ODDS AND ENDS: Unfortunate mascots and other offbeat offerings
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JAPAN WISELY SCRAPS A RATHER UNFORTUNATE MASCOT
Sometimes not even a cute mascot can win over a crowd.
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The Japanese government had hoped that Little Mr. Tritium, a cute animated character, would help win people’s support for the release of more than one million tonnes of contaminated water from the infamous Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, The Guardian reported.
While the water will reportedly be thoroughly treated before being released into the sea, the H20 will still contain tritium, a hydrogen isotope. Mr. Tritium is modelled after the isotope, complete with pink cheeks and big green nose.
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The cute character appeared briefly in online promotional material on the reconstruction company’s website, which angered residents of Fukashima, who felt Mr. Tritium trivialized the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The agency behind the character’s creation pulled all promotional material featuring it a day after it was released. The company stated it created the character to explain the release of the isotope into the Japan sea as a standard nuclear plant practice.
Japanese officials say tritium is only harmful to people in large doses and that treated water poses no risk to them.
WOULD THE REAL CONOR MCGREGOR PLEASE STAND UP
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
An Irish man who bears a resemblance to UFC fighter Conor McGregor was recently sentenced to close to three years in prison after impersonating the “Notorious” one while dealing drugs.
According to the Irish Post, cops reportedly pulled over 34-year-old Mark Nye in February 2020 after they allegedly saw him trying to dump a package of drugs and two cellphones in the town of Surrey.
When questioned, Nye reportedly told cops his name was “Conor” and authorities allegedly found business cards inside Nye’s car that read “McGregor Enterprise.”
Cops claim the suspect had been using the cards to promote his drug dealing hustle in London, England. Further investigation allegedly revealed hundreds of texts outlining Nye’s drug-dealing deeds in cellphones along with boric acid, a substance used to cut narcotics.
Nye pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced April 9.
MAN BRAGS ABOUT U.S. CAPITOL RIOT TO POTENTIAL DATE, GETS ARRESTED
Bragging about participating in the U.S. Capitol riot is more likely land you in handcuffs than on a date.
Unfortunately, Robert Chapman apparently thought the latter after allegedly telling a potential date about participating in the Jan. 6 incident while using the dating app Bumble, NPR reported.
According to court filings, the 50-year-old reportedly told a person he was trying to sweep off their feet that “I did storm the capitol” and boasted that he “made it all the way to Statuary Hall.”
The person he was chatting it up with wasn’t impressed by his admission.
“We are not a match,” the unnamed love match replied.
“I suppose not,” Chapman replied.
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The Bumble user Chapman was chatting with reported him to authorities on Jan. 13, which spawned an investigation that culminated in his arrest on Thursday in Carmel, N.Y.
Chapman is charged with two counts of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, and two counts of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Chapman was subsequently released on bail after a virtual court appearance. He is barred from travelling to Washington D.C. except for court proceedings.
HUNGRY BEAVERS KNOCK OUT INTERNET SERVICE IN B.C.
Some hungry beavers were the culprits behind the loss of internet service to several hundred customers in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. last weekend.
According to CBC News, about 900 customers lost their Telus internet access on April 24. When Telus crews arrived on scene to do repairs, they discovered that beavers had chewed their way through a fibre optic cable.
A Telus spokesperson told CBC News it was a “very bizarre and uniquely Canadian turn of events.”
“Our team located a nearby dam, and it appears the beavers dug underground alongside the creek to reach our cable, which is buried about three feet underground and protected by a 4.5-inch thick conduit. The beavers first chewed through the conduit before chewing through the cable in multiple locations,” Telus spokesperson Liz Sauve said.
Repair technicians took pictures of pieces of the Telus cable being used by the beavers to build their dams. Fortunately, the Internet was restored a day later.
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