It is especially
tempting on a cold morning
to start the car,
turn on the heat and go back inside the house for a while. People do the same
thing when they jump out at a gas station or a Starbucks or a dry cleaner. Thieves love that.
The
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports:Michelle
Staton, executive director of the
Pennsylvania Auto
Theft Prevention Authority, claims some thieves wait for inclement weather to jump at the chance for an easy score.
"We
always notice a spike in auto thefts when the temperatures get real low and people are
more likely to leave their cars idling to keep warm while they run errands. And we also see a spike during very
warm summer months when people leave their cars
running for the air conditioning," Staton said.
"We
really see a lot of these type of thefts at convenience
stores," Staton said.
Staton
noted that occurrences have become so common that the Pennsylvania Motor
Vehicle code permits individual municipalities to cite people for leaving their vehicles idling and unattended.
"It really occurs quite
a bit. The fines
are usually very small, sometimes about $25,
but some police forces feel that leaving
vehicles idle
unattended is actually tempting
car theft," Staton said.
The
reason? Of the 66 cars that were stolen, 24 had the keys in them.
"I'm So Sorry"My goodness -- there have been a lot of public
apologies this
month.
- The
Pentagon last week offered
three apologies for the care that wounded soldiers are -- or are not -- getting when they return from service overseas.
- DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures, which released the recent film "Dreamgirls," apologized to Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., saying the hit film was a work of fiction, not a factual account of the record label's early days.
- Sen. Joe Biden apologized for calling fellow Democratic Sen. Barack Obama "the first mainstream African-American [presidential candidate] who is
articulate and bright and clean."
- NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip had
a lot to apologize for when officials found his crew cheating during preparations for the Daytona 500.
- A Spanish TV personality wore donkey ears as he apologized on the air for calling the people of Madrid "dirty" in a newspaper interview. A
BBC weathercaster apologized for calling a community "Nowhweresville" during a live broadcast.
- The author of a controversial op-ed piece in the Central Connecticut State University campus newspaper, a failed attempt at satire which called attention to the so-called "benefits of rape," circulated an apology to fellow students.
Maybe you have something
for which you need to apologize.
I can help.
Take a look at Mark's Apology note Generator.You can
actually buy software that will help you
write a bang-up apology letter.
Here are some suggestions from the company that
sells the software:
Six tips for writing a
personal apology letter:
1. Write this
apology letter carefully on a piece of stationery;
don't type it on a computer.
2. Express your apology in the beginning of your
letter: "I am so sorry.." or "I want to apologize..."
3. State exactly what you did wrong
early in the apology letter: "I shouldn't have lost my temper when..." or "I have looked all over, but I'm afraid I have
lost your book..."
4. Accept responsibility for
what you did and don't blame the other person: "I accept full responsibility for
what happened..." or "I know this was
completely my fault..."
5. Promise in your
apology letter not to repeat your offensive action and ask
the injured party to give you an opportunity to prove this to them.
6. Suggest that the two of you get together
at a restaurant or some other non-threatening place
so that you can apologize in person and begin to rebuild your relationship.
Al's Morning Multimedia
The
New York Times has
taken the wedding announcement into the multimedia world with a video feature called
"How We Met." Watch
"Vows: Alex and Matt" for an
example of a story loaded with twists and turns that kept me watching even
though I knew how it would turn out. These stories have been produced and edited by
Times staffers.
But now, NYTimes.com is asking couples to send completed home videos that tell "how we met" stories. The site has not used any of the homemade versions yet, but what a great idea. There isn't a newspaper -- or TV station --
in the country that could not do this.
The
Times sets down these guidelines for submissions:
--
The videos should be no longer than 3 minutes in duration, and must be submitted to the Times no later than two weeks prior to the couple's wedding date.
--
The videos should focus solely on topic of the couple's relationship. They must not contain any profanity.
-- A
Times staff member will review the submission and, if approved, the submission will appear at nytimes.com/weddings on the same Sunday that
the couple's wedding announcement is scheduled to appear.
--
For suggestions on how to film your video, check out our Vows videos. (Note: These are
professionally produced videos, but they will give you a general idea of subject matter.)
Beautiful and BaldNo, this is
not a Britney
Spears story. The
Rocky Mountain News takes note of the remarkable comeback of the bald
eagle from the verge of extinction to an estimated 9,700 pairs that are living in places they have not lived in 40 years -- including at the end of my street
and at a nearby cemetery.
Note From Al
I hope you enjoyed today's column. If not, I accept full responsibility for your disappointment. And I apologize.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's
Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story
excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as
original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly
from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided
whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the
accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and
inaccuracies found will be corrected.
