WEIRD NEWS

For God's Sake - Don't Call Poopsie Slime!

It's definitely one of the popular items expected to be on many children's Christmas wish lists this year. It's Poopsie Slime Surprise, but a family from Florida is warning about a lurking danger for the kiddies! Shari Leveille and John Corbett picked up the slime-making kit for their kids last week and were shocked when they found a phone number on a collectible milk carton that came with the toy, which connected them to a phone sex line! When the couple called the number and were greeted by a message asking if they "want me to send you a sexy pic of me?" MGA Entertainment, the company that makes Poopsie Slime Surprise says they are working to fix the problem adding, "Providing safe and wholesome play experiences are of upmost priority to us. Upon learning about this issue, we immediately implemented a course of action. We are offering an ultra-rare exchange product to anyone who currently has a Bessie Cowpie, at no expense to the customer. We are also talking with retailers to address whether this one particular character is currently on stores shelves, particularly since it's an ultra-rare style." (WSRZ)

Shark Tank + Naked Man = Oh Boy!

Toronto police are looking for the man who jumped naked into the massive shark tank at Ripley's Aquarium, and then took a swim among the 14 sharks to cheers and jeers before barely escaping. After his unexpected one-man show last Friday night, he was told police were on their way and then yanked on his pants, held his shoes in his hand and fled with a woman - leaving his hoodie and T-shirt behind. Police issued an alert and a photo of the man, although only showing his face. While the stunt was greeted largely with merriment by onlookers and on social media, the aquarium is not amused. Peter Doyle, general manager of Ripley's Aquarium of Canada said, "We hope to have this gentleman apprehended and charged to the fullest extent of the law, because what he did was foolish and dangerous. And it was definitely premeditated and intentional." Monday night the story took an unpleasant turn when police said the swimmer is believed to also be a man wanted for a serious assault two hours before and a few miles away. Police said David Weaver, 37, of Nelson, B.C., is wanted for mischief for the nude swim as well as assault causing bodily harm after a man was attacked outside Medieval Times dinner and show. (National Post)

Maybe Lay Off the Squirrel Brains

If you need another reason to not eat squirrel brains, a new report says a 61-year-old man in New York developed an extremely rare and fatal brain disorder after he ate squirrel brains. In 2015 the man was brought to a hospital in Rochester, New York, after experiencing a decline in his thinking abilities and losing touch with reality. He also lost the ability to walk on his own. An MRI of the man's head revealed a rare disease called vCJD, a fatal brain condition caused by infectious proteins called prions. Only a few hundred cases of vCJD have ever been reported, and most were tied to consumption of contaminated beef in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s (what they called mad cow disease back then). His family said he liked to hunt, and it was reported that he had eaten squirrel brains which ultimately did him in. Another problem with vCJD is that diagnosis may be delayed, in part, because it's so rare and is not "on the tip of the physician's mind" when assessing a patient. (Live Science)

Help!

It's a plot line straight out of Gilligan's Island! An innovative Floridian, his sharp-eyed niece, and some high-tech images combined for one of the more unusual rescues after Hurricane Michael. When Ernest Gee and his wife were trapped on their property in Youngstown, Gee used downed trees to spell out the word HELP in the yard. On Saturday, three days after the storm hit, niece Amber Gee was poring over satellite map images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to check on relatives' homes when she spotted the SOS. Gee, who credits her uncle with "thinking outside the box," alerted the Dade County Sheriff's Department, who cut through downed trees and made it to the home around 2am Sunday to rescue Ernest Gee, his wife, and a friend staying with them. (USA Today)

Clearly There Are Not Enough Guns in New York City

Well one thing's clear. New York City needs more guns. For the first time in decades there were no shootings in New York City on Friday, Saturday or Sunday! Mayor Bill de Blasio attributed it to the NYPD's strategy, training and continual push to get better. Shooting incidents citywide have dropped this year as compared to last year. Blasio said, "Isn't that amazing? You know, when you think about the history we came from and the challenges that had to be overcome by this NYPD, it's absolutely extraordinary." There have been 600 shootings across all five boroughs so far this year as of Oct. 7. It's a 2 percent drop compared to the same time period in 2017. NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill called the shooting free weekend "something all New Yorkers can be proud of." On the other hand, what a sad comment on our society when we get giddy because our largest city went three whole days without shooting anyone! (PIX 11)

Where Have All the Insects Gone?

The insects are disappearing from an American rainforest-and scientists are terrified! A study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that there has been a staggering decline of biomass in Puerto Rico's El Yunque rainforest over the last 40 years. Sweep samples caught 4 to 8 times fewer insects and other arthropods than a previous expedition in 1977-and sticky traps on the forest floor caught up to 60 times fewer creatures. The researchers say there have been parallel declines in the numbers of frogs, lizards, and birds that eat insects, signaling that life in the rainforest is dying out from the bottom up. University of Connecticut invertebrate conservation expert David Wagner said, "This is one of the most disturbing articles I have ever read. The gravity of their findings and ramifications for other animals, especially vertebrates, is hyper-alarming." As El Yunque is well-protected as part of the US National Forest System, the study's researchers attribute the problem to climate change -and increased exposure to extreme temperatures in particular. (Newser)

What the What?

In Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 24-year-old Jesse Vaughn Lawson was on the run with a warrant out for him alleging burglary and receiving stolen property. He might have gotten away if he had been smarter than a four-year-old. Sheriff's deputies in Westmoreland County had been looking for Lawson and when they checked at an apartment in Greensburg, Lawson's girlfriend told them she hadn't seen Lawson in five days. Too bad for him her little boy was more than happy to help. The toddler told deputies, "Come on, I'll show you," and led them to an electrical closet where Lawson was hiding. Now our friend faces additional charges of flight to avoid apprehension, child endangerment and a drug offense. (WJZC-TV)

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