Doggy Downers & the Wrong Kind of Little Hug

I was going to write about the Pittsburgh graffiti artist that got arrested today for causing nearly a quarter million dollars' worth of damage, but then I saw two stories on the newswire making up an eerily similar theme. Coincidence? I'll let you decide.

First, in a case perhaps inspired by the movie Nine to Five, a women in Arkansas was arrested today for allegedly putting tranquilizers in her boss' coffee. While Lily Tomlin's character in Nine to Five accidentally added rat poison to her boss' cup of coffee ("It [the rat poison box] looks just like the Skinny & Sweet--except for the little skull and crossbones on the box"), this time, it appears to be no accident.

Perhaps as a means to defend her actions, the woman reportedly stated that her boss, a veterinarian at the animal shelter where they both worked, needed to "chill out". Apparently she thought that a large dose of tranquilizers might do the trick.

Also reported today by the AP, ten children in Arkansas became sick when they drank windshield washer fluid. This happened at a Little Rock daycare center where the owner of the daycare mistook the jug of washer fluid for a container of Kool-Aid and served it to the children. Talk about putting a brand new spin on the warning "don't drink the Kool-Aid".

Fortunately, only one of the children remains hospitalized, and is reported to be in good condition. The very distraught owner of the daycare has voluntarily forfeited her daycare license, pending an investigation into the matter.

I've always thought when I saw those "Blueberry" Little Hugs drinks looked like windshield washer fluid--they're the exact same shade of blue, so for me it was no surprise that this sort of mix-up happened.

I don't have any plans to travel to Arkansas, but my suggestion to those who are are to make your own coffee and avoid any blue-tinted drinks.