By Haddon Libby
The world is odd and getting odder. Let’s take a quick look at some of the weirder stories that do not make our local news.
2024 got off to an odd start at Bass Pro Shops, Outdoor World in Leeds, Alabama. Near closing time, a man crashed his car into the Outdoor World at which point he stripped naked and jumped into the businesses large fishtank. Standing under the waterfall feature, police negotiated with the 42-year-old man who eventually jumped out and was arrested. He is now facing charges including disorderly conduct and public lewdness.
In Dora, Alabama, Kelsey Hatcher has a rare congenital condition that affects one in 333 women – a double uterus and two cervixes. Even rarer is that she became pregnant in both uteruses. Odds of a double pregnancy are one in a million with this condition that is referred to as a dicavitary pregnancy. Fraternal twins, Baby Roxi was born on a Tuesday December 19th at 7:45pm with Rebel born by C-section 10 hours later on the 20th.
Fifth generation Maine lobsterman, Jacob Knowles, had a one in 50 million catch. While lobstering, he came across a lobster that is half red and half blue. Adding to the rarity was that the lobster was half male and half female. Named Bowie, the split-colored lobster has a blue male half and a red female half. New England Aquarium biologist Jordan Baker explains that this rare occurrence was the result of a mutation of the embryo. Knowles keeps his rare catch caged in the ocean where he is hoping Bowie will lay eggs and give birth to more unique crustaceans.
Poor Paul Kerouac. While visiting Dunkin’ Donuts in Winter Park, Florida he used its bathroom. While in a seated position, the toilet exploded covering him in a host of things that should go down the drain and not onto the user. When he emerged from the bathroom slightly injured and very soiled, the store manager apologized for the incident as mentioned that they had been having that kind of trouble with the toilet. Kerouac is now suing the store as he suffered some bodily injuries as well as mental scarring.
The residents of Karumba, Australia have their own smelly situation – long-haired rats are descending on this small coastal town of only a few hundred people. Rats by the tens of thousands are washing up dead on their shores. Thousands of others that are looking for food are chewing through wires, ransacking homes and boats. Mayor Jack Bawden says that the number of carcasses causes a foul order in the air although “it is still livable” if the wind is blowing correctly.
The problem came about after a rainy season increased plant growth which spurred the increase in the rat population in the Inland Outback. As the vermin hunted for food, they swam north toward the Queensland area. What makes things particularly tough is that an adult rat can have twelve babies every three weeks. Derek Lord, who regularly rents out his boat says that he will see “100 rates a night” on his boat. This rat phenomenon happens roughly every 12 years.
Last but not least, the World Darts Championship took place last week in London. Two men named Luke competed for the sports top prize of £500,000. What made the event unique was that one of the Lukes, Luke Littler, is 16 years old and competing for the first time. The match took place at Ally Pally aka Alexander Palace where grown men drank beer and dressed in an assortment of odd costumes including princess outfits, musicians like David Bowie or Michael Jackson, Mario Brothers, Shrek, Ninja Turtles, cooked lobsters, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird a dart board and countless others. Littler lost to Luke Humphreys, 28, by a score of 7-4.
Haddon Libby is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of RIA firm, Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information on our services, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com.
