WEIRD NEWS
Relax We Post. Seriously.
You know it sure is hard to unplug, unwind and just relax on vacation these days what with all that social media posting you have to do! God forbid your friends and followers not see where you are, who you're with and what you're doing for a few days. At least that's the thinking behind "Relax We Post" - a new service offered by Swiss hotel chain Ibis Hotels. It's just perfect for guests who want to take a break from social media and enjoy their vacation, but still keep their accounts updated. All they need to do is share their Instagram login details with the hotel's "Instagram sitters" who will post photos and stories on their behalf and even reply to comments. For the Relax We Post service, the Swiss hotel chain teamed up with over 10 well-known influencers who will login into guests' Instagram accounts and post high-quality photos, cool Stories as well as reply to comments. Philippe Alanou, senior VP of operations at AccorHotels Central Europe, said in a press release: "Relax We Post is part of our mission to ensure hotel guests enjoy unforgettable experiences when they stay with us." Oh yes, turning your social media login info over to complete strangers while on vacation. What could possibly go wrong? (Oddity Central)
Reverse Pinocchio
While we're all familiar with the story of Pinocchio, Spanish scientists at the University of Granada have uncovered a reverse "Pinocchio effect" and found that in fact, our noses don't grow when we tell a lie, but actually shrink a wee bit. Dr. Emilio Gómez Milán and his team developed a lie detector test that used thermography to tell if people were lying, and found that the temperature of the tip of their nose dropped up to 1.2 degrees Celsius when they did. Meanwhile, the temperature of their forehead increased up to 1.5C. Scientist also found that drop in temperature at nose level actually caused it to slightly shrink, although the difference is undetected by the human eye. Milán explained, "One has to think in order to lie, which rises the temperature of the forehead. At the same time we feel anxious, which lowers the temperature of the nose." The big takeaway: he says, "With this method we have achieved to increase accuracy and reduce the occurrence of "false positives", something that is frequent with other methods such as the polygraph." (Oddity Central)
You Wouldn't Mind If We Removed Your Husband's Skin Would You?
Tattoo artist Chris Wenzel of Saskatoon, Canada used to always say, "Tattoo 'til death!" Sadly the 41-year-old died in his sleep from ulcerative colitis which caused his heart to stop. But Chris's tattoos will live on. The tattoos that covered nearly all of his body are being preserved and framed by a U.S. company called Save My Ink Forever. His wife Cheryl said, "He knew he was going to go, and this is what he wanted." Save My Ink Forever preserves and frames the tattoos of the deceased. In a process that takes about three months, one's skin is surgically excised before a special formula is used to conserve it. Kyle Sherwood, who started the business with his father said, "Tattoos, you know, tell a story about a person. And for someone to get something tattooed on them that they're displaying for life, you know, means something to them... You wouldn't burn or bury a Picasso and that's what some of these pieces are." With nearly all of Wenzel's body covered in ink, Sherwood believes that this will be the largest tattoo preservation ever to be done in North America. The preserved tattoos will be unveiled at an expo this spring. It remains to be seen where his inked skin will hang after then. Cheryl, who sports tattoos made by her late husband, promised him that she'll also have hers preserved after death. (CTV News)
Irony Gods Throw Party in Maryland
It's irony at its best. Hammond High School in Columbia, Maryland had to be placed on a modified lockdown - continuing classes as normal but keeping students, faculty and staff inside the building - after a black bear was seen roaming school grounds. Oh did we mention that they are the Hammond High Bears! The black bear eventually left and authorities declared the area safe. Bears are typically shy and avoid humans, but many sightings are reported each year in the counties surrounding Baltimore as the animals make their way toward habitats in Western Maryland. On a technical note: Hammond High School's mascot is actually a Golden Bear - not a black bear. Still - the Hammond High Bears had to be placed on lockdown because of a bear! Oh the hilarity. I won't stop gut-busting laughter for at least a week! (Baltimore Sun)
Planet of the Apes... the Continuing Saga
Agra, India is home to the famous Taj Mahal. It's also unfortunately home to an increase in monkey attacks and the most recent is especially tragic. A 12-day-old infant has died after a monkey yanked him from his mother's arms while she was breastfeeding him in her home on the outskirts of Agra. The baby's father said the front door of his house was open and that the monkey "barged inside ... and grabbed the child by his neck." People nearby ran after the monkey, which "only dropped [the baby] when people chased it with sticks and threw stones at it," The monkey ended up leaving the baby, named Arush, on a neighbor's roof. The infant's head had been bitten and he died of his injuries at the hospital. Locals told reporters that just minutes before that attack, the same monkey went after a teen girl, who suffered minor injuries. Monkey infiltration in the city is apparently a major issue. One local environmental activist says the animals are being forced into urban areas as their natural habitats are increasingly disturbed by the growing city. (Times of India)
That's What We Call a Good Investment
Back in 1973 late Seattle-area luxury-travel executive Barney Ebsworth paid 180,000 for Edward Hopper's 1929 Chop Suey - a painting of the artist's wife in a Chinese restaurant. At the time it was considered quite a lot of money - but nothing compared to the $92 million that was just paid for it by an anonymous bidder. The scene unfolded at Christie's in New York as work from the Ebsworth estate went under the hammer. Willem de Kooning's 1954-55 Woman as Landscape sold for $69 million in another record for the artist, while Jackson Pollock's 1950 Composition With Red Strokes sold to a Swiss dealer for $55.4 million. It was a successful auction overall-bringing in 317.8 million, more than $50 million above Christie's estimate-despite recent rocky sales. Meanwhile I got this really cool fall landscape at Bed Bath and Beyond for $89.99. Pretty sure it's an original oil. Looks great over the living room sofa. (BBC)
What the What?
Police in West Milford, New York arrested 57-year-old Christopher Greyshock and charged him with drunken driving after he rear-ended another vehicle about 5:15pm Sunday. He told responding officers: "I drank too much because the Jets suck." The crash came about an hour after his team, the New York Jets, lost 41-10 to the Buffalo Bills. Police say Greyshock had an open bottle of whiskey and suspected marijuana in his car. Besides the DWI count, he was also charged with assault by auto. (Newser)
You know it sure is hard to unplug, unwind and just relax on vacation these days what with all that social media posting you have to do! God forbid your friends and followers not see where you are, who you're with and what you're doing for a few days. At least that's the thinking behind "Relax We Post" - a new service offered by Swiss hotel chain Ibis Hotels. It's just perfect for guests who want to take a break from social media and enjoy their vacation, but still keep their accounts updated. All they need to do is share their Instagram login details with the hotel's "Instagram sitters" who will post photos and stories on their behalf and even reply to comments. For the Relax We Post service, the Swiss hotel chain teamed up with over 10 well-known influencers who will login into guests' Instagram accounts and post high-quality photos, cool Stories as well as reply to comments. Philippe Alanou, senior VP of operations at AccorHotels Central Europe, said in a press release: "Relax We Post is part of our mission to ensure hotel guests enjoy unforgettable experiences when they stay with us." Oh yes, turning your social media login info over to complete strangers while on vacation. What could possibly go wrong? (Oddity Central)
Reverse Pinocchio
While we're all familiar with the story of Pinocchio, Spanish scientists at the University of Granada have uncovered a reverse "Pinocchio effect" and found that in fact, our noses don't grow when we tell a lie, but actually shrink a wee bit. Dr. Emilio Gómez Milán and his team developed a lie detector test that used thermography to tell if people were lying, and found that the temperature of the tip of their nose dropped up to 1.2 degrees Celsius when they did. Meanwhile, the temperature of their forehead increased up to 1.5C. Scientist also found that drop in temperature at nose level actually caused it to slightly shrink, although the difference is undetected by the human eye. Milán explained, "One has to think in order to lie, which rises the temperature of the forehead. At the same time we feel anxious, which lowers the temperature of the nose." The big takeaway: he says, "With this method we have achieved to increase accuracy and reduce the occurrence of "false positives", something that is frequent with other methods such as the polygraph." (Oddity Central)
You Wouldn't Mind If We Removed Your Husband's Skin Would You?
Tattoo artist Chris Wenzel of Saskatoon, Canada used to always say, "Tattoo 'til death!" Sadly the 41-year-old died in his sleep from ulcerative colitis which caused his heart to stop. But Chris's tattoos will live on. The tattoos that covered nearly all of his body are being preserved and framed by a U.S. company called Save My Ink Forever. His wife Cheryl said, "He knew he was going to go, and this is what he wanted." Save My Ink Forever preserves and frames the tattoos of the deceased. In a process that takes about three months, one's skin is surgically excised before a special formula is used to conserve it. Kyle Sherwood, who started the business with his father said, "Tattoos, you know, tell a story about a person. And for someone to get something tattooed on them that they're displaying for life, you know, means something to them... You wouldn't burn or bury a Picasso and that's what some of these pieces are." With nearly all of Wenzel's body covered in ink, Sherwood believes that this will be the largest tattoo preservation ever to be done in North America. The preserved tattoos will be unveiled at an expo this spring. It remains to be seen where his inked skin will hang after then. Cheryl, who sports tattoos made by her late husband, promised him that she'll also have hers preserved after death. (CTV News)
Irony Gods Throw Party in Maryland
It's irony at its best. Hammond High School in Columbia, Maryland had to be placed on a modified lockdown - continuing classes as normal but keeping students, faculty and staff inside the building - after a black bear was seen roaming school grounds. Oh did we mention that they are the Hammond High Bears! The black bear eventually left and authorities declared the area safe. Bears are typically shy and avoid humans, but many sightings are reported each year in the counties surrounding Baltimore as the animals make their way toward habitats in Western Maryland. On a technical note: Hammond High School's mascot is actually a Golden Bear - not a black bear. Still - the Hammond High Bears had to be placed on lockdown because of a bear! Oh the hilarity. I won't stop gut-busting laughter for at least a week! (Baltimore Sun)
Planet of the Apes... the Continuing Saga
Agra, India is home to the famous Taj Mahal. It's also unfortunately home to an increase in monkey attacks and the most recent is especially tragic. A 12-day-old infant has died after a monkey yanked him from his mother's arms while she was breastfeeding him in her home on the outskirts of Agra. The baby's father said the front door of his house was open and that the monkey "barged inside ... and grabbed the child by his neck." People nearby ran after the monkey, which "only dropped [the baby] when people chased it with sticks and threw stones at it," The monkey ended up leaving the baby, named Arush, on a neighbor's roof. The infant's head had been bitten and he died of his injuries at the hospital. Locals told reporters that just minutes before that attack, the same monkey went after a teen girl, who suffered minor injuries. Monkey infiltration in the city is apparently a major issue. One local environmental activist says the animals are being forced into urban areas as their natural habitats are increasingly disturbed by the growing city. (Times of India)
That's What We Call a Good Investment
Back in 1973 late Seattle-area luxury-travel executive Barney Ebsworth paid 180,000 for Edward Hopper's 1929 Chop Suey - a painting of the artist's wife in a Chinese restaurant. At the time it was considered quite a lot of money - but nothing compared to the $92 million that was just paid for it by an anonymous bidder. The scene unfolded at Christie's in New York as work from the Ebsworth estate went under the hammer. Willem de Kooning's 1954-55 Woman as Landscape sold for $69 million in another record for the artist, while Jackson Pollock's 1950 Composition With Red Strokes sold to a Swiss dealer for $55.4 million. It was a successful auction overall-bringing in 317.8 million, more than $50 million above Christie's estimate-despite recent rocky sales. Meanwhile I got this really cool fall landscape at Bed Bath and Beyond for $89.99. Pretty sure it's an original oil. Looks great over the living room sofa. (BBC)
What the What?
Police in West Milford, New York arrested 57-year-old Christopher Greyshock and charged him with drunken driving after he rear-ended another vehicle about 5:15pm Sunday. He told responding officers: "I drank too much because the Jets suck." The crash came about an hour after his team, the New York Jets, lost 41-10 to the Buffalo Bills. Police say Greyshock had an open bottle of whiskey and suspected marijuana in his car. Besides the DWI count, he was also charged with assault by auto. (Newser)
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