Offcials in New York State Pass Around Old Fruitcake For Christmas

A fruitcake is a cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and sometimes soaked in spirits. While popular in some parts of the world, the cake is reviled by others. Oddly enough, fruitcake has become a gift of tradition in one New York state county for 30 years. However, sources say this fruitcake is "long past its expiration date."

PIX 11 says the fruitcake has been passed on between Steuben County offcials as a Christmas gag gift going back to 1992. WTEM says then-County Manager Mark Alger bought a fruitcake to support a local cause, but then passed it to Legislature Clerk Christine Kane, because he didn't want it. Who really would?

It has changed hands ever since, and county offcials say it is now inedible. Offcials say it has been "wrapped, re-wrapped, frozen, thawed, frozen again, and wrapped in boxes with fluorescent yellow tape to serve as a warning of the contents inside."

Rat King of New York

New York has long had a problem with rats, and over the past few years the issue has gotten even worse.

The city often ranks at, or near, the top of the list for rattiest cities in the country. Video posted over the summer showed a whole family of rats carrying a slice of of discarded pizza at a subway station near the L train. Soon video of the encounter was taken and posted to social media, and then later shared to the Subway Creatures Instagram account. 

NBC says the job, formally known as the director of rodent mitigation, will pay $120K to $170K a year, and will need a "swashbuckling attitude, crafty humor and general aura of badassery."