Weird News

Sundae · 09-05-2008, 04:15 AM

From the Star Tribune

A typo turns the annual stamp into a calling card for a phone-sex service.

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

The federal government says it has no choice but to reluctantly keep distributing to millions of waterfowl hunters a toll-free phone-sex-service number that features a breathy woman promising callers that they can "talk only to the girls who turn you on" for $1.99 per minute.

About 3.5 million federal "duck stamps," featuring artwork by a Plymouth artist, are affixed to a card that bears the misprinted number, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday.

All waterfowl hunters age 16 and older must buy and carry the current Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp, commonly known as the duck stamp. Sales of the stamp, which is produced by the U.S. Postal Service for Fish and Wildlife, raise about $25 million each year to fund wetland habitat acquisition for the national Wildlife Refuge System. The agency annually sells about 120,000 federal duck stamps in Minnesota. The stamp isn't valid for routine postage.

Rachel Levin, a Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman, called the misprint, which connects callers to a phone-sex service, "an unfortunate typographical error" that her agency "really regrets." She adds that the agency will keep selling the $15 stamps with the naughty number because reprinting the card would cost too much.

The correct number, 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724), is for people wishing to order additional duck stamps. Levin said two digits of the phone number are transposed on the card that holds the self-adhesive version of the stamp. That incorrect number, 1-800-872-6724, translates to 1-800-TRAMP24. Callers to "Intimate Connections" are warned that they must be 18 years or older before proceeding.

Levin doubted that the digits were purposely transposed. "As far as we know," she said, "it was just an error."

The stamps were produced by Ashton Potter Ltd. of Williamsville, N.Y. Messages left with Ashton Potter's executives were not returned.

glatt · 09-05-2008, 08:40 AM

So is it a typo or a misprint?

A typo would probably be the fault of the agency and a misprint would be the fault of the printer. If it's the fault of the printer, then it should be fixed for free. The agency is saying it will cost money to fix it, so that tells me it's the agency's fault. So why even mention the printer's name or use the word "misprint?" The story should clearly state that the agency gave out the wrong phone number and not even mention the printer or the word "print."

Why do I even care? It's the last sentence that tries to sound all ominous that the printer refused to comment. Like that makes them guilty or something.

Flint · 09-05-2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Why do I even care? It's the last sentence that tries to sound all ominous that the printer refused to comment. Like that makes them guilty or something.

We're conditioned to assume that a news story is a compact summary of the relevant material, which has been scoured over by an editor to remove superfluous verbage; therefore we assume that any sentences contained are actually pertinent to the story.

One of my least favorite tricks of the journalistic trade is to include a total non sequitur in the story, and let the assumed reason for including the sentence create a connection that doesn't exist, or can't be demonstrated directly.

This one is very popular: "couldn't be reached for comment" equals "GUILTY AS HELL."

BigV · 09-05-2008, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint

We're conditioned to assume that a news story is a compact summary of the relevant material, which has been scoured over by an editor to remove superfluous verbage; therefore we assume that any sentences contained are actually pertinent to the story.

One of my least favorite tricks of the journalistic trade is to include a total non sequitur in the story, and let the assumed reason for including the sentence create a connection that doesn't exist, or can't be demonstrated directly.

This one is very popular: "couldn't be reached for comment" equals "GUILTY AS HELL."

Flint:

Since the reader creates that connection only in his own head, how much of the responsibility for the unsupported conclusion does he bear?

09-05-2008, 04:15 AM	#1
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	From the Star Tribune A typo turns the annual stamp into a calling card for a phone-sex service. By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune The federal government says it has no choice but to reluctantly keep distributing to millions of waterfowl hunters a toll-free phone-sex-service number that features a breathy woman promising callers that they can "talk only to the girls who turn you on" for $1.99 per minute. About 3.5 million federal "duck stamps," featuring artwork by a Plymouth artist, are affixed to a card that bears the misprinted number, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday. All waterfowl hunters age 16 and older must buy and carry the current Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp, commonly known as the duck stamp. Sales of the stamp, which is produced by the U.S. Postal Service for Fish and Wildlife, raise about $25 million each year to fund wetland habitat acquisition for the national Wildlife Refuge System. The agency annually sells about 120,000 federal duck stamps in Minnesota. The stamp isn't valid for routine postage. Rachel Levin, a Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman, called the misprint, which connects callers to a phone-sex service, "an unfortunate typographical error" that her agency "really regrets." She adds that the agency will keep selling the $15 stamps with the naughty number because reprinting the card would cost too much. The correct number, 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724), is for people wishing to order additional duck stamps. Levin said two digits of the phone number are transposed on the card that holds the self-adhesive version of the stamp. That incorrect number, 1-800-872-6724, translates to 1-800-TRAMP24. Callers to "Intimate Connections" are warned that they must be 18 years or older before proceeding. Levin doubted that the digits were purposely transposed. "As far as we know," she said, "it was just an error." The stamps were produced by Ashton Potter Ltd. of Williamsville, N.Y. Messages left with Ashton Potter's executives were not returned.

09-05-2008, 08:40 AM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	So is it a typo or a misprint? A typo would probably be the fault of the agency and a misprint would be the fault of the printer. If it's the fault of the printer, then it should be fixed for free. The agency is saying it will cost money to fix it, so that tells me it's the agency's fault. So why even mention the printer's name or use the word "misprint?" The story should clearly state that the agency gave out the wrong phone number and not even mention the printer or the word "print." Why do I even care? It's the last sentence that tries to sound all ominous that the printer refused to comment. Like that makes them guilty or something.

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