COVINGTON, Louisiana-

It was like a scene out of a Law and Order SVU episode or a Stephen King novel. It’s the type of personal nightmare that no one ever wants to face, but unfortunately happens too often. A kidnapping at the expense of a child. But the kidnapping in this particular story fortunately had a happy ending with the child safe and the perp arrested. The man in question, 45-year-old Tim Williams of Lacombe, Louisiana was driving through nearby Covington and ran into the wrong group of people and got himself in trouble.

Williams had limited, if any, criminal history at the time of the incident and his identity was unknown to witnesses. He was spotted driving through Covington in his pickup with a young girl bound and gagged with duct tape sitting in the passenger seat. Other motorists spotted the girl in the truck and acted quickly to call police and several even took it one step further and used their own vehicles to box his truck in, until police were able to arrive and rescue the poor girl.

When a scene like this is read in a good novel or seen played out well in a dramatic television show or movie, the rescue usually leaves readers/viewers with goosebumps. When it happens in real life, and a young girl’s life is saved, it is nothing less than breathtaking.

In my book anyone who takes another person against their will (especially an innocent child) is nothing short of a monster. But this one time I’m gonna have to give Tim Williams a: “Get Out of Monster Jail Free Card” then follow that with a: “You’re a Dumbass Card.” Tim Williams’ victim was his own 12 year old, flesh and blood, daughter…….and he hadn’t even kidnapped her. It was all an elaborate hoax to scare other motorists.

So I guess I don’t know enough about ole Timmy to say he’s a bad guy. For all I know he’s the salt of the Earth. But I can tell you two things for sure…..he was still arrested for criminal mischief and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and he is definitely a topnotch StrangeRush.com contender for idiot of the year.

The moral of the story: When trying to find ways to entertain your childish mind, and you wake up in the middle of the night with the idea to fake kidnap your own daughter, it’s probably time to check yourself into some sort of idiot rehab.

© 2011 StrangeRush.com

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Georgetown, Kentucky-

I’m not a gambling kind of guy. The most I will do is get $10-$20 worth of tickets when the Mega Millions lotto gets up to a couple hundred million. Most people don’t know that the odds of winning the whole thing (picking 5 numbers, plus the bonus number) are over 1 in 175 million. So the reality is any one person’s chances of winning a mega lotto are astronomically low. Yet, there is a lotto drawing twice a week, and eventually someone always wins the big money and the winners don’t usually seem to be more than a month or two apart (at the most) .

Pamela Ivey of Georgetown, Kentucky, was a lotto player. She went into an Apple Market and played the way she normally did. Ivey picked her numbers, but the clerk who checked her out accidentally used what is called the multiplier feature of the lotto, which added one extra ‘bonus’ number on the end, but also made her ticket go from $5 to $10. Pamela had the option to decline the inadvertently picked multiplier, but instead she glanced at the cashier’s name tag and thought, ‘Oh Susan, don’t do that to me.’

Pamela Ivey couldn’t afford the extra $5, but instead of declining it she went ahead and took it. When she looked for the winning numbers for the lotto drawing, her correctly picked numbers won her an amazing $250,000. But what about the accidental Multiplier number? Well, thanks to cashier Susan’s mistake, the Multiplier was correct too, and Pamela Ivey walked away with a cool million dollars, thanks the the multiplier number (that she didn’t want) quadrupling her winnings. After taxes, Ivey banked $690,000.

The moral of the story: Thank You, Susan!!!! I think someone owes you lunch…..or maybe a new car.

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MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, N.J.-

This is one of those laugh out loud moments. It was after hours at a PNC bank in New Jersey. The internal bank alarm sounded and police rushed to the scene. Through the windows of the bank police were able to see at least one person inside. The area was sealed off and three nearby apartment buildings were evacuated as a precaution.

Police negotiators used bullhorns and the telephone in an attempt to make contact with whoever was inside the bank. After repeatedly failing to make contact the SWAT team was instructed to enter the bank, where it identified the assailant as a cardboard figure used for advertising. It was not known what actually set off the alarm.

The moral of the story: While all the city police are busy arresting the cardboard figure, hurry up and rob the bank across town.

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CAMBRIDGE, Minnesota-

Growing up, my sister and I had one particular long term babysitter who watched us for nearly 10 years. During that time period she was a roll model and a bad influence all wrapped in one. There was one thing in particular that she taught my sister and me……and that was how to prank call, and how to do it very well. In a day and age years before caller ID, we anonymously called friends and random numbers, over the years making many calls to unsuspecting people. We asked them various stupid questions, which would conclude with a few giggles then a hangup. It’s been nearly 30 years and a lot has changed in that time (most notably the addition of caller ID) so I’m sure the number of prank calls made in the United States and worldwide have dropped substantially. I personally gave up prank calling many years ago, but I’m not so sure about our old babysitter.

In Cambridge, Minnesota, a poor 69-year-old woman was the target of a nasty and cruel prank caller. The woman was called and threatened 45 times in one day with horrible threats like, “I’m gonna kill you”, “You’re going to die” and “I’m watching you.” Fearing for her life, the terrified woman called the police, and they came to her house to answer calls and hear the caller’s threats with their own ears. With modern technology the calls were easily traced to a 21-year-old female and her 20-year-old accomplice.

The immature and insensitive young ladies each faced five felony counts including harassment. When interviewed the primary prankster said that she was bored and wanted to have some fun. She said she wanted to scare the older victim, but never really wanted her dead. She added that she knew it was wrong to harass the older woman, but didn’t know it was illegal.

I already admitted that with assistance and coaching I’ve made a few prank calls in my time, but even our calls, back in the day, were always of an innocent nature. Our old babysitter had a huge heart and was/is a very good person. She would have never encouraged, nor allowed, us to prank call in a threatening nature. So in my opinion, the judge should throw the book at these two nasty young ladies for scaring the life out of an innocent old lady. But you know things are not that simple on StrangeRush.com, and I know you are expecting more. So let me give you just a little bit more fun to chew on……the primary culprit in this story was prank calling her own grandmother.

The moral of the story: If you’re looking for a immediate and surefire way to cut yourself out of Granny’s will, read and follow the directions above.

© 2011 StrangeRush.com

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 Jordan -

This is for all you hopeless romantics out there, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

This is for all you hopeless romantics out there. Like so many other millions of people worldwide a Jordanian couple, Adnan and Jamila met on the internet and fell madly in love. Using the amazing internet as a vehicle of love, their relationship sizzled as the two young lovers shared dreams, goals, hobbies, values, and made wedding plans for the future. What better love could there possibly be? They had each found their soulmate.

There was only one small problem…..both of the lovers were already married, Adnan to Sanaa and Jamila to Bakr. They were each in a seven month break from their respective spouses, giving them both the time to find their perfect love on the internet, each other. Determined to be together Adnan and Jamila plotted escapes from each of their unhappy marriages, knowing they would be together forever.

So far so good? Well sure, but you know there’s a catch. And the catch occurred on the day they could no longer take it and had to meet in person. They agreed to meet at a bus depot and further plan their wedding. But there would be no wedding necessary, not for these two. They were already married, Adnan was Bakr and Jamila was Sanaa. So much for living happily ever after.

The moral of the story: When you meet someone on the internet and decide you are in love, it’s a wise idea to ask for a picture before you plan the wedding.

(Thanks to my friend who pointed out this story is exactly like the classic song Escape by Rupert Holmes. Watch the video below.)

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ERIE, Pennsylvania-

I suppose anyone who gambles long enough is bound to win some money eventually. Play long enough and the odds are, at some point, you will make a little cash back. But the question is, after years of gambling and dumping thousands upon thousands of dollars into the addiction, and when one finally wins some money, are they ahead of the game or still behind? For most people the answer is behind, after all, if people won more money than they lost, casinos would be out of business. Naturally, over a lifetime, some fortunate people will win more than they donate to the house, but those rare individuals are few and far between.

In Erie, Pennsylvania, an unidentified 55-year-old man didn’t strike it rich on the slot machines at the Erie’s Presque Isle Downs & Casino, but he did win enough to make anyone smile, $2,001 to be exact. If I was a gambler (which I’m not) and I won $2K you’d sure see a big smile on my face. But for this lucky…..then unlucky gambler, his winning take would be promptly removed from him. He didn’t get to keep the winnings because he had been banned from the casino, in fact, he had been banned from all casinos in the entire state. Now, I’ve heard of being banned from one casino, nearly 20 years ago I had a friend get banned from a casino in Las Vegas for gambling before he was 21 years old; but being banned from every casino in the entire state of Pennsylvania seems a little harsh.

That is until you look at the particulars and what this banned man did to earn his banishment from the kingdom of every casino in the state of Pennsylvania. He must have been a really bad boy, huh? Well, it’s probably not quite what you’re expecting. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has a program for problem gamblers that is a ‘self-exclusion program’. Any person in the state can voluntarily choose to ban themselves from all state casinos for one year, five years, or for life. And that is exactly what this man did. It was not clear how long he’d chosen to ban himself, but it was clear that he did forfeit the $2,001 he had won and the winnings would go into a compulsive and problem gambler’s treatment fund (hopefully in his name).

But there is more to this story. Included with forfeiting his take, he was also charged with criminal trespassing because he’s not allowed to even enter any casino in the entire state (sure would be nice to have an extra $2,000 laying around to pay any fines and/or court fees).

You kind of have to feel a little bad for this guy, but not too bad because the reality of it is he had to have known better, he created the whole mess for himself. And in the long run will probably benefit from his self-imposed exile.

The moral of the story: It’s obvious……if you enter a program banning yourself from all state casinos, either stay out, or fly to Vegas.

© 2011 StrangeRush.com

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LIVERPOOL, England –

(Please read the post before watching the video below)

Curt Willi Jurant, a German National, was traveling on a weekend flight with his beloved wife Gitta Jurant and his stepdaughter Anke Anusic (both also German) from Liverpool to Berlin. At 91 years old, Mr. Jurant didn’t move well and was in failing health, so the two ladies in his life had to constantly assist him with everything he did. After getting everything ready, the ladies put the old man into a cab with them and headed to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. Upon arrival an airport worker assisted the ladies in getting Mr. Jurant out of the cab and into his wheelchair. They wheeled him into the terminal and up to the ticket booth where they started waiting in line.

Andrew Millea, the worker who assisted getting him into the wheelchair alerted his superiors that something wasn’t right. Airport personnel and first aid workers approached Mr. Jurant and his loved ones and inquired about his condition, evidently he was slumped over in his chair. The ladies assured them he was quite all right, that was how he always slept. They asked why he was wearing sunglasses? They said he was blind and one of his eyes was pushed up and quite ugly so they didn’t want people staring at him. They asked about the pale completion off his skin. They said he’s a little pale but that’s the normal color of his skin.

Andrew Millea had alerted his superiors that when he helped get the man out of the cab he was, “Ice cold, and he knew straight away that the man was dead.” (As if you didn’t already know that.) But the ladies had tried to reassure him he was not.

Game over, you’re busted.

Now that the first strange part of this strange story is done, how about the second part? When it was finally determined that the man was in fact dead, both women insisted he was not, that was just the way he was. Finally, when they agreed that he was deceased, they adamantly denied that they knew anything about it, and insisted he was alive when they left home for the 40 mile trip to the airport. Possible? Very unlikely, but sure, I suppose anything’s possible……that is until the coroner’s record stated that Willi had been dead for at least 12 hours……damn Euro cab drivers can’t drive anywhere in a timely manner anymore. It was clear that Willi did die of natural causes, so the ladies were not accused of foul play, but they were arrested and charged with failing to give notification of a death.

To this day, both women deny they knew Curt Willi Jurant was dead when they tried to check him onto a plane. And his poor widow told the BBC of her husband, “He was the best man in the world, my Willi was my God. Willi was a fantastic man and I loved him very much. This is all crazy, I would never do such a thing.”

I’m sure Mrs. Jurant is honestly a grieving widow, and I really do mean that, after all, he did die of natural causes, but she really didn’t know he was dead? Come on, Gitta……something smells a little fishy here.

The moral of the story: When you idiotically try and smuggle your dead husband on to a plane and get caught, at least admit you knew he was dead the whole time.

One final question: Why would they try to smuggle a dead body out of England and into Germany in the first place? Speculation was because it can be very expensive and time consuming to embalm a body, pay for a coffin, and pay freight charged to get it into Germany. It’s much cheaper to get to Germany when you’re alive.

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LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia-

In an economy that gets tighter and tighter each and every year, with no end in sight, it seems like fewer and fewer companies are giving out yearly bonuses anymore. And the companies that still are, seem to be continuously reducing what “they say” they are able to distribute amongst employees. There is a debate: are bonuses a right or a privilege? In different cases both are true. Some people have bonuses built into their pay structure while others have bonuses that are given as a ‘true’ bonus at the end of the year as a Holiday/Christmas bonus. Commonly now, even end of the year bonuses, which are truly customary, and by no means obligatory for companies, have become an expectation by millions of employees worldwide.

So what about those bonuses that are not required, but companies just give them out because they want to. That’s what happened to 180 employees in Gwinnett County, Georgia. They were given bonuses but ‘after the fact’ county officials decided the bonuses were overpaid. The county’s chief financial officer, Aaron Bovos said a project was started to, “clean up receivables and to eliminate outstanding obligations”……….What the hell does that mean? The county actually wanted to collect back $39,000 in bonuses it paid to 180 employees. County officials blamed it on a payroll anomaly when the county adjusted employees’ payroll cycles. If distributed equally, do the math, that’s $216 dollars per person. Not thousands of dollars each, but still a lot of money, hell, it’s a car payment.

Employees were told they could apply the money to vacation leave or make a cash payment……..So here’s my thinking, I’d go tell the County of Gwinnett to pound sand, or more accurately to, kiss my a—!!! And that’s what I feel any and all of the 180 employees should tell them. But the county asking for these people to return these bonuses is not the real kicker here…….let me lay that part of it on you now. This ‘payroll anomaly’ did not occur on last years payroll, not even on the payroll from two, five, nor even 10 years ago. How about 16 years ago! The GREAT county of Gwinnett, Georgia is asking 180 employees to return a bonus they received in 1994. Are you kidding me? If I were the county’s CFO, Aaron Bovos I’d be embarrassed and ashamed to even ‘think’ about the “clean up receivables and to eliminate outstanding obligations” project. To top off the already ridiculous, I’m sure the county paid someone $40,000 for one year’s salary to uncover this huge clerical mistake.

Question for all you Gwinnett County executives: are any of you the slightest bit embarrassed and ashamed that YOUR county is asking for money back that it GAVE away years and years and years ago, when Bill Clinton was still in the first part of his first term in office? (Wow, that really puts it into perspective).

The moral of the story: If you currently serve in some “official” capacity for the County of Gwinnett, Georgia, save your bonuses, someday they’re gonna want them back.

© 2010 StrangeRush.com

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SACRAMENTO, California-

Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” It’s a very viable (alternative) definition of the word insanity, but by no means is the only (nor best) definition. Insanity typically means out of one’s mind and generally has a negative connotation. But insanity can also mean crazy in terms of doing something out of the norm.

I find myself a bit haunted by the visual images I get when I think of my most recent exposure to what I personally consider, “Insanity”. On January 1, 2012, 60 Minutes did a segment about a young man named, Alex Honnold. Alex could be considered quite normal by most accounts and from his interview appears to be an absolutely wonderful and caring human being. Despite an amazing attitude and a huge zest for life, Alex Honnold is not like everyone else. On the surface he’s just like any other “nice guy” you’d come across. But 26-year-old Alex Honnold is quite unique in once specific way, he’s one of the best rock climbers in the world. And according to some, he may be the best.

But being one of the best rock climbers in the world is not what sets Alex apart from his rock climbing peers. Few in the rock climbing community would argue the fact that Alex Honnold is likely the best free soloing rock climber in the world. Alex has set several speed records for free soloing in places like the 3,000 foot high El Capitan in Yosemite, which he completed in five hours and 49 minutes (typically taking 2-4 days). He is the only person known to have free soloed the Northwest Face of Half Dome in Yosemite.

The amazing and “insane” part of this style of climbing is not just that it’s done with speed in mind, but also that there’s a freedom with free soloing that probably can’t be found doing anything else. When climbing a wall like the 3,000 foot tall El Capitan, there’s a certain point of no return, meaning that once you cross that point on the wall (maybe 50-75 feet up), it’s impossible to go back down, the only way off the rock is straight up.

Imagine for a moment you’re 2,000 feet up, on the side of an enormous rock, with 1,000 feet to go to get to the top. What happens if you cramp up, or a gust of wind causes you to lose your grip? Scary, yes, but at least there are ropes and gear to protect you in the event you accidentally slip and fall. Well, that’s not the way it works when free soloing.

Free soloing is exactly that, free of all restrictions and assistance and out there on the rock totally on your own. All that a free solo climber has on their person is rock climbing shoes, the clothes they’re wearing, maybe a little food and water, some climbing power in a pouch in their back, and their trusty hands. And that’s it. One wrong move and a slip and there’s a 100% guarantee he’ll plunge hundreds or thousands of feet to his death. And in this case, I don’t think imminent death would be the worst part of it. It’s the 11 seconds it would take to hit the ground, and a lot can go through one’s mind in 11 seconds. And when he hits the bottom……it will be at roughly 240 mph give or take a few mph. And at that point I figure the faster the better so not to feel a damn thing upon completion of the journey.

Alex Honnold has been documented on both National Geographic and 60 Minutes (see videos below). He’s estimated to have logged over 1,000 individual free solo climbs. I checked out Alex Honnold’s Facebook page and many people compliment him on what he does and the courage to get out there and embrace his passion. On that account I completely agree, but there’s a certain part of me begging to ask the obvious question of Alex and all free solo climbers, “Are you out of your damn minds?”

Free soloing has claimed the lives of others in the past and will again in the future. It’s the nature of the beast. The whole practice in itself is just asking for disaster and it’s really only a matter of time. I fully respect Alex and his peers’ rights to do whatever floats their boats, I just feel it’s insanity and it’s rawest form.

Admittedly, I know nothing about rock climbing except for what I’ve seen on TV and on the internet. And ropes or no ropes you’ll never find me on the side of a rock mountain going up. But doesn’t it make sense if you must partake in such a dangerous activity, wouldn’t some sort of a lightweight parachute make sense (just in case)? Maybe it’s a stupid idea, since I know nothing about it. Obviously, if someone fell from a fairly low altitude they’d never have a chance to pull the cord, or if they stayed too close to the wall it wouldn’t work either. But at least it’s a fighting chance when that fateful day does come, because the odds are, it will eventually come. It only takes one slip.

But who knows……maybe I just don’t get it.

The moral of the story: When you have family and friends who love you, you at least owe it to them to take little precautions that could eventuality save your life.

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JERUSALEM, Israel-

It appears as though the Daddy of all social media websites is going to be suing someone. Being a BIG business and suing someone (or being sued) is all part of the BIG business game. And it’s one of the main reasons large companies keep many attorneys on retainer.

This time it looks like Facebook may be the one who’s going to be throwing their weight around. They are going after a man who has an online business he calls a Like Store. A “Like Store” promises to enhance a client’s reputation by offering Facebook users free content that they will only get if they click the “like” button on certain companies’ profiles.

Gaining publicity by encouraging people to “like” your Facebook page is not a new concept, in fact, everyone seems to be doing it. But in the case at hand, Facebook has notified the owner of this particular Like Store, that the way he is running his online store is illegal. Facebook attorneys have advised him that he needs to close his online store immediately. Interestingly, he does not challenge the fact that his store violates the Facebook terms of use, he just says many other online stores offer similar services, so he has no plans to stop.

He’s so adamant about continuing his business plan that it appears he’s forcing Facebook to sue him. Knowing the size and strength of the dragon he’s taking on, he’s come up with a unique legal gimmick to try and slay his dragon. He’s forcing Facebook to sue none other than Mark Zuckerberg. And for anyone who’s been residing under a rock for the last five years, Mark Zuckerberg is the multi-billionaire founder and CEO of Facebook.

Confused? Well, Facebook would obviously not sue “THE” Mark Zuckerberg, it’s dedicated boss, rather a cheap knock-off. Israeli entrenpeur, Rotem Guez elected to legally change his name to Mark Zuckerberg in a strange attempt to get the Daddy of all social media to back off it’s threats of a lawsuit. Mark Zuckerberg (the artificial one) stated, “If you want to sue me, you’re going to have to sue Mark Zuckerberg.”

A very interesting idea, that could work, but could also backfire. When taking on a company of virtually unlimited power cash flow, you have to expect they’ll come at you with very high powered attorneys. Will the ploy work? Who knows……Time will tell. I suppose you never really know until you try.

The Moral of the Story: If you play with fire you get burned.