Monday 3/29/10

Human Interest News — Posted on March 29, 2010

Korean caper
Police in Seoul, South Korea, say they have in custody a 59-year-old man who made off with over 1,200 pairs of expensive designer shoes. But the unidentified man didn’t steal the loafers and pumps from shoe boutiques. Instead, the thief cased Korean funeral homes. As per local custom, Koreans leave their shoes outside when entering funeral homes to mourn the dead. Police say the suspect would wear cheap slippers to memorial services, pretend to be a mourner, and slip on the nicest shoes he could find when he left. According to police, the man used the funeral scam to help keep his second-hand shoe store stocked.

Perils of fame
Zhora, a former circus performer in Russia, is going into rehab to treat his smoking and drinking problems-habits that were making him aggressive toward others. But one thing makes Zhora different from other washed-up stars: Zhora is a chimpanzee. Zhora reportedly took up smoking and drinking after being transferred from the circus to a zoo in Rostov, where visitors provided him with cigarettes and beer for laughs. He’s now being sent to Kazan, a city about 500 miles east of Moscow, for treatment. “The beer and cigarettes were ruining him,” a local paper reported. “He would pester passers-by for booze.”

Monk for a weekend
Those craving to feed their inner ascetic will now be allowed to try out a monastic lifestyle with monks near Vienna, Austria. The Franciscans from Maria Enzersdorf are taking in curiosity seekers for one-weekend trial runs of working and praying with the brothers. And while male applicants may simply be seeking a peaceful weekend, the Franciscans are hoping for some conversions along the way. According to the monastery chaplain, three graduates of the weekend program are now considering joining the brothers permanently.

Little dog, big bite
Toby the Pomeranian may not look like an attack dog, but when his owner Michelle Mayhew of Plymouth, U.K., needed him, Toby fit the bill. The 35-year-old mother was at her apartment in February when an intruder broke in and threatened her. But, Mayhew says, her tiny dog Toby jumped into the tussle, biting the assailant sharply in the heel. Startled, the man kicked at the dog and fled on foot. “The man could have killed my dog and he could have killed me,” Mayhew told The Herald of Plymouth, “but Toby’s bravery saved me.”