Bizarre News

Light-hearted discussions, forum games and anything that doesn't fit into the other forums.
Tech Corner - Firewalls, AV etc. - Report Bugs - Board Rules
User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 11 Mar 2008, 19:56

Jolly Joker wrote:Well, the bizarre thing here seems to be that the Church itself is very obviously guilty of some of those new deadly sins.
In what way is that bizzare?! I find "rampant" is a better word for describing what that is.
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
asandir
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 15481
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: The campfire .... mostly

Unread postby asandir » 11 Mar 2008, 21:14

Chuck Norris the only WMD in Iraq: US troops

Hollywood action star Chuck Norris - known for his martial arts prowess and tough-guy image - has become a cult figure among the US military in Iraq and an unlikely hero for some in Iraq's security forces.

A small cardboard shrine is dedicated to Norris at a US military helicopter hub in Baghdad, and soldiers say comments lauding the manliness and virility of the actor have been left on toilet walls across Iraq and neighbouring Kuwait.

"The fastest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris' fist," reads one message at the shrine, which consists of a signed photo of the actor surrounded by similar statements.

"Chuck Norris puts the laughter in manslaughter," reads one.

"Chuck Norris divides by zero," reads another.

Known as Norris "facts", the claims have already become an internet phenomenon. Scores are featured on www.chucknorrisfacts.com, including "Superman wears Chuck Norris pyjamas" and "There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma".

The actor has visited Iraq several times and was made an honorary Marine last year.

Some 20 US military personnel and support staff spoken to by Reuters could recite at least one Norris "fact", despite many having not visited the website.

US troops in Iraq say his support for them and Norris's invincible image has made him their idol. They insist the exaggerated and satirical claims are not meant to mock him.

"The jokes all add to his legend. They're not derogatory. He's an icon," said Sergeant Joe Lindsay at a base in Fallujah in Iraq's Western Anbar province, which Norris has visited.


'One of the guys'

Bearded and muscled, Norris shot to fame fighting kung fu legend Bruce Lee in the 1972 film The Way of the Dragon. Later films show him devastating groups of men with one kick.

"Norris visited Iraq when violence was its worst and other celebrities were skittish. He's one of the guys," US military public affairs officer specialist Mark Braden said in Baghdad.

"The Marines love him. He's like a mythical legend," Staff Sergeant Amy Forsythe in Fallujah said.

Soldiers cited many reasons for his appeal.

Some appreciated his films and fighting ability - Norris is a martial arts guru, and many of his films have military themes.

Others said the masculine and plainly dressed actor was an antidote to the preening and moisturised metrosexual male.

Some praised his Christian and political values. The actor recently endorsed Republican Party presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee - though in the spirit of the Norris "facts", Marines argued it was Mr Huckabee who endorsed Norris.

"He's helped us a lot. The appeal is also his martial arts, and sheer physical presence ... I don't think I go a day without hearing a Norris joke," said Corporal Ricardo Jones in Fallujah.


An Iraqi Chuck Norris

Norris's appeal is not restricted to US troops either. At an Iraqi police graduation ceremony in Fallujah, graduates called out for their "Chuck Norris" to pose with them for photos.

"Truthfully, I didn't know who he was. I asked the Americans and they said he was a great fighter, and that's why they named me after him. They showed me a video and it's true - he's a great fighter" said police trainer Mohammed Rasheed.

With his handle-bar moustache, Mr Rasheed has a vague resemblance to Norris.

Another police trainer said Norris was a role model for the police in Fallujah, which until 2007 was an Al Qaeda stronghold and the scene of fierce battles with security forces.

"I've seen his videos. He's a hero. He saves the city, he protects women and children and he fights crime wherever it is. We should all be like Chuck Norris," Khaled Hussein said.

- Reuters
Human madness is the howl of a child with a shattered heart.

User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 12 Mar 2008, 12:56

Post-traumatic stress disorder.... or Norris worship as is known in medical circles.
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
Infiltrator
CH Staff
CH Staff
Posts: 1071
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

Unread postby Infiltrator » 12 Mar 2008, 15:02


User avatar
asandir
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 15481
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: The campfire .... mostly

Unread postby asandir » 13 Mar 2008, 04:46

Man burned alive for 'not washing feet'

A Chinese bride burned her new husband to death after he got into bed without washing his feet following a drunken argument, Chinese media have reported.

"Wang and his wife, Luo, were married on February 2. The couple, however, frequently fought over trivial things while still on their honeymoon," the official Xinhua news agency quoted a local newspaper.

The report said the couple, from the central province of Hubei, had another fight on the night of March 4.

"In frustration they together drank a bottle of liquor to ease their anger," the report said.

"About 10:00pm (local time), Luo watched her husband get into bed without cleaning or washing his feet.

"In a fit of anger and intoxication, she set fire to the sheet he was sleeping in."

The report added that Mr Wang awoke and the couple fought again before Mr Wang, still drunk, collapsed.

"As fire engulfed the bedroom. Luo escaped to the living room, leaving her other half to burn," it said.
Human madness is the howl of a child with a shattered heart.

User avatar
Kalah
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
Posts: 20078
Joined: 24 Nov 2005

Unread postby Kalah » 13 Mar 2008, 06:53

72-year-old light bulb still shines!

There's an article in Aftenposten (The Evening Paper), a Norwegian newspaper, about a 72 year old lightbulb which still works today. Possibly an error in production.

Can't be bothered with translating the article, though; it's not that interesting.
In War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In Peace: Goodwill.

User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 13 Mar 2008, 11:53

Error?! That's the Highlander... bulb. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE... bulb.
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
Muszka
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 2568
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Nowhereland

Unread postby Muszka » 13 Mar 2008, 13:46

Pity there's no image of the bulb...
"Rage against the system, the system, what kills the human spirit."

User avatar
Kalah
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
Posts: 20078
Joined: 24 Nov 2005

Unread postby Kalah » 13 Mar 2008, 17:26

Well, there is. It's the one in the picture in the article..
In War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In Peace: Goodwill.

User avatar
PhoenixReborn
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 2014
Joined: 24 May 2006
Location: US

Unread postby PhoenixReborn » 13 Mar 2008, 19:31

Shouldn't they figure out how that works and use it?

User avatar
MistWeaver
Wraith
Wraith
Posts: 1277
Joined: 28 Feb 2006
Location: Citadel of Frosts

Unread postby MistWeaver » 13 Mar 2008, 19:38

PhoenixReborn wrote:Shouldn't they figure out how that works and use it?
Are you kiddin' ? Who wants to create bulbs that would live more than their buyers ? Thats not profitable

User avatar
Panda Tar
Forum Mascot
Forum Mascot
Posts: 6709
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Florianópolis - Brasil

Unread postby Panda Tar » 13 Mar 2008, 20:07

Muszka wrote:Pity there's no image of the bulb...
Just put on some wrinkles and one or two teeth, and you have an aged light bulb. :lol:
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

User avatar
Muszka
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 2568
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Nowhereland

Unread postby Muszka » 13 Mar 2008, 20:31

OK, I missed the link somehow, but now after seeing it, I wonder how could they know that the bulb is from 1936? I mean isn't all this just a prepared news thing? 72 years are a little much. The chinease bulbs I use last maximum 1 year but if I use them outdoor won't last a month.
"Rage against the system, the system, what kills the human spirit."

User avatar
Kalah
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
Posts: 20078
Joined: 24 Nov 2005

Unread postby Kalah » 13 Mar 2008, 21:14

Yeah, could be explained if it's a production error, though. These bulbs were made by hand, and if the length of the heating filament is longer than usual, it can last longer than the average bulb.
In War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In Peace: Goodwill.

User avatar
Muszka
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 2568
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Nowhereland

Unread postby Muszka » 13 Mar 2008, 21:24

That just didn't convinced me. Never mind, if they say, than it can be. But I'll be skeptic.
"Rage against the system, the system, what kills the human spirit."

User avatar
Panda Tar
Forum Mascot
Forum Mascot
Posts: 6709
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Florianópolis - Brasil

Unread postby Panda Tar » 13 Mar 2008, 21:30

Here at South, most of the lightbulbs I use at home last more than 4, 5 years. At my other home, Rondônia, at North, they used to last even more. Maybe lightbulbs last longer at hotter places?
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

User avatar
PhoenixReborn
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 2014
Joined: 24 May 2006
Location: US

Unread postby PhoenixReborn » 13 Mar 2008, 21:32

Kalah wrote: and if the length of the heating filament is longer than usual, it can last longer
But that would have to be as long as...never mind.

User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 13 Mar 2008, 21:48

Woman sits on boyfriend's toilet for 2 years
Girlfriend was physically stuck to the seat — her skin had grown around it

NESS CITY, Kan. - Deputies said a woman in western Kansas sat on her boyfriend's toilet for two years, and they're investigating whether she was mistreated.

Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said a man called his office last month to report that something was wrong with his girlfriend.

Whipple said it appeared the 35-year-old Ness City woman’s skin had grown around the seat. She initially refused emergency medical services but was finally convinced by responders and her boyfriend that she needed to be checked out at a hospital.

“We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital,” Whipple said. “The hospital removed it.”

Whipple said investigators planned to present their report Wednesday to the county attorney, who will determine whether any charges should be filed against the woman's 36-year-old boyfriend.

“She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body,” Whipple said. “It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself.”

He told investigators he brought his girlfriend food and water, and asked her every day to come out of the bathroom.

“And her reply would be, ‘Maybe tomorrow,”’ Whipple said. “According to him, she did not want to leave the bathroom.”

The boyfriend called police on Feb. 27 to report that “there was something wrong with his girlfriend,” Whipple said, adding that he never explained why it took him two years to call.

Police found the clothed woman sitting on the toilet, her sweat pants down to her mid-thigh. She was “somewhat disoriented,” and her legs looked like they had atrophied, Whipple said.

“She said that she didn’t need any help, that she was OK and did not want to leave,” he said.

She was taken to a hospital in Wichita, about 150 miles southeast of Ness City. Whipple said she has refused to cooperate with medical providers or law enforcement investigators.

Authorities said they did not know if she was mentally or physically disabled.

Police have declined to release the couple’s names, but the house where authorities say the incident happened is listed in public records as the residence of Kory McFarren. No one answered his home phone number.

The case has been the buzz in Ness City, said James Ellis, a neighbor.
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
Corribus
Round Table Knight
Round Table Knight
Posts: 4994
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: The Duchy of Xicmox IV

Unread postby Corribus » 14 Mar 2008, 20:10

From C&EN:

Soon In Germany, U.S. Ph.D. = Dr.

By Sarah Everts

Scientists in Germany with U.S.-acquired doctoral degrees will soon be able to use the "Dr." title without fear of criminal prosecution.

In Germany, the "Dr." title is reserved for individuals who acquired their doctoral degrees in Germany or other European Union countries. Using the title without government consent is considered a criminal offense, carrying a maximum penalty of one year in jail.

Seven directors at Germany's prestigious Max Planck Institutes with Ph.D.s from respected institutions such as Stanford University are facing or have faced charges of impersonating a "Dr." (C&EN, March 10, page 11).

Since publication of the incidents involving the Max Planck directors, however, a conference of German state education ministers has agreed that people with doctoral degrees from U.S. institutions can legally use the "Dr." title in Germany. The only stipulation is that their Ph.D.-granting institution must be recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, an independent California-based policy and research center devoted to the cause of higher education. The 16 German states must now turn the ministers' resolution into law.

"I think this decision is just great," says Ian T. Baldwin, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and a Cornell University alumnus who has faced charges of misusing the "Dr." title. "Science is globalized. It's good to see the German educational system adjusting to this."

Analogous recognition for people with doctoral degrees from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, and Russia is also currently being considered by the education ministers.
"What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?" - Richard P. Feynman

User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 17 Mar 2008, 10:47

Dammit, people with Ph.D.'s belong in jail... germany is getting softer and softer since WW2...
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image


Return to “Campfire”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests