This Weird World

Red Bees

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:37:00 +0000

A bunch of Brooklyn bees have been coming home flushed. The New York City beekeeper Cerise Mayo -whose first name means 'cherry' in French- was puzzled when her bees' honey also turned as red as cough syrup.

She told the New York Times a friend joked that the bees were imbibing the runoff at Dell's Maraschino Cherries Company, in Mayo's neighborhood.

Tests confirmed the bees were riddled with red Dye #40, the same food coloring found in the cherry juice.

Coffins for Gay Market

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:34:00 +0000

Two undertakers in the German city of Cologne are trying to tap into the gay market by selling coffins adorned with images of mostly naked, muscular young men in athletic poses inspired by Italian Renaissance paintings.

'You should be able to have a coffin that lets you embark on your last journey in a way that reflects how you lived your life', said undertaker Thomas Brandl and business partner Michael Koenigsfield.

The gay couple also sells coffins and urns in rainbow colors and offers burials around a tree reserved exclusively for homosexuals.

Lovesick Worker

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:28:00 +0000

An Australian public servant, who works for the Department of Immigration, took the unusual step of e-mailing all staff to help him find a woman he met at a party.

' I understand this is not the most appropriate channel. It is not my intent to misuse this e-mail address,' he wrote, adding that the had struggled to wrote the message.

' The matter is being investigated by the values and conduct section of the department', declared a spokesman of the Department of Immigration, adding that the worker would be dealt with after that review had concluded.

Useless Robber Hands Himself In

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:56:00 +0000

A luckless crook surrendered to police after four robberies flopped in the same day.

Ralf Lautenbach fled after trying to hold up two hotels which set security guards on him - and then abandoned a break in at the local tax office in Muelheim an der Ruhr.

Finally the failing would-be crook handed himself in after he was trapped in his getaway car after using it to ram a bank security cash van. "He needs a change of job," said one officer.

10.10.10, 09.09.09 and 08.08.08

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:59:00 +0000

An American woman beat odds of 50 millions to one -according to statistics experts- when her baby was born on 10.10.10, her third child to be born on such a special date.

New arrival Cearra Nicole Soper followed brother Cameron, who was born on 09.09.09, and older sister Chloe, 08.08.08. Mum Barbara said: 'Cearra is our little miracle. Cloe is lucky number eight. Cameron is lucky number nine and she is our lucky number ten.'

The pattern is all the more remarkable because two of the babies were born prematurely. Cearra arrived almost a month early, and Cameron was born tow weeks before he was due.

Barbara and her husband are not tempted to complete a quartet and aim for another baby on 11.11.11.

Bum Rap

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Wearing low-slung trousers that show your underwear may have been a hip-hop street fashion for years. But one town in Louisiana (US) was determined to make it very uncool, by hitting pants-flashers with high fines.

Delcambre council voted that sporting saggy trousers should be classed as an act of indecent exposure. Mayor Carol Broussard warned 'People who expose themselves this way will get a $500 fine and risk six months' jail. They'll be better off in a dress.'

Some residents said the law was racially-motivated as most of the town's hip-hop devotees were black. But Broussard insisted: 'White people wear this sagging style too.'

Theatre Sleepover

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:52:00 +0000

A London theatre is to stage a show which involves the audience changing into their nightwear and sleeping over in single beds.

Lullaby, produced by the Duckie theatre company, will transform the Barbican's pit theatre into a bedroom complete with en suite bathroom cubicles. Storytelling and cradle song will be followed by a night's sleep and a breakfast the next morning.

'Every time I go to the theatre I fall asleep, so I thought why don't we embrace that idea and make a show that deliberately send people to sleep?' said producer Simon Casson.

Joyful Waving

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 06:36:00 +0000

A bearded old man who sits by the road between two seaside resorts waving at passing cars has become an internet star. The man -who calls himself Moses-Peter- has spent years perched on a chair waving at passers-by for hours at a time.

Motorists have now set up a Facebook called "Strange Old Man Who Sits On A Bench On the Road Between Torquay and Paignton" which has attracted more than 10,000 followers, many of them holidaymakers.

"It gives me an overwhelming sense of happiness when he waves at me. This man is, somehow, magical", says one driver. The mystery man has refused to explain his actions, simply stating "I am spreading a message of joy, love and happiness."

Live and Let Leave

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 08:13:00 +0000

Latvian tourist chiefs scrapped a campaign after their slogan was mistranslated into 'Easy to go, hard to live.'

The Latvian tourist board planned the campaign to promote the capital city of Riga to English-speaking travelers. They hoped to show off the city's cultural highlights to turn around Riga's image as a destination for wild stag parties.

The message was however completely ruined by one simple mistake. 'It is very embarrassing. It was of course meant to say hard to leave' a spokesman admitted, 'but apparently nobody checked it properly before the leaflets and posters went to the printers.'

Drink and Smoke More!

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:09:00 +0000

Russia's finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, has urged his countrymen and women to boost the country's revenues by drinking and smoking more. "If you smoke a pack of cigarettes, that means you are giving more to help social problems," said Kudrin.

Russia, noted for its high consumption of both cigarettes and alcohol has among the lowest duties on cigarettes in Europe. In June, plans to double the excise duty on cigarettes for 1,000 cigarettes were outlined.

The comments by the minister seem to contradict recent government moves to control Russia's excessive nature and improve its life expectancy rates.

Hostage over ironing

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:30:00 +0000

A US man has been arrested for taking his mother hostage at gunpoint for six hours after she refused to do his ironing.

Robert Edward Tyrrell Jr, 29, lives with his parents. He stated that doing the ironing was "woman's work": When his mum refused to iron his clothes, he pulled out a gun, took his mother's keys and mobile phone, and refused to let her leave the house.

The 51-year-old mother eventually managed to escape, and went to the police station. Deputies were dispatched to the home where Tyrrell surrendered without incident. He is now facing charges of aggravated assault and false imprisonment.

Weirdwurst

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:34:00 +0000

Hoping to spice up their business, German butchers have introduced a new line of exotic-tasting sausages with flavors ranging from kiwi, cherry, lemon and even aloe vera.

Berlin butcher Uwe Buenger developed a "chili-honey" Bratwurst while rival Dankert came up with a "kiwi wurst" that also included pineapple and maraschino cherries.

For sausage connoisseurs there is also the "Truefflebratwurst" that includes truffle, spiced with black and white pepper.

Honeymoon in 2036

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:50:00 +0000

Two Texas prisoners, Diane Zamora, and Steven Mora, who had never met, were married by proxy and could look forward to their honeymoon - in 2036 at the earliest. Their prisons were 208 km. apart.

They began writing letters to each other after Mora saw Zamora on TV. Zamora was a former U.S. Naval Academy midshipman who, along with then-boyfriend David Graham was sentenced to life in prison in a 1996 trial for the murder of a 16-year-old girl who was her romantic rival.

She had to serve at least 40 years in prison and would not be eligible for parole until 2036. Mora was scheduled to get out of prison after a four-year sentence for threatening retaliation against someone who helped put him in prison on an earlier charge.

It seems however that the wait was too long, as they have divorced in the meantime.

"Beautiful" political party

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:36:00 +0000

A Romanian model who wants to improve the country's image has started a new political party for beautiful people. Sanziana Buruiana wants to heavily tax obese citizens at a rate of 10 euros per kilo overweight, and punish anybody making "dumb blonde" jokes. The 23-year old said: "Anyone like that needs to be put in prison."

Other plans include a fine of 100 euros for infidelity, and a law insisting that only models in bikinis are allowed to work as tourist guides. Buruiana suggests that this would boost Romania's popularity as a travel destination.

Thank Heavens for Online Sermons

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:54:00 +0000

Busy vicars have been offered a helping hand with their Sunday services: a website that provides a selection of ready-to-use sermons. The site describes itself as a 'fast-response service designed to hep busy Christian ministers and teachers, with sound ready-made sermons.'

Vicars can browse the site and buy a sermon of their choice for £8. Each piece is written to last between 10 and 12 minutes.

Closing Time!

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:58:00 +0000

Authorities in football crazy Bangladesh asked all manufacturing factories in and around the capital Dakha to suspend operations each evening until the end of the World Cup.

'We have issued the order to the factories to switch off for five hours every evening in a desperate move to save electricity so that people can watch the play on televisions,' said the managing director of the Dakha Electric Supply Company. 'This is an undesirable decision from an economic point of view but we were rather compelled.'

Although Bangladesh ranked 157th in the world, and lost 6-1 to Tajikistan in a two-legged first round Asian zone qualifier, the country's young and old in urban and rural areas, just go crazy whenever the finals are held.

Dalmatian House

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:41:00 +0000

One Croatian family have honored their pet dog by painting their entire home white with black spots.

After the Tomasic family's pet dalmatian Bingo was run over and killed by a car, dad Goran decided to make their home a tribute by painting it black and white. 'We loved him so much we didn't want him to be forgotten so we painted the house to remind us of him all the time.'

The family now plan to replace their beloved pet with a golden retriever, much to the delight of their neighbors.

No More "Comrades"

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:34:00 +0000

China's bus drivers and ticket sellers have been urged to leave Communism behind, with a new training manual instructing them to call travelers "sir" or "madam" instead of "comrade." "Old Comrade" is listed as the final possible choice of address for elderly travelers, but it comes after "elder master" and "elder sir."

The manual suggests forms of address ranging from "student" to the plain "passenger" for younger travelers, for whom comrade has a different gloss, as slang term for gay.

Hippie Dictionary

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 07:53:00 +0000

Are you feeling screwed, blued and tattooed because the man slipped it to you? Like, stay loose, hit the pad and share a thumb with your pash. Huh?

If that made no sense to you, check out "The Hippie Dictionary". Using this book to translate, readers come up with a more conventional: "Are you feeling mistreated by the authorities? Relax, go home to bed and share a very large marijuana cigarette with your significant other."

However those expecting the dictionary to be a reference work, are in for a jolt. The book is full of slang and swear words culled from the vernacular of the 1960s and 1970s hippie youth, who questioned authority and created their own counterculture.

Among the book's gems are "absofuckinglutely" (without a doubt), "hey man" (the most prevalent greeting of the era) and "swacked" (high on drugs or alcohol). In fact, the book's entry for the term "hippie" said, "The true hippie believes in and works for truth, generosity, peace, love and tolerance. The messengers of sanity in a world filled with greed, intolerance and war."

Drink to Forget

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 09:30:00 +0000

The French Foreign Legion is going into the wine business to raise funds for its veterans. Called Esprit de Corps, to embody the legionnaire spirit, its red and rose vintages are produced from grapes grown on a property in southern France used to shelter its war-wounded and former fighters, who work in the vineyard.

An officer at the property in Puyloubier described the wines as 'strong when attacked, solid on the onslaught, full of grapeshot on the front line.'

Elvis Meet Lego

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:50:00 +0000

A Swedish couple won the right to name their baby son Lego. In the past, parents found it difficult to call their children Ikea, Veranda or Metallica. The Swedish Administrative Court of Appeals overruled a decision that prevented the boy from being named after the plastic building blocks.

Other have not been so lucky. The parents of 'Elvis' were told that her name was 'of a masculine type' and therefore 'clearly inappropriate.' Elvis' mother protested the decision. 'We thought it was a name that was pretty and gender neutral. We're not Elvis Presley fans at all.'

Sailing

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:33:00 +0000

A man who thought he was sailing around the British coastline was surprised to learn that he had in fact been circling the Isle of Sheppey. He had set out from Gillingham for Southampton but kept on sailing around the small island, off the coast of Kent, all day and night.

The aspiring sailor didn't realize until he ran out of fuel and had to call for assistance. He was using a road map to navigate and was making his way to Southampton with no navigation equipment.

Coastguards said: 'We passed on relevant safety advice and advised him that the best way to Southampton would be by train.'

Circus Back in Town

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 09:05:00 +0000

The circus came to town in Turkmenistan for the first time since the Central Asian nation's late leader banned it. Hundreds of children lined up for their first visit to the circus, a form of entertainment that the autocrat Saparmurat Niyazov prohibited as 'alien'.

Nizayov, who ruled Turkmenistan for 21 years, also banned the cinema, opera, ballet, and even gold teeth.

DIY Power Drill Dentist

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:54:00 +0000

A man who worked as a dentist for years despite using a DIY power drill and a pair of normal pliers in his surgery was arrested. Alvaro Perez, 40, from Ecuador used screwdrivers and household pincers among other things when he treated his patients at his surgery in Sampierdarena, Italy.

He was arrested after one of his patients called the police saying that he had almost passed out with pain during surgery. Perez, who was charged with deception, had no dental qualifications but had hundreds of clients.

Some Rolling Stones with Your Wine?

noreply@blogger.com (horsewithnoname) — Sun, 30 May 2010 08:59:00 +0000

Music can influence the taste of wine. Different types of music stimulate different parts of the brain, and prime us to taste wines in a corresponding way.

Researchers have discovered that when a powerful piece of music such as Carmina Burana is heard, a Cabernet Sauvignon is perceived as being 60% more powerful, rich and robust than when no music is heard.

Other suggested music included 'Honky Tonk Woman' by the Rolling Stones to accompany Cabernet Sauvignon.