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High heel event prompts male empathy

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Several male students at the University of Central Florida say they now empathize with women after going on a march wearing women's' shoes with high heels.

Psychology student Ivan Gonzalez said after the volunteer high-heel walk around campus, he has a better understanding of what life can be like for a woman wearing the treacherous footwear, The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported.

"I couldn't really walk," the 21-year-old said after Wednesday's event. "I had to hop."

The high-heeled efforts by male students were part of the school's Strike Back Against Dating/Domestic Violence campaign.

The Sentinel said 21-year-old communications major Jenn Edelson donned her high heels to join the men during the march to increase solidarity between the sexes.

"It's their turn today," the volunteer march participant told the newspaper. "It shows they want to understand us better."

'Captain Calamity' told to stay on land

BURNHAM-ON-SEA, England, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- An inexperienced British sailor had to be rescued twice by the Coast Guard in three days and then had his boat searched for explosives.

The Coast Guard nicknamed Anthony Woodford "Captain Calamity" after the second rescue, The Daily Mail reported.

Now, Woodford's boat, a 25-foot trimaran named the Star of Burnham, has been impounded. He was told it must remain out of the water until he can show it is seaworthy and properly equipped and that he knows how to operate it.

Woodford's troubles began when the Coast Guard got a distress call from two men "lost in the dark" in the Bristol Channel. A Royal air Force helicopter located the boat, which was then towed to safety.

About 48 hours later, Woodford had to be rescued again after he and his mate, Chris Gregory, got stuck on a mudflat.

The harbormaster in Burnham-on-Sea, a resort in Somerset, inspected the boat and found a lot missing -- proper lifejackets, charts and other necessities. He also found something that should not have been there -- flares dating from 1973 -- and summoned bomb disposal experts.

Gregory thanked the Coast Guard for returning the pair to "somewhere not quite as hazardous as the open sea."

'Smurf' trots globe to sell costumes

NEWBURY, England, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- A Newbury, England, costume shop worker said his boss sent him on a 12,285-mile trek in a Smurf suit as a promotion to help sell the character costumes.

Ian Tomkins, 25, said he visited several famous landmarks around the world during his three-week journey and took his blue Smurf costume off only to sleep, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Tomkins' boss at Jokers' Masquerade costume shop, Mark Lewis, said he came up with the idea for the globetrotting Smurf promotion after discovering that the Chinese supplier of the costumes wouldn't sell them to his shop in quantities under 500.

"When Mr. Lewis first suggested the idea I thought it was great -- I was going to see some countries I had never been to before and all I had to do was wear the costume," Tomkins told the newspaper. "But it was one thing to suggest the idea and another to stand in front of these famous monuments wearing it."

Lewis said the trip cost the shop about $6,000 but sparked a surge of business that has led the shop to order thousands more costumes from its supplier.

Spaghetti sauce vandals strike in Texas

FRISCO, Texas, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Police in Frisco, Texas, said vandals have caused more than $4,600 in damage by throwing jars of spaghetti sauce in at least eight incidents.

Frisco police Sgt. Gerald Meadors said the incidents, which involved reports of jars full of spaghetti sauce thrown at vehicles and the windows of homes, occurred between Oct. 5 and 12, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Meadors said one incident involved a jar of garlic spaghetti sauce that was thrown alongside a jar of Great Value brand onions.

"Maybe they were trying to make a good sauce," he said.

Jason Anglin said the vandals have struck his home with spaghetti sauce jars twice. He said the first incident resulted in a mess on his front porch and the second occurred the following Saturday.

"I came outside and I looked up and noticed the sauce, and then I looked down and that's when my child said, 'Dad, we were hit again,'" he said.

Police said if they make any arrests suspects could face felony criminal mischief charges.