News In Brief

SO MUCH FOR BLENDING IN

Presumably, Danny Morts didn't want to look conspicuous as he fled from police following a court hearing in Van Buren, Ark. So once he ran across the street to an alley, Morts shed his black-and-white-striped jail uniform and evidently threw it in the garbage. But he didn't exactly have an extra outfit on hand. Police captured the naked escapee just blocks from the courthouse and rebooked him with misdemeanor charges. Said a police officer, "He kind of stuck out."

YOU'RE ON TIMECARD

Keeping callers on hold forever might not only cost companies their customers, but also a lot of money. New Zealander Mike Van Lokven has received a flood of support for his idea of charging his electric company $45 dollars for each hour he spends trying to settle an electric bill, The Press of Christchurch reported. And the idea just might succeed: A Wellington consumer billed another power company, the Press said, and already has received a check.

Transformers, Indiana Jones in list of top action figures

Some toys come and go - who still has a Rubik's cube? - but action figures have been around for decades. For their October issue, the editors at ToyFare magazine drew up a list of the top 25 action figures of all time. Their first 10 picks, with the product line (where applicable) and toymaker in parentheses:

1. RX-78-2 Gundam Perfect Grade (Gundam, Bandai)

2. Jetfire (Transformers, Hasbro)

3. Indiana Jones (Toys McCoy)

4. Space Ghost (Toycom)

5. Great Mazinga (Soul of Chogokin, Bandai)

6. Subdued Urban Camo SWAT Officer (America's Finest, 21st Century)

7. Zartan (G.I. Joe: a Real American Hero, Hasbro)

8. Baron Karza (Micronauts, Mego)

9. Rockman (Rockman, Bandai)

10. EVA Unit 00 Prototype (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Kaiyodo)

- Business Wire

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