Watercooler Stories

Controversial vaquero sculpture installed

DALLAS, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Stalemate ended, a controversial 10-foot bronze sculpture of a Mexican vaquero will be installed in Dallas as intended by its artists, a city councilman said.

Tomas Bustos and David Newton worked on the monument commemorating the Texas ranch cowmen sculpting a bullet belt and holstered Remington .44-caliber revolver into their design.

Some unnamed person or persons objected to the weapon in the sculpture last year and work skidded to a halt, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

"Unfortunately, somebody didn't like the gun, but it was accurate to the period," Bustos said.

The Dallas City Council Tuesday broke the stalemate agreeing unanimously to let the artists' design go as-is.

"I think it's a good, reasonable settlement," said Councilman Sal Espino.

"I'm hoping this will vindicate our actions," Bustos said.

Research did not turn up any illustrations displaying vaqueros with pistols, Manuel Valdez, chairman of the Vaquero Project Core Committee said, but despite his initial objection to the sculpture he's ready to move ahead.

"At this point, the majority of the community doesn't care whether it has a pistol or doesn't have a pistol," Valdez said. "Let's get this thing up."

Poll: Tooth Fairy leaves average $2.10

OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- An Illinois non-profit said its annual survey suggests the "Tooth Fairy" left an average 42 cents less in 2011 than in 2010.

Delta Dental, based in Oak Brook, said its annual online survey of 1,355, dubbed the Original Tooth Fairy Poll, suggests children who lost a tooth received an average $2.10 in 2011, down from the average $2.52 in 2010.

"Like many Americans, the Tooth Fairy needed to tighten her belt in 2011, but she's hopeful for a recovery this year," said Chris Pyle, spokesman for the Delta Dental Plans Association. "More importantly, Delta Dental is encouraged that parents are still making visits to the dentist a priority for their children."

Pyle said the organization was happy to find 90 percent of parents participating in the survey said their children visit the dentist every six months.

Brawl in Detroit casino a hit online

DETROIT, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Videos of a brawl between two groups of women at the Motor City Casino in Detroit have gotten thousands of views on the Internet.

The casino is trying to reassure potential patrons that the punch-up early Friday in the Grand River Deli was not business as usual, The Detroit News reports. The casino said those involved in the brawl are under a permanent ban from returning.

"This is a highly unusual, very isolated incident," the casino said in a statement Tuesday.

Videos taken with cell phones show women heaving shoes at each other and kicking and hitting as security guards try to restrain them. One video had gotten 20,000 hits by Tuesday and the other 12,000.

The photographers apparently knew where their video would end up. On one video someone can be heard saying "This is YouTube, in a heartbeat."

Ad: 'Escort Quality, Hooker Pricing'

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Community leaders in New York's Bronx borough said they want to get rid of a vodka billboard promising "Escort Quality, Hooker Pricing."

Rafael Salamanca Jr., district manager for the Bronx's Community Board 2, said he and his colleagues want to get rid of the Wodka vodka advertisement over the Bruckner Expressway, which board members said runs counter to their efforts to get rid of the Hunts Point area's reputation as a hotbed of prostitution, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

"When I saw it I almost fell out of my seat," Salamanca said. "That's an inappropriate billboard given what the Hunts Point community has gone through in the past."

Brian Gordon, managing partner for Wodka's marketing company, MMG, said the company is open to feedback.

"Listen, if it's offensive it's because the topic is offensive to people and we understand that," Gordon said.

The company previously received criticism from the Anti-Defamation League when it put up a billboard in November promising "Christmas Quality, Hanukkah Pricing."