Weird Newz #65
Man Smuggles Iguanas in Prosthetic Leg, Shoplifting Seagull Fancies Doritos, Pickles or Anthrax?, Boston Man Proposes Through Crossword Puzzle
Jereme James of Long Beach, CA, has been indicted for one count of smuggling according to USA Today. Prosecutors claim that James stole three endangered iguanas from a Fiji nature preserve and smuggled them into the U.S. using a special compartment constructed in his prosthetic leg.James came under investigation several years ago when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials received a report that James possessed several iguanas that are protected under an international treaty limiting trade of endangered species. An undercover probe revealed James’ strategy for smuggling the endangered iguanas through concealment in his prosthetic leg. During the probe, James revealed that he sold three of the smuggled iguanas for $32,000, according to prosecutors. In exercising a search warrant of James’ home, Fish and Wildlife agents seized four iguanas that authorities suspect James bred for selling.James will be summoned for arraignment in October and is facing a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison. Authorities commented that the seized iguanas will be introduced to a U.S. breeding program. more
The phrase “caught on tape” takes an interesting new twist for Sam the seagull, an avian resident of Aberdeen, Scotland. According to Snopes.com, the seagull made the news with video footage of his habitual theft of cheese-flavored Doritos from the local RC McColl newsagent shop. According to store attendants, Sam regularly enters the store and steals the same flavor of Doritos, taking the pillages snacks outside the store and ripping open the bag to share with other birds.Shop assistant Sriaram Nagarajan commented in a BBC report, “He’s got it down to a fine art. He waits until there are no customers around and I’m standing behind the till, then he raids the place.”Though the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds discourages feeding gulls, a major reason they migrate to living in urban areas, local residents don’t seem to mind Sam’s larceny. Customers have taken to paying for Sam’s stolen chips because they find his activities humorous. more
On Monday, Reuters reported that a Malaysian diplomat apologized to the Iraqi government for mistaking a gift of sweet pickles for a box of anthrax powder. The diplomat received the gift at his office on September 13. Upon opening the box later that day at his home, the official noted white powder in the package. He immediately placed the package outside his door and called the police, explaining his fear that it may contain anthrax powder.A police examination of the packaged revealed the box only contained sweet pickles. The powder was sugar that had been sprinkled on them to preserve the delicacies. The sender, Iraqi diplomat Hoshiar Dazayi, commented, “It is such a special sweet, and this year I wanted to show my appreciation to the Malaysian government, the ministry and my friends.” He had sent similar gifts to other Malaysian diplomats. more
According to the Associated Press, Aric Egmont cleverly proposed to his sweetheart, Jennie Bass, through a crossword puzzle in the Boston Globe. The couple was working on the paper’s crossword puzzle, titled “Popping the Question,” when Bass noted her sister’s and her best friend’s names in the puzzle. Bass presumed it was a coincidence until the couple got to 111 across, which was “”Generic proposal” (Jen Aric generic). The answer: “Will you marry me?”Egmont told the Globe, “We get to the ‘Will you marry me?’ clue, and I said, ‘Will you marry me, Jenny?’ I got up, got the ring, and got down on one knee and she screamed, and hugged me. It took her a minute to say yes.”Egmont, knowing his beloved to be a crossword puzzle fan, contacted the Boston Globe during the summer and asked if they would create a special puzzle for him. The puzzle-writing team agreed to Egmont’s request and attempted to write a puzzle that would be evident to the happy couple but not obscure to other readers. more
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