HAPPY NEW YEAR

Taxi Tip

 

Rider pulls knife on California cabbie, leaves tip

A California taxi passenger may have an anger problem, but he's no Grinch.

Police in Sacramento got a report that a man pulled a knife on a cab driver during a dispute over the weekend but still made sure to pay his fare - plus tip.

The Sacramento Bee says the rider argued with the driver about his desired destination on Saturday then pulled out a folding-blade knife, prompting the driver to run away on foot.

The passenger also fled - after leaving his cab fare and a tip.

Police say the passenger has not been found.

Agony Uncle??

Mafia boss is mobsters’ agony uncle

In one intercepted note to a criminal associate, 32-year-old Sandro Lo Piccolo wrote: ‘My dear friend, erotic adventures, as you like to call them, are a philosophy.’

He then advised his friend on how best to please his lover, before adding: ‘I’m sorry you left her unsatisfied. They want something of steel.’

Lo Piccolo then kindly offered to stand in and pleasure the woman himself – although how he would do that from his cell was not made clear.

The don’s sex tips – dubbed the ‘Mafia Kama Sutra’ by Italian police – were found in raids on the homes of suspected gangsters in Palermo, Sicily.

Lo Piccolo boasted of his own sexual prowess in the ten pages of letters, as well as giving orders for the day-to-day business of extortion and theft. In one letter, he wrote: ‘My friend, I read that you are making love all the time. I am the only one not having sex any more – enjoy yourself and don’t forget anyone.’

Lo Piccolo was arrested three years ago along with his father Salvatore, aka il Barone – the baron. When he was led from a police station after questioning, he blew kisses to screaming women who had gathered to catch a glimpse of him.

In prison, he has received many letters from female admirers, including one from a former girlfriend, who wrote: ‘Don’t worry, I am waiting for you... I do not wear make up, I swear I will not do anything that attracts attention. ‘I have several colleagues who are chasing me but don’t worry about them

Gasping For A Fag?

Police 'mistake cig break for suicide bid'

A New York man is suing police for more than £250,000 after two officers mistook his cigarette break for a suicide attempt.

Mark Moody, 40, was enjoying a cigarette on the window ledge of his apartment when a police car rolled up, reports the New York Post.

Two officers jumped out, asked him if he was planning to commit suicide and ordered him to come downstairs but Mr Moody refused, saying he was having a cigarette.

The officers then burst into the second floor apartment, grabbed him from behind, restrained and cuffed him and then carted him off to psychiatric hospital.

Mr Moody, a lawyer, says he always takes his cigarette breaks on the window ledge - which is only 12ft above the ground.

"If I was going to commit suicide, this would be a pretty dumb place to do it," he said. "If I jumped from here, I'd just sprain my ankle."

Mr Moody says he was thrown into an ambulance and taken to Beth Israel Medical Center where a psychiatrist quickly discharged him.

"I talked to him for three minutes, and he said: "Look, I'm really sorry. I apologise on behalf of the city"," he said.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said: "Police responded to a 911 call of an emotionally disturbed person at the location.

"When police arrived, they observed the male sitting on the ledge talking erratically. Police emergency service officers were called, and the person was removed to the hospital for observation."

Marriage??

'Husband' is a woman

An Indian woman lived with her 'husband' for a year before finally discovering that 'he' was really a 'she'.

Minati Khatua, 26, of Rourkela, says she and her family were completely taken in by Sitakant Routray, 28.

"He had impressed everyone in my family and they willingly agreed to our marriage," she said.

As is traditional in India, Sitakant received a substantial dowry including an Indica car, gold ornaments and more than £350 in cash.

But Minati grew suspicious after the wedding when Sitakant avoided any physical contact on the pretext of a religious vow.

"I would try hard to find out and confirm his gender but failed repeatedly," she told the Calcutta Telegraph.

"However, one day I managed to force open the bathroom door when he was having a bath. My worst fears came true. He was a woman."

Inspector Jyotirmaya Hota confirmed that police were investigating the case.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

A Tip For Santa

Reflective reindeer collars

Norwegian reindeer owners have a Christmas safety tip for Santa -- put reflectors on the fleet-footed animals so they won't get hit by cars.

About 2,000 reindeer have been fitted this month with reflective yellow collars or small antler tags to cut down on the car crashes that now kill 500 reindeer a year and pose a danger to motorists across Arctic Norway.

"It really works," Kristian Oevernes, the leader of the project at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, told Reuters of the project in Finnmark, where the sun does not rise in mid-winter.

A test drive on a snowmobile showed that marked reindeer were far more visible in the dark than others. Several people are injured every year in car accidents involving reindeer, and one recent accident in Finland was fatal.

"I guess so," Oevernes said, when asked if Santa might take up the safety tip.

"This is the first time it (reindeer marking) has happened on this scale."

Sami herders had tried small experiments to attach reflective tape to the animals but the glue failed in the cold. Finnish herders had also tried a reflective spray, but it reduced the fur's ability to keep out the chill.

About 200,000 reindeer live in Norway, mostly owned by Sami indigenous people who raise them for meat, skins and antlers, according to the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry.

If the new project is successful, supporters say, reindeer owners or vehicle insurance companies might be interested in buying reflectors.

Kiss & Yell??

Woman bites husband's tongue off

A Wisconsin man underwent surgery to have his tongue re-attached after his wife bit it off during a kiss, the Sheboygan Press reported.

The 79-year-old victim called police late Monday night and dispatchers sent an ambulance and officers to his home in Sheboygan, 60 miles north of Milwaukee, despite having trouble understanding what he was saying, the report said.

When officials arrived, the man and his 57-year-old wife were outside singing Christmas carols. The wife reportedly threw a coffee cup at the emergency responders.

Officers with the Sheboygan Police Department said the man’s tongue was bitten off when the woman tried to kiss him inside the couple’s home. The man was missing about half his tongue.

The man asked that his wife not be arrested, but she was taken into custody and charged with domestic violence.

There’s No Escape!

Driver nabbed by same cop on other side of the world

A motorist caught speeding in London two years ago moved to New Zealand only to be booked by the same police officer for again exceeding the limit, reports said.

Former London bobby Andy Flitton ticketed the man in Britain two years ago, shortly before migrating to New Zealand - then caught him again in September on a highway on the South Island, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Mr Flitton, who now works for the New Zealand traffic police, said he had forgotten about the original booking until the man approached him while he was writing out the ticket.

"He asked if I had worked in London, I said 'yes'. He asked if I used to operate the laser gun on the A5 in North London, I said 'yes'," Mr Flitton told the newspaper.

"And he said 'I thought it was you, you gave me my last speeding ticket there two years ago'."

Mr Flitton said the man told him he had moved to New Zealand two weeks before his latest booking, unaware his nemesis was also in the same country.

"We must have some sort of connection," he said. "He only ever broke the law twice and both times I was the one to give him a ticket... it just shows what a small world it really is."

Taxi??

It’s The French?

Who's attacking the plastic snails

Who would want to harm the plastic, pink snails of Miami Beach?

Police are investigating the vandalism of several of the 45 giant art pieces displayed around South Beach as part of an international art fair. So far, at least eight have been targeted, including one that was thrown into Biscayne Bay. Several others were tagged with graffiti.

Galleria Ca' d'Oro and the Cracking Art Group brought the snails to town ahead of last week's Art Basel Miami Beach fair, and they'll stay on display until Jan. 3. They're made of recycled plastic and meant to make people think about the environment.

Gallery co-owner Glorida Porcella says the snails have previously been on exhibit in Rome and Paris. She says there has never been a situation like the one in Miami Beach.

Good Publicity?

Nothing New Here Then!!

Older men want more sex

The very oldest men are still interested in sex but illness and a lack of opportunity may be holding them back, Australian researchers reported on Monday.

The "male" hormone testosterone was clearly linked with how often a man over 75 had sex and doctors need to do more studies to see if hormone replacement therapy might benefit older men, the researchers said.

Zoe Hyde of the University of Western Australia and colleagues surveyed more than 2,700 men aged 75 to 95 for their study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. They asked a range of questions about health, relationships and sexual activity.

"The older men were, the less likely they were to be sexually active, but sex remained at least somewhat important to one fifth of men aged 90 to 95 years, refuting the stereotype of the asexual older person," they wrote.

"Of those who were sexually active, more than 40 percent were dissatisfied with the frequency of sexual activity, preferring sex more frequently."

More than 30 percent of the men reported some sort of sexual activity in the past year but more than 48 percent said sex was important, suggesting many wanted to have sex but could not.

Age was a factor but so were testosterone levels, the lack of an interested partner and various diseases from diabetes to prostate cancer.

More than 40 percent of the men who had not had sex recently said they were not interested.

Calendar Days!

German nabbed for pot Advent calendar

A German sniffer dog called Lucky turned out to be anything but for a 21-year-old stoner in Munich arrested with a homemade Advent calendar with cannabis behind each little door instead of chocolate.

Police knocked on his door to check the man's driving licence, but after noticing a small piece of cannabis on the kitchen table, they set Lucky to work to see if there was any more of the drug.

"Behind every little door (on the calendar) was a small amount of cannabis in a matchbox, wrapped up in a colourful bow," police said in a statement Tuesday. "He said he had been given the calendar as a present."

The young man was released but now faces charges of possessing drugs.

Wikileaks…Freedom of Speech

Whether you agree with what has been “leaked” or not….The main argument is the stifling of peoples freedom of speech by Governments, that are suppose to be for the People, being able to “lean-on” companies because “schoolyard tittel-tattle” has found it’s way into the limelight……

Pay Back!!

Boar attacks butcher

A German butcher has been attacked by a wild boar.
The beast entered the store new Koblenz after wondering out a nearby forest, and caused serious damage to the shop and left a customer with minor injuries.

Butcher Rainer Kraemer said: "Once the boar pushed through the door, I quickly helped the customer out of the store and then went to try to guard the production equipment.

"Insurance covers theft and fire but the butcher shop isn't covered for a wild boar attack."

The animal was later shot and the meat from it will be sold in his shop

Too Much Xmas Cheer??

The annual parade in Richmond, Virginia started off well, with hundreds of spectators watching the giant reindeer on parade.

But Christmas joy turned to horror as it became clear Rudolph, flanked by Segway riders wearing antlers and guided by volunteers using ropes, was on a collision course with a set of traffic lights.

The crowd frantically tried in vain to attract the attention of Rudolph’s handlers, screaming at them to stop before the poor reindeer met an untimely end.

But, alas, it was too late.

Rudolph’s famous red nose hit the lights first, but Santa’s trusty steed was at first unharmed.

But as the handlers attempted to steer him to safety, the reindeer’s head was impaled on the traffic lights.

The much-loved Christmas animal – famous for using his red nose to guide Santa’s sleigh – rapidly deflated, to the dismay of young onlookers.

It looks as though Father Christmas might need someone else to light his way this Christmas Eve.

Driver crashes twice AFTER being pulled over

A suspected drink driver in the US has somehow managed to crash his car twice… AFTER being pulled over by police.

When police in Laguna Beach instructed a suspected drink driver to pull over he duly did as he was told and pulled into a petrol station car park.

But as footage from a camera mounted in the police car shows, that's where it all began to go wrong for Christian Aparicio.

As he exited the car to talk to approaching officers, Aparicio left the vehicle in reverse and it sped back, smashing into the police patrol car.

Seeing what was happening, he then jumped back in and hit the accelerator -- this time sending the car shooting forward and crashing into a pole. It's safe to say he's had better days.

Horsing Around!

Naked Brits found on horse in -15C

Four British tourists have been arrested in Latvia after being found naked astride a life-sized wooden horse in temperatures of minus 15C.

Police said the four men were posing for pictures at the time of their arrest in Riga and were clearly under the influence of alcohol.

Footage of the drunken prank has been posted on YouTube where it has attracted nearly 60,000 hits.

After being taken to a nearby police station to put their trousers on, the four men, aged around 30 years, were charged with petty hooliganism and handed fines of about £90.

Riga has in the past experienced problems with mainly British tourists urinating on its iconic Freedom Monument, leading to public pressure for more police patrols and stiffer punishments for offenders.

The large wooden horse is a permanent fixture in the Latvian capital and stands outside a jewellery shop beside St Peter's church.

The arrest of the four naked men took place close to the spot at which the mayor of the Latvian capital turned on the lights of the city's Christmas tree a few hours earlier.

Riga claims it is the site of the first recorded decorated Christmas tree and this year is celebrating 500 years of the tradition.

What A Society??

FBI warns Barbie doll could be used for child porn

The FBI has issued a "cyber crime alert" for a new Barbie doll that comes equipped with a tiny hidden video camera in her chest, saying the toy could be misused to make child porn.

The report, issued by the FBI's Sacramento field office November 30 and titled "Barbie 'Video Girl' a Possible Child Pornography Production Method," warns that the doll's camera captures up to 30 minutes of footage that can be downloaded to a computer.

The alert received media coverage after being sent to some news organizations by mistake. An FBI spokeswoman downplayed the report and said it was for use by law enforcement.

"There have been no reported incidents of this doll being used as anything other than as intended," Washington-based FBI spokeswoman Jenny Shearer said, reading from a statement.

"For clarification purposes, the alert's intent was to insure that law enforcement agencies were aware that the doll, like any other video-capable equipment, could contain evidence and to not disregard such an item during a search," she said.

The Barbie Video Girl Doll, which is manufactured by Mattel Inc and first went on sale in July, contains a small video camera in its chest, concealed inside a locket.

Footage from the camera can be viewed on an LCD screen in the doll's back or downloaded to a computer. The FBI alert said there was no indication it could be streamed directly to the Internet.

"The FBI is not reporting that anything has happened. Steve Dupre from the FBI Sacramento field office has confirmed there have been no incidents of this doll being used as anything other than its intent," Mattel said in a statement

If You Go Down To The Woods Today!!

My walk in the woods went downhill

A man has suffered the double blow of seeing his wife having sex with her lover, and then being attacked by him.

Antony Silindza, of Manzana in Mbabane, was on his way home when he spotted a man and woman making love on a rock in the forest and stopped to watch, not realising that it was his wife, Nestar Mamba, reports the Times of Swaziland.

When the act was finished, he recognised his wife and approached the couple, but her lover, Calvin Elvis Siwela, started throwing stones at him.

Siwela appeared at the Swazi National Court this week charged with assault. In his defence, he told the court that Ms Mamba is his girlfriend and they have a child together.

He also denied assaulting her husband and said he slipped while running away

Ms Mamba added that she no longer lives with Mr Silindza, although they are married.

However, the court questioned why the couple had been making love in the forest if they are together.

Siwela was found guilty and sentenced to eight months in prison.

Court president Cindzi said: 'How can you take his wife and, on top of that, you beat him up?'

Drink Up!!

Driver beats drink driving ban

On a fateful night in Missouri Tom Drummond crashed his car into a ditch. It was dark, past midnight and his mobile phone battery was completely flat. With nothing else to do and in a bid to keep warm he turned to a bottle of brandy for comfort, before dozing off until help arrived.

When he awoke police arrested Drummond for drink driving, but last week a jury acquitted the sozzled driver of the charge agreeing that he only got drunk after the accident.

Drummond’s attorney said: ‘This is something that doesn’t happen all the time, it’s an odd set of circumstances.’

The driver escaped the charges after testifying that he was inebriated when rescue service arrived but stone cold sober prior to the accident.

While Drummond’s reaction to a car crash was an unusually relaxed one, he ultimately returned home safely.

Had the jury not believed his story Drummond would now have been serving a year in prison and been forced to pay a $1000 fine.

Touchy/Feely!!

Fake doctor jailed for giving breast exams in bars

An Idaho judge has set bond at $100,000 for a Boise woman police say posed as a physician and duped at least two other women into having their breasts examined by her at Boise-area nightclubs.

Kristina Ross, 37, remains in Ada County Jail in Boise on two felony counts of practicing medicine without a license.

Police say Ross introduced herself to victims -- one at a downtown Boise bar and the other at a nightclub in a Boise suburb -- as a plastic surgeon named Berlyn Aussieahshowna, a name that turned out to be bogus.

The two women told Boise officers they believed Ross was a physician because of her apparent medical knowledge, and they agreed to undergo what they thought were breast exams, which happened at the bars.

As part of her ruse, Ross gave the women the telephone number of a real licensed plastic surgeon in Boise, the state capital, authorities said.

Staff at that medical office became alarmed at the number of calls they received from women in recent weeks attempting to confirm appointments or surgeries with a Berlyn Aussieahshowna, according to charging documents.

Medical workers on Tuesday alerted Boise police about the pattern, and they later arrested Ross.

The suspect's gender is unclear. Idaho court records show that Ross was arrested for petty theft in the spring and that the arrest warrant was issued to a Kristoffer Jon Ross.

The Idaho Statesman website reported that Ross has a previous criminal record as a man but identifies herself as a woman and was booked into Ada County Jail as a female.

Cosmetic surgical procedures Ross discussed with victims after she touched their breasts under the guise of a medical evaluation included breast augmentation and liposuction.

The court on Wednesday found Ross was eligible for a public defender and set a preliminary hearing on the two felony charges for December 1. If convicted, Ross could face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for each count.

The Origin of The Queen

Needs Glasses??

Man shoots boy in tree after asking if he's a pigeon

A British man has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for shooting a 12-year-old boy in a tree.

Daniel Clarke, 22, was shooting pigeons with an air rifle near his Norwich home, located 185 km northeast of London, on Sept. 19, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

Clarke noticed two boys in a nearby tree, and had a conversation with them.

One of the boys told Clarke he isn't a pigeon.

"Clarke than asked him if he was sure and started firing randomly," prosecutor Christopher Youell said, the paper reported.

Clarke then walked away from the tree and said, 'Wait there, I'll see if I can hit you from here."

One of the boys felt a sting on the right side of his head. He'd been hit less than an inch from his eye.

The boys left the tree and ran home.

Defence lawyer Andrew Shaw said from 40 feet away, there was "no certainty" Clarke would hit the boy and the man's behaviour was reckless, but not intentional, the newspaper reported.

But Judge Peter Jacobs told Clarke he could have blinded the boy.

Fly Past!!

Woman strips to bra and panties for airport security

Airport security agents got a surprise on Tuesday when a woman in a wheelchair approached a checkpoint in Oklahoma City, took off her trench coat and was wearing only a black lace bra and panties.

Airport and security officials said that police were called over, questioned the woman, Tammy Banovac, and allowed her to proceed to security.

She was given an “enhanced” pat down because she was in a wheelchair. During screening of her carry-on and laptop an alarm for nitrates was triggered, the Transportation Safety Administration said in a statement Wednesday.

The TSA said she was not allowed to proceed to her Southwest Airlines flight to Phoenix.

Authorities said nitrates could legitimately be present in medication, or if someone was hunting recently and there were traces of nitrates from the bullets.

A video of the underwear-clad Banovac, wearing a pearl necklace and holding a small white dog in her lap, was shot by a passerby and posted on YouTube.

Officials said they had no idea why Banovac acted the way she did, or if she was attempting to protest airport security.

TSA has come under attack in recent weeks for enhanced methods of patting down passengers, but Oklahoma City Airport spokeswoman Karen Carney said TSA acted appropriately.

“TSA did everything they should have done,” said Carney.

Banovac returned to the airport Wednesday morning, again clad in her underwear, and cleared security without incident.

“Once she went through the checkpoint, she put slacks and a top on,” Carney said.

Sleepy Head

Koala takes a nap in Aussie bar

Stop us if you've heard this one — a koala walks into a bar, has a seat and promptly falls asleep.

While it could be the start to a funny joke, it was reality for an Australian bar owner, the newswire AFP reports. The koala walked into the Marlin Bar on Queensland's Magnetic Island Saturday night during a storm, stunning bartender, Kevin Martin.

He said the koala climbed up onto a beam above the bar before falling asleep.

"I asked him for ID and he didn't have any so that's when he got a bit disgruntled and climbed up a pole," Martin told AFP. "And he just sort of lay over the piece of wood, one of the little rafters, and flopped his arms down and just fell asleep, enjoying the atmosphere."

Martin called wildlife officials to remove the koala, who set it free elsewhere on the island.

Quack Quack Cool Man

Farmer who fed ducks cannabis escapes jail

The farmer from the village of Gripperie-Saint-Symphorien on France's Atlantic coast admitted that he smoked some of the drug himself but said most of it was given to his 150 ducks for medicinal purposes.

"There's no better worming substance for them, a specialist advised me to do it," the farmer, Michel Rouyer, said, without being able to identify the specialist in question.

"This is for real, not one (duck) has worms and they're all in excellent health," said Rouyer's lawyer, Jean Piot, in an effort to convince the court.