When dinosaurs invaded New York

April 16, 2014 at 3:52 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Fibreglass dinosaurs are transported on the Hudson River to the 1964 World’s Fair

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Italy’s ‘haunted’ island up for auction: “The leasehold of a Venetian island described as one of the most haunted places in Italy is to be auctioned next month as the state desperately seeks to raise revenue. Poveglia, a small, uninhabited island in the Venice lagoon, minutes from St Mark’s Square, is among five prime properties, including a castle and a monastery, that will go under the hammer in an online auction. The 17-acre island was fought over by the Venetians and the Genoese in the 14th century – and still shows traces of being fortified – before it became a quarantine station for ships arriving at Venice in the 18th century. After plague was discovered on two ships, the island was sealed off and used to house people with infectious diseases, leading to legends of terminally ill Venetians waiting to die before their ghosts returned to haunt the island. The Italian government is hoping for offers to transform the hospital into a luxury hotel”

EU to ban beaches: One in ten British resorts could fail tough new safety tests: “Some of England’s best-loved beaches could be turned into no-go zones for swimmers under tough new EU rules. When the new European directive is enforced in May 2015, the rules on water safety will become twice as stringent overnight, rendering dozens of beaches which are currently safe off-limits for swimmers. One in ten of England’s 400 registered bathing beaches will fail the new tests, according to Environment Agency projections. Signposts will be erected at sites that do not meet the tough new standards, warning swimmers against entering the water. Ironically, 39 of those English beaches that could be on the EU blacklist were declared safe by the Marine Conservation Society today. Even more remarkably, seven beaches which could fail next year are deemed to have ‘excellent’ water under the existing rules and are today included in the charity’s Good Beach Guide 2014.”

The magnificent EIGHT keeping farming history alive: Farmer ploughs fields in the way his family has since 1885: “Eight mighty horses toil in a farmer’s field in an image that evokes an idyllic rural Britain at risk of vanishing forever. Robert Sampson is shunning modern machinery and employing old-fashioned horse power on his land in Hampshire. Five generations of his family have used this method to plough the fields since 1885. And the 58-year-old is keen to keep the tradition alive. Every day, he takes his Percherons out to plough his 256 acre plot. The method may take a little longer than using machinery, but he saves on diesel and road tax as his horses are content to munch grass at the end of a day’s labour. He said: ‘I do it because I love it. People think I’m mad … and there are times when I think I am too!’

British amusement park bans men’s bare chests: “An amusement park has ordered men to stay covered up even if it gets hot in a bid to banish beer bellies and bare chests. Bosses say they are copying the majority of American theme parks, which already have a similar dress code, in order to keep the park family friendly. Male visitors to Adventure Island in Southend must keep their shirts on under the new dress code. Marc Miller, managing director of the park, said “We don’t have a strict dress code as such, but would like our male customers to show some decorum. “In recent years, we’ve seen increasing numbers of lads and men whipping their tops off, eager to make the most of the sun – which is understandable, of course, as Southend is the warmest and driest part of the UK. “That’s absolutely fine in the right environment, but we try very hard to be a family-focused business and not everybody is a fan of bare chests.”

US flight attendant entertains passengers with comedy safety speech: “Flight attendant Marty Cobb found a novel way to ensure that passengers listened to safety regulations by turning her presentation into a comedy monologue. On a recent Southwest Airlines flight to Salt Lake City, Ms Cobb grabbed her captive audience’s attention with the following introduction: “If I can pretend to have your attention for just a few moments, my ex-husband, my new boyfriend and their divorce attorney are going to show you the safety features aboard this 737 800 series.” She then instructed passengers to “position your seat belt tight and low across your hips, like my grandmother wears her support bra,” before informing them that “in the unlikey event the pilot lands beside a hot tub” each passenger would get their own “teeny-weeny yellow Southwest bikini” as her colleagues held up yellow life jackets. “One size fits all. To activate the flow of oxygen, simply insert 75 cents for the first minute. If you’re travelling with more than one child, pick out the one that might have the most earning potential down the road,” she quipped. “Basically just do what we say and nobody gets hurt,” she concludes”

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