MrPsychic

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  8. Posted

    At a suburban Goodwill store on Friday, Theresa Settles selected a large, black comforter to warm her family until she can raise the money to turn the gas heat back on. A petite woman approached, her face obscured by dark sunglasses and a wrapped winter scarf, and handed Settles two $100 bills stamped with the words "secret Santa." "The only condition," she said, "is that you do something nice for someone. Pass it on."

     

    "I will," Settles said, the only words she could get out of her mouth.

     

    The secret Santa was a protege of Kansas City's undercover gift giver, Larry Stewart, who died of cancer nearly two years ago. Stewart roamed city streets each December doling out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift.

     

    Before his death in January 2007, Stewart told a friend how much he would miss his 26 years of anonymous streetside giving, during which he gave away about $1.3 million. Stewart, from the city suburb of Lee's Summit, made millions in cable television and long-distance telephone service.

     

    The friend promised Stewart he would be a secret Santa the next year. "He squeezed my hand and that was it," said the Kansas City Santa, who would say only that he was an area businessman and investor. "I honored a promise."

     

    Two secret Santas, one from the Kansas City area and the other from the St. Louis area, descended on thrift stores, a health clinic, convenience store and small auto repair shop to dole out $20,000 in $100 bills, hugs and words of encouragement to unsuspecting souls in need.

     

    In this economy, they weren't hard to find.

     

    Cynthia Brown, 40, was laid off three weeks ago from her food service job. Santa found her at the St. Louis County health clinic and gave her $100, exactly what she had asked to borrow from her mother a night ago to buy food.

     

    "I have three daughters, and I can't get unemployment yet. I was down in food," she said.

     

    Leotta Burbank, 50, of West Frankfurt, Ill., was at a thrift store Friday to buy decorations for her sister-in-law's room at a St. Louis hospice, where she is dying of pancreatic cancer.

     

    When Santa gave her money, Burbank collapsed into his arms and wouldn't stop hugging him.

     

    "God provides," she said. "This is real emotional for me."

     

    For the secret Santas, it's not about keeping Stewart's memory alive as much as the meaning behind his legacy.

     

    "It's not about the man, it's not about the money, it's about the message," the Kansas City Santa said. "Anyone can be a secret Santa with a kind word, gesture, a helping hand."

     

    He said the money is given without judgment, but on the condition that the receiver pass along a kindness to someone else. Stewart began his holiday tradition at a restaurant in December 1979, after he had just been fired. He gave a waitress $20 and told her to keep the change and was struck by her gratitude.

     

    Stewart also gave money to community causes in Kansas City and his hometown of Bruce, Miss.

     

    The secret Santas want to expand their operation to every state, but so far only nine givers operate in Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix, St. Louis and Kansas City. They plan to start giving in Detroit this holiday season.

     

    It's nice to think that in today's world, there are still some people out there that are unselfish and caring towards their fellow man.

  10. Posted

    His voice shaking, O.J. Simpson apologized in court for his role in an armed confrontation over sports memorabilia and insisted he was merely trying to recover property that had been stolen from his family.

     

    "I stand here today sorry, somewhat confused. I feel apologetic to people of state of Nevada," Simpson began. At times, he appeared to be fighting tears as he spoke.

     

    Judge Jackie Glass said she was surprised Simpson chose to address the court. She added that the words he spoke in court were not as powerful as his words, as caught on tape, during the confrontation.

     

    "Everything in this case was on tape," Glass said. " And its your own words, Mr. Simpson, you own words ... that that brought you here to this seat in my courtroom. The evidence in this case was overwhelming."

     

    She continued, "You went to the room. You took guns. You used force. You took property, and in this state, that amounts to robbery with the use of a deadly weapon."

     

    Simpson, who wore blue jail scrubs to court for Friday's sentencing, did not testify during his trial. He was convicted of armed robbery, kidnapping and assault on October 3 -- 13 years to the day after his acquittal in the killings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Lyle Goldman.

     

    Simpson's tone became more impassioned as he insisted he never intended to intimidate people or steal property.

     

    "I didn't want to steal anything from anybody," Simpson said, adding that among the items he sought to recover were a wedding ring for his daughter and family photos for his son.

     

    "I just wanted my personal things. I was stupid. I'm sorry. I didn't know I was doing anything illegal. I thought I was confronting friends. I thought I was retrieving my things. I didn't mean to hurt anybody and I didn't mean to steal anything," Simpson said.

     

    Simpson and co-defendant C.J. Stewart face sentences of up to life in prison for their roles in a 2007 confrontation at a Las Vegas hotel.

     

    Attorneys for the 61-year-old former running back are asking for a sentence of no more than six years. But a pre-sentencing report recommended an 18-year term, and District Judge Jackie Glass -- who cut Simpson little slack during the trial -- has wide leeway in passing sentence.

     

    Prosecutor David Rogers told Glass that Simpson was "the ringleader, so to speak, in this case ... he chose to use force and violence to take this property."

     

    "This case could have turned out a lot worse," Rogers added. "Who knows what might have happened, and it's all because of Mr. Simpson."

     

    Defense attorneys, meanwhile, asked Glass for leniency.

     

    "This isn't one of those kidnappings where you have people egregiously detained, tied up, pushed into a safe," Gabe Grasso said.

     

    In court papers filed this week, Grasso wrote that O.J. Simpson was "clearly ... not using good judgment" when he led a group of men into a room at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino to take sports memorabilia from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley. But Simpson deserves a lighter sentence as a first-time offender who showed no criminal intent, Grasso wrote. VideoWatch what Simpson could be in for at the sentencing »

     

    In court, Simpson attorney Yale Galanter said his client's actions were "beyond stupid" and that Simpson is remorseful.

     

    Four men charged with Simpson cut deals with the prosecution and testified against the 1968 Heisman Trophy winner and his co-defendant, C.J. Stewart. One testified that Simpson asked him to bring a gun to the encounter. Stewart also faces sentencing Friday.

     

    Simpson's attorneys have said they plan to appeal the convictions, arguing that a fair trial was nearly impossible after the 1995 murder trial that left him a celebrity outcast. Follow a timeline of Simpson's legal woes »

     

    A lawsuit filed by the Brown and Goldman families found him liable for civil damages in the killings two years after his acquittal in the criminal case.

     

    Goldman's father, Fred, who called Simpson a "scumbag" after the Nevada verdicts, is expected to be in court for Friday's sentencing. He told reporters that his family was "absolutely thrilled" at the possibility of a life sentence for Simpson.

  11. Posted

    Who here honestly hasn't thought about doing that to a Big Brother speed or red light camera? Those things exist for 1 reason,revenue enhancement,not public safety, public safety my be a by-product of the cameras but nothing else.

    I don't know about that. I do think they bring in a great deal of revenue, but the cameras still create a safe intersection. A person driving up to the red light may not care about other cars around him, but he does care about his wallet and getting a ticket. It's another selfish person who just cares about a ticket, and not others that he could get in an accident with.

  14. Posted

    Man uses candy cane to subdue attacker with knife

     

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. -A man using a candy cane lawn ornament fended off a knife-wielding neighbor who had been attacking holiday guests at a Sacramento home. Police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said the man used the two-foot-tall plastic ornament to subdue the attacker until officers arrived.

    He said the 49-year-old suspect became intoxicated, went over to a neighbor's home on Thanksgiving and began waving a kitchen knife at people gathered on the lawn.

    He cut several peoples' clothing before one of them decided to fight back.

    Police said the man with the knife was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. The guest who took up the candy cane was not arrested because police determined he acted in self-defense.

     

    I'm surprised the fish lived that long with that ring inside of him!

    Fish? Ring? :)

     

    :)

    I'm guessing the knife wielding man isn't the only one inebriated one.... Wrong copy and paste window.