Out-of-the-Ordinary NewsFor the Week of July 25

Out-of-the-ordinary news from the folks at "Studio B"...

Three, 2, 1 — in Japanese

Here at home, many of us celebrated the launch of Discovery (search) with a sigh of relief, even though many of us were overjoyed. It was a different story across the Pacific in Japan. They celebrated with fireworks and hundreds of people out on the streets braving typhoon conditions. Some of them crowded city hall in one town to watch the launch.

They were there to send off their favorite son. Soichi Noguchi (search) had a seat on Discovery. The mayor says they're praying for him and wished him good luck. The launch was also shown on big screens all over Japan, from a plaza at a Tokyo train station to a holding room at Japan's space agency headquarters.

T.P. Technology

In the days of old, the nights were bold and so was the toilet paper. Rough, not only on your behind, but also on RV and septic tanks. The toilet paper would always clog up the darn things!

Well now, the answer finally. Dissolving toilet paper! A company says it has invented toilet tissue that will vaporize within 30 seconds of being flushed. And the company says that "Septic-Sure (search)" is just as absorbent and just as soothing as your brand of toilet paper.