News of the Weird: Week of March 19, 2026

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Bright Idea

Lonely? If you're a college student in Boston, you can stop at the Call a Boomer phone booth on Commonwealth Avenue in Brookline and, free of charge, connect with an older person living in a senior housing facility in Reno, Nevada. Boston.com reported on March 10 that biotech company Matter Neuroscience set up the phones as part of a social experiment, based on data that show young people and seniors are the loneliest among age groups. "The goal of this project is to inspire generational connection through meaningful conversations," a plaque on the phone booth reads. Calls work either way, and if no one picks up, the caller can leave a message. Matter set up another set of phones earlier this year in San Francisco and Abilene, Texas, designed to connect people across the political spectrum. The Boston project is set up to operate for a month; if it's successful, Matter hopes to extend it. [Boston.com, 3/10/2026]

Suspicions Confirmed

              -- Tommy Lynch, 42, of Derbyshire, England, went to the hospital after waking up with blue skin, People magazine reported on March 10. Lynch's roommate, who works as a carer, saw his skin and whisked him to the emergency room, thinking he might be deprived of oxygen. Doctors there assessed him and, prudently, rubbed his arm with an alcohol wipe, revealing his "ailment": sleeping on new unwashed dark blue sheets. "I never knew you had to wash your sheets before you slept on them," Lynch said. "I looked like an avatar." Lynch said he spent the next week trying to get the blue dye off his skin. [People, 3/10/2026]

              -- Stephanie Faure of Saskatoon, Canada, underwent brain surgery more than a year ago to remove cancer tumors, the CBC reported. On March 8, she woke up feeling odd pressure in her head and saw what she thought was a screw trying to push through her skin. At Royal University Hospital, Faure waited 5 1/2 hours to see a doctor, who told her the bump was a cyst and sent her home. "He wasn't even looking at it," she said. "He was just telling me it wasn't what I was seeing." That evening, Faure's boyfriend used tweezers to pull out a tiny screw. "It was moving as the day went," Faure said, "so it wasn't too hard (to remove) by that time." She plans to file a complaint against the doctor so that he might "realize that's not how you treat people." [CBC, 3/11/2026]

Ewwwww

I bet you didn't know that March 15 is National Espresso Martini Day. Well, Buffalo Wild Wings knows, and in celebration, they're introducing their wing-flavored Espresso Proteini. USA Today reported on March 9 that the featured drink is made with 10 grams of protein and Buffalo Dry Rub, which will also line the rim of the glass. But act fast: The Espresso Proteini is available only from March 12 to March 15 and costs $12. [USA Today, 3/9/2026]

Cheaters

In February, the 2026 Camel Beauty Show Festival in Al Musanna, Oman, was disrupted after veterinary inspectors discovered that 20 competitors had been subject to cosmetic procedures to enlarge their humps, the Independent reported on March 5. The camels' humps were injected with dermal fillers similar to those used on humans. Injectables were also used to create poutier lips and soften their faces. Festival officials said they would impose "strict penalties on manipulators." Camels are judged on coat, neck, head and humps. [The Independent, 3/5/2026]

Unclear on the Concept

The Waterfall Therapy massage spa in Mays Landing, New Jersey, was searched on March 11, Patch.com reported, and two people, Cuie Chen, 50, and Wen-Juin Zhou, 60, were charged with prostitution and conspiracy to commit prostitution. The Township of Hamilton police said they had conducted a lengthy and detailed investigation, in spite of a glaring clue: a line on the business's website noting that it offers massages with a "happy ending." The women were released on summons. [Patch.com, 3/12/2026]

Awesome!

              -- A restaurant in Mobile, Alabama, has advertised an offer for nearly 100 years, but never had to honor it until the end of February, when Jimmy Rush, 80, and James Rush, 99, walked in. The New York Post reported that Wintzell's Oyster House promises "Free Oysters to Any Man 80 Years Old Accompanied by His Father," and until the Rushes arrived, they'd never had a taker. "We felt like our dad was going to make it to 100 because he's in great health," said another son, Carl. "We've been talking about it as a family for 25, 30 years." Carl will be 80 in two years, and they plan to come back for another dozen oysters. [NY Post, 3/10/2026]

              -- March 10, for those who don't celebrate, is Mario Day, after the Nintendo game character. At a GameStop in Manhattan's Union Square, 270 people costumed as Mario gathered in hopes of setting a world record, United Press International reported. "He's a reminder of people's childhoods and a carefree time," said GameStop director of communications Nicolle Robles. "And you know people still play video games well into adulthood." Participants got a $5 store credit, but the real winner was Ross Martinez, who dressed as the solid gold Mario from New Super Mario Bros. 2. [UPI, 3/12/2026]

Going to Extremes

That old springtime pothole trope is a THING: A New Jersey Transit bus became engulfed in fire on March 10 after it hit a pothole on the New Jersey Turnpike, WABC-TV reported. When the bus struck the pothole, a back tire blew out, and passengers rushed to the front of the bus to report that it was on fire. About 30 passengers piled out of the bus and moved away from the burning vehicle. [WABC, 3/10/2026]

Oops

James Prante of North Port, Florida, is facing a DUI charge after an incident on March 1, WWSB-TV reported. Around 9:30 p.m., police received a call that a woman had fallen from a golf cart; Prante explained to them that he and his wife had been "partying at the club" since noon and she had hit her head after falling from the golf cart. The wife was unconscious and was transported to a hospital. Prante failed a sobriety test, and officers found empty alcohol containers in the cart. He was charged with DUI with serious bodily injury. [WWSB, 3/4/2026]

It's Come to This

Japanese people seeking zen are trying a novel offering: coffin-lying. The New York Post reported on Feb. 25 that a funeral home in Chiba Prefecture started the trend, but now other businesses are providing options from a wooden box to "cute" coffins for patrons to have "a meditation experience where you can gaze at life through being conscious of death." Customers can choose either an open or closed casket, healing music, video projected on the ceiling or complete silence. Fans of the experience say it has a profound impact on mental health. [NY Post, 2/25/2026]

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