The South China Morning Post reported on Aug. 5 that adults in China are turning to pacifiers to ease their stress, improve sleep and stop smoking. The adult binkies are larger than the infant models and come in different colors, and shops say they're selling more than 2,000 each month. "It's high quality, soft, and I feel comfortable sucking it," said one buyer. "It does not impede my breathing." But Chengdu dentist Tang Caomin isn't a fan: "By sucking the dummy for more than three hours a day, the position of your teeth might change after a year." [SCMP, 8/5/2025]

Nope

-- Talk about rodents of unusual size. A giant rat -- perhaps the biggest ever caught in the United Kingdom -- was recently captured in North Yorkshire, reported The Independent on Aug. 5. The rodent, removed by exterminators from a home in the Greater Eston area, measured 22 inches long and was described as “almost the size of a small cat.” (For reference, rats in the U.K. usually stay under 11 inches, on average.) Some local leaders say pest issues have dramatically worsened since the end of free services for residents in the area. Eston ward councilor David Taylor said the rodents were becoming “brazen,” adding, "The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get.” [The Independent, 8/5/2025]

-- In Fort Collins, Colorado, residents have reported seeing rabbits with black, tentaclelike protrusions on their heads, KUSA-TV reported. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the horny growths are caused by a virus that is not dangerous to humans or pets, but warned people not to touch them just the same. The "Frankenstein rabbits" are not in pain, CPW said, unless the spines grow on sensitive areas like the eyes. There is no known cure. [KUSA, 8/13/2025]

Recent Alarming Headlines

-- Dan Burton, owner of Urban Trapping Wildlife Control in Salinas, California, alerted officials of Monterey County and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to a discovery he made while trapping wild pigs in early August. The Los Angeles Times reported that when Burton cut into one of the animals, he discovered that the flesh was ... off-color. "I'm not talking about a little blue," he said. "I'm talking about neon blue, blueberry blue." Fish and wildlife officials say the blue flesh is probably caused by exposure to a poison popularly used by farmers to control rats, mice, squirrels and other rodents. They are warning trappers and hunters not to consume the blue flesh, and some of the poison traps have been pulled from the fields because of pigs seeking them out. [LA Times, 8/5/2025]

-- The Missouri Department of Health and Human Services is warning visitors to the Lake of the Ozarks about a rare "brain-eating" infection called Naegleria fowleri, KSHB-TV reported on Aug. 13. A man who had been water skiing in the lake is now being treated in intensive care at a Missouri hospital, officials said. The infection enters the human body through the nose, then travels into the brain. [KSHB, 8/13/2025]

132 Days Until Christmas

Three Deutsche Post volunteers -- or elves, you might call them -- left St. Nikolaus, Germany, on Aug. 9 and started cycling toward Santa Claus Village in Finland, the Associated Press reported. The trio are carrying more than 30,000 letters and Christmas wish lists that have been delivered to the German village and are expected to arrive in roughly two weeks. The traditional journey dates back to 1967. [AP, 8/10/2025]

Unclear on the Concept

In reference to what seems like an obvious enough policy, Starbucks Korea has posted signs in all its shops across the country, warning customers that they may no longer bring desktop computers and printers to the locations to work. United Press International reported on Aug. 11 that Starbucks has also banned setting up large partitions and leaving valuables at a table for long periods of time. The targeted customers are known as "cagongjok," which combines the Korean words for "cafe," "study" and "tribe." Starbucks made the policy change after other customers complained about cafe squatters taking up too much space; laptops will still be welcomed. [UPI, 8/11/2025]

Crime Report

Everyone should be trying to move to East Greenbush, New York, where police have been busy chasing down the community's hardened criminals, WNYT-TV reported on Aug. 11. Officers have received multiple reports of juveniles playing "ding-dong-ditch" during overnight hours, they said. They called such aberrant behavior disruptive and a violation of state law. Police said if the kids are caught, their antics could lead to charges of harassment, trespassing and disorderly conduct. Zillow, here we come! [WNYT, 8/11/2025]

The Neighbors

Gary Boyadzhyan of Van Nuys, California, told KTLA-TV on Aug. 13 that he has a mysterious long-running grievance with the Los Angeles Police Department, and that's why he's been blasting home alarms and a train horn from his house for months. "He does this periodically several times during the day," said neighbor Bob Donovan. "It has a range of 3.5 miles. It's an actual train horn." Boyadzhyan says the horns are his way of getting LAPD's attention. "I do sincerely apologize to my neighbors," he said, "but I don't know what else to do." Neighbors are unclear about what kind of help the man needs to solve his problem, but they're at wits' end about the noise. But maybe a solution is on the way: Boyadzhyan was arrested on Aug. 13 on unknown charges. [KTLA, 8/13/2025]

Bright Idea

There's something in the water at Loch Ness in Scotland ... but it's not the famed monster. The Daily Record reported on Aug. 13 that Domino's Pizza has launched a delivery submarine that can reach speeds of 45mph and leap 5 meters out of the water. Pizza Delivery Innovation spokesperson Izzy Gardener said the company is "always looking for new and unexpected ways to deliver to our customers." Loch Ness seemed like a "perfect place to test the waters," Gardener said. [Daily Record, 8/13/2025]

Kids These Days

So, it's not enough to just play ding-dong-ditch in Laurens, South Carolina. WYFF-TV reported that on Aug. 9, two juveniles unlawfully entered railroad facilities and started an engine that was hooked to two other engines. Police said they drove the train engines around the yard before taking them onto a rail line that connects with Greenville. But when they tried to return to the rail yard, they collided with parked railroad cars and caused the derailment of the engine and damage to one of the parked cars. "This was a dangerous and reckless act," said Laurens Police Chief Heath Copeland. "Railroad property is not a place to play." [WYFF, 8/12/2025]

DON'T TOUCH THAT!

"A ground mishap" at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts, was likely caused by an unnamed passenger accidentally triggering an ejection from an F-15D Eagle on Aug. 12, The War Zone reported. After the plane had landed, video showed a puff of smoke and the backseat passenger crawling along the runway next to the aircraft. The canopy landed on the plane's wing. The 104th Fighter Wing released a statement saying that one service member was taken to a hospital for evaluation and the other had no injuries. [The War Zone, 8/14/2025]

Fire investigators in British Columbia, Canada, discovered an unlikely culprit in a brush fire that knocked out power in the town of Ashcroft on July 30: a hungry osprey. Ashcroft Fire Rescue posted on social media that the peckish avian pulled a large fish from a river about two miles away, but as it labored to fly with its super-sized meal in the July heat, it became tired and eventually dropped the fish ... directly onto a power line, which sparked the blaze in the dry grass below. NBC Bay Area reported that it took about 4,800 gallons of water to stop the fire -- quite a lot of trouble over a bird whose eyes were bigger than its stomach. "Another suspicion could be that it's tired of raw fish and wanted to give cooked a try," the post from Ashcroft Fire Rescue said. [NBC Bay Area, 8/5/2025]

New World Order

A zoo in northern Denmark has made an unsettling request of pet owners in Aalborg, the Associated Press reported. In a July 31 Facebook post, the zoo suggested, "If you have an animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us." Not for a domestic pet display, mind you. The zoo is planning to "gently euthanize" the donated animals and feed them to its predators. Zoo officials said they're trying to mimic the natural food chain, calling out specifically guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens as preferred donations. "That way, nothing goes to waste -- and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators," the post read. [AP, 8/4/2025]

Sports Whiplash

On July 31, as the Tampa Bay Rays battled the New York Yankees in the Bronx, one player ended up "winning today regardless," the Associated Press reported. Jose Caballero, 28, started the game with the Rays and played through the sixth inning. But during the seventh-inning stretch, he was traded to the Yankees. The deal was announced after the rain-delayed game, which the Yankees won. Caballero reportedly hugged his Tampa teammates in the dugout, then turned up in the Yankees clubhouse to conduct his post-game interview. [AP, 7/31/2025]

Bright Idea

In the Hautes-Vosges region of France, farmers have become discouraged with the lack of help from the law regarding squatters who appear in camping vans and park illegally on private property. So, The Economic Times reported on Aug. 4, the farmers unleashed the power of the poo on the interlopers. Six tractors circled around the campers and released slurry -- a mixture of manure and water -- that's used to fertilize the soil. "We've had enough," one farmer said. "If no one listens, we make ourselves heard another way." [Economic Times, 8/4/2025]

Easy There, Leadfoot

A driver on Germany's famed Autobahn was issued a $1,000 fine and had his license suspended for three months, CNN reported, after he exceeded the speed limit by 124 mph on July 28. Speed limit? On the Autobahn? Yes, while the motorway is known worldwide as a de facto raceway where drivers can go as fast as they please, it has stretches where speed limits are posted and enforced. German police said the motorist was clocked at over 199 mph on the A2 highway near Burg, a portion of the Autobahn where the limit is 74.5 mph. [CNN, 8/8/2025]

The Bear Jar

For more than a week, residents of northwest Wisconsin had been riveted by sightings of a hapless yet elusive bear with a jar stuck on her head. “The bear had been identified plenty of times ... but by the time anyone got there that could help, she was gone,” said Erik Donley of Duluth. Donley and his nieces were arriving at their family cabin when the bear came out of the woods near them. Understandably scared, the youngest niece locked the cabin doors -- briefly leaving her poor uncle outside. The family called wildlife authorities, then Donley went back outside to follow the bear from a safe distance and prevent her from disappearing again. The USDA soon arrived, tranquilized the bear and finally -- finally -- removed that stubborn jar. Authorities said the creature was underweight for this time of year, but has been safely relocated and is expected to recover. [Northern News Now, 8/4/2025]

Climb Every Mountain

To be awarded a scholarship for college, most prospective students must write a killer essay, but South Korean students with the right lofty aspirations can take a hike. Literally. According to UPI, Seoul National University offers a scholarship of up to $540 to students who climb any six mountains in the Blackyak Apline Club's 100 Famous Mountains and 100+ Famous Mountains lists, excluding those traversed by cable car or gondola. Students must use the Blackyak app to prove they hiked the mountains. The Misan Mountain Hiking Scholarship, which is funded by alumnus Kwon Jun-ha, 81, is highly competitive -- only 70 spots are available, but 1,400 students applied for it during the open period from July 8-18. "The scholarship reflects the donor's desire to foster healthy individuals with a spirit of challenge and community spirit," the school said. [UPI, 8/4/2025]

No Fans of Drama

Farmers near Yellowstone National Park, struggling with wolves attacking their livestock but prohibited from harming the protected animals, have turned to technology -- and Hollywood -- for help in keeping the predators away. Yahoo News reported on Aug. 4 that quadcopter drones equipped with speakers blaring AC/DC songs and audio from a Scarlett Johansson movie had been dispatched in the ongoing fight. Per the USDA, "people arguing is a distressing sound for wolves, and so the fight scene between Johansson and Adam Driver in the 2019 movie 'Marriage Story' is a perfect deterrent." The music and film clips seem to be working: Since their deployment, the number of cows killed by wolves in southern Oregon has fallen from 11 over a 20-day period to two over the next 85 days. [Yahoo, 8/4/2025]

Close Call

On June 25, members of the Seattle Kraken hockey team, on a fly-fishing trip at Brooks Falls at Katmai National Park, Alaska, drew the unwanted attention of a bear on the prowl for food. Multiple outlets report that center John Hayden and the team's mascot, Buoy -- who was in full costume -- were in the water when their guide spotted the bear and moved the group. The bear took a sudden interest in Buoy and charged toward him briefly before stopping and turning around. "I want to blame it on Buoy," Hayden joked. "They were pretty interested in his look." No one was harmed in the encounter, and other team members were unfazed. Meanwhile, the whole situation has drawn the ire of PETA, who sent a strongly worded letter filled with hockey puns, detailing the harm that fishing for sport does to fish, even when they are thrown back, and urging the team to "bench their fishing rods for good." [Fox News, 8/7/2025]

Never Heard of Him

St. Jude the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Erie, Pennsylvania, holds a Corvette raffle every year to raise money for the parish, and in 2024, one "Martin Anderson" came away with the top prize. But on Aug. 6, the Erie Times-News reported that an investigation by the Erie County District Attorney's Office discovered that no such person exists. Father Ross Miceli is under investigation for making up the name of the winner as well as winners of other prizes. The church declined to comment but acknowledged there was an active criminal investigation underway. The reverend has been placed on administrative leave. [Erie Times-News, 8/6/2025]

When a certain intern started her summer job at Sidley Austin in New York City, she made her mark by biting another employee -- for which she was not immediately fired, Inc. magazine reported on July 28. Nope, the law firm tolerated the behavior through five victims, presumably because the biter was "otherwise personable and there was some reluctance to elevate the matter." However, employment attorney Dan Schwartz said that even if she has a disability that compels her to bite other people, "The ADA does not protect an employee at the expense of another employee." Vampire lawyers, indeed. [Inc., 7/28/2025]

Wait, What?

As Albert Cutler was driving home from church on July 27, he noticed a bald eagle flying over the highway in Okauchee Lake, Wisconsin. The eagle was carrying a fish -- until it wasn't, and as Cutler watched the fish fall, he wondered if he had hit it with his car, Fox6-TV reported. Upon arriving home, Cutler's daughter located the fish, stuck in the grill of his truck. The largemouth bass went into the family's fridge, and Cutler said it's the "biggest bass" he's ever caught. [Fox6, 7/27/2025]

Repeat Offender

In August 2023, News of the Weird reported the arrest of Calese Carron Crowder of Glendale, California, for the unusual fetish of butt-sniffing. Now he's back in the news: According to KTLA-TV, Crowder was arrested on July 22 at a Walmart in Burbank after he crouched behind a woman at Nordstrom Rack and "inappropriately sniff(ed) her buttocks." Crowder, who's a frequent flyer with Los Angeles County, was on active parole for his previous offenses and had his bail set at $100,000. "He needs to be put away for good," said one alleged victim. [KTLA, 7/25/2025]

Irony

The U.S. Coast Guard's newest recruiting office is open -- in Omaha, Nebraska. KETV reported on July 19 that the USCG's goal is to increase its workforce by 15,000 over the next few years, so they're heading inland. The Omaha office will serve a landlocked region including parts of Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas. "If we're not here, then (people) have to travel hundreds of miles, sometimes get on a plane to go to a recruiting office," said Gregory Watson, recruiter in charge. [KETV, 7/19/2025]

Animal Antics

-- Visitors to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming responded in a surprising way to a wily fox nicknamed the Sneaker Snatcher, The New York Times reported on July 17. The National Park Service posted "wanted" signs to warn campers that a fox was stealing shoes from campsites, but as the total number of shoes ballooned to 32, park staff realized people were intentionally leaving their footwear accessible to the four-legged Jesse James -- "just in case he visits." A video posted to Instagram pleads with visitors: "Don't bait wildlife with belongings. Feeding or encouraging wildlife can put animals at risk," the park advised. [NY Times, 7/17/2025]

-- Early on July 26, as Katherine Vanbuskirk let her dogs out on her deck in Somerville, Massachusetts, a raccoon jumped at her, clawing her face and scratching her arms as she tried to fight it off, WFXT-TV reported. Vanbuskirk was able to get away from the raccoon and close her deck door, and she called 911. "I just encountered a monster," she said. "All I could do was scream, 'Help me! Help me!'" She was treated with antibiotics and rabies shots at the hospital. [WFXT, 7/28/2025]

Bright Idea

In an unlikely brand extension, Coors Brewing Co. is pitching Dura Chill, an underarm deodorant that should be refrigerated before application, KDVR-TV reported on July 29. The limited-edition hygiene product is said to smell like the breezes of the Rocky Mountains. "Coors Light is all about helping people 'Choose Chill,'" said Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of marketing for the brand. "Dura Chill is like giving your underarms their own ice-cold beer." The deodorant, available on the company's website, sells for $14.99 and is limited to two per household. [KDVR, 7/29/2025]

Please Remain Calm

At the Savannah River Site nuclear facility in Aiken, South Carolina, a team found a nest of wasps near a tank on July 3, WCVB-TV reported on July 30. The nest was sprayed, then checked for radioactivity, reading at 100,000 dpm -- about 10 times the level of radiation allowed by federal regulations. The nest was bagged as radiological waste, and officials said the surrounding area was uncontaminated. The Savannah River Site became an EPA Superfund site in 1989 and no longer has functioning reactors. [WCVB, 7/30/2025]

The Tech Revolution

CBS News reported on July 25 that an unnamed man in Argentina won a court appeal against Google for "harm to his dignity" after the company's Street View camera captured him walking around his yard naked. The dispute began in 2017, when the man and his house, with the house number clearly visible, were posted to Google's system. He said the images exposed him to ridicule at work and among his neighbors. A lower court ruled against him, saying he was "walking around in inappropriate conditions in the garden of his home," but appeals judges disagreed and awarded him about $12,500. "The invasion of privacy is blatant," they wrote. [CBS News, 7/25/2025]

Only You Can Prevent Stupidity

When an unnamed man got caught after stealing Smokey Bear signs from state forests in Florida, Smokey himself was on hand to aid in the arrest, WTSP-TV reported on July 31. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said the suspect had traveled from Pensacola to Orlando, lifting the signs and posting them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 each. Smokey held the door open for the perp as he entered the patrol truck and was seen in the driver's seat after the arrest. [WTSP, 7/31/2025]

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

After the large earthquake on July 29 in western Russia, tsunami warnings were communicated all the way to the U.S. West Coast. A Norwegian Cruise Lines ship docked at Hilo, Hawaii, took heed and left the port for the safety of its guests. But a group of passengers who were still on shore got the warning of the ship's departure too late, KHON-TV reported. Eric Anderson and his father were separated from their family, who had gone back to the ship. Anderson said the ship had texted that it would leave at 4 p.m., but it departed closer to 3:30. Fortunately, local residents transported the stranded passengers to Waiakea High School, where they spent the night. They were reunited with their families on July 30 after the warnings were canceled. [KHON, 7/30/2025]

Police Report

Boy, Chuck E. Cheese is a hotbed of weird behavior these days. This week's installment involves a brawl that took place on July 26 at a location in Mobile, Alabama. WKRG-TV reported that witnesses said about 20 people were fighting because a teenage boy "got upset about something." "They started fighting as I was walking by," said a girl who was hit in the face, "and then they punched me on accident." The Mobile Police Department is investigating by watching surveillance video and reaching out to those involved. Public Information Officer Roderick Miles advised that people in such circumstances "try to do something that's going to result in better decisions than fighting at a freaking Chuck E. Cheese." [WKRG, 7/30/2025]