Clare's Collection of Unusual Tales and Pictures

[Dark One]

Lovestruck Serb says it with taxis

A lovestruck Serbian man hired a fleet of cabs to spell out his wedding proposal.

Vujadin Stojkovic, from Arandjelovac, hired a dozen taxi drivers to propose to girlfriend Ivana Novakovic.

He paid each cabbie to paint a single letter of 'udaj se za mene' - which means 'marry me' - on the side of their cabs and then pull up outside Ivana's house.

When Novakovic saw the taxis and her boyfriend stepping out of one of them she burst into tears and immediately said yes to his proposal, local media reported.

[Dark One]

Dad of 37 fights for the snip

An Argentine man who is the father of 37 children is taking legal action for the right to a vasectomy.

Cleto Ruiz Diaz, 44, from Corrientes has gone to court because vasectomies are illegal in his state.

Mr Diaz, a painter, told Terra Noticias Populares that he started his sex life at the age of nine and has had seven fiancees and three wives.

He now lives with Isabel who is the mother of eight of his sons.

"I have enough children, it is hard to feed them all and give them clothes, and the government doesn't help," he said.

"I need the operation because when I fall in love I can't control myself!"

[Lauren Hedgehog]

A rather unusual report on beetles I found while procratinating



Hit on the bottle

Marc Abrahams
Tuesday September 13, 2005
The Guardian


Certain Australian males are physically attracted to a particular type of beer bottle. An experiment in Western Australia has demonstrated that beer bottles known Down Under as stubbies get reused in an unanticipated way.
Stubbies are squat little bottles, 370ml in capacity. A study published in 1983 begins with the statement: "Male julodimorpha bakewelli (white) were observed attempting to copulate with beer bottles."

Julodimorpha bakewelli (white) are beetles. Before 1983, few people were aware that the beetles were having their way with the stubbies. It is still not common knowledge.

Daryll Gwynn, then of the University of Western Australia (he has since moved to the University of Toronto) and David Rentz, of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra, tried to alert the world. They published two reports filled with graphic but delightful technical detail.

"On two occasions, a flying male was observed to descend to a stubbie and attempt to copulate. A search was made for other stubbies in the area and two others, with associated beetles, were located. The males were either at the side or mounted on top of the bottle, with genitalia everted [turned out] and attempting to insert the aedeagus [reproductive organ]. Only one stubbie without a beetle was located. A short experiment was conducted in which four stubbies were placed on the ground in an open area."

The experiment was a success. The beetles loved the bottles. Gwynn and Rentz later tried to prise them off, but found this not easy to do. One beetle, they observed, was so attached to its bottle that it stayed faithful despite being attacked and gnawed by ants. Gwynn and Rentz witnessed two deaths.

The scientists developed a theory that explains the nature of the seemingly unnatural attraction: "It was apparent that it wasn't any remaining contents in the stubbies that attracted the beetles; not only do Western Australians never dispose of a bottle with beer still in it, but many of the bottles had sand and detritus accumulated over many months ... The brown glass of the stubbies bore a resemblance to the coloration of the beetle; in addition, the rows of regularly spaced tubercules [rounded protruberances] on the top and bottom of the bottle reflected the light in a similar way to the pits on the elytra [wing case] of the beetle."

Gwynn and Rentz issued a warning to their fellow citizens: "Improperly disposed-of beer bottles not only present a physical and visual hazard in the environment, but also could potentially cause great interference with the mating system of a beetle species."

They say this beetle behaviour is consistent with other biological reports and that in most species it is the male that makes "mating mistakes". Their second report, published a year after the first, mentions that a nurse in Perth told them "a parallel tale involving a male homo sapien who had entered hospital 'attached' to a milk bottle".

[Dark One]

Paper from sheep poo

A company in Snowdonia has won an award for making greetings cards and gifts out of sheep droppings.

Creative Paper Wales won a £20,000 Millennium Award for its Sheep Poo Paper products, reports the BBC.

They collect sheep droppings from the surrounding mountains, sterilise it in pressure cookers and recover the washed and undigested fibres.

A sheep digests just 50% of what it eats. The recovered fibres are mixed to form paper and cardboard for the company's range of stationery and gift products.

Even the washing water is not wasted - it is distributed to local growers as concentrated fertiliser.

Founders Lawrence Toms, 38, from Rhondda and Lez Paylor, 38, from Caerphilly, said they had been keen to develop an idea which would be uniquely Welsh.

The company's plant at Aberllefenni, near Machynlleth, will be able to produce one to two tonnes of paper a year.

[Dark One]

Dog takes up yoga

A three year old German Shepherd dog has reportedly taken up yoga in India.

Hritik practices traditional exercises under the watchful eyes of his trainer in Ranchi, reports the Mumbai Mirror.

Nanda Dulal said: "He was weak when he was born. We took special care of him and he gradually became strong after his yoga lessons.

"He started imitating me two years ago, and now sits beside me when I perform yoga. He follows my asanas(yoga techniques) including my breathing.

"When I found that he wanted to do yoga I started training him. Now both of us do yoga together every morning."

It is reported that the animal helps in household chores, is a vegetarian and loves to eat ripe papayas and cucumber.

When asked if he would teach yoga to other dogs, Dulal said: "Right now, I have no such plans. If people come to me with such proposals, I may consider."

[Dark One]

Harrods stages dog wedding

Pampered pooches Timmy the Bichon Frise and Muffin the Shih Tzu have got married at Harrods.

Timmy walked Muffin down the aisle for the ceremony in front of invited guests at the famous Knightsbridge store.

The couple shared a kiss and their own wedding cake before being whisked off by horsedrawn carriage.

The unique dog wedding was part of Harrods' Anything is Possible season.

The initiative is designed to show off the potential of Harrods' 1.2 million square feet of retail space and 330 different departments.

Last week, staff gift-wrapped a helicopter for a romantic businessman who wanted to surprise his wife.

[Dark One]

Gaddafi says Coke is African

Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi claims Coca Cola is African and wants a share of the money.

He says Coca-Cola should pay a percentage of every can or bottle sold to governments across the continent.

Speaking at a celebration marking the seventh anniversary of the African Union, Gaddafi said: "The essential ingredients for Coca Cola come from African plants and so compensation must be paid to us."

The Libyan leader is known for his bizarre claims and in the past claimed William Shakespeare was actually an Arab immigrant to England called Sheikh Zubeir.

[Dark One]

Snake hides in tourist's knickers

A rare Filipino snake smuggled itself into Germany by hiding in a tourist's knickers.

The green ring snake survived a long distance flight and even a tumble in a washing machine.

Helga Gurnsteidl, 31, from Nuremberg, put her dirty undies in the machine after returning from a trip to the Philippines.

But she only spotted the snake when she opened the door to take out the washing.

Experts from a local zoo were called in to collect the snake and have given it a new home in their reptile house.

[Dark One]

'Ghost tree' has human face

Thousands of people are flocking to a Malaysian village to see a 'ghost tree' which has reportedly sprouted a human face

Markings on a five-metre tall betal nut tree in Kampung Paya clearly resemble human eyes, teeth and a nose, according to the New Strait Times.

Zainol Nayan, 54, spotted the curves emerging a month ago but said the resemblence to a human face only became obvious last week.

He told the paper: "Since then, villagers have gathered around the tree to see for themselves and the news spread like wildfire, attracting outsiders."

Housewife Noraziah Zakaria added: "I was curious and shocked to find that the curves indeed look like a human face."

Villagers, who call it the 'ghost tree, claim the face changes each day and they are selling photographs to visitors.

[Dark One]

Man forced to marry goat

A Sudanese man has been forced to marry a goat after he was caught having sex with it.

The goat's owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders.

They ordered the man to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars, about £35, to Mr Alifi, reports the BBC.

"We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together," Mr Alifi said.

Mr Alifi, of Hai Malakal, told the Juba Post newspaper that he heard a loud noise around midnight and immediately rushed outside to find Mr Tombe with his goat.

"When I asked him: "What are you doing there?", he fell off the back of the goat, so I captured and tied him up."

Mr Alifi then called elders to decide how to deal with the case.

"They said I should not take him to the police, but rather let him pay a dowry for my goat because he used it as his wife," Mr Alifi told the newspaper.

[Dark One]

£106 eBay jug goes for £47,000

A ceramic jug bought on eBay for £106.72 has been sold on for £47,000.

The jug was listed incorrectly on the auction website as Italian-made, circa 1900, reports The Sun.

But it was actually a rare 18th-century Worcester Porcelain Wigornia creamboat - regarded as the 'holy grail' for collectors.

Two buyers snapped it up then contacted expert John Sandon at auctioneers Bonham's, who confirmed it was "very special".

The jug, with Chinese scenes, was tipped to fetch £20,000 in London - but went for £46,800 to two private collectors.

Mr Sandon: "The original sellers had no idea what a treasure they had."

[Dark One]

Jesus joins MySpace

Jesus Christ has joined MySpace with an online page advertising his love of beards, extreme water-skiing and the Life of Brian.

it's part of a campaign by the Churches' Advertising Network to provoke debate about God among young people this Christmas.

Posters showing the face of Jesus in beer foam in a pint glass will be accompanied by the question: "Where will you find him?"

The adverts will direct readers to myspace.com/isthisjesus - a page on the social networking site MySpace.

"It may be very arrogant to set up Jesus's MySpace," said Simon Jenkins, of Churches' Advertising Network. "But it is a voyage of exploration. Let's hope God is guiding it in the right direction.

"MySpace is hugely culturally significant. It is the place where young people are most likely to meet up and we need to go to our audience."

The charity, which has teetotal Salvation Army representatives and Methodists as well as members of the Church of England, denied that the pint-glass posters would encourage drinking.

Tony Miles, a Methodist minister, said: "Binge-drinking is a huge problem but this is an image that young people are familiar with and is meant to illustrate that you find God in unexpected places."

The group, which has no formal links with the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England, has ruffled feathers in previous years by depicting Jesus as Che Guevara.

It has also portrayed the Last Supper as a boardroom meeting of multinational companies, with Judas as Microsoft.

[Lix]

jgduffin said:

Dog takes up yoga

It is reported that the animal helps in household chores, is a vegetarian and loves to eat ripe papayas and cucumber.

anmyne else think this guy is on drugs and has mistaken his child for a dog?

[craZyaNgel]

omg that whale thing waz weird....tho not disgusting so i mustnt b light hearted lol...i wanna go into patholgy/heamatology (study of blood) so thaz a good thing lol

[Dark One]

Disgraced goat makes amends

A disgraced British army goat has been reinstated to his rank of lance-corporal after shining on parade.

Billy Windsor, mascot of the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, was demoted to fusilier - equivalent of private - after ruining a parade for the Queen's birthday at a military base in Cyprus, when he ran amok.

In his first public appearance since his demotion, Billy, seven, reportedly performed exceptionally well and was reinstated by his commanding officer, reports the Scotsman.

[Dark One]

Ring reminds men of anniversary

A ring has been created that reminds men that it's their wedding anniversary.

The Remember Ring heats up every hour the day before the chosen date to remind the wearer of its significance.

The heat is created by a small internal thermo device.

The ring was created by Alaskan Cleve Oines who is in talk with jewellers to get the ring on the high street.

He told the Daily Mail: "It converts the heat from your hand into electricity, keeping the battery charged and microchip clock running perpetually.

"All you have to do is specify your anniversary date when you order and we'll program it. It will warm up every year a day before your anniversary."

A spokesman for Relate said: "If the man hasn't remembered, it can cause a lot of arguments and the man will feel very guilty, especially if he has genuinely forgotten because of work pressures or a busy life style.

"This ring could be just the answer and could help avoid all sorts of problems."

[Dark One]

Aussies must be nice to 'Poms'

Australian cricket fans can carry on calling visiting English fans 'Poms' or 'Pommies' - but only if they do it nicely.

Cricket Australia, the sport's governing body, ruled the words can be used without fear of breaching the country's strict racism laws, reports the Telegraph.

However, even in the heat of their desire to win back the Ashes, Aussie barrackers must avoid linking the P-word with anything "hurtful, racist, offensive or humiliating".

Asked whether a fan who used the word 'Pom' with anything hurtful etc would be evicted from the ground, a Cricket Australia spokesman, described the scenario as "hypothetical".

The board's stance is based on a ruling by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commissioner in a 1997 case, Bryant v Queensland Newspapers.

It said "calling someone a Pom" by itself was not racial harassment, unless "said in such a way, or in combination with other acts or comments, that make it so".

[Dark One]

Dog starts car

A breakdown patrol man managed to get a stranded woman's car started by using her dog.

Juliette Piesley, 39, had changed the battery in her electronic key fob but was then unable to start her car, reports the BBC.

When AA patrolman Kevin Gorman arrived at the scene, in Addlestone, Surrey, he found the immobiliser chip was missing.

Ms Piesley said her dog George had eaten something, and realising it was the chip, he put the dog in the front seat and started the car with the key.

Mr Gorman said: "I was glad to get the car started for the member.

"They will now have to take George with them in the car until things take their natural course. It is the first time that I have had to get a dog to help me to start a car."

[Kaylan-R]

Oh my lud - they make it sound so serious. That's funny though hehe

[craZyaNgel]

that ring for men is genious

[Dark One]

Blasting into space - via air miles

A Middlesex businessman is to become the first person in the world to use air miles to be blasted into space.

Alan Watts, 51, from Harrow, has flown upper class with Virgin Atlantic to the US around 40 times in the past six years.

It earned him two million air miles - enough to pay for the £100,000 trip to space with Virgin Galactic.

Mr Watts, the managing-director of an electrical engineering firm, said it would be the most exciting thing he has ever done in his life.

"The nearest I've come to space before was going on the Space Mountain ride in Florida," he said.

The businessman will have three days of training before boarding the spacecraft, which travels at almost 5,000kph.

Richard Branson revealed that Mr Watts would be among the first passengers as he unveiled a model of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip2 in New York.

"When we first contacted Alan to let him know he had qualified for this unique offer, I think he thought it was a prank call," he said.

"Personally I am delighted that we have made it possible for Alan to do something that previously he had never dreamed was possible for him."

[Dark One]

Woman eats sand to stay healthy

An Indian grandmother has revealed she eats a kilo of sand a day to stay fit and healthy.

Ram Rati, 80, considers sand an essential part of her daily diet and eats a kilo of it before breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea

Ram who lives in Chinhar in Lucknow told Asian News International: "When young, I tried it for fun once. Since then, I am used to it. My brothers and relatives pestered me to quit it but it was all in vain. I eat on an average around one or one-and-a-half kilos of sand per day."

Her granddaughter Shikha said: "The doctor said if she has no health problems, let her eat. We think it suits her health."

[craZyaNgel]

u mean she eats sand off the beach or sumthin wen itz bn who-knows-where?! (well in the ocean duh, but no wat i mean)

[Cat-Eyes]

It's spelt Pome!! Prisoner Of Mother England!!

[craZyaNgel]

really? wow u learn sumthing new everyday.... ;D