Weird News

Zaaphod · Postby **Zaaphod** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 2:03 am

Whoa. You know it's a rough mall if the Easter Bunny gets slapped around.

GhostWay · Postby **GhostWay** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 3:13 am

Now, had he watched Monty Python, he would know to run away from a seemingly harmless bunny. Run awaaaaaaayy!

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:34 am

The great Memphis chicken riot . . .  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Mar 28, 4:29 PM EST Rowdy Crowd Ends Free Easter Dinner MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A free Easter dinner for poor ended abruptly when a crowd gathered for the meal got rowdy. "People were pushing in and yelling," said organizer Wendy Carter. "One woman was really out of control, and we called police." The police advised Carter and her fellow volunteers to shut down the affair at Gus's World Famous Chicken in downtown Memphis. About 300 people had been served chicken dinner but scores more were waiting outside when police were called. The dinner was arranged by the restaurant's owners and other volunteers who wanted to do something special for the less fortunate on Easter. The affair was scheduled to run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. It ended about 2 p.m. "We hate it that we weren't able to serve everyone ... but you have to think of safety first," Carter said. Bruce Warr was in line when the feeding ended. "They should have been able to accommodate those who were waiting," Warr said. "I've been standing in the rain, waiting patiently." --- Information from: The Commercial Appeal, <a href='http://www.commercialappeal.com' target='_blank'>http://www.commercialappeal.com</a> 2005 The Associated Press</td></tr></table>

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:27 pm

The Bible is an "improper outside influence." Oh, this is not going to go well . . .  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> March 29, 2005 Colorado Court Bars Execution Because Jurors Consulted Bible By KIRK JOHNSON DENVER, March 28 - In a sharply divided ruling, Colorado's highest court on Monday upheld a lower court's decision throwing out the sentence of a man who was given the death penalty after jurors consulted the Bible in reaching a verdict. The Bible, the court said, constituted an improper outside influence and a reliance on what the court called a "higher authority." "The judicial system works very hard to emphasize the rarified, solemn and sequestered nature of jury deliberations," the majority said in a 3-to-2 decision by a panel of the Colorado Supreme Court. "Jurors must deliberate in that atmosphere without the aid or distraction of extraneous texts." The ruling involved the conviction of Robert Harlan, who was found guilty in 1995 of raping and murdering a cocktail waitress near Denver. After Mr. Harlan's conviction, the judge in the case - as Colorado law requires - sent the jury off to deliberate about the death penalty with an instruction to think beyond the narrow confines of the law. Each juror, the judge told the panel, must make an "individual moral assessment," in deciding whether Mr. Harlan should live. The jurors voted unanimously for death. The State Supreme Court's decision changes that sentence to life in prison without parole. In the decision on Monday, the dissenting judges said the majority had confused the internal codes of right and wrong that juries are expected to possess in such weighty moral matters with the outside influences that are always to be avoided, like newspaper articles or television programs about the case. The jurors consulted Bibles, the minority said, not to look for facts or alternative legal interpretations, but for wisdom. "The biblical passages the jurors discussed constituted either a part of the jurors' moral and religious precepts or their general knowledge, and thus were relevant to their court-sanctioned moral assessment," the minority wrote. Legal experts said that Colorado was unusual in its language requiring jurors in capital felony cases to explicitly consult a moral compass. Most states that have restored the death penalty weave in a discussion of moral factors, lawyers said, along with the burden that jurors must decide whether aggravating factors outweigh mitigating factors in voting on execution. "In Colorado it's a more distinct instruction," said Bob Grant, who was the prosecutor in the Harlan case. Mr. Grant said no decision had been made yet on whether to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. Legal scholars say the connection between hard legal logic and the softer, deeper world of values is always present in jury rooms, whether acknowledged or not. "The court says we're asking you to be moral men and women, to make a moral judgment of the right thing to do," said Thane Rosenbaum, a professor of law at Fordham University School of Law in New York City, and author of the book "The Myth of Moral Justice: Why Our Legal System Fails to Do What's Right" (HarperCollins, 2004). "But then we say the juror cheated because he brought in a book that forms the basis of his moral universe," Professor Rosenbaum said. "The thing is, he would have done it anyway, in his head." Other legal experts say the Colorado decision touches on an issue that courts do not like to talk about: that jurors, under traditions dating to the days of English common law, can consider higher authority all they want, and can convict or acquit using whatever internal thoughts and discussions they consider appropriate. In this instance, lawyers said, there was simply a clearer trail of evidence, with admissions by the jurors during Mr. Harlan's appeal that Bibles had been used in their discussion. One juror testified she studied Romans and Leviticus, including Leviticus 24, which includes the famous articulation of Old Testament justice: "eye for eye, tooth for tooth." Professor Howard J. Vogel, who teaches ethics at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul and has a master's degree in theology as well as a law degree, said, "I don't think it's a religious text that's the problem here, but rather whether something is being used that trumps the law of the state." The Bible is hardly monolithic about what constitutes justice. Some legal experts say the jurors might just as easily have found guidance that led them to vote to spare Mr. Harlan's life. Lawyers for Mr. Harlan also specifically urged the jurors to consider biblical wisdom, according to the Supreme Court's decision, with a request that they find mercy in their hearts "as God ultimately took mercy on Abraham." The lawyers also made several references to Mr. Harlan's soul and his habit of reading the Bible with his father, the court said. Kathleen Lord, a lawyer for Mr. Harlan, did not return repeated calls. Mr. Harlan was convicted of kidnapping a waitress, Rhonda Maloney, and raping her. She escaped and flagged down a motorist, Jaquie Creazzo. Mr. Harlan caught up with the two women, shot Ms. Creazzo, leaving her paralyzed, then beat and killed Ms. Maloney. Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company</td></tr></table>

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:25 pm

Death falls on hard times, steals from . . . well . . .  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Mar 30, 6:28 PM EST Death Charged in Theft From Cemetery By FRANK ELTMAN Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- His name is Death, and prosecutors say he stole from a cemetery. Donald Death Jr., 60, of Locust Valley, was arraigned Wednesday on charges he stole nearly $300,000 from the Locust Valley Cemetery Association on Long Island. Death, who is the chairman and assistant treasurer of the cemetery association, pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree grand larceny and one count of third-degree grand larceny for allegedly using cemetery funds for his own purposes, a spokeswoman for Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon said in a statement. Death was released on his own recognizance and was ordered back to court April 6. If convicted he would face up to 15 years in prison. The charges follow an audit of the cemetery association that took place last summer. The audit found that Death wrote checks totaling $170,000 from the cemetery association's account to Harbor Fuel Co. Inc., at which Death served as president, CEO and 54 percent shareholder, Dillon said. The audit also found that Death used an association employee to provide landscaping and other work on properties he and his father owned and added a family member to the association's health and dental insurance plans, prosecutors said. The total amount of money diverted by Death was estimated at more than $293,000, Dillon said. Death's attorney, Melvin Roth, said the entire amount has been repaid to the association. He said he was "disappointed the district attorney filed criminal charges, especially because everyone concerned has been made whole from this unfortunate incident." He called Death an "upstanding member of the community who has served on many boards and charities" and attributed the incident to "business pressures Mr. Death was experiencing." "We anticipate a favorable conclusion," he said. 2005 The Associated Press</td></tr></table>

Gizensha · Postby **Gizensha** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 6:09 pm

....I can't comment on the actual news article simply because of the very concept of someone called Death getting a job at a cemetary is somewhat causing my mind to melt.

Muninn · Postby **Muninn** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:07 pm

That's just fantastic, because the guy is called Death. It's just inspiring so many jokes.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 1:15 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Mar 31, 11:14 PM EST Sleeping Man Keeps Cops at Bay for Hours GANG MILLS, N.Y. (AP) -- A police standoff that lasted 11 hours because the suspect said he was sleeping ended peacefully Thursday. Billy Abbey, 31, surrendered at 11:30 a.m. after Steuben County sheriff's deputies broke his second-floor bedroom window, waking him and his son. Authorities responded after reports that Abbey had disputes with his neighbor and girlfriend around midnight, state police Sgt. David Jiusto said. Abbey locked himself in a bedroom where his 8-year-old son was sleeping. Concerned that Abbey might harm the child, police called his telephone and used a bull horn to communicate with him. They received no response. Officers in riot gear surrounded the house and locked down a nearby elementary school. "He wasn't even aware we were out here," Jiusto said. The boy was unharmed and turned over to family members. Abbey was charged with second-degree harassment and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Gang Mills is 79 miles southwest of Syracuse. --- Information from: The Leader, <a href='http://www.the-leader.com' target='_blank'>http://www.the-leader.com</a> 2005 The Associated Press.</td></tr></table>

Zaaphod · Postby **Zaaphod** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 12:53 am

This had to go here, it's so ridiculous.  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Boy Band Singer Runs for Cincinnati Mayor Mon Apr 4, 3:32 PM ET CINCINNATI - Justin Jeffre, a former member of 98 Degrees, wants to be Cincinnati's next mayor, saying his love for his hometown and desire to make it better motivated his decision to run. "I am serious about this, and I intend to win," Jeffre, 32, said last week. Jeffre said he wants to bring people from all over the city together through Cincinnati's arts and entertainment venues and build a strong downtown. "We need to sell this city back to the people of this city," he said. "We've forgotten how great this city can be." He also wants VH1 to follow his campaign for a reality series. VH1 officials have said no decision has been made on his proposal. Jeffre doesn't have a political affiliation and plans to run as an independent, his spokeswoman, Andrea Leslie, said. Mayor Charlie Luken, the incumbent Democrat, has said he won't seek re-election. Mayoral candidates officially run as nonpartisans. They face off in a primary on Sept. 13, with the top two vote-getters competing in the Nov. 8 election. The filing deadline for the primary is June 30.</td></tr></table>  If this putz is truly honest about taking this seriously (which I doubt), why does he want a reality series made out of it?

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 12:36 pm

Because he also takes reality series seriously?

Richard K Niner · Postby **Richard K Niner** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:44 pm

<a href='http://www.nfb.ca/campaign/' target='_blank'>Somebody beat him to it</a>

Henohenomoheji · Postby **Henohenomoheji** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:06 pm

huh. My guess was behind the scenes blackmail. ...But I guess that would be giving a person too much credit.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 11:54 pm

Bologna on the highway!!  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Apr 5, 5:10 PM EDT Crash Spills Lunch Meat, Closes Interstate SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- Talk about fried baloney. A truck hauling lunch meat hit a barricade and careened out of control Tuesday on a Syracuse highway, causing its trailer to catch fire. The 2 a.m crash closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 690 for several hours, spilled several gallons of diesel fuel and left meat strewn across the road. Police told WIXT television in Syracuse the driver was unfamiliar with the highway and using cruise control when he came to a curve and lost control. Jeffrey Nock Jr. of Manheim, Pa., who was driving the rig, was treated and released at a nearby hospital. No tickets were issued. 2005 The Associated Press.</td></tr></table>

Henohenomoheji · Postby **Henohenomoheji** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:56 am

M-M-M-M-My Bolonga! *dun, dun, dun dun!* Oooh my little hungry one! Hungry one! Open up a package of my Bolonga! Ooh, I think the toast is done! toast is done! better spread a little of *recordscratch* ...what?

Joe3210 · Postby **Joe3210** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 6:34 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (VisibilityMissing @ Mar 27 2005, 12:05 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'>  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Mar 26, 12:59 PM EST Easter Bunny Gets Pummeled by Boy at Mall BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) -- The Easter Bunny is hopping mad. Bryan Johnson, who portrays the furry character at the Bay City Mall, says he was pummeled in an unprovoked attack on the job. Police say the attacker was a 12-year-old boy who sat on Johnson's lap the day before the March 18 incident. Johnson, 18, suffered a bloody nose. He kept his cool during the attack, deeming it inappropriate for the Easter Bunny to fight back. But he's not willing to forgive and forget. "They (the sheriff's deputies) told me it was up to me, and I feel that the boy should be prosecuted," Johnson told The Bay City Times. Johnson told Bay County Sheriff's deputies that the boy hit him in the face at least six times before running away. Bay County Sheriff John E. Miller said the youth has been in trouble in the past. The case will be forwarded to the Bay County prosecutor's office next week for action, he said. Johnson, meanwhile, is back on the job at the mall, where he had been working as the Easter Bunny for about a week before the attack. "I just like getting the kids to laugh and have fun," he said. His job is to get his picture taken with children and make them laugh. That can be difficult because he is not allowed to speak while in costume. Johnson said his 12-year-old attacker seemed perfectly happy the day before the incident. "Yeah, he came up and said, 'Hi,' and was sitting on my lap and talking," Johnson said. "He seemed OK." But when he saw Johnson the next day, the boy didn't want to talk. "He just started hitting," Johnson said. --- Information from: The Bay City Times, <a href='http://www.bc-times.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.bc-times.com/</a> 2005 The Associated Press.</td></tr></table>   </td></tr></table>  Blasted furries! <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' />

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