Watercooler Stories

Toddler tosses away Phillies' foul ball

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A 3-year-old girl who tossed into the stands the foul ball her dad caught during a Philadelphia Phillies game became a media star, her family said.

Steve Monforto can be seen yelling "No!" after he handed the ball to his daughter, Emily,

who promptly threw it over the railing into a lower deck Tuesday. She had been well-trained to throw while playing "Phillies," or catch, with her family, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

When the child appeared distressed at his reaction, Monforto reassured her that everything was all right.

"I was just thinking, 'Don't drop this, Steve. Don't drop this in front of everybody,'" said Monforto, of Laurel Springs, N.J., who is a lifelong Phillies fan.

The video clip almost immediately prompted YouTube postings, removed by Major League Baseball, which gave the clip a headline on its site, mlb.com.

TV crews swamped Monforto's neighborhood and the family appeared on local and network news. The family also traveled to New York City, where they will have more appearances and will be given a surprise gift from the Phillies -- in addition to the replacement ball presented to Emily by Mike Stiles, the Phillies senior vice president of operations.

"I would have been happy with a little blurb on the evening news. Today has been crazy," Monforto said.

Sneeze at briefing nothing to sneeze at

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A sneeze is just a sneeze except when it's done in front of the U.S. health and human services secretary. Then it's a learning moment.

Kathleen Sebelius called out an errant sneezer during a White House news briefing Thursday.

"Bless you," she said, then realized the reporter didn't use the preferred method of sneezing into the crook of his elbow. "I mean, what is that about?"

One reporter noted his 2-year-old child "did it the correct way this morning."

After asking someone to give the improper sneezer some hand sanitizer, Sebelius said, "We'll have Elmo give (the reporter) a special briefing. We'll get Elmo over. Elmo knows how to sneeze."

The beloved Sesame Street character is part of a public-service campaign to emphasize the need for proper hygiene, especially during flu season.

Family brawl started by yelling at TV

OREM, Utah, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Police in Utah said they arrested a man after a family fight that the victims said was started by the aggressor being asked not to yell at the TV.

Orem, Utah, police Lt. Gary Downey said the 28-year-old man threatened his mother when she asked him not to yell at the television set and moved toward her in a way that indicated to her other sons, ages 21 and 15, that he was planning to strike her, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday.

Downey said the man assaulted both his brothers when they tried to intervene, but neither sibling was seriously injured.

The 28-year-old was arrested and charged with two counts of domestic violence.

Puppy survives week in rabbit hole

NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME, England, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- British animal authorities said a puppy rescued from a rabbit hole was likely trapped underground for more than a week, surviving on condensation and body fat.

Craig Brown, an animal control officer in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England, said workers digging in the town discovered the Jack Russell terrier, nicknamed Hope, trapped 4 feet into a rabbit hole, The Sun reported Thursday.

Brown said the dog likely survived by licking condensation from the walls of the tunnel.

"The dog was very, very skinny when we found her, just a bag of bones with skin draped over it," he said. "The dog must have been there for at least week, probably even longer. She is extremely lucky to survive."

Staff at the Croft Veterinary Clinic, where Hope is being cared for, said they are trying to track down the dog's owners.