COLUMN: Top 5 ‘quirkies’ of month include flying cars
What is a quirkie? A quirkie is a media release that isn’t something you’d see on the front page of the newspaper every day. Essentially, it’s a strange, yet very interesting story. I’m sure you’ve all read at least one, whether or not you know what it is.
Quirkies can be anything from dumb crooks to the most insanely idiotic judge sentences … basically anything that would get a story in the newspaper and some sort of abnormal reaction from the reader.
In my best efforts to spice up The Utah Statesman, I’ve decided to include my five favorite quirkies for the month of February, all released by the Associated Press.
5. Sextuplets in 60 seconds
An Ohio woman, Jennifer Hanselman, gave birth to sextuplets (six babies), all in a matter of 60 seconds. Their father, Keith Hanselman, said, “It was like a popcorn popper.” The babies range from 1 lb. 9 oz. to 2 lb. 10 oz., and are reportedly in stable condition after their rapid-fire birth.
4. German student faced with charges of “stealing electricity”
At a train station in Germany, a student plugged his laptop into a socket on a nearby wall, only later to be arrested for extracting electricity illegally. The student faces a charge of “stealing” electricity worth one penny. The student’s legal status is now pending a court appearance after commenting about the situation being “ridiculous,” and showing suspicious behavior at the crime scene.
3. New car can fly as well as drive on water
A Swiss engineer has plans to unveil his new car that can drive on land, cruise over water, and fly through the air, all with a flick of a switch. The man says he decided to make a car that would be like the cars featured in the “James Bond” movies, except the car would actually be functional. The car will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in Switzerland.
2. Man arrested for mailing himself
A former postal worker has been sentenced to a year of probation for attempting to mail himself in a crate from New York City to Dallas, to cut the costs of travel. He was arrested in September and the ruling was released this month. Luckily, the man dodged a $100,000 fine and a year in jail.
1. Cat revived with hot towels after being frozen to the ground
A stray cat in Minnesota has been revived after being frozen to the ground. It was miraculously done using towels that were repeatedly put in the dryer, then wrapped around the cat every few hours. It happened when temperatures in Minnesota reached levels around negative 20. Frosty, which is the cat’s new nickname, was literally frozen stiff for nearly three days before he was completely thawed out and rehabilitated. Frosty is now up for adoption.
Brandon Gibson is a freshman majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to bgibson@cc.usu.edu.