In June 2023, people in South Korea will suddenly become younger, the BBC reported. On Dec. 8, the South Korean parliament voted to switch from two traditional methods of counting age to the more widely recognized international method for official documents. Currently, Koreans are 1 year old at birth and then gain another year on the first day of each following year. An alternate method has them at 0 upon birth, then adding a year each Jan. 1. So, for example, someone born on Dec. 31, 2002, is 19 years old using the international method. But under Korea's traditional methods, they might be 20 or 21 years old. One member of parliament said the change would reduce "unnecessary socio-economic costs, because legal and social disputes as well as confusion persist due to the different ways of calculating age." [BBC, 12/8/2022]

Unclear on the Concept

Phoenix police officer Christian Goggans, who had been assigned to home duty, took advantage of the situation by dedicating more hours to his porn career, KOLD-TV reported. Goggans is facing an internal investigation after he allegedly traveled back and forth to Las Vegas while on the clock to produce and star in pornographic videos. He posted the films to a public Twitter page using his "stage" name, Rico Blaze (which has since been made private). A Phoenix PD public information officer said Goggans' work-from-home assignment required only that he call in once daily. [KOLD, 12/12/2022]

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Someone aboard the USNS Yuma, a Navy transport ship moored on the Greek island of Crete, is having a superior bathroom experience, thanks to the installation of the Bio Bidet BB-1000, The Washington Free Beacon reported on Dec. 12. At a cool $553, the BB-1000 offers a heated seat, blow dryer, remote control, deodorizer and an "effective enema function," which a retailer called "the absolute strongest spray pressure of any electronic bidet seat on the market." The Military Sealift Command confirmed the purchase but declined to offer more details. [Washington Free Beacon, 12/12/2022]

People Different From Us

In Japan, a phenomenon known as rojo-ne -- literally, sleeping on the road -- is once again becoming a hazard as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and people are out partying more, reported The Guardian. The number of deaths of snoozing partiers has nearly doubled in Tokyo compared to last year, police say, and they're worried that the impending end-of-year celebrations will only add to the problem. Officials have also asked taxi drivers and others to drive with their high beams on and slow down. [Guardian, 12/14/2022]

Animal Antics

A live nativity scene in Carolina Beach, an island community about 140 miles southeast of Raleigh, North Carolina, was missing its cows on Dec. 4, the News & Observer reported. The two cows escaped their pen at Seaside Chapel around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, police explained, and were apparently so determined to get away that they ended up in the Cape Fear River. Carolina Beach police were joined by state park rangers and a K-9 with special herding skills as they hauled the soggy bovines back to shore. [News & Observer, 12/7/2022]

Bright Idea

A homeowner in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was puzzled when he discovered five bullet holes in the siding of his house, along with another in his son's bedroom window, the Grand Forks Herald reported. Police were summoned, and they questioned a next-door neighbor, Michael James Powers, 76, who readily admitted that he'd been shooting at a squirrel that was on his bird feeder; as he put it, "Well, that's war." Powers was aiming from his own bedroom window, and said it wasn't the first time he'd shot at squirrels. He offered to go talk to "the other guy" and make it right, but officers had something different in mind: They arrested him for reckless discharge of a firearm. When Powers told his wife he was being arrested, she responded, "Well, I told you." [Grand Forks Herald, 12/9/2022]

Police Report

Anthony Thomas Tarduno, 48, saved the Hernando County (Florida) Sheriff's Office the trouble of investigating after one of their patrol cars was set on fire on Dec. 7 in Spring Hill, Florida, WTSP-TV reported. As officers looked over the scene, Tarduno walked up and confessed to being the arsonist, saying he "had been drinking at a bar ... and decided he'd like to set it on fire." Tarduno placed a bag of garbage under the patrol vehicle and used a lighter to set it ablaze, police said. Tarduno admitted to detectives that when he gets drunk, he does "stupid things." [WTSP, 12/8/2022]

It's a Mystery

Residents of South Tampa, Florida, are shaking their heads, trying to discover the source of "a deep, vibrating bass sound" that's been occurring on Saturday evenings for months, Fox13-TV reported. "You can feel it when your head's down on the pillow," said Abbi Reynolds. People have posted on social media, saying that their "windows are literally rattling" and "it reverberates from neighboring tall houses like an echo chamber." But Tampa police can't locate the source, either. They've checked with the local Air Force base and cruise lines, neither of which are responsible for the noise. Resident Zach Reynolds and others want to get to the bottom of it, trying to triangulate the noise and station people in different areas to suss out the culprit. [Fox13, 12/10/2022]

Crime Report

Police in the village of Warzymice, Poland, are hunting for an unlikely culprit in a vandalism case, Notes From Poland reported on Dec. 12: a Christmas tree. The odd figure cut a hole in a fence and slashed the tires of 21 vehicles belonging to a meat warehouse around 1 a.m., and cameras recorded the whole incident. In fact, the figure is seen loitering nearby and covering themselves with branches taken from nearby trees before committing the crime. Mateusz Watral, who works for the meat company, called it "more of a guerilla (action) than a well-prepared operation. Along the way he lost his 'camouflage,' (and) branches were scattered everywhere." [Notes From Poland, 12/12/2022]

Flipping the Script

Alligator intrusions in Florida are so ubiquitous that News of the Weird has stopped reporting them. But in Brevard County on Dec. 4, the alligator's look-alike cousin made an appearance in Melbourne Beach, WESH-TV reported. A 9-foot-long American crocodile, which is seldom seen so far north, was chilling on a beach. "American crocodiles typically live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean, and southern Florida is at the very north end of their range," noted the county's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program. Uh, not anymore. [WESH, 12/8/2022]

Ewwww

Muscle Shoals, Alabama, experienced a thunderstorm on Dec. 10 that brought more than lightning and heavy rain, WHNT-TV reported. The city's utility board manager, James Vance, said lightning struck controls at a sewer pump station, which allowed almost 2,000 gallons of sewage to flow into the streets of the Camden Cove subdivision. The sludge eventually flowed into a stormwater retention pond, and utility crews were able to clean up the mess. [WHNT, 12/13/2022]

New World Order

People. Can't we all agree that fast food isn't worth a human life? On Dec. 12 at a KFC restaurant in St. Louis, Fox2-TV reported, a man in the drive-thru asked for corn with his meal. When the employee told him they were out of corn, he made threatening remarks, then drove up to the window displaying a handgun. A 25-year-old employee went outside to speak with the suspect, who allegedly shot him. The victim is hospitalized with his injuries. The suspect took off after the shooting; police are still looking for him. [Fox2, 12/13/2022]

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RayLee Holladay and her husband, Bubba, live in Lascassas, Tennessee, where they raise cows. About six years ago, WKRN-TV reported, RayLee had been seeking a venture of her own to bring in money on the farm when she discovered Rent The Chicken, a business founded by Phil and Jenn Tompkins of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Today, RayLee's Rent The Chicken franchise is thriving. Customers can either rent egg-laying chickens for about six months, or hatching chicks, which can be returned about two weeks after they hatch. "It's great for teaching kids a little responsibility," RayLee said. "And this is a trial. It's not like getting a puppy for Christmas." Chickens can be rented by families or by schools, day cares and senior living facilities. If renters grow attached, they can adopt the fowl for an added fee. Since its beginning 10 years ago, Rent The Chicken has expanded into 24 states, the District of Columbia and into Canada. [WKRN, 12/5/2022]

Least Competent Criminal

The Rockdale County (Georgia) Sheriff's Department posted a list of its top 10 most wanted fugitives on Facebook on Nov. 28, Fox News reported. One local criminal evidently felt left out, though: Christopher Spaulding, an area man with two warrants for his arrest, commented, "How about me?" The sheriff's department responded, "We are on the way" and on Dec. 1 arrested Spaulding. Later, they commented, "We appreciate you for your assistance in your capture!" Spaulding's warrants were for felony violation of probation. [Fox News, 12/2/2022]

Questionable Judgments

-- A 72-year-old woman was arrested on Nov. 29 in Berlin after she allegedly turned off her hospital roommate's ventilator -- twice! -- because the sound of it was annoying her, The Washington Post reported. After the first incident, police said, the woman was told the machine was necessary to keep the roommate alive, but she switched it off again later in the evening. The other patient had to be revived, although she is expected to recover. The suspect was charged with suspicion of attempted manslaughter. [Washington Post, 12/1/2022]

-- On Dec. 5, as Hassan Chokr, 35, appeared virtually from jail for a hearing in Wayne County, Michigan, he became frustrated with Judge Regina Thomas and started yelling and pointing at the camera, Fox News reported. Thomas asked for his microphone to be muted, and things escalated: "I want the record to reflect that ... now he has removed his pants to show the court his backside," Thomas said. "I don't know why anyone would think it is appropriate to pull down his pants and show the court their behind during a court proceeding." Chokr's attorney agreed with Thomas that a mental health evaluation "probably would be a good thing" and said Chokr was just exercising his right to free speech. Thomas wasn't buying it, though: "We don't get to do and say anything we want to without the consequences of those actions," she said. "That's where your client finds himself today." [Fox News, 12/7/2022]

Making a Statement

Mindy Janette Stephens, 46, was arrested on Dec. 1 and charged with illegal dumping after an incident that took place on Nov. 10 in Electra, Texas. According to KXAN-TV, Stephens, seen on security footage wearing a white hazmat suit and a yellow mask, deposited three 5-gallon buckets of human excrement at the front door of the Electra police department, then got in her SUV and drove away. Stephens told another media outlet that she had been renting an apartment to a man who had not paid rent or utilities for a year, and after she evicted him, she found the buckets of waste. "He'd been pooping in the buckets," she said. She said she called the police department to ask what she should do with them, but officers weren't helpful -- so she took the buckets to the station. City wastewater officials removed them, and Stephens bonded out of jail. [KXAN, 12/6/2022]

Harsh

An Olive Garden restaurant manager in Overland Park, Kansas, is out of a job after they sent a ranting message to team members about excessive time off, KCTV5 reported. "We are no longer tolerating ANY excuse for calling off. ... If your dog died, you need to bring him in and prove it to us. ... If you only want morning shifts, too bad, go work at a bank. ... Do you think I want to be here until midnight on Friday and Saturday? No. I'd much rather be at home with my husband and dog," the message said. An Olive Garden representative said the message was "not aligned with our company's values. We can confirm we have parted ways with this manager." [KCTV5, 12/6/2022]

Bad Behavior

Five-year Chicago police veteran Henry Capouch, 30, was arrested for battery and disorderly conduct on Dec. 5 in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he was vacationing, The Smoking Gun reported. According to officers, Capouch was discovered around 12:30 a.m. by an employee of Jimmy B's Beach Bar as he was "(urinating) on the ice in the machine." The worker told Capouch to stop, but instead he shoved both him and a security guard. Police said Capouch actively resisted and did not obey commands while being arrested. They said he showed an "indication of alcohol influence." [Smoking Gun, 12/6/2022]

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

On Nov. 28 at around 1:45 a.m., an unnamed 27-year-old man visited the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York City and made a huge purchase: 300 iPhone 13s. (The store is open 24 hours.) He bought the phones to resell through his small business. But, the Daily Star reported, he didn't get very far with them: As he walked to his car, another car pulled up and two men jumped out, demanding his three bags. The customer defended himself, but the thieves made off with one of the bags, which contained about 125 phones, worth approximately $95,000. The New York Police Department is investigating. [Daily Star, 11/30/2022]

Anger Management

Mark Curtis Wells, 51, of Biloxi, Mississippi, and another golfer got into an altercation on Nov. 28 at Hollywood Casino, WXXV-TV reported. They had played earlier in the day at Bridges Golf Course, where the argument allegedly began, police said. When officers arrived at the casino parking lot, they found one of the men suffering a facial injury: His nose had been bitten off. Wells took off from the scene in a Tesla but turned himself in on Nov. 30 and was charged with mayhem. The nose was not found. [WXXV, 11/30/2022]

Unclear on the Concept

When prosecutors went to court in Prince George, British Columbia, in a case involving a nightclub flouting COVID-19 restrictions last February, they thought their argument was airtight, the CBC reported on Dec. 7. They had video from Lambda Cabaret that had been posted to Facebook showing patrons dancing and drinking with nary a mask in sight. The club even bragged about their disobedience: "Open with zero mandates 2 weeks in a row," it posted. But Judicial Justice Brent Adair saw it differently. "There are so many holes in this case -- it's like someone shot a shotgun," he said. For one thing, he asked, "What is a social media post?" "These are posts that Lambda Cabaret made on Facebook," environmental health officer Joey Cheng answered. "How do you know they made them on Facebook?" Adair asked. "Ummmm ... it was on their Facebook page," Cheng replied. Adair explained he's not a "technical person": "I know Facebook exists. I don't use Facebook. What is it? What does it show?" He ended up dismissing all the charges against Lambda Cabaret, citing hearsay and questioning why video evidence was relevant. Might be time to brush up, Your Honor. [CBC, 12/7/2022]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

Apparently spiritual Zen wasn't enough for Buddhist monks at two small temples in northern Thailand, The Washington Post reported. As part of an investigation into drug abuse in the Phetchabun province, officials visited the monasteries on Nov. 25 and discovered that all of the monks -- even the abbot -- tested positive for methamphetamine. "I was frightened because I never thought the monks would be addicted to drugs," said Sungyut Namburi, the village headman. But the monks' behavior gave them away. "When I inspected the abbot's shelter, I was stunned because it was a mess," Sungyut said. The monks were forced to leave the monkhood and enter rehab. For now, "the temple is empty," Sungyut said. [Washington Post, 12/1/2022]

Not Fit for Office

Bud May, 37, of Kyle, South Dakota, lost his bid for a state House of Representatives seat in 2022 -- and it may have been a good thing. On Nov. 13, May was arrested and charged with second-degree rape after an alleged assault on a woman in a bar bathroom stall, the Argus Leader reported. When he was asked in court whether the interaction was consensual, he replied, "I'm 6-foot-8, it's all consensual." Police reported that when they found the victim, she was cowering behind the bar and had dirt and blood on her, which she said was May's because he was in an earlier altercation. May appeared in court on Nov. 14 for a separate incident, and he has three outstanding warrants from the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety from September and October. [Argus Leader, 11/16/2022]

Least Competent Criminal

When alleged thief Jonathan James Frazier, 35, snatched a surveillance camera from the backyard of a home in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the camera's owner received a motion alert and watched on his cellphone as Frazier stashed it in his backpack, then pulled it out and sold it "to a male subject that police were able to identify," the Tullahoma News reported. The live feed continued at the purchaser's home, where officers caught up with the loot; the purchaser told them where they could find Frazier, and Frazier confessed to the larceny. [Tullahoma News, 11/28/2022]

In (Not So) Hot Water

-- About 200 ice-fishing enthusiasts had to be evacuated from Upper Red Lake, Minnesota, on Nov. 28 after a large chunk of ice broke free from the main shoreline, stranding them about 30 yards away, WDIO-TV reported. The Beltrami County Sheriff's office received a 911 call around 11:30 a.m.; employing a drone to assess the situation, officers used a temporary bridge to reach the fishers, along with airboats and water rescue boats. All anglers were returned to safety. [WDIO, 11/28/2022]

-- On Nov. 28, as the oil and chemical tanker Alithini II pulled into Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, it also carried three stowaways -- riding the ship's rudder at the stern, just feet above the water line. The Guardian reported that the three men had survived an 11-day journey from Nigeria -- more than 2,700 nautical miles -- and were suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. The Spanish coast guard rescued them. [Guardian, 11/28/2022]

It's a Mystery

Volusia County (Florida) officials are baffled by an object that has been unearthed at Dayton Beach Sands, clickorlando.com reported. In the aftermath of hurricanes Ian and Nicole, the 80- to 100-foot-long structure appeared, partially buried in the sand, said Volusia Beach Safety Deputy Chief Tammy Malphurs. "We're not sure what it is," she said, adding that she'd been on the beach for 25 years and had never seen it before. The storms caused unprecedented beach erosion. An archaeological team from the state is expected to visit soon to study the object. [clickorlando.com, 11/29/2022]

Picky, Picky

The Cowboy State Daily reported on Nov. 27 that Vern and Shireen Liebl are hoping to make a move to Wyoming, with one very particular criterion dictating which city they choose: the public library. The Liebls have been traversing Wyoming, visiting libraries, for the last 3 1/2 months, hoping to see each one the state has to offer. There have been a few standouts along the way, they report: In Glenrock, Vern said, "They have these skylights up there, and it's like blonde wood, and it just feels so light and airy." He also loved the name of the library in Ranchester: the Tongue River Library. His infatuation with libraries also extends to bookstores: "I think that one of the finest smells in the world is to go into an old bookstore ... and just inhale the essence of the paper," Vern said. [Cowboy State Daily, 11/27/2022]

Our Litigious Society

Amanda Ramirez of Hialeah, Florida, filed a class-action lawsuit against Kraft Heinz Foods Co. on Nov. 18, seeking $5 million. Her complaint? Velveeta's microwavable Shells & Cheese instructions indicate the dish is ready in 3 1/2 minutes, but Ramirez says that is "false and misleading because the product takes longer than the 3 1/2 minutes to prepare for consumption." The suit goes on to say that the 3 1/2 minutes are merely the time needed for microwaving the product, which is just one of several steps. Kraft Heinz told Fox Business that the suit is "frivolous" and that they will "strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint." [Fox Business, 11/27/2022]

Awwwww

-- Geoff Banks, 100, of Devon, England, and Celesta Byrne, 100, of Texas, have a unique bond: They've been pen pals since 1938, the BBC reported. Their friendship blossomed when they were in their 20s and an educational project put them in touch with each other. Since then, they've kept up with technology, switching to emails and video calls, and the two met in person in 2002. Banks calls Byrne "a very interesting person. We exchange stories and she's very good to talk to." Byrne shuts down any suggestion of romance over the years: "There wasn't 'glibbally globbally' stuff, it was just normal neighbor people." [BBC, 11/30/2022]

-- Brenda and Dennis Delgado first met by chance in August 2021, in the condiments aisle at Fry's, a grocery in Casa Grande, Arizona. Dennis told Brenda a joke, she laughed, and they talked for 30 minutes before exchanging their contact info, News12-TV reported. Both were widowed, and as they spent more time together, they grew close. So when they decided to tie the knot, they returned to the scene of the spark: the mayonnaise aisle. On Nov. 19, they exchanged vows on Aisle 8 as the "Wedding March" played over the store's loudspeakers. "It was wonderful," Dennis said. Floral arrangements provided by the store included Miracle Whip and mayo. "If you're looking for love, go to Fry's," Brenda said. "Keep looking." [News12, 11/25/2022]

It's Nice To Have a Hobby

High Point, North Carolina, resident Vic Clinco is believed to have the largest collection in the world of hot sauce, WFMY-TV reported on Nov. 29. He started 26 years ago with three bottles; today he displays almost 11,000 bottles in his basement shrine. "It has turned into an obsession," Clinco admits. He's become such a celebrity in the hot sauce "culture" that manufacturers send him samples of their new varieties. "I want it to be shared with anyone that has the love of the heat as I do," he said. He hopes to hold tastings to introduce others to the love of the spicy condiments. [WFMY, 11/29/2022]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.