That’s Odd

claimed 80 lives.

According to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, that state alone may have over 70 people dead from the storms.

Among the buildings damaged in the strike are a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and an Amazon warehouse in western Illinois, as well as a nursing home in Arkansas.

The tornadoes hit at least six states: Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

On Saturday morning, Beshear said, “I’m pretty sure that number [killed in Kentucky] is north of 70 ... it may, in fact exceed 100 before the day is done. The level of devastation is unlike anything I have ever seen.”

In a later statement, Beshear said, “I want to thank every local emergency management employee, police officer, firefighter and first responder. This has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history. It’s hard to put into words.

“Remember, each of these lost lives are children of G-d, irreplaceable to their families and communities. But we will make it through this. We will rebuild. We are strong, resilient people – and we’re going to be there every step of the way. This is one state standing strong.”

Beshear has declared a state of emergency.

Two deaths each have been reported in Arkansas and Missouri, while four have been reported in Tennessee and six in Illinois. In Kentucky’s Warren County, the 12 storm-related casualties include children as well.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he monitored the situation closely and had contacted the governors of the hardest-hit states.

Calling the storms one of the “largest tornado outbreaks in our history,” Biden added, “I want to emphasize what I told all the governors: the federal government will do everything, everything you can possibly do to help.

“And so, I’m working with the governor of Kentucky and others who may want me to be there, I made sure that we’re a value-added at the time, and we’re not going to get in the way of the rescue and recovery, but I do plan on going.

“My heart aches for those people right now, including the rescuers, including the burden on them and what they worry about. I just think that we just have to keep at it. We have to keep focused. And this is going to be the focus of my attention until we get this finished.”

Met Removes Sackler Name

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art will remove the Sackler family name from seven of its galleries, the institution said on Thursday.

In a press release, the museum said it made the decision together with members of the Sackler family, “in order to allow The Met to further its core mission.”

In a statement, descendants of physicians Mortimer and Raymond Sackler said, “Our families have always strongly supported The Met, and we believe this to be in the best interest of the Museum and the important mission that it serves.

“The earliest of these gifts were made almost fifty years ago, and now we are passing the torch to others who might wish to step forward to support the Museum.”

“The Met has been built by the philanthropy of generations of donors – and the Sacklers have been among our most generous supporters,” said Dan Weiss, President and CEO of The Met. “This gracious gesture by the Sacklers aids the Museum in continuing to serve this and future generations. We greatly appreciate it.”

In 2019, The Met said it would no longer take donations from the Sackler family due to the company’s “production of opioids and the ensuing health crisis surrounding the abuse of these medications.”

Candle Factory Flattened by Tornado

A Friday night tornado left a Mayfield, Kentucky, candle-making plant flattened and raised fears that tens of people had died.

On Saturday morning, 40 of the Mayfield Consumer Products’ employees were rescued, while many others were missing.

Search-and-rescue teams worked to locate survivors. Most of the casualties wreaked by the storm occurred in the candle-making factory’s collapse.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear noted, “I think the largest loss of life in this tornado event is and will be there, and it may end up being the largest loss of life in any tornado event in a single location in the state’s history,” Beshear said during a Saturday morning press conference.

“It’s heavy machinery ... it’s the building that’s flattened. It’s cars from the parking lot that is on top of it. It’s huge metal drums, even ones with corrosive chemicals that were inside. It’s ... pretty awful to witness.”

One worker who made it out alive amid the rescue was Kyana Parsons-Perez, a 40-year-old who filmed several videos on Facebook Live as she was trapped under five feet of debris.

“I’m at work in Mayfield, and we are trapped,” she said in a video posted to Facebook posted Friday night. “Please give us some help. … We are trapped. The wall is stuck on me. Nobody can get to us.”

Another worker in the facility on Friday night, Chelsea Logue, said there was a “really big boom and the building lifted up, swayed and crashed down.”

“All you could hear was screams from people,” Logue related. She added, “I was trapped under a wall … by the grace of G-d I got out of there.”

Paper Power

Elon Musk has been named Time’s Person of the Year, and he truly makes the grade. Recently, a college paper graded by Musk two decades ago nabbed thousands at auction.

RR Auctions said the papers, which were written in 1995 by

then-student Brian Thomas, were graded by the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder when he was a teacher’s assistant for Professor Myles Bass at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

The papers are marked, graded, and initialed by Musk, who etched only one comment on the documents – the word “graphic” in response to a profanity used by the student.

The college papers fetched $7,753 from an unknown buyer.

Thomas didn’t even realize he was holding onto such a treasure. He doesn’t remember Musk being in the class, but he had held onto the papers over the years because of his fond memories of Bass. His son noticed the papers had been graded by the now-famous businessman.

Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Botox at Camel Competition

If Sally the camel was scared of the competition at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, she may have felt the pressure to have her face done. But she should stay far away from Botox if she knows what’s good for her.

This year, Saudi authorities conducted their biggest-ever crackdown on camel beauty contestants that received Botox injections and other artificial touch-ups. Over 40 camels were disqualified from the annual pageant because of work that was done on the animals.

The festival, which kicked off earlier this month, invites the breeders of the most beautiful camels to compete for some $66 million in prize money. Botox injections, face lifts, and other cosmetic alterations to make the camels more attractive are strictly prohibited. Jurors decide the winner based on the shape of the camels’ heads, necks, humps, dress, and postures.

This year, authorities discovered dozens of breeders had stretched out the lips and noses of camels, used hormones to boost the beasts’ muscles, injected camels’ heads and lips with Botox to make them bigger, inflated body parts with rubber bands, and used fillers to relax their faces.

The camel beauty contest is at the heart of the massive carnival, which also features camel races, sales and other festivities typically showcasing thousands of dromedaries. The extravaganza seeks to preserve the camel’s role in the kingdom’s Bedouin tradition and heritage, even as the oil-rich country plows ahead with modernizing mega-projects.

Camel breeding is a multimillion-dollar industry and similar events take place across the region.

We can totally understand the need to compete.

Tiny Car; Huge Trip

If Alex Orchin’s car looks like it could fit into your kid’s lunchbox, your eyes aren’t deceiving you that much.

Orchin’s car is a Peel P50, the world’s smallest production car. The classic car fanatic made waves with it when he recently drove it the entire length of Great Britain.

The three-wheeler was originally built in the 1960s but was rebooted in the past decade in 40 cc single-cylinder gasoline and electric motor versions. Orchin’s is a 2017 gasoline edition that he just barely fits in at 5 feet, 11 inches tall. Its top speed is 23 mph on flat ground.

The 874-mile trip from John O’Groats in the north to Land’s End in the south took Orchin three weeks as he putt-putted in his tiny car. Given that the commuter-focused car barely has room for Orchin, let alone his luggage, a friend followed him in a camper van used as a support vehicle.

“As far as I know I am the first person to attempt the journey in a P50,” Orchin said.

The car performed wonderfully along the road. One mishap? When the door fell off with just 50 miles to go.

“Wherever I park it,” Orchin related, “it draws a crowd. People are amazed by this car – and not just car-people. It has a universal appeal with everyone, even kids,” he said.

That’s because kids think it’s really a toy.

Uber Eats Heads to Space

Wondering what you’re going to eat on your next space mission? Have no fear – Uber Eats will deliver to infinity and beyond.

Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa teamed up with the company to make the first Uber Eats delivery to astronauts on the International Space Station. The delivery was made as part of Maezawa’s 12day orbit.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, “One small handoff for Yusaku Maezawa, one giant delivery for Uber Eats! We’re over the moon to have helped make our first successful delivery to space. Our goal is to help people go anywhere and get anything, so we’re proud to serve the astronauts at the International Space Station.”

Dara added, “Yusaku Maezawa gets a thumbs up on this delivery, even though it took a bit longer than the usual 30 minutes to arrive.”

The delivery was made on December 11 around 9:40 a.m. (eastern time), about eight-and-a-half hours after Maezawa’s trip began.

What delicacies survived the trip to outer space?

The package included boiled mackerel in miso, beef bowl cooked in sweet sauce, simmered chicken with bamboo shoots, and braised pork.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to handle Uber Eats’ first food delivery to space,” said Yusaku Maezawa. “Uber Eats’ initiative and sense of adventure is inspiring. I will never stop challenging myself, and I hope that everyone continues to do the same. Let’s make the world a better place!”

One food delivery at a time.