Net Crimes & Misdemeanors

I've got my own personal "wildlife" sanctuary out back: Most of you know about my chipmunks, Chippy (who sits in my hand to eat), Sweetie and Julian; Troublemaker the squirrel with a broken tail and scars on his back; a little red squirrel I haven't named yet; the cardinals Ralph and Alice; one of the chickadees I call Braveheart because he's the only one who will sit on the bird feeder when I bring food out; the bluejays who swoop in as a gang and swoop out; a lone crow who skulks in and out while his buddies caw up in the trees; a mole who made a home in the backyard a few weeks ago; Bernie the turtle (the babies should be hatching soon; a group of mourning doves I called "the ladies;" various finches, grackles, and other birds that hang out. And then I had an amazing thing happen yesterday. I was on the deck putting out sunflower seeds for the chipmunks when I heard a weird "thrumming" sound. I stopped and stood still. Buzzing in front of m...

WHO@ Newsletter August 25, 2008 I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .To me it looks like a devil cat Fame finds 4-eared feline thanks to Internet photo http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080823/ap_ on_fe_st/odd_four_eared_cat;_ylt=AlxG_Y_ 7JbJMFEQJuH4G2TftiBIF The owners of Yoda ­ a cat with four ears ­ could use a couple extra hands to answer their telephones. Ted and Valerie Rock said they've been inundated with television offers and media inquiries since their son posted a photo of their smoke-colored cat on a Web site. That turned the four-eared feline from a suburban animal oddity into an instant Internet celebrity. The Rocks, from the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, have fielded calls from "Good Morning America," "Fox News" and "The Tyra Banks Show." The cat's photo has graced the London Guardian and a British tabloid. The Daily Mail said if Batman had a cat, it would be Yoda. "It's amazing," Ted Rock said. "For the past f...

I know some of my late husband's friends were surprised I found someone else and got married so "fast." It was just one of those things that happened. And after losing two men in two days who I loved and cherished, I realized that life is too short to not be happy. I remember when I met my current husband, Chris, online. We exchanged emails and phone calls in July of last year and from the beginning it was strictly a friendship. He needed someone to talk to, as did I - at least someone who wasn't closely associated with us or family. It was kind of like psychotherapy for us both. I encouraged him and he encouraged me. I cried over the phone and he did, too. We had a lot of things happening personally to us both that we couldn't share with anyone but us. He helped me. . .a lot. I helped him. . .a lot. I was dating some people I'd met online and my construction guy, which Chris knew. He still wanted to meet in person for lunch, mainly to put a face with the voic...

We had our wedding reception this past weekend on August 16th. Cass aka Foreverdarkness flew out here for the party. I was so excited - she came the furthest, from San Francisco and her flight got in late Friday night. We sat up drinking wine. I was just a tad hungover the next morning, ha ha. We'd picked up Chris' two oldest kids the Monday before, so they'd helped us the whole week getting ready for the party and Chris' son helped him with his lawn work. We hit the beach a few times and when Chris' sister, Shari, arrived on Friday (she stayed in a hotel nearby with her daughter, a friend and her son and daughter), we shuttled them all to the beach. We actually were alone, just the two of us, for a few hours, but we still had things to get ready for the party, so we made the most of the time. Now I wish we'd had this whole thing catered, etc. We ended up borrowing tables and chairs from a local church, bought pretty much all the food and beverages ourselves, s...

WHOA Newsletter August 18, 2008 I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .I'd hate to be the ad agency who did this Sweet Home Alabama...England? http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080814/od_nm/birmingham_dc;_ylt=AnweiBKBBcydSzrKUYuK5lXtiBIF Council chiefs in Birmingham were left red-faced when they mistakenly used a picture of their U.S. namesake in Alabama on thousands of official leaflets. Pamphlets about recycling in the West Midlands bore an image showing the skyline of the city in the Deep South. Under the headline "Thank You Birmingham!," the picture showed office blocks in the U.S. city, rather than its own distinctive Rotunda tower and the curvy Selfridges store. The council said it had made a mistake, but had no plans to recall the leaflets. "We accept that the wrong photo was used but the text and detail contained in the leaflet is wholly correct which is the most important message as we strive to further improve our green credentials," the council said Th...

WHO@ Newsletter August 11, 2008 I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .DOH! Spanish shopkeeper finds Homer Simpson euro http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080808/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_homersimpson_euro_spain;_ylt=AplrHrNyJJk.r2Q1aJwv5E3tiBIF A one euro coin has turned up in Spain bearing the face of cartoon couch potato Homer Simpson instead of that of the country's king, a sweetshop owner told Reuters on Friday. Jose Martinez was counting the cash in his till in the city of Aviles, northern Spain, when he came across the coin where Homer's bald head, big eyes and big nose had replaced the serious features of King Juan Carlos. "The coin must have been done by a professional, the work is impressive," he told Reuters. The comical carver had not taken his tools to the other side of the coin displaying the map of Europe. So far, no other coins of the hapless, beer-swilling oaf have been found in circulation. "I've been offered 20 euros for it," said Martinez. Visi...

WHO@ Newsletter August 4, 2008 I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .All I can say is "Wow" Island says starfish aren't toys for dogs to fetch http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080803/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/grenada_starfish_flying_discs;_ylt=AqWrSaRnqHpRlSdG6RI5t1DtiBIF Tourism officials on the Caribbean island of Grenada say they are concerned about dog owners snatching starfish out of the sea and throwing them like flying discs for their dogs to catch. Russ Fielden is president of the local hotel and tourism association. He says officials have received several reports of the practice and are launching an education campaign to stop it. Fielden said Saturday that treating starfish this way is "cruel and should be strongly discouraged." He said the sea creatures are being left to die on the island's popular Grand Anse beach and also are creating a foul smell. Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabuse.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...