Meanwhile, elsewhere on planet Earth:
• A biblical scholar says that Jesus Christ was fabricated by Roman aristocrats to pull a fast one on the Jews, forgetting that Roman historians of the time also mention our blessed Lord, and that if enough people believe him, he may have to get a real job. (Daily Mail)
• While less than half the federal government is having enough of a "shutdown" to be a pain in the neck, we turn to other burning issues, such as the reason that the legal drinking age in the States is twenty-one, as opposed to, say, fourteen. (Mental Floss)
• You might also ask yourself, hey, why do we eat popcorn at the movies? Is it because it's the one overpriced food item you can't sneak in? Nah, already thought of that. (Smithsonian Magazine)
• If you ever find your way to the town of Green Bank, West Virginia (2010 Population, 143), you'll find a phone booth that actually works. You'll also find out why people trying to escape from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (huh?) are moving there. (NPR)
• Have you ever dreamed of becoming a gypsy? The simple way of living, raising your children to be con artists, in the hope of one day marrying one of their cousins? A small segment of a younger generation is escaping modernity for where the grass is greener. (Daily Mail)
• Finally, Fox News has given anchor Shepard Smith a spiffy new studio set, with a staff of researchers sitting in front of what appear to be big-@$$ iPads. As one report tells it: “Good thing they have all that screen real estate just to read twitter.” (Funny Or Die)And that's all the news that fits. As the week goes on, and if you can stop staring at the image of Shepard Smith before going completely mad, stay tuned, and stay in touch.