WEIRD NEWS

Now That's a Tough Decision

In Jamestown, North Dakota, it took 69-year-old Myron Schlafman just moments to make what had to be the toughest decision of his life. Schlafman was using an electric meat mixer to make homemade sausage in his garage. As he removed a chunk of meat from the machine he accidentally stepped on the pedal that powered it, pulling his left arm into the device. He says the bone was severed but the hand remained attached via skin, nerves, and tissue-and that he believed he'd bleed to death if he didn't remove the hand above his wrist immediately. So he did! Schlafman said, "When I cut off my arm, I could feel my nerves jumping. If I would have hesitated, I would have stood right there and bled to death." He says a tourniquet applied by two responding officers further enabled him to survive. Doctors weren't able to reattach the hand so he'll ultimately be outfitted with a prosthetic one. His take on the situation is an amazingly optimistic one saying: "I went through Vietnam. I can handle this." (KFGO)

Wait - You Mean It Wasn't the Great Tribulation?

As for that carload of naked people arrested for kidnapping in a bizarre case in Canada last year, we're finally getting some new information. Apparently they believed they were doing a good deed-saving their neighbors from demons. Two women and a man involved in the incident pleaded guilty to unlawful confinement last week and one of the women also admitted to dangerous driving. According to court documents, the group of five Jehovah's Witnesses had been staying at a house in Alberta, where one of the women had taken her two teen daughters to visit her 27-year-old nephew and his wife. Over three days in early November, the group was apparently overtaken by religious mania and came to believe the Great Tribulation, part of the Biblical "End Times," had occurred. So, obviously believing they were in danger from "wicked people outside or from demons," they ended up fleeing the home so quickly that only the mother had time to get dressed. The group kidnapped a man, his daughter, and her baby son from a neighboring home and drove off at speed chanting "Jehovah." The neighbors escaped when the SUV slowed down. They were then picked up by a truck that stopped to help-which was then rammed by the Jehovah's Witnesses. Court documents state that when police arrived, the group, believing the officers "were monsters who would kill them," refused to leave the vehicle, and "displayed extreme strength" as officers subdued them with pepper spray and Tasers. (Guardiana)

Sometimes It's Best to Just Catch a Later Flight

Over in Dublin, Ireland, one young man now sits in jail - because he really didn't want to miss his plane! The crazy tale starts with an unidentified man in his 20s showing up at the boarding gate Thursday morning too late to board his flight to Amsterdam. Authorities say he argued with Ryanair personnel, then began pounding on an airport window, apparently hoping to get the ground crew's attention in hopes they would hold the plane for him. When that didn't work he reportedly then broke through a door and made his way on to the tarmac trying to flag the aircraft down. The plane was already taxiing at the time and airport security intervened on the tarmac until police quickly arrived to make an arrest. (ITV News)

Yell at Your Kids and You'll Cause Depression and Low Self-Esteem

Goodness knows parenting can be frustrating at times and kids can get downright wild! However, a new report in The Journal of Child Development says constantly screaming at your kids can cause permanent damage. According to the study, children who are yelled at regularly have more depressed and anxious feelings. If you scream at your children, you're setting them up to yell at people or to expect that they will get yelled at when they get older. Yelling can also change the neurological pathways in a child's brain to thinking they are in danger, making them fight, flight or freeze. These types of responses get etched into the child's brain and affects their personality. Ironically, yelling is usually ineffective as it makes the children not want to listen to you and makes the parent appear weak. Dr. Alan Kazdin says calm conversation is how a parent should approach their children. Using a sense of humor while being authoritative and still connecting with them can also help, but they need to know what they've done wrong. This is where positive and negative reinforcement happen. Praise them if they've done what they are supposed to do. If not, they must be given consequences without you yelling at them or being too aggressive. Occasional yelling is fine in extreme situations like kids fighting or hurting each other. They need to get shocked so that the potentially dangerous situation will not occur. However, after getting their attention, you should calm your voice as you remedy the situation. (APost.com)

Come On Japan - Grow Some Stones!

For some reason, many of our Japanese friends find it incredibly difficult to quit their jobs. No worries, "Exit" is a new Tokyo-based startup and will be more than happy to handle that ugly task for you - as long as you've got $350 - $450! Exit's founders said they were surprised that so many people find quitting their jobs so stressful, but they have been more than happy to help hundreds of them get through this process. Once a request for their services is received and the mandatory fee is deposited, Exit employees will contact the client's employer and relay the message that the client has resigned and that, in most cases, will not be coming to work anymore. All necessary paperwork and details such as remaining paid leave or any items that need to be returned are to be handled by mail, with Exit acting as a middleman should any party have any questions during this process. In just one year since its inception, Exit Inc., has already mediated the resignations of around 800 clients all around Japan. With the amount of media attention they've been getting lately, that number is expected to surge in the near future. (Oddity Central)

Something Wrong With Your Sewer Ma'am?

Out in Enfield, North Carolina, neighbors of 69-year-old Donna Sue Hudgins thought maybe she had a sewer problem. The source of the odor ended up being much more horrific. Police say Hudgins kept her mother's dead body in their home for months "because she was curious and wanted to see the stages of death." The strange case began when Hudgins went to a funeral home to make arrangements for her 93-year-old mother, who she said had died that morning. The only problem: Hudgins reportedly said she didn't know where EMS had taken Nellie May Hudgins' body. The funeral home was unable to track down the mother and contacted police. After speaking with the daughter officers entered the residence to do a welfare check and discovered a badly decomposed body in the home. Hudgins was charged with felony concealment of a death and will appear before a judge in November. The mother was ultimately given a proper burial. (News and Observer)

What the What?

Have you ever heard of Moonpig? Well they're an internet company that specializes in creating personalized greeting cards. However, they've got a message that apparently applies to many, many people: Stop sending pictures of your private parts to have put on our cards! And yes, the company says the girls are just as bad as the boys. On their website, Moonpig writes: "Please stop uploading pics of your genitals to our cards it is against our policies." So, if you're that desperate to send a pic of your privates in greetings card, you'll have to do it the old fashioned way - by printing the photo out yourself and gluing it on to the card. Oh - and what's wrong with you?? (Metro)

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