Friday Funny News Roundup: Fresh Weird Stories for November 2025

Friday's here, and you know what that means, time to take a breather from spreadsheets, client calls, and quarterly reports to dive into the wonderfully weird world of this week's news! We've scoured the most reputable sources to bring you the freshest batch of "you couldn't make this stuff up" stories from November 10-12, 2025.

Trust us, after reading about robot chicken fights and AI fortune-telling divorces, your business challenges will seem perfectly reasonable by comparison.

When Animals Make Headlines (And We Can't Stop Laughing)

Virginia's Most Unusual Pool Party

UPI reports that firefighters in Virginia had quite the rescue mission this week, pulling a 900-pound horse out of someone's backyard swimming pool. Apparently, the horse decided to take an impromptu dip and quickly discovered that hooves aren't great for pool ladders. The rescue team had to get creative with ropes and a lot of patience. We're just hoping the homeowner's pool insurance covers "acts of equine curiosity."

Washington's Traffic-Stopping Sea Lion

Meanwhile, up in Washington state, UPI covered the story of a sea lion that decided rush hour traffic wasn't moving fast enough for its liking. The marine mammal somehow made its way onto a busy road, causing drivers to stop and stare. Wildlife officials eventually coaxed the confused sea lion back toward the water, but not before it became the most photographed commuter of the week.

The Blind Pigeon's Excellent Adventure

In Texas, police helped reunite a man with his blind and flightless pigeon after the pet bird decided to hitch a ride in a pickup truck. The pigeon, clearly having trust issues with its owner's driving, opted for what it thought would be a more scenic route. Sometimes the best travel companions are the ones you never expected.

Record-Breaking Ridiculousness

David Rush and the Great Cucumber Challenge

UPI's David Rush struck again this week, setting a new world record involving cucumbers. Without spoiling all the fun details, let's just say this man has turned vegetable-based achievements into an art form. His dedication to breaking the most random world records continues to both inspire and baffle us. We're not sure what's next, turnip juggling? Carrot sculpture? The possibilities are endless.

Digital Age Disasters

The AI Fortune-Teller That Broke Up a Marriage

Here's where 2025 gets really weird. A woman in Greece asked ChatGPT to analyze coffee ground patterns using traditional tasseography (that's coffee cup fortune-telling, for the uninitiated). The AI warned her about betrayal and claimed another woman with the initial "E" was her husband's "destined partner." Three days later? Divorce papers. Her husband told local TV he laughed it off as nonsense, but apparently, his wife didn't find it quite so funny. Legal experts were quick to note that AI-based fortune-telling doesn't hold up in court, but the damage was already done.

The Golden Retriever That Broke the Internet

Newsweek reported on a golden retriever whose "crate tapping" video went viral this week. The dog apparently developed a rhythmic tapping routine that sounds suspiciously like morse code, leading internet detectives to theorize everything from hidden messages to canine musical genius. Sometimes the best content creators have four legs and don't even know they're creating content.

Culinary Crimes and Lifestyle Chaos

USA Today's Diet Coke Addiction Exposé

USA Today dove deep into America's Diet Coke obsession this week, featuring interviews with people who consider the fizzy beverage a food group. One subject claimed to drink 12 cans daily and insisted it's "basically water with personality." The article also touched on how Dancing With the Stars contestants use Diet Coke as their secret energy boost between routines. Who knew carbonated caffeine was the real secret to perfect pirouettes?

Lottery Logic Goes Wrong (But Right)

Ohio's Lucky Mistake

UPI reported on an Ohio lottery error that turned one person's day completely around. A glitch in the system resulted in a much larger pay-out than expected, proving that sometimes technology's mistakes work in your favour. The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, reportedly said they're still pinching themselves to make sure it's real. We'd probably do the same.

The Paranormal and Peculiar

NPR's Haunted Car Wash Investigation

NPR took a surprisingly serious deep dive into a reportedly haunted car wash this week. Multiple employees reported strange occurrences, unexplained sounds, and equipment that turns on by itself. The station interviewed paranormal investigators, sceptics, and very nervous car wash attendants. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, we're betting this particular car wash has the cleanest cars and the most nervous staff in town.

What This All Means for Your Friday

As small business owners, we deal with plenty of unexpected situations: difficult clients, supply chain issues, technology glitches, and the occasional crisis management. But reading about horses in swimming pools and AI marriage counsellors puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Sometimes the best way to handle business stress is to remember that somewhere out there, someone is trying to explain to their insurance company why a sea lion caused a traffic jam, or why their AI assistant just recommended they divorce their spouse based on coffee grounds.

These stories remind us that no matter how crazy your week gets, at least you're not dealing with doorbell-ringing slugs or having to defend your pasta-cooking techniques to the entire internet.

So pour yourself that Friday afternoon coffee (and maybe don't ask ChatGPT to read the grounds), take a deep breath, and remember: if these people can navigate their utterly bizarre situations, you can absolutely handle whatever your business throws at you next week.

Have a wonderfully weird weekend, and may all your problems be as easily solved as coaxing a sea lion off the highway!

What's the strangest news story that's caught your attention this week? Share your favourites with us: we're always collecting material for next Friday's roundup!