Unusual News
Moving to Outer Space? Try Saturn’s Moon, Titan
If life on Earth has gotten to be a bit too much, the neighborhood near Saturn might be the place to try next.
A group of astrobiologists has calculated which planets and satellites are the next best options for supporting life outside of eart... read more
Urine-Activated Video Games (Men Only)
Giving new meaning to the phrase “streaming video,” Captive Media has produced the first “hands-free urinal videogame,” which is now being unveiled in bars and clubs in the United Kingdom. With foot-long LCD screens mounted above specially-crafted... read more
World’s Most Populous State, Bigger than All but 5 Countries, Votes to Split into 4 States
Spurred on by a powerful politician, lawmakers in Uttar Pradesh, India, want to divide the world’s most populous state into four smaller states.
With 200 million people, Uttar Pradesh is larger than all but five countries in the world. By comp... read more
Pakistani Government Threatens to Ban Use of “Jesus Christ” in Text Messages
Pakistan’s telecommunications industry is roiling over orders from the government to ban nearly 1,700 “obscene” words from text messages, 586 in Urdu and 1,109 in English.
The state-run Pakistan Telecommunications Authority ordered mobile phon... read more
Worst Federal Agency to Work For: Newcomer Ousts Usual Suspects
The results of the annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey are in and, in an upset, a newcomer, the Office of Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has taken the title of Wors... read more
Bankrupt Harrisburg PA Selling Doc Holliday’s Dentist Chair and a Vampire-Killing Kit
Broke and in need of money, Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, has decided to auction off 8,000 artifacts, most of which hearken back to the Old West.
The collection includes gloves that (maybe) belonged to Buffalo Bill; a Jesse James “d... read more
Colorado School Board Sells Advertising on Report Cards
In need of new revenues because of budget cuts, a Colorado school district has approved the printing of advertisements on student report cards.
The Jefferson County School District, west of Denver, will receive $90,000 over three years for run... read more
Study Finds Old People Worse for Environment than Young People
Baby Boomers are making it harder on the earth than Millennials in terms of contributing to global warming.
Researchers at Germany’s Max Planck Institute, led by Emilio Zagheni, using data from the United States, examined carbon dioxide emissi... read more
“Pro-Family” Group Honors Congressman Who Owes $117,000 in Child Support
Tea Party Congressman Joe Walsh (R-Illinois) is a “True Blue” family man, according to the conservative Family Research Council. Apparently, being a deadbeat dad didn’t disqualify Walsh from being so honored.
The Family Research Council, which... read more
Appeals Court Rules against FCC in Janet Jackson Super Bowl Breast Flash
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has again lost its case against CBS over the airing of Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” in 2004 during the Super Bowl halftime show.
The FCC, then headed by Republican Michael K. Powel... read more
Rand Paul Steps Up Attack on Bike Lanes
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and other Republican politicians have decided bike paths are a waste of money and want any new projects for them defunded by the federal government.
While discussing the need to repair a bridge in the northern par... read more
FBI Intervenes in Amish Beard-Cutting Dispute
Seeking to head off any further attacks of hair and beard trimming, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is looking into a heated quarrel among the Amish in Ohio that turned violent.
Sam Mullet, leader of a 120-member breakaway Amish grou... read more
Catholic Church Owns Company that Sells Pornography
Catholic officials have an embarrassment on their hands in Germany, where the country’s largest media company, Weltbild, produces pornography despite its 100% ownership by the church.
Within Weltbild’s mammoth book catalog are about 2,500 erot... read more
German Doctor, Kidnapped to France by Victim’s Father, Convicted of Manslaughter
Nearly 30 years after he committed his crime, Dieter Krombach of Germany has been convicted and sentenced in France to 15 years in prison for killing his 14-year-old stepdaughter.
Krombach’s crime drew international attention, not so much for ... read more
Louisiana Bans Using Cash for Sales of Second Hand Goods
Louisiana residents buying used goods such as clothing, furniture and household items can no longer do so with cash, under a new state law signed by Governor Bobby Jindal on July 1.
State representative Rickey Hardy, who co-authored the legisl... read more
Marines Forbidden to Roll Up Sleeves
Regardless of whether they’re deployed or what the temperature is, Marines will now have to keep their shirt sleeves rolled down.
Commandant General James Amos has declared that as of October 24, no Marine may be permitted to roll up their sle... read more