UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Florida pup rescued from gator's jaws

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., May 30 (UPI) -- A determined South Florida man managed to save the life of his 6-month-old puppy by wrestling it from the jaws of a 6-foot alligator.

Mike Rubin, 45, was walking Jasmine, a golden retriever, Monday morning in Coral Springs, on the edge of the Everglades when he heard the dog make an unusual sound.

He bolted to catch up with her and told the Miami Herald his first fear of a gator attack was confirmed.

"The gator was flipping her over and killing her," he said. "I jumped on top of both of them."

He said the dog was limp, and he feared she was dead, but he was determined the gator wasn't going to take the pup.

Punching the reptile on the head did nothing, so he said he finally yanked the dog free.

He and his wife rushed the dog to a veterinary clinic, where it was treated for puncture injuries and bruising, and sent home hours later, the report said.

"Maybe it wasn't the brightest thing to do," Rubin said. "You love your animal, sometimes you do crazy things."

Woman balks at having 6/6/6 'devil' baby

CAVERSHAM, England, May 30 (UPI) -- A woman in England due to give birth on June 6 is fighting with her hospital to induce her sooner to avoid delivering on the demonic date of 6/6/6.

Melissa Parker, 30, said as a fan of "The Omen," a movie about a demonic child, she's genuinely concerned about the numerology involved, The Sun reported Tuesday.

"I'm terrified the birth will go wrong or the child will have evil in him or her," Parker said. "Even worse my beautiful baby could be the devil himself -- the anti-Christ."

The figure 666 is mentioned in the Bible and various cultures believe it represents the date the anti-Christ will appear on Earth, but that doesn't hold any water at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

A hospital spokesman said Parker's request for an induction was refused because due dates are not 100 percent certain.

"There is little we can do to change them without a Caesarean or inducing the child, which we try to avoid," the spokesman said. "We must let nature take its course. The baby will be born when ready, no matter what day it is."

Texting surge raises communication worries

NEW YORK, May 30 (UPI) -- The rapid growth of text messages -- projected to hit 2.3 billion by 2010 -- raises concerns about the younger generation's ability to communicate verbally.

Nokia says about 36 percent of cell phone users were active text users in 2005 -- up from 22 percent in 2004. Verizon Wireless projects texting will generate 2.3 trillion messages worldwide in 2010 vs. 500 billion last year.

"We are losing very natural, human, instinctive skills that we used to be really good at," Sonya Hamlin, author of "How to Talk So People Listen: Connecting in Today's Workplace," told USA Today.

But Carol Weston, who wrote "Girltalk: All the Stuff your Sister Never Told You," said she's not worried about interpersonal relationships.

"Girls get the nourishment that comes with female bonding ... electronically, telephonically or in person," said Weston, whose daughter frequently uses text messages.

"If they're lucky, (boys) learn to have ... real talk in real time, but they don't come by it as naturally," Weston told the newspaper.

Hotels smell success with lobby scents

NEW YORK, May 30 (UPI) -- A growing number of U.S. hotels are engaging in "scent-sory" branding by wafting the fragrances of chocolate, figs and geraniums in their lobbies.

Las Vegas hotels have been releasing scents for at least 15 years, but such major national chains as Sheraton are now joining the trend, USA Today reports.

Sheraton's signature scent involves fig, bergamot, jasmine and freesia, while at their Four Points facilities, apple cinnamon is meant to evoke the down-home feeling of apple pie, the report said.

Starwood's Westin brand worked with a perfume designer to come up with a hypoallergenic blend of white tea with geranium and freesia that is pumped out by inconspicuous atomizers.

The Omni chain has opted for lemongrass and green tea in lobbies of its 40 North American hotels, but uses a chocolaty coffee scent in some coffee shops to help clients remember where they are.