My Opinions & Rants

FW: CURTAIN RODS

2009-04-13T10:17:00.001-04:00

Sent: 2009-04-13 09:58
Subject: CURTAIN RODS

CURTAIN RODS---- PRICELESS You gotta read this!

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods!

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days.

Then slowly, the house began to smell.

They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out.

Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

NOTHING WORKED.

People stopped coming over to visit.

Repairmen refused to work in the house.

The maid quit.

Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house.

Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.

Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home...

And to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods.

I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON'T YOU?

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Where is Rip Hamilton when you need him?

2009-01-28T14:23:00.001-05:00

So the city of Coatesville is under siege by an unknown group of terrorists, yes I said terrorists because that is exactly what they are. You don't have to be of middle eastern descent or on a holy war to be a terrorist. These terrorists have set at least 20 fires in Coatesville this year alone, yep 20 fires in 30 days! This past weekend most of a city block was lost to an arson fire. The city has declared a state of emergency, Federal agencies have been brought in along with resources from the state. The city and the citizens crime commission have posted money for a reward but so far nobody else has stepped up. Rip comes back every year and gives a block party and every time he's interviewed he says he's from Coatesville but he's been conspicuously absent during this crisis. I really think that the city could use a boost from it's favorite player not necessarily monetarily although that might help people to come forward with information, but just a short appearance to appeal to the community at large to help out and bring this chapter to a close before it gets even worse.

Check out http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/DLN/cvsoe/index.html for more info.

A New Messiah or A New Political Hack?

2009-01-20T14:33:00.001-05:00

I am so sick of all of the people who seem to think that President Obama is the New Messiah and will magically turn things around. Is this how he won the election, is it because so many people are unable to think and reason for themselves and believe any and everything that they hear on TV or read on the internet? Have we become a nation of sheep? Where have the true patriots gone?

President Obama is my Commander & Chief and I will obey any lawful order given by him or those appointed by him and while I didn't vote for him I will support him because he is the president and respect him for what he has risked to take this job. I certainly hope that he will do wonderful things and help get our country back on the path it should be on. We have gone astray and need some serious leadership to get us back were we belong. However...... if anyone thinks that those changes will happen overnight or even in his first term they are delusional at best and just plain nuts at worst. The changes that need to take place in this country will not happen overnight nor will they happen just because the new President says so. Things will take time and given this crisis didn't just start last week it will take a long time to correct it. Things will most likely get worse before they will start to get better, more people will lose their jobs, their homes, and in some cases their lives as we work through these trying times. It will not be fun and games, those days have run their course and now we must suck it up and pay for the fun we had. What we have done is no different then binge spending on a credit card, it's a blast while you are doing it but all too fast you reach your credit limit and the bank wants you to start paying for all that fun you had. In my opinion that is where most of us are in this country. The banks and others were very liberal with their money lending and many of us got way more credit then we ever should have, now all of a sudden the money isn't there anymore and things have turned sour. Of course this has an effect on everyone and ends up as a vicious cycle of financial crisis, consumers are over extended so they can't spend anymore like they were, they just keep up with the necessities of life and don't spend on the fun things as much. Because of this many companies who were betting on all that consumer spending are having troubles, this causes the banks to lose money on the interest as people stop borrowing as much money, which in turn causes companies to close or cut back which results in job loss. This of course adds to the current lack of consumer spending because fewer consumers have money to spend, this causes the same effect as before all over again.

Our country will get through this crisis and any other crisis that comes our way, not because we have elected a certain person as our president or because we have democrats or republicans in charge. We will get through this because we are the greatest nation in the world with some of the toughest and most resilient people on earth. We will help each other and will do whatever it takes to fix our situation, not because one man or a group of men and women say we should but because that is our nature as human beings and as citizens of this great country.

So, Good Luck President Obama, as a military man I stand ready to carry out any orders you give and to do whatever is necessary to protect my country and her people from those who will do us harm. As I have sworn I will defend the Constitution of the United States, and protect her from all enemies foreign and domestic. So Solider On my friends and remember even if you didn't vote for him you still have to respect the office that he holds.

To those who feel that George Bush is at fault for everything that is wrong with this country I say this; "Get a Clue and read a little history." This crisis has been building for a long time and now it's time to pay the piper.

For my regular readers check me out on facebook.

Hero's Laid to Rest

2009-01-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

Two Heros were laid to rest today.

Major/Dr John Pryor

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20090105_Hundreds_of_mourners_for_Penn_doctor_killed_in_Iraq.html

FF Michelle Smith

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090105/NEWS/90105019

America Loses Another Hero

2008-12-23T08:18:00.001-05:00

Another Hero was lost yesterday. Volunteer FF Michelle Smith of the Delaware City DE FD succumbed to injuries she received while operating at a motor vehicle accident Sat (12/20) evening on Rt 13 in Wilmington Manor DE. Smith was the driver of the DE City ambulance that evening working a standby assignment for the Wilmington Manor FD who was having a company function. While assisting with paitent care of a motocyclist who had lost control of his bike on Rt 13, both Smith & the victim Edward Reiss were struck by a BMW driven by Joseph Taye of Bear DE.

FF Smith was a very active member of the Delaware City FD, serving as a firefighter, the secretary of the Ladies Auxilary, and as an ambulance driver. She was also active with the companies fire prevention program and received the Edward McCormack Award from the DE State Fire Prevention Commission for her excellence in fire prevention education. FF Smith is survived by a 12 year old daughter. Any time of year is difficult to lose a hero such as this but at the holiday season it is even more devestating especially for her 12 year old daughter. Please take a moment to remember her and all of Michelle's family and friends in your prayers.

Rest Easy Sister, your brothers and sisters of the fire service will do everything they can for your daughter. You will never be forgotten.

More info at http://www.dcfc15.com

DE LODD Arrest

2008-12-23T07:50:00.001-05:00

Just an update, they arrested the POS that killed FF Smith. Hopefully justice will be served and this waste of air will not be free for many years. Be Safe. - Chuck

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20081223/NEWS01/812230351

RIP EMT Michelle Smith

2008-12-22T13:39:00.001-05:00

Rest In Peace Michelle. You gave your life helping another and that is by far the greatest thing a person can do.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20081222/NEWS/81222025

Vietnam Survivor Killed in Philly!

2008-11-12T07:39:00.001-05:00

These people are animals should be executed on sight.
Survived Vietnam, only to die here
Man killed, wife raped in Upper Darby 'blitz'
By STEPHANIE FARR
Philadelphia Daily News
farrs@phillynews.com 215-854-4225
Hoa Pham, once a decorated second lieutenant in the South Vietnamese Army, survived seven years as a prisoner in North Vietnam after the fall of Saigon.

But Pham, 60, didn't survive two hours as a prisoner in his own "house of horrors" Monday night, after a robber broke into his Upper Darby home and conducted a "blitz" assault on Pham and his 58-year-old wife, according to police.

"To spend seven years in a North Vietnamese prison camp and then to come here and reach this kind of ending . . . it's a sad commentary," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

Pham's wife, whose name is being withheld by the Daily News, was brutally beaten and repeatedly sexually assaulted, but survived the attack and remained in critical but stable condition at Delaware County Memorial Hospital.

As of yesterday, her family had yet to tell her that she would never see her husband again.
"She doesn't know about my dad yet," said Son Pham, the couple's 22-year-old son. "She's pretty weak right now, and we're scared it might shock her."

The "sadistic and brutal" attack began about 8:15 p.m., when a man broke into the couple's home on Copley Road near Sansom Street while they were asleep upstairs, Chitwood said.

The assailant beat the couple and demanded money from them, police said, and after they gave him all they had, he demanded more and continued to beat them.

Bound with electrical wires from their own home, the couple was dragged downstairs, where they were stabbed and beaten with objects that police declined to identify.

The assailant sent the wife upstairs to search for more money, but he caught her trying to use her cell phone instead. That's when he sexually assaulted her, Chitwood said.

After holding the Phams hostage for more than an hour, the man fled, leaving Pham bleeding from the head and face on a first-floor porch, where he was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m.

"Detectives described it as a house of horror. . . . Blood was all over the first and second floors," Chitwood said.
Pham's wife, who suffered stab wounds and significant fractures to her hands, arms, face and head, was able to escape to a relative's home nearby, where she called police, Chitwood said.

Son Pham, the second-youngest of the couple's six children, said that he learned of the attack about 10:30 p.m., when he received an instant message from his sister while he was studying at Temple University, where he's majoring in computer science.

"I went home as quickly as possible," he said in front of his parent's house yesterday. "I've been waiting out here all day and all night to get in."

The couple's rowhouse, where they've lived for 14 years, is across the street from St. Alice's Church, which the family attended every Sunday, said Son Pham, who lives nearby with his brother.

"I lived here for so long, I would never think anything like that would happen," he said.
Son Pham said his family has a lot of support from the predominantly Vietnamese neighborhood. His oldest sister, who lives in Vietnam, also is being surrounded by friends and relatives there, he said.

All five of the Phams' other children reside in Pennsylvania, including a son who is a member of the Naval Reserves, Son Pham said.

Hoa Pham came to America with his oldest son by boat 17 years ago. His wife and five other children joined him two years later, Son Pham said.

For some time, Hoa Pham was employed as a steelworker, but most recently he worked at Alloy Surfaces, in Chester Township, his son said.

Son Pham said that his mother was a homemaker who often baby-sat some of her six grandchildren.
Although police believe that the attack was random, Son Pham thinks his parents had been targeted by someone who knew that they were an older couple alone at the time.

"Right now, I'm not sure of the story myself," he said.
"I just know my dad is not around anymore."
Upper Darby police are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer, who is described only as a muscular man in his late 20s or early 30s, around 6 feet tall. Those with information about the crime are urged to call 610- 734-7677. *

Happy Birthday Marines!

2008-11-10T10:48:00.001-05:00

Interesting, the 1st Marine is buried in a Quaker Cemetery in Philadelphia. Happy Birthday to the Marines!

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20081110_At_dawn_in_Phila___homage_to_the_first_Marine.html

Remembering a Hero

2008-11-02T02:03:00.002-05:00

Last night they remembered a true hero from Philadelphia. He didn't hit the winning run of the series, nor did he make the winning catch. He did something much more important, he gave his life protecting the citizens of Philadelphia from the evil people who would do them harm. Rest Easy Officer Chuck Cassidy, the city is lucky to have fine men and women like you protecting it.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6483863

RIP Hoppity Rabbit

2008-10-15T09:09:00.001-04:00

Monday sucked. That's about the best I can put it. While I was away one of our rabbits took a turn for the worse. He had been having some trouble moving around but he went down hill and couldn't use his back legs anymore. So I got back on Sat and Mon morning I called the Vet's office and took him in. We know it was the right thing to do so he isn't suffering but it doesn't make it any easier. Rest in Peace Hoppity.

The Rainbow Bridge

inspired by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over... together.
(c) 1998 Steve and Diane Bodofsky. All Rights Reserved

God Speed Paul Newman

2008-09-28T01:24:00.002-04:00

Though I never got the chance to meet Paul. He was many times only 2 doors down on our working class neighborhood in Broomall PA. Our neighbors were very friendly with Paul & his family. Of course being a younster I didn't get an invite to any event which had paul. But from the stories I had heard, Paul was a standup guy who tried and didn;t try and hide mental health

issues no did he shy away from the probloms that go along with the medical conition

Pual would stop to eat at my neighbor's small suburbnn home. Usually it was quick & quiet round wiht 6ual egging on his

Rest Easy Patrick McDonald

2008-09-24T17:32:00.002-04:00

Yesterday the world lost another hero. Officer Patrick McDonald was executed on the streets of Philadelphia. Daniel Giddings, the scumbag who did this was chased down and killed by brother officers. Officer Richard Bowes was wounded during the gunfight with Giddings. Officer McDonald was only on the job for 8 short years however he had already been recruited for the elite Highway Patrol unit. Officer McDonalds father was a retired Captain from the Philadelphia FD.

Daniel Giddings was a career scumbag who was out on patrol after serving 10 years of a 12 year sentence. The gun was purchased in South Carolina by a straw purchaser who bought the gun and illegally sold it. The ATF is questioning this loser and hopefully will make him or her the poster child for straw purchasing and sent them to the federal pen for at least 20 years!

Details on the shooting and funeral arrangements can be found at

6 ABC & at FOP Lodge 5

Condolences can be left at The Officer Down Memorial Page

My prayers go out to the family and friends of Patrick McDonald and Richard Giddings and his family & friends.

9-11-08

2008-09-18T12:22:00.001-04:00

I was traveling on 9-11 but I still did not forget that fateful day in 2001 when so many gave their lives. Actually it was kind of eerie to be flying on that day but I had no choice in the matter. To many around me it seemed like just another day which is truly ashame. We must never forget what happened that day and those who died. It's only been 7 years but to many it must be ancient history to others so it is as vivid as yesterday.

http://www.fdnylodd.com/9-11-Never-Forget/Memorials/Blood-Of-Heroes.html

Murderer on the Loose in Philly!

2008-09-16T08:38:00.000-04:00

Very nice. As we privatize more and more services things like this can't help but happen. My questions is, what are the qualifications of the people transporting him? I am reasonably sure that being private agents they are not authorized to go armed on the aircraft unlike a public servant who is authorized to fly armed. This guy is a convicted murderer, not a traffic offender or something silly like that, he's a serious felon who should have had serious security on him. Kudo's to the state of DE on trying to save money by cutting costs where it shouldn't!

A man sentenced to a life term in Delaware is at large after his escape at Philadelphia International Airport.
The Delaware Department of Correction says 43-year-old Tarriq Ali, also known as Wendell Husser, was being transported from California back to Delaware by a private prisoner transportation service when he escaped.

The department says the escape happened about midnight Friday but department officials weren't informed until Sunday.

A company called Prisoner Transport Services of America had been hired by the state to return Ali to Delaware.

Ali was convicted of attempted murder in Delaware in 1995, but was sent to California under a prisoner exchange agreement.

Bomb Found

2008-09-16T07:13:00.001-04:00

This is getting a little close to home. I am in West Chester often enough that this scares me a bit. - Chuck
Bomb found at West Chester garage was "designed to injure"
By Kathleen Brady Shea
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Authorities are working to determine who placed a "dangerous" bomb outside a well-used, downtown West Chester parking garage, prompting building evacuations and detouring traffic for hours Monday

Local police called in the Montgomery County Bomb Squad, which serves the 5-county area. Montgomery County Sheriff John P. Durante, who heads the unit, said officials determined about 1 p.m. that a suspicious package, which had been found earlier by the parking attendant, was a device "that can maim and cause death."

And John T. Hagenman, an spokesman for the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is involved in the investigation, said the bomb was "designed to injure...this was not a device used by someone who was playing around."

Experts successfully detonated the explosive, Durante said. He said the bomb squad would maintain a presence in the area for at least 24 hours as the investigation proceeds.

"Without getting into any specifics - and certainly we don't want to compromise any ongoing investigation - somebody obviously intended ill harm," said West Chester Police Chief Scott L. Bohn. "It certainly was a dangerous device."

Bohn said police were called to the Mosteller garage on Chestnut and Walnut streets at 7:25 a.m. Monday by the garage attendant, who noticed a "suspicious package" outside the west entrance.

Officers who searched the premises found two additional packages inside, prompting the closure of several nearby businesses, including the YMCA, which had to relocate its child day-care center, said Bohn. The additional packages proved to be nonexplosive, he said.

Bohn also said the door to the 24-hour garage's electrical panel, which is normally locked, was open. He said he did not know yet whether the open door was related to the explosive.

Sections of High, Chestnut and Walnut streets were closed most of the day and traffic was detoured around the site until 5:30 p.m. when everything but a stretch of Chestnut by the garage was reopened.

At the same time, as police and ATF agents were still collecting evidence, drivers who had left their vehicles in the garage before it was closed in the morning were allowed to retrieve them. The garage will be open for business as usual Tuesday morning, police said.

Bohn said authorities do not believe the incident resembled the work of the so-called "suburban bomber."
From March 2000 through November 2001, 20 bombs were found along the border of Chester and Montgomery Counties, mainly in the Phoenixville area. No one was hurt, but police have said many of the devices were dangerous and designed to kill. The identity of the bomber, and the motive, remain a mystery.

The site of the discovery is ultimately destined for demolition. Several years ago, the West Chester Borough Council, which owns the garage, voted to replace the 35-year-old structure, which has 414 parking spaces, with a modern, bigger facility, a process that is still in the planning stages.

Heading Home

2008-09-10T17:06:00.004-04:00

We are heading out shortly to return home. We accomplished much and made some great friends. It is with a heavy heart that we return though as it looks like Ike may head this way. Rest assured though there are thousands of other guardsmen waiting to come to the aid of anywhere that Ike comes. I have seen a tremendous outpouring of support down here and it is awesome. This is what we do, we help each other out in a time of need. The national guard (both Army & Air) are fully prepared and fully able to provide any support necessary for whatever disaster, natural or otherwise that hits this country.

Tommorroy is 9/11 and I will be traveling home. Please take a moment to remember those who gave their lives on the fateful day and all those who have given their lives since. Also to all those deployed you are in our prayers. So tommorrow raise a glass to "Absent Companions", drain your glass and put it upside down on the bar.

Check Out - Blackfive for more info on this toast.

Gustav & Ike

2008-09-07T19:35:00.003-04:00

Still here waiting to see what Ike will do. The folks here at the LANG have treated us like kings, the food has been amazing and they appreciate our help. Things down south are pretty bad even though nobody is reporting it.

Special thanks to Miss Linda for keeping the club open every day since the hurricane. The cold beers after a hot busy day were awesome.

More to follow!

GUSTAV

2008-09-05T07:24:00.002-04:00

I am currently in Pineville LA helping our friends at the LA National Guard get back on their feet. The left thinking media isn't reporting much but there is some serious damage in LA, this area isn't real bad but there is some flooding and lots of power problems. I'll report as I can on the situation.

God Speed Robert Hazard

2008-08-07T13:10:00.001-04:00

I grew up listening to the Hooters & Cindi Lauper in the 80's. Robert Hazard & the Hero's played at all the local clubs. I think I may have seen them play at the Borse building in Philly the one day we skipped school and went in for a live radio broadcast of John Debella's Morning Zoo. So I was shocked to read that Robert Hazard died at age 59 Tues night. God Speed Robert, your music made for good times.

http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20080807_Robert_Hazard__Philly_rocker_and_songwriter.html

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080807_Philly_rock_legend_Robert_Hazard_dies_at_59.html

Mayor Nutter Kicks Butt!

2008-08-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

I hope Mayor Nutter's statements are not just political grandstanding, I'd like to think that he is a positive change for Philly government. I love his statement where he said if it was his daughter who was treated that way by people who were supposed to protect her he would personally kick their ass! Apparently the policies at Philly's DHS are even more protective of idiots than those of the federal system. Those involved have been suspended with pay which to me seems to be a reward for doing horrible things. I will warn you that the details of this report are not easy to read. I hope that those involved fry for this and I hope her death haunts them for the rest of their lives because what they did was despicable. I hope this sends a message to others who think that they can just show up each day at DHS and screw off. To those who were involved from the top down I just have one thing to comment, "One day you will be old and unable to care for yourself and I certainly hope that you get the same level of care that young Danieal got from you! Rot in Hell you POS!

7 more at DHS suspended
Irate Mayor Nutter: 'I am heartbroken by what has happened'
By WENDY RUDERMAN & CATHERINE LUCEY
Philadelphia Daily News
rudermw@phillynews.com 215-854-2860
Mayor Nutter didn't review Danieal Kelly's death through the lens of a mayor, or as a 25-year public servant.
He was haunted by the girl's death as a dad.
So much so that Nutter's voice quivered and he seemed to fight tears yesterday as he announced more suspensions of DHS workers in connection with the starvation death of Danieal, who had cerebral palsy and whimpered one word - "water" - in the days before her death. The 14-year-old girl wasted away to 42 pounds - the weight of a typical 5-year-old - with bedsores to the bone.

"I read the grand jury report not just as the mayor of this city but also as the father of a daughter," Nutter said.
"It is appalling. It is outrageous. And I am heartbroken by what has happened here."
He added, "I am fully, thoroughly and completely pissed off about what has happened here . . . When I think of my own daughter and if she were in someone else's care and [city workers] performed the way some of these individuals did, I would kick their ass myself."

Alternately sounding sad and angry, Nutter promised that Danieal's death "will not be in vain" and said he will not tolerate lax city employees.

Yesterday, he suspended seven DHS supervisors and top-level administrators, including Ingrid Hawk, Shawn Davis, Janice Walker, Valerie Mond, Martha Poller, Wesley Brown and Pamela Mayo.

All have been suspended with pay, pending an internal investigation into Danieal's death.
Nutter's action brings the total number of DHS suspensions to nine. Two DHS workers - Dana Poindexter and Laura Sommerer - were suspended last week after District Attorney Lynne Abraham filed criminal charges against them.

Those suspended did not return phone calls or declined comment when reached by the Daily News yesterday. Two did not answer their home phones and no answering machine picked up.

In a written statement, Cathy Scott, president of District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, also declined to discuss the individual suspensions, citing "the possibility that additional legal and/or personnel actions may be taken."

"Today's DHS is no longer the DHS of two years ago. But the hard work to reform and improve must continue . . . We take our responsibilities to the children very seriously," Scott said.

Paramedics found Danieal's emaciated body on a soiled mattress littered with feces. Her entire back was a gully of maggot-infested bedsores. When paramedics lifted her body, an imprint of her body was left in the mattress. For months, she lay dying in a dark, hot room without food or water. All the while, DHS employees and outside social workers - paid by the city - were supposed to check up on her.

During yesterday's news conference, Nutter praised the "heroes" in DHS who work hard every day to protect the young and vulnerable in the city.

Then Nutter issued a warning to DHS employees who don't measure up: "For the very few, whoever they may be, if this is not the kind of work that you're prepared to do . . . then you should leave this city government right now," Nutter said.

"We don't need you and we don't want you in this government when we have the kind of behaviors that we've seen as a result of this grand jury report."

Nutter said he will be meeting with DHS staff today, to talk about his expectations from staff. He said that every aspect of DHS is under review. In particular, all the cases assigned to Poindexter and Sommerer have been reassigned and are under review and all of Poindexter's cases will receive new investigations, new safety assessments and new home visits, Nutter said.

Last week marked Poindexter's fourth suspension, said the grand jury, which noted that "Poindexter's slovenly, neglectful, and dangerously reckless work habits were not limited to Danieal's case."

Public-interest lawyer Carol Tracy, a member of a DHS oversight panel convened by then-Mayor John Street in 2006, called the suspensions "appropriate." She said the report revealed that DHS failed from the caseworker level to all the way up the chain of command. "It isn't just one failure," Tracy said. Nutter expressed confidence in DHS Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose, whom he named in June, to carry out needed reforms.

He said there's "no need" for the state to take over DHS, as Abraham called for last week.
When a reporter noted that employees involved in Danieal's case were still in their jobs two years after her death, Nutter said, "They're not in place today." *

Larry Mendte is a Felon!

2008-07-23T20:13:00.004-04:00

As far as I am concerned what Larry Mendte committed several serious felonies and should be locked up for a long time. The current prediction is that he will cop a plea and get 0 to 6 months of federal time. That is a total bunch of crap. He didn't just peek at Alycia Lane's mail, he plotted to do it and installed a program to capture her every key stroke on her computer at the TV station. He then used her stolen (yes stolen) information to read her e-mails, her private e-mails constantly, as many as 11 times a day, which is probably more than Alycia was reading her own mail. What he did was not a minor crime it was serious and it was stalking. He should pay by doing some serious time and the Fed's should use this to send a clear message that in the age of cyberspace that this type of behavior is a serious crime. I say 3 to 5 for old Larry.

Also Channel 3 bears some serious responsibility, as some may know my profession is computer security and to have a lack of administrative controls on their systems is not just stupid it's negligent. Yes this was a sophisticated hardware keylogger the same type used by the FBI but good security practices should have caught this device quickly as any device connected has to interface with the operating system and can be detected, especially with by a company that can pay it's news anchors over 700K a year to read a TV screen and look pretty! So I am sure that Larry will pay dearly in the civil suit as will CBS & Channel 3. With a yearly salary of 780K a year on the line in a civil suit along with a major rising star news anchor's reputation I am sure they can pay for some serious expert witnesses to come into court and show just how neglient the TV station was with their lack of computer security. Plus if I was a source for anyone at that station I'd be dropping out of site quickly knowing that their information was so insecure.

What's your take on all of this? Here's some links

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Surgeon sued for giving anesthetized patient temporary tattoo

2008-07-16T13:11:00.001-04:00

This was stupid and will probably end up being very costly. I have joked about getting my wife a tattoo in the small of her back during one of her sugeries but this guy crossed the line with where he put the tattoo. I don't think she deserves a huge payday out of it but he should be punished. -Chuck

Surgeon sued for giving anesthetized patient temporary tattoo
By Don Sapatkin
Inquirer Staff Writer
In a lawsuit filed yesterday, a Camden County woman accused her orthopedic surgeon of "rubbing a temporary tattoo of a red rose" on her belly while she was under anesthesia.

The patient discovered the tattoo below the panty line the next morning, when her husband was helping her get dressed to go home after the operation for a herniated disc, her attorney, Gregg A. Shivers, said in a phone interview yesterday.

"She was extremely emotionally upset by it," said Shivers. The suit, filed on behalf of Elizabeth Mateo in Camden County Superior Court, seeks punitive and compensatory damages from Steven Kirshner, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with offices in Marlton and Lumberton, both in Burlington County.

Kirshner does not deny placing the tattoo - and has left washable marks on patients before to improve their spirits, his lawyer, Robert Agre of Haddonfield, said last night. He said none has complained.

"What's offensive about this complaint is that it suggests something he did was intended to be prurient, and nothing could be further from the truth," said Agre. "It was intended just to make the patient feel better."

Nevertheless, said Art Caplan, chairman of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's Department of Medical Ethics, "you cannot do something like this even as a joke."

"If it's true," said Caplan, whose knowledge of the case was limited to a reporter's summary, "she's got a case."
Caplan recalled news reports of other cases where physicians left an inappropriate mark, such as a football logo, which had a legitimate purpose, such as indicating the placement of an organ for a future cut.

In a highly publicized case in 1999, a doctor in New York City went further by carving his initials into a patient's abdomen after delivering her baby by Caesarean section.

Mateo, the patient from Pennsauken, declined to comment last night.
Shivers, who practices in Cherry Hill, would describe his client only as a clerical worker in her mid-30s with a husband and young children.

Her suit does not criticize the operation's quality and names only the surgeon who performed it at Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County on April 28. The health system released a statement saying "the Mateo family has acknowledged that Virtua was in no way responsible for the incident."

In an announcement about the civil action, Shivers said that the hospital had "immediately conducted a diligent and responsible investigation" that found no witnesses. "The patient reports that the hospital has treated her with appropriate respect and professionalism as she has gone through this difficult experience," the statement concluded.

Part of his client's concern, Shivers said, was knowing what took place.
"We're assuming that it would have to have happened after surgery," he said, "because during surgery she would be on her stomach."

In addition to the lawsuit, Shivers said he mailed a related complaint to the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners yesterday.

The board said it had no record of past actions against Kirshner, and hadn't received the complaint in the mail.
The doctor's attorney, Agre, who had seen neither the board complaint nor the lawsuit, said the doctor had "never been accused of anything."

"Most of the patients are delighted by Dr. Kirshner's sense of humor," he said, adding that the 51-year-old surgeon who lives in Lumberton and did his medical training at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia is "renowned as a jovial guy and regarded as a doctor who has terrific relations with his patients and with his staff."

"He vigorously denies that any action of his was intended to offend the patient," Agre said, noting that the marks the surgeon has left on his patients "are like children's tattoos. Kids put them on themselves and they wash right off."

Frank Farley, a psychologist at Temple University who was read a summary of the lawsuit, speculated about why a surgeon who had performed an operation on the back would leave a red rose on his patient's belly.

"It is not part of the doctor-patient relationship in that case," said Farley, a former president of the American Psychological Association who studies risk-taking personalities and behavior.

"Unless you think you are Georgia O'Keeffe and you think people's bodies are your canvas," he said, "why would you take that risk?"

2008-07-16T12:01:00.001-04:00

This is a very costly prank. Idiots!

23. July 15, Press-Register - (Alabama) Charges follow water alarm. Two young men who climbed to the top of a Stapleton, Alabama, water tower created a security scare and expense for the utility, as well as potential big bills and long jail sentences for themselves, a water system administrator said. The general manager of North Baldwin Utilities said the two suspects may have opened the hatch on top of the tower before they were brought down and arrested early Sunday. The incident triggered automatic safety measures designed to respond to a suspected terrorist attack - primarily the draining of 750,000 gallons from the tower. A crew was disinfecting it Monday and after testing, it will be refilled by the end of the week. Endangering the food or water supply is a Class B felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison upon conviction, according to state law. Source: http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/1216113332209370.xml&coll=3

Loser Steal from Food Bank!

2008-06-23T14:53:00.001-04:00

What kind of loser steals from the food bank? How low can you get to steal from the needy. I hope they catch these jerks and make them do community service feeding the poor and needy. What can you possibly do with that much chicken unless you have a store or somebody to unload it with, I hope they get caught too for buying stolen food.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080623/NEWS01/80623028