O, the female body in all its natural wonder! Some gross/amazing stuff happens to us when we're new moms, and the brave souls among us try to emulate the Native Americans and make use of it all. Those women in Brooklyn who serve their own placentas as dinner party hors d'oeuvres, for instance. Nothing about the miracle of pregnancy is shameful... but does that mean you have to enjoy breast milk lollipops? No.


Texas-based vegan lollipop maker Jason Darling runs Lollyphile, which ain't no Chupa Chup-their other flavors include absinthe, Sriracha, habanero tequila, maple bacon and chocolate bacon. Two days ago, he released Lollyphile's piece de resistance, a breast-milk flavored sucker developed after Darling taste-tested multiple women's lactation samples until coming up with the precise right flavor profile. (No actual breast milk is used in the pops.)

Darling told the L.A. Times that milk produced from the mother of a preemie baby is the most delicious: "She had higher levels of colostrum, which made it sweeter, blue and thicker. It all kind of tastes sort of like almond milk, but sweeter." This has been The More You [Didn't Need To] Know™. You're very welcome. 

However, other companies in the recent past haven't shied away from using actual breast milk in recipes. According to STFU Parents, breast milk makes for a delicious cake. And last year, Gothamist reported that an NYU-based project set about developing "human cheese" from breast milk: Specifically, a Wisconsin cheddar. Bless the poor soul who was part of that taste test. Just the words "human cheese" make me want to run for my Listerine bottle.

A 67-year-old man dubbed himself "polite bandit" in a note to tellers before police said he robbed two banks in Hamden and claimed to be in possession of a bomb.

Neighbors told Eyewitness News that Robert Raymond, of Hamden, was the nicest man, but Tuesday police said he caused quite a scare at two banks after telling everyone he had a bomb.

But there's more.

According to police he even planted a fake bomb in downtown New Haven and forced officers to evacuate a motel in Branford as they searched for explosives there.

Police said Raymond held up the Webster Bank on Helen Street in Hamden along with the First Niagara Bank down the road on Dixwell Avenue.

Each time, police said, he claimed to have a bomb in a note that he handed to the tellers.

"Please don't be alarmed. This is a bank robbery. The bag contains a bomb controlled by a cell phone in my left pants pocket," the note stated, according to court documents. "Please don't activate any alarms. Please give me all the money you can. Thank you for your cooperation, the polite bandit."

Miguel Santos said he was working inside the Webster Bank when police grabbed Raymond as he was trying to escape.

Raymond didn't have a bomb on him and the only thing that actually exploded was the dye pack tellers placed inside a bag of money that they handed over.

As police investigated, they said they learned Raymond planted a fake bomb near the Federal Courthouse on Orange Street.

The street was closed and officials detonated the package.

While that occurred, a third team of officers, including FBI and Connecticut State Police, responded to the Americas Best Value Inn on East Main Street in Branford after Raymond's car was spotted there.

Investigators searched for bomb making material and explosives there, but the search turned up empty. Police said Raymond had been living or visiting his girlfriend at the motel.

Neighbors said Raymond just loved gardening as well as taking care of his yard and they were caught off guard by his arrest.

"I hope they figure out what happened because he's a really sweet guy and it's totally out of character, completely out of character," said neighbor Anna Crofts.

Police told Eyewitness News they searched his home on Augur Street as well, and they did not find any explosives or anything else of concern.

"It's a shock," said neighbor Isabella Fiorentine. "No one expected this older gentlemen would do something like that."

Neighbors told Eyewitness News Raymond used to live at the Hamden home with a long time girlfriend, but she died.

Raymond started dating someone new and according to court records, he told police he was duped out of some money by his new girlfriend.

Raymond was charged with two counts of robbery and larceny along with breach of peace.

Raymond was arraigned at Meriden Superior Court on Wednesday where the judge was concerned about him making threats with bombs considering it was so soon after the Boston Marathon.

The judge ordered that Raymond undergo a mental health evaluation and be placed on suicide watch.

After his court appearance, Raymond was held on $300,000 bond.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but one lovesick bull moose in Colorado is having a hard time understanding that a bronze moose statue is not the same as the real thing.

The young bull has fallen hard for the life-sized moose statue with large antlers in a backyard in Grand Lake, Colo., and he’s attracting people from all over the area to watch him make his moves.

“He’s in love with it,” said Frances Transue, 55, who lives about a mile from the moose love scene. “He acts like he wants to mate it. He kisses it, he nuzzles it.”

Transue isn’t the only one who’s noticed the moose’s courtship. Local media have taken note, and various videos, including one from

Like clockwork, the moose calls on the statue in the morning and stays for the most of the day, Bob Balink told NBC affiliate KUSA.

"He's not too shy about it, apparently,” Balink said.

In many parts of Colorado, wildlife such as moose and elk are common in communities. Mike Porras, of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said it’s important that people remember moose can be dangerous to humans.

“Wildlife is unpredictable,” Porras said. “Why that moose is tolerating people coming that close is a question for the moose. Certainly, we recommend people not do that.”

Transue said she often sees moose in her backyard, especially as it gets warmer. This particular bull, who she thinks is about a year old, is the only moose that’s hung around all winter long.

“I think he thinks the statue is a female,” she said, “but it’s definitely not.”

Transue said there were about 20 people watching the moose Saturday evening and it’s been the talk of the town since the statue arrived earlier last week. She was about 20 feet away from the moose when she recorded her video.

“There were lots of people around,” Transue said. “He stops to look at people, but then he goes back to checking his moose out.”

A 46-year-old New Haven man was arrested last week, accused of drunken cursing at Stop & Shop. It was the 92nd time he has been arrested in the city, according to New Haven police.

At 10:10 a.m. last Thursday, police responded to Stop & Shop at 150 Whalley Avenue because the store manager was reporting a drunken man cursing at his patrons and employees, police said.

Responding officers found Gary Highsmith swearing at an employee who refused to cash a check, police said.

The manager told police that Highsmith had confronted anyone he could. When Highsmith was asked to leave the store, he spit in the manager’s direction, missing the manager, but hitting a young man walking past, police said.

The shopper had to be restrained himself because he tried going after Highsmith, according to police.

Highsmith's 91 prior arrests include some infractions and summonses, but he was taken into custody for most of them, according to police.

According to court records, Highsmith was also convicted of breach of peace in West Haven in 2007.