Offbeat - News April 25, 2011

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Man dressed as clown going to prison for blackmail (O-R Online)
Despite the clown outfit, the threat was no joke. A Redwood City man who police say wore a clown suit to pick up extortion money from his immigrant relatives has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Detention Center immigrant sews lips together in protest (weirdwebtoday)
A Christmas Island detainee protesting his treatment was taken to the Curtin Immigration Detention Center medical center for sewing his lips together.

500-year-old book surfaces in Utah (WLUK-TV Green Bay)
Book dealer Ken Sanders has seen a lot of nothing in his decades appraising "rare" finds pulled from attics and basements, storage sheds and closets.

Bullet lodged in man's brain for 23 years (telegraph.co.uk)
A two-centimetre rusted bullet, embedded in the head of a farmer for 23 years, has been removed at a local hospital.

Swiss flock to watch giant stinking flower bloom (hosted.ap)
Thousands of plant lovers have flocked to the northern Swiss city of Basel to see a giant, stinky flower bloom for the first time.

Burglars steal hair from business (hosted.ap)
Chicago police have a real head-scratching case on their hands as they try to root out who stole human hair from a beauty-supply company.

Easter Bunny Shoot Draws Outrage (MyFoxPhilly)
ALEXANDRA, New Zealand -- The shooting of more than 23,000 rabbits in New Zealand during a charity hunting event held over the Easter vacation weekend has drawn fire from animal welfare campaigners.

Woman Finds Alligator In Bedroom (MyFoxPhilly)
PALMETTO, Fla. -- A Florida homeowner was left tentatively checking every inch of her property Sunday after returning home to find a six-foot alligator in one of her bedrooms, according to local broadcaster Bay News 9. Alexis Dunbar recalled the moment she came face to face with the most unwelcome of visitors, saying, "I look to the right, and ...

Charlie Sheen 'Losing' One of His Goddesses; Dumped by SMS (huliq)
It is questionable if Charlie Sheen is still "winning," as he at least has lost one thing: one of his two goddesses.

'Rio' speaks louder than 'Madea,' repeats at No. 1 (WKYC)
Anne Hathaway and Jake Eisenberg's talking birds have edged out Tyler Perry's sass-talking grandma at the weekend box office.

No 'Obey' for Her: Kate Middleton to Remove 'Obey' from Wedding Vows (huliq)
As the future King of England, Prince William is entitled to many things, but expecting Princess Katherine to "obey" subserviently will not be one of them, according to a report.

Child porn arrests: why changing a new router's password is a top priority (examiner)
What's the first thing you should do when you get a new wi-fi router? No, it isn't setting up your network. The first thing you should do is change the wi-fi router password.

Internet star Antoine Dodson arrested Saturday (KSDK NewsChannel 5)
Internet viral video hit Antoine Dodson is accused of possession of marijuana and other minor charges in his home state of Alabama.

Lady Gaga Fan Misses Concert After Seizure, Upset About Concert As Much As Heart Stoppage (huliq)
A Lady Gaga fan was forced to miss a concert last week, after suffering a seizure which caused her heart to stop.

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