In the United Kingdom, as of Jan. 29, flouting a new highway code rule will cost you up to 1,000 pounds, the Mirror reported. The rule requires someone inside a car to open the door with the hand farthest from the door, employing a technique known as the Dutch Reach. In other words, if you're driving (on the right side of the car), you would use your left hand to reach around and open the car door. (The technique is borrowed from the Netherlands, thus the name.) Rule 239 reads: "This will make you turn your head to look over your shoulder. You are then more likely to avoid causing injury to cyclists or motorcyclists passing you on the road, or to people on the pavement." If a person in a car injures someone by opening with the wrong hand, a fine will be levied. Cycling UK estimates that more than 500 people are injured every year by car doors. [Mirror, 1/21/2022]

Wait, What?

Cameron Newsom, 42, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was treated for stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma on her tongue in 2013, the New York Post reported. Removing the tumor meant also removing part of her tongue, which doctors replaced with skin and muscle taken from her thigh. Through all of her experiences in treating the cancer, she said, "The weirdest part ... was when I felt a rough texture on the 'thigh' part of my tongue -- and when I looked in the mirror, it had started growing leg hair!" Newsom had to learn to speak again and still finds eating a challenge, but she's back to being a gymnastics coach, even with her fuzzy tongue. [New York Post, 1/19/2022]

It's a Living

Xavier Long, 20, of Yerkwood, Alabama, has discovered a way to profit from human jealousy and insecurity, the Daily Mail reported. Suspicious partners pay Long to flirt on social media with their loved ones as a loyalty test, and Long rakes in the proceeds: In one week alone, he made over $2,000. Long said he receives about 100 requests for help every day and charges a minimum of $10. If a woman he's paid to flirt with gives him any of her personal contact information, he considers her a "fail." "I'm helping people, so I feel like it's a good thing in a way," Long said. "Doing these tests has allowed me to stop working a 9-to-5 job." [Daily Mail, 1/7/2022]

When Pigs Swim

Veteran surfer Ingrid Seiple was catching a wave on Dec. 18 off Oahu, Hawaii, when she saw something floating like a log in the water, KITV reported. She at first thought it was a Hawaiian monk seal, but, she said, "That's when I realized it was a pig, and it saw me. It started swimming toward me as fast as it could! It was very close and getting closer. I pushed the board between the pig and I and it bit my board." Seiple thinks the wild boar was chased into the ocean by hunting dogs. "It looked like it had an injury on its face," she said. Seiple escaped the boar without harm, but no word on the pig's condition. [KITV, 12/21/2021]

Don't See That Every Day

Motorists on I-59 in Tennessee on Jan. 12 got a closeup look at the world's largest cast-iron skillet as it made its way on a flatbed truck to the future Lodge Cast Iron Museum in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. The big fry pan measures 18 feet from handle to handle and weighs more than 14,000 pounds, United Press International reported. It will be used outside the museum, which is set to open in late summer. Get your selfie stick ready! [UPI, 1/14/2022]

Family Values

Teacher Kerry Lyn Caviasca, 36, of Watertown, Connecticut, was arrested on Jan. 15 and charged with two counts of risk of injury to a child and second-degree reckless endangerment, WFSB-TV reported, stemming from an incident in November. According to the arrest warrant, Caviasca's ex-husband informed police that she had left their two children, both under age 12, home alone for two days while she went on vacation to Florida with her boyfriend. When the father checked one of the children's phones, he saw texts between the child and Caviasca, including exchanges about what they should eat, to which she replied, "Just eat candy." She also instructed them to stay in the basement so they wouldn't be seen. The children told police they were alone in the house, except for their dog. [WFSB, 1/20/2022]

Just Rewards

Mayor Chen Qimai of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, has ordered a clever punishment for people convicted of drunk driving in his community. Oddity Central reported that offenders will have to clean funeral parlors to give them the experience of being close to death. In January, 11 drunk drivers spent hours cleaning a mortuary, refrigeration unit and crematorium. "I had never been close to death, and it felt disturbing," one offender said. When they were finished, they reportedly expressed their deep remorse and said they wouldn't drive drunk again. [Oddity Central, 1/19/2022]

Mistaken Identity

Police were called to investigate on Jan. 15 after a motorist on the M11 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, spotted what they believed were the sneakered feet of a dead person rolled up in a carpet in another car. A law enforcement spokesperson explained, however, that the feet belonged to "a mannequin dressed as Prince Charming who was on his way to a themed birthday! Thankfully, this was a false alarm." Metro News reported that the driver was advised to "avoid such circumstances occurring again." [Metro News, 1/17/2022]

Undignified Death

Newsweek reported that a man in Spain perished on Jan. 20 while he was working in an agricultural warehouse. The unnamed 34-year-old was buried when a large quantity of carrots fell on him, emergency services said. The man died at the scene. [Newsweek, 1/21/2022]

When in Doubt, Use the Pork

A Jack Russell terrier named Millie, who slipped out of her leash and became stranded on mudflats near Hampshire, England, was lured to safety with the most reliable of baits: a sausage. Officials began a rescue mission when it seemed Millie might be swept out to sea, but their efforts failed for four days, the Guardian reported on Jan. 20. But one of the rescuers thought of dangling a sausage from a drone and flying it over her. "It was a crazy idea," said Chris Taylor, chair of the Denmead Drone Search and Rescue team. "If we hadn't got her away from that area the tide would have come in and she would have been at risk of drowning. The sausages were the last resort." Millie's owner, Emma Oakes, confirmed that Millie "really likes food and she'll eat anything you give her ... but she much prefers sausages." [Guardian, 1/20/2022]

Nay-chur

In the wee hours of Jan. 19, residents along Hastings Drive in Belmont, California, were awakened by growling and roaring in their front yard, KTVU-TV reported. Two mountain lions were captured by doorbell camera as they fought to the death. The prevailing lion then dragged the dead one across the street to a neighbor's front porch. "Just keep your head on a swivel," suggested Kevin Stanford, who is part of the neighborhood's watch team. Tiffany Yap, an expert at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the attack was just "mountain lions being mountain lions. It's a common occurrence for mountain lions to kill each other over territory." Still, Belmont Police urged area residents to be extra cautious, keeping pets and small children inside. [KTVU, 1/20/2022]

At the Tabor, South Dakota, Senior Center, a regular card game got a little weird on Jan. 4 after players enjoyed some brownies supplied by the mother of 46-year-old Michael Koranda. KTIV-TV reported that Koranda, an elementary schoolteacher, had recently traveled to Colorado and brought back some THC-infused butter, which he used to make a batch of brownies. His mother unknowingly shared half the treats with her fellow card players, which resulted in multiple calls to county officials about a possible poisoning. Sheriff's deputies spoke to Koranda and took the remaining brownies as evidence, charging him with possession of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 25. [KTIV, 1/11/2022]

Unclear on the Concept

On Jan. 7, the California Court of Appeal ruled that the Los Angeles Police Department was justified in its firing of two officers in 2017 after they ignored a robbery call to play Pokemon Go, the Los Angeles Times reported. On April 15, 2017, Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were assigned to patrol the LAPD's southwest division. But when a call for backup came over the radio, Lozano and Mitchell were captured on their in-car video responding, "I don't want to be his help" and "Screw it." Instead, they continued their hunt for a Snorlax and Togetic Pokemon, eventually meeting up with their sergeant at a 7-Eleven. When he questioned them about the robbery call, they said they hadn't heard it because they were responding to another call, leading their supervisor to review the dashcam footage. After the officers were fired, they sued, saying that the video captured their "private communications" and that they were improperly questioned. Five years later, the courts disagreed, and Lozano and Mitchell have plenty of time to hunt for Snorlax and Togetic. [Los Angeles Times, 1/10/2022]

Family Values

Cypress Falls High School teacher Sarah Beam took her 13-year-old son to a Houston-area COVID-19 drive-thru testing site on Jan. 3, KHOU-TV reported. When a worker there approached her car, Beam told her that the boy was in the trunk because she didn't want to be exposed to the virus. Police were alerted, and Beam was arrested and charged with endangering a child. While he was not hurt, officials said in the event of an accident, he could have been. But the Cypress Falls community has shown support for Beam, posting messages outside her home to say they "have her back." She was released on bond and put on administrative leave, the school district said. [KHOU, 1/11/2022]

Awkward

"Ms. Wang," 30, of Zhengzhou, China, agreed to a blind date arranged by her parents ("I'm getting quite old, so my parents arranged more than 10 blind dates for me," she said) and went to the man's home for dinner on Jan. 6. But during the meal, they learned that his community had gone into a rapid lockdown because of COVID-19, and she wouldn't be able to leave for several days, the BBC reported. She posted on WeChat that the situation was "not ideal" -- while he did cook for her, "he doesn’t speak much," she noted. "I feel that apart from him being reticent like a wooden mannequin, everything else about him is pretty good." Wang said she thinks his friends alerted him to the posts, so she removed them. "I think it has affected his life." [BBC, 1/12/2022]

Boundaries

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) in the United Kingdom on Jan. 10 removed the medical license from Simon Bramhall, a transplant surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, The Washington Post reported. The action stemmed from an incident in 2013 in which, after finishing up a transplant, Dr. Bramhall used an electric beam to burn his initials into the patient's liver before closing her up. The flourish might not have been discovered, but the liver began to fail the following week and another surgeon discovered the signature. Bramhall said at the time it was something he did to relieve stress during long, difficult operations. In 2017, he was convicted of assault and fined about $13,000. In 2021, he submitted a letter arguing that he was again fit to practice, but the latest ruling has denied him the right to do so, noting that his actions "undermined" people's trust in the medical profession. [Washington Post, 1/13/2022]

Keeping Up With the Times

In Aksaray, Turkey, one family has been raising cattle for three generations, Oddity Central reported. Izzet Kocak believes their success is linked to their willingness to keep up with modern technology. To that end, the farmer is testing virtual reality goggles that make his cows think they're standing in a green field of grass in the summer. Kocak says the average yield per day from his cows is 22 liters, but "We had two of our cows wear virtual reality glasses and watch vast green pasture all day, and the daily milk production increased up to 27 liters." He said the quality of the milk also increased. He has ordered 10 more pairs of VR goggles, and if results are similar, he plans to order them for all of his 180 cows. [Oddity Central, 1/10/2022]

Inexplicable

Need something to do during a snowstorm in Queens, New York? One person had an idea: Around 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 7, someone rode up on an electric bike to a speed camera in Howard Beach. The camera caught the action, Pix11-TV reported, as the person calmly stopped the bike, aimed a handgun and shot multiple rounds at the camera (which did not appear to be damaged), then put the gun away and rode off into the snowy night. Police released the video in hopes someone can identify the shooter. [Pix11, 1/12/2022]

Recurring Theme

Zane Wedding, 40, of Auckland, New Zealand, went swimming on Jan. 7 and thought he got water in his ear, United Press International reported. He saw a doctor the next day, who suggested he use a hair dryer to evaporate the moisture in his ear. But on Jan. 10, as the sensation persisted, he saw a specialist. "She said, 'I think you have an insect in your ear,'" Wedding said. It took the doctor only five minutes to extract a cockroach, and Wedding felt instant relief: "I felt a pop as soon as the doctor pulled it away." He also noted that a fumigator was scheduled at his home for Jan. 14. [UPI, 1/13/2022]

Awesome!

In Baltimore, David Bennett Sr., 57, became the first person to receive a heart transplant using a donor heart from a pig, The Washington Post reported. The eight-hour surgery took place on Jan. 7; Bennett was so sick that he could not qualify for a transplant from another human. Dr. Bartley Griffith, who performed the surgery, said, "It's working and it looks normal. We are thrilled, but we don't know what tomorrow will bring us. This has never been done before." Scientists have worked to genetically alter pigs so that human bodies would not reject their organs, in an effort to supplement the supply of donor hearts from other people. Bennett, who was convicted of battery in a 1988 stabbing that left a man paralyzed, spent six years in prison. Before the surgery, he admitted, "I know it's a shot in the dark, but it's my last choice." His son said Bennett wished to "contribute to the science and potentially save patient lives in the future." [Washington Post, 1/13/2022]

In what one police officer called a "real-life Lassie situation," a 1-year-old Shiloh shepherd named Tinsley is being hailed as a hero for saving her owner and another person after a car crash on I-89 in Vermont. WMUR-TV reported that Cam Laundry and his passenger had been ejected when his truck hit a guardrail and went off the road on Jan. 3. When state troopers and a Lebanon, New Hampshire, police officer found Tinsley on the side of the road, she evaded capture and led them to the scene of the accident. "We were shaken up, didn't know what was happening," Laundry said. "Next thing we know, the cops were there, and it was all because of her." Tinsley's reward? A venison burger. Follow-up: Laundry has a February court date for driving under the influence. At least Tinsley was sober. [WMUR, 1/5/2022]

Anger Management

Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Faison, 45, had to be ejected from the stands at a high school basketball game in Johnson City on Jan. 4 after he became angry at a referee and tried to "pants" him -- pull down his trousers. Faison's son was playing on the Lakeway Christian Academy team, the Associated Press reported. Later, Faison tweeted: "Totally lost my junk and got booted from the gym. ... I hope to be able to find the ref and ask for his forgiveness. I was bad wrong." Our advice to referees everywhere: Always wear a belt. [Associated Press, 1/6/2022]

Conniving Cats

Seoul, South Korea's Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters is warning citizens: Your cats may burn your house down. According to the agency, more than 100 fires over the past three years have been started by cats, The Washington Post reported. "We advise pet owners to pay extra attention as fire could spread widely when no one is at home," warned Chung Gyo-chul, an official at the department, which recommends keeping paper towels and other flammable items away from cooking appliances. [Washington Post, 1/2/2022]

Signs of the Apocalypse

In Texarkana, on the border of Texas and Arkansas, Dec. 30 brought a new phenomenon: fish falling from the sky. KXXV-TV reported that people found fish on their sidewalks and lawns, but city officials have an explanation: "Animal rain" occurs when small water animals are swept up in waterspouts or drafts. "2021 is pulling out all the tricks," the city posted on Facebook. "While it's uncommon, it happens ... And please, for the sake of everyone, let's tiptoe into 2022 as quietly as possible." [KXXV, 1/4/2022]

But, Why?

The Daily Mail reported that Israeli scientists at Ben-Gurion University have constructed a "fish operated vehicle (FOV)" -- a water-filled tank, camera and computer on wheels -- and have trained goldfish to "drive" it. In the beginning of the trials, the fish just drove around randomly, but eventually they were able to guide the vehicle toward a food reward by changing the direction they were swimming. The researchers said the experiment proved that fish can "overcome environmental manipulation" and if they one day adapt to live out of water, they'll be able to find food. Um, OK. [Daily Mail, 1/4/2022]

Weird Science

Russian biologist Vera Emelianenko stumbled across a strange phenomenon in the snow along the White Sea coast, in the Russian Arctic, in December. Bright blue glowing spots were embedded in the snow, Oddity Central reported, and her feet would leave streaks of blue as she walked. Emelianenko collected a sample and examined it under a microscope, where she found tiny aquatic crustaceans called copepods. When she poked them with a needle, they lighted up blue. The creatures normally live up to 100 meters deep in the ocean, but an expert at the Academy of Science in Moscow thinks they might have been caught in a powerful current that swept them ashore and into the snow. [Oddity Central, 1/5/2022]

Awwwwww

Alfredo Antonio Trujillo was born at 11:45 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, California. Just 15 minutes later, at 12 a.m. on Jan. 1, his twin sister, Aylin Yolanda Trujillo, made her grand entrance, according to NBC Bay Area. Twins born in different years are a rarity, with the chances being about one in 2 million. "What an amazing way to start the new year!" said Dr. Ana Abril Arias. [NBC Bay Area, 1/3/2022]

Plot Twist

Since 2016, the publishing world has been baffled by a fake insider who tricks authors or editors into sending him unpublished manuscripts, then apparently just keeps them for himself. On Jan. 5, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Filippo Bernardini, 29, was arrested on wire fraud and identity theft charges related to the mystery. ABC News reported that Bernardini, who works for Simon & Schuster in London, allegedly collected hundreds of unpublished works, including those of well-known authors and a Pulitzer Prize-winner. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison. [ABC News, 1/5/2022]

Red Tape

Valerie and William Beverley tied the knot in 1995 and then went about their lives, WAVY-TV reported, raising a family in Newport News, Virginia. But when Valerie went to the DMV to get a new driver's license last spring, she still had her maiden name on her Social Security card. A little digging revealed a crucial oversight: The couple had never filed their marriage license with the state. They even filed taxes jointly. So on Dec. 30, 26 years to the day after their first wedding, the Beverleys said their vows again, this time with their son as the best man. And this time, they said, "We're gonna hand-take [the certificate] down to the courthouse to make sure that it gets there." [WAVY, 1/1/2022]

Ewwwww

Young people in Norway are called to military duty to guard NATO's northern borders, and until recently, when they were discharged, they were allowed to take their military-issued underwear with them. But no more, the Guardian reported. COVID-19 has caused supplies to dwindle, so as of Jan. 7, people leaving service are being asked to hand over their unmentionables to be "washed, cleaned and checked," defense logistics spokesman Hans Meisingset said. "What we distribute is in good condition." [Guardian, 1/7/2022]

Rude?

-- Joan Hutchinson, 75, appealed to the Cardiff (Wales) Magistrate Court after her boss at Asda, a supermarket, suggested she might want to retire because of her increasing dementia, Metro News reported. The panel upheld her claims of age and disability discrimination, which may make her eligible for compensation from the store chain. Colleagues noticed that Hutchinson was forgetful and confused when trying to stock items, and her boss, Stacey Weston-Laing, reportedly brought up retirement with her several times. "It made Ms. Hutchinson feel she was being pushed out or that Asda felt she was too old to be there," employment judge Alison Frazer said. Hutchinson had stopped driving after going the wrong way around a roundabout, and she once walked to work because she forgot where the bus stop was. Hutchinson quit her job in response to Weston-Laing's inquiries. [Metro News, 1/6/2022]

-- Cinnamon Clarke and her husband made their regular weekly trip to Firehouse Subs in Ozark, Alabama, WDHN-TV reported on Jan. 7, but when they got home and she opened the sandwich, she saw that her half didn't have any meat. She called the shop and they told her to come back so they could remake the order. But when she got there, the owner refused to make a new sandwich for her. "When I talk to God tonight," the owner said as Clarke recorded him, "I'm going to see if he can come to your house and take you." Clarke was appalled: "It was just a fancy way, a nice way of saying, 'I'm going to pray that you die tonight.'" The Firehouse Subs corporate office told WDHN that the incident would be handled internally. [WDHN, 1/7/2022]