Weekly Weird News for 2 December 2022

Happy weird week everyone. We’re churning down to the end of 2022 in short order. Some people may be lost in social media limbo as Twitter has become even more of a wretched hive of scum and villainy than before. Don’t try to save it, it’s not a public square, it’s a business. I remind people that I’m no longer engaging on the platform so please don’t reply or send me messages there. I will not engage. I am still posting links there but it’s a one-way street. We are in a sad predicament where it’s difficult to get a message out without having to deal with unscrupulous platforms. Please consider Mastodon if you are inclined to rebuild your social network in a new way. I’m engaging there daily and several of these weird news stories are posted there first.

Now let’s get to the roundup of stories in the news this week.

Mauna Loa sends spiritual message

The eruption of Mauna Loa this week means that both volcanoes on Hawaii’s big island are erupting together. Currently, no homes are threatened but native Hawaiians are coming to the lava flows to pay tribute to Pele and what they see as the life-giving force of their land. Hawaiian authorities ask tourists to respect the culture and practices of the natives and not interfere with their rituals. Meanwhile, the eruption is creating fibrous material called Pele’s Hair - formed when bubbles of lava burst and the molten strands are stretched to form hair-like fibers that are distributed by the wind. It’s a fabulous thing. See more here. https://www.local10.com/news/national/2022/12/02/for-many-hawaiians-lava-flows-are-a-time-to-honor-reflect/ and https://apnews.com/article/volcanic-eruptions-travel-hawaii-volcanoes-mauna-loa-7ad35f017181d8bcf375a5ccde2f68a3

Hunter shot by dog

While this is a bizarre story, it’s not the first time this kind of accident has happened. In Turkey, a hunter was shot by his own dog after putting the shotgun and the dog into the car. The dog triggered the rifle and the man was shot at close range and later died. Most of the incidents where dogs have inadvertently triggered guns have resulted from improper handling of loaded firearms. Accidents happen. https://nypost.com/2022/11/28/hunter-accidentally-shot-dead-by-own-dog-in-freak-accident/

Purple streetlights

In a fun story that has been circulating for a few months, some cities are noticing their street lights have turned purple. What’s the deal? The formerly white lights became noticeably discolored and this has been reported in Vancouver, Ireland, and several US states. People thought it was deliberate but it turns out the LED fixtures have a manufacturing defect that causes the laminate to degrade and then the color appears off. The laminate may be affected by high heat. The quality problem revealed larger issues that could be more serious eventually in the supply chain. https://www.businessinsider.com/led-city-streetlights-turning-purple-broken-tech-danger-2022-11

What’s eating cane toads?

White ibises are all over the place in Australia, like pigeons in the U.S. The annoying bird may be on the verge of changing its reputation as researchers have observed the birds may have found a way to eat toxic and invasive cane toads. The birds toss and harass the toad, thereby making it release its toxin externally. But then they wipe or rinse the toad off before ingesting it. The clever birds may have figured out a way of dealing with the toad’s deadly defenses. The birds may also be less susceptible to the poison. Nature finds a way. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-63699884ib

Social ant milk

Myrmecologists have discovered something fundamental about ant colonies that no one noticed before - the ants produce a nutrient-rich fluid eaten by pupae and adults. The fluid is derived from molting fluid from larvae with important nutrients in it. The process means these nutrients are recycled back into the colony and not wasted. The process seems to play an important part in the colony's social structures. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-04186-2

World Cup fake claims

With worldwide attention on the World Cup tournament, it’s inevitable that fake news and images will circulate as they do with every notable event these days. Rumor Guard has noted that images of crowds, a fire in the stands, and images of garbage or swastikas are either misappropriated to the event or outright fabrications. The disinformation can be deliberate, to sow unrest, or just for clicks and traffic to sites. The online news consumer has to be extremely wary of such outrageous pieces and, frankly, most are not. Fake news gets propagated faster than factual accounts. https://www.rumorguard.org/post/world-cup-becomes-flashpoint-for-false-claims

Anti-vax hypocrisy in court in NZ

In a horrible story out of New Zealand, the national health service has appealed to the courts to allow them guardianship over a baby whose parents are refusing a life-saving operation because of their demands for a transfusion of blood only from non-vaccinated donors. This is not possible since donated blood is not screened for vaccination status and the blood is filtered. The parents hold an absurd belief that vaccinations taint the blood. So, the parents seem fine with the advanced surgical technique that would correct the heart problem in their child but not with the centuries-old medical process of vaccination? It’s infuriating. If this child survives, he faces an uphill battle of having a life with unreasonable anti-science parents. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/30/new-zealand-parents-refuse-use-of-vaccinated-blood-in-life-saving-surgery-on-baby

More media misinformation on vaccines

Meanwhile, the anti-vax disinformation campaign continues. A new documentary movie released on social media called “Died Suddenly” suggests that there is a trend associated with COVID vaccines. The film asserts that people died suddenly in response to vaccination but this is bogus. The film also displays incidents of sudden death that are unrelated to vaccines and cites completely unreliable or non-professional sources. It’s another stinking propaganda effort that plays on people’s emotions to avoid critical thinking. As noted, people prone to poor thinking will believe outrageous false media content. Such despicable efforts hurt everyone. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking/anti-vaccine-documentary-died-suddenly-wants-you-feel-not-think and https://www.rumorguard.org/post/viral-film-regurgitates-debunked-vaccine-claims

Cattle deaths confound in CO

40 cattle have been found dead since early fall near Meeker, Colorado. Originally, the carcasses were assumed to be from wolf predation. Some evidence suggests this but other remains do not show any evidence of wolf attacks. Bacteriological tests did not turn up evidence of illness. The deaths remain under investigation but, as you would expect, mysterious cattle deaths with no obvious cause results in rampant and weird speculation about aliens and other paranormal ideas. https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/cpw-finds-no-evidence-of-wolves-near-meeker-where-40-cattle-have-been-found-dead-inexplicably/

Florida beach debris 

A double whammy from hurricanes in Daytona Beach has caused unprecedented erosion to the point where an unknown wooden structure has been exposed. The state’s archaeologists will attempt to examine and map the remains but as of now, they do not know if it’s an old ship, a pier, or some other ruins. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/11/29/not-sure-what-it-is-hurricanes-unearth-large-wooden-object-on-florida-beach/

Thanks for reading!