Friday Snippets and Soundbites

If you need more news of all things random and strange, check out “Snippets and Soundbites” on page 38 of this month’s (and every month’s) issue of ec. We’re always on the lookout for random bits of strange news to send your way!

• Worried about rent in these financially tough times? You wouldn’t be alone. But an apartment company is offering to help. Goldberg Cos., Inc., is starting its “Layoff-Proof Lease” this Saturday. Tenants will qualify after they've signed a 12-month lease and have made three rent payments. Goldberg says when they provide a termination letter or other proof of job loss, they will receive 60 days rent-free, and after that time they may back out of the lease. Golberg Cos., Inc., operates apartment complexes in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Texas lose their jobs. Read more here. And share your ideas for reaching out to those in need during this tough economy in the comments. What can we do to help?

• Think this world is going to the birds? Well, maybe, since a parrot in Denver recently received an award from the local Red Cross chapter. Willie, a Quaker parrot, was honored with the Animal Lifesaver Award after he alerted his owner that the little girl she was baby-sitting was choking on her breakfast. The woman had left the room for a minute, but Willie noticed the girl choking and repeatedly said “Mama, baby” while flapping his wings. The commotion brought his owner back in the room and she performed the Heimlich maneuver on the little girl, saving her life. Read all about it here.

• NCAA tournament action started up again last night. In the first game of the night, #1 seed UConn rolled over Purdue to advance to the Elite Eight. Pittsburgh had a tough time with Xavier, but ended up on top and moved on to the next round of the tournament. Missouri, playing Memphis in a game widely believed to be in the bag for the Memphis Tigers, also came out on top, moving on to the Elite Eight, for the first time since 2002. (ec's editor, Mandy Crow, is very proud of her alma mater! Go TIGERS!) In the final game of the night, Duke fell to a tough Villanova team. The remaining four members of the Elite Eight will be decided in tonight's game. (We think it will be Louisville, Kansas, UNC, and Syracuse—but we've been wrong before!) In other news, Mandy, ec's editor, now leads the team's bracket challenge. Take that, Jen!

• Like pizza? So d we. Actually, we may have taking loving pizza to the level of an art! Italian chefs also love pizza; what they don't love is a new vending machine soon to be unveiled in Rome that bakes fresh pizzas in minutes for a few euros. The machine uses infra red rays and other technology to knead dough and make pizzas in about three minutes. It has windows so you can watch the whole process,and the company behind the machine hopes it's successful so they can set up shop across Europe and in the U.S. Currently, the machine only offers 4 toppings, but that could change. Read all about it here. Read all about pizza here. (Yes, we're hungry now, too!)
.