A Florida teen is not only facing the wrath of his father for taking his dad's work car for a joy ride, he's facing serious criminal charges.  As it turns out, dad is a deputy for the Broward County Sheriff's Department.  The "Miami Herald" reports 18-year-old Myko Coker was arrested after a Sunrise Police officer noticed the teenager pulling cars over in his father's unmarked patrol car.  Coker tried to pass himself off as his father, but couldn't produce a badge when asked for one.  A Broward County Sheriff's spokesman said, quote, "The deputy's son did something really foolish, and now they're going to have to deal with it as a family."  Coker has been charged with grand theft auto and impersonating a law enforcement officer.

A Louisiana convenience-store worker is safe thanks to a couple of pots of hot java.  According to Shreveport ABC-TV affiliate KTBS, the unnamed employee was cleaning a cappuccino machine when a man armed with a knife walked in and demanded money.  Cops say the clerk then threw some of the cleaning solution he was using at the bandit.  That was followed by two pots of hot coffee, which gave the employee enough time to slip out the back door.  The suspect managed to run off with the cash drawer.  However, video cameras got a clear shot of his face.  Police are hoping the public can help them locate the robber.

A Chinese dog has given up his daily walks after finding a new form of exercise.  Ananova.com reports the pooch, named "De Bao," loves to ride a skateboard in the park every day.  The owner says the dog picked up the habit after seeing the owner's son do it.  He noted that he even built the dog his own skateboard so there wouldn't be any fights over who got to use the son's board.  De Bao can be seen riding daily at People's Square in Guangzhou, China.
 
A French amputee almost became the first one-armed man to swim across the English Channel.  Fifty-six-year-old Olivier Desmet said he trained for eight months and gained 22 pounds to prepare for the 22-mile crossing.  Desmet lost his left forearm in a motorcycle accident over 30 years ago.  He's already a 13-time Handisport World Championship triathalon winner.  He swam for 14-and-a-half hours before strong currents forced him to stop within sight of the French coastline.  He said he's not going to attempt to cross the channel again, but he considers the swim a great success.

Being the Governor of Washington wasn't enough to get Chris Gregoire [[greg-WAHR]] into a downtown Olympia bar.  "The Olympian" reports 61-year-old Gregoire and her crew decided to go to Hannah's Bar and Grille after serving burgers at a local fair.  However, Gregoire didn't have any identification and the bouncer refused to let her in.  The bar's owner said he was "flabbergasted" after learning of the incident, yet admitted he had told employees to check everyone's ID because Hannah's was very busy during the fair.  He said since the burden of underage drinkers lies with the bar, it's up to the establishment to decide who gets in and who doesn't.

Survey Says

NEW YORKER CHECK E-MAIL MOST

Residents in the Big Apple are into their e-mail, big time.  According to research by AOL Mail, more than 50-percent of New Yorkers are self-confessed e-mail addicts, compared to 46-percent who admit the same nationwide.  One in six Manhattanites check their e-mail as soon as they wake up, while 15-percent say they look at it right after dinner.  Popular spots to check e-mail include in bed, in the bathroom, or in a restaurant.  The average New Yorker checks their personal e-mail four times a day, and their work e-mail at least three times on the weekend.  Other e-mail obsessed cities, according to the research, are Houston, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco.

HOTEL SATISFACTION DOWN FROM 2007

American hotel guests are not getting as much satisfaction as in 2007.  J.D. Power and Associates 2008 survey of customer satisfaction at U.S. hotels is down significantly from last year, especially in the economy/budget segment.  The poll measures overall hotel guest satisfaction in seven ways: including reservations; check-in/check-out; guest room; food and beverage; hotel services; hotel facilities; and costs and fees.  The hotels with the highest guest satisfaction include The Ritz-Carlton, in the luxury hotel category, Embassy Suites Hotels, in the upscale category, Hyatt Place in the mid-scale full service category, and Microtel Inns & Suites in the economy/budget category.

Just The Facts

Today in 1498, Christopher Columbus became the first European to discover Trinidad.  Here are some facts about the island.

FACT:  Trinidad is the largest and most-populated of the 23 islands that make up the country Trinidad and Tobago.

FACT:  Trinidad is the southernmost island in the Caribbean, sitting just seven miles off the coast of Venezuela.

FACT:  Calypso music, steel drums and the Limbo dance were all reportedly created in Trinidad.

FACT:  The Scarlet Ibis is the national bird of Trinidad, and appears on the coat of arms.