What a weird and wonderful world it is that we live and this week has been no different. From candyfloss clouds falling from the sky, an obese racoon to a real life Mario Kart race through the centre of one of London’s shopping centres, it’s safe to say I’ve got all the weirdness right here!
Starting today, I will be bringing you more Weird & Wonderful stories each Friday to get you ready for the weekend and to push the weekly blues away! Read on for the beautifully craziness of the world…
10. The Farting Cow
A little like the laughing cow but without the promise of cheese…
As we all know cows fart and that methane is apparently ‘killing the world’. Cows emit approximately 70kg to 120kg of methane every year and because of that, cows and other agriculture animals contribute 4.5% to the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. So in an attempt to cut this down, farmers are being urged to change their cows’ diets by adding fat or nitrate to their feed which can reduce the methane emissions. Excellent stuff.
However organic farmers cannot do this and so the researchers at Aarhus University have suggested oregano. As you do. Put a bit of herb on that cud. Apparently, it could be a natural tool to reduce the methane production, and although they’re still doing trials, if they are successful it could be used by conventional dairy farmers too. And because it’s a natural ‘fart preventative’ (yes, I just said that), it won’t affect the milk, cheese or other dairy products. Everyone’s a winner!
“We hope that in the project we will have a good and balanced dialogue with consumers about the climate and cattle production,” says senior researcher, Kai Grevsen “Should the results be positive, they can be implemented on all cattle farms, conventional and organic, so there is a really large potential.”
9. Horse & Human
As a little girl, I was obsessed with horses and as an adult, I still get extremely happy when I’m near or on a horse. I remember in one of my riding lessons as a child my instructor told me that horses can sense your fear so when you’re riding them you must remain calm – even when it’s thundering and pouring with rain. Your horse reacts to you and bonds are made by them trusting you. So this weird & wonderful post is rather close to my heart.
Amy Smith, a doctoral student in the Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group at the University of Sussex has revealed that horses react to negative expressions more than positive ones. As well as that, psychologists at the same university also believe that horses can read human facial expressions having studied 28 horses and showing them different expressions. The only image I get from this is of a horse on a counselor’s sofa looking at ink blots.
But back to the point, their studies showed that when these horses were showed angry expressions they viewed them more with their left eye, a behaviour often linked to negativity. Not only that, their heart rate increased and they even showed signs of stress. Horses are quite clearly very emotional.
Amy believes that this is because “it is particularly important for animals to recognise threats in their environment,” and “recognising angry faces may act as a warning system, allowing horses to anticipate negative human behaviour such as rough handling.” And it’s not just horses that can read expressions; dogs have also been known to show stress-related behaviour when perceiving anger.
In conclusion, researchers have realised that animals such as horses and dogs have the ability to read emotions across specie barriers. This may be because of their close relationship with us throughout the past millennium, and would also explain why when I’m ill, my cat always comes to cheer me up and why my friend had a dog that flinched when she swore. Bless.
8. Pandas or Dogs?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai1yd8I3PQk
I fear we’ve found ourselves in very cute animal territory with this Weird & Wonderful…
Want to keep a panda as a pet but that’s illegal and incredibly cruel – well I have a solution for you. This lady, Meng Jiang, has turned her beautiful Chow Chows into three very adorable pandas. How? Well Potato, Sweetcorn and Bean were once all white Chows who have since had their coats coloured with black dye. Yes, you might also see this as animal cruelty but can we sit back and just enjoy the cuteness for a moment before we lose our shit?
Their actually names are TuDou, YuMi and DouDou, which translate into their English names. Recently, they have become an internet sensation because of their distinctive coats. Meng says that the dogs “live in a 3,500 square feet house, they have a better diet than humans and I give them two walks a day.” Sounds like they’re very pampered pooches.
While the Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have claimed that what Meng has done is cruel, Meng doesn’t seem to mind and appears to love her Chow Chows very dearly saying “The dye used is professional dog hair dye and is 100% organic, non-toxic and safe for dogs.” And those three bear-dogs are very cute indeed.
Video sourced from – youtube.com
7. Candyfloss Clouds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNdwu-2WyOA
It’s like a dream!
From the skies of Morocco, giant candyfloss-like clouds have been falling. The video above shows a man touching and watching as these weird white masses fall to the ground all around him. I’d be a little freaked out to say the least. When he picks it up, it appears to stick to him too. Very weird and just what we love on Freaky Friday!
So what are these things and where do they come from? Well since the video went viral earlier this week there have been plenty of explanations. From wild theories such as aliens to Government weather manipulation, to the more sane suggestions such as sea foam or even untreated sewage – odd colour for sewage.
Anyway, conspiracy theorists are having a field day with this video claiming it has something to do with the mysterious aircraft noises in January that could be heard all over the world and lasted constantly for hours. They believe that this is definitely the start of an alien invasion. And while they’re doing this, most believe it’s naturally occurring sea foam. However, no one has actually come forward to explain what these giant fluffy lumps are…
Video sourced from – youtube.com
6. Mario Kart Race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cToouR4V_O4
Video sourced from – youtube.com
Oh, I do love a good Mario Kart race.
So a few days ago Bowser, Princess Peach, Luigi, Mario, Donkey Kong and Yoshi took to Westfield shopping centre, in Shepherd’s Bush, London for a race. Very typical for them. Without permission, the group proceeded to race around the large shopping mall in small vehicles, very similar to their Nintendo counterparts on the racecourse Coconut Mall.
While security were shocked, they did not intervene as the stunt was pulled early in the morning and the group weren’t causing any harm or interruptions. At one point, one of the characters throws a banana over his shoulder in the path of Yoshi, who spins out of control just adding to the Nintendo game reenactment.
Along with the classic Mario Kart music, this video will put a smile on your face this Friday. The race lasted only 10 minutes, including obstacles such as escalators and of course a brief elevator ride to the car park where they raced out and jumped back into the van they arrived in. Unfortunately, the group – who did not want to be named – were caught by police down the road. Such as a shame. They weren’t hurting anyone and just wanted to have a bit of fun.
5. That Epic Bruce Springsteen Concert!
I feel I would be one of those parents who did something like this…But only if Freddie Mercury was resurrected and played with Queen again.
Needless to say, this dad is pretty damn cool and when he decided to take his daughter to see Bruce Springsteen, he may have forgotten about school the next day. Never fear, he wrote her school a polite note explaining her lateness the next day. Patrick Pipino, of Albany, New York explained honestly why Isabelle was late and was unashamedly proud.
Because of that, this photo of the letter has gone viral. According to Patrick, both his daughters have loved Bruce Springsteen from a young age and obviously felt it was his fatherly duty to take them to a concert. So what they missed a lesson or two when the night before they were rocking with their awesome dad to the 66 year old New Jersey rocker. What a legend. I’m sure Springsteen is proud.
4. The Spanish Yeti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg9ePMgDq20
As you will soon come to realise I love a good alien, ghost or yeti story and this one fits the bill!
Recently a video has appeared online of what appears to be a yeti wandering about the snowy wilderness in the Pyrenees. Although the footage is shaky, you can clearly see a figure of white scampering among the trees. While some viewers believe it’s just yet another person dressed up to look like a yeti, a lot are convinced this could be it; the Spanish Yeti. Comprende?
Bosses at the local Spanish ski resort have been forced to search the surrounding area for this ‘yeti’ but have come up empty handed. But if I was a yeti, I wouldn’t be easy to find either. Duh. This hasn’t stopped the internet’s panic, leaving many to think it is a Government cover up. God, I love these stories so much.
Video sourced from – youtube.com
3. The Sex Toy Assault
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i36pQNzpc3s
Here’s a random one for you.
Recently, Steven Joyce, a member of the New Zealand National Party was attacked with a rather lewd object. Whilst talking to reporters and crowds in Waitangi, near Paihia, a woman from the audience decided that rotten food wasn’t enough to throw at this politician. Nope, a big ol’ pink dildo was much better.
The video shows the moment Joyce received a dildo to the cheek as the woman shouted “that’s for raping our sovereignty!”. She was quickly escorted away but how does one recover from a dildo to the face? The woman was referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was signed in Auckland on the 4th of this month.
The agreement is meant to deepen economic ties between 12 countries, including the US, Japan, Australia, Canada and Peru. Joyce has been swift to comment on the incident saying “We actually thought it was a little bit humorous at the end of it all…new experiences in politics every day, it’s the privilege of serving.” I suppose it’s not every day you get a dildo to the face.
Video sourced from – youtube.com
2. The Obese Racoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIM23y-RqpU
Another thing I love; animals and especially tubby ones.
Weighing a ridiculous 8.1kg, this little bin-burglar was spotted last year in Sunderland and has been on the run ever since. Having feasted upon discarded takeaways and scraps in the bins of the area, you can see how this cutie put on so much weight.
Recently, the overweight rodent was caught by the Department for Environment having laid baited traps (probably full of pizza). Native to North America, it’s unsure how the chubster ended up in the North of England. He has since undergone health checks and vaccinations and is now being found a home – and maybe given a Weight Watchers subscription.
The raccoon was first spotted in the home of Ray Forsyth and his wife Lynne Wood. Ray, an ambulance driver says “It had eaten all the hedgehogs and frogs from our garden, so this will stop our pond from being ransacked.” However, he is pleased the plump raccoon has been kept alive. Defra (Department of Environment, Rural Affairs) have left a cage just in case Mrs Raccoon turns up.
Theories behind why a raccoon ended up in a garden in Sunderland could be down to the fact people keep them as pets; but when they reach adulthood, they become much more aggressive therefore being released into the wild. Poor raccoons. Experts at Durham Wildlife Trust have asked people not to feed raccoons as they fear they are a threat to native species. So if you do see one of these cuties, get in touch with the right people so they can find a proper home.
Video sourced from – youtube.com
1. The Irish Chuckle Brothers
And finally, to round off this week’s Weird and Wonderful, I have just what you need this Friday afternoon.
Filmed in Drumquin, Co Tyrone, it appears Ireland have their own pair of Chucklebrothers. I’d certainly watch that show. The video shows two men, who obviously didn’t want to pay out for a removal van, maneuvering a sofa down the middle of the street. Most people would see the task as too hard and just pay for the experts but not these guys. They were going to do it themselves. You would’ve thought they’d bring the cushions later??
Unfortunately, all did not end well when the two broke into a loud argument which resulted in one man falling over and having the soda collapse on top of him. Needless to say, I had a good old giggle about this.
What has this taught us? Not only should you just get a removal van but it’s quite clearly always “to me, to you!”
Video sourced from – youtube.com