Archive: July 29, 2007 - August 4, 2007
This Week In Offbeat Crime 8.3.2007
A weekly roundup of some of the world's more unusual crimes and the geniuses who are charged with them.
By Emil Steiner | August 3, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Dunkin' Donuts Sued Over Pork Policy
A lawsuit over bacon: A Dunkin' Donuts franchisee is suing the company for the right not to sell the other white meat.
By Emil Steiner | August 2, 2007; 10:32 AM ET | Comments (32)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to Aug. 2nd! On this date 70 years ago, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 is passed by Congress, which essentially rendered marijuana and all its byproducts illegal. Here is your Thursday Top 5: 5) Scientific GoldAfter exhaustive research, scientists have reached the remarkable conclusion that people have sex "because it feels good"! This groundbreaking discovery comes thanks to a University of Texas peer-reviewed study published in the August edition of the Archives of Sexual Behavior, with data indicating that college-aged men and women list experiencing physical pleasure as their top reason for gettin' it on. Call the Nobel Prize people -- this year's competition is over! 4) For the Love of GodMuch like love, faith makes us do some crazy things, but you have to hand it to Rajesh Tajpuria of Nepal for taking it to the next level. The pharmacy worker "cut off his right hand after...
By Emil Steiner | August 2, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
No Sex Please, We're Vegans, That Is Vegansexual
New Zealand Researcher Identifies 'Vegansexualism' For some vegans, will zero tolerance equal zero fun? (TWP) In the ever-expanding world of sexual identity there are countless orientations, fetishes and predilections, but few as tasteless as this. According to a New Zealand study, some vegans will actually refuse to share a carnal embrace with carnivores. And you thought saying no to frozen yogurt and fur coats was a sacrifice! The University of Canterbury report, titled "Cruelty-Free Consumption in New Zealand," examined the perspectives and experiences of 157 vegetarians and other "ethical consumers" across the country. While 63 percent said they would want a "partner who was also concerned for animals in the way they were," some went further: They said they had no interest in a sexual relationship with a person who eats or uses animal products. Annie Potts, co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Human and Animal Studies at Canterbury,...
By Emil Steiner | August 1, 2007; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (28)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to August 1st! On this date 26 years ago, MTV began broadcasting in the United States and aired its first video, "Video Killed the Radio Star," by the Buggles. Here is your Wednesday Top 5: 5) Turning Your Alcoholism Into ArtWho says drinking and driving don't mix? British art and design student Jack Kirby pounded a Budweiser four-pack every day for three years -- and then used the empties to create a scale model 1965 Ford Mustang. Kirby said it was "hard work," though he did reportedly have a couple cans afterward to celebrate. 4) Avian Birth ControlChristian conservatives may have a point when they say contraception is for the birds. Officials in Hollywood are so fed up with the out-of-control pigeon population that they are looking to put the the flying rats on the pill. Argyle Civic Association is leading the campaign to dose an estimated 5,000 birds...
By Emil Steiner | August 1, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Offbeat's Definitive List Of America's Strangest Laws
Yes, yes, Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, was found "tied to his steering wheel in his birthday suit," but did you know that it is illegal to peel an orange in a Los Angeles hotel room? If not, don't fret -- OFF/beat is here to set you straight with our definitive list of America's 20 strangest laws (compiled from various websites and legal tomes). Readers are encouraged to add their own as long as doing so doesn't violate any obscure statute in their locality ... this means you, readers in Turkmenistan and North Korea! It's Against the Law to: 20) Fish while wearing pajamas in Chicago. 19) Sell instruments in South Carolina on Sunday. 18) Be drunk in a Wyoming mine. 17) Have a goatee in Boston. 16) Serve margarine in a Wisconsin restaurant unless the customer specifically requests it. 15) Eat a hamburger on Sunday in...
By Emil Steiner | July 31, 2007; 11:20 AM ET | Comments (12)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to July 31st! On this date 37 years ago, the British Navy issued its final daily ration of rum aboard the HMS Phoebe on what has come to be known as Black Tot Day. The centuries-old tradition of doling out grog to thirsty sailors concluded after the House of Commons determined months of debate that the risks of piloting ships while drunk outweighed the benefits. Could NASA be next? And on that sobering note, here is your Tuesday Top 5: 5) Silent FaithWhat better way to forget about the silencing of the boatswain's "Up Spirits" than mimes -- ultra-religious mimes? Jason and Mason Porter of Dallas are using actions, not words, "to encourage people to embrace the Christian faith." The twin sons of Rev. Ray Charles and Shirley Porter have been moving audiences at Bethlehem Pentecostal Holiness Church for several years despite their rough pasts, which include time in...
By Emil Steiner | July 31, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Sacred Cows and Sick Ones
Shambo & Skanda Vale: Welsh Hindus Facing More Battles Over TB-Infected Bovines Don't have a cow, man! (AFP/Getty) A struggle in Great Britain over the fate of a number of sacred but diseased cattle kept by a Hindu monastery is the latest battle in the tug-of-war between church and state. Last week Shambo, a beloved and revered Friesen bull, was dragged from Skanda Vale Temple in western Wales and slaughtered by British health officials after testing confirmed he had a rare and infectious form of bovine tuberculosis. Before the bull could be removed, however, monks and nuns from the Hindu monastic community formed a human shield around his enclosure, inciting a day-long standoff, attracting 56 officers. The 100 or so protesters where forcibly removed, and Shambo killed, but that may just be the beginning. New tests confirm that at least two more animals, a water buffalo named Dakshini and a...
By Emil Steiner | July 30, 2007; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (27)
Monday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to July 30th! On this date 51 years ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a joint resolution adopting "In God We Trust" as the national motto. Until then, God had been absent from U.S. currency, though there were references on some bills to silver. And on that pious note, here is your Monday Top 5: 5) Exorcism Gone BadA routine exorcism took a tragic turn this weekend in Pheonix after officers attempts to subdue one particpant with non-lethal force ended in death. According to reports, when police arrived Ronald Marquez was strangling his 3-year-old granddaughter while her bloodied and naked 19-year-old mother was chanting "something that was religious in nature." A struggle ensued and the 49-year-old Marquez was zapped several times by stun guns before being subdued. Although one witness said that he "initially appeared normal," soon after he stopped breathing and was pronounced dead. 4) Dead Love LivesIn...
By Emil Steiner | July 30, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
