Wicked Thoughts

Country road

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Popular card game offers customers nothing for something. Works a treat: “AS shoppers in the northern hemisphere went suitably berserk over the annual ‘Black Friday’ sales, one company offered their customers nothing, and made thousands. Popular card game Cards Against Humanity (you may have played it) made a lot of money selling absolutely nothing — yep, zero, zip, zilch, nada.The company, which markets itself as “a party game for horrible people”, made USD$71,000 ($100,000) charging shoppers $5 ($7) for nothing in return. “The greatest Black Friday gift of all is buying nothing. We’re offering that for the rock-bottom price of $5. How can you afford NOT to seize this incredible opportunity?” On Black Friday, everybody is selling something. We’re the only company to offer the superior Black Friday experience of buying nothing.”

Is this Da Vinci masterpiece really just Sally the shopgirl from Bolton?: “A prolific art forger has claimed he drew a Renaissance masterpiece valued at £100million saying he based the piece on a girl he used to work with at his local Co-op store in Bolton. La Bella Principessa is credited as a work by Leonardo Da Vinci, drawn in the 15th century depicting the beautiful portrait of young woman with braided hair. However, in a new book, Shaun Greenhalgh, who has spent time in jail for faking art works, claims he produced the chalk and ink drawing. In his the book, ‘A Forger’s Tale’, Greenhalgh claims that he used an old council document dating back to the 1500s as the canvas and a lid from a Victorian school desk from Bolton Tech as the backing. According to the Sunday Times, he writes: ‘I drew this picture in 1987 when I worked at the Co-op. The ‘sitter’ was based on a girl called Sally who worked on the checkouts. ‘Despite her humble position, she was a bossy little b***** and very self important.'”

Celebrating school student gets burnt butt: “A SCHOOLIE preparing to study biomedical science was given the first lesson in anatomy yesterday morning when his mate lit his buttocks on fire with a lighter and aerosol can. The 17-year-old from Cairns, known as Steve, had been drinking with friends when one of them began singeing people’s hair and eventually turned to Steve’s buttocks hair. However in Steve’s drunk state he forgot to mention that he had remnants of spilt alcohol on his bum which quickly spread the impact of the “blaze”. After letting out a scream and as the pain and redness began to form, Steve and his mates visited a nearby medical tent where they instructed him to head to the hospital and put water on the affected area. He sat in a fountain until an ambulance arrived to take him to Gold Coast University Hospital where he was treated for a “palm-sized superficial burn” to his buttocks”

Camping disaster: ‘Our tent was invaded by flying termites’: “GET OUT, get out, we’ve been invaded by flying termites,” my partner screamed as he backed out of the tent holding our baby. We had camped at Wollondilly numerous times before and never had a problem with insects. On this occasion it was just a case of bad timing, according to the Australian Museum. “These flights occur during warm humid weather and usually take place during spring and autumn.” We’d never spent so much time contemplating termites until this camping expedition. Inside the tent, we found ourselves standing in a cloud of pests so thick we couldn’t breathe without inhaling them. They were there because we hadn’t abided by one of the cardinal rules of camping: do not leave the tent door unzipped at night while there’s a light on inside. Thousands of wings, like bucketfuls of spilt confetti, covered the bedding and the ground sheet. Luckily, we could easily drive back to Sydney to a home with hot showers, flushing toilets and fly screens.”

Cabbie offers free trips to 103-year-old woman: “CABBIE George Goold is living his version of Driving Miss Daisy as he ferries 104-year-old Mary Moore around town. The 80-year-old taxi driver has been giving free rides to his grateful passenger since she turned 103 a year ago. And on her birthday yesterday, he offered another 12 months to celebrate the Bribie Island centenarian’s milestone. “When George said he’d give me free transport, that was a blessing,” she said. “When you’re on a pension you don’t have money to throw about. I wouldn’t be using taxis if I had to pay.” Irish woman Ms Moore enjoys three weekly rides to go shopping and visit friends. Although old in number, she is still independent, living alone and doing her own housework. And Mary only has kind words for generous George. “He’s a proper gentleman. I couldn’t manage without him.”

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

NOT ALL THIEVES ARE STUPID

1. LONG-TERM PARKING:Some people left their car in the long-term parking at San Jose while away, and someone broke into the car. Using the information on the car’s registration in the glove compartment, they drove the car to the people’s home in Pebble Beach and robbed it. So I guess if we are going to leave the car in long-term parking, we should NOT leave the registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote garage door opener. This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic technology.

2. GPS: Someone had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents. Something to consider if you have a GPS – don’t put your home address in it… Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

3. CELL PHONES: I never thought of this……. This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says, “I received your text asking about our Pin number and I’ve replied a little while ago.” When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text “hubby” in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson:a. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc…. b. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back. c. Also, when you’re being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don’t reach them, be very careful about going places to meet “family and friends” who text you.

4. PURSE IN THE GROCERY CART SCAM: A lady went grocery-shopping at a local mall and left her purse sitting in the children’s seat of the cart while she reached something off a shelf… wait till you read the WHOLE story! Her wallet was stolen, and she reported it to the store personnel. After returning home, she received a phone call from the Mall Security to say that they had her wallet and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold her personal papers. She immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be told by Mall Security that they had not called her. By the time she returned home again, her house had been broken into and burglarized. The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were Mall Security, they could lure her out of her house long enough for them to burglarize it.

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Icelander breaks his own keg toss world record: “STANDING 205cm tall and weighing in at a staggering 180kg, the enormity of the man that is Hafthor Bjornsson is no secret. Already known for his incredible feats of strength, the Game of Thrones star has once again shocked fans with a show of power that’s almost unimaginable to your everyday human. Bjornsson tackled his own world record in the keg toss at the Giants Live strongman contest in Sweden on Saturday. The 27-year-old managed to lob a 15kg beer keg over his head and clear the bar at a peak height of 7.05m, a feat described by Giants Live as “the equivalent of throwing a four-year-old over three buses stacked on top of each other. Bjornsson previously broke into the Guinness World Records in 2014 for the event, when he launched a 12.3kg keg to a height of 8.05m. Now the strongman has thrown an even heavier keg like it was a mere football, to a similarly shocking elevation.”

‘Bankrupt’ 50 Cent stashes wads of $100 bills in his refrigerator: “RAPPER 50 Cent says he’s penniless — yet keeps a dozen bundles of $US100 bills in his fridge. The cold, hard cash shares shelf space with a bottle of vodka and two packages of Kraft American cheese, according to a photo that Fitty, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, bizarrely posted on Instagram that will no doubt intrigue his fans — not to mention his bankruptcy judge. “Gotta keep a cool little $tash and some Effen Vodka Happy Holidays,” Fitty wrote. He’s the spokesman for the Dutch vodka brand and gets a cut of its profits. A video features Fitty saying “give me a piece of this cheese” as he reaches between piles of $100 bills. The “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ” singer claims he’s $US28 million in debt. He filed for bankruptcy in July just days after a Florida woman, Lastonia Leviston, won a $US7 million verdict against him in Manhattan Supreme Court. Fitty had published her private sex tape online to get back at his rival, rapper Rick Ross, who once fathered a child with her.”

Dog reported missing over a year ago is found alive and well in a DRAIN PIPE: “A dog that was reported missing more than a year ago was found alive in a drain pipe in Maryland and has been successfully rescued and returned to a shelter. The Wheaton Terrier known both as Cookie and Mai Tai had only recently been rescued from the dog-meat trade in Thailand when he went missing in his new country in October 2014. New York City resident Nick An was walking one of his relative’s Great Dane during a visit in Bethesda when the dog pulled him toward the storm drain and began to bark. ‘I went over and I just saw a dog in there,’ An told WJLA. ‘[It was] pretty beat-up looking.’ Cookie was dirty but found to be in good health and was not malnourished when he was rescued. The dog was also still wearing his collar and tags from when he was lost in Kensington in 2014. ‘Just amazing that this guy has apparently lived on his own for nearly a year,’ the shelter wrote on Facebook.

Spotty house going cheap: “Two-bedroom house with sea views goes on sale for £200,000 – but can you SPOT the unusual feature? The unusual property is located between Brighton and Eastbourne overlooking the English Channel. Each room features at least one picture of a Dalmatian while the exterior is painted white with black spots. The current owner is understood to be a massive fan of the film 101 Dalmatians and obviously has one himself. The two-bedroom apartment is across the road from the local pub and beside an Indian takeaway. The quirky apartment, in Peacehaven, Sussex, overlooks the stunning Howard Park, and offers two double bedrooms, a fitted kitchen and spectacular sea views – and is on the market for just £200,000. Despite the unusual exterior, the interior of the house does little to give away the owner’s odd obsession – except for a single Dalmatian in every photograph in every room.

German riot cops are mocked for new uniform’s helmets that make them look like Darth Vader : “Regarding its police, naturally the southern German state of Bavaria hopes that its force is strong, but some think they have taken that pledge a little too seriously. The regional interior minister Joachim Herrmann has unveiled new uniforms which have become a laughing stock online with many comparing the officers wearing them to Darth Vader from Star Wars. The new equipment is described as a big step in the move to increase police safety in the wake of the latest terror attacks. It has cost upwards of 65 million euros and is designed to withstand attacks by Kalashnikovs, but nevertheless has attracted many jokes. The pair of policemen presenting the new uniforms however looked less than pleased, with some justification given the criticism that followed and the frequent use of their images. Internet user Jan Bohmetmann who posted on twitter: ‘I am not so sure that the new helmets will help Bavarian cops gain authority.'”

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

Edith and Archie

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Actually, it’s nice guys who get the girl… Women lose interest in men when they find out they are cheats or liars: “In the battle for the attentions of the fairer sex, nice guys rarely come out on top. Or so we thought. But it turns out that women do actually prefer kind, considerate and charitable men over rivals who may be better looking but have lower moral standards. New research shows women who are initially sexually attracted to men start to lose interest when they find out they are cheats, crooks or liars. But men who fancied beautiful women showed no signs of going off them, even when they discovered they were of dubious character. The findings, published in the International Journal of Psychology, suggest that ‘bad boys’ rarely get the girl in the end. Instead, researchers say women have evolved to invest in long-term relationships that they think will allow their offspring to flourish and survive. But in evolutionary terms men are still programmed to reproduce as much as possible, so the quality of their sexual partner is less important.”

Goat makes friends with a tiger: “The goat had been intended as the tiger’s lunch, but now the pair have become some of the animal kingdom’s most unlikely friends. Staff at a Russian safari park are ‘stunned’ at the goat’s bravery and the Siberian tiger’s readiness to make friends with his meal. Extraordinary images show Amur, the obedient big cat, reduced to resting on the roof of his home after the brave goat occupied his bed. ‘The goat showed no inkling of fear, eyeballed the tiger, and took over his shelter,’ a keeper from the Far Eastern Safari Park in Shkotovsky, in the Primorsky region of eastern Russia, told The Siberian Times. ‘Our tigers get live prey twice every week, and Amur knows very well how to hunt goats and rabbits. ‘But recently he came across a goat that he refused to hunt.’ ‘We think that the goat had never come across tigers and so didn’t know that he should have been scared of them,’ said the keeper. ‘Amur the tiger is quite cautious by nature, and decided not to go to the trouble of hunting Timur.”

Russia unveils its body armour for DOGS: “A Russian defence company has released a new design of body armour to keep terror-sniffing police dogs safe in the wake of the death of French police dog Diesel, who died during a police raid in Paris following the Friday 13th terror attacks. In a new video Russian dog handler demonstrated the new design in a new video showing off the transformation from man’s best friend to professionally protected police hound. ‘At first, of course, the dog did not like the vest. Then gradually she realised that it was for her own good and protection,’ Vladimir Khitrykh said in front of a pack of snapping photographers. ‘We taught her with the help of incentives. We can put the armoured vest on the dog in just one minute,’ he said. The armour has reportedly been designed by St. Petersburg-based Scientific Production Association of Special Materials (NPO), which was formed during the days of the Soviet Union as a specialist armoured materials laboratory.”

Mystery ghost fleet washes up in Japan: Eleven ships containing 20 dead sailors are discovered off the coast… and nobody can explain why: “A fleet of 11 ghost ships containing the rotting remains of sailors has washed up on the Japanese coastline, sparking an investigation in the country. The mysterious ships have given rise to numerous conspiracy theories in the country, as authorities battle to discover the identities of the bodies. Rescuers told Japanese broadcaster NHK that the bodies of at least 20 sailors were ‘badly decomposed’ and ‘skeleton-like’. Four of the ships washed up in early November, and seven more have been spotted in recent weeks drifting in the Sea of Japan. The only clues as to where the boats may have come from are a scrap of material that appears to have come from a North Korean flag, and writing on one of the boats that seems to read ‘Korean People’s Army’. The primitive design of the vessels suggests that they were not created in the West.”

German mine still packs a punch 50 years on: “Royal Navy bomb disposal experts have carried out a controlled underwater explosion after discovering a Second World War German mine on the seabed in the Solent. The 1,500lb (680kg) mine was found by a crane barge 1.5km off Southsea on Thursday while removing debris from a site being dredged in preparation for the arrival of the Navy’s new aircraft carriers. The team – also fully qualified clearance divers – towed the air-dropped device overnight to open waters off Bembridge, on the Isle of Wight, where they destroyed it at 10.45am on November 27. Onlookers heard a deep, dull groan from the depths and then saw a huge plume of mottled grey-blue seawater surging more than 900ft into the air. Petty Officer Richard Ellis, who was in charge of the disposal team, said: ‘These mines were laid in their thousands during World War Two but are rarely encountered these days”

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

Some jokes from British comedian, Jimmy Carr

— The reason old men use viagra is not that they are impotent. It’s that old women are so very ugly.

— I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but if you took all the money that we in the West spend on food in one week, you could feed the third world for one year. I’m not sure about you, but I think we’re being overcharged on groceries.

— I did a gig in the US once for the homeless. I said, “It’s nice to see so many bums on seats”.

— Throwing acid is wrong, in some people’s eyes.

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Women admire alligators? “Just in time for holiday shopping – for an incredibly small selection of uber-wealthy customers – Louis Vuitton has unveiled its most expensive handbag of the moment: a $55,000 alligator skin purse. More expensive than a new Mercedes and costlier than a cruise around the world, the City Steamer features genuine alligator skin, cowhide lining, an engraved padlock, a nametag, and a hot-stamped LV Circle. The nude-colored number can be carried in hand, over the shoulder, or cross-body, and has ‘ample room for papers and files’ – and stacks and stacks of money, naturally. Several other designers are also selling bags that cost five figures this season, though it’s unknown how many of the swanky satchels and totes they actually manage to sell. Hermes’s Birkin bags have always been pricey, but their alligator and crocodile skin versions can cost upwards of $100,000.

Why you should NEVER wear a hair band on your wrist: “Like millions of women the world over, Audree Kopp was often seen sporting a spare hairband on her wrist. But, after enduring surgery on her arm to treat three severe bacterial infections, believed to be triggered by a hair tie, she is now urging others to take note. Bacteria is thought to have passed from the glittery hairband, to a tiny cut on her wrist. Ms Kopp, from Louisville, said the first sign something was wrong came when she was moving house, and noticed a red lump on her wrist. After being rushed to hospital, doctors revealed there were three strains of bacteria infecting her wrist and rushed her to the operating theatre to drain the lump of pus. Doctors told Ms Kopp she had been lucky to avoid sepsis, serious blood poisoning which can prove fatal. She became concerned when the lump ‘just kept getting bigger and redder’. It left Ms Kopp with a large open wound on her arm, but doctors said she is recovering well.

A big scaredycat: “A six-foot Great Dane named Presley who weighs over 13 stone has been nicknamed the real life Scooby Doo – because the slightest fright will send him running to his owner for a reassuring cuddle. His owner Sian Barrett, 47, from Oldbury in the West Midlands, claims Presley – who weighs 13 and a half stone – is terrified of smaller dogs and will run and hide when he’s confronted by other pets. The enormous dog even has a cushion which he uses as a comfort blanket to stop him feeling scared at home, which he likes to carry around in his mouth. Mrs Barrett said: ‘Presley is definitely a real-life Scooby Doo, he is afraid of everything. He is always getting scared off by smaller dogs and I’ve had to start hiding the plastic bags from him because he’s afraid of them. Presley’s personality is so endearing that he has even cheered up hysterical children after giving them a paw to cry on. ‘As well as being scared of everything like Scooby Doo is, Presley is pretty dopey too. But so long as he gets his food he is just one big lap dog really.”

Some original metaphors: “An Apprentice contestant with a love of bizarre business lingo has left Twitter users in fits of laughter after describing a failed task as ‘leaving a sour taste in the client’s eye’. Contestant Gary Poulton, from Birmingham, also said his team were ‘dancing around the bush’ in last night’s episode which saw his stint as project manager for Versatile end in failure. Gary ended up in the boardroom after a series of blunders including a heated debate over a cake baked for a woman who was severely allergic to nuts – and viewers joking on Twitter that he wasn’t ‘the warmest tool in the shed’. Many others were poking fun at the project manager Gary on Twitter with one dubbing it ‘the best sentence ever uttered on The Apprentice’. Another wrote: ‘He must be top of the moon and over the world all at the same time”

Roman Britain resurfaces yet again: “A hoard of silver coins, some of which were issued by Roman general Mark Antony, have been discovered in a Welsh field more than 2,000 years after they were buried. While they have yet to be valued, the 91 coins have been hailed by history experts as ‘a significant find’ and could be worth ‘tens of thousands of pounds.’ The coins were issued by Roman rulers spanning 200 years, with the earliest dating back to when Mark Antony was general in 31BC, through to the rule of Emperor Nero between 54 and 68AD and Marcus Aurelius, who headed the Empire from 161AD to 180AD. They were unearthed by two friends out walking in a field near the small village of Wick in South Wales and during the Roman era each coin would have been the equivalent to a day’s pay.”

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

Let’s Offend Everybody!

Q. What’s the Cuban National Anthem?
A. Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

Q. Where does an Irish family go on vacation ?
A. To a different bar.

Q. What did the Chinese couple name their dark, curly-haired baby? A. Sum Ting Wong.

Q. What do you call it when an Italian has one arm shorter than the other?
A. A speech impediment.

Q. Why aren’t there any Afro-Americans on Star Trek?
A . Because they’re not going to work in the future either.

Q. Why do Driver Ed classes in redneck schools use the car only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays?
A. Because on Tuesday and Thursday, the Sex Ed class uses it.

Q. What’s the difference between a southern zoo and a northern zoo?
A. The southern zoo has a description of the animal along with a recipe.

Q How do you get a sweet little 80-year-old lady to say the ‘F’ word?
A. Get another sweet little 80-year-old lady to yell, ‘BINGO!’

Q. What’s the difference between a northern fairytale and a southern fairytale?
A. A northern fairytale begins, ….’Once upon a time…’ A southern fairytale begins,… ‘Y’all ain’t gonna believe this crap.’

Q. Why doesn’t Mexico have an Olympic team? A. Because all the Mexicans who can run, jump or swim are already in the United States

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Scientists baffled after thousands of dying starfish mysteriously wash up on a Queensland beach: “Thousands of dying starfish have mysteriously washed up on an island in what has been deemed a rare natural phenomenon. Tour guide Rhett Ericsen-Miller stumbled upon the stranded sealife with a tour group near Tangalooma Wrecks, a fleet of shipwrecks, in southeast Queensland’s Moreton Island. The vision shows a long stretch of the island’s shore lined with the fish, making it impossible to throw them all back into the water. A Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service spokeswoman told Brisbane Times it could have been caused by strong winds or a dramatic change in water temperatures. ‘As far as we are aware it’s a natural phenomenon, and at this stage we have no information to indicate otherwise,’ she said.”

Last surviving Royal Mail horse-drawn coach goes on sale for £70,000: “The last surviving Royal Mail coach which was once attacked by a lion that had escaped from a travelling menagerie has gone on sale for an impressive £70,000. The 200-year-old horse-drawn carriage harks back to the golden age of the Royal Mail when town clocks could be set by their arrival, crowds gathered along the route to see them speed by and operators were fined if they were just a minute late. The red and black wooden wagon was known as ‘Quicksilver’ because it was the fastest coach in the country as it travelled its regular route from London to Falmouth in Cornwall. It has been housed in a transport museum in Yorkshire for many years but is now being sold at auction with a pre-sale estimate of between £50,000 to £70,000. The coaches were introduced to British roads in the late 17th century. They were made by coachbuilders Vidler and leased to the Royal Mail who employed the postal workers and security guard on board. The coaches were given the right of way over all other transport of the day and would travel overnight to reach towns across the country.”

Woman with three months driving experience manages to squeeze her Volkswagen into an extremely narrow doorway in the DARK: “Photographs of a Volkswagen parked between two walls of a narrow doorway, with just inches of space to spare, have recently emerged online in China. The driver who managed to pull off the amazing feat turned out to be a 22-year-old woman from Harbin, north east China, reported People’s Daily Online. According to reports, the learner driver, who has been named by her surname Zhao, had just three months of driving experience. However, her instructor had been a former race car driver. On previous occasions when the pair ran out of space, the instructor had backed the car into the tight spot. The stunt has gained her kudos but she got into trouble for blocking the shared entrance. As the space was so tight, she had to climb out of the roof to get out of the car and enter through the boot the next day.

Powder bombs explode when people try to steal booby-trapped bikes in European cities: “Powder bombs and a live band were used to shame people caught attempting to steal bicycles in three European cities in a hilarious video posted online. After picking three cities – Rome, Amsterdam and Prague – the group set about filming the European Bike Stealing Championships for 2015. The bikes were each rigged with powder bombs, which the narrator explains is for ‘thief shaming’. The prank involved leaving a high-quality bicycle on busy main streets in all of the cities before heading for cover and letting the action unfold. Eventually Amsterdam becomes the first city to see action – and take the gold medal – when a man wanders over to the bike and walks off with it after 22 minutes and 40 seconds. As he pulls it away from the tree however the bomb explodes and sends red powder into the air while the cover on the van drops to reveal the band behind it. They start playing and the startled man reacts by dropping the bike on the ground and running away from the area.

1,700-year-old Roman gold ring engraved with nude portrait of Cupid is found in British back garden: “An amateur metal detectorist in the UK has made an extraordinary find – a gold-carved ring depicting a nude portrait of Cupid, god of erotic love. The ring contains a dark onyx and blue engraved nicolo stone and may once have rested on the finger of a man or woman during the reign of the Roman Empire. Cupid is also known by his Greek name, Eros, and can be identified in the 1,700-year-old engraving by his short wings. He is shown leaning naked against a spiral column, legs crossed and carrying a torch in one hand. Discovered near the village of Tangley, the ring is now in the hands of the Hampshire Museums Service and will be put on display at the Andover Museum. Images of the god were popular among the Greeks and Romans, and this particular design is characteristic of the fourth century A.D.”

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

Something else that is not as it seems

At first glance the man on the right looks as if he is flashing his private parts while cuddling up to a pirate and a panto dame. But upon closer inspection it is in fact his nude-coloured belt pouch which is dangling between his legs

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Festive decorations look like underwear on a washing line: “A town’s Christmas decorations have been mocked because they look like giant green pants. The £15,000 Christmas lights in Tiverton, Devon, have added some colour and cheer to the town but some say one particular set of lights resembles a washing line. The string of lights that look like briefs have been strung across the main shopping street. But they have provoked mirth among locals. Posting on Facebook Janet Johns wrote: ‘Ok, if they are not pants…. what are they?’ while Lin Hawkins wrote: ‘Yes they look like pants’. The lights cost Tiverton Town Council £15,000 each year and fundraising goes on all year round”

Chocolate with flavours to ‘rival fine wines’ developed: “Chocolate lovers could soon be going into wine buff-style raptures about the ‘nose’ of their favourite treat after scientists developed a new way of enhancing its flavours. They say the process gives chocolate a range of tastes as sophisticated and varied as those found in the finest wines, beers or coffees. Manufacturers usually have little control over the basic flavour of chocolate because the fermented cocoa beans from which it is made are exposed to wild yeasts when freshly harvested. Now Belgian scientists working for the cocoa processor Barry Callebaut have developed a stronger hybrid yeast that leads to richer aromas and flavours. Jan Steensels, a researcher at the University of Leuven and the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, said: ‘This means that for the first time, chocolate makers have a broad portfolio of different yeast strains that are all producing different flavours.”

Huge packaging fail: “A couple were left with a mountain of cardboard in their living room after their new dinner set was delivered in 48 separate boxes. Joanne and Billy Murphy were mystified as to why every plate, bowl and mug they had ordered from Tesco was packed in its own individual box and then placed inside a second bigger box. The pile of boxes took up so much space the family could not see their living room floor once they had unwrapped all the items from the 24-piece dinner set. And despite the careful packing, four bowls and a mug were smashed in the delivery.’The driver knocked on our door and asked if I was expecting a big delivery. I said not really, just some kitchen stuff, but his entire van was full of it. ‘After everything was unwrapped we couldn’t even see the floor.’ When the couple finally opened the boxes there was also a huge amount of paper inside which added to the clutter. She rang Tesco to complain but the store initially only wanted to deal with the broken items. They have now collected the packaging.”

Tree lays a golden carpet: “A 1,400-year-old tree has become the centre of attention in the city of Xi’an, central China’s Shaanxi Province. Stunning photos taken recently of the ginkgo tree – also known as the maidenhair tree – were released on the People’s Daily Online, showing its majestic sea of golden leaves. According to the report it’s said to have been planted during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), and people have been travelling from all over China to visit the spectacular site. The tree is situated in the Zen Buddhist Temple in Luohandong village in the city of Xi’an. Leaves have been falling from the tree since mid-November, making it one of the sights of the season. The changing colour and the falling of the leaves marks the start of autumn and it’s something that’s being celebrated around the tree. Thousands of people have visited the tree, located inside a temple, since the leaves started to turn. Once fallen around the tree, they form what looks like a golden carpet from above. Ginkgo trees are native to China.”

Fake freckles now!: “A woman who dreamed of having freckles has created a cheek stencil that will give any woman a light dusting for two days at a time. Remi Brixton, from LA, hopes to raise $215,000 (£141,000) via a Kickstarter campaign to fund Freck Yourself which uses fake tan ‘Freck Kits’ to create the natural-looking dots. The beauty entrepreneur said: ‘There’s nothing more beautiful to me than bare skin and fresh freckles. To me, they’re the mark of rebellious dreamers, wild adventurists, and unapologetic natural beauty.’ Freck Yourself comes with 72 self-adhesive stencils with tiny perforations as well as a formula similar to fake tan that is rolled over the stencil, marking the skin through the stencil’s tiny holes. The freckles last for up to two days, and Remi advises applying them every morning to achieve a layered look of fading freckles. Remi says that the usual method of applying dots to the face with an eye liner pencil creates a too uniform look and the dots can smudge”.

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

Perspective needed

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

The red mercury myth: “RED mercury is believed by some to be the ultimate chemical weapon in existence. It’s thought to harness an unparalleled power for destruction and as a result features at the top any terror group’s wish list. There’s just one problem: It’s not real. It’s the stuff of doomsday-dreamers. Despite the more than dubious evidence for its supposed existence, the red mercury myth continues to endure and the Islamic State appears to be the latest to join the wild goose chase. Stories of the fabled substance first appeared in Russian and Western media outlets in the late 1980s at the end of the Cold War. The references to the chemical were vague but promoted its fundamental importance in creating a powerful nuclear bomb. It promised to compress fusion materials to detonate a nuclear device as small as a tennis ball. But whenever dealers were caught with the substance, it invariably turned out to be something far more innocuous.”

Black Walmart employee fired for collecting empty bottles: “A TROLLEY collector who was sacked for redeeming $2.80 worth of empty cans and bottles discarded by customers has been flooded with support on social media. Thomas Smith, 52, a formerly homeless ex-convict with a learning disability who earned $12.50 an hour collecting shopping trolleys left in the Walmart parking lot, was sacked for allegedly “stealing” company property. Mr Smith claimed he was fired in early November for redeeming a total of $5.10) worth of empty bottles and cans left in trolleys by customers. Walmart told The Guardian it did not take issue with the $3.10 worth of empty beer cans a customer left in the parking lot, but with $2 worth of bottles and cans left in a trolley just inside the store’s entrance. Those were Walmart property, according to the spokesman, and Mr Smith was guilty of “gross misconduct” by redeeming them for change.”

Bonkers British bureaucracy again: “A prostate cancer sufferer from Yorkshire has been forced to pay £1,400 for chemotherapy – despite it being available for free just a few miles away. Dominic Horsley arrived at St James’s Hospital in Leeds last Wednesday to start the urgent treatment after it was recommended by his consultant. However the 41-year-old travel agent was then handed a bill before, in a classic example of a postcode lottery, being told the chemotherapy would be free on the NHS if he went to Huddersfield or Manchester. ‘I was obviously very shocked and upset,’ he said, adding that he ‘just wanted to start the treatment’ and offered to ‘pay there and then’. He said warnings about needing to remain close to hospital meant that he believed travelling further away simply was not a realistic alternative. He said: ‘All I’m trying to do is extend my life and get some quality and I got landed with a bill for my treatment or told I should go to Manchester or Huddersfield to get it for free. ‘That’s not acceptable. I live in Leeds. I was born in that hospital.’

A resurrection: “Ursula Freeman was mistakenly told her husband Dennis, 81, had died after he was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn due to dizzy spells. Grandfather Dennis Freeman has revealed he shouted ‘dead man walking’ when he wandered into a room moments after doctors told his wife and daughter he had died. He said: ‘She was crying her eyes out and shaking so I went in there and said “dead man walking”. Mrs Freeman revealed that since the incident she has been struggling to sleep and follows her husband around the house.

The legs have it: “A 22-year-old from California believes she has the longest legs in America – and while she is busy building a career as a model, she has been turned down by some agencies for being too tall. At 6’5″ tall, Chase Kennedy’s legs measure 51 inches – only 0.9 inches off the world record. The leggy beauty from San Luis Obispo was nicknamed ‘legs’ and ‘giraffe’ in school, but says that her assets have helped her excel in sports. And now Chase has emerged to trump the current US record holder, Holly Burt – whose legs measure an impressive 49.5 inches. ‘I am proud of my legs – I wouldn’t want anything different,’ she said. ‘I believe I hold the record for America’s longest legs and I love being tall. While Chase is currently in a relationship with a 6’4″ man named Jason, she admits that dating has been a problem in the past. ‘When I date I prefer taller guys but I have dated shorter guys who are like a couple of inches shorter.”

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

For those who know Chicago’s reputation

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

You can win sometimes!: “A shopper who ordered baby wipes online from Asda’s home delivery service received an unusual but bargain substitution – a bottle of whisky. The man, from Plymouth, Devon, put the £6 fragranced wipes on his shopping list but they were apparently unavailable when the staff at the store put together his home delivery order. Instead it was substituted with a ‘similar’ product – an £18.50 bottle of Bell’s whisky. When the receipt was posted online, it was retweeted thousands of times, with people sharing their own funny substitution stories. Parent Gavin Mills understood the logic of the substitution. He said: ‘If we ran out of baby wipes I’d probably hit the whisky too.’ Asda said it had since spoken to the customer and arranged for the wipes to be delivered and staff in the local branch would be given further training on substituted items. A spokesperson added: ‘The customer was happy with this and even happier to keep the whisky.’

Massive hoard of 4,000 Roman coins unearthed in Switzerland after lying undisturbed under a cherry tree for 1,700 years: “A trove of more than 4,000 bronze and silver coins dating back to Ancient Rome was uncovered by a Swiss fruit-and-vegetable farmer in his cherry orchard. The hoard has been described as one of the biggest finds of this kind ever to be unearthed in Switzerland. Buried some 1,700 years ago, the coins collectively weigh 33lbs (15kg). A farmer made the spectacular discovery back in July, when he spotted a molehill with some shimmering green coins on his land in Ueken. He contacted the regional archaeological service and his suspicions were confirmed. After months of discrete excavations, the service announced yesterday a total of 4,166 coins had been found in excellent condition. The imprints on the coins remain legible, which has allowed experts to confirm they date back to the reign of Emperor Aurelian who was in power from 170 to 275AD and Emperor Maximillian, from 286 to 305AD.”

British delivery man surprises customer by leaving his parcel waiting for him on the ROOF: “When you’re waiting for a parcel to be delivered, the last place you would expect to have to look for it is on the roof. But that’s exactly where Ajmal Aziz found his long-awaited delivery, with an apologetic note stuffed through the letter box. A hilarious photograph that has gone viral on social media shows Ajmal’s parcel teetering precariously in his gutter after the unsuccessful delivery. A second snapshot, uploaded by Ajmal, shows the deliveryman’s bizarrely cryptic explanation. ‘I have left your parcel in a safe location as requested by the sender,’ the form reads. In response, the deliveryman wrote ‘Sorry. Top of your roof’. Ajmal later confirmed that the driver had attempted to throw the parcel through the window but missed, leaving it stranded on the roof. The Yodel driver then returned to the house with a ladder to retrieve the most likely damaged parcel.

King of Sweden calls for a ban on BATHS!: “The King of Sweden has called for a ban on baths to help save the environment. King Carl XVI Gustaf, who once had a reputation as a lothario and is now a staunch environmentalist, said he realised how much water and energy they used when he was recently staying somewhere without a shower. The 69-year-old ‘green king’ told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet: ‘It hit me how much water and energy it used. ‘I thought “I can’t believe I’m having to do this”. I felt quite ashamed.’ Apparently in jest, he added: ‘We should ban all baths.’ Much like the Prince Charles’s overhaul of Highgrove House with ‘eco toilets’, the Swedish king’s residence has been made greener with environmentally-friendly heating and low-energy lightbulbs. ‘We do what we can here at the palace. It’s an ongoing project trying to save energy, but it isn’t easy in an old property,’ he said.

Woman finds cat covered in concrete: “A mother-of-two was shocked to discover a ginger tom huddled on her front door step, covered from head to toe in concrete. It was only when she got closer that she realised it was actually a cat that was so covered in concrete that it couldn’t even open its eyes. ‘The concrete had started to go rock hard on his back, but his belly was still soaking wet and he could barely open his eyes,’ said Faye, 39. ‘It was all over its face and it was absolutely solid. He couldn’t even move. He was crying a lot and shivering. He was really cold. Faye rushed the stray animal to a nearby vet practice, where he was shaved and had the concrete combed out of his coat. The cat, which has no microchip to identify him and has not been neutered, has now been completely shaved. He is currently staying with the vet who cared for him and is on his way to making a full recovery.

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

Another picture gallery

I am gradually catching up. I have just put up my selection of what I think were the “best” pictures on this blog during September and October last year. These galleries take me a couple of hours to put together so I do tend to get behind. You can access the latest upload here or here

I believe it!

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Tennessee woman was found by police to have a loaded 10cm pistol in her vagina: “A YOUNG woman has been jailed after police found a loaded four inch (10.1cm) revolver in her vagina in a routine search. Dallas Archer, 21, was stopped by police for speeding in her home city of Kingsport in Tennessee, and found to be driving without a licence in April 2014. She was taken to Kingsport City Jail and a routine search being carried out “located an unknown item in her crotch,” The Smoking Gun reported. Archer, then 19, was taken by a female jailer and a police officer to the bathroom where it was discovered that the ‘unknown item’ was a loaded handgun concealed in her vagina. It was found to be a four inch (10.1cm) .22 calibre North American Arms mini-revolver. The handgun had been stolen in 2013 from a vehicle owned by John Souther, of Kingsport.” In a plea agreement, she agreed to spend three years in jail for the offence on Thursday.”

Phuc Dat Bich is a real name: “IF YOU have ever thought your name sounded bad, spare a thought for this guy. Phuc Dat Bich (yes, that is his real name) was tired of being accused of having a “false and misleading” name, so he took matters in to his own hands. After having his Facebook account shut down three times, the 23-year-old Vietnamese-Australian posted a picture of his passport to the site to prove it was real. “I find it highly irritating the fact that nobody seems to believe me when I say that my full legal name is how you see it,” he wrote. “I’ve been accused of using a false and misleading name of which I find very offensive. Is it because I’m Asian? Is it? His post has received more than 21,000 likes and was shared 65,000 times, with many calling for Phuc Dat Bich (pronounced Phoop Dook Bic) to embrace how it sounds in ‘Stralyn’.”

A very unlucky sequence of events kills a stubborn Dutchman: “A grader driver who slipped on his own vomit when he threw up in his vehicle died when he fell out of his cab and ran himself over. According to the New Zealand Herald, coroner David Crerar said: ‘Whilst the grader was still in motion, he got our of the driver’s seat and moved towards the open left-hand side of the door. ‘It appears as if Garry Voorkamp has slipped on his vomit and has fallen from the grader. ‘The machine was, by then, out of control and it ran over his head causing fatal injuries.’ Mr Voorkamp, who was licensed to operate the grader, had told colleagues he was feeling unwell earlier in the day and had trouble with his eyes but put it down to his contact lenses. And when asked if he wanted to go home he declined and carried on working. His employer also told the hearing that there was no pressure on him to rush or finish his work that day. The grader was examined and was found to be ‘of an appropriately high standard’.

Bullying British bureaucrats lose one: “Fashion designer Nicole Farhi today won her ‘ridiculous’ battle with planners and irate neighbours over an ‘ugly’ studio built in the garden of her £5million Hampstead mansion. Camden Council revoked its planning permission and told the 69-year-old to tear it down because it was 15ins – or 40cm – taller than had been agreed. But today after a seven-month stand-off between the 69-year-old, the local authority and other wealthy neighbours she won what she called a ‘ridiculous’ legal battle. England’s planning inspectorate have backed Ms Farhi and said despite being bigger than agreed it has no ‘significant’ impact on upset neighbours. A number of complaints were made by neighbours about the size of the structure – aware it was larger than planned. The local authority said it would take enforcement action, but Farhi has now beaten them. Planning consultants Indigo Planning defended the structure saying it is not ‘significantly different’ from the approved plans.

Boneheaded British bank; Why didn’t they just pick up the phone?: “A silversmith had an overseas payment to a company in India refused by the Santander bank after she was wrongly accused of being an international dolphin smuggler. Jocelyn Burton, 69, became the focus of an investigation after she received an order from a wealthy Russian client to cast a pair of lamps in the shape of two intertwined silver dolphins. She needed four cast bronze armatures for the lamps, and asked a factory in India to supply them – and sent a payment of £22,000 via Santander. She was surprised to learn that her payment had been stopped because she was believed to be smuggling the endangered marine mammals from India to the UK. She explained her predicament to the BBC Radio 4 show Moneybox Live. Miss Burton asked at her branch, but was given ‘no reason whatsoever’, why the money had not gone through. ‘I got so desperate, we actually rang the head of UK banking [at Santander] and had to leave a message on his mobile. Santander took 12 days to finally resolve the matter – after the BBC contacted them.”

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