Another Friday - How Do We Do It?

Does Mr. Wilson have an alibi?

Statue of Dennis the Menace stolen from Monterey, Calif., city park


MONTEREY, Calif. - The mischievous Dennis the Menace has gone missing — except this time, he's not hiding because he broke the rules. A statue of the perennial pint-sized troublemaker that has stood for almost two decades in a city park was unbolted and stolen sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, Monterey police said.

Police said the statue, which is three feet tall and weighs 125 pounds, is worth as much as $30,000. The city is offering a $5,000 reward for its safe return.

The statue was crafted by Carmel artist Wah Ming Chang. The statue was commissioned by Hank Ketcham, the cartoon character's creator, who died in 2001.

Police aren't sure how the thief or thieves got the bulky statue out of the park but are asking the public for any tips about Dennis' whereabouts.

I bet the guys that stole the statue would not lift a finger around the house!

This is another one of my bear stories - notice he is holding a teddy bear!!!!!









Captain Underpants and the peeved principal

School official steps in for Professor Poopypants, bans superhero lookalikes


The cover from one of the "Captain Underpants" series of books by author Dav Pilkey. Captain Underpants has battled talking toilets and Professor Poopypants, but he was no match for a high school principal who banned students from dressing up as the children's book character.

LONG BEACH, N.Y. - Captain Underpants may be a superhero, but he isn't welcome at one suburban New York school.

Three 17-year-old girls were told to leave Long Beach High School when they showed up on Superhero Day dressed as the subject of the best-selling children's books.

The girls wore beige leotards and nude stockings under white briefs and red capes. Principal Nicholas Restivo says he knows they weren't naked, but it appeared that way, so he sent them home to change.

One of the girls says she doesn't understand the fuss. Honor student Chelsea Horowitz said of the costume, "They're not see-through or anything."

Captain Underpants has battled, among other things, talking toilets and the infamous Professor Poopypants.

It's obvious the principal missed the point.

The 17-year-old girls are reading!!

They are only books that you normally read at 5 or 6 years old but with our schools' "pass em don't push them" policy, he should be glad they are reading something!!








Principal suspended for giving kid a ‘wedgie’

Mont. district lets official return after 6 days to think about what he’d done

LIVINGSTON, Mont. - The principal of Park High School returned to school Tuesday after a six-day suspension for giving a student a "wedgie." The Livingston School District Board held a special meeting Monday and approved Superintendent Hannibal Anderson's recommendation that Principal Eric Messerli be allowed to return to work.

"It has been clearly recognized and stated that the behavior is inappropriate, unprofessional and unacceptable," Anderson said.

Messerli's behavior "warrants substantial disciplinary action" but was not sufficient grounds for a recommendation for termination, he said.

Messerli was suspended for two days without pay and four days with pay for grabbing a Park High senior's soccer jersey and pulling it over his head and giving the student a "wedgie" by pulling up on the waist band of his underwear. The incident happened at a junior varsity soccer game.

Messerli cried Monday as he read a statement to the board and the public.

"I've made mistakes in my life, but none have had the impact that this one has had," he said.

He said his first reaction was to resign, but he wanted to "tackle this mess" head on.

"I want to live in a world where we don't have to hide when we screw up," he said.

Public comments about Messerli, voiced by students, parents and community members, ranged from reprimand to encouragement.

"What could be better than showing how you bounce back after a mistake?" community member Brad Snow said.

"The days of a school staff person laying hands on a student are long gone," said a woman in the audience.

Park High Vice Principal Bob Stevenson and girls' soccer coach Nate Anderson, who both witnessed the incident, expressed support for Messerli. They said his actions were a mistake, but they were done in an effort to joke around with the student.

"It was meant in playfulness," Anderson said.

Others, including trustee Greg Brainerd, said Messerli's trying to be on equal level with students was the problem.

He attributed the incident to "loss of traditional authority structure," which he believes should be re-established in the school system.

This principal has not read the news lately. The teachers and the students and the priests and the altar boys - he is lucky he is in Montana or he would be history, and I don't mean history teacher!!









Dad Wants Cussing Toy Off Store Shelves

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - A father is asking Toys "R" Us Inc. to take a police toy set off the shelves because he says the one given to his 6-year-old son utters a curse word.

The toy set, named the "Elite Operations Role Play Set: Police," includes a nightstick and a utility belt. A recorded message that includes what sounds like a curse word plays when the nightstick is removed from the belt.

"I've had to explain to parents why my son is saying the f-word; it's horrible," Philip Morton told The Daily News of Jacksonville. "It's really a cute little toy; but God forbid, it's not what I want my kid hearing."

Morton said that he returned the toy to the Geoffrey store where he bought it and played it for store managers, who agreed to give him a new set. Toys "R" Us owns Geoffrey.

Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman for Toys "R" Us, said that only two complaints have been made to the retailer about the set. In response to the first customer complaint made earlier this year, the retailer tested the recording and found nothing wrong. Still, the chip was re-recorded. In response to the second complaint, Toys "R" Us tested the police officer toys but didn't find a problem.

"It must have been a faulty chip," she said.

Jerry Gibson, president of TekNek Toys International L.P., of Southlake, Texas, provided a copy of the source file for the recording, which says "Stop, I don't want to have to pull out my nightstick."

"We've shipped over 30,000 of these toys," Gibson said. "We would never, as a toy company making toys for children in this age range, or any toy for that matter, use inappropriate language."

And there is nothing wrong with the phrase "Stop, I don't want to have to pull out my nightstick."

I can imagine how the f-word was added to that phrase!!








Thai Coup Leaders Ban Go-Go Girls Near Tanks

BANGKOK - Thai coup leaders have banned go-go girls from dancing near tanks and troops on Bangkok streets as a distraction from the serious business of power, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

"It is not appropriate to entertain soldiers while they are on duty," Colonel Acra Tiprote said after a troupe of 10 women in tight camouflage vests and shorts posed with soldiers and tanks while making a music video.

"People should differentiate between entertainment and seriousness. A coup is not entertaining," Acra said, although the tanks sent in to lead Thailand's first coup in 15 years had turned Bangkok into a carnival-type attraction.

Thais and foreign tourists flocked to the Army Headquarters to take pictures with tanks and soldiers. Many gave soldiers flowers or food and drink.

Tanks for the memories!!! "It is not appropriate to entertain soldiers while they are on duty." Off duty is fair game though!!

"A distraction from the serious business of power." That's what Jim Gibbons from the great state of Nevada suffered.

A coup is not entertaining is what the leader that got ousted thought as well!!





That's all for Friday. Have a good weekend and peek in again tomorrow for all the news you can use!!