The dog ate my homework

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Chris

An Englewood, Colorado, student named Payton built a volcano as a school project. It was made of chocolate sweets pinned to a foam base. Her dog Reggie couldn’t resist, and ate the whole thing. Reggie was taken to a veterinary hospital, where x-rays showed 50 pins in the dog’s gut! Many were retrieved endoscopically, but Reggie underwent surgery to remove the last few pins. Reggie has since recovered completely. Payton showed her teacher the x-ray to explain why her assignment wasn’t done on time.

The science assignment has been redone and handed in for credit.

“I completely redid the project with glue the second time.”

Reggie and Payton received high praise for their first scientific endeavor.

“I got an ‘A.’ “

This just goes to show that no matter how old and cliched an excuse is, sometimes it might turn out to be true.

Funny stories from around the world

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Chris

Some more funny and random headlines from around the world:

World faces ‘global wine shortage’: The world is heading for a wine shortage, with global consumer demand already significantly outstripping supply, a report warns.
Putin leading Forbes power list: Russian President Vladimir Putin is named the world’s most powerful person by Forbes magazine, pushing Barack Obama into second place.
Internet chat ‘has a positive side’: Experts say there should be greater focus on the positive effect internet forums and chatrooms can have.
Moustache added to chalk hill giant: A huge grass moustache is added to the Cerne Abbas Giant to raise awareness of cancer for Movember
Dyson Award for wearable robotic arm: A battery-powered robotic arm that increases human strength has won the James Dyson award for problem-solving inventions.
Dimbleby gets first tattoo aged 75: Veteran TV broadcaster David Dimbleby has had a scorpion tattooed onto his shoulder, he reveals in a magazine interview.
Italy: Football team for asylum seekers: Italy’s new football team for African asylum seekers
Publisher apologises for leaving Israel off map: Publisher apologises after Israel left off map in children’s book
Shop fooled by spoof million yen note: Shop staff in Japan are fooled by a sticky note made to look like a million yen banknote – a denomination never issued.
Monty Python to reunite on stage: All of the surviving members of comedy legends Monty Python are to reform for a stage show, Terry Jones confirms.
Famed NYC graffiti spot painted over: A New York City warehouse celebrated for its graffiti art is painted over in preparation for demolition, angering locals.
Gold bars found in plane toilet: Cleaners find 24 gold bars worth at least 70m rupees ($1.1m) in the toilet compartment of a commercial jet in Calcutta.
‘Sinner’ Pope confesses fortnightly: Pope Francis has told Catholic believers he goes to confession at least every two weeks because he too is “a sinner”.
Russian boxers in tram rescue drama: Boxers from Russia’s restive republic of Dagestan are hailed as heroes after rescuing passengers from a burning tram.
Queues to buy Beckhams’ clothes: Members of the public have been queuing outside a west London charity shop to buy designer clothes donated by David and Victoria Beckham.
Prince sings with Bon Jovi and Swift: The Duke of Cambridge surprises guests at a charity event at Kensington Palace by performing alongside US stars Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift.
Bitcoin currency breaks $1,000 mark: The value of a single bitcoin surpasses $1,000 (£613) for the first time, according to MtGox, the virtual currency’s biggest exchange.
Japan man swapped at birth wins damages: A 60-year-old Tokyo man switched at birth from his rich parents to a poor family has been given compensation, it’s reported.

World Record Christmas Lights

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Chris

David and Janean Richards of Canberra, Australia, have set another record for the number of Christmas lights on their home. They first held the record in 2011, but then were eclipsed by an American home in 2012. This year, the Richards set up 502,165 Christmas lights to regain the title. That brings bragging rights, and an electric bill that’s over two grand a month! Luckily, the bill is subsidized by ActewAGL’s Greenchoice renewable energy company. The 331,038 lights lights the family displayed in 2011 raised $78,000 for their favorite charity, SIDS and Kids ACT. They hope this year will bring in even more funds.

Having sworn to never again undertake such a labour-intensive record attempt, in 2012 David discovered his record had been broken by the Gay family from Lagrangeville, New York, with 346,283 lights.

“Suddenly I had twice the drive,” David says. “I’d be raising more money for SIDS and Kids and winning back our record at the same time.

The display is open to the public from 7:30 to 10:30 each night through Boxing Day, and even later close to Christmas. The curious thing is that the tradition of putting up decorative lights for Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Tet, solstice, and other occasions is because it’s winter and the nights are long and dark. However, Christmas comes in summer in the Southern Hemisphere, so in Australia you have to stay late to see the full effect! Read more, and see a video, about the Richards’ display at the Guinness site.

Pope Francis and the Little Child

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Chris

Pope Francis addressed families in St. Peter Square at the Vatican last Saturday. There’s a video of the event, but it is four hours long.

One of the highlights was a little boy who became attached to the pope, and came to stand beside him on stage. When some cardinals tried to remove him, the pontiff allowed the child to stay. The boy even got a little jealous when foreign dignitaries came up to meet the Pope (although, eventually, he took over the job of introducing the people to the Pope.). Finally, when Pope Francis began to give his speech, he sat the boy down in his own seat, and continued on with the message.

The charming sequence is captured in a series of gifs and photographs at Buzzfeed.

UFO Crashes at Primary School

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Chris

Students at North Harringay primary school in Geater London, England, were surprised to find that a flying saucer had crash-landed in the school’s pavement. It had apparently landed so hard that it was half-buried in the asphalt!

A forensic officer was spotted inspecting the UFO while police closely guarded the scene, which was roped off while investigations took place.

The whole event was just the inspiration pupils needed for a creative writing day at the school, and was orchestrated by Emma Hassan, its literacy leader, with the help of one very creative parent and a local PC.

A parent had built the spacecraft for the school and also showed up dressed as a forensic detective. A police constable was also recruited to lend authenticity to the stunt. Many examples of creative writing were accomplished that day and a good time was had by all.

Fox Repeatedly Steals Balls at Golf Course

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Chris

At least one golf course is plagued by a fox. A course in Verbier, Switzerland has a resident fox with a craving for golf balls. He’s stolen hundreds of them. Is he reselling them?

If golf is, as Mark Twain put it, “a good walk spoiled,” then I can only applaud the creation of a novel obstacle necessitating ingenuity from golfers. Require golfers to retrieve their balls from the fox or take three stroke penalties.

Funny stories from around the world

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Chris

Some more funny and random headlines from around the world:

Gates calls Ctrl+Alt+Del a mistake: Bill Gates said he would have preferred a one-button alternative to the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Del.
Alpine climber finds ‘crash’ jewels: A French mountain climber finds a box of precious jewels in the Alps in what is thought to be debris from an Air India crash decades ago.
Star Wars voted top movie theme: John Williams’ Star Wars theme has been voted as the UK’s favourite film soundtrack by BBC Radio 3 listeners.
Spain to consider time zone change: Spanish MPs are to consider putting the country back by an hour, after a report said this would improve eating, sleeping and working habits.
Swiss wargame casts France as enemy: The Swiss army has carried out a training exercise which simulated an attack by France, it emerges.
Cash-scoffing pooch gets $500 refund: A man in the US state of Colorado, who left his dog alone in his car, found it had eaten 500 dollars in cash.
Chimpanzee ’on the pill’ has twins: A chimpanzee whose birth control failed gives birth to twins at an ape rescue centre in Wareham.
MP claims 3p for 100m car trip: Former defence secretary Liam Fox successfully claimed 3p of taxpayers’ money for a car journey of about 100 metres, expenses documents show.
Buckingham Palace hosts football: Buckingham Palace is hosting its first official football match, to mark the Football Association’s 150th anniversary.
White London taxis sent to Australia: The London cab is being trialled in Australia, but in white rather than the traditional black colour.
Living Ohio man ruled ‘legally dead’: A US man declared legally dead after he disappeared 27 years ago cannot now be declared officially alive, though he is in good health, a judge rules.
Papal medal misspells name of Jesus: The Vatican withdraws from sale 6,000 copies of a new papal medal which misspells the name of Jesus – but not before collectors snap up a handful.

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