Strange & Bizarre News

nivek

As Above So Below

Fisherman Survives 11 Days at Sea in Freezer

A video making rounds on the web shows the remarkable moment a fisherman was rescued after surviving 11 days lost at sea in a freezer. Romualdo Macedo Rodrigues' made a quick decision to hop in the kitchen appliance when his boat began to take on water and sink. He did not have any food or water with him, and floated aimlessly in the sea for 11 long days until a vessel spotted the light colored freezer box. He had traveled 280 miles from where his boat went down. "This fridge, for me, was God. A miracle," he said. The rescue boat's crew rushed to Rodrigues' aid and provided him with water and food.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN1WgkOba9A


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nivek

As Above So Below

Creepy AI-generated woman 'Loab' is social media's latest urban legend

news-hq-loeb.jpg

One of the many AI-generated images of 'Loab'.

An eerie face envisaged within the mind of an artificial intelligence seems to be the Internet's latest answer to Slender Man.

Earlier this year we covered the story of the remarkable (and disturbing) capabilities of OpenAI's DALL-E artificial intelligence which can generate images of absolutely anything at all simply by typing in a description of it in natural language and letting it interpret the request as it sees fit.

The results can be unnerving to say the least, leading to a whole new category of image - usually frighteningly distorted and creepy - of mundane things as imagined by an AI computer algorithm.

The latest product of this trend, which has become something of an urban legend on social media, is the face of a woman named 'Loab' which was created by Twitter musician 'Supercomposite' using a custom AI text-to-image model similar to (but not the same as) DALL-E.

By messing around with what are known as "negative prompts", she was able to get the AI to repeatedly produce variations of an image of a woman with distorted features and red cheeks.

What's weird is, because of the way the system generates these images, this woman's face seems to somehow exist within the 'latent space' of the AI's memory and in fact represents the 'negative' of a request to produce an image of something else - an opposite, of sorts.

Exactly why the AI repeatedly produces a version of this particular face remains unclear, which makes the resulting images all the creepier - especially given that some of them are quite disturbing.

Ultimately, the phenomenon is likely to be a quirk in the software, but it is a strange one nonetheless.

Some social media users have come to regard Loab as a Slender Man type figure - a boogieman (or boogiewoman) of the Internet age; the stuff that creepypasta nightmares are made of.

Her discoverer has since come to regard her as "the first cryptid of the latent space".

A fitting title, to be sure.


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nivek

As Above So Below
A Lithuanian company launched NSFW pussy-flavored potato chips. Company claims that girls who have been orally “pleasured” in the last six months were directly involved in creating that taste of their controversial new flavor.

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nivek

As Above So Below
When you need help at a train station in Japan, customer service literally pops out of the wall.

https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6c84d74e-0696-4fee-8fd7-57b5b635dd0c_683x683.png


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nivek

As Above So Below

Bizarre Footage of Cop Encountering 'Goblin' Goes Viral in Paraguay

Authorities in Paraguay were forced to set the record straight after a very strange video purportedly showing a cop encountering a legendary goblin-like entity went viral on social media in the country this week. According to a local media report, the bizarre footage appeared online this past Monday and it was allegedly captured by a witness who watched the weirdness unfold on Friday evening in the city of Asunción. In the video, a cop stands outside of a building with his gun drawn and shouts at what appears to be a rather unusual intruder. The mysterious stranger seems to be small, bipedal, and capable of scaling the front door with ease before scurrying out of sight with the police officer shooting at a window while in pursuit.

Many social media users in Paraguay quickly concluded that the cop had, in fact, encountered a legendary entity known as a Pombero, which is a goblin-like creature that is infamous in the country as something of a mischievous trickster-like figure. Not unlike a Bigfoot video here in America, the footage spread like wildfire online, with many viewers expressing both astonishment and fear that the mythical entity had been caught on film at last. The furor surrounding the incident grew to such a level that a police official eventually had to explain to the media in Paraguay that the 'Pombero' was actually just a run-of-the-mill robber who was acting strangely because they were under the influence of drugs.



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2h6FJPmnP8


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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable

Bizarre Footage of Cop Encountering 'Goblin' Goes Viral in Paraguay

Authorities in Paraguay were forced to set the record straight after a very strange video purportedly showing a cop encountering a legendary goblin-like entity went viral on social media in the country this week. According to a local media report, the bizarre footage appeared online this past Monday and it was allegedly captured by a witness who watched the weirdness unfold on Friday evening in the city of Asunción. In the video, a cop stands outside of a building with his gun drawn and shouts at what appears to be a rather unusual intruder. The mysterious stranger seems to be small, bipedal, and capable of scaling the front door with ease before scurrying out of sight with the police officer shooting at a window while in pursuit.

Many social media users in Paraguay quickly concluded that the cop had, in fact, encountered a legendary entity known as a Pombero, which is a goblin-like creature that is infamous in the country as something of a mischievous trickster-like figure. Not unlike a Bigfoot video here in America, the footage spread like wildfire online, with many viewers expressing both astonishment and fear that the mythical entity had been caught on film at last. The furor surrounding the incident grew to such a level that a police official eventually had to explain to the media in Paraguay that the 'Pombero' was actually just a run-of-the-mill robber who was acting strangely because they were under the influence of drugs.



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2h6FJPmnP8


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It’s got a tail. My guess is a big cat like a puma. I’d draw my weapon too
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Is THIS the moment glamorous poker player 'used hidden vibrating device' to win $269K pot at Las Vegas tournament? Eagle-eyed viewer spots 'suspicious' moment she put hand under table and played with her ring

Robbi Jade Lew, a glamorous newcomer to the sport, stunned the poker world on Thursday at the Hustler Casino Live game, going all-in with a Jack high to win the $269,000 pot. Her stunned rival Garrett Adelstein, a top player in livestreamed no-limit hold 'em, openly accused her of cheating by using a 'device hidden that simply vibrates to indicate you have the best hand.' Now, eagle-eyed fans believe they may have spotted a key clue in the emerging scandal in the moments after Lew revealed her winning cards, when she appeared to remove a large ring from her hand.



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wwkirk

Divine

Is THIS the moment glamorous poker player 'used hidden vibrating device' to win $269K pot at Las Vegas tournament? Eagle-eyed viewer spots 'suspicious' moment she put hand under table and played with her ring

Robbi Jade Lew, a glamorous newcomer to the sport, stunned the poker world on Thursday at the Hustler Casino Live game, going all-in with a Jack high to win the $269,000 pot. Her stunned rival Garrett Adelstein, a top player in livestreamed no-limit hold 'em, openly accused her of cheating by using a 'device hidden that simply vibrates to indicate you have the best hand.' Now, eagle-eyed fans believe they may have spotted a key clue in the emerging scandal in the moments after Lew revealed her winning cards, when she appeared to remove a large ring from her hand.



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Something analogous is alleged have happened at a major chess tournament when the presumed best player in the world abruptly walked out.


View: https://twitter.com/Jontys_Corner/status/1570098051070693377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1570098051070693377%7Ctwgr%5E3659ac9f168a999c07eb173f0372c318a343b00c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.comicsands.com%2Fchampionship-chess-cheating-anal-beads-2658213108.html




View: https://twitter.com/Babble____/status/1567437910361751552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1567437910361751552%7Ctwgr%5E3659ac9f168a999c07eb173f0372c318a343b00c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.comicsands.com%2Fchampionship-chess-cheating-anal-beads-2658213108.html
 

nivek

As Above So Below
Another one of these cases:
"Corriere della Sera cited the man as saying he took a wrong turn after being confused by his satnav."
What is wrong with these people?

Let us say that you cannot comprehend the instructions of your sat nav, you take a wrong turn, and your current path now leads you towards a flight of steps. Do you drive down the steps, or do you stop and reconsider your route, and perhaps try to reverse course back to where you were before you departed the road? If the former, it goes without saying that you should never be trusted to be in command of a motor vehicle of any type, anywhere, let alone one of two tons of and steel and glass on a public road. I think driver examinations globally need to be a lot more rigorous, and need to test how the would-be driver deals with unexpected events while under pressure, like pilot training.

Here is yet another case of following GPS Navigation, this time to his peril...Again it has to be said, "What's wrong with these people"?...

North Carolina man dead after following GPS to destroyed bridge that dropped into water


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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Here is yet another case of following GPS Navigation, this time to his peril...Again it has to be said, "What's wrong with these people"?...

North Carolina man dead after following GPS to destroyed bridge that dropped into water


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Not quite what it seems. This could've happened without GPS on a dark night. Serious lawsuit - if there's anyone left to sue. Horrible.

"The bridge had been destroyed [nine] years ago and never repaired. It lacked any barriers or warning signs....."
 

nivek

As Above So Below
Not quite what it seems. This could've happened without GPS on a dark night. Serious lawsuit - if there's anyone left to sue. Horrible.

"The bridge had been destroyed [nine] years ago and never repaired. It lacked any barriers or warning signs....."

I think any driver alert and paying attention to the road would be able to see ahead on the road enough to notice if the road or in this case, the bridge ends, even in the dark...I'm judging this merely by my own driving in the dark, early in the mornings going to work...I drive across two bridges spanning rivers and through a dense forest area on a two lane road, both with little to no street lighting...I'm very alert in both settings in case of any animal crossing the road, fallen trees, or any road damage...

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nivek

As Above So Below

Where have they all gone? Alaska snow crab season canceled as officials investigate mysterious disappearance of an estimated 1 billion crabs – Unprecedented 90% drop in population

In a major blow to America’s seafood industry, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has, for the first time in state history, canceled the winter snow crab season in the Bering Sea due to their falling numbers. While restaurant menus will suffer, scientists worry what the sudden population plunge means for the health of the Arctic ecosystem.

An estimated one billion crabs have mysteriously disappeared in two years, state officials said. It marks a 90% drop in their population.

“Did they run up north to get that colder water?” asked Gabriel Prout, whose Kodiak Island fishing business relies heavily on the snow crab population. “Did they completely cross the border? Did they walk off the continental shelf on the edge there, over the Bering Sea?”

Ben Daly, a researcher with ADF&G, is investigating where the crabs have gone. He monitors the health of the state’s fisheries, which produce 60% of the nation’s seafood.



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esNN0tIGByI


“Disease is one possibility,” said Daly. He also points to climate change. (LOL!) According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Alaska is the fastest warming state in the country, and is losing billions of tons of ice each year — critical for crabs that need cold water to survive.

“Environmental conditions are changing rapidly,” Daly said. “We’ve seen warm conditions in the Bering Sea the last couple of years, and we’re seeing a response in a cold adapted species, so it’s pretty obvious this is connected. It is a canary in a coal mine for other species that need cold water.”

Prout said that there needs to be a relief program for fisherman, similar to programs for farmers who experience crop failure, or communities affected by hurricanes or flooding.

When asked what fishermen can do in this situation, with their livelihoods dependent on the ocean, Prout responded, “Hope and pray. I guess that’s the best way to say it.” [CBS]

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nivek

As Above So Below

Judge JAILS juror for a day for refusing to wear a mask - despite no such mandate existing: Navy vet dad says was 'worst 24 hours of my life' - given orange jumpsuit and tossed in cell with criminals

A North Carolina father-of-one spent 24 hours in jail for refusing to wear a mask as ordered by a judge despite no state or county mandates in place. Gregory Hahn, 47, a US Navy veteran, was among several of 98 jury duty candidates called to Harnett County court who showed up not wearing a mask because there were no such rules or warnings in place, WRAL reports. Despite the fact that masks aren't required in the building, Judge Winston Charles Gilchrist mandated that everyone in his courtroom wear a mask. When Hahn refused, the judge warned him that he would be held in contempt of court and could spend a month in jail, but the man refused to back down. 'I said, 'I'm not going to wear a mask,' and he goes, '24 hours in the Harnett County jail,'' Hahn recalled Friday on Tucker Carlson Tonight.

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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Japan's oldest toilet accidentally damaged by reversing driver | CNN

Japan’s oldest toilet accidentally damaged by reversing driver​

Emiko Jozuka Tara Subramaniam
By Emiko Jozuka and Tara Subramaniam, CNN
Updated 6:54 AM EDT, Wed October 19, 2022

The site of the accident on Monday. CNN has blurred the number plate to ensure anonymity of the vehicle owner.

The site of the accident on Monday. CNN has blurred the number plate to ensure anonymity of the vehicle owner.
Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education

TokyoCNN —
A building believed to house the oldest toilet in Japan faced its biggest threat in centuries on Monday when a conservation worker accidentally reversed his car into it, according to local officials.
Koudou Uno, a spokesman for the Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto, said the doors of the approximately 600-year-old wooden communal toilet were damaged in the incident.
A photo of the aftermath showed splintered pieces of wood strewn across the floor of the building in the former ancient capital, where the toilet was built at the temple in the first half of the Muromachi period (1336-1573), according to Uno.
“The toilet is a historical artifact, so naturally, we were very sad when it was damaged,” he said.
The “hyakusecchin” – or “hundred-person toilet” – got its nickname because more than 100 trainee monks used it up until the start of the Meiji era around 1868, Uno added. But it could actually only be used by up to 40 people at a time – each side of the privy is lined with around 20 holes.
The toilet, which has been closed to the public for over a century, was named an important cultural property by the Japanese government in 1902. According to Uno, it’s the oldest latrine left standing at a Zen Buddhist temple in Japan.
Uno said temple management were discussing the best way to restore the damaged doors, which measured 2.4 meters tall and 2.8 meters wide.
“We were thankful that nobody was injured and that we can repair the doors of the toilet – there is some happiness in this misfortune,” Uno said.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Study Ranks the Best and Worst Cities in America for Vampires to Call Home

An odd study undoubtedly timed for spooky season has determined which American cities are the best and worst places for vampires to call home. Conducted by the landscaping company Lawn Love, of all places, the surprisingly comprehensive project gathered a vast array of publicly-available data concerning specific factors that an undead individual might presumably consider when seeking out a community. Among the attributes examined by the study were positive details, such as the number of potential victims and blood banks, as well as deterrents, like the average amount of annual sunlight, and, to that end, which cities might be most conducive to vampires only being able to leave the house after dark.

The study then weighed each of these various factors and came up with a rather lengthy ranked list of 200 places in America where a vampire might choose to set up camp. Given their sizeable populations and reputations for being bustling even in the wee hours, the top five spots were New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Fransisco. That said, the latter half of the top ten did contain some surprises in the form of Pittsburgh, Omaha, and Baltimore as well as Portland, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin. Meanwhile, particularly hot and sunny places fared rather poorly as all of the bottom ten communities are located in the American southwest with Arizona cities Chandler, Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise being joined by North Las Vegas as the last five locations on the list.


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wwkirk

Divine
His body couldn't handle it? The germs? The coolness of the air?

Amou Haji died Sunday in the village of Dezhgah, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). He had refused to bathe for more than 60 years, fearing it would make him sick.

Villagers had recently pressured him to bathe, and "for the first time a few months ago, villagers had taken him to a bathroom to wash," the IRNA report stated, according to The Telegraph. "Not long after, he fell ill and finally, on Sunday … he gave up his life," the report continued, according to The Telegraph.
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AD1184

Celestial
His body couldn't handle it? The germs? The coolness of the air?
The risk of a 94-year-old male dying is quite high, sadly. So it is not out of the question that it is merely a coincidence. He evidently had a hardy constitution to survive to the age that he did in the conditions in which he lived, but they were still sub-optimal conditions for prolonging his life.
 
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