WEIRD NEWS

Best Proposal of the Year?

It just may be the best proposal of 2017 - getting in just under the wire. Jon Emerson, a 24-year-old pilot for SkyWest airlines decided to surprise his flight-attendant girlfriend two days before Christmas. As Emerson gave passengers weather, altitude, and turbulence details before their Detroit to Oklahoma City flight took off, he suddenly introduced 23-year-old Lauren Gibbs as his girlfriend, and also as "one of our very best flight attendants." He then said he wanted her to not only remember this day as their anniversary, but also as a "day to be known for the rest of our lives." In a video Gibbs posted to her Facebook page, Emerson can then be seen whipping out a ring box and getting down on one knee to offer his marriage proposal to the clapping and cheers of passengers. Emerson later announced, "She said yes," for those who couldn't hear in the back. In her own post Gibbs wrote: "I got to say the easiest YES of my life to my best friend! It still feels like a dream and I cannot explain how blessed I am to spend forever with Jon." (Independent)

Guy Rewrites Dictionary - In Limericks 

It all started as a joke - and now has become Chris Strolin's mission - to give each word in the dictionary a rhyming definition. Strolin was teasing English buffs in an Oxford English Dictionary forum years ago when he said the dictionary should be rewritten in limericks. Then he ended up embracing the crazy idea, starting with the word "a": "It's used with a noun to convey/ A singular notion/ Like 'a duck' or 'a potion'" - and kept going. More than 1,000 contributors have joined him, off and on, over the years. The Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form (OEDILF) has published more than 97,000 rhyming definitions since Strolin started it in 2004. The retired Air Force radio operator from Belleville, Ill., says his project is on track to publish its 100,000th limerick in the coming year. He hopes his grandchildren, or perhaps their kids, will finish the job around 2076. Storlin says it's not as easy as it sounds - writing a limerick that weaves a joke into an accurate explanation of word's meaning. Take contributor Bill Middleton's definition of "adult": "As a kid, I was wild and a clown/As a teen, I would dash about town/Now adult, I shall go/Very cautious and slow/Goes to prove: what grows up must calm down." (Newser)

The Most Bizarre Domestic Violence Cases in My Career

A Florida sheriff calls it "one of the most bizarre domestic violence cases I have seen in my career." Authorities say 32-year-old Michael Wilson allegedly rigged a "booby trap" capable of electrocuting his pregnant wife if she unlocked the front door of their home over the Christmas holiday. Wilson aroused the suspicions of his stepfather when he told his wife to make sure she used the front door and to not let a child touch the doorknob. During this time, Wilson had disappeared from his in-law's home in Tennessee without explanation and accused his wife of cheating on him via text. Authorities found burn marks on the front door, which let off a large spark when kicked open. Inside they found the doorknob and deadbolt attached to a car battery charger. An electrician who looked at a picture of the booby trap determined there was an 80% to 100% chance of "suffering death or great bodily harm." They also found Wilson's wife's new smart cameras in the toilet and other odd items. Wilson was arrested in Tennessee and charged with attempted aggravated battery on a pregnant person. (Daytona Beach News-Journal)

Weird Florida DUI Case Just Got Weirder

Maybe you remember the weird Florida DUI case where 53-year-old Donna Byrne was charged with drunk driving while riding her horse. The case just took an even weirder turn when Polk County Judge Sharon Franklin found that Byrne was unfit to care for the horse and so the local sheriff's office must retain custody of the animal. Franklin also said Byrne must complete treatment for alcohol addiction but is allowed her to visit the horse, Bo Duke, so long as she was sober. Police said Byrne's blood-alcohol level was twice Florida's legal limit when she was arrested. Byrne's attorney, Craig Whisenhunt, says he will revisit the custody issue at a Jan. 11 hearing regarding additional pending charges of disorderly intoxication, animal endangerment, and culpable negligence. (Ledger)

And You Thought You Had a Bad First Date Story

Ever had a really bad first date? Doubt it rivals this one. Authorities in Dallas say an intoxicated Lindy Lou Layman was arrested after her first date with prominent Houston trial lawyer Anthony Buzbee because she allegedly caused at least $300,000 in damage to his art collection, including two Andy Warhol paintings. Buzbee told investigators that the 29-year-old Layman got too intoxicated on their date, so he called her an Uber after they returned to his home. She allegedly refused to leave and hid inside the home. When Buzbee found her and called a second Uber, she allegedly got aggressive. Authorities say she tore down several paintings and poured red wine on some, as well as threw two $20,000 sculptures. The damaged Warhol paintings were each valued at $500,000. And get this: If criminal mischief results in damage of more than $300,000, it's considered a first-degree felony, which is punishable by up to life in prison. (Houston Chronicle)

What the What?

A chicken kebab has become the world's first to be sent to space. Businessman Pascal Leuthold blasted the kebab 124,000 feet into the atmosphere on a weather balloon which crashed back down to Earth some two hours later. When it got back home it was frozen solid. It was all a publicity stunt that Pascal spent three months planning, to mark the launch of his new restaurant in Zurich which resembles a rocket. The chef said, "We thought what better way to announce our new chain to the world, than launching one of our kebabs into space. One of the most impressive things was to watch the Kebab freeze. We didn't think about this before, but of course at this height it's very cold and the whole kebab was frozen solid." He added, "It feels very cool to have launched the first kebab into space." (Metro)

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