Weird News of the World Thread - Part 1

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Cambridge Students Are Smuggling Candy in Hollowed-Out Library Books

Newnham College, one of the women-only colleges of Cambridge, has uncovered an exam-time chocolate-smuggling ring operating out of the college library. A mysterious book found during a stock check had been hollowed out and filled with two hidden candy bars.

"Dear student, congratulations on finding this book. Take your prize and return with one for the next person," read the note at the bottom of the stash.

Food and drink aren't allowed in the library, so this is a nifty bit of mischief.

It could have gone entirely undiscovered, too, but the book—Margaret Drabble's Oxford Companion to English Literature—had no library labels on it, prompting a student library worker to open it up.

Cambridge News says it's not clear how many times the candy had been found and replaced over the exam period.

"We don't know how long the book was there for but we don't think it was very long. A lot of our students got firsts [on their exams] this year so who knows whether they were helped with their studies by these chocolates," said Newnham College spokeswoman Jo Tynan.

This isn't the first time Newnham students have hidden secrets in library books. When Tynan posted about the chocolate stash on the college's Facebook page, alumna told her they'd found a pack of Minstrels (chocolate candy) and a love letter in the stacks.

Finding the book would have been tough for anyone who didn't know where to look. The library is one of Cambridge's largest, housing 90,000 volumes.

https://www.facebook.com/NewnhamCollege/posts/315919571903353

Much better than smuggling drugs as some colleges have been known for

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The UK Is Getting a Spaceport Too

The UK may have a spaceport within four years—and it will likely be in the northern reaches of Scotland.

The plan to have a UK spaceport up and running by 2018 is expected to be announced by the government's science minister this week, with six potential sites—four of which are in rural Scotland, where it won't matter so much if spaceplanes crash back to earth—on the shortlist. The existing transport base at Lossiemouth is said to be one of the places Virgin Galactic has already put forward as a possible spaceport location, with Bristol's Filton airfield another option. Either way, the UK is clearly joining the commercial space race, too.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/...ans-commercial-spaceport-farnborough-air-show

I really want commercial space travel to happen before I die

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Amazing hail storm on a beach looks like the beginning of the Apocalypse

This video captured on a beach in Novosibirsk, Siberia, looks like a scene from a movie about the end of the world. People were enjoying a perfect sunny day—with temperatures of 99F (37C)—when bullet-sized hail started strafing the beach while everyone were running for their lives in panic.

[YT]idjyusDUGSc#t[/YT]

According to The Siberian Times, a woman's voice is heard in the video saying "if we die, I love you." I don't blame her. Another one told the paper that her "husband was protecting my young daughter but his back was exposed to the hailstones and he has bruising all over it."

http://siberiantimes.com/other/othe...n-beach-in-mid-summer-extraordinary-pictures/

In Russia, nice day at the beach will kill you

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

It's So Hot In Yellowstone That a Road Literally Melted

Yellowstone National Park is riddled with constantly changing geothermal hot spots—it's part of the reason for the park's famous geysers. But this past Thursday, the area around one section of road got so hot that asphalt literally started melting.

The soupy mess of a road forced park officials to close off access to some of the park's biggest tourist attractions. What's more, visitors have been warned against even attempting to hike in the area—the spiking temperatures have created hidden pockets of boiling hot water.

While this isn't the first time one of Yellowstone's roads has been damaged by the park's curious geological phenomena, the damage to Firehole Lake Drive is nearly unprecedented and could take quite a few days to fix. Of course, the unusually warm summer the park's been having doesn't help much either. But hey—at least the road is living up to its name.

http://nypost.com/2014/07/12/it-was-so-hot-in-yellowstone-that-a-road-melted/

Now that is crazy

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Why the British Don't Refrigerate Eggs

If you've ever been to a supermarket in the UK, you were probably surprised (if not a little grossed out) to see stacks of eggs hanging out with nary a refrigerated one in site. As it turns out, we might actually be the crazy ones.

Business Insider did some research on the conundrum, and interestingly enough, British eggs aren't supposed to be refrigerated because they're not washed. As BI explains:

In the U.S., the Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that eggs destined to be sold on supermarket shelves — called graded eggs — are washed and sprayed with a chemical sanitizer before they are sold to the public to reduce the risk of salmonella infection.

In the U.K., Grade A hen eggs may not be washed because the process is thought to "aid the transfer of harmful bacteria like salmonella from the outside to the inside of the egg," according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. In fact, Forbes contributor Nadia Arumugam pointed out that USDA graded eggs could not be legally sold in the U.K. (and the other way around) due to these different preparation methods.

So what does all that have to do with refrigeration? Since the US generally uses factory farm environments to raise our chickens, our eggs are far more susceptible to salmonella contamination. Which means that washing the eggs is absolutely imperative. In the UK, though, farmers prioritize producing "clean eggs at the point of collection, rather than trying to clean them afterwards."

But as BI notes, "scientists have found that the washing process may damage an outside layer of the egg shell known as the cuticle," which would make it easier for bacteria to sneak inside. The cooler temperatures of a refrigerator, though, help prevent eggs from deteriorating quite so fast. BI goes on to explain why salmonella just isn't as big of a problem in the UK as it is in the US. The whole report is fascinating, though, and you can read it in full over at Business Insider.

http://www.businessinsider.com/should-you-refrigerate-eggs-2014-7

I always wondered why that was

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Picnic Baskets Filled with Giant African Snails Seized at LAX

Sixty-seven live giant African snails were discovered in two picnic baskets at the Los Angeles International Airport earlier this month. The snails, which collectively weighed 35 pounds, were sent from Lagos, Nigeria, to a person in San Dimas, Ca., and were apparently intended for human consumption.

This is, according to the Los Angeles Times, the most snails Customs has ever dealt with:

In the past, federal inspectors have discovered one or two of the large snails hidden in luggage, but this marked "the first time this pest has been encountered in such large quantity and as a consumption entry" in Los Angeles, said Todd C. Owen, director of field operations for the customs agency.

Giant African snails, also known as land snails, can live as long as 10 years and grow up to eight inches long. The snails can carry parasites harmful to humans.

Owing to the snails' potential threat to humans, they were incinerated after being inspected, Lee Harty, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Borders told the Associated Press. But apparently it's no big deal if you accidentally bring crop-killing, possibly-people-hurting mollusks into the country.

"We're investigating what happened but it doesn't seem like there was smuggling involved. When someone doesn't know a commodity is prohibited under USDA regulations there is usually no punishment," Maveeda Mirza, CBP program manager for agriculture, told the Associated Press.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...snails-seized-lax-airport-20140714-story.html

I didn't know many people liked to eat snails here in the states

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Man Attempts to Hang Himself from U.S.-Mexico Border Fence

A 27-year-old Mexican citizen tried to hang himself from a U.S.-Mexico border fence near Calexico today, authorities report. A U.S. Border Patrol agent managed to free the man from his noose and revive him after he had fallen unconscious.

From the Press-Enterprise:

A U.S. Border Patrol agent near 1st Street saw the man scaling the fence with a rope on the Mexico side about 7 p.m. As the agent approached, the man wrapped the rope around his neck, hanging himself on the U.S. side of the fence, Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Jacobo said.

The agent grabbed the man by his legs, elevating him to release the pressure around his neck, until another agent arrived to help, a Border Patrol news release said. At some point, the rope came loose and the agents lowered the man to the ground.

According to the Desert Sun, the man, who has yet to be identified, was taken to El Centro Regional Medical Center by paramedics.

http://blog.pe.com/news/2014/07/14/calexico-man-tries-to-hang-himself-from-border-fence/

Very odd place to try and take your life

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

One Man and His Bot Have Written Almost 10 Percent of Wikipedia

You've probably never heard of Sverker Johansson, but you probably should have. He is, afterall, the most prolific WIkipedia author on the internet—having written 2.7 million articles for the online encyclopaedia.

The Wall Street Journal has a wonderful profile of the 53-year-old Swede, whose output outstrips any other Wikipedia editor. Holding degrees in linguistics, civil engineering, economics and particle physics, he's contributed most heavily to the subjects of obscure animal species—particularly butterflies and beetles—and is proudest about his work on towns in the Philippines.

You may not have read anything he's written though: a third of his contributions are in Swedish (his native tongue) and two third in Filipino (that of his wife). And his contributions aren't a solo effort, as the Journal explains:

[T]he bulk of his entries have been created by a computer software program—known as a bot... Mr. Johansson's program scrubs databases and other digital sources for information, and then packages it into an article. On a good day, he says his "Lsjbot" creates up to 10,000 new entries.

Bots are a controversial tool on Wikipedia, with some people claiming they drown out human creativity—though their use is allowed under the rules governing the site. You can read more about how Johansson and his bot work over on the Journal. You should, it's a fascinating read.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/for-...pedia-articles-is-a-good-days-work-1405305001

And people think I post a lot of articles

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The largest wave ever surfed on a skimboard

Skimboarder Brad Domke headed to Puerto Escondido, Mexico, to encounter this insane looking wave—the largest ever surfed on a skimboard and already described as a potential "wave of the year". Skimboards don't have fins so this is even more impressive than it looks.

[YT]2Cu0VnsWNTI[/YT]

Skim boards are hard to surf with in little waves, this is amazing

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Insane scooter traffic on a highway ramp in Taiwan

I knew traffic in Taiwan was crazy, but this video is even crazier than my worst nightmares. Look at a gazillion mopeds going down a highway ramp. No, this is not a moped race. It's just normal daily traffic. Unbelievable.

[YT]oYRrBQj5gr0[/YT]

What exactly do you do when you need to turn?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Bloomberg Terminals Have a Secret Craigslist for Crazy Rich People

For about $2,000 a month, Bloomberg Terminals seem like a tremendous waste of money for anyone but the avid trader. But! Did you know that insane price comes with access to a special classifieds section, populated exclusively with stuff from other overpaid Bloomberg subscribers? It's called POSH, and it's kind of amazing.

BuzzFeed recently took a peek inside Bloomberg's private classifieds, a "little-known Craigslist just for rich people." It's an alarmingly apt description for a service that looks a little bit like Prodigy in the early 1990s but is populated with ads for multi-million dollar estates, rare automobiles, and yachts—lots of yachts. The extent to which the interface looks deceptively cheap and the goods look insultingly expensive cannot be exaggerated.

Got $20 million burning a hole in your pocket? You'll love this 10-bedroom estate in Mallorca, complete with a movie theater and an indoor pool. The Hunter's Lodge in the guest house is a real bonus:

Or, if you're like this lowly blogger and always looking to save a buck, you can finally get rid of that crap stocking stuffer for last Christmas. Seriously, why would you shop at the Gap when you can get the exact same shirts from Thomas Pink for ten times the price?

But hey, at least these traders are using their Bloomberg terminals for actual commerce and not corporate espionage. Click through to BuzzFeed to read more depressing examples of unchecked capitalism that will make you green with envy.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/theres-a-little-known-craigslist-just-for-rich-people

Of course the 1% has it's own Craigslist

 

[squeekness]

Well they don't want to bum the rest of us out by showing us crap we'll never have the money to own.

 

[KevanG]

Can you imagine the BS they'd get every five minutes from us poor slobs by asking them to take $50 and an old fridge for the Lambo?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The States Where You're Most Likely to Be Wiretapped

Hate the thought of getting wiretapped? You might want to stay out of Nevada. And California, Colorado, and New York. Those states account for around half of the wiretapping activity on portable devices in the U.S., according to a report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Court.

For every 500,000 people in Nevada, around 38 are wiretapped on their phones and portable devices a year. California has the largest number of wiretaps overall, with 26 percent of the total wiretap authorization requests. Riverside, California had a whopping 341 wiretaps authorized, more than Los Angeles proper, which suggests it's an area that law enforcement officials suspect to be rife with something criminal. Or it's an area where law enforcement officials just have more luck getting authorization to listen in.

Meanwhile, hardly anyone is getting wiretapped in Washington and Michigan, where just .1 out of 500,000 gets surreptitiously surveilled on portable devices. And Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont didn't have any wiretap requests at all.

Why the discrepancy? The U.S. Courts report states that 87 percent of the wiretapping authorization requests specify illegal drugs as the primary crime. So states with high rates of illegal drug activity are likely to have higher wiretapping rates.

Of course, if you're not doing anything illegal, your chances of getting wiretapped by a law enforcement agency will be far lower than someone who is participating in a drug scheme or engaged in another felonious activity, whether you're in Reno or Roca Baton.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/14/where-the-u-s-wiretap-hotspots-are/

Look out if you are in the drug game in Cali

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

German Government Is Using Typewriters to Avoid the NSA's Gaze

Germany hasn't been best pleased by the NSA's attention over the last few years. Now, though, it's revealed that it's taking drastic action, and ditching computers in favor of something more secure: typewriters.

Speaking on German TV, Patrick Sensburg, chairman of the German parliament's National Security Agency investigative committee, explained that he was taking operational security "very seriously." He added that, "in fact, we already have [a typewriter], and it's even a non-electronic typewriter."

It's not all backwards looking, though: the government is also clamping down on smartphone use, encouraging encryption and making sure that phones are audited. "We have to try to keep our internal communication sure to send encrypted e-mails, use crypto phones and other things, and other things that I won't mention, of course," explained Sensburg. Presumably he's referring to strings and cups.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...german-nsa-committee-may-turn-to-typewriters/

With friends like these..., right?

 

[Marvolo]

Amazing hail storm on a beach looks like the beginning of the Apocalypse

http://siberiantimes.com/other/othe...n-beach-in-mid-summer-extraordinary-pictures/

In Russia, nice day at the beach will kill you

This morning my local news used that footage in a report on my local weather mind you I live in NC...over 3,000 miles from siberia. I guess the news crew have a different definition for "local".

 

[charl_huntress]

Amazing hail storm on a beach looks like the beginning of the Apocalypse

http://siberiantimes.com/other/othe...n-beach-in-mid-summer-extraordinary-pictures/

In Russia, nice day at the beach will kill you

I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help myself.

 

[Marvolo]

Mother Nature: "Oh what a beautiful day at the beach...It'd be a shame if I hailed all over it."

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

This morning my local news used that footage in a report on my local weather mind you I live in NC...over 3,000 miles from siberia. I guess the news crew have a different definition for "local".

You should call them out on their Facebook page

 

[Marvolo]

You should call them out on their Facebook page

Ill check out their page when I get home. If its on there still Ill comment on it.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Hero Pig Terrorizes Community

There's a pig going around and scaring residents of Oakland, Maine. Some say he is a threatening pig. Others say he is a mystery pig. I say he is some pig!

He first showed his snout last week to two children that he scared so badly, they ran and told the police like the big babies that they are:

A mystery pig remains at large in Oakland after frightening two children so badly that they flagged down a police officer Tuesday afternoon to report it to authorities.

Capt. Rick Stubbert, of the Oakland Police Department, said he doesn't know where the pig came from or why it might have been acting aggressively.

The children told an officer that they were on a walking trail in the wooded area between Messalonskee Middle School and Messalonskee High School about 1:45 p.m. when the pig confronted them, "screaming at the kids and chasing them," Stubbert said.

Good pig! Those little bacon-eaters undoubtedly had it coming, and the only way you can get through to kids these days anyway is by screaming at them. This pig is sharp. This pig has something to say. This pig has ambitions way beyond walking on his hind legs and taking over the old Manor Farm. What a good pig.

This week, good old pig boy was up to his old tricks, this time scaring a grown woman who also went and tattled to the police:

The woman Monday was worried that the 80-pound black-and-white pig might attack her and took refuge on the side rail of a wooden bridge on the forested walking trail between Messalonskee Middle School and Messalonskee High School.

"She was not attacked but was very frightened and came to the station to report it," Capt. Rick Stubbert, of the Oakland Police Department, said shortly after closing the trail Monday afternoon.

Police searched the trail for the pig but once again found only tracks.

"The pig is out there," he said.

But you know what isn't out there? The truth. In the just-linked update, the "two children" the pig initially scared are now being described as "a high school student." No one is sure of anything in this story, except for the pig, who knows how to scare people into alerting authorities. A good pig is an effective pig!

The sightings have caused the closing of the path where the pig was spotted. There is a search underway so as to reunite the pig with his owner. It is estimated that the pig has been at large for a month.

The hero pig update above ends on an ominous note for nearby residents, who have no idea where or when the pig will next scream at them:

"According to the USDA, they do very well in the woods eating nuts and things, as long as they have a water source," he said. He said pigs typically establish a range of between six and eight miles.

Dissolve to foreboding, bass-filled synth sounds and hoofs on a forest floor.

A rogue pig. What an exciting thing to dread sunset for. In addition to being some pig, this pig is terrific and radiant, but probably not humble, because in 2014, that doesn't behoove anyone.

http://www.centralmaine.com/2014/07/14/oakland-mystery-pig-strikes-again/

Reminds me of when I visited my grandpa's farm in Georgia when I I was young and one of the pigs freaked out and came after me. I hopped that fence real quick

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The World's Largest Floating Prison Is In NYC

Docked off the Bronx in Long Island Sound, the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center prison barge is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest operational prison ship in the world. Yet many New Yorkers might be surprised to find out it exists.

The barge was built as a result of overcrowding prisons in 1980s New York City. It has evolved throughout the decades to house different types of inmates, and in many respects, it's no different than a conventional prison. The top left section of the barge has a caged in recreational area made up of basketball courts.

In an odd way, this prison could become a model for other developments. Bain has been in operation since 1992—but if New York's skyrocketing land values continue unabated, floating buildings could eventually become more common.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_C._Bain_Correctional_Center

I lived in a barge when I first got to my ship in Hawaii since it was dry docked at the time.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Seth MacFarlane Sued for Allegedly Stealing Ted Idea

According to the Hollywood Reporter, a production company in California—Bengal Mangle Productions—filed a lawsuit against Seth MacFarlane on Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The company cites a screenplay they created in 2008 called Acting School Academy, which features a womanizing, inappropriate teddy bear named Charlie. The lawsuit claims that MacFarlane's titular Ted is "strikingly similar to plaintiffs' Charlie character." From the Hollywood Reporter:

The suit says the Charlie character, like Ted, lives in a "human, adult world with all human friends. Charlie has a penchant for drinking, smoking, prostitutes, and is a generally vulgar yet humorous character," states the lawsuit, which also names Ted producer Media Rights Capital and distributor Universal Studios.

The lawsuit states that Acting School Academy eventually became a web series—with a spinoff called "Charlie the Abusive Teddy Bear"—that was shown on YouTube, Funny or Die, Vimeo, and elsewhere, gaining over 1.2 million views between July 2009 and June 2012.

Neither MacFarlane nor Universal have commented about the lawsuit, which alleges copyright infringement and seeks unspecified damages.

As both Ted and Charlie would say, "curse word!"

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/ted-studios-seth-macfarlane-sued-718784

Wonder why they decided to sue now so long after the movie came out. I'm sure it couldn't have anything to do with the sequel that's in development. It's also absurd to think that 2 different people could come up with the idea of a foul mouthed, drug abusing teddy bear

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Japanese Artist Arrested for 3-D Printing Her Vagina Selfie

Japanese artist Rokudenashiko was arrested after turning her vagina selfie into a 3-D printed "***** boat" and sending the scans to her supporters from a crowdfunding campaign. Police said that sending the scans (which could be used to 3-D print more vagina selfies) breaks Japan's obscenity laws.

The Guardian reports that the artist, whose real name is Megumi Igarashi, could face up to two years in jail or a fine of about $24,500 if convicted. Rokudenashiko has denied the allegations and questioned why the scans are being called obscene. She explains her vagina-themed art this way: "I wanted to make ***** more casual and pop."

In her crowdfunding campaign pitch, Rokudenashiko offered mock-ups of the boat and this explanation of why she needed a 3-D printer:

I wanted to make ***** more casual and pop. That's how I came to make a ***** lampshade, a remote-controlled ***** car, a ***** accessary, a ***** smartphone case, and so on. ... However, mold by hand has the limitation. ... [It's] not suitable for making large art pieces such as a ***** door, a ***** car, or a ***** boat. I was wondering how I can make it possible, and then I finally found that 3D scanner can make it happen easily!

Rokudenashiko did make the boat, and she's committed to continuing her art. "***** has been such a taboo in the Japanese society," she writes. "Penis, on the other hand, has been used in illustrations and signed as a part of pop culture. But ***** has never been so cute."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-3d-printers-lands-japanese-artist-in-trouble

So child porn anime and girls used underwear vending machines are cool yet vagina art will get you arrested?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Camera Captures Terrifying Video of a Tornado Destroying a Store

[YT]RBdr3CM7pnI[/YT]

A surveillance camera in a Farmer's Co-Op Store in Pilger, Nebraska caught the terrifying moment that one of the twin EF-4 tornadoes swept through the town last month, demolishing a large part of the building in mere seconds.

The video is about ten minutes long — skip to the 1:00 mark for the "action," if you will. A few minutes after the tornado sweeps through, the people who sought refuge in the back of the store return to survey the damage. The video is a testament to the power of tornadoes; it took seconds to go from relative calm to utter calamity.

This is the latest in a string of intense security camera videos released by organizations struck by tornadoes this year. Two weeks ago, a gas station surveillance camera in Wisconsin captured a direct hit from an EF-1 tornado, and back in April a camera installed outside a church in Tupelo, Mississippi witnessed the full fury of a destructive EF-3 twister.

Mother Nature can mess you up something fierce