Oddlyenough

Bar seeking return of mannequin ‘employee’

A Florida bar is asking for the public’s help finding a missing “employee” — a battered mannequin dubbed “Cheryl” by workers. Wyatt Lawless, owner of Beer Punx in the Flagler Village area of Fort Lauderdale, said security footage shows a man surveying the bar before walking off with Cheryl. “It wasn’t a quick random grab. You know a grab-and-go,” Lawless told WPLG-TV. “He was casing the place out and stood here for about 20 minutes.”

Lawless said Cheryl wasn’t just the bar’s mascot, she was an “employee.” “Cheryl, one of our employees was kidnapped last night around 1 am,” Lawless wrote on the bar’s Facebook page. “We are worried sick about her, and will reward anyone who has information leading to her safe recovery. Thank you and God bless.” Lawless said the mannequin has been stationed outside the bar for the past eight months. “She was just a staple of the community,” Lawless said.

“It sounds funny, you know, but Cheryl was like over 100 bucks.”

(UPI)

Emu sTUNs beach-goers by joining them for swim

A group of tourists paddleboarding off an Australian beach were shocked when a wild emu came swimming over to enjoy the water with them. A video filmed by Shayne Thomson, a deckhand on the Catamaran Cruises Aristocat 2, shows the large flightless bird swimming right up to a pair of British tourists holding onto a paddleboard off Monkey Mia Beach in Western Australia.

The video shows the emu swimming through the water with no apparent regard for the nearby onlookers. The backpackers told WA Today their encounter was “more Aussie than if Crocodile Dundee had offered to buy them a beer.”

(UPI)

Dead goose falls from sky, knocks hunter unconscious

A waterfowl hunter is in stable condition after a dead goose fell from the sky and knocked him unconscious. Robert Meilhammer of Dorchester County was hunting with three other people when one of them fired at a flock of Canada geese overhead in Easton, near the Miles River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Maryland Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said a falling goose hit Meilhammer, knocking him out and causing head and facial injuries.

The Washington Post reports that when he came to, he knew who he was, but “little else,” according to a Natural Resources police officer. The agency tweeted Friday that Meilhammer was in stable condition and awaiting more tests at a Baltimore trauma centre.

(AP)

Robot makes coffee at new cafe in Japan’s capital

Japan has a new cafe where customers can enjoy coffee brewed and served by a robot barista. The robot named Sawyer debuted this week at Henna Cafe in Tokyo’s downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya. The shop’s name in Japanese means “strange cafe”. The single-armed robot scans a ticket purchased from a vending machine and greets the customer. “Would you care for a delicious coffee?” the barista, with a screen showing a pair of cartoon eyes, asks in a flat tone. “I can make one better than human beings around here.”

It grinds the coffee beans, fills a filter and pours hot water over a paper cup for up to five people at once. A cup of brewed coffee costs 320 yen ($3) and takes a few minutes. Sawyer can also operate an automated machine for six other hot drinks including cappuccino, hot chocolate and green tea latte.

Customers, many of them young men, took photos with their smartphones while they waited in line. The cafe operator, travel agency H.I.S. Co., says robots can increase productivity while also entertaining customers.

“An essential point is to increase productivity,” said Masataka Tamaki, general manager of corporate planning at H.I.S. He said only one person needs to oversee the robot cafe, compared to several people needed at a regular coffee shop, so it can serve better quality coffee at a reasonable price. Tamaki says it’s not just about efficiency. “We want the robot to entertain customers so it’s not like buying coffee at a vending machine,” he said.

Takeshi Yamamoto, a 68-year-old restaurant employee, said his first experience with the robot cafe was very enjoyable, and his robot-made coffee was delicious. “It’s quite rich, and tastes very good,” Yamamoto said, as he took a sip. “You can get machine-made coffee at convenience stores, too, and it’s actually good. But here, I had great fun.”

(AP)

Man has 49 watermelons chopped on his stomach

A martial artist from India claimed a unique world record by allowing dozens of watermelons to be chopped on his stomach. Vispy Jimmy Kharadi enlisted the help of fellow martial artist Vispi Baji Kasad to use a 30-inch katana to slice the fruit in order to claim the Guinness World Record for most watermelons chopped on the stomach in one minute. The pair managed to avoid injury and chop a total of 49 watermelons, narrowly edging out the previous record of 48. “The danger is always there in all such stunts, especially when there’s a Japanese katana in the picture which can cut skin very easily, but because of the practice and confidence of Vispi Kasad, the pain can be offset,” Kharadi said.

(UPI)