http://www.redorbit.com Oddities http://www.redorbit.com/modules/news/images/tools/rss_logo.gif http://www.redorbit.com THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Nov. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1790884/imaginary_products_could_save_holiday_shoppers_a_bundle/index.html?source=r_oddities Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:20:00 -0500 Oddities LOS ANGELES, Nov. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1788922/awardwinning_film_scores_big_on_youtube/index.html?source=r_oddities Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:10:00 -0500 Oddities Swarms of ladybugs are causing problems for many Americans this season, and even pest control workers are not immune to being bugged."Every night when I get home and it's dark, I turn on the lights and I have them to greet me. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1773873/ladybugs_come_out_in_massive_numbers/index.html?source=r_oddities Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:45:00 -0500 Oddities Police said Wednesday that a women viewing a tourist webcam in northern Germany spotted a man that was lost on the frozen North Sea and probably saved his life by alerting authorities. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1818983/woman_saves_man_via_webcam/index.html?source=r_oddities Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:26:24 -0500 Oddities Insects, a popular delicacy in many parts of the world, are getting a culinary makeover in one Central American city, where scientists are ‘growing’ insects that will be tailored for human consumption. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1818789/edible_insects_being_grown_in_costa_rica/index.html?source=r_oddities Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:25:00 -0500 Oddities On Wednesday, a New Zealand girl accepted an offer to sleep with a stranger after auctioning off her virginity to help pay for college. The 19-year-old sold her virginity to the highest bidder in an online auction on the ineed.co.nz website, which saw over 1,200 bids. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1818286/young_girl_sells_virginity_to_pay_for_college/index.html?source=r_oddities Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:00 -0500 Oddities The finding may lead to improved techniques for testing water and food supplies should botulinin neurotoxins be used as a bioterrorism weaponScientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) have for the first time developed a highly sensitive means of detecting the seven types of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) simultaneously.The BoNT-detecting substances are antibodies -- proteins made by the body to fight diseases -- found in llamas. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1812130/llamas_could_play_role_in_war_on_terror/index.html?source=r_oddities Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:20:00 -0500 Oddities Image Caption: Despite its cuddly look, the male duck-billed platypus has stingers on its hind limbs that can deliver a painful venom. Scientists are unraveling its chemical composition. Credit: Wikimedia Commons http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1809381/the_mystery_of_duckbilled_platypus_venom/index.html?source=r_oddities Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:35:00 -0500 Oddities Lottay, the online gift-giving company, today launched MyWorstGiftEver.com, a website that documents gift giving gone wrong and reveals the gifts to avoid this holiday shopping season. Top gifting failures to date include a Chia Pet donkey, men's bow tie g-string, and faux wooden art. Users are invited to share their own "giftastrophes" by submitting photos and descriptions to worstgift@lottay.com."MyWorstGiftEver.com is equal parts PSA, OMG and WTF," said Harry Lin, CEO of Lottay. "There's a certain, rubber-necking quality to MyWorstGiftEver.com. I mean, how many wish lists include the Chia Pet's distant relative, the Chia Obama? Or a pair of long-handled toe nail trimmers? Not many. People can give better, and that's what Lottay helps them do."Visitors to MyWorstGiftEver.com will find an array of very bad gifts, submitted by people from across the world who are willing to anonymously share their misfortune. People can also vote for which gift they think should top the list of worst "giftastrophes" ever. Users are encouraged to send photos and descriptions of their own worst-gift candidates to worstgift@lottay.com. By establishing an unofficial "don't give" list, Lottay hopes to improve the 2009 holiday gift-giving experience.People seeking a more satisfying gifting experience may consider the "most wished for" items from Lottay's 1,000-wish survey, including the Nintendo Wii and Wii games and accessories, cash and travel to France, Disneyland and Las Vegas. Or users can come up with their own creative, thoughtful gifts which they can give in the form of cash wrapped in Lottay's e-greeting cards, personalized messages, images and pictures, and then delivered safely and securely via PayPal.For a social snapshot of online gift giving worldwide, people can also visit Our Wishing Wall, http://www.OurWishingWall.com, which prompts people to create wish lists that reflect what they really want for the holidays and other gifting occasions.For more information on Lottay, please visit www.lottay.com. To get breaking Lottay news and additional perspectives, visit and subscribe to Lottay RSS blog feeds at http://hintsdontwork.blogspot.com. Follow Lottay on Twitter at @GiveGiftsOnline, and visit the Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/LottayInc.Additional ResourcesLottay website: http://www.lottay.comLottay blog: http://hintsdontwork.blogspot.comLottay on Twitter: @GiveGiftsOnlineLottay Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/LottayIncAbout Lottay http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1797776/lottay_documents_gift_giving_gone_wrong/index.html?source=r_oddities Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:15:00 -0500 Oddities SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Five in 5 (http://www.fivein5.com/), an iPhone app just released in the App store, is a do-it-yourself video tutorial that teaches users to tone, tighten and firm their face using their own two hands. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1782488/doityourself_botox_theres_an_app_for_that/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:15:00 -0500 Oddities The skin of that pumpkin you carve into a Jack-o'-Lantern to scare away ghosts and goblins on Halloween contains a substance that could put a scare into microbes that cause millions of cases of yeast infections in adults and infants each year. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1776698/pumpkin_skin_may_scare_away_germs/index.html?source=r_oddities Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:35:00 -0500 Oddities Clark School Aerospace Engineering Students Solve 60-Year-Old Design DilemmaMaple tree seeds (or samara fruit) and the spiraling pattern in which they glide to the ground have delighted children for ages and perplexed engineers for decades. Now aerospace engineering graduate students at the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering have learned how to apply the seeds’ unique design to devices that can hover and perform surveillance in defense and emergency situations.In the 1950s, researchers first tried to create an unmanned aerial vehicle that could mimic a maple seed's spiraling fall. Ever since, their attempts have been foiled by instability, resulting in a lack of control over the tiny (less than one meter) vehicles, which were easily knocked off course by wind. As recently as June 2009, this was considered as an open challenge for engineers. The Clark School students have solved the steering problem and provided a solution that allows the device to take off from the ground and hover, as well as perform controlled flight after its initial fall to the ground after being deployed from an aircraft. The device can also begin to hover during its initial descent, or after being launched by hand.The students studied maple seeds and developed a new design incorporating the natural flight of the tiny flyers. The insight gleaned from this study enabled the creation of the world's smallest controllable single-winged rotorcraft. The maple seed-inspired design is valuable because when dropped, unpowered, from a plane and then controlled remotely, it can perform surveillance maneuvers for defense, fire monitoring and search-and-rescue purposes."Natural maple seeds usually trade off altitude for rotation as they fall to the ground," said Evan Ulrich, one of the graduate students on the team. This altitude-rotation trade-off results in the power that the seeds need to travel.But this traditional design does not provide enough power to allow the device to hover. Ulrich and other graduate students in the research group led by Clark School Dean Darryll Pines (Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering) incorporated a new part to their device, a curved, comma-shaped component in the body of the device, which provides more stability and gives the device power to hover. They have two patents pending on their innovation.Part of the solution to controlling flight was to physically separate the problem of propulsion and stability. The wing of the vehicle is designed to function in the same way as natural samara and performs a stable autorotation during descent. The propulsive section of the vehicle functions like the tail rotor on a helicopter, though instead of preventing rotation, (as in the case of a helicopter), it maintains rotation (to allow it to hover). The Clark School researchers made use of research and testing techniques developed at the school's Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center to develop the maple seed-inspired device. The aerodynamic and geometric properties of natural samara were studied in detail. The insight gleaned from this study enabled the creation of the world's smallest controllable single-winged rotorcraft.The vehicle has been demonstrated at University of Maryland events, the American Helicopter Society Annual Forum, the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, and at the 100th anniversary of the College Park airport. ---Image 1: The maple seed device compared to actual samara seeds. (Photo by Eric Schurr/A. James Clark School of Engineering, U-Md.)Image 2: The maple seed device in flight. (Photo by Eric Schurr/A. James Clark School of Engineering, U-Md.) Image 3: The smallest monocopter built by Ulrich to-date, with a maximum dimension of 9.5 cm and a wing equal in size to a natural samara. (Photo by Evan Ulrich/A. James Clark School of Engineering, U-Md.) http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1772194/maple_tree_seeds_inspire_new_surveillance_technology/index.html?source=r_oddities Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:40:00 -0500 Oddities 1200 Christians Mobilize to Distribute 170,000 Free Copies of Darwin's Origin of Species at 100 Top Universities, Wed., Nov 18Actor Kirk Cameron to be at undisclosed California university for Darwin anniversary book giveawayLOS ANGELES, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over 1,200 Christians across the nation will be giving away 170,000 copies Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species at 100 of America's top universities on Wednesday, November 18 in honor of the book's 150th anniversary. Thousands of Atheists have already expressed outrage. In fact, prominent atheist Prof. Richard Dawkins has told students to rip out the book's introduction, which is written by best-selling author Ray Comfort. (See http://assets.livingwaters.com/presskit/dawkins1.mov )*** RAY COMFORT IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS ***Comfort will be joining actor Kirk Cameron for one of the 100 book distributions at an undisclosed Southern California university.The Secular Student Alliance, an atheist youth movement, is also mobilizing student groups to counter the free distribution, according to the group's recent press release. While a number of atheists threaten that the distribution efforts will be met with unilateral resistance, others have suggested burning the book."We're low on firewood up at the cabin," writes Greg Laden of Science blogs. "It's not that I like burning books. But this is not burning books." See: http://www.livingwaters.com/origin/presskit for the press kit, which includes print, audio, and video sound bites.Media Contact: Maria Sliwa, M. Sliwa Public Relations, 973-272-2861, 212-202-4453, media@msliwa.com Publisher: Bridge-LogosList Price: $4.99ISBN: 978-0-88270-919-2Format: SoftcoverPage Count: http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1787981/darwin_free_anniversary_book_giveaway_angers_atheists/index.html?source=r_oddities Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:20:00 -0500 Oddities Today is Monday, Oct. 12, the 285th day of 2009 with 80 to follow. This is Columbus Day in the United States. The moon is waning. The morning stars are Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765238/the_almanac__weekly/index.html?source=r_oddities Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:40:00 -0500 Oddities Today is Tuesday Oct. 6, the 279th day of 2009 with 86 to follow. The moon is waning. The morning star is Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn. The evening stars are Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus. Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765236/the_almanac/index.html?source=r_oddities Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:30:00 -0500 Oddities (Editor's note: Sometimes it's hard to tell whether you're tackling motherhood in the 21st century -- or being tackled by it. This is the latest in a series of reflections by UPI writers.) SKOKIE, Ill., Oct. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765237/helicopter_moms_unapologetic_mothering/index.html?source=r_oddities Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:15:00 -0500 Oddities A British woman said her victory in a garden competition was spoiled by spiteful letters in her local paper criticizing her artificial lawn. Jan Brooker, 64, of Brentwood, England, said letters appearing in her local paper after she won first place in the Brentwood in Bloom contest's First Time Entry category called her a cheapskate for using plastic grass on her lawn, the Daily Mail reported Monday. Contest officials confirmed Brooker's artificial lawn did not break any rules but the retiree said the criticism has dissuaded her from entering the contest again in the future. It was horrible. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765152/prizewinning_plastic_lawn_criticized/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:06:18 -0500 Oddities Police in Australia said a 6 1/2-foot crocodile found wrestling with a fence spent three days in jail before being moved to a crocodile farm. Gunbalanya police said the female croc was spotted battling a fence in the middle of Arrkuluk Camp and wasn't in much condition to put up a fight when officers and rangers arrived to capture the reptile, the Northern Territory News reported Monday. She was pretty tired -- pretty knackered at that point, Brevet Sgt. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765151/crocodile_spends_three_days_in_slammer/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:56:11 -0500 Oddities A British government document advising officials on how to keep documents from leaking to the Internet has been published -- on the Internet. The 2,400 page Defense Manual of Security, authored by the Ministry of Defense to help high-ranking military and defense officials keep documents safe from leaks, was published on Wikileaks, a Web site designed for anonymous leaks of documents from governments and other organizations, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday. Leaks usually take the form of reports in the public media which appear to involve the unauthorized disclosure of official information (whether protectively marked or not) that causes political harm or embarrassment to either the U.K. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765150/british_antileaking_document_leaked/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:42:35 -0500 Oddities Swedish tourism officials said they are skeptical of claims in Chinese media outlets of a mythical town in the Scandinavian country where no men are allowed. Claes Bertilson, a spokesman for Sweden's Association of Local Authorities and Regions, said he has never heard of Chako Paul City, http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765149/report_of_town_with_no_men_confuses_swedes/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:26:10 -0500 Oddities A California woman said bringing a pair of kittens into her house had an unexpected side effect -- turning her Siberian husky into a foster mom. Sarah Kidder said she came across the kittens and their guardian, a male cat she said she believes to be their father, while walking her 12-year-old dog, Tamerack, near her Oakland home last month, the Oakland Tribune reported Monday. Kidder said she discovered the cat and kittens had been abandoned by neighbors who moved away. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765148/husky_adopts_kittens/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:59:04 -0500 Oddities Denver police said they were investigating dozens of spray-painted peace signs that have appeared on homes and businesses in recent days. Investigators said they don't have any suspects and no witnesses have come forward even though many of the peace signs were painted on buildings in high-traffic areas, KMGH-TV, Denver, reported Monday. Resident Steven Wiskow said someone spray-painted a peace sign on his home on the busy corner of 11th Avenue and Grant Street. It's weird because you would think that someone would see it, someone driving by, because it's a high-traffic area, he said. Stephanie Shearer, owner of Pandora's Jewelry, cleaned a peace sign off her neighbor's store front. There is a line between street art and straight-up vandalism, Shearer said. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765147/denver_police_seek_peacesign_vandals/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:38:32 -0500 Oddities Police in Massachusetts said a would-be robber abandoned his plans when a clerk demanded to see the gun he claimed to be concealing. Investigators said Adam Alsarabi, 22, of Lawrence, Mass., allegedly approached a cashier at White Hen Pantry in Haverhill, Mass., at about 12:42 a.m. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765146/robber_fled_when_clerk_demanded_gun_proof/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:52:28 -0500 Oddities A Halloween-themed wedding in Ohio featured the happy couple in vampire garb, a pirate best man and a minister dressed as a psychotic killer. Jack Holsinger, 61, who dressed as Dracula for his nuptials, was driven to the altar at the Rockin'-R-Ranch in Columbia Station in a hearse and carried to his spot in a coffin, where he was met by his vampire bride Connie Spitznagel, 44, The Chronicle-Telegram of Elyria, Ohio, reported Monday. Holsinger's son, also named Jack, served as best man while dressed as Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Minister Greg Kopp married the couple in his guise as Jason, the killer from the Friday the 13th horror film franchise. Holsinger said the theme was his bride's idea. This is her first wedding, he said. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765145/vampires_wed_at_halloweenthemed_wedding/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:43:12 -0500 Oddities A Halloween-themed wedding in Ohio featured the happy couple in vampire garb, a pirate best man and a minister dressed as a psychotic killer. Jack Holsinger, 61, who dressed as Dracula for his nuptials, was driven to the alter at the Rockin'-R-Ranch in Columbia Station in a hearse and carried to his spot in a coffin, where he was met by his vampire bride Connie Spitznagel, 44, The Chronicle-Telegram of Elyria, Ohio, reported Monday. Holsinger's son, also named Jack, served as best man while dressed as Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Minister Greg Kopp married the couple in his guise as Jason, the killer from the Friday the 13th horror film franchise. Holsinger said the theme was his bride's idea. This is her first wedding, he said. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1765144/vampires_wed_at_halloweentheme_wedding/index.html?source=r_oddities Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:43:12 -0500 Oddities