News of the Weird - this just in!

[PeteC]

The full story that goes with the above Whale video.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly50k8zypmo

[pharvey]

Perhaps more suited to "News of the Ironic"...

'Thou Shalt not Steal' Painting Stolen from Church

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9vv54wz8xo

[pharvey]

Nothing like getting up close and personal - strangely enough, this has happened on a few occasions previously!

Fishermen Floored as 300kg Dolphin Leaps into Boat in Bay of Islands

"Fishermen in the Bay of Islands got far more than they bargained for today when a 300kg dolphin leapt out of the water and straight into their boat.

The bizarre wildlife encounter, which occurred around lunchtime off Cape Brett, knocked one of the boaties over and left him with bruising to one arm.

It also left the trio - young men from Warkworth on a fishing trip they won’t forget - with the dilemma of what to do with a dolphin almost as long as their vessel.

Department of Conservation (DoC) Bay of Islands manager Bronwyn Bauer-Hunt commended the fishermen for “doing everything right”.

First they sought advice via Russell Radio, a maritime radio service, about what to do with their unintended catch.

The radio operator put them in contact with a DoC ranger, who advised them to keep the dolphin cool and shaded, and motor back to Waitangi jetty so their surprise passenger could be given a health check.

Bauer-Hunt said they used an umbrella and a hose to keep the dolphin cool, taking care not to get water in its blowhole.

Men and marine mammal were met at the wharf by DoC staff and hapū members, who gave the dolphin a thorough check-up.

She said the juvenile male bottlenose dolphin had a few scratches where it had landed on the metal deck, but was otherwise unhurt.

“No one was seriously injured, including the dolphin, which was a great outcome,” she said.

Bauer-Hunt estimated the dolphin weighed 300kg and if stretched out – it had landed with its tail curled up – it would have been almost as long as the Stabicraft fishing boat."

Taken From https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/fishermen ... 2MOCB753I/

[STEVE G]

To make the game more attractive to younger players, they're introducing a version of the Monopoly board game with a mobile banking app:

Hasbro announced a new version of Monopoly that simplifies gameplay by replacing cash and the banker with a mobile app that handles all of the game’s transactions. With Monopoly App Banking, a smartphone or tablet takes over the role of banker and keeps track of every player’s money and properties. It will make the game more accessible to younger players while also making it much harder to cheat, but it also means Monopoly is no longer an alternative to screen time.

https://www.theverge.com/news/623716/ha ... ailability

[PeteC]

Keep your original board/cash versions. They may be worth thousands in years to come.

[404cameljockey]

It will make the game more accessible to younger players

It will make the game more accessible to numerically challenged players of all ages.

It will actually take away what is an enjoyable maths learning process for younger children. If you like Monopoly that is, which I did even before I was ten.

[STEVE G]

Unsecured penguin caused helicopter crash in South Africa

An "unsecured" penguin in a cardboard box was the cause of a helicopter crash in South Africa, a report into the incident has found.

The penguin, which had been placed in the box and on the lap of a passenger, slid off and knocked the pilot's controls just after take-off from Bird Island off the Eastern Cape on 19 January.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority said the impact sent the helicopter crashing to the ground. No-one on board, including the penguin, was hurt.

The authority said that "the lack of secure containment for the penguin" was responsible for creating the "dangerous situation".
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5xx036p4vo

[STEVE G]

Man discovers he has bought his own stolen car

A man who bought a £20,000 car to replace the one he had stolen has discovered he has accidentally bought back his own stolen car.

Ewan Valentine, 36, from Solihull, woke up on 28 February to find his car, a black Honda Civic, had disappeared from his drive overnight.

After informing police and his insurers, he started looking for a replacement 2016 Type-R model and found one that looked "identical" about 70 miles away.

But after he bought it, he noticed similar items in the vehicle. It was then Mr Valentine realised he had bought his stolen car - he also found his previous addresses in the car's sat-nav.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7x1e0648zo

[pharvey]

A toss up on whether it should be here or in the Wendyball bit

Spooky, it must be said - well at least for us into Maths and strange crap!!

For those not aware of the "Fibonacci Sequence", it's a mathematical sequence common in life, nature, astrology/astronomy.....

How Liverpool's Title Win Has Completed a Mysterious Fibonacci Sequence

"Liverpool FC's victory at the weekend has clinched them their second Premier League title but it also resulted in something curious – producing a strange series of numbers in the leagues' record books.

Something remarkable has just happened in English football. Liverpool FC have been crowned Premier League champions for a second time. When added to their 18 pre-Premier League titles, it means they now equal Manchester United's record of being English champions 20 times. But while fans of the club will no doubt be celebrating this moment of triumph, another astounding facet of their achievement has caught the attention of mathematicians.

Liverpool's title win has completed the opening of an exceptional set of numbers that has been 33 years in the making. The sequence emerges when we rank Liverpool alongside the other clubs that have won the Premier League since it was first formed in 1992, listing them by the number of titles won, starting with the lowest. As you can see in the table below, the number of Premier League titles goes as follows: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13."
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Premier-Wins-2025.jpg (43.82 KiB) Viewed 1827 times

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Taken from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2025 ... ball-title

I honestly hadn't realised how dominant Manure had been in the Premier League....

[PeteC]

Snakes released in condo hallway in protest against noisy dog

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -noisy-dog

An angry resident released these two snakes in the corridor of no-pets condominium building in Bangkok, demanding that management take action against a neighbour with a noisy dog............

c1_3029995_250520115935.jpg (37.95 KiB) Viewed 317 times

[Big Boy]

Maybe hoping they'll eat dog

[pharvey]

And just for a (UK) Bank Holiday giggle....

"The Gloucestershire Cheese Roll will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC News website from 11:30 BST on Monday, May 26th. The first race is scheduled for 12:00 BST. You can also watch it on the BBC News app. "

I'll be the one on crutches before the race(s)

From last year: -


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[Big Boy]

Video from this year:

[pharvey]

^ Trust me, even the videos don't do things justice - absolute lunacy!! No need for violence amongst the crowds here, we're watching with drinks in hand whilst others do damage to themselves! Lot's more going on than just the "Cheese Roll" over a couple of days, but all in great fun (though some will say not in great taste!!).

Ever thought about "Gurning through a Braffin" BB? Hysterical after a few local ciders - though must be said only carried on by a few!!.... And HELL NO!!