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EDITION #1305 This issue 5ยข
This is day 141 of 2026

The Largest Rodent Ever

Used News Wildlife

Friday September 19, 2003

The largest rodent ever was a giant guinea pig as big as a buffalo, which lived in South America eight million years ago, researchers say this week in the journal Science.

More than twice as heavy as the previous record holder, it was more than 10 times the size of today's largest living rodent, the South American Capybara. This giant rodent grazed on grasses, which it must have eaten in large ...

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Did You Know

  • Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar were both epileptic.

  • A one ounce milk chocolate bar has 6 mg of caffeine.

  • Each year there are more than 40,000 toilet related injuries in the United States.

View More...

Latest Posts

Monday September 15, 2003

After eating an English missionary in 1867, contrite villagers in Fiji are now eating humble pie and want to say they are sorry. Reverend Thomas Baker, from Playden, East Sussex, was cooked and eaten by the people of the remote mountain village of Navatusila.

The only thing left of Mr. Baker, a clergyman with the Wesleyan Methodist Church, were his leather boots, and they even attempted to chew ...

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Thursday March 6, 2008

Doctors delivered a stark ultimatum to a 39-year-old Englishman, who grew to a colossal 60 stone, 840 pounds. Colin Corfield's battle for survival was the subject of a poignant and moving ITV television documentary.

The Runcorn pub landlord in Cheshire was warned two years ago that his own body fat could suffocate him. So he decided to take drastic action and have risky gastric surgery. It has ...

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  • A volcano has enough power to shoot ash as high as 50 km into the atmosphere.

  • About twenty-five percent of the population will sneeze when they are exposed to light.

  • A dime has 118 ridges around the edge, a quarter has 119.

Quips

The Minister unveiled the Church's new donations campaign on Sunday: "I upped my Pledge - Up Yours".

Filed Under: Church Notices


The Vicar is on vacation. Massages can be given to the Church Secretary.

Filed Under: Church Notices


Weight Watchers will meet at 7.30 pm at the Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double doors at the side entrance.

Filed Under: Church Notices


Fun Book Titles

  • How to Feed Elephants
    - by P. Nutts

  • My Years in a Lunatic Asylum
    - by I. M. Nutty

  • The Barber of Seville
    - by Aaron Floor

  • Falling from a Window
    - by Eileen Dowt

  • Neck Exercises
    - by G. Rarff

View More: Book Titles

Good Question

  • You know how most packages say "Open here". What is the protocol if the package says, "Open somewhere else"?

  • Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?

  • If buttered toast always lands buttered side down and a cat always lands on its feet, what would happen if you tied a piece of buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped them both?

Filed Under: Good Question

World Firsts

  • "Stars & Stripes Weekly", the United States Armed Forces newspaper is first published.

    Friday February 8, 1918

  • Filed Under: → War


  • The first storm warnings for ships was issued by English Admiral, Robert Ritzroy.

    Wednesday February 6, 1861

  • Filed Under: → Travel Section


  • New Jersey issues its 1st U.S. railroad charter. The proprietors included the famous inventor John Stevens.

    Monday February 6, 1815

  • Filed Under: → Travel Section


Events

  • The man known as the 'Crocodile Hunter' died after his chest was punctured by a stingray barb while diving off Australia's northeast coast. The 44 year-old colourful personality was filming a documentary about the Great Barrier Reef when tragedy struck.

    According to friend and colleague, John Stainton, Steve Irwin swam too close to the ray while he was diving off his boat "Croc One" near Batt Reef, northeast of Port Douglas.

    Monday September 4, 2006

  • Filed Under: → Deaths


  • Relatives of a 91-year-old Ohio woman who died this week are giving her the last word with a sassy, occasionally profane obituary that starts with the basics, "I was born. I lived. I died.", and instructs people to "Wait the appropriate amount of time" before trying to claim her stuff.

    They wrote it in Jean Oddi's perspective, recapping the people important to her, adventures she had and her favorite activities, including playing cards and teaching her granddaughter "dirty songs".

    Thursday February 23, 2017

  • Filed Under: → Deaths


  • A father and son in Alabama were killed when they crashed into each other in a head-on collision. Jeffrey Morris Brasher and his son Austin Blaine Brasher of Bankston, Alabama, died early Saturday morning.

    Jeffrey Brasher was driving a 2006 Ford pickup and his son was driving a 2004 Chevrolet truck when they collided on a highway head-on, said Alabama State Trooper Jonathon Appling.

    Saturday February 18, 2017

  • Filed Under: → Deaths


  • Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse.
    - African Proverb

  • Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf.
    - American Indian Proverb

  • It takes a village to raise a child.
    - African Proverb

World Firsts

  • The first storm warnings for ships was issued by English Admiral, Robert Ritzroy.

    Wednesday February 6, 1861

  • Filed Under: → Travel Section


  • The Beatles land at New York's JFK airport, for their 1st United States tour.

    Friday February 7, 1964

  • Filed Under: → Entertainment


  • "Monopoly" the board game goes on sale for the 1st time.

    Wednesday February 6, 1935

  • Filed Under: → Business & Industry


View More: → World Firsts

Wise Words

  • When the mouth stumbles, it is worse than the foot.
    - African Proverb

  • Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf.
    - American Indian Proverb

  • Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse.
    - African Proverb

Filed Under: Wise Words

Good Question

  • Why is it that when you transport something by car, it's called a shipment but when you transport something by ship it's called cargo?

  • You know that little indestructible black box that is used on planes. Why can't they make the whole plane out of the same material?

  • If fire fighters fight fire and crime fighters fight crime, what do freedom fighters fight?

Filed Under: → Good Question