In the News...

Rite Aid Pharmacy now sells DNA Paternity tests for $29.99.

About one out of the three U.S. Dollars sent to Iraq in aid winds up in the pockets of corrupt officials. - NY Times

The average Americans radiation exposure has doubled since 1980, mostly due to CT Scans. The real scary part is a person that receives two scans is bathed in as much radiation as if he stood two miles from ground zero at Hiroshima. - New England Journal of Medicine.

As many as 10,000 cars submerged by Hurricane Katrina have been refurbished and sold to buyers...in Bolivia. The country has loose import rules and many stolen goods end up there. - Associate Press

The median price for a new home on the US fell to $217,800 in October of 2007, a 13% drop since Oct 2006. CNN Money

The 40 richest people in India are worth a combined 350 billion, more than twice what the group was worth last year - Forbes

On-line shoppers in 2007 spent $733 million on cyber Monday (the Monday after thanksgiving). This was up 21% since last year. - Bloomberg.com

Muriel Gladwin, 94, of Hereford England who taught herself to drive at ages 12 has decided to give up driving. With an estimated 600,000 miles driven Gladwin has not gotten a single ticket or even had a minor accident. She is quoted "I still have a completely clean record, so I'm going to quit while I am ahead."

Gennifer Flowers, who in 1992 said she had a long standing adulterous relationship with former President Bill Clinton said she plans to support Hillary Clintons run for the White House.

A North Carolina woman bought a plot of land...at the bottom of a lake. She is now suing local authorities to have the lake drained since she claims the property is, "Very valuable".

A 27 year old Frenchman correctly calculated the 13th root of a 200 digit number in his head in 70.2 seconds. The correct answer (because you care) 2,407,899,893,032,210.

David Leggart of Scotland spent four days trapped inside a men's bathroom. The bathroom was in a private club that closed for the winter. Leggart, 55, kept himself alive by keeping his feet warm in the sink filled with hot water. When rescued he said "The only thing I regret is that I was not trapped behind the bar."

As prison populations on the U.S have swelled since the 1970's so have the number of ex-cons. There are about 700,000 prisoners released each year..two out out three will commit a crime that lands them back in jail. - US News and World Report

Translators are in such demand in Iraq and Afghanistan that the Pentagon contractors will pay $180,000 annually for people who can speak Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish or Farsi. - Dallas Morning News

Americans consume an extra $10.5 billion worth of energy and water each year as the result of additional households created by divorce. - MSNBC.com

Mitt Romney's speech on his Mormon faith didn't change many minds. 17% said they'd never vote for a Morman when earlier in the year it was 19%.

An international survey found that the U.S ranked dead last in a measure of how well the heath care systems of 19 countries deliver timely, effective care and precvent deaths. France was first.

A Missouri company introduced a bed with a built in movie projector, surround sound, ipod doc, Internet connection and a wireless keyboard.

Scott Gomez , an inmate in a Colorado jail is suing on the grounds that guards should have done more to stop his escape. Gomez was hurt after a 40 foot fall during his escape attempt.

In 1999 Ford sold 428,000 Explorers, thru November of 2007 they had sold 127,000. The Wall St. Journal

Since 2001, Texas has had the most prisoners exonerated by DNA testing. 30 wrongfully convicted Texas inmates have been cleared by DNA. Associated Press

Global Warming is taking hold...the famed "Iditarod" dog sled race had to moved 30 miles north. Both global warming and urban development being the reasons for the move.

Airport security screeners seize about 1,000 hidden guns and about 1 million knives a year from passengers who either forget, or try to smuggle on board. Also found recently, snakes, alligators and tarantulas. USA Today

The nations health care cost rose by 6.7% to more than 2 TRILLION last year. Americans now spend and average of $7,026 on health care per person every year. LA Times.

As of 2005, Americans had stashed away more than 500 million old cell phones in drawers, never to be used again. New York Times Magazine.

Las Vegas has seen its wedding industry slump. The applications are at a 10 year low. People blame the Clark County licensing office, which last year cut back its hours. UPI