So claims one USA Today reporter: Modesty in young women's clothing is getting a boost from the dismal economy. When consumer spending was in overdrive, retailers could sell to the masses and ignore the more muted voices asking for, say, a decent supply of sleeved shirts or prom dresses that show mo...

Whaaa?? On Friday's I make a special effort to find wierd, offbeat news. This one fits the bill perfectly: Electronic Arts' upcoming game Dante's Inferno is a riff on God of War [another game] that stars a beefed-up warrior based on the author of The Divine Comedy. Seriously. For those of us who spe...

The supernova theory is out. Venus/Jupiter conjunction is in: Astronomers have calculated that Christmas should be in June, by charting the appearance of the 'Christmas star' which the Bible says led the three Wise Men to Jesus. They found that a bright star which appeared over Bethlehem 2,000 years...

German churches have criticized a businessman for selling thousands of chocolates shaped like Jesus. The candies come from Frank Oynhausen’s "Sweet Lord" chocolate-making business, which wraps the figures in gold foil. “I started thinking about how I could reintroduce traditional religious value...

Okay, that's how the headline of the article read, reportes the Associated Press. Hmm, can we say "slow news day"? CNA has a good summary of what happened: The Director of the Vatican's Observatory, Fr. José Gabriel Funes, said in an interview with the Vatican daily, L'Osservatore Romano, that beli...

An unexpected good consequence of the papal visit to the United Nations: The NYPD's Harbor Unit, patrolling the East River near the United Nations as a part of security operations for the Pope's visit, rescued an apparently sick beaver from the water. The ever-vigilant harbor cops spotted the animal...

Apparently these local Jewish confections are a sure way to win Pope Benedict's eternal gratitude: A famous kosher Italian bakery has an important local patron: Pope Benedict XVI. Wilma Limentani, the owner of the Boccione bakery in Rome's ancient ghetto, said she recently received a letter of thank...

USA Today: "The first officially announced souvenir for Pope Benedict XVI's visit is the "Benny Bear." That's the nickname Archdiocese of Washington spokeswoman Susan Gibbs gave the bear, which will be sold only at six Washington, D.C.-area Build-A-Bear Workshop stores. "It's cute. It's fun. It brin...