News nostalgia
In February 1961, Harold Roth, director of the East Orange Library in New Jersey, made news by having arrest warrants made out for 14 people with overdue books. The degree of overdueness ranged from four months to one year. But what really attracted attention was the manner of the arrests. The police showed up at many of the houses around midnight to rouse the scofflaws out of bed and drag them down to jail. (Source: News of the Weird)
Good news
1. Indonesian entrepreneurs are making plastic bags out of cassava starch, vegetable oil, and organic resins. The resulting material was biodegradable and compostable, breaking down over a period of months on land or at sea, or instantly in hot water.
2. Brazilian doctors have been using fish skin to treat burn victims. The fish skin is applied to a burn in a similar fashion to skin grafts. It acts as a protective layer while promoting healing. Because fish skin is so high in collagen, it's naturally beneficial for burn recovery. (Via CNN.com)
