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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Man Charges $35 for 'Hand-Sharpened Pencil'

And almost 2K people have paid

(Newser) - David Rees is an artisanal pencil sharpener. No, really. The former political cartoonist charges $35 for a "hand-sharpened" No. 2 pencil, and he has sold 1,804 of them already, Fox News reports. Rees, who discovered the art of pencil sharpening after taking a job with the 2010 Census...

Student Pays Bills With Competitive Eating

Wisconsin computer major finds an odd way to cover tuition

(Newser) - A University of Wisconsin student with a nickname of "Silo" is eating his way through school—competitively. Computer engineering student Eric Dahl now ranks third in the world of competitive eating as determined by All Pro Eating rankings, though he once held the top spot. Dahl has earned more...

Work for NASA: Lie in Bed for 15 Weeks

And get paid about $5K a month

(Newser) - Best job ever? NASA wants test subjects to spend 15 weeks in bed and get paid about $5,000 a month for doing it, the Metro reports. Sounds like a dream job (literally), until you realize that you'd be prohibited from sitting or standing up, the Houston Chronicle notes....

Weird Ailment Makes Guy Drunk—Without Drinking

Blame the yeast in his gut: NPR

(Newser) - Is it possible to get drunk without drinking a drop of alcohol? Yes, it turns out, thanks to a rare and bizarre ailment newly dubbed "auto-brewery syndrome." As NPR explains, the case involved a Texas man who would get drunk at random times while swearing up and down...

Woman Says God Told Her to 'Feed the Strippers'

Creates 'Strip Church' ministry

(Newser) - People have claimed to have heard God instruct them to do all sorts of things over the years, but this is probably a first: "I felt the Lord say to me, ‘Go feed the strippers,'" Erin Stevens tells Fox News . The calling came to Stevens, a...

Parents Can Name Baby 'Messiah,' Judge Rules

Says original judge acted unconstitutionally by ordering name change

(Newser) - A Tennessee woman will be allowed to name her 8-month-old son "Messiah," a judge ruled today, overturning an order from another judge who said the boy's name should be changed to Martin because "'Messiah' is a title that is held only by Jesus Christ."...

Turned In at Lost and Found: $6.3M Lotto Ticket

Unclaimed prize was won last year

(Newser) - Talk about a good deed: A very kind man turned a winning lotto ticket in to Spanish officials rather than taking the money for himself. Now, lottery bosses are trying to find the winner of the $6.27 million prize, which dates back to last year; it was never claimed,...

Man Shot in Fight About 18th-Century Philosopher

Plus: more weird Russian attacks

(Newser) - A spate of odd news today concerning attacks in Russia: one on a dance floor, three in a cemetery, and another over a philosopher.
  • Two 20-something men in line for beers at a festival in southern Russia, got in a heated dispute about 18th-century philosopher Immanuel Kant. The feud "
...

Chinese Hospital's Request: Female Virgins' Blood

Researchers face backlash ahead of HPV study

(Newser) - A Chinese cancer hospital has sparked anger with a call for blood donations—specifically from 100 female virgins ages 18 to 24. The Peking University Cancer Hospital says it's planning a study on HPV and that virgins are less likely to have the virus. "It's in line...

Creepy Clown Is Freaking Out a British Town

He apparently looks like Pennywise

(Newser) - If you suffer from coulrophobia, stop reading. The British town of Northampton has been reporting jarring sightings of a creepy clown, who first appeared on Friday (the 13th). The Herald & Post reports that the clown, a man fully decked out with red hair and white face with severely arched...

At Seahawks Game, Cops Dress as ... 49ers Fans

Fans are having a hard time keeping their hands to themselves

(Newser) - Apparently, Seattle Seahawks fans have gotten thuggish to the point that police are going undercover for today's game—dressed in 49ers jerseys, in a tactic aimed squarely at curbing fan fights and attacks. "The goal here is to get people to be on their best behavior," says...

Cops Find Drugs, Cash, Gun in Raid on ... Daycare?

1 kilo cocaine, 1K Oxy pills, wads of cash stashed at daycare center

(Newser) - Of all the places in the Bronx to find a stash of drugs, guns, and weapons, "Fun World Childcare" doesn't sound like the most likely candidate. But a raid on the building that houses the daycare center last week turned up more than just teddy bears and juice...

In New York, Pet Owners Can Now Be Buried With Pets

State puts new rules into place

(Newser) - Make room, Fido. New regulations will allow New York animal lovers to spend eternity with their pets. The only catch: Pet cemeteries can only bury pet owners' ashes as long as they don't charge a fee for it and don't advertise human burial services. New York's Division...

Congressman: Putin Beat Me in Drunken Arm-Wrestling

Dana Rohrabacher recounts his strange tale from 23 years ago

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin is back in the news today, but not for the reasons you might think. BuzzFeed picks up on an interview that California congressman Dana Rohrabacher gave to radio station KPCC yesterday. In it, the former Reagan speechwriter recounts how Putin and other Russian politicians visited him around 1990...

It's Friday the 13th: Would You Take Flight 666 to HEL?

The Finnair flight is actually almost full

(Newser) - Would you board flight 666 to HEL on Friday the 13th? For superstitious travelers, that might be tempting fate. But Finnair passengers on AY666 to Helsinki—which has the 3-letter designation HEL—don't seem too bothered. Today's flight is almost full. "It has been quite a joke...

Yep, That's a Frog in NASA Rocket Photo

Image from LADEE launch is a little strange

(Newser) - NASA can explain how its Voyager spacecraft managed the incredible feat of leaving the solar system , but this frog is a little more perplexing. A NASA still photo from the recent launch of the LADEE spacecraft has the bizarre sight of an airborne frog in the frame. Universe Today speculates...

Woman Drives Into Lake While Texting
Woman Drives Into Lake While Texting
Sep 11, 2013 11:34 AM CDT

Woman Drives Into Lake While Texting

She's fine, unlike her car

(Newser) - A 25-year-old woman in Maryland has delivered unto the nation the latest public-service announcement about texting and driving in dramatic fashion: Police say she lost control of her Hyundai while looking at her phone, smacked a tree, then drove 60 feet into a lake in Waldorf, reports NBC Washington . The...

'Forest Boy' Found After 16 Years in Siberia Wilderness

Parents raised him there from age of 4

(Newser) - A 20-year-old Russian man has emerged from a Siberian forest after spending 16 years living there. The man says he and his hermit parents moved there when he was 4. His folks finally left in May, and locals say they then decided to head to an island off Russia's...

Firefighters Rescue Guy Stuck in Chimney

They're not sure why he climbed in

(Newser) - Firefighters had to chisel a hole in a chimney at an apartment building in Washington state to rescue a man who'd gotten stuck inside. Authorities in Tacoma say the man is fine, but they're not sure what he was doing in the 20-inch space. Firefighters were called about...

Woman Reads Library Book, Realizes Author Is Her Sister

Cheryl Strayed's best-selling memoir brings women together

(Newser) - What many of us end up with after checking a book out of the library: a fine for returning it late. What one woman ended up with: a long-lost half sister. That woman isn't named by NPR , who spoke to author Cheryl Strayed. Wild is a memoir of her...

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