WEIRD NEWS

What Do You Mean I Have To Stay After School?

In Essex, England, a 17-year-old high school senior girl was so upset about the prospect of receiving her first school detention, SHE HAD A HEART ATTACK! No kidding. Tabatha McElligott was unaware she had a heart condition that could have killed her at any minute. Things got rough when she got caught sneaking out of school without permission. Tabatha said, "When we got to the gates, I could hear my teacher calling my name, and my heart started hammering. I felt my legs turning to jelly, and then everything went black. I now know my heart was a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off." Luckily a paramedic got to Westcliff High School for Girls within three minutes to restart the teenager's heart. She was hospitalized and experts later diagnosed a rare condition that causes the body to pump blood around the heart the wrong way. Just 10 percent of sufferers survive beyond their first birthday but amazingly, Tabatha has now made a full recovery following surgery. (FOX News)

Fool Me Once, Shame On You. But Fool Me 77 Times?

Down at the Lake County jail in Florida, 32-year-old inmate Larry Stone made a phone call that would typically cost about $20, but it didn't go through. The charge was supposed to be refunded to his inmate account. But when Larry checked his balance he discovered his account now had more money than before the call. So he thought he'd test his luck again and made another call and hung up. Once again, more money magically appeared. So he then repeated the little exercise 77 times, exploiting the glitch that was mistakenly depositing credits into inmate trust accounts for each incomplete phone call. After four hours of this, Larry had accumulated more than $1,250 -- enough money to bond out of jail! So he paid his bond and walked out. But his new found freedom didn't last long. News of the bug floated to other inmates, who began to spend inordinate amounts of time on the phone. But soon the jail officers caught wind of what was going on and put a stop to it. Nevertheless, the glitch affected about 256 jail inmate accounts and lasted 24 hours. Now the software error has been fixed and accounts restored to their pre-glitch totals. And just a few hours after his release, Mr. Stone turned himself in to authorities, saying he knew they were looking for him. He now faces additional charges of scheming with intent to defraud and grand theft. More inmates will likely be charged as well. (Orlando Sentinel)

A Non-Injury Collision With A Twist!

In Victorville, California, deputies and witnesses were left dumbfounded after a motorcyclist rear-ended a minivan and landed in the back seat unscathed. Meanwhile, the driver of the van continued making his turn and pulled into his own driveway nearby, completely unaware that he had a new passenger! Police spokeswoman Karen Hunt said, "We're calling this one a non-injury collision with a twist." It seems the driver of the minivan slowed down to turn make a left turn. The motorcyclist following behind him didn't stop in time and crashed into the rear of the van, shattering the van's window. By then, the minivan driver had already committed to the turn and pulled onto his driveway less than half a block away. As he turned around, the man discovered the shocked motorcyclist behind him. And while there was severe damage to the motorcycle and back of the minivan, amazingly neither of the men required any medical attention. Good thing our motorcyclist was wearing a helmet that sustained most of the impact. He only asked for an ice pack for one of his hands. (Victorville Daily Press)

Turn Your Dog Poop Into Gold!
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A city in northern Taiwan is trying the Midas touch to persuade reluctant residents to clean up after their dogs by offering a chance to win gold bars to anyone handing in bags of doggy doo! Starting from August 1, dog owners and other residents of New Taipei City can hand in dog poop to government cleaning teams in exchange for tickets to a drawing. First prize is three gold ingots worth about $2,100! The number of draw tickets is unlimited, and the winners will be named in October. A city spokesperson said, "We are hoping the draw will attract a wide participation, especially as the gold price is rising." (Reuters)

Good News If You Want To Shoot Your Loved Ones!

Good news is you want to shoot your loved ones. The only catch is they have to already be dead. A bizarre and surprisingly popular new service allows you to lock and load your loved one's ashes! The internet company Holy Smoke, based in Stockton, Alabama, offers what they call a "tribute to your outdoorsman or woman like no other." They'll gladly turn your loved one's ashes into fully-functioning bullets of a caliber of your choosing. Holy Smoke sends the family a case of up to 250 bullets for display in the home or to take on a hunting trip and hey -- they say it costs only a fraction of the cost of most burial services. Prices begin at $1,250 for the 250 rounds for shot guns and pistols, and 100 rounds for rifles. And while the service may be unconventional, it's certainly not unheard of. In 2005, the ashes of author Hunter S. Thompson were famously shot from a cannon, six months after the journalist killed himself. The celebration was funded mostly by Pirates of the Caribbean actor and Thompson's close friend Johnny Depp. (Daily Mail)

Good News! We're Not Going To Blind You After All!

In Iran, back in 2004, a woman by the name of Ameneh Bahrami was the victim in an acid throwing incident that blinded and disfigured her. Her assailant was Majid Movahedi who threw the acid as retaliation when she refused his offer of marriage. So Miss Bahrami wanted strict Sharia law punishment for Movahedi and demanded "an eye for an eye" justice. The courts granted her petition and Movahedi was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and also that he be blinded in both eyes!! The blinding part of the sentence was all set to be carried out with an eye specialist and a court representative standing by at a hospital. But then something amazing happened. Miss Bahrami had a change of heart and decided to forgive and pardon him. Human rights group Amnesty International had called on the Iranian government to not carry out the sentence, which it described as cruel, inhuman and torture, but it wasn't until Miss Bahrami offered her pardon that the courts rescinded the blinding part of his sentence. (AHN News)

My Bike Is Bigger Than Your Bike... No, Seriously!

A plumber in Lincolnshire, England just got into the record books by building the world's longest motorcycle! 31-year-old Colin Furze said it took him a month to build this incredible 25-seater that's as long as a tennis court -- 72 feet! On its test run, he managed to get the bike up to 35mph, but found it almost impossible to steer. To make it into the record books, Furze had to drive the bike at least 100 meters but amazingly managed to ride more than a mile. He'll now send the video along with signed witness statements to the folks at Guinness World Records so they can verify it. According to them, the current longest motorcycle record is a mere 46 feet! (Ananova)

Say I Love You With a Onesie!

Talk about a unique marriage proposal. In Graham, North Carolina, a new baby boy, Grayson Trent Overbey, was born to parents 25-year-old Daniel Overbey and 23-year-old Lauren Brame. As if the delivery of a healthy new baby isn't enough excitement for one day, Daniel had made a very special onesie for his new son with the words "Mommy, will you marry my Daddy?" in baby blue lace. He also had a ring. Having set things up in advance with the nurses, when a nurse brought in his boy wearing the special onesie, she told Lauren, "Grayson has a question to ask you." Daniel then dropped to one knee with the ring and asked, "Will you marry me?" Lauren immediately said, "Of course," and the couple sealed the deal with a kiss. The newly engaged couple plans to have the wedding in the spring or fall after a year. (The Times News)

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