Strange But True
By SAMANTHA WEAVER

• Are you annoyed by the inability to get that last little bit of toothpaste out of the tube? You're certainly not alone. On average, 10 percent of all toothpaste is unused.

• Those who study such things say that in the United States, $64,000 is spent in vending machines - every single minute.

• Love your pet? Think you've got the best dog in the world? A Maryland woman named Debbie Parkhurst might disagree with you. Earlier this year her golden retriever, Toby, performed a sort of Heimlich maneuver on her. Seriously - as she was on the floor, he pounced on her chest, dislodging the material that was choking her. Experts say the pooch likely saved his owner's life.

• In Italy, it's illegal for schools to give non-organic foods to children under the age of 10.

• With election rhetoric heating up earlier than ever, you might want to keep in mind this sage observation made by Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States: "I sometimes wish that people would put a little more emphasis upon the observance of the law than they do upon its enforcement."

• It will probably come as no surprise that Kikkoman soy sauce was first used in Japan. You might be surprised, though, by how long it's been around: since 1630.