Fun_People Archive
27 Sep
WhiteBoardness - 9/26/97

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 97 13:44:52 -0700
To: Fun_People
Subject: WhiteBoardness - 9/26/97

Excerpted-from: WhiteBoard News for Friday, September 26, 1997

Trumbull, Connecticut:

Rose Graziani has a simple explanation as to why she has been able to
survive for a century on planet Earth:  "Beer and sex."

Graziani, a widow who says she doesn't mind being single again after raising
three children, revealed her formula this week during a tea party for the
town's most elderly residents.

Graziani offered some other advice.

"When you find out a man's no good, get rid of him.  Throw a pail of water
on him," she said.
==========

Reedham, England:

A 77-year-old woman who drove her car into a river yesterday was rescued by
a cabin cruiser which pushed her vehicle to the bank.

Marion Watson had just bought the Ford Fiesta, an automatic, and pulled into
a car park on the River Yare at Reedham, Norfolk. But she mistakenly put
her foot on the accelerator and the car went over a low bank and hit a cabin
cruiser before ending up in the water.  Watson sat at the wheel as the car
floated 100 yards down the river, the water level inside rising.

Peter Munns, 49, who witnessed the accident, said: "I saw her desperately
trying to open a window. If she had managed that, the car would have sunk
and I don't think she would have survived. She was holding her head back to
keep it above water. We could see the water rising."

A cabin cruiser gave chase and rammed the car, pushing it towards the bank.
Les Russell, a river inspector, smashed the rear window with a boathook as
it neared the bank and he and a holidaymaker from the cruiser pulled out
Watson, who suffered cuts and bruises. The car sank within two minutes.
==========

Lincoln, Nebraska:

Rory Mueller wanted to get his wife, Connie, a gift a little more special
than the usual dozen roses.

So brought her a thousand of them: Red roses, pink roses, peach and yellow
and white roses.

Fifty vases, each filled with 20 long-stem beauties filled the living room
and spilled over into the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathroom and
entryway.

"I kind of went into shock, tears, the whole nine yards," Mrs. Mueller said
when she found the sweet-smelling surprise on Wednesday.

Mrs. Mueller is nine months pregnant with the couple's fourth child.

It took floral manager Lisa Kriz and two assistants a day-and-a-half to
arrange the vases, and other shoppers got curious.

"There were a couple of women shopping with their husbands, and when they
went back to tell them, they (the men) had this look on their faces, like
`We have to compete with this?' " Kriz said.
==========

Pasadena, California:

There he is - Mr. Homecoming Queen?

Keith Sethman, a 17-year-old senior at Pasadena Muir High School, is one of
31 contestants vying to becoming this year's homecoming queen, the first
boy in the school's history to try out for the honor.

His plight has raised eyebrows among the school's students and faculty who
wonder why he doesn't compete in the school's winter ball, a similar event
for boys.

"It is for fun," Sethman said. "But I want to be able to represent my
school. Winter ball is almost nothing.  They have to beg the guys to go on
it, practically."

He showed up for a preliminary event Thursday wearing a clan Buchanan kilt,
a Boy Scouts of America shirt and black military boots. Some students were
aghast.

"I don't agree with it," senior Jasmine Krishnan told the Pasadena
Star-News. "I agree with the equal opportunity thing, but we do have a
winter ball for the guys. And I think if he was truly sincere he'd get more
support."

But Sethman insists he is sincere. Last week, he presented to school
officials a petition with 110 signatures supporting his quest to be queen.
According to the rules, the queen must be a senior girl with at least a C
average, no suspensions and who is scheduled to graduate in June.

"It sounds to me like it's an attention-getter," said Lisa Fowler, president
of the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Trustees. "But if there's
some reason young men aren't being given the opportunity to shine in this
fashion, then maybe we need to change that. I just don't think it's going
to work out for a guy to become a homecoming queen."

Muir staff and community members were scheduled to announce 14 nominees
today. Students vote from among them Monday to decide who will be named
homecoming queen.

© 1997 Peter Langston