Dean's Blog

James Dean's car curse
In September 1955, James Dean was killed in a horrific car accident whilst he was driving his Porsche sports car. After the crash the car was seen as very unlucky.
a) When the car was towed away from accident scene and taken to a garage, the engine slipped out and fell onto a mechanic, shattering both of his legs.
b) Eventually the engine was bought by a doctor, who put it into his racing car and was killed shortly afterwards, during a race. Another racing driver, in the same race, was killed in his car, which had James Dean's driveshaft fitted to it.
c) When James Dean's Porsche was later repaired, the garage it was in was destroyed by fire.
d) Later the car was displayed in Sacramento, but it fell off it's mount and broke a teenager's hip.
e) In Oregon, the trailer that the car was mounted on slipped from it's towbar and smashed through the front of a shop.
f) Finally, in 1959, the car mysteriously broke into 11 pieces while it was sitting on steel supports.

A falling baby, saved twice by the same man
In Detroit sometime in the 1930s, a young (if incredibly careless) mother must have been eternally grateful to a man named Joseph Figlock. As Figlock was walking down the street, the mother's baby fell from a high window onto Figlock. The baby's fall was broken and both man and baby were unharmed. A stroke of luck on its own, but a year later, the very same baby fell from the very same window onto poor, unsuspecting Joseph Figlock as he was again passing beneath. And again, they both survived the event. (Source: Mysteries of the Unexplained)

A bullet that reached its destiny years later
Henry Ziegland thought he had dodged fate. In 1883, he broke off a relationship with his girlfriend who, out of distress, committed suicide. The girl's brother was so enraged that he hunted down Ziegland and shot him. The brother, believing he had killed Ziegland, then turned his gun on himself and took his own life. But Ziegland had not been killed. The bullet, in fact, had only grazed his face and then lodged in a tree. Ziegland surely thought himself a lucky man. Some years later, however, Ziegland decided to cut down the large tree, which still had the bullet in it. The task seemed so formidable that he decided to blow it up with a few sticks of dynamite. The explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland's head, killing him. (Source: Ripley's Believe It or Not!)

Twin Boys, twin lives
The stories of identical twins' nearly identical lives are often astonishing, but perhaps none more so than those of identical twins born in Ohio. The twin boys were separated at birth, being adopted by different families. Unknown to each other, both families named the boys James. And here the coincidences just begin. Both James grew up not even knowing of the other, yet both sought law-enforcement training, both had abilities in mechanical drawing and carpentry, and each had married women named Linda. They both had sons whom one named James Alan and the other named James Allan. The twin brothers also divorced their wives and married other women - both named Betty. And they both owned dogs which they named Toy. Forty years after their childhood separation, the two men were reunited to share their amazingly similar lives. (Source: Reader's Digest, January 1980)
NOTE: our reader Linus wrote us after reading local newspaper Helsingin Sanomat: "Your story about the Finnish twins is missing some details: The first brother was killed by a lorry while riding his bike and crossing highway 8. He apparently didn't notice the lorry in the snow blizzard. The second brother was killed by a lorry only two hours later while riding his bike and crossing highway 8. The second brother couldn't have been aware of the first brother's death, as the police was still trying to identify the victim."

Just like Edgar Allan Poe's book
In the 19th century, the famous horror writer, Egdar Allan Poe, wrote a book called 'The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym'. It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before they decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventully the three senior members of the crew, killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.

Twin brothers, killed on the same road, two hours apart
On 2002, Seventy-year-old twin brothers have died within hours of one another after separate accidents on the same road in northern Finland. The first of the twins died when he was hit by a lorry while riding his bike in Raahe, 600 kilometres north of the capital, Helsinki. He died just 1.5km from the spot where his brother was killed. "This is simply a historic coincidence. Although the road is a busy one, accidents don't occur every day," police officer Marja-Leena Huhtala told Reuters. "It made my hair stand on end when I heard the two were brothers, and identical twins at that. It came to mind that perhaps someone from upstairs had a say in this," she said. (Source: BBC News)

Three suicide attempts, all stopped by the same Monk
Joseph Aigner was a fairlly well-known portrait painter in 19th century Austria who, apparently, was quite an unhappy fellow: he several times attempted suicide. His first attempt was at the young age of 18 when he tried to hang himself, but was interrupted by the mysterious appearance of a Capuchin monk. At age 22 he again tried to hang himself, but was again saved from the act by the very same monk. Eight years later, his death was ordained by others who sentenced him to the gallows for his political activities. Once again, his life was saved by the intervention of the same monk. At age 68, Aiger finally succeeded in suicide, a pistol doing the trick. His funeral ceremony was conducted by the same Capuchin monk - a man whose name Aiger never even knew. (Source: Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!)

Poker winnings, to the unsuspected son
In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead, an act of vengeance by those with whom he was playing poker. Fallon, they claimed, had won the $600 pot through cheating. With Fallon's seat empty and none of the other players willing to take the now-unlucky $600, they found a new player to take Fallon's place and staked him with the dead man's $600. By the time the police had arrived to investigate the killing, the new player had turned the $600 into $2,200 in winnings. The police demanded the original $600 to pass on to Fallon's next of kin - only to discover that the new player turned out to be Fallon's son, who had not seen his father in seven years! (Source: Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!)

A novel that unsuspectedly described the spy next door
When Norman Mailer began his novel Barbary Shore, there was no plan to have a Russian spy as a character. As he worked on it, he introduced a Russian spy in the U.S. as a minor character. As the work progressed, the spy became the dominant character in the novel. After the novel was completed, the U.S. Immigration Service arrested a man who lived just one floor above Mailer in the same apartment building. He was Colonel Rudolf Abel, alleged to be the top Russian spy working in the U.S. at that time. (Source: Science Digest)

Mark Twain and Halley's Comet
Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."

Three strangers on a Train, with complementary last names
In the 1920s, three Englishman were traveling separately by train through Peru. At the time of their introduction, they were the only three men in the railroad car. Their introductions were more surprising than they could have imagined. One man's last name was Bingham, and the second man's last name was Powell. The third man announced that his last name was Bingham-Powell. None were related in any way. (Source: Mysteries of the Unexplained)

Two brothers killed by the same taxi driver, one year apart
In 1975, while riding a moped in Bermuda, a man was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, this man's bother was killed in the very same way. In fact, he was riding the very same moped. And to stretch the odds even further, he was struck by the very same taxi driven by the same driver - and even carrying the very same passenger! (Source: Phenomena: A Book of Wonders, John Michell and Robert J. M. Rickard)

Swapped Hotel Findings
In 1953, television reporter Irv Kupcinet was in London to cover the coronation of Ellizabeth II. In one of the drawers in his room at the Savoy he found found some items that, by their identification, belonged to a man named Harry Hannin. Coincidentally, Harry Hannin - a basketball star with the famed Harlem Globetrotters - was a good friend of Kupcinet's. But the story has yet another twist. Just two days later, and before he could tell Hannin of his lucky discovery, Kupcinet received a letter from Hannin. In the letter, Hannin told Kucinet that while staying at the Hotel Meurice in Paris, he found in a drawer a tie - with Kupcinet's name on it! (Source: Mysteries of the Unexplained)

Two Mr. Brysons, same hotel room
While on a business trip sometime in the late 1950s, Mr. George D. Bryson stopped and registered at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. After signing the register and being given his key to room 307, he stopped by the mail desk to see if any letters had arrived for him. Indeed there was a letter, the mail girl told him, and handed him an envelope addressed to Mr. George D. Bryson, room 307. This wouldn't be so odd, except the letter was not for him, but for room 307's just-previous occupant - another man named George D. Bryson. (Source: Incredible Coincidence, Alan Vaughan)

Twins brothers, same heart attack
John and Arthur Mowforth were twins who lived about 80 miles apart in Great Britain. On the evening of May 22, 1975, both fell severely ill from chest pains. The families of both men were completely unaware of the other's illness. Both men were rushed to separate hospitals at approximately the same time. And both died of heart attacks shortly after arrival. (Source: Chronogenetics: The Inheretance of Biological Time, Luigi Gedda and Gianni Brenci)

A novel that predicted the Titanic's destiny, and another ship that almost followed
Morgan Robertson, in 1898, wrote "Futility". It described the maiden voyage of a transatlantic luxury liner named the Titan. Although it was touted as being unsinkable, it strikes an iceberg and sinks with much loss of life. In 1912 the Titanic, a transatlantic luxury liner widely touted as unsinkable strikes an iceberg and sinks with great loss of life on her maiden voyage. In the Book, the Month of the Wreck was April, same as in the real event. There were 3,000 passengers on the book; in reality, 2,207. In the Book, there were 24 Lifeboats; in reality, 20.
Months after the Titanic sank, a tramp steamer was traveling through the foggy Atlantic with only a young boy on watch. It came into his head that it had been thereabouts that the Titanic had sunk, and he was suddenly terrified by the thought of the name of his ship - the Titanian. Panic-stricken, he sounded the warning. The ship stopped, just in time: a huge iceberg loomed out of the fog directly in their path. The Titanian was saved.

A writer, found the book of her childhood
While American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores in Paris in the 1920s, she came upon a book that was one of her childhood favorites - Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him of the book she fondly remembered as a child. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs." It was Anne's very own book. (Source: While Rome Burns, Alexander Wollcott)

A writer's plum pudding
In 1805, French writer Émile Deschamps was treated to some plum pudding by the stranger Monsieur de Fortgibu. Ten years later, he encountered plum pudding on the menu of a Paris restaurant, and wanted to order some, but the waiter told him the last dish had already been served to another customer, who turned out to be de Fortgibu. Many years later in 1832 Émile Deschamps was at a diner, and was once again offered plum pudding. He recalled the earlier incident and told his friends that only de Fortgibu was missing to make the setting complete — and in the same instant the now senile de Fortgibu entered the room.

King Umberto I' double
In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I, went to a small restaurant for dinner, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, General Emilio Ponzia- Vaglia. When the owner took King Umberto's order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were virtual doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the striking resemblances between each other and found many more similarities.
a) Both men were born on the same day, of the same year, (March 14th, 1844).
b) Both men had been born in the same town.
c) Both men married a woman with same name, Margherita.
d) The restauranteur opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto was crowned King of Italy.
e) On the 29th July 1900, King Umberto was informed that the restauranteur had died that day in a mysterious shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, he was then assassinated by an anarchist in the crowd.

The 21st, a bad day for King Louis XVI
When King Louis XVI of France was a child, he was warned by an astrologer to always be on his guard on the 21st day of each month. Louis ws so terrified by this that he never did business on this day. Unfortunately Louis was not always on his guard. On June 21st 1791, following the French revolution, Louis and his queen were arrested in Varennes, whist trying to escape France. On September 21st 1791, France abolished the institution of Royalty and proclaimed itself a republic. Finally on January 21st 1793, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine.

Yesterday a friend of mine called me "The busiest man he knew". I thought he was referring to the 60 hours I work a week or that I am often writing seven days a week without a break. But after a while he basically told me that I just don't have time to socialise anymore. This is a true statement.

I often am jealous of those people who say "I am bored". Sometimes I wish I was. It's a sad indication that I have a time management application on my Iphone, it actually acts in the same way as a personal assistant, telling me what and where I have to be. Thank god technology has moved on since the 80's, I think I would have looked like a right prick carrying a Filo-Fax around.

It's hard when you have 60 or so unanswered emails or 20 texts on your phone you have not had the chance to reply to, some of my family may think I am ignorant but it's just that I am a seriously busy man. I'm not busy trying to save the world, nor am I busy trying to create an industrial empire, I'm simply just living my life.

The small comforts in life like typing this as I sit outside in the sunshine are the little gifts that I enjoy. One day all of this hard work may turn into some long term reward yet at the end of it all, I would rather be busy than bored.

This is Alina Percea an eighteen year old girl from Romania.

Last week she auctioned her virginity on a German dating website for £50,000. The "Lucky" winner would be able to sleep with her, unprotected, and take the girls virginity providing her can provide a medical certificate claiming that he was free from any sexual disease.

Alina — who said she needed the cash to study computing at university — revealed: “He seemed much younger. He was very funny and charming. He didn’t have a beer belly.

“We got on very well. He didn’t say if he was married or had a family, and I didn’t ask him.”

Alina, who underwent two medical examinations to prove she was a virgin, admitted: “I felt a bit nervous.” But she said of her first sexual experience: “I liked it.”

The petite Romanian added: "I hoped I'd meet a nice man, like in the film Pretty Woman."

"At the arrivals lounge, a man came over, smiled, handed me a box of chocolates and said: ‘Welcome to Venice’.

He looked much younger than 45, short, but nicely dressed, with dark hair, green eyes and a kind smile."

The two went sightseeing then to a plush five-star hotel where they had unprotected sex, Alina told Closer magazine.

She said: "We kissed, then undressed each other. I'd never done that before, so I was nervous."

"He laid me on the bed and started kissing my body, then we had sex.

I was attracted to him, so I enjoyed it."

The teenager from Caracal insisted: “It’s not like prostitution because it was a one-off — and I did this for good reasons.”Alina said she may even marry her first lover if they fall for each other.

Is it just me or is the world going fucking insane?

Nesting Swans have had their eggs smashed in a brutal act of vadalism.

Andrew Stevens, who lives nearby, said he noticed on Tuesday that the nest and all six eggs had been smashed.

He told the BBC: "It's heartbreaking what's happened to them. She was clearly in distress and trying to incubate the bricks."

But swan rescue expert Ken Merriman said the birds were not injured and appeared healthy.

Mr Stevens said he cycles past the nest to and from work every day and the nest was targeted sometime during the day on Tuesday.

He said: "As I cycled away it brought tears when I noticed what had happened. It's awful, absolutely awful."

Richard Pogson, another local resident, said he had been following the pair building the nest over the past couple of months and last week noticed they had laid six eggs.

Whoever is responsible should be handed the heftiest fine ever. When I was a kid I did some pretty stupid things thinking they were "Cool", but never did anything on the lines of this stupidity.

In the UK cruelty to animals does not receive the appropriate punishment that it should. When I watch shows in the USA where offenders like this are put in prison it makes me wonder why we do not have the same here.

I just came back from quite a rather eventful time in my local supermarket. Following today’s martial arts tournament I came to the swift realisation that my fridge was as bare and empty as can be. So braving the rain I ran into the store shortly before it closed. I began by wandering down the magazine isle, I don't know about you but it just seems that magazines these days are adopting a Nostradamus routine of not only telling us what is happening in the soap operas this week but also the "Latest drama about (Enter Z-List celebrity". My eyes were eventually brought back to reality by the sound of the alarm informing me that I had ten minutes left.

Rushing around in a state of panic I realised that I was low on toiletries so I decided to run around like a mad shopper stocking up. As I ran into isle I was hit by a plethora of razor blades. So many choices, three blades, razors with Aloe Vera, blades that can simply rip your face to shreds, oh the decisions.

My mind was then invaded by the smell of very strong perfume. Imagining me to see some octogenarian splashing on perfume I turned around to see two small Asian children spraying on some cheap body spray, a girl of early teenage years and a young child of ten or so were spraying on deodorants and then putting them back. I looked at them as if to say "What are you doing?!" but then just looked away, it's not my job to get involved, where were security when you needed them? But then again it's hardly anything compared to what I did as a child in supermarkets with my sister.

There was a large man of African origin in the isle who shouted at the children to "Stop what the fuck they were doing", immediately stopping the children in their tracks.

"There are two adults here, where the fuck are your parents you Paki's", he bellowed which instantly got the little boy shaking in his boots.

"Hang on mate", I replied, "Just calm down a minute, yeah they are kids but don't raise your voice that loud", I continued

"These are Pakis, smelly pakis" came his reply

My reply I would not rather put here but let's just say that it was a rather heated debate arguing about him being to racist and picking on children. We were soon both escorted to the isles where I decided to pay and just leave.

As I left I looked over to the car park to see the two children in the back of a car and then smiling at me, which made me wave politely back, knowing that the euphoria of their ride home would soon be shattered by the fathers realisation of what his children have done and the forthcoming anger would soon bring a wrath of anger on them, or maybe not.

As I was heading back home I was stopped by a rather attractive Polish girl who mentioned that she had witnessed the whole scenario and complemented me on defending the children. She asked me out on a date tomorrow, not sure if I will go as I have a prior arrangement at the Swedish pub for the Eurovision Song Contest.

The irony is I only popped in for some bread.

I read with horror today of yet another innocent person who has been murdered by violent drunken teenagers. Craig Wass, aged just 39,

was attacked with a BRICK, GOLF CLUBS and pieces of WOOD in the frenzied beating on a quiet cul-de-sac.

The youths launched their attack just yards from Mr Wass’s home in Loxley, Sheffield, after he left his house at 11.30pm on Saturday night and asked the gang to be quiet.

The dad-of-four was planning to marry his fiance Andrea Grundy later this month.

Mr Wass’s niece Katie Wass, 16, who lives nearby, watched as her uncle went to speak to the five-strong group of teenagers.

She said: “He just came out of the house to tell them to be quiet and they started beating him up. One had a golf club and another had ripped a plank from the fence.

This is now becoming a typical scenario in todays society. I'm not one of those people who says "Oh times have changed, the streets are more violent than they used to be", that is just plain bullshit. I would say that the "Streets" were more violent when I was growing up but what has changed is the tolerance that police and politicians seem to give these gangs that wander the streets.

When I was a teenager we would always hang around the streets as there was nothing else to do, no nightclubs, no youth centres and certainly no internets or mobile phones. We had to entertain ourselves but the biggest vice that kids of today have that we never had was access to alcahol. Sure we would sometimes swipe a crafty can of beer from our parents supplies but when I look around at the kids today these kids have bottles of Vodka, Whiskey or Cider and it's full bottles that they have probably been sold through greedy shopkeepers just truing to make a profit.

Gangs of teenagers today are just roaming the streets knowing that they can literally go unchalenged, if someone dares challenge them then the above is just a small example of how these rabid thugs retaliate, even in cases where people have resroterd to violence to defend themselves against these holligans they have been charged with using violence on a minor.

This government has lost the plot totally with what real life is all about. It is time to bring in a political party in touch with reality. Then maybe once and for all mindless murders like this man will be consigned to the past.

As with each day I began by logging onto the Internet and viewing the BBC website. For me it is easily the best source of news available. As I glanced through the headlines I had a quick browse on the 'Entertainment' section. The main headline was not one I would have usually have clicked on but interested me nonetheless.

It read "Naked Rihanna pictures leaked on web".

Now it interested me for two reasons, one I remember this woman for her rather catchy but at the same time annoying 2007 hit 'Umbrella' and also because she has recently been the victim of a rather public domestic violence case. After clicking on the link I saw several rather revealing photos. Now I don't think that these are hardly going to damage her career, they are hardly that risque but the question that I have on my mind is "Why do celebrities do this?"

Everybody has the right to do what they want in their own privacy no matter who they are but knowing that if it is leaked on the internet is surely celebrity suicide? I was rather intregued by some blogger, Perez Hilton, who seems to make a living of gossip like this who said it was "A good career move".

I disagree.

The world it seems is becoming something of addicted to celebrities being built up and then shot down by the press. So why load the gun themselves?

She keeps her beauty locked inside

In a dark cold place where my hopes reside

A whirlpool of emotions in an ocean of hidden dreams

The destination is her heart, regardless of how impossible it seems

My tired eyes are closing, I don't want to be here

Take me to the soul I love in our world devoid of fear

She held me as we flew above the broken Earth below

Time stood still, only love will tell us where to go

I held her to protect you from all of those fears

Cried with her a pure waterfall of our tears

Our shadows silhouetted against the sun

Don't wake me, in this world we are one

I looked deep inside her mind

A perfect angel personified

A heart of purest passion, a soul free from pain

Yet here I am the broken man in the rain

She held me as we flew above the broken Earth below

Time stood still, only love will tell us where to go

I held her to protect you from all of those fears

Cried with her a pure waterfall of our tears

Our shadows silhouetted against the sun

Don't wake me, in this world we are one

Yesterday was without a doubt the most nervous and tense 97 minutes of my life. Was it a job interview? No it was the 2009 Champions League semi final between Chelsea and Barcelona. Following the 1-1 draw that saw Barcelona go through on away goals I slumped to my chair with my head in my hands. The eerie silence was broken by a woman who said "Cheer up mate it's just a game". Oh how wrong she is.

To those who have no interest in football indeed it is just a game, twenty-two men running around a pitch trying to kick a ball in  net. But to some, to those like me and the thousands of other devastated Chelsea supporters it is a way of life. Were not the violent type who look to hit someone if our team loses. We are the passionate followers, the people who will sit through sunshine, snow, rain and howling winds cheering our team on, we are the ones who remember the bad times as well as the good. We are the blue blood that flows through the veins of this very club.

If we loose, we loose and we supporters take it on the chin and brave a smile. Yet the injustice in which we lost the game yesterday was a travesty. Now I have seen a fair share of luck go our way in the past, I've also seen bad luck hit us. Only in the final last year when John Terry slipped in the cold Moscow rain making us inches away from winning our first ever European Champions League, that night as like yesterday I was devastated but I knew that last year it was meant to be. But yesterday was a different story.

Now I am not defending the actions of our players at the end of the game, adrenalin runs rife through the veins of any competitive player and after last years final some of the behaviour was over the top. But the blame MUST lie with the performance of the referee, FOUR clear penalties and each one dismissed. It was quite simply the most unprofessional referee peformance I have ever witnessed in twenty five years of football. The man must be struck off immediately from refereeing another game, yet this is not "sour grapes" from a Chelsea fan, no this is the opinion of someone who loves watching a good game. Even the other semi final saw Darren Fletcher dismissed for a perfectly timed tackle meaning he will miss the final for Manchester United.

Now it maybe "Just a game" to the woman who tried to lift my spirits yesterday, it maybe just men playing football. But to me it's life, it's an escape, it's a feeling of belonging with friends to a cause far higher than we can explain. Without Chelsea football club my life simply would not be the same and to have it ruined by an incompetent official just makes the hangover I feel this morning all the worse.

In times of trouble there is not a better feeling than being surrounded by friends. Regardless of how we meet people if they stay in our life's and drag us through the worst of times then it's purely the best feeling in the world.

For someone who knows us in a different way to our family then they are simply priceless. There are many dark days that can surround us but the bright light that they shine on our lives can make even the worst of days look happier.

I am lucky to have such good friends. Without them the last two weeks would have been hell.