strange stuff

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

Stories 1141 - 1160 | << Prev   Next >>

Dream Home Turned Nightmare Finally Sells, at a $400K Loss

Derek and Maria Broaddus never even moved into house stalked by creepy 'Watcher'

(Newser) - It's taken five years and more than one failed sale attempt, but the owners of a New Jersey home stalked by an anonymous letter-writer called "the Watcher" have finally handed off the house to someone else—without ever having moved in themselves. NJ.com and Bloomberg report that...

Woman Who Put Octopus on Her Face: 'This Was Not a Good Idea'

Jamie Bisceglia was trying to win a photo contest. Then the octopus bit her.

(Newser) - We shouldn't have to tell people not to put octopuses on their faces, but here we are. It's a fact that Jamie Bisceglia herself now acknowledges, despite having done just that last week and suffering the consequences. HuffPost reports that the Washington state woman was participating in a...

He Was Rumored to Be Dead. So He Drove Out to the Fire Pit

Turkmenistan's president has an odd way of proving he's alive

(Newser) - He could've just held up a newspaper with a recent date displayed as proof of life. But that's not how Turkmenistan's president rolls when he wants to quash death rumors and let people know he's very much alive. Last month, a rep for the country's...

Inmate's Plan: Dress Up as Daughter, Leave Her in Prison

Brazil gang leader Clauvino da Silva's nervousness apparently gave him away

(Newser) - A Brazilian gang leader tried to escape from prison by dressing up as his daughter when she visited him behind bars and walking out the penitentiary's main door in her place, authorities said Sunday. But prison officials said the nervousness displayed by Clauvino da Silva, also known as "...

Schools Chief Suspended After Alleged Fracas at Whataburger

Texas superintendent suspended for 3 days without pay after he allegedly head-butted another super

(Newser) - What happened at Whataburger didn't stay at Whataburger, to the chagrin of one Texas schools chief. The Houston Chronicle reports that Xavier De La Torre, the superintendent for Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, has been suspended and docked three days without pay by the school board after...

In Boy's Mouth: 526 Teeth, Like 'Pearls in an Oyster'

The 7-year-old in India now has a regular amount

(Newser) - A 7-year-old boy in India currently has 21 teeth. He used to have a whole lot more—another 526. The odd case began when the boy sought treatment for pain and swelling in his lower right jaw. An X-ray showed a teeth-filled sac, which one surgeon likened to a "...

Shots Fired at 'Bigfoot' in National Park

'There was absolutely nothing there,' camper says

(Newser) - Kentucky is more famous for bourbon than Bigfoot sightings, which may explain a strange series of events on Saturday. Western Kentucky University students Madelyn Durand and Brad Ginn say they were awoken at a campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park when they heard noises and found a man who claimed...

Surgical Plate in Croc's Stomach Is 'a Mystery'

Australian croc farm owner hopes to 'solve a cold case'

(Newser) - What was a crocodile doing with a metal plate in its stomach? "It's a mystery" that, if unraveled, might just solve a cold case, according to crocodile keepers in Australia. "Imagine our surprise when we opened up the gut on this large croc and found what looks...

Weird TSA Find of the Week: a Missile Launcher

Active-duty member of the armed services had put it in his luggage

(Newser) - Transportation Security Administration officers have found some strange things in travelers' baggage, and on Monday, they found a missile launcher. The weapon, which was not loaded or "live," was found in a checked bag at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore, and the bag's owner—a man...

The Plane Prepped for Takeoff. Then, a Man on the Wing
The Plane Prepped for Takeoff. 
Then, a Man From the Bushes
in case you missed it

The Plane Prepped for Takeoff. Then, a Man From the Bushes

Passengers on Azman Air flight in Nigeria filled with 'fear and panic' as man climbs onto wing

(Newser) - "Fear and panic" is how Africanews describes the mood in the cabin of an Azman Air flight in Nigeria on Friday, though the odd happening ended with no one getting hurt. CNN reports the incident took place in the domestic section of Murtala Muhammed International airport in the nation'...

Escaped Yaks Charge Massachusetts Hiker

Cops manage to corral the 3 animals

(Newser) - A hiker in western Massachusetts encountered a hazard more commonly associated with the Himalayas: aggressive yaks. Police say the three animals, who had escaped from a private owner a few days earlier, charged and chased the hiker Wednesday in the Bear Hole Reservoir hiking area near West Springfield, the New ...

They Said He Died Naturally. The Funeral Home Said Otherwise

Georgia man was actually stabbed to death

(Newser) - "It was too much blood." That was the initial assessment of Michelle Smalls, the sister of Ray Neal, a 61-year-old Georgia man found dead over the weekend. A Gwinnett County medical examiner's investigator determined he died of natural causes. But it turns out the suspicions of Smalls...

Circus Wants Its Electric Chair, Bed of Nails Back

Thief made off with trailer full of props

(Newser) - If somebody you know recently came into possession of a bed of nails, a coffin, an electric chair, and assorted other strange items, they didn't get them at the Addams Family's garage sale. The props, used for acts of daring, were in a black Homestead Challenger trailer stolen...

Men's Anti-Vegan Stunt Had Them Eating Raw Squirrels

They have been convicted and fined over the London incident

(Newser) - There were the vegans who "terrorized" the butchers . Now, the meat eaters who tried to terrorize the vegans. The BBC reports a macabre scene in London on March 30 earned two men disorderly conduct convictions and fines on Monday. Gatis Lagzdins, 29; and Deonisy Khlebnikov, 22, stationed themselves in...

Sushi Ingredient Is Spontaneously Combusting
Sushi Ingredient Is
Spontaneously Combusting
in case you missed it

Sushi Ingredient Is Spontaneously Combusting

Restaurant fires blamed on tempura flakes

(Newser) - The same phenomenon that causes overheated compost piles to spontaneously combust has been causing fires in sushi restaurants. The culprit is deep-fried tempura flakes, also known as agedama or tenkasu, which have been linked to five restaurant fires in Wisconsin alone, the New York Times reports. Fire investigator Kara Nelson...

Cops: It's Too Hot to Commit Crime

Police in Braintree, Mass., would appreciate it if you would break the law when it's cooler outside

(Newser) - Baby, it's hot outside and the fine officers at the police department in Braintree, Mass., really do not feel like dealing with your criminal shenanigans until "Monday when it's cooler." CNN reports on the department's cheeky Facebook post, which encouraged "anyone thinking of doing...

Man's Shock: Amputated Leg on Cigarette Packs Is His Own

But the 60-year-old didn't lose his limb to smoking, didn't give permission for photo use

(Newser) - The images are meant to be jarring deterrents. Consider one 60-year-old sufficiently jarred. The unnamed Albanian man who now lives in France says he was alerted to the fact that some EU cigarette packets feature a photo of his amputated leg. (See the image here .) The accompanying message is...

Ousted Iowa Official Really Had a Thing for Tupac Shakur

Jerry Foxhoven was told to resign day after he sent Shakur-themed email to 4,300 workers

(Newser) - The director of Iowa's social services agency was a huge fan of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, and he frequently let his subordinates know it. Emails obtained by the AP show that Iowa Department of Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven routinely sent messages to employees lauding Shakur's music...

They Heard a Cry for Help, Found Man Impaled by Stump

2 groups of runners stopped to help Michigan man

(Newser) - Four women running on a trail on the Michigan State University campus Saturday morning heard someone yelling for help from the woods but were hesitant to leave the trail for the unseen person—not knowing if they were about to walk into a trap. So they called 911, and "...

Guy Sits on Toilet for 5 Days
Guy Sits
on Toilet
for 5 Days

Guy Sits on Toilet for 5 Days

In bid for record

(Newser) - A Belgian man sat on the toilet for five straight days last week. No, he's not ill; he was attempting to set a world record. Jimmy De Frenne, 48, was aiming to stay on the toilet for 165 hours but only made it to 116, Reuters reports. The toilet...

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