Idiot of the Week: A Florida Pastor & Wife Leads a 1 Million Dollar Theft Ring

I bet there's no "thank you, Jesus," coming out of the mouth of a Florida pastor,  his wife and her mother, who were caught stealing and selling over a million dollars worth of goods from stores. This week's Idiots are a "Man of Godf" and his wife in Florida. Here's the story.

 

(Photos: Mugshots of Robert Dell, his wife and her mother. Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.)

Pinellas pastor led ring that stole $1.4M in Home Depot goods, officials say

Robert Dell, his wife, her mother and 2 others are accused of selling the stolen merchandise on eBay, according to prosecutors.

By Michaela MulliganTimes staff, Aug. 11, 2024

A Pinellas County {Florida} pastor, his wife and others are accused of stealing over $1.4 million worth of home improvement merchandise from Home Depot stores across Florida and reselling the goods on eBay, state officials said.

Robert Dell, 56, also “forced vulnerable people” to take part in the scheme, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced this week. A news release from Moody’s office said Dell is a pastor at The Rock Church in St. Petersburg and the founder of a halfway house serving people recovering from drug addiction. But a note on the homepage of The Rock Church’s website says Dell hasn’t been pastor there for more than two years.

The news release names four other people as co-conspirators in the case: Jaclyn Dell, 39, who is Robert Dell’s wife; Karen Dell, 72, who is Robert Dell’s mother; Jessica Wild, 40; and Daniel Mace, 36.

Robert Dell, Jaclyn Dell and Karen Dell were arrested on Aug. 1 after officers with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement executed a search warrant at Robert Dell’s home on the 2600 block of 39th Avenue North in St. Petersburg. He is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and dealing in stolen property as an organizer.

Jaclyn Dell was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to commit racketeering and Karen Dell on a charge of dealing in stolen property. Mace, of Tampa, was arrested Wednesday on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Wild’s booking and charge information was not available.

According to Moody’s office, the group shoplifted Milwaukee, DeWalt and other branded products from Home Depot stores in Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

Mace and Wild stole a majority of the merchandise and, “on average, victimized stores five to six times a day,” the release said. The pair then delivered the products to Robert Dell, who sold them on an eBay storefront named “Anointed Liquidator,” the release said.

“According to the investigation, Dell demanded the crimes under threat of abuse and used the positions of being a pastor and founder of a halfway house to manipulate other vulnerable people to participate in the criminal scheme,” the release stated. The release did not give the name of the halfway house.

Home Depot suspects Robert Dell operated this scheme for more than 10 years, and that the company has lost more than $5 million, the release said. An eBay account with the name “annointedliquidator” that has sold tools matching the brands named in the release was created in August 2011. The account has sold more than 35,000 items, according to the website.

Robert Dell was being held in the Pinellas County Jail on Friday, with a bond set at $752,150. Jaclyn Dell was also being held Friday, with a bond set at $150,000. Mace was also still in jail, with a bond set at $500,000. Karen Dell was released from jail on Tuesday after posting $20,000 bail. Times staff writer Tony Marrero contributed to this report.

Heroes of the Week: Quincy, Massachusetts Police Officers Save Fire Victim

This week's heroes are 2 police Officers Sean Fitzgerald and Mike Brokmeier, who work in Quincy, Massachusetts, located south of Boston. These 2 officers worked together to save a man from a burning home! Here's the story':

(Photo: Quincy police officers Michael Brokmeier, left, and Sean Fitzgerald, right, describe their harrowing rescue of a man from his burning home in West Quincy in August. Credit: Quincy Patriot Ledger Newspaper) 

A man is alive today thanks to the bravery of 2 Quincy officers   

Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger, Dec. 5, 2023

QUINCY – In the early-morning hours, two Quincy police officers were the first to arrive at the scene of a house fire on Rodman Street in West Quincy.

Officers Sean Fitzgerald and Mike Brokmeier pulled up to the two-family home within seconds of each other and saw a young family out on the street, barefoot, the mother holding a newborn, the father beckoning frantically toward the house. The man living in the opposite unit was still inside.

In a daring rescue, the officers entered the home and pulled the man from the smoke-filled kitchen as flames overwhelmed the building Aug. 29.

Fitzgerald and Brokmeier received special commendations from Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy last week in recognition of their bravery in saving the man's life.

 The rescue: a hot doorknob, fear of a backdraft, a sledgehammer and lots of smoke "It's the first time in my career I touched a hot doorknob," Fitzgerald said.

Brokmeier said it wasn't the first time he's responded to a fire alarm, but it was the first time in his career he's had to rescue someone from a burning home.

"It's usually food on the stove," he said.

When Fitzgerald touched the doorknob at the front door, he said he knew they couldn't go in that way. He and Brokmeier then walked along the bushes in front of a bay window and looked in.

"It was like a glow through the glass," Brokmeier said.

He said they retrieved breaching tools from the cruiser and went to the back door, where the smoke and heat were less intense, to force an entry.

Oops of the Year: Motel Shredded 40 Passports

Looking back over the year, here's a story about a big, but innocent "OOOPS" mistake. In February 2023, a hotel worker cleaning up accidentally disposed of over 40 passports from school children visiting from the U.K. Here's the story.

 

Schoolchildren stranded on US ski trip after hotel ‘shredded 44 passports’ by mistake

(Report Taken in part from: Lucy Skoulding, The UK Independent, February 28, 2023)

Children from a UK school were stranded in the U.S. after a ski trip because their hotel accidentally shredded their passports in February 2023.

Pupils at Barr Beacon School, in Walsall, United Kingdom, were meant to fly home from Boston on Feb 25th after their skiing holiday but they missed their flight back after the mistake.

Teachers couldn’t believe it when the Kancamagus Lodge Hotel in New Hampshire where the group had been staying said they had accidentally destroyed 44 passports.

A management team member at  the Lodge  who “was cleaning and organizing the back office” accidentally placed a box of passports in “our private, secure, on-site dumpster,” according to a Facebook post.

The group was forced to go to the British Embassy in New York to obtain emergency travel documents, delaying their journey home by four days.

No one can fly out of the U.S. without a passport and it costs upwards of £150 for the British Embassy to issue an emergency travel document.

New Innovation: Maine company makes innovative products to prevent and contain lithium fires

Lithium ion batteries are in most every electronic device you own, like a rechargeable game controller, smartphones, electric vehicles, tablets, laptops, and smartwatches all have them.   Lithium batteries that spark fires can't usually be extinquished by water, as they tend to burn at 2,000 Fahrenheit! Today's blog is about a company in Maine who found a way to contain those searing fires, and will show you a lithium battery fire (video). 

 

Maine company makes innovative products to prevent and contain lithium fires 

CellBlock Fire Containment is changing the way these dangerous fires are handled

WMTW TV Dec 7, 2023 

 STANDISH, Maine — A company in Standish is helping the world be better prepared to handle the extremely dangerous fires that lithium-ion batteries can cause.

A wide range of customers, including fire departments, airlines, emergency management and shipping companies, are now using products made by CellBlock Fire Containment Systems.

(Photo: Laptop lithium battery fire)

"It's not just about fire suppression; it's fire containment, anything to do with a battery CellBlockEx specializes in," said Matthew Vandemark, founder of CellBlock Fire Containment.

The company's pioneering technology has helped revolutionize the response to lithium battery fires, allowing the battery to be put into a case without setting yourself on fire.

The company manufactures about two dozen products at its headquarters in Standish, Maine - products that both extinguish and prevent fires from spreading.

The primary factor is a mineral suppressant called CellBlockEx. It is a non-toxic product made mostly from recycled glass that is fabricated into each of the company's products. The product line includes carriers for laptop computers and phones, emergency response kits all the way to large heavy-duty containers for shipping multiple car batteries.

"The sky's the limit, if you have to put a battery in it, no matter how big, no matter what the size, what the energy density, we can design and create a product that can ship it and contain it safely," said Vandemark.

Sanford Assistant Fire Chief Bob Arnold said that with so many lithium batteries now inside homes, a bucket of CellBlockEx is now standard equipment for dozens of departments across the country.

Lithium fires burn at an extremely high temperature - potentially reaching 2,000 degrees in a matter of seconds - meaning water along can rarely put them out. In fact, trying to put one out with water can cause a hydrogen gas explosion.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/8nz5ijXcckI?si=yCq26-8UVL1I9cjQ

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"It's extremely important in the sense that technology of the fires has advanced so this product allows us to catch up and stay in pace with it," said Arnold.

Vandemark explained why their products are so important: "The electrification of the world is a major, major undertaking, right? Going from fossil fuels to electric cars, electric everything, it's a battery world," he said. With fires on airplanes and cargo ships, even cell phones exploding in pockets, the company says designing safeguards against the hazards of a battery world is a challenge.

"Every day we get a call about some situation that needs to be addressed because people are transferring to the use of battery power," said Vandemark. "It's expanding daily and we are fighting hard to try to keep up with it, it's actually staggering."

Bird Landing on Bride’s Head During Vows Wins International Photo Award

Here's a fun photo that won an international award!

(Caption: A bird lands on a bride's head during the wedding ceremony A bride reacts as a whiskey jack lands on her head just when the groom had started saying his vows. | Tara Lilly)

Bird Landing on Bride’s Head During Vows Wins International Photo Award 

 DEC 01, 2023 MATT GROWCOOT, petappixel

A photo of a saucy bird interrupting a wedding ceremony by perching itself on top of the bride’s head as the couple were saying their vows has taken home the top prize in the International Wedding Photographer of the Year competition.

Tara Lilly was shooting Mikaela and Mitch’s wedding in a remote location on a mountaintop in Whistler, Canada when a curious whisky jack landed on Mikaela’s head just as Mitch had started saying his vows.

“I’m Snow White!” Mikaela cried out. The hilarious moment earned Lilly the title of 2023 International Wedding Photographer of the Year after she entered the photo into the “Single Capture” category.

SCIENCE: Impossible' orange auroras spotted in UK after solar storm slams into Earth

 It's the season of miracles and unusual things, and this recent Orange Aurora certainly falls  in that category. Here's the story from LIVEScience.

(Photo: Extremely rare orange auroras danced in between reds and greens in the evening sky above Scotland during a geomagnetic storm on Nov. 25. (Image credit: Graeme Whipps)

'Impossible' orange auroras spotted in UK after solar storm slams into Earth

By Harry Baker, Live Science, Dec. 2, 2023

Rarely seen orange auroras, which technically shouldn't exist, were recently photographed in the sky above Scotland after an explosive solar storm smashed into Earth.

Rarely seen orange auroras, which are supposed to be impossible to see, and a photobombing meteor recently shone above the U.K. after a "canyon of fire" solar storm smashed into Earth, stunning new images reveal.

Photographer Graeme Whipps spotted the fiery auroras in the skies above Aberdeenshire in Scotland at around 6:00 p.m. local time on Nov. 25, Spaceweather.com reported.

The unusual hues were an "incredible sight," Whipps told Spaceweather.com. They appeared during a peak of auroral activity that lasted for around one hour, he added. Whipps also snapped a meteor that streak across the sky at another point during the lightshow.

The auroras were part of a minor (G2) geomagnetic storm — a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field, or magnetosphere — that was triggered by a fast-moving cloud of magnetized plasma, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), which smashed into Earth just before the auroras appeared.

The CME launched from a massive loop of plasma, or solar prominence, which snapped and flung off into space, leaving behind a massive valley in the solar surface known as a "canyon of fire." A similar fiery chasm was left behind by a solar eruption on Halloween.

(Photo: A meteor streaked across the sky during the vibrant lightshow. (Image credit: Graeme Whipps)

 Auroras appear when high-energy particles from CMEs or solar wind bypass the magnetosphere and superheat gas molecules in the upper atmosphere. The excited molecules release energy in the form of light. The color of that light depends on which element is being excited and where in the sky they are located.

The two most common aurora colors are red and green, which are both given off by oxygen molecules at different altitudes. Red auroras are produced at higher altitudes than their green variants. When the solar particles penetrate deep into the atmosphere and excite nitrogen molecules, they can trigger rare pink auroras.

Theoretically, both oxygen and nitrogen molecules can give off faint orange wavelengths under specific conditions. However, even when this happens, the unusual color is overwhelmed by greens and reds, making it practically impossible to see these wavelengths.

Instead, the orange hues in the new image are caused by red and green light mixing. This only happens when vertical bands of red and green auroras perfectly overlap, making them very rare.

The unusual orange hues also appeared recently seen during a separate geomagnetic storm in Canada on Oct. 19.

Happy Holidays from our house to yours!

Happy Holidays from our house to yours! 

Dash (left) and Tyler (center) made Santa's "Nice List." Cody (right) is protesting!  We hope you were good this year!

Rob, Tom, Tyler Dash and Cody 

Idiots of the Week: Reckless Driving Leads to Ammo Inside Vehicle Exploding

 When you're an idiot, and you drive like an idiot, and you're also stupid enough to load your car with ammo, there's a good chance you might have an accident and blow up. On top of that, one of the idiots is wanted on warrants. Welcome to this week's idiot. Here's the story.

(Photo: State police are investigating a crash on Interstate 93 north in Bow, which involved hundreds of ammunition ignited during a fire. The flaming car is in the woods on the right side of this photo (New Hampshire State Police) 

Hundreds Of Rounds Of Ammo Explode After Bow Crash, Fire On I-93

3 escaped a burning vehicle after a crash on the northbound side of I-93; 1 arrested on warrants; additional charges may be pending.

Patch Staff, Dec 2, 2023 at 9:46 pm ET

BOW, NH — One person was arrested after a crash on the northbound side of Interstate 93 in Bow on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

Around 3 p.m. New Hampshire State Police dispatch received a report about a driver operating a vehicle erratically. The vehicle crashed into a Jersey barrier and ricocheted across three lanes of highway. The vehicle then hit another vehicle and crashed into the woods, Amber Lagace, the public information officer for state police, said.

The vehicle struck several trees and then caught on fire.

Good Samaritans and witnesses stopped to assist, and three people inside the vehicle were able to get out. One person was taken to the hospital with significant but non-life-threatening injuries.

“All northbound lanes of Interstate 93 were shut down as the fire increased in size, and then the southbound lanes were also shut down as several hundred rounds of ammunition in the vehicle started exploding,” Lagace said. “Fire crews arrived on scene shortly afterward and were able to contain the fire, at which time the southbound lanes were reopened.”

The high-speed lane on the northbound side of the Interstate was reopened, but the other two lanes remained shut down for “a significant period of time,” she said.

State police arrested one of the people on several warrants. More charges may be pending after an investigation is completed. The names of the vehicle occupants are being withheld pending further investigation, Lagace said.

Hero of the Week: Teen sells handmade 'Ornaments for Hope' to benefit Make-A-Wish Maine

 It's awesome to see teenagers and young adults make a difference to unselfishly help others. That's what today's Hero of the week is all about. A young adult from Maine who uses his talent to raise money to help others. Here's his story:

(Photo: Brayden Bashaw, 18, of Auburn, Maine. Credit: News center Maine)

Teen sells handmade 'Ornaments for Hope' to benefit Make-A-Wish Maine 

Author: Hannah Yechivi (NEWS CENTER Maine) , November 21, 2023

AUBURN, Maine — If you are looking to make a difference this holiday season, we have an idea for you.

Brayden Bashaw, 18, of Auburn, is running a fundraiser benefiting the Make-A-Wish Maine.

Bashaw has been selling his handmade ornaments since he was 9 years old, and throughout the years he's raised more than $100,000 for the foundation, which grants wishes to kids and teens who have life-threatening diseases.

To sell his ornaments, Bashaw has organized a big event at Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub in Auburn. The event will happen Friday, Dec. 1, starting at 4:30 p.m.

The handmade ornaments range from $2 to $10. There will also be a silent auction, a 50-50 raffle, fresh Christmas cookies for sale that Bashaw's grandmother makes, and more.

Bashaw is looking to raise money to make sure as many kids as possible in Maine can get their wishes granted through the nonprofit. For him, giving back during the holiday season is the right thing to do.

"The impact that a wish can have on a kid and the kid's family with a critical illness is astonishing, and it's something that can give a kid hope who is maybe having a tough time and the family as well," Bashaw explained. "It has a huge impact on the family, and as soon as I heard that, I immediately knew I needed to do whatever possible I could for them."

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/nUrvmS5bWFE?si=xoJcWTvH76hsZxHV

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If you can't make it to next week's event but you'd like to make a donation to Bashaw's effort, click here for his online fundraiser.

"Last year, to my surprise, the wish family that I was able to give the money for the previous year, they surprised me and they showed up at my event last year," he said. "And being able to have a conversation with the kid that I helped was a full circle moment, and that moment right there made all my hard work worth it, because this event takes an insane amount of time to plan and a huge effort, and that right there made it all worth it."

A Christmas Sign from our Weimaraner, Dolly and Dachshund, Franklin

The spirits of our loved ones come around to visit during the holidays and they give us signs. Today's blog is one of those special signs that we got from 2 of our dogs.

A Christmas Sign from our Weimaraner, Dolly and Dachshund, Franklin

It's pretty unusual to see your dog's favorite toy as the ONLY Ice sculpture in the town right next to where you live, and that's exactly what happened over Christmastime to us.

Our dogs, Dolly and Franklin loved the stuffed yellow toys of Woodstock, the Peanuts bird character (Snoopy's friend). In fact, I (Rob) have the Woodstock Toy on my bed that Dolly had on her last day.

Dolly also sends repeating numbers (which Rob has seen EVERY day since Dolly passed on Oct 20, 2020) so we know she's around.

This year, we got an extra confirmation she's around with her brother Franklin, who loved the smaller Woodstock toys. How "cool" is that?

Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Finally Hits #1, 65 Years After Release

I was an on-air disk jockey for about 20 years part-time, and love the music of the 70s and 80s and classic country music. That said, I didn't know that Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree only ever got as far as #2 on the Billboard Charts, until THIS YEAR. (I was so glad to see it displace that awful Mariah Carey song! - I know I'm going to get a lot of hate on this). Brenda's song is THE Christmas song of the modern age. Further, there are so many awesome Christmas songs by Dolly Parton that should be at #1.... Here's the story from Billboard Magazine.

 

New Old-Fashioned No. 1: Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Tops Hot 100, 65 Years After Its Release 

Lee leads for the first time since 1960, with only the third holiday No. 1 in the chart's history.

Brenda Lee dances merrily to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with her holiday classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The song rewrites multiple records as it tops the chart for the first time – 65 years after its release. Lee, meanwhile, adds her third No. 1 – and her first since 1960. 

FOUR OTHER HISTORIC HITS ON TOP

 Plus, four other carols return to the Hot 100’s top 10: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” up from No. 12 to No. 4; Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (13-5); Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (16-6); and Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (28-10).

Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” on Decca/MCA Nashville/UMe, becomes the 1,161st No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 65-year archives. Below, let’s unwrap the coronation of the song, whose history dates back just as long.

NEW 2023 65th ANNIVERSARY VIDEO! https://youtu.be/TFsZy9t-qDc?si=DbiwhFFdoza-bUA6

 

WHAT IS THE HOT 100? 

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Dec. 9, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 5). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

TODAY'S AIRPLAY/ON-LINE PLAY 

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” drew 34.9 million streams (up 69%, as it wins top Streaming Gainer honors on the Hot 100) and 20.7 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 35%) and sold 3,000 downloads (up 39%) in the Nov. 24-30 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The single jumps 5-1 for a second week atop the Streaming Songs chart, after it first ruled the last frame of the 2022 holiday season; re-enters Digital Song Sales at No. 12, having reached a No. 4 high; and ascends 47-33 on Radio Songs, where it has hit a No. 17 best.

SONG CHART HISTORY 

 Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was originally recorded and released in 1958. Written by Johnny Marks and produced by Owen Bradley, it first hit the Hot 100 (at No. 64) dated Dec. 12, 1960 – after Lee had notched her first four top 10s that year – and reached an original No. 14 peak two weeks later.

The song went on to spend nine weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 between December 2019 and last holiday season. (Notably, it ties for the most weeks logged at No. 2 before rising to No. 1 at last, matching Billie Eilish’s wait with “Bad Guy” in 2019.)

For its 65th anniversary, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” received its first official video, featuring cameos from country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, Nov. 3. Plus, Lee is set to perform it on NBC’s Christmas at the Opry, airing Dec. 7. As previously reported, Lee has also joined TikTok, where she’s been sharing posts about the song and her career. (She even took to the mic – a.k.a., a plane intercom – on a recent flight to perform the song.)

A Sign from a Friend and her dog in Spirit at Christmastime

Seven months ago, our friend Cathy passed away. We've been friends with Cathy since 2009, when we transported a Weimaraner named Buddy to her (who passed years ago). This week, both Cathy AND Buddy let me know they're together on the other side, and are around their friends and family over the holidays. Here's how it happened.

Back in August, we moved into our new house, and I'm still finding things. When it comes to people and pets on the other side, timing is everything and has a meaning. The holidays are a time when spirits usually visit us. One thing I didn't expect to find was a small baggie holding my previous Dunkin' Donuts gift cards. All of the cards, except for one, were cards I purchased and personalized on-line with photos of our dogs. 

Then I saw the one from Cathy and it had Buddy's photo on it. I realized what that meant, and the timing of finding that specific card. Over the many years of our friendship, we always remembered each other at Christmas. This Christmas was no different. It's just that Cathy and Buddy are together again in spirit, and they wanted to let us know they're thinking of us.

That amazing sign brought tears to my eyes.

Christmastime in Maine/NH PART 2: Explore Somersworth, NH

 Today's blog will put you in the spirit of the holidays with some holiday lights from the nearby City of Somersworth, New Hampshire!  Today's blog will touch on some highlights in Somersworth, and end with a special pic.

Somersworth is a very welcoming city, too. At city hall they fly veterans flags, the LGBTQ flag, flags for breast cancer awareness month, and other flags. It's a comfort to know that such a small city is a welcoming city. 

One of the new restaurants in town called Fold'd provides jobs for people who have been through struggles. Whether addictions, previous arrests or other things. It's such a cool business model. Fold’d is a full-service diner on a mission to foster community and support those that need and deserve a fair chance. 

   The best place to get Pizza and Calzones is called the Somersworth House of Pizza: Hot N' Fast at 52 Market Street. We've been there several times, and the food is amazing. 

  We had a great dinner there with Jeff as we explored Somersworth! 

Below- one of the downtown houses decorated for the holidays.

 There's also a great breakfast/lunch restaurant called "Breakfast Station #319"  in an old train station that has great food. The Post Office is convenient to City Hall, and rarely has a line! As you go out of the small downtown Somersworth area, it opens to a main street with lots of retail, restaurants, grocery, gas and other stores - heading west to Dover, New Hampshire.  

There was also an ICE SCULPTURE in the downtown area, but you'll read about that in a day or two here... there's a special significance to it. 

SPECIAL PICS - To the right is a small lighted Christmas tree that one of our new neighbors dropped off at our door, and next to that is a special Christmas bird that our Maryland friends Cristina and Will mailed to us to celebrate our first holiday here in the north. Below is our place decorated for the holidays, and a pic of our first snow (just 1" that lasted a day) on Nov 8, 2023. Since then we had 1 dusting on Dec. 3rd, but nothing else!)

Christmastime in Maine/NH PART 1: Tree Lighting and Berwick/Somersworth Parade

 There's something special about living in northern New England around the holidays. You can breathe in cool, crisp, clean (unpolluted) air. You can feel the warm sun on your frosty face and really feel like the holidays are here. During the first weekend in December, the Berwick, ME town hall had a Christmas Tree lighting, and the next day, there was the Christmas parade that proceeded into New Hampshire!

(Photo: The Berwick, ME Town Hall Christmas Tree Lighting!) 

Here are some pictures from the parade that began in Berwick, Maine, and crossed the small bridge over the Salmon Falls River into the city of Somersworth, New Hampshire, where the parade wrapped up.  Tom and our friend Jeff got to attend the festivities while I was out of town, but I loved the pictures. Enjoy!

(A giant snow globe, appropriately from a local heating oil company!)

Bands included a revolutionary war themed corps, and a Scottish bagpipe player! 

The Grinch was also present on his own Volkswagon bus...

 and there was also a Snoopy and Woodstock float...

Idiot of the Week: Reckless Speeding Motorist Fled from Police

 Usually idiots who decide to speed excessively wind up in fatal accidents, although some, like this week's idiot did not. This moron fled from the police, sped excessively, and fortunately, the state police stopped him before he killed someone.  

Here's the story.

(Photo: Idiot's car on the side of the road after being corralled by  the NH State Police. Credit: 

New Hampshire State Police) 

Reckless Speeding Motorist Fled from Police

New Hampshire State Police

Oct 15, 2023 

NEWS RELEASE: MOTOR VEHICLE PURSUIT

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire – On October 15, 2023, at approximately 10:10 p.m., Trooper Billy Moran of NHSP #TroopB Barracks, stopped a motorist for a speed violation on the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Bedford. When the Trooper approached the vehicle, the operator refused to identify himself and fled from the stop.

The Trooper returned to his cruiser to catch up to the vehicle which had exited onto Interstate 293 continuing northbound headed toward Manchester. The operator accelerated over 100 MPH upon approach of Exit 5.

The operator continued through the Millyard and took Exit 7 onto Front Street. The operator reversed directions on the pursuing Trooper and extinguished his headlights as he headed back in the direction of the highway. The vehicle then continued down Front Street where it entered a residential neighborhood and pulled into a driveway.

The Trooper followed the vehicle down Front Street into the driveway. The operator again attempted to flee from the Trooper by driving across the front lawn of the residence resulting in a minor collision with the Troopers cruiser. The operator continued to accelerate and ultimately came into contact with raised curbing forcing the vehicle to stop.

The operator subsequently fled from the vehicle on foot, heading in the direction of the highway. A State Police K-9 team accompanied by officers from the Manchester Police Department deployed in the area to search for the suspect. The operator was ultimately located by the Manchester Police Department using an overhead drone and taken into custody a short time later without further incident.

The operator was identified as:Nicholas Soukaras, Age: 42m Nashua, NH

Soukaras was arrested and held on preventative detention. He will be arraigned in the Hillsborough County Superior Court Monday morning where he faces charges for Reckless Conduct, Disobeying an Officer, Resisting Arrest, and several other motor vehicle violations.

Anyone with information regarding the crash is being asked to contact Trooper Billy Moran at (603) 223-4381 or William.J.Moran@dos.nh.gov.

Good News: Stolen 16 Year Old Dog Reunited with Parents

Anyone who steals a dog is the lowest form of life. Dogs are our children. Some idiot in Maryland stole a car and kidnapped a senior dog. Fortunately, the dog was found and reunited with their parents. That's today's good news story.

 

Caption:   Zoi the dog and her mom are reunited.   (Photo courtesy of the Prince George's Police Department)

 

Stolen 16-Year-Old Shih Tzu Named Zoi Reunited With Family: Police

The 16-year-old Shih Tzu named Zoi who was inside a vehicle when it was stolen Monday from a gas station has been reunited with her family.

Kristin Danley-Greiner,, Patch Staff Posted Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 11:53 am ET

A good Samaritan contacted the police department about Zoi. Officers didn't say how the person got ahold of Zoi and there are no suspects or arrests made yet.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Zoi the 16-year-old Shih Tzu who was inside a vehicle when it was stolen Monday from a gas station has been found and reunited with her family.

The Prince George's Police Department held a news conference today sharing the happy news. Zoi has been with her family since she was nine weeks old, WTOP reported.

“I was so waiting for this day,” Zoi’s owner said. “My daughter and I were literally going to drive around. When I got the call, I was heading to D.C. to look for her. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t think … I couldn’t even believe this.”

A good Samaritan contacted the police department about Zoi. Officers didn't say how the person got ahold of Zoi and there are no suspects or arrests made yet.

Need Some GOOD NEWS? Look at the Current U.S. Economy!

 Need Some GOOD NEWS? Here's a check on the U.S. Economy (sorry, GOP and Trump, it's the opposite of a disaster. In fact, it's darn good!).

Interesting Book: The DC Book of Pride: A Celebration of DC's LGBTQIA+ Characters

I've been reading DC Comics for several decades, and didn't know there were so many LGBTQ characters. Most of them, however, have been "outed" in the last 10-20 years. Some of them are big characters, like Jon Kent, son of Superman and Lois Lane. There's also Batwoman, and the Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott among them. This was a good read and caught me up on some of the heroes I didn't know had come out of the closet. Below is the book summary. 

Discover the rich history of DC’s LGBTQIA+ Superheroes in this inspiring gift-title featuring detailed character profiles and comic book artwork

Celebrate Pride with DC’s LGBTQIA+ Superheroes.

Written and curated by DC expert Jadzia Axelrod, The DC Book of Pride profiles more than 50 LGBTQIA+ characters in detail, including Harley Quinn, Superman, Nubia, Robin, Batwoman, Aqualad, Dreamer, Green Lantern, and many more. Discover their fascinating origins, amazing superpowers, and key storylines. This title is an indispensable and celebratory companion to the DC Pride comic books.

With stunning comic book artwork and an exclusive cover artwork by renowned DC comics illustrator Paulina Ganucheau, this book is a perfect addition to the collection of any DC fan.

Book Review: Strange Ireland (Jack's Strange Tales)

As a paranormal investigator, I enjoy reading books about ghosts, spirits and more. I recently read Jack Strange's book "Strange Ireland." There are a lot of things in this book!  There are stories about ghosts, banshees, fairies, Pookah, Kelpies, Leprechauns, the Sidh and other Irish mystical creatures. Today's Blog is my "read" of the "read."  

    The ghost stories were enjoyable, but some chapters explained several variations of certain ghost stories, so you were left wondering what is the real story. As someone in the field of the paranormal, I always try to get to the actual story, and help ghosts cross over.  But this book is a retelling of stories passed down over generations, so the true stories may never be known. 

   It was interesting reading about the different magical / mystical characters.

   One chapter that stood out was "Red Mary MacMahon" - a truly horrendous person if the chapter is true about her behavior... and it's no surprise she would choose to stay earthbound as a ghost instead of facing up to her actions. 

   It was a good read, but I confess there were times I had to skim through it, because of the multiple variations of stories on the same character.  

   I'm unsure what the dog on the cover is about, but it made the book more attractive for sure! 

Fun Article: Dolly Parton Confirms Her 1978 Playboy Outfit Has A Surprising Connection To Keanu Reeves

As a huge Dolly Parton fan, it's always fun to find out things connected with Dolly, and this article surprised me!

Dolly Parton Confirms Her 1978 Playboy Outfit Has A Surprising Connection To Keanu Reeves

Parton’s unexpected link to the "Matrix" actor goes all the way back to his childhood. 

 Curtis M. Wong, Huffington Post, Nov 29, 2023, 04:29 PM EST 

Dolly Parton made waves when she became the first female country artist to appear on the cover of Playboy in 1978. Turns out, the outfit she wore for the magazine’s photo shoot has a surprising connection to another A-list star.

Appearing on “The Drew Barrymore Show” Monday, Parton confirmed that her black bustier, bow tie and bunny ears were the handiwork of costume designer Patricia Taylor, who is the mother of actor Keanu Reeves.

The Grammy winner recalled meeting Reeves as a child, when he would accompany his mom on assignments.

“She did a lot of sewing for me. She did a lot of my clothes,” Parton said. “I remember Keanu when he was just little, and she would bring him over to my house when we were fitting or when I would go to the shop where she worked.”

Parton said that years later, Reeves came backstage to say hello after one of her concerts. By then, the actor had risen to fame thanks to performances in films like “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Point Break.”

Image:   Dolly Parton as she appeared on the cover of Playboy in 1978. HARRY LANGDON VIA GETTY IMAGES

“He said, ’Do you remember me? I’m the little boy that used to sit at your feet when my mom was [working],’” she recalled. “Of course I knew he had become a star. But it didn’t connect to me that that was who that was.”

Reeves discussed his mother’s longtime working relationship with Parton in an appearance on “Red Table Talk” in 2021. Though he didn’t specify the year, he said he ended up wearing Parton’s Playboy outfit as a Halloween costume.

“I put on the ears and the bustier,” he said. “I wore sneakers with fishnet stockings and the bowtie. I had some pretty long hair, and I was Dolly Parton as a Playboy Bunny.”

When Barrymore mentioned Reeves’ Halloween claim, Parton appeared flattered.

“Aw, that’s sweet,” she said. “He’s great. He’s the sweetest guy.”

Though Parton didn’t appear nude in Playboy, her appearance on the magazine’s cover 45 years ago was still seen as a risky move for a mainstream star. She went on to recreate the now-iconic look in 2021 as a birthday surprise for her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.

“He still thinks I’m a hot chick after 57 years,” she quipped on Instagram at the time, “and I’m not going to try and talk him out of that.”