"When you think of Wisconsin, it's the smoky tang of bratwurst sizzling on the grill, foam cheddarheads, Friday night fish frys or fish boils, the Green Bay Packers or Milwaukee Brewers, herds of Holsteins or Guernsey cows grazing in meadows, blaze-orange-wearing deer hunters ... However, beneath this mundane reality lies something more mysterious, sinister, macabre."

This is the opening sentence to Weird Wisconsin's mission statement and the perfect overview of what's to come in the many articles and links on this wild Web site.

Weird Wisconsin is stocked with strange local stories from the past and present, including Jesus spottings, local folklore and reviews of bizarre businesses like the Gobbler and the House on the Rock. It also posts information about aliens, occults, villains, creatures and other stuff in the categories of unbelievable, unexplainable or straight-up odd.

Started by Ladysmith native Richard Hendricks, Weird Wisconsin is perfect for anyone with a penchant for the peculiar. Best of all, Hendricks holds a BA in Library Science so the site is organized and well written.

It's difficult to decipher what on this site is reality and what's urban myth (most of it seems to fall under the latter category), but who cares? It's all in good fun and you just might find the perfect ice breaker for the next dull party you attend.

To check it out, go to www.weird-wi.com