Odd in the United States

A former diner built in the 1940s, it seemed perfect for his dream: slinging soft serve. Jawad painted the building a cheerful pink and hung a sign: The Custard Company. But the timing was terrible. The doors opened in summer 2019, less than a year before the pandemic. And that wasn't even the worst thing that happened.

"We had not one, but two cars crash into the building," Jawad recalled ruefully. "Somebody ran the red light over here on Monroe and Outer Drive, T-boned another car. And the other car went straight towards us."

Fortunately, a huge steel bench was standing between the car and the customers. The car slammed into the bench and no one got injured. Then only a few months later, another car hit Jawad's custard shop. It was winter and icy. A driver lost control and skidded right into the building.

"The poor police called me and said, 'Hey Jamal, come over here. There's a car that ran into your building." He pauses for emphasis. "Again."

A Colorado man has died after being bitten by his pet Gila monster in what would be a rare death by one of the desert lizards if the creature's venom turns out to have been the cause.

Christopher Ward, 34, was taken to a hospital shortly after being bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters on Feb. 12. He was soon placed on life support and died Friday, Lakewood Police Department spokesman John Romero said Tuesday.

Or perhaps it worked better for him that way around.