Copenhagen, Denmark (AP) – A politician in northern Sweden wants to list sex as an officially approved activity for civil servants during their daily paid lunchbreak. Per-Erik Muskos of the city council of Overtornea on the Arctic Circle says he made “a serious and formal” proposal Monday to add sex to the list of acceptable activities, which also include going to the gym or getting a massage, as well as eating. He said Friday that benefits could include improving employee morale and increasing the population of the town of about 4,500. Muskos said the municipality’s 550 employees are now assessing his proposal before it is discussed in the city council in a few months. The 42-year-old lawmaker said negative reactions to his proposal came chiefly from “some elderly employees who find it embarrassing to talk about what happens in the bedroom.”
NY woman hits half-court shot, then gets marriage proposal
Albany, N.Y. (AP) – It was quite a night for a New York state college basketball fan who made a half-court shot to win a $500 gift card and received a marriage proposal seconds later. Erin Tobin took part in a Dunkin’ Donuts promotion during Thursday night’s Manhattan-Siena game at the Times Union Center in Albany. As the company’s mascot stood nearby, the 30-year-old Siena graduate and season ticket holder banked in her half-court, one-handed heave. After celebrating, Tobin turned around to see the mascot’s giant coffee cup costume being removed to reveal her boyfriend, 31-year-old Steve Duckett, on his knee and holding an engagement ring. A very surprised Tobin said yes as the crowd cheered. Adding to an already big night, Siena beat Manhattan 94-71.
Zoo: Live video of giraffe giving birth was labeled explicit
Harpursville, N.Y. (AP) – The owner of a New York zoo planning to live-stream a giraffe giving birth says the video feed was briefly removed from YouTube because animal rights activists labeled it sexually explicit. Animal Adventure Park started streaming video Wednesday of 15-year-old April in her enclosed pen at the zoo in Harpursville, 130 miles northwest of New York City. But owner Jordan Patch says YouTube removed the feed early Thursday after someone reported it was explicit and contained nudity. In a video posted on the zoo’s Facebook page, Patch blamed “a handful of extremists and animal rights activists” for interrupting the stream from the “giraffe cam.” The live stream resumed on YouTube later Thursday morning. April is expected to give birth to her fourth calf in the coming days.
Woman’s sassy obit warns people to wait to claim her stuff
Columbus, Ohio (AP) – Relatives of a 91-year-old Ohio woman who died this week are giving her the last word with a sassy, occasionally profane obituary that starts with the basics – “I was born. I lived. I died.” – and instructs people to “wait the appropriate amount of time” before trying to claim her stuff. They wrote it in Jean Oddi’s perspective, recapping the people important to her, adventures she had and her favorite activities, including playing cards and teaching her granddaughter “dirty songs.” Her daughter, Casey Oddi Clark, tells The Columbus Dispatch the obituary celebrates a blunt woman who lived unapologetically. It also promises an “after-party” following the funeral but warns: “If you are sick, don’t bother to come. I might be dead, but I still don’t want your germs.”
