Pulling an all-nighter? May want to sleep on it
A new survey says students who never study all night have slightly higher GPAs than those who do. The survey of 120 students at St. Lawrence University in New York found that students who have never pulled an all-nighter had a 3.1 grade point average, compared with 2.9 for those who have.
The 210 take: I was a pioneer in researching whether more sleep could produce higher grades. The study consisted of me sleeping through nearly all of my 8 a.m. classes, and the results were published under the title “How I Failed Calculus.”
CHRISTOPHER LENNEY | ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Poteet man handcrafts truly crappy pens
A Poteet man is turning piles of cow dung into ballpoint pens. John Lopez, 42, began making his South Texas Cow Patty Pens six years ago after his attempt at making pens using wood, bone, deer antler and other materials failed to sell well. Lopez grinds dried dung into a powder and mixes it with a plastic resin in a process that takes more than four days. The finished product goes for $45.
The 210 take: Just one question: Do you ever chew on your pen cap and not realize it?
From staff and wire reports

This guy doesn't do well on ladies' night
A New York man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Manhattan nightclubs, saying men are discriminated against by “ladies' nights,” which offer women free or discounted admission and drinks. Roy Den Hollander said he sought to represent all men over age 21 who had entered one of the nightclubs since June 21, 2004. He asked a judge to conclude that the policies violated the Constitution.
The 210 take: It's right there after freedom of assembly: Freedom to partake of $1 well drinks before 11 p.m.
 
Obscene letters from Santa: Ho, ho, oh boy
Canada's post office and police are trying to track down a “rogue elf” who wrote obscene letters to children on behalf of Santa Claus. At least 10 nasty letters had been delivered to little girls and boys in Ottawa who wrote to Santa care of the North Pole, which has a special H0H 0H0 postal code. Return letters from Santa are written by 11,000 postal employees and volunteers.
The 210 take: Even more troubling, Santa has opened a MySpace account, started wearing his hair in a ponytail and is calling everyone “bro.”
TOBIAS SCHWARZ | REUTERS
 
Abe didn't need photos; he just pulled out a $5
Two photographs believed to be rare shots of President Abraham Lincoln in profile have been discovered. Although there is some doubt the man in the images is the Civil War president, many scholars are willing to say the two successive images most likely included the president as he was arriving to deliver the Gettysburg Address in 1863. There are only about 125 known photographs of Lincoln.
The 210 take: Only 125 images of Lincoln exist? Man, where are the paparazzi when you need them. Maybe if Lincoln had been going commando? 
JOHN HENRICHS | 210SA CONTRIBUTOR