KILLER SHOES
In Philadelphia David Dickson Jr. faces a life sentence for for the 1984 murder of 20-year-old Deborah Lynn Wilson. She was found stripped of her shoes and socks after being strangled. Dickson was known as Dr. Smell because of his foot fetish. The cops were led to Dickson in 1993 when they found out he was discharged from the Army for stealing women's' shoes.

DOGS RUN FREE
In Cincinnati, the city council and a police shrink advised the city council that a test for police recruits would drop this question: Have you ever had sex with animals?

KISS MY IRS ASS
In Michigan a judge refused a request from John Jakubowski's to change his name to Kiss My Ass. Jakubowski wanted to change his name as a protest against property rights and taxes. The judge said "I'm not sure it serves any real purpose to legitimize the provocative name."

GRADE INFLATION TAIWAN STYLE
Annie Lu, a 27-year-old college student in Taiwan, accused her professor of flunking her out of a doctoral program because she refused his advance. The accusation then blew up into a bizarre love triangle. The professor, Hung Mingchou of National Taiwan University, claimed he got a phone call from Winston Wang, heir to a plastics fortune, who asked that Lu be reinstated in the program. The professor accused Wang of trying to exert his influence on behalf of Lu. Then Lu went on television and announced that Wang was her "one and only lover." Wang is married and has two children. Lu had written to his father, the head of the $5 billion dollar Formosa Plastics Group, asking him to accept her as Wang's concubine. The father refused, but the wave of publicity caused the plastic company's stock to plunge. Probably the only time a sexual harassment charge at a university sent shivers through the stock market.

DOLL HOUSE
A court in Jerusalem turned down a prisoner's request to share his cell with his lover--an inflatable sex doll. The court reasoned that the round-lipped doll could be used to hide contraband. Possibly, but perhaps an unstated reason was the prospect of searching the sticky thing for contraband. The judge also argued that the doll might set off prison riots and become the subject of fights among prisoners wanting it for themselves.

NOT LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS IN SAIGON...
The Hanoi government has launched another campaign against "social evils" in Vietnam vets' old stomping ground. It seems the VC themselves are now hanging around those tin shacks off the side of the road. The Minister of Internal Relations announced that among 463 prostitution operations uncovered, 170 involved state-run units. These units included "guest houses, hotels and restaurants of several departments and ministries." "What is worse is that many were organized by party members," said spokescommie from the Minister of Internal Relations, Tran Hoan. Also on the hit list were porn videos, discos, karaoke bars and some imported magazines. To root this out, "the government must first sweep out its own closet," said Tran Hoan, adding that "a spotless hand is needed to clean another." Did Ho Chi Minh have spotless hands?

HIGH SCHOOL HOP
In Yarmouth, Massachusetts, a high school teacher was placed on leave after school officials learned that he had produced and starred in more than one hundred porno videos. There was no indication that any of the students were involved in his hobby. It was unclear what rules the teacher violated, except for using poor judgment, said Superintendent Mike McCaffey. The teacher is on leave pending investigation.

SURFING VICTIMS
New York psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg has announced a new emotional disorder: Internet addiction. Symptoms include hiding from reality and involuntary typing seizures. Goldberg announced this on Internet as a joke, but lo and behold, 150 surfers responded wanting help. There is now a support group for them on the Internet, which Goldberg likens to holding AA meetings in a bar.

SWINGERS IN BULGARIA
A couple in Sofia took off for a tryst, leaving their respective partners behind. Searching for a place to party, they happened on a little cottage where they heard a lot of noise. They knocked on the door and who opened it? Of course, their respective partners who were in a state of undress. Instead of doing a foursome, the two girls started pulling each others' hair out. It is not known how the men reacted. Probably went in search of other bait.