Strange in San Antonio

Not getting how dates work

2012-02-14T21:48:00.003-06:00

What's wrong with this news story, which was published today, Tuesday, February 14, 2012?

A 13-year-old boy who had been reported missing Tuesday afternoon has been found safe and sound.

Bradley Meinz was found late Wednesday afternoon at the central library downtown.

San Antonio had been searching for him after his family reported him missing.

He had not come home from school Monday, as expected.

(from KSAT-12)

Today is Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

Making it easy for the police

2012-02-13T22:41:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I just wonder how they decided that a life of crime was good for them.

Officers are searching Monday morning for an armed robbery suspect who they say left behind a big piece of evidence: his wallet.

Investigators said the man walked into the Planet K Texas in the 5600 block of Evers Street just before midnight on Sunday and threatened the clerk with a gun. The clerk handed over some cash, although the suspect didn't stuff it in his wallet.

Instead, police said the suspect hastily took off on foot, accidentally dropped his wallet in the adult novelty store.

(from KENS-5)

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for criminals making it easier for the authorities to apprehend them. But I wonder if guys like this get any pointers at all before going down this life path.

P.S.: "Adult novelty store"? Is a news story above calling a head shop a "head shop"?

Modern day snake oil

2012-02-10T22:37:00.002-06:00

Look here, someone has solved our drinking water problem! But guess what -- it's not cheap. And its probably not necessary, at least the way this guy envisions it.

Hill Country inventor Terry LeBleu has invented a machine that turns thin air into clean, pure drinking water.

Terry says all the parts to his invention are readily available stock items and he is willing to show you exactly how you can build one yourself.

The heart of his invention is Sears Kenmore 70-pint dehumidifier.

Condensed water is further purified and sterilized with filters and ultraviolet light.

It takes about three days to make 40 gallons of ultra-pure water that are stored in a food-grade plastic barrel.

The parts to the machine cost around $700 but he can sell you his pre-made Big Dipper for $800.

(from KSAT-12)

I will admit, right out of the gate, that I am no scientist. And I'm certainly not a hydrologist. But -- now, correct me if I'm wrong -- I seem to remember that distilled water is pure water, and distillation relies on condensation. So, wouldn't anything that is condensed out of the air already be pure water? Why the need for the filters and the ultraviolet light to further purify and sterilize, unless merely to add cost? (Remember! The fully assembled Big Dipper only costs $800!) Seems to me like a plain ole Sears Kenmore 70-pint dehumidifier is all you really need, right?

Well, that and some humid air.

And what the hell does "ultra-pure" mean anyway?

Smuggling razors

2012-02-05T22:31:00.003-06:00

How bad must it be -- or appear to be -- in your new jail cell to make you do this to stay in your current one?

According to an arrest warrant, 21-year-old Francisco Rodriguez was being transferred to another [Bexar County jail] annex but told jailers he refused to go because he had too many many [sic] enemy's [sic] in that part of the jail.

He then allegedly asked a jailer if he would be transferred back to the main jail if he were caught with weapons, prompting jailers to handcuff and question the inmate.

According to records, Rodriguez admitted to having weapons on him. Jailers searched Rodriguez and found in the waistband of his boxer shorts two razor blades wrapped in paper.

(from KENS-5)

Killing a cultural tradition

2012-02-01T19:22:00.001-06:00

The St. Patrick's Day parade is now dead, apparently due to unevenly applied city regulations.

The Harp and Shamrock Society of Texas has hosted the annual parade for more than four decades in downtown San Antonio. This year, however, they said the parade has been canceled due to high costs.

“We are the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the state,” said society president Terence Peak.

The costs are just too high, Peak said. Especially those imposed by the city.

“The cost that the city fees involve in barricades and police officers plus other fees is over $12,000,” Peak said. “We can’t afford this type of expense and we don’t seem to have any support from the city.”

Peak said the lack of city support stems from an ordinance he claims waives certain fees for parades with cultural significance. Peak said the society has been denied certain waivers in the past, so this year they’ve canceled the parade.

(from KENS-5)

So, people who like to style themselves "occupiers" can camp illegally in a city park without permits and without reimbursing the City of San Antonio for the cost of a police presence, but people with Irish heritage cannot have a parade for one day because the City charges too much and the organizers cannot secure waivers because the event is not culturally significant enough.

Do I have that about right?

Thanks, city leaders.

Not strange in San Antonio: Remembering Edward White

2012-01-27T23:38:00.000-06:00

He died 45 years ago today.

Who was he? He was this guy.

He was an astronaut. He was the first American to ever walk in space. He was from San Antonio. And he died on this day in 1967.

In the Apollo 1 capsule.

His death -- along with those of fellow astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Roger Chaffee -- were very tragic, but their passing woke NASA up to some very important changes that needed to be made in order to make space travel much, much safer for everyone else who came after them.

Thank you, Col. White. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Your family can be very proud of you. San Antonio can be proud of you. And we are.

We are.

Ponying up phony bills

2012-01-27T22:41:00.003-06:00

Attention, all workers of fast food shops, gas stations, retail stores, and like establishments: Always -- always -- be suspicious of people who use very large bills to pay for small items.

Like drinks. (Emphases below are added, of course.)

According to a police report, the robber ordered a root beer float about 10:30 p.m. at the [Sonic] restaurant in the 1600 block of General McMullen Drive, paid with a $100 bill and told the victim to keep $3 as tip.

When the car hop went through his money to make change for a $20 bill at the customer's request, he noticed the $100 bill felt fake and confronted the customer, the report states.

They argued, with the customer pocketing the possibly phony $100, pulling out another $100 bill but refusing to hand it over, and finally threatening the car hop with a knife.

(from the Express-News)

You shouldn't wait until the money feels fake to get suspicious. Anytime anyone orders one drink and tries to pay with a Benjamin, you might want to start considering him with a wary eye. Right away.

You just might.

Someone who should have thought a little more

2012-01-26T22:11:00.002-06:00

Have you ever been stopped by the police?

It's OK, most of us have. When you got stopped, though, were you given a ticket? If so, did you try to fight the ticket, take defensive driving, plead "nolo contendre", or any of the other customary options to resolve the violation?

If you did any of these, then congratulations! You did what was expected and customary, and most likely that ticket is no longer a part of your life.

Oh, but did you also lose several thousand dollars along the way? Do you think maybe that bad cop who gave you a ticket stole your money? Well, if so, you should give your next actions a lot of thought before you carry them out, because law enforcement takes a dim view of responses that are atypical.

Bexar County constables say [Alberto] DeLaTorre accused one of their deputies of stealing $5,000 in cash from him during that stop. An investigation yielded a different story.

According to the warrant, the 36-year-old was clocked doing 79 miles per hour in a 45 miles-per-hour speed area. Deputies say he was pulled over. The deputy reportedly smelled burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. He says the argumentative suspect was asked out of his vehicle. He was then ticketed and released.

On Jan 11, the perjury suspect filed a complaint against the deputy alleging cash was stolen from his car during the traffic stop. The warrant says constables reminded him that the traffic stop was recorded on a patrol car camera. DeLaTorre allegedly stuck to his story and emphasized that law enforcement was corrupt.

Investigators say they reviewed the patrol car video and found nothing to support the man's claim.

(from KENS-5)

Note the term "perjury suspect" that the news story uses. That means the authorities did not like his lying to them, especially after they had given him a chance to take his story back after being reminded about the presence of video cameras.

That guy is lucky he was released at all during the initial stop in December. Going nearly 80 mph in a 45 zone, with a smell of marijuana wafting around your car? That's almost begging to be taken in for a free tour of the booking facilities before the night is out. But the constable who pulled him over was nice enough to let the guy go with a ticket, and for his gracious leniency he gets repaid with an accusation of theft.

I hope that officer continues to be lenient to people he pulls over, despite the treatment he got from this suspect. Most traffic violators aren't out to make life difficult for police officers, and almost none of them would go to this much trouble to get back at them.

I hope he remembers that. Especially if he happens to pull me over someday.

Climbing the courthouse

2012-01-24T22:21:00.003-06:00

Really? Again?

Two people were arrested early Tuesday morning after police caught them on the roof of the Bexar County Courthouse.

Police said someone noticed the couple on the roof around 4:15 a.m. and called authorities.

Police arrived and found a 23-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman on a landing of the roof.

Investigators believe they were planning to break into the building and said they used a fire escape to get on the roof.

Police said they would not be charged with trespassing but face charges of public intoxication.

(from KSAT-12)

What is so fascinating about the top of the Bexar County Courthouse that makes people want to climb up there? Why that pile and not the surrounding structures? Does it have something to do with defiance of authority specifically, or is it just a building that looks so interesting it must be climbed?

And why charge the two in this story with public intoxication but not trespassing? Do they actually need to break into the building (as the other dorks did back in October) before they can get charged with trespassing? They are on the roof, and they are obviously up to no good, so hit them with the trespass charge along with PI, or let them go free. The PI charge makes less sense as they are not so much in public and very much so on property where they are not supposed to be.

In any case, they should be more careful. And they should give more thought to where they seek to share moments alone, at least when they are a bit sloshed in the downtown area.

Talking about the weather, 910 edition

2012-01-24T22:12:00.003-06:00

We are almost there!

Just 90 short comments to go! We can do it!

(From WOAI-TV. Background here and here.)

"S.A. police chief admits errors on night of woman's murder"

2012-01-17T18:18:00.004-06:00

This is bad all around.

San Antonio police Chief William McManus admitted on Tuesday to "unfortunate errors" made while handling calls hours before officers found a woman raped and murdered early Friday morning.

McManus explained that a caller reported a disturbance overnight at 835 Menchaca St., but that the call taker recorded the address as 1135 Menchaca St. The incorrect address was passed on to the dispatcher, who in turn sent officers to the wrong home.

"The initial error was dispatching to 1135 as opposed to 835," McManus said. "The officers were sidetracked from that."

Police received another report shortly after about a possible assault at nearby Elmendorf and Micklejohn. McManus said officers heard screaming from a home, were let inside by a woman and found a man flushing drugs down the toilet.

(from KENS-5)

That toilet-flushing scene was not what the original call was about. The original call was about something else, something that ended badly, and something that wasn't discovered until it was way, way too late.

I don't mean to beat up on the police here, but an important lesson can be taken away from this: Emergency responders can make mistakes, and those mistakes could turn out very bad for you if you are the one calling for help. Be prepared to fend for yourself, and be prepared for the possibility that help may not be coming your way. It may be the most necessary mental shift you ever make.

Dinosaur afternoon

2012-01-16T13:33:00.003-06:00

Now here's something you don't see everyday.

(Tyrannosaurus rex metallicus spotted somewhere along Bandera Road.)

Fighting fires at the water works

2012-01-15T23:20:00.002-06:00

Let's hope they weren't hampered by water restrictions.

A fire at a San Antonio Water System Station on Sunday has caused an estimated $100,000 worth of damage and fire officials said it may take a few weeks to fix.

It was around noon on Sunday, when a fire crew driving back from a meeting downtown actually spotted the smoke coming from the SAWS pumping station at the Olmos Basin and responded right away.

Fire officials said the chlorine at the station was not effected [sic] and that they put the fire out fairly quickly, but still, crews had to deal with a lot of smoke.

(from KSAT-12)

R.I.P. Mud Festival

2012-01-06T23:05:00.003-06:00

The City of San Antonio decided not to drain the River Walk this year for its annual cleaning. Matter of fact, they claim to be doing such a good job at keeping the tourist attraction clean that they will need to drain it less often in the future.

That's good, having a cleaner River Walk and all. But there is a sad casualty to this development: the Mud Festival.

The Mud Festival is history — at least the version we have come to know since 1987.

“They’re not draining the river and we just thought it was time to regroup,” Marcie Hernandez, the Paseo del Rio Association’s marketing director, said.

The Paseo del Rio is discontinuing the festival which has traditionally coincided with the draining of the river at the start of the year. The city has done such a thorough job cleaning the river in recent years that no draining was necessary in 2012 (although the newer Museum Reach is in the middle of its cleaning). The Paseo del Rio decided this was as good a time as any to shake things up.

(Plus, the city hasn’t allowed the festival to be in the actual mud in years.)

...

Next year, the Paseo del Rio will start a new tradition called the River Festival — taking the place of the Mud Fest — in which aspects of the various River Walk events throughout the year will be incorporated into one event, Hernandez said.

(from The Downtown Blog)

I hope the new "River Festival" is fun. And I hope it's successful. But the name just won't have that same bit of strangeness that made the Mud Festival so endearing, even if it never was as popular as other city parties throughout the year.

Making it easy for the police

2011-12-31T15:40:00.002-06:00

You gotta love it when the criminals catch themselves. It makes thing so convenient for the authorities.

A routine traffic stop turned into a police chase after police ran the car's plates and realized it was stolen.

...

Officers tried to pull the suspects over when the registration came back as a stolen vehicle out of Corpus Christi. They didn't get too far. The passenger was arrested as soon as he jumped out of the car and tried to run. As for the driver, he ran right into a mailbox and knocked himself out.

(from WOAI-TV)

Cuffing him probably wasn't very hard. Thanks, clumsy crook!

Someone who should think a lot before doing drugs

2011-12-29T23:12:00.002-06:00

This is a whole lot of WTF from just one man.

A wild string of events on the Southeast Side led to a man's arrest Wednesday evening.

Police said the incidents started just before sunset when a couple of kids riding their bikes were approached by the 20-year-old suspect.

"He told us if we wanted to go smoke with him in his clubhouse and we took off," Julian Salazar said.

Police said the suspect chased the kids and also asked them to "have sex," but then headed back to the road and started to throw punches at moving cars.

"Apparently our suspect was acting aggressively and irrationally towards vehicles driving by, swinging at them, trying to hit cars," Sgt. Trey Roussel with the San Antonio Police Department.

Police said the man even jumped into someone's vehicle. "As I was getting out he jumped in and asked me to take him somewhere and I was not going to. In self-defense, I punched him and he jumped out," said Raymond Gleason.

(from KSAT-12)

The police eventually caught him. And guess what? He had been doing drugs.

Surprised?

Someone who should be a little more suspicious

2011-12-28T23:48:00.003-06:00

If your friend asks you to drive him to an apartment complex to pick up some things, and then he asks you to wait by a dumpster (you know, kind of hidden away in the parking lot), and then he returns with a couple of major electronic pieces, you might want to ask him -- perhaps -- what the hell he is doing.

Police say a burglary suspect conned his driver into giving him a ride to his next crime.

According to an arrest warrant, 21-year-old Michael Gonzalez asked a woman take him to the 10300 block of Sahara on Nov. 29 to pick up some belongings. The driver told police he had her wait near a dumpster at the apartment complex.

A short time later, Gonzalez came from the apartment carrying two large televisions. The driver told police she didn't think anything was suspicious, since it was in the middle of the day.

Unbeknownst to her, she was his get away ride from an apartment break-in.

(from KENS 5)

Next time, tell him to take a cab.

Turning off the lights

2011-12-22T23:17:00.003-06:00

Maybe the tree rats hate the new, ugly, Seuss-like River Walk lights, too.

Pesky rodents are chewing through the city's Riverwalk lights display, leaving some visitors disappointed with the views.

According to Paula Stallcup, the city's director of downtown operations, a city contractor is replacing faulty or damaged lights twice a week, in an effort to maintain the popular display.

The city recently finished a $580,000 [*choke* --ed.] switch to LED lights on the Riverwalk, and has already had problems with light banks shorting out because of moisture.

"The people that come down here, the tourists, they come for the lights, and since they switched to the LEDs, a lot of them have been disappointed," said Carlos Delgado, a manager at Rio Rio Cantina on the Riverwalk.

Stallcup said the squirrels weren't a problem before the switch to LED lights because the traditional lights dangled from the ends of branches. The LED lights are wrapped around tree trunks, which makes them more accessible to wildlife, Stallcup said.

(from KSAT-12)

Or maybe the tree rats like the new lights better. Perhaps they are more tasty than the pretty ones that came before.

Calling B.S. on a fundraiser

2011-12-16T22:24:00.003-06:00

I hate to be a wet blanket, especially when the charity seems so worthy, but I doubt that these beasts are truly artistes.

A rescue organization inundated with animals suffering because of the drought is getting creative for its upcoming fundraiser. The animals Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation has nursed back to health are creating works of art to raise money for the organization.

The first ever "Artistic Animals" fundraiser earlier this month was so popular, organization employees decided to have an encore show. The first show sold out in 20 minutes.

Domestic and wild animals have been playing with non-toxic paint to create 41 pieces of art. The animals are attracted to the smell and texture of the paint, explained supervisor Kimberly Stephens. She said it's an "enrichment" activity that the animals enjoy while they are in captivity.

(from WOAI-TV)

I notice "enrichment" is in sarcasm quotes. Or are they scare quotes?

You decide.

Not paying very much attention

2011-12-12T18:40:00.004-06:00

Didn't something like this happen not too long ago?

Traffic in the downtown area came to a halt Monday morning after an 18-wheeler got stuck under a bridge at Roosevelt and South St. Mary's Street.

The rig's driver told police she was looking for her CPS unit [sic] and failed to see the warning signs, causing her to crash the top of the truck aginst [sic] the railway bridge around 4:30 a.m.

(from KSAT-12)

Why, yes. Something like this did happen not too long ago.

Lesson #1 for driving a truck on the South Side: Be careful on Roosevelt Street, and pay attention to the signs.

And trade in your CPS unit for a much more functional GPS unit.

Protesting ... what, again?

2011-12-10T22:26:00.003-06:00

Somebody please remind me what the Occupy folks are supposed to be protesting. Or standing up for. Or whatever.

Because it sure seems to me like they just can't stand success. Anybody's. And they don't seem to want the Alamo City thrive.

The local [Occupy] group said Saturday that it will march to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for a peaceful demonstration at 3 p.m. Monday. Its purpose is to show solidarity with movements including Occupy Oakland, which shut down its local port in early November and called the latest blockade to support longshoremen in Longview, Wash., in their dispute against Export Grain Terminal.

In a general assembly meeting, Occupy San Antonio voted to take a local union's suggestion to protest where it can.

“Even though the Chamber of Commerce supports local businesses, they spend a lot of time supporting the bigger corporations,” said Meghan Owen, 30, an Occupy San Antonio facilitator. “Large corporations are gaining footholds in our community, and that's not necessarily a good thing.”

(from the Express-News)

It's not necessarily a bad thing, either.

In fact, I'll say it is a good thing. It means that other companies find the San Antonio area a good place to invest their businesses in. Which brings jobs. And growth. And general prosperity for the city and the governmental entities that rely on growth for more revenues.

Don't get me wrong, the success of local businesses is a good thing, too. But we also need big businesses. Do you really think the city is going to keep growing if we just ask for more taco trucks and bike rental places and tell any potential Toyotas that we don't want their kind around? Really?

Tell me I'm wrong about this. Because it sure seems that the Occupiers just don't give a damn about anyone else, which makes it hard to argue that they represent the 99 percent of whatever.

“Even though the Chamber of Commerce supports local businesses, they spend a lot of time supporting the bigger corporations.”

So, damn them. I guess.

Feuding with the neighbors

2011-12-09T20:32:00.003-06:00

With dog poop.

And pepper spray.

Candice Singh says the feud started three years ago when she caught her neighbor tossing dog poop into her yard.

Ever since, Singh said there have been rocks thrown, more poop tossed, vandalism, spit and numerous calls to police. ...

On Tuesday, Singh said she was sweeping the poop out of her yard and into the street [Into the what? Where? --ed.] outside her Joseph Phelps home [Her what home? --ed.]. Video from a surveillance camera shows neighbor Leticia Rodriguez walk up to Singh with a broom in hand. But Rodriguez wasn't only carrying a broom. She was also holding onto a can of pepper spray.

Surveillance video shows Rodriguez spray her neighbor right in the face.

"It burned," Singh said. "I could not breath [sic]. I was immediately throwing up."

Then Rodriguez put her broom to work.

"I couldn't see, and she's still sweeping poop on me while I'm in pain from the mace," Singh said. "And she got it in my mouth, also."

(from KENS-5)

I hope she means pepper spray got in her mouth. That would be uncomfortable, for sure, but the alternative would be quite gross.

But possibly not surprising.

Getting fired

2011-12-07T22:33:00.003-06:00

Isn't this a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't kind of situation?

Natalie Johnson is a 27-year-old student and, until last week, worked at the River Center Macy's.

On Nov. 30, a teenager shopping caught her attention.

"I made sure to keep an eye on him because he was shopping for women's clothing," remembered Johnson.

She said she was convinced the shopper was a man. So when she saw him in the women's dressing room, she told him he couldn't change there.

...

But the group of people he was with supported the shopper, arguing Macy's policy allows transgender people to change in the fitting room of the gender they associate with.

...

Johnson said she was let go.

...

A response from the retail giant said, "Macy's does not comment on personnel matters. At Macy's, we recognize and appreciate the diversity of our customers and associates."

(from KSAT-12)

All my life I grew up with the notion that if a man tried to enter a restroom, locker room, or any other space set aside exclusively for women, that man would be soundly mocked, ridiculed, and possibly arrested. But now, apparently, all a man needs do is identify himself as transgender and he can go anywhere. At least in Macy's.

I feel a bit sorry for the employee. If she had adhered to company policy (which she was well aware of) and allowed a man into a women-only area and something bad had happened, then she would have been vilified for that. And the company as well. Instead, she ignored the policy and acted according to her beliefs and convictions.

And she got fired for it.

But at the same time I'm not sure how sorry I feel for Ms. Johnson. Her actions were carried out with full knowledge of the possible consequences, and that's a choice she made. But one thing this incident does show is that Macy's doesn't seem to want her kind of diversity.

Car crashes into house

2011-12-06T16:33:00.002-06:00

This just goes to show, you cannot -- I repeat, cannot -- rely on the vehicle to take over for you while you take a nap. They hate houses too much to care.

Police said the 30-year-old woman who was behind the wheel told them she fell asleep around 4:30 a.m., causing her vehicle to go out of control in the 600 block of North Colorado Street.

The SUV took out a chain link fence and cut a path through the front yard of one home, then came to rest against the front wall of the house next door.

A woman who lives there said her bed is located on the other side of the wall that was hit.

While the crash startled her, she said she was not hurt. Her front steps stopped the SUV from entering her home.

(from KSAT-12)

And they hate fences, too. Though apparently the front stoop proved too much for this particular SUV.

Milk!

2011-12-05T21:45:00.002-06:00

Did someone order a shake on the South Side?

Rainfall wasn't the only thing making roads slick Monday morning. One major street was covered in milk, as well.

About 15 plastic crates full of milk cartons apparently fell from a delivery truck.

It happened on eastbound Southcross underneath I-35 at about 5 a.m. Monday.

Apparently no one was crying over the spilt milk. Police couldn't find the truck that lost the milk delivery.

(from KENS-5)

I think the driver of that truck just plum forgot about the mishap.

He was drinking Milk of Amnesia.

Someone who needs to know when to bail out of a plan

2011-11-30T23:03:00.006-06:00

If you were a lone crook, and you were trying to steal someone's truck, how far would you go to get it once things started going wrong?

This guy probably should have quit sooner than he did.

SAN ANTONIO -- A man was shot in the leg while trying to steal a truck early Tuesday morning, police said. The homeowner told police he heard someone breaking into his truck outside his home near Rada and Renova on the city’s south side.

Police said it was around 2:30 a.m. when the would-be thief had trouble starting the engine, so, officers say, he tried to push the truck down the street.

(from WOAI-TV)

And he didn't get very far pushing that big ol' non-started truck before its rightful owner decided to slow him down a little more with a good dose of lead weight.

Jumping overboard -- or bridge

2011-11-28T22:23:00.002-06:00

You know, I can think of better ways to try to escape from the police. Or, at least, less painful ones. Especially if I were handcuffed.

A man is in the hospital Monday afternoon after escaping from police, then jumping off an Interstate 35 overpass and falling 20 feet to the ground below.

According to San Antonio police Sgt. Jay Vinson, Johnathan Gomez, 20, was handcuffed and had escaped police custody after being arrested on a felony warrant charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Witness Robert Garcia said the man leaped over the bridge over Salado Creek.

...

The man was taken to SAMMC with a broken back and head injuries.

(from KSAT-12)

Ouch.

"Two people trapped inside their cars by down power lines"

2011-11-24T10:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

And here's something to be grateful for: Not being trapped in your car by high voltage power lines.

The accident happened on Patricia near Vista Knoll early Thursday morning. According to police, the driver of a Nissan lost control and hit the pole. Then another driver coming in the opposite direction crashed into him and the pole. Both drivers were trapped inside their vehicles due to the fallen power lines outside.

Crews had to cut the power to several blocks in order to rescue them.

(from WOAI-TV)

Tigers?

2011-11-22T23:50:00.003-06:00

Did you hear that some tigers got loose today? Somewhere near San Antonio?

Turns out it was nothing more than someone who was a bit confused. Apparently.

Bexar County Sheriff's deputies were sent to a home in the 27000 block of Okent Drive, near Blanco Road and Old Blanco Road around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday after receiving reports about large cats being loose on the property. Timberwood Park Elementary School was placed on lockdown after officials there were contacted by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. and told officers believed three white tigers could be loose in the area.

A Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told News 4 WOAI when their officers arrived, they found three tigers inside their cages. However, the owner kept insisting he could see at least one running loose. The San Antonio Zoo was called and a three-person team was dispatched to assist with the capture of the cats. The officers continued searching the property but found no other exotic animals. They were then told two panthers were contained inside the man's bedroom, so they went inside to check. When they opened the bedroom door, they found two stuffed panthers.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office says the owner apparently became confused and may have been hallucinating. They asked him to get a medical exam, but said he refused.

(from WOAI-TV)

Sounds like that guy needs some kind of examination, and I hope he gets the help he needs. But perhaps now would be the time to find new homes for the tigers. Or at least the stuffed panthers.

Talking about the weather, again

2011-11-21T21:47:00.004-06:00

Back in October, I pointed out -- with mirth -- how a simple weather forecast on WOAI-TV regarding the approach of cold weather had prompted an astounding number of comments from readers and viewers. At that time, I said this:

I know it has been quite some time since we've had real cool weather here in San Antonio, but really? 822 freakin' comments about how cold it is?!

I don't think I have ever seen that many comments on any news story or blog post I've ever read. 400, 450 maybe. But never over 800, and never when the topic is as commonplace as the weather!

All I can say is: puro san antonio.

But now, almost a month later, WOAI is forecasting the weather for Thanksgiving, and here's what I see:

Yep, there it is, the same slate for "Storm Tracker 4" on the forecast, and there I see a whopping 860 comments!

Why, that's only 38 comments more than the last time I noticed. And, you know what? I think I was a bit wrong before. Those of us who live in San Antonio are not great big weirdos with nothing better to do than crash WOAI's servers with floods of weather-related comments. No, it seems the weather people at WOAI are the strange ones, because they seem to be updating the same entry over and over again with new weather and letting the comments from previous forecasts pile up on it with nary a care for how heavy that one entry gets.

But now, I'm hooked. Now, WOAI has me.

Because I can't wait to see it hit 1,ooo!

Tagging into the golden years

2011-11-14T23:07:00.004-06:00

I guess you can never be too old to be a ne'er-do-well.

A police report shows officers arrested Richard Reta, 58, at N. Flores and Krempkau streets around 11 p.m. Saturday after seeing him spray painting an anti-corporate greed message on the ground.

He was charged with one count of graffiti, $1500-$20,000.

The report said Reta had a can of spray paint in his possession and paint on his clothing when he was arrested.

It also said he admitted to scrawling graffiti in several other locations, mostly along the route of the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon, which was slated to begin hours after his arrest. All together, the damage was said to be in excess of $2,000.

Police said Reta told officers he's part of Occupy San Antonio, a group of protestors who have been staging a sit-in in Hemisfair Park for weeks to show their displeasure with they call [sic] corporate greed.

(from KSAT-12)

To their credit, the Occupiers seem to be distancing themselves from this guy's actions. But KSAT also offers this:

[Occupier Joe] Ballard said Occupy does not condone any behavior that involves defacing city property.

If KSAT is accurately representing what this guy said, I find it noteworthy that the Occupiers do not condone defacing city property, but they make no mention of private property.

Noteworthy. But not surprising.

Dealing with animals

2011-11-14T16:55:00.003-06:00

If you had an accident on the highway involving a big wild animal, you would think that your friends might help you out. Or you might think that they would not make the situation worse, at the very least.

But, if you were this guy, you would have another think coming.

SAN ANTONIO -- Police say a motorcyclist crashed into a deer and then had his bike stolen by his friends.

Investigators said the motorcyclist was riding with a group of people on motorcycles and a pickup truck when the man hit the deer and lost control of the motorcycle and fell onto the access road at Loop 410 and Ingram Road at around 2:30 a.m. Monday.

But instead of helping him, police said two women and a man picked up his motorcycle, put it in the back of the truck and left.

(from KSAT-12)

I think there's more to this story than is being reported by KSAT. A lot more.

Salad!

2011-11-14T16:53:00.001-06:00

OK, maybe it's more properly called "coleslaw".

San Antonio--The scene is finally clear after an 18-wheeler overturned on I-10 downtown near the I-35 off ramp. The trailer was carrying produce including heads of cabbage and lettuce. The accident happened at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, but crews didn't finish getting all the debris until 7 p.m.

(from WOAI-TV)

Car crashes into house

2011-11-12T16:01:00.002-06:00

The auto gets the house and the fence, too. And a couch.

A woman driving a Ford Mustang was traveling south on SW 34th Street when she attempted to turn on Motes Drive at a high rate of speed and lost control of her vehicle, traffic investigators said. The car went barreling through a fence and into a home at the 600 block of SW 34th Street.

A man who was sitting on a couch inside the home was apparently struck, and he was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

(from MySA.com)

That's one ambitious auto.

Inheriting the mantle of solar leadership

2011-11-09T20:40:00.003-06:00

Bill Sinkin has long been a proponent of solar power in the Alamo City. But he is nearly 100 years old now (literally), and his son has taken over the reins of Solar San Antonio, a local non-profit that tries to get people to convert to solar-powered systems.

Lanny Sinkin, however dedicated he may be to furthering his father's legacy, may still find time to devote to his other interests and pursuits. And you will have to be the judge of whether or not that ends up being a good thing for the local environmental movement.

A few years before Lanny Sinkin became the leader of a local nonprofit that advocates for solar power, he flew to Washington and knocked on the door of the White House with a document that would prove an even harder sell than investments in solar panels.

It was a declaration that the Kingdom of Hawaii had seceded from the United States.

...

The Kingdom of Hawaii, illegally overthrown by the United States more than a century ago, has been restored, he says, and a king, to whom Sinkin serves as chief advocate and spiritual adviser whenever he's not running Solar San Antonio, is in place.

The “king,” Edmund Keli'i Silva Jr., a fisherman and kung fu instructor on the island of Oahu, is also a convicted felon who served 13 years in prison for stealing more than half a million dollars.

...

A former environmental attorney, Sinkin once sued Bush on behalf of “the Cetacean Community” — whales — over the use of underwater sonar. An appeals court ruled that animals could not file lawsuits.

His father, the bow-tied, 98-year-old Bill Sinkin, is a civic hero who founded Solar San Antonio in 1999.

...

Sinkin's quest to regain a lost civilization began with plutonium in deep space.

As an attorney at the Christic Institute, a now-defunct public interest law firm in Washington, Sinkin fought a 1980s bid by NASA to launch a plutonium-powered probe to Jupiter.

...

“He sat down with me,” [jail-bound self-styled "king"] Silva said. “He looked like a person who lived out of a suitcase, his clothes all wrinkled. But he was full of light and full of energy.”

Sinkin helped Silva win parole in 2005, and the “king” returned to his “kingdom.”

“His Chinese animal's a horse,” Sinkin said. “He just galloped into it.”

...

The kingdom embraces natural laws and ecological principles. It shuns war, promotes love and seeks an age of transformation in which all human beings gain consciousness — “the 5th age,” Sinkin says.

...

Told of Lanny's aim to “create the 5th age, one solar panel at a time,” [Bill] Flannery [from the board of directors of Solar San Antonio] was nonplussed.

“That's kind of fascinating,” he said. “That never came up.”

(from the Express-News)

Is this the future of the "green" movement in San Antonio? Or has it always been the unvarnished present?

You decide.

Failing at Occupying

2011-11-05T23:43:00.004-05:00

The "Occupy" movement seems to be flagging in San Antonio. After all, when a very like-minded, liberal organization like MoveOn.org starts looking at you askance, you've probably lost a bit of focus.

Occupy San Antonio's familiar rally cry, “Banks got bailed out; we got sold out!” sounded with particular relevance Saturday afternoon as protesters marched in solidarity with national Bank Transfer Day.

...

While they took a stand together against what they perceive as corporate greed, some MoveOn.org members such as Celeste Douglas, 55, were “a little disenchanted” by the occupiers' masks and costumes.

“They say it's a zombie movement because most Americans are acting like zombies moving along, but the thing about it is, who wants to be part of a movement of zombies?” asked Douglas, who said she opened a credit union account earlier that day while closing the one she has with Bank of America.

(from the Express-News)

Who, indeed, Ms. Douglas. Who, indeed.

Calling B.S. on "sonic drugs"

2011-11-03T21:38:00.002-05:00

Geez, is it sweeps month again?

SAN ANTONIO -- Teenagers are using websites to get high, and it's completely legal.

It's called "i-dosing." It sounds like music, but it's not.

Sounds like a load of bullshit to me.

The sites play different frequencies that promises [sic] to deliver an effect much like opium, cocaine, or marijuana. Doctors say the danger is teens may want to end up trying the real thing after trying the websites.

How do they know this? Have any studies been done yet?

Since i-dosing is so new, there haven't been any real studies on its effects. But brain imaging experts say sonic drugs do change the brain. They're just not sure how much.

Nope. No real studies. And so many unknowns that haven't been explored yet. Why, it's as if we know almost nothing at all about this new trend. Nothing!

So, quick, WOAI! Run a story on it! And scare the pants off of parents!

"Vets Fix Tiny Tooth During Monkey Root Canal"

2011-11-01T19:54:00.002-05:00

Monkey, mango, coke, and a broken tooth. Not so much a human interest story as a primate interest story.

SAN ANTONIO -- Mango the monkey has been suffering from a broken, infected tooth, just like humans sometimes get.

"People do it all the time (by) biting down on hard candy (such as) jaw breakers," Dr. Rob Coke, staff vet at the San Antonio Zoo, said.

But fixing Mango's mouth isn't as simple as fixing a human's, due to his tiny stature.

"It's a 2-pound monkey, so we obviously had magnification loops [sic] as well as ... tiny instruments to go in there to try to repair that," Coke said.

(from KSAT-12)

I'm picturing that ellipsis in Coke's second quote as hiding a well-placed curse word. It is monkey dentistry, after all.

Confusing the airmen

2011-10-29T23:55:00.003-05:00

Seen at the 2011 Air Show at Randolph AFB:

You can expect compliance, once you've explained exactly what "fod" is and why it shouldn't go in the urinal.

Inflicing self-injury

2011-10-28T22:18:00.002-05:00

I've read this a couple of times, but I still don't get what happened.

Witnesses told authorities the man was seen arguing with a 24-year-old man just before 3 p.m. at a Citgo gas station in the 11800 block of Starcrest Drive on the North Side.

The two drove to the corner of Jones Maltsberger Drive and Burning Trail Street, but police did not describe their progress there as a chase. At the intersection, witnesses said they saw the younger man get out of his Dodge Ram pickup and start waving his hands to warn drivers behind him to back away, said Police Chief William McManus.

Police said the man in the other vehicle, a Nissan pickup, had stopped in front of the Dodge.

He fired a shot at the Dodge's windshield while sitting in his Nissan and then somehow turned the gun on himself and fired again, police said.

“It appears to be self-inflicted or accidentally self-inflicted,” McManus said.

(from KENS-5)

He turned the gun on himself, accidentally inflicting a fatal wound to himself after firing at another man's car.

What?

I'm sure there are more details to come, and I'm just curious enough to wonder what they are.

Talking about the weather

2011-10-27T22:57:00.005-05:00

WTF?

(from WOAI-TV)

I know it has been quite some time since we've had real cool weather here in San Antonio, but really? 822 freakin' comments about how cold it is?!

I don't think I have ever seen that many comments on any news story or blog post I've ever read. 400, 450 maybe. But never over 800, and never when the topic is as commonplace as the weather!

All I can say is: puro san antonio.

Car crashes into house

2011-10-27T22:49:00.001-05:00

Apartment, actually, but it is an abode. And that car really, really had something against beds as well.

Witnesses told police that around 9 a.m.an elderly woman driver suddenly accelerated in the parking lot of the Bethel Place Apartments in the 500 block of Acme. That acceleration launched her vehicle over the curb and into an apartment bedroom.

Fortunately, the woman who lives in the damaged apartment was not home. She and her 1-year-old son were at a doctor's appointment when the accident occurred.

But the car did send the apartment bed flying.

(from KENS-5)

Choosing a bad graphic

2011-10-27T22:04:00.003-05:00

This was a strange way for KSAT to illustrate the story of a soldier (one soldier) who got sick and died far from any combat zone.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- The Department of Defense says a soldier from North Carolina has died from a non-combat illness.

Military officials said Tuesday that 40-year-old Capt. Shawn P.T. Charles of Hickory died Oct. 23 in San Antonio, Texas. No further details were provided.

(from KSAT-12)

Shaking San Antonio

2011-10-20T22:24:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know you've probably heard about it already, but we had ourselves a little shaker here in South Texas, which is definitely rare enough to qualify as strange in San Antonio.

The 4.8 magnitude quake happened early Thursday morning about 50 miles southeast of San Antonio in the small town of Pawnee. That's between Karnes City and Beeville.

In Atascosa County some say they were actually woken up by the tremors that lasted about 5 to 6 minutes.

In the quiet town of Campbellton, Texas people were talking all day Thursday about the earthquake that rattled South Texas.

(from KENS-5)

I felt it this morning. Did you?

Some visitors who should have thought a little more

2011-10-19T22:20:00.003-05:00

If you're from an Arab nation, and you decide to visit the United States on a temporary visa from a different nation, and you decide to drive across the country in an RV visiting different cities, wouldn't you try to avoid drawing attention to yourself?

Wouldn't you?

Wouldn't you at least refrain from pulling drunk hi-jinks inside the county courthouse that sits smack-dab in the middle of the seventh-largest city in the nation?

You would, probably, but these guys didn't.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said surveillance video from inside the courthouse early Wednesday shows the men wearing sombreros and waving around a gavel. He says they appear to "just be some guys on a prank."

Had the two men who broke into the courthouse been from San Antonio, Wolff said the investigation would have been ruled a prank long ago.

“But when it’s people from another country, who have only been here a short while, it raises a lot of concerns,” he said.

Around 1:00 a.m. Wednesday two men were caught inside the Bexar County Courthouse.

Investigators said the courthouse’s security cameras show the men climbing a fire escape and entering the courthouse through a fourth floor window.

The men allegedly took a judges gavel from one courtroom and two sombreros from an office.

“It is very likely that these individuals were just intoxicated,” said Bexar County Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz. “ They might not of even known what this building was.”

Three additional men were found outside the courthouse inside a parked RV. Also in the RV were 90-day visas, maps, cell phones and computers.

All five men, Adil Ajiad, Camile Huet, Hicham Ajjaid,, Mehdi Ajjaid, and Meissa Mithra, are in the United States on visas from France and are of Moroccan decent, according to the sheriff’s office.

(from KENS-5)

They should have waited until Fiesta. No one would have batted an eye then.

With "wrestling" buddies like these ...

2011-10-15T19:00:00.002-05:00

... you'd better disarm them before rolling around with them.

Four men in their early 20's were at the victim's apartment in the 800 block of Flame Circle, when police say he and one of the other men started "play wrestling." The other man, for some reason, then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim several times in the arm and once in the hip.

T[h]e victim was taken to University Hospital in stable condition.

Police said he was not being cooperative, so they have little information on the suspect.

(from WOAI-TV)

Play wrestling? Sounds like it got serious real quick.

With friends like these ...

2011-10-12T18:51:00.003-05:00

... you'd better make sure you have good health insurance.

Police were called out to the 800 block of Overhill just after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

They say three men were hanging out in the front yard when they got into an argument over money.

Police say one man then stabbed his friend in the back six times, piercing his kidney.

Michael Tease, 27, was taken to University Hospital in critical condition.

Police say Tease was able to give them a detailed description of what happened and also gave them the name of the man who stabbed him. Police say Tease and the suspect were good friends and grew up together.

(from KSAT-12)

We don't know what really happened late last night, but I wonder if there was any teasing going on. That might prompt someone to get a little stabby.

Someone who should have dressed a little more

2011-10-08T21:51:00.002-05:00

If you start using mind-altering substances, you should probably put some pants on first. Or at least leave on the ones you have.

A man was struck by a car after police say he ran into traffic on the West Side early Saturday.

Investigators say the 27-year-old man, who was wearing only his underwear, appeared to be under the influence of some type of narcotic when he ran into the street at Guadalupe Street and Chupaderas around 12:20 a.m. A driver in a Toyota Camry tried to avoid hitting the man by swerving into another lane, but the man continued running and ended up in the path of the car.

(from WOAI-TV)

Oh, and stay out of the street, too.

Bonus strangeness: The existence of a street in San Antonio called "Chupaderas"!

¡Puro!

Occupying San Antonio

2011-10-06T18:28:00.007-05:00

It came to occupy Travis Park!

¡Puro San Antonio!

I was in the area, so I made it down to the "Occupy San Antonio" protest in Travis Park today. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I think it was something more than what was there. I mean, it was hardly an occupation.

That picture above was taken at the corner of Navarro and Pecan, and the smallish crowd of corporate-greed-hatin' protesters was at the far end by Jefferson Street. Here's a closer shot:

Not much of a takeover. I mean, the homeless dudes were still wandering around without fear of bumping into nary a protester.

I don't know if they had more people earlier in the morning, but I think this is about it. I got there just in time, because they were breaking up to do a march through the downtown streets (crying out about injustices, I'm sure). To their credit, the organizers were reminding the participants that this was a peaceful protest, and while they were marching they were to make sure they kept to the sidewalks and cleaned up their own trash.

As they departed Travis Park, I snapped a few pictures. And, though their numbers seemed very small for a city of our size, they did seem to get into the spirit of the protest and even showed a bit of creativity in their costumes and signage.

(Disclaimer: I'm a fairly conservative guy, and I think this protest lacked focus and existed just for the sake of having a protest; but the participants were polite and well-behaved for the few minutes I saw them, and they didn't seem as off-putting as some of the stuff I've seen Zombie post. But, then again, Zombie lives in San Francisco, and she has a lot of insanity to document.)

Here's an image of a guy who thinks we need to bailout firefighters, and that Governor Rick Perry is a slut. Well, I'm not sure what the message here is (I assume he's talking about the people who have been fighting the recent Texas wildfires, but I did not know they were bankrupt and needed a bailout), but I kind of like how he used actual fire to burn his sign a little as a visual aid.

Here's a picture of the crowd as they filed up to begin their march. I don't know what the red crosses are supposed to signify, but several people had them on their clothes. I don't care to look it up right now, so if anyone knows the meaning of the crosses, pop on into the comments section and let us know.

This guy got pretty creative with his outfit. He's supposed to be dollar bill that's been shot up by gunfire and is bleeding profusely. I assume he means this to be military gunfire and that he's protesting any and all wars, but I can't be sure. I guess the gunfire could be gang-related, but I'm not sure whether he would be for or against that kind of thing.

You're a grand old flag!

Oh, and there's dollar-bill guy, as he looks from the back.

Equality for all! It don't matter if you're red, yellow, brown, or ---- blue?

"Fyre Teechurs! Cloze Skools!"

Clever.

"Free hugs" from SAnonymous

I don't know, would you take one from him?

Demon of Greed
+
Demon of Arrogance
+
Demon of Corruption on Wallstreet
=
Demon of Bondage on Mainstreet

Ooooookkaaaaaaayy.

Just to remind you that your ass is occupied.

"Ar yst
More Freed-
om No war!
We are care
bears love the
world! Care!"

Best headscratcher.

"Hey Obama
Did GE give
you Crabs?!"

Second best headscratcher.

"Ok, Kids,
who
broke the
country?"

Dunno. Stimulus, maybe?

I wish them well on their journey. They seemed a bit radical, but not too much. And, as I said earlier, they were very polite. And I appreciate that.

A coach who should have planned a little better

2011-10-04T21:05:00.003-05:00

There's a bit of a scandal brewing here in the realm of Catholic high school football, and not everyone seems to be thinking their deeds completely through.

Two Central Catholic High School Football coaches have been disciplined in connection with a complaint filed by Antonian High School.

...

Central Catholic High School received notice of the decision from the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) District 2 Executive Committee Tuesday. Assistant Coach John Jennings was asked to leave an Antonian football game after Antonian coaches caught him standing on their sidelines, taking notes.

The decision comes after a complaint was filed by Antonian College Preparatory High School.

“Ethically, you do scout kids. You get videos from each school, so you get to watch the whole game anyway,” explained [Antonian coach Van] Fuschak. “I don’t know the purpose of it. It would be only to be sure you hear what somebody else does, getting a bird’s eye view. When you’re on the other team’s sideline right with them, it’s probably a little advantage for you.” [emphases added]

(from WOAI-TV)

First, how does a coach from another team manage to sneak onto a rival's sidelines? Was he wearing a disguise? Is Antonian big enough that random people are just expected to be wandering around the football field? Who recognized him, and why didn't they peg him before he had a chance to begin taking notes?

Second, what the heck was that coach thinking? Who at Central had the bright idea to send one of their own right to their rival's sidelines to take notes? And who would actually have the stones to try to pull off a stunt like that? And why isn't he doing real spy work for the CIA?

I am genuinely curious.

Hobby of peace

2011-09-30T21:53:00.003-05:00

Make no mistake, flying model airplanes is a peaceful pastime, and those who corrupt it will be swiftly denounced by the true practitioners of the hobby.

SAN ANTONIO -- On the eve of the largest remote control model airplane event in South Texas, hobbyists denounced a Massachusetts man's plan to use model planes as weapons against the United States.

According to court documents, 26-year-old Rezwan Ferdaus planned to pack five pounds of plastic explosive in military jet replica model airplanes, then fly them by remote control into the Pentagon.

...

Jim Rice, who has been flying model airplanes since he was a boy, said the actions of Ferdaus in no way reflect the interests or intentions of model airplane enthusiasts.

"What he does is not reflective of what we do at the flying field, trying to enjoy ourselves and have fun. That's abhorrent behavior in my mind," said Rice.

(from KSAT-12)

Someone who thought it out thoroughly

2011-09-29T23:12:00.002-05:00

If you want to succeed in some form of criminal endeavor, it might help if you look like you know what you are doing, and that you belong in that place at that time.

BOERNE - Brazen car thieves drive off the lot in a Dodge Challenger as employees watched, not realizing anything was wrong. Sheriff's deputies say some time Wednesday night, burglars stole the key lock boxes off four vehicles at the Boerne Dodge Chrysler Jeep dealership. Then they returned at about 8:30 Thursday morning.

"Several individuals pulled up to the dealership in a white pickup and jumped out of the bed of the pickup and had the keys to one of the Dodge Challengers, which happened to be up on one of the risers," explained Lt. Shad Prichard.

He said the two men had the keys to the Challenger, got in and drove it off the riser and off the lot, with a little help from the two men in the white pickup.

...

Several employees witnessed the theft but didn't realize anything was wrong until the car was driving off the lot.

"One of them (the thieves) had on a shop shirt, like he was an employee of the business. Because they had the keys, it didn't raise any suspicions that maybe they were doing something wrong. Everyone assumed they were doing something they needed to be doing," he said.

(from WOAI-TV)

It's apparently a pretty successful technique, because this is not the first time someone has absconded with valuable merchandise by acting like he was supposed to be there, and it probably won't be the last. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Car crashes into house

2011-09-25T23:21:00.003-05:00

The autos have been quiet lately. But that has changed with a new assault upon a domicile and its protective barrier.

SAN ANTONIO -- A Northside couple was rudely awakened Sunday morning, when a car crashed through the fence around their home, and into their garage.

Mike Messenger said he woke to the sound of the crash, and walked into his garage to see the damage.

He said his wife had to convince the driver to stay at the scene. The driver was taken to police headquarters on suspicion of DWI, but was not immediately charged with a crime.

(from KSAT-12)

Dismantling a newspaper

2011-09-23T23:01:00.002-05:00

Someone is taking apart the Express-News.

SAN ANTONIO -- In what has been a bizarre week for the San Antonio's only major newspaper, Friday saw more shake-ups at the San Antonio Express-News.

Just days after Editor Bob Rivard and Managing Editor Brett Thacker left the newspaper, sources at the paper confirmed that two of San Antonio's most recognized columnists are leaving.

Cary Clack has been with the newspaper for 17 years; Scott Stroud has been with the paper since 2004.

(from KSAT-12)

I've heard the Houston Chronicle has a hand in this, and that the Express-News will be reduced to a shell of itself, a Southwest Texas extension of the Houston paper. Perhaps that's hyperbole, but these recent losses of major figures suggest that it's not.

First, it was chupacabras ...

2011-09-22T21:38:00.005-05:00

... now it's UFOs!

It was over a week ago Mario Vallejo of southeast San Antonio claims he spotted an Unidentified Flying Object, or a UFO. Regardless of whether you believe him or not he’s quickly gaining a lot of attention on-line.

“I was pointing that way and I saw that object traveling that way, going east,” said Vallejo. “First of all no navigational lights that’s what got my attention at first. Then I started zooming in and I started seeing the different configuration of the lights.”

Vallejo will even be the first to admit he sees aircraft fly by his home often, but claims this was different.

“All the time I see aircraft going in and out, in and out, helicopters, jets, I see commercial aircraft going around and none of these seem to be that,” Vallejo.

(from KENS-5)

Yep, the Alamo City has its share of aliens, too. You know, to keep the goat suckers company. (Or maybe that's really WHERE ALL THE CHUPACABRAS ARE COMING FROM!)

But the really big disappointment is a journalistic failing here ---- there's no link to the video in the KENS news story!

So, to keep you informed, I present the video to you here:

UPDATED: Now there's a link to the video on KENS.

Someone who should have thought a little more

2011-09-19T19:20:00.003-05:00

Or at least paid more attention when they were teaching writing in school. Because if he had, he might have gotten away.

Police arrested Tito Hernandez, 30, Saturday on a charge of robbery.

...

The affidavit stated a bank teller told detectives Hernandez walked into the bank and said he wanted to make a withdrawal.

The teller told police that Hernandez handed her a note, but she was unable to read most of it because of his handwriting, the affidavit stated.

Hernandez then yelled at the teller and told her to hand him the money, the affidavit stated.

(from KSAT-12)

See? You should have listened to your English teacher back in school. Poor writing skills will sink your career, even if you're a bank robber.

Gettin' western on San Pedro

2011-09-19T19:08:00.003-05:00

I've seen dudes fight. And I've seen girls fight. But I don't think I've ever seen both at the same time.

In the same fight.

A fistfight broke out overnight in a convenience store parking lot right next to a KENS 5 news truck, and one of the two combatants was later arrested.

San Antonio police had to use a taser on a transgender individual who had been involved in the heated fight in the 800 block of San Pedro early Monday morning.

Investigators said the suspect hurled a shoe at them after their conversation reached a boiling point.

(from KENS-5)

I don't know what they were fighting about, but the KENS-5 photog got some pretty good footage, which you can see at the link above.

Not strange in San Antonio

2011-09-17T15:15:00.002-05:00

Actually, it's pretty cool. But, sadly, you will find almost no news stories on this accomplishment. In fact, you can barely find it on the KENS-5 home page, given that it's buried under a mountain of high school football coverage and other news.

"S.A. Missions sweep Arkansas to become 2011 Texas League Champs"

Forgetting that the youn'uns don't know

2011-09-15T22:33:00.003-05:00

So, I had WOAI-TV on the kitchen television while I was preparing dinner tonight, just letting it play in the background and listening to the news. And I heard Elsa Ramon reading off a story about how White House party-crasher and reality star Michaele Salahi has just left her husband for guitarist Neal Schon.

Except she pronounced it "SKAWN".

Wow. Am I that old, or is Ms. Ramon just that young that she has never heard of Neal Schon? Or is it both? Heck, I wonder if she's even heard of Journey.

"Man sprays garden hose, gunmen spray back"

2011-09-08T23:04:00.001-05:00

There's all kinds of weird going on here.

The attack happened after midnight Thursday in the 1300 block of Wooded Knoll. According to detectives, a man in his 60s was approached and shot by two men while watering his lawn.

The victim told police the men demanded money and made threats. He responded by squirting the men with his garden hose, police said, which prompted the men to fire several shots.

The victim was treated at the scene for a single gunshot wound to his right arm and is recovering in the hospital.

(from KENS-5)

Lawn watering after midnight, a demand for money from an old man in his yard, squirting at gunmen ---- I wouldn't know where to start.

"Fire Destroys Nail Supply Warehouse"

2011-09-07T22:54:00.004-05:00

When I first saw this headline, I thought, Oh no, what are all the builders going to do now without anyone local to make their nails?

And then I read this:

San Antonio Fire Department battalion chief Patrick Zepeda said when fire crews arrived, the warehouse was fully engulfed, causing them to take a defensive stance against the flames.

Once inside, Zepeda said palettes of nail polish were on fire, creating fears the fumes and smoke could be toxic. [emphasis added]

(from KSAT-12)

Oh, oh, oh. I see. Fingernails.

Would it have killed you, KSAT, to include the word "finger" anywhere within the news article? As it is, a reader has to get to the fifth paragraph before fully realizing exactly what kind of nails the warehouse provides supplies for.

But now, I'm clear, and I think, Oh no, what are all the beauty salons going to do now without anyone local to make supplies for their nails?

Not raising children

2011-09-01T22:56:00.004-05:00

At least, not they way they're supposed to be raised.

SAN ANTONIO - There are myths and legends about feral children -- supposedly raised by animals. Here in San Antonio, an attorney believes five children have been raised this way.

Carla Morrison says the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has removed five children from their home because of severe neglect. According to Morrison, the children might have what is known as Feral Child Syndrome -- a condition where the child has been isolated from human contact starting at an early age-with little or no human care.

The siblings range from ages three to 11 years old and they do not speak. The oldest child is the only one who has been potty trained.

(from WOAI-TV)

The descriptions in the story get worse after that, though there are, understandably, few other details. I don't know much about the realities of feral children, but one thing I do remember is that many of them never learn to speak a human language, even after rejoining society. Some linguists posit that there is a brief window very early in a person's development where learning languages is easy, and if a child misses that window, they can never fully grasp the concept of language. They are forever cut off from adequate communications with their fellow humans.

If that's true, it may be too late for these children.

Visiting the doctor

2011-08-31T22:48:00.002-05:00

Dave at Living Out Here went to the doctor, and he got surprised a little.

I'm keeping him in my prayers. Please consider doing the same.

Bee crashes truck

2011-08-29T19:04:00.004-05:00

The vehicles run rampant in this town, and often they inflict tremendous damage on unsuspecting houses and fences. What can take them down? What can halt their marauding progress?

The lowly bee.

SAN ANTONIO - A busy bee is being blamed for causing a big accident on the East Side. The driver of an 18-wheeler told police he was swatting at a bee in his cab at around noon Monday when he lost control. The truck rolled over into the median between the frontage road and the main lanes of Loop 410 near W.W. White.

(from WOAI-TV)

Witness apian carnage.

The driver is expected to be OK, but that truck has seen much, much better days.

Bonus strangeness: Holy cow! Look at that temperature in the lower right-hand corner of that image. 106! Fahrenheit! Even for South Texas that's damn hot!

Cars crash into home

2011-08-27T23:41:00.002-05:00

Holy cow, house-destroying autos now come in herds!

SAN ANTONIO -- Not one, but three cars crashed into a home early Saturday morning on the city's west side.

Police said a drunken driver hit several parked cars on Shadbush Street around 2 a.m. Saturday, sending three of the cars crashing into a home.

(from KENS-5)

It's really unfair, you know, the way the homes are outnumbered. They don't stand a chance.

A driver who should have thought a little more

2011-08-24T22:35:00.003-05:00

About who he brings with him on fast food runs.

Investigators say it was just before 5:00 a.m. Wednesday when a vehicle with three men inside pulled up to the drive-thru and placed an order. Employees told police the vehicle left and then came back around to complain about the order being wrong.

The attendant at the drive-thru window called police when the man in the back seat got angry and started waving a gun around.

Police searched the area for two men who fled on foot. The driver of the vehicle is cooperating with police.

(from WOAI-TV)

Just make sure you don't bring the same guy on a beer run.

Or, maybe do.

Give it a little thought either way.

Not knowing the least bit

2011-08-21T22:47:00.004-05:00

About firearms, that is.

A 61-year-old man was hospitalized Sunday after a gun misfired and shot him in the chest.

(from KENS-5)

I hate to break it to you, KENS 5 staff, but if a gun misfires, then nobody gets shot. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite of firing. Here's a link that can help you in the future.

Chupacabra?

2011-08-15T22:50:00.004-05:00

Really?

FLORESVILLE -- Robert Salinas said he's seen plenty of critters captured on his Gamecam, but never a hairless dog.

"If that's not a chupacabra, I don't know what is," he said.

Salinas, 31, captured the image of the mysterious creature on a motion sensative camera he had set up on a buddy's hunting property near the San Antonio River and Labatt Road, in Floresville.

(from KENS-5)

Jeez, how badly do people want to believe in this fictional, legendary, mystical, dirty-looking creature that seems to pose no danger to humans? Really, how bad?

Robert Salinas said he's seen plenty of critters captured on his Gamecam, but never a hairless dog.

Well, there's a first time for everything, even the spotting of hairless dogs.

"If that's not a chupacabra, I don't know what is," he said.

I'm going to go out on a limb and take a wild guess, and I'm going to say Mr. Salinas doesn't know what a chupacabra is. I mean, he seems to speak with authority, as if he's actually had prior experience with chupacabras (or at least the Texas variety), and he may actually be a leading figure in chupacabra lore. But I doubt it.

Salinas, 31, captured the image of the mysterious ...

Because dog-like creatures with mange are so rare.

... creature on a motion sensative [sic!] camera he had set up on a buddy's hunting property near the San Antonio River and Labatt Road, in Floresville.

There's part of his problem. No one's going to believe you when you start making up names like "Labatt" Road. Everyone knows there ain't nothin' but county roads down there anyway.

"I know it ain't no coyote," Salinas said. "You know what I mean?"

Hm. OK. That settles it, then.

Car crashes into house

2011-08-12T22:52:00.005-05:00

Almost!

The accident happened around 11:30 a.m. Friday at a house on Colorado Street, near Buena Vista. The SUV hit an [sic] palm tree in front of the home. The tree ended up falling over onto the porch of the home.

(from WOAI-TV)

Bonus strangeness: A fence was taken out, too, but how could it not be -- look at how close that fence is to that house!

Saves time on the yard work, I suppose.

Living with screwed priorities

2011-08-11T19:10:00.003-05:00

It can be a weird experience to live your life not knowing what should come first. Quite weird.

[A] maintenance worker had stopped by the couple's unit to fix a water leak. The man told police he heard a baby crying, and that's when he discovered a one-year-old child left alone inside one of the apartment closet's [sic].

"After the maintenance man calls police and EMS, the occupants of the apartment returned. At that point they're put under arrest. And the story, preliminarily, is that they left the baby unattended to purchase a mouse for the pet snake," says SAPD's Sgt. Chris Benavides.

The child is alright and currently is in care of Child Protective Services.

Police also say while they [sic] the toddler was left crying in a closet, the young couple took their pet snake with them on their trip to the pet store. Officers found it loose in the back of the suspect's vehicle.

(from KENS-5)

I suppose it's a good thing they didn't leave the kid and the snake behind together, for the baby's safety. Of course, it would have been just as safe to, you know, take the kid instead.

Does that really have to be said?

"Shooting Victim's Sister Seeks Meaning Of Graffiti Quotes"

2011-08-09T23:38:00.004-05:00

This is a tad weird.

SAN ANTONIO -- Besides sharing a name, Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara and San Antonian Raul "Che" Gonzalez were killed four decades apart -- Guevara by the Bolivian army in 1967; Gonzalez by an unknown shooter on June 10.

Now they are linked by two of Guevara's famous quotes.

Someone left the first message at the crime scene soon after the 32-year-old father and music producer was shot in the face and chest behind a strip mall at Ingram and Callaghan.

Gonzalez's sister, Sandy Levy, said she can only speculate why someone first scrawled, "Go ahead and shoot, coward, because you're only killing a man. I am Che."

"It made me sad because it made me realize how much my brother meant to this community," Levy said.

The second Guevara quote appeared most recently at a laundromat at Wilson and Cincinnati, near where Gonzalez's mother still lives.

Levy said their mother was taken aback when she went there to dry her laundry and saw what was crudely scrawled at the entrance, "I don't care if I fall as long as someone picks up my gun and keeps on shooting. I am Che."

(from KSAT-12)

I doubt this has anything to do with the shooting victim. I think someone is using Che Guevara as a pitiful source of inspiration for the mysterious graffiti, but the similarity to San Antonio's Che Gonzalez is purely coincidental. Someone's trying to be clever and edgy (if references to Che Guevara could ever be "edgy" anymore), and Gonzalez's family sees meaning in it, but I don't think they have anything to worry about.

San Japan

2011-08-07T16:02:00.003-05:00

Did you catch the show at the Rivercenter Marriott?

Did you find your way there?

If you didn't, don't worry. KENS-5 took some pictures for you.

Strange at Cowboys Camp

2011-08-05T17:06:00.003-05:00

Just as long as he doesn't ask about the basement in the Alamodome.

Pee-wee Herman made a surprise appearance at Dallas Cowboys training camp on Thursday night and posed for pictures with various front office members, coaches and players. No reason was given for the visit, so we'll assume it's because he was invited by Dez Bryan.

(from Yahoo Sports)

AP photo

Actually I think he was in San Antonio as part of a shoot for one of the Food Network shows that's taking place at The Pearl. As to why he made an appearance at the Cowboys' practice, I don't know, but I think it's kinda cool.

Car crashes into house

2011-08-03T19:30:00.003-05:00

More carnage, this time on Grosenbacher Road.

Miguel Martinez had just finished changing a light bulb in the bathroom Monday morning when he heard a loud crash at the opposite end of his West Bexar County home.

Martinez, 41, said he tried to stay calm, gathering his two daughters who were with him on the same side of the house at Grosenbacher Road and White Birch Street and sending them to a neighbor.

“By then I knew what probably happened,” he said. “I could hear the driver moaning. I came out and saw him.”

...

Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dale Bennett said [James Anthony] Gonzales was driving south on Grosenbacher when he dropped his cellphone on the passenger side floorboard.

When he reached down to grab it, his knee got stuck beneath the steering wheel, and he lost control of his truck, Bennett said.

(from the Express-News)

And the errant vehicle did this much damage ...

... after taking out a utility pole! That's one sturdy truck.

Someone who needs to start thinking. At least a little.

2011-08-02T19:52:00.002-05:00

If you got arrested for, say, committing a burglary, you'd want to make sure all that stuff they allege you have stolen is well-hidden, right? Who can blame you? But you might want to make sure it's all hidden before they actually pick you up.

Police say they picked up Sean Simmons on [a burglary charge] Monday, July 25th. While he was in their custody, he reportedly made a call to someone asking them to hide some stolen guns and televisions he had at his home. Police later recovered those items.

(from WOAI-TV)

Sometimes they make it so easy for the police. And for that, I'm grateful.

Alcove crashes into River Walk

2011-08-01T19:20:00.002-05:00

This definitely something that you don't want happening on your world-famous tourist attraction.

SAN ANTONIO -- Crews on Monday were removing large chunks of limestone after Saturday's collapse of one of two slabs over an alcove for a decorative fountain on the River Walk, just down from Main Plaza.

Paula Stallcup, director of downtown operations, said the slabs overhead are 8 to 10 feet long, 14 inches tall and about 2 to 3 feet thick.

She said no one was injured.

Stallcup also said an engineer will look into why the collapse occurred as well as make certain the remaining slab is secure.

(from KSAT-12)

Car crashes into house

2011-07-28T23:40:00.002-05:00

Apartment, really, but there was someone living there nonetheless. And he got a rude awakening.

A father says he woke up to the sound of a vehicle smashing into his Northwest Side apartment early Thursday.

The accident happened around 4:00 a.m. Thursday at the Stone Brook Apartments on Border Brook, near Wurzbach Road. The Jeep crashed into the father's bedroom. The father said he at first thought he was dreaming. His daughter was asleep in another room. Both escaped injury.

(from WOAI-TV)

No fences were involved, though.

Not revealing the identity

2011-07-24T20:23:00.005-05:00

This is a sad story, and it is weird all on its own.

SAN ANTONIO -- A 6-year-old girl was found dead inside a large microwave in her family's backyard Saturday night, police said.

Police said the girl was reported missing shortly before 7 p.m., and discovered at about 10 p.m. in what officers described as a large, old-fashioned microwave. Her death is currently being treated as an accidental sudden death.

(from KSAT-12)

But what is really strange is that simultaneous with saying that officials have chosen to withhold the girl's name ...

... KSAT decides to lead to this story from its home page with a full-on image of the child. [The blurring below is mine. KSAT did nothing to disguise the image.]

Is it sweeps month, yet?

Parents who should have thought a lot more

2011-07-20T23:18:00.004-05:00

That's about all I can say.

SAN ANTONIO -- Christopher Murrell, 24, and Monica De Leon, 22, were arrested June 23 after witnesses said they were using heroin in their car in the parking lot of Southpark Mall as their three children sat in the back seat,[sic] .

According to the police report, there were several syringes found in the car, one lying near the children in the back seat.

Police said they also found a bag of heroin and a baby bottle filled with water they were reportedly using to clean the syringes for their heroin use.

(from KSAT-12)

BONUS STRANGENESS: The video at that link is about a horse track.

Someone who should have thought a little more

2011-07-19T23:40:00.003-05:00

About his heist, that is. And if it would be worth the possibility of being caught and locked up for a long time.

Police are looking for a man who allegedly walked into a Walmart store, pulled a gun on employees and then took off with an inflatable kiddie pool.

Officers said the man also tried to steal an inflatable boat before taking off in a yellow taxi.

(from KENS-5)

C'mon, KENS, we need to know more. Did the taxicab belong to him, or was it waiting for him while he made his hurried purchases?

I am genuinely curious.

Car crashes into house

2011-07-13T17:06:00.004-05:00

Well, it was a storage shed, really. But it happened at an apartment complex!

Police arrested [Christopher] Marin at the Villas at Costa Brava apartments in the 7300 block of Potranco Road, some time after 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Neighbors told police they saw Marin get behind the wheel and ram his SUV into a small building in the front of the complex that acts as a storage shed for the maintenance staff. A worker at the complex Wednesday morning said everything inside the shed, including golf carts and several 5-gallon cans of paint, had been destroyed.

Priscilla Medina, 6, was outside with her family when the chaos unfolded, starting with a loud fight at the apartment next door. Medina said she saw a man who was visiting the residents break a window, then jump behind the wheel of an SUV and slam into the building wall.

"He was driving crazy then went straight and hit it," Medina said. "Then he started walking toward the bus stop."

(from KSAT-12)

Of course he was headed for the bus stop. He obviously didn't have a working vehicle after the incident.

BONUS STRANGENESS: The fact that a news outlet would interview a six-year-old kid for a story about a serious and potentially dangerous course of action and then use the kid's quote to illustrate the story.

Missing the obvious

2011-07-11T23:13:00.004-05:00

Cockfighting takes place in Texas, and it obviously happens in San Antonio, too.

SAN ANTONIO -- The Bexar County Sheriff's Office and San Antonio Animal Care Services have busted what they're calling a cockfighting operation.

Deputies discovered the illegal gambling Sunday morning on a property located in the 15900 block of Henze Road on the city's Southeast side.

A total of 60 roosters were seized by Animal Care Services and the Sheriff's Office, said Lisa Norwood, a spokeswoman for ACS. Norwood said the property where the birds were found had a covered arena where the birds were forced to fight in a ring for money.

(from KSAT-12)

But the presence of the cockfighting ring is not what really caught my eye as unusual. No, that was what the ACS spokeswoman had to say about the fates of these yardbirds gone bad.

Norwood said none of the surviving birds are likely to live much longer because they are too dangerous and will have to be euthanized.

"These animals are bred to fight; they're bred to kill," Norwood said. "Unless you can find an organization that's willing to take these animals in, house them individually for the rest of their lives, there's not really much you can do in terms of rehoming fighting roosters." [emphasis added]

Ummm, can we eat them? I mean, they may be ornery, but they are still chickens, right? They're not dogs or cats that you can adopt out, and people around here already find chickens do quite well in fryers, on grills, and in the oven instead of just in coops. So, why bother "rehoming" them? Maybe they don't need a home at all, and maybe they can do just as well in another place. Some place that could be a haven, so to speak.

"San Antonio B-cycle program fails miserably"

2011-07-04T11:33:00.002-05:00

Oh, no. Trouble in cycling paradise.

The whole B-cycle system is flawed. The 30-minute time limit is way too short, and if they can’t even keep the kiosks working, I'd hate to actually test the condition of the bikes. My advice is to skip the whole system and rent from a bike shop like the Blue Star.

(from WOAI's CyberBob)

A few months ago I drew attention to the new bicycle sharing program called B-cycle and noted that it was the first of its kind in Texas. I would have thought that Austin would have beaten everyone to the whole bike-sharing thing. But I also said this in the comments: "It should be interesting to see what state the program is in a year from now." If CyberBob's experience is any indication, that state won't be anything to crow about.

Independence Day

2011-07-03T23:21:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday, America.

"Seguin reclaims title as home of the world's largest pecan"

2011-07-03T22:56:00.002-05:00

Thank heavens. I was worried.

The small town of Seguin has reclaimed its title as home of the world's largest pecan. Since the 1960's the world's largest pecan has been sitting on the city's courthouse lawn. "It's been a focal point in the community right here in the heart of Seguin, ", said City Manger Doug Faseler.

Seguin lost it's title to a town in Missouri several years ago, and the city leaders knew they had to do something. It took several months, but the The Texas Agricultural and Heritage Center built a new pecan.

"It weights 23 hundred pounds, it's 16 feet long, 8 feet in diameter," said Mel Grones with the Texas Agricultural and Heritage Center.

(from WOAI-TV)

Feh. Who thinks of Missouri anyway when someone mentions pecans?

Not strange in San Antonio

2011-06-29T19:32:00.002-05:00

Did you know the San Antonio Public Library has one of these?

That's a rare, first edition print version of the 1611 King James Bible. That thing has been around for 400 years.

It's on display in the Texas/Genealogy section of the Central Public Library through August 26.

If you get the chance, check it out. Get up close and see the detail, and find out how well it's held up over the centuries.

Who knows when they will put it on display again?

We're #1!

2011-06-28T23:29:00.004-05:00

In pole dancing!

Athletes competed for the crown of Miss Texas Pole Dance over the weekend in Dallas, demonstrating strength, flexibility and balance.

San Antonio's own Jennifer Huff, a married mother of two children, was the winner of the 2011 competition.

(from KENS-5)

Ah, yes ---- simply one more thing to stoke S.A. pride.

Riding in comfort

2011-06-27T22:56:00.003-05:00

Who knew it would be so easy to make a convertible for cows?

SAN ANTONIO -- The top of a trailer was torn off when a truck driver drove under a bridge on the South Side Monday afternoon.

The accident happened around 3:00 p.m. Monday at South St. Mary's and Roosevelt on the South Side. Officials say the driver simply misjudged the height on his trailer[.]

(from WOAI-TV)

Historical blabbery at the Alamo

2011-06-23T23:41:00.005-05:00

It's always good to hear some news about the Alamo, some new understanding of the history of the place that no one was aware of before. But it's bad to hear about it this way.

On Thursday The Daughters of the Republic of Texas announce[d] a historic discovery inside the Alamo Shrine.

While conservation crews were working they found writing carved into a wall: "1802"[,] the letters "WVA"[,] and the number "54".
The writing was on the window seal just above the main doors of the shrine.

Pam Rosser who is the Alamo Conservator says "this discovery is important because it opens up a whole other chapter of the Alamo that hasn't really been researched. There was a time in Texas were the French was moving in the Spanish was her but not as prominent." [emphasis added]

(from WOAI-TV)

What?

The official center of the city

2011-06-22T22:58:00.002-05:00

Did you know San Antonio has an official center?

See if you can guess where it is.

Someone who should have thought a little more

2011-06-18T23:44:00.003-05:00

About her getaway!

SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio police said a woman was arrested after robbing a Jack in the Box and failing to make a getaway in a waiting taxi.

Police said the woman walked into the Jack in the Box at Interstate 35 and Rittiman Road at around 5 p.m. Saturday. She reportedly told the cashier she had a gun and demanded money. Police said she walked out of the restaurant with an undisclosed amount of money. The woman tried to get into a taxicab that was waiting for her, but the cab driver took off without her, authorities said.

(from KSAT-12)

Well, I hope she at least had bus fare.

"Suspected rapist accused of using pit bull to threaten woman"

2011-06-17T20:23:00.003-05:00

There's all kinds of weird going on here.

The woman told investigators she met 30-year-old Alex Martinez at a night club a few weeks ago. She said she picked up Martinez at his home on Wednesday, and they went to a club to have a couple of drinks and to get something to eat afterward. After returning to Martinez's apartment, the woman said he refused to let her leave and then sexually assaulted her. She said when she tried to put her clothing back on, he told her to take her pants back off and then opened the back door and threatened to let his pit bull dog inside. She said he attempted to have sex with her a second time but could not.

The woman told officers she stayed with Martinez out of fear but was able to leave in the morning after telling him she was going to get something to eat.

(from WOAI-TV)

This is just an allegation, of course, and the man says the sex was consensual. But the pit bull part really puts a strange spin on the case. It makes one wonder ---- Can a dog be seized as evidence?

Someone who should have thought a little more

2011-06-15T21:47:00.002-05:00

About bicycle maintenance, that is.

The affidavit shows that a woman told detectives she was sitting in her car in a northeast side neighborhood June 2 when a man pedaled up on a bicycle, pointed a gun at her and demanded money.

The woman told investigators her neighbor began following the robber in his van. The affidavit shows when the suspect's bicycle gave out, he turned and fired a shot at the neighbor before running away on foot.

Detectives recovered the stolen bike at the scene. They said they tested it and found fingerprints matching those of [Brandon] Dobbins.

(from KSAT-12)

COOORREESSAANNTTT!!!!

2011-06-14T19:13:00.002-05:00

I'd like to think this is a regionalism, a quirky, South-Texas way of describing a delicious sandwich.

But I don't think it is. I think it is something else.

Something else much more worldly. Galactic, even.

But I could be wrong.

Exaggerating, just a bit

2011-06-04T22:51:00.004-05:00

This qualifies as a bionic leg for a cat? Really?

The cat shattered his femur in the fall and required emergency surgery, [Animal Care Services spokeswoman Lisa] Norwood said.

Without the surgery, the cat would have either had to have its leg amputated or would have had to be euthanized, Norwood said.

The cat, who was named Rocky, now has the feline version of a bionic leg, with pins holding his broken bones together.

(from KSAT-12)

Pins. They count as bionics. At least with cats.

Hell, if that's true, then go ahead and implant an RFID tag and call that cat a cyborg.

Chilling smiles III

2011-06-02T19:57:00.005-05:00

Dammit. The smiling thing has become a trend.

The suspect, 25-year-old Charles Allen Thomas, was jailed Wednesday night. Thomas is charged with killing 50-year-old Mark Wyatt back in January near East Houston and North New Braunfels.

Investigators believe Thomas may also be a suspect in other murders.

(from WOAI-TV; previous posts here)

And here's KABB's picture of the same guy.

Stay alert. These people are out there, and they just don't give a crap.

"Police: Repeat Drunken Driving Suspect Slipped Out Of Ankle Monitor"

2011-06-01T19:42:00.003-05:00

But, but she was home the whole time! She never left! How could she have been out drinking?

SAN ANTONIO -- A Northside woman accused of drinking and driving while she was supposed to be under house arrest may be the first person in Bexar County history to find a way around an ankle monitoring system, a county official said.

A San Antonio police officer arrested Stephanie Cerda, 25, early Saturday after she led him on a low speed chase from Loop 1604 & Blanco Road to her home on Hardy Oak Road.

...

At the time, Cerda was supposed to be under full house arrest and hooked up to a GPS monitoring system.

...

Mike Lozito, with Bexar County Pretrial Services, said this past weekend, it appears Cerda was able to slip off her ankle monitor, making it appear as if she was at home and complying with the court order.

"It appeared to be that she had put lotion on here and stretched the device," Lozito said. "We've never had that kind of thing happen before."

Lozito said his department is consulting with the monitor's manufacturer to make sure his officers are installing them properly.

(from KSAT-12)

OK, boys, let's make sure she keeps this thing on and really stays home. No pliers, no wire cutters, no tin snips, no paper clips, and definitely, definitely no lotion!

(KY's OK, though. We can't be cruel and unusual now, can we?)

Remnants of the past

2011-05-30T22:05:00.002-05:00

It's not that unusual to see some old building in the middle of downtown San Antonio, even one that has no particular historical significance. Though you're sure there is some history attached to the structure, it's obvious that it is not significant enough to warrant an actual restoration or refurbishment of said structure.

But then you look closer, and then you suddenly find yourself wanting to know more of that history. Wanting to know some of it.

Please, just a little bit of history. Or at least a little story.

Remember

2011-05-29T20:49:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day
San Antonio, Texas

Glad I could help, too, I guess

2011-05-29T19:00:00.003-05:00

Nice. Alan at Blogonomicon gets referrals to his blog that come from search strings about the freshness of cheese. What do I get? Hookers.

Let's hope this knowledge seeker from Carlsbad actually reads the link he got referred to, and let's hope he remembers it when he comes to visit San Antonio. Hunting for hookers can be dangerous.