Weird News

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 11:49 pm

So, do they dig the grave or just use a pile driver?  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Apr 27, 11:15 PM EDT Cemetery to Begin Vertical Burials SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- An Australian company has been given approval to begin work on a cemetery where bodies will be buried vertically to save space and minimize impact on the environment, a spokesman said Thursday. Tony Dupleix, director of Palacom, the company given permission for the cemetery, said the plan would involve no-frills burials, using a simple body bag rather than a casket. "When you die, you are returned to the earth with a minimum of fuss and with no paraphernalia that would affect the environment," he said. The cemetery, proposed for a field in Derrinallum, 110 miles west of the city of Melbourne, would feature 10-foot holes, Dupleix said. It reportedly is the first cemetery in Australia offering the option of being buried standing up. Anna Jamieson, of the Darlington Cemetery Trust which will manage the cemetery, said the plots would be ideal for environmentally minded people, but conceded it was unlikely to replace the time-honored horizontal interments. "If you are interested in the environment, it's beautiful land on the Western District plains facing Mount Elephant," she said. "Some people will think it's great but other people might prefer a traditional burial." 2005 The Associated Press.</td></tr></table>

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 12:07 am

Now, there's an non-governmental organization you don't want to mess with!  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Apr 29, 7:47 AM EDT Girl Scouts Sue Deadbeat Cookie Buyers WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) -- Girl Scout cookies aren't free, as a few alleged deadbeats are about to find out. One scout group has filed small-claims lawsuits against people who failed to pay up. Christine Slowinski, communications director for the Girl Scouts' Great Blue Heron Council, said the legal action Thursday came only after several efforts to collect the money from sales of cookies in the annual fund-raising campaign over the past two years. The amounts owed by two couples and three other women ranged from $301.42 to $1,485.68. "We call many times before taking this step," Slowinski said. "We send them letters. When all else fails, this is our last resort." Form letters that preceded the legal action read, "Please note that nonpayment for Girl Scout cookies represents fraud," and advised the non-payers to arrange a repayment plan. 2005 The Associated Press.</td></tr></table>

Zaaphod · Postby **Zaaphod** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:12 am

Good grief, those people bought (or stole, I should say) a lot of cookies.

Archaemic · Postby **Archaemic** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:19 am

I love America.</super sarcasm>

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 2:08 am

Well, 800 pounds of human waste is something the tourists will remember for a long, long time . . .  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Matthews band pays dumping settlement By Michael Hawthorne Tribune staff reporter April 29, 2005, 1:19 PM CDT The Dave Matthews Band today agreed to pay $200,000 to the state to settle a civil case that was filed after the group's tour bus driver dumped human waste on a Chicago River tour boat last summer. The state will place the money into a fund for environmental protection and education. "This is a significant payment that is going to serve as a deterrent to other bands who might feel that it's okay to dump 800 pounds of human waste on Illinois citizens and tourists," said Melissa Merz, a spokeswoman for Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan. A driver for the group admitted in March that he emptied his bus' septic tank over the river, drenching passengers on an architectural boat tour with waste. Stefan Wohl, 42, was sentenced to 18 months of probation, 150 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of reckless conduct and water pollution. Wohl's guilty plea was the first time that the bus driver for the popular rock band publicly acknowledged discharging the waste. He initially denied the charge when interviewed by police, prosecutors said. In a court hearing Wednesday morning, Wohl admitted that on the afternoon of Aug. 8, he discharged the septic tank while the bus crossed the grated Kinzie Street Bridge downtown, endangering about 100 sightseers riding the open-deck tourist boat passing under the bridge. Passengers on the tour boat, Chicago's Little Lady, described a downpour of foul-smelling, brownish-yellow slurry that ruined their clothes and made several of them sick. After the incident, the boat returned to its dock where passengers were given refunds. No serious injuries were reported though several passengers did get a checkup at a local hospital. Copyright 2005, Chicago Tribune </td></tr></table>

Muninn · Postby **Muninn** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 12:42 pm

Vertical burial is a good idea and human waste tours is not.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Mon May 02, 2005 12:03 am

Darn skeptics, when will they believe?  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> A ghost of a chance An Indiana group with cameras and other gear hunts spirits in a shadowy county courthouse By E.A. Torriero Tribune staff reporter May 1, 2005 VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Maintenance workers have sworn for years that the Porter County Courthouse is haunted. Sometimes they have heard voices yelling their names. Chairs inexplicably moved in dark courtrooms at night. The elevator operates unprompted some evenings. And some swear they have seen a shadowy, ghoulish figure wearing a black top hat. So Friday night, at the urging of the county attorney and with permission of the County Commission, volunteer paranormalists combed the aged courthouse looking for signs of the netherworld. "Someone is in here resisting us," said Julie Bodnar, a self-described clairvoyant, standing in a courtroom and feeling what she described as spiritual oppression. "I can feel the anger." And for four hours, seven members of the Indiana Ghost Trackers tiptoed through the five-story courthouse armed with digital cameras, tape recorders, infrared thermometers, ion counters and electromagnetic-field detectors. The aim: to listen, feel and gauge the presence of spirits, including that of a man who reportedly leaped to his death on these grounds in the 1800s. And although the trackers said they won't know the results until analyzing their data for a week or so, they already have sure signs of unusual activity that they ultimately will relay to the commission, they said. Bodnar, an office manager by day and psychic in her spare time, had feelings that someone once was beaten and bound on the courthouse steps. In a few of the courtrooms, she sensed restless spirits who, like many real-life defendants, are none too pleased about being there. The trackers barked out questions to supposed spirits and claimed that muffled responses captured by their tape recorders will be the voices of responding ghosts. One of the trackers took a digital photo of a Tribune reporter and said he found the glow of an oppressed spirit hovering above him in a hallway. "There's definitely something going on here," said lead tracker Mike McDowell, who held a device in his hand that flickered when it picked up signals of electromagnetism, which could indicate a ghost's presence. The investigation, as the trackers called it, was needed because the group had detected spiritual traces and balls of light in the nearby historic jail. So they filed a written request last month, and county officials say they agreed to let the group explore the courthouse--after hours--because there was no good reason not to. At first commissioners balked but changed their minds after County Atty. Gwenn Rinkenberger persuaded them. "I really believe in this stuff," she said. "Maybe we'll find out if there is anything really in here." Ghost Trackers was founded by McDowell, 38, who lives in northern Indiana and works in Chicago. When not chasing apparitions, McDowell coordinates repairs for hot dog steamers owned by Sara Lee Corp. His club has attracted an assortment of participants--about 300 in all. Trackers have responded to about 200 calls a year across Indiana, trooping through cemeteries, city halls, homes and even the University of Notre Dame, where they searched for signs of the legendary football figure George Gipp. They do little with their results other than document them as a matter of history and curiosity. In 2002, the trackers say they recorded an "electronic voice phenomena" in the old county jail, which is the county museum. "Can you tell us how you died?" the investigators asked an alleged spirit. "Vietnam," the spirit replied. After that, the ghost trackers set their sights across the street, on the courthouse built in 1937 after a 1934 fire destroyed the old one. Rinkenberger went along through the courthouse Friday night with two sheriff's deputies in tow. The public was not invited. "We don't want anyone rifling through court documents or disturbing offices," Rinkenberger said. "It would be a fiasco." Rinkenberger vowed to make the trackers' report public. But physicists and scientists predict the evidence of ghosts will be murky at best. Skeptical scientists say there have been no documented and substantive sightings of ghosts. The trackers may say they found spirits, scientists say, but proving it beyond a doubt is another matter. "It's just a publicity stunt," said author Michael Shermer, a scientist and founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine, who lectures against what he calls "pseudoscience." Ghost trackers may be picking up energy waves inside a building such as from electrical currents, scientists say. And for sounds inside buildings that trackers may hear, scientists say it can be anything from the howling of wind to the settling of walls and floors. "I hope they found it entertaining," said Lawrence Krauss, a physicist at Case Western University in Cleveland. "But there is no evidence that anything they are doing has scientific merit. It's really misguided. If they really want to have fun, they should go play baseball." But Bodnar insists there is something fishy going on in the courthouse. "We mean no harm," she said aloud, allegedly to a spirit who apparently was ruffled by the swarm of visitors and their Friday night antics. ---------- etorriero@tribune.com Copyright 2005, Chicago Tribune </td></tr></table>

Richard K Niner · Postby **Richard K Niner** » Mon May 02, 2005 12:07 am

Who ya gonna call?

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Mon May 02, 2005 2:00 am

Can I get the 'Manner Fairy' at my school?  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> THE BEAT: NORTH AROUND LAKE COUNTY `Manner Fairy' casts a spell on young pupils Helene Van Sickle Published May 1, 2005 LIBERTYVILLE -- Pat Krech became the "Manner Fairy" to teach kids at Butterfield School the basics of good manners. His reward: more smiles and booming hellos than he can count. Krech, 34, who teaches physical education at the Libertyville elementary school, played the role to the hilt, wearing a shirt with a large "M" on the front and a big pair of white wings for a series of eight, two-minute films shot with three other teachers. The films were meant to show the kids the basics of good manners. "They were broadcast on the morning announcements," Krech said. "We wanted to focus on saying hello in the morning, goodbye in the afternoon. There are many times you'd walk by a kid ... and they'd ignore you. We're working on fixing that." Krech and the other teachers all had parts in the videos. Mandy Carzoli, who teaches 5th grade, was "Rotten Rob"; Maggie Milligan, a 3rd-grade teacher, played "Rude Dude"; and Amy Reichart, who also teaches 3rd grade, operated the camera. Krech was the big guy with the impeccable good manners--and the wings. The results are worth smiling about. Fellow teachers at the school, which has 664 pupils in kindergarten through 5th grade, have told him that many of the kids are more, well, mannerly. "I had over 500 hellos one day," Krech said. "I constantly had to stop and say good morning, and it was great. They weren't rude. Whenever they saw me, they'd say, `Hello Mr. Krech.' They didn't have bad manners to start, but we noticed there could be an improvement." The teachers mainly focused their efforts on such basics as saying: "Thank you," "I'm sorry," "please" and "excuse me."</td></tr></table>

IHateUsernames · Postby **IHateUsernames** » Mon May 02, 2005 11:05 am

Manner fairies. Hehehe

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Wed May 04, 2005 1:01 am

Gosh, they're starting on auto theft young these days . . . Oh, and make sure you look both ways before crossing the highway!  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> May 2, 9:54 PM EDT Brothers, 3 and 5, Take Van for Joyride ROCHESTER, Ind. (AP) -- Two brothers, ages 3 and 5, took their mother's van on a 5-mile ride in northern Indiana, crossing a four-lane highway, before crashing into a pile of dirt and emerging unhurt, their family said. The boys began Saturday morning as usual watching cartoons, but later took the van keys from their mother's purse and took off, their family said. Chase and Chandler Bright both sat in the drivers seat to steer the van, leaving their mother, Heather Bright, wondering how they reached the pedals. "It amazes me," she said. "I was like, 'Oh my God, No! This cannot be happening.'" The boys said they wanted to go visit their grandfather, a police accident report said. The boys' other grandfather, Mike Bright, found them at the U.S. 31 bypass, where he said older brother Chase was careful and looked both ways before successfully crossing the four-lane highway some 45 miles south of South Bend. But the boys later missed a turn onto a street, drove through a fence of a fertilizer business and crashed into a pile of dirt. They emerged without a bruise, and the van only had a flat tire and some minor damage. Chase, who is fascinated with vehicles, apologized for wrecking the van, his mother said. And security at their home was tighter now. "We got this house locked down like Fort Knox," she said. "I'm going to have to sleep with the keys around my neck now." --- Information from: The Rochester Sentinel, <a href='http://www.rochsent.com' target='_blank'>http://www.rochsent.com</a> 2005 The Associated Press.</td></tr></table>

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Wed May 04, 2005 1:28 pm

A decade ago, I heard about a 3-year-old who joyrode all by himself. His newspaper quote: "I go zoom!"

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:23 am

A "What was she thinking?" moment:  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> May 4, 12:20 PM EDT Woman Arrested at Job Interview AMHERST, Ohio (AP) -- It wasn't Laurie Ralston's resume that got the attention of police. It was her record. Ralston applied Thursday for a job as a dispatcher with the Amherst police department. When they did a background check, police quickly found out she has 17 traffic convictions, including seven speeding tickets and two citations for driving without a license. Ralston was called in Friday for what she was told would be an interview. Instead, she was arrested and charged with failing to appear in court and driving without a license. Ralston said she had no idea police were after her. "It was just a little excessive to have that type of background and try to get a shot at this type of job," Lt. Joseph Kucirek said. 2005 The Associated Press.</td></tr></table>

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Thu May 05, 2005 3:44 pm

"No idea"? She must have little faith in her city's police department, perhaps after observing how many times they've let things go. Either that or she has exceedingly little awareness of her own history. Maybe it's dissociative personality disorder or something.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu May 05, 2005 11:29 pm

That's a "scare 'em straight" strategy I haven't seen before . . .  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> May 5, 6:45 PM EDT Judge Orders Surfing Teens to Write Obits AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- A judge ordered two teenagers who survived a dangerous stunt that they staged on a highway during rush hour to write their own obituaries. One of the teens lowered his legs out of the back of a pickup truck while holding onto the tailgate, put his feet on the pavement and pretended to surf while his friend drove 65 mph. Both 17-year-olds admitted to the stunt on Interstate 76 that was taped by a friend in another vehicle. The boys were caught after other drivers called police. The judge on Wednesday also took away the teens' licenses for a year, placed them on six months' probation, ordered them to do 30 hours of community service and fined them $50 and court costs. "I want to try and help you realize you are not indestructible, that life is a gift," said Summit County Juvenile Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio. The driver admitted to charges including reckless operation, allowing a person to ride on the outside of a vehicle and disorderly conduct. The other teen admitted to charges of riding on the outside of a vehicle and disorderly conduct. The teens were also ordered to write a letter for Teodosio that warns others about the danger of their stunt. 2005 The Associated Press. </td></tr></table>

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