Two interesting stories in the news today…

1. KC Man Accused Of Toad Licking

From the article:

Clay County sheriff’s deputies said David Theiss, of Kansas City, possessed a Colorado River toad with the intention of using it as a hallucinogenic. Experts said it’s possible to lick the toad’s venom glands to achieve psychedelic effects.

"People used to do it all the time, but it got faded out awhile, but came back as a fad. Not a smart one," animal expert Danny Snyder told KMBC’s Dion Lim. "The toxins in it can kill a lot of stuff."

Clay County . . . I have to admit, it does sound like the kind of place where a guy would lick a toad. But come on – he was officially accused of “toad licking?” Where I come from, that’s just called “being a damn fool.”

2. Santas Warned ‘Ho Ho Ho’ Offensive to Women

From the article:

Santas in Australia’s largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas’s traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday. Sydney’s Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.

Wow. I thought I’d seen just about the worst it could get when it came to sterilizing all things Christmas. Guess I was wrong. I have nothing else to say on this, except for the comic I drew up to commemorate the occasion.