Topic 37 of 106: News That Doesn't Fit
Fri, Mar 31, 2000 (15:56) |
Marcia (MarciaH)
Truly obscure items and trivia fans, here's the catch-all topic for you.
181 responses total.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 1 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 31, 2000 (15:57) * 28 lines
Laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation.
Brandy is from the Dutch brandewijn, meaning burnt or distilled
wine.
The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is aluminium.
The largest wave ever recorded was near the Japanese Island of
Ishigaki in 1971 at 85 meters high.
Fulgurite is formed when lightning strikes sand.
At the nearest point, Russia and America are less than 4 km
apart.
The Channel between England and France grows about 300
millimeters each year.
Mars has a volcano, Olympus Mons, which is 310-370 miles in
diameter and 16 miles high.
The statue "The Thinker" by Rodin is actually a portrait of the
Italian poet Dante.
X-ray technology has shown that there are 3 different versions of
the "Mona Lisa" under the visible one.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 2 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 31, 2000 (15:59) * 23 lines
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST-SCORING PRO BASKETBALL GAME TO DATE?
A 1983 game in which the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver
Nuggets, 186-183.
WHAT IS CHARLIE BROWN'S FATHER'S PROFESSION?
Barber.
WHAT ARE SUPERMAN'S SUPER POWERS?
He is virtually invulnerable (with Kryptonite being his major
weakness; its rays are fatal to him); he is super-strong,
super-fast, and supersmart; he can fly; he has heat vision,
X-ray vision, telescopic vision, and microscopic vision; he
has quick-freezing, gale-force breath; he has supersensitive
hearing; and he can hold his breath for long periods.
HOW MANY MINKS DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE THE AVERAGE MINK COAT?
It takes 35 to 65. The numbers for other types of fur coats are:
Beaver - 15
Fox - 15 to 25
Ermine - 150
Chinchilla - 60 to 100
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 3 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 31, 2000 (16:06) * 50 lines
YEARLY INTERNET MAINTENANCE ANNOUNCEMENT
IT IS URGENT THAT YOU DO NOT CONNECT TO THE INTERNET FROM MARCH 31st 23:59
GMT (11:59 PM) UNTIL 00:01 GMT (12:01 AM) APRIL 2nd.
It's that time again. As many of you know, each year the Internet must be
closed down for a 24 hour period of time in order to receive maintenance,
or a "Tune Up" if you will.
Many dead links on the World Wide Web will be removed, as well as ftp links
that are no longer used. Lost e-mail will also be removed from the system
at this time. The White House is very interested in this part of the project.
In addition to the normal maintenance to be completed this year, we will
also be using new high pressure information jets to clear out the
bottlenecks that have plagued the internet so greatly this past year.
Although the down time for maintenance will be an inconvenience for many
people, you will find this will allow for a much more efficient and faster
responding internet.
This year, the "Tune Up" will occur from 23:59 GMT (11:59 PM) on March 31st
until 00:01 GMT (12:01 AM) on April 2nd. During that 24 hour period,
dozens of powerful Internet bots at key locations around the globe will
simultaneously scan the Internet and complete the desired maintenance jobs
wherever they may be required.
To help protect any valuable data you may have on the Internet from
possible corruption, we highly recommend you take the following steps
before this 24 hour maintenance period begins:
1. Disconnect all terminals and LANs from the Internet.
2. Disconnect all Internet servers from the Internet.
3. Refrain from connecting any computer, or any other
Internet connection device, to the Internet in any way.
Note: The term "other Internet connection device" includes such devices as
WebTV.
Again, we understand the inconvenience this will cause many people. And
for that, we apologize. However, the great increase in Internet
performance you will experience after this short period of maintenance,
will far outweigh any problems it will cause.
This message comes to you from the Internet via an Internet Service Provider.
April 1, 2000
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 4 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Apr 1, 2000 (15:27) * 112 lines
APRIL IS...
April is . . . . National Anxiety Month
April is . . . . National Humor Month
April is . . . . National Welding Month
April 1 is . . . One Cent Day
April 2 is . . . National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
April 3 is . . . Don't Go To Work Unless It's Fun Day
April 4 is . . . Tell-A-Lie Day
April 7 is . . . No Housework Day
April 9 is . . . Winston Churchill Day and Name Yourself Day
April 11 is . . . Eight-Track Tape Day
April 12 is . . . Look Up At The Sky Day
April 13 is . . . Blame Somebody Else Day
April 16 is . . . National Stress Awareness Day
April 17 is . . . National Cheeseball Day
April 19 is . . . Garlic Day
April 22 is . . . National Jelly Bean Day
April 23 is . . . Read Me Day and World Laboratory Animal Day
April 24 is . . . National Pigs In A Blanket Day
April 28 is . . . Great Poetry Reading and Kiss-Your-Mate Day
April 30 is . . . National Honesty Day
***
----------- Love Lost Over Daylight-Savings Time -----------
MEXICO CITY - Debate flares over the adoption of daylight-
savings time in Mexico. Among the evils of daylight-savings
enumerated by Mexican Senator Felix Salgado is the strain it
puts on good marital relations. Ever since it was introduced,
six years ago, setting the clock back has caused distress
among Latin lovers who are unable to engage in their
'mananero' (Spanish for morning quickie - really!) because
wives have to take their children to school an hour earlier.
In Salgado's defense, he also mentions the risk that school-
children face, venturing out on crime-ridden streets in the
dark, but with elections just months away he's focusing on
the issues that really hit home.
----------------- "Rail Rage" Grips Brazil -----------------
SAO PAULO - This story is dedicated to the disenfranchised
huddled masses, urban weary, and loose canons of the rush
hour world. Enraged commuters from Sao Paulo waited hours
before boarding a suburban train where they were crammed
in, and forced so sit motionless for hours. When all
patience was finally exhausted, the passengers abandoned
the train and promptly set it on fire. A local news
helicopter recorded a view showing the chain of smoking
cars; some already in ashes.
[The unruly mob is available for hire and offer group discounts].
---------------------- Feng "SCHWING" ----------------------
LONDON - Move over Viagra, we've found the newest trend for
putting the tiger back in your tank; Feng Shui! According
to 32-year-old Karen May who wrote The London Mirror,
redecorating and furniture placement changed her austere
celibate lifestyle into a searing pit of sexual satisfaction.
Simple changes like moving the bed so the headboard faces
Southwest, and painting the bedroom walls red with flaming
orange hues eliminated the "dead energy" that plagued her
apartment. She finished off the room with a sprinkling of
magic gems, and before she knew it; she met the man of her
dreams.
[Actually, this isn't so far fetched. My wife fell for my
magic gems.]
--------------- Things Go Better With...Sake ---------------
SAPPORO, Japan - A children's baseball manager has finally
been sent to jail after a lengthy appeal process. Manager
Motoi Tanaka has been convicted of contributing to the
delinquency of seven minors after getting them drunk on the
Japanese rice wine called sake. After his team won a local
championship he celebrated by giving them the sake. All of
the ball players were eleven and twelve-year-olds.
---------------- Pervert Teachers In Japan -----------------
TOKYO, Japan - A shocking new study has revealed that one
out of seven school girls in the seventh and eighth grades
have been sexually harassed by male teachers. The study,
conducted by the Teachers Union, has created an uproar after
the revelations that teachers have been hitting on these
young girls by offering them "geisha-like massages", asking
them out on dates, and making the girls bend down to pick
up pencils conveniently dropped on the ground.
---------------- Mowing Under The Influence ----------------
BEMENT, IL - The ever vigilant eyes of the law found the
next big threat to democracy; the John Deere riding mower.
Joe Durban, town lawnmower, was pulled off of his bright
yellow seat as he cruised down Bowyer Street for driving a
vehicle on a revoked license. For seventeen years nobody
knew that the state had revoked Joe's license for drunk
driving, so he worked around this snag by cutting grass
for a living, and riding his mower between houses. Officer
Steven Bien was quick to end his crime spree by issuing a
ticket and reminding him that it is illegal for him to
operate even a scooter on a city thoroughfare. The town is
now in an official uproar, but can do little about it as
Bien is the town's only full-time police officer.
[What next? Impounding his weed-wacker?]
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
BRISBANE, Australia - 24 year old bachelor Stan Melson called
police to his bedroom after a sexy, but inebriated lady
sauntered into his bedroom, stripped naked and then crawled
into bed. "I was standing there in my pajamas when suddenly
this gorgeous girl I'd never seen before came bouncing into
my bedroom, tore off her clothes and climbed into bed,"
recounted the blushing Melson. No charges were filed as she
apparently lived one floor above his and simply entered the
wrong apartment.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 5 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 3, 2000 (14:48) * 43 lines
Response 15 of 15: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 3, 2000 (13:46) * 45 lines
HOW SLOW IS A CRAB?
A crab of the species Neptunus pelagines took 29 years to
walk 101.5 miles underwater from the Red Sea to the
Mediterranean - an average speed of 3.5 miles per year.
WHAT DOES THE WORD MAFIA MEAN? WHAT DOES THE WORD COSA NOSTRA MEAN?
In Italian, Mafia means "beauty, excellence, bravery"; Cosa
Nostra means "our thing."
WHEN WAS THE FIRST DEPARTMENT STORE BUILT?
In 1848, the Marble Dry Goods Palace opened on Broadway in
New York City. Its proprietor and developer was Alexander
Turney Stewart, formerly a schoolmaster in Ireland. By the
time of his death in 1876, the blocklong store yielded
annual earnings of $70 million.
WHAT IS THE SHORTEST KNOWN GESTATION PERIOD OF ANY MAMMAL? WHAT IS THE LONGEST?
The American opossum, a marsupial, bears its young 12 to 13
days after conception. The Asiatic elephant takes 608 days,
or just over 20 months.
A pigs snout is called a gruntle.
The chemical pectin, found in ripe fruit, causes jam to set when cooling.
Mexican jumping beans jump because of a moth larva inside the bean.
An electric eel produces an average of 400 volts.
A myrmecologist studies ants.
To crack a whip, the tip must be travelling faster than the speed of sound.
Sugar was first added to chewing gum in 1869 by a dentist named William Semple.
According to an old English system of time units, a moment is one and a half minutes.
In 1855, dentist Robert Arthur was the first to use gold to fill cavities.
The smallest bone in the body is the stirrup.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 6 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 3, 2000 (18:13) * 60 lines
Because everything you read on the internet is true . . .
I was on my way to the post office to pick up my case of free M&M's, (sent
to me because I forwarded their e-mail to five other people, celebrating the
fact that the year 2000 is "MM" in Roman numerals), when I ran into a friend
whose neighbor, a young man, was home recovering from having been served a
rat in his bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken - which is predictable, since as
everyone knows, there's no actual chicken in Kentucky Fried Chicken, which
is why the government made them change their name to KFC.
Anyway, one day this guy went to sleep and when he awoke he was in his
bathtub and it was full of ice and he was sore all over and when he got out
of the tub he realized that HIS KIDNEYS HAD BEEN STOLEN. He saw a note on
his mirror that said "Call 911!" but he was afraid to use his phone because
it was connected to his computer, and there was a virus on his computer that
would destroy his hard drive if he opened e-mail entitled "Join the crew!"
He knew it wasn't a hoax because he himself was a computer programmer who
was working on software to prevent a global disaster in which all the
computers get together and distribute the $250.00 Neiman-Marcus cookie
recipe under the leadership of Bill Gates. (It's true - I read it all last
week in a mass e-mail from BILL GATES HIMSELF, who was also promising me a
free Disney World vacation and $5,000 if I would forward the e-mail to
everyone I know.) The poor man then tried to call 911 from a pay phone to
report his missing kidneys, but a voice on the line first asked him to press
#90, which unwittingly gave the bandit full access to the phone line at the
guy's expense. Then reaching into the coin-return slot he got jabbed with
an HIV-infected needle around which was wrapped around a note that said,
"Welcome to the world of AIDS."
Luckily he was only a few blocks from the hospital - the one where that
little boy who is dying of cancer is, the one whose last wish is for
everyone in the world to send him an e-mail and the American Cancer Society
has agreed to pay him a nickel for every e-mail he receives. I sent him two
e-mails and one of them was a bunch of X's and O's in the shape of an angel
(if you get it and forward it to more than 10 people, you will have good
luck but for 10 people you will only have OK luck and if you send it to
fewer than 10 people you will have BAD LUCK FOR SEVEN YEARS).
So anyway, the poor guy tried to drive himself to the hospital, but on the
way he noticed another car driving without its lights on. To be helpful, he
flashed his lights at him and was promptly shot as part of a gang
initiation.
Send THIS to all the friends who send you their junk mail and you will
receive 4 green M&Ms, but if you don't, the owner of Proctor and Gamble will
report you to his Satanist friends and you will have more bad luck: you will
get cancer from the Sodium Laureth Sulfate in your shampoo, your wife will
develop breast cancer from using the anti-perspirant which clogs the pores
under your arms, and the government will put a tax on your e-mails forever.
I know this is all true 'cause I read it on the Internet.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 7 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 4, 2000 (02:44) * 27 lines
The average mattress contains 2 million house dust mites.
No other animal gives us more by-products than the pig.
The Australian Emu holds the land speed record for birds at 31
mph.
The average talker sprays about 300 microscopic saliva droplets
per minute, about 2.5 droplets per word.
The Earth experiences about 50,000 earthquakes each year.
The lowest temperature ever recorded was 129 degrees below 0 at
Vostok, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983.
The largest known kidney stone weighed 2.9 pounds (1.36kg).
The average human produces 25,000 quarts of spit in a lifetime,
enough to fill two swimming pools.
It has been calculated that in the last 3,500 years, there has
only been 230 years of total peace throughout the civilized
world.
Bamboo, which is the tallest grass in the world, can grow up to
90cm in a day.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 8 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 4, 2000 (14:57) * 30 lines
TRIVIA TIME - Tuesday, April 4, 2000
"Items Of Enduring Insignificance"
HOW DO ARCHER FISH "SHOOT" THEIR VICTIMS?
Archer fish, members of the five species of the family
Toxotidae, shoot arcs of water droplets at insects sitting
on vegetation near lakes and streams, thereby, knocking them
into the water where they become easy prey.
HOW LONG DID THE SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE LAST?
Eight minutes. Several members of the George ("Bugs") Moran
gang were killed that day, February 14, 1929, along with a
man in the garage who looked like Moran. Moran himself
escaped the massacre to die a natural death of lung cancer
on February 25, 1957.
WHERE WAS THE FIRST HOUSE OF PROSTITUTION?
The first such house on record may have been Ka-Kum, located
in the city of Erech (or Uruk) in Sumer and dating back to
about 300 B.C. The first brothels in Europe were located in
Athens about 600 B.C. These nonprofit operations sanctioned
by the leader Solon charged men 1 cent per visit.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST MONOPOLY IN THE UNITED STATES?
It is considered to have been John Jacob Astor's American
Fur Company, which made him the wealthiest person in the
United States and allowed him to found the Astor Library,
one of the cornerstones of the New York Public Library.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 9 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 4, 2000 (14:59) * 1 lines
Should not that Sumer house of ill-repute have been dated at 3000BC ?!
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 10 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 4, 2000 (15:21) * 0 lines
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 11 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 5, 2000 (14:22) * 20 lines
HOW MANY WINDOWS ARE THERE ON THE
102-STORY EMPIRE STATE BUILDING?
There are 6,000 windows.
WHAT EMPLOYEE-GROOMING REGULATION AT DISNEY WORLD WOULD
PREVENT THE HIRING OF WALT DISNEY - IF HE WERE
ALIVE AND JOB HUNTING TODAY?
The ban of facial hair. Disney had a mustache.
THE NAMES OF 48 STATES ARE ENGRAVED ON THE FRIEZE OF THE
LINCOLN MEMORIAL, WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 1922.
HOW MANY ARE IN THE ETCHING OF THE MEMORIAL
ON THE BACK OF THE $5 BILL?
Twenty-six. Use a magnifying glass to check - they're in
two rows on the frieze above the colonnade.
WHERE IS THE LONGEST STREET IN THE U.S.?
Los Angeles, where Figueroa Street runs for thirty miles.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 12 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 5, 2000 (17:14) * 91 lines
Bizarre News
+-------------------- Bizarre Phobias ---------------------+
Aeronaunasiphobia - fear of vomiting.
Albuminurophobia - fear if kidney disease.
Anglophobia - fear of England, or English culture.
Anuptaphobia - fear of staying single.
Arachibutyrophobia - fear of peanut-butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.
Automatonophobia - fear of ventriloquist's dummies.
***
------------------- Elvis Runs For Mayor -------------------
PHILLIPS, WI - For once it's not just a sighting story. A
man from Price County, WI, has legally changed his name to
Elvis Aaron Presley, and is now running for mayor. This
proprietor of a local bar (yes, bar), and former Elvis
impersonator has decided to try his hand at politics.
Inspired by Gov. Jesse Ventura, Presley said, "If the people
of that state can put a wrestler in office, I don't see what's
wrong with the people of Wisconsin electing an Elvis
impersonator." The small town of 1,600 will choose between
Presley and Keith Corcilius on April 4.
[Mayor Presley's biggest hits include: You Ain't Nothin' But
a Cheesehead, I'll Have a Blue Election Without You, Hunk 'o
Burning Votes and, of course, Viva Wisconsin!]
----------- The Ups And Downs Of Being A Janitor -----------
BRISTOL, England - This little gem was in a local Chicago
newspaper. It is not so newsworthy as it reveals a certain
quirk unique to fellow English speakers across the pond. A
janitor at a Marriott Hotel was fired for taking four days
to clean an elevator. When asked why it took so long, before
his dismissal he said, "There are twelve of them, one on
each floor, and sometimes some of them are not there." He
apparently thought that each floor had a different elevator
and cleaned the same elevator 12 times.
---------- The Ups And Downs Of Philippino Pests -----------
MANILA, Philippines - Recently an embarrassed police chief
had to explain how 1000 pounds of a combined stash of
marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines could disappear from
the evidence room. This enterprising chief, when confronted
with the missing booty told investigators, "Rats and
cockroaches got in through gaps in the locker doors and ate
it all, every last scrap."
[These were the same critters that ate my homework when I
was a kid.]
------------ Country Music Punishes The Wicked -------------
ALEXANDRIA, LA - Violating Rapides Parish's "loud and
offensive noise" ordinance is no idle threat. Henry Nelson,
age 20, and Jon Driggers, age 26, pleaded guilty when they were
charged with playing loud music in their cars. They were both
fined, given a suspended jail sentence with probation, and
ordered to endure a three-hour "music appreciation" lesson.
Judge Tom Yeager said, "I thought if they had to listen to
stuff they hate, it would teach them to respect other people's
rights." The selected tool of torment? Country music.
------------- If You Sprinkle When You Tinkle --------------
BERLIN - The wall came down, but East Germany is haunted by
the ghost of oppression past. Tenants from an eastern
apartment block have been banned from urinating while in
a standing position. Landlords complained that misdirected
urine is causing their radiators to rust, but the men of
Radenburg are not sitting for this. Cemetery worker Juergen
Galler responded, "I'm not going to let anybody tell me how
I take care of business. I'm going to keep on standing."
Techniques for enforcing the ban might be tricky, but
according to the daily Bild the landlords are quite serious.
[I didn't know my wife owned property in Germany.]
----------- Errant Cop Gets Lost On Way to Station ---------
PHILADELPHIA - Officer Margo Grady was on her way to deliver
a rape victim from a downtown hospital to a police station a
few miles away when her car disappeared into the Philadelphia
night. After a couple hours city police began a search for
the missing officer, even enlisting the help of a police
helicopter, but to no avail. It wasn't until seventy miles
later that Officer Grady flagged down a trooper in New Jersey
to ask for directions.
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Six people near Norias, Texas were hit by a freight train
last week. Authorities said the victims were sleeping on
the tracks and failed to wake up in time. A Union Pacific
spokesman explained that the six were probably sleeping on
the train tracks because they believe it would protect them
from snakes... and it did.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 13 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 5, 2000 (17:50) * 26 lines
Most of the vitamin C in fruits is in the skin.
The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood up to 30
feet.
The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue ~ relative to its
size.
The "You are here" arrow on a map is called the IDEO locator.
The fist product to have a bar code was Wrigleys gum.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
The highest temperature ever recorded was 136.4 degrees
Fahrenheit at El Azizia, Lybia, on September 13, 1922.
The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand,
weighing less than a penny.
Humans and Dolphins are the only species that have sex for
pleasure.
The ant can lift 50 times its own weight.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 14 of 181: terry (sprin5) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (07:35) * 1 lines
Wow, if I was an ant I could lift 10,000 pounds. Wonder what IDEO stands for?
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 15 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (12:56) * 1 lines
I wondered about that, as well. I'll check it out and let you know if I find anything. Nothing I can think of has initials anything even close to IDEO...
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 16 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (15:20) * 21 lines
ON WHAT ISLAND ARE ONE-THIRD OF THE WORLD'S LANGUAGES SPOKEN?
On New Guinea, where more than 700 distinct native languages
can be heard.
HOW DID THE WORLD'S HIGHEST WATERFALL - THE ANGEL FALLS IN
VENEZUELA - GET ITS NAME?
From American bush pilot Jimmy Angel, who crash-landed nearby
in 1937.
HOW TALL IS A NEWBORN GIRAFFE?
Five and a half feet, head to hoof.
HOW MANY TEETH DOES A TURTLE HAVE?
None - turtles are toothless, although some have sharp,
jagged edges on their horny jaws that function as teeth.
publication http://www.shagmail.com
Copyright 2000 by Pulse Direct, Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2000 by United Press International
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 17 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (16:30) * 25 lines
A bowling pin needs to tilt only 7.5 degrees to fall.
1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on TV at some point in their lives.
The study of word origins is called etymology.
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in
1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
The cells that make up the antlers of a moose are the fastest
growing animal cells in nature.
Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where it
was first developed.
The oldest exposed surface on earth is New Zealand's south island.
There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
If Texas were a country, it's GNP would be the fifth largest of
any country on earth.
At 4,145 miles, the Nile River is the longest in the world.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 18 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (21:32) * 3 lines
apes have sex for pleasure as well....
i'd like to know what ideo stands for as well... who knows, it may end up on who wants to be a millionaire!
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 19 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (22:15) * 1 lines
David worked on it on and off all day and came up empty so he is emailing others in the field. I'll let you know as soon as I know.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 20 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (22:17) * 1 lines
...actually, have not had sex with an ape for ages. I forgot...*smirk*
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 21 of 181: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Apr 6, 2000 (22:22) * 3 lines
*lol*
i'm gonna try and figure it out too.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 22 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 7, 2000 (13:50) * 21 lines
HOW LONG DID THE LONGEST WRESTLING MATCH IN OLYMPIC HISTORY LAST?
11 hours and 40 minutes. The match, a Greco-Roman
middleweight bout at the 1912 Olympics, was between
Estonian Martin Klein and Finn Alfred Asikainen. Klein won,
but was too exhausted to compete in the final. He ended up
with the silver medal; Asikainen with the bronze.
WHO WAS THE FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER TO
WIN A BATTING TITLE IN THREE DIFFERENT DECADES?
George Brett, of the Kansas City Royals. Third baseman Brett
won the title with a .333 average in 1976, a .390 average in
1980 and a .329 average in 1990.
WHAT IMMODEST TWO-WORD STATEMENT IS ON BASKETBALL GREAT
MICHAEL JORDAN'S ILLINOIS VANITY LICENSE PLATE?
RARE AIR.
WHOSE TENNIS SERVE WAS THE FASTEST EVER RECORDED?
Bill Tilden's. It was measured at 163.6 miles per hour in
1931.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 23 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Apr 8, 2000 (22:43) * 149 lines
Bizarre News
------------- Porn Queen Worked for Communists -------------
The dignity of Italy's government took a blow when Ilona
Staller, a former Hungarian pornography star and current
member of the Italian parliament, announced that she had been
a communist spy in her youth. The star of numerous pornographic
movies, Staller admitted in a television interview that she was
recruited as a spy at age 19. Her job was to elicit information
from guests staying at the hotel where she worked in Budapest.
It is uncertain how this revelation will affect her political career.
------------------------ Hot Sex? --------------------------
Cancun, Mexico - Rita Garcia has fessed up after bragging
to friends about how she got even with her ex. Garcia broke
into her estranged husband's apartment and located unused
condoms in a drawer. She carefully opened a condom and
peppered chili powder in one, resealed it and waited for
the results. After a moment of passion with his 19-year-old
girlfriend Pedro was rushed to the hospital with his
manhood on *fire*. Rita, upon her being charged with second
degree assault said, "He wanted hot sex with that 19-year-
old and he's now had it."
-------- Man Kills Villager In Fight, Then Eats Him --------
PORT MORESBY, New Guinea - A village dispute in Papua New
Guinea ended with a man tearing out the eyes, testicles and
heart of another and eating them, police said on Tuesday.
Villagers watched in horror as Moropia Silkapi, 35, attacked
the body of Yakamup Makatu, 55, police told Reuters on
Tuesday. Police said an argument between Silkapi and Makatu
earlier in the day left Makatu's house burnt to the ground.
After a fight, "Silkapi caught Makatu and smashed his head
with a rock, killing him. He then ate him," Simanjon said.
---- Fake Plastic Surgeon Sought For Botched Operations ----
MIAMI BEACH, FL - Police are looking for a "butcher" with no
medical training who, while posing as a plastic surgeon,
mutilated at least three people, including a former male
champion bodybuilder who received women's breasts instead of
pectoral implants. The imposter, Reinaldo Silvestre, and two
accomplices used an animal tranquilizer in botched operations
including the one preformed on bodybuilder, Mr. Mexico of
1975. The case came to light last month when a videotape was
brought to police showing the surgery on the bodybuilder.
Miami Beach police Capt. Charles Press spoke about the
videotape "... it was obscene. I've been [a police officer]
for almost 25 years, and I was repulsed. The guy kept waking
up. They told him to lie down and not worry about it. He was
in obvious pain." The videotape showed that Silvestre used an
instrument that resembled a spatula during the surgery.
----------------- Don't Try This At Home! ------------------
LONDON - What has to be one of the MOST bizarre stories we
have heard comes once again from those wacky Brits. Heather
Perry, 29, says she has finally cured her chronic fatigue by
resorting to do-it-yourself brain surgery and drilling a hole
in her own head. It's an ancient technique called trepanning -
cutting away a section of the scalp and drilling into the
skull. Perry's bid to rid herself of the inflammation of her
brain and spinal chord, by drilling a two-centimeter hole to
allow blood to flow more easily around the brain, almost went
wrong when she drilled too far and penetrated a membrane
protecting her brain tissue. She performed the operation under
local anesthetic in front of a mirror and a camera crew.
----------------- Y2K Panic Claims Victim ------------------
HICKORY HILLS, Illinois - A 34 year old Cincinnati man driving
a rented ford Taurus with two flat tires was arrested at the
Hickory Hills/Palos Shopping Center after threatening to slit
his throat with a hunting knife. When officers encountered
the man he was already suffering from a stab wound. He then
produced a pistol from the trunk of his car and threatened to
shoot himself in the head. The man was apprehended after
collapsing from blood loss. Upon further investigation, the
man's girlfriend was discovered, suffering from five stab
wounds. She said the man was distraught over a Y2K meeting
and wanted to go to California (by way of Hickory Hills from
Cincinnati) and live in the desert.
-------------- Duct Tape Keeps Wife Faithful ---------------
PHOENIX, AZ - There's a long standing saw that says, "If you
can't fix it, Duct Tape it." But one Phoenix resident took
this axiom too literally when he employed a roll of the tape
to bind his wife to her legal obligations. To ensure his wife
showed up for her court date, Robert Horton bound her arms,
legs and mouth with duct tape and drove her to Maricopa County
Superior Court in Phoenix. He dropped her off at the security
officer's desk in a very matter-of-fact manner. Wife Belinda
was arrested several days prior for aggravated assault and
resisting arrest, but was unwilling to talk this time even
after the tape was removed. Authorities are still considering
whether to bring charges against Robert.
------------- Kidnapped Man Comes Out Blazing --------------
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - 21-year-old Carl Lee Reese's luck went
from bad to worse when he carjacked a Lexus belonging to Paul
Brite, 53. Brite was confronted by the gunman at a carwash
and forced to climb into his own trunk. Reese drove off, but
pulled to the side of the road a short while later fearing
Brite had a cellular phone with him. When he opened the trunk
the victim came out brandishing two handguns that he had
stored there earlier. The kidnapper refused to comply with
several commands to lie on the ground, even after a warning
shot. Brite was finally forced to shoot his attacker in the
abdomen when Reese reached for his pocket. Police said they
do not plan to charge Brite.
----------- Shark No Match For Woman With Stick ------------
NEW PLYMOUTH, New Zealand - Folks from New Zealand take their
fishing seriously. Take Bev Marshall-Smith, 56, who was fishing
with her husband at a beach on the west coast of New Zealand's
North Island. When a large fish chased her lure into the
shallows she picked up a piece of driftwood and charged in to
claim her prize. When the truculent predator refused to expire
quietly Marshall-Smith beat it into submission. It turned out
to be a nearly 6-foot blue shark. "I didn't realize it was a
shark. I just went and grabbed it," she said, "Every time he
wrestled I hit him."
--------- Today's Youth Under Increasing Pressure ----------
BANGKOK, Thailand - Your humble editor didn't believe this
story until research proved it to be true. Teens everywhere
try to get kicks in different ways, but this new craze
sweeping Thailand called "pumping" is truly bizarre. What
is this you ask? Well "pumping" involves placing the nozzle
of a bicycle pump up one's rectum and literally pumping air
until the air escapes from the posterior making a loud, vulgar
sound. Apparently the louder the sound, the more amusing. A
13-year-old, Charnchai Puanmuangpak planned for a record and
proceeded to place an electric air compressor hose up his
backside. He was admitted to the hospital with internal
bleeding.
-------- Magnetic Personality Lands Pervert In Jail --------
SAN FRANCISCO, California - 45-year-old suspect, Harold
White has been charged with one of the more bizarre crimes
to hit this unusual city. He has been charged with
disturbing the peace with a high powered magnet! It seems
that White would stake out piercing parlors thereupon
following women who recently had body parts pierced. He
would then get close to them with his magnet in an attempt
to "sexually stimulate" his victims with the magnet.
http://www.bizarrenews.com
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 24 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 10, 2000 (14:28) * 25 lines
Andy Warhol created the Rolling Stone's emblem depicting the big
tongue which first appeared on the cover of "Sticky Fingers."
The tallest monument built in the US, the Gateway Arch, in St.
Louis, Missouri, is 630 feet tall.
New Jersey, with 96, is the US state with the greatest number of
hazardous waste sites.
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
A jiffy is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar
tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
Lake Nicaragua boasts the only fresh water sharks in the entire world.
Bingo is the name of the dog on the Cracker Jack box.
The A&W of root beer fame stands for Allen and Wright.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 25 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 10, 2000 (15:05) * 28 lines
WHO WROTE "MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB"?
One of the earliest and most influential American magazine
editors, Sarah Josepha Hale - in 1830. In addition to
founding the first national women's magazine, Godey's
Ladies' Magazine, and successfully campaigning to make
Thanksgiving a national holiday, she was inspired to write
the rhyme by an actual case of a child's being followed to
school by a pet lamb.
WHO IS NIKE?
In Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess of victory. She was
the daughter of the giant Pallas and the river Styx. In
Rome, Nike was called Victoria.
WHAT WERE THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE PERFECT ZIEGFELD GIRL?
For the showgirls who appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies, which
ran from 1907 in to the 1903s, impresario Florenz Ziegfeld
insisted on women with the following measurements: bust, 36
inches; waist, 26 inches; and hips 38 inches. It estimated
that only 3,000 of the 200,000 applicants over the years met
these requirements.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE GERTRUDE EDERLE
TO SWIM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL?
The first woman to cross the channel clocked in at 14 hours,
39 minutes on August 5, 1926. In doing so, she broke the
existing men's record.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 26 of 181: Ann (Ann) * Tue, Apr 11, 2000 (00:37) * 29 lines
From the Times of London:
http://www.the-times.co.uk/
April 11 2000
EUROPE
Gnomes released into wild
FROM ADAM SAGE IN PARIS
A SINISTER threat returned to haunt suburban France yesterday
when the infamous Garden Gnome Liberation Front (GLF) claimed
its most daring exploit to date.
In a statement, the Paris branch said that it had "freed" 20 of the
2,000 gnomes on display at an exhibition in the Bagatelle Park on
the outskirts on the French capital.
A GLF statement said: "We want to end the ridicule to which
these garden gnomes are subjected. We want to return them to
their natural habitat by releasing them into the forests they
should never have left."
The theft came more than two years after French justice
dismantled a movement that began as a student joke but turned
into a wide-ranging social trend that forced home-owners to buy
guard dogs and lock up their gnomes at night.
On that occasion, in November 1997, three men were given
suspended prison sentences and a fourth lost his driving licence.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 27 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 11, 2000 (12:11) * 3 lines
Next it'll be those pink flamingoes (was gonna put a negative adjective before pink, but there are lots of people who must like them...) inhabiting lawns from Florida to California but not in Hawaii (*whew*)
Thanks, Ann, that is Hilarious. Do you know where your gnomes are tonight?! Lock them up at night? I am astounded, again, by The Times.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 28 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 11, 2000 (12:59) * 23 lines
The only real person that has been used as a Pez head is Betsy
Ross.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
The longest U.S. highway is route 6 which starts in Cape Cod,
Massachusetts and ends in Bishop, California.
In M&M candies, the letters stand for Mars and Merrie.
The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
The volume of the Earth's moon is the same as the volume of the
Pacific Ocean.
Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain, was born on a day in 1835 when
Haley's Comet came into view and he died exactly 75 years later
in 1910 when Haley's Comet came back.
The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.
The symbol on the pound key "#" is called an octothorpe.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 29 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 11, 2000 (13:02) * 16 lines
WHAT IS THE LARGEST DESERT IN EUROPE?
Europe has no deserts - it's the only continent without one.
WHICH STATE AVERAGES THE GREATEST NUMBER OF SHARK ATTACKS ANNUALLY?
Florida, with an average of 13 a year.
WHAT IS THE LONGEST STRAIT IN THE WORLD?
The Strait of Malacca, between the Malay Peninsula and the
island of Sumatra. It's about 500 miles long and connects the
Andaman and South China seas.
WHAT MAMMAL DO FISHERMAN IN CHINA TRAIN TO HELP THEM INCREASE THEIR CATCH?
The otter. The Chinese train otters to chase fish under large
nets, which are then dropped and pulled in.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 30 of 181: Ann (Ann) * Tue, Apr 11, 2000 (16:09) * 1 lines
The BBC radio dedicated about 3 minutes to the gnome story last night (or this morning their time) Apparently they are very chic in Paris
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 31 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 11, 2000 (17:19) * 1 lines
Yeesh! Perhaps you have to be there to appreciate them...?! Still think it is funny! Guard dogs and locking them up for the night?! Sounds like a scene from The Full Monty...
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 32 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 12, 2000 (12:31) * 23 lines
HOW DID THE TV'S EMMY AWARDS GET THEIR NAME?
From the feminized form of "immy", a nickname for the image
orthicon - TV camera tube in wide use when the awards were
first given in 1949.
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE IN THE
ORIGINAL DRAFT FOR THE STAR TREK TV SERIES?
The U.S.S. Yorktown.
WHAT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER RETIRED IN 1980
AFTER PLAYING IN FIVE DIFFERENT DECADES?
Outfielder Minnie Minoso, who started out with the Cleveland
Indians in 1949, and ended his career as a pinch hitter for
the Chicago White sox.
WHO, IN 1954, WAS NAMED SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
MAGAZINE'S FIRST SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR?
Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute mile.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 33 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 12, 2000 (12:33) * 25 lines
The greatest snowfall ever in a single storm was 189 inches at
the Mount Shasta Ski Bowl in February, 1959.
The highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls in Venezuela, has
a total drop of 3,121 feet.
A person's right lung takes in more air than the left one does.
A sneeze expels out of your mouth over 600 mph.
An adult golden eagle's claw has 9 times the grip of an adult human male's hand.
Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son.
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
The first interracial kiss ever seen on television was on "Star
Trek" ~ Kirk and Uhuru.
The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It To Beaver."
Any month that starts on a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th in it.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 34 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 12, 2000 (16:33) * 121 lines
Bizarre News
+---------------------- Bizarre Books ----------------------+
Real Books... Unreal Titles!
It's a Gas! A Study of Flatulence; 1991
[No explanation needed.]
Wrestling for Gay Guys; 1994
For anyone looking to perk up their fitness routine,
self-defense, or erotic prowess.
[See first story.]
Hand Grenade Throwing as a College Sport; 1918
The British Library's only copy was regrettably "destroyed
by bombing."
[Perhaps the WWF could employ some of these strategies?]
The Gentle Art of Cooking Wives; 1900
[Oh no. That's just TOO easy!]
Walled Up Nuns and Nuns Walled In; 1895
[Sadly, no sequel was ever printed.]
Fashion is Spinach; 1938
[And meat is?]
A letter to the Man Who Killed My Dog; 1956
[I'll take a stab: Dear Jerk face, You suck!]
Freedom Must Not Stink; 1947
[Followed by the best-seller, "Communism Takes a Bath".]
***
------------- Oily Grapplers Fear Gay Audience -------------
ISTANBUL - Just when you thought that burly, sweaty, Turkish
oil wrestlers were synonymous with good, clean heterosexual
fun; think again. Residing in our "what were the odds?" file,
our glistening leather-clad warriors object to their ancient
sporting event being coveted by a group of homosexuals calling
themselves the "Bears of Turkey." This group of openly gay
men are advertising on the Internet in hopes of booking a tour
group to attend the Kirkpinar championships. On July 1, the
city of Edirne will be hosting this event, but Chairman Alper
Yazoglu was quoted as saying, "We are trying every way to have
this stopped...". The event takes place in the hot sun as the
wrestlers slather themselves in olive oil before trying to pin
each other to the ground. One common tactic includes putting a
hand down the opponent's leather trousers to get a better grip.
The wrestlers don't see the attraction for their homosexual
audience.
[Extra virgin olive oil? Probably not macho enough.]
---------------- Mom Packs More Than Lunch -----------------
OKLAHOMA CITY - Just when Oklahoma and violence were finally
out of the headlines, enraged mother Sonya Bostic fired a
shot at another mother during a track meet. Bostic, age 33,
was aiming for Ruthie Pearl, age 35, in what was apparently
the climax of a two-year grudge. 500 spectators packed the
stadium when the argument began, but the bullet wounded
innocent parent Virginia Biggers in the buttocks when she
attempted to take cover. While Bostic was still pointing her
gun, police disarmed her but found no more bullets. She was
arrested and jailed.
--------- Dead Husband Stays Home For Four Months ----------
MUNICH - In an effort to postpone reality, an elderly
German woman kept her dead husband in bed for four months.
The husband's sister became suspicious when she repeatedly
called the house, and the wife told her that he did not
want to see any visitors. The sister eventually called the
police and they confirmed that the 76-year-old man had died
of natural causes. Previous to this discovery, in 1998 a man
from Hamburg was found sitting in front of his television;
he had been dead for five years.
[Rest assured, he was found still grasping the remote.]
-------------- Family Pet Makes Tasty Snack ----------------
DEMING, N.M. - This culinary curiosity made a lot radio talk
shows, so you may have already heard the story, but I just
couldn't resist sneaking it into this week's issue. It seems
Sadie Emerson of New Mexico recently lost her Vietnamese
potbellied pig. The miniature porker named Tiny Boo was a
cherished family pet and Sadie and her 3-year-old son began
searching the neighborhood for it. Much to their horror they
found Tiny Boo was the guest of honor at a barbecue their
neighbors were having down the street. The mobile home owner
told sheriff's deputies he shot the pig with a rifle after
the animal tried to attack him. He has been accused of
cruelty to animals and will appear in court.
------------ Is That A Hamster In Your Pocket --------------
SYDNEY, Australia - What would a Bizarre News edition be
without a penis tragedy? Brad Smith loved animals and when
he found a lost hamster, cold from a rainy morning, he
decided to warm it up by placing it in his front pocket.
The little rodent wasn't exactly thrilled to be there and
proceeded to make lunch out of Smith's manhood.
----------------- Best Man Vows For Groom -----------------
KILETER, England - The time was way back in the 1920's and
Albert Muldoon was standing up as the best man at his
friend's wedding. But unfortunately for all involved,
Muldoon stood at the wrong side of the groom and the
Minister mistook him for the groom himself and married him
to the bride. The actual groom was so nervous he could not
even say, "I do" and Muldoon answered for him, furthering the
comedic marriage. The marriage was annulled 24 hours later.
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
IRS agent Larry Wilson of Alhambra, California has been
charged with extortion, reportedly demanding more that
$57,000 in bribes from taxpayers, in exchange for favors
during audits... an IRS spokesman expressed shock at the
arrest, since policy clearly caps bribes at $50,000 per agent.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 35 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 13, 2000 (14:15) * 38 lines
There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.
Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33.
The Boston University Bridge is the only place in the world where
a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under
an airplane.
Cats have over 100 vocal sounds, while dogs only have about 10.
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from
history. Spades - King David, Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts
- Charlemagne, and Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
Emus and kangaroos can't walk backwards.
The "Yo-Yo" was introduced in 1929 by Donald F. Duncan. The toy
was based on a weapon used by 16th-century Filipino hunters.
The 7 wonders of the ancient world are The Temple of Artemis, The
Colossus of Rhodes, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Mausoleum
at Halicarnassus, The Lighthouse at Alexandria, The Great
Pyramids of Giza, and The Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
December 25'th was chosen as "Christmas Day" in order to compete
with an existing pagan celebration.
Scuba stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
The 7 Dwarfs are Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, and
Sneezy.
The 7 wonders of the modern world are The Great Wall of China,
The Hagia Sophia, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Washington
Monument, The Eiffel Tower, The Taj Mahal, and The Empire State
Building.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 36 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 13, 2000 (20:03) * 17 lines
WHERE DOES THE WORD SALARY COME FROM?
It evolved from salarium argentium, or "salt money," fees
paid to Roman soldiers to buy the then precious commodity.
HOW DID THE EXPRESSION "TO MAKE A BED" ORIGINATE?
In the evening, citizens of the Roman Empire constructed
their beds by placing straw into a cloth sack. The straw
had to be emptied every night to dry; therefore, the beds
had to be remade every night. This practice continued until
the fifteenth century - in some countries even later.
HOW DID THE WORD "AIN'T" BECOME UNACCEPTABLE?
The use of ain't as a substitute for am not or are not dates
back to the reign of King Charles II - about 300 years. It
is unclear how or why it became unacceptable.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 37 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 14, 2000 (15:24) * 20 lines
WHEN WAS CIGARETTE ADVERTISING BANNED ON TELEVISION AND RADIO?
It was prohibited as of January 2, 1971.
Red stands for the blood of the dead. Black represents pride
in the color of the skin. Green is for the promise of a new
and better life in Africa.
HOW FAST DOES THE EARTH TRAVEL AROUND THE SUN?
It moves at 66,641 miles per hour.
WHAT MAKES HOUSEPLANTS TURN TO THE LIGHT?
Growth hormones called auxins. When light falls on one side
of the plant, the auxins tend to concentrate on the shaded
side, causing the cells on that side to grow longer. As a
result, the plant gradually leans toward the light. This
bending movement in response to an outside stimulus is
known as tropism; bending in response to sunlight is called
heliotropism.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 38 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Apr 15, 2000 (18:02) * 106 lines
Bizarre News - April 15, 2000
+---------------- Last Week's Bizarre Poll -----------------+
Question: What invention is the most bizarre?
Voting Results:
Answer: Ronco Egg Beater (scrambles eggs inside the shell),
283 votes (8%)
Answer: Flowbee hair cutter (Turns vacuum cleaner into shears),
216 votes (6%)
Answer: Epilady Hair remover (Rips the hair out of follicles),
1225 votes (37%)
Answer: The Bug Sucker (Insect killer), 414 votes (12%)
Answer: GLH (Spray paint your bald spot), 1113 votes (34%)
***
----------- English Inventor Goes Down With Ship -----------
LONDON, England - In yet another attempt to show why the
British Empire lost its grip on the world, inventor Terrence
Smedley felt an inspiration. His inspiration was to cross
the English Channel in a motorized bathtub. The rather odd
inventor wanted to be the first man to do so. The tub sank
after traveling 500 yards off shore. He was rescued by a
ferry that was passing by.
[I wonder if he took his rubber ducky life preserver.]
---------------- L'amour...Toujours L'amour ----------------
PARIS, France - Bizarre News scans the globe in search of
bizarre rituals, news, or just plain idiocy. This story
combines all of these elements. Two teenagers were arrested
and were nearly killed after they created a subway
disturbance. Apparently they were walking down the tracks
in between stations when the young stud began kissing and
fondling his girlfriend. One thing led to another and they
began to make love in between the tracks. If it were not
for a vigilant conductor, authorities said they would have
surely perished.
[When I was a kid, I thought sticking a quarter in a
vibrating bed was "cool".]
---------- Hide Your Women...or Your Garden Gnomes ---------
PARIS - It is no longer acceptable to malign or slander your
garden gnomes. That's right; someone is fighting to protect
your gnomes from captivity and ridicule. The Garden
Gnome Liberation Front has emerged from their underground
lair long enough to steal 20 gnomes in order to set them free.
This same savvy group was responsible for the disappearance
of over 150 garden gnomes in 1997, but the ringleader was
caught, and fined. Parisians were shocked by the brutal 1998
mass gnome suicide in Briey. 11 were found dangling by their
necks under a bridge. The note left behind said, "When you
read these few words we will no longer be a part of your
selfish world, where we serve merely as pretty decoration."
[Leave it to those wacky French. No wonder they love Jerry Lewis.]
---------------------Safe Canadian Sex----------------------
CALGARY - Finally, a study we can all learn from. Queens
University in Calgary, Alberta has conducted a survey on
the sexual habits of 800 people in five city bars. They
discovered that the inebriated were more likely to practice
safe sex than their sober counterparts. Tara MacDonald and
three other researchers asked some intrusive questions of
their liquored-up subjects. They were given a Breathalyzer
test, and asked to read a sexual scenario before answering
a series of highly personal questions. The bar had stamped
hands with "AIDS Kills", "Safe Sex", or a happy face.
"We found that a drunk person with a smiley face was more
likely than a sober people to have intentions to have unsafe
sex, whereas intoxicated persons with Aids Kills stamps were
half as likely as sober people to report intentions to
engage in sex without a condom."
[And no; the study was not funded by Seagram's.]
--------------- Banana Peel Thrower Slips Away --------------
KENOSHA - The Sheriff's Department were evaded by a motorist
who hurled a banana peel out of their car window at another
windshield, then sped away. In addition to the drive-by
"fruiting" the offender allegedly made obscene gestures to
the 35-year old woman he was tailgating before he slimed her
windshield. The police offered no comment; just scratched
their heads in confusion.
--------------- The Proof Is In The Ordnance ---------------
TUCSON, Arizona - In order to prove that the schools are not
safe enough for teachers or students, sixth grade teacher
Kathy Morris pumped a .38 caliber slug into her own shoulder
in an empty classroom and claimed a young Hispanic man had
shot her. The 35-year-old Morris broke down under questioning
and admitted she shot herself, but not before classes were
dismissed for the day and the entire neighborhood was searched.
Morris has also, apparently, been sending herself threatening
letters, a sheriff's spokeswoman said. She is currently on
paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
[Tough way to get a paid leave, if you ask me. I'm sure the
students were mourning her misfortune on their day off.]
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
A new survey of pet fanciers by the American Animal Hospital
Association shows that 83 percent of pet owners would risk
their own lives to save their pets. Even more disturbing, 89
percent of those polled think their pets understand some or
all of what their owners say... so what exactly is wrong with
MY dog?
For more Classic Bizarre, visit us at:
Click Here
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 39 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (14:54) * 11 lines
In 1920, Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, Ireland, was
sentenced to two years in jail for "being in the possession of
seditious documents." He was jailed in Brixton Prison, London,
on August 12, 1920. As a protest against the sentence, MacSwiney
went on a hunger strike and refused to eat food of any kind while
in prison. He did not, however, refuse water and medicines. He
died on October 25 of the same year, the 74th day of his fast.
While he was subject to fits of delirium from time to time, he
retained his consciousness until a few days before his death.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 40 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (20:55) * 14 lines
WHAT IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES COEXIST?
Southern Florida.
AT WHAT AGE DID CLEOPATRA TAKE HER FIRST LOVER?
At the age of twelve.
WHAT IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST LIVING FISH?
The harmless whale shark, which reaches up to 50 or more
feet in length and weighs up to 20 tons.
WHAT WAS BEATLE JOHN LENNON'S MIDDLE NAME?
Winston, after Winston Churchill.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 41 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 19, 2000 (13:54) * 9 lines
Why are cats attracted to catnip?
Catnip has a substance called nepetalactone which comes from
small glands on the plant leaves of a mint called catnip. It is
believed when nepetalactone is inhaled by cats, it alters the nor
brain functions and arouses sexual feelings just as a hormone
would. This causes cats to act playful and exhibit behavior seen
typically during mating activities.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 42 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 19, 2000 (16:27) * 95 lines
Bizarre News
+---------------------- Bizarre Laws ----------------------+
KENTUCKY
Bees entering Kentucky must have a certificate of health.
Any person who displays, handles or uses any kind of reptile
in connection with any religious service or gathering shall
be fined not less than fifty dollars.
Any person who appears on a highway, or the street of any
city that has no police protection, when clothed only in
ordinary bathing garb, shall be fined not less than five
dollars.
No person shall sell, exchange or possess living baby chicks,
ducklings, or other fowl or rabbits which have been dyed or
colored; nor sell or exchange baby chicks or other fowl under
two months of age in any quantity less than six, except that
any rabbit weighing three pounds or more may be sold at an
age of six weeks.
[Well, now that we have that cleared up...]
***
-------------------- Sidewalk Delivery ---------------------
LOUISVILLE - A Kentucky inmate witnessed a woman giving
birth on the sidewalk outside of his cell not realizing
that the woman was his wife. Raylette Carr told reporters
that her husband was casually describing the event to her
when she interrupted by telling him that she was the woman
on the sidewalk giving birth. "I told him: 'That was your
baby.'" Carr was on her way to a fireworks show when she
went into labor with her seventh child. Paramedics arrived
too late, but mother and baby are fine.
---------- Easter Floggings Come Early This Year -----------
GUATEMALA CITY - Lent no longer tops the list for Easter
hardships. The annual Easter witch hunt began seven days prior
to Holy Week this year for Guatemalan students. The ritual
consists of 15,000 hooded students (mostly male) who publicly
strip suspected criminals, and beat them. This vigilante
pummeling, and the accompanying parade, are a sanctioned
tradition where last year more than 108 lynching attempts
took place.
[They did this at a Frat house regularly at the U of I.]
----------------- Hamster Fashions For UK ------------------
LONDON - Conservative clothiers Gieves and Hawkes tried to
update their 200 year-old image by appealing to a younger,
hipper crowd with hamster jackets. The $4,800 creations only
spiced up the ire of The Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals. "We are appalled and we are sure the
public will feel exactly the same way," replied coordinator
Yvonne Taylor. Gieves and Hawkes quickly backed down, and
said they only made one coat - sewn from the skins of 100
farmed animals.
--------------- "Hot Wheels" Prompt Gunplay ----------------
STATESBORO - The difference between men and boys is not just
the price of their toys, but how pretty their wheels are. A
twenty-year-old man was shot at the Player's Ball weekend
gathering during an argument over who had the better looking
tires. Apparently the man with the gun had the prettiest tires.
The victim was from Atlanta, and was hospitalized in stable
condition. However his pride may not recover as quickly.
---------- Imposter Hoodwinks Medical Authorities ----------
BONN, Germany - In one of the countries biggest medical
scandals, authorities are scratching their heads trying to
figure out how a post office messenger with no formal
education could impersonate a psychiatrist for two years
and commit 34 "patients" to mental hospitals across the
country. The culprit, Gert Postel got away with impersonating
a psychiatrist by using a lot of psycho babble that made him
a convincing con man.
-------------- Dutch Research Into Flatulence --------------
AMSTERDAM, Holland - Bizarre News is always on the lookout
examining how countries spanning the globe do research.
Recently, researchers at the University of Amsterdam have
been delving into the hazards of flatulence. Apparently,
prolonged exposure of four hours a day to humans "passing
gas" can weaken the immune system. The doctor heading this
piece of vital research, Dr. Hans Sholten, was quoted as
saying, "It would behoove anyone who cares about his or her
health to avoid people with chronic flatulence."
[Really?]
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Another blow for Darwinism: a Brazilian court has ruled that
factory worker Valdir Pozza is not entitled to compensation
after losing the use of his finger, because "pinkie fingers
would disappear with evolution anyway..."
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 43 of 181: terry (sprin5) * Wed, Apr 19, 2000 (21:45) * 1 lines
The shrink imposter would be easier to pull off than an MD, I can see where this could be faked.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 44 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 20, 2000 (00:25) * 1 lines
Skeptic that I am, I wonder if all shrinks aren't imposters of a sort...?!
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 45 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 20, 2000 (13:35) * 14 lines
HOW MUCH DOES THE BLUE WHALE, THE WORLD'S LARGEST MAMMAL, WEIGH AT BIRTH?
Two tons. Fully grown, it will weigh as much as 150 tons.
HOW MANY MUSCLES ARE THERE IN THE HUMAN EAR?
Six.
WHY WAS POPCORN BANNED AT MOST THEATERS IN THE 1920S?
It was considered too noisy.
WHAT CELEBRITY BOUGHT THE FIRST HUMMER MANUFACTURED FOR CIVILIAN USE?
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1992. The 6,300-pound, 7-foot wide
vehicle is the civilian version of the military Humvee.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 46 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Apr 22, 2000 (14:50) * 94 lines
Bizarre News
+---------------------- Bizarre Books ----------------------+
Real Books... Unreal Titles!
The Foul and the Fragrant: Odor and the French Social Imagination; 1986.
Who's Who in Barbed Wire; 1970.
The Madman as Entrepreneur: Career Management in House
Prostitution; 1979.
Correct Mispronunciations of Some South Carolina Names; 1981.
Manhole Covers of Los Angeles; 1974.
Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun; 1995.
Three Weeks in Wet Sheets; 1856.
Be Married and Like It; 1937.
Pranks With the Mouth; 1879.
Build Your Own Hindenburg; 1983.
***
---------------- Man Ruins Surprise Funeral ----------------
TOKYO - It was a hard day at work for a 60-year-old Japanese
shipbuilder who came home and found his family planning his
funeral. Police had informed the family that he had been
killed in a car accident earlier that day, where his own
brother-in-law identified the victim's body as his. The
family was in the final stages of planning when he walked
into the living room. The funeral has been postponed.
--------------------- Virtual Praying? ---------------------
MILAN - The country that is synonymous with wine, romance,
and pasta now offers a new time-saver with professional
praying. For 3,000 lire, "Paradise" agency located in
Varese, Italy will send housewife Monica Ballinari to
recite a prayer or perform the sign of the cross once a
day. She fears that life has become so hectic that many
just ignore their spiritual needs, and the salvation of
their souls. "If you don't have time to save it, call me;
I'll take care of it."
[If they take their masturbation seriously over there, this
poor woman must be kept busy.]
------------- Real Fake Newscaster Makes Debut -------------
LONDON - Her name is Ananova; she has green hair, big eyes,
and moves somewhat erratically. She is a computer created
virtual newscaster guaranteed to stay in perfect health,
work long-hours for no pay, and never needs make-up. This
glamorous cyber-anchor will exude a plethora of internet
information complete with commercials, and she'll make her
U.K. Internet debut on Wednesday, April 19, 2000. Bearing
the likeness of Posh Spice, Ananova claims, "I'm your
personal assistant in a digital world."
[I wonder if she'll get engaged to Max Headroom?]
---------------- Big Mac Rules Foil Burglar ----------------
SYDNEY, Australia - The North Shore Times News crime column
reported that a man walked into Brookvale McDonalds at
8:50AM, flashed a gun and demanded cash. The clerk turned
him down because she said she couldn't open the cash
register without a food order. When the man ordered a Big
Mac, the clerk said they weren't available until 10:30am as
only the breakfast menu was on offer. Frustrated, the man
walked away.
------------ Thieves Yank ATM out Of The Ground ------------
OGDEN, Utah - A couple of thieves came up with a crafty
approach for stealing from an ATM -- they took the whole
thing. Ogden police say suspects stole a backhoe, hooked it
up to a freestanding ATM, uprooted it and hauled it down the
road on Monday. Problem was, they couldn't figure out how to
get the money out of it.
-------- Slick Willie Faces Hollywood's Wunderkind ---------
NEW YORK - Savvy and experienced President Clinton will
be hard-pressed this Saturday when he sits across the
micro-phone from post-pubescent teen heart-throb Leonardo
DiCaprio. DiCaprio, who has made his bones in films like
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape", "The Quick and the Dead"
and "Titanic" will be interviewing Clinton as chairman of
the Earth Day 2000 celebration committee. Questions will
range from Clinton's policies on global warming to what
he thought of that Virginie Ledoyen chick who played with
DiCaprio in "The Beach."
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Cleetis Hayseed of Twelve Toes, Arkansas had this lame bumper
sticker on his car: "I May Be Slow, But I'm Ahead Of You."
After enduring countless beatings, Cleetis cleverly contacted
the company which offers the world's best-selling stickers:
DARE To Keep Cops Off Donuts, Life is Short - Don't Be a Dick,
Discourage Inbreeding - Ban Country Music, WHATEVER, I'd Rather
Be Spanking The Monkey, and Your College Sucks.
For more Classic Bizarre, visit us at:
Click Here
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 47 of 181: terry (sprin5) * Sat, Apr 22, 2000 (17:24) * 1 lines
Clinton asked to comment on a chick, he should have some relativity on this!
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 48 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, Apr 22, 2000 (20:20) * 1 lines
This is true...! (btw, I do not write those sordid little comments enclosed in square brackets in the Bizarre news. I have more class than that!)
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 49 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 24, 2000 (16:26) * 20 lines
WHAT PART OF THE HUMAN BODY HAS THE THINNEST SKIN?
The eyelid - it's less than 1/500 inch thick.
WHEN WERE EYEGLASSES FIRST WORN IN EUROPE?
They first appeared in Italy in the fourteenth century,
supposedly introduced by Alessandro di Spina of Florence.
Eyeglasses also appeared in China about this time; it is not
clear who got the idea first.
HOW DID THE PIGGY BANK GET ITS NAME?
In the Middle Ages, people stored money in a "pygg jar,"
made of clay called pygg. By the eighteenth century in
England, the name and shape of the receptacle had evolved
to "pig bank" - and from there to piggy bank.
WHY DOES SKIN WRINKLE WHEN IT IS EXPOSED AT LENGTH TO WATER?
The skin on the foot or palm of the hand wrinkles because it
expands. The thick, hardened layers of skin swell as water
is retained.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 50 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 24, 2000 (17:14) * 14 lines
Teenage Boys Face Flogging for Pestering Girls
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi teenage boys face public flogging and prison
sentences for loitering outside girls' schools, a Saudi newspaper reported
Saturday.
Al-Eqtisadiah reported that the prince of Medina ordered a committee be set
up in the holy city to hand out strict punishment to the boys to limit what the
newspaper called immoral behavior in the conservative Muslim kingdom.
The newspaper said the decision was taken after several complaints were
filed from female students and parents about remarks made by the boys
milling outside the schools.
London-based Amnesty International recently accused Saudi Arabia of
``gross and systematic'' human rights violations, charges which have been
rejected by Saudi officials.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 51 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 24, 2000 (17:16) * 14 lines
Drenchers Out in Force on Easter Monday
WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish youths marked Drenching Monday by hurling
water at unsuspecting passers-by and tourists in an exuberant reenactment
of a rural custom.
The festival, also known as St Drencher's Day, began centuries ago as a
courtship festival in Poland's villages, where boys would drench maidens to
try and win their favor.
Unlike many rural customs that have disappeared over the years,
``smigus-dyngus'' has become increasingly popular. And buckets of water are
no longer reserved for young women.
Police warned there would be fines for anyone caught abusing the custom to
ambush churchgoers or passers-by. Tourists were among the victims this
year in Warsaw's picturesque Old Town.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 52 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 26, 2000 (01:17) * 40 lines
HOW DID CHICAGO GET ITS NAME?
In 1696 a Jesuit, Father Pinet, established a mission for
Indians called the Mission of the Guardian Angel. It was set
along a stream the Indians had named Checagon, a word
meaning anything big, strong, or powerful. Since the river
at that point was sluggish, it is thought that checagon
actually referred to the wild garlic along the riverbanks.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SUPERMARKET?
Two self-service stores - precursors to supermarkets -
opened in California in 1912: the Alpha Beta Food Market in
Pomona and Ward's Grocetaria in Ocean Park. The Piggly-Wiggly
stores, which opened in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee, had self-
service and checkout counters but did not call themselves
supermarkets. The word supermarket was not part of a store
name until 1933, when the Albers Super Markets opened.
WHAT WERE THE EARLIER NAMES FOR THE BEATLES?
There were several. In the late 1950s, John Lennon and Paul
McCartney formed a band to play "skiffle" music in local
Liverpool clubs. They first called themselves the Quarrymen,
then tried several other names: Johnny and the Moondogs, the
Moonshiners, Long John and the Silver Beatles. By 1960,
however, they settled on the name now known to all - the
Beatles.
WHO WAS THE FIRST MOVIE STAR?
While early American filmmakers refused to reveal the names
of their players, fearing the actors would request more
money, German filmgoers creates celebrities. The first
celebrity actress was Henny Porten, who first appeared in
the movie Lohengrin (1907), directed by Oskar Messter. She
was known only as the Messter Girl until 1909, when she
played the romantic lead in Das Liebesgluck der Blinden
(The Love of the Blind Girl) to such fanfare that Messter
was requested to reveal her name to the public. Soon
thereafter, Porten asked for a raise.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 53 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 26, 2000 (15:27) * 103 lines
Bizarre News
+----------------- Bizarre U.S. Patents -------------------+
Scalp Cooling Device; December 6, 1938
[Looks similar to the electric chair.]
Pantyhose Shaping Band for Cheeky Derrier Relief; January 18, 1979
[The name on the patent? Julie Newmar. Who wants to bet she's
Julie Newmar of Cat Woman fame?]
Eye Protector for Chickens; December 10, 1902
Hay Fragrance; January 6, 1987
Saluting Device/Automatic Hat Tipper; March 10, 1896
Apparatus for Facilitating Childbirth by Centrifugal Force;
November 9, 1965
[Looks similar to a medieval rack.]
***
---- You Have The Right To Be Tried By A Jury Of Idiots ----
KENTUCKY - Five men and seven women jurors of the Jefferson
County Circuit Court could not come to a decision in the
trial of murder suspect Phillip J. Givens II. So instead of
wasting the tax-payers valuable dollars they decided to flip
a coin. It was tails. Shortly before he was about to pass
his sentence, Judge Kenneth Conliffe learned how the jury had
reached its verdict and declared a mistrial. "I didn't think
we had anything to lose," jury foreman David Melton said. "We
were going to be hung without it." The coin used was a silver
dollar.
[The jury may not have had anything to lose, but Givens did.
It's a good thing no one had any dice. Thanks to Jake Hill
for the lead on this story.]
---------------- We Said 'Bong' Not 'Bomb' -----------------
WILMINGTON - In light of the Columbine anniversary, North
Carolina investigators took no chances when they found an
empty cardboard fireworks tube, and evacuated the Roland-
Grise Middle School. The bomb squad proceeded to detonate
the tube, and found it contained a bong. The seven teenagers
in question wouldn't tell the officers what it was for, so
they evacuated the school to be on the safe side.
--------------- Going 'Postal' Over Manicure ---------------
ST. PETERSBURG - Being a postal worker just became more
stressful. A Florida Postal Service supervisor has taken a
medical leave after she was forced to cut her finger nails.
Lolita Dash was first asked to trim her 5-inch thumbnails
in 1995, when she violated the local post-master's rule that
nails could not be longer than a quarter-inch beyond the
fingertip. Soon after this initial cutting, Dash let them
grow to the one inch mark, so her bosses started disciplinary
proceedings. She was so distraught that she went on medical
leave; even though she had her nails trimmed to the proper
length.
[What next? Hygiene? When will Big Brother be satisfied?]
--------------- Pigeons Take a Special Trip ---------------
DENVER - Officials in Denver are going to great lengths to
rid the city of pigeons, and their flying debris. For $250
a month, the city can buy hallucinogenic corn that causes
the birds to convulse and spasm which frightens the other
birds away. The feed is laced with Avitrol, and animal
rights activists are once again; enraged. "It takes 40
pigeons pooping all day in one place to equal what a dog
leaves on my lawn in one drop," says animal lover Catherine
Hurlbutt. John Hall, acting manager of public office
buildings has a different view, "pigeons are urban vermin."
[First the corn. Next the pigeon 12-step]
------------------ Snore At Your Own Risk ------------------
DUBLIN - Prisoner Thomas Brady, 22, was stabbed to death in
his cell on Easter Sunday when his snoring proved too much
for his cellmate. Police have not disclosed the name of the
enraged prisoner who stabbed him with a sharpened table
knife. Dublin's Mountjoy prison rushed Mr. Brady to the
hospital, but he could not be saved.
-------------- Passover Constipates Ethiopians -------------
JERUSALEM - As an act of charity Israel sent three tons of
unleavened bread to starving Ethiopians after rabbis ruled
against sending regular bread, due to the observance of
Passover. What sounded like a good idea only created more
digestive problems for the Ethiopians, because "matza" is
notoriously dry, and causes severe constipation. On a more
positive note, they also sent other food, blankets, and
medicine.
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
A Honduran man castrated himself with a machete because he
was "frustrated" that his wife refused to have sex with him.
The Heraldo Daily said Juan Varels cut off both his testicles
and put them on a table. After careful consideration, Varels
took them to a health center to have them reattached.
For more Classic Bizarre, visit us at:
Click Here
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 54 of 181: Spring's Scribe (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 27, 2000 (19:59) * 24 lines
WHERE DID THE WORD CRAP COME FROM? DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SHOOTING CRAPS?
No, it derived from the first flush lavatory, Crapper's
Valveless Water Waste Preventor, developed in 1837 by
English sanitary engineer Thomas Crapper.
WHERE DOES THE TERM STARK NAKED COME FROM?
It is a corruption of start naked. In the thirteenth century,
when the phrase originated, start took the Anglo-Saxon from
steort, which meant "tail" or "rump." Therefore, stark naked
refers to someone naked to the tail.
WHY DO BIRDS SING?
In most species of songbirds, only male birds sing, and
for only two reasons: to protect territory and to attract a mate.
WAS THERE AN ORIGINAL GOODY TWO-SHOES?
As the subject of the first children's book of the same
name, this character helped to usher in the children's
book industry. Goody Two-Shoes was a poor girl, who, when
given a pair of shoes, became so happy that she told
everyone she met about them. The tale was written by
Oliver Goldsmith in 1765.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 55 of 181: Spring's Scribe (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 28, 2000 (14:03) * 22 lines
IS THERE ANY BONE IN THE HUMAN BODY THAT DOES NOT CONNECT WITH OTHER BONES?
The hyoid bone resides by itself in the throat. It supports
the tongue and its muscles.
DO FINGERPRINTS HAVE A FUNCTION?
They provide traction for your fingers, helping you to grasp
things.
DO IDENTICAL TWINS HAVE THE SAME FINGERPRINTS?
No.
HOW MUCH IS THE HUMAN BODY WORTH?
Newspaper columnists and others have claimed that the body's
chemical worth is between 98 cents and $5. But one doctor
argues that, at the rates currently charged by large chemical
distributors, the body's worth is at least $169,834 - not
counting $1,200 worth of blood. The key is to market the
body's products intelligently and not reduce them to basic
elements like carbon and zinc.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 56 of 181: Spring's Scribe (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 28, 2000 (15:47) * 136 lines
Some of these little facts are unbelievable
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television
were: Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.
Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.
Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.
City with the most Rolls Royce's per capita: Hong Kong
State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%
Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33
Cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400
Average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
The youngest pope was 11 years old.
First novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from
history.
Spades - King David,
Clubs - Alexander the Great,
Hearts - Charlemagne, and
Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 =3D 12,345,678,987,654,321
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in
theair, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in=20
the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the
horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural=20
causes.
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th,
John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2,
but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
"I do." is the longest sentence.
The term "the whole 9 yards" came from W.W.II fighter pilots in The
South Pacific. When arming their airplanes on the ground, the .50 caliber
machine ammo belts measured exactly 27 feet, before being loaded into the
fuselage. If the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, it got "the
whole 9 yards."
Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them
looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which
stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your
thumb.
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five
must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in
times of war or other emergencies.
The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the
"General Purpose" vehicle, G.P.
The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each
gallon of diesel that it burns.
No NFL team which plays its home games in a domed stadium has ever
won a Superbowl.
The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports
games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the
Major League all-stars Game.
The nursery rhyme Ring Around the Rosey is a rhyme about the plague.
Infected people with the plague would get red circular sores ("Ring
around the rosey..."), these sores would smell very badly so common
folks would put flowers on their bodies somewhere (inconspicuously), so
that it would cover the smell of the sores ("...a pocket full of
posies..."), People who died from the plague would be burned so as to
reduce the possible spread of the disease ("...ashes, ashes, we all fall
down!")
Facts
Q. What occurs more often in December than any other month?
A. Conception.
Q. What separates "60 Minutes," on CBS from every other TV show?
A. No theme song.
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace.
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession
Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go
until you would find the letter "A"?
A. One thousand
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and
laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.
Q. This is the only food that doesn't spoil.
A. Honey
Q. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the
year.
A. Father's Day
Q. What trivia fact about Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) is the most
ironic?
A. He was allergic to carrots.
----------
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 57 of 181: SpringScribe (MarciaH) * Sat, Apr 29, 2000 (14:07) * 92 lines
Bizarre News - April 29, 2000
Everyone knows that in a couple of months, the Olympics will
be held in Australia. But did you know that every four years
they try to add new sports to the roster? They actually have
a special committee to look over hundreds of requests from
organizations wanting their particular hobby included.
A recent article in a Chicago paper told of the latest
request. It seems that The World Plowing Association has
applied to the committee to sponsor plowing contests during
the Summer Olympics. Now what the heck is this all about?
Plowing? The WPA sponsors plowing events for farmers all
over the world and they evidently think that what they do is
exciting sport.
---------- Monster Artichokes as Power Source? ------------
SPAIN - Echoing the plot of a bad Japanese Sci-Fi movie,
Spanish farmers are growing three-meter high artichokes to
be used as fuel. These genetically modified vegetables are
part of a new biomass scheme to produce enough electricity
for the needs of up to 60,000 people. The towns of Alcala de
Gurrea, and Villabilla de Burgos will begin using this new
power source in two years.
[Mutant vegetables take over Spain? It's too bad Inoshiro Honda is dead.]
--------------- New Trial for Junk Food Felon --------------
TEXAS - Currently serving 16 years for stealing a Snickers
candy bar, inmate Kenneth Payne III will be retried due to
jury misconduct. Payne was caught swiping the Snickers while
he was already on parole for Oreo theft. This harsh sentence
was handed down after prosecutors tried him as a habitual
offender which increased his misdemeanor charge to a felony
charge. The judge ruled for a retrial when it was discovered
that one juror was found encouraging the other jurors for
a harsher sentence.
--------- Kentucky Fried Chicken Not Chic Enough ----------
BEIJING - Apparently the KFC located in China's scenic
imperial-era park is considered an eyesore. The lease is due
to expire in 2002, and they won't be coming back. A parks
department spokesman said there were several complaints that
the restaurant, "destroyed the original style of the imperial
park...it is extremely out of harmony with its surroundings."
In addition to the ill-fated KFC, no other fast-food outlets
will be allowed in any of the parks in the future.
-------------------- Claus the Ripper? ---------------------
BERLIN - German department stores fear for their menswear.
Police are hunting a new criminal who is slicing and cutting
his way through unsuspecting garments. Nicknamed, "KaDeWe
Ripper" by the Bild daily, this scalpel-weilding menace has
wantonly slashed his way through thousands of dollars worth
of men's clothing. Police have distributed photos of the
suspect who has an eerie trademark: he likes to cut holes in
the left side of jackets, just above the heart.
[I'd hate to see what he does to the boxer shorts.]
------------ Beaver College Tired Of The Abuse -------------
GLENSIDE, Pa. - It's bad enough that the students at Beaver
Women's College get ribbed about their school's name, but
it has gone too far when public figures like Letterman and
Stern start taking pot shots. Now internet watchdog programs
are censoring any web sites using the word "beaver" keeping
high school graduates from finding out about the school.
Beaver president Bette Landman has had enough. She wants the
school name changed to something less controversial. But some
alumni and administrators are proud of their Beaver, and want
to keep it just the way it is. The controversy still rages
and no new name has yet been adopted.
---------------------- Underwear Sues ----------------------
The Pets.com sock puppet as seen on TV is causing problems.
Pets.com is suing "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" writer
Robert Smigel, claiming that Smigel, the creator of "Late
Night" rubber puppet Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, said the
Pets.com's sock puppet is a "rip-off" of Triumph. It seems
an old gym sock on somebody's hand has become an intellectual
property.
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
In our Giants of Science department, Italian researches claim
to be able to cure impotence with a computer. The scientists
are using virtual reality technology to "re-awaken" feelings
of youth and sexuality in men. The experiment uses "a Pentium
133, a full-immersion VR helmet, and a joystick..."
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 58 of 181: Cheryl (CherylB) * Sat, Apr 29, 2000 (15:51) * 1 lines
About those giant artichokes, too bad they're not growing onions 3 meters in circumfrence on Maui. It could be a used as a bit of background in a new Godzilla movie. What could bring the King of All Monsters to Hawaii? The fish of course! Godzilla is a Pacific Rim kind of reptile that eats fish, lots of fish.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 59 of 181: SpringScribe (MarciaH) * Sat, Apr 29, 2000 (16:18) * 3 lines
This is true...but, he's gonna get a run for his money if he does not eat what we consider "junk' fish (full of bones and non-firm flesh which does not taste very good raw). If he consumes Mahimahi, Ono, Opelu and Ahi on the way over, he's gonna be in big trouble! He's big enough to deplete the stock! Better he stick to Marlin. They are his size and too dense to get your teeth through raw or cooked (they use it to make fish cake here.)
I posted a longer article on the artichokes from Reuters on Jurassic Park in Geo
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 60 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Mon, May 1, 2000 (19:44) * 19 lines
HOW LONG IS THE GRAND CANYON?
The gorge of the Colorado River is 217 miles long. Fifty-
six miles lie within Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
The canyon varies in width from 4 to 18 miles.
WHAT IS THE APPLE OF ONE'S EYE?
It is the pupil, which was likened to an apple because, in
the ninth century, it was believed to be a solid round mass.
HOW MUCH WATER DOES A PERSON DRINK IN A LIFETIME?
About 16,000 gallons.
WHEN DOES A HUMAN EMBRYO HAVE ITS FIRST HEARTBEAT?
At the age of three weeks, when the heart of the embryo
looks like a tube. As it begins to beat, it starts the blood
circulating through the few blood vessels that have formed
around it.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 61 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Tue, May 2, 2000 (14:56) * 22 lines
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR CAMPBELL'S RED-AND-WHITE SOUP CAN?
The Cornell University football team uniform. Campbell's
company treasurer was inspired by the brilliant Cornell
colors when he attended a Penn-Cornell football game on
Thanksgiving Day in 1898.
WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST COIN-OPERATED MACHINE EVER DESIGNED?
A holy-water dispenser that required a five-drachma piece to
operate. It was the brainchild of the Greek scientist Hero
in the first century A.D.
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE PLANE IN WHICH ORVILLE WRIGHT
MADE HIS HISTORIC 12-SECOND FLIGHT 85 YEARS AGO?
Flyer I - now popularly known as Kitty Hawk I, after its
North Carolina takeoff site.
WHAT LETTER DESIGNATIONS DID HENRY FORD USE FOR HIS CARS
BEFORE HE INTRODUCED THE MODEL T IN 1909?
Models A, B, C, F, K, N, R and S. He built nearly 29,000
of them between 1903 and 1909.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 62 of 181: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Wed, May 3, 2000 (05:44) * 3 lines
He like to skip letters.
What's wrong with D, E, G, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, and Q?
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 63 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, May 3, 2000 (16:23) * 110 lines
Yeah, I wondered about that, as well...
Bizarre News - May 3, 2000
Q. What is the origin of the popular dog's name Fido?
A. It's from the Latin fidus, meaning "faithful."
Q. What did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt have imprinted
on the White House matchbooks?
A. Stolen from the White House.
Q. In year's past what was used as transmission oil in Rolls-
Royce automobiles?
A. Spermaceti oil - from the sperm whale.
Q. What reason did Sigmund Freud give for sitting behind his
patient's couch during psychoanalytic sessions?
A. Freud wrote: "I cannot bear to be gazed at eight hours a
day."
Q. What would the Barbie Doll's measurements be if she were
life-size?
A. 39-21-33
***
---------------------- Moon Over L.A. ----------------------
LOS ANGELES - Among the new breed of fans that Atlanta Braves
player John Rocker has earned recently stands one individual
who distinguished himself Monday night by running onto the
field at Dodger Stadium and dropping his pants in front of
the now infamous pitcher. "I thought it was one of the
funniest things I've seen in my life, I was laughing my butt
off," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "Let's hope that's as
bad as it ever gets." commented Braves manager Bobby Cox. The
Braves beat the Dodgers 2-1.
----------- Ex-Mrs. Millionaire Sells Her Assets -----------
It seems Ms. Darva Conger - the young lady who married Rick
Rockwell on the Fox-TV spectacular "Who Wants to Marry a
Multimillionaire" - is cashing in on her fame by posing for
Playboy. Conger will reportedly earn a six figure fee for
trimming her sails in front of the cameras. Rick Rockwell
says he might look at the pictures, but he doesn't plan to
buy a copy of the magazine. He doesn't want to give Conger
"an extra nickel."
----------- Theme Paper Earns Student Suspension -----------
BOSTON - It's hard for administrators at the Boston Latin
Academy to tell where literature ends and death threats
begin. So when Charles Carithers was given an assignment
to write a horror story for his English class, the work
he turned in so unnerved his teacher that school officials
gave him a three day suspension. ACLU-Massachusetts
Executive Director John Roberts said that Carithers "was
so successful in fulfilling the assignment" that instead
of getting a high grade he was suspended. Boston School
Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant defended school officials,
saying they have to err on the side of caution in the
aftermath of Columbine. And the story? Carithers wrote
about a student athlete who murders a fictitious English
teacher with a chainsaw.
----------- Wife Runs Over Husband; After Church -----------
COVINGTON, LA. - Sunday may be the Lord's day, but it didn't
stop a jealous wife from correcting her husband's wandering
eye. Sedonia Renee Martin, 22, decided to quickly correct
her husband's church flirtation after last Sunday's service
at St. James Baptist Church. The husband, Tushaun Jamel
Thompson, vacated the couple's car to avoid further argument
when his wife sped towards him in an effort to scare him.
Convinced that she wouldn't actually hit him, Thompson stood
his ground; until the front end of the vehicle hit his upper
legs, and threw him into a ditch 20 feet away. His injuries
were moderate, but his embarrassment was critical.
--------------------- More Mutant Food ---------------------
MEXICO CITY - Not to be outdone by Spain's monster artichokes,
the city of Oaxaca attempted to find fame in the Guinness
Book of World Records by building a giant tortilla. This hefty
snack was 14-1/2 feet in diameter, and was topped with 70
pounds of beef, 70 pounds of cheese, 45 pounds of beans, and
five gallons of salsa. If they don't qualify under the
tortilla category; they still have a shot in the taco division.
[I wonder how large the margarita was?]
----- Pink Plastic Flamingos Are An Expensive Mistake ------
LAWRENCEVILLE - It's official; bad taste has a price, and
it's $3,400. Apparently Doug Henry's fellow Georgians, and
subdivision neighbors were not amused by his pink plastic
lawn ornaments. According to the homeowners association, all
unapproved lawn ornaments will cost the homeowner $25 a day
until they're removed. His $15 flamingos have now cost him
$3,400, which he was unaware of until he tried to sell his
house, and found that the association placed a lien on his
home. If both sides don't agree on a settlement, a judge
will decide who gets the flamingo funds.
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
A Massachusetts man arrested for driving without a license
used his one phone call to tell a friend exactly where to
find his stash of crack cocaine, hidden in an alley. Hipolito
Vega spoke to his friend in Spanish, not realizing that the
booking officer, Manuel Rivera, understood every word. If you
give up the right to remain stupid...
For more Classic Bizarre, visit us at:
Click Here
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 64 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, May 3, 2000 (16:25) * 1 lines
Maybe the missing Ford model letters were his equivalent of the Edsel?!
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 65 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Wed, May 3, 2000 (23:43) * 10 lines
Posted without comment...*smile*
Tattoo Trend Spreads
LONDON (Reuters) - Bankers, accountants and solicitors are just as likely
as bikers to sport a tattoo, a survey has found.
A quarter of the 1,000 people interviewed with body art were professionals,
according to the survey for Lloyds TSB bank.
But the tattoo trend has yet to gain universal acceptance in the office. Twenty
six percent said they hid them at work for fear they were viewed unfavorably.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 66 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Fri, May 5, 2000 (18:14) * 15 lines
Guess They Could Call It Sing Sing
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The halls of Lebanon's toughest prison will soon be alive
with the sound of music after jail authorities decided to introduce singing
lessons to inmates.
Prison authorities at the notorious Roumieh jail said Thursday they would
also hold concerts from June as part of a campaign to improve inmates' living
conditions.
With help from the British embassy, the authorities have also set up a library
at the jail, which has 190 inmates.
Roumieh prison was rocked by riots two years ago in which several inmates
were wounded.
Since the violent protests, prison authorities have staged several concerts by
international and leading Lebanese performers at Roumieh.
A football tournament between the inmates and their guards was also played
at the prison, northeast of Beirut.
Topic 37 of 106 [news]: News That Doesn't Fit
Response 67 of 181: Marcia (MarciaH) * Sat, May 6, 2000 (14:13) * 88 lines
+---------------------- Bizarre Laws ----------------------+
IDAHO
It is illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of candy
weighing more than fifty pounds.
You may not fish on a camel's back.
It is an offense to ride on a merry-go-round on Sundays.
If a police officer approaches a vehicle and suspects that
the occupants are engaging in sex, he must either honk, or
flash his lights and wait three minutes before approaching
the car. Coeur d' Alene, ID
***
----------- Finally! A Vacuum Women Really Want ----------
WASHINGTON - Score one for the fight against female impotence.
The FDA has just approved the Eros system which was designed
to increase blood flow to the clitoris. Simply put; its a
small tube attached to a suction cup that runs on batteries.
Once the clitoris becomes properly engorged, the apparatus is
removed, and.... A prescription is required, but there are no
reported side effects.
[Three speeds: slow, medium, and who needs a man?!]
------------- I'd Walk A Mile...For Insurance? -------------
TEHRAN - The idea is perfectly logical, but camel insurance
just sounds funny. The Iranian government has decided to
extend insurance to camel owners that would protect against
thunder, snake bites, earthquakes, floods, and collisions
with various vehicles. Almost 7,000 camels live and work in
the province of Khuzestan, and with help from the government
owners will soon share the same peace of mind we have with
our vehicles. Literally, a new twist in policy "riders."
-------------- Life-After-Death; And Stabbing --------------
VANCOUVER - Three hundred people attended the Vancouver Public
Library's lecture on life-after-death which was so compelling
that no one noticed the man being stabbed. Police reported no
argument; someone angered the attacker by bumping his chair
which he responded by knifing another man in the leg. The
lecture went uninterrupted, and police arrested the suspect
afterward. The victim was treated and released from a nearby
hospital.
---------------- Swedish Maids Protest Porn ----------------
STOLKHOLM - While the title 'Swedish Chambermaid' conjures
images of high-heeled, fishnet-wearing, feather-dusting,
mavens of feminine pulchritude; the real story is a perfect
example of situational irony. The members of the Swedish
Hotel Workers Federation demanded that chambermaids be
equipped with alarms, and to work in pairs. Confrontations
with overly-excited guests, and cleaning the aftermath of
hard-core porn is proving to be problematic for the maids.
They feel that hotels should provide clean comfortable
rooms, rather than free porn.
[What a novel idea; think it'll catch on?]
------------ "Stinky Tofu" Violates Environment ------------
HONG KONG - Popular vending snack, "Stinky Tofu" was fined
$1,538 for violating the rights of others to enjoy clean air.
Vendors deep-fry the patties and add yeast to ferment the
flavor, but the smell was not appreciated by the neighbors.
Ng, who sells this tofu in the Mong Kok shopping center has
been convicted on three previous occasions for stinking up
the air. She claims to have paid $12,800 on an air-purifying
unit, but it was obviously no match for the pungent charms
of "Stinky Tofu."
------- Who Said It Doesn't Pay To Be Canadian, Ay? --------
ONTARIO - We don't know whether the Canucks should be happy
that they're getting a refund, or embarrassed that their
government can't count, but the fact of the matter is that
the province of Ontario over-collected taxes last year and
its finance minister is giving it back to the taxpayers. An
estimated 4.9 million people who paid personal income tax
in 1999 will be getting a check of up to $200.
[This story will seem bizarre mostly to U.S. readers. Once
Uncle Sam gets his hands on a greenback, it's gone.]
Classic Bizarre Moments from the Archives
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
An Akron, Ohio man choked to death this week while trying to
swallow a live, 5-inch fish on a dare. According to the AP,
three unidentified friends had called 911 to say that Michael
Gentner had a fish stuck in his throat and was having trouble
breathing.
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