Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sixty pint beer binge leads to four-week hangover
PARIS (AFP) — It may be the longest hangover in the history of binge beer drinking. When a 37-year old man walked into a hospital emergency room in Glasgow, Scotland last October complaining of "wavy" vision and a non-stop headache that had lasted four weeks, doctors were at first stumped, the British journal The Lancet reported Friday.
The unnamed patient "had no history of head injury or loss of consciousness; his past medical record was unremarkable, and he was taking no medications," Zia Carrim and two other physicians from Southern General Hospital said in a case report.
Body temperature and blood pressure were both normal, and a neurological exam scanned negative.
But when an eye specialist was called in, the fog began to clear, at least for the doctors.
The patient, said the ophthalmologist, had swollen optical discs, greatly enlarged blind spots and what eye doctors call "flame haemorrhages," or bleeding nerve fibres.
"We sought a more detailed history" from the patient, noted Zia drly.
That is when the man revealed he had consumed some 60 pints -- roughly 35 litres -- of beer over a four day period, following a domestic crisis.
Severe dehydration caused the alcohol, the doctors guessed, had led to a rare condition called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). A scan of the brain's blood vessels confirmed the diagnosis.
CVST -- which can cause seizures, impaired consciousness, loss of vision and neurological damage -- strikes three or four people per million, mainly children, every year in Britain. The cause is generally unknown.
It took more than six months of long-term blood-thinning treatment to restore the man's normal vision -- and to get rid of the headache, the doctors reported.
The unnamed patient "had no history of head injury or loss of consciousness; his past medical record was unremarkable, and he was taking no medications," Zia Carrim and two other physicians from Southern General Hospital said in a case report.
Body temperature and blood pressure were both normal, and a neurological exam scanned negative.
But when an eye specialist was called in, the fog began to clear, at least for the doctors.
The patient, said the ophthalmologist, had swollen optical discs, greatly enlarged blind spots and what eye doctors call "flame haemorrhages," or bleeding nerve fibres.
"We sought a more detailed history" from the patient, noted Zia drly.
That is when the man revealed he had consumed some 60 pints -- roughly 35 litres -- of beer over a four day period, following a domestic crisis.
Severe dehydration caused the alcohol, the doctors guessed, had led to a rare condition called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). A scan of the brain's blood vessels confirmed the diagnosis.
CVST -- which can cause seizures, impaired consciousness, loss of vision and neurological damage -- strikes three or four people per million, mainly children, every year in Britain. The cause is generally unknown.
It took more than six months of long-term blood-thinning treatment to restore the man's normal vision -- and to get rid of the headache, the doctors reported.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Jealous Wife Nearly Severs Hubby's Penis
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A Malaysian court sentenced an Indonesian woman to prison for six months for almost severing her husband's penis out of jealousy, police said Wednesday.
Umidah Setu, an Indonesian migrant worker living in Malaysia, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday in the southern city of Johor Bahru to voluntarily causing hurt, said Che Yussof Che Ngah, deputy chief of Johor state's criminal investigations department.
Umidah, a 47-year-old canteen operator, was arrested Sunday after her husband, who is also from Indonesia, filed a police report claiming she tried to cut off his penis with a knife, Che Yussof said.
Che Yussof said the man, whom he declined to identify, received 11 stitches after going to the hospital on his motorcycle for treatment.
Che Yussof said the dispute surfaced because Umidah was jealous of another woman, but he declined to elaborate on whether the man had been having an affair.
The couple have been married for 17 years and have two children, the New Straits Times newspaper said.
Muslim men in Malaysia are allowed to take up to four wives. It was not clear if Umidah will appeal the sentence.
Umidah Setu, an Indonesian migrant worker living in Malaysia, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday in the southern city of Johor Bahru to voluntarily causing hurt, said Che Yussof Che Ngah, deputy chief of Johor state's criminal investigations department.
Umidah, a 47-year-old canteen operator, was arrested Sunday after her husband, who is also from Indonesia, filed a police report claiming she tried to cut off his penis with a knife, Che Yussof said.
Che Yussof said the man, whom he declined to identify, received 11 stitches after going to the hospital on his motorcycle for treatment.
Che Yussof said the dispute surfaced because Umidah was jealous of another woman, but he declined to elaborate on whether the man had been having an affair.
The couple have been married for 17 years and have two children, the New Straits Times newspaper said.
Muslim men in Malaysia are allowed to take up to four wives. It was not clear if Umidah will appeal the sentence.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Central Park Lovers Get Engaged.....Then Mugged
NEW YORK - For richer, for poorer? It'll have to be for poorer after Luke Jacunski and his girlfriend were robbed at gunpoint just seconds after he proposed.
Jacunski got on one knee and popped the question to his girlfriend of six months, Mami Nagase, in a romantic spot at a gazebo in Central Park on Saturday night. She had just agreed to marry him when, they said, a gunman jumped from the bushes and yelled, "Give me your money and get on the ground!"
As Jacunski, 30, and Nagase, 24, got on the ground, he was able to slip the engagement ring off her finger and hide it in his pocket.
The robber took a Rolex watch from Nagase and $125 from Jacunski, who had planned to use it to pay for a romantic dinner at a French restaurant. The robber then ran away.
Nagase, an artist from Japan, and Jacunski, a musician from Cincinnati, spent the next several hours at a police station looking at mug shots and sharing potato chips for dinner. They said they still plan to get married.
"It makes for a pretty good story for our anniversary," Jacunski said.
He said the night could have been much worse: After he proposed, Nagase could have said no.
Jacunski got on one knee and popped the question to his girlfriend of six months, Mami Nagase, in a romantic spot at a gazebo in Central Park on Saturday night. She had just agreed to marry him when, they said, a gunman jumped from the bushes and yelled, "Give me your money and get on the ground!"
As Jacunski, 30, and Nagase, 24, got on the ground, he was able to slip the engagement ring off her finger and hide it in his pocket.
The robber took a Rolex watch from Nagase and $125 from Jacunski, who had planned to use it to pay for a romantic dinner at a French restaurant. The robber then ran away.
Nagase, an artist from Japan, and Jacunski, a musician from Cincinnati, spent the next several hours at a police station looking at mug shots and sharing potato chips for dinner. They said they still plan to get married.
"It makes for a pretty good story for our anniversary," Jacunski said.
He said the night could have been much worse: After he proposed, Nagase could have said no.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Biker's penis hit by lightning
A Croatian motorbiker's penis was zapped by lightning as he stopped beside the road to take a leak.
Ante Djindjic, 29, from Zagreb, said: "I don't remember what happened. One minute I was taking a leak and the next thing I knew I was in hospital.
"Doctors said the lightning went through my body and because I was wearing rubber boots it earthed itself through my penis."
Djindjic, who suffered light burns to his chest and arms, added: "Thankfully, the doctors said that there would be no lasting effects, and my penis will function normally...eventually."
Monday, September 24, 2007
Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control Official Charged With DUI
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The executive director of the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control faces a drunken driving charge after he was arrested during a traffic stop.
Chris Lilly was pulled over Saturday on U.S. 27 outside Nicholasville because his Ford Explorer was missing a headlight, and because he was weaving and driving slowly, police said.
Police said Lilly smelled of alcohol, lost his balance during a sobriety test and recorded a Breathalyzer reading of 0.181. The legal limit is 0.08.
Gov. Ernie Fletcher appointed Lilly to the executive director position last year. Before that, Lilly was the commissioner of the state's Department of Public Protection and executive director for the Office Of Charitable Gaming.
Lilly posted $1,000 bail early Sunday, and was scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 18, Jessamine County Jailer Cecil Moss said.
Chris Lilly was pulled over Saturday on U.S. 27 outside Nicholasville because his Ford Explorer was missing a headlight, and because he was weaving and driving slowly, police said.
Police said Lilly smelled of alcohol, lost his balance during a sobriety test and recorded a Breathalyzer reading of 0.181. The legal limit is 0.08.
Gov. Ernie Fletcher appointed Lilly to the executive director position last year. Before that, Lilly was the commissioner of the state's Department of Public Protection and executive director for the Office Of Charitable Gaming.
Lilly posted $1,000 bail early Sunday, and was scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 18, Jessamine County Jailer Cecil Moss said.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Nurofen and beer will get Jim through
IF drug testers were working at the Lismore Masters Games, they would have to get a laugh out of Jim Phillips, or is this the President for Life of the Brew Crew.
The 43-year-old soccer player said he would use Nurofen and beer to help him through a busy weekend that couples a Far North Coast grand final with the Masters Games.
Phillips will play soccer in the Masters for defending gold medallists 64s today and tomorrow morning, before stepping up tomorrow afternoon for Lennox Head in the FNC premier reserve grand final, then returning to Masters competition on Sunday.
Its scarey, eh?, he said.
Ill be feeling those old injuries ... my bones will be creaking. I guess Id better get out the Nurofen pretty quickly.
Phillips stressed the importance of responsible pharmacology when self-medicating.
The Nurofen is before the match; I medicate with beer afterwards, he said.
The Coca-Cola sales rep from Skennars Head has been involved in soccer for nearly 40 years and earned the title of Soccer Legend for the Games this year.
Soccer legend, what a title, what an honour, he said wryly.
Ill be out all night celebrating after we win that one (the grand final), then backing up on Sunday for the Masters Games, he said.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Drunk Man Gets Trapped in Ex's Chimney
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Firefighters had to tear though a wall to rescue an intoxicated man who became stuck while trying to climb down a chimney into the residence of his former girlfriend.
Alejandro Valencio said he was drunk when he got into the chimney about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"Everyone do stupid things sometimes when they're drunk," he said.
Firefighters requested assistance from police after arriving because they said Connie Deweese was hampering the rescue effort by blocking the fireplace.
"I told them to leave him in the chimney and let him die," said Deweese, who received misdemeanor citations for disorderly conduct and interfering with a firefighter.
Deweese said she had known Valencio for about eight months but had told him to stay away from her residence. She said she locked the doors but "somehow he got to the roof."
"I've dated a lot of psychos in my life, but nobody like that," Deweese said.
Valencio returned to the residence after being treated at a hospital and was filmed by a local TV station as Deweese hit him with a garbage can and pelted him with bottles.
"Get off my porch, and don't you ever come back here," she yelled.
Valencio said he had a job and would help pay for the damages incurred from his rescue.
Alejandro Valencio said he was drunk when he got into the chimney about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"Everyone do stupid things sometimes when they're drunk," he said.
Firefighters requested assistance from police after arriving because they said Connie Deweese was hampering the rescue effort by blocking the fireplace.
"I told them to leave him in the chimney and let him die," said Deweese, who received misdemeanor citations for disorderly conduct and interfering with a firefighter.
Deweese said she had known Valencio for about eight months but had told him to stay away from her residence. She said she locked the doors but "somehow he got to the roof."
"I've dated a lot of psychos in my life, but nobody like that," Deweese said.
Valencio returned to the residence after being treated at a hospital and was filmed by a local TV station as Deweese hit him with a garbage can and pelted him with bottles.
"Get off my porch, and don't you ever come back here," she yelled.
Valencio said he had a job and would help pay for the damages incurred from his rescue.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Back seat sex blamed for car crash!!
MOSCOW, Idaho - A carnival worker who hit a telephone pole with his SUV blamed the crash on two friends having sex in the back seat.
Joshua D. Frank, who had been living on the Latah County Fairgrounds, pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of failing to notify a police officer of a traffic accident. He was fined $188.
Frank told Moscow police he was driving near downtown early Saturday while a man and woman were having sex in the rear of the vehicle. According to a probable cause affidavit, he said the movement caused the SUV to become "tippy" and he lost control of it.
Frank, 22, suffered a minor head wound in the crash and his friends were treated for unspecified injuries, according to the affidavit.
Joshua D. Frank, who had been living on the Latah County Fairgrounds, pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of failing to notify a police officer of a traffic accident. He was fined $188.
Frank told Moscow police he was driving near downtown early Saturday while a man and woman were having sex in the rear of the vehicle. According to a probable cause affidavit, he said the movement caused the SUV to become "tippy" and he lost control of it.
Frank, 22, suffered a minor head wound in the crash and his friends were treated for unspecified injuries, according to the affidavit.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Armless Man Delivers Fatal Head-Butt
SNELLVILLE, Ga. - Police are investigating the death of a man who collapsed after he was head-butted by an armless man in a fight over a woman. Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead said the two men, Charles Keith Teer and William Russell Redfern, scuffled Monday afternoon in the driveway of a suburban Atlanta home.
Police say Redfern, who was born with no right arm and only a short stump for his left arm, kicked Teer and Teer hit Redfern during the fight, which was due to long-standing bad blood over a woman who once dated Teer and now dates Redfern.
After bystanders separated them, Redfern "came back and head-butted (Teer) one time," Whitehead said.
Teer complained of feeling dizzy, collapsed, and died, Whitehead said.
After the fight, Redfern and the woman got into his truck and drove to the Snellville police station, Whitehead said. He said the couple had called 911 to report the dispute, then told the operator they needed an ambulance after Teer collapsed.
A woman who answered the telephone at Redfern's home, in suburban Tucker, Ga., said he had no comment. She declined to identify herself.
Police are awaiting autopsy results before deciding whether Redfern should be charged.
Known by the nickname "Rusty," Redfern made a name for himself in the late 1980s for pen and ink drawings he does using his foot.
Police say Redfern, who was born with no right arm and only a short stump for his left arm, kicked Teer and Teer hit Redfern during the fight, which was due to long-standing bad blood over a woman who once dated Teer and now dates Redfern.
After bystanders separated them, Redfern "came back and head-butted (Teer) one time," Whitehead said.
Teer complained of feeling dizzy, collapsed, and died, Whitehead said.
After the fight, Redfern and the woman got into his truck and drove to the Snellville police station, Whitehead said. He said the couple had called 911 to report the dispute, then told the operator they needed an ambulance after Teer collapsed.
A woman who answered the telephone at Redfern's home, in suburban Tucker, Ga., said he had no comment. She declined to identify herself.
Police are awaiting autopsy results before deciding whether Redfern should be charged.
Known by the nickname "Rusty," Redfern made a name for himself in the late 1980s for pen and ink drawings he does using his foot.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Man dies after 3-day gaming binge
BEIJING, China -- A man in southern China appears to have died of exhaustion after a three-day Internet gaming binge, state media said Monday.
The 30-year-old man fainted at a cyber cafe in the city of Guangzhou Saturday afternoon after he had been playing games online for three days, the Beijing News reported.
Paramedics tried to revive him but failed and he was declared dead at the cafe, it said. The paper said that he may have died from exhaustion brought on by too many hours on the Internet.
The report did not say what the man, whose name was not given, was playing.
The report said that about 100 other Web surfers "left the cafe in fear after witnessing the man's death."
China has 140 million Internet users, second only to the U.S.. It is one of the world's biggest markets for online games, with tens of millions of players, many of whom hunker down for hours in front of PCs in public Internet cafes.
Several cities have clinics to treat what psychiatrists have dubbed "Internet addiction" in users, many of them children and teenagers, who play online games or surf the Web for days at a time.
The 30-year-old man fainted at a cyber cafe in the city of Guangzhou Saturday afternoon after he had been playing games online for three days, the Beijing News reported.
Paramedics tried to revive him but failed and he was declared dead at the cafe, it said. The paper said that he may have died from exhaustion brought on by too many hours on the Internet.
The report did not say what the man, whose name was not given, was playing.
The report said that about 100 other Web surfers "left the cafe in fear after witnessing the man's death."
China has 140 million Internet users, second only to the U.S.. It is one of the world's biggest markets for online games, with tens of millions of players, many of whom hunker down for hours in front of PCs in public Internet cafes.
Several cities have clinics to treat what psychiatrists have dubbed "Internet addiction" in users, many of them children and teenagers, who play online games or surf the Web for days at a time.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Always a parade when Fat Tire comes to town
Fat Tire and two other beers from Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing go on sale in Iowa this week, and some people figure that is good reason for a parade.
The Iowa Press-Citizen reports on two fans who drove over from Des Moines to ride their bikes and drink the beer.
About an hour later, they biked in a procession led by an Elvis impersonator who was riding a red Fat Tire cruiser to deliver a ceremonial first case of Fat Tire to John’s Grocery, 401 E. Market St.
Fat Tire, with its quirky label that displays a red bike with swollen tires, has made a mark amongst cyclists, college students, craft beer lovers and environmentalists, among others.
Starting when the parade arrived and then throughout the dreary, rainy Monday, John’s sampled the three varieties of the company’s beer that now are being sold in the state - Fat Tire Amber Ale, a light Belgian-style beer with mild hops and malt; 1554, a black ale; and Mothership Wit, an organic Belgian wheat - and collected entry forms for the red bicycle giveaway.
“I am just happy I will not have to keep telling people why they can’t have Fat Tire,” John’s Grocery “Bier guy” Doug Alberhasky said while pouring for the early morning crowd.
Initially Iowans will be able to buy only those three beers and in 22-ounce bottles. In about three months, kegs and six packs also will be distributed.
An Irishman, Englishman and Scottsman go into a pub and each order a pint of Guinness. Just as the bartender hands them over, three flies buzz down and one lands in each of the pints.
The Englishman looks disgusted, pushes his pint away and demands another pint.
The Scottsman picks out the fly, shrugs, and takes a long swallow.
The Irishman reaches in to the glass, pinches the fly between his fingers and shakes him while yelling, "Spit it out, ya bastard! Spit it out!"
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Bad cop no donut!!!!
Cops Charged With Stealing Snacks
ROBELINE, La. - This village's only convenience store decided to do something nice for its police officers: give them a free fountain drink or coffee at closing time. But somewhere along the way, investigators say, it got out of control. Now, all three of the village's officers are accused of stealing snacks.
"Over a period of time, it evolved into regular drinks and more," Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's investigator Travis Trammell said. "There's no telling how it got to this point, but the store started experiencing losses and they watch their videotapes and see all of this going on."
Surveillance tapes showed each officer going into the Shop-A-Lott at Lott Oil around closing time and filling plastic bags with dozens of bottled soft drinks, Trammell said. The officers also are reportedly seen eating an assortment of other snacks without paying.
Police Chief Gordon O'Con confirmed that the officers remain on active duty, but said he was advised not to commment about their arrests. There was no answer at the police department Friday when The Associated Press made repeated calls seeking comment from the officers.
ROBELINE, La. - This village's only convenience store decided to do something nice for its police officers: give them a free fountain drink or coffee at closing time. But somewhere along the way, investigators say, it got out of control. Now, all three of the village's officers are accused of stealing snacks.
"Over a period of time, it evolved into regular drinks and more," Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's investigator Travis Trammell said. "There's no telling how it got to this point, but the store started experiencing losses and they watch their videotapes and see all of this going on."
Surveillance tapes showed each officer going into the Shop-A-Lott at Lott Oil around closing time and filling plastic bags with dozens of bottled soft drinks, Trammell said. The officers also are reportedly seen eating an assortment of other snacks without paying.
Police Chief Gordon O'Con confirmed that the officers remain on active duty, but said he was advised not to commment about their arrests. There was no answer at the police department Friday when The Associated Press made repeated calls seeking comment from the officers.
Friday, September 14, 2007
OJ strikes again
OJ Simpson may be arrested by Las Vegas police later today because last night he and five other men allegedly broke into a hotel room and robbed a man at gunpoint. TMZ says:
It happened at the Palace Station Hotel last night at around 7:15. Alfred Beardsley, a memorabilia dealer, had secured various items once owned by Simpson. Beardsley has said he had the suit OJ wore the day he was acquitted of murder.
Beardsley had arranged to meet with someone last night who was interested in buying the suit and other Simpson memorabilia. Beardsley says the man was actually a member of Simpson's crew. He says the men stormed the room, two of them with guns drawn.
the men claimed to be police officers. OJ and others demanded that Beardsley surrender their cell phones.
Beardsley says the group stole every piece of memorabilia in the room, including items signed by Joe Montana.
Beardsley says he made a 911 call, and cops subsequently obtained a search warrant for the room. CSI investigators took Beardsley's phone and took DNA samples and photos of his body. Beardsley says one of the guys roughed him up.
Since the initial story broke, OJ has admitted to the AP that he did in fact take the merchandise.
Simpson says auction house owner Tom Riccio called him several weeks ago to say some collectors "have a lot of your stuff and they don't want anyone to know they are selling it."
Simpson said he arranged to meet Riccio at the hotel and conducted a "sting operation."
"Everybody knows this is stolen stuff," Simpson said. "Not only wasn't there a break-in, but Riccio came to the lobby and escorted us up to the room. In any event, it's stolen stuff that's mine. Nobody was roughed up."
It happened at the Palace Station Hotel last night at around 7:15. Alfred Beardsley, a memorabilia dealer, had secured various items once owned by Simpson. Beardsley has said he had the suit OJ wore the day he was acquitted of murder.
Beardsley had arranged to meet with someone last night who was interested in buying the suit and other Simpson memorabilia. Beardsley says the man was actually a member of Simpson's crew. He says the men stormed the room, two of them with guns drawn.
the men claimed to be police officers. OJ and others demanded that Beardsley surrender their cell phones.
Beardsley says the group stole every piece of memorabilia in the room, including items signed by Joe Montana.
Beardsley says he made a 911 call, and cops subsequently obtained a search warrant for the room. CSI investigators took Beardsley's phone and took DNA samples and photos of his body. Beardsley says one of the guys roughed him up.
Since the initial story broke, OJ has admitted to the AP that he did in fact take the merchandise.
Simpson says auction house owner Tom Riccio called him several weeks ago to say some collectors "have a lot of your stuff and they don't want anyone to know they are selling it."
Simpson said he arranged to meet Riccio at the hotel and conducted a "sting operation."
"Everybody knows this is stolen stuff," Simpson said. "Not only wasn't there a break-in, but Riccio came to the lobby and escorted us up to the room. In any event, it's stolen stuff that's mine. Nobody was roughed up."
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
A real loser
Christine Antle's sons love baseball. The Boynton Beach mom has been dishing out $185 a season for them to play in the West Boynton Little League, where her husband, Mark, is a coach.
She describes the league as a "very close-knit group," so, like others involved with the league, she was shocked to find out this week that their former treasurer is accused of embezzling nearly $14,000.
"We trust that our money is going to the right place," said Antle, whose sons Mark, 12, and Zachary, 10, have played in the league four years. "If that hasn't happened, that's extremely unfortunate."
Authorities arrested Dennis J. Walsh, 46, in North Carolina on Wednesday, almost two weeks after the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office put out a warrant for his arrest.
Walsh is charged with stealing $13,896.22 from the West Boynton Beach Little League through a series of checks he cashed as treasurer between March 2005 and July 2006, Detective William Griffin said.
"It's shocking," said Michael Brown, the league's new treasurer. Brown declined to comment further, saying the league had to speak with the State Attorney's Office first.
Reached by phone Wednesday in Leland, N.C., Walsh's wife, Karin, hadn't heard about her husband's arrest. She said she thought he was at work and declined to comment.
Walsh was the treasurer for the West Boynton Little League from January 2005 until he moved to North Carolina last October. He was also the president of the league for a number of years, Brown said.
About 600 children, ages 5 to 16, play in the league, which begins its fall season next week at West Boynton Park. Parents pay at least $85 per child each season — there are two each year.
When Brown was elected treasurer he did an audit of the accounts, which Walsh managed, and found discrepancies. He filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Office.
After an investigation of more than two months, starting in June, the State Attorney's Office issued a warrant for Walsh's arrest on Aug. 23, charging him with grand theft, according to the Sheriff's Office.
"I've only arrested two people for this kind of thing," Griffin said. "They think they are entitled to the money because they volunteer their time. It's a shame."
Walsh moved to North Carolina because of his job as a regional sales manager for Institution Food House Inc., a food distribution company based in the Carolinas. A company spokesman refused to comment on Walsh's arrest.
She describes the league as a "very close-knit group," so, like others involved with the league, she was shocked to find out this week that their former treasurer is accused of embezzling nearly $14,000.
"We trust that our money is going to the right place," said Antle, whose sons Mark, 12, and Zachary, 10, have played in the league four years. "If that hasn't happened, that's extremely unfortunate."
Authorities arrested Dennis J. Walsh, 46, in North Carolina on Wednesday, almost two weeks after the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office put out a warrant for his arrest.
Walsh is charged with stealing $13,896.22 from the West Boynton Beach Little League through a series of checks he cashed as treasurer between March 2005 and July 2006, Detective William Griffin said.
"It's shocking," said Michael Brown, the league's new treasurer. Brown declined to comment further, saying the league had to speak with the State Attorney's Office first.
Reached by phone Wednesday in Leland, N.C., Walsh's wife, Karin, hadn't heard about her husband's arrest. She said she thought he was at work and declined to comment.
Walsh was the treasurer for the West Boynton Little League from January 2005 until he moved to North Carolina last October. He was also the president of the league for a number of years, Brown said.
About 600 children, ages 5 to 16, play in the league, which begins its fall season next week at West Boynton Park. Parents pay at least $85 per child each season — there are two each year.
When Brown was elected treasurer he did an audit of the accounts, which Walsh managed, and found discrepancies. He filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Office.
After an investigation of more than two months, starting in June, the State Attorney's Office issued a warrant for Walsh's arrest on Aug. 23, charging him with grand theft, according to the Sheriff's Office.
"I've only arrested two people for this kind of thing," Griffin said. "They think they are entitled to the money because they volunteer their time. It's a shame."
Walsh moved to North Carolina because of his job as a regional sales manager for Institution Food House Inc., a food distribution company based in the Carolinas. A company spokesman refused to comment on Walsh's arrest.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Man hits his mark: 1,000 beers
Jay Heckman joins the 1,000-beer club at Mahaffeys Pub.
Rob Kasper
There are many milestones in life. Among them are graduating from college, landing a job, drinking 1,000 beers.
Jay Heckman passed the beer landmark in rare style last week at Mahaffey's Pub in Canton. A cheerful crowd toasted the 25-year-old Thursday night as he enjoyed Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale. The beer, a bottle of a new release from the California brewery, was slightly different from the draft version of the brew he had downed a few days earlier when he officially reached the 1,000-beer mark.
Unlike many rec-room beer drinkers who believe they have easily downed 1,000 beers in their careers, Heckman reached his total by sipping 1,000 different beers over three years. There were no repeats. He paid for the beers, estimating the undertaking cost him at least $6,000.
Heckman commutes to College Park, where he works as a bartender at the Santa Fe Cafe, an establishment that serves only bottled beers. His bosses, he said, have asked him to select a new beer or two for the cafe menu.
There were rules that governed this endeavor. Heckman's two encounters with the Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale, for instance, added two notches to his tally, one for the bottled version, one for the draft.
Moreover, there was an official scorekeeper. It was Wayne Mahaffey, owner of the Dillon Street pub that prides itself on pouring a frequently changing array of beers. Each time Heckman or any member of the pub's beer club bought a beer, the name of the beer and drinker's club membership number were recorded on sales slips. After the bar closed, Mahaffey would tally the sales slips' data and punch them into a computer. A running tally of who had tasted what was displayed on the pub's Web site. Last week when Heckman was the first to hit the 1,000 mark at Mahaffey's, his closest competitor, Sean Small, was at 820.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
65-Year-Old Gets Carded in Supermarket
FARMINGTON, Maine - A 65-year-old woman who went into a Farmington supermarket to buy wine was turned away because she didn't have an ID with her. But Barbara Skapa of Mount Vernon says that won't happen again.
"I'll be bringing my driver's license with me from now on," Skapa said.
She normally carries her license. But with her leg in a cast, Skapa was being driven by a friend when she went into the Hannaford Bros. market last week in and picked up several items, including a few bottles of wine.
The cashier told her it was policy to check for identification, said Skapa, who believes "no one would mistake me for 30 or even 40." Skapa asked if her friend could buy the wine for her, but that was disallowed too because it's considered "third-party" purchasing. Skapa asked to see the manager.
A spokeswoman for the supermarket chain, Rebecca Howes, said Hannaford's new policy is to check IDs of anyone who looks under 45 and wants to buy alcohol. The previous policy was to check for proof of age of those who look younger than 30.
The policy is not unlike those of many other Maine businesses and chains who want to stop minors from illegally buying alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.
In 2005, the state Legislature passed a law that requires identification from those who look under 27 years old before they can buy either.
The Big Apple chain's 90 stores in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont require clerks to require identification from anyone, regardless of age, who buys alcohol or tobacco. The strict policy went into effect after two Portland stores sold alcohol to minors in one night.
Earlier this year, some Portland establishments tightened their ID policies following an undercover sting of dozens of bars and convenience stores that led to 20 summonses for selling alcohol to underage customers. One restaurant, the Flatbread Co., told employees to card anyone ordering drinks who looks under 40.
A pilot program called Card ME was launched recently by the state Office of Substance Abuse and Maine's Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Partnership. It gives participating businesses educational guidebooks and material to help employees spot fake IDs.
"I'll be bringing my driver's license with me from now on," Skapa said.
She normally carries her license. But with her leg in a cast, Skapa was being driven by a friend when she went into the Hannaford Bros. market last week in and picked up several items, including a few bottles of wine.
The cashier told her it was policy to check for identification, said Skapa, who believes "no one would mistake me for 30 or even 40." Skapa asked if her friend could buy the wine for her, but that was disallowed too because it's considered "third-party" purchasing. Skapa asked to see the manager.
A spokeswoman for the supermarket chain, Rebecca Howes, said Hannaford's new policy is to check IDs of anyone who looks under 45 and wants to buy alcohol. The previous policy was to check for proof of age of those who look younger than 30.
The policy is not unlike those of many other Maine businesses and chains who want to stop minors from illegally buying alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.
In 2005, the state Legislature passed a law that requires identification from those who look under 27 years old before they can buy either.
The Big Apple chain's 90 stores in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont require clerks to require identification from anyone, regardless of age, who buys alcohol or tobacco. The strict policy went into effect after two Portland stores sold alcohol to minors in one night.
Earlier this year, some Portland establishments tightened their ID policies following an undercover sting of dozens of bars and convenience stores that led to 20 summonses for selling alcohol to underage customers. One restaurant, the Flatbread Co., told employees to card anyone ordering drinks who looks under 40.
A pilot program called Card ME was launched recently by the state Office of Substance Abuse and Maine's Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Partnership. It gives participating businesses educational guidebooks and material to help employees spot fake IDs.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Dumb ass dad leaves Girl, 2, in hot car outside brothel
This story, however, is not your run of the mill child-in-a-hot-car story. Sure, father-of-the-year Lucien Hoffman, who hails from Bend, Oregon, left his two-year-old daughter in the car. Sure, the car was parked in the Nevada desert in 95 degree heat. What makes this story unique, however, is that the car and the little girl were in the parking lot of the Mustang Ranch, the world famous Nevada brothel.
Hoffman told deputies he was attending a "function" at the Ranch. Uh-huh. Luckily, a security guard heard the girl crying and took her inside until authorities arrived. The girl was treated for dehydration and released to Child and Family Services. Hoffman is unmarried and shares custody with his wife, who also lives in Bend. Hoffman was being held in the local county Jail. Personally, I think it would be more appropriate to hold him in a hot car in a desert parking lot.
Nevada law enforcement officials said Lucien Hoffman's daughter was treated for dehydration Sunday after security guards at the Mustang Ranch Brothel found she had been left to weather the 95 degree heat inside the car alone for more than two hours, The (Portland) Oregonian reported Tuesday.
"Security guards were unable to locate a parent or guardian and reported the incident to the Storey County Sheriffs Office. Brothel employees took the child from the vehicle and took her indoors until sheriff's deputies arrived," Sgt. Jason Dias with the Sheriff's Office in Storey County told the Salem (Ore.) News.
The girl is currently in the custody of Nevada child welfare officials.
Officials said Hoffman is being held on child neglect charges at the Storey County Detention Facility in lieu of $40,000 bail.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Men steal hearse for pub crawl
Two South African men have been arrested in Soweto for allegedly going on a drinking spree in a stolen hearse with a body in the back, police say.
The men were caught after the hearse ran out of petrol and they asked three women they had met at a drinking den to help push the hearse, local media say.
The men told the women they were on their way to bury the body of a relative but the women told the police.
The hearse's driver told The Sowetan newspaper he was shocked at the theft.
Siphiwo Mkhize said he had parked the hearse outside his house while he went inside to get money to buy fuel.
"It is a shocking thing to realise there are people who could steal a hearse with a dead person inside," he said.
"Going shebeen-hopping with a corpse takes the cake. What kind of people are these?"
John Dlomo from the Community Policing Forum in the township of Soweto said the men appeared to be drunk when they were arrested.
A police spokeswoman told the BBC News website that the two men remained in police custody.
Monday, September 3, 2007
The future looks bright for these young minds
Invention makes binge-drinking easier
CHICAGO, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Two Northwestern University biomedical engineering graduates have invented a device to make the binge-drinking game of Beer Pong easier.
Mike Johnson and Andy Wright are marketing their $9.99 Beer Pong Rubbers online, with triangular shaped rubber mats that prevent plastic beer cups from slipping or moving while the drinking game is played, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Beer Pong is played by two teams facing one another at a 6- to 8-foot-long table. Players try to throw or bounce a Ping Pong ball into the opponents' plastic glass -- and if they succeed, the beer's owner must down the entire cup in one go.
The team that has no cups left loses.
"I think the engineering side at Northwestern helped us through the design and development and the patent protection," Johnson told the newspaper.
Johnson acknowledged mounting concern in U.S. schools about binge-drinking but said his education hadn't been based solely on the mats.
"It's funny because we came out with the product at the same time Andy and I were working on a medical device to prevent sleep apnea in premature babies," he said to the Sun-Times.
CHICAGO, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Two Northwestern University biomedical engineering graduates have invented a device to make the binge-drinking game of Beer Pong easier.
Mike Johnson and Andy Wright are marketing their $9.99 Beer Pong Rubbers online, with triangular shaped rubber mats that prevent plastic beer cups from slipping or moving while the drinking game is played, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Beer Pong is played by two teams facing one another at a 6- to 8-foot-long table. Players try to throw or bounce a Ping Pong ball into the opponents' plastic glass -- and if they succeed, the beer's owner must down the entire cup in one go.
The team that has no cups left loses.
"I think the engineering side at Northwestern helped us through the design and development and the patent protection," Johnson told the newspaper.
Johnson acknowledged mounting concern in U.S. schools about binge-drinking but said his education hadn't been based solely on the mats.
"It's funny because we came out with the product at the same time Andy and I were working on a medical device to prevent sleep apnea in premature babies," he said to the Sun-Times.
Legless driver and pedal pusher get DUI's
DORCHESTER, Wis., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A man without legs and one of his friends were both arrested for driving the same vehicle while intoxicated in Dorchester, Wis.
Harvey J. Miller, 43, who has no legs, was steering the vehicle while Edwin H. Marzinske, 55, operated the pedals, The Marshfield News-Herald reported.
Both were issued citations for drunk driving. It was the third offense for Miller and the second for Marzinske, but both were also cited for driving after revocation.
Another drunk man who was in the vehicle walked home after the Aug. 18 incident.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Cheated Beer Drinker Takes Direct Action
MANATEE, FL — A man claiming he was shorted during a beer purchase two weeks previously decided to make things right by using a stolen forklift to smash his way into the offending store and making off with $680 worth of beer.
Gerardo Garcia Hernandez, 23, entered the warehouse of G&D Farms and drove one of their forklifts through the front door, causing $5,000 in damage. He then drove the forklift to the Duette Country Store and through the front door of the store, causing another $5,000 in damage, the report said.
Once inside the store, Hernandez stole cash and a large amount of beer. He fled on foot and was arrested the following evening on charges of burglary and grand theft.
Hernandez said that on a previous date, he gave the cashier $100 for beer and only received $3 back. The cashier claimed that the man only gave him $10.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Famed 'beer hunter' dies
Please take a moment to reflect on the true virtues of this remarkable man..
LONDON, England (AP) -- Michael Jackson, a leading world beer critic who praised the brews of Belgium and acknowledged he would never be as famous as "that Michael Jackson," has died. He was 65.
Jackson, known as "the beer hunter," died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in west London. His body was found by his house cleaner, Paddy Gunningham, his long-term partner, said Friday.
She said he had kept writing and traveling, despite suffering from Parkinson's disease, and that he planned to write a book about the ailment.
"He was simply the best beer writer we've ever known," said Tim Hampson, chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers.
"He told wonderful stories about beer, breweries and far away places. He told the story of beer through people, and he was humorous and erudite at the same time," Hampson told The Associated Press.
Jackson especially loved Belgian brews. His books "The Great Beers of Belgium" and "World Guide to Beer" introduced them to many export markets, including the United States.
By identifying beers by their flavors and styles, and by pairing them with particular foods and dishes, Jackson helped give birth to a renaissance of interest in beer and breweries worldwide that began in the 1970s, including the North American microbrewery movement.
His TV documentary series, "The Beer Hunter" -- which popularized his nickname -- was filmed around the world and shown in 15 countries.
He worked as a beer critic for more than 30 years, writing in newspapers and gastronomic magazines, holding seminars and giving speeches, appearing on U.S. talk shows and writing books about beer and whiskeys published in 18 languages.
Jackson knew he would never be as famous as Michael Jackson the rock star, and that was reflected on the beer critic's Web site. "Hello, my name is Michael Jackson. No, not that Michael Jackson, but I am on a world tour. My tour is in pursuit of exceptional beer. That's why they call me the Beer Hunter,"
LONDON, England (AP) -- Michael Jackson, a leading world beer critic who praised the brews of Belgium and acknowledged he would never be as famous as "that Michael Jackson," has died. He was 65.
Jackson, known as "the beer hunter," died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in west London. His body was found by his house cleaner, Paddy Gunningham, his long-term partner, said Friday.
She said he had kept writing and traveling, despite suffering from Parkinson's disease, and that he planned to write a book about the ailment.
"He was simply the best beer writer we've ever known," said Tim Hampson, chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers.
"He told wonderful stories about beer, breweries and far away places. He told the story of beer through people, and he was humorous and erudite at the same time," Hampson told The Associated Press.
Jackson especially loved Belgian brews. His books "The Great Beers of Belgium" and "World Guide to Beer" introduced them to many export markets, including the United States.
By identifying beers by their flavors and styles, and by pairing them with particular foods and dishes, Jackson helped give birth to a renaissance of interest in beer and breweries worldwide that began in the 1970s, including the North American microbrewery movement.
His TV documentary series, "The Beer Hunter" -- which popularized his nickname -- was filmed around the world and shown in 15 countries.
He worked as a beer critic for more than 30 years, writing in newspapers and gastronomic magazines, holding seminars and giving speeches, appearing on U.S. talk shows and writing books about beer and whiskeys published in 18 languages.
Jackson knew he would never be as famous as Michael Jackson the rock star, and that was reflected on the beer critic's Web site. "Hello, my name is Michael Jackson. No, not that Michael Jackson, but I am on a world tour. My tour is in pursuit of exceptional beer. That's why they call me the Beer Hunter,"
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