Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Cryptozoology and magic 

Very interesting. From Cryptomundo.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:36 PM

U.S. chemical weapons base intruders 'not human' 

Sploid's got it.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:33 PM

Giving deja vu a second look 

Many of us have experienced deja vu - the unsettling sensation of knowing that a situation could not have been experienced, combined with the feeling that it has. It is usually so fleeting that psychologists have until recently thought it impossible to study. But for some people, the feeling of having been there before is a persistent sensation, making every day a 'Groundhog Day'.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:09 PM

Vampyre candidate for governor arrested 

A fringe candidate for governor who played up his satanic side - and pledged public impalement for terrorists - wound up behind bars today thanks to a sharp-eyed sheriff's dispatcher.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:04 PM

Something strangely beautiful .. 

Gordon is one of a dying breed of gentlemen-collectors - people who hunt down and collect the unusual, the different, and, if we're being honest about it - the downright weird.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:49 PM

Paranormal Hot Spots 

THERE ARE MANY places around the US that seem to be focal points of high strangeness - vortexes of bizarre sightings, unexplained encounters and eerie events.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:10 AM

The Mysterious Smell of Moondust 

Moondust. "I wish I could send you some," says Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan. Just a thimbleful scooped fresh off the lunar surface. "It's amazing stuff."

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:05 AM

Old safe containing jewelry unearthed 

Workers excavating recently near Kennebec Savings Bank on Main Street discovered a safe containing all sorts of jewelry from the 1800s, including gold and gold-plated necklaces, bracelets, pins, and hair clips -- even a gold pocket watch.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:02 AM

Monday, January 30, 2006

"Discovering The Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade" Nominated for Edgar Award 

The critically praised book "Discovering The Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade," edited by Richard Layman, has been nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Edgar Award -- the mystery field's most prestigious award -- as the Best Critical/Biographical book of the year.

Looks like a cool book for Hammett fans but check out this little item:

The sculptor who created the legendary statuette of the black bird for the 1941 Humphrey Bogart movie may have been an accomplice of the Black Dahlia murderer and the killer of author James Ellroy's mother.

Say what now?

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:44 PM

On the jungle trail of the legendary Malaysian 'snaggle-toothed ghost' 

The Malaysian state of Johor has announced it is to organise an official search for one of its most famous - and elusive - inhabitants: the legendary ape-man Bigfoot.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:37 PM

Breaking News: Mokele-mbembe Sighted 

There's some exciting news from the Milt Marcy Expedition, now in Africa, in pursuit of the Mokele-mbembe.

Word via Bill Gibbons is that Milt Marcy just emailed from Cameroon. The expedition travelled far up the Dja River and spoke to witnesses that had observed a Mokele-mbembe only two days before. Paul Ohlin, who replaced Pastor Gene Thomas in 1992 in the northern Congo, saw a Mokele-mbembe only three weeks ago!

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:32 PM

PARAGUAY: A FISH WITH HANDS AND FEET 

With pic.

"A group of men went fishing as was their custom every afternoon, but this time they caught a surprise. When they set it on the ground, it began to walk."

Found over at The Anomalist.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:28 PM

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Hoan Kiem's Giant Turtle 

In the midst of a very long article reviewing the eating establishments and the The Ho Chi Minh Museum of Hanoi, Vietnam, there's a surprising update on the Old City's most famous cryptid.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:04 AM

Scholars Repudiate Official Version of 9/11 

An influential group of prominent experts and scholars have joined together alleging that senior government officials have covered up crucial facts about what really happened on 9/11. The members of this new non-partisan association, "Scholars for 9/11 Truth" (S9/11T), are convinced their research proves the current administration has been dishonest with the nation about events in New York and Washington, D.C.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:46 AM

Saturday, January 28, 2006

I WAS A TEENAGE MOVIE MAKER 

This is an absolute must see. Don Glut started making amateur movies in the 50s and went on to make dozens of films. Don never let copyright get in the way of his creativity and used many popular characters in his movies, including Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man (sometimes in the same movie: His 1963 film, The Adventures of the Spirit features Eisner's Spirit, The Phantom Avenger, The Green Hornet, the Wolf Man, Captain America, The Shadow, and Superman. It's a fan-boy dream come true).

The pictures from these productions are amazing. John Carpenter (Halloween) has claimed that Don was his original inspiration as a filmmaker. Along the way, Glut managed to get professional actors to star in his amateur productions and it sure looks like he had a ton of fun. Highly recommended. The production photos alone are worth it.



You can even watch some of Don's movies at his home page. And be sure to check out his extensive writing credits. Don Glut is my new hero.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:47 PM

Friday, January 27, 2006

Do-it-yourself Chinese medicine: the hot & cold food cure 

The Professor is fighting a cold. We'll see if this works.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:30 PM

Starving woman curses God, dies in her sleep 

A starving Kenyan woman placed a powerful tribal curse on God, accusing him of sending famine, and died in her sleep, local newspapers said Thursday.

The woman from eastern Kenya's drought-ravaged Kangundo district decided to invoke a dreaded oath from the Kamba community, famed for its potent witchcraft, media reports said.

No comment from God. Yet.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:59 AM

Spychips 

How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID.

New book. Link from boing boing.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:08 AM

Hide and seek 

Matt Condon has spent thousands of hours on his hands and knees studying the ground and the tales it tells. A sort of dirt detective, Condon is trained to decipher the tiniest clues left by falling footsteps in pursuit of missing persons or fugitives.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:01 AM

Who you gonna CALL? 

I'm gonna call the editor and complain about lame headlines. And I'll point out the typo in the first paragraph of this story that misspells the name of the paper's home state.

An article on the Bridgewater Triangle in Massachussetts, home to Bigfoot, swamp things, phantom dogs, UFOs and other assorted weirdness.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:57 AM

Death-threat scam is blocked 

The letter, which the OFT described as 'morbid', claims to be from a 'Clairvoyant-Medium' and 'Grand Master of Occultism' named Morgan T. It predicts bad luck, imminent danger and severe abuse for those who ignore it.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:46 AM

Does a New Pill Contain the Fountain of Youth? 

Dr. Joe McCord's latest research may unravel the mystery of aging. And if he succeeds, the answer could come in the form of a little yellow pill called Protandim.

Protandim's ingredients?

It is a combination of five plant ingredients. Two of them are pretty commonplace — green tea and turmeric, a spice used in Indian cooking. The others, among them withania somnifera and silybum marianum, are more exotic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:33 AM

10 years later, mystery clings to Schultz slaying 

When Olympic gold-medal wrestler David Schultz was murdered 10 years ago today, the homicide was no CSI whodunit.

That much was clear from the outset.

Instead, the killing of Schultz, perhaps the most beloved figure in his sport, became a tragic and fascinating case of why?

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:26 AM

Sunken ship becomes a bittersweet discovery 

A group of local history buffs that found a ship submerged in Adams Bayou in 2002 had hoped it was a Civil War gunboat, but have received disappointing news that it is far younger.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:21 AM

Grave mystery of 1879 

The uneasy 127-year sleep of John Wesley Hillmon is about to be disturbed - again.

Assuming, that is, that it's really Hillmon lying in the remnants of a simple wooden coffin at an unmarked gravesite in Lawrence, Kan.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:18 AM

Malaysia creates team to track 'Bigfoot' 

A southern Malaysian state will appoint a team of scientists and experts to hunt for a "Bigfoot" beast after the reported sighting of three giant human-like creatures, officials said Thursday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:09 AM

Thursday, January 26, 2006

American muckraker Sinclair's integrity challenged 

He was a man for whom the term muckraker was coined, a crusading journalist and novelist who never hesitated to expose scandal at the highest levels of government and business.

But now the integrity of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Upton Sinclair is being questioned 38 years after his death because of the discovery of a letter he wrote in 1929.

You have to read to page two to find out that Jonah Goldberg is a douchebag. Unless you already knew that, of course.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:01 PM

ACLU Releases Government Photos 

The FBI is spying on vegans. Your tax dollars at work!

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:47 PM

Chris Penn RIP 

I don't know if you're interested but this piece on actor Chris Penn is worth a read. I always loved the guy. I once mentioned to a young actor that he reminded me of Chris Penn and he got offended. I told him if he could be half the actor Chris was he'd be lucky.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:28 PM

Jack, we never knew ya 

Desperate White House scrubbing Abramoff photos.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:12 PM

Cross-dressing killer is a lady wrestler! 

Holy crap!

The cross-dressing murderer who terrorized Mexico City's old ladies for three long years is actually a female wrestling star.

Mataviejitas -- the "Little Old Lady Killer" - brutally murdered more than 40 defenseless old women, four of them this month alone.

Now cops say they've got the killer: a 48-year-old former Mexican wrestling star who is a woman herself.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:05 PM

Carcass of unknown animal found 

The skeletal remains of an animal found on the coast here has caused a stir among villagers at Kampung Pengkalan Sungai Udang in Telok Gong.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:26 AM

Oz flying car launch site: exclusive pictures 

An update on the Australian flying car.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:21 AM

Sex, Drugs and Three-Card Monte 

Another stellar post from Rigorous Intuition. Read.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:18 AM

Predictions of big quakes may be within reach 

With a rush of new findings and promising research, scientists are edging closer to settling an age-old debate: Will it ever be possible to predict when big earthquakes strike?

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:08 AM

Mena man to sell D.B. Cooper cash 

A Mena resident who found the only money recovered from the famous 1971 D.B. Cooper plane hijacking and robbery is preparing to sell what is left of his bounty.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:05 AM

Hey Buddy: What Brought WTC7 Down? 

Of the many mysteries surrounding 9-11, few have been of as much interest to as broad a range of people as the fate of World Trade Center 7, the 47-story office building that was the last to fall and appears to have been the first steel-framed skyscraper to collapse due solely to fire. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, which this fall issued its final report on what happened to the Twin Towers, was supposed to report on WTC 7 at the same time. But that got pushed to December, then to this spring, and lately to the end of 2006. Now, NIST is soliciting a contractor to try to come up with the best explanation for why the building came down.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:04 AM

Phoenician Inscription Rock: History or hoax? 

Concealed within a small valley at Hidden Mountain is a 15-square-foot piece of basalt. The surface is carved with 216 characters that resemble Phoenician or old Hebrew. Translations have postulated buried treasure, a battle description and a exiled Greek named Zakyneros from 500 B.C.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:54 AM

Big Cats: They do exist! 

Britain's big cats.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:52 AM

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Clumsiness of new "Osama" propaganda: sign of increasing Bush administration desperation 

This latest production may be the clumsiest and most transparent fakery of them all. Today, with the Bush administration cornered and bleeding from scandals, in need of a distraction and cover for an atrocity in Pakistan, more justification for a future conquest of Iran, and facing Peak Oil and Gas-related collapse, it is a fine time for another wag, another attempt at the same old trick. But it is a trick that is losing its power.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:57 AM

Why Won't The Media Touch This Book? 

"Bush/Cheney stole their re-election in 2004.

They stole it not just in Ohio, but all throughout the USA, from coast to coast."

Press release for Mark Crispin Miller's new book Fooled Again.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:55 AM

SNL Conspiracy Theory Rock 

'Conspiracy Theory Rock' by Robert Smigel was shown on 'Saturday Night Live' during the March 14, 1998 broadcast but edited out of reruns.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:51 AM

Witchcraft at the Half-Way-Tree court? 

A woman constable attached to the Half-Way-Tree Police Station had to seek medical attention Tuesday after she came in contact with a strange powdery substance sprinkled on the court compound Tuesday morning.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:43 AM

Firebug - Build a boat and learn to sail 

The Firebug, a small sailing boat that you can build at home, build at the sailing club or build at school, then learn to sail! The Firebug is a 2.4 metre sailing dinghy, a small sailboat, 8 feet long. The construction from plywood is simple and full size patterns make it almost foolproof. You can learn wooden boat building, then when the boat is complete you can say, Now 'I'm going to teach myself to sail!'

Very cool. Found over at Make Zine.

And this is cool too. Inverted indoor gardening. Who'da thunk it?

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:36 AM

Professor Pan 

Professor Pan has the latest on the Hossanna Church Satanic Ritual Abuse cover-up.

He also has an index to get you up to speed.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:19 AM

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Hibernation Could Help Humans, Too 

Groundhogs such as Punxsutawney Phil, who takes his annual bow on Feb. 2, might someday teach us more than just how much more winter lies ahead.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:06 PM

Prank Mystery Solved After 36 Years 

A mystery that has lingered for more than 36 years -- who stole the famous "S" from the clock tower at the University of Wisconsin at Stout? -- has been solved.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:37 PM

Monday, January 23, 2006

Last Carter Family Member Dies 

Janette Carter, the last surviving member of legendary country music institution the Carter Family, died yesterday of Parkinson's disease and other health complications at the age of eighty-two.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:59 PM

'Miracle' cures shown to work 

Doctors have found statistical evidence that alternative treatments such as special diets, herbal potions and faith healing can cure apparently terminal illness, but they remain unsure about the reasons.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:24 PM

Paging George Jetson 

Flying car captured on Google Earth. With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:16 PM

David and the Inflatable Goliath 

Pentagon builds monster blimp. With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:42 AM

'These were horrific torture techniques' 

Iron Age bog bodies horribly tortured.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:41 AM

A Heretic for Our Times 

Biologist Rupert Sheldrake's theories turn everything we know about the universe inside out.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:36 AM

Group busy stalking Big Thicket Bigfoot 

The Texas Bigfoot Research Center goes looking for the big guy.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:35 AM

Cliff paintings in Ningxia may be origin of picture writing: expert 

The prehistoric cliff paintings discovered in northwestern China may be a medium of primitive language and an origin of picture writing, experts have said.

See also Ancient paintings suggest China invented skiing

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:28 AM

Ancient oak felled for wine barrels 

The Morat tree, as it is called, was planted in the 1660s during the reign of Louis XIV, on the instructions of the King's main administrator, Jean-Baptiste Colbert. A huge tree-planting programme was organised at the time, to provide high quality timber for France's naval shipyards

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:28 AM

The Scariest Games 

We're not talking about the harmless games children play at Halloween or even the various paranormal-themed action and role-playing computer games available. We're talking about the games that are played in the dark of night that truly can be paranormal in nature and have unexpected, even terrifying results.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:22 AM

We're definitely weird 

Ohio is one strange place. Need proof? Check out the new 285-page tome "Weird Ohio" by James A. Willis, Andrew Henderson and Loren Coleman (Sterling Publishing Co., $19.95), which celebrates the Buckeye State's bizarre beasts, local legends and roadside distractions.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:20 AM

Where prophecy and policy converge 

Premillenial theology informs the political thinking of many.

Worth a look.

Anyone concerned about American public life at the outset of the 21st century would do well to pay close attention to the prophetic scenario embraced by millions. For these believers, America faces not just shadowy terrorists but nothing less than the advance guard of Antichrist himself.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:07 AM

Local experts want priority in the hunt 

With reports of Bigfoot sightings creating a stir overseas, local scientists want to be given first shot at carrying out an expedition to determine its existence.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:02 AM

A winemaker in tune with the cosmos 

Rudolf Steiner and biodynamic farming.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:01 AM

Lincoln's ancestors help trace disease 

The proud lineage of Abraham Lincoln has helped researchers at the University of Minnesota identify a genetic origin of ataxia, a disease that robs people of mobility and coordination.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:51 AM

Absinthe Linked To Cruise Mystery 

An illegal alcoholic drink that gained notoriety in the 19th century for its hallucinogenic effects is emerging as the latest twist in a modern mystery surrounding a Greenwich man who vanished from his honeymoon cruise last summer.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:43 AM

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Woman Blogs About Driving A NYC Taxi Cab 

Welcome to the world of Melissa Plaut, a New York City taxi driver who chronicles her chaotic, adventurous job in a blog.

Here's her blog.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:20 PM

The mercenaries who converted the Vatican 

For 500 years, popes have been protected by Swiss guards. Originally mercenaries, their bravery and loyalty convinced Julius II to enlist them permanently.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:45 PM

Acupuncture 'deactivates brain' 

Acupuncture works by deactivating the area of the brain governing pain, a TV show will claim.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:38 PM

Skull-Headed Cane 

Sweet!

Found over at boing boing.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:36 PM

Ostman's Observation 

Albert Ostman, who claims he was abducted by a sasquatch and held captive by a sasquatch family for six days in 1924, was difficult to please as to images that might appear like the creatures he saw.

He did not think the creature in the Patterson/Gimlin film matched his captors. Several attempts to draw a sasquatch under his direction also failed to please him. One day, however, he met with John Green and stated that he had found an image that looked just like the "old man" who carried him away.

With the drawing of Ostman's "old man."

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:30 PM

Emela-Ntouka: Africa's Killer of Elephants 

The Emela-ntouka has been an unknown animal of some confusion in Africa. A few chroniclers have felt it was merely another named cryptid representing the sightings of the Mokele-mbembe. But as revealed by an image seen here for the first time, it appears to be a beast unlike the saurapod-like Mokele-mbembe.

Cool!

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:18 PM

Friday, January 20, 2006

Through Hike: A Murder Story 

Dateline NBC is doing a piece on Blaine Norris, murderous horror film director. Norris's crime has been covered extensively on this site but apparently many details have not been in the press.

And there's a new documentary about the case called Rough Cut.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:32 PM

Conspiracy theories out to change the world 

Conspiracy theories are much more than hot air. The paranoids who create them aim to rewrite history as Heather Tyler discovers in a sobering guide to the wackiest stories on earth.

Book review of The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:01 PM

Inside a mind well ahead of its time 

Paracelsus was an alchemist, shaman and magician. But he was also the first scientist, a doctor whose influence is still felt today, says Peter Ackroyd.

"I am different," Paracelsus wrote. "Let this not upset you."

Book review of THE DEVIL'S DOCTOR: Paracelsus and the World of Renaissance Magic and Science by Philip Ball

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:57 PM

The mystery fish washed ashore is identified 

Croy McCoy, a research scientist at the Department of Environment, told Cayman Net News that, based on the description and photos provided, he believes the fish is a member of the Family Macrouridae (Coryphaenoididae), better known as grenadiers or rattails.

With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:45 PM

Kabbalist-astrologer describes 'oneness' in all things 

Gahl Sasson is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and he seems content with that.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:43 PM

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Indiana Jones and the Revenge of the Talkbackers 

The Talkbackers over at Ain't It Cool News seem less than pleased with the proposed fourth Indiana Jones movie. Some of their suggested titles:

Indiana Jones and the Search for Ancient Egyptian Adult Diapers
Indiana Jones and the Mystical Walker of Moses
Indiana Jones and the Embarrassment of Erectile Dysfunction
Indiana Jones and the Lost Roth IRA Account
Indiana Jones and the Early Bird Buffet
Indiana Jones and the Riddle of the Gallstone
Indiana Jones and the Flatulent Demon
Indiana Jones and the Yearly Prostate Exam of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Horn of Mylanta
Indiana Jones and the Sandles with Black Socks
Indiana Jones and the Knights of Canasta
Indiana Jones and the Lost Remote Control
Indiana Jones and the Bus Ride to Branson, Missouri

You get the idea.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:52 PM

President Kennedy and the Voodoo Priest of New Orleans 

Great story found over at Covert History. A great read.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:50 PM

New Waspfish Discovered Off South Africa 

A specimen collected in 1994 has been revealed to be a new species. It was "re-discovered" at the South Africa Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity collection in Grahamstown.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:31 AM

Feds after Google data 

The Bush administration on Wednesday asked a federal judge to order Google to turn over a broad range of material from its closely guarded databases.

Found over at Cannonfire.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:28 AM

Tunnel site between rock and a tarred place 

The rough rock, which stands 4ft high, dates back more than a thousand years - and may be the final resting place of an ancient tribal princess, Vetta.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:13 AM

'Lucky' treasure find 

Archaeologists have discovered a cluster of ancient Roman coins in a trove of buried treasure.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:09 AM

Macabre legends haunt home of first mayor of Pantego 

"My kids call it 'the murder house,' " Pantego Town Secretary Tracy Norr said. "I've heard so many different stories about it, but the main one goes that a psychiatrist supposedly lived there, murdered people and then stored them in the freezer in the basement."

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:06 AM

Yao Ming a creation of dubious science, says book 

Far from being a chance creation, Chinese basketball giant Yao Ming was knowingly bred for the sport, forced into it against his will and subjected to years of dubious science to increase his height, a new book claims.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:45 AM

Thousands on Katrina missing list 

More than 3,200 people remain listed as missing some five months after Hurricane Katrina struck the US' Gulf coast, officials have said.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:44 AM

Edgar Allan Poe Toaster Remains Mystery 

For the 57th year in a row, a mystery man has paid tribute to Edgar Allan Poe by placing roses and a bottle of cognac on the writer's grave to mark his birthday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:35 AM

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Wedding traditions unveiled 

Weddings are that special occasion where two people come together to celebrate their love for one another. Yet, was it always this way? How did marriage come to be, and what is the meaning behind some of the many strange traditions observed today?

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:26 PM

Jack the Ripper mugged in Whitechapel 

A JACK the Ripper tour guide was beaten up and robbed as he talked to punters - on Friday the Thirteenth.

Self-styled 'Rippologist' Dr John Pope-de-Locksley, 52, was attacked by 10 thugs in infamous Gunthorpe Street, Whitechapel, in the evening.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:23 PM

'Little Old Lady Killer' torments Mexico City 

The killer is either a cross-dressing man or a robust woman who strangles elderly women with stockings or telephone cables.

Mexican police believe the so-called "Mataviejitas," or "Little Old Lady Killer," has killed at least seven elderly women in the country's bustling capital of 20 million, although they are investigating whether 22 other slayings of older Mexico City women since 2003

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:20 PM

Healing with hypnosis 

Patty Nichols says nothing happens in hypnosis except what a patient will allow. "Remember, when people volunteer for stage hypnosis, they are perfectly willing to 'ham it up' and bark like a dog or squawk like a chicken," she explained.

"But hypnosis is actually very safe, because you won't allow anything that goes against your system."

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:16 PM

Herbal leaves stand for harmony between man and nature 

Benefits of tea.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:14 PM

Hair-gelled Celt may have been sacrificed 

THE hair-gelled head of an ancient Celt, dubbed the Iron Age Beckham because of his slicked-back look, has been reconstructed by Scots scientists.

Examinations of the Clonycavan man, found fully preserved in a peat bog in Ireland, revealed he used a gel made from a mixture of plant oil and pine resin, believed to be from south-west France or Spain, on his hair.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:12 PM

Canada Opens First "Hogwarts" Witchcraft School 

It would seem there is truth to the warnings against the Harry Potter series if the opening of an honest-to-goodness witchcraft school in Canada is any indication of increased interest in the occult that has resulted from the books.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:56 PM

Was it 'UFO' above our town? 

UFO experts are investigating the sighting of a strange object in the clouds above South Cheshire.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:55 PM

Ritual Sacrifice Gone Awry? 

Missing Child found Dumb at Fourah Bay in Sierra Leone.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:30 PM

UFO sighting is just 'hot air' 

AN unidentified flying object over Warrnambool on Monday has become an identified one, with some residents claiming the answer to the airborne mystery was helium balloons.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:23 PM

Great unsolved crimes: The ex-King, the conman and a millionaire's murder 

When Sir Harry Oakes was found dead 63 years ago, it made headlines around the world. Now new evidence points not only to a fresh suspect, but also to a royal cover-up.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:22 PM

Rembrandt 'fakes' are real thing 

Two paintings previously thought to be fake Rembrandts were actual works by the Dutch master, Copenhagen's National Gallery said yesterday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:20 PM

Flying saucer is out of this world 

A group of dedicated space enthusiasts at GFS Projects Limited - which stands for Geoff's Flying Saucer - have been tinkering away with some alien designs in their own Area 51 in Saxon Road.

Found at the Anomalist.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:17 PM

Who was B. Traven? 

An investigation into the true identity of the author of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

A very detailed article I found over at Xymphora.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:28 PM

Chinese Find Underwater 'Lost City' in Lake 

China researchers are reporting the discovery of Mayan pyramid-like buildings under Fuxian Lake in China's Yunnan province.

"Gengwei, a professional diver, told reporters on December 19th, 2005, that images from sonar scans showed that a large relic covering at least 2.4 square kilometers sits underwater in Fuxian Lake.

"He said eight main buildings were found all under the water, including a round building and two large high buildings with floors that liken to the Mayan pyramids of Latin America."

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:19 PM

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Death Race 2000 

Horror filmmaker Eric Red crashed his Jeep, killing two. Then he slit his own throat. That was only the beginning.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:10 AM

Claws out over claim China discovered America 

The Chinese are said to have discovered gunpowder, paper and the compass, but it may be too early to claim they discovered America.

A map purported to date from 1418 suggesting a Chinese fleet sailed to America decades before Christopher Columbus was displayed in Beijing on Monday, but the piece of yellowing paper is the centre of a storm of criticism over its authenticity.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:00 AM

Video records puzzling object in Warrnambool sky 

A WARRNAMBOOL man is searching for answers after filming an unidentified flying object on Saturday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:57 AM

TX: Mysterious Dog-Like Creature Shot And Killed 

With pic and video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:51 AM

DNA identifies Washington man missing for 76 years 

Jessie "Wilma" Ewing solved a mystery 76 years in the making just with her DNA.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:45 AM

Is Wales the resting place of the Holy Grail? 

THE Da Vinci Code might name Scotland as the home of the Holy Grail, but according to a Welsh academic, Wales' claim to the relic is much stronger.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:43 AM

Phone Tax Has Surprising Origin 

We're still paying for the Spanish-American War?

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:40 AM

Did British Secret Agent Shoot Dead Rasputin? 

Shocking new ballistics evidence reveals that a British secret agent was the deadly assassin who shot dead Russia's 'mad monk' Rasputin 90 years ago, it was claimed today.

A professor has travelled back in time to investigate the 1916 autopsy report, autopsy materials and photographs before finally shedding new light on the mystery death of Russia's famed 'love machine'.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:38 AM

Monday, January 16, 2006

Batgirl and beyond! 

Do you like Batgirl? Boy, are you in luck. So do several hundred LiveJournal users and they've all drawn a version of the Caped Crusaderix.



This one by Mao is my favorite so far. Check out Mao's (Jen Wang's) website here. Pretty neat.

I found this link over at boing boing.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:11 AM

Arrest of British woman linked to the death of 'God's banker' 

A BRITISH woman has been arrested in connection with the death of "God's banker" Roberto Calvi.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:17 AM

Girlfriend of 'vampyre' gubernatorial candidate is fired 

The partner of the new gubernatorial candidate, Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey, says she's been unjustly fired from her job.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:11 AM

Thai Floods Leave Behind Gold Rush 

Severe floods that washed away homes, bridges and lives apparently have compensated hapless villagers in southern Thailand with a treasure - gold.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:07 AM

Exorcism was sought for BTK killer 

Dennis Rader's pastor sought permission to perform a jailhouse exorcism on the BTK killer but authorities wouldn't allow it, the Rev. Michael Clark told an Overland Park audience Sunday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:01 AM

Old-timey ailments with quaint names 

Question: I'm doing research on my family's history. I found out that my great-grandfather died of "nervous prostration." Also, my grandmother's cousin was afflicted with "St. Vitus' dance." Could you please explain these conditions?

I've got a bad case of the vapours...

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:54 AM

4,000-year-old 'kitchen' discovered at park 

Workers building a boat ramp at southeastern Indiana's Charlestown State Park have uncovered the apparent remains of a 4,000-year-old "kitchen" ancient American Indians tribes may have used to prepare their winter food supply.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:53 AM

Mountain lions coming home 

Just prior to the start of Pennsylvania's two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:47 AM

Neanderthal man floated into Europe, say Spanish researchers 

Spanish investigators believe they may have found proof that neanderthal man reached Europe from Africa not just via the Middle East but by sailing, swimming or floating across the Strait of Gibraltar.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:41 AM

The Continuing Mystery of America's 'Lost Colony' 

Roanoke Island is off the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States, in North Carolina. In fifteen eighty-seven, more than one hundred people arrived from England to live on the island. Three years later, they were gone. Today we revisit the mystery of whatever happened to America’s "Lost Colony."

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:34 AM

THATCHER: DOLPHINS COULD HUNT LOCH NESS MONSTER 

A NESSIE hunt using a team of dolphins was planned by the Tory government, according to declassified secret documents.

Within days of the 1979 election, officials in Margaret Thatcher's regime proposed importing the mammals from America and fitting them with hi-tech equipment to scour Loch Ness.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:27 AM

Mystery surrounds most disappearances on cruise ships 

More than 50 people have gone overboard from cruise ships in the last decade, including suicides, unsolved cases and a handful of rescues, an analysis of incidents found.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:26 AM

Spontaneous Human Invisibility 

And not so spontaneous.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:23 AM

Attacked by "invisible creatures" 

A 30-year-old man alleges that he was attacked by what he calls 'invisible creatures' while he was asleep on Friday night. He said the devilish torture lasted for approximately 20 minutes.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:17 AM

New Mokele-mbembe Expedition Departs 

I missed this last week. Let's wish them luck.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:14 AM

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Chris Martin haunted by musical ghost 

Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Chris Martin claim they are being haunted by the ghost of a 19th century musician.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:51 PM

Men want buried treasure they found 

Lawyers for four men who face criminal charges for allegedly lying about the origins of a stash of antique money they found in an old barn have filed a motion asking a judge to dismiss all charges and give the men the currency.

If they find it in the rafters of an old barn is it still "buried" treasure?

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:41 AM

NTSB defies conspiracy theories in 2002 Cessna Caravan crash 

US air accident investigators have today attempted to quash rumours of a light aircraft colliding with an unidentified flying object (UFO) in Alabama three and a half years ago with the release of an updated incident report.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:36 AM

The Devil is in the Details 

Honesty is very seldom heard nowadays, especially from a politician. So, I am going to break from political tradition. My name is Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey, Ph.D., L.D.D.D. I am a Satanic Dark Priest, Sanguinarian Vampyre and a Hecate Witch.

Sharkey for Governor!

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:34 AM

The inspirational Mr Tom Waits 

I'm blogging this because you just don't see many articles about Tom Waits.

"Popular music is like a big party, and it's a thrill sneaking in rather than being invited. Every once in a while, a guy with his shirt on inside out, wearing lipstick and a pillbox hat, gets a chance to speak."

--TW

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:18 AM

Bone-chilling, blood-draining fun in vampire tour 

The vampire tours have returned to the Big Easy.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:04 AM

The Atlantes at Tula 

The Atlantes at Tula are four colossal statues almost five meters in height which were discovered in a pyramid located in the archaeological zone of Tula, Hidalgo, located 40 miles from Mexico City.

With cool pics.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:00 AM

Donner Party Cannibalism Legends Remain Unproven 

The Donner Party used tea cups and other tableware and ate domestic and wild animals while stranded in the Sierra Nevadas during 1846-47, but all group members may not have resorted to cannibalism.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:57 AM

Greek island figurine mystery to be probed 

British and Greek archaeologists are preparing a major excavation on a tiny Greek island to try to explain why it produced history's largest collection of Cycladic flat-faced marble figurines.

Artwork from barren Keros inspired such artists as Pablo Picasso and Henry Moore but also attracted ruthless looters. Now experts are seeking insight into the island's possible role as a major religious center of the enigmatic Cycladic civilization some 4,500 years ago.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:52 AM

Leonardo in France? 

Where is he buried?

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:50 AM

Mormon connection to Masons explored ahead of 'Da Vinci Code' sequel 

Dan Brown clearly enjoys playing with legends, history, symbols and secrets. And readers' minds. In his best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code, Brown wove all these - real and imagined - into a breathless mystery about Christianity, Mary Magdalene and the Divine Feminine that has spawned an industry of de-coders eager to separate fact from fiction.

Now that he has turned his attention to the mysteries of Freemasonry, the centuries-old fraternal order, the new book also might deal with Mormonism

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:48 AM

Tooth marks link Vikings, Indians 

A scientist who found deep grooves chiselled into the teeth of dozens of 1,000-year-old Viking skeletons unearthed in Sweden believes the strange custom might have been learned from aboriginal tribes during ancient Norse voyages to North America -- a finding that would represent an unprecedented case of transatlantic, cross-cultural exchange during the age of Leif Ericsson.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:44 AM

What kind of fish is this? 

Odd looking duck. With pic.

Found over at the Anomalist.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:43 AM

'Ancient' map could prove China found America first 

A MAP has come to light that may support the thesis that a Chinese eunuch admiral discovered America decades before Christopher Columbus. At the very least it will fuel debate.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:41 AM

Top Secret: US Navy SEAL's Cryptid Ape Video 

No actual video but an interesting story.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:39 AM

Bush Authorized Domestic Spying Before 9/11 

Feel free?

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:37 AM

Thursday, January 12, 2006

New video of alleged entity encounter 

This thread will take you over there. It's interesting. Reminds me of the alien in Signs, only scarier.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:27 PM

Flying dog 

No, really, a flying dog. Hysterical.

An unlikely find from the excellent and usually dog-free Americablog.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:53 PM

L.A. Observed: New Black Dahlia theory 

Once again, Hex Correspondent and Black Dahlia maven (researcher? enthusiast? sweetheart?) Elisabeth Reynolds has pointed the Professor towards some fun new Dahlia info.

First, Donald H. Wolfe will be discussing his new Black Dahlia book (complete with new theory, natch) tonight in Los Angeles for free at the Los Angeles Press Club. If you're an Angeleno (or Angelena) you should stop by.

Wolfe's book The Black Dahlia Files : The Mob, the Mogul, and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles has already created controversy as rival Dahlia researcher Larry Harnisch has accused Wolfe of plagiarism. Ought to be quite an evening.

As to Wolfe's book, Elisabeth calls it "Both a piece of crap AND a must read! Really. If fact, it's unequivocally the best piece of crap written on the case to date!"

If that's not a ringing endorsement I don't know what is. Thanks Elisabeth.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:06 PM

Sex offender accused of trying to pass as 'royal' student 

He posed as a prospective student and tried to pass himself off as a member of a royal family from Europe -- until some student journalists uncovered his past.

Police said "Caspian" visited Stillwater Area High School three times. He told students he was 17 and that he was "Caspian James Chrichton Stuart the Fourth," the "Fifth Duke of Cleveland."

Oh, come on. Everyone knows I'm the Fifth Duke of Cleveland.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:16 PM

Desktop fusion is back on the table 

Can the popping of tiny bubbles trigger nuclear fusion, a potential source of almost unlimited energy? This controversial idea is back on the table, because its main proponent has new results that, he claims, will silence critics. But others say that the latest experiment simply comes with its own set of problems.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:50 AM

'Big Foot' walked across Kerala 30,000 years ago! 

Giant footprints found at Karalmanna, a hilly village in Kerala's Palakkad District, are now being projected by anthropologists as belonging to homo sapiens that lived in the area about 30,000 years ago.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:04 AM

Shrouded in controversy 

Burial cloth of Jesus or cynical counterfeit? The enigmatic linen known as the Shroud of Turin has befuddled clerics, scientists and observers for six centuries - and the debate still rages.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:02 AM

Ancient Maori artefact discovered on beach 

Three Danish tourists wandering along a deserted beach on their third day in New Zealand, spotted a piece of history lying on the shoreline.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:56 AM

Scientology vs. Science 

Even before I start writing this column, and pretty much regardless of what I say, I know I am going to tick off the Scientologists. I know this because I have ticked them off already.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:54 AM

Authors set out to explain mysterious faces of Mars 

The man in the moon may actually have lived on Mars, according to a book by author and artist George J. Haas.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:43 AM

Going way beyond The Da Vinci Code 

KASHMIR has many popular myths and legends. Mysterious, intriguing and sometimes controversial. One of the most talked about in recent times is the existence of a tomb at Rozabal, Khanyar that is supposed to be final resting place of Jesus Christ.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:41 AM

Spiritualist sisters create stir in Ohio 

In September 1851, local Columbus papers announced that the Fox sisters had arrived in Columbus for an indefinite stay.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:34 AM

Researcher: Early Man Was Hunted by Birds 

A South African anthropologist said Thursday his research into the death nearly 2 million years ago of an ape-man shows human ancestors were hunted by birds.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:22 AM

Franklin County's Wild Crypto Zoo 

During the past four years The RFP Research Project has received numerous reports from residents of Western Arkansas concerning wild animals they have seen that did not resemble any known native or exotic species.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:20 AM

I was conned by JT Leroy 

Ayelet Waldman weighs in. It's Salon, so you'll have to watch a brief ad.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:53 AM

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Satanic panic 

The effects of the Rochdale social services scandal are still with us.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:24 AM

Sleuths use software to find messages in lyrical backspin 

When Jeff Milner installed software on his Web site that could play digital songs in reverse, he tested it with a snippet of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." The song, heard normally, refers to "a bustle in your hedgerow." Played backward, says Milner, the line sounds like: "Oh, here's to my sweet Satan."

Today, Milner's Web site plays parts of songs from the Eagles, John Lennon, Britney Spears, Eminem and others - both normally and in reverse. Milner, a Canadian college student majoring in new media, offers interpretations of the reverse-plays. A line in Spears' "Baby One More Time," played backward, becomes "Sleep with me, I'm not too young," Milner claims. What sounds like mumbling in Pink Floyd's "Empty Spaces," Milner says, becomes more intelligible in reverse: "Congratulations, you have just discovered the secret message."

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:22 AM

Sacramento attorney found guilty of torture in spousal abuse case 

An El Dorado Superior Court jury on Tuesday convicted Sacramento defense attorney Richard W. Hamlin of torture, the most serious of 18 felony counts of against him. But the jury delivered mixed verdicts on the remaining 17 counts of spousal abuse, assault and child endangerment.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:19 AM

Family finds human skull in ceiling 

Skeletons in the attic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:07 AM

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Raiding the Icebox 

Invading Canada won't be like invading Iraq: When we invade Canada, nobody will be able to grumble that we didn't have a plan.

Invade Canada? Us? Is there oil there? Well, these guys are ready.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:31 PM

Is Culpeper case tied to killings? 

Culpeper County sheriff's investigators are trying to determine whether there is a connection between the slayings of two Richmond families last week and the Dec. 18 death of Sheryl Ann Embrey Warner.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:48 PM

Smoking Gun questions Million Little Pieces 

The best thing that ever happened to the liars behind the JT Leroy con was that James Frey - a bigger, more Oprah-promoted writer, was exposed as an allegedly (Hi lawyers!) lying douchebag on the same day. Frey is definitely getting the lion's share of the press. He's also threatening to sue, which should prove endlessly entertaining, as he seems more worried about protecting his future movie deals than he does his reputation.

Here is the Smoking Gun's report (also linked below). And be sure to check out this hilarious photo of the desperado known as the Chicken Pox Kid.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:32 PM

Cost of Iraq war could top $2 trillion: study 

The cost of the Iraq war could top $2 trillion, far above the White House's pre-war projections, when long-term costs such as lifetime health care for thousands of wounded U.S. soldiers are included, a study said on Monday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:53 AM

Footprints of giant man found in Kerala 

team of amateur anthropologists claims to have discovered footprints of a "giant-man" in a forest in Kerala who had a feet size of 29 inches, lived in a shelter 50 meters high and weighed well over 400 kg.

Loren Coleman's looking into it over at Cryptomundo.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:48 AM

New clues in mystery story of elusive S.F. author JT LeRoy 

On Monday afternoon, a Chronicle reporter rang the bell of a dingy, cream-colored Victorian apartment house on Larkin Street that is the residence of Laura Albert and Geoffrey Knoop, according to an online directory. A woman answered but refused to open the door. Conducting a conversation from the landing of the top of the interior stairs, where she could not be seen, the woman, who did not identify herself, told the reporter that Albert and Knoop had moved to Mendocino.

"You should get them, because they must be brought down," the woman said.

See also FIRST PERSON-
LeRoy and the art of getting editors to work for free.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:46 AM

New Orleans Levees Intentionally Exploded by Bomb? 

Eye Witnesses Living Near 17th St. Levee Say Loud Explosion Heard Just Prior To Raging Waters Flooded 9th Ward.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:42 AM

FBI to help in camper slayings case 

Over the years, the forest has been the scene of several crimes -- some solved and some that have remained mysteries.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:35 AM

Buried 19th Century Account of the Afterlife Reborn in the 21st Century 

U of A reference librarian Stephen Chism knows a good story when he sees one. Buried in the archives of the University Libraries' Special Collections department is one that Chism felt was too good not to share.

In his recently published book, "The Afterlife of Leslie Stringfellow: A Nineteenth-Century Southern Family's Experiences with Spiritualism," Chism provides a reprinting of "Leslie's Letters to His Mother" (Fayetteville, Arkansas: Democrat Publishing Company, 1926). "Leslie's Letters" is an interesting artifact of the spiritual and religious climate of the late nineteenth century in its recounting of the experiences of Leslie's mother and father with "automatic writing," a form of communication with the dead.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:32 AM

Astronauts and Area 51: the Skylab Incident 

Far out in the Nevada desert, miles from prying eyes, is a secret Air Force facility that has been known by numerous names over the years. It has been called Paradise Ranch, Watertown Strip, Area 51, Dreamland, and Groom Lake. Groom is probably the most mythologized real location that few people have ever seen. According to people with overactive imaginations, it is where the United States government keeps dead aliens, clones them, and reverse-engineers their spacecraft. It is also where NASA filmed the faked Moon landings.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:30 AM

Monday, January 09, 2006

You're No J.T. Leroy - Thank God 

Susie Bright weighs in on being conned by "JT Leroy."

My name is Susie Bright and I am not JT Leroy.

I am, however, part of the Leroy Dupe Club. Membership: Countless.

I must be one of the early members. I got the raccoon penis-bone in the mail years ago. I wept over his work when I read his unpublished first stories. Now my face is another color.

For readers, famous author JT Leroy's hoax - that "he" is really a "she," that a middle class 40-year-old woman has been impersonating the life of a lumpen gutter whore child - must make for great reading. Memoir, shmemoir, right?

But if youre an author, an editor, a publisher - or worse, a friend - to someone who bullshit you up one side and down the other, it's not cute. It's not irrelevant. It's a cruel con, straight up, and the whole writers' community suffered for it.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:52 PM

Cumbria Cats 

CUMBRIA could be home to big cats including pumas, panthers and lynx according to police records.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:25 PM

Ancient artists who made their mark on our landscape 

Stone Age rock carvings in Yorkshire have provided a fascinating glimpse into life 4,000 years ago.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:24 PM

Letter confirms Johnson's Texas recordings 

The discovery of a long-lost letter offers rare insight into Robert Johnson's life and confirms that the bluesman recorded at a downtown Dallas building, music historians said.

Blues fans have long thought Johnson recorded 13 songs in 1937 in a building two blocks east of Dallas City Hall. The building was home to Brunswick Records at the time, but there was no known documentation to confirm where the recordings took place.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:18 PM

Tomato juice keeps emphysema at bay in new model 

Well, in mice anyway.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:38 PM

A Million Little Lies 

Another literary fraud. And this one conned Oprah.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:36 PM

Sunday, January 08, 2006

The Unmasking of JT Leroy 

It has been one of the most bizarre literary mysteries in recent memory: Who, exactly, is the novelist JT Leroy? An answer, at long last, is taking shape.

Anybody smell a hoax?

I'm pretty sure I saw this on a Law & Order episode....

And here is the great New York magazine article that seems to have broken open the entire hustle.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:56 PM

Art outsider's legacy comes back to Nebraska 

The old farmer called them healing machines. In a clapboard farmhouse without running water 20 miles northeast of North Platte, he spent uncounted hours twisting baling wire, winding copper strands and snipping tin pieces into hundreds of curios that surpass description.

The old farmer never called them art and he never fancied himself an artist, alchemist or healer, but he believed his inventions harnessed a mysterious power.

Another good find courtesy of the Anomalist.

Emery Blagdon's "healing machines" will be part of an exhibit, "Weird Nebraska: Strange Stories and Amazing Facts," that will run for a year at the Museum of Nebraska History in Lincoln. Read about it here.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:50 PM

Sell a house with a seance or a saint 

The latest trend in real estate.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:53 PM

Mongolia looks to archaeologists and dinosaur hunters to help create jobs 

Archaeologists and dinosaur hunters are digging up Mongolia's vast countryside, seeking to retrace thousands of years of history in this storied but still mysterious land.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:47 PM

Probe into authenticity of Mozart skull inconclusive 

Forensic scientists were unable to say if a skull kept in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's home town of Salzburg is indeed that of the composer born 250 years ago, Austrian television said on Sunday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:10 PM

The Dump Creature: What Was It? 

When Paula M. went to the dump site in search of old, collectible bottles, the last thing she expected was an encounter with an unknown animal. And she may not have expected the amount of attention the story of her encounter would receive.

I've linked to this before. Here is the original story.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:50 PM

Yes Minister, we'll save Nessie from the poachers 

THE cold war and the aftermath of the miners’ strike may have dominated the headlines. But behind the scenes some Whitehall officials were more preoccupied in the mid-1980s by the safety of the Loch Ness monster.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:35 PM

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Arrests made in connection with Richmond slayings 

Two men arrested in Philadelphia today have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in seven slayings in South Richmond this week.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:20 PM

The Ballad of Finis Shelnutt 

Just go read it. Utterly amazing.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:01 PM

Just who did write Paul's letters from prison? 

Who wrote the Apostle Paul's New Testament letters? For many Christians, the question is considered a no-brainer -- the spiritual equivalent of "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?"

But Lexington Theological Seminary professor Jerry L. Sumney plans to tell Lay School of Theology students this month that the answer is more complex than many churchgoers realize.

"Lots of New Testament scholars are convinced that Paul didn't write all those letters that have his name on them," Sumney said.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:24 PM

Satanic abuse scandal kids take action 

A DOZEN of the children who were snatched from their parents by Rochdale social workers in the so-called "Satanic abuse" scandal in 1990 are seeking compensation.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:17 PM

Native Indian Crop Circle Account from 1912 

Another goodie from the Anomalist.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:49 PM

Nearly 100, LSD's Father Ponders His 'Problem Child' 

Rounding a century, Mr. Hofmann is physically reduced but mentally clear. He is prone to digressions, ambling with pleasure through memories of his boyhood, but his bright eyes flash with the recollection of a mystical experience he had on a forest path more than 90 years ago in the hills above Baden, Switzerland. The experience left him longing for a similar glimpse of what he calls "a miraculous, powerful, unfathomable reality."

"I was completely astonished by the beauty of nature," he said, laying a slightly gnarled finger alongside his nose, his longish white hair swept back from his temples and the crown of his head. He said any natural scientist who was not a mystic was not a real natural scientist. "Outside is pure energy and colorless substance," he said. "All of the rest happens through the mechanism of our senses. Our eyes see just a small fraction of the light in the world. It is a trick to make a colored world, which does not exist outside of human beings."

Great article I found at the Anomalist.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:44 PM

'Truthiness' voted 2005 word of year 

In a runoff for the most creative word, "whale tail," the appearance of a thong above the waistband, beat out "muffin top," the bulge of flesh hanging over the top of low-riding jeans.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:29 PM

Your phone records are for sale 

The Chicago Police Department is warning officers their cell phone records are available to anyone -- for a price. Dozens of online services are selling lists of cell phone calls, raising security concerns among law enforcement and privacy experts.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:23 PM

Friday, January 06, 2006

Manutius Press Issues Two Rare Books by Allen Greenfield 

Dr. Allen Greenfield's long out-of-print classic, Secret Cipher of the UFOnauts, and the first release of its suppressed sequel, Secret Rituals of the Men In Black, is now available from Manutius Press, in conjunction with Lulu (www.lulu.com), the world’s fastest-growing provider of print-on-demand books.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:33 PM

"You're getting slleeeepy" is a myth 

We've all heard the stories about stage hypnotists who put people into deep trances and have them clucking like chickens or crawling around on all fours barking like dogs. And we've seen the Hollywood version of hypnosis, which shows subjects becoming so completely unconscious that they are unaware they have been hypnotized, and later respond to "suggestions" planted while they are "asleep."

But although there are graduated levels of what people have come to call "hypnotic trance," the common stories about hypnosis are in fact myths, says Hypnotist Bob McKellar, who runs Insights Hypnosis Centre on Highway #7 in Norwood. In fact, hypnotism has nothing whatsoever to do with putting people to sleep, says McKellar, a former police officer and a practitioner of Kung Fu, who is also certified with the National Guild of Hypnotists.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:30 PM

The Magical Man 

This is the eighth generation of family of magicians. While PC Sorcar (Senior) was legendary and is known to have taken this art to greater heights, his son P C Sorcar (Junior) has mesmerised the world with tricks like the disappearing of the Taj Mahal.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:26 PM

Quadruple Murder Mystery in Virginia 

Could an unidentified serial killer, a Virginian modeling himself after Kansas' notorious BTK murderer, Dennis Rader, be operating in the local area?

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:23 PM

DNA solves the 250-year mystery of Mozart's skull 

MUSEUM staff in Salzburg refused for years to go near the case displaying the skull that had reputedly housed the brain of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Notes, even screams, were said to emanate from it at night: signs, perhaps, of a tortured soul.

Now Mozart fans will be told whether the skull belonged to the composer. "DNA comparisons have succeeded in obtaining a clear result," Walther Parson, of the University of Innsbruck, said. The result will be announced tomorrow as part of Austria's celebrations of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:20 PM

Lou Rawls, RIP 

"The silkiest chops in the singing game."

--Frank Sinatra

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:17 PM

Harvey Family Murders Hit the Blogosphere - The Crime library 

Steve Huff's got it.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:18 PM

DNA analysis reveals house cat's origins 

Curiosity didn't kill the cat but helped it thrive, diversify and reign over new habitats all over the world in a brief 11 million-year time span, according to a major new analysis of feline genetics.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:15 PM

Norwegian who hunted Bigfoot for over 20 years 

Interest in the "Bigfoot" phenomenon is not new to Felda settler Abdul Hamid Wahab, 57.

He and a Norwegian scientist spent almost three decades searching for the elusive creature in several forested areas in Pahang and Johor from the early 1970s to the end of the 1990s.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:13 PM

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Vaudeville isn't dead ... just in hiding 

People say vaudeville is dead.

Travis Stewart disagrees.

"Vaudeville is not dead," he says. "It's just been very, very sick."

Where, you wonder, have all the juggling unicyclists, yodeling magicians and tap-dancing ventriloquists gone?

OK, maybe you don't wonder; but Stewart used to. However, now he knows. And when asked, Stewart's simple answer could be, "No Applause - Just Throw Money."

His new book (Faber and Faber, $25) chronicles the life and (near) death of the old-fashioned performance art, from its ancient beginnings to its modern resuscitations.

You can find the book here. Looks cool.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:43 PM

Dark chocolate helps diarrhea 

A new study conducted by researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is the first to discover that a chemical in cocoa beans can limit the development of fluids that cause diarrhea.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:12 PM

Information sought on Satantic sex assault decades old 

Officials with the Charlevoix County Sheriff's Department are investigating claims of Satanic ritual sexual assault against a child dating back to the 1970s and early 1980s.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:07 PM

The tumultuous and tawdry travels of Neil Bush 

Over the past six months, Neil Bush, the son of former President George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Bush, and the younger brother of President George W. Bush, has been shepherded around several former Soviet republics by a man wanted for fraud by Russian authorities, and has showed up in the Philippines and Taiwan at the side of a self-styled messiah.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:04 PM

Ultra-rare doubloon comes to Orlando 

Ladies and gentlemen - the Brasher Doubloon.

Sneak a peak here.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:56 PM

Mysterious Horse Deaths Raise Theories About UFOs 

Cattle rancher Clyde Chess never learned who -- or what -- killed his heifer 11 years ago, removing its lips, tongue, ears, heart and reproductive organs with laserlike precision.

But he has a theory.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:47 PM

Woman Gets Letter From Grave Solving Christmas Mystery 

It took 34 years and a letter from the grave, but now a suburban Cincinnati woman knows who has been sending her the Christmas riddles that arrived on her doorstep each year.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:38 PM

The pyramid puzzle 

They are structures that have mystified researchers and architects for centuries. These great stone monuments boast of amazing precision and skill. Rachna Chhabria uncovers the facts behind the Great Pyramids of Egypt.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:32 PM

Renowned forensic scientist investigates cruise disappearance 

Renowned forensic scientist Henry Lee said Thursday he will help try to solve the mystery of a Connecticut man who disappeared last summer while on a honeymoon cruise.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:27 PM

Mystery planes continue to circle over Lodi 

Oh, Lord, stuck in Lodi again.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:25 PM

Miffed Canadian pays bank bill a penny at a time 

He's upset because his Canadian bank is outsourcing its credit card processing to the United States.

"I don't want the CIA or George Bush to know how many cases of Viagra I bought last week, or what church or charities I donate to," he told Reuters.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:21 PM

Earliest known Mayan writing found in Guatemala 

Archeologists excavating a pyramid complex in the Guatemalan jungle have uncovered the earliest example of Mayan writing ever found, 10 bold hieroglyphs painted on plaster and stone.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:14 PM

Anti-Bush author put on No-Fly list 

Jim Moore, author of Bush's Brain, has been put on the No-Fly list by the fascist in the White House. Feel any safer?

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:10 PM

Legends of Castles and Keeps 

Legends and tales.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:20 AM

Witches' brew-hahas 

A New York-based group that polls witches for predictions has whipped up a strange brew of what may happen - but probably won't - in 2006.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:15 AM

Stabilized zapruder film 

Though there's some debate as to its legitimacy, there's a Quicktime file of the Zapruder film making the rounds, and I'm having a hard time taking my eyes of it.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:13 AM

BEWARE THE DA VINCI CON, SAY WATCHDOGS 

AROUND five million Brits have been conned out of a small fortune by ruthless scams, consumer watchdogs have revealed.

And now punters are being warned to steer clear of the latest stunt - The Da Vinci Code swindle.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:04 AM

ON THE TRAIL OF JOHOR'S BIGFOOT: What is it? 

Could Bigfoot, believed to have been spotted in the jungles of Johor, actually be a pre-historic animal which had gone extinct over hundreds of thousand years ago?

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:59 AM

Tulsa Pastor Arrested In OKC On Lewdness Charge 

An executive committee member of the Southern Baptist Convention was arrested on a lewdness charge for propositioning a plainclothes policeman outside a hotel, police said.

Lonnie Latham, senior pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church, was booked into Oklahoma County Jail Tuesday night on a misdemeanor charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. Latham was released on $500 bail Wednesday afternoon.

He was just offering to suck the Devil out of him!

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:05 AM

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Strange Shadows on the Moon 

Our weird moon.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:48 PM

Is the Bush admninistration spying on Christiane Amanpour? 

Be sure to read the follow up as well.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:23 PM

Ghosts of the Oregon Coast 

The Oregon Coast is quite beautiful and, apparently, quite haunted.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:58 AM

How strangely human 

Another review of the year in weird.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:55 AM

"NOT LIKE US" 

The world is full of things which are kahibulungan or kababalaghan. The first word is Visayan while the second is Visayan-Cebuano. Both words mean mysterious or supernatural.

At times the stories are hair-raising, that is, makatindog sa balahibo or breath-taking. They appeal to the extra-sensory perceptions (ESP) of human beings. There are also extra-sensitive human beings who go through supernatural or para-normal experiences.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:52 AM

On the lam since '93, a daughter reappears 

Fred Tallchief hadn't seen his daughter for more than 13 years, except in FBI wanted posters or TV shows such as "America's Most Wanted."

Then, on Sept. 15 of last year, the Buffalo man learned that Heather Tallchief was on national television, surrendering to federal agents for her role in a $2.9 million armored car robbery outside one of Las Vegas' busiest casinos.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:49 AM

Tim the Yowie Man's top Yowie hunting tips for summer 

It's summer down under, mate.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:40 AM

Did the Cubans assassinate Kennedy? 

The Cuban secret service was behind the assassination of President John F Kennedy, according to evidence presented in a new television documentary.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:38 AM

Artifacts could be key to Blackbeard mystery 

They're two completely different types of fasteners.

Archaeologists working with the Queen Anne's Revenge Project have found a coat button and some hardware that looks like it might be part of a set of shackles - both items that could have belonged to the pirate Blackbeard or one of his crew.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:36 AM

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Lybrary.com - magic, gambling and games ebooks 

Great site I just stumbled on. Very affordable ebooks with some of the secrets of the ages. Check 'em out.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:29 PM

Sasquatch search takes a big foot forward 

Gerry Matthews wants the world to know that both "sensible and skeptical" people can be involved in the hunt for the elusive sasquatch.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:02 PM

Long Island's weird attractions 

A new book compiles wacky places and strange tales that, to some of us, seem like typical Long Island.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:58 PM

Banished Words List : 2006 

All of you persons of interest will want to hunker down and read this breaking news! Git-r-done!

Thanks to Hex Correspondent Sara for the tip.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:53 PM

Skull Faces Music In Mystery Over Mozart 

Researchers said they're prepared to resolve a mystery that's puzzled experts for more than a century: Whether a human skull is that of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:37 PM

Woman marries dolphin 

Did she do it on porpoise?

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:28 PM

Pathway improved to ancient well 

An ancient well said to have healing powers has been made more accessible to elderly and disabled people.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:51 AM

UFO cult predicts apocalypse in July 2006 

The Church of the SubGenius has announced that the end of the world will take place on Wednesday, July 5, 2006. In preparation for the fulfillment of this doomsday prophecy, the Church is requesting that all of its members participate in a bizarre religious ceremony taking place in upstate New York, during the final weekend before the arrival of the apocalypse.

If Bob says it, it must be so.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:48 AM

Amazing Predictions 

Nostradamus... Edgar Cayce... Mother Shipton... Jeanne Dixon... we've heard time and again of their remarkable prophecies and predictions. Yet prophecies aren't restricted to the prophets and psychics. Astonishing and eerily accurate predictions have also come from unexpected sources - famous and ordinary people alike.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:43 AM

THE BIG FIX 2006: IS ABRAMOFF GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER? 

Tom DeLay's on trial, Randy Cunningham's going to jail, the Republican Party is mired in corruption and cronyism, Sun Cruz Casino "Mob Boy" Adam Kidan's already cut a deal, and Jack Abramoff's plea agreement with federal prosecutors is expected to result in the biggest Congressional housecleaning in decades . . .

Yet, appearances to the contrary, "The Big Fix 2006" may already be in on the Republican big money scandals.

The show may be over before it began.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:41 AM

A mystery no longer? 

The Mystery Spot, for decades one of Santa Cruz's most alluring tourist sites, bills itself as a place where the laws of physics and gravity cease to exist.

At least one scientist has attributed the weird goings-on at the site to carbon dioxide seeping up through fissures caused by a landslide or earthquake. Flying saucer aficionados postulate that aliens once left strange metal cones deep below the earth. Others theorize that the bizarre phenomena are caused by a magnetic field, a hole in the ozone layer or an ancient meteorite.

But Bruce Bridgeman, a professor of psychology and psychobiology at the University of California-Santa Cruz, says the Mystery Spot isn't a mystery.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:38 AM

Candy Barr RIP 

Candy Barr, infamous 1950s stripper and stag film star once romantically linked to mobster Mickey Cohen and associated with Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby, has died. She was 70.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:33 AM

Monday, January 02, 2006

Bigfoot 'sightings' in rainforest make Malaysians go wild 

Bigfoot fever is gripping Malaysia, with local newspapers and the official news agency reporting sightings of a huge ape in southern rainforests.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:06 PM

Whether science or sorcery, astrology influenced history 

With journalistic pundits discredited lately as too often on the take, shouldn't we approach this New Year's window of prognostication from another angle?

Didn't the planetary maps of Regiomontanus aid Columbus?

"Astrology is the oldest of the occult sciences," explains independent historian Benson Bobrick in The Fated Sky, his robust, fact-filled account of the subject, but "is also the origin of science itself," with progeny as diverse as astronomy and botany.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:49 PM

Lovers Or Brothers - The 4,000 Year Old Mystery 

A series of paintings showing two men in a warm embrace and other tender poses discovered on the walls of a 4,000 year old Egyptian tomb have triggered a bitter debate over gay life in ancient Egypt.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:38 PM

2006: a street oddity 

Thousands of people walk over it every day in Indianapolis, but few probably notice what has become a mystery stretching across the country and all the way to Brazil in South America.

The mystery of the Toynbee Tiles continues.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:27 PM

Storm brews over treasures sunk in 1814 

A U.S. treasure hunter's bid to scavenge a famed War of 1812-era shipwreck off the coast of Nova Scotia has met a storm of protest from underwater experts, who say the province's rich maritime history is being pillaged by modern-day pirates.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:23 PM