Nov. 28, 2008: The Week in Weirdness

"It's amazing, it's astounding, but it's no B.S."
- George Carlin(RIP)
News involving your fellow man at their less than stellar moments.

You wear too much perfume, I'll see you in court!
DETROIT (AP) - A federal judge says a Detroit city employee can proceed with a civil suit claiming she couldn't work because of a co-worker's strong perfume. I for one have thought there should be a law against too much perfume / cologne for years and sincerely hopes she wins.

Man executed for selling ant farm for $439Million!
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has executed the leader of a bogus scheme for breeding ants to make aphrodisiacs that conned investors out of 3 billion yuan ($439 million), the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

Crappiest Christmas ornaments ever, $5:
Madison, Wis. (AP) - The Christmas ornaments for sale at the Miller Park Zoo's gift shop are partly manufactured by reindeer. Honest! Staffers make decorations out of droppings from the zoo's two reindeer, Ealu and Rika. The droppings are dried, then clear-coated and either painted or rolled in glitter.

Name your baby Mussolini, get $2k!
ROME (Reuters) - An Italian right-wing party is offering 1,500 euros ($1,930) to parents who name their babies after wartime fascist dictator Benito Mussolini or his wife Rachele, saying their names are under threat.

NJ police have Hollywood style standoff with . . . no one!
MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - A standoff at a New Jersey bank is over after police learned a "person" seen inside was actually a full-size cardboard figure.

Tourist season officially open, GPS to lure game in!
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Three Norwegian tourists came under fire and one was shot after the satellite navigation system in their car guided them straight into one of Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous slums.

Stop! Or I'll run myself over!
Santa Fe, N.M. (AP) - A man is in a northern New Mexico jail, accused of driving drunk and leading police on a chase that finally ended with him running over himself.

Ireland to Russia, "Get your priorities straight"!
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The global financial crisis has grown so bad that Russians are cutting back on vodka.

How Dr. Seuss stole Christmas from Louisville children:
Louisville, Ky. (AP) - The city of Louisville is scrapping plans to use the iconic Dr. Seuss village and characters as part of its annual Christmas display after receiving a cease and desist letter from Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Germany faces Santa shortage:
BERLIN (Reuters) - Wanted: Cheerful, chubby men, preferably with fluffy white beards and no criminal record, ready to work hard for one month.

Maverick Thai general does the hand-grenade waltz.
BANGKOK (Reuters) - A maverick Thai general who has threatened to bomb anti-government protesters and drop snakes on them from helicopters has been reassigned as an aerobics teacher, the Bangkok Post said on Friday.

Winner of the annual sexism award? The mayor of course!
CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian outback mayor's plea for lovelorn female "ugly ducklings" to move to a remote mining town to reverse a shortage of eligible women has won him the country's yearly award for outrageous sexism.