Each year sees its share of bizarre stories, but it seemed like 2010 was overflowing with "you've got to be kidding me!" moments. Perhaps the proliferation of social media has made the quirky behavior of a few more accessible to the masses in warp speed -- but whatever the reason for the uptick in news of the weird, we're grateful for the fodder. Here are The Lookout's five oddest news events of 2010.
1.
Paul the Octapus: The World Cup commands far and away the largest global following of any major sporting event. But no one could have predicted that an undersea creature would be among the most canny prognosticators of World Cup outcomes. Then again, perhaps it stands to reason that a sport so focused on leg agility should earn the close attention of an eight-legged animal.
It was clear, in any event, that Paul was no ordinary octopus. He correctly predicted the outcome
of every match played by Germany, in addition to the final between Spain and the Netherlands. Paul became such a juggernaut, in fact, that German fans actually revolted and threatened to eat him when he correctly picked Germany to fall to Spain in the semifinals. Unfortunately, like many celebrities, Paul died young in October at the age of 2 1/2. Some stars shine so brightly that they burn out way too soon.
2.
The Chilean miners: It's unfortunately a common occurrence for miners to get trapped underground--but it's unheard of for their captivity to result in so many happy endings. All of the 33 miners trapped in a mine in Chile for 2 months not only survived, but became regular fixtures on news programs and even morphed into international celebrities.
Miner Edison Peña was the breakout star. In an appearance on CBS' "Late Show," Peña regaled David Letterman and his audience
with his hilarious Elvis impression, endearing him to millions of American viewers.
3.
Volcanic ash: Who would have thought that
an ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano could cause the biggest slowdown in the airline industry since the terror attacks on 9/11? But hey, it actually happened.
Yes, the enormous ash cloud produced by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano hovered for days above the earth, capable of destroying the engines of any jet that dared to pass through it. As a result of the mass cancellations of flights throughout Europe, thousands of air travelers around the world were stranded for days.
4.
The midterm elections: Perhaps it had something to do with the sluggish economy and the generally dour national mood, but this year's elections seem to have inspired more wacky, gaffe-prone candidates to come out of the woodwork than any time in recent memory.
From candidates for high office quite literally running from reporters to avoid questions, and producing a new subgenre of political ads showcasing a candidate's marksmanship skills, 2010 was a year in American politics few observers will soon forget.
5.
Steven Slater: When word began to spread on a Monday afternoon last April that a JetBlue flight attendant had -- in a fit of rage after an altercation with a passenger --
exited the plane via an emergency chute, the nation seemed instantly captivated.
But this surpassingly weird story has an even weirder epilogue. In the post-Jet Blue phase of his career,
Steven Slater has become a rapper. Here's a sampling of lyrics
from one of his songs.
Climb into the cockpit...
And throw all the switches...
Now you're using Line 2...
I'm Steven Slater b*tches.
We doubt there's any better way of summing up 2010, the ineffably weird year that was.
The teenager, on a Las Vegas-to-Boise flight operated by Southwest, was playing games and listening to music, police say, when flight attendants told passengers to power down electronic devices.
