Pennsylvania family has unwelcome Christmas guest

Talk about a creepy visitor on Christmas — and I’m not referring to Santa Claus….

A Plains Township, Penn., family didn’t know they had a squatter in their attic until local police and their K-9 officer located a man in their home.  Stanley Carter, 21, was charged with criminal trespass, several counts of burglary, theft, and receiving stolen property.

Carter had reportedly been staying with friends in the shared duplex when they asked him to leave.  The friends then filed a missing persons report a few days before Christmas after he went missing December 19th.  He accessed the shared attic space through a trap door.

Stacy Ferrance, owner of the home, said that Carter came out of his hiding space wearing her daughter’s pants and her sweatshirt and shoes.  Ferrance notified the police when a laptop, iPod, and cash were found missing on Christmas Day.  She called again the next day after finding footprints in her closet — the location of the other trap door leading to the attic.

Carter kept a list of everything he had pilfered from Ferrance’s home and even labeled it “Stanley’s Christmas List” in order to log all the items he “donated” to himself.  Police found the list as they were going through the inventory of what he took.

Ferrance said she had heard noises but thought they were caused by her children.  “From what I gather, he was helping himself to my home, eating my food, and stealing my clothes,” she said.

Port St. Lucie makes crime news again with flushed gun

What is up with Port St. Lucie, Florida??  I’ve already blogged on two sandwich assaults from there.  Now, a criminal has been arrested after the detective interviewing him wasn’t able to get a toilet to flush.

No….it wasn’t the detective’s fault that the commode wasn’t operating properly.  He was investigating the theft of a handgun, cash and jewelry from a Jensen Beach, Fla., home.  The 21-year-old suspect was staying in a Port St. Lucie hotel where the detective met with him.

Obviously forgetting where he hid some of his stash, the suspect allowed the detective to use the restroom.  When the toilet wouldn’t flush, he removed the cover from the tank and found the stolen handgun and three loaded magazines.   The suspect was charged December 22 with grand theft and grand theft of a firearm.

So, again, I ask what is it with Port St. Lucie?  Is it really a haven for stupid criminals?  Or, is it simply the unlucky victim of the press that seems to be able to highlight the inane acts of its citizens and passers-through?  Whatever the situation, I daresay that the city’s Convention and Visitors’ Bureau will probably have an uphill climb if things don’t change.

Ron Jeremy and pepper spray? TMZ got the story wrong, he says.

This past week, gossip site TMZ reported that porn granddaddy Ron Jeremy casually ate his dinner at Mel’s Diner on the Sunset Strip after a paparazzo attempted to snap pictures and then pepper sprayed a companion of Ron’s who objected to the photos.

In TMZ’s report, photographer Nasim Saleh began taking the pictures when a friend stood up to stop him and the spraying ensued.  Saleh stated he was only acting in self-defense and was arrested for criminal use of tear gas.  TMZ further reported that Saleh had told authorities that he was a photographer for TMZ, which they denied.

However, Jeremy has stated that TMZ got the facts of the story wrong.  He states that he and Dennis Hof, owner of the Moonlight Bunny Ranch, were inside eating and didn’t even know what was happening outside.  Jeremy said in an interview with Adult Video News:

“[Saleh] sent someone into the diner to ask if we’d do interviews and we said, ‘No problem!  We’d be glad to when we get out.  So someone was rude to the guy and said, ‘Get lost, they don’t want to bother with you.’  We never said that.  Someone just thought that we didn’t want to get bothered.  This is not Lindsey Lohan or Britney Spears.  We like attention.”

Jeremy also stated that Saleh may have been acting in self-defense as witnesses claim that someone attempting to shoo him from the premises did so while threatening him with a knife.

The biggest laughs, however, came from Jeremy when he read the “punchline” of TMZ’s story, “….we’re told during the incident, Ron Jeremy just kept eating.”

Jeremy, however, gloated over the gaff and even found it humorous that Hof didn’t even rate a mention in the article:

“Six seasons of HBO’s ‘Cathouse’ and they didn’t even put Dennis Hof’s name in there — he didn’t even exist.  It was Ron Jeremy and a pastrami sandwich, not Dennis and his bowl of soup.  So I want to rub that in his face every chance I get.  It bothered him; he didn’t act like it did, but it did.”

Don’t worry Hof….the world knows now….

Adolf Hitler has birthday cake issues

Maybe you’ve heard this story already, but it does lead to a controversial argument.  In Pennsylvania, 3-year-old Aldof Hitler Campbell was refused a personalized birthday cake by a grocery store because of his name.

Adolf’s father, Heath Campbell, said:

I think people need to take their heads out of the cloud they’ve been in and start focusing on the future and not on the past.  There’s a new president and he says it’s time for a change; well, then it’s time for a change.  They need to accept a name.  A name’s a name.  The kid isn’t going to grow up and do what (Hitler) did.

A very admirable statement.  And, with any hope, he won’t.

On the other side of the coin, there’s the statement from the store:

We reserve the right not to print anything on the cake that we deem to be inappropriate.  We considered this inappropriate.

Karen Meleta, the spokeswoman for the Greenwich, PA,  ShopRite, continued to defend the supermarket as she said the Campbells had similar requests denied at the same store the last two years and added that Campbell previously had asked for a swastika to be included in the decoration.

The cake requested was finally created at a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania.  Wal-Mart has stated they plan to review their policies regarding cake decorations and other requests in light of the publicity of the decoration.

The family, who lives in Hunterdon County, NJ, held the birthday party and reported that 12 others including children of mixed races were invited and attended.

The Campbells’ other children have unique names as well:  JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell, 1, and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell, who will be 1 in April.

Campbell states that he chose the name for his son because it was unique and most other children wouldn’t have it.  He also states that he was not raised to avoid persons of other races but to not mix with them socially or romantically and plans to raise his son differently.

He made the statement while showing off the boots he states were worn by a German soldier in WWII and touted his German ancestry.

So is it an innocent child who is being discriminated against because his parents foolishly didn’t consider what problems his name would cause?  Or is this a case of white supremacists trying to live vicariously through the publicity they believe their childrens’ names will bring them to further their “cause” for separation?

I have friends who participate in WWII re-enacting.  Some do German, and even though they occasionally have parties they would never consider requesting a cake with a swastika on it, even if it were for an “official” event.  Why?  Because they’re not Nazis and don’t believe in the policies and politics of that era, even though they re-enact history either for fun or to “honor veterans” as some put it.

So why would parents want a cake with a swastika on it?  If it were actually being used as the Hindu, Buddhist, or Jainism symbols, I could see that.  Even German-Jewish WWI aviator Fritz Beckhardt wore one as a good luck charm.  It wasn’t until the Nazi Party used it to denote their Aryan supremacy that it became a reviled symbol.

And even if this cake wasn’t to have a swastika on it, is the store right in it’s decision to deny Adolf a cake with his name on it?  Just because someone has an unpopular name, does that mean corporations have the right to discriminate?  If the Campbells arrived and asked for just “Happy Birthday Adolf,” would they have been denied?

This is an argument that will go on for quite some time in chat rooms and blogs.  I don’t have an answer for it.  It is an argument between freedom to name your child as you wish to corporate policy protecting customers from offensive material.  Who makes the decision, though?  Where is the line drawn?

Rubber breasts missing at sea

It was reported earlier this week that 130,000 inflatable rubber breasts have washed out to sea in Australia.  They were to be distributed with the January issues of Ralph, a men’s magazine.

The cargo is estimated to be worth about $200,000(AU).  The parent company of the publisher is already $4.3(AU) in debt.  This tragedy no doubt doesn’t help keep their business afloat.  A spokeswoman stated that the boxes left Beijing two weeks ago but turned up empty in Sydney upon arrival.

The publishers have put out an all-points bulletin on the breasts and reports that if they’re not found within the next two weeks it will be too late for the scheduled issue.  The magazine’s editor has asked if anyone finds them washed up on shore to please let them know.

Assault with a not-so-deadly cheesburger

A Vero Beach, Florida, man is accused of assaulting his girlfriend with a McDonald’s cheeseburger.

Vincent Gonzalez has been charged with battery domestic violence and was still behind bars this past Wednesday.  His bail was set at $1,000.

Gonzalez is accused of forcing the cheeseburger in question into the face if his girlfriend after they had argued in a car and he would not let her leave.  The girlfriend became angry and threw Gonzalez’s soda out of the window, igniting the….um….brawl?  Gonzalez reportedly grabbed her arm before forcefully introducing the sandwich into her face.  Both parties then exited the vehicle where Gonzales again….attacked?….his girlfriend with the McMeat product….

I’m sorry, readers.  I can’t help laughing at this.  Don’t get me wrong — I certainly do not condone or advocate violence against women.  I don’t advocate violence against anyone.  But I’ll bet the police were having just as much trouble not giggling through the arrest report when trying to identify the weapon used.  To what is this world coming?

XXX Files – Porn at work on the rise

Sure, many would kill to be able to look at porn while at work.  Even more would love to be making porn at or for work.  But now more and more employees are indulging their porn fantasies at their 9-to-5 jobs.

M.J. McMahon, publisher of AVN Online Magazine, recently reported that the Nielsen Online ratings (yes…the same company that rates the TV programs) show that roughly one quarter of employees view porn at their workplace during working hours.  That’s up 23% — which shows that they’ve been tracking this for a long time!

Steve Hirsch, CEO of Vivid Entertainment Group, attributes the upswing to the failing economy.  “People are looking for an escape,” he said.  And that’s most likely true.  But we also live in a point-and-click world and many who are now entering the workforce are used to having whatever they want, whenever they want it, right at their fingertips.  Many have no inhibitions about clicking on a porn site and then hitting the Alt+Tab buttons as they see the boss approaching to hide what they’re doing.

In a recent Newsweek article, Dawn Adams, CEO of HResults, said:

Managers are dealing with so many issues right now that sometimes people are able to hide out and no one knows what they’re doing.

And with the increase in free porn sites, it’s easier for many to access.  Viewers aren’t afraid of logging in and out of them quickly and there’s no credit card bill to argue with the spouse over.  And the stigma over porn in general isn’t as scandalous as it once was.  After video tapes brought porn into most homes and out of the seedy movie theaters, the idea of casually watching two (or more!) people engaging in a wide variety of sexual acts became common.

Do I disagree with porn in the workplace?  Only if it’s not your job to be viewing it while working.  There is a fine line to be drawn between personal choice and freedom and the responsibility of employees to do what they’re paid to do.  It also could bring about a sexual harassment issue if someone looks over your shoulder and sees something he or she doesn’t like.  Also, some adult content sites harbor viruses, adware, and spyware.  These cause computer systems to crash and can lead your employer’s IT department right back to the source.

In Washington, DC, nine city employees were fired for viewing porn sites thousands of times over the Internet while on the job.  Reportedly, one was a Child and Family Services employee and another reportedly logged hits every 2.5 minutes.

The argument over lost productivity versus freedom to surf during an unpaid break will go on forever.  The best rule of thumb is if it’s not your personal computer or you’re getting paid to do something other than look at porn, it’s best not to do it.  That five minute (or five hour, in some cases!) peep at a bit of forbidden goodness could cost you not only your job but financial responsibility should your employer charge you the extra cost of cleaning their computer systems.  It also could cost you dearly if someone files sexual harassment charges.  And unless you have an open relationship where both parties agree on the use of porn, it could cost you even more with your significant other.

Don’t always assume that your boss doesn’t know what you’re doing.  Enjoy porn!  Just be sure to enjoy it responsibly.

New meaning to “God in the driver’s seat”

In San Antonio, TX, a man said God told him to ram his truck into another vehicle at 100 mph.

I know people usually invoke the name of some deity or another when suffering from road rage, but isn’t this ridiculous?

When interviewed by the police, the man said that God told him the other driver “wasn’t driving right” and that she needed “to be taken off the road.”  Amazingly, neither the driver nor the victim were seriously hurt.

No drugs or alcohol were found with either driver.  A psychiatric exam has been ordered for the gentleman.  Sounds like a good idea to me!

Ohio “johns” caught in online hooker raffle

For crying out loud!!  If you’re gonna get a prostitute, don’t post reviews on the Internet.  The police actually do read those things!

Supposedly, Christopher S. Johnson, an Ohio State University College of Nursing adviser, posted an Internet chat board where he requested those customers that hired hookers through the erotic services section of the Columbus, OH, Craigslist to post reviews of their trysts.  The men who joined the site and contributed were then offered raffle tickets for $10 each with the prize being an evening with a lady of the night.

And who did they get??  Vanise M. Dunn, a Franklin County Children Services employee!  She charged Johnson her “regular fee” (obviously she’s not new at this) and he kept the rest.

Also arrested in all this mess was Rusty Blades who rented the house that was used for the party between registered users and the hookers.  The site had over 600 registered users (Blades was one of them).

The police have not decided whether or not to charge those who were invited or the prostitutes at this time.  However, they received a tip that one of the scheduled prostitutes was a juvenile and are looking for users of the site who wrote reviews of her services.  The juvenile did not attend the party.  Information related to “Toby,” “God O Thunder,” “Sullivant Guy,” and “Broad Street Guy” is requested.

WKRP returns to the airwaves in Cincinnati

Hooray for UHF television!  Okay…it’s not actually UHF, but if you live in Cincinnati, OH, and have an antenna, you can now receive the signal for WKRP.  Seriously!

Playing off the widely popular TV show “WKRP in Cincinnati,” the station formerly was known as WBQC-TV and changed it’s call letters in time for the switch to digital cable.

Maybe next Thanksgiving we’ll see a repeat of the famous turkey drop?