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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Sep 14, 2016
September 14, 2016
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Checking the Food Chain:
Dontcha hate it when you're trying to rush out of the office at the end of the day to get home only to find out you can't leave because a bunch of polar bears have surrounded your office? There are some scientists in Russia who can totally relate! Five meteorologists posted on a remote Russian island have been trapped for nearly two weeks by polar bears that have swarmed the area. NBC News says the weather station is located on one of the Izvestiy TSIK Islands (try: Izz-ves-Tee teh-sik) in the high Arctic --some 28-hundred miles from Moscow and closer to northern Canada than the Russian capital.
Polar bears are not uncommon in the area, which is surrounded by pack ice in the winter. But the local polar bear population has more than doubled this year to around a dozen. The stranded meteorologists have run out of the flares they use to scare off the bears... and some of the bears have taken to sleeping right outside the windows of the outpost! (Why? Because meteorologists are delicious!)
Despite being trapped by bears who would love to see what they taste like with ketchup, the scientists are not in any immediate danger. The nearest Russian weather bureau is 12-hundred miles south of their island --a week away by boat. There is a plan to send a ship with more flares and devices that cause "small explosions." to scare away the bears. But until then, the scientists have had to abandon some of their outdoor work. In a satellite phone interview, one of the scientists was totally chill about the situation, saying, "Worst case, the station chief has a gun."
For the record, it's illegal in Russia to shoot a polar bear unless it's in self-defense... so shooting their way out like Rick-Grimes-surrounded-by-zombie-walkers (if those zombies were polar bears) is not really an option... Yet! (Bartha)Pet Patrol:
An Australian woman spent hundreds of dollars saving her pet's life. Her pet goldfish, that is.
EMMA MARSH of Brisbane says, "I treat fish like they're any other pet." That explains why Marsh handed over $372-dollars to Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services for anesthetic and surgery to dislodge a tiny pebble the fish had swallowed. The procedure was successful and the goldfish --named CONQUER-- is now recovering at home. (Still)Trolling for publicity:
CHRIS STAPLETON has reached a new level of fame and had his image captured in a sculpture made entirely of bacon! TasteofCountry.com reports NANCY BAKER created the masterpiece for a contest at LouFest in St. Louis, Missouri, the winner received free Farmland bacon for an entire year and the Grammy-winner headlined a show at the community event. (Lee)
Grace notes from Vinny Marino:
LADY GAGA may be the halftime entertainment for the Super Bowl. Billboard.com says she is in talks right now with the NFL and Pepsi, which sponsors the halftime show. ADELE was reportedly the first choice, but she quickly said no. (Marino)
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