WEIRD NEWS
For the Person Who Has Everything...
Need a gift for the person who has everything? Well two Academy Awards for best picture are going up for sale in a rare auction of Oscars. The Oscar awarded to Mutiny on the Bounty in 1936 and another given toGentleman's Agreement in 1948 will go up for auction in Los Angeles starting Dec. 11. The Mutiny on the Bounty best-picture statuette is expected to go for between $200,000 and $300,000. The best-picture Oscar forGentleman's Agreement, the 1947 film starring Gregory Peck that won three Academy Awards, is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000. Its seller wants to remain anonymous. Auctions of Oscar statuettes are uncommon because winners from 1951 onward have had to agree that they or their heirs must offer to sell it back to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for $1 before selling it to anyone else. The Academy has said it firmly believes Oscars should be won, not sold. Still, occasionally Oscars beyond the reach of the rules go up for sale and sell for large sums of money. The late Michael Jackson acquired David O. Selznick's Gone With the Wind Oscar for a record $1.5 million in 1999. (Newser)
Because. South Carolina.
Authorities in Berkley County, South Carolina are hoping to identify a man disguised in bunny ears in connection with stolen deer cameras. Yep. The Sheriff's Office posted photos on social media that show several people described as "persons of interest" in the case. The post read: "The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office needs your assistance in identifying the subjects captured on surveillance in the photos. Bonus points if you can identify the bunny." Several people commented on the man's bunny disguise, which was at one point called the "worst disguise ever." "Shhhhh! Time to hunt da wabbits!!" one woman wrote. The sheriff's office also mocked his outfit, saying "The Easter Bunny ... in November?" (FOX 8)
Yabba Dabba Don't!
Fred Flintstone joined the list of celebrities in trouble with the law after a Pasco County, Florida sheriff's deputy pulled him over for speeding. Police identified the driver as Don Swartz, although he was dressed as Fred Flintstone, complete with bare feet. And he was driving a Smart car customized to look exactly like Fred's signature foot-powered caveman car seen in the 1960s cartoon series. In a Facebook post, the Sheriff's office said Flinstone (aka Swartz) "became unruly" after being issued a speeding citation. He was later released with a notice to appear in court. (Huffington Post)
Bring on the Frankincense
Believe it or not, Frankincense may soon become an important treatment for arthritis. Researchers from the University of Alabama believe the biblical resin - which is extracted from Africa's boswellia trees - can halt inflammation. Data suggests it works by attaching or "docking" onto proteins that cause pain and effectively blocking them. The finding could help pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs to combat the condition, which affects millions of people worldwide. Professor Will Setzer, who led the study which was published in the journal Medicines, said: "We have identified some important inflammation-related molecular targets in humans that boswellia compounds can block. It's not clear why the trees make these compounds - it's probably to protect themselves from insect or fungal attack. It obviously works because the trees are still there. The biggest problem is making modifications to these natural compounds to make them more effective and bio-available for humans. Boswellia is not water soluble so it's difficult to get it into the bloodstream." Sadly, no tests were performed on gold or myrrh. (Daily Mail)
Too Bad More People Didn't Say Yes to the Dress
I guess you could say not enough people said yes to the dress. Bridal wear icon David's Bridal is filing for bankruptcy protection- but don't panic if you've already ordered dresses because operations will continue as normal while the wedding and prom retailer restructures. The bankruptcy filing, the private company said Monday, will wipe out more than $400 million in long-term debt. It has commitments for $60 million in new debtor-in-possession financing and expects to exit Chapter 11 in early January. The 300-plus stores run by the Conshokocken, Pennsylvania, company will continue to operate and online sales will continue unimpeded.(Newser)
Turns Out We've Got a Lot More Witches Than You Would Have Thought
Turns out there are a lot more witches in the U.S. than you would have thought. Several recent studies indicate there may be at least 1.5 million witches across the country - a dramatic increase since the 1990s. One big reason is so many more millennials are turning to astrology and alternate religions as they turn away from Christianity and other traditionally dominant Abrahamic religions. For a little perspective, that means we've got more witches than Presbyterians which only count 1.4 million. Data collected by the Pew Research Center and Trinity College in Connecticut show witchcraft and pre-Christian traditions have been revitalized by young adults. There were an estimated 8,000 Wiccans in 1990, but as of 2008 that number jumped to 340,000. Study author Julie Roys notes, "Wicca has effectively repackaged witchcraft for millennial consumption. No longer is witchcraft and paganism satanic and demonic, it's a 'pre-Christian tradition' that promotes 'free thought' and 'understanding of earth and nature." (Newsweek)
What the What?
We've all been frustrated by airport delays, but usually I don't get set-my-clothes-on-fire frustrated! In Pakistan, PK-607 flight was due to leave from Islamabad Airport for Gilgit at 7 a.m., but takeoff was hampered by bad weather. At first the flight was delayed, then cancelled and for one passenger, this was the last straw. Video footage of the incident, which has gone viral, shows the unnamed man venting his fury by igniting a piece of clothing from his bag, which he then uses to set a pile of his clothes on fire! Another man is seen coming up to the passenger and trying to put out the blaze but this only further infuriates the thwarted passenger, who kicks the extinguisher away. A group of bystanders watch on in bemusement and smoke rises. Before long, airport security arrives and gets things under control. (Newsweek)
Need a gift for the person who has everything? Well two Academy Awards for best picture are going up for sale in a rare auction of Oscars. The Oscar awarded to Mutiny on the Bounty in 1936 and another given toGentleman's Agreement in 1948 will go up for auction in Los Angeles starting Dec. 11. The Mutiny on the Bounty best-picture statuette is expected to go for between $200,000 and $300,000. The best-picture Oscar forGentleman's Agreement, the 1947 film starring Gregory Peck that won three Academy Awards, is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000. Its seller wants to remain anonymous. Auctions of Oscar statuettes are uncommon because winners from 1951 onward have had to agree that they or their heirs must offer to sell it back to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for $1 before selling it to anyone else. The Academy has said it firmly believes Oscars should be won, not sold. Still, occasionally Oscars beyond the reach of the rules go up for sale and sell for large sums of money. The late Michael Jackson acquired David O. Selznick's Gone With the Wind Oscar for a record $1.5 million in 1999. (Newser)
Because. South Carolina.
Authorities in Berkley County, South Carolina are hoping to identify a man disguised in bunny ears in connection with stolen deer cameras. Yep. The Sheriff's Office posted photos on social media that show several people described as "persons of interest" in the case. The post read: "The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office needs your assistance in identifying the subjects captured on surveillance in the photos. Bonus points if you can identify the bunny." Several people commented on the man's bunny disguise, which was at one point called the "worst disguise ever." "Shhhhh! Time to hunt da wabbits!!" one woman wrote. The sheriff's office also mocked his outfit, saying "The Easter Bunny ... in November?" (FOX 8)
Yabba Dabba Don't!
Fred Flintstone joined the list of celebrities in trouble with the law after a Pasco County, Florida sheriff's deputy pulled him over for speeding. Police identified the driver as Don Swartz, although he was dressed as Fred Flintstone, complete with bare feet. And he was driving a Smart car customized to look exactly like Fred's signature foot-powered caveman car seen in the 1960s cartoon series. In a Facebook post, the Sheriff's office said Flinstone (aka Swartz) "became unruly" after being issued a speeding citation. He was later released with a notice to appear in court. (Huffington Post)
Bring on the Frankincense
Believe it or not, Frankincense may soon become an important treatment for arthritis. Researchers from the University of Alabama believe the biblical resin - which is extracted from Africa's boswellia trees - can halt inflammation. Data suggests it works by attaching or "docking" onto proteins that cause pain and effectively blocking them. The finding could help pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs to combat the condition, which affects millions of people worldwide. Professor Will Setzer, who led the study which was published in the journal Medicines, said: "We have identified some important inflammation-related molecular targets in humans that boswellia compounds can block. It's not clear why the trees make these compounds - it's probably to protect themselves from insect or fungal attack. It obviously works because the trees are still there. The biggest problem is making modifications to these natural compounds to make them more effective and bio-available for humans. Boswellia is not water soluble so it's difficult to get it into the bloodstream." Sadly, no tests were performed on gold or myrrh. (Daily Mail)
Too Bad More People Didn't Say Yes to the Dress
I guess you could say not enough people said yes to the dress. Bridal wear icon David's Bridal is filing for bankruptcy protection- but don't panic if you've already ordered dresses because operations will continue as normal while the wedding and prom retailer restructures. The bankruptcy filing, the private company said Monday, will wipe out more than $400 million in long-term debt. It has commitments for $60 million in new debtor-in-possession financing and expects to exit Chapter 11 in early January. The 300-plus stores run by the Conshokocken, Pennsylvania, company will continue to operate and online sales will continue unimpeded.(Newser)
Turns Out We've Got a Lot More Witches Than You Would Have Thought
Turns out there are a lot more witches in the U.S. than you would have thought. Several recent studies indicate there may be at least 1.5 million witches across the country - a dramatic increase since the 1990s. One big reason is so many more millennials are turning to astrology and alternate religions as they turn away from Christianity and other traditionally dominant Abrahamic religions. For a little perspective, that means we've got more witches than Presbyterians which only count 1.4 million. Data collected by the Pew Research Center and Trinity College in Connecticut show witchcraft and pre-Christian traditions have been revitalized by young adults. There were an estimated 8,000 Wiccans in 1990, but as of 2008 that number jumped to 340,000. Study author Julie Roys notes, "Wicca has effectively repackaged witchcraft for millennial consumption. No longer is witchcraft and paganism satanic and demonic, it's a 'pre-Christian tradition' that promotes 'free thought' and 'understanding of earth and nature." (Newsweek)
What the What?
We've all been frustrated by airport delays, but usually I don't get set-my-clothes-on-fire frustrated! In Pakistan, PK-607 flight was due to leave from Islamabad Airport for Gilgit at 7 a.m., but takeoff was hampered by bad weather. At first the flight was delayed, then cancelled and for one passenger, this was the last straw. Video footage of the incident, which has gone viral, shows the unnamed man venting his fury by igniting a piece of clothing from his bag, which he then uses to set a pile of his clothes on fire! Another man is seen coming up to the passenger and trying to put out the blaze but this only further infuriates the thwarted passenger, who kicks the extinguisher away. A group of bystanders watch on in bemusement and smoke rises. Before long, airport security arrives and gets things under control. (Newsweek)
Comments
Post a Comment