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Economic Blues

Lost Your Job? 401k Gone Kaput? Grin and Bear It!

By Buck Wolf, About.com

Good news might be hard to find with the state of the economy being what it is -- but there are a few things you might want to laugh about.

The Ultimate in Self-Punishment

An Indian man who really, really, REALLY wanted to be a eunuch cut off the only thing in his way of that goal, according to The Telegraph. In India, eunuchs make a living by begging... and police say the 22-year-old had befriended some of them.

Father-Daughter Stickup

Robert Daniel Webb nearly apologized to the clerk as he was robbing a convenience store, for having his 9-year-old at his side. "I'm out of work," he said, while holding a gun. "My daughter's got to survive."

Save Screech!

Dustin DiamondGetty Images
Former Saved by the Bell child star Dustin "Screech" Diamond now needs to be saved from the poorhouse

Unemployed Olympics

Unemployment OlympicsBuck Wolf
Just because you've been booted from the rat race, doesn't mean you can compete. A group of NYers blew off steam with an athletic competition that perfectly suits these economic times, with events like the "You're Fired: Race to the Poorhouse," the "Fax Machine Toss," and, instead of a donkey, "Pink the Blame on the Boss."

More Prison Time, Please

A 45-year-old jobless ex-con from Taiwan asked police to send him back to jail. He'd been free two years, after serving a 10-year sentence. The convicted arsonist, who'd been living on the street, told police he was hungry.

Teacher Sells Ads on Exams

San Diego maths teacher Tom Farber lets parents and businesses buy space at the bottom of pages to pay the cost of photocopying, a move that she describes as a "stopgap" measure to defray classroom costs.

Man Riots Over Rising Price of Crack Cocaine

Even drug addicts are feeling the pinch. Police had to calm a man at a Dixon's Food Mart in Fort Pierce, Fla., because, he told them, the price of a rock of crack now cost $20, instead of $10.

Michigan Home Sells for $1.75 on eBay

For the price of a McDonald's value meal, you can become a homeowner. Of course, this eBay special came with plenty of back taxes.

San Antonio Plans to Convert Human Waste to Energy

Welcome to the age of poop power, as a Texas city prepares to harvest methane gas from what would otherwise be left in a toilet. You can call it what you want, but the latest word is "biosolids."

Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers!

Panhandlers outside a Wal-Mart are actually making more money than many of those working inside the Wal-Mart.

Cold? Try Corpse Heat

How do you keep mourners warm at crematoria? Why not channel the heat created by burning human remains? Sure, it's creepy, but it's environmentally-friendly.

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