The weird news thread

Yes, another weird story from Florida. Maybe the humidity damages people's brains.

Florida restaurant customer calls 911 twice because the clams he ordered were 'so small'

www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article191312259.html

Any 36-year-old man who is afraid of a fershlugginer cartoon character deserves to be teased!

Man claims father-in-law used toupee to scare him
The Associated Press, Dec 21 2017

A New York City man who says he has a fear of the Tasmanian Devil claims his father-in-law repeatedly scared him with a toupee that looks like the cartoon character. Yunes Doleh was arrested in November for violating a restraining order filed by his son-in-law, Mazen Dayem. The 36-year-old says Doleh terrorized him at a funeral by waving the hairpiece and snarling. The Staten Island man says he's had a fear of the Tasmanian Devil his entire life. Dayem claims his father-in-law has taken advantage of his phobia since 2013. Dayem filed a restraining order in September following an altercation with Doleh at a restaurant. Doleh faces charges of criminal contempt and aggravated harassment.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-claim...074402333.html

Ya gotta love this story:

Copenhagen drug dealer with 1,000 joints mistakes police car for taxi, asks for ride

http://www.rt.com/news/414018-denmar...e-taxi-joints/

"Oh, Luke, how thoughtful of you! They're just what I've always wanted!" Uh-huh.

Country singer Luke Bryan gives his wife a pair of baby kangaroos for Christmas

http://www.today.com/popculture/luke...istmas-t120577

Florida. Florida! Why do most of the bizarre stories come from Florida? And this one sounds more like an episode of Columbo:

Florida man tries to electrocute pregnant wife, changes Facebook status to 'Widowed'
Newsweek, Dec 29 2017

A Florida man is accused of attempting to kill his wife after he wired the front door of their home to a car battery charger in an attempt to electrocute her. Flagler County Sheriff’s investigators said Michael Wilson, 32, attached electrical devices inside the deadbolt lock and to the door handle of their home. Wilson’s plan was for his wife to stick her key in the lock and grab the handle of the door, which would have killed her. Luckily, she never touched the rigged doorknob. Wilson was arrested Thursday and has been charged with two counts of attempted aggravated battery on a pregnant person and one count of grand theft of a firearm.

Wilson had accused his wife of cheating on him. His Facebook page, where he is listed as "widowed," shows him holding two handguns and bragging that he "is the guy that your father warned you about." He is being held on $150,000 bail.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-tries...213255704.html

"Oh, a wise guy, eh?"

Stylist accused of giving man unwanted 'Stooges' hairdo
SFGate, Jan 1 2018 9:47 PM

Police in Madison, Wisconsin, arrested a hairstylist after he gave a customer a very unwanted Larry Fine hairdo. The 22-year-old victim told officers the stylist asked him to stop fidgeting and moving his head during the Friday haircut. Police spokesman Joel DeSpain says the stylist then nicked the customer's ear with his clippers before running them down the middle of the man's head on their shortest attachment, "leaving him looking a bit like Larry from The Three Stooges." Officers arrested the 46-year-old hairstylist, Khaled Shabani, who told officers it was an accident and pleaded not guilty to charges of mayhem and disorderly conduct.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/art...n-12456980.php

Yes, another weird story from Florida. This drunken schmuck told police he had been driving around all night, even on the wrong side of the road, "trying to get pulled over." He finally called 911 -- and he finally got pulled over.

Florida man calls 911 to report drunk driver — himself

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...105-story.html

Yes, Florida again. Maybe this woman should not have been using catnip-scented perfume and salmon-flavored lip gloss.

Florida woman attacked by cat, run over by own car
CBS News, Jan 7 2018 5:10 PM

In case you thought your day couldn't get worse, imagine being attacked by a cat in your own car and then run over by your vehicle as it backed in reverse as you tried to escape. That was the situation for one woman Friday evening in Cocoa, Florida. Highway Patrol troopers say the cat conundrum occurred in a car parked in the grass in front of a house in Cocoa. As the woman was preparing to drive off, the feline jumped into the car and attacked her. Apparently the woman was so startled that she forgot the car was in reverse, and as she attempted to escape, the car ran her over and struck a parked car. Neighbors told troopers that a nearby homeowner has several cats but investigators say none of the cats appeared to be aggressive. The woman sustained critical injuries.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cat-att...beach-florida/

Car sculpted out of snow is realistic enough to fool the police
Auto Blog, Jan 18 2018 4:00 PM

Simon Laprise, a Montreal artist and machinist who made a full-size car out of snow in a snow removal zone, had some harmless fun when the snow installation fooled the local police, who pulled over and were photographed approaching the car, apparently believing it was real and parked illegally.

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/01/18/...-viral-police/

How are we, here in California, supposed to solve the problem of homeless people living on the streets if they won't cooperate?

Homeless man escapes after being thrown into garbage truck with his tent in San Diego
Los Angeles Times, Jan 27 2018 10:45 AM

The shrieking came from inside the jumble of tents and bedding and personal belongings scooped off the street. Arms started flailing and the screams grew louder. In what could have turned into a fatal blunder, a homeless man scrambled out of a San Diego city trash truck and avoided being crushed by mere seconds last month, city officials say. The man walked away before work crews could offer assistance — or even collect his name and information. Work was suspended for the day to figure out exactly what went wrong.

The incident occurred December 22 in downtown San Diego as police and code-enforcement officers were performing a regular clearing of homeless encampments. The abatements involve removing property left on the street, usually by homeless people. Police officers at the scene approved the area for clearing before work crews heaved the tent into the trash truck. Presumably they thought the tent was filled with bedding and other discards. San Diego police did not respond to questions about why officers allowed the code-enforcement team to proceed with the removal of an occupied tent.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...127-story.html

I would not be a good judge of a camel beauty contest -- they all look alike to me!

12 camels kicked out of beauty contest for using Botox
Live Science, Jan 23 2018 06:07 PM

Officials with Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Camel Festival kicked out a dozen camels from a camel beauty contest for receiving Botox injections, according to a report published in The National, an Abu Dhabi newspaper. More than 30,000 camels and 300,000 human visitors showed up for the second annual festival, which runs from January 1 to February 1 this year. And the top spot in that horde of humped herbivores is worth a pretty penny: This year's prize money totals $57 million, with $31.8 million set aside for awards for "pageantry."

Days before the festival, a veterinarian was "caught red-handed" giving camels Botox and performing surgery to reduce the size of their ears, The National reported. "They use Botox for the lips, the nose, the upper lips, the lower lips and even the jaw," said Ali Al Mazrouei, a festival regular. The National also reported that in addition to the height, shape and placement of its hump, "a full, droopy lip and large features are essential to achieving camel celebrity status in the multimillion-dollar industry of camel pageantry."

https://www.livescience.com/61508-lo...ox-camels.html

Maybe this dummy had the idea that he could embalm himself and reduce the expense of his funeral.

'Bored' Florida man breaks into funeral home
NBC New York, Feb 3 2018 12:47 AM

A Florida man is accused of breaking into a funeral home and stealing items including a tub of formaldehyde. Hernando County Sheriff's deputies went to the Demarco Family Funeral Home in Spring Hill early Friday after someone working in a nearby business saw a man carrying a crowbar going in and out of the building. They arrested 29-year-old Aaron Meininger on commercial burglary and grand theft charges. Meininger told investigators he was bored and didn't know he was breaking into a funeral home. He said he didn't even know what he was going to do with the items found in his car, including makeup and various instruments used in funeral preparation.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/weir...472370693.html

I will file this story in the "What the heck was he thinking?" department.

North Carolina sheriff's deputy fired after being arrested for bank robbery

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...ank/314442002/

First mistake: A farmer thought a stuffed toy tiger was real. Second mistake: So did the police.

Scottish police in 45-minute standoff with toy tiger

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/02/...3791518012403/

Florida. Again. Why do the majority of weird stories come from Florida?

Firefighters rescue Florida boy trapped inside claw machine
Tribune, Feb 8 2018 2:59 PM

A boy who wanted a stuffed animal so bad that he decided to climb into a toy machine ended up being rescued by firefighters in Florida Wednesday. An off-duty lieutenant happened to be eating at the same restaurant when he noticed little Mason stuck inside the machine, the Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department posted on its Facebook page. "Thankfully he was never in any distress," the post read, describing the lieutenant’s assessment of the situation. On-duty fire crews soon arrived and got Mason out of the machine by prying open the front.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...ters/23356768/

Video: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.evan...type=3&theater

Another totally outrageous court decision. I bet they spend the entire $6,700,000 on cans of spray paint.

Brooklyn judge awards graffiti artists $6.7 million after their 'works of art' were destroyed

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nation...212-story.html

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Remember, this is the man who gave us those horrible versions of Mr. Tambourine Man and Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds in 1968.

William Shatner signs with country music label Heartland Records Nashville

http://www.thewrap.com/william-shatn...bel-heartland/

I sympathize with the other passengers. After all, they couldn't really open the windows to let some fresh air in.

Altercation over man's flatulence forces Transavia Airlines flight to make emergency landing

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/0...y-landing.html

Taking nude photos at a strip mall. Hey, that sounds logical to me!

Model, photographer each fined $300 for nude photo shoot at Pennsylvania strip mall
A 64-year-old photographer and a 22-year-old model have each been fined $300 for staging a nude photo shoot at a busy Pennsylvania strip mall on a Saturday morning.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/07...trip-mall.html

Another weird story from Florida.

A Horse walked Into a Miami Beach nightclub. Now nobody else can.
New York Times, Mar 10 2018

A horse walked into a nightclub — no joke. And city officials in Miami Beach were certainly not laughing on Friday when they shut down the Mokai Lounge club for creating what they said was a threat to public health and opened a criminal investigation into whether it had committed animal cruelty.

The horse was paraded around the venue sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Video shows a woman in underwear riding a white horse, which appears to slip and then fall. As the horse attempts to regain its footing, the rider falls from its back. The horse then meanders through the crowd. The city order says the footage shows that the horse was scared and concludes that the situation was an "actual threat" to public health and safety — enough to warrant the revocation of the lounge’s business license. Authorities would not discuss how the animal got inside the club or why it was taken there.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/u...lub-miami.html