'Weird Stuff' Archives

Stunt Man Plans to Jump From Hot-Air Balloon and Land in Same Balloon in Skies Above Casa Grande; Paramedics to Stand By

By James King Wed., Mar. 10 2010 at 2:59 PM

www.onlyblackteeshirts.com

A Utah man apparently has seen too many "extreme" Mountain Dew commercials.

Bill Heaner, a 49-year-old "professional extreme athlete," plans on attempting a world-record-breaking stunt that defies all laws of gravity and common sense: he plans to jump out of a hot-air balloon, paragliding for a little while and landing back in the balloon as it hovers thousands of feet above the ground.

We only had one question for Heaner: "Are you fucking nuts?"

He was happy to provide us with an answer: "It's just another day at the office."

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Tags:

arizona, bill heaner, casa grande, skydiving, stunt, world record

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You Heard It Here First

Ten Random Thoughts as the Oughts (2000-2009) Fade Away

By Paul Rubin Wed., Dec. 30 2009 at 4:10 PM

Categories: Picture This, Weird Stuff, You Heard It Here First

The following are 10 random things that, at the start of this weird decade, we never would have believed:

1. That the historically pathetic Arizona Cardinals would move out to bumfuck Egypt (a.k.a. Glendale, a.k.a. sweet deal), and then would (at the end of the decade) find themselves exactly one play from winning the damned Super Bowl.

2. That Rick Romley, the conservative and often-maligned (by New Times, anyway) Maricopa County Attorney for 16 years would look like a saint (metaphorically, i.e. that's Romley in the photo) in comparison to his successor, the zealot Andrew Peyton Thomas.

3. That Bobby Khan, a semi-wild and crazy guy we met when he was working as a grunt firefighter at Station 21, in south Phoenix, would become the chief -- and a good one -- of the nation's fifth-largest city.

4. That an insignificant minor-league bully named Russell Pearce would finagle his way into such a powerful position in the Arizona Legislature.

5. That light rail actually would happen, and be pretty flippin' cool.

Tags:

andrew thomas, arizona cardinals, bob khan, dennis erickson, elmore leonard, ford crown victoria, jason schechterle, jim Larkin, joe arpaio, mike lacey, rick romley, russell pearce, super bowl

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Weird Stuff

"Phoenix Lights" UFO Sighting Explained in Bad Sci-Fi Flick

By Malia Politzer Mon., Sep. 14 2009 at 3:03 PM

Categories: Weird Stuff

Arizona Republic clip of "Phoenix Lights"

Remember when many Phoenicians saw UFOs? Even former Governor Fife Symington eventually fessed up to seeing the giant, V-shaped formation of lights cruising slowly through the sky

The so-called "Phoenix lights, appeared suddenly on the night of March 3, 1997, and just as suddenly disappeared.

Now, nearly 10 years later, we finally know what they were: Angels. Or aliens. Take your pick.

At least that's what director Daniel Pace wants us to think. His sci-fi mystery thriller, The Appearance of a Man, explores what -- or who -- the strange lights that suddenly appeared on the night of March 3, 1997, actually were.

Pace, who also wrote the movie, based the script on interviews from witnesses of the event.