What a Weird Week for Friday, June 30, 2023: Dog Nannies, Ruined Experiments, and a Ban on Suitcases

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Hello friends, I'm Scott. This is What a Weird Week. Every Friday we do a Weird-News-of-the-Week Top 10 Countdown podcast, a blog with all the stories and shownotes, and a YouTube video. Find everything at Shownotes.page.
This is Season 4, Episode 40 for Friday June 30, 2023:
❿ From Fox 2, KTBU. Billionaires offering dog nanny job with $127,000 a year salary had to pull their ad after too many applications. This is an American family living in the United Kingdom. They advertised for a live-in dog nanny at $127,000 a year! We don't know too much about the people wanting the dog nanny because they advertised through an agency. They did a job post and word got around quickly...  they've gotten over 2,000 applications... So they had to take the ad down because they were swamped. I mean, people want those dog nanny jobs at $127,000 a year. 
- Job description... had to be a live-in dog nanny, attention to detail is important... the owners have two dogs btw... you have to feed and groom the pooches...   arrange for vet appointments... make sure the pooches get their shots and checkups, that sort of thing. But also you're in charge of walking the dog or making sure they get physical stimulation and mental stimulation. So you know dog school or something. You're the dog tutor and the dog nanny, maybe. 
- We don't know what kind of dogs other than large dogs. That's it for now. I hope they find the right candidate because it seems like they're willing to pay through the nose to get the right person.
See https://www.ktvu.com/news/billionaires-offering-dog-nanny-job-with-127k-salary-pull-ad-after-surge-in-applications
❾ from HuffPost, The results are in,  Maury Povich is the father... of a great business venture! 
Maury announced his at-home paternity test kit this week. He retired from his talk show, Maury, which made famous for the phrase, 'The results are in.' Now Maury is throwing in with a company offering at-home paternity tests, and the quote is, 'These at-home paternity tests can unite families after a long period of time.' That's true I guess, but as we saw on his show, many of those families weren't united. Many of those families were blowupuated after appearing on the Maury show and learning that the results were in. 
- The company behind these tests is the same company that did testing for the Maury show and boasted a 99.9% accuracy rate. 
- How much money are they going to cost? To be continued? What's the cost to the human soul? Also unknown at this juncture.
See 
❽ from NDTV... 'Skilled US cow performs 10 tricks in 1 minute to set world record' ...  
- cow name: Ghost. 
- I was very excited for this and I'm happy for Ghost, the cow, and Ghost's owner. I think stories like this are inspiring and we need these stories, especially on a Monday or other day that has crushed our spirit... but then when you look at the tricks... I don't know what it takes to train a cow... and Megan seems like a nice lady and she's worked a long time with Ghost...  But when you hear that Ghost, the cow, can do tricks, I can't help it. I'm thinking about maybe hanging from a trapeze. I don't know. I'm a city slicker. I guess I don't know cows. Here are the tricks, the 10 tricks, that Ghost did. I'm just going to list them off. Head nod, kiss, bell touch, fist bump or leg lift, stand on a pedestal. That was two legs on a little platform. Bow, spin, self-roping, which sounded so great. I'll link to the video. You be the judge... also Come when called, and stay... so Ghost, the cow, can stay, like, stand... So you say, hey Ghost, and Ghost doesn't move. And that's one of the tricks. So it's a Guinness World Record. I'm not going to take away from Ghost, the cow. All I'm saying is there's room there to build on this. Maybe that's the takeaway. There's room to build... and next year maybe have an even better record! Like trapeze. 
See 
❼ Seven is going to be a tie. There's going to be two stories in number seven. They're not weird news items so much as they're just weird articles that started getting traction this past week. First one, the headline was why you should never jump into water to avoid a bee attack. So that was published on the website Mental Floss and, the expert they quoted from University of California at San Diego mentioned how people trying to evade bees underwater are often panicked and come up gasping for air... people end up inhaling bees and they get stung internally. Good Lord. I didn't know this and where I live, bees are fairly docile, but I know some places bees are aggressive... well, bees will wait you out. If you try to dive into the water cartoon style, bees will wait sometimes for hours and, bees are going to win. So that's not exactly news, but just a weird article. 
and the other story is... which again, it's not a news item so much as an article that started gaining traction this past week... but to me, it's kind of weird. Have you ever heard the phrase sleep divorce before?? From USA Today. the article is 'Sleep Divorce is on the Rise'. 
- Do people actually sleep better alone? This article is not definitive, but it does introduce to me the phrase sleep divorce, where it's kind of a harsh term, especially if you continue to be happily married to your spouse while your are sleep divorced... so you're in a relationship, an otherwise fine and healthy relationship, but when it's time to sleep, you have separate sleeping arrangements. Sleeping apart. And they call it sleep divorce. It just doesn't sound right. Divorce your spouse every night and remarry in the morning. No, that's not what you're doing. It is sleeping apart. Why don't they call it sleeping apart? Anyway, the article gets into sleep divorce and how good it can be for you, how according to studies, people sleep so much better on their own. And then the article's almost over and you're like, well, I guess this is my life now. I'm going to have to not sleep with my wife anymore. And then at the very end, they quote another study where it's like, oh, but this study says sleeping with your spouse is good for you and you'll sleep better. So you get almost to the end of the article and it's like, oh, there's no definitive answer. Thanks for reading.  
❻ Free Smartwatches: A Warning. Headline from PC Magazine is "Did you receive a free smartwatch in the mail? Do not turn it on."
Members of the US military have been receiving unsolicited smartwatches in the mail. If that's you, do not turn that on. Defense News reports that the Department of Army Criminal Investigation, the CID, says these free gifts are malicious... seems like the oldest trick in the book, but we'd all be tempted to be like, hmm, maybe I just deserve this because I deserve nice things, and somebody knew that, and sent me this smartwatch. You know, just turn this on and try it out. I wonder if it plays games. I wonder if it has a compass. Whatever. And, you know, the temptation is great to turn that thing on, and then it steals all your information, it steals vital details, defense secrets. It seems like a great ploy. Don't fall for it. You don't want that information to fall into your enemy's hands. In my case, it would be like, well, this fellow is extremely sedentary. Like, we thought he wasn't wearing the watch. We thought he must have put it on a shelf somewhere, placed it on a cushion, but it turns out he was wearing it the whole time. He barely moved.
❺ Pepsi Ketchup made headlines this week. Pepsi-infused ketchup! It's Pepsi and ketchup together at last! Is it just a publicity stunt? Oh, I'm pretty sure.
Available for a limited time, Pepsi Ketchup, which they're calling ColaChup... I don't know about that name... usually I tip my cap to the hardworking folks in the promotions department who sit around the table and come up with ideas, how to get attention, cut through the noise... then they come up with ColaChup? I don't know if ColaChup was the way to go... now Pepsup (©2023 Weird Week Enterprises), that's pretty good isn't it?
- Pepsi Ketchup was actually made with the help of the Culinary Institute of America, which is, you know, a fancy cooking school...  renowned, prestigious.
- It's got Pepsi, smoky tomato, paprika, cinnamon, stuff like that.
- It's supposed to be around for July 4th at some ballparks... I bet if it takes off, if there's a market for it, you'll see it around... don't ya think?
❹ the janitor who unplugged the freezer and ruined the experiment and now is part of a lawsuit...
- Janitor heard these alarms and those alarms can get on your nerves pretty quick... I mean, it's not smooth jazz when those alarms go off... 
- Janitor turned off the freezer which ruined 20 years of research, worth a million bucks. 
- happened a few years ago at a university in New York and is in the news now because: lawsuit.
- the janitor isn't being sued... it's the cleaning company who employed the janitor...
- University wants more than a million in damages...
- fridge had cell cultures in it that had to be kept cold... the alarm went off as a warning that the fridge was getting warmer... they were planning on getting emergency repairs... in the meantime they put a lock around the outlet so it wouldn't be unplugged... also they put a a sign on the fridge saying THIS FREEZER IS BEEPING AS IT IS UNDER REPAIR. PLEASE DO NOT MOVE OR UNPLUG IT. NO CLEANING REQUIRED IN THIS AREA. YOU CAN PRESS THE ALARM/TEST MUTE BUTTON FOR 5-10 SECONDS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MUTE THE SOUND,”
- it seems like the janitor thought the fridge was shut off maybe... he turned the circuit breaker off but it seems like he thought he he was actually turning the breaker on maybe... anyway, it was a mistake that ruined years of research and here we are... court case to be continued...
See https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/janitor-heard-annoying-alarms-and-turned-off-freezer-ruining-20-years-of-school-research-worth-us-1m-lawsuit-says-1.6457395
❸ the War on Taco Tuesday continues... Taco John's Answers Back...
ICYMI, we talked about this on episode 34 in May (https://www.scottyandtony.com/2023/05/what-weird-week-podcast-friday-may-19th.html)... this is an update...
TL;DR: A Wyoming-based restaurant chain named Taco John's currently has the federal trademark on the phrase "Taco Tuesday."  
National chain Taco Bell wants the phrase to become free for everyone to use. Taco Bell filed a petition with the trademark people and now... this official response filing from Taco John’s... it basically disagrees with Taco Bell (paraphrase).
According to the expert quoted by CNN, the next thing will be discovery... Taco Bell will try to prove that hardly anybody associates Taco Tuesday with a particular restaurant...  if they surveyed you, what would you say? BTW, the expert says this might take a couple years. In the meantime, everyone has to stop eating tacos. There is a complete taco moratorium. JK.
❷ Rent the Barbie Dreamhouse...
This story was all over. It's publicity stunt to promote the Barbie Movie and it got picked up by all the news agencies... so it deserves some kind of award... we had an episode last month about how the Barbie Movie set used so much of a particular kind of pink paint that the paint company ran out... there's a bit more to that story, but it got a lotta press and now this Stay in the Barbie Dreamhouse thing... the promo team is hitting it out of the park for the Barbie movie!! 
- Details... beginning July 17th, request to book Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse on Airbnb. They're gonna pick two people who'll win a free one-night-stay for them and a guest at the oceanfront villa. One person gets July 21 and the other winner gets July 22.
🏆 A couple Honorable Mentions this week... 
- When in Rome, don't carve your gf's name into ancient architecture... for sure don't get VIDEO of it! This happened at the Roman Colosseum. There's video of a guy carving what they believe is "Ivan+Haley 23" on the wall. That's illegal and also makes people in Rome really mad... the latest is that Italian police say the have an ID on the guy and the lady... but aren't releasing any names yet... they say it was a British tourist...  if you want names we'll put a link because some other places are reporting their names... (https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/06/30/hunt-for-tourist-who-carved-name-in-colosseum-intensifies)...
- this is the fourth time this year that something like this has happened... they;'re reporting that you can get a €13,000 fine and up to five years in prison for this.
and...
🏆 the second Honorable Mention... 
- are we gonna have to start paying 70 dollars for a bottle of Sriracha sauce?!!
- a Sriracha sauce shortage is making prices go crazy... in the neighborhood of $70 a bottle.
-Why? There has been a chili crop failure and one of the sauce's main producers is struggling to keep up with demand... so people are selling the sauce online for waaaay more money than usual. 
❶ Croatian City Bans Noisy Wheeled Suitcases...
A European city has imposed a ban on wheeled suitcases due to the excessive noise they produce when dragged across cobblestones. Violators face hefty fines of nearly $400, although carrying your luggage by hand or utilizing a fanny pack is permissible. The city, which is a popular tourist destination in Croatia, introduced this measure after locals voiced their frustration over the disturbance caused by tourism.
We've all been there, a hotel or whatever. Somebody's checking out early and the bags come down the hall and you can hear them from one end to the other. I mean, sure, it's loud. Sure, you wanna open your hotel room door and collect a $400 fine from those people. 
- good idea: In an effort to educate travelers about local etiquette and avoid misunderstandings or penalties, authorities have produced instructional videos highlighting various dos and don'ts... they're playing the instructional videos on cruises and flights asking people to not do things like, 'hey, don't walk your pet without a leash. Don't climb on our statues. Don't whip off your shirt and start walking around downtown. And also, suitcases on cobblestones, not great. 
Thanks for being here. Remember, click Shownotes.Page and get all the What a Weird Week stuff. Even a link for the answering machine. It's old school. I never answer. 
If you scrolled this far, you're my favorite. Here's the Stream...

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Canada Day 2023: Info for Moncton, Riverview, Dieppe, and Tons More Places #Fun #CanadaDay #Info #WhoaCanada

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MONCTON INFO 
*More Event Info: City website HERE or city Facebook HERE (for up-to-date info)
 
 Kids Play Zone July 1st from 12p-8p at Riverfront Park is gonna be poppin off, baby!*
We're talkin' about Bouncy Castles, Food Trucks! and Cool Stuff!
- Noon until 4p is family-friendly entertainment on-stage at the park which begins with an Opening Prayer by Elder Joan Milliea, followed by entertainment from Rémi Boudreau, Art Richard, and DJ Bones' Dance Party.
- Noon until 8p in the Kids’ PlayZone check out the Dairy Farmers of Canada trailer made entirely of cheese!* (not sure about the cheese part tbh), also bouncy bouncers, glitter tattoos, the Resurgo Place t-shirt printing experience (see here), the Parks Canada display, mini soccer games with the Halifax Wanderers, and more!
Artisan Village
- 12p until 10p new for 2023, the Artisan Village happens on Downing Street.
Freaky Fun Butterfly thing...
- 12p until 8p you're invited to be a part of the Larso World Tour and meet Larso, "the Solar Butterfly!" They say Larso is the largest solar powered vehicle in the world. (see https://solarbutterfly.org/)
Main Stage Music from 5p to 10p at Riverfront Park will feature... the  Elsipogtog Spirit Singers, The Monoxides, Les Hay Babies, and Sloan.
FIREWORKS start at 10p... look towards the river... or, you know, in the sky. 
RAIN LOCATION...
"In the event of heavy rains, the July 1 Celebrations (with the exception of fireworks) will take place at the Moncton Coliseum Agrena Complex." Check the Moncton Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cityofmoncton.villedemoncton
Street Closures from 6a until 11:59p on Saturday, July 1, 2023...
- Eastbound lanes of Assomption Blvd closed between Foundry Street and Mechanic Street (intersections will be open)
- Westbound lanes of Assomption Blvd closed between Main Street and Westmorland Street.
- Downing Street closed between Sommet Lane to Assomption Boulevard.
Moncton Parking
Pro tip: Watch for the Yellow Parking Signs that look like a softball. If you're not quite sure about where to park downtown in Moncton here's some great info  on downtown parking lots.

DIEPPE DETAILS
Canada Day Stuff is happening at Dieppe’s Place 1604 on July 1st from 1p to 7p. 
- Tons of Fun and Games! Prizes! Bouncy Bouncers! Balloon Art! Face Painters! Delicious cookies from The Cookie Jar! Tunes!
- Also stop by the Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre for a drawing workshop with Brandon Mitchell of Birch Bark Comics. Workshops will be offered every hour starting at 1p... last one starts at 5p.
*Note: if bad weather is a factor see HERE. Also, Dieppe's Facebook is HERE.
Also note: Admission is free.

RIVERVIEW
(full disclosure: Riverview events are sponsored by another radio station, so we can't post details or it may cause a radio feud.) Here's a link https://www.townofriverview.ca/events/sunfest

Bouctouche see FACEBOOK.

Cap-Acadie (formerly Beaubassin East) (including Saint-André, Grand-Barachois, Haute-Aboujagane and Cormier Village) at publishing time there's nothing on their WEBSITE.

CAP PELE
at time of posting, no info. In the past there was Family Fun at Aboiteau Beach. Website HERE.

COCAGNE at publishing time there's nothing on their FACEBOOK

DORCHESTER no info at time of blogging. Try HERE.

FUNDY PARK (Alma) see national parks website! Also maybe try the Fundy Guild FACEBOOK.

HILLSBOROUGH nothing on their website at publich time but last year family fun happened at Kiwanis Ball field, then 10pm Fireworks from the ball field.
See the Village of Hillsborough WEBSITE.

HOPEWELL CAPE
On Monday, July 3rd, Albert County Museum has a celebration for RB Bennet's (11th Prime Minister) birthday. ♪♪Who's down with RBB (Richard Bedford Bennett)? This whole party!♪♪ Info on that HERE. See their FACEBOOK.
 
Hopewell Rocks no info at time of blogging, but NB Parks FACEBOOK has said many parks will have Canada Day activities. The Hopewell Rocks FACEBOOK had not been updated at blogging time.

MEMRAMCOOK
- Acadian Games are happening... and Fête du Canada on Saturday... "The Village de Memramcook and the Société du Monument-Lefebvre invite you to celebrate Canada Day on July 1:
🎨🧶 An artisan market will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of the Monument-Lefebvre. To register as an artisan: myriamvaudry@hotmail.com.
🤸🎶 An aerial dance show, presented by Danse En L'air, will take place at 9 p.m. in the grounds of Salle Mère Marie-Léonie.
💥🍁 Plus, don't miss our fireworks on Sunday, July 2 at 10 p.m. at the track and lawn, to mark the closing of the Memramcook 2023 Jeux de l'Acadie and celebrate Canada Day."
See https://www.facebook.com/events/2027432914255385/2027432917588718/?active_tab=about
More info link HERE...and  see FACEBOOK.

PETITCODIAC (Now The Community of Three Rivers)...
- family fun on July 1st from 4p-7p at Memorial Park on Main Street, Petitcodiac. Here are some links... Petitcodiac Arena...  Village website and unofficial FACEBOOK.

Port Elgin nothing to report at time of blogging. Here's Port Elgin on a map. village website HERE...  and FACEBOOK HERE (looks like som Lupin Fair action going on)

Rexton/FiveRivers fun starts at 11a at Bonar Law Common. see Facebook EVENT.
Other links... HERE and FACEBOOK.

RICHIBUCTO no info at time of blogging but check their website HERE.
 
Riverside-Albert At publishing time there's nothing to report but you can check back for info on the Hopewell Rocks FACEBOOK.

SACKVILLE official Canada Day activities start at noon. Links... Bill Johnstone Memorial Park ... Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre... Lillas Fawcett Park ...
More info try their EVENT CALENDAR.

Saint-Antoine nothing as of blogging time. Check HERE and FACEBOOK.

SALISBURY ... fun starts at 11a at Highland Park. More links ... Town website and FACEBOOK.

SHEDIAC 10:30a Pascal Poirier Park event ...and Rotary Park in the afternoon... More info try HERE or try FACEBOOK.
Sussex Fun starts at 4p at 8th Hussars Sports Centre. Event Deets HERE. Also, see HERE and FACEBOOK
 
Amherst, Nova Scotia ... fun starts at 11a on July 1st in Downtown Amherst. See https://www.facebook.com/events/779820593808197
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What a Weird Week for Friday, June 23rd, 2023: Doin' Shots and Breakin' Records!

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Dear friends, I'm Scott. This is What a Weird Week. Every Friday we do a Weird-News-of-the-Week Top 10 Countdown podcast, a blog with all the stories and shownotes, and a YouTube video. Find everything at Shownotes.page.
This is Season 4, Episode 39 for Friday June 23, 2023:
❿ You've heard it said, Dance like no one is watching. I say, dance like the world is watching! Students at a school in Connecticut just broke the world record for the longest conga line.
- it's not a conga line that stretches for miles and miles. It's that they kept the conga line going for 16 miles before they stopped conga-lining. Non-stop conga lining around their school track and they did it to raise money for charity. So, well done!
- school is Greenwich High School.
- I'll take this opportunity to give Hoops a shout out... Hoops had this story... Ben Hooper, UPI, who is on the Weird News Beat. 
 ❾ Headline from ABC7... I'm gonna read it word for word because it's a perfect headline... "Bear hangs from second floor window, climbs into home, and then eats family's pork chops." Perfection.
- This is in Colorado and they got video, we link to it in the show notes... A bear hanging from a second story window of this house, and then the dangling ends when the bear decides to enter the home, climbs inside, and then, oh, the pork chops! Those aren't your pork chops, bear!
- We're deep into bear aware season in  lot of places... There's been bear sightings where I live. You gotta be bear safe. But I mean, don't you think, that your second story window, where your pork chops are, wouldn't you have thought those pork chops were safe? This is Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Are we supposed to be bear-proofing our second story windows now?
See https://abc7chicago.com/steamboat-springs-colorado-bear-hanging-form-window/13403882/
- btw... we're throwing in a couple bonus bear stories here... the bear that climbed into the passenger seat of a glass company van and ate a guy's snack... the bear looks so comfortable in the passenger seat... really looks like he works for the glass company... See that bear here
- also another bear/ doorbell cam incident has happened in California... this time instead of just ringing the doorbell, the bear tried to eat it... 
❽ Number eight features 8 clams... 8 boss clams who are basically in charge of people's lives in this Polish City...
- these clams are kinda in charge of the drinking water of this city in Poland. I won't try to pronounce the city in Poland, but they have a very unique system to make sure their drinking water is clean and good to drink...
- they have some modern technology, but also...
- they have little electrodes* (or some kind of electronic connector) glued to 8 clams... and when the water is fresh, you got a happy clam and the clam is open wide... When the water is not fresh, not good, not potable, for the good people in this city in Poland who get their drinking water supply from the Warta River, then the clam slams shut and the electrode makes contact with another piece of equipment and a signal is sent to people in charge of the drinking water in this city in Poland. It's a clam circuit I guess.
- TL;DR Happy Clams = good water, Unhappy Clam - bad water.
- btw, the clam circuit method to quality control in this case means that if 4 clams are closed at the same time, the system shuts down.
- clams are a like a canary in a coal mine.
See https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/poznan-mussel-water-plants-892524/
❼ Number seven is about greatness and world records. Maybe this will inspire you to attain greatness this weekend. It's a world record involving jello shots.
- The most jello shots purchased by a group.
- the record for most jello shots purchased was set at a place called Rocco's in Nebraska.
- this was set by fans of LSU, Louisiana State University. They were there to cheer on their school in the College World Series.
- Rocco's has been keeping tabs on who's buying the jello shots... fans of LSU have purchased 21,435 jello shots. That is a new world record.
- there's another world record. An LSU fan bought 6,000 jello shots himself. That's a world record for most jello shots purchased by one person. 6,000?! (Which he shared with friends, family, extended family, extended friends, etc.)
- That cost $30,000.
- So two different jello shots world records. Congratulations LSU. And congratulations to LSU fan Todd Graves who will be in the Guinness Book of World Records for purchasing all those jello shots.
See https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/lsu-fans-break-college-world-series-jell-o-shot-challenge-record-with-massive-purchase-from-booster/amp/
❻ Number six on our list involves love, heartbreak, and bomb threats.
- A flight attendant in Argentina has been charged for allegedly making a bomb threat to prevent her ex-boyfriend from going on vacation with his new girlfriend. She reportedly warned the airline that the plane would blow up into a thousand pieces.
- Minutes before takeoff, all 270 passengers and crew members were evacuated while authorities inspected the aircraft. The incident cost the airline approximately $1 million in losses. This former couple had broken up just a few months prior to this event.
- flight attendant could face up to six years in jail.
- Thought... if you love/hate someone so much that you want to make a bomb threat and have their plane grounded, find another way. Again, to reiterate, don't do the bomb threat thing... maybe like block them on your socials or something instead.
See https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy33jz/flight-attendant-charged-for-bomb-threat-to-stop-her-exs-vacation
❺ the Ohio lady who is in the news for refusing to remove a nine foot tall werewolf statue. - Mary Simmons says Phil the werewolf has sort of become a mascot in her yard...
- yes it went up as a Halloween decoration but after October was over November, December, January, February, ... she started to really enjoy having Phil up as a year-round decoration - and she dresses Phil for different seasons, so he's an all-year decoration now youy guys...
- but of course somebody complained and the city sent Mary a warning... but... then they said they're not gonna follow up or enforce the werewolf removal! So it sounds as though this lady has beat city hall!
- the werewolf lady does say if it becomes a hazard, that she'll take it down... here's the quote from the story that's pretty good: "I don't want somebody walking by and his head falls off and hits them so you know I try to treat people like I want to be treated and I wouldn't want that to happen to me..." that's a marvelous quote from the story.
- if you want to see a picture of Phil the werewolf...
See https://www.fox8live.com/2023/06/16/woman-wont-take-down-9-foot-werewolf/ and Phil on FB https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093151106653
❹ Another world record to inspire you... maybe try to break it this weekend...
- It's a Rubik's Cube world record. Last week I mentioned how Octopuses can solve the Rubik's Cube. I cannot, I can't solve the Rubik's Cube. Not even taking the stickers off. I tried that once and still only got maybe one side.
- Rubik's Cube solved in three seconds is the new record. A fellow from California named Max set the record... 3.13 seconds.
- BTW, Max has a handful of Rubik's cube records, for different sized ones... this three seconds deal is just his latest.
See https://torontosun.com/news/weird/man-sets-new-world-record-solving-rubiks-cube-in-three-seconds
❸ Spooked horse jumps or falls off patio into pool and has to be rescued.
- Q: Why was the horse hanging out on the patio? Was it a horse patio? As near as I can tell it wasn't a patio made especially for horses... and I don't know why this horse was on the patio.
- Some of the reports say the horse got spooked then jumped into the pool, and other reports say the horse fell into the pool from the patio.
- God bless the Florida firefighters who rescued that horse. It's not easy to get a horse out of a pool. And that's about the whole story.
- In some of the articles I read, the horse's name is being withheld... but some reporters have revealed that the horse is named Mo. 
❷ I had quite a few world records this week but I mean they're weird, they're wonderful, they're inspiring. This one is, when you think about it, impossible? Doesn't this sound impossible...
- a couple of fellas from Nova Scotia broke a Guinness world record by completing 306 holes of golf in 12 hours. 
- if my math is right they had 2.352941176470588 minutes per hole.
- The Guinness people have to review the evidence before it's official but they did it you guys and they did it for charity. Speed golf, Endurance golf, what would you call it? 
- official record is 'most golf holes played by a pair using a cart, 12 hour time limit.'
- btw, their names are Wes and Thomas. According to the report they basically didn't stop...  - I assume there were zero practice swings.
See https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/cape-breton-golfers-smash-guinness-world-record-while-raising-funds-for-health-care-100866580/
❶ The weirdest story of the week? I don't know, we had some weird ones, some interesting ones... but the team thought that a very long piece of bacon should have the number one spot.
- a world-record-size piece of turkey bacon. It's almost two feet across, and 17 feet long. 
- at a place called Godshall's Quality Meats... for the longest day of the year, when summer arrived in Pennsylvania, they decided to make the longest slice of turkey bacon. I love that. Building on something great like the arrival of summer with a giant slice of bacon. We finally can end an episode on a great note. Happy, happy. Thoughts of summer, thoughts of delicious bacon, thoughts of any food that's comically large. That's just a nice story. That's a good way to wrap it up. 
So thanks for being here. Remember, click Shownotes.Page and get all the What a Weird Week stuff. You'll even find a link for our answering machine. If you want to leave a message on it, it's old time, and I never answer. So let it ring!.
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Rotary Ribfest 2023 at Riverfront Park Thurs to Sun (June 22-25)

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 Rotary Ribfest 2023 Fact Sheet:
- It happens at Riverfront Park near the Moncton Press Club downtown
- Hours are Thurs (June 22) 4p to 8p, Fri (June 23) 11:30a to 10p, Sat (June 24) 11:30a to 10p, and Sun (June 25th) 11:30a to 6:30p
- Ribbers are Texas Rangers BBQ, Camp 31, Crabby’s BBQ Shack, Billy Bones BBQ, and Pistol Pete's.
- More stuff going on too... The Tater King will be selling food... Alabama Lemonade will be serving up delicious beverages... there's a beer garden (19+)... and all kinds of live entertainment!
- It's free to get on-sight but PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION to the ROTARY CLUB AT the FRONT GATE (they do a lot of good works in our community!)
- This year's Rotary Ribfest is Cash-Only for ribs. (They will have ATMs there and debit for the beer garden.) 
- Link to Rotary Ribfest Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RotaryRibfestMoncton/ and to donate to the Rotary Club https://www.rotarymwr.ca/page/donate-now
 
* Moncton Parking
Remember we have some private parking lots downtown that may charge you more $ so please read the signs carefully! Pro tip: Watch for the Yellow Parking Signs that look like a softball. If you're not quite sure about where to park downtown in Moncton there's some great info on downtown parking lots at http://downtownmoncton.com/downtown-parking/
 
Expert advice:
- Remember, if you decide to take ribs home with you, get your friend with the messiest car to do the driving... because you're going to want to eat those ribs at some point during the drive home. That sauce will get everywhere... might as well not be your car, right? 
So invite a friend! 

Alternatives:
- cover your car interior with plastic.
- have a co-pilot who's in charge of the rib strongbox where they will lock up the ribs until you've safely arrived at your destination.
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It's Early June and that means: BEARS! Bear Info 2023

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This time of year belongs to the bears. Our parks, our yards, our front steps... all belong to the bears.
- Update from Town of Riverview Facebook...
"Notice: The Town has been notified of a bear sighting on the Runnymeade end of Mill Creek Nature Park. Parks & Recreation staff have been dispatched to advise anyone in the park of the sighting. If you see a bear, avoid approaching and report the sighting to the Department of Natural Resources: 506-856-2344."
- Here's what Moncton posted on Facebook... 
"⚠️ Notice: The City has been advised of a bear sighting in Mapleton Park. City staff have installed signs at the entrances of the trails. Should you be going to Mapleton Park, avoid approaching the bear if seen and please report the sighting to our dispatch line: 506-859-2643."
- Here's what Dieppe posted on Facebook...
"A bear has been spotted in several places in the municipality. 🐻 The black bear is generally shy and usually avoids humans, however, he will enjoy any food available to him. A reminder to avoid leaving trash or food out if possible. Details: https://dieppe.cc/3NcUZCV"
 
- Noteworthy: we have a complicated relationship with bears...
there was the time Scotty posed with a bear and a bike for the paper

and the time we designed a live bear themed parade float

Tips from the Gov on how to avoid bear encounters include:
- Reduce garbage odor/ Rinse bins regularly and use lime or baking soda.
- Keep meat scraps in your freezer until garbage pickup day.
- Remove bird feeders, or at least take them in at night.
- Keep barbecue grills and picnic tables clean.
- If a bear comes in a yard, do not panic. Do not approach the bear or shoot it. Do not allow any pet dogs to go outside.
- Most bears fear people and will leave when they see you, however, if a bear woofs, snaps its jaws, slaps the ground or brush, or bluff charges, then you are too close. If you find yourself in this situation, back away slowly, go inside and wait for the bear to leave."

See also How to be Bear Aware...
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Fire on Elmwood Drive Friday impacts 8 people, helped by Canadian Red Cross. You can help them help others with your donation

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Whenever there's a fire in the news, we take the opportunity to thank First Responders who answered the call, and also the Canadian Red Cross who are there to help in the aftermath. If you're able to help people impacted by fire, donate to Canadian Red Cross Atlantic HERE.
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What a Weird Week Show Friday, June 16, 2023: Octopuses and Taurine!

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Hi friends, I'm Scott. This is What a Weird Week. Every Friday we do a Weird-News-of-the-Week Top 10 Countdown podcast, a blog with all the stories and shownotes, and a YouTube video. Find everything at Shownotes.page.

This is Season 4, Episode 38 for Friday June 16th, 2023:
❿ Guy on TikTok gets arrested after *allegedly* jumping in with the alligators at Bush Gardens...
- a young buck posted a TikTok of themselves jumping into the alligator enclosure at Bush Gardens in Tampa, Florida.
- He has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, trespassing... that's a couple of the charges.
- In his video, it looks like he scales a wall, gets into Bush Gardens, grabs some snacks from one of the snack counters... eventually entering the gator enclosure.
- the park was open at the time... this happened in broad daylight.
- some bystanders were like "you're in danger, young man!" (paraphrase). He managed to get away from park security... police later tracked him down via good old fashioned detective work and clues on social media.... *Note: article on Huffpost is PG13 for language... See https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tiktoker-arrested-jacob-pursifull-busch-gardens-gators_n_6481e714e4b027d92f8b2221 and the video (PG13)
❾ I put the headline through the ai machine and it churned out "Octopus Intelligence: Rethinking Our Menu Choices..."I got this breaking news email alert the other day and it's always like, you know, politics or something like that. This one from NPR was about how octopuses can edit RNA in their brains. They pushed that as breaking news and I was like, that's pretty cool.
- This is research involving the California two-spot octopus. It can edit the RNA in its brain...
- Side note: Octopuses are very smart. The more we learn about octopuses, the more it's like, wait, we eat these things? How does that work? When do we stop eating the smart things? Is it when they can solve the Rubik's cube? Octopus is still on the menu at many restaurants and that seems unusual for something that can solve the Rubik's cube. Idk why the Rubik's cube really hit home for me, but it did. Maybe that's just me? Maybe you feel differently.
_ Back to the news: In this latest research about octopuses, this is from the journal "Cell", researchers are reporting that octopuses can edit genetic information and re-sculpt their brain. When their environment changes, they change their brain.
- Octopuses may save us all, you guys. For a deep dive into octopus RNA and how they measured the changes see the link👇.
How I would paraphrase the research (if I'm understanding it... I can't solve the Rubik's cube btw) ... when conditions change for the octopus, the octopus will change its brain to adjust to the new conditions. That is something that could benefit people if we could figure it out and harness it. Researchers are excited. Octopuses are going to save us all! As long as we don't eat them all first.  See https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1181009210/octopuses-tweak-the-rna-in-their-brains-to-adjust-to-warmer-and-cooler-waters

❽ The Secret to Living Longer?!*
It might be energy drinks? Well, not exactly, but close!
Scientists are looking at a specific ingredient in energy drinks and how it might contribute to a longer lifespan. It's Taurine you guys. That stuff is found naturally in the body but decreases as we get older. Studies on mice have shown promising results... mice on Taurine live 10-12% longer than those who don't Taurine-uate.
More research is needed.
They've also looked at people... preliminary data from a large study involving 12,000 participants indicates that people with higher levels of Taurine in their blood tend to be healthier overall.
Reminder... experts caution against immediately increasing Taurine intake until further research has been conducted.
See https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/06/09/an-elixir-of-life-scientists-make-exciting-discovery-about-the-impact-taurine-can-have-on-
❼ Beloved Mascot goes to hospital after fooling around and finding out...
- I just googled is Burnie the mascot going to be okay and he's okay you guys. I wasn't sure if it was the same person in the suit every game or if they had a few different mascots that put the suit suit on for different games.. the other day at the Miami Heat/ Denver Nuggets basketball game, the Heat mascot, Burnie, got into a fight... a fake fight with Conor McGregor the UFC fighter... it was supposed to be just fun and a promotion for this pain relief spray... instead it seems like Conor McGregor landed some real hits and Burnie the mascot (or the person inside the mascot suit) had to be taken away for medical treatment! ... but he's going to be okay. BTW, congratulations to the Denver Nuggets who went on to win the NBA championship the other day (not on Burnie Fight Day)... so now I guess Burnie, if he has to nurse his wounds a little bit... gets some well-deserved time to recuperate.
See https://people.com/miami-heat-mascot-hospital-conor-mcgregor-7510958 and video (PG13, *violence)

❻ Another reason to thank the mice, scientists may have solved obesity, diabetes, and heart disease...
- Scientists at Western University have discovered that a molecule in oranges and tangerines may help reduce obesity, help prevent diabetes, and help to prevent heart disease. This is a study where mice got fed a high-fat diet/ high-cholesterol diet, but also this molecule from the oranges. And the mice were lean, mean, micing machines, had reduced insulin resistance, all the good things that happen, you know, that you're looking for in a study. So they're still looking into how exactly it works. And then the next step is human trials. It seems like you could fast-track this one. I'm no scientist, but you could fast-track this one because it's something from oranges. We already eat oranges. You'd think that would make it faster to get to human trials.
See https://knowridge.com/2023/06/scientists-find-a-sweet-solution-for-obesity-diabetes-and-heart-disease/
❺ Man bails on blind date and gets sued over it. I would like to give you some of the details, and then you be the judge on this...
- This is a fellow in China and he  ended up in court because he went out on a blind date... and then refused to pay the bill and took off. It was a blind date with a lady and 23 of her relatives.They met through a matchmaker, the man, and the woman, and they agreed to meet and have a date at a restaurant... the young woman showed up with 23 of her relatives. They all ordered a lot. "premium alcoholic beverages" are mentioned in the story. The bill was approximately $2800 according to Yahoo News. So when he was given this bill, the fella decided to leave the restaurant... so the young woman and the relatives had to pay the bill. Later on he agreed to pay a share of the bill... the man offered $560-something... but that's when the blind date lady's relatives decided to take their chances in court... because they preferred that the young suitor pay for all of it.
- The ruling... the courts said, no, the young man should only have to pay the cost of his own meal. So remember he gave the young lady and the family $560-some dollars, the court only ordered him to pay a little under $200.
- Next blind date maybe make sandwiches and have a picnic.
See https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/man-gets-sued-leaving-blind-164913319.html
❹ United States Supreme Court has sided with whiskey and not with the dog toy company.
- This is a follow up to a story we had...
- It's about a chew toy for dogs that looked like Jack Daniels, and Jack Daniels was like "wait, that's our that's our brand/ logo/whatever. That's our intellectual property. You're making money off of it. You did not pay us any of that money." That is me paraphrasing just in case you thought that I was reading from the court documents...
- Couple other things about the dog chew toys... There were more than just the Jack Daniels one, and they all seem to have the same theme which is poop jokes. This one's label said "Old number two on your Tennessee carpet" (the actual bottle of Jack Daniels would say "Old Number Seven.")
-The dog toy company lost a unanimous decision from the United States Supreme Court, which found that the toy is in violation of the trademark owned by the Jack Daniels company. BTW, these dog toys are around $20... Is that a good deal?
- The dog toy company's case (again, I'm not a lawyer) but I think their case essentially was "we are a parody product. We're just having fun." (paraphrase). It seems like the courts didn't agree, or at least thought this was more of a trademark violation.
- Jack Daniels felt like they had to come out with a statement to stress that they love dogs, but don't want to have their trademark violated by a company that has dog poop jokes adjacent to something that looks like a label for Jack Daniels whiskey. (paraphrase)
- a lot of different brands were hoping this is how it would go... Nike, Campbell's Soup, Levi Strauss, a lot of famous brands were like "Supreme Court, You need to side with the brands on this!"
See https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65839800
via BBC News
❸ People keep stealing the same cat...
- There's a Drive-in Theater on Prince Edward Island that has had to ask people to stop stealing their cat... the cat lives with the people who run that Drive-in... and Timber the cat is very friendly... sometimes Timber will choose to watch the movie with a new friend and... it's happened 5 times now that the movie-watchers who meet Timber end up taking Timber home... *sometimes Timber is just a stowaway who fell asleep in the back seat...
- TL;DR: a cat likes to hang out with strangers at the drive-in... and has gone home with strangers (and been returned) 5 times already. That's weird, right? No cat is that friendly, are they?  
See https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-brackley-drive-in-cat-1.6873223
❷ How big is the world's biggest catfish? Very big. Scary Big.
- Where you live, do you have a restaurant that has a fish tank in it? Where I live there's this chain that has a fish tank and, ironically, they have fish on the menu. The fish in the tank watch you as you eat one of their relatives. #TheStaring
Anyway. I've seen a catfish up close at that restaurant and I thought it was a pretty good size until this world record story came along...
This fellow in Italy fished out a catfish that's nine feet, four inches long...  the old world record catfish was a little bit shorter than that and was also caught in the same river in Italy!
See photo!
- Also of note, it was catch and release. So catch a 9 footer, get your photos, do the official measurements and then it goes right back into the river.
- Shout out to Ben Hooper for that story. Ben Hooper at UPI, he is the weird news person/  reporter there and every week Ben keeps coming through with solid gold.
- I like to call him Hoops. Hoops, someday you and I, should have a sit-down, brother!.
See https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/06/06/italy-Guinness-World-Records-catfish/8491686063959/
via Hoops News Network/ Upi
 
❶ "Belgian dad fakes own death because felt Unappreciated."
- So you know that feeling when people take you for granted? You start to think no one appreciates you and you want to do something about it? So that's how this dad was feeling...  this 45 year old dad in Belgium. And so he decided "I will fake" (I'm paraphrasing a bit here because I don't speak Belgian"... "I will fake my own death, and then I'll show up at my funeral in a helicopter and that'll show everybody. Then I'll be appreciated!"
- that message is a nice takeaway in a way... appreciate the ones you love... at some point, they will not be in your life and so, that's a good reminder.
- But also, if you thought your loved one died, and then they showed up at the funeral in a helicopter, like flashy... at first, you'd be like, oh, "Hey awesome, you're not dead, let's have a hug." but idk you guys... they show up to where you were mourning in a helicopter... you'd realize that you've been had... and that wouldn't feel great. Would it? I'm trying to put myself in that situation? Yes. You'd want to hug the person at first but then, anger would settle in at some point. There's nothing worse than an angry funeral you guys.
- Also, this follow is a Tik Tok personality or something... so it seems like some of this was social media clout... or it went viral on social media at least, so there could be some motivations there.
- And the immediate family was in on the prank! The wife and children knew. They were posting on their social media, you know, "Rest in peace, Daddy," that kind of stuff.
- I'm happy none of my friends have pulled this stunt. It would hurt a friendship in the long run for me. You get one funeral from me, that's it. If it happens to be fake, sorry but that's it... I skip the next one.
See https://www.mensjournal.com/news/belgian-dad-fakes-death-attends-funeral-helicopter
 
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