Here are the top ten weird stories of 2008 from telegraph, UK
1) Tree man 'who grew roots' – the ongoing adventures
Telegraph.co.uk first reported on the curious case of the 'tree man of Java' in 2007, but public interest in the Indonesian fisherman's condition and treatment ensured that he remained one of the most viewed stories in 2008. Dede has now had most of the bark-like growths covering his hands and feet removed, enabling him to hold a pen and walk unaided for the first time in years. He now hopes to find a wife.
2) World's smallest girl proud of her tiny size
Jyoti Amge is a 15 years old, but is just 1ft 1in tall and weighs only 11lb. The Indian teenager suffers from a rare form of dwarfism called achondroplasia and will grow no further, but is not embarrassed by her condition. She studies at the local school – albeit at a specially made miniature desk – and has the same hobbies as other girls her age. "I eat like you, dream like you. I don't feel any different," she said.
3) OGC unveils new logo to red faces
Stories about Government bungling were ten-a-penny in 2008, but the tale of the £14,000 new logo commissioned for the Office of Government Commerce was the pick of the bunch. The design, based on the agency's initials, looked ever so slightly rude when turned on its side, causing much merriment among staff. A spokesman for the OGC joked that the logo was "not inappropriate to an organisation that’s looking to have a firm grip on Government spend.”
4) Oxford compiles list of top ten irritating phrases
The original list, compiled for a book called Damp Squid, identified "at the end of the day", "fairly unique" and "I personally" as the most loathsome phrases in the language.
5) Leopard savaging a crocodile caught on camera
Stunning photo series showing a leopard attacking a crocodile in a South African game reserve went viral as soon as it was published. The images document the first known time that a leopard has taken on and defeated one of the fearsome reptiles. The gladiatorial tussle only came to an end when the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it.
6) Plastic surgery addict injected cooking oil into her own face
Not one for the faint hearted. A Korean woman addicted to plastic surgery was left unrecognisable after her obsession led her to inject cooking oil into her face – as our pictures graphically illustrated. Her case sparked huge interest after being featured on Korean TV, and viewers sent in enough donations to enable her to have surgery to reduce the size of her face.
7) Flying penguins found by BBC programme
"Viewers will see the penguins not only take flight from the Antarctic wastes, but fly thousands of miles to the Amazonian rainforest to find winter sun." Were you taken in? Shame on you.
8) Most complex crop circle ever discovered in British fields
The 150ft crop circle cut into a barley field in Wiltshire was described as a "mind-boggling" mathematical puzzle. After plenty of head-scratching researchers concluded that the concentric design was a coded image representing the first 10 digits, 3.141592654, of pi. The story also inspired a popular gallery – the Top 10 British crop circles on Google Earth.
9) Italian model plans to sell virginity for 1 million euros
Raffella Fico, who appeared on the Italian version of Big Brother, sparked headlines across the world when she offered to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. Her family stepped in to defend the 20-year-old model when sceptics suggested she may not be as innocent as she made out. "She's never had a boyfriend. I swear on my mother's grave. She's a devout Catholic and prays to Padre Pio every night," her brother said.
10) Man admits having sex with 1,000 cars
Edward Smith suffers from “mechaphilia”, and he's not shy about discussing his passion. The 57-year-old lives with his current "girlfriend" – a white Volkswagen Beetle named Vanilla – and says that his most intense sexual experience was "making love" to the helicopter from 1980s TV hit Airwolf. He has not had a relationship with a woman for 12 years.
1) Tree man 'who grew roots' – the ongoing adventures
Telegraph.co.uk first reported on the curious case of the 'tree man of Java' in 2007, but public interest in the Indonesian fisherman's condition and treatment ensured that he remained one of the most viewed stories in 2008. Dede has now had most of the bark-like growths covering his hands and feet removed, enabling him to hold a pen and walk unaided for the first time in years. He now hopes to find a wife.
2) World's smallest girl proud of her tiny size
Jyoti Amge is a 15 years old, but is just 1ft 1in tall and weighs only 11lb. The Indian teenager suffers from a rare form of dwarfism called achondroplasia and will grow no further, but is not embarrassed by her condition. She studies at the local school – albeit at a specially made miniature desk – and has the same hobbies as other girls her age. "I eat like you, dream like you. I don't feel any different," she said.
3) OGC unveils new logo to red faces
Stories about Government bungling were ten-a-penny in 2008, but the tale of the £14,000 new logo commissioned for the Office of Government Commerce was the pick of the bunch. The design, based on the agency's initials, looked ever so slightly rude when turned on its side, causing much merriment among staff. A spokesman for the OGC joked that the logo was "not inappropriate to an organisation that’s looking to have a firm grip on Government spend.”
4) Oxford compiles list of top ten irritating phrases
The original list, compiled for a book called Damp Squid, identified "at the end of the day", "fairly unique" and "I personally" as the most loathsome phrases in the language.
5) Leopard savaging a crocodile caught on camera
Stunning photo series showing a leopard attacking a crocodile in a South African game reserve went viral as soon as it was published. The images document the first known time that a leopard has taken on and defeated one of the fearsome reptiles. The gladiatorial tussle only came to an end when the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it.6) Plastic surgery addict injected cooking oil into her own face
Not one for the faint hearted. A Korean woman addicted to plastic surgery was left unrecognisable after her obsession led her to inject cooking oil into her face – as our pictures graphically illustrated. Her case sparked huge interest after being featured on Korean TV, and viewers sent in enough donations to enable her to have surgery to reduce the size of her face.
7) Flying penguins found by BBC programme
"Viewers will see the penguins not only take flight from the Antarctic wastes, but fly thousands of miles to the Amazonian rainforest to find winter sun." Were you taken in? Shame on you.8) Most complex crop circle ever discovered in British fields
The 150ft crop circle cut into a barley field in Wiltshire was described as a "mind-boggling" mathematical puzzle. After plenty of head-scratching researchers concluded that the concentric design was a coded image representing the first 10 digits, 3.141592654, of pi. The story also inspired a popular gallery – the Top 10 British crop circles on Google Earth.9) Italian model plans to sell virginity for 1 million euros
Raffella Fico, who appeared on the Italian version of Big Brother, sparked headlines across the world when she offered to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. Her family stepped in to defend the 20-year-old model when sceptics suggested she may not be as innocent as she made out. "She's never had a boyfriend. I swear on my mother's grave. She's a devout Catholic and prays to Padre Pio every night," her brother said.
10) Man admits having sex with 1,000 cars
Edward Smith suffers from “mechaphilia”, and he's not shy about discussing his passion. The 57-year-old lives with his current "girlfriend" – a white Volkswagen Beetle named Vanilla – and says that his most intense sexual experience was "making love" to the helicopter from 1980s TV hit Airwolf. He has not had a relationship with a woman for 12 years.
May i say WOW?!