13 Year Old Boy Killed For Stealing Snacks

This is yet another reason you DONT MESS WITH TEXAS. A group of teenagers repeatedly broke into the trailers of residents in a Texas community. One night they were breaking into the trailer of Jose Luis Gonzalez when the 63 year old man caught them in the act. They had twinkies and cookies stuffed into their pockets when he beat them with the barrel of a shotgun and shot one of them in the back. Gonzalez claimed in court that the thirteen year old boy was advancing towards him and he fought back.

This case went to trial and the jury acquitted Gonzalez of charges ruling that it is within a homeowner's right to defend his property, and use deadly force if necessary. This was a very important case in many regards because it sets the precedent for similar cases. It's a tough call because the teenage kids may not have been a huge threat to his life, but then again they probably could have easily overpowered the elderly man.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Feel free to leave comments.

Hurricane Ike Unearths Civil War Ship

When the storm surge of Hurricane Ike finally subsided, it left behind massive flood damage and thousands of dead fish. It also uncovered a large wooden boat that had undoubtedly been buried off the coast of Texas for centuries. Scientists believe it is either a Civil War schooner from the 1860s or another ship from around 70 years later. Either way it represents a very valuable find for the history of America. It just goes to show that sometimes the waves of disaster can stir up new discoveries.

Man in West Virginia Passes Gas on Police Officer

A man in South Charlston, West Virginia, faces jail time for assaulting an officer in a very unusual way. Jose Cruz was pulled over when police found him driving with his headlights off. Sobriety tests quickly made it apparent he was driving under the influence. He was arrested for DUI and brought in. While they were taking fingerprints, he reportedly moved over to an officer and passed gas on him. The officer reported that the odor was extremely pungent. Cruz now faces charges of battery against an officer, obstruction of justice, and the original charges of DUI. It just goes to show that skunks aren't the only animals capable of defending themselves through chemical warfare. Perhaps this story will serve as an example to others who might be tempted to try the same strategy. Either way, we now know that a big problem like being arrested for DUI can quickly lead to becoming a worldwide laughing stock. So remember kids, don't drink and drive... and especially don't pass gas on an officer.

Fish in a Fence After Hurrcane Ike

Hurricane Ike left an unusual and disquieting scene in the wake of its storm surge. Thousands of dead fish were found covering roads, yards, and in a chain link fence. Ike's storm surge caused massive flooding in coastal areas and did a great deal of damage. When the water went back down, it revealed some of the more unusual debris. The fish pictured above was apparently trying to swim through the chain link fence when it became trapped and died. Other dead fish lay all over the city in West Orange Texas. One resident had to get rid of an eel and an alligator that were left in his hard. This scene from an intersection shows thousands of rotting fish. I guess you could say the fishing is pretty good in Texas now.

Fouad Mourtada Masquerades on Facebook as a Moroccan Prince

Here's an interesting piece of news. Fouad Mourtada was recently arrested for a very bold and quite stupid case of identity theft. He stole the identity of the Prince of Morocco and masqueraded as him on Facebook. He probably felt pretty high and mighty until police came and locked him away. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and a $1,300 fine. Authorities say the Moroccan royalty does not and will not use Facebook. Still I have to congratulate this guy for being prince for a while.

September 11th Twin Towers Attack

Today is September 11th, the anniversary of one of the most disturbing and devastating attacks on American soil. I still remember when it happened. I was on vacation and in a hotel when I saw everyone standing around, glued to the TV. It took some time to realize what was going on as we saw huge plumes of smoke surrounding the twin towers where so much Wall Street commerce goes on. As we watched in horror, the buildings came crashing down into piles of rubble, leaving a haunting gap in the proud New York skyline.

It hit especially close to home because my cousin works in the twin towers. We found out later that she was at home on that day on maternity leave.

So many Americans have been protesting the war in Iraq and it seems all I ever hear about is how wrong the war was. But unlike them, I still remember the panic and terror this country felt after this attack, which promised to be merely the first of many. Our war crushed the hearts of terrorists and reminded them that America does not negotiate with terrorists. It goes to their home and crushes them where they stand.

Stopping the Growth of a 7 Foot 12-Year-Old

In my last post, I wrote about Brenden Adams, the 7 foot tall twelve-year-old. Scientists and doctors have finally discovered the cause of his abnormal rampant growth. Human DNA contains chromosomes that determine many factors of our body. Brenden's 12th chromosome has broken off and reattached onto the wrong place in his DNA. This disrupted the gene that controls growth. It therefore affects every single cell in his body. Because of this, his current size is absolutely irreversible, but the doctors wished to slow him down from growing any bigger. They came up with a very simple solution. They are injecting him with large amounts of testosterone to start puberty. This naturally slows the growth of an individual when they near adulthood. Brenden may have a fully mature body by the time he is a teenager. Even with the slowed growth, it is expected he will reach over 8 feet tall before he stops growing.

7 Foot Tall 12-Year-Old

Brenden Adams is only twelve years old, but he already towers high above most adults. He has a rare growing condition--so rare that doctors have never seen or heard of anyone like him. He is still growing at an alarming rate. When he was four months old, he had all his teeth. At age 4, he was about the size of an 8-year-old. Doctors were puzzled at what to do with him. Most people suffering from giantism simply are too big for their organs to handle and their bodies just wear out. Doctors have been working to find the cause and a cure for this rare disease.