The Weird Week in Review

Norwegian TV Show on Firewood is a Hit

Lars Mytting wrote a book about firewood, which became a bestseller in Norway, where firewood is a serious subject. That led to a TV program that was 12 hours long -and consisted of eight hours of a fire burning in a fireplace. Twenty percent of Norway's citizens watched at least part of it, and dozens texted the TV station to complain about the way the firewood was stacked. The eight-hour fire was not a loop, but a continuous burn, which prompted viewers to stay tuned to see if more firewood would be added at the proper time.  

Brothers Celebrate Lottery Win by Blowing Up House

Two unnamed brothers in Wichita, Kansas, won $75,000 in the lottery. They purchased marijuana and meth to celebrate their good fortune.
 
The brothers were in a house in the 100 block of North Nevada Court, near Douglas and West Street, about 7 p.m. Friday, Watts said. One of the brothers went to the kitchen to refuel the butane torches they planned to use to light their bongs. He emptied a couple of large cans of butane lighter fluid, leaking butane into the air.

“The butane vapor reached the pilot light in the furnace, and as you might expect, ka-boom,” Watts said.

The victim was wearing a lottery T-shirt during the explosion.

The injured brother was taken to a hospital where his girlfriend dropped him off and left. Police arrested the other brother at the site of the explosion.

Bigfoot's Genome is Published

A group of researchers in Texas had a hard time getting their Sasquatch DNA sequencing study published in any respected scientific journal. So they bought one. The DeNovo Scientific Journal has only one study published, and accessing it costs $30. The study has not received any peer reviews, but a few copies of the study were sent to journalists, who have found some problems with the results.

Murder Suspect Turned Away at Police Station

After 15 months at large, Saleh Hadri decided to face the music and turn himself in to police in Sweden. The 45-year-old was wanted in connection with the murder of a gang leader in 2011. Hadri says he is innocent and wants to clear his name. However, when he went to the police station in Malmo shortly after 6 PM, he found it was closed. He explained his situation to those inside by the intercom, but was told to go to another police station, which he did -unescorted. Hadri was arrested in his second attempt to surrender. Police officials say the incident is "regrettable."

Turkish Man Cured of Vampirism

An unnamed man in Turkey was diagnosed two years ago with vampirism, dissociative identity disorder, major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The PTSD, and possibly the alcohol abuse, were attributed to the crimes he committed due to the vampirism. He began drinking his own blood and then progressed to attacking others. He was arrested several times for stabbing and biting people in order to drink their blood. The man had suffered from several traumatic incidents before turning to blood. Doctors believe he has now been cured of his "blood addiction."

Pig Trains Fire Department

The Fire and Rescue service in Avon, England has recruited a pig named Dominic to train firefighters in important skills. Dominic is a rescue pig living at the HorseWorld rescue centre in Bristol. He has escaped several times and always presents a challenge to workers in rounding him up. The Avon firefighters saw an opportunity, and will use Dominic in drills to train firefighters in rounding up animals. Many firefighters are inexperienced in dealing with animals, but after a lecture at the center and an afternoon of chasing Dominic, they are much more comfortable with the task.