strange stuff

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

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Facebook Post Garners 1M Comments

Users shatter Guinness World Record

(Newser) - A team of about 100 Facebook pals has collaborated to comment more than a million times on a post—setting an official Guinness record, KTXL-TV reports. The initial post was made in October in the Facebook group Ffgpioneers/gwr/attempt . (It was an innocuous post made just for this purpose.) To...

Seattle Woman 'Marries' Abandoned Building

Occupier Baylonia Aivaz protesting gentrification

(Newser) - An Occupy Seattle protester "married" an abandoned warehouse on Sunday, not because of a weird fetish, but in order to protest gentrification, the Los Angeles Times reports. "I'm doing this to show the building how much I love it, how much I love community space, and how...

For Sale: Obama's Chrysler, $1M

300C owned by future president for sale on eBay

(Newser) - Before he helped bail out Chrysler, President Obama drove one. The 2005 Chrysler 300C once leased by the future president is now for sale on eBay —for the not-too-shabby starting bid of $1 million, reports the New York Times . (Note to Chrysler: If you could have made this business...

Court Orders No-Show Juror to Hold Sign

'I failed to appear for jury duty,' it reads

(Newser) - A 22-year-old Indiana man skipped out on jury duty last month, and everyone who came to the courthouse this morning knows it: As punishment for leaving jury selection early on Dec. 5 without permission, the unnamed man was ordered by a judge to carry a sign reading "I failed...

Brit Tourists Refused US Entry Over Twitter Jokes

Pair did not really want to 'destroy America'

(Newser) - Note to would-be US tourists: Be careful with your Twitter jokes before setting foot on our soil. Two Brits were detained and then sent back home after landing in Los Angeles last Monday, all because the Department of Homeland Security was unhappy with two tweets one of them had posted...

Grandkids of 10th President John Tyler Still Alive

He was born in 1790, became president in 1841

(Newser) - A leading candidate for the week's most bizarre story: Two of John Tyler's grandchildren are still alive. And yes, we're talking about the Tyler who was the 10th president of our country. The one who was born in 1790 and became president in 1841. Sounds impossible, but...

Pennsylvania Middle School Bans Uggs

Not because they're ugly ... because kids were hiding cell phones in them

(Newser) - Administrators at a middle school in Pennsylvania were tired of kids hiding cell phones in their boots—so they banned the boots, the Mercury reports. The new rule applies to "outdoor, open top boots" in general, but the biggest culprits are Uggs, says a district official, particularly those that...

Errant Click Crashes German Parliament's Email

'Babette' will think twice next time

(Newser) - Another entry in the "reply to all" fail category: A staffer in the German Parliament brought the government's email system to a standstill for about a half-hour after accidentally including all 4,032 co-workers in an email loop, reports Reuters . After the employee named Babette sent her email—...

No More Prayer Cards for Alaska Airlines Fliers

Airline started giving cards to passengers in the 1970s

(Newser) - For more than three decades, Alaska Airlines has been serving up prayer cards on the meal trays that passengers receive, but no longer. "This difficult decision was not made lightly," the CEO and president wrote in an email to customers yesterday. "Some of you enjoy the cards...

PM Loses Shoe in Australia Day Protest

Julia Gillard stumbles as she tries to pass through indigenous right supporters

(Newser) - It sounds perfectly routine: Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott appeared at a restaurant in Canberra today—which just so happens to be Australia Day—to preside over an awards ceremony. What it turned into was an ugly mess, as some 200 supporters of indigenous rights...

Got $2.5M? This Emerald Is for You

25-pound record-breaker goes up for auction

(Newser) - The biggest cut emerald in the world will be auctioned Saturday and is expected to go for up to $2.5 million. The gigantic green stone weighs 57,500 carats—or 25 pounds—and was discovered at an undisclosed location in Brazil, reports Pravda . The emerald, dubbed Teodora, meaning God'...

Uzbekistan Bans Valentine's Day

Nation cancels concerts, other official events

(Newser) - Lonely hearts rejoice: There's at least one place in the world where you'll feel at home. The central Asian state of Uzbekistan will not observe Valentine's Day this year. Russia's RIA-Novosti news agency reports the unofficial ban on the romantic holiday follows years of irritation with...

Museum Reports Stolen Painting, 12 Years Later

Gallery wanted to make sure it hadn't been misplaced first

(Newser) - When a $200,000 painting went missing from Australia's National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the gallery wanted to be sure it did not falsely accuse a staff member of theft when the painting could simply have been misplaced. So it searched for Richard Parkes Bonington's Low Tide...

Porn Star Mayor Candidates Hosting Pole Dance Night

Election issues will also be discussed, of course

(Newser) - Only in Italy: Two porn stars are running against each other for mayor in the city of Taranto. And as if that's not wacky enough, one of their campaign events will be … a pole dancing night. Apparently Amandha Fox and Luana Borgia will also discuss civic issues, the...

Teen Killed by Toy Cannon
 Teen Killed 
 by Toy Cannon 
Jan 25, 2012 2:00 AM CST

Teen Killed by Toy Cannon

Replica cannon held shot, fired accidentally

(Newser) - A 14-year-old Utah boy playing with a small replica of an 18th-century cannon was killed Monday when the toy accidentally fired and struck him in the face, reports the New York Daily News . The cannon may be a toy, but it can hold a 0.50-caliber round and black powder...

Dentist Used Paper Clips —in Root Canals

Michael Clair also charged with Medicaid fraud

(Newser) - Paper clips and stainless steel posts: Basically the same thing, right? A former Massachusetts dentist has pleaded guilty to a host of charges, including the accusation that he used parts of paper clips rather than stainless steel posts to support root canals in an attempt to save money. Michael Clair'...

Girl Hears Mom Having Sex, Calls 911

Tells police she felt 'disrespected,' asks for children's shelter

(Newser) - Plenty of people get creeped out by the thought of their parents having sex. But few are as extreme as one Florida teenager, who called 911 and asked to be placed in a Christian children's shelter because she heard her mother having sex. The 15-year-old girl said she had...

Aretha Franklin Calls Off Her Wedding

Singer worried relationship was moving too fast

(Newser) - Aretha Franklin won't be getting fitted for a wedding gown after all: She's called off her engagement . A statement released yesterday by her rep said Franklin's wedding to Willie Wilkerson wasn't going to happen. "Will and I have decided we were moving a little too...

Warren Buffett Jams on Ukulele for Chinese New Year

 Warren Buffett 
 Jams on Ukulele 
chinese new year
Jan 23, 2012 8:54 AM CST

Warren Buffett Jams on Ukulele

Sings 'I've Been Working on the Railroad'

(Newser) - Festivities for China's biggest holiday are in full swing, and Warren Buffett is getting in on the fun. The 81-year-old billionaire played ukulele and sang "I've Been Working on the Railroad" for one of the most-watched TV programs in the world—China Central Television's New Year'...

Brit Busted for Hawking the Butt of Saddam Statue

Brit firm founder an ex-soldier who removed section of toppled Baghdad statue

(Newser) - A British company official has been arrested after auctioning a buttock section of the massive Saddam Hussein bronze statue toppled when US forces stormed Baghdad in 2003. The arrest was made after the Iraqi government issued a complaint to British police following an auction in Derby, where the two-foot hunk...

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