Watercooler Stories

Denver orders teen to remove Obama mural

DENVER, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A teenager who painted a "Vote Obama" mural on his grandparents' fence in Denver says legal appeals ensure the work will remain at least through the election.

Denver officials say the mural, which features a portrait of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, and a call to vote for him violates city ordinances on the size of political signs, The Denver Post reports. The mural is well over the 8-foot-square limit.

Paul Trujillo and two friends used spray paint to create the mural after Obama, D-Ill., was nominated in Denver in August.

"I want to use my fence to communicate to the rest of the world," Trujillo said.

Esther Vigil, Trujillo's grandmother, said she has received offers to pay the $150 fine for failing to remove or cover up the mural. Trujillo said he has learned that an appeal of the removal order comes with a 45-day extension, enough to get it past Election Day.

Police: Cheap gas caused crash, fight

WINTER GARDEN, Fla., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A fight and a vehicular crash occurred in Winter Garden, Fla., as a result of a gas station offering gas at $2.88 a gallon, police said.

An officer responding to a report of a fight at a Winter Garden gas station hit a convertible with her police car and both vehicles crashed into a nearby home, WKMG-TV of Orlando, Fla., reported.

The accident left the owner of the home, Patricia McFarland, mystified as to how such an accident could occur.

"We never thought we'd be in danger of a car just coming in a hitting the house," McFarland said. "We don't know structurally what is with the house right now."

Both drivers of the two vehicles involved in the crash were expected to recover from their injuries.

By the way, the gas station ran out of gasoline shortly after posting the discounted price.

Banknotes contain hidden prostitutes

KIEV, Ukraine, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Several scantily clad women thought to be prostitutes are visible on a new set of fake banknotes being dispersed in Ukraine, officials say.

Officials say the counterfeit euro notes and the figures they contain are part of a campaign aimed at decreasing the number of sex workers in Ukraine, The Daily Telegraph said.

The counterfeit bills feature female figures leaning against notable structures that normally adorn the banknotes. The fake notes look nearly identical to their authentic counterparts, except they include a warning on the potential downside of entering the sex trade in Ukraine and the European Union.

The bills are the most recent attempt by Ukrainian officials to fight the rising number of sex workers in the former Soviet state, the Telegraph said.

The newspaper said more than 12,000 sex workers are estimated to be operating in Ukraine, drawing an increasing number of wealthy tourists to the country.

Crook: Crime doesn't pay

DURHAM, England, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A 76-year-old convicted burglar in Britain says modern technology has made it so hard to commit crimes he is retiring.

Richard Blaylock, a great-grandfather, said after being released from jail last week that thanks to such advancements as DNA testing, high-quality closed-circuit television and other surveillance equipment, a life of crime is no longer in his future, The Daily Telegraph said.

"It's getting harder and harder for criminals, with all the CCTV cameras and DNA evidence. It's a mugs' game. I'll never get into trouble again," the senior citizen said.

The career criminal has a total of 69 convictions on his record and has spent more than half of his life in 14 different prisons.

His release came after the elderly burglar received a 3-month jail sentence for being stopped by police with his burglary tools.

Blaylock, whose first brush with the law occurred in 1943, said he hopes any young aspiring criminal would learn from his experiences, the Telegraph said.

"I would tell any youngsters thinking of going into a life of crime that they shouldn't. I've wasted my life in prison and I never made any money out of crime," he said.