STRANGE BUT TRUE
Vintage Apple computer auctioned off for $668,000
BERLIN (AP) — An auctioneer says one of Apple's first computers — a functioning 1976 model — has been sold for a record 516,000 euros ($668,000). ...Read More
For Philadelphia bicyclist, a cat is his co-pilot
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — For bicyclist Rudi Saldia, you could say a cat is his co-pilot. ...Read More
Police: 'Thong Cape Scooter Man' not breaking law
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A man who wears thong underwear and a cape while riding his scooter through Wisconsin's capital city may be a strange sight. But police say he isn't breaking any laws. ...Read More
Council members abstain from vote on abstaining
YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) — Three members of a Michigan city council have abstained from voting on a measure that would have prevented them from abstaining on future votes. ...Read More
Goat on the lam snarls NJ's Pulaski Skyway traffic
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — A goat believed to have escaped en route to a slaughterhouse snarled the morning commute along one of the busiest roadways in northern New Jersey on Tuesday, leading police on a nearly two-hour chase. ...Read More
Brown hounded for calling Manila 'gates of hell'
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Dan Brown's description of Manila as "the gates of hell" in the American novelist's latest book has not gone down well with officials in the Philippine capital. ...Read More
Crane accident cuts power to one-third of Vietnam
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — One mistake by a clumsy crane operator caused a 10-hour blackout over about a third of Vietnam, exposing the fragility of the nation's power grid. ...Read More
Fugitive in LA attempted-murder case held in Colo.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man who has been wanted in Los Angeles on attempted-murder charges for 13 years has been taken into custody in Colorado after being arrested for urinating in public. ...Read More
Giant rubber duck makes splash in Hong Kong harbor
HONG KONG (AP) — A six-story-high rubber duck is making a big splash in Hong Kong. ...Read More
Small Wash. school closes because of nice weather
SEATTLE (AP) — In a sun-deprived part of Washington state, the promise of nice spring weather prompted a small private school to give students a day off to enjoy the sunshine. ...Read More
Proposed SC budget says no junk food for governor
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Lawmakers in South Carolina are trying to keep junk food out of the governor's mansion. ...Read More
Gerbils strut their stuff at New England pageant
BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — The American Gerbil Society's annual pageant brought dozens of rodents scurrying to New England this weekend for a chance to win "top gerbil." ...Read More
9-inch copter lands in arms of Ohio court statue
MARION, Ohio (AP) — An unwanted modern addition has flown into the arms of a Lady Justice statue that sits atop a county courthouse in north-central Ohio. ...Read More
Collector keeps his 29 boa constrictors _ for now
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah snake collector who says his rare boa constrictors are getting a bad rap has won at least a temporary reprieve from an order to remove more than two dozen of the exotic pets from his home. ...Read More
Wash. State graduate wears wedding gown under robe
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — With friends and family already gathered for her graduation from Washington State University, Cassie Dotts thought it would be a good time for another ceremony — her wedding. ...Read More
NJ governor 'saves' children from spider
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wasn't in a pardoning mood when an itsy, bitsy spider crawled on his desk while he spoke to a group of schoolchildren. ...Read More
Critter cams provide peek into the lives of bears
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Biologists at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are getting a peek into what city bears do all day. ...Read More
Rodman to Kim: 'Do me a solid' and free American
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is tapping his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to ask for the release of a Korean-American man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in the North. ...Read More
Kenya co. turns old sandals into colorful objects
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The colorful handmade giraffes, elephants and warthogs made in a Nairobi workshop were once only dirty pieces of rubber cruising the Indian Ocean's currents. ...Read More
Scratch-and-sniff cards prompt natural gas scare
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Those scratch-and-sniff cards the energy company sends to customers to teach them to recognize the artificial smell added to natural gas? Turns out they work pretty well. ...Read More
Mass. panel: No profanity on rapper's headstone
LYNN, Mass. (AP) — Commissioners at a Massachusetts cemetery have said no to profanity on headstones. ...Read More
Ore. smokejumpers skydive into illegal pot garden
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A team of smokejumpers parachuting into a fire in the mountains of Southern Oregon landed in an illegal marijuana garden being prepared for growing season. ...Read More
Celebrity panda at center of Thai-China deal
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's celebrity baby panda Lin Ping is almost 4 years old now. It's time to move to China, find a mate and have cubs. ...Read More
Durango, Colo., area couple gives up catwalk fight
DURANGO, Colo. (AP) — A Durango area couple is giving up their fight to keep a 13-foot escape route for their cats outside their Colorado apartment. ...Read More
Calif. woman hit cop to go to jail to quit smoking
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Think you've heard of every way possible to quit smoking? Etta Mae Lopez came up with a new one: slap a cop so you'll go to jail, where smoking isn't allowed. ...Read More
Bold turkey: woman hits cop to kick smoking habit
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Think you've heard of every way possible to quit smoking? Etta Mae Lopez came up with a new one: slap a cop and go to jail, where smoking isn't allowed. ...Read More
Richard Branson swaps suit for skirt to honor bet
SEPANG, Malaysia (AP) — British business magnate Richard Branson has lost his latest job because of orange juice. ...Read More
Ice from Minn. lake pushed ashore to doorsteps
LAKE MILLE LACS, Minn. (AP) — Strong winds have pushed huge ice sheets ashore at a northern Minnesota lake and right up to people's doorsteps. ...Read More
UN: Eat more insects; good for you, good for world
ROME (AP) — The latest weapon in the U.N.'s fight against hunger, global warming and pollution might be flying by you right now. ...Read More
NYPD officer tries to help cat in tree, gets stuck
NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say a New York police officer who went after a cat stuck in a tree got caught himself and needed a little help getting back down to the ground. ...Read More
Ohio State awaits bloom of stinky corpse flower
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Researchers at an Ohio State University greenhouse are awaiting a rare second bloom by a rainforest plant known as a corpse flower because of its unpleasant odor. ...Read More
Calif. man who said he fled zombies pleads guilty
TEMECULA, Calif. (AP) — A Tennessee man who stole a big-rig truck in California, caused several accidents and told investigators he was fleeing zombies when he did it has pleaded guilty to several felonies. ...Read More
Wisconsin boy gets handwritten response from Biden
MILWAUKEE (AP) — It might not be unusual for schoolchildren to write to the president or vice president. But one Wisconsin boy got an unexpectedly personal response. ...Read More
Fighting eagles crash land on Minn. airport runway
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Two bald eagles locked together by their talons in a midair battle survived a crash landing onto a runway at a northeastern Minnesota airport. ...Read More
Stinky corpse flower blooms again at Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A large rainforest plant known as a corpse flower because of its awful smell has bloomed again at an Ohio State University greenhouse, and there's more excitement because another corpse flower there is expected to open soon, a spokeswoman said. ...Read More
NH city sues parking meter 'Robin Hood' group
KEENE, N.H. (AP) — The city of Keene, N.H., has sued a group that feeds change into parking meters that are about to expire, saying members are harassing enforcement officers. ...Read More
Conn. chef set to feast on cicadas during invasion
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut chef Bun Lai is already known for his Mexican grasshopper dish and his fried rice with meal worms and crickets. But he might soon also be recognized as the cicada chef. ...Read More
Tiny camera in Illinois offers bug's eye view
URBANA, Ill. (AP) — A tiny new camera developed at an Illinois university is giving researchers a bug's eye view. ...Read More
Deer smashes Pa. bus windshield, takes short ride
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A deer has taken a ride on a western Pennsylvania bus. ...Read More
Coin tossing breaks tie in Philippine mayoral race
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — What do you do when two candidates running for mayor in the Philippines get exactly the same number of votes? You get them to toss a coin. ...Read More
Wash. state woman spots stolen car in drive-thru
KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — A Washington woman whose car was stolen from her apartment complex saw the stolen SUV hours later — in the drive-thru of the McDonald's restaurant where she works. ...Read More
Exhibition of secretly shot photos upsets NYers
NEW YORK (AP) — Residents of a New York luxury apartment building are livid over an exhibition of photos secretly snapped through their apartment windows. ...Read More
Texas senior, 18, bags 800-pound record alligator
HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston-area high school senior has bagged a 14-foot, 800 pound alligator — the heaviest ever certified in Texas — on his first alligator hunt. ...Read More
Aussie minister sorry he 'liked' exposed teen pic
SYDNEY (AP) — An Australian politician says he has learned a valuable lesson in social networking after he "liked" a Facebook photo without realizing that it showed a teenage prankster exposing himself. ...Read More
Alaska man runs onto frozen lake to avoid jail
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage police say a young man who didn't want to return to jail ran out onto the uncertain ice of an Alaska lake to escape officers armed with an arrest warrant. ...Read More
Birth of anteater has Conn. zoo staff puzzled
GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) — An anteater has given birth at a Connecticut conservation center, prompting officials there to wonder how the mother conceived. ...Read More
Funeral home has bicycle hearse for 1 last ride
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon funeral home in Eugene offers natural burials where the ride to the person's final resting place is on the back of a three-wheeled bicycle. ...Read More
Ferris wheel ride world record broken in Chicago
CHICAGO (AP) — A manager of Chicago's Navy Pier rode the tourist spot's Ferris wheel for more than two days — 384 times, up and around — bringing the world record for the longest ride to the birthplace of the amusement park favorite. ...Read More
Thailand urged to explore edible insect market
BANGKOK (AP) — Researchers say Thailand is showing the world how to respond to the global food crisis: by raising bugs for eating. ...Read More
Denmark's de Forest wins Eurovision song contest
MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Denmark's Emmelie de Forest has won this year's Eurovision Song Contest with her ethno-inspired flute and drum tune "Only Teardrops," despite tough competition from spectacular stage shows by performers from Azerbaijan and Ukraine. ...Read More
