The Goat is the Word

Two goats are wowing California beachgoers with their surfing skills since owner Dana McGregor taught them the skill. Goatee and Pismo surfed together and separately for onlookers at California's San Onofre State Beach a few days ago. You can see pictures of the goats in action here.

McGregor says he originally got Goatee, a nanny goat, to eat unwanted plants from his property. He began taking her to the beach and teaching her to surf. He then taught Pismo, Goatee's billy, shortly after he was born.

© C Harris Lynn, 2012

Injury 'Cures' Paraplegic

Monique van der Vorst is a two-time Paralympic silver medalist, but she won't be going back for a third. During a training session, Ms. van der Vorst was struck by a sprint cyclist. Following the accident, she discovered she could feel her legs. Shortly afterward, Monique van der Vorst took her first steps in years.

Doctors do not know exactly how the dramatic turnaround came about, but van der Vorst had been paralyzed from the waist down for nearly half her life, thanks to an earlier accident.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Golfer Sparks Wildfires

A golfer in California inadvertently started a wildfire that blazed through 12-acres before firemen brought it under control by hitting a rock with his golf club. Firemen put the case together after interviewing people on the scene. Authorities say the man will not be charged and his name is being withheld from the media.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Six Women to Swim Length of Loch Ness

Six London women are going to attempt to swim the length of Loch Ness, monster or no. The women, who are doing this for the benefit of a new hospital in Afghanistan, have dubbed themselves London's Serpentine Swimming Club and had tartan suits specially made for the attempt. The oldest swimmer of the Club is 65. A lifeboat will follow the women in case any should experience trouble. Their Loch Ness trek could take up to 18 hours to complete.

The BBC featured a picture of only five of the women, begging the question: What happened to the sixth!?

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Soccer Riot Sparked by Rumors of Witchcraft

A soccer riot in the Congo which led to the death of 13 people (mostly children) was sparked by the rumor that one of the players was using witchcraft. Following a successful goal, a member of one team removed "stuff" from his shirt and threw it in the opposition's goal. According to an eyewitness, members of that team held him down and beat him on the field, claiming he had "thrown witchcraft into their net." Accusations of witchcraft are common in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and across the African continent.

According to early reports from a UN-backed media agency, police fired shots into the air in an attempt to calm a stirring riot, but the shots panicked the crowd instead. The "riot" was caused by soccer fans fleeing the stadium. The victims were stampeded. All suffocated, and only three were adults; most of the victims were aged 11-16.

Congolese officials claim their commander was hit in the head and wounded by the crowd, and that they shot in the air to protect him. Other reports say the police fired into the air to calm the crowd. While an investigation is underway, the fact that shots were fired was confirmed, but no mention of witchcraft was made. Upset teenagers took to the streets in protest.

Later reports indicate police fired tear gas canisters when their commander entered the fray on the field and was pelted with projectiles by the surging crowd. The eyewitness says the commander was among the dead, but the BBC has not confirmed that.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Olympics Singer Lip-Synched

According to reports, the little girl who sang at the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony in China was lip-synching.  Apparently, the girl who provided the actual vocal tracks that were used was not as "flawless" as 9-year old Lin Miaoke and organizers believed using her as the face of the music was 'in the best interests of the country.'

News of this charade came to light that a fireworks display was faked.  An official for the games admitted that, due to poor visibility, previously-recorded footage was used.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

NY Yankess Avoid Curse, May Pursue Lawsuit

Construction workers removed the tattered remains of a Red Sox baseball jersey from 2' of concrete at the site of the new stadium to avoid a curse.

Apparently, a construction worker -- a Boston Red Sox fan -- placed the jersey there when the concrete was being poured in order to jinx the Yankees. When overseers discovered it, they alerted others. The decision was made to dig it up and remove it in order to avoid any "curse" the jersey might inflict.

Baseball is well-known for its superstitions. Players are said to have lucky articles of clothing, rituals they must go through before and during play, and more. When a player is doing well, he is said to be "on a streak" and often adheres to strict behavioral codes based on superstitions that, should he change whatever he was doing when his streak began, he risks losing that "mojo."

The jersey bore player, David Ortiz', name. The Yankees are going to give it to charity and may file a suit against the worker.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Skydiver Survives 32,000' Drop!

Champion paraglider, Ewa Wisnierska, was sucked into a tornadic storm as she and 200 other paragliders began a world paragliding championship in Australia. She was lifted over 32,000 feet into the air (high than Mt. Everest), suffering frostbite and being covered with ice and hail. She lost consciousness due to extreme cold and lack of Oxygen, but then came to at around 7,000m and made contact with her ground team a little while later.

She managed to land herself, comparing it to the landing of Apollo 13, having made contact with her ground crew at around 7,000 feet. They were tracking her via GPS, but were unable to do anything to help her. She was treated at a hospital for frostbite on her face and ears, then released.

Fellow paraglider, He Zhongpin, a 42-year old chinese man, was not so lucky. Caught in the same storm, he died - presumably due to extreme weather and lack of Oxygen. An autopsy will be performed next week to determine the actual cause of death.