Net Crimes & Misdemeanors

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Alexandria, Va., dubbed most well-read city by Amazon.com http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/04/2 4/Alexandria-Va-dubbed-most-well-read-ci ty-by-Amazoncom/UPI-97241366831168/#ixzz 2Rs85t79L Online store Amazon.com said Alexandria, Va., topped its annual list of the Most Well-Read Cities in America. The website said its third annual list, compiled using sales of both print and Kindle editions of all books, magazines and newspapers per capita in cities with a population of more than 100,000 since June 1, 2012, was topped by Alexandria, followed by Knoxville, Tenn.; Miami; Cambridge, Mass.; and Orlando, Fla. The Top 10 was rounded out by Ann Arbor, Mich.; Berkeley, Calif.; Cincinnati; Columbia, S.C.; and Pittsburgh. "The results of our annual Most Well-Read Cities list is proof that people across the country are reading, and also that we're still seeing the popularity of 'Fifty Shades of Grey,'" said Sara Nelson, editorial dir...

Got some good news - read about it on my book's FB page . Please LIKE and share the page!

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .iPad found wedged in car bumper, intact and working http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/04/1 2/iPad-found-wedged-in-car-bumper-intact-a nd-working/UPI-77911365795819/ A Georgia woman who drove over an hour with an Apple iPad stuck in her car's front bumper said the tablet computer was intact and functioning when she found it. The iPad, mistakenly left on the roof of another car, flew off at 40 mph and struck Alexa Crisa's vehicle as she drove around the Atlanta suburbs of Marietta and Roswell, the New York Daily News reported Friday. "I went to Target and ran errands with this iPad hanging out of my bumper. I had no clue. I'm not even sure how I missed (seeing) it, other than I don't check my bumper for random dislodged electronics," said Crisa. The device was returned to its owner, the newspaper added. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabu...

I'm going to be doing a talk and book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Newington, NH tomorrow from 1-2 pm - please share!

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .April Fools' microchip prank irks resident http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/04/0 4/April-Fools-microchip-prank-irks-resid ent/UPI-96851365095741/ Some residents of a New Mexico town said they were angered by an April Fools' prank using a fake city newsletter to tell them they would be microchipped. The document, printed in the style of the Bernalillo city newsletter, was delivered to homes Monday and explained a toll road was going electronic and "residents of Bernalillo will be exempt from toll charges and will be implanted with a microchip that will allow for toll-free travel," KOAT-TV, Albuquerque, reported Thursday. "You go to the bottom, and it says, 'Happy April Fool's Day,'" Miller said. However, Miller said the disclaimer was not conspicuously placed. Oh, I was very fooled," Miller said, "until I was contacted by someone, who was contacted by someone, who was contacted by someone, who s...

If you are in or near Clinton, Massachusetts, come see me on a panel called "We're Not Making This Up!" with Kate Flora and Steve Liskow TONIGHT! Bigelow Library 7 pm 54 Walnut Street Clinton, MA 01510 (978) 365-4160 info@bigelowlibrary.org

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Store criticized for Facebook suspect pic http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/03/2 9/Store-criticized-for-Facebook-suspect-p ic/UPI-81301364576708/ A Swedish grocery store has removed a photo of a suspected thief from its Facebook page after the move was criticized. The Ica store in Vastra Gotaland posted an image from a surveillance camera of a suspected thief with the comment "nice that you like our lamb and beef," leading to several comments, some of a racist nature, Swedish news agency TT/The Local.se reported Friday. Other comments raised questions of whether sharing the image online was legal. The Association of Ica Retailers criticized the move. "It is highly inappropriate and nothing that we would support. Regardless of whether it is illegal or not it is not appropriate to do so under the Ica brand," spokesman Staffan Ekengren said. "This is definitely something we will look into." A police report was filed a...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Penguins take liking to iPad cat game http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/03/2 2/Penguins-take-liking-to-iPad-cat-game/U PI-41831363984044/ Officials at a California aquarium said a couple of young penguins have taken a liking to a mouse-chasing iPad app designed to amuse cats. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach said penguins Jeremy and Newsom, who are still too young to get caught up in the excitement of the upcoming mating season, have found "enrichment" with the free "Game for Cats" iPad app, ABC News reported Friday. The game features a mouse running around the screen that lets out a squeak when tapped by a paw -- or in this case, a beak. "Newsom set the penguin high score of 1,600 for the game," the aquarium said on its website. A YouTube video of Newsom playing the game has been viewed more than 167,000 times. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit WHOA on the w...

If you are in or near Belgrade, Maine, stop by and say hello! I'll be on a panel of authors and we will do a 5-minute reading from one of our books (I'm going to read about the online cannibal from True Crime Online), then Q&A and selling our books: Maine Open Reads Noon to 2 pm Belgrade Public Library 124 Depot Road Belgrade, Me 04917 207-495-3508

WHO@ RELEASES 2012 CYBERSTALKING STATISTICS WHO@ Shows How Online Trends Have Changed In the Past 13 Years March 21, 2013 - Working to Halt Online Abuse (WHO@) released their 2012 cyberstalking statistics, as well as cumulative statistics for the past 13 years (2000-2012). WHO@ is the oldest and largest all-volunteer online safety organization that has been continuously helping adult victims of cyberstalking since 1997. WHO@ is the only organization to provide the most up-to-date cyberstalking statistics and cumulative trends. It is important to understand that WHO@ statistics are not based on the total number of cases handled during the year. Criteria is distinguished by victims who fill out all of the voluntary demographic information in the questionnaires provided on the WHO@ web site at haltabuse.org. Those completed questionnaires ensure comparable, verified and meaningful statistics. According to WHO@ President Jayne Hitchcock, “based on the individual needs of each victim,...

I couldn't make this up if I tried...Social media helps teddy bear return home http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/03/1 8/Social-media-helps-teddy-bear-return-h ome/UPI-49421363619738/ A Dutch man who found a teddy bear left behind on a train said he was able to return it to its 3-year-old owner after an eight-month social media campaign. Cees de Jonge, a photographer, said he found the bear on a train that arrived in Hoorn in July and decided to take it home when the conductor told him it would be discarded if he turned it in, Netherlands newspaper ad.nl reported Monday. De Jonge said his Facebook posts about the bear yielded so many responses that he made the stuffed animal its own Facebook page. He said a friend made a Twitter account for the bear. The photographer said months went by without finding the owner, but a fresh push last week resulted in a response from a woman who said the bear belonged to her 3-year-old son, Luciano, DutchNews.nl reported. "I am the happiest bear...

Check it out at the Portland Press Herald web site - the reporter did an excellent job!

See my post at the Maine Crime Writers Blog today!

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Tattoo gets man free year of Netflix http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/03/1 0/Tattoo-gets-man-free-year-of-Netflix/U PI-13801362951582/#ixzz2NF21wC8k An Indiana man got a Netflix tattoo on his torso and after posting it to Twitter, company representatives saw it and gave him a free year's subscription. Myron Robinson of Kokomo said he's always been a big fan of the company and as an inside joke with a few friends, got the tattoo. He tweeted a picture, saying, "@netflix put me on a commercial I love you guys." KGO-TV, San Francisco, said Netflix responded, retweeting "NO WAY! Free year for you." A year's subscription to Netflix costs about $96, the San Francisco Chronicle said. Reed Hastings, chief executive officer for the Los Gatos, Calif., company, also posted Robinson's story on his Facebook page. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit WHOA on the web at http://ww...