http://offbeatblog.projo.com/ en Copyright 2011 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:49:40 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.23-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The Associated press reports that astronomers "believe they've found a second planet outside our solar system that seems to be in the right zone for life, just barely." "But it would feel like a steam bath -- hot, sticky and... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/09/astronomers-hav.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/09/astronomers-hav.html Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:49:40 -0500 The anti-smoking crowd has finally gone too far. They won't let you smoke at work, at restaurants or even in prison. You can't smoke at some parks or beaches. In some cities in California, you can't smoke anywhere except... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/09/the-anti-smokin.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/09/the-anti-smokin.html Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:29:03 -0500 What do you do when you're a bored Amish teenager looking for fun? Apparently you get some booze, jump in the horse and buggy and lead the police on a chase. At least that's the impression I get from reading... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/08/isnt-it-ok-to-d.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/08/isnt-it-ok-to-d.html Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:56:11 -0500 I get the impression that some police officers are just itching to use their Tasers, and this story from Boston.com provides more evidence in support of that theory. By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff Was it a case of cruel and... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/06/runaway-cow-get.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/06/runaway-cow-get.html Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:38:24 -0500 "After recent attacks, officials urge moose respect," reads the headline on an Associated Press story about moose attacking people in Alaska. Seems reasonable enough. Any animal that weighs 900 pounds and can charge you with antlers deserves plenty of respect.... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/httpwwwabc6comg.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/httpwwwabc6comg.html Fri, 27 May 2011 14:32:07 -0500 NH man surprised paper corrects 112-year-old obit WALPOLE, N.H. (AP) -- When Daniel Schwenk came across his great-uncle's 112-year-old obituary in The New York Times, he noticed some errors and sent a lighthearted letter to the paper. He didn't count... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/apparently-its.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/apparently-its.html Wed, 25 May 2011 10:06:59 -0500 I sometimes fret because I was born before computers were a big part of every kid's life. Today's kids seem to have a natural instinct for computers, and some of us adults have to turn to them for help when... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/will-the-intern.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/will-the-intern.html Fri, 20 May 2011 12:55:21 -0500 Long lines form after $1.10-a-gallon LA gas goof (Too bad we didn't know about this earlier. At today's prices, it might have been worth the drive to L.A.) LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Word spread quickly about a Los Angeles gas... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/is-it-worth-dri.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/is-it-worth-dri.html Tue, 17 May 2011 14:34:38 -0500 In Illinois recently, a man was criminally charged after the police learned he was keeping a 4-foot alligator in an effort to woo women. The Associated Press report said the suburban Chicago man, 43, "thought he had the perfect chick... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/since-when-are.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/since-when-are.html Mon, 09 May 2011 14:49:22 -0500 Here's an entry from the You-Can-Never-Be-Too-Paranoid Department. A 21-year-old man jumped into the 50-degree waters of the Hudson River Wednesday because he mistakenly believed the police were after him. According to an Associated Press report, the man was riding in... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/heres-an-entry.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/05/heres-an-entry.html Thu, 05 May 2011 14:27:08 -0500 I'm inclined to believe Ryan James Stephens, an Ohio man who was charged with a misdemeanor for barking at a police dog, when he says the dog started it. Police dogs always bark uncontrollably when they're confined to parked police... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/04/ohio-man-charge-1.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/04/ohio-man-charge-1.html Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:40:36 -0500 If you thought singer Elton John would be the most outrageous guest at the royal wedding, think again. UFOs and extra-terrestrial beings are set to drop in on the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton later next month, according... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/royal-wedding-s.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/royal-wedding-s.html Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:50:14 -0500 This story from Ocala.com in Florida reminds us that its important to be kind and courteous to your neighbors: Denied a kiss, woman, 92, charged with shooting neighbor's house It also reminds us that the real Florida isn't necessarily the... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/florida-woman-9.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/florida-woman-9.html Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:08:14 -0500 Squirrels have always made me a little uneasy and now I think I know why. The little guy in this story from the Bennington Banner is not only mean, having gone after at least three people, including one who was... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/vermonters-atta.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/vermonters-atta.html Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:11:16 -0500 For many 9-year-old boys, the temptation of whipping a snowball at a moving car is irresistible. Apparently, it's also irresistible for some 49-year-old men, as I learned recently from this enticing, if somewhat misleading, Associated Press headline: "2 Mass. men... http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/2-mass-men-char.html http://offbeatblog.projo.com/2011/03/2-mass-men-char.html Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:32:15 -0500