Coincidence or Fate?: Woman Misses 447, Dies in Car Crash

History is filled with what we usually call "coincidence." These seemingly chance happenings so defy the normal pattern that they stand out. Some people dismiss them as nothing more than that: chance occurrences; others say such events actually prove a larger force(s) at-play. No matter what you make of it, certain freakish events fire the imagination. This new series will examine several.

Johanna Ganthalter and her husband were vacationing in Brazil and had been booked to leave on France Flight 447, but missed it by minutes. The Ganthalters took a flight out of Rio the next day. Johanna Ganthalter lost her life when the couple's car veered across a road and into an oncoming truck. Her husband was seriously injured.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Things What Done Fell from the Sky: Shocking BBQ

Eric Brocklebank was grilling outside during a thunderstorm when lightning hit the fork he was using to barbecue sausages. Apparently, the lightning surged through his body and out his feet, leaving him only slightly injured.

While his arm was burned, the lightning did surprisingly little damage. Brocklebank is expected to make a full recovery.

I was told the only thing I could say as I was drifting in and out of consciousness was 'sausages'.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Are Eyewitnesses Lion?

At least two eyewitnesses reported seeing lions roaming freely about the state of Georgia recently. The first was reported near the Lumpkin County line, and the second came from Hall County.

While rare, mountain lion attacks do occur in Georgia. A mountain lion mauled a dog which protected its family from an attack just last month. Actual lions are another matter, entirely. However, authorities are taking the reports seriously.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Literacy Specialization

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Capella University's latest podcast features an interview with Beverly Enns, Capella's faculty chair for literacy. She discusses the program, which is state-approved. But literacy programs are far from the only courses available at Capella. They have several online college courses available to would-be students.

Online learning is not "the wave of the future," it is a reality. The perfect solution for working adults, parents, and even young adults who simply cannot afford a more traditional college. Do things your way, instead of having to schedule your life around your classes. Learn at your pace from your own home and earn your degree in one (or more) of 109 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 15 certificate programs Capella University offers.

Follow the link provided or call 1-888-CAPELLA for more information.

War on Drugs Uncovers Human Skull, Blood-Spattered Walls

Police raiding a suspected drug dealer's house in Bridgeport, Connecticut were shocked to find a grisly scene in the basement, where a human skull was found amidst blood-spattered walls. An alligator's head and a dead chicken were also discovered. Police believe the alleged drug dealer(s) were practicing Santeria.

The drug bust was considered routine until the religious site was uncovered in the basement. It shocked veteran policemen, one of whom said he did not want to disrespect anyone's religion, but he had a job to do. The religious artifacts were seized.

A professor of religion and international studies said the owners were likely casting protective spells, most likely protection from police and/or competing drug dealers. Possession of a human skull "isn't that unusual," the professor said, "but actually shows a great deal of respect."

A neighbor added a lot of people in the area practice Santeria or sorcery, and he sees nothing wrong with it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Things What Done Fell from the Sky: Who's Dropping Acid in Hong Kong?

24 people in Hong Kong were injured when someone threw acid from a building onto the crowd below - the third such attack in the Mong Kok district in the last six months. The first attack occurred in December, 2008, and injured 46. An attack in May involved two bottles of acid and injured 30.

All of the attacks involved the same modus operandi and materials. Police suspect the attacks are related. A surveillance system has been installed in the area and a 24-hour information hotline has been set-up.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Deadliest Catch: Sidewinder

A Florida fisherman said it was "kind of a fright" to learn the warhead he'd netted and carried around on his ship as a souvenir for more than a week was a live Sidewinder, air-to-air missile.

Captain Rodney Solomon, a long-line fisherman, "caught" the missile in a net off the coast of Panama City. A hole in the warhead led him to believe it had already been discharged, so he hung it over the side of his ship as a souvenir. About a week later, he casually mentioned the catch to the local fire department, who quickly took action. After securing the location and shooing-away onlookers, the fire department contacted the Air Force, who confirmed the Sidewinder missile was live and could have detonated at any time!

Fire chief, Derryl O'Neal, said such an occurrence "does happen... but it's a rare event." He recalled a similar missile "catch" some 15-16 years ago and cautioned fishermen not to haul the missiles, but to contact the proper authorities and inform them of the location.

The location at which the Capt. Solomon discovered the missile is in or near a location used for defense testing.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Picasso Sketchbook Stolen from Paris Museum

A sketchbook containing over 30 drawings by Pablo Picasso was stolen from a Paris museum sometime between Monday and noon, Tuesday. The museum was closed but for one private viewing on Tuesday. The sketchbook was borne in an unlocked glass display and is valued at nearly $11 million. Museum officials have declined comment on the matter.

The Picasso museum is set to close for renovations over the next two years. It contains thousands of the artist's works. Pablo Picasso is most famous for the Cubism movement he pioneered, though his work spanned several periods. He is widely considered the most prominent artist of the 20^th-Century. Pablo Picasso died in 1973.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Don't Go It Alone!

Regular readers suffered along with me when I moved a month or so back (and will have to suffer with me when I do it again - hopefully soon!). While I didn't provide a blow-by-blow accounting of every travail and problem that arose, let us just say that nearly two months later, I am still correcting addresses, changing phone numbers, fooling with creditors and debtors, et.al. Moving is a big deal and the expenses alone force you to stop and think about what you are doing.

L.A. is sprawling place where residents say you have to have a car just to survive. Sure, the moving companies Los Angeles offers can help you move within the city (and just outside it), but if you are coming from another state - or even another part of California - you are probably going to need to do some checking around. Make sure whichever company you decide to go with is accredited and has insurance - don't fool with one that isn't, no matter how much money you think you will save!

Tanzanian Albino Trials Begin

12 people are on trial for murdering albinos in Tanzania. The OddBlog has been bringing you reports of the situation: self-proclaimed "witchdoctors" in the African country are concocting and selling potions purported to make the imbiber wealthy. The potions are made of various ingredients, the most gruesome of which is ground bone from an albino. Over 40 regional albinos have been killed in the last 1¹/₂ years, alone.

While there have been numerous arrests, there have been no convictions. Affluential businessmen are said to be the witchdoctors' primary clientele and local police are among the most corrupt in the world. A single potion goes for thousands of dollars in a country where the average annual income is less than $300. Money like that buys a lot of "justice."

Now that the tragedy is getting major media attention worldwide, the ritual killings have abated to some degree these last few months, but albinos are far from safe. Entire families have been hacked to pieces inside their homes, as each part of their body can bring thousands of dollars. Their graves are cemented over to prevent tampering. There are more than 15,000 albinos in the area.

Last month, a similar trial started in neighboring Burundi. It involved a group of 11 men.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Britain's Oldest Man Celebrates His 113th Birthday

Britain's oldest (known) male resident just turned 113. One of the founders of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and WWI veteran, Henry Allingham has five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great-grandchild. Allingham lived independently until 2006, when he moved into a communal home.

Henry Allingham became Britain's oldest man a few months back at 112, having outlived the previous record-holder, John Evans, who died in 1990. Allingham is one of two surviving WWI veterans in all of Britain.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Summer Sees Resurgence in Crop Circles

Crop circles are one of those phenomenons which seem to come in waves and lately, we haven't heard much about them. It isn't because they've slowed down, though - in fact, one expert in crop circles was recently quoted as saying, "It's raining shapes every day now." While the past couple years have been "dry" as far as crop circles go, the 2009 season has brought a resurgence in the phenomenon, with no fewer than 20 crop circle formations recorded since April!

Crop circles is one of those phenomenon which draws a thick line between believers and skeptics. While it has been proven (many times over) that crop circles can be "faked" - that is, created by humans using very simple means - there still exist formations which lead believers to think some other force(s) is at work. For most, the simple, rational explanation that all crop circles are the work of pranksters is a textbook example of "a part, masquerading as the whole." As critics of the hoax explanation point-out, some dawns bring the appearance of numerous crop circles in disparate locations - far too many for any one team, or even 10, to have accomplished in such a short time over such great distances. As a researcher, the crop circles phenomenon is sociology under the paranormal microscope and presents an excellent opportunity for understanding more about people, their belief systems, and their reactions to the Unexplained.

One of the more interesting formations to have appeared this year is the "complete monster" jellyfish pattern discovered in a field in Kingstone Coombes, Oxfordshire - the first of its kind. The jellyfish pattern measured some 250 meters (about 0.16 miles or 600'), roughly three times the average size of most crop circles, and caused somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500 in damages. Interest was so high, the farmers had to ask people not to visit, as they were causing even more damage to the crops. A leading crop circle researcher said the formation represents the magnetic field of Earth.

Crop circles are mostly limited to the English countryside and have been appearing for over 30 years now. At first, they were a genuine phenomenon unto themselves. The mystery as to whom had created them and for what purpose(s) captured the popular interest and crop circles became a pop-culture sensation. Crop circles made international headlines, were examined on TV specials, and even appeared on the cover of a Led Zeppelin CD box set! Eventually, a number of hoaxers admitted their involvement and showed how they created the circles. However, they admitted they did not create all of the crop circles and insisted there were "mysterious forces" at work from which they had taken their cue.

Many said the phenomenon would die-out - and most believed it had done just that, following the 2006 suicide of one well-known circlemaker and the unrelated deaths of two more - but it has returned in a big way (so to speak).

Circlemakers have formed groups and consider themselves "Situationist" artists who are actively shaping the pop-culture with their works. Situationist works are generally politically-motivated performances embracing a slightly anarchic philosophy. While the psychological term, "Situationism," appears to describe the crop circlists' motivation, it is said that most Situationists reject the concept's association. The leading group (see link, above) says it sometimes works in tandem with other circle-making clubs but, again, insist unknown forces/entities are to blame for the patterns they claim not to have made. Somewhere near 20% of the crop circles studied bear no signs of human interference (footprints, post holes, et.al.).

We are the heretics, calling their belief system into question by the mere fact that we exist and talk about our circle-making activities.

Researchers claim these circles are made in a matter of moments by a blast of energy which causes changes to the crops at a cellular level and alters soil composition. Some people have suffered mild reactions after traipsing through crop circles, most usually nausea and dizziness. Lab tests of crops from some of these 20% circles (called "True Circles") have produced inexplicable results which appear to bolster the "energy blast" theories surrounding their formation, including trace amounts of radiation. At any rate, a significant portion of crop circles studied cannot be explained away as the result of human interference.

Believers say some of the people involved in hoaxing crop circles used to call themselves "Team Satan" and it takes them days to complete their works, even in broad daylight. However, major companies (including Nike, Mitsubishi, Pepsi, et.al.) have paid (richly!) teams of circlemakers to create works promoting their products and services, and these were made in a single night. Circlemakers have also created overnight patterns for cameras and the media, so the believers' claims that they have "nothing to do with the phenomenon" ring hollow, where the Circlemakers' Situationist claims of altering the pop-culture are evident: crop circles have been commissioned for music videos, TV shows, to promote events, and as noted above. None of the crop circles which have appeared in 2009 were commissioned.

Further, crop circles is a money-making theme for everyone involved. While circlemakers are paid tens of thousands of dollars to produce commissioned works and advertisements, believers make a healthy living through book sales, lectures and conferences, and even tours of affected farmlands. The farmers themselves have gotten in on the act from time to time. While most are initially furious over the damaged crops, most of the crops return to their normal state after a few weeks. Meanwhile, some charge sight-seers to walk on their property, for parking, and more. One farmer was said to have made well over $50,000 this way.

The crop circle "season" starts in/around May and runs through the summer; this year's season started earlier than expected. This seems to bolster skeptics' hoax claims (who wants to make crop circles in the freezing cold?). The OddBlog has to point-out that most crops are grown in the warmer months. Skeptics also attribute the lack of crop circles (in general, but more specifically in the Wiltshire area) in the last two years to the recent deaths of three well-known hoaxers. Others cite heavy rains and strong winds.

Crop circles notwithstanding, the English countryside is home to many large ground patterns dating back hundreds, even thousands, of years - such as the Cernes Abbas (see link, above). Like 20% of crop circles, no one knows who made them, how they were made, nor why.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Spain Holds Voodoo Pimps

A little over two weeks ago, Spanish authorities arrested some 23 men following raids on 10 houses in which they seized computer equipment, materials used in Voodoo rituals, and passports. The men are accused of supplying the European sex trade with Nigerian women forced into prostitution by threats of "Voodoo curses." The average age of the girls being trafficked is said to be between 12 and 18 years.

In February, Spanish authorities received a complaint from a Nigerian woman who claimed to have been one of the men's victims. She told police the men practice black magickery and frighten their victims with threats of "destroying their souls" or "making them crazy." Some women were transported by roadway into Libya then smuggled into Italy by boat, while others were approached in European hostels from which they disappeared. Some 150+ girls disappeared from hostels in Europe in 2006 and 2007. About a dozen were recovered; the rest are thought to have fallen prey to human traffickers. The money the girls make prostituting is kept by the criminals until their debt (for smuggling them into the country) is paid. The average cost is just under $70,000.00.

Somewhat ironically, many of the trafficked women were branded witches by their villages, who threw them out of their homes and abandoned them. They were promised high-paying jobs and marriage to good men in Europe, but first had to swear an oath in a cemetery. Their fingernails were cut and pubic hair shaved, then their clothes were seized and a sanitary pad with their menstrual blood was collected. These items were ceremoniously placed in a shrine as "wicked incantations" were recited. The girls were told both they and their families would die, should they try to escape or expose the criminals. So fervent was their belief in this magick that few of the girls would leave their lives as European prostitutes when offered escape.

Some of the girls have sex with as many as 30 men a day in an effort to pay off their debt quicker. Madams encourage this by telling them the sooner they paid-off their debt, the better it is for them and their families.

11 men are awaiting trial in the Netherlands for these very practices, following their arrest in March of this year. Arrests involving Voodoo curses used to force girls into prostitution in Europe date back to at least 2007.

The OddBlog will have more on this and will follow the story closely.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009