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    Hill Figures

    Anyone know the significance of the older ones? I know there are some more recent ones displaying regimental badges and ones which were cut to commemorate events such as the Queen's silver jubilee, but what about the older ones, like the White Horse of Uffington (the oldest, estimated age...
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    Animal Anomalies

    Whilst googling, and as usual getting sidetracked miles away from what I was originally looking for, I found the following site. I didn't know whether to put it in the Cats thread or start a new thread. Mods merge if you think appropriate. http://www.messybeast.com/freak-cats.htm Carole
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    Why the Jews?

    Throughout history the Jews have always been the ones to be persecuted. Why? Was it originally to do with Christian antipathy following the crucifixion? http://www.hearnow.org/caljp.html Carole
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    World's Oldest Landscape 'Painting'

    From today's 'Northern Echo': Link here: Source Also from today's 'Daily Telegraph' Carole [Emp edit: Fixing URLs.]
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    Thracian treasure trove finds

    A Day in the Life: 17 September 2004, Friday. By Ivelina Puhaleva A unique archeological finding of a solid gold mask a couple of months ago stirred the world and rocketed Bulgarian pride of its history to unknown heights. The face with closed eyes and robust expression found in the...
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    Missing Person At The 1889 Paris Exhibition

    I can remember reading an article about this true occurrence many years ago. A girl and her mother were visitng the 1889 exhibition in Paris (the one that unveiled the Eiffel Tower). The mother complained of feeling ill and took to her hotel room while the girl continued to enjoy the...
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    Children's Vocabulary

    Did any of you have special words for particular things when you were kids? Sometimes it's due to the word being rather difficult for childish lips to get round - my no 1 son used to call Mercedez Benz cars 'Ladies Benz' Or it might be a made up word which has connections to the thing...
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    Kissing

    . . . how did it originate? Did it develop from the mother feeding her child by mouth? Why does it have sexual, social and non-sexual affection significance? Does kissing exist in all cultures - eg, do eskimos really rub noses? How long have people been kissing for? Did neanderthals...
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    Faith Healing

    What's everyone's views on this? Has anyone had a personal experience? When I was in my first job, in my mid-twenties, I used to suffer periodically from quite painful ear infections. One day I was suffering quite badly from such an infection (it was very painful and myear had completely...
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    Marilyn Monroe: Murder Or Suicide?

    Not a subject I know much about, but there are various theories that she didn't in fact commit suicide, but was murdered by A N Other. What do you think? Carole
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    Does Magick Work?

    The other day, in need of something to read while having a solitary coffee in a cafe, instead of buying a magazine, I got a little book of Pocket Spells. Some of them sound rather useful. Does anyone on this board practise magick? Do any of these spells actually work? Carole
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    British Big Game Hunting?

    Last week I saw the tail end of a TV programme on cable. I can't remember which programme it was, but the gist of the bit I saw was that big cats (the programme showed a lynx which had been rescued) are/were being let loose on the moors and other isolated places to be shot, big game style by...
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    Criteria For Being Classified As A Moon?

    Reading the following item about Jupiter's newly discovered moons prompted me to ask the question: what are the criteria for defining an orbiting object as a moon? http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/jupiter_satellite_020516.html These items are only 1.2 to 2.5 miles in...
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    Foot Binding

    Something that has both fascinated and horrified me is the old Chinese custom of binding women's feet. The 'lotus foot' was considered both desirable and erotic. There are only a few elderly Chinese women who still have bound feet - horribly deformed to our Western eyes, with the heel touching...
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    Bigfoot Worldwide?

    We’ve all heard about the Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and I believe there is a Russian equivalent, although I can’t remember its name As a non-cryptozoological expert, I’d like to know if there are reports of bigfoot-type creatures from other parts of the world. My question was prompted by...
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    April Fools' Day

    With April Fool's Day approaching, I've been wondering, what is the origin of this occasion. The French have something similar, don't they? What about other cultures? Carole
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    Crucifixion 101 (Method Of Capital Punishment)

    What puzzles me is, the Romans used to nail through the wrists, as nailing through the hands wouldn't support the weight of the body on the cross. All the pictures of stignatics I've seen have the marks on the wrists. Something wrong somewhere . . . Carole
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    One-Eyed People?

    This news story from the Philippines: Cyclops skulls’ baffle tribal folk By Perseus Echeminada Publish Date: [Sunday, February 24, 2002] Ancient skulls bearing a single eyeball socket found in limestone caves have baffled tribal folk in the hinterlands of Bohol, Bukidnon and Agusan...
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    Aleister Crowley

    I watched a very interesting programme on TV last night about Aleister Crowley. I'd heard of him and his connections with the occult, of course, but that was about the extent of my knowledge. By gum, he were a bad bugger!! What's your opinion of him? Did he really have the power to...
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    They Know We're Here!!

    Ananova : Aliens 'know we're here' Alien astronomers on planets in other star systems almost certainly have the Earth listed as a world teeming with life, according to a leading scientist. Earth observers are probably no more than 20 years away from identifying distant planets on...
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    Polytheism & Polytheistic Themes In Religions

    It strikes me that, as a monotheistic religion, Christianity (or certain branches of it) uses saints in a similar way to a polytheistic pantheon. Thus you have a saint of lost causes, one for travellers, one for doctors, etc, etc. Carole
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    Weird / Quack Folk Remedies

    There is a sister thread about unusual medical contraptions, which set me thinking about unusual remedies. Like the smelly sock tied around the throat to cure a sore throat. And I read about dead pigeons being tied to the feet of a plague-sufferer. What's the most bizarre folk/quack...
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    King John's Treasure

    I was listening to a program on R4 the other day, about a search for King John's treasure which was reputedly lost in the Wash. Unfortunately I only heard a small part of the programme, which was tantalisingly interesting. Does anyone have any details about this supposed treasure? Have...
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    Floral Tributes & Roadside Memorials

    Has anyone else noticed the increasing occurrence of floral tributes in public places? There are three in our immediate area that come to mind: one at the side of a railway line, one in the central reservation of a dual carriageway and one round a lampost at the side of a busy suburban road...
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    Labyrinths

    Can anyone tell me what is the purpose of mazes and labrynths? I know in later years they became a form of entertainment, but was there originally a religious or other association? Or, thinking of the Minotaur, a more sinister origin? Carole
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    Consciousness Continuing After Beheading / Decapitation

    Someone told me that during the French Revolution the exectuioner would hold the severed head up so that the last thing the dying eyes could see was its own headless body . . . how long does a severed head still retain its sense for?? :confused: Carole
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    Magnus Pyke

    Can anyone remember Dr Magnus Pyke? I forget what TV program he was on, but he certainly cultivated the image of the mad scientist. Carole
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    Teleportation

    I've just been watching the first part of 'The Fly' which is on cable at the moment. I thought, 'No, I'll switch off before the bit where he's sick over the doughnut,' but of course I didn't :cross eye I stayed and watched the bit where his ear dropped off too, then decided I'd had enough...
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    Cryonics

    Supposing, when they defrost Walt Disney and his companions down at the Cryogenics Rest Home, they manage to bring them to life, what would be the result? Would we have the original deceased, miraculously brought back to life, or would it just be a zombie? I personally believe in a human...
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    White Rabbits

    This isn't really Forteana, more of a folklore thing, but does anyone know why or where saying "white rabbits" or "White Rabbit, White Rabbit bring me good luck" on the first day of the month (before you've said anything else that day) originated? I've looked it up in various folklore...
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    Childish Terrors

    Did anyone here when they were kids (or even as adults for that matter :)) have a ghost that lived in the toilet and if you didn't get downstairs before the toilet finished flushing, the ghost would get you and you'd DIE? Or any other childish fears - I know that the fears I had as a child...
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    Alien Photos?

    We've all seen/heard about 'genuine' ufo photos. Are there any supposedly genuine photos of aliens around? Carole
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    Body Modification (General; Miscellaneous)

    I read with fascination about that bloke reported in the News Archive (2 Aug) who wants to become a tiger. Filed teeth, tattoos, grafted-on whiskers, etc. Now he wants to have some old tiger skins grafted onto himself. What worries me about this is, if he does have this done, won't the hair...
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    Vintage Sci-Fi & Fantasy TV Series (Miscellaneous)

    Can you remember that DREADFUL series called MANIMAL (I think it was in the 80s and Simon McCorkindale was in it) about people who could turn into panthers, eagles, etc. I can't remember quite why they did it, presumably to keep makeup artists in work :) Carole
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