11 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 mortality rates, mirror life and hedonic treadmill. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was keeping score.

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!

13 comments

  1. [2]
    jredd23
    Link
    Not sure if it's a typo or a brilliant way of exploiting the gender reveal. Either way, greatly admire Mr. Richards accomplishment, given how in the coming this is how my holiday break will be...

    Not sure if it's a typo or a brilliant way of exploiting the gender reveal. Either way, greatly admire Mr. Richards accomplishment, given how in the coming ways this is how my holiday break will be spent.
    New Zealander Wins Spanish World Scrabble Title Without Knowing Language

    “He can’t understand why other people can’t just do the same thing,” she said. “He can look at a block of words together and once they go into his brain as a picture he can just recall that very easily.”

    7 votes
    1. imperialismus
      Link Parent
      Of course it's Nigel. I don't play or follow competitive Scrabble, but there's an excellent youtube channel that occasionally pops up in my recommends that covers it, and has many videos about...

      Of course it's Nigel. I don't play or follow competitive Scrabble, but there's an excellent youtube channel that occasionally pops up in my recommends that covers it, and has many videos about Nigel Richards' best plays. Of course there's a video about this one as well.

      4 votes
  2. [3]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    Google Street View image helps police unlock murder case BBC News – Robert Greenall – 19th December 2024

    Google Street View image helps police unlock murder case

    A Google Street View image of a man loading a large white plastic bag into the boot of his car has helped unravel a murder case in a northern Spanish town, police say.

    It captured the exact moment the body of the victim was allegedly being removed.

    Two people were arrested last month, accused of being responsible for the disappearance and murder of a man in October last year. His dismembered remains were found in a cemetery last week.

    BBC News – Robert Greenall – 19th December 2024

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      chocobean
      Link Parent
      aiya...... so a guy was lured by a woman working with her actual partner, and murdered :( pretty ghastly to know his dead body is in that photo.... I'm glad his murder has been solved

      aiya...... so a guy was lured by a woman working with her actual partner, and murdered :(

      pretty ghastly to know his dead body is in that photo.... I'm glad his murder has been solved

      2 votes
      1. jredd23
        Link Parent
        Gives a new meaning to "no picture it didn't happen!" expression.

        Gives a new meaning to "no picture it didn't happen!" expression.

        3 votes
  3. [4]
    Raspcoffee
    Link
    After having made two posts about drugs in the Netherlands, it's time for something really, really Dutch. A piece of art that's a giant bike weighing 600 kilos has been stolen last Monday. Google...

    After having made two posts about drugs in the Netherlands, it's time for something really, really Dutch.

    A piece of art that's a giant bike weighing 600 kilos has been stolen last Monday.

    Google translate as usual:

    Artwork 'The Men's Bicycle' weighing 600 kilos stolen again: 'It's bizarre'

    A huge artwork in the shape of a men's bicycle at the Veluwe aan Zee recreation area (formerly Strand Nulde) in Putten was stolen this weekend. It is still unclear who is behind the theft of the artwork weighing almost 600 kilos.

    The white men's bicycle of more than five by five meters along the A28 appeared to have disappeared, manager Leisurelands discovered this morning. "It's bizarre. The bicycle was put down twenty years ago with a trailer and a large crane, it's a gigantic thing. The place is now not even accessible by car, only on foot or by bike," a spokesperson told Omroep Gelderland.

    The manager has filed a report. "We are very disappointed that this unique artwork, which is appreciated by so many visitors, has disappeared," said Kees Rutten of Leisurelands. Four-day cycling event

    In 2012, the bike was also taken by members of an events committee of the Drenthe four-day cycling event in Westerbork. Ten men took the bike down from the pedestal at night. They then transported the bike in a truck to Westerbork. The bike was returned after a week.

    The manager hopes that 'De Herenfiets' will return to its place this time too. "If anyone has camera footage or has happened to see someone with a gigantic white bike, we would like to hear from you."

    More art stolen

    A work of art also appears to have disappeared in Drenthe, writes RTV Drenthe. It concerns the TT artwork De Tijdgeest van de Racerij in Rolde. Ben Ernens, chairman of the village interest association, wonders to the broadcaster whether it is an end-of-year stunt.

    Last weekend, art benches also disappeared in Het Hogeland (Groningen). The artworks have been replaced by numbered signs with cryptic texts such as: 'This woman is resting somewhere else', which according to RTV Noord indicates that this is a New Year's Eve joke.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      updawg
      Link Parent
      We can't rule out that it's still there and we just haven't noticed it yet.

      appeared to have disappeared

      We can't rule out that it's still there and we just haven't noticed it yet.

      7 votes
      1. Raspcoffee
        Link Parent
        Yeah it's probably due to Google Translate, it probably more translates to like Or something like that. Funny though, so I'll keep it.

        Yeah it's probably due to Google Translate, it probably more translates to like

        was first seen to have disappeared

        Or something like that. Funny though, so I'll keep it.

        4 votes
    2. chocobean
      Link Parent
      well, there's your problem, it just up and cycled away!

      The place is now not even accessible by car, only on foot or by bike

      well, there's your problem, it just up and cycled away!

      4 votes
  4. [4]
    CrazyProfessor02
    Link
    The bald eagle isn't actually America's national bird — but that's poised to change Some interesting (and weird) news for my fellow Americans on here that thought that our national bird, was not...

    The bald eagle isn't actually America's national bird — but that's poised to change

    Some interesting (and weird) news for my fellow Americans on here that thought that our national bird, was not in fact our national bird. It is now, it's just really weird that we were taught this as kids.

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      Sapholia
      Link Parent
      The aside in that article, about roses being the national flower and bison being the national mammal, is pretty ironic to me. Roses aren't native to the US, at least, not the typical garden rose...

      The aside in that article, about roses being the national flower and bison being the national mammal, is pretty ironic to me. Roses aren't native to the US, at least, not the typical garden rose most people think of. And calling the bison the national mammal feels like trying to gloss over how we devastated the population out of sheer greed in the 19th century.

      3 votes
      1. DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        Shhhhhhh shhh we don't talk about it. Since it just happened in 2016 I think it was more about the successful conservation of the species and their bouncing back, more atonement, less gloss. And...

        > feels like trying to gloss over how we devastated the population out of sheer greed in the 19th century.

        Shhhhhhh shhh we don't talk about it.

        Since it just happened in 2016 I think it was more about the successful conservation of the species and their bouncing back, more atonement, less gloss. And acknowledgement of the bison's importance to Indigenous peoples. Now to be fair, not a lot of atonement since the pronouncement just mentions how the number of bison "fell" when what they meant to say is killed pointlessly in the millions to take the land from both the indigenous people and animals.

        So like... still some gloss I guess.

        3 votes
    2. CannibalisticApple
      Link Parent
      Guess it was just an oversight. Everyone grew up knowing it was our national bird for over 100 years, so who would think to check if that was ever certified? Alternatively, American politicians...

      Guess it was just an oversight. Everyone grew up knowing it was our national bird for over 100 years, so who would think to check if that was ever certified?

      Alternatively, American politicians have the chance to the funniest thing ever. Ben Franklin supported turkeys for the national bird, didn't he?

      2 votes