Weird and wacky news from the week of Nov. 23
Andrew Copp, Staff Writer
Graphic by Sam Meyeres
World
Swedish Man shoves 81 matches up his nose for world record. The man, Martin Ströby, said that his kids inspired him to accomplish the feat after they read the recent Guiness world records book and loved it. Originally he thought there was nothing record worthy that he could achieve, but after further review, matches up the nostrils was the choice. He said that he wanted his kids to look up at him in the same way that he looked up to his dad. (link)
24 karat gold toilet sells for $12.1 million at auction. The piece is by controversial visual artist Maurizio Cattelan, and has been owned by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen. Two originals were created and were both placed in functioning bathrooms at the Guggenheim museum and the Blenheim palace. The toilet that sold is the only one remaining, after the latter one was stolen in one of the most infamous art heists ever. (link)
1,076 square-foot large spider web found deep in cave on the border of Greece and Albania. The web is a combination from two different species of spider, not known to colonize with each other. In most cases it is found that one species normally preys on the other, but researchers assume that due to the cave receiving no sunlight, the spiders are unaware of their difference. It is estimated that 110,000 spiders live on the web. (link)
National
A judge from Missouri agreed to step down over complaints of him wearing an Elvis wig and playing his music while on the stand. Judge Matthew Thornhill, the longest serving judge in St. Charles county, just outside of St. Louis, claimed he aimed to add levity to tense situations to relax members of court. He was criticized for not upholding the integrity of the judiciary. (link)
Florida residents warned to keep watch for iguanas falling out of trees and injuring them. When the normally tropical environment gets cold, the reptiles have been known to freeze up and be paralyzed, then fall from their arboreal habitats. Residents are also warned not to attempt to save the iguanas, as they will become hostile when resuscitated and it is illegal to transport the protected animals. (link)
Mysterious underwater bubbling off the coast of California originally linked to flatulent whales, submarine activity, and blue fin tuna turns out to be due to underwater construction. The bubbling near Hermosa beach caused excitement among residents, but was revealed to be the testing of underwater ventilation in preparation for the installment of sea floor fiber optic cables from California to Asia. (link)
Local
Bald eagle drops cat through windshield in western North Carolina. A woman driving just outside Great Smoky National Park had her window smashed in by a cat carcass that was discarded by a bald eagle. (link)
Bigfoot sighting by local hunter. The man said that while deer hunting he heard weird noises and approximately 25 feet away, he claimed to see an unhuman figure, as he described, bigfoot. He reports that it had “kind eyes”.
