Unusual News
Hospitals Enforce Hand-Washing to Reduce High Patient Death Rate from In-House Infections
Drug-resistant superbugs are invading hospitals, killing about 100,000 patients and costing $30 billion a year. One way to combat them is for nurses, doctors and other hospital personnel to wash their hands regularly. Yet, without encouragement, hospital workers clean their hands as little as 30% of the time they interact with patients. read more
Latest Opponents of Fracking…German Beer Makers
The Association of German Breweries says fracking’s potential impact on groundwater supplies could jeopardize the country’s 497-year-old legal tradition of producing pure beer. German beer is allowed to be made only from malt, hops, yeast and water.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is backing legislation in her coalition that would outlaw fracking in some areas of the country. read more
Republican Socialists Fight Obama Plan to Privatize TVA
federal energy statistics show Alabamans and Tennesseans pay considerably less for power than the national average—earning TVA “the ‘mother love’ of a politically conservative region,” according to former TVA Chairman S. David Freeman.
That would explain why free-marketers like Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee) called Obama’s proposal “one more bad idea in a budget full of bad ideas,” saying privatization could lead to higher energy costs for his constituents.
read more
Neighbors Sue Photographer in “Rear Window” Case
In what’s being called the “Rear Window” case, Arne Svenson used a telephoto camera to photograph his neighbors from his studio across the way, snapping pictures of the Foster family as they went about their daily lives.
Svenson admits he never informed the Fosters about what he was doing. read more
Robots Seen as Filling Caregiver Vacuum for Aging Baby Boomers
It is estimated that there will be more than 72 million Americans over the age of 65 by 2030, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is nearly twice as many currently.
Meanwhile, the U.S. will need 70% more home aide jobs in the next seven years, and people are not beating down the door for these positions that pay an average of about $20,000 a year.
read more
Alabama City Told Traffic Camera Violators to Appeal to Non-Existent Court
Residents of Center Point, Alabama, who received citations as a result of a new traffic-camera system were told they could appeal their tickets in court.
But there was a catch: it turned out there was no court to hear such cases.
That’s the contention of two women, Rhonda Lashon Stubbs and Celeita Snow, who are suing the city and Redflex Traffic Systems, which was hired to install the cameras to catch speeders and other moving violations. read more
Attorney Argues Georgia Should Ignore Federal Judge in California Because State Has Gay Marriage
Inexplicably, Nazaire’s appeal to the Georgia court failed to cite Judge Wright’s extensive use of Star Trek references in characterizing Prenda’s behavior. Wright began his written ruling by quoting Spock from “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” And then his legal opinion took flight.
“Resistance is futile.” read more
New York City Police Officers Reminded to Allow Women to Bare their Breasts in Public
Holly Van Voast has been arrested at least 10 times for showing off her chest. She recently filed a federal lawsuit against the city and the department to challenge such apprehensions.
Her litigation reminded authorities that New York’s Supreme Court ruled decades ago that baring one’s chest in public— noncommercial activity—is as legal for a woman as it is for a man.
read more
Corrupt Judge Ordered to Send Photo of Herself in Handcuffs to other Judges
Her wrongdoing infuriated Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Lester Nauhaus, who ordered Melvin to pose before a photographer, in handcuffs, and send the image, along with a written apology, to all 500 members of Pennsylvania’s judiciary “who have been tarnished by your behavior,” he said.
In addition, Melvin will be confined to house arrest for three years. She also received two years of probation, and must spend three days a week working at a soup kitchen.
read more
Shorten Your Name to Make More Money
TheLadders tested 24 pairs of names, such as Steve and Stephen, Bill and William, and Sara and Sarah, and found that in all but one case those with shorter names earned higher pay (The exception was Lawrence over Larry).
Other good money-making names to go with: Tom, Bob, Marc, Dana and Cindy.
read more
Why Don’t Men Understand Women? It’s in the Eyes
The study found that men have a tougher time identifying emotions from female eyes than male eyes.
The medical data showed looking at the eyes of men activated the part of the brain known as the right amygdala (which contains fear and sadness reactions, among other things) more than when gazing into the eyes of women.
read more
Can Medical Marijuana be Used for Dogs and Cats?
Because dogs aren’t very good at inhaling smoke, the doctor primarily recommends precise applications of pot via a glycerin tincture. But he also says marijuana can be made into butter or oil and used to cook or bake a range of foods, including dog biscuits.
He strongly discourages people from blowing smoke in their pet’s face to get them high, which he calls “animal abuse.”
read more
Legal Battle for 860-Pound Emerald Continues
The rock was stored in an apparently abandoned office building in San Jose, kept under armed guard at an attorney’s office in Santa Barbara, and then transferred once again to a private vault in South El Monte. The emerald was then driven to Las Vegas, where it played a supporting role in the fall of fraudster Bernard Madoff and a shady deal between some Colombians that nearly ended in bloodshed in the desert.
read more
Marijuana Farmers’ Market Draws a Crowd Despite Federal Crackdowns
Rows of booths stuffed with produce like Pineapple Thai, Super Mango and Blue Dream belie the fact that growers and sellers risk arrest, incarceration and heavy fines for their activities.
Just last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office took action against 63 pot shops in Santa Ana. The authorities executed search warrants at two locations, filed asset forfeiture complaints against three properties where seven stores are located and sent threatening letters to 56 other parties. read more
World’s Slowest (and Oldest) Scientific Laboratory Experiment
The pitch, a derivative of tar once used for waterproofing boats, is so slow that a grand total of only eight drops have been produced since the stem of the funnel was cut in 1930. The drops fell in 1938, 1947, 1954, 1962, 1970, 1979, 1988 and 2000. Unfortunately, no one involved with the study has seen a drop in action, including Professor John Mainstone, who has run what is thought to be the world's oldest laboratory experiment since 1961. read more
Where’s Waldo? Unconscious on the Ground after being Wrongfully Punched by Bouncer
While attending the Halloween festivities, Gonzalez was accused by the event’s bouncer of being too drunk. The student insisted he was not intoxicated, and that the security guard mistook him for one of the other eight people dressed as Waldo.
Nevertheless, Gonzalez was told to leave the party, which he did.
He claims the bouncer then approached him outside the event and punched him without provocation. The blow knocked Gonzalez out and resulted in a fractured jaw, he says.
read more