article and photos here

About 300 graves tampered with near Chicago

from The Associated Press


ALSIP, Ill. July 9, 2009, 02:49 pm ET · Authorities say about 300 graves at a historic black cemetery near Chicago may have been tampered with as part of a scheme in which grave sites could be resold.

Four workers at the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip were charged Thursday with one count each of dismembering a human body, a felony.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says some of the graves were dug up and remains dumped elsewhere. He says in other cases the graves were "pounded down" and another person was buried on top.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said at a news conference Thursday that he's been besieged by phone calls from worried relatives of those buried at the cemetery.

Burr Oak is the final resting place of lynching victim Emmett Till and several other notable black Americans.

I think he (I named him Jasper) may be a she! I just saw him (her?) pulling grass out of the ground like crazy, but not eating. Then she hopped over to this area under the bike rack (literally right outside my kitchen window). The area's been cleared in a circle and she seems to be doing something with the grass. I think she's building a nest! I'm so gonna be keeping my eye (and camera) on this!

Tags: backyard bunny
Current Location: my desk
Current Mood: excited
Current Music: some movie that claims to be a Star Wars movie

For pics

Naked Man From Bronx Disrupts US Airways Flight
Shocked Passengers Describe The Scene As Man Turns Unruly, Forces Emergency Landing In Albuquerque
NEW YORK (CBS) ―

A passenger from the Bronx took his clothes off while on a US Airways flight headed to Los Angeles. The NYC native, who decided to strip naked mid-flight, made the plane make an emergency landing in Albuquerque, N.M.


A US Airways flight made an emergency landing in Albuquerque, N.M. on Tuesday after a passenger decided to strip naked.

Passengers said it was a sight to see. Cell phone pictures taken from inside the plane showed a passenger, identified as Keith Wright from the Bronx, sitting naked in his seat near the rear of the plane.

Flight 705, bound from Charlotte to Los Angeles, was forced to make an emergency stop in Albuquerque when flight attendants failed to get the man under control.

"I fell asleep and the ladies fell asleep and I woke up and I turned and she was gone and I was like oh my gosh, this guy is naked!" passenger Lynette Naude said.

"One of the flight attendant tried to get the guy to respond, but she got nothing. But then when they tried to cover the guy up, get his clothes back on he started getting physically aggressive," one passenger said.

Passengers later said the naked man started to flip out.

"We actually had to physically hold him down on the floor and um, handcuff his ankles, his wrists," said Matt McGinnis, who, along with a Los Angeles Police officer and an L.A. sheriff's deputy, helped restrain the man.

Airport Police Chief Marshall Katz had a theory as to why the man behaved as he did.

"He had some alcohol at the origin airport and was on medication but didn't take it and perhaps a combination of not taking medication and perhaps the alcohol and the altitude have impacted his usual behavior," Katz said.

Wright is now in federal custody.

The flight was delayed about an hour.

Current Location: my other desk
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: wnyc

Dress shirt (I could not see if he was wearing a tie), dress socks (those black ones), dress shoes. And shorts.

Almost as good as the guy who caused an emergency landing of a plane cause he decided he needed to be naked. (You'd better believe I'm posting the full story as soon as I find it!)

Tags: bad fashion
Current Location: my other desk
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: wnyc

EDIT: I must say thanks to kfringe for pointing this out to me. And for addicting me to the comic. Thanks, you jerk. I needed something else I HAD to read.

Johnny Depp & co. spent three and half hours in a Chicago restaurant last night. The bill was $4400. The tip? $4000! That's awesome. Especially for those of us who have ever spent time in that suck-ass job (though I'm sure some people enjoy it, especially in those classier places, none of which I ever worked at). Plus, you know, getting to wait on JOHNNY DEPP!

Current Location: my other desk
Current Music: wnyc

Good morning, ma'am. I see you've taken the time to color coordinate today. But you might want to rethink that outfit just a bit. White shorts don't quite go with black boots or black undies. You do have a mirror, right?

Tags: bad fashion
Current Location: my other desk
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: wnyc

No, not me. My poor sister, simcha. She noticed late Friday (well, early Saturday) she noticed the bite marks turned black so she went to the ER. Then the swelling was worse yesterday and she had to go back. (Not easy on my other sis either who had to work Saturday and had to drive back and forth since Wen's right hand is fairly useless right now. Anyway, Wen is home now but out of commission the next few days till she sees the doc again. Seems cat saliva has some nasty bacteria in it and the bites can be especially nasty if bitten between the fingers. At least it was her cat so there was no chance of rabies.

In other news, I have been a lazy slug this weekend. The most I accomplished was the laundry. I think this is because I slept pretty badly.

In other other news, my friends are still lame wusses who won't see Drag Me to Hell with me.

Current Location: bed
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Law & Order

(To young woman on elevator)

Um, I think that's a long shirt, not a dress. Or did you just forget your pants?

Tags: bad fashion
Current Location: my other desk
Current Mood: Mondayish
Current Music: wnyc

Hmmm. I should find a commute icon. Like maybe one of Oceanic 815...

Anyway, I get on the subway and, as usual, it's incredibly crowded. This woman drinking coffee is standing right next to me. Great, I think. That's so gonna end up spilling on me. I'll KILL HER...

But I was wrong. I mean, it did spill. All over her nice new (new clothing creases apparent) WHITE sweater.

And this is why you should wait till you get to work for that cup of coffee.

Tags: tales of the commute
Current Location: my other desk
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: wnyc