Wide World of Weird

Beer That Talks Back: Two thousand talking beer cans are now available in Venezuela. Emblazoned with a grinning mouth, they contain a light-activated recording that--when the can is opened--announces in a tinny voice prizes ranging from $50 to $2,000.

No Casual Fridays Here: Two legislators in Peru have introduced an “anti-lust” bill that would ban miniskirts and short dresses in the workplace. The politicians said such clothing is the root of men’s “lecherous behavior” and “carnal provocation.”

Good Thing She Wasn’t Pregnant: A Kenyan doctor who removed a bean that was stuck in the ear of a young girl forced it back when her parents said they couldn’t afford the $5.75 bill.

How to Make Kids Seen, Not Heard: A silence-loving Swiss village that bans the flushing of toilets and the use of washing machines during certain evening hours has now slapped a dusk-to-dawn curfew on noisy teenagers. Tasch youngsters who go out at night unaccompanied by adults will now face fines of $35 to $3,500 for “nocturnal agitation.”

Attorney Privilege: Trial lawyers have significantly higher levels of testosterone than those in other areas of the law, says a psychologist who has studied how the male sex hormone affects behavior. The finding was even true among women lawyers (ovaries produce tiny amounts of the hormone, which is associated with dominance, persistence and focused attention--and is often linked in studies to antisocial behavior and competition).

Looking for Love: “Cute young male into being treated like a dog seeks companion who’ll walk him with a leash and collar,” says a provocative new personal ad posted in New York City subway cars. But it’s not as naughty as it sounds. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is using the ad to promote pet adoption. One for a cat says, “Desirable young female into heavy petting seeks companion into same.”

These Hearts Didn’t Sink: A Kenosha, Wis., woman got a big surprise when she and her boyfriend went to see “Titanic” for the third time. The curtains on the screen parted to reveal a message from her beau, asking her to be his wife. He then got down on one knee, holding a diamond ring. “The whole theater went crazy,” said the woman, who accepted the proposal.

Quick Hits:

* A Montana man ticketed for doing 104 mph in a 45-mph zone offered a novel excuse: He was air-drying his newly washed truck.

* A Pennsylvania jail that was under fire for spending too much dough on bread now has inmates kneading their own. After the warden was zinged for paying inflated prices to a wholesaler, he turned inmates into bakers, slicing monthly bread bills by $400.

* Residents of Brockton, Mass., the hometown of boxer Rocky Marciano, have cast thousands of votes for him in a Postal Service contest to choose a new stamp honoring the 1950s. A bid to honor the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers will likely give Marciano fans a tough fight. New York has a lot more people.

* A Honduras undertaker behind on rent payments set up a fake funeral to try to avoid eviction from his business premises, a lawyer for the landlord said.

* Colorado police say a 24-year-old man was so engrossed in a “Tomb Raider” computer game that he shot his computer screen.

* A red pepper spray commonly carried by Alaska hikers to ward off bears may actually attract them, says a federal scientist. Bears, like many other animals, are attracted to unusual smells. But the spray is still effective when fired directly into their faces.

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* Wide World of Weird is published every Friday. Off-Kilter appears Monday through Thursday.