Philly.com: Another fallen Phila. officer leaves city reeling:

A 30-year-old Philadelphia policeman was shot and killed yesterday by a wanted felon who fired several times into the fallen officer as he lay wounded on a North Philadelphia street.

"He stood over the top of him and killed him," said Homicide Capt. James Clark, who called the killing of Officer Patrick McDonald an "execution."

The officer's slaying came at the end of a foot pursuit and was followed by a shoot-out that left the felon dead, a second policeman seriously wounded, and the city grappling with the death of another police officer killed in the line of duty.

KIKO's HOUSE: Officer Patrick McDonald (1978-2008):

The murder of any police officer is an outrage, but when Highway Patrol Officer Patrick McDonald yesterday became the fourth Philadelphia cop to be gunned down in 11 months, the financial crisis and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, let alone the presidential campaign, seemed ever more like abstractions.

McDonald, a star athlete in high school and eight-year veteran of the force, was widely admired. The 30-year-old bachelor had bought and lived in the house in the Morrell Park neighborhood where he grew up, and neighbors considered him to be their son, their father and their protector.

For what it is worth, McDonald's assailant also died. For what it is worth, it will only be a matter of time before the handgun the perp used is likely traced through a series of legal transactions until it entered the city's thriving gray market in devices the kill. Because, you see, in Pennsylvania just about anyone can buy a gun with few or no questions asked. Just don't get caught smoking on school property or, heaven forbid, enjoy a puff of marijuana once in a while.

Katey's Kafe: Officers Down:

The POS who shot both McDonald and Bowes is no longer with us, thankfully. He has been exterminated.

I would also like to mention how much of a class act the NYPD is. They flew McDonald's sister from NYC to Temple Hospital so she could be with her brother. Way to go.

Prayers sent to the family of Officer McDonald and those in the Philadelphia Police Department. I'm so very sorry for your loss.

R.I.P. Officer McDonald

WHYY's Its Our City asks Does Philadelphia feel safer now than last year?:

How can the crime rate be lower when things seem out of control on the streets of Philadelphia? That’s what’s been going through my mind lately, especially after yesterday’s shooting death of a Philadelphia Police officer. But if you check the police website you’ll see that the homicide rate is down 20% over this time last year. That’s is a big improvement. But I also remember that one of Mayor Michael Nutter’s goals is also to reduce the fear of crime.

A woman named Hannah Upp is missing. Many on the Main Line are receiving a message we are about to post because this young woman, now a teacher in NYC, went to Bryn Mawr College and lived in our area as a student:

Last week Hannah Upp, a New York City public school teacher and a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, disappeared from her apartment in Harlem. The last time anyone saw her was around 2pm on the afternoon of Friday, August 29th. She had been planning to go away for the weekend so her roommates did not expect her until Saturday, or Sunday at the latest. When they had not seen or heard from Hannah on Sunday afternoon they began calling her phone but it went straight to voicemail each time. By Monday evening they were frantic and went into her room, where they found her keys, her phone, and her purse containing her ATM card, her Metro Card, and her only ID. They called the police. The police searched the apartment and when she did not show up for work on Tuesday, her first day of teaching for this school year, and it became clear that she had not gone in on Friday either, a Missing Persons report was filed.

Hannah is one of my dearest friends. I lived and studied with her for four years, and spent a summer in Europe with her. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met or had the pleasure of knowing well. Loving her has been a great joy.

Hannah's army of friends has just about wallpapered New York City in Missing posters and her story has received more media attention than we ever dreamed possible. There is nothing else anybody can do now but pray, and when there is nothing left to do but to pray, you have to pray like hell. Which is what I am asking all of you to do now.

You are just everybody in my gmail contact list. I don't know anything about your spiritual background. I don't care, either. Here is what I believe:

I believe that there is a divine presence, and that this presence is good. I believe that the divine creator that created human kind, or put into motion the series of events and conditions that allowed for the evolution of human kind, endowed every human being with a divinity all their own, for a divine creator cannot create anything but divine creations. I believe, therefore, that a sincere human expression of will, coming from a place of genuine love, understanding and wisdom, is in fact an expression of divine will, and that this is true prayer.

Please pray for Hannah. Pray for her safety and her happiness. You can pray in any way you like. You can make the sign of the cross and ask Jesus for help. Or meditate. Or chant. Or just think good thoughts about a good soul.

I also believe in the transformative power of pain and suffering. I believe that the pain Hannah is going through now, wherever she is, and the pain of her friends, missing her, can be used for good. It can remind us to tell our family and friends that we love them, to renew connections with loved ones, to appreciate the comfort and safety in our lives. Or, as in my case, it can strengthen a resolve to create a world where things like this do not happen to women.

Please do not let any pain or suffering be in vain. Tell your loved ones that you love them. And then tell them again.

Please forward this email to any or every one you know and ask them to pray for Hannah. Even if you, or they, don't know Hannah from a hole in the wall there is nothing wrong with one soul asking for another soul to be okay.

Also, if you, or anyone you know, have any media connections (TV, radio, newspaper, internet blogs, anything at all) please let them know about Hannah's story. We need all the press we can get. You never know when or how it will reach the one person that saw something that will help us find her.

Love,
Amanda (amanda.j.conroy@gmail.com)

Here is a news report (an excerpt):

ABC News: Teacher's Disappearance Baffles Friends, Family
Friends, Family Take Search to the Web
By ASHLEY PHILLIPS
Sept. 5, 2008

The disappearance of a young New York City school teacher just days before classes began has launched a massive search by her army of friends.

Hannah Upp, 23, was last seen a week ago.

Upp's distraught mother, Barbara Bellus, is keeping a vigil in her daughter's apartment.....Upp's two roommates, a man and a woman, became worried about her Sunday night when they hadn't heard from her, roommate Samantha Gallardo, 25, told ABCNews.com.

According to Gallardo, Upp's other roommate, fellow teacher Manny Ramirez, searched her room and saw that her purse, wallet, cell phone, ATM card and subway card were all there.

"My roommate woke me up and we went down to the police station. They didn't seem too concerned about it at first, but at 4 a.m. that night there were already detectives in our apartment," Gallardo said. "There's been police in our apartment since." ...When they found out she was missing, Upp's network of friends from around the city and from her alma mater, Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania, sprang into action. Several flew in from out of town and plastered the city with flyers

Read about it at AllSpinZone.com.

Give to Philabundance and fight hunger in the Philadelphia region today.

Mythic Entertainment has announced that more beta keys for Warhammer Online have been sent out. Now hot wire again! Mythic Entertainment posted another news over at the official European Warhammer Online website that they are looking for more guilds to join the European WAR Guild Beta! And check out below, it is the quote from EU forum.



Now that the WAR Guild Beta is underway we are looking for even more fresh recruits to bring the WAR to the battlefields of the Age of Reckoning! If you think your guild is up to the task then pop over to this Freddyhouse thread and raise your standard!



The guilds with the best website and the best recruitment post will be given the opportunity to join us in the Warhammer Guild Beta Test so don't delay, bang your drum and get your comrades into the action!



Did you get a closed beta invite to WAR recently? Guys, just check your Beta Centers and Inboxes as today might be your lucky day!



Let’s go back to some older closed beta news here, according to the press release, 10,000 guilds applied to take part in the WAR Guild Beta. That's around 750,000 applicants. The lucky few who get in will be able to test Guild Public Quests, Heraldy features, new dungeons, scenarios, and user interface updates.



Marc Jacobs, the vice president and general manager of EA Mythic, was very optimistic about the launch of the Guild Beta. Here's what he had to say about it:



WAR Guild Beta is here and some of the world's most experienced MMO players will now get a chance to play one of the most anticipated MMOs of all time. We look forward to seeing them beat, bash and burn their way through the world that we have created for their enjoyment. It's going to be a lot of fun and it's going to be glorious!



You know, Warhammer Online is on its way, and GMBAR will keep an eye on the updates for WAR. Welcome to http://www.gmbar.com , we are about to supply WAR Gold and Warhammer CD Key and other MMOG service for Warhammer Online. So drop by for more at GMBAR.COM.

There is a new threat to the security of common standard mechanical locks, this threat is the bump key. The principle of bump keys is very simple and that is the reason why it carries such a threat to the security of over 90% of all households. Creating a bump key is very simple and cheap; or you can actually purchase a complete set of bump keys online for just a few dollars. The action of using a bump key is referred to as lock bumping; and lock bumping is the ability to manipulate a lock with a regular key that is simply cut in a very specific way. Lock bumping a lock can take just a few seconds for some with very little experience. It takes very little skill and does not require and special equipment, in most cases a key blank, a file and screwdriver will be sufficient.

With the new technology age and the wide spread of information on the internet more and more people are learning about this simple method to manipulate your conventional lock. There are complete “How to” guides and instructions easily found online allowing even someone with absolutely no technical skill to learn how to bump key a lock. The solution to bump keying is to have high security locks which are known to be “bump proof”. Conventional locks are vulnerable to simple intruder attacks such as picking, drilling or making unauthorized copies of keys. High security locks have more than just a primary locking system, but also have a secondary one as well.

A common scenario we see often is customers that call in after their home was broken into most likely with a bump key. There is no sign of forced entry when bumping a lock and therefore even insurance companies will not accept the claim of burglary and just assume you had left your door unlocked. You can actually get burglarized and have all your valuable belongings stolen yet still you will not be able to have your insurance company cover your losses.

There are a few popular misleading suggestions for protecting yourself against bump keying such as the following:

* As long as you have an alarm system you have nothing to worry about. False. An alarm system simply notifies someone that an intrusion has been detected. With the average response time for alarms growing this will not have much effect as the break in has already been done.
* Use of sliding bolts to lock your door from the inside. False. This may be helpful only when you are present and in the property, but you cannot lock these sliding bolts when you are not inside the house.

Conclusions:

o Over 90% of households in America use a conventional lock which is vulnerable to lock bumping.
o If you have a standard lock, it can be bumped easily.
o Anyone can produce a lock bumping key in just a few minutes.
o If your home is broken into using a bump key, there will be no signs of forced entry or damage. This will result in having your insurance company deny any claims of burglary on your part.
o With everyone sharing information on the internet about how to bump key a lock and with bump keys offered for sale online for just a few dollars; it is definitely time to protect yourself with a high security lock.

You can read more about bump keying and high security locks at this Philadelphia Locksmith website.

We need your help. Bonnie Nardini,a South Philly resident, suffers with bi-polar disorder and she went missing in Center City Philadelphia Tuesday morning without a trace. She has no money and no meds which means we’re now in crisis mode. The police were contacted yesterday and are asking for citizens’ help. We have contacted all of the area hospitals in Philadelphia and the morgue and there has been no sign of Bonnie.

The story is running on NBC 10 and KYW1060. The other local news stations have been contacted and we’re hoping that they will help us too. There is a photo of Bonnie on the Web link above.

If she has just wondered off, she’s likely to be found in Center City, South Philly or South Jersey. However, since we have no idea where she could be or what happened to her, we’re asking that you please spread the word.

She was last seen in the vicinity of 11th and Spruce Streets in Philadelphia on Tuesday, May 27th at 9:30 AM wearing a white button-down shirt and beige Capri-pants. Bonnie is approximately 5’1” tall, weighs about 105-110 lbs, has blonde hair which was recently cut very short and blue eyes.

Thank you so much for your help.

May 9, 2008
To whom it may concern,
Willan Franklyn Joseph, a man claiming to be a Civil Rights Attorney received and cashed an insurance claim check from Nautilus Insurance Co., on behalf of the 558 N. 16th St. Condominium Association. This insurance claim check was for a fire damage claim that occurred on November 23, 2004, at the hands of contractors who were reported to be smoking while working with a propane torch. Mr. Joseph, the self-appointed president and owner of unit #2 and unit #3, negotiated on behalf of Unit #1’s owner, Mrs. Essie Swain, a senior-citizen, retired teacher who volunteers teaching children and adults to read. Mr. Joseph illegally and immorally negotiated and accepted a claim adjustment on Mrs. Swain’s behalf, without her written or oral consent to do so. As a result, the claims check that was received and cashed in February 2005, by Willan Franklyn Joseph through his I.O.L.T.A. account for attorneys in the amount of approximately $173,000. Mrs. Swain hired an independent adjuster who assessed the total damages at $118,000. Mr. Josephs informed the independent adjuster, hired by Mrs. Swain, that an adjuster hired by Mr. Joseph would be adjusting the claim on behalf of the 558 N. 16th St. Condo Association. As a result the adjuster hired by Mr. Joseph assessed the damages for Mrs. Swain Unit at roughly $13,000 which was accepted by Willan Franklyn Joseph; Mrs. Swain was never given an opportunity to accept or reject the claim adjuster’s damage assessment. As of today, May 9, 2008, Mrs. Swain has not received any funds from Mr. Joseph. Mrs. Swain was forced to retain the services of Edith A. Pearce, Esquire, and has accumulated legal fees in the $20,000 range. Out of pocket expenses include loss of use, loss of rent, personal- property damage, real property damage, building supplies, repairs to common areas as well to Mr. Joseph‘s condo. The repairs were paid by Mrs. Swain in order to keep her condo unit from sustaining any further damages. The repairs also include a new roof that was paid for out of pocket by Mrs. Swain, totaling approximately $23,000. Mr. Joseph has not provided an account or escrow account of the funds that he received 39 months ago. The damages involving this case have escalated to more than $400k, due to the lack of repairs in a timely manner by Mr. Joseph, as well as, an inadequate damage assessment by Young Adjustment Company, hired by Mr. Joseph. The District Attorney’s Office of Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Insurance Commission and the Disciplinary Board of Attorneys have all been contacted to report the unethical and illegal actions of Willan Franklyn Joseph. The District Attorney’s Office had the file for 4 months and nothing was done. Mrs. Essie Swain has been fighting this situation for more than 3 years and received nothing but financial hardship, stress, frustration, legal fees, out of pocket fees and expenses. The absolute baffling part is that this “attorney”, despite the file given to the D.A. office containing a lot of incriminating evidence, in regards to this incident , as well as, several other incidents, Willan Franklyn Joseph has not been charged, tried, reported for theft, Insurance Fraud or anything. Why or How is that possible? Are attorneys above the law? Is this kind of behavior acceptable from an individual claiming to represent and practice law? Willan Franklyn Joseph is an absolute embarrassment to the legal profession as well as, the human race. Aadditional information is available upon request. Please let us know, if you are able to assist in resolving this problem. Thanking you in advance for your immediate attention to this situation.
Mrs. Essie Swain – EssieGranam@aol.com
Mr. Art Swain Jr, -Artbowl826@aol.com

Spotcrime.com is one of the most comprehensive databases of crime data in the US. We've started with the largest cities in the US (including Philadlephia)

The following map contains all the most recent crime events that we could source. http://www.spotcrime.com/philadelphia

Please let us know your thoughts at feedback@spotcrime.com

LOVE POTION NUMBER NINE
"I took my troubles down to Madame Rue
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine

I told her that I was a flop with chics
I've been this way since 1956
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
She said "What you need is Love Potion Number Nine"

....I didn't know if it was day or night
I started kissin' everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine"

Well, Wall Street is undoubtedly popping champagne over this news. The irony is inescapable, of course:

Sacred Monkeys: Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, Linked to Prostitution Ring as Client 9 ...Resignation Cannot be Far Away

What was that sound? That was the sound of the thud of Eliot Spitzer’s career falling off the Empire State Building.

And for the political bomb shell of the day..the Governor of New York, Democrat Eliot Spitzer, has been linked to a prostitution ring, this is going to leave a political mark. Eliot Spitzer has been identified as “Client 9” in “Hooker-gate”. Not just any “hookergate, but a $5500 per hour hookergate

Please watch this music video on YouTube about Breaking the Cycle in Philly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DvWaDNDXmM

Thanks!

We are ready to retch over an AP story we just read - as you know out of curiousity we follow real estate and mortgage stories out there so we stay current.

Even more disturbing? This AP article is about people who abandon their pets when they abandon their homes one step ahead of the foreclosure man. This article is profoundly disturbing, and people who do this should get their asses thrown in jail. Our pets depend on us, they are part of our families. They aren't furry accessories to be discarded...

Foreclosures Lead to Abandoned Animals
By EVELYN NIEVES – 4 days ago

The house was ravaged — its floors ripped, walls busted and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull.

The dog found by workers was too far gone to save — another example of how pets are becoming the newest victims of the nation's mortgage crisis as homeowners leave animals behind when they can no longer afford their property.

Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County in northern California. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."

....The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters and drawing fury from bloggers, especially as photos of emaciated animals circulate on the Internet.

The first people to enter an abandoned house, such as property inspectors and real estate brokers, have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits and lizards in children's bedrooms.

No one keeps track of the numbers of abandoned pets, but anecdotal evidence suggests that forsaken animals are becoming a problem wherever foreclosures are climbing...

and

Hidden victims of mortgage crisis: Pets/Owners abandoning their dogs and cats after foreclosure

related video

Please support animal rescue and no kill shelters. We suggest Main Line Animal Rescue. Support them, support your SPCA, support breed specific rescue...

Another story all shoud read is A mortgage crisis that didn't have to be
By Gail MarksJarvis Chicago Tribune:

"It's not a pretty picture, and it didn't have to come to this.
The worst housing slump since World War II is showing no sign of abating. Manufacturing activity is hinting at recession. Employment is weakening. The stock market has fallen dramatically. The mistakes banks and brokers made with mortgage-related bonds have left a lingering credit crunch, or a reluctance by lenders to make affordable loans to consumers and businesses.

Investors have gone into the new year with a dreary attitude, and Wall Street analysts are warning investors to be careful.

"Batten down the hatches," Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. economist Michelle Meyer said in a recent report.

Meyer estimates that the housing mess, which set off the economy's problems, is only half over, and that home prices will be down at least 15 percent when they hit bottom in 2009.....As early as 1999 to 2000, consumer advocates were tracking what Keest calls a "foreclosure crisis," in which one in four homeowners were unable to handle payments.

"The industry wouldn't listen," she said."

Are dogs possessions or members of the family? Do puppy lemon laws mean anything?

Look, this topic of irresponsible dog breeding, dog hoarding, pet abuse is a topic that makes me sick to my stomach. A long time ago, I put up a post called "ANOTHER PA Dog Breeder violates Puppy Lemon Laws....". The post has stayed a bit active...recently, someone claiming to be the breeder in question has posted comments. I have no problem with that, but her lawyers might as it puts her ever so out there...in the comments, whomever this person is said they would replace "defective" puppies?

Dogs are not shoes they are members of our families, so ...to some people what was suggested is fine, but to others, that is like trading in a defective child. And that leads me to an interesting question: what do these breeders do with "defective" puppies that people return? Where do unwanted puppies go?

So anyway, I found the following on the web:

January 29, 2008
Bullie Pups R Us case still pending

I've received quite a few comments and e-mails about the status of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's lawsuit against Bullie Pups R Us and its owner Traci Murai.

My entry on English bulldogs hitting the AKC top 10 breeds is what stirred the pot on this issue.

I had been trying to get a comment from Attorney General Tom Corbett's office for about two weeks and finally got some information today.

According to Nils Frederiksen, deputy press secretary for the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office, the Bullie Pups R Us lawsuit is an ongoing civil case. The Reading Eagle had published a story when the case was filed, back in April of 2006

Reading Eagle Paws Blog

Press: The Attorney General's Press Office - Pennsylvania Office ...

Better Business Bureau Reliability Report

Kennel Shut Down For Selling Sick Bulldogs

Thoughts on Paws: April 2006 Archives

PetAbuse.com

Classified Ad Online

Reading Eagle Paws Blog

next day pets ad

bulldogs from russia

Is this the breeder website? BulliePupsRUs Legal Info

NOTE: OFFERS FOR SALE ARE NOT VALID TO RESIDENTS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

Refund/Cancellation policy
NO REFUNDS in part or in full will be given for ANY reason. ONLY full credit for another puppy will be given for any and all reasons.

If you are unhappy with your puppy for any reason that is not covered under the contract, and that we feel is valid, we will possibly work with you on getting a second puppy at a siginifigant discount. We review each case individually and retain the right to refuse a discount for another puppy at any given time.

Additional important links... Please check to see if your state has a Puppy Lemon Law.

Currently 11 states throughout the USA have Puppy Lemon Laws. Know your rights!

Is this breeder now only selling OUTSIDE of the Commonwealth of PA? Do the people buying these dogs know that probably invalidates at least some of their rights under puppy lemon laws? (I am not a lawyer, but a lawyer told me possibly "yes") If you breed good dogs, why all the random registries? (non AKC)

www.bulliepupsrus.com/forsale

redorbit.com: amity kennel is sued by state

dog channel

news story (related)

k9 stud

k9stud

Publication:Reading Eagle; Date:Mar 14, 2007; Section:Berks & Beyond; Page Number:B3
Police log

District judges

(All information was obtained through records in the Berks County Courthouse.)

Before Victor M. Frederick IV: Cases waived into court:

Traci Murai, 36, of the 300 block of West Morlatten Road, Amity Township, forgery and tampering with records.

awarenessday.org

bulliepupsrusattorneygeneral.blogspot.com

AMBER ALERT CHILD ID KIT – Unlike Any ID Kit You Know.
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