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10 Offbeat, Bizarre and Wacky Facts

Published by C Jordan in Offbeat
April 15, 2009

Whether its flicking through the pages of a magazine or surfing the net, it never fails to amaze me how often I discover a fact that raises my eyebrows, and makes me blurt out “I don’t believe it!” or “Well I never knew that!”
Here are just ten of those offbeat, bizarre and wacky facts.

Amorous tourist complains of dulled ardour due to amorous elephant.


Image source

Some people just like to complain. Others hope their complaints may make them a few pounds, if somebody believes them.

But in a recent report by holiday companies, some of the complaints published are beyond belief.

There were reports of Brits complaining that Spain was too full of Spanish people and that restaurants in India had too many curries on the menus.

There was an American holidaymaker in England who asked “Why on earth did they build Windsor Castle on the flight path of Heathrow?”

But the classic had to be from the tourist who was staying at a top African game lodge.

The room overlooked the water holewhere the animals congregated. He complained that  the sight of an obviously rather aroused large bull elephant made him feel totally “inadequate” for the rest of his honeymoon!

Did you know……

…that you can’t lick your own elbow?

Security van carrying thousands rammed by prison van carrying bank robbers.

 

$28,000 went missing when a security van was involved in a smash with a prison van carrying convicted bank robbers.

The crash which happened in Hungary left a lot of red faced officials with a lot of suspicions.

While rescuers pulled the prisoners from their burning van, bags of cash that had been strewn from the security van onto the streets of Budapest started disappearing. Car drivers were stopping, picking up the bags and speeding off again.

By the time police arrived at the scene $28,000 had gone missing.

Police were convinced it was an “inside” organised job, but this was vigorously denied by the lags who, at the time of the accident, were on their way back to prison after a court appearance.

“The bank remains very suspicious. Of all the vehicles that could have hit their van, it had to be one full of bank robbers,” said a police spokesman.

 

Where were the risk assessments?

In a typical year in the USA, on average, thirteen people are killed by vending machines falling on them on beaches.

 

 

Life imitating art?


Image source

 Everybody has heard of the sinking of the Titanic, in 1912, and most people have an inkling as to the story behind it.

But what about the story that came before it?

Some 14 years earlier in 1898, Morgan Robertson published a book called Futility.

This told the story of a magnificent liner called the Titan. Built with 19 water tight compartments, the ship would stay afloat even if nine of them filled with water. The owners of the Titan felt that this ship was so technologically superior that it only required 24 lifeboats to seat 500 of its 3,000 passengers.

In the story, the Titan sank after hitting an iceberg on the starboard side, leaving only 13 survivors. The month was April.

When the real tragedy of the Titanic happened, Morgan took the only steps that any self respecting author could do.

He republished it under the title of “The Wreck of the Titan”.

Oral un-hygiene

Warning if you have a less than six foot bathroom…….

Dentists have recommended that toothbrushes be kept at least six feet from toilets, to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

Let’s not go there.

“Who nicked my magma?”

One of the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century occurred in 1912, on the Alaska Peninsula in Katmai National Park and Preserve, about 290 miles (470 km) southwest of Anchorage. The eruption formed the volcano Novarupta. The 60 hour long eruption put up 30 times the amount of magma produced when Mount St Helena erupted in 1980.

The eruption was so large that it took the magma from below the nearby Mount Katmai, resulting in a 1.2 mile funnel shaped vent and the collapse of the summit of Mount Katmai.

Seaside fish eats “chips”


Image credit: Hans-Petter Fjeld

Businessman Andrew Cheatle was having a great day down at the beach, near Worthing in Sussex. He and his dog were chasing around, playing the fool as only a man and his dog will. All too soon it was time to go, but when Andrew felt in his pocket for his mobile phone, he found it was missing. He spent some time looking around the beach for it but had to give it up as a lost cause.

Over the next few days he rang the number of the phone several times in the hope that someone had found it and picked it up.

Eventually he had to admit defeat and realise that it must have been washed out to sea.

A few days later while shopping for a new phone with his girlfriend, Rita Smith, her phone rang. Puzzled, she declared that it was his old phone number ringing her. Answering the call, she handed the phone to Andrew saying that there was a guy on the line talking about fish and mobile phones.

It transpired that Glen Kerley, while out fishing had caught an enormous cod. Gutting it that morning he was astonished to find a mobile phone inside it that turned out to be the one lost by Andrew!

Amazingly after drying it out the phone still worked.

Glen said “It was a bit smelly but I was glad to return it.”

Biased advertising.

The world’s first advert by an automobile company, for a motor car, was in 1898 in the magazine “Scientific America”.

The Winton Motor Car Company of Cleveland, Ohio, advertised under the inspiring slogan:

“Dispense with a Horse.”

Yoda the four-eared cat.

This is Yoda who was born with the genetic mutation of two pairs of ears.

He was adopted by Valerie and Ted Rock from a local bar where they found a group of drinkers passing him around and mocking the little guy.

He has come to be a much loved and “normal” member of the family at home in Chicago, Illinois.

However since first appearing on the internet he is fast becoming a celebrity appearing in British newspaper and US daytime TV shows.

His owners are keeping a close eye on him only too aware of the possibility of catnappers.

However you feel about some of the above facts, there is one thing that you can be sure about: every person, who read this article tried to lick their elbow!

(I was unable to source and credit the original photo of “Yoda”. For educational purposes this image was used where no alternatives were freely available.)

Also by this writer:

 Five Mysteries and Surprises in Everyday Domestic Routines

Amazing Discovery: Answers to the Secrets of Life Uncovered in Postcards

10 Amazing Music Trivia Facts You Never Knew

 The Mystery of the Screaming Man

Saucy Seaside Postcards

High Jinks on the High Seas

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28 Comments

  1. Posted April 15, 2009 at 8:36 am

    A great read, Chris! I’m a bit worried about my toothbrush though!

  2. Posted April 15, 2009 at 9:21 am

    Nice article and loved the photos.

  3. Posted April 15, 2009 at 9:28 am

    These are great. I love stuff like this. We have contractors coming out tomorrow to elongate the bathroom.

  4. Posted April 15, 2009 at 10:21 am

    I can’t get enough of this kind of thing. Loved the mobile-in-fish bit. I actually learned of the book “Futility” on an episode of the old “One Step Beyond” TV series. Very bizarre.
    Great stuff!

  5. Posted April 15, 2009 at 10:21 am

    lol, fun piece!
    Thanks,
    clay

  6. Posted April 15, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    I hate waiting for fixes. I was still a good article with many facts I did not know. But I have to go now and move my toothbrush.

  7. Posted April 15, 2009 at 2:33 pm

    I like scrambled eggs!… And I do like this Weird Facts too!

  8. Posted April 15, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    Great stuff! :)

  9. Posted April 15, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    I like the cute little kitty with the double ears.

  10. Posted April 15, 2009 at 3:48 pm

    The kitty is amazing. (I already knew about the tooth brush.)

  11. Posted April 15, 2009 at 9:00 pm

    Very interesting article,
    Great facts though, very interesting to know!

  12. Posted April 15, 2009 at 11:33 pm

    Didnt know over half of these tid bits. Very interesting read!

  13. Posted April 16, 2009 at 12:38 am

    Oh my!!! That cat is like who-ah!! And, the Titan – - that gave me the chills – great article!

    Blessings.

    Sincerely,

    -Liane Schmidt.

  14. Posted April 16, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    This is a good article, the cat was interesting though.

  15. Posted April 16, 2009 at 11:06 pm

    another nice and interesting post,thanks

  16. Posted April 17, 2009 at 1:35 am

    A great, well researched article, CJ.

  17. Posted April 17, 2009 at 3:33 am

    You are responsible – I have just been caught trying to lick my elbow!!!!
    Fantastic article

  18. Posted April 17, 2009 at 3:34 am

    Very quirky article, nicely done.

  19. Posted April 17, 2009 at 8:49 pm

    Tee-hee… I’m with S Hayes.. dog gone it if I didn’t try to lick that infernal part of the body..lol!

  20. Posted April 17, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    Good Job! I found it very informative as well as entertaining,–and yes–I tried to lick my elbow. :)

  21. Debra Mann
    Posted April 18, 2009 at 2:09 am

    Definitely bizarre and wacky! Great read, Chris!

  22. Posted April 18, 2009 at 8:01 am

    Interesting and enjoyable read, thanks, Chris.

  23. dee gold
    Posted April 20, 2009 at 4:31 pm

    wacky

  24. spiritwalker
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 7:32 pm

    There is surely alot of odd tidbits out there and I enjoy reading them. Thanx for the entertainment. You have a great way of presenting the most interesting articles.

  25. Posted April 23, 2009 at 11:12 am

    you did an outstanding job of writing this.

  26. Posted April 23, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    You have outdone Ripley’s here! A+ work and very interesting.

    I think that I like the Titanic story the best, but I have always been facinated with the sinking. I have never heard your pre- sink story. Yoda is a cute little thing,too.

  27. Posted May 12, 2009 at 3:52 am

    Lol, nice article. I have to say though, I did not try to lick my elbow. ^__^

  28. Posted August 14, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    And I am the eleventh!

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