Friday, December 31, 2004

The 25 Dumbest Quotes of 2004 

From AlterNet.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:26 PM

Railroad murders expand into myth 

The Boxcar Serial Killer and Freight Train Riders of America.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:09 PM

Physicians Now Accepting Bioenergy More Readily 

Just imagine: A patient is seen by his physician for chronic pain. The physician orders a few tests, pain medications and physical therapy. She also prescribes energy work by a local qigong healer. The physician tells the patient he needs to have energy work in order to completely heal.

This may sound a little far-fetched now, but this kind of medical care may happen in our lifetime.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:04 PM

Peter Rabbit gets hieroglyph tale 

Beatrix Potter's classic children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit has been translated into ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs by the British Museum.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:58 PM

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Where are all the dead animals? Sri Lanka asks 

Sri Lankan wildlife officials are stunned -- the worst tsunami in memory has killed around 22,000 people along the Indian Ocean island's coast, but they can't find any dead animals.

Link found, believe it or not, at the Drudge Report.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:02 AM

Monday, December 27, 2004

Medieval mural's tales of sorcery 

A mural which has come to light in Tuscany has been identified by a British university lecturer as the earliest surviving representation of witchcraft in Christian Europe.

Witches, the Malleus Maleficarum, and a tree full of penises.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:36 PM

Tidal wave tragedy teaches humility  

Natural disasters ancient and modern.

The records of some ancient civilizations hint at even worse disasters in the distant past. The Shu-King, the records of the legendary Chinese Emperor Yao tell of an immense wave "that reached the sky" before it flooded the entire land of China. The account states, "The water was well up on the high mountains and the foothills could not be seen at all." According to the ancient Chinese records, it took years of massive public works and the labor of millions to drain the land.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:33 PM

Who is feeding the Bin Laden Legend? 

Robin Hood and Osama Bin laden.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:16 PM

Rumsfeld says Flight 93 was 'shot down' 

Slip of the tongue or the truth?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:21 PM

Sunday, December 26, 2004

Dale City man searches for sunken treasure 

Ed Finck admits he is a frustrated treasure hunter.

He hasn't yet found a shipwrecked Spanish galleon with millions of dollars worth of doubloons in it, but there's always hope.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:33 PM

UFO Sightings over Iranian nuclear installations  

Iranians complained about Unidentified Flying Objects at very low altitudes around its nuclear installations all around the country.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:30 PM

Digging into mysteries 

The Field Museum's vast collection of mummies, fossils, pottery and other anthropological gems is riddled with mysteries.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:26 PM

Mercury, Mars, Venus in Rare Alignment 

A rare alignment and, apparently, the earth didn't like it.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:14 PM

Thursday, December 23, 2004

'Festivus' Shares Space With Fla. Nativity 

Happy Festivus, everyone. Enjoy the Feats of Strength and the Airing of the Grievances. Let's get that aluminum pole next to every nativity scene in the country. That ought to give Bill O'Reilly conniptions.

And here's an article from the New York Times that gives some good background on how the holiday was actually developed.

This all begs the question--is it a fake holiday if people actually celebrate it?

Fascinating note: The inventor of Festivus, Dan O'Keefe, wrote a book called "Stolen Lightning" (Vintage 1983), a work of sociology that explores the ways people use cults, astrology and the paranormal as a defense against social pressures.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:35 PM

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Aromatherapy oils 'kill superbug' 

Essential oils could kill the deadly MRSA hospital 'superbug', scientists have claimed.

University of Manchester researchers found three of the oils, usually used in aromatherapy, destroyed MRSA and E.coli bacteria in two minutes.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:59 PM

Janice Knowlton RIP 

Hex Correspondent Elisabeth Reynolds has uncovered a longer, more informative obituary of Janice Knowlton, author of "Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer". It's a pretty sad tale.

Thanks for the heads up, Elisabeth

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:24 AM

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Teaching the kids kung fu 

It promises to make you as "soft as silk", and as "light as a swallow", yet as "hard as metal". Extravagant claims, indeed, but proponents of tong qi gong, or "kids' kung fu", swear by this unique martial art style.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:23 PM

Shaolin wushu impresses cops 

The Songshan Shaolin Wushu Centre's troupe left such an impression at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here that Shaolin kung fu may well make its way into the centre's curriculum.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:17 PM

Ouch, My Third Eye Hurts!  

Yes, I, Mr. Big-and-Clever, will now infiltrate a New Age convention in Marin County, searching for Yanni-inspired, dolphin-blazoned enlightenment. But it would be like shooting crystal-wearing fish in a unicorn-painted barrel if I rampaged through the gathering like a cynical bull in a vegan china shop. So I plan to exercise restraint. I'll go, but I'll be "open-minded."

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:09 PM

Author lives up to title of his book 

An interesting profile of Raymon Grace, healer and author of the wonderfully titled "The Future Is Yours - Do Something About It."

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:03 PM

Couple found innocent of teen's slaying 

Another unsolved Juarez murder.

Click here for more information on the Juarez murders of roughly 400 women over the last decade.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:34 PM

Rosemary stars in ancient legends 

A nice profile on the Professor's favorite herb.


Surprising fact? "Rosemary oil is also a natural pesticide, which explains why it was once added to bedding to discourage bedbugs. Sprigs were once spread around a home's floor to deter fleas."

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:14 PM

Carved Imagine May Be Ancient Map 

The stone was uncovered after a wildfire devastated two and a half square kilometres of heather moorland on the North York Moors at Fylingdales, near Whitby, in September last year.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:00 PM

Winter solstice today evokes ancient rituals 

Happy Holidays, Pagans!

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:55 PM

Battling Voodoo's Legacy, Christians Shine Light in Haiti 

More of that voodoo that you do.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:25 PM

Don't touch voodoo dolls, say Colombian cops 

"Witches don't exist, but if they do, they do," Highway Police Captain Gerson Fajardo explained.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:20 PM

"I was a middle-aged zombie" 

An inside look at the making of George Romero's Land of the Dead.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:18 PM

Motorists' 'weird' speed excuses 

I was desperate for the loo and had to speed to the nearest public toilet.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:56 PM

Indonesian authorities probe mystery blasts 

Several loud blasts believed to be caused by a meteor shower echoed across the Indonesian capital Jakarta and nearby towns early on Sunday, startling residents who reported seeing flying objects in the sky.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:53 PM

Bank Heist 

A massive hunt was under way today for a hostage gang that looted vaults containing up to £30 million at Northern Bank's headquarters in central Belfast.

The raid, carried out yesterday evening, is believed to be the biggest ever cash robbery staged in UK criminal history.

That's $55 million US.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:49 PM

John Dee's Crystal Ball Stolen From Museum 

A rare 16th-century crystal ball that belonged to a maverick consultant to Elizabeth I has been stolen from the Science Museum in London.

For more on John Dee, Queen Elizabeth's Agent 007, please click here.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:11 PM

Monday, December 20, 2004

Knowlton, who believed her father was Black Dahlia killer, dead at 67 

Janice Knowlton, the woman who became convinced her late father was the Black Dahlia murderer is dead.

The Los Angeles Times reports Knowlton died at her home in Santa Ana last March after taking multiple prescription drugs. She was 67.

Knowlton was the author of the controversial Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:33 AM

Has the Ripper Been Found? The Astrology Behind the Whitechapel Murders 

James Mayfair's astrological chart from the Llewellyn Journal.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:30 AM

Ohio Recount Stirs Trouble 

As a statewide election recount got underway in Ohio last week, a Democratic congressman called on the FBI to impound vote-tabulating computers in at least one county and investigate suspicions of election tampering in the state.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:23 AM

Bigfoot museum a fresh look at mysterious 'creature' 

To a nation fed on checkout-line tabloids, "Bigfoot" and "hoax" go together like chips and dip. Mike Rugg, the proprieter of a Bigfoot museum in Felton, Calif., respectfully - well, somewhat respectfully -disagrees.

"People are sent to death on less evidence than we have for Bigfoot," Rugg said.

Amen, brother.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:10 AM

Investigators probe theory that JonBenet killer has struck again 

EIGHT years after the Boxing Day murder of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, investigators are looking into whether her killer may have struck again.

New DNA evidence.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:05 AM

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Da Vinci mystery gets more conjecture 

Predictably, "Unlocking Da Vinci's Code: The Full Story" will probably most interest those already familiar with the best-selling book "The Da Vinci Code," the inspiration for this National Geographic Channel documentary airing tomorrow night at 9.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:58 PM

Marine Explorer Looks for Earhart Plane 

At 17,000 feet beneath the surface, the temperature of ocean water is just above freezing, oxygen is sparse and currents are relatively calm. In other words, ideal conditions for preserving an airplane that might have crashed into the depths nearly 70 years ago, according to marine explorer David Jourdan, who hopes to answer one of aviation's greatest mysteries - the fate of famed pilot Amelia Earhart.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:43 PM

Friday, December 17, 2004

Author suing over Da Vinci bestseller 

Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, two of the three Holy Blood, Holy Grail authors, are suing a over Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and have launched legal action against the novel's publishers, Random House Group in Britain.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:51 PM

September 11 conspiracy theorist offers prize  

Jimmy Walter has spent more than $US3 million promoting a conspiracy theory the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States were "an inside job" and he is offering more cash to anyone who proves him wrong.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:23 PM

In lone defense of Scott Peterson 

A look at the Satanists-did-it theory in the Laci Peterson murder from a decidedly right-wing Christian perspective.

See also the author's follow-up piece.

Here's a 2003 Modesto Bee article on possible occult connections.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:57 PM

Mysterious booms have been noted for years 

A loud boom breaks the stillness on a clear day. There are no storms in the area, no jet aircraft flying by and no reports of earthquakes or explosions.

The booms, heard from time to time in South Carolina, are popularly known as Seneca Guns, a folk term for unexplained booms that have been noted along the East Coast for years.

Am I the only one that thinks "The Seneca Guns" would be a great name for a rock band?

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:36 PM

Wichita's Non-Stop Nightmare  

More on BTK.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:33 PM

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Authorities Examining Suspected 'BTK' Serial Killer Package 

Wichita, Kan. authorities are awaiting FBI test results on a package that may have been left by the notorious BTK, the self-coined "Blind, Torture, Kill" serial killer who has eluded capture for 30 years.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:38 PM

Monday, December 13, 2004

Return of the Black Widow  

The story of Sandra Camille Bridewell must be read to be believed. The Anomalist recently linked to the latest Dallas Observer article on her "exploits" but there's also a previous article by the same writer, Glenna Whitley, that gives some great background. Part one "Return of the Black Widow" is here.

Part two, "Seductress of the Saints" is here.

Whitley is a great writer. Some of her other work may be found here.

Kudos to the Dallas Observer for running such interesting articles.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:01 AM

Gary Webb, Author of Controversial CIA/Crack Series, Dead in Apparent Suicide 

Gary Webb, 49, a Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter who became best known for a widely-criticized series linking the CIA to the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles, was found dead Friday after an apparent suicide, authorities in Sacramento said.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:28 AM

Church window 'has clue to Holy Grail' 

A CLUE in the search for the Holy Grail lies in a Hertford church, a secret society in the town sensationally claimed this week.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:04 AM

Riddle of 'Baghdad's batteries' 

An older article on the mysterious 'Baghdad's batteries'. Link found at the Fortean Times.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:53 AM

Reporters give DNA samples in BTK case 

"Most of us thought it wasn't a big deal," Laviana said. "It's almost like joining a fraternity. You want to get a T-shirt that says, 'I'm not BTK.'"

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:50 AM

Texas School Distributes Calendar of Satanic, Sexual Rites 

In a case of missing oversight and the proliferation of satanic beliefs, a school officer in the suburb of Houston, Texas handed out calendars to students containing satanic rituals and sexual rites for various days of the month. The officer was supposed to be handing out calendars delivering an anti-gang message.

Can I have a copy?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:43 AM

Trying to Crack An Icy Mystery  

Cryogenetic Secrets May Aid Organ Transplants.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:36 AM

Case of the Sherlock Holmes fanatic 'who killed himself but made it look like murder' 

Did Richard Lancelyn Green fake his own "murder"?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:34 AM

Mystery meteors slice sky tonight 

Scientists disagree on the origins of the annual Geminid shower but agree that conditions this year favor a spectacular show.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:31 AM

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

The Secrets of Rennes-le-Chateau; Notes on a Strange World  

From the Skeptical Inquirer.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:20 PM

THE MEKONG'S MYSTERIOUS FIREBALLS  

FOR two nights every year, thousands gather along the banks of the Mekong River to watch a strange phenomena the Thais call the Naga fireballs.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:44 AM

Monday, December 06, 2004

Black Dahlia Mailbag 

I received a very nice letter from Elisabeth Reynolds concerning my post about the CBS "48 Hours" Black Dahlia program. She's graciously allowed me to share it with you.

Dear Professor,

I read your blog entry "Black Dahlia Revisited". I also saw the "48 Hours" show in question, and read Steve Hodel's book.

You wondered what CBS's lawyers thought of Tamar Hodel calling director John Huston a raping pedophile. I think I know the answer to that: nothing. That's because, unless there's been some big, recent change in the law that I've somehow missed, dropping dead ends all one's legal protections against libel. It doesn't matter if you're long dead, like Huston, or still warm. As soon as you kick it, you're fair game for anything. Tamar could have said she saw Huston eating pan-fried baby-brains at center stage in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and nobody could do anything about it.

For what it's worth, my reading of Lawrence Grobel's biography of the Huston family would seem to indicate John has a pretty good chance of being out of the country at the time that Tamar's (calculatedly?) vague account places the alleged crime. But who's counting.

Likewise for Tamar contention that "dirty old" Man Ray took naked pictures of her pubescent self. Tamar and Steve present no evidence that this actually happened (like, say, any record of, you know, the pictures), but they don't have to. I'm sure the fact that Man Ray's oeuvre evinces no interest whatever in photographing or otherwise depicting nymphet types, clothed or not, won't slow them down, either.

It's enough to make you think that maybe there's a reason that two psychologists and half Tamar's relatives (including her maternal grandmother, accused molester George's ex-mother-in-law!) testified in court that she was a pathological liar.

Actually, the nekkid pictures story is nothing compared to some of the stuff about Man Ray that Hodel passes off as fact, as if nobody could catch him on it. Suffice it to say that if Man Ray were alive to sue, he and his libel lawyer would be rolling in dough faster than you could develop a rayograph.

Here's my favorite: The bit about how Man Ray had to hightail it back to France at the end of in 1949, because the cops were closing in on George and Man Ray knew he might be next. The Hodels' former boarder, Joe Barrett, vividly remembers the long talk he personally had with Man Ray in the Hodel house, on the very day Man Ray cleared out of town. Steve eagerly reports this as fact, and Tamar backs him up on it, too. Great story, right? Too bad that in what we laughingly call "real life", Man Ray didn't go back to France until March of 1951, a year after George Hodel had left the country and sold the house this conversation supposedly took place in. Old Joe gives Steve plenty of other juicy first-hand accounts for the book. I'm sure they're all just about as valid.

At any rate, I'm glad you enjoyed Hodel's book. In my own weird way, I did, too. But it should be remembered that any resemblance therein to any persons living or (especially) dead is strictly coincidentally. Or at least non-actionable.

Yours,

Elisabeth Reynolds

Thanks for the letter, Elisabeth.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:22 PM

Grandpa's Ghost 

The eBay auction for "Grandpa's Ghost" has ended. Final bid? $65,100.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:33 PM

Archaeologists differ on whether the prehistoric objects are tools 

Archaeologists in South Carolina last month announced radiocarbon dates suggesting, they said, that people made tools on a wooded hillside near the Savannah River about 50,000 years ago.

That would be more than 35,000 years earlier than any established evidence for human occupation in the Americas - a stunning discovery, if true, and one which some experienced archaeologists are questioning.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:43 AM

Stalking a Serial Killer 

He carries no badge. But Tom Voigt burns with the passion of a detective. Armed with just a computer, he is hellbent on catching a Wichita, Kans., serial killer, a strangler who has eluded the police for three decades.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:37 AM

The Perfect Mystery 

This week in The New Yorker, David Grann writes about the mysterious death, last March, of the world's leading Sherlock Holmes scholar, Richard Lancelyn Green. Here Grann talks to The New Yorker's Lauren Porcaro about the case.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:45 AM

Sunday, December 05, 2004

Edward Herbert Thompson  

A profile of Yucatan explorer Edward Herbert Thompson.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:45 PM

Hobbits? We've got a cave full 

Chief Epiradus Dhoi Lewa has a strange tale to tell. Sitting in his bamboo and wooden home at the foot of an active volcano on the remote Indonesian island of Flores, he recalls how people from his village were able to capture a tiny woman with long, pendulous breasts three weeks ago.


"They said she was very little and very pretty," he says, holding his hand at waist height. "Some people saw her very close up."

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:32 PM

New light shed on mystery of Amelia Earhart's final landing  

Archaeologists believe they may be just yards away from finding the grave of the record-breaking aviator Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while trying to become the first person to circle the world at the equator.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:23 PM

NSW coast awakes to mystery lights, rumbling 

Residents along the New South Wales coast are reporting some strange occurrences this morning - a bright flash of light, sonic-type rumbling and house-shaking vibrations.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:22 PM

Fearsome phantom put up for sale 

A woman's effort to alleviate her 5-year-old son's fears of his grandfather's ghost by selling it on eBay has drawn dozens of bids, with top offers exceeding $10,000.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:23 AM

Family with names BTK mentioned denies any tie 

Two names released earlier this week in a list of possible details about BTK's background have brought unwanted attention to a Wichita family.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:20 AM

Homeless Dallas Man Turns Up With Titanic Treasure 

Jay Sherman, who, the Dallas Morning News reported, has been sleeping under a bridge, stands to make thousands of dollars from a plate left to him by his great-aunt, who was a survivor of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:15 AM

American seeks pirate treasure in Indian Ocean  

In a lagoon in the Indian Ocean, somewhere 25 feet below the surface, Robert Graf is chiseling off chunks of granite and sucking up sand and grit with a four-inch-wide vacuum dredge.

Graf, a 49-year-old American treasure hunter, is searching for the entrance to a stone vault he believes contains a pirate hoard - part of what many consider the largest high-seas heist in history - stashed nearly 300 years ago.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:05 AM

Saturday, December 04, 2004

Afghan Poppy Farmers Say Mystery Spraying Killed Crops 

Farmers and tribal leaders in this picturesque farming village in eastern Afghanistan confirmed statements by the Afghan government that unidentified planes have been spraying opium poppy fields with a toxic chemical.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:42 PM

Mystery of Jane Eyre attic solved 

A cramped secret staircase winding up to a lonely garret has been rediscovered in the manor house which is credited with launching the literary genre of the "madwoman in the attic".

Carpeted with dust, cobwebs and a solitary collar stud, 13 rotting steps lead into a gable end where the 18th century original of Mrs Rochester - the tragic enigma at the heart of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre - was allegedly confined.

Sweet.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:41 PM

Friday, December 03, 2004

Wichita man freed after being cleared of BTK connection 

A man whose arrest sparked speculation of a link to the decades-old BTK serial killings case was released on bond after a court appearance on two unrelated misdemeanor counts.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:56 AM

New theory on Stonehenge mystery 

A fresh theory on how Stonehenge was built has been tested out by a group of experts and enthusiasts.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:35 AM

Police seeking mystery stripper 

I haven't heard this one before.

Police in Rapid City said they are looking for a man who's shown up at businesses posing as a stripper for StripOGram.

While he hasn't disrobed or done anything illegal, female employees at three businesses called his antics disgusting.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:55 AM

Headless Bodies Found at Mysterious Mexico Pyramid 

The discovery of a tomb filled with decapitated bodies suggests Mexico's 2,000 year-old "Pyramid of the Moon" may have been the site of horrifically gory sacrifices, archeologists said on Thursday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:51 AM

Potential Break in 'BTK' Case, or False Alarm? 

Police said today there has been no arrest in the BTK serial killings, despite reports that a man in custody could have a connection to the long-unsolved case.

See also BREAKING NEWS: Possible BTK suspect in custody

And BTK 'clues' breed theories.

And the arrest that started it all Long stakeout puts man, 65, in custody.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:48 AM

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Victim's Son Believes Father Knew BTK Killer 

Now 46, Otero remains convinced his father knew the killer because he had been acting strangely to protect the family in the days just before the killings. And he believes his family was targeted because of something his father did during his military service.

A must read for those interested in the case.

See also BTK Background for newly released information.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:01 PM

Unseen Conan Doyle work unveiled 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's unpublished first novel The Narrative of John Smith is to go on display at the British Library in London on Thursday.
Letters, diaries and photographs, including a telegram from escapologist Harry Houdini, will also go on show.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:58 PM

Could this be part of the Arc of the Covenant? 

A trail of clues leading from the mountains of the Holy Land to the fields of Napton may solve one of the Bible's greatest mysteries.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:56 PM

The mystery of the Etruscan texts 

Very mysterious, those Etruscans.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:32 PM