Cadaver thieves busted!

Two associates with ties to the UCLA system were caught illegally selling body parts.  Earnest V. Nelson, a businessman and Henry Reid, the director of the willed-body parts at UCLA were charged with conspiring to steal and sell body parts to private medical research companies for a profit. Investigators believe that Nelson netted a total of $1.5 Million between 1999 and 2003. For his part, Reid received a total of $43,000 for giving Nelson access to the body parts. The conspiracy was uncovered when health authorities became suspicious that the parts were not being processed properly for infectious diseases. For their crimes, Nelson will be serving a maximum of 10 years and Reid will get 4 years in prison.
 
How do you explain making a living stealing body parts? More importantly - How do you explain getting caught?

READ LA TIMES ARTICLE 

I.C.E. Agent Duped!

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E) Agent recently reported his .40 cal handgun and his ICE windbreaker stolen. The agent whose name is not being released for safety reasons told Huntington Beach Police that the stolen items were in his car which he parked close to his home overnight. Authorities are confused, however, and are wondering why the ICE Agent did not report the theft until 5:09PM.

Just because he was duped doesn’t mean he has the license to try to deceive someone else. If I had to make a guess, he was partying with a bunch of people of his preferred company requiring that he remove his firearm from his personage. He woke up and the pistol was gone. He had to make the evidence fit the crime, so he got rid of the ICE windbreaker and parked his car near his home.

Off course, we owe him the benefit of the doubt. But I have to ask him this – Did you have a real good time, officer? Either way, he is an embarrassment to the agency and should be fired. He shouldn't be carrying a badge. Now, we have to worry about a gun in the hands of someone whose intentions we don't know.

READ THE OC REGISTER ARTICLE 

Rich & Nina (14th May 2009)

It was Sunday and the Bean Cafe was already closed. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a cup of my favorite – the Literary Latte – that is meant to scramble and rearrange the mind of a budding writer struggling with those annoying writer’s block moments. I took a table vacated by a group of ladies who had left a woman’s magazine on a chair. I opened the magazine as I’ve often wondered what women talk about when they are among themselves and settled on an article that asked “How do you keep the love burning when the checkbook is in the red?" It was a treatise of things I already know, a compendium of financial common sense tips that is rarely followed. In the end it just says, "Never get in the situation in the first place". I was getting to the part that talked about “How to save money without even trying (The lazy person's way to riches)?” when a black tinted van rigged for some serious adventure boisterously rolled into the parking lot. There were all sorts of toys hanging out of it – an ocean kayak, mountain bike, spare gas cans, a spare tire, and all sorts of lights on the roof that faced in every direction.

A ball of dust followed the van and settled as it parked a few spaces from where I was. The sun was already starting to set and darkness was descending that I couldn’t see the driver’s face. All that could be heard was the engine of the van idling. Minutes passed and there was nothing – not even a tiny movement in the van. I looked down to resume my reading. I was already on the last few sentences of the article and was completely riveted when all of a sudden, a man appeared with his face painted – shouting at me, blowing air, sticking his tongue out and making a commotion. One moment I was reading an article and the next thing I know I was looking at something like this.

CLICK HERE

It caught me by surprise. He came at me so fast that the only reaction I could muster was a quick slip under the table like a super-fast forward version of an earthquake drill. He was running back and forth screaming. And from my vantage point, I saw the face-painted man doing what I recognized to be a Maori Haka War Dance.

CLICK HERE

And just as quick as quick as it started, it ended. Then, he walked over and looked under the table where his face was within inches to mine and said, “Dude, it’s me.” Only then did I recognize him. "Holy Moly Rich, you almost gave me a heart attack.” I finally was able to pull myself up to a seat. “What the hell was that, Rich?”, I asked. “That was a Haka”, he replied. It’s something that I’ll do to let people know not to mess with my Nina. Did you see my crazy eyes? Was it intimidating? Did you notice that my tongue was sticking out?

CLICK HERE

“Oh yeah, I almost made a mess over here. But tell me, what in the world are you trying to do.” I asked. “It’s funny that you should mention the world. I’m preparing for our first trip together and I had to make sure that I was prepared. Off course, she doesn't know about this yet. She hasn't even heard of my plans yet. But, I always have to be prepared. I’ve been working out like a man on a mission that there is nothing I will not be able to do, especially when I have my Nina with me. There is nothing she and I cannot do. We will do everything together.

He gave me his IPhone and said, “Press play. It will explain to you where I want to take her." Where we find the Maori Haka is also one of the most beautiful places on earth – only fitting for my beautiful Nina. I want to take her to a place where she may find a love that is pure.

CLICK HERE

WHY THE FUNNY BLOG SERIES?

Is your church coercive to your children?

About a couple of years ago, I got a call from my daughter complaining of a terrible headache. One of the youth leaders at her church had convinced her that she had to fast and refrain from eating food for a certain length of time to show her devotion to God. After a few choice questions, I then explained to her that the exercise of fasting was performed by people during the ancient times and is done much less today because of modern demands on a person. The fasters used to deprive themselves of nutrition and limited their intake to water only. 

As a parent, I was somewhat perturbed that the church didn’t consult me before they had secured my daughter’s commitment to such lunacy. I then explained to my daughter that it was an exercise that was done by people, as the biblical stories portrayed, who would live in a cave and sit there for days and do nothing. Their caloric requirements were much lower because of limited activity. I then contrasted her life with those who lived in caves to fast. My daughter was a student, a dancer at her school and at that time worked part-time. I explained to her that she was having a headache because she wasn’t sequestered in a cave somewhere doing nothing. She was living the life of one who lives in the new millennium and whose body required food just to meet her commitments.
 
So, always be ever vigilant. Democracies are built on questioning authority. The link below is an extreme example of the coercive potential of church leaders. The OC Register reported an Ex-Youth Pastor who was jailed for having sexual relations with a minor he met at church.
 
SEE OC REGISTER ARTICLE 

Rachauckas: We don't have Omerta!

“Omertà” is the code of honor popular in Southern Italy – in cities like Sicily, Calabria and Campania - where the Mafia once flourished. "Omertà" implies “the categorical prohibition of cooperation with state authorities or reliance on its services, even when one has been victim of a crime. It is often called the “Code of Silence”.

Tony Rackauckas is the District Attorney for the County of Orange, California. Recently, the DA’s Office was criticized after a case against Deputy Christopher Hibbs was destroyed by the defense during trial. Deputy Hibbs was on trial for using a taser a second time to extract the name of the suspect while in custody. In a 45 minute expose, the prosecution explained that the case was demolished after officers invoked the Mafia-esque "Code of Silence".

Fugetaboutit! Let the boys speak, Don Tony.

READ THE OC REGISTER ARTICLE 

READ ABOUT OMERTA 

Arizona says "No Way!"

The first email message I opened this morning was a reply from the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT). I sent an inquiry yesterday about applying for a driver’s license from their state. The coordination between CA and AZ appear to have the necessary safeguards to keep dangerous and/or unqualified drivers off the roads. Here is the text of their reply:

ADOT Response: Mr. Lacambra, thank you for your email inquiry regarding the purchase of an AZ driver license. Unfortunately, when we run the nationwide check on you, it would come back that you are not eligible in CA, and therefore, AZ will not issue a license, until the suspension is taken care of in CA. Thank you. 5/12/2009 6:50:01 AM

Will you give me a license Arizona?

I sent off an inquiry to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) seeking information about getting a license from their state after my CA Driver’s License was suspended by the Child Support Services. The text of my inquiry is as follows:

I am inquiring about applying for an Arizona Driver's License. I am currently a resident of California whose license was suspended by the "Child Support Services" for my inability to keep paying child support payments. Not only have they taken my driving privileges but also my Department of Real Estate License. It's a double whammy - they've taken my means of making a living as well as my means of getting to work. To fight these antiquated laws will take too long and is too costly requiring the assistance of legislators. In the meantime, I need to be able to drive to work and make a living. Given my situation, are there regulations or statutes in place that will prevent me from getting a license from the state of Arizona?

I want to solve this problem and thought maybe going out of state for a license might be viable. I’ll post their reply as soon as we get it.

VIEW AZDOT WEBSITE