What's wierd about virgin birth insurance?

Since 2000, three unnamed English women have retained an insurance policy to cover "the cost of bringing up Christ if one of them has a virgin birth." Supposedly these women are members of "a Christian group." The Catholic Church got wind of the policy and threw a fit. The agency, British Insurance, therefore canceled the policy.

I can't decide what part of this is the most strange. Were these three women serious, or did they enjoy the policy as a long-running gag? Why did the agency grant the policy (which requires the women to prove that the child is Christ before it pays out). Lastly, why does the Catholic Church get to influence insurance policies held between unrelated third parties? If the Pope hates me, can he lobby to have my life insurance canceled? Out of all these things, I'm going to vote for the Catholic Church's interference as the strangest and most disturbing part of this story.

Exploding laptops

A Dell laptop exploded at a Japanese conference last week, causing a Japanese man to be very disappointed. The Slashdot thread is overflowing with puns about "blazingly fast processors," "Windows XPlode," "dude, where's my balls?" and so on. Although I love to make fun of Dell products, one Slashdotter points out that exploding Mac, HP and other brands have also been observed. Evidently anything with a battery is subject to spontaneous combustion, leading to miscellaneous urban legends and popular fears. I recently overheard at a gas station in California: "you're using your cell phone at a gas station!? Are you crazy!!?!?" True. The phone's battery could overheat, ignite gas fumes and wipe out the whole neighborhood. But then again, it could do that regardless of whether you're making a phone call. The best approach is to avoid spilling gasoline and lingering amid the vapors.

Speaking of beagles...

A Florida man nearly died recently due to a diabetic seizure, but was saved when his dog (a beagle) dialed 911 on his cell phone. Evidently the dog was trained to do this. Who knew beagles could do that? This is just one of many reasons why you shouldn't shoot a beagle.

[Kevin Weaver] has no memory of the diabetic seizure that caused him to collapse and hit his head. Or when his dog, Belle, got the cell phone that is always on the coffee table and bit into the number 9 on the keypad. This automatically dialed 911.

The next thing Weaver recalls is waking up in the hospital. The dog was there, too.

...Today, the 17-pound beagle is expected in Washington to receive the 2006 VITA Wireless Samaritan Award, given to someone -- or, in this case, some dog -- who used a cell phone to save a life, prevent a crime or help in an emergency. It's the first time a dog has received the award.

While Belle's honor is unusual, her role in medicine is not. She is among the growing legion of so-called "service dogs" that help patients with physical disabilities, hearing loss, diabetes and other conditions. The animals might turn on lights, alert people to sounds and generally provide extra assistance for the disabled or chronically ill.