News of the Weird - this just in!

[PeteC]

....and yes, we have these Huntsman spiders in Thailand as well. In fact seen a few times a year inside my house. I hope they're at least eating chingchokes! Pete

Giant spider carries full-grown mouse up Australian man's fridge (Video at link)

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/10/24/ ... t=rln&or=3

[PeteC]

Surgery patient suffers burns after passing gas

The fart that almost killed me.....

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/11 ... assing-gas

"Gas passed by a patient during a surgery has caused a fire that led to serious burns on her body at a hospital in Tokyo, according to a hospital report.

The Asahi Shimbun reported on Sunday the fire broke out in an operation room at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Shinjuku Ward on April 15.

The patient was having a cervix surgery which involved the use of a laser.

A report released by the hospital on Oct 28 concluded the fire was caused the gas she passed and was ignited with the irradiation of the laser, and the burning spread, eventually reaching the surgical drape and causing the fire.

The blaze burned much of her body, including her waist and legs, it said."

[PeteC]

Nice idea but I want to see them try to get fire and liability insurance for the place. Banks financing the project won't like it either as the lifespan will be half + - as compared to a concrete/steel structure IMO. Pete

Winning design chosen for new Forest Green Rovers ground

"Almost 50 designs from architects from around the world were submitted as part of a competition for the football club's new ground near Stroud.

Club chairman Dale Vince said the winning design from Zaha Hadid will be "entirely made of wood".

[Big Boy]

I'm surprised wood is allowed after the Bradford disaster.

That aside, Forest Green were the nearest half decent team to where I lived in Bristol - very big plans for a non-league side. I'm impressed.

Certainly a kick in the teeth to their nearest rivals, the nomads they call Bristol Rovers.

[Big Boy]

No bum gun, no worries! Portable bidet shop opens at BTS Siam

In Friday’s most WTF news of the day, we happened across a stall at BTS Siam that sells only one product. One that, once you see it, you won’t know how you ever lived without it: colorful portable bum guns.

They kinda look like a private Songkran party just for your bottom.

For those of you who have lived in Thailand and fallen in love with the country’s ubiquitous toilet-side water hoses, you’re sure to understand the pain of going back to the West and living without a beloved bum gun — wiping your butt without rinsing it first just seems savage after experiencing the Thai way.

Honestly, Thais don’t even understand how you farangs ever don’t use a bum gun.

bum_gun.jpg (91.58 KiB) Viewed 2253 times

Full story: Coconuts

[hhfarang]

I installed a fantastic one on my toilet within days of moving back. I couldn't live without it! I got it from Amazon and it's a really good all stainless steel one with a handy water supply valve that sticks out under the tank within easy reach.

I also got a portable one for travel that is small and simply attaches to any plastic water or soft drink bottle for travel use. You just squeeze the bottle to operate...

[hhfarang]

"For 74 years, six WWII ships rested at the bottom of the ocean. Then they vanished."



"British cruiser H.M.S. Exeter being cheered by sailors and dock workers as she is brought alongside the quay at Plymouth, England, on Feb. 15, 1940. Rider AP"

"The HMS Exeter, a heavy cruiser in the Royal Navy, weighed nearly 10,000 imperial tons.

The slightly smaller HMS Encounter and the destroyer HMS Electra flanked the great beast of a ship as the trio sailed near Indonesia. On Feb. 27, 1942, they entered the Java Sea, which slices through the Indonesian islands of Java and Kalimantan.

Along with them were Dutch ships HNLMS De Ruyter, HNLMS Java and HNLMS Kortenaer and many, many others.

There, at the center of World War II, these six ships - along with those of other Allied Forces, including Americans - engaged in a long and grueling battle with a Japanese fleet. According to the Guardian, it was one of the "costliest sea skirmishes for the allies" and was the catalyst for the Japanese gaining occupation of the Dutch East Indies.

Many, many died in the battle. Those six ships, for example, sank to the bottom of the sea. Dying along with their vessel were some 2,200 people, Dutch News reported.

The ships lay in their watery graves, about 230 feet deep, for many years before human eyes witnessed them again. In 2002, a group of amateur divers discovered the wreckage resting peacefully at the bottom of the sea.

The area was declared a sacred war grave, Time reported.

"The Battle for Java Sea is part of our collective memory," Dutch defense minister Jeanine Hennis said, according to the Dutch News. "The wrecks bear silent witness to the tragic events and form a backdrop to the many stories about the terrors of war and the comradeship between crew."

With the battle's 75th anniversary quickly approaching, a new expedition of divers set out to film the missing ships for a commemoration of the historic day.

When they reached the spot, though, researchers were shocked at what they found. Rather, they were shocked at what they didn't find.

The ships were almost entirely gone.

Poof.
... "

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation- ... rylink=cpy

[Big Boy]

WTF

Fancy Phones: Government agency makes THB57.9 million auctioning awesome phone numbers

After running the country’s first-ever auction for “beautiful” phone numbers on Sunday, as the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) calls them, the Commission has earned THB57.9 million from the public auction of 16 phone numbers they have deemed to be “beautiful.”

Nine of the strings of numbers designated as “gold” numbers by the NBTC were sold for: 09-8888-8888 for THB8.1 million, 06-5555-5555 for THB6.9 million, 09-5555-5555 for THB6.9 million and 09-7777-7777 for THB6.1 million.

Five more numbers that got winning bids in the THB6 million range were: 09-0000-0000, 09-1111-1111, 09-4444-4444, 09-6666-6666 and 06-1111-1111, reported Thai PBS.

There were 10 bidders participating in the auction.

Full story: Coconuts

[Nereus]

Viral man v roo video hides a touching back story

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/ ... ory/#page1

It has to go down as one of the funniest clips of the year, but there’s a touching story behind the man vs ‘roo viral video.

The footage - possibly the most Australian thing on the internet - has gone absolutely berserk since it was posted to Facebook yesterday.

And today it emerged the trip on which it was filmed was a fundraiser for a terminally ill young man, who has since succumbed to cancer.

[RCer]

WTF

Fancy Phones: Government agency makes THB57.9 million auctioning awesome phone numbers

After running the country’s first-ever auction for “beautiful” phone numbers on Sunday, as the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) calls them, the Commission has earned THB57.9 million from the public auction of 16 phone numbers they have deemed to be “beautiful.”

Nine of the strings of numbers designated as “gold” numbers by the NBTC were sold for: 09-8888-8888 for THB8.1 million, 06-5555-5555 for THB6.9 million, 09-5555-5555 for THB6.9 million and 09-7777-7777 for THB6.1 million.

Five more numbers that got winning bids in the THB6 million range were: 09-0000-0000, 09-1111-1111, 09-4444-4444, 09-6666-6666 and 06-1111-1111, reported Thai PBS.

There were 10 bidders participating in the auction.

Full story: Coconuts

They could have saved a bunch and just bought me a Harley.

[pharvey]

For those who thought the Paddies couldn't drink!!: -

"The events that led to Malloy's death began in January 1933.[2][3] He was, at the time, alcoholic and homeless.[2][3] Five men who were acquainted with Malloy: Tony Marino, Joseph "Red" Murphy, Francis Pasqua, Hershey Green, and Daniel Kriesberg (later dubbed "the Murder Trust" by the headlines[1]), plotted to take out three life insurance policies on Malloy and then get him to drink himself to death.[2][3] The first part of the plot was successful (probably achieved with the aid of a corrupt insurance agent), and they stood to gain over $3,500 (more than $61,000 by 2011's standards by the CPI) if Malloy died an accidental death.[2][3]

Marino owned a speakeasy and gave Malloy unlimited credit, thinking Malloy would abuse it and drink himself to death.[2][3] Although Malloy drank for a majority of his waking day, it did not kill him. To remedy this, antifreeze was substituted for liquor, but still, Malloy would drink until he passed out, wake up, and come back for more.[2][3] Antifreeze was substituted with turpentine, followed by horse liniment, and finally mixed in rat poison.[2][5] Still, Malloy lived.

The group then tried raw oysters soaked in wood alcohol.[2][3] This idea apparently came from Pasqua, who saw a man die after eating oysters with whiskey.[2] Then came a sandwich of spoiled sardines mixed with poison and carpet tacks.[2][3][6]

When that failed, they decided that it was unlikely that anything Malloy ingested was going to kill him, so the Murder Trust decided to freeze him to death. On a night when the temperature reached −14 °F (−26 °C), Malloy drank until he passed out, was carried to a park, dumped in the snow, and had five gallons (19 L) of water poured on his bare chest.[2][3] Nevertheless, Malloy reappeared the following day for his drink. The next attempt on his life came when they hit him with Green's taxi, moving at 45 miles per hour (72 km/h).[2][3] This put Malloy in the hospital for three weeks with broken bones.[3] The gang presumed he was dead but was unable to collect the policy on him.[2] When he again appeared at the bar, they decided on one last approach."

Full Story: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Malloy

[PeteC]

Cold shower too much for tourist on Phu Thap Boek

....."A tourist from Bangkok passed out and was saved by health officials an hour after she took a shower in cold weather at popular Phu Thap Boek".....

I guess the solution is not to take a Thai style shower when it's 4c.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -thap-boek

[hhfarang]

"Man eats nothing but potatoes for a year"



https://nypost.com/2016/12/14/man-eats- ... or-a-year/

[hhfarang]

"A retired professor thinks he's found the location of King Arthur's Camelot"

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-retire ... ot-2016-12

[Nereus]

Summer comes to Australia:
.......................................................................................
Scorched feet a lesson in taking thongs to the beach

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/scorched ... b88337516z

You thought you had a tough time surviving yesterday’s unbearable heat? Just be thankful you weren’t Joanne Hall.
The top of 42.4C proved too hot to handle for the unlucky 25-year-old beachgoer, who suffered severe blistering to the soles of her feet.

Her ordeal started with an ill-fated dash for the Fremantle surf across scorching sand without thongs — and ended in the burns unit and a visit from specialist Professor Fiona Wood.