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Written by Charmaine Tan
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Anyone who has came across an episode of Ripleys’ Believe it or Not
would marvel and gawk at the odd occurrences and people with
out-of-the-ordinary “talent” and “abilities” that the program features.
Our world is made up of weird happenings and the bizarre draws people
because of its rarity or perhaps, even its downright silliness. Strange
stories from around the world bring about conflicting reactions in
consumers – it captures their attention and repels them simultaneously.
1. For instance, the bizarre antics of Britney Spears hogging the headline news most days of the week have readers become desensitized to her odd ways that began with her impulsive hair shaving debacle. Oh wait, or was it the invisible underwear?
2. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet: A ridiculous court case was opened regarding the naming of a child.
An Italian court ruled that a couple could not name their son “Friday” despite him being already baptized with the name and ordered that he be called “Gregory” instead. The parents named the boy Friday Germano as they liked the name yet the court ruling claimed that it was protecting the child from being teased about his name by his peers in future which could result in low self esteem.
This raises the question of opening minor court cases when it is unimportant as compared to other cases. Makes us wonder if Wednesday Adams in the popular series The Adams Family had to battle ridicule among her peers.
3. Another ludicrous legislative measure had been passed banning gossiping, indecent dressing and rudeness in Serbia’s hospitals.
This is in line with the country’s move to improve patient care by altering the attitudes of both the service staff and that of the patients and their visitors. Bribery had been rampant in Serbia after internal conflicts in the nation, thus leading to the crumbling of its public health system in the '90s.
This then led to the implementation of such legislative measures as well as rules that staff are not allowed to accept gifts or bribes for their services.
Every law passed has positive and negative repercussions, and the two cases as presented above draw the attention of people because the legislative system is regarded with utmost respect yet the cases seem to blow things out of proportion. Odd indeed.
4. Head-lice habitat: Another bizarre story reports that Mr. Luo of Chong Qing city in China had not washed his hair for the past 26 years. This story brings to mind the many stories found in The Guinness Book of World Records about people who had not cut their finger nails for years and those who refuse to go for a hair cut, letting their hair lengths rival that of “Rupunzel” (record or not, it is a matter of grooming and personal hygiene!)
“After many failed attempts using regular shampoo, they spent a total of 5 hours and 3 packs of laundry detergent to wash him clean.”
Indeed, such stories send shivers down one’s spine, since it is unbelievable how anyone can go for so many days (let alone years!) without washing one’s hair. Interacting with Mr. Luo on a daily basis is unimaginable!
5. Journey of amazing proportions:
Closer to home, a leatherback turtle had swam from Indonesia to Oregon, setting a record for the longest trip between breeding and feeding site. This is not just a story of endurance and survival, but an amazing journey never made before by a marine vertebrate.
Just like how the unique and different captures attention and amazes, the odd and extraordinary never ceases to draw people like bees to honey. We are lured and surprised by such attention-grabbing headlines, and papers strive to make the same news sound more interesting than that of their rivals. No wonder the paparazzi have a steady job! hooked
Pictures courtesy of:
http://www.pjlighthouse.com/
http://veryweirdnews.com/category/odd-celebs/
http://astrocat.com/samaras/images/paintings/wednesday.jpg
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Written by Guest on 2008-02-28 01:38:50
Thank you for blessing us all with such an enlightening issue. I think this article is probably the most enlightening. It has helped me think of my special unique traits and appreciate them tremendously, such as liking classical music tremendously in stark contrast to the rock, pop and metal of my peers. I have also come to appreciate my fondness for speaking proper English (rule Britannia) in contrast to the Asian-accented English I hear around me. | Written by Guest on 2008-09-20 07:06:05
lol xD
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