strange stuff

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

Stories 1061 - 1080 | << Prev   Next >>

Maine Mob Fells Tree to Force Quarantine: Cops

That is one way to do it. Also, a 'TREMENDOUS WASTE OF RESOURCES,' says local rep

(Newser) - A group of armed Maine vigilantes is apparently here to help a couple of out-of-towners make the decision to self-quarantine: As the Portland Press Herald reports, several armed men cut down a tree on Friday on the island of Vinalhaven and dragged it across the driveway of the rental home...

Madonna Has Something to Say About the Virus. From Her Tub

Star's odd message calls pandemic 'the great equalizer'

(Newser) - From stars contracting the new coronavirus —including Tom Hanks , Andy Cohen , and Idris Elba —to what BuzzFeed deems the "celebrity nonsense" of Hollywood figures like Gal Gadot and Evangeline Lilly , famous personalities are making headlines during the pandemic. Madonna is precariously close to tumbling into the latter...

Kept in by Virus, Man Runs Marathon ... on His Balcony

Weird feat took Elisha Nochomovitz almost 7 hours

(Newser) - In the age of confinement amid the coronavirus outbreak, Elisha Nochomovitz figured out a way to run a marathon anyway: back and forth on his balcony. That’s right—he ran 26.2 miles straight, never leaving his 23-foot-long balcony. Nochomovitz saw it as a physical and mental challenge, but...

Old Laptop Sold on eBay Had Classified Information

German defense officials are not happy

(Newser) - It was quite a bargain. An old but working laptop up for sale on eBay went for $100, and the buyer got classified information from Germany's military as part of the deal. As Deutsche Welle explains, the gaffe started when the military sent decommissioned laptops to a recycling company...

10 Oddest Things Left Behind in an Uber

Not surprising: phones. Maybe a little surprising: a bubble machine

(Newser) - If you've ever left something behind in a cab or an Uber, you'll be able to commiserate with the forgetful folks who've made it onto Uber's 2020 Lost & Found Index . The company released its fourth annual list on Tuesday, detailing some of the most common...

Fire Breaks Out After Pig Eats, Excretes Pedometer

The copper in the battery was likely a factor in the blaze

(Newser) - Just when you think you've heard it all: A fire broke out in England after a pig ... swallowed a pedometer. And then excreted it. The battery's copper proved to be an unfortunate mix with the dry hay and the feces in the North Yorkshire pig pen, reports the...

'Incalculable' Damage After Truck Hits Easter Island Statue

The unmanned vehicle was parked, but the brake apparently failed

(Newser) - For the Rapa Nui, the iconic moai statues of Easter Island are "sacred structures," Camilo Rapu, the head of the indigenous community there, tells CNN . That's why what went down in the Chilean territory Sunday has the locals distressed and wondering how to better protect the famous...

Bride Vows Revenge Over Llama Wedding Guest

Her brother says $400 rental 'was worth it'

(Newser) - Reddit users were so captivated by a photo of a well-dressed llama at a wedding, where the bride was visibly unamused, that it became the top overall post this week. As CNN reports, the backstory is even better. Ohio's Mendl Weinstock says he first told his sister, Riva, that...

Dallas' Famous Leaning Tower Finally Falls

'Leaning Tower of Dallas' held on for more than 2 weeks after failed implosion

(Newser) - The "Leaning Tower of Dallas," the iconic remnant of a high-rise building implosion gone awry, finally collapsed in a cloud of dust Monday after two weeks of being whacked with a headache ball. The tower collapsed about 3:15pm after a few last whacks with a wrecking ball...

Walmart Worker Goes Viral as &#39;Grumpy Gran&#39;
Walmart Worker Goes
Viral as 'Grumpy Gran'
in case you missed it
Mar 1, 2020 1:30 PM CST

Walmart Worker Goes Viral as 'Grumpy Gran'

Charlene Mull has become an internet sensation thanks to quirky photos taken on the job

(Newser) - A petition to get a "national icon for the working woman" on Ellen DeGeneres' show has nearly 19,000 signatures so far—and it's all because of the photos Charlene Mull poses for at work. The 64-year-old Walmart employee has become an internet sensation thanks to quirky pics...

Losing Boxer Wants Rematch for Bizarre Reason
Losing Boxer
Wants Rematch
for Bizarre Reason
in case you missed it
Feb 29, 2020 7:00 AM CST

Losing Boxer Wants Rematch for Bizarre Reason

Deontay Wilder blames 40-pound costume for his loss to Tyson Fury

(Newser) - He wanted his fans to remember this night for years to come—but a boxer's choice of attire to make that night memorable ended up doing him in, he now says. Deontay Wilder faced off against Tyson Fury on Saturday in Las Vegas for the WBC heavyweight championship, and...

Face of NYC&#39;s Anti-Idling Campaign? Billy Idol
Billy Idol
Warns You
Not to Idle
Feb 27, 2020 6:00 PM CST

Billy Idol Warns You Not to Idle

He's the face of NYC's new anti-idling campaign

(Newser) - "Billy never idles. Neither should you." That's the word from Billy Idol and the NYC Environmental Protection's new anti-idling campaign. As NY 1 reports, vehicle idling is responsible for up to 11% of air pollution in New York City, so the organization decided to use the...

It's Another Weird Headline for Steven Seagal

Former action star accused with illegally promoting cryptocurrency

(Newser) - Steven Seagal's "action hero" status may have waned a bit since the Under Siege days, but the actor still finds himself in the headlines quite a bit , often for odd or disturbing reasons. The latest headline is no exception: Seagal has been charged with unlawfully promoting cryptocurrency without...

They Took Away Police Chief&#39;s Duties. He Took Off His Clothes
They Told Him to
Turn In His Uniform.
He Took Them Literally
in case you missed it
Feb 23, 2020 10:30 AM CST

They Told Him to Turn In His Uniform. He Took Them Literally

Police chief stripped of duties strips down to boots, hat, and skivvies, heads into storm

(Newser) - A New Hampshire town's board of selectmen voted this week to shut down its one-man police department—and the police chief reacted to the news by stripping down to his skivvies and walking out into a snowstorm. Per CNN , Croydon's three-person board unanimously decided Tuesday to give Richard...

These Candles Are for Hard- Core McDonald's Fans Only

6-pack of custom-scented candles smell like a Quarter Pounder when all burned together

(Newser) - You know that heavenly smell of hamburger that wafts into your car as you're on the McDonald's drive-thru line? You can have that all day at home now, thanks to a new product offered by the fast-food chain. The Quarter Pounder Scented Candle Pack advertised on the restaurant'...

After Demolition Fails, the &#39;Leaning Tower of Dallas&#39;
Dallas Demolition Doesn't
Quite Finish the Job
video
Feb 18, 2020 12:03 PM CST

Dallas Demolition Doesn't Quite Finish the Job

People are having fun with 'leaning tower' photo op

(Newser) - Dallas has its own version of the leaning tower of Pisa after a demolition failed Sunday morning. Crews imploded the former Affiliated Computer Services building, or at least, they imploded most of it: The elevator shaft and stairwell of the 11-story building did not fall. (See the video .) The...

Class Ring Lost 47 Years Ago in Maine Pops Up in Finland

Maine woman who lost class ring of her boyfriend (who became her husband) in 1973 gets it back

(Newser) - Shawn and Debra McKenna were high school sweethearts who were married for four decades before he died in 2017 after a long battle with cancer. Earlier this month, Debra McKenna received a sweet reminder of the man she'd loved, from the most unexpected place. The Bangor Daily News relays...

All Men Must Have Vasectomies at 50: Ala. Rep

In response to the state's contested abortion ban, Rolanda Hollis wants guys snipped

(Newser) - If you're an Alabama male of a certain (middle) age and haven't gotten around to planning that family you've always wanted, you might want to step to it. That's according to a most-unlikely-to-pass bill put forth by Rep. Rolanda Hollis that would require all men to...

Fried Chicken-Scented Crocs Are Now a Thing
KFC Crocs Don't Just 
Look Like Fried Chicken
in case you missed it
Feb 16, 2020 6:48 AM CST

KFC Crocs Don't Just Look Like Fried Chicken

They smell like it, too—at least until feet enter the picture

(Newser) - For $59.99, you can "make your dreams of wearing a bucket of chicken finally come true." That's according to Crocs , which is out with what is surely (seriously, no contest) its oddest design yet. Revealed in a fairly out-there ad released Wednesday, the KFC X Crocs...

Exhibit on Ocean Pollution Leads to Big Shock for One Woman

German woman spots mixtape she lost 25 years ago—and it still works

(Newser) - If you're in your late 30s or older, you likely remember the unique joy that accompanied creating what we olds call a "mixtape." A German woman is now reliving that elation after she stumbled upon a mixtape she lost 25 years ago while on vacation in Spain....

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