The article says that the death penalty was dropped, so now he's looking at a lengthy jail term instead. I agree that the cops should videotape all raids to eliminate any "he said/she said" afterward. In some cases it can even work to the police's benefit. There have been multiple instances where a dash cam has helped apprehend people who assault or kill cops during traffic stops. Plus, if cops know they're being videotaped, they may be less likely to abuse a suspect. I wonder what really happened. Did this guy have a past record of dealing drugs and/or shooting people? Do the cops in that area have a history of barging-in unannounced? We may never know the real story.

Pyrokinetic, I posted earlier that you should have provided an explanation to the security guard that you were shooting stock photography as part of your job. I didn't get that info from your original blog, but from what you just posted it's clear that you did that. I stand corrected and extend an apology. I'm glad that things worked out for you in the end.

If they wings are really that big then 10 for $6.99 is a very good price.

The photographer should have used some common sense here. He didn't have a permit, didn't explain to the rent-a-cop that he was a stock photographer and that the photos were part of his job rather than a terrorist plot and he was on private property. It's true that he left the area when asked to do so...but then he returned. What did he think would happen? Reasonably explaining the situation to the security guard from the onset may have saved him a headache and us some tax dollars. Also, why was he being jerky with the FBI guys by refusing to show ID? I agree that the FBI guys seemed to be the only level-headed ones in this story.

Here's a 1950's all-electric showcase home that is now open to the public:

http://www.jocomuseum.org/electrichouse.htm

The kitchen looks pretty cool.

Einstein's views on religion are about as meaningful as the pope's views on science.

I'll pass.

"a suburban San Diego housewife who will spend the next 20 years in jail because she was peripherally involved in a heroin deal while she was in college in 1975"

The important thing is to send a message to the youth of today.

And that message, apparently, is: "we're a cold, heartless and unforgiving society".
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Letting her off the hook sends a different message: "If you're a pretty white lady, we'll overlook the fact that you were a heroin dealer and escaped convict."

She was on work release after serving only one year. That tells me that they trusted her and that she would probably get out early with good behavior. If she had served her sentence, she would have been out of prison a long time ago. That having been said, I'm glad she kept her nose clean and I don't think she should serve any more time. She'll be able to write a book and cash in.

It's pretty slick that they were able to recover their stuff, but really, where's the outrage over the fact that the victim had to investigate the crime themeselves? Where the hell are the police, and why aren't they doing their job?
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There's no mention that she reported the theft to the police prior to solving it. She may have traced the perps, then called the cops to apprehend them.

Thank you Nancy Pelosi for keeping my CDs safe!!!

"I say Bring It On. I live in L.A. and I get around just fine with my bicycle and the Metro system."
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Bring it on? No thanks. Fuel costs create higher transportation costs which result in higher-priced food, products, bus fare and air fare. I hardly drive my car. It sits in my driveway for days at a time without use. I rely mainly on my bicycle and my shoes these days, but I'm not kidding myself by thinking that high fuel prices can't affect me in other ways.

I don't understand the Ben Stein slam. I haven't seen his film so I'm not qualified to criticize it or endorse it, but my understanding was that he attempts to address the possibility of intelligent design as an origin of life. Creatures evolve, there's no doubt about that, but I thought Stein was asking if it was possible that some supreme being brought life to these evolving creatures in the first place. Does he come out and say that species don't evolve? Again, I'm just wondering, as I haven't seen the film.

I'm very curious what the climate here in the midwest is like for street photography.
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Street photography is friendly here in the midwest. As long as you aren't taking photos of sensitive military or security stuff, I don't see that you would have a problem. I saw a girl get arrested recently and while she was being cuffed & stuffed, her boyfriend was videotaping the arresting officer. The cops didn't care one bit; I wouldn't be surprised if they smiled for the camera. I'm not sure what she was taken away for as I arrived while things were already in progress. She seemed combative and her boyfriend kept putting his video camera right in the cop's face, as if they wanted a reaction of some sort, but the cops wouldn't take the bait. It was pretty funny actually.

Kudos to the marketing geniuses that came up with this product. They were probably watching an episode of "Cribs" and realized that people in the sports and entertainment industry will buy anything to boost their "player" image. It will almost certainly be stocked in VIP lounges in Las Vegas and L.A. I'm willing to bet that K-Fed has a case of this water in his fridge.

"...as long as it doesn't get hijacked by the 'intelligent design' crowd", said the man as he hijacked an interesting thread about a National Geographic article.

Great story. He should have obtained the kid's name and contact information. Being a social worker, he may have been able to help the young man out for more than one evening and provide some much needed friendship and guidance. I hope the young man doesn't go back to robbing people next week.

It should be noted that the linked story states that John McCain and Hillary Clinton's passports were looked at also. Sounds like nosey contractors rather than some kind of conspiracy.

Tourism to the USA is at an all time high due to the exchange rate. Fingerprinting, as foolish as it is, won't change that. The crashing dollar is great for our tourism industry. When a new administration comes into office the dollar will gradually gain strength, border policies will become tolerable, US tourism will take a bit of a hit, and Americans will finally be able to afford to visit Europe again.

This is about personal safety and nothing more. Take a moment to do a Google search on the words: train hit pedestrian. You'll find article after article about some poor sour who was hit by a train. I know that it's easy to concoct police state theories when we hear that a person is told that they shouldn't be walking along train tracks, but it's really just a matter of the person being told to use common sense. I was chased off train tracks as a kid and it wasn't because they were concerned about national security.