QUIRKY WORLD ... Peter Rabbit coining it for 150th anniversary
The anthropomorphic vegetable thief will feature on a silver 50p released to mark the 150th anniversary of the author’s birth in 1866.
We're excited to reveal the next coin in the 2016 #Beatrix150 UK 50p series... #PeterRabbit https://t.co/cj0o3v2OPr pic.twitter.com/VHxKAuVZBr
— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) February 29, 2016
The Royal Mint said three more Potter characters will feature on special edition coins released later in the year to complete a four-piece set. Uncoloured regular 50p coins featuring the designs will be released into general circulation later this year.
Cookies for the munchies
Two Albuquerque Girls Scouts have picked an unusual spot to sell Girl Scout cookies — a marijuana dispensary.
It was reported that a Junior Girl Scout and a Brownie (in second or third grade, around age 8 or 9) set up shop on Saturday outside medical marijuana dispensary Ultra Health and sold more than 60 boxes.
Ultra Health manager James Gambling says he invited the scouts and offered to donate $1 for every box the girls sold. He says “the munchies” is a stereotype that comes with marijuana, so it was fitting to have the Girl Scouts outside.
Phil Temer, a father of one of the girls, says he saw nothing wrong with the girls selling near the dispensary.
A Girl Scouts spokeswoman said selling outside medical marijuana dispensaries is against scout rules.
Busybodies’ charter
Carrying golf bags, selling lucky charms, and going out after 11pm if you are under 18 are some of the “bizarre” offences created by council powers dubbed a “busybodies’ charter” by campaigners.
A survey by the Manifesto Club found 79 councils have used Public Space Protection Orders to ban activities judged to have a “detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality” since they came into force in October 2014.
The powers have led to peculiar offences, with a move by North East Derbyshire Council to ban people from playing golf in a park, including the prohibition of carrying golf equipment in the area, while Blackpool Council has banned people from “engaging youth in card tricks as a means of appropriating money” alongside the sale of lucky charms and heather in its city centre.
46m cold calls
A cold-calling company that spammed people with a “staggering” 46m nuisance calls has been dealt a record fine by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Prodial Ltd, based in Brighton, was fined £350,000 (€450,000) by the regulator — its largest ever fine.
More than 1,000 people complained to the ICO about the automated calls, which played recorded messages relating to payment protection insurance claims.
Water on tap
Eldorado Springs in Colorado has won the top prize for US tap water at an international tasting contest.
The judges gave out two gold medals for best municipal water at the 26th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting event in West Virginia. They awarded the top prize among US entries to Eldorado Springs, while Clearbrook, British Columbia, won first place for best in the world.
The award for best purified water went to Bar H2O of Richmond, Michigan. An entry from Karditsa, Greece, won the top prize for bottled water, while the best sparkling water was awarded to a Bosnian entry. Ten judges tasted dozens of waters from 18 states, seven Canadian provinces, and five foreign nations.
Hayek mourns for Mozart
Washington state authorities are investigating after actress Salma Hayek’s dog was found fatally shot on her ranch about 110km south of Seattle.
Deputy Lieutenant Cliff Ziesemer said a caretaker was riding a horse around Hayek’s property with two dogs following. He later found one dog dead.
Hayek posted on Instagram that she was mourning the death of her nine-year-old dog named Mozart and that she hoped authorities would find justice.
Dognapping boom
While Brazil’s economy is in the doghouse, one underground business is bucking the trend — dognapping.
Bosco, a black and white Boston terrier stolen in November from outside a grocery store in Sao Paulo’s posh Jardins neighbourhood, became the poster-pup for the rise of dognappings.
His owner, screenwriter Fernando Pedrosa, unleashed a storm of comment on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram under the tag #cadeobosco, which translates as “where is Bosco”.
Raul Rocha, one of a team of six investigators at DetetivePet in Sao Paulo that helped broker Bosco’s return, said that in the past, thieves were mostly in it for quick cash, selling the pilfered pooch at informal sidewalk fairs or to black market puppy mills.
“These days, more of our cases involve ransom,” said Rocha, adding that he has seen a sharp increase in stolen dogs in the past year. “Criminals are using the owner’s attachment to the dog to ensure payment.”
Brazilians have more than 52m dogs.
