|
|
What's Going On In The World
Dear readers: After 13 years, I'm closing The Obscure Store
: It was very tough to write that headline, but it's time for me to hit the REFRESH button and try something new. Some of you may know that I announced on Wednesday that I'm "semi-retiring" from Poynter and launching JimRomenesko.com....
From 2006: Man sues over exposed genitals in yearbook photo
: My summary of the story on July 16, 2006, said that the offending photo showed the student shooting a basket on a day he wore boxer shorts instead of a jock strap to the game. The story from New Jersey...
From 2005: Mall Easter bunny charged with harassment
: We've had drunk Santas, pervy Santas, and this guy who disgraced the holiday rabbit uniform with his bad behavior. Here are some other "hits" from a few days in March, 2005: * Coach accused of climbing to ceiling to watch...
From 2004: Killer/robber claims a "blue smurf" was in the bank
: It's just another page of weirdness on the Feb. 26, 2004, Obscure Store -- "Man in diaper, pink tights nabbed after making day care visit" -- that includes a creepy masked man armed with a Barbie doll; a kid suspended...
From 2003: Traffic offenders get reprieve by singing Christmas carols
: There are a lot of "keepers" on this OS&RR page from December 2003, including: * Man is tired of woman sneaking into his yard to take care of his dog * Seniors citizens calling for tax info get adult chat...
One thing we've learned: Fast-food lovers can get awfully testy!
: The many excellent (if I may so myself) OS&RR offerings from October 1, 2003 included a story about a Burger King drive-thru customer who got out of her car, went into the restaurant and slapped an employee over a screwed...
From 2003: Cops catch semi-nude suspect fleeing in wheelchair
: When people were nude in public and made the news, there was a good chance they'd be mentioned on The Obscure Store. My summary of a Jan. 30, 2003, story read this way: Shane Michael Walton, 25, is suspected of...
From 2001: Man, 80, drives to funeral home and dies in parking lot
: I ran this story a decade ago: Sylvia Saber got up one morning and noticed her husband gone wasn't in their condo. He was later found slumped over the wheel of his 1991 Olds Delta 88 in the parking lot...
We learned over the years that lots of guys are "intimate" with animals
: Horses, pigs, dogs, chickens ... you name it, and it's been posted here! In this March 29, 2001, story a 33-year-old man videotaped his sexcapade with a male beagle. The tape was found by police who were at the home...
From 2001: Another great excuse for committing a crime
: My line-up of items from Jan. 31, 2001 included this story: "Trucker: I used kiddie porn to stay awake at the wheel." Here's the summary I wrote: Dana Turner says he kept child pornography because it made him so angry...
The perv beat has been an unending source of amusement
: On May 10, 2000, I posted this story about a man who duped several women into taking part in phony sex research. He paid them $10 an hour to study the changes in a woman's body after orgasm. He also...
Stories about drive-thru antics? I've posted a million of them!
: Well, several dozen at least. My summary of this story from March 10, 2000, says astonished fast-food workers were stunned to see the car whisk in reverse. Deputies couldn't conduct a field sobriety test because the suspect couldn't stand up...
From 2000: Beaver College - the butt of jokes - mulls name change
: This 11-year-old story pointed out that many filters were blocking the word "beaver," preventing prospective students and their parents from getting information on the school. One freshman woman told the newspaper that her friends back home laugh at the name,...
If I had a buck for every really-young-kid-steals-car story I posted!
: I could have semi-retired much earlier! This is from the October 8, 1999 Obscure Store (wait for a second for Wayback Machine to jump to the page): Girl, 12, spends 50 cents on gas and steals car Cops say the...
From 1999: Catholic newspaper stops taking ads that thank saints
: The goofiness of many religious practices -- and the hypocrisy of religious institutions and their members -- has been a frequent theme here. This Cincinnati Post story from March 10, 1999 says the ads would typically give thanks to a...
I've been posting homeowners association disputes from the start
: You might remember the one from 2006 involving a woman who put up a peace-sign wreath and was slapped with a $25/day fine from the homeowners association. In 1999, I posted a story about a woman who dared to paint...
The great Toronto sexcapade scandal of 1999
: People still remember the 2008 incident in which a man was caught trying to get off with a picnic table umbrella, but equally bizarre was a 1999 Obscure Store report headlined: "Man linked to imaginative sexplay." My summary on the...
Here's what The Obscure Store looked like in 1999
: I actually had an online store back in those days. There was a lengthy blogroll -- as everyone had a decade or so ago. Otherwise, the story format has pretty much remained unchanged over the years -- a headline and...
'I am so f*cked,' says drunk woman after crashing into cars
: Rebecca Ward, 19, told officers that in addition to downing a number of shots at a party, she'd also taken a Lunesta a few hours earlier. "No wonder she failed to satisfactorily perform roadside maneuvers and didn't even understand the...
Former high school principal is now a Hugh Hefner-lookalike
: Impersonating the Playboy founder pays handsomely for 72-year-old George Kane, but he doesn't want his mother to know. Hef is just a "dirty old man" to the nursing home resident. Kane's wife isn't thrilled about the hubby's gig, but "I...
Man breaks into ex's home, takes a dump on her photo ID cards
: The woman found him on the toilet and called police. > Toilet break at ex-wife's home lands man in jail (GoErie.com)
Man checks electrical meters and waters plants without his pants
: He was wearing a long sleeved shirt and nothing else while carrying a mop and bucket outside of his apartment building. He told one woman: "If you can get the mop to work right, I will cook you a steak...
Man arrested after sticking tongue out and taunting police dog
: Douglas Carncross, 26, had his face near the window of a police car and was taunting the dog inside. "He was sticking his face close to the cage, yelling and screaming at the dog and sticking his tongue out and...
School holds special meeting to OK students wearing skinny jeans
: The oh-so-fashionable jeans were banned at one point, but parents complained they were having trouble finding jeans that weren't skinny. The board acquiesced after deciding such jeans could still be appropriate. "We're trying to take the suggestive clothing out," says...
Unhappy man sets Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant ablaze
: The guy will spend up to two years in state prison for igniting his ex-girlfriend's bed and starting a blaze that damaged three city apartments and the Happy Garden restaurant. He then tried to off himself by drinking bleach, but...
Married politician who paid teen boy for "good time" denies he's gay
: When asked by a reporter whether he had previously arranged such encounters with males, Indiana State Rep. Phil Hinkle quickly answered, "We're not going there." I'd say that means he has -- and that he's locked himself deep in the...
Newlyweds steal food to put out at their wedding reception
: Arthur Phillips III, 32, and Brittany M. Lurch, 22, had their wedding reception set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, but at 2:30 p.m., they were caught putting food items valued at about $1,000 in their shopping cart, and walking out to...
Man caught trying to steal snakes by stuffing them down his pants
: Eric Fiegel, 22, was arrested after police reviewed surveillance footage from a pet shop that shows a man stealing baby albino boa constrictors by placing them in his pants and exiting the store. He then went to another pet store...
Judge who handed out condom-filled acorns can return to bench
: The judge claims he uses the stuffed nuts in his courtroom to help raise awareness of safe sex and the effectiveness of condoms against pregnancy and disease. The Court of Judicial Disciple said that "his preoccupation with acorns is mystifying,"...
Teens who use social media more likely to become boozers, druggies
: This back-to-school study is getting mocked on Twitter, although some students interviewed by the Chicago Tribune believe the findings. One says: "When someone constantly sees photos of parties, they sort of feel they're missing out. It sort of glorifies the...
|
|
|
Follow F1 test action with AUTOSPORT
: Formula 1 bursts back into life next week with a spate of car launches and the first test at Jerez getting underway. And AUTOSPORT will be there to bring you unrivalled coverage of all the events as they happen
Bianchi eyes non-F1 racing programme
: Jules Bianchi is likely to keep racing alongside his Formula 1 reserve driver commitments with Force India this year
Van der Garde gets Caterham test role
: Giedo van der Garde will be the Caterham Formula 1 team's reserve driver for the 2012 season
Jerez running order revealed
: Formula 1's first pre-season test will kick off with 11 teams at Jerez on Tuesday, with only Marussia not running.
Q and A with Narain Karthikeyan
: Q and A with Narain Karthikeyan
Key parts company with Sauber
: Sauber technical director James Key is to leave the Swiss team to take up a role with one of its rivals.
Force India expects diffuser boost
: Force India will be one of the big beneficiaries of the decision to ban exhaust-blown diffusers in Formula 1, reckons the team's technical chief Andrew Green
'Rebuilding complete' says Force India
: Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley says the squad has completed its rebuilding phase and is now ready to try and chase Formula 1's top outfits
Force India: Young line-up not a gamble
: Force India's young driver policy has given it one of the most promising driver line-ups on the grid, according to deputy team principal Bob Fernley.
Ferrari has taken more risks with F2012
: Ferrari has confessed to taking more risks with this year's car than previous challengers, after unveiling a fairly aggressive F2012 at Maranello on Friday.
Ferrari defends 'ugly' car design
: Ferrari chief designer Nikolas Tombazis has defended the look of the new Ferrari amid widespread comments that its stepped nose makes the F2012 'ugly'.
Di Resta aims to keep momentum going
: Paul di Resta believes it is key for Force India to carry its late-season momentum from 2011 into the start of the upcoming season.
Karthikeyan: Indian form key to F1 deal
: Narain Karthikeyan has admitted that his strong performance in the Indian Grand Prix was key to him remaining in Formula 1 with HRT this year.
Green: Most will use 'platypus' nose
: Force India technical director Andrew Green expects most teams to join Force India, Ferrari and Caterham in opting for the 'platypus' nose design
Alonso 'sure' Ferrari will be strong
: Fernando Alonso is sure Ferrari will be strong during the 2012 season as the Maranello squad unveiled its 2012 car on Friday.
Force India unveils the VJM05
: Force India has unveiled its new car for the 2012 season, dubbed the VJM05, at Silverstone
Ferrari boss upbeat on title chances
: Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is confident his team has all it needs to win the world championship once again.
Ferrari expects to win from the start
: Ferrari expects its 2012 Formula 1 car to be winning races from the start of the new season, the team revealed at the launch of its F2012 racer on Friday.
Ferrari launches its 2012 F1 car
: Ferrari unveiled the 2012 car on Friday morning that it hopes will return it to world championship-winning glory.
Karthikeyan lands second HRT seat
: Narain Karthikeyan will fill the final racing seat of the 2012 season after he was confirmed at HRT on Friday morning.
Hamilton eager to sort out future
: Lewis Hamilton is eager to sort out his future with McLaren early in the 2012 campaign so that speculation about his plans does not overshadow what he hopes is a world championship winning campaign.
Ferrari cancels new-car launch event
: Ferrari has cancelled the launch of its 2012 Formula 1 car because of the poor weather conditions in Maranello.
Snow may hinder first Ferrari run
: Ferrari is likely to be forced to cancel a planned shakedown of its new car at Fiorano later this week because of snow fall at Maranello.
New McLaren a 'complete rework'
: McLaren says it new MP4-27 is a 'complete rework' of last year's car - despite its outward appearance pointing to it being an evolution of iMcLaren says its new MP4-27 is a 'complete rework' of last year's car – despite its outward appearance pointing to it being an evolution of its 2011 contender.ts 2011 contender.
Michael: McLaren synergy one of a kind
: Sam Michael believes McLaren's strength in depth is one of the keys to having been so successful in Formula 1 over the years.
McLaren: No plans to build own engine
: McLaren has no plans to develop its own Formula 1 engine or switch from Mercedes-Benz powerplants, according to team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
McLaren says it has not been cautious
: McLaren believes it has not taken a cautious approach to its new MP4-27 over the winter, despite the problems caused by the radical elements it tried in pre-season testing last year.
Button hopes car is fast from the start
: Jenson Button is hoping the new McLaren MP4-27 will hit the ground running and allow the team to enjoy a stronger build-up to the season than in 2011.
'Refreshed' Hamilton sure of better '12
: Lewis Hamilton says a complete break from Formula 1 over the winter has left him refreshed and ready to put his troubled 2011 campaign behind him
McLaren unveils its 2012 challenger
: McLaren unveiled its 2012 challenger on Wednesday as the Woking team took the wraps off the MP4-27 with which is aiming to return to championship-winning ways.
|
|
|
Astronomy