Right Under Your Nose 

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Right Under Your Nose
A woman known only as Sajitha from Kerala, India, disappeared in 2010, when she was just 18 years old, reported Newsweek. But about three months ago, the mystery of her disappearance began to come to light. Sajitha had left her home 11 years ago and walked just 1,600 feet to the home of her neighbor, Alinchuvattil Rahman, who at the time was 24 years old. Reportedly, the couple believed their romantic relationship was threatened by their differing religions, so Rahman settled her in a locked spare bedroom in his parents' home, where she spent the next decade watching a small TV using headphones. Rahman's brother, Basheer, said Rahman was intensely secretive about the room and kept it locked at all times; his bad temper discouraged his family from asking about what was going on. "During the day, as everyone was at work, Rahman and Sajitha would have the house to themselves," Basheer said. The room had no bathroom; Sajitha would crawl out a window at night to relieve herself. This spring, Sajitha left the home, and Rahman followed shortly after; his family reported him missing, but Basheer soon "spotted Rahman by chance" in another village, where he and his beloved have set up their new home.

Weird Fashion
• Crocs went on sale less than 20 years ago, but they're already experiencing a "renaissance," according to The Independent. And for the Spring 2022 season, Crocs are getting a crossover boost from luxury fashion house Balenciaga: New models feature a stiletto heel (which looks more like a Lego piece) under the traditional green or black perforated upper. The new model may cost as much as $1,000, but social media isn't on board. One tweet called them "an actual nightmare," and another commenter said she is "irrationally angry."

• If the high-heeled Crocs aren't outre enough for you, look into this accessory: the Mundstuck, made by MYL Berlin. "Mundstuck" means "mouthpiece"; this high-style one fits over the bottom lip and decorates the chin, Oddity Central reported on June 7. MYL Berlin calls it "structured, chic and daring. ... It nestles perfectly on your lip without applying pressure or hindering your mobility." The stainless steel Mundstuck comes in black, gold or silver and in three different designs. Prices range from $75 to $140.

Weird Animals
• In Victoria, British Columbia, photographer Tony Austin was out for a nature walk on May 31 when he ran across an inexplicable sight: A murder of crows had landed close by, and one was sort of flopping around in the dirt. "It would sort of ... hop into the air and ... then hop back onto the gravel," Austin said. As Austin grew nearer, he saw that the bird was covered with ants. He was concerned for the bird's welfare, but when he posted a picture on a Facebook page for bird enthusiasts, he was relieved, NPR reported. The crow was "anting"—spreading ants on its feathers and wings. Experts aren't clear about why birds do this; it may be related to cleanliness or to share the ants' defensive secretions of fungicides, miticides and insecticides.

• The Independent reported on May 13 that a new BBC documentary has revealed that dolphins chew on and pass around puffer fish in an apparent effort to get "high." Puffer fish release a nerve toxin when provoked; large doses of it can be deadly, but small amounts can produce a narcotic effect. Dolphins, having partaken of just the right amount, appear to enter a trancelike state. Rob Pilley, a zoologist who worked as a producer on the series, said the dolphins "began acting most peculiarly, hanging around with their noses at the surface as if fascinated by their own reflection. It was the most extraordinary thing to see."

The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Small businesses have had to be creative in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as demonstrated by Club Pro Adult Entertainment in Toronto, Ontario. The Toronto Sun reported that shutdowns nearly destroyed the strip club—until owner Teresa Marciano and her staff came up with another idea. "Since we couldn't operate as a restaurant, the only thing we wanted to do was something outdoors," Marciano said. "Most of our staff and managers love golf, so we tried to marry both industries together." The new venture, Stiff Shafts, turns the former club's parking lot into a driving range where golfers can aim their shots at caricatures of prominent politicians. Bartenders and waitstaff will return to provide food and drink to customers, and the dancers will be caddies. The Marcianos hope to open on June 14.

Precocious
Two West Jordan, Utah, sisters, 9 and 4 years old, set out before dawn on June 2 with California beaches in their sights, Fox News reported. Unfortunately, the 9-year-old was driving, and things didn't go as planned. Just several miles away from home, the little driver veered into oncoming traffic, slamming into a semi-truck. Both girls were wearing seatbelts, and no one was hurt. Their parents were unaware of the joyride until police called them after the accident. "I guess they were intending to start their summer vacation a little early," remarked West Valley police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku. Lt. Sean McCarthy added, "I don't know that we'll tell them they were going the wrong way" to reach California.

Compelling Explanation
A man caught for two days in a sticky situation had a clever, if false, explanation. In Santa Rosa, California, on June 8, a man was discovered trapped in the shaft of a vineyard fan. He told police that he likes to take pictures of engines used in old farm equipment, but there was more to his story, NBC Bay Area reported. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office commented, "After a thorough investigation, which revealed the farm equipment wasn't antique, and the man had far more methamphetamine than camera equipment, the motivation to climb into the fan shaft remains a total mystery." The "photographer" did require medical attention but wasn't seriously injured. Sheriff's officers will recommend several charges.

Relationship Goals
Henry Williams and Tuhonsty Marie Smith of Milwaukee have been in a relationship for eight years, but things haven't gone so well lately. When Williams returned home from work on June 2, Smith wouldn't talk to him and was walking in circles. Williams had told her a couple of weeks before that he was thinking of getting a divorce, Yahoo! News reported. Later that evening, he went to bed and awoke with the back of his head on fire, he told police. Williams grabbed his infant daughter and ran to his parents' adjacent home, where they called 911. When police arrived, Smith admitted to setting Williams' head on fire; she told them that that morning, she had "started eating chicken wings and thought Henry poisoned them." Smith was charged with arson of a building, domestic abuse and other crimes and was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time
A Volvo manufacturing plant in western Virginia got a surprise visitor on June 4: A young bear had somehow climbed up into the rafters of the building, 20 feet high and far from stairs or a ladder, and had become stuck. The state's Department of Wildlife Resources was called in, Fox News reported, and workers immobilized the bear with a chemical dart, then removed it from the ceiling using a forklift. "Given the location of the bear, odds were low that it would soon safely leave on its own," said DWR officials. Workers were directed to stay in the business's cafeteria during the extraction. The bear was safely taken to a "suitable site for release."

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