News of the Weird (1-26-2013)
The News of the Weird Blog
Angst, Confusion, Cynicism, Ridicule
Hand-Picked and Seasoned by Chuck Shepherd
Saturday, January 26, 2013
© 2013 by Chuck Shepherd. All rights reserved.
Lund, Sweden: Face it, Yr Editor is a forlorn sucker for dung beetle research, especially by the renowned Lund University. The Takeaway: The beetles use the Milky Way stars to make sure they roll their balls far away--lest “competitors” try to rob them. (Proof: “The researchers even taped makeshift cardboard visors to the beetles’ heads” to block their view of the sky, and indeed, the beetles tended to roll the balls in circles and wind up back at the original turd.) Seriously. Los Angeles Times
Portland, Ore.: There’s no one hornier* than Russell Gordon, 44, who police said used a camera-in-a-pen at a co-worker’s desk to record her breast-pumping. [*Well, maybe Alejandro Razo, 61, who was arrested at Sherman Oaks Hospital near Los Angeles for being having sex with a corpse] The Oregonian /// KTLA-TV (Los Angeles)
Cañon City, Colo.: The umbrella organization for 170 Catholic health facilities has some ‘splainin’ to do, like, to the Pope. After a woman’s twins died in the womb following an alleged error, the hospital is shrugging off the damage in court by calling the twins mere fetuses (which, under state law, but not Vatican law, they are). Colorado Independent (Denver)
Poland: Inglot Cosmetics supposedly has a Muslim-friendly nail polish, the “halal certified” 02M Breathable because with ordinary nail polish, the woman cannot bathe properly for prayer, since the polish seals off the nail. (Plus: Since women are not required to pre-prayer-bathe during the Curse, wearing ordinary nail polish to prayer signals that you’re just coming out of heat.) The Evolution of Ideas blog (November 2012) via New York Magazine (January 2013)
Prague, Czech Republic: Beer:CzechRepublic::Wine:France, and in many places, beer is the cheapest drink on the menu (than even water). Now, the gov’t proposes to require pubs and restaurants to offer at least one drink cheaper than beer, and presto--controversy. (Fun Facts: Per capita, Czechs drink 2x the beer that Americans do, plus beer is sometimes delivered to pubs in tanker trucks like what we use to deliver gasoline to service stations.) Wall Street Journal
Boca Raton, Fla.: The ancient doctrine of “adverse possession” lets squatters convert abandoned property for their very own so it won’t go to waste. It’s still on the books most places. In an mansionized neighborhood in Boca Raton, Fla., a $2.1m, 7500-square-foot home, foreclosed on by Bank of America, is being squatted on by a Brazilian full of joie de vivre (ed. My French-Portuguese dictionary is packed away in the attic), and it’s driving the posh neighbors crazy. BofA has shown interest, but, they’re BofA, whichdoesn’t always hardly ever gets things right. South Florida Sun-Sentinel via Orlando Sentinel
Jury Duty
[In America, you're presumed innocent . . until the mug shot is released]:
Shelby County, Ala.: Barry Vick, 41, charged two weeks ago with domestic violence after a relative was slashed. Your call. Al.com (Birmingham)
Angst, Confusion, Cynicism, Ridicule
Hand-Picked and Seasoned by Chuck Shepherd
Saturday, January 26, 2013
© 2013 by Chuck Shepherd. All rights reserved.
Lund, Sweden: Face it, Yr Editor is a forlorn sucker for dung beetle research, especially by the renowned Lund University. The Takeaway: The beetles use the Milky Way stars to make sure they roll their balls far away--lest “competitors” try to rob them. (Proof: “The researchers even taped makeshift cardboard visors to the beetles’ heads” to block their view of the sky, and indeed, the beetles tended to roll the balls in circles and wind up back at the original turd.) Seriously. Los Angeles Times
Portland, Ore.: There’s no one hornier* than Russell Gordon, 44, who police said used a camera-in-a-pen at a co-worker’s desk to record her breast-pumping. [*Well, maybe Alejandro Razo, 61, who was arrested at Sherman Oaks Hospital near Los Angeles for being having sex with a corpse] The Oregonian /// KTLA-TV (Los Angeles)
Cañon City, Colo.: The umbrella organization for 170 Catholic health facilities has some ‘splainin’ to do, like, to the Pope. After a woman’s twins died in the womb following an alleged error, the hospital is shrugging off the damage in court by calling the twins mere fetuses (which, under state law, but not Vatican law, they are). Colorado Independent (Denver)
Poland: Inglot Cosmetics supposedly has a Muslim-friendly nail polish, the “halal certified” 02M Breathable because with ordinary nail polish, the woman cannot bathe properly for prayer, since the polish seals off the nail. (Plus: Since women are not required to pre-prayer-bathe during the Curse, wearing ordinary nail polish to prayer signals that you’re just coming out of heat.) The Evolution of Ideas blog (November 2012) via New York Magazine (January 2013)
Prague, Czech Republic: Beer:CzechRepublic::Wine:France, and in many places, beer is the cheapest drink on the menu (than even water). Now, the gov’t proposes to require pubs and restaurants to offer at least one drink cheaper than beer, and presto--controversy. (Fun Facts: Per capita, Czechs drink 2x the beer that Americans do, plus beer is sometimes delivered to pubs in tanker trucks like what we use to deliver gasoline to service stations.) Wall Street Journal
Boca Raton, Fla.: The ancient doctrine of “adverse possession” lets squatters convert abandoned property for their very own so it won’t go to waste. It’s still on the books most places. In an mansionized neighborhood in Boca Raton, Fla., a $2.1m, 7500-square-foot home, foreclosed on by Bank of America, is being squatted on by a Brazilian full of joie de vivre (ed. My French-Portuguese dictionary is packed away in the attic), and it’s driving the posh neighbors crazy. BofA has shown interest, but, they’re BofA, which
Jury Duty
[In America, you're presumed innocent . . until the mug shot is released]:
Shelby County, Ala.: Barry Vick, 41, charged two weeks ago with domestic violence after a relative was slashed. Your call. Al.com (Birmingham)
Comments
Squatters' rights: Move into an abandoned property and claim it as your own, while tying the legal system in knots? Sounds like Real Estate Mogul 101 to me. Those folks are just jealous they didn't think of it. BTW, Chuck, Google says it's alegria de viver.
Catholics: a classic case of do as I say, not as I do. Betcha the same hospital is against Obamacare in case any of its employees get the Pill.
Jury Duty: Whose razor blade? It sure as shootin' wasn't the defendant's. Unless he has killer gams.
Catholics: a classic case of do as I say, not as I do. Betcha the same hospital is against Obamacare in case any of its employees get the Pill.
Jury Duty: Whose razor blade? It sure as shootin' wasn't the defendant's. Unless he has killer gams.
Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 01/26/13 at 11:47 AM
dung beetles- How would you like that as a job description? 'Craig, oh, he's in charge of putting the cardboard visors on the dung beetles.'
Catholicism- Hipocracy has never been a problem for the church, especially if money is at stake.
nail polish- Really? I guess the catholics don't have the market cornered on bizarre self serving rules.
squatter's rights- The banks do not care about these places. They have already written off the debt on their taxes so they could care less what happens to the properties.
Catholicism- Hipocracy has never been a problem for the church, especially if money is at stake.
nail polish- Really? I guess the catholics don't have the market cornered on bizarre self serving rules.
squatter's rights- The banks do not care about these places. They have already written off the debt on their taxes so they could care less what happens to the properties.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 01/26/13 at 07:18 PM
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