You should see the proof for the platypus.

Research has shown that having an oddball team member not only gives you someone to make fun of, but also leads to better decision making. Researcher Katie Liljenquist, says having "socially distinct newcomers" on a team can help it perform at a higher level. Team tension is crucial, and shaking up the same old crowd is the way to create it. "You can imagine if you work in an office and you've got this outsider like Dwight Schrute who walks in and a lot of his ideas resonate with you. Your fellow in-group members are hearing this and thinking, 'Wait, you agree with Dwight?' That can be really uncomfortable and socially threatening," she says.

Azaril writes "The British home office had an embarrassing incident this morning, when it was discovered that a link to the new legislation on data retention actually linked to a Japanese porn site. Apparently, the home office forgot to renew the domain name, and didn't change the link when it was bought by a Japanese company. This of course comes after the news that the home secretary claimed pornographic films on her expense account."

Education Minister Kathleen Wynne plans to tighten scrutiny of part-time private schools that some say are granting public school teens A-plus credits with little accountability. Richer students are able to take or retake several subjects at the private schools to get high marks to add to their transcripts and gain an edge for university and scholarships. On average these students land a mark that is 20 points higher. "Students say they are earning high grades (from private schools) without having to attend classes, without having to write exams and some are guaranteed specific final grades as soon as they sign on the dotted line and pay their fee," Wynne wrote to the Ontario Universities' Council on Admissions. Someone finally sets up a school system that accurately reflects "The Real World," and it gets shut down.

Close Range transports you to a world where you fire bullets into an endless stream of faces.

The ability to ride a bicycle is insignificant next to the power of this trike.

TaeKwonDood writes "You might think throwing out the occasional titillating article title is part of some grand media strategy. Discover is famous for whoring themselves out for page views with articles like Bizarre Aquatic Creatures Are Secretly Lesbian Necrophiliacs and Scientific American gets into the act with Rough Sex at 40,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which got them additionally ridiculed because that is about 30X greater than the radius of the Earth, but there are occasionally real articles that aren't all tramped up and just happen to deal with sex; some of it even kinky. All of it involving cortisol. The difficulty? Kinky people are okay with being monitored and they don't always realize what 'control' means in a scientific context, but they sure don't like to stick within the study parameters."

87-year-old Eileen Bishop was saved from a scooter kidnapping by police when they managed to stop her mobility device 5 miles from her home. Eileen and her husband were on their way to church when the scooter sped off with her. Her husband said said the scooter, which "hadn't been going that well," was set to three-quarters speed. "Suddenly she passed me at full tilt," Mr Bishop said. "I shouted after her but she is a bit deaf. I couldn't chase her as I've had a triple heart bypass. She just disappeared off the radar." Officers found Mrs Bishop after a motorist reported a mobility scooter "swerving" across the road near Pendown Cross, five miles away. The scooter was taken into custody but had no comment.

Children who attend St. Laurence School in Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire in southwest England got a lesson in swear words. Now their parents are so mad they could shove a pitchfork up the headmaster's &*@@# sideways until the little @*^**@# screams, &*%$#& in his pants and promises never to do something so @#&*$@** stupid again. The kids say the words were written on the board and the children had to shout them out. The school said the goal of the lesson, part of a sex and relationship curriculum, is to rob profanity of its mystique. "This is a total disgrace," a parent said. "Our children go to school to gain an education, not qualifications in swear words. Most kids had no idea what the words meant and were forced to grow up faster than their parents want. Heads should roll for this."

Firefighters in the UK are allowed to run into burning buildings on the verge of collapse, brave the toxic smoke, and endure the 1000 degree heat as long as they don't climb a step ladder while they are inside. Big ladders are fine, but the little ones are out due to health and safety concerns. They have been told to use a special telescopic rod when checking and fitting smoke alarms rather than using step ladders. One said, "It is preposterous. Climbing a ladder safely is an integral part of being a firefighter. It is what we do and we receive expert training to ensure we do it properly. To now be told we are not to be trusted with a set of step ladders is ludicrous. We will be banned from tackling fires because they can get quite hot."

Just to be safe you shouldn't think about words that end that way either.

snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Dan Tynan offers up 7 'even dirtier IT jobs' in a follow-up of last year's 7 dirtiest jobs in IT. Number four? Zombie console monkey. 'Wanted: Individuals with low self-esteem and high boredom threshold willing to spend long hours poring over server logs and watching blinking lights on a network console.'"

Barence writes "A Google Street View car has been chased out of a British village by angry residents. The car was taking photographs of Broughton in Buckinghamshire for Google's when it was spotted by a local resident who warned the car not to enter the village then roused his neighbors, who surrounded the vehicle until the driver performed a U-turn and left. 'This is an affluent area,' protester Paul Jacobs said. 'We've already had three burglaries locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are plastered all over Google it's an invitation for more criminals to strike. I was determined to make a stand, so I called the police.'"

ByOhTek writes "A man is being charged for driving under the influence, on a motorized bar stool. He stated that it was only a minor accident, from the report, nobody else was injured. According to the police report, 'Wygle claims his unique vehicle can reach a speed of 38 miles per hour, though at the time of the crash he was going around 20.' At 38 miles per hour, he could do a lot of harm if he struck someone. Should such a vehicle be considered when DUI charges are applied?"

denouement writes "At only $3.59 plus S&H, the Sno-Isle Libraries Kindle predecessor is still a hot item with over 5 million units sold. Joe Bezos is even quoted at saying 'Brilliant, simple design. Low cost, makes reading a pleasure!'"

Perhaps inspired by President Obama's wish for his daughters to grow up in a world of equal opportunity, Robert Daniel Webb decided to empower his young girl by taking her on an armed robbery. Surveillance camera's show a suspect, believed to be Webb, pointing a large handgun at the store clerk, with the young girl by his side. Kittitas County Under Sheriff Clayton Myers, oblivious to what a huge step forward bringing your daughter to a robbery is, calls Webb's actions the height of parental irresponsibility. "Committing an armed robbery with your child at your side... You never know how someone is going to react when you pull a gun in a public place like that, so we're viewing this as a child endangerment, extreme risk to the child. Our first priority is locating her and taking her into protective custody."

pegdhcp writes "The latest winner of Miss Universe Contest had visited the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, and as far as I can read (before my brain started to melt and drain from my ears) she wants to stay there forever. It seems that the original blog entry is off the air at the moment but that probably would not be the end of this story."

It has four different settings: mist, spray, massage, and electrocute.

The wolf-pigeon is doing a great job.

A Norwegian priest had to improvise during a baptism ceremony when it was discovered the church taps had been turned off because of freezing temperatures. His solution was to use lemon-flavored cola. Priest Paal Dale said the family was informed about the switch after the ceremony. He added, "It had gone flat. Only the lemon smell made this unusual." This enduring covenant between god and your child is brought to you by Coca-Cola.