Fairly Odd News Items

What?? I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant

If you saw “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant” on TLC, you probably can’t stop wondering how it is possible for a woman not to know she’s pregnant and then slip into a bathroom stall and pop out a baby? It just seems so incomprehensible to me. How could you miss all of the signs—like the 20 pounds of weight gain in your belly or no period for nine months? Not so subtle, people.
In Chile an Olympic weightlifter, Elizabeth Poblete, was in the gym training for a competition when she felt a little bit sick. Wait for it … then as she bent and picked up a dumbbell a baby boy popped out of her. Surprise!

I’m thinking no one even knew what was going on because “weightlifting face” and “labor face” are not all that different. The 22-year-old had no idea that she was even pregnant and had just competed in a strenuous competition one week earlier where one of the judges said, “I could see she was a big girl, round and strong. That’s all I noticed.” Elizabeth and her three-month premature baby boy were taken to a hospital in Sao Paulo but have since been discharged, because Elizabeth claims she can’t afford to continue receiving treatment. I still don’t get it.
The Duggar Family’s 19th Child Has Arrived

Michelle and Jim Duggar (not to be confused with their procreating son and daughter-in-law, Josh and Anna) added baby number 19 to their ever-growing family on Dec 10th. Michelle was taken to the hospital for a gallstone, and Josie, the newest J-name, was delivered by emergency C-section. She weighed just 1 lb., 6 oz. and is currently in the NICU for extended care.
More surprising than the Duggars having another baby is their choice for Josie’s middle name: Brooklyn. David and Victoria Beckham certainly do know how to start trends.

2 Female Teachers Caught Naked In A Classroom Together

High school talent shows make me want to do many things. Wear earplugs. Break out into hives. Run. But they in no way, shape, or form make me want to take off my clothes. That wasn’t the case for two female teachers at a Brooklyn high school, who a janitor found “undressed” in a classroom together while their students were at a talent show. French teacher Cindy Mauro, 33, was known around the school for dressing super sexy and having lots of tats. Students said married Spanish teacher Alini Brito was pretty and friendly but not outwardly sexy. Hey, opposites attract, right? School officials won’t comment and students aren’t even supposed to bring up the subject in class but that hasn’t stopped them from setting up a Facebook group so they can gossip about this craziness. The teachers are currently being investigated and, in the meantime, have been reassigned. What do you think should happen to them, if anything?

Pinkstinks Boycotts Kids’ Stores That Sell Pink

Since I’ve always been a blue girl myself, I’ve never gotten the appeal of pink. So I’m kind of intrigued by Pinkstinks, a grassroots group in the U.K. that calls for boycotts on shops selling pink toys and clothes for girls. They say that the “pinkification” begins a narrowing of attitudes for girls—they fear pink may be the beginning of a convention where girls prefer being pretty to being smart. Pinkstinks hopes that by calling for boycotts, girls in the “pink stage” will be more aware of issues like “self esteem and confidence, raise their ambitions and ultimately improve their life chances,” according to the organization’s website. This seems like a bit of a reach, but Pinkstinks feels that forcing pink costumes and princess dresses on girls’ “is leading our daughters up a ‘pink alley.’” Despite that unfortunate phrasing (euphemism for vagina?), I have to admit that sounds plausible. But then again, can a color really have such influence on anyone? What do you think—worthwhile group or total overreaction?

Free Sex With A Postcard For Delegates At The World Climate Summit

Talk about a hilarious attempt by Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor Ritt Bjerregaard to keep a somber tone while hosting the World Climate Summit (COP15). She sent postcards out to local hotels urging COP15 guests and delegates to “Be Sustainable—Don’t Buy Sex.” Which is strange because prostitution has been legal in Denmark for 10 years. The local prostitute union was not amused. So they are now offering free sex for anyone bearing a COP15 badge and one of these now highly coveted postcards.

German Tabloid Newspaper Erects Giant Penis Sculpture Of Rival Editor

Two rival tabloids in Berlin, Tageszeitung (or Taz) and Bild have a rather hostile relationship, which has resulted in Taz putting a sculpture on the side of its building showing Bild‘s editor, Kai Diekmann, nude except for some slippers. And, uh, his wang spans five floors. Apparently, the art is viewable from the Bild offices and refers to a satirical piece Taz printed in 2002 which claimed that Diekmann had been the victim of genital-enhancement surgery gone awry. But not everyone at Taz thinks it’s funny. The new editor-in-chief isn’t psyched about seeing what he calls “a 6-meter-long schlong” every morning, calling it a “pathetic provocation.” But he also doesn’t want to appease Diekmann by taking it down. I’m no expert on boys, but something tells me that there are worse things you can do to a man than joke about his giant penis.
But, what about the children? Just because they’re German, doesn’t mean they should grow up being exposed to scarily massive manhood at every turn.

16-Year-Old Attempts To Sail Solo Around The World

Jessica Watson, 16, is an Australian sailor who is attempting to set a world record by being the youngest person to ever sail around the world solo. The Queensland resident left Sydney on October 18. From there, she will travel from Australia to New Zealand, Fiji to Kiribati, Chile to South Africa, and then back home to Australia, crossing the Equator along the way. Her journey, if she can complete it, will last eight months and cover 23,000 nautical miles. Not everyone is impressed by the young woman’s moxie, deeming it “ignorant to attempt such a feat, at such a tender age and with so little trans-ocean experience.” Meanwhile, Watson is blogging her adventure. Bon voyage, Jessica!