News of the Weird: Ad campaign is out of this world

The Lexington (Kentucky) Convention and Visitors Bureau appears to be desperate for tourists, the Associated Press reported. It is using an infrared laser to send messages toward potentially habitable planets in a solar system 40 light years away, luring extraterrestrials with “lush green countryside ... (and) famous bluegrass.” Lexington native Robert Lodder, an expert in astrobiology and SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), conceived the idea, and linguistics expert Andrew Byrd consulted: “We included ... the molecular structure for water, bourbon and even dopamine ... because Lexington is fun!” he said. See you in 2064!

Jessica Beatty, 42, of Clearwater, Fla., thought she might throw off the court by submitting someone else’s urine for a mandated drug test, the Smoking Gun reported. She didn’t choose just any old random donor, though. She allegedly collected urine from her aunt’s dog. Beatty was arrested on Dec. 28 for possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license; she had priors for cocaine possession and other offenses. When she was confronted on Jan. 11 for her “fraudulent urine sample,” she admitted that it was an attempt to trick the police. Her bond is likely to be revoked, sending her back to jail. The dog is in the clear, however.

You’ll need your dictionary for this one. In York, England, signs have been popping up that appear to encourage citizens to “exercise obtundity,” the BBC reported on Jan. 17. Of course, no one knows what that word means: “Knowing the police, it could be anything,” said one resident. Social media has come alive with speculation about the signs, but it turns out that “Exercise Obtundity” is the name of a training program involving the York City Council, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and the signs are merely warnings of streets that might be closed during the activities. Stand down.

A man in Sulphur Springs, Texas, was arrested on Jan. 9 for stealing a Lamborghini in Houston, KLTV reported. The alleged carjacker, Everett Van Jennings, 34, parked the sports car in his own garage, police reported — along with two other vehicles he had nicked. Police said that together they were valued at $500,000. The Lamborghini’s owner tracked the car using a GPS device and set off the lights and alarms. Law enforcement got a search warrant and along with the cars found materials used in VIN swapping. Jennings was charged with multiple felonies.

Everyone knows that opening a bag of potato chips can be as challenging as breaking into a bank vault, especially if you’re hungry. But on Jan. 3, a 75-year-old man in Dalton, Ga., used an unorthodox — and dangerous — method that landed him in the hospital, the Charlotte Observer reported. The man tried to use a lighter to burn a hole in his bag of chips, resulting in third-degree burns to about 75% of his body and destroying the recliner he was sitting in. Police warned that chips, with their high concentration of fat and carbohydrates, are highly flammable. Try a pair of scissors.