Odds & Ends

Man registers to vote as Mary Poppins, Dick Tracy

People in Ohio could have been voting alongside Mary Poppins and Dick Tracy this November. Chad Staton, 22, was arrested for submitting fake voter registration forms – a felony– after election officials told Defiance County Sheriff David Westrick about the odd voter names. Staton was being paid for each of the 100 forms he got a citizen to fill out, which included names like Michael Jordan and George Foreman, Westrick said. A woman from Toledo came forward who said she paid him with cocaine for the people he supposedly registered, police said. She said she was recruited by a man from Cleveland to register voters. Staton was charged with false registration.

Shriver, Schwarzenegger bring politics into the bedroom

Maria Shriver refused to have sex with her husband, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for two weeks after his speech supporting President George W. Bush at the Republican National Convention, Schwarzenegger said Monday. Schwarzenegger was speaking with Leon Panetta, former White House chief of staff, in front of a 1,000-person audience. Schwarzenegger mentioned Shriver a few times during the conversation, at one point comparing the debates between Sen. John Kerry and Bush to a dinner with he and his wife. Schwarzenegger’s majority democratic state is expected to back Kerry on election night.

Peruvian school only accepts virgins

Parents of a schoolgirl have reported that administrators at a Peruvian school mandated that girls provide proof of virginity during registration. The mother reported the Santa Rosa de Trujillo School to the police. Along with a virginity certificate the school is also conducting drug tests before admission.

Futuristic vacuum cleaner ready for takeoff

A new hovering vacuum cleaner is set for stores in 80 countries. After eight years of work British inventor Mike Rooney,44, developed the wheel-less vacuum, titled the Airrider. It hovers one-eighth of an inch off the floor, Rooney said. He said developing the vacuum was a dream of his. Each company he approached however wanted to take over the project and he would not sell. The $375 Airrider comes out next month and is produced by Osprey in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Man wants to straighten your banana

A German man said he has invented a device that will eliminate the trademark curve in bananas. Karl-Friedrich Lentze 56, has applied to patent his invention and said he has been overwhelmed by calls from people wanting to straighten their bananas. Lentze described his method for creating the “cigar banana” as chopping the curvy chunks out of the banana and then resealing the banana with a biologically safe plaster. He assures people that the banana chunks would be reused and not thrown out. Lentze said he thinks the straight banana will eliminate the need for the curved banana because it is easier to eat and store.

New Peruvian delicacy: super guinea pig

Scientists in Peru hope the new super guinea pig they have developed will become a delicacy in other countries. The super guinea pig, which they have spent 34 years developing, is twice the size of a normal guinea pig. Guinea pig, which is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, is a traditional dish in Peru. The super guinea pig weighs more than two pounds and was developed at La Molina National University. Gloria Palacios, spokeswoman for La Molina, said she hopes the development of the super guinea pig will turn some countries on to the guinea pig as a source of food.

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