Gunman Killed, at Least Six Victims Dead in Santa Monica Shootings

The suspect in a series of shootings that left at least six people dead in Santa Monica, Calif. on Friday was killed in a shootout with police, authorities said.

The number of victims has changed multiple times over the course of a quickly developing breaking news story with varying crime scenes. The most recent number is six victims and the suspect, for a total of seven dead.

In a Friday afternoon news conference, Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said the shooter was killed on the campus of Santa Monica College after attempting to evade police responding to multiple shootings that began about a mile from the school.

At least two people were killed in a Yorkshire Avenue home that was burned, then the gunman fired on people in a series of "random encounters" that proceeded along Pico Boulevard toward the final shootout in Santa Monica College library, Seabrooks said.

"The officers came in and directly engaged the suspect, and he was shot and killed on the scene," Seabrooks said. "The information we have indicates, at this point, that as many as half a dozen victims were shot and killed, and several more were injured."

The gunman had not been identified Friday afternoon, but was described as a white male aged 25 to 30 and clad all in black and "what appears to be a ballistic vest," Seabrooks.

Another subject of interest was in custody, she added.

"We are not convinced 100 percent that the suspect who was killed operated in a solo -- or alone -- capacity," Seabrooks said.

Seabrooks said that two people were dead in a home in Yorkshire Avenue that was ablaze about a mile from campus. Another person died on Cloverfield Boulevard, and two were killed on 19th and Pearl streets.

Another woman later died in the hospital, Seabrooks said.

Full article here.

The Shat

Awesome wallpaper set!

Tapped into a nice pile of wallpapers labeled "Abstract."

Lots of cool stuff, like that.  I already made a mini slide-show on the side-bar, but here's a link for the full page.   So far only 200 images uploaded.

If there is any interest, i'll put the other 600 pics up.

Ice

While I am not a pessimist in general, I occasionally do make observations that lead me to believe that as a society we are in a state of decline.

I had planned on a few paragraphs highlighting specific observations that help shape my conclusions, but I think a single web page that I found does a perfect job of driving my point home.

Not only did someone think these particular instructions would come in handy for someone, but there's a fair chance that some number of people probably have this bookmarked.

You can't make this stuff up.

According to the top of the page, this handy do-it-yourself guide required 45 contributors to get it right.

The icing on the cake?  "Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 74,145 times."

...and jesus wept

Warm today :)

Well, it isn't like this was not to be expected.   I'm in Texas.  Its June.   Of course it's going to be bloody hot.

Hottest day since I've arrived here, in fact.


The top half of my phone says it all.

Services restored

There were only a few glitches with the upgrade that I am pretty sure nobody noticed.   Particularly readers of this site, as this has nothing to do with the site at all ;)

Server Upgrade

I am in the process of updating my personal server/workstation behemoth.

Since this is a kernel upgrade its not known how well all systems will return to normal without tinkering, but time will tell.

See you all on the other side.

School opens 'investigation' after airline kicks students off plane

New York (CNN) -- The dispute surrounding a student vacation flight from New York to Atlanta is getting uglier.

One hundred one students and eight chaperones were kicked off an early morning AirTran flight before its scheduled departure Monday. The controversy now pits the airline against an Orthodox Jewish high school.

"We take this matter seriously and have started our own investigation," said a statement released Tuesday by Rabbi Seth Linfield, executive director of the Yeshiva of Flatbush school. "Preliminarily, it does not appear that the action taken by the flight crew was justified."

From the airline's perspective, it sounds like a large-scale version of the parental "don't-make-me-turn-this-car-around" scenario.

Southwest, which owns AirTran, said the group of "non-compliant passengers" would not stay seated, and some were using their mobile devices after being asked not to. When the students failed to comply with requests from the flight crew, including the captain, they were asked to leave the plane, delaying the AirTran flight for 45 minutes, said Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins.

Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran in a deal announced three years ago.

Students and chaperones from the Brooklyn-based school said the flight crew overreacted to the teenagers who were looking forward to visiting Six Flags and rafting, among other activities.

"It blew out of proportion. It was a mountain out of a molehill," said teacher Marian Wielgus, one of the chaperones.

According to Wielgus, some students may have had to be told twice to sit down or turn off their phones, but everyone listened.

"They certainly did not do what the stewardess was claiming they did," she said. "That's what was so bizarre."

Wielgus said the flight attendants were "nasty," "overreacting" and "created an incident when there didn't have to be one."

According to Southwest Airlines, the group violated safety regulations.

Wielgus said she would understand if individual students who were not complying had been asked to leave, but she objected to the collective punishment.

Wielgus said a "small group" of students in the back of the aircraft were chatty, but that did not warrant the flight crew to force an entire group of 109 people off the plane.

"It was so ugly," she said.

Rabbi Joseph Beyda, another chaperone, said none of the students on the plane was particularly loud or disruptive. And when he saw that the flight attendant was flustered and had asked students to leave, he asked which kids were causing issues and offered to help, but she refused.

"They just simply said 'get off the plane,'" Beyda said.

Full article here.

Macabre Monday

Also - this blog's 100th post.  Purely a coincidence.

lolz

Philips.com "live chat"

Please wait for a consultant to assist you.
mfennell will be with you momentarily!
mfennell says, "Thank you for contacting Philips USA Webchat. My name is Maurice. How may I assist you today?"
You say, "yeah.. i was looking at your digital camera keyrings and had a question"
You say, "i couldnt find what resolutions that were available to take pictures in"
mfennell says, "I will be more than happy to assist you with this information but first , please may I have your first and last name, zip code, city and telephone number so as to create a case file ?"
You say, "i realize it is 1.3 gigapixels and it comes in either 128 or 64 meg memory capacitys, but i dont know what res it will take picutres in"
You say, "er... do you really need all of that info? im not sure if im going to buy it or anything.. i just wanted to know the resolutions.."
mfennell says, "We would like this information so as to keep a record of each customer contact."
You say, "but im going to talk to you for all of like.. half a minute.."
You say, "my name and email address was allready submitted.. that should be more than enough"
mfennell says, "May I have the model number of the unit please?"
You say, "KEY008"
You say, "and KEY007.. if there is a difference"
mfennell says, "Thank you."
mfennell says, "With an issue like this what we suggest is that you contact us at 1-800-531-0039."
You say, "er.... lool.. ok... im not gong to give them my info either"
You say, "how bout i just look around for a different manufacturer that is less creepy.."
mfennell says, "With an issue like this what we suggest is that you contact us at 1-800-531-0039."
You say, "wow.. generated responses.."
You say, "really makes me feel i have a genuine connection w/the person helping me"
You say, "well thanx for spending a good 15 min of my time"
You say, "have a nice day...."
You say, "try not to seduce any 13 yr olds over the net..."
mfennell says, "Thank you."
mfennell says, "Thanks for contacting Philips USA. "
Your consultation has ended
mfennell leaves.

You knew it was only a matter of time...

Three storm chasers killed in Oklahoma

(CNN) -- A group of men who devoted their lives to hunting powerful storms died in the middle of the chase.

Tim Samaras, his son Paul Samaras, and Carl Young were killed while following a tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma, relatives told CNN on Sunday. They were among nine people killed in storms that struck Oklahoma on Friday night.

Their work tracking tornadoes was featured on the former Discovery Channel show "Storm Chasers."
"They all unfortunately passed away but doing what they loved," Jim Samaras wrote in a statement posted on his brother's Facebook page.

At the intersection where authorities said the three men were killed, crews hauled away a mangled white truck Sunday that had been crushed like a tin can. The metal frame was twisted almost beyond recognition. The windows had been smashed to bits.

Canadian County Undersheriff Chris West confirmed that three storm chasers had been killed, but declined to provide additional details about the circumstances of their deaths.

"We also want to say that storm chasers and meteorologists and news stations, that's part of the vital link in getting the word out to people so that they don't become victims," he said. "A lot of these individuals have dedicated many years of their lives to going out and assisting and tracking storms, and getting footage and putting themselves in harm's way so they can educate the public to the destructive power of these storms."

Tim Samaras founded TWISTEX, the Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in Tornadoes Experiment, to help learn more about tornadoes and increase lead time for warnings, according to the official website.

In 2004, he told CNN that being near storms was part of the job.

"In order to get directly in the path, you have to be close," he said.

"Actually I'm pretty focused on our safety, certainly, and I'm focused on getting the data and getting the right spot," he said. "You only have one chance to do it."

Full article here.

BUY THIS BOOK

I mean it.  Buy this book.

See the Ted Williams post of earlier today if it doesn't look even vaguely familiar to you.

Don't really want to click an amazon link?  The book's prologue is after the jump.  Perhaps that will whet your appetite.