By comparing hundreds of Semitic consonantal roots, Salibi maps the places mentioned in the Old Testament onto locations in the Saudi Arabian province of ‘Asir, in southwest Arabia. Through a creative use of linguistics combined with geography, he “proves” that the Israelites were really in ‘Asir all that time instead of Canaan. Most crackpot theories are slapdash affairs, but Salibi’s exquisitely well-wrought thesis made me want to believe it. Read this wonderful book, if only for an example of the prodigies the human brain is capable of.
In Them, Jon Ronson talks about the runiins David Icke has had with the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL is convinced that Icke is a anti-semite and he is using lizards as a metaphor for Jews. Ronson told one of the ADL representatives that he’s interviewed Icke several times and he’s pretty sure Icke is talking about literal lizards. The ADL however remains convinced that no one is that crazy.
Back during the 2000 election problem, a co-worker of mine was telling me his theory that the whole thing was a conspiracy. He figured the government had set the whole thing up so they could the results of the election invalid and take over. I looked at him for a second or two and asked, “So you’re saying that the United States government is secretly plotting to take over the United States government?” He blinked a couple of times and said, “Well when you put it like that, it sounds kind of stupid.”
-That Commissioner David Stern has rigged several Draft Lotteries, starting with the one that sent Patrick Ewing to the Knicks, by keeping the favored team’s envelope on dry ice until just before he made the pick. He could then feel which envelope was coldest. This theory’s already being passed around for this year’s LeBron fest.
-Michael Jordan’s first retirement was really a secret suspension, because Stern felt Jordan’s gambling was out of control.
-Any time a New York or LA team makes it deep into the playoffs, it’s because Stern and the networks want the largest television markets they can get.
You should also ramble through the musings of Archimedes Plutonium (formally Ludwig Plutonium), an Internet legend and all around kook. While his theories are random nutcase ramblings, he has diverged into conspiracy theories many times.
This is vague, but there were 2 sisters(?) in France at some huge house that supposedly were walking around and stumbled into people, things that could only be from around the 1700s.
Even rooms in the house changed.
This happened sometime in the 20th century.
They found and described things with detail that only an expert would know. This is a favorite of time travel folks.
Not enough to give truly meaningful information, but I remember reading about it. One person who looked into it said that the story wasn’t credible, if only because there were no historical records mentioning members of the French royal family (they were involved) being harassed by two eccentrically dressed English women.
But, you know those ads in the classifieds or placed somewhat stragetically throughout the paper * " Pray 9 days straight to the Blessed Virgin ( or whatever) this prayer and it will be answered" ? *
It is my theory that when the newspaper hasn’t sold all their space, they use these as filler, thereby gulling unsuspecting people into a) praying for whatever b) buying ad space when the 9 days are up.
When you get a dud and after countless hours of frustration, it forces you to go out and buy a new stapler which is just as crappy as the last.
If Swingline, et al, actually built a stapler that worked, they would have put themselves out of business years ago having reached our SSP, Stapler Satuation Point.
I think I have the only functioning stapler in a 50 mile radius, and it is in a hidden location to protect my sanity. It’s so secret, I even don’t know where I put it.
The paul is dead theory is hell of a cool. The Beatles were just so original and clever, and with all those clues its so easy to believe its reall1!! 'I buried Paul (Flanders)
There is a page missing from the Bible at the very beginnning which says 'This purely coincidence!!! - love this
The corollary is that the older a stapler is, the better it works, because it has survived the winnowing process. Therefore, smart people have old, beat-up staplers on their desks; the sheep have the shiny new ones that don’t work.
- love this