Watercooler Stories

Conn. class creates working historical sub

HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A Connecticut high school class's recreation of the first military submarine performed flawlessly when it was put in the water this weekend during.

Diver Roy Manstan said the replica of the 1775 military vessel -- put together by students at Hartford's Old Saybrook High School -- operated exactly as intended. However, Manstan said the vessel left something to be desired in terms of available space, The Hartford Courant reported.

"You definitely feel closed in. Maybe think of taking the top off a wine keg and climbing in," Manstan said after Saturday's test run.

Old Saybrook teacher Fred Frese said his class' version of the American Revolution's Turtle submarine would likely only operate in 20 feet of water or less.

He said the project will be brought to the Connecticut River Museum, as well as area schools and even a regional boat show.

"We'd like to take it to different high schools, and we're taking it to the boat show in Hartford in January," Frese told the newspaper.

Here, take my kid's card

NEW YORK, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Some networking-minded New York parents are keeping socially connected by handing out business cards -- for their kids.

The cards -- which typically feature a child's name, contact information and a clever message like "My crib or yours?" -- are spreading like chicken pox, The New York Post reported.

The brightly-colored cards can be purchased online or in shops catering to the under-5 demographic, the newspaper said. At one New York shop, Baby iDesign, the owner said demand for the cards, which sell at $60 per box, has tripled in the last year.

Cuteness aside, parents who use the cards say they also have a practical side, the newspaper said. They are a good way to meet and keep track of other new moms, and more practical than the crayon and paper method.

Police citations offer conflicting info

ATLANTA, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Hundreds of traffic citations handed out by the Atlanta Police Department left offenders confused by providing two different courthouse addresses.

Raines Carter, the chief solicitor for Atlanta's municipal court, said the courthouse address was given as 150 Garrett St. on one side of the ticket and 150 Garnett St. on the other -- likely leading to confusion, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said.

"You're absolutely right. It says Garrett Street," Carter said of the mix-up. "To go to that address and not find the courthouse, what's a person to think? I'm so sorry for this person."

One driver who was ticketed for a broken brake light -- an offense that carries a $75 fine -- received an additional $100 fine for missing his court date.

Atlanta officials said there was little they could do for the confused man, since he had already paid off both fines.

The newspaper said for anyone facing such additional fines, the only recourse after paying off the violations is to take their case in front of a judge.

That is, of course, if they can find the right courthouse.

Balkans clamor for Hollywood hero statues

ZITISTE, Serbia, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A statue of Rocky Balboa towers over a Balkans farm town and Tarzan is coming, as the former war-torn region embraces Hollywood heroes.

What gives? One visual artist told The New York Times the statues were "a dangerous joke," but others say pop-culture heroes are an inspiration in the former Yugoslavia, where 1990s hostilities left 125,000 dead.

"My generation can't find role models so we have to look elsewhere. Hollywood can provide an answer," Bojan Marceta, 28, told the Times.

Marceta raised about $7,300 to commission the Rocky statue.

Rocky's statue in Zitiste, Serbia, will be joined by a Tarzan monument in Medja, a farming village near the Romanian border. Talk continues in Cacack, Serbia, about a statue of British singer Samantha Fox, a former topless model who once performed there.

A Bruce Lee statue in Mostar, Bosnia, was placed in storage after its weapons were vandalized, the Times said.