Archive of Weird, Bizarre and Unusual 2007

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Monday, January 01, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE AND UNUSUAL (#1576)

MIGHT BE BETTER OFF TREATING HEMORRHOIDS, FROM THERE?

While up to half the 150 million doses of aspirin taken daily worldwide are taken in the U.S., in tablet form, in other countries the form can vary greatly. For instance, the fizzy type, similar to Alka Seltzer, is most popular in Italy. While the English prefer to swallow powder, and the French (wouldn't you just know it) administer their aspirin by inserting suppositories down below.

OFTEN THE OBVIOUS IS THE MOST OVERLOOKED

Historians recording names and birth/death dates from the graveyard of Evercreech Church, near Shepton Mallet, England, found only the initials H.W.P. on one stone, leaving them at a total loss as to who was buried there. And, it would have remained a mystery, if not for the caretaker. It was he who explained the HWP on the stone told plumbers that (underneath) they would find a turn-off valve for the churches HWP (i.e. hot water pipes).

BUT WAIT, WHAT ABOUT THE INTEREST?

Jerry Hendricksen, a businessman in Spokane, Washington, was going through his mother's old papers after her death, when he found a 61-year-old unpaid hospital bill. The bill was for his own 1935 birth. Mr. Hendricksen then traveled to St. Mary's Hospital in Pierre, South Dakota, and paid his bill of $70.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1576)

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Tuesday, January 02, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1577)

A MAN PRESIDENT LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON MAY HAVE ADMIRED?

U.S. President Martin Van Buren's vice president, Richard Mentor Johnson, was known as a crude and vulgar man, who turned his back on Washington society. He married three times, each wife being a slave. When his second wife ran away with the man she really loved, Johnson had her captured and sold at a slave auction. During the early part of his term, he opening a saloon spa on his farm in Kentucky, then spent most of his time there, away from Washington.

HOW LARGE DID THE FAMILY NEED TO BE TO QUALIFY?

In 1983, the Guinness Book of Records entered Leontina Albina, a woman living in Chile, as the most prolific mother on record, worldwide. Between 1943 and 1981, she claimed to have given birth to nine sets of triplets, eleven sets of twins, and six single births, producing a total of 55 children. A few years later they removed her name when it became clear the claim could not be proven. She gave birth to only 16 of the children. The others were given to her by other poor women or cousins. Why? To collect food assistance that the government grants to large, poor families.

PEOPLE ARE SHEEP WITHOUT THE WOOL

The Brooklyn Bridge of New York, constructed under the supervision of John Augustus Roebling over a period of thirteen plus years, was called by many the 8th wonder of world. Just six days after it opened to the public, on May 30, 1883, a rumor started that the bridge was about to collapse, causing a panic race to leave the bridge, and the deaths of twelve people.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1577)

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1578)

NOW HE COULD TRY FOR THE 'LONELY AND BROKE' RECORD

Determined to break the 400-day world record for flagpole-sitting, Frank Perkins of Los Angeles climbed up on top of one in 1992. Suffering from the flu he came down eight hours short of the 400-day record. Not only did he miss setting a new record, his sponsor had gone broke, his girlfriend had left him, and his electricity and phone had been cut off.

ANOTHER BIRTH RECORD

On June 13, 1971, Geraldine Brodrick of Sydney, Australia, gave birth to nontuplets, meaning a group of nine (in this case five boys and four girls). All died before reaching one week of age.

NOW HIS VERACITY "HANGS" IN THE BALANCE

In June of 2006, the United Kingdom's Times Online reported a hoax perpetrated by a Suffolk craftsman, David Lucas, with an obsession about capital punishment. Mr. Lucas told an undercover reporter that he sold gallows to Zimbabwe and other governments, which still used hangings as capital punishment. He claimed a single gallows sold for an amount equal to $22,000 U.S., while his Multi-Hanging Execution System, mounted on a trailer, went for the equivalent of $185,000 U.S. More than 30 top newspapers, including The Guardian, the Daily Mail, and the Sydney Morning Herald followed the story.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1578)

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Thursday, January 04, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1579)

THEY DUCKED OUT ON A CHANCE TO WATCH FIRST HAND

Markku Tahvainen drove his family two-hundred-and-fifty miles from their farm in Finland to observe bears feeding in the wild. Returning home a few days later, the first thing he and his family noticed was all their ducks had been eaten....and the footprints and droppings left in their garden proved a bear had committed the crime.

ANOTHER RECORD

The official record for the heaviest person to have ever lived is John Brower Minnoch of Bainbridge Island, Washington, who's body weight hovered around 1,400 pounds. Seldom able to stand for more than 30-seconds, Minnoch spent most of his time sitting on a couch naked, except for a blanket. With a 110-inch waist, no clothing was possible. And, as his health worsened, instead of calling for an ambulance, a fork-lift and open-bed truck were used for his trip to the hospital.

WRONG KIND OF MEAT FOR THAT BURGER

When the McDonald's hamburger franchise first offered their "Big Mac" in Paris, it went out under the name Gros Mac. But it wasn't long until several Parisians let them know gros mac meant "big pimp" in French.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1579)

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Friday, January 05, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1580)

HE COULD'VE SOLD HIS GUN INSTEAD OF DOING THE CRIME

In 1990, Danny Simpson of Ottawa, Canada, was given six years in prison for robbing a bank of $6,000. When the police examined the .45-caliber pistol he had used in the robbery, it looked so old and out of date, one officer decided to take the serial number and have it checked. Surprisingly, it was a rare type of which only 100 were made, making it worth up to $100,000.

HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH "PEOPLE ARE SHEEP"

Near the end of a World Cup soccer match June 27, 1969, between bordering Central American countries El Salvador and Honduras, an official called a penalty, giving Honduras a chance to score and win. As news of the penalty spread among the people, riots broke out in both capital cities, and a rampage of lootings and beatings began. Six days later, on July 3rd, war was declared. Five days later the war was over. But the aftermath cost some 2,000 lives and collapsed the Central American Common market, which led to severe food shortages, causing much starvation.

HE GOT ALL CHOKED-UP AT THE WEDDING

The newspaper Jam-e Jam, reporting from Qazvin, Iran, said the 28-year old groom of a local wedding had choked to death during the reception. While traditionally licking honey from his new wife's fingers, he accidentally swallowed one of her artificial finger nails, then gagged for several minutes, while horrified guests watched him suffocate.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1580)

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Saturday, January 06, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1581)

AS THEY USED TO SAY, "GIVE 'EM HELL HARRY"

The thirty-third U.S. president, Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), was known for his bawdy language. For instance: "My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference."

ONE WAY OR THE OTHER THE JOB GOT DONE

In Cebu city, Phillippines, Enrique Quinanola, 21, tried to commit suicide by hanging himself, but friends cut him down, and took him to a hospital. There, while doctors prepared a sedative for him, Quinanola snuck away to a nearby restaurant and cut both his wrists with a steak knife. Police arriving from the hospital tried to subdue him, but with no luck. During the struggle one of the officer's guns misfired and hit Quinanola in the chest. He died a few minutes later.

THAT'S LIKE PUTTING ON SHOES, THEN SOCKS

On June 2, 1924, the United States Congress granted all American Indians United States citizenship.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1581)

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Sunday, January 07, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1582)

AMEN!

Considered by many to have been Hollywood's greatest actor, Marlon Brando (1924-2004): "Why should anybody care what a movie star has to say? A movie star is nothing important. Freud, Gandhi, Marx -- those people are important. Movie acting is just dull, boring, childish work".

AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR FAMILY WAS DYSFUNCTIONAL

The Dallas Morning News reported in the June 3, 2006, edition that a grandfather and grandmother in Tavares, Florida, tried to hire a hit man to kill their three grandchildren and daughter-in-law to stop them from testifying against their son in his rape trial. Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Christie Mysinger, said the couple offered $100, with a promise of more later, to an undercover sheriff's deputy.

AND THE PASSENGERS WERE CRYING OVER HIGH AIRFARES

According to BBC news, several planes requesting landing instructions as they approached Britain's Luton airport, instead heard a small infant crying. Authorities, after searching 12 hours for the source, located a faulty radio baby-monitor inside the home of Lisa Spratley, near the airport . Later the makers of the monitor gave Lisa a properly working one.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1582)

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Monday, January 08, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1583)

HER NEIGHBORS WILL ALWAYS LOVE HER, NOT

Helen Stephens, 20, was hauled into court for playing music too loudly from her flat in Cleveland, England. Residents of her apartment building told the court Ms. Stevens not only played her music loud, day-and-night, for six straight weeks, but always played only one tune, Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". (The judge gave her a week in jail for disturbing the peace.)

LESSON: DON'T STUFF YOUR SMUGGLING DRUGS INSIDE FISH

Drug-sniffing dogs are common in law enforcement. Now there's a fish-sniffing cat named Rusik. This valuable feline is (or was) stationed at a police control post in the southern Stavropol region of Russia. The Itar-Tass news agency reported Rusik's ability to detect contraband, including the Caspian Sea sturgeon, which produces the world's most expensive caviar... makes him worth his weight in gold.

ONE BURRITO PLEASE, BUT HOLD THE MOUSE

On June 2, 2006, Ryan Daniel Goff, 20, was sentenced to 16 to 30 months prison by a Traverse City, Michigan, court for stuffing a dead mouse inside a Taco Bell burrito, in an attempt to extort money from the franchiser.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1583)

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Tuesday, January 09, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1584)

WITH THAT ATTITUDE HE'S HALFWAY TO PASSING THE BAR

When Terry Allen, 34, was caught by San Antonio, Texas, police removing burglar bars from a local business, he complained they should not charge him with attempted burglary, claiming all he was doing was stealing the bars to make his own home more burglarproof.

CHEAP LABOR GONE A STEP TOO FAR

A Reuters report from Sao, Paulo, Brazil, tells of a judge inspecting a local prison who found nothing in one watchtower but a straw scarecrow, dressed in a guard's uniform, rifle in arms, "guarding" 720 prisoners.

WONDER WHO HARVESTED THOSE ONIONS? THIEVES, PERHAPS?

Florian Iorga, 42, and his son Aurel, 16, could hardly wait to harvest their bountiful crop of onions, to sell at the market place in Bucharest, Romania. They were also determined to protect their onions from thieves. For this they encircled their field with naked electrical wire, then plugged it in each night at sundown. It worked great. Three nights after Florian and Aurel installed their high voltage crop protector, they heard a noise from the darkness and rushed to the field to find their results. And the results were? They forget to turn off the power.... both died from electrical shock.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1584)

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Wednesday, January 10, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1585)

LET'S HOPE THEY HADN'T JUST VACUUMED

Reuters news service from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, reported heavy rains had flooded the city, causing landslides. In one case, a couple living in their home below a hillside cemetery, had its wall collapse during a mudslide, filling their kitchen and master bedroom to the ceiling with not only mud, but numerous skulls, arm and leg bones, rib cages, and a few rotted coffins which had not stood the test of time.

THIS AUDIENCE CAN WATCH RERUNS AT THE NEXT PERFORMANCE

The Fortean Times gives an example of theatrics becoming reality when reporting on the world premier of the play The Winter Guest, at England's Leeds Playhouse. The plot centers around a small town cut off from the outside world by a blizzard. The entire audience had to be put up for the night because during the performance a blizzard made it impossible for anyone to leave.

IS THAT OKAY, IF THEY SCOOP OUT THE MANURE OCCASIONALLY?

Birmingham, England, hospital manager Robert Naylor admitted his health care facility is very short on funds. He said that is why they "rent out" their $750,000 mobile cancer scanner to veterinarians, who use the expensive equipment to help farmers more profitability breed their sheep and pigs.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1585)

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Thursday, January 11, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1586)

NOTHING LIKE A HEALTHY SALAD TO SEND ONE ON THEIR WAY

Virginia state police were called to an auto accident along Washington's Capital Beltway, which killed a driver. Police spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said an assortment of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and small chunks of ham inside the car, and inside the deceased's mouth, indicated he was enjoying a Caesar's salad at the time of his death.

MORE FUN TRIVIA

In 1889, two entrepreneurial thinking men, Chris L. Rutt and Charles G. Underwood of St. Joseph, Missouri, began making and selling "Self-Rising Pancake Flour, naming it "Aunt Jemima," after a song in a minstrel show.

HIS TEETH ADMITTED A MOUTHFUL

A man police dubbed the "bumbling bank robber" entered a Wachovia Bank in Miami, Florida, pulled a gun and robbed the teller of $16,000. But running from the bank, stuffing the gun in his waistband, it accidentally fired. Luckily, no harm was done. Next, he stepped off the curb just in time to be hit by a truck. The robber, addled by the impact, still managed to get back on his feet and stagger to a getaway car, but left behind his hat, gun and two gold teeth. The teeth were tested by the FBI for the owner's DNA, it matched that of a felon on file, and the case was solved.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1586)

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Friday, January 12, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1587)

OOPS, SORRY

On June 8, 1967, while the U.S. Navy ship Liberty was stationed in the Mediterranean, Israeli forces attacked the ship and killed 34 U.S. servicemen. (Israel later said they made a mistake.)

MORE FANTASY THAN THIS GUY COULD HANDLE

The Tampa Tribune tells of Paul Shimkonis, a 38-year-old Florida man, who claimed he suffered whiplash at a local topless bar, when a dancer dropped both her large breasts on top of his head. "It was like two cement bags hitting me. I saw stars. I've not been myself since", he told the court, concerning the September 27, 1996 incident.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT

From Ronald Schwartz's book, Men are Lunatics, Women are Nuts!, a quote from actor Jack Nicholson: "If you want to resist the feminist movement, the simple way to do it is to give them what they want and they'll defeat themselves. Today, you've got endless women in their 20s and 30s who don't know if they want to be a mother, have lunch, or be secretary of state."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1587)

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Saturday, January 13, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1588)

WORDS USUALLY RESERVED FOR THE HONEYMOON

John and Tracey O'Donnell got into a fight at their own wedding reception, and both were arrested by Westport, Connecticut, police. The bride said her new husband fed her a slice of wedding cake too roughly, after she'd asked him to take it easy and be "more gentle".

IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SAVED HER LIFE

In March 1996, the Sunday Oklahoman profiled the story of Oklahoma City homemaker Mary Clamser, 44, because of two unusual circumstances that changed her life. First, in 1994, Ms. Clamser was suffering from deteriorating multiple sclerosis, when her house was struck by lightening. Grounded to metal with her hands, and also wearing metal leg braces, the shock returned her ability to walk. Next, in 1995, in order to appear on a California television show and tell her story, she canceled an appointment at Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, at 9:00 AM on April 19th (which would have placed her among the 168 killed, or 500 wounded, when Timothy McVeigh blew it up).

PERHAPS SHE ALREADY DRANK A NIGHTCAP....OR TWO?

On one dark evening in Hamburg, Germany, an emu (which looks like an ostrich) escaped into a nearby family neighborhood. There it was mistaken for a peeping tom. This occurred when a lady, in her bedroom, heard a pecking at the window and looked outside to see what she concluded to be a bare-chested man, with a very large head, and two huge eye balls.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1588)

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Sunday, January 14, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1589)

THESE CANDIDATES COULD WEAR MASKS

Apparently some candidates running for public office in East Windsor, Connecticut, had some really "winning smiles"? Voter officials there banned political candidates from smiling within 75 feet of any polling place. One overseer, Mary Rajala, said hanging around and smiling constituted electioneering.

QUALITY/QUANTITY OF LIFE MUST ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED

England's Nursing Standard magazine reports an 85-year-old retired nurse had "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" tattooed on her chest. Seeing too many patients resuscitated during her 45-year nursing career, assured her having to "die twice" just wasn't worth it.

HOW ABOUT: "100% DISCOUNT ON SIX TOTALLY DESTROYED CARS"

From Not a Good Word About Anybody, Riverside Chevrolet in Jacksonville, Florida, began a new sales campaign with large white banners proclaiming "Look for it! Something BIG is going to happen". A few hours later their showrooms ceiling collapsed, destroying six new cars.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1589)

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Monday, January 15, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1590)

THEY ALMOST HAD A PRECOOKED MEAL

Electric power was cut to 5,000 San Francisco residents, so a chicken could be rescued. Pranksters had caused it all by releasing a chicken with dozens of helium balloons attached to it. As the chicken rose, the balloons came in contact with high-power transmission lines, necessitating a power shut off for three hours to rescue the bird. (Taken to an animal shelter, the plump chicken was soon "adopted".)

HE WAS KNOWN TO BE A BIT SOUR AT TIMES

Industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947), a genius in many ways, also had a goodly amount of "hang-ups". For instance, the reason he stopped eating sugar, altogether. This decision was made in an instant the first time Ford saw granulated sugar crystals under a microscope. The magnification of the crystals' sharp edges made them appear as shards of broken glass, making it impossible for him ever again to add sugar to anything he consumed.

THEIR "BLUE LIGHT SPECIALS" WERE BLACK AND BLUE BODIES

The China Daily reported the opening of a new supermarket in the Inner Mongolian city of Baotou. Unprepared for the onslaught of 50,000 desperate shoppers, employees (and later police) were unable stop the chaos, resulting in the death of two and injury of hundreds.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1590)

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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1591)

OR CHANGE GONE WITH THE WIND TO FLATULENCE PASSED

Britain's Daily Mirror reports a London theatre company, wishing to be less offensive, changed the name of the play they were performing, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, to The Bell Ringer of Notre Dame. The producer, Oddsocks Productions, said they feared offending people with spina bifida.

HOW CENTER STRIPES ON ROADS AND HIGHWAYS CAME TO BE

By 1917, Dr. June McCarroll of Indio, California, had seen enough automobile wrecks along the dangerous stretch of road leading to her office and decided to do something about it. What she did was, take a brush and bucket of paint to the center of that road, then paint a mile long stripe down the middle to help drivers stay on their right side. Through the Indio Women's Club, McCarroll began a vigorous letter writing campaign on behalf of her proposal. The idea was adopted by the California Highway Commission in 1924 and 3,500 miles of lines were painted at a cost of $163,000.

YOU COULD EASILY "PATCH UP" A RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS

When Israeli prison guards found a vinyl blowup doll in the cell of 35-year-old prisoner Amir Hazan, it was confiscated. This made Mr. Hazan so lonely he petitioned the court for "her" return. In turning down his plea, the court stated not only would the body-shaped balloon be an easy place to hide weapons and drugs, but, if shared with other prisoners, might spread sexually transmitted diseases. (PUKE!)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1591)

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Wednesday, January 17, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1593)

ALL THAT CASH WAS BURNING A HOLE IN HIS POCKET

On June 14, 2006, The Dallas Morning News reported the robbery of a Washington Mutual bank branch in downtown Ft. Worth, about 3:30 P.M. the day before. Police Lt. Dean Sullivan said after the robbery, witnesses had watched the man go into a western wear store, then come back out several minutes later wearing a new western outfit. Next, they said, he caught a bus going south. Lt. Sullivan later admitted, police stopped buses leaving downtown but were unable to locate the suspect.

THREE REASONS WHY AUTO INSURANCE IS SO EXPENSIVE

From a long list of excuses given to police by drivers after having an auto accident: (1) "The pedestrian had no idea which direction to run so I ran him over." (2) "I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident." (3) "I saw a slow moving, sad faced old gentleman as he bounced off the roof of my car." ( From- Knuckleheads In The News by John Machay)

MORE FUN TRIVIA

What is the tallest man-made structure on earth? It's not Chicago's Sears Tower, at 1,454 feet. It's the Auger Tension Leg Platform, which rises 3,280 feet off the seabed in the Gulf of Mexico. Built at a price of 1.2 billion, this oil platform is made to withstand 70-foot high waves, even if a hurricane lasted 100 years.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1593)

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1594)

HIS HOT DOGS AND HUSH PUPPIES CAME FROM REAL DOGS

According to the UPI news service in Copenhagen, Denmark, Prince Henrik, honorary president of the Danish Dachshund Club, and owner of several dachshunds, said without shame: "I do not mind eating dog meat at all. It tastes like rabbit, like dry venison, or like veal, just drier." (He also suggested the meat of man's best friend be sautéed or grilled before slicing.)

MAKING DEATH MORE FUN FOR WHOM?

Death and funerals being such a depressing time for survivors, a funeral home and coffin company in Rome, Italy, uses (or used) pretty young women wearing only bikinis for sales staff. The front page of their website showed a lovely "widow" crying, wearing zebra shorts and high-heel boots, kneeling next to a casket, while another page has a blonde wearing a black G-string, leaning on a coffin.

INSTEAD OF THEIR BALLS, THEY HAD THEIR MINDS IN THE GUTTER

Classic Lanes Bowling in Greenville, Wisconsin, decided to have some fun, so they posted a sign outside stating: BOWL NAKED, BOWL FREE. And, for the next few days, both customers and the owner made jokes about the offer. But they stopped laughing on April 16, 1996. That's the day twenty-three-year-old Scott Hughes walked in, rented a lane and shoes, picked out a ball and took off all his clothing, before releasing his first ball. Then, while all the other bowlers stopped to gawk, Mr. Hughes, wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and bowling shoes, rolled a "decent" score of 225.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1594)

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Friday, January 19, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1595)

A PROBLEM SOLVED, PERIOD

Reuters news service reports the Al Thawra daily in Sanaa, Yemen, printed a story of a 40-year-old man who became so disgusted with his wife for "screaming and complaining" during their 15-year marriage, he left and remarried another woman, one he knew would not raise her voice, ever. That's because his new wife was both deaf and mute.

LET'S HOPE HE BREAKS A LEG KICKING HIS OWN BUTT

While serving time in the Chesapeake Correctional Facility in Virginia, Robert Lee Brock filed a $5 million lawsuit against himself. In his suit, Brock accused himself of going against his religious beliefs by getting drunk and committing crimes. He wrote in his plea, "I want to pay myself five-million-dollars [for this breach of rights] but ask the state to pay it in my behalf since I can't work and am a ward of the state".

A SHIP WITHOUT ITS COUNTRY

The U.S.S. Phoenix, launched in 1938, survived Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, was sold to Argentina in 1951 and commissioned in the Argentine Navy as Diecisiete de Octubre, and renamed the General Belgrano in 1956. She was finally sunk by the British Navy during the Falkland war in 1982.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1595)

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Saturday, January 20, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1597)

GHOSTS DON'T EAT OR BATHE, SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

The South China Post reported the Hong Kong Housing Authority was having a problem renting out about 80 apartments because perspective tenants felt they were haunted. That's because inside each apartment either murder or suicide had occurred. Even homeless families refused, preferring to remain on a long waiting list for an unusual vacancy to occur in any of the other 3,000 government apartments offered for the most needy.

A FACT FROM CHINA

Most children born in the People's Republic of China celebrate their first birthday when they are thirty days old, then another when they are one year old. Then no more birthdays until that person is ten. From then on, each tenth year is celebrated, with the most important birthday being at thirty, when that child becomes an adult.

HERE'S SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY

In August of 1995, Ronald Legendre married his fiancée, Hope. They were married by Judge Ronald Legendre, who was not related to the groom in any way. And, the best man, who was kin to neither the groom or judge, was also named Ronald Legendre.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1597)

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Sunday, January 21, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1598)

THESE "LUCKY" STUDENTS OBSERVED A HAZARD FIRST HAND

A lecture on vocational hazards, given at the Academy For Workplace Safety in Hennef, Germany, came to an abrupt halt when the plaster ceiling suddenly fell on the entire classroom. The falling debris injured twelve students and brought the lecture to an end.

THREE LOONEY LAWS

(1) In Maryland, it's against the law for grandchildren to marry their grandparents. (2) In Delaware, it's against the law to pawn your wooden leg. (3) In Hartford, Connecticut, carrying a cadaver by taxi is punishable by a $5 fine.

NOT THAT THE OTHER 9,900 WILL REMAIN CELIBATE

The English company Condomi, manufacturer of condoms, offered sexually active men and women 100 English pounds weekly to give their product line "vigorous pleasure tests", while keeping detailed notes as to their likes or dislikes. The company's marketing manager said they were overwhelmed with volunteers. And, with over 10,000, said it would take a bit of work to narrow the number down to 100 people, who would "get lucky".

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1598)

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Monday, January 22, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1599)

THE MALE PASSENGERS MOSTLY SAW THE MOUNTAIN RANGES

In the mid 1990s a unique bus service in downtown Berlin toured each and every night. Not only did their double-deckers provide tourists the sights of the Reichstag parliament building, the chancellery and Brandenburg Gate, but also bar service, with drinks served by beautiful, young topless waitresses.

AND THE AMERICAN DIET HAS SUFFERED EVER SINCE

Some U.S. history books say that early European settlers in America, on the very first Thanksgiving in 1621, were given popcorn for the first time by Chief Massasoit's brother, Quadequina. And what popcorn was left next morning, the settlers poured milk upon, then ate their first puffed breakfast cereal.

AS THE OLD SAYING GOES, THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT "DOPE"

In December 1995, James Mascetta, age 40, made a big mistake in a Nashua, New Hampshire, courtroom. He was caught by the bailiff passing what turned out to be a packet of heroin, to a woman setting at the defendant's table. That woman was the defendant in a trial for drug possession.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1599)

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1600)

HIS SWEET TOOTH ROTTED HIS CHANCES OF FREEDOM

Oscar Martinez, 41, of Richmond, Texas, was arrested by police for driving with a suspended license. Sitting handcuffed in a patrol car, Martinez asked officer David Bentley if he would mind going back to his car to get his unfinished banana split? Officer Bentley agreed and returned to his prisoner's car, where on the front floorboard he found the banana split......and something extra. On top of the melting dessert was a small square-shaped pack. Bentley decided to pour out the contents for inspection. That's when he found several rocks of crack cocaine.

AND, IN TODAY'S WORLD, IT'S SURPRISING ANYBODY NOTICED

The Dallas Morning News tells of Caitlin Campbell, age 14, of Amarillo, Texas, who finished eighth-place in a national spelling bee. This prompted the erection of a huge billboard in her hometown, downtown area to proclaim Miss Campbell's accomplishment. Problem was, on the billboard they misspelled her name.

HIS NEIGHBORS BETTER BE GLAD HE DIDN'T COLLECT SNAKES

A Belgium newspaper tells of a lady living in the coastal town of Bredene, who was dumped by her bird-loving boyfriend. To get revenge, she opened the doors of three aviaries and released some 350 of his feathered friends. Neighbors of the boyfriend pitched-in and recovered all but about 100 in three days.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1600)

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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1601)

THAT SUBSTATION WASN'T THE ONLY THING BLOWING A LITTLE GAS

In June of 2006, the Daily Herald made note concerning the proposed building of a $381 million arena in Louisville, Kentucky. Standing in the way was a Louisville Gas and Electric substation, which would be moved about 30 yards across the street, for a price of $63 million.

TRAGICALLY, IF A MAN HITS ONCE, HE'LL HIT AGAIN

In June of 2006, The Dallas Morning News told of a Boise, Idaho, man, Alofa Time, age 50, pleading with police to kill him, after he threw his murdered wife's head from his pickup truck; That is, just before driving head-on into a car, killing Nina Murphy, age 36, and daughter Jae Lynne Grimes, 4. No worse for wear, the following day Time's bond was set at $1 million. (His wife, 47-year-old Theresa Time, had a restraining order against her husband removed a month before her death.)

THEY USED A TORPEDO TO SHOOT THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT

On May 22, 1968, the USS Scorpion submarine was lost at sea with two nuclear weapons on board. While no one can be sure unless the Scorpion is recovered, it is speculated one of the standard torpedoes on board became activated accidentally and, to save the ship, the crew ejected it. The activated torpedo searched for and found the nearest target, which was the Scorpion. All 99 men on board were killed.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1601)

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Thursday, January 25, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1602)

OR, BUY THEM PLANE TICKETS

The Associated Press reported on June 22, 2006, South Texas ranchers, sick of having their privacy fences slashed by illegal immigrants trying to avoid Border Patrol checkpoints, have installed rudimentary ladders along the fences, hoping migrants will take the easy route.

THEY THOUGHT HE SNIFFED HIS WIFE'S ASHES UP HIS NOSE

The Fortean Times tells of an elderly man sitting in a British pub, when police jumped on and arrested him for drug possession. Turns out the bag of white powder that caused the altercation was his wife Alice's ashes, which he carried everywhere.

IF HE DROVE FAST ENOUGH, SHE'D GET BUGS BETWEEN HER TEETH

Banning California police pulled over Wayne Hall because his cousin, 23-year-old Teresa Brantley, was standing in the front seat totally naked, with her upper half sticking through the sunroof. Mr. Hall was arrested on drunk driving charges. Ms. Brantley received her arrest for public intoxication and indecent exposure.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1602)

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Friday, January 26, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1603)

HE LET HIS NOSE GET IN THE WAY

In April of 2006, a team of policemen in Elgin, Illinois, ran a "sting" operation. First they sent informant Robert Bridges, 29, into a drug house with $300 to buy 7 grams of cocaine. But when his signal didn't come in thrice the allotted time, the team stormed the house. Inside they found Mr. Bridges, high and detached, no money, with only 2.8 grams of cocaine left.

PROBABLY ONLY IF THEY ENJOY HAVING THEIR TUSHES TOUCHED

Reuters reports from Berlin, clairvoyant Ulf Buck, 40, a blind German psychic, reads naked buttocks instead of palms to predict his client's futures. Buck told the news service that by running his fingers along a person's "butt lines" he can advise them in matters of money, family, health and happiness.

3 GREAT QUOTES

(1) "If you see a snake, just kill it - don't appoint a committee on snakes." H. Ross Perot (2) "I always advise people never to give advice." P.G. Wodehouse (3) "It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you." George Orwell.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1603)

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Saturday, January 27, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1604)

HE ACTED LIKE ANDY AND OPIE HEADIN' FOR THE FISHING HOLE

Deion's mug
shot

In June of 1996, Dallas Cowboys superstar Deion Sanders was fishing with a friend when police reeled him in for trespassing on property owned by the Southwest Florida International Airport. He was arrested on a first-degree misdemeanor charge. Police said Sanders, whose home is a short distance away, was warned at least twice before. Quoted in USA Today, Sanders said, "The only defense I have is that I'm sorry, but they were biting."

APPARENTLY HE DIDN'T MEASURE UP TO THE JOB?

Frank Jordan(r)

When San Francisco mayor Frank Jordan ran for re-election in 1995, he accepted an invitation from two local radio (KRQR-FM) DJs to take a shower with them in the nude. Pictures of the event circulated the city, and Mayor Jordan was soundly defeated in a landslide.

HE CLEARED HIS THROAT, BUT NOT TO MAKE A SPEECH

Salad Anyone?

Reuters news service from Berlin reported a German judge fined a 32-year-old pizza delivery driver the equivalent of $600 for spitting in the salad of a couple because he had to make a second trip to deliver it. After finding a large globule of phlegm under a piece of sliced cucumber, the couple called police. (Laboratory tests on the driver's spit confirmed his guilt.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1604)

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Sunday, January 28, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1605)

THE LATE, THE SKINNY, DR. ALICE CHASE

The book Nutrition for Health by Dr. Alice Chase remains for sale on the internet, long after Dr. Chase herself died from malnutrition.

THIS FELLOW WAS MORE THAN LATE FOR WORK

A 33-year-old would-be bank robber decided to drink a bottle of schnapps for courage before entering a bank in Graz, Australia. But several hours later police found him asleep in his "get away" car, mask, pistol and empty schnapps bottle on the seat beside him. Authorities told Reuters he would still have to face an attempted robbery charge.

3 QUIZZICAL COMMENTS FROM BASEBALL GREAT YOGI BERRA

(1) "Don't always follow the crowd, because nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." (2) "During the years ahead, when you come to the fork in the road, take it." (3) "Remember that whatever you do in life, ninety percent of it is half mental."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1605)

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Monday, January 29, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1606)

THE HIGHEST AND DEEPEST PLACES ON EARTH

The peak of Mt. Everest at 29,035 ft. (8,850 meters) is the highest point on earth. The Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean near Japan, is the deepest at 35,798 feet (10,911 meters) below sea level. That is 28 times as deep as the Empire State Building is tall.

THREE FUN TRIVIA

(1) Levi Strauss didn't call his pants "jeans". He called them "waist overalls." (2) Last 2 European countries to let women vote: Switzerland (1971) and Liechtenstein (1984). (3) Pole results show 30% of people asked to participate in an opinion poll refuse.

IN THIS CASE A HEART ATTACK WAS BETTER THAN A STROKE

Pedro Brugada, a well known cardiologist in Brussels, Belgium, was participating in a golf tournament in that city when he had a heart attack and fell to the ground. Another golfer, also a doctor, discovered Brugada's heart was not beating, and did CPR until an ambulance could arrive and take him to the hospital. When he awoke in the emergency room a half-hour later, Brugada "escaped", caught a cab and went back to win the tournament.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1606)

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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1607)

THEY COULD COVER THEIR PIMPLES AND ROB THE PLACES

The Warrawong shopping center in New South Wales, Australia has a couple of unique ways to discourage teenage loiterers. First, the music coming over the sound system is Bing Crosby's 1938 hit, "My Heart is Taking Lessons." Also, according to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, pink fluorescent lighting is used to illuminate the shops, causing the teens' pimples to standout more grossly.

NOW HE CAN GET 10% OFF ON MANICURES

ABC News reported on June 27, 2006 that a young woman living in Corpus Christi, Texas, had received a small gift in a box from the boyfriend she had just broken up with. Inside the box she not only found a well washed severed human finger, but also a note: " This is my last chance to touch you."

HE HAD A CLOSE "BRUSH WITH DEATH", LITERALLY

In November 1995 Kevin Hunt, 17, of London, England, underwent surgery to remove a toothbrush from his stomach. It got there because Mr. Hunt brushed his teeth while taking a shower. All had gone well, doing two things at once, until shampoo got in his eyes. When he threw his head back to wash the soap away, his 7-inch toothbrush slid down his throat.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1607)

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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1608)

HE CAUSED THE DEATHS OF HALF HIS COUNTRY'S POPULATION

By 1865 the President of Paraguay, Francisco Solano Lopez, had developed what is called a Napoleonic complex, making him feel his army could conquer the world. He got off to a flying start by declaring war on his 3 neighboring countries, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. But Lopez's delusions of grandeur were not enough. His army was destroyed, and almost half the population of Paraguay killed.

SEEMS THE WORLD IS ALWAYS WOUND UP TOO TIGHTLY

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sofia, were assassinated in Sarajevo, becoming the final straw precipitating World War I. The war then caused the deaths of an estimated 8,500,000 soldiers, wounded of over 19,000,000, while killing about 13,000,000 civilians.

SHE STAYED OUT OF PRISON FOR ONLY FOUR HOURS

When Sheila Tavarez was released from a Florida prison in March of 1994, the first and main goal she had was to share her 275 pound body with her boyfriend, who'd broken up with her because of the jail time. But when she arrived at the grocery where he worked, he refused to have anything to do with her. This caused this large, rejected woman to lift her thirty-four-year-old ex-lover off his feet, throw him down inside that store's cold storage locker, and try making love on the spot. When he could not "participate" because of fear and the cold, Ms. Tavarez made him promise to meet her in two hours, then left. The shivering store clerk immediately called police, and they met with Ms. Tavarez, instead, two hours later.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1608)

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1609)

ONLY THING HE CAN PLEAD IN COURT IS "STUPID"

During an evening in August 1995, a twenty-four-year-old Floridian, Israel Martinez, had too much to drink and decided to break into a building, hoping to steal anything of value. For this he climbed the first fence he found, ripped the screen off a window, then crawled inside. Next, as Martinez stood up to brush the dust off himself, two policemen entered the room, put him under arrest and placed him in a cell, immediately. That's because the drunken would-be burglar had broken into the Glades Correctional Institution.

A POOR TRANSLATION TURNED IT INTO A CRAPPY AD

The Sumitomo Corporation of Japan made a bad choice when they hired a Japanese advertising agency to market their extremely strong metal pipe in the U.S.A., in English. That's because the product, Sumitomo High Toughness' slogan used only the initials, and proclaimed: "SHT - from Sumitomo," and "Now Sumitomo brings SHT to the United States." And, finally, "SHT was made to match its name."

FOR SOME, MONEY BURNS HOLES IN THEIR POCKETS, OTHERS...

According to the daily Aftonbladet newspaper, a Swedish man in the southern city of Jonkoping became so upset his wife was divorcing him, he converted all their mutual funds and stocks to cash (about 700,000 crowns, or $81,000), took a match and burned it all.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1609)

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Friday, February 02, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1610)

MORE FUN TRIVIA

Ever wonder where the saying "getting off on the right foot" came from? The ancient Romans believed entering a building on their left foot would cause bad luck. At one time the belief was so strong, guards were posted at doorways to make sure everyone entering that building did so on their right foot.

CHICKENS, COWS, GOATS, ROCKET LAUNCHERS......WOW!

Reuters news service reported Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk was calling for a halt in using live animals on that country's one and only firing range, near Phnom Penh, the capital. He said the image of their country was being tarnished by allowing tourists and other visitors to shoot buffalo, cows, goats and chickens. The government-run shooting range had seen everything from automatic weapons to rocket launchers fired.

SHE BECAME BROKEN HEARTED OVER HER BUCKS

Etta Stephens of Tampa, Florida, filed a lawsuit against Barnett Bank in 1995, claiming they caused her heart attack. The bank had mailed her money market statement with a printing error, stating her $20,000 investment account contained $00.00. This, Ms. Stevens claimed, had caused her severe chest pains and unconsciousness. (The bank apologized.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1610)

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Saturday, February 03, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1611)

"AH SHOOT", IT COULD NOT

The Le Parisian newspaper reports a would be robber in Paris made the mistake of trying to rob a gun shop with a toy pistol. The gun shop owner, being an expert on guns, immediately saw the weapon was harmless, pulled out one of his many guns, then called police.

BUMPER STICKERS

(1) What has four legs and an arm? A happy pit-bull (2) Rehab is for quitters (3) Where there's a will, I want to be in it. (4) Very funny Scotty. Now beam down my clothes. (5) Always remember you're unique, like everyone else (6) Give me ambiguity... or give me something else.

THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE SEXUAL MIND IS ALL THAT'S LEFT

Seventy-nine-year-old John Papuga, of Macomb Township, Michigan, called police claiming his eighty-year-old next door neighbor, Frances Breiholz, was trying to seduce him by leaving love notes, whispering romantic innuendoes over the phone, and blowing kisses each time he left his house. Miss Breiholz, on the other hand, says "old man pompous" Papuga was crazy and it was all in his head.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1611)

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Sunday, February 04, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1612)

SHAVING? CUT TENDON? WHAT REALLY HAPPENED, HASSELHOFF??

On July 1, 2006, The United Press reported David Hasselhoff, movie star and Judge on TV's America's Got Talent, had surgery on his right arm after a freak shaving accident. According to that service, Hasselhoff bumped his head on a chandelier, while shaving in a London hotel gym, causing flying glass to cut a tendon on his right arm, which required surgery and an overnight stay in the hospital.

THIS HAPPENS WHEN A GOVERNMENT RUNS THE HEALTH SYSTEM

London's Guardian tells of the difficulties in having one's teeth maintained by dentists in England. One example, printed in April of 2006, said 6,000 do-it-yourself-crown-and-cap-replacement kits were sold out in only a few weeks.

JAILED FOR PUTTING DRUG ADDICTS OUT OF THEIR MISERY???

Two men were arrested in Detroit, Michigan, for selling a lethal form of heroin, which had caused the deaths of more than 100 drug addicts. Wayne County Sheriff's department said the men had been mixing heroin with the prescription drug fentanyl, making it lethal. (Of course, this also automatically lowers the crime rate and jail overcrowding.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1612)

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Monday, February 05, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1613)

BECAUSE OF "BOOBS" THESE BOOBS WENT HOME BROKE

Reuters news service from Bogotá, Colombia, reports local police there received complaints about three young women who were covering their breasts with a powerful drug, then asking strangers (men of course) to lick them. When the men passed out, the female thieves were taking their money and jewelry, then disappearing.

HE MUST'VE DELIVERED ONE LETTER TOO MANY?

Workers at a Denver Colorado Postal Service annex were surprised when a fellow worker, John Pitney, reported for work wearing a dress. They sent him home. The following day he returned wearing (in addition to his dress), a gorilla mask, a snap-on sexual device and several firearms. This time, police were called and Pitney was taken to jail for a full evaluation.

A CASE OF ULTIMATE PERSUASION

A Laguna Beach, Florida, man filed a lawsuit against his soon to be ex-wife for making him sign their divorce papers under threats of bodily harm. He told the judge she hired two large men to hold a flaming torch up to his "manhood" while he signed the divorce papers.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1613)

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Tuesday, February 06, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1614)

WARNING: NEWSPAPERS CAN GIVE YOUR NEW PUPPY CANCER

For obvious reasons, when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced in 1985 that the oils in newspaper inks caused cancer and ink barrels should be labeled with this information, newspapers gave it almost no news coverage.

HERE'S A MALPRACTICE LAWSUIT THE PATIENT IS BOUND TO WIN

The Austrian Kurier reports a female patient is suing a hospital in the province of Carinthia after enduring abdominal surgery, awake, for 45 minutes, unable to move or call for help (she'd been given a muscle relaxant) because the staff forgot to hook up the machine to pump the anesthetic. The operation would have continued longer, had a nurse not noticed tears in the woman's eyes. She later sued for 70,000 Euros.

HE MUST HAVE BEEN OUT OF PRACTICE?

A Kuwaiti man was rushed to hospital with severe back pains and exhaustion caused by his honeymoon, reports the al-Watan. The new groom had to be carried on the shoulders of friends to an ambulance, after making love to his new 17-year-old bride six times a day for six days in a row. Before collapsing, he told them he felt dizzy and the excruciating back pain was more than he could bear.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1614)

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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1615)

HE'S PASSING TIME IN JAIL AFTER PASSING A DIAMOND NECKLACE

Reuters news service reports from Boca Raton, Florida, the arrest of a burglary suspect who, when cornered, swallowed the evidence, a necklace containing 83 diamonds totaling 30 carats. After being placed in a cell, the suspect's every "movement" was collected and examined for loose diamonds, until the entire piece passed. (The owner, knowing where her jewelry had been, placed it up for sale on eBay.)

NOW YOU KNOW

Jim Muir, sales manager for Wolverine World Wide, Inc., was driving through the southern U.S. (year not known), when he stopped for lunch at a roadside diner. There, when he asked what the fried balls of corn dough on his plate were, he was told "hush puppies." Local farmers called them hush puppies because they often threw them to their dogs at night to stop barking. This caused Muir to think of the new pigskin shoes his company was about to place on the market, and decided then-and-there the name for them would be Hush Puppies. Why? Because the new footwear could soothe the wear's feet, silencing their "barking dogs."

AN EPITAPH

At Tombstone, Arizona's, Boot Hill cemetery: "Here lies John Timothy Snow, who died for a lady's honor (She wanted to keep it)".

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1615)

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Thursday, February 08, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1616)

HE WAS FAIRLY WRONG IN NOT FORECASTING A RAINY DAY

Television weather forecasters are used to viewers complaints when their predictions aren't accurate. But a lady in Haifa, Israel, went so far as to take both the meteorologist and his television station to court over a poor prediction. In court, the complainant claimed her faith in the forecast had caused her to dress for a sunny day, when, in reality, it rained, causing her to catch the flu, miss work and spend money on a doctor and prescription drugs, not to mention the actual pain and discomfort.

SQUATTERS' RIGHTS UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

Back in 1910 few U.S. homes had indoor toilets. So after the Pennsylvania Railroad built one inside its station in Terre Haute, Indiana, locals kept the facility occupied so much of the time, regular train passengers often "had to hold it" or miss their trains. That caused the railroad to install coin-operated locks. They gave the station manager the keys so those with train tickets could use the facility for free.

AND YOU CAN BET THEY WORK CHEAP

Police in New Delhi, India, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper, have found a more accurate way to test the purity of drugs such as hashish and heroin other than using drug kits or dogs. They hire and pay seasoned addicts to use and grade the confiscated drugs. Heavy users, they say, have proven to be more accurate than any other testing method devised.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1616)

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Friday, February 09, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1618)

ONE OF DALLAS' FINEST?

The Dallas Morning News reported on July 8, 2006, off-duty Dallas police officer Andrew Pagel was injured early Saturday morning when his handgun accidentally discharged inside the Red River Saloon. Officer Pagel, a three year veteran, was riding a mechanical bull about 1:35 a.m., when his handgun accidentally discharged, sending him to University Medical Center with a bullet wound near his right ankle.

POGO'S WALT KELLY: WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US

In March of 1942, while escorting a convoy in the Arctic, the HMS Trinidad fired a torpedo at a German destroyer. Possibly affected by the icy waters, the gyro mechanism of the torpedo caused it to form a circular arc. In less than a minute, it returned to blast a large hole in the ship's engine room.

HE GOT ALL CHOKED UP OVER A FISH

One afternoon in July of 1996, Brazilian angler Nathon do Nascimento was fishing on the shores of the Maguari River, when he decided to stretch his head back and yawned broadly. At that instant, a fish jumped from the water and landed headfirst in his mouth, wedging inside his throat. With less than an inch of fish tail protruding, fellow fishermen were helpless, and after several minutes of agonizing struggle, Nascimento suffocated to death.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1618)

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Saturday, February 10, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1620)

THIS ROBBERY PROCEDURE REALLY SUCKED

A gang of 4 motorcycle riders roared to a stop in front of a wealthy Paris neighborhood jewelry store, smashed the glass in the show window, then used a battery operated vacuum strong enough to empty the entire showcase in only seconds. After that, job complete, they all rode away.

5 ACTUAL NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

(1) Iraqi Head Seeks Arms (2) War Dims Hope For Peace (3) Lung Cancer In Women Mushrooms (4) Plane Too Close To Ground, Crash Probe Told (5) Chef Throws His Heart Into Helping Feed Needy

THE LESSON HERE IS AS OLD AS MANKIND

During a heavy snow period in the winter of 1979, Allied Roofing and Siding Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, saved many roofs in the area by removing the snow before the accumulated weight could cause them to cave in. However, one of the few that did collapse was at Allied Roofing and Siding Company.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1620)

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Sunday, February 11, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1621)

DID THE FOUNDING FATHERS REVEL IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION?

A lot of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention hated the Constitution so much, compromises had to be made for it to pass. Alexander Hamilton called the final draft a "weak and worthless fabric." Fifteen delegates refused to sign it, and even the Constitution's strongest supporters saw it as little more than a stopgap measure, hoping in a few years another delegation could pass something better.

BET THIS MADE THAT LITTLE GIRL FEEL TOTALLY WORTHLESS!

The Herald-Sun reports from Melbourne, Australia, about a local man who had been paying child support, until DNA proved he was not the father, and was now suing the mother for $10,000 in repayment. Some expenditures listed in his court document are these: Dinners at McDonald's for 5 years, 4 visits to an amusement park, three Barbie dolls, a Pooh Bear play tent, skating sessions and child support payments.

THIS TEMPORARY THIEF OBVIOUSLY WORKED FOR AN AIRLINE

Jess and Judy Daniel of Grapevine, Texas, wondered why anyone would steal the small synthetic duck sitting on their front lawn. They were even more puzzled 20 months later. That's when one morning they found their duck had returned. And beside the duck sat a box filled with photos, all photos of the duck, each time "posing" before a famous world landmark. Some included in the backdrops were the Eiffel Tower, Great Pyramid, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China,...............

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1621)

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Monday, February 12, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1622)

ESCAPING A BIG CAGE INSIDE A SMALLER ONE

Toby Young, 48, was sentenced to 21 months behind bars on July 12, 2006, for helping convicted murderer John Manard, 27, escape from prison in a dog cage. Young ran a dog training program at Lansing Correctional Facility in Leavenworth County, Kansas, and she had hidden Mr. Manard inside a cage in a stack, before it was trucked outside the facility.

PROVING AGAIN NOTHING IS NEW UNDER THE SUN

Even the great English playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) had to get his ideas some place. The story of Romeo and Juliet, for instance, had been passed among writers since the 14th century, until Shakespeare read a poem by Arthur Brooke, using Romeo and Juliet in the title.

SWAZILAND POLITICIANS KILL FOR LUCK

Just before October parliamentary elections in Swaziland, King Mswati III gave a televised speech, which began, "During election time, we tend to lose our grandmothers, grandfathers and young children. But I want to warn you all that you should not resort to ritual murder." (In Swaziland, candidates ritually commit murders during their campaigns, believing it will bring them good luck.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1622)

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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1623)

DON'T SING THE OLD RUGGED CROSS, CHA-CHA-CHA

In May 2006, according to the Times Online, many British churches have installed the new Hymnal Plus, a Karaoke machine to help congregations recite verses and sing hymns, including risky tunes such as a disco version of "Amazing Grace."

ONE OF THESE DAYS MAYBE SHE'LL RUN INTO HERSELF?

On July 15, 2006, The Dallas Morning News Reported on Ms. Audra Schmierers, 33, a stay-at-home mother, who received a bill from the IRS demanding $15,000 in unpaid taxes. After that, and in the months to follow, her tax debt continued to climb, until it reached $1 million. She eventually learned her identity had been stolen, and 81 other people in North Texas were using her social security number to get jobs, but not paying taxes.

5 MORE ACTUAL HEADLINES FROM NEWSPAPERS

(1) Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over (2) Never Withhold Herpes Infection From Loved Ones (3) Miners Refuse to Work After Death (4) Two Sisters Reunite After 18 Years at Checkout Counter (5) Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps Nicklaus to 66 (In reference to a golf tournament.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1623)

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Wednesday, February 14, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1624)

WHAT A CRACKER JACK IDEA!

In 1893, at Chicago's 100th birthday celebration and World's Fair, F.W. Rueckheim and his brother, Louis, had several booths selling a new item, popcorn and peanuts mixed together and coated with caramel. It sold so well, when the fair closed, Rueckheim started packaging his mix, and selling it nationally, using a contemporary, slang expression for something that is top of the line: Cracker Jack.

5 MORE FACTUAL AND FUNNY NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

(1) Prostitutes Appeal to Pope (2) Lack of Brains Hinders Research (3) Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half (4) Organ Festival Ends in Smashing Climax (5) Man Struck by Lightening Faces Battery Charge

EVEN TOTAL EQUALITY WOULD GENERATE ITS OWN BIGOTS

According to the publication The World's Greatest Blunders, during African location shootings for an upcoming series to be shown by the British Broadcasting Corporation, white film extras were paid up to 5-times more than black extras. Name of this documentary? The Fight Against Slavery

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1624)

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Thursday, February 15, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1626)

HE TRADED FUNNY-MONEY FOR FREE ROOM AND BOARD, IN PRISON

A slowwitted counterfeiter in Orlando, Florida, decided to be different, and set up his operation to print zlotys (Polish currency). Problem was he couldn't print and pass enough phony money to make a profit before his arrest. Police estimated he spent $19,000 setting up his operation. It took three zloty bills to equal the value of $1 in U.S. currency.

WONDER IF THEY HAVE ANY "SELF-SERVICE" GAS STATIONS?

China's official news agency, Xinhua, reports gas stations in western China are providing an incentive to customers by offering sex with each tank of gas. There are about 1,000 gas stations in that region of Ningxia, and, according to one station operator, "Sometimes it's hard to tell if a customer comes for the gas, or for the sex. Either way, there is no sex available until after the motorist fills his tank."

DON'T SOME WOMEN LIVE WITH CLOWNS, CALLED HUSBANDS?

The Daily Herald reported in July of 2006, Israeli fertility doctor Shevach Friedler, speaking before at an international medical meeting in Prague, said his research team had found women exposed to brief entertainment by circus type clowns were almost twice as successful at in-vitro fertilizations than women who were not exposed to clowns. Friedler attributed the difference to stress reduction.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1626)

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Friday, February 16, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1627)

HE FRAMED THEM WITH HIS PHOTOS

Police in Albany, Georgia, knew the same seven men had robbed three banks and three businesses in the area, and it was an anonymous tip that proved them right. After entering the thieves' home and arresting them all, the officers were almost mesmerized staring at the walls. They were all covered with large framed photos of each of the men during some aspect of their six robberies. Come to find out, one of the gang was a "shutter bug" who never got tired of taking photos.

WHAT A SOBERING OCCURRENCE

The earthquake that hit San Francisco, California, on April 18, 1906, had an estimated magnitude of between 7.7 and 8.25. Reports of the number of people killed varied greatly, from as low as 700, to as high as 3,000. But very well kept records made it relatively easy to approximate the amount of wine lost from the destroyed bottles and barrels, just under 1.6 million gallons.

WONDER IF YOU USE CHOPSTICKS, FORKS OR.....WHAT?

A women's group in Hanover, Germany, became upset with a local oriental restaurant for serving food displayed on the bodies of totally nude female models. This feast is named "sushi ala Jungfrau (virgin)." Bild, a local newspaper, says concerning the restaurant, "The women are not entirely naked. Their belly buttons are stuffed with caviar, sword fish sushi is placed near their armpits, and between the women's legs (yum! yum!), diners will find raw tuna fish sushi."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1627)

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Saturday, February 17, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1628)

WHAT HE GOT FOR HIS NOSE, HE STUCK IN HIS MOUTH

A $7 million lawsuit was filed against police in Oak Forest, Illinois, by Ernesto Mota, claiming they caused his brain damage. Seems when Mr. Mota was about to be arrested for cocaine possession, he'd swallowed the evidence, cellophane bag and all. He blamed police for not stopping him or, afterwards, getting him medical attention.

LUCKY? HUNCHBACKS GO THROUGH LIFE LOOKING AT FEET

The condition known as "hunchback," an abnormal rearward curvature of the spine, is known medically as kyphosis. Back in more superstitious times, it was considered good luck to rub a hunchback's hump (i.e. the term "lucky hunch"). Ancient Romans hired hunchbacks as servants, believing they would bring good luck to their homes.

AND YOU THOUGHT "MORNING MOUTH" WAS BAD

According to a New York Post story, Joseph Weir, 23, confessed to New York City police in May of 2006 to forcibly licking the feet of approximately 70 women, hoping "to make them laugh and smile and open to talk to me."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1628)

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Sunday, February 18, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1629)

IF McDONALD'S WERE IN CAMBODIA, MAYBE McSPIDER BURGERS?

During the horrible rule of the Khmer Rouge (1975-79) in Cambodia, of its 7.1 million citizens, an estimated 1.7 were murdered or starved to death. During this time these desperate people learned to eat spiders found commonly in the jungle. Today, they are still eating spiders. Restaurants serve many thousands daily to hungry guests. In fact, certain spiders are considered the "caviar of Cambodia." (Thankful farmers found a whole new source of income after the Khmer Rouge era, selling the "a-ping," a palm-sized tarantula.)

OUCH!

In June of 1979, the American Institute of Architects met in Kansas City for its annual convention, conveniently allowing its members to visit the R. Crosby Kemper, Jr. Memorial Arena. The structure was given an "Honor" award by the AIA in 1976 and considered by many to be the finest architecture in the entire United States. It was described by The Architectural Record magazine as having "awesome muscularity." Less than 24 hours after the conference ended, the roof of that $12.2 million building collapsed.

AT LEAST HIS MOUTH IS BIG ENOUGH FOR THAT FOOT

"When I'm 33, I'll quit. I couldn't stand to end up like Elvis Presley and sing in Las Vegas with all those housewives and old ladies coming in with their handbags. It's really sick." This was said by the Rolling Stones' Michael "Mick" Phillip Jagger, in 1972. (He is still performing at age 63, 35-years later; Elvis died in 1977, at age 42. )

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1629)

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Monday, February 19, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1630)

IT TAKES A THIEF................................

Inside the Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota, an eyewitness told security guards he had watched a man steal a gold chain (later determined to be worth about $1,500) from another man. Security guards and local police caught the thief, and he was arrested. During questioning of the witness, a background check determined he had several outstanding warrants, so he was arrested. Then the victim, the one who had his necklace stolen, was determined to have crack cocaine in his possession, and he too was taken away.

TAKES A CRUMMY GUY TO CRUMBLE COOKIES

According to Reuters, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a 38-year-old advertising executive has been convicted of damaging freshly baked cookies and cakes in several grocery stores, worth an estimated $1,000. For pinching, mashing and crumbling, he was given 180 days in jail, and ordered to make restitution.

WONDER IF THAT LAVA LAMP STILL WORKS?

A Grapevine, Texas, woman, Tammy Britt Miller, 35, was arrested for assaulting her mother, Connie Britt, 62. On July 21, 2006, The Dallas Morning News obtained a copy of the crime report from Grapevine police, stating the daughter had first hit her mother over the head with a lava lamp, then stabbed her in the left arm and left leg. Next, she smashed a large broken picture frame over her mother's head, then tried to suffocate her with a plastic bag, before trying to choke her to death with a cord. Luckily, the mother was still alive when the ambulance arrived. Her only question to police: "Did my daughter go off the deep end?"

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1630)

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1631)

THEIR CORN BEEF AND CABBAGE MAY CONTAIN HUMAN SECRETIONS

Accidents can be common during "Bike Week," held each year in the Daytona Beach area. (It draws an estimated 500,000 riders from across the U.S.) As part of the motorcycle festival, Sopotnick's Cabbage Patch bar in Samsala, Florida, sponsors an annual coleslaw wrestling match. In 2001, as two women prepared to wrestle in a pit filled with cabbage and oil, a parachutist was blown off course and landed on top of beer vendor, Sherri Lee, causing serious injury.

HE MADE HIMSELF "ALL THAT HE CAN BE" - A THIEF

An Army sergeant operating a recruiting office in La Junta, Colorado, fell so far below quota he was about to lose his cushy assignment. He caused more problems for himself when caught one night, next door, inside the navy recruiting station, stealing files of prospective enrollees.

FACTS ABOUT THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

New York's Empire State Building was completed in 1931. It has 102 stories and stands 1,250 feet tall. In 1936 it defaulted on the mortgage and became technically insolvent. In 1942 the U.S. Office of Price Administration leased five entire floors, and 19 other federal agencies later follow suit. In 1945 the building was 85% occupied, and by 1950 it was full. That year, Time magazine reported tenants were paying rent of $10 million monthly, while total operating expenses for the building were barely $5 million. That made it one of the most profitable high-rise buildings in the world.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1631)

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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1632)

WORRYING ABOUT A DAY COULD COST HIM YEARS

Less than an hour after the Austin National Bank in Texas was robbed, the money was recovered and the name of the bandit known. A local rent-a-car service found the money in the back seat of one of its cars, where the thief, in his haste to not be charged for an extra day's rental, had forgotten it.

ACTUAL COURTROOM TESTIMONY

Question: "You've alleged you have problems concentrating since the accident. Does that condition continue today?" Answer: "No, not often. I use a stool softener now." (Must have effected his hearing?)

HE GOT ARRESTED FOR LOOKING ALL DOWN IN THE MOUTH

Reuters news service reported from Miami that a Florida man was caught running a mobile dental practice from inside his rundown 1980 Ford Mustang. According to police, the untrained, unlicensed "practitioner" performed most of his "services" on the streets of Hialeah (a blue-collar town northwest of Miami), where mostly Spanish speaking patients thought his fees ranging from $30 to $60 were a real bargain.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1632)

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Thursday, February 22, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1633)

THIS HORN OF PLENTY WAS NOT

Knowing rhinoceros' horns are of great value on the black market, a thief decided to brake into a Tokyo museum and steal one. And, with little difficulty, he did break in, remove a horn from a stuffed rhino, then escaped, all without ever turning on a light. But that was his biggest mistake, not turning on a light. That way, he could've read the large sign hanging over that large animal, which read: "Because of the value of the rhino's horn, it has been removed and replaced with a replica".

HOPE THEY DON'T RECYCLE FROM THESE TRASH BINS?

Many young Italians live with their parents until their mid-30s, probably the reason the Tuscan town of Vinci, known for its Renaissance artist son Leonardo, has built a "Love Car Park." With no place to share intimacy in their homes, young people nightly flock to the park in their cars, which provides soft lighting and special trash bins for used condoms.

HOW MANY FEATHERS CAN A GOLDEN GOOSE LOSE AND STILL FLY?

In July of 2006, Paul Harvey's ABC News reported the three largest auto makers in the U.S.A., DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and Ford, were moving more of their manufacturing to Mexico. These cars built in the U.S.A., on average, per worker, costs $27.00 each hour. These same cars, produced in Mexico, cost the company $3.00 per hour, per worker.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1633)

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Friday, February 23, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1634)

AS THE OLD SAYING GOES, "TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE"

Printed on the editorial page of the Kingsport (Tennessee)Times-News was a complaint letter from local jail inmate Travis Nelms. Mr. Nelms listed several "inadequacies" at the jail, ending his letter with the statement, "We the inmates at Sullivan County Jail are being treated like criminals!"

HE KNEW THE TRUE VALUE OF GREAT BUNS

There are many stories as to "how" and "who" invented the hamburger we know today. Even though meat between bread was common, it was J. Walter Anderson, in the early 20th century, who came up with the right type of buns that were light and soft enough to soak up the juices from the meat. In 1916, Anderson quit his job working as a cafe cook in Wichita, Kansas, and bought an old trolley car, installed a grill and water, a long table and 5 stools. There he sold 5-cent hamburgers. By 1920 Anderson added two more diners, and what we know today as White Castle Hamburgers, became a national hamburger chain.

HE HAD A SOBERING EXPERIENCE WITH LIQUOR

A drunk turned burglar in San Antonio, Texas, knocked a hole in a liquor store roof late one night and crawled down inside to help himself. That's when he discovered his only way to steal liquor would be to throw the bottles back up through his freshly made hole. After a couple of minutes of throwing bottles up, and missing, the floor became covered with broken glass. Then, he fell, adding blood to the mess. Finally, just giving up, the failed felon crawled back up through the open hole, not noticing his wallet had fallen back inside. When police were called the next morning, they arrested the owner of the wallet, who lived just up the street from the store.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1634)

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Saturday, February 24, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1635)

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

(1) Ladies in sixteenth and seventeenth century England wore their wedding rings on their thumbs. (2) The word Bingo began back when players would ring "bing" a small bell when their numbers were winners. (3) The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) has a heartbeat of about 615 beats per minute.

DON'T YOU WISH!?

In the March 1966 publication of Time magazine, it predicted, "By year 2000, machines will produce so well everyone will, in effect, be independently wealthy in the U.S. With government benefits, non-working families will have, on estimation, an annual income of $30,000 to $40,000 (that's 1966 dollars, of course). By then, meaningful use of time will be a problem."

THOSE 5-MINUTES MAY'VE KEPT THEM FROM DOING TIME?

Four would-be robbers of the Bank of Nova Scotia in Toronto, put on their masks and rushed to that bank's doors. There, they pulled and yanked on the locked doors so hard (it was five minutes before opening time), the startled tellers inside called police. Meanwhile the bad guys, all checking their watches, shook their heads, got in their get away car and rapidly drove away. Police Detective Mike Earl said these thieves were definitely ahead of their time.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1635)

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Sunday, February 25, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1636)

DID SHE GET A KICK OUT OF HER NEW HIP?

The oldest person known to have received documented surgery was Jeanne Louise Calment of France, in January of 1990. Ms. Calment, born February 21, 1875, died August 4, 1997, had hip surgery when she was 114 years 11 months old. She also has the longest confirmed lifespan in history of 122 years and 164 days.

(4) KICK MY OWN STUPID SELF!!!

After a would-be robber locked all the employees of an Office Depot in Lennox, California, in the manager's office, he went out the back fire door and never returned. Several hours later, after the store's employees escaped their confinement, they were surprised to find nothing missing. Police investigating learned why nothing was taken when they found a discarded piece of paper in the alley. It read: (1) Hide in store until closing. (2) Lock all employees in the office. (3) Go out back door and signal partner. (That emergency back fire door could only be opened from the inside.)

OFFICER WIPES OUT MORE THAN CRIME

The Dallas Morning News reported July 27, 2006, Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle had fired Senior Cpl. Stacey Wychopen, a 12-year veteran, for stealing toilet paper and paper towels, on at least three occasions, from the Northeast patrol station. The article concluded by saying Cpl. Wychopen would not be charged with theft because the cleaning company refused to prosecute over the total value of the paper, $8.40.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1636)

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Monday, February 26, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1637)

TALK ABOUT CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT!

U.S. News & World Report on July 31, 1995, reported Paragon Cable in New York had begun a new policy to get customers to pay their delinquent accounts. Instead of adding the expense of turning off the service, then back on when the payment was made, Paragon simply filled all 77 channels with C-SPAN. (They said it improved collections far better than no service at all.)

HE CAN TAKE IT OFF INCOME TAX AS A BUSINESS EXPENSE

A would-be thief stood in line to rob a hardware store in Homewood, Illinois. When his turn came, he placed a drill on the counter, then handed the clerk a $100 bill. Next, as the clerk opened the register, the man pulled a gun, demanded all the cash, then rushed from the store. Unfortunately for him, in his haste, the thief left both the drill and his $100 bill behind. What he had stolen from the register was $83, leaving him $17 short.

JUST IN CASE YOU CARE

According to the book 1000 Facts, Chief Sitting Bull (1831-1890), birth name Hunkesi (meaning "slow" in Sioux), who is credited with massacring General Custer and his forces, was in reality a medicine man, not a chief. He was not even on the front line at Little Big Horn.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1637)

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Tuesday, February 27, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1638)

3 MORE FUN FACTS

(1) The female angler fish carries her little "lover" hanging to her tummy. (2) The American Pacific candle fish is so oily, they were tied to poles by American Indians, then set on fire to make torches. (3) The exclamation mark (!) is derived from the Greek word "lo" meaning: "I am surprised."

$50,000! MAYBE THE JUDGE GOT HER PHONE NUMBER, HUH?

A resident of the San Francisco Bay area, 25-year-old Gloria Sykes, sued the city of San Francisco, after being hit by a cable car. Even though she only suffered bruises and scratches to her body, Ms. Sykes claimed the accident had turned her into an uncontrollable nymphomaniac. (The court awarded her $50,000.)

A BIT OF AMERICAN HISTORY

On July 30, 1945, after delivering components for the atomic bomb (named "Little Boy"), which would be dropped on Hiroshima a week later (August 6th), the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. Of the 1,196 men on board, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 900 men were left floating in shark-infested waters. Four days later the survivors were spotted, but only 316 men were still alive.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1638)

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Wednesday, February 28, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1639)

DON'T YOU LOVE IT WHEN THINGS TURN OUT RIGHT?

Joseph A. Sutera, an executive in Massachusetts, won that states Mass Millions lottery on October 19, 1990, in the amount of $9,916,534. But, some years earlier, Sutera had swindled hundreds of senior citizens out of their savings in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, with a real estate scheme. So, when more than a few dozen of those he had cheated saw his story in the media, they joined and filed against that money. A federal judge in 1994 awarded all of Sutera's winnings to those he had cheated, while he served a five-year prison sentence on fraud charges.

LEARNING THIS LESSON PROBABLY MADE THEM HOWL AND BARK

Two thieves were arrested in Newark, New Jersey, after stealing a large shipping crate, labeled "Beefeaters" across the front. Their guilty statement explained they planned to sell the crate of expensive gin on the black market. That's when police told them Beefeater gin does not end in "s". The contents inside the crate labeled Beefeaters contained almost 200 boxes of toy dog bones.

3 MORE FUN FACTS

(1) Richard III (1452-1485), Louis XIV (1638-1715) and Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) were all born with teeth. (2) During the reign of Henry VIII (1491-1547) it was still possible in London for a man to be hanged for eating meat on Friday. (3) Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) was hanged and his head lobbed off, after being dead two years.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1639)

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1640)

NEGATIVITY PAINTED THEM ALL THE SAME

The word "cannibal" is thought to have begun when Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba. According to several sources, when he asked the local natives what they called themselves, in their dialectal form of Caribe they said "Canibales," meaning people of Caniba. Later, explorers returning to Europe used the name Canibales for all natives in that region of the world, attaching wild stories (some real) of natives eating the flesh of their enemies.

WONDER, DO THEY TAKE WORK HOME AT NIGHT?

The largest collection of pornography in the world is housed at the Kinsey Institute in Bloomington, Indiana. This institute's main study is sex research and education. At last count, it possessed well over 100,000 erotic books, photographs, films, sculptures, as well as "bawdy" paintings by a number of famous artists.

WHAT IF ALL 3 ARE RIGHT...OR WORSE, WRONG?

The three largest religions in the world are Buddhism, Christianity and Muslim. The oldest is Buddhism. founded 2,500 years ago by Lord Buddha. Son of an Indian king, he changed his real name, Prince Siddhattha, to Buddha after his enlightenment. Buddha means "The Enlightened". (Keep in mind, all three's Holy books, the Bible, Koran and Tipitaka, each tell of history before their respective religions were established.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1640)

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Friday, March 02, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1641)

SAME SONG, DIFFERENT VERSE

In 1877, while Thomas Edison was trying to invent a telephone answering machine, he accidently came up with the phonograph, which he made into a coin-operated music machine. In 1889, Louis Glass took Edison's invention, and installed it in his Palais Royale Saloon located in San Francisco. It was called "nickel-in-a-slot". Later, the term was shortened to nickelodeon.

U.S. HISTORICAL TRIVIA

On August 2, 1790, the enumeration for the U.S. census began. When all the numbers were added together, the total population of the country came to 3,929,214. (No American Indians were counted, of course.)

WARNING: THIS CASTLE IS A SMOKE FREE ZONE

"Smoking May Be Hazardous To Your Health" is not just a modern concept. During his reign, King James I (1566-1625) declared the following about smoking: "A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1641)

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Saturday, March 03, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1642)

AND HE COULD ALSO SUE HIMSELF FOR INCOMPETENCE

After flunking out at the University of New Mexico Medical School, Kevin McGuiness sued for reinstatement under the Americans with Disabilities Act. McGuiness said his disability was he got anxious during exams, and didn't do well.

WONDER IF THAT DELAYED 'AFTERNOON TEA'?

The hour bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, better know as "Big Ben," was cast on April 10, 1858. It is 9-feet wide by 7 feet 6 inches tall, and weighs over 13 tons (13,760 Kg). The clock's four faces are set in an iron framework 21-feet in diameter. One day in 1945, so many starlings settled on one of the 14-feet long minute hands, the huge clock was slowed by almost 5 minutes.

EXCEPT FOR THOSE MILLIONS, OF COURSE

Soviet dictator Joseph Vissarionovich Djugashvili Stalin (1879-1953) said in a speech, "Of all the treasures a state can possess, the human lives of its citizens are for us the most precious." (Between 1930 and 1938, Stalin ordered the slaughter of an estimated 20-40 million Soviet citizens.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1642)

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Sunday, March 04, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1643)

HIS SUPER PASSWORD WAS: J-A-I-L, JAIL

Kerry Ketcham appeared on the national TV show Super Password and won $55,000. Problem was, he'd used the name "Patrick Quinn" and, when the taped show aired in January 1988, the station received a call from a viewer saying "That's not Patrick Quinn". When Ketcham went to claim his prize, he was arrested by law enforcement officers for faking a $100,000 life insurance claim on his wife, who was not dead.

MORE HISTORY TRIVIA

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) never set foot on what would be later named North America. He died believing he had discovered a westward route to Asia. The Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512), for whom the Americas are named, discovered the northern mainland in 1499.

HER XY CHROMOSOMES WERE SHOWING

In the 1930s, Stella Walsh was considered one of the best (if not the best) female track and field runners in the world. She won one gold medal and one silver at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. Later retiring, Walsh moved to Cleveland, got married and devoted her time to teaching children athletic skills. In 1975, Stella was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame. At age 69, in 1980, Walsh, a bystander in an armed robbery, was shot dead in a department store parking lot. During the autopsy it was discovered Stella Walsh was a man. He was born Stanislawa Walasiewicz (1911) in Poland.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1643)

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Monday, March 05, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1644)

TIME ENOUGH TO DRINK TWO SPOTS OF TEA

The Cricket War of 1896, between Britain and Zanzibar, occurred because Adm. Sir Henry Rawson ordered the British fleet under his command into Zanzibar's harbor, so his officers and sailors could disembark to watch a cricket match. This unannounced arrival insulted Seyid Khalid bin Bargash, the Sultan of the islands, causing him to declare war on those "up-starts". Known as the shortest war in history, the Sultan's only ship, an old steamer, was quickly sunk, just before the British bombed his Royal Palace to dust. (The entire war lasted a total of 37 minutes, 23 seconds.)

PUT THAT IN YOUR CIGAR AND SMOKE IT

When Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (1926-) took full control of Cuba in January 1959, he assured U.S. diplomats: The (Cuban) movement is not a Communist movement. We have no intention of expropriating U.S. property, and any property we take we'll pay for." (That same year, Castro confiscated the oil refineries, sugar mills, and electric utilities, which belonged to the United States.)

A MAN AHEAD OF HIS TIME

A most prolific inventor (361 patents), George Westinghouse (1846-1914), was also a genius in business and a great humanitarian. In 1871, he was first to let his workers off at noon on Saturday, which eventually led to the 5-day-work-week. Later, he also began a pension fund for his workers, and initiated paid vacations.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1644)

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Tuesday, March 06, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1645)

NEWSPAPERS PULL "SOURED GRAPES" ON FAMILIES' REQUESTS

The obituary columns of some U.S. newspapers will no longer allow the families of the dead to post the words "Please omit flowers". Why? Florists' trade associations says it hurts business. The Pittsburgh Press stated that phrase is the same as boycotting a product, similar to "Don't buy grapes".

GUESS HE WAS JUST NOT MEANT FOR A LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP?

"Single gentleman, age 45, pound 400 per year, desires to marry homely lady of similar age and income." Ads like this were repeatedly placed in the personal columns of Paris newspapers from 1914 to 1919. The writer of these requests was Henri Landru, better known as "Bluebeard", who, in 1922, was guillotined for the murders of nine women.

INGRATES!

German hairdresser Karl Ludwig (Charles) Nessler invented the "permanent hair wave" about 1905. These permanents early on required lots of heat, took 12 hours, and sometimes gave a frizzy effect. (Later the cold wave, with the use of chemicals, simplified the process.) Even though Nessler's creation began a process which evolved into an industry, when he died in 1951, only one hairdresser attended his funeral.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1645)

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Wednesday, March 07, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1646)

ENOUGH TIME TO "DOUBLE-MOONLIGHT" TO AFFORD THE BASICS

In October of 1967, the New York Times predicted by the year 2000 workers would be on a 4-day week. Also, with legal holidays, and more lenient vacation time, the average employee would be on the job no more than 147 days a year, and off the other 218.

EVERY WAR HAS ITS HEROES.........AND COWARDS

In 1990, just after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the U.S. Congress held public hearings to ascertain what the public felt the response should be. One young Kuwaiti girl came forward to tell horror stories of babies being slaughtered in her homeland's hospitals by the invading troops. Her story was so graphic, the large audience, as well as President George H. W. Bush, were enraged. But, later, after the U.S. entered the Gulf War, it was discovered the little girl had not been back home for several years, and her father was Kuwait's ambassador to the United States. (In truth, doctors in Kuwait abandoned the infants and left the country for their own safety.)

BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW?

(1) Hummingbirds (Family trochilidae) can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, even upside down. (2) More than half the population of Kenya is under age 16. (3) Time magazine's "Man of the Year" in 1938 was Adolph Hitler.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1646)

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Thursday, March 08, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1647)

SOLID COURAGE TO THE VERY END

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, alias Mata Hari, (1876-1917) was accused of being a double-spy for the Germans, by the French, who had just lost two-hundred-thousand soldiers at the Battle of Somme (1916). Found guilty, she was sentence to death. (In reality she was a scapegoat for the French and English militaries.) Standing before a firing squad, October 15, 1917, Zelle refused to be tied to the execution pole and refused the blindfold. Then, lastly, the famous Mata Hari winked at the firing squad as they raised their rifles and fired.

INSTEAD OF THE RUN, SHE GAVE THEM THE RUN-AROUND

In the 84th Boston Marathon on April 21, 1980, amateur runner Rosie Ruiz came from out of nowhere to win the women's race. Later she was stripped of that title when witnesses came forward saying they saw her "rejoin" the race during the last half mile.

THAT'S WHY THE INDIAN BRAVES NEVER HEARD "CH-CH-CH-CHARGE!"

The Apache Indian Geronimo, or Goyathlay ("one who yawns"), had a career linked with his brother-in-law, Juh, a Chiricahua chief. Although Geronimo was not the "real" leader, he appeared so to outsiders because he often acted as spokesman for Juh, who had a speech impediment. (Geronimo ended up supporting himself by selling his own photos for twenty-five-cents each.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1647)

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Friday, March 09, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1648)

IN CASE YOU EVER WONDERED

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) can reach a weight of 10,000 pounds and live up to 40 years. The name hippopotamus means "river horse". When overheated, excited or in pain, they exude red sweat.

THESE PROSTITUTES GOT SCREWED OUT OF REACHING OLD AGE

Delfina Gonzales and her sister were arrested by Mexico City police, after more than fifty bodies were dug up in their yard. It was learned upon investigation, the two women had run an illegal brothel for years, where they would "occasionally" murder and bury one of their prostitutes. When Gonzales took the stand, she was asked how and why so many women had died? Her replied, "Maybe the food didn't agree with them?"

FIVE FUN FACTS

(1) Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand, while drawing with the other. (2) Fittingly, Frank Sinatra's last TV guest appearance was on "Who's the Boss." (3) England's Queen Ann (1685-1714) gave birth to 17 children, all of which died before she did. (4) Mexico has more residents from the U.S.A. than any other country. (5) An estimated 30,000 people died when a volcano unleashed its fury on the Caribbean Island of Martinique in 1902. The only survivor was a prisoner in that town's jail.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1648)

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Saturday, March 10, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1649)

IN PUBLIC LIFE, THEY'D BE TRAVELING TO JAIL

In 1989, the State Department Watch, a private organization keeping an eye on the U.S. State Department, reported that branch of the government had issued over 18,000 travel expense checks, without proof of justification. In one case, a check was issued for $9,000 to Ludwig van Beethoven, Social Security number: 123-45-6789.

THIS CHARLIE DIDN'T HORSE-AROUND WITH THE TRUTH

Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970) army general, writer, statesman, and architect of France's Fifth Republic, served as president (1944-6), and first president of the Fifth Republic (1959-69). Here is an example of his honest observations: "Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word."

ALL THIS FUSS OVER STRAW AND BIRD SPIT

Edible bird nests are a multimillion dollar industry in Asia. Indonesia alone ships 80-100 tons of nests to Hong Kong yearly. In 1975, a kilogram of these nests sold for $10. By 2002, the price per kilo had risen to $1,600. "Phoenix Swallowing the Swallow" is the fanciest form of the soup, made from consommé extracted from chickens impregnated with bird nests and served in a porcelain bowl, for about $60 per serving.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1649)

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Sunday, March 11, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1650)

HE CLAIMED TO BE TIGHT-LIPPED DURING THE ROBBERY

Bank robber Mortimer Hetsberger, 23, sued bank teller Laura Gonzalez for $1.5 million for slander. After Mr. Hetsberger was found guilty of robbing the Fleet Bank in Atlantic City, New Jersey, of $4,000, he sued Ms. Gonzalez for testifying during the robbery that he'd said "Now, or I'll shoot." He claimed he only handed her a note reading "I want the money now."

HOW A BUSINESSMAN GOT HIS OWN KINGDOM

When the U.S. Government seized control of the Hawaiian Islands in 1893, the official press release stated, "Public safety is menaced and lives and property are in peril. Circumstances have created general alarm and terror." Truth was, Hawaii's queen, Liliuokalani, was trying to reduce American influence and business on the islands, so the U.S. simply replaced her with Sanford Dole, of the Dole pineapple empire.

WEDDINGS EFFECT SOME GUYS THIS WAY

Friends noticed Greg Cundiff, 23, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, seemed really "up tight" the week before his wedding in June 1979. And he got even worse the day of the wedding. In fact, near the end of the ceremony, he fainted, hit his head on the altar steps, and never regained consciousness.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1650)

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Monday, March 12, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1651)

GUESS THAT JUST WASN'T HIS DAY?

Loannis Philippou, 50, of Kato, Deftera, Cypress, would have burned to death when he accidentally set himself on fire in January 1990, had he not jumped into a nearby river. But since he couldn't swim, he drowned.

VANITY CAN BE A CRUEL MASTER

"I have never had my cheeks altered or my eyes altered. I have not had my lips thinned, nor have I had dermabrasion or a skin peel. I have had my nose altered twice and I recently added a cleft to my chin, but that is it. Period. I don't care what anyone else says, it's my face and I know." - Michael Jackson, in 1988.

3 QUAKY QUOTES

(1) "I am not the monster that I am made out to be. I am the victim....." - Gestapo officer Adolph Eichmann, who was later hanged for ordering the murders of 6 million Jews. (2) "Talking with a man is like trying to saddle a cow. You work like hell, but what's the point." - Gladys Upham. (3) "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." - The late, great comedian George Burns.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1651)

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1652)

BEES ARE BORN ENGINEERS

There are about 20,000 species of bees worldwide. The honey bee (Apis mellifera), like most of the others, automatically knows to build their honeycombs hexagonal in shape because that allows the maximum space using the least amount of wax.

TOO BAD HE WASN'T PLAYING "UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE"

Giovanni Mancuso of Messina, Italy, an amateur piano player, loved to play his piano hour after hour, always the same song. This made his neighbor, Pietro Pettinato, "snap" one day, causing him to shoot dead Mr. Mancuso. (But what was the tune he played over-and-over? Chopin's "Funeral March")

AIR TRAVEL TRIVIA

On August 12, 1985, the worst single-plane air disaster in history occurred. A crippled Japan Air Lines 747 passenger jet crashed into the ridge of Mount Takamagahara in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, killing 520 people.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1652)

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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1653)

HOW THE WHITE HOUSE ALMOST BECAME A WHITE ELEPHANT

Like many government projects, building the White House went over budget. When Congress learned how much over budget in 1798, it refused to pay more, and the open building had to be sealed and abandoned, until new funding could be raised almost a year later.

THIS GUY REALLY GOT TIED UP IN HIS WORK

One afternoon in August of 1987, the owner of a wool mill in Thompson, Connecticut, Paul G. Thomas, 47, was operating a pinwheel dressing machine (which rolls wool yarn from a large spool, to smaller ones), when an accident occurred. As Mr. Thompson reached to make an adjustment on the machine, he lost balance and fell forward onto one of the smaller, fast spinning spools. Helplessly hugging it, in less than an estimated three minutes, he became first bound, then completely covered with 800 yards of yarn, causing him to suffocate.

THIS WOMAN PROBABLY NEEDED HEAVY THERAPY LATER

In West Akron, Ohio, Daisy Gladden, 20, and her lover James Daniels, 26, were stoned on alcohol and drugs January 17, 1988, when they decided to make love in a car, and chose the front seat of a car parked inside an abandoned garage. During the act, with Daniels on top (weighing 186), he fell dead, trapping Ms. Gladden underneath him. And here she stayed until a tow-truck driver heard her screams from outside the garage. There he found her naked, suffering from hypothermia, still wedged beneath the decomposing corpse, four full days and nights after her lover's final orgasm.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1653)

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Thursday, March 15, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1654)

SOLID COURAGE TO THE VERY END

In the spring of 1943, during World War II, British intelligence fooled the Germans by taking the body of an English soldier, who'd died from pneumonia, dressing it in a diplomatic courier's uniform, then planting phony documents in the pockets, claiming the Allies planned to attack German troops in Sardinia. Then, they fitted the dead man with a life jacket and dropped him in the ocean just off the coast of Spain. Later, when the Allies landed at their original destination in Sicily, they found little resistance from the German forces. It had worked. (The entire story of this strange episode in history is told in The Man Who Never Was.)

PERHAPS HE WAS DATING AN OSTRICH???

In April 1982, a healthy 60-year-old man from Bath, England, Michael Townsend, was found dead on a beach outside Woolacombe, North Devon. For reasons never determined, he was wearing only underpants, squatting on his knees, with his head buried in the sand.

5 QUICKIE QUOTES

(1) "I didn't inhale it." Presidential Candidate Bill Clinton concerning "pot" smoking. 1992. (2) "I think I lie pretty effectively." O.J. Simpson. 1969. (3) "There is nothing so pathetic as a forgetful liar." F.M. Knowles (4) "We do not have censorship. What we have is a limitation of what newspapers can report." South Africa's Deputy Minister of Information. 1987. (5) "Not a cough in a carload." Advertisement for Old Gold cigarettes. 1950s.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1654)

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Friday, March 16, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1655)

WITH THESE GREAT SAVINGS, TAXPAYERS CAN..........

According to Stupid Government Tricks, in the 1980s, Department of Defense efficiency experts saved U.S. taxpayers a minimum of $27 million, to a maximum of $136 million, each and every year. At the same time though, operating expenses for these efficiency experts cost taxpayers $150 million, to $300 million each year.

WHAT'S YOUR PHOBIA, OR OBSESSION?

Outside Washington, Pennsylvania, Joseph Heer, 89, lived alone, and suffered from extreme peniaphobia, a fear of losing all one's assets. His fear was so strong, he had his gas turned off during the cold month of January 1986. When a yard fire caused rescuers to find Mr. Heer several weeks later, he was in bed, fully clothed and bundled, but still dead from hypothermia. Rescuers also found an open safe and two steel boxes, containing almost $200,000.

IN CASE YOU DON'T READ GERMAN

Dachau Gate

If you read German, you already know "ARBEIT MACHT FREI" means "Work Shall Make You Free". That slogan was printed on signs above all entrances to Nazi concentration camps.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1655)

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Saturday, March 17, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1656)

LOVERS WHO GET CARRIED AWAY, GET CARRIED AWAY LATER

During the summer of 1990, government officials in Istanbul, Turkey, issued health warnings for those citizens who slept or made love on rooftops at night to escape the heat. In that city, on average each summer, a dozen people fall from their roofs, becoming either seriously injured or killed.

IN SPIRO T. AGNEW'S NAME, THE "T" SHOULD STAND FOR "TURKEY"

"I have called this press conference to label as false and scurrilous and malicious these rumors, these assertions and accusations. I'm labeling them damned lies." Vice President of the U.S., Spiro Theodore Agnew, denying he'd ever taken kickbacks and/or bribes. Later, on October 10, 1973, Agnew pleaded "no contest" against those charges, and resigned his vice presidency in disgrace.

A BIT OF BASEBALL TRIVIA

Question: Who is the only player to play for all 4 baseball teams that originated in New York City (Dodgers, Giants, Mets, Yankees)? Answer: Darryl Strawberry.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1656)

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Sunday, March 18, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1657)

WHAT'D HE EXPECT THEM TO DO, WALK TO COURT?

When Tony Brite appeared at a Virginia Beach, Virginia, court hearing concerning his car theft charges, he brought along two friends. Seeing the three together caught Detective Gary Nelson's curiosity enough for him to follow the boys back to their car. There, unnoticed, Nelson wrote down the license number from the out of state plates, ran the numbers a few minutes later, and had all three in custody within three hours, charged with auto theft.

WELL, WHAT A FICKLE WALL!

George Schwartz, 54, was working alone late one night in December of 1983 at his factory in Providence, Rhode Island, when an explosion destroyed most of the building, except for an interior wall, which absorbed the blast and saved his life. In fact, paramedics could find only scratches and bruises on Schwartz's body, so he went back to where his office had been looking for papers, where the wall which saved his life fell and crushed him to death.

ANOTHER FOOLISH QUOTE FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE

"I have no weakness for shoes. I wear very simple shoes." Said by former first lady Imelda Marcos, after the fall of her husband's dictatorship of the Philippines in 1986. Soon after, in one of her bedroom closets at Malacanang Palace, over 3,400 pairs were found, many very expensive.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1657)

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Monday, March 19, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1658)

WHEN COWARDICE AND EGO REPLACE COMMON SENSE

In August of 2006, Troy Lee Gentry, of the Montgomery Gentry duo, was accused by Federal authorities of killing a tame black bear with a bow and arrow, then tagging it as killed in the wilds of Minnesota. Just before killing it, they said Gentry bought the submissive bear from Marvin Greenly, of Sandstone, Minn.

A BITE IN THE BUTT CHANGED HIS SEXUAL PREFERENCE

In 1987, movie director Mark Pirro produced a different version of the classic Curse Of The Werewolf, entitled Curse Of The Queerwolf. In Pirro's movie, a straight man is bitten on the buttock by a gay werewolf, and after that, during each full moon, he becomes not just a werewolf, but a gay werewolf.

WELL, LET'S AT LEAST HOPE IT WAS A CLEAN KILL?

Ramon Jose Rodriguez, 23, was working on a building project in Miami, Florida, in December of 1988, when he was crushed to death by a falling portable toilet. He had been shoveling sand beside the building under construction, when a huge gust of wind caused the toilet, sitting on the edge of the fourth floor, to fall, crushing Rodriguez on impact.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1658)

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1659)

NOW YOU KNOW

When a drop of water is poured onto a red hot surface, the drop never touches. Instead, the drop rides on a cushion of steam until it totally evaporates. (This principle may one day "float our boats.")

TRUMAN'S DAUGHTER MAY'VE NEEDED TO DROP A FEW POUNDS?

While President Harry S. Truman lived in the White House (1945-1953), one night in 1948 he and his family were forced to flee their home, fearing the whole structure might collapse. This fear arose when his daughter's upstairs sitting room floor crashed down into the family dining room. (No one was injured.)

THIS ONE'S FOR ALL THE "SUNDAY FOOTBALL WIDOWS"

Marlene Love, 30, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, could take it no more, so she shot her husband to death through the back of his head, while he watched his fifth football game of the day. "There was no food in the house, and I kept asking him for money and the car keys. He kept telling me to 'shut up! Can't you see I'm watching the game?' "

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1659)

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Wednesday, March 21, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1660)

A MAN OF HIS TIME

It was on August 20, 1940, that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) paid tribute to the Royal Air Force with these famous words, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

NO ONE IS SAFER THAN THEIR NEXT DRIVING DECISION

In July 1989, sixteen-year-old Michael Doucette, of Concord, New Hampshire, was honored as America's safest teenage driver. Along with the title he also won $5,000, a trophy and the use of a 1989 Dodge for a year. On February 23, 1990, the young award winning Doucette ran head-on into a car driven by Sharon Ann Link, nineteen. Both were killed.

APPARENTLY THE PHOTOGRAPHER LET THEM DIE FOR A PHOTO?

The newspaper China Law printed a photo in June of 1984 of three young men posing between the rails of a railroad track, with their backs turned away from a speeding train just behind them. There was no story with the photo, leaving it a total mystery.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1660)

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Thursday, March 22, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1661)

MIGHT HELP TO NOT STINK UP THE SHIP, PERHAPS?

During the early days of the space shuttle program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spent $23 million developing a toilet for use in space, which was almost ten times the original estimate. Why? The astronauts preferred a manual flush commode instead of an automatic. (More like home?)

"TRICKY DICK" NIXON WAS INDEED

"No one in the White House staff, no one in this administration, presently employed, was involved in this very bizarre incident." That was said by President Richard Nixon, at the beginning of the Watergate scandal in 1972, which ended with his resignation.

WHY MUST SO MANY RELIGIONS BE "THE ONLY WAY"?

Shah Faisal, located in Islamabad, Pakistan is the world's largest Mosque, housing 100,000 Muslims in Turkish, Italian and Arabian influenced modern luxury. One of the core places of Muslim worship in Southern Asia, it was erected in 1976. (Side: The majority of believers of any form of monotheism, or most any other form of religion, will maintain the roots from their youth, regardless, having nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of any belief.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1661)

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Friday, March 23, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1662)

IF NOT FOR THIS, HE MIGHT'VE BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A.

"I made immediate and repeated efforts to save Mary Jo by diving into the strong and murky current, but succeeded only in increasing my state of utter exhaustion and alarm." Quote from Senator Ted Kennedy, telling what he said happened on July 18, 1969, when his car plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, causing his 28-year-old passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, to drown.

POOR MAN HAD TO STARE AT HIS KNEES FOR 3 DAYS

In January of 1989, 73-year-old Robert Hamm of Rochester, New York, fell while standing in a chair on his front porch, and landed butt-first in a un-lidded garbage can. Stuck in the can up to his armpits, with his legs sticking up in the air, Mr. Hamm was limited in mobility, and could only hope to be rescued soon. On the first day, an 11-year-old newspaper-delivery girl crossed his lawn, and later recalled seeing him wave and mumble something. On the second day, a postman remembered later seeing a hand wave from over the porch rim, but thought nothing unusual. On the third day, the newspaper girl's Mom went to investigate and found the old man still wedged in his garbage can, dead from heart failure.

HOW CAN ANYBODY PUT PANTS ON A SNOWMAN?

When France's Madam de la Bresse died she bequeathed her life savings, about 125,000 francs, to buy clothing for naked Paris snowmen. After the courts upheld the validity of her plan in 1876, Paris became a winter season of fashion for many snowmen.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1662)

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Saturday, March 24, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1663)

LIVING HIGH ON THE HOG MAKES SOME FOLKS PIGGY

"I think some people are going to soup kitchens voluntarily. I know we've considerable information that people go to soup kitchens because the food is free and that's easier than paying for it. I think they have the money." That was said by Edwin Meese, Reagan White House council denying there was any hunger or poverty in America (1983).

WONDER WHO GOT TO EAT THE EVIDENCE?

Donald Morris Smith, 22, was sentenced to 70 years in prison for the murder of a Rocky Mount, North Carolina, candy store owner in February of 1987. Before strangling his victim, Smith had beaten him unconscious with a giant peppermint candy cane.

THESE GOOD WOMEN WERE MANLY MEN WHEN NEED BE

Around 1930, airlines began hiring women instead of men to be flight attendants. They were paid $125 a month for each hundred hours in the air. Their duties included waiting on passengers, loading luggage, cleaning the plane, helping gas up the plane, plus, when required, assisting in pushing the plane into a hanger.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1663)

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Sunday, March 25, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1664)

POTTED SOIL WITH A HUMAN TOUCH

In April 1991, Michael Davis, 53, decided to bore a hole in the garden of his isolated home outside Ranmore Common, Surrey, England. Using his powerful tractor's engine and a corkscrew type drill, Davis began drilling, but made a mistake. He got his clothing entangled in the drill, causing him to be crushed, cutup and planted with the auger's exhaust dirt. When found by Marian, his wife, the mixture of his torn flesh with garden soil left him unidentifiable.

KIDNEYS, LUNGS AND SEX GLANDS, ON A SESAME SEED BUN

A report from the National Consumer League says, their are no ingredient guarantees once the bone is removed from any piece of meat during processing. For instance, convenience foods such as turkey bologna and salami, chicken wieners and nuggets, may contain skin, kidneys, lungs, sex glands, even bone fragments and marrow.

HE WAS REALLY MR. OUT-OF-TOUCH, PERHAPS?

"This could not take place in New York City," said by then New York City Mayor Ed Koch, in 1988, after he observed open drug dealing during a tour of Amsterdam.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1664)

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Monday, March 26, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1665)

"BURP", EXCUSE ME, I'D LIKE A REFUND, PLEASE

A survey was taken asking grocery store managers what was the most unusual, but common request they hear from shoppers. The winner by far: Customers returning to the store asking for refunds on food they ate, but didn't like. (Managers should be glad the complaining customers don't return the undesirable food, at that stage.)

A DOUBLE COINCIDENCE

In August of 1995, in Kissimmee, Florida, Ronald Legendre married his true love, Hope. Strange thing was, his best man, who was in no way related to him, was also named Ronald Legendre. Add to that, the judge who performed the ceremony was not kin to either man, yet his name was also Ronald Legendre. (Too bad the judge's son couldn't make it. His name? Ron Legendre.)

THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER HE WAS COMING-OR-GOING

Karl Winter, 19, was a poacher determined to always stay one step ahead of game wardens. So, in 1984, with winter's first snow covering his favorite woodlands near Rovereda, Switzerland, Mr. Winter made himself a pair of 4-heeled boots. Well, what he'd done was cut the heels off one pair of boots, then super-glue those heels backwards to the front soles of his other pair of boots. And the quarto-heeled boots did a great job of keeping the authorities from finding him. Such as good job, when Karl Winters fell into a crevasse, no one found him until long after he had frozen to death.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1665)

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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1666)

WITH GRATED MOZZARELLA, THEY COULD'VE EATEN THIS FETUS

According to the January 1995 edition of Esquire magazine, a medical emergency ambulance crew in New York City picked up, then delivered to a hospital emergency room, an abandoned bag of cooked spaghetti, thinking it was a human fetus.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

"He's taken my kids and my car! A black man has taken my kids and my car!" Those are the words Susan Smith hysterically told police in 1994, after she had drown her small sons, both buckled in their car seats, while she rolled the car into a lake.

THIS "TURKEY" GOBBLED HIMSELF TO DEATH

In November 1990, turkey hunter Charles Boyer, 43, dabbed his skin and clothing with blue and grey patches, to resemble turkey heads, before venturing into the woods outside Deerfield Township, Pennsylvania. Entering his favorite hunting area, Boyer squatted in a thick undergrowth, then "gobbled" in hopes of drawing his prey close enough for an easy kill. He did that alright. He was so good at gobbling, hunter Troy Moore mistook him for the real McCoy, and shot him through the head, dead.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1666)

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Wednesday, March 28, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1667)

"BELTS" OF LIQUOR MIGHT'VE CAUSED THIS?

According to several sources, Lieutenant Andrew Bright was the first Englishman to ever wear suspenders, and apparently never got the hang of them. One night, forgetting about his strapped shoulders, Bright tried to pull down his pants, knocked over a candle, set his bed on fire, and died in the ensuing flames.

HE KIND OF WENT-TO-PIECES NEAR THE END

Peter Stube was arrested in Cologne, Germany, in 1590, accused of being a werewolf. After the mob court tortured a "confession" out of him, he was sentenced to be placed on a wheel, where ten red-hot pincers stripped the flesh from his bones. Next his arms and legs were broken with ax and hatchet, his head knocked from his body, then all pieces of Mr. Stube were collected and burned to ashes.

AH, HE LET THE MUSIC GET HIM ALL CHOKED UP

A Mexican musician, Ramon Barrera, was known far and wide as "The Player of the World's Smallest Harmonica." That is until one night during a performance in January 1994, in Iguala. That's when Barrera took a deep breath, swallowed his harmonica, and in less than 3 minutes choked to death.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1667)

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Thursday, March 29, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1668)

PICKY, PICKY, PICKY

Just in case you're ever asked: An Indocannibal eats only the dead flesh of family and friends. An Exocannibal, on the other hand, only eats the meat from slain enemies.

SLIP, SLIDING AWAY

In November 1980, five mountain-rescue officers, helping to make a film about the dangers of avalanches in the French Alps, found themselves in the path of one during filming. The production crew could only stand by helplessly, while all five men were rapidly swept away to their deaths.

THREE EARLY BASEBALL FACTS

(1) In 1862, Albert Reach, of the Brooklyn Eckfords, became the first professional baseball player in history, when he agreed to accept $25 to join the Philadelphia Athletics. (2) In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first all professional baseball team. Playing against teams still classified mostly amateur, they won 65 straight games that season. (3) Other clubs followed suit and within two years the original organization rewrote its charter to become the first "major league" - The National Association of Professional Baseball Players.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1668)

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Friday, March 30, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1669)

WELL, HE CERTAINLY "COOLED" THAT RELATIONSHIP

California health inspectors carrying out a routine inspection in October 1992, at a fast-food restaurant in Los Angeles, found something unusual inside the freezer. There, totally naked, were two human bodies frozen stiff. The following investigation and autopsies determined the bodies had been frozen eight months, and belonged to the restaurant's owner, Lydia Katsh and her lover. Police arrested the co-owner of the restaurant, Lydia's ex-husband, for their murders.

FLATULENCE FORGIVEN

Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford (1550-1604), made what he considered such an embarrassing blunder, while bowing in Queen Elizabeth's court, he left England entirely for seven years. Upon his return, and apology, the queen was quoted saying "My Lord, I had forgot the Fart."

LIFE OFTEN JUST ISN'T FAIR

Andalusia painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) painted many pictures of young and poor Fernande Olivier, while she lived with him for seven years. She never liked the paintings and, when she left, took only a small heart-shaped mirror as a memento. A few years after she died in 1966, totally broke, a cubist painting of her by Picasso sold for $790,000.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1669)

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Saturday, March 31, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1670)

SON HANGS HIMSELF OVER POOR HYGIENE

In 2003, Judith Scruggs of Meriden, Connecticut, was found guilty of contributing to her 12-year-old son's suicide, by hanging. What did she do, in the court's eyes, to cause her son to hang himself? She was found guilty of poor hygiene and bad housekeeping. Prosecutors said the boy was upset because schoolmates picked on his body odor and bad breath. (In August of 2006, Scruggs case was overturned by the Connecticut Supreme Court.)

ALBERT EINSTEIN ENDED UP A SCATTERBRAIN

When the genius Albert Einstein died in April 1955, he'd requested his brain be studied. So, Dr. Thomas Harvey, the pathologist who performed the autopsy, removed the brain and dissected it into thin chunks. Most of the pieces, about 75%, were retained by Harvey, who stored the sliced brain under his sink, in formaldehyde-filled jars, for 43 years.

BUT WHO'D THEY BUY IT FROM THE SECOND TIME?

Great Government Goofs says the National Park Service purchased a half acre of land in southwest Washington, D.C., in 1986, for $230,000. In 1988 the Park Service discovered it already owned the land, which it purchased in 1914.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1670)

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Sunday, April 01, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1671)

THEY NEEDED EITHER BIGGER FISH OR SMALLER MOUTHS

In December of 1994, a Fijian fisherman off the island of Rabi choked to death. In January of 1995, another Fijian fisherman, Samuel Taoba, 50, from the island of Vanua Levu, also choked to death. Then, on February 14, 1995, fishing from a river bank on the same island, Serupepeli Lumelume, 22, choked to death. What did they all choke on? All three strangled while trying to kill a fish by biting off its head.

AN ANCIENT CURE

Hippocrates (460-377? BC) prescribed tea made from white willow tree bark, to reduce the pain of childbirth. Over Twenty-two centuries later, in 1838, Italian chemist Raffaele Piria isolated willow bark's salicylic acid, which is the "miracle" ingredient in today's aspirin.

A REASON TO "SINK" MONEY IN MOVIE TICKETS

No language will "literally" translate into another language, and often translation changes the entire meaning. According to one report, at least some moviegoers in Lebanon went to see the movie Titanic because the movie's title is slang in Arabic for Let's Have Sex.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1671)

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Monday, April 02, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1672)

HE BLEW HIMSELF AWAY, SORT OF

Abner Kriller was chewing bubble gum while driving down the highway near his home in Albany, Australia, when a large bubble burst, leaving a thin sheet of gum covering his glasses and much of his face. Unable to see with any accuracy, Kriller drove his car off the road, to his death.

MORE FACT THAN FUNNY?

One of comedian George Carlin's opinions concerning the environment: "There's something refreshingly ironic about people lying on the beach getting skin cancer in an attempt to gain an illusionary appearance of good health, while germ-laden medical waste washes up on the sand all around them."

HE SOLVED HIS MAIN PROBLEM HEAD-ON

After his wife left him, 32-year-old Edward Musgrove just couldn't stand it, and decided to do something about it. He waited along the route she drove as a Los Angeles bus driver, got onboard with a gun, and eventually caused her bus to crash. Fortunately, when it crashed, the only one injured was Musgrove himself. He went headfirst through the windshield, and impacted with the brick wall the bus had just hit, killing him dead.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1672)

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1673)

BETWEEN A LOW-CLASS AND A NO-CLASS

The 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973), was surely the most "integrity-challenged" president of them all. After Air Force One dropped him off at his Texas ranch for the last time, pilot Ralph Albertazzie found the following missing: all presidential china and Air Force One silverware, towels and cocktail napkins, even every roll of toilet paper. Lastly, his bolted down executive chair, known as the "throne", had been removed.

THESE CLIENTS GET A SECOND "CLIP" WITHOUT KNOWING

According to ABC's Paul Harvey News, the old time "ambulance chasing" lawyers' numbers are small, compared to divorce attorneys. They pay nice rewards to hairdressers, who provide the names and numbers of clients who are considering divorce.

"CUMBYA" MORE TIME

Several places on earth, most of them mountainous, have an unusually high number of people surviving more than 100 years of life. One such place is the highlands of Guangxi in China. The high number of centenarians has been attributed to singing folk songs.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1673)

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Wednesday, April 04, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1674)

55%? PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY WANTED LARGER SCREEN TVs

According to a study conducted by Dr. Stephen Sidney at Kaiser Permanente, using over 4,000 participants, people watching more than four hours of television daily scored 55% higher on tests designed to measure depression.

AT LEAST IT CONTROLLED THEIR PUBLIC BEHAVIOR

Even though the term "bringing home the bacon" is seldom used today, in Old England, between the 12th and early 19th centuries, happily married couples (who could prove it) were given a side of bacon by the Church of Dunmow, in Essex County. It was called the Dunmow Finch award.

A "HAIRPIECE" COULD HAVE SAVED HIS LIFE

At times history has been unkind to "follicually challenged" (i.e. bald) men. Greek playwright Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.) was reported to have been killed by an eagle dropping a tortoise on his head, thinking it a shiny rock for cracking the shell covering its lunch.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1674)

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Thursday, April 05, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1675)

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A BLEEDING HEART LIBERAL

When Osaka restaurant owner Nitro Ito, 41, ran for the Japanese House of Representatives in 1979, he was willing to do anything possible to get elected. This determination made him secretly ask several friends to beat him up, before later stabbing himself in the leg, all in order to generate sympathy from the voters. But he overdid the leg stab, severed a vein, and bled to death before his stubbornness would allow him to seek help.

BUT WOULDN'T THIS DEPEND ON WHO THEIR BED-PARTNER IS?

Ernest Hartmann, a researcher at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, has found in his studies that people who sleep less than 6 hours nightly have a tendency to be efficient, ambitious and extroverted. Those who slept 9 hours or more, tended to be insecure, anxious and indecisive.

AND A "LETHAL INJECTION" IS ONLY A FLU SHOT

In July of 2006, the New York Times reported on the murder-conspiracy trial of Aryan Brotherhood prison leader and defendant Barry "The Baron" Mills. The defense attorney for Mills described the prison's Aryan Brotherhood as a social club that mostly enjoys "playing cards, reading and crocheting."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1675)

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Friday, April 06, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1676)

THE NBA (NATIONAL BOXBALL ASSOCIATION)?

While James Naismith was working on an idea for a new type of game played with a ball in 1891, he asked a gymnasium janitor for boxes to use as goals. All the janitor had to offer was a couple of round peach baskets. That's why the game is called basketball, not boxball.

WONDER IF HE WAS EVER ABLE TO FIND A JOB?

Unable to find a job, Romolo Ribolla, 42, of Pisa, Italy, sat down at his kitchen table, gun in hand, and threatened to shoot himself. His wife's pleading with him to stop made him so angry, instead of committing suicide, he threw his gun to the floor in disgust. It went off on impact, killing his wife.

THAT NEW TASTE SENSATION "BARBIE FLAVORED FRIES"

Two former waitresses of Hoss's Steak and Sea House in Hampton, Oklahoma, sued their former employer. In the lawsuit, among other things, they claimed to have observed first hand the mutilation, skewering and deep-frying of a Barbie Doll. They also claimed the grease used to cook Barbie was used after that incident for an entire week, to deep-fry customers' food orders.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1676)

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Saturday, April 07, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1677)

LET'S HOPE HE DOESN'T GO ON TO TAKE 9 WIVES

Doctors at Beloit Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin, delivered Nicholas Stephen Wadle at 9:00 a.m. on 9-9-1999. He weighed in at 9 pounds and 9 ounces.

HE SNACKED BETWEEN MEALS ALMOST 24/7

Franz Wettstein, billed as "Europe's Fattest Man," weighed 685 pounds when he died in 1977. During his life, one of his jobs had been eating almost constantly as a sideshow attraction, for which patrons paid 75-cents each to watch him eat. At one stage, the sideshow's owners wanted him fatter, so they provided Wettstein with a daily diet of 30-40 pints of beer, 5 pounds of sausage, 10-12 steaks and 30-40 bread rolls. (BURP!)

THREE POTPOURRI

(1) By law in Baluchistan, Pakistan, a man may trade his sister for a wife. (Not for equal reasons, hopefully?) (2) Question: If you write a book about failure, and it doesn't sell, is it a success? (3) A Quote: "640k should be enough for anybody." Said by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in 1981.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1677)

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Sunday, April 08, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1678)

HE "GOT A LITTLE STIFF" DURING THE TRIP

On September 8, 2006 according to The Dallas Morning News, Daniel Stepanovich and his daughter rode an Amtrak train cross-country, with Mr. Stepanovich dead the last 1,000 miles. The daughter had waited for the train to arrive in Chicago, 23 hours later, before telling authorities her 80-year-old father had passed away. Even though he'd died while the train was pulling into Glenwood Springs, Colorado, she'd remained quiet to save the cost of having his body shipped to Chicago for burial.

INSTEAD OF A LEASE-ON-LIFE, THEY LOST-THEIR-LEASE-ON-DEATH

A lease on an apartment or car is one thing, but a lease on a grave in a pet cemetery? Owners of the remains of about 1,000 pets buried in Pet's Rest cemetery in Colma, California, were told their leases had expired, and would not be renewed. They were given only a few weeks to remove their loved ones' coffins, or their graves would be plowed under for new construction.

INSTEAD OF SPENDING MONEY, NOW HE SPENDS HIS TIME IN JAIL

Several news services reported in September of 2006 that David C. Faison, a former Treasury Department employee, had pleaded guilty to stealing $67,000 in uncut sheets of $100 bills, and tried to launder them through slot machines. After casino security cameras in Atlantic City, New Jersey, West Virginia and Delaware caught him on tape inserting $100 bills (which had neither U.S. government seals or serial numbers) into their machines, Faison was located and arrested.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1678)

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Monday, April 09, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1679)

A "SONG" TO SHARE WITH DEAF FRIENDS

When American jukeboxes reached their peak in the mid-1950s, many, if not most, restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and skating rinks had them installed, and at least a few people got tired of hearing music. For those folks, Columbia released a record of nothing but three-and-one-half minutes of silence, and it became that company's most and only listened to non-song.

SPEED TIMES TWO EQUALS SEVEN DEAD

Two Nigerian bus drivers, driving in opposite directions on a roadway outside Lagos, both buses packed with passengers, stuck out their left hands in passing to share a "high five," not taking into consideration the combined driving speeds could make their actions painful. Upon hand contact both drivers crashed their buses, killing seven, themselves included.

HER WAKE UP CALL WENT TO A FUNERAL HOME INSTEAD

Adelaide Magnasco, 80, went on vacation with her son to Acosta, Italy, in August of 1993. Going to bed at her hotel the first night, Mrs. Magnasco pulled the Murphy bed from the wall of her room, crawled in and went to sleep. During the night, unfortunately, a faulty switch caused the bed to return to its original position, closed, and killed the elderly lady as she slept. Her son, Paulo, found his mother the next morning, crushed between the mattress and wall.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1679)

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Tuesday, April 10, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1680)

THREE ACTUALLY USED HILARIOUS HEADLINES

(1) MAN STRUCK BY LIGHTENING FACES BATTERY CHARGES (2) TYPHOON RIPS THROUGH CEMETERY; HUNDREDS DEAD (3) Child's Stool Great For Use In Garden ("These carrots taste like little Billy.")

HE WAS FOAMING AT THE MOUTH WITH REPENTANCE

After 38-year-old Herbert Pinckney was sentenced and sent to jail in Charleston, South Carolina, he was determined to cleanse his soul. First, he became a born-again Christian. Next, he squirted the contents of 5 shaving cream cans down his throat, then ate eight bars of soap. While dying in agonizing pain, Pinckney told guards, "God made me do it."

IT NOT ONLY STINKS, IT COULD SHORTEN LIFE

Chinese Taoists believe a person at birth is given just enough air to last their lifetime. With this in mind, true believers control their diets, avoiding all foods possible that generate flatulence.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1680)

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1681)

STAR WARS FOOTAGE WOULD'VE REALLY BEEN IMPRESSIVE

On August 27, 2006, the Iranian government released, to the world media, a video tape to show their new submarine missile being test fired. But U.S. military intelligence, comparing the Iranian footage to a similar missile test by the Chinese........ found them to be one and the same.

WAS SHE UGLY ENOUGH TO GIVE THE TOWN A BAD NAME?

A direct quote from The Dallas Morning News on September 10, 2006: "Tired of the 'media circus,' the police chief, the mayor and a council member in Snyder, Oklahoma, resigned after Chief Todd Ozmun's wife posted nude photos of herself on the Internet."

ONLY A SMALL EXAMPLE OF WOMEN'S SUFFERING WORLDWIDE

Seeing their futures as totally hopeless, 51 peasant girls, in 15 separate groups, in and around Jiangxi Province, China, committed suicide by drowning themselves in 1988. But first, before their time to die, each and every girl dressed in her best clothing, hoping to be reincarnated as a wealthy, sophisticated city woman.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1681)

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Thursday, April 12, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1682)

EMERGENCY: BARBECUE NEEDS EATING AT CHARITY DINNER

In July of 2006, Indiana Homeland Security told Vermillion County officials to stop using emergency-only highway message boards to advertise their local charity dinners.

"YUMMY! GIVE ME TWO VERY BLACK EGGS, PLEASE"

English citizens have been known to be a bit picky concerning the exact boiling times for their breakfast eggs, be they soft, medium or hard boiled. With this in mind, in August of 2006, the British Egg Information Service announced the availability of "smart eggs" which, when boiled, change the color of their shells to gray, dark gray and then black, depending on the length of time boiled.

WHAT A CHEESY THING TO DO

Paris police investigating the murder of the young and beautiful Michele Federici in 1976, discovered she had exactly six stab wounds, each one containing traces of Parmesan cheese. More investigating revealed Mrs. Federici had recently told her husband, Othello, 20 years her senior, she was have an affair with his best friend. This, Othello later admitted, caused him to take a cheese carving knife home from his butcher shop, to murder his wife with. (He only received two years in prison.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1682)

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Friday, April 13, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1683)

WONDER IF THE CONTROL GROUP USED LITTLE RABBIT CONDOMS?

In 1993, the U.S. Government financed a $3 million research study to determine if marijuana smoking could cause more rabbits to catch syphilis, or mice more likely to contact Legionnaires disease.

HIS ARREST PROBABLY STOPPED THE CREATION OF LITTLE JACKALS

Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, commonly known as "Carlos the Jackal," was accused of murdering 83 people worldwide over a 20-year killing span, before he was finally arrested in 1994. He was captured at a Sudanese hospital, then later turned over to Paris authorities. At the time of his arrest, Sanchez was recovering from testicular surgery to treat a low sperm count.

SHE COULD THAW HIM OUT FOR DINNER

Cory Quinn of Sydney, Australia, stocked his estranged wife Mary's food freezer with 154 pounds of fresh meat while she was away on vacation. Upon her return, the 280-pound woman found a note on the freezer which read, "Gorge on this, you fat pig!" Inside her freezer, Mary found he had frozen himself to death.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1683)

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Saturday, April 14, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1684)

HERE'S A LITTLE WEATHER TRIVIA

The coldest temperature ever officially recorded on earth was measured at the Russian research station at Vostok, Antarctica. The air temperature reached -128.6F (-89.2C) on 31 July 1983. On the other hand, the highest temperature ever recorded on earth was recorded at Al' Aziziyah, Libya. The air temperature there reached 136.4F (58C) on 13 September 1922.

BUT LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS SELDOM WORK OUT

In August of 2006, a live Internet video connection was set up between zookeepers in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, and a park in Indonesia, to introduce a male and female orangutan. A spokeswoman for the project said if these two rare animals "hit it off" one may be shipped to the other for breeding.

WOMEN OF HIS DAY PROBABLY WANTED TO TEAR-HIS-BONE-APART

Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), unofficially known as The Little Corporal (Le Petit Caporal), may have been "over-sexed," but not mature enough for a loving relationship. He wrote: "Nature intended women to be slaves. They are our property. What a mad idea to demand equality for women! Women are nothing but machines for producing children."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1684)

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Sunday, April 15, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1685)

NOW THEIR MOUNTAIN MEASURES UP

The Portland Oregonian reported in February of 1998, a more precise measurement of northern Germany's highest mountain, the Brocken, had proved it was not 3,747 feet tall, but only 3,741. To solve this problem, and keep all the world's maps accurate, a construction company was hired to truck in 19 tons of granite to the mountain's summit, then the rocks were stacked in 6-foot piles.

THIS HAD TO BE TRULY A HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE

In September of 2006, James Cavallo, acting police chief of Moore Township, Pennsylvania, was viewing photos taken by surveillance cameras during a recent bank robbery in a nearby town, when he recognized the robber. He immediately drove to the Colonial Regional Police Department, where the robbery was being investigated, to report his suspicion. Accompanied by a detective, that afternoon he arrested James Cavallo, Jr., his own 28-year-old son.

AT LEAST HIS FAMILY CAME OUT AHEAD

During a hunting excursion near the Mexican border in June 2003, Juan Garza Mendoza shot an undocumented immigrant, Jesus Barrera Vazquez, 24. Mendoza (a ranch hand at the 17,000-acre Hurd Villegas Ranch) said that he mistook the immigrant for a wild hog and shot into some brush. He and his hunting party fled the scene and didn't report the shooting until at least an hour later. A civil suit in August 2004, ended with a $15 million settlement awarded to Vazquez's family.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1685)

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Monday, April 16, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1686)

THE GOVERNOR SHOULD'VE VETOED THIS ACT

In late summer 2006, in his memoir, The Confession, Jim McGreevey, ex-governor of New Jersey, admitted having sex with an Israeli man (Golan Cipel) while his wife (Dina Matos) was in the hospital having their baby. He sadly stated he felt pangs of guilt, knowing state troopers were parked outside on the driveway of the Governor's Mansion waiting, while he seduced Mr. Cipel.

A HISTORICAL FACT

George Washington never lived in the White House. In fact, when he died, in 1799, the exterior walls had just been completed. John Adams, moved in to the still unfinished building on November 01, 1800. (FYI: The White House was built without any closets. Back then most folks kept their clothing in a cedar chest, which is a natural repellent against moths.)

WONDER HOW MANY CANTONESE SPEAKING CHILDREN OWN PO?

After Evangelist Jerry Falwell verbally attacked Public Television's Teletubby Tinky Winky in 1998, saying it was gay, a woman in New York claimed her daughter's Teletubby, the one named Po, was saying weird things. She claimed she heard it shout vulgarities such as "bite my butt" and whisper antigay remarks. But a spokesman from Hasbro, the manufacturer of the dolls, said the doll is bilingual and was only saying "faster, faster" in Cantonese.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1686)

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1687)

HE WAS NOT A "STUFFED SHIRT." HE WAS ONLY A SHIRT STUFFER.

Matt McAllister set a new World Record at the Earl Warren Showground at 10:07 AM on the morning of September 15, 2006. That's when, with the help of Big Dog Sportswear, he was able to wear 154 cotton T-shirts all at once, breaking the old record of 121. Wearing the shirts, Earl's weight increased by over 100 lbs., while he personally lost 4 lbs. from sweat soaking through the first 50 or so shirts.

TALK ABOUT A "CUSHY" JOB

In September 2006, Country Music Television gave office temp Christopher Nelson a $100,000 a year job to do nothing but watch reruns of "The Dukes of Hazzard" weeknights on their CMT cable channel, and write blog postings for that network's Web site. (Question: But isn't lowering a person's I.Q. a work related injury?)

"ARE YOU MY MOTHER, SISTER OR JUST A STRANGER?"

According to the Boston Globe in June of 2006, research indicates that prosopagnosia is probably more common in people than originally assumed. Prosopagnosia is the inability to remember faces even of one's immediate family. (Well, don't you have some members of your family you'd like to forget?)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1687)

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1688)

HIS LAST CLIMB TOOK HIM ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN

In October 1993, Gerard Hommel of Nantes, France, was changing a light bulb in his kitchen when he fell off the ladder, cracked his skull on the sink, and died. (He's the same Gerard Hommel who climbed Mount Everest six times.)

YUMMY! YUMMY! A BAKED POTATO TOPPED WITH PINK WHATEVER

By the early 1900s, the dairy industry lobby was already strong enough to effect laws against its competition. In fact, they were strong enough to persuade 32 states to ban colored margarine, causing white margarine sales to plummet. Still not satisfied, the dairy lobby persuaded 5 states to require all margarine be a nice shade of pink.

A BIRD-BRAINED STUDY OF BIRDS' BRAINS

In the mid-1980s, $107,000 of American tax dollars went for a bird brain study of the Japanese quail, thanks to the U.S. Congress.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1688)

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Thursday, April 19, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1689)

THESE "MEALS ON WHEELS" NOT CONNECTED TO SENIOR CITIZENS

The Royal Dragon in Bangkok, Thailand, is the largest restaurant in the world. It has 540 waiters on roller skates, serving up to 5,000 patrons at one time.

WHAT A CRAPPY WAY TO DIE!

In July 1989, a few miles outside Menominee, Michigan, five farmers died in a manure pit at a family dairy farm. Four members of the Theuerkauf family, plus friend Bill Hofer, were overcome by methane fumes trying to save each other. After the first one went into the pit (to clear a drain) and collapsed from the fumes, each one followed to rescue the man before. Bill Theuerkauf survived this tragedy, only because he was unable to help. He suffered burns to 65% of his body in a car accident years earlier. Bill continues to run the family farm to this day.

"LAS VEGAS WINNERS" IS MOSTLY AN OXYMORON

The ten largest hotels in the U.S.A. are all located in Las Vegas. Gambling losses financed the building of these huge hotels and casinos, debt free. Out of the $1.6 billion cost to build the fabulous Bellagio, $52 million was spent just to build their 9 acre lake with 1,200 individually controlled water fountains, which can shoot streams 250 feet in the air.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1689)

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Friday, April 20, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1690)

THIS MIGHT'VE COMPLICATED THE WILL?

The Reverend Ray Hewett concluded graveside services in July of 1982 for Liza Poteete, 91, at a Blairsville, Georgia, cemetery, with the statement, "We never know who's going next." At that moment, a lightening bolt struck dead the deceased woman's 28-year-old grandson, Donald Metcalf.

"I LOVE HIS HAIR, AND HOW HE FILLS OUT THAT SWEATER!"

A cure for male pattern baldness for centuries has produced nothing reliable without negative side effects. The female hormone estrogen, for example, rubbed into a male's bald scalp, can restore hair growth. It can also reduce libido, enlarge the breasts and make his voice sound like a "girly man".

SHE COULD'VE "SKIPPED" THE EVENT ALL TOGETHER

In the summer of 2006, on her way to the Paralympics world championships, New Zealand handicapped runner Kate Horan was not allowed to board her flight until she turned over her prosthetic leg. Then, her checked-luggage leg was lost on the flight to Heathrow Airport. (A week later Horan's leg was recovered, allowing her to win at least one medal at the event.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1690)

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Saturday, April 21, 2007 - Illness

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Sunday, April 22, 2007 - Illness

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Monday, April 23, 2007 - Illness

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Tuesday, April 24, 2007 - Illness

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - Illness

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Thursday, April 26, 2007 - Illness

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Friday, April 27, 2007 - Illness

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Saturday, April 28, 2007 - Illness

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Sunday, April 29, 2007 - Illness

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Monday, April 30, 2007 - Illness

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Tuesday, May 01, 2007 - Illness

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Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - Illness

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Thursday, May 03, 2007 - Illness

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Friday, May 04, 2007 - Illness

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Saturday, May 05, 2007 - Illness

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Sunday, May 06, 2007 - Illness

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Monday, May 07, 2007 - Illness

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Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - Illness

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Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - Illness

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Thursday, May 10, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1691)

NOT BAD WORK FOR A "FLUNKY"

In 1993, on a road near their home in Alvin Texas, Andrea Guerrero, 18, and her brother walked upon a car with a man slumped over the steering wheel, not breathing. This caused Andrea to immediately go into action, administering CPR until an ambulance arrived, saving the man's life. And that was especially remarkable, considering an hour earlier Andrea had taken a CPR certification exam, which she failed.

THREE MORE QUICK FACTS

(1) After cremation, the average human's ashes weigh about 9 pounds. (2) In the old classic Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life, the snow scenes were filmed in Southern California during a record heat wave. (3) The word phobophobia simply means a fear of phobias.

PERHAPS THE DRIED FRUIT WAS PRUNES?

Living in a Johannesburg retirement home in June of 1880, 114-year-old Dorah Ramothibe attributed her longevity to her diet, which included: turtle meat, pumpkin seeds, locusts, dried fruit and wild herbs.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1691)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Friday, May 11, 2007 - Illness

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Saturday, May 12, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1692)

DYING, ANOTHER REASON TO STRIP NAKED

In some parts of China people believe a large attendance at a funeral guarantees a better afterlife. With that in mind, the relatives of a deceased person will often advertise and offer incentives for those who attend, whether they knew the body or not. The competition became so strong in Jian province in the summer of 2006, police decided to crack down on the hiring of strippers to raise attendance numbers.

THE BATTLE OF WHATCHAMACALLIT HILL

On June 17, 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought, which killed 1054 British and 441 Americans. Yet, had you been standing on Bunker Hill during the peak of that battle, you'd probably have been safe. The Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place on nearby Breed's Hill.

IF YOUR FINAL DAY WAS KNOWN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO THAT DAY?

Irene Guy of Otley, West Yorkshire, England, was determined to marry Brian Holmes on her 48th birthday, in June of 1993. She checked herself out of the hospital, suffering with a heart condition, to do so. Two hours later, after the wedding and during the reception, Mrs. Irene Holmes fell over dead. (Doctors later said she only had a short time to live anyway, so at least her last day was enjoyable.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1692)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Sunday, May 13, 2007 - Illness

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Monday, May 14, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1693)

GENIUS CARVES ITS OWN FUTURE

The Eastern Church theologian Didymus (313-398) was struck blind at around age five, causing his learning to intensify. First, Didymus carved his own alphabet of letters from pieces of wood. This helped him to form words (a precursor to the Braille system), then sentences and eventually great writings, allowing him to become one of the greatest intellects of the ancient world.

MOTHER NATURE AT HER AERODYNAMIC BEST

The Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) spends most of its life in the air, except to feed and breed. With the largest wingspan of any bird (up to 11.5 feet/3.5 meters tip-to-tip), these global travelers can glide up to six days without flapping their wings, and even sleep in midair.

EACH PUTTING THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD, INTO THEIR MOUTHS

Parade magazine tells why three job interviews went really, really bad: (1) A bald candidate excused himself from his interview just long enough to leave and reenter wearing a hairpiece. (2) A lady being interviewed for a job asked the interviewer to hold his questions, while she called her therapist for advice. (3) One applicant, hoping to move on to the "bonding stage," asked the interviewer to arm wrestle.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1693)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - Illness

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1694)

IF YOU BELIEVE THIS STORY, YOU'RE BATTING ZERO

Some professional baseball fans think they know where the familiar phrase Seventh-Inning Stretch started, but probably don't. An often told tale claims it all began in 1910, during the seventh-inning of a game between Washington and Philadelphia. That's when President William Howard Taft decided to leave, causing his entire entourage to stand up. This, in turn, caused the fans filling the stadium to stand up also. Hogwash! (Do you know how it started? If so, please let us know.)

AH, SHOOT! HE DIDN'T MEAN IT

Marc Fagny, 49, a policeman in Arlon, Belgium, was called one evening in October 1991 to shoot a rabid dog in a nearby yard. Unfortunately, he shot and killed the woman who called for help instead. When brought before a local judge on manslaughter charges, Officer Fagny's only excuse: "Everybody in this village knows I'm a lousy shot!"

THIS COULD'VE BEEN A TOILET AID FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS CROSSING!

The National Endowment of the Arts paid over $6,000 "in the name of art" to have skydivers jump from above El Paso, Texas, to unroll crepe-paper. While free-falling, those hired divers unfurled four one-mile long rolls. (This grant also included enough money to clean up the ground mess, which covered a very large area.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1694)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Thursday, May 17, 2007 - Illness

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Friday, May 18, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1695)

AN AL QAEDA BEGINNERS' KIT?

A "toy" sold in the Philippines encourages kids to "Become a Terrorist." What looks like a standard airmail envelope, also contains a small explosive. All the child need do is write a name on the front, slap the envelope hard, then hand it to the recipient. It will then "explode" in seven seconds.

"WE THE SENATE, BY THE SENATE, FOR THE SENATE"

Back in the 1970s, the United States Senate had a building built. Originally budgeted to cost a measly $47 million, the structure, consisting of a rooftop restaurant and three gymnasiums, was completed for more than three times that amount, closer to $150 million.

NOW, THIS IS A PRETTY HAIRY WAY TO GO

In January 1992, Claude Jules, 55, a store manager in Abbeville, France, purchased an $1,100 toupee. He was so proud of his new purchase, once inside his small roadster, he applied the proper glue and positioned the hair piece on his scalp...... just before lighting a cigarette. The fumes from the glue instantly ignited, burning Mr. Jules to death, headfirst.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1695)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Saturday, May 19, 2007 - Illness

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Sunday, May 20, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1696)

AN INSANITY PLEA HERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM

The Dallas Morning News reported on September 25, 2006, police determined Tinnany Hall, 24, killed pregnant Jimella Tunstall, 23, and cut an unborn fetus from her womb. With that accomplished, Hall then drowned Ms. Tunstall's three children, ages 7, 2 and 1. Their bodies were found inside washers and dryers at the apartment complex where Ms. Tunstall lived.

WITH NO CABLE TV, THEY NEEDED SOME ENTERTAINMENT

On October 13, 1792, the cornerstone for the White House in Washington, D.C., was put in place and work began. Unfortunately for the masons and slaves who did the labor, their housing consisted of nothing but on-site shanties, which did little to keep out the cold nights of winter, leaving the entire group miserable most of the time. However, morale was lifted somewhat after a brothel was also constructed on-site.

WHERE HE DISCOVERED THE PLANE HAD MORE TOILETS THAN CUBA

Gerald Steinfdam, 24, of Miami, Florida, considered himself a mighty lucky man to have missed his Eastern Airlines' 401 (New York-Miami) flight on December 29, 1972. While approaching Miami International Airport, the plane crashed, killing 103 passengers. This caused Steinfdam to swear never to catch any flight numbered 401. And he didn't.... not for 8 years. In that year, 1980, the flight 401 he boarded was skyjacked to Cuba.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1696)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Monday, May 21, 2007 - Illness

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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1697)

DALLAS' FINEST FORGOT TO ENGAGE THE CAR'S EQUIPMENT

In September of 2006, The Dallas Morning News reported Dallas Police were looking for one of their special "bait" cars, which was equipped with cameras, tracking capacities and a remote engine-kill system, all designed to catch car thieves trying to steal it; yet, none of these special features were turned on when the vehicle was stolen. While asking for the public's help in locating the stolen car, authorities refused to give a description, saying when the vehicle was recovered, it could still be used as bait.

HER MOTHER GAVE HER LIFE, TWICE

When Illinois resident Carol Rogman had an auto accident in October of 1966, it caused brain bruising and she lapsed into a coma. This left one arm curled up over her chest area and both legs turned grotesquely under her body. As time went by, and Ms. Rogman's body weight dropped from 138 to 65 pounds, doctors considered "pulling the plug," but were forbidden to do so by her mother. Good thing, too. Four months later Carol awoke, and within a year returned to normal life, eventually marrying and having several children.

THE HUMAN SPECIES AT ITS EVOLUTIONARY LOWEST POINT

From wire services, The Dallas Morning News reported in September of 2006, 14 men had been charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with raping an 11-year-old girl. Documents stated the child had been coached from the sidelines by a 16-year-old girl, and she may have had sex with as many as 20 adult males.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1697)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1698)

THIS CAR SALESMAN CUT MORE THAN PRICES

In September of 2006, a Tyler, Texas, used car salesman, 73-year-old Robert Parker, ended an argument with customer Gerald Davis, 53, by pulling out a machete and whacking Mr. Davis' arm. After arresting this slicing salesman, Tyler police said they were not able to determine exactly what had caused Mr. Parker to attack his customer.

THIS PICNIC ENDED UP WITH A NEW MEAT ON THE MENU

Doing his good deed in October 1987, at a picnic on the banks of the Zambezi River, in the Caprivi Strip between Botswana and Zambia, postmaster Kobus Slabbert warned young children to stay away from the river because of an unusually large number of crocodiles present that day. As Slabbert spoke, he stepped slightly into the water, where he was immediately drug away by one of the same species he had just mentioned.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK...... IN THE BEDROOM?

Apparently to keep up a strong "front," in 1999, the U.S. Pentagon spent $50 million providing Viagra for American troops and retirees???

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1698)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Thursday, May 24, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1699)

THREE MORE FUN FACTS

(1) The smallest horse in the world is Argentina's falabella. When fully grown, this little pony only reaches around 30 inches (76.2 cm) in height. (2) If you weigh 120 pounds on earth, you'd weigh only about 20 pounds on the moon. (3) Springtime gets shorter over a thousand years by about two-thirds of a day.

BUT HIS CORPSE'S CHOLESTEROL WAS PROBABLY LOW?

South African Victor Villenti had been a total vegetarian most of his 50 years of life, forbidding any meat even near his table. In 1991 Mr. Villenti was jogging down a sidewalk, when an 8-pound frozen leg of lamb fell from the window of a third-story apartment, hitting him in the head, dead.

THIS IS A PPP (PRETTY POORLY PLANNED) PLAN

Benbecula Airport in Western Scotland had only one air traffic controller on duty in its tower one day in June 1999. And, under international air traffic rules, no controller is allowed to work more than two hours without a half-hour lunch break. Which means, for that one-half-hour, planes approaching the airport could do nothing but circle..... circle..... circle......

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1699)

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Friday, May 25, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1700)

DON'T GUESS HE ORDERED FRIES WITH THOSE?

French train conductor Marc Quinquandon, 27, had a hobby of winning snail eating contests. One of his old records, which may still stand, was shelling and swallowing 144 of these slimy morsels in exactly 11 minutes and 30 seconds. But in November 1979, at a snail dinner in his home village near Nancy, Mr. Quinquandon swallowed 72 snails in 30 seconds, became ill and died. The last words of this huge man were, "I'm not in shape."

AND, SOMEBODY, SOMEDAY, WILL SURPASS WAL-MART

Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852-1919) became the richest retail merchant in the world at the turn of the 20th century with his chain of retail "5 and 10 Cent Stores." He cut overhead by hiring low-skilled employees, letting customers pick their own purchases, before taking them to be checked-out. Sam Walton, applying basically the same principals half a century later (1962), created Wal-mart, making him the world's wealthiest retailer before his death in 1992.

THEY FORGOT TO PAY GOD A STORAGE FEE OF NO SINS

On the Isle of Rhodes, Greece, in 1856, the Ottoman Turks were using a church for their ammunition depot when lightning struck during a storm, causing the building to explode. The final body count reached almost 4,000, with an undetermined large number of injured and crippled.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1700)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Saturday, May 26, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1701)

ONE WORKED HARD FOR THE MONEY, THE OTHER GOT RICHER

Pop singer Donna Summer was checking her makeup in a fancy hotel's ladies room, when she looked around and thought what a hard job the washroom attendant had cleaning the place. This impressed her so much, she immediately sat in a stall and wrote the words for the smash hit song "She Works Hard for the Money."

THESE FOLKS GOT "CANNED" BY A MACHINE FULL OF CANS

In the United States in 1980, at least 15 people were killed and 39 injured by soft drink vending machines falling on them. These accidents all occurred while the individuals were trying to either get free drinks or force the machines to release paid for drinks.

THIS HAS TO BE AT LEAST MISDEMEANOR CHILD ABUSE

In the summer of 2006, at a Los Angeles art exhibit, photographer Jill Greenberg displayed photos of about two dozen children between the ages of two and three, all crying profusely. Why were all those little ones crying? Just before she snapped their photos, Greenberg let each child lick a lollipop, then threw it away.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1701)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Sunday, May 27, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1702)

BIG, BUT NOT THAT BIG

Even though it is over 2,300 miles long, and reaches a depth of 200 feet in New Orleans, the Mississippi River is much smaller than the Amazon. In fact, the Amazon has 10 tributaries flowing into it at least as large as the Mississippi.

A CACTUS THAT GOT EVEN

In January of 1982, David M. Grundman of Phoenix, Arizona, walked into the desert to take target practice at his favorite target, a 23-foot pitchfork-shaped Saguaro Cactus, which was both an endangered species and the state plant of Arizona. His continual abuse had weakened the giant plant's base and that day Mr. Grundman's shooting caused it to fall forward, spearing him to death.

COUPLES BURNING WITH MORE THAN LOVE IN THEIR HEARTS

The very popular Boston, Massachusetts, nightclub, the Coconut Grove, was filled by almost 1,000 revelers, nearly twice the building's maximum capacity, on the night of November 28, 1942. That night a 16-year old busboy, Stanley Tomaszewski, struck a match to replace a light bulb and accidentally set fire to an artificial palm tree. The fire that followed caused 492 people to die.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1702)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Monday, May 28, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1703)

A "RECOUNT" HERE CAUSES ADDITIONAL SCRATCHING

During the Middle Ages, the Swedish town of Hurdenburg had a very unusual way of electing its mayors. All candidates would sit around a table, then extend their heads forward, just enough to let their beards barely touch the surface. Next, a single body louse was released in the center of that table, and the beard it voted to climb upon automatically made the person attached the winner.

SHE WAS THEN SLIM, TRIM and UNEMPLOYED

In 1951 Cincinnati, Ohio, fat lady 49-year-old "Mrs. Geyer" had a heart attack and was forced to go on an 800-calorie-a-day diet. Many months on this diet allowed her not only to go from 553 pounds down to 152, but also reduced her measurements from 79-84-84 to 34-28-36.

THREE QUOTES FROM THREE FAMOUS WOMEN

(1) Gloria Steinem on why she never married: "I can't mate in captivity." (2) Dolly Parton: "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." (3) Dorothy Parker: "I require three things in a man. He must be handsome, ruthless and stupid."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1703)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1704)

THE GODFATHER OF SOUL "COOLING HIS HEELS"

In Augusta, Georgia, in 1988, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, became upset because someone had used the toilet in his trailer. He pulled a shotgun at a seminar, threatening a group of people, then jumped into his truck and a high-speed police chase followed. The chase lasted through two states and ended after his vehicle was riddled with bullet holes. He later served two-and-a-half years in prison. Mr. Brown died December 25, 2006, at age 73.

HER HEAD WOULD JOIN HIS A FEW HOURS LATER

The day 17-year-old Lady Jane Grey and her husband, Lord Guilford Dudley, were to be executed in 1554, she refused to see and tell her husband good-bye, unable to stand the agony of a final embrace. Yet she did watch from her tower window while his headless body was hauled away.

THEN, WHAT'D IT MEAN IF MEN BEGAN BUYING SMALL CUCUMBERS???

In May of 1999, according to Reuters news service, researchers using Tesco stores, England's largest grocery chain, as their testing sights, found women shoppers had reversed their earlier preferences for large melons, to buying smaller ones. Why? Trendy Fashion models were appearing more slim, with smaller breasts, and, at least subconsciously, women compared their own breasts to the melons they bought. (Worked, too. After ordering smaller melons, Tesco reported sales of same increased greatly.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1704)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1705)

BET ABE DIDN'T HAVE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE, EITHER

At the time of President Abraham Lincoln's death in 1865, the White House had basically no security in place. In fact, just after his assassination, and while Mary Lincoln remained in her room in mourning for five days, thieves ransacked the building, stealing whatever they wished.

AFTER THAT NOBODY GAVE HIM HANDKERCHIEFS FOR CHRISTMAS

Czechoslovakian composer Josef Myslivecek (1737- 1781) suffered from a venereal disease, threatening his very existence. Desperate for a cure, or any relief for that matter, he allowed himself to be treated by a quack physician, who got Myslivecek to agree to the amputation of his nose. (Source: The People's Almanac #2.)

REMINDS ONE OF THAT OLD SONG RICOCHET ROMANCE

Thirty-three-year-old Edward Hand couldn't stand for his lover, Kathy Gauley, to be with her husband, and planned to commit suicide in front of them both. They met, to talk things over at the Twilight Zone bar outside Tampa, Florida, on September 23, 1994. Later, they ended up at Hand's trailer in Bartow to continue "talking". That is where Hand decided to fire a revolver into his chin. The bullet ricocheted off his teeth, exited through the right cheek, killing the husband instead.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1705)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Thursday, May 31, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1706)

SOUNDS LIKE THEY WERE SMOKING SOMETHING ELSE

"If excessive smoking actually plays a role in the production of lung cancer, it seems to be a small one." A statement from the National Cancer Institute in 1954.

COPY CAT! COPY CAT! MEOW MEOW

Bingo-caller Michael Cave, 65, of Reading, England, literally worshiped television comedian Tommy Cooper, whom he and thousands of viewers watched fall dead on live TV from a heart attack, in June of 1992. Seeing this, Cooper commented to his wife, "That's exactly the way I want to go!" And, a few nights later, doing his bingo routine at a local club, he announced, "Number eight, Pearly Gates" and collapsed, dead on the floor.

HE GOT WIND OF THE WIND BUT WAFFLED

On the morning of September 12, 1938, a local in Westhampton Beach, New York, received a barometer he had ordered in the mail and took it home to unwrap. At home, he discovered the barometer needle was stuck in a low position, under the warning "hurricane" and decided to return it. But, before the day was out, and before he could return to the post office, the strongest storm in New England's history blew his house away.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1706)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Friday, June 1, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1707)

THREE RULES OF ETIQUETTE IN MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES

(1) In Iran, never blow your nose in public. (2) In Turkey, when talking with the elderly, never raise your voice. (3) In any Arab speaking country, and many countries in other parts of the world, never sit with the bottom of your foot exposed to anyone.

YOU GOTTA LOVE THIS GUY'S ATTITUDE

The Spanish author of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), had his left hand blown off in the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. He later stated he felt his left hand had been sacrificed "to the greater glory of his right."

BUT WHAT IF THE HUSBAND MUST WAIT UNTIL COMPANY LEAVES?

During her reign (1558-1603) England's Queen Elizabeth I stood up for her fellow women by outlawing wife beating after 10 p.m. (We don't make these up, folks!)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1707)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Saturday, June 02, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1708)

THE GRIM REAPER WAITED ON THE ROAD

Charles Millbank, 25, crashed his car into a high-power electrical pole in January 1993 outside Brentonwood, England, where it then rolled down an embankment into a creek. As the uninjured Millbank crawled back up to the road, his hand grabbed one of the fallen power lines and he was immediately electrocuted.

UNFORTUNATELY, IN POLITICS, ALL MONEY IS GREEN

Los Angeles businessman Michael Kojima contributed $500,000 to the Republican Party at a fundraiser on April 28, 1992, to then-President George Bush's "Family Values" campaign, making him the top contributor to that night's $9 million collection event. This earned him a seat at the President's table. This also caused authorities to recognize him as "America's Most Wanted Deadbeat Dad." (A fugitive warrant showed he owed over $200,000 in child support to two of his five ex-wives.)

THEY LOST THEIR HOME, OCCUPATION AND FREEDOM

Firemen in Portland, Oregon, were surprised in July of 2006, when residents of a house on fire told them to go away. Fire investigators later found remains of a marijuana "farm" in the basement, and all three occupants were arrested.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1708)

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Sunday, June 03, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1709)

WONDER IF HE GOT "STIFFED" FOR THE BURIAL FEES?

Two undertakers got into an argument in Paraiba, northern Brazil, in July of 1992, over who had the right to bury one of the town's inhabitants. After several angry encounters, both men pulled guns and both died. This caused an undertaker from a nearby town to be called, who buried all three corpses.

HOW SHE GOT HER NAME

Caryn Elaine Johnson wanted a really unique name when she began her acting career in the early 1980s. So, having had a problem with flatulence most all her life, Ms. Johnson selected the stage name "Whoopi" Goldberg.

NEVER WASTE TIME, NO MATTER WHAT

English poet and scholar John Milton (1608-1674) spent seven years in residency at Cambridge before he went totally blind. Yet, wasting no time as he gradually lost his sight, Milton wrote Paradise Lost.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1709)

Top Jan 2007 Feb 2007 Mar 2007 Apr 2007 May 2007 Jun 2007 Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Bottom

Monday, June 04, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1710)

ODDS OF THIS HAPPENING MUST BE AT LEAST A BILLION-TO-ONE

On a bus ride along San Diego Freeway in May of 1992, four-year-old Ramon Prado was asleep in his mother's lap, when one of the bus's rear tires blew out. The explosion sent the tire's steel cables flying, knocking a three-foot hole through the vehicles floor, killing little Ramon instantly. No one else, not even the child's mother, was injured in any way.

WHAT A "CRAPPY" THING TO HAPPEN

A Borders Book Store in Chicago was sued, in July of 2006, by Linda Mason, over a cracked toilet seat in that store's ladies room. Mason testified she placed her bare backside on the faulty seat and the ensuing "pinch" caused her to fall to the floor. Next, she claimed the impact made neurosurgical operations necessary to repair her multiple spine injuries.

THIS POOR GUY GOT INTO A REALLY "WOOLY" SITUATION

After paying a $200 fine for a traffic violation, twenty-two-year-old Cody Johnson of Bozeman, Montana, thought that was the end of it. But a computer foul-up listed him as a convicted deviated sexual pervert. Next, the High Country Independent printed the error, causing his parents, wife and sister to accuse him of being in denial, and demanded he get professional help. The beleaguered Mr. Johnson filed a libel suit against the paper, saying he'd heard "all the sheep jokes I can stand!"

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1710)

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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1711)

A BIRTH BY FIRE

South Africa's nation flower, Protea repens, commonly called the sugarbush, relies on forest fires for its very existence. When the seeds are fertilized, they enclose themselves in a tough fireproof covering, then lie dormant until exposed to intense heat. Later, after the fire passes, the seeds begin their cycle of life.

THIS MAIL WAS ALL "SPECIAL DELIVERY" FOR THE POSTMAN

Police in Dallas, Texas, pulled over speeder Salvador Gonzalez, 33, on August 4, 2006, still wearing his U.S. postal uniform. Inside the blue 2003 Chevy Silverado pickup, the officer was surprised, indeed, to see not only the interior seat and floor stacked with hundreds of opened letters and packages, but also a supply of cocaine. After Gonzalez's arrest, Chief Deputy John L. Garrett said they recovered "eight or nine credit cards with different names," adding, "He had tons of mail, like old Christmas cards, all kinds of mail he had opened up."

HOW'D THEY GET THE FISH AND RATS TO SIT ON BAR STOOLS?

In the early 1970s, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism received a $192,000 grant from the U.S. Government to research two projects: (1) Can rats be made alcoholics and, if so, do young rats drink more to relieve anxiety than adult ones? (2) Are drunk fish more aggressive than sober ones?

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1711)

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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1712)

AN EVOLUTIONARY BOO-BOO

When American goldfinch chicks hatch, their survival rate is increased greatly if no heavy rains occur during the first couple of weeks. That's because when their parents "set up house," they build the nest so tightly it can actually hold water, easily drowning the little birds.

OH, BABY, BABY, YUMMY, YUMMY!

When Gerber Baby Food decided to introduce their small jars of fruits and vegetables into Africa, they failed to consider the low literacy rate, which causes consumers to often purchase products according to the pictures on the label. Obviously, the idea of eating strained baby meat was a real turnoff.

LET'S HOPE SHE AT LEAST ENJOYED THE BREEZE

Hector Penna worked four years at his home lab in San Julian, Argentina, developing, then perfecting, a huge-bladed industrial fan. Checking on her husband in his lab late one evening, Mrs. Penna flicked a light switch, not knowing it also turned on the large motor propelling her husband's project. He was decapitated instantly.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1712)

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Thursday, June 07, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1713)

APPARENTLY, BEING SAD MADE HIM GLAD TO BELIEVE?

Founder of the Franciscan order, St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), fell severely ill for several months around the age of twenty-five. Later he recovered, but with extreme, lingering depression. After that, when he dawned rags and moved into the streets, his family and neighbors became so ashamed and afraid, they stoned him from their town. Despite all this, going forward with his magnified beliefs, St. Francis was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1228.

THIS MUSIC DANCES WITH YOUR MONEY

Does the background music you hear while shopping at a large grocery chain add pleasure to your shopping experience? Hope so, it's expensive music. If the tempo of 110 beats per minute is slowed to around 60, the average shopper will slow the speed of their shopping cart, while increasing their purchase needs by up to 35%.

HECK, CUMBERLAND DIDN'T HEED THE FINAL TWO-MINUTE WARNING

The most lopsided game in college football history was played on October 7, 1916. On that day in Atlanta, Georgia Tech beat Cumberland University 222-0.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1713)

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Friday, June 08, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1714)

APPARENTLY, THIS BRIDE NEEDED A REALLY, REALLY THICK VEIL?

In July of 2006, a Hindu family living in Springfield, Massachusetts, prearranged a marriage between their son and the daughter of another Hindu family, sight unseen. That all changed, however, according to the Springfield Republican, as the wedding date neared, and the groom's parents finally met the bride-to-be. That's when they added up what they'd already spent in preparations for the upcoming blessed event, then sued because the bride was ugly way beyond their minimal expectations.

HIS BOSS MUST'VE THOUGHT "THAT'S WHAT 9-1-1 WAS FOR??"

Esquire magazine reported in January 1995, a 31-one-year-old bus driver, Michael Durant, was docked an entire day's pay for being 12-minutes late to work. His only excuse was, he'd stopped on the highway long enough to pull a man from his wrecked and burning car, saving his life.

LET'S HOPE HE WAS A GREAT CONVERSATIONALIST

Piero the Gouty (1416-1469), ascended to the leadership of Florence upon the death of his father, Cosimo de' Medici, in 1464. He obtained the title "Gouty" during his last years, as gout (a hereditary ailment of the Medici) crippled his entire body to the point that he was often able to use only his tongue.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1714)

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Saturday, June 09, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1715)

HERE'S SOME ADVICE YOUR DOCTOR WON'T GIVE

While fighting World War I, still in his 20s, Henry Govier of Aversham, England, was exposed to toxic gas and sent home to slowly die. It certainly was slow. In 1992, at his 102nd birthday party, Mr. Govier recommended, "For a strong heart, I take dark chocolate and a good whiskey."

THREE QUOTES FROM HUMORIST MARK TWAIN

(1) "I find that the further I go back, the better things were, whether they happened or not." (2) "Golf is a good walk spoiled." (3) "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man."

GOOD THING GENIUS CAN BE ITS OWN REWARD

When the people of Vienna, Austria, finally got around to erecting a memorial to the great composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the finished product cost more than all the money Schubert actually earned from his life's work.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1715)

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Sunday, June 10, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1716)

MAKES ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SOUND LIKE A WIMP

While World War I produced many acts of high valor, perhaps the most outstanding soldier of them all was Sergeant Alvin C. York. In the Argonne Forest in France, on October 8, 1918, York almost single-handedly killed 25 German soldiers and captured 132.

SOUNDS LIKE EVERYBODY THERE SHARES THE SAME HOBBIES?

Even though Arizona Republican Senator Barry Goldwater was defeated by a landslide in his 1964 bid for U.S. president, many of his views concerning politics are still quoted today. A prime example: "If they chased every man or woman out of this town who had shacked up with somebody else or got drunk, there wouldn't be any government left in Washington."

A LARGE DISPLAY OF ROASTED HUMAN FLESH

An extremely strong earthquake hit Yokohama, Japan, on September 1, 1923. Fear of another quake, and large secondary shock waves, sent 40,000 residents to a flat, open area near the Sumida River. But small fires started by the quake soon grew, then moved out and over the homeless group, burning an estimated 38,000 to death.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1716)

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Monday, June 11, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1717)

THIS MAN CAME TO PLAY BASEBALL

New York Yankees' pitcher Don Larsen set a record during the 1956 World Series that still stands today. On October 8th, during game 5 against the Brooklyn Dodgers, he threw a perfect game, as well as a no-hitter, for a win of 2-0.

OTHERWISE, REVERSED LOGIC

U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes (1862-1948) was one of the most respected, yet controversial judges to ever hold that office. In fact, some of his sage observations were very unsettling to many. One from his many examples: "At the constitutional level we work 90 percent of any decision with emotion. The rational part of us supplies the reasons for supporting our predilections."

YOU KNOW CAT-IN-A-HAT, BUT CAT IN A GROCERY STORE?

Gresham, Oregon, resident Janet Smith, 28, must have been having a really bad day on August 21, 1994. That's the day she selected to visit her neighborhood grocer, taking along her Siamese cat. Entering the store, she selected a place on the floor in the produce section, sat down, placed the sharp edge of a knife near feline's throat, then threatened to kill it. When police arrived, Ms. Smith raised her knife and charged, forcing an officer to shoot her dead. (The cat escaped during the fray and was never found.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1717)

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Tuesday, June 12, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1718)

TURNED HIS HOME INTO A SINGLE STORY WITH A HIGH CEILING

After the daughter of Mirza Ghulan Mohammad, Naseema, died in May of 1992 from a brain hemorrhage, hundreds of family and friends attended the Muslim funeral at his home in Srinagar, Kashmir. But, during the ceremony, the weight of two hundred women sitting upstairs (Moslem edict: apart from their husbands) made the entire floor collapse, sending them all below, where they crashed on top of another one hundred segregated women, killing 81 outright, injuring over 100.

HE MUST'VE HAD A FEAR OF "COW-LICKS"

Calvin Coolidge, thirtieth President of the U.S. (1923-29), enjoyed eating a hearty breakfast in bed, while ........... having Vaseline rubbed into his hair and scalp.

MUCH MORE THAN JUST A RAINY AFTERNOON

Of all recorded history, perhaps the largest number of human deaths from drowning occurred during one event, on November 13, 1970. That's when the Bhola cyclone struck East Pakistan, with sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), churning the seas 15-feet above normal, reaching a strength equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. This in turn washed away well over one-million acres of rice patties, and took the lives of over 500,000 people. (The multitudes who starved later were uncountable.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1718)

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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1719)

A PERVERT PROTECTING HIS POSTERIOR

Leon Howard Matter sent an "anthrax" scare letter containing harmless powder to a local office of the FBI in Sandusky, Ohio, in August of 2006 and was arrested. He told agents he faced up coming child pornography charges, and would rather be in prison on other charges, so he wouldn't get beaten up and raped so much.

HE WAS JUST TOO GOOD FOR HIS OWN GOOD

Yugoslavian Dragutin Ilic hunted often in the deep woods near his home and had little trouble killing and processing enough animal meat to keep his family well fed. Also making his hunting much easier was his unique rutting stag imitation which, unfortunately, sounded so much like the real thing, in October of 1978 it caused another hunter to shoot him dead.

LADY MACBETH'S "OUT, OUT DAMNED SPOT" NOT FROM A CIGARETTE

In today's world it is not uncommon for stores, restaurants and theaters to forbid smoking. But even William Shakespeare must've had an aversion for "lighting up." Not a single character in any of his plays smoked.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1719)

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Thursday, June 14, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1720)

SUSPECTS DESCRIPTION: A LITTLE HEFTY AROUND THE REAR

Five illegal aliens attempting to enter the United States from Mexico in October 2006, through a cement tunnel in a storm drain, became trapped when the 200-pound man leading the group became stuck, U.S. and Mexican authorities said. With much effort, firefighters using jackhammers freed the stuck man at the hips, then all five were arrested.

PERHAPS THE TERM "BLOOD MONEY" STARTED HERE?

After climbing to the scaffold for his execution, England's King Charles I (1600-1649) requested a higher chopping block to make his a cleaner beheading. But told no other was obtainable on such short notice, Charles secured his long hair beneath his white cap, then placed his exposed neck upon the block. Once the king was dead, the soldiers attending made a tidy profit selling locks of hair from the removed head and, for an additional small fee, gawkers were allowed to dip their handkerchiefs and sleeves into the puddles of blood.

POOR THINGS PROBABLY CRIED ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

As customary, President Bill Clinton closed down all nonessential government offices in 1994 upon the death of former President Richard M. Nixon, costing over $400 million. Of that amount, $23 million was paid essential employees (time-and-a-half) to struggle on.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1720)

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Friday, June 15, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1721)

WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO WHEN A GIRL SAYS "NO!"? NOT THIS

The Associated Press reported from Atlanta, Georgia, that 16-year-old "lovesick" Louise Egan Brunstad had been charged with murder. That is after she crashed her Mercedes-Benz on October 4, 2006, head-on into a small car driven by Nancy Salado-Mayo, a mother of three, killing her. Ms. Brunstad, who only suffered an ankle injury, admitted to police she was trying to commit suicide, after another female student at Holy Innocents Episcopal School refused to have sex with her.

HE SUFFERS A DETACHMENT FROM REALITY

Edwin T. McBirney III, 54, after his conviction in 1990 for embezzling 7.5 million dollars from Sunbelt Savings Association, promised Judge Sidney Fitzwater that he would repay every cent. But, in October of 2006, 16 years later, Mr. McBirney was given 8-year in prison, because, out of all of the money he had stolen, he had repaid only $29,000.....while at the same time, for all those 16 years, he continued to enjoy chauffeured limousines, fancy restaurants, a half-million dollar Dallas home, a condo on South Padre Island and other luxuries.

BIBLICAL TRIVIA

Besides Mary, who is the most mentioned woman in the King James Version of the Holy Bible? That would be Esther. Her name appears 53 times. (FYI: Mary's name appears 54 times.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1721)

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Saturday, June 16, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1722)

THIS WATCHDOG ON CRIME NEEDED A WATCHDOG AT HOME

In August of 2006, Daytona Beach, Florida, Police Chief Michael J. Chitwood spoke before a group of local homeowners on ways to keep their homes from being burglarized. Later that night, after Chief Chitwood finished his presentation, he drove home to find his home had been burglarized.

JUST IN CASE YOU EVER WONDERED

(1) Of all the carnivora (i.e. flesh-eating animals) on earth the largest is the Southern elephant seal. It can easily weigh over 7,500 pounds and grow to over 20-feet long. (2) Insectivorous refers to meat eating plants such as the Pitcher plant and Venus flytrap. (3) The average French citizen eats about 500 snails each year.

WONDER WHAT HIS DRUG HISTORY LOOKED LIKE?

Cheshire, England, furnaceman Matt Brooks thought he was 63-years-old when he applied for retirement in 1981. But, surprisingly, his birth year was not 1918, but 1902, making him 79.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1722)

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Sunday, June 17, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1723)

WHAT? NO DOGGIE SQUARE-DANCING?

At White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas, on October 15, 2006, the Mystic Mutts and Moonpies Festival was held. The activities included doggie yoga, paw and tarot card readings, and sessions with a "pet communicator." (Did they have fun? You ain't just a woofing!)

IS IT EVER POSSIBLE TO BELIEVE IN GOD, AND TAKE A LIFE?

When a snake was discovered under a Peepul tree in Hapur, near Delhi, India, in February of 1992, it was taken as a divine act by local Hindus, and immediate plans were made to erect a temple on the site. Noticing this commotion, a group of Muslims in the area objected, a street battle ensued and a total of eight died.

3 HUMOROUS QUOTES FROM WRITER STEVEN WRIGHT

(1) "I hate it when my foot falls asleep during the day because that means it's going to be up all night." (2) "Last year I went fishing with Salvador Dali. He was using a dotted line. He caught every other fish." (3) "I just bought a microwave fireplace. You can spend an evening in front of it in only eight minutes."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1723)

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Monday, June 18, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1724)

OR, THEY COULD ISSUE THE LITTLE ONES ASSAULT RIFLES

The Associated Press reported, in October of 2006, that schools in Burleson, Texas, were no longer teaching students to be passive, should gunman ever invade their classroom. Instead, the children should "rush them and hit them with everything they have, such as books, pencils, legs and hands." Robin Browne, a major in the British Army reserve hired to instruct the children, explained, "Getting under desks and praying for rescue from professionals is not a recipe for success."

BAMBI NEEDS TO USE THE CROSSWALKS

No matter how many hunters go hunting each year, no matter how well camouflaged their hunting perch, no matter how well scoped their rifles, drivers of automobiles always kill more deer each year than hunters.

WHERE ARE 1500 LIVES LESS IMPORTANT THAN 200? IN CHICAGO

On October 8, 1871, a firestorm flashed through the drought-stricken forest town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, burning 1,300 residents to death. Still raging through the dry timber, it then took another 200 lives, making it the worst fire in U.S. history. Yet, that blaze goes mostly unmentioned in records because.....also on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire occurred.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1724)

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1725)

ONE CAN ONLY ASK "WHY?"

On October 16, 1991, George Hennard crashed his pickup truck through the front wall of a Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, pulled out his gun, then shot 23 people dead, before shooting himself.

NOW, IF HE CAN FIND A WAY FOR THE FEATHERS TO FALL OFF...

Brett Holm of Chaska, Minnesota, has invented Season Shot, the ultimate shotgun shell, he says. According to him, the ammunition's pellets dissolve once they enter a bird's body, automatically flavoring it with cooking spices. Mr. Holm told the Chanhassen Village newspaper in August of 2006, his bird-shot contained lemon pepper, mesquite, Mexican, and Creole flavors.

SO, LET'S ALL HOPE HIS CELLMATE IS A REAL CUTIE

Salvatore Romano, 65, of Agrigento, Italy, was so ashamed of his daughter's fiancé's ugly face it became an obsession. Such an obsession, on an evening in March 1993, just as Calogero Lumia, 30, the soon to be son-in-law entered the house, Romano shot him dead. Later Romano told police, "If he'd married my daughter, I'd had to look at him for the rest of my life!"

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1725)

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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1726)

COBBLERS STICKING TO THEIR LASTS......AND LAST DOLLARS

Trade unions go back in U.S. history almost to the very beginning of the colonies. In 1648, Boston Shoemakers were authorized to gather in order to protect their mutual interests, making that group the first American labor organization on record.

THE CHESHIRE CAT'S NEW SMILE

In August of 2006, dentist David Steele of Alexandria, Indiana, showed his proudest dental procedure to several local reporters, two bright gold crowns installed inside the mouth of his 1-year-old Persian cat, Sebastian.

PHONE HISTORY FACTS

The first real "long distance telephone lines" were completed between New York and Chicago on October 18, 1892. But even after all that expense and over 700 miles of wire, only one conversation at a time was possible. (FYI: The price was $9 for the first five minutes.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1726)

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Thursday, June 21, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1727)

THIS ADDICT IS A WEE-BIT ADDICTED

In September 2006, Vista, California, sheriff's deputies arrested a methamphetamine user and confiscated what the suspect himself admitted was several jars of his own urine. He also admitted getting maximum results from his drugs by recycling. (Bet it "yellowed" his winning smile, too.)

"TRY BLOWING BUBBLES OUT THESE HOLES, BOZO"

The Daily Herald in Columbus, Tennessee, printed a news brief, in October 2006, detailing the arrest of a 14-year-old juvenile being charged with murder. The boy had taken a kitchen knife and stabbed his twin brother to death, during an argument over a single piece of bubble gum.

THE "I" IN THE EYE IS FICKLE

Has been said love and hate are no more than opposite sides of the same coin. And the human body, at least in some instances, does seem to react similarly to either. The eye, for instance, dilates while looking for someone loved, just as much as it dilates when looking for someone hated.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1727)

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Friday, June 22, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1728)

THE LARGEST SINGLE LAND PURCHASE IN U.S. HISTORY

In October of 1803, the U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase, allowing Thomas Jefferson to buy from the French (i.e., Napoleon) all the territory it controlled west of the Mississippi River. This huge land transaction encompassed at least 500,000,000 acres and totaled $15,000,000, making each acre cost about three cents.

WELL, WHAT A REALISTIC ATTITUDE!

Comedian George Carlin gives his version of a famous quote: "Some people see things that are and ask, why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that."

BUT DID HE STILL HAVE A SMILE ON HIS FACE?

Unable to find a female companion, a despondent Salvatore Ancoretti, 48, sat high above a private beach on a cliff in Naples in 1884, comforting his loneliness by staring down below upon a nude beach crowded with young women. Unfortunately, a rock beneath Ancoretti's feet gave way, causing him to fall over 100 feet to his death, binoculars still around his broken neck.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1728)

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Saturday, June 23, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1729)

YEAH, THEY COULD HAVE BAT-A-BULLET CONTESTS

In October of 2006, the Republican nominee for Oklahoma's state school superintendent, Bill Crozier, suggested making text book covers out of Kevlar (the material used to make military body armor). That way, said Mr. Crozier, during school shootings students could use their books to deflect bullets.

PROBABLY ONLY WORKS IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO CATS?

In Mona Radford's book, Encyclopedia of Superstitions, she describes an ancient, surefire cure-all method for treating basically any severe illness: "To cure illness, wash the patient and throw the bath water on the cat. Then drive the cat outside, and it will take the illness with it."

TOO BAD HE DIDN'T BECOME A HABITUAL STUDENT

On June 18, 1975, twenty-seven-year old Prince Faisal Ibn Musaed of Saudi-Arabia, was beheaded for the murder of his uncle, King Faisal. Prince Faisal, who obtained his education from both the University of Colorado and California-Berkeley, had his head removed at Dira Square in Riyadh, then stuck on top a pole, to the applause of multitudes of Muslims chanting "Allah is great" and "Justice is done."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1729)

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Sunday, June 24, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1730)

BODY-PARTS-R-US OPERATION

The Associated Press reported in October of 2006, Michael Mastromarino of New York City had been arrested for removing skin, bones and other parts from up to 1,000 corpses from funeral homes, then selling the tissue to biomedical companies for millions. Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes told reporters, "It is clear that many more funeral home directors were involved in this enterprise."

THREE ODD FACTS ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON

George Washington (1732-1799), first President of the United States (1789-1797): (1) He was afraid of being buried alive, asking that his body remain above ground at least 3 days after his death. (2) Washington loved to dance. As a teenager, he paid for his own dancing lessons. (3) George owned America's largest whiskey distillery which, at its peak, produced 11,000 gallons of alcohol yearly.

BUT A DOG BY ANY OTHER NAME COULD NOT ACT AS WELL

Marion Morrison (1907-1979), better known in the mid-20th century as rugged cowboy-type movie star John Wayne, once told how he got his nickname "Duke." He was quoted as saying, "I had a dog named Duke. Every fireman in town knew that dog because he chased fire wagons. They knew the dog's name, but not mine, so the next thing I was Duke, too. I was named for a damned dog."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1730)

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Monday, June 25, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1732)

BLINDNESS ALLOWED HIM TO "SEE" A WAY TO HELP MILLIONS

At age three, French educator Louis Braille (1809-1852) was playing with a knife in his father's leather shop, when he stabbed himself in the left eye. Blind in that eye, several days later, due to sympathetic ophthalmia, he lost sight in the other. But twelve years later, not letting his blindness hold him back, Braille adapted a method for the blind to read using raised dots, which was later named after him. In 1826, he became a professor at the French National Institute for Blind Youth, where he remained until his death.

MUST'VE BEEN A VERY QUITE HONEYMOON, INDEED

According to the New York Times Dispatch, in many remote areas of China, if an unmarried male dies, and his family can beg and borrow enough money, they will pay a "dowry" for an unmarried female corpse to be buried with him. And, because of the shortage of Chinese females, due mostly to infant female filicide, the prices of these corpses can leave a family on the verge of starvation.

THREE QUICK QUIPS FROM JAY LENO

(1) "In New York crime is getting worse. I was there the other day and the Statue of Liberty had both her hands up." (2) "The atheists have produced a Christmas play. It's called Coincidence at 34th Street." (3) "The reason there are two senators for each state is so that one can be the designated driver."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1732)

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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1733)

"YUMMY! YUMMY! YUMMY! I GOT DAD IN MY TUMMY?"

An estimated 25,000 homeless children live on the streets of Kinshasa, Kenya, more than half because their parents disowned them, believing they are witches. Quoted in the Los Angeles Times in August of 2006, one ten-year-old told a reporter, "They say I ate my father. But I didn't."

A MAN WHO KEPT HIS PROSPECTIVE IN LIFE

A quote from legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965): "Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar."

SEEMS THE POORER THE PEOPLE THE RICHER THE PRIDE

Yang Baosheng and his wife Ou Junmei, living in Shanxi province in northern China, attended the wedding of a cousin in June of 1991, bringing a gift valued at the equivalent of $3. Unfortunately, another relative brought a gift worth of over twice that value, making the cheaper gift a laughing matter among other family members. This caused Ou to return home and drown herself. And, upon finding her body, Yang Baosheng hanged himself to death.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1733)

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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1734)

PRAISE ALLAH, THEN PASS THE MEAT

The Associated Press from Sydney reported on October 27, 2006, that Australia's most prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Taj Aldin al Hilali, 65, described women who don't wear headscarves as "uncovered meat" who invite rape. As example, he said, quote: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside...and the cat comes to eat it...whose fault is it, the cat's or the uncovered meat's?"

JUST IN CASE SOMEONE WERE TO EVER ASK YOU

The word "ambulance" was invented by Napoleon Bonaparte (un hôpital ambulant, translation: a walking hospital ), consisting of a stretcher stocked with bandages and other first-aid equipment that served as a field hospital.

ALCOHOL MADE HIM TOTALLY ONE-SIDED

Actor James Stacy, nominated in 1977 and 1986 for Emmys, lost both his left arm and left leg when his motorcycle was hit by a drunken driver on September 27, 1973. In 1976, Stacy won a settlement of $1.9 million in a lawsuit against the tavern that served the driver the drinks.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1734)

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Thursday, June 28, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1735)

YES, THIS IS A RATHER CONFUSING SCENARIO

The Dallas Morning News reported on October 28, 2006, that Southlake, Texas resident Linda Lee Chapman, 45, had been accidentally released from jail by Dallas police on a second DUI charge. Next, according to the story, Mrs. Chapman had been speeding to jail to turn herself in on the previous DUI, when she crashed her car into a Dallas police squad car, adding a third DUI to her two previous ones.

VANITY MAY WELL BE THE MOST EXPENSIVE SIN

John Eaton, U.S. politician and composer, resigned as Secretary of War under Andrew Jackson in 1831 because of a scandal concerning his second wife, Peggy. He then served as U.S. Minister to Spain from 1836 to 1840. Eaton died in 1856, leaving Peggy, now in her late 50s, to marry an Italian dance instructor in his 20's, only to watch him run away with her granddaughter and most of the family's money.

A BAD ATTITUDE, DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

The New York Times printed an article in 1995 from their correspondent in China explaining the government there was beginning a national politeness campaign by banning 50 commonly used phrases from retail stores. Here are a few examples: "Don't stand in the way", "Hurry up and pay", "If you are not buying, what are you looking at?", "Buy if you can afford it, or get out of here", "Why don't you have your money ready?" and, "Stop shouting. Can't you see I'm eating?"

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1735)

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Friday, June 29, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1736)

PERHAPS MANKIND HASN'T EVOLVED ENOUGH TO KNOW GOD, YET?

The King James Bible (1616) came into being because England's King James I wanted an official English translation of the Bible for Protestant Churches. All the material used for the New Testament was translated from the Textus Receptus (Received Text) edition of the Greek texts. The Old Testament was translated from the Masoretic Hebrew text. These text sources already contained 14 centuries of copyists' errors.

YOU CAN BET HE WOULD BET ON ANYTHING

American John Warne (Bet-a-Million) Gates (1855-1911) was known for his very heavy gambling. One day in the summer of 1902, he lost almost $400,000 at New York's Saratoga Race track. On another day he won $20,000 riding a train on a rainy day, betting which raindrop would slide down a window first.

MUST'VE BEEN "SMOKING" HIMSELF TO GET THIS GULLIBLE

The Indiana Bedford Times-Mail tells of a home gardener who raised, and was very proud of, his almost eight-foot marijuana plant. That is, until he received a call one day saying police knew of his illegal gardening, but if he would bring his plant to the station, no charges would be filed. And, this he sadly did, chopped it down, brought it to the cops.................. who were extremely surprised, since they had not made the call.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1736)

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Saturday, June 30, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1737)

THREE BAD TRANSLATIONS INTO ENGLISH

(1) A Vietnamese menu: "Fried milk, children sandwiches, roast cattle and boiled sheep." (2) A Hong Kong dentist: "Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists" (3) Swedish fur shop: "Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin."

EVEN SMOKEY-THE-BEAR MIGHT BE TEMPTED HERE

Tourist Gene Leone, a personal accountant vacationing with his family in Yellowstone National Park, was surprised to see a mother rubbing honey all over her kindergarten-aged child's face. When asked why she did that, she explained, "Because I want to take a picture of a bear licking the honey off of him."

RELIGIOUS TRIVIA: WHEN AND WHERE DID ISLAM BEGIN?

Islam had its beginning when prophet Mohammad (570-632) and his followers migrated from Mecca, in A.D. 622, to Yathrib (Medina), to escape persecution. This event, the Hijra, marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In 630, after eight years of fighting, he led 10,000 followers against Mecca and the city surrendered. Mohammad then became chief and prophet. (Returning to Medina, Muhammad fell ill and died.)

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1737)

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Sunday, July 01, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1738)

EVEN ITS FLEAS WOULD SURELY BE BLESSED

The Hoegh (pronounced "hoig") Pet Casket Company of Gladstone, Michigan, makes a wide variety of burial containers for pets. Some "coffins" are tiny enough for small birds, while the larger ones can contain the remains of a Great Dane. Outside the Hoegh manufacturer building is a pet cemetery, complete with crematorium. Over its doorway a brass sign reflects, "If Christ had a dog, he would have followed Him to the cross."

AFTER THIS, THEY WERE "LOCATED" IN JAIL

The AVweb newsletter reported thieves had broken into an aircraft at the Knox County, Ohio airport and removed its avionics system, including the ELT (Emergency Locating Transmitter), which was activated during its removal. The crooks were then located and arrested extremely easily.

BUT WOULDN'T THAT MAKE CALIFORNIA DIP INTO THE PACIFIC?

In 1964, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater (1909-1998) was defeated in a record landslide running for President of the United States. Here's a word-for-word quote of his, which might help explain his attitude: "Sometimes I think this country could be better off if we would just saw-off the Eastern seashore and let it float off to sea."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1738)

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Monday, July 02, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1739)

PROVING AGAIN: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE CAN BE DANGEROUS

In October of 2006, Britain's public health minister, Caroline Flint, told the media she was being warned by school counselors that some pregnant teenage girls were smoking to lower their developing baby's birth weight, to make delivery less painful.

NOT ALL JUSTICE COMES FROM A JUDGE

Anthony Ray Stockelman was serving a life sentence in a Wabash Valley, Indiana, state prison in the summer of 2006, for killing 10-year-old Katlyn "Katie" Collman, when he was given a new tattoo. It was painfully poked in place on his forehead, over his eyes, against his will, and read: "KATIE'S REVENGE". The tattoo "artist" was little Katie's cousin, Jared Harris, 22, serving time in the same prison for a burglary conviction.

THIS MIGHT'VE RAISED HIS VOICE A FEW OCTAVES, TOO?

Billy Ray Wallace and Thurston Poole were returning to Des Arc, Arkansas, from a frog-gigging trip, when the headlights on their old truck blew a fuse. With no new fuse available, and unable to drive without lights, Billy Ray discovered a cartridge from his .22 cal. rifle was just the right size for replacing the fuse, and away they drove. Until, that is, the fuse got hot enough to fire, sending the driver, Poole, to Baptist Medical Center with a bullet hole through his right "groin".

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1739)

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Tuesday, July 03, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1740)

MY, MY, HOW WRONG HE WAS

In 1945, New York Daily News sports columnist Jimmy Powers wrote the following: "We don't believe Jackie Robinson, colored college star signed by the Dodgers for one of their farm teams, will ever play in the big leagues."

NOT EXACTLY MANLY MEN DOING MANLY THINGS

The singing voice of Italian eunuch Girolamo Rossini's was very loved. So loved was his perfect voice, Pope Clement VIII (1536-1605) ordered Rossini to cease being a Franciscan friar and return to singing in the papal choir. This started a tradition in the Catholic church (which lasted until 1851) of using only castrated male singers. Yet many, if not most, choir members until 1922 were castrated males.

TRIVIA CONCERNING A U.S. PRESIDENT

Thirty-second U.S. President (1933-1945) Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) was known to enjoy eating a wide variety of foods. But his three favorites, the one's he enjoyed over and over, were pig knuckles, frog legs and scrambled eggs.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1740)

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Wednesday, July 04, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1741)

DA-DA! GOO-GOO! A BUSINESS IS BORN

In 1928, Frank Gerber's seven-month-old granddaughter, Sally, became very ill, and her doctor suggested strained vegetables and fruit might help cure her. This gave Gerber, the owner of a tomato-canning factory, an idea, and he soon developed "just what the doctor ordered" to help the little girl recover her health. Neighborhood mothers then asked Gerber to produce more. In a little more than six months, his strained prunes, spinach and peas were available in stores.

IF THEIR WISH CAME TRUE, THEY FLEW RIGHT ON TO HEAVEN

A Jordanian Airlines Boeing 707 (chartered by Nigerian Airways) was attempting to land at a Kano, Nigeria, airport on January 22, 1973, when its landing gear failed. The plane crash resulted in a fire. Burned to death were 176 Moslems returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca.

THREE QUOTES ABOUT AGING FROM FAMOUS OLD FOLKS

(1) "You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there." George Burns (2) "If you continue to work and to absorb the beauty in the world around you, you will find that age does not necessarily mean getting old." Pablo Casals, at age 93 (3) "An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have; the older she gets, the more interested he is in her." Agatha Christie

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1741)

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Thursday, July 05, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1743)

THEY FIGURED GOD DON'T READ NO ENGLISH

Folks can get pretty touchy when it comes to Holy Scripture. Take English theologian William Tyndale (1494-1536) and his "transgression" for instance. When he translated the Bible into early modern English, it was considered heresy and he was executed.

TALK ABOUT CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT

Between 1585 and 1595 three men, Anthony Babington, Dr. William Parry, and Dr. Roderigo Lopez, were all convicted of conspiring against Queen Elizabeth I. And all three received the same sentence: First, their private parts were amputated. Next they were disemboweled and their entrails burned before their eyes (which they all survived). Finally, they were killed and quartered.

WHATEVER FLOATS THEIR BOAT

One of the most macabre toys ever sold was a life-sized inflatable pool toy of Brian Jones (1942-1969), dead member of the Rolling Stones rock band. It could be used to simulate the guitarist's death from drowning in his pool.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1743)

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Friday, July 06, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1744)

GREAT THERAPY, PERHAPS?

In Nanjing, China, the Rising Sun Anger Release Bar opened in 2006. Patrons were invited to first pay, then hit, punch and kick their waiter. This entrepreneurial endeavor allowed frustrated folks to utilize these young men (usually around 20-years-old), who were well padded for these assaults. For an additional charge, a staff member will dress to look like a particular person. A local salesman told a Chinese newspaper, "The idea of beating up someone resembling your boss seems attractive."

HISTORY CAN BE KINDA FUNNY THAT WAY

On November 6, 1962, Richard Milhous Nixon (1913-1994), having lost in the California gubernatorial race, made his famous statement, "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore." Exactly 10 years later (November 6, 1972), then President Nixon, was reelected in a landslide victory over Democrat George McGovern.

A TALE OF TWO INVENTORS, ONE REWARDED, ONE NOT

Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909, and was known as the father of radio, even though he really pioneered the wireless telegraph. Nathan B. Stubblefield (1860-1928) demonstrated a "wireless telephone" in 1890, years before Marconi sent his first wireless dots and dashes. In a 1908 patent, Stubblefield described in detail how to put wireless radios in horseless carriages but, again, failed to capitalize on his inventiveness.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1744)

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Saturday, July 07, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1745)

HIS BLOWN KISS CAUSED A BAD WIND

In October of 2006, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, while in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, campaigning for U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, antagonized anti-Santorum protesters. After blowing the group a kiss, Governor Bush found it necessary to hide away in a subway station supply closet (with his entourage close behind), until the crowd left the area.

HIS LOSS WAS HIS GAIN

Spanish artist Francisco Goya (1746-1828) contracted a high fever at age forty-six, which left him deaf. This loss made his powers of observation so strong, he wrote "it was like seeing the world for the first time." During his remaining thirty-six years he created his most important works, The Family of Charles IV, and the series of prints, The Disasters of War.

CAN YOU GUESS WHO SAID THIS?

"I cannot imagine any condition which could cause this ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to the vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that." Said by E.J. Smith, captain of the Titanic, which sank on April 14, 1912, taking the lives of more than 1,500 people.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1745)

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Sunday, July 08, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1746)

FOLKS MUST'VE HAD TO WATCH TV BY CANDLE LIGHT?

"The great Northeast blackout" occurred on November 9. 1965, causing a power failure lasting up to 13.5 hours and, at its peak, left 30 million people in seven states and two Canadian provinces without electricity.

JUST IN CASE YOU'RE EVER ASKED

Zyzzyva, is a genus of tropical American weevil. Also, as the last word listed in many English dictionaries, it is sometimes used to mean "the last word".

THOSE SEEKING RICHES MADE HIM RICHER

Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt (1794-1877) quit school at age 11 to work on his father's small boat, hauling cargo across New York Harbor. By age 16, Cornelius saved enough to buy his own ferry and, during the War of 1812, made his first fortune transporting troops and supplies to forts in the New York area. By age 35, he bought a steamship line and later hauled passengers to the 1849 California Gold Rush (via land transit across Nicaragua), becoming one of the richest men in the world.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1746)

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Monday, July 09, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1747)

"SUPERIOR, THEY SAY, NEVER GIVES UP HER DEAD"

On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a 13,632 ton, 729-foot freighter, carrying 26,116 tons of taconite pellets and 29 crew members, disappeared in Lake Superior during a storm. Gordon Lightfoot's hit song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, helped make the incident the most famous marine disaster in the history of Great Lakes shipping.

A JERRY SPRINGER WANNA BE?

In August of 2006, on public access TV, The Bleeping Truth, guest Tony Katz threw a chair at the show's other guest, county commission candidate Joe Redner, hitting him in the head. It all started after Katz called Redner a liar and Redner called Katz fat.

THREE MORE QUICK FUN FACTS

(1) A chameleon lizard's tongue is about twice the length of its body. (2) Alaska is bigger than Texas and California combined. (3) From the 12th century until 1780, a very well known jail house in London was The Clink Prison (located on Clink Street). That's probably why jails are still called "clinks."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1747)

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1748)

THESE SHRIMP DID NOT SHRINK FROM SERIOUS EXERCISE

It was announced in October of 2006, that biologist David Scholnick, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon, had taken up the study of stress on the lives of shrimp. In one experiment, Scholnick built a small treadmill, strapped tiny backpacks (made of duct tape) to the crustaceans' backs, and determined "jogging" shrimp can maintain a constant pace up to one hour. To see video, click here.

OOPS, POOR THING PROBABLY FORGOT TO DO HER LAUNDRY?

Mary Jo Kopechne (1940-1969) drowned on the night of July 18, 1969, in the back-seat of a 1967 Oldsmobile, driven by Senator Edward Kennedy. The Senator had driven his car off a small bridge, then 36-feet through the air, on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. It landed upside-down in 8 feet of water. According to the coroner, Ms. Kopechne's body was wearing a white long-sleeved blouse, dark slacks, a blue brassiere, but no underpants.

MY, MY, AND WHAT A SAVINGS ON TOILET PAPER ALONE

Next time you are standing in line waiting to use a public toilet, know a hibernating bear can go for 5-6 months without either urinating or defecating.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1748)

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1749)

THIS GAL MUST'VE BEEN A REAL STINKER, LITERALLY?

Queen Isabella of Spain, one of history's most famous rulers and sponsor of voyages by Christopher Columbus, bragged that she took only two baths in her entire life -- when she was born and when she got married.

THIS U.S. VICE PRESIDENT DOWNPLAYED IN TEXT BOOKS

In 1852, William Rufus deVane King (1786-1853) was elected Vice President of the U.S. on the democratic ticket, with President Franklin Pierce. King was a close friend of James Buchanan (1791-1868), future 15th President of the United States. They lived together for 15 years. Historians speculate Buchanan and King carried on a homosexual relationship. (King died 45-days after his inauguration, from tuberculosis.)

HER HEAD HEADED OFF HER SHOULDERS

Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) made the mistake of placing her hands under her neck on the executor's chopping block, facilitating one executer to hold her gently, while the other struck the blows. Unfortunately, though he was a professional executioner, removing the head of a queen moved him so much he missed, scarcely cutting her skin, yet still not causing her to move or speak. A second stroke to her shoulder severed an artery. On the third and final stroke, Mary's head fell from her shoulders.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1749)

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Thursday, July 12, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1750)

BET SUNTAN LOTION SALES WERE DOWN THAT YEAR

The eruption of Mt. Tambora, Indonesia, (April 1815) killed more than 71,000 people, including 11,000-12,000 from explosions and ash fall. Mt. Tambora, which was approximately 14,000 feet tall before the explosion, was reduced to 9,300 feet after ejecting more than 93 cubic miles of debris into the atmosphere. The effects of the eruption were long-lasting and felt worldwide. This caused 1816 to become known as the "Year Without a Summer" because of the volcanic ash in the atmosphere that lowered worldwide temperatures. (It snowed in New England that June.)

IMPRESSIONS ANCHORING MOMENTS IN TIME

On April 30, 1927, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks stepped in a wet concrete slab for the first scheduled ceremony in the courtyard of Grauman's Chinese Theater. This started the tradition of having other movie favorites leave impressions of their feet, hands and other, more personal parts outlined in cement, making Grauman's one of Hollywood's most popular tourist attractions.

LIKE WITH CUPS OF HOT TEA, PARTIES MAY START A BIT SLOW?

Motley Crue, a Heavy Metal Band promoting a new album (Generation Swine) in the late 1990s, advertised a new blue beverage, Motley Brue. The band, perhaps relating to their own bad habits, announced a drink "for people who are done with the whole drugs and alcohol thing, but still want to have fun."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1750)

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Friday, July 13, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1751)

LONG AS MOM KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published a correction on August 9, 1996, stating: "A photo in Wednesday's editions about the newborn gorilla at the Pittsburgh Zoo incorrectly identified a male gorilla in the picture. It was the brother of the infant, not the father.

THEIR POLE TOLL MUST BE TERRIFIC

Union Electric company of St. Louis told the media it would pay the World Bird Sanctuary $25,000 to perform a two-year study as to why woodpeckers bore holes in utility poles.

IF YOU'RE JEWISH, BETTER FIND OUT IF THIS MEAT IS KOSHER

It is very possible that every nationality on earth is represented in New York City, when it comes to owning a restaurant or bar. This sign posted on a cafe wall there, makes one wonder what language it was translated from: "Crab Meat Shaag and Booty Kebab"

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1751)

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1752)

TERMITES THAT EAT MOST EVERYTHING

Termites ate on Jakarta's government buildings over the years, making major reconstruction a necessity by the early 1990s. According to M. Pasaribu, who oversaw government maintenance and construction in Indonesia, these buildings are bombarded by up to 200 different types of termites, which not only eat all wood, but some brick, plastic pipes, concrete and even soft metal.

THREE QUOTES OF WISDOM FROM ANOTHER CENTURY

Marlene Dietrich, outstanding actress of the 1930s and 1940s: (1) "It's the friends you can call up at 4:00 a.m. that matter." (2) "Tenderness is greater proof of love than the most passionate of vows." (3) "In America sex is an obsession. In other parts of the world, it's a fact."

"SEE DICK" "SEE JANE" "SEE DICK AND JANE" "SEE..."

A study, by the National Assessment of Education Progress, determined children who watch a large amount of television are on average no better than basic readers, barely understanding the concept of the words. While 25% - 35% could read at their grade levels, only 2% - 4% were able to draw complex analyses of what they read.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1752)

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Sunday, July 15, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1753)

35 MILLION PEOPLE NOW SUFFER FROM "VERY LOW FOOD SECURITY"

The Associated Press reported on November 16, 2006, that the U.S. government had vowed Americans would never be hungry again. But not because plenty of food would be available. According to Mark Nord, an Agriculture Department sociologist, because the word "hunger" isn't scientifically accurate, that word has been replaced with the phrase "very low food security."

PERHAPS AN ACCEPTABLE WAY TO CURSE?

The letters in the English alphabet can make for some unusual pronunciations in different parts of the world. One prime example is taken from a quote by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), "The common Welsh name Bzjxxllwcp, is pronounced Jackson."

GOOD THING THE DOG'S NAME WASN'T "SEX"

A pregnant dog named "Immigration" was sentenced to death, by Tanzanian magistrate Onesmo Zunda, for bearing the name of "a highly respected and law-abiding government department." Chief Justice Francis Nyalali reviewed the case (after the dog was beaten to death) and stated Zunda's ruling was "stupid."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1753)

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Monday, July 16, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1754)

"WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT RAT BURGER?"

Tom Yuill, a University of Wisconsin researcher, has begun working with African scientists to create giant rats. Why? In many parts of Africa rats are considered a delicacy. And, if these rodents could be raised in captivity weighing 3-4 pounds, their meat could ward off large famines.

POOR THING PROBABLY HASN'T SEEN HER FEET IN YEARS?

In 1997, Bennie Casson sued PT's Show Club, a Belleville, Illinois, strip club, over what he claimed to be bodily injury. According to Mr. Casson, a stripper named Busty Heart "slammed" her 88-inch breasts (weighing an estimated 40-pounds each) into his head and neck. This re-injured an old fracture. (In his wallet, perhaps?)

THE SEATS MUST BE KEPT UP IN HEAVEN?

According to the Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 23:1 = "He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord."

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1754)

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Tuesday, July 17, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1755)

LED TO DOOM BY A RELIGIOUS GUISE

On November 18, 1978, U.S. Representative Leo Ryan of California and four journalists were killed in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple. During that night, mass murder and suicide ended the lives of an additional 900 men, women and children, all followers of the Reverend Jim Jones.

THREE MORE ODDS-AND-ENDS

(1) Princess Diana of Wales is buried in what was once the Spencer family pet cemetery. (2) Venezuela's Angel Falls is about 19 times higher than Niagara Falls. (3) The Ramses brand of condoms is named after Pharaoh Ramses II, who fathered more than 160 children.

DOGGONED BAD PLACE FOR A DOG TO BE

In November of 2006, a dog-culling campaign began in Beijing, China. People there are permitted to own only one small dog, less than 14" (35 cm) tall, and that dog must be licensed. Private homes were being entered and dogs killed. According to local newspapers, it is estimated there are around one million dogs in Beijing, with only about half licensed. Because a mass killing of street dogs took place prior to the Olympics in Athens, it is believed the dog culling in Beijing is also an attempt to clean up that city before their 2008 Olympics.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1755)

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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1756)

HOPEFULLY, THEY HAD A GOOD PIGEON CASSEROLE RECIPE

Police in Qom, Iran's holiest city, cracked down on a popular hobby there, breeding, raising and racing pigeons. Following orders, the officers beheaded over 10,000 pigeons in one month.

TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO FORGIVE IS DIVINE?

Religious reformer John Wycliffe (c.1328 - 1384) translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English, and it was given his name. The Catholic Church, however, forbid English translations. Wycliffe's Bible was denounced as heretical by the Council of Constance in 1415, thirty-one years after his death. And, that should have been that, but it wasn't. In 1428, at the command of Pope Martin V, Wycliffe's body was dug up, burned and then thrown in a river.

A REALLY, REAL STAY-AT-HOME-MOM

When the Greater Indian Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) female is ready to lay her eggs, she hides in a hole in a tree. Her mate then seals the hole behind her, leaving only a small hole where he can pass food many times daily. Which he does faithfully while the eggs are being laid and until the chicks hatch and mature.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1756)

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Thursday, July 19, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1757)

HE STILL CLAIMS HIS JOB CAN BE VERY STRESSFUL

In October of 2006, London's Daily Mail profiled Keith Jackson, 57, an engineer for AquaTec Coatings company in Wales, whose job for the last 30 years has been watching paint dry, literally. His drying time observations were/are an important part of quality control engineering.

LOOKS LIKE HE SHOULD'VE LOOKED AROUND FIRST

Determined to fight in court the illegality of cameras catching drivers running red lights, Michael Kubosh of Houston, Texas, deliberately ran a light so he would get caught, in order to begin his protests against the system. Problem was, when Kubosh ran the light to get his photo taken, two nearby policemen also observed his actions and wrote him an "old fashioned" ticket, one to go with the one he would soon receive in the mail.

SOME THINGS WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER NOT INVENTED

The drug heroin was introduced as a non-addictive substitute for morphine by Heinrich Dreser, head of Bayer's (the aspirin makers) pharmacological laboratory, just before the turn of the 20th Century. By 1902, the sale of this misunderstood, and highly addictive drug, accounted for about 5% of that company's profits. Around that same time, French and American researchers were reporting very high addiction rates.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1757)

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Friday, July 20, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1758)

ALL THAT MISERY FROM SUCH AN OLD MAN

On July 16, 2003, George Russell Weller, 86, drove his 1992 Buick Le Sabre through two blocks of a farmers market in Los Angeles, killing 10 people, while injuring 63. Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson said even though testimony indicated Mr. Weller had control of his car during his high-speed slaughter, his poor health would only make him a burden on taxpayers. Therefore, he was given only 5-years probation.

BUT WOULD THIS WORK IN SOUTH TEXAS?

Park rangers at South Africa's Kruger National Park reported the lions there were eating illegal aliens crossing the nearby border from Mozambique. They told local newspapers these kings of beasts had learned people are slow runners, and taste good.

THE HIGH TOXICITY OF NICOTINE AND CAFFEINE

If you weighed about 150 pounds and swallowed one teaspoon of liquid nicotine, without medical help you would most probably die. Or, if you were not into tobacco or other nicotine producing plants, one-half-ounce of pure caffeine could kill you just as dead.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1758)

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Saturday, July 21, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1759)

THIS LITTLE BIRD FLEW A LONG WAY TO BECOME A DEAD DUCK

A grey-cheeked thrush (Catharus minimus) was apparently blown off course while migrating from Canada to South America. Instead, the small bird flew 3,000 miles across the Atlantic to Gloucestershire, England, only to crash into a plate-glass door at the visitors' center headquarters of Britain's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

THIS TIME CLEANLINESS WAS NEXT TO GODLINESS, AND HEAVEN

Three mid-twentieth century popular American pop singers, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson, all died in a field near Clear Lake, Iowa, when their chartered Bonanza four-seated single-engine plane crashed, February 3, 1959. Usually these young men would have ridden the bus, but that snowy night they were anxious to arrive in Fargo, North Dakota, in time to do some laundry.

AMAZING ANAGRAMS FROM RYAN KULKARNI

A GENTLEMAN becomes ELEGANT MAN / WESTERN UNION becomes NO WIRE UNSENT / CONVERSATION becomes VOICES RANT ON / ELEVEN PLUS TWO becomes TWELVE PLUS ONE / STATUE OF LIBERTY becomes BUILT TO STAY FREE / DORMITORY becomes DIRTY ROOM / and MOTHER-IN-LAW becomes WOMAN HITLER.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1759)

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Sunday, July 22, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1760)

SOME WEAR THEIR HEART ON THEIR SLEEVE, SOME ON THEIR CHEST

The U.S. media reported on November 22, 2006, a baby had been born in Miami with its heart on the outside of its chest. The newborn, Naseem Hasni, went to surgery soon after his Caesarean section delivery. Surgeons first wrapped Naseem's heart with a layer of Gore-Tex fabric followed by a layer of his own skin and then eased the organ inside the chest cavity.

GUESS WE'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO DIE

Not knowing it was police busting into her home, in a crime-ridden neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, Kathryn Johnston pulled out her gun to defend herself, and was shot dead by lawmen. What makes this story unusual, Kathryn Johnston, at the time of her death, was 92-years-old.

THIS LADY'S HOBBY MUST'VE BEEN COLLECTING ROAD-KILL?

Albany, New York, resident Stephanie Tubbs was charged with putting the head of a dead fox in her ex-boyfriend's car, a dead squirrel on his doorway and a dead cat in his hot tub.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1760)

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Monday, July 23, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1761)

WAS THIS THE PERFECT CRIME?

On November 24, 1971, hijacker "D.B. Cooper" parachuted from a Northwest Airlines 727 over Washington state with $200,000 in ransom. He was never caught, nor has any trace of him ever been found.

HE GOT A KICK OUT OF MOVING HIS LEG

Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (1794-1876) lost his leg in an 1838 battle near Veracruz against French warships. For his 48th birthday in 1842, Santa Anna had the leg dug up from its grave in Manga de Clavo and carried in a grand parade to the capital, where it was enshrined in an urn at the cemetery of Santa Paula.

DOLPHINS CAN BE HUMANITARIAN AS WELL

While swimming in the Red Sea off Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Martin Richardson was attacked by a shark, which took bites from his side and arm. This caused him to scream for help, catching the attention of three bottle-nosed dolphins. They, in turn, circled and flapped their fins and tails to frighten the shark until Richardson's friends could reach him by boat.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1761)

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1762)

HOW ABOUT LIKE GOOD HINDUS?

During the Middle East war of 1948, Warren Austin, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1946-1953), expressed the wish that Arabs and Jews would settle their differences "like good Christians."

THIS TIME HE SHOULD'VE LED FROM THE REAR

Civil War Confederate General Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson (1824-1863) was shot accidentally by his own troops on May 2, 1863. His left arm was amputated immediately, but eight days later, at age 39, he died from pneumonia.

NOT A GREAT VACATION LOCATION FOR GARFIELD THE CAT

According to the Economic Evening News, a high-class restaurant in Nanjing, China, has expanded its offerings beyond their usual dog meat fare and added something new to their menu, cat. They sell as many as 50 cats daily, killing and dressing them after buyers choose the one to satisfy their appetite.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1762)

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1763)

PUTTING PROSTHETIC LEGS ON SNAKES MIGHT WORK, TOO?

University of California at Irvine scientists, hoping to learn if limbless animals used more or less energy than those with legs, placed several snakes on a specially designed treadmill to exercise, wearing tiny oxygen masks. (Results were not given.)

"JUSTICE IS BLIND"....EVEN WITH BLINDS

Denver, Colorado, Judge Claudia Jordan passed a note to her clerk, which read: "Blind on the right side. May be falling. Please call someone." The clerk, hurriedly leaving the court room, called 911 and paramedics soon arrived. That's when Judge Jordan stopped proceedings long enough to explain her note was referring to the sagging Venetian blinds on the right side of the room... adding, "I wanted someone from maintenance."

HIS DEAFNESS ALSO REDUCED INTERRUPTIONS

German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) went completely deaf in 1817. This did not stop his musical creativity. Living his final ten years in total silence, Beethoven was still able to compose the "Diabelli" Variations (a set of variations for the piano) and the triumphant Ninth Symphony.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1763)

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Thursday, July 26, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1765)

PERHAPS THE MISSING LINK IS NOT THE APE AFTER ALL?

Koalas (herbivorous marsupial) have fingerprints almost identical to humans. Their fingers have the same combination of complex loops, arches and whirls. These traits are more human than those of chimpanzees.

THIS TREE MIGHT COME IN HANDY AT TAX TIME, TOO

Pregnant East African elephants eat a small tree (the boraginaceae) when labor is near. One such mother-to-be pachyderm was monitored walked 17 miles for that particular tree. It did not grow in her area. (And, local women wanting to induce labor, drink tea made from leaves of the same type tree.)

TOOK A SHORT EXPEDITION TO DISCOVER THIS RARE SPECIES

E.O. Wilson, entomologist at Harvard University, reported discovering a previously unknown species of ant. He found it living in a potted plant on the desk of U.S. World Wide Fund President Kathryn Fuller.

Andrew J. Hewett

(#1765)

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Friday, July 27, 2007

WEIRD, BIZARRE and UNUSUAL (#1766)

ACTUAL FRONT PAGE QUOTE FROM THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

November 27, 2006: "After months of debate, the Texas Ethics Commission decided that public officials who receive a bundle of money are required to disclose that they got cash, but they don't have to say how much." (Texas Ethics Commission???)