Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Mysterious Creature Spotted In New London 

Something odd washed ashore in New London this weekend and people are not quite sure what it is.

With pics - looks like a cousin of the Montauk Monster.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:57 AM

There's a sasquatch on the loose and a Houston woman claims the creature was in her backyard 

Vike said he has seen other footprints around the Houston area that tell him the mythical creature not only exists, but is becoming increasingly visible in northwest B.C.

See also: Bigfoot Conference

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:54 AM

Delve into history at Devilstep Hollow 

Carved into the cavern’s limestone wall is a figure that’s half-human and half-hawk, holding a ceremonial knife.

Next to it is etched a stone ax “in the process of transforming into a human,” Lawrence said.

A series of monsters line the ceiling, including a 6-foot-long “kind of menacing-looking, toothy-mouthed fish,” he said.

Another animal vaguely resembling a kangaroo is drawn in charcoal deeper into the cave.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:45 AM

Awash in history: Mystery collection of zinc plates brings back past 

You never know what you'll find when cleaning out the attic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:38 AM

Mystery of skulls solved 

When Matthew McClelland decided to do a spot of gardening at his new house, little did he realise the 2,000 year old mystery which was about to unravel.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:27 AM

Bizarre Morgellons remains a mystery 

The syndrome is being referred to as Morgellons. The name appears in a 1674 essay that describes an outbreak of “harsh hairs…unquiet symptoms…coughs and convulsions” among French children, but whether the moniker refers to the same disease is not known. Mary Leitao, a biologist in a town near Pittsburgh, found the term in a 1935 medical journal article when she was looking for an explanation for an eruption on her 2-year-old son’s lip.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:22 AM

The Strange Inventions of Pier L. Ighina 

The magnetic stroboscope—which can be compared to Wilhelm Reich’s Cloudbuster—could certainly deliver a magnificent performance. And yet the landmark of Ighina’s work would have to be his discovery of something never before considered by science—a small, elusive, yet fundamental particle he named “the atomic magnet.”

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:11 AM

Monday, September 29, 2008

Residents' shock as 'fireballs' light up the sky 

More than a dozen witnesses were left stunned after they spotted up to nine "fireballs" near Easington Lane.

See also: Early-morning fireball glows in Michiana skies

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:13 PM

1932 Murder Still Haunts Appalachia 

Mamie Thurman, 32, was an attractive socialite in 1932, during Prohibition, and although married to a local police officer, she had been carrying on clandestine affairs with several prominent citizens—all members of a secretive “Amour Club.” This local speakeasy, which required a special membership key for entrance, was described as a “den of iniquity” that focused on free-flowing booze, illegal gambling, wife-swapping and other forms of tomfoolery.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:23 PM

Found bones may have been used in ritual 

McHenry said several coroners told of finding similar skeletons in buildings which once housed Odd Fellows lodges.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:55 PM

'Snow leopard' of the Andes is one of the world's most endangered cats 

The Andean mountain cat, sometimes called the "snow leopard" of the Andes, is an elusive species found only at high elevations of the Andean region in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:12 PM

In Africa, stone circles speak across the ages 

It's 110 degrees outside and I'm in a crowded van, but there's a breeze. I'm seeing water after days in a dry, remote village in southern Sénégal, and I'm following a trail of prehistoric, megalithic burial sites scattered across 13,000 square miles of Sénégal and The Gambia.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:40 AM

‘Something really weird is goin’ on here’ 

In desperation, Vernon Trotter nailed a crude crucifix on the side of his house to keep what he calls supernatural forces from haunting the place.

It hasn’t worked.

Very weird story with a wealth of unexplained activity, including a photo of a supposed supernatural "thing" haunting the property.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:35 AM

Lake Champlain expedition searches for Champy 

It may be that Champ, the Lake Champlain monster, is getting more reclusive.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:27 AM

Ancient buckle may unlock mystery 

An ancient belt buckle with a design of a sleeping two-hump camel has been unearthed in a 3,000-year-old cemetery in northern Iran.

With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:37 AM

Giant cat spotted in Sussex 

A mystery giant cat the size of a puma has been snapped at a beauty spot.

With good pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:03 AM

Legends of rock 

It looks like a giant piece of shortbread: a yellowish, powdery chunk of Scotland. At 150 kilos, the Stone of Destiny isn't easily dunked in a cup of tea, yet it has proved remarkably portable.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:45 AM

Exploring the mystery of the cliff-face caves 

Mystery surrounds more than 100 caves on the sheer cliff face of a peaceful gorge in Yanqing district.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:44 AM

Gen. Custer's star power remains strong 

Did you think about Gen. George Armstrong Custer today?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:38 AM

Stonehenge down, thousands of mysteries to go 

When it comes to mysterious places, the theories swirling on the Internet are often much more tantalizing than the facts archeologists will unearth.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:35 AM

What did you see when you ‘died’ during surgery? 

Around one in five such patients claim to have undergone a range of experiences, from simple feelings of peace and contentment to the delight of entering a light-filled paradise.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:31 AM

Race against time to save ancient Portuguese shipwreck 

Archaeologists are racing against the little time left to salvage a fortune in coins and items from a 500-year-old Portuguese shipwreck found recently off Namibia's rough southern coast.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:30 AM

Pee Wee James a pioneer midget wrestler 

He may have been small in stature but midget wrestler Pee Wee James was one of the giants in pro wrestling for 20 years. James died in Ottawa, Ontario after a lengthy illness on September 16, 2008. He was 75.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:15 AM

Sally Morgan: 'I am not mad, I am not unhinged...I talk to dead people' 

Sally Morgan is a psychic to the stars whose clients have included Uma Thurman and Princess Diana. She has her own ITV show, premium-rate phone line and a waiting list of 72,000. But while many are convinced she has The Gift, others say they can do the same thing by using Google...

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:11 AM

Friday, September 26, 2008

Witnesses Stunned By UFO Sightings 

Pengelly Close resident Paul Adams had a shock when he observed a "human being-sized elongated thing" with a pulsing orange light. It was said to be hovering above a garden hedge at around 2.30am on September 14.

See also: "UFO" spotted in Croydon night sky


More Chorley UFO sightings

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:33 AM

Rash of Sasquatch sightings in B.C 

Paranormal specialists say there have been three reported Sasquatch sightings in northern British Columbia in Canada within a month.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:29 AM

Oldest rocks on Earth found in Quebec, researchers report 

The discovery that a section of bedrock in an Inuit village in northern Quebec may be as old as 4.28 billion years sheds more light on our continent's mysterious beginnings and may provide the first traces of life on Earth, researchers said Thursday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:27 AM

Stonehenge as A&E unit is a revelation that druid mumbo jumbo can't match 

Science is now revealing the secrets of prehistoric Britain, and its answers are commonsensical rather than supernatural.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:26 AM

The 10 Most Mysterious Cyber Crimes 

The best criminal hacker is the one that isn't caught—or even identified. These are 10 of the most infamous unsolved computer crimes (that we know about).

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:19 AM

MASTER OF THE MACABRE 

Nice article on comics great Bernie Wrightson.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:13 AM

Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Thing on Johnny's Bed 

The Paranormal Pastor gives you nightmares.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:48 PM

Top 25 Censored Stories for 2009 

Read 'em and weep.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:04 PM

UP Writers’ Conference learning about Big Foot 

There were piles of rocks by the back door and strange noises outside at night. I had a collection of sticks near the woodpile. Was someone trying to tell me something?

See also: Bigfoot sighters tell of experiences at symposium

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:44 PM

'Flash Gordon' lights spotted in night sky 

"It also reminded me of the spacecraft they created in the 1930s Flash Gordon serials! I know my husband and I were not seeing things and wonder if anyone else saw it?

See also: Mysterious Light Seen In Sky Over Northeast Ohio

Mysterious light photographed over harbour (with pic)

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:28 PM

Tovrea Castle reveals long-hidden treasures 

Behind the thick cactus gardens and wedding-cake exterior, crews preparing Tovrea Castle for tours this February are discovering treasures that bring to life a site shrouded in mystery for most of its 80 years.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:20 PM

A haunted gym 

Could a Johnson County, Kansas gym really be haunted?

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:02 PM

Mystery 'Marie Celeste' ship sails into harbour without crew 

The 20-foot boat had its sails set and was being steered on its course by auto-pilot before it finally ran aground at West Mersea at the mouth of the River Blackwater in Essex.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:53 PM

What’s in the woods? 

Go ahead and call Scott Snook crazy. He's heard it before, when people learn that he investigates Bigfoot sightings in central Pennsylvania.

See also: Bigfoot enthusiasts stomp into Jeannette

Sasquatch footprint found

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:14 AM

NZ scientists out to solve Easter Island population collapse 

A New Zealand-led group of scientists plan to try and solve the mystery of the sudden collapse of the population on Easter Island in pre-European times.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:12 AM

Da Vinci Code linked to stabbing of priest 

Police said Luzi, a former medical student with a history of psychiatric problems, had admitted watching The Da Vinci Code on television the night before the assault.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:53 AM

Abandoned picnic mystery solved 

The mystery of Rotorua's "Mary Celeste picnic" has been solved. "The whole episode can best be described as an aborted romantic interlude," Detective Sergeant John Wilson said this afternoon.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:51 AM

50 greatest villains in literature 

Compiling a list of the 50 Greatest Villains in Literature, without too much recourse to comics and children's books, proved trickier than we'd imagined - but gosh it was fun.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:50 AM

Anthrax Suspect E-Mailed Himself About Solving the Case 

Investigators yesterday unsealed the final search warrants executed against the man who they say is responsible for the 2001 anthrax-by-mail attacks, disclosing that Bruce E. Ivins sent an e-mail to himself last year claiming that he had solved the notorious case.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:50 AM

Kingston library to present gothic tales of Sarah Orne Jewett 

Sarah Orne Jewett, a neglected star in New England's flourishing 19th-century literary firmament, drew on the region's fascination with the supernatural in her "gothic tales" and was influenced by Edgar Allen Poe.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:26 AM

Cult experts question woman's voodoo account 

The account of a woman recovering from critical injuries she said were inflicted by members of an occult group may be difficult to unravel because it doesn't match the typical methods used by such groups, an expert in cult activities said Wednesday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:25 AM

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Timothy Ryback's 'Hitler's Private Library' 

Mr. Ryback ends his chapter on a bizarre note, remarking that he discovered an inch-long black mustache hair in the pages of the book.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:38 PM

Palm Coast woman found beaten blames voodoo cult 

A woman found beaten and lying on the side of U.S. 1 in St. Johns County told deputies she ended up that way after a voodoo ceremony in Flagler County related to the autumnal equinox.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:33 PM

One Man Takes on the U.S. Government’s Spy Experiments Using Telepathy 

Press release for Operation Blue Light: My Secret Life among Psychic Spies.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:28 PM

Mystery of a farmer's baa-baa blue sheep 

With funny pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:38 PM

Rare Albino Whale Shark spotted 

With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:13 PM

Mind Controlled Sex Slaves and the CIA 

Book review.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:16 AM

Legal Thriller Author Examines 15 Amazing Scam Artists' "Conspiracy Theory" Tricks 

Overall, a well-developed conspiracy theory is a great rallying theme. It blends like minds, mutual resolve, shared purpose, goals.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:11 AM

UFO Round-Up 

Chorley in UFO alert

The Flatwoods Monster extravaganza

Flaming UFO spotted last night

Wrexham UFOs - Experimental balloons, aliens or Chinese lanterns?

GLOBAL PARANORMAL PHENOMENON "JUMP START" ET UFO CROP CIRCLE INFO

Confusion and Contradictions
The Cardiff UFO sightings

'Triangular' UFOs spotted near Wrexham - VIDEO

Scott’s Classic Comics Corner: UFO Comics

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:05 AM

Archaeologists find medieval artefacts on Mt. Visocica 

Summer excavations at Bosnia and Herzegovina's Mt. Visocica yielded results, but not the kind an entrepreneur turned amateur archaeologist was looking for. Semir Osmanagic, a US businessman of BiH origin, has invested large amounts of his own money in a personal quest to unearth what he says are Europe's first pyramids.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:59 AM

State's freakiest creatures: Whale and flying dragon 

Weird Arizona.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:56 AM

Call Of The Wild 

Now I don't really believe that I heard Bigfoot, but I have no idea what I heard either.

See also: Sasquatch sighting

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:19 AM

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

History's Greatest Robot Hoaxes 

From our earliest dreams of golems and Galatea, people have wanted to create artificial beings with human characteristics and abilities. But in our haste to see a future of walking, talking mechanical humanoids, we're easily fooled by con artists looking to exploit our sense of wonder. Hoaxers and engineers, magicians and advertising agencies have sold the public on "robots" whose incredible abilities seemed to defy explanation.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:01 PM

Something beyond visible universe detected? 

Sci­en­tists have meas­ured an un­ex­pected mo­tion in dis­tant clus­ters of ga­lax­ies—pos­sibly caused, they say, by the gravita­t­ional pull of some­thing out­side the vis­i­ble uni­verse. “We nev­er ex­pected to find an­y­thing like this,” said lead re­search­er Al­ex­an­der Kash­lin­sky of NASA’s God­dard Space Flight Cen­ter in Green­belt, Md.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:00 PM

The Hell-Fire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies by Evelyn Lord 

Book review.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:58 PM

Crop circle amazes the world 

Crop circle experts investigating a mysterious design which appeared in a farmer's field in Barton have likened it to the Pentagon building in Washington DC.

With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:57 PM

Falling in love with Mongolia 

Neat article.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:38 PM

Mystery of the Mind 

From rose-tinted views of childhood to clear recollections of events that never happened, research shows that memories are both suggestible and inherently idealised.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:14 AM

‘Lost, never found': Yi-Jien Hwa among those swallowed by Glacier National Park 

It's not hard to die in Glacier National Park. Some 231 people have done so in the past 100 years. But by simply disappearing, Hwa joined a very small fraternity of men, just a half-dozen in all, classified as “lost, never found.”

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:00 AM

Stonehenge may have been pilgrimage site for sick 

Archaeologists probing the secrets of Stonehenge, Britain's most famous prehistoric monument, said on Monday it may have been an ancient pilgrimage site for the sick who believed its stones had healing qualities.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:55 AM

Neanderthals feasted on seals and dolphins 

They may not have used clubs, but Neanderthals hunted seals too. Anthropologists have discovered ancient seal bones showing signs of butchery, as well as some dolphin remains, in two caves in Gibraltar, Spain.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:51 AM

Easy Magick 1-2-3’s Harvest Projects 

You’ve seen jar magick before—the premise isn’t a new one. Usually such jars focus on a new project or are designed to bring something new to you. This one is a little different. Its theme hinges on a project you already have in motion, and are looking toward a successful and fulfilling harvest.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:46 AM

Mysterious Neolithic People Made Optical Art 

n egalitarian Neolithic Eden filled with unique, geometric art flourished some 7,000 years ago in Eastern Europe, according to hundreds of artifacts on display at the Vatican.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:36 AM

Voodoo may get rid of mean boss 

Tourism officials say visitors to African countries are increasingly turning to voodoo – even if they sometimes won't admit it – as a way to beat problems they think western-style experts can't solve.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:13 AM

Abandoned picnic leaves police baffled 

Ghost...picnic?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:13 AM

Union offers paranormal investigations leisure class 

Duplechein is the founder of “Louisiana Spirits,” a non-profit group of paranormal investigators that analyze paranormal activity. The group also teaches a “Ghost Hunting 101” leisure class at the University.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:10 AM

Is 190 Bowery the Greatest Real-Estate Coup of All Time? 

Cool building.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:07 AM

Monday, September 22, 2008

Millionaire spooked from mansion 

A millionaire businessman from Nottinghamshire has said ghosts forced him to flee his 52-room mansion.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:47 AM

For a minor ruler, Tut boasts a major legacy thanks to his treasure-filled tomb 

"You find nothing if you look for this name before the tomb was discovered," said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. "He gave us a new perception of the New Kingdom, the Golden Age of Pharaohs."

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:45 AM

DNA Sequencing: 10 Amusing Things to Do with Your Genome 

What more could you do with intimate information about all 3 billion of your DNA base pairs?

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:42 AM

Digging into dowsing 

Over the last few weeks a team of experts has been working in a remote part of western Zambia, giving local villages access to the most vital commodity on earth: water.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:42 AM

Robert Capa 'faked' war photo new evidence produced - Telegraph 

"A seventy-year argument over the authenticity of one of the world's most striking war photographs could be settled by an exhibition opening in Britain next month."

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:49 AM

Scientists Doubt It, but Cougar Sightings Rise in East 

Like some other residents of the small town of Blackstone, Virginia, Mary Elizabeth Goodwyn doesn't go outside after dark much anymore.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:49 AM

Folks enjoy Mothman festival 

The mothman legend is alive and well — and helping out downtown Point Pleasant as several thousand people from as far away as Canada, New Jersey and Florida walked around as part of the seventh annual Mothman Festival.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:47 AM

Maori seers report 33 unmarked graves near Hastings 

33 suspected grave sites have been found near Hastings by the New Zealand Transport Agency after matekite, or Maori seers, reported spirits lingering around a proposed expressway.

The NZTA told 3 News it is standard practice for them to pay thousands of dollars for a cultural audit which includes using matekite to divine the dead.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:44 AM

A new volume on Milton shows us the Devil in his details 

Was John Milton a student of the occult?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:43 AM

Teacher by day, psychic by night 

The tall man was Richard Lassiter, a graphic design teacher at both Culpeper and Eastern View high schools, and he was preparing to lecture. But this lecture was not about graphic design. Lassiter, 62, co-founded the Balanced Living Institute with Melissa Kitto, and the two lead workshops and seminars worldwide to help people explore their “psychic gifts.”

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:42 AM

Dig pinpoints Stonehenge origins 

Archaeologists have pinpointed the construction of Stonehenge to 2300 BC - a key step to discovering how and why the mysterious temple was built.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:41 AM

The blessed hill 

The Arunachala hill near Chennai, home to the Lord of Fire, is one of the oldest and most sacred places in India.

The article mentions a flying holy man and I think this is the video they're talking about.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:25 AM

Friday, September 19, 2008

The 5 Worst Teenage Cover Bands 

Something fun for the weekend. Bless their little hearts. I laughed so hard I cried because your humble professor was once there. Thankfully there was no internet back then to record our suckage. Via Fark Showbiz.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:12 PM

Spirits in the Material World 

Uncovering the legend of the dybbuk

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:56 PM

Nessie not only lake creature 

From Mike Conley's Tales of the Weird.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:33 PM

Superstitious Behavior Makes Evolutionary Sense 

The tendency to develop superstitious beliefs was probably selected for during evolution, because it's much better to be safe than eaten.

Podcast.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:10 PM

I've discovered the site of the first Battle of Britain, says writer 

A best-selling author claims to have located the site of one the most important conflicts in Britain.

Nick Arnold, author of the Horrible Science series, believes the Battle of Cynwit, a bloody clash which saved England from the Vikings in 878, took place at Castle Hill near Beaford, Devon.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:58 PM

Apocalypse now? 30 days when the world didn't end 

Predictions of the world’s end are nothing new though. We’ve picked out 30 of the most memorable apocalypses that never, for one reason or another, quite happened.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:53 PM

Pieces of the Past: Acorny tale 

The superstition that one should "touch wood" in order to keep a dreadful idea at bay stems from the Druidic belief that the oak tree possessed mysterious powers. The Druids worshipped the oak as a giver of food and referred to it as the "tree of life" because it also hosts mistletoe, which was, and is, an important plant for celebrations.

The Druids also believed that fairies lived in oaks, leading the Greek writer Lucian to write in the second century the earliest surviving example of science fiction, the "Verae Historiae," "True Histories" or "A True Story," a then modern comedy based on historical mythology. In the book, Lucian writes of "Cynobalani" or "Puppycorns," dog-faced men who fight on the backs of winged acorns.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:37 AM

Vanished at Sea 

No wreckage was ever found. no luggage discovered. No one survived to tell the tale of what happened. Sounds like a scene from a horror movie, doesn't it? Think again. It's real. It's the mind-boggling question that has been plaguing West Indians for decades: What ever happened to the Island Queen?

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:43 AM

UFO Round-Up 

Was a UFO really over Lodi in 1947? Check out the government's response

What's the Real Explanation for the Roswell Incident?

Are aliens visiting Wigan?

UFO-people visit funerals of the Zaporozhye Archbishop’s sister - ufologist (UFO? Spaceman? Weird pic)

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:51 AM

Nanotechnology, the mysterious Casimir Force, and interstellar spaceships 

Travel through wormholes, time machines and hovering landspeeders are the stuff of science fiction novels. Nevertheless, scientists have suggested that the quantum mechanics of something called the Casimir effect can be used to produce a locally mass-negative region of space-time, a phenomenon that theoretically could be used to stabilize a wormhole to allow faster than light travel.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:20 AM

Unknown 'Mozart fragments' uncovered 

Two unknown fragments of music by Mozart are believed to have turned up in a library in Nantes in western France.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:18 AM

100s of new creatures found on Australian reefs 

Marine scientists have discovered hundreds of new animal species on reefs in Australian waters, including brilliant soft corals and tiny crustaceans, according to findings released Thursday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:02 AM

The Faith Online guide to apparitions of the Virgin Mary 

Since the year 39 AD, apparitions of Mary have been reported by the faithful, in places as diverse as Spain, Japan and Eygpt. Allegations of miraculous sightings of the Madonna persisted into the 20th century, and continue to this day at the controversial if popular Bosnian shrine at Medjugorje.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:54 AM

‘Ancient’ Christian amulet exposed as modern hoax 

A silver cross regarded as one of the most important early Christian artefacts found in Britain is a modern fake, scientists confirmed yesterday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:52 AM

Australian Mystery Cat? 

Premier Rees is a believer

Premier sinks claws into mystery

Wiki.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:49 AM

Stressed plants produce an aspirin-like chemical 

Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research were surprised to discover that stressed plants produce an aspirin-like chemical that can be detected in the air above the plants. The chemical may be a sort of immune response that helps protect the plants, the scientists speculated.

Via.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:15 AM

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Study into near-death experiences 

A large study is to examine near-death experiences in heart attack patients.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:19 AM

UFO Round-Up 

Is this really a UFO? (with pic)

Has UFO fame changed Stephenville?

A UFO over Concord?

Kecksburg festival now featuring UFOs

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:17 AM

Big cat theory debunked 

A local man has challenged the big cat theory and wants to set the record straight on last week’s report in which Mount Burr resident Fred van der Heul claimed a big cat had mauled a sheep in the forest.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:17 AM

The actress, her lovers and a fortune in jewels 

Ann Cargill was the Marilyn Monroe of her day – the star who caused scandal wherever she went.

But when the renowned beauty and opera diva perished in a shipwreck in 1784, her secrets – and her vast fortune – were presumed lost forever.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:07 AM

Come September, pagans gather for harvest festival in Lakeville 

Usually, Wiccans, witches, and other pagans worship in small, closeted groups. Hovey's church is one of a handful of such congregations across the United States that offer public sessions.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:04 AM

Ancient messages from Picture Canyon 

Even the sun doesn’t shed light on the details of hash marks sprinkled among petroglyphs.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:01 AM

History's Most Famous Missing Persons 

Being famous doesn't make you easier to find

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:00 AM

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui 

Awesome Or Off-Putting takes a look at the Scottish legend.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:42 PM

What’s On Your Lesser-Known Cryptids List? 

This post is from last year but the comments are fascinating.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:12 PM

Freaky Facts and Strange Stories in the Book of the Bizarre 

Press release for Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts and Strange Stories

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:50 PM

Third Ponchatoula church member’s trial likely in 2009 

The trial of the third member of a Ponchatoula church accused of molesting children as part of occult rituals likely will be held in early 2009, 21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said Tuesday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:44 PM

Palin credits electoral success to witchhunter 

In perhaps one of the strangest twists to date in the story of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a video now shows the governor crediting her electoral success to a preacher who claims to successfully hunt witches.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:43 PM

Dust Bowl Part IV: Symbol of an Era 

The story behind Dorothea Lange's famous 1936 photo "Migrant Mother."

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:36 PM

Strange discoveries: cow magnetism and magpie self-identity 

Humans have observed other animals for hundreds of thousands of years. Yet research with some of our familiar fellow creatures continues to reveal unsuspected talents. Two such discoveries reported last month make the point. They also highlight the fact that evolution has developed a variety of common traits in a wide range of species.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:31 PM

The Nancy shipwreck of 1784 is 'found' 

The whereabouts of The Nancy, which sank off the western shores of the Isles of Scilly in 1784, has long remained a mystery.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:30 PM

Ike Reveals Civil War Blockade Runner? 

With links to video and cool photos.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:29 PM

Sarah Palin Emails Hacked? 

Anonymous, the group most famous for its protests against Scientology, has apparently hacked Sarah Palin's personal email account. The email accounts have caused some controversy as it has been alleged that Palin used personal email accounts to avoid public records laws.

More here.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:16 PM

Magicians, Scientists Team Up To Peek Behind The Illusion 

Know that old spoon-bending trick magicians are fond of? Want to know how it's done?

It starts with two kinds of neurons in your brain, in the primary visual cortex and the middle temporal visual area. The variations in their responses to oscillating stimuli then lead to spatial mislocalization, causing solid objects to appear to be bending at their center.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:53 AM

Medici Murder: New Book Implicates Pope, Duke in Bankers' Plot 

On a sunny Sunday in April, 1478, Lorenzo de Medici and his brother Giuliano entered Florence's duomo to hear the morning Mass. As the priest raised the host, assassins rushed at them from behind.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:48 AM

Did Union ships fire whisky shells at city? 

After Kittredge's ships sailed away, people in town collected the unexploded shells. With gunpowder scarce, they wanted to reclaim the powder. To their amazement, they found some of the shells were filled with whisky.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:45 AM

Mothman Festival organizer celebrates success of event 

To the rest of the world, the City of Point Pleasant typically is identified as the home of the mysterious creature known as Mothman.

This year's festival will also feature a Miss Mothman Pageant!

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:14 AM

UFO Round-Up 

UFO Sightings Stir Up Roswell

A Few Good Men Preserving UFO Secrecy

Will the MoD squad come through?

Lights in the Sky

UFO mystery in Mill End

More sightings of 'strange lights'

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:05 AM

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The short - but eventful - life of Ike 

Some amazing photographs of Ike's aftermath.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:38 PM

'Vampire Princess' Was Dracula Based on the Ghoulish Obsessions of a Real-Life Woman? 

Dracula is a grim tale believed to be based on Romanian legend and the morbid imaginings of a Victorian novelist. Now archaeologists, historians and forensic scientists have evidence that the legendary vampire was not modeled on a medieval count from Transylvania, but on the fate of a real 18th century bohemian princess named Eleonore von Schwarzenberg.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:57 PM

In Search of the Mongolian Death Worm 

Trudging gingerly across the arid sands of the Gobi desert, Czech explorer Ivan Mackerle is careful not to put a foot wrong, for he knows it may be his last.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:47 PM

Astronomers Baffled by Mysterious Light in Sky 

It's not a supernova. Nor is it a galaxy, or a black hole.

In fact, astronomers have no idea what the mysterious object that in February 2006 suddenly flared up in an otherwise barren patch of sky might be, or even what it's made of.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:26 PM

How in the world did coin land in Latham? 

Digging through 200-year-old trash heaps isn't always glamorous.

But a small Asian coin uncovered behind a 19th-century Latham tavern turned a routine archaeological survey into an international puzzle.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:06 PM

Fading giant brought back to life 

It is obvious he is a symbol of fertility. The Cerne Abbas Giant usually stands proud on a Dorset hillside overlooking the village from which he takes his name. But over the past 12 months he's been fading. So has it affected his legendary powers?

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:03 PM

Rare Mass Tombs Discovered Near Machu Picchu 

Eighty skeletons and stockpiles of textiles found in caves near the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu may shed light on the role that the so-called lost city of the Inca played as a regional center of trade and power, scientists say.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:02 PM

Treasure-filled Namibia wreck "is 16th century Portuguese vessel" 

A mystery shipwreck laden with gold discovered by geologists off the coast of Namibia in April is a 16th century Portuguese vessel that was bound for Asia, the country's information ministry announced on Tuesday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:02 PM

Lost tribe's 'secret' eco-village in Wales spotted in aerial photograph taken by plane 

With cool pics.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:00 PM

Govt. experts puzzled by mystery sub 

The Defense Ministry is puzzled over why Japanese territorial waters off Kochi Prefecture were singled out Sunday as the target of intrusion by an unidentified submarine, and what the vessel sought to accomplish.

Was it a sub or a USO?

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:59 PM

Earth's Moon and Human Evolution 

Two Soviet scientists, Mikhail Vasin and Alexander Shcherbakov, have spent much of their careers examining the facts compiled on lunar phenomena. Their conclusion is that the Moon is artificial, possibly a hollowed-out planet, and that it was steered from some distant region of the galaxy into a circular orbit around our planet (hence the extraordinary mystery of rock and Moon-dust age variations). They claim that intellectual life has existed in the Moon for eons.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:56 PM

Monday, September 15, 2008

The 5 Most Haunted Buildings in Austin, Texas 

The city of Austin, Texas is known for many things, among them its night life and live music scene. However, the capital city of the Lone Star State has more to offer than just drinks and live music. This historical city also serves as home to many spirits and ghosts. If you are planning a trip to the capital of Texas, you may wish to take a look at one or more of these 5 haunted buildings in and around downtown Austin.

1. The Driskill Hotel: Noted as one of the most haunted places in Austin, the Driskill hotel has many stories attributed to it. Just ask the staff who have been there long enough and you will hear many different tales of hauntings by former guests who were unable to check out of the hotel. The ghost of cattle baron Driskill is even said to make his way through the hotel, leaving the distinct smell of cigar smoke as he passes through.

2. The Governor’s Mansion: The governor’s mansion has been home to many a Texas hero, but evidently the ghost of Texas’ first president, Sam Houston, doesn’t want to move out. There have been several reported sightings of the former general and hero of Texas independence throughout the years. People have also reported cold spots in the mansion and strange noises.

3. The Tavern: This building was intended to be used as a pub, but by the time it was completed prohibition was in full effect. Evidently the original owner and her daughter were killed when a fight broke out in the speakeasy. The Tavern was also reputed to have housed a brothel upstairs, and some women of the night still come back to their old stomping grounds.

4. The Littlefield Building: At one point in the early twentieth century, the Littlefield Building was the tallest building between New York and California. Towering above downtown Austin, its seven floors were a picture of magnificence. However, a rival built a larger building nearby, and Littlefield had two floors added above the rooftop garden. This left a “half-floor” between floors seven and eight, which is reportedly full of ghosts and strange noises.

5. The Paramount Theater: Nearly one-hundred years old, this famous theater has played an amazing variety of productions, from the first moving pictures to Broadway acts. Employees talk about props moving, lights turning themselves off and on, as well as other paranormal activity. Drop in for a movie—or perhaps more when you visit Austin.



This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of the best online degrees. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:58 AM

Lloyd's Secret Cave 

Another strange story of the Superstition Mountains.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:53 AM

Murder in Italy: Can justice be done? 

Tomorrow in the old law courts in Piazza Matteotti in the city centre, preliminary hearings in the trial of the three people accused of the murder of Meredith finally get under way. The defence lawyers for Meredith's American flatmate Amanda Knox and her Italian former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito will try to persuade the judge that they have no case to answer. The third, Rudy Guede, a drifter from the Ivory Coast, will press for a fast-track trial in exchange for an admission of partial guilt.

See also: Father stands by Kercher suspect

Meredith Kercher case: The Albanian witness's 1001 nights

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:47 AM

White deer off limits in Duke Forest hunt 

White animals have long been a part of spiritual and historic legends. In many cultures, they are portrayed as possessing ancient wisdom and magical powers -- the unicorn and Moby Dick are examples.

With cool pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:43 AM

Chianti: Secret to Long Life, Says Recovered Recipe 

he elixir of life may be a concoction of honey, cherries and secret herbs infused in a full Chianti wine, according to a centuries-old recipe discovered in one of Italy's oldest pharmacies.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:38 AM

Hackley Library eyeing $70,000 for rare book 

It turns out that book -- long stored and virtually forgotten at the library Hackley built -- is a rare first-edition Book of Mormon, which library leaders believe will fetch more than $70,000 that will be used to benefit library users.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:37 AM

UFO Round-Up 

UFO sightings connected to Large Hadron Collider experiment? (with pic)

UFOs - the Truth is in Gateshead

Saturday night UFO in Aston?

'Aliens are among us'

UFO Videos-Placing the Bizarre Within Discussable Compass

City's close encounter with UFOs

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:29 AM

Cattle have magnetic sense of direction, Google Earth proves 

Grazing cows tend to face the North and South Poles, according to German scientists who studied 308 herds using Google Earth satellite photos.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:14 AM

Facts, legend of B-24 crash into lake still fascinate 

Every so often, the water in Huntington Lake drops low enough to reveal a legend.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:08 AM

Issues arise over place mobster fell 

A two-story brick building in the Military Park Historic District of downtown Newark, the place gangster Dutch Schultz was gunned down in one of the most notorious of all mob hits, has long been a shrine for organized crime buffs.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:06 AM

Audio: Agatha Christie's secret tapes discovered 

Agatha Christie, who was born 118 years ago today, dictated the tapes on a Grundig Memorette machine in the mid-1960s to help write her autobiography. They lay unnoticed in Christie’s Devon home until her grandson Matthew Prichard stumbled upon the 27 half-hour tapes in a cardboard box.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:05 AM

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Are Police Any Closer To Solving The Mystery Of The Floating Feet? 

Over the past 18 months, detached feet have been washing ashore on BC's coast. The story has reached international status, as investigators on both sides of the border have no idea where the feet came from. But they are discovering more clues. Matt Anderson explores the latest news on the mystery feet.

Video report.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:36 PM

The Hauntings of Rachel 

New from the Paranormal Pastor.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:35 PM

Pankalankas: Australia’s Mystery People 

Cryptomundo looks down under.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:34 PM

The Bestiary 

Laurel Kendall leads us through a mythic creatures exhibit. Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman searches for unusual creatures. Jonathan Baillie directs the EDGE of Existence program. Tim Friend describes an unusual microbe, Archaea. Nicholas Christopher reads from his novel "The Bestiary."

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:28 PM

Unraveling the mysteries of the night sky 

IT might have been 37 years ago, but Lou Zhongrong still clearly remembers the day he first saw an unidentified flying object - a UFO.

UFO sightings lead to star role on Discovery

RAF officer breaks 37-year silence on UFO radar mystery

Could So Many UFO Witnesses Be Right?

UFO and National Secrecy and the Freedom of Information Act

Behold Azazel: the Extraterrestrial-Revisited

A Collection of UFO Photographs from 1870 to 2008

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:25 PM

For sale: ram's horns encased in 500-year-old tree 

The West is rife with tales of intrigue and mystery. This one, about hidden gold, a Conquistador code and a psychic woman, is among the most riveting.


With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:05 PM

The genius of Tesla: Italian-American scientist is central to triumph of electricity 

Tesla would be surprised to learn he was Italian.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:58 PM

Antiquities smuggling: Growing problem at US ports 

Three years ago, an elderly Italian man pulled his van into a South Florida park to sell some rare, 2,500-year-old emeralds plundered from a South American tomb. But Ugo Bagnato, an archaeologist, didn't know his potential customer was a federal agent.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:53 PM

Re-visiting Malta’s gods and aliens 

Curiosity spurs man on to seek the truth. It is perhaps that one chief factor that has led Erich Von Daniken to dedicate his life to the exploration of the mysteries of mankind in order to understand them better. This celebrated and controversial writer who clinched world-wide recognition back in 1968 with his first bestseller The Chariots of the Gods, was recently on a lightning visit in Malta, intent on re-visiting some of Malta’s own mystery sites.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:21 PM

Shrouded in controversy 

Man challenges radiocarbon dating of Jesus' burial cloth.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:19 PM

History Mystery - Vanished Settlers 

"Sometime in 1862, when visitors came through the Graham Lakes settlement, they found . . . nothing. No signs of the inhabitants remained. Nothing was left of the settlement, or not enough to indicate when the settlers had left or where they went. All that was known for sure that, like the Lost Colony of Roanoke, Virginia, the settlers had vanished."

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:18 PM

Crashed Jet Carrying Cocaine Linked to CIA 

I am SHOCKED!

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:03 PM

Newspaperman wrote 'Fletch' mysteries 

Nice obit on Gregory Mcdonald.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:59 PM

Japan hunts mystery submarine intruder 

Japan's navy tracked a submarine that intruded into its waters for nearly two hours and then lost track of it without identifying its nationality, a military official said.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:49 PM

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Build a Bat Cave With Hidden Rooms – Secret Bookshelves Plan 

You know you want to. With video. Via Fark Geek.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:09 PM

Friday, September 12, 2008

What Lurks In West Hartford Pond? 

Is there a mysterious creature living in the West Hartford reservoir of Farmington Avenue?

With weird pics.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:25 PM

A Ouija Experience in India 

From the Shadows takes a trip to the subcontinent.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:54 PM

Large Hadron Collider claims its first victim (plus have ritual suicides opened the Stargate?) 

Cabinet of Wonders has some High Weirdness for your weekend.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:52 PM

Sex attack duo promised to end curse 

Two men who pretended they were Greek Orthodox spiritual healers have been charged with more than 230 counts of sexual assault against a woman who believed she had been cursed by 'black magic'.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:44 PM

Seawood Bigfoot! 

Beachgoers have a little fun. With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:42 PM

Documentary uncovers cannibal crew 

British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew had set off to find the Northwest Passage to the Orient and mysteriously vanished. After six years of searching, John Rae, a Scottish doctor working for the Hudson’s Bay Company, found the remains of the crew.

But his findings — particularly the revelation that the crew had resorted to cannibalism — were so shocking that Rae’s version was torn down and discredited. With the help of Charles Dickens, the native population became the cannibals in the accepted history.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:40 PM

Enigmatic crystal skull makes a stop in the E.V. 

The 11-pound, 7-ounce chunk of clear quartz with a detachable jaw is named for British explorer F.A. Mitchell-Hedges, whose daughter is said to have found the skull in 1927 under a collapsed altar at the ruins of a Mayan temple in British Honduras — now Belize.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:36 PM

Trailer of Clint Eastwood's 'Changeling' Arrives 

The film is based on the notorious and largely forgotten Wineville Chicken Murders. It will also serve as a handy reminder that corruption in the LAPD is nothing new.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:31 PM

Looking For Life On Mars - In A Canadian Lake 

Pavilion Lake is host to an underwater "forest" of microbialites, coral-like structures, in a variety of shapes and sizes, that may help guide the search for life on Mars.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:23 PM

Mystery of the savaged pets - a scene of total horror 

A mysterious savage pet killer has struck again in Calderdale.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:20 PM

Scientists in search of mystery behind 'cave of death' 

Authorities have isolated a cave in Pithoragarh and ordered an investigation by scientists following complaints by locals about "poisonous" emissions from there.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:17 PM

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Early Whales Had Legs 

The first whales once swam the seas by wiggling large hind feet, research now suggests.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:13 PM

Dover Demon remains a mystery unsolved 

From Mike Conley's Tales of the Weird.

Wiki,

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:44 PM

Elkhart time capsule may be lost in time 

Elkhart is celebrating its 150th birthday this year and wanted to open a piece of the past it buried 50 years ago. The problem is nobody seems to remember where it was buried or if it ever was.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:42 PM

Was Deep Throat unmasked as far back as 1973? 

Hiding in plain sight.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:38 PM

Absinthe makes a comeback 

Now that absinthe has been legal here for nearly a year and a half, it has lost its outlaw luster but gained a new following. As a result, a slew of bars and clubs in Southern California are serving up the "green fairy," using the same intricate rituals and delicate glasses and spoons once used to purvey the liquor to bohemian vanguards -- Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh, among them -- who elevated its consumption to an art form.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:35 PM

Top 10 Most Wanted Monsters Cryptozoologists Want To Nab 

Cryptozoology is the science and study of unknown creatures not as yet catalogued by conventional science. Even so, that doesn't stop these strange beings from making their appearances all about our world, sometimes intruding into your own neighborhoods.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:46 AM

Mythical 'African unicorn' caught on camera in the wild for the first time 

Sporting a bump in the centre of its head which resembles a tiny horn, the elusive okapi was photographed living in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (with pics)

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:34 AM

3,000 trees fall mysteriously in W Nepal 

In what locals believe to be the handiwork of some supernatural power, nearly 3,000 trees at a local community forest in Banke district in mid-western Nepal collapsed in a matter of 10 minutes, eKantipur.com reported on Thursday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:45 AM

"Secret of the Holy Grail" To be Discussed at Lecture 

A Georgetown University professor who claims to have found the Holy Grail will deliver the fifth annual J.J. Quinn, S.J., Memorial Lecture at The University of Scranton on Friday, Sept. 26.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:40 AM

Fight over famous UFO photos pits family versus newspaper 

Two shots of a flying saucer over McMinnville are some of the most debated pieces of Oregon history.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:06 AM

Was 16th-century Scots alchemist the first man to fly? 

He was judged by history as a crank, but an alchemist who jumped off the ramparts of a Scottish castle 500 years ago wearing wings made of hen feathers may have been the first man to fly.

Via Daily Grail.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:03 AM

Ghost whisperer in our midst 

Everyone knows the annoyance caused by an unwanted guest in the house, but what do you do if that nuisance guest is a nuisance ghost?

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:02 AM

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Rejecting The Minnesota Iceman 

Loren Coleman peers through the ice.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:16 PM

Some Fail in Finding Steve Fossett, While Others Continue On 

A 28-member team did not find any signs of adventurer Steve Fossett, but hope is kept alive by a couple searchers in Carson City.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:44 PM

'Fletch' author Gregory Mcdonald dies 

Mcdonald was best known for his series of novels featuring Fletch and employed a lean elegant style that made his books incredibly readable. Highly recommended.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:41 PM

How would the U.S. military fight a zombie army? 

The Straight Dope knows.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:49 PM

A Look At Lightning Myths 

Does it seem that lightning keeps striking people in our area? In New Jersey, 19 people have been struck so far this year. In Pennsylvania, 12 and two of them have died.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:11 PM

Bigfoot spotted, Sasquatch sighting reported to UFO Research 

A woman on Buck Flats Road reported a Sasquatch sighting on July 26 to Brian Vike, Director of Houston British Columbia Canada (HBCC) UFO Research.

See also: You’ve actually seen Bigfoot?

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:45 PM

Ghouls On Film 

They have captured images of a ghost in the machine of the CCTV at medieval Scaplen's Court, which has long been believed to be haunted. (with awful pic)

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:41 PM

‘The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown' 

The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown, Glover and Smith's well-researched account of England's rocky early beginnings in America, effectively pieces together a largely untold and essential story about how close the British came to failure in the New World. In the end, Glover and Smith argue, it was the fate of a seemingly lost ship that finally turned the tide.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:38 PM

Twenty-Six Things We Now Know Seven Years After 9/11 

Each year around the anniversary of 9/11, I summarize what we ordinary citizens have learned since that awful day in 2001. This is the seventh annual look backwards, a 2008 update that contains new information and surmisings about those horrific events and what followed.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:26 PM

Scientists launch huge particle-smasher experiment 

And the world didn't end. So far.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:27 AM

‘Running of the Lizards’ yields a slithery quarry 

Why is there a colony of Italian Wall Lizards in Topeka, Kansas?

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:26 AM

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

The Secrets of Chinatown Herbal Shops 

Ever pass a Chinese herbal medicine shop and wonder what all those bizarre ingredients are? Well, wonder no more.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:27 PM

Water 'Dowser' Having a Busy Year 

Fact or fiction? Though there is no scientific proof of how it works, the art of water dowsing is alive and well. Well witch, water diviner, magician, magnetic - call him what you will - Williams resident Bill Charter has "The Gift."

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:25 PM

Marvel Comics Noir 

Marvel will be starting a line of comics that recast their traditional heroes - such as Spider-Man - as pulp heroes of the Thirties. Cool.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:24 PM

Massachusetts tourist attractions sue over Lizzie Borden's legacy 

So, who owns the Borden story? Can you actually claim a patent on an historical event?

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:16 PM

Biologists on the Verge of Creating New Form of Life 

A team of biologists and chemists is closing in on bringing non-living matter to life.

It's not as Frankensteinian as it sounds. Instead, a lab led by Jack Szostak, a molecular biologist at Harvard Medical School, is building simple cell models that can almost be called life.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:14 PM

Psychic investigator looks into spooky painting 

At least half a dozen people here and in America have been so spooked by the unnerving landscape that they’ve got rid of it.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:07 AM

Victims of Brain Trauma Driven to Create 

This is not a sentimental journey into the mind. It is a story about people whose brains were jolted and re-engineered by trauma, leaving them with curious new talents.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:50 AM

Coney Island Owner Confirms Closure 

It looks like it's over.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:32 AM

Nerve Surgery Leaves Woman With Feeling in an Arm That Isn't There 

Claudia Mitchell may look like your average 20-something college student. She is anything but.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:31 AM

Ventriloquists work hard for laughs 

Ventriloquism dates back at least as far as the ancient Greeks. It often was linked with the occult, and practiced by mediums and soothsayers who could enthrall audiences by carrying on a "dialogue" with a disembodied voice.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:28 AM

Scientology fights critics with 4,000 DMCA takedown notices 

A huge trove of critical videos of Scientology was targeted for takedown late last week by a group called American Rights Counsel. The group sent more than 4,000 DMCA takedown notices to YouTube and claimed that every video infringed on its copyrights, according to the EFF.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:28 AM

Ten things you don’t know about the Earth 

Look around you. Unless you’re one of the Apollo astronauts, you’ve lived your entire life within a few hundred kilometers of the surface of the Earth. There’s a whole planet beneath your feet, 6.6 sextillion tons of it, one trillion cubic kilometers of it. But how well do you know it?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:25 AM

Author finds body lost for 66 years after crash 

For Peter Stekel, a mysterious 1942 plane crash on Mendel Glacier is more than just research material for his next book.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:21 AM

5 Real World Criminals Who Were Certified Super-Villains 

We would never glamorize criminals. We don't want any of our young fans to grow up to rob or steal, at least not from us.

You know who we will glamorize? Supercriminals. Those flamboyant, creative types who just go above and beyond. Sure, what they did was despicable. But we can all learn from their desire to go beyond the call of duty. Way beyond.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:21 AM

Monday, September 08, 2008

The New York Times Attempts To Kill The Devil 

Cryptomundo looks at the Jersey Devil and the Old Gray Lady.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:03 PM

Ripper's reign of terror 'began 25 years earlier' 

Marriott has uncovered case files on the murder of a London prostitute in 1863 which he believes fits the Ripper's "modus operandi" – a quarter of a century before the first official Ripper case.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:49 PM

Shipwreck mystery solved 

An announcement Saturday during the annual conference of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History -- hosted along the same Muskegon Channel the 1870-built schooner often traveled -- has shed light on the tragic last trip of the Schooner Thomas Hume.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:45 PM

Mystery of the 'couple' buried arm in arm 1,000 years ago: Not husband and wife but Saxon warriors 

Believed to be Saxon warriors, they are thought to have died together and been buried together as brothers in arms.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:41 PM

What the frak? Faux curse seeps into language 

It was Larson who first used the faux curse word "frak" in the original Battlestar Galactica. The word was mostly overlooked back in the 1970s series but is working its way into popular vocabulary as the SciFi channel's modern update winds down production.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:39 PM

Mystery surrounds ‘great ball of fire’ over Churchtown, Southport 

Numerous residents flooded the emergency services with reports of a bright object falling out of the sky, but emergency services failed to find a thing.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:33 PM

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Study: Zen Meditation Really Does Clear the Mind 

The seemingly nonsensical Zen practice of "thinking about not thinking" could help free the mind of distractions, new brain scans reveal.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:02 PM

South-central Kentucky Wampus Cat? 

From Dave in South-central Kentucky comes a strange tale of something making "odd whistling night-calls and screams" and leaving "oversized, apparently three-toed footprints," in "a pretty remote and heavily wooded region that has seen BF-like activity off and on for at least the last 50 years or so." Dave advises: "There's a long-standing legend about a [monster] in this area, but descriptions run along the lines of 'mystery kangaroos''" and "giant monkeys."

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:45 AM

The Curse of the Fuwa 

Superstition is important to the Chinese so the authorities tried to ensure all augured well for their Games, but were their cute Olympic mascots instead responsible for a string of tragedies?

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:41 AM

Tesla's Tower of Power 

In 1905, a team of construction workers in the small village of Shoreham, New York labored to erect a truly extraordinary structure.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:37 AM

Medical Portraiture in 19th century China 

At Cabinet of Wonders.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:35 AM

The Bee: Part 3 - Beegotten 

My research into the Bee has revealed that this omnipresent creature has been held scared since the year dot. Along the way I’ve chronicled how the diminutive insect has been incorporated into religion, government, art and literature, as well as how its symbolism – still prevalent in modern times - has largely been forgotten or misinterpreted as something else altogether. In this, the final part of the trilogy, I will review the events that have led to the Bee’s present condition, and contemplate its fate in the light of its most formidable adversary yet; 21st century man.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:31 AM

The Federation Of Light, Prophet Yahweh, Used Car Lots, And, The 72 Hour Guarantee 

Yes, believe it or not, a group calling itself The Federation of Light is predicting that next month, for 72 hours, UFO’s will hang in our Earths skies to prove they exist - and to propel earthlings into a new consciousness.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:02 AM

Our Favorite Old-House Ghost Stories 

Stories from the Old House Journal.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:42 AM

FAKER'S 'SON OF SAM' TIE 

Here's one I missed back from the whole "Crockefeller" hoopla - he was using David Berkowitz's Social Security Number!

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:29 AM

Video analytics captures lake monster 

There have been 200 recorded sightings since then with some describing it as a “black, serpent like creature with a cat-like head” and up to 14 meters in length.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:12 AM

Bigfoot mystery at Sandy Creek 

"Could an undiscovered ape live in Georgia?"

See also: Scientists Interested In Large Footprint Discovery (with pic)

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:11 AM

This could only happen in Massachusetts, believe it or not 

Mysterious Massachusetts.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:09 AM

The human Buzz Lightyear 

The man about to cross the Channel on a wing and a prayer

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:46 AM

Flying Saucer Frenzy! 

The UFO proof is out there

UFO initiative could cost Denver $600,000

"UFO" captured on camera over Purley Cross Tesco (with pic)

UFO Secrecy, National Security and the Freedom of Information Act

Texas Official Demands Answers About Alleged UFO (With video)

Book review of Behind The Flying Saucers -- The Truth About The Aztec UFO Crash

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:44 AM

Jack the Ripper revealed at last—by great-grandson of cop who tracked him down 

One of the strong theories re-emerged this week was when Nevill Swanson, great-grandson of Chief Inspector Donald Swanson, turned up at the museum in Canary Wharf to see the exhibition before it closes in November.

“My great-grandfather knew who Jack the Ripper was,” Nevill told the East London Advertiser.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:37 AM

Once-secretive Shaolin wants to teach kung fu to everybody: report 

China's Shaolin Temple, famous as the birthplace of kung fu, is planning to roll out classes across the country to teach martial arts once reserved for just a few, state media said Friday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:36 AM

Mystery of mutilated cattle spooks people near Norwood 

Something strange is happening on a farm outside Norwood in Wright County. Someone or something is mutilating cows.

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:36 AM

Jury starts deliberating on Lamonica 

A Tangipahoa Parish jury began deliberations late Thursday on whether former pastor Louis D. Lamonica molested his two sons and included them in sex acts during occult rituals.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:35 AM

Second stone throws open a new debate with destiny 

Fresh confusion over the authenticity of the Stone of Destiny emerged yesterday after a mystery man claimed to have found the "real" relic in a hidden cliff cave.

Wiki.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:34 AM

Cat Man - the human 'tiger' who enjoys climbing trees and eats raw meat every day 

With freaky pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:33 AM

Baltimore Has Poe; Philadelphia Wants Him 

"So, Philadelphians, let’s hop in our cars, drive down I-95 and appropriate a body from a certain Baltimore cemetery,” Mr. Pettit wrote in an article for the Philadelphia City Paper in October. “I’ll bring the shovel.”

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:31 AM

Police wildlife officer to tail the 'big cats' 

Reports of panther-like creatures have been gathering momentum, with five across Cambridgeshire already this year.

See also: Stalking the big cat

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:30 AM

Arctic search for lost Franklin ships turns up copper, nails 

Oral Inuit tradition may be cue to location of elusive 19th century British ships.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:29 AM

Enduring mystery of the Tasmanian tiger 

THE last captive specimen of the Tasmanian tiger died in Hobart Zoo on September 7, 1936 – but could the species still be out there in the wild?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:28 AM

'It seemed to be a body from WWII' 

A team of Australian investigators is preparing an expedition to the arduous Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, after a hiker spotted what is believed to be the body of a World War II airman hanging from a tree. The BBC's Becky Branford found out more.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:27 AM

Friday, September 05, 2008

DNA Shows That Last Woolly Mammoths Had North American Roots 

In a surprising reversal of conventional wisdom, a DNA-based study has revealed that the last of the woolly mammoths—which lived between 40,000 and 4,000 years ago—had roots that were exclusively North American.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:14 AM

Was MythBuster's RFID tale only a myth? 

It all started when Adam Savage of MythBusters fame told a convention audience that legal bullies from the credit card industry had cowed Discovery Channel into scotching an episode of the show that was to have taken on RFID.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:11 AM

Strange new comet explains old mystery 

Why does Halley’s Comet orbit backwards?

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:10 AM

California town has dealt with beheaded animals, too 

The events in Fort Walton Beach have produced very few leads, with nine beheaded goats left on streets since Aug. 26, 2007.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:09 AM

Rare Artifact Found In Surf 

A large section of what is likely a fairly ancient wooden vessel was discovered in the surf at 43rd Street this week and now awaits its fate in a town-owned storage facility in West Ocean City as state historians and maritime archaeologists attempt to date it and perhaps discover from whence it came.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:05 AM

Conspiracy theorists, unite! 

That's what the dozens of Ron Paul supporters shouting outside of the Xcel Energy Center yesterday afternoon were telling Americans to do. They said the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were an inside job.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:41 AM

Coroner: Mysterious deaths were natural 

Investigators considered foul play because of the strange condition of Daniel Savage's body. He had black shoe polish on his face and arms and three medium-caliber bullets in the back of his throat as well as leaves, grass and coins on his back.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:27 AM

Keep an eye on the Sphinx 

The Sphinx under threat...from pigeons?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:16 AM

Police interview psychics in Stewart murder inquiry 

Police have interviewed two television psychics in the hope of gaining a lead in their inquiry into the disappearance of Wellington woman Kaye Stewart in 2005, saying they will look at "any little piece of information" anyone can come up with.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:14 AM

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Guilty plea in Collar Bomber case 

A man admitted in federal court Wednesday that he helped plot a bizarre bank robbery that ended when a bomb strapped around a pizza deliveryman's neck exploded and killed him, the first conviction in the 5-year-old case.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:44 PM

"This is Zodiac speaking..." 

FBI Collects Dentures Of Zodiac Suspect For DNA

Former KOLD anchor interviews new lead in zodiac killer case

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:37 AM

Sasquatch Bigfoot Sightings In Houston, British Columbia Canada 

Jenny turned and to her amazement saw what she describes as a Sasquatch/Bigfoot running along side of her property on the other side of the fence line...

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:32 AM

Found: Ancient Capital of 'Jewish' Khazar Kingdom 

If the findings by the Russian team, reported by the French agency AFP, prove to be indeed the long-lost capital of the reputed Jewish state, they would represent one of the largest breakthroughs in Jewish archaeology.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:27 AM

Ghost caught on Video at Wellington, Was 

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:15 AM

James Bond book collection sells for 31,0000 pounds 

The full set of Ian Fleming's 007 books came from the library of the late Maj Gen Sir Fitzroy Maclean, a former soldier, diplomat, adventurer and Conservative MP.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:02 AM

Hokus pokus and the law 

Up in Vermont, a small town has repealed an old law that had forbidden fortune telling, clairvoyants, tarot card readers and anyone claiming to contact spirits. I hadn’t given it much thought, but some cities have laws against such. Personally, I don’t think it should be against the law.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:39 AM

Are we all going to die next Wednesday? 

But why should we now be worrying about such possible causes of Armageddon?

The answer is a gargantuan machine - the largest, most expensive scientific experiment in history, the 'Large Hadron Collider', to be turned on next Wednesday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:32 AM

Roman fort is found in the Lake District 

The discovery, near the famous Castlerigg Stone Circle, is thought to date back to the first century and has solved a mystery spanning hundreds of years.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:32 AM

Prince George's Killing, Apparently Planned, Opens Host of Mysteries - washingtonpost.com 

Who killed security specialist Kanika Powell? And why?

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:31 AM

New clues to mystery sea monster 

Geneticist Dr Yvonne Simpson has researched the Stronsay Beast and will reveal her latest discoveries at the Orkney International Science Festival.

The creature's carcass, which some said was that of a basking shark, was found off Stronsay in 1808.

Cryptomundo has some more.

Wiki.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:29 AM

Record $500,000 Offered for Grim Sleeper 

The Los Angeles City Council is offering a record $500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a serial killer believed to be responsible for the murders of 11 people in South Los Angeles dating to 1985.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:29 AM

Monster inhabits Green Lane lake ... sort of 

Fake lake monster? Cool. Shades of the Mad Scientists' Club!

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:28 AM

Selections From H.P. Lovecraft's Brief Tenure as a Whitman's Sampler Copywriter. 

What black arts could have stripped this chocolate of its natural hue? The horror of the unearthly, corpselike pallor of this truffle's complexion is only offset by its fiendish deliciousness.

Thanks John!

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:27 AM

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Police Hunt for Escaped Lion in Belfast 

Out of Place big cat in Ireland.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:12 PM

The Restless Spirits of the Penn’s Creek Massacre 

The Paranormal Pastor looks back at some early American history.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:50 AM

Virgin Mary tattoo on man's back sells for $257,880! 

In a bizarre art deal, a man fetched a whopping 257,880 dollars by selling an elaborate Virgin Mary tattoo on his back to a German collector, with the understanding it can be exhibited three times in a year.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:30 AM

Incense shown to relieve anxiety in mice 

In an article in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere report that the active ingredient in frankincense lights up brain receptors that play a role in the perception of warmth on the skin and might help regulate emotion.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:29 AM

UFO Round-Up 

Nova Scotia village uses UFO sighting to lure tourists



Have girls solved the mystery of the UFOs?

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:27 AM

Boulder's weirdest history lesson 

Weird Boulder, Colorado.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:17 AM

Two Brazilian Bird People & An English One 

Awesome Or Off-Putting on winged weirdos.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:12 AM

For sale: First edition James Bond books owned by 'the real 007' 

Sir Fitzroy Maclean was a diplomat, soldier, Conservative MP and good friend of Bond creator Ian Fleming.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:09 AM

Future bright for fortunetelling in Vt. town 

Behold, the future is being revealed and it looks bright for fortune tellers, clairvoyants, tarot card readers and anyone claiming to contact spirits in this corner of northern New England.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:04 AM

Israeli spy admits Mossad allowed Josef Mengele to escape 

A former Israeli spy has described how an operation to capture the 'Angel of Death' Josef Mengele in Argentina had to be called off to prevent the escape of Adolf Eichmann.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:56 AM

The Phika Is Real 

Have you ever ever doubted tales about Phika, the devilish serpent? Well, maybe some of the tales were too exaggerated but snake experts have confirmed that the legendary 'phika' does exist.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:55 AM

Monday, September 01, 2008

Great Cover-up? 

Forensic-art analysts will use a high-energy neutron beam to see if a lost Leonardo mural is hidden behind another one.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:26 AM

Watch the Skies! 

Cannock Chase residents want answers over UFO sightings

UFO photos reveal unusual symbols and pictographs

Greensburg man documents surging reports of UFO sightings

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:25 AM

Twins found in Tutankhamun's tomb 

Two foetuses found in the tomb of Tutankhamun are the twin children of the teenage pharaoh, according to the anatomist who first studied his mummified remains in the 1960s.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:16 AM

Lockerbie evidence called into question 

In a TV documentary to be shown today, conspiracy buffs claim the evidence was tampered with.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:13 AM

King Road's magnetic hill listed as a city attraction 

That's right, in case some of you don't know, there is a magnetic hill -- though very quietly advertised -- in the city. It has been known in some circles for a long time.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:00 AM

Renewed interest in lost Depression paintings 

During the Great Depression, Meriden artist John Backstrom created 12 landscape paintings a month as part of a federal employment project. He never knew what happened to most of the canvases.

Seventy years later, the whereabouts of much of the artwork by Backstrom and 168 other Connecticut artists remain largely a mystery.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:50 AM

Wanted: Living terror legend 

"I know this bomb from somewhere," mumbled the intelligence expert studying recent photos from a Damascus blast. After racking his brain and going through some files trying to remember where he had seen a combination of explosives rigged to gas tanks, it finally hit him – it was the trademark of Saif al-Din ("Sword of the Faith") – one of the world's most notorious and wanted terrorists to date.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:49 AM

Lady Jane’s plea for forgiveness may unlock 260-year-old mystery of a ‘lady who lied’ 

One of the great scandals of the British aristocracy, which transfixed Europe in the 18th century and led to one of the most expensive private lawsuits, has been reignited by the discovery of documents that may solve a case that divides historians.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:46 AM

An assassination in Victoria 

On Sept. 1, 1918, a political assassination happened in downtown Victoria, but nine decades later, it has remained a mystery in many aspects.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:26 AM