Wicked Thoughts

Black dancing talent on display

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Happy to be alive: “This tiny little bub is just so happy to be alive – and she wants the world to know it. Freya was born in the US two years ago, aptly on Thanksgiving Day, weighing just 1.7kg. She was six weeks premature, born by emergency caesarean after her mum had experienced complications from preeclampsia. The gorgeous little bundle then spent another month in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before returning to her Minnesota home. On the Facebook page, Love What Happens, she captioned the photo like this: “Our first daughter at five days old. 3 lbs. 14 oz., she was happy to be alive! Today, Freya is thriving and about to celebrate her second birthday. And it seems this photo was a sign of her personality. “We go to the store and she’s the friendliest little girl and she says hi to everybody. She’s so fun. She’s so happy,” Lauren said”

Male Pill moves a step closer: British scientists discover way to stop sperm swimming – and men could take it just before sex: “British scientists have made a breakthrough in the search for a male contraceptive pill – which could transform the sex lives of millions of couples. For decades, researchers have tried to produce a reliable alternative to condoms or a vasectomy, but there has been little progress. Now UK scientists have found the secret of making men temporarily infertile – by ‘switching off’ sperm’s ability to swim. They have made tiny ‘designer compounds’ which smuggle themselves into sperm, and stop their tails from wiggling. If a sperm can’t swim, it has no chance of naturally fertilising a woman’s egg. The breakthrough made by British scientists could be the key to rendering men temporarily infertile”

‘Where’s the chicken?’ Woman sues KFC for $26 million over false advertising: “A NEW YORK woman is finger lickin’ mad at Kentucky Fried Chicken, claiming its understuffed buckets are for the birds. Anna Wurtzburger, of Hudson Valley in the state of New York, says she bought a $20 bucket of chicken from KFC over the summer and was disappointed to find it looked much different than what’s in the chain’s ads. “They say it feeds the whole family … They’re showing a bucket that’s overflowing with chicken,” the 64-year-old widow griped. “You get half a bucket! That’s false advertising, and it doesn’t feed the whole family. They’re small pieces!” Putting her money where her hungry mouth is, Wurtzburger hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit, demanding KFC change its advertising. The grandmother is seeking $US20 million ($26 million) in damages. KFC called the lawsuit “meritless.”

Drunk leftist launches peanut butter assault on what she thought was a Trump rally: “Unfortunately for Wisconsin liberal Christina Ferguson, she was so drunk that what she attacked was actually a local environmentalist event. The hilariously inept episode of liberal rage started at 9:30 p.m., when Ferguson barged into a meeting of the Tomorrow River Conservation Club, a local environmentalist group. Witness tell police Ferguson began screaming about how much she hated Donald Trump. According to the Portage County Sheriff Department’s report, she was holding a “family-size jar of low-sodium, creamy natural Jif.” She was asked to leave the meeting, but attendees decided to check the parking lot to “make sure she wasn’t doing anything to their vehicles after leaving,” the Independent reports. They found Ferguson smearing peanut butter on cars, still convinced she was seeing Trump supporters.

When the colour pink is dangerous: “Kent Morgan from Blenheim, New Zealand, was left cut and bloodied after being jumped at random as he made his way home following a shift at a local Irish Bar last Friday. ‘It was after midnight and I came past a side street and these two guys called me a “pink shirt wearing homo”,’ Mr Morgan told Daily Mail Australia. While they initially had the jump on him it wasn’t long before the father-of-one got the upper hand, fighting back against the two in self defence. ‘One guy had me in a body hold and the other guy was hitting me in the eye, but I managed to turn myself to the side and slip out of the hold and wiggle my way free. ‘I hit the guy in front of me three or four times and then the one behind me was still holding onto me, so I grabbed him by the ears and bit into his cheek. ‘He squealed and just ran off, but they kept yelling at me about my pink shirt.

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If only …

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

The bike lock that makes thieves immediately vomit: “Called SkunkLock, this steel U-Lock is designed with a built-in deterrent of very potent and legally compliant gas that escapes when the lock is cut open. This formula has the ability to compromise sight, cause shortness of breath, induce vomiting and permanently sticks to the clothes worn by the bike burglar. Skunklock is a hardened medium-carbon steel U-Lock that’s as difficult to compromise as the strongest U-Locks. “It’s pressurised inside with a noxious chemical deterrent that slams the would-be thief with noxious chemicals. The chemicals are so disgusting they induce vomit in the majority of cases, and elicit an instinctive response to run away immediately.”

Expedia cancelled woman’s holiday and sent email dropping the F-bomb: “A MOTHER was shocked and appalled when she got an email from travel website Expedia.com which cancelled her holiday and said “F**k you.” It all started when Viramontes made a booking for a New Year’s travel reservation, and felt the person she dealt with did not give her good customer service. Two days later, she got the email telling her that her trip had been cancelled. When she called customer service, they told her she was to blame for her booking being cancelled. She responded by sending a screenshot of the email with the expletive: “F**k You” on it. On Tuesday morning she still had not got any offer of compensation. However, when CBS2 got in touch with the website they told the network action was being taken: “We take this matter very seriously and have opened up an investigation analysing every click and action made by our customer service agents.”

Senior policewoman ‘had a drunken row with a colleague over whose breasts were most attractive’: “Assistant Chief Constable Rebekah Sutcliffe, 47, faces claims that she exposed her bosom during a late-night row and could be sacked if found guilty of gross misconduct. ACC Sutcliffe argued with her junior colleague Superintendent Sarah Jackson at the Hilton hotel bar. It is claimed ACC Sutcliffe told her colleague she was ‘pandering to men’ by having cosmetic surgery, and tried to prove her own breasts were better by exposing them. They were reported to bosses by a witness, and initially both were told they faced investigation over alleged inappropriate behaviour. Social media photos show ACC Sutcliffe ‘opened the gala event’ at one night of the conference, standing near Supt Jackson at a party where wine flowed freely. Supt Jackson has been told she is in the clear. If the case against ACC Sutcliffe were proven, she would be hit with sanctions ranging from ‘management advice’ to dismissal.

Waitress fights off two armed robbers with a broom handle when they attempt to steal from her till: “A plucky woman working in a southern fried chicken restaurant took on two armed robbers after taking on armed robber using just a stick. The robbers targeted a Pollolandia (Chicken Land) restaurant in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The two men are recorded entering the shop in a bid to steal the day’s takings. Both are holding guns and one of the men runs over the till to grab the cash. But, as he is attempting to wrench out the cash desk he is attacked from behind by the angry restaurant worker. She belts him over the back with a broom handle, hitting him so hard that it breaks. The robber clearly does not have the stomach for a beating and turns and runs off. When his armed colleague realises what has happened he also flees. Thanks to the woman’s actions, the robbers only managed to steal 80,000 Costa Rican colones (about £118) in cash”

Creepy clown hits teenager in the face with a wooden plank – so the victim’s friends run his attacker over and leave him lying in a pool of blood: “The teenagers had been driving around for hours looking for clowns, when at midnight they heard word of one lurking near an old factory. They spot the clown brandishing a wooden plank, and one of the teenagers decides to get out of the car to talk to them. ‘Oh s*** hes got a stick,’ one of the boys says. ‘What’s he gonna do?’ says the teenager as he walks closer to the clown. The clown then lifts the stick and hits the boy across the face. He falls to the ground and in a crazed panic the victim’s friend drives into the clown. The video ends as the teens walk up to the clown, who they find lying in a pool of blood.

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Think about it

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Chelsea bun that a sister posted to her soldier brother during the Battle of the Somme has been found in pristine condition 100 years later: “A Chelsea bun which was posted to a soldier fighting in the Battle of the Somme has been found in mint condition – after lying on a dusty shelf for 100 years. The uncooked bun was sent to Private Alex Hodges by his sister Lily Poston as he fought on the frontline in the First World War. But the sticky treat never reached the 19-year-old who was injured by a shell blast on the first day of fighting on July 1, 1916, which saw 20,000 Brit soldiers die. He was transferred to hospital in London and the bun – which was from Pte Hodges’ favourite baker – was ‘returned to sender’ and posted back to Miss Poston. She kept the bun as a memento and it remained in its original tin which the family kept on a shelf of the family home in Leominster, Herefordshire.

Bermuda Triangle: Do these strange clouds solve the mystery?: ” After claiming the lives of at least 75 planes and hundreds of ships the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle may have finally been cracked. The 500,000km square stretch in the North Atlantic Ocean has been blamed for the vanishing of ships and aircraft for centuries. But scientists claim they have discovered the truth behind the triangle’s deadly mystery – hexagonal clouds that create terrifying 170mph winds air bombs. It is believed these deadly blasts of air can send tear down trees, flip over ships and bring planes crashing into the ocean. Using radar satellites to measure what was happening beneath the clouds, they found that sea level winds were reaching almost 170mph. These winds are powerful enough to generate waves of more than 45ft high as “air bombs” are forced to come crashing down towards the ocean”

A piece of aluminium that looks as if it was handmade is being hailed as 250,000-year-old proof that aliens once visited Earth: “Metallic aluminium was not really produced by mankind until around 200 years ago, so the discovery of the large chunk that could be up to 250,000 years old is being held as a sensational find. Builders working on the shores of the Mures River not far from the central Romanian town of Aiud found three objects 10 metres (33 feet) under the ground. They appeared to be unusual and very old, and archaeologists were bought in who immediately identified two of them as being fossils. The third looked to be a piece of man-made metal, although very light, and it was suspected that it might be the end of an axe. Experts were stunned to find out that the third object was a piece of very lightweight metal, and appeared to have been manufactured. According to tests, the object is made of 12 metals, 90% aluminium, and it was dated by Romanian officials as being 250,000 years old”

Woman gets letter addressed to ‘Ms Intellectual Disability’: “A woman has received a letter addressed to ‘Ms Intellectual Disability’ from the office of Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Melbourne woman shared a photo of the letter on Facebook showing the mistake, which was able to be seen by anyone handling the piece of mail. ‘Just got my first letter from the NDIS,’ she wrote in a post earlier this month. ‘It’s not giving me much confidence in their systems [or their mail-merging capabilities]. The Melbourne woman’s first name was replaced by her condition at the top of a letter she was sent, clearly visible to anyone who saw the envelope. ‘I felt that it was just such a major stuff up, that it was a lesson to any business Government or NGO, to check all mail before sending.’ The National Disability Insurance Agency admitted it was a ‘very unfortunate’ mistake”

Luxurious Papal apartments are opened to the public for the first time after Francis refused to stay there because they are too plush: “These images show the luxurious interior of the Vatican’s Papal apartments – after they were opened up to the public for the first time. Pope Francis has declined to use the palazzo in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, preferring to spend his summer downtime at home in the Vatican hotel suite where he lives. It means the sprawling 135-acre estate in the Alban hills has been gradually made more accessible to members of the public. This morning, the Vatican opened the private apartments at the papal summer retreat to the outside world, giving visitors a rare look at the bed where Popes Pius XII and Paul VI died and where John Paul II recovered from an assassination attempt in 1981. In 2014, the gardens opened to visitors, in part to help offset the economic downturn the lake-front town has experienced since Francis decided to stay put in Rome.

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Happy chappies

Leopard geckos stick out their tongues for the camera in Indonesia

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Judge orders boy, seven, to live with father after his mother raised him as her daughter and even registered him with his GP as a girl: “Social workers let a mother raise her young son as a girl because they were in thrall to ‘transgender equality’. The boy, who was made to wear a pink hairband, dresses and nail varnish, lived ‘entirely as a girl’. He was registered as a girl with his doctor’s surgery and was referred to as ‘she’ in official documentation from the age of just four. But despite the alarm being raised by officials and the boy’s father, council staff failed to intervene. Details of the extraordinary case were revealed at the Family Court yesterday when a judge accused the boy’s social workers of naivety and professional arrogance. The seven-year-old, who cannot be identified, has been removed from his mother’s care and is living with his father in the north of England. He now regards himself as male and plays with toys such as Power Rangers. The judge, Mr Justice Hayden, said: ‘This is not a case about gender dysphoria, rather it is about a mother who has developed a belief structure which she has imposed upon her child”

HALF of all singles are still in love with their ex and would jump at the chance to reunite: “It is not unusual to wonder ‘what could have been’ when moving on from a relationship. And a new study has revealed 50 per cent of single Australians would be willing to re-kindle the flame with their ex-partners if given a chance. The study – commissioned by dating website Elite Singles – also found 48 per cent of Australians had begged to be taken back after they had been dumped. The dating website surveyed 535 Australians to gauge their attitudes towards their former squeezes. Half of those surveyed said they would give romance another shot if they were asked nicely. Men were more likely to experience ‘dumper’s remorse’, the study found, with 36 per cent of respondents admitting they regretted giving their lover the chop. In contrast, just 28 per cent of women regretted dumping their partners”

A waffle for geeks: “There are only six reviews so far of the unusual product – which makes waffles in the shape of a computer keyboard – but one in particular has gone viral after being posted on Reddit and sister site Imgur. The review, by Leedlej, reads: ‘Yesterday I did nothing because my keyboard was a waffle the whole time.’ Adar replied to it with a joke of his own, writing: ‘That’s because you didn’t get the maple syrup add-on.’ And drewximus added: ‘Me too, I couldn’t figure out how to disable sticky keys.’ Customers have gone online to write hilarious reviews of the product, mostly joking about trying to use their waffle as an actual keyboard. An anonymous described it as the ‘best wireless edible keyboard ever’. ‘Innovative and lightweight, versatile, sleek, slick, sexy, peripheral, a low energy, hand warming, heated and hot to touch pad, interface, it clones it self and runs well in any personal user preference, such as Linux, Windows Macintosh, 360 Xbox1, PS4.

4,000-year-old child’s rattle shaped like the head of a bear cub is discovered in Siberia – and it still makes a sound: “Archaeologists in Siberia have unearthed a 4,000-year-old children’s rattle shaped like the head of a bear cub – and it still ‘jingles’. The remarkable discovery of one of the oldest toys in the world was made at an early Bronze Age settlement in modern-day Novosibrirsk region. The plaything made of clay – pictured here for the first time – is still sealed so archaeologists will X-ray and scan it to discover the mechanism by which it rattles after four millennia. Professor Vyacheslav Molodin, deputy head of Novosibirsk Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, said: ‘This is a clay rattle with a visible, well-made handle – handy for a child to hold it. ‘It was constructed by clay firing”

Were the Puritans SEXY? Scholar claims the famously strait-laced group ‘weren’t hostile to sexuality’: “The famously strait-laced 17th-century sectarians who helped settle America weren’t nearly as priggish as you might think. A leading scholar claims that the Puritans were in fact sexy, and saw sex and love as important factors to help form a passionate relationship. The claim is based on letters penned by Puritan forefathers including Colonial Gov John Winthrop, which are said to evoke more passion than prudishness. Puritanism was a religious reform movement in the late 16th and 17th centuries. Puritans sought to ‘purify’ the Church of England from its ‘Catholic’ practices. ‘They weren’t hostile to sexuality. They saw sex and love as important factors to help a man and a woman form a passionate relationship and strengthen it.'”

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No escape

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Wicked verdict in rape case: “In the case of Judge John McKeon, as of early morning Wednesday, almost 20,000 people had signed a Change.org petition calling for his impeachment for the 60-day sentence he gave a Glasgow, Mont., man who pleaded guilty to repeatedly raping his prepubescent daughter. “It’s time to start punishing the judges who let these monsters walk our streets,” read the petition. Prosecutors had recommended a mandatory 25-year sentence, 100 years with 75 suspended, which is what state law calls for. Instead, though, Judge McKeon handed down a far lighter sentence: a 30-year suspended prison sentence, which means the man will only serve it if he fails to meet the conditions of his probation. In addition, the man will serve 60 days in jail, but McKeon gave him credit for the 17 days he already served, meaning he’ll only spend another 43 days in jail. McKeon, who has served as a Montana state judge for 22 years, is retiring next month.”

Man hides a window blind in his trousers: “Police have released an image of a man suspected of stealing a Venetian blind by stuffing it down one trouser leg and up the back of his jacket. The alleged theft took place between 2pm and 2.25pm on 16 October at the Dunelm Mill store in Northampton’s St James Mill Road. Staff spotted him leaving the store – apparently without paying – and followed him up a nearby canal path where he dropped the blind and ran off. Police want to speak to the man about the alleged theft”

Idiot McDonald’s manager pulled down a customer’s trousers exposing her bottom: “A McDonald’s manager who pulled down a woman’s baggy tracksuit pants exposing her bottom in front of customers ‘for a joke’ has been jailed. Stuart Hubbard, 26, manager of a Nottingham branch of the fast food chain, yanked down the tracksuit trousers in front of five members of staff and 12 customers. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she was ‘totally humiliated’ by the ordeal and ‘haunted’ at the prospect of bumping into anyone in the street who saw the incident. Hubbard, from Stapleford, in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to common assault following the incident at 1am on February 18. He was jailed for 28 days by Judge Stuart Rafferty. Martin Smith, defending, said his client carried out the act ‘in a moment of madness’. Hubbard was also ordered to pay his victim £500 in compensation”

Girl, 4, speaks SEVEN languages including Chinese and Arabic in front of stunned judges on reality TV show: “A four-year-old girl literally stunned audiences when she spoke seven languages fluently on a TV show. The video of Bella Devyatkina is now wowing people all over the world after she easily switched languages. After easily reading an English question and answering it she then had a conversation in German. Besides her native Russian, Bella also speaks English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic – that includes the six official United Nations languages with the addition of German. The most incredible part is that Bella is actually able to communicate in these languages, as her knowledge exceeds the vocabulary of simple ‘small talk’. During the show she managed to answer questions based on a school curriculum in all these languages.

Chilled-out feline curls up on soldier as he blasts a RIFLE at a military range: “Meet a combat cat who is no scaredy cat at all! An incredible video shared on YouTube and LiveLeak shows a ‘Mog’ look-a-like cat, lying on the back of a soldier’s legs whilst he practicing his shooting on a military range that is believed to be in Russia. The cat’s ears can be seen flinching at every shot fired, but in opposition to those who are worried the cat is going to be deaf, others point out the cat looks happy and relaxed and is even massaging the soldier’s legs”

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Little friend

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Husband divorces his wife days after marrying her because he saw her without make-up for the first time: “A husband has divorced his wife just days after they tied the knot because he saw her without make-up for the first time. The Arab bride, 28, was given the elbow by her former husband accused of deceiving him by using so many cosmetics and fake eyelashes. The unidentified newlyweds went for a leisurely swim in the sea at Al Mamzar Beach in Dubai, but when the water washed away her make-up the 34-year-old man was said to have not been able to recognise her. ‘The groom immediately divorced his bride and refused any attempt to reunite them again,’ he told Gulf News. The couple had been engaged for six months before the wedding, and the doctor said the husband did not think his wife looked as pretty as before their special day.

A palace on wheels: One-of-a-kind vintage Rolls-Royce: “An art-filled Rolls-Royce regarded as a palace on wheels and one of the finest British cars ever made is expected to sell for £700,000 at auction. The one-of-a-kind Phantom I was commissioned in 1926 by Woolworths’ financial director Clarence Gasque as a surprise gift for his wife, Maude, and was inspired by Marie Antoinette. And to ensure she was suitably impressed, Mr Gasque set out on a no-expense-spared project which resulted in the rear seats costing more than the average home. The ten-month project resulted in a car described by experts as being ‘nothing less than magnificently palatial’. Mr Gasque, a London-based American, bought the chassis and drivetrain from Rolls-Royce for £1,600. He gave it to Wolverhampton coachbuilder Charles Clark of Wolverhampton, headed up at the time by a Mr Barnett, with the demand the car’s design must be French”

Six-foot-long snake shocks Florida man by slithering out from under his hood while he drives on freeway: “A man got the fright of his life when he was driving down the freeway in Florida and saw the beady eyes of a snake staring back at him from his car hood. Tim Mokwa, 37, of Denedin, was in rush hour traffic on Monday on US 19 when he saw a small green head emerge in the corner of the windshield on his 2015 Sonata, according to News12. Mokwa managed to keep his cool and pulled over into a Walmart parking lot to film. The snake was about six feet long, taking up the entire length of the hood. On Facebook, Mokwa identified the snake as a black indigo. After he took several seconds of video of the slippery creature, it suddenly veered back under his hood. He drove home and parked his car, and hasn’t seen the critter since, though he doesn’t know if perhaps it might still be curled up under his engine

700-year-old Chinese bank note to be auctioned off in Sydney after being found in a Buddhist sculpture: “A rare Chinese Ming Dynasty bank note has been discovered inside a wooden bust at an art auction house in Melbourne. The note was found in the head cavity of a 13th-14th century wooden Buddhist sculpture of a Luohan by art specialists from Mossgreen. A Luohan is a Chinese word for a person who has completed the four stages of Enlightenment and reached the state of Nirvana. Ms Kenning said the specialists discovered a folded piece of paper inside the head, translated it and discovered it was a banknote. The bank note is stamped with three official seals and dated the third year of the Ming Dynasty, the Hong Wu period from 1368-1398′

Percival the peacock protects his flock of chickens from predators: “When it comes to protecting livestock, most farmers might opt for a dog or a gun. But not Mark Burgunder, a chicken farmer from Queensland, Australia, who has instead employed the services of a rather protective peacock. Mark said he bought Percival, known as Percy among friends, three years ago as nothing more than a pet. However, Percy soon found other ways to make himself useful around the farm. Mark said that Percy – as he is known to his friends – was initially useful in keeping snakes away from his flock of breeding hens. But soon Mark noticed that attacks from birds of prey had also dropped, and he theorizes it is because they don’t want to take on a large bird like a peacock. Mark added that Percy is unusually friendly for a peacock, and will often eat out of his hand, provided you catch him at the right time of day”

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I like it

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Man chased by bees, hit by car, dies: “A Fort Campbell soldier, hit and killed by three cars as he ran onto a federal highway at night, was being chased, as he told his girlfriend in a telephone call, officials said. But the aggressors in the Sunday night incident were bees, Cheatham County Sheriff Mike Breedlove said Monday. The 21-year-old man was walking home from a party “very intoxicated, or on drugs,” Breedlove said. He had tried to break into a landscaping company when something fell on him, trapping him. A toxicology report has not yet been released. The man, whose name was not released, called his girlfriend and then called 911 to say he was being chased, the sheriff said. He ran onto U.S. 41A, and a car struck him. Then two other cars also hit him in the dark. “He got into a beehive,” Breedlove said. “That’s what our investigation shows, that it’s bees that were chasing him and stinging him.”

The most entertaining menu translation fails from around the world: “From the delectable sounding ‘mutton and the smell of urine’ to the delicious ‘ice cream in the a**’, these meals might just leave customers feeling nauseous rather than starving. One menu’s translation, ‘Eel steams the salt meat’ jostled for attention alongside the similarly appetising sounding ‘Hairtail’ and ‘The oil explodes the Screw.’ Keeping customers guessing, the final description simply read: ‘Hairy’. Any diners looking for a nice hearty meal could enjoy ‘boil broken sea lampshade’ at this establishment . Another Chinese menu described one of their signature dishes as ‘Not ordinary gold groping’. But slightly further down lay another gem of comedy gold – as a dish was described as ‘rice wine tender ginger aggradation duck.'”

Two divers are found dead 300 feet underwater in the ‘Mount Everest of cave systems’ that has killed eight other adventurers: “Two divers have drowned while inside a deadly cave system described as the ‘Mount Everest’ for underwater explorers. Patrick Peacock and Chris Rittenmeyer were in the Eagle’s Nest diver area in Weeki Wachee, Florida, with a friend, Justin Blakely, on Saturday. They were missing for about three hours before Blakely called police to report the incident. The dive site is about 50 miles north of Tampa, and the trio was there for a three-day trip, according to WFLA. Peacock and Rittenmeyer were experienced divers, and they decided to tackle the incredibly dangerous caves – ignoring severe warning signs.

French civil servant who hasn’t worked for 10 years after he fell out with his mayor is still paid more than £3,000 PER MONTH: “A French civil servant who left his job a decade ago because of a ‘disagreement’ with his boss has nevertheless pocketed more than £450,000 in that time – despite not doing a day’s work. Bosko Herman continued to pick up a salary of 3,700 Euros (£3,327) per month – and is entitled to do so until he reaches retirement age in 2023. French rules dating back to 1984 stipulate that whenever a director moves on from a municipality, their former employer has to pay part of their salary until they find an equivalent job. It means the Saint-Savine authority has been paying 75 per cent of his salary for 10 years. And Mr Herman, now 55, did not miss out on the other 25 per cent, as this was paid by a civil service management centre which has been unsuccessfully trying to help him find a job.

British parent shares bizarre note from his child’s Italian school telling children to bring their own loo roll after funds ran dry: “One school in Milan is so short on funds it has started asking pupils to supply four rolls of toilet paper, according to a note shared by a bemused British parent. William Hardy, whose child goes to Scuola Primaria Casati, a state primary school in the centre of the city, the wealthiest in Italy, was also asked to bring paper and cups. It read: ‘We’ve run out of toilet paper. So that this great friendship can continue we have to bring one packet of four rolls of toilet paper (each)!’ At the bottom was an image of a smiling poo and toilet roll. Unfortunately, such desperate measures are not particularly uncommon among schools in Italy. Marilena Lombardi, whose child goes to an elementary school in Campania, in the south of the country, was told to bring paper towels and soap”

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Not a bad idea

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Icelandic politician breastfeeds six-week-old baby while speaking in parliament: “Icelandic Member of Parliament Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir had a choice to make this week when she was asked a question in parliament. She could either put down her newborn daughter and stop breastfeeding while she addressed her fellow politicians, or she could do both. Konráðsdóttir did both. Explaining that she was unexpectedly asked a question to defend a bill while feeding her daughter , Konráðsdóttir took to the podium and continued to nurse her child as she spoke about a proposal she had made. “[My child] was hungry, and I wasn’t expecting to speak, so I started feeding her,” Konráðsdóttir said. “Then a representative asked a question about a proposal I had put forward, which I had to answer”

A moonbow!: “On first glance it could be an ordinary rainbow, were it not for the dark night sky. Shining across the Yorkshire Dales, this spectacular phenomenon was actually caused by the moon. The ‘blood moon’ shone above the moors in Skipton, North Yorkshire, giving lunar rainbows due to light from the moon. Lunar rainbows, or moon bows, are formed when moonlight, is refracted by moisture in the atmosphere, whereas direct sunlight refracts moisture to create the rainbow. The blood moon, also known as a Hunter’s Moon, lit up the skies of the UK on Sunday night, but there could be more to come in the next few months. drew Fazekas wrote in the National Geographic: ‘The full moons of November and December will also be super moons. ‘Next month’s super moon promises to be the most impressive, as it will be the largest full moon visible in our skies so far this century.’

A cat that LIKES water: “The brown cat starts by pawing water onto his fur during the pampering session in the bathroom sink. He then dunks his head under the flow and stays there for several seconds for a satisfying soak. He stares contently at the tap, apparently transfixed by the flow of water, before dunking his head back under again. The 40 second clip is certainly unusual, but it is not as rare as you might think. Earlier this year, another video emerged showing a delighted cat having a three minute pampering session courtesy of her owner.

Man who tried to eat world’s hottest pepper burned a HOLE in his throat – and now relies on a feeding tube: “The 47-year-old American ate a burger smothered in a puree made of Bhut jolokia – luminous orange chillies that grow in India, also known as ghost peppers. Within seconds, the man began to vomit. His vomiting continued so violently that he eventually tore a hole in his esophagus. It was not until he began reeling on the floor in pain that he was taken to the emergency room. Doctors performed an abdomen and pelvic scan that revealed a build up of air, fluid and food inside his body. Eventually he was wheeled into the operated room where surgeons discovered a 2.5cm tear in the left side of his throat. According to the Journal of Emergency Medicine, the man was given a tube to aid his breathing for 14 days as he recovered. He then spent another nine days in hospital before he was eventually discharged – with a feeding tube in place”

Meet the 54-year-old who doesn’t look a day over 21: “With glowing skin, thick hair and not a wrinkle in sight, it is little wonder this 54-year-old passes for a woman half her age. Pamela Jay looks so young she is even mistaken for her 22-year-old son’s girlfriend. And the single mother-of-one is happy to share her beauty secrets, revealing daily yoga, a healthy diet and a £15 tub of coconut oil are behind her youthful glow. ‘I’m not sure I look like I’m in my 20s – although people do say that to me – but I feel like I could pass for mid to late 30s, and that’s how I feel energy-wise. ‘My son and I went to view a property recently and were asked if we were a couple. When I said he was my son, the estate agent went bright red and looked really embarrassed.

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

Tabby affection

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Thieves caught stealing HONEY that sells for $80 a jar: “Sydney chemists, beauty salons and supermarkets have noticed a spike in crime for a specific type of honey – and the sticky bandits are swarming on the unsuspecting stores. The bizarre new crime wave has seen thieves working like busy bees aiming to swipe the expensive manuka honey, selling for $80 per jar, and subsequently dispensing it on the black market. Manuka honey is said to have powerful anti-bacterial qualities and some anecdotal reports from stores across Sydney revealed small businesses are losing thousands of dollars worth of stock, according to The Daily Telegraph. David Gates, Acting Crime Manager for Sydney City Police Detective Inspector, said there was no doubt stores were being stung for manuka honey by individual gangs. ‘We have seen a spike in the past year of honey theft,’ he said”

Poor doggie: “The internet is in uproar after a man in Brazil posted a picture of his dog, apparently sporting five tattoos. There have been calls for the man to be charged with animal cruelty after the tattooed dog appeared online. The bull terrier appears to have tattoos of an anchor, a knuckleduster and a diamond on its nose. It also has star tattoos just underneath its eyes and the logo of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on both ears. The dog’s owner, a tattoo artist from Poços de Caldas in Brazil, deleted the images when he realised he was about to become the target of an online campaign. The man, identified as Emerson Damasceno, then claimed they had only been put there because he believed they would protect the animal from cancer, but veterinary experts said what appeared to have been done to the dog had no obvious benefits, and indeed it even might cause problems”

Is this the world’s smallest museum? Yorkshire village opens a tiny attraction in a disused PHONE BOX: “A Yorkshire village has created what could be the world’s smallest museum by transforming a disused phone box. The attraction in Warley, near Halifax, only has enough room for one visitor at a time. But despite the limitations of space, it features etched glass, old photographs and a selection of personal items that tell the history of the village. The phone box was revamped by members of Warley Community Association (WCA), who ‘adopted’ it from BT. The theme is currently local history, but the group plans to make changes every three months. Eliana Bailey, WCA chairwoman, said: ‘We’ve had a phenomenal response. People thought it was amazing, when they saw inside they could not believe it.

What that little pocket in your jeans is really for: “Jean pockets come as pretty standard across the genders – two back pockets, two front pockets and that odd little rectangular pocket in one of the front pockets. But what is it used for? It’s certainly too small for coins and was around before the age of smart phones. User Renata Janoskova cited Levi Strauss, iconic American jeans brand, as having the answer to the mystery pocket. According to a blog post on their website, the pocket is a “watch pocket”, small enough to keep a pocket watch. Ms Janoskova expanded on this, explaining that Levis introduced the pockets to cater for cowboys pocket watches. “Back in the 1800s, cowboys used to wear their watches on chains and kept them in their waistcosts. To keep them from getting broken, Levis introduced this small pocket where they could keep their watch.”

The Most Exclusive Resort You’ve Never Heard Of: “It’s the most exclusive beach resort in Europe, but it’s on a slice of land so small, with an entrance so unassuming, that anyone not in the know could easily miss Il San Pietro di Positano amid the glitz of the Amalfi Coast. But for a rarefied group of travelers who come back year after year and stay for long periods of time, this hotel on a hidden rocky outcropping outside the town of Positano generates a nearly religious devotion. “The hotel has a cult following and it’s spreading to a younger set,” said Sylvana Durrett, 35, a Vogue contributor who heads the annual Costume Institute Gala. She visited Il San Pietro with her husband for the second time this summer. Durrett describes the service as being “incredibly hands-on and friendly without being invasive.” Many guests view the destination as their second home and become so attached to the rooms that they book year after year”

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

A dog, a cat and a FOX?

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Boy who ate himself blind: “Kerry Moore had tried ophthalmologists and pediatricians, a children’s hospital and an adult hospital, light tests, genetic tests and various vision tests in trying to find the cause of her son’s encroaching blindness. Nobody had an answer. Then Ms Moore’s parents saw a television program discussing a cutting-edge treatment for people with similar symptoms, and in desperation she booked a flight from Perth and an appointment with Sydney ophthalmologist Stephanie Watson to see if it would be suitable for Cian. But when Professor Watson examined Cian, she diagnosed him with vitamin A deficiency. Since he was five or six, Cian’s fussy eating habits – nothing except chicken, potatoes, dry bread and Coke – had left him so malnourished he was going blind. Cian, now 16, took heavy doses of Vitamin A for a few days and started drinking vitamin shakes regularly. The vision in his right eye has almost completely recovered, but the damage to his left eye is permanent”

British Army tests portable water cannon which can kill terrorists at close range: “The British Army tested a giant water pistol that can kill terrorists at close range during a recent NATO exercise in Belgium. The NNTEX-16L exercise was hosted at the Elsenborn military camp where the British and Belgian troops were joined by colleagues from the Netherlands and the United States. The watercannon -which looks similar to a Second World War-era flame thrower – has a backpack which can hold ten rounds of ammunition. At ranges less than three metres, the impact of the high-power water jet is likely to be fatal. Between three and six metres, the jet will knock down an enemy. According to details which have emerged from the NNTEX-16L exercise, the jet gun, which was developed in Germany, can be used in situations where firing live ammunition could lead to civilian casualties”

Stunned miners unearth world’s most valuable piece of jade worth £140MILLION: “Stunned miners have unearthed the world’s most valuable piece of jade – an 18ft monster worth £140million. Workers were excavating rare gems at a remote mine in Kachin State, Burma, when they stumbled across the huge jadeite rock. The remarkable stone weighs a staggering 175 tonnes, measures 9ft high, 18ft long and 18ft wide. The rock – which will appear its distinctive green once cleaned – is second only in size to the a carved statue at the Jade Buddha Palace in China which weighs 260 tonnes. Miner Sao Min, 44, said: ‘We thought we had won the lottery. But this belongs to the country. It is in honour of our leaders.’ Burma – or Myanmar – is the world’s largest producer of jadeite – and the 50 billion dollar a year industry represents half of the country’s GDP. Jade is a durable stone that has been fashioned into items ranging from arrowheads to necklaces for centuries”

Weird bike: “The Bird of Prey bike replaces the standard bike seat with a new hip rest, putting the cyclist in a leaning forward position, and preventing them from flipping over the handlebars. The rider’s body on the Bird of Prey is in a lay out position as if the rider was swimming in water. This allows the rider to push and pull on the pedals as if he/she were running with legs fully extended. The rider’s body is supported on the hips placing the body in a position that allows the rider to push and pull on the pedals in a fast spinning action. Rather than sitting in a seat, cyclists lean forward with their weight resting on their hips and arms. The Bird of Prey claims to be the fastest racing bike in the world, because of its low centre of gravity, high speed gears, and ability to overcome wind resistance.

Woman, 23, wins the right to use her DEAD boyfriend’s sperm to start their family because ‘it’s what he would have wanted’: “A 23-year-old woman has won the right to harvest her dead boyfriend’s sperm so she can start the family ‘he always wanted’ on her own. Ayla Cresswell from Toowoomba in southern Queensland lost her partner Joshua Davies, 23, in August and immediately went to court to make sure his sperm would be kept viable. On Friday her dream to have a family with Mr Davies was given the green light by Supreme Court Justice Martin Burns, The Courier Mail reports. Ms Cresswell told the court the couple wanted ‘three children’ and were planning to get married. Ms Cresswell’s application came with the full support of Joshua’s parents John and Iona. The couple had been in a relationship for two years before Joshua’s death”

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