This is all about being stupid.
A 22-year-old man died after he was allegedly shot during a game of Russian roulette at a northwest Houston apartment early Saturday morning, authorities said.
Four men and one woman were in the 8700 block of Hammerly around midnight to celebrate a new apartment one of the men had just rented when the men decided to play Russian roulette, authorities said.
Investigators learned that one of the men pointed the gun at his head, but the weapon did not fire a live round.
For an unknown reason, that man then proceeded to point the gun at another man's head and fired a round, killing him, authorities said.
The three men then fled the scene, leaving the woman behind, authorities said.
At this time, no further information was immediately available.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Police still searching for the man who pulled the trigger
Officer fatally shot during traffic stop in NW Houston
This is a sad day for us in Houston. We just lost one of our local heros and he will be missed.
A Houston Police Department officer died this morning after being shot during a traffic stop in northwest Houston, department spokesman Gabe Ortiz said.
Police have taken a person into custody.
"We believe we have our man," said HPD Captain Bruce Williams.
The shooting occurred about 8:40 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 6000 block of West Sunforest at West Tidwell. The officer was taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
The officer's wife has arrived at the hospital, officials said. Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt has met with the family and is expected to make a statement. Several police officers are also at the hospital.
Joslyn Johnson, widow of slain officer Rodney Johnson, also arrived. She said she was going in to offer any kind of help she could to the officer's family.
"Every time it happens, it's just like it's happening to you again," said Johnson, whose husband was shot in 2006. She is also a police officer.
She said the shooting points out the need for Houston police officers to have two-person units. Crime scenes usually end up with two officers and two units, she said.
"Why can't they both be in the same car?'' she asked.
The officer, whose name has not been released, worked in the Northside patrol division. He has been an officer for at least 12 years.
The man taken into custody was picked up at a location in north Harris County. Authorities went there after checking the license plate of the vehicle that was the subject of the traffic stop.
No further information was immediately available
Friday, December 5, 2008
Fishermen nets bass — and lost class ring from 1987
How about this.
BUNA, Texas — A class ring lost for decades in an East Texas lake is back with its owner after turning up in a fish caught the day after Thanksgiving.
Joe Richardson of Buna told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he wishes he knew "how many fish it's been in."
Richardson was fishing at Lake Sam Rayburn about two weeks after his 1987 graduation from Universal Technical Institute in Houston when he lost the ring.
The 41-year-old mechanic says on Nov. 28 he received a call from a fisherman who had reeled in a more than 8-pound bass. The ring that had been in the fish had "Joe Richardson" etched in the band.
Richardson says the fisherman did an Internet search and made several calls before reaching him and returning the ring.
Buna is about 110 miles northeast of Houston
Gulf Oil CEO says gas could hit $1 next year
This I would like to see. How long has it been sense we saw gas at or lower than $1.00. Hell I can take a vacation at this rate.
By Julie Onufrak
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Dec 04, 2008 @ 06:00 AM
Last update Dec 04, 2008 @ 08:42 AM
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RANDOLPH — Gulf Oil CEO Joe Petrowski said on Wednesday that the price of oil could sink to $20 per barrel, and there is a chance gasoline prices could drop as low as $1 per gallon by early next year.
Speaking at a South Shore Chamber of Commerce breakfast at Lombardo’s in Randolph, the Brockton native said that after speculators drove oil prices up, there is a chance that the market will overshoot on the way back down, resulting in much lower prices at the pump.
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Gas prices have already sunk fairly rapidly this fall, reaching a statewide average of $1.85 for a gallon of regular-grade gasoline this week, following a plunge in crude oil prices.
Gulf Oil, which is based in Newton, is not an oil producer. Gulf stopped producing oil in 1986 and stopped refining oil in 1992, according to Petrowski. He said the company is a “fuel agnostic” wholesaler, and will sell whichever fuels customers and distributors demand.
Though he said the company benefits from lower energy prices, he said he believes the price of oil should range from $40 to $60 per barrel, depending on economic activity, in order to keep pace with inflation.
Petrowski said that policymakers should make low-cost energy a goal by investing in alternative energy sources, increasing domestic oil reserves, and diversifying the foreign origins of oil so as to be less dependent on unfriendly countries.
While he said he believes global warming is a danger, Petrowski is not sure there is as much of a correlation between carbon and global warming as some environmentalists claim.
“Carbon is our greatest threat – there’s another myth,” he said. “I do think economic devastation and reliance on foreign supplies of oil (are).”
Since gas prices peaked in July, Petrowski said some people have resumed driving habits that they avoided when gasoline was $4 a gallon in the summer. But he said he hopes that the motivation to create alternative energy sources will not be lost.
Gulf opened its first E85 ethanol fueling station at Logan Airport in October – just as gasoline prices sank and the demand for ethanol decreased. “Ethanol’s not a great business right now, but it will be,” Petrowski said.
He said that cellulosic ethanol will eventually replace corn-based ethanol, and that he thinks the U.S. should eventually get rid of the import tax on ethanol from places like Brazil.
Petrowski said that New England’s energy future is bright, with research and development going on at local universities as well as access to gasoline from refineries in Canada, the mid-Atlantic region, the Caribbean and Europe. “We’re no longer at the end of the pipe,” he said.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
TRICARE AND DOCTORS
I don't know how many of you out there are retired military types, like me, but when you retire from the military you can sign up for TRICARE. It's a good deal as far as your costs goes. Well I had not been having any problems with this insurance in the past, but now I am finding that more and more doctors do not accept TRICARE any longer. I had to go in for a colon check a couple of years ago, and it costs me $12.00 for the office visit/copay and uncle sugar paid for the rest, which is a lot less to the doctor than he would normally charge. Well now I am due for another one, and the doctor I used before no longer accepts TRICARE. This is good insurnace, but very limited in who accepts it. The only hospitals I can go to anywhere close by where I live is either Kigwood Medical Center or Conroe Texas (50 or so miles away). I guess the way things are going with our economy and the new prez, they will really be cutting back, and the first place to start is with us old retired military types. Just dosen't seem right to me.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Gift of Life
I got a request from Texas Fred requesting help for this young man, and I am glad to pass this info along. I would be in line if I lived in Dallas area, but I don't. Help if you can.
The Gift of Life
As we approach the Christmas season, our thoughts turn to giving. Traditionally we look for meaningful presents to give our loved ones that help us celebrate the gift of life that Christ gave us by his suffering and death. I am posting this request to ask that you give the gift of life itself to a complete stranger this Christmas.
His name is Tyler Seedig and he is a young Marine who was bound for his first duty station in just three weeks. He was home with his family this Thanksgiving weekend and went deer hunting with his older brother on Sunday. On the way back home they were involved in a car accident that claimed the life of the older brother and left Tyler severely burned. He was transported to the Parkland Burn Unit where he remains in a critical care unit with severe burns over 65% of his body. He will not be reporting to his unit in Afghanistan, nor will he be home for Christmas, New Years or possibly even Easter. Tyler will most likely spend the next six months in Parkland Hospital trying to survive the initial trauma, fight off the coming infections and allow his body to slowly rebuild.
Tyler needs blood. Plasma in particular, so the type is unimportant. I am asking any capable person who can to give the most precious gift possible this year and donate a pint of blood to Carter Blood Center in the name of Tyler Seedig, Parkland Burn Unit, Dallas, TX. It costs us nothing except time and minor discomfort to give, but it can save the life of Tyler or someone else in need.
Through out this season we always talk of helping those in need, of giving to those less fortunate and of remembering those who serve. Here is the perfect chance to do all of those things with a simple pint of blood. Help this young Marine who was embarking on a journey of service and self-sacrifice in order to defend your freedoms and serve this nation where ever the call might have taken him. Think of what a precious chance it is to be able to give life to another.
Please keep this family in your prayers as well. They have lost a son and must plan a funeral during a season which should bring joy to us all, while they stand by the bedside of another son who clings to life by a thread. Remember them this season as you celebrate the love of your own families and cherish those around you for you never know when the call home may come.
Judging Truth: The Gift of Life
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday Hero
23 years old from Cedar Park, Texas
2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
April 06, 2008
"He was a very creative kid, and when he wasn't in a challenging environment, he tried to make life interesting," Glenn Morris, father of Spc. Morris, said. "He excelled in a military school structure and in a team environment."
Before enlisting in the Army in 2005, Morris attended the Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia where he met a history teacher who inspired him to want to become an educator. "After his service, he wanted to go back to school and get a four-year degree to become a teacher," said his mother, Lisa. "He wanted to make a difference and give back to the community."
Spc. Morris was killed when his vehicle encountered an IED in Balad, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Cpt. Ulises Burgos-Cruz.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Military Truisms
"Aim towards the Enemy." [Instruction printed on US rocket launcher]
• When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is no longer our friend. [From a US Field Manual]
• Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs always hit the ground.
• Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.
• Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last, and don't ever volunteer to do anything.
• If your attack is going too well, you are walking into an ambush.
• If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly.
• Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you.
• No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection.
• Any ship can be a minesweeper . . . . once.
• If the enemy is in range, so are you.
• Tracers work both ways.
• Friendly fire isn't.
• Five second fuses only last three seconds.
• Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are.
• The problem with taking the easy way out is that the enemy has already mined it.
• Incoming fire has the right of way.
• The quartermaster has only two sizes: too large and too small.
• If you can see the enemy, he can see you.
• And never tell your Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
Why Rednecks Make Good Soldiers
Dear Ma & Pa:
Am well. Hope you are. Tell brother Walt & brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt & Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, they git warm water.
Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc..., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food. But tell Walt & Elmer you can always sit between two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys gets sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.
The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors & Colonels just ride around & frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt & Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Be sure to tell Walt & Elmer to hurry & join before other fellers get into this setup & come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Gail
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof & ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Military vs. Civilian Friends
Nothing like military friends. These are all true. Many is the time I had been TDY somewhere, and sure enough I would run into someone I new and had not seen in years.
You have to love our miltary, because there are none like them.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Tell you not to do something stupid when drunk
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will post 360 security so you don't get caught
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you're too busy to talk to them for a week.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having last time you met.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs
MILITARY FRIENDS: Call your parents when they're drunk and tell them about the fat chick you tried to pick up
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Hope the night out drinking goes smoothly, and hope that no one is late for the ride home.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Know some wild stuff will happen, and set up rally points "alpha, bravo and charlie" and an Escape & Evade route.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and tell you what you did was wrong.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...we screwed up...but hey, that was really fun!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Laugh at you and tell you that you might need some vagasil.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Steal each other's stuff so often nobody remembers who bought it in the first place.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are happy that someone picked up a one night stand and leave them alone.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will Low Crawl naked into the room with a camera and hope for the tag team.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will listen to your relationship problems and hope it works out for you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will listen to you over a long hard road march, and will help you straighten it out better than Dr. Phil.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Might try to hit on your girl behind your back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Have spooned with you in the field more than your girl has, and would never even think about doing that.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds @ss that left you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will try and talk to the bouncer when you get tossed out of the bar.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will man up and go after the bouncer for touching you on the way out.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will wish you had enough money to go out that night, and are sorry you couldn't come.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will share their last dollar with you, drag you along, and try to steal free drinks all night.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, "You better drink the rest of that, you know we don't waste.. That's alcohol abuse!!!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Want the money they loaned you back next week.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Can't begin to remember who owes who money after taking care of each other for so long.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will say "I can't handle Tequila anymore".
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will say "okay just one more" and then 2 minutes later "okay just one more".
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk trash to the person who talks trash about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will knock them out!!
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will tell you "They'd take a bullet for you."
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will actually take a bullet for you.
