Great Wacky News Stories
1. Shangai: It’s a big pajama party. According to Reuters, wearing pajamas in public is one of the most irritating aspects of life in the city. Residents were asked about the practice, which is still quite common in Shangai, during a recent opinion poll. Other irritating practices listed by the city’s residents included aggressive pets, unhelpful neighbors and disregard for the environment. The poll was sponsored by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the Shangai Women’s Federation.
2. Man Sets Sights on Eye-Popping Record. The Associated Press reports that Claudio Paulo Pinto, who can pop his eyeballs out of their sockets, is trying to break the eye-popping record in the Guinness Book of World Records. According to Guinness, eye-popping is measured in terms of how far out of the sockets the eyes are popped. The current record belongs to Kim Goodman of Chicago, who was measured at an incredible 11 millimeters, or almost half an inch. Mr. Pinto has been measured at 0.3 inches, which is close but still a little short.
3. Man Plummets 50 Feet to Grab Missing $20. Another Associated Press story says that Mark Giorgio of Florida was counting his money while on a walk across a bridge over the Manatee River when a $20 bill slipped out of his hands and went over the rail. To get his $20 back, Mr. Giorgio jumped over the rail, falling 50 feet into the river below. He then swam about 100 yards to retrieve the bill. Giorgio, who was pulled from the water by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer, was quoted as saying, “Twenty bucks is a lot of money when you’re broke.” On a side note, Mr. Giorgio declined treatment for cuts and bruises resulting from his fall.
4. Doctor Accused of Stealing Cadaver Hand. The Associated Press reported that Dr. Ahmed Rashed, who graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, had been charged with stealing a hand from a cadaver and giving it to an exotic dancer. Reports indicate that the dancer, Ms. Linda Kay, kept the hand in a jar of formaldehyde in her bedroom, along with six human skulls. Friends of Ms. Kay told investigators that she had named the hand Freddy. Dr. Rashed, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, faces up to ten years in prison if convicted.
5. Ohio Man Sentenced in Coffee Urine Case. Finally, the AP also reported that Mr. Thomas Shaheen was sentenced to six months in a jail work-release program after pleading guilty in Akron Municipal Court to pouring urine into his co-workers’ coffee. Mr. Shaheen, who is a former postal worker, also must pay $1,200 to his victims to compensate for the costs incurred in making a secret video of him committing the disgusting act. Mr. Shaheen apologized to his co-workers after tainting their coffee over several months.
Though the news is often filled with the doom-and-gloom associated with an “If it bleeds, it leads” media mentality, there is a lighter side to what’s really going on around the world, even if it is a little weird.
