I first learned about the Tamám Shud Case, aka The Mystery of the Somerton Man, years ago. I researched it and found it to be a confusing mess. There has been so much that's happened, and there are so many theories on it. Occasionally, I revisit it and discover new developments. The following is my own high-level case briefing.

Naturally, 'octopus' is always the first thing everyone thinks of when the state of Oklahoma comes up. The two are inseparable, like a sucker on a fish tank. But, of all the octopuses* in Oklahoma that we could focus on, which one should we pick? The Oklahoma Octopus™ I'm talking THE Oklahoma Octopus. Not all those other lesser-known ones that cover the state. I'm sure you know to which one I'm referring. The one that's the size of a horse, reddish-brown leathery skin. The one that walks between lakes, stalking teenagers and pulling them down to watery deaths where they become a crunchy, juicy in the middle, cephalopod snack.

Nearly every building in Skagway, Alaska has a story to tell and clear links to the Klondike Gold Rush past. One building, in particular, the Red Onion Saloon, has an odd history, and visitors claim a resident ghost. It opened for business in 1898 as a dance hall, saloon, and bordello at the height of the gold rush.

Benjamin Franklin—scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, publisher, and philosopher. You may know him as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States or as a drafter/signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, or perhaps the first United States postmaster general. Or maybe his experiments with electricity, inventing bifocals, becoming an early abolitionist and the first president of the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage. You may know his face from the $100 bill or have heard his name on warships, towns, counties, corporations, or colleges. If you grew up in the US, you probably heard stories of him flying a kite in a storm to invent electricity. Yes, he was known for a lot of things. But, did you know about the bones in his basement?

Gilles de Rais was a lord in 1400s France and best known for the horrific torture and murder of more than 600 young boys and girls (mostly boys.) Or maybe 200. No? 100? Oh, the number of victims is unknown. Okay, let's start again, then...

Did you know that there are at least 21 ways to tie shoelaces? For neckties, there are anywhere between 85 and 177,147 methods. The oldest knot on record dates to about 13,000 BC. Of all the knots you've ever tied in your life—have you ever tied one that won't tighten? I have. It's kind of a pain, too, when it happens. You think you've got it right, go to draw it tight, and are met with a mess that takes a while to untangle so you can try again. In 1542, one of those stuck knots resulted in 17 executions by slow slicing, 10 beheadings, and 20 enslavements. There's a lot to unravel here, so let's jump right into it.

You know, the problem with having niche interests is that most people excuse themselves out of a conversation with me as soon I start rambling about things like prototypical lesbian¹ vampires as literary devices in Victorian-era fiction. It's not that uncommon of a conversation topic, right? I suppose you just have to be around the right people, though. Good thing I've got you. For many people, vampires only sprung into existence in fiction when Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in 1897. They know about, but have never seen, the 1922 film Nosferatu and look confused when I mention Carmilla.

The 1950s sure did see all kinds of craziness. The Cold War raged, fear of nuclear weapons invaded every home and school, constant UFO sightings put people on edge, and World War II still weighed heavily on humanity. The '50s brought fresh ideas into comics, movies, and magazines—mostly touching on the cultural fears without calling them out directly. Elvis packed venues, Hitchcock films hit theaters at least once a year, and what would later become classic literature flew off the shelves—an exciting time for everyone. With all that going on in the world, what was happening down around Florida?

I don't do movie reviews, but I will be writing about horror movies. The film industry is a massive part of horror, and they've pushed the genre forward in many respects. It's so hard to say anything about this film without spoiling it. Here's my own spoiler-free description: Two daughters and their mother inherit an old, dusty, secluded home. Then, they meet a witch and an ogre. What follows is a journey deep into the psyche of one of the daughters as she struggles for her own life and sanity.

There are many intriguing stories from history, especially the farther back you go. In fact, my own family's Native American Tribe, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and the larger Muscogee Nation they split off from long ago have all sorts of terrifying legends. The Inuit people are no exception to this type of thing, and they have their own stories of grotesque creatures to tell their children about. Fun!

Back when I was in 5th grade, I found a book in my house, and to this day, I'm still not sure where it came from. Up to that point, it was the single fattest book my 10-year-old self had ever seen. I thought some of Tolkien's books were long, but I never could have imagined that so many pages would fit inside anything other than a dictionary.

How often do you pay attention to the screenwriters behind your favorite films? For most, the answer would be, "never." It's normal, though, to focus on the end product, an audiovisual work of art. Often, creators disappear into the shadow of their work. In a way, it's a good thing because their work takes on a life of its own. In another way, though, it's terrible for creators because people end up not knowing who was responsible and never encounter other works they may love.