BERLIN, Germany - Since Germany has only a small amount of its own natural reserves, a power plant chief has been searching for an alternate source of energy and believes he has found it - used diapers. "It's an environmentally friendly source of energy," said Thomas Lesche, director of a Bremen incinerator plant that made a deal with a nearby retirement home to purchase 100 tons of used pads and soiled tissues, which is an average of about 10,000 pads. "The pollution emissions with used pads are far lower than with oil or coal," added Lesche. "The content of nappies provide
a great source of energy. The demand for used incontinence materials will grow in the future." He also mentioned that the materials make up around one percent of the plant's energy output now, but felt confident that the percentage would increase.

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, Maine - As a joke, fishermen Jim Bright and Chris Costello dressed a female lobster in a Barbie outfit, complete with pink high heels. Their little prank has saved the crustacean from the steam pot at least 10 times.
Barbie Lobster, as she has been nicknamed, has been hauled up and thrown back on several occasions. The radios used by lobstermen buzz with laughter and chatter every time a new sighting of Barbie is reported. Costello made a special trip to Wal-Mart to purchase the blue blouse, red- and whitecheckered shirt and shoes that Barbie Lobster wears. Barbie hasn't been spotted since early December and apparently was unkempt and almost naked, except for the heels. If she makes it a few more months, she will be home free for another season. "We have our spring fashions all ready to go," Costello said.

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - Two California entrepreneurs have created a new type of greeting card that is sure to make the folks at Hallmark blush - cards with the inside message printed on a sexy black thong. Kim Leone and Ann Mohler's creation is called Polka Dot Greetingwear and features racy holiday greetings that include a card reading "Peace on Earth" on the outside and "Goodwill Toward Men" on the underwear. There's also one that says "Round yon" on the outside and "virgin" on the inside. Mohler says the idea for the panty cards came from a brainstorming session where she and Leone and a few friends came up with the goofiest sayings they would like to see printed on underwear. The panty greetings aren't just limited to Christmas - you can pick one up for bachelorette parties, birthdays and even a divorce card that says "Yay you're getting divorced" and contains a pair of underwear that reads "open season."

CHARLOTTE, Vt. - Vermont may no longer be part of the United tates if a small group of citizens has its way. The Second Vermont Republic is attempting to get the state's 600,000 residents to agree to secession to avoid what leader Thomas Naylor calls "imperial overstretch" and "corporate homogenization." Naylor says that the state is a rural area that has nothing in common with large cities such as Chicago or Los Angeles. He believes that separating from the Union is the only way to be sure the "Green Mountain State" stays green.
Naylor hopes the secession will be non-violent and insists that his goal is just to free Vermont from the other 49 states. The Second Vermont Republic only has a few hundred members at the moment but Naylor is sure that his plan will be successful. He is also hoping to convince New Hampshire, Maine and Quebec to join them in forming a new country.

Do these steps go up or down?

What do you do with the beautiful ice carvings after they melt?

Which elevator do I take to get to the front of the ship?

Does the crew sleep on the ship?

Is this island completely surrounded by water?

Does the ship make its own electricity?

Is it salt water in the toilets?

What elevation are we at?

There's a photographer on board who takes photos and displays them the next day... the question asked...If the pictures aren't marked, how will I know which ones are mine?

What time is the Midnight Buffet being served?

CLARKSTOWN, New York - If you are going to impersonate a
police officer, it might not be a good idea to pull over an off-duty state trooper. Shalom Gelbman, 22, was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal impersonation after he stopped a state trooper during his pretend cop act. With a strobe light on his dashboard and his high beams flashing, Gelbman pulled over a car on the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Driving the vehicle was state Trooper Seamus Lyons, who arrested him after noticing Gelbman's license plate number and the equipment in his car. Gelbman was also given a ticket for driving without registration or insurance. He
was later released on $5,000 bail after being arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court.

HONG KONG - A chronic gambler was able to save his marriage by lopping off his index finger with a kitchen knife, a news report said on Tuesday. The 40-year-old's wife wanted to divorce him because he managed to lose all his money during a weekend of gambling. Although he made promises to stop gambling, she refused to believe him. In an act of desperation, he took out a kitchen knife and sliced off his right index finger in front of her to prove his determination.
The woman, from Zhanjiang, western Guangdong province, was "deeply moved" by his act and decided to stay with him, the newspaper said.