Watercooler Stories

'George Washington' McNugget for sale

DAKOTA CITY, Neb., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A Nebraska woman is selling a Chicken McNugget she says bears a resemblance to President George Washington, to raise funds for her church.

Rebekah Speights of Dakota City said she received the item from a Sioux City McDonald's three years ago and had kept it frozen until Sunday, when a sermon at the Family Worship Center inspired her to sell the item on eBay to benefit the church, the Sioux City (Iowa) Journal reported Thursday.

The Washington McNugget was listed on eBay Monday and soon received its first bid of $100.

"We just screamed," Speights said. "We don't know who it is or where they're from. That bid came within the first hour."

The McNugget had a high bid of $321 Thursday with six days of bidding remaining.

Speights said the church is trying to raise $15,000 to sent 50 children to a Dayton, Iowa, summer camp.

Experts: Naming cars is a complex process

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Auto industry officials and experts in Michigan said finding the right name for a car model can be a project with a cost running into millions of dollars.

The experts, speaking a month after the North American International Auto Show, said automakers seek names that not only suit the vehicle, but reflect the current mindset of the country, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.

"In general, what you want is for the product to reflect these zeitgeists to the greatest extent possible, whatever the mood or spirit of the times is as experienced by the target market -- the design visual and the name to reflect that and people's ideals and aspirations," said Aaron Ahuvia, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Officials at auto companies said they can spend millions of dollars finding names, vetting them and using them in advertising the vehicles.

"You want to make sure a name has neutral or positive associations. If you have negative associations, you want to ask, 'Can I change it?'" said Mark Perry, director of product and advanced planning for Nissan Americas.

"Pinto as a name might be fine, but the association is negative," he said, referring to a Ford subcompact that became associated with reports of exploding gas tanks and was discontinued in 1980 after 11 years of production.

Woman pleads guilty to library thefts

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A California woman accused of stealing about 2,000 items from various libraries and selling them online pleaded guilty to felony burglary.

San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Marnie McGee said Maria Nater, 45, pleaded guilty Tuesday and will likely receive a probation sentence at an April 25 hearing, KSWB-TV, San Diego, reported Thursday.

Authorities said an investigation was opened when workers at a Carlsbad library noticed significant book loss and a search of Nater's Vista home turned up thousands of missing library books and DVDs, worth an estimated $5,400, with some packaged to be shipped.

Nater, who was arrested in September, admitted taking the books from libraries in Carlsbad, Oceanside and San Diego. She said she was selling the pilfered items on Amazon.com.

Obituary takes swipes at family

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- An obituary printed in a Florida paper and spread across the Internet revealed a rift between the deceased's son and her other children.

Angelo "A.J." Anello, 63, wrote the obituary for his mother, Josie Anello, who died Feb. 11 at age 93, and used the opportunity to take swipes at his siblings, The Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Fla., reported Thursday.

"She is survived by her Son, 'A.J.', who loved and cared for her; Daughter 'Ninfa,' who betrayed her trust, and Son 'Peter,' who broke her heart," reads the third line of the obituary, which was printed in the Tampa Tribune.

Ninfa Simpson, 65, who had an obituary run the following day without the inflammatory language, said her brother falsely accused her of taking vacations using her mother's Social Security checks.

"My brother is not telling the truth. He's having his moment of revenge," she said.

Simpson said Anello drained their mother's savings and maxed out her credit cards.

"They are so riddled with guilt, what they are doing is pointing fingers at me," Anello said.

The siblings agreed their older brother, Peter Anello, cut himself off from the family 25 years ago. The Times said he could not be reached for comment Wednesday.