Watercooler Stories

Disobedient dogs to be on reality TV show

ATLANTA, June 16 (UPI) -- Dozens of Atlanta dog owners say they think their pets are perfect for a new reality TV show about disobedient canines and their troubled masters.

Hopeful owners brought their bad dogs to Atlanta's Atlantic Station Saturday to try out for a new cable show being produced by Richochet Television, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

"We're looking for couples who have problems between them over how to deal with the pet. We want that tension, too," Casting producer John Magennis said.

Dog owners won't be paid for filming 10 hourlong episodes, but will receive free suggestions from an animal psychologist about how to tame their feisty pets, the newspaper said.

Ohio village to teach deer-human skills

CINCINNATI, June 16 (UPI) -- Officials in the village of Woodlawn, Ohio, say they are prepared to teach residents how best to deal with the area's growing deer population.

Village Councilwoman Gina Ruffin Moore said an upcoming workshop called "Dear Deer" will teach Woodlawn residents how to coexist with deer and other "critters" in the area, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

"The deer are part of the landscape of Woodlawn," Moore said. "We like them here. We pride ourselves in Woodlawn in having a lot of wooded areas. And with wooded areas come the critters."

The June 26 workshop resulted from a complaint by a Woodlawn resident who said the growing deer population should be met with deer crossing signs on area roads.

Moore said she was convinced the friendly nature of the deer population would make any safety transitions an easy process.

"I really think they're getting used to people," she told the Enquirer. "They're very friendly. That's why we call them 'dear deer.'"

Woman oblivious to 'WTF' license plate

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., June 16 (UPI) -- A computer trainer in Lafayette, N.C., says she was oblivious to the profane modern meaning of her license plate "WTF" until her grandchildren told her.

Mary Ann Hardee said she never thought there was a problem with her car's plates until her teenage grandchildren let her know the initials stand for "What The (Expletive)" among text message fans, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported.

"Once it was revealed to me, I developed this real self-consciousness," the 60-year-old said.

The license plate was issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles as part of nearly 240 new letter combinations, but state officials apparently did not take the popularity of text messaging into account.

The Observer said in addition to questionable "WTF" plates, drivers may be hesitant to keep plates with "LOL" or "NME," which translate to "Laugh Out Loud" and "Enemy," respectively, in text messages.

The newspaper said Hardee was able to get new license plates after informing DMV officials of the issue.

130-year-old phone book to be auctioned

NEW HAVEN, Conn., June 16 (UPI) -- A 130-year-old Connecticut phone book is expected to sell for at least $30,000 when it's auctioned off at Christie's in New York, auction officials say.

Christie's claims the 1878 New Haven phone book, published by Connecticut District Telephone Co., was the world's first of its kind, but critics say others printed were in Chicago and San Francisco first, the Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported.

Historians and collectors prize the phone book for its outdated phone etiquette tips, such as advice to speak clearly and slowly, say "Hulloa!" in your greeting and "That is All!" when the conversation is over.

The book, to be auctioned Tuesday, also is valued because it manages to preserve an image of what life in New Haven was like 130 years ago when horse-drawn carriages and store front barber shops and blacksmiths lined the streets, the newspaper said.