News of the Weird: Week of October 13, 2022

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Overstimulated

A British artist known as Mr. Doodle (real name: Sam Cox) has doodled throughout his entire mansion in Tenterden, Kent, United Press International reported on Oct. 4. Everything is covered: walls, furniture, kitchen appliances, textiles, floors, ceilings. Cox shared The Doodle House with the world on a YouTube video, taking viewers through the process from stark white to completely doodled. It took him two years, 240 gallons of white paint, 401 cans of black spray paint and almost 2,300 black pens to complete the project. His wife, Alena, is all in with the doodle decor.

Great Art

Keith Tyssen of Sheffield, England, has maintained a striking topiary he calls "Gloria" in his front garden since 2000 -- the bush depicts a woman lying back in a reclining position with her knees bent. But, MSN reported, Tyssen has a problem with random "drunken louts" entering his yard, usually during the night, and becoming intimate with the shrub. For one thing, he said, the noise wakes him up. But more disturbing, the "act" damages Gloria's figure. "Someone will squeeze the breasts," he said, "so that will damage it. They're climbing on top of her and pulling her legs apart -- you know, it's disgusting." Now Tyssen is begging his community to leave Gloria alone; one Twitter user suggested he grow a thorny vine through her to deter the assaults. 

The American Tourist

On Oct. 5, an American man who appeared to be about 50 years old asked to see Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome, CNN reported. When he was told that would not be possible, he hurled a Roman bust to the floor in the Museo Chiaramonti, then upset a second one as he rushed out. The man was detained by Vatican police and turned over to Italian authorities. Both statues were around 2,000 years old. Press office director Matteo Alessandrini said the busts were "affixed to the shelves with a nail, but if you pull them down with force they will come off." He said restoration work had already begun. 

The Other Border

KTUU-TV reported that on Oct. 4, a small boat carrying two men landed near the community of Gambell on northern St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. According to town clerk Curtis Silook, the men told villagers they had sailed over 300 miles from Egvekinot in northeastern Russia and were trying to escape the Russian military draft. Sen. Dan Sullivan conferred with the Department of Homeland Security, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy said they were transported to Anchorage, where federal authorities were sorting out their status. "We don't anticipate a continual stream of individuals or a flotilla," Dunleavy said. 

Inexplicable

• Tyler Monk, 34, an exterminator in Kinder, Louisiana, is ... changing. That is, his skin is darkening from white to black, apparently because he briefly tried Prozac in January 2021 to help with anxiety, the New York Post reported. "The fact is, (doctors) don't know why I'm changing colors," Monk said. After two months, Monk's arms and face took on a grayish tone that continued to darken even after he stopped the drug. "First they thought it was photosensitivity ... but I've been covering up and I'm still getting darker," he said. He has seen eight specialists, and more appointments are on his calendar. His family is supportive: "We really don't mind the color change, as long as he's healthy and OK with it," said his wife, Emily. [NY Post, 9/27/2022]
• Time to decorate the man cave? Three men were arrested on Sept. 24 in Hernando County, Florida, after an off-duty detective spied them using saws to cut traffic lights off the poles, WFTV reported. By the time deputies arrived at the scene, the men had put three lights into their van. Aaron Wood, James Donnelly and Oleksiy Naumenko were arrested for theft and admitted to stealing the lights. Each is valued at $5,000. 

Least Competent Criminal

An unnamed 32-year-old woman didn't get far in the Mini Cooper she stole in Lakewood, Washington, on Sept. 19, Fox News reported. The driver, who had her 4-year-old son in the back seat and a bottle of whiskey in her hand, steered the car right into a section of wet cement that had just been poured by city crews. When she emerged from the car, she threw a television and an Instant Pot out of the car before trying to walk away. All items were stolen from the suspect's mother's home. After her arrest, crews went back to work on the pavement. 

Oops

The Bay County (Florida) Sheriff's Department has declared it's "officially out of the bonfire business" after an incident at A. Crawford Mosley High School in Lynn Haven on Oct. 5, the Panama City News Herald reported. Although the agency has assisted with bonfires for many years, the 2022 homecoming event blew up when the bonfire literally exploded. No one was injured, and firefighters were already on hand as a precaution. Sheriff Tommy Ford said it was unclear what had caused the explosion, but his agency would take responsibility for the incident. The district also announced that they would no longer host bonfire events. 

Wait, What?

Two men were arrested in Palm Coast, Florida, on Oct. 6 for a heist of goods valued at $5,000, Fox35-TV reported. Rui Gen Lin, 48, and Rong Chen, 41, were caught red-handed by a deputy making a security check at Woody's Bar-B-Que; the two men wore headlamps as they transferred a substance from a vat behind the restaurant into a box truck with large storage containers inside. Here's the weird: They were stealing used cooking oil, about 7,000 pounds of it. Lin owns L&L Recycling, a company that buys and recycles cooking oil. "But in this case, they tried to increase their profits by stealing the oil," said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. Who knew used cooking oil was so useful? It can be recycled for use in diesel fuel and other substances, Staly noted.

What's in a Name?

Brian Taylor, a custodial and grounds worker for the Wayne Township Public School District in New Jersey for the last 27 years, has filed a lawsuit against the district, NJ.com reported on Oct. 6. In the suit, he claims his performance evaluations were always "superior or above average" and that he earned a manager certificate from Rutgers University -- but he was still passed over for promotions. Why? Taylor asserts that his managers gave higher-paying jobs to people with Italian last names. For example, he says, his groundskeeping duties, which offered more opportunity for overtime, were transferred to the Italian-American brother-in-law of a supervisor. "This unfortunate reality makes working for the (district) very difficult for a person like Taylor, as he is a man of integrity," the suit reads. The board of education "disputes all allegations made by Mr. Taylor and looks forward to presenting the district's case in court," attorney John G. Geppert Jr. said. 

Is It Genius? Or Is It Sad?

A Lithuanian potato chip company called Chazz has just introduced a new limited edition flavor that's intended to cater to sex-starved millennials, Indy100 reported on Sept. 22. The P----- Flavour crisps will transport consumers to "your wildest love adventures, your first real love," reps for Chazz promise. "The Chazz team is young, bold and socially responsible," and the snack is meant for those who are "brave" and "free." The company also suggests the chips can be a humorous gift or can "initiate a romantic evening." Unfortunately, at this time, they're available only in Europe.