Watercooler Stories

Dick Cheney to try hunting again

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- For the first time since accidentally shooting a friend, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is planning to go hunting on Election Day, CNN reports.

His press secretary, Lea Anne McBride, said Cheney had voted early, and plans to depart Washington Tuesday for a private hunting lodge near Pierre, S.D.

She said Cheney hunted at the same lodge on Election Day four years ago.

This time, Cheney will be accompanied by his daughter Mary, CNN said.

On Feb. 11, Cheney accidentally shot his 78-year-old friend, lawyer Harry Whittington at a private quail hunting ranch in Texas.

Whittington survived, but spent six days hospitalized with bird shot wounds to his torso, face and neck.

Cheney said days afterward it had been "one of the worst days of my life."

Judge mulls case of patriotic toilet

BOLZANO, Italy, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A judge in Bolzano, Italy, is considering whether a designer toilet that plays the country's national anthem when flushed is an offense to the nation.

The controversial toilet was created by two Bolzano artisans, but was seized by police from the city's Museum of Modern Art last week.

Prosecutors allege it is an offense to the nation and cited speeches by former President Carlo Ciampi, who highlighted the patriotic nature of the song, Italy's ANSA news agency reported Monday.

Lawyers for the museum argued prosecutors had no right to seize the musical commode, as the song is not an official symbol of the country, regardless of its patriotic value.

The unidentified judge said he would take several days to rule on whether to mute the toilet, the report said.

China frosty on wife-swapping advice

GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Chinese government officials gave a frosty response to a sociologist who told a Guangzhou Sex Culture Exposition wife-swapping is normal entertainment.

China's foremost female sociologist on sex issues, Li Yinhe told attendees partner-sharing is fine, and couples should have the right to try it, China Daily reported.

Zhang Feng, director of the Guangdong Provincial Population and Family Planning Committee, was quick to disagree, warning it would spread HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. He also said the sex forum was not an acceptable venue to be expressing such views, the report said.

"These views should be discussed as academic issues rather than widely acceptable social issues," said Zhang.

The event drew more than 60,000 visitors on opening day Saturday, 10,000 more than last year's opening day, organizers said.

Bank employees forget to lock door

LARVIK, Norway, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A security guard who checked a Norwegian bank after hours discovered that the door was unlocked.

The guard walked into the SpareBank1 branch in Larvik, south of Oslo, without setting off the alarm. He immediately called police.

Investigators say that bank employees just forgot to lock the door when they closed for the weekend Friday afternoon. A bank manager told the newspaper Ostlands Posten that the alarm was set but she could not explain why, in that case, it failed to go off when the security guard entered.

"I hope and believe that this was simply a mistake," SpareBank1 director Jim Andersen said. "We can only apologize."