WEIRD NEWS
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Over in India, the rise of the planet of the apes has begun. A 72-year-old man was stoned to death by a group of rogue monkeys who apparently stockpiled bricks they took from a nearby dilapidated building. Dharampal Singh was collecting wood in Tikri when the apes began to throw their weapons. He was struck multiple times in the head and chest and later died in a hospital. The victim's family, including a brother who told reporters the monkeys threw some 20 bricks at Dharampal, has lodged a complaint about the nuisance turned deadly. However, villagers have complained before to no avail. Defending themselves against suggestions they've failed to act, local police lamented that it's not within their power to charge animals with a crime, nor can authorities do anything that might harm the protected animals. (Times of India)
Two Waters and a $10K Tip!
An unidentified man walked into Sup Dogs hot-dog eatery in Greenville last Friday and asked for two waters while he was looking at the menu. He left before ever ordering but left a note behind that read: "Thanks for the delicious water." Oh - and he also left a $10,000 tip! Server Alaina Custer said, "I picked it up and it was a giant stack of hundreds! This is crazy!!" Owner Bret Oliverio says it's the biggest tip anyone on his staff has ever received; the one that comes closest was a still-impressive $500. He later discovered the generous tipper was YouTube star MrBeast, who's known for making big donations, and that two men were filming Custer's reaction. Also pretty cool: Custer kept $800 of the huge tip for herself, but she split the rest among her co-workers. (WRAL)
We're Ryanair: We'll Fly Your Nasty Racist Butt Anywhere
Discount airline Ryanair is in a PR nightmare thanks to their poor handling of a man who engaged in what a fellow passenger describes as a "disgusting" outburst of "racial slurs and foul language." Passenger video from the flight shows the man insulting, threatening, and racially abusing a 77-year-old black woman, apparently because she didn't get out of her aisle seat quickly when he wanted to get to his window seat. He calls her an "ugly black bastard" and, after she speaks to him in a Jamaican accent, tells her: "Don't speak in a foreign language, you stupid ugly cow." Flight attendants and the woman's daughter intervened but all they did was move the woman to another seat and allowed Mr. Racist Pig to remain in his seat for the Barcelona to London flight. Passenger David Lawrence, who filmed the incident, said he was shocked when the man remained on the flight. The woman's daughter, who had taken her to Barcelona to raise her spirits on the first anniversary of her husband's death, says her mother moved slowly to let the man in because she has arthritis. She also said, "I know that if I was behaving like he was or any other black person, for that matter, police would've been called and we would've been kicked off of the flight." A little too late, now Ryanair says it "will not tolerate" this kind of behavior and it has referred the incident to police. (BBC)
The Transgender Wars Have Begun
An American woman has cried foul after losing out in the Masters Track Cycling World Championships to a transgender rival from Canada. The controversy began after Rachel McKinnon won gold this month, edging out competitors including bronze finisher Jennifer Wagner. When a conservative media UK media personality expressed outrage over the win on Twitter, Wagner chimed in to agree. "I was the 3rd place rider. It's definitely NOT fair," Wagner wrote. What followed was a bitter and public spat that also roped in second place finisher and McKinnon supporter Carolien van Herrikhuyzen of the Netherlands. But van Herrikhuyzen wrote: "No one is a transgender to steal anyone's medal. We had an honest race under UCI rules. If you compete you accept the rules, otherwise, don't compete." But Wagner fired back: "Just because it's a CURRENT UCI rule doesn't mean it fair or right. And rules can be changed." However, a few days later Wagner was backpedaling saying, "After having some time to reflect, I realize my twitter comments earlier this week unintentionally fanned the flames on a controversial situation, and that I regret." Wagner, who identifies on her Twitter account as a "hand surgeon," also asked fans and followers to stop directing transphobic comments toward McKinnon. Meanwhile, McKinnon has said she's not accepting the apology, citing another tweet in which Wagner told followers that she and a group of like-minded cyclists are fighting to get the officials rules changed to exclude athletes like McKinnon. What the world needs now, is love, sweet... .oh nevermind. (FOX News)
The New Tetris King
A California 16-year-old is the new world champion of Tetris. Joseph Saelee beat Jonas Neubauer in the Classic Tetris World Championship grand final Sunday night in Oregon. It was a definite stunner as Neubauer, a 37-year-old taproom manager, has come out on top seven times in the eight years the tournament has been held. Saelee, on the other hand, just started playing after watching the 2016 championships! And yes, he plays the iconic video game on an original 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console. Saelee, it should be noted, is 13 years younger than the NES version of the block stacking game. If you have no idea what we're talking about it means you have a life and we congratulate you on joining the human race. (BBC)
We're the Bible Museum! So What if We Make Stuff Up?
Bad news for fans of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Turns out five of its most valuable artifacts -- once thought to be part of the historic Dead Sea Scrolls -- are total fakes and will not be displayed anymore. German-based scholars tested the fragments and found that five "show characteristics inconsistent with ancient origin and therefore will no longer be displayed at the museum." CNN raised questions about the museum's Dead Sea Scroll fragments in an article published last November, as the Green family prepared to unveil their new, $500 million museum. At 430,000 square feet, and with views of the Capitol, the Bible museum represents a significant investment for its evangelical founders. Now scholars say the Dead Sea forgeries could be part of the most significant sham in biblical archeology since the "Gospel of Jesus' Wife," a fiasco that hoodwinked a Harvard scholar and made worldwide news in 2012. Some scholars estimate that as many as 70 forged fragments have hit the market since 2002. Oklahoma billionaires, the Greens are best-known for their chain of Hobby Lobby craft stores and their religious freedom battle with the Obama administration over covering contraception in company health care plans. Their spin - per Jeffrey Kloha, the chief curatorial officer for Museum of the Bible, "Though we had hoped the testing would render different results, this is an opportunity to educate the public on the importance of verifying the authenticity of rare biblical artifacts, the elaborate testing process undertaken and our commitment to transparency." The new revelations are not the first time the Greens have courted controversy with their artifacts collection. In 2017, the Green family's company, Hobby Lobby, agreed to pay $3 million and return artifacts smuggled out of Iraq as part of a settlement with the Justice Department. (CNN)
What the What?
Great news! After settling a financial dispute which held up the $500 million project for several years, Blue Star Line says it's replica of the original Titanic, the Titanic II is now scheduled to make its two-week maiden voyage in 2022 after construction on the vessel is completed. It will feature the same cabin layout as the original in an effort to create an "authentic Titanic experience," and "follow the original journey, carrying passengers from Southampton to New York. She will also circumnavigate the globe, inspiring and enchanting people while attracting unrivalled attention, intrigue and mystery in every port she visits." The original RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, April 10, 1912 and sank on April 14, 1912, three hours after sideswiping an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. More than 1,500 people perished in the disaster, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. Just what everyone wants - an authentic Titanic experience! (Global News)
Over in India, the rise of the planet of the apes has begun. A 72-year-old man was stoned to death by a group of rogue monkeys who apparently stockpiled bricks they took from a nearby dilapidated building. Dharampal Singh was collecting wood in Tikri when the apes began to throw their weapons. He was struck multiple times in the head and chest and later died in a hospital. The victim's family, including a brother who told reporters the monkeys threw some 20 bricks at Dharampal, has lodged a complaint about the nuisance turned deadly. However, villagers have complained before to no avail. Defending themselves against suggestions they've failed to act, local police lamented that it's not within their power to charge animals with a crime, nor can authorities do anything that might harm the protected animals. (Times of India)
Two Waters and a $10K Tip!
An unidentified man walked into Sup Dogs hot-dog eatery in Greenville last Friday and asked for two waters while he was looking at the menu. He left before ever ordering but left a note behind that read: "Thanks for the delicious water." Oh - and he also left a $10,000 tip! Server Alaina Custer said, "I picked it up and it was a giant stack of hundreds! This is crazy!!" Owner Bret Oliverio says it's the biggest tip anyone on his staff has ever received; the one that comes closest was a still-impressive $500. He later discovered the generous tipper was YouTube star MrBeast, who's known for making big donations, and that two men were filming Custer's reaction. Also pretty cool: Custer kept $800 of the huge tip for herself, but she split the rest among her co-workers. (WRAL)
We're Ryanair: We'll Fly Your Nasty Racist Butt Anywhere
Discount airline Ryanair is in a PR nightmare thanks to their poor handling of a man who engaged in what a fellow passenger describes as a "disgusting" outburst of "racial slurs and foul language." Passenger video from the flight shows the man insulting, threatening, and racially abusing a 77-year-old black woman, apparently because she didn't get out of her aisle seat quickly when he wanted to get to his window seat. He calls her an "ugly black bastard" and, after she speaks to him in a Jamaican accent, tells her: "Don't speak in a foreign language, you stupid ugly cow." Flight attendants and the woman's daughter intervened but all they did was move the woman to another seat and allowed Mr. Racist Pig to remain in his seat for the Barcelona to London flight. Passenger David Lawrence, who filmed the incident, said he was shocked when the man remained on the flight. The woman's daughter, who had taken her to Barcelona to raise her spirits on the first anniversary of her husband's death, says her mother moved slowly to let the man in because she has arthritis. She also said, "I know that if I was behaving like he was or any other black person, for that matter, police would've been called and we would've been kicked off of the flight." A little too late, now Ryanair says it "will not tolerate" this kind of behavior and it has referred the incident to police. (BBC)
The Transgender Wars Have Begun
An American woman has cried foul after losing out in the Masters Track Cycling World Championships to a transgender rival from Canada. The controversy began after Rachel McKinnon won gold this month, edging out competitors including bronze finisher Jennifer Wagner. When a conservative media UK media personality expressed outrage over the win on Twitter, Wagner chimed in to agree. "I was the 3rd place rider. It's definitely NOT fair," Wagner wrote. What followed was a bitter and public spat that also roped in second place finisher and McKinnon supporter Carolien van Herrikhuyzen of the Netherlands. But van Herrikhuyzen wrote: "No one is a transgender to steal anyone's medal. We had an honest race under UCI rules. If you compete you accept the rules, otherwise, don't compete." But Wagner fired back: "Just because it's a CURRENT UCI rule doesn't mean it fair or right. And rules can be changed." However, a few days later Wagner was backpedaling saying, "After having some time to reflect, I realize my twitter comments earlier this week unintentionally fanned the flames on a controversial situation, and that I regret." Wagner, who identifies on her Twitter account as a "hand surgeon," also asked fans and followers to stop directing transphobic comments toward McKinnon. Meanwhile, McKinnon has said she's not accepting the apology, citing another tweet in which Wagner told followers that she and a group of like-minded cyclists are fighting to get the officials rules changed to exclude athletes like McKinnon. What the world needs now, is love, sweet... .oh nevermind. (FOX News)
The New Tetris King
A California 16-year-old is the new world champion of Tetris. Joseph Saelee beat Jonas Neubauer in the Classic Tetris World Championship grand final Sunday night in Oregon. It was a definite stunner as Neubauer, a 37-year-old taproom manager, has come out on top seven times in the eight years the tournament has been held. Saelee, on the other hand, just started playing after watching the 2016 championships! And yes, he plays the iconic video game on an original 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console. Saelee, it should be noted, is 13 years younger than the NES version of the block stacking game. If you have no idea what we're talking about it means you have a life and we congratulate you on joining the human race. (BBC)
We're the Bible Museum! So What if We Make Stuff Up?
Bad news for fans of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Turns out five of its most valuable artifacts -- once thought to be part of the historic Dead Sea Scrolls -- are total fakes and will not be displayed anymore. German-based scholars tested the fragments and found that five "show characteristics inconsistent with ancient origin and therefore will no longer be displayed at the museum." CNN raised questions about the museum's Dead Sea Scroll fragments in an article published last November, as the Green family prepared to unveil their new, $500 million museum. At 430,000 square feet, and with views of the Capitol, the Bible museum represents a significant investment for its evangelical founders. Now scholars say the Dead Sea forgeries could be part of the most significant sham in biblical archeology since the "Gospel of Jesus' Wife," a fiasco that hoodwinked a Harvard scholar and made worldwide news in 2012. Some scholars estimate that as many as 70 forged fragments have hit the market since 2002. Oklahoma billionaires, the Greens are best-known for their chain of Hobby Lobby craft stores and their religious freedom battle with the Obama administration over covering contraception in company health care plans. Their spin - per Jeffrey Kloha, the chief curatorial officer for Museum of the Bible, "Though we had hoped the testing would render different results, this is an opportunity to educate the public on the importance of verifying the authenticity of rare biblical artifacts, the elaborate testing process undertaken and our commitment to transparency." The new revelations are not the first time the Greens have courted controversy with their artifacts collection. In 2017, the Green family's company, Hobby Lobby, agreed to pay $3 million and return artifacts smuggled out of Iraq as part of a settlement with the Justice Department. (CNN)
What the What?
Great news! After settling a financial dispute which held up the $500 million project for several years, Blue Star Line says it's replica of the original Titanic, the Titanic II is now scheduled to make its two-week maiden voyage in 2022 after construction on the vessel is completed. It will feature the same cabin layout as the original in an effort to create an "authentic Titanic experience," and "follow the original journey, carrying passengers from Southampton to New York. She will also circumnavigate the globe, inspiring and enchanting people while attracting unrivalled attention, intrigue and mystery in every port she visits." The original RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, April 10, 1912 and sank on April 14, 1912, three hours after sideswiping an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. More than 1,500 people perished in the disaster, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. Just what everyone wants - an authentic Titanic experience! (Global News)
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