Monday, March 26, 2007

Today in Extraordinarily Odd




In an attempt to get people to pay their outstanding energy bills, a Ukrainian energy company uses the demanding and historically horror laden image of Stalin to put the fear of a violent death into Ukrainians. Posters state that anyone not paying their bills will be punished and there’s an ominous image of Stalin staring out at viewers. Apparently, it’s working and people are paying bills which is fair enough considering the relentless horror brought upon the Ukrainian people by Stalin and the idea that they might do anything to head off experiencing even a tiny percentage of what he did to the Ukraine. Having said that, any marketing ploy that capitalizes on the purges of Stalin serve to alienate some customers who still feel that the merciless slaughter of their families in prior generations was mildly uncalled for. Only time will tell. [source]


While it’s not that alarming or particularly extraordinary that a woman is caught trying to cross into Egypt with several crocodiles strapped to her waist, what IS alarming and kind of hilarious is the way in which the immigration officials reacted. First there was inquisiting because they thought she looked “oddly fat” which is such a great way to describe ANYTHING. Then they were hysterical and screaming when they saw the crocodiles (which we’re assuming were babies rather than the metric tonne variety as a couple of fully grown crocs may mildly inhibit a woman’s ability to walk) and then they were suitably impressed at the would-be smuggler’s guts. As in daring and bravery. Not her literal guts – or evident gut. [source]





A third of Americans don’t see the point to having the Internet. At least that’s what a survey of 31 million US homes conducted by a Dallas based technology market research firm found and really, is it THAT big of a surprise? Because, when you’re in the US, why do you need to learn about or have access to anywhere outside your own small town? What are you an ingrate? Three percent of people said the internet “doesn’t reach their homes” displaying an obvious inability to grasp exactly what it was they are actually talking about. [source]




A little Estonian mouse climbs into a cash machine and systematically shreds hundreds and hundreds of pounds (the weight not the worth) of delicious Estonian Kroon (Estonian currency). Is the notion of a rodent climbing inside a cash machine (they have them?) in Estonia and eating currency actually that unlikely? And yet, Estonian officials claim this is a first. When you think about it, actually it seems like it could be a common occurrence what with mice having tiny little squishy bodies and Estonian ATMS more than likely being made out of cardboard. [source]



US scientists create what more or less amounts to the first human/sheep hybrid with the creation of a sheep that is made up of 15% human organs. While there’s no link whatsoever to the idea that the animal displays weird, sci fi esque features like in the film Tank Girl with those bizarre human kangaroo clones – and let’s face it, weird human animal clones that are unpleasant to look at thanks to fiction are really the source of conservative angst about cloning – not religious dogma – we can all rest assured that the collective, shrill and self righteous “happy to be self negating and ignorant as long as they go to heaven” contingent are, this very moment, drawing a huge breath with which to blast out their intolerant viewpoint. [source]

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