News of the Weird: Week of March 30, 2023

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Creme de la Weird

Already this year, representatives of a fictional country called the United States of Kailasa have participated in two meetings at the United Nations, Oddity Central reported. Founded by Indian fugitive and "supreme pontiff of Hinduism" Nithyananda Paramashivam, the virtual nation claims to be a sovereign state for Hindus who have been "persecuted for over a decade." In January, Kailasa suggested it had been officially recognized by the United States of America through a sister-city agreement with Newark, New Jersey, but U.S. authorities later rescinded the arrangement. A U.N. representative explained the country's access by saying the meetings are open to the public.

Awesome!

How's your bracket holding up? If it's busted, here's some other basketball news that might cheer you up. Sporting goods company Wilson is reinventing the basketball, Oddity Central reported on March 13, with a new prototype that doesn't require inflation. The Wilson Airless Prototype uses a "research-grade" polymer material to achieve the necessary bounce; the surface is a lattice design that keeps the traditional binding pattern so players can grip the seams of the ball more easily. There are still kinks to work out, including how to manage small objects that can get inside the ball.

Florida

A flamboyant woman named Ashley Cream went before the Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board on March 2 with a pressing concern: She suggested that March 10 should be designated Sugar Daddy and Mommy Appreciation Day. WFLA-TV reported that Cream, accompanied by an elderly man in a wheelchair, started her appeal by telling board members they were "looking absolutely fabulous, a little bit serious." She went on to say that sugar daddies and mommies are "responsible for college educations, cars, homes, rents, jets, Birkin (bags) and the occasional body enhancement" -- though she claimed to be "all natural" as she gestured toward her chest. Councilman Arnold Sevell replied that her idea is "a city council issue," and she and her companion left the meeting.

Least Competent Criminals

• Nothing went right for a carjacker in East Memphis, Tennessee, on March 10, WREG-TV reported. An unnamed 22-year-old victim pulled into his own driveway that night, only to have a man yank the driver's door open and point a gun at him. He asked for the victim's wallet and keys to the 2006 Honda Element, then tried to back out of the driveway, but as he did so, he rolled down the window. That's when the victim noticed the thief's gun didn't have a barrel, so he reached in and punched the carjacker in the face, causing the car to clip the side of the house and run into a pole. The carjacker jumped out and ran away; police were able to gather prints from the car and a recovered phone, but no arrests have been made.
• As authorities in Gainesville, Georgia, searched the home of 75-year-old Alan Neil Thur on March 14 after receiving a tip that Thur had child pornography on his computer, Thur sat at his computer ... "viewing five images of child pornography," Hall County Sheriff's deputies wrote in a report. WSB-TV reported that Thur was charged with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and booked into the county jail.

Oh, Canada

Fans of our favorite rude gesture, rejoice! Flipping the bird is a protected, "God-given" right in Canada, NPR reported, after Judge Dennis Galiatsatos ruled on Feb. 24 that "offending someone is not a crime." The decision stemmed from a court case between two un-neighborly neighbors in a Montreal suburb. "The complainants are free to clutch their pearls in the face of such an insult," Galiatsatos said. "However, the police department and the 911 dispatching service have more important priorities to address."

Suspicions Confirmed

On March 20, police officers were called to a home in Mill Creek, Washington, on a report of items stolen from the house, Fox13-TV reported. As they investigated, they discovered someone was living in the home's upstairs loft -- with a bed, drug paraphernalia and half-eaten food. The oblivious homeowners did say they had noticed the smell of cigarette smoke. Police suggested the homeowners wait until the person returned, and it didn't take long: On March 21, they arrested Daniel Tomoiaga, 24. In his possession, they found the stolen items, along with meth and fentanyl. No word on how long he'd been staying at the home.

The Tech Revolution

Artificial intelligence has infiltrated television news in China, Oddity Central reported. Ren Xiaorong, a virtual news anchor, was introduced on March 12 to viewers of People's Daily. "For 365 days, 24 hours, I will be reporting the news for the whole year, round the clock, without rest," (Redundant) Ren told viewers. "Whether at news sites or back in the studio, you will always see me." She has absorbed the talents of "thousands of news anchors" and will continue to evolve based on feedback. Ren can answer many questions, but her answers are all within the parameters of the Chinese Communist Party's rhetoric.

Clothing Optional

In the early 2000s, Joseph DeRuvo Jr. of Norwalk, Connecticut, had developed painful bunions on his feet, and his doctor suggested surgery to remove them, The New York Times reported. While awaiting his operation, he started going barefoot, and he soon realized his feet felt much better. "The tactile feedback just kind of makes everything else going on feel a little bit smoother," he said. Now 59 years old, DeRuvo has been barefoot for two decades, and he says navigating weather and terrain is easier than navigating people. He is sometimes asked to leave a business and on occasion, he fights back. "If I'm feeling feisty," he said. His wife added, "We get thrown out of a lot of places." But his shoelessness contributes to a mindful life: "I pay attention to every single step I take," DeRuvo said.

Recent Alarming Headline

KOKH-TV reported that on March 12, a woman in Dickson, Oklahoma, was attacked by her neighbor's pet monkey, Jack, resulting in her ear being ripped "almost completely off my head," the victim, Brittany Parker, said. "He started grabbing handfuls of my hair and just ripped it out," she added. Dickson police were called, and as they looked for the monkey, two shots were fired. "The shots came from the area of the victim's residence. Officers went back to the house and found that a family member of the victim shot and killed the primate," police said. Parker said she will need plastic surgery to fix her ear. P.J. Carter, Jack's owner, is distraught: "I lost my best friend and pet due to it all," he said. "He was my super monkey. I feel sorry for (Parker) and her injury. My friend and pet Jack lost his life over a massive misunderstanding and the lack of knowledge and education with an exotic animal," Carter added. The district attorney has declined to file charges.

Update

News of the Weird reported in July 2022 that Dean Mayhew of Sussex, England, had his Tesco grocery loyalty card QR code tattooed on his arm. While Mayhew claims he has "no regrets" about the body art, Metro News reported on March 14 that after eight months, he's saved only 18 British pounds' worth of points. His goal is to save enough by the end of the year to pay for his Christmas food. "Sometimes when I go in there, the cashier doesn't believe it's real -- I have to tell them, 'just scan it, please!' and they're shocked," he said. "I love the tattoo so much."

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