Two TV Shows With Land Surveyors

http://www.wtsp.com/news/columnist/story.aspx?storyid=108025&catid=79

“Tampa, FL - Robert Sullivan, a land surveyor, was one of more than a thousand people who showed up at the St. Pete Times Forum at 5 a.m. for a chance at getting in the hot seat on Who Wants To be a Millionaire?.
Before he even filled out a form, he knows where the money will go. "I have two five year olds. Anything that I can do to secure their education and their futures is where the money will go." His slow work schedule allowed him to take off time to audition.
Producers say they have seen more and more people affected by the economy who are auditioning. "It's not people that are desperate, that their house is about to go on foreclosure, but it's people that are afraid they are going to get there," said Co-executive Producer Rich Sirop.”

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/recaps/601/recaps.php

Season 6: Episode 01: Hangman
"Don’s team is charged with running VIP security for a big political rally featuring high profile activist Benjamin Polk. While scouting out the venue in preparation for the event, Don and his team come under heavy fire and receive a message to stay away from Polk during the rally. This overt attempt to scare Polk and the FBI away doesn’t work, and Polk insists on keeping his speaking engagement at the gathering. The FBI then digs in to try and discover who is making the threat, and discover that it’s a man who’d lost his son during a violent riot orchestrated by Polk to gain political street credit in order to further his own career. Furious that his son had been blatantly used as a pawn, the man, Shepard Crater, had come to LA to exact revenge. On the day of the rally Crater sets off a sequence of events to force Polk back to his hotel, where Crater is set to ambush and kill him. Charlie deduces the plot just in time, and David and Colby move in and take Crater down before he can kill Polk. However, after learning the whole story from Crater before they take him down, Colby and David meet with a political journalist and blow the whistle on Polk’s tactics, effectively ruining his political career."

This excerpt doesn’t mention it but in the middle of the episode a character pulls out an old Geodimeter total station and places it on an aluminum tripod to collect supplemental data for a 3D map. It wasn’t a long scene nor was it perfect but it was cool!

Monster Jam 2010 at Anaheim Stadium

The A-Team

L.A. Airport Police Advocate Authorizing All Law Enforcement Officers to Carry Firearms Aboard Domestic Flights

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Marshall McClain
(310) 242-5218
(818) 515-1015
L.A. airport police advocate authorizing all law enforcement officers to carry firearms aboard domestic flights

LOS ANGELES - February 8, 2010 –
The nation's largest airport police association today advocated authorizing all law enforcement officers to carry firearms aboard domestic airline flights. Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA), said the program proposed to the Obama Administration by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) is warranted in light of the recent attempt to detonate an explosive device aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day and recent intelligence that Al-Qaeda is likely to attempt a terrorist attack in the U.S. within the next six months.

"We believe that additional armed, trained law enforcement personnel aboard aircraft is a prudent measure to be taken at this time," said McClain. "We join FLEOA in urging President Obama to issue an Executive Order to authorize all law enforcement officers, active and retired, and certified by the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), to carry firearms aboard domestic flights as an added line of defense against terrorists."

The LEOSA of 2004 authorizes all law enforcement officers, active and retired, to carry firearms anywhere in the country, at any time, as long as they meet the criteria set forth in the act and qualify with their firearm on an annual basis. But they are only allowed to carry them aboard commercial airlines when traveling on official business and authorized by their department. The FLEOA maintains that all law enforcement officers who are LEOSA certified, and possess an annual medical clearance, are valuable assets that should be used to augment domestic flight coverage provided by federal air marshals.

FLEOA asked the President to direct the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration to comply with an Executive Order authorizing LEOSA-certified law enforcement officers to fly armed. FLEOA believes that the Federal Air Marshal Service has the ability to coordinate this effort and this action is necessary at this time as an additional layer of security to safeguard the flying public.


About the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association:
The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association represents more than 425 sworn police officers and firefighters of the Los Angeles Airport Police Department assigned to protect and serve Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY). Its Mission is to maintain a leadership role in organizing, empowering and representing the interests of all current and retired members.

NOTE: This story was first reported on KFI AM640 by Steven Gregory who provided me with the link to this press release. After reading it, I can't help but wonder why any citizen couldn't carry a firearm on board a domestic flight if they have received proper firearm training. Why restrict it only to law enforcement? If an officer wants to know how it feels to be a typical California citizen, just leave your gun at home.

Orange County District Attorney Goes After IGS Boss Kahram Zamani

Orange County District Attorney
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Case # 09CF2919
January 28, 2010
Contacts: Susan Kang Schroeder
Public Affairs Counsel
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami
Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486

LOAN MODIFICATION COMPANY PRESIDENT ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES OF DEFRAUDING 165 DISTRESSED HOMEOWNERS

SANTA ANA – The president of an Irvine loan modification company was arraigned today for defrauding and victimizing 165 distressed homeowners out of $177,000 by fraudulently promising to save their homes in exchange for an up-front fee. Kahram Zamani, 37, Laguna Hills, is charged with 165 felony counts of grand theft with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crime for taking more than $100,000. If convicted, Zamani faces a maximum sentence of 113 years in state prison. The defendant is out of custody on $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing March 18, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Between February 2008 and December 2009, Zamani, a licensed real estate broker, is accused of owning and running Infinity Group Services (Infinity), a loan modification company that targeted distraught homeowners. The company was formerly known as Hope to Homeowners, named to mislead victims into believing it was part of the 2008 program launched by the Bush Administration, “Hope to Homeowners,” which aided struggling families with mortgage payments by refinancing their existing home loan.

Zamani is accused of soliciting clients through radio ads. He is accused instructing his employees to make promises to consumers, knowing the promises were false, that the company could obtain a home loan modification or loan forgiveness in exchange for an up-front fee of $995. The defendant is accused of also instructing his employees to make false promises that they could secure low-interest rates on a modified mortgage loan, offer full refunds if a loan could not be modified, and stating that Infinity had a 98 percent success rate in obtaining loan modifications.

After the consumer paid the up-front fee, they were rarely able to contact the Infinity employee handling their case. When the consumer made contact with the Infinity sales representative handling their case, the Infinity employees are accused of giving misleading information about the progress of their modification request, charging an additional fee in order to secure the promised interest rate, and telling homeowners that the new rate would not be honored without payment of the additional fee.

This case has been a collaborative effort between the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA), California Department of Real Estate (CDRE), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In August 2009, the FTC filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order, the freezing of assets, and a preliminary injunction. In November 2009, CDRE filed a formal accusation charging the defendant with violations of real estate law, and today filed an order against Zamani to desist and refrain from further fraudulent practices.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ron Frazier at (714) 347-8691. Victims may also download a complaint form from the OCDA’s website at www.orangecountyda.com.


Deputy District Attorney George McFetridge of the White Collar Crime Team is prosecuting this case.