Special Delivery
A man in a gas mask and body armor seen stuffing a package into a mailbox at the main San Jose Post Office isn’t the world’s funniest terrorist but just a guy out for some exercise. The man tells police that he was sporting a “cardio mask” and jogging to shed some weight using the CrossFit system—and, oh, yeah, mailing stuff, too. The bomb squad destroys the package. The man won’t be charged with anything more serious than misdemeanor cluelessness.
Big Whiffa
A group called “Stand for San Jose” filed a lawsuit claiming city officials broke the law by agreeing to sell land to owners of the Oakland A’s at a bargain price. As it turns out, the group should be called “Stand for San Francisco Giants,” because the recent World Series champs are bankrolling the lawsuit. All of this is moot until Major League Baseball gives the A’s the OK to move to San Jose—which will probably happen around the same time the Giants get some hitting.
Appleheimer
Apple announces plans to begin exploring the possibility of hydrogen-fueled batteries for their products, This is great news for hydrogen enthusiasts, who’ve been looking to re-position the element since Hiroshima.
The Day The Music Died
San Jose’s iconic Music in the Park series, one of the largest free concert series’ in the country, is officially shut down due to its success in attracting too many people to the formerly dead downtown.
Mommy Dearest
Los Gatos mother of four, Sara Cole, comes under fire after she is charged with three felony counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor. The 16-year-old boy originally downplays the nearly four month long-affair, but eventually comes to his senses. Cole was given six months on counts of child molestation.
Good Company
What do Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, and David Kinch have in common? They are all named “men of the year” in their respective fields by GQ December issue. Kinch, chef at Manresa in Los Gatos, is named “chef of the year.”
Seed Packets
The federal government threatens to arrest prolific sperm donor Trent Arsenault of Fremont. The Hewlett-Packard engineer has fathered at least 14 children through the nontraditional method of giving away his DNA for free to women who spot his ad on the Internet, rather than go through sperm banks and comply with blood test laws. Who exactly is the winner in this story?
Fry’s Embezzler Sentenced
After pleading guilty earlier this year to embezzlement of $65 mil from Fry’s, former company VP Ausaf Umar Siddiqui is sentenced to six years in the slammer. In a misplaced bid for sympathy Siddiqui’s lawyer, Paul Meltzer, argues that his client was a victim of gambling addiction and couldn’t handle hard time because he was used to “being treated like royalty by casinos all over the world.”
Apple Sues Samsung
District Judge Lucy Koh rejects Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction against four Samsung products—including Samsung’s Galaxy Infuse—that Apple claims infringe upon its patents. They’re also in the middle of suing a television for having a reflective screen, and a local infant for being buttonless.
Support Your Local Casino
The San Jose Police Foundation is called on the carpet for conflicts of interest by the head of the very group it raises money for. Police Chief Chris Moore takes issue with foundation president Rich De La Rosa’s role as a lobbyist for gambling casino Garden City.
Carrier IQ Gets Phone Makers in Trouble
Mountain View–based Carrier IQ’s software is used to monitor activity without users’ permission on smartphones made by Samsung and HTC as well as Apple. Apple ceased using the technology earlier this year.
