Archive: OFF/beat
OFF/beat on the Move
Dear Readers: Starting Monday, OFF/beat will have a new address: http://readexpress.com/offbeat. You'll be able to get your fix of weird news, commentary and moments of schadenfreude at readexpress, which is a publication of The Washington Post. So thanks for reading, and see you at readexpress.com/offbeat!...
By Emil Steiner | May 9, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Email a Comment
Texas Teens Accused of Smoking Pot With a Skull
Trio allegedly dug up corpse, decapitated it and smoked weed out of it -- a misdemeanor in Texas.
By Emil Steiner | May 9, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From Nevada's governor petitioning to evict his wife from the mansion to sports rivalries gone nuts, here is your morning dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | May 8, 2008; 08:15 AM ET | Comments (3)
Roy Pearson's Latest Lawsuit
The $54 million pants suit judge is at it again, this time claiming the District owes him $1 million for firing him.
By Emil Steiner | May 6, 2008; 03:00 PM ET | Comments (14)
Monday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to May 5! On this date 83 years ago, according to Wikipedia, Tennessee educator John T. Scopes was arrested for allegedly teaching evolution at his high school. Here is your Monday Top 4: Forever toasted on ice-cold goodness. (AP) 4) Rest in PabstBill Bramanti may have found a way to remind friends and a family of both his love for beer even after he's gone. The 67-year-old resident of South Chicago Heights, Ill. will go to his rest in a specially designed coffin shaped like a giant can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Bramanti, who is 5-feet-9-inches tall and weighs 280 pounds, estimates the "vessel" can hold him or as much as 15 cases of beer on ice. And while he fully intends to use it as his final resting place, in the interim Bramanti is getting use out of it as a cooler for his favorite beverage. According to...
By Emil Steiner | May 5, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly round-up of stupid crimes and the idiots who commit them.
By Emil Steiner | May 2, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Huron High Lacrosse Team Suspended for Prom Proposal
When Is Mooning in the Name of Love Acceptable? Bad moon rising in Huron, Mich. The delicate balance of romance, spontaneity and male teen angst took a bad turn in Huron, Mich., this week after 13 lacrosse players were suspended for painting a prom invitation on their backsides. Kristoff Wennersten wanted to do something "really special" to ask his girlfriend, Carolyn Campbell, to the prom. So he reportedly convinced 12 of his teammates to write "Will You Go to the Prom With Me? Yes or No?" on their posteriors while mooning Campbell at a soccer game. Campbell found the proposal "cute" (she said yes). School officials, however, were not as enthused. All 13 players were suspended for a day of school and an undetermined number of games, and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service. "It disrespects women, and that's the clear message we need to have the students...
By Emil Steiner | May 1, 2008; 07:45 AM ET | Comments (8)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From Ronaldo's transvestite run-in to a 7-year-old grand theft auto, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 30, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Mike's Hard Lemonade Breaks Up Family
Michigan professors lose son after accidentally serving him an alcoholic beverage.
By Emil Steiner | April 29, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (31)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From the 24th annual Interstate Mullet Toss to shooing bees with a gun, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 29, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
'Darth Vader' Attacks Jedi Church Founder
Court Issues Warrant When Dark Lord Strikes Back
By Emil Steiner | April 24, 2008; 04:40 PM ET | Comments (5)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to April 24! On this date 55 years ago, according to Wikipedia, the Southwest Bank in St. Louis was robbed, a heist that was later immortalized in the Steve McQueen movie imaginatively titled, "The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery." Future News Prediction: Inspired by Alec Baldwin's "Always Be Closing" speech from Glengarry Glen Ross, Barack Obama's campaign staff refuses to serve him coffee of any kind, telling him that coffee "is for closers only!" Here is your Thursday Top 4: 4) Stripping Down ImmigrationAccording to reports, Canadian Immigration Minister Diane Finley is under tightened security after stepping up efforts to keep foreign strippers out of Canada. The Conservative MP has received many threats "of an escalating nature" directly linked to Bill C-17, the government's anti-stripper legislation intended to tighten a fast-track program for exotic dancers. 3) Seoul SearchingAccording to reports, 88 city workers in Seoul who were deemed "incompetent...
By Emil Steiner | April 24, 2008; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Derrick Shepherd, Sagging Pants and the Music Man
Is Trouble With a Capital 'T' Brewing in Baton Rouge? Sagging survives statewide test. (AP) Louisiana's attempt to create a statewide ban on droopy pants has failed, but its sponsor has vowed to keep fighting. And for some reason I can't get the "The Music Man" out of my head. Watch for the tell-tale sign of corruption! The moment your son leaves the house, Does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee? The anti-sagging bill, introduced by State Sen. Derrick Shepherd, would have made it illegal for people to wear clothing that "intentionally exposes undergarments or intentionally exposes any portion of the pubic hair, cleft of the buttocks or genitals." Anyone caught violating the dress code in public would have faced up to a $175 fine and eight days of community service. Shepherd has been in a twist over low riders since 2004. "The shorts are getting shorter, the tops...
By Emil Steiner | April 23, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Deutsche Bank Bans Prostitutes and Porn
Will the belt-tightening squeeze traders to into irrational behavior?
By Emil Steiner | April 22, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From drug testing bulls to a Russian strip club's Orthodox blessing, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 22, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Satire First, Reality Later
The Onion's 'Sousaphone Hero' prediction comes true (almost).
By Emil Steiner | April 21, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
This Week In Offbeat Crime
Tony Montana they ain't. (Universal City Studios) It's Friday again, time to look back on another fabulous week in Offbeat crime. Before we get to the nominees, I'm pleased to announce that the winners of the Stupidest Criminal Award for April 4: Jill Foreman and her fiancé, Larry Rieck, of Sulphur Springs, La. The hapless couple picked up 36 percent of the votes for returning a call from police about their missing car and then asking officers if they could buy $150 worth of crack from them. For actually going to the trouble of meeting up with the police and getting arrested, the pair earn a bid in OFF/beat's 2008 Crime Wrap Sheet hosted in December. Thanks to everyone who voted. Without further ado, here are your nominees for this week's Stupidest Criminal Award: *** First is Louis Rolstad, of Wharton, N.J., who was arrested after phoning police and...
By Emil Steiner | April 18, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
OFF/Beat's Papal Merchandise Shopping List
From bobblehead Benedict to Ratzinger brats, when it comes to the Papacy, profits spring eternal.
By Emil Steiner | April 16, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From the nerdiest wedding proposal ever to the worst-ever reaction to a job rejection, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 16, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From a "mole man" ordered to stop digging to a literal interpretation of ballot stuffing, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 15, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Tree Man Sheds Bark
After four operations, Dede Koswara hopes to marry. But will his looks hold him back?
By Emil Steiner | April 14, 2008; 09:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From the world's largest BBQ to the world's most expensive coffee, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 14, 2008; 10:15 AM ET | Email a Comment
Zulu 1 Tactical Airsoft Simulation Puts Folly in Play
Muslim Association of Britain Outraged by War Game Attire.
By Emil Steiner | April 10, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
Today's dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 10, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From a mayor who wants to leave town to a woman who married the Berlin Wall, here is your morning OFF/beat news roundup.
By Emil Steiner | April 9, 2008; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
Your morning dose of offbeat news is dominated by wild goings-on at the Post Office.
By Emil Steiner | April 8, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Schools Embrace a Complaint-Free World
Rev. Will Bowen's campaign for self-help and purple "spirit" bracelets reach the classroom.
By Emil Steiner | April 7, 2008; 10:10 AM ET | Comments (21)
Monday Breakfast Bender
Monkeys, dogs and birthday cakes dominate your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 7, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week in OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and those accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | April 4, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From Australia's cane toad to England's exercise scofflaw, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 3, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Taily Day News Quiz
Can you tell the real news headlines from the fake ones?
By Emil Steiner | April 2, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From a five-legged puppy to some homeless kittens, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 2, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Surgeon General Warns Smoking Ban May Be Harmful
Can you believe this story?
By Emil Steiner | April 1, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From an elephant polo tourney to a Mexican bull behind bars, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | April 1, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Dr. Pepper 'Begging' For 'Chinese Democracy'
Will free sodas for all inspire Axl Rose?
By Emil Steiner | March 31, 2008; 09:57 AM ET | Comments (4)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From going topless in Denmark to going underground in Alaska, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 31, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and those accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | March 28, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From snake vodka to the newest shortest man on earth, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 27, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From a botched surgery to a bad job, here is you morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 26, 2008; 06:15 AM ET | Email a Comment
Thomas Beatie: The First Man to Give Birth?
Thomas Beatie the transgender dad whose pregnancy has inspired curiosity and prejudice.
By Emil Steiner | March 25, 2008; 12:20 PM ET | Comments (88)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From a Zen prayer dog to mandatory sterilization for welfare recipients, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 25, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
British Family Told To Lose Weight or Lose Children
Can Social Workers Break Up a Family Over Obesity? There are many forms of child abuse, but allowing your kids to become overweight? Absolutely, say social workers in England, who are reportedly giving three children until June to shed several pounds -- or they and their other three siblings will be put into foster care. "I don't even own a deep-fat fryer," their mother was quoted saying during an "emotional" interview with The Daily Mail. She reported that rather than motivating the children to lose weight, the social workers' intervention has just caused stress. She said her 11-year-old daughter is starving herself to avoid separation and her 12-year-old son has developed "anger issues." Nadine Dorries, the conservative member of parliament for the area and a former nurse, described the social workers' approach as "draconian." But Britain is second only to America in obesity, and health experts caution that it is...
By Emil Steiner | March 24, 2008; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (7)
Monday Breakfast Bender
With reports from Australia to Hawaii, here is your morning dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 24, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week in Offbeat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and stupid suspects.
By Emil Steiner | March 21, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Australian Suicide Robot Raises Questions
If the pursuit of happiness is no longer possible do we have the right to build a futuristic machine to terminate our life?
By Emil Steiner | March 20, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From Japan's ambassador of anime to a retired couple making sweaters out of dog hair, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 20, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Christvertising Controversy
A website advertises "Brand-Targeted Prayer" to improve your brand in the eyes of god.
By Emil Steiner | March 19, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From an expensive nose to a life up for auction, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 19, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
The Miseducation of Quonterious Thomas & Amanda Rouse
When it comes to rules, schools choose bureaucracy over common sense.
By Emil Steiner | March 18, 2008; 09:15 AM ET | Comments (4)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From Russia to China to Michigan, the morning roundup of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 18, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Salvia Divinorum Creates Catch-22
As states push for a crackdown, smokers scramble to try the drug while it's still legal.
By Emil Steiner | March 12, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (77)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From a Putin proposal to cut corruption by cutting off hands to a poodle dyed pink to promote breast cancer awareness, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 12, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
4-Year-Olds Handcuffed For Disrespecting Nap Time
Parents sue school, but have they slept on the big issue?
By Emil Steiner | March 11, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From elephants obstructing voters to the Church of England's sex guide, here is your morning dose of Offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 11, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Skins Parties Use Technology to Maximize Mayhem
The latest rage among kids today: Having a party while the 'rents are away -- and then bragging about it.
By Emil Steiner | March 10, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (4)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From vodka slurping tank drivers to an NCAA tournament vasectomy, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 10, 2008; 08:50 AM ET | Comments (2)
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the people accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | March 7, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Russians Eye Space Sex and Conception
Who will be the first to join the 200-Mile High Club?
By Emil Steiner | March 6, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From strawberry-flavored methamphetamine to the world's most environmentally conscious beer, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 6, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Moses, Exodus and Drugs
A new study connects mind-altering plants and the Hebrews' perceived encounters with God.
By Emil Steiner | March 5, 2008; 12:55 PM ET | Comments (27)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From Brooklyn's Ghostbusters to a shark repellent that may attract sharks, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 5, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
'Readington 29' Pennygate Protesters Pardoned
Pennies remain legal tender for all protests, public and private.
By Emil Steiner | March 4, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (54)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From Italy's wacky political parties to the environmental benefits of eating whale meat, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 4, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Why Does the Kremlin Need 3,200 White Mice?
That's a lot of mice, even if they are going to be food for hawks.
By Emil Steiner | March 3, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From a group of huggable protesters to the world's largest biryani, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | March 3, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the people accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | February 29, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From playing dead to pick up women to a kindergarten student suspended for his haircut, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 28, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
BBC Reporter Smokes Marijuana to Enhance Story
Would this column be better if I wrote it under the influence of drugs? Vote now -- and depending on the results, I'll check with my editor.
By Emil Steiner | February 27, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (77)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From an elephant hunt to a monkey wedding, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 27, 2008; 06:15 AM ET | Email a Comment
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From shoes for Germany's police dogs to a trade school teaching students to grow pot, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 26, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From the fattest cheerleaders in baseball to the world's largest hamburger, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 25, 2008; 06:30 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week in OFF/beat Crime
From a man who stole a GPS device from a police car to a man who walked into a police station with beer in his hand and marijuana in his pocket.
By Emil Steiner | February 22, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Israeli MP Blames Gays for Earthquakes
A novel geology theory gets an airing in Israel.
By Emil Steiner | February 21, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (18)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From cops Tasing cows to a supposed conversation between Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 21, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
The Seven Worst Ways to Pop the Question
With most women saying their marriage proposals were "less romantic" than they hoped for, here are situations to avoid.
By Emil Steiner | February 20, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From Australia's porky postmen to a British pig painting abstract art, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 20, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Elephant Sex Crime at Sydney's Taronga Zoo?
Is Thong Dee's pre-teen pregnancy a miracle or a moral outrage?
By Emil Steiner | February 19, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From new positions in the primate Kama Sutra, to the Scottish "pelican-man," here is your morning dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 19, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week In Offbeat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and people accused of them.
By Emil Steiner | February 15, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (2)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From a pregnant woman fighting for a last beer to the sexual phenomenon of "choreplay," here is your Valentine's morning dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 14, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From writing off your kick-backs to sheep herders selling sex toys, here is your morning dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 13, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
New UFO Sighting Reported In Stephenville Texas
The truth may be out there, but, when it comes to UFO stories, it is sure hard to find.
By Emil Steiner | February 12, 2008; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (204)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From India's Supreme Court mustache case to a Sacramento store banning Arnold Schwarzenegger, here is your morning dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 12, 2008; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Does Facebook Discriminate Against Homeschoolers?
The social networking site doesn't allow them to join unless they tell a white lie.
By Emil Steiner | February 11, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From Beijing's drop in public spitting to British doctors prescribing sex to eliminate wrinkles, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 11, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and people accused of them.
By Emil Steiner | February 8, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Claremont McKenna 'White Party' Isn't What She Thinks
When the dean of students criticized a 'white party,' she helped make it a success.
By Emil Steiner | February 7, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (45)
Does Office Sex Increase Productivity?
Italian sexologist Serenella Salomoni says, Oh Yes! But what about you? An OFF/beat poll.
By Emil Steiner | February 6, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (9)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From first-grade grand theft auto to the world's longest silent play, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 6, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From a toxic enema to a ban on obesity, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 5, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
The High Cost of Cell Phone Calls in a Buffalo High School
Was Jayvonna Kincannon really suspended just for making a phone call -- or are there deeper reasons?
By Emil Steiner | February 4, 2008; 02:41 PM ET | Comments (7)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From a bed fit for a pedophile to a Mickey Mouse DUI arrest, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | February 4, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the people accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | February 1, 2008; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
When Video Evidence Isn't Enough
The bizarre case of a teenager who tried to kill her parents -- and videotaped the attempt.
By Emil Steiner | January 31, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From speed-dating sugar mamas to a stash of frozen ferrets, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 31, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Is The Canadian Brown Finch Channel 7 Poo Video Real?
Talk about a bad day at the office. A purported on-air reporter at Action News 7 in Detroit is apparently covering an infestation of Canadian brown finches, when all the sudden the birds put the drop on him. . . literally. Let's go to the tape: Since Friday, the tape has flown to the top of the viral video charts, but a lingering question remains, can it be for real? Most bloggers say no. Various theories abound, some which follow the news ticker at the bottom of the screen which would seem to indicate it took place in December, so why would it take something so funny so long to leak out? I made a call to WXYZ Channel 7 Action News, and they say they haven't covered any stories about birds in "at least the past two months." Further muddying the video's credibility is the fact that search engines...
By Emil Steiner | January 30, 2008; 03:58 PM ET | Comments (3)
Today Is International Delete Your MySpace Account Day
The story of one small blogger trying to take down the world's largest social networking site.
By Emil Steiner | January 30, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From an interesting flavor of risotto to smoked rats ready for cooking, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 30, 2008; 06:55 AM ET | Comments (1)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From a monkey's autobiography to a crocodile orgy, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 29, 2008; 06:15 AM ET | Email a Comment
Monday Breakfast Bender
From a frigid stunt to an incident of human-on-horse violence, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 28, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the people accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | January 25, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
NASA Mars Man Photo Fuels ET Debate
Who's on Mars?
By Emil Steiner | January 24, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (72)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
A contest to win a date with Drew Peterson, goths on buses and and other offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 24, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Email a Comment
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From the battle to liberate haggis to a course called Beer 101, here is your morning dose of OFF/beat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 23, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Science Lab or Fraternity Initiation in Texas?
A middle-school teacher was suspended after a milk-chugging experiment ended in a puke-fest. But is that so wrong?
By Emil Steiner | January 22, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (12)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From Sweden's bovine burping research to holding Jesus hostage over doggie doo, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 22, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week in OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the people accused of them. Vote now on this week's Stupidest Criminal!
By Emil Steiner | January 18, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
Why it's dangerous to make confessions to your pets -- and other offbeat news for your morning.
By Emil Steiner | January 17, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Was It a UFO in Stephenville? An Offbeat Poll
An unscientific reader poll on whether extraterrestrial life is science or science fiction.
By Emil Steiner | January 16, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (98)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From the sex lives of political independents to Listerine benders, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 16, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
The Vatican Revives the Harry Potter Debate
Can the Catholic Church resist the temptation of a good-vs.-evil debate?
By Emil Steiner | January 15, 2008; 03:30 PM ET | Comments (73)
Multiple UFO Sightings in Stephenville, Texas
What flew across the skies of Texas last week?
By Emil Steiner | January 15, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (794)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From an Obama typo to a shark's immaculate conception, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 15, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
OFF/beat's Bright Business Ideas for 2008
Three new products so profound in genius they make sliced bread seem like New Coke.
By Emil Steiner | January 14, 2008; 01:25 PM ET | Comments (6)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From drug testing at the Grammy Awards to Mr. Clean's eviction for poor hygiene, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 14, 2008; 08:15 AM ET | Comments (1)
Monkey Prostitution Rattles Homo Sapiens' Society
Can human altruism exist within the rules of biological market theory?
By Emil Steiner | January 10, 2008; 06:30 PM ET | Comments (16)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From microwaving Satan to a Long Island ban on Silly String, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | January 10, 2008; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Off the Beaten Path
OFF/beat will return Jan. 9.
By Emil Steiner | January 2, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
OFF/beat's Year In Review
A retrospective of the year's strangest quotes, headlines and phrases.
By Emil Steiner | December 31, 2007; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From an Antarctic Christmas brawl to outsourcing pregnancy to India, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 31, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Southwest Airlines Stumbles Out of the Closet
Conflicting messages from the company's gay travel section.
By Emil Steiner | December 27, 2007; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (34)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From a waring against hospital clowns to a possible middle ground between feminists and Muslim extremists, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 27, 2007; 06:50 AM ET | Comments (2)
Boxing Day For the Rest of Us
Enjoying the also-ran of this holiday season is the true spirit of Christmas.
By Emil Steiner | December 26, 2007; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (4)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From a dead man sending Christmas cards to Kim Jong Il's loving television repairs, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 26, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
2007 OFF/beat Crime Wrap Sheet
On this final Friday before the holidays, it's time to take a look back on the year that was in OFF/beat crime.
By Emil Steiner | December 21, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
The 2007 Idiot of the Year Awards
The results are in. And the winner is....
By Emil Steiner | December 20, 2007; 02:39 PM ET | Comments (98)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From muffin-eating flight attendants to an unusual tattoo, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 20, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Sherri Shepherd's Novel Retail Parenting Theory
The cast member shares her Christmas shopping experience in a 'rich white folks' store.'
By Emil Steiner | December 19, 2007; 06:33 PM ET | Comments (14)
2007 Idiot of the Year Nominees
Readers vote: Who should be 2007's Idiot of the Year?
By Emil Steiner | December 19, 2007; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (48)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
Here is your morning mix of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 19, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
UBS Ties Jump in Lunar Land Value To U.S. Housing
The long and short of buying property on the Moon. Yes, the emperor may be wearing clothes after all.
By Emil Steiner | December 18, 2007; 01:55 PM ET | Comments (4)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From the toughest news anchor in Philadelphia to Wii cockroaches, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 18, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
The iPond Siamese Fighting Fish Flap
How the latest accessory for your iPod could be cruel to your pet fish.
By Emil Steiner | December 17, 2007; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (18)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From a big bigamist to the most profitable way to keep kids off drugs, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 17, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The final installment of the weekly roundup before the Stupidest Criminal of the Year Awards!
By Emil Steiner | December 14, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From near-fatal vodka drinking to a 'robot' heckler, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 13, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From the world's fastest taxi driver to the world's greatest 'mathlete,' here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 12, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Aussies Fight Climate Change With Kangaroo Farts & Contraception
Some, um, innovative ideas on reducing climate change from Down Under.
By Emil Steiner | December 11, 2007; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (13)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From deadly bathrooms to fine graveyard dining and a night at the Mausoleum Inn, death suffuses today's offbeat news report.
By Emil Steiner | December 11, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Digg and the Art of Marketing Plagiarism
How a story about the most expensive phone number ever sold became a devilish lesson about Internet trickery.
By Emil Steiner | December 10, 2007; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From the case of the bad-breath doorman to a holiday season faux pas, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 10, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the people accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | December 7, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From the first-ever case of menorah envy to the Gypsies of the O.C., here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 6, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From a real-life Mickey Mouse court to the case of the marijuana meatball, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 5, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Heaven 2.0
A new website raises the question: Does Heaven take PayPal?
By Emil Steiner | December 4, 2007; 07:30 PM ET | Comments (19)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From drunk lovers stealing airplanes to monkeys outsmarting college students, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | December 4, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
OFF/beat's Top 10 Holiday Gift List
Our second annual compilation of the strangest gifts on the Internet.
By Emil Steiner | December 3, 2007; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (11)
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the people accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | November 30, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
A Prostitute's Pledge for a Chilean Telethon
There is no doubt that $4,000 can go a long way to help youngsters who really need it. The question remains whether the charity should want it.
By Emil Steiner | November 29, 2007; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From too-noisy rooster to a drunken mall moose, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 29, 2007; 06:30 AM ET | Email a Comment
Ontario Junior Hockey Throwdown
If fighting is an intrinsic part of professional hockey, is it reasonable expect juniors not to drop their gloves?
By Emil Steiner | November 28, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (16)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From backward brain surgery to judge ordering the return of marijuana, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 28, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
Has Jesse Rodriguez Gotten Away With Murder?
How a confessed killer not only dodged punishment, but is actually helping prosecutors convict another man for the crime.
By Emil Steiner | November 27, 2007; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From a parking scandal in Rome to sabotage at a Puerto Rican beauty pageant, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 27, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Looney Tunes & Background Checks
The story of a woman who almost lost her job because of Porky, Bugs and Elmer.
By Emil Steiner | November 26, 2007; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From bovine quadruplets to the really bad airline food, here is you morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 26, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
10 Ways to Ruin Thanksgiving Dinner
OFF/beat's surefire ways to make the worst out of America's most stressful meal.
By Emil Steiner | November 21, 2007; 06:00 PM ET | Comments (8)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From the world's least anticipated beauty pageant to a the world's oldest nude model, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 20, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From a champion Tabasco drinker to a whale in the Amazon rain forest, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 19, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week In OFF/beat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the criminals accused of committing them.
By Emil Steiner | November 16, 2007; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From suing China for censorship to getting high off of toads, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 15, 2007; 06:10 AM ET | Comments (2)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From a man marrying a dog to a town where more people want to wrestle in pie filling than participate in politics, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 14, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From the world's first flying palace to a woman suing to keep a horse in her apartment, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 13, 2007; 05:59 AM ET | Comments (1)
Monday Breakfast Bender
Australia's naked politics to ham-and-latka-flavored soda, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 12, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
This Week in Offbeat Crime
It's Friday again, time to look back on another fabulous week in OFF/beat crime! Here are your nominees for this week's Stupidest Criminal Award
By Emil Steiner | November 9, 2007; 04:00 PM ET | Comments (1)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From Borat's new book to the worst resume ever, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 8, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From Britain's "stupidest laws" to cookie torture, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 7, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Jenkem Madness?
Are teens really getting high off their own waste? Probably not.
By Emil Steiner | November 6, 2007; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (89)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From disco-dancing dental disasters to life after cremation, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 6, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From the axe-murderers of Advent to a corpse assaulted at a funeral, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 5, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
This Week In Offbeat Crime
The weekly roundup of stupid crimes and the criminals accused of attempting them.
By Emil Steiner | November 2, 2007; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From the latest doggie-urinal technology to the Grinch who stole Halloween, here is you morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | November 1, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Email a Comment
OFF/beat's Guide To PC Halloween Costumes
Here are a few OFF/beat suggestions for some costumes not to wear tonight.
By Emil Steiner | October 31, 2007; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From invisible tanks to Ku Klux Klan infighting, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | October 31, 2007; 05:37 AM ET | Comments (2)
The Mischievous History of Devil's Night
Unmasking the Western World's Most Bizarre Holiday
By Emil Steiner | October 30, 2007; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (20)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From a girl's soccer coach mooning the other team to hunting dogs shooting a man in Iowa, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | October 30, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From a hamburger-eating contest to a go-kart police chase, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | October 29, 2007; 05:17 AM ET | Comments (1)
This Week In Offbeat Crime
Tommy Vercetti they ain't. (Rockstar Games) It's Friday again, time to look back on another fabulous week in OFF/beat crime! Here are your nominees for this week's Stupidest Criminal Award: * The front-runners, thus far, are a pair of feckless Swedish bank robbers who proved that even in crime, "reading is fundamental." According to reports out of Ankarsrum, the dynamic duo failed to read a sign outside the the Tjustbygdens Sparbank, stating that there was "no cash on the premises." Toting a handgun and a crowbar, they refused to believe staff who insisted it was a "cashless bank" and scoured the premises. Coming up empty-handed they then attempted to rob a nearby grocery store but were foiled by a clerk who locked the door and refused to let them in. Bank manager Mats Hasselqvist summarized the situation well by saying: "You would think that robbers would do some research...
By Emil Steiner | October 26, 2007; 05:42 AM ET | Comments (1)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
From the world's coolest bar to France's national lazing around day, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | October 25, 2007; 05:20 AM ET | Comments (2)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
From drunk elephants to fat spouses, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | October 24, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
From Harry Potter-related injuries to a $1.3 million bra, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.†
By Emil Steiner | October 23, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Monday Breakfast Bender
From a 'Vomit Walk' in Iowa City to butlering at gunpoint, here is your morning dose of offbeat news.
By Emil Steiner | October 22, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Email a Comment