Visitors to the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam can now bring home a new, and permanent, souvenir of their visit. The Associated Press reported that tattoo artist Henk Schiffmaker and others are doing a residency within the museum called "A Poor Man's Rembrandt," where tourists can get inked with sketches by the famous artist. Schiffmaker calls it "highbrow to lowbrow. And it's great that these two worlds can visit one another." The tattoos cost between $54 and $270. [AP, 6/19/2023]

Wait, What?

Employees of Taqueria Garibaldi restaurants in northern California got an unusual -- and unorthodox -- perk during work hours, USA Today reported. Employees testified in court that a person who identified as a priest was called in to hear workers' "confessions." "The priest urged workers to 'get their sins out' and asked employees if they had stolen from the employer, been late for work, had done anything to harm their employer or if they had bad intentions toward their employer," according to a release from the U.S. Department of Labor. But the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento said it could find no connection between the alleged priest and the diocese. An investigation found that the restaurants had denied overtime pay and threatened employees with retaliation, among other "sins," and the owners were ordered to pay $140,000 in damages and back wages. [USA Today, 6/21/2023]

The Tech Revolution

In an office building in Durham, North Carolina, nine scientists are hard at work in Duke University's Smart Toilet Lab, The News & Observer reported. Sonia Grego told the paper that she and her colleagues "are addressing a very serious health problem" -- gut health. The toilets in the lab move poop into a specialized chamber before flushing it away. There, cameras are placed for image processing, and the resulting data can give doctors insights into a patient's gut health. Startup Coprata is testing pilot versions of the smart toilets in a few dozen households; after the data is gathered, users can access it themselves on a smartphone app. "The knowledge of people's bowel habits empowers individuals to make lifestyle choices that improve their gut health," Grego said. [News & Observer, 6/15/2023]

Insult to Injury

Mark Dicara of Lake Barrington, Illinois, allegedly shot himself in the leg on June 12 while dreaming of a home invasion, Insider reported. Dicara grabbed his .357 Magnum and fired -- which instantly brought him to consciousness. There was no intruder in the home. Police found him in bed with a "significant amount of blood." He was charged with possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owners Identification card and reckless discharge of a firearm. [Insider, 6/15/2023]

It's Come to This

Cedric Lodge, 55, and his wife, Denise, 63, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, were indicted in federal court on June 14 after it was revealed that they allegedly were stealing and selling human body parts, the Associated Press reported. Lodge was the manager of the Harvard Medical School morgue until May 6, when he was fired. He and his wife offered a shopping opportunity at the morgue, where buyers could pick which donated remains they wanted. The Lodges would then take the items home and ship them through the mail. The parts included heads, brains, skin and bones. Three others were indicted: Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota. Prosecutors say they were part of a nationwide network of people who buy and sell human remains. Harvard called the actions "morally reprehensible." [AP, 6/15/2023]

Smooth Reaction

When Martin Trimble, 30, tried to rob a convenience store in Durham, England, in May, the shop owner got the best of him: He lowered the store's steel shutter, trapping Trimble on his back half in and half out, and waited for authorities to arrive. Once Trimble realized he was pinned to the ground, Fox News reported, he popped open one of the beers he'd tried to steal and drank it as he waited to be arrested. Trimble pleaded guilty on June 16 to attempted robbery and possession of a knife and was sentenced to three years in jail. [Fox News, 6/18/2023]

Bright Idea

Self-pitying Belgian TikTokker David Baerten, 45, has a morbid sense of humor -- or a fragile ego. According to Sky News, Baerten and his family decided to "prank" his friends by faking his own death because he felt "unappreciated" by them. The funeral, which took place in early June near Liege, drew a crowd of friends and family, who were shocked when a helicopter landed nearby and Baerten stepped out. "What I see in my family often hurts me. I never get invited to anything. Nobody sees me," Baerten said. "That's why I wanted to give them a life lesson." [Sky News, 6/14/2023]

Weird Science

KTVX-TV reported on June 21 that snow in the mountains of Utah is turning pink, red and orange -- what scientists call "watermelon snow." Experts said the colored snow results from blooming green algae, which is found in mountain ranges. "The snow algae produce a pigment that basically darkens their cells," said Scott Hotaling, an assistant professor at Utah State University's department of watershed sciences. Basically, the algae turn colors to protect themselves. One young visitor said the snow turned his shoes orange. "I thought that was pretty cool," he said. [KTVX, 6/20/2023]

You Had One Jo

The town of Stuart, Iowa, needed a new water tower to handle its growing population, according to KCRG-TV. But when residents saw the name painted on one side, they cringed. Rather than STUART, the tower was painted with START. Mayor Dick Cook called the social media attention about the misspelling "hilarious," and the tower has been repainted. [KCRG, 6/21/2023]

Maybe the Dingo Did Eat Your Baby ...

On K'gari beach (formerly Fraser Island) in Australia, a 10-year-old boy was bitten and dragged under the water by a dingo on June 16, The Guardian reported. Not two weeks earlier, another dingo was euthanized after biting multiple tourists, including a French woman who was bitten on her posterior as she sunbathed. In the most recent event, the boy's older sister rescued him, and he was treated for puncture wounds to his shoulder and arms. "These animals are capable of inflicting serious harm ... some are quite brazen and are not fleeing when yelled at or when someone brandishes a stick," said ranger Danielle Mansfield. "Children and teenagers must be within arm's reach of an adult at all times." [Guardian, 6/21/2023]

Oops!

"The Price Is Right" contestant Henry Choi went home with more than a trip to Hawaii on the episode that aired on June 16, the Los Angeles Times reported. Choi threw his arms up and pumped his fists as he was called onstage, then leaped into the air and pounded his chest. Afterward, he could be seen holding his right arm and stretching it out. Later in the show, host Drew Carey explained that Choi had dislocated his shoulder, and Choi's wife, Alice, was allowed to spin the wheel for him during the Showcase Showdown. When he won, he meekly lifted his uninjured left arm, but Alice jumped up and waved her arms. "Don't hurt yourself," warned Carey. [Los Angeles Times, 6/20/2023]

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Protesters at the Massachusetts Statehouse bared more than their souls as they demonstrated against climate change on June 15, according to an NBC-10 Boston report. Shouts began to rain down from the public gallery just after 1 p.m. from eight members of Extinction Rebellion, an international environmental movement, followed by a warning: "We are going to be mooning you ... You can look away if you wish." At that point, the octet turned their backs on the senators and dropped trou, revealing pink thongs and bare buttocks emblazoned with the words "stop passing gas." The protesters continued with chants of "You're a senator, not an ass, why are you still passing gas," and "Butts out for climate" for about an hour before they were arrested and escorted out of the chamber. [NBC 10 Boston, 6/15/2023]

Reunited and It Feels So Good

-- A first edition of George Orwell's "1984" has been returned to the library ... 65 years late. UPI reported that the Multnomah County Public Library in Portland recently received the return from an 86-year-old patron. The patron attached a note to the book, explaining that they meant to return it in 1958 after checking it out as a Portland State University student, they just "never got around to it." But talk about excellent timing: The library just went fine-free. [UPI, 6/14/2023]

-- Sheriff's detectives in Kanawha County, West Virginia, made an odd discovery while executing a search warrant on an impounded vehicle in February: a 1965 class ring from Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, bearing the initials "M.P." Their investigation determined the owner was one Michael Pedneau, who told the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette-Mail that he only vaguely recalls losing the bling some 50 years ago, perhaps on a trip to Princeton, West Virginia. "There's probably 40 or 50 of us [classmates] who get together monthly for lunch," Pedneau said. "We're all old, so we enjoy swapping stories, and this is one I'll share with them. I'll show them the ring and we'll have some fun around it." [Charleston Gazette-Mail, 6/13/2023]

Up in Smoke

A dispensary in Baltimore faces fines for blowing smoke ... literally. WMAR-2 in Baltimore reported that the Cookies dispensary opened May 27, only to be shut down less than a week later after a surprise inspection revealed a laundry list of violations, including "large plumes of medical cannabis smoke being blown from a large gun apparatus into the mouths of persons outside the dispensary," according to the suspension notice. Cookies is part of a franchise, and Cookies San Francisco was the first to utilize a "Flame Thrower" smoke blower, created by Jeff Dick of Colorado. The blower has since become part of the Cookies brand. [WMAR-2, 6/15/2023]

Some Things Beg Certainty

Relatives were mourning Bella Montoya, 76, at her wake in Ecuador on June 9 when they heard strange sounds coming from the coffin. "There were about 20 of us there," the woman's son, Gilberto Barbera, said. "After about five hours of the wake, the coffin started to make sounds." The supposedly deceased had been declared dead the Martin Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo earlier that day, but that evening, "my mom was wrapped in sheets and hitting the coffin, and when we approached we could see that she was breathing heavily," Barbera said. Montoya was rushed back to the hospital, but the Associated Press reported that she was intubated and is not expected to recover. Ecuador's Health Ministry has launched an investigation into the incident. [AP, 6/12/2023]

A Bear's Gotta Eat

Workers for American Plate Glass in Sunapee, New Hampshire, learned an important lesson about locking up their valuables on June 14, but it wasn't at the hands of the typical thief, and the valuables weren't the usual tools or construction materials. Curtis Fidler was working onsite when he noticed movement in his peripheral vision: "I turn and it was a bear nonchalantly just having lunch in the front seat of the truck." The bear enjoyed all of the snacks it could find, left the truck and disappeared into the woods. Fidler FaceTimed his mother-in-law, Melinda Scott, who watched the encounter live and later told WHDH-7 News that "There is not a single scratch on the box truck. He did no damage. He just had lunch and took a nap." [WHDH-7, 6/15/2023]

The Agony of the Heat

The hopes of Bangkok residents were slightly deflated on June 9, as a long-awaited art installation in Victoria Harbor lost steam. Dutch artist Forentijn Hofman's giant rubber ducky installation, which tours cities around the world and captured the affections of Bangkok residents when it visited there back in 2013, returned to the city earlier this month, this time with two giant rubber duckies, which the artist said would bring "double luck." Unfortunately, Yahoo News reported that rising temperatures put one ducky -- and residents -- at risk. The "rubber duck skin had become strained because the hot weather has caused air pressure to rise," organizers said in a statement. They deflated the duck as a precaution. [Yahoo News, 6/3/2023]

Two Paws Up, Way Up

Theatergoers in Thailand have a new pet-friendly place to bring their furry friends. Yahoo News reported that the country's largest movie theater chain, Major Cineplex Group, started offering weekend showtimes for patrons who want to bring Fluffy or Fido with them. Of course, there's a catch: Pets must weigh under 11 pounds and either wear a diaper or be kept in a carrier. Visitors turned out in droves for a pets-welcome showing of "The Little Mermaid," cosplaying their creature companions as Sebastian the crab and Ariel the mermaid. Not everyone's a fan, however; as one former resident said, "It's so ridiculous dogs are not allowed in (most Bangkok) parks but they can go to a movie or cafe. What comes next, you bring your dog or cat to a massage parlor?" [Yahoo News, 6/10/2023]

I Hope That Someone Gets My ...

Almost exactly 34 years after it was thrown into the sea in Newfoundland, a message in a bottle was recovered in Quebec. "I was so excited. I mean, what I'm looking for all the time is a note in a bottle," Trudy Shattler told Saltwire of her discovery. After some social media sleuthing, she learned that the bottle belonged to one Gilbert Hamlyn, who was known for writing messages on cigarette packs, stuffing them in bottles, and setting them to sea. Sadly, Mr. Hamlyn passed away two years ago, but his son, Rick, was all too happy to hear of the bottle's recovery, and intends to place it at his father's grave. [Saltwire, 6/13/2023]

Aquaman, Is That You?

A Florida scientist who calls himself "Dr. Deep Sea" resurfaced on June 9 ... after spending 100 days underwater. CNN reported that Dr. Joseph Dituri, 55, a biomedical engineer who teaches at the University of South Florida, began his research mission on March 1, when he dove to the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon in Key Largo, Florida. Dituri stayed in Jules' Undersea Lodge, an underwater hotel, during his record-setting stint below the surface, and he hopes that the data gleaned from all that time underwater will help researchers understand the effects of compression on the human body. "My greatest hope is that I have inspired a new generation of explorers and researchers to push past all boundaries," Dituri said in a news release. [CNN.com, 6/11/2023]

Money Movers

Police in Clintonville, Ohio, are on the hunt after brazen thieves used a U-Haul truck to rip a safe out of a drive-thru ATM in the early hours of June 15. WCMH-TV reported that the suspects used a chain secured to the truck to pull the safe free of the machine, then absconded in a getaway vehicle, leaving the U-Haul behind. Authorities had no description of the other vehicle or how much money the thieves stole, but they believe at least two suspects were involved. [WCMH-TV, 6/15/2023]

Time To Buy a Lottery Ticket

Ripleys.com (of "Believe It or Not!" fame) claims that orange lobsters are even more rare -- to the tune of 1-in-30-million -- than the blue variety. So one can imagine the surprise of Captain Peter Pray, a lobsterman working in Casco Bay near Portland, Maine, when he caught his third orange lobster in a week on June 15. WGME-13 reported that Pray, who is one of the lobster suppliers for Harbor Fish Market, made his latest catch, a female, using the same trap with which he caught the others, which were male. A tweet from Harbor Fish Market asked the question on everyone's mind: "What's up Casco Bay? What kind of lobster magic is happening in your waters?" [WGME-13, 6/15/2023]

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In Japan, people who are just being freed from COVID mask-wearing mandates feel they've lost their ability to do a simple thing: smile. Sky News reported that 20-year-old Himawari Yoshida, among many others, has enlisted the help of a "smile instructor," Keiko Kawano. "I hadn't used my facial muscles much during COVID," Yoshida said. One-on-one sessions cost about $55. Kawano has students stretch the sides of their mouths and hold up a mirror to smile into. "Culturally, a smile signifies that I'm not holding a gun, and I'm not a threat to you," Kawano said. [Sky News, 6/5/2023]

Can't Possibly Be True

When Corinea Stanhope, 36, of Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, found a dead deer on her property, she and her grandfather set up a trail camera, hoping to catch some interesting wildlife attracted to the carcass. Instead, Fox News reported on June 6, Stanhope reported capturing something quite different: "two witches holding a carcass-eating ritual. ... Grandpa said he'd got naked people on the camera and I said, 'No you didn't.' So he showed me," Stanhope said. She said the two people showed up shortly after sunset and appeared to be wearing long wigs. "You can't really tell from the photos, but the hoof was brought right up to her mouth. I don't know if she was kissing it, smelling it or eating it, but to touch a decaying carcass like that makes me feel sick." Stanhope hopes the incident was a prank; she decided not to contact police because there was no crime committed. [Fox News, 6/6/2023]

Going in Style

Go As You Please, a funeral company in Edinburgh, Scotland, is hoping to "break the taboo" of talking about final arrangements, Sky News reported, by offering custom-made coffins. For instance, general manager Scott Purvis said, the company created a coffin that looked like a Dyson vacuum box for someone whose history included repairing vacuum cleaners. "Most of our coffin designs come from having honest conversations with the person when they are still alive," Purvis said. Other designs they've made include a pint of Tennent's lager and a Greggs sausage roll. [Sky News, 6/1/2023]

Least Competent Criminal

A phone repair store in Miami Gardens, Florida, was the target of a robbery in the early hours of June 3, NBC6-TV reported. The suspect, 33-year-old Claude Vincent Griffin, employed a brilliant disguise: He wore an ill-fitting cardboard box over his head as he smashed the glass countertop and reached into a case, grabbing 19 iPhones and $8,000 in cash. Naturally, it's hard to see through cardboard, so Griffin at one point removed the box and revealed himself to a surveillance camera. The store's owner, Jeremias Berganza, did some sleuthing around the area after the robber left the store and found him at a nearby liquor store, drinking with friends. Griffin was charged with grand theft, burglary, cocaine possession and resisting an officer. [NBC6, 6/4/2023]

Tone Deaf

The Woolshed nightclub in Adelaide, Australia, is in apology mode after running a sketchy promotion offering free drinks based on bra size, 9News reported on June 4. The campaign promised one free drink for an A cup, two drinks for a B cup, etc., and included hanging bras up in the bar. "The bigger the better," a social media post read. Patrons weren't impressed: One woman said she would choose to go somewhere else. The Woolshed apologized and said future promotions would be reviewed by senior management to ensure an "inclusive environment" for all patrons. [9News, 6/4/2023]

This Is Not How We Sonic

As the debate about appropriate hot dog condiments (Relish? Mustard? Ketchup?) rages on, a worker at an Espanola, New Mexico, Sonic threw a new hat into the ring when he customized a patron's order a bit more than she liked on May 30. Fox News reported that as the woman bit into her hot dog, she encountered a plastic bag with a white powdery substance inside. She contacted police, who tested the powder and found it to be cocaine. It seems that as Jeffrey David Salazar, 54, was preparing her order, he allegedly dropped his stash; video surveillance showed that Salazar began to frantically search the area "as if he had lost something." He admitted to police that he had bought the coke from someone in the restaurant parking lot. [Fox News, 6/3/2023]

Clothing Optional

At a Lancashire, England, gas station on May 23, Quinn Kelly stepped into the store for a snack and was shocked as he came out to see a man filling up his tank while completely nude -- except for boots. Stuart Gilmore, 44, of Manchester was "casual about it," Kelly said. He said Gilmore is a "naturist" and "goes around naked to spread positivity and has been doing it for a few years," according to Fox News. "I don't take any notice when people take photos," Gilmore said. "I don't do it for attention. I'm doing it to promote naturism and the benefits," which he said include improved mental health. [Fox News, 6/3/2023]

It's Good To Have a Hobby

Rocketry enthusiasts gathered near Alamosa, Colorado, over the Memorial Day weekend to ... enthuse about rockets, but one person's rocket got away from them in a most inconvenient location: a hotel room at the Comfort Inn, according to the Alamosa News. "There was a malfunction with the motherboard in the rocket which caused the motor to catch on fire," explained Alamosa Fire Department Deputy Chief Paul Duarte. The resulting explosion caused "enough pressure in the room to dislodge the drywall and panels in the ceiling to fall." The 4-foot-8-inch rocket had to be disarmed by firefighters to mitigate any further risk. Duarte didn't believe the guest was injured in the incident. Hotel clerks didn't expect any charges to be filed. [Alamosa News, 5/30/2023]

Cheesy

If you happen to be traveling along Twentynine Palms Highway in California before June 11, make sure you make a pit stop at the "biggest, cheesiest roadside attraction to ever grace America's beloved highways and byways." KTLA-TV reported that a niche pop-up store was created by the makers of Cheez-It crackers for just one week -- but what a week! Visitors can fuel up with the "world's first and only Cheez-It Pump" that pumps bags of the treats into your vehicle, or find rare flavors and other memorabilia. You'd have to be crackers not to go! [KTLA, 6/6/2023]

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

A pair of Dutch tourists hiking in mid-May in the Alpujarra mountain range in Granada, Spain, got a rude reception from a mountain goat, the Daily Star reported on June 6. The Iberian ibex, who was presumably aggressive because it was mating season, knocked a 64-year-old woman off a cliff, where she tumbled about 65 feet and landed on a ledge with both wrists broken. The goat also knocked the other person unconscious. Rescue workers, hampered by weather, took almost a week to recover the fallen hiker, who suffered hypothermia along with her broken wrists. [Daily Star, 6/6/2023]

Awesome!

Elephants at the Houston Zoo are a limber group, thanks to the yoga practice they begin learning soon after they're born, Chron reported on June 5. In fact, Tess, 40, can lift her 6,500-pound body into a handstand. Adult elephants do the sets of exercises twice a day to help keep their joints moving and are rewarded with fruit or bread, said Kristen Windle, the zoo's elephant manager. "We want them to constantly be learning new things," she said. "They are really smart and they want to be constantly working and learning." [Chron, 6/5/2023]

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