strange stuff

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

Stories 4741 - 4760 | << Prev   Next >>

'King Arthur' Can't Reclaim Stonehenge Remains

Self-styled Druid chief loses bid

(Newser) - The injustice! King Arthur Uther Pendragon cannot reclaim 5,000-year-old remains that were dug up at Stonehenge, a British judge has ruled. But don’t get too riled up: Pendragon isn’t actually related to the legendary kind of yore, although he is chief of the Loyal Arthurian Warband Druid...

Kellogg to Mayan Group: Drop 'Toucan Sam-Like' Logo

Nonprofit: Our toucan looks nothing like your cartoon

(Newser) - The toucan is native to Mesoamerica, which is why the Maya Archaeology Initiative , a group that defends Mayan culture, chose to use the bird as its logo. Of course, the toucan is also native to boxes of Kellogg Co.’s Froot Loops cereal—and now the company wants the...

Truck Driver Uses Feet for Brakes

... and it doesn't turn out so well for him

(Newser) - Instead of using his head and calling for a tow when his brakes went out, a Michigan man decided to use his feet—to stop his truck. After discovering his brakes weren't working, the 24-year-old continued to drive home, reports the Macomb Daily . While he did manage to stop...

Alaska's Orange Goo Is Actually Fungal Spores
 What the Orange 
 Goo Really Is 
Aug 19, 2011 11:40 AM CDT

What the Orange Goo Really Is

Scientists originally misidentified substance washed up in Alaska

(Newser) - At first, scientists were baffled by the orange goo that washed ashore in Alaska. Then they announced it was tiny eggs . Now they’re saying that's wrong: It’s actually fungal spores, the Los Angeles Times reports. Microbiologists in South Carolina linked the material to the spores that turn...

Carjacker Foiled by 'Plucky Kids, Feisty Little Dog'

'You're in the wrong car,' says boy to would-be thief

(Newser) - The New York Post takes great pleasure in recounting the unbelievable-sounding story of a carjacker who met his match in the form of two "plucky kids" and their "ferocious," "feisty" toy poodle. It all started when dad Sebastian Russo left 7-year-old John and 5-year-old Robert in...

'Vampire' Teen Busted for Biting Woman

'500-year-old from hell' told cops he had 'a need to feed'

(Newser) - He says he's a 500-year-old vampire from hell; police say he's a 19-year-old from Galveston, Texas. Lyle Bensley was arrested for breaking into a woman's apartment and biting her while screaming about being a vampire, say cops. After the woman broke free and fled the apartment, responding...

Woman Faces 10 Years for Stealing $1.50 Can of Beer

Because of her history, Victoria Hill charged with felony burglary

(Newser) - Victoria Hill walked into an Idaho store, allegedly slipped one 24-ounce can of $1.50 Steel Reserve beer into her purse, and walked out ... and now she faces up to 10 years in jail. Hill, 35, was taken into custody Thursday and charged with felony burglary because, officers say, she...

Tired of Chores, Boy Calls Cops

German kid calls police hotline to report 'forced labor'

(Newser) - A young person who called the police emergency hotline in Germany to report an appalling case of forced servitude didn't find much sympathy at the other end. The caller was an 11-year-old boy complaining about his chores, telling authorities "I have to work all day long. I haven'...

Mysterious Exoplanet Darker Than Coal

Jupiter-sized planet reflects less than 1% of light

(Newser) - The mysterious exoplanet TrES-2b is a gas giant the size of Jupiter, but it reflects less than 1% of the light that hits it—making it darker than coal and one of the stranger objects astronomers have yet found, reports Discovery . "TrES-2b is considerably less reflective than black acrylic...

Orange Goo in Alaska Identified
 Orange Goo in Alaska Identified 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Aug 13, 2011 7:04 AM CDT

Orange Goo in Alaska Identified

It's some kind of eggs ... that may or may not be toxic

(Newser) - We have a partial answer to the orange goo that started washing up in Alaska last week, and it's definitely not the secret to John Boehner's perma-tan. It's eggs—millions of tiny eggs filled with fatty droplets, reports the AP. Exactly what kind of eggs—or whether...

Police: Woman Assaulted 12-Year-Old Girl

...because preteen looked at her 30-year-old boyfriend

(Newser) - A family birthday party took a bad turn last month when a 24-year-old woman allegedly beat up a 12-year-old girl ... for looking at the woman's 30-year-old boyfriend. Candace Kiley has now been arrested by Connecticut police, who had to apply for a warrant before they could bring her in...

Guy Proposes ... as a Dancing Carrot

And he gets the girl

(Newser) - If your girlfriend's favorite color is orange and you want to propose, maybe dressing yourself and 48 friends as giant carrots is the best way to get her to say yes. That is what one lovestruck Chinese man did recently for China's Valentine's Day in the city...

Now Putin's an Archaeologist, Too?

Judo expert/whale hunter Putin discovers ancient artifacts in Black Sea

(Newser) - Move over, Chuck Norris. Hang up that whip, Indiana Jones. There's a new hero in town, and his name is Vladimir Putin. Yes, the Russian prime minister is not only a judo expert, artist , whale hunter , and muscle-bound fisherman , he is also a great and successful archaeologist, who, while...

'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...

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