h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Was very surprised to learn that an old buddy of mine had been arrested yesterday. Found out from an unlikely source, too: my dinner companion of last Friday, Courtney, whom I had met for the first time at that very dinner, came into my shop & informed me. SHE had heard from her roommate, Kira, who heard it from Gino, the postman. And so it goes.

Apparently, Ron heard someone rustling in his back yard late yesterday afternoon. Looking out the window, he saw 2 gentlemen (not acquaintances of his) carrying a chain saw, & getting ready to desecrate the 100-year old tree in his back yard. He walked out & asked them to leave. With his shotgun. They claimed that he pointed it at them, but he claims it was pointed down the whole time. The U. cops (not the Garda) came, put him in handcuffs, hauled him in, booked him, and released him. As I heard this from him today, standing out on the sidewalk (with a member of the Garda also present there, by the way...all of us chatting quite amicably), he is obviously a free man. His court date is 24 October. His main difficulty now is raising the funds for a lawyer. There's many a man who would chip in for Ron's defense, but he's so stubborn about receiving help; other times in the past, when he was out of work, others have offered what he considers charity and he always refuses them. I would love to help him out: this man, after all, took my computer (which unbeknownest to me was a complete piece of rubbish, riddled with viruses) and for literally pittance (for spare parts) created something 10x better, stronger, faster, with more memory. All for the price of a pizza dinner. I'm hoping that he'll create another masterpiece like that again, so I can give my mum a computer for Christmas. With the family so presently dispersed, it would be a good way for her to keep up with us.

RCIA is tonight and, as I'm again a sponser, I'll be there. Cheers!