WEIRD NEWS
North Korean Missiles - The Musical
One thing's for sure, North Korea sure knows how to celebrate the successful launch of their first intercontinental ballistic missile. By order of Kim Jong Un himself, they put on a big concert - replete with pop music and thunderous applause. Headlining was the Moranbong Band, an all-female ensemble that was hand-picked by Kim and serves as something of the "soft" face of his regime. Among the numbers performed were "Song of Hwasong Rocket" and "Make Others Envy Us." Clips of the concert seen on North Korean television showed the crowd repeatedly cheering and applauding for Kim. Imagine that. (Newser)
Mother Teresa's Iconic Sari is Now Trademarked!
Even if you're not old enough to remember Mother Teresa, you've probably seen a picture of her wearing her iconic sari - basically the scarf over her head that is white with blue stripes. Well that sari has now been trademarked by the Missionaries of Charity in India. It wasn't really all for greed - more because organizations all over the world were making use of the design and suggesting, intentionally or not, that they were affiliated with the group. The nuns of the order shrugged it off for years, saying, "One day the people will understand they are doing the wrong thing." But their attorney, Biswajit Sarkar, wasn't quite as forgiving and began going after the trademark for the order in 2013. Now that the sari is trademarked, anyone using it without permission can be sued. Mother Teresa began wearing the distinctive, blue-striped sari in the late 1940s when she got permission to leave her convent and begin working among India's poor. Today, about 4,000 of the saris are woven annually and distributed to the order's nuns around the world. Attorney Sarkar says this is the first time a trademark has been issued for a religious uniform. (Times of India)
Aren't Airbags Supposed to Save Lives?
Another person has died as a result of an exploding Takata airbag, and this time there wasn't even a car crash! Honda says it recently learned about an incident on June 18, 2016, in which a man was using a hammer to make repairs on a 2001 Honda Accord when the airbag inflator activated and ruptured, sending metal fragments flying. Ramon V. Kuffo, 88, who did not own the vehicle but had taken apart the center console with the ignition switch on, died of head trauma a day after a neighbor found him bleeding from the face in the passenger seat of the car parked in his yard near Miami. Kuffo's death is the 12th in the US and 17th worldwide to be blamed on the faulty inflators, which have injured 180 in the US. Honda -- which only learned of the incident with a legal claim in March, per the New York Times -- notes the Accord had one of Takata's most dangerous inflators with a reported 50% chance of it rupturing in a crash. But though owners of the car were sent 12 recall notices over seven years, Honda says, "our records indicate that the recall repair was never completed." Almost 70 million airbags in 42 million vehicles have now been recalled due to the faulty inflators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says "it's essential to safety that high-risk inflators are replaced immediately." (Detroit News)
Arizona Wins!
Arizona's lengthy list of 2017 wildfires has correlated with another unfortunate distinction. The Grand Canyon State also has seen the most number of illegal drone flights above those fires. There have been seven recorded drone flights over wildfires this year. The Goodwin Fire south of Prescott involved two of those flights, and one of the most publicized resulted in an arrest. Flying over forest fires is illegal because it causes dangerous flight risks for helicopters and airplanes fighting flames. Gene Alan Carpenter of Prescott Valley pleaded not guilty on Thursday in Mayer Justice Court and remains free after posting a $25,000 bond for flying his drone over the Goodwin Fire on June 24, shortly after it began. Prosecutors filed two felony endangerment charges against Carpenter. The FAA has warned drone operators not to fly near fires. Doing so risks not only the aircraft fighting the fires but the firefighters on the ground requiring aerial support. (KNAU)
Maybe the Nicest Man You'll Ever Meet
When 25-year-old Will Seaton decided to propose to his girlfriend, 23-year-old Ashley Schaus, he knew he'd need more than one ring. That's because in addition to asking Ashley to be his wife, he also wanted to ask her little sister, Hannah, to be his best friend forever. Will and Ashley began dating seven years ago and right from the start, Ashley joked that she and her sister were a package deal. Sixteen-year-old Hannah has Down syndrome and is diabetic and will always need to be in her older sister's care. In an interview with the "Today" show, Ashley Schaus recalled telling Will that Hannah is "part of my life and if you're going to be with me, she's going to be with us." In seven years of dating, they've taken Hannah along on most of their dates - to the movies, to dinner and to arcades. So it made sense to Will that when he proposed to Ashley, he would also need to ask Hannah to become part of his family. He popped the question during the Schaus family's yearly photo shoot. But before he asked Ashley to marry him, he got down on one knee, opened a ring box, and asked Hannah to be his best friend forever. Through tears, Ashley asked Will if she was next. She says, "Then he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife." Hannah will have the title of "Best Sister" for the wedding ceremony, which will take place this October. Will and Hannah will also exchange friendship vows that include promising to share secrets, go fishing, and take care of one another for life. (Mother Nature Network)
State of Emergency: Nevada Style
Hey, when your state finally legalizes the sale of recreational marijuana and you run out - well that's a state of emergency right? Two weeks after the new legalization laws kicked off in Nevada, stores are running out of pot prompting Gov. Brian Sandoval to endorse the Department of Taxation's "statement of emergency," which would allow for more licensed distributors. Nearly 50 dispensaries in the state have licenses to sell marijuana for recreational use. Those sales got underway on July 1 but those same retailers don't legally have the authority to restock their inventories. The Nevada Tax Commission is expected to vote on the regulation on Thursday. Stephanie Klapstein, a spokeswoman for the Department of Taxation, said that a collapsed marijuana market would have far-reaching consequences. Residents and tourists who are 21 and over can buy up to an ounce of marijuana or one-eighth of an ounce of edibles or concentrates -- but only while supplies last. (Reno Gazette-Journal Business Insider)
What the What?
In Arlington, Texas, a suicidal man who had doused himself in gasoline became engulfed in flames after a police officer used a stun gun on him! The officer who used the Taser on the man believed that the man was holding a lighter in his hand and was about to use it. Police spokeswoman Sgt. VaNessa Harrison acknowledged the risk of using an electrical stun gun near gasoline, but said the man was "very frantic and erratic and became a danger to everyone in the room." The man was taken to a hospital but his condition was unknown. An investigation is pending. (Star Telegram)
One thing's for sure, North Korea sure knows how to celebrate the successful launch of their first intercontinental ballistic missile. By order of Kim Jong Un himself, they put on a big concert - replete with pop music and thunderous applause. Headlining was the Moranbong Band, an all-female ensemble that was hand-picked by Kim and serves as something of the "soft" face of his regime. Among the numbers performed were "Song of Hwasong Rocket" and "Make Others Envy Us." Clips of the concert seen on North Korean television showed the crowd repeatedly cheering and applauding for Kim. Imagine that. (Newser)
Mother Teresa's Iconic Sari is Now Trademarked!
Even if you're not old enough to remember Mother Teresa, you've probably seen a picture of her wearing her iconic sari - basically the scarf over her head that is white with blue stripes. Well that sari has now been trademarked by the Missionaries of Charity in India. It wasn't really all for greed - more because organizations all over the world were making use of the design and suggesting, intentionally or not, that they were affiliated with the group. The nuns of the order shrugged it off for years, saying, "One day the people will understand they are doing the wrong thing." But their attorney, Biswajit Sarkar, wasn't quite as forgiving and began going after the trademark for the order in 2013. Now that the sari is trademarked, anyone using it without permission can be sued. Mother Teresa began wearing the distinctive, blue-striped sari in the late 1940s when she got permission to leave her convent and begin working among India's poor. Today, about 4,000 of the saris are woven annually and distributed to the order's nuns around the world. Attorney Sarkar says this is the first time a trademark has been issued for a religious uniform. (Times of India)
Aren't Airbags Supposed to Save Lives?
Another person has died as a result of an exploding Takata airbag, and this time there wasn't even a car crash! Honda says it recently learned about an incident on June 18, 2016, in which a man was using a hammer to make repairs on a 2001 Honda Accord when the airbag inflator activated and ruptured, sending metal fragments flying. Ramon V. Kuffo, 88, who did not own the vehicle but had taken apart the center console with the ignition switch on, died of head trauma a day after a neighbor found him bleeding from the face in the passenger seat of the car parked in his yard near Miami. Kuffo's death is the 12th in the US and 17th worldwide to be blamed on the faulty inflators, which have injured 180 in the US. Honda -- which only learned of the incident with a legal claim in March, per the New York Times -- notes the Accord had one of Takata's most dangerous inflators with a reported 50% chance of it rupturing in a crash. But though owners of the car were sent 12 recall notices over seven years, Honda says, "our records indicate that the recall repair was never completed." Almost 70 million airbags in 42 million vehicles have now been recalled due to the faulty inflators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says "it's essential to safety that high-risk inflators are replaced immediately." (Detroit News)
Arizona Wins!
Arizona's lengthy list of 2017 wildfires has correlated with another unfortunate distinction. The Grand Canyon State also has seen the most number of illegal drone flights above those fires. There have been seven recorded drone flights over wildfires this year. The Goodwin Fire south of Prescott involved two of those flights, and one of the most publicized resulted in an arrest. Flying over forest fires is illegal because it causes dangerous flight risks for helicopters and airplanes fighting flames. Gene Alan Carpenter of Prescott Valley pleaded not guilty on Thursday in Mayer Justice Court and remains free after posting a $25,000 bond for flying his drone over the Goodwin Fire on June 24, shortly after it began. Prosecutors filed two felony endangerment charges against Carpenter. The FAA has warned drone operators not to fly near fires. Doing so risks not only the aircraft fighting the fires but the firefighters on the ground requiring aerial support. (KNAU)
Maybe the Nicest Man You'll Ever Meet
When 25-year-old Will Seaton decided to propose to his girlfriend, 23-year-old Ashley Schaus, he knew he'd need more than one ring. That's because in addition to asking Ashley to be his wife, he also wanted to ask her little sister, Hannah, to be his best friend forever. Will and Ashley began dating seven years ago and right from the start, Ashley joked that she and her sister were a package deal. Sixteen-year-old Hannah has Down syndrome and is diabetic and will always need to be in her older sister's care. In an interview with the "Today" show, Ashley Schaus recalled telling Will that Hannah is "part of my life and if you're going to be with me, she's going to be with us." In seven years of dating, they've taken Hannah along on most of their dates - to the movies, to dinner and to arcades. So it made sense to Will that when he proposed to Ashley, he would also need to ask Hannah to become part of his family. He popped the question during the Schaus family's yearly photo shoot. But before he asked Ashley to marry him, he got down on one knee, opened a ring box, and asked Hannah to be his best friend forever. Through tears, Ashley asked Will if she was next. She says, "Then he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife." Hannah will have the title of "Best Sister" for the wedding ceremony, which will take place this October. Will and Hannah will also exchange friendship vows that include promising to share secrets, go fishing, and take care of one another for life. (Mother Nature Network)
State of Emergency: Nevada Style
Hey, when your state finally legalizes the sale of recreational marijuana and you run out - well that's a state of emergency right? Two weeks after the new legalization laws kicked off in Nevada, stores are running out of pot prompting Gov. Brian Sandoval to endorse the Department of Taxation's "statement of emergency," which would allow for more licensed distributors. Nearly 50 dispensaries in the state have licenses to sell marijuana for recreational use. Those sales got underway on July 1 but those same retailers don't legally have the authority to restock their inventories. The Nevada Tax Commission is expected to vote on the regulation on Thursday. Stephanie Klapstein, a spokeswoman for the Department of Taxation, said that a collapsed marijuana market would have far-reaching consequences. Residents and tourists who are 21 and over can buy up to an ounce of marijuana or one-eighth of an ounce of edibles or concentrates -- but only while supplies last. (Reno Gazette-Journal Business Insider)
What the What?
In Arlington, Texas, a suicidal man who had doused himself in gasoline became engulfed in flames after a police officer used a stun gun on him! The officer who used the Taser on the man believed that the man was holding a lighter in his hand and was about to use it. Police spokeswoman Sgt. VaNessa Harrison acknowledged the risk of using an electrical stun gun near gasoline, but said the man was "very frantic and erratic and became a danger to everyone in the room." The man was taken to a hospital but his condition was unknown. An investigation is pending. (Star Telegram)
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