Wait, what?
No really: just wait until you see what they’re doing with your kid’s fishbowl.
Animals
The Exploding Whale, 50 Years Later
The First-Ever Viral Video (which, naturally, was of the “weird news” variety!) was shot a half century ago today. This is its story, with a higher resolution video than most have ever seen.
026: What a Talking Ape Can Teach Humans
In This Episode: It’s easier for young children to learn basic sign language than to speak, and what a head start they can get on learning! Proof of concept: a gorilla, which in part shows that thinking is not limited to humans.
023: Why Uncommon Sense Matters
In This Episode: Whether you “need” a monkey (wait… what?!) or “want” something for nothing, scammers are eager to take your money from you. Here are a few stories of those who fell for it and (more importantly) how you can reduce your chances of being conned.
016: Barking Up the Right Tree
In This Episode: Dogs may or may not have Uncommon Sense, but how its owner reacts to a dog might be an interesting indicator of their thinking ability. A really cool story.
You Were Steered Wrong
I was amused by the story of “Knickers” — I saw it online, but decided the “giant cow” story wasn’t really worthy of True …and then saw it again and again and again and again! (see photo below).
Erasing the Past
There’s an interesting update on two stories from last week’s issue (just Premium: the stories weren’t in the free edition), which brings up a huge question: when celebrities/star athletes are convicted of a heinous crime, what should become of their past accomplishments?
Die Like a Dog
I know a story this week will raise eyebrows, so I’m posting it here so there’s a place to explore it a bit in the comments. Let’s start with the story, from the 9 October 2016 issue:
Man Bites Weiner (or Vice Versa)
Very Often, Readers Submit Stories that are most definitely, without a doubt, weird. But sometimes I still can’t use them because despite being weird (one definition: unusual), they’re …well… not unusual.
Never a Dull Moment
It’s Always Something Around Here! Tuesday night we were awakened at 4:00 a.m. by screaming. Took us a little bit to wake up to figure out what was going on, but we realized it was a baby bear that was screaming. Not a good sign: they usually scream because they got separated from momma.
The Mockingbird War
Author’s Note: Years ago I related a story about fireworks at my house in Upland, Calif. I barely escaped trouble with the police. It was not the only story about fireworks at that house — and I’m pretty sure the police were called this time, too….
Winter Wildlife
One of the things I like about being on the rural side of Colorado is the frequent wildlife sightings. Bunnies and jackrabbits are common. On our property, we’ve also seen coyotes, deer, elk, a badger(!), a bear (alas, only my wife saw that one), prairie dogs, eagles (both Golden and Bald), vultures, foxes, and while we didn’t see the animal, we’ve found mountain lion tracks here.
The Burned and the Bees
A story last week brought a lot of objection from readers. Well, actually, the tagline did. Let’s start with the story, from the 25 September 2011 issue, by Alexander Cohen:
Bear Country Update
An update on the Bear Story from a couple of weeks ago, about the Colorado woman and the bear.
Bear Country
A few comments about this week’s lead story, about the encounter between a bear and a Colorado woman. If the location sounds somehow familiar, it’s because that’s where I live.
Weird News Video #45 — Road Runner vs Coyote
Episode #45: “Howling Mad”, from True’s 12 April 2009 issue.
Weird News Video #43 — Wisconsin Hillbilly
Episode #43: “So She’s Loadin’ Up the Truck for a Move to Bev-er-lyyyyy”, from True’s 29 March 2009 issue.
Out My Window: a Golden Eagle
I just love my job. Even though I “have to” work Sundays, I really have a gorgeous view out my window, and I sometimes see the most amazing things.
Weird News Video #36 — The Doctor is Out
Episode #36: “The Doctor is Out”, from True’s 8 February 2009 issue.
Weird News Video #31 — A Lady and Her Beaver
Episode #31: “Women’s Parts”, from True’s 4 January 2009 issue.