We gave our photographer a tough assignment: go out there, and don't come back without a picture that includes motorcycles, flags and Civil War widows.  By golly, he did it, and now you can write clever captions and send them via Post a Comment.

Civil War widow re-enactors wave to motorcycle riders in a Memorial Day rally in Washington, May 28, 2006.   REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 O Caption! My Caption!  You should be able to have fun writing alternative captions for this picture of what brides will be wearing this June.  Send them to us via Post a Comment.

A model displays a bridal costume during the Eros exhibition in Moscow, May 25, 2006. REUTERS/Alexander Natruskin

Today we learn a Japanese scientist thinks he has figured out what Mona Lisa's voice would have sounded like, based on the shape of her skull and stuff like that. It turns out she sounded exactly like Fran Drescher in that old "Nanny" sitcom. Okay, maybe not really. But you can go to a Website and hear for yourself. 

Don't ask me why the world needed this. Why put a voice to a woman whose enigmatic smile speaks to the ages? All this really means is that I guess if you're being bothered by crank phonecalls from an Italian lady, you can now go to the Website and rule out Mona Lisa as the culprit. Here's the story and here is some Rough Cut video:

A cleaner sweeps beside a Mona Lisa artwork made from hundreds of used computer parts displayed at the '9th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo' in Beijing May 26, 2006. REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV

Dear Blog Editor:
I was just wondering, are you ever ashamed of any of the things you post on this Oddly Enough Blog?
Signed,
Regular Reader

Well, Regular, I'd say this video clip of a three-year-old girl who plays with live scorpions is pretty much rock-bottom for me.  There isn't much separating me from a carnival barker at this point. Continue to see for yourself:

Please find the latest Newsbeats track via the links below.

Australia has a team of plain-clothes rangers prowling the streets of Sydney.  giving tickets to smokers who dump their cigarette butts where they shouldn't.   It's not the greatest story in the world, but I couldn't resist using this headline. Here's the story:                 

A plain clothed Sydney City Council ranger (L) keeps watch after fining two smokers for dropping cigarette butts on a city street, May 31, 2006. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne

What will we do this year to prove how macho we are? Run with the bulls at Pamplona? Try extreme mountain climbing? I've got it! We'll chase a wheel of cheese down a hill!

Welcome to a bizarre annual event, which attracts thousands of people. Perhaps most bizarre of all, ambulances stand by because there are always injuries.  How would you like to hear the conversations when those people call in sick?  Continue for the Reuters video report:

Please find the latest Newsbeats track via the links below. Apologies for the late posting.

Please keep in mind, we're not allowed to make this stuff up.  From Amsterdam, a story today about Dutch pedophiles launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations, from 16 to 12. They also want to legalize a bunch of other stuff you might not even want to know about.

I've thought about it, and this could actually be a positive thing, assuming it's a typical political party. I can see some good in pedophiles being easily identified by campaign buttons, bumper stickers and signs on their lawns.  And that's not to mention the benefit of having large numbers of them gathered in one confined place for political conventions, if you catch my drift. Here is the story:

 This picture has the two main elements of any great newsphoto -- a brass instrument and heavy construction equipment. Feel free to come up with your own caption, and drop it to us via Post a Comment.     

Woody Penouilh Jr. of the Treme Brass Band walks past the repaired Industrial Canal levee after participating in a "remembrance walk" through the Ninth Ward in memory of those who lost their lives during Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans. Picture taken on May 29, 2006. REUTERS/Sean Gardner