A father has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault after telling a 911 operator he carved a pentagram into his 6-year-old son's back.
Just after midnight Wednesday, officers were dispatched to a home in Richland Hills, Texas, after the boy's father, identified by police as Brent Troy Bartel, called 911 and said: "I shed some innocent blood."
When the dispatcher asked what the man meant by that, the man replied: ?I inscribed a pentagram on my son.?
The dispatcher asked why, and the man said: "It's a holy day."
At the same time, the child's mother called 911 from a neighbor's home and said her husband was hurting their child.
More stories from NBCDFW.com
Officers arrived at the home and found the child cold, standing in only pajama pants with a large pentagram carved into his back. The carving covered most of the boy's back, police said.
Officers wrapped the boy in a jacket and turned him over to paramedics.? The child was transported to Cooks Children's Hospital for treatment.? Child Protective Services and a crime victim liaison were working with the boy and his mother.
Police said Wednesday afternoon that the carving wasn't deep enough to require stitches and that the child is expected to physically recover.
At the scene, officers also recovered a box cutter they believe Bartel used to make the carving.
Bartel was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon-family member. He was being held early Thursday on $500,000 bond.
The father's call to 911 was placed at 12:10 a.m., just minutes after the day 12-12-12 began.
It is not clear what Bartel meant by calling Wednesday "a holy day."
However, Catholics celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. The Dec. 12, 2012, date, along with Dec. 21, 2012, have drawn attention from numerologists and those concerned with doomsday prophecy.
On Wednesday, it's reported more than 9,000 couples will tie the knot and hospitals have seen a surge in scheduled Cesarean sections. NBC's Andrea Canning reports.
NBC 5's Lindsay Wilcox contributed to this report.
Could you slaughter a chicken? It?s a question I?ve occasionally thought about, curious if I?d have the stomach to procure my own protein. Every so often, budding farmers at Pie Ranch in Pescadero, California just off Highway 1 will show you how, and offer some other lessons about food origins. Fresh local pie is the main draw at the 25-acre facility?which is, appropriately, shaped like two giant pie wedges?but budding farmers also grow and harvest many of the things you?d find on your table, from beef to wheat to butter and honey.
I was hardly the first person to pull over, drawn in by the large ?PIE? signs a mile out (strictly on business, of course). Thousands of students, fruit buyers, and curious tourists visit the ranch each year for workshops on food-making the old fashioned way. ?We want to teach people how to grow all these things, and let them see where it all comes from,? farming apprentice Nichole Mikaelian told me when I stopped in. She also mentioned a monthly barn dance, fiddle and all.
As for the the slaughter workshop, unfortunately for me?but luckily for the chicken?I missed it by one week.
10 December 2012Last updated at 07:44By Matt WalkerEditor, BBC Nature
A Sunda clouded leopard is filmed up close (copyright Jyrki Hokkanen)
One of the world's most rare and elusive cats, the Sunda clouded leopard of Malaysia, has been filmed up close.
A biologist holidaying in Malaysia has captured unique footage of a young female leopard resting in the forest.
Previously, this top predator has only been filmed fleetingly and at a distance, with the first wild footage to be made public captured in 2010.
The Sunda clouded leopard was only discovered to be a distinct species in 2006.
Experts say the footage is extraordinary, believing it to be the only close-up film of the cat in the wild.
Clouded leopards are the smallest of the so-called big cats, living in southeast Asia.
They are not true leopards, being more distantly related to leopards, snow leopards, lions and tigers than those big cats are to each other.
For many years, experts thought there was a single species of clouded leopard.
Then in 2007, Mr Andreas Wilting of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany and colleagues discovered there are actually two distinct species.
The clouded leopard of mainland Asia and Taiwan kept the traditional species name Neofelis nebulosa, and the Sunda clouded leopard living on Borneo and Sumatra, was named Neofelis diardi.
Both species are elusive, but the Sunda clouded leopard is rarely sighted or photographed.
In 2010, Mr Wilting and colleagues captured the first wild footage of the cat to be made public, when during a night survey, they encountered a Sunda clouded leopard walking along a road.
Now Dr Jyrki Hokkanen, a keen wildlife videographer, has obtained much more detailed film of the cat.
First footage of a wild Sunda clouded leopard filmed in 2010 (Footage courtesy of A Wilting/A Mohamed/Cat News)
Dr Hokkanen studied for a doctorate in biology at the University of Leeds, UK, before becoming a scientific visualisation specialist in Finland.
On 2 August this year, he was holidaying at the Danum Valley, within Malaysian Borneo, exploring the forest at night with his wife and a guide, using torches to illuminate any wildlife.
"We saw an unusually big pair of eyes about ten metres ahead," Dr Hokkanen told BBC Nature, describing the encounter. "The eyes pointed at us and did not move and a round face was just about visible in the flashlight."
Dr Hokkanen began to film the animal which then moved through the vegetation and disappeared.
"I knew it had been a cat," he said. "It could not have been anything other than the Sunda clouded leopard."
Dr Hokkanen, his wife and guide continued forward on the trail they were walking, in an attempt to find the animal again.
"Then suddenly an eye shine appeared very low, now on the right hand side. This was not what we expected, since the cat had disappeared to the left. Through my viewfinder I saw a leopard raising up from the undergrowth, where it had been hiding, and looking at us."
Young female
Experts, including Mr Wilting and Andrew Hearn of the Wildlife Conservation Unit at the University of Oxford, UK, have reviewed the footage, which they say is exciting.
Another expert, Fernando Najera, who manages a clouded leopard (N. nebulosa) captive breeding centre in Thailand, said that the cat's size and appearance, including the length of its adult teeth, suggest it is a young female, perhaps 18 months old, rather than a cub.
"The clouded leopard basically just tolerated us, but it also occasionally appeared to be amused by the flickering light, like a kitten," added Dr Hokkanen.
"A couple of times it licked its nose, perhaps to moisten its nostrils, and sniffed the air. A yawn revealed its huge canines, [the] longest in all cats relative to size."
The Sunda clouded leopard faces an uncertain future: it depends on forest yet its habitat on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra is being cleared at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world, according to the International Union for the Conservation for Nature (IUCN).
A year earlier in 2011, Dr Hokkanen also managed to film a marbled cat, currently considered to be one of the world's least known cat species, and listed as endangered.
The marbled cat looks much like a miniature clouded leopard, with a cloud-like spot pattern and long tail.
Join BBC Nature on Facebook and Twitter @BBCNature.
For owners of residential, commercial, or industrial real estate, working with a property management company can be a great resource. Property management works the same as management in any other business by monitoring what needs to be accounted, monitored, and cared for with any form of real estate. They work to find long-term residents who respect and care for the property and always pay on time. We will act as a mediator between you and the tenant easing the responsibility of busy owners. Hiring a respected property management company can make real estate ownership simple. Our managers have the skills and know-how to make every aspect of the process simple and painless. Take comfort in knowing that we will treat your property as if we own it ourselves. Investment Property Maintenance Herriman
This entry was posted in Real Estate & Property. Bookmark the permalink.
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The French-language drama "Amour" has been chosen as the year's best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, whose prizes are among a flurry of year-end honors that help sort out the Academy Awards race.
Among other honors the group announced Sunday, the 1950s cult drama "The Master" earned three awards: best director for Paul Thomas Anderson, best actor for Joaquin Phoenix and supporting actress for Amy Adams.
"The Master" also was chosen as best-picture runner-up.
"Amour" star Emmanuelle Riva, who plays an elderly, ailing woman being cared for by her husband, shared the best-actress honor in a tie with Jennifer Lawrence for the lost-soul romance "Silver Linings Playbook."
Newcomer Dwight Henry was chosen as supporting actor for the low-budget critical darling "Beasts of the Southern Wild."
Not many children study how computer games are made, with hopes to become a game developer. Not many are named honorees of major organizations like 7-year-old Jacob Schaub was. But then again, not many children have had to go through nearly two years of battling leukemia as Schaub currently is.
Two weeks ago, Jacob was deemed Honoree of the 7th annual Winter Pineapple Classic 5k fun run by Wilma Comenat of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Jacob?s mother Sofia said he?s excited to be able to hold the pineapple this weekend as others run an obstacle course in an effort to raise $500,000. LLS has raised $2 million over the last six years.
?We currently have just over 2,200 participants but we?d love to see 3,000,? said Comenat.
Last year, Sofia ran in the fun run but Jacob had to sit out. He was still in the midst of fighting his leukemia.
After complaining of stomach pain for some time and after his parents noticed a change in his energy, they took him to the emergency room of Seattle Children?s Hospital last winter. Doctors took his parents aside, handed them tissues and delivered the hard news: his blood was full of sick white cells and the pain in his stomach was caused by a cancerous mass the size of an orange.
Jacob was admitted to Children?s for two weeks of intensive chemotherapy. And the entire year was made up of hospital visits two-to-three times a week, the occasional infection, a lot of commuting and plenty of homeschooling.
Jacob was diagnosed with leukemia Feb. 3, 2011 ? just two weeks after his sixth birthday but 10 days after his kindergarten teacher Rosemary Allan-Humphreys had signed up to do her fourth event with LLS. Her uncle had passed away from leukemia in 2000.
?It was very strange to have a student going through this since raising money for research has been a passion of mine for such a long time,? said Allan-Humphreys, who is now Jacob?s brother?s kindergarten teacher at Carl Sandburg Elementary. ?I felt sad for Jacob; the pain he was going through, the long stays at the hospital, missing school and playing outside and around groups of other children.?
Jacob missed nearly his entire first grade because his immune system was very weak.
?I remember when we went to school during first grade, he?d say ?I don?t like when they look at me,?? Sofia recalls when her son lost his hair from chemotherapy.
Allan-Humphreys would engage him by playing games and having him write about the computer games he loves to play. A favorite is Minecraft.
?Jacob is a very bright boy, so academically I knew he?d be okay,? she said.
He has recently started back at school for second grade and while he enjoys math and P.E., Allan-Humphreys does acknowledge he missed a lot of school over the past two years and that being back is a big adjustment for him. She says he misses his mom and he does get tired but whenever she sees him with his family, he?s ?very happy, smiling, excited to show me the latest additions to his Minecraft world.?
?It?s been a little hard for him to get back,? Sofia said. ?After not being there and then following the routines and now there are 20 kids in his classroom, but he?s doing well and he?s happy when he gets home.?
Although Jacob?s chemotherapy will be done June 2014, he frequents the hospital much less ? about once a month for steroids. Sofia says his cancerous cells are gone but now they are in the maintenance phase. He is very comfortable with his doctor and familiar with the hospital.
?He doesn?t think about his illness all the time,? Sofia said. ?Sometimes he has questions and talks with his brother about hating cancer, but for me and my husband, it?s emotionally hard to know that your child is really sick. Even if he?s doing well right now, we always know we have a sick child.?
But Sofia says her family stays close and they continue to move forward.
?I hate cancer. To have cancer feels different,? said Jacob. ?Cancer makes you feel you can die, but I say no to the cancer.?
The Winter Pineapple Classic will be at Mountain Meadows Farm in North Bend, Wash. on Saturday, Nov. 10.
To donate toward the Schaub?s fun run team, visit their website.
Below: Jacob Schaub, photo by SolaceArts.com
Contact Kirkland Reporter Reporter Raechel Dawson at rdawson@kirklandreporter.com or 425-822-9166 X5050.
It's hard to believe we are already in the midst of November, only two more months left until the new year! We are already thinking ahead for the upcoming holiday season including decorating ideas, thinking up holiday feasts, gift giving ideas,sending out annual greeting cards and of course family holiday photos!
We all know holiday photo shoots are a great way to make new memories and share them with family and friends in an ever lasting professional photo - we just haven't ever had them done before!
This year will be our first holiday photo shoot and we are super excited to be having them done courtesy of Sears Canada! Sears Canada invited us to make a lasting memory with our family in the Sears Portrait Studio! I admit, we really should have done more of these sooner.
Holiday shopping
Now, before heading off to get our smiles on we needed to dress the kids up a little. As cute as they already are, holiday portraits are all the cuter with the proper attire. We decided to head on into our local Sears location and take advantage of the Sears kids clothing sale! I had posted about it previously via Facebook and Twitter!
Everything dress wear was on sale from Baby to Teen, for 25% off so we were able to dress both kids for less! Sears Canada has lovely dresses in a wide variety of colours and styles for girls and cute, stylish outfits and simple shirt-tie sets for boys. From casual to more fancy, it was hard to decide what to buy for our two little munchkins. Although we were tempted to go fancy (little guy found a really cute shirt and tie set) we decided to go with a dressy-casual look for the kids. Our daughter chose a nice dress and our son a sweater with new jeans to match. They can also wear these outfits after the holidays too!
The photo shoot
Sears Portrait Studio makes it easy to book an appointment online, by phone or even just walk-in for us busy on the go moms! I booked our appointment for a Sunday morning, but unfortunately it was re booked to next week so please, stay tuned for an update including our family photos!
This will be our first time at a professional photo shoot as I said, everyone is excited (some of us may be anxious) and can't wait to share with all of you! Our kids are used to having their pictures taken by us being a little older but for those of you with babies and younger kids who can't sit still or you're afraid won't co operate, the photographers at Sears Portrait Studios are known to be great at helping get the perfect smiles from your little ones! The best photos are always ones when you are relaxed and yourselves.
Our holiday photo session comes with 10 photo cards to share with family and friends, those are going to make a nice finishing touch to our holiday gifts this year!
Keep up to date with everything Sears Canada by following @SearsCa on Twitter and liking the Sears Canada Facebook page! You can also find great promotions and sales online at www.sears.ca!?
The Giveaway
We want you to make ever lasting memories this holiday season with Sears Canada Portrait Studio. One lucky Canadian AME reader has the chance to win their very own FREE portrait session (voucher) courtesy of Sears Canada and MomCentral Canada! Not only that but winner will also receive a SECOND FREE portrait session (voucher) to share with family and friends!?
Giveaway open to CANADIAN residents only. Entering this giveaway on multiple blogs is OK but you can only win the prize once! Ends November 23rd, 2012! GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: Posted by AME in participation with Sears The Baby's Room Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada. Special perks are received in affiliation with this group which do not reflect the overall opinions and comments on this blog which are those of the author. Giveaway prize provided by MomCentral Canada.?
