Archive for July, 2011

Speaking from personal experience, I can say it’s quite difficult to sneak anything past an alert copy editor.

24 across: "Woman stares wildly at calamity"

For the final edition of the News of the World, CEO Rebekah Brooks brought in two senior executives to scour the fine print for hidden staff references to her handling of the phone hacking scandal that sunk the 168-year-old British tabloid.

Those editors must not have taken time to solve the crossword puzzle.

The Daily Mail cites a few subliminal messages that could be interpreted as unkind parting shots, including crossword clues such as “criminal enterprise,” “in prison,” “string of recordings.”

More clues are “brook,” “stink,” “catastrophe” and “digital protection.”

Printed answers include “stench,” “disaster,” “menace,” “racket,” and “tart.”

A source at the paper told the Daily Mail: “Rebekah tried everything to stop the staff having the last word and she utterly failed.”

The paper, which published its final edition …

Continue reading Staff message hidden in final ‘News of the World’ puzzle »

A Colorado woman is accused of killing her cat by blowing heroin smoke in its face, according to Fox affiliate KDVR in Denver.

Is she crying for Muffin?

Arrested Tuesday, 21-year-old Danielle Blankenship faces charges of cruelty to animals, third degree assault, and domestic violence.

Boulder police went to Blankenship’s home after her boyfriend called to report she’d punched him in the face.

Blankenship said she hit her boyfriend because he refused to let her use his cell phone to call for a ride.

While trying to unsort their stories, police noticed an “unresponsive” cat on the steps. “It could not seem to get up [when touched],” police wrote.

The boyfriend told police Blankenship had been smoking heroin and blowing smoke in the cat’s face.

Animal control took possession of the cat, named Muffin, and began treating it for poisoning, but it died.

A necropsy being performed Thursday or Friday will determine if Blankenship faces felony animal cruelty charges, police …

Continue reading Secondhand heroin smoke may have killed cat »

Americans aren’t tightening their belts amid these difficult economic times, they’re just buying sweat pants.

Even our pets are portly.

“Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent. Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent,” states a report entitled “F as in Fat” by Trust for America’s Health.

Further evidence that Southern moms cook best: “The obesity epidemic continues to be most dramatic in the South, which includes nine of the 10 states with the highest adult obesity rates.”

Georgia adults are fairly slim compared to our Deep (Fried) South brethren, we’re ranked No. 17 with 28.7 percent of us considered obese, or 30 pounds or more overweight.

We used to be a lot healthier: “Fifteen years ago, Georgia had an obesity rate of 13.8 percent and was ranked 34th most obese state in the nation. The obesity rate in Georgia doubled over the last 15 years.”

“Diabetes rates have doubled in ten states including Georgia in the past 15 years. In 1995, Georgia had a …

Continue reading Georgia doubles number of fat people »

Japan has Godzilla, New York has a giant invasive weed that can burn and blind anyone silly enough to assail it.

Giant Hogweed, a relative of the delicious carrot and less-delicious parsnip, must be handled with gloves.

It’s been dubbed Giant Hogweed, which, combined with this lead, may remind readers of the nigh-mythical beast Hogzilla, felled in 2004 by a South Georgia hunter.

The New York Daily Post tries to soothe the Yankee populace with this headline: “Green monster: Dangerous giant weed on the loose.”

“The botanical beast is so rampant that the state Department of Environmental Conservation has even set up a special Giant Hogweed Hotline — and ordered a special 14-man crew to root out its nesting spots along streams, roads and unsuspecting residents’ back yards,” the Post writes.

For a weed, it’s mighty impressive – 20 feet tall with 2½-foot-wide flowers and 5-foot leaves.

It’s blooming now, and is being spotted more often.

The plant’s sap can cause third degree burns. …

Continue reading Monster weed burning and blinding New Yorkers »

The worst-laid plans often go awry.

Pepper spray, a bad way to end a date, criminal outing … or both.

Such was the case in Hillsboro, Missouri, where a burglary duo’s purloinment of power tools and DVDs was interrupted by carnal passion.

The female cat burglar must not have appreciated the amorous advances — she elected to pepper spray her cohort and flee in the homeowner’s car, according to an article by NBC affiliate KSDK.

Two miles down the road she ran the car into a pond.

The man was caught running down the road wearing nothing but a raincoat and lugging a bag of stolen goods.

It makes you wonder what kind of DVDs they found hidden in the garage.

Jefferson County police did not respond to emails and phone calls.

Sadly, there are no booking mugs online.

Continue reading Sex dooms burglar couple’s outing »