Alrighty, here we go again! Thanks as always for being interested enough in my musings to check out my bloggin’! Or bored enough or just lost on the internet, what-have-you!
It’s been a MAGICAL week on the Weird News Files this week. I don’t know why – it’s just been really good and weird. Maybe the world is getting a little (or A LOT) more weird every day?
If you missed my previous blog about giving some extra focus to the Weird News Files – read it HERE
Here’s the BEST (or WORST?) of the Weird News File from this week. Some of these made the cut and were read on-air. Some, hit the cutting room floor, so to speak as I had to pick and choose which one I went with. The Weird News File is a long running staple on the morning show, usually right around 9:40am. I get text messages about it, I get calls about it, and I run into people in public and it comes up – yes even with the mask on, I’m still recognizable enough that people will approach me (yes, from a safe distance) just because they HAVE to ask me something about “that story from the Weird News File”
So – here’s the best I’ve selected from my files from the last seven days. There is no defined criteria I go by – I just have to select what I think is the best or worst story. Some are just hilariously so “out there” that they are funny. Some are about unbelievably stupid criminals getting what they deserve. Some are about ridiculous “World Records” that people have set – I get a kick out of those, if you haven’t been able to tell over the years.
Oh Come On! Pay the Man!
You may not know the name Abdullah Abdul-Gawad, but you’ve seen his picture. He’s the guy operating that single excavator that looked so tiny as he helped dig out that stuck ship in the Suez Canal. Ironically, when 28-year-old Abdullah first heard about the situation, he thought it meant he’d have no work that day. Instead he got a frantic call saying, “We need you to get in a car and come right now because you’re the only excavator driver who’s close enough.” For the next five days he toiled day and night, getting only three hours of sleep a night to help dislodge the Ever Given, the skyscraper-size container ship that became lodged in the banks of the canal on March 23. Freeing the Ever Given was an international effort, with winches, dredgers, tugboats, and excavators all brought in. But Abdullah was the man who was literally at the rock face of the problem. Once he got to the base of the ship, there was no choice but to start digging. But now that the ship is finally free, Abdullah says he and his team still have not received their overtime pay. And aside from a small ceremony held by one newspaper, he has received almost no official recognition for his role. He said, “I was invited to the ceremony where they honored the people who got the ship out but It was mainly for Suez Canal Authority employees. That didn’t include Abdullah because technically he works for a subcontractor. (Yahoo News)
Just Can’t Get Your Twerk On in San Antonio
You’re probably not aware but the XTC Cabaret – an exotic dance club in San Antonio, TX- has been in a beef with the city throughout the current pandemic. And it’s now heating up to new levels. XTC refused to follow restrictions set by the city last November and was cited again in March of this year. Even after city officials pulled its certificate of occupancy due to COVID-19 violations, they continued to operate and welcome customers as if nothing had happened. So the city cut off their power and water. So XTC went out and bought a generator and a big water tank. So now the San Antonio Police Department has taken the generator and water tank. The cabaret took the city to court in December and was swiftly hit with a counter-suit from the city. Reportedly, the city has been called to the club 300 times in the past two years. (MySanAntonio.com)
She’s the Bomb!
The company commander of an ordnance disposal unit at Fort Campbell, Ky., broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest mile run by a woman wearing a bomb disposal suit Saturday at George Mason University. Capt. Katie Hernandez of 717th Ordnance Disposal Co. finished with a time of 10 minutes, 23 seconds – enough for a new world record. Hernandez said, “If you (have) ever done any type of run with weights, you feel good when you start and then all of a sudden you hit a wall. And then after that it’s all mental, because you know your body is capable of doing it, it just doesn’t feel like it wants to move.” FYI – the suit weighs more than 70 pounds! The event was hosted by the Military Families Program, an initiative created by the Veteran Success Resource Group and Yellow Ribbons United whose goal is a unified community to create programs and resources for veterans and their families at no cost. It was founded by retired Marine Lt. Col. Justin Constantine, retired Army Capt. Scott Davidson, and former NFL player Derrick Dockery and his wife, Emma. (Stars and Stripes)
That’s a Big Baby Tooth
An Ontario boy became a Guinness World Record holder after a baby tooth pulled by his dentist was measured at 1.02 inches long. Luke Boulton, 9, of Peterborough, received word from Guinness that his tooth earned the record for the world’s longest milk tooth extracted. Luke’s family said the tooth was actually removed Sept. 17, 2019, when he was 8 years old, but they only recently learned that their application for the world record had been accepted and they have not yet received an official certificate. Luke said he is planning to have his tooth displayed with his certificate once it arrives from Guinness. (UPI)
Maybe Just Cooperate with the Disney Folks
Kelly Sills spent $15,000 on his Disney World vacation last month, but he wasn’t willing to have his temperature checked before entering the park. He skipped a temperature screening tent, part of the park’s coronavirus protocols. When asked to go back, he refused. So he was asked to leave the park, but refused. So Disney called the police who arrested him for trespassing. Video show Sills saying, “I paid $15,000,” as he was being handcuffed. “You can’t trespass me for paying $15,000.” Then he quickly changed his stance and said, “Will you take my temperature before you kick me out, please?” as he was being taken away. A deputy said, “They’ll do that in jail, sir.” There have been other arrests after visitors balked at the park’s coronavirus rules, including one man who spit on a security guard after being asked to cover his face. A Disney World spokeswoman said the park holds guests accountable when such things happen. (Orlando Sentinel)
What the What?
Meanwhile, in South Korea, an art piece being showcased in Seoul by an American graffiti artist was damaged by a couple in their 20s who thought the sets of paint and brushes laid in front of the artwork was for spectators’ to use. Staff at the gallery exhibition noticed new brush strokes on the wall — small swipes of dark green to the right of center — last Sunday. After checking the security camera, two suspects were taken by the police for investigation. Kang Wook, the CEO of Contents Creator of Culture said, “We called the police immediately and talked to the insurance company for the damaged artwork, but as the agency in charge, we will do best to minimize the harm to the couple who unintentionally vandalized the work.” The piece, valued at $440,000, was by New York-based artist Jon One. (ABC News)
Wait – What Does “Reoccurring” Mean?
Former President Trump’s reelection campaign has had to return $122.7 million to donors because the donors did not know the donations they made were reoccurring. People who donated, say, $500 were being charged that amount not just once, but every month-or even every week-until the next election. If you didn’t want the charges to be reoccurring, you had to navigate through the fine print and uncheck a small box. Oh, and a second box, which arrived already checked in the email, doubled contributions. In time, lines of bold type were added that drowned out the fine print about opting out, and the wording about unchecking the box was no longer in bold. One user-experience designer said the practice fits the definition of “deceptive design,” adding, “It should be in textbooks of what you shouldn’t do.” The head of the National Association of Consumer Advocates said, “It’s unfair, it’s unethical and it’s inappropriate.” As a result, banks and credit card companies were swamped with fraud reports about the charges from WinRed, the site that raised the money for Trump’s campaign; Trump had told supporters in March to send money directly to him, not the Republican Party. If you’re keeping score, the Democrats’ version, ActBlue, is a nonprofit. WinRed kept its fees even when the donation was refunded, for a total take before costs of about $5 million on Trump’s fundraising. A 78-year-old in California gave $990 through WinRed in September, then was charged that amount seven more times. “Bandits!” he said, adding, “I can’t afford to pay all that damn money.” A Trump spokesman, Jason Miller, claims they had very few complaints. (New York Times)
What the What?
In Pennsylvania, 8-year-old Jaxon Dempsey became a local hero when he used some quick thinking and CPR skills he learned watching Nickelodeon to save his baby sister from choking to death. Jaxon was sitting in the back of the car when his 20-month-old sister, Layla, began to choke on a chicken nugget. With his father up in the front driving, Dempsey took it upon himself to take control of the situation and in textbook Heimlich Maneuver form, the boy leaned Layla forward and repeatedly patted her on the back between the shoulder blades with the heel of his hand. Jaxon said, “It made me feel scared because I thought she was going to die, but then this thing came into my mind. I told my dad to pull over then I started to pat her back.” After about 30 seconds, the nugget dislodged. Dempsey’s father, Matt Dempsey, couldn’t believe his son’s composure saying, “I mean he’s always been a really good big brother, but I never knew he would know what to do with that. Most kids might panic and just start yelling.” Jaxon said he learned the Heimlich from WWE pro wrestler John Cena, who demonstrated the life-saving technique when he made a cameo appearance “The Substitute,” a Nickelodeon show in which celebrities dress in disguises and teach a class of children before revealing their true identities. (ComicSands.com)
There’s One in Every Crowd
In Morristown, New Jersey, Glenbrook Brewery, the city’s first brewery, opened in the heart of downtown last month and has become a popular destination. Head brewer Heath Traver and creative director Darren Cregan said they were thankful for the positive feedback they’ve received but have found it challenging to open and operate during the pandemic. Currently, New Jersey allows restaurants and bars to be open only at 50% capacity. As a result, the brewery instituted a 90-minute dining time rule which is meant to “give a fair chance to everyone” so they can enjoy themselves. Well one nasty customer didn’t see it that way and left a tip of “zero” on an $86 tab with a note that read: “I’m sorry the server gets screwed on this. Don’t kick paying customers out after 90 minutes.” Well a photo of the nasty note went viral and soon $1,500 in donations were raised for the server. The server who assisted the angry customer asked to remain anonymous but the owners said she didn’t deserve the treatment and is a nursing student who holds a second job at the brewery to pay for her schooling. However, she plans to share the windfall with her fellow servers. Traver added, “Listen if you can’t the follow rules don’t come. Some people don’t get it or feel entitled and we’re just trying to follow CDC rules. It’s a balancing act.” (Morristown Daily Record)
Because Who Doesn’t Love Mario?
A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. for the original Nintendo Entertainment System just sold for $660,000 — the highest price ever fetched for a video game. Heritage Auctions, based in Dallas, said the copy of Super Mario Bros. that was sold as part of the Comics & Comic Art Auction during the weekend was part of a short run that was produced in 1986, before Nintendo switched from shrink-wrapped packaging to a sticker seal. Valarie McLeckie, video games director for Heritage Auctions, said, “Since the production window for this copy and others like it was so short, finding another copy from this same production run in similar condition would be akin to looking for single drop of water in an ocean. Never say never, but there’s a good chance it can’t be done.” The video game had been purchased as a Christmas gift in 1986, but it ended up spending 35 years untouched in a desk drawer. “It stayed in the bottom of my office desk this whole time since the day I bought it,” said the seller, who requested anonymity. “I never thought anything about it.” McLeckie added, “Even so, the degree to which this game was embraced outside the market has been nothing short of exceptional, and that aspect of this sale has certainly exceeded our expectations. Though, I suppose we can’t be too shocked; who doesn’t love Mario?” (UPI)
Just a Friendly Competition Between Ladies. Oh Wait.
The winner of Sri Lanka’s biggest beauty pageant suffered head injuries her crown was grabbed off her head and a brawl broke out on stage. Pushpika De Silva was crowned the winner of the “Mrs. Sri Lanka” title at a ceremony on national TV. But moments later Carolina Jurie, the 2019 winner, seized De Silva’s crown, claiming she couldn’t win because she was divorced. Jurie told the crowd, “There is a rule that prevents women who have already been married and are divorced, so I am taking steps to make the crown go to second place!” The crown was rightfully returned to Mrs. De Silva, after pageant organizers confirmed she is not a divorcee. Turns out she is only separated which apparently doesn’t count. In a Facebook post, De Silva said she went to hospital to be treated for head injuries after the incident and plans to take legal action for the “unreasonable and insulting” way she was treated. (BBC)
What the What?
Wanna know the latest craze to fight boredom during the pandemic? Hula Hoops! Seriously. Hula Hooping has become a big pandemic fitness trend with adult women taking to TikTok and Instagram to show off their skills. Wham-O hoops, which are now made by a company called Intersport, were basically sold out by mid-summer. Intersport told the Wall Street Journal that its US warehouse was “pretty well depleted,” by the beginning of July 2020. Compared to 2019, the company saw sales jump by 20% to more than 1 million hoops last year. According to Runner’s World: “Like skipping, hula hooping can torch calories and help you build those all-important core muscles to run stronger.” (Wall Street Journal)
Run Don, Run!
Our hero of the day is 59-year-old Don Muchow of Plano, Texas, who has become the very first person in the world to run from Disneyland, California to Walt Disney World in Florida – a journey of about 2,761 miles. Don’s little jog began on Feb. 1, 2020, and he had planned to finish up in about 90 days – but you know what comes next. Yep, that old coronavirus pandemic led to some unexpected delays. He said the physical run still took about 90 days, but those days were spread out over the course of 14 months for safety reasons. He did it all to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes and said, “I never considered quitting even once and COVID didn’t change my mission.” He added, “I want every single person with Type 1 diabetes to see that we can still dream big, despite the very real 24/7 challenges and risks involved in balancing insulin, blood glucose, food and activity.” He arrived at Disney World on Monday to a small crowd of cheering supporters. All wearing masks of course. (Orange County Register)
It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s $3.25 Million Bucks!
It’s a new world record for most money paid for a comic book. A copy of Action Comics #1, in which Superman makes his first appearance, has sold for a record-breaking $3.25 million. When it came out in 1938, the price tag was 10 cents. More recently, this particular rare and pristine comic book changed hands for $1.5 million in 2010 and $2.05 million in 2018. Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of ComicConnect, which brokered the sale, says hundreds of thousands of copies of the comic were printed but only around 100 are known to remain, in varying conditions. This issue was found “buried in a stack of old 1930s movie magazines” and is one of the best-preserved copies. The previous record for the most expensive comic book ever sold was $3.2 million for another copy of Action Comics #1 sold in 2014. (BBC)
Yeah, That Qualifies as Weird
Meanwhile, in Chester Hill Borough, PA, state police were called to a Dollar General store after receiving a report of a woman wearing a hard hat, holding a crockpot lid as a shield and carrying a bathroom scale. As it turns out, 25-year-old Tiffany Kerfoot was under the influence of drugs and believed people were chasing her and trying to hurt her. She also told state police she had just witnessed a murder on Rowland Street where she lives with her boyfriend, 26-year-old Nicholas Rowles. When troopers went to investigate, Rowles told them there was no murder and that Kerfoot has a drug problem. As state police were walking out, a trooper spotted a glass marijuana pipe in the middle of the living room floor. Rowles is now charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and Kerfoot, who was taken to a hospital, was cited for public drunkenness. (WTAJ News)
Zoom Zombies? Seriously?
Like we don’t have enough COVID fallout to worry about. Now there’s a new one: Zoom Zombies! Seriously. According to the Root Insurance Distracted Driving Awareness Survey released yesterday (Wednesday), so-called Zoom zombies are terrorizing U.S. drivers and pedestrians. According to the survey, 54% of motorists who have driven their vehicles soon after using a videoconferencing platform report having trouble concentrating on the road. And age seems to make a difference. For Generation Xers, the attentiveness problem drops to 48%, while for millennials, it’s 61% and Gen Z, 65%. So we may soon have a new popular slogan for the COVID era: “Don’t Zoom and drive!” Root Insurance founder and CEO Alex Timm says, “As many abruptly shifted to a virtual environment, Americans’ reliance on technology dramatically increased along with their screen time, causing a majority of drivers to carry this distracted behavior into their vehicles.” Experts explain that videoconferencing saps more brain power than in-person ones because you have to pay more attention. Participating in a video call, usually from your own home, requires you to block out all the personal belongings surrounding you, interruptions from roommates or partners, children running around, household chores, etc. Timm suggests: “Do something after the video call that doesn’t require concentration-laundry, take a walk. Do something that goes relatively automatically. This will let your brain recharge.” Just asking – when’s the last time you were on a Zoom call and “blocked out” everything else around you? (Fast Company)
What the What?
Just another day in the apartment complex parking lot in Florida. Police in Hillsborough County were called after a massive 10-foot alligator was found resting peacefully under a parked car. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was also summoned to the scene and deputies worked together with the wildlife officers to relocate the 10-foot, 2-inch reptile to an alligator farm. The good news is there were no injuries to humans or gators during the rescue. Carry on! (UPI)
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