M.J. Rose

A series of unfortunate events, plus a wizard.

From The Vintage News,

The cursed Island of Gaiola: those who have lived there have met with a terrible fate

“Gaiola Island (Isola della Gaiola in Italian) is a small Italian island located just off the coast of Naples in the heart of Gaiola Underwater Park, a protected region of about 42 hectares. The island takes its name from the cavities that dot the coast of Posillipo.

The location was held in high regard by the ancient Romans, who built a temple to Venus on the island, which was then known as “Euplea.”

It is said that the legendary Roman poet Virgil favored the island and taught his students there. In the 19th century, it played host to a coastal battery for the defense of the Bay of Naples.

There are many legends about the place being cursed. In the early 1800s, the island was inhabited by a hermit nicknamed “The Wizard”, who lived thanks to the charity of fishermen.

Soon after, the island saw the construction of the villa that occupies it today and which was, at one time, owned by Norman Douglas, author of Land of the Siren. Without warning, “The Wizard“ mysteriously disappeared…”

For the rest, click here.

A photographer’s eye on the ruins of North Carolina’s Wizard of Oz theme park…

From The Creator’s Project,

North Carolina’s Abandoned ‘Wizard of Oz’ Theme Park Will Haunt You
by Luis Carreño

“Written as a novel by L. Frank Baum in 1900, the Wizard of Oz became an acclaimed Technicolor film in 1939. The success of that film led to the exploration of prequels and sequels desperately seeking the fame and recognition that the original musical film garnered. Perhaps the boldest iteration was the recreation of the Land of Oz as a theme park in North Carolina’s Beech Mountains.

The park was a tremendous attraction for Wizard of Oz lovers, but it closed just ten years after it opened, after project developers fell into bankruptcy. It has since become a grim artifact where nature is aggressively reclaiming Oz. Photographer Johnny Joo visited the site and photographed the ruins, full of wild roots and thick fog…”

To see all the photos, click here.

You’ve probably heard of streetlamp interference (if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, that is) — but have you heard of watch interference?

From Princetonwatches.com,

The Mystery of the Stopping Watch… Why do Watches Stop When Some People Wear Them?

“A mysterious and yet common occurrence; why do some watches stop working when people wear them? Why do some people seem to stop every watch they put on their wrist?

It seems there has not been a serious study regarding this phenomenon and much like something you may see on a popular television series, or read in an internet chat room, appears to be widely debated and has a cloud of skepticism around it.

Although it is true that some watches will not function properly when around some electronic or highly magnetic equipment, there doesn’t seem to be a clear answer on why, when some people put a watch on their wrist, it will inexplicably stop working immediately or within a few minutes…”

For the rest, click here.