That’s Odd

On Monday, three people lost their lives when an Amtrak train struck a dump truck and jumped the tracks in Mendon, Missouri. Seven of the eight train cars derailed.

Train 4 was carrying 243 passengers and 12 crew members from Los Angeles to Chicago when the crash occurred around 12:45 p.m.

Two people on the train were killed, in addition to a person who was in the truck.

The collision happened at an “uncontrolled crossing,” Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Justin Dunn said.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy noted that there is a recorder on the train that will provide information and that investigators will look into whether there were forward- and internal-facing cameras.

Another Amtrak train was involved in a fatal crash on Sunday. During that incident, three people were killed and two others were injured when the train crashed into a vehicle obstructing rail tracks near Brentwood, California.

Flying Animals

Two women in Bangkok were pulled over by agents after their luggage went through the X-ray machines in the airport. No, they didn’t forget to pull out their water bottles from their bags. The officials had found 109 live animals in their two suitcases.

Yup, between these two women, they had been smuggling two white porcupines, two armadillos, 35 turtles, 50 lizards and 20 snakes in their baggage.

Thai authorities said the suitcases belonged to two Indian women: Nithya Raja, 38, and Zakia Sulthana Ebrahim, 24, who were due to board a flight to the Indian city of Chennai.

Animal trafficking via airports has long been an issue in the region. In 2019, a man arriving in Chennai, India, from Bangkok was reportedly detained at the airport after customs officers found a month-old leopard cub in his luggage.

More than 70,000 native and exotic wild animals – including their body parts or derivatives – were discovered in 140 seizures at 18 Indian airports between 2011 and 2020.

I smell a rat.

ABC Soup

This guy just broke a “word” record – and a world record, too.

Jacob Chandler is now a world champion, according to Guinness World Record, after he found and alphabetized all 26 letters in a can of alphabet soup in 2 minutes and 8.6 seconds.

“I was intrigued by the idea of alphabetizing a can soup. I’ve eaten plenty of alphabet soup in my life but never stopped to think someone would make a challenge out of organizing the letters,” Chandler said.

The man from Oregon made preparations, including finding the perfect-sized bowl and spoon, identifying the right kind of alphabet soup with large and easily recognizable letters, and studying up to make sure he could tell the difference between letters like “M” and “W.”

“Many of the letters had similar features, and I needed to know that before the attempt,” he said. Yes, it’s the little things in life that are just so important.

Chandler said there were some factors that were impossible to predict.

“The most difficult part was not be-

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34 ing able to know what was going to be in the can at the time of the attempt. Due to the fact each can was sealed and comThe Jewish Home | JUNE 30, 2022 pletely random, this made it mentally exhausting to think about,” he said. “I felt I could put all this effort and time into this record but if a letter was not in the can from the factory, then my record attempt would have been a failure.” Thankfully, things worked out in his favor. Chandler successfully broke the record by finding and organizing the 26 letters in 2 minutes and 8.6 seconds. He said he wanted his accomplishment to inspire his 11-year-old son, Brycen, to achieve his dreams. “When he was born, I learned to love unconditionally. I realized every word and action would influence his well-being and future self. He has helped me to grow as a person, and as a father,” he said about his son. Wise words.

Flying Car Commute

George Jetson would be proud. This week, Tomasz Patan used a flying car to get to work.

Now, Patan is no ordinary man, as most of us do not have flying cars at our disposal. Patan is the co-founder of Swedish firm Jetson, which created the Jetson ONE vehicle. Patan used the flying car to travel from his Italian home to a company building in Tuscany, cutting his commuting time by 88%.

The aircraft is powered by eight electricmotors, has a flight time of 20 minutes, and can reach a top speed of 63mph. It is constructed of a race car-inspired lightweight aluminum space frame and Carbon-Kevlar composite body.

Running on a high discharge lithium-ion battery, the vehicle can carry a pilot’s weight of 210 pounds.

Patan said, “Our long-term goal is to democratize flight. We firmly believe the ‘eVTOL’ is the future for mass transportation. We are committed to making this a reality.”

“The Jetson is built like a Formula One car for the sky and incredibly fun to fly. Most importantly, the Flight Stabilization System we developed makes flight super easy. We can make anyone a pilot in less than five minutes,” Peter Ternstrom, co-founder and president, said.

The company said that “the entire 2022 production is sold out, but we are accepting orders for 2023 delivery.”

Coming to skies near you.

World’s Ugliest Dog

It’s not a dishonor to call Mr. Happy Face the world’s ugliest dog. After all, he has been crowned with that title after battling stiff competition last week at the World’s Ugliest Dog contest in California.

The 17-year-old Chinese Crested dog also won a $1,500 cash prize for the honor.

Wild Thang came in close second; Monkey nabbed the third slot.

Jeneda Benally adopted Mr. Happy Face from a shelter in Arizona after he was rescued from the house of someone suffering from hoarding.

Describing the moment she first set eyes on Mr. Happy Face in his competition entry, Jeneda wrote, “When I first met him, he was the happiest creature that I had ever met.

“He hobbled up to me and chose me. I vowed that day, he would be so loved that he would never remember how awful his previous life had been.”

When Jeneda and her family adopted Mr. Happy Face in August 2021 they were warned his various ailments meant he may not survive beyond three months.

Ten months later, Mr. Happy Face is thriving.

“Love, kindness and mommy kisses have helped him defy the anticipated short life that we all expected him to have with our family,” Jeneda added.

Mr. Happy Face’s hobbies include “sleeping, snoring, woofing in his sleep and making odd sounds when he is happy.”

Woof!