Curses, Foiled Again
Police charged Kahlif Aleem Buggs, 32, with fraudulent use of debit cards after Tamara Thomas noticed a family “shopping like it was Christmas” at a Family Dollar store in DeKalb, Ga., got behind them at the register and saw Buggs pay with her missing card, which she recognized because it had been customized with a picture of her, her daughter and their puppy. When she confronted Buggs, he forgot his $200 purchase and told his family to start running. Thomas followed, leading police to their location. Besides Thomas’ card, police found another missing debit card, which Buggs had used to buy $80 in merchandise. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
U.S. Army photo by Spc. Luke Thornberry
Flights of Fancy
The Defense Department announced it successfully tested a .50 caliber bullet that changes direction in mid-air. Officials said the “first-ever guided small-caliber bullet” will be especially useful to military snipers in windy and dusty conditions and at night. (Stars and Stripes)
Know-It-All Follies
During her trial for defrauding landlords, Toronto resident Nina Willis, 50, pleaded “the fifth,” only to have prosecutor Craig Power point out the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution doesn’t apply in Canada. (Toronto Star)
Fruits of Research
Researchers linked the decline of marriage in the United States to the rise of free Internet pornography. One of the study’s authors, Michael Malcolm, a professor at Pennsylvania’s University of West Chester, explained that the reason is tied to the relationship between marriage and sexual gratification. If pornography is seen as a alternate means to sexual gratification, Malcom said, then it could be undercutting the need for marriage to serve this function. (The Washington Post)
Overcome by Technology
A New Zealand couple spent nearly 13 hours trapped in their new “keyless” car in their garage. Brain and Mollieanne Smith had left the car’s instruction manual in their Alexandra home and the transponder outside the car when they realized that without the transponder, they couldn’t start the engine to unlock the power doors. They tried to attract attention by honking the horn and then tried smashing a window with a car jack. Neighbors found them the next morning with only enough air left to survive for less than an hour, emergency workers told Mollieanne Smith, 65, who was hospitalized for three days. After their rescue, Brian Smith, 68, learned that the door could have been unlocked manually. “Once I found out how simple it was to unlock it, I kicked myself that I did not find the way out,” he said. (New Zealand’s Otago Daily Times)
Instant Indulgence
The brewer of Bud Light introduced an e-commerce app that lets drinkers in Washington, D.C., order 12-packs or 24-packs for delivery within an hour. The move by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA follows that by MillerCoors to provide free delivery of Miller Lite in Boston, New York, Seattle and Washington. The companies view e-commerce as a way to market their products to young consumers who have become accustomed to clicking an app to have food and other products delivered. (The Wall Street Journal)
Legalize, Schmegalize
Although Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, Rhode Island topped the nation in the percentage of residents who reported using pot in 2012-2013, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (Denver Post)
