Sign of Shame

From CNN:

A woman who stole $4.52 worth of fuel was ordered to stand outside the gas station Friday wearing a sandwich board sign that declared: "I was caught stealing gas."

Sherelle Purnell obeyed the court order, although by the time she arrived 90 minutes late to her noon sentence, the crowd of people that gathered to watch her had dispersed.

"There were parents who came with their children, wanting to teach them a lesson," said Jan Phipps, manager of Gordy's Tiger Mart, which pushed for the unorthodox punishment.

Purnell, 18, who was caught on surveillance tape speeding away from the gas pump, walked along the convenience shop's grassy storefront as passing drivers honked horns and made catcalls.

Andrew Black, who stopped by on his lunch break, was critical of the punishment and converted an old beer poster into a sign protesting high gas prices.

"What is this, the Middle Ages?" said Black.

Purnell declined to comment.

Some passers-by considered the punishment to be a good deterrent.

"Embarrassment is the best way to deal with these things," Randy Jedlicka said.

My take? While stealing is a deplorable thing, is our society enlightened for using tactics of shame and humiliation to deter it?

WHAT TREE DID YOU FALL FROM?

This has probably been round the world at least three times via email,
(which is how I received it) but I still think it's kind of fun and interesting.

Find your birthday and then find your tree. This is really cool and
somewhat accurate, also in line with Celtic astrology.




Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree
Mar 21 (only) -Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree
Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 -Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree
Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree

YOUR TREE
( in alphabetical order)
Apple Tree (the Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal,
and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous,
sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner,
very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate
partner.

Ash Tree (the Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive,
demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent,
talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless
lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and
much emotional support.

Beech Tree (the Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks,
materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good
leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime
companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (the inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant,
friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the
vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of
imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (the Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt,
likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to
look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often
impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious,
healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (the Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive,
well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born
diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard
worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times,
fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (the Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes
what life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be
content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and
affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful,
quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain
knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (the Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes,
modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead
but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for
others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (the Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed,
honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, loves life and
friends, enjoys children and animals, a social butterfly, great sense
of humor, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work,
has artistic talent and great intelligence.

Fir tree (the Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress poorly,
loves anything beautiful, can become depressed at times, stubborn,
tends to care for those close to them as well as helping strangers, rather
modest, hard worker, talented, unselfish, few sexual relationships, many
friends, doesn't want foes, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (the Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very
demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting
impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular,
quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense
of judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (the Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks
and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as
possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness
and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is
seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its
decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (the Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life
dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones,
hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but
is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for
family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to
use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous
at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of
imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident,
hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities,
good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (the Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting,
independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the
ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (the Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings,
reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm,
well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy,
loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (the Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and
harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write
poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls
strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self
esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (the Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not
very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and
pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity,
great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy,
reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (the Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without
egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even
complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic,
passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (the Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts,
often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions,
spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon
partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very
jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (the Melancholy) -- likes to be stress free, loves family
life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves
anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places,
restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when
pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until
they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

I am a Fig Tree . . . yeah, that sounds about right. What are you??

R-rated joke; children, don't read this!

The Tight Skirt:

In a crowded Texas city at a busy bus stop, a beautiful young woman wearing a tight mini skirt was waiting for a bus. As the bus stopped and it was her turn to get on, she became aware that her skirt was too tight to allow her leg to come up to the height of the first step of the bus.



Slightly embarrassed and with a quick smile to the bus driver, she reached behind her to unzip her skirt a little, thinking that this would give her enough slack to raise her leg.

She tried to take the step, only to discover that she couldn't. So, a little more embarrassed, she once again reached behind her to unzip her skirt a little more, and for the second time attempted the step.

Once again, much to her chagrin, she could not raise her leg. With a little smile to the driver, she again reached behind to unzip a little more and again was unable to take the step.

About this time, a large Texan who was standing behind her picked her up easily by the waist and placed her gently on the step of the bus.

She went ballistic and turned to the would-be Samaritan and yelled, "How dare you touch my body! I don't even know who you are!"

The Texan smiled and drawled, "Well, ma'am, normally I would agree with you, but after you unzipped my fly three times, I kinda figured we was friends."

West Virginian woman is all stuck up!

From USA Today's Offbeat News:

When Joyce Stewart sits down to her daily cup of coffee, she likely won't attempt first aid on herself again.

On Monday morning, Stewart used 3M's liquid bandage to treat a crack on her heel and within minutes her foot was glued to the floor. It took three paramedics over an hour and a bottle of baby oil to free her.

Stewart, 59, of Martinsburg had positioned her left foot so that her heel was off of the floor and applied the liquid to the back of her foot. Without realizing, the liquid had run from the back to the ball of her foot before she placed her foot flat on the floor again.

Soon after, her grandson came in from and asked for pancakes. When Stewart tried to get up and move to the kitchen, she couldn't.

"I said, 'Oh my gosh, I'm stuck,'" Stewart said.

Stewart said that her relatives first thought she was joking. With a knife, she tried to loosen the linoleum's grasp on her foot. But after skin began to pull away and her foot started to bleed, Stewart said she realized it was no laughing matter.

She sought help from her daughter, who lives next door. When family members failed to solve the problem, they called 911.

Though the package states that the product runs easily and sets quickly while warning against getting the product on furniture, counters or clothes, it says nothing about warning against the gluing of body parts.

"They should have that on there," Stewart said.

Representatives from 3M have offered to pay for her medical expenses, Stewart said. She is expected to make a full recovery, but it may take her pride a bit longer to heal.

"I was embarrassed," she said. "I was still in my robe."

A company spokeswoman reached Wednesday morning in Minnesota did not have an immediate comment.

Watch out for those adhesives!

Be All You Can Be

From CNN's Offbeat News comes this story:

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The U.S. Army has long lured recruits with the slogan "Be All You Can Be," but now soldiers and their families can receive plastic surgery, including breast enlargements, on the taxpayers' dime.

The New Yorker magazine reports in its July 26th edition that members of all four branches of the U.S. military can get face-lifts, breast enlargements, liposuction and nose jobs for free -- something the military says helps surgeons practice their skills.

"Anyone wearing a uniform is eligible," Dr. Bob Lyons, chief of plastic surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio told the magazine, which said soldiers needed the approval of their commanding officers to get the time off.

Between 2000 and 2003, military doctors performed 496 breast enlargements and 1,361 liposuction surgeries on soldiers and their dependents, the magazine said.

The magazine quoted an Army spokeswoman as saying, "the surgeons have to have someone to practice on."

Practicing the piano is one thing. Practicing surgery is another!

All lit up!

From CNN's Offbeat News:

BLACKSVILLE, West Virginia (AP) -- A man smoking in a portable toilet lit up more than a cigarette.

The potty exploded Tuesday when a buildup of methane gas mixed with the lit cigarette, said a spokeswoman for Monongalia Emergency Medical Services.

The methane didn't "take too kindly" to the lit cigarette, she said.

Emergency workers said the man was not severely injured and drove himself to the hospital after the stinky, smoky mess.

Ouch!!!

Hand, Foot and Mouth

From the Detroit Free Press's tech columnist, Mike Wendland, comes this funny/odd story:

So there I was packed and ready to fly to Philadelphia today for a media briefing by Comcast.

Except I couldn't shake this weird fever I've been running since Sunday, trying to control with Advil and the like. There have been no other symptoms, just the fever.

I took my temperature around 9am and it was near 102.

I headed to the doctor on the way to the airport.

Then I headed home, where I now sit in a recliner updating this blog by wi-fi.

I had to cancel the trip because the doctor said I have something called hand, foot and mouth disease.

Don't laugh, though I will understand a snicker or two. Seems I caught it from one of my grandkids. It's mostly a kid disease but sometimes adults do get it. The doc said it was contagious and best if I cancel the trip.

The fever comes and goes with the drugs. When it comes, it knocks me out with aches and chills and fatigue. But when the drugs bring it down, like now, I feel tolerable, but tired.

I tried to cancel my airplane ticket. No dice. As the reservation clerk explained reading the fares and restrictions info from my ticket, the only way Northwest would let me out of it was if I died.

I'm not quite that bad.

But I would have infected the whole plane if I flew. Somehow, you'd think a doctor's note or something would convince the airline it was best for them that I didn't fly.

A new worry? . . . first, hoof-and-mouth, then mad-cow, now hand-foot-and-mouth disease? Yikes!

Fireworks over Lady Liberty

A fun site: Make your own fireworks here.

An early Happy Fourth of July, everybody!!!

Thanks to this site for the gorgeous photo.

Loose Moose

A suburban Boston town has a new resident.

A moose wandered into a Wellesley neighborhood, causing quite a buzz with local residents and causing police to slow traffic.

The commotion began around 5:30 p.m. on June 29, when residents say the moose was seen trotting through the tree-lined streets. Police established a perimeter in the neighborhood hoping the moose would not travel onto a main road, but the effort was foiled when the animal crossed the busy thoroughfare.

Environmental officials think the moose was a young animal that got separated from his mother and was looking for its own territory. The animal is now hiding out in a heavily wooded area.

From CBS News.

Holy Roller

An Indian holy man, popularly known as Ludkan Baba or the "rolling seer," has reached New Delhi on his rolling peace mission to neighboring Pakistan.

Baba is planning to roll all the way to Lahore, nearly 1,500 miles from his hometown of Ratlam in the central Madhya Pradesh state.

He said his mission was to prevent the death of innocent people in the disputed Kashmir region. Once in Lahore, Baba plans to meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to congratulate him on the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.

Ludkan Baba holds a world record for rolling the longest distance: in 1994 he rolled from Ratlam to the shrine of Vaishno Devi, a distance of 2,485 miles.

From CBS News.

from the Hindustan Times

I read it here. So can you.

Arctic newspapers struggle to survive with offbeat news

Of all the newspapers on all the islands in the world, Svalbardposten, the globe's northernmost broadsheet, can lay claim to the most offbeat front page news, ranging from polar bears on the rampage to serial shoe theft.

Given the hostile climate and the constant threat of bear attacks in this island group in the middle of the Arctic, newsmen go about their business by helicopter and snowmobile and usually carry a rifle as they hunt for news, which is never easy to come by.

"Svalbard is in the middle of nowhere," Torbjoern Pedersen, editor of Svalbardposten, said.

"We don't get press releases or news conferences, so we work only with primary sources. We always have to dig."
...
And of course everybody knows everybody else, which would make an ideal backdrop for an Agatha Christie murder mystery, but in fact, violent crime is very rare in this part of the world.

And yet, Svalbardposten, which is published on Friday, somehow manages to fill its 28 pages with things to write about, although the topics can be as obscure as the long winter months.

"Shoe theft tops the list of crime here," says Pedersen.

People here usually leave their footwear at the door when they come in from the cold "and when they party, it very easily happens that they leave with a different pair of shoes from the ones they came with," he explained.
...
After losing money for decades, Svalbardposten is in the black now, selling 3,330 issues every Friday, four times the number of households on Svalbard.

Sold for 15 kroner (just under two euros) at the newsstand, Svalbardposten also boasts subscribers on every continent.

Blaine's in, Ken's out

From USA Today, comes this heartbreaking story (*sob*):

It could be a summer fling. Or maybe it's the real thing. But five months after she broke up with longtime beau Ken, Barbie has found a new love.

In February, Barbie's people at Mattel said that after 43 years together, the couple felt they needed "quality time" apart. But Barbie wasted little time finding a new hookup.

With the help of more than 2 million visitors to barbie.com, the original California girl has found comfort in the manly, tanned arms of Blaine, a transplanted Aussie surfer who happens to be the brother of Barbie's friend Summer. He'll be in stores in July, selling for $14.99.

Ken could not be reached for comment.