Unusual News
Invisible Mouse for Computers
Computer mouses may become a thing of the past, with the invention of an infrared system that allows a user’s hand to do all the pointing and clicking necessary on a computer. The technology, created by Pranav Mistry at MIT, tracks a person’s hand... read more
Republican Party Wins Baseball All-Star Game
National League victories in Major League Baseball’s All-Star game are always a welcome sight for Republicans running for Congress. Since 1950, all nine elections in which the Republican Party enjoyed double-digit gains in the U.S. House of Repres... read more
LA Police Train Marines to Fight “Sopranos in Turbans” in Afghanistan
Going beyond traditional methods of military training, the U.S. Marine Corps is sending its men on ride-alongs with Los Angeles police officers to learn how to apply anti-gang tactics to fighting the Taliban.
About 70 Marines, dressed in civil... read more
USDA Study Estimates Weight Loss if Sugar Drinks are Taxed
By taxing soft drinks and other sugar-filled beverages, the government could help Americans lose weight and reduce the growing problem of obesity, says a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Sodas, sports beverages and energy dr... read more
Flying Car One Step Closer to Market
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a plane! It’s … a car? It’s the Terrafugia Transition!
The world’s first flying car, or driving plane, depending on how you look at it, may soon be available for purchase, and at a cost of only $194,000.
Massachus... read more
Teenagers Do Better if School Starts Later
Teenagers don’t do mornings, a fact that most parents already know. But a study of high school students in Rhode Island found that by starting school a mere 30 minutes later, teenagers were in better moods and more likely to attend class.
The ... read more
World War II Veteran’s 65-Year Battle for Benefits
The 10 months that Marty Redding Jr. spent fighting the Germans during World War II was nothing compared to the battle the Florida resident has fought over seven decades with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Despite a VA doctor’s diagnosis ... read more
All Puerto Ricans to be Issued New Birth Certificates
Fraudulent birth certificates have become such a problem in Puerto Rico that government officials have taken the drastic step of invalidating all such documents issued before July 1 of this year. The 4 million residents of the island, plus the 1.2... read more
Widow Claims David Carradine Died Because of Insufficient Coddling by Film Crew
Had actor David Carradine received more attention from his personal assistant, he never would have resorted to a dangerous autoerotic act that took his life, alleges his wife in a lawsuit. Anne Carradine is suing MK2 Productions, the film company ... read more
Barely Half of U.S. Governors were Born in State They Represented
Being born in one’s state is not a requirement to serve as governor, which is a good thing for California, Arizona and Idaho because of their history of electing outsiders. In fact, fewer than half of all states have elected the majority of their ... read more
California City Lays off All Employees, Outsources All Services
Maywood, a small working-class town in Los Angeles County that’s been no stranger to controversy, has outdone its stormy past. Facing a significant budget gap and loss of insurance, Maywood’s city council has decided to lay off all 100 of its empl... read more
Grade Inflation in Law Schools Borders on Ridiculous
To help make their graduates more attractive in a highly-competitive job market, and protect their own reputations, law schools across the country are inflating their grading systems. Schools taking this approach include Loyola Law School in Los A... read more
One Penny Mistake Keeps Florida Candidate from Qualifying for Ballot
Republican Neil Combee, a former county commissioner, really wanted to run for the Florida Legislature and challenge Kelli Stargel, the GOP incumbent in the District 64 House seat. But last Friday, when the deadline passed for getting on the prima... read more
Vatican Paper Endorses Blues Brothers as Catholic Film
What’s not to like, says the Catholic Church’s semi-official newspaper about the cult comedy film The Blues Brothers. With the movie’s 30th anniversary coming up, L'Osservatore Romano decided to devote a full-page story endorsing The Blues Brother... read more
80 Dolphins Work Classified Missions for U.S. Navy
Dolphins have become a regular part of the U.S. Navy’s defense and counterterrorism efforts, both in the United States and abroad. The Navy has deployed 80 specially-trained dolphins (and sea lions) on missions in the Persian Gulf, the Mediterrane... read more
Four-Day School Weeks Growing in Popularity
A measure to cut costs for school districts is proving to have unexpected benefits for students. More than 120 districts across the United States are currently experimenting with four-day school weeks, brought about by shrinking budgets that force... read more