Memphis News

It appears the spate of heat related deaths is at an end for 2010. Now we can go back to discussing murder related deaths; it's a comfort zone thing.

And I heard on news this week, some sort of Jethro Bodine style meth lab got busted at Rose of Sharon campground. I used to drive past that sign a lot, so I know it's out from Covington, TN. Always thought that's such an intriguing name for an RV park.
Now the three arrested were charged with: possession of drug paraphenalia, methamphetamine manufacture, and... trespassing.

Really I don't know why our prosecutorial system works like that, but I've noted it for many years...

'The suspects are charged with murder, bank robbery, arson, and illegal discharge of firearms within the city limits.'

Of course by now it's entrenched custom, but I'd kind of like to know how that whole thing got started. Was it a bargaining chip for use with dim witted criminals?

Something like "I shouldn't be doing this, but darn it I like you mixed up kids. So just tell me where I can find five or six more meth labs, and I'll make that trespassing charge go away."

Or was it originally District Attorney insurance? Like if the guys get off on murder, bank robbery and arson, you can at least assure the voters you nailed their butts on that illegal discharge of firearms charge!!!

But it's not all murder and meth in Memphis. The buzz lately is about identity theft, and this time nobody in Memphis was the criminal. Turns out some PC virus out of Russia infected system at Jason's Deli, and dozens of credit card accounts were accessed.

How the Secret Service knows the virus came from Russia, they don't say. Well these kinds of things always make me nostalgic for the USSR. Yeah, back in the 1970's you accuse the Ruskies of something like that, it'd be a big deal at the UN.

Soviet Ambassador would make big speech like, "Nyet, nyet! Ve never heardsky of this Jason Deli. Is all plot by warmongering Capitalist oppressors!"

Time marches on though. Russia is now run by organized crime; not really a lot of interest in face saving protestations over there anymore.

So what happens is Jason's Deli will lose a lot of business, the credit card companies have to restore customers for the thefted funds, and the Russian hackers get away clean with the loot. We can't arrest them, not even for trespassing.