News of the Weird: Week of November 22, 2024

Expand

News of the Weird newspapers illustration

Creme de la Weird

On Nov. 7, the South China Morning Post reported an uproar following a social media post depicting a small child urinating on a table full of food. The baby's mother captured the moment on video when her child sprayed the breakfast table with urine, then proudly revealed that the family had continued to eat the food. The Beijing mom commented that they "rarely put disposable diapers on him ... We do not cover it because it is better not to interrupt the child while he is urinating."

Recurring Theme

On Nov. 8, police in Los Angeles arrested a man who had apparently been living in the crawl space beneath a 92-year-old woman's home, The New York Times reported. She had heard unusual noises from inside her house and assumed they were animals, but when family members heard knocking, they called police. When officers arrived, the alleged squatter, Isaac Betancourt, 27, who was naked, would not come out from under the home. Betancourt had to be forced out with gas; he was released after his arrest for trespassing. The homeowner's son-in-law, Ricardo Silva, said the entrances to the crawl space would be secured. "It's probably not uncommon, you know," Silva said, "in this day and age, people are looking for shelter."

The Aristocrats

Auction house Reeman Dansie in Colchester, England, announced that a slice of wedding cake from the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has been purchased for $2,831, United Press International reported. The little slice of history, part of a 500-pound cake served at the Nov. 20, 1947, wedding, had been given as a gift to Marion Polson, a housekeeper at Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was preserved in a box bearing the then-princess's insignia and included a letter from the bride. No word on how it tasted. 

Oops

Mattel is scrambling after releasing its new line of "Wicked" dolls in packaging that included a link not to the upcoming movie's official page, but to a porn website, United Press International reported. "We deeply regret this unfortunate error," the company said in a statement. It was unclear how many dolls carried the misprint, but the company said they were mostly sold in the United States. Mattel helpfully advises people who have purchased products with the misprint to dispose of the boxes. 

Awesome!

Aaron Fowler, a surfer in Denmark, Western Australia, was riding the waves on Nov. 1 when he spotted an unusual bird, the Albany Advertiser reported. "There was this big bird in the water ... and it just stood up and waddled right over to us," he said. The emperor penguin had swum thousands of kilometers from Antarctica and was malnourished; it was given into the care of the University of Western Australia's School of Biological Sciences, where its rehabilitation is expected to last a few weeks. One expert there said the penguins are never observed north of the 60th parallel south. "It was kind of funny," Fowler said, "like as he came out of the water, he went to do a tummy slide -- like I guess he's used to on the ice -- and he just did a kind of face-plant in the sand ... and looked a bit shocked." 

Say What? 

Semi-professional paranormal investigator Johnny Turnip of Abergavenny, Wales, has weighed in on the recent American election, the Abergavenny Chronicle reported on Nov. 11. "Trump isn't the real enemy, leprechauns are!" he told the paper. "They have been using world leaders and royalty as puppets and distractions from their own diabolical schemes for generations. I don't think either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris were ever aware that they were being used by these corrupt, gold-hungry, shamrock-obsessed, stove-pipe-wearing, alcoholic little pygmies." Turnip went on: "Most people don't think leprechauns are real, and neither did I until a wise man told me that I'd have a hard time finding a mermaid in this day and age because the leprechauns had systematically slaughtered most for them for their scales centuries ago." Unsurprisingly, Turnip had MUCH more to say than we can include here. Consider yourself warned. 

Undignified Death

The Marion County (Indiana) Coroner identified a man found deceased on Nov. 11 as Derek Sink, 39, People magazine reported. Sink was discovered in a tanning bed at a Planet Fitness location, where he had arrived on Friday, Nov. 8. His family had not heard from him since Friday and reported him missing on Sunday; Sink, who had battled addiction, was wearing an ankle monitor, so his probation officer was able to see his last location. Sink's mother, Karen Wetzel, said a syringe was found in the room with him, and she suspects he overdosed. She called her son "the kindest person" with "the softest heart." 

The Passing Parade 

On Nov. 6, Mohammed Abdullah Alabilan, 27, of Pennsylvania, received a lap dance inside the Reign nightclub in Clearwater, Florida, but "refused to pay the $40 service fee," The Smoking Gun reported. When Alabilan tried to leave the club, a deputy stepped in and charged him with misdemeanor theft. He was released from jail after paying ... a $40 bond. The judge ordered him to stay away from the nightclub. 

Least Competent Criminals 

Four Californians were arrested for insurance fraud on Nov. 13 for an incident that took place in January, NBC News reported. Ruben Tamrazian, 26; Ararat Chirkinian, 39; Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32; and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, filed insurance claims on three Mercedes cars, complete with video, which they said had been damaged by a bear. The Jan. 8 alleged attack took place while the cars were parked at Lake Arrowhead northeast of Los Angeles. "The investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume," the insurance department said. The bear costume, paws and metal hand tools that simulate claws were found in the suspects' home, officials said. Investigators said they had shown the video to a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who "opined it was clearly a human in a bear suit." 

Animal Antics 

Residents of Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire, England, seem conflicted about the badgers that are causing problems in their burg. The Daily Star reported on Nov. 13 that the burrowing animals have caused roads and sidewalks to collapse, which has resulted in construction projects and delays everywhere. But the locals are reticent about eliminating them: "I don't want anything untoward to happen to them, but I'm a believer that they've got to be controlled in certain areas," said resident Des Barnett. Natural England has warned road workers that their projects must be complete by the end of November, when badger mating season begins, or be put off until July 2025. 

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.  

News of the Weird is now a podcast on all major platforms! Visit newsoftheweirdpodcast.com to find out more.                                        

COPYRIGHT 2023 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

1130 Walnut, Kansas City MO 64106; 800-255-6734