Your Boss watches your facebook

With the advent of so many social media outlets, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others, many have relinquished their privacy to brazenly exhibit their personal, and sometimes inappropriate,  behavior.

Now, many businesses have downsized, or even eliminated their Human Resources departments, thanks  to these internet based looking glasses.  Background checks are a thing of the past when it is spilled out across the computer monitor for anyone to peruse.

A simple click of the mouse,  and....... voila!  Your life since your inception to the social media ranks is now displayed and recorded.

Hey, isn’t that Michael Phelps a taking a hit off a bong? 

What was Jake ranting about the waitress last night?

What’s up with Ashley’s language?

What a better way to view your potential employees and even your current employees, simply by logging on to someone’s account and seeing and/or hearing what they have been doing with themselves lately.

So now, everyone is up in arms, claiming this is a violation of their privacy.  Really?

They are so willing to post pictures, quotes and do so expeditiously via cell phones and computers.  Everyone has to know what they are doing, right now and with whom.

Have you been to a 5 star restaurant only to sit next to the geek who will not leave his Robot Cyborg MyPhone 6 alone?  Constantly texting and taking videos. Snapping pictures of him/herself and everyone around.  Scanning the surroundings with the gadget as if they were Cecil B. DeMille 

 (okay, I’m dating myself).  It’s as if everyone needs to know what they are doing, where they are at, who is there, etc.

But yet, if an employer looks at your social media page and deems that they are too “expressive” and choose not to hire them; it’s a violation of their privacy.

They say your private life is just that, private.  You shouldn’t judge on what they do in their personal life.

Well, if you choose to post yourself taking a hit from a “bong”, I don’t think you are going to pass the drug screening.

Posting yourself projectile vomiting at the local underground battle of the bands probably means you might not make it to work the next day.

Showing you and your buddies reenacting the last “Jackass” movie will definitely get thumbs down from the medical insurance carrier.

I know everyone is entitled to their opinions and maybe have a bad day or two.  But every day, using obscenities in every other sentence, to get your point across? 

Recently, a friend and her co-workers discovered several “home” movies, featuring a fellow employee, under a “stage” name, wearing nothing but a thong on YouTube.  She was gyrating in different locations, including next to a busy highway.  Her motions and hand positions were reminiscent of a fan dancer (so I’ve heard, ahem).  She was fired about two weeks later because of her “attendance” record.

Police officers have been suspended, even fired for extolling their exploits during their work shift.  The credibility in the court room during testimony has been rebuked based on their social media input.

Somehow, after viewing your life, displayed for the masses, BY YOU, doesn’t instill faith in your future with an establishment. So, was that party last month worth it?

Thanks, mom and dad for putting me through four years of college, but…

Silent and deadly, if you’re dinner…

A few years ago, I was unwittingly introduced to a native of Nevada.  An eight-legged native. (Map)

While doing some yard work, I think while trimming some bushes, I received a bite on my right leg, just above the ankle.  Never felt it. I noticed the bite while showering after.  Looked like a small red welt, no pain, no concern on my part.

Everyday afterwards, I noticed the area around the bite turning red, swelling slightly and the center bite area was growing in size, scabbing in the center. The whole area was getting sensitive to touch and real sensitive to heat, almost feeling like a burn.

As with most guys, I brushed it off, thinking the scab would dry up and fall off. 

But the scabbed area continued to grow and the red area grew in size also, larger than a softball.

I tried some natural lotion, which seemed to inflame it.

Concerned, I showed it to my yoga instructor.  She said, matter of factly, that “that’s a spider bite.  You need to go to the hospital and if you don’t, you could die. And that’s all I’m saying about it”.

Evidently, my stubbornness was well-known.

I was escorted to the emergency room at Centennial Hospital.  The triage nurse looked at my leg and immediately said “you got bit by a recluse”.

The doctor came in and diagnosed it as probably a spider bite, a desert recluse. He explained to me that in this area, we have the desert recluse, a relative of the more well-known brown recluse. He added I was lucky that is was a desert, and not a brown that had bitten me as the brown’s venom was more potent and I my wound would’ve been worse.  The venom is described as necrotic (killing the tissue) causing damage to the surrounding area around the bite. It may spread slowly if not treated, growing larger and causing more damage to   the tissue.   The brown recluse is located more towards the Midwest area of the country and not normally in this region.

The brown recluse is legendary.  Several pictures circulate around the web (get it?) showing results of bites and after treatment results.  Some of the more severe cases involved amputation of body parts.

After a couple of painful shots and a series of antibiotics, I was on the road to recovery.  However, to this day, I do bear the scar of the encounter.

This all happened approximately 4 years ago and I still have a golf ball sized scarred area, looking more like a large bruise with a darker center that will never go away.  It’s still a little tender, but not near as bad.

The desert recluse is sometimes called the “violin” or “fiddle back” spider because of the shape on the top of the body. 

They like cracks in the walls and floors, curtains, seldom used clothing and can get stuck in the bathtub or shower because of the smooth surfaces.  They seem to be common in the garage or storage areas of the home.

I’ve encountered several individuals who have been bit by the recluse and the symptoms seem to vary greatly.

Some experience very little discomfort with little scarring, while others endure painful lesions and end up with large, scarred areas.  One of my co-workers had a large area that wrapped around his midsection, aggravated by the equipment he had to wear for work.

Many believe that the spiders inject different amounts of venom depending on the situation, causing the difference in the wounds.

If you wish to see these eight-legged natives of southern Nevada close-up and in person, go to the Las Vegas Valley Water District’s Spring preserve, (website), and check out the wildlife and learn a lot about Las Vegas history.

What’s the charge, Officer?

In 2009, a single mother in South Carolina was arrested for “criminal neglect” and her 555 lb., 14 year old son was placed in foster care. (read) Coincidently, around the same time, a pediatric journal published a story about a 440 lb., 16 year old female that was hospitalized because of her excessive weight.

Due to regulations, healthcare providers are required to notify authorities (which authorities?) if a child comes to their facilities with “high-risk” factors due to excessive weight.  Severe obesity allegedly caused by parents not controlling their children’s unhealthy eating patterns, and not providing “healthy” alternatives or “force” them to exercise is included in the “high risk” category.

Really?  I can only imagine when I was working in law enforcement, getting that call…

“Adam-12, copy a call.  Be enroute to UMC hospital to pick up a 500 lb. 13 year old male.  His mother brought him in due to hypertension, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, low self-esteem, etc..”

“Control, Adam-12, I copy the call.  What am I supposed to do with him?”

“Adam-12.  His mother is to be arrested for child neglect because she is not feeding him properly and not forcing him to exercise, and he needs to be transported to another hospital for evaluation”.

“Control, Adam-12.  Isn’t he at the hospital?”.

“Adam-12, affirmative, but he needs to go to another hospital that participates in the program”.

“Copy, control.  I can transport the mom, but because of the size of the male and his medical needs, he’ll need to be transported by ambulance (at the cost of the taxpayers)”.

Can you imagine an official at your door with a scale?

There are several arguments from both sides of this battle.

Some argue that the kids need education about healthy eating habits in the schools.  Ok. But here's a question for you. Who is buying the food?  It’s not the kids.

Some say that the parents need the education.  Is there any assistance to provide better food for their family?  Easy steps to provide nutritious meals in one quick step?

Obviously, there are those that have the juvenile’s best interest at heart as far as their HEALTH, and there are those that have the family’s best interest at heart.

My two cents worth is based on working in the government, and experiencing the government’s efficiency. 

I have seen defendants sentenced to “counseling” for a myriad of crimes, only to manipulate the system and get the completion documents needed to satiate the court.

I know that the sooner an investigator can push one pile of paper from one side of their desk to the other, without the proper investigation or follow up, this qualifies as “getting the job done”.

I have experienced the primary, specializing, investigating bureau, calling the patrol officer to do their preliminary work, although they are not qualified to make those kinds of calls.

I have seen the system punish the parents (they have to take time off from work to come to court, possibly losing pay, paying a fine, paying for court ordered counseling, all money they can ill afford), with the children, who committed the offense, getting off, pretty much untouched.  The offenders realize that since they are juveniles, their criminal records are not available to most people, and that their parents or guardians have the responsibility to pay all the monies due to the court.

I have seen medically committed persons not getting the appropriate treatment they were sentenced to, and no follow up to ensure that the court's recommendation was obeyed.

So what happens if this system is invoked?

In case no one has noticed, the economy is in the toilet. Jurisdictions are implementing cost-saving procedures at a rate that only a caffeinated, hyper-active, tail-feathers-on-fire roadrunner could keep up with.

Statistics say that over 60% of everyone, yes everyone, everywhere, is overweight. (read)So if you have 5,000 friends on Facebook. Over 3,000 of them are fat.

People are trying to personally cope with the economy by purchasing cheaper food.  Cheaper food means lower quality, higher fat content and harmful ingredients.   

Wal-Mart recently announced that they will restructure their food products they sell to reflect a healthier alternative, lower in salt, sugar and fat, all over a five year period.

(Read Here) 

Okay, if your child or anyone in your family, for that matter, is 555 lbs., someone should’ve noticed a little earlier when the waist sizes exceeded 50 inches and maybe cut back on the cheap, unhealthy food.

But arrest the parents? Who gets arrested? Mom or dad? Both? Mom, because she may very well be the one that cooks? Does the child get to pick? And how do you arrest someone for not having the money to afford the really healthy foods?

I’m sure there will have to be a multi-gazillion dollar study done and numerous committees formed and government grants issued to remedy the issue. Then we have to form the Nevada Association of Childhood Health Options.  I’m sure there’s an acronym for something like that.

The local jurisdictions cannot cope with the workload they have now and cannot endure another program without cuts to other necessary programs. Doctors, dietitians, medical equipment, transportation, facilities, officers (patrol and corrections), court time and other needs will run in the millions needed to run this program.

I’m sure a specialist can counsel both the parents and the children at the same time in each visit, maybe a couple times a month. Really, all that needs to be said is

“If you want everyone in your family to live a healthy, productive life, eat these foods and not these foods.



THESE !



            

"Class is over"!.

Not These

Moped/scooter registration. Yes. Register your scooter. Oh yeah, helmet too. Ooops, insurance also.

Starting July 1^st, 2012, it will be mandatory to register and insure your scooter/moped AND wear a helmet while you operate it on public roadways. Nevada Assembly Bill 508 passed in May 2011, sealing the fate of all those who opted for the miserly, fuel sipping forms of transportation (100 mpg, plus or minus).

Sooo, all of you that bought the gas-saving vehicles (yes, vehicles per NRS 482.075) that thought you didn’t require registration (soon to be $33.00) or insurance (insurance companies are salivating over this, I’m sure) and didn’t need to wear a helmet, will now be required to get all that or be guilty of a misdemeanor.

I’m wondering what you will be getting for your $33.00.   All those fees, taxes usually associated with a regular registration and I’m sure you will still not be able to take it on the freeways. You will be getting a license plate.  Hmmm, wondering about that whole license plate light thing.  Geez, I don’t think they are manufactured with a license plate bracket.  Hey, Pep Boys…

I can only imagine the insurance companies trying to figure out the premiums.  “Do you have an alarm system?”, “How about a premium stereo system?”, “Custom wheels?”, “Airbags?”, “How much medical do you want?” 

On average, most pay less than $1,000.00 for a scooter/moped without “modifications”, so the costs should be minimal. But, if you are one of those that purchased the vehicle because of other previous driving indiscretions with four wheels or larger two wheel cycles, may have issues with getting a reasonable rate for insurance.  Insurance company’s memory rivals that of elephants.

For years, there has been a “gray” area regarding scooters and mopeds.

Depending on whom you asked, you may have been advised that a scooter, which is the rounded, powered, two-wheeled conveyance of choice or the moped, which resembles a bicycle with a motor did or didn’t require registration or a helmet. 

There was always some disagreement with the court system and Department of Motor Vehicles about the classification of these vehicles.  Several judges would routinely throw out the citations issued to violators of the driver’s license statute requiring licenses for operating a motor vehicle (self-propelled vehicles) due to the 50cc restriction on the motors which were always listed as 49cc and not capable of speeds in excess of 30 mph.  The basis of the dismissal was the interpretation that anything under 50cc didn’t qualify as a “vehicle”. Yet the law clearly defines a motor vehicle as self-propelled, with no limitations on motor size or type (e.g. electric).

The helmet thing I don’t have a problem with.

I’ve investigated several accident scenes where a helmet could’ve saved a life.  Instead of having your head cracked open, you’d end up with a headache.  Or missing a patch of hair (hey Hair Club) because your noggin skidded along the asphalt versus scuffing the paint off of your helmet.  How about those facial piercings?  They might as well be mini-asphalt anchors once you get nudged off your steed, doing wonders to moving your eyebrows to just below your chin.

Really?  For less than $50.00, you could possibly save yourself a $700.00 ambulance ride, minimum $1,000.00 emergency/trauma room visit, and Lord knows what the doc is charging you to stitch you up and the subsequent doctor’s visits and therapy.

I do recommend anyone that rides any type of two wheeled conveyance to have, at least, a helmet and gloves.  Minimum investment.  Definitely worth it when you fall down.

And yes, you need a license to operate the thing.  Any driver’s license will work and they do have a moped classification for a license.

So get ready.  You have a year to prepare.  Get your affairs in order.  If you have driver’s license issues, get them fixed.  A driver’s license violation can cost into the thousands, depending on the violation or if you’re involved in an accident (an enhancement, usually doubling the fine, whether you are at fault or not).

Make peace with your insurance company.

Find a reasonable helmet, not a plastic shell replica of a World War I helmet.

And find a license plate bracket for the back of your ride, probably with a built-in light.  Law requires that the plate be firmly affixed to your vehicle, not tied on with strings or bent-up wire.

Oh, and a nice pair of glasses to keep the bugs/rocks/dust/debris/etc., etc. out of your eyes doesn’t hurt either.

Happy Trails!

Penis envy?

I really was having second thoughts about this story.

Especially when the story circulated around our group of friends and I watched the reaction (mostly from the males in the group) which, based on the expressions, was one of extreme pain and knee clenching.

In Westminister, CA, a woman was charged with cutting off her husband’s penis with a 10 inch kitchen knife (read).

A 10 inch kitchen knife?

Must’ve needed some visual appeal during the act, like a sushi chef.  I wonder if she clanged it against the bed posts and flipped it around after cutting it off, maybe flipping it into a colander before dumping it down the garbage disposal and turning it on.  I could only imagine the show at the sink. I also wonder if the bedroom is within eyeshot of the kitchen and the sink.

 

Story has it that she drugged his food. He felt ill and went to bed to lie down.  He woke up to find himself tied down to the bed when she attacked him.

She must’ve used the same type of chains that shackled her in jail when she tied him down, because I’m sure that if there's a hidden, superhuman power that surfaces when the need arises (sorry), it should’ve kicked in and he would’ve snapped almost any bonds holding him down when he saw her approaching with that knife.

And then there's the flourish she used to end the show. I’m sure she remembers the John Bobbitt story and how they were able to sew it back on.  The garbage disposal solved that remedy.

She then called police and advised them of a medical emergency.  Really? 

I would love to have heard that call.

“911 operator.  What’s your emergency?”.

“Uhmmm, my husband’s hurt”. (Screaming in background)

“How is he hurt, ma’am?”.

“Uhmmm, he’s bleeding”. (Screaming in background)

“Why is he bleeding?”

“Uhmmmmm, he deserved it”. (Screaming in background)

“Ooookay. Does he need medical?”

“Uhmmm, yeah. And a locksmith”. (Screaming in background, “And a plumber!!!!”)

“A locksmith?”.

“Yeah, for the chains”. (Screaming in background, “PLUMBERRRR!!!”)

“Ooooookay.  I’m sending medical and an officer. Maybe a couple of them”.

When officers arrived, she told them “he deserved it” before showing them his profusely (really?) bleeding body.  She refused to speak to officers afterwards, obviously engaging her right to remain silent (screaming in background). And at that point, I'm sure they would have advised her with vigor and sincerity that she had the right to remain so.

The victim was transported to the hospital and suffered through surgery, and I’m sure some “Kodak” moments while under anesthesia (for research of course).

The local newspaper called and asked for an interview from the victim.  His only response was a squeaky “it’s a private matter”, apparently forgetting that the private part was long gone.

When officers visited him at the hospital, they stated he was in “amazingly good spirits considering everything he has gone through”.  Uh huh.

The fact that he had any spirits at all would be remarkable indeed. 

Maybe he fibbed a bit about his “manhood” when talking to the reconstructive surgeon?

Metro headquarters…Essential or not?

The new LVMPD “headquarters” is now open for business.   Employees are slowly moving in.   At the cost of over $1,000,000.00 per month rent.  Brand new furniture for everyone.  Three times the cost of what it was costing Metro to rent the previous buildings that it replaces. Technically it isn't even a "headquarters" because the specific things necessary for it to be classified as one were not added to the buildings because they would have cost too much. Like the appropriate security measures that  were originally asked for. Since it was way over the initial cost, they had to cut out those very things to save money.

It still remains unnamed.  Three guesses and the first two don’t count as to what it does get named?  Doug Gillespie LVMPD headquarters?  The rumor is he wanted to get the building in place to show the previous sheriff he could do what the other guy couldn't. And as for naming something this monumental, so huge in LVMPD's history, how about honoring one of the officers who dedicated their lives to the cause? Or even allowing the employees and former employees to pick a name?

Sheriff Gillespie describes it as “not a fancy building, but it’s a nice, practical building”.  

How practical is it?  No freight elevators in the buildings.  The furniture and equipment will have to be lugged up the passenger elevators or the stairs, increasing the cost of moving, I’m sure. Certainly increasing the length of time it will take to move in.

No reasonable roof access for maintenance to the roof mounted equipment, such as air conditioning units and communication devices.

Flooring not suitable for easy cleaning, mostly carpet.

Not enough power to the buildings, therefore not enough power for individual offices (department e-mails were sent out forbidding anyone to bring personal appliances, such as coffee makers, fans, heaters, fridges, etc).  There's barely enough power to run the necessary computer equipment. 

Keep your eye out for possible necessary upgrades in the future, which will then increase the cost of the buildings yet again. But I doubt that anyone will ever hear about that if LVMPD brass can help it.

And every LVMPD substation is supposedly built as “essential” buildings, meaning they can withstand more of what Mother Nature can dish out, such as seismic occurrences, except for some reason, the LVMPD “headquarters" was not built to these standards. 

The building is supposed to “improve efficiency and internal communication”, but I’ll bet the e-mail is still the internal communication of choice, whether you are sending it next door or to another building on the other side of the city. And to tell the truth, communications won't be much improved by having the units closer together, because the main issue keeping the units from talking to each other in a more timely manner was THEIR BOSSES.

Speaking of "efficiency", taking over 40 police officers off the street to provide security for the buildings 24/7 doesn’t ring "efficiency" to me.  Why not hire private security at half the cost?  If it’s good enough for the military, it should be okay for the local police.

If I pushed the right buttons on the calculator, the total Metro will pay for the “headquarters” is approximately $367 million.  If that is three times what they were originally paying for rent, we would’ve saved approximately $245 million by avoiding renting the new building.  Over $8 million a year savings?  And we are cutting our officer’s pay and benefits for a third year in a row?

The county has an option to buy the buildings in 3 years;  LVMPD will have paid almost $37 million by then.  Then they can buy it at “fair market value”.  Has the county or police department ever bought a building after leasing it? And rumor has it that LVMPD actually signed a 30 year lease anyway. Who actually benefits from this overpriced, underwhelming project anyway? Doesn't look like the county, city, or LVMPD in the long run. What is it about the buildings we seem to get for our administrators lately? They all seem to be underbuilt, lacking the necessary elements to work efficiently, designed poorly, and overpriced as well as taking longer to complete, just like the Regional Justice Center. Is the same person getting the bid to build them, because the same issues always seem to come up, and the same issues continue to plague each project. If you don't believe me, wait until the next rain and go visit the newer substations; they all leak in the same places!

Sheriff Gillespie added, “It’s not going to be a money-saver.  We never said it would be”. I guess the $14 million, over and above everything else, that Metro spent for “tenant improvements” didn’t save any money.  Yet Councilman Gary Reese said it would “save money and make the department more efficient”.  So who's right? And where did Reese get his version of the story, since he had to vote to allocate money for the buildings. The "headquarters" supposedly has a computer-controlled lighting system based on the employee’s schedule.   Not sure if that was a great idea.  In 23+ years on Metro, my schedule changed like the wind.  And the last thing you wanted me to do was mess with a computer program so I could have my office lights on. 

I guess I’d have to put a service request in to the IT department to help me with the computer controlled light switch.  How much is that service call?… (read here)

Join Metro + Get in Trouble = 5 Months Paid Vacation

Here’s a deal you can’t refuse.  Get five months of paid leave for the cost of one week’s wages.  Where was I when this deal was offered?

Two LVMPD officers were recently disciplined for a unauthorized jaunt, out of their jurisdiction, while checked out at Family court to cover the escapade.  (read this)

On Jan 19, 2011,Officers Brad Gallup and Jake Grunwald were stopped by Arizona law enforcement in a marked LVMPD patrol car traveling 20 mph over the speed limit.  The AZ officer thought that since it was out of place to see a LVMPD car in that neck of the woods, he had his dispatcher check with LVMPD dispatch to see if they were missing a patrol car.  Dispatch checked the vehicle number and noted that it was checked out at court and called the officers assigned to the vehicle.  After one officer finally answered his phone, they did acknowledge that they were in court and would walk out to check on the car.  No other voice transmissions were noted and approximately 90 minutes later, the officers and their vehicle were secured at the “Enterprise” substation.

Dolan Springs is approximately 100 miles away to the substation.

The LVMPD officers noticed the AZ officer following and pulled over voluntarily, giving a story about trying to find a spot for a photo shoot.

Both officers were placed on PAID leave after the incident pending resolution of the investigation.  The end result was each officer would give up a week’s pay for their joyride in the department’s vehicle, at taxpayer’s expense.

Let’s see.  200 miles  at $3.50 a gallon of gas, roundtrip at 20 mph over the speed limit is not conducive to good gas mileage in an overburdened Crown Vic. They lied about their whereabouts.  Approximately five months of paid administrative leave  (for each officer).  Investigative time for the department Internal Affairs Bureau (how the heck did this take five months to resolve?). And they pay for all of that with a 40 hours suspension?  (here's a bit more)

Shouldn’t the investigators be looked at for taking that much time for completing, what seems to be a very simple investigation?

Assistant Sheriff  Ray Flynn stated (just in case you wanted more) that he didn’t know where the officers were heading.  Doesn’t that make the investigation incomplete?

I remember the days when your sergeant told you to take an older vehicle and to drive it all shift long to put more miles on it so it could be retired quicker, but that practice stopped years ago, due to Las Vegas growing and putting a strain on police resources.  But your sergeant knew what you were doing all shift…how about officers Grunwald and Gallup’s supervisor?   Who incidentally, was a  Internal Affairs sergeant before being transferred back to patrol duties…Really?

Picking on the elderly…

I received a phone call from a friend who told me her mother was “scammed” by an individual calling her on the phone. 

When she picked up the phone, she was greeted by a male voice saying, “Hi grandma, it’s your grandson”.  She immediately acknowledged the caller by using her grandson’s name, Lucas.

The male then went into details that he had been arrested for drunk driving and had been involved in a vehicle accident.  He further stated that his blood alcohol level was a 0.09, barely above the legal limit.  He assured her that he was fine, but his bail for release was set at $9,600.00 and if he could come up with half that amount, $4,800.00, they would release him until the court date.

Grandma had not spoken with her grandson for some time and thought his voice sounded differently.  When she questioned him, he stated he “had a cold”.

He also asked her not to tell anyone else as not to embarrass him or other members of his family.

Grandma felt bad as she didn’t have enough money to bail him out and did call other family members, who verified that “Lucas” had not been involved in an accident, not in jail and was fine.

Grandma did verify that if she did have the money, she would’ve been en-route to the nearest Western Union to send the money.

A check on elderly phone scams, (Please Read here), revealed that this was a typical scam, preying on the elderly and abusing their love for family members, especially grandchildren.

Among other scams utilized organizations that the victims are familiar with, such as Social Security, their bank, Medicare, some lottery or sweepstakes or something to do with unclaimed money.

Usually, anything to do with some sort of winnings or sweepstakes requires the victim to pay “filing fees, taxes, customs or whatever”, amounting to hundreds of dollars or more only to find out that there was no money.

The best course of action is to be aware and educate potential victims. 

Personal information should never be given out over the phone.  Personal info is social security numbers, any info about your bank account or credit cards, driver’s license info, address, etc.  Any organization you do business will already have that info.

If someone contacts you on the phone and requests information about you, ask them their name and phone number.  If they refuse to give that to you, more than likely, it’s a scam.

Scammers will usually pressure you into a quick decision, usually telling the victim “you need to make a decision now”.

Never send cash immediately.

Let the answering machine answer unknown phone numbers and listen to the message, if they leave one.  Then you have more time to figure out whether the call is a potential scam.

We all have a responsibility to protect our loved ones and unfortunately, there are those who would prey on those willing to protect their families and friends.

Talk to your family and take the time to educate them and protect them.  The time you take in preventing a crime will always be substantially less trying to solve the crime.

Ban on cell phone usage and texting while driving.

As of October 2011, warnings will be issued to drivers caught using handheld phone devices and/or texting while operating a motor vehicle. (see Attached) You have to commit a primary offense, such as speeding, during this period to be stopped and warned of the up-coming laws.  Starting January 1^st, 2012, it will be considered a traffic violation, and you will be stopped for handheld phone usage and cited.  The 1st violation will cost you $50, the 2^nd $100, and the 3^rd $250.  Consideration was made to implement suspensions, but was not passed.  Handheld gaming devices will probably be considered under the same legislation.  Studies have shown that phone usage while operating a motor vehicle may be just as bad as driving while drunk (See attached). Consider this your 1st warning.....

Are fireworks worth the hassle?

    I went to my favorite park on July 5^th and attempted to walk my dogs, only to be met with debris from the previous night’s celebration.  The sidewalk was impassable as the discarded remains of spent bottle rockets, different sizes of cardboard cones, tubes and various other carcasses of expended fireworks littered the path.  In the grassy areas, there was an abundance of spent fireworks debris as well as other forms of picnic accoutrements. The park workers were using blowers in order to gather up as much of the trash as possible, creating mounds of litter.  Improper knowledge and disposal of expended fireworks can lead to property damage, injuries or worse.(see attached)

During the night of July 4^th, my house and surrounding area was bombarded with concussive explosions, falling debris from the sky and showers of sparks.  Thankfully, we had a decent rain the night before. I spent the next day walking around my property picking up the remnants of someone else’s anti-aircraft barrage.

In the past, the day after the 4^th always had Las Vegas skies dull with smoke residue, and thankfully, this year we had some wind and rain to help wash the smog away.

This particular year, I seemed to notice that there was an abundance of fireworks in the residential areas of town, and not all the legal type.  Huge blooms of rainbow colored sparks showered down on homes, and loud booms shook windows, setting off vehicle alarms and some residential alarms.  Animals were darting around, trying to find shelter from the noise and sparks.

I mentioned this to a friend, who advised me that the city/county was encouraging fireworks sales to bolster the economy (I’m sure this included permit fees).  I pointed out that most of the fireworks displays I observed were of the type not legal to buy or sell in Clark County, so it only benefitted the county where they were purchased, not here.  In fact, these types of fireworks are responsible for most of the fire related damages in Las Vegas.(Fox 5 Story) 

Some of the fireworks confiscated during a traffic stop follow-up had never been seen before, according to investigators, which should be a concern, since we all know that everyone reads instructions, right?