truesee's Blog

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/14/1776653/tantrums-in-workplace-and-elsewhere.html

Garfinkel/PoolPhilip Markoff, the alleged 'Craigslist Killer,' was found dead in an apparent suicide in his jail cell, authorities say.

 The Boston medical student who preyed on Craigslist escorts and murdered a Manhattan model last year was found dead in prison Sunday - an apparent suicide on what would have been his first wedding anniversary. 

Philip Markoff, 24, was found dead Sunday morning in his Nashua St. Jail cell in Boston, where he was awaiting his March murder trial. 

He may have died Saturday, the exact anniversary of his canceled wedding. 

A prison source told the Daily News that Markoff was found with a plastic bag over his head, stabbed in the neck and legs. There was a lot of blood. 

Prison officials would not confirm that report. 

A separate source, a guard at the prison, told the News that Markoff's training in anatomy might have helped him beat anti-suicide measures. 

"He's one step beyond other inmates and can do things other inmates can't, because he knows about the human body," the guard told the News. "He's a medical student so if he gets a sharp instrument, he might be able to bleed himself out." 

Markoff was arrested in April 2009 for the murder of Julissa Brisman, 26, a model and aspiring actress from the Upper West Side. 

Brisman, who moonlighted as an erotic masseuse, was shot dead when she fought Markoff's attempts to tie her up and rob her in the plush Marriott Copley Place hotel in downtown Boston. 

Police said Markoff had answered her ad on Craiglist.

When Markoff, a native of upstate New York, was arrested, he was about to start medical school and marry Megan McAllister, his college sweetheart at the University of Albany. 

They had a ritzy Jersey Shore wedding planned for Aug. 14, 2009. 

McAllister initially defended her fiance, telling the media he "couldn't hurt a fly" and was "a beautiful person inside and out." 

Within weeks, as evidence emerged that Markoff had panties and restraints hidden in his boxspring and a handgun hidden in a hollowed-out copy of the medical textbook "Gray's Anatomy" under the bed, she changed her mind and canceled the waterfront wedding in Long Branch, N.J. 

Markoff had been on a brief suicide watch just after his arrest last spring when he reportedly tried to hang himself with his shoe laces and slice his wrists with a sharpened spoon. 

The prison guard told the News that Markoff had no friends in prison and kept to himself in his cellblock, which was restricted to murderers. 

"He secluded himself. He (did) a lot of reading. The other guys are not like him. He's educated; most of these guys come from the street," the guard said. 

Police said the former Boston University medical student robbed escorts on the theory that they would not call the cops. Brisman fought back, so he killed her, cops said. 

Markoff was charged with the armed robbery of another escort in another fancy Boston hotel, and a third assault of an escort at a Rhode Island motel. 

Police said he might have had other victims who were too afraid to come forward, some of them men or transsexuals. 

Police nabbed Markoff after trailing him through cyberspace: tracking his emails, pinpointing the location of his phone calls and watching security camera footage. 

Sadly, Markoff appears to have spawned some copycats. 

A Massachusetts man was arrested just last week for arranging to meet an escort through Craigslist and robbing her. 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/08/15/2010-08-15_alleged_craigslist_killer_philip_markoff_found_dead_in_jail_police.html#ixzz0wjeUF3BM

Rollins: RNC Chairman Steele a “disaster”

The  Politico

August 15, 2010

Noting the absence of Republican National Chairman Michael Steele, CBS host Bob Schieffer remarked on Sunday that former GOP Chairman Ed Gillespie was filling in for the chairman on "Face the Nation."

“He’s so immersed in controversy that he’s kind of in a bunker these days,” Schieffer said.

Responding to a question on whether Republicans will have to deal with Steele, Republican strategist Ed Rollins said Steele was a “disaster” as chairman.

“You have three men on this show who have all been party chairmen, and very distinguished party chairmen,” Rollins said, referring to Democratic National Chairman Tim Kaine, Gillespie and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who served as DNC chairman a decade ago.

“Michael Steele has failed miserably to do the things he’s supposed to do — raise money and basically go out and articulate a message,” Rollins said. “It’s not going to matter though. What he says or does in the next 11 weeks is not going to matter.”

LINK TO VIDEO

http://www.politico.com/singletitlevideo.html?bcpid=19407224001&bctid=585581153001

Obama wraps up short Gulf trip, ready to hit road for fundraising

President Obama wrapped his visit to the Gulf Coast on Sunday and headed back to Washington, where he’ll spend only a few hours before getting back on the road.

Obama has a busy fundraising travel schedule next week that takes him across the country. He starts off in Milwaukee on Monday, where he’ll headline events for Democrat Tom Barrett, who’s running for governor, and the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

Barrett was the White House’s hand-picked candidate to replace the retiring Gov. Jim Doyle (D). Polls show him in a tough race. Obama later on Monday will be in Los Angeles to raise money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.   

On Tuesday the president will travel to Seattle, where he will headline events for Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). 

Obama goes back to Ohio on Wednesday for another speech on the economy and to headline a fundraiser for Gov. Ted Strickland (D) and the Ohio Democratic Party. Afterward, he’ll fly south to Miami for an event benefiting the Florida Democratic Party.

The first family then leaves for a weeklong vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, the exclusive island off the coast of Cape Cod. Much of his trip to the Gulf this weekend seemed to be aimed at muting any criticism the president would get for vacationing in Massachusetts while telling Americans to return to the Gulf.

While some might say his latest visit to Florida lasted only about 24 hours, the first family certainly wasn’t shy about exploring Panama City Beach. On Saturday, Obama swam privately with daughter Sasha in Saint Andrew Bay, which was captured by a White House photographer and released to the press. On Sunday, he was out on the water again, this time taking a short boat cruise that also included wife Michelle.

On their way to the airport Sunday afternoon, the motorcade stopped for a final ice cream run. It seem to have caused more of a stir than the first family’s other outings. Waitresses from the nearby Hooters came rushing out in their orange shorts to get a glimpse of the Obamas, but were kept at bay by Secret Service, according to the pool report.

After ordering a cup of mint chocolate chip from Bruster's ice cream stand, Obama offered to buy a round for the reporters accompanying him. For a visit that has been as much about a vacation as a photo-op, it was a symbolic gesture. There weren’t any takers.

http://cbs4.com/local/pastor.tj.mccormick.2.1858714.html

A staff report

A Cumberland County judge didn't find it funny when a man kept laughing in her courtroom Friday. 

Judge Toni King asked Johnny Montgomery, 47, what was so amusing. 

According to the Sheriff's Office, Montgomery told her, "It's none of your business." 

King ordered him removed from her District Courtroom. As deputies searched Montgomery, they found more than 3 grams of crack cocaine on him, Sheriff's Office said.

Montgomery originally was in court on misdemeanor charges of communicating threats and trespassing. Now he is charged with felony possession of cocaine. 

Montgomery, who lives on the 800 block of Dwain Drive, was taken to jail where his bail was set at $1,500.

LINK TO PHOTO

 http://fayobserver.com/articles/2010/08/13/1020984

http://www.<snip>.com/news/weird/2010/08/two-people-burglarize-an-officers-home

Strange but interesting Self-Burying Screw-In Coffin

Ally

Coolest Gadgets 

August 15th, 2010

Oddly I’ve had a debate in my own mind as to what I’d want done with my remains when I die.  I have the tendency to worry that cemeteries are going to end up taking up far too much space at some point and something will have to be done.  After all, people take up about 6 feet of space, which is fine, but that adds up.  In small towns it’s not a big deal, but in cities it makes you wonder if they’ll ever have to be dug up and moved elsewhere.  That situation may take longer to come around if everyone started using these self screwing coffins. 

The coffin was made to cut down on labor and the amount of space the person takes up.  A small coffin is pushed inside of the screw, then it’s just basically drilled into the earth.  It’s purely a concept design by Donald Scruggs who was awarded a handy little patent for this design.  Hopefully the design has a way that makes it difficult for random people to screw the body back out of the earth again.  The design is a little bizarre, but it’s a happy medium between being cremated and getting a traditional burial.  Plus, perhaps somehow the top of the screw could double as a headstone.

LINK TO DIAGRAM

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20100815/strange-interesting-selfburying-screwin-coffin/

2 Visitors Arrested At Lerdo Detentions Center

POSTED: 1:02 pm PDT August 13, 2010

UPDATED: 1:27 pm PDT August 13, 2010

LERDO, Calif. -- Two people were arrested while attempting to visit the Lerdo Jail. 

On Thursday, a detentions deputy at the Lerdo Detentions Center said the deputies arrested two people while attempting to enter the Lerdo grounds to visit.

Lerdo deputies said the first visitor, Donelle Flores, 29, was arrested after it was discovered that she had outstanding felony warrants.

During a search conducted after the arrest, deputies said they found three syringes, two pouches containing suspected methamphetamine, a pill case containing suspected marijuana, a handcuff key and a small knife hidden on Flores. 

Flores was accompanied by a second visitor, Billy Evans, 24, who deputies said was found to be a felon on jail grounds without prior permission. During a search, deputies discovered that Evans was in possession of checks that were suspected of being stolen. 

Flores was arrested on charges of bringing a weapon into a jail, possession of a controlled substance, possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and bringing drugs into a jail. 

Evans was arrested on charges of being a felon on jail grounds and receiving stolen property. 

Both visitors were booked into the Kern County

Meth user flees court: 'She just got up and ran'

Tom Callis

Peninsula Daily News

Clallam County Superior Court Judge George Wood told a 35-year-old woman she was going to go to jail for violating the terms of a drug treatment program. But Travis Louise Dinius had other plans.

PORT ANGELES, Wash. - Clallam County Superior Court Judge George Wood told a 35-year-old woman she was going to go to jail for violating the terms of a court-mandated drug treatment program.

But Travis Louise Dinius, who lives west of Port Angeles, had other plans.

Upon being told she was to spend 16 months in jail for using methamphetamine, she bolted from the courtroom on Wednesday, said Gary Gorss, head of court security.

"She just got up and ran," he said.

She remains at large. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Dinius is the third person to attempt to flee a Clallam County courtroom this year, and the second to be successful.

Gorss said she was able to escape because, other than a parole officer, there were no law enforcement officers in the courtroom.

He said he is the only court security staff person, and was on vacation at the time.

Gorss said there were no jail staff members in the courtroom because Dinius was not in custody when she appeared at the court hearing.

Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict initially said he had authorized overtime for someone to cover for Gorss when he's on vacation, and that there was no replacement due to an oversight.

Later on Thursday he phoned the Peninsula Daily News to say that he found that Gorss took a "floating holiday" and that the security officer and the Superior Court clerk agreed that no replacement was needed since Wednesday was a "light court day."

Benedict said a deputy will fill in for Gorss next week when he's on vacation.

Benedict also said that, since Gorss is the only security officer for the county's five courtrooms, all courtroom escapes can't be prevented.

"She's not the first and she won't be the last," he said of Dinius.

Benedict said the sheriff's office doesn't have enough funds to hire another court security officer.

He said if there ever is a security issue in the courthouse, as in someone threatening harm, there are always deputies in the sheriff's office, at the north end of the courthouse, to respond.

Gorss said Dinius' husband, who was in the courtroom, told her to stop.

21 years of house arrest for theft

The Intelligencer

Erin Alberty

The Salt Lake Tribune

Aug 13, 2010 03:29PM

Kendl Murphy

Cops: Woman tries to deposit cocaine

Bank staff in Connecticut call police

Friday, 13 Aug 2010, 11:31 AM MDT

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. (WTNH) - A Wethersfield woman is facing charges after police say she handed a bank teller an envelope containing cocaine. 

It happened at Rockville Bank in South Windsor Thursday afternoon. 

Kendl Murphy, 43, pulled up to the drive-up teller and handed over a deposit envelope that contained a small bag with white powder. Bank staff asked Murphy to wait for her transaction to be completed and called police. 

A field test of the substance revealed that it was cocaine. 

Murphy has been charged with possession and possession within 1,500 feet of a school or day care. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/China-Armless-Man-Liu-Wei-Wows-Chinas-Got-Talent-By-Playing-Piano-With-His-Toes/Article/201008215682891?f=rss

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/11/ben-quayle-calls-obama-wo_n_678503.html

Democrats Blast Ben Quayle As The 'Son Of The Worst Vice President EVER'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/12/democrats-blast-ben-quayl_n_680434.html