Weird and Wacky News: AI priest
New World Order
“Father Justin,” an AI priest created by Catholic Answers, a Christian group in San Diego, was defrocked on April 24 after claiming to users that he was a real member of the clergy and performing sacraments, the New York Post reported. Holy Justin told users he was a priest in Assisi, Italy. He shared his views on sexual issues and took confession, concluding with, “Go in peace, my child, and sin no more.” He also advised one user that they could use Gatorade to baptize their child. Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers, explained: “We chose the character to convey a quality of knowledge and authority ... Many people, however, have voiced concerns about this choice.” The avatar was rebranded as Virtual Apologist Justin, minus the cassock and collar, after an uproar about his behavior. “We won’t say he’s been laicized,” Check said, “because he was never a real priest!”
Internationals Behaving Badly
Artist Benediktas Gylys went live with his installation “Portal” on May 14, United Press International reported. “Portal” is a live video stream connecting New York City with Dublin, Ireland. But it was switched off the same day because of “instances of inappropriate behavior” that have been “amplified on social media.” The naughty actions included swearing, nudity and displays of images from the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. “I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes,” said Ava Louise, who bared her breasts to “Portal.” Governments on both sides of the pond are considering actions to take to curb the bad behavior.
It’s a Mystery
On April 25, an employee at the Avalon Theater in Marysville, Ohio, who had noticed a person acting suspiciously the night before, discovered a treasure in the restroom: $25,000 in cash, WBNS-TV reported. Two days later, $12,000 turned up in a KFC restroom. “I would absolutely say they are connected in some way,” said police Capt. Nate Sachs. Authorities determined that the money is legitimate. “One is just weird in and of itself,” Sachs said, “but two times in one week is definitely another level.” He encouraged citizens to call police if they find any more cash to “help us with our investigation.”
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Middleburg Heights, Ohio, residents who were hoping to do business at the Social Security office there were turned away in early May, News 5 reported on May 2. It wasn’t computer issues or flooding that shut the office down, though. Michael Murphy, president of the Local 3448 of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the problem was raccoons. “There’s urine stains on the tiles. The smoke detectors came falling down. ... (A)pparently the animals may be eating through the wiring.” When 25% of the lighting went out, employees got in touch with Murphy. “These employees were reporting concerns of noises above the ceiling as early as January,” he said. The SSA released a statement saying the office would reopen “as soon as possible.”