strange stuff

From strange crimes to strange celebrity deaths, read all of the latest weird and strange stuff news stories on Newser.com

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Teacher Uses Robber, Gun to Teach Kids Spelling

Parents shoot down lesson plan

(Newser) - How do you spell G-U-N? That's the lesson a 5-year-old girl brought home, complete with a picture of a pistol-packin' bank robber escaping with a bag of cash. "The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh no no no,’ I don't want you reading it, I...

Russia Putting Dead Man on Trial

Lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, accused of tax evasion, died in police custody

(Newser) - For the first time in its history, Russia plans to prosecute a dead man. Police intend to bring to trial the tax-evasion case of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in custody in 2009, reports the New York Times . Russian authorities claim they reopened the case so Magnitsky's supporters...

Things Congress Talks About: Caribou Sex

Texas' Louie Gohmert says Alaskan pipeline is hot date meet-up

(Newser) - A Texas Republican congressman is adamant in his backing of the trans-Alaska pipeline, but not because of silly energy independence. No, we must keep the oil flowing for the sake of ... caribou romance. So argued Rep. Louie Gohmert, tongue perhaps in cheek, during a meeting of the House Natural Resources...

Meet Chun Chun, China's Biggest Baby?

He weighed 15.5 pounds at birth

(Newser) - Chun Chun is less than a week old, but it looks like he's already a record-holder in China. He weighed 15.5 pounds at birth, with local media in central Henan province speculating that he's the biggest newborn in the nation's history, reports the Times of India ...

44 Celebrities&#39; Real Names
 44 Celebrities' 
 Real Names 
hello, walter willis
Feb 8, 2012 10:21 AM CST

44 Celebrities' Real Names

Neither Demi Moore nor Bruce Willis were born that way

(Newser) - It's no secret that sometimes celebrities' names are just too perfect to be the ones they were born with. The Huffington Post rounds up the real names of 44 stars, including:
  • Meg Ryan: Margaret Hyra
  • Pat Benatar: Patricia Mae Andrzejewski
  • Chevy Chase: Cornelius Crane Chase
  • Portia De Rossi: Amanda
...

Big Catch in Pakistan: Giant Whale Shark

35-foot creature weighed as much as 7 tons

(Newser) - A photo is worth 1,000 words ... or 14,000 pounds, in the case of unbelievable images out of Pakistan. The Express Tribune reports that a 35-foot whale shark was found dead in the Arabian Sea and hauled to the Karachi harbor yesterday, where two small cranes attempted to hoist...

Court Clerk Watches Porn During Rape Trial

He said he was 'bored'

(Newser) - A "bored" London court clerk was busted after looking at hardcore bondage pornography in the middle of a British rape trial. The judge spotted the photos on the clerk's computer as he peered over his bench while the victim described her horrific attack. When the judge "noticed...

Scientists Replicate Prehistoric Cricket Sound

Could be the world's oldest known song: researchers

(Newser) - Scientists have brought back a sound that hasn't been heard in 165 million years: the song of a prehistoric cricket. Using a remarkably intact fossil of a katydid—also known as a bush cricket—researchers were able to create soundalike replicas based on the creature's wings, AFP reports....

America's Latest Fast-Food Indulgence: Bacon Shake

Jack in the Box beverage contains ... no bacon

(Newser) - When it comes to the battle for the most indulgent, artery-clogging American fast food treat, the list of contenders is a long one. And now, a new entrant: Jack in the Box has begun offering a limited-edition Bacon Shake. And, in true fast-food-isn't-just-like-real-food fashion, there's actually not any...

Skydiver Plans Jump From Edge of Space

Felix Baumgartner will fall from 23 miles up

(Newser) - If you have a fear of heights, don’t read on: An Austrian adventurer plans to jump from the very edge of space later this year, falling from the dizzying height of about 23 miles. (That's 120,000 feet; for comparison's sake, consider that the average passenger plane...

College Vending Machine Doles Out Plan B, $25 a Pop

Shippensburg University makes emergency contraceptive easy to come by

(Newser) - Plan B can be quite controversial—but not at one Pennsylvania college, where students can buy the emergency contraceptive out of a vending machine. Granted, the vending machine in question is located inside the Shippensburg University health center, KTLA notes. One dose of the morning after pill costs $25.

Karl Lagerfeld: Adele &#39;Too Fat&#39;
 Karl Lagerfeld: Adele 'Too Fat' 
Feb 7, 2012 10:47 AM CST

Karl Lagerfeld: Adele 'Too Fat'

And Lana Del Rey has a lot of implants, says fashion designer

(Newser) - It's always fun when Karl Lagerfeld opens his mouth , which he did quite a bit during a recent stint as guest editor of Metro . His most buzz-generating quote is about Adele: "The thing at the moment is Adele," he says. "She is a little too fat,...

PETA's Whale-Slaves Lawsuit Has Its Day in Court

But it's unlikely judge will free Willy from SeaWorld

(Newser) - PETA might think it's on "the next frontier of civil rights" with its lawsuit seeking to emancipate SeaWorld's "whale slaves," but a federal judge presiding over a hearing yesterday was a bit more skeptical, reports the LA Times . The animal-rights group, perhaps better known for...

D'oh! Iran Bans Homer Simpson Doll

Like Barbie, Homer's on the outs in Tehran

(Newser) - Maybe the Supreme Leader doesn't giggle at lines like "Homer no function beer well without" and "I felt a surge of power … like God must feel when he’s holding a gun." But whatever the reason, Iranian officials have placed the Homer Simpson doll alongside...

GOP Rep Fooled by Onion's 'Abortionplex' Story

Rep. John Fleming outraged over fake Planned Parenthood facility

(Newser) - The Abortionplex, a fake business dreamed up by the Onion , has fooled quite a few naïve souls who were simply outraged when they read about it. Now you can add a Louisiana congressman to the list of people who, somehow, failed to figure out that the Abortionplex is a...

Kid Rock's 'Made in Detroit' Shirts ... Not Made in Detroit

Only some of the shirts are even made in the USA: Susan Tompor

(Newser) - Kid Rock loves Detroit, and the story of the rocker saving the Made in Detroit clothing line from bankruptcy is certainly a heartwarming one. With just one small problem: The Made in Detroit shirts aren't actually made in Detroit, Detroit Free Press writer Susan Tompor discovered. The design originated...

Woman Cuts in Drive-Thru Line, Gets Tased

Evangeline Lucca wasn't about to wait at McDonald's

(Newser) - It started with a mean Big Mac attack, and somehow ended along the lines of "don't Tase me, bro": A North Carolina woman shut down a McDonald's drive-thru for 20 minutes this week when she cut in line, reports the Fayetteville Observer . Seems Evangeline Lucca skipped past...

7 Weird Celebrity Body Parts

Joaquin Phoenix has a cleft lip to thank for his unique smile

(Newser) - Celebrities may look flawless, but the Huffington Post reveals that some of them were born with certain, shall we say, quirks:
  • Taye Diggs: The actor was born with polydactyly; in his case, an extra digit on each of his hands. The fingers were removed surgically.

Entire Town Wins Lottery&mdash; Except for One Guy
Entire Town Wins Lottery—
Except for One Guy
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 5, 2012 9:36 AM CST

Entire Town Wins Lottery— Except for One Guy

Residents of Spanish village of Sodeto get piece of $950M jackpot

(Newser) - Costis Mitsotakis has to be more than a little annoyed. Of the 70 households that make up the village of Sodeto, Spain, his was the only one that didn't buy a ticket in the country's giant Christmas lottery. Which means he is now the only one who isn'...

Music Mogul Leaves $1.5M to Chauffeur, Doorman
Music Mogul Leaves $1.5M
to Chauffeur, Doorman
in case you missed it
Feb 4, 2012 7:17 AM CST

Music Mogul Leaves $1.5M to Chauffeur, Doorman

And Alan Meltzer's ex-wife wants you to know that she really, really doesn't care

(Newser) - A chauffeur and a doorman are suddenly well-off after music mogul Alan Meltzer left them both a large chunk of his $10 million estate. Meltzer "was such a nice guy," says his chauffeur, who got $1 million. "He was always joking. He never looked down on anybody....

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