Today's News: Friday, August 22

It's been a while since I've posted "Today's News" so for those of you who haven't seen it before, I post my favorite bizarre, funny and just plain interesting news stories from today. I post an excerpt of the story to give you an idea and I post a link so you can read the article in its entirety if you prefer. Click on the headline to read the entire story.

So, without further ado:

Here are Today's Headlines:


Treehouse is Envy of Neighborhood

In a towering, 58-year-old silver maple, Steve Norris spent 15 months building the ultimate treehouse for his two sons.

It's equipped with electricity and cable TV. There's an intercom so Norris can talk to his kids if they're having a sleepover, and a urinal that drains into a pail beneath the structure.

A smoke detector is wired to the house, so family members can be alerted to any smoke, whether they're in the treehouse or not. A revolving light clicks on when the treehouse's trap door opens (where a rope ladder drops down).

Old fire horns that Norris snagged from the University of Waterloo blare if an intruder tries to break into the fort. "It sounds like an air-raid back in Berlin. But I had to do it for my peace of mind."

Even the family's Jack Russell-cross, Sammy, has his own ramp. Norris made it after the dog fell near the top of the wide, stair-like ladder.

The roof is sealed and welded on tight, and the floor is sturdy enough to hold an adult.

Throughout construction, Norris tried to avoid nailing directly into the maple to prevent damage. He also left space around the trunk for growth and shifting.

How cool is this! I would have loved to have had something like this as a kid! What a great dad to spend so much time planning and building something for he and his sons to share.

No Sandcastles Please! You're in Italy!

ROME (Reuters) - When in Capri, don't wander off the beach in a bikini. If you go to the sea in Eraclea, near Venice, remember that building sandcastles is forbidden. And don't even think about mowing your lawn at the weekend in Forte dei Marmi.

Emboldened by a nationwide crackdown on crime and a government decree giving them extra law-and-order powers, Italian mayors have issued a string of often bizarre by-laws to enhance "public decorum."

Public displays of affection in a car can earn you a fine of up to 500 euros ($745) in Eboli, feeding pigeons is off-limits in the centre of Lucca while in Novara groups of more than two people are forbidden from lounging around in parks at night.

Italian newspapers have dubbed this year's holiday season "the summer of bans." But this week one town hall was forced to acknowledge things may have gone too far.

Rodrigo Piccoli, 33, called national radio to protest after he was fined 50 euros for lying down in a park in the northern city of Vicenza to read a book. The mayor has since promised to drop the ban.

(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

Ok...it seems like they've gone a bit overboard. I think this is what's called a "power trip."

Pictured: The Bungling Burglar Left Dangling by His Shoelaces After Getting Caught in Victim's Bay Window

Attempting a daylight raid, the 32-year-old somehow got his foot caught after smashing his way through the front window of a Victorian terrace home at 6pm.

Unable to free himself, Pearce was left hanging upside down in the window frame for more than an hour as a crowd of 30 neighbours and passers-by gathered to ridicule him in Dartford, Kent.

When owner Paul Ives arrived home from work, Pearce, who was armed with a hammer, tried to claim that he had spotted someone else trying to raid the house and had selflessly attempted to catch the scoundrel, getting stuck in the process.

Unsurprisingly, Mr Ives didn't believe his story and declined to set him free.

Police and paramedics arrived on the scene and eventually managed to release Pearce's shoe and haul him down.

It is believed that the lace in one of his trainers became caught in the window frame as he tried to clamber through.

He was arrested, handcuffed and taken to the police station.

What an idiot!! That's all I have to say about this one. There are more pics up with the rest of the story. Click on the headline.

If you know of a bizarre, funny or interesting headline from today, feel free to post a link in a comment!