Wicked Thoughts

Redneck Mouse Trap

This is the best mousetrap I have ever used, 5 gal bucket with a gal of RV antifreeze dumped in the bottom, plastic bottle with a coat hanger thru it and some peanut butter on the middle of the bottle.

Lean a board up against the side and it works all year without checking it and no smell. I love rednecks, they are the most ingenious group of people I have ever seen.

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Japanese man, 71, sues TV station ‘for using too many English words’: “A pensioner is suing a Japanese broadcaster for emotional distress as the channel uses to many foreign words. Hoji Takahashi, 71, wants 1.41million Yen from broadcaster NHK because of their reliance on English. He says that it makes programming unintelligible and that they should use the traditional Japanese counterparts, reported Japan Today. His lawyer, Mutsuo Miyata told AFP: ‘The basis of his concern is that Japan is being too Americanized. Many Japanese speakers use English words such as ‘trouble’, ‘risk’ or ‘drive’. But in Japanese, these words are often pronounced differently, and have new meanings. They also use words from other languages such as the German ‘arbeit’ and the Spanish ‘pan’. Takahashi is a member of the ‘Treat Japanese as Important Association’.”

Jealous boyfriend releases girl’s hamster after she admits preferring the pet to him: “A man whose girlfriend told him she loved her hamster more than him broke into her flat and released the animal, a court heard. Walsh, of Blackpool, Lancashire, planned his revenge on the pet and broke into Julie Hanson’s flat to “give Harry his freedom”, Blackpool Magistrates Court heard. The hamster was later found hiding under a rug unharmed but during the break-in Walsh stole a TV set from Ms Hanson’s flat. He broke into his girlfriend’s home when he knew she was staying with her mum after playing bingo. Ms Hanson discovered the burglary when she returned the following day and found that Harry was missing. Walsh who admitted burglary was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work, pay £85 costs and £60 victims’ surcharge.”

Dutch woman experiences up to six orgasms a day that start in her FOOT and travel up her leg: “A woman in the Netherlands has developed a never-before-seen condition which meant she experienced unsolicited foot orgasms. The 55-year-old experienced the orgasms, which occurred five or six times a day, without any sexual arousal or thoughts. The orgasmic sensation travelled up her left leg to her genital area and were just like the orgasms experienced during sex. She is thought to be the only person in the world with the condition. The researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, believe that the foot orgasms came about as a result of a signalling mix-up in the woman’s brain. Dr Waldinger explained that about 18 months before the problem started, the patient developed a sepsis infection and spent three weeks in intensive care. For some of this time she was in a coma and when she woke from it, she noticed a tingling sensation in her left foot. The researchers believe this was caused by damage to the foot’s nerve fibres.”

‘Poor English saved Japan’s bankers during global financial crisis’: “JAPAN’S banks escaped the 2008 global credit crisis largely unscathed because senior employees did not speak English well enough to get into trouble. That’s the view of the country’s finance minister, Taro Aso, who also serves as deputy prime minister. He said bankers in Japan had not been able to understand the complex financial instruments that were the undoing of major global players, so had not bought them. “Many people fell prey to the dubious products, or so-called subprime loans. Japanese banks were not so much attracted to these products, compared with European banks,” Mr Aso told a seminar in Tokyo. “There was an American who said Japanese banks are healthy, but that’s not true at all. “Managers of Japanese banks hardly understood English, that’s why they didn’t buy,” he said.”

America’s most secluded hotel: “The sleek Amangiri resort nestled in the harsh landscape of the Utah desert may not seem like much at first glance, but its secret is that this place is all about understated luxury catering to the rich and famous seeking extreme privacy. The complex of extravagant yet minimalist villas, owned by the Aman family of hotels, sits on 600 acres in Canyon Point, Utah, in a region known as the Four Corners – just a skip and a jump for the picturesque Lake Powell. The boxy, ultra-modern and secluded villas have been attracting the one-precenters arriving in their private jets since 2009, when the resort first opened its doors. Villa bedrooms include sitting areas and spacious bathrooms with sunken tubs. Villa bedrooms include sitting areas and spacious bathrooms with sunken tubs. From its promotional materials it becomes clear that this high-end resort is for moneyed international clientele that enjoys the finest of everything.”

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

Pile Drivers

South-Asian construction processes: Only a month after more than 1,100 Bangladeshi garment workers lost their lives in the collapse of a badly built and poorly maintained eight-storey building, the new building code has – thankfully – gone into force. Its rigid practices are already being applied by highly skilled and properly trained construction teams who are labouring in harmony on job-sites all across the sub-continent.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/cFb0nLCKypg
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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

America’s dumbest thief? Robber caught after leaving his BIRTH CERTIFICATE and a note from his mother at the crime scene: “Boston police officers didn’t even break a sweat tracking down a robber this week after the hapless criminal left them every possible clue short of his home address. Zachary Tentoni, 26, of Southington, Connecticut, was arrested Monday for allegedly snatching a wallet from a woman in Dorchester, Massachusetts, while leaving his own birth certificate and a letter from his mother in the process. While fleeing from the scene, the clumsy mugger dropped two bags in which he was carrying his belongings, including clothing, hygiene products and a pair of sneakers. More importantly, however, one of the bags turned out to contain his birth certificate, identifying him as Zachary Tentoni, born in 1987, and a note sent to him by his mother, according to police. Armed with the suspect’s name and his description furnished by the victim, police were able to quickly collar Tentoni, according to ABC News.”

Gold Viking ingot discovered by amateur treasure hunter: “A rare piece of Viking gold dating back more than a thousand years was discovered by an amateur with a metal detector in Northern Ireland. Tom Crawford was pursuing his hobby in farmland in Co Down last year when he found the small but precious ingot, which may have been used as currency during the 9th and 10th centuries. It is one of only a few nuggets known from Ireland, experts said. The sliver of metal, 86 per cent gold but less than three centimetres long, was found at Brickland in Co Down, a short distance from Loughbrickland which appeared to be the centre of an early Medieval kingdom, National Museums Northern Ireland said. Written records say the Vikings plundered Loughbrickland in 833 AD. Dr Greer Ramsey, curator at Armagh County Museum, said the gold and silver objects were reported to the institution shortly after their discovery in February last year. He said ingots during the Viking period were used as currency measured by weight and often cut into smaller amounts.”

‘Getting my penis cut off helped my sex life’: “A MAN who had his penis reattached after it was cut off in an attack by his ex-wife says it has helped improve his sex life. John Wayne Bobbitt claims to have slept with 70 women since the incident in 1993. This is despite doctors at the time telling him he would never be able to have sex again. “Being the most famous man to have his penis chopped off does have its advantages. It definitely has not hurt my love life – in fact it improved it,” Bobbitt told the British newspaper The Sun. Bobbitt’s ex-wife Lorena cut off his penis with a kitchen knife while he slept at the couple’s home in Virginia. She told a court he had come home earlier in the evening drunk and raped her. After extensive surgery Bobbitt, 46, had his penis reattached. He was acquitted of raping his ex-wife, who was herself found not guilty of malicious wounding on the grounds of temporary insanity. In the intervening years he remarried twice and was twice arrested for assaulting women. He claims he has reformed after discovering God. He is planning to marry for a fourth time.”

Food smuggled into Britain (British food can’t be that bad, can it?): “WHEN customs officials approached the private jet from Dubai they suspected something fishy was going on. But standing beside the flight at Stansted’s prestigious private terminal they had no idea just what they would find. Inside was a massive haul of luxury goods including 55lb (25kg) of expensive lobster and 1496kg of valuable fresh fish. There was also nearly 454kg of top quality cheese, 200kg of prime cuts of meat, 42kg of honey, 399kg of mangoes, 250 eggs and a huge quantity of milk. Officials from the UK Border Agency were puzzled by the apparent attempt to smuggle the cargo into the country. All the food – believed to be worth more than $166,000 – will be destroyed because it lacked the correct importation permits. Sources said the private jet and terminal are regularly used by members of the extensive Dubai royal family.”

The T-shirt that makes you better looking: “Take heart, men. Wearing a simple white T-shirt with a black ‘T’ printed on front can make you seem more attractive to women, a new study found. Nottingham Trent University researchers say the simple illusion significantly improves the wearer’s waist to chest ratio, which women see as a sign of masculinity and attractiveness. Researchers showed thirty women pictures of men with different body shapes, wearing just a plain white T-shirt, and asked them to rate the men’s attractiveness, health and intelligence. Next, the women were asked to do the same thing when shown the same men wearing Tshirts with upright and then upside down ‘Ts’ on front. Wearing an upright T made the men appear 10 per cent more attractive to the women. But wearing upside down Ts, reduced their perceived attractiveness by accentuating their belly and making their hips appear wider.”

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

Watch your grammar

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Delta bumped — slightly: “THE US government is fining Delta Air Lines Inc. US$750,000 for bumping some passengers involuntarily, without offering compensation or seeking volunteers first. Airlines sometimes sell too many tickets for a flight, and have to “bump” some or move them to a later flight. If travellers don’t volunteer, the airline has to compensate them. The Transportation Department said in March 2012 it visited Delta’s Atlanta headquarters and reviewed 310 complaints about how it handled overbookings between November 2010 and January 2012. The agency said it found numerous cases where Delta failed to tell overbooked passengers about their rights to get payments, failed to provide written notice, or failed to seek volunteers before bumping passengers involuntarily. Delta was fined US$375,000 ($402,000) in 2009 for similar violations. The order allows Delta to use US$425,000 of the penalty to buy tablet computers to record whether customers volunteer to be bumped. Delta has already been planning to buy tablets for that job.”

Big ego loses out: “SO, this is why you should listen to flight crew when they tell you to stop talking on your mobile phone. A woman who refused to do just that has been kicked off a plane. But she didn’t go easy. A video shot by fellow passengers and posted on YouTube appears to show a confrontation between the passenger Lindsay Bien-aime and officials on US Airways flight 906 from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte, US. Bien-aime, who was travelling with her young son, allegedly refused several orders from the crew over her mobile phone usage, WBTV reported. Authorities were called to escort her from the plane, but they were allegedly met with a barrage of expletives and violence. She allegedly “kicked one deputy in the groin, elbowed another deputy in the face and scratched at least two other deputies”. She has been charged with assault over the incident. A US Airways said: “No injuries were reported as a result of the disturbance. There were 123 customers on board. “The flight was delayed approximately 30 minutes as a result of the disruption.”

Crazy Viet facing huge legal bill over his pet sheep: “A MAN is facing a staggering legal bill after taking his fight to keep his pet sheep Baa to Victoria’s highest court. Vu Ho is appealing a Supreme Court decision to uphold a council’s order to remove Baa, his pet of 11 years, from his suburban home. He could face legal bills in excess of $150,000. Baa has been valued at $60. Greater Dandenong City Council in 2011 ordered Mr Ho to remove the animal from his Springvale property under a law prohibiting livestock on land under half a hectare.”

Pale-faced Chinese beauty: “She is the stunning Chinese student whose graduation pictures proved so popular they caused her university website to crash after being uploaded onto the homepage. Wearing her graduation robes and holding her mortarboard hat, the girl, who goes by the name Kang Kang, is seen in a variety of poses on and around the Renmin University School of Arts. The trouble began on Sunday when, in a change from their usually conservative homepages, the university decided to uploaded Kang Kang’s graduation photos instead. But the photos proved so popular that the university website couldn’t cope with all the incoming traffic and crashed on Monday evening. To make matters worse it is the height of the admissions period, meaning hundreds of would-be students were unable to get their applications in.

British bureaucracy at its best: “An unemployed graduate claims she was stripped of her unemployment benefits because she attended a job interview. Ceri Padley had been receiving Jobseekers’ Allowance since returning from 18 months travelling around the world. As part of the process, the 26-year-old was required to attend her local Job Centre to receive advice on how to find work and to qualify for the £71.70-a-week payment. And when the qualified teacher heard she had a second-stage interview for a job at a school which clashed with one of the twice monthly appointment, she assumed she could count of the full support of Job Centre staff. But she claims that despite attending a rescheduled meeting to sign-on the following day, she was stripped of her benefits. An official letter, posted on her blog, says that the decision to dock a month’s worth of payments – a total of £286.80 – was because attending a job interview was not a ‘sufficiently’ good enough reason for not attending her long-standing appointment.”

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

He’s not joking

German Shepherds can be very protective of the little ones

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Good stuff, those magic mushrooms: “A 41-year-old man from Ohio has been found naked and bleeding profusely on the grounds of a Michigan school after police say he ripped off a part of his genitals while high on drugs. Officers who arrived on the scene discovered a naked man kneeling outside the school and covered in blood from the waist down, with his penis partially detached, according to Sgt. Geoff Fox. According to the officer, the 41-year-old was screaming and making incoherent statements before being taken to a local hospital along with his mangled privates, according to the Detroit Free Press. ‘He mutilated his genitals with his bare hands,’ Fox said, adding that the suspect had no recollection of what happened. The man, who has not been named, later told investigators that he ingested some ‘magic’ hallucinogenic mushrooms earlier in the day while visiting friends in town. Sgt. Fox said that the suspect later broke a window to get inside the middle school, setting off an alarm, but he did not steal anything. He is now facing a burglary charge.”

The 700ft high leaning tower which has become the tallest abandoned structure in the world: “It was built to be an icon of communist achievement – and to reach a towering height of 440 metres. But the building was never finished and it has become iconic for another reason. For the Yekaterinburg TV Tower is believed to be the tallest incomplete structure in the world. Construction work began on the tower in 1983 but in 1991 the project came to a dramatic halt with the collapse of the USSR. The tower – which now stands at around 220 metres – has a slight lean due to engineering mistakes made in its construction.It is known by the city’s residents as the ‘fun tower’ or the ‘suicide tower’. Until the year 2000 it was illegally used for buildering and BASE jumping but after several fatal accidents, it was sealed off. Local politicians hope the tower, which has 26 floors and no lift, meaning anyone using it must climb up the concrete stairs, can still be renovated.”

Twitter frenzy over highwire-walking Wallenda’s $99 ‘dad jeans’: “As he inched his way along the terrifyingly high wire suspended across the Grand Canyon on Sunday night, Nik Wallenda might have been forgiven for thinking the world would be fixated on his daredevil feat. But in actual fact, a large part of those watching his stunt were distracted by something else: The ‘dad jeans’ the Twittersphere said were ‘flapping worryingly’ around his ankles. The bootcut jeans, also called ‘mom jeans’ by amused onlookers, were brought into question by many who wondered whether there was not more suitable technical clothing available to daredevils. Speculation raged during the walk as to which designer was behind the pale blue jeans. But Buffalo have since come forward to lay claim to the jeans, reporting that the style was in fact the Buffalo David Bitten Six, currently reduced from $99.99 to $69.99.”

Perverted U.S. town: “A 13-year-old boy who was cornered on an empty school bus, bound with duct tape and sodomized with a pencil by three older students has been bullied so intensely by his community for reporting the crime that his family has had to move. The incident, which occurred during a Norwood High School wrestling trip in Denver, Colorado in February 2012, was reported to police by the victim’s father, then the K-12 principal and school football coach. The attackers later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges. News spread quickly of the incident in the small ranching town of Norwood, which is located near the Telluride ski resort and has just 500 residents. But instead of condemning the heinous act, the community rallied around the three star wrestlers claiming the incident was a case of boys being boys. The victim’s father, who was allegedly advised against reporting the assault to police by the school board and administrators, has since resigned as principal. He has taken another job paying half his previous salary in a town 200 miles away.”

Yoghurt from a silver spoon tastes best: “Eating with a solid silver spoon really can make your food taste better, according to researchers. Psychologists have found that the weight, type and even the colour of cutlery can change the way people perceive the taste of food.
Yoghurt eaten with a silver spoon tastes more expensive and creamier than with lightweight imitation cutlery, according to the scientists. Their study also showed that the colour of cutlery can make yoghurt sweeter, with colours that match food producing the best results. There could also be a reason other than good manners for not eating using only a knife – cheese taken from a knife rather than fork was rated as more salty. The researchers believe the findings provide an insight into how the brain can be tricked into interpreting our senses differently.”

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

Watch it there!

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Robber goes straight immediately: “A ROBBER who held up a bakery in northern Victoria with a pretend gun placed an order and paid for it when staff refused to hand over cash. The bakery bandit waited in line to be served and intimated that he was holding a gun when he got to the front of the line. He demanded that staff hand over cash, but the staff member refused, and the man then placed an order and paid for it before leaving the store. Police said no one was injured during the incident that occurred on Blake St, Nathalia, at 10.45am last Friday. The Caucasian offender was wearing tradesman type clothing and a blue beanie with yellow writing. He is described as being between 168cm to 178cm tall with a stocky build and a thick Irish or Scottish accent.”

Magician Dynamo has a novel way of catching a bus: “With a smile on his face, and a stiff breeze running through his heavily waxed barnet, the celebrity illusionist Dynamo floats serenely across Westminster Bridge while ‘levitating’ from the side of a double-decker bus. Pictures of the audacious stunt were splashed across the news pages yesterday, in a fresh PR coup for the ‘street conjurer’ from a Bradford council estate who has used his fast hands and gift for mesmerising displays of old-fashioned trickery to gain international celebrity. He’s also ‘walked’ across the Thames, turned Austrian snow into diamonds, made cardboard butterflies come alive, turned Fanta into Coke, and somehow managed to convert lottery tickets into banknotes on live television. All of which means that the recent bus ride through Central London is only the latest remarkable journey that Dynamo — whose real name is the rather less exciting Steven Frayne — has completed in recent years. Steven was raised largely by his great-grandfather, Ken Walsh, a keen amateur magician.”

Actor pulled over by police for having comedy blow-up doll in car: “The driver of a replica Only Fools and Horses van was pulled over by police and threatened with arrest – for having a comedy blow-up doll in the back. Police in Bognor Regis, Sussex, told Richard Foster, 34, to remove the ‘offensive’ blonde doll visible in his Trotters Independent Trading Company van’s rear window. An officer told him the doll could cause ‘alarm or distress’ and threatened him with arrest if he didn’t do as he was told. Mr Foster, who hires out a replica of the iconic three-wheel Reliant Regal that features in the series, was outraged by the claims and at first refused. But he was on his way to pick up a groom and best man for a wedding and had to give in or risk ruining the happy couple’s day if he was locked up.”

Woman killed by runaway supermarket trolley: “A horrific video has emerged of a grandmother being killed by a runaway supermarket trolley. The accident, which was caught on CCTV, happened on Friday morning at Lianhua supermarket in Shanghai. The 60-year-old, who was shopping alone, died from horrific injuries after being hit by the metal trolley at the Chinese store. In the video, the woman, wearing pink, is seen pushing her trolley down a flat escalator. She reaches the bottom and calmly pushes it off before walking ahead. But seconds later a trolley is seen speeding down the escalator behind her. A sound must have alerted the woman as she is seen looking behind her in the split-second before she is hit. A few seconds later, two panicked men can be seen running down the escalator to help the woman, followed closely by another bystander. According to a report on Stomp and QQ two men had loaded a trolley of their own with 15 crates of drinks, instead of using a supermarket trolley – store trolleys are adapted to lock onto the ridges on the escalator.”

‘White-robed religious sect is keeping us awake’: “People looking for an extra hour in bed can often be left frustrated by noisy early-morning risers. Loud postmen or binmen are often blamed for ruining a lazy lie-in. But when fed-up residents on a Barnsley housing estate decided to complain about noise recently, it was for something altogether different. The South Yorkshire community has been left tired and stressed after being woken at 5.30am by a white robed religious sect praying and chanting in woodland behind their homes. The robed individuals are Learnard Radzokota and his Christian group the Friday Apostles, and they regularly go into the trees to pray and chant at 5.30am. Now some residents of New Lodge estate have written to Yorkshire Housing, Mr Radzokota’s landlord, to complain about the disturbance. Mr Radzokota, known as Father Isaiah, said the group didn’t really have a choice but to pray outdoors, because they have no building to worship in.”

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

Big toys for big boys

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Repair the roads? No, we’ll just make you drive slower — in Britain: “The Highways Agency is imposing emergency speed limits on pothole-riddled roads rather than repairing them. Temporary speed limit signs have appeared alongside miles of badly damaged carriageway. In some places signs and bollards have been there for weeks, but there is no evidence of repair work taking place. The RAC alerted its patrols to the trend last week after it emerged that miles of the M11 in Essex have been subject to a reduced speed limit because of surface damage. A RAC spokesman said: ‘This is a first from our point of view. We need to get it stopped.’ Responsibility for maintaining major roads is split into 14 areas managed by private firms, and their contracts allow more flexibility in dealing with repairs. But it is feared the move will lead to a lower quality of road maintenance. The harsh winter is blamed for causing roads to become especially damaged this year. At the same time, Government departments have been ordered to make cut-backs.”

Man gets head trapped in traffic cone: “A man who placed a plastic cone over his head while joking about with friends on Sunday had to be rescued by a policeman after he was unable to free himself. “No one was helping him because they thought he was just messing around.” The man was stuck in the bollard for more than two hours as shoppers and passers-by stopped to watch the man’s misfortune. One concerned onlooker eventually called the police and the fire brigade to come to the rescue. Mr Waterman said: “He didn’t seem to be getting too distressed but when he is finally pulled out he is very red in the face. “It took his friend and a policeman to get him out. It needed a good heave and his back was badly scratched afterwards. “The police officer found it very amusing and was chuckling to himself, it was probably one of his more light-hearted call outs.”

Chinese driver in action: “A six-year-old girl witnessed the horrific moment both her parents were accidentally killed as her mother tried to reverse into a car-parking space. The 41-year-old mother was being directed by her husband when the tragedy happened, in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. According to Qianjiang Evening News, the newly-qualified driver was practicing the manoeuvre in her Lexus RX270 SUV when she accidentally backed up too far, pinning he husband against the wall. Hearing his screams of agony, she put her head out of the window. Then, panicking, she slammed her foot on the accelerator to pull away. But tragically she forgot to change gears and was still in reverse. The move not only killed her husband instantly, but she also killed herself – her head hitting nearby wall as she accelerated. Emergency services arrived, but they could not save the couple – the mother died in a nearby hospital.”

Cellphone class distinctions: “They are two titans of technology, locked in a bitter gadget war for the coveted title of the world’s best smartphone. But Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android software appear to be neck and neck, according to an incredible set of satellite pictures that chart their use across America’s biggest cities. The maps, which use geo-located tweets and the cell phone metadata attached to them, show who is using iPhones and who is using Androids. Scientists analyzed around three billion geo-tagged tweets over a period of two years and plotted the maps, using red dots for iPhones and green dots for Android. Developed by Gnip, MapBox and tech-data expert Eric Fischer, the maps reveal that the iPhone are overwhelmingly used in the most densely-populated urban areas while the Android is more popular in the suburbs. Mapbox CEO Eric Gundersen said: ‘The patterns of usage in each city often reflect economic stratification. ‘For example iPhones, in red, are predominantly in wealthy sections of the city while Android phones, in green, have more coverage in poorer sections.”

Weather girl gets a scare when giant SPIDER crawls across her camera during live weather broadcast: “A meteorologist had a shock when a giant spider appeared above her head as she warned viewers of upcoming rain showers. Canadian forecaster Kristi Gordon shrieked when spider legs started to crawl across a camera lens during a live broadcast. The Global BC presenter jumped as the spider made its way into shot and could not contain her horror as it crawled across the screen. With admirable restraint, Gordon kept her language clean as the spider loomed overhead and probably sent shivers down the spine of many viewers. She screamed: ‘Oh my gosh, that was creepy!’ Gordon darted across the screen to dodge the approaching arachnid as her colleagues laughed at the unfolding drama. Despite a news anchor colleague shouting: ‘Kristi, it’s not in the room, it’s ok!’, the spider was still far too close for comfort.”

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

Jeep for sale

It’s got style

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Slow-motion bandit caught: “An elderly man who allegedly robbed a woman at knifepoint failed to flee the scene because he was too slow putting his walking frame into a stolen car. The man, 64, was still in the Geelong shopping centre carpark trying to pack several bags and his walking frame into the woman’s car when he was arrested about 2.30pm on Saturday. Police allege he had bought a knife from the centre’s Kmart and approached a 22-year-old woman as she prepared to drive out of the centre. Geelong Senior Constable Paul Mitchell said the woman wound down her window and he held the knife to her throat, demanding she give him the vehicle. After putting his walker in the car, the man drove a short distance before getting out to load in other suitcases and bags. His stunned victim quickly called triple-0 and police were able to arrest the alleged robber”

Built-in coaster for coffee cup: “A new mug design inspired by nature promises to rid world of table coffee rings and the dreadful doily forever. The ‘floating mug’ designed by friends Dumi Ndlovu and Tigere Chiriga, comes with its own built-in coaster. And the pair say it will revolutionise the way tea and coffee drinkers think about mugs adding they expect to see one of their floating mugs to be in every home soon. Unlike other mugs, the floating mug’s handle bends round underneath it to form a coaster to collect any drips that could form stains on tables and worktops. But a stain free coffee table won’t come cheap. The floating mug is available from the company’s online shop for £22. ‘It is going to change the way people think about mugs,’ Mr Ndlovu added.

Women really are more likely to orgasm if they’re with an attractive man: “Some women prefer a sensitive New Man to a rugged brute. But according to research, they’re missing out between the sheets. A study of couples’ sex lives has found that women have more orgasms with men they rated as more masculine and dominant. Unsurprisingly, those with good-looking partners also fared better. A study into sexual relationships found that women had more orgasms, and at the best times for conception, with men they thought were handsome and dominant. Women who found their partners most attractive were more likely to orgasm at the same time or just after men, which is the optimum time to get pregnant. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University claim the findings support the theory that female orgasms have an evolutionary function. Previous evidence appears to show that it may help retain sperm after sex and promote conception. This research appears to show that female orgasm could be a way of selecting the best genes for procreation.”

Revellers in Georgian attire celebrate 200 years since Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”: “Regency costumed guests arrived in their dozens at the carriage house for dinner during the Pride and Prejudice Ball at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire yesterday. Celebrating the 200 years since the publication of Jane Austen’s famed novel of the same name, the Pride and Prejudice ball at the stately home, believed to be the inspiration for Pemberley, Mr Darcy’s residence, staged a costume evening to remember. With capacity for 100 or more, the vast majority of Austen fans turned out in full Georgian costume – a key point of the ball, though the fancy dress wasn’t compulsory. Tickets were £65 per head. A champagne reception in the Painted Hall was followed by a a tour of the North Wing, a grand five course dinner. Afterwards guests were invited to take part in period dancing following a demonstration by professional Jane Austen Dancers.”

Chinooks boost Boeing — by $4 BILLION: “Boeing (BA) announced an order from the Army for 177 Chinook helicopters worth $4 billion and raised its 20-year forecast for airplane demand to 35,280 jets worth $4.8 trillion. Boeing said the purchase of 177 CH-47F Chinook helicopters includes an option that could increase the total order to 215 aircraft. Tandem-rotor Chinooks are a key transportation component for the Army and 18 other agencies globally, used for combat, logistics and humanitarian operations. The Army has stated that its goal is to build its Chinook CH-47F fleet to 464 aircraft. It currently has 241.”

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

Caught up!

I got behind doing selections of the “best” pictures off this blog. But I have now got a move on and put up the gallery for March and April of this year. See it HERE or here

Confused ducklings

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Brits DO have a stiff upper lip: Americans more optimistic and romantic than Britons: “A new survey has revealed that people from both sides of the Atlantic have wildly different personalities. Up to 20,000 Britons and Americans took part in a visual personality test which involved selecting which image they most identified with in certain categories. And, as well as confirming some long-held stereotypes, it also appears to confirm that the famous British stiff upper lip still exists. As reported by The Times, Americans are more likely to be ‘caring’ or ‘energetic optimists’ while Britons are twice as likely to be described as ‘downhearted’. However, Britons also emerged as more likely to be chilled out. Some of the more revealing insights from the survey, by Visual DNA, came when Britons and Americans were asked about romance. Briton’s are more reserved and less likely to share romantic secrets with friends, family and colleagues. Americans, however, are four times more likely to be called a ‘true romantic’. They are more flirtatious and much more likely to take a sexual attitude towards love.”

Juniper tree disease threatens gin supplies: “Phytophthora austrocedrae has been spotted on juniper bushes in the Lake District and Scotland. The fungus could wipe out the delicate population of native juniper bushes in Britain. The bluey green bushes used to be found around the country but are now confined to a few chalkland sites around the UK. Many southern English counties have lost 60-70 per cent of their populations of juniper due to loss of habitat. Some 45 per cent of Scottish trees are at risk of being wiped out by the fungus. Although juniper used in most commerical gins is largely from Eastern Europe nowadays, the British population is key to the survival of the whole species. If the UK population dies out it could take strains that prove to be resistant to other diseases in future.”

Meet the ‘poodle cat’: “Their thick, curly coats have earned them the nickname ‘cats in sheep’s clothing’. Now the Selkirk Rex has been declared as a breed of its own by scientists, nine generations after it first appeared. And every Selkirk Rex in the world can be traced back to one mother – Miss DePesto. The kitten stood out from the rest of the litter for her unusual curly coat when she was born to a feral cat in Montana in 1987, reports Mother Nature Network. Her curls were the result of a spontaneous gene mutation that only affected her. Jeri Newman, a breeder of Persian cats, adopted the kitten and named her after Agnes DiPesto, the curly-haired receptionist in American television series Moonlighting”

‘You got so fat!’: Art framing employee not hired ‘because he ‘wouldn’t fit between the aisles’: “A burly Brooklyn man, 52, is suing his old boss at an art framing company who he claims refused to rehire him after seeing his massive weight gain. Seth Bogdanove worked at Frame It In Brooklyn between 1994 and 2008, but when he went back in January, his employer Jerry Greenberg was shocked at his much larger frame. 'Oh my God, what happened to you? You got so fat!' Greenberg said, according to a lawsuit recently filed in the Kings County Supreme Court. 'There is no way you can work here at your size. 'You wouldn’t fit between the aisles.' He said he weighed about 280 pounds when he left the frame shop, and now weighs 350 pounds because of medication he takes. But the portly salesman claims he was still fit for work, and was 'hurt' Greenberg had dismissed him. 'I decided to sue him because he told me I was too fat to work for him and it hurt my feelings and made me feel like less of a person,' Bogdanove told ABC News."

‘Sheep-eating’ plant: “A towering 10ft flower which uses its enormous spikes to ‘eat’ sheep is set to bloom at a British garden centre for the first time since it was planted 15 years ago. The team at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Wisley have waited 15 years to see the rare Puya chilensis – which produces flowers with razor sharp spines that ensnare sheep and other livestock – burst into bloom. The creatures starve to death while trapped in the enormous, neon-green spikes, with their decomposing remains acting as fertiliser for the South American plant. The plants are native to Chile, where farmers often burn them down to avoid the risk of their livestock becoming snared in a flower. Fortunately for sheep, the Puya chilensis only flowers once every 15 to 20 years – and even then the plants only remain in flower for around a week. The Surrey gardens are ensuring their own plant is well-fed with liquid fertiliser, and keeping animals and visitors alike at a safe distance from the spiny blooms.”

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

Bye bye birdie

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

New Zealand sheep survive snowpocalypse: “At Treble Cone ski resort, just above Lake Wanaka, there’s been so much snow this week, ski patrollers have been doing extra “control” work. That’s snow talk for checking the snowpack for avalanche danger and setting off small slides before the skifield opens to the public. So three patrollers are up there at the top of Treble Cone’s Saddle Basin when they see a small mound in the snow. On closer inspection, the mound has wool. It also has eyes. Astonishingly, the mound has a heartbeat. The mound is a sheep and the sheep is alive. Even more astonishingly, two more mounds are discovered. And all three mounds are alive. All three mounds are sheep. When patrollers got them to Treble Cone’s base lodge at about 1260 metres above sea level, resort staff dried them out, put blankets on them and gave the poor blighters a bit of a breather to recover from the ordeal. They then put them in the back of a ute [pickup] and drove them down to the farmer.

Burglar rings police after bumping into dead body while robbing house: “A terrified burglar in New Zealand called police after he bumped into a hanged body while prowling around a darkened house. The burglar’s screams awoke neighbours as he fled the property he had broken into, just after midnight in the North Island city of Hamilton. He ran home and telephoned police to report the grisly find and turn himself in.Hamilton-based Senior Sergeant Freda Grace said:”He got a heck of fright, that’s for sure. “It would have been terrible for anyone.” The body in the house was that of a man who is believed to have committed suicide.”

Indian court rules that any couple who have sex are legally married… and would need to divorce if they want to sleep with someone else: “If an unmarried couple have sex they are considered husband and wife – and would have to ‘divorce’ if they split, an Indian court has ruled. When two people of legal age, 18 for a woman and 21 for a man, ‘indulge in sexual gratification’ this should be seen as a ‘an act of total commitment’ and marriage by law, a judge at Madras High Court said. The court said that the registering of a marriage as well as a wedding ceremony were only formalities to gain society’s approval. It also said that once two people have sex this ‘becomes a total commitment with adherence to all consequences that may follow’, including needing a decree of divorce should they want to sleep with someone else. In addition, should either of the two wish to register the ‘marriage’ they can have their marital status declared by a Family Court as long as they can supply proof of a sexual relationship.

Viagra price to deflate in Britain: “A cut-price battle for the £1.5billion market in Viagra begins today after the impotence drug’s patent expired at midnight last night. With prices predicted to tumble quickly to as little as a tenth of the current rate, men in need of a boost in the bedroom could be able to obtain the little blue pills for as little as 60p each. Until now, those who do not qualify for an NHS prescription have faced paying up to £6 per tablet. But while expiration of the patent will make the drug more affordable, it will not make it more easily available, because men will still need a prescription –private or NHS – to get it. Around a dozen companies are expected to market generic, or non-branded, versions of the impotence drug from today. And at least ten more have also made tablets and have permission to sell them. Pfizer, which developed Viagra at its plant in Sandwich in Kent, has held the patent since 1990 and sold the drug at a price that allowed it to recoup the money spent on development. Worldwide, sales are worth almost £1.5billion a year. It will be launching a non-branded version today.”

Fancy a 112 lb RAT in your bed? “Finding a huge rodent on the couch would see most people racing for the phone to dial pest control. But it’s a daily occurrence for Melanie Typaldos, 57 and her husband Richard Loveman, 54, who share their home in Buda, Texas, with a giant capybara named Gary. Ms Typaldos adopted Gary after falling in love with the semi-aquatic mammals – the world’s largest rodent – during a holiday in Venezuela, and she and her husband are so fond of their bizarre pet they even let him sleep in their bed. ‘Athough some people might find it strange, it’s really no different than having a dog or a cat,’ said Ms Typaldos, who installed a pool in her backyard for Gary to cool off in. ‘Gary is really very smart and he’s very affectionate. ‘He comes when he’s called and he likes to sleep with me,’ she added.

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