Vermont University Announces 'Weird Al' Class, And More Of The Week's Weirdest World News – Digg
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Welcome to another entry in our new column, The Week’s Weirdest World News. The world, you might have noticed, is a very strange place — so every seven days, we’ll be rounding up the most bizarre things that have happened across the globe, purely for your enjoyment.
From South Korea’s pet rock revival to a man inventing anti-reggaeton AI, these stories are sure to inspire wonder — or, at the very least, befuddlement — at the weird ol’ world around us.
[Image credit: YouTube]
In their search for comfort and companionship, overworked and lonely South Koreans have revived a quirky ’70s fad: the pet rock.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the collectible gimmick — which found brief fame in America in the 1970s — is seeing a resurgence among South Korean workers, who endure one of the longest workweeks in the industrialized world.
One office employee, who was gifted her pet rock at a time when work was particularly demanding, told WSJ: “I’d occasionally complain to my rock about what a tiresome day I had at work… it’s kind of like talking to your dog, and can feel relaxing in some ways.”
[Image credit: YouTube]
A popular Indian YouTuber has been arrested for allegedly supply snake venom as a recreational drug to be used at raves.
Elvish Yadav, who is also a reality TV star, was detained under the Wildlife Act after a party he was attending was raided in November.
Nine snakes and 20ml of snake venom were recovered from the event, and several people who were questioned on suspicion of snake smuggling named Yadav as the individual who allegedly supplied the toxic substance.
Yadav, who has been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody, has denied all charges.
Vermont State University will soon be offering a class based on the music of “Weird Al” Yankovic, WCAX has reported.
The class, called “Weird Al and his Polkas,” was inspired by Harvard University’s course on Taylor Swift.
“Harvard has Taylor, Vermont State has Weird Al!” the school wrote in a Facebook post.
Led by VTSU Lyndon Music and Performing Arts Professor Brian Warwick — a mix engineer who has worked extensively with Yankovic — the class will teach students about “parody, songcraft and music production analysis.”
“Al Yankovic’s work is not just about the parodies,” Warwick told WCAX-TV. “It’s also about his tribute or pastiche songs, where it’s actually an original work by Al Yankovic, but he’s paying tribute to another artist.”
The class will be open to both Vermont State students and members of the public in the fall.
An Argentine man fed up with his neighbor blasting reggaeton in the morning has invented a machine to silence the music whenever it plays.
According to El Pais, Roni Bandini created an AI-powered device that detects reggaeton and interferes with Bluetooth speakers playing it until the music stops.
The invention, named Reggaeton Be Gone, can identify thousands of songs in the genre and silence them via signal interferences. Bandini has since share the tutorial, demo and code for his now-viral creation online, and will also be offering workshops.
The use of frequency jammers like the Reggaeton Be Gone is banned in many countries around the world, so Bandini’s invention does raise a few ethical and legal questions.
“Before you say anything, I totally understand that interfering with a neighbor’s speakers could be illegal,” he commented. “But, on the other hand, listening to reggaeton every day at 9 a.m. should definitely be illegal.”
[Image credit: YouTube]
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