Two of the best musical mysteries that I followed closely on Mudcat were the search for the real origins of Huddie ledbetter's "Irene Goodnite" and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine"...plus an amazing thread that culminated in some folks (including me) trying to contact Peter o'toole. Two years after it appeared, I discovered (while researching my friend the late Al Cromwell) that he had been a Toronto FRIEND of O'Toole's.

From a non-musical perspective, I've had HUGE entertainment from reading the great amount of info on the web about "whether Shakspear, wrote Shakespeare" or not". I'd always thought that was one of those silly arguements put forth by fans of Bacon (the guy not the breakfast) or De Vere, and wouldn't hold water. Not so. The net allows me to see the methods that both sides use to argue their points, and it becomes painfully obvious that one side attacks the motives and qualifications of the other side EVERYTIME they can't refute a known fact.

In the real world you'd have to wait years for the various books to be published, or have to go thousands of miles to sit in on a debate that might be attended by a mere thirty or so interested people. On the net, you just throw the arguements up against each other and see who's made their point most succinctly.

Mysteries are great fun, especially when you don't care which side wins.

Rick