Watercooler Stories

Library tagged by literary graffiti

PITTSBURGH, July 29 (UPI) -- A pair of literary vandals left unusual graffiti on the wall and steps of the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, officials said Tuesday.

One of the messages reads: "I wish I were a pair of ragged claws scuttling across the floors of silent seas," attributed to "J. Alfred Prufrock," a reference to T.S Elliot's poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, reported Thursday.

Another message, left on the steps of the library, reads: "for freedom -- enter here."

The third message was one echoed by library staff: "This is not a good way to handle my problems."

"We were obviously very upset," library spokeswoman Suzanne Thinnes said. "That requires a lot of staff time, as well as money that could be used to go into library services."

The library said surveillance video recorded two white men spraying the graffiti at 2:25 a.m. Monday.

Police: 'Joker' was after Batman film swag

THREE RIVERS, Mich., July 29 (UPI) -- Police in Three Rivers, Mich., said a man dressed as the Joker from "The Dark Knight" was arrested attempting to steal memorabilia from a movie theater.

Officers said Spencer Taylor, 20, was in full costume and makeup to resemble Heath Ledger's character from the film when he was arrested on felony larceny and malicious destruction of property charges at the Three Rivers 6 movie theater, the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette reported Tuesday.

Three Rivers Detective Mike Mohney said Taylor had been trying to take posters off the theater walls and was attempting to take other items when he was retrained by staff until officers arrived.

River log turns out to be alligator

ANDERSON, Ind., July 29 (UPI) -- People involved in a volunteer river clean-up effort in Anderson, Ind., said they were shocked when a log they attempted to move turned out to be an alligator.

The volunteers said the reptile was surprised, but it was not aggressive and did not try to attack anyone, WRTV-TV, Indianapolis, reported Tuesday.

County officials turned the animal over to Ed Roemer, a pet shop owner in Anderson, Ind., to nurse the alligator back to health. Officials said burns and marks found on the chin and legs on the animal indicate it may have been a pet who was confined and neglected.

"He's lucky someone found him because he wouldn't make it through our winters here," Roemer said.

He said people releasing pet alligators into the wild has become an increasingly common phenomenon.

"It's been happening more and more. People get them, they don't know how to take care of them and they just turn them loose," he said.

Boy, 11, arrested after 100 mph chase

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., July 29 (UPI) -- An 11-year-old Bakersfield, Calif., boy led police on a high speed car chase reaching speeds on 100 mph in his parents' Mercury Sable, police said.

Officer Mark Ehly of the California Highway Patrol said the boy, whose name was not released, was being held in a juvenile hall on suspicion of felony evading and being an unlicensed driver, The (Bakersfield) Californian reported Tuesday.

Ehly said the boy had been upset by something at home prior to his high-speed joyride.

"He didn't want to be home," Ehly said. He said the young boy had to stand on the floorboards of the car to reach the pedals and was not wearing a seat belt.