Careful preparation: In many countries, it is illegal to sell and cook a poisonous mushroom called the False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta). However, despite the dangers of consuming this mushroom, people in Finland love them. False morels contain a toxin that causes illness. But in Finland, there are strict rules regarding their preparation, and they are legal to sell. For example, cooks must take a series of steps, including rinsing, boiling, and draining, after which these steps must be repeated. All this must be done in a ventilated room to avoid inhalation of the fumes.

View from above: Sports fans in Poland came up with a novel way to watch their favourite event, despite the social distancing required during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sport was motorbike racing, and the location was the Stadion Zuzlowy in the town of Lubin. Only a few spectators were allowed into the stadium, so some fans decided to rent construction cranes to watch events. The fad started with three cranes at the first race of the season, but it was such a popular idea that by the third race, there were 21, each holding two to four fans.

Slithering pets: Choosing a pet is usually not difficult. People usually pick a poodle or a kitten, or even a parrot, as a new family member. However, a teenage girl from Purworejo, Central Java, Indonesia, keeps six pythons as pets. Chalwa Ismah Kamal has no fear of the big snakes as she plays and cuddles with them. She even bathes them. Her younger brother likes them, too. The 14-year-old received attention for her strange pets after she posted some videos on social media, where thousands of people have viewed them. Some viewers express concern, but she explains there is nothing to fear because her pets are tame.

Rare road: In Osaka, Japan, a 16-storey building has a unique feature a highway off-ramp runs right through it. The Gate Tower Building and its highway ramp were completed in the early 1990s. The employees working in the building don't have to worry about excess traffic noise because noise-proof walls and floors were used in the construction. Plus, the off-ramp doesn't actually touch the building. Visitors to the building will notice that the elevator doesn't stop at floors five, six, or seven because these floors provide the space for the road.

One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time. ~ Andr Gide

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. ~ John Wooden

Free notices for not for profits tania@coffeenews.co.nz

1. James Watson and Francis Crick are responsible for the structural model of what?

2. What does a relief map show using contour lines, shading, and colours?

3. The song Over the Rainbow was featured in what classic movie?

4. The skin, hair, and nails are all part of what system?

5. In what hemisphere is the location of the Earth's only subarctic climate?

Popular fruit: Tomatoes are part of the fruit family and are considered one of its most popular members, with over 182 million metric tons produced each year. Tomatoes originated in South America and were first cultivated around 700 CE by the Aztecs and Incas.

The Joker: Depending on the game, having a Joker card is a good thing. But the Joker wasn't always in a deck. It was introduced in the 1860s when American card players decided to add an extra Best Bower card to the game of Euchre.

Cactus rules: People in Arizona (US) with a Saguaro cactus on their property can't cut it down without permission from the Arizona Department of Agriculture. If they do so, a 25-year jail sentence could result.

Coffee tester: Gennaro Pelliccia samples products for Costa Coffee, a job that involves declaring a coffee bean or blend good enough to leave the company's roasting plant. His tongue is insured for 10 million.

Never expires: If honey is stored in a sealed container away from humidity, it never expires. Archaeologists found honey that hadn't spoiled in 3,000-year-old Egyptian tombs.

What creature has the smallest appetite? A moth; it just eats holes.

College student: I'm going to major in political science and clean up the mess in the world.

How do you confuse a frog? Put it in a round bowl and tell it to take a nap in the corner. How does a frog confuse you? He comes out and says he feels much better after that nap.

Golf caddy: I wouldn't say you're the worst golfer I've seen on this course, but I've seen places today that I've never seen before.

Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.

1. DNA 2. Land configuration 3. The Wizard of Oz 4. Integumentary 5. Northern Hemisphere