Unusual News
49% of Republicans Think Non-Existent Group Stole Presidential Election for Obama
Following this year’s election, Public Policy Polling (PPP) asked voters if the controversial group ACORN stole the election from Mitt Romney. Among Republicans, 49% said “yes.”
What’s most remarkable about this opinion is that ACORN, which stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, filed for bankruptcy and disbanded in 2010 after GOP lawmakers in the U.S. House voted to end all federal support for the group.
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Military Dolphins Get Walking Papers as Drones Take Their Jobs
The Navy is developing an underwater drone shaped like a torpedo that can do many of the same tasks performed by dolphins. Once available, the drones can be built in much less time that it takes to train mammals, about seven years.
By 2017, many of the Navy’s 80 dolphins will be reassigned to other jobs.
Sea lion jobs are safe for now.
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Newly Discovered Photos of Einstein’s Brain Provide Insights
“Einstein's brain differs from the average human brain,” Falk told NPR. “In various parts, it’s more convoluted. It’s bumpier, and that may be related to an increase in the neurons.”
Einstein’s brain was only average in size. But several regions featured more convolutions and folds than normal. For instance, Einstein’s prefrontal cortex, which facilitates planning, focus and perseverance—was greatly expanded, compared to other brains.
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New York City Celebrates Unprecedented Day without Violent Crime
The NYPD was surprised because officials couldn’t remember the last time that the city didn’t record at least one violent crime on a given day. The city’s violence-free streak ended after 37 hours when a man was shot in Brooklyn at 11:20 Tuesday morning. read more
Higher Education: California University Launches First Academic Marijuana Research Institute
At an October gathering, Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey, District Attorney Paul Gallegos, two county supervisors and a state Department of Fish and Game biologist talked about the environmental impacts of marijuana production, and possible policy changes.
Future lecture subjects include an examination of Dutch drug policy and the impacts of legalization on local economies.
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Idaho State Senator Believes Romney May Take Office as President in January
The idea is based on a misinterpretation of the 12th Amendment.
The amendment states that when no candidate receives a majority in the Electoral College, the decision moves to the House, where each state would have one vote and a quorum of two-thirds of the states would be required.
The two-thirds reference in the 12th Amendment is a reference not to the Electoral College but rather to the establishment of a quorum in the House of Representatives. read more
India Indicts Man Who Discovers that “Crying” Jesus Miracle was caused by a Leaky Pipe
Edamaruku, who is known for explaining away religious myths, spoiled the religious excitement by declaring the water was coming from a leaky pipe in the wall behind the statue.
The remark got Edamaruku indicted on charges of violating India’s blasphemy law, which can result in a three-year prison sentence. This, coupled with death threats, prompted him to seek exile in Finland.
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Potential Robot Assault on the Human Race to be Studied by Cambridge Group
Three experts from the fields of philosophy, science and computer engineering have come together in the United Kingdom to study the possible threat that robots may pose for the human race.
“At some point, this century or next, we may well be facing one of the major shifts in human history–perhaps even cosmic history–when intelligence escapes the constraints of biology,” Huw Price said. read more
Tolkien Family Sues Warner Brothers over Creation of Lord of the Rings Casino Game
Tolkien’s estate claims the studio and the film’s producers, Saul Zaentz Co., exceeded their merchandising rights in using the movies’ character for a gambling enterprise. The Tolkiens also contend that their father, who was a devout Catholic, never would have approved using his creations in slot machines. read more
Classified Police Documents End Up as Thanksgiving Parade Confetti
Among the sprinkling of paper bits were long narrow strips containing information from local police reports. The strips were large enough for parade attendees to spot social security numbers, dates of birth and other details of detectives, as well as the emblem for the Nassau County police department. read more
Drivers in Republican-Leaning States more likely to Die in Accidents than those in Democratic States
“Some observers offered the possible explanation that blue states tend to adopt stronger safety laws, while red states opt for looser regulation, presumably leading to more fatalities.” But, Silverstein added, “the sweeping generalization doesn’t hold up under scrutiny,” noting that both red and blue states have adopted seat-belt laws for motorists. Another proposed explanation is that Republican-leaning states are more rural, so their citizens tend to drive more miles. read more
First Hindu Elected to U.S. Congress
Members of religious minorities began serving in Congress in 1845, when Lewis Charles Levin, the first Jewish member of Congress, arrived to represent Pennsylvania in the House. Only six years later, the first Mormon in Congress, John Milton Bernhisel, began representing the Utah Territory. California Democrat Dalip Singh Saund was the first and only Sikh to serve in Congress, starting in 1957. The first Muslim, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota), was elected in 2006. read more
Texas Leads States Petitioning to Secede; Georgia and Louisiana Follow
A petition on a White House website (“We the People”) calling for Texas to withdraw from the United States and create its own new government had collected more than 94,000 signatures as of November 14.
A similar petition advocating for Louisiana to go its own way had collected more than 32,000 supporters, while three petitions (two in upper-case and one in lower-case) seeking Georgia’s withdrawal from the union had gathered combined signatures of more than 42,000. read more
Below the Radar, a Good Year for Independent and Third-Party Senate Candidates
The highest profile race won by an independent was in Maine, where former two-term governor Angus King easily won his state’s open Senate seat with nearly 53% of the vote.
Another independent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, posted an even more impressive total, claiming 70% of the vote in winning his second term.
In Nevada 4.5% voted for “None of the above” in this year’s Senate race, the highest percentage gained by that option since it was made available in 1976.
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Charles Darwin Earns 4,000 Votes in Georgia Congressional Race; Virginia Cat Wins 6,000
“All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell,” Broun said. “And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior.” Broun further expressed his belief that the earth is only 9,000 years old, an opinion contradicted by both geology and archaeology, which have dated untold numbers of rocks and human-made objects as being millions of years old. read more
Kentucky City Council Candidate Misses Victory because Wife, after Working Overtime, Didn’t Vote
Katie McDonald wanted to vote, but between working nights at Christ Hospital as a patient care assistant, going to school at a local college and raising three kids, she just couldn’t find the time to get to the polling place. In Kentucky early voting is only allowed if a voter presents a valid excuse for being unavailable on Election Day. Unfortunately for the McDonalds, being a working mother who goes to school is not one of them. read more