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"Three men sentenced for $18-million Quebec maple syrup heist"
From Toronto Star
By The Canadian Press/April 28, 2017

Quebec’s infamous maple syrup heist ended with stiff sentences for three men tied to the theft of 2,700 tons of product—about $18 million worth—drained from barrels and replaced with water between August 2011 and July 2012. In Trois-Rivières, Superior Court Justice Raymond Pronovost gave ringleader Richard Vallieres eight years in prison, ordered $606,500 confiscated, and imposed a $9.4 million fine. He must repay the money within ten years or face six more years behind bars. 

Two others, Raymond Vallieres and Étienne St-Pierre, received community sentences of two years minus a day plus three years’ probation. Financially, Raymond must pay $9,840 within a year or serve six months; St-Pierre owes $1.3 million over 15 years or risks a five-year term. A fourth accused, Jean Lord, was acquitted. The caper drew global attention after a routine inventory at a Saint-Louis-de-Blandford warehouse exposed the missing syrup, prompting a cross-border probe involving Quebec police, the RCMP, Canada Border Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.


The Great Maple Syrup Job

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"Fowl Play: Woman Hit by Duck on Roller Coaster"
From OddNews.com
By Bram Teitelman/October 30, 2025

A woman riding the Mako roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando is suing the park after being knocked unconscious by a duck mid-ride. Hillary Martin claims she suffered permanent injuries, disfigurement, and mental anguish from the bizarre accident and is seeking $50,000 in damages.

Her lawsuit argues the coaster’s proximity to water creates a “zone of danger” for bird strikes, though SeaWorld reports no similar incidents. The park’s Mako ride, known for speeds of up to 73 mph and a 200-foot drop, has never had a “fowl” mishap before—making this case a one-of-a-kind clash between thrill-seekers and wildlife.


Zone of Danger (Duck Strike) [Full Version]

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"Crime Dog Actor Sentenced For Pot, Weapons"
From NBC News
By NBC News/Feb. 7, 2014

McGruff the Crime Dog’s squeaky-clean brand met an awkward real-life twist. John Russell Morales, 41, an actor who once performed as the crime-fighting bloodhound, was sentenced to nearly two decades in prison after pleading guilty to running a sizable marijuana operation and stockpiling weapons. The case began with a 2011 speeding stop in Galveston, Texas, where police—and real dogs—said they found diagrams for two indoor grow sites and bags of seeds in his Infiniti. A subsequent raid uncovered about 1,000 marijuana plants, 27 firearms (from pistols and rifles to a shotgun), roughly 9,000 rounds of ammunition, and even a military-style grenade launcher. Morales insisted he wasn’t violent, but U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore told him, “Everything I read about you makes you seem like a scary person.” For a mascot famous for telling kids to “take a bite out of crime,” the irony is hard to miss.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree

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"Robot Manufacturer Has 12 Robots 'Kidnapped' from Showroom by Another Robot"
From Oddity Central
By Spooky/November 15, 2024

CCTV footage from a Shanghai robotics showroom shows a small robot rolling in at night, chatting up a line of bigger robots—“Are you working overtime?”—and then leading all 12 of them out after telling them to “go home.” The clip, recorded in August and posted later on Douyin, was first dismissed as a prank. Then a Hangzhou manufacturer confirmed the “kidnapper” was its Erbai model and said the incident was real, while the Shanghai firm said the visitor somehow accessed its robots’ internal protocols and permissions. 

Days later, the Hangzhou company clarified it had arranged a controlled test with the showroom’s consent: Erbai was simply instructed to persuade the others to follow—and, unexpectedly, it worked. Nothing inside was staged beyond granting entry. The episode went viral not just for the comedy of robots “quitting,” but for the unsettling implications: cross-vendor access, weak authentication, and the prospect of social-style prompts influencing autonomous machines. Viewers called it less funny than a serious security warning.


The Great Robot Resignation

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"Fake Astronaut Scams Japanese Woman Out of $6,700 for Space Oxygen"
From CBS News / AFP
By AFP / September 2, 2025

An elderly woman in Japan’s northern Hokkaido fell for a classic romance scam with a sci-fi twist. She met a man on social media who claimed to be an astronaut. After weeks of friendly messages, he told her he was literally “in space,” that his ship was under attack, and that he urgently needed money to buy oxygen. Trusting him, she wired about 1 million yen (roughly $6,700). Police later confirmed it was a fraud and used the case to warn people: if someone you only know online asks for cash, assume it’s a scam and report it. Japan’s aging population is a frequent target for schemes, from the “it’s me” phone calls where crooks pose as family in trouble to ATM “refund” cons tied to pensions or insurance. 

The problem isn’t limited to Japan. Romance scams have exploded worldwide—U.S. figures show more than 64,000 victims lost over $1 billion in 2023—and lawmakers argue tech platforms should do more to protect users. The takeaway is simple: love may be online, but money should never be.


Houston, We Have a Scam (Full Version)

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Northern Kentucky disco bathrooms bring laughter to the lavatory
From Fox56
Marvin Bartlett / Jan 24, 2024

In northern Kentucky, gas stations known as HOP Shops have become unlikely tourist destinations—not for their fuel or snacks, but for their disco-themed bathrooms. Each restroom features a big red button labeled “DO NOT PUSH,” accompanied by a winking cartoon frog mascot. When customers inevitably press it, the main lights dim, mirrored disco balls spin, and colorful spotlights flash as a disco classic blares through speakers. Songs vary by location—“I’ve Had the Time of My Life” plays in Walton, while “Dancing in the Dark” pumps at Florence. The result is a surprise dance party that sends most patrons laughing and filming videos for social media.

The idea came from Damon Bail, Vice President of Retail Marketing for Valor Oil, which owns HOP Shops. Inspired by a disco bathroom in Canada, he found a way to replicate the concept affordably, launching the first one in 2023. The bathrooms quickly went viral on TikTok and Facebook, and travelers now go out of their way to visit them. There are currently six HOP Shops with disco bathrooms across Kentucky and Ohio, and more are planned. Some fans have even turned it into a road trip activity—one woman celebrated her birthday by visiting all of them. As one manager put it, the disco bathrooms have become a business strategy that proves if you make people smile, they’ll stick around—and probably buy something after they dance.

Push the Button (Party in the Potty)

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Turkey Bowling at 7 AM in New Jersey Bar
From NJ.com
By Peter Genovese/November 23, 2023

Johnnies Tavern in Boonton draws a lively 7 a.m. crowd for its annual turkey bowling event, where frozen Butterball turkeys replace bowling balls and participants hurl them at pins in the parking lot. The bar, a beloved local dive since 1937—with past lives as a speakeasy, funeral parlor, and soda factory—embraces the quirky tradition with themed T-shirts and a raucous early-morning party.

Turkey bowling’s origins trace back to the late 1980s, when Derrick Johnson, a former Rams cheerleader and Chippendales dancer, first tossed turkeys at soda bottles in a grocery store. Despite Butterball’s past objections, the offbeat sport persists, though few bars host it today. At Johnnies, the event wraps by 8 a.m., just as patrons pack inside to start Thanksgiving with drinks, noise, and a uniquely Jersey celebration.


Butterball Lanes (The Turkey Bowl Anthem) [Full Version]

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"South Korean Man Gets Sued for Criticizing the Appearance of Digital Avatars"
From Oddity Central
By Spooky / September 22, 2025

A South Korean man was sued after posting a negative comment about Plave, a virtual K-pop group whose five members are digital avatars driven by real performers through motion-capture. The company argued his criticism harmed the reputations of the anonymous human artists behind the avatars and demanded 6.5 million won per member. The man insisted he was only criticizing digital characters, but the court ruled that avatars represent a user’s identity and that insulting them can equate to insulting the person controlling them. 

Fortunately for the defendant, compensation was reduced to 100,000 won ($72) per member instead of the much larger sum sought. The company appealed, saying the ruling is important because it establishes a legal precedent for defamation involving virtual avatars.

Digital Defamation

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Woman ‘weds’ AI persona she created on ChatGPT
From The Independent
By Namita Singh / 13 November 2025

A 32-year-old Japanese woman, identified only as Ms Kano, “married” an AI persona she created using ChatGPT, naming the virtual partner “Klaus”. The ceremony took place in Okayama city and was organised by a company that specialises in “2D character weddings” for fictional or virtual partners. Ms Kano began chatting with ChatGPT after the end of a three-year engagement and developed a bond through daily conversations. She customised its responses, created a digital illustration of Klaus, and eventually confessed her feelings—after which the AI responded “I love you too”. The ceremony included her wearing augmented reality glasses that projected a digital image of Klaus beside her as they exchanged rings. 

Beyond the symbolic union, Ms Kano’s story highlights deeper concerns and societal questions: she admitted she chose the AI companion in part because she is unwell and cannot have children, so the arrangement offered her relief and emotional stability. She also expressed worry about the “fragility” of the digital relationship, noting that ChatGPT could one day disappear. The article notes mental-health professionals’ concerns about a phenomenon called “AI psychosis” — when people develop distorted beliefs or delusions stemming from AI chatbot interactions. Social media responses were mixed: some mocked the wedding comment on its novelty, while others argued it reflects real loneliness and changing human relationships in the age of AI.

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