Spider-Man hero: An Indonesian man discovered that a Spider-Man costume can attract a lot of positive attention. Rudi Hartono, of Parepare, South Sulawesi, was concerned about all the litter in the streets, and he took it upon himself to go on clean-up missions. However, no one else followed his example until he dressed as Spider-Man. He had purchased the costume to amuse his nephew, but decided to wear it while picking up garbage. People took notice and started joining him in his endeavour. Since then, he has become a bit of a superhero in his community.

Ball catcher: Many dogs like to play catch, but one Labrador retriever, named Finley, can’t get enough of it. Finley lives in Canandaigua, New York (U.S.), with his human family, the Molloys. He has fine-tuned his catching skills to the point that he can fit six tennis balls in his mouth without help from his human playmates. When he was two years old, he could pick up four balls; eventually he graduated to five, and then to six. Finley looks a bit odd with all those balls in his mouth, but his family is convinced he is proud of his unusual talent. See Finley in action at www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Birds of a feather: An artist from Bogotá, Colombia, wanted to learn about nature, so she started by observing and studying various species of birds. This led Diana Beltran Herrera to the art of making beautiful and precise life-size sculptures of birds from basic materials, such as paper and wire. She creates a form for the bird and then cuts and glues paper feathers to the form. She paints each creation so that it looks real. Her work includes pelicans, roosters, parrots, sparrows, and many more. Over time, Herrera has managed to create sculptures representing over 100 bird species.

Key conundrum: It’s not unusual for people to lose their car keys. They might leave them in a restaurant or accidentally drop them on the ground. But not many people lose their keys the way Jovino Huerta lost his. Huerta is a political candidate in Huánuco, Peru. While campaigning, he decided to hand out key chains with the phrase, “Vamos Peru!” Unfortunately, in the excitement of meeting people and shaking their hands, Huerta gave his own keys to someone by mistake. He explained his plight on social media, hoping that they would be returned. No word on that yet.

Pen art: Most people use a ballpoint pen for taking notes. Not Samia Al Homsi Dagher of Tripoli, Lebanon. This talented artist, who is also a software engineer, uses the ubiquitous writing instrument to create beautiful and realistic portraits. The illustrator has had lots of time to hone her skills; she was only five years old when she started drawing. Now, she is well-known for her work and receives commissions from many individuals, including celebrities, as well as average folk. That’s because her work is so precise that the portraits could be mistaken for photographs.

Icky desserts? How would you feel if you were presented with a dessert that looks like a kitchen sponge topped with a sudsy soap bubble? Or beans on toast? However, if the dessert is made by British chef Ben Churchill, you’d be wise to overlook the illusion and take a bite. That’s because Churchill’s creations are sweet treats. For example, the beans are made of marzipan and sit atop a cake drizzled with a sweet orange-red syrup that appears to be ketchup. The kitchen scrubber is really an olive oil sponge cake topped with green mint crumbs, with sweet milk foam as soapsuds. It’s a weird but interesting hobby! See the “icky desserts” here: www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Alien pods: A farmer in Japan had an over abundance of Chinese cabbages last year, so he decided to leave some in the field to become natural fertilizer. The farmer didn’t realize that by spring, his field would resemble a scene from the 1979 sci-fi movie, Alien. The cabbages ended up looking like rows and rows of alien eggs ready to hatch. This occurred because the cabbages have an outer layer of water that froze. The resulting gray-brown, oblong “pods” might scare someone who has seen the movie, but they are really just heads of rotten cabbage!

Cuddly, but not cute: The sphynx is a breed of cats with hairless bodies and lots of wrinkles. One of these felines, Xherdan of Rüti, Switzerland, is becoming known due to social media. His owner, Sandra Filippi, realizes that not all people would find Xherdan to be a cute cat; they may even call him ugly! But she doesn’t care because she loves her unique pet. Xherdan has long ears and skin with so many folds that it looks like a brain. But his skin is silky to the touch and he’s as cuddly as a long haired kitten. He’s also smart and extroverted, which are personality traits of this breed.

Big burger: Those who enjoy eating great big burgers might want to visit Chris Steaks and Burgers in Bangkok, Thailand. The burger in question is enormous. The ground beef or pork patty weighs six kilograms (13 lbs.) and is loaded with fattening extras, such as bacon, mayonnaise, and onion rings. Lomdech Kongsuwan, the restaurant owner, is offering 10,000 baht to any diner able to gobble up the meal in nine minutes. So far, very few customers have been able to accomplish the feat. See this monster burger at www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra

Lost and found: Ken Woroschuk may be missing a truck, but the important thing is that he has his dog, whose name is Nick. Woroschuk, from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), left the vehicle running to keep Nick warm while he ran an errand. The truck, along with the attached flatbed trailer, was stolen, along with Nick, who had been waiting patiently in the cab. The trailer was found quickly, but not the truck or Nick. Luckily, the thief must have decided to let the dog go, as Nick was found, unharmed, on a nearby street. For Woroschuk, that was all that mattered.

Good Peruvian eats: People in London, England, who crave a bit of Peruvian cuisine would be wise to try out the bottomless brunch at Coya Mayfair, a restaurant in the city’s West End. First, guests are greeted with colourful decor and the music of Peru, and then they are served the wonderful food. Dishes include crocantes and guacamole, which is freshly made right at the table, ceviche, and vegan options like grilled corn with lime and chili butter. People who attend this brunch need lots of free time, as it takes all afternoon to get through the many courses.

Going squirrely: Those who live in neighbourhoods frequented by squirrels know that the little critters like to gather nuts. But a couple from Allegheny Country, Pennsylvania (U.S.), were shocked to discover that the rodents near their home were stashing nuts under the hood of their SUV. They could smell something burning when they started the car. Upon further investigation, they found over 200 walnuts and wads of grass under the hood. Luckily, the grass was damp, so it didn’t catch fire. The pair cleaned up the mess and took the vehicle to their mechanic, who gave them the “all clear.”

Fake pool: New owners of units in a high-rise building in Changsha, in central China, are not very happy. The property developer didn’t accurately explain the amenities of their new home, and the buyers thought they were getting something luxurious. The buyers were told that the area included lush vegetation and a pool. However, the pool was actually blue plastic on the ground, which looks like a pool when viewed from a high balcony, but most certainly is not. The park-like vegetation also turned out to be non-existent. The developers are hoping to work things out with the new residents of the units.

Bad burglar: A Polish man didn’t make a very good burglar. He broke into an older couple’s house when they were away on a holiday. Apparently, Lukasz Chojnowski made himself right at home for a couple of days. When owners Pat Dyson and Martin Holtby returned, they found Chojnowski sleeping in their bed. The man had been evicted from his rental accommodation and, as he had nowhere to go, decided to break into the empty house. He didn’t steal anything and cleaned up after himself. The owners called police, but were not angry because Chojnowski was tidy and apparently didn’t mean any harm.

On eggshells: A man in Turkey loves to carve eggshells. For Hamit Hayran, of the capital of Ankara, it is his way of expressing himself. He starts by removing the contents of the egg with a syringe. Then he carefully carves elaborate designs and figures into the delicate shells. Hayran’s newest challenge was puncturing thousands of holes into a chicken egg to break the world record. He already won the title a few years ago by putting 8,708 holes into an eggshell. More recently, he beat his own record with 11,827 holes. All this without breaking the shell!

Crazy contortion: A young girl from the small village of Gaulapar in Uttarakhand State, India, can do a difficult yoga pose – the Niralamba Poorna Chakrasana contortion – 21 times in a minute. The girl’s name is Riya Paladia. She seemed to need barely any effort to bend over backwards at the waist, lower her head down to the mat, slide to a horizontal position on her back, and then do the reverse to stand up again, all without using her hands. And she did it 21 times in a row! Paladia has always loved participating in gymnastic activities and yoga, and she trains to get better. She has dreams of becoming an Olympian.

Calm down, kitty! Most people who own cats spend their time cuddling and petting them. Not so for a woman in the city of Arjánguelsk, Russia. Her cat may have been a good kitty, but something came over it one day and it started to act strangely. When the woman tried to get out of the kitchen of her apartment, the cat would start hissing and go into attack mode. After being trapped for quite some time and unable to get to her phone, she called out the window to a passerby on the street, who called the local rescue service. Everything turned out all right, with no injuries, and the kitty was taken to the vet for an assessment.

Croc problem: Anyone interested in getting up close and personal with a crocodile could get their chance in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. However, only wildlife rescue specialists can take on the job. It seems that a crocodile managed to get a motorcycle tire wrapped around its body, which could endanger the reptile’s life. It’s not possible to tranquillize the beast because it might swim away before it becomes sedated. A few attempts have been made to remove the tire, but to no avail. Authorities are offering a reward to a qualified person who is able to succeed with the job.

Finding koalas: Forest fires are very dangerous for wild animals, but in Australia, a border collie came to the rescue. The dog, named Bear, was trained by Detection Dogs for Conservation to find koalas that are hiding in the trees. Bear was chosen for the task because he is able to find the small mammals by their scent. When he locates a koala, he settles himself under the tree and waits for one of his human bosses to arrive. Then the humans figure out how to get the little animal down from its high perch.

Painter’s message: A house painter in Bolsover, Derbyshire, England, hadn’t been paid for the work he’d done on a building, so he took matters into his own hands. On the front of the freshly painted, cream-coloured, two-story structure, Dean Reeves painted a message in black: “Want your house painting? Don’t be like Terry. Pay the bill! Now you will!” According to Reeves, building owner Terry Turner had continually refused to pay all of the agreed upon amount until the painter completed extra tasks. When Reeves understood what the owner was doing, he decided to paint the message. See Dean's message (video) here... www.myCoffeeNews.ca/extra