Religion makes people do some weird things...

... such as squeezing the demons out of toddlers.

Seriously, who thinks that strangling a kid is going to make them more sane? And what is with the mom being covered in blood? These are some messed up folks.

For more exorcism goodness (this time in Romania), check out this movie, The Untyings.  It's a documentary made by a Romanian man who came to America and is returning to his home country to find out more about the surprisingly common practice of exorcism, and to learn why he himself was subjected to one as a young man.  There are mass exorcisms (including babies being exorcised!), travelers coming from incredible distances to be exorcised by the best, and bizarre reasons for exorcising your kid.

Overall it was a bit slow, and I wish it would have delved more into the bizarre.  But it was very interesting and worth the time to find and watch.

Rating: 3/5 skulls

Spiders found in boy's ear!

And, after a semester-long hiatus, we're back with the charming story of two spiders, Floaty and Drowny, found in a little boy's ear. He thinks they fell in while he slept. (Bet you're going to feel great going to bed tonight!) However, the Straight Dope takes a look at the video that accompanies the news story (see below), in which they claim that there were two spiders, and they must have been surviving on the kid's earwax. The Straight Dope tells us that not only is the concept of spiders eating earwax total bullshit (my words, not theirs), but that it's clear in the video that it is not two spiders, but one spider along with his molted exoskeleton.

Also, apparently a spider walking around in your ear canal sounds like Rice Krispies. Hungry, anyone?

Article at CNN
Video at Youtube
Re-examination of video from the Straight Dope

A triumphant return!!

And do we have some weird stuff for you folks! An unnamed man from an unnamed Eastern European country (I'm going to guess Romania, just because stuff like this always ends up being from Romania) has an unnamed horrible skin disease. (The doctors there think it may be Lewandowsky-Lutz disease, but really, what do Romanian doctors know anyway?*) This stuff is really freaky-- makes you wish you were a dermatologist, doesn't it? I know I wish I could get in there with my pliers and cauterizing equipment and fix it all.

Anyway, here's the story: Bizarre skin condition in Eastern Europe Check out those pics!

*Note: I'm just kidding. I love Romanians, really I do.

EDIT: Apparently those crazy Eastern Europeans were on to something! The disease in question is, indeed, Lewandowsky-Lutz.