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News of the Weird: Week of 01/16/25

The Passing Parade

Have you ever really loved a car? The Polara family of Padarshinga Village in India really loved their 18-year-old Suzuki Wagon R, Oddity Central reported. They believed the hatchback to be their lucky car, so when it burned its last gallon of gas, they gave it a special send-off: a lavish burial ceremony attended by more than 1,500 guests. The Polaras had a 15-foot-deep hole dug on their property, then had the car, covered with flowers and decorated with garlands, lowered into it as music played. The ceremony included several rituals and cost the Polaras more than $4,500. “This car was more than just a vehicle,” Sanjay Polara said. “It was part of our journey toward success.” He plans to plant a tree over the grave as a marker.

News You Can Use

Looking for a torture method even more sinister than sitting across from your politically outspoken cousin at the holiday dinner table? LAD Bible reported on Nov. 21 that Italian monk Franciscus Brunus de San Severino described “goat’s tongue” in his 1502 treatise on torture methods — but it’s not entirely clear whether the medieval practice actually took place. It involves soaking the subject’s feet in saltwater, then securing them in a stock and letting a goat lick them to the point of peeling and bleeding. The torture method, which may date back to ancient Rome, could have resulted in death from infection.

The Golden Age of Air Travel

• On Nov. 25 at Boston’s Logan International Airport, two planes got a tad too chummy on the tarmac, Fox News reported. An American Airlines Boeing 777 was being towed when its wing clipped the wing of a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 that was parked at a gate, the Federal Aviation Administration said. There were no injuries reported to passengers, but all passengers exited the planes, and American removed its plane from service. Frontier said all passengers would receive a $100 travel voucher, as well as the option to rebook on Frontier or receive a full refund. An airport spokesperson called it a minor incident.

• On Nov. 16, aboard United Airlines flight 502 from Austin, Texas, to Los Angeles, one traveler lost his composure and started beating up … his seat. The New York Post reported that the unnamed man, dressed in sweats, stood on his seat and repeatedly kicked its backrest as bystanders watched and took video. “The flight attendant walked by a couple times, nobody was doing anything,” said witness Gino Galofaro. He and two other passengers decided to take matters into their own hands, zip-tying the irate passenger’s hands and feet and strapping him into a seat. About an hour later, as the flight landed, law enforcement met them at the gate. United Airlines said he has been banned from future flights.

Unclear on the Concept

Sam, 22, is an assistant manager at a frozen yogurt shop in Florida, Newsweek reported on Dec. 26, but even at his young age, he is able to recognize cash that might be counterfeit. Unlike his employees, that is, who flagged a $10 bill and a $5 bill as FAKE. “I shed a tear because of the sharpie they scrawled onto the bills,” he wrote on Reddit. Sam said he had to explain that the bills were “just old, not counterfeit.” He admitted that people his age and younger might rarely use cash: “It’s a digital world nowadays, so I would suspect that to be one reason [they flagged the bills].”

Questionable Judgment

On Dec. 17, California Highway Patrol officers in Madera County shared a photo on Facebook of a Honda Ridgeline truck they had pulled over, Carscoops reported. With an unintentional nod to The Grapes of Wrath, the truck was piled to at least twice its height with random items, some of which were flying off into traffic, officers said. “It is important to always secure your load/cargo and not exceed your vehicle’s load capacity,” CHP cautioned. “Flying debris can make motorists take evasive action and potentially be involved in a traffic crash.”

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News of the Weird: Week of 01/09/24

Ewwwww

• Los Angeles is known for many things, but perhaps its most ignominious claim to fame is being the “clogged capital” of the United States on “Brown Friday” — the day after Thanksgiving, when plumbers nationally go out on emergency calls 65 percent more often than on other Fridays. Analysis by Yelp showed that plumbing-related searches went up 73 percent in L.A., followed by 37 percent in Miami, United Press International reported. Roto-Rooter said the most common problem areas were kitchen sinks, toilets, and garbage disposals.

• Looking for a different type of pizza than the standard pepperoni or sausage? At Pizza Hut restaurants in China, customers are being offered deep-fried frogs on top of their pies, the Independent reported on Nov. 21. The pizza has a thick crust with red sauce and basil, with a whole fried bullfrog on top. The limited-time variety is being offered in a collaboration with Dungeons and Dragons and is called “Goblin Pizza.”

Rude

• Starting on Jan. 1, the Garden of Remembrance cemetery in Stoke-on-Trent, England, will welcome visitors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, the Stoke Sentinel reported. But should family members want to visit at other times, they’ll be required to buy a VIP pass for 5 pounds (or 10 pounds, if they also want to visit the rose garden). “Now I need to pay a membership fee to visit my dad’s grave,” groused Jode Bourne, whose father Mark is buried there. “This is an absolute disgrace.” A posted notice says the new rules will make “the site secure for our staff, families, and visitors.”

• A prop gravestone for Ebenezer Scrooge, left behind after a 1984 movie adaptation of A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott, was smashed on Nov. 24, the BBC reported. The cemetery next to St. Chad’s Church in Shrewsbury, England, was part of the scene where Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come; much of the movie was filmed there. Town council clerk Helen Ball said the stone is “in multiple pieces. I think it’s one of those things that’s very dear to everybody’s hearts.” She said the council would determine whether the stone could be repaired.

No Good Deed …

Nigel Carter, 64, of Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland, collected 500 bikes to send to a charity in Sudan that helps people who need cheap transportation to school or work, the BBC reported on Nov. 22. But a Scottish Environment Protection Agency inspector said the shipment could not leave the port because some of the bikes needed minor repairs, such as oil on chains and new brake cables. Carter said he found it “ludicrous” that the bikes were returned to him. A SEPA official said he had a duty to ensure that Scotland’s waste was not dumped on another country, but Carter said the Sudanese charity had picked out the bikes and were happy with their condition. They will likely be returned to the recycling center where they came from and scrapped.

It’s a Mystery

George Oliver of Calvert County, Maryland, often walks the beach looking for fossils, NBC News reported. As he strolled along Chesapeake Bay on Nov. 4 during low tide, he spotted a coffin in the water. Inside was a nearly whole human skeleton. Oliver removed the skeleton and dug the mostly submerged coffin out of the water. “When I first found it,” he said, “you could not tell that there was human remains. You just thought that it was full of beach sand.” Oliver called the sheriff’s department, who called an archaeological society. Based on the construction of the coffin and the condition of the body, it’s believed to be at least 100 years old. Kelcey Ward, a crime scene technician with the sheriff’s office, said the skull showed signs of “a gunshot wound or blunt force trauma of some sort.” The remains and coffin will be interred at a local cemetery.

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News of the Weird: Week of 12/26/24

It’s Come to This

Sweden’s minister for gender equality and work life, Paulina Brandberg, has spoken in the past about her extreme phobia of bananas, The Guardian reported on Nov. 14. But recently leaked emails have made clear just how far her staff will go to protect her from the yellow fruits. For instance, staff will specify that “no traces of bananas must be in the room” before she arrives. Brandberg said she was getting professional help with her phobia, but Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson backed her up: “I am disturbed when a hardworking cabinet minister is almost reduced to a phobia and people make fun of it.”

Recent Alarming Headline

Passengers aboard an American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas on Nov. 19 went full-on MacGyver with an unruly Canadian passenger, ABC7-TV reported. While the plane was in flight, the passenger asked a flight attendant to open the cabin door; when his request was denied, he became agitated. He allegedly rushed toward the door, striking the flight attendant, before other passengers subdued him, eventually duct-taping his wrists and ankles and laying him on his stomach on the floor. Airport police and FBI personnel met him at the gate and took him for a medical evaluation.

Weird Science

University of Richmond professor and neuroscientist Kelly Lambert has been training rats to drive tiny cars since 2019, the New York Post reported. “Unexpectedly, we found that the rats had an intense motivation for their driving training, often jumping into the car and revving the ‘lever engine’ before their vehicle hit the road,” Lambert said. She and her fellow scientists concluded that the rats’ excitement was a Pavlovian response to treats and operating the vehicles — but even when the treats were removed, they were ready to put the pedal to the metal. “They remind us that planning, anticipating, and enjoying the ride may be key to a healthy brain,” Lambert said.

Great Art

The duct-taped banana “artwork” just won’t turn brown and mushy and find its way into the bin. On Nov. 20 in New York City, Sotheby’s sold the latest iteration for $6.2 million to Justin Sun, founder of the cryptocurrency platform Tron, WFAA-TV reported. Bidding started at $800,000. Sun said the art “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. … In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.” Lucky for Sun, he technically bought the rights to duct-tape any other banana to any other wall and call it “Comedian,” as it was dubbed in 2019 by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Who Knew?

Fox News host Jesse Watters has laid down the law regarding man-to-man birthday etiquette, the Independent reported. On his show, Jesse Watters Primetime, on Nov. 20, the host said he would have wished President Joe Biden a happy birthday, but that would break his “rules.” “Men don’t wish men happy birthdays,” he said. He revealed the rule earlier this fall, when he said wishing another Fox host happy birthday “would not be manly.” Watters also apparently has rules about men eating soup and ice cream in public — “It’s not a good look.”

Suspicions Confirmed

Parents and teachers at Gosho Kodomo-en kindergarten in southwestern Japan thought for sure someone with a footwear fetish was swiping little shoes from cubbies at the school, the Associated Press reported. Police installed three cameras in the school, and on Nov. 11, zeroed in on another culprit: a weasel. “It’s great it turned out not to be a human being,” said Deputy Police Chief Hiroaki Inada. The stolen shoes have not been found, but the school has installed a net over the cubbies to keep the weasel, who is still on the loose, out.

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News of the Weird: Week of 12/19/24

Family Values

Indonesian police have arrested a man near Jakarta, identified as RA, after he allegedly sold his 11-month-old baby on Facebook for $995 to fund his gambling addiction. The Telegraph reported that when the baby’s mother returned home, she asked him where the child was. “RA saw on Facebook that the buyers were looking to purchase a toddler so he sent them a message and arranged the purchase,” the police chief said. Police found the child in a rented home and arrested two adults suspected of human trafficking.

Suspicion Confirmed

Customs officials at the Lima, Peru, airport spotted something unusual about a man boarding a flight on Nov. 8, The New York Times reported. The unnamed 28-year-old, a citizen of South Korea, was returning home with a planned stopover in France, but he was notable because of his extremely swollen stomach, officials said. When asked to lift his shirt, he revealed a creepy, crawly cargo: 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants. Each bug had its own plastic bag, all of which were attached to two girdles wrapped around the man’s body. The 35 adult tarantulas were each about the size of a human hand. All the bugs are native to the Amazon region of Peru, said Walter Silva, a government wildlife specialist. He added that the discovery was “part of the illegal wildlife trafficking that moves millions of dollars.” The tarantulas are on the country’s endangered species list. The man was arrested with charges pending.

Field Report

Norwegian fisherman Harald Engen got a message on Nov. 11 that his 32-foot boat’s trawl nets had snagged something most unusual, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Turns out the USS Virginia, a 377-foot nuclear-powered submarine, had been chugging away from Tromso, Norway, with a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel escorting it, when its propellers became entangled with the nets. As a result, the Coast Guard had to cut the nets to free the submarine. They assured Engen that he would be reimbursed for his nets. [Anchorage Daily News]

Can’t Possibly Be True

KSNW-TV reported on Nov. 17 that Gina Morgan and her husband Ronnie felt double the bad luck when they both struck a deer while driving. Not such a weird occurrence near Wichita, Kansas — but Gina and Ronnie hit the SAME deer while driving in different directions. “We were in two different vehicles, driving in two different directions, and we managed to hit the same deer,” Gina explained. “It was just at the point where the sun had gone down.” Damage to Gina’s car was estimated at $6,000; Ronnie’s car had a push bar, so it sustained less impact.

Gimme a Sign

Transportation workers in Boulder, Colorado, had to go out on Nov. 19 to take down some “freelance” road signs that had mysteriously appeared in the city, 9News-TV reported. The signs, which appeared in four different locations, warned drivers to “Get Off Your Damn Phone” and “Don’t Kill Any Kids Today,” along with other messages. Boulder Police spokesperson Dionne Waugh said the signs are professionally made and installed, but officials don’t know who put them up. “I’m guessing that it’s a concerned citizen that is kind of fed up with the behavior they’re seeing in their neighborhoods,” said police commander Darren Fladung. He suggested there are more appropriate ways to get those messages out.

Latest Religious Message

Why settle for a middleman when you can confess your sins straight to Jesus Christ himself? Worshippers at St. Peter’s Church in Lucerne, Switzerland, are baring their souls to a hologram Jesus powered by AI, the Daily Mail reported on Nov. 20. And already, at least two-thirds of the people who have received the image’s grace have called it a “spiritual” experience. “Though it’s a machine, it gave me so much advice,” one person said — like, “Your task is not to judge, but to accompany with love.” The AI Jesus can even speak 100 different languages. It was trained at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts using the New Testament.

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News of the Weird: Week of 12/12/24

Awesome!

Reddit user Springchikun was doing some lawn cleanup in September when she noticed that a small hatch leading to a crawl space under her home was unlatched. The New York Post reported that the Oregon woman investigated, finding a makeshift bed and several bags of belongings. She noted that the crawl space was free of cobwebs, suggesting that someone had been there recently. “I’m sure someone is using the space,” she said. But Springchikun didn’t want to call the authorities about the squatter. “We have an option to be kind,” she said. Instead, she wrote the person a note, offering support such as food, a phone, or help with resources. As a result, she met her unexpected guest, whose name is Gaby, and connected her with a friend who could help her with shelter and a mental health evaluation. “I’m not without empathy,” she said. “I just can’t have humans living under my home.” 

[NY Post, 9/27/2024]

News You Can Use

• When Hannah Willow arrived at the Scottish Tree Hugging Championships in Glasgow on Oct. 6, she thought the event was a charity affair, The Guardian reported on Oct. 9. “When I was told it was a competition, my inner child took a somersault. … This was a moment of glory for me,” Willow said. Now, she’s on her way to the World Tree Hugging Championship in HaliPuu Forest in Finland in August 2025. She’s already strategizing about how to win: “I need to step up my game for the world championships,” she said. “I will have to bring out my fairy wings and my ukelele and go singing to the trees.” Willow said her children were “hugely embarrassed” to learn she had won the Glasgow contest. [Guardian, 10/9/2024]

• As if folks in Florida didn’t have enough to worry about, State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis announced on Oct. 9 that after Hurricane Helene came through in September, at least 48 fires involving lithium-ion batteries had been reported — 11 in electric vehicles. “Floridians living on the coastline who own EVs are at risk of those EVs being inundated with saltwater storm surge, which presents a dangerous fire threat to Florida families and homes,” Patronis said, according to WFTS-TV. Other products like electric scooters, golf carts, or children’s toys also could be affected. “These compromised vehicles and devices are ticking time bombs,” Patronis said. He suggested people move affected vehicles away from their homes. [WFTS, 10/9/2024]

The Neighbors

Caroline Ashley, 41, of Liverpool, England, went all out on her Halloween decorations this year, installing fake tombstones and human skulls, but the pieces de resistance were the two “body bags” hanging upside down from a tree in front of her home. But, as Metro News reported, the fun didn’t last long: On Sept. 24, a Liverpool City Council worker stopped by to tell Ashley she would have to remove the body bags because a neighbor had complained. “It was the quickest the council has come out for anything,” Ashley said. “I put them up, and then he was round the following day.” But, she conceded, a neighbor may have been “triggered” by the display. “I don’t want to offend anyone. That wasn’t the intention,” she said. Ashley said she’ll keep the body bags in her garage going forward — which might be creepier. [Metro News, 10/10/2024]

Saw That Coming

On Oct. 6, 36-year-old Clejuan Williams of Toledo, Ohio, was teaching his 9-year-old son how to back up the car (first mistake) with another child in the backseat (second mistake). Williams was standing outside the car with the driver’s door open, WTVG reported, and told the boy to hit the brake. When the child pressed the wrong pedal, Williams, who was intoxicated (third mistake), was struck and dragged under the car. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to face charges of wrongful entrustment of a motor vehicle and endangering children. [WTVG, 10/8/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 12/05/24

Great News

Two months after Rayne Beau, a Siamese cat owned by Benny and Susanne Anguiano of Salinas, California, went missing during a trip to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the 2-year-old cat was reported found by the Placer SPCA shelter in Roseville, California — some 800 miles from where the cat had gone missing. USA Today reported that the Anguianos had tried for several days to locate Rayne Beau, but were finally forced to leave the cat behind when their reservation ran out on June 8. But on Aug. 3, a voicemail from the shelter claimed that the cat had been located and identified via microchip, and the Anguianos were reunited with Rayne Beau. “He was really little, all skin and bones. He was in starvation mode,” Benny said, but the cat recovered quickly. [USA Today, 9/19/2024]

Great Art?

A work of art at the LAM museum in Lisse, the Netherlands, was mistakenly thrown away by an elevator technician in late September, CNN reported. All the good times we spent together by French artist Alexandre Lavet appears to be two empty beer cans, but, the museum said, it is really “meticulously hand-painted with acrylics, with each detail painstakingly replicated.” The work was displayed in the facility’s glass elevator shaft, and when a technician came in to work on the lift, he helpfully pitched it in the trash. “He was just doing his job in good faith,” said Sietske van Zanten, the museum director. The cans were later recovered, cleaned, and returned to display, albeit in a different location. [CNN, 10/8/2024]

What’s My Fetish?

Jesse Johnson, 28, was arrested on Sept. 24 in Gilbert, Arizona, after three instances in which he allegedly spied on women’s feet as they vacuumed their cars, AZFamily reported. Police said Johnson’s M.O. at the Super Star Car Wash in Gilbert was to park next to a woman’s car at the vacuum station, then slide underneath her car for a few minutes before climbing back out. One victim said she felt “very violated and I’ve been having nightmares.” It’s not the first time Johnson has been caught lusting after feet: Court documents revealed that he had been cited at least four times in Nebraska, and that he had touched a woman’s ankle in a grocery store. He admitted to authorities there that he “is sexually attracted to women’s feet” and “at times, can’t control his sexual desires.” Johnson was charged with three counts of voyeurism and three counts of disorderly conduct and held on $10,000 bond. [AZFamily, 9/26/2024]

Creepy

In late September, Derek Johnson, owner of JVI Secret Gardens in Donelson, Tennessee, was alerted by an employee that someone was walking around the garden center wearing a clown mask, WTVF-TV reported. But Johnson was not about to physically confront the creepy clown, whom he could see on surveillance video. Johnson clicked on his security system’s speaker, but before he could say anything, the clown backed off: “I’m leaving.” He left behind a propane tank and a saw blade that he had picked up to steal. “This is a sweet little garden center,” Johnson said incredulously. Police are investigating. [WTVF, 9/27/2024]

We Regret To Inform You …

Tizi Hodson, 70, of Lincolnshire, England, sent off an application in January 1976, hoping to become a motorcycle stunt rider, the BBC reported on Oct. 5. Recently, the letter was returned to her with a note: “Late delivery by Staines Post Office. Found behind a draw(er). Only about 50 years late.” “How they found me when I’ve moved house 50-odd times, and even moved countries four or five times, is a mystery,” Hodson said. “I was so disappointed because I really, really wanted to be a stunt rider on a motorcycle.” Instead, her life’s work has included being a snake handler, horse whisperer, aerobatic pilot, and flying instructor. “It means so much to me to get it back all this time later,” she said. [BBC, 10/5/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 11/28/24

Awesome!

Reach for the stars, kids! And by “stars,” we mean “wheelbarrow.” John Loghry of Saylorville, Iowa, made his dream come true when he set a new world record — for the fastest motorized wheelbarrow. WeAreIowa.com reported that Loghry’s vehicle reached 57 mph at an event on Sept. 21, beating the previous Guinness World Record of 47 mph. A local sheriff’s office helped Loghry confirm the speed with a lidar gun, as required per Guinness rules. “He’s been very determined on doing it,” said Loghry’s wife Jeanne. Members of the local community came out to watch the attempt, so Loghry, a veteran, ended up using the event to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. He said he hopes he can inspire others to pursue their dreams, even the wacky ones: “If you think you can do it, try it,” he said. [WeAreIowa.com, 9/21/24]

Great Art

Residents of Everett, Washington, must be feeling so much better about themselves following the installation of the Affirmation Station, My Everett News reported on Sept. 25. Artist Timothy C. Flood of Colorado installed the sculpture, which looks like a pedestrian crossing sign, but instead delivers audio and text with messages like “Hey, you’re doing a great job” and “You are strong.” On the post is a sign inviting the viewers to press a button, which activates the sign. [My Everett News, 9/25/2024]

Whatever’s Handy

When a British surgeon couldn’t find a scalpel, the BBC reported on Oct. 1, he reached for the next best thing: the Swiss Army knife he normally uses to slice up fruit for his lunch. The news organization has not identified the surgeon, who was operating on a patient at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton. While the surgery was reportedly an emergency — the patient survived, thankfully — internal documents indicate that the surgeon’s colleagues found his behavior “questionable” and that they were “very surprised” he was unable to find a more conventional surgical tool. Dr. Graeme Poston, an expert on clinical negligence and a former consultant surgeon, told the BBC: “It surprises me and appalls me. Firstly, a penknife is not sterile. Secondly, it is not an operating instrument. And thirdly, “all the kit [must have been] there.” [BBC, 10/1/24]

There Goes the Neighborhood

You can’t take it with you — which means you should be very careful what you leave behind. KSBW-8 reported on Sept. 30 that a real estate agent in Salinas, California, got a real scare when, while preparing the home of a recently deceased man for an estate sale, they discovered a 2.5-foot-long high explosive anti-tank (H.E.A.T.) rocket among the man’s belongings in a closet. As the neighborhood was evacuated to a radius of 500 feet by the Salinas police, a neighbor, Rebecca Rodick, interacted with an officer on scene: “He showed me the X-ray of the missile, which is really wild. He said, ‘See how it’s all dark? That means there’s a lot of stuff in it.’” The Monterey County Sheriff’s Explosive Ordinance Unit successfully removed the rocket from the residence without incident. [KSBW-8, 9/30/2024]

Makes Sense

Kody Adams of Oklahoma was due for a court appearance in Pawnee County for a hearing on car theft charges on Sept. 27. So when Adams couldn’t bum a ride from any of the patrons at a gas station in Stillwater, some 30 minutes away, KOCO News 5 reported that he improvised by commandeering an unoccupied LifeNet Emergency Services pickup and driving it to Pawnee. An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper caught Adams after he had ditched the pickup and was entering the courthouse. “The trooper did make sure he made his court case,” said Preston Cox of the OHP. Adams was then transported to Payne County and booked on new charges. [KOCO News 5, 9/27/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 11/21/24

A Load of Bologna

U.S. Customs and Border Protection shuts down smuggling attempts on a daily basis, but what its officers caught on Sept. 23 at the Presidio, Texas, port of entry wasn’t the usual contraband. While inspecting a vehicle being driven into the U.S., CBP personnel discovered 748 pounds of Mexican bologna. The New York Post reported that 40 rolls of the deli meat were hidden in a number of suitcases throughout the vehicle. CBP Presidio Port director Benito Reyes Jr. said in a news release that “the concern with pork products is that they have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases that can have devastating effects to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture industry.” The driver, an American citizen, was issued a $1,000 civil penalty; the bologna was destroyed per USDA regulations. [WHAM-13, 9/28/2024]

Kung Faux Panda

As the old saying goes, if it (sorta) looks like a panda, but walks, barks, and pants like a dog … it’s a dog. Canoe.com reported that a Chinese zoo in the southern Guangdong province has admitted what many had already guessed: that its “pandas” were actually dogs with their fur painted. Some zoo visitors used social media to share photos and videos of the critters doing very un-pandalike things, such as panting, barking, and wagging long tails. Commenters had a field day: “It’s a PANdog,” one wrote, while another called it “the Temu version of a panda.” Once the posts went viral, zoo officials admitted they had painted two chow chow dogs. Some visitors have since demanded refunds. [Canoe.com, 9/20/24] 

Single-Engine Drama

• En route from Nebraska to Oregon on Sept. 21, a single-engine plane made an emergency landing on Highway 25 north of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily reported. Levi and Kelsi Dutton, who were traveling south on the highway when the plane landed in front of them, offered assistance to the pilot, who identified himself as Steve. The pilot calmly inspected the plane’s fuel line before announcing, “I got the tools right here. I’ll just open it up, figure out what’s going on, and get her fixed.” After making the repair, Steve hopped back aboard the plane and, as the Duttons stopped traffic to free up a runway space, taxied south and took off for Cheyenne Regional Airport, where he could do a more thorough inspection. [Cowboy State Daily, 9/21/24]

• Another single-engine plane made news on Sept. 17 when, shortly after taking off from Myrtle Beach International Airport in South Carolina, a door fell off and landed in the yard of a vacant home, WBMF News reported. The pilot and passenger on board were unharmed. Witness Wendy Hodges, who lives next door to the vacant house, hurried home after learning of the incident, and found the intact door in the neighbor’s yard. “It was definitely really lucky that there was no damage or no one was hurt,” said Hodges. “As a matter of fact, there’s a plane flying right now, but I will certainly make sure I start looking up.” [WBMF, 9/18/24]

Missed Their Exit?

WSVN in Miami reported on Sept. 21 that an SUV fell from an overpass on I-95, crashing through a fence below and narrowly missing a bystander — and miraculously, both driver and passenger walked away, apparently unscathed. Those nearby rushed to help, including Mariah Lewis, who offered a knife from her glove box to aid in cutting the driver and passenger out of their seatbelts. “It’s just by the grace of God that the people lived, because I don’t understand how you fall from that high and [live],” she said. Both occupants were checked by paramedics, and the driver was taken to a local trauma center for observation. “It was bad, but it could have been worse,” Lewis said. “I was just telling my daughter I’m so grateful. You’ve got to be grateful for life.” [WSVN, 9/21/24

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News of the Weird: Week of 11/14/24

Awesome!

Student volunteers were helping out with an archaeological dig in Eu, France, when one of them found a small glass bottle inside an earthenware pot, United Press International reported. Inside the bottle was a message, written in January 1825, from one “P.J. Feret, a native of Dieppe, member of various intellectual societies.” Feret was carrying out excavations at the same site and left the message for future explorers. “It was an absolutely magic moment,” said Guillaume Blondel, head of the town’s Regional Archaeology Service. Local records revealed that Feret was a well-known archaeologist of his time. Blondel said such finds are rare: “Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won’t be anyone coming after them because they’ve done all the work.” [UPI, 9/24/2024]

It’s Good To Have a Hobby

Joshua Kiser of Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, was looking for something to amuse himself during the Covid shutdown in 2020 when he came across an idea: “I stumbled upon a picture of the eccentric man posing with a gigantic top hat on his head,” Kiser said, referring to Odilon Ozare, who set the record for World’s Tallest Hat in 2018. Kiser thought it would be easy to surpass Ozare’s 15-foot, 9-inch hat, but it wasn’t until this year that he managed to engineer one, at 17 feet, 9.5 inches, that could withstand a walk of the required 32.8 feet while wearing it. United Press International reported that his final, winning design incorporated lightweight guttering and a Philadelphia Eagles trash can that “looked about the circumference of my noggin.” [UPI, 9/26/2024]

Freaky

A 27-foot-tall puppet in the shape of a seated baby was installed in the center of the town of Rochdale, England, the BBC reported on Sept. 25. The baby, named Lilly, with a mouth and eyes that open and shut, was part of a council project to encourage schoolchildren to talk about the importance of the environment. Ostensibly, the kids spoke to Lilly; their conversations were recorded and broadcast from the baby at an event on Oct. 24 at Hollingworth Lake Nature Park. But townsfolk weren’t warming up to Lilly, calling it “the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen.” One said, “It’s creepy with its eyes shut, never mind open.” No telling how school-aged kids reacted to it. [BBC, 9/25/2024]

Overreaction

A 58-year-old Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, woman, Wendy Washik, was taken into custody on Sept. 1 and charged with assault with a weapon, the CBC reported. The charges stemmed from an incident at a backyard party when Washik, who was playing with a child, accidentally shot a neighbor with a water gun while he mowed his lawn. Washik said she apologized repeatedly, but the “victim” “wouldn’t listen to me and … was screaming at me.” She said police “didn’t ask me a single question. They didn’t ask to see the water gun.” Washik was due in court on Sept. 24. [CBC, 9/13/2024]

Bright Idea

A Florida man (of course) was rescued late on Sept. 23 after he apparently attempted to swim across the Detroit River from Windsor, Canada, to Detroit, CBS News reported. The U.S. Mail Boat J.W. Westcott II was launched after hearing of the swimmer, who was using a life ring to help support himself. “There’s a very strong current, and the water temperature is about 73 degrees right now,” said Capt. Neil Schultheiss. “Even with the life ring, he was struggling.” The boat picked up the swimmer after about 10 minutes of searching. Crew members said he seemed disoriented and under the influence. “He just kind of kept pacing around the front deck, saying, ‘Is this boat U.S.? Are we going back to the U.S.?’” Schultheiss said. He was transferred to an EMS unit. [CBS News, 9/24/2024]

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NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
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Fun Stuff News of the Weird

News of the Weird: Week of 11/07/24

Least Competent Criminal

When 33-year-old Ravesh Rabindranauth attempted to steal a Corvette in a Miami Beach, Florida, parking garage on Sept. 17, he encountered a little trouble, Local10-TV reported. He got stuck inside the car, which is where its owner, Julio Solano, found him. “Can I get out?” Rabindranauth asked Solano as Solano recorded the incident on his phone. “No, you can’t get out. We’re calling the police.” Solano said the car’s security system wouldn’t allow the thief to start the car or escape. “He didn’t know about the manual door release under the seat,” Solano said. Rabindranauth was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $2,500 bond. [Local10, 9/18/2024]

Crème de la Weird

Literally. Sean Edward Uribe, 35, was arrested on Sept. 12 in the wake of two incidents over the summer at Miami clothing stores, The Smoking Gun reported. During the first encounter, at a Ross Dress for Less in June, Uribe allegedly used a medical syringe to squirt a substance on the back of the shorts of a juvenile as he recorded with his phone, police said. Witnesses alerted store employees and the victim as Uribe fled the scene. In late August at a Marshalls store, Uribe allegedly struck again, this time targeting an adult woman to “spray an unknown substance on the victim’s left buttocks area,” police said. When Uribe was taken into custody, he confessed and said the liquid in the syringes was moisturizing lotion. Then he called his father, as police listened, and instructed him to go to his house and remove hard drives. “Put them under lock and key,” he said. Officers got there first and seized the drives, along with loaded syringes. So far, he’s been charged with battery on a child, two misdemeanor battery counts, and tampering with evidence. [The Smoking Gun, 9/19/2024]

The Golden Age of Air Travel

A Scandinavian Airlines flight from Oslo, Norway, to Malaga, Spain, was diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sept. 18 after a mouse crawled out of a passenger’s in-flight meal, the BBC reported. Jarle Borrestad, who was sitting next to the passenger whose meal harbored the rodent, told the BBC that people on board remained calm, but he put his socks over his pant legs so the mouse couldn’t crawl up his leg. Oystein Schmidt, SAS spokesperson, said such events happen “extremely rarely”; passengers were transferred to another plane and went on their way. [BBC, 9/20/2024]

Oops

On Sept. 24, as the Kamloops, British Columbia, city council met in the council chambers, someone zooming in online queued up a pornographic video clip while sharing their screen, the CBC reported. The council’s public participation segment of the meeting allows people to ask questions or comment on agenda items, but Councilman Bill Sarai said Tuesday’s incident was the final straw for him. “It’s really swayed far, far away from what it’s meant to be,” Sarai said. He wants to eliminate the public portion of the meeting and ask the public to interact through email or in-person meetings. [CBC, 9/25/2024]

Awesome!

In November, Stack’s Bowers Galleries in Boston will offer an extremely rare three-pence coin from 1652 for auction, CBS News reported. The coin, which was minted in Boston at the Hull Mint, was purchased from a shop in the Netherlands. It is one of only three known coins like it, one of which was stolen and hasn’t been seen since. Store manager Stanley Chu expects it to fetch well over $1 million. [CBS News, 9/20/2024]

Overreaction

Socorro Camacho, 54, died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sept. 23 after getting into a dispute with another man over a song played on a jukebox, WSVN-TV reported. The argument started in the wee hours at Antojitos Mexicanos restaurant when Camacho insulted the other man over his song choice, witnesses said. The insulted man “pulled his weapon and started shooting,” Mauro Bonilla said. Fort Lauderdale police are investigating and trying to identify the gunman. [WSVN, 9/23/2024]

NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.