Category Archives: Uncategorized

Spoon-bender Geller ‘convinced CIA’

Posted on by

Uri Geller, the self-proclaimed psychic known for his ability to bend spoons, had his telepathic skills tested by the US Central Intelligence Agency.

Newly published documents shows that Geller went to the Stanford Research Institute in 1973 for a week of experiments as part of the CIA’s Stargate programme, which looked at psychic powers and whether they could be weaponised in some way.

The CIA concluded: “As a result of Geller’s success in this experimental period, we consider that he has demonstrated his paranormal perception ability in a convincing and unambiguous manner.”

The cache of documents were declassified after a two-year campaign by freedom-of-information activists and a lawsuit against the CIA.

Smuggling attempts: five of the best

Posted on by
Reply
This is not the kind of crocodile bag you want to see on a plane...

This is not the kind of crocodile bag you want to see on a plane…

Christopher Mitchell has shot to internet notoriety over the past few days after the obese 42-year-old American was caught by police trying to smuggle drugs in his rolls of fat.

The man, otherwise known as ‘Biggie’ or ‘Fatboy’, was concealing cocaine and 23 grams of marijuana under his stomach fat and while this was not the criminal highpoint of the century, it did get us thinking about the best smuggling attempts ever reported. Here are five of the finest:

5. Fully aware of the irony of his actions, a man in New York was once arrested while transporting a date rape liquid drug inside a bottle of ‘Holy Water’.

4. Inevitably this technique was always going to surface… Ukrainian Svetlana Ivanyshka was rumbled on the border after customs officers caught her trying to smuggle a bag of hashish inside a vibrator. She had hidden the drug in the sex toy’s battery compartment, which was hidden inside her own compartment, for want of a better term.

3. A truly bizarre story: a man in the Democratic Republic of Congo once tried to get a crocodile on an airplane in his hand luggage. Worryingly, he was successful and was only found out when the reptile crawled free near the end of the flight. At the sight of the croc, passengers and crew rushed to the front of the plane, causing a redistribution of weight which caused the aircraft to nosedive, resulting in 21 people dying. The crocodile survived the crash.

2. Less sinister than some of the stories above but disturbing all the same, a woman and her daughter were found in Liverpool airport trying to get a dead corpse on a plane. The pair put the recently deceased body of the woman’s husband in a hat and sunglasses and pushed the ‘sleeping’ man through customs in a wheelchair before officers cottoned on to what was happening.

1. A few years ago a Chilean man decided to capitalise on the misfortune of breaking his shin by finding an ingenious way of turning things back in his favour. He opted to make his leg cast out of the slightly more expensive material of cocaine and then attempt to travel into Barcelona. Officials caught the man and it eventually transpired that he had broken his leg intentionally so he could get the solidified white powder into the country.

Five weirdest crowdfunding projects ever

Posted on by
Reply
Woman got over £4,000 from strangers online to get a boob job

Woman got over £4,000 from strangers online to get a boob job

Crowdsourcing has become an increasingly common fundraising technique in the 21st century. The online fundraising technique is a great way to turn a particular project or product from a dream to a reality.

From charitable venture to groundbreaking scientific theories, it has helped provide financial backing for a great deal of fascinating and worthwhile initiatives in recent years. But, naturally, so too has it bankrolled some odder ones.

One such example is that of Northumberland’s Gemini Smith. The 23-year-old trainee undertaker appealed to the online community to help her raise the £4,450 she needed for a boob job.

Gemini said that her 34A bra size made her feel like “12-year-old boy” and by speaking to men online managed to scrabble together the money via American website MyFreeImplants.com; she is now boasting 34DDs.

It is a story that has been met with a host of media attention. But in the grand scheme of things, there have been many more extraordinary cases of crowdfunding – here’s our top five:

5. World’s largest jock strap

Unfortunately this project was not even to offer genital support to the world’s most well endowed athlete – this Guinness World Record attempted raised $854 to create a giant jock strap for no reason other than to do it. They did it to be fair.

4. Robocop statue

We would all feel a lot safer if Robocop was roaming the streets. Well the people of Detroit have plumped for the next best thing, in May 2011 members of the www public dipped into their pockets and scraped together $67,436 for a statue of the man-cum-machine law enforcement officer that now proudly stands on Wayne State University campus.

3. Tardis in space

Doctor Who fans are an odd bunch; there can be no questioning that. But to prove it one fan took to Kickstarter to bankroll a campaign to get a Tardis – the time travelling phone box – launched into orbit. The fan in question asked for a laughable $33,000 … and actually managed to raise $88,000.

2. Giant Lionel Richie head

Terrifying and beautiful in equal measure, last year the founders of Bestival smashed their target of £4,900 to create a giant sculpture of Lionel Richie’s head. The massive, three-metre-high head pleased music fans at the festival and regardless of whether or not it was him you were looking for, you saw him.

1. Watermelon holders 

Don’t you hate it when you have all your shopping bags and despite how much you struggle you just can’t get a good grip on your watermelon? Yeah? Exactly. Well Mike Draghici, the Da Vinci of pointless fruit-themed inventions, tried to raise $25,000 for a watermelon holder. Shockingly he only got six backers. Some ideas are just too far ahead of their time but keep the faith Mike; one day, one day.

G.E.N.I.U.S

G.E.N.I.U.S

Cambridge military enthusiast parks tank on his driveway

Posted on by
Reply
Tank

A Mark IV tank

Ahead of next year’s centenary of the start of the Great War, a keen military enthusiast has parked a World War I tank on his own driveway.

Anthony Cooke, 57, from Cottenham in Cambridge has surprised his neighbours by parking the six-and-a-half tonne vehicle outside his home on a residential street.

The tank – which is one of only two that are still capable of running in Europe – has been restored by Mr Cooke over the course of seven months. He spent £40,000 purchasing and restoring the outside of the 13ft-wide Mark IV tank, and will now turn his attentions to redoing the interior of the military vehicle.

Mr Cooke told the Metro newspaper that his neighbours were supportive of his decision to park the tank outside his home, and that they appreciated the piece of historic memorabilia.

He told the news source: “People do get a shock when they first see the tank in the middle of a residential estate. But I’m very lucky as my neighbours love it and one little boy even says good night to it each evening.

“It takes up my entire drive and I now have to park my car down the road, but it’s worth it as it will look great when it is finished,” added Mr Cooke.

Pay for parking using conkers

Posted on by
Reply
Conkers for all!

Conkers for all!

Perhaps the most unusual car parking scheme ever has been launched in Leeds and Manchester, allowing motorists to pay for their parking charges using conkers.

The scheme – which is running in three city centre car parks located in the cities, started on Monday and has already been proving popular with drivers. So far, 1,500 conkers have been received, which are worth around £300 in parking charges.

The idea is that motorists collect the conkers – which are ‘valued’ at 20 pence each – and exchange them for parking at the selected car parks up to a value of £10.

Town Centre Car Parks (TCCP) confirmed to the BBC that the environmentally-friendly scheme was thought up in an attempt to offset some of the emissions released by motorists. All conkers will be donated to Hetchell Wood Nature Reserve in Leeds during the scheme.

Ben Ziff from TCCP, told the news source: “I was looking at our figures on what we have taken on conkers and it seems to be quite high, a lot more than we were expecting. Initially we were only going to run it for a week, but we’re now definitely planning on extending the scheme.”

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Jonathan Leadley, said: “This fantastic, but slightly bonkers idea will raise the profile of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s wonderful woodlands and hopefully raise a bit of cash to help us look after them.”