truesee's Blog

The family of nine travellers living in a $1million home paid for by benefits

Neil Sears
Last updated at 12:30 AM on 12th August 2009
Daily Mail

A family of travellers is living in a $1million house at taxpayers' expense.

John and Serena Connors and their seven children have their rent paid by housing benefit.

Their landlady is trying to evict them because she claims they have caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage.

Luxury: The house the travellers live in has five bedrooms and three bathrooms

Her case is lent weight by a leaflet issued by the Metropolitan Police allegedly about the family, which claims they are suspects in a series of 'distraction' burglaries.

But the parents, who have five girls and two boys aged four to 19, are determined to stay put and are threatening legal action over 'racism against travellers'.

The Connors moved into the home in February with the help of Barnet Council in North London. They are benefiting from the Local Housing Allowance, which was introduced last year to encourage private landlords to take in the homeless because of a shortage of council housing.

The council is under obligation to find them a large enough house, hence the family being placed in one of the most expensive areas.

The property in Totteridge, which has been valued at nearly £1million, has five bedrooms and three bathrooms and lies on a usually peaceful street.

Businesswoman Sapna Bukhari and her IT project manager husband Zulfi, both 38, used to rent it to professionals for $4,000 a month.

But with the market deteriorating they agreed to let it out to the Connors for £2,400 a month through housing benefit, after being assured that they were 'good tenants'.

Mrs Bukhari alleged: 'Within a few weeks of them moving in, a radiator was pulled off the wall and the water from it made the ceiling collapse.

'They failed to tell us about it promptly, they threatened me, my builder and my plumber, they abused me - calling me a "Paki" - and gave anti-Semitic abuse to neighbours.

' They've twice blocked the drains so sewage has flowed on to the pavement, have thrown food, clothes, cat excrement and all manner of rubbish into the gardens, and shout and scream vile obscenities.

Parents: John and Serena Connors

'They won't even let the builders come in to carry out repairs. I'm worried the damage will cost tens of thousands.'

Mrs Bukhari went on to claim that she had run into problems with paperwork while trying to evict them because the Connors 'seem to know the system'.

'Social services are paying their rent but I'm sure they will not stump up for the damage', she added.

The police leaflet was issued by the Totteridge Safer Neighbourhood Team to all houses in the street except the Connors.

Although the family is not named, officers apparently readily confirm to neighbours that members of it are involved.

Headed 'Warning', the leaflet tells of thieves targeting homes by 'asking to use your toilet and general stories of hard luck'. It says: 'All will end in them trying to enter your house and steal anything they can get their hands on.'

It adds that the suspects are 'from the travelling community', and describes two teenage girls with Irish accents.

Mrs Connors, who is originally from County Wexford in Ireland, agreed that the leaflet was targeted at her family but said: 'I'm making a complaint to the police about this leaflet.

'My kids are cheeky but they aren't thieves. We haven't damaged the house either.

'The landlady doesn't like traveller. It's racism, I'm going to get her done for harassment.'

She added that she didn't even want to live in the house and would prefer to be in a travellers' camp.

'They put people into places you wouldn't put dogs into,' she said.

A spokesman for Barnet Council said anyone evicted for unreasonable behaviour would not be rehoused, and a source said they were not aware of the family ever asking for an alternative home.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force had not received a complaint about the leaflet.

Homeless woman leaves Hebrew U $150K

Published: Aug. 11, 2009 at 7:52 AM

MINNEAPOLIS — When Link Christin boarded a Continental Airlines flight from Houston to the Twin Cities on Friday night, he expected to be on the ground in about three hours and ready for a comfy bed.

Instead, he was among 47 passengers who spent the night trapped inside a small plane, parked at the Rochester, Minn., airport, complete with crying babies and the aroma of over-used toilets.

The ExpressJet Airlines that operated the plane says the flight was diverted to Rochester because of Twin Cities thunderstorms and that airline regulations prevented passengers from getting off the plane.

Christin is incredulous that the airline couldn't figure out an option besides trapping passengers on the plane for nine hours.

“It's not like you're on a (Boeing) 747 and you can walk around,” said Christin, a professor at William Mitchell College of Law.

“This was a sardine can, with a single row of seats on one side of the plane and two rows of seats on the other. And they've got about 50 people inside, including babies, for the whole night. It was a nightmare.”

Continental Airlines, which issued the tickets for Flight 2816, initially referred inquiries to ExpressJet Airlines. ExpressJet spokeswoman Kristy Nicholas said the flight ran into several problems.

Today, Continental apologized.

"We are working closely with ExpressJet to resolve the issues surrounding this extended delay as service provided to customers on this flight was completely unacceptable.

"We are apologizing to our customers and will be offering them a full ticket refund and a certificate good for future travel."

The airline crew on the plane reached their maximum work hours in the air, so another crew had to be flown in. The alternative of chartering a bus didn't work out. And letting the passengers into the Rochester airport was not possible because they would have to go through security screening again, and the screeners had gone home for the day.

What about just letting the passengers sleep in the airport terminal?

“That was not provided as an option by ground services personnel at the airport,“ said Nicholas.

CAR TOWED AFTER SIGN SWITCHEROO

Last updated: 9:56 am
August 10, 2009
Posted: 2:21 am
August 10, 2009

First, they towed a sign. Then they towed a legally parked car.

A Manhattan man had to pay $280 when a city crew, without warning, uprooted a diplomat-parking-only sign and moved it 15 feet -- suddenly making his Mitsubishi's spot illegal.

Shavit Mekeiten had carefully studied an alternate-side parking sign before pulling into a spot on East 41st Street near Second Avenue at 3:30 a.m. Thursday and determined his car could stay where it was until Friday morning.

But six hours later, a two-man crew from the Department of Transportation, apparently ordered to create an extra spot for the New Zealand Consulate, dug out the diplomats-only sign that had been behind Mekeiten's car and moved it right in front of it.

Prowling tow-truck drivers -- under intense NYPD pressure to hook four cars per shift or get hit with graveyard hours or less overtime -- quickly snagged the car, blowing off protests from four outraged witnesses.

Incredibly, Mekeiten was stuck with the $185 tow fee and a $95 ticket for not having diplomatic plates. "They're heartless. They have no conscience," Mekeiten said.

He said getting the car back from the Manhattan tow pound on 38th Street and 12th Avenue "took up my entire day."

"This is insane!" he said after forking over the money at the pound -- where bureaucrats acting like automatons had no interest in his story.

"They don't care anymore. They just have to tow a certain number of cars per driver, and they do it at any cost," said Mekeiten, who works in real estate. "They didn't put up any signs saying they would change the rules."

Adrienne Hong, who has a dry-cleaning business nearby, saw the oblivious crew move the sign. Hong and three doormen who also saw what happened ran up to the tow truck and begged the driver to show some mercy.

"I know that car! They just moved the sign!" said Nick Perkaj, a doorman. "The tow-truck driver just said, 'I don't give a f- - -,' and they towed the car."

Mekeiten said he planned to launch a legal challenge against the ticket and the tow but noted that it would only take up more of his time and money.

"They treated me like I shot someone. This is really, really unfair. I didn't do anything wrong!" he said.

The city admitted that signs were moved in the area. The NYPD did not return a request for comment.

 

Man fined $100,000 for boat ramp

Updated: Thursday, 06 Aug 2009, 10:03 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 06 Aug 2009, 8:17 PM EDT

Tina Detelj

LINK TO VIDEO:

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_london_cty/news_wtnh_montville_man_fined_ramp_boat_200908061830_rev1

 

"Professional" Beggars Earning Up to $200 a Night in United Kingdom to Supplement Their Day Job

Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:05 PM on 10th August 2009

Street beggars are earning up to $200 a night - the equivalent of a $73,000-a-year salary tax free, according to police figures.

Officers have discovered a growing number of 'professional' beggars, some of whom even beg on the streets after finishing their office jobs.

They are using the extra cash to supplement their normal day jobs.

Leicestershire police arrested 20 beggars last month - none of whom were homeless.

One woman even admitted she begged at night after her day job so she could pay for a new kitchen in her flat.

Sergeant Adrian Underwood, of Leicestershire police, said: 'On a good Friday or Saturday night, some can pick up to $200.

'We have intelligence that there is a woman who is begging because she wants a new kitchen for her flat.

'A lot of well-intentioned people see someone begging and think they are deserving causes.

'Would they give them money if they knew that person had just come out of a flat, was receiving benefits and had food in the larder?'

Toni Soni, head of hostel services at Leicester City Council, said previous operations by the authority and police had found no beggars to be homeless.

He said: 'There are people who are actually professional beggars who are doing it to make a living.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1205553/Professional-beggars-earning-200-night-supplement-day-job.html#ixzz0NnhkCHHw

Begging is becoming a second income for some 'professional' beggars according to police

“I was flabbergasted because I didn’t realize a judge could do that,” said Williams’ father, Clifton Williams Sr. “It seems to me like a yawn is an involuntary action.”

Chuck Pelkie, a spokesman for the state’s attorney’s office, said the prosecutor in the courtroom that day told him “it was not a simple yawn — it was a loud and boisterous attempt to disrupt the proceedings.” Jason Mayfield, the cousin of Williams who was pleading guilty at the time, said it was “not an outrageous yawn.”

A Chicago Tribune review of a decade’s worth of contempt-of-court charges reveals Rozak jails people — typically spectators whose cell phones go off or who scream or shout profanity during sentencing — at a far higher rate than any other judge in the county. There are now 30 judges in the 12th Judicial Circuit, but since 1999, Rozak has brought more than a third of all the contempt charges, records show.

And while it is not uncommon for judges to jail people for ignoring subpoenas or court orders or appearing in court drunk or under the influence of drugs, Rozak’s charges tend to involve behavior that would not otherwise be criminal.

Judges have broad discretion under the law, which defines contempt as acts that embarrass, hinder or obstruct the court in its administration of justice or lessen its authority or dignity. As long as the sentence is not longer than 6 months, there is no review of the case — unless the offender appeals to the judge or a higher court.

“We want judges to be able to manage the courtroom ... but we have some concern that when the contempt is personal, judges might react too harshly,” said University of Chicago law professor Adam Samaha. “Contempt that happens right in the judge’s face is likely to trigger an emotional reaction.” Observers describe Rozak as running the type of strict courtroom that was commonplace a few decades ago. Defense attorneys say Rozak is “tough but fair” and runs particularly well-managed trials. Rozak has been elected twice, in 2000 and 2006, both times with recommendations from the state bar association.

“I think he’s terrific — he understands how the world works,” said Joliet defense attorney David Carlson, who has appeared before Rozak as a prosecutor and defense attorney. “Some of the most serious felonies we have are handled in his courtroom, so I think there should be a level of seriousness and decorum.”

So far this year, five criminal contempt charges have been brought by Will County judges. Four of them were brought by Rozak, including the case of Derrick Lee, a Joliet man who “resisted” sitting where sheriff’s deputies directed him, talked in a “very loud” voice during court and referred to Rozak as “boss,” according to the judge’s contempt order. Lee, who also was wanted on an outstanding warrant, was sentenced to 30 days but was released two days later after apologizing.

Chief Judge Gerald Kinney said he hadn’t heard of Williams’ case and couldn’t comment on its propriety, but said that he would’ve liked a more detailed order from Rozak in imposing the maximum penalty. He was not aware that Rozak brings a high percentage of contempt charges and said he has not received a significant number of complaints about the judge, a former public defender who has been on the bench since 1995.

Rozak could not be reached for comment.

Rozak’s order sentencing Williams to six months in jail found that he “raised his hands while at the same time making a loud yawning sound” that caused the judge to “break from the proceedings.”

“I really can’t believe I’m in jail,” Williams wrote his family in a letter. “I done set (sic) in this (expletive) a week so far for nothing.”

People in other Will County courtrooms have received less severe sentences for seemingly more flagrant offenses. In Judge Richard Schoenstedt’s court last year, a woman was disruptive during closing arguments of a trial, shouted, “This is bull ...” as she was led away, was held to the floor by a deputy and “continued to be disruptive” after later being brought back before the judge. She received a seven-day sentence for contempt, records show.

Rozak has sentenced more spectators to jail for infractions involving cell phones than any other judge in Will County in the last decade. In 2003, a man who called the judge an “ass” after Rozak ordered him to turn over the phone when it rang in court was sentenced to 10 days but did just 24 hours after apologizing to the judge.

Three years later, a man twice refused to turn over his ringing cell phone to a deputy and then, his phone ringing before the bench, refused to hand it to Rozak. He also received a 6-month sentence, but it was reduced to 18 days after the man apologized, court records show.

In the two-story brick home where Williams had been living with his aunt Cheryl Mayfield and caring for his 79-year-old grandmother, family members said they were in shock over the sentence but were unable to afford an attorney to appeal. Mayfield said her nephew was supposed to start a job at a Chicago car wash shortly after his yawning arrest.

“This is ridiculous — you’ve got all these people shooting up kids and here this boy yawns in court (and gets 6 months). It’s crazy,” she said.

“This could happen to any one of us.”

WTVG- TV

Toledo Ohio

LINK TO VIDEO:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6948142

She socked an attacker with a sock loaded with a can of peas. That action was enough to fend off a man who was pistol-whipping her. It all happened inside the Vistula Two Heritage Village at the corner of Erie and Locust.

On the fourth floor of the apartment building a loud knocking brought Latoyia Taylor into the hallway around 6:00 Tuesday morning.

"I looked to my right first. I didn't see anybody. So then I looked to my left and seen a guy standing there with a gun and a ski mask over his face."

Wounds on her face and arm show what happened next. The man in the mask started pistol-whipping Taylor.

"He grabbed me by my hair and just started hitting me, hitting me all in the back of the head and on the side."

So, the 26-year-old brought out her secret weapon a sock with a can of peas inside. Taylor says she used it to fight back until it ripped.

"I heard something drop. I'm thinking it's his gun that dropped. When I looked down, it was the can of peas that I had in the sock."

The scuffle quickly brought out neighbors who called police.

Sharon Preston witnessed the attack. "They attacked her for no apparent reason. I don't know how they got in the building because these doors are locked.

The first attacker ran off but Taylor says her boyfriend caught an apparent accomplice, Gregory Banks.

"Tyrone, my boyfriend, grabbed him by his neck and I just kicked him in his face and I just kept hitting him."

The two hit him so much, Banks ended up at St. Vincent Mercy medical center. Taylor, who also needed medical attention, says she's doing better tonight; in no small part, thanks to her own method of self-defense. Banks is in critical condition. He faces a charge of aggravated robbery. Meantime, Toledo police say they're looking for the main suspect who may go by the nickname "T".

Inmate: Metro jail won't return prosthetic leg

By Kate Howard 

THE TENNESSEAN

August 6, 2009

Jerry Ray Brock is looking for some missing property he says he had to leave behind at the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, namely his brand-new prosthetic leg.

Brock wanted to take it with him for the rest of his sentence at the Tennessee Department of Correction. But in a lawsuit filed today in Davidson County Circuit Court, Brock says a jail guard told him the leg was a medical device he wasn't allowed to take with him.

Brock, who has a history in Nashville of burglary offenses, was awaiting a transfer to state prison at the Nashville jail last August. He says the guard that refused to let him take his new prosthetic limb and cane wouldn't give him his name, so the suit is filed against John Doe and the sheriff's office.

When Brock got to state prison, he said a corrections officer showed him a list of banned materials that did not include prosthetics. He wrote to Metro government's claims office asking that they return the leg, according to the lawsuit he filed himself. He says he never heard back.

In the meantime, he was walking on a broken prosthetic that he says the state unsuccessfully tried to get fixed for him, but the foot sometimes still fell off.

He came to jail using the broken leg and says he asked the guard if he could swap them out if he could only take what he was wearing. He said he was denied.

Rick Gentry, spokesman for the sheriff's office, referred question to Metro's legal department. Calls to the Tennessee Department of Correction have not yet been returned. According to the lawsuit, Brock is currently being housed in Charles Bass Correctional Complex in Nashville and is still waiting to get his leg back. He has asked for $18,000 reimbursement for the prosthetic, as well as $500,000 in punitive damages.

Cab crash reveals 5 in locked church

Ken Valenti and Rebecca Baker

The Journal News

August 9, 2009

MOUNT VERNON - The mystery began yesterday morning when a Mount Vernon cabdriver told police that a passenger had tried to rob and choke him, causing him to crash his car into a storefront church on South Fulton Avenue.

And it deepened considerably when police responded to the address and discovered not only the damage, but also four adults and a 3-year-old girl inside the church, whose main doors were locked from the outside.

By last night, the police had gathered more information, but not enough to form a complete picture about why the people were inside.

"We got to figure out why these folks were there," Mount Vernon Police Commissioner David Chong said.

Here's what they do know:

The 32-year-old cabbie picked up several passengers at the Cross County Shopping Center around 3 a.m.

In what appeared to be a robbery attempt, one tried choking the driver, making him lose control of his cab. The driver plowed into River Jordan Holy Tabernacle Church at 238 S. Fulton Ave. Police were notified by a neighbor who called with a noise complaint.

When the police began searching the church for the attacker and other passengers, they discovered the four adults and the toddler inside the locked church.

Chong said it looked as if they had been living there, because the area was covered with makeshift beds and it had a cooking area.

"What scares us about this is that the church was all locked down from the outside, so there was no means of getting out of the church for these four adults and the child," he said.

Had the taxi caught fire after the crash, Chong said, they could have died.

No one answered the phone at the number written on the sign on the front of the church. The pastor was listed only as M. Dorrell.

Everyone inside the church was of Caribbean descent, and they were taken to Mount Vernon Hospital as a precaution, Chong said.

Police continue to investigate how the group got into the building and why they were there. Another group of detectives is investigating the cabbie's report, Chong said.

Westchester County Child Protective Services was notified, and the Buildings Department was going to board up the church.

Locked down: An in-depth look at the county jail
Originally published August 09, 2009


Gina Gallucci-White, Pam Rigaux and Nicholas C. Stern

News-Post Staff

Law officers lock roughly 5,000 people into the Frederick County Adult Detention Center each year.

While some are released the same day on a written promise to appear in court, others may be held for a year or longer. On any given day, the average jail population is 477 inmates.

During their stay, inmates will be watched, clothed, fed, counseled and given medical treatment. In fiscal 2009, the bill to taxpayers came to $16.69 million. That's equivalent to a total of about $75 per person living in Frederick County, home to 225,000 residents.

Costs will increase with planned construction projects to add 112 general population beds and 28 medical beds in fiscal 2010, as well as 224 general population beds in fiscal 2016.

The 2010 project is estimated to cost $16.4 million, and the 2016 project is expected to cost about $29.6 million, said Lt. Col. Steven Rau, corrections bureau chief.

Located on Marcie's Choice Lane, the Frederick County Adult Detention Center opened with 128 beds on Oct. 4, 1984. Today, the complex is a maze of 21 cell blocks and includes a gym and recreation yards ringed with concertina-wire fences.

Correctional officers keep physical and electronic eyes on inmates. Surveillance cameras are abundant. From a command post known as "The Bubble," officers monitor inmates in adjoining cell blocks on video screens.

Eight of every 10 inmates come from Frederick County, but the detention center has an international component, too.

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office, which runs the corrections bureau at the detention center, partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in July 2007 to house federal immigration detainees.

Through a program known as an Intergovernmental Service Agreement, ICE has paid roughly $2.6 million to the jail to house the detainees.

By the end of 2008, the jail had housed 1,853 immigration detainees.

The steady increase in the inmate population has brought its share of problems. For example:

-- One in every five inmates receives treatment for mental health problems, said Rau, who has been warden since March 2006. He said inmates' mental health needs have doubled since the mid-1990s.

-- The number of inmate disciplinary hearings has gone up each of the last three years: 548 in 2006; 571 in 2007; and 600 in 2008, according to annual jail reports. Likewise, the number of times correctional officers had to use force to bring inmates under control climbed to 73 times in 2008, up from 63 times in 2007 and 42 times in 2006.

-- The number of inmates who tested positive for exposure to tuberculosis increased almost fivefold from 2006 to 2008, from 65 to 310, according to annual jail reports.

This is mostly due to the influx of foreign-born inmates that coincided with a 2007 agreement to house immigration detainees. A positive test for TB does not mean an active case.

Life inside

Inmates are placed in one of 21 housing units known as cell blocks. Their placements depends on gender, behavior and immigration status.

In 2008, inmates stayed an average of 17 days, according to the detention center's annual report.

Nearly half the inmate population at the detention center was white in 2008, with almost 26 percent black and 23 percent Hispanic.

Driving while suspended was the most common offense in 2008, according to the annual report. Second-degree assault, violation of probation, possession of drugs and failing to appear rounded out the top five criminal charges among inmates.

Authorized to have 130 correctional officers, the detention center has 125 uniformed personnel. They are assisted by 38 civil staff members.

From 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., inmates are allowed in the day room of their cell block, where they can play cards or watch color cable television.

Tranquility, however, can be fleeting.

Some inmates have a history of drug or alcohol addiction and violence. Locking them up does not end their quest for drugs and alcohol or curb disorderly conduct.

Inmates try to smuggle in drugs, or distill their own booze from food, said Cpl. Dean Green, a correctional officer.

Gizmo, a 6-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, is a narcotics-sniffing dog used to detect cocaine, methamphetamine, Ecstasy, marijuana, heroin and many oxycodone products that may be harbored by inmates or visitors.

Tensions in the cell blocks can lead to fights, said Dan Wease, a former inmate.

Inmates argue and threaten or push each other over a game of cards or "something stupid," Wease said.--

Officers need to know the difference between yelling because of a fight or cheering over a sporting event on television, Green said.

"You've got to develop an ear with this occupation," Green said.

Officers used force to bring inmates under control 73 times in 2008. Officers used their hands, pepper spray, Tasers, leg irons and a restraint chair to control inmates.

About 63 percent of the inmates who spent time in a restraint chair had mental health issues, according to Use of Force reports. The restraint safety chair has straps that go around the inmate's body.

Correctional officers use the restraint chair to control combative, violent or self-abusing inmates.

In 20 of 32 cases, officers used the restraint chair, the inmate had to be taken to the mental health unit of a hospital, placed on suicide watch or had some other mental health problem, according to the reports.-- --

Privileges and programs

The detention center offers privileges to inmates who behave themselves in jail.

Inmates may see family and friends for one 30-minute visit a week. An inmate is allowed four visitors at a time. They talk on a telephone and can see the inmate through a pane of glass. Collect calls outside of visitation are allowed.

Inmates may buy items from the jail's store, including shampoo, cookies and cups of soup.

They pay for the items with money put into an account set up by family and friends or the inmates themselves. When they are arrested, their money is placed in the account.

Color cable TV is available in almost every cell block and majority rules on what to watch.

Inmates may go outside for recreation for one hour a day, four days a week, weather permitting. They are kept inside on Thursday for commissary, the name for the jail store.

Weekend recreation takes place indoors.

A private contractor, Conmed Healthcare Management, handles most medical treatment at the jail.

Physicians, psychologists, nurses and social workers give physicals, treat chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes, and handle psychological conditions inmates may have.

The jail's medical services budget for fiscal 2010 is $1.75 million, about 14 percent of the jail's total adopted budget, according to figures provided by Rau and the online version of the adopted fiscal 2010 budget.

Religious services of a variety of faiths are also offered.

Inmates attended more than 420 Bible classes in 2008 with volunteer support and more than 240 individual counseling sessions.

Classes including anger management, parenting, and re-entry into society are offered. Inmates may also participate in Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous groups and take the General Educational Development exam for their high school diploma.

With privileges also come responsibilities. Inmates who break a rule will have privileges taken away.

 

 

Locked down: An in-depth look at the county jail

Photo by Bill Green
Piles of handcuffs sit ready to be used in the transportation area of the center

COMPLETE COVERAGE:

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=93624

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCNDeMi2qdA

Sunday, August 9, 2009

8 Of The Weirdest Holidays From Around The World

Posted on Aug 07, 2009 @ 08:01AM  

We don’t think anybody should need an excuse to celebrate but apparently not everyone feels that way. After doing a little digging, the staff at RadarOnline.com found some of the weirdest, strangest and funniest holidays celebrated around the world. Of course not all of these are mainstream holidays, and some may have only a few devotees, but they all deserve mentioning.

Here are the eight weirdest holidays from around the world:

8. Bean Throwing Day: Called Setsubun in Japan, this holiday occurs on the first day of spring according to the lunar calendar, which is typically February 2 or 3. It involves scattering roasted beans around homes, temples, and shrines to scare away evil spirits. Perhaps beans make them gassy.

7. Lammas Day: On August 1, many English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate this festival, also called 'loaf-mass' day, which is the first wheat harvest of the year. It's a custom to bring a loaf made from the new crop to church, and in some parts of England tenants were required to give freshly harvested wheat to their landlords. Apparently rent alone wasn't considered good enough.

6. Hangul Day: Also called Korean Alphabet Day, this holiday celebrates the creation and the proclamation of the Korean alphabet, or hangul. Naturally, given their contrary natures, the North Koreans celebrate it on January 15, and the South Koreans on October 9.

5. Magpie Festival: Celebrated on the 7 day of the 7 lunar month on the Chinese calendar, it is sometimes called Chinese Valentine's Day. However, in China single young girls actually pray for a good husband and demonstrate their domestic skills, such as melon carving and embroidery.

4. Straw Bear Day: This old English festival occurs on January 7, after Plough Monday (which itself is pretty nutso), the traditional start of the English agricultural year. At this time a man or boy is completely covered in straw and led to all the houses in the area, where he dances in exchange for money, food, or beer. Farmers often save their best straw for the costume. Though an ancient custom, it was revived in 1980.

3. Up-Helly-Aa: In Scotland this holiday is descended from a Viking celebration of the rebirth of the sun, and involves a torch procession of hundreds of people dressed in various costumes, ending with the throwing of the fires into a replica Viking ship. Hey, whatever sinks your boat!
10. Näfelser Fahrt: An annual holiday in Switzerland, taking place on the first Thursday of April and commemorating the 1388 battle of Näfels. It involves processions, marching bands, and political speeches.  Okay, it's not a particularly strange holiday. But dudes: that name!

2. Bonza Bottler Day: This Australian holiday is celebrated once a month when the number of the month coincides with the number of the day (April 4, May 5, June 6, etc.). It was created by Elaine Fremont in 1985 when she noticed there were no special occasions to celebrate one month. 'Bonza' is a word used by Australians to indicate when something is 'great,' and 'Bottler' is slang for 'something excellent.' The mascot is a dancing groundhog throwing confetti.

1. Saudi International Motor Show: The biggest motor show in the Middle East, held from December 6-10,  which features the latest models and equipment, and also includes stunt driving and "off-road experience." Whoa! There's actually a national holiday for gas guzzling in Saudi Arabia?