UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Lost dog reappears after nine years

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The owners of a German Shepherd named Astro that disappeared in Florida nine years ago say they were shocked to hear the dog turned up in Tennessee.

Linda Geary, who now lives with her family in Louisville, Ky., said an animal control officer in Tennessee contacted them nearly three weeks ago to say Astro had been found, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Friday.

"It's still a real shock that he is actually here," Geary said. "We are getting use to the fact that we don't know where he has been or who had him, but he's our dog and has always been our dog."

Astro vanished nine years ago while the Gearys were living in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The family then relocated three times, ending up in Louisville. Astro was found running loose in St. Bethlehem, Tenn., and animal control officers tracked down the Geary family through a microchip implanted in him.

Geary's husband, Dennis, told the Sun-Sentinel it was like no time had passed at all when Astro was reunited with the family recently.

"They brought him out and he just sat down and licked both me and my oldest stepson," he said. "He was like, where have you been?"

Homeowner oblivious to spreading fire

NORWICH, Conn., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- A Pomfret, Conn., homeowner was so busy listening to music on his iPod that he didn't noticed a fire spreading in his exercise room, a fire official says.

Pomfret Assistant Fire Chief Edward Bates said Andrew Riley didn't know about the fire in his home this week until the homeowner received an emergency call from his alarm company about his activated smoke alarm, the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin said Friday.

Bates said once he learned of the second-floor fire from the company, Riley was able to close the exercise room door and contain Thursday's fire.

Responding firefighters soon contained the blaze using a foam and water solution, Bates added.

Fire Marshal Adam Scheuritzel told the Bulletin the fire caused heavy damage to Riley's exercise room. An electrical malfunction was blamed for starting the blaze, the Bulletin said.

While part of Riley's second-floor office and a hallway were also damaged in Thursday's fire, no injuries to the initially unaware homeowner were reported.

Ryanair considering pay toilets in planes

DUBLIN, Ireland, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Consumer groups have criticized Irish budget airline Ryanair after the chief executive said the carrier is considering a $1.50 charge to use airplane toilets.

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary said the airline has been looking into installing coin slots on the doors of the airplane lavatories to allow planes to charge for toilet use, The Times of London reported Friday.

"One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future," O'Leary said. "We are always at Ryanair looking at ways of constantly lowering the cost of air travel to make it affordable and easier for all passengers to fly with us."

Rochelle Turner, head of research for consumer group Which? Holiday, sharply criticized Ryanair for even considering pay toilets.

"It seems Ryanair is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and, once again, is putting profit before the comfort of its customers," she said. "Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though -- that would serve Ryanair right."

Woman throws daily decisions to Internet

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- A Chinese woman said she has allowed Internet users to take over her life and decide what she will do each day -- for a small fee.

Chen Xiao said she has been allowing Internet users to pick her daily activities since December after 2008 saw such misery-inducing events as the bankruptcy of her clothing shop and the earthquake that hit China, CNN reported Friday.

"Every time I had a plan for what I wanted my life to be like, nothing would come of it. It was very disappointing. I figured if other people came up with things for me to do, I might stumble upon something new and better," she said.

For only $3 an hour, Chen has already performed such varied tasks as delivering pet food, taking a hot lunch to a homeless man and attending a child's birth to take pictures for the father.

"If somebody asks you to do something, something simple, and you do it, it can make you very happy. You can change from a gloomy person to a very bright one. It can help give you a new sense of self-esteem," she said.

Chen said she will not fill any requests that ask her to do something illegal, immoral or violent. She said she does not know when her experiment will end.

"When people stop needing me, I'll go back to my original life. But I don't know what will come," she said.