xxxNews Of The Weirdxxx
Bizarre but true stories about real people collected by syndicated columnist Chuck Shepherd.
Todd Lorin Nelson, a 13-year employee of the Miami-Dade (Fla.) county clerk’s office, was summoned for jury duty in April 2003, reported to the courtroom, and was quickly dismissed. However, according to police, he repeatedly called his boss over the next few months to say that he had been selected as a juror for a big case but couldn’t talk about it (all the while drawing his $35,000 government salary), and it was not until October that the boss finally investigated, resulting in Nelson’s arrest.
Recent Wisdom From Newspaper Columnists:
–From a January “Parenting” column by John Rosemond in the Providence (R.I.) Journal: Reader: “I can’t keep my 20-month-old daughter out of the dog’s food. I’ve tried scolding, distracting, time-out, nothing has worked.” Rosemond: “(F)rom a strictly nutritional standpoint (a nutritionist told me), most dog food is superior to the diets of many Americans.” “(A pediatrician said) he has yet to see a child who suffered ill effects from eating dog food,” except for chunk-type that might get stuck in the throat.
–From a February “Ask Dr. (Peter) Gott” column in the Herald News of suburban Chicago: Reader: “(M)y grandson … told me that his fifth-grade teacher (a female) instructed the class that hand-washing (following urination in a public restroom) is unnecessary; urine is sterile.” Dr. Gott: “Bless your grandson’s teacher.” “As a general rule, the urogenital area is cleaner than most other body parts are, and it need not be washed nor should hands be washed after urinating.” “You and I, reader, are the products of our upbringing. It’s time to make a change.”
Send your Weird News to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla. 33679 or [email protected]
Copyright © 2001 by Chuck Shepherd
NEWS OF THE WEIRD