Bizarre News - February 28, 2015

Greetings fellow Bizarros:

In 1258 the Mongols laid siege to Baghdad and committed one of history's greatest crimes. Upon taking the city the Mongols sacked The Grand Library of Baghdad (as well as most of the rest of the city), destroying countless precious historical documents and books on subjects from medicine to astronomy. Survivors said that the waters of the Tigris ran black with ink from the enormous quantities of books that were thrown into the river.

Baghdad at the time was one of the most brilliant intellectual centers in the world. Lord knows how far back progress was held when the Mongols destroyed the accumulated wisdom of ages.

Thank God culture and understanding have advanced a lot in 757 years. Or has it?

A video has surfaced recently of Islamic State militants ransacking the central museum in Mosul, Iraq, destroying priceless artifacts that are thousands of years old. The destruction of artifacts that date from the Assyrian and Akkadian empires drew ire from the international community.

"The birthplace of human civilization is being destroyed," said Kino Gabriel, one of the leaders of the Syriac Military Council in a telephone interview.

"In front of something like this, we are speechless. Murder of people and destruction is not enough, so even our civilization and the culture of our people is being destroyed."

The five-minute video begins with a Qur'anic verse on idol worship. An ISIS representative then speaks to the camera, condemning Assyrians and Akkadians as polytheists, justifying the destruction of the artifacts and statues.

The militants then smash the statues with hammers, drills and jackhammers.

How can history have so little value?

Bizarrely,
Lewis

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*--- Pranksters install toilet, sink at British bus shelter ---*
WOOD STREET VILLAGE, England (UPI) - Pranksters in an English town installed a toilet, sink and toilet paper holder at an outdoor bus stop, local officials said. Worplesdon Parish Council Clerk Gaynor White said pranksters have repeatedly targeted Worplesdon bus stops with acts of destructive vandalism, but the latest act, discovered Monday in Wood Street Village, is in its own league. "I received a phone call just before midday and the groundsman said 'you will never guess what I have found,'" she told Get Surrey. "I have been the parish clerk for 15 and a half years, and I have never seen anything like it -- it is hysterical really." "The key question is -- should this be considered a bus shelter improvement or simply money down the drain?" White quipped. "Perhaps we should ask parishioners to share a penny for their thoughts on this one?" White said she does not believe the pranksters behind the toilet installation were responsible for previous incidents that led to costly repairs. "This time is different," White said. "It was creative. The others incidents were actually destructive." White said the toilet and sink were bolted into place, but weren't connected to any water source. However, she said someone apparently put the toilet to use. "Although trialed by someone, the new facility has now been removed by the vice-chairman of the parish council and myself," she told the Guildford Dragon. "I took the bathroom fittings to the dump at lunchtime today." "The fun police have been to take the fun away, you could say," White told Get Surrey.


*--- For rent: Hungarian village of 26 -- $780 per day ---*
MEGYER, Hungary (UPI) - A Hungarian village listed for rent will allow customers to name themselves deputy mayor for a weekend and give their own temporary names to streets. The village of Megyer, which boasts a population of only 26, is being listed for rent on website jofogas.hu for the price of about $780 per day. The rental package includes seven guest houses sleeping a total 39 people, six horses, two cows, three sheep and a chicken yard. The town, which is looking to boost tourism revenue, also boasts four streets, a bus stop and 10 acres of farmland. Mayor Kristof Pajer said renters will be temporarily dubbed deputy mayor and will have the ability to assign their own temporary street names. Pajer said the guest houses are maintained by a a social cooperative run by the municipal authority, and the properties belong to private residents who transferred maintenance rights to the cooperative.


*-- READER COMMENTS --*
In the Texas drinking crowd there's an unwritten tidbit of info... never fight an ugly person; 1. They don't give a damn about their face, and 2. They probably have pent-up frustration from not getting any. If they whip your a**, you might get more than you bargained for.

Dear Lewis; My question is about The ignightabel burritos? Are they going to The International Gastroenterologist Testing Authority to find out exactly what happened? Was it the burritos that caused the mondo farts? This is a way for some crooked lawyer to make a fast buck on taxpayers money. -Howie Doodie

*-- END OF READER COMMENTS --*
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