A Little Light Weirdness - 3

Brazilian TV presenter, Wallace Souza, has brought a whole new meaning to the term "hit show", by allegedly arranging the deaths of at least four people to boost the ratings of his mid-day real crime show. Souza, a former policeman and prominent politician, is accused of being behind a criminal drug network with an estimated turnover of $25m a month, while the murder victims were all either partners who had fallen from favour or from rival outfits. Once the hit had been set up, it is claimed Souza would receive a tip-off so that camera crews for his program could reach the scene before even the police (Guardian).

Someone else who may be meeting with an "accident" pretty soon is Ginger the kune-kune pig, who is not in pensioner Anne Moon's best books after swallowing her $2500 dollar diamond engagement ring right off her hand. Mrs. Moon, who had gone to pet the pig just prior to the impromptu a-la-main meal, immediately alerted the pig's owner, farmer Paul Caygill, and hopes to be reunited with the ring given to her 30 years ago once nature takes its course (Fox News).

And while Anne Moon is left hanging around dumb animals, in the Norwegian town of Helgoysund, it is the dumb animals that are hanging around. For it is there that a ram managed to get its horns entangled in one of the town's overhead electric cables, before losing its footing, astonishing onlookers as it subsequently abseiled down the hill towards the next pole. Locals suspect that this may have been caused by an over rambitious attempt to reach the ewes in a lower field, and after the ram was eventually towed back to higher ground and released unharmed, he was allowed access by way of compensation for his ordeal (Daily Mail).

Still on the subject of dumb animals, that is presumably what one Parisian store is hoping to attract with its latest creation, a fusball table populated entirely by Barbies. The "Barbie Foot", by French "concept-store" Colette, uses 22 of the ubiquitous dolls, in contrasting uniforms of pink and white in its limited edition table football game, which it hopes to sell for 10,000 euros, that is $14,000, each (Guardian).



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Posted By: Dumbfounded - Wed Aug 12, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Animals, Crime, Death, Exercise and Fitness, Furniture, Government, Law, Television, Goofs and Screw-ups

A Little More Light Weirdness

Just some un-themed oddities that caught my eye:

Plans to chop down a tree to make way for a roundabout in Jaslo, Poland have revealed that the oak was in fact planted to commemorate Hitler's birthday when the town was occupied during World War 2. The town's mayor, Maria Kurowska, called the choice between traffic improvements and the living memorial "simple," but not everyone agrees. "It's a historic curiosity," said local Kazimierz Polak, who was present at the planting ceremony as a child 67 years ago, adding, "It's not the tree's fault" (Reuters).

Two Bengal white tigers in a zoo in South Africa have given birth to a tiger cub that's not only white, but stripe-less (London Paper). Surely that's just called a lion?

A spiritual "healer" in Puerto Rico may want to re-read the manual today, after accidentally dropping a lit candle into the bath of alcohol he had instructed he lady patient lie in. The victim, who was suffering financial and marriage issues, can now add 50% burns to her list of problems (Metro).

The Swiss state of Appenzell went the whole of the second world war without a single German invader, so was perhaps unprepared to come under sustained assault by German hikers dressed in nothing but their socks and boots. Naked hiking, which has become a popular Alpine pastime apparently, has generated a stream of complaints from Swiss locals, and the authorities of the Outer and Inner Rhodes provinces of Appenzell have responded by imposing stiff fines of 200CHF ($175) on anyone caught without clothes, though where they expect the hikers to produce the money from is not explained (Cape News). To publicise the ban, the Swiss officials have ordered signs banning nude hiking, to the surprise of designer Dan Walter, who originally drew the sign as a joke (Metro).

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Tue Jul 07, 2009 - Comments (6)
Category: Accidents, Goofs and Screw-ups, Animals, Government, Regulations, Health, History, Historical Figure, New Age

But Where Did They Get The Concrete?

The historic city of Bath in England is famed for both the Roman spas that gave the town its name, and for the wonderful architecture of the Georgian houses that were later built to take advantage of them. These homes were all the more beautiful for being built from "Bath stone", a richly honey-coloured limestone that was quarried from mines in nearby Combe Down, now a thriving suburb of the City of Bath. And therein lies the problem. The limestone mines have been abandoned for over a century, and the Georgian miners were none too careful to begin with, meaning that much of the 9 miles of mineshafts are unstable, and some are barely 6 feet below the surface. With over 700 homes at risk of disappearing into the ground with no warning, the local North-East Somerset Council has spent £160 million ($260 million) stabilising the mines and filling them in again with concrete foam in a 10 year project that comes to an end today (BBC News).

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Tue Jul 07, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Architecture, History, Goofs and Screw-ups

Tattoos, Telephones and Tabby-cats.

When Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere decided to have the Latin for "live without regrets" tattooed on her back, she was probably not expecting it to be a test of whether she actually would. Unfortunately her tattoo, which reads "vivere senza rimipianti" is misspelled, the correct phrase is "vivere senza rimpianti". Hayden is, to her credit, taking it all in her stride and told a reported from the UK's Daily Mirror "It is misspelled, whatever, vivere senza rimipiantic means live without regret in Italian. I just put my own spin to it." (Digital Spy).

Someone else who's - so far - taking misfortune in their stride are the family from Oldham in the UK who receive upwards of 60 phone calls a day from people hoping to reach the chart-topping rap artist Soulja Boy. This is down to the fact that SB's latest single, "Kiss Me Through The Phone", includes their 12 digit phone number as part of the chorus, causing many fans to try ringing out of curiosity. Given the near ubiquity of tie-in media in modern films and television programs (think of all the websites spun off from "Dr. Who" or "Lost"), this is perhaps understandable, if a little inconvenient for Gerry Matley and partner Catriona Smith. "It's easy to understand that, isn't it? When you look at me, I've got the perfect profile for a rapper," joked Matley, 54 (Guardian).

And surely if a 54 year-old Oldham man can make it as a rapper, a 1 year-old cat can be a political pundit? A woman whose cat had gone missing a few hours earlier was astonished find out that it had made an impromptu appearance on a weekly live UK political debate program. That week "Question Time" was being recorded at a community college in Newquay, close to where owner Jackie Ellery lives. She was wondering where Tango the cat had got to when he walked unnoticed into shot behind the host and his panel of MPs. "My friend phoned me to say, 'Have you seen your cat on the telly?' And there he was," said Ellery (Digital Spy).

Finally, it is with regret that I relay news of the death of the queen of the "pussy joke", Molly Sugden. Her most famous role was in the light-entertainment sitcom "Are You Being Served?" as the pompous, and frequently inept, shop assistant Mrs. Slocombe, who could not make an entrence without commenting on how the weather/busman strike/energy shortages were 'effecting' her pussy (BBC News).

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Thu Jul 02, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Music, Pets, Cats, Tattoos, Goofs and Screw-ups

The Shortest Marriage(s) Ever

Just a few days ago, a newly wed couple from Poland had an argument shortly after cutting the cake at their wedding reception and left the party to seek an annulment. Could this be the shortest marriage on record? Perhaps. I suppose it will depend on how quickly an annulment is granted... if they even qualify for one. But at least this couple is in good company. Robin Givens ended her marriage to Svetozar Marinkovic (who?) on the same day. Did he need a green card or something? Zsa Zsa Gabor's marriage to Felipe De Alba was a twenty-four hour deal, ruled illegitmate because Zsa Zsa was still technically married to Michael O’Hara. This will teach you all to double-check that the ink on your divorce papers is actually dry. Britney Spears taught us that you can get divorced in Las Vegas as quickly as you can get married, when she ended her fifty-five hour marriage to Jason Alexander. And who could forget Drew Barrymore's short-lived marriage (28 days) to Jeremy Thomas? You can read about the Polish couple here. Aren't you glad to see that the sacred institution of marriage is being taken so seriously?

Posted By: Nethie - Fri Jun 26, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Celebrities, Divorce, Marriage, Goofs and Screw-ups, Weddings

Your Historical Daily Loser(s)

Ronald Cousin, Steve Nelon and Jerome Thompson, of Las Vegas, Nevada, along with two underaged pals, decided to try a little breaking and entering. Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong house. The Story.

Christopher Newton, former reporter for the Associated Press, was fired when it was discovered that he was making up all of his news sources. It only took the AP a few years to catch on... The Story.

Walter Nowakowski, from Canada, was caught driving the wrong way down a one way street. The police say he was distracted. Not such a big deal, you say? How about the fact that he was distracted because he had his pants around his ankles and he was watching child porn on his laptop as he drove. The Story.

If you live in Wrexham, you might want to stay off the roads. Michelle Hughes was arrested after she smashed her car into a parked vehicle and then drove head-on into another. But apparently her erratic driving was caused by her excessive drinking and not because she is legally blind. The Story.

Actually, these guys might be winners for getting away with it... Army and Navy personnel, from the officers down to the enlisted men, were issued travel cards (credit cards paid for by Uncle Sam), and they had a jolly good time using those cards to pay for their visits to brothels and strip clubs. The Story.

Posted By: Nethie - Sun Jun 07, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Crime, Sex Lives Worse Than Yours, Your Daily Loser, Goofs and Screw-ups

Your Daily Loser & Jury Duty for May 31st

Your Historical Daily Loser - Edward Blaine was having a bad day. How bad was it, you ask? When he tried to rob a bank in Port Royal, Virginia, he dropped half the money on the way out, then discovered he had locked his keys inside the getaway car. That's when the angry civilians caught up to him. He tried to flee but was run down and in the struggle he managed to shoot himself in the leg. The Story.

Jury Duty - The expression on Joseph Monahan's face is priceless. He's been charged with disorderly conduct in a licensed establishment. Disorderly conduct is defined as acts that are of a nature to corrupt the public morals, or outrage the sense of public decency, etc. A licensed establishment is, for lack of a better word, a bar. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but, isn't a bar the perfect place to commit acts that could corrupt the public morals?

Posted By: Nethie - Mon Jun 01, 2009 - Comments (2)
Category: Crime, Your Daily Jury Duty, Your Daily Loser, Goofs and Screw-ups

Your Daily Loser & Jury Duty for May 30th

Your Daily Loser(s) - I normally use this space to highlight the stupid actions of regular folks who are caught breaking the law in some way. Today, however, the honor of being a Daily Loser goes to a few police officers, in Baltimore, Maryland. You see, Joshua Kelly and Llara Brook, of Chantilly, Virginia, went to watch the big game between the Orioles and Kansas City in Camden Yards. But they had never been to Camden Yards before, so... they got lost. Read the story to find out how the police reacted when Joshua and Llara tried to ask for directions.

Jury Duty - There is a long history of people taking the law into their own hands in order to mete out justice. Jerome Ersland of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is now firmly established in that history. Ersland has been charged with first-degree murder for killing a teenager who tried to rob his Pharmacy. The Story.

Posted By: Nethie - Sat May 30, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Cops, Crime, Your Daily Jury Duty, Your Daily Loser, Goofs and Screw-ups

Your Daily Loser & Jury Duty for May 29th

Your Daily Loser(s) - Look kids! A new game! Joshua N. Sizemore and Amanda L. Madison of Lakewood, Washington, wanted to play strip poker, but they didn't have any cards. At least, that's the only reason I can think of for what they did next... They decided to throw baseball-sized rocks onto cars from a bridge over the interstate. If the left headlight of a car broke, Amanda had to remove some clothing. If the right headlight was broken, it was Joshua's turn to get naked. The police were not amused. The Story.

Jury Duty - Typically this section is for posting the mug shot of an accused criminal and WUvians decide his or her guilt (or innocence) based on the image. So I'm warning you that this is not a typical mug shot. Instead, it's the story of a 'brave' soul who just wanted some cigarettes to go with his beer. (Be sure to watch the video! I, for one, can't stop laughing.)

Posted By: Nethie - Fri May 29, 2009 - Comments (0)
Category: Crime, Your Daily Jury Duty, Your Daily Loser, Goofs and Screw-ups

Your Daily Loser & Jury Duty for May 27th

Your Daily Loser - Henry Gasiorowski, of Greenwich, Connecticut probably feels like the biggest turkey after a recent hunting accident. Mr. Gasiorowski was sitting behind a turkey decoy, making turkey calls when a companion shot him. The Story. (Today's Daily Loser story brought to you by Bill_!)

Jury Duty - Did she think it was a crime to go to Disney World? Bonnie Sweeten from Pennsylvania called 911 to report that she and her daughter had been abducted and were trapped in the trunk of a car. Two hours later, Bonnie (and daughter Julia) boarded a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando, Florida, under a false name. She was found and later taken into custody inside the popular theme park. The Story.

Posted By: Nethie - Thu May 28, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Crime, Your Daily Jury Duty, Your Daily Loser, Goofs and Screw-ups