Animal Antics
A black swan nicknamed “Mr. Terminator” was removed from his adopted home in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, on Sept. 30, the Independent reported. The swan, also called Reggie, turned up in the famous berg nine months ago, said swan warden Cyril Bennis. At first, residents and visitors loved seeing the creature among the native mute swans, which are white. “He became more popular than William Shakespeare himself,” Bennis said. “The darkest side of our Mr. Terminator happened when he tried to muscle in on a pair of our residents with a young cygnet … He kicked out the male and the cygnet. He tried to take over its territory with the other female.” When the swan started trying to drown his fellow fowl, “It needed to move on.” Bennis is still recovering from injuries to his chest sustained during the removal process, but he said the “river is quiet and the mute swans are just relaxing.” Mr. Terminator is at his new home in Devon.
People With Issues
Yaz Chapman, 34, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, was diagnosed at age 4 with pica, a disorder that involves eating items that are not typically thought of as food. As a child, she tried talcum powder, chalk and cigarette rolling papers. According to LAD Bible, the mom of four currently eats about 10 sheets of paper each day. “I look forward to the postman,” Chapman said. “Certain papers taste different and they have different textures. I’ll rip a corner off just to test it.” She said she drinks plenty of water to help with constipation. “When someone likes chocolate and they’re craving something sweet, they eat it and they feel those happy chemicals being released in their brain. It’s like that,” Chapman said about living with pica.
Bright Idea
Holiday Inn Express guests in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Japan are trying out a new concept in the wakeup call category, the New York Post reported on Oct. 1. The Breakfast Alarm Clock will wake up sleepy customers with the smells of their favorite breakfast items. People can choose aromas including coffee, bacon, blueberry muffin, mango or pear. The device works like a diffuser, releasing the scent at the desired time. Holiday Inn commissioned research that showed 58% of travelers in the Asia Pacific region said a pleasant smell would make them feel better as they woke up. “We know the power of scent: That first whiff of coffee or fresh croissant can work wonders,” said vice president Dean Jones.
To read more News of the Weird, subscribe to Funny Times!
Starter offer: 5 print issues for only $19 – includes digital access
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.
COPYRIGHT 2025 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
I love getting your print publication each month. When I am finished, I give it to my barber. He said the publication engenders a great deal of conversation that otherwise would have been rather boring.