Steff

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060224/ap_on_...WtkBHNlYwM3MTg- TOM HAYS, Associated Press Writer Fri Feb 24, 5:47 AM ET NEW YORK - The owner of a biomedical supply house and three others were charged with selling body parts for use in transplants in a scheme a district attorney called "something out of a cheap horror movie." Prosecutors said Thursday the defendants made millions of dollars obtaining bodies from funeral parlors in three states and forging death certificates and organ donor consent forms to make it look as if the bones, skin, tendons, heart valves and other tissue were legally removed. The indictment was the first set of charges to come out of a widening scandal involving scores of funeral homes and hundreds of bodies, including that of "Masterpiece Theatre" host Alistair Cooke, who died in 2004. The investigation has raised fears that some of the body parts could spread disease to transplant recipients. "I think we can agree that the conduct uncovered in this case is among the most ghastly imaginable," said Rose Gill Hearn, commissioner of the city Department of Investigation. "It was shockingly callous in its disregard for the sanctity of human remains." Michael Mastromarino, owner of Biomedical Tissue Services of Fort Lee, N.J., was charged along with Brooklyn funeral home owner Joseph Nicelli. Mastromarino was an oral surgeon who went into the tissue business after losing his dentist license, prosecutors said. Nicelli was a partner in the business, they said. The other defendants were Lee Crucetta and Christopher Aldorasi. All four pleaded not guilty to charges of enterprise corruption, body stealing and opening graves, unlawful dissection, forgery and other counts. Prosecutors said the defendants took organs from people who had not given consent or were too old or too sick to donate. The defendants forged consent forms and altered the death certificates to indicate the victims had been younger and healthier, authorities said. X-rays and photos of recently exhumed cadavers show that where leg bones should have been, someone had inserted white plastic pipes — the kind used for home plumbing projects, available at any hardware store. The pipes were crudely reconnected to hip and ankle bones with screws before the legs were sewn back up. Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes called it "something out of a cheap horror movie." Prosecutors said the body parts were sold to tissue suppliers and ultimately used in disk replacements, knee operations, dental implants and a variety of other surgical procedures performed by unsuspecting doctors across the United States and in Canada. The bodies came from funeral homes in New York City, Rochester, Philadelphia and New Jersey that contracted with the Brooklyn funeral parlor for embalming. Prosecutors said more arrests were possible. Nicelli was paid up to $1,000 per body to deliver corpses to a secret operating room at his funeral parlor, where Mastromarino would remove body parts, authorities said. Crucetta, a nurse, and Aldorasi allegedly helped Mastromarino. Mastromarino made up to $7,000 a body by selling the tissue, authorities said, and the corpses were then returned to unsuspecting funeral directors for burial. The scheme began to unravel in late 2004, when a detective responded to a report from the new owner of Nicelli's funeral home that he allegedly cheated customers out of funeral deposits. The detective grew suspicious when she saw the hidden operating room, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. Mastromarino "vehemently denies doing anything illegal or wrong," defense attorney Mario Gallucci said. Mastromarino contends he "was not responsible for interacting with the families of the deceased nor in obtaining the documentation needed to harvest the tissue." Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration closed Biomedical Tissue Services, saying it had evidence the company failed to screen for contaminated tissue. The agency warned that patients who received the company's products could have been exposed to diseases, although the FDA insisted the risk was minimal.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:47 PM) Well I called the phone help line, and they said they can't block the specific number, (US Cellular) and to register with the do not call list. They also made the suggestion of assigning the number a ringtone, and if they still bug me to change my number. I guess I'll figure out the damage, if any, in another week or so. I'd call back and tell them to check your bill. Mention that you won't be paying it if there are fradulent charges and will hold them responsible for not helping you. If anything, that might get you on the line with someone over a normal customer service person who should be able to help you more then what they told you.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:36 PM) I did something stupid a few weeks ago. My mom and I were listening to the Score on a Saturday morning, and this one guy kept plugging his 800 number for free picks. My mom was complaining about how obnoxious he was, and I figured he was just going to give out different results to the same game so I wanted to bust the guy. The first 800 number I called was a message plugging his 900 number that cost $15 where you got 3 picks. It said to get connected to that 900 numbers press any number (or key?) so I hung up. Then I called a different numbers and got a live operator asking me about getting free picks. I was expecting a message, so I just played it off like I dialed the wrong number. About an hour later this 702 area code number calls me asking me about betting on basketball, and I told him I'm not invovled with that crap and I dialed the wrong number. Since then they have called me from a couple of different numbers (I assigned it to an ignore contact with a seperate ringer) left me a voicemail once, and got me to pick up another time because it came up as "restricted" on my phone. I'm afraid I'm getting billed from these assholes, but I'm really not in the mood to change my phone number. Any advice? Call the phone company and tell them what happened. You should be able to get a bill mid cycle and check if they are somehow charging you. You should also have the ability to block them (I have this option on my Trio with Cingular service). Doesn't help if they call from different #'s every time, but hopefully after you block them a few times they will stop calling.

http://www.wral.com/news/7373950/detail.html# With student who is 18... POSTED: 4:38 pm EST February 23, 2006 UPDATED: 5:37 pm EST February 23, 2006 GOLDSBORO, N.C. -- A Wayne County teacher has been arrested and charged with a felony for allegedly having sex with an 18-year-old male student. Laurie Spurlock, 36, of Goldsboro, a teacher at Charles B. Aycock High School, turned herself in to authorities Thursday afternoon after the Wayne County Public School System asked the sheriff's office to investigate. The relationship was reported to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office as having occurred between mid-September 2005 and January 2006, but the alleged accusations against Spurlock did not occur on school property, according to authorities. Spurlock, who is listed as an English teacher on the Wayne County school system's Web site, was charged with two counts of felony sexual offense with a student. Secured bond has been set at $15,000. The case, according to the sheriff's office, is still under investigation. It's not right, IMO, ... but the legal age of consent in NC is 16.

QUOTE(Queen Prawn @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 08:29 PM) What is the number/website for that? www.B-O-L-O-G-N-A.com Also known as http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:09 PM) She looks like Jose Contreras. Allrighty then...

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:53 PM) I hope that's the case really. I don't want to see him play elsewhere. It's definitely got to suck for you... We have some friends who's son absolutely positively loves Frank. He has every single baseball card, picture, autographs on any and everything you can imagine, and they have taken him to see Frank play in almost all the AL parks. It's crazy. He was so upset when the A's deal was announced.

Something about Serena Williams face....

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:44 PM) At least ONE of the Thomas apologists around here is coming to admit this. I said the day he signed with the A's that I didn't think he'd make it out of spring training..

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:40 PM) Vida Guerra is scrumcious either way. Besides, all the "retouched" photo's look cartoony. I don't know which one she is.. The ones of Halle I could not believe. I think she looks way better before the touch ups.

Some of these are down right scaaaarryyy.. http://www.glennferon.com/portfolio1/index.html

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 07:41 PM) There's no betting about it, he IS done. He just won't admit it. Much like several Frank apologists around here. Don't get me wrong, I love Frank as a player. One of the all-time greats (notice I didn't just say Sox greats). But realize that you can go out after winning a ring and as a member of the Sox rather than embarassing yourself by trying to prove you are healthy again. The chances of Frank getting to 500 are slim and none. And with every article I see that he is still not healthy, slim is about to walk out of the door. Slim has left the building....

QUOTE(jasonxctf @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 08:22 PM) the noncompete was 2 yrs and his last date was 12/21/04. on a side note, the original customer worked with this company before it was sold on 12/1/04. my ex-employee went to this competitor post-sale and took this customer with him. i've been told that the non compete was enforceable but who really knows? Curious as to what your industry is if you don't mind sharing? We deal with this on the sales side when they leave and go to agents, or come to us from agents. For us it depends on the length of the non-compete of course. And I think (don't quote me cause the contracts can be as specifically defined as the employer/employee want them to be) the only way it would apply to the customer is if it can be proved that he undermined the former company and caused financial loss. We had a new sales rep come on board 1 day after his year non-compete expired and a former customer of his came with - bringing about $2 million in revenue - but since he didn't undercut the previous company in terms of pricing and compensation, and the customer was working without a current contract with that former agent, they weren't able to do anything about it.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 01:48 PM) I know they use them in the elderly to prevent congestive heart failure. Jim's mom was on lasiks (sp?) after her heart surgery.. is that the same thing?

Wow.

http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feed.../ap2548862.html Update 2: One Injured in Ore. School Shooting 02.23.2006, 12:47 PM A young gunman critically injured a 16-year-old in a school shooting early Thursday, then held the gun to his own head after police cornered him, authorities said. Police spokesman Sgt. Aaron Dunbar said the shooter appeared to be a student. He was arrested after the attack at Roseburg High School. The school went into lockdown after the shots were fired about 7:45 a.m., and administrators were preparing to send students home. The suspect was not immediately identified and no motive for the shooting was disclosed. A nearby elementary school in Roseburg, a southwest Oregon town of about 21,000 residents, also was locked down as a precaution.

QUOTE(Iwritecode @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 11:40 AM) Yea, that's the south side of Rockford. Loves Park is north of Rockford. According to Yahoo, it's Loves Park.

QUOTE(Iwritecode @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:46 AM) This intersection doesn't even exist! There is no Mitchell Rd. in Loves Park, much less one that intersects 173... Mitchell Drive http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?addr=Mit...ew=1&name=&qty= But farrr, farrr from 173

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:55 AM) Girls take them while they are on their period to be less bloated. Not true here. Never heard of them.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:28 AM) She was my most recent stalking victim. LMAO.

http://www.holylemon.com/DriveByFarting.html "Oh. My. Goodness."

Amber alert: Amber alert Issued for 4 Year Old Illinois Girl Sangamon County Illinois--The Sangamon County Sheriff's Department and the Illinois State Police issued the Amber alert after the child was reportedly abducted from 3050 Green Valley Road in Springfield on February 21, 2006 at 2pm. Cassandra M Mcnear, a white female, 4 years old, 3 feet, 42 pounds with brown hair, and brown eyes. She was wearing pink/red top with heart in middle, pink pants, white Nike tennis shoes, and pink coat with cat pictures. Cassandra was taken by her father Adam L.McNear who is driving a 2003 Silver Mitsubishi Galant with Illinois License Plates 728-7963. He may be en route to Highland,California. Anyone with information on this abduction should call 9-1-1 or (217)753-6600 http://www.projectsafekids.org/alert.html for her safe return.

QUOTE(Chisoxrd5 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:52 AM) They basically dry up the extra water found in your body (legs, arms, etc.) My grandma was on them because she was inactive and retaining water in her legs. Now I think they are used by people simply to look more skinny by getting rid of that unwanted water that stores up in your fat cells. Sounds dangerous. Kinda like self-inflicting dehydration.

Ok.. little lady in the office comes over to me and asks me about taking water pills. No clue what they are so I’m sure I looked at her like she had a third eye. She says “Oh, I assumed you knew about them because you are so skinny…” Hu…? What are they and how are they related to being skinny?

QUOTE(mreye @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:21 AM) :headshake Wow. I have no idea what to say. Laugh. It's hysterical!!