Unusual News
PleaseRobMe.com Uses Twitter to Tell When People Aren’t Home
The creators of PleaseRobMe.com really aren’t out to steal from people, they insist. Rather, they want to educate people about the dangers of posting too much information on social networking sites before they become victims of unscrupulous types.... read more
Scots and Germans Battle to Produce World’s Strongest Beer
Scottish brewery BrewDog will not be outdone when it comes to producing the world’s most alcoholic beer. Last year, the company put out “Tactical Nuclear Penguin,” a beer with 32% alcohol content. But then a German rival, Schorschbrau, started sel... read more
Organized Crime and Gang Bus Tours in Los Angeles and New York
Driven either by community activism or the desire for tourist dollars, new bus tours have sprung up in Los Angeles and New York City to show people where gang, and gangster, life has existed.
In the City of Angels, L.A. Gang Tours has begun ... read more
Virginia Legislature Bans Microchip Implants as “Mark of The Beast”
Requiring individuals to have medical implants placed under their skin isn’t just a potential violation of someone’s civil rights—it’s downright satanic. Republican Mark Cole, a member of Virginia’s House of Delegates, is sponsoring legislation th... read more
In Congress, Where There’s a Cause, There’s a Caucus
Contrary to popular belief, bipartisanship is not dead in Congress—it’s just been relegated to the less prominent echelons of political commingling. In a political body where the number of lawmakers totals 535, Congress somehow has organized appro... read more
10 Members of Congress and Their Tweets
Even members of Congress are not above the navel gazing so many Americans express through their postings on Twitter. Amelia Hassani at OhMyGov! tracked over a period of several months all the U.S. senators and representatives who tweet and then co... read more
Frisbee Inventor Walter Frederick Morrison Dies at 90
He may not be the original discoverer of the flying disc, but Walter Frederick “Fred” Morrison will undoubtedly go down in history for his achievement. In the late 1950s, fledgling toy manufacturer Wham-O began selling the Frisbee, a simple plasti... read more
To Help the Environment, Call it an “Offset” Not a “Tax”
Would a tax by any other name smell the same to Americans? That’s what psychological researchers at Columbia University wanted to find out when they asked 898 taxpayers about hypothetical plans to help the environment by taxing products that spew ... read more
From Bank Robber to Supreme Court Practitioner
It wasn’t until he was thrown into prison for armed robbery that Shon R. Hopwood found his calling in life. While serving a 10-year sentence for holding up banks in rural Nebraska, Johnson spent time in the prison law library, where he studied pro... read more
Pentagon Plans to Create Immortal “Synthetic Organisms”
Take the Fountain of Youth, throw in some Blade Runner and you have the Department of Defense’s latest futuristic concept for warfare. Known as “BioDesign,” the program by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) seeks to create “synt... read more
South Carolina Now Requires Terrorists to Register, Pay $5 Fee
There’s pay-to-play, referring to the money-driven nature of our political system, and now there’s pay-to-overthrow, thanks to a new law on the books in South Carolina. Whether it’s al-Qaeda, Hamas, or even an American fascist group, all terrorist... read more
Last Member of an Ancient Tribe Dies…and a Language is Lost
When Boa Sr, the last remaining member of the Bo tribe on the Andaman Islands, died last week, she took with her an ancient language. The 85-year-old woman was the oldest of all the Great Andamanese people, who now number 52. But she was the only ... read more
Naples Pizza Celebrates Food Heritage Status in Europe
After a 25-year struggle, pizza makers in Naples, Italy, have won their fight to be included on the European Union’s list of protected foods. From now on, Naples-style pizza can only be served in restaurants that have received the TSG (Traditional... read more
Iran Launches Rat and Worms into Space
While not exactly a Sputnik moment, Iran’s launching of a rocket into space this week nonetheless prompted similar worries for U.S. officials who shuddered at the Soviet entry into the space race back in the 1950s. With the launching of its 10-foo... read more
Pagans Given Worship Site at Air Force Academy
As part of its effort to make the school more tolerant of different beliefs, the U.S. Air Force Academy has agreed to recognize an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers. The academy superintendent, Lie... read more
Google Street View Captures Crime in Action
Authorities in Canada have been reluctant to embrace Google’s street-view cameras, out of concern over privacy rights violations. But law enforcement in Vancouver was aided last year by the cameras when one of them captured a property owner illega... read more