Coffee Talk with Casey

NASA Calls '2012' Most Flawed Sci-Fi Film Ever

2011-01-11T08:28:00.000-08:00

The 2009 film "2012" depicted an ultimate end-of-the-world scenario based on an ancient Mayan calendar that ends on Dec. 21, 2012. But does NASA believe the film accurately portrays something that will really happen? Absolutely not.

In fact, NASA scientists say the doomsday "2012" is the most ridiculous sci-fi film ever.

"The filmmakers took advantage of public worries about the so-called end of the world as apparently predicted by the Mayans of Central America," Donald Yeomans told The Australian.

Sony Pictures/Everett Collection

Doomsday befalls Earth in the 2009 film "2012," but NASA says none of the events in the movie could really happen.

Yeomans, a senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., heads NASA's Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission, which keeps an eye out for any celestial objects that might come close to Earth.

"The agency is getting so many questions from people terrified that the world is going to end in 2012 that we have had to put up a special website to challenge the myths," Yeomans said. "We have never had to do this before."

One of Yeomans' complaints with the "2012" movie was how the global apocalypse was triggered by neutrino particles that come to Earth on solar flares and end up causing staggering problems to our planet.

According to NASA, neutrinos are completely neutral and can't interact with anything physical.

"The Earth's magnetic field, which deflects charged particles from the sun, does reverse polarity on time scales of about 400,000 years, but there is no evidence that a reversal, which takes thousands of years to occur, will begin in 2012," Yeomans wrote on his JPL blog.

It would be easy to simply remind the public and NASA that it was just a movie and shouldn't be taken as seriously as many people have.

"Now, I for one, love a good book or movie as much as the next guy. But the stuff flying around through cyberspace, TV and the movies is not based on science," Yeomans blogged.

Other doomsday movies that NASA has criticized include "Armageddon," "The Day After Tomorrow" and "The Core" (a film Yeomans was approached to be a consultant on).

On the other side of the sci-fi coin, NASA commended films that were more scientifically on target, like "Blade Runner," "Gattaca" and "Jurassic Park."

Yeomans is adamant that 2012 doomsday predictions are all false.

"For any claims of disaster or dramatic changes in 2012, the burden of proof is on the people making these claims. Where is the science? Where is the evidence?

"There is none, and all the passionate, persistent and profitable assertions, whether they are made in books, movies, documentaries or over the Internet, cannot change that simple fact."

Chinese Man Sprouts 3-Inch Horn From Head

2011-01-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

When you think about horned creatures, a few come to mind instantly: rhinos, bulls, unicorns, the devil. Amazingly, humans are part of that group more often than you might think.

Huang Yuanfan, 84, of Ziyuan, China, is the latest person to report an unusual growth protruding from the head. His horn began growing two years ago and has reached a length of 3 inches, according to Metro.co.uk and other British news sites.

When it began as a small bump, Huang said he tried picking at it and even filing it, but the horn persevered and kept growing.

Wait, What?

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You don't have to be devilish to have a horn on your head. China's Huang Yuanfan, 84, says that over the past two years, a small bump on the back of his head has turned into a horn that's nearly 3 inches long. "Doctors say they don't know what caused it, but if they try to take it off it will just come back," he told the press. "I try to hide it beneath a hat, but if it gets much longer it will be sticking out the top."

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Wait, What?

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Wait, What?

"Doctors say they don't know what caused it, but if they try to take it off it will just come back," Huang told the press. "I try to hide it beneath a hat, but if it gets much longer it will be sticking out the top."

Last year, Zhang Ruifang, a 101-year-old from China, made news when a second horn began emerging from her head. Her first horn had already grown 2 1/2 inches.

Barcroft / Fame Pictures

Zhang Ruifang, 101, of China's Henan province is actually growing two horns on her head.

Zhang embraced her new look and told reporters that she was eager for the second horn to match the first in size. She refused offers to remove the horns.

China has produced a number of other elderly horny folks in recent years. In 2007, 93-year-old Ma Zhong Nan flaunted a 4-inch horn growing atop his head. He paid little attention to it until it became itchy, at which point he sought help.

That same year, 95-year-old Xiou Ling made headlines for a 6 1/2-inch horn that jutted out of her forehead and curled downward over her face. It had been growing for four years.

And in 2006, Zhang Yuncai of China's Xingyang county felt what he thought was a pimple on his head. Eventually that "pimple" got bigger and bigger until it developed into a 2-inch horn-shaped bump. Doctors removed the strange growth free of charge.

Of course, human horns extend beyond China's borders.

For example, in February 2007, the Yemen Observer reported on the case of Saleh Talib Saleh, a 102-year-old man whose horn started growing on the left side of his head at the age of 78.

"One day, as I was touching the surface of my head, I felt a very thick and hard layer of substance on my head," Saleh told the Observer. "At that time we didn't have the medical institutions like we have today, so I ignored it and did not focus too much on it because it didn't bother me at all. Every week, it seemed to grow bigger and harder."

He said it reached a length of 19 inches before breaking off in 2006. But just days later it started growing right back.

"I have had hundreds of visitors who come from around the country and feel surprised and in awe when they see the greatness of God and his creation," Saleh said.

These types of horns are typically cutaneous horns, which are composed of the same substance found in our fingernails, called keratin. While bizarre, they are usually harmless.

Secret Scientists Claim to Create Rain in Arab Desert

2011-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

A secret scientific program to control the weather has seen artificially created storms rain down on the Middle Eastern desert.

Recent reports say Swiss scientists working for the ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi last year successfully created 52 rainstorms in a usually arid region of the United Arab Emirates, using secret technology.

Most of the storms were created in Al Ain, near Abu Dhabi, during July and August -- the height of summer when conditions are usually parched.

Arnd Hemmersbach, Getty Images

Two teams navigate through the Rub Al Kali Desert during the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge on Dec. 12 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Reports says Swiss scientists using secret technology created storms in the usually dry area.

The founder of the Swiss company running the project, Meteo Systems International, boasted of the project's success.

"We have achieved a number of rainfalls," trumpeted Helmut Fluhrer.

Meteo Systems International, hired by United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to develop and test the technology, used giant ionizers resembling lampshades on steel poles to generate fields of negatively charged particles.

A statement on the company's website promoting the invention it has called Weathertec reads:

"Since mankind can no longer take abundant supplies of fresh water for granted, our brightest minds, energy and resources must focus on finding solutions today. For our planet's future, innovative plans and the most sophisticated technologies are needed both to tackle water shortages that lead to food crises, and to protect the environment by producing more clean, green hydro energy. Therefore, we have both the opportunity -- and the moral obligation -- to develop, use and invest in these solutions."

The latest developments are different from "cloud seeding," which has met with varying degrees of success in its 20-year history.

In 2008, chunks of cement fell from a plan and crashed into a Moscow home after an attempt to clear rain clouds from the Russian sky failed.

However, some American weather experts called the apparent Abu Dhabi breakthrough baloney.

"That's garbage, that's absolute garbage," Joseph Golden, a former senior meteorologist at the Forecast Systems Lab of the National Weather Service, told Fox News.

"I don't believe that for a nanosecond. You aren't going to get anything out of clear skies. I don't want to sound like Tom Cruise here, but show me the data."

Fox News also reported that, apparently unperturbed by critics, Meteo Systems filed a patent application on Feb. 4 for the technology.

The application describes "methods and devices for modifying atmospheric conditions, known in this context as weather modification, by enhancing electric forces exerted on and between particles of atmospheric air, such as water particles, aerosols, molecular clusters, and water molecules possessing their own electric dipole moment."

"They're making some rather rash claims, and I'm very skeptical," said Golden.

Drunken burglar calls 911 for help

2011-01-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

WILMINGTON, Del. — Police in Delaware say a man broke into a house, got drunk and couldn't make his way back outside — so he called 911 for help.

New Castle County police say 44-year-old John Finch was trapped in the home in part because he'd broken into it before, back in April. That led the homeowner to change the locks so that a key was required — even inside.

Police say no one was home when Finch broke in again, through a rear window. He stayed for a few days, drinking three bottles of gin and two bottles of whiskey. When he tried to leave, he was too drunk to climb back out of the window and called 911. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon.

Finch now faces charges in both break-ins. Police say he was admitted to a hospital and has yet to make a court appearance. There's no indication Finch has retained an attorney.

Police in Phoenix looking for '$60 Bill Bandit'

2011-01-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

GILBERT, Ariz. — Police in the Phoenix area are looking for a bank robbery suspect they've dubbed the "$60 Bill Bandit" because he once asked a teller for $40 and $60 bills — denominations that aren't printed.

The most recet holdup was Dec. 23 when the suspect walked into a Gilbert Bank of America and handed the teller a note saying he was armed and wanted money. The teller gave him an unknown amount of cash.

Police say the nickname comes from the robber earlier asking a teller for all the $20s, $40s and $60s.

Unemployed Grad Lets Craigslist Dictate Fate

2011-01-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

Craigslist users frequent the popular classifieds website seeking everything from a cheap futon to a one-night stand ("casual encounters" in Craigspeak). Jason Paul may be the first to visit looking for a life.

American University released Paul into the world in May 2009 armed with a degree representing four years of study but filling only two lines of a resume. Paul needed a job.

One hundred eighty cover letters later, he still needed a job.

Jason Paul

Jason Paul decided that for nine months, he would get everything he needed from Craigslist, including employment, housing and transportation.

Like 50 million other Americans, Paul turned to Craigslist to find what he needed. Not only would he seek employment, he'd seek housing and transportation and friendship. For nine months, from the fall of 2009 through the summer of 2010, if it wasn't on the list, it wasn't in his life.

In addition to taking a different approach to the job search, Paul told AOL News his experiment, which he documented at LivingCraigslist.com, sat at the convergence of several of his interests.

"I've always been interested in technology, and Craigslist embodies this cross section of technology and society. It seemed like an interesting thing to study," he said.

"How possible is it to use Craigslist for everything? Everyone knows what Craigslist is. Everyone uses it. But no one had used Craigslist to do everything, from housing to food to friends. It just hadn't been done. I wanted to be that guy."

(Note: At least one other person, Craigslist Joe, lived solely on the Craigslist grid, though his experiment lasted only one month.)

While Paul yielded control of much of his life to a simple, five-columned, blue-and-white website, he set basic time and geographic parameters: three months in a large city (San Francisco, pop. 809,000), three months in a medium city (Denver, pop. 600,000), three months in a small city (Savannah, Ga., pop. 131,500).

Beginning with the big, Paul headed for San Francisco, where Craigslist was born when software engineer Craig Newmark started an e-mail list to keep his friends updated on Bay Area events. Paul found a great job nannying for a happy family he's still in touch with.

"They were a home away from home," he said.

But as is the case when taking a chance on Craigslist, Paul didn't always score wins. Being preached at by a math professor during a mid-pheasant-hunt break was uncomfortable. Watching fellow restaurant employees cry after another reaming by an evil manager might top the "lose" list were it not for the house in Denver.

Moving into a house described on Craigslist an "art collective," Paul fought the low thermostat setting by wrapping himself in a blanket and fought the rodents by moving his food. He persevered when "art collective" turned out to mean no bedroom door, no kitchen stove, and bathrooms so unclean he preferred to go public.

But he fled when he walked in on the artists using drugs, enduring a well-written but vituperative e-missive when he dared ask for the return of his security deposit. (For legal reasons, we can't publish Paul's heated e-mail exchange, but we recommend reading it on his blog here.)

Sitting at home in Rockville, Md., holding the Denver rat's nest at a year's length, immersed in a book he's writing about the experience, Paul said the occasional thumbs-down is to be expected on Craigslist.

"Everyone has to have their Craigslist scam story," he said.

Ultimately, the experiment confirmed to Paul that Craigslist, despite the occasional tale of horror (e.g. the Craigslist Killer, Philip Markoff), is about people living up to founder Craig Newmark's original vision of the site: a place that helps people find what they're seeking.

Witness Paul's Thanksgiving: Having nowhere to go, he asked Craigslisters to adopt him. Two dozen people responded. Paul enjoyed turkey, croquet, football and 15 new friends.

"That embodies the community that is Craigslist," he said. "I really appreciate all the things that Craigslist has enabled me to do."

Doomsday: After Many Predictions, We're Still Here

2011-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

"Repent, repent, the end is near!" Or is it?

How many times have we heard that in movies, on TV, throughout literature and in the Bible? Yet, as often as people have predicted a global apocalypse, we're still here, still intact.

You've undoubtedly heard about the upcoming end of the world, scheduled for Dec. 21, 2012. Based on an ancient Mayan calendar, some believe that date signals possible cataclysmic events for our home planet, where others, like NASA, insist the only thing that will happen on that day next year will be another winter solstice.

But, for all the preaching and chanting and doomsday whistle-blowing, you'd think that, by now, we would have learned that end-of-the-world predictors have sort of missed the mark.

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A Mayan religious calendar at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., expires on Dec. 21, 2012. Some have predicted that the world will end on that date.

One doesn't have to search through ancient texts and soothsayer pronouncements to find more modern apocalyptic visions.

In 1925, a young California resident, Margaret Rowan, claimed the angel Gabriel paid her a visit and foretold the end of the world in February of that year. Didn't happen.

Then, in 1954, Dorothy Martin insisted ships would arrive in Oak Park, Ill., to transport believers off the doomed planet. Didn't happen.

The Heaven's Gate mass suicide of 1997 was connected to the idea that when the Hale-Bopp comet passed by Earth, our planet would be cleaned and rejuvenated. Didn't happen.

Last year, we learned that, for just 30 bucks, we could all avoid doomsday by becoming ministers in the Church of the SubGenius, thereby allowing us to live forever. That sounded like a better deal than the Ginsu knives sold in TV infomercials.

Getty Images

A man wears a doomsday sandwich board sign.

We shouldn't leave out the Jehovah's Witnesses. In the late 1800s, founder Charles Taze Russell predicted the world would end in 1914. After numerous follow-up end-of-world proclamations, this religious organization is no longer date-specific about doomsday but maintains that it will happen soon.

Now we see that Family Radio Worldwide evangelist Harold Camping has pegged May 21, 2011, as the date for the Rapture -- that pre-Armageddon ascent to heaven reserved for those who will be ultimately saved.

And please, before any of you start sending me e-mails, claiming that I'm being sacrilegious, or not honoring the Scriptures, or treating all of this a little too lightly, think about this: What if doomsday actually happens? Who's going to care at that point? It's not like you can convert your life's savings into travelers checks.

And who's going to report it to the masses? I mean, we'll all sort of know it when it happens, so there won't be any further need for TV, radio, online or newspaper coverage of such a staggering event.

We won't have to worry about mortgage foreclosures, unemployment figures, lack of medical insurance, retirement funds or the war on terrorism.

Hmm, maybe an apocalypse is actually just what this planet needs. Of course I don't really mean that, but it probably makes sense to be a lot more prudent about paying so much attention to those who would call for an end to the only home we have.

Man arrested for punching teenager on a plane

2010-12-31T15:44:00.000-08:00

Kids these days ...

Police in Boise, Idaho, arrested a 68-year-old man on Tuesday for reportedly punching a 15-year-old boy who refused to turn off his iPhone on a flight.

"He punched him so hard there was a mark on the teen's arm," Lt. Kent Lipple told a local news station.

The teenager, on a Las Vegas-to-Boise flight operated by Southwest, was playing games and listening to music, police say, when flight attendants told passengers to power down electronic devices.

Russell Miller, witnesses said, became angry that the teen didn't respond.

Miller says he "tapped" the teen on the shoulder after he refused to turn off the phone. He told the Idaho

Statesman that he may have "overreacted," but that he did not punch the teen.

After the incident, pilots contacted air-traffic control, who requested that police officers be waiting at the gate upon arrival.

Miller was charged with misdemeanor battery and booked in jail.

Jewler loses $400,000 on a bet

2010-12-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

A North Carolina jewelry store owner made a $400,000 bet against a white Christmas — and lost.

Alan Perry, owner of Perry's Emporium in Wilmington, promised refunds for everything bought at his store between Nov. 26 and Dec. 11 if more than three inches of snow fell in Asheville on Christmas Day. The city got more than six inches.

Perry says the total payout for customers will be around $400,000. He says he paid for an insurance policy that will cover the refunds.

Perry is undaunted by losing the bet. He says he's thinking of a similar promotion for Valentine's Day, based on how much snow Asheville gets on Feb. 14.

Runaway groom: Pissed off bride sues ex-fiance for $100k

2010-12-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

Dominique Buttitta wanted to get married in style, so she spared no expense on her upcoming nuptials: $30,000 to reserve a banquet hall outside Chicago; $11,000 for flowers and spot lighting; $10,000 for an orchestra; $5,000 on her wedding dress and veil.

As Buttitta excitedly continued preparations, the costs kept mounting. Then, four days before the big day, her fiance called the Oct. 2 wedding off.

With such short notice, she could not recover most the money she had spent — so the 32-year-old lawyer is suing. In a civil suit filed a few weeks ago in Illinois, she accuses Vito Salerno, 31, of “breach of promise to marry” and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She’s seeking more than $95,000 in damages, plus the costs of filing the suit.

How are Buttitta’s chances in court? Not bad at all, according to attorney, feminist and activist Gloria Allred. “Many states would permit her to recoup her out-of-pocket costs for the wedding preparations,” Allred said, citing the legal theory of “detrimental reliance.”

“She relied on their joint decision regarding the marriage ceremony and party, and spent her own funds on her reliance on his representation,” Allred explained. “If he backs out, he should pay her back.

Neither Buttitta nor Salerno granted rviews to TODAYshow.com. One of Buttitta’s three attorneys wrote in an e-mail that Buttitta is “suffering from the flu and has consequently lost her voice. Upon her recovery, we anticipate responding.”

Salerno’s lawyer, Vincent Stark, has instructed his client not to speak to reporters, but described the lawsuit’s claims as “false allegations.” He also said the damages the suit seeks for infliction of emotional distress are “not recoverable” under Illinois law.

Stark said he filed a request with the court last week asking the case be ruled by a jury rather than a judge, should it go to trial. “I’m always optimistic to settle the case before it goes to trial,” he said

Arrest made in theft of video game system from boy's casket

2010-12-30T10:01:00.001-08:00

PITTSBURGH — Police have arrested a Pennsylvania man who they say stole a hand-held video game system and accessories from the casket of a teen who was killed in a Christmas Day SUV crash.

State police say they got an anonymous tip that enabled them to arrest 37-year-old Jody Lynn Bennett, of Mentcle, on Wednesday. He was unable to post $15,000 bond and was jailed after his arraignment on charges including theft, abuse of a corpse, and intentional desecration of a venerated object.

Police say Bennett grabbed the items from the casket of 17-year-old Bradley McCombs during a viewing Monday night at a funeral home in Montgomery Township, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Bennett's mother, Sharon, says her son has a drug problem. She apologized for his actions.

The top 5 bizarre news events of 2010

2010-12-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

Each year sees its share of bizarre stories, but it seemed like 2010 was overflowing with "you've got to be kidding me!" moments. Perhaps the proliferation of social media has made the quirky behavior of a few more accessible to the masses in warp speed -- but whatever the reason for the uptick in news of the weird, we're grateful for the fodder. Here are The Lookout's five oddest news events of 2010.
1. Paul the Octapus: The World Cup commands far and away the largest global following of any major sporting event. But no one could have predicted that an undersea creature would be among the most canny prognosticators of World Cup outcomes. Then again, perhaps it stands to reason that a sport so focused on leg agility should earn the close attention of an eight-legged animal.

It was clear, in any event, that Paul was no ordinary octopus. He correctly predicted the outcome of every match played by Germany, in addition to the final between Spain and the Netherlands. Paul became such a juggernaut, in fact, that German fans actually revolted and threatened to eat him when he correctly picked Germany to fall to Spain in the semifinals. Unfortunately, like many celebrities, Paul died young in October at the age of 2 1/2. Some stars shine so brightly that they burn out way too soon.
2. The Chilean miners: It's unfortunately a common occurrence for miners to get trapped underground--but it's unheard of for their captivity to result in so many happy endings. All of the 33 miners trapped in a mine in Chile for 2 months not only survived, but became regular fixtures on news programs and even morphed into international celebrities.

Miner Edison Peña was the breakout star. In an appearance on CBS' "Late Show," Peña regaled David Letterman and his audience with his hilarious Elvis impression, endearing him to millions of American viewers.
3. Volcanic ash: Who would have thought that an ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano could cause the biggest slowdown in the airline industry since the terror attacks on 9/11? But hey, it actually happened.

[Photos: Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupts]

Yes, the enormous ash cloud produced by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano hovered for days above the earth, capable of destroying the engines of any jet that dared to pass through it. As a result of the mass cancellations of flights throughout Europe, thousands of air travelers around the world were stranded for days.
4. The midterm elections: Perhaps it had something to do with the sluggish economy and the generally dour national mood, but this year's elections seem to have inspired more wacky, gaffe-prone candidates to come out of the woodwork than any time in recent memory.
From candidates for high office quite literally running from reporters to avoid questions, and producing a new subgenre of political ads showcasing a candidate's marksmanship skills, 2010 was a year in American politics few observers will soon forget.
5. Steven Slater: When word began to spread on a Monday afternoon last April that a JetBlue flight attendant had -- in a fit of rage after an altercation with a passenger -- exited the plane via an emergency chute, the nation seemed instantly captivated.
But this surpassingly weird story has an even weirder epilogue. In the post-Jet Blue phase of his career, Steven Slater has become a rapper. Here's a sampling of lyrics from one of his songs.

Climb into the cockpit...
And throw all the switches...
Now you're using Line 2...
I'm Steven Slater b*tches.

We doubt there's any better way of summing up 2010, the ineffably weird year that was.

Has the Mythical Chupacabra finally been found?

2010-12-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

A Kentucky farmer has shot a hideous-looking four-legged creature on his property, raising speculation once again about the chupacabra, a legendary livestock killer.

While the hairless beast might be nothing more than a coyote with mange, authorities still don't know what it was -- and it does indeed look otherworldly.

Mark Cothern of Nelson County happened to spot the unusual dog-like animal from his porch and didn't take any chances, WKLY.com reports.

disclose.tv

A Kentucky farmer has shot a hideous-looking four-legged creature on his property, raising speculation once again about the chupacabra, a legendary livestock killer.

"Well, it's something strange, so I got my rifle to shoot it, get a closer look. And I'm glad I did, 'cause I don't know what it is," Cothern said.

Some researchers are convinced reports of this and similar creatures have a fairly simple explanation: They are most likely coyotes that have been infected by tiny parasites, or mites, causing an infection -- mange -- that results in the animal's hair falling out and shriveled skin. Laura Higgason of the Humane Society and Animal Control in Nelson County, Ky., doesn't think it was a coyote that Cothern killed on his property.

Disclose.tv - kentucky chupacabra Video

"This animal is too small to be a coyote, but I saw the photos, and it looks like it's probably a raccoon or an opossum with mange," Higgason said.

"It's not a mysterious animal. A cat's got retractable claws, and this you can see the claws," she said.

DNA testing by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is expected to solve the mystery of the animal's identity.

UFO's sighted in New Zealand just days after files released

2010-12-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

Could New Zealand become a new hot spot for close encounters?

Just days after New Zealand authorities released 2,000 pages of previously classified UFO X-Files , mysterious lights were spotted over three locations.

New Zealand's stuff.co.nz news service reports that on Sunday, Boxing Day in that country, unexplained orange and red lights appeared above Napier, Taranaki and Christchurch.

One eyewitness, Allan White watched one of the UFOs with his family, "I just thought it was a bright orange light in the sky, and then it started moving towards us," White said. "After it flew past, there were half a dozen adults there. We all considered it could have been a UFO. Nobody had seen anything like that before."

The spectators described seeing flashing lights on the unknown object.

Shortly after that report, Fraser Duncan, a tutor at the Eastern Institute of Technology, saw four orange objects over the night sky of Napier. He said they were flying in formation and made no sound.

"I have never seen anything like this in my life. It was definitely not a plane, not a meteor and not stars."

Another eyewitness to this weekend's lights in the sky was Lloyd McFadden, a television cameraman who, coincidentally, filmed the Kiwi country's most famous UFO sighting in 1978 near the town of Kaikoura, on New Zealand's South Island.

On Sunday night, McFadden watched as 10 orange and red lights moved slowly and silently in the sky above his Christchurch home.

"There was absolutely no sound and they were flying too slow to be an aircraft. I would really like to know what they were."

The Canterbury Astronomical Society on South Island thinks the UFOs have a pretty simple explanation.

"I am certainly saying they were satellites," said observatory director Adrian Kelly.

Cops: Man playing real-life 'Frogger' hit by SUV

2010-12-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

CLEMSON, S.C. — A man has been hospitalized after police in South Carolina say he was hit by an SUV while playing a real-life version of the video game "Frogger."

Authorities said the 23-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Anderson after he was struck at around 9 p.m. Monday.

In the "Frogger" arcade game, players move frogs through traffic on a busy road and through a hazard-filled river. Before he was hit, police say the man had been discussing the game with his friends.

Chief Jimmy Dixon says the man yelled "go" and darted into oncoming traffic in the four-lane highway.

No charges are expected against the driver. The name of the man who was struck has not been released. He was in stable condition Monday night.

Serial Breast Squeezer Arrestted

2010-12-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

I guess what she was doing was pretty bad but how drunk were the women in the bars that let her give them breast exams?

An Idaho judge has set bond at $100,000 for a Boise woman police say posed as a physician and duped at least two other women into having their breasts examined by her at Boise-area nightclubs.

Kristina Ross, 37, remains in Ada County Jail in Boise on two felony counts of practicing medicine without a license.

Police say Ross introduced herself to victims — one at a downtown Boise bar and the other at a nightclub in a Boise suburb — as a plastic surgeon named Berlyn Aussieahshowna, a name that turned out to be bogus.

The two women told Boise officers they believed Ross was a physician because of her apparent medical knowledge, and they agreed to undergo what they thought were breast exams, which happened at the bars.

As part of her ruse, Ross gave the women the telephone number of a real licensed plastic surgeon in Boise, the state capital, authorities said.

Staff at that medical office became alarmed at the number of calls they received from women in recent weeks attempting to confirm appointments or surgeries with a Berlyn Aussieahshowna, according to charging documents.

Medical workers on Tuesday alerted Boise police about the pattern, and they later arrested Ross.
The suspect’s gender is unclear. Idaho court records show that Ross was arrested for petty theft in the spring and that the arrest warrant was issued to a Kristoffer Jon Ross.

The Idaho Statesman website reported that Ross has a previous criminal record as a man but identifies herself as a woman and was booked into Ada County Jail as a female.

Cosmetic surgical procedures Ross discussed with victims after she touched their breasts under the guise of a medical evaluation included breast augmentation and liposuction.

The court on Wednesday found Ross was eligible for a public defender and set a preliminary hearing on the two felony charges for Dec. 1. If convicted, Ross could face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for each count.

Ski lift in Maine falls, several injured

2010-12-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

A chair lift derailed at Maine's tallest ski mountain Tuesday, sending skiers plummeting 50 feet to the slope below and injuring several people, officials and a witness said.

The Sugarloaf resort in Carrabassett Valley, about 120 miles north of Portland, said on its Facebook page that there were about eight injuries and that its patrols were evacuating the lift.

Most of the injuries appeared to be minor, it said. At least two people were whisked to the nearest hospital, 45 miles away, by ambulance.

Jay Marshall, who was on a lift next to the broken one, told The Associated Press that both lifts stopped, then restarted. Almost immediately he saw a problem, then heard screams.

"The lift started again. I looked to my left and could see the cable bouncing up and down. I could see that the cable had come off the (track wheels)," he said.

The spot where the cable jumped its track was about 50 feet above the snow. Some skiers tumbled from their chairs, he said.

"Once the thing started bouncing up and down beside me, I stopped looking. I didn't want to see it, honestly," Marshall said. "It was terrifying."

A spokeswoman for Franklin Memorial Hospital about in Farmington said two injured people were on their way and it was possible more injured people could arrive.

Student streaks across field to protest tutiton increase

2010-12-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

If you ever want to draw attention to your cause, drop your trousers in the name of it.

It lets the world know your serious.

But for god's sake, don't paint dirty words on your body -- it means you won't get your picture printed in lots of places, and will be heavily edited in others.

Like here.

This streaker, who interrupted a Varsity Match between Oxford University and Cambridge University at Twickenham Stadium (real place, I checked) last week, was apparently upset over rising tuition fees in England.

They could go up from 3,290 pounds to 9,000 pounds.

That's around 80 billion U.S. dollars, according to Weird News Headquarters' very scientific calculations.
This streaker actually hits on two major weird news themes: running around naked at a sports event, and naked rugby.

Study shows: Ugly underwear can ruin your day

2010-12-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

Women own an average of 21 pairs of underwear, and many say an ill-fitting or ugly pair can ruin their day, a new survey shows.

"We know that bad hair days can affect women's moods, but who knew that bad underwear days could also ruin their day," says Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports. Their research center conducted a telephone survey of 1,008 women 18 and older about intimate apparel.

Almost half of women (47%) say they feel sexier and more confident wearing a nice or special pair of panties. "The first thing we put on in the morning does make a difference in our day," Freeman says.

Women have three weeks of worth of underwear, she says. "That's means we don't want to have to do our laundry as often."

Among the findings reported in the January issue:

•27% say their mood is affected by wearing an ill-fitting or unattractive pair of undies.

•10% of women own 35 or more pairs.

•65% buy neural colors, with white being the most popular, followed by black and beige.

•Overall, 46% of women say briefs are the style they wear the most often. But women age 18-34 are more likely to wear the bikini style.

•56% of women fold their panties; 27% just toss them in the drawer.

•1 in 10 women admit that they will venture out of the house without underwear.

•Half of women have complaints about the way their underwear fit, with "wedgies" (30%) topping that list, followed by "doesn't lay flat under clothes" (19%) and "not enough coverage in the rear" (14%).

Celebrites' real names

2010-12-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered why celebrities' names seem so perfect? I have! And guess what? Its cause their names aren't really their names at all. Heres a list of stars who were born with different names than appear in the credits.

A
Alan Alda = Alphonso D'Abruzzo
Woody Allen = Allen Konigsberg
Muhammad Ali = Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.
Julie Andrews = Julia Elizabeth Wells
Fred Astaire = Frederick Austerlitz
Chet Atkins = Chester B. Atkins
Frankie Avalon = Francis Thomas Avalonne

B
Lauren Bacall = Betty Joan Perske
Anne Bancroft = Anna Maria Italiano
Brigitte Bardot = Camille Javal
Pat Benatar = Patricia Andrejewski
Tony Bennett = Anthony Benedetto
Jack Benny = Benjamin Kubelsky
Tom Berenger = Thomas Michael Moore
Chuck Berry = Charles Edward Anderson Berry
Billy The Kid = William H. Bonney
Robert Blake = Michael Gubitosi
Jon Bon Jovi = John Francis Bongiovi
Bono (U2) = Paul Hewson
Sonny Bono = Salvatore Phillip Bono
David Bowie = David Robert Jones
Boy George = George Alan O'Dowd
Charles Bronson = Charles Buchinski
Albert Brooks = Albert Einstein
Mel Brooks = Melvin Kaminsky
George Burns = Nathan Birnbaum
Ellen Burstyn = Edna Gilhooley
Richard Burton = Richard Jenkins

C
Nicholas Cage = Nicholas Coppola
Michael Cain = Maurice Micklewhite
Maria Callas = Maria Kalogeropoulos
Eric Carr (Kiss) - Paul Charles Caravello
Vikki Carr = Florencia Casillas
Ray Charles = Ray Charles Robinson
Chubby Checker = Ernest Evans
Cher = Cherilyn Sarkisian
Eric Clapton - Eric Patrick Clapp
Patsy Cline = Virginia Patterson Hensley
Claudette Colbert = Lily Chauchoin
Nat King Cole = Nathaniel Adams Coles
Chuck Connors = Kevin Joseph Connors
Robert Conrad = Conrad Robert Falk
Alice Cooper = Vincent Furnier
Gary Cooper = Frank James Cooper
David Copperfield = David Kotkin
Howard Cosell = Howard Cohen
Elvis Costello = Declan Patrick McManus
Lou Costello = Louis Cristillo
Joan Crawford = Lucille Le Sueur
Michael Crawford = Michael Dumble-Smith
Bing Crosby = Harry Lillis Crosby
Tom Cruise = Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Tony Curtis = Bernard Schwartz

D
Rodney Dangerfield = Jacob Cohen
Bobby Darin = Walden Waldo Robert Cassotto
John Denver = John Henry Deutschendorf
Donovan = Donovan Phillip Leitch
Doris Day = Doris von Kappelhoff
James Dean = James Byron
John Denver = Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.
Bo Derek = Mary Cathleen Collins
Danny DeVito = Daniel Michaeli
Angie Dickinson = Angeline Brown
Bo Diddley = Otha Elias Bates McDaniel
Vin Diesel = Mark Vincent
Phyllis Diller = Phyllis Driver
Fats Domino = Antoine Domino
Kirk Douglas = Issur Danielovitch
Bob Dylan = Robert Zimmerman

E
Sheena Easton = Sheena Shirley Orr
The Edge (U2) = David Howell Evans
Elvira = Cassandra Paterson
Eminem - Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Enya = Eithne Ni Bhraonain
David Essex = David Albert Cook

F
Morgan Fairchild = Patsy McClenny
Adam Faith = Terence Nelhams
Fatboy Slim = Quentin Cook (aka Norman Cook)
Sally Field = Sally Mahoney
W.C. Fields = William Claude Dukenfield
Jodie Foster = Alicia Christian Foster
Michael J. Fox = Michael Andrew Fox
Connie Francis = Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero
Billy Fury = Ronald Wycherley

G
Greta Garbo = Greta Gustafsson
Judy Garland = Frances Gumm
James Garner = James Bumgarner
Crystal Gayle = Brenda Gayle Webb
Bobbie Gentry = Roberta Streeter
Kathie Lee Gifford = Kathie Epstein
Whoopie Goldberg = Caryn Johnson
Cary Grant = Archibald Leach

H
Hammer = Stanley Kirk Burrell
Laurence Harvey = Laruschka Skikne
Rita Hayworth = Margarita Cansino
Jimi Hendrix = Johnny Allen Hendrix
Pee-Wee Herman = Paul Reubenfeld
Barbara Hershey = Barbara Herzstine
Hulk Hogan = Terry Gene Bollea
Billie Holliday = Eleanora Fagan
Buddy Holly = Charles Hardin Holley
Bob Hope = Leslie Townes Hope
Harry Houdini = Ehrich Weiss
Rock Hudson = Roy Scherer Jr.
Engelbert Humperdinck = Arnold George Dorsey

I
Janis Ian = Janis Eddy Fink
Ice Cube = Oshea Jackson
Ice-T = Tracy Morrow
Billy Idol = William Broad
Iggy Pop = James Jewell Osterberg, Jr.
Burl Ives = Burle Icle Ivanhoe

J
David Janssen = David Meyer
Elton John = Reginald Dwight
Don Johnson = Donald Wayne
Al Jolson = Asa Yoelson
Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) = Lewis Brian Hopkins-Jones
Jenny Jones = Janina Stranski
Tom Jones = Thomas Woodward
Wynonna Judd = Christina Ciminella

K
Boris Karloff = William Henry Pratt
Danny Kaye = David Kaminsky
Diane Keaton = Diane Hall
Michael Keaton = Michael Douglas
Chaka Khan = Carole Yvette Marie Stevens
Carole King = Carole Klein
Larry King = Larry Zeigler
Ben Kingsley = Krishna Banji
Nastassja Kinski = Nastassja Naksyznyski
Billy J Kramer (The Dakotas) = William H Ashton
Kris Kristofferson = Kris Carson

L
Cheryl Ladd = Cheryl Stoppelmoor
Veronica Lake = Constance Ockleman
Dorothy Lamour = Mary Kaumeyer
Michael Landon = Eugene Orowitz
Mario Lanza = Alfredo Arnold Cocozza
Queen Latifah = Dana Owens
Stan Laurel = Arthur Jefferson
Steve Lawrence = Sidney Leibowitz
Brenda Lee = Brenda Mae Tarpley
Bruce Lee = Lee Yuen Kam
Spike Lee = Shelton Jackson Lee
Jay Leno = James Douglas Muir Leno
Huey Lewis = Hugh Cregg
Jerry Lewis = Joseph Levitch
Liberace = Wladziu Lee Valentino
Jack Lord = John Joseph Ryan
Sophia Loren = Sophia Scicoloni
Peter Lorre = Laszio Lowenstein
Courtney Love = Michelle Harrison
Bela Lugosi = Bela Ferenc Blasko
Lulu = Marie Lawrie

M
Shirley MacLaine = Shirley Beaty
Elle MacPherson = Eleanor Gow
Madonna = Madonna Louise Ciccone
Lee Majors = Harvey Lee Yeary II
Karl Malden = Mladen Sekulovich
Mama Cass Elliot (Mamas & Papas) = Ellen Naomi Cohen
Manfred Mann = Manfred Lubowitz
Barry Manilow = Barry Alan Pincus
Jayne Mansfield = Vera Jane Palmer
Marilyn Manson = Brian Warner
Walter Matthau = Walter Matuschanskayasky
Dean Martin = Dino Crocetti
Groucho Marx = Julius Henry Marx
Meat Loaf = Marvin Lee Aday
Freddie Mercury (Queen) = Frederick Farookh Bulsara
Ethel Merman = Ethel Zimmerman
George Michael = Georgios Panayiotou
Joni Mitchell = Roberta Joan Anderson
Moby = Richard Melville Hall
Marilyn Monroe = Norma Jean Mortenson (later Baker)
Demi Moore = Demetria Guynes
Rita Moreno = Rosita Alverio
Harry Morgan = Harry Bratsburg

N
Chuck Norris = Carlos Ray
Andre Norton = Mary Alice Norton
Notorious B.I.G. = Christopher Wallace

O
Ozzy Osbourne = John Michael Osbourne

P
Jack Palance = Walter Palanuik
Bernadette Peters = Bernadette Lazzaro
Edith Piaf = Edith Giovanna Gassion
Slim Pickens = Louis Lindley
Mary Pickford = Gladys Smith
Stephanie Powers = Stefania Federkiewicz
Prince = Prince Rogers Nelson

R
Tony Randall = Leonard Rosenberg
Johnnie Ray = John Alvin
Donna Reed = Donna Belle Mullenger
Della Reese = Delloreese Patricia Early
Cliff Richard = Harry Rodger Webb
Joan Rivers = Joan Sandra Molinsky
Edward G. Robinson = Emmanuel Goldenberg
Sugar Ray Robinson = Walker Smith, Jr.
Ginger Rogers = Virginia McMath
Mickey Rooney = Joe Yule Jr.
Axl Rose (Guns N Roses) = William Bruce Rose
Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols) = John Lydon
Winona Ryder = Winona Horowitz

S
Susan Sarandon = Susan Tomaling
Telly Savalas = Aristotle Savalas
Jane Seymour = Joyce Frankenberg
Del Shannon = Charles Weedon Westover
Omar Sharif = Michael Shalhoub
Charlie Sheen = Carlos Irwin Estevez
Martin Sheen = Ramon Estevez
Talia Shire = Talia Coppola
Sinbad = David Atkins
Eric Singer (Kiss) = Eric Mensinger
Slash = Saul Hudson
Slim Dusty = David Gordon Kirkpatrick
Dusty Springfield = Mary Isobel Catherine O'Brien
Suzanne Somers = Suzanne Mahoney
Robert Stack = Robert Modini
Barbara Stanwyck = Ruby Stevens
Sylvester Stallone = Michael Sylvester Enzio Stallone
Ringo Starr = Richard Starkey
Cat Stevens = Yusef Islam
Connie Stevens = Concetta Ingolia
Sting = Gordon Sumner
Donna Summer = La Donna Gaines

T
Mr. T = Lawrence Tero
Robert Taylor = Spangler Arlington Brugh
Danny Thomas = Muzyad Yakhoob
Tiny Tim = Herbert Khaury
Rip Torn = Elmore Rual Torn Jr.
Randy Travis = Randy Traywick
Sophie Tucker = Sophia Kalish
Tina Turner = Annie Mae Bullock
Mark Twain = Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Twiggy = Leslie Hornby

U
The Undertaker = Mark Calloway

V
Rudolph Valentino = Rudolpho D'Antonguolla
Frankie Valli (Four Seasons) = Frank Castelluccio
Sid Vicious = John Simon Ritchie

W
John Wayne = Marion Morrison
Sigourney Weaver = Susan Alexandra Weaver
Raquel Welch = Raquel Tejada
Gene Wilder = Jerome Silberman
Shelley Winters = Shirley Schrift
Stevie Wonder = Stevland Morris
Natalie Wood = Natasha Gurdin
Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) = William Perks
Tammy Wynette = Wynette Pugh

Old, Dying Man chased 50 miles by California police

2010-12-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

The Cabral Chrysler dealership in Manteca, Calif., was so desperate for a sale in October that one of its employees picked up potential customer Donald Davis, 67, at his nursing home, brought the pajamas-and-slippers-clad, dementia-suffering resident in to sign papers, handed him the keys to his new pickup truck (with the requested chrome wheels!), and sent him on his way (even tossing Davis' wheelchair into the truck's bed as Davis sped away).

Shortly afterward, Davis led police on a high-speed chase 50 miles from Manteca. He was stopped and detained (but at a hospital the next morning, he passed away from heart failure). The Cabral salesman said Davis had called him twice the day before, insisting on buying a new truck.

Need a Girlfriend? Don't worry there's an App for that

2010-12-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

People have been looking for love in all the wrong places. But now, they need look no further than the iPhone App Store.
South Korean programmers have released an iPhone app that gives cell phone owners regular messages from a digital girlfriend named Mina (who doesnt want a korean gf?) Launched by the company Nabix on Nov. 30, the app was downloaded 80,000 times per day when it was offered for free.

The "Honey it's me" app now sells for $1.99. That's still alot cheaper than getting a real girlfriend guys. Asians can always find a way to make me laugh.

Dont bring an Iphone to a knife fight

2010-12-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

Police say that 20 year old Jerome Taylor was only trying to take care of a child after he was arrested for attempted robbery of a restaurant in New England, CT. Taylor wore a mask as he entered the Northern Indian restaurant on Wednesday afternoon. He pulled what the cooks thought was a gun and demanded money, according to the police. But the cooks grabbed knives and said they weren't handing anything over. Taylor became apologetic and told the cooks he was only kidding and that he needed money for his child, police said.

Taylor was gone by the time police arrived, but they caught up with him a short time later. Officers said Taylor confessed to the crime, but told them he didn't have a gun, but used an iPhone. The restaurant staff said they felt bad for Taylor and didn't want police to pursue charges, but officers arrested him anyway, charging him with attempted robbery and interfering with an officer.

Classified UFO reports released by New Zealand

2010-12-25T21:42:00.000-08:00

Mysterious lights in the sky and even a flying saucer are among the reported UFO sightings detailed in classified documents released by New Zealand's military this week.

The thousands of documents cover more than 50 years of New Zealanders' reports of encounters with unidentified flying objects.

Most files suggest natural explanations for the sightings, including meteors and reflections off boat lights.

Among the reports was one from a man who wrote a letter in 1955 to inform authorities he had seen flying saucers, even witnessing one take off.

The files also cover the country's best-known UFO mystery in 1978 in the southern island town of Kaikoura. A cargo plane reported strange lights following it and air traffic controllers detected radar blips that they could not explain.

The documents showed the government carefully took note of such reports, even if some citizens only received a polite thanks for their theories.

New Zealand's Defence Force released the files Wednesday under a freedom of information request.

Hmmmmm, I think I believe. Merry Christmas.

Police: Santa didn't rob bar; Bartender Arrested

2010-12-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

Its ok everybody, Santa Claus has been cleared of all charges.

Police in Rhode Island say a report that an armed man dressed as Santa, complete with white beard, robbed an East Providence bar last Sunday was nothing but a hoax.

Now the bartender at the East Providence Yacht Club who made the 911 call is facing charges.

Christal Johnson was released on personal recognizance after turning herself into police on Thursday to answer to a charge of making a false police report. The 37-year-old Johnston woman hid her face and refused to comment as she left the station.

Police say $1,500 to $3,000 is still missing from the bar and the investigation is continuing.

Sgt. Bruce Atwell says he's just glad that Santa can make his rounds without being chased by police.