Tag Archives : Offbeat

If you listen closely, you’ll find that the earth is full of sounds.  Some are things that you hear every day, some are truly remarkable and some sounds hail from origins completely unknown.  What follows here is a list of “sonic mysteries” for your pleasure – many of them include audio. 1. The Bloop At various times during the summer of 1997, an ultra-low frequency sound that rose rapidly [...]

Mysteries tap the imagination, fuel speculation and invite the attention of conspiracy theorists. While there are numerous ancient mysteries, they don’t excite us the same way these top 10 modern mysteries do; perhaps because we can relate to them easier if they’re closer to our own time. It is that ability to relate, to feel some connection,  that not only feeds the mystery, but — accurately [...]

Abraham Lincoln’s marble temple in Washington is as familiar as the back of a penny. But the figure enthroned inside will always be above and apart, a demigod — martyr, prophet, scourge and healer rolled into one. That he was killed on Good Friday with hosannas of triumph still echoing in his ears added a religious overtone to the grief of his countrymen and, from the hour of his death, guaranteed [...]

When trails run cold or drugs can’t be detected by the human eye, police often turn to the noses of their four-legged partners. In these days of DNA testing and high-tech communication, sometimes one of the best tools in law enforcement is man’s best friend Inv. Gregory Shaffer, supervisor of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, offered five things the general public might not know [...]

Alabama # Dominoes may not be played on Sunday. # Incestuous marriages are legal. # It is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy. # It is illegal to stab yourself to gain someone’s pity. # It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church. # Masks may not be worn in public # Men may not spit in front of the opposite sex. # Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable [...]

The tips assembled here will change the way you approach each and every day—and help you survive a particularly bad one. by Laurence Gonzales 1. Do the Next Right Thing “Debriefings of survivors show repeatedly that they possess the capacity to break down the event they are faced with into small, manageable tasks,” writes John Leach, a psychology professor at Lancaster University who [...]