.

Really? Are you sure its "fun?" Are you allowed to have "fun" and win at the same time? Cause last time I checked losing pretty much sucked, but Pirates have been losing for like 16 years. So, I bet it is FUN to WIN more games than you LOSE.

It was not so much that the Marlins had come to Pittsburgh with an 11-1 record, best in Major League Baseball, and left town thoroughly defeated.

It was not even that the Pirates had raised their record to 9-6, their first time at three games above .500 since winning the first three of 2007, the latest in any season they have been at this level since May 3, 2002, when they were 15-12, and the best start since 10-5 that same year.


The fact is, that is such a pathetic stat to be so f&%$ing happy about. That just reminds us all of how BAD they have been for so damn long.

"We're for real, man, and we believe," Morgan said. "You know that, right? We're the truth."

Do me a big favor- You are only 3 games over .500, leave the "we're the truth" shit outta this until at least you have a REAL shot at a post season. THEN you can be all "we're the truth." Cause if you start sucking again, Jane Pitt and I are probably gonna have to kick your ass for that comment.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Hey you! Shut up!!

From my favorite news site MSNBC, Here is a story about a cranky bastard who lives next to an Elementary school:

Police ticket noisy elementary school

SAN ANTONIO - A fed-up Texas homeowner has gotten a noise citation issued against his neighbor — an elementary school.
According to a police report, Armstrong told an officer that "police, fire, ambulances and the (Air Force) training jets are not unreasonable, but the noise coming from the elementary school was."

You knew it was a school, why did you move next to it?? And if it is SO Horrible to hear kids playing... then MOVE. I am sure there are families who would love to live next to a school. This guy sounds like a cranky old man. God help you if the ball goes in his yard. You are NEVER getting it back.

And here is a story about a Judge who made someone shut up... just so we keep with the theme here:


Judge orders defendant's mouth taped shut

POCATELLO, Idaho - An eastern Idaho judge who lost patience with the disruptive
behavior of a defendant ordered court officials to tape the man's mouth shut
with duct tape during a court hearing.


During Monday's hearing, Frasure interrupted the proceedings with repeated verbal outbursts and unusual behavior and ignored several orders from McDermott to restrain himself. After another series of outbursts, McDermott told bailiffs to silence Frasure. The bailiffs then found a roll of duct tape, tore off a piece and put it over Frasure's mouth, according to the Idaho State Journal. "He's obviously not mentally competent," Frasure's lawyer Kent Reynolds told the judge.

Earlier in the hearing, Reynolds had asked the judge to order a mental competency evaluation for Frasure.



The lesson here? In Idaho, if you don't shut it, they will shut it for you. Maybe this guy should have his own Judge Show on Tv....

Friday, April 17, 2009

Life Happens

Due to things that are beyond my control, for the next few days I will probably not be posting to the blog. I will be back soon, I promise. I just need to deal with some personal things right now.

Thanks

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Lets Go Pens!!

I have been very quiet about the Pens recently. I didn't want to jinx their incredible run to 4th place an home ice for the first round. I'm very proud of our team an i will be posting some more sports related stuff tonight. Good Luck on your first game guys!!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Fashion Stupid

Now, I will be the first to admit I am not on the cutting edge of fashion. I try to stick with what looks good on ME. Skinny Jeans? Nope, I will never wear them. Then I saw this story in the PG and had to make a middle of the night post about it:

Shoulder pads are back as 'strong shoulders'


Just when I was loving Michelle Obama's sweet little J.Crew cardigans, they pull
me back in. Everywhere, it seems, there are rounded shoulders. Sharply squared
shoulders. Linebacker shoulders. Jacobs, a gifted designer who nonetheless
popularized the "grunge" look in 1992 (nobody's perfect), has been sending his
models out onto the catwalk this year in big shoulders and big hair.

Come on Fashion World... You can't do any better than Shoulder Pads?? SRSLY??

Fashion writers are scrambling to explain. Time's Kate Betts says the new,
sharply tailored jackets are about giving women confidence at a time of economic
uncertainty. Oh, and giving women a reason to go shopping again. "Now,
admittedly, this shape is not new to fashion and has been prominent before
(hello, 1980s power suit!), but the most current iteration of the trend conveys
a much more sophisticated and dramatic effect," declare Katherine Power and
Hillary Kerr, two former editors at Elle Magazine who founded WhoWhatWear.com, a Web site that interprets fashion trends.

They then go on to deconstruct the "two different types of the bold-shouldered look" -- the boxy, boyish cut at Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney and "the sharper, more compact" shapes at Balmain, Balenciaga and Givenchy.

Response from posters, however, is mostly negative:
"Shoulder pads? Looks good on celebrities and models but not on normal people. Not again ..." wrote someone posting as Ave.

I couldn't agree more.

Ok... In my non expert opinion here are 80's styles that should stay DEAD:
Shirt Dresses
Stirups

High-waisted jeans-- Nothing is more unflattering than jeans that go up to your. Who ever brought that back should be shot. I have never heard someone saying "wow those 'mom jeans' are sexy!" Why? Cause they AREN'T.

SHOULDER PADS-- In any form. They are horrendous. Hideous. Look at this pic and honestly tell me that's hot? No f*&%ing way. This isn't 1982. Linebacker shoulders on women are not normal. Not flattering.



WTF is THAT? Hideous. I am afraid it gets worse from here down.

And this chic? She looks freaky. F*&%ing freaky. Like legs with a head.



How is this flattering her? I don't see the appeal AT ALL. She is too skinny and there looks to be no definition between her non-existent torso and legs.

God help me, I'll have to choke a bitch if I even see one wearing this form of mental puke. Who the hell thought this shit up? I understand catwalk fashions are modified for the masses... but the ONLY thing that will make this dress better is to BURN it. Now.


After seeing this, I am convinced that some fashion designers are idiots. Or they are on drugs. Or both.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Text Message Anyone?

I found this amusing story. Now I know first hand what its like to get a cell bill with overages. So i know how mad you can get, but this is still funny to me.

Teen's phone meets dad's hammer after mega-bill


This was picked up by CNN, they have a video that I am dying to watch when I get home tonight. I heard it was hilarious.

Texting Teen Grounded for $4,756 bill


From the (first) story link:

CHEYENNE - In one month, a Cheyenne teenager sent 10,000 text messages and received about the same - all while her family's plan did not include texting.

That means the family's provider - Verizon - charged them for each incoming and outgoing text.

The girl's parents, Gregg and Jaylene Christoffersen, thought texting had been disabled, so one can imagine their surprise when they got the monthly phone bill and it asked for $4,756.25. "It just hit us like a rock, like you're stepping into a bus," Gregg Christoffersen said.

I bet it did.

Dena Christoffersen, 13, had apparently been sending most of these messages at school That's more than 300 texts within an eight-hour period every day for the whole month.

Needless to say, it drew attention away from what she should have been doing: paying attention in class.

"She went from As and Bs one semester to Fs in two months," Dena's dad said.

Did the teachers not NOTICE? How is that possible? especially considering her grades plunging.

Hours after the enormous bill arrived, Gregg Christoffersen took a hammer to his daughter's phone.

He and Jaylene also grounded Dena until the end of school.

Hammer Time!!!! I think its awesome that he smashed her phone. Some people called it over reacting... But I promise she will never do it again. With failing grades and a $5000 cell phone bill... I think that it demanded a equal reaction.

My only suggestion:

Considering Verizon indicated they would help out a little with the bill-instead of eating these charges, would it be better to have an alert triggered to the primary phone when a bill has crossed the $1000 mark? Its a sales opportunity to add a text plan or make sure its disabled the way the parents thought it was, in this case. That's just good customer service.

I am sure someone who works for VZW will explain to me why they don't do that already.

.

A Sad Day In Pittsburgh

I wore all black today.

I tried to avoid it. I wanted this to be generally light hearted ranting place, but this is just too upsetting and I need to put it out there, especially when I know this could have happened to my sister's boyfriend of 5 years. He partnered with Officer Sciullo when they worked together.


As more information comes out about what happened that awful Saturday morning, I am more disturbed by it all.


Gun guide goes to 911 operators in wake of shootings

"[The call-taker] didn't process the answer she received correctly," said Tom McDonough, the 911 operations manager.

It is not known what the call-taker meant when she noted "no weapons" -- whether she was referring to the dispute itself or to weapons in the house

Yes, I understand the 911 operator made a terrible error. But I really think the Mother of the asshole who killed police for no reason should also go to jail.

As it turned out, Officers Sciullo and Mayhle needed the information. Investigators said Mr. Poplawski later told them that his mother saw him strap on a bulletproof vest and gather his firearms, including the AK-47.

The two officers arrived within 10 minutes of the 911 call, and Mrs. Poplawski opened the door and let them in, the complaint said. The officers made it about 10 feet into the home, then Mrs. Poplawski said she heard gunshots.

She let them in and didn't tell them he put a bullet proof vest and had gathered his guns? If they got 10 feet into the house, where was she that she only "heard" the shots?

Mr. Poplawski described Officer Mayhle's attempts to fight back against the onslaught as "brave," police said.

Mr. Poplawski also told investigators that he fired more shots into both officers after they were down. Officer Sciullo's body was "riddled" with bullets, police said.

That last line makes my stomach turn.
And of course another article in the PG says he wants to write a book and that is why he surrendered. God help me, I hope he never gets that chance. He took fathers away from children, brother and sons from family. For no reason at all. I feel he has forfeited his own life. He doesn't deserve it.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Stupid Hall of Fame

Scanning the news today and last night, I realized I have hit the mother load for examples of Stupid. For your amusement:

Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice

HALTOM CITY, Texas – A woman called 911 to report she didn't get as much shrimp as she wanted in her fried rice at a Texas restaurant.

Haltom City police on Tuesday released the taped emergency call, in which the customer is heard telling the dispatcher, "to get a police officer up here, what has to happen?"

To answer her question: "For someone to smack you upside the head for thinking this was worth calling 911 about."

Proof that sometimes it is better to stay home or let someone else drive. You know, someone who can actually DRIVE.

Motorist survives three accidents in an hour

The 69-year-old woman from Berlin first crashed into three cars while trying to pull out of a supermarket car park on the Baltic resort island of Usedom.

Then, she accidentally stepped on the accelerator and sped across a lawn before crashing into a nearby house, police said. She was taken to hospital in an ambulance but that vehicle was then hit by a truck.

I don't think she should be allowed our of the house with car keys in the future.
People in Berlin are just weird- Here is another story from there:

Thief nabbed with 68 tubes of toothpaste

BERLIN (Reuters) - Police in northern Germany are searching for a man who tried to walk out of a supermarket with 68 tubes of toothpaste stuffed into his clothing.

"We don't know if he had bad teeth," a police spokeswoman in Rostock said Friday.

Noticing his bulging jacket, a store worker grabbed the man when he refused to stop and the tubes of toothpaste spilled all over the floor, police said.

The thief struck the woman in the face and ran out.

Let me point out that "nabbed" usually means caught. This man... not caught. He was busted stealing the weirdest thing I have ever read about, but he got away. Maybe he was addicted to the toothpaste....
Other weird thefts:
Man pleads guilty to serial shrimp shoplifting

SALEM, N.H. - A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to being a serial shrimp shoplifter at a New Hampshire supermarket, but hasn't explained why he couldn't stay away from the frozen fish.
Why? Who knows. I hope he is eating it at least... Is there a black market for stolen shrimp?

Here is how to get fired instantly (or teach your boss to NEVER hit on you):
Oops! Employee flips, damages borrowed Ferrari

BOULDER CREEK, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol said a 23-year-old woman driving an expensive Ferrari owned by her boss flipped it after taking a curve too fast, causing an estimated $125,000 in damage. CHP Officer Elizabeth Addy said the woman escaped the crash Saturday without injury, but her boss was irate.
Note to self: Speeding in the boss's sports car like your on a racetrack is probably NOT the best idea. Especially if your not a RACE CAR Driver.
Here are your Crazy Rednecks of the Month (via MSNBC):

Police: Woman starts brawl at wake; Reportedly arrives with beer can in hand, refuses to leave

A sheriff's report claimed the woman with the beer became "passively aggressive" with deputies and said that "no backwood country cop" was going to take her to jail.
Need I say more? Really how "backwood country" is it to show up with beer at a church funeral?

Boy drives 1,300 miles to Texas rodeo grounds


JETERSVILLE, Va. - A 13-year-old Virginia boy apparently loaded his family's pickup truck with food, clothes and his dog, hitched up a trailer with two horses in tow and drove nearly 1,300 miles to Texas, police said. The teen's parents found him safe Friday.

Police are unsure why the boy ran away Wednesday morning from his Jetersville-area home. He apparently was well-prepared, even bringing extra propane tanks along.

Hmmm. Note to self, don't make promises to this kid and back out unless you are prepared to hide the car keys, cash, credit cards and car... or in this case: truck.

Finally the winner of the Idiot Of the Month award:

Man decides to clean with gasoline while smoking

CHILTON, Wis. – A man faces an arson charge after telling authorities he wasn't thinking when he decided to use gasoline for cleaning up his apartment, and then tossed a lit cigarette into a pile of gas-soaked cushions and clothes. A criminal complaint filed Monday quoted a 47-year-old man as saying he knew gasoline is flammable and never should have used it.

The complaint said that when the fire began Friday, he didn't pull the fire alarm but instead shouted "fire" a couple times and walked to the Menasha police department for an ambulance to take him to the hospital where he was treated for burns.

Firefighters said the blaze extensively damaged the apartment and caused heavy smoke damage throughout the building, putting tenants of 11 other units out of their homes.

Wasn't thinking? Isn't THAT the understatement of the damn year. And once the moron set the fire he apparently STILL wasn't thinking because he didn't even call 911 or pull the alarm!!! Here is concrete proof that some people should not be allowed to use precious resources like... AIR.

Snow?! Mother F*&^er!

OK. I have held my collective breath for long enough. I am pissed and its the middle of the night and I need to bitch about this.

When I took julia up to bed tonight, there was NO SNOW. When i came down at 1230am. My street, the siwalk, the porch... cover in atleast an INCH of snow. SNOW!!?? Global warming my ASS.

When I watched the weather at 630 on channel 2, they said NOTHING about MORE SNOW.

I hate you snow. I hate you 30 degrees. I hate wearing bulky layers, scarf, gloves, funky shoes with tread so I dont kill myself. I hate you stupid weather people.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Silence

In memory of the 3 Pittsburgh Police Officers who's live were taken... this blog will not post or tomorrow. I was not online at all yesterday. Its been a very sad day in Pittsburgh where an Officer has not died in the line of duty for more than 20 years.

I figure 3 days of silence for 3 lives is not unreasonable. I will save all posts in draft until Wednesday.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Finally!!!

First... I saw the retardedness in the blog from uploading the pics from my phone directly to blogger. I fixed both and re-posted the pics below...

I guess the controversy was just enough to get them to do someting right for a change...

UPMC joins health network for military
UPMC said it is formalizing "the existing practice of treating military
personnel and their families throughout its system" who are insured through the
Tricare Network, which is administered in the north region of the country by
Health Net Federal Services LLC.

Let me translate that for you: "We got tired of the bad press and for once decided not to act like a bunch of assholes who ruined the USX tower in the name of corporate greed." (No, I am not bitter about the letters on usx at ALL)

See. Sometimes you can shame a company into doing the right thing. :-)

Love this Church

So the church hasn't been interesting enough for me to take pics. And while I really can't make a lot of fun of this... its still amusing. ( I needed to refresh my going straight to hell status)

Is it too late in the day to do what? I feel like I am missing and important part of the conversation here? Any suggestions from my wonderful group of readers??

Strange Sightings

As promised: Funny pics.

I took this about 3 weeks ago. I was out on 51 south heading home near the Rt 88 junction, and this idiot cut me off. Once he and his 8 friends shoved in this car got in front of me, they began coasting with the passenger partially open. I have no clue why. It was very weird and i think that they saw me take their picture cause a few moments later they stopped doing this.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Common Sense Prevails Sometimes.

I have some updates on the 'Kids taking pic of themselves issue'

Judge Temporarily Bars Prosecutor from Charging Teens for Child Porn Pics


The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania sued the district attorney on behalf of the teens and their parents on grounds that the DA was violating their civil rights. The plaintiffs said the images didn't qualify as child pornography under Pennsylvania's laws and therefore the prosecutor was prohibiting their free expression to take photos of themselves. They also claimed the attempt to force the parents to put the girls in an educational program violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights.

U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley granted the temporary restraining order on grounds that the plaintiffs stand a reasonable chance of winning their suit against the prosecutor. The judge didn't comment on the merits of their claims against the prosecutor other than to say that the "plaintiffs make a reasonable argument that the images presented to the court do not appear to qualify in any way as depictions of prohibited sexual acts."

I know some kids elsewhere in PA who *are* REALLY mad now that they didn't call the ACLU.

"We are grateful the judge recognized that prosecuting our clients for non-sexually explicit photographs raises serious constitutional questions," said Witold Walczack, legal director for the ACLU of Pennsylvania, in a statement. "This country needs to have a discussion about whether prosecuting minors as child pornographers for merely being impulsive and naive is the appropriate way to address the serious consequences that can result from sexting.”
I totally agree. Over reaction central.
On that note here is a story about a 60 year old School Principal who was trying to do his job and the DA went nuts on him and almost ruined his life. Its a rather long story. so here are some quotes if you don't want to read it.

'Sexting' Hysteria Falsely Brands Educator as Child Pornographer

Oei's problems began in March of last year, when his investigation of sexting rumors at Freedom High led him to a 16-year-old boy. Oei and the school's safety and security specialist met with the student to ask if he knew anything about the photos.

"He says, 'Oh yeah, I've got one on my cell phone,'" Oei recalls.

The image depicted the torso of a teen girl -- later determined to be a 17-year old student -- wearing only underwear, her arms mostly covering her breasts. The boy claimed he didn't know who sent him the photo or who the girl was.

OK... This seems reasonable enough. He tried. REMEMBER the description of the picture.

Oei says he showed the image to his boss, Principal Christine Forester , who told him to preserve a copy on his office computer for the investigation. A computer neophyte, Oei didn't know how to transfer the image from the boy's cell phone, so the teen sent the picture to Oei's phone, and told him how to forward it to his work e-mail address. When the process was complete, Oei instructed the student to delete the image from his phone.

Oei and the school security specialist interviewed more students, but were unable to find additional pictures or identify the girl in the photo. Oei concluded she probably wasn't a student at the school. Relieved, he says he reported his findings to the principal, thinking the matter was done.

Poor guy didn't know about the railroad that was about to hit him.

Two weeks later, the boy caught with the photo was in trouble again -- he'd pulled down the pants of a girl in class. The school suspended the student for 10 days. But when the boy's mother learned from Oei about the earlier photo incident, she was outraged that Oei hadn't reported the picture to her. She called his house at 7:00 a.m., screaming at him that the suspension had to be revoked.

When Oei refused, the woman went to the police about the photo. Sheriff's investigators came to the school, ostensibly to investigate the sexting issue. They helped the technologically-challenged Oei recover the photo from his cell phone and later determined the girl in the photo was a student at the school.

A month later, the first charges were filed against Oei: failure to report suspicion of child abuse, a misdemeanor. The charge alleged that Oei had a legal duty to report the girl's photo to the 16-year-old boy's parents, and to state agencies or law enforcement.

"First of all, nobody thought this was reportable," Oei says. "Who would have thought this was suspected child abuse?"

The prosecution looked like an error right out of the gate. The photo didn't show sexual activity or genitalia, and even the sheriff's office conceded it was "inappropriate" but not "criminal" -- making it unclear what the "child abuse" was supposed to be. In any event, as a matter of law, Oei was only required to report suspected abuse to his principal, which he'd done. It was then Forester's job to report it to authorities if needed. Oei said Forester didn't step in to defend him to authorities. (Forester didn't return phone calls for this story)

That is terrible that his own boss threw him to the wolves like that.

But rather than drop the misapplied charge, Loudoun County prosecutor James Plowman upped the ante. The prosecutor gave Oei an ultimatum: resign, or see his misdemeanor charge bumped up to a felony. "We just feel very strongly that this is not someone who should be in the Loudoun County school system," Plowman's assistant explained to reporters. Oei refused, and on August 11, a grand jury indicted him for possession of child porn, a crime that carries a possible sentence of five years. The misdemeanor charge was dropped.
He should have never been charged and SHAME on the grand jury for going along with this.

He lost 15 pounds, and couldn't sleep. His wife, already struggling with a serious health issue, became paranoid.Warned that their house could be searched, Curling went through the family photos to see if there were any baby pictures of their now-grown children in a state of undress. "Heaven forbid that a parent might think it was cute for a baby to play in a bubble bath and there might be an inappropriate part showing," she says. "Luckily all of our rubber-ducky baby photos had the children covered in bath bubbles or something."
Now that is a damn shame. I have lots of pics of Julia... Playing in the bath, running around the house from me naked, Do i have to do this to?
Four months later, Plowman charged Oei with two more misdemeanor counts for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, claiming Oei broke the law when he had the 16-year-old boy send the photo to his cell phone and advise him on how to then forward it to his desktop computer. Each count added another year to his possible prison term. "The December charges really felt like piling on," Oei says.

Now that is some rude bullshit right there. And finally some help from a sensible Judge.

Then last month, Oei's defense attorney, Steven Stone, filed a motion to dismiss the charges on the grounds that the photo didn't constitute child pornography. In a ruling on Tuesday, Loudoun Circuit Court Judge Thomas Horne agreed. Citing a long history of state appeals court decisions, Horne noted that nudity alone is not enough to qualify an image as child pornography. The image must be "sexually explicit" and "lewd."

"As a matter of law, the photograph does not meet the requirements established by our appellate courts and the felony charge will be dismissed," the judge wrote. "[T]he two misdemeanor counts will be dismissed as well."

Finally, and the DA can't admit he made a mistake.

Plowman insists he never intended to seek prison time for Oei. He would have been satisfied with a fine, probation and Oei's resignation. The case would never have gone this far, he says, if Oei had resigned when asked.

"I thought that was a just and appropriate sanction for his behavior," he says. "But he was unwilling to be responsible for any kind of accountability for what he did."

HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
People are freaking crazy. I am glad the Judge stopped the madness.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Epic Fail as a Parents *updated*

I'll keep this short because it angers me so much that I could spend hours on it.

Greensburg Mom Accused Of Burning Baby While Smoking


Greensburg police said (Mandy) Fink was smoking and feeding her 4-month-old daughter on March 9 when the infant suffered second-degree burns on her chin and upper chest. Police reports say the child wasn't taken for medical attention until the parents took the infant to Fink's in-laws a week later, the Trib reported.
Police said Fink told them she was holding her child in her left arm and a bottle in her right hand, when she lit a cigarette at her desk. The Trib reported Fink told police the burning tip of the cigarette fell off and landed on the baby.

Fink is currently free on $20,000 unsecured bond.


How could you? 4 month old suffering that kind of pain? How could you? You are a bad bad mother. I hope they take that child away.

For all my bitching, ranting, stubbornness, cursing, take no shit attitude... I cry when it comes to disciplining Julia. I would throw myself in front of a bus for her because I love her so much. If she is hurt I am all over it to make her feel better. If someone else hurts her I am all over them in a breath. Even in full blown postpartum depression, I never once neglected her in anyway. The time at 11 months old she slipped of the bed while playing with the light switch and gave herself a black eye cause I wasn't fast enough? I still beat myself up about it and she is 2 now. I have snatched her from the brink of injury many times since, because she has no fear.

That tiny baby has 2nd degree Burns? I hope that someone gives you 2nd degree burns on you like you did to her. I hope they make it extra slow and painful. I can't imagine the cry of pain from a 4 month old baby. I feel like getting sick at the thought. How did you not get her to a doctor?! How did you let the poor defenseless baby suffer for a week!? How did your in-laws not strangle you. For that matter Where the FUCK was the father? You, a pathetic loser who didn't step up for the baby you fathered. You deserve to be in jail too.

In my book, that makes you both monsters. People who abuse and hurt children are monsters and don't deserve the life they have, the air they breath or the space they take up on this planet.

If anyone has a problem with that, you can stop reading my blog because I won't change my mind.

P.S. 2 stories in one day? Are these people trying to make me flip out? This mother tried to get her boyfriend to rape her daughter??? Oh my head is going to explode.

Police say mom drugged (13 yr old daughter) to let man impregnate her

Det. Donald Gmitter says the woman and her boyfriend attempted to impregnate the girl on three occasions. Det. Gmitter says the girl prevented the rapes. The girl's paternal grandmother reported the incidents to police.

Have these people never heard of adoption? Neither of them saw a PROBLEM in doing this??? Are you fucking kidding me? Thank god someone called the police.



Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Ode to Idiots who fall for these hoaxes

In keeping with the April Fools theme here:
I hate stupid people. We all know that based on how I make fun of their stupidness.(yes I invented that word. I am allowed, its my blog.) Here are some stories and links to help you be less of a stupid person. Cause I hate getting these bogus warnings about gang violence at Wal-Mart stores in my email and on my damn phone.

MSNBC:
The joke's on you: Beware of Internet hoaxes

Read it. Or I'll send a pigeon after you by telling them you are a giant loaf of stale bread.

If you have a question about a "warning" you got in and email or text, for goodness sake... CHECK IT first. You can do that here:

www.Snopes.com
and here:
www.truthorfiction.com
and here:
urbanlegends.about.com

Advice from the MSNBC article:

These sites are simple to use and you can find out if the message is true or false in just seconds. Most have in-depth articles that explain the background of the myth. Please do this as a courtesy to everyone in your address book. If it’s not true you don’t want to forward it. (And look stupid- my words) Note: Some of these hoax e-mails now say the sender verified the information with Snopes. Don’t believe it. Check yourself. Trust no one. Verify.

P.S. As God as my witness, if I get ONE more "inspirational" email that ends with something along the line of : "send this to 1200 of your friends or your going to hell, you Satan worshiping bastard!" I am going to find that person and break a commandment. Damnit.

April Fools Joke on me.

April Fools started last night. About midnight when I needed to sit down at the pc to do my bills.

For those of you who don't know- I am barely over 5 foot tall. (which I am not happy about learning. I had deluded myself into thinking I was at least 5ft 2 until they measured me at the OB after I had Julia. Bitches.)

I have a big corner desk in my bedroom. I need the chair at the computer desk to be all the way up or its uncomfortable. Ok. I am at eye f*&%ing level with the keyboard when the chair is in its lowest position. Typing while trying not to knuckle myself in the face? Yeah, that makes for a very unhappy Angie.
So I sit down. And the chair... it drops with annoyingly jerk of a motion (and sound) 2 inches. It doesn't matter what I do when I raise it. And believe me, there has been some laughing done at my expense as my antics with this f*&%ing chair are observed. (it's not all the time)It sinks, and sinks and sinks, consistently dropping to the lowest position no mater what I do. Its over 10 years old and gets used pretty much every single day, I imagine the hydraulics are shot. Last night, I ended up with a dining room chair at the desk after blurting more profanities that a sailor.
By the time I did the bills, checked my email, chatted with a friend online. My ass HURT cause that chair is not *that* comfortable to sit in. I put the chair back in the dining room and went to bed. Where I proceeded to lay awake until after 3am. (thank you insomnia, you whore).

April Fools day continued at 600 am when Julia came down from her room crying and I placed her on the sofa with a pillow in her usual spot (don't ask) I decided to wait before getting in the shower so that she could fall back to sleep. My bitch ass cat ruined that when he scaled the entertainment center, knock pictures over so that he could look out THAT window. Instead of the other 4 he has access to. When I went flying into the living room to see what happened, Julia looked at me from the sofa and said "Mommy kitcat on window." And I *knew* where that furry bastard was at. Once I took care of that shit, it was shower time and Julia did not go back to bed until I left for work.

I have made it to lunch with out any further incidents. But the day is young and I have barely had 3 hours of sleep. We will see what happens.

As a reward for reading this: I promise to post some pics, love this church is returning (finally), and I have a strange sighting from a couple weeks ago.