Today's theme: bananas
The following stories are brought to you today by this website, but I have conveniently copied & pasted them here.
Friday, March 18, 2005 (AP)
Police Charge Man for Flashing With Banana
(03-18) 04:42 PST Greenwich, Conn. (AP) --
A former Stamford police officer has been charged with lewd conduct involving a toy banana. Arthur Bertana, 62, who had been on probation forlewd conduct more than four years ago, was arrested Saturday after police said he placed a toy banana in his pants and flashed people. Bertana was charged with breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. "Over a span of time, there were several reports of a subject wearing extremely tight pants with an obvious bulge stuffed down his pants," Sgt.Roger Petrone Jr. said Wednesday. Bertana would allegedly greet passersby on the busy street while trying to draw attention, Petrone said. At times, he placed a bag in front of his pants, then moved it and show the bulge, he said. "It was a yellow, plush, child's toy banana," Petrone said. "It had a smiley face on it." Bertana was released on a $5,000 bond for a March 21 appearance in Stamford Superior Court in Stamford.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005 (AP)
Robber Jailed After Using Banana As Weapon
(03-16) 08:51 PST LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) --
Robert Downey had the mask and the attitude to be a successful robber. But he ruined the effect when he tried to stage a hold-up at his local bookmaker's shop — using a banana. Noting the suspicious bend in the so-called "weapon," the clerk calmly called the police and on Wednesday, Downey was jailed for nearly seven years for attempted robbery. Prosecutors at the trial at Southwark Crown Court in London said Downey, a drug addict, hatched his scheme to buy more crack. Donning a mask, he headed for the bookmaker's shop, pausing only to get a banana from the green grocer on the way. In the bookmaker's, he pointed the fruit wrapped in a plastic bag, screaming, "I want the money or I will (expletive) shoot you." This did not produce the desired effect: assistant Peter Humphrey calmly turned to a colleague and said: "He said he has a gun, but it might be a banana." Downey then produced a pair of scissors, "but seeing no money was going to be handed over he ran out of the shop," said prosecutor Patrick Cahill. When police arrived they found the 24-year-old nearby trying to pull off his over-tight balaclava. A police dog found the badly bruised banana still in its bag nearby. Downey, of Chatham, south of London, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery at William Claridges Ltd. in Tower Hamlets, east London, in November. He also admitted possessing an imitation firearm. "You did say, although it may seem comic now but not quite so comic at the time, that in the bag was a firearm," Justice Paul Dodgson told Downey. "As it's been pointed out by your counsel that was an attempt that met with no success. Indeed, your victims having guessed what it was, it was never going to succeed." Downey's lawyer, Rajiv Menon, called the robbery attempt "farcical and incompetent." "We have to face facts. It was a banana, not even a plastic gun, or something that even looked like a gun. Not only that, but neither of the bookies was scared."
And the last story comes from this site.
Bananas Becoming Extinct
It is one of the world's favorite fruits, but the banana hasn't had sex in years and its days may be numbered. Without scientific help the sterile, seedless fruit could disappear with 10 years, according to a Belgian plant pathologist. Emile Frison, the head of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain in Monpellier, France, said the fruit lacks the genetic diversity to fight off diseases and pests that are plaguing banana plantations and only biotechnology and genetic manipulation may be able to save it." Frison sees it as the only hope for the banana," New Scientist said on Wednesday. Without assistance banana production could drop and mark the beginning of the end of the fruit." We may even see the extinction of the banana as both a lifesaver for hungry and impoverished Africans and as the most popular product on the world's supermarket shelves," the magazine added.
Friday, March 18, 2005 (AP)
Police Charge Man for Flashing With Banana
(03-18) 04:42 PST Greenwich, Conn. (AP) --
A former Stamford police officer has been charged with lewd conduct involving a toy banana. Arthur Bertana, 62, who had been on probation forlewd conduct more than four years ago, was arrested Saturday after police said he placed a toy banana in his pants and flashed people. Bertana was charged with breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. "Over a span of time, there were several reports of a subject wearing extremely tight pants with an obvious bulge stuffed down his pants," Sgt.Roger Petrone Jr. said Wednesday. Bertana would allegedly greet passersby on the busy street while trying to draw attention, Petrone said. At times, he placed a bag in front of his pants, then moved it and show the bulge, he said. "It was a yellow, plush, child's toy banana," Petrone said. "It had a smiley face on it." Bertana was released on a $5,000 bond for a March 21 appearance in Stamford Superior Court in Stamford.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005 (AP)
Robber Jailed After Using Banana As Weapon
(03-16) 08:51 PST LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) --
Robert Downey had the mask and the attitude to be a successful robber. But he ruined the effect when he tried to stage a hold-up at his local bookmaker's shop — using a banana. Noting the suspicious bend in the so-called "weapon," the clerk calmly called the police and on Wednesday, Downey was jailed for nearly seven years for attempted robbery. Prosecutors at the trial at Southwark Crown Court in London said Downey, a drug addict, hatched his scheme to buy more crack. Donning a mask, he headed for the bookmaker's shop, pausing only to get a banana from the green grocer on the way. In the bookmaker's, he pointed the fruit wrapped in a plastic bag, screaming, "I want the money or I will (expletive) shoot you." This did not produce the desired effect: assistant Peter Humphrey calmly turned to a colleague and said: "He said he has a gun, but it might be a banana." Downey then produced a pair of scissors, "but seeing no money was going to be handed over he ran out of the shop," said prosecutor Patrick Cahill. When police arrived they found the 24-year-old nearby trying to pull off his over-tight balaclava. A police dog found the badly bruised banana still in its bag nearby. Downey, of Chatham, south of London, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery at William Claridges Ltd. in Tower Hamlets, east London, in November. He also admitted possessing an imitation firearm. "You did say, although it may seem comic now but not quite so comic at the time, that in the bag was a firearm," Justice Paul Dodgson told Downey. "As it's been pointed out by your counsel that was an attempt that met with no success. Indeed, your victims having guessed what it was, it was never going to succeed." Downey's lawyer, Rajiv Menon, called the robbery attempt "farcical and incompetent." "We have to face facts. It was a banana, not even a plastic gun, or something that even looked like a gun. Not only that, but neither of the bookies was scared."
And the last story comes from this site.
Bananas Becoming Extinct
It is one of the world's favorite fruits, but the banana hasn't had sex in years and its days may be numbered. Without scientific help the sterile, seedless fruit could disappear with 10 years, according to a Belgian plant pathologist. Emile Frison, the head of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain in Monpellier, France, said the fruit lacks the genetic diversity to fight off diseases and pests that are plaguing banana plantations and only biotechnology and genetic manipulation may be able to save it." Frison sees it as the only hope for the banana," New Scientist said on Wednesday. Without assistance banana production could drop and mark the beginning of the end of the fruit." We may even see the extinction of the banana as both a lifesaver for hungry and impoverished Africans and as the most popular product on the world's supermarket shelves," the magazine added.
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