Odd news stories

[roni]

This thread could be a place to post stories that do not deserve their own thread, but seem a bit interesting or odd.

Here is my starting contribution -

Foreign Intelligence and other wiretaps shut down by phone company because the FBI didn't pay their phone bill

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.

One FBI office had $66,000 in unpaid telehpone bills.

A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said.

In at least one case, a wiretap used in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigation "was halted due to untimely payment," the audit found. FISA wiretaps are used in the government's most sensitive and secretive criminal investigations, and allow eavesdropping on suspected terrorists or spies.

I can see Lily Tomlin as the Phone Lady telling them

[MWC]

Originally Posted by roni

This thread could be a place to post stories that do not deserve their own thread, but seem a bit interesting or odd.

Here is my starting contribution -

Foreign Intelligence and other wiretaps shut down by phone company because the FBI didn't pay their phone bill

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.

One FBI office had $66,000 in unpaid telehpone bills.

A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said.

In at least one case, a wiretap used in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigation "was halted due to untimely payment," the audit found. FISA wiretaps are used in the government's most sensitive and secretive criminal investigations, and allow eavesdropping on suspected terrorists or spies.

I can see Lily Tomlin as the Phone Lady telling them

Too bad the TV writers are still on strike -- Jon Stewart & The Daily Show would have a field day with this!

[Andiline]

I don't really have an odd story but a stupid one... over here we do have the fashion of TV shows about people who immigrate to foreign countries. Today I started to watch one in which a family of 5 went to Canada. But geeeez... I really couldn't watch it. How can you try to immigrate with a tourist visum and not even be informed about the minimum requirements so your kids can go to school? So many of those people are so naive... this is incredible (and a shame). Sometimes they don't speak the language, they have no money, no job, no work permission - how can you immigrate to a foreign country without all that? The only family I have seen succeed was a family who went to live in Texas after the wife won a green card. Saw another one immigrate to Italy to a place in Sardinia I've known for 30 years. They opened a kiosk at the beach. BUT the beach is popular only for 3 months a year for the rest of the year it is more or less deserted... how can you hope to make a living this way???

[Rissask]

That is funny Roni!! oops!

This isn't really an 'odd' story but I just now heard that an Air Canada flight somewhere in Canada today had some major turbulence that resulted in 10 people injured. Made me think that I will be more careful to try to buckle my belt even when the light is not lit. Scary.

[midlifemidwife]

Originally Posted by MWC

Too bad the TV writers are still on strike -- Jon Stewart & The Daily Show would have a field day with this!

FYI they started broadcasting again this week finaly a trustworthy source of news! they have to wade thru election coverage but I can't see how they would pass this story up. One of my reactions to the destroyed water boarding tapes was "holy cow I hope they (gov.) have gone to digital!! why are they calling them tapes!

[catnhat]

DEAD MEN DO NOT CASH CHECKS

NEW YORK (AP) -- Two men wheeled a dead man through the streets in an office chair to a check-cashing store and tried to cash his Social Security check before being arrested on fraud charges, police said.
David J. Dalaia and James O'Hare pushed Virgilio Cintron's body from the Manhattan apartment that O'Hare and Cintron shared to Pay-O-Matic, about a block away, spokesman Paul Browne said witnesses told police.
"The witnesses saw the two pushing the chair with Cintron flopping from side to side and the two individuals propping him up and keeping him from flopping from side to side," Browne said.

Dead men don't cash checks - CNN.com

[Mercy]

Originally Posted by catnhat

DEAD MEN DO NOT CASH CHECKS

NEW YORK (AP) -- Two men wheeled a dead man through the streets in an office chair to a check-cashing store and tried to cash his Social Security check before being arrested on fraud charges, police said.
David J. Dalaia and James O'Hare pushed Virgilio Cintron's body from the Manhattan apartment that O'Hare and Cintron shared to Pay-O-Matic, about a block away, spokesman Paul Browne said witnesses told police.
"The witnesses saw the two pushing the chair with Cintron flopping from side to side and the two individuals propping him up and keeping him from flopping from side to side," Browne said.

Dead men don't cash checks - CNN.com

Heard about that one on the news this morning That's just crazy... Weekend at Bernies!!!

[horizon200]

Rueters
Husband finds wife in brothel job

A Polish man got the shock of his life when he visited a brothel and spotted his wife among the establishment's employees.

Polish tabloid Super Express said the woman had been making some extra money on the side while telling her husband she worked at a store in a nearby town.

"I was dumfounded. I thought I was dreaming," the husband told the newspaper.

The couple, married for 14 years, are now divorcing, the newspaper reported.

WTH was she thinking? Didn't she know that's was where he hung out!?

[u2girlie]

I heard the FBI story tonight on NPR All Things Considered....tee hee...kind of enjoyed it.
I heard the brothel/wife/husband story thir morning on NPR Morning Edition...surprising that the marriage isn't gonna make it!

[SunKneeMarie]

The two I heard this morning were the Mom who Sold her kid's car when she found a bottle of booze in the front seat... and the bag o' feces in walgreens story...

[pamplemoose77]

Originally Posted by u2girlie

I heard the brothel/wife/husband story thir morning on NPR Morning Edition...surprising that the marriage isn't gonna make it!

well minus the trust issues.. at least they have something in common!

[ryberg]

[Rissask]

This is very odd indeed....
the octopus who loves his Mr. Potato Head

[StephenB]

Then there's this.......

Separated-at-birth twins get married - Yahoo! News

[catnhat]

I wonder what the Insurance agent thought


Cow falls from sky, barely misses couple
Posted by The Associated Press November 06, 2007 11:29AM

MANSON, Wash. -- A Chelan County fire chief says a couple were lucky they weren't killed by a cow that fell off a 200-foot cliff and smashed their minivan. District 5 Chief Arnold Baker says they missed being killed by a matter of inches Sunday as they drove on Highway 150 near Manson.

The 600-pound cow fell about 200 feet and landed on the hood of the minivan carrying Charles Everson Jr. and his wife Linda of Westland, Mich., who were in the area celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary. They were checked at Lake Chelan Community Hospital as a precaution.

The van was heavily damaged, including a broken windshield. Charles Everson says he kept repeating, "I don't believe this. I don't believe this." The year-old cow had been reported missing by a breeder. It was euthanized at the scene.