Odd goods: Have you ever found yourself at Wal-Mart or at the pharmacy, just staring at the brand-new, fully battery-powered battery charger, wondering exactly who would purchase such an item? Or why anyone would try to market a birdfeeder for your car? Maybe those don't exist, but the stuff over at Strange New Products certainly does - a blog that gives you the latest in luxury toilets, giant M&Ms and smokeless, heatless cigarettes at www.strangenewproducts.com.

Rock hard: Of course, some essential, um, tools predate organized commerce. Last month, archaeologists in Germany uncovered what could only be described as a prehistoric stone dong, carved out of highly polished stone and of life-sized proportions. The scientists had to reassemble it from 14 pieces of stone found in a cave that had previously yielded many important finds, but up to now, no wangs at all. See the BBC story and the photo at http://tinyurl.com/ba5ao.

Comments? Michael Citrome