Oddly enough

As much as I love staying on top of world news, politics and business, there are some news that never seem to make to the front page. Case and point, Reuters has a section on its website called "Oddly enough" that captures all those events in the world that just struggle to get attention.

Three particular news bites caught my attention. (The links below are videos and are quite entertaining to watch.)

First, comes from my motherland: Russia

"Jul. 1 - An unusual monument to that notorious medical procedure - the enema - has been erected in a resort town in southern Russia. The one and a half metre-high sculpture to the enema is made of bronze, weighs 400 kilogrammes and cost one million roubles. While it is a procedure many people would rather not talk about, the southern Russian city of Zheleznovodsk is celebrating it. The Caucasus Mountains region is known for dozens of spas where enemas with water from mineral springs are routinely administered to treat digestive and other complaints."

http://www.reuters.com/resources/flash/includevideo.swf?edition=US&videoId=85640
This is indeed a fine example of putting petrodollars to work to alleviate one of Russia's most serious ills.

The second comes from the Land of the rising sun: Japan.

You'd think that Japanese, despite their love of sumo, national form of fat wrestling, would put their primate cousins to work along the national pastime lines. But no, these poor animals are subject to a diet.

"About 50 Rhesus monkeys, who live in an enclosure at Ohama park in Osaka, have been steadily gaining weight for several years. Some became so fat they couldn't move around. The primates are now on a crash diet, with their calorie intake being cut nearly sixty-percent. "

http://www.reuters.com/resources/flash/includevideo.swf?edition=US&videoId=85627

And finally, one more from Japan

I just couldn't resist this one, being summer and all. "A premium watermelon has sold for more than 6,000 U.S. dollars at an auction in Japan. A top quality watermelon grown in Northern Japan is said to have broken the world record for the highest selling price, 6,100 U.S. dollars. "

http://www.reuters.com/resources/flash/includevideo.swf?edition=US&videoId=84213