An artificial beach complete with palm trees, boardwalks and rentable fire-pits and barbecues along with the world's first outdoor artificial surfing machine will soon be rising on the Thames as Tower Hamlets sets to lure surfers. Beginning 2011, instead of driving to Devon and Cornwall, surfers will be treated to six-foot swells to a disused dock in east London.

Mobile phone use, while driving, slows down vehicular speed by about 2 miles per hour, according to a new study released by David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah. "The distracted driver tends to drive slower and have delayed reactions," Strayer found. "People kind of get stuck behind that person and it makes everyone pay the price of that distracted driver. "

A 24-year old singer from Lincoln, Nebraska has been suffering non-stop hiccups for the past 11 months. Chris Sands, 24, acquired the hiccups last February and has literally tried everything just to get rid of the hiccups that during severe attacks leave him unable to sleep, eat or even breathe properly. But all attempts to end the hiccups - even holding his breath and drinking from the wrong side of a glass - have been in vain.

A woman attended an NFL game Sunday, taking with her the ashes of her husband who was an incredibly avid fan of the home team. Kathy Desrosiers, 60, of New Hampshire flew to Pittsburgh to attend a Steelers game, the team that her husband had followed ever since a young age, despite being a New Hampsire resident. Desrosiers showed up at the game decked out in the team colors, and carrying with her the urn that held the remains of Richard Desrosiers.

Scientists at the Brandeis University in Massachusetts were saddened when a "gifted" parrot died after 30 years of helping researchers better understand the avian brain. Scientists said, the death of "Alex," an African Grey parrot, left them feeling as if they had lost a loyal colleague.