Friendships take 34 hours to form

And other stories from the stranger side of life

The cast of Friends

A study has found that it takes around 34 hours of socialising to form a solid friendship, according to The Times. Researchers who quizzed 2,000 British adults found that the average adult has five close “shoulders-to-cry-on” confidants, and that the average friendship lasts just a couple of years. “Friendships are the single most important factor influencing both our psychological and our physical health and wellbeing,” said Robin Dunbar, emeritus professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford.

Man blames dog for porn order

A man insisted that the $70 bill he received for buying saucy videos was actually caused by his dog, reported the Daily Star. Thomas Barnes, 58, said the pay-per-view porn was accidentally purchased from the Hustler channel when his dog, Marino, repeatedly touched the TV remote. The North Carolina man said it happened when the dog jumped on the bed and pushed the fateful combination of buttons on the remote control as it settled down.

Biggest pumpkin in US honoured

A giant 2,554-pound pumpkin has broken the US record for the heaviest pumpkin, reported Fox News. The Great Pumpkin Farm – an autumn festival in New York – declared the giant gourd as the record breaker. Scott Andrusz of Williamsville, New York, grew the record-breaking pumpkin. The current world record for the heaviest pumpkin is with Stefano Cutrupi of Italy, who grew a 2,702-pound and 13.9-ounce pumpkin said the Guinness World Records.

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