Good Morning and Welcome To MOT-Morning Open Thread
Casual Friday is a collection of odd, strange or weird news stories from the week along with some jokes, tweets, and other assorted funnies. Keep an eye out however, because not all the news stories are entirely on the up and up.
'Robin Hoods' who feed parking meters are hit with lawsuit in New Hampshire
Boo - Hiss on the city officials of Keene, New Hampshire:
A group of self-styled Robin Hoods who scamper around the streets of a New Hampshire city and feed expired parking meters for strangers has been hit with a harassment lawsuit.
The city of Keene says its three parking inspectors have been taunted, insulted and followed by the group — to the point that one of them says he has suffered heart palpitations and is thinking about quitting his job.
In its lawsuit, the city is asking a court to order the group not to come within 50 feet of the parking inspectors.
The suit names six defendants, most of them bloggers for Free Keene, which describes itself on its Facebook page as “your connection to the liberty activism movement in New Hampshire.”
One of the six, Ian Freeman, told NBC News that “The Robin Hooders have always been courteous in my experience” and pointed out that the city has not charged them criminally with harassment.
“The city is upset because they are losing revenue and are coming up with anything they can to try to stop it,” he said.
He also noted that the city’s job description for parking inspectors, included as part of the lawsuit, requires that inspectors “endure verbal and mental abuse when confronted with the hostile views and opinions of the public.”
The group members place a card on the windshield of the car parked at the meter that they fed that says, "We saved you from the king’s tariffs. Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Please consider paying it forward.”
The Hustlers: Sixties band reforms 50 years on after discovering one member wasn't dead after all
This band of elderly rockers are back gigging again – almost 50 years after splitting up.
The Hustlers, whose ages range from 67 to 73, called it a day in 1965 after five years on the road.
They tried to re-form 22 years ago but were wrongly told their drummer was dead.
Bass player Richard Pearce, 69, said: “The fact we can still do what we do is great.
“We may be old but we can still rock and roll!”
Richard, lead singer Tony Burchell, 72, guitarists Barry Gillam, 73, and Pete Dresch, 70, and drummer Ken White, 67, formed the group in Brighton in 1960.
They played at youth clubs all over Sussex but split when band members started settling down and getting married.
Singer Tony tried to contact the others on a radio station when he celebrated his 50th birthday in 1991 but a caller claimed Ken had died.
However, they found each other again online – and soon learned Ken was very much alive and well.
Richard, an upholsterer from Netley, Hants, joked: “Most of our applause comes from the fact that we can stand up for two hours unaided.
"We enjoy ourselves and hope the audience does too.”
The band is believed to be the oldest band in the country containing all original members.
Here's an interview along with a few snippets of their music:
.
.
.
Fighting eagles crash land on Minnesota airport runway
In this Sunday, May 12, 2013, photo provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are two bald eagles after they crash landed on the tarmac of the Duluth International Airport.
Two bald eagles locked together by their talons in a midair battle survived a crash landing onto a runway at a northeastern Minnesota airport.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Randy Hanzal says the adult eagles couldn't separate Sunday before slamming into the tarmac at the Duluth International Airport.
Hanzal tried to take the birds to a Duluth wildlife rehabilitation center. He covered them with blankets and jackets on the back of his pickup and held them down with webbing straps. En route, Hanzal says, he heard a ruckus and saw one bird jump out and fly away.
The Duluth News Tribune says the other eagle made it to the rehab center and is now being cared for by the University of Minnesota in St. Paul's Raptor Center.
The Amazing Andy Reid Yard Sale [Photos at link]
The big news from today’s Andy Reid Yard Sale: the prices. Would you pay $50 for an Eagles birdhouse signed by Andy Reid? Would you pay $590 for a set of AFC/NFC billiards balls? Probably not. What about $100 for an Andy Reid autographed bed lamp?
You get the idea.
As we mentioned on Friday, Andy and his wife decided to sell off all of their Eagles crap and donate the money to the local high school football team and other charities.
Philly sports radio 94 WIP promotions director Chris Johnson stopped by this morning to buy and take photos of the crap.
And the crap didn’t disappoint.
Autographed Crocs anyone?