Wicked Thoughts

You’ve seen this

It’s a favourite Greenie photo

The same bears swimming back to shore. They are excellent swimmers and can swim for hundreds of miles

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

New mother bids to be Iceland’s president: “Icelanders vote on Saturday in a presidential election, with a 37-year-old mother with a newborn challenging the incumbent Olafur Ragnar Grimsson as he seeks a fifth straight term. THORA Arnorsdottir, a respected journalist with no political affiliation who interrupted her campaign briefly in May to give birth to her third child, has run a campaign calling for change after Grimsson’s 16 years in power. Two surveys published in the final days of the campaign showed him coasting to an easy victory, with one giving him 57 per cent voter support over Arnorsdottir’s 30.8 per cent. Arnorsdottir, a striking blonde with piercing blue eyes, made a solid journalistic reputation reporting on Iceland’s deep financial and economic crisis after all of its major banks collapsed in 2008. Grimsson, a socialist, is hugely popular for his refusal, twice, to sign a bill to use taxpayer money to compensate Britain and the Netherlands over the 2008 collapse of online bank Icesave.”

British Headteacher orders junior school pupils to WHISPER at breaktime because their conversations ‘are breaking health and safety noise rules’: “A head teacher ordered pupils to whisper at lunchtime – because their talking was so loud it ‘broke health and safety laws’. Iain Gilmour complained that the children’s cacophonous chatting could give staff migraines. But parents say the move was overly strict and prevented pupils at Isambard Brunel Junior School from relaxing between lessons. ‘Part of education is learning social skills. Children need to learn how to relax with their peers. ‘I was in disbelief when I heard about this …. [the lunch break is] their time to relax and converse with friends and not have to worry about doing as they are told in class.’”

British Student, 21, celebrates after winning £700 bet that he would still be with girlfriend when he graduated: “It was certainly a special day that the young couple will never forget, for not only did they collect their graduation certificates, but also £700 winnings. Committed Christopher Brooker placed the unusual £100 bet at William Hill shortly after meeting Hannah Grayson in October 2010 – insisting the couple would still be together and the end of their university experience. And yesterday, fresh from the ceremony at Durham University, the loved-up philosophy students cashed in on the 6/1 odds. The pair, both 21, fell in love after striking up a friendship during their daily walks to lectures. And determined to show his new beau how serious he was Christopher staked money on the romance lasting.”

Bill Gates made spot-on predictions of the future in 1987: “What is startling is the amount of foresight the Microsoft founder had, which is documented in his 1995 book, The Road Ahead, and – even further in past – a 1987 interview where Gates predicted LCD televisions, Siri-style voice recognition, YouTube, Wikipedia, and card-less payments. Actually, Gates was specifically asked to predict the world ‘in 20 years’ time’, or 2007, but perhaps only some of them have come true in the last few years. In 1987, the Internet was just starting up, so it was perhaps it was quite an easy crystal ball to gaze into. But Bill’s vision of the Internet, with touches of YouTube and Wikipedia, is still an apt description for today. He said: ‘In 20 years the Information Age will be here, absolutely. The dream of having the world database at your fingertips will have become a reality.”

Vintage 1929 Bentley becomes the most expensive British-made car ever sold: “A vintage Bentley has sold for a record-breaking £5million making it the most expensive British-made car ever sold at auction. The legendary 1929 Bentley was sold for a staggering £5,042,000 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed today smashing the previous British-car record of £3.5 million paid in 2007 for a 1904 Rolls-Royce. The bright red Bentley was once owned and raced by Sir Henry ‘Tiger Tim’ Birkin who set a lap record in the car at the iconic Brooklands Outer Circuit in 1931 when it hit a staggering 137mph. The car, known as a Bentley Blower, was fitted with a 4.5-litre supercharged engine which developed 240bhp. Just 54 were built, with the sports cars capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in just 8 seconds.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

A really scary haunted house

These visitors thought so anyway

Visitors to Nightmares Fear Factory in Niagara Falls

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Rudeness pays: “There are benefits to rudeness … that is, for those who perpetrate it. In a study conducted by a trio of American universities last year, it was discovered that rude men earn 18 per cent more than “agreeable” men, while rude women earn 5 per cent more than nice women. The study comprised 10,000 workers over a period of 20 years, and it concluded that one explanation for the salary difference is that rude people tend to be more forceful during salary negotiations. The result? They get what they want. But where do you draw the line between rudeness and discipline? In some cases, the behaviour and incompetence of employees necessitates some kind of authoritative approach from managers, particularly when ongoing amounts of coaching hasn’t resulted in any improvement. There are countless occasions, especially in the public service, where employees have accused their bosses of bullying just because they were given some negative feedback.”

Great invention: “UK COMPANY Warburton’s has invented a heated butter knife that allows you to spread hard butter on your toast. The battery-powered toastie knife has a heating element built into the blade, allowing you to heat it up and butter your toast without poking holes in the bread. Or, you could just leave your butter out overnight.”

Now men no longer need fridges: Self-chilling beer to go on sale in the UK: “The world’s first self-chilling can is to go on sale in the UK – which can turn lukewarm beer or fizzy drinks ice cold in two minutes. All you need to do to get an ice-cold drink is press a button at the base of the can. Pressurised carbon dioxide is released from a capsule, chilling the can by 15 degrees centigrade. The can was shown off this week, and is expected to be on sale later this year. The can is also claimed to be good for the environment – its supporters claim it’s far less wasteful than chilling cans in shops before they are served. Drinks manufacturers are being lined up to use the cans – which are already in use in the USA and can be used for anything from fizzy pop to beer.”

Snake on a… motorbike: “Riding at 164mph you would expect a motorbike engine to hiss – but maybe not because it had a snake in it. When an yellow serpent reared its ugly head out of the engine of this bike the Brazilian man in the saddle amazingly managed to remain calm at first. That was because at first he thought it was just a prank – a fake rubber snake placed there by his friends. But when it stuck out its forked tongue, the rider realised it was no joke – he had a dangerous snake on his hands at while he sped down the road. As the creature slithered over his hand, the motorcyclist headed for the kerb and tried to slow down. Finally at a standstll, he jumped off the bike and ran for cover, returning shortly after to kick the snake out of the road so it did not die.”

Would you date a man without a job?: “Despite tough economic times and a solid unemployment rate, a new study has revealed that women are not interested in dating a man with no job. Dating site, It’s Just Lunch, surveyed 925 men and women and found that a whopping 75per cent of women were turned off by unemployment. Though notably conducted by a matchmaking service for singles looking to meet ‘normal, well-educated professionals’, the report broke down the numbers to find out whether the votes were finance-based or more complex. Of the 75per cent only 33per cent staunchly refused to entertain the notion of dating a guy with no job, signalling perhaps that these women were concerned mostly with how much money is in the bank. But a generous 43per cent said they would consider seeing someone who was unemployed if getting a job was a priority in the near future. A mere 21per cent responded to the survey by saying they didn’t care and would go out with someone regardless of what their professional ambitions may be.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

McDonald’s ad from 1976 tries to target black customers

Is it “racist”?

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Bungling robber left driving licence in abandoned van.. which he hired in his own name: “A BUNGLING robber left his driving licence and vehicle rental agreement in his abandoned getaway van – which he had hired in his own name. Kevin Sloan also left a ski mask covered in his DNA in the van. At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, Sloan, 28, admitted holding up a post office with a shotgun while acting with an accomplice. The court heard how the raiders blasted the lock off the post office door in Newton Mearns, Glasgow, and threatened to shoot terrified postmistress Marion McKellar. “At around 9.10am, one of the robbers fired a cartridge into the door lock, blowing it from the door. One of the men entered the counter area and began grabbing sterling and euros from the drawers.” Seconds later, both men left with £5705 and 2351 euros. They made off in the Transit van before abandoning it in a car park. Sloan’s photo ID driving licence, vehicle rental agreement, a jacket and the mask were found inside.”

Circumcision is grievous bodily harm, German judges rule: “Jewish and Muslim groups in Germany condemned a court ruling on Wednesday that deemed circumcision to be equivalent to grievous bodily harm. The court in Cologne declared that the procedure violated a child’s “fundamental right to bodily integrity”. Religious groups claimed that the ruling trampled on freedom of belief and could lead to “circumcision tourism”. The court said the right of the child outweighed that of parents in what legal experts said could be a landmark case. The ruling said: “The religious freedom of the parents and their right to educate their child, would not be unacceptably compromised if they were obliged to wait until the child could himself decide to be circumcised. The case concerned a four-year-old Muslim boy who was circumcised at the request of his parents but was later taken to hospital with bleeding.”

Couple buy 6,500sq ft eyesore house next door to their Californian home… just so they can tear it down: “A $20million house was obviously not enough – they needed a $4.2million view to go with it. A couple in an affluent area of California forked out the staggering amount of money to buy a decade-old carriage house which was obstructing the panoramic view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay simply so they could tear it down. The five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom house at 333 Belvedere Avenue was bought by Clark and Sharon Winslow, who in 2008 paid $19million for the neighboring house. But even their 11,200 square feet home, which boasts a resort-style health club with a 60-foot pool and 5,000 square feet of stone terraces, was not enough to keep them happy. With no yard and the 100-year-old adjacent house blocking the stunning views the area is known for, the Winslows decided to take action – action that cost them millions of dollars. Within months the house has been reduced to a scrapheap. Shrubbery and trees will be planted in its place in the coming weeks.”

‘Inspector Clouseau’ is real: French agents tasked with protecting president Francois Hollande forgot to pack their guns: “Elite secret agents sent to protect France’s new president Francois Hollande at a major overseas meeting forgot to pack their guns, it has emerged. In scenes straight out of an Inspector Clouseau film, highly-trained members of the GSPR (Security Group of the Presidency of the Republic) thought they had placed their weapons in secure suitcases when they travelled to Rio Earth summit last week. In fact there had been an oversight, and when the unit’s luggage was inspected in Brazil in accordance with diplomatic protocol the guns were not there. This meant that the agents wearing sunglasses and earpieces around Mr Hollande would have been brandishing ‘pretend’ guns in their shoulder holsters. Brazil has some of the worst gun crime figures in the world, meaning the French service personnel would have felt particularly vulnerable.”

Channel island wants to become completely independent: “Jersey should ‘be ready to become independent’ in the wake of a slew of political attacks and crackdowns on its tax schemes, a senior politician said today. Sir Philip Bailhache, the island’s assistant chief minister, wants officials to begin preparations for severing its links with the UK because the largest of the Channel Islands is getting a ‘raw deal’. Prime Minister David Cameron last week branded comedian Jimmy Carr ‘morally wrong’ for pumping millions into Jersey-based company K2 to avoid paying tax. The people of Scotland are already set to vote on independence from the UK in 2014. Jersey is suffering increasingly strained relations with Westminster and its government claims over the last five years MPs have made it ‘very plain’ they want to damage its economy. For decades its relaxed laws drew in the rich and big business because of its tax set-up, but since the financial crisis successive UK governments have fought to clampdown on banks and tax avoidance, hitting Jersey badly.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

10 Terrible Stories About Housekeeping Thieves

Having a good housekeeper is a wonderful blessing, and she has the ability to make your home life more relaxing, healthier and more enjoyable. That is, if she’s a good housekeeper. Sadly, for every good housekeeper out there, there are a few bad apples as well who are tarnishing the housekeeping name. They’re human after all, so a few do take advantage of their employers from time to time. Unfortunately, it’s those few, and not the ones who are doing good, who seem to get all the headlines. Here are ten such stories, about housekeeping thieves:

1. This woman made the rounds quite a bit before being apprehended. It seems she had a good eye for the bling, and put together a nice little collection for herself before she was finally caught. What’s worse is that cancer victims were among her targeted employers.
2. Another jewelry thief/housekeeper, this one was employed by well-known cooking icon Paula Deen. Mary Alice White was found guilty of stealing jewelry from Deen and her husband, Michael Groover, and sentenced to 18 months in prison and 6 years’ probation.
3. The housekeeper for an elderly Palm Beach, Florida woman was found to have stolen $52,000 from her employer. Patricia Zolnowski, it seems, was filling out her own paychecks, which her employer would leave blank due to her failing eyesight.
4. Socorro “Coco” del Carmen Membrano, housekeeper for actress Sharon Stone, had been stashing expensive wardrobe items of the star over 6 years. Among the items that filled eight trash bags stashed away were: a Valentino evening gown worth $20,000, a Cartier watch valued at $7,500 and a total of $300,000 worth of valuables.
5. In a dazzling display of chutzpah, a maid was caught stealing when she asked her boss, an airline pilot, to help her ship the stolen merchandise. After arranging for her boxes to be transported, her employer checked them prior to shipping and discovered the contents were his.
6. More jewelry theft, this time by the maid of Malaysia’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz. Suerwi Riyanto was found guilty of stealing RM35,000 in jewelry and sentenced to 30 months in jail.
7. In this instance, the housekeeper, who worked at a hotel, made a rather unfortunate attempt to escape. The housekeeping supervisor of an Indian hotel fell to his death from the 6^th floor of the hotel to escape being caught stealing guests’ valuables.
8. What is it with housekeepers and jewelry? We suppose it’s the combination of high dollar value, concealability, and ease of fencing, but it seems to be by far the theft object of choice. Here, it’s a Westport, Connecticut maid pilfering the bling.
9. Some good detective work by the employer of this housekeeping thief paid off. Patricia Key laid out some bait and set up a camera to stage her own sting operation when she suspected her employee, Gudelia Quiroz, of stealing from her. Nice work, Patricia.
10. Well, sports fans, it turns out that it’s not always about jewelry after all. In this case, Kimberly Williams swiped thousands of dollars’ worth of baseball memorabilia from Adam Kaplan, a former professional baseball player himself.

Original story here

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Medicine chest ‘time capsule’ that reveals the exotic potions used by doctors in 1817 goes on sale: “It contains a collection of healing potions and cure-alls unlikely to be prescribed by any GP today. But a perfectly preserved medicine chest dating back to the reign of George III is expected to fetch more than £3,000 when it sells at auction later this week. The mahogany box, described as a ‘medicinal time capsule’, comes complete with 29 exotically named bottled concoctions that would have been used by doctors to treat ailments such as gout, depression and indigestion. The chest, dated 1817, comes complete with an instruction book. However, the likes of Laudanum – described in an accompanying handbook as ‘as one of the most valuable medicines afflicted with mankind’ – are now strictly controlled. This is not that surprising as Laudanum, an alcoholic herb preparation, contains opium. Other remedies popular in 1817, when the chest was made up, such as Turkey rhubarb (a plant thought to have healing properties), and cream of tartar (a byproduct of winemaking that was used as a laxative), have long since been replaced by more modern medicines. The set, found at a house in Derbyshire, also contains scales and mixing bowls”

More British bureaucratic madness: “A railway passenger was left stunned after she needed a staggering 14 tickets just for a simple return train trip. Project manager Rachel Woodward, 28, booked the easy journey from Leeds to Leicester online, only to be bamboozled by a huge pile of paperwork. When she arrived at the station she was shocked and confused when the machine spewed out 14 separate tickets for the £16.50 trip – plus a receipt. The pile included two tickets for herself, four seat reservations, four tickets for her bike as well as four further bike reservations. This stack of tickets was needed to cover Rachel changing trains at Sheffield and for her return journey home. Ms Woodward has said the amount of tickets was ‘confusing’ as she did not know which one to show at the barrier or show the guard on board the train.

Rare car collection: “A rare car collection once owned by Britain’s most famous watchmaker is tipped to sell at auction for £8million. The incredible fleet of seven classics was put together by horologist George Daniels and includes a 1932 Alfa Romeo Spyder Lungo that is estimated to sell for £4million. Mr Daniels, who died last year aged 85, also owned an original ‘blower’ Bentley that had been driven by the legendary racing driver Sir Henry Birkin. It could prove be the most valuable of all the cars in the collection that is due to go under the hammer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sussex on Friday. The other cars of his that are being sold by Bonhams include the 1908 Itala Grand Prix car which is estimated at 2.5 million pounds. There is also a 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 Roadster and a 1929 Bentley tourer that once belonged to the Maharajah of Bhavnagar. A 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental ‘Fastback’ is included along with a 1907 Daimler Type TP 45 10.6 litre four-seat tourer.

Thousands of Celtic silver coins dug up: “They have unearthed the largest hoard of Celtic coins ever found. Each one of the 30,000–50,000 coins is estimated to be worth around £200 each, putting the value of the haul at up to £10milion. They are thought to be from the first century BC and were found buried 3ft deep under a hedge in a farmer’s field on Jersey. Two thousand years ago the Channel Island – which remains a popular spot to stash large sums of money – was a refuge for tribes fleeing what is now northern France from the invading Roman armies. As the legions of Julius Ceasar drew closer, the treasure is thought to have been buried by a Celtic tribe called the Coriosolitae, in the hope it could be dug up once the danger had passed. And there the coins – packed in clay and weighing a ton – have remained undisturbed until last week. The pair used a powerful metal detector known as a deepseeker to search for more treasure in the field and struck lucky last week.”

The ghost subway station of New York: “It was supposed to be the showpiece of New York City’s new subway system. Stained glass windows, skylights and brass chandeliers adorned its curved walls and arched ceilings. But City Hall station was unexpectedly closed to the public a mere 41 years after opening its doors in 1904. It was once the southern terminus of the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT), which ran from City Hall all the way north to 145th Street along Broadway. But as longer carriages were created to meet the demands of the growing number of commuters, the station was closed. Its curved tracks were deemed unsafe for the new, longer trains, and, as it was less busy than nearby Brooklyn Bridge station, authorities decided to shut it down. City Hall was designed by Valencian architect Rafael Guastavino who was known for his tile work and is unique among the original IRT stations.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

Fatherhood in China

Baby seat is a bit basic

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Robbers take on a tough family: “A 68-year-old grandfather, wielding a walking stick, and his 42-year-old son managed to overpower and disarm two men who allegedly stormed into the family’s home on the Sunshine Coast. “We flogged them,” 42-year-old homeowner Theo told the Sunshine Coast Daily yesterday as his family recovered from the ordeal. He was at home with his visiting parents, his wife Maria and their teenager daughters Sharde and Chevonne when the masked men burst in through a side door about 11.30pm on Saturday. Theo said he managed to wrest guns off both would-be robbers and his father Covus took to one with his walking cane, snapping it in half as he belted the man. The bandits were bloodied, bruised and beaten by the time police arrived, charging the alleged gunmen with a total of 60 offences.”

Man finds car stolen in 1970 on eBay: “Texas man browsing the auction site got a surprise when he found a car that was stolen from him 40 years ago. During a sleepless night last month, Russell hopped out of bed, fired up his computer and began surfing the Web. During his May 11 search, Russell said, he could not believe it when he saw his car listed for auction. He said he knew it was his because he had memorized the vehicle identification number. Russell said the car listed for auction was missing the VIN plate, had a broken lock on the glove box and was missing the trunk lock, obvious signs of a stolen car. Because eBay requires the seller to list contact information, Russell was able to call the car dealer in Beverly Hills, Calif. After six weeks of phone calls, faxing documents, buy-back discussions and conversations with the car dealer’s attorney, Russell’s Austin Healey was delivered to his home Saturday. Detectives in Philadelphia reactivated the stolen car report and contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The car was impounded June 14. The Russells went to California and took ownership June 18.”

Supersized restaurant: “In a case of taking fast food to the extreme McDonald’s has embraced the pop-up restaurant trend for the 2012 Olympics by building a fast food restaurant of world record breaking size in Stratford, east London, that will last for six weeks. About 300m from the Olympic Stadium, it will displace Pushkin Square in Moscow as the world’s busiest and is expected to serve an estimated 50,000 Big Mac burgers and 180,000 portions of fries – feeding 1200 customers an hour at its busiest – from the beginning of the Olympics to the closing of the Paralympics.Once the Games are concluded the two-storey chalet-style building in the Olympic Park will be dismantled and 75 per cent of it re-used or recycled. The building went up in six weeks (although fitting out took longer) and will take four weeks to dismantle.”

Breast restaurants doing well in the downturn: “The waitresses at Twin Peaks wear skimpy plaid tops that accentuate their chests. In case you didn’t catch the joke, the chain’s logo is an image of two pointy, snow-capped mountains. And the sports bar doesn’t stop there: It promises ‘scenic views.’ Twin Peaks owner Randy DeWitt downplays all of that and insists that the appeal of the restaurant goes beyond the obvious. Hearty meals and a focus on making customers feel special, he says, are what really keeps them coming back. Twin Peaks is part of a booming niche in the beleaguered restaurant industry known as ‘breastaurants,’ or sports bars that feature scantily clad waitresses. These small chains operate in the tradition of Hooters, which pioneered the concept in the 1980s but has struggled in recent years to stay fresh. Instead of relying on lust alone, the new crop of restaurants is growing by offering new themes (think: rustic lodges and Celtic pubs) and varied menus (think: pot roast and shepherd’s pie instead of just burgers and wings). In other words, they’re hoping maybe people really are coming in for the food.”

A heritage roundabout? “As historic landmarks go, it hardly ranks as a world heritage site. There’s a simple swathe of grass around the remains of some summer flowerbeds, and the rusty old signpost in the middle has clearly seen service for generations. But for the past 185 years there has always been something rather comforting to the good folk of Leek about the island that stands at the entrance to their town. So much so that when highway planners announced a scheme to get rid of it, they mounted a fearless campaign to save it. Elderly ladies joined furious traders and young mums to occupy the site on a 24-hour rota. Tents were pitched where pelargoniums once bloomed; demonstrators started a sit-in (a sit-on, to be technically correct); organisers hoisted a Union Flag and arrived with banners and placards. One told the Daily Mail the roundabout was as much a part of the market town’s geography as the memorial clock tower overlooking it. Another said she would refuse to move until a public inquiry threw out what she described as a ‘ridiculous, insensitive and unnecessary’ redevelopment.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

What Confucius did not say!

Man who wants pretty nurse, must be patient.

Passionate kiss like spider web ~ leads to undoing of fly.

Lady who goes camping must beware of evil intent.

Squirrel who runs up woman’s leg will not find nuts.

Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion.

Man who runs in front of car gets tired; man who runs behind car gets exhausted.

Man who eats many prunes get good run for money.

War does not determine who is right but who is left.

Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.

It takes many nails to build a crib but only one screw to fill it.

Man who drives like hell is bound to get there.

Man who stands on toilet is high on pot.

Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.

Man who fish in other man’s well often catch crabs.

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Massachusetts homeowner finds naked woman cooking in her kitchen: “A US woman returned home from a night away to find a naked female intruder cooking breakfast in her kitchen, Massachusetts police said. Katherine Ferguson, 22, allegedly broke into the Taunton, Massachusetts, property with 24-year-old Kyle Timmons, knowing that the home was empty for the night, the Taunton Daily Gazette reported on Saturday. Patrolman Jeffrey Arruda, who responded to the shocked homeowner’s emergency call around 10.30am local time on Thursday, described seeing a young man running from the building, with an older man “wielding a hammer in hot pursuit”. Arruda drew his service revolver and ordered both to stop. The older man, who said he was a relative of the homeowner, complied, while Timmons ran away, only to be tracked down by officers shortly afterward. Detective Michael Bonenfant arrived on the scene to find that Ferguson had donned a dress and was in possession of a ring and watch, all of which belonged to the homeowner.”

When in Rome, don’t steal it!: “Tourists looking for a souvenir with a difference are helping themselves to cobblestones and marble mile markers from ancient Rome. Italian police say dozens of the square stones used by Romans 2,000 years ago to pave their famously straight roads, as well as broken pieces of mosaic and other artefacts are ending up in passengers hand luggage. Security staff screening bags at Rome’s main airports have reported a surge in findings as X-ray scanners pick up the objects when luggage is screened. Rome police have put on display a vast collection of the stolen cobblestones and artefacts seized from passenger luggage in the first six months of this year. The majority of those caught are ‘northern Europeans’ and several British tourists have been among those caught red handed. Ancient Romans used volcanic stone to make the cobbles for the roads that led away from the city and they date back 2,000 years.”

British ignorance of British history: “It was a turning point in the war, when only the bravery of The Few who took to the skies to defend their country stood between Britain and the might of Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe. But less than half of today’s secondary school pupils know the Battle of Britain was fought in the air, a poll has revealed. Only 62 per cent could correctly identify a photograph of Sir Winston Churchill, it found – but 92 per cent recognised a picture of Churchill the insurance dog. More could identify Jedward, Wayne Rooney and Katie Price than their country’s wartime leader. Only a third of 11 to 18-year-olds know the Second World War began in 1939, according to a poll by former Conservative Party deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft, while only one in five knows what happened on D-Day.”

The race to build a successor to Concorde: “Aircraft enthusiasts are waiting with growing anticipation for the unveiling of plans for a supersonic jet that may be able to fly London to Sydney in just four hours. U.S. builders – helped by the Nasa space agency – will reveal the prototype successors to Concorde at the Farnborough air show next month. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Gulfstream are leading the way to build the new supersonic passenger plane which will be targeted at first at the business jet market. All three companies believe they are close to reduce the sonic boom to a sound described by a Gulfstream engineer last week as ‘closer to a puff or plop’. Lighter composite materials, more advanced engines and smaller fuselages could enable new jets to travel about twice as fast as Concorde, which flew at up to 1358mph, according to the Sunday Times. The 12-seat planes are expected to cost $80m each and are being marketed to European and Middle East buyers under the slogan, ‘To the USA and back in a working day.'”

Carrots are BAD for rabbits!: “It’s news that Bugs Bunny would find hard to swallow – carrots are bad for rabbits. The RSPCA says well-meaning owners are making their pets fat by feeding them too many. Although the famous cartoon rabbit is rarely pictured without one, the charity warned that carrots should not be a staple food for his real-life counterparts. As they are high in sugar, they should only be given as an ‘occasional treat’. Research carried out by Bristol University for the charity found high levels of overgrown and misaligned teeth and digestive problems in pet rabbits. And it seems lettuce, despite its nickname, is not ‘rabbit food’ either. The charity added that salad can ferment in a rabbit’s stomach, causing gas and digestive problems. A spokesman for the charity added: ‘A rabbit in the wild eats grass and hay. It doesn’t pop into the supermarket to buy a bag of carrots.’”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

Old Indian customs

A woman from New York was driving through a remote part of Arizona when her car broke down. An American Indian on horseback came along and offered her a ride to a nearby town. She climbed up behind him on the horse and they rode off.

The ride was uneventful, except that every few minutes the Indian would let out a Ye-e-e-e-h-a-a-a-a’ so loud that it echoed from the surrounding hills and canyon walls.

When they arrived in town, he let her off at the local service station, yelled one final ‘Ye-e-e-e-h-a-a-a-a!’ and rode off.

“What did you do to get that Indian so excited?” asked the service-station attendant. “Nothing,” the woman answered “I merely sat behind him on the horse, put my arms around his waist, and held onto the saddle horn so I wouldn’t fall off.”

“Lady,” the attendant said, “Indians don’t use saddles.”

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Singles try to sniff out love: “SNIFF your way to love? Singles who attend so-called pheromone parties haven’t ruled it out. The get-togethers – which have been held in New York and Los Angeles and are planned for other cities – ask guests to submit a slept-in T-shirt that will be smelled by other participants. Then, voila! You can pick your partner based on scent, or so the theory goes. The parties started as an experiment in matchmaking by a California woman weary of online dating, but it turns out they also have a root in science. Researchers have shown that humans can use scent to sort out genetic combinations that could lead to weaker offspring. At an art gallery in Los Angeles on a recent night, partygoers huddled around several tables covered with plastic freezer bags stuffed with shirts and an index card bearing a number. Once they found one they liked, a photographer snapped a picture of them holding the bag and projected it onto a wall so the shirt’s rightful owner could step forward and meet his or her odor’s admirer.”

Groom cheats at own wedding by having sex with a waitress: “A GROOM really crossed the line when he was caught having sex with a waitress at his very own wedding reception. The Austrian Times reports it was only a few hours after the 27-year-old groom had tied the knot in Feldkirch, Austria, but apparently, all of that booze really clouded his judgment. After the father of the bride caught his new son-in-law in the act, he stopped the party and told all the guests to leave. Although the bride now wants a divorce, the Austrian Times is reporting that she’ll have to wait six months to split in accordance with Austrian law.”

Britain’s “chugger” nuisance: “Street fundraisers known as ‘chuggers’ – or charity muggers – are to be investigated for poor practice amid allegations they are confusing passers-by and flouting rules. Employees working for Tag Campaigns, which raises money for charities including Marie Curie Cancer Care, are reportedly failing to abide by certain regulations. One fundraiser confessed her technique to get people to stop was to ‘confuse’ them, falsely telling them that they had dropped something, the Fundraising Standards Board said. Best practice standards state that fundraisers should ‘never deliberately confuse, mislead or obstruct the public’. An undercover reporter recruited to Tag as a street fundraiser claimed that during a one-day training session, new staff were not informed of the need to make any disclosure that they are paid – a legal requirement for fundraisers in the UK – the regulator said. A team leader was also allegedly sighted following pedestrians down the street after they had clearly indicated that they were not interested, stating ‘we have to bend the rules every now and again.'”

Why that speeding driver overtaking you is probably a Rupert or a Juliet: “Drivers named Rupert or Juliet are the most likely to have been caught speeding. And if they are employed as surgeons or chartered surveyors, their chances of being clocked driving too fast are even greater. Those called Paige or Connor, meanwhile, are the most likely to comply with the speed limit, as are students and au pairs, a study has found. Researchers looked at more than three million motorists to identify the names most likely to have points for speeding. They found women called Juliet, Susannah, Justine, Deirdre or Alexis and men named Rupert, Julian, Piers, Giles or Justin are most likely to put their foot to the floor. The research also revealed that male speed freaks are most often employed as chartered surveyors, sales managers, surgeons, TV producers, company chairmen or barristers [trial lawyers].”

Beer drinkers are more likely to have sex on the first date: “Want to know if your date will have sex on the first date? There’s one way to find out – ask if they like beer. Interested in a long-term relationship? Find out if they would like to live on a boat or enjoy horror films. These are the surprisingly simple questions that can tell you the most about a potential partner, according to the founder of a dating website. Both men and women who enjoy a pint [beer] are 60 per cent more likely to sleep with someone early in a relationship, statistics show. This applies to both gay and straight people, according to Christian Rudder, a Harvard graduate who set up dating website OKCupid.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

British rain turns Isle of Wight pop music festival to mud

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Cockroaches are good guys after all? “Unpleasant though they are, according to biologists the humble cockroach is essential to the survival of the planet’s delicate ecosystem. According to Srini Kambhampati, professor and chair of the biology department at the University of Texas at Tyler, the disappearance of cockroaches would play havoc with the nitrogen cycle. Professor Kambhampati, a leading expert on roaches, told the Huffington Post: ‘Most cockroaches feed on decaying organic matter, which traps a lot of nitrogen. ‘Cockroach feeding has the effect of releasing that nitrogen (in their feces) which then gets into the soil and is used by plants. ‘In other words, extinction of cockroaches would have a big impact on forest health and therefore indirectly on all the species that live there.'” [I think I’d rather rely on legumes and nitrobacter]

Boy, 8, survives after he is swept a MILE underground through drain tunnel during Minnesota floods: “An eight-year-old boy has miraculously survived being swept into a drain tunnel filled with surging water and travelling a mile underground – before popping up in a creek in a nearby neighbourhood. Kenny Markiewicz, who only suffered scrapes and bruises in the freak accident, was playing with his cousin in Proctor, Minnesota – eight miles from Duluth, which has suffered record rainfall this week. They went outside to play in the street, which was not severely flooded, and went over to ‘a mud puddle, a big one’, Kenny told ABC News. ‘He just was going across by the puddle and, apparently, there was a culvert or a pipe there and he fell in,’ his mother, Amber, said. ‘We heard my niece scream and we opened the door, ran down the hill and dialed 911.’ But Kenny knew what he was doing. As he was swept through the pipe, he pinched his nose ‘so my air stays in’, he said. After travelling through the pipe – being flung from side to side and sustaining bruises and cuts to his face and limbs – he popped out in a creek a mile away.”

Big British bank won’t give customers their money: “Millions of people were unable to access their money for a third day yesterday after a computer meltdown at one of the country’s biggest banks. Customers have been left unable to pay bills, do their grocery shopping or make essential transfers since Wednesday as a result of IT problems at NatWest. Some were left homeless after the computer problems meant house purchases fell through. Others were stranded abroad, unable to access funds which should have been in their account. As the chaos continued last night, NatWest – owned by taxpayer-funded RBS – said it would keep branches open today and tomorrow and ‘work round the clock’ to fix the issues. But angry customers said the response was not good enough, with some vowing to leave the banks as a result of the chaos. The problem arose after staff tried to install a software update on RBS’s payment processing system, but ended up corrupting it. The problems have hit 7.5million personal customers, many business customers and 100,000 customers of Ulster Bank.”

Nasty British bank blames customer for stolen money: “Rachel had £1,150 stolen from her account in more 30 transactions, but the bank claimed her PIN was used and so accused her of being negligent. In a letter from Barclays to Rachel, Jon-Marie Powney, a customer relations manager, said: ‘The very fact that the card has been misused clearly indicates that the PIN was not adequately protected against misuse.’ This is Money asked Barclays to review the case one more time. Its fraud team discovered that the transactions were actually authorised by signature and not PIN, and that the signature was clearly not Rachel’s. ‘We have since reviewed the case and discovered that the transactions were authorised by a signature which was not the customer’s. We apologise to Ms Addison and have refunded the money to her immediately.’ Barclays have also given Rachel £300 in the way of compensation.” [Sad that you have to get newpapoer publicity for justice to be done]

British girl’s blog shames her school into providing better meals: “A nine-year-old whose internet postings about her school dinners became an international hit said the meals have shown a “big improvement” since she started the blog. Martha Payne has built up an audience of more than six million people after she started posting pictures and marking her meals out of 10 last month. Her popularity was helped when the local council banned the blog, claiming that it could lead to some of the catering company’s staff losing their jobs. They were forced into a U-turn after it led to a storm of protests from the public and celebrities such as the chefs Jamie Oliver and Nick Nairn. Now Martha, who is quitting the blog called NeverSeconds when the summer holidays start, said when she started the meals were often small and unappetising but that they had improved a great deal. “They have got nicer and they have got much bigger and that is a big improvement,” she told the Daily Telegraph.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

Morning tea as HATS?

It’s Ladies Day at Ascot and the hats and fascinators are out in strength

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Video shows man lying on rail tracks as enormous freight train passes inches above his head: “Every so often in life we all come across people who lack a little something in the brain department. And this shocking video provides a perfect example of two men who are obviously completely clueless. With his friend filming in obvious delight, this man sits directly underneath an enormous moving freight train which passes at speed just inches above his head. Filmed somewhere in America, the man’s friend who is filming states the obvious by shouting rather inarticulately ‘You’re f*****’. The man under the train – who also has a large bag with him – at least shows some sign of concern for his own safety by shouting back: ‘I am gonna die.’ The video then pans out to show just how large and fast the train is – with the driver no doubt completely unaware that somebody is lying on the tracks. Showing just how idiotic the man filming is, and how little concern he has for his friend’s safety, he shouts: ‘That is f****** awesome though’. As the train continues travelling, the man keeps as flat as he can. Thankfully, he gets out fine and both appear safe and well. [Video at link]

London gets its own “Dear Leader”: “You might have thought the phrase ‘Dear Leader’ had little currency outside North Korea. But as staff at Camden council in North London have discovered, you’d be wrong. They were ordered to begin emails to council leader Sarah Hayward with ‘Dear Leader’, the title used for communist dictator Kim Jong Il, who died last year. The edict was, however, quickly dismissed by the rather embarrassed town hall boss. She described it as a ‘well-intentioned’ mistake by a junior administration assistant, who emailed the instruction to senior officers at the Labour-run council last Tuesday. She added: ‘I am happy to be called plain old Sarah or anything really as long as it’s not offensive. The email prompted sniggering in Camden’s Conservative and Liberal Democrat camps. Andrew Mennear, the council’s Tory opposition leader, said: ‘Councillor Sarah Hayward thought Camden needed something different as leader. ‘But I don’t think most of us were thinking of North Korea as a model to be followed.’

Another dim burglar: “A hapless armed robber was such a regular at the betting shop he tried to hold up that staff thought he was joking and asked him: ‘Liam, what are you doing?’ The Ladbrokes cashiers initially thought Liam Darby was playing a prank when he stormed into their shop with a rock and demanded money, a court heard. But when assistant Wayne Newman realised he was serious he handed over £1,600 – most of which Darby dropped on the way out. Just minutes before he’d tried to rob the nearby Co-op supermarket where staff just ignored him and told him to go away. The 20-year-old raider was a regular punter on the gambling machines in the betting shop, in Gosport, Hampshire. And he was even easier to recognise than most customers because he has distinctive shaved eyebrows and a tattoo on his neck. His own barrister, Barry McElduff, even described his actions as ‘idiotic’, at Portsmouth Crown Court.”

Monkey mother balances with her baby on the side of a 1,000 metre mountain drop: “As she looks around in a carefree fashion with her baby macaque holding on tightly, it’s hard to believe this monkey mother is so confident while perching on the edge of a 1,000 metre mountain drop. The long-tailed grey macaque monkey threw caution to the wind at the dizzying height on Lombok Island, Indonesia. Photographer Marian Kaczmarczyk, 37, from Teddington, London, captured the snap while trekking to Mount Rinjani. ‘The mum appeared at the edge with her baby and I only had a few seconds to get the shot.’I wasn’t surprised at the height because I’ve seen them sleeping high up in the trees. ‘I think they have so much strength in their tails, upper and lower limbs they can easily rest, seat and move everywhere they like.”

Starbucks for TEA? “Starbucks to open first tea only store in Seattle. The company is to open its first outlet dedicated to the drink by the autumn. The new concept store, called Tazo, will be tested in Seattle and follows the inauguration of the company’s first juice bar, Evolution Fresh, in a Seattle suburb in March. Tazo will sell more than 80 varieties of loose leaf tea as well as related products such as tea pots. Starbucks, which has 17,000 outlets worldwide, bought Tazo for $8.1m in 1999 and currently sells its tea products through third-party retailers. According to Euromonitor the market for tea globally is 2.9m tons compared to coffee at 5.6m tons. Sales of ready to drink tea beverages were worth $56.2bn last year up from $32bn six years ago. The company said the “hallmark” of the new tea shop will be its “blending station” which will allow customers to create their personalised tea.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.

A woman’s age

A woman decides to have a facelift for her 50th birthday. She spends $15,000 and feels pretty good about the results. On her way home, she stops at a news stand to buy a newspaper. Before leaving, she says to the clerk, ‘I hope you don’t mind my asking, but how old do you think I am. ‘About 32,’ is the reply.’ ‘Nope! I’m exactly 50,’ the woman says happily.

A little while later she goes into McDonald’s and asks the counter girl the very same question. The girl replies, ‘I’d guess about 29.’ The woman replies with a big smile, ‘Nope, I’m 50.’

Now she’s feeling really good about herself. She stops in a drug store on her way down the street. She goes up to the counter to get some mints and asks the clerk this burning question. The clerk responds, ‘Oh, I’d say 30.’ Again she proudly responds, ‘I’m 50, but thank you!’

While waiting for the bus to go home, she asks an old man waiting next to her the same question. He replies, ‘Lady, I’m 78 and my eyesight is going. Although, when I was young there was a sure-fire way to tell how old a woman was. It sounds very forward, but it requires you to let me put my hands under your bra. Then, and only then I can tell you EXACTLY how old you are.’

They wait in silence on the empty street until her curiosity gets the best of her. She finally blurts out, ‘What the hell, go ahead.’

He slips both of his hands under her blouse and begins to feel around very slowly and carefully. He bounces and weighs each breast and he gently pinches each nipple. After a couple of minutes of this, she says, ‘Okay, okay…..How old am I?’

He completes one last squeeze of her breasts, removes his hands, and says, ‘Madam, you are 50.’

Stunned and amazed, the woman says, ‘That was incredible, how could you tell?’

The old man says, ‘Promise you won’t get mad?’ ‘I promise I won’t’ she says.

‘I was behind you at McDonalds’

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Scientists identify difference between love and lust in the brain for the first time: “Romantics may insist they knew it all along – but scientists claim to have identified a neurological difference between love and lust. While lust triggers the part of the brain that responds to pleasure, it seems love lights up the region that gives pleasure meaning. The finding comes from the first detailed map of love and desire in the brain, drawn by looking at what happens when volunteers view either erotic pictures or photographs of their loved ones. Data from 20 studies revealed that two structures, the insula and striatum, play key roles in sexual desire and love. And the striatum, found towards the side of the brain, is central to both emotions. Sexual desire triggers part of the striatum that responds not just to pleasures of the flesh, but also to those of food. In contrast, the area activated by love is involved in attaching value to the things that give us pleasure. However, love is not entirely pure. The part of the striatum involved in processing love is also involved in drug addiction, the Journal of Sexual Medicine reports.”

Woman told to cover up cleavage on flight: “An American airline has been forced to apologise for telling a female passenger that she was showing too much cleavage. The woman, identified only as Avital, was boarding a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to New York when a staff member told her she was dressed “inappropriately”. Avital, wearing a cotton dress, ignored the staff member and boarded the flight anyway. “I didn’t want to let the representative’s big feelings about my breasts change the way I intended to board my flight,” she told The Sun. “And lo and behold, the plane didn’t fall out of the sky… my cleavage did not interfere with the plane’s ability to function properly.” The US airline apologised for the misunderstanding and offered the passenger a full refund “as a gesture of goodwill”, however the spokeswoman stood by the need for passengers to dress appropriately. “We simply ask that our customers use good judgement and exercise discretion in deference to other customers who depend on us to provide a comfortable travel experience.”

The Amazon comes to England: “A 6ft boa constrictor has been spotted at a popular beauty spot, prompting warnings to dog walkers and other members of the public. Ed Ryder spotted the reptile while out walking with his girlfriend at Swinsty Reservoir, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Mr Ryder even managed to get a picture of the tail-end of the snake before it moved away. Now Yorkshire Water, which owns the site, has warned users to be on their guard even though experts believe it is unlikely the animal poses a danger to people. Boa constrictors are powerful snakes and stealthy hunters. They travel at only 1mph. They live in tropical climates throughout most of Central and South America, where they hunt at night. The boa’s hunting technique is generally to ambush prey.

Tiny Swedish “eco” house: “Nestled in a valley on Sweden’s west coast, the Hus-1 ecohouse is a home so small that it can be literally lifted on to the back of a lorry and moved elsewhere. The free-standing wooden structure, designed and built by Scandinavian architect and carpenter Torsten Ottesjö, is designed to reflect its landscape without drawing too much attention. ‘Small houses are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. They demand less building material and are therefore cheaper,’ Mr Ottesjö says. ‘They are more easily heated and cleaned. The impact of a small house is limited, both when it comes to resources as well as the land where it is placed. ‘Small houses are also more easily handled and transported. I wanted to have the opportunity to build the whole house in a hallway in order to lift it easily and transport it, by road, in one piece.’ Hus 1 regularly houses two people all year round. Kitchen, sleeping quarters, dinner table, hallway and other functions are well integrated on just 269sq/ft of living space.”

Spider Cat! “As every cat lover knows, pets can do some amazing things. But not many can defy gravity, like Piggy here. She has been nicknamed Spidercat for her party trick of walking head-first down the gap between her owners’ fridge and the wall. The seven-year-old has become an internet sensation after video of her antics was posted on YouTube, being viewed nearly 800,000 times. It shows the cat atop the fridge, peering down the gap before setting off. Half way down she pauses for a casual look around before continuing to the floor. Owners Danielle Mondin and her fiance Paul Hickson, both 29, from Wymondham near Norwich, say she does it every day. The British Mountaineering Council said Piggy appeared to be chimneying, where climbers put their back against one side of a crack and their feet against the other and edge themselves up or down.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.