Snippets

In Arkansas (USA), young people who wear baggy pants that partially expose their underwear are breaking the law. The state signed a bill banning students from wearing revealing clothing. Donna Morey, president of the Arkansas Education Association, said the bill would help to improve the learning environment in schools. The lawmakers also felt the bill will help youth become better prepared for entering the work world where more appropriate attire is expected. School districts in the state are reviewing their dress codes to make sure they adhered to the new law.

A primary school in Merseyside, U.K., has banned footballs from the playground for "health and safety" reasons. The school says only sponge balls can be used for games and that leather and plastic footballs are out. Tam Fry, who heads up the Child Growth Foundation which fights childhood obesity calls the move "stupid" and says kids should be exposed to risks so they can learn how to protect themselves. He points out that kids could still fall and hurt themselves using sponge balls; and, that the school could ultimately turn out students who are nothing but "cocooned cotton buds".

Melanie Gravdal and her husband are having trouble selling their three-bedroom townhouse in Glenview just north of Chicago. To attract buyers, she came up with a unique incentive: buy their house and the purchaser will receive $1,000 in food and drink at a bar across the street. For Gravdal, the idea is a way to cross-promote the neighbourhood of restaurants, bars and homes; and, give her townhouse an edge over similar properties in the area. Before the offer, the Gravdal's had two showings in seven weeks; but, once the offer was in place things really picked up. The Gravdal's hope that, with a slow housing market, this creativity in selling incentives will make their home more attractive to prospective buyers.

Scientists at the Out-of-Body Experience Research Center in Los Angeles, CA have conducted an experiment that shows humans' close encounters with UFOs and extraterrestrials are likely just products of a vibrant, lifelike state of dreaming. Lead researcher Michael Raduga worked with 20 volunteers. He coached them to think about having an alien encounter and to imagine having an out-of-body experience. By the end of the experiment, 35% of participants said they made visual contact with aliens. Raduga says his research shows that people are really in REM sleep and not having an out-of-body experience.