John's Blog

I amaze myself at how inconsistent I can be on some subjects. Usually, I get upset with our cultures' fascination with sensational news stories focused on drugs, sex, or crime, particularly since the same people who can quote you the latest info on the "story du jour" can't give you a valid observation or insight on political events that's worth a rats' ass. So my "gee, I'd like to see that" reaction to the news that the site of an infamous 1928 murder was going to be open for public tours caught me off guard.

Having read the book Hex as a child, I became familiar with the crime, which was as sensational then, as O.J. was in our time. Three young men were convinced that "pow wow" practitioner Nelson Rehmeyer had cast a spell on them, and murdered him for a lock of his hair, in an attempt to break the spell.

Although they made a movie out of the story that I've never seen, for some reason I find myself wanting to sign up for the tours that have been announced for the summer. Can I rationalize it by telling myself that interest in Anna Nicole or Paris is "sensationalism" but my curiosity on this one is in the interest of "history"? Perhaps. But it's far easier to accept a double standard when you are looking in the mirror.

But it looks like this on-line video tour may make the trip (& the soul searching) unnecessary.

Tags: pointless rambling