As wonderful as the internet is, it unfortunately has proven to be a boon for pedophiles. At least they got this one.

My entire state, not just my home town, is rampant with the World's Stupidest Criminals. Here's one that involves one of our elected officials:

A former girlfriend of state Sen. Scott Bundgaard testified Thursday that the Peoria Republican struck her twice during a car ride as they argued over his decision to take dancing lessons while failing to take the time to get counseling for a previous physical altercation.

Aubry Ballard testified during a Senate Ethics Committee hearing on an ethics complaint against Bundgaard.

Ballard testified that Bundgaard said he'd get counseling after he held her throat and then physically threw out of his house after they argued on New Year's Eve in 2010, about two months before the February 2011 domestic violence incident that led to the ethics case.

Bundgaard didn't get the counseling but did sign up for dance lessons for a charity event and planned to take more, Ballard testified. The couple was returning from the charity event when they argued on the evening of Feb. 25.

"That dancing was going to take precedence over counseling upset me," Ballard said. "We start arguing. Obviously it was about priorities in the relationship."

The judge has lost patience with this fellow. Actually the whole region has. So since he had refused to follow the judge's orders the judge put him in jail. Not big news but it is if you happen to be a billionaire, as Moroun is.

You're not too old or rich to go to jail

A car was stolen from a Stater Bros. parking lot in the L.A. area, which is not a shock in itself, BUT it contained the ashes of the recently deceased mother of the owner. How sad would that be? Good news, they found the car and ashes were still in tact.

What are the odds the one time you have your mom's ashes in your car is the time it gets stolen?

TIS





http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/01/14/stolen-car-with-womans-mothers-ashes-returned/

In California, evidently about 5 to 1.

Better yet, why are you driving around with your mother's ashes? Are you taking her shopping with you to the mall or something?

Fresh air?

The story said she had driven the ashes down from Oregon. Road trip?

If she drove down to California from Oregon, I wonder if the daughter put the ashes in a coaster instead of an urn. A west coaster.

I don't get the coaster reference! Am I having a blonde moment?

DUH! Because they drove along the coast!!!! NOW I GET IT!

The coast consists of California, Oregon and Washington.

As Emily Latella used to say, "Never mind".

That did occur to me, but geography has never been my strong suit, although it's better than the guy on Jay Leno last night who thought that "Boardwalk Empire" was about the "lost city of Atlantic City" which fell into the ocean in the 1920s. When Jay asked him into which ocean it sank, he replied that it was the Pacific. He didn't get the irony when Jay looked at him and said, "So, the lost city of ATLANTIC city sank into the Pacific?"

I understood this woman was meeting up with her sisters to decide what to do with the ashes. Thankfully I've never hand anywhere near that kind of experience BUT it seems it weird driving around with you mom's ashes, and putting them in the trunk. I don't know. Just weird.


TIS

How creepy is this? A severed Head and then hand were found in Hollywood by the Hollywood sign.




One day after two dogs uncovered a human head hidden in a plastic bag, Los Angeles police found a severed hand Wednesday morning at the Hollywood Hills crime scene.
The head was first discovered 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Bronson Canyon Park near a trail below the Hollywood sign by two people walking nine dogs.

Investigators continued to search the area Tuesday evening and resumed the search Wednesday morning. A specially-trained cadaver dog from the coroner's office found the hand Wednesday morning about 50 yards away from where the head had been located. The hand was found in brush off the trail. Unlike the head, it was not in a bag.

About 30 detectives were on scene Wednesday, along with officers trained in searching rough terrain. They had set up a grid to comb the area in search of additional body parts. Investigators were also going door-to-door along Canyon Drive to talk to neighbors about whether they witnessed anything unusual – or if their trash had been displaced.

Police believe the crime occurred somewhere else and the body was dumped. It's possible, Smith said, that a wild animal may have moved some of the body parts.

The park is home to numerous coyotes.

The head was believed to be a man, possibly of Armenian descent, in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair.



Glendale News

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-818-0118-severed-hand-found-near-head-under-hollywood-sign,0,264662.story



TIS

Just to add to above story, they reported tonight that not only was a head and a hand found in the Hollywood Hills, BUT they also found another hand and two feet. They think all parts are from same body. It's horrible. Who would do this? OR, could it have been done by an animal? They are thinking this man was killed in another place and discarded in the hills.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Severed-Head-Found-in-Hollywood-Hills-137533803.html



TIS

The fact that they found the head stuffed in a bag makes me doubt it was an animal. People are twisted like that, something similar happened near me, but the entire body was stuffed into a suitcase and left in the store that the dead person owned.

That's true. It'd have to be a pretty smart animal to stuff the head in a bag.

Seriously though, who kind of twisted SOB would chop somebody up. How absolutely horrible. I do hope it's not a serial killer.


TIS

Never know, could of been a disagreement. Seems like they dumped it there figuring the coyotes would naturally dispose of the body. The one that happened here was twisted and sick though because the lady that was chopped up and stuffed in the suitcase was pregnant. The cops think it has to do with the Hatian mob though since they're in the area.

OMG, that's terrible. Some people are just animals I swear. Killing someone is one thing but chopping them up puts you in an entirely different category of murderer if you ask me.

Could be coyotes moved the bodies(body parts) because we do have them around here in the hills & mountains. The news said that this was a popular area where people would walk celebrities dogs and was not necessarily deserted. They indicated that they were surprised nobody saw or heard anything.



TIS

That's why I think whoever did it, purposely left the body there expecting the coyotes to eat and pick at it to tear it up.

In some awesomely ground breaking news......i have a day off today

I heard just now on the local news that Demi Moore is in the hospital and that 911 call was placed from her home. I checked further and according to this story she has a substance abuse problem. For some reason that surprises me.


TIS

http://news.moviefone.com/2012/01/24/dem...just_reloaded=1

One of the hot Internet topics around here is a local pizzeria owner who was taped singing some opera for a customer's birthday. The YouTube went viral.... it turns out that the guy's pizzeria is in the next town over from mine... I'll have to check it out.

The guy has an amazing voice (much better than is demonstrated on this video -- I saw more coverage on local television, and this guy is good enough to be a pro). He said he learned to sing from his Sicilian born grandmother.

Bravo!

Starting today, airlines must show complete airfares including all fees/taxes. I am not a huge traveler of late, but I think that's a great idea. I did get use to adding about 50 in fees from the posted fare AND on top of that for most airlines $25 fee to check luggage.

Anyway, it'll be high, but I like seeing the total price upfront.


TIS

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120125/BIZ/701259939/1005/BIZ

Can they do the same for car rental companies?? We paid $105 for a 1 week rental, then they added about another $100 in fees and taxes.

SB, It would be nice if car rentals did it as well.

I did a airline search for fares to Michigan thru Kayak and although the price is higher, it really is nice to know the price that pops up includes everything (well, except luggage). I'm glad they changed it. BTW, FWI, I always find Priceline to be the cheapest.



TIS

I don't like Priceline because many of their flights require a change, and I only fly non-stop if possible. Also, you can't ever get a refund, even if you're wronged. We used Priceline to rent a car a couple of years ago. It wasn't until after we drove away from the airport that we realized we only had half a tank of gas. We called the agency's 800 number and they said that we still had to return the car with a full tank, but they would give us a refund. When we got our credit card statement, no refund. It was denied by Priceline because they don't allow refunds.

I've used Priceline at least 3/4 times in the past 10 years or so. I haven't had any problems at all. Then again, I never had to ask for refunds and usually don't get direct flights (at least when I go to MI) so I am use to a layover somewhere.

I've also used Orbits, Expedia, Yahoo, Cheap Flights, and others I can't think of right now. Geez, I remember having to pick up the phone to make reservations OR going to a travel agency. Remember those?



TIS