Ha! I was just reading News of the Weird in my local newspaper a few minutes ago. Here are the rest of the stories from this week's edition.
Living up to its name
Hades Funeral Services in Stalowa Wola, Poland, had to apologize after a mishap with a corpse on Oct. 19, the Associated Press reported. “As a result of an unexpected technical failure of the electric tailgate lock in the hearse,” the company announced, “during the transport of the body of the deceased, an unfortunate event occurred” — specifically, the corpse came flying out the back of the car and landed in a crosswalk. The accident “does not reflect the high standards of our company ... and the respect we always show to the deceased,” Hades claimed.
Time limits on PDAs
Travelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin had better say their goodbyes at home, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 22. The airport’s drop-off area will now restrict parting hugs to three minutes in an effort to prevent traffic jams. Airport CEO Dan De Bono said officials hope to “keep things moving smoothly.” Not all travelers were accepting of the time limit, saying the rule “breached basic human rights.” But, De Bono assured them, “We do not have hug police.”
Suspicions confirmed
Turns out that wasn’t Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on your pizza. Police in Dusseldorf, Germany, busted a pizzeria manager who was selling a popular “No. 40” pie, which was delivered with a side of cocaine, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 22. After posting bond, the manager was released and went right back to delivering No. 40.
That’s when investigators uncovered his supply chain, arresting three suspects and raiding the homes of 12 others. Pizza man is back in custody.
That stinks
The orca show audience at SeaWorld San Antonio on Oct. 12 was treated to a little something extra when the whale defecated in the pool, then splashed the soiled water onto spectators, United Press International reported. SeaWorld has not commented.
Fish tale
Is today April 1? The Campbell’s Co. announced on Oct. 23 that for a limited time, it is changing the name of its popular Pepperidge Farm cheese snacks from Goldfish to Chilean Sea Bass. CNN reported that the switch is part of a strategy to attract adult fans, and the crackers themselves will not change.
Not written in stone
In Chestertown, Md., students have been studying since 1782 at Washington College, WTOP-TV reported. But on Oct. 8, the college announced that it would update its logo, which uses Washington’s handwritten signature, for something less cursive-y.
“Because cursive writing is no longer taught universally in K-12 education, the script ... was difficult to read and not immediately recognizable for many prospective students,” said Brian Speer, the college’s vice president for marketing and communications.
