In southwestern Idaho, an annual phenomenon is creating slick spots on the highways, CBS2-TV reported. The Idaho Transportation Department headed out on July 21 with heavy equipment to scrape Mormon crickets off Hwy. 51. When the crickets are crushed by cars, the resulting goo can become hazardous for motorists. The department posted a video on its Facebook page, but warned viewers: "If you get queasy easily, don't watch this with the volume on." Crunch!
Nap time
Japan is famously known for its culture of overworking. Rather than try to change that culture, two Japanese companies have developed an upright nap pod, where workers can sneak in a quick, private power nap without having to nod off in the restroom or at their desks. The boxes have been compared to upright tanning beds, Oddity Central reported. They offer support for the head, knees and back, even as workers stay in the standing position. "It's better to sleep in a comfortable location," noted Saeko Kawashima of Itoki, the furniture company that collaborated on the product.
Low IQ, lower tires
Bianca Chambers wasn't going to leave the sleuthing to Detroit police after her Mercedes Benz was stolen. Using social media tips, she tracked her car all over the city, but each time she'd call 911, police would be too late to nab the thief. On July 13, though, she got lucky: The man who was driving her car parked outside a barbershop, Fox2 Detroit reported. Chambers went to the shop to confront him, and when he denied stealing her car, she slashed her own tires. "I thought he was gonna take off and I didn't know how long it was going to take for the police to pull up," she explained. "You're just the dumbest criminal, that's all. You're joyriding in my car like nobody was going to see," she told the perp. Police said the man has a history of car theft.
Sock it to me
Kent Slaughter of Springfield, Mo., filed a class-action lawsuit against Bass Pro this month, alleging that the outdoor equipment superstore is not honoring its lifetime guarantee on the Redhead All-Purpose Wool socks, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Slaughter says the warranty influenced his decision to buy the socks, and until 2021 he was able to return them and get a new pair when they wore out. But last year the warranty was reduced to only 60 days, which, according to Slaughter's suit, means the store's "The last sock you'll ever need to buy" claim is no longer true. Bass Pro didn't comment.
Busy bees
There's some hot news coming out of the University of British Columbia. Researcher Alison McAfee told Metro News that when outdoor temperatures exceed 107 degrees Fahrenheit, drone (or male) bees begin to convulse, forcing their sex organs to explode from their bodies, an event that causes them to die from shock. "It's pretty extreme," McAfee said. "That's a temperature they shouldn't normally experience, but we were seeing drones getting stressed to the point of death." She believes the mass deaths are an indicator of climate change.
