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Firefighters report pot in 2 Calif. homes

OAKLAND, Calif., July 16 (UPI) -- Police in Oakland, Calif., said they arrested two people after firefighters responding to a blaze at the home discovered about 150 marijuana plants.

Police spokesman Roland Holmgren said the two suspects, a man and a woman, are also suspected of stealing electricity to power their grow lamps, the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune reported Wednesday.

One of the suspects was treated for smoke inhalation, but police did not specify whether it was the male or female suspect. Investigators said charges will be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, in San Jose, Calif., police arrested a man who was allegedly burning marijuana plants in his fireplace, the San Jose Mercury News reported Wednesday.

Authorities said firefighters arrived at the home at about 11 p.m. Monday night after receiving reports of heavy smoke near the chimney of the man's home. The firefighters smelled marijuana on the air and notified police, who found more than 30 plants inside the house during a welfare check, the report said.

The man, identified as Ruben Rivera, 28, was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana.

A police spokesman said Rivera was apparently burning stems and leaves from the plants in his fireplace.

Suit: Doctor put tattoo on patient

CAMDEN, N.J., July 16 (UPI) -- A Camden County, N.J., woman is suing her orthopedic surgeon after he rubbed a temporary tattoo onto her body while she was unconscious.

Elizabeth Mateo claims in her suit that she did not realize until the morning after the surgery that the surgeon, Steven Kirshner, had left a temporary tattoo of a rose on her abdomen while she was under anesthesia, the Philadelphia Enquirer reported Wednesday.

"She was extremely emotionally upset by it," said attorney Gregg Shivers, who filed the suit on Mateo's behalf in Camden County Superior Court.

The suit seeks punitive and compensatory damages from Kirshner.

The doctor admitted to placing the tattoo on Mateo but he denied any ill intent, the newspaper reported. He said he often rubs temporary tattoos on patients as a means of helping to raise their spirits after a stressful operation.

"What's offensive about this complaint is that it suggests something he did was intended to be prurient, and nothing could be further from the truth," said Kirshner's lawyer, Robert Agre. "It was intended just to make the patient feel better."

Bible-based toys may go mainstream

ORLANDO, Fla., July 16 (UPI) -- The creator of G.I. Joe said in Orlando, Fla., that more of his toy creations, action figures based on Bible figures, may be on their way to mainstream stores.

Don Levine, 80, who is credited with inventing the action figure with the first G.I. Joe 45 years ago, said his line of Bible-based Almighty Heroes toys -- including likenesses of King David, Queen Esther, Samson and Jonah -- have been hot sellers at Christian bookstores and other specialty stores, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Wednesday.

He said at the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando that mainstream retailers are now expressing an interest in the Almighty Heroes.

"We're working on our first order for Wal-Mart," Levine said. "We're also working with Target, Walgreens and others."

Levine, a Korean War veteran, said that while he created G.I. Joe to honor his fellow servicemen and veterans, it was a less altruistic revelation that led him to create the Almighty Heroes -- there are an estimated 2 billion Christians in the world.

"Donald Levine, being in the marketing business, likes a niche market like that," said Levine, who is Jewish.

Dutch invent new word for married gays

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, July 16 (UPI) -- The Dutch Language Union has invented a new word that translates to "birthname" to accommodate married gay men who feel awkward listing their "maiden" names.

The word, geboortenaam, was invented by the union after a civil servant approached the group and explained that it could be "embarrassing" for married gay men to have to list a maiden name on forms, Radio Netherlands reported Wednesday.

"The word was needed because men who entered into a gay marriage had to fill in their 'maiden name' on official forms when they wanted to take on their spouse's surname," the language union said in its announcement.