Government restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 have had no effect on a growing trend on the island of Okinawa, Japan, called "rojo-ne" (literally, sleeping on the road), which local authorities blame on the island's balmy weather and people's habit of overindulging in "awamori," a traditional rice-based liquor. Okinawa police have fielded more than 2,700 reports of rojo-ne in just the first six months of 2020, The Guardian reported, putting the island on pace to match last year's 7,000 reported incidents, which resulted in 16 accidents and three deaths. Tadataka Miyazawa, the police chief, said he "didn't even know the term 'rojo-ne' before coming to Okinawa." [The Guardian, 8/19/2020]

Putting on the Brakes

Organizers of Philadelphia's 12th Annual Naked Bike Ride have canceled the event, scheduled for Aug. 29, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reported. Ride organizer Maria Serrahima said she hopes people will be able to return next year and that riders are "taking advantage of the emptier streets and riding -- masks up." The Philly Naked Bike Ride attracts thousands of riders and covers a 10-mile course taking in the city's landmarks such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. [Associated Press, 8/15/2020]

Awesome!

-- People living around Olten, Switzerland, got a surprise on Aug. 14 when it began snowing cocoa powder. Strong winds that morning distributed the cocoa dust from a malfunctioning ventilation system at the Lindt & Spruengli chocolate factory nearby, delivering enough to cover at least one car, the Associated Press reported. The company offered cleaning services, but no one took them up on the offer. The ventilation system has been repaired. [Associated Press, 8/18/2020]

-- The very last Blockbuster store, in Bend, Oregon, is offering Deschutes County residents three one-night sleepovers through Airbnb on Sept. 18, 19 and 20 for $4 -- about the cost of a video rental, Oddee reported. Lucky movie lovers will have a pull-out couch, bean bags and pillows for their viewing comfort, plus 2-liter bottles of Pepsi and snacks to enjoy during a marathon of "new releases" from the '90s. "Nothing can replace going to the store with loved ones to browse the shelves and find a movie that suits whatever mood you're in," said Sandi Harding, the store manager. [Oddee, 8/17/2020]

Irony

A mystery unfolded in the Mystery section of the Walla Walla (Washington) Public Library in late July when workers performing renovations during the COVID-19 shutdown demolished a section of shelves and discovered a disintegrated paper bag with five full cans of Hamm's beer and an opened bag of Godzilla Heads gum. Library staff determined the hidden snacks dated back to the 1980s, CNN reported. Library director Erin Wells posited that "somebody had stashed it there and maybe thought they could get it later ... but there was no way to get it out." [CNN, 8/13/2020]

Fine Points of the Law

Utica (New York) City Court Judge Ralph Eannace was outraged, but did not set bail for defendant Anthony Walker on Aug. 13, which surprised even Walker, who had been arrested for the second time in two days for leading police on a high-speed chase. "Because, I guess, of the new bail reform law," Walker said, Judge Eannace said he had no choice but to let Walker go. On Aug. 9, Walker had hit another car while driving a Maserati that had been reported stolen. "I plan to do the right thing this time, man. I'm tired of this," he told WKTV, apologizing if anyone was hurt. Utica police noted that Walker made the same pledge after his first arrest. "Yeah," said Walker, "I did take them on a high-speed chase ... nobody's perfect." [WKTV, 8/13/2020]

Happy Ending

Residents of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, have been cheered recently by the unexpected presence of a corn stalk growing up through a crack in the pavement at a busy intersection. Dubbed the 57th Street Corn, the stalk had its own Twitter account and was hailed as a symbol of resiliency and hope in hard times; Mayor Paul TenHaken called it "amaizing." But on Aug. 19, the Argus Leader reported, neighbors found the plant had been ripped from the ground overnight, prompting sorrow on social media and a flower memorial. "I didn't want to see her story end like that," said resident Chad Theisen. Together with his children, Theisen rescued the corn stalk, renamed it Cornelia and is nursing it back to health in a 5-gallon bucket. He hopes to find a permanent home for Cornelia, now a local celebrity, with the city's help. [Argus Leader, 8/20/2020]

Joyride

Sheriff's deputies in La Push, Washington, said they received a report of a suspicious person trying to rent an airplane without a pilot's license or insurance at the Jefferson County International Airport on Aug. 18. The man, later identified as Richard Jordal, 59, then tried his luck at Tailspin Tommy's, another plane rental business at the airport, KIRO reported, and was again refused, but surveillance video showed Jordal returning later to steal the keys to a Cessna airplane, which he fueled up before taking off and flying erratically, according to authorities. Business owner Nataliya Yeshyrina and her husband watched the plane on radar: "Altitude would change dramatically from 5,000 feet to 2,000. Up and down and then doing loops and doing twirls." Authorities said a possible plane crash was reported around 10:30 p.m., but no wreckage could be found in the heavily forested area that evening. A U.S. Navy helicopter crew returned the next morning and found the plane, with Jordal unconscious inside. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. [KIRO, 8/19/2020]

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

-- The Associated Press reports that a company in Toyko called Kowagarasetai (which roughly translates to Scare Squad) has launched a drive-thru haunted house that allows patrons to socially distance from its "zombies" while getting a good fright. With customers safely sealed inside their cars, the zombies do their best to scare the occupants, draping themselves over the cars and smearing them with fake blood. "The distance (between customers and cast) has actually gotten shorter since there is only a window between them," said Daichi Ono, a cast member. The zombies then helpfully clean the cars when the 13-minute show is over. [Associated Press, 8/19/2020]

-- The Krone Circus in Munich, Germany, has come up with a stinky idea for making extra money during COVID-19 restrictions: selling jars of excrement from its 26 lions and tigers (price: $6 each). While some buyers opt in to support the circus or to offer the jars as a prank, Reuters reported, others are using them to repel pests: "I am told it keeps cats away from the garden, and ... it keeps the animals away from the car, where they eat all the electric cables," lion tamer Martin Lacey said. Some of the funds go to a charity that improves living conditions for captive animals. [Reuters, 8/10/2020]

Bright Idea

Renowned architect Shigeru Ban is attracting attention with new public toilets he designed in two parks in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. The toilets are surrounded by transparent colored glass that turns opaque when the door is locked on the inside, Sky News reported. "At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern," said Ban. The technology allows users to see whether the toilet is clean and empty before entering. But users say while inside, they can't tell that the glass has turned opaque, leaving them with an unsettled feeling. [Sky News, 8/19/2020]

Srinivas Gupta, a businessman in Koppal, India, and his wife, Madhavi, were building their dream home when she died in a tragic car crash in 2017. But in many ways, she is still with Gupta -- especially now that he has installed a life-size wax statue of her in the home. Madhavi's likeness is in a seated position, clothed in a pink sari and gold jewelry. "The planning for the house was all done by her and we couldn't imagine entering this new house without her," Anusha Gupta, one of the couple's daughters, told CNN. At a housewarming party on Aug. 7, friends and relatives posed with Madhavi on a couch and posted photos to social media. The family says they will keep the statue in their courtyard: "She used to enjoy the outdoors," Anusha said. [CNN, 8/12/2020]

More Money Than Sense

A Chinese businessman living in the United States has commissioned the priciest face mask in the world from Israeli jeweler Yvel, the Associated Press reported on Aug. 9. Yvel owner Isaac Levy said the 18-karat gold mask will cost $1.5 million and sparkle with 3,600 white and black diamonds. "Money maybe doesn't buy everything," Levy admitted, "but if it can buy a very expensive COVID-19 mask and the guy wants to wear it and walk around and get the attention, he should be happy with that. I am happy that this mask gave us enough work for our employees to be able to provide their jobs in very challenging times like these," he added. Levy said he would not wear it himself, though. [Associated Press, 8/9/2020]

O! Canada

Social media has lit up recently in Canada with photos of unexpected additions to beaver lodges, including satellite dishes and a flagpole. Glynnis Hood, a professor of environmental science at the University of Alberta, confirmed that beavers could install a satellite dish, "but it would probably be covered in mud." So what gives? Hood and others think it's the quintessential Canadian prank: "I think that Canadians have this profound connection to beavers," she told the CBC. "It's our national symbol. (It) just seems to go well with the Canadian identity." Sure enough, Grant Carlson of Thunder Bay, Ontario, confirmed that he was one of the pranksters: "We decided to help the beavers. You know self-isolation isn't so bad with Netflix." [CBC, 8/10/2020]

Awesome!

It isn't often that you can thank your overweight belly for saving your life, but a 28-year-old man in Henan Province, China, is doing just that. The man, identified as Liu, fell through a wooden cover on a well in his hometown of Fuliudian Village on Aug. 7, Fox News reported. But rather than plunging to the bottom, he got stuck in the opening with his built-in life preserver. At least five firefighters were needed to hoist the man out of the well using a rope tied around his waist, but Liu escaped unharmed. [Fox News, 8/12/2020]

Oops

At Shooters World in Orlando, Florida, a teenage girl walked into a display gun safe on Aug. 11 -- and the door closed behind her, locking her inside. Orlando firefighters responded to the scene, where they "tried the manufacturers' suggestions and unfortunately the fail-safe system failed on it," explained Chief J.J. White. Instead, ClickOrlando.com reported, responders used a hydraulic extrication tool to free the girl, who was not injured in the incident. [ClickOrlando.com, 8/11/2020]

Compelling Explanation

In Chesterfield County (Virginia) court on Aug. 12, prosecutors and the defense attorney for 55-year-old Robert Raff floated a dubious agreement in Raff's grisly murder case. Raff is accused of killing his father and his mother in the same home, during the same two-day period in 2019. Two psychologists agreed that at the time of the killings, Raff was insane. But the lawyers want to hold him culpable for his mother's death, but not guilty by reason of insanity for his father's death. "Explain to me how he can be guilty of one and not guilty of the other?" asked Circuit Judge David E. Johnson, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Raff, who has a long history of mental health issues, admitted to killing both parents. The lawyers' unusual plea agreement is designed to produce a suspended 40-year sentence for the killing of his mother that would compel Raff to adhere to treatment at the Central State Hospital for the murder of his father. [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 8/12/2020]

Government in Action

Jade Dodd renewed her driver's license in Hickman County, Tennessee, on time, but when she received the new card in the mail, it was missing a key ingredient: her photo. Where Dodd's face should have been was an empty chair, WKRN reported. "The lady at the DMV did not really believe me when I was like, hey, I need my license fixed," Dodd said. But when she saw the ID on her computer, she said, "Oh, I need my manager for this." Wes Moster of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security explained that the chair photo was an old one on file for Dodd that was reused for the renewal by mistake, and she was issued a new license right away. [WKRN, 8/11/2020]

Chutzpah

Daniel Albert Neja, 39, is a homeless man who resides in St. Petersburg, Florida. For nearly two weeks, however, Neja lived in relative luxury, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Neja was arrested on Aug. 9 after a cleaning crew found razors, shaving cream containers and blankets in a seldom-cleaned suite at Al Lang Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team plays. Neja had been helping himself to food and Rowdies clothing valued at more than $1,000. He had also consumed $250 worth of drinks. [Tampa Bay Times, 8/13/2020]

Aspirations

Pal Onnen of Hastings, Minnesota, just wanted to put her nwot on the pam, United Press International reported. And indeed, on Aug. 12, she did just taht. Onnen set the Guinness World Record for spelling words backward: 56 words in one etunim. Sgnitsah is so proud of you! [United Press International, 8/13/2020]

Bright Idea

Rev. Eileen Harrop of the Church of England is taking social distancing seriously as houses of worship reopen, Sky News reported. During holy communion, the church has decreed that communicants should be offered only bread, not wine from a "common cup." But Harrop is going a step further, using extra-long chopsticks to deliver bread. "I thought, 'Why can't I use a long pair of chopsticks, real bread rather than wafers, and drop it into the communicants' hands?'" she said. She's using the method at both churches where she serves. "This is ... perhaps a first in any parish church in the diocese," she continued. [Sky News, 8/10/2020]

Police Report

Brian Duffy, 40, was charged with felony battery on Aug. 7 following an incident on July 26 at a Pinellas Park, Florida, 7-Eleven. Around 9:20 that morning, Duffy allegedly complained about the price of his Slurpee, knocking the drink out of the worker's hands and causing the frozen treat to fly "onto the victim's person," the police report said, according to The Smoking Gun. Duffy left the store but was later identified by the 7-Eleven employee, although he said he didn't recall knocking the drink out of her hands. A judge ordered him to have no contact with the victim and to stay away from that particular 7-Eleven. [The Smoking Gun, 8/8/2020]

A July 29 headline in the Ken-Ton Bee in Kenmore, New York, caught the attention of The Buffalo News: "Leprechaun spotted looting cars on Hamilton Boulevard." Kenmore Police Capt. A.J. Kiefer told The News a white male with orange hair and wearing a green shirt (and "possibly plaid pants") was reported to be looting vehicles on the street July 23. Police arrested the 36-year-old, who measured 5 feet 11 inches and had someone else's debit card, but no pot of gold, according to Kiefer. He was charged with petit larceny. [The Buffalo News, 7/30/2020]

Government in Action

About 176 Rhode Island taxpayers waiting for their refund checks got a surprise when the checks they received in late July arrived bearing the signatures of "Mickey Mouse" and "Walt Disney" instead of state officials. State Department of Revenue chief of staff Jade Borgeson told WPRI that the division of taxation uses the signatures on dummy checks for internal testing, and the test image files were mistakenly added to real checks. "Corrected checks will be reissued to impacted taxpayers within one week," Borgeson said. [WPRI, 7/31/2020]

Karen Not Karen

Domino's pizza restaurants in New Zealand were forced to end a promotion to give free pizza to women named Karen "that aren't, well, Karens," the promotion announcement read. United Press International reported that customers named Karen were invited to fill out an application for one of 100 free pizzas, but people objected online, suggesting the chain offer food to minorities or people who have been impacted by COVID-19. "We wanted to bring a smile to customers who are doing the right thing -- Karen the nurse, Karen the teacher," the company posted on Facebook, but "people interpreted this in a different way." [UPI, 7/30/2020]

Least Competent Criminals

-- Edward Thomas Schinzing, 32, was charged July 28 with arson for allegedly setting fires inside the Justice Center in Portland, Oregon, on May 29, beginning two months of protest in that city. The Oregonian reported the shirtless Schinzing stood out among about 30 people who broke into the building around 10:59 p.m., vandalizing offices and setting fires, because of the large tattoo of his last name clearly visible across his shoulders on surveillance images, according to court documents. Schinzing, who was on probation at the time for domestic violence assault, is being held at the Justice Center. [The Oregonian, 7/28/2020]

-- Pueblo, Colorado, police were intrigued to find a young man sleeping in a car parked behind a motel on Aug. 2, "since motels have rooms, with beds, that you can sleep in," said Capt. Tom Rummel in a tweet. Upon running the car's license plate, he continued, the officers found it had been stolen in an armed carjacking, and "there on the front seat was a sawed-off shotgun, just like the victim said was used yesterday!" KKTV reported the sleepy thief, a juvenile, was taken into custody and the car was returned to its owner. [KKTV, 8/2/2020]

Police Report

A 26-year-old man in Plymouth, England, was detained on July 9 after officers working nearby heard a commotion and looked up to see the man struggling with a seagull and biting it. "He sunk his teeth into it before throwing it to the floor," a police spokesperson told Plymouth Live. The man told police the seagull had attacked him, trying to get his McDonald's meal, and also "volunteered ... that he was under the influence of drugs ... The seagull was clearly injured by the incident but flew off before we were able to check on its welfare," police said. The man was taken to a hospital for treatment. [Cornwall Live, 7/10/2020]

Can't Take a Joke

After pub owner Steve Cotten jokingly announced in July that the beer garden at the Poltimore Arms in Devon, England, would become the Yarde Down International Airport for the summer, offering sightseeing flights, he was surprised to receive an official letter from Exmoor National Park Authority's planning officer expressing concern about the change: "We have a duty to look into such matters to understand if there is a breach, and if so, whether any action is necessary." Devon Live reported Cotten responded promptly in a social media post, saying, "All long haul flights have been suspended forthwith ... We apologise for any delays, and remind you that the departure lounge facilities are still open." The park authority replied with good humor, and the taps remain open. [Devon Live, 8/4/2020]

Awesome!

-- For her birthday, 5-year-old Macey Clemens of Parker, Colorado, went on her first horseback ride and was hooked, so she wrote her wish for a pet horse on a balloon, signed her name and let it soar. On Aug. 2, Jennifer Houghton, who owns seven horses and lives about an hour away, found the balloon stuck in a fence, and it wasn't long before the two found each other through social media. "I feel like every little girl should get to enjoy the horse world," Houghton told KOAA. "I couldn't get her a pet horse, but at least try and help her ride and make somewhat of a dream come true." She's working with Macey's family to find a horse close to home that the family can lease. "Hopefully, one day we'll be able to meet up and go for a ride together." [KOAA, 8/4/2020]

-- Father's Day in Taiwan is celebrated on Aug. 8, and EVA Air wanted to make it special, so working around global travel restrictions, it announced a Hello Kitty flight to nowhere, Travel & Leisure reported. The anime character-decorated airplane is scheduled to take off from Taipei Taoyuan Airport and fly over the coasts of Taiwan for three hours at 25,000 feet, then land again at the same airport. Guests will receive a special goody bag, enjoy a seafood feast created by a Michelin three-star chef and be given the opportunity to purchase Hello Kitty duty-free products at a big discount. Tickets cost $180 for economy seats and $215 for business class. [Travel & Leisure, 8/3/2020]

Revenge

An unnamed man in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia, posted notices offering a $100 prize to the person able to best impersonate Chewbacca from "Star Wars," but the contest turned out to be a hoax designed to harass the woman who dumped him. The posters listed the woman's phone number and invited contestants to call and deliver their best Chewbacca roar. The woman, identified only as Jessica, told 9News: "I'm getting phone calls at really strange hours of the night. ... I thought it was quite funny, actually, a good joke." However, she drew the line when the ex abandoned his car, without tires, in the driveway of her home, blocking her in. "The police ... are going to do something about it," she said. [9News, 7/23/2020]

Nature Calls

An Amazon delivery driver in Nuthall, Nottingham, England, is out of a job after Sharon Smith, 53, discovered him defecating in her back garden in late July. Smith said she saw the man run toward her garden and went to investigate. "I asked what the heck he was doing," Smith told Metro News, "and he just remained pooing whilst asking me what my problem was -- the cheek of it." The driver told police he wasn't feeling well and was desperate, and he didn't realize he was in a private garden. Smith agreed to not press charges as long as he cleaned up the mess and his employer was informed; Amazon promised a gift voucher as a goodwill gesture. [Metro News, 8/4/2020]