Offbeat News - Weird News from Around the World

Wednesday has come around again, and that means it's time for Offbeat News Day!

It's time to reveal to you more weird news stories, more of the oddball stories that sound so far fetched and bizarre, but oddly enough turn out to be completely true.

Offbeat news stories are those weird news items that make you realize that fact is stranger than fiction. These are the odd but true bizarre news stories that make you wonder how, why, what on earth were they thinking, and that's just amazing!

Just how many things happen in our modern world that are Odd But True or totally Bizarre defies belief, but yet they still happen.

This is a selection of Offbeat News stories from the past week that had me rolling on the floor laughing...

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Dead Baby Wakes Up In Coffin

Offbeat News this week begins with the really sad story of a baby girl who was born prematurely in Mexico, and who was declared dead by a doctor.

During the wake, family members heard sounds coming from the coffin, and on opening it, found the baby to be alive and crying.

The baby was taken to hospital, but sadly died three days later of asphyxia.

Dr Jenny Gijon, who recorded the baby as dead, is now facing homicide charges.

Well isn't this a sad story to start off this week's Offbeat News. I hope the following stories are of a more cheerful nature.

Thanks very much to Karen Sanders for pointing out this story.

Read the full story HERE

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Two Tone The Monster Carp Is No More

It's funny how sometimes an edition of Offbeat News starts off with a story on a theme, and then several more stories follow on the same theme as I browse for content. This is one of those days...

Sadly I have to report that the biggest freshwater fish in the UK has died.

Two Tone was named because of his skin colour, and he was found floating on the surface of the lake where he lived by a fisherman.

He had been spotted a few days earlier and looked to be having problems, but when people went to look for him, he had disappeared.

The monster fish (see photo on full article) weighed a record 68lbs, and is thought to have died of old age, and was believed to have been 45 years old.

He is believed to have not been caught more than 50 times during his life, and certainly no more than twice a year. Some fishermen had been trying to catch him for up to 15 years without success.

Two Tone will be buried next weekend, and will have a plaque to mark his grave.

Well that is one fish that won't end up at the local Fish and Chip shop I suppose.

Read the full story HERE

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Late Lennon Letter Delivered At Last

Thirty Four years ago, John Lennon read an interview in a music magazine about Steve Tilston, who was back then a little known folk singer.

Steve said in the interview that he was worried financial success might ruin his songwriting skills.

This prompted John Lennon to write a letter to Steve, courtesy of ZigZag magazine, which no longer exists.

It was only when a collector contacted Steve Tilston about 5 years ago that he received the letter, which is estimated to be worth about £7,000 ($12,000).

In the letter, which was signed by both John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John said

"Being rich doesn't change your experiences in the way you think. The only difference, basically, is that you don't have to worry about money, food, roof etc. But all other experiences - emotions, relationships - are the same as (anybody's). I know, I have been rich and poor and so has Yoko (rich - poor - rich). So, whatya think of that? Love John and Yoko."

Steve, who was only 21 when the letter was written, and is now 60, has recorded more than 20 albums during his music career.

Read the full article HERE

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Vuvuzelas - You Love Them Or Hate Them

Two stadiums in Brisbane in Australia have banned the use of Vuvuzelas, the notorious South African musical instrument that was made famous during the 2010 Football World Cup.

Many spectators as well as television viewers have said that the noise of these instruments was so loud and annoying, that it spoiled the games for them.

Indeed they were loud and annoying, but the Vuvuzela has become a cult instrument, and inspired such bizarre videos as The Fellowship Of The Vuvuzela which is a hilarious spoof of the movie Fellowship Of The Ring.

Read the full story HERE

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Camping Out At The Sales Takes On A New Meaning

When thirty four plots went on sale at Melbourne General Cemetery in Australia, the demand was so high that nine people camped out for several days in order to be at the front of the queue and to guarantee themselves a plot.

The cemetery is one of the oldest in the state of Victoria, and also rather prestigious, however to camp out in a cemetery for a few nights does take a lot of courage.

It wasn't only the supernatural that the campers had to worry about, it was the weather, which was windy and cold, since in Australia this is the middle of winter.

Read the full story HERE

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Would You Take The Green Burial Option?

I just realised that this is the fourth story out of the six so far in this edition that is on the topic of death. Weird isn't it, and if you include the fact that John Lennon is dead and Brisbane is trying to kill off the Vuvuzela, that makes it 100%. I only wish this made the success of this edition a dead cert! You never know...

It seems that a company in Australia has developed an alternative way to end your days, which is a lot greener than either burial or cremation.

The new process, created by a company called Aquamation Industries, apparently completely eliminates pollution, unlike cremation which generates heat and passes gases into the atmosphere.

The process the company has developed is called "alkaline hydrolysis", and more or less replicates the way that animals return to nature if they are buried in the soil without a coffin.

The process speeds up the natural decomposition process, and involves placing the body into a six foot cylinder, in which water is swirled around using a pump.

The water is heated, but not boiled, and the pH level is also raised, so in a matter of four hours you have the same result as what happens in nature in six months.

All that is left is a pile of ashes that can be given to the family of the deceased, the same as with cremation.

The cost of this process is about the same as cremation, but eliminates about 200kg of greenhouse gases. Also the ashes that the family receive will be the body, the whole body, and nothing like the body, unlike cremation where the ashes could include other remains, including the coffin.

Read the full story HERE

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Well you heard these stories first on Offbeat News, and if these aren't proof enough that the truth is stranger than fiction, check the previous installments of this weekly series.

You can now also find links to all of the Offbeat News editions at Squidoo, and if you do enjoy these weekly Offbeat News articles, please could you help share them with your friends etc. I am sure they could use a good laugh too.

For more fun at the expense of victims around the world, take a look at the previous editions of Offbeat News:

11th August 2010

4th August 2010

28th July 2010

21st July 2010

14th July 2010

7th July 2010

30th June 2010

23rd June 2010

16th June 2010

9th June 2010

2nd June 2010

26th May 2010

19th May 2010

12th May 2010

5th May 2010

28th April 2010

21st April 2010

31st March 2010

24th March 2010

17th March 2010

10th March 2010

3rd March 2010

24th February 2010

As always, your comments on any of these news stories are appreciated, and if you enjoy the Offbeat News, please share this edition with your friends.

Sources

ABC News Australia

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Bournemouth Echo

The London Evening Standard