Episode #26: “Black Friday”, from True’s 30 November 2008 issue.
Crime
Weird News Video #24 — Take a Bite Out of Crime
Episode #24: “Take a Bite Out of Crime”, from True’s 16 November 2008 issue.
Weird News Video #22 — Spoon-Fed Newsbite
Episode #22: “Spoon-fed Newsbite”, from True’s 2 November 2008 issue.
Weird News Video #16 — Modern-Day Ninjas
Episode #16: “They Do Sorta Look Like Mutant Turtles”, from True’s 21 September 2008 issue.
Weird News Video #13 — Uncivil Protest
Episode #13: “Uncivil Protest”, from True’s 31 August 2008 issue.
Weird News Video #10 — DUI D’oh!
Episode #10: “Right Here In River City!”, from True’s 10 August 2008 issue.
One Strange Fetish
I just had to post this guy’s mug shot after a subscriber wrote to say he thought it was odd that the woman so quickly thought the man was suspicious. First, here’s the story:
Weird News Video #4 — Thong Bandits
Episode #4: “Don’t Swipe Your Disguise From Your Girlfriend”, from True’s 29 June 2008 issue.
Two Teen Tales
Two stories this week have photos to go with them. First, the dangerous desperado and the dual damsels:
Beauty and the Beast
Two stories this week have photos: the sexy mayor of Arlington, Ore., and the idiot robber using a bottle of cologne as a weapon.
First, the moron.
A Lingering Image
Another one of those stories that just begs for a photo. From True’s 9 March 2008 issue:
Barbecued Biker
A tagline on a story this week is a homage to a popular subtype of humor email I get from friends from time to time: photos of (usually) Chinese people carrying impossibly huge loads on little motorbikes.
Kumari Fulbright Mugshot
Stories in True can almost always stand on their own, without illustration. But now and then, a photo really adds to the story. In the case of a so-called “beauty queen” law student who allegedly committed a major crime, it is definitely enhanced by a couple of photos.
The Big Picture
Sometimes newspaper editors do their work mechanically, not paying any attention whatever to what they’re printing — even on the front page. And I have the photos to prove it. From True’s 23 December 2007 issue:
Duct Tape Robber
In last week’s issue there was the story of an alleged robber who wrapped his head in duct tape as a disguise. But I forgot that I had photos of this brain surgeon to show you! But first, the story, from the 9 September issue:
Blonde Racism?
A story last week led a reader to accuse me of being racist. I first rolled my eyes over the accusation and deleted the message, but I decided to pull it out of the trash and run it here. I still haven’t replied to the message; rather, I’d like you to, by posting a response below.
Echo! (Echo!)
(Heh! When I hit ‘Save’ on this entry, there was a net.burp and, for the first time ever, I got a duplicate post. Figures it would happen with that title, eh? 🙂 )
Sometimes I Delight In finding two or three weird stories in a short amount of time, and running them all together in the same issue. It happens more often than you might think (especially if you’re not a Premium subscriber, and don’t see all the stories).
Public Humiliation vs. Real Punishment
Well of course I have the photos of the bikini-clad fireman. But first things first — here’s the story:
Keeping the Balance Balanced
Yes, True is sometimes a touch raw. Usually it works out fine — it’s balanced well between tragedy (like a school committing a grievous Zero-Tolerance punishment on a truly innocent kid) and comedy. But now and then, after I’ve written an issue, something comes up that tilts the balance, and the result is awkwardly off-kilter.
The Public Be Damned
In the 28 January issue I ran a story about two murderers who escaped from prison in England. I noted the story was an example of “zero tolerance” mentality migrating to the real world: