Odd News... December 2010

[Bungleau]

Embalmed head of France's King Henri IV found By Stefano Ambrogi LONDON (Reuters) – A team of scientists say they have positively identified an embalmed head, presumed lost in the chaos of the French Revolution, as that of King Henri IV of France who was assassinated in 1610. The head was apparently lost after revolutionaries desecrated the graves of French kings in the royal basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris in 1793. Few remains of those bodies have ever been found and positively identified since. But a team of experts using advanced scientific techniques say they have conclusively identified the head, passed down over the centuries by private collectors, as that of the monarch. The multi-disciplinary team, led by forensic pathologist Philippe Charlier, announced the discovery in the British Medical Journal. Charlier said features consistent with those of the king's face were found including "a dark mushroom-like lesion" near the right nostril, a healed facial stab wound and a pierced right earlobe. The king is known to have sported an earring, along with others from the Valois court. Head hairs and remnants of a mustache and beard, colored red and white, on the mummified head fit with the known characteristics of the king's hair at the time of his death. Many features matched those in portraits of the king, the team said. Charlier said three "cutting wounds" were also visible, corresponding to the separation of the head from the body by a revolutionary in 1793. Radiocarbon dating also gave a date of between 1450 and 1650, "nicely bracketing the year of his death," the report said. In addition, a digital facial reconstruction of the skull was fully consistent with all known representations of the king and the plaster mold of his face made just after his death. Henri IV was one of the most popular French kings, known as "the good King Henry" and as "the green gallant," because of his attractiveness to women. In 1598, nine years after ascending the throne, he enacted the Edict of Nantes which guaranteed religious liberties to Protestants and brought to a close over 30 years of fighting between French Protestants and Catholics. He was assassinated in Paris at the age of 57 by Catholic fanatic Francois Ravaillac. Jacques Perot, director of the Societe Henri IV in France, said the head will be buried next year in the Basilica of Saint-Denis. "It will be a beautiful ceremony," he told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Maria-Victoria Buffery) (Editing by Steve Addison)

I *knew* there was something I was missing... anyone seen my head? Oh, thanks!

[Bungleau]

Running red light leads to 500-pound marijuana bust NEW YORK (Reuters) – Police stopped a driver for running a red light and discovered more than 500 pounds of marijuana inside his minivan, authorities said on Monday. Clement Hunter, 30, was awaiting arraignment on Monday following his arrest on drug charges, authorities said. Hunter ran a red traffic light in the city's Queens borough early on Sunday morning and tried to evade police for several blocks, police said. When he was pulled over, the 513 pounds of marijuana stuffed into large garbage bags was partly visible inside his minivan, police said. He faces 50 counts of felony possession of marijuana as well as charges of reckless endangerment and fleeing officers. The source of the marijuana and Hunter's destination were still under investigation, police said. (Reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr., editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Greg McCune)

Ya know, among the best times to follow the law is when you're in the middle of doing something illegal...

[Bungleau]

Cops: Man playing real-life 'Frogger' hit by SUV A man has been hospitalized after police in South Carolina say he was hit by an SUV while playing a real-life version of the video game "Frogger." Authorities said the 23-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Anderson after he was struck at around 9 p.m. Monday. In the "Frogger" arcade game, players move frogs through traffic on a busy road and through a hazard-filled river. Before he was hit, police say the man had been discussing the game with his friends. Chief Jimmy Dixon says the man yelled "go" and darted into oncoming traffic in the four-lane highway. No charges are expected against the driver. The name of the man who was struck has not been released. He was in stable condition Monday night.

Once again, we are reminded that there's a difference between the real world and the gaming world. And once again, there's proof that some people don't quite understand it.

Although, I personally think he was distracted when a bug appeared near him...