Brickbats
Durrell Jones woke one morning in his Sarasota, Florida, home to find sheriff's deputies standing over him and his 4-year-old son, pointing guns at them. The deputies were looking for a man wanted for a shooting, and they believed he was at 2548 25th Street. But the house they had broken into was at 2552 25th Street. Once they figured out their mistake, they went to the right house and arrested the man they were looking for. But 20 minutes later, more deputies stormed in. It seems another suspect in the shooting was named Darryl McNeal. Since both names started with a D, they apparently thought Durrell might be their man.
When a movement to offer free hugs to strangers on the street started in Australia, people around the world embraced the concept. But in Beijing, police briefly detained and questioned four huggers.
Darling Velez waited years to become a Spanish citizen. But after finally accepting the Colombian woman's application, the government reversed itself. Spanish law forbids the government to register names that do not clearly indicate gender or might provoke ridicule. Registry officials suggested Darling change her first name to that of a saint, but she wants to keep the name she has had for 33 years.
Margaret Lieder meant to dial 411 for information. She accidentally dialed 911, but she promptly hung up when she realized she'd made a mistake. A dispatcher called her back to say that police were on the way. When the North Vancouver, Canada, officers got there, Lieder tried to explain the mistake. Despite not having a warrant, they insisted on searching the house. Lieder refused, but the officers refused to take no for an answer; five officers broke down the door and arrested Lieder and her partner, Larry Pierce, for obstruction of justice. Pierce says that officers threw him to the floor, twisting his arm behind his back, and that one jumped on him and put a knee into his ribs, breaking two of them.
Denver authorities gave Cynthia Roberson 24 hours to remove the snow from the sidewalk in front of her home or face a $150 fine. Roberson is 60 years old and disabled. But what really galled her is that she had already paid someone to remove the snow. City snow plows that cleared the street had piled more snow in front of her home.
Forget staging Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in Denver. Judge Michael A. Martinez of Colorado's 2nd Judicial District has refused to exempt theatrical companies from a statewide smoking ban. Performers can't even light up herbal cigarettes.
The government of Kenya has barred the sale of secondhand underwear, socks, and bras. Government officials say the move will stop the spread of skin diseases. Doctors say the clothes just need to be properly laundered.