News that attracts my attention today...

Woman's tofu license plate curdles in Colorado

DENVER – One Colorado woman's love for tofu has been judged X-rated by state officials. Kelly Coffman-Lee wanted to tell the world about her fondness for bean curd by picking certain letters for her SUV's license plate. Her suggestion for the plate: "ILVTOFU." But the Division of Motor Vehicles blocked her plan because they thought the combination of letters could be interpreted as profane.
Says Department of Revenue spokesman Mark Couch: "We don't allow 'FU' because some people could read that as street language for sex."
Officials meet periodically to ensure state plates stay free of letters that abbreviate gang slang, drug terms or obscene phrases.
The 38-year-old Coffman-Lee says tofu is a staple of her family's diet because they are vegan and that the DMV misinterpreted her message.

Cat found alive after 5 weeks under rubble

BERLIN (Reuters) – A cat named Felix was found alive and well beneath the rubble of a six-storey building in Cologne that collapsed five weeks ago, the fire brigade in German city said Tuesday.
The 12-year-old cat was in surprisingly good health, authorities said. He was found beneath the city archives building that collapsed on March 3.
Rescue workers were clearing away the rubble from the ruins, in which two people were killed, when they spotted a pair of small paws.
"The men lifted some concrete blocks when suddenly a little cat came to light," said Dietmar Paust, fire brigade spokesman.

Man accidentally shoots himself at drive-through

RAPID CITY, S.D. – A stop at a fast-food restaurant's drive-through on Tuesday afternoon led to a trip to the hospital after a man accidentally shot himself in the leg with a pistol. The 24-year-old man was apparently trying to clear the weapon when it went off and hit him in the calf.
Police said the man didn't need a permit because the gun wasn't concealed, so he didn't break any laws.
His name was not released.

Man causing real stink in motel room gets stabbed

WACO, Texas – A man was stabbed after causing a stink — literally — in a motel room while eating with a friend, police said. Five men from the Houston area were sharing a Waco motel room Tuesday night, and two were inside the room eating when one had a flatulence problem, Waco police Officer Steve Anderson said. One man was so upset about the gas that he threw a large knife at him, cutting his leg, and then stabbed him in the chest, Anderson said.
The 35-year-old man was transported to a Waco hospital, where he was treated for what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries, Anderson said.
Jose Braule Ramirez, 33, of Houston, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He was arraigned Wednesday and was being held in the McLennan County Jail on $15,000 bond and placed on an immigration hold, according to jail records. He cannot be released, even if he posts bond, until authorities verify he is in the country legally.
A jail spokeswoman who declined to give her name said she was not allowed to release information on whether Ramirez had an attorney.