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 loneliness, firmware and game mechanics. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was inquisitive.

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!

7 comments

  1. [2]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    Indians are discovering the thrill of shopping without paying BBC News – Soutik Biswas – 24th September 2026

    Indians are discovering the thrill of shopping without paying

    You are hungry. Or you are not. It doesn't matter.

    You open FoodNeverComes, pick from 22 cuisines and start scrolling. Butter chicken looks good. So does bibimbap. You add a few dishes, watch the total climb and hit checkout. A tracker says a rider is on the way.

    Then you get a dummy AI-generated call from inside the site. He is outside your building, he says, but cannot find your street or door. Except there was never any food in the first place. The order exists only on the screen.

    BBC News – Soutik Biswas – 24th September 2026

    4 votes
    1. jredd23
      Link Parent
      Well in my younger days, window shopping was a thing so I suppose if you are a foody person this qualifies. Excellent idea, even if it's a bit odd.

      Well in my younger days, window shopping was a thing so I suppose if you are a foody person this qualifies. Excellent idea, even if it's a bit odd.

      2 votes
  2. [4]
    skybrian
    Link
    ‘That’s so AI!’ What gen Alpha’s biggest insult tells us (The Guardian)

    ‘That’s so AI!’ What gen Alpha’s biggest insult tells us (The Guardian)

    What’s AI? It’s just a thing the kids are saying now: “That’s AI!” or “That’s so AI!”

    But what is? Something inauthentic, unbelievable or rubbish.

    Which was made by AI? No. Artificial intelligence has very little to do with this.

    4 votes
    1. [3]
      jredd23
      Link Parent
      So over the holiday Alpha kids in the family seem to be coming up and they are indeed doing what kids do; making fun of old people - yea ME! Here's a short youtube clip - Gen Alpha Making Fun of...

      So over the holiday Alpha kids in the family seem to be coming up and they are indeed doing what kids do; making fun of old people - yea ME! Here's a short youtube clip - Gen Alpha Making Fun of Influencers

      7 votes
      1. [2]
        MustangCamaro
        Link Parent
        I'm Gen Z and I also think Influencers should be made fun of. This girl nailed it.

        I'm Gen Z and I also think Influencers should be made fun of.
        This girl nailed it.

        2 votes
        1. DefinitelyNotAFae
          Link Parent
          I have seen a number of these videos but not with kids so we're all uniting in our hatred of it across generations. Daadisnacks is someone who frequently mocks the worst offenders directly.

          I have seen a number of these videos but not with kids so we're all uniting in our hatred of it across generations. Daadisnacks is someone who frequently mocks the worst offenders directly.

          3 votes
  3. jredd23
    Link
    I may from time to time (every time!@) have a heavy foot on the accelerator pedal and with speed traps, cameras etc., this one just pops out of nowhere. I don't know if this may have caused me to...

    I may from time to time (every time!@) have a heavy foot on the accelerator pedal and with speed traps, cameras etc., this one just pops out of nowhere. I don't know if this may have caused me to either laugh or just stop. N.J. cop disguised as shrub helps nab dozens of drivers on phones Welcome to fall weather, can't wait until I see a pile of leaves move.

    3 votes