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SINCE 1994 and reaching more than 106,000 subscribers in over 200 countries, this is the 821st weekly issue of... THIS is TRUE: 7 March 2010 Copyright http://www.thisistrue.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMOOTH MOVE: Florida Highway Patrol troopers investigating a crash on Cudjoe Key determined the cause: as she drove, a 37-year-old woman was shaving her ...uh... "bikini area" while her ex-husband, in the passenger seat, was steering. After rear-ending another vehicle, they drove another half-mile, and her ex allegedly switched seats with her. As for the unusual distraction, "She said she was meeting her boyfriend in Key West and wanted to be ready for the visit," said Trooper Gary Dunick. "If I wasn't there, I wouldn't have believed it." The day before the crash, driver Megan Mariah Barnes was convicted of drunk driving (not her first offense), and driving with a suspended license. Her license was revoked for five years, and she was ordered to turn in her car for impound. After the crash, Barnes was arrested and charged with hit and run, reckless driving, driving without insurance, and driving with a revoked license. Her ex-husband was not charged. (Key West Citizen) ...Since once the trooper heard the story, he could understand why he wasn't watching the road. BASES OUT AND THE BATTER IS LOADED: Police in the Washington County, Penn., borough of Charleroi were called to a home on a report of a disturbance. Jeffrey Newstrom, 21, reported that his mother came home "highly intoxicated" and started an argument. As he gathered his things to leave, Linda Lee Newstrom, 49, allegedly swung at him with a baseball bat, but missed (strike one!). She swung again and missed (strike two!), but on her third try she "connected," he said. She admitted hitting him, police say, telling responding officers, "I brought him into this world and I'll take him out of this world." She was arrested and charged with assault, reckless endangerment, harassment and disorderly conduct. (Washington Observer-Reporter) ...And aggravated use of a tired cliche. ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- YOU'RE ASKED AT WORK to supervise a Project Manager. Quick: how do you learn more without looking like an idiot? Learn the basics of Project Management so you can get up to speed quickly on the topic and not look stupid. Lots of New Articles Posted: http://www.ProjectManagementWonk.com ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- VIBRATING WITH FEAR: A woman in Bochum, Germany, called police in a panic: there was a terrible noise in her bedroom, and she had no idea what it could be. Officers were immediately dispatched: dispatchers could even hear it over the phone. "Daringly, and with the occupier's permission, one of the officers opened the drawer of a wardrobe where the noise was coming from," police said in a press release. "Underneath some clothes he found a very personal, battery-operated object which had obviously switched itself on," the report continued. "The tenant's face abruptly changed color," and the officers "wished her a nice evening and left." (AFP) ...You might consider Bochum police to be sensitive, caring, and discreet -- until you consider the fact they issued a press release on the case. ALL WET: Quan and Angelina Ha wanted to be better citizens, and not use so much water in arid southern California. The couple used 299,221 gallons of water in 2007, and figured their landscaping was using most of it. Paying for the water was bad enough, but municipalities were starting to fine people for using too much water during droughts. "We've got a newborn, so we want to start worrying about her future," Quan said, so the couple tore out their lawn and other thirsty plants, replacing it all with bark chips and drought-tolerant plants. In 2009 their water use was down to 58,348 gallons -- more than an 80 percent reduction. No good, the City of Orange said: city law requires that 40 percent of a yard must be landscaped "predominantly with live plants," and officials aren't impressed by the Has' conservation efforts. The city has sued the couple, and filed misdemeanor criminal charges against them. "Compliance, that's all we've ever wanted," said Senior Assistant City Attorney Wayne Winthers. (Los Angeles Times) ...Compliance, control -- what's the difference? BE ON THE LOOKOUT: "Car with No Wheel Tips off Carroll Township Police to DUI" -- Carlisle (Penn.) Sentinel headline DID YOU FIND an error? See http://www.thisistrue.com/errata.html BUT OF COURSE I have the mug shot for the gal in the first story (the shaving driver)! http://www.MugShotMuseum.com/smooth_move_megan.html has it with some more details and quotes, and another "tagline" below her mug shot that I couldn't use in TRUE because, well, it was a bit too crude, but more because it depends on learning something from seeing her mug shot.... That's for sure the funniest *story* on the Mug Shot Museum site this week. The funniest *mug shot* is in "Kitt in the Hall", if only for the absolutely stupid look on the guy's face (which story is pretty good too!) FIVE MORE STORIES: The full edition also had the story of the registered lobbyist for an anti-domestic-violence group ...who apparently shot her new husband to death. Six-year-old boy suspended from school for playing with a "gun" at school ...his pointing finger. Citizens with holstered guns allowed into county meeting ...but man with holstered pitchfork is arrested. Man caught steeling a beer ...to celebrate being let out of jail, where he was held for eight months ...for petty theft. Police informant gets the evidence by buying drugs from dealer ...and then goes back for more for himself. Every week you miss great stories. To get them all see http://www.thisistrue.com/upgrade.html o o o BEST MUG SHOTS OF THE WEEK: the funniest *mug shot* is in ""; the funniest *story* is "". You'll find those and more at http://www.MugShotMuseum.com AND AMONG THE LATEST postings to Jumbo Joke: Signs of the Light Bulb (or, How many members of your astrological sign does it take to change a light bulb?) http://www.JumboJoke.com ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- FLOORED BY REMODELING DECISIONS? Get answers to your questions about flooring options: How do you wade through the sales hype? The Flooring Lady, an independent flooring expert, will help you wind your way through the maze. http://www.TheFlooringLady.com Our "Sister Site" has information about window coverings, too: http://www.TheWindowCoveringLady.com ----------==========**********O**********==========---------- TEN YEARS AGO IN TRUE: Couple fights police over money they found (with one of my favorite taglines): http://thisistrue.com/7062 And don't forget http://i.thisistrue.com for a new story every day on your iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, or other web-enabled phone! THIS WEEK'S HONORARY UNSUBSCRIBE goes to Mariya Dolina. She was a "Hero of the Soviet Union" ...during a time before the Cold War, when the USSR was a strong ally. For the full story (and her photo) see http://www.HonoraryUnsubscribe.com/mariya_dolina.html NOTE: The full Honorary Unsubscribe is included in the Premium edition -- you don't have to click to a web site to read it. Support the publication that brings it to you! http://thisistrue.com/upgrade.html HONORARY UNSUBSCRIBE ARCHIVE: http://www.HonoraryUnsubscribe.com YOU CAN REALLY HELP TRUE: Send this issue (in its entirety, please) to a friend with your personal recommendation. A friend told YOU about this newsletter, right? Pass the favor on! Thanks. TIRED OF BEING TOLD WHERE TO GO? "Get Out of Hell Free" with our popular and (in?)famous cards, created in response to a reader telling Randy he was doomed. http://www.GOOHF.com SUBSCRIPTIONS to "This is True" are free at http://www.thisistrue.com Published weekly by ThisIsTrue.Inc, PO Box 666, Ridgway CO 81432 USA (ISSN 1521-1932). TRUE is available to newspapers as a regular feature column. "This is True" is a registered trademark of ThisIsTrue.Inc COPYRIGHT 2010 by Randy Cassingham, All Rights Reserved. All stories are completely rewritten by Randy Cassingham using facts from the noted sources. 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