#The Florida Highway Killer

[2kawaii4u-bishes]

INKTOBER 2023 | day 15: namesake

Aileen Wournos aka "The Florida Highway Killer"

Aside from the child who played orphan Annie in the old movie, and the serial killer I don't know any other well known Aileen.

I reccomend looking into her story. It's very tragic.

I make my own inktober prompt list. keep an eye out for my art this month! ! Currently catching up on posting these past couple days

[lestats-ovaries]

Okay idk if this is just me being negative, but I personally get enjoyment out of the shows I watch by ripping them to shreds in the name of improvement, because there's always something there that's great, it just has to be refined and shaped to reach it's full potential. So, bear with me here.

I'm a 911 fan, and one who really enjoys the opening disasters. I have a pretty good suspension of disbelief, so usually I can deal with scientific inaccuracies and contrivances for the sake of good storytelling. I'm not the kind of person to point at the earthquake opener and be like "uhm akshually all buildings in california have to be built on a floating foundation and obey strict safety regulations to withstand earthquakes, so the high rise crumbling the way it did is actually really unrealistic." I don't mind extreme situations, as long as they're not so impossible it breaks my suspension of disbelief.

That being said, I can firmly and completely say that the bee-nado season 8 opener looks like the absolute dumbest thing you could ever write, not just because it's contrived and overly dramatic, but because it's wildly, comically unrealistic and breaks suspension of disbelief in a way that 911 has never really done before. Sure, a blimp crashing into a packed stadium is kinda dumb and contrived, but at least it's a thing that could realistically happen with a (semi) realistic aftermath.

The bee-nado is so bad it's almost insulting. Killer bees are a trope that's been beaten to death, to the point where 911's had a bee related emergency before, and from the trailer, this seems to be a depiction that's much, much worse.

(Cut for people who don't want to deal with the dissertation I wrote, which. totally fair, it's over 1300 words and arguably kinda nitpicky. dw, there's a tldr at the end)

Without further ado, my unsolicited opinion. Enjoy.

First, let's get our facts straight:

One: the "killer bees" they're talking about are most likely africanized honey bees, an artificial breed of bee first cultivated and then accidentally released in brazil, which has spread north all the way up to Texas, Florida, San Diego and LA (plus more, really any southern border state) via migration.

Two: the 22 million number they mention in the trailer is, as far as I can tell, an accurate number when it comes to transporting bees commercially. Generally this is done by companies who are hired by farmers to bring beehives to their crops for pollination; they take trucks filled with bees, covered in a mesh net to try and keep them in, and drive them down to the farmland. More on this later

Three: when in trucks, honey bees can only be transported under certain conditions. If they get too hot, they tend to fly out of their hives to avoid boiling in their exoskeletons. The main ways truck drivers mitigate this is by driving at night, waiting for a cold day/week to go, or going fast enough that the wind keeps the bees cool and inside.

Four: africanized honey bees are considered an invasive nuisance in california and aren't cultivated in large masses anywhere in the US. Nests that are found are usually destroyed because of the threat they pose to public safety, and there's even

Knowing all this, let's consider the "bee-nado."

One: there's no way anyone would be transporting 22 million cultivated africanized honey bees. No company would ever want to work with them because they're an insane liability to public health, and would get them sued so quickly if anything went wrong. See: literally the season opener. And at the same time, what private beekeeper has the money to care for 400 hives of hyperaggressive bees?

Two: The transportation issues. Like I said earlier, bees are generally transported at night/during lower temperature days because bees are less active in the cold, are less prone to suffocation/leaving the hive, and are usually taken places on highways because it means less stops where the bees can escape. So why the hell are we transporting them straight through LA, a place that's notoriously hot and has traffic for days, meaning the truck would lose a bunch of its bees even if it somehow managed to avoid LA-typical traffic, because it'll have to stop at dozens of lights and slow down for tight turns that are hard to do on a trailer that size.

And that's not even mentioning that the bees aren't covered in a mesh sheet, which as far as I can tell is industry standard, or strapped down in any way to avoid death. Bees are really easy to kill on these trips, and companies are careful as hell while transporting them; there's no way the truck skidding like that (note: the trailer doesn't show it being knocked over, just skidding on the road and hitting the side of another car) would send the beehives all over the road. Dumb. As. Hell.

I do have to give the show some slack here, because as far as I can tell the temperature issues would apply less to africanized honey bees because they can withstand higher temperatures. Don't quote me on that, though, because I couldn't find any information on it because NO ONE TRANSPORTS AFRICANIZED HONEY BEES. They're a public nuisance, aren't cultivated in any large capacity, and discovered wild hives are commonly exterminated. DUMB. AS. HELL.

Past the inaccuracy, though, there's another reason this disaster bothers me, and it's because of optics.

Bees are an endangered species. They're vital to our survival, in fact. So, portraying them as 'killer bees' feels irresponsible. Say it with me:

Bees don't attack unless their hive is threatened.

Before anyone says different about africanized honey bees, they do the same thing. Stinging someone kills a bee; they won't do it just for fun (unlike wasps. I would have endorsed a wasp disaster actually, those guys can go to hell).

Obviously, the bee's hives being squashed across the highway is sure to send them into a frenzy, and it's definitely going to suck for anyone that's currently on that highway, but they're not going to travel around in packs mugging people. That sort of reputation is why people are apathetic towards, or even completely against preserving bee populations. They see bees the same way the media sees sharks; as inherently evil creatures who's only goal is human suffering, rather than living creatures with natural behaviours that are mistaken for antagonistic.

If this was just an episode long, I could definitely cut it some slack. A shorter time means less need to dramatize and mischaracterize bees as inherently predatory for the sake of drama. The way it was done in the renfaire episode a while ago was good; the bees only attacked one person because their queen was stuck in her armour. Normal bee behaviour, that's explained to the viewer and wouldn't lead to fear-mongering since there's a clear, non-antagonistic motive that's scientifically sound.

But, it's not. It's three episodes, and you just can't stretch regular bee behaviour into three episodes. Seriously, the simplest thing they can do is get everyone away from the hive to let the bees calm down, and letting exterminators take care of it. Even if the bees deem their hive destroyed and need to relocate, they generally stay in one place until the scout bees find something suitable to stay in (which can take a bit; and even then , the trailer didn't indicate the nests were crushed or anything, just thrown off the truck.)

My conclusion from all this? The season 8 opener is most likely going to be a contrived, comically unrealistic, damaging depiction of bees meant for drama and shock value, and most of all, I just think it's going to be lame. I'm sorry, you sank a cruise ship last season and the best you could come up with this time was bees? You made complicated and detailed water sets for a gorgeously written split perspective plotline in the season 2 tsunami disaster, and all you could think of was bees?? The volcano in lone star is almost impressively unrealistic, but at least it was more exciting than bees.

Please god let the rest of the season be better than this.

Important end note/disclaimer: the season isn't out yet as I'm writing this, so I literally have no idea how the portrayal is actually going to pan out. Knowing the show, they'll probably address the fact that they're africanized honey bees and not normal bees, which is a good step in the right direction. I personally don't think that's enough, since the optics are pretty fear mongering and especially dangerous with the current climate crisis and state of the bee population in the US, particularly California. If people go out thinking that it's normal for beekeepers to cultivate africanized honey bees, it'll result in a push against conservation efforts, et cetera, you get the gist.

But, I don't know how it's going to pan out. And as someone who genuinely loves this show's writing, I'm just hoping I'm wrong and I'm just taking things worse than they actually are. I know for a fact they can write so much better than this, and have written so much better than this.

The thing I love most about this show has always been how it sets itself apart from other procedurals, like greys anatomy, by creating realistic and complex drama, characters, and keeping most of its situations within the realm of possibility. This season opener feels like the first time they've sacrificed bare minimum realism for drama, and I hope to god that trend doesn't continue.

Uhhhh TLDR: killer bees are an actual type of bee that aren't cultivated, like, ever because they're considered a nuisance to be exterminated in california, and most other states. so, a random truckload of them being out in the middle of LA is wildly unrealistic. On top of that, the hives themselves are missing the usual safety precautions bee transporters have, like mesh nets and any sort of strap to stop the beehives from being flung off the truck. But it doesn't stop there, the portrayal of bees as these killer insects mugging anyone they come across is, you guessed it, also wildly unrealistic and adds to fearmongering around bees, which is not good for our critically declining populations. Their only goal is to defend their hive, and won't stray anywhere near as far as they do in the trailer.

[ardent-heretic]

Perspective

Spawnette is a worry wart. She learned about the mighty Russian Navy flexing its big hairy muscles off the coast of Florida. Things like that concern her.

So I put it in perspective.

One US Carrier could take out an entire Russian fleet without any help. I told her how we are following each ship. We have sub killer planes in the air, ready to take out any can of tuna, Russia has that might act up.

I explained some of our Military Technology and how lethal it is. I told her how if Putincakes tried anything we could kill him while he was pooping on the toilet.

She asked if anyone tried fighting with us before and I gave a few examples

But to put her at ease I explained Chapter One of the Iraq war. I told her how Iraq thought she was big and tough. So we pretty much plastered their Military. I showed her pics of the Highway of Death and said we could do that in one night. Without even trying.

If Putincakes tries something we can pretty much send them to the Stone Age. I showed her a video of a JDAM missle test and said if PutinPie wants a war. We will drop that on his bathroom while he takes a dump. And PutinPie knows it.

That made her laugh.

Some embellishments were used. But I don’t want her losing sleep over this.

[drugstoreglitter]

location :   uncle joe’s crab shack, fort lauderdale, florida.

featuring :    FRANKALLIE !!!!! but it’s an au in which they’ve never met

for :    @gallagherisms​

       it’s a red-hot florida summer, tide low, coast sandy, and the temperature’s already pushing ninety. saturday was meant to be her day of rest and relaxation in a rare week off from the yachting season, but so far all she seems to do is pick up the slack left by her brothers. she should be out in the van, tearing down the highway with dolly blaring from her tinny speaker, flowers in her hair and incense hanging from the mirror. she could even be tanning on an aft deck off the adriatic coast right now, a shammy in her hand and the sun on her back, had she booked on for another week of work rather than taking a so-called ‘holiday’. instead, she’s trapped inside uncle joe’s crab shack covering for leo while he plays hooky to nail some chick from arizona, because technically she owes him one, and when a castro makes a promise they take that shit to their grave. but fuck if she doesn’t wish she were someone else right now. take that cute curly-haired chick with the killer smile, for example — probably a holiday maker, sat with a bunch of other fresh faces, laughing at kai who runs the whiskey cove paddle board tours — looks like she’s having the time of her life, a stress-free existence, where all she probably has to worry about is what colour bikini to wear and whether or not she’s gonna let kai get the home run tonight. why do girls like that always end up with douchebags like kai. it’s fucking unfair. still, frankie’s trying to be a force of positivity, live laugh love in the moment and remind herself of everything there is to be grateful for, but it’s hard when it’s hot enough that it feels like sweat drips from the ceiling like stalactites, and her supposed ‘break’ has been pushed back so many times that she’ll likely have to go without. whatever. four’s only like, an hour away. she can manage ‘til then.

      can you check on table fifteen, it’s the big one with the out-of-townies, kelly’s asking her, loading frankie with another two plates before she can leave the kitchen, wince bitten in by her teeth. feels like being a stewardess all over again, but there’s a reason she’d made the switch to deck crew. she’s not good at saving face and sucking back how she really feels when faced with opposition. she can’t just lie back and think of england, never had a mother who stuck around long enough to teach her the secret handshake that held the code to being a girl.  “ can’t you just get bodhi to do it ?  i’m already covering, like, five tables, and those guys look super picky. ”  kai’s always asking for like, the weirdest thing on the menu, and then adding on a load of vegan, gluten-free, soy-free extras, as if he wants you to fuck up his order so he can write you a bad review on tripadvisor. the only thing worse than working when you’re supposed to be on holiday is serving people your age who are actually out having fun.  “ fine, whatever. i can get their drinks orders. but then i gotta take my fifteen minutes. let me just run these lobsters over to table twelve. ”  

      somewhere in the short commute, the instructions get lost in translation, frankie instead standing before the HBO remake of forgetting sarah marshall at table fifteen, all of them fresh from the surf and smelling of saltwater.  “ two surf ‘n’ turfs ? ”  frankie asks, ignored at first, then clears her throat, asks for the second time, cutting through the conversation a little more coarsely.   “ anybody order these surf ‘n’ turfs ? ”   these plates are fucking hot. her eyes are kinda pleading with the curly girl on the end, and it’s only when she feels a tap against her back and a child’s voice that says, uh, i think those are ours...  that frankie realises her mistake.  “ balls. ”  embarrassed, she whips around on her heel with such a voracity that there’s no time to slow her roll, and there’s a body where an empty space is meant to be, an edgar wright smash cut to something wholly unexpected, like that scene where regina gets totalled by a bus. she smacks straight into bodhi, now outfitted in the contents of his two seafood platters, her own spread of steak and lobster flying into the customer behind her’s lap, too startled to even hear the gasps of the hawaii five-o extras or the kid that’s covered in chowder. prawns hanging from her uniform, frankie turns back to the to the customer ; a lobster now sits like a cat in her lap and beef dripping clings to her shirt.  “ holy fuck... i am so sorry. like, you have no idea. ”  kelly’s gonna put her fucking head on a roasted halloumi and vegetable skewer. cautiously, frankie plucks the lobster from her lap. in her head, he grows an animated mouth, tells her cheer up, kid, it might never happen. well it fucking has happened. the most ridiculing moment of her life, thus far.  “ please don’t tell my boss, i’m not even meant to be working today, i’m just covering for my stupid... jesus, why am i saying this ? you don’t care about my idiot brother. ”  foot in mouth disease. sighing, frankie drops down, and begins plucking the fragments of plate from the floor where the sad steak sits in a pool of it’s own trimmings.  “ um, i can like... cover your meal ? ”  she says, her eyes scanning back up to the surfer chick covered in surf ‘n’ turf, the full florida experience.  “ or your drinks, if you’re just drinking. ” though it’ll probably cost her the entire day’s pay check with the shit they’ve been drinking. it’s like margaritaville on crack.  “ look... can you just... tell me how i can make this up to you ?  because if i don’t then i’m not gonna sleep tonight. i’ll just keep seeing your face and bolting upright in bed like that rigged little dummy kid in monsters university, y’know. ”

[thebikerbookforcharity]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys, and girls and motorcyclist of all kinds come and join us April 13th 2024 and test your mental and physical motorcycle skills. Not only will we be testing our skills we will be raising money for pediatric transplant families. There is a $50 entry fee and there will also be prizes for the person that raises the most money for Broncos benevolent foundation. We will meet At Killer Creek, Harley Davidson around 5:30 AM to sign up and leave by 6:30 AM. The ride takes us to Bert barracuda Harley Davidson in St. Petersburg Florida where there will be music at Orange County choppers and we can grab a bite to eat at the grill and shop for souvenirs. After a short stay you will head back for the second half of your trip. Please like Broncos benevolent foundation and stay tuned for more information. Get your motor running head out on the highway looking for adventure the motorcyclist way.

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

AILEEN WUORNOS

AILEEN WUORNOS

1956-2002

Serial killer who killed 7 known men b between 1989-1990

            Aileen Wuornos was born in Rochester, Michigan, US and was raised by her grandparents after her teenage mother abaonded her and her schizophrenia father was inmprisoned. Aged 14, she was raped by her grandfather’s friend and fell pregnant, her son was put up for adoption and his fate is unknown.

            Wuornos worked as a prostitute from the age of 15 between Michigan and Florida. She married the elderly Lewis Gratz Fell who was a yacht club president, who she met whilst hitchhiking. She abused her husband and he placed a restraining order against her. She was involved in numerous crimes including theft and the use of a pistol. She met Tyria Moore, 24, at a gay bar and the two moved in together. 

            Wuornos killed her male victims close to the highways in Florida and near Georgia, all the victims were naked and its unknown whethere she had been intimate with the victims. Wuornos and Moore had a car crash in 1990 and a witnessed saw them fleeing the scene, the car belonged to one of her victims. Wuornos sold the victims belongings to pawnshops and also gave them to Moore as gifts.

            In January 1991, two undercover police officers arrested Wuornos at a Florida bar for an outstanding warrant. Not long after, Moore was located by the authorities who told the police that Wuornos had confessed in killing the man whose car they were witnessed fleeing.

            Wuornos confessed the crimes and claimed it was self-defence, but her stories became inconsistent. She was found guilty and was sentenced to execution in the electric chair. During the following months she fired lawyers, stopped appeals and became a born-again Christian. She showed no remorse for her victims, she admitted she killed the men and that she would do it again. She said she was sane, and knew what she was doing and that she ‘deserved to die’.

            On Wednesday, 9 October 2002, at 9:47am, Wuornes, 46, was executed by lethal injection. She declined her last meal and just wanted a coffee instead.

#aileenwuornos #truecrime

[yellagalqotm-blog]

This short story commemorating my fifty years of living in Central Florida is a both a snapshot of life in the "Sunshine State" during the 1970s as well as a nostalgic look at the trials and tribulations of a 10 year old still trying to figure out life. (Some names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent!)

©2024

August, 1974

“I heard my mama cry…I heard her pray the night Chicago died….” crooned the pop group Paper Lace over the tinny AM airwaves on our car radio.  

Our 1968 Ford Falcon station wagon had been on the road for a couple of days and travelled over 2400 miles from Syracuse when we rolled into Altamonte Springs, Florida on that hot summer afternoon.  My dad had just retired from the Air Force and we were moving to the “Sunshine State” after being stationed in New York the previous year.  

I was ten years old at the time and having been born into a military family, I was well acquainted with the routine.  Move to a new place, go to a strange school where I don’t know anyone, slowly start to make a few friends, Dad gets transferred, and the process starts all over again.  By now, I’d already been to three elementary schools and was about to start at a fourth.  But this time felt different.  This was going to be our family’s final move - to Florida. 

Even though I had previously lived in Florida for a year in 1968 with my mom and brother while my dad was deployed to Vietnam, I did not have too many memories of what the place was like as I was only four then.  Now, my ten year old imagination was full of more recent secondhand tales I’d heard about Florida - mainly from tv and other kids.  

All I knew about Florida was 1) it was full of alligators, 2) there were poisonous snakes everywhere, and 3) homes were regularly ripped apart by deadly hurricanes.  Why on earth would anyone want to live there?  And why were my parents making us move down to this awful place that sounded like hell on earth? 

Speaking of my parents, they were in the front seat discussing the location of the Kentucky Fried Chicken where my Uncle Mike was going to meet us and guide us back to Aunt Mary’s house.  Mary was my mother’s younger sister who had been living in Florida with her family for years.  They seemed to have survived Florida’s hurricanes and dangerous creatures, so I figured we just might have a fighting chance.

I was the oldest of the four kids sitting in the back seat.  Besides me, there was my brother Robert, a jokester who, like myself, enjoyed watching cartoons and drawing.  My sister Laurie was the studious one who, when she didn’t have skates strapped on, had her nose in a book.  The 3 year old clutching the Mrs. Beasley doll was my youngest sister Suzy.  

As we got closer to our final destination, I stared out the window at our surroundings.  We were approaching Altamonte Springs on Interstate 4, a long stretch of highway cutting through Central Florida.  Cars zipped past us plastered in bumper stickers that promoted local radio stations like WLOF 95AM and BJ105 FM while others declared Orlando the “Vacation Kingdom.”

There were also lots of signs and billboards challenging us to “Arrive Alive.”  To my somewhat morbid and overly imaginative young mind, this smacked of a cruel irony.  Sure, Florida wants us to “Arrive Alive” so we can perish via a gator attack, snake bite or a killer hurricane!

Orlando’s Television and Radio Landscape

“If I had a box just for wishes and dreams that had never come true. The box would be empty except for the memory of how they were answered by you.”  (Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce)

We soon got into the swing of things during those first couple of months.  Because we still did not have a permanent residence, we lived with my Aunt Mary and her family.  I remember it was a large, split level house where you enter through the front door and there was a flight of stairs taking you up to the living quarters and another flight taking you to the game room and two extra bedrooms downstairs.  My siblings and I shared one of those rooms on that lower floor.

The main thing I remember about that downstairs area was the huge pool table.  We’d never seen one in real life before and were fascinated.  My dad and Uncle Mike patiently showed us how to handle the cues and which balls to aim for.  I was never any good and I am still a lousy player to this day.  But I love playing pool when I get the chance.

Another thing that enraptured me in particular was the air hockey table - especially the hum and the “whoosh” sound it made when it was turned on.  Once while my aunt, uncle and cousins were out for the day, my siblings and I were bored and looking for something to do.  Our attention turned to the air hockey table upon which sat a piece of notebook paper with the words “Out of Order” scrawled on it in a child’s handwriting.  

This was no doubt that work of my oldest cousin, Matthew.  I had an intense dislike of Matthew because, as he was a year older than me, he seemed to enjoy bossing all of us  around and was consistently tattling on me.  Being the oldest of four myself, I was not used to being the one tattled upon, so I found this new structure in the scheme of family dynamics quite upsetting indeed.  The charges against me, according to Matthew, included: “Linda’s eating with her hands.”  “Linda didn’t say thank you.”  “Linda called Robert a name.”  

Anyway, my dad saw my cousin’s note, tossed it aside in an air of disgust and plugged in the air hockey table.  We enjoyed a few games before carefully putting everything back to the way it was afterwards.

Of course, the color television in that downstairs room was the main focal point for all of us kids, including our cousins.  Central Florida television in the mid-1970s was a plethora of colorful, corny fun!  Every day we tuned into our local UHF station - WSWB, channel 35.  

A local children’s program called Uncle Hubie’s Penthouse Barnyard came on in the afternoons.  Uncle Hubie, bedecked in a beat-up hat, overalls, a checked shirt and a bandana around his neck, was played by a gentleman by the name of Hugh Turley.  I don’t remember much about the program other than the catchy, ragtime style theme song played on the piano.  From what I gather, the premise of this show was that Uncle Hubie struck it rich and moved his entire barnyard, chicken coop included, to the top of some urban high-rise building.  The only other things I recall were the cartoons shown and that Uncle Hubie’s mailing address was in Bithlo, Florida.

After the Uncle Hubie show, my brother Robert and our cousin Danny would excitedly tie bath towels around their necks and race towards the tv just in time to watch “Batman.” Pow!  Biff!  Wham!

Afterwards came one of my new favorites, “Lost in Space”.  I had never seen it before and immediately became a huge fan of the series.  I always wanted to be Penny Robinson and travel in space with my pet monkey….I mean Bloop.  Next came “Star Trek”, where I was introduced to Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and phasers set on “stun.”  Finally, our early evening television viewing was rounded out with “Mayberry R.F.D.”  

Local radio in the mid-1970s boasted an interesting collection of stations.  My favorite at the time was WLOF, 95 AM, which played mainly top 40 pop tunes.  My mom was an avid listener of some of the early talk shows.  Her favorite call-in talk show was an evening program hosted by a man named Mike Miller.

One day, not long after our arrival in Florida, I remember my dad threw all of us kids in the back of our station wagon and headed over to the local Kmart.  I distinctly recall walking into the store barefoot, wearing my spaghetti strap green romper suit.  It felt liberating not wearing any shoes and thinking that maybe Florida might not be such a bad place to live after all!  But I had a feeling that if my mom knew we were traipsing through that store shoeless, she’d be mortified. But that worry quickly evaporated as we headed towards the electronics department.

It was there that Dad bought me my first transistor radio!  It was a small, olive green Solid State that had a white wrist strap, a dial for tuning and a couple of knobs on the side for volume and for switching back and forth to AM and FM bands. Oddly enough, I can still remember the plastic, metallic smell that it had. I treasured that radio for a long time.  Later on in my teen years, I would switch my radio station allegiance to WDIZ, an FM station based on Lee Road in Winter Park that played album rock.

Summertime:  Pools and Peaches

“We had joy.  We had fun.  We had seasons in the sun. But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time…” (“Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks)

One of the first things that hit us kids the moment we set foot in Florida was the searing heat.  Florida wasn’t just hot, it was tropically hot.  The humidity felt like a tangible lead weight pressing down on our small frames as if it was trying to drive us down into the sandy soil.  

Playing outside was definitely off the table.  My mother for years would constantly urge me to go outside and “knock a ball around” with my sister, only to be met with an incredulous stare.  Me?  Go OUTSIDE?  You’ve GOT to be kidding!  Of course, I never said that aloud.  Instead, I’d just wail “It’s too HOT out there!”

Luckily, during those initial two months when we stayed with my Aunt Mary, we had access to something considered the Holy Grail to most kids:  an in-ground, backyard swimming pool! A “cement pond” as the Clampetts of the “Beverly Hillbillies” would call it.  

Sometimes we’d have to impatiently wait to use it because Uncle Mike needed to “shock” the pool.  I used to think he threw a toaster or some other electrical appliance in there for some bizarre reason known only to adults.  Of course, I’d eventually learn exactly what the pool shocking procedure entailed and why it was performed.  But all we cared about at the time was getting our sweaty, overheated behinds into that lovely, cool, aquamarine water.

Both of our families spent many happy hours in that pool.  My cousins, who were decent swimmers and daredevils, would show off and do jumps off the diving board.  I didn’t know how to swim so I was happy to stay and paddle around in the shallow end.

I remember one day while we were out poolside, there was some talk on the radio about President Nixon and impeachment.  But all I heard was the word “peach” being said hundreds of times, so I thought it had something to do with fruit.  From the attitude of the adults, it was something serious.  However, to a ten year old, all I kept thinking was “Geez, how dangerous can peaches be and what has our president been doing with them?”

Dining Out 1970s Style

“If you wanna a drink of water, you gotta get it from a well. If you wanna get to heaven, you gotta raise a little hell.” (“If You Wanna Get to Heaven” by  the Ozark Mountain Daredevils)

Despite the fact that our family never really dined out, unless McDonalds counts, I still vividly recall visiting a few Central Florida eateries which are no longer with us.

One of the first places we dined out with Aunt Mary and her family was Tom’s Pizza in Maitland.  The blueish white neon sign in the front window continuously flashed “Tom’s Pizza - 25¢”.  I don’t remember much from that visit other than the place was dark and the harmonica solo from “If You Wanna Get to Heaven” by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils blared in the background.  

One of the popular fast food burger chains of that period was Burger Chef and there was one in Fern Park, not too far from where we’d eventually settle in nearby Casselberry. In addition to the orange and blue color scheme and the chef hat logo, I fondly recall those delectable hamburgers.  The burgers were so juicy, in fact, that one squirted me squarely in the eye after I squeezed it a bit too hard in my eagerness to shove it into my mouth.  I haven’t been attacked by a better burger since!

Pizza parlors were places we didn’t go to often but when we did, it was a treat!  There was a place in Casselberry called Shakey’s which catered to families and featured “Golden Age” show reels of Laurel & Hardy as well as the Little Rascals.

Shopping, Turtles and Roses (Oh My!)

“Can it be that it was all so simple then? Or has time rewritten every line? If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we?”  (The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand)

My mother loved going to stores and that’s what we often did on the weekends.  Our main target was usually the Altamonte Mall, which was visible from my Aunt Mary’s backyard.  The first time I walked into that mall, I was dumbfounded at how huge it was.  I’d never seen so many stores under one roof.  And there were two floors of shops!

My dad was never one for the retail experience, so he would find a place to park himself while Mom whipped around from shop to shop with the rest of us in her wake, breathlessly trying to keep up.  Back in those days, Mom idled in high gear.  She talked fast and walked even faster.  Because Suzy was barely out of her toddler stage and her legs would never keep up with Mom’s lightning-fast gait, she often stayed with Dad.  

Back then, in the days before mobile phones, we had to arrange a meeting place and time before going our separate ways.  Luckily the Altamonte Mall had the perfect central meeting spot.  In the center of the first floor was a seating area of benches, bright red carpeting and a cluster of modern, stylized turtle sculptures.  So, whenever my family visited the mall, we’d often agree to “meet by the turtles” at a predestined time.

Near the mall’s turtle habitat was Ferrell’s, a late 19th century themed ice cream parlor. The employees were outfitted in 1890s style flat boater hats and the long sleeve shirts with ties.  They served gigantic sundaes and had just about every flavor of ice cream my young mind could think of.  One day I felt a bit adventurous and ordered the bubble gum ice cream because it looked so pretty and colorful.  A half hour later, I was left with a huge, flavorless wad of gum in my mouth.  I wish I could say that this was an important lesson I learned in not being taken in by good looks alone - but I’d be lying.

The travel agency with its lush carpeting, sleek desks and beautiful posters of Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower was an early fascination of mine.  I was particularly attracted to the glossy brochures and travel magazines.  And once I realized that they were actually free for the taking, I’d always walk away with an armful.  Once we got home, I’d spend hours pouring over the pages of exotic locales and dream of the day I could see them in person.  My mom often declared that I’d eventually become a travel agent myself.

Other stores I remember were Casual Corner, Pants USA, the Gap, Lerners, Stuart’s, Zales, Tom McAnn, and Baker’s Shoes.  But the stores I spent the most time in were the mall’s two record shops - Camelot Music and Chess King.  Later on in my teens, I’d spend pretty much all of my allowance in those music stores on the latest albums by the Sweet, Queen, Van Halen or whatever group I was into at the time.  I also spent many hours in B. Dalton and Waldenbooks, usually browsing through books about said rock groups.

During the pre-food court days of the 1970s, the mall had just a few snack counters and full service restaurants.  Chick-fil-A was an early fast food outlet in the mall.  I also remember a German restaurant called Mr. Dunderbak’s that was dark, festooned with hanging sausages and had a strong sauerkraut smell.  

The York Steakhouse was a family favorite of ours.  It had an orange, yellow and brown interior which was set up cafeteria style.  I was never a huge steak eater so I’d often just order the chopped sirloin steak as it was more of a burger patty in gravy.

Another mall we’d visit was the Fashion Square Mall which was just east of downtown Orlando.  The Naval Training Center was next door, so every Friday evening and on weekends, the mall’s concourse was a sea of white, starched navy uniforms.  

There was a store at the Fashion Square that specialized in men’s clothing. I can’t remember the shop’s name but I DO recall that on Friday nights, a couple of male salesclerks would stand in front of the store and give out single, long-stemmed roses to the women who walked by.  Sometimes Mom got one.  And because I was tall and a bit mature looking for my age, I once got a rose, too!  

And Now for a Word from Our Sponsor…

Speaking of stores, I can still remember the words to a lot of the commercial jingles back then.  Well, at least I THINK these were the words!

Kmart:

Kmart is your savings store, where your dollar buys you more.

Eric Adams Furniture Warehouse:

Pick it out in the showroom, where the savings are great.

Pick it up in the warehouse and take it home in the crate.

Eric Adams Furniture Warehouse, Eric Adams Furniture Warehouse.

Don Mealey Chevrolet:

Don Mealey Chevrolet, Don Mealey Chevrolet

So you can have the car you want to drive….TODAY!

The 1970s School Pod System

“You went to school to learn, girl, things you never, never knew before.  Like I before E except after C and why 2 plus 2 makes 4.” (“ABC” by the Jackson 5)

After that first month at Aunt Mary’s, the summer started to wind down and the new school year reared its ugly head. My cousins went to a private, Catholic school where the students wore uniforms. I thought that was pretty cool and wanted to go there.  But because we didn’t have the money and - more importantly - we weren’t practicing Catholics, my siblings and I were enrolled at Spring Lake Elementary in Altamonte Springs. 

I still recall that first day of school.  I was going into fifth grade, wearing a new outfit and carrying a lunch box that I didn’t really care for.  All the other kids had cool lunch boxes with pictures of cartoon characters or pop stars on them.  I had a strange looking, oblong cylindrical thing adorned with yellow flowers that zipped around the top. It was more of an adult lunch box - something a teacher would bring to school.  Because I was tall and mature looking for my age, my mother attempted to dress and accessorize me accordingly.  For a short time, she insisted I carry a purse any time I went anywhere.  But eventually, I won out on that battle - at least until I hit my teens.

As I mentioned before, I’d already attended a few different schools before we moved to Florida.  But Spring Lake was new experience for me because it was a pod school.  In the 70’s, many schools were based on the pod system, which meant open classrooms and very few walls.  I remember our fifth grade class had three walls but the back of the class opened into a huge common area shared with the other fifth grade classes.  We could hear what was going on in other areas.  I don’t know what the thinking was behind this concept.  I’m guessing it was a money-saving measure.  But it was obviously quite easy to get distracted. 

Regardless, I loved this new school.  My teacher, whose name escapes me now, was very nice and used to read stories like “Island of the Blue Dolphin” to us after lunch.  Speaking of lunch, I don’t think this school had a full cafeteria because I remember the meals being served usually consisted of a sandwich, a drink and a piece of fruit shrink wrapped in plastic on a styrofoam tray.

Another thing I remember vividly about this school was the day the book fair rolled in.  My teacher sent me home with a book fair order form the day before and I’d carefully perused it before making my choice and pestering my folks for the money.  As an avid young reader, the opportunity to visit the bookmobile and buy a book of my choosing was a real thrill!  

Trick or Treat

“The zombies were having fun. The party had just begun. The guests included Wolf Man, Dracula and his son.” (“Monster Mash” by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt Kickers)

Being a military brat meant dealing with constant change.  Despite our nomadic lifestyle, I was always very fortunate to have made good friends in every neighborhood where we lived and at each school I attended.  The downside was I always had to say goodbye a short time later.  During our brief stay at my aunt’s house, I remember befriending a girl around my age who lived down the street.  Her name was Caroline and I could swear her surname was Kennedy.  

Caroline was a year older than me, which meant she must have just started junior high school that year.  We’d sometimes hang out at my aunt’s house in the family room or I’d go over to her house.  Caroline was the one who introduced me to Wacky Stickers, those delightful decals that spoofed well-known brands of foods and household products such as Kentucky Fried Fingers, Neveready Batteries and Cheapios cereal.  As a budding artist myself, I was fascinated with the vibrant artwork which closely resembled the original products being lampooned.  Each pack cost about a quarter and included several wacky stickers, a cardboard puzzle piece and a stick of gum that was easily mistaken for another piece of cardboard.  We could only get them from the Lil Champ, which was a popular chain of convenience stores in Florida at the time. 

As Halloween loomed, Caroline asked if I wanted to go trick-or-treating with her around the neighborhood.  I was surprised because I had reckoned we were too big and beyond the age of trick-or-treating.  My mom had kept me home the previous Halloween because she reckoned I was getting too tall and old for it.  But now, here was a girl even OLDER than me who was going.  So I asked my mom and after some misgivings, she miraculously let me go.  Caroline and I didn’t have any costumes.  We just wore regular clothes and carried a couple of pillow cases for our haul.  We combed the entire neighborhood that night and filled those pillow cases with all kinds of sweet goodies.  I can still remember the strong smell of all that confectionary combined into one fruity, chocolatey aroma.  That was the final year of actual door-to-door trick-or-treating for me.  For the next couple of years, my family would take us to the mall so my younger siblings could trick-or-treat.  Then, I was more of a bystander but I DID still get the occasional piece of candy from a sympathetic merchant! 

A Race that Nobody Wins

“Half-breed, that's all I ever heard. Half-breed, how I learned to hate the word. Half-breed, she's no good they warned. Both sides were against me since the day I was born.” (“Half Breed” by Cher)

It’s said that all things must eventually come to an end, and our two month stay with Aunt Mary and her family was no exception.  During final months of 1974, my parents closed on a house in the suburban town of Casselberry, Florida.  Once again, I had to say goodbye to a school I had grown to love and to my new friend Caroline.

Up until then, I never really gave my ethnicity any serious thought.  I knew I felt different from other kids, but I was mainly focused on my height because I was often about half a head taller than classmates.  Whenever a class photograph was arranged, I would be placed in the center of the back row, which would be composed mainly of boys.  

I remember the first time I was made aware of being racially different from my classmates.  It happened in Altus, Oklahoma, 1971.  I was in the second grade then and my class was primarily made up of white kids.  There were also two black boys and then there was me, with my olive complexion and kinky, curly hair.  For some reason, one day my teacher, Miss Warren, who I absolutely ADORED, was in a jovial mood and started asking me which of the two black boys I wanted to kiss.  The entire class started laughing.  To this day, I can’t remember what led up to that question or why Miss Warren would ask that to begin with.  I remember feeling embarrassed and mortified.  I was only 7 years old at the time and to me, ALL boys were icky regardless of their race. And why was I being singled out along with the black kids? Looking back, I don’t know what upset me more - the public humiliation or feeling betrayed by a teacher that I had loved.

After we landed in Florida, other than one of my aunt’s friends once referring to us kids as “pickaninnies”, I don’t recall encountering any other bigotry during our two month stay in Altamonte Springs.  But the moment we moved into our permanent home in Casselberry, the racist floodgates burst open.

It started as soon as we moved into that four bedroom/two bath, mustard colored house in a predominantly white neighborhood.  I was standing in the driveway one afternoon, not long after we moved in.  Two girls my age, one of whom lived across the street from me, were walking by.  They looked over at me, put their heads together, whispered something and exploded into giggles as they once again looked back at me.

About half a block down from our house was a family who was well-known in the neighborhood.  In fact, they delivered the daily newspaper.  And one of the sons was a safety patrol at the elementary school we were about to start attending.  Every time my siblings and I would walk by that house, the kids there would always make sure to loudly shout, “N*****s!”  It was the first time I recall hearing that word used toward us.

What made things worse was that even I didn’t know what I was.  My mother and father were both of Puerto Rican descent.  However, they never brought us up speaking Spanish.  As far as I was concerned, we were just an average white family, even though our skin tone was just a tad darker and our hair a bit kinkier.  

“Why don’t you ever wear your hair down?” girls at school would ask me.  I never had an answer for that one.  My hair was too coarse and thick to wear loose so my mother always pulled it back into a low pony tail on my neck and twisted the hair into long banana curls.  She called it “The George Washington” or “The George”, for short. No matter what name it was given, I absolutely loathed that hairstyle by the time I was ten.  I thought it looked matronly on me as compared to the loose, lovely hairstyles I was seeing on the girls at school and the women on television.

In 1974, the Civil Rights Act had only passed ten years prior and a lot of the older generation was still not totally on board with racial equality.  So walking around the neighborhood often involved being called every racial epithet known to mankind and occasionally having stuff thrown at me.  Once, while walking to the store with some cousins, an old woman came out of her house and told us to stay off the sidewalk because it was for Americans only.

And if our neighborhood wasn’t enough of a racist cesspool, our new elementary school was even worse.

I continued my 5th grade year at Casselberry Elementary.  I still remember going down there with my parents and my siblings to register.  That's when we met the principal, a middle-aged man with thinning hair and a booming voice named Mr. Harp. (His signature often included a tiny drawing of a harp.)  Mr. Harp was a jovial sort and, during our initial visit, he proved this by sitting on top of a file cabinet, holding a plunger and singing a chorus of “King of the Road.”

I was assigned to Mrs. Blair’s class.  Mrs. Blair was a kindly, older, heavy set black woman who was probably near retirement by then.  Unfortunately, she was lumbered with a classroom full of loud, unruly pupils led by a short, mean-tempered little bigot by the name of Mark Owens.  With a face full of freckles and his red hair styled into the ubiquitous bowl cut that was in fashion among boys of that time, Mark was the personification of an angry, little red rooster looking for someone to pick on - often our teacher.  One day, Mark found a huge branch out on the school playground and was planning on bringing it inside.  He called it his “n****r knocker” and was going to use it on Mrs. Blair.

Mrs. Blair, to her credit, always handled Mark and the other class bullies with dignity.  And when one of them started to spew racist drivel her way, I remember her standing tall and saying “I am proud to be a black woman!”  

Mark’s nickname for me was “Big, Bad and Ugly.”  Once he tried to challenge me to a fight.  “Come on, let’s go, Big, Bad and Ugly!”  I have no idea why he wanted to fight me as I never did or said anything to him.  But I refused to give into his bullying and eventually he left me alone.

Later on, a new Latino girl named Lissette was assigned to our classroom.  She spoke only Spanish.  Mark’s nickname for her was “Chinaman” for some bizarre reason.  I’m guessing he was a fan of the popular “Kung Fu” tv series, so any non-English speaking foreigner was a “Chinaman” to him.

As the years passed and I entered high school, the racism I encountered was not quite as intense but it would still flare up on occasion.  

Once, as I was walking down the main street of our subdivision, a guy named Ricky drove by in a truck.  He was a couple years ahead of me in school and I had a secret crush on him.  But the crush immediately ended the moment he leaned out of the window, laughed and yelled at me.  “Hey, Mexican American!!!!”   What?  I’m not even Mexican.

For years, I’d struggle with racial and ethnic identification.  One dreaded question I was often asked (and sometimes I still hear), is “What are you?”  

I wasn’t white enough for the whites, I wasn’t black enough for the African Americans and, because I didn’t speak Spanish, I wasn’t Latino enough for the Latinos.  To this day, I cringe whenever I see a “race” field on a form.  I honestly never know what I should identify as.  Luckily, I’m seeing a “prefer not to answer” option more frequently, so that’s what I usually choose.

Ironically, I would later take an Ancestry ethnicity test which would reveal that I did INDEED have African DNA.  So, I’ll be darned, all those racists were actually right!  I do have black blood and I am very proud of it - just like Mrs. Blair was!

The City Beautiful

“Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe and to love you.” (“The Air That I Breathe” by the Hollies)

For the next half a century, I will have a love/hate relationship with Orlando and Central Florida in general as I see it grow from a fledgling metropolis to one of the world’s premier travel destinations.

When we first moved down here, there were orange groves everywhere. Now they are a rarity, having been cut down and buried underneath subdivisions, apartment buildings, strip malls, car washes, and fast food outlets. Most of the four way stop signs have long since been replaced by traffic lights.  The old department stores in downtown Orlando have made way for banks and bars.  

Goodings, Pantry Pride, Piggly Wiggly, Food Lion and most Winn Dixie supermarkets have fallen to the almighty Publix chain.  The smaller tourist attractions like the Stars Hall of Fame and Mystery Fun House have been squashed by the mighty corporate Disney/Universal/Sea World trinity. The old local restaurants of yesteryear such as Ronnie’s and the Purple Porpoise are distant memories.  Sun Bank became Sun Trust and then became Truist. 

The boisterous children who used to ride bicycles all around the neighborhood have long since gone inside and now play on smart phones.  And it’s no wonder because it’s hotter than ever outside.

The demographic of the area has certainly changed.  I definitely see a lot more ethnicities and interracial couples now than I did when we first arrived.  Many times I’ve been in stores where I was the only English speaking person. There is also more LGBTQ+ acceptance than there used to be during my childhood when it was considered normal to freely use the words “gay” and “queer” derogatorily.  While there is still a lot of progress yet to be made, there are more support organizations and programs available now than there were in the seventies.  

So have things changed for the better in the “City Beautiful?”  Yes.  But is there still room for improvement?  Definitely!  

In closing, I can proudly say that after half a century of living in Florida, I’ve survived countless hurricanes and have yet to be attacked by a gator or a snake.  But more importantly, I’ve stopped trying to figure out WHAT I am and instead I’ve begun to appreciate WHO I am.

[movienation]

Movie Review: We're all just "Roadkill" to this Florida-bound serial killer

“Roadkill” is a leaden, lumbering C-movie about serial killings on the backroads of Florida back in the ’80s. For his second feature, writer, director and co-star Warren Fast (“Finding Grace”) reaches back for a “drive in” era motors-and-murders thriller about a “Highway Hunter” terrorizing the good folks along the stretch of the state nicknamed “Florabama” with good reason. It’s got a…

[masterofd1saster]

CJ current events early aug23

One man crime tsunami

DENVER (KDVR) — A man who escaped from a federal prison in Littleton, Colorado, in 2018 has been apprehended in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Authorities say they found him living a “flashy” assumed identity. Allen Todd May, 58, had been on the run since Dec. 21, 2018, when he escaped from the Englewood Federal Correctional Institution. May originally stole a Bureau of Prisons work truck and drove off the prison grounds without anyone noticing. *** a U.S. Marshals Service spokesman told NewsNation affiliate KDVR-TV the trail for May turned cold for years until an anonymous tipster surfaced a few months ago. He was seen in a photo taken at a high society fundraiser that was published in the��Palm Beach Daily News in mid-May. The caption listed him as Jacob Turner. May was arrested Monday night at a Fort Lauderdale home less than 2 miles from the ocean. Investigators said the home is valued at nearly $1.5 million. When U.S. Marshals arrested him, they say May was wearing a Rolex watch and driving a Mercedes car that agents believe was worth about $125,000.*** When he escaped, May had nine years left on a 20-year prison sentence for securities fraud. He was convicted of stealing $6.8 million through a Ponzi scheme. But even when he was behind bars, investigators think he managed to steal another $700,000 through fraud. A scheme worth $700K — all from behind bars May was indicted in June 2022 on 17 counts of wire and mail fraud, plus one count of escape. From 2016-2018, when May was still behind bars, he allegedly set up fake energy companies, according to the indictment. Just about every state has an account for unclaimed property. Investigators say May set up sham companies in Texas through the secretary of state’s website and then found unclaimed oil and gas royalties that had never been paid out in Kansas, Louisiana, and North Dakota. May contacted those states and portrayed himself as a representative of those companies, according to the indictment. He claimed that “entities controlled by him were entitled to oil and gas royalties that had not yet been claimed by the true owners.”***

***

 Chad Stall is the proprietor of Arbor Pros Tree Service in the Tampa, Florida area. He drives a white Ford truck with the company logo on it. He crashed into a motorcycle on US Highway 301 on June 9 killing David Adams, 59, and badly injuring his girlfriend Tiffany Fletcher, 38. Police had no leads other than a video that appeared to show the Arbor P

Ismael Gonzalez saw the crash and chased the truck. He told Stall to return to the accident scene. Stall promised to do so, but never returned. Gonzalez then left Arbor Pros a 1-star google review, noting the crash and the broken promise. That led the Hillsborough County sheriff to Stall.

***

Not the T-Swizzle experience you want

A man was fatally stabbed on a Metro Green Line train in Hawthorne Wednesday evening, but not before shooting his alleged assailant in the chest. The unidentified victim, a man believed to be in his early to mid 20s, died at a local hospital after deputies found him “suffering from apparent stab wounds to the upper torso” on a train at the Crenshaw Station at about 7:20 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. The station at 11902 S. Crenshaw Blvd. is on one of Los Angeles Metro’s suggested public transit routes to Taylor Swift’s upcoming shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The victim’s assailant, a man in his mid to late 30s, was taken into custody and “transported to a local hospital for apparent gunshot wounds to the upper torso,” the release said.*** https://ktla.com/news/local-news/man-shoots-his-killer-during-stabbing-on-metro-train-in-hawthorne-lasd-says/

The 30 y/o man died too according to the NY Post.

***

Look at his mug and guess his favorite drug & prison

On 8/2/2023 around 7:30 p.m., Officers were called out to the Sonic at Tulsa Hills on 81st St in reference to a stabbing. When Officers arrived, they found the male victim with a flagpole through his head. The pole entered the victim's head beneath his jaw and exited the other side of his head near his right temple area. The American Flag was still attached the pole at the time. Multiple witnesses said they saw the suspect, identified as Clinton Collins, charge at the victim and stab him with the flagpole through his head. The witnesses said they also heard Collins say, "That's what he gets. He deserved it."*** Firefighters with the Tulsa Fire Department had to cut part of the flagpole in order to fit the victim into the ambulance. Miraculously, we're told the victim will survive his injuries, but will likely lose an eye. Clinton Collins was arrested for Maiming AFCF (After Former Conviction of a Felony).*** https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=661890179307277&set=a.215522740610692

***

Marinara sauce as a lethal weapon

*** The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released its report for 78-year-old Sheila Wobbeking’s death on Tuesday. Wobbeking died at her Plymouth home on July 5 after a medical emergency. However, the medical examiner determined that the medical emergency that ended her life stemmed from injuries she suffered a week earlier. According to Maple Grove Police Commander Jon Wetternach, Wobbeking called police on the afternoon of June 27, saying her daughter, Nicole Wobbeking, had assaulted her. It allegedly happened at a home in the 11900 block of 71st Avenue in Maple Grove, where Nicole Wobbeking lived, although court documents state the home was owned by her mother and she was just the tenant. Sheila Wobbeking told police that she’d gone to the home to talk about some issues that neighbors had brought to her attention as well as unpaid rent. When she got to the home, her daughter didn’t answer so she went inside and continued calling for her daughter. That’s when Nicole allegedly came out of a room, started yelling obscenities at her mother and slapped her in the face, then pushed her down several stairs, according to court documents. She also allegedly hit her mother in the ribs and hips with a can of unopened pasta sauce. Sheila was able to get outside and wait for the police with her granddaughter. She was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a broken ankle before being released.*** https://kstp.com/kstp-news/local-news/police-plymouth-woman-died-week-after-being-assaulted-by-daughter-death-ruled-homicide/

Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is considering homicide charges against Nicole.

***

***

You don't see enough nekkid people?

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigators have arrested a doctor who is accused of hiding a camera at Ochsner Medical Center to record staffers as they used the restroom at the hospital in Old Jefferson.  Andrew Matthews, 31, of Jefferson, was booked with 10 counts of video voyeurism after he was detained Wednesday morning at the hospital in the 1500 block of Jefferson Highway, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, a Sheriff's Office spokesperson. Detectives have identified at least 10 individual victims in the "dozens of videos" recorded inside the bathrooms, Rivarde said.*** An unnamed employee discovered the camera Wednesday morning while using the restroom and reported the device, according to Rivarde. *** The hospital contacted the Sheriff's Office about 11:30 a.m., Rivarde said. Security identified Matthews as a possible suspect and turned the camera over to detectives.  The single device appears to have been placed in "staff only" restrooms, which are unisex, according to authorities. The Sheriff's Office did not say how long they believe Matthews had been recording co-workers. *** https://www.nola.com/news/jefferson_parish/andrews-matthews-ochsner-bathroom-spy-camera-jpso/article_29252db0-3216-11ee-9eac-9f02126d0ca5.html

***

How loud?

CV NEWS FEED // A video of a young man who was arrested for reading the Bible at a pride event in Wisconsin went viral last weekend. In the video, Marcus Schroeder, 19, is arrested without warning or explanation. He had been reading a passage from the Bible into a microphone next to a “Pride in the Park” event in Watertown, Wisconsin. According to Schroeder, the event lasted from 10 am to 6 pm and was attended by 100-200 Christian protesters. Schroeder attended the event with a ministry group called “Warriors for Christ.” “We went out there and were preaching the Gospel, passing out tracts, holding some signs, and just kind of being a public witness against what was going on, talking to people at the event,” Schroeder said.  At around 3 pm, Schroeder said he began to use the group’s microphone and speaker to read Galatians 5, a passage about love, from the sidewalk outside the barrier that had been set up for the event.  “And as soon as I start reading from that passage, a bunch of officers come and surround me,” he said, noting that the officers gave him no warning and were hostile towards him.  “The officer in the video grabs my hand, grabs my arm and kind of twists it down, tries to pull the mic away from me, and then all of a sudden, an officer behind me grabs my other arm, and they handcuffed me, arrested me,” Schroeder said.  He was detained for about an hour and was given two citations—one for “unauthorized sound amplification,” and one for resisting arrest.  “When I asked the officer how I resisted the arrest, he essentially said it was because my muscles tensed up,” Schroeder recalled. *** https://catholicvote.org/young-man-arrested-for-reading-bible-outside-pride-event/

I suspect that the part of Galatians 5 he read was

13For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

***

Expose yourself to nature doesn't mean indecently

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says a high-profile sexual predator was arrested Tuesday night. He is identified as Glenn Braden, 20, of Evergreen.   The arrest happened after the sheriff's office said the suspect exposed himself to two separate and solo female hikers at Stapleton Park near the Beaver Brook Trail just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. *** Investigators believe Braden is the same suspect wanted in a series of similar encounters targeting lone female hikers beginning on April 3 at Flying J Ranch Park in Conifer. Over the next few weeks, the suspect struck again on June 13 at Three Sisters/Alderfer Park, and on July 11, three times on July 18 and July 24 at Flying J Ranch Park. https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/glen-braden-arrested-colorado-hiking-trails-indecent-exposure-sexual-contact-cases/

+++

The suspect, later identified as William Tidwell, 50, of Northglenn, was arrested Monday, and investigators believe he may have assaulted for victims.

On July 25, a woman was hiking near Caribou Road and Forest Service Road 505 outside Nederland when an unknown man driving what she described as a “search and rescue vehicle” wearing a green shirt styled to look like a search and rescue uniform contacted her, according to the Sheriff’s Office. https://www.denverpost.com/2023/08/10/boulder-county-sexual-assault-impersonating-official

***

Oakland  — After 60-year-old retiree David Schneider was shot and killed here while trimming a tree in his yard, his neighbor, Toni Bird, said she retreated indoors. “People aren’t feeling safe out of their house,” she said. “It makes sense that you would want to protect your house then, right? You would barricade it.” Amid a surge in crime in Oakland, police have advised residents to use air horns to alert neighbors to intruders and add security bars to their doors and windows.*** https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/08/air-horns-and-moving-trucks-how-oakland-residents-are-facing-a-surge-in-crime/ BB captured the moment-

***

The award for ugliest headline goes to

Former San Luis Valley DA sues his disbarred successor for $5 million over bogus felony charge

Then-DA Alonzo Payne filed unfounded embezzlement charge against predecessor Robert Willett last year

Former 12th Judicial District Attorney Robert Willett filed a $5 million federal lawsuit Tuesday against his successor and the district attorney’s office after he was wrongly prosecuted for embezzlement. Willett’s successor, the now-disbarred former district attorney Alonzo Payne, brought the felony charge against Willett in March 2022, days after Willett publicly called for Payne’s resignation. Willett claims in the lawsuit that the baseless charge was filed “as an act of sheer retaliation” for his public criticism of Payne. Payne resigned as district attorney for the 12th Judicial District in the San Luis Valley in July 2022 after an investigation by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office found he repeatedly violated crime victims’ rights. He also was facing a recall effort led by the city of Alamosa. Payne was disbarred in September in part because of his investigation into and prosecution of Willett, state records show. “…During a political campaign to recall Payne from office, Payne began an investigation and filed criminal charges against the previous district attorney, a political rival and critic of Payne,” a stipulation to discipline reads. “Despite this antagonistic relationship, Payne did not seek an outside law enforcement agency or special prosecutor to oversee the investigation or make charging decisions.” The embezzlement charge against Willett was dropped in September at the request of an independent prosecutor who was eventually appointed to the case. The judge at the time concluded the case lacked “any type of prosecutorial merit.”*** https://www.denverpost.com/2023/08/09/bob-willett-lawsuit-alonzo-payne-san-luis-valley-district-attorney/

***

Sort of an old video, but definitely worth a look for the lesson

***

Best response to a jury summons ever

Torrey Scow is the mother of triplets. When she rec'd a jury summons, she brought the curtain climbers to court.

The family's video is at https://youtu.be/abXQdNWmzjg. CNN video at

***

Fraud, Bureaucracy, & Illegality

*** Enter the plea deal granted to Charles McGonigal, the rogue senior agent whose last assignment before retiring in 2018 was serving as the counterintelligence boss of the bureau's powerful New York Field Office. In a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, the disgraced McGonigal pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired to violate international sanctions on a notorious Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, and committed money laundering. Although these are serious charges and McGonigal faces up to five years in prison, nobody expects his sentence, which will be handed down towards the end of this year, to be that severe since he reached a plea deal with the Department of Justice, admitting his guilt. Nevertheless, the bureau’s image is severely tarnished here. Part of McGonigal’s job as a counterspy boss with the FBI was investigating Kremlin-connected Russian oligarchs, including Oleg Deripaska! The fact that McGonigal was also involved, at least to a degree, with the FBI’s infamous investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia in 2016, Operation CROSSFIRE HURRICANE, has led many Republicans to smell a rat. It looks like President Joe Biden’s Justice Department is giving McGonigal a pass to avoid unpleasant revelations about FBI dirty dealings which might emerge in any trial. The full story is even worse.*** The Balkan angle here is unpleasant and raises disturbing questions. As the New York Times put it gently this week, the accused "befriended the prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and used his position to drum up foreign business for his associates, according to the indictment filed against him in Washington. On one occasion, McGonigal opened an FBI investigation into a lobbyist for the Albanian prime minister’s main political rival." The truth, as The Examiner reported on multiple occasions , is considerably more troubling than that. In exchange for cash, McGonigal became the "heavy" for Rama and his Socialist government, threatening their political rivals and shaking down Albanian oligarchs for cash in exchange for protection from U.S. sanctions. This was a secret, mafia-like extortion ring run by a top FBI official, which netted tens of millions of dollars, according to multiple sources. Such underworld tactics are hardly unexpected since, during the decadelong rule of Rama and his Socialists, little Albania has become Europe’s epicenter for the global illegal narcotics trade, with the tacit support of the Biden State Department.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/bidens-justice-department-is-burying-its-big-fbi-corruption-scandal

***

In the nation's capital....

A pair of physical altercations in and around the campus of Howard University has prompted the Washington, D.C., school to issue new security protocols to protect students. The ramped-up security comes after a recent incident in which a group of Howard University students were assaulted by a roving group of teenagers who had been seen around different regions of the city engaging in illegal behavior. According to 7 News, at least one student was stabbed near the university dorms on Monday morning. The incident took place after another altercation near the campus that did not involve any students. During a town hall Tuesday, university president Wayne Frederick announced that the university would be implementing a strict ID check for residence halls and other buildings that are only open to students, faculty, and staff. The school also announced there would be an increased security presence on campus.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/dc-crime-howard-university-tightens-security-mob-attack

Howard is in NW Washington. It's one of the more safe areas of DC.

***

BB crushing it

Funny meme, but it's based on a mob robbing a Nordstrom in Canoga Park on Saturday, 12aug23. This particular store had also been robbed by a mob in 2021. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/video-captures-mob-of-robbers-swarming-nordstrom-in-topanga-mall/

With crime now legal in California, a man robbed a 75-year-old woman in Hacienda Heights "around 11 a.m. Monday at a Bank of America." The man dragged the woman across asphalt for about 10 feet and escaped with her purse. https://www.kktv.com/2023/08/17/video-purse-snatcher-drags-75-year-old-victim-across-parking-lot/

Let's not forget SFran

*** a walking tour aims to bring attention to the “squalor” on San Francisco streets. Set to take place on Aug. 26, the tour plans to lead participants from City Hall to SoMa, the organizer, SF Anonymous Insider, said on Eventbrite. There is a charge of $30 for general admission to the tour. “The tour will start at City Hall, and continue through Mid-Market, the Tenderloin, and Union Square,” the webpage for the event says. “We will view the open-air drug markets, the abandoned tech offices, the outposts of the non-profit industrial complex, and the deserted department stores.”*** According to the Eventbrite page, the total walking distance expected on the tour is 1.5 miles, and sneakers are advised. https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/08/san-francisco-doom-loop-tour-set-for-later-this-month/

If you go, plan on throwing away your poo caked sneakers.

***

In Robert H. Biden news....

Hunter Biden’s leading attorney has asked to withdraw from the case because he could be called in as a witness in future litigation involving the collapsed plea deal he brokered with prosecutors. Lawyer Christopher Clark filed a motion with the Delaware judge who has presided over the case since the plea deal was announced. “Based on recent developments, it appears that the negotiation and drafting of the plea agreement and diversion agreement will be contested, and Mr. Clark is a percipient witness to those issues,” Hunter Biden’s lawyers said in the filing, obtained by CBS News. “Under the ‘witness-advocate’ rule, it is inadvisable for Mr. Clark to continue as counsel in this case.”*** https://www.nationalreview.com/news/hunter-bidens-top-attorney-asks-to-withdraw-from-case

***

Surprised he got away with it so long

The Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as “ChiefsAholic” was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for allegedly robbing a string of banks in the Midwest and allegedly laundering the stolen cash through casinos, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office for the Western District of Missouri. Xaviar Babudar, the man behind the popular social media handle, was arrested last month for an alleged robbery in Iowa last year. FBI investigators used bank records, casino transaction records and other "sensitive" financial information before discovering his cell phone was placed in cities where previously unsolved robberies took place, according to the statement.*** He was allegedly responsible for six robberies and two attempted robberies during a nine-month stretch between March and Dec. 2022. Authorities allege he stole more than $800,000 in total. He also allegedly purchased and redeemed more than $1 million in chips from various casinos in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between April and December 2022. Babudar gained fame by attending most Chiefs games dressed in a gray, masked wolf suit. Authorities allege he was able to finance his travel and attendance for these games through crime. In addition to the robberies, he allegedly gambled on the results of Chiefs games without reporting his winnings in Missouri or Kansas. He was initially arrested in Dec. 2022 in Bixby, Oklahoma, but later cut his ankle monitor and fled the state while out on bond after winning $100,000 on bets from an Illinois sportsbook, according to the statement.*** https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-superfan-chiefsaholic-indicted-on-19-charges-including-bank-robbery-money-laundering-162235146.html

***

Great way to promote misery & homelessness

Seattle is struggling with rampant drug use and deaths, but as of this week the City Council has effectively decriminalized the possession and public use of drugs. You can guess where this will lead.*** In June the City Council voted 5-4 against a bill that would list known possession and public drug use as a gross misdemeanor, and a stopgap measure for handling the drug crimes expired on Aug. 15 as the new law took effect. The City Council’s failure to act now makes Seattle “the only municipality in the State of Washington where it is legal to use hard drugs in public,” Ms. Davison said.*** This is progressive fantasy land. Last year there were 589 overdose deaths in Seattle, a 72% increase over 2021. Most involved fentanyl or meth. King County emergency medical services had responded to some 4,918 opioid overdoses by Aug. 13 this year, compared to fewer than 3,700 in all of 2021.*** https://www.wsj.com/articles/seattle-city-council-decriminalizes-drugs-ann-davison-kshama-sawant-4086777a

***

Good essay about Sackler family, Purdue Pharma, and Oxy deaths.

*** The area serviced by Purdue’s leading [sales rep] was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and when I got back to the Times, I did some research. It turned out that the DEA had just shut down one pill mill there operating as a pain clinic. When I went to Purdue’s headquarters, its three top executives all claimed to me in an interview they didn’t know anything unusual was happening in Myrtle Beach. But thanks to my source, I knew that wasn’t true. I spent several months doing more reporting and traveled to Myrtle Beach. There, shop owners in the same strip mall as the pain clinic described how hundreds of cars regularly waited in the parking lot for its doors to open. I interviewed patients at the clinic, including some now cut off from medication, and found that five people prescribed OxyContin there had died by overdose. Local pharmacists also told me how they repeatedly warned Purdue officials about what was happening and how those complaints were ignored. In late 2001, after that trip, I confronted Purdue executives with what I had found and asked them why they hadn’t responded to the situation in Myrtle Beach when their own sales data was flashing red. The company downplayed the chaos and a Purdue spokesman claimed, providing no evidence, that the huge demand for OxyContin in Myrtle Beach was coming from local retirees dealing with arthritis pain. ***

***

If you come to San Fran cisco,

be sure to wear

syringes in your hair

[Sorry - old 60s song.]

It’s getting so lawless in San Francisco that government agencies are telling their employees to work from home. The Bay Area’s reputation for and encouragement of open-air drug use has turned this once pristine region of the Golden State into a distinct shade of brown. Literally. We are certainly witnessing the rapid disintegration of San Francisco, a city with enormous advantages in wealth and geography, but a serious disadvantage in the realm of common sense. Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told employees working at—and you just can’t make this up—the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building on 7th Street and Mission to steer clear of the building for “the foreseeable future” because street conditions were so deplorable. *** https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/08/18/san-francisco-swirls-drain-federal-agency-tells-employees-to-stay-safe-at-home/

Quality video of people shooting up in front of Pelosi building at https://twitter.com/abc7newsbayarea/status/169158561791704284.

Doesn't anybody comment on this destruction of health and denial of human services at H&HS?

***

Good - use democracy

When the Colorado Supreme Court ruled the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act unconstitutional in June, lawmakers decided it was time to change the constitution. In the court’s June unanimous opinion, the justices ruled the act violated the Colorado Constitution’s prohibition on retrospective legislation. If the in-progress amendment passes both the state House and Senate with a two-thirds majority, the question would be put to voters on the November 2024 ballot. Exactly where Ray Desser wants it. Desser said he was molested as a 13-year-old in Colorado in the 1970s. By the time he decided to come forward, at 50 years old, the statute of limitations on his case had expired. When the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act was introduced in 2021, Desser said he was in the Capitol building every day https://www.denverpost.com/2023/08/20/colorados-recently-struck-child-sex-abuse-law-to-receive-second-chance-through-proposed-constitutional-amendment

***

Need more evidence than a skull fracture?

On Tuesday, after a seven-day trial, the jury in Andy Ngo v. Rose City Antifa, et al. found two defendants not liable for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress for their alleged attack on independent journalist Andy Ngo. The verdict sends a dangerous message to violent extremist groups: no one will stop you from your violent and wrongful activities. While this verdict is disappointing, Ngo won a settlement with one of the other defendants in the case and obtained default of three defendants who failed to show up for court. This is not the end of Ngo’s battle for justice after years of suffering at the hands of Antifa members, and it’s certainly not the end of Ngo’s brave reporting on the activities of this violent, extremist movement. This trial was riddled with intimidation by individuals believed to be associated with Antifa. Court proceedings were delayed and halted on multiple days due to threats of violence, and the jurors’ identities had to be sealed over serious concerns about external efforts to identify them. In fact, the defense’s attorney even declared she would “remember each one of their faces” shortly after declaring she was Antifa—in our opinion, an unambiguous threat to the jurors.**** https://libertycenter.org/andy-ngo-trial-update/

ANDY NGO: Well, it's actually before it was in her closing statements, she mentioned that resistance is not peaceful and that she was going to be getting a shirt that declares "I am Antifa" and that she is retiring and will remember all of the faces of the jurors. It was a very tense week with a near media blackout because of security incidents that kept happening. The jurors expressed to the court, who then expressed to the parties that they were really afraid for their safety because of repeated incidents that were happening both in and outside of the courtroom, courthouse. Before the deliberations, the court ordered that the identities of the jurors would be sealed because of apparent attempts to identify the identity of the jurors. So this was the context of the trial for the sudden days.*** ERIC SELL:*** the court did inform both parties of the day of deliberations that the jury was concerned that they were being threatened or potentially doxxed or there was going to be some kind of repercussions if the verdict did not come out the right way here. And we all know what that means. The right way is finding that both of these defendants were not liable, despite the extensive evidence here that they were involved in this attack against Andy, the jury still found that they weren't liable. So we can really see what's going on here with the interruptions of the trial, with all of the concerns that the jurors expressed to the court that this is not how our legal system is supposed to work. And there are some serious concerns about what happened in this particular proceeding.

ANDY NGO: Throughout the whole trial, my colleague was harassed and intimidated, both inside and outside of the courthouse. And I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what happened yesterday when the verdict was delivered. Reasons that are still unclear to me about really critical evidence regarding either the defendants destroying, hiding or at least not preserving communications with one another with other third parties during and around the time of the attacks, which the defendants admitted to during their depositions. But we couldn't present this to the jurors. And, you know, I always knew this would be a really uphill battle. These attacks happened in Portland through the criminal justice system. I didn't receive justice. And I really hoped it was through this that Portland jurors clearly could see. https://www.foxnews.com/media/andy-ngo-speaks-out-losing-civil-suit-against-rose-city-antifa-didnt-receive-justice

***

One way to get a great plea deal - threaten POTUS

It was Halloween of 2022, and Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Chris Clark, didn’t sound happy. Just three weeks earlier, news had leaked that federal agents believed they had enough evidence to charge his client with illegally buying a gun as a drug user. The leak was “illegal,” the lawyer wrote to the U.S. attorney overseeing the probe. The prosecution, he argued, would be seen as purely political, and it might even violate the Second Amendment. Then he issued a warning: If the Justice Department charged the president’s son, his lawyers would put the president on the witness stand. “President Biden now unquestionably would be a fact witness for the defense in any criminal trial,” Clark wrote in a 32-page letter reviewed by POLITICO. That letter, along with more than 300 pages of previously unreported emails and documents exchanged between Hunter Biden’s legal team and prosecutors, sheds new light on the fraught negotiations that nearly produced a broad plea deal. That deal would have resolved Biden’s most pressing legal issues — the gun purchase and his failure to pay taxes for several years — and it also could have helped insulate Biden from future prosecution by a Republican-led Justice Department.*** https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/19/hunter-biden-plea-deal-collapse-00111974

***

Tax you out of your rights

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) proposed a 1,000% excise tax on firearms earlier this month. If passed, the tax would affect the whole nation, but especially his district, which covers the cities of Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church, as well as parts of Fairfax County.*** Under Byer’s legislation, America’s most popular pistol — a Glock 19 with a 15-round magazine — would go up in cost from around $500 to over $5,000 dollars, just for the firearm itself. The bill also classifies anything with a magazine over 10 rounds as a high-capacity magazine, despite 15 rounds being the most common. Byer introduced a version of this bill last year*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/don-beyers-gun-tax-would-disarm-his-constituents-in-dangerous-times

***

Good!

CASS COUNTY, Mich. (WNDU) - The customer who shot the suspect in an attempted armed robbery at a gas station in Cassopolis last month will not be charged, according to prosecutors.*** The incident happened back on the night of July 27 at the Stone Lake Marathon Gas Station in the 200 block of S. Broadway Street. When officers arrived, they found a male who had been shot several times and another male holding him at gun point. According to police, the man who had been shot tried to rob the store’s clerk but was shot by a customer who had a valid Michigan Concealed Pistol License and had previous experience working as a security guard. The suspect was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries and was charged the following day (details below). An investigation into the armed robbery and shooting was then launched by prosecutors and police, which officials say is protocol whenever someone is shot. After reviewing witness/victim statements, as well as in-store video, officer body cameras, photographs, and other physical evidence, the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office determined that the customer’s actions were lawful and justified in terms of self-defense and the defense of others. Therefore, no charges will be filed against him.*** https://www.wndu.com/2023/08/22/prosecutors-customer-who-shot-suspect-during-attempted-robbery-cassopolis-was-justified/

***

Hope that WalMart crap was worth someone's life

PARKER, Colo. — A man fleeing from a shoplifting incident Monday night in Parker ran a red light, fatally struck a pedestrian and then continued driving, according to the Parker Police Department.*** According to Parker Police, an officer attempted to pull over the suspect, who was in a 2005 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo, on Parker Road near Plaza Drive. The driver did not stop. At that time, the officer turned off their lights and sirens and made a U-turn at the next intersection, Parker Police said. Shortly after that attempted traffic stop, dispatch was notified of a crash at South Parker Road and Lincoln Avenue. Investigators determined that the shoplifting suspect had run the red light and hit the pedestrian who was in a designated crosswalk. The pedestrian died as a result of the crash, according to Parker Police. The driver continued north on South Parker Road and was last seen by a witness near Orchard Road. According to police, a man was driving the car and a woman was in the passenger seat. The car has Colorado license plate AWRS39. According to witnesses, the Monte Carlo has a cracked windshield as a result of the crash. The driver's side airbag may have deployed. Anyone with information about the car or those in it should contact Parker Police at 303-841-9800.*** https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/parker-hit-run-crash/73-c3dbc554-063e-4ef5-a7e4-cd545d4fe3ad

***

They want to give little kids a book that's too pr0n for adults?

A taxpayer was forcibly removed by security from a @FortWorthISD meeting [22aug23] after he read from the pornographic book “Flamer” which was available in the school library. Too graphic for a meeting of adults but cool for minor students! https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1694190913474396440

***

Next time you choose the face of your organization, check the registry first.

Charlotte Pride had announced:

CHAD TURNER 2023 Harvey Milk Award Recipient Given annually to an individual to honor exceptional leadership, service to the community, and those who champion LGBTQ causes that impact the Charlotte community and beyond.*** https://web.archive.org/web/20230805194403/https://charlottepride.org/champions/

Mr Turner was convicted in 2000 of molesting a 15 y/o old boy. Three boys had accused him. The victims were "members of New Harvest Church of God in Gaffney, where Sevearance was the music minister." https://web.archive.org/web/20160313221333/http://www.goupstate.com/article/20000720/NEWS/7200320?p=2&tc=pg&tc=ar

One should note that the Harvey Milk award was fitting - Milk himself had molested boys of about the same age as Turner. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/harvey-milk-stamp-matt-barber_n_4117311 & Randy Shilts's biography The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk tell the ugly truth. They're not even remotely conservative.

Fornicate tumblr - it won't let me make the last two URLs links. You can figure it out.

***

The depressing thing is the number of results when you google "pistol whipped Oakland"

The sad and scary thing is trying to find reporting on this specific incident.

***

I thought it stood for Female Body Inspectors?

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment today charging a former FBI contractor with sexual exploitation of children. According to court documents, Brett Janes, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly contacted roughly a dozen minor boys over Discord and Snapchat. He allegedly groomed the minors by telling them he worked for a U.S. intelligence agency before repeatedly threatening suicide if the minors did not continue to communicate with him. Janes allegedly enticed one victim, a 13-year-old boy whom he met through the first-person shooter game Valorant, to strip and masturbate over a live video Discord call by threatening to kill himself and by paying him money over CashApp. He allegedly enticed a 12-year-old boy to create and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over Discord through flattery and repeated begging. Janes allegedly received child sexual abuse material from these two minors, as well as two separate minor victims, and attempted to meet up with a minor. He also allegedly purchased hundreds of videos and images of child sexual abuse material from Telegram.*** An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Updated August 23, 2023

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-fbi-contractor-charged-child-exploitation-offenses why does tumblr hate links????

***

Also known as lynching

There have been more than 800 alleged human rights violations, including an excess of 200 extrajudicial killings, in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power roughly two years ago, according to the United Nations. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) found that at least 218 extrajudicial killings took place from the time they assumed power through the end of June 2023, among more than 800 alleged offenses, including arbitrary arrests and detention, torture and ill-treatment and enforced disappearances against former government officials and Afghan military members. The U.N.'s report was released on Tuesday.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/taliban-afghanistan-extrajudicial-killings-united-nations

***

Can AI be a threat if it can't remember a defendant's release date?

A lawsuit with claims of unlawful arrests and detainments blamed on flaws in a new $100 million electronic court filing system is moving ahead as officials prepare to expand the program. Defendants in a class action lawsuit targeting the software company Tyler Technologies were served this week and now have 30 days to respond to allegations a pilot transition to the eCourts system in four counties is violating people’s constitutional rights. The latest development in the eCourts rollout comes as court officials prepare to add Mecklenburg County to the system in October. The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts launched the eCourts transition from paper to digital records in February in Harnett, Johnston, Lee and Wake counties. It immediately faced complaints of glitches in the system, outages, delays and limited access to court records. The issues, which have persisted for months, led to longer than necessary court appearances for routine requests, delayed protection orders and allegations of wrongful arrests, and delayed jail releases stemming from the complications, attorneys have told The Center Square.***

https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_0257cfbc-e077-11ed-b324-f3180a936668.htmlhttps://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rollout-of-100m-ecourts-system-has-litigation-of-its-own

Again, why won't tumblr allow links?

***

Non Sequitur is funny

***

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: Most Checked Out Library Books

Here are some of the past year’s most checked out library books, based on data from the New York Public Library System!

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love. 

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common.  And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

The Judge’s List by John Grisham

In The Whistler, Lacy Stoltz investigated a corrupt judge who was taking millions in bribes from a crime syndicate. She put the criminals away, but only after being attacked and nearly killed. Three years later, and approaching 40, she is tired of her work for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct and ready for a change.

Then she meets a mysterious woman who is so frightened she uses a number of aliases. Jeri Crosby's father was murdered 20 years earlier in a case that remains unsolved and that has grown stone cold. But Jeri has a suspect whom she has become obsessed with and has stalked for two decades. Along the way, she has discovered other victims.

Suspicions are easy enough, but proof seems impossible. The man is brilliant, patient and always one step ahead of law enforcement. He is the most cunning of all serial killers. He knows forensics, police procedure and most important: he knows the law. He is a judge, in Florida - under Lacy's jurisdiction. He has a list, with the names of his victims and targets, all unsuspecting people unlucky enough to have crossed his path and wronged him in some way. How can Lacy pursue him without becoming the next name on his list?

This is the second volume in “The Whistler” series.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction—to the City of New York.

[freewayinsurance]

10 Country Songs About Cars and Driving

Are you planning a road trip and tired of audio books?

When you’re on a road trip, no matter where you are headed, nothing makes the miles pass by quicker than a good country tune. And just like you need reliable car insurance, you need to know some good tunes to jam out to on the open road.

Not that familiar with country songs about cars? We’ve got you covered. Keep reading to discover the best songs about cars and the best songs about being on the road!

1. “Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line

If you’re looking for a country song about cars, it’s tough to go wrong with “Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line. In fact, it’s difficult to even think about the name of this song without thinking about breezy lyrics such as “Baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down / and cruise!”

While the lyrics are nice and light, they touch on a fundamental truth: A great drive feels a bit like falling in love. Plus, with the open road and the right music, you can experience that feeling again and again.

2. “Let’s Go to Vegas” by Faith Hill

They say it’s more about the journey than the destination. However, in “Let’s Go to Vegas,” Faith Hill makes it clear that a cool destination can make all the difference. This is one of the best songs about cars because it reminds us of the awesome places these vehicles can take us.

This funny song about combining marriage and a killer road trip also serves to remind us of the simple joys in life. “You’re my ace in the hole, I’m your lady luck / Pack a few things and a little money, put ’em in the truck,” Hill sings. Translation: Whether we’re talking about driving, loving, or both, all we need is a good truck to get us where we’re going!

3. “East Bound and Down” by Jerry Reed

“East Bound and Down” by Jerry Reed was always destined to be one of the greatest songs about being on the road. After all, it features lyrics that make us want to turn on the speed, including “Keep your foot hard on the pedal / Son, never mind them brakes / Let it all hang out ’cause we got a run to make.”

Even without those killer lyrics, this song was featured prominently in Smokey and the Bandit, and that’s a film that always gives us the need for speed!

4. “Life Is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts

No list of country songs about cars and trucks would be complete without “Life Is a Highway” by Rascall Flatts. After all, this is a song that goes all-in on the idea that the open road is a metaphor for our very lives.

“Life is a highway, I wanna ride it all night long / If you’re going my way, I wanna drive it all night long.” This isn’t just a song about driving a car: it’s a song about driving our own lives into one unforgettable moment after another! Not to mention, this lively tune is bound to perk you up if you get tired on the open road.

5. “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson

Since its release, Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” has been one of the greatest songs about being on the road. It’s because the singer paints such a powerful portrait of traveling with your friends: “We’re the best of friends / Insisting that the world keep turning our way / And our way / Is on the road again.”

Nelson’s words ring true to wandering hearts everywhere, and if your own way “is on the road again,” you’ll be sure to crank this song up next time you hit the highway.

6. “Take Me Home (Country Roads)” by John Denver

Just admit it. You started humming this song as soon as you read the name!

While the lyrics themselves are tinged with quite a bit of sadness, it’s tough to deny the almost primal appeal of John Denver’s “Take Me Home.” For travelers who are far from home and missing their loved ones, this song will always represent our bittersweet longing to stop cruising, turn the car off, and run through our front door.

7. “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash

Do you love to travel for fun? Or maybe you’ve just lived in many places? Either way, Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” may just be your anthem.

There’s a lot of fun singing along as Cash sings how he’s lived in places like “Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika, Schefferville, Jacksonville,” and so on. Listening to it, you’re sure to get deep into some memories about all the roads you’ve driven down before.

8. “Take a Back Road” by Rodney Atkins

Why might you need some great country songs about cars and trucks? Well, like Rodney Atkins in “Take a Back Road,” you may just “wanna take the long way home, put a little gravel in my travel.”

We love this song because it emphasizes how every single drive can be magical, even down the humblest back roads. The trick is to spot the everyday magic lurking outside the windows of your classic car.

9. “Drive (for Daddy Gene)” by Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson’s “Drive (for Daddy Gene)” is definitely one of the best songs about cars. However, this unabashed tribute to the singer’s late father always brings tears to our eyes.

That’s because he wears his heart on his sleeve with lyrics like “I’d sit up in the seat and stretch my feet out to the pedals / Smiling like a hero that just received his medal.” As you listen, it won’t be long before you remember those days long ago when your own dad taught you how to drive.

10. “The Road Goes on Forever” by Robert Earl Keen

Country songs about cars always make us want to hit the road. Even when the lyrics take us to some dark places!

That’s what happens in Robert Earl Keen’s “The Road Goes On Forever.” Sure, the story of the song may have a sad ending, but it’s tough to be sad when singing to lyrics like “The road goes on forever, and the party never ends.”

Country Songs About Cars: Beyond the Music

Now you know the best country songs about cars, but do you know who can help protect your car while you’re cruising around?

Here at Freeway Insurance, we help keep you on the road by protecting the car you love. Get started with a competitive quote online, or you can come and visit us at a local office near you or give us a call at (800) 777-5620.

[midnight-star-world]

Jason Aldean - 9

So today on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I will be talking about the latest album from Country Music Superstar Jason Aldean.  This album is titled "9" and is the 9th CD released by Jason.  The Release date ended up being Friday November 22nd, 2019.  Now let's talk about the career of Jason for a little bit.

Jason Aldean has had 4 number one songs on the MSR (Midnight Star Report), which is my weekly Country Music Song Countdown.  It combines CMT (Country Music Television) Hot 20, and the Billboard Country Music Airplay Chart.  It used to Combine GAC (Great American Country Top 20 but since they retired last year.  Jason Aldean is my 2 time Artist of the year for both 2018, & 2019.  Songs that have gotten number one for Jason "You make it easy", "They don't know", & "Drowns the whiskey" which features Miranda Lambert.  Now more about the songs from this album.

Jason doesn't write his own songs much anymore but he did get help from Tyler Hubbard (Florida Georgia Line), Brantley Gilbert, & Rhett Akins (Thomas Rhett's Dad).  His lead single from this project is "We back" and it is climbing the Top 20 right now.  A song that is getting a lot of playtime on the Highway (Channel 56 on Sirius XM) is "Camouflage hat".  Other songs from this 16 CD that stand out in my opinion are "Some things you don't forget", "Dirt we were raised on", & "Cowboy killer".  Now let's get the rest of the track list.

Track list. 1. Tattoos and tequila. 2. Blame it on you. 3. Champagne town. 4. Some things you don't forget. 5. Got what I got. 6. Keeping it small town. 7. Camouflage hat. 8. Came here to drink. 9. We back. 10. Dirt we were raised on. 11. I don't drink anymore. 12. Cowboy killer. 13. One for the road. 14. Talk about Georgia. 15. The same way. 16. She likes it.

And that's a wrap for the track list.  And on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I would give this album a 4 out of 5 stars.  I am a fan of Jason Aldean and I had to get this album as soon as I hear about it.  Jason didn't write any of the songs on this CD.  But that's ok and I still enjoyed listening to this new CD.  There are some stand out songs I heard.  Thanks for taking the time to read this review.  See ya all next time.

[emeraldiis]

Cross Country Love Affair // Kentucky (Part 1)

A/N: life is life. shit’s tough yo, enjoy this chapter that took my slow ass entirely too long!

CCLA Masterlist

AO3 Link

Tag List (send an ask to be added!): @mantarini-i @luxoree

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Summary:  Bucky makes your blood boil like no other man can. In a twisted turn of events, the two of you are stuck on a road trip from hell. This fic follows Bucky and the reader from Florida all the way to Washington state. Nothing like being trapped in a car for fifty hours to break the ice. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Or something like that.

Warnings:  canon typical violence, enemies to lovers, eventual smut, alcohol use

You held your tongue until the state line for Kentucky flew by you on the side of the road. You’d figured it would be unwise to start an argument before you made it far enough away from the scene of the crime. But now, as the moon crept higher into the sky and your exhaustion peaked, you just couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

“Are we going to talk about how you completely ruined our chances at finding a motel room to sleep in?” You tried so hard to keep your tone even, but you couldn’t help the white hot fury that seeped into your voice.

“He was out of line,” Bucky said. His metal hand whirred as it tightened around the steering wheel, and you saw his jaw clench in the glow of the oncoming headlights.

You sighed heavily. “I could’ve handled it myself; I don’t need you interfering when it isn’t needed.”

“It’s pretty fucking ridiculous that you’re pissed at me for saving your ass.”

That was too much. “Saving my ass? You think I need saving from some dumb college kid?” Your voice was climbing in volume, and you knew that yelling at him wasn’t the answer. But fuck, you were tired, hungry, and just wanted a bed to sleep on. The only rest you’d gotten in days was broken up sleep in the passenger seat.

Bucky had no response for that one. Instead, he yanked the wheel towards the right lane, careening down a conveniently placed exit. You clutched the side of the door at the sudden movement and glared at him. “And now you’re trying to kill us both.”

Highway treelines gave way to an out of the way road, glowing yellow with the neon sign for roadside inn just a few hundred feet away. “There’s your fucking hotel,” he said tightly.

You were surprised at how quickly he’d found the place, but figured that Bucky had to be exhausted, too. He was probably keeping an eye on the exit signs while you sat there seething. “Do we have enough money for a room?”

“Yeah. We probably have enough to order pizza, too,” Bucky replied as he whipped the van into the motel parking lot. 

You eyed Bucky skeptically. “I’m not sure sixty dollars and some change is enough for…” you trailed off in awe as Bucky dug into his pocket and pulled out an expensive looking wallet. “You didn’t.”

“Oh, I did.”

The fucker had managed to snatch Matthew’s wallet while causing a scene. You were both exasperated and impressed; why couldn’t he have done that instead of letting you waste time hustling pool? “You couldn’t have told me you knew how to pickpocket before I got groped by that jerk?”

Bucky shrugged, already rifling through the wallet for bills. “I wasn’t going to take it unless he deserved it.”

Oh. That was surprisingly thoughtful, in a strange way. “Well, thanks,” you said. Not wanting to waste any more time, you threw off your seatbelt and climbed out of the car. Bucky followed you to the lobby, excitedly mumbling something about being able to afford two rooms with how much money that kid had on him.

The lobby was dimly lit and looked run down, complete with flickering lights and everything. If you weren’t confident you could kick Ted Bundy’s ass into next week, you’d be worried about some serial killer trying to traffic you. A tired looking teenager sat at the front desk, nose buried in a comic book. He jumped when the bell for the doors went off, and his eyes went wide at the sight of Bucky. Ah, shit. And here you were hoping to keep a low profile after Tennessee. “You, you’re, um,” he managed to stutter out in a cracking voice before Bucky shushed him.

“Listen, kid. I’ll give you forty bucks if you agree that you never saw us here.”

The teen swallowed hard and nodded. You half expected him to try to haggle, but figured that Bucky didn’t really look like someone you’d try to bargain with. Hulking shoulders and icy eyes that stared you into the dirt would be intimidating for someone who looked like they’d never been in a fight. 

“How much for two rooms?” Bucky asked while sliding over two twenties to the trembling kid. 

“I’m so sorry Mr., uh, Mr. Soldier, sir,” the kid squeaked, looking like he wanted to sink into his chair. “We only have one room available, and it’s a one bed. It’s seventy for the night.”

A sigh of disappointment left your lips, and you could see Bucky’s shoulders sag. It wasn’t like the two of you hadn’t shared a room before, but the fact that there was only one bed could pose an issue. Unless one of you was selfless enough to take the floor--which was a laughable thought--you’d be cuddled up close to your unwelcome white knight.

“It’s okay. We’ll take it,” you interjected before Bucky could complain. The look of weariness on his face reminded you of yours from the other day, and you empathized with the man. With how much driving he’d been doing, he kind of had a right to be irritable. That still didn’t excuse earlier, though, no matter how thankful you were that he’d managed to steal the wallet.

The kid nodded quickly and ducked down behind the counter to retrieve the room key. Bucky took it from his trembling hand and passed him just enough to cover the bill, then turned on his heel and stalked out back to the car. You hurriedly thanked the kid and rushed out after Bucky.

“Where the hell are you going?” You asked, watching from just outside the entrance as he threw open the door to the car and started the engine.

“To get food. And a change of clothes.” He had to raise his voice slightly to be heard across the parking lot. 

You nodded, taking the hint that he wanted some space from you for a bit. Truth be told, you needed some privacy as well. Bucky would probably be gone a good thirty minutes, which gave you plenty of time to use all the hot water you wanted. You stuck out your hand and whistled at Bucky, who lobbed the room key at you. It sailed over the lot and you had to duck as it nearly took your eye out. When you picked it up from the pavement, you heard a chuckle that wasn’t quite low enough not to be caught by your trained ears. Fucker had done that on purpose.

“Ass,” you yelled, already walking down the building to your room number. Either Bucky didn’t reply, or you didn’t hear him, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care. Just a few more minutes and you would be nearly burning your skin off in the shower. You felt a bit greasy, and you were sure that you probably stunk a good bit. Not exactly ideal for trying to stay sane.

As the door to your room creaked open, your stomach sank when you realized that one bed was an exaggeration. It was more like half of a bed, with how small that thing was. Bucky’s massive figure would never fit on there with you without some squeezing. You groaned and mentally prepared yourself for the argument of who would crash on the floor; there was no way in hell you were going to spoon that jerk all night. You actually wanted to sleep, thank you very much.

Shaking off the momentary discomfort at the sleeping situation, you made a beeline for the bathroom. As you cranked the hot water up, it felt like you couldn’t get your clothes off fast enough. You peeled the sweaty fabric from your skin and tossed it to the corner of the bathroom; laundry could be figured out after you finally smelled human again. 

The water felt orgasmic when you finally stepped into the tub. Hot streams coursed through your hair and down your back, and you could already feel the stress of the past few days easing from your muscles. The tiny bottle of shampoo that was provided with the room was not nearly enough, but you made do, scrubbing at your hair like a woman possessed. As you stood under the water, your mind drifted back to Bucky. It seemed to be doing that a lot these days.

Now, as content as you were with the best shower of your life, it seemed so silly to hate him so much. Sure, he was kind of a jerk, but he’d also been through a hell of a lot more than most people can even dream of. Granted, you had, too, but at least you hadn’t been used as a weapon for decades. You figured that maybe he had earned the right to be a little selfish. It was easy to chastise yourself for getting so worked up around him while he wasn’t there. Something about him being within fifty feet of you just made every single hair on your body bristle. You were far too tired to psychoanalyze yourself about what really pissed you off about him, so you opted to just shut off the water and wrap yourself in a fuzzy, white towel instead.

As nice as the shower was, it was still a cheap motel in the middle of nowhere, so the towel was not as luxurious as you’d hoped. It did its job, but when wrapped around your body, you found it just barely came down far enough to cover your lower bits. You could’ve pulled it down a bit more, but that would just leave your breasts exposed. Oh, well. It wasn’t like anyone was going to come barging in.

Figuring you probably had a little longer before Bucky returned, you gingerly scooped up your dirty clothes and stepped out of the bathroom. The AC of the room quickly chilled your damp skin, the towel not giving you too much in terms of warmth. You bit your lip and quickly scanned the room. Bingo, there was a washing machine and dryer tucked away behind a creaky closet door. Maybe you needed to give this place more credit. 

You tiptoed across the carpet and threw your clothes into the washer. Deciding to wait to see if Bucky had some clothes he wanted to wash, you spun around to make your way back to the bathroom until Bucky brought the car back. You faintly remembered throwing an old shirt or two in the backseat, and had completely forgotten to bring it in. You’d just have him hand you something through the door.

Your timing was off, though. The second you turned to face the front door again, the sound of a lock clicking echoed throughout the small room. You didn’t have time to race to the bathroom, and instead stood frozen as Bucky strolled in with a few plastic bags in hand. He pushed the door shut and slid the deadbolt into place, then dropped his eyes onto your still-dripping form. 

Honestly, you’d think he was a virgin with how quickly his cheeks flared red. Your own face flushed as well as you caught his eyes lingering far too long on your barely covered form before he spun around. “Jesus, why are you naked?” He cried out, pressing his forehead against the door. 

“I’m not naked,” you said quickly. “I have a towel on, don’t be so dramatic.” Despite trying to act like it was no big deal, you were more embarrassed than you’d ever been, and you couldn’t understand why. You’d changed in front of teammates before--both male and female--so why was this such a big deal? Once again, Bucky Barnes had thrown your emotions into a tailspin. 

Bucky was still facing the door. “I’d hardly call that a towel,” he choked out. His voice was strained, but you couldn’t place your finger on what emotion was creeping into his words. Anger, maybe? Or maybe he was just embarrassed, despite it being out of character. You shook off your bashfulness and rolled your eyes. If he wanted to make this weird, that was on him.

As you shuffled back toward the bathroom, irritation replaced your earlier embarrassment. He had some nerve making this awkward, you were partners for fuck’s sake! Seeing each other in various states of undress shouldn’t be weird; there had to be room for trust. You’d show him what uncomfortable really looks like. 

Bucky stiffened when your footsteps continued on past the bathroom. “What are you doing?” He asked as you came to a halt right behind him, voice surprisingly timid. The obvious anxiety in his demeanor almost made you feel guilty for teasing him, but it was just so cute; you couldn’t resist. Your eyes widened a bit at the realization that you had just thought of Bucky as cute. You must be more sleep deprived than you thought.

“Relax,” you purred, standing on your toes and leaning forward slightly to bring your lips almost to Bucky’s ear. “It’s just a bit of skin, old man. Get with the times and don’t be such a prude.”

Just as you expected, Bucky bristled at your remark. What you didn’t expect was him whirling around to tell you to fuck off to your face. His sudden movement made you jerk backwards in surprise, and you teetered back as you lost your balance. Bucky instinctively reached out to catch you. His metal hand closed around your towel just as you grabbed at his arm for stability. Caught off guard and trying not to drop his bags, Bucky was left stumbling as well.

You crashed to the floor on your back, feeling the air leave your lungs from the impact. Luckily, Bucky was able to catch himself by letting go of the groceries and bracing an arm beside your head, saving you from being crushed. Your relief was short lived, however, as you noticed that in his attempt to catch you, Bucky had torn off your towel. You were left stark naked on the hotel carpet, Bucky hovering over you with wide eyes.

To his credit, he managed to keep his gaze locked on yours, not letting it drift down to your naked body. All bravado gone, you felt like crawling in a hole and dying. The humiliation of being caught under your sort-of-nemesis completely bare was something you’d probably never recover from. That, and the feral look in Bucky’s eyes was making you a bit nervous. It looked like there was something simmering just beneath the surface of his skin, begging to come out and lose control. You swallowed hard. “Can you please go get my clothes from the van?” 

Your meek request seemed to jolt Bucky out of his stupor. “Y-yeah, I’ll, um, I’ll go do that,” he managed to say, then shot up from the floor like a rocket and flew out the door. 

You sat there on the floor in silence, quaking slightly from the chill of the AC on your bare skin. It took a few minutes before you were ready to make your retreat to the bathroom, and as you did, a sickening feeling of rejection crept into your bones. Not wanting to psychoanalyze your feelings at the moment, you shut the bathroom door and resigned yourself to waiting patiently--and nakedly--for Bucky to return with your clothes.

[conradscrime]

Unidentified: Seminole County Jane Doe

June 14, 2022

*This case is not to be confused with another Jane Doe that goes by the same name, who had died with her husband and children from yellow fever in the failed colony of St. Joseph, Florida in 1887* 

On November 24, 1974, the body of an unidentified woman was found by the County Sheriff’s Department behind a nearly constructed Interstate Mall at the time, located at I-4 and Highway 436 in Altamonte, Seminole County, Florida. 

The woman appeared to be between the ages of 30-55 years old, Caucasian, between 4′11″-5′3″ tall, and about 150-160 lbs, described as having an “overweight, stocky build.” 

She had reddish blonde to light brown hair that was fine in texture, with a few waves. Her eye colour is unknown. She had a narrow, prominent nose, and tiny scars on her pelvic bones indicating that she probably gave birth twice. 

She was wearing royal blue knit slacks with an elastic waist band, the measurements being 38″ and 36″ in length, light red or pink “Fashion of Singapore” crew neck, sleeveless knit blouse size 42 with a 10″ zipper in the back, white bra with a label reading “Exquisite Form” which was a size 41B. 

The woman’s teeth were of much significance as it was clear she had poor dental hygiene, with many cavities and no evidence that she had ever gotten them fixed. Jane Doe also had a total of 16 missing teeth. There was abnormal wear to her upper central incisor and the left lateral incisor, which could be caused by biting something. Some sources claim this can be associated with sewing or hairdressing professions. 

For jewelry the woman had a size 8 yellow-old engagement and wedding ring set. It is believed she may have had ties to California or Arizona, as her wedding ring set which was valued at $300-$400 had been sold between 1969 and 1972 to jewelry stores in those two states. The rings have never been traced. 

The cause of death was multiple stab wounds, and it is believed that the woman was murdered 3-4 weeks prior to her being found, possibly sometime in October 1974. She may have been a victim of serial killer Gerald Stano, who confessed to picking her up while she was hitchhiking outside Orlando in October 1974. 

Stano was an active serial killer between 1969-1980, confessing to killing 41 women, of which only 22 have been confirmed. He operated in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

Stano claimed he killed Seminole Jane Doe before dumping her body at a construction site. He took her purse and shoes but doesn’t know where he discarded them and they have never been found. He was sentenced to death and died in the electric chair on March 23, 1998. 

Seminole County Jane Doe does have DNA available in CODIS, which will hopefully allow her to get her name back. She has been unidentified for 47 years. 

[beardedmrbean]

Gilroy, Calif. — A victim of the "Happy Face Killer" has been identified nearly 30 years after her body was left near a California highway, authorities said Monday.

Patricia Skiple of Colton, Oregon, had been known only as "Blue Pacheco" for the color of her clothing until genetic genealogy was used to identify her last week, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said.

Skiple, a mother known to friends and family as "Patsy," would have been about 45 years old when she was killed, the sheriff's office said.

Authorities identified her with help from the DNA Doe Project, a non-profit group that uses volunteers to help identify people listed as "Jane Does" or "John Does" through DNA profiles of possible relatives.

Skiple's body was found on June 3, 1993, on the side of California State Route 152 in the Gilroy area in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The cause of her death was listed as undetermined at the time.

In 2006, Keith Hunter Jesperson wrote to the county district attorney's office and said he had sexually assaulted and killed a woman near the highway.

Jesperson, who was arrested in 1995 on suspicion of killing a woman in Washington state, was dubbed the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on letters he sent to the media and police, prosecutors said.

Jesperson eventually confessed to killing eight women between 1990 and 1995 in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Nebraska, and Wyoming. He currently is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon.

[what-if-nct]

hiiii today's reminder is i watched the killing voice thingy and it ended up being 30 minutes of me badly singing along to everything while my mother yelled at me to shut up from the next room. it's the most teenager-y I've felt in a very long time

also. maybe controversial? but for how much the 127 members and various Professional Music People talk about loving dreams come true (the song, not the ideal), it never really held up to me? like it's good, and I'm sure if i better understood the Nuances of Vocal Performance, i would appreciate it more. they hype up love song a lot too, and that really holds up, i absolutely love that song (please bear with my Humour today). but dreams come true has just always been something i only listen to if I'm listening to the whole album.

also also. am i the only one who forgot that highway to heaven had a korean version? granted it's been ages since i listened to it, but it did genuinely throw me off when i started singing along with the English lyrics

also x3: baby don't like it!!! back 2 you!!! welcome to my playground!!! all my concert faves in one go. anyway i think i have to go listen to all of their albums in chronological order again now byeee

Hihi! Having teen movie moments in your twenties is always fun. I understand what you mean to be far I really don't like songs in that tempo or slower. Like I know listen to Lana Del Rey but like there's still an extra something to her music. I can only do mid tempo or up beat like for example My favorite Lana songs are Florida Kilos, Off To The Races, That's What Makes Us Girls, Body Electric, Diet Mountain Dew, Fuck It I love You, Serial Killer, Lust 4 Life, Cherry , Gramma and her Doin Time Cover. okay well every Lana song ever. Also no song has ever matched someone as well as Blue Jeans does with Jaehyun. Like that's his essence in a song. I keep getting sidetracked. I think I've only listened to the Korean version like once, I totally forgot it existed too. Baby Don't like it is so good. after I finish listening to Lana Del Rey I have to listen to