Stories of the Strange...

I have missed quite a lot of odd news over the past month. Luckily, there's a never-ending supply of the odd around our planet. Here are just a few strange stories from various news wires.

Are Curses Really Talent?

Simon Cowell is the man everyone seems to love to hate. Now, he's upset the wrong girl on the wrong day. While filming an episode of Britain's Got Talent, one contestant took her dismissal a bit too seriously. She returned to the stage, placing a hex on all the judges, stating, "You're all doomed." Following the witchy woman's departure, the crew experienced the worst session ever. But was it the curse or just a lack of talent in Birmingham?

A Predestined Payoff...

Jorma Hogbacka, a 60-year-old retired welder from Ontario, is now $14.5 million dollars richer. But the St. Catharines man isn't at all surprised. A psychic told him he would be rich beyond his wildest dreams just four years ago. Hogbacka doesn't have any major plans for the money and says he feels like it's "another day, except I have a big cheque." Surele he won't be the ony one cashing in on this bit of luck. if the psychic comes forward, she undoubtedly stands to make her own windfall.

Strangers in the Night...

While singer Robbie Williams is hunting UFOs, something strange has been happening in the comfort of his own home. On numerous occasions, Williams has awakened to find cuts and scratches on his back. The marks generally disappear within a few days, but he didn't think it strange until mentioning it to friends recently. Some people have suggested it to be encountered with demons, ghosts, or succubi. Or perhaps he simply rolled over on his cat in the middle of the night...

Smudge Them Out...

After the past eight years of Bush and Cheney in the White House, there is probably more than a little bad karma left over within its walls. But not anymore: last Monday, hundreds of people met at Dupont Circle to burn some white sage. The act, known as smudging, follows shamanic/Native American tradition of dispersing negative energy from an area. As the crowd sang "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", wafts of the pungent smoke drifted toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to rid it of "evil spirits." Fortunately, the evil entities had already vacated the building...

Cream, Sugar, or Spooks?

British scientists believe they've found a clue to explaining paranormal activity by the cup full. A Durham University study of 216 coeds this month revealed that students drinking large quantities of caffeine (at least seven cups per day) are more prone to hearing unexplained voices. According to the researchers, caffeine consumption could have an effect on schizophrenic hallucinations, though they could not confirm repeatable tests or that participants actually consumed the levels of caffeine stated in the study. Really. Over two hundred college students claim caffeine is their one vice that leads to hallucinations? I find that hard to swallow...