Unusual News
Air Force Uses PlayStation Processors to Build Supercomputer
Gamers might think Xbox is the best system for playing war games, but can it be transformed into a supercomputer for use by the U.S. military? Sony’s PlayStation 3 can.
In what might be called supercomputing-on-the-cheap, a U.S. Air Force re... read more
Harry Potter’s Grave becomes Tourist Site in Israel
No, not that Harry Potter. This Harry Potter, of Birmingham, England, served in the British Army and was stationed in Israel, where he was killed, at the age of 18, on July 22, 1939, during an ambush by anti-colonial Arab rebels. Despite not bei... read more
Courts Asked to Handle Digital Masturbation Case
In one of the more unusual cases to make its way to the judicial branch of government, a federal court in Nevada will soon hear legal arguments over the patent rights of a digital masturbation device intended for use with Internet porn. New Fron... read more
Army Tests New Combat Uniforms for Women
Female soldiers in the U.S. Army may be getting a new uniform specifically designed to fit a woman’s body. The plan is to make the new uniform form-fitting while not showing off “any curves,” Major Sequana Robinson, assistant product manager for... read more
Court Says Iowa Cities Can’t Punish Parents for Their Children’s Crimes
Parents in Iowa cannot be punished if their children break the law, ruled the state Supreme Court on a bad-parenting local ordinance. In 1999, the city of Davenport adopted a law promoting parental responsibility that allowed police to cite adul... read more
Gay Marriage by Skype
Washington, DC, has opened the door for homosexual couples to get married without being physically present in the district, where gay marriage is legal. This week, two men, Thomas Mark Reed and Dante Karl Walkup, got married while in Dallas, Tex... read more
Senator Opposes Health Care Earmarks…Except for his Own State; Anti-Health Care Rep. Wants Health Care
Demonstrating do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do is still alive and well in Washington, two Republican lawmakers have publicly bashed programs that they regard differently when it comes to their own benefit.
In the Senate, John Ensign of Nevada voted ... read more
More Californians Voted for Marijuana than for Republican Candidates
On November 2, California voters, by a 54%-46% margin, defeated a ballot measure that would have legalized the use of marijuana for those over the age of 21. The main storyline coming out of the overall results of this election was that, despite... read more
Most First-Time Politicians in Congress Since 1948
Many of those headed to Washington following this month’s election aren’t just new to Congress, but new to political office altogether. About 40 of the newly elected have never held elected office of any kind, representing the highest total sinc... read more
Republicans Watch Amazing Race and Modern Family; Democrats Prefer Mad Men and Dexter
Republicans love successful network television programs, while Democrats tend to skew towards hit offerings on cable. While there are exceptions to both of these generalities, plenty of examples exist demonstrating where the partisan divide rest... read more
Bristol Palin and the Politics of Dancing with the Stars
Tea Party supporters are keeping Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol, alive in the competition on ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars. Despite receiving the lowest scores from the show’s judges for her jive, her Viennese waltz and her instant samb... read more
Last Surviving British and American WWI Vets: A Pacifist and an Activist
The last men standing from World War I who fought for the United States and Great Britain reflect differently on their experiences. One refuses to participate in ceremonies commemorating the “Great War,” while another fights for the establishmen... read more
Marriage Age Average Reaches Another All-Time High
Americans have continued to put off getting married for the first time, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Both men and women have reached a record average age for their first marital commitment: 28.2 for men and 26.1 for wome... read more
Did Oklahoma Voters Inadvertently Ban the Ten Commandments?
Although there is no record of Islamic law ever being used in a court case in Oklahoma, voters last week approved an amendment to the state constitution that bans the application of Sharia law by judges when deciding cases. The new law also bans... read more
Rich Hit-and-Run Driver Avoids Felony Charge because Prosecutor Says It’s Bad for Business
Martin Joel Erzinger, a billion-dollar money manager from Colorado, hit a bicyclist from behind with his car and drove away. However, he will not face felony hit-and-run charges…because the local district attorney said such a conviction could je... read more
First Piracy Trial in 150 Years Set to Open in Virginia
Five Somali men who mistook a U.S. warship for a merchant vessel on April 1 will go on trial this week in the first case of piracy the government has tried since the Civil War.
The defendants are accused of firing assault rifles in April at ... read more