Offbeat News - Weird Stories from Around the World

It's Wednesday.

Do you know what Wednesday means?

Wednesday means it's Offbeat News Day!

Offbeat News, Offbeat News, We All Love Offbeat News
Offbeat News, Offbeat News, We All Love Offbeat News

"What is Offbeat News?" you might ask.

Offbeat news items are those weird news items that make you realize that fact is stranger than fiction, the odd but true bizarre news stories that make you wonder how, why, what on earth were they thinking, and that's just amazing! It's amazing just how many things happen in our modern world that are Odd But True or totally Bizarre.

This is a selection of Offbeat News stories from the past week that had me laughing and bemused.

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For Second Time Woman Spared Jail For Noisy Sex

A woman from Washington in the north of England has escaped being sent to prison for a second time, because her sex sessions with her husband get so loud that the whole neighborhood gets to listen.

Now you might think that this is some young woman, but Caroline Cartwright is 49, and judging by the photo of the couple it really makes you wonder.

She has been given four ASBO's (Anti Social Behavior Offense) before, and broke the law yet again. Complaints from her neighbors said that her loud screaming and shouting, and playing loud dance music had been going on for years.

In January this year she received an eight week suspended prison sentence for breaking her ASBO three times, and now she has a twelve week suspended sentence to add to that.

I think that if she hasn't stopped by now, she isn't going to. Maybe they need to insist that they make their bedroom soundproof, so that at least if the noisy episodes don't stop, the noise is at least contained.

Read the full story and see pictures HERE

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Marilyn Monroe X-Rays Sell For $45,000

Three X-rays of Marilyn Monroe's chest and pelvis that were taken during a hospital visit in 1954 have sold at auction for $45,000.

The items were sold as part of a Hollywood Legends Memorabilia auction that was held at the Planet Hollywood Resort And Casino in Las Vegas last weekend.

Other items that went for a lot more than a song included a chair that was used in Marilyn Monroe's last photo shoot, which sold for $35,000, the costume worn by Christopher Reeve in Superman VI which sold for $32,500, and a dress worn in the movie Funny Face by Audrey Hepburn which sold for $56,250.

It never ceases to amaze me how much people are prepared to pay for memorabilia like this. I suppose everything has it's price it you want it badly enough.

Read the full story and see the picture HERE

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Police Station Thieves Even Take The Kitchen Sink

Everyone is familiar with the expression "everything but the kitchen sink".

Well thieves in South Africa have gone one better than that, stealing everything from a police station that was being renovated, including the toilets, cupboards, doors, windows, and the kitchen sink.

The police meantime were at a temporary facility, while the old station was being updated.

It's not the old fittings that were stolen either, since the renovations were almost completed.

Read the full story HERE

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Got US$700,000 To Spare? Why Not Buy A Whole Village!

This wouldn't even buy you a luxury mansion in many parts of the USA, but in New Zealand you could buy a whole village for this price.

The town of Otira, which is in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and has a population of 40, is up for sale by it's owners.

The current owners, Bill and Christine Hennah, decided to purchase the town in 1998 after passing through and apparently "feeling sorry for it".

Back then, they paid $NZ80,000 (US$56,000) for the town, which included the hotel, school, railway station, town hall and 18 houses.

Now in their sixties, the couple are looking to sell the hotel, or if there are any takers, the whole town.

Since the town is in the middle of a national park, on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, this is ideal for anyone who just wants to get away from it all - and who has the money to spare of course.

Read the full story HERE
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Man Breaks Into Apartment - Steals Soup - Urinates On Walls

Well you can expect pretty much anything to happen in Florida, and another case where the truth is stranger than fiction occurred last week in Fort Myers, where a thief broke into an apartment, stole two cans of soup, and then urinated over the walls.

What sort of person would do something like that? Well just click on the link below to find out. As I said, this is Florida...

The whole incident was captured by surveillance cameras - I am waiting for this to appear on You Tube!

The video apparently shows the man leaving the apartment with a can of soup, and hammering it on the wall to try and open it, unsuccessfully. He then returns to the apartment, and grabs another can of soup. The video also shows him urinating on the walls.

The Sheriff's office was notified, and they sent a description of the man to local businesses.

A few hours later, employees at a local bar noticed someone who matched the description, and called the police.

There are some sad, sick and dirty people in this world, but this is just disgusting don't you think?

Read the full story HERE

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Attention All Divers And Snorkelers - This Concert Is For You

If you love diving or snorkeling, and you love music, why not head off to Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys on July 10th for the 26th annual Underwater Music Festival.

This unusual event usually attracts as many as 600 divers and snorkelers, and is organized by Radio 104.1FM.

The music is played by suspending speakers beneath boats that are anchored at the reef.

The repertoire as you would imagine consists of a number of water themed songs, which in the past has ranged from the sounds of Humpback Whales, to Yellow Submarine, and the theme from Disney's The Little Mermaid.

This year the theme is Alice In Wonderland, and will include divers dressed as characters from the 2010 movie.

Sounds like a fun day out to me. Throw in some Handel's Water Music, a quick rendition of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", maybe a bit of Genesis "In Too Deep". The possibilities are endless.

Read the full article HERE

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Bear Your Breasts In Key West Protest For 4th July

A group of women from Key West, where pretty much anything goes a lot of the time, are planning to protest on 4th July against a law that prevents women from being topless anywhere that a man can be.

Florida law prohibits women from exposing their breasts in public, unless they are breastfeeding, however in Key West they are also permitted to bare them during the annual Fantasy Fest, provided they are covered in body paint.

I expect that there will be plenty of opinion on this from both sides of the fence, from those who want a cover up, to those who agree that women should also have the same rights as men.

Certainly going topless on a beach in other parts of the world doesn't imply anything sexual, it's just the freedom to expose your body to the sun's rays.

Other than at beach side bars and eateries though, I still think that the "no shirt, no shoes, no service" rules ought to apply as now.

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 an index to Offbeat News at Squidoo.

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

BBC News

ABC News Australia

South Florida Sun-Sentinel