QUIRKY WORLD ... A daily look at some of the world’s stranger stories
A Michigan charity that collects donated clothing, shoes and other items for low-income residents got a really old cast-off in a donation box — a mastodon tooth.
The remains of the extinct relative of the elephant turned up during a pickup in Grand Rapids, The Grand Rapids Press reported.
The tooth pieces and tusk are estimated to be anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000 years old. The Christian charity, called In The Image, turned the find over to the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which is adding them to its collection.
“I’d love to find out where this was from and the history behind it,” said Jay Starkey, the charity’s director.
The tooth is broken into two parts and is covered in lacquer. A tusk, also covered in lacquer, is hollow at one end and also may be from a mastodon.
The animals roamed North America more than 10,000 years ago, and their remains turn up from time to time in Michigan — usually buried underground.
“This is kind of an oddball way for something to come in,” said Tim Priest, collections manager.
For the charity, the discovery is one of many odd donations. Drugs are a common find, Starkey said. It once got a painting worth about $5,000 (€3,700) that ended up being donated to the museum. And it also has received an urn with someone’s ashes inside.
An Indiana dog who became an internet sensation after crashing a half-marathon has won a medal — and an appointment with a veterinarian to nip his wandering ways in the bud.
The chocolate Labrador retriever named Boogie ran most of the 13.1 miles in last Saturday’s Evansville event and then was taken to Animal Control.
Owner Jerry Butts tells the Evansville Courier & Press that the 45kg dog slipped his leash Friday night. It was his fourth escape.
Butts says Boogie now has a microchip and an appointment to be neutered.
Boogie finished the race in two hours, 15 minutes— better than more than half of the participants.
Top-flight referee Duarte Gomes was left speechless when, after ceding his place in a queue to a pregnant woman, she accused him of ripping off her club and threatened retaliation by her future child.
“While queuing at a kiosk to buy a newspaper I see a pregnant lady behind me, a very expectant one, waiting in line,” Gomes wrote in a post on Facebook.
“I tried to be a good Samaritan and do the good deed of the day: ‘Please go first, I said’,” he wrote.
She thanked him and Gomes added: “You’re welcome. Maximum priority to those who need it.”
He did not expect her next reply to be: “What I really need is for him to be born, grow up quickly and kick your backside so hard that you stop ripping off my club.”
Gomes, who has officiated in World Cup qualifiers and the Europa League, said he was used to dealing with comments about his refereeing from “upset gentlemen” but this time was caught by surprise.
“I did not answer, did not feel like smiling. Nothing came out... I confess I did not anticipate such a fountain of extreme emotion,” he wrote.
Superman fans in one US state can officially have his logo on their cars. A licence plate with the “S” insignia is on sale in Ohio featuring the phrase Truth, Justice and the American Way.
Relatives of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were on hand for the plate’s unveiling outside the Cleveland-area home where Siegel lived.
The plates cost $20, along with the standard registration fee of $34.50.
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