Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Drunken Santas rampage in New Zealand AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Police in Auckland, New Zealand, quelled a Santa Claus crime wave that involved about 40 red-suited men. Advertisement Three men were arrested on a variety of charges, including one caught when he tried to climb the mooring line of a cruise ship. The New Zealand Herald reports that the disorderly Santas had been participating in a Santarchy event meant to protest the commercialization of Christmas. For the Auckland participants, that apparently meant public drunkenness and urination, shoplifting and assaulting store security guards as well as throwing bottles at cars and vandalizing the Christmas tree in a casino lobby. One police officer called the Santas "an organized bunch of idiots." Changa Manakynda of the Princes Wharf Star Mart was not amused. "They came in, said 'Merry Christmas' and then helped themselves," he said. Advertisement Governors season's greetings vary WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- State governors, regardless of their party affiliation, are not using the same terminology in their holiday greetings cards this year. A survey done by Stateline.org found 36 of the 50 governors -- 18 Democrats and 18 Republicans -- have sent out good wishes for a nameless happy holiday. Ten governors -- two Democrats and eight Republicans -- were explicit in wishing the joy of "Christmas," the survey found. The governors of Minnesota, Nevada and New Mexico aren't sending official cards. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, hasn't decided whether to send one because of disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina, the survey said. The most prolific card sender is Robert Ehrlich, the Republican governor of Maryland, who is mailing out 40,000 greetings ahead of an expected tough re-election bid. The shortest mailing list belongs to John Hoeven, the Republican governor of North Dakota, with 287 going to members of the North Dakota National Guard on active duty in Iraq and Germany or headed to Afghanistan. Latest 'Xtreme' makeover: bad Web site CHICAGO, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Forget the best Web sites; a Chicago Web development company is looking for the worst. Advertisement Intechnic Corp. plans to award an "Xtreme Web site makeover" worth $10,000 to raise awareness of the importance of having a well-designed customer-oriented Web site. "We're giving companies the chance to see the experience from their customers' perspective, and also giving people a way to provide constructive feedback about their online experiences," said Andrew Kucheriavy, CEO of Intechnic Corporation. "Now, Internet users can vote to determine which Web sites really need to be improved, and this is valuable information for companies to have." The contest is available at www.xtreme-website-makeover.com until Jan. 15. Nominations can be made with a short story explaining why a Web site is bad. 'Post-nup' contracts on the rise in U.S. BOSTON, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A growing number of married and stressed-out U.S. couples are seeking to avoid divorce by having lawyers negotiate "post-nuptial" contracts. The postnuptial accord spells out what happens if the couple's relationship sours, but its focus is on keeping the marriage together, the Boston Globe reported. Typically, the agreements call for spouses to create separate pools of assets and to define one's financial obligations to the other. It can also cover sensitive topics, such as the religion in which to raise the children. Advertisement Lawyers and therapists say demand has increased in the past five years, as new trends in family law back up their validity and as more couples come to believe that marriages thrive best when spouses have no financial secrets. Divorce lawyer Sharyn Sooho, of Newton, Mass., said she has seen many couples thrive after making the major adjustments required from most post-nuptials. "It opens up the dialogue," she said.
