"Turbaned Torpedo" Runs His Last Race

Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathon runner, has just run his last race at the ripe old age of 101. Singh ran a 10k marathon in Hong Kong in 1 hour and 32 minutes. Fauja, a Sikh, is known for his saffron colored turban that he wears, hence the nickname; "The Turbaned Torpedo." Singh became the oldest man to run a marathon in 2011. He originally began running as a way to cope with his son's unfortunate demise (he was decapitated by a piece of scrap metal blowing in the wind).
"I am feeling a bit of happiness and a bit of sadness mixed together..." said Singh, before the race.

Mississippi Finally Gets Around to Outlawing Slavery

147 years later, Mississippi has finally ratified the 13th Amendment. Ranhan Batra, the associate professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, noticed that while Mississippi had ratified the amendment locally, the local government had never formally notified the U.S. archivist. Apparently, the bill had never been sent to the Office of the Federal Register, thus leaving the amendment unlawful in Mississippi for close to 150 years. Technically, slave ownership has been legal in Mississippi for the last 150 years. The state finally received notification on Feb. 7 from the Federal Register that they had officially ratified the 13th Amendment. 

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/19/mississippi-finally-ratifies-the-amendment-to-ban-slavery-148-years-later/

Emu Heist in Austrailia

Zookeepers at an Australian wildlife are reeling for answers after they discovered one of their emus has gone missing, quite possibly stolen. The bird was found to be missing from the Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney on Tuesday morning. Investigators suspect theft because of the large amount of feathers in the bird's enclosure, which may indicate a struggle. However, park management are confused as to why the thieves chose to steal the emu. Chad Staples, the senior curator at Featherdale said,
"Emus don't really have a monetary value because of how common they are."

For the amount of effort and planning the theft would require, it seems unlikely that the thieves stand to make enough money to make this endeavor worth their while. Investigators suspect that more than one person is involved, considering the size and vigor of the large flightless bird in question. Adult emus can grow to be almost 2 meters tall, up to 100 pounds, and in situations of danger they can run up to 31 mph. In the wild, emus use their remarkably strong , sharp clawed feet to defend against predators.

The French Lift 200 Year Old Ban on Women Wearing Trousers in Paris

The law, put into service on the 17th of November in 1800, has now finally been overturned. According to the law, if a women wanted to wear "pantaloons, trousers, or other menswear," she would have to get permission from local police or else risk arrest. Some 100 years later, in 1909, the law was modified to allow women to wear pants if they were, "holding a bicycle handlebar or the reins of a horse." The law has mostly been ignored for the last 100 years, because it was determined that it was not a priority of the French government, and because it was considered a piece of "legal archaeology." France's minister of Women's Rights announced that the law was ,

 "incompatible with the principles of equality between men and women that are written into the constitution, as well as in France’s European engagements. It has absolutely no legal effect."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21329269

Japan Sets World Record for Most Synchronized Dancing Mascots

Last weekend, 141 mascots from all across Japan gathered in Sasebo to attempt to break the coveted world record of "Most Synchronized Dancing Mascots at One Time." After 3 tries, they had broken the record. The criteria for their attempt to count was that participants had to complete the dance with at least 95% accuracy.

Presarvationist Wants to Rid New Zealand of Cats

Gareth Morgan, a bird enthusiast with an apparent vendetta against cats, has started a new campaign to encourage NZ residents to stop having cats. New Zealand is thought to have the highest percentage of cat ownership per citizen. Morgan writes that,
"About 40% of New Zealand's native land birds are already extinct. And the rest are endangered."

That little ball of fluff you own is a natural born killer

Morgan wants people to neuter their pets and reconsider before getting another. People have not been reacting very positively. Check out the website.

http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/

Police Looking to Flush Out the Milwaukee Bathroom Bandit

Milwaukee police have reported a slew of toilet part thefts in the last 4 months. The perpetrator is believed to be a young, white male, with some basic plumbing knowledge. He is believed to be targeting automatic flush valves. Current estimates place the cumulative cost of the thefts at around $30,000. Police suspect that the parts are being resold, on a toilet parts black market of some kind. For now, all the evidence that the police have is video surveillance. The thief targets college campuses and fast food restaurants. The thefts have gotten so bad that the regional manager of Arby's has ordered locks put on all urinal valves in his restaurants. Will the police be able to slam the lid on this serial thief? Only time will tell.

VIDEO: http://www.news10.net/video/2095940244001/1/Bathroom-bandit-steals-toilet-bowl-handles