CRAZY BUT TRUE

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- JUNE 11, 2022

Sometimes you come across an item that seems a bit crazy. The shocker hits home when you learn the crazy thing is actually true. The good news is that these head-scratches are often fun and even humorous.

 

There seems to be a festival for everything these days, so a new one in Lansing should come as no surprise – the Michigan Bacon Fest. “This event is a celebration of all things bacon. Bacon Donuts, bacon mac and cheese, bacon burgers, bacon beer and much more will be available at the festival.” 

 

My guess is that the aroma from this festival will reel in people from miles around. Tickets go on sale in June 14, but you can get on a priority list right now. Go to: https://www.michiganbaconfestival.com.

 

If you don't want to go to the food, perhaps having the food come to you is an option. A national fast food chain is opening the first two-story drive-thru with four take-out lanes. “This looks like a combo of the Jetsons and a fancy new bank. It promises to deliver food to your car faster through vertical lifts that work similarly to tubes used by banks. Mobile order customers scan a QR code they received when placing their orders and pull forward to receive their food. Food is delivered from the elevated kitchen.” (https://www.axios.com/2022/06/06/taco-bell-defy-brooklyn-park-minnesota)

 

Space age stuff is cool, but sometimes going old school pays off. That's the case for a guy watching Tiger Woods at the recent Masters golf tournament. Here's the situation: “It's become all too common at PGA Tour events. When the player hits a shot, zero eyeballs see it. People all watch it through their phones, taking a video they'll never watch again.”  

 

Ah, but this was not the case for fan Mark Radetic. Holding  a Michelob Ultra beer in his hand (which set him back $18), a photo was taken as he actually watched Woods hit the shot. “Every other fan in this incredible photo watched through the lens of their smartphone while one man stood there, beer in hand.”

 

Well, the folks at Michelob took notice. “A few days later, Michelob Ultra agreed on a deal that resulted in an advertisement centered around the photo and a merchandise line that included a shirt and hat with Mark on it.” (https://outsider.com/sports/golf-fan-earns-own-ad-merchandise-deal-michelob-ultra-after-going-viral-2022-pga-championship/)

 

That's not all. Mark's fame continues and the perks keep rolling in. See an interview with him at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_m8Sahoe9k.

 

Mark's deal is pretty sweet, but another golf saga wound up with a $5 million payday. See, a Massachusetts couple bought a house near a golf course in 2017. They figured a random golf ball would find its way into their yard on occasion. What they did not expect was a “barrage of 651 balls over the next four years." Errant shots shattered windows and made it hazardous for their three young daughters to play outside. 

 

They sued the golf course for damages and mental and emotional suffering. “A jury awarded the couple $3.5 million in December which comes to $4.93 million with interest. The club has moved the tee box back to discourage golfers from attempting the shortcut and the family hasn't seen a golf ball on their property for months.” (https://www.newser.com/story/319890/family-awarded-5m-after-651-golf-balls-hit-property.html)

 

Humans are not the only source of crazy happenings. “Wildlife experts in the Normandy region of France are warning members of the public to beware of an unusual problem: drunk deer running amok. This time of year spring buds are loaded with sugar that ferments in the animals' stomachs, making them drunk in the same way as if they had consumed alcohol.”

(https://www.arcamax.com/entertainment/weirdnews/s-2675000)

 

Even if you have to beware of drunk deer, that's not as bad as fish on drugs. “A new study out of South Florida has found the fish in the waters are on drugs. Dozens of pharmaceuticals have been discovered in fish blood and tissue. From valium, blood pressure medicine, to antidepressants all sorts of drugs have been found in the fish in this study. The average number of drugs reported in just one bonefish was seven and some had up to sixteen different prescriptions in their systems.” (https://cbs12.com/news/local/study-reveals-fish-on-drugs-in-south-florida-waters)

 

Well, if those fish are drug addled, maybe they could be caught by using jumping worms for bait. “It sounds like a decent setup for a horror movie: an area plagued with extremely active, aggressive worms that can jump a foot into the air and have voracious appetites. That's a reality California. The Amynthas agrestis, also goes by the names Asian jumping worm, Alabama jumper, and crazy snake worm. These worms can wreak havoc in hardwood forests.” (https://www.newser.com/story/320819/californias-new-scourge-creepy-jumping-worms.html)

 

Finally, once in a great while something happens that transforms our lives to such a degree that we never imagined it even in our wildest dreams. You know, something we never thought we'd see in our lifetime. I mean, even to consider such a thing would be the very definition of crazy. 

 

Well, our friends in the European Union have come to our rescue. “EU countries and lawmakers agreed on Tuesday to a single charging port for mobile phones, tablets and cameras in a world first. By autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the EU." 

 

Let that sink in. One connector for all our devices. No more drawers filled with a rats nest of five hundred chargers, bricks, wired, cables, and adapters. One size fits all makes and models! It's insanity to think this could really be happening, right? 

Better yet, the move will save European consumers about $267 million. Plus, the deal also covers laptops, e-readers, earbuds, keyboards, computer mice and portable navigation devices.” (https://www.reuters.com/technology/eu-countries-lawmakers-clinch-deal-single-mobile-charging-port-2022-06-07/)

 

If this is going forward in Europe, can America be far behind? All together now: “hallelujah.” 

 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.