Thursday Thirteen

This morning first thing, I saw a Facebook post where someone was talking about stuff being broken in restaurants and such, and someone blamed the Illuminati. That got me thinking about conspiracy theories, myths, and legends. So, here's a list of a few that never seem to go away.

1. Princess Diana was murdered. Some people believe that Princess Diana’s death on August 31, 1997, in a car crash in Paris, was not an accident, but a deliberate assassination orchestrated by the British royal family or other powerful groups. They claim that Diana was killed because she was pregnant with Dodi Fayed’s child, because she was planning to expose secrets of the monarchy, or because she was a threat to the establishment. Some of the evidence for this alleged conspiracy include suspicious actions of the paparazzi, the driver, and the medical staff, as well as inconsistencies and cover-ups in the official investigation.

2. Aliens are being studied at Area 51. Some people believe that Area 51, a secretive military base in Nevada, is where the US government is hiding and experimenting on extraterrestrial beings and their spacecraft. They claim that Area 51 is connected to the Roswell incident of 1947, where a UFO allegedly crashed and was recovered by the military. They also claim that Area 51 is involved in reverse engineering alien technology, developing advanced weapons and aircraft, and collaborating with aliens on secret projects.

3. The Illuminati and the New World Order. Some people believe that there is a secret society called the Illuminati, which consists of powerful and influential people who are working to establish a global totalitarian regime known as the New World Order. They claim that the Illuminati controls various aspects of society, such as politics, media, religion, education, and finance, and uses symbols, rituals, and events to manipulate and brainwash the masses. Some of the goals of this alleged conspiracy include creating a one-world government, a one-world currency, a one-world religion, and reducing the world population.

4. Elvis Presley is still alive. Some people believe that Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, who died on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42, did not actually die, but faked his death and went into hiding. They claim that Elvis was unhappy with his fame and wanted to escape from his fans, his debts, or his enemies. They also claim that Elvis has been spotted in various places over the years, such as Graceland, Las Vegas, or Argentina. If he is still alive, he'd be 88 years old, unless of course he also has some anti-aging cocktail so that he looks like he did when he was 30.

5. Chemtrails are spraying chemicals into the atmosphere. Some people believe that the white trails left by airplanes in the sky are not harmless condensation trails, but chemical or biological agents that are deliberately sprayed into the atmosphere for nefarious purposes. They claim that these chemtrails are part of a secret program that aims to manipulate the weather, control the population, spread diseases, or alter the environment.

6. The JFK assassination was a conspiracy. Some people believe that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, was not the work of a lone gunman, but a complex plot involving multiple shooters and powerful groups. They claim that the official investigation, known as the Warren Commission, was a cover-up that ignored or fabricated evidence. Some of the suspects for this alleged conspiracy include the CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, the Soviet Union, Cuba, or even Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

7. Keith Richards is John F. Kennedy. According to this theory, the Rolling Stones guitarist is actually the former president, who faked his death in 1963 and assumed a new identity as a rock star. Some QAnon followers in Dallas believed this theory and expected JFK Jr., who also supposedly faked his death in 1999, to reveal himself at Dealey Plaza in November 2021. Needless to say, this did not happen, and the theory has no basis in reality.

8. The Loch Ness Monster. This creature is said to inhabit the Loch Ness, a large lake in Scotland. There is no evidence that the Loch Ness Monster exists, but there have been many sightings and claims over the years by people who believe they have seen it or have proof of its existence. Some of the possible explanations for the Loch Ness Monster sightings include optical illusions, misidentifications of known animals, hoaxes, or wishful thinking. Some of the proposed candidates for the Loch Ness Monster include an overgrown eel, a giant sturgeon, a plesiosaur, or even an elephant. However, none of these theories have been conclusively proven or disproven.

9. The reptilian elite. Some people believe that the world is secretly ruled by a race of shape-shifting reptilian aliens who can take human form and infiltrate the highest levels of government, business, and entertainment. They claim that these reptilians are behind many historical events and conspiracies, such as the assassination of JFK, 9/11, and the COVID-19 pandemic. They also claim that many prominent figures, such as Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, and Oprah Winfrey, are reptilians or their hybrids.

10. The Mandela Effect. Some people believe that they have experienced events or facts that differ from the official or widely accepted version of reality. They claim that these discrepancies are not due to faulty memory or misinformation, but to parallel universes or alternate timelines that have somehow merged or changed. They also claim that these changes are orchestrated by a mysterious force or entity, such as CERN (an intergovernmental organization) or Satan. Some examples of the Mandela Effect include remembering that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s, that the Berenstain Bears were spelled as Berenstein Bears, or that Darth Vader said "Luke, I am your father" instead of "No, I am your father."

11. The Mothman. Some people believe that there is a winged humanoid creature that haunts the area around Point Pleasant, West Virginia. They claim that the Mothman has glowing red eyes, a screeching voice, and can fly at high speeds. They also claim that the Mothman is a harbinger of doom, as it was seen before the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967, which killed 46 people.

12. The Jersey Devil. Some people believe that there is a winged beast that inhabits the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. They claim that the Jersey Devil is the offspring of a woman named Mother Leeds, who cursed her 13th child in 1735 and gave birth to a creature with a horse’s head, a goat’s body, bat’s wings, and a forked tail. They also claim that the Jersey Devil has terrorized the locals for centuries, killing livestock, attacking people, and emitting a blood-curdling scream.

13. The Kraken. Some people believe that there is a gigantic sea monster that lurks in the depths of the ocean. They claim that the Kraken is a huge squid or octopus that can attack and sink ships, drag sailors into the water, or create whirlpools. They also claim that the Kraken has been sighted by various explorers and sailors throughout history, such as Christopher Columbus, Olaus Magnus, and Alfred Tennyson.

Bing AI helped compile this list and created the image.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 824th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.