GOLFING HEART
Mike Hanlon, 57, scored a hole-in-
one on 8 July 2018 after receiving
a transplanted heart from another
keen golfer, BenPedley fromRead-
ing, who had died after crashing
into a pedestrian while cycling.
Five days earlier, Mr Hanlon’s son
Michael, 20, had hit an ace at the
same hole at Clober golf club in
Milngavie, Glasgow.D.Express, 10
July 2019.
DO THE MASHEDPOTATO
On 9 April, residents of the Bel-
haven neighbourhood in Jackson,
Mississippi, were puzzled tofi nd
bowls of mashed potatoes on their
cars, porches and mailboxes. “We
don’t know if someone is just play-
ing a prank or if someone just had
a lot of leftovers,” said resident Jor-
dan Lewis. Some people feared the
mashed potatoes were poisoned to
kill animals, but thiswas uncon-
fi rmed.[AP] Washington Post, 12
April 2019.
PREGNANTPYTHON
A python 17ft (5.2m) long, weigh-
ing 140lb (63.5kg) and carrying
73 developing eggs,was caught
in Big Cypress National Preserve,
Florida, the largest ever found there.
Researchers in the park track down
breeding females byfi tting male py-
thons withradio transmitters and fol-
lowing them. Burmese pythons were
fi rst spotted in Florida’s Everglades
in the 1980s and now number in the
thousands, posing a major threat to
native wildlife.BBC News, 8 April; NY
Times, 10 April 2019.
SHELL SHOCK
The rear tyre on a truck hit a turtle
on US Highway 501 near Conway,
South Carolina, on 30 April. The
turtle hurtled through the air and
shattered a car’s windshield. Driver
John Gardner said he had no time
to react to whatwas just a“big
black dot coming at me”. Hewas
covered in glass shards but not
hurt. The turtlewas killed.[AP] 3
May 2019.
COSMIC INFLATION
New measurements confirm that
the Universe isexpanding about
nine per cent faster thanexpected,
based on its trajectory seen shortly
after the Big Bang. The chance this
is a mistake is one in 100,000.
New theories of physics will be
required toexplain thefi ndings.
26 April 2019.
SIDELINES...STRANGEDAYS12 FT‘HOLY SPIRIT’ SAVES DRIVER
A speeding driver inViersen, Germany,was
saved from a €105 (£93)fi ne when a white dove
interceded on his behalf. The driverwas caught
on speed cameras, but his identitywas hidden by
the bird’s wings spread infl ight. Hewas tr avelling
at 54km/h (34mph) on a stretch of road with a
30km/h speed limit. A police statement suggested
that perhaps “itwas no coincidence the Holy
Spirit” intervened. “We have understood the sign
and leave the speeder in peace this time.” Since
only the car, and not the driver, could be identified,
he was probably spared thefi ne “thanks to the
feathered guardian angel with seemingly carefully
spread wings”.BBC News, 28 May; D.Telegraph, 29
May 2019.JESUS WEPT
A statue of the baby Jesus in Kilómetro 42, a rural
area near Acapulco in Mexico, has appeared to
cry blood for the fourth time thisyear. According
to local media, thefi rst time the ceramic statue
cried bloodwas on NewYear’s Day, while the most
recent occurrencewas on 4 March, two daysbefore AshWednesday.Residents believe that
the statue, which iskept in a private residence, is
weeping because of the soaring crime levels in the
locality, which has anaverage of 111 murders for
every 100,000 inhabitants.
Local resident Soledad Natividad Flores said:
“A lot of people have said that this is being done
by the Devil while others believe that it is a
message from God. The truth is, we are convinced
that it cried, even when people were holding it.”
Residents claimed that they did notwant to carry
the statue to a church forverification because they
were scared of removing it. Church authorities
were investigating the claims to make sure that no
one was taking advantage of devotees.
There have been at least 15 known cases of
weeping statues worldwide since 1949. Only
one – in Akita, Japan – has been recognised by
the Vatican as a genuine miracle.Sun, 18 Mar;
mysteriousuniverse.org 20 Mar 2019.
For a painting in India of Jesus that wept bloody
tears, seeFT172:12. For a BVM statue weeping
tears of blood in Sacramento, California, see
FT208:8. For other weeping statues, seeFT350:8,
369:22,370:4.IT’SAMIR ACLE!ABOVE:This white dove’s intercession saved a speeding driver from afi ne.ABOVE: Jesus weeps tears of blood in Kilómetro 42.