strange stuff

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

Stories 2961 - 2980 | << Prev   Next >>

We Don&#39;t Sleep as Well During a Full Moon

 The Full Moon 
 Messes With 
 Your Sleep 
study says
Jul 26, 2013 3:46 AM CDT

The Full Moon Messes With Your Sleep

Even when we don't know about it: study

(Newser) - OK, you probably won't become a werewolf, but there is evidence that the full moon really does take a toll on people—even if they don't know it's out there. Scientists reviewed data in which subjects slept in a darkened room where they couldn't see the...

Police Pull Over ... a Swimming Pool

A BMW convertible 'of a slightly different kind,' say police

(Newser) - The "carpool" has finally gone literal: Four men decided to beat the heat in Eibenstock, Germany, on Sunday by taking a ride in a convertible—only this was "a convertible of a slightly different kind," according to police. Carved out, sealed, and filled with some 530 gallons...

$500K Fire Set by... Aspiring Firefighter

Joseph Brannen, 18, admits to arson

(Newser) - Firefighters who turned up to battle flames at a Florida library found a guy in firefighting gear was already on the scene. They asked Joseph Brannen, 18, where he'd gotten his protective clothing; he said he bought it on eBay, officials say. He added that he'd heard the...

More 'Vampires' Found in Poland

Number of skeletons buried in peculiar way now stands at 17

(Newser) - The four suspected vampires unearthed by archaeologists in Poland may have been in good company. Der Spiegel reports that the number of skeletons found buried with their head placed between their legs (so arranged to ensure that a possible bloodsucker couldn't find his head and come back to life)...

Woman Hits McDonald's Drive-Thru —on a Horse

...and then things get really weird

(Newser) - If you're on horseback and desperate for a Quarter Pounder, you are out of luck. A UK woman found this out the hard way over the weekend, when she tried to ride a horse through the drive-thru at a Manchester McDonald's. The restaurant said it couldn't serve...

World's Smelliest Flower Finally Blooms in DC

You have less than 48 hours to get a whiff of the 'corpse flower'

(Newser) - When we last reported on the titan arum, a flower known to smell like a "very dead elephant," Americans were pouring into the US Botanic Garden in DC in hopes of seeing the "corpse flower" in its stinky glory. The wait is finally over. The AP reports...

PayPal Makes Man a Quadrillionaire&mdash;by Accident
PayPal Makes Man a Quadrillionaire—by Accident
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jul 21, 2013 6:50 AM CDT

PayPal Makes Man a Quadrillionaire—by Accident

But Chris Reynolds' good fortune doesn't last long

(Newser) - It's not too often you see the word "quadrillionaire" in a headline. Actually, probably never, considering Chris Reynolds of Media, Penn., was the first man to ever be one—albeit very, very briefly. Reynolds opened his PayPal statement this month to find he had been credited $92,233,...

Man Wakes With Amnesia, Speaking Only Swedish
Man Wakes With Amnesia, Speaking Only Swedish
in case you missed it
Jul 20, 2013 2:00 PM CDT

Man Wakes With Amnesia, Speaking Only Swedish

Doctors are looking into the mystery of Michael Boatwright

(Newser) - Doctors are looking into the mystery of a Florida man who awoke speaking only Swedish, with no memory of his past, after he was found unconscious four months ago at a Southern California motel. Michael Boatwright, 61, was in February taken to a Palm Springs medical center where he woke...

Bookstores' Salvation: Whiffs of Chocolate?

Study finds shoppers linger, buy more in certain genres

(Newser) - Bookstores need all they help they can get in the age of Amazon, and Belgian researchers are obliging with a suggestion: Smell like chocolate. Their study found that people were twice as likely to linger and peruse multiple books if the shop had a subtle scent of chocolate working in...

Dubai Offers Flabby Citizens Gold to Lose Weight

Skeptics think the stunt won't have much of an effect

(Newser) - Dubai is, generally speaking, a fat nation. It also happens to be a very rich nation, and those two factors have combined to create an unusual weight-loss offer from the government: It will give people gold based on how many pounds they drop, reports Emirates 24/7 . The month-long initiative got...

5 Craziest Crimes of the Week
 5 Craziest Crimes of the Week 
Jul 19, 2013 11:40 AM CDT

5 Craziest Crimes of the Week

From an allegedly brazen handyman to superhero teens

(Newser) - Among this week's craziest crimes, another candidate for "Parent of the Year":
  1. Mom Throws Infant at Deputy in Getaway Bid : How is it possible to rack up charges for shoplifting and child abuse at the same time? By tossing your infant daughter at the deputy coming to arrest
...

Guy's Shotgun Defense: Joe Biden Said I Could

He is charged after firing gun to chase away people

(Newser) - Call it the Biden defense. A man in Washington state is in legal trouble after he fired his shotgun into the air to scare away people he thought were breaking into his vehicles. His unusual defense? “I did what Joe Biden told me to do,” he tells KOIN...

Guy Gets Bucket-List Motorcycle, Dies in 3 Miles

But he probably went out smiling, says his son

(Newser) - It might help to know going in that Barry Strang's wife isn't angry—she can deal with the way her husband died. But the way that happened is almost too bizarre to believe. The Star-Tribune of Casper, Wyoming, explains: Barry had a lifelong dream to buy a Harley...

On Day He Was to Marry, Teacher Charged With Rape

Not surprisingly, John Azabache's wedding called off

(Newser) - John Azabache was supposed to be getting married Friday. Instead, he ended up getting arrested for allegedly raping one of his 16-year-old students. Needless to say, the wedding was called off, but the Journal News reports that Azabache did still utter the words "I do"—when he was...

Man Killed When Cow Crashes Through Roof

'Being crushed by a cow in your bed is the last way you expect to leave this earth'

(Newser) - "I didn't bring my son up to be killed by a falling cow," says the grieving mother of a Brazilian man killed when a cow crashed through the roof of his home. The 45-year-old was asleep next to his wife on Wednesday when the 3,000-pound animal,...

Church Gets $93K Water Bill
 Church Gets $93K Water Bill 
Jul 14, 2013 10:12 AM CDT

Church Gets $93K Water Bill

Ohio city blames software glitch for five-figure bills

(Newser) - Residents and businesses in Girard, Ohio, got a rude surprise when they opened their water bills this month: insane five-figure bills. St. Rose Catholic Church, for example, got hit with a $93,000 charge, and the Tri-Changes hair salon got tagged for $12,000. After residents, business owners, and, yes,...

&#39;Dead&#39; Woman Opens Eyes, Stops Organ Harvest
'Dead' Woman Opens Eyes, Stops Organ Harvest
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jul 13, 2013 9:46 AM CDT

'Dead' Woman Opens Eyes, Stops Organ Harvest

Syracuse hospital nearly killed her after mistaken death pronouncement

(Newser) - The Syracuse Post-Standard has a medical story equal parts amazing and scary: Doctors who thought a 41-year-old woman was dead were preparing to remove her organs when she opened her eyes in the operating room. St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center eventually got fined $6,000 by the state after...

'Vampire' Graves Unearthed in Poland

The skeletons' heads were found between their legs

(Newser) - No word on whether they kept garlic or a crucifix nearby as they dug, but Polish archaeologists say they've unearthed four "vampire" skeletons. The remains were found with the head placed between their legs; folk tradition held that this burial arrangement would ensure that a possible bloodsucker couldn'...

Pregnant Woman Struck by Lightning, Gives Birth

Dad also hit, but all 3 are fine

(Newser) - A pregnant New Mexico woman has survived a bolt from the blue to give birth to a bouncing baby girl. Kendra Villanueva and the baby's father Ian Gordon were watching fireworks with friends on July Fourth when lightning struck both of them in the front yard of an Albuquerque...

This Exists: Cola-Flavored Wine

The French are selling it ... but you can make your own

(Newser) - Quelle horreur! A French producer is attempting to woo the "Pepsi generation" by giving red wine a cola flavor. The segment of Châteaux en Bordeaux that has introduced the drink is keeping things pretty youthful, from the price tag (less than $4 a bottle) to the name (Rouge...

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