Woman Spends 400,000 Dollars to Internet Scam

Janella Spears of Sweet Home Oregon lost over $400,000 to email scams. If you have an email account without a spam filter, you have probably received a Nigerian scam at some point. This scam was named after the country from which most of these email scams originated from. The scammers will contact you by email saying they are related to you somehow and need your help to get access to millions of dollars that they have inherited. They offer to give you a few million just for sending them some money or sharing your bank account information.

I never thought anyone would actually fall for that, but it seems I was wrong. Janella sent $100 in an untraceable wire transfer to the scammers. When this worked, they asked for more money. They sent her fake bank statements, letters, and documents to reinforce their claims. They also approached her as the head of the FBI and claimed the President needed her help as well. She reportedly became obsessed with getting the 20 million dollars they promised her, and kept sending more money in hopes of getting it.

She took out a loan, home mortgage, and spend her husband's retirement fund. When asked about it, she said she hopes other people don't fall for these scams as hard as she did.

So next time you get an email from a ridiculously wealthy Nigerian or the President of the United States, do yourself a favor and just delete it.

Woman Wearing Cow Suit Arrested for Disorderly Conduct

Michelle Allen of Middletown, Ohio, was arrested for disorderly conduct while wearing a cow suit. She was said to have been chasing children in her neighborhood while wearing the cow suit, and caused a great deal of civil distress. She was also caught urinating on a neighbor's front porch. When an officer found her causing traffic problems, she was arrested. She was reportedly verbally abusive to the police, and smelled strongly of alcohol.

Obviously her clever cow disguise failed when she began cussing out the police. A real cow would never do that.

9 Year Old Designated Driver

On Thursday, a 9 year old child was pulled over for driving a car underage. The mother, from Ontario, had too much to drink at a social gathering and did not feel sober enough to drive herself and her child home. So she asked her nine year old daughter to drive instead. Police noticed a car driving very slowly along Canadian country roads, and on closer inspection, saw that the driver was quite tiny. When they pulled her over, they found the child driving.

Obviously the mother must have been pretty far gone to let her kid drive. She must have been really wasted to think the kid would do a better job than she would. I'm always a supporter of the designated driver program, but this is a bit over the top.

Woman Knocked Out by Dolphin

Barbara Howard was enjoying a boat ride with her husband, daughter, and daughter's boyfriend when a dolphin suddenly jumped out of the water and landed on their boat. The 8-9 foot long marine mammal had apparently tried to jump over the boat and misjudged the distance. It knocked Barbara unconscious and pinned her and her husband to the deck of the boat. As it floundered around, its tail repeatedly beat her husband.

Her daughter's boyfriend mustered up more strength than he knew he had and pushed the 4-500 pound dolphin off the boat and back into the water. The couple had some minor cuts and bruises but were released from the hospital relatively unharmed.

I'm sure this must have been especially embarrassing for the dolphin. They are supposed to be some of the most intelligent creatures on earth, but even they make mistakes from time to time.

Bank Robbed Twice in One Day

A San Diego-area Wells Fargo bank in La Mesa, California, was robbed twice in one day. First, a robber referred to as "The Hard Hat Bandit" came in and demanded the bank hand over its money. No more than three hours later, "The Chatty Bandit" arrived on the scene and tried to rob it again.

Both criminals are still at large and their location is unknown. What we do know is that one of them must be pretty ticked off at being beaten to the punch.

Fish Pedicures Banned in Texas

One of the newest trends in beauty treatment is the fish pedicure. Patrons to some of the few salons offering this luxurious treatment can soak their feet in tanks of water while the aptly named Doctor Fish nibble away tiny bits of dead skin. This new trend was starting to pick up steam until Texas authorities shut it down due to health concerns.

The Texas health department explained that the fish could transmit disease through contact with human feet. Their tanks were also impossible to safely sterilize without harming the fish. While there have been no reports of any form of problems related to these fish, authorities say they would rather be safe than sorry.

I think a nice fish pedicure would be a great way to clean up your feet. Unfortunately for those of you living in Texas, there will be no more fish pedicures... unless you can lure in some fish in a local pond. Or you could always just stick your feet in your fish tank.

Officer Expects House Cat, But Finds Mountain Lion

Police officer Mike Ableman was called in to remove a problem cat from a home in Casper, Wyoming. The dispatcher told him he was supposed to shoo off a big house cat. When he arrived at the scene, he was hissed at by a 90 pound mountain lion. He immediately ran back into the house and called the Game and Fish department. Wildlife officers then arrived to tranquilize and remove the cat.

I bet the officer was expecting a boringly easy job, and probably feeling a little down for having to do such a menial task. Instead he ended up in the world news. Life is like that sometimes.

Interview With Man Who Punched Shark to Save His Dog

Those of you who have kept up with my blog have probably read about the Florida man who punched a shark to save his dog. It's always so much better to hear the story straight from the mouth of the source. Here's the CBS video interview of this amazing story.



And for those of you who feel bad for the poor dog getting attacked, here's a video of a dog attacking a shark. It kind of levels the playing field. The owners of this dog seem more negligent than heroic. But he seems to be fending for himself pretty well.

World's Fattest Man Gets Married

Manuel Uribe was once declared the world's fattest man. The 42 year old man from Monterrey, Mexico once weighed in at 1,230 pounds. He has gone on a diet and lost over 550 pounds. He will be towed in a specially made bed through the streets to have the wedding. Manuel said he will have a bite of cake for the photos, but that is all his new diet will permit. After losing all that weight, it is yet to be determined whether he will be allowed to remain the world's heaviest man.

Well, at least we know she's not marrying him for his body... or is she?

Man Punches Shark to Save His Dog

Greg LeNoir was taking his dog, Jake, for a swim one day at a marina in Isla Morada, Florida. A 5-foot shark surfaced suddenly and grabbed the dog in its mouth. Greg wasn't about to let his pal become chum, so he dove off the pier headfirst and punched the shark in the back. He apparently scared the shark enough to make it let go, and he and the dog swam safely back to shore. The little rat-terrier was wounded but not critically injured. He was rushed to an animal hospital where he is making a full recovery.

I have to admit, this is one of my favorite stories of bravery/stupidity I have heard in a long time... and I write about incredible news stories all the time. I'll admit, I would probably do the same thing in the heat of the moment. I love my dog too. But afterwards, the only thing I would be able to think would be, WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Man Caught With Nearly 2 Million Dollars in Traffic Fines

In other news, a man in San Paulo, Brazil was finally caught after racking up a huge array of traffic fines. Authorities traced his charges back to 2001 when he bought his car. In just 7 years, he has managed to get around 1.9 million dollars in traffic fines. The man claims he never received any of these tickets because he was too busy to register the car in his name.

I personally believe this story. How would he have any time to register his car when he's too busy out getting speeding tickets? This man definitely deserves the worldwide recognition he's receiving. This is a huge accomplishment. And thankfully it is now safe to drive in Brazil again.

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.

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.

Police Rescue Robber Found Hanging Upside Down

A burglar really bungled up his recent robbery. He was not only foolhearty enough to break into a streetside window in broad daylight, but he somehow got his shoe stuck in the window as he crawled through it. He was found hanging upside down by his shoelace. He was left to hang there for over an hour while onlookers gathered to laugh at him. Police and paramedics finally showed up and cut him down, then hauled him immediately to jail. He pleaded guilty of attempted robbery and will be sentenced in September.

I have to hand it to him, he's about the worst burglar I have ever heard of, and there are some pretty dumb burglars out there.

9 Year Old Boy Banned From Pitching for Being Too Good

Jericho Scott pitches for his team in the Youth Baseball League at New Haven, Connecticut. He is an excellent athlete and can pitch at speeds of over 40 mph. He pitches so well, that other teams refused to even try to hit anything he throws. His last opposing team forfeited their match with his team, declining to play at all. The league officials banned Scott from playing and plan to distribute his teammates among other teams in the league. His coach resigned and his team refuses to split. Parents are now protesting the league games demanding he be allowed to play. This is the first time a child has been under so much discrimination for being TOO good. It's amazing how far society will go to persecute people who truly excel.

Workers Swept Away by Sewage

Workers in Tokyo, Japan were repairing a broken manhole when a sudden wave of sewage swept them away. One worker was found unconscious floating in a nearby river but the other four are still missing. I have heard of plenty of natural disasters, but sewage water is a new one to me.

Lost Luggage

There are lots of absent minded people in this world, and unfortunately for some children, many of them become parents. On Monday, an Israeli couple remembered to bring their 18 suitcases on an international flight, but they forgot their three-year-old child at the airport. They were informed mid flight that they had only remembered four of their five children. Airport staff found the girl wandering alone in the bustling terminal. They sent her on the next flight and she was reunited with her parents. Next time they may pay more attention to their children than their bags.

Crazy Art Cover-Up

It's amazing what will hit the news nowdays. Today's headlines featured a move made by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to help his image. A huge painting used as the backdrop for many press conferences featured a scantly clad woman with more exposure than the press would like to cover. While this is common in Italian art, this offending painting was deemed to be going a bit too far for cameras. They painted a garment over the offending parts to better cover the painting. THe Prime Minister took a great deal of heat for this alleged defacement of fine art. It's apparently a big enough deal to attract worldwide attention.

Koala Hit by Car at 60 MPH and Lives

A Koala was hit by a car going 60 miles per hour while crossing a road in Australia. Its head was lodged in the grill of the car and it was dragged over 7 miles before another driver noticed it and stopped the car. They say it survived because its head was stuck and it was able to hang on. It was cut out with scissors and rushed to an animal hospital where it came out of shock and was fine in a couple hours. It is not making its recovery at the animal hospital founded by Steve Irwin.

Political Cartoon Causes Uproar

The political supporters of Barack Obama have been in an uproar over the satirical cover of "The New Yorker" magazine. It depicts Obama dressed in Muslim clothing with his wife dressed as a terrorist. They are giving each other a hi-five as the American flag burns in the fireplace of the oval office, below a portrait of Osama BinLaden. Despite the outrage of Obama's supporters, the magazine does not apologize but asserts its satire is meant to point out aspects of the candidates in a satirical way. McCain's campaign leaders agree that the picture is tasteless and offensive. I am always thankful when I see things like this happen because I know in many countries people would be killed for publishing something like that. In our country, people just get angry and raise a big fuss.