WEIRD NEWS
Love Cuban Style!
Going to Cuba anytime soon? You may be surprised to discover that it's not unusual to see couples "getting it on" in public - specifically in Havana's public parks and beaches. Why? Well, because they don't often have the privacy to do so at home. The nation's housing crunch means that multiple families often have to share the same apartment and divorced couples sometimes must continue living together. While private facilities do offer rooms for rent at a fee of $5 for three hours, that's still too expensive for many in a nation where the average monthly salary is less than $30. So, to help out the folks, Cuba is bringing back state-run "posadas" or "love motels," which were common some three decades ago. The state will start by opening a 16-room motel in Havana, named Hotel Vento, and already has plans for another. Some of the dozens of posadas in use in the city until the 1990s, when hurricanes necessitated that they be converted into housing for the homeless, will also be restored. A hotel administrator said, "We want to revive this service that is in high demand, has a big social impact and without a doubt is very profitable. The city needs this." (BBC)
Trump Has Friend in Lindsey Lohan
A new History channel documentary set to air Sunday night focuses on a recently surfaced photo that some think proves Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan survived their 1937 plane crash. Investigators with the documentary say the image shows Earhart sitting on a dock with her back to the camera and Noonan standing to the far left. The person believed to be Earhart is looking out at a ship that appears to be towing a plane. The image fits into a larger theory: After being blown off course, Earhart crashed in the Marshall Islands, then got picked up by the Japanese military, which apparently thought she and Noonan were spies. They were then taken to Saipan, where they're believed to have died in prison. History buff and retired federal agent Les Kinney says he found the "misfiled" photo in the National Archives. The photo has Office of Naval Intelligence markings and is labeled "Marshall Islands, Jaluit Atoll, Jaluit Island, Jaluit Harbor." The photo, which isn't dated, might have been taken by someone spying for the US on Japan's military operations in the Pacific. Not everyone is buying it, however. Dorothy Cochrane, curator for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Aeronautics Department, tells People that the idea Japan took Earhart prisoner is "ridiculous." (Time)
Oops!
Of all the really bad clerical errors to make, 25-year-old Ralston Dodd - a man British police call "extremely dangerous" - was accidentally released early from prison, possibly due to court staff mishearing his sentence. Dodd stabbed a man three times in the back following an argument, nearly killing him last September. He was arrested three weeks after the attack following a manhunt and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to nine years in prison but it's possible court staff misheard the judge's "nine years" for "nine months," and now Dodd is the subject of a second manhunt. An arrest warrant has been issued. The 21-year-old victim's father said, "This is an unacceptable blunder by them. How can this happen without anyone noticing?" A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, which is investigating the circumstances, says these kinds of mistakes are "extremely rare." (Telegraph)
Using Craigslist for All the Wrong Reasons
In Oklahoma, federal prosecutors have charged 37-year-old Danielle Layman with trying to hire someone via Craigslist to travel to Israel and kill her ex-husband using ricin! Prosecutors said in a news release that Layman posted on the classifieds website advertising a seemingly innocent "10 day gig overseas." According to an affidavit, the ad read: "For production overseas, looking for talent, 30-45 years old. Doesn't have to be a professional actor. Required: Creative, outgoing and friendly, positive personality, boldness and bravery (some stunts may seem risky, although they are completely safe)." It added that experience in acting, magic shows, and casino dealing was preferred. A person who responded to the ad contacted the FBI after meeting with Layman who allegedly used a PowerPoint presentation called "Operation Insecticide" in which the "Mission Details" instructed the person to travel to Israel, hire the ex-husband as a taxi driver every morning, and offer him coffee that was laced with ricin. (Newser)
How Not to Eradicate Bees
There are plenty of perfectly safe ways to remove a bees' nest from your garage. Calling a licensed exterminator might be a good first move. What you don't want to do is try to do it yourself using fireworks. The idiot homeowner in Grand Blanc Township who tried that one ended up burning the free standing building down instead. Grand Blanc Fire Chief Bob Burdette says the homeowner was trying to use a smoke bomb to get a bees' nest out of the garage. Fortunately nobody was hurt and at least his house is okay. (M LIve)
What the What?
Going to Cuba anytime soon? You may be surprised to discover that it's not unusual to see couples "getting it on" in public - specifically in Havana's public parks and beaches. Why? Well, because they don't often have the privacy to do so at home. The nation's housing crunch means that multiple families often have to share the same apartment and divorced couples sometimes must continue living together. While private facilities do offer rooms for rent at a fee of $5 for three hours, that's still too expensive for many in a nation where the average monthly salary is less than $30. So, to help out the folks, Cuba is bringing back state-run "posadas" or "love motels," which were common some three decades ago. The state will start by opening a 16-room motel in Havana, named Hotel Vento, and already has plans for another. Some of the dozens of posadas in use in the city until the 1990s, when hurricanes necessitated that they be converted into housing for the homeless, will also be restored. A hotel administrator said, "We want to revive this service that is in high demand, has a big social impact and without a doubt is very profitable. The city needs this." (BBC)
Trump Has Friend in Lindsey Lohan
Even though he once described her as "probably deeply troubled and therefore great in bed," Donald Trump apparently has a friend in Lindsay Lohan. Miss Lohan took to Twitter to defend the president, responding to a Breitbart article that quoted Trump as saying he would be "delighted" to help a critically ill British infant, whom the European Court of Human Rights considers too ill for experimental medicine, reports People. She tweeted: "THIS IS our president. Stop bullying him & start trusting him. Thank you personally for supporting THEUSA." She went on to describe Trump and his family members as "kind people." As hard as it will be to believe, reaction to Lohan's tweet has been about 50-50. Some expressed "respect" for the Mean Girls actress, but others said things like: "Stop trying to make Trump happen. It's not going to happen," a reference to a line a line from Mean Girls. Lohan, who is planning a return to acting, just launched a lifestyle website. (People
Did Amelia Earhart Survive the Crash?
Did Amelia Earhart Survive the Crash?
A new History channel documentary set to air Sunday night focuses on a recently surfaced photo that some think proves Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan survived their 1937 plane crash. Investigators with the documentary say the image shows Earhart sitting on a dock with her back to the camera and Noonan standing to the far left. The person believed to be Earhart is looking out at a ship that appears to be towing a plane. The image fits into a larger theory: After being blown off course, Earhart crashed in the Marshall Islands, then got picked up by the Japanese military, which apparently thought she and Noonan were spies. They were then taken to Saipan, where they're believed to have died in prison. History buff and retired federal agent Les Kinney says he found the "misfiled" photo in the National Archives. The photo has Office of Naval Intelligence markings and is labeled "Marshall Islands, Jaluit Atoll, Jaluit Island, Jaluit Harbor." The photo, which isn't dated, might have been taken by someone spying for the US on Japan's military operations in the Pacific. Not everyone is buying it, however. Dorothy Cochrane, curator for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Aeronautics Department, tells People that the idea Japan took Earhart prisoner is "ridiculous." (Time)
Oops!
Of all the really bad clerical errors to make, 25-year-old Ralston Dodd - a man British police call "extremely dangerous" - was accidentally released early from prison, possibly due to court staff mishearing his sentence. Dodd stabbed a man three times in the back following an argument, nearly killing him last September. He was arrested three weeks after the attack following a manhunt and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to nine years in prison but it's possible court staff misheard the judge's "nine years" for "nine months," and now Dodd is the subject of a second manhunt. An arrest warrant has been issued. The 21-year-old victim's father said, "This is an unacceptable blunder by them. How can this happen without anyone noticing?" A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, which is investigating the circumstances, says these kinds of mistakes are "extremely rare." (Telegraph)
Using Craigslist for All the Wrong Reasons
In Oklahoma, federal prosecutors have charged 37-year-old Danielle Layman with trying to hire someone via Craigslist to travel to Israel and kill her ex-husband using ricin! Prosecutors said in a news release that Layman posted on the classifieds website advertising a seemingly innocent "10 day gig overseas." According to an affidavit, the ad read: "For production overseas, looking for talent, 30-45 years old. Doesn't have to be a professional actor. Required: Creative, outgoing and friendly, positive personality, boldness and bravery (some stunts may seem risky, although they are completely safe)." It added that experience in acting, magic shows, and casino dealing was preferred. A person who responded to the ad contacted the FBI after meeting with Layman who allegedly used a PowerPoint presentation called "Operation Insecticide" in which the "Mission Details" instructed the person to travel to Israel, hire the ex-husband as a taxi driver every morning, and offer him coffee that was laced with ricin. (Newser)
How Not to Eradicate Bees
There are plenty of perfectly safe ways to remove a bees' nest from your garage. Calling a licensed exterminator might be a good first move. What you don't want to do is try to do it yourself using fireworks. The idiot homeowner in Grand Blanc Township who tried that one ended up burning the free standing building down instead. Grand Blanc Fire Chief Bob Burdette says the homeowner was trying to use a smoke bomb to get a bees' nest out of the garage. Fortunately nobody was hurt and at least his house is okay. (M LIve)
What the What?
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, a 71-year-old grandma married her 16-year-old "boy toy" after the couple threatened to commit suicide if their families blocked the marriage. Despite their 55 year age gap, teenager Selamat Riayadi tied the knot with a widow named only as Rohaya in their home village of Karangendah. Footage of the ceremony shows Selamat putting his hands to his face as guests scream and cheer in celebration. Legally, men must be at least 19 before they get married in Indonesia, but a loophole in the law allows for marriage under an individual's religious beliefs. (Metro)
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