I don’t know how I missed this back in September (unless it just didn’t make the print edition).  Travis Andersen wrote on boston.com about a new rule at Tufts this semester barring sexual activity in dorms in the presence of roommates.

The policy – which took effect this semester – reads, “You may not engage in sexual activity while your roommate is present in the room. Any sexual activity within your assigned room should not ever deprive your roommate(s) of privacy, study, or sleep time.”

It’s actually a good policy in that it provides an avenue for students victimized by nearby sexual activity to complain and inflict consequences on the perpetrators.  It’s also hilarious.

If nothing else, let’s note that sexual activity deprives at least the participants of privacy (at least between themselves), study time, and sleep time, however respectful they might be of their roommates.

(This came up in a story about Quidditch being played at Tufts.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that wasn’t even the most unusual story I’d see today.)

Jenn Abelson reports in this morning’s Boston Globe:

Citizens Bank has opened the first ever full-service branch inside a Dunkin’ Donuts shop so consumers can have a one-stop shop for their banking and bakery needs.

I guess my wallet does usually feel a little thin after ordering doughnuts there…

Before watching this video, it helps to know that the child survived with no more damage than a cut on his forehead.  Otherwise, it would be unwatchable.  As it is, it’s a sure way to experience a gut-wrenching feeling of helplessness and despair.

The Herald Sun reports on the Closed Circuit Television footage from a train station in Melbourne, Australia, where we see a child’s pram (that’s “stroller”) roll off the platform when his mother lets go for only a second.

Kudos to the train operator who immediately employed every brake at his disposal to halt the train in just 30 meters.

The lesson: keep the stroller’s brakes on while waiting for a train.  Also: don’t build train platforms that slant inexplicably toward the track so steeply that a motionless stroller can rotate itself and roll completely off the edge before anyone can react.

Reuters reports on Chinese farmer Hao Xianzhang:

“People called me crazy. They said I was whimsical and it was impossible to grow baby-shaped fruits.” said Hao.

Yep.  I’m with people on this one.

Hao successfully grew 18,000 baby-shaped pears (or Buddha-shaped pears, depending on who you ask), and sold almost all of them for $7 apiece, thus adding wealth to his whimsy and craziness — a combination history has taught us to recognize well.

The story goes on:

He also hopes to export his fruit overseas and won’t be limiting himself to babies — Hao said he hopes to cater to Western tastes by growing pears in the shape of Biblical characters and screen legend Charlie Chaplin.

Ohhhh!  They’re pears shaped like Charlie Chaplin.  Now I get it.

(via Kottke)

The Associated Press reported this morning:

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA called off the launch of space shuttle Discovery for a second time yesterday after a critical fuel valve failed to work properly.

Launch officials halted the countdown midway through the fueling process.  The seven astronauts had not yet boarded the shuttle for today’s scheduled early-morning flight to the international space station.

“Drats!” said astronaut Jose Hernandez in a Twitter update.

Drats indeed.  Toto, we’re not in 1969 anymore.

The front page of the Metro section in this morning’s Boston Globe featured a helpful guide titled How to build an ark.  The introduction reads:

We’re in the worst recession of most people’s lifetime, and in the midst of the worst stretch of summer weather that anyone can remember. Have things reached biblical proportions? Maybe not, but just in case, we thought it might help to provide instructions on how to build an ark.

The print version features a beautiful infographic that’s partially reproduced online.  In both, the attribution line reads:

Source: Genesis 6:11, eHow.com

I can hear the trailer now, voiced by the late Don LaFontaine: “In a world overtaken by water, one man… one ark… and one Internet connection to eHow.com.   In theaters everywhere, July 23rd.”

Finally, as US troops withdraw from Iraqi cities* we learn how influential George W. Bush was in bringing together people of vastly different ideologies.  From this morning’s Associated Press piece on the withdrawal:

“All of us are happy – Shi’ites, Sunnis, and Kurds – on this day,’’ Waleed al-Bahadili said as he celebrated at the park. “The Americans harmed and insulted us too much.’’

* Of course, “withdrawal” is used loosely here.  From the same article:

Despite today’s formal pullback, some US troops will remain in the cities to train and advise Iraqi forces. US forces will return to the cities only if asked. The US military will continue combat operations in rural areas and near the border, but only with the Iraqi government’s permission.

The Associated Press reported this morning on the value of new radiation detectors the federal government is purchasing.

The monitors now in use can detect the presence of radiation, but they cannot distinguish between threatening and nonthreatening material.

Radioactive material can be found naturally in ceramics and kitty litter, but would be of no use in making a bomb, for instance.

That’s not really as comforting as I imagine they wanted it to be.

Rob Stein reports in this morning’s Boston Globe on a recent genetic modification scientists have made to some laboratory monkeys:

In this case, the Japanese researchers added genes that caused the animals to glow green under a fluorescent light and beget offspring with the same ability in order to test a technique they hope to use to produce animals with Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and other diseases.

First, let me state clearly and unequivocally that I want a gene that makes me glow green under fluorescent lighting.  That would kill at parties.

Second, proponents of animal testing would probably prefer not to describe it in terms of, ‘we really hope we can give this monkey some Parkinson’s or something.’