SIDELINES...

FEELING THE EARTH MOVE

At a hearing on climate change, Texas Republican congressman Louie Gohmert asked forestry official Jennifer Eberlein whether it was possible to alter the orbits of the Earth or Moon to combat global heating, saying “obviously that would have profound effects on our climate.” Eberlein diplomatically suggested she would have to “follow up with you on that one, Mr Gohmert.” Guardian, 11 June 2021.

UNDEAD LINE

In the two days after the Champlain Towers South apartment block in Surfside, Florida, collapsed, Jake Samuelson received 16 phone calls from the landline in the apartment of his missing grandparents Arnie Notkin, 87, and Myriam, 81, the first just hours after the collapse. On answering the calls, all Jake heard was static, while calls back to the number gave an engaged tone. metro.co.uk, 28 June 2021.

FRIGHTENING FOOTPRINTS

Police in Dunedin, New Zealand, were called out by a young woman who was disturbed to discover a pair of footprints in her doorway when she returned from a function at 1.20am. After investigating, police concluded that the footprints, which were in a salt-like material, were her own. Otago Daily Times, 29 July 2021.

HIGH RISK HAMMOCKS

Sheriffs in Utah have appealed to the public to stop hanging hammocks on high voltage electricity pylons. It seems slackers seeking a lounging place with a view have been hanging their hammocks on tall pylons in the Utah desert. “There are 75,000 kilovolts that run through those power lines… The power can actually jump from the lines and strike somebody,” said Lt Cortney Ryan of the Sheriff’s department. boingboing.net, 4 Aug 2021.