WEIRD NEWS
New and Hot: Blanket Fee Rage
Here's something new - blanket fee rage! Yep, it seems a flight bound for Hawaii from Las Vegas had to be diverted after somebody lost it over the price of a blanket. A 66-year-old man complained of being cold, asked for a blanket, then learned the price and then demanded to talk to the airline's corporate office. During the in-flight call he placed, he allegedly threatened to "take someone behind the woodshed," according to the LA Airport Police. Though officials say no "credible threat" was made, the flight crew's became alarmed and alerted the captain who made the decision to divert to Los Angeles and deplane the passenger before beginning to fly over the Pacific Ocean. Ironically, blanket-rage-man was not charged with any offense and boarded another flight. In all fairness - Hawaiian Airlines was charging $12 bucks for one of those flimsy airplane blankets. The story has brought a lot of protests on Twitter, with one man tweeting he'll put Hawaiian Airlines "atop my 'no fly' list." (Newser)
Here's the Thing - A Train Just Cut Off My Legs
Authorities in Lilburn, Georgia have released an unbelievable 911 call made by a 17-year-old boy who called emergency services to tell them a train had cut off his legs. It was no prank. Jacob Ohl was walking alongside train tracks in Lilburn last Thursday when he was struck in what turned out to be a tragic accident. In the 911 call, the high school senior remains extremely calm as he tells the call handler he had been hit by a train and that it had cut off both of his legs-his manner likely the effect of extreme shock and adrenaline. He can be heard telling the operator "Um. I just got hit by a train" before telling her his location. The call handler then asks if he is OK, to which he simply responds "no." When the woman asks which part of his body was hurt, he says his legs and then adds, "I think it cut them off." The poor boy later told paramedics he didn't intend to hurt himself. He was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville in a stable condition where he underwent surgery to clean the wounds. Police are now investigating the incident and a GoFundMe page set up by a family friend has received more than $35,000 to support the family with his medical bills and any adjustments they may need to make in the future to make their home wheelchair accessible. Jacob's mother later said her had been walking down the center of the tracks with his earbuds on. Folks- NEVER DO THIS! (Metro)
Good News: You're Pregnant! Bad News: Your Under Arrest!
Back on January 29, a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman living in the United Arab Emirates went to the doctor after experiencing stomach cramps. Turns out she was pregnant - so she was promptly arrested - for having unmarried sex, which is illegal in the UAE. Iryna Nohai and her South African partner, Emlyn Culverwell‚ 29, have been detained without charge in Abu Dhabi ever since. A South African rep says, "The South African government is aware of the case, but unfortunately cannot provide legal assistance" regarding what it says is UAE law. Linda Culverwell says her son and Nohai actually got engaged two days before their arrest. She added, "The only thing they did which was wrong, was to fall in love." The Ukrainian embassy is trying to intervene, and that it sees two alternative outcomes: They could marry or be deported. Otherwise, if charged and found guilty the pair could face prison time. Culverwell has been working in the UAE for the past five years, and his employer reportedly told his family no charges have been filed because authorities are allegedly conducting "tests" aimed at determining how long Nohai has been sexually active. What? (BBC)
What's 13 Years of Your Life Worth?
What price tag would you put on 13 years of your life? Oklahoma seems to think $175,000 ought to do it. That's what the state is offering Thomas Webb III by way of compensation for keeping him in prison for 13 years for a crime he didn't commit. Webb's lawyers say that after 20 years of on-again, off-again lobbying, the state has finally agreed to compensate him under the Tort Claims Act passed there in 2003, which caps payback for the wrongly imprisoned at that amount. Mr. Webb's ordeal began in March 1982 with the rape of a University of Oklahoma student, for which he was ultimately convicted in 1983 and sentenced to 60 years in prison after the victim mistakenly IDed him in a lineup. In 1996, DNA testing proved Webb wasn't the rapist, and after a new trial, the charges were dropped and he was released. His fight for compensation took many setbacks and he struggled with drugs, homelessness, and a divorce. But Webb then found his current lawyer, who persistently pushed his case, and the state AG who took over for Scott Pruitt when he left to head Trump's EPA finally signed off on payment. Webb has even become friendly with his accuser, who has apologized for her mistake, and the two still meet for lunch. Webb says once he has the money, he plans to pay back his ex-wife for all of the money she poured into clearing his name, as well as settle back taxes. What he'd still like from the state: "a public apology." (NBC News)
Hope He Goes to Jail "Four-ever!"
In Maryland, 33-year-old Devon John Eason allegedly beat his four-year-old son so severely, he ended up in hospital - all because the boy couldn't pronounce the word "four." According to court records, the boy's mother took him to a hospital on February 28 with bruises on his head, face, back, buttocks and one leg. Some of his hair had been pulled from his scalp. Eason now faces child abuse and assault charges and remains in jail without bail. The child's six-year-old brother also told officers that he witnessed the beating. (Metro)
So Here's What You Do If You Get Kidnapped
Most of us have probably stayed in a fleabag motel at some point. But probably very few of us have seen what one soccer fan did after travelling to Rostov, Russia, to watch his beloved Manchester United team play. He tweeted a picture literature the motel provided to guests, instructing them on what they should do IF THEY GET KIDNAPPED! Official England Home Office advice to tourists in Russia warns that petty crime, muggings and thefts are rife in cities and the threat of terrorism also remains high. The guidance, written in broken English, warns guests that they "shouldn't resist" should they find themselves being kidnapped. They are told to comply with any demands, remember movements and appearances and try to recall sights and sounds if they are moved. But the fan also noted that at least the people of Rostov are very nice - many fans handing out blankets to cold United fans before the match that ended in a 1-1 tie. (Metro)
Record High for US Home Wealth
The stock market's rise to record levels fueled a big increase in US household wealth in the final three months of last year, the AP reports. The wealth gains could lead to more spending that would lift the economy, but the increases aren't widely shared. Americans' stock and mutual fund portfolios jumped $728 billion in value in the October-December quarter per the Federal Reserve. Home values rose $557 billion and total household wealth increased 2.3% to $92.8 trillion. The figure includes checking and savings accounts, and subtracts mortgages and other debt, and the Wall Street Journal notes that it's a new record America. That certainly doesn't mean everyone's fat and happy. The wealthiest 10% of Americans now own 80% of the stock market. And younger Americans are less likely to be homeowners than previous generations, as renting increased in the wake of the housing bubble. They have missed out on the rebound in home prices that began in 2012. (Wall Street Journal)
What the What?
What's up America? A new study of 26,000 adults reveals that in the current decade Americans are having less sex than they did 20 years ago. The decline was seen across gender, race, region, education, employment and relationship status, with even married people getting busy less often. Researchers linked the dry spell to hectic lifestyles and the presence of smartphones and laptops in the bedroom -- as well as an uptick in the use of libido-killing antidepressants. Yeah - they're up all night playing Candy Crush or chasing freakin' Pokemons! (OZY.com)
Here's something new - blanket fee rage! Yep, it seems a flight bound for Hawaii from Las Vegas had to be diverted after somebody lost it over the price of a blanket. A 66-year-old man complained of being cold, asked for a blanket, then learned the price and then demanded to talk to the airline's corporate office. During the in-flight call he placed, he allegedly threatened to "take someone behind the woodshed," according to the LA Airport Police. Though officials say no "credible threat" was made, the flight crew's became alarmed and alerted the captain who made the decision to divert to Los Angeles and deplane the passenger before beginning to fly over the Pacific Ocean. Ironically, blanket-rage-man was not charged with any offense and boarded another flight. In all fairness - Hawaiian Airlines was charging $12 bucks for one of those flimsy airplane blankets. The story has brought a lot of protests on Twitter, with one man tweeting he'll put Hawaiian Airlines "atop my 'no fly' list." (Newser)
Here's the Thing - A Train Just Cut Off My Legs
Authorities in Lilburn, Georgia have released an unbelievable 911 call made by a 17-year-old boy who called emergency services to tell them a train had cut off his legs. It was no prank. Jacob Ohl was walking alongside train tracks in Lilburn last Thursday when he was struck in what turned out to be a tragic accident. In the 911 call, the high school senior remains extremely calm as he tells the call handler he had been hit by a train and that it had cut off both of his legs-his manner likely the effect of extreme shock and adrenaline. He can be heard telling the operator "Um. I just got hit by a train" before telling her his location. The call handler then asks if he is OK, to which he simply responds "no." When the woman asks which part of his body was hurt, he says his legs and then adds, "I think it cut them off." The poor boy later told paramedics he didn't intend to hurt himself. He was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville in a stable condition where he underwent surgery to clean the wounds. Police are now investigating the incident and a GoFundMe page set up by a family friend has received more than $35,000 to support the family with his medical bills and any adjustments they may need to make in the future to make their home wheelchair accessible. Jacob's mother later said her had been walking down the center of the tracks with his earbuds on. Folks- NEVER DO THIS! (Metro)
Good News: You're Pregnant! Bad News: Your Under Arrest!
Back on January 29, a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman living in the United Arab Emirates went to the doctor after experiencing stomach cramps. Turns out she was pregnant - so she was promptly arrested - for having unmarried sex, which is illegal in the UAE. Iryna Nohai and her South African partner, Emlyn Culverwell‚ 29, have been detained without charge in Abu Dhabi ever since. A South African rep says, "The South African government is aware of the case, but unfortunately cannot provide legal assistance" regarding what it says is UAE law. Linda Culverwell says her son and Nohai actually got engaged two days before their arrest. She added, "The only thing they did which was wrong, was to fall in love." The Ukrainian embassy is trying to intervene, and that it sees two alternative outcomes: They could marry or be deported. Otherwise, if charged and found guilty the pair could face prison time. Culverwell has been working in the UAE for the past five years, and his employer reportedly told his family no charges have been filed because authorities are allegedly conducting "tests" aimed at determining how long Nohai has been sexually active. What? (BBC)
What's 13 Years of Your Life Worth?
What price tag would you put on 13 years of your life? Oklahoma seems to think $175,000 ought to do it. That's what the state is offering Thomas Webb III by way of compensation for keeping him in prison for 13 years for a crime he didn't commit. Webb's lawyers say that after 20 years of on-again, off-again lobbying, the state has finally agreed to compensate him under the Tort Claims Act passed there in 2003, which caps payback for the wrongly imprisoned at that amount. Mr. Webb's ordeal began in March 1982 with the rape of a University of Oklahoma student, for which he was ultimately convicted in 1983 and sentenced to 60 years in prison after the victim mistakenly IDed him in a lineup. In 1996, DNA testing proved Webb wasn't the rapist, and after a new trial, the charges were dropped and he was released. His fight for compensation took many setbacks and he struggled with drugs, homelessness, and a divorce. But Webb then found his current lawyer, who persistently pushed his case, and the state AG who took over for Scott Pruitt when he left to head Trump's EPA finally signed off on payment. Webb has even become friendly with his accuser, who has apologized for her mistake, and the two still meet for lunch. Webb says once he has the money, he plans to pay back his ex-wife for all of the money she poured into clearing his name, as well as settle back taxes. What he'd still like from the state: "a public apology." (NBC News)
Hope He Goes to Jail "Four-ever!"
In Maryland, 33-year-old Devon John Eason allegedly beat his four-year-old son so severely, he ended up in hospital - all because the boy couldn't pronounce the word "four." According to court records, the boy's mother took him to a hospital on February 28 with bruises on his head, face, back, buttocks and one leg. Some of his hair had been pulled from his scalp. Eason now faces child abuse and assault charges and remains in jail without bail. The child's six-year-old brother also told officers that he witnessed the beating. (Metro)
So Here's What You Do If You Get Kidnapped
Most of us have probably stayed in a fleabag motel at some point. But probably very few of us have seen what one soccer fan did after travelling to Rostov, Russia, to watch his beloved Manchester United team play. He tweeted a picture literature the motel provided to guests, instructing them on what they should do IF THEY GET KIDNAPPED! Official England Home Office advice to tourists in Russia warns that petty crime, muggings and thefts are rife in cities and the threat of terrorism also remains high. The guidance, written in broken English, warns guests that they "shouldn't resist" should they find themselves being kidnapped. They are told to comply with any demands, remember movements and appearances and try to recall sights and sounds if they are moved. But the fan also noted that at least the people of Rostov are very nice - many fans handing out blankets to cold United fans before the match that ended in a 1-1 tie. (Metro)
Record High for US Home Wealth
The stock market's rise to record levels fueled a big increase in US household wealth in the final three months of last year, the AP reports. The wealth gains could lead to more spending that would lift the economy, but the increases aren't widely shared. Americans' stock and mutual fund portfolios jumped $728 billion in value in the October-December quarter per the Federal Reserve. Home values rose $557 billion and total household wealth increased 2.3% to $92.8 trillion. The figure includes checking and savings accounts, and subtracts mortgages and other debt, and the Wall Street Journal notes that it's a new record America. That certainly doesn't mean everyone's fat and happy. The wealthiest 10% of Americans now own 80% of the stock market. And younger Americans are less likely to be homeowners than previous generations, as renting increased in the wake of the housing bubble. They have missed out on the rebound in home prices that began in 2012. (Wall Street Journal)
What the What?
What's up America? A new study of 26,000 adults reveals that in the current decade Americans are having less sex than they did 20 years ago. The decline was seen across gender, race, region, education, employment and relationship status, with even married people getting busy less often. Researchers linked the dry spell to hectic lifestyles and the presence of smartphones and laptops in the bedroom -- as well as an uptick in the use of libido-killing antidepressants. Yeah - they're up all night playing Candy Crush or chasing freakin' Pokemons! (OZY.com)
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