Strange News

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz Has A Hit Coloring Book

7:52am December 13, 2013

A St. Louis publisher says it has already sold out of the first two print runs of the kids book Cruz to the Future, starring the Republican senator going hunting, giving speeches and more.

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French Cafe Charges Rude Customers More

8:00am December 12, 2013

The manager of Le Petit Syrah in Nice imposed a cost on rudeness. Demand "a coffee," and it's $9.50, in dollars. Say "please," and the price drops to $6. And if you greet the waiter with a friendly "bonjour," the bill comes to $2.

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Toy-Gun-Toting Sock Puppet Can't Get Past The TSA

10:10am December 11, 2013

In an abundance of caution (presumably), the TSA at the St. Louis airport disarmed the little True Grit character that was in the carry-on bag of the woman who made it.

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These Meeces Are Pieces: A Chess Set Made Of Dead Rodents

10:10am December 11, 2013

Rachel Garcia turned 32 dead mice into a chess set. The bishop mice have little bishop hats. The knights hold plastic swords like you'd find in a lemon slice. They're the perfect chess set — if you're willing to touch them.

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Florida Capitol's Nativity Sparks Call For Pabst Festivus Pole

12:11pm December 10, 2013

The Florida Prayer Network put up the scene, with a state permit. Chaz Stevens thinks that's an annoying mixture of church and state, so he applied for a permit for a Festivus pole — made of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans.

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Canada Aims To Take North Pole Into Its Nautical Borders

12:11pm December 10, 2013

Canada's wish list this year might not please Santa. It's preparing to ask the U.N. to extend its nautical borders farther into the Arctic — far enough to include the North Pole, which is home to vast deposits of oil and gas.

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Napping United Passenger Wakes Up To A Dark, Empty Plane

8:18am December 09, 2013

Tom Wagner was on his way from Louisiana to California when his plane landed for a layover in Houston. The airline said it's not sure how the crew missed him during their sweep of the plane after the flight. They gave him a voucher.

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Bickering In Bangladesh; Curling; Glow-In-The-Dark Tattoos

3:31pm December 07, 2013

by NPR Staff

Ozy editor Eugene Robinson tells NPR's Arun Rath about two dueling divas in Bangladeshi politics, the rising popularity of an obscure winter sport, and tattoos that you can wear to work.

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People gather in the central square of Rjukan, Norway, on Wednesday to bask in the sun reflected by mirrors on a nearby mountainside.

As Mirrors Beam Light To Town, Norwegians Share Patch Of Sun

5:07pm November 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

Rjukan lies in the shadow of surrounding mountains for nearly six months every year. But the town recently installed a system of mirrors to bring sunlight to its central square. Not everyone can bask in the glow at the same time, but the project is bringing residents together.

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Hallmark Under Fire For Dropping 'Gay' From Christmas Lyric

6:46am November 01, 2013

A Hallmark Christmas ornament has drawn criticism from people who accuse the greeting card company of political correctness and anti-gay bias. The ornament — a tiny sweater — is decorated with the words "Don we now our FUN apparel!" "Fun" replaces the word "gay" from the line in the Christmas song "Deck the Halls." Hallmark says it was trying to avoid misinterpretation and should never have made the change.

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