Watercooler Stories

Billboard urges 'Merry Christmas' greeting

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Five women in Youngstown, Ohio, have purchased billboard space for a message about saying "Merry Christmas" that purports to be from Jesus himself.

The prayer group said it raised enough money for four billboards urging residents to resist the trend of saying "Happy Holidays" instead of a more specific message about the Christian holiday, WEWS-TV in Cleveland reported.

"I miss hearing you saying Merry Christmas," the billboard message says. It's signed, "Jesus."

The women said they have enough donated money left over to begin planning a billboard campaign for next Christmas.

Wacky warning labels win prizes

NOVI, Mich., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A U.S. product warning label on a small tractor intoning "Danger: Avoid Death" has won an annual wacky warning label contest.

The contest, now in its 11th year, is conducted by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch to support its contention that litigation has turned basic common sense into warnings on consumer products.

Kevin Soave of Farmington Hills, Mich., won the group's $500 grand prize for his submission, the watchdog group announced Thursday.

The $250 second-place award will be split by Carrianne, Jacob and Robby Turin of Greensburg, Pa., for a label they found on an iron-on T-shirt transfer that says: "Do not iron while wearing shirt," the Novi, Mich., group said.

The $100 third-place prize went to Richard Goodnow of Lancaster, Mass., for a label on a baby-stroller featuring a small storage pouch that warns, "Do not put child in bag."

New dating service offers DNA matching

BOSTON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A new online dating service available in the Boston area promises to find customers matches with good chemistry by testing their DNA.

ScientificMatch.com founder Eric Holzle said he believes couples with opposite immune systems have a better chance of producing healthy babies.

"This is going to revolutionize the entire dating industry," Holzle told ABC News. "We're providing the most perfect dating service that you're going to get, the best of both worlds."

ScientificMatch has other features that Holzle said will persuade customers to pay the $1,995 fee. The service promises stringent background checks while customer profiles will not be censored.

Scientists say Holzle's premise -- that babies will be more robust if their parents have opposite genes -- is unproven. James Evans, head of the adult genetics institute at the University of North Carolina, said so many factors go into a child's health that teasing out the effect of genetics is still difficult.

Witness backs kangaroo-shark tale

TORQUAY, Australia, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A second witness has surfaced to support the tale of an Australian man who claims to have seen a shark attack a kangaroo.

Daniel Hurst said he was initially mocked by friends who said he must have been drunk, The Daily Telegraph reported.

He said he was walking on a beach near Torquay with his girlfriend and dogs when he saw what appeared to be a kangaroo hopping into the surf.

"I could still see its head, and that's when the shark leaped out of the water on its side," he said.

"It just got its body out and that was about it. But (it was) clearly a shark. The kangaroo disappeared after that. I stayed around for a while, just very interested, and hoping the shark jumped again, but it never eventuated."

The discovery of a kangaroo carcass on the beach the next day led a second witness to come forward.

Mick Boucher said he saw the marsupial enter the water where it was attacked by the shark.

''It wasn't a huge shark. And it was too far out to see clearly, but it was a shark. I couldn't believe it," he said.