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Fortean Headlines

But it makes a big difference.

If you hit a pedestrian:

  • at 30 mph there is a 20 percent chance they will be killed.
  • at 20 mph there is a 2.5 percent chance they will be killed.
https://www.roadwise.co.uk/using-the-road/speeding/the-chance-of-a-pedestrian-surviving/

Whilst the 20 mph speed limit reduces chances of pedestrians getting killed, this fact is irrelevant without context.

It reduces chances of a pedestrian getting killed IF they get hit by a car.

On the stretch of road the Archbishop was caught doing 25 mph, there are very few pedestrians.
It is Albert Embankment, a thoroughfare next to the River Thames, to the south of Lambeth Palace.

On the road to the north of the palace which is next to the Thames, which is called Lambeth Palace Road, there are more pedestrians (tourists) and two hospitals.

On these stretches of road, I am in favour of 20 mph.

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It is not an area which seems to like the clergy.

Next to the palace is the deconsecrated church of St Mary-at-Lambeth, which was used in the film The Omen as the interior location for the Monastery of San Benedetto where Father Spiletto tells Ambassador Thorn the true identity of his son Damien's mother!
 
People in Exmouth are fuming about the removal of a rusty pole

The reinstatement of Exmouth's renowned unconventional landmark The Rusty Pole is being called for after it was suddenly removed by South West Water (SWW). Over the years, a fondness has developed among both among locals and visitors for the protruding pole on The Mear.

342403482_894960351795400_3886853554178297755_n.jpg


The pole

SWW [said that] it is unable to comment on what has subsequently happened to the pole which was erected on The Maer in 1909.

A spokesperson for SWW said: "The pole was a vent pipe for the sewer and at a meeting with East Devon District Council the council requested its removal on safety grounds so SWW agreed to remove it as the vent pipe is no longer required."

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/people-exmouth-fuming-removal-rusty-8377202

Bangin' place, Exmouth...

maximus otter
 
People in Exmouth are fuming about the removal of a rusty pole

The reinstatement of Exmouth's renowned unconventional landmark The Rusty Pole is being called for after it was suddenly removed by South West Water (SWW). Over the years, a fondness has developed among both among locals and visitors for the protruding pole on The Mear.

342403482_894960351795400_3886853554178297755_n.jpg


The pole

SWW [said that] it is unable to comment on what has subsequently happened to the pole which was erected on The Maer in 1909.

A spokesperson for SWW said: "The pole was a vent pipe for the sewer and at a meeting with East Devon District Council the council requested its removal on safety grounds so SWW agreed to remove it as the vent pipe is no longer required."

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/people-exmouth-fuming-removal-rusty-8377202

Bangin' place, Exmouth...

maximus otter
'...the council requested its removal on safety grounds...'
Yes, it looks absolutely bloody dangerous to me.....
 
People in Exmouth are fuming about the removal of a rusty pole

The reinstatement of Exmouth's renowned unconventional landmark The Rusty Pole is being called for after it was suddenly removed by South West Water (SWW). Over the years, a fondness has developed among both among locals and visitors for the protruding pole on The Mear.

342403482_894960351795400_3886853554178297755_n.jpg


The pole

SWW [said that] it is unable to comment on what has subsequently happened to the pole which was erected on The Maer in 1909.

A spokesperson for SWW said: "The pole was a vent pipe for the sewer and at a meeting with East Devon District Council the council requested its removal on safety grounds so SWW agreed to remove it as the vent pipe is no longer required."

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/people-exmouth-fuming-removal-rusty-8377202

Bangin' place, Exmouth...

maximus otter
Has nobody made 'SAVE THE POLE!' screen printed T Shirts yet? .. they're missing a trick if they haven't. I've still got my 'I'VE VISITED THE SHERINGHAM SINKHOLE' screen printed T Shirt. It was too small for me then and it still is now but how often to you get the opportunity to buy semi pointless T shirts? .. they should be exactly like this, black and white but with a pole illustrated instead.

asinkhole04.jpg
 
how often to you get the opportunity to buy semi pointless T shirts?
How often do you get to wear them?
I bet you went and put that on specially for a picture for us here, didn't you?
 
How often do you get to wear them?
I bet you went and put that on specially for a picture for us here, didn't you?
About 5 years ago when the picture was taken I think? .. I put it in the sinkhole thread back then. I'm still a bit pissed off they only had medium size left but you grab them when you can, these regional sinkhole celebration T Shirts.

edit: 4 years ago ..

https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/swallowed-up-by-the-ground-sinkholes.1461/page-7
 
I think it is a wonderfully English story. I expect an Oscar winning film about it in the next few years, in the style of Calendar Girls.
 
Has nobody made 'SAVE THE POLE!' screen printed T Shirts yet? .. they're missing a trick if they haven't. I've still got my 'I'VE VISITED THE SHERINGHAM SINKHOLE' screen printed T Shirt. It was too small for me then and it still is now but how often to you get the opportunity to buy semi pointless T shirts? .. they should be exactly like this, black and white but with a pole illustrated instead.

View attachment 66158
In this photo have you got a pole inserted somewhere Swifters?
 
Woman High On Cocaine Kills A Drunk Driver High On Meth In Car Crash

In January 2022, a woman accused of driving under the influence of cocaine and alcohol crashed her car into another, killing the second vehicle’s driver.

The speeding car was driven by 37-year-old Summer Butler, who is now facing charges for DUI resulting in death, reckless driving, and possession of an illegal substance.

The other vehicle was driven by 54-year-old Ishman Edwards — who was not just drunk at the time of the accident, but also high on methamphetamine, [it was] reported.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/summer-butler-ishman-edwards

maximus otter
 

Holocaust survivor mathematician who cracked lottery returns to Israel​

Stefan Mandel, an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor, developed a method that led him to win the lottery no less than 14 times, the first time was at the age of 24; now after 21 years on the run, he decided to return to Israel, and fight for his innocence.

Stefan Mandel, a Jewish mathematician hit the lottery jackpot for the first time at the age of 24 in his native Romania thanks to an algorithm that he claims took him five years to develop. Following his win, he made Aliyah to Israel where he got married and had two children.

 סטפן מנדל

Stefan Mandel

Mandel was wanted by Israeli law enforcement after being convicted of offenses under the Securities Law 16 years ago and was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He did not appear for trial and was labeled a "fugitive from justice."
Three years ago, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandel intended to return to Israel, but his wife was detained in London, and the arrival was postponed.
For years, Mandel resided on the remote and tranquil islands of Nauru in the Pacific Ocean, and he returned to Israel after realizing that the international arrest warrant against him will not be immediately enforced.
Mandel intends to submit a request for a retrial, presenting new evidence to support his claim. in his previous attempts to return to Israel, he rejected a proposal from prosecutors to commute the 10-month prison sentence handed to him in 2004 to community service instead.

תמונה של סטפן מנדל מתוך הסרט האיש שפיצח את הלוטו


Now he is taking advantage of the option granted to him by the Supreme Court, which determined that since he was convicted in absentia, he can return to the country without being arrested upon his arrival and request a retrial.
Following a brief stint in the Jewish state, the mathematician and his family moved to Australia, where he became a citizen. In the land down under, he managed to crack the algorithm of the local lottery systems and won the jackpot an astounding 14 times.
He started a business generating algorithms for various lottery systems worldwide, primarily in the British Commonwealth and the United States, which won him an army of clients.
In 1996, Mandel and his associate opened a cooperative lottery business, called "Moon-dragon." The two founders have reportedly convinced thousands of people to financially support their organization in exchange for a chance to win land on the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

Stefan Mandel

Stefan Mandel

In the early 2000s, he returned to Israel to replicate his business success but found himself under scrutiny by the Israel Securities Authority. Mandel was interrogated, made bail, and once indicted, he left his wife and children in Israel and fled to London in 2002.
In 2004, Mandel was convicted on fraud charges, as he and his partner failed to provide their investors the actual odds of winning promised and sentenced to 10 months in prison in addition to a NIS 100,000 ($29,000) fine.
For years, Mandel has been trying to appeal the verdict. In 2006, his appeal was rejected by the District Court in Tel Aviv, where it was determined that there were no grounds to discuss his appeal since he was classified as a fugitive.
In 2018, Mendel submitted an additional request for a retrial to the Supreme Court. He argued that he had new evidence that proved the decision to investigate him was driven by invalid motives and conflicting interests. He also claimed a violation of due process, including the non-delivery of the judgment and the verdict in his presence, which was considered exceptional.
Attorney Alon Eisenberg, representing Mandel, said: "You cannot say about someone who has won the lottery 14 times that he is just playing with luck. He has compelling evidence that will undoubtedly lead to a reopening of his case."

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1nwz99nn
 

Holocaust survivor mathematician who cracked lottery returns to Israel​

Stefan Mandel, an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor, developed a method that led him to win the lottery no less than 14 times, the first time was at the age of 24; now after 21 years on the run, he decided to return to Israel, and fight for his innocence.

Stefan Mandel, a Jewish mathematician hit the lottery jackpot for the first time at the age of 24 in his native Romania thanks to an algorithm that he claims took him five years to develop. Following his win, he made Aliyah to Israel where he got married and had two children.

 סטפן מנדל

Stefan Mandel

Mandel was wanted by Israeli law enforcement after being convicted of offenses under the Securities Law 16 years ago and was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He did not appear for trial and was labeled a "fugitive from justice."
Three years ago, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandel intended to return to Israel, but his wife was detained in London, and the arrival was postponed.
For years, Mandel resided on the remote and tranquil islands of Nauru in the Pacific Ocean, and he returned to Israel after realizing that the international arrest warrant against him will not be immediately enforced.
Mandel intends to submit a request for a retrial, presenting new evidence to support his claim. in his previous attempts to return to Israel, he rejected a proposal from prosecutors to commute the 10-month prison sentence handed to him in 2004 to community service instead.

תמונה של סטפן מנדל מתוך הסרט האיש שפיצח את הלוטו


Now he is taking advantage of the option granted to him by the Supreme Court, which determined that since he was convicted in absentia, he can return to the country without being arrested upon his arrival and request a retrial.
Following a brief stint in the Jewish state, the mathematician and his family moved to Australia, where he became a citizen. In the land down under, he managed to crack the algorithm of the local lottery systems and won the jackpot an astounding 14 times.
He started a business generating algorithms for various lottery systems worldwide, primarily in the British Commonwealth and the United States, which won him an army of clients.
In 1996, Mandel and his associate opened a cooperative lottery business, called "Moon-dragon." The two founders have reportedly convinced thousands of people to financially support their organization in exchange for a chance to win land on the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

Stefan Mandel

Stefan Mandel

In the early 2000s, he returned to Israel to replicate his business success but found himself under scrutiny by the Israel Securities Authority. Mandel was interrogated, made bail, and once indicted, he left his wife and children in Israel and fled to London in 2002.
In 2004, Mandel was convicted on fraud charges, as he and his partner failed to provide their investors the actual odds of winning promised and sentenced to 10 months in prison in addition to a NIS 100,000 ($29,000) fine.
For years, Mandel has been trying to appeal the verdict. In 2006, his appeal was rejected by the District Court in Tel Aviv, where it was determined that there were no grounds to discuss his appeal since he was classified as a fugitive.
In 2018, Mendel submitted an additional request for a retrial to the Supreme Court. He argued that he had new evidence that proved the decision to investigate him was driven by invalid motives and conflicting interests. He also claimed a violation of due process, including the non-delivery of the judgment and the verdict in his presence, which was considered exceptional.
Attorney Alon Eisenberg, representing Mandel, said: "You cannot say about someone who has won the lottery 14 times that he is just playing with luck. He has compelling evidence that will undoubtedly lead to a reopening of his case."

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1nwz99nn
Wow - would love to know the details on his lottery winning system!
My 'system' is only that my feelings will tell me to purchase tickets at a certain store - which helped me hit 4 numbers out of 5 on our Jersey Cash 5.
But of course, I only won $651, versus the $131,000 for the whole 5 numbers. And I was only 2 numbers away from the 5th number, quick picks.
I kept telling my husband that a certain store was where we should buy our tickets because I felt luck was there - sure enough, the winning $133,000 ticket was sold there to a man who bought his quick picks after we left that day.
Luck - and karma - has more to do with winning than anything else, I think. I know I wrote about a man in the next town over, a few blocks from here, who ran a little bodega and was bankrupt. He owed back child support as well. He went to the liquor store next door to purchase something, and the liquor store owner reminded him that the 'Powerball' lottery that night was $300 million dollars, and that he should buy a ticket. This penniless man used $2 to purchase one quick pick, and he WON the entire $300 million all by himself.
Back in the day I used to go to 'Bingo' (I don't know if you have that in England) at our local churches with my friends.
I would spend an hour picking through hundreds of the bingo boards, looking for the ones that felt 'hot' to my hands. And I would win hundreds of dollars, along with the 50/50 tickets they would sell during the games. I would wait until my feelings told me to buy a ticket now, and then win that as well.
My girlfriends couldn't believe how I kept winning, but it was only my feelings that helped me. The same things happened to my Grandmother.
Can't do it anymore - they changed the Bingo boards to paper boards that you have to purchase separately for each game!
 
Wow - would love to know the details on his lottery winning system!
My 'system' is only that my feelings will tell me to purchase tickets at a certain store - which helped me hit 4 numbers out of 5 on our Jersey Cash 5.
But of course, I only won $651, versus the $131,000 for the whole 5 numbers. And I was only 2 numbers away from the 5th number, quick picks.
I kept telling my husband that a certain store was where we should buy our tickets because I felt luck was there - sure enough, the winning $133,000 ticket was sold there to a man who bought his quick picks after we left that day.
Luck - and karma - has more to do with winning than anything else, I think. I know I wrote about a man in the next town over, a few blocks from here, who ran a little bodega and was bankrupt. He owed back child support as well. He went to the liquor store next door to purchase something, and the liquor store owner reminded him that the 'Powerball' lottery that night was $300 million dollars, and that he should buy a ticket. This penniless man used $2 to purchase one quick pick, and he WON the entire $300 million all by himself.
Back in the day I used to go to 'Bingo' (I don't know if you have that in England) at our local churches with my friends.
I would spend an hour picking through hundreds of the bingo boards, looking for the ones that felt 'hot' to my hands. And I would win hundreds of dollars, along with the 50/50 tickets they would sell during the games. I would wait until my feelings told me to buy a ticket now, and then win that as well.
My girlfriends couldn't believe how I kept winning, but it was only my feelings that helped me. The same things happened to my Grandmother.
Can't do it anymore - they changed the Bingo boards to paper boards that you have to purchase separately for each game!
I won £88 (iirc) once, but I think that was the highest.

Yes we have bingo halls. It's where Trev and Swifty spend most of their time.
 
Forest rangers searching for “tree with breasts” in Sonian Forest

Forest rangers have started scouring the Sonian Forest around Groenendaal, near Hoeliaart in Flemish Brabant in search of the “oak tree with breast”. They became aware of the existence of the tree after an old book containing maps of the forest from 1740 was rediscovered during the recent Archaeology Days.



https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2023/0...cnQfOoTIPNyVftcq7viRFzQ9fySw3cXmrv0p2YeII7tLs
 
There was an earthquake in NJ a few nights ago, at 2:00 a.m. I didn't feel a thing, if I did I probably thought it was our downstairs neighbor:

Magnitude 2.2 earthquake rattles parts of New York and New Jersey early Friday morning, USGS says​


A magnitude 2.2 earthquake was felt in parts of New York and New Jersey early Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey told CNN.

The earthquake occurred at 2 a.m. around northwest Yonkers and along the Hudson River in New York, and was felt in New Jersey, according to Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist at the USGS’s National Information Center in Golden, Colorado.

USGS received 200 alerts on its website from people who felt the earthquake, most of which were reported within a 15-mile radius from the epicenter, Baldwin said.

The Yonkers fire commissioner’s office confirmed that while dispatch did receive a few calls, it was largely for noise, with one caller phoning in an alleged blown transformer. Personnel were sent to the area but found no injuries, the Yonkers Fire Department spokesperson confirmed. There were no calls in Hastings-on-Hudson, Hastings Fire Secretary Jean Schnibbe told CNN.

The quake, which Baldwin said lasted only for a brief moment, was likely felt by because most residents were home for the night at that hour, Baldwin said. Most earthquakes in the Northeast are minor, Baldwin said, adding the largest quake in the last three months was Buffalo’s magnitude 3.8 earthquake on Feb. 6.

“You probably won’t see damage until you reach the magnitude 4 range,” Baldwin said. “The Buffalo quake was in the metropolitan area. If there was damage there, it would be something falling off a refrigerator.”

Earthquakes in the Northeast U.S. are difficult to predict because of their size and can happen randomly, Baldwin said. It’s rare for them to happen in densely populated areas in the Northeast, he said.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/19/us/earthquake-new-york-new-jersey/index.html
 
Hawaii Menaced by Furious Wild Chickens

Ferocious feral chickens with "supercharged survival skills" have gotten out of control in Hawaii.

The island of Kauai in particular has become famous for its astronomical chicken population. The wild roaming roosters and hens roam the beaches, peck at landscaping, and crow all the livelong day. They've even become a local tourist attraction.

While tourists may love the birds, a fair chunk of the locals really don’t, and see them as more of a pest. Some say that the constant crowing disturbs the peace while foraging roosters and hens ruin yards and make it impossible to grow any food.

But unfortunately for them, the hens are winning. After all, according to the Atlantic, these aren't just any old chickens. They're super chickens…

https://futurism.com/the-byte/hawaii-menaced-wild-chickens

maximus otter
 
I don't know if you have already heard this, but I just saw it this morning, our Discovery tv channel is doing a special on this couple who adopted a girl from the Ukraine, who attempted to kill them:

Inside the Bizarre Tale of Natalia Grace, Adopted from Ukraine: Is She a Child or an Adult 'Sociopath?'​

Natalia Grace, an orphan from the Ukraine, was adopted in 2010 by an Indiana couple.

Michael and Kristine Barnett believed they were adopting a 6-year-old girl. But soon, they became suspicious of her age, leading to a bombshell claim: that Natalia, who has a form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal, was merely posing as a child — and was really an adult woman with sinister intentions.

The strange case is the subject of a new docuseries, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, debuting across three consecutive nights on ID beginning Monday, May 29, airing nightly from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. (A trailer for the show is below.)

The Barnetts claimed Natalia tried to harm them and their biological children. Natalia was accused of trying to poison Kristine's coffee and kill her by dragging her towards an electric fence. Natalia was also accused of placing clear thumb tacks on the stairs face up so that they would step on them.

Michael Barnett told Good Morning America that doctors allegedly treating Natalia told them "this person is a sociopath. This person is a con artist. You are all in danger."

https://people.com/crime/natalia-grace-id-documentary-child-or-sociopath/

 
I don't know if you have already heard this, but I just saw it this morning, our Discovery tv channel is doing a special on this couple who adopted a girl from the Ukraine, who attempted to kill them:

Inside the Bizarre Tale of Natalia Grace, Adopted from Ukraine: Is She a Child or an Adult 'Sociopath?'​

Natalia Grace, an orphan from the Ukraine, was adopted in 2010 by an Indiana couple.

Michael and Kristine Barnett believed they were adopting a 6-year-old girl. But soon, they became suspicious of her age, leading to a bombshell claim: that Natalia, who has a form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal, was merely posing as a child — and was really an adult woman with sinister intentions.

The strange case is the subject of a new docuseries, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, debuting across three consecutive nights on ID beginning Monday, May 29, airing nightly from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. (A trailer for the show is below.)

The Barnetts claimed Natalia tried to harm them and their biological children. Natalia was accused of trying to poison Kristine's coffee and kill her by dragging her towards an electric fence. Natalia was also accused of placing clear thumb tacks on the stairs face up so that they would step on them.

Michael Barnett told Good Morning America that doctors allegedly treating Natalia told them "this person is a sociopath. This person is a con artist. You are all in danger."

https://people.com/crime/natalia-grace-id-documentary-child-or-sociopath/

Yes. I'd heard of her. She was a full grown, small adult who posed as a child. I'll have to watch this later to see if it gives any more information as to why she did this impersonation to get adopted.
 

Suspected Russia-trained spy whale reappears off Sweden’s coast​

A beluga whale that turned up in Norway wearing a harness in 2019, prompting speculation it was a spy trained by the Russian navy, has reappeared off Sweden’s coast.

First discovered in Norway’s far northern region of Finnmark, the whale spent more than three years slowly moving down the top half of the Norwegian coastline, before suddenly speeding up in recent months to cover the second half and move on to Sweden.

On Sunday, he was observed in Hunnebostrand, off Sweden’s south-western coast.

“We don’t know why he has sped up so fast right now,” said Sebastian Strand, a marine biologist with the OneWhale organisation, adding that it was particularly puzzling because the whale was moving “very quickly away from his natural environment”.

“It could be hormones driving him to find a mate. Or it could be loneliness, as belugas are a very social species – it could be that he’s searching for other beluga whales.”

Strand said the whale, believed to be 13-14 years old, is “at an age where his hormones are very high”.

The closest population of belugas is located in the Svalbard archipelago, which lies midway between the northern coast of Norway and the north pole.

The whale is not believed to have seen a single other beluga since arriving in Norway in April 2019.

Norwegians nicknamed him Hvaldimir – a pun on whale in Norwegian, hval, and a nod to its alleged association with Russia.

When the whale first appeared in the Norwegian Arctic, marine biologists from the Norwegian directorate of fisheries removed a human-made harness from him.

The harness had a mount suited for an action camera and the words Equipment St Petersburg printed on the plastic clasps.

Directorate officials said Hvaldimir may have escaped an enclosure, and may have been trained by the Russian navy, as he appeared to be accustomed to humans.

Moscow never issued any official reaction to Norwegian speculation he could be a “Russian spy”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...trained-spy-whale-reappears-off-swedens-coast
 
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