strange stuff

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

Stories 4761 - 4780 | << Prev   Next >>

'Extreme Couponing' Tied to Newspaper Thefts

In most recent incident, women allegedly stole 185 papers

(Newser) - Confused as to why a woman in Arkansas would, allegedly, steal 185 copies of a Sunday newspaper? You must not be an "extreme couponer." Poynter notes that TLC's Extreme Couponing, which debuted in April, has been linked to several reports of newspaper and coupon thefts in Idaho,...

Colorado Wants State Sport: Donkey Racing

Advocates stubborn amid controversy

(Newser) - Pack burro racers’ task is straightforward, but it’s not easy: They must coax, push, and pull a donkey through the Colorado mountains as quickly as possible. Now, competitors want some recognition for their efforts, the Wall Street Journal reports. They’re calling for donkey racing to become the Colorado’...

'Dead' Baby Cries Before Burial

Startled undertaker was prepping newborn for her funeral

(Newser) - It was almost a miracle: A Brazilian baby believed to be dead started crying at the funeral home where an undertaker was about to prepare her for burial, reports the AP . Cops say doctors declared the infant dead yesterday, moments after her 14-year-old mother gave birth to her two months...

Desperate, Sick Indonesians Turn to Railroad 'Therapy'

Rumored to cure everything from paralysis to high-blood pressure

(Newser) - Ignoring the red-and-white danger sign, Sri Mulyati walks slowly to the train tracks outside Indonesia's bustling capital, lies down, and stretches her body across the rails. Like the nearly dozen others lined up along the track, the 50-year-old diabetes patient has given up on doctors and can't afford...

For Sale: Portraits of Hitler's Parents

Expert says they are original, could go for $100K

(Newser) - If, for some reason, you would really like a couple of original portraits of Adolf Hitler's dear old mom and dad (and you have $100,000) ... you're in luck. The portraits of Alois and Klara Hitler, missing since World War II ended, have been in the possession of...

Cops: Woman Draws Beard on Face, Robs Bank

Cops say she drew it on outside

(Newser) - Both Bonnie and Clyde would be proud. Cops say a woman drew a beard on her face and wore men's clothes to rob a bank in Alabama. She allegedly told tellers at the Bank of Tuscaloosa in Cottondale she had a bomb, placed a device on the counter, and...

Cops Bust Blood-Drenched Guy Biking With an Ax

Maybe he was just going to get a Band-Aid?

(Newser) - Try explaining this one to the cops: Ontario police stopped a blood-soaked man riding his bike into town carrying an ax. On the plus side, the blood was his own and there were no victims, reports the Peterborough Examiner . The suspect, Lawrence Carnrite, 41, is well-known among local police, and...

Guy Tries to Carjack Cop Car, Blames Batman Movie

Micah Calamosca claimed it was all part of the script

(Newser) - Micah Calamosca's first mistake was allegedly trying to carjack a vehicle inhabited by ... a plainclothes police officer. And the story only gets weirder from there: When the 21-year-old jumped into the car Saturday night and the detective drew his gun, Calamosca had his excuse ready. He told the Pittsburgh...

Skeleton in Bank Chimney in Louisiana is Missing Man from 1984


 Skeleton in 
 Bank Chimney 
 Is Missing Man 
 From 1984 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jul 31, 2011 4:10 PM CDT

Skeleton in Bank Chimney Is Missing Man From 1984

He got wedged in 27 years ago

(Newser) - It's sort of a good news-bad news situation for one Louisiana family. On one hand, they finally know what happened to Joseph Schexnider, who vanished in 1984—on the other, he died inside a local bank chimney 27 years ago. Construction workers renovating a historic bank discovered skeletal remains...

Drunk Dad Lets 8-Year-Old Drive, Say Police

Family was on trip from Mississippi to Texas

(Newser) - And today's Parent of the Year Award goes to: Billy Joe Madden, who allegedly let his 8-year-old drive during a family trip from Mississippi to Texas ... while dear old dad was passed out drunk in the passenger seat. State police arrested Madden after receiving an early morning call yesterday...

Woman Sues Employer for Sex Injury on Business Trip

Light fixture fell, and now she wants damages

(Newser) - A government employee in Australia is suing her employer because she got injured while having sex at a motel during a business trip. The woman thinks she deserves compensation because a light fixture fell on her, inflicting injuries to her face and causing mental distress, reports the Daily Telegraph .

Couple Kills Selves Outside Church They Married In

Patricia and Bruce Wright died in an apparent suicide pact

(Newser) - Las Vegas couple Patricia and Bruce Wright apparently made a pact to end their lives Sunday at the same Florida church where they married 40 years ago, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. A pastor discovered the couple early Sunday morning under a tree behind the church, with a rifle and...

Wrong-Way Drivers in Lagos Must Go See a Shrink

Penalty is part of city's effort to rein in traffic

(Newser) - Psychiatrists in New York would probably love to see this legislation passed in the US. In Lagos, Nigeria—where traffic has reached epidemic levels—if you're caught going the wrong way on a one-way street, you face a $160 fine, but you also have to receive a psychiatric evaluation,...

Grandpa Wakes Up Screaming in Morgue

Needless to say, the South African man was not actually dead

(Newser) - A South African grandfather is apparently just fine after spending 21 hours inside a morgue—but we're guessing family dinners are going to be awkward for a while. His family assumed he was dead when they were unable to wake him up, and called for an undertaker. But he...

Sinkhole: Woman in Guatemala City Finds 40-Foot Sinkhole Under Bed
 Woman Discovers 
 40-Foot Sinkhole 
 Under Bed 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jul 24, 2011 6:04 PM CDT

Woman Discovers 40-Foot Sinkhole Under Bed

She heard a loud boom, and then...

(Newser) - This makes monsters under the bed sound tame: A woman in Guatemala City heard a loud noise on Monday and tracked down the source—a 40-foot-deep sinkhole under her bed. "When we heard the loud boom we thought a gas canister from a neighboring home had exploded, or there...

Feds Pay for Study on Gay Men's Penis Size
 Taxpayers Fund Study 
 on Gay Men's Penis Size 
in case you missed it
Jul 23, 2011 7:30 PM CDT

Taxpayers Fund Study on Gay Men's Penis Size

To some, the results are less shocking than the study itself

(Newser) - Who's more preoccupied with the penis size of gay men: other gay men or the government? The National Institutes of Health recently conducted a study to find out how penis size affects the sexual health of gay men, reports the Daily Caller . Among the findings: Those who felt they...

Utah's Odd Liquor Laws Kill Some of the Buzz

The state's liquor laws are ... unusual

(Newser) - Happy hour never comes, you'll never see a restaurant bartender mix your drink, stiff drinks are a no-no, and don't even bother asking about a drink special … welcome to Utah! Though the state's infamously strict liquor laws lightened up considerably in 2009, the system remains rife...

Amish Teen Takes Cops on Buggy Chase

Police say he was drinking a beer

(Newser) - You shouldn't drink and drive—no matter what kind of horsepower you're riding. A 17-year-old Amish boy driving a buggy in upstate New York led deputies on a short chase after they saw him with an open can of beer, reports the Buffalo News . Once stopped, deputies say...

Food and Dieting Trick: Use a Bigger Fork
 Bigger Fork= 
 Smaller Meals 
study says
Jul 18, 2011 4:24 PM CDT

Bigger Fork= Smaller Meals

Users of bigger utensil left more food untouched

(Newser) - Looking to eat less? Try bigger utensils. A study compared how much restaurant-goers ate using different forks, one 20% larger than a standard restaurant fork, and the other 20% smaller. Researchers discovered that those who employed the big fork left more food uneaten—7.91 ounces of food compared to...

Guy Tries to Cremate Dog, Sets Fire to House

Now he's without his best friend and a place to live

(Newser) - A Virginia man accidentally set fire to his house while trying to cremate his dead dog, reports InsideNova . He reportedly set fire to wood that he placed next to the body of his 11-year-old Rottweiler, and added gasoline to encourage the backyard fire. The intensified flames caused $70,000 worth...

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