Weird News

Turns out, Joey Chestnut can inhale shrimp just as fast as he can hot dogs ... 'cause the eating legend went beast mode on shrimp cocktail this weekend, guzzling 17 pounds of the appetizer in 8 minutes!

The 38-year-old accomplished the wild feat in the eighth annual World Famous St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail Eating Championship in Indianapolis on Saturday -- and the gross/amazing scene was all captured on video.

In footage of the event, you can see hundreds pulled up to the contest to watch Chestnut eat -- and "Jaws" did not disappoint.

After a countdown, Chestnut -- who holds 40-plus eating contest world records -- grabbed a handful of shrimp and chomped down so quickly, the announcer said he had put away pounds of the dish in a matter of seconds.

Chestnut eventually destroyed the competition ... eating 17 pounds and 1.6 ounces of the seafood. And, according to the official event results, he beat second place by almost three full pounds!!

The most staggering part about it all? Chestnut has actually beaten this mark before -- in 2018, he chomped down 18 pounds and 9.6 ounces of the shrimp at the competition.

Things could have ended much worse for a family's dog had it not been for a pane of glass stopping a hungry mountain lion from making it dinner.

The video, taken by a woman in Colorado, shows her dog named Dash frozen in fear as the mountain lion spots it from outside. The mountain lion seems puzzled by the barrier, trying different ways to get in, even tapping on the glass with its paw.

You can hear the fear in the woman's voice as she records and tries to get Dash away from the door, without any luck. The dog is clearly terrified, not moving.

Rep. Tim Burchett is not happy about the Pentagon starting up a new agency to head up UFO research -- because he, like others, sees it as more secrets ... and less transparency.

The Tennessee congressman gave his thoughts on the matter Wednesday on Capitol Hill, and to put it frankly ... he ain't a fan of the move, especially since it felt like things were finally coming to light after decades of keeping this type of talk on the DL.

In Rep. Burchett's eyes ... the Pentagon is only going to keep asking for more funding (from Congress) without giving up the goods on what they know, and the House member thinks going down that road is plain foolish.

That's pretty much what UFO expert Jeremy Corbell told us just last week about this ... he called it a shadow operation that's being presented as something the Defense Dept. is taking seriously -- when he thinks it's the exact opposite in practice.

Now, as for why the DoD would rather sweep this under the rug further -- Burchett has a theory. It all has to do with "industrial complexes" and societal institutions that would probably crumble if we learned the truth about what's out there.

A man hitched a ride on a plane to get out of his home country in hopes of landing stateside ... somehow surviving the mile-high journey in the underbelly of the aircraft.

The 26-year-old was taken into custody Saturday after Miami-Dade Airport crew members found this dude exhausted and sprawled out on the tarmac, near the tires of an American Airlines flight that had just touched down from Guatemala City ... about 3 hours away.

Apparently, the guy snuck his way into the landing compartment of the plane -- where the wheel tucks in, it seems -- and hung tight until it reached its final destination.

As you can see from video taken from folks on the ground, this man is out of it ... but many simply can't believe he was able to live through the ordeal, as the oxygen levels must've been damn near untenable, not to mention the sheer logistics of finding space in there.

Clearly, it's doable ... as there've been other notable stowaway stories like this -- although, most who take to the skies like this do end up losing their lives. Only a handful survive.

Naturally, the authorities swarmed the scene ... including first responders who checked on the guy. The feds also got involved, with Customs and Border Protection agents taking him into their care while they figure out his situation. They're investigating the case further.

Uncle Sam wants to wrangle in the UFO phenomenon that's clearly starting to go mainstream -- and they're doing it by launching a whole new team specifically designed to dig in ... or, we should say, probe deeper.

The U.S. Dept. of Defense announced this week it's starting a task force called the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group to look into what several people claim they've seen in the skies, dating back decades.

This new unit is going to replace the Navy's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force -- which just got created last year. Seems like the Pentagon wants to broaden the scope here.

In a press release, the DoD says the purpose of this new group will be to "detect, identify and attribute objects of interests in Special Use Airspace," and not just that -- but also, "to assess and mitigate any associated threats to safety of flight and national security."

Translation: We wanna know who or what's flying around us, and if they come in peace!!!

DoD notes the move comes under direct orders and in coordination with top intelligence officials ... while pointing out this is the direct result of that DNI report earlier this year, which turned out to be a big nothing burger.

You'll recall, our government was unable to properly identify or explain 143 out of 144 flying objects that had been witnessed and/or documented since 2004. The Defense Dept. says the new agency is being formed to improve a system that's clearly flawed.

While this might seem like exactly what needs to happen in light of Congress members publicly demanding the Pentagon fess up on what it knows ... some actually see it as a bad thing, that'll only cloak info in more secrecy.

Michael Strahan is the new Rocket Man!!!

The 'GMA' host just revealed a secret ... that one Jeff Bezos gave him a ring not too long ago and invited him to hitch a ride into space on the Amazon founder's Blue Origin rocket.

Michael says it took about a nanosecond to say yes ... after being super inspired having been on hand for a previous launch.

Here's the thing about Bezos -- he's like one of the best PR guys in PR even though he's not really in PR. He's using every trick in the book to grab attention away from Elon Musk and Richard Branson. This time ... Bezos' rocket is flying the daughter of Alan Shepard -- the first American who ventured into space -- and a father/son duo. And, of course, there's Michael.

Strahan will blast off on December 9 and there's lots of training to do. He says he's headed to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half of training. So far, he's only met his crewmates via Zoom.

Didn't know this, but apparently, astronauts on Blue Origin get some sort of stipend. Strahan's donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

Speaking of $$$ ... MS didn't say, but we're guessing he's getting a free ride.

Madonna's former Miami mansion has hit the market for more than $31 million ... and we have the poop and the scoop about the seller.

It's Gunther VI ... a German shepherd with some pretty impressive lineage. Turns out Gunther inherited the property, along with a fortune estimated at $500,000,000!!!

Yeah, it seems absurd, but here's the deal. A German countess named Karlotta Leibenstein created a trust and made Gunther's great grand-paw, Gunther III, the beneficiary. When Karlotta died in '92, Gunther III struck gold.

A succession of pooches have come before Gunther VI and embraced lavish lifestyles with trips to Milan and the Bahamas, etc. In fact, Gunther VI has a thing for the Bahamas, where he dined at various restaurants.

And, there's more ... Gunther has a chef cook him breakfast. He likes caviar and travels by private jet, and not in the cargo hold.

As for his digs, well, Gunther sleeps in Madonna's former bedroom. The house sits on more than an acre, and it's one of the best pieces of real estate on the market. Madonna bought it for $7.5 million 20 years ago, so the current $31.75 million price tag is eyepopping.

The realtor selling the home is clearly impressed with the canine, saying, "He literally sleeps overlooking the most magnificent view in an Italian custom bed in the former bedroom of the greatest pop star in the world."

There's a crowning piece of Elvis Presley history hitting the market ... his gold-filled dental work is going on the auction block.

Elvis' crown -- one from his mouth -- is up for bidding via Kruse GWS Auctions as part of the upcoming Artifacts of Hollywood & Music auction.

The dental crown has changed hands over the years ... the auction house says Elvis' fiancée, Linda Thompson, originally gifted it to Jimmy Velvet before it ended up in a private collection after being purchased in 1996 from the Elvis Presley Museum ... and now it's time for a new owner.

The bidding starts December 4 at 10 AM PT ... and the auction house is putting the opening bid on the Elvis tooth at $2,500.

Whatever it takes to win, right??

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy left the watermelons at home when trying to hype up his team before Sunday's game ... instead, he pulled out some Monkey Butt.

Really.

The anti-chafing powder, as Tom Pelissero noted on "NFL Now," was meant to resemble the good, old-fashioned ass-kicking the Cowboys got in their 30-16 loss at home against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 7.

McCarthy dubbed the week leading up to their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons "Red-Ass Week" ... and had staffers pass out the powder to symbolize getting over their bad loss and taking it out on their next opponent.

Of course, McCarthy had a unique motivational tactic last season ... when he smashed watermelons before a win against the Minnesota Vikings.

Say what you want about the weird motivation, but it seems to be working ... 'cause Dallas got the W on Sunday, whooping ATL in a 43-3 effort.

Jeff Bezos is a super-smart guy, so you just can't dismiss what he says out of hand, but this one is mind-bending.

Bezos thinks planet earth is going to be more like Disneyland in the future rather than home base. In other words, he doesn't think people are going to be inhabiting the planet full time ... rather it will become more like a vacation destination.

Bezos spoke at the Ignatius Form in D.C. and suggested outer space will be where humans will live. He talked about floating space cities that are so massive ... they contain forests, wildlife, rivers, the works. He also said all manufacturing will be performed in deep space.

It's almost like he drew inspiration from William Shatner's character in "Star Trek" ... which may partly explain why Shatner hitched a ride recently on Blue Origin.

And, ever the competitor, he took a shot at Elon Musk, by saying it's way more likely these colonies will float in space rather than settle on Mars.

As for earth ... well, as he said, it will just be a place you visit ... "the way you visit Yellowstone National Park."

Bezos told the crowd, “Over centuries, many people will be born in space, it will be their first home.”

A rock band's lead singer got a little too hardcore during a live show -- pulling down her pants and taking a major leak on a dude's face ... who seemed to be all about it.

This wild incident went down Thursday night during the Welcome to Rockville festival at the Daytona International Speedway -- where Brass Against performed to a ton of fanfare ... and eventually, to a ton of grossed-out spectators who witnessed this unsanitary scene.

Frontwoman Sophia Urista was rocking out during their set -- and performing a cover Rage Against the Machine's "Wake Up" -- when she and the band apparently invited a guy in the front row to come on up and receive a golden shower ... to which he happily obliged.

Unclear exactly if he knew what he was in for -- but he seemed more than willing to lie down on stage (with a can mounted to his forehead) and let Urista do her thing.

That thing, as it turned out, was to wiz all over his head and body ... and it was captured in graphic detail from folks who were no more than 15 or 20 feet away. She unbuttoned her pants, pulled down her panties and then got into a squat position and hovered.

Soon, the live stream started ... and she let it rip for a good 10 seconds or so. The downpour of urine absolutely buried the man's face -- and he even spits some out which came shooting up looking like a spray of water. Yeah, it's freaking gnarly ... and gross as hell.

You can go find the video for yourself online -- we can't really post it here because, well ... it's just a little too vile to depict in full. But, trust when we say -- it's quite a sight.

Water is squeezed out of The Rock ... and into a water bottle???

Dwayne Johnson says that's exactly what happens during his famous workouts ... revealing in a new interview this week that he does, in fact, piss in bottles at the gym.

The Rock explained, though, that it's not as weird as it sounds (or, at least, he tried to) ...

In the chat with Esquire, the WWE legend said he doesn't have a specific water bottle that he reuses as his portable bathroom ... but rather he just uses old plastic bottles that he's finished with.

As for why he does it in the first place, The Rock explained there's just simply no bathrooms at the gyms he lifts weights in.

"It's just hot, sweaty and dirty," The Rock said of the facilities.

Johnson said the urination breaks actually go down multiple times during his sessions ... saying in gross detail, "I usually stay pretty hydrated."

The Amazon driver who lost his job after a video of a woman slipping out the backdoor of his delivery truck went viral says the mystery girl is someone close to him ... like very close.

Tywan George is the Amazon driver in the video and he tells TMZ he knows the woman intimately and insists he was just doing his job when she was inside the van ... namely, delivering packages ... if you catch his drift.

Tywan says he knew he was going to be in big trouble when the video went viral because he knows how the Jeff Bezos company operates.

The video led to tons of racy speculation about what exactly the two of them were getting into back there ... and Tywan's account is dripping with sexual innuendo.

Tywan is being coy but it's fairly easy to figure out what he's getting at here ... and he says he did what any other man in America would do in a similar situation.

SpaceX astronauts will be all wrapped up during their flight back from the International Space Station -- in diapers.

Those pesky toilet issues that plagued a previous flight back in September are back with a flourish.  Turns out the toilet is broken ... again. So, without a proper receptacle on the Dragon capsule, the crew will have to resort to cruder methods of release.

The NASA astronauts have been in the International Space Station and the plan is for them to return to earth Sunday. Astronaut, Megan McArthur, classically understated the problem by calling the situation "suboptimal."

The ride back to earth is 20 hours, so diapers are essential to avoid a disgusting mess.

As if Texas' football season couldn't get any worse -- a monkey belonging to Longhorns special teams coach Jeff Banks' GF is being accused of attacking a young trick or treater on Halloween ... but the woman says it's all the kid's fault.

A report late Monday night claimed the white-faced capuchin "seriously hurt" a boy during Halloween festivities ... with the monkey's jaws having to be "pried" open to free the child.

Banks' GF, Danielle Thomas -- AKA "Pole Assassin," a professional pole dancer once featured on "Jerry Springer" -- admitted something happened, but quickly defended her monkey ... claiming she was hosting a haunted event at her place, and the kid went where he wasn't supposed to.

"I had a haunted house on one side gated off/ he had no permission to go pass the gate i had no idea he went in my back yard," Thomas posted on Twitter before scrapping her account.

Thomas also claims she had no idea her monkey bit anyone until a local doctor told her about a "small bite."

Thomas says the kids were told to turn around when they came to a set of balloons ... and an "11/12" year old should be old enough to follow the rules and not venture off in someone's yard without permission. She even posted a video detailing the kid's assumed walk to the monkey cage ... with a sign that reads "Do Not Enter, emotional support animal, no touching."

"How could she viciously bite someone if they don't stick their hand in there where they don't belong?" Thomas said in the video.

We've reached out to law enforcement ... so far, no word back.

An Amazon driver's now jobless after a video went viral of a woman slipping out the backdoor of his delivery truck ... sparking racy speculation about what she and the driver were doing.

The clip, shot in a Florida neighborhood, shows a woman in a black dress and flip-flops hopping out the rear door. Worth nothing, the Amazon delivery guy's quite the gentleman ... he holds the door open for her.

It's unclear who the woman is, or exactly why she was inside the truck -- but Amazon certainly didn't think it was prime conduct by the driver.

A rep for the company tells us, "This does not reflect the high standards we have for our Delivery Service Partners and their drivers. Allowing unauthorized passengers to enter delivery vehicles is a violation of Amazon policy, and the driver is no longer delivering packages to Amazon customers.”