Former Texan Derek Huffman, along with his wife, DeAnna, and three children, moved to Russia earlier this year looking for "traditional values," the Kyiv Post reported on July 15. Derek was hoping for a job with the Russian military as a welder, but with no prior military experience and after just a few weeks of training, he's being sent to the front lines in Russia's war with Ukraine. The Huffmans don't speak or understand Russian, either. "I don't want anyone here in Russia to say that we don't belong here, so if I go put my body on the line for Russia ... I've earned our place here," Derek said on the family's YouTube channel. "Now we are just believing in God that everything is going to work out as it is supposed to," DeAnna added. She also said Derek had to "donate" 10,000 rubles for his supplies and that he hasn't received any pay or bonuses after one month. [Kyiv Post, 7/15/2025]

The Continuing Crisis

Carlos Abundez, 35, of San Ysidro, California, couldn't really explain to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent on June 25 how 14 keel-billed toucans got into the dashboard of his Volkswagen Passat, The New York Times reported. Customs and Border Protection officers were alerted to the strange cargo when one of their dogs picked up a scent; the threatened birds appeared to be sedated, and some of them were injured. Abundez said he had left his temporary home in Tijuana, Mexico, to get McDonald's in the U.S. He claimed his car had been parked and locked in his driveway overnight. On July 7, he was charged with smuggling and illegal importation and was released on $10,000 bond. [NY Times, 7/11/2025]

No Good Deed

A 21-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries on July 6 when he tried to direct a shark back into the sea in Nantucket, Massachusetts. According to the Nantucket Current, the man had been fishing and caught the sandbar shark, which he and others were trying to pull by its tail back into deeper waters. But when he released the animal, it turned and bit him on the leg before swimming away. Beachgoers watched and recorded video as the incident unfolded. A friend took the injured man to the hospital, and he was later transported by helicopter to a mainland hospital. [Nantucket Current, 7/6/2025]

The Weirdo-American Community

Big Country News reported on July 15 that the Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in identifying a rogue booty-slapper in and around south Boise. The perp, who rides an electric dirt bike, typically approaches women and slaps or grabs their buttocks as he rides by. He's described as a white male wearing dark clothing, a ski mask and gloves. [Big Country News, 7/15/2025]

Is That Wrong?

Soccer player Lamine Yamal, forward for Barcelona, hosted a party to celebrate his 18th birthday on July 13 at a rented country house in Olivella, Spain, The Athletic reported. Media gathered outside caught glimpses not only of celebrity guests, but also of a group of people with dwarfism who were seen entering the house, which sparked an investigation by Spain's Ministry of Social Rights and condemnation from the Association of People With Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE). But on July 14, Catalan radio station RAC1 aired an interview with one of the people from the party, who downplayed the controversy. "We are only asking they let us work," they said. "We are normal people, self-employed and do everything legally. ... In the show that we offer, we go to the place and dance with the people, we deliver shots and drinks ... we do magic tricks. ... I've never experienced a lack of respect ... while working so far. With all this criticism what (the ADEE is) doing is screwing with our jobs." [The Athletic, 7/14/2025]

Police Report

On July 12, Los Angeles County Sheriff's officers were responding to a call when an assault rifle and 150 rounds of ammunition apparently fell out of their car's trunk, KTLA-TV reported. Officers searched and retraced the car's route but were unable to locate the weapon and ammo. But on July 14, a resident of Lennox, California, returned the items to the South Los Angeles Station after having found them the same evening. "Their actions are a powerful reminder of the vital role our residents play in helping keep our neighborhoods safe," said Capt. Nicole Palomino. [KTLA, 7/14/2025]

That Bugs Me

Restoration workers at the 1,000-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary are busy removing 100,000 books from the abbey's library in an effort to save them from beetles, the Associated Press reported. The drugstore or bread beetle feasts on the gelatin and starch-based adhesives found in books. "This is an advanced infestation," said Zsofia Edit Hajdu, chief restorer on the project. "We've never encountered such a degree of infection before." [AP, 7/13/2025]

Awesome!

Workers digging a 2-inch-wide, 750-foot-deep hole in a parking lot at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science hit a "hole in one from the moon," said James Hagadorn, the curator of geology. The Associated Press reported on July 10 that the bore was intended to help them study geothermal heating potential for the museum, but what the core revealed was a dinosaur bone fossil -- probably from an ornithopod, which lived in the Cretaceous period. "I would love to dig a 763-foot hole in the parking lot to excavate that dinosaur, the rest of it," said Hagadorn. "But I don't think that's going to fly because we really need parking." [AP, 7/10/2025]

Bright Ideas

-- Client Services in Japan provides many conveniences, Oddity Central reported on July 15, but one of the most popular is "OK Grandma." Through this service, people can "rent" a woman between the ages of 60 and 94 for 3,300 yen per hour. Some of the grannies cook for their clients, while others babysit or employ their beautiful handwriting skills. "I want to break up with my boyfriend," said one client, "but I can't tell him clearly, so I want my grandmother to come with me." Another client hired a grandmother to fill out their family's side of a wedding. [Oddity Central, 7/15/2025]

-- The poor Brits, sizzling in summer heat and desperately looking for solutions. The BBC reported on July 12 that two scientists from Loughborough University in England had tested a hypothesis: Will yogurt smeared on the windows of a home help it stay cooler? "We've started to look at shading solutions, stopping sun getting into your house during the day," said Ben Roberts. Evidently they've not heard of blinds and shades, but it turns out their experiment was successful: The indoor temperature of the house with yogurt spread on the windows was up to 3.5 degrees Celsius cooler than the control home. Roberts said the yogurt stinks for "30 minutes while drying" but the smell dissipates. He said the results surprised him. "It shows the importance of treating windows and heat shielding solutions for windows to reduce overheating," he said. [BBC, 7/12/2025]

Max McKinney, 15, of Spooner, Wisconsin, thought he was "working hard and doing the right thing" when he built a charming fishing bait stand on his family's farmland, AgWeb reported on July 8. From the wooden 6-by-15-foot shed, McKinney sold bait, sodas and candy to anglers heading to Spooner Lake nearby. But Washburn County zoning officials shut him down after the second weekend of sales with a cease-and-desist order. McKinney's grandfather, Tom Foss, gave him his blessing to build the stand. "We encouraged Max. My grandson ... is the kind of kid this country needs more of. Who threatens a 15-year-old over selling ice cream, worms and T-shirts?" he said. "The answer is bullies and bureaucrats." McKinney has three other jobs; "I want to be a doctor in the future, and I'm willing to work hard and save money any way I can." County zoning administrator Dale Beers said no officials visited the stand or spoke with McKinney before or after the violation was issued. "Age does not matter to our ordinances," he said. Foss filed a formal complaint in person but said "officials were defensive right away. Their response was, 'Our decision is final.' People should be disgusted by this because it doesn't pass the smell test." [AgWeb, 7/8/2025]

Bright Idea

Looking to get a little more classical music in your life? Just wander over the line while driving in Fujairah in the UAE and listen to the stirring sounds of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, courtesy of the Fujairah Fine Arts Academy. The Associated Press reported on July 7 that when drivers hit the grooves in the road, the best-known parts of the composition are played -- especially at 60mph, when the tune is just right. Academy director Ali Obaid Al Hefaiti said the project is "focused on spreading the art culture. The combination of music in our lives and our normal lives," he said. He believes it is the first "singing shoulder" in the Arab world. [AP, 7/7/2025]

Latest Religious Messages

After Trista Lawson of St. Louis rear-ended a pickup truck on July 8, she allegedly told Spring Township, Pennsylvania, police that she was "listening to the voice of God," WJAC-TV reported. Lawson was driving her Mazda sedan in Pleasant Gap at 100mph when she hit the truck, which sent it crashing into the front of a local smoke shop. Lawson had reportedly also hit multiple other vehicles before the truck. She was charged with accidents involving occupied vehicles or structures and drug-related charges, and bail was set at $25,000. [WJAC, 7/8/2025]

The Passing Parade

Patrick Winslow of Big Torch Key, Florida, celebrated his 57th birthday on July 4 in style, WPLG-TV reported. Around 11:30 a.m., Winslow drove to the Conch Tour Train Depot in Key West and left his car running, with rock music blaring from the radio. He told employees there that he used to work for the company and asked for a tour of the train. But then he got into one of the trains and took off; the employees were "confused," thinking maybe he had permission to drive the train. They were able to track Winslow with GPS; police found him at Southernmost Point Buoy, where they said he "exhibited rapid speech and appeared excited." Winslow said he just "borrowed" the train because it was his birthday. Then they found a methamphetamine pipe in his pocket and charged him with burglary, grand theft auto and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held on $60,000 bond. [WPLG, 7/7/2025]

Unclear on the Concept

Here's a little tip for Jesse Laurence Hale, 46, of Hyrum, Utah: Don't make a kiddie porn pic your lock screen. Hale was a patient at Logan Regional Hospital last week; when he checked out, he forgot his mobile phone, the Cache Valley Daily reported. On July 3, staff at the hospital contacted Logan City Police to say that they'd seen a pornographic photo of a young child on the screen. On July 7, Hale went to the police to inquire about the phone; he said the photo had been sent to him and he hadn't deleted it. Hale told officers it would be "nice to pay a fine or take a class" rather than going to jail, where he claimed he wouldn't survive. With a search warrant, police found 19 more child sexual abuse photos in the phone and arrested him on felony charges.He asked them not to tell his mom. He's being held without bail. [Cache Valley Daily, 7/8/2025]

It's Come to This

Changchun Xidu FC, a soccer club in China's League Two, was fined $4,100 for an incident on June 28, The New York Times reported. The Chinese Professional Football League said the team had "placed a number of feudal superstitious items in the away team's dressing room" before its match with Shanxi Chongde Ronghai. The paper charms were printed with such threats as "By decree, Shanxi Chongde Ronghai must be defeated." And evidently, it worked: Changchun Xidu won the match 2-0. [New York Times, 7/6/2025]

Pawesome!

An unnamed man hiking the Fee Glacier in Switzerland on July 4 suddenly broke through a snow bridge and fell 26 feet into a narrow crevasse, the Associated Press reported. He had a walkie-talkie and reached someone nearby, who alerted emergency responders, but his exact location was unknown. Luckily for him, his companion was his long-haired Chihuahua, who paced patiently near the edge of the hole, where rescuers eventually saw him. They were able to rappel down the crevasse and bring the man out; he and his canine savior were flown to a hospital. "The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master's life in a life-threatening situation," gushed a statement from Air Zermatt, the rescue company. [AP, 7/8/2025]

Smooth Reaction

A crafty Canadian wasn't going to let a damaged vehicle strand him in Strathcona Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada, the Times Colonist reported. The unnamed man had started his hike on June 30, but he took a wrong turn in his 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, and it became stuck. But using his problem-solving skills (and various car parts), he built a two-wheeled wagon to carry his gear as he hiked for four days to a trailhead. From there, he caught a water taxi and got a lift to the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad headquarters on July 7. Search manager Richard Johns said he was impressed with the hiker's "perseverance and survival mentality," then ticked off the things he did wrong: no GPS or satellite phone, no 4-wheel-drive. Still, the squad found his appearance a "welcome surprise." [Times Colonist, 7/9/2025]

The Tech Revolution

At U.S. Army bases, there's a new tool in warding off problematic wildlife, such as birds, KPVI-TV reported on July 10. The Army's Engineer Research and Development Center has created an unmanned ground system: large plastic coyotes mounted to wheeled bases. "It all comes down to scare tactics," said ERDC. Research continues to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning. What could go wrong? Roadrunner is watching. [KPVI, 7/10/2025]

Saw That Coming

On July 5, a family from Paris left on holiday, headed to Morocco, Oddity Central reported. But during a 4:30 a.m. stop at a gas station, the 62-year-old man drove off without his wife -- and didn't realize it until about 190 miles later. The unnamed Parisian called emergency services but couldn't remember which gas station he had stopped at. The couple's 22-year-old daughter couldn't help, as she'd been sleeping the whole time. Fortunately, by tracking her phone, police were able to locate the woman, who hadn't left the gas station since being abandoned. They were reunited and continued on their trip with a good story to tell. [Oddity Central, 7/9/2025]

A couple in Thailand went to the hospital three times after the woman swallowed a fish bone while eating fish soup, Oddity Central reported on June 27. She tried various home remedies, but couldn’t dislodge it from her throat, and at the hospital, doctors couldn’t see anything on an X-ray. The wife, Sang Lan, still felt pain, but assumed the bone had moved on. When her neck became swollen, she returned to the hospital, but again X-rays were negative. At home, the woman was applying a pain relief patch to her neck when she saw a pointy object poking her skin from within. She applied pressure, and the fish bone poked through her skin. Back at the hospital, doctors removed the 2-centimeter bone; they said they had never seen anything like it before. [Oddity Central, 6/27/2025]

Well, That's Curious

A 77-year-old woman in Michigan won $4 million in the state's instant lottery recently, the Detroit Free Press reported on July 1. The woman, who is choosing to remain anonymous, said she plays the game "all the time" and was "frozen in her seat" for a while after scratching the winning ticket. Curiously (in light of her age), the winner chose to receive annual payments of about $133,000 for the next 30 years instead of taking the lump sum of about $2.7 million. She's planning to donate some, do home repairs and share the winnings with her family. [Detroit Free Press, 7/1/2025]

That Rule Doesn't Apply to Me

On July 1, real estate agent Jon Beaulieu of Manayunk, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to one year of probation, a $200 fine and reimbursing American Airlines the $59,143 it cost to cancel a flight on June 26, 2024. Philadelphia magazine reported that on that night, Beaulieu went to great lengths to skip the security line at Philadelphia International Airport, trying to enter Terminal C through an exit line. When he was stopped, he threw a $50 bill at the security guard and asked her if that would get him in. Eventually, Beaulieu got away from her and disappeared into the terminal -- and onto his flight, which was still at the gate. When officials informed the pilot that a passenger hadn't gone through security, they canceled the flight. [Philadelphia magazine, 7/1/2025]

Fail

At Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, riders of the newly opened Siren's Curse roller coaster got a break in their experience when the coaster "experienced a delay," the Akron Beacon Journal reported. The stop, on June 28, left riders suspended in midair for about 10 minutes; park spokesman Tony Clark said the "coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride." [Akron Beacon Journal, 6/30/2025]

Ewwwwwww

Rona Davies of Sittingbourne, England, ordered a baby rattle from Shein for her stepdaughter's 5-month-old, Kent Online reported on July 2, but what she saw inside turned her off of online shopping for good. Among the rattling beads inside the toy was a human fingernail. Davies said she was "disgusted" and added, "My concern is, if things like this are getting into a baby's toy, then what are their standards for health and safety?" Oh, Rona. Shein offered her a refund and 100 Shein points, which Davies called "a joke really, because that's not the point of it." Shein had no comment. [Kent Online, 7/2/2025]

The Tech Revolution

We here at Weird World Headquarters are ardent belittlers of AI, so it's with great glee that we bring you this item: MSN reported on July 2 that a Tesla in "self-driving mode" tried to mix it up with a train in mid-June in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. Western Berks Fire Commissioner Jared Renshaw said the vehicle turned left onto some train tracks; the three people inside the car were able to get out and gather their belongings before a train came along an adjacent track a few minutes later. The Tesla suffered only a damaged mirror, but it had to be lifted with a crane off the tracks so as not to disturb its highly flammable battery. "We've had accidents involving Teslas," Renshaw said, "but nobody has expressed to us that the vehicle was in self-drive mode when it happened." [MSN, 7/2/2025]

Awesome!

Jason Singer of Portland, Maine, became a "Jeopardy!" champion on July 1, ABC News reported. Four years earlier, Singer's wife, Susan McMillan, won the title on the show. "Jeopardy!" officials say the brainiacs are believed to be the first already-married couple to both win. McMillan said she coached her husband: "I told him he really needs to be on point with the buzzer timing," she said. "Everyone there knows pretty much all the information." [ABC News, 7/2/2025]

Police Report

Raleigh, North Carolina, police were called to the scene of a robbery on July 1, WRAL-TV reported. Victims told officers that a naked man with a wooden post approached them and demanded access to their car. The man also assaulted a woman sitting in her car, hitting her on the arm with the post. He then tried to drive away but couldn't shift the car out of park. He fled and hid in a storage room before being captured and taken into custody. Police didn't release the names of the victims or the suspect. [WRAL, 7/1/2025]

It's a Mystery

In Wirral, England, residents are unsettled by someone in a black cat costume who's been prowling around secluded beach areas, the BBC reported on July 3. One witness wrote on Facebook that she "heard a man making cat noises, shone a torch he was waving his arms at me before crawling up the hill. Never been so scared." A man who was walking his dog along the beach was more amused than frightened: "I don't know his name, I think it's just a wind-up. He's definitely not out to frighten people, he does it for fun," he said. "He just likes being a giant cat." Well, yeah, who doesn't? [BBC, 7/3/2025]

News You Can Use

Americans looking for a wholesome but unusual family vacation destination might want to visit Mountain Air Ranch near Littleton, Colorado. The "family nudist resort" will celebrate its 90th anniversary July 11-13, with "live music, five catered meals, laughter and mountain magic," KDVR-TV reported. "As the second-oldest nudist resort in North America ... growth (especially with younger families) is definitely something to celebrate," said Mountain Air Ranch Manager Chris May. First-time visitors must arrange a property tour before July 11, and children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult. Pack light! [KDVR, 7/2/2025]

HOAs in Action

In the Imperial Heights neighborhood of north Houston, residents are in the dark after their homeowners association failed to pay the electric bill, KTRK-TV reported on July 1. The energy company Reliant said the company that manages the HOA had a past-due bill of $6,000 and that no bills had been paid since January. For their part, the Associa Principal Management Group announced the lights would be back on by July 2, but declined to comment further. [KTRK, 7/1/2025]