Week in Review: Justice For Michael

Hey, boys and girls. Make it a great weekend. We'll be back Monday -- hope you'll join us.

While we're away, if you have a tip about a story or something we should look into, post or get a chuckle from, please direct it here.

Here are some of the week's lowlights (and some highlights, too).

1. The trial of Dr Conrad Murray, who's accused of killing Michael Jackson, finally began and there were bombshells -- like the publication of Michael's death photo and an audio recording of the late singer high on drugs.
2. A 96-year-old woman was charged with murdering her nephew after he threatened to place her in a nursing home.
3. Bishop Eddie Long demanded the three accusers who spoke out about their relationship after the confidential settlement was reached, return the $900,000 he paid them to keep quiet.
4. Drugs are the devil. Here's why.
5. Speaking of which, a postal worker and retailer manager lost their damn minds!
6. While we're talking about postal workers, a drunk mailman was arrested after he crashed his mail truck into several cars.
7. A man was convicted of sexual assault for poking holes in condoms then having sex with his girlfriend and getting her pregnant.
8. A doctor who turned all of his patients into drug addicts is now suing said patients. Well, all of the ones he didn't kill.
9. Burglars broke into a church to steal the speaker they forgot to take during two previous break-ins.
10. Rapper Petey Pablo was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of a stolen firearm.
11. Prisoners are buying their own flat-screen TVs.
12. A pastor promised to cure female parishioners of any disease, all they they had to do was get naked and pleasure him, while he fingered them as they prayed.
13. A police officer hired a hit man to kill his 17-year-old jumpoff's boyfriend and a man ODed at a pastor's gay sex party.
14. A deaf woman cried tears of joy after she heard her voice for the first time.
15. Granny got arrested for selling weed.
16. For the love of all things holy, do not watch this video.

Do NOT Watch This Video

WTFFFFFFFFFFFFF! We swear this is not an episode of "Hoarders." We're not saying John and Rachel Hoven are filthy -- you can draw whatever conclusion you like, but what we will say is for three years the couple from Salem, Ore. has been living with -- and getting bit by -- THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of bed bugs!!! We have a cheap and effective solution for their problem: BURN THAT TRAILER WITH FIRE!

source: KATU

Bishop Eddie Long Demands Return of $900K in Hush Money From Each of the Three Accusers Who Violated Confidentiality Agreement

Bishop Eddie Long is gon' fight -- finally. Attorneys for the Atlanta megachurch pastor have sent letters to three of the five men who accused the pastor of sexual coercion that they intend to recover nearly $1 million from their financial settlement because they spoke publicly about the settlement -- which was a clear violation of the terms of the non-disclosure agreement outlined in the settlement with Bishop Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church the parties agreed to last May. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the demand letter was sent this week by the Atlanta law firm Drew Eckl & Farnham to Jamal Parris, Spencer LeGrande and Centino Kemp. The firm is seeking at least $900,000 -- a portion of the total settlement -- already paid the three accusers. Financial terms of that settlement have not been disclosed, but based on the letter and the fact each of the young men were paid equitably, the total comes to at least $1.5 million. Centino violated the non-disclosure agreement last August when he gave a radio interview in which he claimed, among other things, Bishop Long raped him the first time they met (he was 16 yeas old), then they became lovers for six years. Also in August, Jamal and Spencer gave a slew of interviews in which they spoke about Bishop Long, their plans to write an explosive tell-all -- and threatened to burn the hush money. Centino also plans to write a book about his tumultuous relationship with the bishop. As of this writing, Jamal, Spencer and Centino are keeping mum on Bishop Long's letter demanding the return of his money.



source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

85-year-old Woman Jailed For Selling Weed + Raw Meat For Crack is Whack

There's an assault going on against elderly drug dealers. Days after an 80-year-old woman was busted for dealing crack, cops swooped down 80-year-old Mary Goodrum of Mobile, Ala., and charged her selling weed and possession of prescription pills (that were not in her name). Mary says police are mistaken and she's a "crab" dealer, not a "drug" dealer. "I've been going down there and crabbing at the Bayou, picking crabs and selling crab patties," she says. But here's he problem: Undercover officers purchased weed from here.



Meanwhile, in Henderson, Texas, Kevin Lee Davis, 34, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing meat from a grocery store and punching the store manager in the face. But according to authorities, he didn't steal the meat to feed himself or his hungry family -- Kevin is a crackhead who traded the meat for crack. This is a phenomenon, apparently. We're not surprised.





sources: WALA | WAFB

WATCH: Deaf Woman Hears Her Voice For First Time

Pure joy! Sloan Churman, 29, was born deaf and has relied on hearing aids her whole life, but two month ago she was outfitted with an Esteem hearing implant and her husband recorded this heart-wrenching video, above. Sloan, who uploaded this video to YouTube, writes: "I had an implant put in 8 weeks ago called The Esteem Implant by Envoy Medical. I was born deaf and have worn hearing aids from the age of 2, but hearing aids only help so much. I have gotten by this long in life by reading lips. This was taken as they were activating the implant."

Lady Gives Homeless Man $5, Robs Him Minutes Later

On Thursday evening, 26-year-old Meghan Fleming was leaving a pet store in Salem, Ore. when she gave a homeless man $5. By the time she handed Nicholas Gutierrez-Didlot, 23, the money and the time she got to her car, however, Meghan had a change of heart and drove up to Nicholas, pointed what looked like a handgun at him and demanded he give the money back to her. Meghan's nephew, Timothy, who was also in the car with Meghan's two children, echoed her demands and threatened to take Nicholas' bicycle if he didn't comply. He did. After the robbery, Nicholas went into the pet store to report the crime and police was called. Store employees knew Meghan and gave police her name. Both Meghan and her nephew were jailed on robbery charges. Sidebar: The weapon turned out to be a BB gun.

source: KATU

Cop Hires Hit Man to Kill Boyfriend of His 17-year-old Jumpoff + Man OD's at Pastor's PNP Party

This story has so many twists and turns, we don't know where to begin. But, we'll try. Norman Benjamin, a sergeant on the Memphis police force, who claimed someone shot him in his leg as he sat in his police cruiser last Labor Day, was charged with solicitation to commit first degree murder, filing a false police report, and providing a gun to a juvenile after it was revealed he paid $800 to a hit man to kill the boyfriend of a 17-year-old girl, with whom he was have an affair. Sidebar: Norman is a liar and a donkey. He's 47 years old and married. And the girl (who he gave a gun to) is the niece of a 54-year-old woman who was initially jailed for the Labor Day shooting. Hopefully, that made sense -- or just watch the video.


Meanwhile, in Detroit, Rev. Mark Bidwell, a local pastor and police chaplain, has some explain' to do. During a gay drug/sex party at his home last week, one of the strangers he met on a hook-up dating site earlier that day, overdosed on crystal meth. The pastor has not been charged with a crime.



sources: WMC | WJBK

Man Pokes Holes in Condoms, Gets Convicted of Sexual Assault

Craig Jaret Hutchinson, 41, of Nova Scotia, Canada, has been convicted of sexual assault for puncturing his girlfriend's condoms with a pin in an effort to get her pregnant and save their relationship. Obviously, that didn't work. The did, however, became pregnant and had an abortion and suffered an infection of her uterus, which was treated with antibiotics. In 2009, Craig (pictured) went on trial for aggravated sexual assault, but was found not guilty by the judge, who ruled that although his actions were fraudulent and “dastardly,” they did not constitute a sexual assault. The court ordered a new trial in 2010.

The 35-year-old complainant testified that she and Hutchinson began dating in January 2006. She said she was unable to take birth control pills because they made her depressed, so the couple relied on condoms for contraception. She said she was considering breaking up with Hutchinson when he pressured her to take a pair of home pregnancy tests in early September 2006. The second test was positive. The woman, whose name is banned from publication, said she was going to work at the relationship with Hutchinson and have the baby but changed her mind and broke up with him on Nov. 1, 2006. After ignoring numerous text messages from Hutchinson, she eventually took a phone call from him. During that conversation, the woman testified, he told her not to use condoms she kept in her bedside table because he had pricked holes in them. Hutchinson allegedly apologized for his actions, saying, “I wanted a baby with you so bad.” When the woman checked her condoms, she found that each one had been sabotaged. The events helped the woman decide to terminate the pregnancy. She had an abortion on Nov. 16, 2006. After the abortion, the woman experienced bleeding and severe cramps and was diagnosed as having an infection in the lining of her uterus. She said she never would have had sex with Hutchinson if she'd known what he'd done to the condoms. The court also heard testimony from two doctors and the RCMP officer who handled the woman's criminal complaint. In his cross-examination of the Crown witnesses, defence lawyer Patrick MacEwen got the abortion doctor to state definitively that the woman was nine weeks pregnant when the procedure was done. That would mean the baby was conceived around Sept. 14 — about nine days after the woman said the home pregnancy test came back positive. The woman admitted that she and Hutchinson stopped using birth control after the positive pregnancy test. At the first trial in January 2009, Justice Gerald Moir ruled that although Hutchinson's actions were fraudulent and “dastardly,” they did not constitute a sexual assault. Moir said the complications the woman suffered from the abortion could not be considered serious. But two judges on a three-member Appeal Court panel found that the woman had not consented to unprotected sex. They said the piercing of the condoms “fundamentally altered the nature of the sexual activity in question.” The Appeal Court judges added: “There was some evidence upon which a finding of endangerment or bodily harm could be based.”

source: The Chronicle Herald

This donkey is scheduled to return to court Dec. 2 for sentencing.

Pastor to Parishioners: Sure, I Can Cure You of Anxiety or Any Ailment, But You'll Need to Pleasure Me First

A Wauconda, Ill. pastor has come under investigation for his rather unique healing techniques. According to a Chicago Tribune report, Philip Livingston of Light of the World Ministries -- which some describe as a cult -- used "light therapy" on several female parishioners which he claimed can cure them of everything from drug addictions to yeast infections. And, how can we forget: While he's performing this ritual, he's naked, the women are naked and they're having sex.

At first, the participant lay on a couch. Clothes stayed on. Private areas were not touched. Livingston's wife helped, according to the Kane County testimony. Then Livingston increasingly went in alone with each participant. Both got naked. Livingston touched her private parts, even inserted his fingers into them. The women touched his penis while they prayed, according to testimony. Livingston testified the therapy was separate from his church, used merely as a "spiritual guidance" to benefit some followers. He said light therapy had shown "miraculous" results, that he reduced anxiety in a victim of molestation and turned homosexuals and sexual addicts into "virtuous people." His wife not only was "healed" of spiritual and emotional issues, but rid herself of chronic yeast infections, he testified. Livingston said the ritual wasn't sexual. He said he was never aroused, something [Linda Ericksen a follower of pastor Livingston, whose husband became Livingston's assistant pastor] disputed. Ericksen also disputed the ritual's healing power. She told the Tribune it was coupled with constant demands that she tell Livingston everything she was thinking. When she told Livingston she was uncomfortable with the ritual, he told her she was really feeling the sin in her needing to be expelled from her body by more intense therapy, she said. "It would make me really angry inside that I had to pray for him that way," Ericksen told the Tribune.

source: Chicago Tribune

This sort of control we've seen time and time before, most notably in the Eddie Long case where he justified his sexual relationship with young boys with Biblical scriptures. And, like in that case, minister Livingston's followers are standing by him. During the trial, Linda also dropped a few other bombshells. She said when she became pregnant with her and her husband's child, Livingston "exiled" her to her apartment and directed her husband to live elsewhere. Three months later, Livingston told her she had to leave the group. She also claimed Livingston had another church member's 13- and 10-year-old daughters walking naked in his home and once a week he took the older girl into a room used for the ritual. The fat perv monster must be stopped.

Mailman Jailed For Driving Mail Truck While Drunk

Scott Schepp, a postal carrier from Waukesha, Ohio, was arrested Tuesday after crashing his postal truck into several parked cars. Was he drunk? ....Is this mailman taking a dump in someone's yard?


Meanwhile, in North Hollywood, Calif., a woman was arrested after she crashed into two parked cars and flipped over -- with her 4-year-old child inside. The she tried to run away -- leaving her child inside the crashed vehicle. Quick! Someone call DFCS!




sources: WJW | KTXL

Fed Up Postal Worker Loses His Cool, Goes Berserk

Remember yesterday's post about the man who punched his fiancee then went on an epic rash of bizarre crimes before he was carted off to jail? Well, Ross Urso of Tampa, Fla. is gunning for him. The 54-year-old postal worker was tired of "getting run off the road" so he decided to do something about it. Ross rammed his Mustang into a police cruiser, which set off a 3 and half mile chase and when he stopped, he exited his car, began jumping from car to car down the street and then started trying to direct traffic. Then, he stabbed a police officer with his car keys for good measure.


Meanwhile, in Woodstock, Ga., 33-year-old Patrick Byrum went on a rampage at the Sherwin-Williams store, where he worked as a manager, after something the synthethic weed known as "K2." Among the crimes he committed while high last night: fighting a female co-worker (Emily Brown) and attempting to carjack several passing vehicles and, assaulting an officer, of course!




sources: WTSP | WSB

Michael Jackson Manslaughter Trial Begins With Death Photo, Drugged-Out Audio Recording, Defense Drawing at Straws

The trial of Michael Jackson's doctor began this morning in Los Angeles in spectacular fashion. Dr Conrad Murray, 58, is charged with involuntary manslaughter after injecting Michael with propofol and leaving his bedside on the morning of June 25, 2009. The legendary pop singer, according to the autopsy report and death certificate, died that morning from “acute propofol intoxication” and “intravenous injection by another." During the prosecutor's hour-long opening statement, he showed a photo of a deceased Michael on a gurney (below), and played an eerie recording of the heavily drugged and rambling pop star from about six weeks before his death (below). Dr Murray -- who was paid $150,000 a month as Michael's doctor -- recorded the audio on his iPhone on May 10, 2009. Then it was the defense attorney's turn. Attorney Ed Chernoff contends that his client gave Michael the drug -- which the singer referred to as "milk" -- over a two-month period to help him sleep. He said Dr Murray was trying to wean the singer from the drug at the time of his death -- even though the evidence will show the doctor continued to order excessive amounts of the drug (155,000mg to be exact) to administer to Michael and Dr Murray is a cardiologist, NOT an addiction specialist. Then they claimed Michael killed himself. The lawyer told jurors scientific evidence would show Michael swallowed eight tablets of lorazepam –- "enough to put six of you to sleep" –- and then self-administered propofol. "He died rapidly, so instantly, he didn't even have time to close his eyes," attorney Chernoff said. Experts have shot down the defense theory, calling it implausible. We'll see what the jury thinks. If convicted, Dr Murray faces up to four years in prison and a wrongful death lawsuit from papa Joe Jackson.

Here's the audio recording and transcript of a drugged-out Michael:


"We have to be phenomenal. When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go . Go. I've never seen nothing this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world.' I''m making that money, a million children, children's hospital, the biggest in the world, Michael Jackson's Children's Hospital..."

Sidebar: It's been widely reported that Michael voice's was low (as in this audio) and he only spoke in a high-pitch voice (like we're accustomed to hear him) when he was in public or in front of a microphone.

These were slides from the prosecutor's opening statement:







PLUS: Watch the trial live, below!






source: LA Times

You Probably Can't Afford a 42-inch Flat Screen TV, But Prisoners in Pittsburg Can -- They Just Bought 40 of Them!

Most people want one of those shiny, new Sony Bravia 42" LCD TV but can't afford it, but inmates at the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburg, Pa. just spent pooled their commissary money ($10,000!) and purchased 40 of dem suckers. So, in case you need somewhere watch this weekend's football games, you know where to go.

source: KDKA

Rapper Petey Pablo Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison For Being a Donkey

Petey Pablo -- who's real name is Moses Barrett III -- was sentenced Monday to 35 months in prison on a federal gun charge. The rapper was arrested at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Sept. 11, 2010, when a security screener found a 9mm handgun in his carry-on luggage as it passed through an X-ray machine. The gun was later determined to be stolen during a 2005 burglary in Gardena, Calif. and the 38-year-old, best known for the song "Freek-a-Leek" and spent five years in jail in 1993 for armed robbery, pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. Hee-haw!



source: WRAL

Thieves Break Into Church For a Speaker They Forgot to Take During Two Prior Break-ins

For the third time in two weeks, thieves broke into the Greater New Life Missionary Baptist Church on the West Side of Detroit, taking cash, the brass front doors, the PA system and pretty much everything else in sight. But they forgot a speaker. Don't worry, they broke back in last weekend to get it. Although the pastor is willing to forgive (plus, the items are insured) and forget, one church member threatens to hurt the thieves if they cops don't catch them first.

source: WJBK

Shady Doctor Who Gave Patients Copious Amounts of Drugs is Suing All of His Living Patients

We're not saying Dr Yong J Liu, a pain management doctor from Norcross, Ga., is "the worst doctor ever." His patients said that for us. But what we will say is: You probably don't want to go to him -- unless you're a drug addict or an aspiring drug addict. Over the last four years, Dr Liu has filed lawsuits against 27 patients, personally suing them because he says they owe him thousands of dollars. But, many of those patients are now drug addicts under Dr Liu's care -- one patient even died and the medical board suspended the doctor's license for a few months. Now that the cases against his patients have reached trial, Dr Liu was found to be forging patients' signatures on legal documents in attempt to obtain a judgement in his favor. Objection!

source: WAGA

This Is Your Brain on Drugs

Kids, please say no to drugs. If not, there will come a point where you will lose your darn mind -- like this donkey from Louisville, Ky.

It started on Saturday, shortly before noon. Police say 32-year-old Morris Matthews was riding in a vehicle with his fiance on Dixie Highway, en route to Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, when he suddenly became combative. During the fighting, Matthews allegedly reached over and shoved his fiance's foot down on the gas pedal. As a result, the car began speeding northbound, out of control, "weaving in and out of traffic to avoid hitting other vehicles on the roadway." When they arrived at the hospital, Matthews allegedly punched his fiance in the right eye. As the woman ran away, police say Matthews got back in the car and tried to run her over, eventually plowing into other parked cars. One of the cars actually slid and struck the woman as she ran. At this point, police say Matthews got out of the car and robbed an elderly woman who happened to be walking nearby. He allegedly took her keys and started to drive away in her car, but ended up crashing it into another parked car. Matthews was not deterred. He got out of the car and ran back to his car, "taking off at a high rate of speed, almost running over two nurses in the parking lot," according to the arrest report. "Both nurses stated they dove between cars to keep from being run over," police say. Matthews pulled his car out into traffic and struck another motorist, running him off the road, according to the arrest report. He then mowed over a fire hydrant, and crashed his vehicle again. Police say another motorist stopped to assist him. Matthews attacked him, and "tried to take his truck." Unable to seize the truck, Matthews allegedly ran into a wooded area, followed by a police officer. When the officer arrived, Matthews "ran out of the woods, toward the officer and attacked him." The pair of them fought briefly, but Matthews was finally subdued.

source: WDRB

Morris was charged with wanton endangerment, robbery, resisting arrest and two counts of assault and criminal mischief. Shockingly -- oh, wait, not so surprisingly -- the wedding is still a go, because the fiancée is now defending Morris' actions, telling WDRB his craziness was "due to an allergic reaction from a new medication that had recently been prescribed to him." Yeah, good luck arguing that in court.

Man Threatens to Put 96-year-old Aunt in Nursing Home, She Shoots Him Dead

Last Sunday night in St. Augustine, Fla., police arrested 96-year-old Amanda Celestine Stevenson and charged her with the murder of her 53-year-old nephew, John W. Rice. According to police, Amanda shot John shot as he was sleeping in his bedroom with a .357 magnum handgun. Police believe the bad granny -- who has two prior arrests -- was upset with her nephew, who took her into his home a few months ago, because he was looking to place her in a senior living center. Now, she's going to prison to die. Someone should really call DFCS (or AARP?), because the geriatric set is clearly out of control!

Update, Sept 29: Amanda was accused of shooting another man dead in 1953 when she was 38 years old, but the charges were dismissed five months later because the prosecutor did not pursue the case. According to newspaper reports from that time, two witnesses identified Amanda (then known as Amanda Brown) by her voice as the person who was with Frank Van Dyke when he was killed. She told the grand jury she was at home at the time and her attorney argued that charges should be dropped. The newspaper articles do not say why the charges were dropped, but Amanda's great niece said she heard as a child from her family that another woman confessed to the murder on her death bed and Amanda was subsequently released.




Meanwhile, in Portland, Ore. a 72-year-old man robbed a McDonald's restaurant this morning. Police say David Roisland entered the store through an unlocked door just after 4am armed with a knife, and committed the robbery while the cleaning crew worked. As officers took David into custody, he complained of chest pain and was transported to a local hospital before he was transferred to jail and charged with degree robbery. Bail was set at $250,000.




sources: WJXT | KGW

Week in Review: Hair Ye! Hair Ye!

Hey, boys and girls. Make it a great weekend. We'll be back Monday -- hope you'll join us.

While we're away, if you have a tip about a story or something we should look into, post or get a chuckle from, please direct it here.

Here are some of the week's lowlights (and some highlights, too).

1. A woman with a baby voice was shocked and appalled that the TSA agents searched her shockingly large afro from weapons and explosives.
2. The gay man who worked as Rev Jesse Jackson's personal assistant sued the reverend for sexual harassment. Ehaow!
   
3. Queen Latifah dumped her girlfriend of eight years for her younger jumpoff.
4. An 80-year-old woman was arrested for selling crack for the second time in three months.
5. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, a 91-year-old man was throwing piss at some bad ass kids.
6. A man beatdown his girlfriend after she refused to have a threesome.
7. We learned why there are no black or white construction workers in Texas.
8. Alabama created a program where non-violent offenders can choose whether to go to jail or go to church every Sunday for a year.
9. A woman was forced to find her kidnapped baby herself after the police told her they don't care nor they have the resources to find her baby.
10. Speaking of kidnapped babies, the Catholic Church kidnapped a man's son and plan to put it up for adoption!!!
11. Big johnsons are the new "it" accessory in Germany.
12. You may not be Tina Knowles, but you can live like her by buying her home.
13. A San Francisco woman went for a walk one day and decided to walk to New York City.
14. A couple was charged with murder after they starved their baby to death.
15. This donkey is a donkey who went to jail and this donkey is a donkey who went to jail. Done.

91-Year-Old Man Throws Bucket of Urine at Bebe's Kids; 'Deaf' Man Shoots at 'Rowdy' Kids

Albert Einsig, a 91-year-old man from York City, Pa., may not be able to "see too far" or "hear too good", but his aim is spot on. Well, almost. He says he's been kept up all night by neighborhood teens hanging out on his porch and antagonizing him. “They bang on the door, bang bang, to get me out of bed,” he tells WHP. “I'm sleeping right, I'm sleeping.” So he had something for them. He dumped a bucket filled with urine on his porch and down to the sidewalk to keep the bad ass kids off his porch. Police showed up and issued the elderly man a citation. Even after all of this, he says the kids will be back. The police need to do their jobs. Let's start a petition.


Meanwhile, in St Petersberg, Fla., 64-year-old Howard Clark is facing aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and child abuse charges after he fired a shot into a group of 15 of kids he said was terrorizing the neighborhood. To let him tell it: He was trying to get home when the kids blocked his right of way and when one of them produced a gun, he fired. But, according to the kids, Howard -- who his attorney says is deaf and has emphysema -- used the N-word then got out of his truck and punched a a 16-year-old boy and threatened to kill them. The teen says, "He comes towards me and says, 'Get out of the road, you N word.' I was like, you have all this road over there. Why don't you drive over there? He was like, 'No, I want this side of the road.'" Howard then went into his home, grabbed his gun and fired into the crowd.




sources: WHP | WFTS

Woman Decides to Walk From San Francisco to New York...Just Because

Armed with a hand-bound 52-page direction guide she printed from Google Maps, a cell phone, tent, sleeping bag -- which she pushes in a shopping cart -- 24-year-old Catherine Li is making the 3,000-mile walk from San Francisco to New York just for the hell of it. "I just felt like walking," she tells Phillyburbs. "I just decided to click over to living in the actual moment instead of inventing all these fantastic fantasies for the future.” She has no ulterior motives and no sponsors, nor is she not blogging, Facebooking or tweeting about it. Catherine, who came to United States from China a decade ago, is merely just a girl walking 15 miles a day down busy highways and side streets pushing a shopping cart -- which she is quick to point out she didn't steal. She's already depleted her savings account, but with the graciousness of strangers, she's able to eat and find a safe place to pitch her tent every night. She says: “A quest is different for everyone, but the courage is the same.” So true.

source: PhillyBurbs

So the Catholic Church is Kidnapping Babies Now?

The Catholic Church, with it poor public image, has essentially kidnapped a Houston man's son. Courtney Hunter says his spiteful baby mama told him he would never have his son and to have his lawyer contact her lawyer. After the child was born last July, she immediately gave him to Catholic Charities, an arm of the church that also has an adoption service. Since then, Courtney has been in a dogfight with the Church to gain custody of his child, whose name is Courtland. He tells KRIV ""I did a DNA test and they say, OK you're the biological father, so I said give me my kid and they said, no you're not the legal father, and the next thing you know, that's when they served me not once but twice." Yes, you heard that right -- the Church has sued to terminate Courtney's parental rights so they can place the child up for adoption. Tsk. Tsk.


source: KRIV

Tina Knowles Lists Houston Mansion For $3.5 Million

Now that she may or not not be divorcing her two-timing husband, Tina Knowles is off-loading of of her mansions in Houston for $3,499,000. The 8,885 square-foot home -- which daughter Beyoncé purchased for a meager $1,596,000 in 2004 before transferring it to mama Knowles -- is a beast. Boasting five bedrooms and seven bathrooms (two are half bathrooms), the property sits on "2.6 acres of rolling lawns" in the Houston gated community called Farnham Park. There's a 1,085 square-foot living room, a 700 square foot media room and a 600 square foot master bedroom with a fireplace (there are 3 fireplaces in the home), study, coffee bar and marble-clad, mirrored dual baths. At the exterior of the mansions, there's an impressive 50-foot long wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the swimming pool, rolling lawns, ravine, and natural woodland. And, yes, there's also a guest house, too. According to the folks over at Real Estalker, mama Tina owns at least two other properties in the Houston area. One of which is a home she and estranged husband Mathew Knowles purchased in 1997 for $98,637 and a 4,783 square foot lakefront house in the well-to-do Houston suburb of Missouri City that she bought in July 2000 for $314,250. Rich people!








Zoom in to take a closer look at this place.



source: Real Estalker

Alabama to Criminals: Serve Time in Jail or Go Church For a Year

In an effort to cut cost and change the lives of those heading down the wrong path, non-violent offenders in Bay Minette, Ala. found guilty of a crime are given the choice to either pay a fine and spend time in jail -- or go to church every Sunday for a year under a pilot program called Operation Restore Our Community or "ROC". If offenders select the church option -- because, really, why wouldn't they? -- they're allowed to pick the place of worship, but must check in with the pastor and the police department every week. If the one-year church attendance program is completed successfully, the offender's case will be dismissed. Halleloo!




source: WKRG

Here's a Donkey Trying to Outrun a News Chopper, Police

Shortly after 5pm today in Miami, police tried to pull over a car they say was driving erratically. As officers tried to pull over the driver, he tried run them over then sped off. That set off an an hour-long chase down I-95, where the man threw cocaine out the window before jumping out of the car and fleeing on foot into a house with a woman and little girl inside. WTVJ's news chopper was watching his every move and cops soon swooped down on the house and arrested the not-yet identified man, who police say is an habitual traffic offender. At the time of his arrest, more cocaine was found in his socks. Note: The video has no audio.

Update, Sept. 23: He's identified as Luther Henry, 37, who has an extensive violent criminal history, including a three-and-a-half year sentence for cocaine trafficking charges. For his antics Thursday, Luther was charged with assaulting a police officer, eluding police, resisting arrest, cocaine and weed possession and driving with a suspended license. Bail was set at $25,000. Police believe he knew the woman inside the apartment, but do not believe she was trying to aid or shield him.



source: WTVJ

Parents Jailed For Starving Baby to Death

Lefty Hodge, 42, and Tina Hanna, 25, of Atlanta are facing murder charges after they were arrested today for death of their daughter, Mombera Hanna, who died on Sept. 3 from protein and calorie malnutrition. According to police, the 5 1/2-month-old weighed approximately 6 pounds "and appeared to be malnourished and dehydrated, but Lefty (yes, that's his real name) and Tina said Mombera had "always been that way." The couple's two other children -- ages 1 and 4 -- are in better health and were placed in foster care.


Meanwhile, in Mobile, Ala., 21-year-old Emily Butler was charged with chemical endangerment of a child after he 5-month-old son tested positive for cocaine.



sources: Atlanta Journal-Constitution |WALA

Penis Enlargement Surgery is All the Rage in Germany

German men, like men the world over, are obessesed with their johnsons and are envious of people like Everton. But, unlike most men, more and more Germans are flooding plastic surgeons' offices to have their members enlarged. “It must have something to do with the trend toward intimate shaving,” Sven von Saldern, the president of the German Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery said. “For men, there is only the desire for more volume. It’s an especially sensitive subject because high expectations may not always be fulfilled.” The surgery -– which may involve the injection of silicone into the penis and scrotum or the cutting of ligaments which can result in impotence and nerve damage -- is purely for show because, while the the operation increases size, it does not improve function. It's important to note: Liposuction remains the most popular procedure among men.

UPDATE, Sept 26:Uh-oh! More than a dozen men who underwent the procedure in Sweden have complained that Macrolane -- the gel used to give them a bigger johnson -- has spread unevenly and formed lumps, while others experience pain and erectile dysfunctions. The gel has been temporarily taken off the market and its manufacturer is now under investigation.



source: The Local

This 80-year-old Woman Was Jailed For Selling Crack -- Again

Ola Mae Robinson may be 80 years old and walks with a walker, but police in Prichard, Ala. say she's a known crack dealer. Last June, she was jailed for possession and distribution of crack cocaine, and after a raid on her home Wednesday, she was arrested and very, very slowly carted off to jail when cops found "quite a bit" of crack cocaine and pills. Ola Mae -- who's probably suffering from dementia or some other disease (or is it the crack use?) that messes up her memory -- says she's being framed. "I don't have time for no crack cocaine," she tells WPMI. "It wasn't mine! Til they found me I was sitting up in my chair noddin!" Oh, Ola Mae, you slay us. Sidebar: Crack is whack!

source: WPMI

Queen Latifah Steps Out With New Girlfriend

It appears that Queen Latifah's eight-year relationship with personal trainer Jeanette Jenkins is over -- weeks after it was reported the women were continuously fighting and discussed breaking up. But, according to the Enquirer, the real reason for the breakup -- aside from Latifah's weight -- is that the Oscar-winning actress was allegedly seeing someone else on the side. That side-piece -- choreographer Eboni Nichols -- is now allegedly the main piece. The new couple attended several US Open matches together earlier this month Sept. 13.

Latifah, 41, and Eboni, 33, have been friends since 2009, when Eboni choreographed a guest appearance by the Queen on "Dancing with the Stars." Even though Latrifah and Jeanette were arm-in-arm at the 2010 BET Awards and the two spent time together that summer on a yacht off the Italian coast, weeks later the Queen and Eboni were together enjoying a trip to Barcelona, Spain. The Queen always insisted that she and Eboni were "just friends" -- but personal trainer Jeanette was not buying it. "Needless to say, Jeanette was not very happy about their relationship," said the source. "And she let Latifah know about it in no uncertain terms."

source: National Enquirer, Oct. 3, print edition

The Enquirer's report goes on to say Latifah labored with the decision to break up with Jeanette, but the two remain cordial. Any why wouldn't she? If she pisses Jeanette off, she can run to the tabloid and spill all of Latifah's tea, plus, Latifah probably gave her that million-dollar home in California.


We believe these are photos of Latifah and Eboni arm-in-arm in Barcelona in Aug. 2010.

Man Goes on Crime Spree Immediately After Release From Jail

And now the Donkey of the Day. Jerry Jones of Mobile, Ala. either loves jail or he's just a fool. After serving a two-month sentence on traffic-related charges, he was released from jail yesterday. Four hours later, however, he was back behind bars for robbing man and stealing his pants, possession of crack, a gun, eight stolen credit cards and a fake ID card and attempting to return stolen property to a Walmart. Hee-haw!

source: WALA

Woman's Afro Sets Off Panic at Airport

Just in case you were wondering, this woman is an adult. She's 53 years old! Her voice -- WTH? Anyway, natural hair stylist to the stars Isis Brantley of Dallas says she was catching a flight home from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport last week when a TSA agent demanded her afro be checked for explosives. The same thing happened to another woman in Seattle last June, but she hardly got as much media attention as Isis is. Isis says she was embarrassed and in tears when the the agent started “digging” through her hair to check for weapons. She asked the agent to “just find what you’re looking for and please hurry and leave." Isis says the agents patted her hair downn in full view of other travelers instead of asking to return to a private area for screening, but the TSA said Isis left the checkpoint area before screening was completed and she refused a private screening that was offered. This lady probably has so many stories to tell about traveling through airports.

With a business to promote, Isis is currently on a media tour. Here's another interview.



sources: WSB | NBC

Gay Man Sues Rev Jesse Jackson For Sexual Harassment

We knew this was coming. Back in April, when Tommy R. Bennett spilled some How You Doin' tea about Rev. Jesse Jackson -- who's the founder of the Rainbow Push Coalition and the National Rainbow Coalition -- we knew that a lawsuit would be coming down the pipe line. And it's here. Last week, Tommy, who's a gay man, worked for Rev Jesse for two years (first as national director of community affairs then as national field director before he became Rev Jesse's whipping boy and travel assistant), before he claimed he was subjected to discrimination and sexual harassment from Rev Jesse, then fired because of his sexual orientation. In the lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress, Tommy is demanding $98,300 in back pay, front pay and lost benefits, and $350,000 in punitive damages. If you don't already know the explicit and scandalous details, you can grab some popcorn, pull up a chair (put on your pearls, too, if you need something to clutch) and catch up here -- or just read the court documents below. Trust us, it will have you gagging.




source: CNS

Citing Budget Cuts, Cops Refused to Help Woman Find Her Kidnapped Baby

All throughout her pregnancy, Veronica Reinaldo says her baby daddy Andrew Jones wanted nothing to do with, so when he showed up at her home in Sacramento two weeks ago demanding to spend time his son Gabriel (who's now 4-months-old), she allowed him to take the boy against her better judgment. Andrew never returned the boy. When Veronica called police to help locate her son, they told her it's none of their business and if it were, they don't have the man power to help her because they're broke. So, a frantic Veronica (with the help of a pro bono private detective) did some detective work and found her baby. The baby daddy, who was not arrested, is now completely out of the picture.

source: KTLA

Why Are There No Black or White Construction Workers in Texas? Three Words: Mexican Labor Gangs

It's hard for blacks to find work anywhere in Texas, it seems. They're not welcome at retail stores and risk death at the hands of racist employers, and now it appears the entire race is being blackballed from the construction business, too. According to Ricardo Charles, who worked 33 years in the business and wrote a tell-all about the shady back door dealings, blacks (and whites) are denied these decent-paying construction jobs by secretive Mexican labor gangs. He says every worker on an industrial construction site in Texas is forced to pay the gang leaders hundreds of dollars before they're hired and $50 or $70 every week thereafter -- or they will be be fired. Ricardo says he's reported this discriminatory and illegal practice to the FBI, which we hope is also offering him protection.

source: KRIV

Three's a Crowd

Meet Eric Wilson. He's a donkey. When he returned to the home he shares with his live-girlfriend in Anderson, Ind. about 3:30 Monday morning, he brought along company -- another woman. In his mind, he was about to live out a fantasy, so when he asked his girlfriend to join him and the woman in a ménage à trois and she refused, that enraged him. He began slapping and punching his girlfriend in the face and body slammed her against the floor when she tried to escape the apartment. The woman she tried to run into the bathroom but slipped and hit the bath tub. Eric followed her into the bathroom and slammed her head against the tub. Eventually, she made it out but not before Eric, 41, hit her in the head with a rake handle. She suffered bruising to both arms, a swollen eye and a large knot on her head. Eric was arrested and charged with criminal confinement and battery and bail was set at $5,000. It's unclear what the other woman was doing during all of this. Perhaps she thought it was foreplay?

source: WXIN

This Drunk Man Was Refused Service at Taco Bell, So Obviously He Called 911

Poor Terry Kimball. Last Tuesday night after a *few* drinks, the 50-year-old had the munchies and wanted some questionable Taco Bell meat tacos so he walked a quarter mile to the drive-thru window at one of the fast food locations in Largo, Fla. The workers refused to serve him because he wasn't in a car, so he pulled out his cell phone and called 911. In the call (above), he tells the dispatcher: "So they want me to drive drunk to get a meal. That's what they're saying." Yes, Terry that's what the donkeys are saying. He also told police: "When I get refused service for no reason, it T's me off. So, I call you guys. Does that make sense?" Sadly, he was charged with misuse of the 911 system. That's a shame.

source: CFN News

Restaurant Fines Diners Who Leave Leftovers

A restaurant in Dammam, Saudi Arabia has taken drastic steps to shame egomaniacs and to curb the amount of food it throws away every night. Marmar Restaurant management has decided to offer smaller servings and fine those who don't eat everything on their plate. "There are many clients who make large orders in order to impress the people around them and boost their social prestige," the restaurant owner said. The fine is symbolic for diners whose eyes or "egos are bigger than their stomachs" and is decided according to the amount of the leftovers. We have no idea how they intend to enforce this. Nevermind! Sharai Law is no joke.


source: Gulf News

The One Where Mike Tyson Tells Us Why Sarah Palin Is Not a Bad Person

Earlier this week, the Internets was set ablaze by excerpts from an upcoming tell-all about Sarah Palin. According to the biography written by Joe McGinniss, the former Alaska governor and staunch Republican has a fetish for black guys and lived out those fantasizes while working as a sports reporter in 1987. The book claims Sarah boned 6'8" NBA star Glen Rice (who was a college junior at the time) in her sister's dorm room while he was in Alaska for Thanksgiving. (She married Todd Palin eight months later.) Glen has confirmed the slay-ation, but the book claims Sarah was "horrified" about having sex with a black man. During an interview with ESPN Radio yesterday, Mike Tyson was asked to comment and boy did she comment.

Here's the audio:

“Glen Rice is a wonderful man. He’s a wonderful guy,” Tyson said, “But you want her to be with somebody like [Dennis] Rodman getting up in there. Pushing her guts up in the back of her head!...Glen Rice is a nice, mellow, docile man, non-threatening black guy — you want someone like Rodman — yeah baby! Imagine Palin with a big old black stallion ripping — heehaw!”...In life in general you know, everybody gotta get that out of their system when they get out of college. If you’re a black man, every white girl, every uppity middle class — everybody gotta get their share of love.....“Isn’t that beautiful to hear Palin got boned out by a black dude?....She could always get boned out by a black person — a vote to bang her. Other than a vote to run office, the only thing she can do … she’s not a bad person because she likes black people … at least in her....When you think of Glen Rice, you don’t think of him coming back from Georgia and just slamming … you don’t think of that stuff!....Sarah Palin … she met the womb shifter.”

audio and transcript via Larry Brown Sports

We need to take a shower.

Sidebar: The book also suggests that Sarah snorted cocaine off an oil drum while on a snowmobiling trip with friends shortly before she was elected Alaska Governor in 2006 and she allegedly smoked weed while a student and had a six-month affair with her husband Todd's business partner, Brad Hanson, in 1996. The book claims Sarah threw out a part of houisegusts after she suspect they were having sex with baby oil. It also accuses Sarah of being a “bad mother” who neglects her five children and describes her propensity for sleeping naked on high school athletic trips.

And here's Sarah reporting on Glen -- after the slay-ation.

Hospital Sued For Intentionally Exposing Black Kids to Lead Poisoning

A class action lawsuit was filed Thursday against Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, accusing it of knowingly exposing poor, black children as young as 1 year old to lead poisoning in the 1990s as part of a study exploring the hazards of lead paint. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say that more than 100 children were endangered by high levels of lead dust in their homes despite assurances from the Kennedy Krieger Institute that the houses were "lead safe" during the two-year study.

According to court papers filed Thursday in Baltimore City Circuit Court, the purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of varying degrees of lead paint abatement, but the lawsuit claims participating families were not informed about that nor were they advised that the children would not receive any treatment. The legal action states Kennedy Krieger used as many as 100 children as "guinea pigs" and that the institute enticed them to live in lead-tainted housing to assess the success of lead paint or lead dust abatement measures. The lawsuit also alleges a racial bias, stating that Kennedy Krieger only selected low income households and minorities for its study. In response, Dr. Gary Goldstein, president and CEO of Kennedy Krieger, said in a written statement, "Research was conducted in the best interest of all of the children enrolled." The studies' findings indicated overall that blood levels of most children residing in study homes stayed constant or went down, though, in a few cases, the levels rose. Twenty years ago, 95 percent of low income housing in Baltimore City was filled with lead, and 20 percent of city children suffered from lead poisoning -- the highest rate in the country at the time. There were no state, local or federal laws regulating housing and lead abatement. Kennedy Krieger officials said those involved in the study moved as many as 100 families from housing where there were high levels of lead to homes with much lower levels. The study determined that landlords and building owners could make specific improvements to their properties to reduce lead. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development replicated the study in 13 other cities with similar findings. "We have great concern for the families affected by the scourge of lead poisoning and stepped in to help them in their time of need," Goldstein said in a statement. "The lawyers have wrongly placed blame on our institute. We are confident this will come to light when the facts are presented." The Kennedy Krieger study was the basis for a 1996 state law that some have credited to contributing to a 93 percent drop in lead poisonings in Baltimore City. The study was funded and sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and HUD. The Baltimore City Department of Housing helped to relocate some of the study participants. Johns Hopkins University of School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Hospital reviewed and approved the study. No dollar amount is spelled out in the lawsuit and a court date has not been scheduled.

source: WBAL

The families are suing the hospital for negligence, fraud, battery and violating the state's consumer protection act. It seeks damages, interest and unspecified attorney fees. In another report, a hospital spokesperson is quoted as saying the "study wouldn't have taken place if it wasn't in the best interest of the children." This case will probably be settled before it goes to trial, like the ones files in 2001 by several families who sued the hospital after a court found the researchers failed to warn families that their children faced a health risk if they continued to live in the homes. The court also found that the researchers did not inform the families of the youngsters' elevated blood-lead levels in a timely manner.