Watercooler Stories

St. Louis alderman could face jail time

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A St. Louis alderman could face jail time if his probation is revoked for drinking beer at a Hillary Clinton presidential campaign support party.

Clinton supporters and a reporter claimed to have spotted Alderman Stephen Gregali drinking beer at the event, held at a bar near Saint Louis University Feb. 5.

The problem is Gregali, who represents the city's Bevo Mill neighborhood, is on probation for a misdemeanor charge for following another car too closely in southeastern Missouri, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported Sunday.

The probation order Gregali signed March 8, 2007, calls for him to abstain from alcohol for one year. Gregali said he did not realize the order included the requirement he abstain from "alcohol or illegal drug consumption."

"The judge didn't tell me what it was about," Gregali said. "He just said sign and go home."

Should Gregali's probation be revoked, he could be sentenced to up to 15 days in jail.

Breastfeeding mom puts school in place

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A mother in St. Petersburg, Fla., has won her battle to breastfeed her infant son while visiting her daughter at elementary school.

Alicia Norris said she was feeding her 19-month-old son while eating lunch with one of her two other children who attend Rio Vista Elementary School last October, when school officials told her she was forbidden from doing so on school property, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

Norris said being criticized for simply feeding her infant child while visiting the school left her feeling "degraded."

"I've been nursing three children for nine years and I've never felt like that before," she told the Times. "I have never been asked to stop. I think this shows a lack of education in an educational environment."

There was some letter-writing and checking of state law and school board rules. When all was said and done, Norris' nursing was found to conform with Florida law and the school's principal acquiesced.

For her part, Norris says she just wants school officials and others to know it's OK to nurse in public.

Extra holiday proposed for non-smokers

NASSJO, Sweden, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A politician in Nassjo, Sweden, suggests giving non-smoking city council members an extra day of holiday.

Marie-Louise Ekholm, a Nassjo councilor who is a doctor by profession and a member of the Moderate party, argues that a healthier life is insufficient reward for quitting or never starting smoking. She has formally submitted her proposal for an extra day off to the local council, Sweden's The Local reported.

Non-smokers get sick less, take fewer breaks and are less a burden on society and should therefore get an extra day's holiday, she argued.

Ekholm has been in the spotlight before, after claiming Swedish society's "loose" sexual attitudes have led to a dramatic increase in sexually transmitted diseases among young people.

'Guerrilla store' opens in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Comme des Garcons has opened one of its so-called guerrilla stores in Los Angeles, attracting hip shoppers to its hit-and-run style of merchandising.

Part of a shopping format that began in Tokyo in 1969, Comme des Garcons stores open quickly without traditional advertising and then close after only a year, the Los Angeles Times said.

Similar stores have opened and closed in Berlin, Singapore, Athens, Greece, and even Beirut, Lebanon.

Knowledge of the stores' typically hidden locations travels by word of mouth. Shoppers who find their way to the remote locales typically purchase as quickly as possible, knowing the store itself has a limited shelf life.

Tokyo designer Rei Kawakubo founded Comme des Garcons based on her unique approach to fashion and while her label has several flagship stores, she is known for her modern "guerrilla" sales approach.

"We have always loved Rei's aesthetic," Los Angeles resident John McDowell said during the recent opening of the LA store. "She never stops moving. This is going to be a mega Comme des Garcons."