Watercooler Stories

Police ticket Thanksgiving racers

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Runners taking part in New Orleans' annual Turkey Trot road race Thursday say their cars were ticketed after they left the starting line.

While there are signs warning against parking in the area where the tickets were handed out, some of the runners said they have parked there in past years with no problems. Some even told WWL-TV, New Orleans, they have seen police officers directing drivers to the area.

David Bozant, who found a ticket on his windshield after he finished the run, said the Turkey Trot has been held for 20 years with no such problems.

"It's the city trying to get greedy," Geoff Rose, who was also ticketed, said. "This is ridiculous. It's Thanksgiving, it's absolutely ridiculous. It's why people hate doing things in the city of New Orleans now."

The tickets are not cheap. Drivers must pay $75, which doubles to $150 if they do not pay within 30 days.

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Hospital turns away cakes

ROYSTON, England, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Organizers of a British event that has given cakes to hospital patients for two decades said their donations were turned away this year for the first time.

The Royston Runners of Royston, England, said their annual fun run has been charging participants a cake donation to Royston Hospital as an entrance fee for the past 24 years. But hospital officials turned the cakes down this year due to health and safety concerns about how the pastries may have been prepared, The Daily Telegraph reported.

"I could understand if the hospital was objecting to our homemade cakes but we auctioned most of those off, as they raise more money," said Maurice Hill, chairman of the Royston Runners. "The majority of the ones we wanted to donate were shop-bought. It's bizarre."

Hill said the group donated $250 to the hospital instead of the cakes.

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Man who urinated on memorial spared jail

SHEFFIELD, England, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- A British judge sentenced a 19-year-old student to community service for urinating on a World War I memorial in Sheffield, England.

District Judge Anthony Browne told Philip Laing, 19, his "disgusting and reprehensible" act of urinating on the memorial after participating in a seven-hour drinking event involving 2,000 students at Sheffield Hallam University had "outraged and offended many," The Times of London reported.

"There you are, a young man of 19, urinating on a war memorial erected to honor the memory of so many other young men," Browne said in sentencing Laing to 250 hours of community service.

The judge also had harsh words for Carnage UK, the company that organized the event.

"Some might say that somebody (from that company) should be standing alongside you (in the dock)," he said.

The court heard Laing was remorseful and had no memory of his actions as a result of heavy drinking.

Browne said he had "never seen anyone more contrite for what has happened nor who regrets more the hurt and distress he has caused."

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Black Friday sale for plastic surgery

BEVERLY HILLS,, Calif., Nov. 27 (UPI) -- A Beverly Hills, Calif., plastic surgeon is having a Black Friday sale of his own -- offering holiday deals on some cosmetic procedures.

Dr. Payman Simoni, recognized for his Simoni face lift procedure, a one-hour face lift performed without general anesthesia, said he decided to join retailers and make plastic surgery treatments more affordable again -- at least one day of the year.

"People want to look their best during the holidays," Simoni said in a statement. "With all the money people will be spending on gifts, parties, and traveling it becomes a bit harder to spend time and money on themselves. With our Black Friday sale we will be making it easier for our patients look fabulous during this holiday season."

Simoni offered a discount of 20 percent to 50 percent off on most injectables, cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery procedures including: Botox, Dysport, Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, Latisse, Obagi products, The Simoni Lift, rhinoplasty, liposuction, laser resurfacing, E Matrix RF treatments, VASER and Velashape.