strange stuff

From strange crimes to strange celebrity deaths, read all of the latest weird and strange stuff news stories on Newser.com

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In Maine Capitol, Sky Is Literally Falling

Or a mysterious metal object anyway

(Newser) - A large metal object thought to have come from an airliner fell from the sky and nearly hit an officer on duty outside the Maine State House on Friday. The cylinder crashed to the ground with a loud bang just six to eight feet from Capitol Police officer Craig Donahue...

Do You Love to Nap? This Company Wants to Hire You

If you're hired, mattress company Casper will pay you to sleep

(Newser) - Could a bulldozer ram into your home and you wouldn't wake up from a deep slumber? There might be a gig tailor-made just for you. Although you'd usually get a reprimand or worse for falling asleep at work, online mattress company Casper wants you to do just that,...

DUIs on Golf Carts and Scooters? Welcome to Florida

Recent arrests occurred along state's busiest interstate, at Walmart

(Newser) - A woman with an open bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey in a bag was arrested for driving a golf cart on Florida's busiest interstate while drunk, according to an arrest report. The 58-year-old woman was arrested Saturday night on the shoulder of Interstate 95. She's now facing...

Here's a Sweet Job Ad Even Willy Wonka Couldn't Ignore

Canadian confectionary company offers $78K gig eating candy at home all day

(Newser) - Looking to completely upend your career and start something new? As long as you don't already sit around on your couch all day devouring candy for close to 80 grand a year, we've got just the sweet gig for you. CNBC reports on the unusual LinkedIn job listing...

Police Say a Man Shot Woman in the Neck—and It Killed Him

Dallas police believe the bullet exited her neck, hit the suspect

(Newser) - A possible Darwin Awards contender out of Texas: Dallas police say a 26-year-old man died Saturday after shooting a woman in the neck—with said bullet exiting her neck and somehow striking him the leg. His was a fatal wound. Much of the details of the incident, which police say...

What&#39;s an Arctic Shark Doing in the Caribbean?
Shark Researchers Make
Odd Find Off Belize
in case you missed it

Shark Researchers Make Odd Find Off Belize

Little is known about Greenland sharks, but nobody expected to find one in the Caribbean

(Newser) - With an estimated lifespan of up to 500 years, Greenland sharks are considered the longest-living vertebrates on Earth. They are native to frigid Arctic waters, where they like to feed on polar bear carcasses. But at least one has also ventured to the western Caribbean, and it surprised a boatload...

Polish Institute Labels Cats 'Invasive Alien Species'

Biologist Wojciech Solarz defends move spurred by bird deaths

(Newser) - A Polish scientific institute has classified domestic cats as an "invasive alien species," citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife. Some cat lovers have reacted emotionally to this month's decision and put the key scientist behind it on the defensive. Wojciech Solarz, a biologist...

Chess Robot Breaks Finger of 7-Year-Old Opponent

'This is, of course, bad,' says head of Moscow Chess Federation

(Newser) - It might be a first in the annals of chess: After one player makes a move his opponent doesn't like, the opponent breaks his finger. As the Guardian reports, it actually happened last week at the Moscow Open, under unusual circumstances: One player was a robot, the other a...

Sailfish Sends Woman to the Hospital in Florida

70-year-old is stabbed by the bill of the fish as it was being reeled in

(Newser) - A 70-year-old woman was stabbed by the bill of a 100-pound sailfish that leapt out of the water as her companions were trying to reel it in on a boat near the Florida coast, authorities said. The sailfish stabbed the woman from Arnold, Maryland, in the groin area with its...

Pot Plant's Blinds Won't Close, Creating 'Sunset on Steroids'

Sky turned an eerie pink over Aussie city of Mildura, leading to rumors of solar flare, aliens, apocalypse

(Newser) - No, there's not a Kenny Rogers Roasters opening in Mildura, though that was one suggestion this week as to why there's been a strange pink glow hovering over the Australian city. Locals had been worriedly musing over the origin of the colorful but mysterious light, which made its...

Dozens of Cows Block Florida Turnpike

Cattle hauler caught fire and driver released them

(Newser) - Traffic on Florida’s Turnpike stopped moooooving for several hours Monday after a cattle hauler caught fire, and dozens of cows blocked the roadway, authorities said. The hauler's semi-cab began to catch fire shortly before noon near St. Cloud, south of Orlando, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news...

Key to Cracking Burglary Case: Two Squashed Mosquitoes

Police in China make a DNA match in blood analysis

(Newser) - Police in China say two mosquitoes helped them crack a burglary case in Fujian province. As the South China Morning Post explains, authorities in Fuzhou spotted two squashed mosquitoes on the wall of an apartment that had been burglarized. They tested the blood and found a DNA match for a...

Meteorologist Has Eerie Timing With Warning
Meteorologist
Has Eerie Timing
With Warning
video

Meteorologist Has Eerie Timing With Warning

Lights go out as KRTK's Travis Herzog warns of power shortages in Texas

(Newser) - Few meteorological forecasts end up being as spot on as the one Travis Herzog delivered this week for KTRK in Houston. On Wednesday, Herzog was warning viewers about excessive heat and how it could lead to power shortages when, yes, the power went out in the studio. When you "...

'Eat the Rich' With Popsicles Shaped Like Musk, Bezos

MSCHF artists collective has ice cream trucks in NYC, LA with the billionaire-shaped treats

(Newser) - If you're in New York City or Los Angeles on Wednesday and want to work out your angst against capitalism, there's a frozen treat waiting for you, modeled after the world's richest men. Just stop by what's being deemed a "unique art pop-up" by CBS...

Scathing Obit: &#39;It Will Be Challenging to Miss Lawrence&#39;
Scathing Obit: 'It Will Be
Challenging to Miss Lawrence'
in case you missed it

Scathing Obit: 'It Will Be Challenging to Miss Lawrence'

Estranged son wrote obit for Lawrence H. Pfaff Sr.

(Newser) - Gannett owns the Florida Times-Union, and it put out an unusual statement about an unusual obituary: "We regrettably published an obituary that did not adhere to our guidelines and we are looking into the matter further. We regret any distress this may have caused." The obit , which ran...

Someone Just Paid $16K for This 'Vampire-Slaying Kit'

Wooden box from late 1800s contained all kinds of repellents against the blood-sucking undead

(Newser) - Someone apparently didn't think the crucifixes and holy water they had lying around were enough to contend with the undead—and so last week they paid nearly $16,000 for a late-1800s "vampire-slaying kit" up for sale at a UK auction house, reports Live Science . The sturdy wooden...

After Putin Ally's Alaska Threat, Strange Billboards Emerge

'Alaska Is Ours!' signage in Siberia appears after Putin ally suggests taking back territory sold to US

(Newser) - Sarah Palin may be able to see Russia from her house, but she may soon regret that proximity if one Putin ally and an unnamed "patriot" have their way. Newsweek reports that multiple billboards popped up in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk on Thursday, all bearing the same message...

Now&#39;s Your Chance to Own a Dinosaur
Now's Your Chance
to Own a Dinosaur

Now's Your Chance to Own a Dinosaur

Sotheby's is auctioning a Gorgosaurus skeleton, but you'll need at least $5M

(Newser) - The fossilized skeleton of a T. rex relative that roamed the earth about 76 million years ago will be auctioned in New York this month, per the AP . The Gorgosaurus skeleton will highlight Sotheby's natural history auction on July 28, the auction house says. The Gorgosaurus was an apex...

The Wild Story of the Man Who Rode 4K Miles on a Lawn Mower

Brad Hauter managed the feat in 1999

(Newser) - It all started with a forwarded email. In the late '90s, lawn-care company MTD Products Inc. was on the hunt for one person crazy enough to ride the company's Yard-Man riding mower across America, with the goal of raising $200,000 for charity in the process. A co-worker...

Stanley Cup Shows Up at Wrong House
Stanley Cup
Shows Up at Wrong House

Stanley Cup Shows Up at Wrong House

Neighbors of Colorado Avalanche's Gabe Landeskog got a memorable surprise

(Newser) - Lord Stanley arrived at the wrong house in Denver, and the mistake is making headlines. It seems the NHL's famed Stanley Cup (named after the aforementioned lord) was delivered to the wrong address on Monday, reports 9News . It was supposed to go to Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog, but...

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