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A tow truck was caught on camera destroying an SUV.

A dramatic YouTube video showing a city tow truck crunching a parked SUV in snowbound Brooklyn Heights went viral Tuesday with more than 700,000 people watching the clip.

The caught-on-tape slam-a-thon shows a stuck front-end loader bashing into the parked vehicle as a tow truck tries to yank the loader out of a snowy parking spot.

The yellow snow-mover careens into the city-owned Ford Expedition, then strikes it several more times as it lurches out of the spot.

On the way out, the plow crashes into the window of the SUV, and also sideswipes another parked car.

"It could had been completely avoided," said the wife of Eugene McArdle, 53, whose city-owned SUV was crushed. "It was a poor decision."

McArdle is the emergency liaison for the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development and needs the vehicle for his job, a spokeswoman said.

The SUV is a 1995 Expedition with 95,000 miles on it that the agency inherited from the city Department of Environmental Protection.

"We're happy no one was hurt," the spokeswoman said. "It's just a car."

The video was shot from an apartment window around 9:15 a.m. Monday, after the snow had stopped and the blizzard moved away from the city.

A crowd of neighbors gathered outside near the corner of Joralemon and Hicks streets as the city tow truck started trying to pull out the snow-mover.

The onlookers warned the tow truck driver to be careful squeezing out of the snowbound street. Instead he blasted his way out, the video shows.

Along with the city-owned SUV, which has "Official" plates, the front-end loader also clipped the McArdles' personal Toyota sedan.

"There were about 30 people out, yelling to stop," the wife said. "They chose to disregard what we were saying."

The clip started going viral after it was aired on CNN Tuesday morning and quickly attracted 219,000 views within a couple of hours.

Asked about the incident at a press conference, Mayor Bloomberg said anyone who suffered property damage should file a claim with the city.

YouTube Video

 http://www.nydailynews.com/video/index.html?eCode=1haDJ5Ohij8jJOnRkV5qeTMgTSGL7luj&dCode=h3b2N4MTpXXWrPoe33gOrgTN3RqJRLlg

Man stole games from casket of western Pennsylvania teen, police say

Published: Wednesday, December 29, 2010, 10:34 AM     Updated: Wednesday, December 29, 2010, 10:39 AM

 The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — State police are trying to find a western Pennsylvania man they say stole a handheld video game system and accessories from the casket of a teenager killed in a sport utility vehicle crash on Christmas Day.

Jody Lynn Bennett, 37, of Mentcle, grabbed a Game Boy, three games and a Game Boy Light from the open casket during the public visitation around 9:30 p.m. Monday at Rairigh Funeral Home in Montgomery Township, the news release said. He fled when confronted by family members, police said.

State police in Indiana, Pa., would not comment on the case beyond a brief news release issued Wednesday.

A trooper at the Indiana barracks said only that police were still searching for Bennett on Wednesday morning and could not say whether police have an arrest warrant for him. Online court records do not reflect that police have filed charges, but they show an arrest record for several drinking and relatively minor drug offenses dating to 2000.

The Associated Press could not immediately find a telephone number for Bennett, and a call to his parents’ home was not immediately returned. But Dianna Bennett, who identified herself as his aunt, said the family is aware of the allegations and embarrassed by them.

Bennett said her family is close friends with the parents of 17-year-old Bradley McCombs, of Clymer, who was killed when his sport utility vehicle skidded off a snowy road and hit a utility pole Saturday morning.

“I sort of figured they would be looking for him,” Bennett said Wednesday. “I wasn’t there that night, but we all went over yesterday” to the funeral home. Bennett said her nephew “has been into drugs, he’s into alcohol. He’s just messed up.”

A woman who identified herself as McCombs’ mother declined to comment when she was reached at home a few hours before her son’s funeral. The funeral home also declined to comment.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/galleries/the_most_outrageous_moments_of_2010/the_most_outrageous_moments_of_2010.html

http://techland.time.com/2010/12/28/9-online-scams-cyber-threats-to-avoid-in-2011/

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20101228_Philly-area_teen_could_become_latest_basketball_phenom.html

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_16952450?source=rss_viewed

Woman arrested for calling 911 to complain about manicure

Updated: Monday, 27 Dec 2010, 10:07 PM EST
Published : Monday, 27 Dec 2010, 11:30 AM EST

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) -

A Volusia County woman was arrested after several 911 calls were made complaining about a bad manicure.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office says on Sunday Cynthia Colston, 44, from Deltona, was fighting with her nail technician at Central Nails on Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona because she apparently didn’t like the length of her nails.

During the fight the nail technician was slightly injured but it was Colston who called Volusia County Sherriffs deputies to the salon. Investigators say while one deputy was inside trying to settle the dispute over payment, Colston was calling 911 again, for the fourth time. She called two times after her original 911 asking when deputies would arrive. With no emergency, and a deputy already on the scene, Colson was arrested and charged with misuse of the wireless 911 system and taken to the Volusia County Branch County Jail in Daytona Beach. 

LINK TO VIDEO

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/volusia_news/122710-woman-arrested-for-calling-911-to-complain-about-manicure

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_16942653

 According to a CNN/Opinion Research poll released on Tuesday, only 49 percent of Republican voters say they are likely to support Sarah Palin if she runs for her party’s presidential nomination.

“That’s a huge 18-point drop since December of 2008, when two-thirds of GOPers said they were likely to support Palin. It also puts her well behind potential rivals Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and a bit behind Newt Gingrich as well,” said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

When asked if they would back Palin in a Republican primary fight, 23 percent of respondents said they were “Very Likely” to do so, while 26 percent answered “Somewhat Likely.” Twenty-eight percent said they were “Not Likely at all” to support the former Alaska governor and television personality.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they would be either very or somewhat likely to back former Arkansas Governor and Fox News host Mike Huckabee. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney came in second place, with 59 percent saying they were either very or somewhat likely to support him in the Republican primary. Romney was followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who received 54 percent support.

Surprisingly, Palin didn’t even do especially well among self-described Tea Party supporters. Although 62 percent said they were very or somewhat likely to back her, 66 percent said they were very or somewhat likely to support Romney, while 72 percent said the same of Huckabee. Sixty-one percent said the same of Gingrich.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/12/28/less-than-50-of-republicans-say-they-are-likely-to-support-palin-in-gop-primary/#ixzz19RxwJGX7

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1341683/Donna-Simpsons-feast-The-30-000-calorie-Christmas-feast-eaten-worlds-fattest-mum-ONE-hour-sitting.html

Dallas pastor accused in burglary of east Oak Cliff home

08:49 AM CST on Sunday, December 26, 2010 

IAN McCANN / The Dallas Morning News

A southern Dallas pastor and estranged member of a politically active family spent much of Christmas in jail after being accused of breaking into an east Oak Cliff home.

Police and jail records listed the woman arrested as Kathy Robinson, but Charles McGriff said Saturday that the jail mug shot of the arrested woman was of his sister-in-law, Sandra McGriff. She is charged with burglary of a habitation and resisting arrest.

Her husband, Weldon, is a brother of Bishop Larry McGriff, a clergyman who was active in local politics and interfaith work until his death in February. Larry McGriff was leader of Church of the Living God, on East Overton Road near Lancaster Road.

Neither Sandra McGriff nor Weldon McGriff could be reached for comment. She was released Saturday evening from the Dallas County Jail on bail totaling $26,000.

Police accuse Sandra McGriff of stealing more than $10,000 worth of clothing, purses and electronics from a home in the 2200 block of Village Way near Kiest Boulevard and Lancaster Road.

After a neighbor called police about the burglary about 5:30 p.m. Friday, officers arrived and found a broken kitchen window and saw McGriff carrying two fur coats out a back door of the home.

They also saw a laptop computer and three purses in the back seat of her blue Jaguar.

McGriff told officers that a friend had sent her to pick up her coats and that her arm was injured because she could not find a key under the doormat and had to break in through the window.

Police called the resident, Serita Agnew, who told them she had not given anyone permission to go into her house or take her property.

She also said that McGriff had called her to talk about an hour before the burglary was reported. During that conversation, Agnew told McGriff she was away from home visiting her daughter.

After McGriff was treated for the injured arm, officers struggled to arrest her. She slipped out of one set of handcuffs and resisted being restrained.

She slipped a second set of handcuffs off while waiting in a police car, and kicked and tried to scratch officers as they again restrained her.

Her brother-in-law, Charles McGriff, said his family's relationship with Sandra and Weldon McGriff had been strained for months as they had disagreements over how best to lead a church. Sandra and Weldon McGriff went on to start a new Church of the Living God, on Lancaster Road north of Kiest Boulevard.

"When my sister died in September ... [Weldon] didn't go to her funeral," Charles McGriff said.

Charles McGriff said he'd always known the woman as Sandy McGriff, not Kathy Robinson.

"We just don't know much about Sandy," he said. "We've always wondered where this woman came from."

On Saturday, the woman whose home was burglarized said she had mixed feelings about the incident because McGriff was her pastor. Agnew had known McGriff and her husband for about 10 years before joining their church.

"She really seemed to be this woman who had a connection with God," she said. "I still really can't believe it."

LINK TO VIDEO OF PASTOR

www.dallasnews.com/video/index.html?bcid=726291517001

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/galleries/the_top_20_photos_of_2010/the_top_20_photos_of_2010.html

Mon Dec 27 09:26am EST

Obama calls Eagles owner to congratulate him for signing Vick

Chris Chase

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/26/the-year-in-review-13-most-memorable-political-quotes-of-2010/

Top Ten political winners and losers of 2010

AP photo Rep. John Boehner is overcome by emotion as he talks about his working-class roots.

It's been a momentous and turbulent year in American politics. President Obama's popularity tanked and Republicans seized control of the House. The Tea Party burst onto the scene, with significant success, and billionaire business people tried to buy elective office, with limited success.

So who were some of the big political winners and losers of 2010? Here's our list:

Winners

John Boehner

Don't cry for me, Dear Ohio! The truth is that this Ohio congressman who once was voted out of a GOP leadership position by his House colleagues has staged an amazing comeback. The future House Speaker hopes to learn from the mistakes of his one-time ally, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Mitch McConnell

The Senate Minority Leader showed how a minority can rule in our democratic system. The Kentucky Republican's "just say no" philosophy stifled much of the liberal Democratic agenda for most of 2010.

The Paul family

Texas Rep. Ron Paul breezed to re-election, as usual. The big news was the stunning success of his son (and fellow doctor) Rand. The junior Paul, a Tea Party loyalist, shocked the GOP establishment in the Republican primary and whipped a popular Democrat in the general election. They will become the first "son-father" team in Senate-House history.

Hillary Clinton

Even while President Obama's approval ratings sank, his Secretary of State remained popular . . . even among Republicans. Her tough-on-terrorists talk and diplomatic skill have managed to please hawks at home and anti-American skeptics abroad.

Bill Clinton

When Democrats were in trouble and wanted a president to campaign for them, who did they call? Bill Clinton. The 42nd president was credited with helping Democratic candidates win victories in Pennsylvania, California and other states. A slumping President Obama couldn't match Clinton's batting average.

George W. Bush

Another president's ratings were going up as President Obama's were going down. George W. Bush, who left office as the most unpopular president since the disgraced Richard M. Nixon, rebounded in the polls after a national book tour to promote his best-selling memoir, Decision Points.

Marco Rubio

Vice President Rubio? The Republican Party might be looking for a telegenic, conservative Latino from a key swing state (Florida) in 2012. The former Florida House Speaker came out of nowhere to scare GOP Gov. Charlie Crist out of the Republican primary and then crush Crist and hapless Democrat Kendrick Meek in the general election.

Bob Gates

One non-politician makes our list. Defense Secretary Bob Gates, who served under both Presidents Bush and Obama, managed to avoid a military mutiny over repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans out-of-the-closet gays from the armed forces. He's a rare player in Washington who is respected across partisan and ideological lines. Too bad he's likely to leave his post in 2011.

Jim DeMint

The South Carolina Republican, perhaps the most conservative member of the Senate, became both a kingmaker and a thorn in the side of the party's establishment in 2010. He butted heads with Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the chair of the Senate GOP campaign committee, in GOP primary battles in states from New Hampshire to Delaware, with varying degrees of success. Still, DeMint made himself a force to be reckoned with on the Republican Right.

Kevin McCarthy

Never heard of this guy? You will. He's not the old-time Hollywood actor. He's a rising star among congressional Republicans. The California conservative was elected to No. 3 House leadership job after just two terms in office. The former small businessman from Bakersfield seems likely to be a key player in the ideological battles of 2011 — and beyond.

Meredith McDermott/Hearst Newspapers Nancy Pelosi goes from the most powerful person on Capitol Hill to leader of the oppressed minority.

Losers

Nancy Pelosi

The soon-to-be-former Speaker of the House goes from formidable political figure to leader of the smallest bloc of Democratic House members since 1948. The San Francisco liberal will have fewer pesky centrists to deal with, but she'll have a president prepared to cut deals with congressional Republicans rather than the largely irrelevant House Democrats.

Barack Obama

Until the not-very-lame lame duck session, President Obama was headed for the No. 1 spot on the list of political losers of 2010. The president's plunging popularity in the South and the industrial heartland cost his party dearly in the midterm elections. But he's had some huge legislative victories in 2010, ranging from health-care reform to repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

John McCain

A maverick no more, the Arizona senator managed to alienate old friends without making new friends. The 2008 GOP presidential candidate's run as a bipartisan dealmaker are over. Now, he's more like the irascible old guy hurling insults at the kid from down the street (a.k.a. President Obama).

Russ Feingold

John McCain's most famous Democratic partner, fellow campaign reformer Russ Feingold, had a horrible year. In January, the McCain-Feingold campaign reform law was struck down by the Supreme Court. In November, the maverick Wisconsin Democrat got canned by his constituents.

Arlen Specter

The veteran Pennsylvania senator didn't make it to November. This Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Democrat got canned by his old/new Democratic constituents in the new/old party's primary. To add insult to injury, conservative Republican Pat Toomey, who almost unseated centrist Specter in the GOP primary six years ago, narrowly won the seat in the general election.

Meg Whitman

She lost a lot more than an election. The former eBay CEO invested more than $150 million of her fortune on a costly misadventure also called a campaign for governor of California.

Mike Castle

For four decades, Mike Castle was the most durable politician in Delaware, a moderate Republican who was popular across party lines and never lost a race. But he'd never run against a witch before. Conservative insurgent Christine O'Donnell, who boasted of once dabbling in witchcraft and satanic altars and the like, upset Castle in the Republican primary. The result of the Delaware melodrama: Democrats not only won the Senate seat, they also took Castle's old House seat from the GOP.

Charlie Rangel

The gravel-voiced New York City Democrat has gone from chairman of one of the most powerful committees on Capitol Hill to forlorn back-bencher. Rangel lost his Ways & Means Committee chairmanship amid an ethics probe, then was convicted by his colleagues and censured. Still, he won re-election with some 80 percent of the vote. So he'll be back. Sort of.

Tom DeLay

For years, conservative Republican firebrand Tom DeLay said he was the victim of a political witch hunt conducted by a partisan Democratic district attorney. Whether he's right or wrong on that one, he's also now a convicted felon. The former U.S. House Majority Leader from Sugar Land was found guilty of conspiracy and money laundering by a jury of his peers in Austin, the most liberal big city in Texas.

John Edwards

The 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate saw his political career end in the most tawdry way: cheating on his terminally ill wife, having a "love child" out of wedlock and then getting outed by the National Enquirer. Elizabeth Edwards' tragic death in December only served to put an exclamation point on this tale of hubris and self-indulgence.

December 27 2010 at 08:42 AM

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=79809#ixzz19KlGTgCG