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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'Crabs' Now Endangered Thanks to Bikini Waxing

Brazilian waxes, in particular, destroy the habitat of pubic lice

(Newser) - Will we soon see a "Save the Pubic Lice" campaign? The groin-dwelling insects, more commonly known as "crabs" because of their shape, are now basically an endangered species—and doctors think the popularity of bikini waxing may be to blame (er, thank). In Australia, no women have been...

Rick Scott Unwittingly Becomes Satanist Hero

Satanists like his support for 'inspirational messages' in school

(Newser) - When Florida Gov. Rick Scott approved a Senate bill allowing students to read inspirational messages at school assemblies and sports events, he probably wasn't expecting to get the Satanists on his side. But that's exactly what happened, as the Satanic Temple is championing the bill as a "...

Same-Name Couple Calls It Quits

Kelly Hildebrandts met through Facebook

(Newser) - Turns out searching Facebook for people with the same name as you isn't the ideal way to meet a partner after all. Kelly Hildebrandt and her husband, Kelly Hildebrandt, have decided to end their three-year marriage, after a romance that began when the female Kelly Hildebrandt searched Facebook and...

Don Juans Have a Secret: the 'Infidelity Phone'

Japanese cheaters stick with the Fujitsu F-Series

(Newser) - Japanese philanderers know their weak spot: the smartphone. Afraid that girlfriends and wives will spot incoming calls from certain secret someones, Lotharios in Japan are sticking with Fujitsu's old "F-Series" flip phones, the Wall Street Journal reports. The so-called "infidelity phones" can easily be programmed to conceal...

CEO Loses Gun Permit Over Plan to 'Start Killing People'

James Yeager raged online over possible gun-control laws

(Newser) - A Tennessee firearms trainer posted a video last week saying he would "start killing people" if gun-control laws are passed—and state officials kinda noticed, Digital Journal reports. In fact, Tennessee's Homeland Security office revoked the handgun carry permit of James Yeager, CEO of Tactical Response, due to...

Historic Cathedral Can Be Saved With ... Olive Oil?

Brits hope to keep York Minister from falling apart

(Newser) - Nothing like a little salad dressing to rescue an 800-year-old cathedral. British scientists and archaeologists tasked with saving York Minister, a stunning cathedral in northern England, say olive oil may do the trick, NPR reports. The oil's main ingredient—oleic acid—could protect the building's stones from acid...

5 Insane Things Celebs Did to Get Into Character

Tom Cruise ... delivered packages?!

(Newser) - It's fairly common for actors to gain or shed a lot of weight for the sake of a role—but that's not the only intense thing they do to get into character. Cracked lists five of the craziest pursuits undertaken in the name of acting:
  • Tom Cruise, delivery
...

McDonald's Puts DNA Spray Over Its Doors

Australian outlets add devices after holiday robberies

(Newser) - Like a free DNA spray with that? Following a spate of robberies, McDonald's outlets across Australia are installing DNA-spray devices over their doors to douse fleeing robbers with an indelible mark, the Daily Mail reports. The non-toxic spray will mark alleged thieves with a DNA code that lasts for...

Large Woman Falls Through NYC Sidewalk

Fire Department rescues her from 6-foot hole

(Newser) - Painful to imagine: An overweight woman fell through a Manhattan sidewalk last night and had to be rescued by firefighters using "sophisticated" equipment, the New York Post reports. The 31-year-old from Queens was waiting for her bus, huddled against a wall from the rain, when the sidewalk collapsed. "...

Huge Dust Storm Rains Down Lightning

...as Australia battles wildfires, high winds, and a cyclone

(Newser) - Australia's heat-and-wildfire devastation produced one set of iconic photos yesterday; here's another. A tug boat worker snapped shots of a massive thunderstorm laden with red dust as it moved out toward the Indian Ocean, The West Australian reports. "We were steaming along in the boat just before...

Feds: Flatulent Worker No Problem After All

Social Security officials rescind reprimand against employee

(Newser) - That smell over in cubicle four? Let's not worry about it, Social Security officials have decided. The federal agency had reprimanded an employee last month for allegedly disrupting work "by passing gas and releasing an unpleasant odor," reports Today . The letter came with a timestamped log that...

RIP Mr. Teeth: Pot-Guarding Reptile Meets His End

He was a caiman, and a tribute to Tupac

(Newser) - Authorities in Northern California made an unusual discovery during a routine probation check: An alligator-like reptile named "Mr. Teeth," who was apparently protecting a stash of marijuana. When Alameda County Sheriff's deputies entered the Castro Valley home on Tuesday, they not only found 34 pounds of marijuana...

Brand-New Island Emerges Off Germany

34-acre land mass grew over 10 years

(Newser) - There's a new piece of Germany. Over the course of just 10 years, a 34-acre island has developed 16 miles off the country's coast, in the North Sea, the Telegraph reports. Some 50 different plant species already live on the island of Norderoogsand; sea birds are moving in,...

Boy Kidnapped at 5 Turns Up Married, 24

Grandparents allegedly snatched Richard Landers Jr. in 1994

(Newser) - Nineteen years ago, the paternal grandparents of a 5-year-old boy allegedly kidnapped him. Now, Richard Landers Jr. has resurfaced, age 24 and married, in Minnesota, the Chicago Tribune reports. He lives under a different name, however—one provided by his grandparents when they took him and managed to stump police....

Dad Hires Online 'Assassins' to End Son's Gaming

Son's character was killed off every time he logged on

(Newser) - A father in China worried about his unemployed son's obsession with online gaming put a hit out on the 23-year-old's avatars in his favorite games, paying "assassins" to kill his son every time he logged on. The two reportedly reconciled after the son discovered the plot, though...

Guy Finds Chicken Kidney in His KFC

Chain apologizes for 'unsightly' mix-up

(Newser) - In case you needed a reason to cut down on fast food: A 19-year-old in the UK found what appeared to be a chicken brain in a piece of fried chicken, the Sun reports. But, hey, it's not so bad, because experts later determined it was probably just a...

Handcuffed Priest Calls 911 From Church...

He got himself stuck while 'playing,' was also gagged

(Newser) - An Illinois priest made a very awkward 911 call back in November that's just now coming to light : Father Tom Donovan told the dispatcher he needed help getting out of a pair of handcuffs he had been "playing with." "I'm going to need help before...

New Diet Device: Eat, Then Suck Food From Stomach

Weight-loss pump intended for the morbidly obese

(Newser) - You'll need an, uhh, strong stomach to make it through this story: The latest in dieting is a device dreamed up by Segway inventor Dean Kamen that's designed to suck food right out of your stomach 20 minutes after you've feasted on it. Kamen and a team...

California Rape Law Only for Married Women: Court
California Rape Law Only
for Married Women: Court
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 6, 2013 7:00 PM CST

California Rape Law Only for Married Women: Court

If attacker impersonates boyfriend, it's not rape: ruling

(Newser) - If an attacker has sex with a California woman by pretending to be her husband, that's rape. But if she's not married and he's impersonating her boyfriend, it's a different story, according to a state appeals court. Judges unanimously overturned the conviction of Julio Morales, who...

Curiosity Rover Snaps Pic of 'Martian Flower'?

NASA Rep says it 'appears to be part of the rock'

(Newser) - So, can flowers grow at -65 Fahrenheit? That was apparently the belief of one website reader after the Curiosity rover sent back a photo of a hard-to-identify, light-colored object on Mars, Space.com reports. Noting its reflection of sunlight, "translucent appearance," and "irregular confirmation (like pistils),"...

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