Weird News

Google brings anti-shake spoon to the table
MountainView, Calif. --------------------------- Just in time for the holidays, Google is throwing its money, brain power and technology at the humble spoon.
                                                                           Of course these spoons (don't call them spoogles) are a bit more than your basic utensil: Using hundreds of algorithms, they allow people with essential tremors and Parkinson's Disease to eat without spilling.
                                                                           The technology senses how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced.  In clinical trials, the Liftware spoons reduced shaking of the spoon bowl by about 76 percent.
                                                                            "We want to help people in their daily lives today and hopefully increase understanding of disease in the long run," said Google spokesperson Katelin Jabbari.

Would you mind giving this plane a push?
Moscow ------------------------------------------- In other countries, you may be asked to give a push to a car stuck in the mud.  In Russia, passengers in the Arctic came out of an airliner to the cold to help it move to the runway.
                                                                         A Russian-made Tu-134 with 74 oil workers and seven crew members onboard was due to fly from the town of lgarka to Krasnoyarsk when the plane couldn't move onto the runway.  It was -61 F outside and the passengers seemed desperate to get home.
                                                                         Eager to help, several dozen men were seen in an armateur video pushing the plane by leaning on both wings.  However, the video also showed a tow bar attached to the front landing gear, suggesting the tractor was doing much of the work.

Time to change the litter in New Castle's box
New Castle, Pa. --------------------------------- Residents are hoping tests on air samples can explain why their western Pennsylvania city smells like cat urine.
                                                                         New Castle residents began noticing the smells in the city about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.  The New Castle News says the smell is still lingering near a sewage treatment plant in the city's Mahoningtown neighborhood.
                                                                         State environmental officials don't believe the odor is harmful, but they don't yet know what's causing it.
                                                                         A spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says on-site monitoring didn't detect any hazardous substances in the air.

Jughead pooch ditches his headgear
Houston ----------------------------------------- A stray puppy with a plastic jug stuck on his head has been rescued --------- and freed from his headpiece.
                                                                       A Houston-area family says they saw the dog around the property for weeks.  The jug, which was open on both ends, was part of a pet feeder in Audra Bohannon's barn.  She believes the dog they call Bucky, short for bucket, got stuck while seeking food.
                                                                       KPRC-TV reports Bohannon planned to take the pup to a vet to see if the German shepherd mix has an identifying microchip.
                                                                        Bohannon says she saw the dog around her property but could never catch the pooch ------ until a few days ago.  The dog was captured and the jug cut off in a videotaped rescue.

F. Y. I.

Quotable
by  Thornton Wilder, American playwright and novelist (1897-1975)
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

Still on the Books
In Spokane, Washington, TV's may not be bought on Sundays.

By the Numbers
Americans consume some 400 million pounds of cranberries a year, including 20 percent of that total during Thanksgiving week.

Almost Cast
Christopher Reeve was considered for the role of Westley, which went to Cary Elwes, in "The Princess Bride."

Cure of Old
Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.

So Called
Young male and female turkeys are called jakes and jennies; they grow up to be toms and hens.

Kennections

                                  All five correct answers have something in common.
                                  Can you figure out what it is?

1. What speedy hedgehog has been a Sega video game mascot since 1991?

2. What unit of electric potential is named for the Italian scientist who invented the battery?

3. Kevin Kline was the top-billed actor in what 1985 western that was the breakout film for another Kevin, Kevin Costner?

4. What's the calendar term for the day (in March and September) when the sun is directly overhead at the Equator?

5. Mel Gibson and Barbara Streisand are among the stars who live in what posh Los Angeles County beachfront city?

Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers :    1. Sonic
                     2. Volt
                     3. Silverado
                     4. Equinox
                     5. Malibu
                    Bonus : all are models of Chevrolet

F. Y. I.

Down Under
A hippopotamus can stay under water for up to 30 minutes.

State Stats
Virginia was named for England's "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I.

Before Fame
Actor Paul Bettany was once a busker who earned money by playing the guitar.

Still on the Books
In Kazakhstan, it's against the law to take photographs in and around airports.

Quotable
by  Jim Rohn, American author and entrepreneur (1930-2009)
"Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become."

Sweet Rush
Until sugar began being traded through cities like Venice in the 1400s, honey was the only sweetener known in Europe.

F. Y. I.

Quotable
by  Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor and businessman (1847-1931)
"If we all did things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."

Still on the Books
In La Crosse, Wisconsin, it is illegal to "worry" a squirrel.

State Stats
The renowned Paul Broste Rock Museum in Parshall, North Dakota, was built of natural granite quarried from the area with volunteer labor.

True Phobias
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

Winning Variety
Mozzarella is the most-consumed cheese in the world.

A Rarity Re-examined
Earthquakes occur an estimated 500,000 times a year, but only about a fifth of those are felt by humans.