The weird news thread

This is "the weird news thread." To clarify, it is not a news thread that is weird. Rather, it is a thread devoted to weird news. For starters:

Massachusetts police stop driver for pizza box license plate
The Associated Press, Nov 15 2017

Police officers in a Massachusetts town jokingly recommend drivers get a little more creative if they make their own illegal license plates. The Hopkinton Police Department said a driver was stopped Sunday with a license plate made from a pizza box. The department discourages people from making their own plates. But if someone does, the department says not to use a cardboard box and felt tip pens. Hopkinton police say the driver is facing charges that include operating an uninsured and unregistered vehicle and attaching "fake homemade" plates.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/massachus...122426203.html

World's largest sticker ball entered into the Guinness World Records book
UPI, Nov 15 2017

The world's largest sticker ball, created by StickerGiant CEO John Fischer and his team, will be entered into the Guinness World Records book for 2018. The creation was made using around 200,000 stickers and is believed to weigh more than 230 pounds. The sticker ball needs a forklift and a special wagon to be moved around.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/11...3961510770237/

Man gets his dying wish: To be buried with cheesesteaks
The Associated Press, Nov 17 2017

Richard Lussi, a 76-year-old father of four in Plains, Pennsylvania, always joked that he didn't want to venture into the afterlife hungry got his wish when he was buried with two cheesesteaks from his favorite sandwich shop — Pat's King of Steaks in Philadelphia. According to his grandson, Dominic Lussi, when asked what he wanted to take with him when he died, Richard Lussi replied, "What do you think? Pat's cheesesteak! No onions because they'll come back to haunt me."

Lussi died of heart complications on October 10. He loved the sandwiches even though he had a bad heart and his doctor had warned him to watch what he ate. Pat's owner, Frank Olivieri Jr., said he was flattered and bewildered by someone choosing to be buried with his sandwiches. As for what the second cheesesteak might be for, he speculated: "Maybe it's a bribe for Saint Peter."

http://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStor...teaks-51220964

A very high percentage of weird news stories originate in Florida. Why, look! Here's one now:

Naked burglar bursts into Florida woman’s home, tries on her clothes, rolls around in yard before he's arrested

http://www.tampabay.com/news/bizarre...yard_162546148

A very high percentage of weird news stories originate in Florida. I said that above and I'm saying it again. This schmuck had a case of Budweiser on the lawn mower and his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit.

Drunk Florida man arrested for driving lawn mower on highway

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/11...n-highway.html

They could have just claimed it was a "ten-gallon" cowboy hat.

US Navy jet's penis drawing in Washington skies goes viral
Sky News, Nov 19 2017

The US Navy has confirmed one of their jets was involved in the drawing of a penis in skies over Okanogan County in Washington state. An official from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island acknowledged a Navy E/A-18 Growler warplane was responsible for the "immature act" on Friday. The air crew have been grounded while an investigation is carried out.

https://news.sky.com/story/washingto...viral-11131042

Fadzilah Abdul Hamid did this on November 21. For all I know, he's still stuck to the floor.

Malaysian man protests what he claims was an unjust termination from oil giant Chevron Malaysia Limited by supergluing his hand to their headquarters floor

http://www.odditycentral.com/news/ma...ers-floor.html

Put this one in the "Stupid Criminals" file:

Alleged car burglar calls 911 when truck owner confronts him
SFGate, Nov 28 2017 12:!2 PM

A man accused of burglarizing a disabled pickup truck in Mayer, Arizona later called 911 to report being threatened by the vehicle's owner. Yavapai County Sheriff's officials say 25-year-old Robert Jones was booked into the Camp Verde jail on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage. Jones allegedly broke out the window of the truck and took items out of the vehicle. The owner had left his truck on the side of Highway 69 because it had a flat tire. When the man returned with a spare tire, he saw the broken window and confronted Jones. Authorities say Jones denied involvement in the theft although the victim saw his duffel bag and tire iron in the suspect's car.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/art...r-12389518.php

In retrospect, a flyswatter or a rolled-up newspaper might have been better. Ya think?

Ohio teen sets bed bug on fire after dousing it with alcohol, causes $300,000 worth of damage to apartment complex

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/...age/ar-BBFW995

Perhaps a new name for the network is in order.

'Bomb On Board' Wi-Fi network prompts Turkish Airlines scare

http://www.rt.com/news/411475-turkis...b-threat-wifi/

Another weird story from Florida:

Opossum breaks into liquor store and gets drunk as a skunk
NBC Miami, Dec 2 2017

An opossum that apparently drank bourbon after breaking into a Florida liquor store sobered up at a wildlife rescue center and was released unharmed. Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge officials say the opossum was brought in by a Fort Walton Beach police officer on November 24. A liquor store employee found the animal next to a broken and empty bottle of bourbon.

"A worker there found the opossum up on a shelf next to a cracked open bottle of liquor with nothing in it," said Michelle Pettis, a technician at the refuge. "She definitely wasn't acting normal." Pettis said the female opossum appeared disoriented, was excessively salivating and was pale. The staff pumped the marsupial full of fluids and cared for her as she sobered up.

Cash Moore, the store owner, said, "She came in from the outside and was up in the rafters and when she came through she knocked a bottle of liquor off the shelf," Moore said. "When she got down on the floor she drank the whole damn bottle."

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/...461510113.html

Another weird story involving an animal:

Squirrel vandalizes New Jersey city's Christmas lights
UPI, Dec 4 2017 8:51 A

Police in Sea Girt, New Jersey have found the vandal responsible for damaging a city's Christmas light display: a Scroogey squirrel. Officers investigating reports of the city's Christmas display being damaged by vandals during Thanksgiving weekend caught the culprit in the act during a repeat appearance Saturday. Photos posted to Facebook by the department show the squirrel chewing through wires and moving the decorations around on the display.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/12...5281512395085/

7-year-old Russian boy gets military draft orders
NPR, Dec 7 2017 5:18 AM ET

Russia has a military draft and apparently cast the net for soldiers a little wide. A 7-year-old boy named Sasha received a draft notice. Russian media quote the boy's grandfather saying the family will bring him at the appointed time. They don't want to be accused of draft dodging, although Sasha says he would much rather be a police officer than a soldier.

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/07/56903...y-draft-orders

Another weird story from Florida -- but I admire the officer for the way he got a tiny bit of revenge.

Florida cop brings K-Y jelly to convicted shooter's sentencing
HuffPost US, Dec 6 2017 1:12 PM

While speaking at a sentencing hearing for the man who shot at him and his son, a Jacksonville police officer taunted the accused with a tube of personal lubricant and a remark about prison rape. Kevin Rojas, 21, was sentenced to life behind bars Wednesday for attempted murder and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime stemming from an incident in March 2016.

The unnamed officer, who works undercover for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, called Rojas "a coward" and told Rojas he would have a tough time in prison. The officer then took out a tube of K-Y Jelly, a personal lubricant, and said, "You are going to need a lot of this," he said, implying that Rojas would be raped while serving his sentence.

The incident that led to Rojas' arrest and conviction began when the officer, then off duty and driving with his son, had stopped Rojas after seeing him driving erratically. Rojas shot at the officer, who then returned fire. Rojas fled the scene and stole a truck before barricading himself in a house. The officer was shot three times in the head, upper body and hand. His son wasn't harmed during the encounter. Rojas will have to serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...cing/23299178/

Has anybody seen Jacob Marley lately?

Woman claims she's had sex with 20 ghosts -- and prefers them to men
HuffPost, Dec 8 2017 10:40 AM

Amethyst Realm, a 27-year-old "spiritual guidance counselor" in Bristol, England, appeared on the British TV show ITV This Morning on Thursday and said she’s had sex with at least 20 ghosts. She prefers them to men. Now she wants to get pregnant by one of the ghosts.

Video: https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...-men/23301541/

On November 29 -- go look! -- I posted the story of an Ohio teenager who tried to burn a bed bug to death and started a fire. Well, now another Ohio resident has started a fire by trying to burn bed bugs:

A woman tried to kill bed bugs with alcohol and set a fire that left 10 people without a home

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/p...ithout-a-home/

Apparently there were no trees, picnic tables or freshly-poured cement nearby.

British surgeon admits to burning his initials into the liver of two patients during transplant operations

https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...vers/23306683/

Maybe he had headphones on and felt inspired while listening to the Def Leppard song Love Bites.

JetBlue flight forced to change course after man starts biting other passengers

https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...gers/23306492/

The baby's pacifiers kept disappearing. A veterinarian found them.

Oklahoma veterinarian pulls 21 pacifiers from dog's stomach

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/12/13...s-stomach.html

The Sacramento fire chief said, "I don’t know how he was able to reach his phone." Maybe the burglar is a contortionist.

Burglary suspect gets stuck in chimney of Citrus Heights business, calls 911

https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...ness/23311172/