Bullet Proof Bra? Murder Biz As Usual?

Maybe the police don't need those bulky, hot, uncomfortable vests....maybe all they need is a GOLD BRA....

One woman discovered on New Year's Eve that her bra could do more than lift and support when a falling bullet was halted by the bra strap on her left shoulder.

Debbie Bingham, 46, an Atlanta resident visiting family in St. Petersburg, said her gold bra slowed the falling bullet during the holiday celebrations.

Her injuries may have been much more severe had it not been for her bra strap, said George Kajtsa, spokesman for the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Then there's this loser...

A man who allegedly robbed a Loveland bank so he could avoid jail time is now headed back to jail.

Mark Steven Valladares, 48, is accused of robbing a Wells Fargo Bank last week for money that he wanted to use to pay off outstanding [DUI] driving fines. One hour after the bank robbery, Valladares was pulled over about one block from the Loveland police and courts building, police said.

He allegedly told investigators that he was headed to the police station to pay the fines and that the robbery was an act of desperation, the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald said.

Looks like things ARE getting back to normal in New Orleans...

Seven people have been shot to death since New Year's Day in New Orleans. Five of the shootings, all unrelated, occurred within a 14-hour span Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Also, a body with signs of physical trauma was found Wednesday wrapped in a rug. That death has not been classified but could bring the total for the 5-day-old year to eight.

This is what's going on in Houston since the 1st of the year...

For a second consecutive year, Houston recorded a rise in homicides within its borders, with the number of killings edging toward its highest point in more than a decade.

Despite another annual increase, residents here are not necessarily at greater risk of becoming a homicide victim. That's because Houston's homicide rate per 100,000 residents rose only incrementally in 2006 — since the city's population is estimated to have surged by more than 148,000 people, due largely to an influx of Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

In 2006, the Houston Police Department recorded 379 homicides as of Dec. 31, a 13.5 percent increase from the 334 homicides recorded in 2005. The 2006 total is the highest since 1994, when 419 homicides were reported in the city.

Then there's ...

Jan 1 - Travis Michael Zielenski was found dead inside an residence at the Timber Mill Apartments in the 1400 block of Sawdust.
Jan 2 - A 96-year-old Conroe woman, who apparently wandered from her home and was lying in the street, was struck and killed by a motorist early New Year's Day.
Jan 2 - After racking up 379 homicides in 2006, Houston made it through the first day of 2007 without a slaying — but just barely. It was about 1 a.m. Tuesday when two east Houston youths heard gunshots outside their bedroom window in the 300 block of Super. Minutes later, police discovered a man dying from gunshot wounds in their backyard.
Jan 4 - A 10-year-old boy who apparently was mimicking the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein accidentally hanged himself on New Year's Eve, authorities said.
Jan 4 - A 6-year-old girl was apparently struck by a hit-and-run driver in west Houston around 8 p.m. this evening. The unidentified girl was hit on Westhollow and flown by helicopter to an area hospital, where she is in critical condition, authorities said.

So that looks like the Houston area has "only" had one homicide in 6 days of 2007. The one with the guy found dead on Jan 1 doesn't count because he was probably murdered "last year". I wonder what it's like to live somewhere without this kind of news daily? You know if you don't open the Comical and see your name on either the front page or in the death notices it's probably going to be a good day! All the same, I think I might look into getting one of those gold bras....

Nursing Home For Old Dogs?

Cody is getting really old. I took him in today for his annual checkup and the obligatory laying upon of hands and had to make some heavy duty decisions.

He's 13 years and 3 months old and that's pretty impressive for a large dog. He weighed in at 63.5 pounds and I thought he'd lost quite a bit since last year, but Dr. Taylor (yum!) said he'd only lost 2 pounds, but all of it was muscle. One of my concerns was that he's holding his back legs oddly and doesn't want to lie down - he'll walk around and around the house before he finally settles down and then it seems that something will happen to make him pop back up and then he'll go through the restless phase all over again.

He also smacks his lips - drives me crazy! My mom used to do the same thing! He pants heavily too, but my mom never did that.

Anyway obviously the first thing "wrong" with him is he's getting old. Dr. Taylor (yum!) wanted me to let him do a geriatric blood workup. That would run around $105 or so. Today's visit costs $114.90, more about that later. He suspects Cody might have diabetes. If so he'd need TWO shots a day, at the same time of day, forever. Almost for sure he has some kind of metabolic disorder due to his heavy panting and muscle loss. He said he could just do a blood sugar test and that would run me about 20 bucks. He also heard a heart mummer of his mitral valve - he says I can expect to hear "old man coughing" as a result of that. His liver was okay for the most part, but also showing signs of aging.

I asked the "what would you do if it was YOUR dog" question. And he said he'd have the blood work done and then go from there. I said realistically how much longer would Cody live period. He said anywhere from 2 days to 1 year. That's pretty much what I'd figured all along. I said his job was to tell me when it was time to put him down if it came to that. He said that when Cody woke up in the morning and didn't want to do anything - eat, play, etc. - just sleep, it was one day past time. (I thought to myself: Self, watch your kids if you take to your bed too much!)

One other huge complaint is that he can't hear ... he can hear certain sounds, but not many. The vet (yum!) said he never expects a shepherd to hear after age 12 or so! Hmmmm. I said the good part was he also didn't bark much. He used to bark when a squirrel farted in the backyard or a leaf fell off the tree in the front yard. He certainly used to alert me to anyone on the property and I miss that. Now *I* have to let HIM know when someone is afoot.

I decided not to do the blood tests - any of them. I don't want to know if he has diabetes or anything else. I don't want to give him 2 shots a day. If he was 7 or 8, sure, but at 13 it's not like he's going to live to be 20. For right now he's back on Zubrin for his osteoarthritis (that was $51.90 of today's total). I'm to call in 7 to 10 days and let him know if there is vast improvement. He doesn't want just so-so relief. He said then I could decide then if I wanted to do any testing, etc. I think he thinks my kids are going to be all over me to do whatever it takes to make him a puppy again and put some heat on me.

You see, it's not that I can't afford it. I can and I've proven that with his TWO TPLO surgeries. Money is no object when it comes to momma's boy. Now I just want him to be comfortable. I suppose shots or whatever he needs would make him more comfortable too, but when is it time to just say enough? What would YOU do if it was YOUR best friend?


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Cody Is 12 Years Old Today!

Cody's Album

Dr. Yum, er I mean Dr. Taylor can be found at the Prestonwood Animal Clinc.

Officers Save Man from Garbage Truck

OAK PARK, Mich.-- A man who awoke inside a garbage truck that was about to compact its load was rescued after making a frantic cell phone call to police, authorities say.

The man, who is unemployed but not homeless, was scavenging for bottles Thursday when he fell asleep in a Dumpster, said police Lt. Mike Pousak. He awoke when the container was unloaded into a truck.

He told police he didn't know which truck he was in but gave a dispatcher the location of the Dumpster he fell asleep in, Pousak said.

He had tried yelling for help but no one heard him.

Police soon lost contact with the man when his cell phone battery became dislodged, Pousak said. Police checked several trucks, including one in a parking lot.

"An officer went and pounded on the side of the truck and somebody pounded back," Pousak said.

The man appeared to be unhurt except for a scratch, Pousak said.

"If I was him I would go to church and play the lottery because today was his lucky day," the police officer said.

From Officer.com

The question remains "WHY"? Why sleep in a dumpster if you're NOT homeless? Drunk. Has to be drunk. Or druggy. 'Course dumb comes to mind too. Dumb drunk druggy!

On the bright side, now I can tell my kids I only have a cell phone in order to call the cops if I'm ever trapped inside a garbage truck!

Harris County Sheriff's Citizen Police Academy Info

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas would like to invite the citizens of Harris County to participate in an upcoming Citizen's Police Academy. Classes will begin February 1, 2007.

The Citizen's Police Academy (CPA) is an eleven week program designed to give the participates a working knowledge of the Harris County Sheriff's Office. This program consists of a series of interactive classes demonstrating police procedures and protocol. The classes will be held at the Cypress Creek EMS Education Center located at 7111 Five Forks every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. There are no tuition fees and enrollment is open to qualified individuals. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and reside in Harris County. A thorough background check will be conducted on each applicant.

The Sheriff feels the CPA plays a vital role in reducing crime by improving communication with citizens through local input and support throughout the county. It is our hope that the graduates will become partners with us in identifying problems and solutions to the crime issues that are affecting our county. Graduates will gain knowledge they can implement to enhance the quality of life in their respective neighborhoods.

Through this eleven week course, CPA participants learn many aspects of law enforcement such as Texas Penal Code, Gang Awareness, Terrorism, and many other topics. It is through this program that Harris County residents will gain a better understanding of how police services are conducted in their community, and see "how and why" officers make some of the decisions they do as they perform their duties.

Applications may be picked up at any Harris County Sheriff's Office Storefront or by contacting the Community Services Division at 713-759-9454. All applications must be turned in no later than January 19, 2007.

Happy New Year 2007 To All

I'd make some resolutions, but experience has shown that they don't accomplish much except to give me yet another list to keep up with.

I think I'll make some wishes instead:

1. I wish the war was over and all our heroes were home safely
2. I wish Dr. Wongsa would accept me for the way I am NOW
3. I wish I'd never found out that chocolate was on the planet
4. I wish my kids would stop smoking and tell the tax man to stuff it sideways
5. I wish I was in Maui watching the surf, feeling the warm breezes on my face
6. I wish all who read this the best New Year possible.

Thank you very much for visiting my blog.