Fund established to help nine abandoned children:
This is an update on the 9 kids who were dropped off by his father under Nebraska’s new wide-open safe haven law.
The kids, known as the Staton children, have been placed with other members of their family.
A fund has also been started for them. You can make a donation for them at any Wells Fargo Bank. I’m not positive if that’s in NE only or if that’s bank-wide.
At least some positive things are coming out of this story.
Amish school shootings: 2 years later:
Tomorrow it will be two years since the Nickel Mines shooting that took place in Amish county in Pennsylvania.
On that day Charles Carl Roberts IV stormed the Amish school at Nickel Mines, made the male students leave and shot several female students before taking his own life.
The link I posted is to a great story about how the Amish community has been coping since the tragedy.
Judge declines to release student on gun case:
One of the more bizarre stories I’ve posted about in the past few years was that of Robin Kittrell. He was the student from Whitewater High School in Georgia who brought an arsenal of weapons to the school in order to prevent a school shooting.
During his trial, he claimed that he left the weapons in his car accidentally for a trip that he was going on. I don’t know what kind of trip requires two rifles, two handguns, and a sword but whatever.
Kittrell pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to two years in a detention center.
Kittrell received his GED in detention and has requested an early release. The judge has denied that request stating that he would like to see Kittrell receive his high school diploma while in detention before considering early release.
While I think that Kittrell should have been sentenced to detention it may be for the best since he’s still receiving an education.
I hope he’s also receiving mental health treatment as well.
I received the following e-mail from Bluesboy who is another anti-scam advocate. This one involves craigslist and Martin Guitars…
This appears Sept 27 in Vancouver BC Craigslist (and likely in other cities I bet)
UPDATE – I notice a TON of vintage Martins in the Seattle CL, almost certainly the same guy! “Too good to be true” prices everywhere — I will bait one or two, but don’t dare use same email addies, as I dont want to alert him….
1948 Martin D-28, $2700
“This is a really nice example of the wonderful guitars that made Martin the ‘gold-standard’ of acoustic guitars. It’s a 1948 D-28 with Brazilian rosewood back and sides with the original finish. It still has the original keys, original ebony bridge, and original bone nut and saddle. This is a 60 year old guitar and is a wonderful investment piece while being as fine a guitar to enjoy playing as can be found. These old Martins just gain value every year. Their value doesn’t go up and down like alot of electric instruments do. This guitar hasn’t ever had a neck set or repitch done on it and plays great. I have it strung with a set of regular light guage (12-54) strings and the action is very comfortable, .060″ 1st string and .10″ 6th string at 12th fret, with no string buzz. It has been professionally refretted and set up.The bridge was reglued in the seventies and has stayed down. You can see in the pictures that the pick-guard pulled up around the edge in a couple of places and was reglued.There is one tiny chip of it missing. It has never had a strap button hole drilled and has about average wear on the back of the neck. It has one crack on the back close to the neck block that has been glued and cleated. It can been seen clearly in the pictures. There has been one about 3″piece of ivoroid binding replaced on the top on the treble side 2 inches from center. I got this guitar from the son of the original owner.”
I faked interest, and got a reply from Steven Randy stevnrandy06@hotmail.com
“Hi,
The guitar is in great condition and the price I`m selling it for is $2700, which is including all shippings charges.
I live in Vncouver but I`m currently working in the UK (London) and I`ll be staying here for the next approximately 7 months, anyway I`m using MoneyBookers services so I can sell this guitar without difficulty. I left it at their warehouse before leaving to the UK. They will take care of the delivery with a 14-day return policy so you will have the chance to inspect it before final decision.
If you want to purchase it, let me know and I will explain you how MoneyBookers works and how we can move forward.
I am waiting your email.
Thanks”
I told him I wanted details, he replied:
“Hi again,
the guitar is in Calgary (at MoneyBookers storage facility). If you want to purchase it, let me explain you how MoneyBookers works and how we can proceed:
To start the official transaction, I need your full name and shipping address.
As soon as I receive your info, I will forward it to MoneyBookers, they start the transaction and will notify you with all the instructions (payment, shipping, my account status etc.) One of their agents will be assigned to receive and handle the payment. You have to make the payment using the exact details they will provide you with and when the payment is complete, you have to send them the transfers information, they verify it and will take care of the delivery. You will have a 14-day return policy, so you will have the chance to inspect the guitar and decide either you keep it or not. If you decide to keep it, they will release me the funds, if not they will be responsible for the return shipping and you will have a complete refund within 3 days.
Anyway, they will explain you detailed the entire process.
I am waiting your email.
Thanks”
So, wow, how convenient… my “brother” is in Calgary, can he go view the guitar?
I ask for the “MoneyBookers” phone number, of course he dodges it by:
“OK,
I have forwarded your info to MoneyBookers and they should get in touch with you soon with all the instructions.They do not offer a phone line for customer support, but they are eager to help in any way possible.
Please let me know when you hear from them.
Thanks”
Ok, so can you spot the red flags?
1. Price cheaper than the item is worth.
2. ‘Seller’ is overseas.
3. Request to wire the money.
4. Avoiding simple questions that any buyer would ask.
From what I understand MoneyBookers is a legitimate money transfer site but it is highly preferred by scam artists.
And now we also have another fake scammer name to add to the list.
Probe Launched into Kauhajoki Police Actions:
Prosecutors in Finland are launching a probe that will look into whether or not police acted properly in releasing Maati Saari and giving him back his gun.
I’m very unfamiliar with Finnish law so I can’t comment. The only thing I can say that if this happened in the U.S. then, in my opinion, they would have had probable cause to at least search the house.
I’d appreciate it if a legal expert from either country could weigh in on this.
Everett man gets 26-year prison term for pimping:
Do you remember Washington state pimp, Jerome Todd? He was the one who was pimping out women on craigslist so he could pay child support to 13 Children by 8 different mothers if my memory serves me correct.
Now he’s got 3 more dependents. A judge ordered him to pay $70K to the three women he was pimping out. Plus a pesky 26 years behind bars.
27-year-old Kevin R. Mayfield of Pleasantville, NJ was convicted yesterday of pimping out minor girls on craigslist in Atlantic City.
Mayfield also took nude pictures of the girls to use on the craigslist ad.
Mayfield’s cohort was 25-year-old Casson L. Coward who pleaded guilty back in 2007 and was sentenced to 10 years for his part.
Again I say who says there are no victims? Are two underage girls not victims enough for you?
LOS ANGELES — Actress and new mom Amanda Peet referred to parents who choose not to vaccinate their children as “parasites” in a recent interview. But despite her public apology aimed at parents of autistic children who believe that vaccines may have caused the illness, Jenny McCarthy hasn’t forgiven or forgotten.
“She (Peet) has a lot of [nerve] to come forward and be on that side, because there is an angry mob on my side, and I like the fact that I can say she’s completely wrong,” McCarthy (whose 6-year-old son has autism) tells the upcoming issue of Spectrum magazine, which hits stands Wednesday.
If I was Amanda Peet I would not only have not apologized I would have called her ignorant, misinformed, a Luddite, and a fearmonger as well.
Authorities Find Children’s Frozen Corpses:
I couldn’t decide on whether to call her Homey the Clown because of her hair or The Frog because of her neck. So Frog Clown over there is 43-year-old Renee Bowman of Lusby, Maryland.
Police were investigating her home over the weekend because of child abuse complaints.
While police were searching the house they discovered the frozen corpses of two children in her freezer. They’re believed to be the bodies of her adopted daughters. Bowman allegedly admitted that the bodies have been in there since at least February. The girls are believed to be 11 and 9.
There was also a 7-year-old girl in the house who Bowman allegedly beat with a shoe. The girl escaped by jumping out of a window.
The three girls were adopted out of foster care in Washington D.C. I would lay odds that Bowman was collecting checks for the girls after they were gone.
Thanks to Marley, Tony and Daniel for the tip.
No indication that police action prompted Saari to move up Kauhajoki attack:
Someone is saying, I’m not sure who because the article doesn’t say, that Matti Saari did not attack the school last Monday because the police interrogated him the Friday before. Whoever is saying that is mistaken.
Why else would he attack on that Monday if he wasn’t interrogated the Friday before? It seems obvious that he knew that police were getting close to uncovering his plan so he stepped it up.
My guess was that since he was such a ‘special friend’ of Pekka-Eric Auvinen that he was more than likely waiting for the anniversary of Jokela.
That’s the way the tiny minds of these mutants work.