Psychics sharing their predictions on who will replace Antonin Scalia, an incredible penguin die off in Antarctica, and a bizarre cryptid known as Sheepsquatch are among the odd news items we shared with you this past week at the Coast to Coast website.
- With the untimely passing of Antonin Scalia last weekend, the Supreme Court was plunged into disarray and pundits quickly began speculating on who might fill his vacant seat. While cable news talking heads have many opinions on Scalia's successor, we prefer to turn to those who may be able to tap into the ether and offer an answer: psychics. In a round-up of psychic predictions, one surprising consistency emerged in that everyone predicted that the next Supreme Court justice will be a woman.
- Meanwhile, animal psychologists and sleep experts weighed in on the always-perplexing question of what do dogs dream. As can be expected, researchers determined that dogs dream about their everyday lives, much like humans, which unfortunately nixes the possibility that they dream of flying planes. What is infinitely more amazing is that they discovered that the length of a dog's dream depends on how big the animal is, which is truly weird.
- An astounding 150,000 penguins perished after an enormous iceberg kept them from reaching their food supply in Antarctica. Only 10,000 unfortunate animals remain from the previously huge population and their chances aren't looking too good either. We're sure everyone would forgive the surviving birds if they developed a penchant for penguin meat.
- In the world of strange medical anomalies, researchers tried to raise awareness about a mysterious brain disorder that is rendering patients unable to speak. Unfortunately, the obscure disease has confounded many doctors that were stumped as to patients' strange condition, although with new technological advancements, there's hope that it can be overcome in the future.
- Unearthing an odd chestnut from paranormal history, Brent Swancer shared the tale of a bizarre creature known as the Sheepsquatch which was reported throughout West Virginia in the 1990's. This truly unbelievable monster was a giant white beast that sported goat horns, a hairless tail, and a face resembling a snout.
- The continuing saga of the much-heralded mystery 'hobbits' of Indonesia known as Homo floresiensis took another turn this past week as a group of anthropologists have now declared that the diminutive people were not humans. The findings open the door for any number of speculative ideas revolving around the possibility that these little people may have been the basis for myths and legends of esoteric lore.
- And, finally, it appears that odd local happenings are not confined to just cities and towns in America as the town of Wangaratta have been plagued by a wave of tumbleweeds that have overwhelmed their community. Called a "hairy panic" due to the nature of the vegetation, locals blame one lazy neighbor for causing the enormous mess. And now we know who will not be invited to the annual Wangaratta block party.
Be sure to check out our In the News section here at the Coast website for more strange and unusual news stories throughout the week.