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Brandeis University's Community Newspaper — Waltham, Mass.

Strange But True

Published: April 27, 2007
Section: Arts, Etc.


Japanese company recalls flaming toilets
A Japanese toilet producer offered free repairs for hundreds of thousands of bidet toilets the other week after three of them spontaneously burst into flames. Had people been using the toilets at the time, they would have found themselves with grilled rump roast. The bidet toilets, not sold outside of Japan, include features such as massages, deoderizer, and a self-opening and closing lid. The toilets run from approximately $1,500 to approximately $2,500.

Afghanis given “separate but equal” treatment for toilet habits
Afghanis who work at NATO's Kandahar Airfield, located in Afganistan, they must use “separate but equal” toilet facilities. NATO officials listed several reasons for the separation, among them that Afganis have a habit of standing on the toilet sat and then squatting, which sometimes creates messes that no one wants to clean up. Also, some Muslims alledgedly drop their waterbottles in the toilet in preparation for prayer and then don't bother fishing them out.

Britain: Erasing history for the sake of Muslims?
According to a report for Britain's Department of Education and Skills, certain history teachers at public schools have ceased teaching about the Holocaust and the Crusades in order to avoid conflict between the official public school's history curriculum and that of local mosques, out of fear of angering Muslim students. One teacher, in charge of producing a school play, changed the name of the play from “The Three Little Pigs” to “The Three Little Muslims” so that Muslim students would not have to sing the word “pig.” A local Muslim spokesman quickly stated that the change was unnecessary.

Call Superman, Kryptonite exists
Scientists have discovered a new mineral that almost, though not exactly, is chemicallyidentical to the fake “Krytonite” portrayed in movies and episodes of Superman as Superman's weakness.. An expert was labeling the new mineral, which was dug up in Serbia, when he noticed that the label he was putting on was the same one that Lex Luther puts on his stolen kryptonite in Superman Returns.
About thirty to forty new minerals are discovered each year. This one will be called “Jadarite” when it is officially designated later this year. Although kryptonite is green and radioactive, Jadarite is white and powdery and not radioactive in the least.