ATHENS, Ga. – Ninjas just can't seem to get a break from The Man.
At least when one's discovered running around at night on a college campus in black sweat pants with a couple of hankies on his head.
Jeremiah Ransom found this out the hard way when Federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents detained him as a "suspicious individual" after they caught him, ninja gear and all, lurking around the University of Georgia campus, the Associated Press reports.
"It was surreal," Ransom said. "I was jogging from Wesley to Snelling (cafeteria) when I heard someone yell 'freeze.'"
But the feds soon found that Ransom wasn't a masked man hell-bent on mayhem — he was just a regular, law-abiding ninja who'd been hanging with some pirates at a campus event.
Ransom told the student newspaper he was on his way back from a Wesley Foundation pirate vs. ninja shindig when the was nabbed by gun-bearing agents, but was released soon after he was found to have violated no laws.
The agents thought something was fishy when they "noticed someone wearing a bandana across the face and acting in a somewhat suspicious manner, peeping around the corner" then breaking into a run, Vanessa McLemore, the ATF special agent in charge, said.
University Police Chief Jimmy Willamson said Ransom was wearing black sweat pants and an athletic T-shirt with one red bandanna covering the bottom half of his face and another covering the top of his head.
Thanks to Out There reader Monique D.
Everybody's Laughing, but Foot-Shooter's Not Amused
WINDERMERE, Fla. — Figuratively, everyone’s shot themselves in the foot before, but few have done it literally.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case for one hapless gun-holder whose luck went from bad to worse at a 2004 assembly for Florida schoolchildren.
What’s bad? He actually shot himself in the foot in front of a large audience.
What’s really bad? It was during a weapons demonstration, and he happens to be a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
What’s really, really bad? He just got through saying he was the only person in the room professional enough to carry the weapon.
What’s worse? It was caught on tape and released on the Internet.
But Lee Paige, unwitting online video star and victim of the foot-shooting debacle, is trying to get even, the Smoking Gun reports.
He’s filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government claiming the incident crippled his career.
He blames the video’s release on DEA officials, who he says illegally allowed the embarrassing tape (which was filmed by an audience member and turned over to the agency) to be disseminated.
Paige says the incident was not only made him the “target of jokes, derision, ridicule, and disparaging comments,” but also rendered him unable “to give educational motivational speeches and presentations” or work undercover.
Will the Real Jon Stewart Please Stand Up? Hey, Not You!
OGDEN, Utah (AP) — An embarrassed charter school has discovered it booked the wrong Jon Stewart for its annual gala. The DaVinci Academy thought it had made a deal with comedian Jon Stewart, star of "The Daily Show" and host of this year's Academy Awards, to appear next week.
It sent out 500 invitations to businesses and planned for 900 people.
But last week, it learned that it had booked Jon A. Stewart, a former motivational speaker, businessman and part-time professional wrestler from Chicago.
School leaders said that earlier in the year they had sent out invitations to a number of celebrities, speakers and authors for the school's annual benefit dinner.
A Stewart had responded, and through months of discussion there was no indication that they had not booked the Stewart they wanted, officials said.
But last week the Standard-Examiner in Ogden called Jon Stewart's publicist in Beverly Hills, and found that the only place Stewart was scheduled to be the night of the gala was on "The Daily Show."
DaVinci leaders were informed of that fact Friday.
"It's been a whirlwind ... but the community has really rallied around with support," said Debbie Legge, president of the school's board of directors. "It's not about celebrities. It's about kids and helping them get a good education."
After the school canceled Jon A. Stewart this week, performing groups from Weber State University and the Terrace Playhouse offered to be replacement acts at the event, and DaVinci welcomed them with open arms.
The school is offering refunds to those who had purchased tickets expecting to see the comedian. Some already have received refunds.
Legge said she hopes people still will attend the event, but notices will be sent to patrons about the change.
Someone Must've Made Him an Offer He Couldn't Refuse
NEW YORK (AP) — David Blaine intends to sleep with the fishes — but only for a week, and in full public view.
The 33-year-old magician will perform his latest stunt by living underwater for seven days and nights in a "human aquarium" in front of New York's Lincoln Center.
He will conclude by attempting to hold his breath underwater longer than the record of 8 minutes, 58 seconds.
The finale of his latest stunt will air live in a two-hour ABC special on May 8 (8 p.m. EDT).
Blaine's previous feats of endurance include balancing on a small platform for 35 hours and surviving inside a massive block of ice for 61 hours, both of which were performed in New York. In 2003, he fasted for 44 days in a suspended acrylic box over the Thames River in London.
The "human aquarium" in which Blaine will float is a specially built 8-foot acrylic sphere. He will receive liquid nutrition through a tube and the water will be kept at a balanced temperature to help keep his core temperature close to 98.6 degrees F.
Passers-by will be able to touch the aquarium, take pictures with Blaine and communicate with him. He will enter the sphere on May 1.
To prepare for the challenge, Blaine trained with U.S. Navy Seals and a world class free-diving team. An inside look at his training will be shown on the ABC special, which is titled, "David Blaine: Drowned Alive."
TOKYO (AP) — A theater audience in Japan will be sniffing their noses — literally — at a new Hollywood adventure film when it opens here later this month.
A new service from a major telecommunications company, NTT Communications Corp., will synchronize seven different smells to parts of "The New World," starring Colin Farrell.
A floral scent accompanies a love scene, while a mix of peppermint and rosemary is emitted during a tear-jerking scene. Joy is a citrus mix of orange and grapefruit, while anger is enhanced by a herb-like concoction with a hint of eucalyptus and tea tree.
The smells waft from special machines under the seats in the back rows of two movie theaters, which create different fragrances by controlling the mix of oils stored in the machines, company spokeswoman Akiko Suzaki said Wednesday.
In "The New World," which opened in the United States in December, Farrell plays American colonial leader John Smith, who is said to have been saved from execution by North American Indian princess Pocahontas.
Theaters will be able to download from the Internet different scent sequences for other films, Suzaki said.
The company began a similar service for homes in Japan last year. Owners of the $620 home version can download different programs to emit smells to accompany a horoscope reading or work as aromatherapy.
Owners must keep refilling the machine with fragrant liquids. NTT Communications would not disclose how many machines it has sold.
U.S. startups have developed similar technologies before, although at least one company had to shut down during the dot-com bust.
Compiled by FOXNews.com's Taylor Timmins.
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