Net Crimes & Misdemeanors

I signed the contract for my newest book - True Crime Online: Most Shocking Stories from the Dark Side of the Web, due out in fall of 2011. Publisher is the same for my Net Crimes books, Cyberage Books, an imprint of Information Today, Inc. I am very excited!

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Snort! Pig farts spark Australia gas scare http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/australiaan imalpigoffbeat A flatulent pig sparked a gas emergency in southern Australia when a farmer mistook its odours for a leaking pipe, according to officials. Fifteen firefighters and two trucks were called to a property at Axedale in central Victoria state after reports of a gas leak, the Country Fire Service said. "When we got there, as we drove up the driveway, there was this huge sow, about a 120-odd kilo (265-pound) sow, and it was very obvious where the gas was coming from," said fire captain Peter Harkins. "We could not only smell it, but we heard it and it was quite funny." Harkins said the pig's owner was "a little bit embarrassed to say the least," and it took fire crews a little while to compose themselves. "It was fairly obvious what it was. I think we dealt with it fairly professionally and had a bit of a giggle whe...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .That'll distract them for sure Trapped thief drops trousers in bungled burglary http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091117/od_ nm/us_portugal_trousers_odd He wiggled, jiggled and even dropped his trousers, but a thief trying to break into a supermarket in Portugal stayed stuck fast in a tiny window until he was rescued by police and the fire brigade. "Apparently he dropped his trousers as he was trying to free himself by wiggling," Capt. Santos, local police chief in Loule in southern Portugal, told Reuters Monday. He said the slim 22-year-old Romanian man had spent about 11 hours stuck in the window, including the two hours it took police and the fire brigade to get him out Sunday morning. "Once he got his upper body inside, there was nothing there to find support on, so he was stuck at his waist ... It's not uncommon for thieves to get inside and then not be able to get out after a burglary, but this was quite unusual," ...

On Thursday, I talked to students at Marshwood Middle School in Eliot, Maine. There were 565 of them and I went through the usual, cyberbullying, online predators, sexting and then I did my Facebook thing. I told them I have an alter ego who asked some students to be friends with them and then I said, "How well do you think you guys did?" You could hear a pin drop. I was asked by the school not to show photos I found, even though I block out faces, so I obeyed, but I did find: •60 were asked to be a friend of my alter ego •58 approved my alter ego as a friend •5 asked who I was, but 3 still approved me •65% were boys; 35% girls •25% list their cell phone number in their profile – this was evenly divided between boys & girls –3 girls also listed their home phone •65% list their AIM screen name •All list an email address (sometimes two) •3 boys & 1 girl listed their home address •One girl had over 400 photos •37% have videos •One of the videos was taken in homeroom whi...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Wow. Mass. principal bans students from saying 'Meep!' http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_odd__meep __ban Who knew "Meep!" was a four-letter word? The utterance favored by bungling lab assistant Beaker of "The Muppet Show" has been banned at Danvers High School in Massachusetts after students said it to repeatedly interrupt school. Principal Thomas Murray said the word was part of a disruption planned using Facebook. The Salem News reports that parents recently got an automated call about "Meep!" from Murray. He warned them that students who said or displayed the word at school could be suspended. Murray says the warning was needed because students didn't heed his "reasonable request" to stop the meeping. Danvers High sophomore Melanie Crane says it doesn't mean anything in particular. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit WHOA on the web at http://w...

NEW Things That Stick In My Craw - Grocery Shopping

Microsoft Bans Up to One Million Users From Xbox Live Posted using ShareThis

Clicker.com Aims to Become Internet's TV Guide - ABC News

Sexting news story I'm in - http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=110993&catid=2

On this day three years ago, I buried my late husband, who was a Marine. Today is the Marine Corps Birthday . Ooh-rah Marines!

Military eat free at Applebee's on Veterans Day - Breaking news - bnd.com

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Just how stupid can you be? Pretty stupid, it appears! Man provides photo for his own wanted poster http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091109/od_ nm/us_mugshot_odd A British man on the run from police sent a picture of himself to his local paper because he disliked the mugshot they had printed of him as part of a public appeal to track him down. South Wales Police had issued media with the photo of Matthew Maynard, wanted by officers investigating a house burglary, as part of a crackdown on crime in Swansea. When it appeared in the South Wales Evening Post, the 23-year-old sent the newspaper a replacement photo of himself standing in front of a police van. They obligingly printed it on the front page. The police thanked him for helping them in their appeal, saying: "Everyone in Swansea will know what he looks like now." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabus...

Celebrating my birthday a day early with a matinee at the movies - "Paranormal Activity," then a late lunch at a restaurant near the ocean. Tomorrow night will be drinks at our fave restaurant when Chris gets home from work. Yay!

Read about the NEW Things That Stick in my Craw - Hotels, Motels, etc

Was booked by the folks at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, Maine to speak to parents the evening of November 2, 2009. It's a three hour drive from our house, so I stayed at a Holiday Inn up there. My TomTom got a little confused as to the correct location of the school - right street, but kept telling me 48 Broadway was the school when it was supposed to be 100 Broadway. A local TV station, WLBZ news crew showed up to interview me before my talk, then filmed the entire talk to edit down to a news story. I'll post when that's supposed to be online. About 30 or so parents showed up, which was good! I am hoping they will spread the word to other parents about the talk (and I think they will). I went through cyberbullying, online predators, then did my Facebook bit where I show that my alter ego asked students to be friends. The results? 100 students were asked to be a friend of my alter ego 98 approved my alter ego as a friend 1 asked to be my friend on their own ...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Stupid stupid stupid Men accused of pawning stolen items for bail cash http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091030/ap_ on_fe_st/us_odd_pawn_for_bail Two Bozeman men have been arrested on probation violations after police said they tried to pawn a truckload of stolen items to bail a friend out of jail. Helena Police Chief Troy McGee said the two 21-year-old men arrived at a pawn shop Saturday morning with about $20,000 worth of goods including bikes, televisions and tools. The store's clerk was suspicious and called police. Officers questioned the men, who said they were trying to raise bail money for a friend. A check with Bozeman police produced no reports of burglaries matching the items. The officers got the cell phone number from one of the men. Less than an hour later, McGee said Bozeman police called to said they had started receiving theft reports. Officers called the men and told them to turn themselves in. The men did and were arrested. *...