Calif. agents use award ruse to reel in fugitives
(AP):

They used a website, an e-mail account, and appointed an agent to the fictitious post of “amnesty program director.” They sent 2,700 letters to relatives of parolees-at-large advertising the reward and fake amnesty program.
…
The offer had the hollow ring of truth, piggybacking on the state’s colossal budget deficit and a bona fide state law that took effect in January.
The law creates a new non-revocable parole for some offenders who are considered to be less dangerous. Those on non-revocable parole don’t have to report to parole agents, are free to come and go as they please, and can’t be sent back to prison unless they are convicted of a new crime.
The fugitives were told they would either be put on non-revocable parole or discharged from parole entirely to help the state cut costs and prison crowding.
“If you have received a letter, you are pre-qualified for Amnesty or Discharge,” read the offer posted on the website. “Your warrant will be canceled and a $200.00 check will be issued…. A Non Revocable Parole card will be issued and you will be free to go.”

The state pretending to be some random prize group to trick criminals into being at a certain place at a certain time is fine. The state acting as the state and pretending to offer an amnesty to do the same is not.

John Scalzi has unilaterally declared February 15th to be Grover Appreciation Day, commemorating the world’s greatest Muppet. Consider me part of the Coalition of the Willing on this.

Video evidence proving Grover’s superiority can be found at Scalzi’s Whatever. Alternately, you could just go re-read The Monster at the End of this Book.

Festus had been losing weight for several months before Anne & I started dating, and my vet didn’t really have any answers, so I took him to a new place: The Cat Doctor. Dr. Caroline Oeben determined that Festus was suffering from Lymphatic Plasmasitic Stomatitis, which caused inflammation in Festus’ gums and throat, making it difficult for him to eat. Through her dedication and care, Festus was given a new lease on life.

When Anne & I were married, I brought Festus to live with us…and Casey, Anne’s ten-year-old yellow lab. Casey was very curious about Festus, but Festus wanted nothing to do with her, and let Casey know that in no uncertain terms with lightning-fast bops on the Casey’s nose (but never with his claws extended). We had an uneasy truce for a while, but eventually they grew to at least tolerate the others presence (at least as long as Festus stayed away from Casey’s food bowl).

On New Year’s Eve 2008, Festus woke up from a nap and had lost most motor control of his head: he held it at an odd angle, and it would rotate counterclockwise. We spent the evening at the emergency clinic, and the next several days tests were done on him, but they never really determined what went wrong. His head returned to normal after about six weeks, but a lot of his former energy was gone.

Over the past couple of months, his appetite shrank more and more, as did the time between his required injections. He spent most of the day asleep on the sofa or in the front yard, watching the kids play across the street or the birds that would come and eat his food. He got to meet Kate on Monday when we brought her home from the hospital, and that evening he ate more than he had in months. But he didn’t eat anything on Tuesday, nor on Wednesday. He was fighting a cold that had come and gone for a while, and Wednesday night he didn’t even have the energy to jump on the bed. Today we took him to Dr. Oeben for one last visit, and she helped us say goodbye by making him comfortable and relieving his pain. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but it was the right decision.

Goodbye, buddy, my boon companion. Festus was the bestus.