Weird News

Americans are apparently getting thirstier by the day during stay-at-home orders -- because a lot of our workforce stuck indoors cope to knocking back a few while on the clock.

A new study released by Alcohol.org -- which is, ironically, meant to help people kick booze -- shows that citizens in every state in this fine country admit they've been drinking on the job while under quarantine. The numbers might actually surprise you a bit.

Starting out in the Golden State, 38% of Californians report drinking during work-from-home hours, Floridians and Texans clock in at 22% and New Yorkers are at 38%.

The highest numbers are dispersed throughout the midwest and plains states -- Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa all have percentages in the 40s. Idaho, Nevada and Montana too.

Interestingly, the 2 states at the 50% mark are Virginia and tiny New Hampshire. Exactly half of their citizenry say they're burning the midnight tequila.

BTW, a fifth of the people surveyed divulged they'd stockpiled booze in anticipation of being at home. The study also shows that beer is the drink of choice for most people, and one-third are likely to sip in isolation.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's potential website for their new foundation is now owned by an Internet troll, who's using a Kanye West hit to send a pretty nasty message.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced Tuesday they were planning a new nonprofit called Archewell Foundation, but apparently they didn't lock down at least one potential URL for a website. Instead, a cybersquatter scooped up archewellfoundation.com -- but there's nothing charitable about it now.

The anonymous owner linked it to Kanye's "Gold Digger" music video on YouTube. The troll's intent seems pretty clear ... passing judgment on Meghan's intent in marrying Harry.

It's a low blow ... especially considering Harry and Meghan plan to make their foundation a one-stop-shop educational and support site for a variety of charitable groups.

They still have other URL options -- such as a dot org -- so it's not a total lost cause -- but it's a hard lesson for the couple to learn as they venture out on their own without support from the Palace.

The Sussexes will have to step up their media game, especially if they come to Hollywood ... as many expect. You're swimming with sharks now, Harry!!!

The guy who ran out of a flooding hotel room didn't only ruin the Nissan he jumped down onto ... we've learned he racked up major damages to the room!!!

The bizarre video started going viral Tuesday, and the backstory behind it is just nuts. According to the guy who captured the scene on video, the trouble started flowing around 7 PM at a Studio 6 motel in Commerce, CA ... just outside Los Angeles.

The person behind the camera, Prophet Amen Ra, tells us fire alarms were going off, but motel workers couldn't get into the room because it was locked. One staffer smashed a window to get inside, and once the door opened ... the water started gushing out.

The now Internet-famous jumper escaped a hotel employee's grasp ... and hopped over the railing to flee the second-floor by bounding down onto a Nissan Murano. Smart move ... he hit the car, dented the hood with his ass, and nearly smashed his head on the pavement.

We're told motel workers claim the jumper had turned on all the faucets in the room, and also busted pipes in the ceiling -- and the total damage was $10k!!! There goes his deposit.

L.A. County Fire and Sheriff's Departments both responded. Our sources say neither the car owner nor the hotel management wanted to press charges, and the guy said he had no malicious intent. He claims the room just flooded. Mmmmhmm.

The owner of the damaged car tells us she does have insurance and she did get the jumper's info, just in case this ends up in court.

Elon Musk's Tesla ventilators are a thing of engineering beauty and ingenuity, 'cause he's got his workers making 'em from scratch with stuff they got lying around their factories.

Tesla just posted a tutorial video of sorts, giving folks a sneak-peek at how exactly it's making the 1,000-plus ventilators it's already donated to Los Angeles ... plus more they're apparently cranking out right now. It's fascinating ... they're literally re-purposing car parts.

Elon's brainiac employees give a step-by-step walk-through of the first prototype the team built to donate to hospitals, and from what we can gather ... it's a massive contraption that, indeed, filters oxygen and CO2 in and out of a patient. We'll let the experts explain how.

There's more though ... one guy goes on to explain that Tesla's Model 3 vehicle and all of its internal systems are what power and keep track of these makeshift ventilators, which is crazy! They figured out a way to rewire stuff and make their operating system work for this cause.

A couple in New Orleans just tied the knot with one of the most creative -- and probably sweetest -- ceremonies we've seen in a while ... and it was quarantine friendly!!!

The two lovebirds are Alex Cotant and Darla Edin-Cotant, and they got married Saturday right on their front-porch in a part of town called Mid-City. It was a small ceremony (very small, in fact) because they didn't have very many guests besides their next-door neighbors.

After they said "I do" in front of their doorway -- and in front of a minister pal, who officiated -- Alex and Darla hit the stoop below them and had a little sidewalk reception for the whole block to see, including their first dance ... which was complete with a live music cameo.

The guitarist you see here helping them swoon is local musician Mike Doussan, who tells TMZ ... he got on over there in a heartbeat after a friend told him what was happening. He says he played two songs for them, both originals, and it looks like the bride and groom were digging the tunes -- sneaking in kisses between swaying and boogieing down.

BTW, there's a reason Mike was ready at the drop of a hat ... he tells us he's been doing livestream gigs from his own front-porch lately since every venue around town is closed.

As for the at-home wedding ... it too has become a thing, especially as folks rush to cash in on their marriage licenses -- which will expire within a month or so if they don't pull the trigger. Courthouses are shut down too, so you can't get more anytime soon.

Sure seems like Alex and Darla got their vows in right in the nick of time. Congrats!

'Bachelor' Nation, meet your new fix -- a couple dudes in SF started their own quarantine dating show, but they've nixed the roses and replaced it with a way more precious item.

Two former Yelp employees in the Bay Area -- Tyler Cohen and Jimmy Parenteau -- already had a virtual dating show in the works prior to the coronavirus outbreak, but when it hit ... they pivoted and launched "Quarantined Bachelor."

It's exactly how it sounds ... a single gentleman is chosen as a bachelor, and he's introduced to a bunch of potential suitors via Zoom, who then go on individual dates with the fella and eventually ... get whittled down to a final 3 via elimination. Just like ABC's hit series.

Tyler and Jimmy told the SF Chronicle the big difference with their show -- besides no physical interaction -- is the rose ceremony ... which ditches the petals and replaces it with paper. Toilet paper, that is!!!

It also goes without saying, the stakes for 'QB' aren't as high ... no proposal, just an eventual in-person date.

The first season of 'Quarantined Bachelor' is actually already wrapped and completely up episode by episode on the show's official IG page. They also found their leading man -- his name is Richard Shall, and he seems like quite a catch.

If necessity really is the mother of invention, then lots of folks have stepped up with their own ways of staying relatively safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Check out our gallery of homemade protective masks or reasonable facsimiles thereof. From party hats to a giant water bottle ... they hopefully do the trick.

As you know, or should know by now, we're all being advised not to wear the professional-grade masks which are in extremely short supply and reserved for frontline health care workers, so the creative ones are welcome by all.

As for how to make a homegrown mask, the CDC recommends it fit snugly but comfortably and secured with ties or ear loops. It should also include multiple layers of fabric and allow for unrestricted breathing. It should also be laundry friendly.

Just about every industry in America is being hit hard by the coronavirus -- but when you have the whole plane pretty much to yourself ... you know airlines are especially screwed.

Meet Dan Nolan, who took an American Airlines flight Saturday from Newburgh, NY to Philly, and would later connect to an L.A. flight. Along the way, he walked into an empty cabin -- save for one other passenger traveling with him -- and it truly made for a surreal scene.

Rows and rows of empty seats, except for Dan and other fella. Yeah, he had some fun with it ... but this reality is becoming more and more common. And, frankly, it's concerning on a number of fronts.

For one, it's a testament to how doused the air travel industry is with coronavirus woes right now. Very few are flying at the moment, and airlines have cut back their flight schedules significantly. Meanwhile, the government hasn't shut 'em down yet -- as they're deemed essential. The more and more of this we see, though, might change that.

Frankly, it's probably more expensive to operate these planes and flights -- even just the domestic ones -- than the money they're seeing coming in from anyone booking tickets. At the end of the day, airlines might have to seriously self-regulate to avoid going under.

The new stimulus package that just passed will certainly help in avoiding that, but still ... the longer this goes on, the more dire it becomes. Not just that, but some flight attendants have also expressed concerns about having to continue working, worrying about getting sick.