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Digest
The skinny
By Times Wires
Published October 3, 2007
HORSE TRADING While men argued, did donkey accept buyer's offer? According to Al-Shuruk al-Yawmi, the newspaper of record in the northern Algerian town of Tizi Ouzou, two men at the town's market were haggling over the price of a donkey. While they were arguing, the donkey ate the stack of money that the potential buyer had put on the table for the transaction. This brought about an interesting question: Who now owns the donkey? Lower courts have not been able to come up with an answer, and the Algerian Supreme Court will take up the matter. FULL AND COMPLETE City uses humor to control traffic Oak Lawn, Ill., really wants drivers to pay attention to the stop signs there. But instead of getting all grumpy about it, officials there are trying to make people stop by making them laugh. The Chicago suburb has installed secondary signs under the familiar red octagons, which include messages extending the point. For example, the top sign says "Stop," and the bottom one says "... and smell the roses." Another says "... right there pilgrim." One simply adds the message, "Whoaaa." "Hopefully, when drivers see a sign they're not expecting it might make them stop," said Mayor Dave Heilmann. But during the photo op, a driver sped through without stopping. FLAW AND ORDER We already put the cash away! Sucker! A man dressed in camouflage with a black helmet and mask drove his all-terrain vehicle up to the drive-through bank window at Stone Lake Bank in Stone Lake, Wis., on Monday and demanded cash from the teller. To be more persuasive, he held up a bag that he claimed held a bomb. Sorry, the teller explained, the till had been emptied for the day, so they were all out of cash. She offered him a lollipop, though, because those hadn't been stashed away for the day yet. He left. Measure twice, cut into roof once A couple of burglars decided to pull a heist on the Southside Tobacco & Liquor store in Des Moines, Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register. The plan was to cut their way through the roof of the store to gain entry. Which was a plausible plan, except for the fact that due to a misjudgment, they were actually cutting a hole in the overhang in front of the store. Which, if successful, would have given them unfettered access to the sidewalk in front of the store. When a concerned citizen told the teens she was going to call the cops, they jumped off the roof, right in front of a surveillance camera. And one of them looked straight into the lens. "They have a good camera at that store. Very clear pictures," said Detective Ron Foster after two suspects were caught. "I told the cop, 'You don't spend your days chasing geniuses, do you?'" store owner Rich Bartlett said. Compiled from Times wire services and other sources by staff writer Jim Webster, who can be reached at jwebster@sptimes.com.
[Last modified October 3, 2007, 01:15:41]
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