It's the Letter P

Here it is the end of another week and our hapless bunch of news makers have make a few "missteps". This week, there seems to be a preponderance for the letter P.  Planes, pilots,  planets, pot,  pictures, police and paranormal have all been reported this week.


Riddle...The Difference Between  "Plane" and "Planet"

An exhausted Air Canada pilot mistook the planet Venus for an airplane and sent the plane into a rapid 400 foot descent in order to prevent an imaginary collision from occurring, according to an official report released Monday. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board released the statement which read:


"Under the effects of significant sleep inertia (Yeh, we get it....the guy was half asleep) the first officer perceived the oncoming aircraft as being on a collision course and began a descent to avoid it."

The unfortunate event occurred at night on board a Boeing 767 twin passenger plane flying from Toronto to Zurich 95 passengers and a crew of 8 aboard. According to reports, the first officer had just awoke from a long nap. According to the report, in a disoriented state:

"The FO (First Officer) initially mistook the planet Venus for an aircraft but the captain advised again that the target was at the 12 o’clock position(straight ahead) and 1,000 feet below."

No one on the plane was wearing their seat belts, despite the "fasten your seat belt" indicator being turned, which resulted in the subsequent injury of 14 passengers and 2 crew members. (oh no you didn't..... just blame the passengers for their injuries!)  Seven required medical treatment and were taken to the hospital. Air Canada expressed their sincerest apologies to the passengers injured in the accident and explained that they are currently in the process of taking the steps requisite in order to avoid a recurrence. Their approach is simply to remind pilots to follow the rules regarding taking naps during flights and increased efforts to heighten crew awareness to the effects of pilot fatigue.


OOPS....I think that the statement from Air Canada reps stating that they will takes steps in order for that not to happen again is commendable but clearly a little light.  Reminding the pilots not to wake up "groggy" from their naps, doesn't seem quite stern enough.  Their first order of business should be to  get a big flashing sign on Venus that says "I am a planet not a plane."  The T makes all the difference.



Posting Pictures of Stealing is Poorly Thought Out

There it was on Facebook for all to see – Michael Baker with a gas can, a siphon hose stuck into a police cruiser in eastern Kentucky and a middle finger raised.

Micheal, if I were one of your Facebook friends, I
would give you a status update"
YOU ARE A MORON!

Among those who saw it were Jenkins police, who arrested 20-year-old Baker on Monday and charged him with theft by unlawful taking. (Isn't that the definition of theft...unlawful taking????)


Police didn't laugh. Chief Allen Bormes says that if Baker would steal from police, he'd steal from "just about anybody."


Authorities say they plan to buy lockable gas caps.

OK,  Let me see if I have this straight.  Instead of catching thieves and keeping them from stealing (especially from cops) they are going to lock up their gas caps.  That is some serious police work.

Granny's Plan for Retirement is Pot

A Granny in Oklahoma has a real flair for running her own business.  Unfortunately her business, is illegal.  Never-the-less, a 73 year old woman, Darlene Mayes, has been arrested and authorities believe she is the kingpin of a drug ring that provides 40% of all the marijuana in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. 


 Well, now aren't looks deceiving?  Kingpin?
Drug Lord????



In Mayes' house, cops found the supply in her bedroom, which reeked of weed. A vacuum-sealed bag full of the stuff was found in the closet, and bundles of bills labeled "$15,000" were found under her box spring. They found a pipe and another bag of weed in the bathroom, and a total of $200,000 in more vacuum-sealed bags in a guest room where Mayes' grandchildren reportedly slept.

In the article it was quoted that Vinita Police Cheif Boby Floyd  told The Daily, an IPad only news site,  "That was quite a surprise. She is in very good shape for her age." (huh? Did he just say that?)

Mayes allegedly first told officers that the money was for her retirement fund.

This story brought up a lot of questions in my mind. Why isn't a female ringleader called a queenpin? ...and really let's give her a little "woot, woot"  ...40 percent of the market share!!!
If she was selling something legal we would really be impressed.  AND who does the interviewing for the IPad only news???  Oh yeah, and as far as her retirement, I think it has been taken care of.


Ghostbusters are a bust

A New Jersey couple is suing their landlord.  Now you wouldn't think this would be even worthy of my "back page" news...but clearly, it just doesn't take much to amuse me today.


In Toms River, N.J. Josue Chinchilla (see, I am already amused...Chinchilla???) and Michele Calan, an attorney by trade, are suing their landlord to break their lease and refund their $2,250 security deposit.


Why????...because they say the house they leased is haunted.  (Allegedly)


Dr. Richard Lopez, the owner of the house isn't about to return the deposit and claims the couple is in violation of the lease's terms.  He is counter suing, although none of the articles say exactly what he is suing for.


According the Doc Lopez, he thinks the couple is just using the "haunted" claim as a way to get out of a lease that they can't afford. 

But the couple contend their fright is real. They say that shortly after they moved in on March 1, they heard mysterious sounds coming from the basement, lights turned on and off by themselves, doors creaked open and slammed shut, and clothes and towels that were stored in closets somehow wound up on the floor. To top it off, an unknown force tugged at Chinchilla's sheets in bed one night, and Callan saw a dark apparition in the bedroom, they told the Asbury Park Press.

To help prove their case the couple called in  “ghostbusters” – the Shore Paranormal Research Society, a nonprofit team that investigates and tries to prove the  claims of paranormal activity.

But Carlson says he’s not ready to call the house “haunted.”

This is the house...perhaps, I have taken a few liberties with the visitors.

“There’s a big difference between ‘haunted’ and ‘paranormal activity,’" Carlson told msnbc.com on Tuesday.

“Paranormal means you have an occurrence that can’t be explained scientifically. Haunted? No, I do not think so. Do I think there’s stuff paranormal going on there? Absolutely.”

Carlson wouldn’t offer an opinion on the merits of the couple’s lawsuit. But he says there was clearly something unexplained going on in the house.

The couple has since moved into a motel. “This has been a horrific nightmare for us,” Callan told the newspaper.

Well, so much for the ghostbusting group helping the matter.  Splitting hairs aren't we???.... whether to call it "paranormal activity" or "haunted".  When things are moving around, short sheeting your bed and flashing the lights on and off, it's time to move. 

So much for the news this week, my bloggee friends.  Feel free to send me any unusual news that you hear about and I will try to report it next time.