Deadword of the Day: Ugsum
Friday, October 11, 2024
Ugsum: Another great alternative to “terrible”.
As in: It has been a terrible, horrible, ugsum, very bad day.
GO THERE! But don’t tell them we sent you.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Though you will have to find a way to get permission to enter, if ghost towns are your fancy, this is likely the scariest one of all. Nicknamed Village of the Damned;Â Dudley Town, Connecticut, was once a prosperous town, but a series of odd occurrences, including ghost sightings, inexplicable murders and suicides, mass hysteria, and demonic manifestations ultimately caused the remaining townsfolk to run away screaming. Dan Aykroid calls it the scariest place on Earth. That’s right, even Ghostbusters won’t go near it.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dudley_Town_station_platform_buffers_2011.jpg
History Schmistory: October 10. What about Spaceland Security?
Thursday, October 10, 2024
1967: The Outer Space Treaty, signed by over sixty nations including the US, the UK and the Soviet Union, becomes official. It serves as a binding promise to keep space open for everyone to explore, and to not use it to store and/or fire weapons of mass destruction. Many feel the agreement only makes it easier for outside forces to take advantage of the opportunity.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Astronaut-EVA.jpg
Cryptozoology Break! The Kraken
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Once the most feared creature in the Nordic Seas, the Kraken was often described by bewildered fisherman as a disproportionately large squid, or octopus, or other ferocious tentacled sea monster. The stories were usually scoffed by landlovers until the Kraken was popularized by French science fiction author, Jules Verne, in his classic novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Eventually, in the late 19th century, the not quite so giant, giant squid were being discovered washed up on the shore, some at 40+ feet in length, confirming at least in part the nautical horror stories of the past. The giant squid remains an incredibly elusive creature, having only recently been documented alive, but the tall tales of the Kraken, a gargantuan ship-swallowing sea monster, have gradually been adapted into medium tales of a pretty darn big squid who dukes it out with whales.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Giant_octopus_attacks_ship.jpg
History Schmistory: October 9. “Nice shirt! I love reggae!”
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
1967: Only a day after his capture, Argentine-Cuban Revolutionary, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, is executed in Bolivia for attempting to start a revolution there. T-shirt prices skyrocket.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/CheHigh.jpg
A Name You Should Know: Emma Lazarus
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Emma_Lazarus.jpg
One of the first successful Jewish American authors, Emma Lazarus was a poet and essayist who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, writing numerous powerful works against anti-semitism, supporting immigrants rights, and even arguing for the creation of a Jewish homeland before the Zionist movement came into being. But she is best known for her immortal American poem, “The New Colossus” which appears on a bronze plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty. You know the one, ‘give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,’ that one. Unfortunately, many politicians currently wish to have it removed, along with the torch… to be replaced with a stop sign 🙂
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Emma_Lazarus_plaque.jpg
GO THERE! …at your own risk
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Castle_Leap,_Birr,_Ireland.jpg
They don’t get much more haunted than Ireland’s Leap Castle, where, in its heyday, death and violence were part of the daily routine. During its renovation, a dungeon was discovered with spiked floors and piles of human bones. So, it’s safe to say there are hordes of ghosts roaming around up in this joint. But wait, there’s more! Having once been the meeting place for dozens of occult activities, it is believed that a hostile Elemental creature, nicknamed “It”, was summoned to Leap Castle from… wherever Elementals are summoned from. This little grey humanoid makes his presence known first with the stench of rotting flesh, and though it hasn’t made as many appearances, it remains the most feared apparition in the castle, commonly known not just to intimidate but to attack thrill-seeking tourists.
GO THERE! …and bring a flashlight!
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
El Panteon de Belen is an historical cemetery built in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1848. Though it closed in 1896, it remains open to the public as one of the most incessantly haunted cemeteries in the world. Â So, of course the best time to be there is for the special nighttime tour.
The most popular day of the year?
Hallo-what? No, silly!
November 2, Mexico’s Day of the Dead!
History Schmistory: October 8. Today never happened.
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
1582: Italy, Portugal, Poland and Spain adopt the Gregorian calendar, officially eliminating this day from existence.
GO THERE!
Monday, October 7, 2024
It’s Halloween season, so it’s time to get to know some of the more spooky, scary and downright creepy destinations in the world, starting with Portugal’s Capela dos Ossos, or Chapel of Bones.
This 16th Century chapel is stacked wall to wall with human bone remnants from the once overcrowded cemeteries, with the intention of embracing death as an ephemeral and joyous spiritual transition. But really, it just ended up being super creepy. The inscription at the door: Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos (“We bones, lying here, for yours we wait.”) Makes us go all prinkly!!
