Curses, foiled again
Police in Portland, Ore., found it worth their while to raid a residence for suspected drug activity after they received fliers advertising “Heroin for sale” that listed the dealers’ names and address. Lt. Robert King said officers who searched the home found nearly 20 grams of marijuana, more than 10 grams of heroin, a sawed-off shotgun, thousands of dollars in cash and materials for a methamphetamine lab. They arrested six adults inside the home during the raid. (Portland’s KGW-TV) Sean Faulkner, 38, ordered a Reuben sandwich at a Pittsburgh, Pa., tavern and then ran off without paying, according to police, who were able to apprehend him when he tried to make his getaway on a stolen forklift. Noting that Faulkner never made it out of the parking lot, officers said part of his trouble was not being able to put the forklift in reverse gear. (Associated Press)
Respect – or else
Thailand’s new government directed the Office of Prevention and Suppression of Information and Technology Crimes to step up its crackdown on Internet insults against King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his family, who offline are openly adored but online often mocked. Since coming to power in July, the government has increased OPSITC’s budget and announced it will increase the staff to allow 24/7 monitoring. Ten computer specialists currently scour the Internet for photos, articles, Facebook posts and other offensive material.
They’ve blocked 70,000 Internet pages in the past four years, according to Cyber Inspector Surachai Nilsang, who said 60,000 of them insulted the monarchy, and the rest were mostly porn. “The thing that drives us to do our duty,” Surachai added, “is that we love and worship the monarchy.” (The New York Times) Ugandan authorities charged George Kiberu, 35, with “abusing the presidency” because he built a pigsty using campaign posters for President Yoweri Museveni for the roof and walls. The posters were left over from last February’s election. (Associated Press)
Forgotten memories
Eight years after his wedding photos were delivered minus the last 15 minutes, New Yorker Todd J. Remis wants H & H Photography to return the $4,100 he paid, plus pay him another $48,000 to re-stage the entire wedding and fly the participants to New York so another photographer can re-shoot the missing scenes, including the bouquet toss. Since filing his suit in 2009, he and his bride, Milena Grzibovska, have divorced, and she is thought to have returned to Latvia. “It was unfortunate in its circumstances,” Remis said, “but we are very much happy with the wedding event, and we would like to have it documented for eternity, for us and our families.”
When the case finally was heard in October, Justice Doris Ling-Cohan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan dismissed most of the grounds, such as “infliction of emotional distress,” but allowed it to proceed to determine whether there was a breach of contract. (The New York Times)
Compiled from the nation’s press by Roland Sweet. Authentication on demand.
