Man Trying to Kill Bees Sets Home Ablaze
A man who tried to keep bees off his property accidentally set fire to his house instead, causing at least $500 damage. Franklyn Pigott Jr. set his home ablaze Wednesday while attempting to destroy a nest of bees that had formed outside the home, the Fort Myers News-Press reported Thursday.
They smell the fruits of victory, but decide to take cash instead:
A South Beach sweepstakes winner wasn’t filthy rich, but rich in filth, when she scored an unusual prize — 7.5 tons of horse manure. The pile of poop was one of several unique Lancaster County, Pa.-themed gifts awarded during Turkey Hill Dairy’s 75th-anniversary sweepstakes contest, which began Jan. 1, 2006 and ends Jan. 31. The company chose prizes ranging from quaint to wacky that tie in to Pennsylvania Dutch country, where Turkey Hill manufactures its line of ice cream, iced tea and other products.
Hat tip to Edmund!
State may ditch anti-idiot clause
In a bold move forward, the state of New Jersey is considering amending a clause in its constitution which prevents idiots from voting. State Senate President Richard Codey has introduced a bill to remove the words ‘no idiot or insane person should enjoy the right of suffrage’ from the state constitution.
Attorney dies after cosmetic surgery
“Anytime anyone goes under anesthesia for an extended amount of time, there is a potential for a bad outcome, including death,” he said. “Such a circumstance is rare, but it is a possibility. We understand the surgery was done by a respected plastic surgeon, and we decided there was no governmental jurisdiction.”
Americans May Lose $8.2 Billion On Unredeemed Gift Cards
“…For retailers, unclaimed value on gift cards is an $8.2 billion windfall. It is equivalent to people walking into stores and restaurants, handing the cashier money and walking out. The $8.2 billion figure is more than twice all the credit card and debit card fraud reported this year.Brian Riley, senior research analyst for TowerGroup, said cards often go unused because when people receive them they do not view them as money and put them aside in ways they would not if it were cash.
In other cases, the card holder uses some of the value on their gift card and then sets it aside with the intention of using it later but never does, especially if the card only has a dollar or two still unused.”
Crashing helicopter decapitates two:
“It was 15h30. The helicopter crashed onto parked cars close to the restaurant. The victims were the parents of a five-year-old girl. At least two of them were been decapitated,” said the source, a former AFP journalist. “The little girl cried out ‘My daddy doesn’t have a head anymore’. Everyone is in a state of shock,” he added. The body of an unidentified man was also found at the scene, local firefighters said.
‘Self igniting’ Iran cars worry police
Hundreds of Iranian-made cars have suddenly caught fire on Iran’s roads over the past months, with police pointing to the Peugeot 405 as the main culprit.Since the beginning of the Iranian year in March, there have been 125 incidents of cars catching fire without warning and then killing or injuring the occupants, traffic police chief Mohammad Rooyanian said Monday.
French woman stuck in elevator for 3 days
A French woman’s Christmas celebrations were almost ruined this year after she got stuck in a lift for 72 hours. The 19-year-old, identified only as Safiatou, got into the lift in a Parisian housing estate on Tuesday, December 19. She was found dehydrated but alive the following Friday.
Mystery billionaire pays $200m in back tax – and keeps a state afloat
Feeling nervous about your end-of-year tax bill? Already suffering from bouts of loathing towards Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then consolation can be found in California, where a mysterious “Taxpayer X” has just come clean about his income and handed over $200 million in unpaid taxes — almost single-handedly eliminating the revenue shortfall of the state.
Purse-wielding women bag suspect
“There they were, all minding their own business, when they realized simultaneously that action needed to be taken,” said Richard Bull, spokesman for West Mercia Police. “They didn’t know one another, but they all thought the same thing.” “They surprised the man, but also demoralized him — after all, the world and his wife were already after him,” Bull added.
Macy’s Pulls Sean John Jackets For Dog Fur Use:
Macy’s has pulled from its shelves and its Web site two styles of Sean John hooded jackets, originally advertised as featuring faux fur, after an investigation by the nation’s largest animal protection organization concluded that the garments were actually made from a certain species of dog called “raccoon dog.” “First these jackets were falsely advertised as faux fur, and then it turned out that the fur came from a type of dog,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.
A fake news bulletin that Belgium was to split sparked outrage in both halves of the country on Thursday, although the television station responsible provoked a debate about the nation’s future. “Irresponsible,” “questionable” and “regrettable” were among the reactions from Belgium’s political mainstream in both French-speaking Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders after a fictional report that Flanders had declared independence.
More can be found here.
