Odd Articles ↓

Michael Jackson In The Womb

“It looks like an ordinary ultrasound scan, with a blurry contrast of light and shade. But to Dawn Kelley and William Hickman, it’s the face of Michael Jackson. The imaginative couple say they can clearly see the face of the late pop star when they look at the picture of their unborn baby. Mr Hickman, 29, a window cleaner, said: ‘I showed my daughter Ami, who’s six, and she saw it straight away, so I thought “well, if she can see it too, it’s not just me seeing things.” w/ photos

Hamster-Themed Hotel

“It’s a unique concept according to its creators, a hotel in the French town of Nantes is offering the chance for people to become a hamster. For 99 euros a night, you can eat hamster grain, run in a giant wheel, sleep in hay stacks in the what is called the ‘Hamster Villa’. Maud and Sebastien are the first ones to experience how hamsters live, not afraid at the thought of sleeping in hay or feeding on a hamster fountain and special grain. It’s a unique experience and, the guests say, just something different.” w/ photos

Spain’s Amazing Bull Leapers

“Flying through the air these amazing bull leapers compete in the ultimate game of chance. Displaying flips, leaps and jumps these modern day Spanish ‘Recortadores’ continue a bull leaping tradition that goes back to the legendary King Minos from Crete’s Minoan civilisation around 1500 BC. Each year, bull fighting teams from all over Spain descend upon the Plaza de Toros stadium in Valencia to battle in this daring competition… Established in ancient bronze age Crete during the Minoan era, bull leaping is practiced throughout Europe from France to Portugal… With as many as three bulls in the ring at any one time, each ‘Recortadores’ team – made up of between 5 and 7 members – go head-to-head in a dangerous and skilful performance which can last up to four hours. Like the bull jumpers themselves, photographer Mery had to rely on reflexes and instinct to get these incredible images. ‘To take pictures like this, especially action shots, you have to visualize the scene in your mind,’ she said. ‘There is a moment when your instinct tells you it’s the right second to press the button. ‘I watched the whole competition with the camera up to my eye, following the action all the time. ‘What I like about these images is that they show the skill and strength of man and beast in one moment.” w/ photos

Little Ducks In The Sink

“There’s not a huge amount of room and it gets rather dull going round and round a little sink – but it’s a whole lot better than being in the cold outside. These ducklings were rescued by a farmer after they hatched earlier this week – six months before most broods. Fearing they would perish outside, the farmer took them indoors and later put them in his bathroom sink for their first paddle.” w/ photos

The Love Train

“British rail passengers are renowned for their indifference towards fellow commuters. Even eye-contact is off-limits for many who would rather bury their heads in newspapers or stare at the ground than acknowledge another traveller. So the sight of more than a hundred passengers embracing made for quite an astonishing sight as they set a new world record for hugging today. In all, 112 people, many of them total strangers, set aside their usual stubborn reserve towards fellow passengers at St Pancras station in central London as they embraced for 60 seconds. Smiles appeared on the faces of the suit-wearing participants who appeared to enjoy the physical contact in groups and pairs on the platform.” w/ photos

Man Tattooed With 232 Names Of Dead Soldiers

“His bare back is still red raw from their freshly-inked names. But former soldier Shaun Clark had promised to have the name of every troop killed in Afghanistan tattooed on his body in honour of their sacrifice. And he wasn’t going to back out. Mr Clark, 43, spent more than four hours in the tattooist’s chair today as each of the 232 names were etched in ink over his chest and back. Mr Clark, who served with the 8th Battalion Light Infantry Regiment from 1989 to 1996, was waiting in the tattooist’s chair at 11am this morning to carry out his painful pledge. The first name was etched on his body just as the traditional Armistice Day two-minute silence began. He said: ‘I don’t mind suffering for a few days if I can let the lads know that people really care about what they’re doing out there, and raise some money for the guys coming home wounded as well.” w/ photos

Penguin Becomes Photographer

“An inquisitive Emperor penguin looks through the viewfinder of a camera in Antarctica as his companions appear to pose for a photograph in front of the lens. Shocked photographer David Schultz, 53, snapped the curious group exploring his camera and tripod when he left them on the snow and ice. The fascinated penguins approached David each day as he hiked two kilometres from a helicopter base camp to the main Emperor rookery in the Weddell Sea. The fluffy chicks, who were just a few months old, were also encouraged by their parents to approach and have a look around. David snapped away from his camera on a tripod but backed away and continued taking photos with a second camera as the penguins moved towards him. He was amazed when two of the penguins appeared to pose for a playful shot in the pristine white landscape while a third framed them from behind the lens… David said: ‘The penguins were humbling, hilarious, extremely curious and wonderfully photogenic.” w/ photos

World’s First Inflatable Seatbelt

“A car maker is introducing seatbelts that inflate like airbags to give extra protection to passengers. Ford is fitting the back seats of vehicles with belts that inflate automatically during a crash. Experts say they will be particularly effective at preventing broken ribs, internal damage and bruising in children. Frail and elderly passengers will also benefit particularly from the cylindrical airbag that stretches from the buckle to the shoulder and fits inside a pocket sewn into the belt. The technology will be introduced on the latest model of Ford Explorer 4×4, which goes into production in the United States next year.” w/ photos

One Cheeky Burglar

“As a wanted man, you might expect Matthew Maynard to be somewhat camera shy. But when his local paper published a mugshot of the 23-year-old in an attempt to track him down, he decided it didn’t show his best side. So he provided a replacement. And if that wasn’t cheeky enough, he posed for the new photograph standing next to a police van. Maynard is being hunted by police investigating a house burglary. Detectives sent the mugshot to local media in Swansea as part of a public appeal. When the picture appeared in the South Wales Evening Post, Maynard sent the paper a replacement photo of himself standing in front of a police van wearing luminous leggings and a policeman-like black jacket – which was then printed on the front page. Yesterday officers at South Wales Police thanked him for helping their campaign. One said: ‘He is a berk. He thinks he is being clever by showing off like this – but we’ll have him in soon now.” w/ photos

Dog Traps Head In Brick Wall

“This curious dog had to be rescued by firefighters yesterday after getting her head wedged inside a tumble dryer vent. Staffordshire terrier Daisy became trapped for over an hour after she poked her head into a six-inch-round hole in the wall of the utility room at her owners’ home in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. As she peered into the wall cavity her head became stuck fast, leaving her body in the utility room. As she struggled to escape her head swelled, and it became impossible for her owners to pull her free, forcing them to call firefighters to the scene. Crews used small hand tools to chip away at the wall around her neck until several bricks could be removed. They carefully monitored Daisy throughout the rescue and administered oxygen to keep her calm. After 30 minutes she was finally free, unharmed by the experience except for a few scratches to her face.” w/ photos