No wonder they call it news of the weird:

News of the Weird, May 7, 1999 (Weirdnuz.587) by Chuck Shepherd (Copyright 1999, Chuck Shepherd. All rights reserved. Lead Stories

* According to an April Associated Press report, the University of Illinois managed to find women to fill all 15 laboratory positions in which the only job is to sniff pig manure. They work three hours a week at $15 an hour attempting to recognize certain chemical markers in the manure so that researchers can ascertain which foods are responsible for making pig manure so foul-smelling. The university sought only females because estrogen improves sensitivity to smells.

YUCK! What some people will do for money......

I officially coin a new term "Newfoundland attitude". For explanation, read the following:

In April, prominent Canadian geneticist Robert Hegele told a conference in Edmonton, Alberta, that when he revealed to some Newfoundlanders in remote villages that they possessed a genetic flaw that increased their chances of heart disease, they were happy. Their initial reaction, said Hegele, was, "This is great! They figured, 'This means we're doomed, so we . . . don't need to quit smoking or [stop eating fatty foods].'"