Alexander Strange is marooned in Key West waiting out the pandemic. Here’s his latest report. We start out this edition of The Strange Files with an uplifting little story, not the least bit weird other than the setting is the Florida Keys, the epicenter of strange in America. Tip of the hat to the amazing staff at the Miami Herald, […]
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With toilet paper stripped from grocery store shelves by hoarders, people are left to use alternatives that don’t always flush very well. Florida wastewater treatment plants are reporting that toilet paper alternatives are clogging the system, entangling pumps needed to move sewage—and sometimes breaking them. They caution: Baby wipes, tissues, napkins and paper towels should never be used. So what’s […]
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While we’re all on lockdown, avoiding contact with one another lest we spread or catch what some are calling the “invisible enemy,” I thought I would share this bit of science news about another unseen horror. Here’s the headline from the excellent blog Science Alert: Deadly Parasite Discovered in Chinese Family Shows You Should Never Eat Raw Centipedes We can […]
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It can be a challenge to take license with America’s 45th president. Literally. In Sweden, Marcus Saaf, admitting he “was drunk and thought it was fun” tried to apply for a vanity license plate reading TRUMP. Swedish authorities denied the application, saying it was “offensive.” The Swedish Transport Agency, which issues license plates, has a rule that prohibits political messages […]
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So, if you want to rob a bank in the worst way, how do you go about doing it? Take a lesson from a Fort Lauderdale man who entered an east coast Florida bank pretending to have a gun. A terrified teller handed over $4,700. And a little bonus, too—a dye pack. The 25-year-old Florida man then ran out of […]
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I’m stranded aboard my houseboat, the Miss Demeanor, practicing social distancing while we wait and pray for the coronavirus pandemic to pass. Trying to be productive while in isolation, I’ve been cleaning out old files of stories that I thought might someday make interesting submissions for The Strange Files. Here are some random notes: Can I have a condom with […]
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So there you are on a hot, tropic day and a shower breaks out. So you slip under a pretty green tree sporting what looks like crabapples. Of course, hiding under a tree during a thunderstorm is an inherently bad idea. Trees being what scientists call Lightning Magnets. But this particular tree you’ve sought shelter under has its own nasty […]
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It looks kind of cute, harmless, fuzzy. If you encounter it, you may be tempted to pick it up, maybe even pet it. Don’t. Even though it may appear similar to a lucky rabbit’s foot, the puss caterpillar is one of the most poisonous insects in America, and you will instantly regret handling it. Just ask Bri Oteri of Dade […]
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A Florida woman (of course she had to be from Florida) found herself uncomfortably pinned to the ground by a camel at a truck stop and did the only thing she could think of to save herself: She bit the camel on his testicles. Now, before going further, there are several questions that are sure to spring to mind, not […]
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