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29 Feb 2012 21:48

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Offbeat: The L.A. Clippers want “Clipper Darrell” to be just “Darrell”

  • I have been told by Clipper management they no longer want me to be Clipper Darrell, a name that was given to me by the media because of my unwavering support and team spirit. I am devastated!
  • Darrell Bailey, a.k.a. Clipper Darrell • Stating on his website that the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, a team to which he’s been undyingly loyal (buying Clippers season tickets for a solid decade would be enough to test anybody’s faith, we’re guessing), now wants him to cease being known as “Clipper Darrell.” The team fired back a palpably angry response: “The Clippers have done absolutely nothing wrong or inappropriate as it concerns Darrell Bailey. His claims are absurd and unfounded. …The Clippers have never engaged Mr. Bailey’s services. When he has been in need, the organization has regularly provided him a seat for games. No good deed goes unpunished.” It breaks our heart to see it all unravel like this. They’re finally an exciting team, and now there’s turmoil with Clipper Darrell? A sad sign of our times. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Feb 2012 17:14

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Offbeat: Autocorrect mishap causes schools to go on lockdown

  • plan Over in Gainesville, Georgia, someone–unidentified in the report–accidentally sent a text message to the wrong number. The texter intended to write “gunna be at West Hall today.” Perfectly innocuous, right?
  • failThe phone’s overzealous autocorrect feature changed the text to “gunman be at West Hall today.” The recipient reported the text to police, and two West Hall schools were subsequently put on lockdown. source
  • » One question: Who uses “gunna” as shorthand for “going to?” We thought “gonna” was the standard abbreviation. But all jokes aside, we’re glad this was all just a technological snafu, and not an actual threat.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2012 12:55

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Offbeat: Slovakia prepares to name bridge after laundry-detergent salesman

  • With a lead fit for his legend, martial artist Chuck Norris is five weeks away from having a bridge named after him. Online voting doesn’t end until February but, with 74% of votes cast for Norris (who currently hawks Era laundry detergent in the U.S.), it’s hard to imagine another challenger taking the lead. While the final decision will be left to a regional committee, regional governor Pavol Freso said the committee will honor the wishes of the people represented in the poll. “The same way as we have so far been building it in full sight of the public, we will seek that the name is accepted by the public as well,” he said, all but dashing the hopes of second-place “Maria Theresa Bridge”. Then again, five weeks is more than enough time for someone like Stephen Colbert to jump in the race. (Or why stop there? The ShortFormBlog Bridge has a good ring to it! Get to it, internet! Make us structurally sound! — Ed.) source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jan 2012 00:31

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Offbeat: Beam me up, coffee table: More exciting than a J.J. Abrams reboot

  • In case you’re tired of hearing about people dying in Syria, here’s a picture of a coffee table that looks like the Starship Enterprise. It can be yours for a mere $3,100. [h/t Geekologie] source
  • EDIT: Yes we were trolling. Sorry, all. 😛
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Jan 2012 08:53

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Offbeat: A witness to a murder-suicide was able to escape — and she’s only 7 years old.

  • This young girl witnessed a heinous crime, yet she was able to provide great insight into that fateful day. She may be young, but she’s extremely bright, articulate and courageous.
  • Fresno, Calif. Police Department Deputy Chief Keith Foster • Regarding a child who escaped a triple murder-suicide. The 7-year-old was able to leave the scene of this bloody crime unharmed. She had stayed the night at the house of her neighbor, Aide Mendez, the woman police say was behind the murder-suicide. The young girl witnessed at least one of the murders; Mendez allegedly shot her two children and also killed her cousin before killing herself. She also shot and stabbed her husband, but he survived the attack and is recovering in a local hospital. What could have caused Mendez to go through with all of that? While we may not know the complete truth, investigators discovered an iPad video recording of Mendez and her cousin smoking methamphetamine hours before the deadly incident. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jan 2012 10:21

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Offbeat: Sudoku research: Officially the most random number we’ll post today

  • 17 the minimum possible number of clues in a sudoku puzzle source
  • » A mathematical mystery solved via brute force: Ever wonder why 16-digit sudoku clues weren’t possible? (Why aren’t you guys raising your hands?) Well, a bunch of nerdy mathematician types — a guy named Gary McGuire and some fellow sudoku nerds at University College Dublin —spent a year testing every possible 16-clue sudoku combination, and figured out that no, you can’t solve a sudoku puzzle with just 16 clues. Now if it sounds to you like a bunch of researchers just wasted a year of their lives, McGuire might disagree with you. He notes that the research might have implications in gene expression analysis and hardware/software testing.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Dec 2011 11:11

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Offbeat: Awesome: Random dude inherits Hollywood star’s old cell phone number

  • A few weeks old, but too good not to post: What happens when you get a new cell phone previously owned by a well-connected Hollywood actor? That’s what happened to a middle-aged dude named Bob Gray (center), who moved to California and got a new cell phone with his girlfriend Liza Foster (right). It was obvious that someone famous owned the number before him — because he kept getting invited to parties, including Paris Hilton’s birthday party. In a fitting end to this Happy Madison-like tale, Adam Sandler himself called the number and told Gray he inherited the cell phone number of Nick Swardson, a regular in Sandler’s movies who most recently starred in “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.” (Too bad it wasn’t like Sean Penn, but not bad either way.) Gray plans to write a screenplay about this, because … um, wouldn’t you? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

24 Dec 2011 11:39

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Offbeat: WWII-era fruitcake sold at auction, begging to be eaten

  • Someone paid $525 for this: A 70-year-old fruitcake, purchased in 1941 (reportedly by a man named E.F. Helbling) and returned to a Kroger store in 1971, recently got sold on an online auction. The Kroger store didn’t want it, so store manager Frank Bates took it. Bates, now 86, kept it until recently, when his son gave it up to an estate company. Although the cake feasibly is still edible (it’s vacuum-packed and contains rum), the real gift is that the cake’s proceeds will help pay for a church outreach program in Cincinnati. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Dec 2011 22:41

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Offbeat: KTLA weatherguy walks off during live television

  • Raining on his parade: A weather personality for KTLA Los Angeles stormed off during a live interview after someone back at the station cut his weather segment short.source
Posted by Matthew Keys • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Dec 2011 12:04

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Offbeat: Bell ringers test society’s collective patience for a good cause

  • 36 hours straight — the record for Salvation Army bell ringing source
  • » And ringers are trying to break it. Bell ringers, such as San Francisco-based Salvation Army Capt. Marcelino “Butch” Soriano, are currently attempting to break the record. He aims to ring his donation bell for 48 hours. Why? “If you’re going to go for a record,” Soriano said, “you might as well shatter it.” Tip to Mr. Soriano: Wear earplugs. Tip to people who pass by Mr. Soriano: Donate generously — you can afford it. You’re going to Macy’s, guys. Drop a couple bucks in.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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