Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Rappelling Santa Claus hits a snag CONROE, Texas, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A stand-in Santa Claus in Conroe, Texas, found himself in a dangerous situation after his beard became tangled in climbing gear 30 feet off the ground. Advertisement Rock climber James Bosson was to play Santa and rappel from the top of the 80-foot-tall Outlets at Conroe sign, but he had not practiced with his beard and 50-feet down it became snagged in a latch, the Conroe Courier reported Monday. A knife tossed up by someone on the ground allowed Bosson to cut away his Santa beard but he still was unable to climb down and had to be rescued by the Conroe Fire Department. Jessica Critton, marketing and special events manager for the Outlets of Conroe, told the Courier said it was the first time they invited Santa to rappel from the top of their sign and light the 50-foot-tall live tree, which was adorned with more than 3,000 lights. Advertisement Battalion Chief Michael Gosselin joked to the newspaper that firefighters would get something extra in their stockings this year, since they rescued Santa Claus. No. 13 unlucky ball in British lottery LONDON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Officials of Britain's National Lottery say No. 13 has been the unluckiest ball since the game began in 1994. The No. 13 ball has popped up 146 times -- eight times fewer than any other ball, Britain's Daily Mail reported Monday. No. 38 is the luckiest ball, having hit 217 times. The numbers mean little, however since the odds against hitting the jackpot are always 13,983,816-to-1, the Mail reported. Thirteen is considered bad luck in many cultures. The disciple Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th person at the table during the Last Supper, and the 13th card of the Major Arcana in a Tarot deck is Death. Lottery officials, however, report some good news about the number: About 13 new millionaires have been created each month in the 13 years since the National Lottery began, and a syndicate of 13 taxi drivers from Littlehampton won a total of $1.4 million in drawings in 2002 and February of this year. Landlady accused of extortion Advertisement PANAMA CITY, Fla., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Police arrested a Panama City, Fla., landlady who allegedly threatened to release a sex tape if past-due rent payments were not promptly paid. Jill Marita Munger, 31, was charged with extortion, police said. Investigators said Munger allegedly told a tenant she had planted cameras in a condo she runs, and had videotaped the tenant having sex, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported Monday. The tenant, who was not identified, had moved out and Munger was trying to collect overdue payments, police said. Investigators said Munger threatened to sell the video and publish the tenant's Social Security number if payment was not made, the newspaper reported. However, the victim went to police and Munger was arrested after an undercover sting. Officers saw the landlady hand over a videotape in exchange for what she thought was the money she was owed, police said. The tape was found to be blank. police said. Talking cameras may show up at beaches STUART, Fla., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Officials in Martin County, Fla., are considering the installation of talking security cameras to ward off people looking to have sex on the beach. David Graham, assistant to County Administrator Duncan Ballantyne, said the cameras contain FlashCAM devices that sense motion and then flash a bright light before playing a recorded verbal warning that the camera is about to start recording, the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported Monday. Advertisement "I'm all for it," said Commission Chairman Michael DiTerlizzi, who recently proposed setting up cameras at county beaches after several arrests were made accusing men of soliciting men for sex at the beaches. "Anything that deters that kind of activity is going to be good." Graham said the cameras run on solar power and can be affixed to light poles and trees along the shorelines of public beaches.
