Organizers may scrap Hogmanay tickets EDINBURGH, Scotland, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The sagging popularity of Edinburgh, Scotland's world-famous Hogmanay New Year's celebrations had organizers considering not charging for the event.

UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Rare pearl found in restaurant clam … Man proud of personal garbage collection … Bill to license strippers unappealing … FBI has 'reignited' Cooper hijacking case ... UPI Quirks in the News.

Rare pearl found in restaurant clam ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A Royal Palm Beach, Fla., couple discovered a rare purple pearl in a clam purchased at a restaurant.

Parade ends 2007 with a laugh MIAMI, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The 26th King Mango Strut Parade in Miami was headlined by acts and floats poking fun at current events and politics.

LA studying car-living program SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A Santa Barbara, Calif., program that allows people to live in their cars in selected parking lots is being considered as a model for Los Angeles.

FBI has 'reignited' Cooper hijacking case PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The FBI is resurrecting the mysterious case of D.B. Cooper, who 36 years ago hijacked a plane and parachuted near Portland, Ore., with $200,000 in stolen loot.

Scholars brew up ancient Irish beer GALWAY, Ireland, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- An ancient site in Ireland is believed to have once been a brewery and two archaeologists tried to prove the theory by using it to brew up a batch of ale.

Man proud of personal garbage collection BERKELEY, Calif., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A California man who saved every piece of trash he generated in the last 12 months said he's proud of his bin-filled home, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Indiana says high garbage just trash-talk GARY, Ind., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- State officials in Indiana said national figures claiming Hoosiers produce more garbage than any other state amount to trash talk.

Bill to license strippers unappealing ALBANY, N.Y., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A New York state legislator said he is frustrated his bill to license strippers hasn't made it to center stage for the past seven months.

Watercooler Stories Dec. 31 (UPI) -- N.Y. police official loses animal trophies … Ex-partners' numbers kept 'just in case' … Three Maryland dogs rolling in it … Family jailed over baggy pants incident … Watercooler stories from UPI.

Jockstrip: The world as we know it. Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Baby shares birthday, minute with sister … Diamond, found in fudge, back with owner … Confetti's 'air worthiness' tested in N.Y. … Grease used in eatery parking battle … The world as we know it from UPI.

Your Daily Horoscope By D.DONOVAN KINSOLVING UPI Features Writer WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- UPI horoscopes for Monday, Dec. 31, 2007.

The almanac By United Press International WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- UPI Almanac for Monday, Dec. 31, 2007.

Diamond, found in fudge, back with owner WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- An Indiana woman has recovered a diamond ring she accidentally sold in a batch of fudge.

Baby shares birthday, minute with sister BUFFALO, N.Y., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- When Claire Wargo was born Friday in Buffalo, N.Y., she came into the world at precisely the same minute as her sister did exactly one year earlier.

Confetti's 'air worthiness' tested in N.Y. NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- New York officials prepared for the annual New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square by testing confetti to ensure it falls "in the proper, happy way."

Grease used in eatery parking battle CHICAGO, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Chicago police say an eatery owner took out his frustration on unwanted cars in his parking lot by coating the vehicles with cooking grease.

N.Y. police official loses animal trophies NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A top official with the New York Police Department has been told by his boss to remove all his animal hunting trophies from his office.

Man allegedly hid drugs inside hollow legs NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Authorities allege a 22-year-old man used his hollow legs to smuggle cocaine through New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Newlyweds became unwilling street racers SYDNEY, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A pair of newlyweds became unwilling street racers in Sydney this weekend thanks to a chauffeur with a very heavy foot, police have alleged.

Ex-partners' numbers kept 'just in case' LONDON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A recent survey by a British company determined nearly two-thirds of respondents kept the phone numbers of ex-partners "just in case."

GPS device leads police to true owner NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Police in Amityville, N.Y., learned a man had allegedly stolen a global positioning device after they used the technology to track down its true owner.

Parents leave baby at station NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Police say harried parents packed for a trip mistakenly left their 6-month-old baby at a New Jersey train station, each thinking the other had infant.

Three Maryland dogs rolling in it HAGERSTOWN, Md., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Three Maryland dogs have reason to wag after inheriting a house and nearly $400,000 from their owner's estate.

Indiana family tired of health calls NOBLESVILLE, Ind., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- State health officials in Indiana have apologized to a Noblesville family swamped by callers seeking insurance help.

Family jailed over baggy pants incident WELLINGTON, Fla., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Twenty deputies, two canine units and a police helicopter were summoned to a mall in Florida to arrest a family in a case that began with baggy jeans.

Bedbugs invading New York NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- New York is considering a bedbug task force to deal with a massive infestation biting the city's rich and poor alike.

Your Daily Horoscope By D.DONOVAN KINSOLVING UPI Features Writer WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- UPI horoscopes for Sunday, Dec. 31, 2007.

The almanac By United Press International WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- UPI Almanac for Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007.

Yellowknife's shacks face uncertain future YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Some residents of Yellowknife, in the Canadian Northwest Territories, are worried about the future of 20 shacks that once housed the town's pioneers.

Sarkozy reportedly has phone for new love SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been spotted carrying a new cell phone, apparently dedicated to calls from his new girlfriend.

Mystery container found on Scottish beach GRIMINISH, Scotland, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A mysterious metal container, more than 80 feet long with a cone-shaped top, has washed up on a Scottish beach.

COL BKB: Texas A&M 83, Florida A&M 54 COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Josh Carter scored 20 points Saturday to lead the 11th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies to an 83-54 victory over the Florida A&M Rattlers.

Branson to offer flights in space KIRUNA, Sweden, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Richard Branson's next venture, Virgin Galactic, plans to offer flights into the northern lights from a spaceport in northern Sweden.

'Good Riddance Day' offers a fresh start NEW YORK, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- New York's "Good Riddance Day" drew scores of people eager for a fresh start through the use of an industrial-size shredder.

Britain: Toy guns can help boys' studies LONDON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Playing with toy guns can help young boys perform better academically, the British Department for Children, Schools and Families contends.

LAPD uses feral cats for rodent control LOS ANGELES, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Police Department teamed up with a local animal welfare group to use colonies of feral cats to control rodent populations.

Vatican denies exorcist expansion VATICAN CITY, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The Vatican is denying reports it plans to install more exorcists around the world so possessed people can get help quickly.

Your Daily Horoscope By D.DONOVAN KINSOLVING UPI Features Writer WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- UPI horoscopes for Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007

The almanac By United Press International WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- UPI Almanac for Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007.

Kidnapped Chihuahua reunited with owner LA HABRA, Calif., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A Chihuahua kidnapped from a car parked outside a Southern California restaurant has been returned to its owner.

Transplant candidate to wed at hospital BOSTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A man waiting for a heart transplant at Boston's Tufts-New England Medical Center is planning to get married at the hospital this weekend.

Copycat Disney CD draws dad's ire PORT ORANGE, Fla., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A Florida father says the "Disney" CD his 6-year-old daughter got for Christmas is anything but children's music.

UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Stolen Jesus statue tracked by GPS ... 'Drunken punch-up' mars polar Christmas ... Psychologist studies New Year resolutions ... Bush calendar a top seller ... UPI Quirks in the News.

Stolen Jesus statue tracked by GPS WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- The infant Jesus statue stolen from a Florida nativity scene was tracked by GPS and returned to his manger.

Hot chase nets wrong suspect ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Police in Alaska, who thought they were in hot pursuit of a robbery suspect, ended up charging their quarry with drug possession and reckless driving.

'Drunken punch-up' mars polar Christmas CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A Christmas brawl at the most remote place on earth, Scott-Amundsen Station at the South Pole, left one man with a broken jaw.

Psychologist studies New Year resolutions HATFIELD, England, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A British psychologist who tracked 3,000 people said that only 12 percent achieved their New Year's resolutions.

Bush calendar a top seller WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A U.S. Web site said the "Bush Out of Office Countdown 2008" desk calendar has become their second-most popular humor calendar.