Net Crimes & Misdemeanors

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Tennessee dad uses drone to follow daughter to school http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/04/2 2/Tennessee-dad-uses-drone-to-follow-dau ghter-to-school/5221429712421/?spt=sec&or=on A Tennessee father who used a drone to watch his 8-year-old daughter as she walked to school alone said he wants her to know "dad is always watching." Chris Early, who owns a Knoxville video production company, said the camera drone he bought about a month ago came in handy when his 8-year-old daughter, Katie, insisted on walking to school by herself. "She said 'you're not going to come watch me', but I had another idea," Early told WVLT-TV. He said the drone turned plenty of heads upward when he used it to follow Katie on her walk. "I could see other people looking up and I'm sure Katie was just like aw it's my dad," he said. "It was a way to keep eye on her make sure she was looking both ways. I let her know ...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Denver teacher's 'I wish my teacher knew' assignment goes viral http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/04/1 7/Denver-teachers-I-wish-my-teacher-knew-a ssignment-goes-viral/4401429297119/?spt=s ec&or=on A Denver teacher's assignment asking third grade students to write down things "I wish my teacher knew" went viral when she shared some of the responses. Kyle Shwartz, who has been teaching at Doull Elementary in Denver for three years, said she designed the assignment as a trust-building exercise for her class. "As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my students' lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn't know about my students," Shwartz told ABC News. Shwartz said students were told to write a sentence starting with, "I wish my teacher knew," and they were given the option of turning the note cards in anonymously. "I let students...

Come see me on this panel tomorrow night if you are in the area! University of Connecticut Leadership Office Leadership Legacy Speaker Series Presents Angry Tweet or True Threat? Freedom of Speech on Social Media Tuesday, April 14th, 2015, 7:30pm Konover Auditorium, Dodd Center Storrs, CT You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded theater, but what about posting about it online? When does a post become more than an expression of anger? If someone feels they’ve been a victim of online harassment, what avenues do they have to report and how has the legal system responded? What responsibilities do social media companies have? Where do we draw the line on protected speech in the internet era? As the world becomes increasingly digital, more of our communication is happening on social media, and is changing the way that the law and society understand freedom of expression. The Supreme Court is currently deciding a case on threatening speech and first amendment protections, which is the first t...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Horse returns selfie-taker's kiss in viral video http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/04/1 3/Horse-returns-selfie-takers-kiss-in-vi ral-video/5221428930195/?spt=sec&or=on A man who planted a smooch on a horse while taking a selfie with the animal captured his own surprise as the equine kissed him back. The video, shared by America's Funniest Home Videos' AFVApproved YouTube channel, shows the man kiss the horse while taking a selfie and the horse, without missing a beat, returns the favor on the side of the man's face. The location and date of the video were unclear Monday. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabuse.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS TO USE AND PASS ALONG! (DISCLAIMER: The following news items were found on the web and were not written or endorsed by WHO@; they are for informational ...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Michigan stranger fixes van door from viral photo for free http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/04/0 1/Michigan-stranger-fixes-van-door-from-v iral-photo-for-free/6401427913104/?spt=s ec&or=on A Michigan woman whose van with a missing driver-side door was made famous by viral photos said the door was fixed by a stranger for free. Amanda Maxfield of Muskegon said her van was photographed and turned into a meme on Facebook while it was being driven by her friend, Devin Beeman, but the photo that went viral recently was only the latest in a series of pictures and videos taken by strangers during the past year. Maxfield said the van's door was destroyed by a collision more than a year ago and it has been without a door ever since because her family couldn't afford to replace it and her fiancé was unable to repair it on his own. She said the most recent viral photo led to a flood of negative comments and bullying online, but it was one comm...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Girl, 12, tried to poison mom twice for taking away iPhone http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/03/2 3/Police-Girl-12-tried-to-poison-mom-twi ce-for-taking-away-iPhone/9981427125704/ ?spt=sec&or=on Authorities in Colorado said a 12-year-old girl was taken into custody on allegations she tried to poison her mother twice as revenge for taking away her iPhone. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said the girl's mother noticed the smell of bleach coming from her smoothie shortly after she took away her 12-year-old daughter's iPhone. "It's pretty scary." Cmdr. Heidi Prentup told KDVR-TV. "She thought that her daughter had maybe just cleaned the glass and that there was still bleach left in it. Then she started feeling sick." Prentup said the woman's sickness passed, but a couple weeks later she discovered another bleach odor coming from a carafe of water in her bedroom. "When she smelled the bleach in th...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Smuggling suspect had 146 iPhones strapped to body in China http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/03/1 6/Smuggling-suspect-had-146-iPhones-stra pped-to-body-in-China/9581426515762/#ixz z3UYqUmwRs Authorities in China said a man caught with 146 iPhones strapped to his body set a new record for largest number of devices in a foiled smuggling attempt. Customs officials said the man was spotted walking "at a really snow pace with a strangely stiffened back" while carrying only a small shoulder bag March 6 at the border crossing in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province. Officers had the man walk through a metal detector, and he was taken for a search when the device indicated the presence of metallic objects on his body. The man was found to have 126 iPhones strapped around his waist in a belt-like formation and another 20 devices were found strapped to his legs. Customs officers said the man had purchased the phones in Hong Kong. They said smuggl...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Man's 365-day proposal video goes viral http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/03/0 9/Mans-365-day-proposal-video-goes-viral/8 901425875835/?spt=sec&or=on Video of a man's elaborate, 365-day proposal to his girlfriend has gone viral. Dean Smith spent more than a year preparing to pop the question to his girlfriend, Jennifer Kessel, on her 26th birthday in Aruba. Smith videotaped himself each day for a year -- starting Jan. 8, 2014 -- holding up a sign declaring his love for Kessel. "For the next year, I'll show you how much I love you and that you're in my thoughts every day," he says at the beginning of the video. "I want to marry you." Smith then spliced the footage together in a video package for Kessel, who watches for the first time on the beach in Aruba. "The thoughtfulness that went into making this video is truly beyond any words that I have," Kessel told The Huffington Post. "When I tur...

I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Zookeepers recreate animal poses in viral photos http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/02/2 7/Zookeepers-recreate-animal-poses-in-vi ral-photos/3371425054341/?spt=sec&or=on Zookeepers at an Australian wildlife sanctuary are recreating the poses from animal pictures taken at the park for a series of viral photos. The Symbio Wildlife Park in Helensburgh posted a Facebook photo Feb. 18 of four zookeepers recreating a photo of four marmosets and the caption said similar photos would be posted during the following week as part of the #zookeepersasanimals series. "Our keepers have had some fun re-enacting some of our favorite animal 'perfectly timed photos' at the park!" the zoo said on Facebook. "The idea came about when we were having a giggle at lunchtime one day at some of the animal photos we had," zookeeper and photographer Kylie Elliott told the Illawara Mercury. "Four of us [zookeepers] started having a laugh ...