That’s Odd

al law enforcement agents,” Lt. Cmdr. John Beal, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard’s 7th District, said of the migrants.

“They’re uninhabited remote islands that don’t have the infrastructure to support them,” he said, adding that local, state, and federal authorities were coordinating to get food and water to the archipelago, which is usually staffed by just a few rangers.

Federal authorities said the migrants would be removed from the islands and processed to determine their legal status to remain in the United States or to be repatriated to their country of origin. (© The New York Times)

$1M for Teddy’s Gun

Teddy’s Roosevelt’s gun is gangbusters.

The former president’s iconic Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Single Action Revolver sold for a whopping $910,625 in Rock Island Auction Company’s December Premier Auction.

Joel Kolander, interactive production manager, noted that this price is historically high for a collectible firearm. He also described the iconic gun as being in “fantastic condition” even though it’s well over a century old.

“We’re thrilled any time a gun approaches that million-dollar mark,” he said of the collectible.

The Smith & Wesson was first presented to Roosevelt on May 12, 1898, the same day he left for San Antonio to train the Rough Riders. Even though the intention was to carry this revolver into war against Spain, documentation from Roosevelt’s bodyguard revealed that the president instead kept the gun on his bedside table. As such, the revolver became known in the White House as a “nightstand gun.”

Other historic items sold at the auction include outlaw Jesse James’ attributed Smith & Wesson Schofield revolver and holster, which fetched a guns-blazing $152,750.

Abraham Lincoln’s Civil War presentation carbine only sold for $105,000, which Kolander said “seems like a steal.”

Sounds like a big shot.

A Familiar Ring

Shaina Day lost her engagement ring more than two decades ago. She had left her rings on the counter and, when cleaning up, ended up throwing the ring down the toilet.

Frantic, Shaina, who was newly engaged, said she climbed down into the septic tank at the home of her in-laws with a hose to suck everything up. Once she did that, she pumped it through a hose over a window screen and into a 55-gallon drum in hopes of catching the lost ring.

But the ring was not to be found – until now.

A few weeks ago, her in-laws decided to have their toilet replaced. When the plumber removed the toilet, the ring dazzled in the excess water that had been dumped out.

Her in-laws decided that Shaina would appreciate being gifted her longlost ring.

Last week, when Shaina was unwrapping gifts, she and her husband Nick found a small, ceramic toilet figurine in a small box. Inside the mini commode sat Shaina’s sparkling ring. The couple was surprised and so happy to be reunited with the sentimental piece of jewelry.

“That just is absolutely amazing that it’s just been sitting there, because we had just thought it was gone. It was never coming back. It’s hard to believe,” Shaina said.

The ring itself was broken, although the diamond was intact. They have since repaired the ring.

The couple said that it is “now more meaningful than ever.”

That has a nice ring to it.

Earning this world record was a piece of cake.

Recently, Eric Finkelstein, a New York foodie, broke a Guinness World Record by dining at 18 Michelin-starred restaurants in 24 hours in the Big Apple.

The 34-year-old said his interest in dining out spiked when he moved back to New York in 2021. When he heard about the Guinness World Record for most Michelin-starred restaurants visited in 24 hours, he was intrigued.

“I loved the idea,” Finkelstein said. “It combined my loves of eating interesting food, working towards a checklist, and working towards something silly.”

But Finkelstein had to plan his feat from soup to nuts before starting out to make sure he didn’t bite off more than he could chew. It took months of planning to align reservations at some of the more in-demand eateries.

October 26 was the day (he was only recently recognized by Guinness for his prowess). He started at Le Pavillon, where he ate a grilled avocado salad with einkorn berries, charred kale and yogurt green goddess dressing. After an exhausting 11 hours, Finkelstein ended up chowing down on caviar-dressed chawanmushi at Noda.

In a little over 11 hours, Finkelstein ate at 18 restaurants, including four twostar spots and 14 one-star locations.

Notwithstanding the restaurant marathon, the icing on the cake was that Finkelstein said he spent a grand total $494 on food, not counting tax or tips. But he certainly expanded his waistline. Finkelstein estimated that the attempt caused him to consume about 5,000 calories in one day.

Finkelstein, a former competitive table tennis player, previously set the Guinness World Records for longest table tennis serve (51 feet, 1 inch) and largest table tennis ball mosaic (313 square feet, 6 square inches).

Next serving, please.

80 Years of Happiness

Robert and Edith Mae Schaum were married on December 26, 1942. Last week, they celebrated their 80th anniversary together. According to Robert, Edith is the “best thing that ever happened to me.”

The couple met in high school in 1936. Their first date was to a Friday night football game in Donora, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Robert’s father drove them to the game.

After the couple married, Robert was drafted into the army, so for a few years, the couple was apart.

“I felt sure he would come back. And I’m sure he felt he was going to come back too,” Edith Mae recalled.

Robert says that Edith Mae is perfect for him – “friendly and loving, and an excellent partner.”

While the centenarians — both of them are 102 years old — have been married for longer than one would expect, they are not the world record holders for the longest marriage. That honor goes to Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher who were married for 86 years and 290 days until the death of Herbert Fisher on February 27, 2011.

As long as they’re happily ever after.

Calling 911

If you need help, you call the police. That’s always good advice – unless you’re a burglar and need help moving some of your stolen items.

Police in Florida received a call from someone, but no one answered the operator’s questions. Deputies showed up at the home, thinking that no one was home. It turns out that someone was home: a male suspect and his friend, who had entered the home through an unlocked door.

Officers had been searching for the male suspect after identifying him from security video as a burglar at a Dollar General store, where several items were stolen earlier in the day.

While speaking to deputies, the female suspect told them that she had called 911 so law enforcement could help them move their belongings from the house they were burglarizing. They also wanted to get a ride to the airport so they could spend the weekend in New York, the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies DID help them with their belongings, and DID give them a ride, but it wasn’t to the airport … it was to the Polk Pokey,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “And they are welcome to stay there all weekend long. The Polk Pokey is much better than New York anyway.”

If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.