Friday, January 28, 2011

Favourite Things Friday



Welcome to this little linky party we like to call Favourite Things Friday. It's simple to join in. Write a post about one of your favourite things and link up at the bottom of this post. Then people will troop around and look at your favourite thing. I never cease to be amazed by some of the favourites that pop up each week. FTF is all about writing about something you love. 

So this week  I was surfing the Internet for lack of anything better to do. (I really need to go back to work - I can just see that if I didn't work I'd turn into a complete Internet /couch potato ) when I stumbled across a  reference to a conspiracy theory and before I knew it - I was googling like a mad woman to see what other conspiracy theories were out there. There are heaps. I'd never really thought about them in depth before.

The definition of conspiracy is a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act /a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purpose.

There's the kind of "out there " conspiracies. There are utterly ridiculous conspiracy theories. And there are some "there -could-be-a-grain-of truth-in that " theories too.

Did you know that Elvis didn't really die in '77? He's in witness protection because he got fed up with being famous.  Paul McCartney was replaced by a look a like in '66 when he died in a car accident, there  are photo's on the Internet that allegedly prove it, and apparently 20% of Americans believe the moon landings were fake.

The biggest conspiracy theory in Australia's history is that Harold Holt (Australian Prime Minister 1966-67) was murdered or became a communist spy for the Chinese when he allegedly disappeared off Cheviot beach in 1967, while in office. The likely outcome , that he drowned and was eaten by sea creatures, is too simple to be true apparently.

In Australia we have our own Area 51 and it's called Pine Gap. If you believe the conspiracy theorists we're doing all sorts of secret experiments /living with the aliens there.  Ditto Area 51 in Nevada US. That's where the Roswell UFO wreckage /weather balloon (take your pick ) ended up. The governments involved are keeping it from us because they don't want a mass panic or to share the alien knowledge with us just yet.

Two of the most well known conspiracy theories arose after the assassination of JFK and the 9/11 attacks.  If you google any either of those subjects it brings up a ton of references. One reference on the Internet states that over 50% of people feel Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. The 9/11 attacks have conspiracy theorists all in a lather for two possible reasons, did the government have advance warning and do nothing to stop it or were they involved?

Princess Diana's death was not an accident if you believe in conspiracy theory. Nup - she was done in by members of MI5 because she was too popular and might have married someone the Queen didn't like.

Some supposition is just downright wacky- like the people in power such as world political leaders and royalty are in fact lizards in human disguise, and bar codes are intended to control people.

So my favourite thing this week is conspiracy theories. Some of them may well have some merit- some are just downright ridiculous but whatever the case is they provided me with hours of amusement and entertainment this week. Some also stimulated a lot of thought.  

The truth is out there. What do you think?


22 comments:

seabreezequilts said...

I like the ridiculousness of conspiracy theories too, like you I think some have merit but then others are pure WHAT THE

Unknown said...

I love to hear about these theories and think it would be really fun to start one. I am just not sure what it would be about. Lets put our brains together and see what we can come up with.

I am impressed by the amount of vacation you get. I watched Oprah while she was in Australia and some folks were saying you start out with 2 weeks vacation. It takes a few years to get to that here! Big has 6 weeks, but it took almost 20 years to get there.

Sarcastic Quilter said...

Ha! Now I know what you've really been up to this last week! I can laugh at these but I have a real impatience for those who might truly believe some of them and yet somehow, I'm also fully impatient and completely intriguing of everything m government says.

Mistea said...

Conspiracy theories sure make interesting reading, and can be quite entertaining.

Who thinks Up this stuff??

Baa-Me Kniits said...

Thats what I was thinking...Who thinks this stuff up?? Do you go back to work next week?? :-)

Paulette said...

People have too much time on their hands, making this stuff up, is what I think. But they do provide entertainment value. Last night I saw part of a program that said Queen Elizabeth ("the Virgin Queen") died as a child and was replaced with a male dressed as a woman...either that or she/he was born with both parts, if you know what I'm sayin'. Interesting, yes. True? Probably not.

Vesuviusmama said...

Um, methinks you have too much time on your hands!

Alisa said...

I like crazy people who think up crazy stuff. It makes life more fun.

Sara said...

Oh My God, I totally saw an alien spaceship as I was driving home at about 8.45 last night.

Then I drove past the sports park and there was some boys there with their little remote controls bringing their very well lit plane into land.

I must admit, I was a bit bummed, because even though I don't actually believe in aliens, it might be nice to meet them.

Actually, I do believe that there's a black panther(s?) in the South East forests. Apparently during the war there were some American troops based around here and they had a couple as mascots, but they never got taken home and roam free in the wilderness, eating kangaroos. My Nanna swears she's seen them, and she doesn't usually lie.

Shay said...

Sounds like a Tantanoola Tiger tale to me Sara...

Elizabeth said...

When Princess Di died, I really couldn't believe it was true. I thought it was staged so that she could disappear and live a 'normal' life. But what do I know? MI5 may just have been in charge of that.

What a fun post. You never know what to believe.

xo -El

Kirsten said...

Ha..so that´s the true reason you aren´t getting anything done...or is there another truth behind it? Don´t you just love the internet and all the strange and not so strange stories behind it?

Helsie said...

Oooh I can hear the music from the X Files playing in the background!!
Cheers
Helen

KimT said...

I love this idea!

thea said...

The truth is out there .. maybe we should check wikipedia and see what they say .. or maybe wikileaks. I was stunned the first time I heard the thing about the astronauts not landing on the moon. I couldn't believe that anyone could think that. It's amazing what people come up with.

Shevvy said...

The X Files! Loved that. Mixed my sc-fi nerdiness with conspiracys. I love them. I have a brilliant books somewhere that has a lot about Aliens starting human civilisations. The pyramids were landing lights for the spaceships! Funniest thing ever.

Larri said...

Late at night when I can't sleep, I flip through the obscure satellite channels. Conspiracy Theories abound there! It also reminds me of that scene from Men In Black...they check the "Hot Sheets" for Aliens...the National Enquirer and all the other gossip magazines. *smirk* Love this favourite. I'm off to 'google' for myself. ;o) Happy FTF!

Marg said...

I know someone who believes in just about every conspiracy theory you have mentioned and a whole lot of others too. It leads to very "interesting" conversations, or should I say lectures.
I like the one P brought up, never heard that one before, what the, how do people come up with theories like that?
I'm off to google pyjamas to see if there is anything suspicious about them.

Kate said...

Sorry, I'm really late joining the party this week. Love the post and all the comments!

AMW said...

Great post. Seems there are conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories as well...

Glad to be a part of FTF again!

Unknown said...

The Americans are really into this stuff...look at how they think aussies are sending bombs in the mail. the added charges to your mail into the states...yuck! It's men that think of this stuff!
I'd suggest that you go over to Pinterst and waste your time.
Go!

Anonymous said...

A member of my family is big into conspiracy theories, including some of the ones you mentioned, and would forward to me email after email after email about these things. I'm such a skeptic that I look up everything anyone sends to me...or I just delete the emails. Depends on my mood.

Have you ever seen the movie, Conspiracy Theory, with Mel Gibson and Patrick Stewart (and Julia Roberts)? It's a great movie.