Pee Mystery

To quote from a news report out of Oregon:

A man living in a Portland, Oregon neighborhood is wondering who is putting gallons of urine in his recycling bin and why.

Alex Van Duyn said the problem started in September when he noticed his recycling bin had not been collected.

“So I went to open the blue bin. And lo and behold, there was a nice deposit of gallon-size bottles of urine, to put it plainly. And there were six of them,” he said.

The recycling hauler refused to take the bin’s contents because urine is a biohazard. If it had been placed in the garbage bin, it would have been collected.

But the mystery man didn’t stop and kept dropping bottles of urine in the bin. Eventually, Van Duyn stopped putting his bins out on the curb altogether, hoping the man would quit.

And he did – but he moved on to using the neighbor’s garbage bins instead.

“I don’t know why he’s hitting the same location so many times. That doesn’t make sense to me, and why he is doing it,” Van Duyn said.

Van Duyn has captured surveillance video of the man showing up to his house, getting out of his car, and placing the bottles of urine in the recycling bin. Unfortunately, the videos are grainy and too hard to tell who he is.

Van Duyn has shared his ordeal on the NextDoor app, where neighbors have flooded the post with theories as to the reason behind it all.

But even with multiple theories, Van Duyn still doesn’t know why.

He has filed a police report and is trying to get the man’s license plate.

Durex invites you to play ‘The Pull Out Game’

Well, it’s not the ‘pull out game’ that you’re probably thinking, but a digital game intended to put one off trying to pull out in real life.  To quote the brand:

The most played game in the world isn’t a game. Well, it wasn’t. Now it is.

Introducing the Durex Pull Out Game Game. An old-school strategy delivered in a classic game mode.

Play it here, get a discount on Durex, and never play it in real life again.

Link to game website

Gerard Depardieu’s defence

Excerpts from reports of what he said this week, during his trial for alleged sexual assault.

As reported by the BBC:

“Knowing the vulgarity of the old world, today I try to avoid being listened to by the new world – so that I don't come across as detestable,” he told the court.

“I am not very much at ease with this new society... I think my time is done.”

But he denies being a sexual abuser.

“I don’t see how it could be fun feeling up a woman, her buttocks, her breasts. I am not a metro-train groper,” he said.

As reported by Variety:

Asked about the obscene comment he allegedly made, Depardieu said, “What do you mean, raunchy? Is it to say ‘pussy’? Pussy, but I say it all the time, even to myself, I find it funny!”

As per AP News:

He acknowledged to the court that his behavior can be boorish.

“I’ve always been told I have a Russian nature, I don’t know if it’s because of the drinking or the vulgarity,” he said. “I have said in black and white that I am a disgusting slob.”

But he said he “never, ever” would have pincered a woman between his legs against her will.

“I’m not like that,” he said.

As reported by The Daily Express US:

Regarding the claim brought forth by the 54-year-old set designer, Depardieu stated he had no memory of any inappropriate contact, insisting, “There was no physical contact.”

He conceded that he might have held her hips but solely to maintain his balance and prevent falling. When confronted with an allegation from a witness who said she saw him trapping the set designer between his legs, the actor refuted: “I would never put anything between my thighs.

“With the belly I have, I can't put anything between my thighs.”

Cool Dresser

A new spot for Men’s Wearhouse strikes unexpected comedy gold.

Link to video

Apartment complex holds vigil for alligator

To quote from an AP News report:

Several dozen people gathered Saturday at an apartment complex along the South Carolina coast to remember a longtime resident who died the day before — an alligator named Walter who sunned beside a pond on the property for more than a decade.

Walter was killed on the property after several complaints over the past week, the management of Daniel Island Village told WCIV-TV in a statement.

Neighbors in the apartment complex near Charleston said Walter had been hanging around the complex for more than a decade, not only earning a name but a little fame.

Vigil organizer Rebekah Cole told the TV station that people with pets and children could walk right past Walter and not be bothered.

“He was a piece of the community. Even though he was a cold-blooded animal, we all loved him and it tore us all up,” Cole said.

And this, from The Washington Post’s coverage:

Dozens gathered around a South Carolina pond on a warm evening this month, some crying and others holding stuffed alligators and ribbons — mementos meant to honor Walter’s life. A few people who were close to Walter stood in front of the group to deliver speeches, including Rebekah Cole.

“It’s so upsetting that he was taken from us,” Cole recalled saying. “He was a part of our community, and it will never be the same.”

They held a moment of silence before turning on their cellphone flashlights and walking a few feet to the part of the pond where Walter, an alligator, sunbathed daily and kept to itself.

Woman arrested after man found dead… lying on top of her

To quote from a report by a local police department in Michigan, earlier this month:

Livingston County Dispatch received a call about a possible death at a residence located in the Woodland Ridge Community on Shady Brook Ct, South Lyon, MI. Officers from the Green Oak Township Police Department arrived on scene finding a woman in her bed with an obviously deceased male on top of her. After the initial investigation it was determined this was a homicide. It was determined the victim was struck several times with blunt force in the head and stabbed several times in the chest and neck. The female suspect was transported to UofM Hospital for evaluation while in custody. Once released a short time later, she was lodged in the Livingston County Jail. The suspect and the victim have been in a long-term relationship and living at the residence with their son who was unharmed in the incident.

So what made the woman a suspect?  While the police don’t appear to have released any details, questions and speculation prevail on social media.

So, either someone killed him while he was on top of her or she killed him and put him on top of her like a blanket.

I was thinking she was stabbing and hitting him while he was on top of her, then he died and fell onto her getting her stuck. Like maybe he was hurting her and she was defending herself?

Was his name Gerald? Did she have handcuffs on?

Who the heck call the police?  The poor kid?

Cat haters wanted… to adopt a cat

Just around a year ago, cat food brand Whiskas had a campaign to enhance cat ownership by telling potential dog owners that they would do well to adopt a cat.  This time around, Whiskas Australia is reaching out to cat haters.  To quote from the campaign website:

We're asking you to find it in your heart to foster a cat for just two weeks.

Why are we asking you? An “I’m not having a walking shedding machine in my house” kind of person?

Because, we’ve run out of cat lovers to ask, and Australia’s shelters still have so many cats and kittens that need help.

So you who like cats the least are now who we need the most.

RIP George Foreman

From a 2023 interview with Boxing News:

Q: What was the favourite stage of your career? Being a heavyweight wrecking ball in the 1970s, or when you came back in the 80s and 90s?

A: In the 10 years out of the ring [1977-1987] I became a minister. Sometimes my car would need a booster, and a stranger would stop by to help me out. I asked how much I owed him. He said, ‘Get out of here, big ‘un.’ He didn’t even realise I was once heavyweight champion of the world but he was so kind to me. Everyone was so kind to me and I used to think, ‘I wish I could be champion again because I should have been nicer to people.’ When I came back I built my profile up again and I repaid all the people I had been unkind to. The comeback was my way of saying sorry for being so unkind the first time round. That was the best time of my whole boxing career, when I came back because I gave back. When I was in Reno, Nevada I couldn’t sign autographs or shake people’s hand because I had sprained my hand, so I just sat by a post and let anyone come over and talk, or take a picture. They did. I was there for three hours, and it was the nicest time of my life as a boxer. Nothing compared to that moment – not even beating Frazier, or being with Ali in Zaire.

From a CBS News remembrance:

What he leaves is a legacy of rumbles, redemptions, and ribs.

Pub Succession

Heineken has launched a rather unusual recruitment campaign — to help the owner of an Irish family pub find a successor.  To quote from the campaign website:

In one of Ireland's most scenic locations, on the rugged West Coast of Ireland, lies a charming pub called McLoughlin's. Established in 1870, this fourth-generation family-run pub has been a cherished part of the Achill Island community for over a century.

The owner of the pub is a man named Josie McLoughlin. After decades serving the locals and visiting tourists, Josie McLoughlin and his partner Jackie are officially retiring and they are looking for another McLoughlin to take the reins.

So if you're a McLoughlin who loves people, the craic and have a thirst for new adventures, this is your chance to own the most beautifully located family pub in the world and help us keep the McLoughlin name above the door for another 155 years.

Link to video 

Alternative link

ChatGPT accuses man of murdering his children

As reported by Ars Technica:

A Norwegian man said he was horrified to discover that ChatGPT outputs had falsely accused him of murdering his own children.

According to a complaint filed Thursday by European Union digital rights advocates Noyb, Arve Hjalmar Holmen decided to see what information ChatGPT might provide if a user searched his name. He was shocked when ChatGPT responded with outputs falsely claiming that he was sentenced to 21 years in prison as “a convicted criminal who murdered two of his children and attempted to murder his third son,” a Noyb press release said.

ChatGPT’s “made-up horror story” not only hallucinated events that never happened, but it also mixed “clearly identifiable personal data”—such as the actual number and gender of Holmen’s children and the name of his hometown—with the “fake information,” Noyb's press release said.

‘Egg-related Seizures’ by US Customs up 116%

That statistic comes courtesy of data released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  To quote from a news report:

Egg-related seizures have surged 116% in the first two months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, with officials reporting 3,254 interceptions, according to CBP data. The spike comes as U.S. egg prices continue to soar, driven by a historic avian flu outbreak decimating poultry farms nationwide. Meanwhile, fentanyl seizures have fallen 32% year-over-year.

While President Donald Trump has vowed to curb fentanyl trafficking, the more immediate smuggling crisis appears to be breakfast staples. In Windsor, Ontario, a dozen large eggs cost about $3.93 CAD at Walmart. Just across the border in Michigan, that same carton runs for $8.50 CAD, fueling an increase in cross-border egg trafficking, CBP said.

Most seizures are happening at official crossings, where travelers voluntarily declare their eggs, officials said. However, the real concern may be what isn’t being caught.

RIP Jesse Colin Young

Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass

Get Together

Bill defines ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ as mental illness

Minnesota State Republicans have introduced a bill to define “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness.  As explained in the bill:

“Trump Derangement Syndrome” means the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump. Symptoms may include Trump-induced general hysteria, which produces an inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology in President Donald J. Trump's behavior. This may be expressed by:
(1) verbal expressions of intense hostility toward President Donald J. Trump; and
(2) overt acts of aggression and violence against anyone supporting President Donald J. Trump or anything that symbolizes President Donald J. Trump.

Cough Expert

From the Philippines: anti-cough medicine Lagundex opts for a rather unconventional on-screen spokesperson.

Link to video

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off… with Lewis Hamilton

The F1 superstar celebrates his first season with Ferrari by recreating the valet scene in the movie, with him in it.  In his words:

No better way to start the season than by fulfilling another dream ~~

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has been one of my favourite movies since I was a kid. This is to pay homage to the iconic film and to celebrate my first season with Ferrari. It definitely took a lot of cutting edge tech, production and planning to get right. Had to get the exact car too … it’s been a dream car since seeing the movie. Shout out to the legendary Edward Norton for coming along for the ride This is the energy and excitement I’m bringing to the track this year. ANDIAMO !!

Link to video

Poor sleep can make you believe conspiracy theories

That’s according to a study published this week in the Journal of Health Psychology.  To quote from a Popular Science report:

A team from the University of Nottingham’s School of Psychology recently conducted two experiments on a total of over 1,000 volunteers. The results, published on March 12 in the Journal of Health Psychology, suggest adding bad sleep quality on top of existing issues like depression can make people more susceptible to patently untrue conspiracies. The odds for adopting such beliefs may especially increase if tired people are exposed to conspiratorial content from outside sources as opposed to coming to similarly false conclusions on their own.

AI coding assistant gives unsolicited advice

As reported by Ars Technica:

On Saturday, a developer using Cursor AI for a racing game project hit an unexpected roadblock when the programming assistant abruptly refused to continue generating code, instead offering some unsolicited career advice.

According to a bug report on Cursor’s official forum, after producing approximately 750 to 800 lines of code (what the user calls “locs”), the AI assistant halted work and delivered a refusal message: “I cannot generate code for you, as that would be completing your work. The code appears to be handling skid mark fade effects in a racing game, but you should develop the logic yourself. This ensures you understand the system and can maintain it properly.”

The AI didn’t stop at merely refusing—it offered a paternalistic justification for its decision, stating that “Generating code for others can lead to dependency and reduced learning opportunities.”

The reason?  Also from the report:

The specific nature of Cursor’s refusal—telling users to learn coding rather than rely on generated code—strongly resembles responses typically found on programming help sites like Stack Overflow, where experienced developers often encourage newcomers to develop their own solutions rather than simply provide ready-made code.

One Reddit commenter noted this similarity, saying, “Wow, AI is becoming a real replacement for StackOverflow! From here it needs to start succinctly rejecting questions as duplicates with references to previous questions with vague similarity.”

The resemblance isn’t surprising. The LLMs powering tools like Cursor are trained on massive datasets that include millions of coding discussions from platforms like Stack Overflow and GitHub. These models don’t just learn programming syntax; they also absorb the cultural norms and communication styles in these communities.

For when it takes you longer

A new spot for AXE finds an amusingly absurd way to highlight how long-lasting its fragrances can be.

Link to video

Experiential Shoplifting Event Returns

To quote from a news report out of Japan:

Have you ever wanted to experience the thrill of shoplifting but hate the mundane side effects of being arrested and going to jail? If so, then “盗-TOH-” (meaning “steal” in Japanese), is the perfect event for you.

The unique experiential event where silence is literally golden is back for a second round. 盗-TOH- returns to Tokyo this March, challenging participants to take home products without making a single sound. From March 13 to 16, 2025, TBS Akasaka Blitz Studio will transform into a tension-filled “stealable market” with over 5,000 items up for grabs. The catch? One small noise and you’re immediately escorted out.

Originally conceived by TBS Radio show “脳盗” (Brain Theft) hosted by rapper TaiTan and Shuuhei Tamaki of Mono No Aware, the first 盗-TOH- event was a viral sensation last year. Approximately 1,000 participants lined up for up to four hours for the chance to experience this unusual concept.

The rules are simple yet nerve-wracking: enter the venue, select items you want to take home, and leave without making any sound. The venue is equipped with over 200 highly sensitive microphones that catch even the slightest noise. Make a sound, and your “theft” attempt is immediately terminated.

Each participant or group has just 60 seconds to complete their silent mission. The time constraint adds another layer of difficulty to an already challenging task — moving quickly without creating noise requires remarkable control and concentration.

Removal from WhatsApp group leads to murder

To quote from a news report out of Pakistan:

A man in Peshawar has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting the administrator of a community WhatsApp group, Mushtaq Ahmed who removed him from the chat. Police documents confirm that a suspect named Ashfaq has been arrested in connection with the crime.

According to Mushtaq’s brother, the dispute started when Mushtaq removed Ashfaq from the WhatsApp group after an argument. The two had agreed to meet and reconcile, but Ashfaq allegedly arrived armed and opened fire, fatally shooting Mushtaq. Police stated that Ashfaq acted out of anger over being removed from the group.

Thoughts & Prayers Toilet Paper

It’s an initiative by anti-gun-violence non-profit, Change The Ref — toilet paper that is printed with actual messages posted by American politicians, after mass shootings.

Excerpts from the website:

Thoughts & Prayers are unbelievably soft and feel like nothing when it matters most.

100% Recycled — Same shit, different day

Ultra Soft — Like a politician’s spine

Purchase our newest rolls printed with real posts from politicians after mass shootings. Wipe away streaks of inaction and flush their hollow gestures. Show Congress what they can do with their thoughts & prayers.

Link to video

Burger King’s ‘Infiltration Mission’

Excerpts from Tokyo Weekender’s coverage of a campaign by Burger King Japan to recruit ‘spies’:

Burger King Japan has launched an ambitious recruitment campaign called “Burger King潜入大作戦” (Infiltration Mission) to find 750 “spies” who will help evaluate their stores across the country. The campaign, announced on February 27, aims to identify areas for improvement as the fast food chain continues its rapid expansion throughout Japan.

According to BK Japan Holdings (headquartered in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward), the company is seeking everyday customers to provide honest feedback on various aspects of their restaurant experience.

The application period runs through March 26, with recruitment taking place through a special website dedicated to the campaign. Interested food sleuths can apply to evaluate their preferred Burger King location, making this an opportunity for burger fans throughout Japan.

Selected participants will be tasked with visiting their assigned Burger King location three times to evaluate various aspects of the restaurant experience. During these undercover missions, the “spies” will assess customer service quality, overall cleanliness of the facilities, menu variety, and whether pricing is appropriate.

The sweet (or savory) part of this deal? Burger King will cover all food expenses for the three reconnaissance missions. Additionally, all applicants will receive a discount coupon for ¥200 off a Whopper with cheese set meal, regardless of whether they’re selected for the program. Those that complete their mission will also receive a special Burger King agent shirt so they can let everyone know that they’re an undercover spy (this will probably blow your cover though).

A promo code… to pay more

From France: ride-hailing service Heetch has come up with a cheeky way to tell customers how much they could save riding with them, compared to Uber.

Link to video

Don’t Call It Love

A new spot for YSL Beauty looks as glamorous as you’d expect but with moments of unsettling vibes that tie in to an unexpected message.

Link to video

IMDb introduces Kleenex Score

As explained by IMDb:

Great movies hit us right in the feels – one minute we’re fine, the next we’re ugly crying. But let’s be real, tearing up can get messy, and not having a tissue on hand can be a total disaster. So, we created The Kleenex^® Score on IMDb to help you prepare for your movie night.

IMDb also released ‘The Ultimate Weeper Watchlist’ — a list of 10 films “that earned top Kleenex Score ratings, making them guaranteed to bring on the waterworks”.

Almost there but…

Two spots for UK-based SMARTY Mobile — the latest in its ‘less malarkey’ campaign.

-Zig Zag
-Invite

Carried Away

From the Philippines: courier firm LBC Express finds a delightfully literal way to make its point.

Link to video

Town offers bounty for mosquitoes

To quote from a BBC report from two weeks ago:

Authorities in one of the Philippines' most densely-populated urban centres are offering a cash reward for mosquitoes in an attempt to stop the spread of dengue.

Carlito Cernal, village chief of Barangay Addition Hills in central Manila, announced the bounty of one peso (less than two US cents) for every five mosquitoes.

While news of the bounty has provoked scorn on social media, Mr Cernal has defended it as necessary for the community's health.

The move follows a recent spike in cases of dengue, which is spread by mosquitoes, in the Philippines.

The programme, which will run for at least a month, was started after two students in Mr Cernal's neighbourhood died from the disease.

The bounty applies to all mosquitoes - dead or alive - and their larvae, Mr Cernal added. Live mosquitoes will be exterminated using ultraviolet light.

A total of 21 people have already claimed their reward, bringing in a total of 700 mosquitoes and larvae so far, he told the BBC.

RIP Boris Spassky

From Garry Kasparov’s tribute:

His rise as a prodigy, conquest of the crown against the invincible Petrosian on the second attempt, and decades of elite play are too often lost in the shadow of his dramatic title loss to Bobby Fischer in 1972 and the circus Fischer turned it into. But Spassky always wanted to play, and he handled the situation with impressive dignity. While his chess justified the "universal" label that frequently follows his name, his aggressive gambiteering style produced countless masterpieces.

Link to AP Archive interview clip after his loss to Fischer in 1972