Jockstrip: The world as we know it

Poland mall offers clothes, confession

KATOWICE, Poland, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- A shopping mall in Poland and the Roman Catholic church have teamed up to make shopping more liberating by offering a confessional among the shops.

Catholic officials made the decision to become part of the new mall in the southern city of Katowice because of fears the faithful are increasingly spending too much time on shopping pilgrimages rather than attending church.

Consumerism has been booming in seven of last year's 10 European Union entrants which used to be Soviet satellites, and nearly all of them Catholic, The Independent reported. Poland is the largest of the new entrants, and more than 90 percent of the population is Catholic.

Survey: Pennsylvania roads stink, again

TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Truckers surveyed by a trade magazine say Pennsylvania has the worst roads in the United States.

Among the chief complaints: Conditions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike; I-78; I-80 and poor signage, Overdrive magazine reported Tuesday.

It was the second time in two years and the fifth time in 10 years that the Keystone State has won the distinction, said the publication, which caters to owner-operators of tractor-trailer rigs.

Other states with bad roads were, in order, Missouri, Louisiana, Michigan and California.

Truckers say California has the worst drivers, followed by those in Illinois and then New Yorkers.

Chinese city to build UFO research center

GUIYANG, China, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- A Taiwanese company has put up $20 million to build a UFO research base in China's southern province of Guizhou, where aliens are said to have visited in 1994.

Residents of Baiyun district in Guiyang, the provincial capital, hope the institute will look into the odd phenomena they experienced Nov. 30, 1994, Xinhua reported Tuesday.

On that date, nearly 70 acres of pine trees on a tree farm mysteriously fell down, while nearby plastic shelters remained intact.

A truck factory reported steel pipes strangely broken, a huge truck moved more than 20 yards, and a night shift employee pulled into the air by an "unknown force."

Local residents attributed the odd occurrences to UFOs, but scientists sent to investigate blamed them on thunder, lightning and tornados.

Wang Fangchen, a biologist who visited the site shortly after the reported events, called the UFO research plan "ridiculous," but said he would not oppose it if it would attract tourists to the city.

Zhou Xiaoqiang, secretary general of the Beijing UFO Research Association, said people often mistake planes, clouds, insects and shadows for UFOs. "If aliens really came, they would more likely appear before our eyes politely than hide themselves," he said.

Pa. town's UFO fest backs fire department

KECKSBURG, Pa., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Kecksburg, Pa., hopes Saturday's celebration of a 40-year-old UFO crash brings people with some cash to burn to support the local fire department.

Whatever crashed near the community on Dec. 9, 1965, caused a fireball seen in four states. While the U.S. military claimed it found nothing, widespread reports described it as metallic, acorn-shaped, large enough for a man to stand on and bearing strange markings akin to hieroglyphics, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

Kecksburg plans a daylong celebration Saturday including witnesses and a replica of the object used in a recreation by TV show "Unsolved Mysteries."

Organizers said, while admission is free, they hope UFO fans donate money to support the local fire department, which was part of the emergency response 40 years ago.

"We're just an old, country-style fire department," festival co-Chairman Rich Comp told the newspaper. "One of these days we're going to need a new truck."