News of the Weird

[gaelic cowboy]

Not sure where to post this, it's not weird but gives some perspective on how deep the Deepwater Horizon Well is. You might have to click on the image to enlarge it because it's fairly large. Our Amazing Planet Top to Bottom.

WOW


Maybe we should start a thread for non-weird but otherwise interesting stuff from around the world.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Not sure where to post this, it's not weird but gives some perspective on how deep the Deepwater Horizon Well is. You might have to click on the image to enlarge it because it's fairly large. Our Amazing Planet Top to Bottom.

Not sure where to put it? Did you notice it features octosquids? And that it features the breath hold dive record? (Incidentally rubbishing Psychonaut's claim that the awesome Frenchie's video must be fake)

It's the most NotWest post ever!

[Hosakawa Tito]

Not sure where to put it? Did you notice it features octosquids? And that it features the breath hold dive record? (Incidentally rubbishing Psychonaut's claim that the awesome Frenchie's video must be fake)

It's the most NotWest post ever!

Those perfidious and inscrutable octosquids fooled me, again.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Talking of our overlords, one of their heralds has communicated the decree that England are out of the World Cup.

A "psychic" octopus is said by its aquarium owners to have predicted the country's football team will knock England out of the World Cup.

[gaelic cowboy]

Talking of our overlords, one of their heralds has communicated the decree that England are out of the World Cup.

A "psychic" octopus is said by its aquarium owners to have predicted the country's football team will knock England out of the World Cup.

And I was toying with putting a fiver on at Paddy Power too. Well there is not a hope in hell now the overlords have spoken.

[Lemur]

I can think of no way to improve on this:

[gaelic cowboy]

^
Here is the story from Evening Herald in Dublin it happened in the George in Dublin

Clickable Woman in sumo wrestler suit assaulted her ex-girlfriend in gay pub

[gaelic cowboy]

All hail Robo-Moggy clickable

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Paws for thought: Oscar the bionic cat

A cat whose back legs were chopped off in a farming accident has been given a new bionic pair, in a ground-breaking feline first in Britain.

Two-and-a-half year old Oscar lost at least one of his nine lives when he was run over by a combine harvester last October -- but eight months later he has regained a spring in his step.

The prosthetic paws were fitted by neuro-orthopaedic surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick, in a three-hour operation involving grafting the replacement legs onto the stumps of Oscar's remaining bones.

"The real revolution with Oscar is because we have put a piece of metal and flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone," said Fitzpatrick, who carried out the surgery last November.

"Oscar can now run and jump about as cats should do."

His owner Kate Nolan said: "We had to do a lot of soul-searching and our main concern has always been whether this operation would be in Oscar's best interests and would give him a better quality of life."

[Lemur]

Man pipe bombs himself to convince fraud victims to give him money, fails, winds up dressed like a priest wielding a "cane gun"

According to court documents, [Kevin] Williams contacted some Atlantans who'd been bilked out of their money in an investment scam. How Williams ended up inserting himself in the situation is unclear.

​What is clear, though, is that he allegedly saw an opportunity to further victimize the poor saps who'd already lost their cash.

Williams claimed to have information that could help them and the FBI build a case against the scammers who'd made off with their money. In return he asked for $250,000.

Williams' initial offer must not have been met with a resounding "yes." Because according to the government, he felt the need to prove to the victims that he was a man with information so explosive that others would want him dead. Hence the pipe bomb in the mailbox.

But then, things got even weirder.

When the bomb ruse failed to convince the fraud victims that Williams was legit -- dupes or not, you gotta give them credit for seeing this guy for the nut that he is -- he turned vigilante on them. Allegedly threatening to come to Atlanta, where he would "dress like a priest, carry a cane-gun that would shoot shotgun shells and kill someone."

What's weirder: this is what he actually did.

Prosecutors say Williams was captured in Atlanta in a "van loaded with firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, a fuse, blasting caps, rocket motors, surveillance equipment and a cane gun."

Yep, when Kevin Williams tells you he's bringing the cane gun, best believe Kevin Williams BRINGS THAT CANE GUN.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Best thing yet? Read the comment:

Dear writer,
I must say that I am amazed at how many people are willing to allow their minds to be closed and their opinions to be drawn so easily with no more effort than it takes to accept someone elses closed minded opinion. I will not put forth any attempt to try and change your mind as we are all entitled to our own opinion regardless of how right or wrong that opinion may be. However I was wondering if, in September of this year whether the charges are dropped by the government or by aquittal, would you be willing to write an article about the truth and about what really happened? I would hope that you would however I also hope that you will find a way to address things with a little more of an opened mind especially when the issues pertain to information that you yourself failed to obtain as well as verify. We must remmeber that when an opinion is offered, it may be that very opinion that allows others to believe that maybe you shouldn't be giving opinion. The trial is scheduled for this September and I will win this case. That is a fact not an opinion.

Take Care and Thank You For Your Time

Kevin Wayne Williams

Either someone had a little too much time on his hands, or this just tops it all...

[Tellos Athenaios]

Some pretty weird editing by the Observer.

[CountArach]

I can think of no way to improve on this:

I've looked at that headline at least 20 times over the last couple of days and I still laugh every time.

EDIT: Here is a follow-up article by the same paper:

Ms Talbot is now concentrating on fulfilling her dream of becoming a tatoo artist.
[...]
Talbot was escorted out and had to be asked to partially deflate her costume so she could get out the door.

[InsaneApache]

Ms Talbot is now concentrating on fulfilling her dream of becoming a tatoo artist.
[...]
Talbot was escorted out and had to be asked to partially deflate her costume so she could get out the door.

Sounds like she was in serious need of a little prick.

[Gregoshi]

Sounds like she was in serious need of a little prick.

Must...bite...tongue...

[Lemur]

Must...bite...tongue...

Neither a little prick nor a bitten tongue will get you far with that sort of lady.

[Gregoshi]

Neither a little prick nor a bitten tongue will get you far with that sort of lady.

<snicker, snicker>

[drone]

The most sensible man in the world: Trapped drunk driver opens another beer as awaits rescue

Police found Sneddon, a former baker, trapped in his overturned Ford Laser on June 1, drinking a can of beer after he failed to take a corner properly and crashed through a wooden barrier, flipping his vehicle.

Defense lawyer Peter Young said that when Sneddon found he could not open the doors, "he had nothing else to do at that point, so he had another beer."

[Tellos Athenaios]

Not weird, still fascinating: programmable matter from MIT:
https://www.youtube.com/v/Pg8VAVWkz3..._embedded&fs=1

[Lemur]

There is now no conceivable reason to visit the International Space Station



Commanders do not allow sexual intercourse on the International Space Station, it has been disclosed.

"We are a group of professionals," said Alan Poindexter, a NASA commander, during a visit to Tokyo, when asked about the consequences if astronauts boldly went where no others have been.

"We treat each other with respect and we have a great working relationship. Personal relationships are not ... an issue," said a serious-faced Mr Poindexter. "We don't have them and we won't."

[Hosakawa Tito]

Yeah sure, no strip poker or booze either. Just work work work work work...

[Lemur]

Seriously, what a way to discourage kids from wanting to become astronauts. PR disaster!

[gaelic cowboy]

I wonder could they use the Bill Clinton definition of sex eh

[Lemur]

Transvestite prostitute gets life in prison for stealing bras



If you live in Southaven, Miss., and your plans for the day include stealing a trashbag of bras from a discount chain store, you may want to reconsider. A transvestite male prostitute was just sentenced to life in prison after being caught stealing a sack full of braziers. [...]

[L]ife in prison is a pretty tough sentence for pilfering a few C cups. Give the man a break. He's a transvestite prostitute IN MISSISSIPPI in the midst of an economic downturn. We all know that sometimes when folks can't get their underwear legally, they turn to crime. It just happens.

Wilson was charged with felony larceny for stealing a variety of clothing in the Southaven store, including bras, which prosecutors say were for his job back in Memphis. At least the brother is working.

"We are here to protect our citizens, and we will protect our citizens and we're not going to tolerate habitual offenders," said Desoto County District Attorney Smithe Murphey.

Although this was Darnell's first arrest in Desoto County, prosecutors used his numerous arrests in Tennessee and a Mississippi law to put him behind bars for life.

Wilson has 18 arrests in Shelby County, Tenn., including aggravated robbery, kidnapping and sexual battery.

Murphey used the Mississippi habitual offender law to put Wilson behind bars for three consecutive life sentences.

[Vladimir]

Sounds like they did this guy a favor. He'll be the most popular guy in his block!

[A Nerd]

In response to the sex in space thing. I would think that some astronauts no matter how serious in their work would want to be the first to have sex in space, or at least try it after someone else already had. Akin to the thrill of joining the 'mile high club' for example. I always suspected the female astronaut who drove cross country in a diaper to attack the girlfriend of her object of desire had done such things with him in space. But this is only based on my delusional conclusions...or desires!

[Beskar]

Lord Mayor of Leicester apologises for trouser drop



Leicester's lord mayor has apologised after his trousers fell down during an educational event for schoolchildren.

Councillor Colin Hall was at Southfields library in the city to take part in a Global Education function.

When he stood to give a vote of thanks at Tuesday's event his trousers came loose and fell.

A spokesman for Mr Hall said: "The lord mayor has offered his deepest apologies to those attending the event for any offence caused by the accident."

Mr Hall was a guest at a Summer Showcase organised by Global Education Leicester, a network which works with teachers to promote greater understanding of global perspectives, the city council spokesman said.

Pupils from three local schools were present.

The spokesman added: "The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Colin Hall, attended a function at a local library yesterday where he suffered an unfortunate problem with his trousers.

"He was not wearing a belt and the trousers came loose and fell."

Mr Hall has enlisted the help of fitness guru Rosemary Conley in a bid to lose weight.

He wants to lose up to three stone by next May and is walking to many civic engagements, the council confirmed.

[Lemur]

Plane Grounded by Maggot Infestation

Maggots falling from an overhead luggage bin has stopped a US plane from taking off.

Passengers were horrified to see the larvae dropping onto an unsuspecting passenger as others began to panic and cause a commotion, US media report.

US Airways blamed spoiled meat in a suitcase on board the Atlanta-to-New York flight on Monday. [...]

"The maggots, they started to drip out of the bin in row 15," passenger Dona Adamo told TV network Fox 5.

[Gregoshi]

Plane Grounded by Maggot Infestation

The plane was apparently not ready to fly...yet.

[Vladimir]

Flight from Atlanta to New York meats disaster!

[Gregoshi]

Flight from Atlanta to New York meats disaster!

Vlad! You should have put that in spoilers.