What a Weird Week gets you caught up on the weird news of the week. https://www.
(Begin episode transcript) Hi Friends, I'm Scott. This is What a Weird Week: Ten Weird Things from this Week's News. For transcript/ shownotes/ podcast stuff see www.shownotes.page! Here's Season 5, Episode 17 first published on Friday April 26th 2024... Nine Nines Revisited!! In this episode we check in on 9 former stories to see how they're holding up...
❿ Dog story (From Jan 12th)
*Does it hold up? This story holds as a weird one. Also, it keeps happening! It happened again last month in Florida. https://nypost.com/2024/03/30/us-news/dogs-cause-3000-in-damage-to-car-trying-to-get-to-cat/
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A couple of scary dogs caused $350,000 damage at a car dealership in Houston.
And there's video.
The dogs have been arrested and are being detained at an animal shelter.
They scratched the paint and tore bumpers off cars. They went HAM on these automobiles. But why?
They think cats were hiding under the cars and the dogs got all fired up and took it out on the poor vehicles.
https://abc13.com/dogs-tear-apart-cars-g-motors-cypress-tx-barc-houston-stray-canines/14262071/
And there's video.
The dogs have been arrested and are being detained at an animal shelter.
They scratched the paint and tore bumpers off cars. They went HAM on these automobiles. But why?
They think cats were hiding under the cars and the dogs got all fired up and took it out on the poor vehicles.
https://abc13.com/dogs-tear-apart-cars-g-motors-cypress-tx-barc-houston-stray-canines/14262071/
*UPDATE: Those dogs have yet to sign any deals for Influencer Boxing or as Junkyard Spokescanines, or any number of possibilities... Snickers Bar for Dogs? "We're not ourselves when we're hungry."
*Does it hold up? This story holds as a weird one. Also, it keeps happening! It happened again last month in Florida. https://nypost.com/2024/03/30/us-news/dogs-cause-3000-in-damage-to-car-trying-to-get-to-cat/
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Artist concept drawing
❾ A New Approach to stop floods... get bent! (From Jan 19th)
This
is an article out of the UK from Sky News about how some rivers have
gotten "canalised" over the years ("canalised" = "straightened out like
a canal").
Now they're gonna try to bend those rivers again and if the researchers are right, when we bend it like Beckham our rivers might be less likely to flood. Or... you're able to control where it happens, maybe is more accurate... It's about slowing the water flow just like a bendy road slows down traffic. (Looking at you, Lombard St. San Francisco.)
Now they're gonna try to bend those rivers again and if the researchers are right, when we bend it like Beckham our rivers might be less likely to flood. Or... you're able to control where it happens, maybe is more accurate... It's about slowing the water flow just like a bendy road slows down traffic. (Looking at you, Lombard St. San Francisco.)
*UPDATE: Other than a report on how costly flood prep is, there has been little followup on this.
*Does it hold up? Yes. Yes it does. Flooding remains a problem to be solved. Or we can all live in an ark.
*Does it hold up? Yes. Yes it does. Flooding remains a problem to be solved. Or we can all live in an ark.
flood mitigation. artist rendering.
Next...
The Top Ten Weird News Stories of the Week: this is What a Weird Week.
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❽ Chinese marathoner disqualified for chain smoking through the entire race... (From Jan 26th) 
- the fellow's name is Uncle Chen... he is 52... he finished the race in 3hrs and 33mins! (winner's time was 2:06:46).
- this was at the Xiamen Marathon... tens of thousands of runners take part in this...
- official ruling was disqualification smoking on the track.
*UPDATE: Weeks after that report, Uncle Chen was banned from competing at the same marathon for two years.
*Does it hold up? 10/10 it holds up! In a world where people run marathons dressed like bananas, etc., Uncle Chen continues to get be talked about in running circles. This article from Run Society goes deep into the sport psychology of Uncle Chen... https://www.runsociety.com/races/chain-smoking-marathoner/
*Does it hold up? 10/10 it holds up! In a world where people run marathons dressed like bananas, etc., Uncle Chen continues to get be talked about in running circles. This article from Run Society goes deep into the sport psychology of Uncle Chen... https://www.runsociety.com/races/chain-smoking-marathoner/
Uncle Chen
❼
Super Swiftie breaks world record... (From Feb 2nd) This is a fellow in Pakistan... 20
year old fellow... who was able to break the record for the most Taylor
Swift songs identified from their lyrics in one minute. The world
record is now 34 Taylor Swift songs. Maybe you want to try to break that
record this weekend. So it's quite straightforward. You have to listen
to the lyrics, identify the songs. No peeking... wear a blindfold. It
looks like it takes intense concentration.
Here's Bilal Ilyas Jhandir and his super knowledge of Taylor Swift lyrics which allowed him to set his record for most Swift songs identified by their lyrics in one minute 💫 pic.twitter.com/YtEdAtDoG7
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) January 29, 2024
*UPDATE: A month ago Bilal posted a video on YouTube unboxing his plaque/certificate.
*Does it hold up? 10/10 it holds up. That record will be tough to beat!
*Does it hold up? 10/10 it holds up. That record will be tough to beat!
Next...
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This is What a Weird Week. Thanks for listening and subscribing.
This is What a Weird Week. Thanks for listening and subscribing.
❻ Gambling is in the news... (From Feb 9th) a record amount of gambling on the Superbowl will occur this weekend...
they
estimate that 68 million Americans plan to bet on this year's football
spectacular. That's one in four people in the USA... which is a record.
That represents a lot of money. Is it the Taylor Swift Effect?
Perhaps. Also, one of the things they've done well is that you don't have to understand football to bet on something... you can bet on whether Taylor Swift will show her navel on TV for example... that is one of the bets that's available to be made... everybody's got something they can bet on now... So the gambling industry are not slouches.
Perhaps. Also, one of the things they've done well is that you don't have to understand football to bet on something... you can bet on whether Taylor Swift will show her navel on TV for example... that is one of the bets that's available to be made... everybody's got something they can bet on now... So the gambling industry are not slouches.
*UPDATE: it's hard to find updates on the predicted stat that one in four Americans would be gambling on the Big Game, but there are some followups that a record amount of money was bet on it. BTW, icymi Kansas City beat San Francisco 25 - 22 in OT.
*Does it hold up? Yes. Gambling continues to be a popular thing. Also, remember Taylor Swift you guys? She also remains popular.
*Does it hold up? Yes. Gambling continues to be a popular thing. Also, remember Taylor Swift you guys? She also remains popular.
❺ The Plague/ Cat story was picked up by a lot of news orgs... (From Feb 16th) It's
a little scary at first. And also weird... a person in Oregon who is
infected with bubonic plague got the plague from their cat. That's what
the experts are saying. It looks like it was from the cat... I'm not
smart about history you guys but I seem to recall "the Black Death"
being one of the nicknames of the Bubonic Plague at one time... It
wasn't nicknamed The Happy Disease or the Nothing To See Here Plague...
It was known as the Black Death... so it seems quite serious... What's
good is that the medical experts identified it and treated it quickly,
so "Very little risk to the community..."
*UPDATE: It's hard to learn specific details on this one because of privacy concerns, but there are no reports that I can find about this person other than references that they were expected to be fine, that their close contacts were going to be fine... and that the cat didn't make it.
*Does it hold up? There are still cases of the plague in the news. It's uncommon. It has better outcomes for people than in olden times. It can be serious. It's transmitted to people mostly from animals... often via fleas. The least feel-good story of the year so far?!
*Does it hold up? There are still cases of the plague in the news. It's uncommon. It has better outcomes for people than in olden times. It can be serious. It's transmitted to people mostly from animals... often via fleas. The least feel-good story of the year so far?!
Might give you the plague? *artist rendering
Next...
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You're listening to the What a Weird Week Program. It's weird news!
You're listening to the What a Weird Week Program. It's weird news!
❹ I don't know how to feel about this one you guys. (From Feb 23rd) It's a
follow-up to when we talked about Bobi... The world's oldest dog... Bobi
(God rest his soul by the way... he's gone on to his great reward...)
Bobi was in the Guinness Book of World Records for being almost 32 years
old, which is very very old... oldest dog in the world. Well now the
pooch has officially has been stripped of that title. I guess I'm glad
that they followed up and investigated. I'm sad for Bobi's owner who is
still dealing with the loss of Bobi probably... and now this.
*UPDATE: Bobi's Wikipedia has been updated with details of how the Guinness World Record has been taken away. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobi_(dog). Guinness World Records says "we’re not yet in a position to confirm a new holder for the record, although we certainly hope that the publicity around the record title encourages pet owners from around the world to get in touch.” Their investigation was quite thorough.
*Does it hold up? Yes. Guinness hasn't abandoned the Old Dog world record completely... to be continued!
*Does it hold up? Yes. Guinness hasn't abandoned the Old Dog world record completely... to be continued!
❸ Researchers have discovered the world's biggest snake. (From March 1st episode) The
Northern Green Anaconda is a new species of anaconda and it takes the
record for the biggest snake in the world. They found one estimated to
be 26 feet long and over 400 pounds... The researchers have been in the
news after publishing their discovery... the article quotes Professor
Freek Vonk, who is a Dutch biologist and TV personality, Professor Freek
Vonk is quoted as saying the snake's head is as big as Professor
Freek's own head! A big old snake you guys.
*UPDATE: more sources have confirmed this type of snake is the HEAVIEST snake in the world.
*Does it hold up? 10/10 it holds up. Check this astonishing video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdhOBZzAaQQ
*Does it hold up? 10/10 it holds up. Check this astonishing video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdhOBZzAaQQ
Next...
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We're almost to the number one weird story of the week... this is the What a Weird Week Show.
We're almost to the number one weird story of the week... this is the What a Weird Week Show.
❷ Rare Lego piece makes news... (From March 8th episode) It was found at a thrift store and
sold for a lot of money. This is a Lego piece that was made out of gold.
It's a solid gold Lego piece. But still it didn't seem like it was on
anyone's radar that this might actually be valuable. First let me say
it's not a Lego brick. It is from the Bionicle Lego series. So it looks
like a mask. Maybe like, you know the face of a transformer or A Star
Wars character... Picture a little Solid gold mask... it got donated to
a Goodwill in Pennsylvania. It was donated with a bunch of jewelry.
Just a box of Junk Jewelry. They put it on their website
(shopgoodwill.com) and people were bidding on it saying 'I'll give you a
thousand dollars for it right now!' It ended up getting auctioned off
for 18,000 bucks. I love stories like that.
*UPDATE: One of the follow up articles mentions that originally the Goodwill Store had priced the gold item for $14.95... a lot of people were surprised to learn the thing was worth $18000...
*Does it hold up? Yes. Still weird. No more of these have popped up in the news.
*Does it hold up? Yes. Still weird. No more of these have popped up in the news.
🍅 This is your honorable mention... What a Weird Week Special Report: the Time Change Exposed, our interview with the Vampire from March 10th.
How has this won ZERO AWARDS for JOURNALISM?! Outraged!!!
How has this won ZERO AWARDS for JOURNALISM?! Outraged!!!
Next...
♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫Catch up on the weird news of the week with What a Weird Week.
❶ Cats for books! (From March 15th episode)
❶ Cats for books! (From March 15th episode)
In Worcester, Massachusetts the public
library is having a late book fee amnesty... If you have an overdue book
at their library, for the month of March, instead of Cash Money you can
submit cat photos and have your debts paid. No cash needed! Also, move
over Bitcoin... now it's cat photos! They call it March Meowness. I hope it
catches on because, wouldn't it be great to pay for other stuff with
cat photos? Vending machine snacks maybe? Pay off speeding tickets?
Question: if cat photos do become the new currency, would you already be
a millionaire?
*UPDATE: They received THOUSANDS of cat photos! https://www.wcvb.com/article/mass-library-gets-thousands-of-cat-pics-for-march-meowness-fine-forgiveness-program/60360436
*Does it hold up? Yes. It is still weird to accept cat photos as currency. Awesome. but also weird.
*Does it hold up? Yes. It is still weird to accept cat photos as currency. Awesome. but also weird.
Shout-out to Worcester Public Library on a successful Cat Month.
LAST CHANCE TO SHARE YOUR CAT PHOTOS AS PART OF MARCH MEOWNESS!
— Worcester Public Library (@Worcester_PL) March 31, 2024
We have reached the final day of March Meowness, and want to thank the dream team who brought this initiative to WPL, and were honored with a Key to the City for their efforts. #IMLSmedal pic.twitter.com/587ctWPFMt
... that's the show for this week... For Shownotes and more go to ShowNotes Dot Page or search "What a Weird Week" wherever you get podcasts. Every weekend you can hear the show on Fun House Radio. Ask your smart speaker to
play Fun House Radio or see the link on our Shownotes Page. See you next week for another countdown of weird news.
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