16 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 chrome, users and wicked. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was researching.

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!

14 comments

  1. Raspcoffee
    Link
    In the south of the Netherlands, a garden gnome was found by the police to basically be made out of drugs: https://nos.nl/artikel/2545487-politie-vindt-tuinkabouter-gemaakt-van-twee-kilo-mdma...

    In the south of the Netherlands, a garden gnome was found by the police to basically be made out of drugs: https://nos.nl/artikel/2545487-politie-vindt-tuinkabouter-gemaakt-van-twee-kilo-mdma

    Quick Google Translate:

    The police in West Brabant have found a garden gnome made entirely of MDMA, the active substance in ecstasy. The two-kilogram gnome was found among a batch of other narcotics, Omroep Brabant reports.

    "In itself a strange place to keep your garden gnome, which is why we decided to test for narcotics," the police say.

    The Dongemond police (Oosterhout, Geertruidenberg, Drimmelen and Altena) do not say where and when the gnome was discovered, but call the drug gnome a "special" find.

    It is not known whether suspects have been arrested. The police also do not say how large the batch of drugs was that was discovered and how they came across it.

    11 votes
  3. [3]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    Staff 'banana-proof' areas for Swedish minister's phobia BBC News – Alex Boyd – 14th November 2024

    Staff 'banana-proof' areas for Swedish minister's phobia

    A Swedish minister's phobia of bananas has reportedly led to government officials asking for rooms to be free of the fruit.

    Local media outlet Expressen has quoted from leaked emails it has seen, in which staff working for minister Paulina Brandberg ask for any bananas to be removed before official visits.

    BBC News – Alex Boyd – 14th November 2024

    8 votes
    1. chocobean
      Link Parent
      We don't choose our phobias but I would love to hear their "origin story" if any. Are grocery stores no go then?

      We don't choose our phobias but I would love to hear their "origin story" if any. Are grocery stores no go then?

      7 votes
    2. jredd23
      Link Parent
      Obviously not a fan of art.

      Obviously not a fan of art.

      4 votes
  4. [2]
    JCPhoenix
    Link
    Alleged 'potato cartel' accused of conspiring to raise price of frozen fries, tater tots across U.S.

    Alleged 'potato cartel' accused of conspiring to raise price of frozen fries, tater tots across U.S.

    Four companies currently dominating a multibillion-dollar market in the United States are being accused of sharing detailed, sensitive inside information with each other as part of an alleged conspiracy to raise the price of their goods and make more money off consumers.

    To be clear, this is a story about potatoes.

    8 votes
    1. chocobean
      Link Parent
      Canada too Price of potato patties have doubled in 3 years. Insanity.

      Canada too

      Price of potato patties have doubled in 3 years. Insanity.

      6 votes
  5. [5]
    Fal
    Link
    South Korean man convicted for deliberately gaining weight to evade military service

    South Korean man convicted for deliberately gaining weight to evade military service

    A South Korean man has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for deliberately gaining more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) to evade a tougher role in the country’s military conscription system, a Seoul court said Tuesday.

    In South Korea, all able-bodied men must serve in the military for 18-21 months, but individuals with health issues can instead carry out their duties at non-military facilities such as welfare centers and community service centers. If their problems are serious, they are exempted from their military duties.

    The court said an acquaintance of the man received a suspended 1-year prison term for aiding his crime.

    6 votes
    1. [4]
      DefinitelyNotAFae
      Link Parent
      🎶🎵 Don't taaalk about your criiiiiiiimes Don't prooove intennnnnt for themm Shut uuuuup and don't talk about criiiiimes with your buddy🎶🎵 I need a song as catchy as the "I never thought leopards...

      🎶🎵 Don't taaalk about your criiiiiiiimes
      Don't prooove intennnnnt for themm
      Shut uuuuup and don't talk about criiiiimes with your buddy🎶🎵

      I need a song as catchy as the "I never thought leopards would eat my face" song for these situations.
      I know it says it wasn't clear how he was caught. But they absolutely talked about it.

      7 votes
      1. [3]
        chocobean
        Link Parent
        Civil and criminal defense lawyers, sing a song called Please Shut Up? Another Tildes member posted this a while back and it's pretty catchy :) https://youtu.be/SkA6qF5Tu-A?si=5iT6DW6bT9J5vMON

        Civil and criminal defense lawyers, sing a song called Please Shut Up? Another Tildes member posted this a while back and it's pretty catchy :)

        https://youtu.be/SkA6qF5Tu-A?si=5iT6DW6bT9J5vMON

        6 votes
        1. [2]
          DefinitelyNotAFae
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          I'll be honest, it's not nearly as catchy as what I was hoping for For comparison, here is one version of the leopards eating my face song (she's done so many versions now) ETA: Fixed a word

          I'll be honest, it's not nearly as catchy as what I was hoping for

          For comparison, here is one version of the leopards eating my face song (she's done so many versions now)

          ETA: Fixed a word

          3 votes
          1. chocobean
            Link Parent
            oooh that is pretty catchy

            oooh that is pretty catchy

            2 votes
  6. jredd23
    Link
    Avoid socializing by pretending to use your phone? Obviously the pew study didn't take into account riding public transportation 13 years after this study. Myself I've used it for running...

    Avoid socializing by pretending to use your phone?
    Obviously the pew study didn't take into account riding public transportation 13 years after this study.
    Myself I've used it for running commentary of passengers that forgot that in the year of lord, 2024, there are great inventions like HEADPHONES!! while maintaining a smile that only hides my tears!
    I am pretty sure that if redone, the percentage would be higher, much higher!

    A Pew study; 13% of cell owners have pretended to use their phone in order to avoid interacting with people around them

    4 votes