WEIRD NEWS
Google Translate LOL!
On the off chance that you think Google Translate is infallible, the Norwegian Olympic team would like a word with you. Team chef Stale Johansen calls it, "Absolutely unbelievable." He was trying to order 1,500 eggs for the 109 athletes on his team. Google Translate managed to turn that number into 15,000 eggs - which were promptly delivered to Johansen's kitchen by a South Korean grocer. Johansen says, "There was literally no end to the delivery." The good news is the situation ended up being a waste of time, not food: The excess eggs were returned. In defense of Google Translate, South Korea does have an unusually complex counting system and it is common for restaurants to buy eggs by the crate in multiples of 30 in South Korea. However, changing just one syllable would mean the difference between 1,500 and 15,000. (USA Today)
This is Going to Be a Pretty Wild Olympics
So how cold is it in Pyeongchang? It's so cold skis are actually warping and the deep freeze is playing havoc with the electronic equipment. With temperatures around freezing in the daytime and down to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit at night, this is on course to be the coldest Winter Olympics in decades. There will probably also be some icy stares. Vice President Mike Pence will be seated just a few feet away from Kim Jong Un's sister during tonight's opening ceremony, but don't expect a lot of smiles and hugs. Pence says the US delegation is there not just to cheer American athletes, but to remind people that Pyongyang is the most "tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet. We will not allow North Korean propaganda to hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic Games." North Korean officials say their delegation is only there for the Games and they have no intention of meeting the US side. Meanwhile, probably making matters worse, North Korea held a large military parade in Pyongyang yesterday, just a day before the Games begin. Kim Jong Un was seen inspecting troops at the parade to celebrate the founding of the Korean People's Army, an event usually held in April. (Guardian)
Jared Fogle Just Won't Give Up
We've all heard the old adage, "He who serves as his own attorney has a fool for a client." Former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is doing everything he can to demonstrate how true that is. Of course now serving a 15-year sentence for child pornography and child prostitution, Fogle has filed a bizarre appeal arguing that the judge who has presided over his case is biased because she has two teenage daughters. In the filing, Fogle writes, "It is the opinion of a 'reasonable party' that Judge Tanya Walton Pratt has demonstrated she is prejudicially biased to the Defendant Jared S. Fogle, and should in facts and law, recuse herself from these proceedings." This is just the latest of several self-written legal documents he has submitted in recent months. Fogle - whose crimes involved teenage girls being illegally photographed and a teenage prostitute - has also argued that Pratt wrongly allowed prosecutors to charge him with conspiracy. In 2016, Fogle actually sued the parents of one of his victims, arguing that they were the ones responsible for her emotional distress. The man simply has no shame. (WTTV News)
Stop Amazon! Just Stop!
A Massachusetts couple says it was fun at first when they started receiving free mystery packages from Amazon that they hadn't ordered. Now it's reached the point of annoying bewilderment and they want it to stop. Mike and Kelly Gallivan say the first package arrived in October. Since then, they've continued to receive about two packages each week and are up to about 25 in all. The packages contain mostly cheap stuff such as plastic fans and phone chargers. Amazon told them the merchandise was paid for with a gift card with no sender's name. Two experts say the Gallivans are likely unwittingly being used in a ruse to manipulate Amazon buyer reviews. The anonymous sender is likely writing glowing reviews of their own product. (Boston Globe)
Would You Pay Over $100K for a Vanity License Plate?
Over in the UK, one of the rarest and most sought after license plates is going up for auction. The license plate TAX1 (Think: Taxi) has been in private ownership for over 40 years but now expects to fetch up to $140,000 when it goes on sale on February 22. Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said he anticipates national interest when the number plate goes under the hammer at Humbert and Ellis Auctioneers in Whittlebury, Northamptonshire. It hasn't been available since the 1970s and taxi company owners like Uber or Addison Lee are expected to be very interested. (Metro)
School Uniforms. Armani School Uniforms!
A public elementary school in Tokyo's upscale shopping district of Ginza has raised parents' eyebrows with a plan to adopt new school uniforms. It's not that the parents are opposed to uniforms, it's that the school wants uniforms designed by Italian fashion mogul Giorgio Armani! Taimei Elementary School is introducing the uniforms for incoming students which will cost more than 80,000 yen - or $729 each, more than three times as much as current ones. One mother said, "I‘m worried that a wrong notion that something expensive is good and something cheap is bad could be imprinted on children." In a letter to parents, headmaster Toshitsugu Wada said Taimei was a landmark in Ginza, and the decision to adopt the Armani-designed uniforms aimed at creating an atmosphere suitable for such a school. In other words, because we're better than you are! (Reuters)
What the What?
In Spokane, Washington, a sheriff's deputy mistakenly arrested the victim of a robbery - because the real burglar was stupid enough to call the police and report the items he had stolen, as stolen - after the victim took them back! When Deputy Jason Petrini spoke to the initial caller, 46-year-old Jason M. Tschanz, Tschanz claimed he bought the TV and Xbox in question from his neighbor before that neighbor went to jail. He explained that his neighbor's girlfriend came over to his apartment and took the stuff back. Deputy Petrini made a call to Geiger Corrections Center to confirm with the neighbor he sold the items to Tschanz, which he adamantly denied. He also told Deputy Petrini about catching Tschanz breaking into his apartment and reiterated Tschanz did not have permission to enter his residence or have any of his property. After further investigation and additional questioning, Tschanz admitted he stole the property and was promptly arrested. (KHQ News)
On the off chance that you think Google Translate is infallible, the Norwegian Olympic team would like a word with you. Team chef Stale Johansen calls it, "Absolutely unbelievable." He was trying to order 1,500 eggs for the 109 athletes on his team. Google Translate managed to turn that number into 15,000 eggs - which were promptly delivered to Johansen's kitchen by a South Korean grocer. Johansen says, "There was literally no end to the delivery." The good news is the situation ended up being a waste of time, not food: The excess eggs were returned. In defense of Google Translate, South Korea does have an unusually complex counting system and it is common for restaurants to buy eggs by the crate in multiples of 30 in South Korea. However, changing just one syllable would mean the difference between 1,500 and 15,000. (USA Today)
This is Going to Be a Pretty Wild Olympics
So how cold is it in Pyeongchang? It's so cold skis are actually warping and the deep freeze is playing havoc with the electronic equipment. With temperatures around freezing in the daytime and down to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit at night, this is on course to be the coldest Winter Olympics in decades. There will probably also be some icy stares. Vice President Mike Pence will be seated just a few feet away from Kim Jong Un's sister during tonight's opening ceremony, but don't expect a lot of smiles and hugs. Pence says the US delegation is there not just to cheer American athletes, but to remind people that Pyongyang is the most "tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet. We will not allow North Korean propaganda to hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic Games." North Korean officials say their delegation is only there for the Games and they have no intention of meeting the US side. Meanwhile, probably making matters worse, North Korea held a large military parade in Pyongyang yesterday, just a day before the Games begin. Kim Jong Un was seen inspecting troops at the parade to celebrate the founding of the Korean People's Army, an event usually held in April. (Guardian)
Jared Fogle Just Won't Give Up
We've all heard the old adage, "He who serves as his own attorney has a fool for a client." Former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is doing everything he can to demonstrate how true that is. Of course now serving a 15-year sentence for child pornography and child prostitution, Fogle has filed a bizarre appeal arguing that the judge who has presided over his case is biased because she has two teenage daughters. In the filing, Fogle writes, "It is the opinion of a 'reasonable party' that Judge Tanya Walton Pratt has demonstrated she is prejudicially biased to the Defendant Jared S. Fogle, and should in facts and law, recuse herself from these proceedings." This is just the latest of several self-written legal documents he has submitted in recent months. Fogle - whose crimes involved teenage girls being illegally photographed and a teenage prostitute - has also argued that Pratt wrongly allowed prosecutors to charge him with conspiracy. In 2016, Fogle actually sued the parents of one of his victims, arguing that they were the ones responsible for her emotional distress. The man simply has no shame. (WTTV News)
Stop Amazon! Just Stop!
A Massachusetts couple says it was fun at first when they started receiving free mystery packages from Amazon that they hadn't ordered. Now it's reached the point of annoying bewilderment and they want it to stop. Mike and Kelly Gallivan say the first package arrived in October. Since then, they've continued to receive about two packages each week and are up to about 25 in all. The packages contain mostly cheap stuff such as plastic fans and phone chargers. Amazon told them the merchandise was paid for with a gift card with no sender's name. Two experts say the Gallivans are likely unwittingly being used in a ruse to manipulate Amazon buyer reviews. The anonymous sender is likely writing glowing reviews of their own product. (Boston Globe)
Would You Pay Over $100K for a Vanity License Plate?
Over in the UK, one of the rarest and most sought after license plates is going up for auction. The license plate TAX1 (Think: Taxi) has been in private ownership for over 40 years but now expects to fetch up to $140,000 when it goes on sale on February 22. Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said he anticipates national interest when the number plate goes under the hammer at Humbert and Ellis Auctioneers in Whittlebury, Northamptonshire. It hasn't been available since the 1970s and taxi company owners like Uber or Addison Lee are expected to be very interested. (Metro)
School Uniforms. Armani School Uniforms!
A public elementary school in Tokyo's upscale shopping district of Ginza has raised parents' eyebrows with a plan to adopt new school uniforms. It's not that the parents are opposed to uniforms, it's that the school wants uniforms designed by Italian fashion mogul Giorgio Armani! Taimei Elementary School is introducing the uniforms for incoming students which will cost more than 80,000 yen - or $729 each, more than three times as much as current ones. One mother said, "I‘m worried that a wrong notion that something expensive is good and something cheap is bad could be imprinted on children." In a letter to parents, headmaster Toshitsugu Wada said Taimei was a landmark in Ginza, and the decision to adopt the Armani-designed uniforms aimed at creating an atmosphere suitable for such a school. In other words, because we're better than you are! (Reuters)
What the What?
In Spokane, Washington, a sheriff's deputy mistakenly arrested the victim of a robbery - because the real burglar was stupid enough to call the police and report the items he had stolen, as stolen - after the victim took them back! When Deputy Jason Petrini spoke to the initial caller, 46-year-old Jason M. Tschanz, Tschanz claimed he bought the TV and Xbox in question from his neighbor before that neighbor went to jail. He explained that his neighbor's girlfriend came over to his apartment and took the stuff back. Deputy Petrini made a call to Geiger Corrections Center to confirm with the neighbor he sold the items to Tschanz, which he adamantly denied. He also told Deputy Petrini about catching Tschanz breaking into his apartment and reiterated Tschanz did not have permission to enter his residence or have any of his property. After further investigation and additional questioning, Tschanz admitted he stole the property and was promptly arrested. (KHQ News)
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