Have a great year friends

Happy new year everyone... Have a fabulous 2014

Iowa businessman posing as homeless rewards people's aid JOHNSTON, Iowa -- A Des Moines
businessman gave away nearly $1,000 while
posing as a homeless man - by rewarding
people who paused to help him. Jonnie Wright stood in the frigid weather
on Christmas Eve at a busy intersection in
the Des Moines suburb of Johnston, according to CBS affiliate KCCI in Des
Moines. People who rolled down their vehicle windows to help him got a sealed
envelope in return. Inside the envelope were a $10 or $100 bill
and a letter from the man, Jonnie Wright. It
explained that he wasn't homeless. It said
he just wanted to pay back people who
helped others. "I thought this was also a way to
acknowledge those who give, who do so
anonymously," Wright said. In his letter, Wright encouraged the people
to use the money as they wished or to pay it
forward. "I was blown away," said Rob Taylor, of
West Des Moines, who opened his envelope
later that day. "As a matter of fact, the first
thing that I did was call my wife on the
phone and I could hardly talk to her on the
phone. I said, 'You wouldn't believe what just happened to me.'" Taylor said he appreciated the gesture. "For my family, it reminded everyone what
the meaning of Christmas was and it wasn't
about gifts, it's about giving back," Taylor
said. Wright said he handed out 50 envelopes
and gave away nearly $1,000. He doubled the money he was given and
gave it to Bethel Mission, a homeless shelter. "This has been a bucket-list thing for me for
some time," Wright said. "I always knew I
wanted to give back.

Bullet bounces off robbery victim kills .......

Bullet bounces off
robbery victim’s face
and shoots mugger
dead .... A 16-year-old mugger has been killed after a bullet
fired by an accomplice ricocheted off their victim’s
face and shot him dead. The incident happened when a group of males
accosted the man at a housing complex in San
Francisco and demanded he hand over his
possessions, police said. The man complied, but as the muggers were taking
his valuables, including a mobile phone, one of
them pulled a handgun and shot at him. The bullet struck his face, bounced off, then hit
one of the other robbers, 16-year-old Clifton
Chatman. When police arrived on the scene, Chatman was
pronounced dead and the muggers’ victim was
taken to hospital with serious injuries. He is
expected to survive. The other suspects fled following the shooting,
which happened at around 11pm on 14 December. A second 16-year-old has now been arrested on
suspicion of murder and attempted robbery. Police
did not say whether they believe he was the one
who pulled the trigger. The remaining members of the group involved in
the crime are being searched for by investigators.

Student jailed in
China for hanging two prostitutes,
shipping their bodies to his home
and having sex with the corpses By Ted Thornhill
11:35 30 Dec 2013, updated 11:43 30 Dec 2013 The Jilin University student told police he'd
fantasised abovjut necrophilia He said he ordered prostitutes to help relieve
the pressure of his studies He was found guilty of intentional homicide
after hanging them He'd had sex with the cadavers and then
dismembered them A 23-year-old university student in China will be
executed after hanging two prostitutes and having sex
with their corpses. The student, whose surname is Lee, was studying
design at Jilin University in Changchun and told police
that he had been failing a lot of classes and called the
prostitutes to help relieve the pressure. He also told detectives that he used to have fantasies
about having sex with dead bodies and decided one
morning that he could no longer resist carrying it out. On March 6 this year he hired a 20-year-old prostitute
called Cai through the internet, according to iFeng.com.
blame the country for their economic woes Lee then hanged her and had her body shipped back to
his house in Changping , where he had sex with the
corpse. It was then dismembered and the parts buried in Lee’s
garden. On March 23 he carried out the same macabre act on the
body of another prostitute that he’d hanged and
shipped home. A forensic psychiatrist determined that Lee wasn’t
insane and was criminally responsible for the crimes. The Second Intermediate People's Court found him
guilty of intentional homicide and sentenced him to
death. It also ordered him to pay 80,000 yuan (£8,000) in
compensation to the victims’ families.

2nd deadly bombing In Russia

A suicide bomber killed 14 people aboard an electric
bus in the southern Russian city of Volgograd during
the Monday morning rush hour, and authorities
believe it was the work of the same group that set
off a bomb at the railway station a day earlier. Together more than 30 people were killed in the
explosions, putting the city of one million on edge
and highlighting the terrorist threat Russia is facing
as it prepares to host February's Winter Games in
Sochi, President Vladimir Putin's pet project. While
terrorists may find it hard to get to the tightly guarded Olympic facilities, the bombings have
shown they can hit civilian targets elsewhere in
Russia with shocking ease. Volgograd, located about 650 kilometers (400 miles)
northeast of Sochi, serves as a key transport hub
for southern Russia, with numerous bus routes
linking it to volatile provinces in Russia's North
Caucasus, where insurgents have been seeking an
Islamic state. Vladimir Markin, the spokesman for Russia's main
investigative agency, said Monday's explosion
involved a bomb similar to the one used in Sunday's
attack at the city's main railway station. "That confirms the investigators' version that the
two terror attacks were linked," Markin said in a
statement. "They could have been prepared in one
place." Markin said a suicide attacker was responsible for
the bus explosion, reversing an earlier official
statement that the blast was caused by a bomb left
in the vehicle's passenger area. At least 14 people
were killed and nearly 30 were wounded, according
to public health officials. Officials did not name names and no one has
claimed responsibility for either bombing, but they
came several months after Chechen rebel leader
Doku Umarov threatened new attacks against
civilian targets in Russia, including the Olympics in
Sochi. Suicide bombings and other terror attacks have
rocked Russia for years, but most recently have
been confined to the North Caucasus region. The
successive attacks in Volgograd signaled that
militants may be using the transportation hub as a
renewed way of showing their reach outside their restive region. The city, formerly called Stalingrad, also serves as
an important symbol of Russian pride because of a
historic World War II battle in which the Soviets
turned the tide against the Nazis. "Volgograd, a symbol of Russia's suffering and
victory in World War II, has been singled out by the
terrorist leaders precisely because of its status in
people's minds," Dmitry Trenin, the head of the
Carnegie Endowment's Moscow office, said in a
commentary posted on the organization's website. Monday's explosion ripped away much of the bus's
exterior and shattered windows in nearby buildings.
It virtually paralyzed public transport in the city,
forcing many residents to walk long distances to get
to work. Russian authorities have been slow to introduce
stringent security checks on bus routes, making
them the transport of choice for terrorists in the
region. A few months ago authorities introduced a
requirement for intercity bus passengers to produce
identification when buying tickets, like rail or air passengers, but procedures have remained lax and
some of the routes aren't controlled. Even tight railway security is sometimes not
enough. In Sunday's suicide bombing the attacker
detonated in the crowd in front of the station's metal
detectors. A suicide bus bombing in Volgograd in October
killed six people. On Friday, three people were killed
when an explosives-rigged car blew up in the city of
Pyatigorsk, the center of a federal administrative
district created to oversee Kremlin efforts to
stabilize the North Caucasus region. In Sunday's railroad station blast, the bomber
detonated explosives just beyond the station's main
entrance when a police sergeant became suspicious
and rushed forward, officials said. The officer was
killed by the blast, and several other policemen were
among some 40 people wounded. The Interior Ministry ordered police to beef up
patrols at railway stations and other transport
facilities across Russia. Putin on Monday
summoned the chief of the main KGB successor
agency and the interior minister to discuss the
situation, and sent the former to Volgograd to oversee the probe. Russia in past years has seen a series of terror
attacks on buses, trains and airplanes, some carried
out by suicide bombers. Twin bombings on the Moscow subway in March
2010 by female suicide bombers killed 40 people
and wounded more than 120. In January 2011, a
male suicide bomber struck Moscow's Domodedovo
Airport, killing 37 people and injuring more than 180. Umarov, who had claimed responsibility for the 2010
and 2011 bombings, ordered a halt to attacks on
civilian targets during the mass street protests
against Putin in the winter of 2011-12. He reversed
that order in July, urging his men to "do their utmost
to derail" the Sochi Olympics, which he described as "satanic dances on the bones of our ancestors." The International Olympics Committee expressed
its condolences over Sunday's bombing in
Volgograd, but said it was confident of Russia's
ability to protect the Games. Russian Olympic Committee chief Alexander
Zhukov said Monday there was no need to take any
extra steps to secure Sochi in the wake of the
Volgograd bombings, as "everything necessary
already has been done." Russian authorities have introduced some of the
most extensive identity checks and sweeping
security measures ever seen at an international
sports event. Anyone wanting to attend the games that open on
Feb. 7 will have to buy a ticket online from the
organizers and obtain a "spectator pass" for access.
Doing so will require providing passport details and
contacts that will allow the authorities to screen all
visitors and check their identities upon arrival. The security zone created around Sochi stretches
approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) along the
Black Sea coast and up to 40 kilometers (25 miles)
inland. Russian forces include special troops to
patrol the forested mountains flanking the resort,
drones to keep constant watch over Olympic facilities and speed boats to patrol the coast. The security plan includes a ban on cars from
outside the zone from a month before the games
begin until a month after they end.

Michael Schumacher, former F1
champion, critical after ski fall 30 December 2013 Last updated at 09:25 Michael Schumacher, the seven-time Formula 1
champion, is in a critical condition after a skiing
accident, says the French hospital treating him. The 44-year-old German suffered serious brain
trauma, was in a coma on arrival and underwent
immediate surgery. He was skiing off-piste with his son in the French
Alps on Sunday morning when the accident
occurred. The hospital in Grenoble will issue further
information on his condition at 11:00 local time
(10:00 GMT). Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he fell and
hit his head against a rock, his manager Sabine
Kehm said. Reports in French and German media say that the
F1 legend underwent a second operation during the
night. The German racing champion is a keen skier Germany's Bild tabloid reported that his condition
had worsened and surgeons had drilled holes in his
skull to reduce the pressure on his brain. Early reports had said his condition was not life-
threatening and he reportedly walked away from the
accident complaining only of feeling a bit shaken. The accident took place in the French ski resort of
Meribel. The resort's director, Christophe Gernignon-
Lecomte, said the former champion was attended to
by two ski patrollers who requested helicopter
evacuation to the nearby valley town of Moutiers. He was subsequently moved to the bigger facility at
Grenoble, in south-east France. His wife Corinna
and two children are with him. 'Critical situation' "Mr Schumacher was admitted to the University
Hospital of Grenoble at 12:40 [11:40 GMT], following
a skiing accident which occurred in Meribel in the
late morning," the Grenoble hospital said in a
statement. "He suffered a severe head injury with coma on
arrival, which required immediate neurosurgical
intervention. He remains in a critical situation." The hospital statement was signed by the facility's
neurosurgeon, the professor in charge of its
anaesthesia/revival unit, and the hospital's deputy
director, reports said. Experts say it is likely that his brain began to swell
and the urgent surgery was required to relieve the
pressure, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris. Drivers shocked Professor Gerard Saillant, a close ally and friend of
Schumacher, and his former Ferrari team boss Jean
Todt are at the hospital. Prof Saillant is an expert in brain and spine injury.
He oversaw Schumacher's medical care when the
driver broke his leg in the 1999 British GP. The German, who turns 45 on 3 January, retired
from F1 for a second time in 2012. Schumacher won seven world championships and
secured 91 race victories during his 19-year career. He won two titles with Benetton, in 1994 and 1995,
before switching to Ferrari in 1996 and going on to
win five straight titles from 2000. After Schumacher retired in 2006, he was seriously
hurt in a motorcycling accident in Spain three years
later, during which he suffered neck and spine
injuries. But Schumacher managed to recover and made a
comeback in F1 with Mercedes in 2010. After three seasons which yielded just one podium
finish, he quit the sport at the end of last year. The retired race driver was reportedly conscious
when he was airlifted to hospital F1 drivers from around the globe have expressed
their shock at the news of the accident. British ex-racer Martin Brundle, who was
Schumacher's F1 teammate at Benetton, tweeted: "Come on Michael, give us one of those race stints
at pure qualifying pace to win through, like you used
to. You can do it." Brazilian driver Felipe Massa posted a picture of himself and Schumacher on Instagram, with the
Portuguese message: "I'm praying for God to
protect you, brother!"

Man asleep in bed killed in car crash

A southern California man was killed today when a
car crashed into his bedroom while he was sleeping. According to the Orange County Sheriff's
Department, the car jumped the curb and ran into
the home located in Mission Viejo, Calif., around 3
a.m. today. Another person in the residence was
unharmed. "It woke me up, I heard the tires squeal, and then I
heard the boom," a neighbor identified as Jacque,
told ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles. Lt. Jeff Hallock from the Orange County Sheriff's
Department said that the road makes a sharp turn
where the crash occurred. Police took the driver, identified as Kourosh
Keshmiri, 27, into custody for suspected drunk driving. According to police, Keshmiri has a misdemeanor drunk driving conviction from 2010,
and his license was suspended after a pending
drunk driving case in June. Neither Keshmiri nor his passenger were seriously
harmed in the crash. The victim's name has not been released pending
notification of his family.

Woman tried to her four kids and ex-husband

Police have arrested the mother of a teen girl who
was found murdered on Christmas Day. According to the Casa Grande, Ariz., Police
Department, Connie Villa, 35, allegedly attempted to
kill all of four her children and her ex-husband Adam
Villa on Dec. 25. She has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of her daughter, 13-year-old Aniarael
Macias, who was found dead in the family
apartment bathroom. Police said they believe that Villa called her ex-
husband to come over on Christmas Day so that
she could kill him. After he arrived, she allegedly
stabbed him repeatedly in the torso, police said.
Adam Villa was able to escape and call the police
as he drove himself to the hospital. When police arrived at Villa's apartment, they forced
open the door and found her holding a knife to her
chest with apparent self-inflicted stab wounds on her
torso. Villa's three younger children, ages 3, 5, and 8, were
also found without any stab wounds. Macias' body
was found in the bathroom, but she had no visible
injuries, Casa Grande Police Department
spokesman Thomas Anderson said. Alzheimer's Patient Gets Six Months For Murder After the younger children were taken to the
hospital, trace amounts of opiates were found in
their system. Police say they suspect Villa was
trying to poison her children. An autopsy conducted on Anariel on Saturday was
inconclusive. "We are anxiously awaiting the results of the
toxicology report to determine that [cause of
death]," Anderson said. "Evidence found on scene
and interviews of the children give us cause to
believe Aniarael was also given some type of
prescription narcotic drug." Connie Villa and Adam Villa were treated at two
different hospitals and Adam Villa remained
hospitalized today in stable condition. Although
Adam Villa is the father of Connie Villa's three
younger children, he is not the biological father of
Aniarael Macias. According to police, Aniarael's biological father has
been working with investigators since the incident
occurred. Murder Convict May Be Freed by Appeals Court Connie Villa was taken into custody by police this
morning after she was released from the hospital. In addition to the first degree murder charge, she
faces four charges of attempted murder for allegedly
trying to kill Adam Villa and her three younger
children. The investigation is ongoing and Villa could
face additional charges. Her three younger children are under the care of
Adam Villa's family, while he remains in the
hospital, police said.

Wife, 35, spiked her husband's
Visine with BLEACH after having
argument .........,Kristy Ryan McDermed plead guilty earlier this
month to a misdemeanor domestic violence
charge The charge stemmed from an incident in mid-
October when she put bleach in her husband's
eye drops Lucky for Mr McDermed, the bleach didn't
cause any permanent damage Mrs McDermed could face up to 93 days in jail
and a $500 fine Sentencing begins January 13 and authorities
are investigating Mrs McDermed's allegation
that she was the victim of domestic abuse A Canton, Michigan man was left teary-eyed after a
recent fight with his wife - but not because he was sad. Wife Kristy Ryan McDermed swapped the saline in his
Visine bottle for bleach. After the incident in mid-October, her husband went to
police and now the 35-year-old faces a jail sentence and
possible fine for spiking the solution. 'He felt a burning sensation and could smell what
appeared to be bleach,' Detective Sgt Chad Baugh told KSDK. At the time, Mrs McDermed told police she poisoned the
solution to get back at her husband after a fight. She plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of domestic
violence earlier this month. 'I've never seen a case like this in my 18 years. It's
incredible that this person came out of this with very
minor injuries,' Sgt Baught told WXYZ. While the bleach may have hurt, Sgt Baugh says the
incident didn't result in any permanent damage to Mr
McDermed's eyes. Sentencing in the case will be handed out on January
13, and Mrs McDermed could face up to 93 days in jail
and a $500 fine. Detective Baugh also alleged that Mrs McDermed placed
an ad on Craigslist, offering to pay someone to assault
her husband. Authorities plan to investigate claims that Mrs
McDermed was the victim of domestic abuse herself.

Man kills wife..... Five children and himself after.....

Man kills wife, five kids,
himself after being fired STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: Officials say man killed family after being terminated from job NEW: Deaths following economic woes "all-too- common story" lately, mayor says Police believe man killed five children and their
mother, then took own life Five dead children included two sets of twins: one
set age 5, the other age 2 Next Article in Crime » A photo on Ervin Lupoe's Facebook page
shows his wife and five children. LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A man apparently despondent about losing his job killed his
wife and five children before turning the gun on
himself, officials said Tuesday. The bodies of five children and two adults -- the
children's mother and father -- were found Tuesday
in a home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of
Wilmington. Among the dead, authorities said, were
an 8-year-old girl and two sets of twins -- 5-year-old
girls and 2-year-old boys. Ervin Lupoe apparently called 911 and contacted a
television station by fax before committing suicide,
authorities said. "No words can describe this tragedy," said Los
Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "There's no
way to comprehend this unspeakable act." Police were alerted by KABC-TV, who said the
station had received a faxed letter and a call from
an individual who was threatening suicide.
Responding officers found all seven bodies inside
the home, said Capt. William Hayes. Watch emergency crews arrive at the home Nearly simultaneously with the KABC call, a man
called 911 and reported coming home and finding
his family dead, Hayes said. But, Deputy Police
Chief Kenneth Garner said, the man told KABC he
had killed them. A suicide note found at the scene "indicated a
business dispute" between Lupoe and Kaiser
Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center,
Hayes said. In the faxed note to KABC, the man
said he was despondent over an employment
situation, police said. Kaiser Permanente said Lupoe and his wife, Ana,
were both former employees of the medical center.
Both had been terminated, Hayes said, with Lupoe's
termination coming last week. It appears there were
grounds for the termination and it did not come as a
result of layoffs, he said. "There is no reason to believe this is anything other
than a murder-suicide," Lt. John Romero said.
"There is no current threat to the community, no
active search for a suspect." The father and the three girls were found in one
upstairs room of the home, the mother and twin
boys in another, police said. Deputy Police Chief
Kenneth Garner described the scene as one of the
most grisly police have encountered. Authorities did not release the names of the woman
and children. "Unfortunately, this has become an all-too-common
story in the last few months," Villaraigosa told
reporters. He urged those who have lost jobs to take
advantage of available assistance and resources,
including mental health agencies. "Job centers, foreclosure counselors, and mental
health professionals are ready to provide whatever
services are necessary to get people back on their
feet and to keep families afloat," the mayor said in a
written statement. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn said, "No matter
how desperate you are, no matter how frustrated
you are, to think this was the only answer -- to take
your whole family with you in death -- is just too
much to understand." Kaiser Permanente said it is cooperating with the
police investigation. "We are deeply saddened to hear of the deaths of
the Lupoe family," the company said. "Our
sympathies are with all their extended family and
friends at this time. We are also providing resources
and support to our employees who are affected by
this tragedy.

For fitness ...... Intensity matters

 This year, exercise science expanded
and fine-tuned our understanding
of how physical activity affects our brains, joints, hearts, and even genes, beginning before birth and continuing throughout our
lifespans, which can be lengthened,
it seems, by exercise, especially if we
pick up the pace. This year’s fitness news, as a look
back through 2013’s Phys Ed columns shows, was variously enlightening, validating (if, like me,
you never bothered cooling down after a workout anyway), and practical (D.I.Y. concussion testing, anyone?). It was also occasionally
deflating, at least if you hoped that barefoot running invariably would
reduce the risk of injury, gentle exercise would quash your appetite, or training for a marathon would
automatically exempt you from being a couch potato. But the lesson that seemed to
emerge most persistently from the
fitness-related studies published
this year was that intensity matters,
especially if you wish to complete
your workout quickly. The most popular column that I wrote this
year, by a wide margin, detailed “The Scientific 7-Minute Workout,” a concept that appealed, I have no
doubt, because the time
commitment was so slight. But the
vigor required was considerable; to
gain health benefits from those
seven minutes, you needed to maintain a thumping heart rate and
spray sweat droplets around the
room. Almost halving the time spent
exercising was also effective, a later and likewise popular column
showed. In that study, out-of-shape volunteers who ran on a treadmill
for a mere four minutes three times
a week for 10 weeks raised their
maximal oxygen uptake, or
endurance capacity, by about 10
percent and significantly improved their blood sugar control and blood
pressure profiles. The results undercut a common
excuse for skipping workouts. “One
of the main reasons people give” for
not exercising is that they don’t have
time, said Arnt Erik Tjonna, a
postdoctoral fellow at the Norwegian University of Science
and Technology, who led the study. But they emphasize, too, the
potency of hard effort. The
volunteers ran at 90 percent of their
maximum aerobic capacity for those
four minutes, a level that is frankly
unpleasant. But, in four minutes, they were done. There were other hints throughout
the year that exerting yourself
vigorously may have unique payoffs,
compared with less strenuous
exercise. In a study that I wrote about a few weeks ago, for instance, people who walked briskly, at a pace
of 17 minutes per mile or less,
generally lived longer than those
men and women who strolled
during their walks, at a pace of 20
minutes per mile or slower, although the study was not designed
to determine why the intensity of
the exercise mattered. And in September, I wrote about
two studies showing that strenuous
exercise blunted volunteers’ appetites after workouts more effectively than longer sessions of
easy exercise did. The studies were
small, though, and involved only
young-ish, overweight men.
Whether the results are applicable to
other people, including those of us who are not male, requires
additional experiments. I expect to
be covering the results in 2014. Meanwhile, other studies that I
wrote about this year emphasize
how pervasive the impacts of any
amount and type of exercise can be.
One of my favorite experiments of 2013 detailed how rodents that ran on wheels for several weeks
responded far better to stressful
situations than sedentary animals,
in large part, it seems, because their
brains contained specialized cells
that dampened unnecessary anxiety. At a molecular level, the
runners’ brains were calmer than
those of their sedentary lab mates. But perhaps the most remarkable
studies of the year examined the
effect of exercise on our DNA. In
several experiments, which I wrote about in July, scientists found that exercise reshapes genes in human
cells, changing how atoms attach to
the outside of individual portions of
our DNA. As a result, I wrote, the
behavior of the gene changes. In
one of the studies, researchers found that six months of moderate
exercise profoundly remodeled
genes related to the risk for diabetes
and heart disease. But for those of
us too impatient to wait six months,
the other study found that a single session of bike riding altered genes
in volunteers’ muscle cells. The
effects showed up whether the
pedaling was easy or strenuous, but,
in line with so much of this year’s
exercise science, were more pronounced when cyclists rode
vigorously. Still, for everyone, as one of the
scientists told me, the studies are an
important and inspirational
reminder of “the robust effect
exercise can have on the human
body, even at the level of our DNA

Woman Raised By Monkeys, National
Geographic: Review - an incredible tale that
masked a childhood of unspeakable trauma .....,,,In April of this year, Marina Chapman, a
sixtysomething grandmother from Bradford,
published an autobiography in which she made
an astonishing claim. She said she had been
kidnapped from her family home in Colombia at
the age of five and abandoned in the jungle, where she was taken in and raised by a group of
capuchin monkeys. Instead of just smiling and
nodding politely, like many of the Breakfast TV
interviewers did, National Geographic made Woman Raised By Monkeys, a documentary in which their cameras accompanied Marina on a
trip to Colombia and attempted to investigate the
veracity of her claims. The psychologist suspected false memory
syndrome; the primatologist doubted whether
capuchin monkeys could form such close bonds;
but the forensic anthropologist found evidence
of childhood malnutrition in Marina’s bones,
which appeared to corroborate her story. Through all the prodding, probing and
provoking, Marina stuck doggedly to her truth:
“To be honest I don’t care. I don’t care, because I
can’t prove. It’s just difficult to prove stuff.” Unusually, the mystery at the heart of this
documentary seemed sure to remain, even if
Marina’s story was definitively debunked. As
local history expert Kevin Howlett pointed out,
her childhood took place during La Violencia, a
time of great suffering, especially in rural Columbia. Amid such upheaval it would not have
been unusual for the welfare of a child to be
overlooked. If Marina’s life story was an invented
memory, what more terrible trauma might her
brain be struggling to suppress? And what could
be worse than the abandonment and abuse she did recall? Soon, the question of whether Marina was a
loveably eccentric granny or a money-grubbing
con artist ceased to be so pressing. It became
obvious that this woman was at least speaking the
emotional truth about her childhood; and those
objective facts which were corroborated were wretched enough to evoke our pity all on their
own. Ultimately, there was little in the way of
conclusive evidence re: the monkeys – but in one
sense, thankfully, Marina already has her happy
ending: a loving, human family in Bradford to call
her own.

Biblical Keys to Financial Freedom I believe that it is Gods intention for us to have
financial freedom. Jesus came to set captives free.
This includes those in financial bondage. When we
live financially free we also can live spiritually,
relationally and emotionally free. What does financial freedom look like?             Being able to pay your bills on time.             No anxiety or marital strife over money.             Free from greed.             Your family needs get met.             You have meaningful work.             You aren’t bound by gambling or other get-
rich quick schemes.             You are free from materialism.             You freely fund God’s work with tithes and
offerings. Money is a vital issue for everyone, yet little is
taught on subject in the church. This has left many
in financial bondage and the great commission
unfunded. 95% of Christian Educational Institutions offer NO
personal or ministry financial curriculum. 90% of denominations offer none or limited financial
teaching resources to their pastors. 90% of churches have no active plan for teaching
Biblical financial principles. 85% of pastors feel unequipped and uncomfortable
teaching on finances and giving. In the Bible, there are 40 verses on baptism, 275
verses on prayer, 350 verses on faith, 650 verses
on love and 2,350 verses that relate specifically to
finances and material possessions. Many in Christian circles proclaim God as provider
but they do little to teach God’s people how He
provides. They simply tell us, “Send in your gift and
God will bless you abundantly.” While generosity is
certainly a factor in financial success, there are six
other factors that if not followed, will keep you from these goals. These Biblical factors to financial
freedom are:      1. Walking in right relationship with our heavenly
Father. Deuteronomy 8      2. Fiscal discipline. – Proverbs 21:20      3. Work and work knowledge  -- I Thessalonians
4:11-12      4. Obedience in the tithe – Malachi 3      5. Savings and Investments – Proverbs 6:6-11,
Proverbs 31      6. Generosity – Luke 6:38      7. Financial literacy – Hosea 4:6 Any comprehensive teaching on financial
freedom will include each of these topics. In our
Creating Kingdom Capital kit, we give you more
than 40 sermons covering all these topics –
complete with notes and powerpoints. I grew up raised primarily by a single mom with an
eighth grade education. I thought I was my school
lunch lady’s favorite until I learned I was on the free
lunch program. We weren’t financially free but it’s all
I knew. I made it through college with grants and
loans. I left college for youth ministry. Needless to say, it didn’t pay well.  We had nearly $20,000 debt
from student loans, cars, credit cards and low
paying jobs.  It causes much stress in our marriage
and stress in my life.  We were in financial bondage
and I was mistakenly angry at God. Why don’t we
have more money? Then something happened, as I grew closer the Lord, I found out that He had
something to say about money -- over 2,000 verses.
I began to learn and apply his principles of financial freedom.         In a few years we paid off nearly $20,000.       We haven’t had a car payment or student loan
payment for nearly 15 years.       We've paid for a bachelor’s and master’s degree
without debt.       We make enough to live comfortably on one
income.       We pay our bills on time and have money saved
for retirement.       We live in a beautiful home in the woods.       We currently give 20% of our money away each
year (with a goal of 50%). I’m not saying that to brag, I’m saying there’s power
in a testimony.  And what God did for me, a kid on
free lunch program he can do for you. He wants to
take you out of financial bondage and bring you into
the land of financial freedom.  It takes work -- a lot
of work -- but God wants to bless you.  He doesn’t think it’s spiritual to live in financial bondage.

9 strategies biblical wealth management

 1. Discovering Your purpose for Biblical Wealth
Management
2. Cash Flow Discovery and Management that
honors God
3. Wise Risk Management
4. Estate Planning that incorporates caring for your loved ones and others
5. Investing and Asset Allocation that uses
Biblical principles
6. Setting up a Retirement Income Strategy that
will last throughout you and your
spouse’s lifetime 7. Wise Tax Planning Strategies that are legal
and ethical
8. Philanthropic Planning and Giving that creates
a lasting legacy
9. Seeking Non-Proprietary, Fee-Based Biblical
council. “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads
only to poverty. The crown of the wise is their
riches, but the folly of fools is foolishness”
Proverbs 14:23-24 Today let’s look at the first strategy: Discovering Your Purpose for Biblical Wealth Management
(Why are you here and how does this affect
your wealth?) Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the
LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future. Before wealth can be managed properly you must
first identify the core values and priorities by
which you will steer all areas of your life, including
your finances. What drives you? What principles
guide your decisions? What do you ultimately
want to achieve with the life that God has given you? What’s your mission in life; your vision for
the future? These are just a few of the questions
you will answer as part of the process of
discovering your purpose. I believe those who
take the time to discover their purpose will reap
eternal, spiritual and financial rewards because you will lay out a life roadmap to follow. By completing a series of exercises you can
identify the priorities that are a result of your core
values. You can discover your purpose, your
purpose for Biblical Wealth Management, by
examining these values. These exercises will
take you through the process of discovery and action planning. Once you complete the
exercises, you’ll have a personalized design to
guide you through fulfilling all your God given
dreams. Your enthusiasm and motivation will
increase dramatically because you’ll now have a
clear picture of what you should focus on—goals God has given you through prayer that He wants
you to accomplish. Here are the five exercises that will help you Discover your Purpose for Biblical Wealth
Management: 1. Identifying what you value most in life. Things
like a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,
your spouse and family members, a healthy body,
your church and/or other non-profit organization
(s), the financial freedom to go where and when
you are called to go, etc. This is a critical step because it will become the building block for the
next four steps. 2. Explore what your meaningful purpose is in life.
Knowing your purpose fuels your passion and
commitment and gives meaning to your life. 3. Design a compelling vision for your future. This
is a vivid representation of your life that results
from being true to your purpose. It envisions such
things as: your living and work environment, the
people you want to surround yourself with, how
you want to spend your time, and what you want to accomplish in your personal and professional
life. 4. Create a personal mission statement (and for
some, a professional mission statement) which
will be your roadmap to guide you toward your
vision in your daily life. 5. Set 1, 3, 5 and 10 year goals and create an
action plan that will help you implement your
mission, live your values, and move toward
achieving your vision. By completing these exercises and internalizing
their meaning, you’ll have a renewed enthusiasm
for living your life by design, God’s design. Once you have discovered your purpose for
Biblical Wealth Management, you can build on
this foundation for the other eight strategies. Next
week I will talk about the importance of Cash
Flow Discovery and Management as the second
building block of NINE STRATEGIES FOR BIBLICAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT. _________________________

Man impregnates daughter three times

 Uwujare The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 37-
year-old man, one Augustine Obodeke; for having
carnal knowledge of his 17-year old daughter
(Favour) and impregnating her three times. The
bubble finally burst for Obodeke when his daughter
became pregnant the third time and was unwilling to go for abortion. According to police report, the
girl had cried out to neighbours who then reported
the matter to the Ugbowo Police Station in Benin
City.
Following the report, the police arrested Obodeke
and he is currently cooling his feet in a police cell. Narrating her ordeal to Sunday Sun, Favour said
her father started having sexual intercourse with
her after the death of her mother.  “He first
impregnated me and we
went for abortion. My father impregnated me the
second time and I went for another abortion. He had arranged a doctor at Uselu who has been
doing the abortion.
“My father impregnated me the third time and told
me that we should go for another abortion but I
ran out of the house. He then threatened to deal
with me if I told anybody what has been happening between us.
“I have to cry out early in the morning which
prompted our neighbours to intervene. Since my
mother was late, anytime my father requested for
sex, I felt I had no choice than to allow him have
sex with me,” Favour explained. In his own account, Obodeke accepted that he had
been sleeping with his daughter and had
impregnated her thrice. He, however, attributed it
to the death of his wife and his inability to
remarry. “It is  true that I have been having sex
with my own daughter. When she became pregnant the first time, I took her to one of my
doctors at  Uselu Quarters who terminated the
pregnancy. I impregnated her the second time and
I took her to the same doctor who terminated the
pregnancy again. It was when I impregnated her
the third time that she refused to follow me to the doctor for the abortion.
“I decided to be have sex with my daughter
because my wife is late and I have not remarried.
I decided to enjoy my own daughter by having sex
with her. I want my daughter to forgive me
because I have sinned against her. Nobody told me that what I was doing to my daughter was an
abomination. I thought I was enjoying the sex
with my daughter,” he said
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Foluso
Adebanjo told Sunday Sun that the man was
arrested on November 22, 2013. He also explained that the doctor who terminated the first
pregnancies was still at large. He however assured
that the suspect would soon be charged to court
to face the consequence of his action.

Mum tries to sell
baby on internet for
£150,000 - and has
two sons taken away The 20-year-old mother, who suffers from
post natal depression and cannot be
named, claimed that the series of
messages on the site were a "silly joke" A young mum has tried to sell her “beautiful”
baby son on the internet for £150,000. Police and social services swooped when
horrified users of the Gumtree classifieds
site called 999. The 20-year-old mother, who suffers from
post natal depression and cannot be
named, claimed that the series of messages
on the site were a “silly joke”. She claimed she had been dared to post it,
but had no intention of going through with
the sale and has been left devastated that
her two sons have been taken away. But in one chilling post on Boxing Day read:
“Baby boy for sale. Comes with everything
included. Deposit needed as sick of time-
wasters.” The full-time mother from Bradford said: “I
had been joking with my ex about selling
sperm and eggs and he sort of dared me to
put up a baby for sale – but I didn’t mean
our children. “I put on Gumtree that I was selling a baby
for £150,000. I just plucked that number out
of thin air and I claimed I was acting as an
agent for a friend. “It was very stupid and I shouldn’t have
done it, but I didn’t think it would be taken
seriously. “I love my boys and they make me so happy
and I want them to be happy. It was just a
silly, silly joke.” She added: “I was crying and begging at this
one social worker’s feet but she just took my
son away. “I am so upset and just want my boys back.
It is my mistake, my stupidity. It should be
me who is locked up, not the boys having to
live with strangers. “I am so sorry. I have not even been allowed
to speak to them on the phone and I don’t
know when I’ll see them again. I hope it is
soon and they can come back to me.” The advert appeared on Thursday evening.
Initially it read: “baby, beautiful for sale
deposit through pay pal email only” and
included a £150,000 price tag. It was later updated to read: “baby boy for
sale comes with everything included deposit
needed as sick of time wasters.” One shocked user who emailed the mother
claimed she replied to say she was selling
the child “because it cries”. When asked if the offer was genuine, the
mother allegedly confirmed it was because
she wouldn’t want to “shatter anyone’s
dreams”. Police yesterday confirmed nobody had
been arrested and that they have passed on
the case to social services. Detective Inspector Vanessa Smith, from
West Yorkshire Police, said: “The child
concerned, who is both fit and well, is being
looked after in conjunction with relatives and
social services. The mother is receiving
appropriate care.” Julie Jenkins, assistant director of children’s
specialist services at Bradford council, said:
“We worked with the police to establish the
safety of the child and we have made sure
the child and the family have appropriate
support.”

Adults who survived childhood cancer are prone to premature aging

Childhood Cancer's New Conundrum

More Kids Survive the Disease, but as Adults Become Prone to Premature Aging

Brandy Wilbanks, who had bone cancer twice as a teen, was found to have the fitness level of a 65-year-old in tests at St Jude Children's Research Hospital

Adults who survived childhood cancer are facing a new health challenge: premature aging.

As more survivors reach their 30s and 40s, researchers are noticing health problems more common to much older people, such as frailty and serious memory impairment.

"Their overall physical being resembles that of people 30 years older than they are,'' said Kirsten Ness, associate member of the Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. She is one of the authors of a number of studies looking at premature aging in childhood cancer survivors.

The research is being driven by the growing number of childhood-cancer patients who now are adults—survival rates for many childhood cancers rose over recent decades—and the emergence of programs that follow them. Some experts estimate that one in every 640 adults aged 20 to 39 had cancer when he or she was a child.

One of the largest programs looking at the health risks of childhood cancer survivors is the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study, which follows people who were treated at St. Jude between 1962 and 2003. The subjects return to the hospital for regular testing and assessment.

Last month, St. Jude researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that adult survivors of childhood cancer are far more likely than other people their age to be frail, with slow walking speed, low muscle mass and weakness more common to people decades older.

In the study of 1,922 survivors, researchers reported 13.1% of women and 2.7% of men were frail. In a comparison study looking at 341 people who had no history of cancer, none were frail.

Brandy Wilbanks, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, at 13 and had a relapse at 16, is now showing signs of frailty at age 32. She took an exercise stress test as part of the St. Jude Lifetime study that showed she had fitness levels comparable to a 65-year-old woman.

Ms. Wilbanks, who works long shifts as an oncology nurse at a Memphis hospital and is the mother of a 2-year-old son, said she knows that many of her health challenges are uncommon among people her age. "You don't hear about 32-year-olds falling and breaking a hip, but I have to worry about that because of what I've gone through,'' she said.

Researchers are grappling with the cause of the premature aging. They have focused on the treatment the survivors received at a time when their brains and other organs were developing.

Children who had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, for example, and were treated with high doses of radiation to the brain are showing signs of brain changes and memory problems comparable to people who are 70, said Gregory T. Armstrong, a pediatric oncologist at St. Jude who is an author of a study published earlier this year.

"The treatment that saved their lives caused an injury to their brain,'' he said.

Researchers are also examining the role of chemotherapy on premature aging. The concerns have led to efforts to use lower doses of medicine and avoid radiation when possible.

Some researchers think that genetic or other factors also may make some survivors more susceptible to premature aging.

Tim A. Ahles, director of the Neurocognitive Research Laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said that in studies of younger women with breast cancer, some had lower-than-expected cognitive function based on age, occupation and education before beginning any treatment, "so there is some suspicion that the cancer itself may also be implicated in the development of the cognitive problems and the accelerated aging.'' Data remain sparse, he added.

Cancer researchers first noticed premature aging in younger survivors because "the aging is more dramatic in someone younger,'' Dr. Ahles said. New studies are under way in people diagnosed with cancer in their 60s, and some of these survivors also seem to be at risk for accelerated aging.

"The biology of cancer and the biology of aging are linked together in complicated ways,'' said Dr. Ahles. "It makes sense that the cancer itself or the genetic susceptibility to cancer may also influence how one ages.''

Other researchers are examining childhood cancer survivors who show signs of cognitive issues.

Ronald C. Petersen of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, who focuses on Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment in the general population, worked with St. Jude researchers on a study in which they gave young survivors standard memory tests and magnetic resonance imaging, similar to the diagnostics used for people at risk for Alzheimer's.

The survivors resembled people with mild cognitive impairment, he said. They could hold down jobs and have normal social interactions, but the worry was the problems would progress to early-onset memory loss and dementia. More studies are needed, he said.

Kevin C. Oeffinger, director of the Adult Long-Term Follow-Up program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, said doctors are working to boost patients' physical activity, build muscle mass and other steps to address frailty and other health problems.

"We don't want to be satisfied with curing the cancer, then the patient dies at a younger age from something we could have prevented,'' he said.

Son held in brutal stabbing of mum said he was 'looking for baby'

A Connecticut man held in the brutal stabbing death
of his mother has been placed on suicide watch
after police said he confessed to the murder and
showed no remorse. Prosecutors allege Robert Owen Rankin, 22, used a
fire poker, buck knife and his hands to kill his
mother, 45-year-old Margaret Rohner. Rankin was arrested Thursday after his father called
911 telling dispatchers “my son killed my ex-wife.”
Rank allegedly cut open his mother’s abdomen and
began removing organs, saying he was “looking for
a baby.” When police arrived Rankin raised his hands and
surrendered reportedly telling troopers he had a knife
in his pocket and that he had used it to kill his
mother, the New Haven Register reported. The suspect allegedly told police he had begun
planning to kill his mother on Thursday morning
when he woke up. The New Haven Register reports
Rankin told police he first tried to strangle her with
his bare hands, and then stabbed her in the neck
with a fire poker and buck knife. Rankin allegedly cut open his mother’s abdomen
and began removing organs because “I wanted to
see if there was a baby in her stomach.” Rankin reportedly told police he killed his mother
“because she is pretty much responsible for
everything that has gone wrong in my life,” the New
Haven Register reported. The suspect said he then took a shower and went to
walk his dog before contacting his father, the New
Haven Register reported. “I just want you to know that she put up a damn
good fight. She is a strong woman. I give her credit
for that,” Rankin reportedly told police. He is being held on $1 million bond and is due in
court Feb. 4.

Sister uses gummy bears to teach brother to walk after he lost both legs to meningitis

Louie Jenkins was given prosthetic limbs but his parents feared he would never be able to master them - until he was encouraged by big sister Francesca

Sweet tooth: Louie Jenkins and his older sister Francesca

Young Francesca Jenkins knew exactly how to get her brother back on his feet after he lost both legs to meningitis.

Louie, two, was given prosthetic limbs but parents Julie and Warren feared he would never be able to master them.

So Francesca, six, encouraged him to take his first steps by offering him the lure of a packet of Haribo gummy bears as she sat on the other side of the room.

Mum Julie, 30, said: “We all watched him stand up and walk over to Francesca.

“We couldn’t believe it. It was a fantastic moment, so emotional.”

Little LAMB (Louie's Amazing Meningitis Battle) appeal

The former teaching assistant added: “Doctors told us Louie may never walk, but we always remained positive because even though he was still so young we could already see how much of a determined little boy he was.

“When Louie was given his new legs we were quite nervous. We worried that he might not be able to get used to them and for a while he was a bit unsure.

“Francesca has been trying to get Louie to walk for ages. Louie loves sweets, so Francesca had the idea to hold sweets up to Louie to encourage him to walk.

“I held Louie on one side of the room and his dad and sister stood at the opposite side of the living room holding Haribos out to Louie.

“We all watched him stand up and walk over to Francesca. He had such a determined look on his face and when he took his first steps we couldn’t believe it."

Brave: Louie Jenkins in hospital

Louie also had to have the fingers on his left hand amputated and fingertips on his right removed.

Julie said: “He has been through so much in his early life. He’s truly amazing. Every week he is improving more and more. He is getting more confident and Warren and I have high hopes for him in the future."

Despite setbacks including chicken pox and eczema, Louie now manages 20 steps at a time.

Julie, of Colne, Lancs, aims to raise £30,000 to adapt the family home to meet his needs with their Little LAMB fund at his Facebook page Louie’s Amazing Meningitis Battle.

Find out more here .

Brave five-year-old who lost limbs to meningitis gets the Christmas present she always wanted

Charlotte Nott, who lost all her limbs when she fell ill with meningitis, was delighted to wake up on Christmas Day to find her first ever tricycle under the tree

Barcroft Media

A five-year-old girl who lost both arms and legs to meningitis got an extra-special Christmas present this year - her first ever bike.

Charlotte Nott beat incredible odds to survive after being struck down with the deadly virus two years ago.

Only a month before she was diagnosed, little Charlotte had fallen in love with a bike she'd seen while on a shopping trip with her parents.

Mum Jenny and dad Alex, both 32 from Oxford, secretly bought the bike, hoping to surprise her with it onChristmas Day.

But just two weeks before Christmas 2011, Jenny noticed a rash of purple marks on Charlotte's chest and she was rushed to hospital where doctors diagnosed her withmeningococcal septicemia.

Doctors were forced to amputate little Charlotte's arms and legs below the joint before she had a chance to ride her new bike.

Full-time mum Jenny, who is now separated from Alex, said: “Charlotte had never had a proper bike of her own before she became ill.

“But she’d fallen in love with cycling after been given a little tricycle by her cousin. She used to spend hours on it, peddling for miles and miles."

Within hours of being taken to hospital, Charlotte had suffered multiple organ failure and doctors were fighting to save her life.

She left hospital in January 2012, and since then has shown incredible courage adapting to life as a quadruple amputee.

Last year, an anonymous donor paid for a pair of pink, sparkly prosthetic legs for Charlotte - and ever since she's been trying to ride the bike she fell in love with three Christmases ago.

Jenny said: “Charlotte tried desperately hard to ride the bike. She would spend an hour just trying to cycle three metres.

“It was incredibly difficult for her – no matter how much effort she put in, she struggled to turn the pedals with her prosthetic legs.

She added: “In the years since, she has asked for bike every Christmas and every birthday. It’s the only thing she really wanted.

“We looked everywhere and Charlotte tried out so many bikes but nothing seemed to work. There was almost a point when I did feel like we’d have to give up.”

Charlotte's dreams were answered in August, when the family attended National Paralympic Day in London, when the family spotted a three-wheeled bike made by Pashley Cycles.

Jenny asked if Charlotte could have a go on the bike and within minutes she was cycling comfortably for the first time.

“It was absolutely incredible," said Jenny. "We’d waited so long but we’d finally found a bike that was the right fit for Charlotte.”

Using £400 raised from Charlotte's charity trust fund, Jenny bought a tricycle that was custom made to her daughter's measurements. She even convinced the company to break with tradition and paint the bike pink, Charlottte's favourite colour.

Jenny said: “Charlotte has waited so long and she’s been so patient so it was so incredible to be able to finally give her her first bike this Christmas.

“The look on her face when she’s riding it is just pure delight. It’s so heart-warming to see.

“Everyone remembers getting their first bike but I think Charlotte will really treasure this moment for the rest of her life.”

Tycoon Robert Wilson gives away $800
million fortune before jumping to death He has since been praised as a 'legend' by
his peers, after pledging his entire worth to
charity before ending his life Hedge fund multi-millionaire Robert W. Wilson,
87, jumped from the 16th floor of his luxury San
Remo apartment building: a prestigious address
in New York’s Upper East Side By JENN SELBY Friday 27 December 2013 A renowned Wall Street tycoon gave away his
entire $800 million fortune before falling to his
death in a suicide jump this week. Hedge fund multi-millionaire Robert W. Wilson,
87, leapt from the 16th floor of his luxury San
Remo apartment building (pictured above), a
prestigious address in New York’s Upper East
Side which has been the residence of Steven
Spielberg, Demi Moore, Glenn Close, Dustin Hoffman, Bono, Steve Martin, Bruce Willis and
Steve Jobs in the past. According to the New York Police Department,
he left a note at the scene. He had suffered from
a stroke just a few months before. “He always said he didn’t want to suffer and when
the time came, he would be ready,” close friend
Stephen Viscusi told the New York Post. "His plan was to give all his money away. He told
me recently, 'I only have about $100 million to
go.'" He has since been praised as a "legend" by his
peers, after pledging his entire worth to charity
some years before he ended his life. He gave the last $100 million of his money to
not-for-profit environmental advocacy group the
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Fred Krupp, the president of the EDF, said of the
group’s biggest benefactor: "Robert W. Wilson
was a Wall Street legend who became a
prominent philanthropist. "Bob had a passion to get things done in the
world. Widely read and blessed with a keen
intellect, he had the ability to predict where the
world was going, a talent that informed his
investments and, in later years, his
philanthropy." Krupp went on to indicate that Wilson was
building up a hugely lucrative Wall Street
portfolio "with the aim of bestowing his fortune
during his lifetime". "Initially skeptical of the science of climate
change, he quickly came to regard it as a critical
challenge. He wanted carbon pollution cut in an
efficient and sensible way, knowing that for a
solution to be environmentally sustainable, it
must also be economically sustainable." "Bob helped EDF grow with a pivotal $100
million challenge grant that inspired scores of
others to increase their own giving," Krupp
continued. "I am personally grateful to Bob for
his leadership and support over many years." Other beneficiaries of Wilson’s money include
the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York,
the World Monuments Fund, the Nature
Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation
Society, each of which received $100 million
before Wilson passed away. "I realised that Catholic schools were closing all
over the country, and Bill Gates probably didn’t
have enough money to save them," Wilson told Bloomberg News in 2010 when asked about his decision to donate such a large sum to the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Wilson was married to his only wife Marilyn for
35 years before they divorced. He is survived by
his brother William, 88. He had no children.

Dad...... Teen son found dead in scuba diving accident testing out Christmas

A Florida father and his teenage son, anxious to try
out new scuba diving equipment they received for
Christmas, drowned during a cave dive Wednesday,
MyFoxTampaBay.com reported. Darrin Spivey and Dillon Sanchez, his 15-year-old
son, were last seen alive entering the Eagles Nest
Sink location in Weeki Wachee, a town north of Port
Richey on the state's west coast. There's a sign
near the pond's entrance alerting divers that the
cave is dangerous and intended for advanced divers. Spivey was an experienced diver but his son was
not certified. Neither were experienced in cave
diving. The two were seen by a hunter who saw
them suited up at 11 a.m. Christmas morning and
when he returned at about 6 p.m., he noticed their
car was still there. After the two failed to return home, Spivey's
fiancée alerted authorities. She also took a dive
when she saw their car still parked near the
diving location, Denise Moloney, a Hillsborough
County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said. "She wasn't able to find them. We sent divers
down Christmas night, and they found Mr.
Sanchez at about 67 feet and Mr. Spivey at 127
feet." The two were found at about 8:30 p.m. Robert Brooks, an experienced cave diver who knew
Spivey, told The Tampa Bay Times that it seems as though their deaths could have been
avoided. "The sad thing is, I told him, 'One night they’re going
to call me to come get you,"' Brooks, who worked in
their recovery effort, said.

Girl saves brothers with bone marrow donation

..........At 13, Julia Jenkins doesn't always see eye-to-eye
with her three little brothers. They can be rowdy and
more than a little competitive. But the Jenkins kids
share a connection that runs deep. Julia Jenkins watched one brother get sick and then
another and then another. Then she learned that she
was the one person who might be able to help save
them. It started in 2008 when Will, then 2, developed a
swollen lymph node in his neck. The diagnosis:
Burkitt's lymphoma, a rare cancer of the lymphatic
system. Will started chemotherapy, but then John, who was
6, began having severe stomach problems. "They diagnosed John with Burkitt's lymphoma two
years to the exact day later," said (mother) Christy
Jenkins. Doctors at the Aflac Cancer Center at Children's
Healthcare of Atlanta started looking for answers.
Burkitt's doesn't usually run in families, but a
specialist remembered hearing about a rare, genetic
immune disorder called XLP carried by boys that
could cause very similar symptoms. Blood tests showed both Will and John had XLP, as did 2-year-
old Matthew. "Here I was approached with the plate of, 'All three
boys need a bone marrow transplant to possibly
survive,'" said Christy Jenkins. That's where Julia comes in. "I remember getting my blood tested, like sticking a
needle in my arm," Julia Jenkins said. Julia was a perfect bone marrow donor match for
both John and Matthew, but she was so young that
she didn't even know what being a donor meant. "But, I said yes, because they're my brothers," said
Julia Jenkins.

Man dies while hanging Christmas
lights for a 'winter wonderland' he
built for his 4-year-old daughter
and under which he planned to
propose to his girlfriend By Alexandra Klausner
14:49 26 Dec 2013, updated 14:56 26 Dec 2013 Jason Byrnes, 34, died while hanging Christmas
lights for a 'winterwonderland' he built for his
daughter Lily and under which he planned to
propose to his girlfriend Lauren Billodeaux He asked his neighbor Lindsay Schrama if he
could decorate her home because it was close
to the road where the motorists passed by 'Where's Daddy' his daughter Lily kept asking
as she was taken to a neighbors home while
the ambulance arrived Lily lives with her mother in Texas but was
visiting Maryland to see her father for the
holidays Schrama and her husband decided to leave the
lights on in memory of Byrnes A North Beach, Maryland man died while hanging
Christmas decorations for a 'Winter Wonderland' he
built for his four year old daughter and girlfriend he
planned to marry. Jason Byrnes, 34, asked his neighbor Lindsay Schrama
if he could decorate her home because it sat on Walnut
Avenue near the road where cars and trucks pass by.
Schrama, who teaches Byrnes yoga, agreed to let him
transform her home into a Christmas palace. Byrnes had already strung most of the lights on the
inflatable elves, on the backyard playhouse, and on a
tree that he planned to propose beneath. However, On December 16. he decided to make some
adjustments that would cost him his life. He brought an
extension ladder to Schrama's house and accidentally
hit a power line above his neigbors house in North
Beach, reports the Capital Gazette. Byrnes' 4-year-old daughter Lily didn't see her father
die. She Played with Schrama's children as Schrama
tried CPR. Schrama took Lily to a neighbors house
when the ambulances arrived. 'Where's daddy?' Lily kept asking. Schrama searched for her words but told Lily that her
father was with the doctor. 'you're not going to make sense of this. There is no
sense. It was a freak accident, said Schrama to the
Capital Gazzete. Lily stayed with Schrama's children that night until her
mother and Byrne's parents came the next day to pick
her up. MORE... 'Our little angel got her pink glittery wings': Girl, 8,
who had thousands sing carols to her as one of her
last wishes dies on Christmas morning Two month old baby girl shot dead on Christmas Eve
by family member after handgun goes off
accidentally He never got to say 'I love you': 15-year-old boy with
cerebral palsy who has never been able to talk to his
family is gifted $6,000 communication device by the
Make-A-Wish Foundation After Byrnes died, friends told Lauren Billodeaux of
Virginia's Northern neck that Byrnes had planned to
propose to her beneath the shining decorations. He met
Lauren Billodeaux in the fall. The couple hiked together
and fished together.A month after meeting Billodeaux,
he chose a diamond ring. Billodeaux told friends she would have said yes to
marrying Jason Bynes. 'He was full-throttle,' she said. 'He didn't know how to
halfway love.' Byrnes was a loving and dedicated father to his 4-year-
old daughter Lily as well. He sometimes served her
cupcakes for breakfast and a friend recounted that once
Lily got her face painted like a butterfly at the zoo and
Byrnes got his face painted like a tiger. Lily, who lives with her mother in Texas, arrived to
spend the Holidays with her father. He built the 'Winter
Wonderland' for her. He was also an appreciated neighbor. In addition to
offering to decorate Schrama's home, he taught his
neighbor's sons how to fish. He told his neighbor Schrama, 'They're going to see
these lights from Mars.' Schrama and her husband considered turning off the
lights after Byrne's death but they don't know how to
turn the timer off. They decided to let the lights shine every evening in
memory of Jason Byrnes. Byrnes who was a mechanic who worked in Hanover for
Liebherr Equipment Source, which rents contsruction
equipment. He came to the neighboorhood in the spring
to fish the chesapeake, walk his terrier Jack, and to love
those around him  'full throttle' until the moment he
died.
Jason Byrnes  died before he was able to
propose to his girlfriend Lauren Billodeaux
Lily and her father were close-knit and he
sometimes let her eat cupcakes for breakfast Lindsay Schrama taught Jason Byrnes yoga and she
let him decorate her home into a 'winter wonderland' Lily lives with her mother in Texas but was visiting her
father for the holidays Lindsay said she would have said 'yes' to the man
who loved her 'full throttle'

Girl dies after thousands fulfill her wish ....,,A little girl whose Christmas wish inspired thousands of people to sing in the streets died
overnight. Laney Brown, 8, suffered from leukemia. "Our little angel on earth earned her pink glittery
angel wings in heaven," a post on an official Facebook page about her said. "She took her last
breath at home in her bed at 3:10 surrounded by
all her family and friends. I miss her so much
already." Delaney Brown of West Reading, Pennsylvania,
"inspired a community and touched hearts across
the world," as CNN affiliate WFMZ put it. She loved music and dancing. Her dying wishes were to meet country music
superstar Taylor Swift and for some people to
come by her house for a night of caroling. On Friday -- her birthday -- Laney and Swift video-
chatted through FaceTime, a software application
that allows callers to see each other on Apple
products. Then, Saturday night, the singers came. At first it
was hundreds of people, then thousands. Then it
was about 10,000, CNN affiliate WFMZ reported. She was too weak to go to the window, but heard
the wonderful music. "I can hear you now!!! Love you!" she said in a
Facebook post that showed a photo of her lying in
bed with a breathing mask -- and two thumbs up. Laney was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia seven months ago. Last week doctors told her
family that she had 70% cancer cells in her blood.
She came home from the hospital Thursday. The Christmas carol celebration outside her home
attracted people from all over. Her dance team
was there to honor her. Even Santa showed up. Many of the singers held back tears. "I can't even express how I feel," Krysta Rebe,
who has a daughter Laney's age, told WFMZ. It was only an hour of singing, but it lifted the
spirits of everyone who jammed the block. "As much as I want that miracle to be saving the
life of an 8-year-old little girl, Laney, the miracle
was an 8-year-old little girl teaching an entire
community, town, city and the whole country the
true meaning of Christmas," one participant,
Marianne Franken, wrote on Facebook." On Wednesday, thousands of people liked and
commented on the Facebook post announcing the
little girl's death. "I do not cry for Laney, who lives on in peace and
happiness with our Lord," wrote Cornell
Stornbergh. "I mourn for us, who now have to live
in a world without her."

Volunteer Firefighter
Unknowingly Pulls Dying
Daughter From Wreckage On
Christmas Eve ......A volunteer firefighter attempted to save a woman
in a serious car accident on Christmas Eve -- and
found that not only was she dying, but that she
was his daughter. Steve Whitcomb responded to the scene in
Brookline, N.H., where the lone victim, his
daughter Katie Hamilton, was eventually
pronounced dead, according to CNN. An SUV
reportedly rear-ended her and pushed her into
oncoming traffic, where another car hit her head on, police said. As he pulled his 30-year-old daughter out of the
smashed vehicle, he didn't initially recognize her,
police chief Bill Quigley told The Union Leader. The other two drivers weren't injured and nobody
was charged. Quigley said that speed and
impairment weren't factors in the crash, but
"distracted driving" may have been. Hamilton doesn't just leave behind her dad. "I know that she is a young mother," Quigley said.
"It's a sad, sad day for all of us, not just because
it's Christmas Eve." Brookline is a small town of 4,000 residents, and
everyone holds Hamilton and Whitcomb in high
regard. The Nashua Telegraph reports that the two
worked together as plumbers and were close. "You grieve and then you try to put it all back
together," Whitcomb told the paper

Prisoner serving life
chops off his own
PENIS after being
refused Christmas
pardon ........Francis Karuri was apparently distraught
that he would never be able to start a family A prisoner chopped off his own penis with a
razor blade after being refused a Christmas
pardon. Francis Karuri is serving a life sentence at a
prison in Kenya and took the dramatic step
after failing to make a list of inmates to be
set free by President Uhuru Kenyatta. He told wardens he no longer had any use
for his penis because he would never be
able to start a family, according to Kenyan newspaper the Sunday World. Karuri was originally given the death
sentence for 'robbery with violence' but this
was reduced to life in prison, the paper
reports. He was on mopping up duties and listening
to the radio as a list of 50 prisoners to be
pardoned at Christmas. When his name was not read out, Karuri cut
off his penis with a razor blade and then
carried on working. He collapsed from blood loss and was taken
for medical treatment. Karuri had been suffering from mental
illness from a number of months, the
Sunday World added.

Son confesses to
‘brutally killing
mom on
Christmas Eve’ ......A high school baseball star confessed to the
horrific Christmas Eve murder of his mother,
who he beat with a baseball bat and left in the
family’s home with a large kitchen knife sticking
out of her eye socket, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported. William Brandon Aydelott, 17, was arrested
Tuesday night and charged with premeditated
murder in the death of his mother, Sharon
Aydelott, a teacher at a nearby middle school in
Gulf Breeze. “It was very brutal, very heinous,” Sheriff’s Office
Public Information Officer Rich Aloy told The
Pensacola News Journal. “Brutal is the only way
to describe it.” Aydelott fled the Gulf Breeze house after the
murder and agreed to come in for questioning
after he was found at a nearby home where he
had been living since September when the teen
and his mom started fighting, the NWF Daily
News reported. When cops questioned him, Aydelott smiled a
few times but otherwise appeared calm and
emotionless, the newspaper said. Aydelott was a right-handed pitcher who could
throw 80 miles per hour and was being scouted
by some college teams, the Daily Mail reported

Great

Chinese woman, 60, gives birth to twins

A 60-year-old retiree has become the oldest woman in China to give birth, bearing twins after becoming pregnant via in-vitro fertilisation, state media reported on Thursday.

The woman, whose was identified by the pseudonym Cheng, gave birth to the two baby girls prematurely on Tuesday in Hefei, capital of the eastern province of Anhui, the China Daily reported.

The births came 34 weeks after she became impregnated to ease the pain caused by the death of her 28-year-old daughter, Tingting, who died in a suspected gas poisoning incident early last year along with her husband, it said.

"Their cry resembles my late daughter," she was quoted as saying after the twins were born via Caesarean section.

"The girls give me and my husband the courage to live on. Despite the fact that we are old, we have the confidence to bring them up."

After Tingting's death, friends and relatives urged the woman to have another baby and she decided to try in-vitro fertilisation.

Her husband was initially against the idea but finally agreed, reluctantly, the report said.

They travelled to Beijing last May to meet gynaecology experts, most of whom thought her chances of becoming pregnant were extremely slim.

When she returned to Hefei, Cheng started taking daily medication and injections, and became pregnant after an in-vitro fertilisation procedure last October.

The two girls were in stable condition in incubators, the report said.

There have been numerous recent reports of women having babies later in life thanks to advances in assisted reproductive technology.

Two Indian women are believed to have become the world's eldest mothers in 2008 after they both gave birth at the age of 70 via in-vitro fertilisation.