HAUL TALK 4529

Copper and Robber

One hopes that thieves — even the petty variety — have the sense to look at a potential score and evaluate whether it's worth the risk. Apparently lacking this innate ability is 56-year-old Gibson Cook of Dillon, N.C., who, while in pursuit of $10 worth of copper scrap, found himself lodged headfirst under a reeking trash container for 12 hours.

According to sheriff's deputies, Cook, a habitual petty thief, broke into the county landfill with designs on the copper, only to get himself hopelessly wedged with only his legs visible. Rescuers were able to extricate him by using inflatable air bags to lift the bin. He was charged with trespassing and petit larceny.

While Gibson has not tipped his hand about his next big heist, friends say he has mentioned a scheme involving the theft of cooking oil for sale as biodiesel. Gibson plans to catch his marks off guard by absconding with the grease while it is still scalding hot.
Source: CBS News

Those Wacky Finns

In august, residents of helsinki, finland, suddenly found themselves conversing with their trash receptacles. What sounds like a citywide psychotic episode is actually an art installation in which talking trash cans — whose voices are provided by city leaders, artists, philosophers and comedians — are meant to provoke thought and surprise amongst the citizenry. The four talking cans are otherwise indistinguishable from their mute compatriots and are relocated every week to keep things interesting.

The project, which runs through the end of September, might have been better received had the cans been made to say something other than, “Cold, isn't it?” and “You don't see me shoving trash down YOUR gullet, do you?”
Source: YLE News