The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is David Seaton Teller. He gets the award for the following-

David Seaton Teller wanted to become a cop. Now he’s charged with possession of child pornography.

Teller, 24, of Fernandina Beach was arrested Wednesday by detectives with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office after he had applied to be a police recruit with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. His questionnaire included comments about peeking at and touching a young boy’s genitals in Jacksonville.

During follow-up questions, information was obtained about child pornography possibly still on Teller’s computer. Authorities seized the computer, and officials with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined there were numerous images of naked children in provocative poses and kids engaged in explicit sexual activities on the computer.

LMAO! I'm glad this guy applied for a police job. One less dirt bag off the streets. David Seaton Teller is today's Knucklehead of the Day.

USA! USA!

The Solheim Cup matches are still in progress but Morgan Pressel’s 3&2 win over puts the score at 14-11 in favor of the United States. Christina Kim is dormie in her match against Tania Elosegui. That means the Americans will score at least 14.5 and out of 28 points total that gives them the win.

Today’s final result is likely to be 15.5 or 16 for the U.S. The matches were actually quite close today, not just because Europe and the United States were tied when play started this morning. At the mid point of play, Europe was ahead in matches and I was getting a bad feeling. The United States rallied, perhaps due to the turnarounds in the matches of Juli Inkster-Gwladys Nocera and Brittany Lang-Laura Davies. Lang was down all most all the way but salvaged a half after Davies played the 18th hole disastrously. Inkster trailed for most of her match too but pulled ahead at 17 but lost 18. Still that was another big half point for the United States.

The star of the 2009 matches for the U.S.? You can’t argue with the selection of Michelle Wie. Wie went 3.5-.5 in her matches, including a one up win in singles against one of Europe’s better players Helen Alfredsson. That was the best record for any of the Americans. Will Michelle’’s detractors turn down the volume a little. One of their main complaints was that Wie hadn’t won anything since 2003. That doesn’t apply any more at all.

Update- Kim won her match. So the score is now 15-11 in favor of the United States. Cristie Kerr is dormie in her match, Natalie Gulbis is one down. The U.S. will have at least 15.5 when it is all over but could score as high as 17. That would be a deceptive score, play was much closer than that.

2nd Update- Gulbis pulled even with Janice Moodie at 17. What a turn around there also. Natalie was down by 3 holes in her match.

Boca Raton News RIP

The daily newspaper is ceasing operations according to Bob at The Daily Pulp. It is said the News had become very poor in quality over the last twenty years, but it is always sad when a newspaper dies. I may criticize the media but they provide an essential service to the public that is often overlooked.

My parents lived in Boca Raton for 9 years(Actually my mother only lived there for five years. She died in 1985.) and subscribed to the newspaper. I sometimes would read it when I was home for a visit. Sometime in the early 1980's, there was a help wanted advertisement. It was placed by a bar or club and the ad listed the benefits that would come with working there. One of which was-

Free Hospitalization

I still LMAO when thinking of that advertisement. Rest in Peace Boca Raton News. If there are people who want to learn of the Boca Raton News history, I recommend reading this long feature article.

Dirty money

My wife in reply to this news said ‘No wonder we get high.’ Speak for herself…..

In the course of its average 20 months in circulation, U.S. currency gets whisked into ATMs, clutched, touched and traded perhaps thousands of times at coffee shops, convenience stores and newsstands. And every touch to every bill brings specks of dirt, food, germs or even drug residue.

Research presented this weekend reinforced previous findings that 90 percent of paper money circulating in U.S. cities contains traces of cocaine.

“When I was a young kid, my mom told me the dirtiest thing in the world is money,” said the researcher, Yuegang Zuo, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. “Mom is always right.”

She is but I don’t think most mothers had narcotic contaminated money in mind when they said that.

Scientists say the amount of cocaine found on bills is not enough to cause health risks.

Has anyone studied it? Studies on marijuana for medical purposes are very difficult to conduct and I would be surprised if the rules aren’t stricter when it comes to cocaine.

Money can be contaminated with cocaine during drug deals or if a user snorts with a bill. But not all bills are involved in drug use; they can get contaminated inside currency-counting machines at the bank.

“When the machine gets contaminated, it transfers the cocaine to the other bank notes,” Zuo said. These bills have fewer remnants of cocaine. Some of the dollars in his experiment had .006 micrograms, which is several thousands of times smaller than a single grain of sand.

That is tiny but I’ll go wash my hands in case.

Hat tip- Dr. Taylor at Poliblog

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Philippine television personality Willie Revillame. He gets the award for the following-

Controversial TV host Willie Revillame is said to be deeply upset over the negative reaction he has received regarding the comments he made pertaining to the airing of President Cory Aquino’s funeral cortege on his TV show, “Wowowee” on Aug. 3.

“He feels isolated,” said friend and Wowowee director Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan who has taken the cudgels for his beleaguered colleague.

Manahan revealed that Revillame had relieved himself of his duties from the show “for the time being.”

*****

The signature campaign was fueled by videos uploaded on the World Wide Web showing Revillame visibly irked while a live streaming video of President Cory Aquino’s cortege was being flashed via a small window in a portion of Wowowee.

For those who don't know, Wowowee is an immensely popular television show in the Philippines. My wife is a Filipina and we get 4 Filipino television channels through our satellite provider. Willie is one of three Philippine television personalities I can name and recognize on hearing their voice.

“Pangit! Hindi ho maganda sa atin. Nagsasalita [ako], ipinapakita yung kabaong ni Tita Cory, hindi ba? Papano kami makapagsasaya?” Revillame was heard saying.

Which translates to- “It is ugly for us that while I am talking they are showing the cortege of Aunt Cory, isnt’ it? How can we may everyone happy?”

“I don’t think dapat ipakita ‘yan. Nagsasaya kami dito, papakita n’yo sa amin yun [libing]…? Hindi tama, okay?”

Which translates- “I don’t think they should show it. We are having fun, and they burial cortege is being shown. It’s not right. ”

These are really dumb things to be saying and Willie deserves to be in the trouble he is now. My wife says he has a big head and should be fired for what he said. His conduct was disgraceful. She also points out if not for Corazon Aquino, Willie may not have a job now. ABS CBN was sequestered by the Marcoses during the time of martial law.

My own opinion- Willie was way out of line, and I have no problem naming him today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Time flies

It is exactly a year ago today that I had Open heart surgery. My hospital stay was rough, but I have had no heart issues since coming home last August 29th. My right hand is still a problem and I still have some upper chest discomfort. The later is really minor.

My health is still walking a very thin line because of my cancer. Even worse, I still have financial problems. Blogging doesn't cost me a dime.

Florida the rules are different here Chapter CLXIX

Tug of war Florida style.

This is the story of the one that got away.

Which is fortunate for the group of Harbordale kids who decided to play tug-of-war with a 10-foot alligator Tuesday.

The kids, who had been fishing for crabs, tied a raw chicken to a rope to lure a gator that was swimming in a canal. The idea worked almost too well: The gator chomped down on the chicken, then got its toothy snout ensnared in the rope.

Not wanting to lose their rope, the kids hung on. The ensuing back-and-forth drew a large crowd, then the police, to their block.

Children versu a 10-foot alligator. Don't you just love the Sunshine State?

Wedding night

Some news from Germany. Was this the honeymoon night the bride always envisioned?

A bride in Germany spent her wedding night passed out next to a crate of vodka in the back seat of a car and had to be rescued by police when the BMW began to overheat in the sun.

Police in the western city of Cologne said Monday the inebriated 30-year-old remained unconscious even after they smashed the car window to get her out.

“Only after being shaken several times did she eventually regain consciousness,” police said in a statement.

Still clad in her wedding dress, the dazed woman had to scramble through the broken window because she had no idea where the car keys or her husband were, police said.

Leave us alone

From Reuters-

About 200 women marched through the Nepali capital Monday to denounce a government scheme to pay cash incentives to men for marrying widows, witnesses said.

Nepal's center-left coalition announced a plan last month to pay men the equivalent of $650 for marrying widows, angering the widows.

Monday, women shouting slogans such as "You can't sell your mother," and "We don't want government dowries," marched toward a government complex that houses the prime minister's office.

They were stopped by riot police, but there were no arrests or violence.

Durga Neupane, an organizer and a widow, said activists would mobilize widows throughout the Himalayan nation if the government failed to scrap the decision by Friday.

"If that is not done we'll gather widows from across the country and organize more protests," she said.

The government says the scheme seeks to help widows who face social and cultural barriers in a majority-Hindu society.

But Neupane said it would only add to their woes as men would marry widows for money and later abandon them. Widows, she said, should instead be given jobs, better health care and education.

Did Ms. Neupane ever think some widows may be in financial need or just plain lonely? I don't think any government should be paying out any such incentives. As for protest, if widows in Nepal have the free choice whether to re-marry or not, then they should be able to benefit from the incentive.

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is ExpressJet Airlines. They get the award for the following-

By its sixth hour sitting on a deserted tarmac, Continental Express Flight 2816 had taken on the smell of diapers and an overwhelmed lone toilet.

What should have been a 2 1/2-hour trip from Houston to Minneapolis had moved into its ninth hour, and the 47 passengers on board had burned through the free pretzels and drinks handed out early in their Friday night flight from Houston.

Passengers on another flight that had been diverted to the airport in Rochester, Minn., because of storms were allowed to disembark and were put on a bus that would take them the 85 miles to Minneapolis. And the terminal, where passengers could at least stretch their legs, breathe fresh air and use the vending machines, was a mere 50 yards away.

But it wasn't until 6 a.m. Saturday — six hours after landing — that Flight 2816's passengers were allowed out of the plane.

This is just plain unacceptable. Have the airlines learned anything from the weather related incident from a few years ago when some airline passengers were kept on planes for half a day. The airline is transporting people not cattle, and airline employees should have sufficient enough brain matter to know that keeping any number of people confined to a plane with no ability to exit or get food, drink, or plumbing is just plain inhumane. How would they like to be treated in the same fashion.

The airline apologized to the customers affected, but also tried to pass the blame to the airport in Minnesota.

Kristy Nicholas, a spokeswoman for ExpressJet Airlines, said passengers couldn't go to the Rochester terminal to wait out the storms because they would have needed to redo their security screening and screeners had gone home.

The airport's manager, Steven Leqve, said that wasn't true. Leqve said passengers could have waited in a secure area until their plane was cleared to leave.

"This is not an airport issue. This is an airline issue," he said.

I agree with Mr. Leqve. Passengers could have been disembarked into the terminal. I name ExpressJet Airlines today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Back in the swing

Former Florida Marlin Aaron Boone is playing minor league baseball just five months after having open heart surgery. From AP-

Aaron Boone is back playing baseball, appearing in a minor league game in Texas less than five months after open-heart surgery.

Boone batted second Monday night for the Corpus Christi Hooks, a Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. He swung at the first pitch and popped up to the first baseman in foul territory. Boone played third base against Midland and was hitless in two at-bats before leaving the game.

"It felt good to get out there and play in a real game," Boone told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I felt good physically. I always have nerves whether it's a spring training game or my first game in Corpus.

"I was excited tonight. I think it went really well. I had a couple of balls come my way and got to face pitching for the first time in a long, long time. A little overwhelming, but a necessary step on the way back."

The 36-year-old Boone had an operation in late March because of a congenital defect in his aortic valve.

Boone is perhaps best remembered for his game 7 winning homerun in the 2003 ALCS. He was a favorite player of mine during the 2001 Star Tournament season. I platooned him with Eric Chavez at both the Fort Lauderdale and Fall Orlando tournaments where I each finished 2nd.

It sounds as if Boone was born with a bicuspid heart valve and had AVR(Aortic Valve replacement) surgery. Something I have more than a passing familiarity with. I had AVR performed on me one year ago this week. Boone is stronger than me, I don't know if I would be swinging a baseball bat so soon. The 2009 baseball season is almost over, I'd wait to next season if I were a MLB player I wish Boone well in his recovery and comeback.

Camping out

Because of the economy, travel related businesses are particularly hard hit for customers. Here is one innovative way a resort is trying to attract guests.

A luxury resort in San Diego is offering rooms for $19 a night — if you don't mind sleeping in a tent.

The Rancho Bernardo Inn boasts three pools, a spa and golf course. It typically charges more than $200 a room.

But business is down. So from Aug. 16 to 31, guests can get a "Survivor Package" that charges them less for each amenity they give up.

So far as luxury resorts go, $200 is quite a bargain. I used to travel to Southern California on a regular basis as recently as 2001. Hotels in some parts of Los Angeles were in the $150-200 range. Have prices dropped that much due to the present economy?

For $19, guests give up breakfast, air conditioning, lights, sheets and even the bed. Staff will remove the mattress and headboard and leave a small tent instead.

Will the hotel provide mosquitos or the sound of crickets chirping? Of course, but they will be extra!

Oh, and bring your own toilet paper.

You can count me out then. I don't think this business model will be successful.

The Knuckleheads of the Day award

Today's winners are the Mayor of Deerfield Mayor Peggy Noland and the city's Parks Director George Edmunds. They get the award for the following-

If you see the mayor of Deerfield Beach on the street, you better say hello.

City maintenance worker Cassandra Moye was suspended for two days without pay for failing to greet Mayor Peggy Noland while at work earlier this week.

Moye has the unenviable job of cleaning up trash and restrooms for $12.33 a hour, a job she was suspended from for failing to pay homage to the mayor while she spoke with Moye's boss.

"I didn't speak to the mayor and so my supervisor suspended me for two days," Moye said. "She is the Mayor, but I don't know her personally and I didn't think it was right for me to interrupt them, so I just kept about my work."

Moye's supervisor, George Edmunds issued Moye a memo stating Moye was being suspended because "the disrespectful attitude you displayed to the Mayor was unacceptable."

Moye said she was also threatened with termination.

Didn't this employee get the memo. All politicians are royalty and they are bowed to and kissed on the ass if you want to keep your job. If a elected official ever complains about the lack of honest advice, they should ask themselves if they were in their employee's shoes, would they feel threatened.

The city of Deerfield Beach is already backtracking on the suspension handed out to Cassandra Moye. Mayor Noland is already denying she had a part in the disciplinary action. Sure Mayor, you know this incident makes you look a buffoon and you're practicing damage control. It is too late so far as I go, I name the Mayor of Deerfield Mayor Peggy Noland and the city's Parks Director George Edmunds today's Knuckleheads of the Day.

Bob at The Daily Pulp has more, including city memos, in posts here and here.