Remember when scientists were telling us to stop calling Panda's bears because they were not bears?  Modern genetic testing found that they are!  Now it looks like it's happened with one of the strangest animals of all: the Platypus.  Scientist used to say the resemblance to a duck's bill was  just an oddity of nature because the platypus was in no way related to ducks.  Recent genetic testing though shows that the platypus has genetic material common to reptiles and mammals as well as some that is uniquely their own so the platypus has a strange mix of ancestors.  They must have had some very wild and weird parties way back in the outback.

Weird News:

Gulfport, Miss., resident Michael Petro is complaining that he hasn't been able to get church groups, charities, or government agencies to help him replace his 115 year old home that was destroyed by hurricane Katrina.  Maybe it's because the house that was destroyed was 2500 sq ft and the replacement he wants somebody else to pay for is 6000 sq feet.

Gene Morrill, 57, hoping for a shorter sentence after his conviction for soliciting sex from teenage boys over the Internet, told a court in Fredericksburg, Va., in March about his rough life as a child, beginning with the time he was sexually molested by Bigfoot.

A 15 year old student has filed a suit against his school in Danbury, CT.  He claims he is still in constant pain after he fell asleep in class and the teacher loudly slammed his hand on his desk to wake him up.  (maybe I should file a suit for that time I got a paper cut turning pages in my history book).

Maybe that polygamist pedophile cult should consider moving to Saudi Arabia where an 11 year old boy recently married a 10 year old girl, his cousin, because he felt he was ready for marriage and it would help him study.

Religion in the News:

Trans Methodists (RNS1-MAY02) Demonstrators place black cloths over the Communion altar at the United Methodists' General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, after delegates voted to retain church positions on gays and lesbians. The attention on homosexuality overshadowed attempts to ban transgender clergy so the move died in committee and the transgendered minister will keep his job.

Israel, that is the modern nation of Israel,  turned 60 on May 8th.

The big news in China today is the earthquake, but close behind in the concert performed by the China Philharmonic Orchestra at the Vatican.  The first time in nearly 60 years that China has had any diplomatic relations with the Vatican.

Kampala, Uganda - The police in Mubende district are investigating a new cult called Munyakaibo.
According to the acting district police commander, Gerald Mbasa, the cult has over 50 followers, in the sub-counties of Bageza and Kigando.
"It preaches against the electronics, especially the mobile phones and computers. They call them satanic and condemn the way they were introduced to the world," Mbasa explained on Monday.