SIX MORE OF THE WEIRDEST STORIES OF 2017

DARTH VADER SPOTTED ON MARS

An eagle-eyed anomaly hunter has spotted what may be the weirdest and possibly most worrisome oddity yet to be found on Mars: Darth Vader's head!

While studying images of the Red Planet captured via NASA's Mars Spirit Rover, researcher Scott Waring noticed this remarkable formation which bears a striking resemblance to the iconic movie villain.

Fortunately, fears that the leader of the infamous empire of Star Wars lore is lurking on Mars can be put to rest as Darth Vader is both a fictional character and the anomaly actually measures less than an inch across.

In Waring's opinion, this indicates to him that the curious cranium came from an diminutive alien species that probably only measured a mere four or five inches tall.

Aside from that fantastic interpretation of the image, an alternative conspiracy theory could be that the oddity truly is the head of Darth Vader, in the sense that it came from a long-lost action figure left behind by a child who somehow found themselves on Mars.

That would, at least, account for the anomaly's tiny size, although how a youngster toting an action figure wound up on Mars takes quite a bit more work to explain.

Unlikely to subscribe to either of these theories are skeptics, of course, who point to pareidolia as being behind the presence of 'Darth Vader' on Mars.

For the sake of our planet's future, let's hope they are correct, lest it turn out that Earth is sitting in the crosshairs of a death star.

Source: UFO Sightings Daily

TEACHER USES OUIJA BOARD IN KINDERGARTEN CLASS

A teacher in Milwaukee is under fire after it was revealed that she used a Ouija Board with her class of kindergartners!

The odd incident came to light when a parent complained to administrators that her five-year-old son was having nightmares and refused to be left alone following last Friday's classroom Ouija session.

"They were shutting off the lights and making it dark and talking to spirits. That's not something that should be at school," the fraught mom told TV station WISN.

The unnamed educator says that the session came about after the kids asked to hear a scary story and that, when the class used the Ouija Board together, the children wanted to know about movie characters rather than residents of the 'other side.'

She insisted to WISN that "I did not say there were spirits," expressed regret that the seemingly silly exercise caused such dismay for her student, and promised that there won't be any more Ouija sessions moving forward.

That may not be enough, however, as the distraught tot's mom is pressing for the city to fire the teacher for the Ouija Board blunder.

Her fate is now in the hands of the Milwaukee Public School system which has placed her on administrative leave as officials conduct an investigation into the Ouija Board incident.

While the teacher waits at home wondering what her future may hold, hopefully she can avoid the temptation to consult her Ouija Board for answers.

Coast Insiders can learn about the rich history of Ouija Boards and other 'talking spirit boards' can check out 10/30/2013 edition of the program featuring expert and author Robert Murch.

Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.

Source: WISN

ATTORNEY'S PANTS BURST INTO FLAME DURING ARSON TRIAL

In a tale almost too ironic to be true, a defense attorney in Florida had his pants catch on fire as he was presenting his closing argument in an arson trial!

Moments after he began addressing the jurors, lawyer Stephen Gutierrez suddenly noticed smoke billowing out of his pocket and ran out of the courtroom in fright.

He would later claim, after the jury had been removed from the room, that his e-cigarette had spontaneously burst into flames and what just happened to be an incredible coincidental moment.

The circumstances of the odd incident are even more curious because Gutierrez's argument in the trial is that his client did not intentionally set fire to his car and was, in fact, a victim of spontaneous combustion.

Although one might suspect that the scene was orchestrated by Gutierrez to demonstrate the possibility for such a scenario, the attorney assured the court that he had not planned the fire.

Regardless of whether it was genuine or an attempt at courtroom theatrics, the weird event apparently did not sway the jury, who found his client guilty.

Then again, there may be grounds for appeal if any of the jurors rendered their verdict based on the old adage "liar, liar, pants on fire."

Source: Miami Herald

THE GREAT MONKEY INVASION OF 2017

The monkey invasion of Ocala, Florida foretold last week appears to be coming to fruition and it's pretty terrifying.

After video emerged of a family accosted by wild rhesus monkeys while visiting the Silver Springs State Park, wildlife experts warned that their growing population could become problematic if it spread to residential areas.

Their concerns were confirmed when an Ocala man revealed that his backyard, which sits a mere four miles from the park, has become overrun with the creatures.

Brian Pritchard says that he installed a deer feeder in his backyard along with a game camera in the hopes of taking some photos of the majestic animals.

However, he was unnerved to discover that, rather than luring deer to his yard, the corn-dispensing device had drawn the attention of dozens of wild monkeys.

In just a handful of days, the clever creatures have feasted on an astounding 250 pounds of food from the deer feeder by way of an organized effort where one of the monkeys climbs atop the stand and sprays the corn out at its fellow hungry simians.

Despite the twice-daily influx of the monkeys, which Pritchard says sometimes reaches up to 50 of the unsettling animals at a time, he hopes to maintain a peaceful relationship with the creatures as long as they do not bother his children.

Based on their brazen antics so far, one would be wise to worry that Pritchard's property may merely be the first stage in what could be an ugly battle for Ocala between humans and the marauding monkeys.

And may God help us all if the simians start to speak for we could truly be at the dawn of the planet of the apes.

Source: WFTV

PSYCHIC HIRED TO FIND PET SKUNK

The brokenhearted owner of a runaway pet skunk hopes that a self-proclaimed clairvoyant can help locate the lost animal.

During a recent camping trip, Sarah Harris says that her 16-month-old pet skunk, named 'Dottie,' escaped from their tent and scrambled off into the wilderness of Devon, England.

Since that time, the domesticated creature has been seen a handful of times by bewildered witnesses and sprayed two dogs that it ostensibly perceived as threats.

Concerned that Dottie is not fit to be an 'outdoor skunk,' Harris has turned to a psychic who purportedly possess an ability to 'connect' with lost creatures.

When tasked with the case, Becky Willoughby claims that she almost immediately received a vision of a garden area and a nearby shed which she believed contained the wayward animal.

Although a subsequent search of the location netted some skunk scat, Dottie was nowhere to be found.

Unfortunately, aside from a few 'flashes' from time to time, Willoughby has failed to establish a strong connection with the creature since that tantalizing first attempt.

Nonetheless, Harris has not given up on the skunk search and is keeping her fingers crossed that the clairvoyant can come through with the vital information needed to ensure Dottie's safe return home.

Should Willoughby prove successful, she'll likely be able to brag about being the first psychic ever to locate a runaway skunk, which is a claim to fame that certainly doesn't stink.

Source: Devon Live

LIGHTNING KILLS 32 COWS ON FARM

A dairy farmer in Missouri suffered a devastating loss over the weekend when a lightning strike killed an astounding 32 of his cows!

Jared Blackwelder says that the incident occurred around 4 AM after he had finished milking the herd and a powerful bolt of lightning jolted the farm.

"It was so bright, I could hardly see," he told the Springfield News-Leader, marveling that the lightning caused fire to run along the fences of the farm.

When he went to milk the cows a few hours later, Blackwelder came upon a ghastly scene.

"I went down over the hill and seen them laying there," he told the newspaper, "they were just piled on top of each other. They were huddled up, trying to get out of rain."

A local veterinarian who examined the animals confirmed that cause of death was lightning and said that the case was unlike anything he had ever seen, despite tending to farm animals for decades.

Blackwelder estimates the total loss from the downed cattle to be in excess of $60,000 and worries that his insurance may not cover the entire amount.

Beyond the financial ramifications, the farmer expressed a deep affinity for the animals that he had raised from birth and mused to the News-Leader that "it hits you hard."

Source: Springfield News-Leader