Dr. Ruehl's Realm of Bizarre News with A Bonus

The Realm Of Bizarre News, Episode VI

Tabloid Baby pal and contributor Dr. Franklin Ruehl, Ph.D. has been quite a hit with the video version of his Realm of Bizarre News. Today, a bonus! The latest video installment— and an all-new print chapter of this week’s Top 13 bizarre items:

* Mind-boggling photo from NASA shows a humanoid entity with long hair and an outstretched arm possibly perched on a rock, actually reminiscent of the celebrated mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since this is a single photo, it can not be determined if this is indeed a statue or conceivably a living creature. You can check out the image, which came from the NASA's Spirit Rover, here.

* Stupid criminal trick: Two senior guys placed their dead pal in a wheelchair and pushed him to the Pay-O-Matic check cashing store in New York City, endeavoring to convince the clerk that he was actually alive so they could cash his $355 social security check. But a plainclothes officer happened to notice them enter and realized immediately that the pal was a cadaver! The pair were arrested on the spot.

* Myth debunked: Contrary to popular opinion, poinsettias are NOT poisonous according to researchers in Pittsburgh. Indeed, a person could ingest 500, yes, 500 poinsettias or their leaves and not fall ill (although they would probably have a bitter taste in their mouth). The myth dates back to 1919 Hawaii when an army officer's son supposedly died from having eaten poinsettia leaves.

(Trivia Q: What is the fear of flowers called? Answer below)

* Louis the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, England is so delighted with a plastic Mr. Potato Head toy he was given for Xmas that he cuddles and plays with it all day long and will not permit his handlers to touch it!

* Attorney in Bozeman, Montana is installing a fish tank in his office that will include two sharks!

(Lawyer joke: A preacher, a doctor, and a lawyer were out fishing in a rowboat when it began to sink. Sharks immediately moved in and devoured the preacher and the doctor, but allowed the attorney to swim to shore safely. Why? Professional courtesy.)

* Farmer Paul Smokov,84, in Steele, North Dakota consults pig spleens to forecast the weather. According to Smokov, whose parents brought the tradition from the Ukraine, their configurations predict upcoming weather with an 85% accuracy rate!

* Buzz! Buzz! One banyan tree in a village in southern India is home to an incredible 600 separate beehives! Bees begin arriving each fall, attracted to the tree which serves as a landmark for a prolific flowering area. Amazingly, the bees live in peaceful coexistence, with no battles among members of different hives!!

* Burglar in Berlin, Germany entered a home and found the owner dead in bed. Terrified, he immediately called the police, then fled the scene! Apparently, he didn't realize that it isn't the dead that give you trouble in life, but the living that do!

* Actress Nicole Kidman has kept part of the placenta (also called the afterbirth) from her stillborn infant that she had with Tom Cruise. While she apparently will not be eating it, Cruise stated that he would eat the placenta from his daughter, Suri. Around the globe, some individuals do indeed consume placentas: some eat them raw, some fry them, and others dry and grind them into powder that is encapsulated with gelatin, ingesting the resultant capsules. Personally, I will stick with chocolate candy!

* Ghost hunters at the St.Saviour's Cemetery in Lancashire, England were rewarded when a phantom suddenly materialized before them. They managed to secure photos of a ghostly head which appear to be authentic. You can view them here.

* A popular church made entirely of ice is proving so popular in Romania's Carpathian Mountains that it is banning candles for fear someone might inadvertently melt it down!

* Ouch! While a man was sitting on an exercise ball at a Jacksonville, FL gym, it suddenly exploded... he suffered fractures to both wrists and a forearm and serious injuries to both of his shoulders! Ouch!

* About time! An edible bowl has been invented by a Birmingham, England food firm. After consuming the soup, curry, or chili in the bowl, the consumer then can eat the bowl itself!

(Trivia answer: "Anthophobia" is the fear of flowers!)

I can present these and other intriguing reports (which can be fleshed out in more detail if needed) for you in a dynamic new 1-5 minute feature (or even 30-second microfeaturette) that can run daily, tri-weekly, or weekly on any of your existing productions, or stand unto itself as a separate 30-minute weekly entity! I am currently host of the cable TV series, Mysteries From Beyond The Other Dominion. Click here to see my demo reel.

May the Power of the Cosmos be with You!

Dr. Franklin Ruehl, Ph.D.