Bizzare News Story of the Week -- No. 2

Sorry I was gone all weekend and on Friday. Friday, it was a hangover, and yesterday, just was still tired from the weekend.

But this week's bizarre news story comes from the Washington Post.

I too am fed up about an early termination fee, but if that's the case, I do'nt think I'd be this drastic.

After reading on a blog that wireless companies would cancel the contracts of deceased customers, "I thought, 'What have I got to lose, besides a cellphone I despise?' " Taylor said. The Chicago consultant fashioned a fake death certificate and had a friend fax it to Verizon Wireless, his carrier. He thought he was in the clear -- until the company caught on.

"In the end, I forked over the money," Taylor said. "But I bet I sent a definite message about how much people hate being strapped to a cellphone that doesn't work."

I hope actually that they hit this guy up with a lot more than $175, because it's people like that that make us have to pay more. And, as the industry points out, the cell phone that's sitting in my pocket now that I got basically for free, not to mention all the towers and fiber optic cables that make up the network, have to be paid for. It's either pay the cancellation fee or pay a higher monthly rate, and since I can live with an extra bit of time before moving on, I'll pay the fee if I have to leave.

I certainly won't fake my own death.

Did Uncle Sam's Army Make the Trek?

The U.S. Men's U-17 team is in South Korea for the World Cup. Believe it or not, they have a blog set up for it, though it's not signed by anyone, so I wonder who's writing it.

If you want to read along with me, here is the link.

Looks like they like the software too. Someone on this roster is the one writing the thing.

But there have been some interesting posts. Like, since the U.S. team's first round opponent is Tajikstan, they got a homework assignment from a Coach Hackworth. (Are these kids in High School or something? And what's wrong with summer vacation?). Here's the post:

Last night, the coaches asked the players to do some homework... they were to research Tajikistan and each present after dinner tonight something they found out about the homeland of their first World Cup opponent. The players impressed (we knew they would), presenting information about religion, politics, geography and population.

Fun fact: In Tajikistan, bread is considered to have a life of it's own. Never drop breadcrumbs or throw bread away with the other trash (thanks, Kirk!).

I am definitely going to have to remember not to drop breadcrumbs.

The other highlight? Busan is definitely not Club Med:

It was a 14-hour flight, but it wasn't as bad as it sounds... each seat had individual monitors to play movies, games, music or shop whenever you wanted. Most of the team tried to sleep as much as possible to pass the time, but movie selections included Shrek 3, Blades of Glory and Fracture.

We then got excellent treatment at the Seoul airport while waiting for our connection. We had ample security and several liasons to take us to the VIP lounge for a short time before hopping on the flight to Busan. The flight to Busan was a bit bumpy, but short nonetheless... about 45 minutes from take off to touch down. Lots of police with automatic weapons guarded our path to the charter bus, and a police escort led us on our way.

I mean, automatic weapons pulled out to escort 16 year old kids from the plane to the bus? Uhhh, did I miss something? South Koreans now want to kill our soccer players? Are they still mad about this incident in Salt Lake City? Hey, I don't like Anton Ohno that much either, but I thought this was all taken care of (what you're looking for is 1:38 in).

All I know is, another post has been about "repelling" [sic] out of the building in a hazmat suit. Fun stuff. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, ever book me a holiday stay in Busan, South Korea.

Bizarre News Story of the Week

Just because I know you're all getting sick of reading my boring dribble, here's something new and fun. Each Monday morning, I'll link to a news story that I found to be particularly funny, weird or that makes me just want to shake my head.

The inaugural (or what is the term for first weekly? Latin readers anyone?) story comes from the AP.

"E-ZPass is an E-ZPass to go directly to divorce court, because it's an easy way to show you took the off-ramp to adultery," said Jacalyn Barnett, a New York divorce lawyer who has used E-ZPass records a few times.

Are you kidding me? Seriously, who is her media coach, because he needs to be fired. How is there not even a Monopoly reference in that quote? Was it just too easy? Stick it in right after "to go directly to divorce court" and you're money. And how couldn't the editor work in something like that? This is what passes for journalism these days by the AP.

But wait, it gets better ....

"When you're marketed for this new convenience, you may not realize there are these types of costs," said Nicole Ozer of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.

Bob Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia turned Libertarian and privacy rights advocate, said people who want to protect their privacy shouldn't use electronic toll systems.

"People are foolish to buy into these systems without thinking, just because they want to save 20 seconds of time going through a toll booth," he said.

The ACLU and Bob Barr, who is most famous for helping run the Clinton impleachment on the House floor, is telling me that by saving 20 seconds I'm opening myself up to a vast left-wing conspiracy. Uhh, Bob, have you been inhaling the stuff that Georgia imports up to Tennessee? (25,000 lbs of weed along with meth and coke?) Have you not driven down the Jersey Turnpike and across the Delaware Memorial Bridge or the Garden State Parkway? Twenty seconds? I want to know what lane your black Suburban powers through on. So I can stay out of the way of the insurance assessors. And the ambulance chasing lawyers.