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Tag: odd news

  • Amish Filmed Moving House by Hand

    Amish Filmed Moving House by Hand

    A small borough of a few hundred residents in Pennsylvania called Spartansburg is home to an Amish community that was recently filmed moving a 24′ by 36′ house by hand. Spartansburg resident Perry Clabbatz was amazed to see roughly 80 people carrying the structure off its foundation to a new location, and quickly whipped out his smartphone began filming the event.

    Clabbatz commented, “I knew they were going to do it; the landlord told me ahead of time. I just didn’t realize it was going to happen so soon.”

    Last weekend, Clabbatz posted the clip to his Facebook page – “My Facebook is lighting up,” Clabbatz said. “My relatives in Seattle, Los Angeles, and North Carolina are getting a real hoot out of it.”

    Here’s the clip:

    Post by Perry Clabbatz.

    The video has garnered over 37,000 Facebook shares so far, and has also appeared on Today Show earlier this week. Clabbatz commented that he is “pleasantly surprised” with the attention his video has received, and explained that his Amish neighbors are “going to build a bigger house. They’re turning (their old house) into a workshop.”

    Home relocation by hand is nothing new in the Amish community. Here an entire barn is moved with manpower:

    Clabbatz went on to explain that his Amish neighbors featured in the house-moving video likely have no idea how popular it’s become, and doesn’t think it would be of any significance to them regardless. “They’re quiet folks,” Clabbatz noted. “They don’t look for the media spotlight.”

    The Amish make up a community of traditionalist Christian church fellowships which Swiss Anabaptist origins. The group is known for simple living, plain dress and an aversion to the many conveniences of modern technology. In the early 18th century, droves of Amish people immigrated to Pennsylvania, and continue to speak Pennsylvania German, also known as “Pennsylvania Dutch.”

    Though, not all Amish recognize the prescribed mode of simple living. The Discovery Channel’s poorly reviewed series of “select re-enactments” entitled Amish Mafia depicts members of the community driving Cadillacs, brandishing assault rifles and using smartphones.

    Image via YouTube

  • Man Cited for Trying to Trade Alligator for Beer

    A Florida man was recently cited for attempting to trade a live alligator for a 12-pack of beer at a convenience store in Allapattah, a suburb of Miami.

    Fernando Aguilera strolled into the Santa Ana Market toting a live, four-foot-long alligator, hoping the clerk would trade the reptile for some beer. The clerk called the police, who in turn called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    Aguilera, who had the alligator wrapped in tape, says he’d captured it at a local park. Wildlife officers released the unharmed animal, and handed Aquilera three separate citations for the illegal capture and sales attempt of the alligator. All charges filed are second-degree misdemeanors, which carry maximum penalties of 6 months in jail, along with a $500 fine.

    The American alligator, or Alligator mississippiensis, is one of two living species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae, and is common in the southeastern U.S. The species can grow to be fairly large, with a 727-pound specimen recently being taken in Mississippi.

    Check out a clip of a ‘gator being captured in a Floridian back yard:

    Alligators are typically wary enough of humans to avoid them as prey, but occasionally attacks and fatalities do occur. Alligator sightings are common in Florida, as human development has long encroached upon the reptile’s native habitat. An alligator recently made its way into a Apopka, Florida Wal-Mart.

    Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Jorge Pino commented, “In 25 years of law enforcement, I have never come across an individual who purposely caught an alligator and tied it up, brought it to a convenience store and tried to barter it for a 12-pack.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Messiah Baby Name Ruling Overturned

    After telling Tennessee parents that they couldn’t legally call their infant son Messiah last month, Judge Lu Ann Ballew’s ruling was overturned on Wednesday.

    When parents of 8-month-old Messiah Deshawn Martin went to court in August to argue over what the child’s last name should be, they were in for a surprise when Ballew decided the baby’s first name should be changed, too. “The word ‘Messiah’ is a title, and it’s a title that has only been earned by one person–and that one person is Jesus Christ,” Ballew said.

    The judge further explained her decision saying that the name could cause a lot of trouble for the child growing up. “It could put him at odds with a lot of people and at this point he has had no choice in what his name is,” Ballew said. Ballew decided that Messiah’s name should be changed on his birth certificate to Martin DeShawn McCullough, a combination of both of the parents’ names.

    Jaleesa Martin and Jawaan McCullough, Messiah’s parents, were less than thrilled with the judge’s decision. “I should be able to name my child what I want to name him, not someone else,” Martin said after the ruling last month. The Tennessee mom defended Messiah’s name, saying she chose the name because it goes well with the names of her other two kids, Micah and Mason.

    The news of the judge’s order eventually reached the ACLU. “Parents, not government, have the right to give a child a name,” Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the Tennessee ACLU, said. “While the judge certainly has a right to her religious faith, she cannot impose that faith on people who come to her courtroom. The promotion of religious beliefs from the bench challenges our belief in due process in the legal system.”

    Chancellor Telford Forgety agreed that the child’s name shouldn’t have been changed from Messiah and overturned Ballew’s ruling after the family filed an appeal. Martin said that she was happy the case was over with after the ruling. “I was ready to get it over with…I was kind of nervous,” Martin said.

    The government does have some rules and restrictions in place regarding baby names. For example, obscenities or a combination of letters and numbers, such as “R2D2,” aren’t allowed. Otherwise, titles such as Messiah or Master are fair game.

    Was the decision to overturn the ruling on Messiah’s name right, or are there certain names that should be off-limits? Add your comments below.

    Image via YouTube

  • Clown Terrorizes Town in Britain

    A clown is terrorizing a town in Britain. Yes, you read that correctly. Called the “Northampton Clown,” someone is dressing up in a clown costume and is creeping out the residents of Northampton. Not to fear, though–another Northampton resident has decided to become the superhero “Boris the Clown Catcher” and catch the Northampton Clown.

    There is a Facebook page for the clown where users can discuss Northampton Clown sightings and post pictures. Some people have reported that the creepy clown says, “Beep, beep” when it approaches people, which is a line from Stephen King “IT” miniseries that features a child-killing clown.

    While the idea of a clown walking around that isn’t on its way to a kid’s birthday party is strange, some people are genuinely afraid of the Northampton Clown and say they would shoot him or “run him down” if they see him. It’s a good thing the clown has decided to remain anonymous.

    The Facebook page mentioned above was started on Friday the 13th, and the creator of the page claims to be the clown in question. There have been three police reports of a clown knocking on people’s doors at night, which the clown on Facebook denies.

    To make a bizarre story stranger, there may actually be two clowns hanging around Northampton. According to the clown behind the Facebook page, “Its not me in the papers! I don’t terrorise people I just want to be spotted.” The clown from the Facebook page also said, “Too much hate, not enough love. No, I don’t have a knife on me. That’s just stupid rumours spread by stupid people.”

    So there may be one run-of-the-mill clown who just enjoys creeping people out and another clown who has a knife and perhaps more devious intentions. Plus, there is Boris the Clown Catcher. Hopefully for the residents (and Boris) there is just the one clown, with no knife, and people’s imaginations are getting the best of them. Either way, between a clown prowling the streets and a superhero whose purpose is to catch clowns, it must be interesting being a resident of Northampton.

    What do you think about the Northampton clown–do you find it humorous or creepy? Add your comments below.

    Image via Facebook

  • Jonathan Trappe Fails to Cross Atlantic

    Jonathan Trappe Fails to Cross Atlantic

    In what looked like a scene out of the Disney movie “Up” (minus the house), Jonathan Trappe was lifted as high as 21,000 feet in the air using hundreds of helium-filled balloons. Trappe’s plan was to use the balloons to cross the Atlantic Ocean, a journey of more than 2,500 miles. Unfortunately for the balloonist, his trip was cut short when he had to abort his mission and crash-landed in Newfoundland, Canada.

    Trappe, who has previously used helium balloons to cross the Alps and the English Channel, started out on his journey September 12 and was in the air for just 13 hours when he had to abandon ship. In an update on his Facebook page, Trappe posted, “Hmm, this doesn’t look like France.” While making it to France in 13 hours on what was supposed to be a three to six day trip would have certainly set some records, the map Trappe linked showed his location as Newfoundland.

    In a statement released by Trappe’s team, “technical difficulties” were blamed for the crash landing. “Sadly, Jonathan has been forced to abandon his quest after technical difficulties. However, he is safe and well,” the statement read. According to Aero Network, “Trappe was unable to gain a steady hand on the errant balloon cluster, which at 3,000 cubic meters of volume, was the largest in the world.”

    It has been reported that five men have died trying to do the same thing as Trappe, so he is lucky to be alive, something he readily acknowledges. “Honestly, I did not know if I would survive!”

    There is no word yet on when the IT project manager from Raleigh, North Carolina man will attempt to set a record by crossing the Atlantic using only helium balloons again. Trappe’s balloonist team had to wait 100 days for the right conditions for this trip, so it could be a while. In the meantime, check out videos of Trappe’s liftoff for his most recent attempt as well as some of his successful projects (including lifting a fake house with helium balloons) below.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uWBU7wpIlg

    Image via YouTube