13 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 accessibility, protests and rant. 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!

11 comments

  1. [3]
    Raspcoffee
    Link
    Something small this week, as I'm on a trip, but also think we can use something more cutesy right now; Dutch firemen save a cat from underneath a staircase after it got stuck there.

    Something small this week, as I'm on a trip, but also think we can use something more cutesy right now;

    Dutch firemen save a cat from underneath a staircase after it got stuck there.

    8 votes
    1. chocobean
      Link Parent
      Awww biscuit paws. Kitty thankfully doesn't look distressed though, seeing as how even after a hole is created they needed a can of goodies to lure out :) they weren't uncomfortable

      Awww biscuit paws. Kitty thankfully doesn't look distressed though, seeing as how even after a hole is created they needed a can of goodies to lure out :) they weren't uncomfortable

      3 votes
  2. [3]
    boxer_dogs_dance
    Link
    Unsecured penguin caused helicopter crash with no injuries

    Unsecured penguin caused helicopter crash with no injuries

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      chocobean
      Link Parent
      This is why penguins were not meant to fly. I'm just joking I'm glad the little fella is safe and got his 15m of air time.

      This is why penguins were not meant to fly.

      I'm just joking I'm glad the little fella is safe and got his 15m of air time.

      3 votes
      1. DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        That penguin fought for his freedom! If he couldn't escape he'd take them down with him.

        That penguin fought for his freedom! If he couldn't escape he'd take them down with him.

        3 votes
  3. [3]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    LeBron James becomes first male athlete with a Ken doll BBC News – Samantha Granville – 9th April 2025

    LeBron James becomes first male athlete with a Ken doll

    LeBron James, one of the most iconic figures in modern sports, has made history once again - this time in the toy aisle.

    Mattel has announced the release of a new Barbie in Mr James' likeness, making him the first professional male athlete to be honoured as a Ken doll.

    The doll features the Los Angeles Lakers basketball player in his pre-game fashion and reflects his height - it's an inch taller than the standard Ken doll.

    BBC News – Samantha Granville – 9th April 2025

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      jredd23
      Link Parent
      The branding deals that athletes get are crazy, would be interested in knowing how the back-end economics work. To date, Jordan's deal with Nike, is the goat of brand deals.

      The branding deals that athletes get are crazy, would be interested in knowing how the back-end economics work. To date, Jordan's deal with Nike, is the goat of brand deals.

      1 vote
      1. fefellama
        Link Parent
        David Beckham got a deal when he went to the MLS way back when that gave him the option of starting a new team/franchise for (relative) peanuts. That's gotta be the craziest deal I've ever seen....

        David Beckham got a deal when he went to the MLS way back when that gave him the option of starting a new team/franchise for (relative) peanuts. That's gotta be the craziest deal I've ever seen. He signs on for a few years at the end of his career, makes a bunch of money of course, then when he retires he starts a new team at a fraction of the cost and is now the owner of Inter Miami FC. Not often does an athlete end up with an entire team as part of their contract.

        edit: double checked to make sure I didn't get my facts wrong, and nope, it's just as crazy as I remembered:

        "When David Beckham, whose business manager Simon Fuller had the idea[15] of giving him an option to purchase an expansion team at a price of $25 million when he joined the league in 2007..." via wikipedia.

        Inter Miami is now estimated to be worth $1.2 billion (second highest in the MLS). Nuts.

        2 votes
  4. jredd23
    Link
    On Trump's Tarriff Plan (I know am triggering ppl, but give me a sec) - so 10th of April, Trump held a news conference, in which 'powerful weapons' were stated (google it). I started reading in...

    On Trump's Tarriff Plan (I know am triggering ppl, but give me a sec) - so 10th of April, Trump held a news conference, in which 'powerful weapons' were stated (google it). I started reading in the offbeat web sites about energy weapons etc., That led me down a dark alley I rather enjoyed. Anyway, one book is used as a reference, link below (non-affiliated link). Long winded just for offbeat! So here it is, if you want to read it, go for it, me, I'll find my ways to get to it. TGIF!
    TRANSHUMAN GENOCIDE - THE ENEMY AT THE GATE (PART 1): THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS, EMF SHIELDING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    2 votes