Oddly news around the world

Gas mask anyone?

WASHINGTON – Luminaries from the world of improbable research last night gathered at Harvard's Sanders Theatre for the 19th Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, which saw honours awarded to a gas mask bra, research proving cows with names give more milk, and similarly vital work showing that "kitchen refuse can be reduced more than 90 per cent in mass by using bacteria extracted from the feces of giant pandas".

Elena N. Bodnar, Raphael C. Lee, and Sandra Marijan of Chicago secured the Public Health title for their brassiere which, "in an emergency, can be quickly converted into a pair of gas masks, one for the brassiere wearer and one to be given to some needy bystander"

Editing by Cynthia Osterman

Rent a pet!

TOKYO, japan – Only in Tokyo could you hire a cat out for an hour and stroke it while you have a cappuccino -- or better still, while a robot cooks your noodles for you.




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Juvenile in action!

RIVERTON, Wyoming. – Wyoming police say an 11-year-old boy driving a large SUV led officers on a high speed chase reaching speeds of 100 mph. Bureau of Indian Affairs police say the chase started about 3 a.m. Tuesday near Riverton in central Wyoming and ended about 50 miles away near Crowheart on the Wind River Reservation.

The boy ditched the vehicle and jumped into a lake and began swimming but returned to shore where police collared him.

BIA Special Agent in Charge Charles Addington says that alcohol was involved and that charges were pending in juvenile court.

Technology error!

MARTIN, Tennessee – A student absence phone call that went to every family of students at a West Tennessee middle school caused an uproar. The automated call is set to go out at 9 a.m. each day from Martin Middle School, but only to families whose children have been marked absent that day. WCMT Radio in Martin reported the call on Wednesday went to parents of all 475 students at the school.

Principal Nate Holmes said about 20 people showed up at the school in response to it, but dozens of anxious parents called after receiving the message. The school quickly sent another call, saying there had been an error.

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