Watercooler Stories

Where there's smoke, there's pot

MIAMI, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Firefighters called to a Miami home because of a smoking electrical meter broke through the garage to find a hydroponic marijuana growing operation.

The illegal pot farmers had rigged the garage to take their power directly from a nearby pole but because it takes so much electricity to keep the operation going, the meter box got stressed and began to smoke, police told Tuesday's Miami Herald.

When police went through the house, they found more than 50 2-pound plants in various rooms. The hybrid plants had few seeds "and a tremendous amount of resins," an undercover narcotics agent told the Herald.

Neighbors said they noticed the house had many more trash cans out on garbage day than other houses as well as an unusual amount of traffic in and out.

But no one put two-and-two together until Monday night's bust.

One 60-year-old neighbor said he walked past the house daily but figured the acrid pot smell coming from the garage was merely someone puffing weed, the Herald reported.

No one was home when firefighters broke into the garage and no arrests had been made by Tuesday.

Britannia rules -- in breast size

LONDON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- British women are front and center ahead of their European sisters when it comes to cleavage, a survey revealed in London Tuesday indicates.

Bra maker Triumph said its research indicated more than half of the British female population boast a D-cup or larger while a majority of Italian and Australian women reach for the A- and B-cup section of the lingerie rack.

Austrian women mostly wear B-cups as well, while in France, only a quarter of the bra wearing population can fill out the more ample D-cup, the London Daily Star said.

Denmark came in second right behind Britain while Austrians fell somewhere in the middle, Triumph said.

Lottery winner denied lifesaving lump sum

NAPLES, N.Y., Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A Naples, N.Y., cancer patient with an estimated single year to live has won the lottery -- but the game only offers 20-year payment plans.

Wayne Schenk, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in December. He said he thought winning the lottery would help him afford the $400,000 cancer treatments he needs to survive the 12 to 14 months he is expected to live, ABC News reported Tuesday.

However, the scratch-off ticket game Schenk played pays out a total $1 million in increments of $50,000 over 20 years.

Schenk said he has spoken to the lottery about a lump sum payment but was told it is not possible.

"Three times we talked to the lottery and they've said that they can't do it," he said. "That was more depressing than anything."

Schenk said buyout firms have offered him $467,000 for the ticket, but the amount would be greatly reduced by taxes and would not be enough for the cancer treatment he desires.

'Stuff that dreams are made of' missing

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- "There's only one Maltese Falcon," said Sydney Greenstreet, but the replica stolen from a San Francisco joint is as valuable to its owner as the real deal.

Author Dashiell Hammett used to eat at John's Grill and placed Sam Spade at John Konstin's diner in his novel. Later, Humphrey Bogart chowed there on "chops, baked potato, sliced tomato" in the film version of "The Maltese Falcon."

Konstin told the San Francisco Chronicle he tried to buy the real Maltese Falcon for his shrine to the 1930 novel and 1941 film but wound up with a plaster replica given to him in 1995 by Elisha Cook Jr., who played Wilmer Cook in the silver screen version.

The bird disappeared from a shrine in the eatery during the weekend along with a stack of books signed by Hammet, Konstin told the Chronicle.

Konstin has offered a $25,000 reward for the goods, "no questions asked."

He also has a private dick on the case.

Hot on the trail, investigator Jack Immendorf told the San Jose Mercury News he already has a couple of tips.

Wednesday is the 77th anniversary of the publication of "The Maltese Falcon."