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 diplomacy, baby boomers and great depression. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was astute.

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!

16 comments

  1. [8]
    patience_limited
    Link
    For your amusement, the animal kingdom provides ironic commentary on humanity's moral shambles. These are the 1st images of humpback whales having sex, and they're both males. This could be...

    For your amusement, the animal kingdom provides ironic commentary on humanity's moral shambles.

    These are the 1st images of humpback whales having sex, and they're both males. This could be material for Chuck Tingle's next book...

    Canada goose fights off bald eagle in rare, symbolism-laden battle on ice.

    14 votes
    1. [3]
      Raspcoffee
      Link Parent
      Well that's... certainly fitting in more ways than one.

      “Nature has its way of taking out the weak and the not so well and the injured. The eagle likely thought it would be able to take it out quite easily,” Sequeira said. “But, it wasn’t.”

      Well that's... certainly fitting in more ways than one.

      6 votes
      1. [2]
        jredd23
        Link Parent
        I read this the other day, and I thought that this is just a show of dominance. I've seen this with my dogs so it makes sense that other animals show the same behavior. Interesting none the less,...

        I read this the other day, and I thought that this is just a show of dominance. I've seen this with my dogs so it makes sense that other animals show the same behavior. Interesting none the less, and certainly offbeat given 1st time it's been observed, or at least recorded.

        3 votes
        1. Raspcoffee
          Link Parent
          A bit off topic but funny nonetheless, I first thought you were talking about my other comment in this thread, with Flordia man swallowing earrings. Well, it could both fit I guess.

          A bit off topic but funny nonetheless, I first thought you were talking about my other comment in this thread, with Flordia man swallowing earrings.

          Well, it could both fit I guess.

          2 votes
    2. [3]
      jredd23
      Link Parent
      Yeah man, the Canadian goose are no joke. They are gangsters and they know it.

      Yeah man, the Canadian goose are no joke. They are gangsters and they know it.

      6 votes
      2. chocobean
        Link Parent
        Darn Skippy. They appear meek, but will mess you up if provoked past their boundaries. Maybe artist Jessica Borutski would grace us with more angry beaver art from this confrontation.

        Darn Skippy. They appear meek, but will mess you up if provoked past their boundaries.

        Maybe artist Jessica Borutski would grace us with more angry beaver art from this confrontation.

        2 votes
    3. chocobean
      Link Parent
      I don't know about that assertion. How can we say something isn't bad or good as assuredly as that. I'd be more comfortable with "we just don't know". We already know some animals take advantage...

      "There is no good. There is no bad," she said. "It's just wild behaviour."

      I don't know about that assertion. How can we say something isn't bad or good as assuredly as that. I'd be more comfortable with "we just don't know". We already know some animals take advantage of other animals, including sexually. I agree it's hard to pass judgement, but I am also very uncomfortable with people saying we cannot therefore pass judgement. If we had more information we'd get a better picture right. For example if we could interview the whales and the one can clearly communicate "no I was sick and I didn't want this" or "yes even though I was sick my companion whale was still there for me", we would be able to say, this is good or bad behaviour.

      Two rocks collide, there's no good or bad. Two animals, not automatons, with some kind of consciousness and decision making, when they interact I think we should say we don't have enough info, but I think we can't say definitely there's no good or bad behaviour.

      3 votes
  2. [2]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    Estonian Eurovision entry defends 'Espresso Macchiato' after Italy calls for song to be banned Euronews – Elise Morton – 3rd March 2025

    Estonian Eurovision entry defends 'Espresso Macchiato' after Italy calls for song to be banned

    Tommy Cash, Estonia’s Eurovision entry, has responded to accusations that his song ‘Espresso Macchiato’ insults Italians, saying that he never intended to offend.

    It features lyrics about mafia figures and coffee culture, with Cash singing: “Ciao bella, I’m Tomaso, addicted to tobacco. Mi like mi coffè very importante,” and “Mi money numeroso, I work around the clocko. That’s why I’m sweating like a mafioso.”

    Euronews – Elise Morton – 3rd March 2025

    9 votes
    1. jredd23
      Link Parent
      Oh Sh*T! This is a good one. What does this mean? I'll have to wait for the follow-up single. That is funny.

      Oh Sh*T! This is a good one.
      What does this mean? I'll have to wait for the follow-up single. That is funny.

      “Life is like spaghetti, it’s hard until you make it,”

      9 votes