Britain's Home Office revealed in November (by releasing archived documents from 1982) that among the contingency suggestions for worst-case nuclear attack on the country was commissioning "psychopaths" to help keep order. They are "very good in crises," an advocate wrote, because "they have no feelings for others, nor moral code, and tend to be very intelligent and logical," and thus could do quite well at containing the vigilante survivalist enclaves that might develop in the event parts of the kingdom became lawless. (After an apparently thoughtful debate, the suggestion was not agreed to.)

Living up to their billing

At a recent art show at Paris' Palais de Tokyo, Italian artist Sven Sachsalber, for his provocative piece, brought in a large haystack on Nov. 13, dropped a needle into it, and gave himself two days to find it. Late the next day, he picked it up. (Palais de Tokyo calls itself an "anti-museum par excellence.")

Three homes on the Pacific Ocean near Grayland, Wash., were washed away by violent rainstorms in early December, but the residents had seen it coming. The longtime local name for the area is Washaway Beach. Said one, "I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but I had hoped it wasn't this soon."

Compelling explanations

Eric Opitz, 45, who was indicted on 13 counts of fraud in Philadelphia in October, had explained that the reason he needed human growth hormone (that he would resell) despite being 6-foot-3, 450 pounds, was that he was really a dwarf and feared he would recede if he stopped the medication.

Zak Hardy, 18, and Terrill Stoltz, 41, were arrested recently in separate incidents and charged with photographing women in bathrooms without their permission. Hardy, caught in a public restroom in June in Exeter, England, pointing his phone from one stall to another, explained that he was just trying to see whether his phone was waterproof. Stoltz professed his innocence, as well, claiming the camera he set up in his ex-girlfriend's bathroom in Billings, Mont., was solely to have a photographic record of him when he cleaned his chickens in the bathtub.

Making sure they treasured Tresor

An Oceanside, Calif., couple was surprised in November to discover that buying a purebred bichon frise on credit meant they were only leasing the dog for 27 months and would have to make a 28th payment to actually "own" Tresor. Furthermore, the lease, under a "repo" threat, required daily exercise, regular bathing and grooming and immediate disposal of Tresor's waste. A spokesperson for the store, Oceanside Puppy (which works with four finance companies), told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the arrangement is fairly standard now for expensive pets.

First World problems

NBC's "Today" show reported in December the "heartbreak" parents are feeling when they learn that the supposedly unique name ("wonderful, distinctive, rarely heard") they had given their infant in the last year or two (e.g., "Mason," "Liam," "Lily") actually appeared on BabyCenter's annual list of most popular names of 2014 (sixth, third and eighth, respectively).

Police report

Four officers responded in Tayport, Scotland, in July to arrest Irene Clark, 65, who spent 48 hours in jail after committing the crime of swatting her husband with a magazine while arguing over TV programs (causing a paper cut).

Keith Shannon, 44, was sentenced (two years' probation) in Letterkenny, Ireland, in November for twice being caught swiping "tester" packets of aftershave at a Boots store (value: 2 cents each).

Read News of the Weird daily at www.weirduniverse.net. Send items to weirdnews@earthlink.net.