Pocket Calculator Show + July Postings Reprised

   1. Pocket Calculator Show
      < http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/ >
   Purpose: "to collect and celebrate personal memories of all integrated circuit-
   based consumer products from the electronics revolution of the 1970s and 1980s"

   Sections:
   * Nerd Watch
      < http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/nerdwatch/ >
   * Boombox
      < http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/boombox/ >
   * Walkman
      < http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/walkman/ >
   * Calculator
      < http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/calculator/ >
   * Magical Gadget (unusual items/novelties)
      < http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/magicalgadget/ >


   2. July Postings Reprised

   [New Taste-Bud Treats]
   * "Horse flavoured ice cream?"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1031371.html >
   "Garlic, potato and lettuce, and cactus and seaweed along with raw horse-flesh
    are now available in Japan's shops"

   [Animal Intruders]
   * "Two cows recaptured after wandering through beer tent at NS lobster festival"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/07/26/557975-cp.html >
   * "Wild boar killed after wandering near South Korean presidential office"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/07/12/536306-ap.html >
   "A wild boar that appeared near South Korea's presidential office complex led
    about 90 people on a 12-hour chase through the capital before it was downed
    by tranquillizer darts"

   [Money For Nothing - Error In Your Favour]
   * "Swiss man is made millionaire by mistake"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1036747.html >
   "A Swiss man was made a millionaire overnight after public finance officials
    transferred more than £2.5m to his account by mistake"

   [Some Things That Are Good For You]
   * "Coffee is 'health drink' says Italian"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3540729.stm >
   * "A choc a day can keep your baby's stress away"
      < http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=79&art_id=vn20040408080421670C206315 >
   ""The babies born to women who had been eating chocolate daily during
    pregnancy were more active and 'positively reactive' "

   [Sorry To Barge In (Not)]
   * "Vandals crash bulldozer into Gibbs High School classroom"
      < http://www.wtsp.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=9220 >
   "Police say four teens broke into a construction area and cranked up a
    bulldozer Saturday night. It smashed into a portable building causing extreme damage"

Sorry To Barge In (Not)

   1. "Impatient husband crashes car into store"
      < http://www.local10.com/news/3405054/detail.html >
   "Police say impatience may have led an elderly man to crash his car through
    the front of a store in southwest Miami"

   2. "Man crashes into restaurant"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_977450.html >
   "A German man crashed his car into a Greek restaurant - then sat down to
    have his meal there"

   3. "Man discovers car in bedroom"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1120610.htm >
   "A Devonport man was greeted with an unexpected sight returning home from
    work early this morning with an abandoned car parked in his bedroom"

   4. "It's 'The Sixth Fence'"
      < http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/137600p-122308c.html >
   "A careening car smashed into his Queens home yesterday - for the sixth time
    in the last two decades"

   5. "Car crashes into roof of Marlborough home"
      < http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=72435 >
   "'I came (around) the house to the street, I saw nothing until I turned
    around,' said Penney. 'Then I saw a car in the middle of my roof.'"

   6. "Cement truck lands in Raleigh front yard"
      < http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/news/062204_NW_cementtruck.html >
   "They heard a loud boom, opened the front door and saw something unusual in
    their front yard"

   7. "Japanese tourists hurt as bus shears roof on bridge"
      < http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20040617a4.htm >
   "The bus was too tall for the bridge"

   8. "Man crashes SUV into Fort Lauderdale Airport"
      < http://www.local10.com/news/3492009/detail.html >
   "investigators didn't know why he drove his 1998 Lincoln Navigator into the
    Terminal 3 building shortly before 10 a.m."

DHTML Lemmings

   DHTML Lemmings
      < http://193.151.73.87/games/lemmings/index.html >

   An impressive version of Lemmings, written using JavaScript and HTML.

   Try it before it disappears for copyright reasons. Read the latest regarding
   the dispute:
      < http://www.xs4all.nl/~crisp/lemmings/lemmings.html>

   The developer is redoing it using pumpkin-heads instead of lemmings.

Some Things That Are Good For You

   1. Playing games
   a. "Video games 'good for you'"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_785687.html >
   "The study found that 'shoot-em-up' style games that feature enemies that
    pop out of nowhere sharply improve attention skills"
   b. "Video game skills may give edge in life"
      < http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635268977.html >
   "Researchers are finding players can make sharper soldiers, drivers and
    surgeons"
   c. "Games at work may be good for you"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3247595.stm >
   "Playing simple computer games at the office could improve productivity
    and job satisfaction"

   2. "Even fake laughter is good medicine"
      < http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/31/1048962698891.html >
   "'Forced laughter is a powerful, readily available and cost-free way for
    many adults to regularly boost their mood and psychological wellbeing'"

   3. "Scientists say singing boosts immune system"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1027519.htm >
   "They found that concentrations of immunoglobin A - proteins in the immune
    system which function as antibodies - and hydrocortisone, an anti-stress
    hormone, increased significantly during the rehearsal"

   4. "Sleep may help restore memories"
      < http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/2/2003/10/08/story006.html >
   "[S]leep can rescue memories in a biological process of storing and
    consolidating them deep in the brain's complex circuitry"

   5. "Mediterranean diet 'extends life'"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3173077.stm >
   "Drinking red wine and cooking with olive oil may help us to live longer,
    say scientists"

   6. Chocolate
   a. "Cup of cocoa may keep doctor away"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3248455.stm >
   "This latest study suggests cocoa may be richer in antioxidants than better
    known 'healthy' drinks like tea and red wine"
   b. "Dark chocolate boosts antioxidant levels"
      < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994101 >
   "Eating chocolate can boost the level of heart-protecting antioxidants in the
    blood, but consuming milk at the same time cancels the potential health
    benefits"

   7. "Caffeine may protect muscles from exercise pain"
      < http://www.local6.com/health/2485866/detail.html >
   "University of Georgia researchers found that caffeine reduced thigh muscle
    pain during cycling exercise"

   8. "Going for a pint could be good for the mind"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_835858.html >
   "Researchers from University College, London, found that while a drink with
    your friends may be bad for your waistline, it could be good for your mind"

   9. "Guinness 'can reduce risk of heart attacks'"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_838120.html >
   "The researchers say it works as well as aspirin in preventing blood clots
    that can lead to heart attacks"

   10. "Cinnamon spice produces healthier blood"
      < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994413 >
   "Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar
    levels in diabetics"

Not the Nine O'Clock News II

   1. "Klansman turns pink; Queer Eye for the KKK Guy?"
      < http://www.glossynews.com/artman/publish/kkk-746.shtml >
   "'They say it happened because I didn't separate my whites from my coloreds,'
    said Arnie. 'That just goes to show you segregation is the way of the Lord.
    In laundry and also in life.'"

   2. "Atkins diet fanatics assault Cookie Monster"
      < http://www.thefakenews.com/cookiemonster61604.html >
   "The relative calm of Sesame Street has been shattered as carb-loving Cookie
    Monster has been attacked three times this month by devoted converts to the
    Atkins diet"

   3. "USPS sues internet users"
      < http://bbspot.com/News/2003/10/usps.html >
   "The United States Postal Service surprised citizens and lawmakers today by
    filing thousands of lawsuits against netizens with active e-mail addresses.
    Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the use of e-mail violates the
    government-approved monopoly  the USPS currently enjoys"

   4. "Dell patents 'Reboot and See If That Fixes It' technical support process"
      < http://bbspot.com/News/2003/08/dell_tech_support.html >
   "Dell  explained that this patent gives them an edge over competitors who
    will have to find another way to help customers, or be forced to pay Dell
    royalties"

   5. "48-hour Internet outage plunges nation into productivity"
      < http://dotnetjunkies.com/WebLog/darrell.norton/archive/2003/10/01/1972.aspx >
   "An Internet worm that disabled networks across the U.S. Monday and Tuesday
    temporarily thrust the nation into its most severe maelstrom of productivity
    since 1992"

   6. "U.S. to invade Luxembourg"
      < http://www.keepmedia.com/ShowItemDetails.do?item_id=321306&extID=10026 >
   "'We've tolerated the insults of that pipsqueak country for too long,' Bush
    reportedly told the Joint Chiefs of Staff at a top-secret White House meeting.
    'It's time to send in the 101st Airborne.'"

   7. "In surprise move, AARP backs Logan's run-style euthanasia program"
      < http://brokennewz.com/displaystory.asp_Q_storyid_E_649loganaarp >
   "Drawing ire from traditional Democratic allies and members of their own
    constituency, leaders of the AARP endorsed a plan being debated in the Senate
    to have every American citizen fitted with an age-determining crystal, the kind
    used in the 1976 sci-fi cult classic Logan's Run"

   8. "Top 11 unlikely tech headlines"
      < http://bbspot.com/News/2004/07/top_11_unlikely_headlines.html >

It's Never Too Late To Start ...

   1. "93-year-old bachelor finally marries"
      < http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9949887^13762,00.html >
   "After years of waiting for the right woman, a 93-year-old bachelor in remote
    north-eastern India pronounced himself a happy man this week after wedding
    his 63-year-old landlady"

   2. "94-year-old peer passes driving test"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3084177.stm >
   "At 94-years-old, Lord Renton has become one of the oldest people in Britain
    to pass the driving test for the first time"

   3. "Kenyan grandad joins primary school at 84"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1024980.htm >
   "An 84-year-old Kenyan grandfather has joined primary school to learn to read
    after the government introduced free primary education last year"

   4. "Man, 87, takes on university degree"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1025017.html >
   "An 87-year-old man is starting a degree in Ecological and Environment
    Protection at a university in Romania"

   5. "Woman earns diploma at age 90"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/05/26/473320-ap.html >
   "So after outliving three husbands and letting seven decades pass since her
    last high school class, Babson decided a few years ago it was time to go back
    to school"

   6. "Pensioner, 91, called up for army"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_853111.html >
   "Army spokesman Colonel Alexander Barthou said the letter had been supposed
    to go to an 18-year-old, also from Bad Ischl, with the same name"

   7. "Grandmother trading baking cookies for combat"
      < http://www.politicalpuzzle.org/archives/000234.php >
   "56-year-old reservist being called to active duty for first time"

   8. "101-year-old man parachutes into record books"
      < http://www.wftv.com/news/3424706/detail.html >
   "A 101-year-old man is believed to be the world's oldest skydiver after he
    accepted a dare from friends and jumped out of an airplane Wednesday at
    nearly 10,000 feet"

Money For Nothing - Error In Your Favour

   1. "Oops-Bank hands woman $48.7 million check"
      < http://www.odili.net/news/source/2003/aug/8/65.html >
   "A Florida woman thought she was getting a certified check for $85 but her
    bank mistakenly made it out for more than $48.7 million"

   2. "Bank error only buys trouble"
      < http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-15/1086880613103820.xml >
   "As a result of keystroke blunder at a Grand Rapids bank, Harris was
    accidentally credited with an extra $60,000 when he deposited $487.04"
   "Harris is on trial in federal court in Kalamazoo. Prosecutors accuse him
    of taking advantage of the mistake, burning through $51,000 in one day"

   3. "Couple spent £24,550 in six days"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/3901593.stm >
   "A council will fight to retrieve £24,550 it accidentally deposited into a
    couple's bank account"

   4. "Job centre pays out millions to unemployed woman"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_924386.html >
   "The office mistakenly transferred £246 million instead of £24 into her
    bank account"

   5. "Woman says taxman won't stop giving her money"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_811103.html >
   "The Inland Revenue wants to pay a woman over £5,000 in Family Tax Credit
    back-pay, even though she doesn't have children"

   6. "Cash machine gives out free cash"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_934577.html >
   "Hundreds of shoppers cashed in when a hole-in-the-wall gave out £20 notes
    instead of tenners"

   7. "Casino tries to fix $1.4 million mistake  [free registration]"
      < http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/7267642.htm?1c >
   "The Sands has sued the Palo Alto man for keeping more than $1.4 million the
    casino says it wired to him by mistake"

   8. "Melbourne Cup punter wins $2.6m in trifecta error"
      < http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/13/1068329665392.html >
   "A punter collected $2.6 million after a TAB operator incorrectly entered
    his trifecta bet on the Melbourne Cup"

Perfect Formulas

   1. "A formula for the perfect movie?"
      < http://movies.go.com/news/2003/5/movieformula051303.html >
   "According to Clayton, the blueprint for the perfect film is for it to have
    30 percent action, 17 percent comedy, 13 percent good versus evil, 12 percent
    sex and romance, 10 percent special effects, 10 percent plot, and 8 percent
    music"
      "Professor explores science of scary films"
      < http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/31/scary.movies.ap/index.html >
   "[C]ommunications professor Greg M. Smith says the best scary movies simply set
    an ominous mood, spread out the bad stuff and let the audience scare themselves"

   2. "A + N x D = perfect family Christmas?"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3240710.stm >
   "Mr Eldridge claims the formula will help families choose the perfect game,
    which, in turn, will lead to the perfect stress-free Christmas ...
    0.22a + 0.17f + 0.153n + (0.12c - 0.1g) + 0.1s + 0.09e + 0.06d + 0.054l
    + 0.05m + 0.011c = pfg"

   3. "Scientists devise perfect joke formula"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_987661.html >
   "The mathematical equation for the perfect joke has been revealed by scientists
    ... c=(m+nO)/p"

   4. "Scientists have maths formula for perfect beach"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_783469.html >
   "Experts from Wales, Turkey and Malta came up with
    D=(-2xA12) + (1+A23) + (1xA34) + (2xA45) divided by AT"

   5. "'Perfect sandcastle' formula unveiled"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_969918.html >
   "It's OW0.125 x s - or one part water to eight parts sand"

   6. "Boffins build the perfect snowman"
      < http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,5868387%5E13762,00.html >
   "After decades of research and development, members of the department have
    worked out 10 surefire steps for creating the perfect snowman"

   7. "Formula for perfect-tasting strawberries and cream"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_995454.html >
   "Experts from Nottingham University found that to get the best flavour from a
    portion of seven strawberries - about 210 grams - they should be served with
    105 grams of cream"

   8. "Using math to find the best movie seat"
      < http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040701-035056-9664r.htm >
   "A Canadian math professor says give him the numbers and he can tell you
    where's the best seat in the movie house, with a little calculus and geometry"

   9. "Formula for the Perfect Parallel Park"
      < http://exn.ca/Stories/2003/05/07/51.asp >
   "Max ((r + w/2)2 + f2, (r + w/2)2 + b2) ? min (4r2, (r + w/2 + k)2)"

   10. "Formula for the perfect formula"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3794419.stm >
   "However mundane a task you are trying to perform, whether it's watering the
    garden or ironing a shirt, someone somewhere will probably have worked out a
    formula for doing it more effectively"

Animal Intruders

   1. "Wild boar spotted in supermarket"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/gloucestershire/3375611.stm >
   "A wild boar is on the loose in a Gloucestershire town after being spotted
    wandering into a supermarket"

   2. "Goat in bank"
      < http://www.kark.com/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=911 >
   "[H]e broke in, charging the glass doors at the Bank of America on Broadway"

   3. "Deer breaks into Conn. beauty salon"
      < http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040625/D83E8TIO1.html >
   "An intruder at a local business turned out to be as destructive as a bull
    in a china shop because it was a deer in a beauty salon"

   4. "Bear takes over police station"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_781809.html >
   "Police in Belarus locked themselves into a patrol car for hours after a
    1,000lb bear took over their police station"

   5. "Bear wanders through Japanese hospital - twice"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/16/1065917545826.html >
   "A hungry 100-kilogram wild bear wandered into a hospital in northern Japan,
    terrifying a patient, and then escaped through a glass emergency exit in
    panic, only to return later"

   6. "Bear and cub breach security at Russian nuclear site"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200308/s929266.htm >
   "A female bear and her cub have caused a major security breach after they
    walked into a top-secret nuclear research site in southern Russia"

   7. "Rooster 'keeps coming back to chicken restaurant'"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1008482.html >
   "A rooster in America has found a new home that he keeps returning to - the
    foyer of a takeaway chicken restaurant"

   8. "Stowaway cat attacks pilot"
      < http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,8928125,00.html >
   "A Bangladeshi pilot needed first aid after a stowaway cat got into the
    cockpit of his aircraft and attacked him"

   9. "Hunter called as piggish guest found to be terrible boar"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1057490.htm >
   "[T]he beast rammed through the bolted front door of an apartment bloc and
    stormed up to the sixth floor"

   10. "Rats, the bats had taken over the flat"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/28/1062050594466.html >
   "A Czech woman is looking for a new home after hundreds of bats moved into
    her flat while she went on holiday"

   11. "Has anyone seen Alfred Hitchcock lately?"
      < http://www.bmoviecentral.com/bmoviecentral/blog/index.php?p=450 >
   "The winged pests [pigeons] are not just nesting on the balcony of her
    Gloucester flat - they've now started to fly indoors"

   12. "Piggy in the middle "
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/2929769.stm >
   "A football match in Austria was brought to a standstill when a piglet ran on
    to the pitch"

Creative Court Sentences

   1. "Judge sentences lawbreakers to ... tai chi"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200308/s918809.htm >
   "Sante Fe judge, Frances Gallegos, says traditional anger management courses
    were not working so she allows young, violent offenders to take meditation
    classes as part of an alternative sentencing program"

   2. "Why a US judge sentenced man to yoga class"
      < http://www.despardes.com/lifestyle/jan04/JUDJE-SENTENCES-YOGA-JAN25.htm >
   "Judge Larry Standley is known for his creative sentences. In a recent case,
    Standley ordered a man convicted of slapping his wife to take a yoga class as
    part of his one-year probation"

   3. "Boy sentenced to visit library"
      < http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/09/1065676097021.html >
   "A court of appeals in central Turkey has upheld a sentence handed out to a
    15-year-old boy that he go to a library three times a week for having stabbed
    another boy in the arm three years ago"

   4. "Defendant sentenced to read 'To Kill a Mockingbird'"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/07/21/141863-ap.html >
   "Judge Juan Sanchez gave William Fowlkes, 46, of West Chester, his own copy
    of Harper Lee's classic novel and instructed him to read it and write an essay
    about how his 'disgusting' behavior relates to the book"

   5. "Rap fan forced to listen to Verdi"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_863002.html >
   "A US man has been ordered to listen to Verdi's La Traviata after playing
    50 Cent's music too loud in his car"

   6. "Judge orders speeding teenagers to do 50 press-ups"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_740683.html >
   "A District Judge in Kentucky has ordered two teenagers to do 50 press-ups
    after they appeared before him on speeding charges"

   7. "Judge sentences man to jump out of plane as punishment for crime"
      < http://www.wftv.com/news/3034324/detail.html >
   "A judge has ordered a former city employee in Buffalo, New York, to jump out
    of an airplane for misusing public funds"

Special Numbers For Sale

   1. "Mobile number on sale for $19,000"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1136458.htm >
   "A mobile telephone number in Bahrain has become the most expensive in the
    history of the local market, on sale for 5,000 dinars (about $AUD19,000)
    for no reason other than aesthetics".  Example: #9111119

   2. "Man buys lucky phone number for $US1.1m"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1086581.htm >
   "An online buyer has paid $US1.1 million for a cell phone number on a Chinese
    auction site ... the number 135 8585 8585"

   3. "China's 'lucky' phone number"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3163951.stm >
   "It may be lucky for some, but is the telephone number 8888 8888 really worth
    paying 2.33m yuan ($280,000) for?"

   4. "Hong Kong - Peoples auctions lucky phone number"
      < http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1999_Oct_11/ai_56228638 >
   "The lucky numbers begin on auction all include the numbers 9xxx 8888. In
    numerically-minded Chinese culture, the number 8 signifies 'get rich,' and
    four 8's is about as lucky as you can get."

   5. "At Thai auction, 'lucky' licence plates cost as much as cars"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/08/11/158593-ap.html >
   "Thailand's first auction of 'lucky' licence plates drew about a thousand
    bidders Monday, with the high bid - worth about $131,500 Cdn - going for
    number 9999"

   6. "Lucky Rhode Islanders win low-number plates: State holds license plate lottery"
      < http://www.click10.com/automotive/2591961/detail.html >
   "More than 3,000 people entered for a chance at 25 plates"

   7. "Mayor watches his plate go at auction"
      < http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-gov/2004/may/13/516849144.html >
   "License plate LV001 was the last to be bid on -- and the most desired --
    at the Centennial License Plate Auction, where license plates LV001 through
    LV100 were available through silent and live auction to benefit the
    celebration of Las Vegas' 100th birthday throughout 2005"

   8. "Nobody wants to live at numbers 69 or 666 in Chile"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_835061.html >

New Taste-Bud Treats

   1. "Beer ice cream goes on sale"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/2958702.stm >
   "The distinctive taste of Newcastle Brown Ale has become the latest ice cream
    flavour from a family-run Northumberland dairy"

   2. "Firm sells out of Turkey & Gravy flavour fizzy drink"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_853501.html >

   3. "Cheesecake Kit Kat? Give us a break"
      < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/02/19/nkit19.xml >
   "Sales of Kit Kat, Britain's most popular chocolate bar, have plummeted so far
    that the manufacturer is contemplating lemon cheesecake, liquorice and even
    curry flavoured versions"

   4. "Bananas are not the only fruit"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3856021.stm >
   "One leading seller is testing the idea of fruit flavoured versions in an
    effort to make bananas more appealing"

   5. "Chilean firm says new mushroom tastes like meat"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_856202.html >

   6. "Fancy a coffee-flavoured steak?"
      < http://www.tiscali.co.uk/news/newswire.php/news/reuters/2004/01/14/odd/
          fancyacoffee-flavouredsteak.html >
   "Rippe?s, a local waterfront steak and seafood restaurant, began serving filet
    mignon steaks dusted with Starbucks?s dark espresso blend a few weeks ago and
    now has a runaway hit on its hands"

   7. "Restaurant keeps brain sandwiches on menu"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/01/16/314348-ap.html >
   "Fear of mad cow disease hasn't kept Cecelia Coan from eating her beloved
    deep-fried cow-brain sandwiches"

   8. "Pork choc on the menu in Ukraine"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3825221.stm >
   "For the equivalent of 1 pound you can now get four small sticks of salo
    covered in chocolate at Kiev's poshest Ukrainian restaurant"

   9. "Brits' nouveau cuisine: the deep-fried chocolate sandwich"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1074038.htm >

Showbiz Animals

   1. "Pig to appear in opera"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_960277.html >
   "A German pot-bellied pig called Berta has passed an audition to star in an
    opera"

   2. "Saving his bacon"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/28/1088392607753.html >
   "A dancing pig named Don Rash has gone missing just days before he was due to
    record a television advertisement"

   3. "Dogs take to the catwalk in Tokyo fashion show"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_789805.html >
   "Poodles, dachshunds and Chihuahuas have strutted down the catwalk at a fashion
    show organised by a Tokyo department store"

   4. "Beauty contest for camels"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/11/16/259763-ap.html >
   "The beauty competition in the Inner Mongolia region attracted nearly 100
    dressed-up camels 'as well as more than 2,000 fans'"

   5. "Beauty contest for goats"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1004457.html >
   "Dozens of farmers from across the country entered their prize goats in the
    event at the village of St. Vincenat in western Croatia"

   6. "Dinky the singing dingo is a howling success"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1034156.htm >
   "In central Australia, a singing, piano playing dingo is set to stump trivia
    lovers around the world"

   7. "Dog breath bragging rights"
      < http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/06/05/loc_pulfer05.html >
   "On the one hand, a Greater Cincinnati resident is about to compete for a
    national award. On the other hand, he's competing for the title of Worst Dog
    Breath in America"

   8. "Show judges dog with a face for politics"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200309/s954370.htm >
   "A dog show in the southern highlands of New South Wales is attracting
    interest over it's 'politics' category"

   9. "Dog soccer drawing card for canine expo"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200304/s842190.htm >
   "Dog breeders are hoping to draw bigger crowds to their annual international
    fair in Germany next month with canine football matches"

   10. "Olympian rats challenge for Xtreme honour"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_844522.html >
   "Twenty-one white rats have competed in the 19th annual Xtreme Rat Challenge"

   11. "Taking life at a snail's pace in Spain"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200308/s930732.htm >
   "Residents in the central northern Spanish village of Tricio were taking life
    at a snail's pace on Saturday local time, by organising a race involving 37
    of the ponderous and slimy creatures"

   (a John West post)

Modern Trends in Body Art + On-line exhibits of Body Art through History

   A. Modern Trends in Body Art

   1. "Tattoos are, like, totally boring"
      < http://www.newyorkish.com/newyorkish/2004/01/tattoos_are_lik.html >
   "A few years ago, you went out and got a tattoo or piercing. Sure, it looked
    cool and edgy at the time - but now? ... This much is clear: if you want to
    create a little attention in the 21st century, you're going to have to do a
    lot better than that"

   2. "Report: Local teens branding bodies, running health risks"
      < http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2900131/detail.html >
   "She was branded, using a coat hanger, a blowtorch and seconds of pain"

   3. "Jewellery that puts a twinkle in your eye"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1083620.htm >
   "The latest fashion trend to hit the Netherlands is eyeball jewellery"

   4. "Pouty bellybuttons newest fashion trend"
      < http://www.ncbuy.com/news/2002-12-24/1005759.html >
   "During the so-called 'umbilicoplasty' surgery, doctors put a 'purse-string'
    suture around the navel to control the circumference and give it a ridge at
    the top"

   5. Make me look like ...
   *  "Sci-fi fan gets Spock ears"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1008940.html >
   "A sci-fi fan in China has had plastic surgery to give himself ears like Star
    Trek's Mr Spock"
   *  "The real-life Barbie dolls"
      < http://www.toxicstories.com/pivot/entry.php?id=115 >
   "Cindy Jackson and Miles Kendall have spent about $300,000 transforming them-
    selves into copies of the best-selling dolls, undergoing 89 operations -
    ranging from jaw implants and chemical peels to liposuction"
   *  "Belgian has nine ops to look like Jackson"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_761474.html >
   *  "Man undergoes plastic surgery to look like J-Lo"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_921054.html >


   B. On-line exhibits of Body Art through History

   1. "Bodies of Culture: A World Tour of Body Modification"
      (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)
      < http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/exhibits/online_exhibits/body_modification/
          bodmodintro.shtml >

   2. "Body Art" (Australian Museum Online)
      < http://www.amonline.net.au/bodyart/ >

   3. "Body Art: Marks of Identity" (American Museum of Natural History)
      < http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/bodyart/ >

Here Come The Clowns

   1. "Clowns miss Livingstone with custard pies"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_742703.html >
   "The Mayor of London managed to avoid the group of angry protesters campaigning
    against his traffic plan"

   2. "20 clowns surprise BART riders and a train becomes a fun house"
      < http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/07/BAG114REFI1.DTL&q=q >
   "Red-nosed activists turn one trip into political theater"

   3. "Clowns put on show, rob bus in Mexico City"
      < http://www.poe-news.com/stories.php?poeurlid=25534 >
   "Two teenagers dressed as clowns climbed aboard a microbus Sunday near Mexico
    City's airport, did a song-and-dance routine and then robbed everyone on board"

   4. "Clowns robbed guards and joined carnival"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_873249.html >
   "Five robbers dressed as clowns stole £100,000 from security guards as they
    tried to load a cash machine with money in Mexico"

   5. "U.S. takes Greenpeace to court in unusual trial"
      < http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0513-09.htm >
   Photo caption: "A Greenpeace protester dressed like Ronald McDonald waves
    from a police car after he was removed by police after attaching himself
    to the gates of the distribution center of fast food giant McDonald's in
    Wiri, Auckland, New Zealand"

   6. "Clown shortage is no joke"
      < http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004230545,00.html >
   "'We are facing a dire shortage of clowns'"

   7. "Who's the first Bozo? Clown Hall of Fame switches honor"
      < http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-05-27-bozos_x.htm >
   "the hall was duped to believe Harmon created Bozo and didn't find out the
    truth until ABCnews.com columnist and entertainment producer Buck Wolf
    reported Harmon was wrongly laying claim to the character"

   8. "Clowning around: Event manufactures tons of smiles"
      < http://www.newarkadvocate.com/news/stories/20040516/localnews/431951.html >
   "Clowns of every hue and species descended on the Square on Saturday to
    spread joy and laughter during the ClownTown parade"

It Fell From The Sky

   1. "Meteorite drops in for breakfast"
      < http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1238116,00.html >
   "The meteorite came through the roof of Phil and Brenda Archer's house in the
    Auckland suburb of Ellerslie at 9.30am on Saturday"

   2. "Window arrives via air mail"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200312/s1014054.htm >
   "A woman in the Perth suburb of City Beach has received an unexpected delivery
    when a window from a small plane fell into her backyard"

   3. "The sky is falling? Uh, not exactly"
      < http://www.post-gazette.com/neigh_north/20021121blueicenp3.asp >
   "Cadamore believes the mess came from an airplane. In the airline industry,
    it's euphemistically known as blue ice. Most people have far less judicious
    names for it. Such waste apparently is caused by leaks in airplane lavatories"

   4. "'Sky Goo': Biological fallout from planes? "
      < http://www.moonbowmedia.com/ei/texas.htm >
   "Unexplained Biologic Material (X-Bios) have been falling out of the sky for at
    least 20 years now. The first widely documented event took place in 1985 in
    Washington state when a woman's porch was covered with a clearish, gel-like
    material that covered her entire porch"

   5. "Ice block crashes through roof"
      < http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/22/1074732534083.html >
   "A block of ice weighing up to five kilograms has crashed through the roof of
    an Auckland house"

   6. "Living near a flight path stinks, NZ woman says"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200309/s946385.htm >
   "A New Zealand woman believes her house has been bombed by sewage from a plane
    that flew over it"

   7. "Pigeon droppings cause roof collapse"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_823252.html >
   "She said she ended up with around a year's worth of pigeon droppings on her
    floor"

   8. "Pensioner startled as alligator lands in backyard"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_754545.html >
   "The alligator had fallen from a fourth floor flat where it was being kept
    secretly as a pet by the tenants"