9 votes

Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

Posted by mycketforvirrad
Tags: ask.discussion, recurring.weekly, offbeat fridays, offbeat

Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like internet archive, queerphobia and concord. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was bamboozled.

But one of my favourite tags happens to be offbeat! Taking its original inspiration from Sir Nils Olav III, this thread is looking for any far-fetched offbeat stories lurking in the newspapers. It may not deserve its own post, but it deserves a wider audience!

11 comments

  1. [2]
    patience_limited
    Link
    Florida 'free kill' law is back in the spotlight after surgeon removed liver instead of spleen Before anyone else says it, the "free kill" part is an exaggeration - it's a limit on who can sue for...

    Florida 'free kill' law is back in the spotlight after surgeon removed liver instead of spleen

    Before anyone else says it, the "free kill" part is an exaggeration - it's a limit on who can sue for medical malpractice, allowing only surviving spouses and minor children to make a claim. There are other sanctions Dr. Shakovsky is subject to. But Florida's medical malpractice laws are still ridiculous overreactions to perceived over-litigation.

    10 votes
    1. jredd23
      Link Parent
      There is history behind that, and a lot of politics, unfortunately. Not that I want to make light of this poor guy's situation but joke time; "What's the difference between a doctor and a lawyer?"...

      There is history behind that, and a lot of politics, unfortunately. Not that I want to make light of this poor guy's situation but joke time; "What's the difference between a doctor and a lawyer?"
      Answer: A doctor can bury his mistakes!

      6 votes
  2. [3]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    Tailback safety warning after M6 Frisbee game BBC News – Ewan Gawne – 1st September 2024

    Tailback safety warning after M6 Frisbee game

    Drivers who left their cars and allowed children to play Frisbee and football while a motorway was temporarily closed have been criticised by police for creating a "very dangerous" situation.

    He said officers had been "seeing this happening more and more, with people thinking this behaviour is acceptable when it is clearly not".

    BBC News – Ewan Gawne – 1st September 2024

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      jredd23
      Link Parent
      This is some hyperbole language by the PO. I don't know how long of a delay we are speaking of, it doesn't say much on the article and how common it may be as well. Having some fun while the world...

      This is some hyperbole language by the PO. I don't know how long of a delay we are speaking of, it doesn't say much on the article and how common it may be as well. Having some fun while the world is burning, while not advisable, also not so bad either.

      3 votes
      1. DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        Getting out when the traffic stopped seems fine, but when traffic started to move people were not present to move their vehicles, and the kids were now in/near moving highway traffic. I know if...

        Getting out when the traffic stopped seems fine, but when traffic started to move people were not present to move their vehicles, and the kids were now in/near moving highway traffic.

        I know if someone kept me stuck after traffic started moving, I'd be pretty unhappy.

        4 votes
  3. [2]
    aphoenix
    Link
    Conor McGregor scraps UFC comeback, will instead run for President of Ireland.

    Conor McGregor scraps UFC comeback, will instead run for President of Ireland.

    7 votes
    1. first-must-burn
      Link Parent
      I am laid up with a cold, so I was watching the Road House remake (trailer ) which stars Conor McGregor as a deranged bad guy. I don't know enough about Ireland's politics or McGregor's politics...

      I am laid up with a cold, so I was watching the Road House remake (trailer
      ) which stars Conor McGregor as a deranged bad guy.

      I don't know enough about Ireland's politics or McGregor's politics to make value judgements, or to understand whether this is a serious bid or a publicity stunt. Notwithstanding that, ten years ago, I would have said it was hard to imagine such a person running for such an office. Now it feels very "on brand" for this timeline.

      4 votes
  4. chocobean
    Link
    Northern elephant seals use deep-sea research sonar as dinner bell

    Northern elephant seals use deep-sea research sonar as dinner bell

    "We suspect the seals have learned to associate sonar noise from the research instrument with the presence of food—a phenomenon known as the 'dinner bell' effect. [...]

    Sonar videos also revealed seals power-napping on the seafloor at Barkley Canyon, another new and never-seen behavior from the adolescent male northern elephant seal.

    7 votes
  5. [3]
    jredd23
    Link
    7,777 burpees in 12 hours So I have been in a self-contained news blackout, way too many depressing things. Today I open my news app and I read this nugget. Com' on now! I've been told that I need...

    7,777 burpees in 12 hours
    So I have been in a self-contained news blackout, way too many depressing things. Today I open my news app and I read this nugget. Com' on now! I've been told that I need to get myself moving but com' on!

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      Another somewhat crazy sports related world record was broken a short while ago too. The YouTube documentary about it was just released a few days ago: WORLD RECORD: 510km/56 hour NON-STOP SWIM...

      Another somewhat crazy sports related world record was broken a short while ago too. The YouTube documentary about it was just released a few days ago:
      WORLD RECORD: 510km/56 hour NON-STOP SWIM (Yukon River)

      How far can a human swim non-stop? No sleep, no rest and no touching land. On June 16, 2024, we wanted to find out and embarked on a 510km (317 mile) non-stop swim down the Yukon River (Canada) in water temperatures as low as 8°C (46.4°F). Now ratified as an Official Guinness World Record, the entire adventure was only made possible by the heroics of the team who protected me from bears, wolves and hypothermia and navigated me through rapids, currents and log jams. One of the greatest crews ever assembled, I hope you enjoy this documentary that was 100% directed, filmed AND edited entirely by James Perrett who was 1 of these 16 HEROES: Christopher J Morgan, Ger Kennedy and Thomas Walter Kofler, Larry Bonnett, Brian Earl, Liam Parfitt, Stan Fordyce, Scott Edgley, Hester Sabery, Dr Tom Hall, Stephen O’Brien, Eric Bonnett, John Robertson, Raymond Kmyta, Shannon Kmyta and Sherrie Earl.

      CBC article about it, for those who prefer to read an article rather than watch a video:
      U.K. man pushes 'boundaries of common sense' with 510-km non-stop swim down frigid Yukon River

      3 votes
      1. chocobean
        Link Parent
        "Row row, fight da power" - this guy went past common sense and swam right through what we thought humans can or should do. Staying up for 60 hours is already very impressive. Swimming nonstop...

        By the second day, Edgley said he was starting to hallucinate. He relied heavily on his support team to help him navigate down the ever-changing river, which he calls a "minefield within a maze."

        "Row row, fight da power" - this guy went past common sense and swam right through what we thought humans can or should do. Staying up for 60 hours is already very impressive. Swimming nonstop without a life jacket is kinda risky heroic. Doing all that in frigid Yukon waters with bears and logjams is insane.

        2 votes