Cocaine is not only found on legal tender, now in urban Italy all you have to do is go outside and take a breath. A study of psychotropic drug levels in ambient air from eight Italian cities found background levels of cocaine, cannabinoids (the active ingredients in marijuana), nicotine and caffeine in every urban centre. Turin had the highest concentrations of cocaine, says the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research in Rome. Meanwhile, Bologna and Florence had some of the highest cannabinoid levels. (Source: New Scientist.com)
Marketing on a roll in a loo near you: Jordan and Bryan Silverman's start-up venture, Star Toilet Paper, distributes toilet tissue to public restrooms in restaurants, stadiums and other locations absolutely free - because the brothers have sold ads on each sheet. Company slogan: "Don't rush. Look before you flush." (Source: Detroit Free Press)
Dream Weaver prompts proposal: Romantic stories: "Every day, I couldn't wait to see him. One night we were, I guess, kissing. Gary Wright singing Dream Weaver was on the stereo. All of a sudden he got serious. He told me he loved me, wanted me to be the mother of his children, he wanted to marry me. He had no ring - it must have been Gary Wright and Dream Weaver that did it." (Via The New York Times). Have you got a romantic and quirky story to share? Email Sideswipe.
Till lack of connectivity do we part: Dave Hopkins says yesterday's WiFi/hair dryer story reminds him of many years ago when he worked in IT support for a large UK company. "One Monday morning, I got a call from a Judy Kershaw at head office complaining that she couldn't log into the system. I told her there was no log-in set up for Judy Kershaw, and that the only Judy was Judy Sweeney. She replied: 'Oh, I used to be Judy Sweeney but I got married on Saturday and now I'm Judy Kershaw'."
Exploding toilets and other excuses: Excuses, excuses: Barbara Matthews of Onehunga writes: "When I was tertiary teaching, the most common excuse for absence was, 'Grandma died'. I had never realised how many grandmothers one individual could have, all expiring, usually at exam time. But the best excuse ever for not attending a lecture was, 'My toilet blew up'."
