Unusual News
Susan Boyle Tops List of Most Watched YouTube Videos of 2009; Pitbull #1 Music Video
For the first time, YouTube has compiled official lists of the most watched videos and the most watched music videos. First place in the first category went, not surprisingly, to Susan Boyle’s debut performance on Britain’s Got Talent, which earne... read more
In New Hampshire, Gay Marriage is Legal, but Adultery is a Criminal Offense
Having decided not to meddle in the private affairs of homosexuals, the New Hampshire
legislature is deciding whether to but out of the bedrooms of consenting heterosexuals. Representatives Timothy Horrigan (D) and Carol McGuire (R) are sponsor... read more
UK Study: Hospital Janitors More Valuable to Society than Bankers
What a person earns isn’t as important as what they bring to society, according to the New Economics Foundation (NEF). The self-described “think-and-do tank” examined a range of high- and low-paying jobs in British society and concluded that banke... read more
Florida Judges and Lawyers Not Allowed to be Facebook Friends
Friending a Florida judge on Facebook is okay as long as you’re not an attorney. So says the state’s Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, which ruled last month it’s better that justices and lawyers not give the wrong impression of being virtual fr... read more
President of Serbia Fined for Drinking Champagne
Zero tolerance means just that in Serbia, where drinking at soccer stadiums is strictly forbidden. The country’s president, Boris Tadić, found this out after he was slapped with a fine of 400 euros ($584) for popping open a champagne bottle in a V... read more
Another Case of Being Fired for Supporting Obama
Supporting Barack Obama for president is proving to be an occupational hazard. Following a Kansas salesman’s claim of being fired for voting for Obama, Julia James of New York is suing her former employer for allegedly terminating her for attendin... read more
Success of Local College Team Clouds Voters’ Political Judgments
Root root root for the home team would be advisable for incumbent politicians facing a tight re-election battle. Voters, as they are wont to do, don’t always make their voting decisions entirely on the merits of a candidate’s record in office, and... read more
GOP Uses Bathroom Visit to Seize Control of County Board in North Carolina
In the world of partisan politics, even bathroom breaks are exploited in order to seize power. That’s what happened in North Carolina on Monday when Republicans on the Wake County Board of Commissioners took advantage of Democrat Betty Lou Ward’s ... read more
Winners of Slate’s “Write Like Sarah Palin” Contest vs. The Real Palin
From pastoral lyricism to unlikely metaphors, Slate received a wide range of entries for its “Write Like Sarah Palin” contest, held in honor of the popular Republican’s memoir, Going Rogue, which included this real excerpt about her husband: "That... read more
MIT Team Wins Balloon-Tracking Contest
In an effort to learn how social networking sites can aid the military, Department of Defense researchers sponsored a contest to see who could accurately locate 10 large red balloons released across the United States. First prize ($40,000) went to... read more
British Defense Ministry Closes UFO Department after More Than 50 Years
After more than 50 years of investigations and finding no potential threats, the British government has decided to quietly shut down its UFO office. Officials with the Ministry of Defense, which housed the special investigative unit, felt there wa... read more
Mexican Police Shut Down Drug Smuggling Tunnel Complete with Elevator
As drug-smuggling tunnels go, the one discovered on Wednesday in Tijuana was not the first in the border town ripe with narcotics trafficking. But it was unusual for having its own elevator. The 1,000-foot tunnel was still under construction when ... read more
Beware of Web Sites Ending in .cm
Surfing the Internet can sometimes feel like playing Russian roulette when visiting websites for the first time, because of the growing risk of encountering viruses or other malware with a simple click of a mouse. One way to minimize this risk is ... read more
Sen. Cantwell Wants to Use Anti-Gambling Laws to Regulate Wall Street
“Derivatives” is just another word for gambling, as far as U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is concerned, so she wants anti-gambling laws applied to Wall Street in an effort to end the era of “casino capitalism.” In the wake of last year’s finan... read more
English Town Hires Official Tweeter
Mike McTimoney has the distinction of becoming the first Tweeter-in-residence in the United Kingdom, following his hiring by the town of Darlington in County Durham in the northeast of England. McTimoney, an IT lecturer at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Fo... read more
Gamer Sues Sony over Disabled Access to Virtual Worlds
Alexander Stern of Los Angeles can’t play Sony’s role-playing video games like EverQuest because of his disabilities, so he’s suing the company under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Due to problems with his eyesight and “multiple learning dis... read more