All the nude news fit to print in this week’s SBT round-up, plus snakes and bears and bulldogs, oh my.
AND THE FAUCETS LEAK TOO!
A German court said that a landlord sunbathing naked in the courtyard of his building wasn’t a reason for his tenants to reduce their rental payments. The case involved a building in an upmarket residential district of Frankfurt, which included an office floor, rented by a human resources company. The company withheld rent because it objected, among other things, to the landlord’s naked sunbathing. In response, the landlord sued.
The Frankfurt state court rejected the company’s reasoning, finding that “the usability of the rented property was not impaired by the plaintiff sunning himself naked in the courtyard.” The court added that the spot where the landlord sunbathed could only be seen from the rented office by leaning far out of the window.
SNAKE STOPS TRAFFIC
A large snake brought traffic to a stop at an intersection in Prince William County, Va. The snake was in an electrical panel at the intersection and caused a power outage. A police officer and an animal control officer worked together to remove the snake from the panel and released it unharmed. The snake was so large that it flipped a breaker switch that shut off the signal, but it didn’t damage anything inside the box, officials told news outlets. It’s believed that the snake had been living in the box for a while due to molten skin found inside.
I VANT TO SUCK YOUR SLURPEE
An airline passenger was arrested for carrying a self-defence weapon known as a vampire straw through security at Boston’s Logan International Airport, said authorities. A trooper was alerted after the 25-cm.-long titanium straw with a beveled end was found in Nair’s backpack. The company that makes the straw bills it as a self-defence weapon since it can be used like a dagger. It also can be used as a straw to slurp down smoothies and other drinks.
IN THEY EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Patch, sporting a jean jacket as she strutted down the runway, was crowned the winner of Drake University’s Beautiful Bulldog Contest. The two-year-old English bulldog beat out 28 other contestants from six states night to win the top prize. Patch’s entry seemed to get a boost when she carefully ambled through a hoop on the runway, bringing cheers from a crowd of spectators at the Des Moines, Iowa, educational institution. Her owners, Jennifer Hinton and Joel Kornder of Johnston, Iowa, said they had worked on the hoop routine for months ahead of the competition. Patch is a rescue dog and was among nine rescues who competed.
I WOKE UP FOR THIS?
A Minnesota state senator became a reluctant star on social media after he voted shirtless while lying in bed during what should have been a routine legislative commission meeting. In a video streamed on YouTube, Republican Sen. Calvin Bahr, of East Bethel, can briefly be seen voting – with a School House Rock “I’m Just a Bill” character on the wall behind him – during a Zoom call with the Legislative Audit Commission. After voting, Bahr quickly turned the camera off, leaving a black screen showing just his name. The video prompted several memes and social commentary before comments were turned off.
COFFEE MIGHT BE BETTER
A black bear gave a West Virginia principal quite the wake-up call when it emerged – growling and roaring – from a dumpster outside Zela Elementary School. James Marsh was surprised to discover the bear had somehow managed to get inside the dumpster even after the school installed a lock bar. As Marsh was unlocking the bin, the bear began pushing open the lid. “That will wake a person up,” Marsh observed. “That was 7:15 a.m., if you are not already awake that will wake you up.”
Marsh darted away before the bear jumped out and ran off in an encounter that was recorded by a school security camera and has since being shared widely across social media. “He looked like he was scared, too – as scared as I was,” Marsh said. “He might not be back.”