News of the Weird: Week of July 20, 2023

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The Way the World Works

In 1973, Nissim Kahlon was living in a tent on a beach north of Tel Aviv, Israel, the Associated Press reported. He started scratching into a sandstone cliff wall along the beach, and eventually excavated a cave and moved in. Fifty years later, his created home is a sandcastle, with multiple floors, staircases, detailed mosaic floors and plumbing. But now Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry is moving to evict Kahlon, saying the structure is illegal and threatens the coastline. He said he first got a demolition order in 1974, but since then the government has left him alone, even connecting his home to the electrical grid. "I am not leaving here," Kahlon, 77, said. "I am ready for them to bury me here. I have no other home."

But Why?

French President Emmanuel Macron now has the singular distinction of being the first French head of state to receive a body part in the mail, the Evening Standard reported. On July 10, a severed finger belonging to a "living human being" arrived at the Elysee Palace, where it was "initially put in a fridge where the police put their snacks," a source said. "This was to make sure it was preserved and could be analyzed as quickly as possible." The former owner of the digit was identified and given "full medical support," but it was unclear what the meaning behind the delivery was.

The Tech Revolution

The Toronto Zoo has a favor to ask of visitors to Nassir the gorilla: Please don't show him photos or videos on your phone. Like any other 24-year-old primate, Nassir is "fascinated by videos, and screen time would dominate his life if he had it his way," according to the zoo's website. The Toronto Star reported that Maria Franke, director of wildlife conservation and welfare, is noticing the effect of visitors sharing their content. "It was causing him to be distracted and not interacting with the other gorillas ... He was just so enthralled with gadgets and phones and the videos." A sign now warns visitors: "Some content can be upsetting and affect their relationships and behavior within their family." Phones down, humans.

Precocious

An 8-year-old boy faces multiple charges, including first-degree robbery, after he carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint on July 11 in Montgomery, Alabama, WSFA-TV reported. Officers tried to stop the car, but the little driver wouldn't stop and later crashed into another car. A witness, "Snake" Knapp, said he saw the kid pick up two adults along the way. "I think parents just really need to know where their kids are, what their kids are doing," Knapp mused.

Ewwww

Doctors at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center near Dayton, Ohio, presented a case in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 6 that detailed a man whom they diagnosed with "hairy tongue." Gizmodo reported that the 64-year-old consulted with doctors when he developed a green, fuzzy layer on his tongue. He was prescribed antifungals, but they didn't help. Hairy tongue occurs when keratin causes a buildup of papillae, the tiny projections on the tongue. The man was directed to scrub his tongue with a toothbrush four times a day and stop smoking, and the green fuzz disappeared.

Welcome to My Fetish

Lakewood, Colorado, police are searching for a serial panty thief, The Denver Gazette posted on July 6. The unknown suspect, described as having short black hair, a black goatee, dark eyes and a muscular build, allegedly lifts women's underwear from laundry rooms at the Lakewood Towers at Belmar apartments. Over the course of at least 26 incidents, he "has taken approximately $4,881 worth of items," Lakewood police said.

Animal Antics

• People living in the Travis Heights neighborhood of Austin, Texas, are thinking twice about venturing outdoors -- and it's not because of the heat. A red-shouldered hawk is terrorizing pedestrians -- to the point that U.S. mail delivery has been suspended in the area indefinitely, KTBC-TV reported. "Imagine walking out of your house and knowing that you're going to get punched in the back of the head by an animal with large talons," said Alfred Del Barrio. He said he avoided the hawk on a run because he saw its shadow. Nicole Netherton of the Travis Audubon Society said the hawk is protecting its young. "Trying to ignore them so that they can get their business and breeding done is probably the best advice," she said. State and federal laws protect migratory birds. Meanwhile, residents are asked to pick up their mail at a local post office until further notice.
• A wedding at Maison Albion in Albion, New York, recently sported an unexpected extra member of the wedding party, People reported. J, a llama, was hired to be a surprise groomsman by the bride's mother, who knew her daughter wants to own a llama farm one day. Llama Adventures provided J and outfitted him in a tux that made him look as if he was wearing white gloves and standing on two legs, and he gamely stood with the other groomsmen as the nuptials took place. "The bride was absolutely delighted," said photographer Cathy Craft, "and the guests thoroughly enjoyed it."

Police Report

Quincy, Illinois, police are hunting for a rabbit, NBC Chicago reported. Early on July 6, someone wearing a full bunny suit entered the Winners Wash Laundromat and rifled through drawers, stuffing several items into a backpack. Surveillance video caught the fuzzy culprit, who has not been identified. Quincy police are hopping mad and seeking leads.

Least Competent Criminal

KLKN-TV reported that on July 11, an unnamed 20-year-old man from Lincoln, Nebraska, was pulled over near Norfolk as he drove his motorcycle at speeds up to 106 mph. The driver had a suspended license and, in fact, had just left the Stanton County Courthouse, where he had been sentenced for ... driving with a suspended license and speeding. The judge had ordered him to pay fines for both offenses. He was charged again and bonded out of jail.

The Continuing Crisis

The Nikko Japanese Steak and Sushi Bar in Pace, Florida, has closed after an incident in June, WSB-TV reported. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office investigated after seven people were hospitalized following meals at the restaurant, finding that bottles and packets of soy sauce tested positive for methamphetamine. But no charges were filed, as detectives could not determine who contaminated the food "due to lack of witness observations and surveillance footage." On July 7, the restaurant's owners announced on Facebook that they would be closing: "Today, a family-owned and operated business is closed, and 20 employees are out of work, all because of the power of social media," the post read.

Seems Like a Bad Idea

The crater of the inactive Teoca volcano outside Mexico City is home to a football pitch where 10 teams play each weekend, Yahoo! News reported on July 10. "It's a unique pitch," said player Adrian Garcia. A league representative said the field is about 70 years old; before it was converted to a sports venue, it was a ceremonial site. Goalkeeper Daniel Mancilla Pena called it a "very nice setting to play football." Yeah, well, Mexico sits on the Ring of Fire, a seismically and volcanically active zone, so make sure you don't have much stoppage time.

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