Weird Quiz of the Year 2007

How much attention have you been paying to our tales of depravity, deviance and despair this year? Take our Weird Quiz of the Year to find out!

1. Bryan Killian, a Pastafarian (one who worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster), was suspended from school for a day because of his religious clothing. What was he dressed as?

a) A zombie
b) A ninja
c) A robot
d) A pirate

2. 'Octopig' was the name given to a piglet born in Croatia with six legs and two penises. But how many anuses did Octopig have?

a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3

3. Mozart suffered a problem with his penis in 2007 – it became permanently erect, causing him serious discomfort, and eventually it had to be surgically removed. Fortunately, he had a spare penis, so the loss wasn't so bad. What sort of creature was Mozart?

a) A pig
b) An iguana
c) An ostrich
d) A human

4. By far the greatest legal defence this year was one man's claim that he only robbed a lingerie shop at knifepoint because he believed that he was a magical female elf called Buho. But where did his elven crime take place?

a) Belgium
b) Florida
c) Northern Ireland
d) Venezuela

5. He saved a dolphin by reaching down its throat. He searched for a wife, and found one. He met the world's smallest man. He is Bao Xishun, he was until recently the world's tallest man, and he was undoubtedly our hero of the year. But how tall is he?

a) 7ft 6 in
b) 7 ft 9 in
c) 8 ft 2 in
d) 8 ft 5 in

6. Christmas the Hamster was brought back from the dead, after he was badly burned when his cage was left on top of an oven hob and burst into flames. What well-known drink did firemen use to resurrect him?

a) Ribena
b) Vimto
c) Irn Bru
d) Bacardi Breezer

7. Which American actress was the subject of mysterious graffiti which appeared across London (and further afield) this year?

a) Katie Holmes
b) Bea Arthur
c) Whoopi Goldberg
d) Brooke Shields

8. In 2007, in which US state was a missile found in a junkyard, a policeman mauled by a squirrel, the infamous 'naked tickler' finally captured, a man stabbed to death over a game of Yahtzee, and a doctor arrested while dressed as Captain America with a burrito down his pants?

a) Iowa
b) Florida
c) Texas
d) New York

And finally, a tie-breaker:

9. How many stories in the Weird section had the word 'nude' in the headline in 2007?

a) 15
b) 19
c) 27
d) 34

Highlight below to find the answers:

Answers:
1) He dressed as a pirate, as all good Pastafarians must
2) Octopig had 2 anuses
3) Mozart was a permanently erect iguana
4) Buho stole the bras in Northern Ireland
5) Bao Xishun is 7ft 9in tall
6) The hamster was brought back to life with a few drops of Ribena
7) Brooke Shields had an Alphabet
8) Florida, of course
9) 27 (or 28 if you include a caption competition)

How you did:
0-2: You simply haven't been paying attention this year, have you? Cretin.
3-5: You've got a fair amount of weird knowledge, but there's plenty of room to improve.
6-8: You have a powerful an impressive grasp of all things weird, knowledge that you no doubt use to make yourself a much sought-after figure on the dinner-party circuit.
9: Freak.

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Hole in the Wall for Smokers

A German bar owner has got round a smoking ban by cutting holes in the wall so customers can stick their heads out to have a cigarette.

Michael Windisch, owner of the Maltermeister Turm bar and restaurant in Goslar, Lower Saxony, cut three holes next to tables in his restaurant after local authorities introduced the ban on smoking in all eating places.

Customers who want to smoke can stick their heads through the large holes and their hands through the other two so they can have a cigarette. A curtain has been mounted to keep out the cold.

Mr Windisch said that using the "smoking point," customers could put their heads through a large hole and their hands through two smaller side-holes, then legally enjoy a cigarette without having to go outside.

Windisch said, "Now my customers can legally enjoy a cigarette without having to leave the comfort of the restaurant."

Local media have claimed the idea is likely to catch on in other parts of the country where blanket bans in smoking in restaurants are to be introduced from the New Year.

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The Top 10 Most Valuable Comic Books In The World

	#9 Whiz Comics #1 Published in February 1940-and confusingly labeled "2", it was the first comic book to feature Captain Marvel. Approximate value in 2004 (In "near mint" condition): $84,0000 USD.
	#9 (Tie With Whiz Comics #1) More Fun Comics #52 The Spectre made his debut in the issue dated February 1940. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $84,000 USD.
	#8 Flash Comics #1 Dated January 1940, and featuring the Flash, it is rare because it was produced in small numbers for promotional purposes, and was unique as issue number 2 was retitled "Whiz Comics" Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $97,000 USD.
	#6 Captain America Comics #1 Published in March 1941, this was the original comic book in which Captain America appeared. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $125,000 USD.
	#6 (Tie with Captain America #1) Batman #1 Published in Spring, 1940, this was the first comic book devoted to Batman. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $125,000 USD.
	#5 All American Comics #16 The Green Lantern made his debut in the issue dated July 1940. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $160,000 USD.
	#4 Superman #1 The first comic book devoted to Superman, reprinting the original Action Comics story, was published in the summer of 1939. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $270,000 USD.
	#3 Marvel Comics #1 The Human Torch and other heroes were first introduced in the issue dated October 1939. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $330,000 USD.
	#2 Detective Comics #27 Issued in May 1939, it is prized as the first comic book to feature Batman. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $375,000 USD.
	#1 Action Comics #1 Published in June of 1938, the first issue of Action Comics marked the original appearance of Superman. Approximate Value (In "near mint" condition): $440,000 USD.

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Rhino Foundation Says Give Rhino Shit For Christmas

Stumped about what to give that special someone this Christmas? How about some rhino poop? The International Rhino Foundation is auctioning separately on eBay four pieces of dung from the endangered species and will use the proceeds to fund conservation efforts.

The pieces come from four of the five types of rhino: white, black, Indian and Sumatran. The Javan rhino is so rare, a sample could not be collected.

Each piece is dried, mounted in a clear trophy case and marked with the type of rhino that produced it.

The auction ends Sunday and as of Thursday afternoon bidding had been light, with the top bid for Sumatran rhino poop standing at $500. Black rhino poop was standing at $255, Indian was at $250 and white was at $122.50.

The foundation, which is based at the White Oak Conservation Center, says only about 17,500 rhinos remain in the wild with another 1,200 living in captivity.

The International Rhino Fund: http://www.rhinos-irf.org

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Man Makes London Tower Bridge With 1.6 Million Matches

Michael Williams spent 10 years designing and building a famous London landmark out of matchsticks, and now it's complete.

The 41-year-old created a complete replica of London's Tower Bridge out of 1.6 million matches. The road layer says he spent every evening after work crafting the 6 foot-long structure.


Michael Williams spent 10 years designing and building a famous London landmark out of matchsticks, and now it's complete.

The 41-year-old created a complete replica of London's Tower Bridge out of 1.6 million matches. The road layer says he spent every evening after work crafting the 6 foot-long structure.

He had also covered it with 156 working lights, but that almost cost him his all his hard work as it was about to go up in flames: "My brother said he saw smoke coming out of it and I looked across, switched it off and decided to rip all the lights out."

The model may just be a much smaller replica, but it took two years longer to build than the real thing, which was built in the late 1800s.

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Swedes lose battle to bathe topless

Swedish women who want to go topless on beaches and in swimming pools have lost their legal battle to strip off.

The case, taken by two women who were barred from baring at a public pool, has been rejected by the country's equality watchdog.

They wanted to be given the right to bathe topless, and claimed women were victims of discrimination.

However, Anne-Marie Bergstrom, the equal opportunities ombudsman, scuppered the plea by dropping this bombshell: 'There is a physical difference between a woman's upper body and that of a man.'

She added: 'There is also a great difference between how people in general perceive men's and women's bodies.

'It is therefore hard to maintain that [the topless women] were in a comparable situation to men who bathed with naked upper bodies.'

The case has sparked widespread debate in Sweden, and led to the formation of the Bara Bradiost, or the Just Breasts campaign.

One of the women who brought the case, 22-year-old Ragnhild Karlsson, said: 'Of course we are disappointed. I think it's sad that society is the way it is - that men don't have to cover their upper bodies but women do.'

Although she rejected the case, the ombudsman maintained it was important that the issue had been raised.

'The case has achieved a lot of attention and it is good that we can have a discussion about unequal rules for the bodies of men and women,' she said.

Despite the setback, Ms Karlsson says the campaign will still continue through 'political means'.

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Human skin book bears image of hanged

A 17th century book believed to be bound in the skin of a priest executed for treason appears to bear a "spooky" image of his face on the cover, auctioneers said today.

The account of the death of Gunpowder Plot conspirator Father Henry Garnet is described by experts as "rare and macabre".

Sid Wilkinson, from Wilkinson's Auctioneers in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, who will be selling the book on Sunday, said he could see the Jesuit priest's face peering out from the cover.

He said: "It's a little bit spooky because the front of the book looks like it has the face of a man on it, which is presumed to be the victim's face."

Lot number 181 is so unusual that there is no reserve price attached to it.

A True And Perfect Relation Of The Whole Proceedings Against The Late Most Barbarous Traitors, Garnet A Jesuit And His Confederates was printed by Robert Barker, printer to the king, and published in 1606, only months after Garnet's execution.

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