Pizza delays player’s retirement
Norwegian soccer player Bard Erik Olsen was ready to hang up his cleats and spend more time with his daughter, but local team Tronvik made him an offer he couldn’t refuse – play for the team and get all the pizza he can eat. Olsen had an 8-year stint with a second division team and a run with a top division team as a striker. Team spokesman Kjetil Jensen said Tronvik has been tempting Olsen with the offer for a few years and now the team has a chance to keep its word. Odd contracts are becoming more common in Norway’s lower division teams. Last year a player was sold for his weight in prawns.
Felonious flirting
Costa Rican men beware – that woman you’re flirting with can now get you sent to prison. A new law says women can have men arrested for paying them compliments and the men can face either 50 days in prison or a fine.
Stupid pet accessories
A new cell phone has been designed – this one specifically for dogs. The device is shaped like a bone and goes on sale later this year. High end models also feature a camera so dog owners can see what their pets are doing in their absence and dial up the cell phone collar and shout commands or reprimands at the animals. Cameron Robb, director of PetsMobility and the inventor of the PetsCell phone, said it could also be used to trace lost dogs. There was no word on whether it would include a paw free adapter.
Queer Beer
Three Swiss businessmen have launched a new drink for gay people called Queer Beer. Michael Hutmatcher came up with the idea with two of his friends and they launched a company called Lemonheads to help market the drink. Hutmatcher said he and his business partner were sitting around talking about how to corner the homosexual market and that the beer is a humorous attempt to identify with the gay community and make people feel more relaxed about their sexuality. Moel Volken, from gay rights organization Pink Cross, said he was happy to see the gay community being taken seriously as a consumer group, but that he hopes the beer tastes good.
Instant karma
A prisoner serving three months in jail for a traffic violation in Austria decided to warm up to his cellmate by boasting of past success. He told the cellmate about how he tricked an Austrian woman into giving him almost $10,000 as part of a phony joint venture, which he told her would quadruple her investment in months. Then, he convinced her to sign up for four cell phones for the company on which he ran up a $5,000 bill. The conman is now serving an extra 18 months in prison because his cellmate decided to report him to the authorities. And why wouldn’t he, he was the woman’s husband.
Explosives expert
A drunken German who bought three hand grenades at a Bosnian flea market was arrested after throwing one out of a window to test if it worked. The 36-year-old man kept the grenades in a drawer as souvenirs, but after a night of heavy drinking with his buddies, he tossed one out to prove to his friends that it was a real grenade. The device exploded between two rows of buildings, and the man was quickly found by police thanks to eyewitness reports. The rest of the grenades were seized and the man faces charges of illegal possession of explosives.
Tracks in the snow
Two teenage crooks who stole 43 radios in a single night were apprehended after police followed their footprints in the snow all the way back to their base of operations. The pair decided the snow would be a perfect cover for their illegal activities because roads would be impassable and the duo doubted police would be patrolling the area. However, the two forgot about the tracks they would leave in the snow as they went from one car to another and then back to their rented apartment – tracks that helped lead police right to them. The two confessed to the crime and named three friends who aided in the night’s activities.
‘Weird’ name change
Remember the underwater ironing contest? The CT is making changes. ‘In Brief’ has become ‘Weird News.’ Enjoy!