It turns out, according to at least one researcher, that Vegans are shunning sex with carnivores and trying to make a movement out of the “preference.” Vegans are scary, terrible people who insist their lifestyle be forced upon everyone. They refuse to eat or use anything made from animals, including eggs, milk, leather products - even soap, shampoo, or conditioner. Most smell like the ass-end of a reptile and the rest are strippers.
As someone who has had sex with Vegans and vegetarians, I can safely say to carnivores, “Relax. You aren’t missing much.”
The paranormal, the Supernatural, the odd and Unexplained
Featured Post
Operation: All Clear - The Oklahoma City Bombing
Oklahoma City Bombing The Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 was alleged to have been carried-out by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols (alone...
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Things What Done Fell From the Sky - Money in Japan
Money is not only appearing in mailboxes in Japan, but literally falling from the sky!
While there are some accounts of money having fallen from the sky previously (some of which we have reported, and there are many more to come), this seems to be the work of some specific person or group. Japanese officials think it may be a city official or someone involved in a new-age religion.
Over the past year or so, envelopes stuffed with cash have been found in mens’ restrooms and even in their mailboxes. The recipients are urged to do good deeds and many thought the whole thing was some kind of prank. Once they discovered the money was real, many of them became spooked and contacted police. No one knows who is doing this.
Last week, money was seen falling inexplicably in front of a convenience store. There was no visible source. While some people took the money, most “People thought it was too eerie to touch,” according to one police official. The recovered sum was ¥96,000.
On July 6th, a woman was startled to notice paper money falling from the sky on a bridge she was walking across. Many people picked the money up, but there was no immediate source of the “drop-off.”
While there are some accounts of money having fallen from the sky previously (some of which we have reported, and there are many more to come), this seems to be the work of some specific person or group. Japanese officials think it may be a city official or someone involved in a new-age religion.
Over the past year or so, envelopes stuffed with cash have been found in mens’ restrooms and even in their mailboxes. The recipients are urged to do good deeds and many thought the whole thing was some kind of prank. Once they discovered the money was real, many of them became spooked and contacted police. No one knows who is doing this.
Last week, money was seen falling inexplicably in front of a convenience store. There was no visible source. While some people took the money, most “People thought it was too eerie to touch,” according to one police official. The recovered sum was ¥96,000.
On July 6th, a woman was startled to notice paper money falling from the sky on a bridge she was walking across. Many people picked the money up, but there was no immediate source of the “drop-off.”
Left-Handed Gene Found
Scientists have discovered a gene which may lead to left-handedness. Strangely, they also seem to think this gene may increase the odds of Schizophrenia. Now, all we righties know that lefties are essentially mentally-flawed, but the research also told me some things I did not know.
For instance, did you know that left-handed peoples’ brains are generally “flipped”? In most (normal) people, the right side is the creative side which handles emotions and the like and the left side controls speech and logical thinking; according to this information, the opposite is often true in lefties’ brains.
About 10% of people are left-handed, and thus, obviously “not right.”
For instance, did you know that left-handed peoples’ brains are generally “flipped”? In most (normal) people, the right side is the creative side which handles emotions and the like and the left side controls speech and logical thinking; according to this information, the opposite is often true in lefties’ brains.
About 10% of people are left-handed, and thus, obviously “not right.”
Monday, July 30, 2007
More Excuses
I know, I know. I’ve been making a lot of excuses lately for why I haven’t been here more, and this is yet another one, I’m afraid.
I was supposed to get my oil changed today, but it was over 90º all day long, so no one wanted to spend it beneath a car. Instead, we all went swimming in a clear, beautiful creek a few miles from the house. It was nice and all that, but the sun, and keeping the baby from eating rocks (and hair, and dirt, and everything else she picks up) pretty much wore me out. Then, of course, there was dinner - tonight for five - so I’m pretty well pooped.
I plan to get to the library tomorrow to get some more done on the Bell Witch research, but it’s going to be right at 100º tomorrow, so I can’t promise anything yet. Still, I do have some good odd news to dispense, but it’s not like it’s very timely or anything, so I’m just going to wait until tomorrow to do all this.
I was supposed to get my oil changed today, but it was over 90º all day long, so no one wanted to spend it beneath a car. Instead, we all went swimming in a clear, beautiful creek a few miles from the house. It was nice and all that, but the sun, and keeping the baby from eating rocks (and hair, and dirt, and everything else she picks up) pretty much wore me out. Then, of course, there was dinner - tonight for five - so I’m pretty well pooped.
I plan to get to the library tomorrow to get some more done on the Bell Witch research, but it’s going to be right at 100º tomorrow, so I can’t promise anything yet. Still, I do have some good odd news to dispense, but it’s not like it’s very timely or anything, so I’m just going to wait until tomorrow to do all this.
Today
Sorry for the little break. If you follow The Rundown, you know that a little goobette pulled the phone line out of the wall and we spent two days trying to figure out exactly which lines go where... for some reason, it seems like I can set up a computer from scratch in no time, but when a single cord or wire comes loose, it takes hours and hours to figure it out. It’s usually easier to just disconnect everything and start over from scratch.
Anyway, I got some stuff to post here today, but I have to change my oil and do some house cleaning, so it may be later tonight before I get to it all. With all the comics and movie information from Comic-Con, things have been a little hectic, but fret not. I still have to give my little opinion on Ghost Adventures, among other things. Oh, and I have to drop by the library.
Anyway, I’m not sure if this thing is going to still be doing the "Errors" crap, but even if it is, I’m going to get some posts out this week and hopefully get back to the library tomorrow for more Bell Witch research.
Anyway, I got some stuff to post here today, but I have to change my oil and do some house cleaning, so it may be later tonight before I get to it all. With all the comics and movie information from Comic-Con, things have been a little hectic, but fret not. I still have to give my little opinion on Ghost Adventures, among other things. Oh, and I have to drop by the library.
Anyway, I’m not sure if this thing is going to still be doing the "Errors" crap, but even if it is, I’m going to get some posts out this week and hopefully get back to the library tomorrow for more Bell Witch research.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Things What Done Fell From the Sky, Pt. 6 - Fishes
This time, we turn our attentions to fish, in particular. These accounts come from a new source, William R. Corliss’ Handbook of Unusual Natural Phenomena, and many of them do not appear in the more widespread aggregate omnibuses.
- In an account from one John Lewis, a sawyer, he states that, "On Wednesday, February 9 [1859]... I was startled by something falling all over me... On putting my hand down my neck I was surprised to find they were little fish. By this time I saw the whole ground covered with them... They covered the ground in a long strip of about 80 yards by 12, as we measured afterwards." The location is not given in the account, but he does mention a northbound train to Aberdare.
- August 24th, 1918, a brief shower left behind a trail of fish at Hendon, England. One account claims the ground was "strewn with thousands of little fishes." They were of a variety known as "siles," which are eel-like creatures about 2-3" in length. They were stiff when found and "many of them were broken by striking the ground." - Royal Meteorological Society, Quarterly Journal
- October 23rd, 1947 - Marksville, LA: "In the morning of that day, between seven and eight o’clock, fish ranging from two to nine inches in length fell on the streets and in the yards... They were freshwater fish native to local waters and belonging to the following species: large-mouth black bass, goggle-eye, two species of sunfish, several species of minnows, and hickory shad. The latter species were the most common." What makes this account particularly interesting is that the person who gave this account, A. D. Bajkov, was actually in the area conducting biological investigations for the Department of Wild Life and Fisheries. He collected samples of the fallen fish and preserved them. While no tornadoes were in the area, he attested that both he and another man had witnessed several "devil dusters" in the area the day before, thus giving some credence to that theory.
Weekly World News Ceases Publication
Weekly World News will cease print publication as of its August 27th issue.
American Media Inc. (AMI), also publisher of The National Enquirer, made the announcement this week. Weekly World News, "The World’s Only Reliable Newspaper," has been in circulation for almost 30 years. It focused on such stories as Bat Boy, Bigfoot, and aliens. Of course, most of these were along the lines of Bigfoot babies, alien babies, and... well, Bat Boy.
In recent years, the newspaper dropped its former yellow journalism -- which was almost always just this side of believability -- in favor of completely absurd, (barely) humorous articles, such as "Carpenter Discovers What Put Hole in Ozone," "Merman Caught in South Pacific," and "Al Capone's Ghost Storms White House" (those are actual headlines the paper carried!).
Strangely enough, Weekly World News sometimes actually had real news disguised as junk reporting. In fact, a few years back, they "scooped" the major media outlets with a doctored pic of Saddam Hussein in a diaper.
AMI said the online version will continue.
American Media Inc. (AMI), also publisher of The National Enquirer, made the announcement this week. Weekly World News, "The World’s Only Reliable Newspaper," has been in circulation for almost 30 years. It focused on such stories as Bat Boy, Bigfoot, and aliens. Of course, most of these were along the lines of Bigfoot babies, alien babies, and... well, Bat Boy.
In recent years, the newspaper dropped its former yellow journalism -- which was almost always just this side of believability -- in favor of completely absurd, (barely) humorous articles, such as "Carpenter Discovers What Put Hole in Ozone," "Merman Caught in South Pacific," and "Al Capone's Ghost Storms White House" (those are actual headlines the paper carried!).
Strangely enough, Weekly World News sometimes actually had real news disguised as junk reporting. In fact, a few years back, they "scooped" the major media outlets with a doctored pic of Saddam Hussein in a diaper.
AMI said the online version will continue.
Grim Reaper Assumes Feline Form
Oscar was adopted and raised on the third-floor of a Rhode Island nursing home which cares for terminally-ill people. After some time, workers began noticing that Oscar often cozied-up to patients who were on their last leg -- literally. The cat tends to sit beside patients who have less than a few hours to live.
The entire phenomena was written about in the New England Journal of Medicine by one of the observing doctors.
But another professional from Brown University noted that Oscar’s predilection for predicting death might have more to do with selfish desires, such as hot blankets being brought to the expiring elderly. He said the only way to be certain is to carefully document the cat's actions and predictions.
One nurse became convinced of Oscar's precognitive powers after he successfully indicated his thirteenth impending death. According to reports, the cat has now successfully predicted 25 deaths and has even received a plaque for his services!
The entire phenomena was written about in the New England Journal of Medicine by one of the observing doctors.
But another professional from Brown University noted that Oscar’s predilection for predicting death might have more to do with selfish desires, such as hot blankets being brought to the expiring elderly. He said the only way to be certain is to carefully document the cat's actions and predictions.
One nurse became convinced of Oscar's precognitive powers after he successfully indicated his thirteenth impending death. According to reports, the cat has now successfully predicted 25 deaths and has even received a plaque for his services!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Technical Difficulties, A Nasty Letter, and Ghost Adventures
Yeah, I’m still getting the “Error” message when I try to publish, so if you are having problems, there is nothing I can do. Further, no one at the host is answering the phone, as I mentioned before. I tried and tried last night and finally was so frustrated and upset with the whole thing that I wrote them a pretty rude little note. I’m not sorry - far from it - every time they have sent me anything via e-mail, it has always been curt and to-the-point; no “Thanks for writing,” or “I hope this helps” or anything.
So, if the whole site suddenly disappears tomorrow, you’ll know they’re just snarky, bitter, vindictive, little shits.
Anyway, I wanted to remind you about Ghost Adventures on Sci-Fi tonight, which starts in just a few and doesn’t replay like most of their primetime fare, so you got to catch it when it shows or else!
Ghost Hunters will be coming back with new episodes in September, according to commercials. I’ll have a review of the special later tonight or tomorrow.
So, if the whole site suddenly disappears tomorrow, you’ll know they’re just snarky, bitter, vindictive, little shits.
Anyway, I wanted to remind you about Ghost Adventures on Sci-Fi tonight, which starts in just a few and doesn’t replay like most of their primetime fare, so you got to catch it when it shows or else!
Ghost Hunters will be coming back with new episodes in September, according to commercials. I’ll have a review of the special later tonight or tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
I'm Sorry
Look, guys, I’m really sorry. I know I seem like I’ve been cheesing-off on you and just throwing a bunch of bullshit your way in order to post ads, but... well, it isn’t not true, but that's really not the way it is. The truth is that waiting for like 10 minutes for a post to come up with errors is really frustrating.
I’m drafting posts in a third-party word processor called RoughDraft (great program, by the way), then cutting and pasting them into Blogger, which is... just not very cool for like $200. I tried calling the hosting company and I get an operator’s message about how the network is overwhelmed...
I honestly feel shit upon.
This is why you haven’t seen more on the site, to be honest. I set this whole thing up in hopes that it would make at least enough money to pay for itself, but I’ve had so many damned problems with the host that I chose that it just hasn’t happened.
I’m going to post another ad after this and, in about a month or two, I’m pretty sure we’re changing hosts. But we're not gone; we'll keep posting here and there, but I'm not really pushing it right now. This is honest bullshit. These guys haven't even offered me a little bit back for this crap - in fact, these guys have been all but openly hostile to me for complaining!
We’ve been hacked, mocked, and completely fucked with. And right now, we can’t even get anyone to pick up a fucking phone! I honestly hope someone died, and I know that’s not right, but let’s put this into perspective:
You have been waiting for me to deliver something and I really haven’t been able to because they haven’t been able to live up to their end of the contract.
So, that’s that.
And motherfuck my hosting service! Did I stutter?
I’m drafting posts in a third-party word processor called RoughDraft (great program, by the way), then cutting and pasting them into Blogger, which is... just not very cool for like $200. I tried calling the hosting company and I get an operator’s message about how the network is overwhelmed...
I honestly feel shit upon.
This is why you haven’t seen more on the site, to be honest. I set this whole thing up in hopes that it would make at least enough money to pay for itself, but I’ve had so many damned problems with the host that I chose that it just hasn’t happened.
I’m going to post another ad after this and, in about a month or two, I’m pretty sure we’re changing hosts. But we're not gone; we'll keep posting here and there, but I'm not really pushing it right now. This is honest bullshit. These guys haven't even offered me a little bit back for this crap - in fact, these guys have been all but openly hostile to me for complaining!
We’ve been hacked, mocked, and completely fucked with. And right now, we can’t even get anyone to pick up a fucking phone! I honestly hope someone died, and I know that’s not right, but let’s put this into perspective:
You have been waiting for me to deliver something and I really haven’t been able to because they haven’t been able to live up to their end of the contract.
So, that’s that.
And motherfuck my hosting service! Did I stutter?
Nanotech from Ancient Devices
American scientists are working toward developing nanotechnology for use in things such as car engines - but not yet the human body. The whole thing would actually be a complex mechanical system.
The science-fiction concept of nanotechnology works much like binary code: one small nanoid performs one, specific function. Once that first nanoid’s function has been performed, the next one comes along and does its one function. This process continues, much like a 0 and 1 system, until whatever larger, overall goal has been accomplished.
What these scientists are looking into is a bit more complicated and actually owes a lot to ancient computing theory, developed over 200 years ago and put into practice by Babbage, a thinker who created complex, steam-powered “computers.” While Babbage did not finish his projects, later experiments on his works proved their functionality.
- Source, BBC
The science-fiction concept of nanotechnology works much like binary code: one small nanoid performs one, specific function. Once that first nanoid’s function has been performed, the next one comes along and does its one function. This process continues, much like a 0 and 1 system, until whatever larger, overall goal has been accomplished.
What these scientists are looking into is a bit more complicated and actually owes a lot to ancient computing theory, developed over 200 years ago and put into practice by Babbage, a thinker who created complex, steam-powered “computers.” While Babbage did not finish his projects, later experiments on his works proved their functionality.
- Source, BBC
Monday, July 23, 2007
This Week's Agenda
Okay, I’m calling the host today about the errors thing. It keeps telling me the FTP closed the connection, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to end up being on the host’s end and not Blogger’s. Further, all the posts on The Rundown seem to be going through just fine.
With the car being down and temperatures in and around the 90° mark, I am unable to get up to the library to do more Bell Witch research, but depending on how things look tomorrow, I may be able to get a few hours in.
Also, I’m really busy over to The Rundown, getting geared-up for this year’s Comic-Con, so I can’t promise how much I’ll have for you this week. Either way, I live and breathe this sort of stuff, so I’m sure I can dig up a few interesting tidbits to share with you along the way, but you’ll have to be patient with me!
With the car being down and temperatures in and around the 90° mark, I am unable to get up to the library to do more Bell Witch research, but depending on how things look tomorrow, I may be able to get a few hours in.
Also, I’m really busy over to The Rundown, getting geared-up for this year’s Comic-Con, so I can’t promise how much I’ll have for you this week. Either way, I live and breathe this sort of stuff, so I’m sure I can dig up a few interesting tidbits to share with you along the way, but you’ll have to be patient with me!
Destination Truth Season Finale
I must admit, after several false starts, Sci-Fi Channel finally got it right; Destination Truth is a really good reality show concerning the paranormal and cryptozoology, in specific. I have kept up with the series this season and finally got a chance to see the season finale tonight, after my cable unceremoniously failed last Wednesday, while we were preparing to watch the finales of both it and Ghost Hunters.
Tonight, Josh chased after the Argentinian Lobizone, a lycanthrope which has been spotted throughout the country, in both rural and highly-populated urban areas. It is said that the seventh son of a seventh son will become a lobizone, unless he is baptized. The Argentinian president has seventh sons baptized.
Josh and team did spot some kind of wolflike dog on camera and Josh himself caught some animal on thermal imaging. A zoologist could not identify either accurately, but said the shape was larger than a native Argentinian dog, insofar as he knew. Further, the blood on a rope with which a farmer said he had caught a lobizone tested positive for human blood! Of course, even though this evidence is intriguing, it proves nothing; it is too disparate to prove a seventh son actually turns into a wolflike creature.
The other case was a total bust, though they did hear a strange, gutteral growl from some animal the zoologist could not identify.
Either way, it appears Destination Truth will be returning for a second season - I’m assuming next summer. Ghost Hunters will return in the fall and is being replaced momentarily by a new show called Ghost Adventures, about another ghost hunting group.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Theories on Blog Difficulties
As I mentioned yesterday and have been mentioning for a few months now, there have been some problems off and on publishing the blog to the site. Last night, I left the last entry to just work on its own for over an hour and it kept trying to publish and kept returning that damned “Published with Errors” message.
But while I was working earlier, Firefox popped up and said it had updated.
Now I can’t blame this for the whole last two months or so, especially since the problem would have been persistent, but I can say that I just spent the last hour or so clearing everything I possibly could on this box, including some programs I don’t use. I defragged and everything else I possibly could do in order to get things running more smoothly, though we’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed and wait to see how well it worked.
But while I was working earlier, Firefox popped up and said it had updated.
Now I can’t blame this for the whole last two months or so, especially since the problem would have been persistent, but I can say that I just spent the last hour or so clearing everything I possibly could on this box, including some programs I don’t use. I defragged and everything else I possibly could do in order to get things running more smoothly, though we’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed and wait to see how well it worked.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Blog Published with Errors
I’m getting that “Blog Published with Errors” message again and I hate to admit it, but my host is not too reliable. Still, I have a feeling this has more (or at least as much) to do with Blogger than my host. It’s been happening at least once or twice a week for the past couple months or so, then it works itself out in a day or two. Then it starts right back up a week or so after it settles down.
Now, I’m seeing the blog just fine, so it may have to do with the tags. They seem to be separate files and when it publishes correctly, it shows me the tags’ names. When it does not publish correctly, it just says, “Your blog published with errors,” then returns a bunch of error codes that no one seems to care about. I know Blogger is still doing a bunch of new stuff, so it may be that they are working on that stuff on the weekends and it’s just some downtime.
I went on and did some of the other things I had to do today and even grilled out once it got cooler, but I tried posting about an hour ago and it’s still doing it. Still, I will try to get a few more of the posts I had schedule up before I retire for the evening and hope that tomorrow is a better day. It usually clears up after a day or so.
Now, I’m seeing the blog just fine, so it may have to do with the tags. They seem to be separate files and when it publishes correctly, it shows me the tags’ names. When it does not publish correctly, it just says, “Your blog published with errors,” then returns a bunch of error codes that no one seems to care about. I know Blogger is still doing a bunch of new stuff, so it may be that they are working on that stuff on the weekends and it’s just some downtime.
I went on and did some of the other things I had to do today and even grilled out once it got cooler, but I tried posting about an hour ago and it’s still doing it. Still, I will try to get a few more of the posts I had schedule up before I retire for the evening and hope that tomorrow is a better day. It usually clears up after a day or so.
C-5, Orpheum, Memphis, TN
I grew up in and around Memphis, TN, and (like anywhere else) you hear that this place is haunted and that house, that weird noises have been heard down here, and so forth. Depending on the strength or number of the stories, you may believe them and you may not.
So I had heard that The Orpheum was supposed to be haunted, but aren't all theaters? If anything, a theater that wasn’t haunted could be thought of as not worth its salt. But I never paid much attention to the stories and only heard them once in a while.
It turns out that a lot of people have reported seeing a young girl, about 12 years old, with braided, brown hair seated in Row C, Seat 5. She is dressed in a white schoolgirl outfit with long, black stockings.
The New York company of Fiddler on the Roof performed a seance in the theater in 1977 and U of M students (then MSU) of a parapsychology class investigated it some time later. They claimed to have contacted the ghost, whose name is Mary, and discovered that she had died in 1921 from a falling accident nowhere near the theater, and had nothing to do with the place during her lifetime.
Some people have theorized that Mary wanted to be an actress and that's why her spirit was drawn to the place.
So I had heard that The Orpheum was supposed to be haunted, but aren't all theaters? If anything, a theater that wasn’t haunted could be thought of as not worth its salt. But I never paid much attention to the stories and only heard them once in a while.
It turns out that a lot of people have reported seeing a young girl, about 12 years old, with braided, brown hair seated in Row C, Seat 5. She is dressed in a white schoolgirl outfit with long, black stockings.
The New York company of Fiddler on the Roof performed a seance in the theater in 1977 and U of M students (then MSU) of a parapsychology class investigated it some time later. They claimed to have contacted the ghost, whose name is Mary, and discovered that she had died in 1921 from a falling accident nowhere near the theater, and had nothing to do with the place during her lifetime.
Some people have theorized that Mary wanted to be an actress and that's why her spirit was drawn to the place.
Sorry...
So sorry for jumping ship. Wednesday night, as we were sitting down to watch the season finales of both Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth, the cable went out and didn’t come back on until about 2:00 yesterday afternoon! It wasn't just my cable; it went out throughout the entire town.
We were watching the Ghost Hunters reruns before the finale when it went out, and we called and went through all the "troubleshooting" tips those lying motherfuckers gave us -- but we knew it was bullshit because everyone else's was out, too. I was so upset that I missed them! I’m going to have to surf the net today to find out what happened.
Oh, and yesterday, I found out my car battery is dead. We tried and tried to get it to hold a charge, but it just won't. It was having troubles starting, and now it won't start at all without a jump. I'll have to find someone to jump me off today because I have to pay my utility bill (I completely forgot to do it with everything else going on, and today’s the last day, so I have to go to the bank to pay it).
Still, I have some things to discuss, so it isn’'t going to be an empty day or anything. It may actually wind-up being fairly busy, in fact. Just depends on how much I get done and how soon.
We were watching the Ghost Hunters reruns before the finale when it went out, and we called and went through all the "troubleshooting" tips those lying motherfuckers gave us -- but we knew it was bullshit because everyone else's was out, too. I was so upset that I missed them! I’m going to have to surf the net today to find out what happened.
Oh, and yesterday, I found out my car battery is dead. We tried and tried to get it to hold a charge, but it just won't. It was having troubles starting, and now it won't start at all without a jump. I'll have to find someone to jump me off today because I have to pay my utility bill (I completely forgot to do it with everything else going on, and today’s the last day, so I have to go to the bank to pay it).
Still, I have some things to discuss, so it isn’'t going to be an empty day or anything. It may actually wind-up being fairly busy, in fact. Just depends on how much I get done and how soon.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Evil vs. Mental Illness
This paradox has to be confronted because it is, and has been, very controversial within the psychological community for -- well, basically since Psychology was developed (or being developed) in the 19th-Century:
Where does one draw the line between what is Evil and what is caused by mental illness?
There is no easy way, that I’ll grant, but I believe Evil to be an actual force, as I’ve set forth herein, and thus external. But, that is not at all meant to suggest that someone has to be "possessed" to show signs of Evil. In fact, were it that simple, then everyone who commits an Evil act could be cleared or convicted by the manner in which the act was committed.
There is Dissociation, where the person committing the act is unaware of their action(s) -- this is possible Evil influence, but most likely a matter of actual mental illness; there is Psychosis, where the victim knows what he is doing, but is so delusional as to believe that what he is doing is the right thing -- what he has to do (as in the case of Andrea Yates); then there is the matter of Evil influence.
Evil influence can take any number of forms, but it is rarely direct or evident. This is what I mean when I say that, if it were, the matter of innocence or guilt would be simple; was Supernatural strength employed in this crime? Or did the perpetrator exhibit knowledge which s/he could not have known? If things like that were exhibited, we could easily say: "This was a crime perpetrated by external, Evil influence(s), and this one was not."
So, one Dr. Michael Stone has developed -- and is consistently working on -- what he calls a scale of Evil: A system of measuring Evil that goes from 1 to 22, with 22 being the Most Evil. Gary Heidnik is one of the few people who reaches the 22nd level of Evil. Of course, the problem with this is that Heidnik, who ran a charnel house in which he enslaved several women in his basement whom he raped on a daily basis, two of which he killed -- one of which he forced the other women to eat (along with dogfood) -- sounds like anyone's poster child for mental illness.
Dr. Stone argues that Heidnik was "organized" enough to have invested well, having made over half a million dollars and bought a Rolls Royce, so he was acutely aware that his actions were Evil. Yet, Dr. Stone neglects to mention that this same guy taped dollar bills and pennies all along his walls, and that the drain of his kitchen sink was stopped-up by flesh.
Were Heidnik's actions Evil? Beyond question. But, is he, the man, Evil by nature -- whether twisted by environment or somehow genetically-impaired? Highly debatable, especially since Heidnik claims to have heard the "Voice of God" which told him something that led him down this terribly dark and twisted path.
Regardless of your religious convictions or beliefs, it seems that a reasonable person would know that God did not want them to enslave, kill, dismember, and cannibalize young women. Still, hearing an ethereal voice tell you anything would make an indelible impression on one's psyche, so you would have to forgive them their mental incapacities insofar as reasoning and comprehension go. Hell, for as far as any of this goes, when is the last time you met a Baptist who got the right message from the Scripture?
Still, while I agree that Evil is a very real force -- even palpable at times where it is active -- and have not read Dr. Stone’s book, in which I assume he discusses his methodology and policies in-depth, I find what I have seen and heard of his methods highly suspect.
Where does one draw the line between what is Evil and what is caused by mental illness?
There is no easy way, that I’ll grant, but I believe Evil to be an actual force, as I’ve set forth herein, and thus external. But, that is not at all meant to suggest that someone has to be "possessed" to show signs of Evil. In fact, were it that simple, then everyone who commits an Evil act could be cleared or convicted by the manner in which the act was committed.
There is Dissociation, where the person committing the act is unaware of their action(s) -- this is possible Evil influence, but most likely a matter of actual mental illness; there is Psychosis, where the victim knows what he is doing, but is so delusional as to believe that what he is doing is the right thing -- what he has to do (as in the case of Andrea Yates); then there is the matter of Evil influence.
Evil influence can take any number of forms, but it is rarely direct or evident. This is what I mean when I say that, if it were, the matter of innocence or guilt would be simple; was Supernatural strength employed in this crime? Or did the perpetrator exhibit knowledge which s/he could not have known? If things like that were exhibited, we could easily say: "This was a crime perpetrated by external, Evil influence(s), and this one was not."
So, one Dr. Michael Stone has developed -- and is consistently working on -- what he calls a scale of Evil: A system of measuring Evil that goes from 1 to 22, with 22 being the Most Evil. Gary Heidnik is one of the few people who reaches the 22nd level of Evil. Of course, the problem with this is that Heidnik, who ran a charnel house in which he enslaved several women in his basement whom he raped on a daily basis, two of which he killed -- one of which he forced the other women to eat (along with dogfood) -- sounds like anyone's poster child for mental illness.
Dr. Stone argues that Heidnik was "organized" enough to have invested well, having made over half a million dollars and bought a Rolls Royce, so he was acutely aware that his actions were Evil. Yet, Dr. Stone neglects to mention that this same guy taped dollar bills and pennies all along his walls, and that the drain of his kitchen sink was stopped-up by flesh.
Were Heidnik's actions Evil? Beyond question. But, is he, the man, Evil by nature -- whether twisted by environment or somehow genetically-impaired? Highly debatable, especially since Heidnik claims to have heard the "Voice of God" which told him something that led him down this terribly dark and twisted path.
Regardless of your religious convictions or beliefs, it seems that a reasonable person would know that God did not want them to enslave, kill, dismember, and cannibalize young women. Still, hearing an ethereal voice tell you anything would make an indelible impression on one's psyche, so you would have to forgive them their mental incapacities insofar as reasoning and comprehension go. Hell, for as far as any of this goes, when is the last time you met a Baptist who got the right message from the Scripture?
Still, while I agree that Evil is a very real force -- even palpable at times where it is active -- and have not read Dr. Stone’s book, in which I assume he discusses his methodology and policies in-depth, I find what I have seen and heard of his methods highly suspect.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Bell Witch Agenda
I hate that this whole town rolls up by noon on Wednesdays! I will likely be up, but I’m not rushing right down there to get in a whole hour or two before noon - I won't really be up and going until about 10:30 or 11:00, anyway. It’s going to be hot and supposed to be storming and even though I got the car going, the battery is basically on its last leg. It may take a charge if I can get someone with a battery charger to hook it up, but since I don’t have one, I’m at the mercy of God’s good graces as far as transportation goes right now and I’m not going to risk getting stuck in the middle of a 90° thunderstorm without so much as a radio or hazard lights!
But I did come across a few other Tennessee ghost tales today that I will share with you tomorrow, as well as Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth. Can’t believe those two shows have both reached their season finales already!
Still, there’s plenty to come, there will just be a short break in the Bell Witch Project. I’m turning in for the night, though.
But I did come across a few other Tennessee ghost tales today that I will share with you tomorrow, as well as Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth. Can’t believe those two shows have both reached their season finales already!
Still, there’s plenty to come, there will just be a short break in the Bell Witch Project. I’m turning in for the night, though.
Bell Witch Project - Day 1
Today was the first day I really got into the research I said I was going to do. I spent most of the day at the library and was pleasantly shocked at just how effective my slipshod efforts were.
For one thing, I have no specific route or methodology to my research - never have had and likely never will - for this or any other project. I found two books on the subject, including the main one I had been looking for (written by a descendant of the family) so I sat down and started reading it.
A little ways through, I decided to check out some of the other books on Tennessee history, just to see how many of them included an account. Like I thought, not too many; of those that do, it is nearly always little more than a quick overview, along with one of those good-ol’ Southern Baptist, “This here’s a campfire tale the ol’ cowpokes used ta swap when they was partakin’ o’ the Devil’s liquor,” admonitions. But I did come across two more books on the subject that were out of order and not in the computer, so there’s that much.
What I did find today was an official 1830 Census of Robertson County. I verified Lucy Bell, several John Bells (the eldest was dead by this time), two Gunns (one of which is certain to be the minister), and not one, but two Joshua Gardners!
The legends beneath them are cryptic and even though a key exists at the front of the book, it is not easy to follow. I didn’t get that far into it today and I’m not really sure if this will actually aid me at all in my research anyway; after all, no one disputes that the Bells lived where they did at the time this phenomena is said to have occurred.
For one thing, I have no specific route or methodology to my research - never have had and likely never will - for this or any other project. I found two books on the subject, including the main one I had been looking for (written by a descendant of the family) so I sat down and started reading it.
A little ways through, I decided to check out some of the other books on Tennessee history, just to see how many of them included an account. Like I thought, not too many; of those that do, it is nearly always little more than a quick overview, along with one of those good-ol’ Southern Baptist, “This here’s a campfire tale the ol’ cowpokes used ta swap when they was partakin’ o’ the Devil’s liquor,” admonitions. But I did come across two more books on the subject that were out of order and not in the computer, so there’s that much.
What I did find today was an official 1830 Census of Robertson County. I verified Lucy Bell, several John Bells (the eldest was dead by this time), two Gunns (one of which is certain to be the minister), and not one, but two Joshua Gardners!
The legends beneath them are cryptic and even though a key exists at the front of the book, it is not easy to follow. I didn’t get that far into it today and I’m not really sure if this will actually aid me at all in my research anyway; after all, no one disputes that the Bells lived where they did at the time this phenomena is said to have occurred.
Ghost Hunters Finale Already?!
So I tried watching Sci-Fi’s new Ani-Monday and... well, I just don’t get into Anime. It’s too "kiwai" or whatever that word is for “cutesy.” I also find most of it very disturbing in that it tends to focus on prepubescent girls who end up being molested by tentacles. But I digress...
I saw the promo for tomorrow night’s Ghost Hunters and it’s the Summer finale! Whatever that means. I was under the impression that Ghost Hunters and Eureka were two of the network’s highest-rated shows? I think the guys working the schedule are the same cats what do programming over to [adult swim]. I mean, you would think that someone might be able to figure out that ordering more than six episodes of one of your highest-rated shows is probably a pretty solid idea.
Still, it said it was the Summer finale, so I am hoping that means they are going to bring it back in... like a month? Well, maybe we will get our wish as far as it coming on year-round if they decide to split them into two “mini”-seasons or whatever their plan is here.
But really, Sci-Fi guys, pick up the back nine on this one, huh?
I saw the promo for tomorrow night’s Ghost Hunters and it’s the Summer finale! Whatever that means. I was under the impression that Ghost Hunters and Eureka were two of the network’s highest-rated shows? I think the guys working the schedule are the same cats what do programming over to [adult swim]. I mean, you would think that someone might be able to figure out that ordering more than six episodes of one of your highest-rated shows is probably a pretty solid idea.
Still, it said it was the Summer finale, so I am hoping that means they are going to bring it back in... like a month? Well, maybe we will get our wish as far as it coming on year-round if they decide to split them into two “mini”-seasons or whatever their plan is here.
But really, Sci-Fi guys, pick up the back nine on this one, huh?
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Beast of Exmoor
I told you I would get into accounts of big cats way back on the first blog, but I never did - not much, anyway. I did tell of my personal account of seeing an actual Wildcat near where I was raised. Even though our highschool team was named after them and older people in the region insisted they existed, even most of them thought they had been hunted out or simple died-out. I was lucky enough to see one as I drove home along a new road which had been built in a sparsely-populated area. This would have been in the early 1990s.
The Beast of Exmoor is said to be either jet-black or tan in color, with a very few reports of two cats being seen together (one of either color). Most agree that it resembles nothing so much as a panther, though authorities insisted the sightings were a case of mistaken identity (they were dogs, not cats). Though this idea has largely been abandoned, the Wildcat which I saw would easily have been mistaken for a dog, had it not been for its distinctly feline movements.
Sightings of the creature have been reported since at least the 1970s, but it wasn’t until a sheep farmer lost 100 sheep over 21/2 months in 1983 that the Beast of Exmoor became big news. Reports continued to pour in, even from local naturalists, until, in 1987, a distinctly catlike beast was photographed in the area. While the form is indistinct, the tail is obviously feline.
The Beast of Exmoor has been seen well into the 1990s and newer theories suggest a family of pumas may have been released into the wild by those who once kept them as pets. But giant cats have been spotted all over the British Isles. Undoubtedly, some of these accounts were “copycat” stories concocted by crackpots and others who simply wanted to draw attention to themselves or their areas, but the sheer volume of such reports suggest that the phenomena may indeed be widespread.
The Beast of Exmoor is said to be either jet-black or tan in color, with a very few reports of two cats being seen together (one of either color). Most agree that it resembles nothing so much as a panther, though authorities insisted the sightings were a case of mistaken identity (they were dogs, not cats). Though this idea has largely been abandoned, the Wildcat which I saw would easily have been mistaken for a dog, had it not been for its distinctly feline movements.
Sightings of the creature have been reported since at least the 1970s, but it wasn’t until a sheep farmer lost 100 sheep over 21/2 months in 1983 that the Beast of Exmoor became big news. Reports continued to pour in, even from local naturalists, until, in 1987, a distinctly catlike beast was photographed in the area. While the form is indistinct, the tail is obviously feline.
The Beast of Exmoor has been seen well into the 1990s and newer theories suggest a family of pumas may have been released into the wild by those who once kept them as pets. But giant cats have been spotted all over the British Isles. Undoubtedly, some of these accounts were “copycat” stories concocted by crackpots and others who simply wanted to draw attention to themselves or their areas, but the sheer volume of such reports suggest that the phenomena may indeed be widespread.
Things What Done Fell From the Sky, Pt. 5
In this episode, we turn our attentions to the 17th-Century for a few choice droppings:
While there may very well be some sort of “natural” atmospheric phenomena behind it, waterspouts that only pick up specific objects seems illogical. This is not to say that these events are Supernatural, just that waterspouts and similar “logical” explanations would have been recorded at the time of the events and are never present - not sometimes, not occasionally; to my knowledge, a waterspout or tornadic activity has never been reported in association with these occurrences.
- A great quantity of something described as “like blue silk” fell over Naumburg, Germany on March 23rd, 1665.
- Seeds of ivy berries were found inside hailstones that fell over Wiltshire, England, in the winter of 1687.
- Flakes of a coal-black material which smelled of rotten seaweed fell over the fresh snow near what is now Klaipedia, Lithuania in 1687. Some flakes were as large as tabletops and tore like paper. The substance had no smell once dried. Many specimens were preserved for over 150 years and, when examined, was found to be comprised of green algae and around 29 species of protozoans (miniscule sea creatures).
While there may very well be some sort of “natural” atmospheric phenomena behind it, waterspouts that only pick up specific objects seems illogical. This is not to say that these events are Supernatural, just that waterspouts and similar “logical” explanations would have been recorded at the time of the events and are never present - not sometimes, not occasionally; to my knowledge, a waterspout or tornadic activity has never been reported in association with these occurrences.
Introduction to The Strange Case of the Bell Witch
One of the things about living in Tennessee - one of the only things - is that I have access to all sorts of historical resources you aren’t likely to find in any other state. Amongst these are actual accounts of the “Bell Witch,” whom many called “Kate,” but the Bell family insisted on referring to simply as The Spirit. The family resented the use of their family name in conjunction with the Spirit, who terrorized all but two of the family: the mother and John Bell, Jr. The former for her piety; the latter for his intelligence and courage.
For some reason, the witch took particular glee in tormenting John Bell, the father and eldest of the household. She even said she would kill him and eventually, she did exactly that.
Of course, the problem with this classic tale of the paranormal - much as with all the others - is that many of the historical books in which an account appears (for it is one of the most sensational tales in the state’s history, and the world, in fact) take a dim view of it and include only for completeness. One historian in particular, a Hugh Walker, makes a brief, two-page mention of it in his book, Tennessee Tales, and states, “Perhaps the tale more properly belongs in the category of folklore.”
Someone should have taken Mr. Walker aside and explained to him that the case of the Bell Witch is possibly the most well-documented and best authenticated of all hauntings, and its “performances,” as many in the Bell family refer to them, were witnessed by many prominent Americans and Englishmen (the Bells were originally from England).
Over the next several months, before I move (as I still intend to do), I will delve very, very deeply into the history of this phenomenon. I live only a few hours away from Johnson County and can visit the very land and caves on which the events took place (the structures have long since been torn down), but I am more concerned with visiting the libraries there and peering into their microfilms. Of course, I don’t know that I will be able to do that, so I may have to be content with doing what research I can do from where I am.
I found out today that the microfiche here goes back to at least 1893, which is many years after these events occurred, but the Tennessee resources room is chockful of historical data which, as I noted, usually contains at least a mention of the events.
For some reason, the witch took particular glee in tormenting John Bell, the father and eldest of the household. She even said she would kill him and eventually, she did exactly that.
Of course, the problem with this classic tale of the paranormal - much as with all the others - is that many of the historical books in which an account appears (for it is one of the most sensational tales in the state’s history, and the world, in fact) take a dim view of it and include only for completeness. One historian in particular, a Hugh Walker, makes a brief, two-page mention of it in his book, Tennessee Tales, and states, “Perhaps the tale more properly belongs in the category of folklore.”
Someone should have taken Mr. Walker aside and explained to him that the case of the Bell Witch is possibly the most well-documented and best authenticated of all hauntings, and its “performances,” as many in the Bell family refer to them, were witnessed by many prominent Americans and Englishmen (the Bells were originally from England).
Over the next several months, before I move (as I still intend to do), I will delve very, very deeply into the history of this phenomenon. I live only a few hours away from Johnson County and can visit the very land and caves on which the events took place (the structures have long since been torn down), but I am more concerned with visiting the libraries there and peering into their microfilms. Of course, I don’t know that I will be able to do that, so I may have to be content with doing what research I can do from where I am.
I found out today that the microfiche here goes back to at least 1893, which is many years after these events occurred, but the Tennessee resources room is chockful of historical data which, as I noted, usually contains at least a mention of the events.
The White River Monster
Most aquatic “monsters” are associated with lakes and similar large bodies of water, though at least a few are associated with rivers. The White River Monster of Newport, Arkansas, is one of these.
Sightings have occurred intermittently since the early 1900s, with at least one photograph (though blurry, you can clearly make out the bony spine from reports) of the creature having been taken in the 1970s. According to nearly all reports, the creature is at least 12’ long and 3-4’ wide, though others report it as being “the length of three or four pickup trucks.” One account claims that a boat, bearing two grown men, was lifted out of the water on the back of an unseen beast of immense size.
Many of the accounts claim a roar accompanies the creature’s appearance, something between a cow’s moo and a horse’s neigh. It is said to have some sort of bone-like protrusion from its forehead. While a lot of the reports are similar, almost all reports indicate that, when the creature rises, the water becomes foamy and bubbly, often resulting in a large waterspout that can leap 30’ or more into the air.
Biologist and cryptozoologist, Roy P. Mackal, suggests “The animal in question clearly was a large male elephant seal...” He thinks the animal made its way into the river through the Mississippi. Of course, that is possible, but highly unlikely. Many of the sightings were made by fishermen and even a Deputy Sheriff. While elephant seals are not native to the area, they were most certainly known to most people by the 1970s, and the photograph, while blurry, clearly does not indicate a seal of any kind.
It does not appear that any (or many) sightings have occurred since the 1970s.
Sightings have occurred intermittently since the early 1900s, with at least one photograph (though blurry, you can clearly make out the bony spine from reports) of the creature having been taken in the 1970s. According to nearly all reports, the creature is at least 12’ long and 3-4’ wide, though others report it as being “the length of three or four pickup trucks.” One account claims that a boat, bearing two grown men, was lifted out of the water on the back of an unseen beast of immense size.
Many of the accounts claim a roar accompanies the creature’s appearance, something between a cow’s moo and a horse’s neigh. It is said to have some sort of bone-like protrusion from its forehead. While a lot of the reports are similar, almost all reports indicate that, when the creature rises, the water becomes foamy and bubbly, often resulting in a large waterspout that can leap 30’ or more into the air.
Biologist and cryptozoologist, Roy P. Mackal, suggests “The animal in question clearly was a large male elephant seal...” He thinks the animal made its way into the river through the Mississippi. Of course, that is possible, but highly unlikely. Many of the sightings were made by fishermen and even a Deputy Sheriff. While elephant seals are not native to the area, they were most certainly known to most people by the 1970s, and the photograph, while blurry, clearly does not indicate a seal of any kind.
It does not appear that any (or many) sightings have occurred since the 1970s.
Sicko
When it rains it pours:
I may be sick. I got a cough and have just been feeling run-down and like I just can’t do anything lately. I kept chalking it up to the pain from my neck and shoulders, etc., but that didn’t really account for the cough. So I had a friend come over to help me out, but she has an infant, so even though it was nice to have someone to help wash dishes, pick up around the house, and run to the store for me when I needed it, I ended up chasing after the baby and cleaning up more than I would have had they not been here, so I sent them home.
But not before the car broke down.
The battery cable snapped and I had to get a ride to the auto parts store and get a new one. Then my credit card was declined and it said I had a balance of like $5.00 on there... which makes absolutely no sense, seeing as how I had a balance of $75.00 Friday. I don’t suspect my friend at all; I suspect I either did my math wrong or the company didn’t credit the account in time or something. After all, she’s been here all the time because the car was down and my card has not left my wallet.
At any rate, I know I missed some deadlines for some of our sponsors and I apologize for that. But I think my past record speaks for itself; I have rarely missed deadlines without good reason, and this time, there were about ten good reasons.
I still feel like I just can’t get up and going, but - oh yeah! - we figured out that there is a gas leak in the house! That’s a good thing about having a girl around, even for just a few minutes: she actually lifted the stove to clean under it and discovered a pilot light was out. I have lit and relit that pilot light and everytime someone comes in, they claim it smells like gas, but I’ve gotten so used to it that I don’t notice. Still, that is likely why I am coughing and feeling so run down, so I have to put in a work order to have the maintenance folks come check it out.
Anyway, I have things to get to, including the library, so we’ll be back to normal here this week. Better, in fact, since I have a whole lot of business to take care of, meaning I will be making a lot of posts - most likely a lot of classic paranormal cases, just because I want some of those accounts on here.
I may be sick. I got a cough and have just been feeling run-down and like I just can’t do anything lately. I kept chalking it up to the pain from my neck and shoulders, etc., but that didn’t really account for the cough. So I had a friend come over to help me out, but she has an infant, so even though it was nice to have someone to help wash dishes, pick up around the house, and run to the store for me when I needed it, I ended up chasing after the baby and cleaning up more than I would have had they not been here, so I sent them home.
But not before the car broke down.
The battery cable snapped and I had to get a ride to the auto parts store and get a new one. Then my credit card was declined and it said I had a balance of like $5.00 on there... which makes absolutely no sense, seeing as how I had a balance of $75.00 Friday. I don’t suspect my friend at all; I suspect I either did my math wrong or the company didn’t credit the account in time or something. After all, she’s been here all the time because the car was down and my card has not left my wallet.
At any rate, I know I missed some deadlines for some of our sponsors and I apologize for that. But I think my past record speaks for itself; I have rarely missed deadlines without good reason, and this time, there were about ten good reasons.
I still feel like I just can’t get up and going, but - oh yeah! - we figured out that there is a gas leak in the house! That’s a good thing about having a girl around, even for just a few minutes: she actually lifted the stove to clean under it and discovered a pilot light was out. I have lit and relit that pilot light and everytime someone comes in, they claim it smells like gas, but I’ve gotten so used to it that I don’t notice. Still, that is likely why I am coughing and feeling so run down, so I have to put in a work order to have the maintenance folks come check it out.
Anyway, I have things to get to, including the library, so we’ll be back to normal here this week. Better, in fact, since I have a whole lot of business to take care of, meaning I will be making a lot of posts - most likely a lot of classic paranormal cases, just because I want some of those accounts on here.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Goings On
I posted about my brief encounter with a deer over on The Rundown, which left me without a car. And, of course, I stayed offline all day yesterday waiting for people who were supposed to come by and help me fix it to call - and they eventually did - at about 12:30 at night, to say they’d “fallen asleep” or couldn’t find the part, etc.
And I think I may be coming down with whatever it is that has been going around here lately. I got sick for a day or two last week (well, two Thursdays ago now) but thought I’d shaken it. Then I watched a neighbor’s kid while she went to the doctor’s the other day and I think I caught it again.
And, of course, now it’s raining. Hasn’t rained more than an inch all summer, so it will probably choose today - the one day I need to be outside under the hood of the car - to pour. Either way, I lost an entire day’s worth of work, not to mention that I haven’t gotten one damned thing done around this house either. So, rain or shine, I have just a ton of stuff to do today that I simply cannot put off.
I do have some posts here to make, but I have a veritable ton of stuff to get to on The Rundown, plus I have got to do something about this car, the trash, these dishes, and my clothes. I guess I can work naked - it’s not like anyone will notice - but checking the mail will certainly be interesting.
And I think I may be coming down with whatever it is that has been going around here lately. I got sick for a day or two last week (well, two Thursdays ago now) but thought I’d shaken it. Then I watched a neighbor’s kid while she went to the doctor’s the other day and I think I caught it again.
And, of course, now it’s raining. Hasn’t rained more than an inch all summer, so it will probably choose today - the one day I need to be outside under the hood of the car - to pour. Either way, I lost an entire day’s worth of work, not to mention that I haven’t gotten one damned thing done around this house either. So, rain or shine, I have just a ton of stuff to do today that I simply cannot put off.
I do have some posts here to make, but I have a veritable ton of stuff to get to on The Rundown, plus I have got to do something about this car, the trash, these dishes, and my clothes. I guess I can work naked - it’s not like anyone will notice - but checking the mail will certainly be interesting.
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Jersey Devil
This is one of my favorites:
The New Jersey Devil -- or "Jersey Devil," as it is often called -- is said to have appeared at different times, and in different areas around the world, throughout history. But, much like The Mothman, it actually only appeared in New Jersey once, in 1909 -- and left a lot of evidence to prove it.
One of the best, true cryptozoologic cases in the Folklore canon, the Jersey Devil was sighted by over 100 witnesses across 30 towns in the winter of 1909. It left tracks through the snow -- tracks that went across the fields and streets with the same apparent ease as they went up walls and across rooftops -- and, though reports differ, most claim that it left only one, solid line of what were indisputably hoofprints. This suggests the beast had only one leg and hopped to propel itself.
The eyewitness accounts varied wildly, but the composite drawing that was eventually accepted shows a creature with a horse’s head and body (however frail), with cloven hooves, and bat-like wings. Some say it breathed fire, though others insist it hissed, but the steam from its mouth most likely came from the cold and was just steam.
Among the witnesses were a minister and a policeman who shot at it. All of these sightings -- over 100 witnesses in 30 different cities -- occurred in and around the New England states on January 20th-22nd, 1909.
Though legends persist and pop-culture has made much of it, The Jersey Devil has never been seen nor heard from again. Several photographs of the tracks The Jersey Devil is claimed to have left behind exist, though they have long since been bought and are no longer in circulation. They may or may not be protected by copyright laws and so are not reprinted here. While no known photographs of the creature have ever surfaced, the most popular composite sketch of it is available anywhere online.
Some claim the New Jersey Devil story was an elaborate insurance scam but no one can be certain.
The New Jersey Devil -- or "Jersey Devil," as it is often called -- is said to have appeared at different times, and in different areas around the world, throughout history. But, much like The Mothman, it actually only appeared in New Jersey once, in 1909 -- and left a lot of evidence to prove it.
One of the best, true cryptozoologic cases in the Folklore canon, the Jersey Devil was sighted by over 100 witnesses across 30 towns in the winter of 1909. It left tracks through the snow -- tracks that went across the fields and streets with the same apparent ease as they went up walls and across rooftops -- and, though reports differ, most claim that it left only one, solid line of what were indisputably hoofprints. This suggests the beast had only one leg and hopped to propel itself.
The eyewitness accounts varied wildly, but the composite drawing that was eventually accepted shows a creature with a horse’s head and body (however frail), with cloven hooves, and bat-like wings. Some say it breathed fire, though others insist it hissed, but the steam from its mouth most likely came from the cold and was just steam.
Among the witnesses were a minister and a policeman who shot at it. All of these sightings -- over 100 witnesses in 30 different cities -- occurred in and around the New England states on January 20th-22nd, 1909.
Though legends persist and pop-culture has made much of it, The Jersey Devil has never been seen nor heard from again. Several photographs of the tracks The Jersey Devil is claimed to have left behind exist, though they have long since been bought and are no longer in circulation. They may or may not be protected by copyright laws and so are not reprinted here. While no known photographs of the creature have ever surfaced, the most popular composite sketch of it is available anywhere online.
Some claim the New Jersey Devil story was an elaborate insurance scam but no one can be certain.
But What Can I Do?
*This is a Sponsored Post*
I have always been concerned with the environment. It may have had to do with that commercial where the Indian stands alongside the road and cries a single tear; it may have had to do with reading about the problems involved in mining and processing coal and uranium; it may have had to do with reading up on Shamanism. Whatever the actual reasoning behind why I care so much for the environment is not exactly clear, but it is a real feeling. I’m not going to go all Al Gore on you or anything - and never have - I mean, I’m as guilty of pollution as anyone else, but I’m glad to see that more and more people are becoming aware. Of course, there is a long way to go, and I would love to see more people take the reigns and seek to educate others as to how to be more mindful of the environment and why it is so important.
Capella University, the fully-accredited online university we discuss so often, has 89 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs serving nearly 19,000 students worldwide, and one of the degrees they offer is in education. In fact, one graduate of capella university, Carla Chladek, is responsible for ensuring that the training needs are met for the 2,000 military members who support the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. You can see her interview on their podcast about her work as Program Manager for the Joint Staff Training Program at the Pentagon, as well as many other podcasts from Capella graduates and students who are making a positive change in our world.
Call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) now to find out how you can pursue you education and maybe help spread the news on how to help save the environment or just make this world that much better through your efforts in any field.
I have always been concerned with the environment. It may have had to do with that commercial where the Indian stands alongside the road and cries a single tear; it may have had to do with reading about the problems involved in mining and processing coal and uranium; it may have had to do with reading up on Shamanism. Whatever the actual reasoning behind why I care so much for the environment is not exactly clear, but it is a real feeling. I’m not going to go all Al Gore on you or anything - and never have - I mean, I’m as guilty of pollution as anyone else, but I’m glad to see that more and more people are becoming aware. Of course, there is a long way to go, and I would love to see more people take the reigns and seek to educate others as to how to be more mindful of the environment and why it is so important.
Capella University, the fully-accredited online university we discuss so often, has 89 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs serving nearly 19,000 students worldwide, and one of the degrees they offer is in education. In fact, one graduate of capella university, Carla Chladek, is responsible for ensuring that the training needs are met for the 2,000 military members who support the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. You can see her interview on their podcast about her work as Program Manager for the Joint Staff Training Program at the Pentagon, as well as many other podcasts from Capella graduates and students who are making a positive change in our world.
Call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) now to find out how you can pursue you education and maybe help spread the news on how to help save the environment or just make this world that much better through your efforts in any field.
It's Easy Being "Green"
With all this talk of “being green” and all of that lately, we have all heard at least a thousand “little” things we can do to cut down on our emissions, make our “eco-footprint” smaller, and on and on - and many of these are great ideas and not that hard to implement - but there is one I have not heard repeated often enough.
Reusing your coffee filters is a pretty good idea, sure. Recycling your cans simply by rinsing them out (cuts down on bugs and stench) and separating them from the rest of the trash - simple, quick, easy. Turning off your lights and other appliances when they are not in use - something we all should have always been doing anyway, just to save the money if nothing else. Wait until you have an actual load of dishes to do them, instead of washing every few dishes you dirty.
These are all great, simple ideas that require little more than (in most cases) a simple change of habit or behavior. But the one thing that seems to make more sense to me than all of these is
probably the easiest and least mentioned (that I’ve heard):
Eliminate paper and transportation waste by buying online.
And no, this is not a pitch to buy our patronage our sponsors - not even if they provide you with great sportswear you can use while enjoying the outdoors like any good eco-friendly cat (that’s totally tongue-in-cheek; this really isn’t a plug) - I’m being quite serious.
When you shop online, you don’t burn fossil fuels in transportation, you don’t need paper or plastic, you don’t use up paper with receipts - the list goes on and on. And if you use standard delivery, it comes right through the mail like any other package, so delivery companies don’t have to make the extra trip, saving even more fossil emissions.
Think global, shop global.
Reusing your coffee filters is a pretty good idea, sure. Recycling your cans simply by rinsing them out (cuts down on bugs and stench) and separating them from the rest of the trash - simple, quick, easy. Turning off your lights and other appliances when they are not in use - something we all should have always been doing anyway, just to save the money if nothing else. Wait until you have an actual load of dishes to do them, instead of washing every few dishes you dirty.
These are all great, simple ideas that require little more than (in most cases) a simple change of habit or behavior. But the one thing that seems to make more sense to me than all of these is
probably the easiest and least mentioned (that I’ve heard):Eliminate paper and transportation waste by buying online.
And no, this is not a pitch to buy our patronage our sponsors - not even if they provide you with great sportswear you can use while enjoying the outdoors like any good eco-friendly cat (that’s totally tongue-in-cheek; this really isn’t a plug) - I’m being quite serious.
When you shop online, you don’t burn fossil fuels in transportation, you don’t need paper or plastic, you don’t use up paper with receipts - the list goes on and on. And if you use standard delivery, it comes right through the mail like any other package, so delivery companies don’t have to make the extra trip, saving even more fossil emissions.
Think global, shop global.
Why Don't They Ever Predict Something "Big"?
In an interview on August 23rd, 1980, conducted by Lee Speigel, host of the NBC radio show, Unexplained Phenomena, psychic Alex Tanous made an eerie prediction. The interview was being taped for later broadcast and was held at the American Society for Psychical Research in New York City, right across from the Dakota Apartments. Speigel asked him if he could predict something that would be of interest to music fans across the world and this is the prediction Tanous made:
John Lennon was shot to death outside his apartment on December 8th, 1980. He lived at the Dakota, across the street from where the interview had been taped the month before.
Since Tanous had not named a specific person, Speigel had drawn up a list of five possibilities. John Lennon topped his list.
Source
- American Society for Psychical Research Newsletter, October, 1981
The prediction that I will make is that a very famous rock star will have an untimely death, and this can happen from this moment on. I say untimely death because there is something strange about his death, [that will affect the] consciousness of many people because of his fame.The taped interview was actually broadcast the night of September 5th, 1980.
John Lennon was shot to death outside his apartment on December 8th, 1980. He lived at the Dakota, across the street from where the interview had been taped the month before.
Since Tanous had not named a specific person, Speigel had drawn up a list of five possibilities. John Lennon topped his list.
Source
- American Society for Psychical Research Newsletter, October, 1981
No Time for School?
*This is a Sponsored Post*
Maybe you have considered going back to school to try something new or improve the job you do already, but figured against it due to the time you would lose in a classroom - all the time it would take away from doing what it is you already do. Sure, the pay off at the end of the day would be worth it, but can you afford to go back to school in the meantime?
Tammy Alexander recently received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for her work in developing and conducting cybersecurity awareness lectures and workshops for the general public, academia and law enforcement. Ms. Alexander is studying education with an emphasis on enrollment management at capella university, the premiere accredited online educational university. This gives her plenty of time to actually put her education into practice, instead of being shut into a brick and mortar classroom for several hours each day. You can find out more by checking out her interview on the podcast from Capella.
If you are considering going for a degree or just furthering your education for your present job, but are afraid of losing the time, then follow the link above or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) to find out more about how you can go back to school on your terms - and from home!
Maybe you have considered going back to school to try something new or improve the job you do already, but figured against it due to the time you would lose in a classroom - all the time it would take away from doing what it is you already do. Sure, the pay off at the end of the day would be worth it, but can you afford to go back to school in the meantime?
Tammy Alexander recently received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for her work in developing and conducting cybersecurity awareness lectures and workshops for the general public, academia and law enforcement. Ms. Alexander is studying education with an emphasis on enrollment management at capella university, the premiere accredited online educational university. This gives her plenty of time to actually put her education into practice, instead of being shut into a brick and mortar classroom for several hours each day. You can find out more by checking out her interview on the podcast from Capella.
If you are considering going for a degree or just furthering your education for your present job, but are afraid of losing the time, then follow the link above or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) to find out more about how you can go back to school on your terms - and from home!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wild Cats Around the World
Some time ago, while discussing the possible Werewolf event in Maine, I did some research which suggested that hybrids were not unique to the area. This led me into a study of all the strange cats said to prowl locations in the world who have been adamantly dismissed as being incapable of surviving there.
Yes, specimens have been caught, pictures have been taken, eyewitness reports have been docked by the thousands... but, of course, many mainstream scientists refuse to put their "reputations" on the line to entertain the fact that they could be wrong about something - well, anything - when it comes to cryptozoology.
So I know I went off a little bit on those with that attitude (that these things simply do not exist and anyone who thinks they do or claims to have seen them are either stupid or mistaken ) but I felt justified at the time and, honestly, if the next “scientific study” I hear has to do with how blowing winds can cause a breeze... well, you get my point. I'm justified.
Anyway, at the time, it reinvigorated my interest in cryptozoology and things, so I started the old Odbblog and focused on a lot of that. I told you that I also have a lot of information on pumas and great cats in Europe, big dogs in London, and even stranger things elsewhere, and I would bring you more of those stories.
But these things take some research because of the very breadth of the topic, so I am doing that right now and will be bringing you new stories in increments throughout the next few days.
Yes, specimens have been caught, pictures have been taken, eyewitness reports have been docked by the thousands... but, of course, many mainstream scientists refuse to put their "reputations" on the line to entertain the fact that they could be wrong about something - well, anything - when it comes to cryptozoology.
So I know I went off a little bit on those with that attitude (that these things simply do not exist and anyone who thinks they do or claims to have seen them are either stupid or mistaken ) but I felt justified at the time and, honestly, if the next “scientific study” I hear has to do with how blowing winds can cause a breeze... well, you get my point. I'm justified.
Anyway, at the time, it reinvigorated my interest in cryptozoology and things, so I started the old Odbblog and focused on a lot of that. I told you that I also have a lot of information on pumas and great cats in Europe, big dogs in London, and even stranger things elsewhere, and I would bring you more of those stories.
But these things take some research because of the very breadth of the topic, so I am doing that right now and will be bringing you new stories in increments throughout the next few days.
A Truly Local Shower
This is one of the accounts I read a long, long time ago and could never get out of my head - I think you’ll see why. It makes no sense whatsoever and, excepting the specific event itself, fits no real stereotype or cliche:
One clear, summer morning, an Oyster Bay, NY, science teacher was in his driveway when he saw a small, dark cloud circling above his house. According the the victim, it appeared to move and change shape from a small globe to a larger sphere, then finally to some sort of dark vaporous, “something” which split its “lips” and sprayed both he and his car with a stream of liquid.
The cloud vanished completely. The teacher changed his clothes but kept the ones he had been wearing for examination at his school lab, where the liquid proved to be 100% water.
That's a spooky story. If true.
One clear, summer morning, an Oyster Bay, NY, science teacher was in his driveway when he saw a small, dark cloud circling above his house. According the the victim, it appeared to move and change shape from a small globe to a larger sphere, then finally to some sort of dark vaporous, “something” which split its “lips” and sprayed both he and his car with a stream of liquid.
The cloud vanished completely. The teacher changed his clothes but kept the ones he had been wearing for examination at his school lab, where the liquid proved to be 100% water.
That's a spooky story. If true.
Things What Done Fell From the Sky, Pt. 4 - Anomalous Showers
Showers from an otherwise cloudless skies are not unheard of. I have experienced them many time in my thus short lifetime, though they fairly seem last long. On many of these occasions, they occurred when it was particularly humid and the brief rainfall did more to increase the heat and humidity than relieve it. Here, then, are a few that go slightly further:
- Charlotte, NC, October 21st, 1886: According to the Charlotte Chronicle, and confirmed for the US Signal Coprs by an observer who reported to the Monthly Weather Review, everyday between 4:47 PM and 4:55 PM, rain drops fell from a cloudless sky, "...sometimes over... half an acre, but always appears to center at these two trees." The phenomena was observed several times, the stopped as abruptly as it had begun.
- Aiken, South Carolina (approx. the same time - late October), rain from fell morning until late night over two graves in a local cemetery and nowhere else. This was observed by hundreds of locals.
- While traveling down a two-lane highway with my family in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee back when I was truly a young boy - somewhere near puberty - we went down a highway for over 3-5 solid minutes in complete sunshine while on the other side of the street, it was literally raining so hard they were pulling over! The division was almost completely down the middle line of the road and when it curved, it really seemed to curve with it! While a truly weird experience for my family and I (as well as passersby who were waving, incredulously), I was a child and this was the early 80s (if that), so no recording of this was made, though one may exist.
Professor in Parapsychology
*This is a Sponsored Post*
I told you how a real Parapsychologist needs a degree in psychology, but as the concepts with which such researchers deal are becoming increasingly more mainstream and acceptable to the general public, you should also know that there is a dearth of accredited teachers for these subjects and disciplines. A degree in education to back up your field experience and knowledge would put you on a very short list and solidify your standing as an actual expert in the field.
And what better way to get this degree than from an accredited online school, such as capella university? Founded in 1993, Capella is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis, and serves nearly 18,000 students in all states and over 50 countries worldwide. If you want to see just how effective their programs are, then go check out the podcast featuring Tammy Alexander, a master’s degree student at Capella University, who was awarded the 2006 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for her work as the director for information assurance and cybersecurity training at Fountainhead College of Technology in Knoxville, Tenn.
Follow the link above for more information, or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) to see what they offer that could help forward your career in our little niche pursuit!
I told you how a real Parapsychologist needs a degree in psychology, but as the concepts with which such researchers deal are becoming increasingly more mainstream and acceptable to the general public, you should also know that there is a dearth of accredited teachers for these subjects and disciplines. A degree in education to back up your field experience and knowledge would put you on a very short list and solidify your standing as an actual expert in the field.
And what better way to get this degree than from an accredited online school, such as capella university? Founded in 1993, Capella is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis, and serves nearly 18,000 students in all states and over 50 countries worldwide. If you want to see just how effective their programs are, then go check out the podcast featuring Tammy Alexander, a master’s degree student at Capella University, who was awarded the 2006 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for her work as the director for information assurance and cybersecurity training at Fountainhead College of Technology in Knoxville, Tenn.
Follow the link above for more information, or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) to see what they offer that could help forward your career in our little niche pursuit!
American Hauntings - Hazel Green: The Haunted House of Seven Husbands
The official Alabama Guide Book describes one Ms. Elizabeth Gibbons-Flanigan-Jeffries-High-Brown-Routt, nee Dale, as "a fascinating lady of many marriages." All that is known of her is that she liked horses and expensive clothes.
And that she married six times, and all six husbands died within short order of the nuptials.
She was the beautiful daughter of Adam Dale, the first settler of DeKalb County in Tennessee, and founder of the town of Liberty. Alexander Jeffries, soon to be her third husband, built a log cabin on an old Indian burial mound not long after their marriage... and right before he died mysteriously. Her fourth husband, Mr. High, married her soon after -- and died soon after that. The cabin was later replaced by the large house of Hazel Green, built by Elizabeth’s fifth husband, Absolam Brown, shortly before his death of unknown circumstances. Though gossip flew, her next suitor, Willis Routt, was undeterred... and also died of unknown circumstances soon after they tied the knot.
In all, every husband Elizabeth ever had died of unknown circumstances very shortly after their marriage to her. So she converted the home into a tavern for mule drovers, as it was located on the old road to Nashville. She became embroiled in a quarrel with a neighbor, one Abner Tate, whom she persuaded her next suitor (a D.H. Bingham) to charge with murder. In a scathing published defense, Tate alleged Mrs. Gibbons-Flanigan-Jeffries-High-Brown-Routt’s bridal chamber was "a charnal [sic] house... around whose marriage couch six grinning skeletons were already hung."
Elizabeth countersued for defamation of character, but the $50,000 suit went unanswered except by public opinion, and Elizabeth sold her house and left the state. Adam Dale, who settled in DeKalb County in 1797, died in Hazel Green in 1851, and was presumed to have been living in his daughter’s house. The Alabama Guide Book says he was buried in the family cemetery on the grounds, but rumor holds that surviving children moved his body to Columbia, TN after his wife died, and left the marker.
Residents insist that seven mens' hats -- those of Elizabeth’s mysteriously-departed husbands -- hang in the closet.
But Elizabeth only married six times, as far as anyone knows...
So, to whom does the seventh hat belong?
And that she married six times, and all six husbands died within short order of the nuptials.
She was the beautiful daughter of Adam Dale, the first settler of DeKalb County in Tennessee, and founder of the town of Liberty. Alexander Jeffries, soon to be her third husband, built a log cabin on an old Indian burial mound not long after their marriage... and right before he died mysteriously. Her fourth husband, Mr. High, married her soon after -- and died soon after that. The cabin was later replaced by the large house of Hazel Green, built by Elizabeth’s fifth husband, Absolam Brown, shortly before his death of unknown circumstances. Though gossip flew, her next suitor, Willis Routt, was undeterred... and also died of unknown circumstances soon after they tied the knot.
In all, every husband Elizabeth ever had died of unknown circumstances very shortly after their marriage to her. So she converted the home into a tavern for mule drovers, as it was located on the old road to Nashville. She became embroiled in a quarrel with a neighbor, one Abner Tate, whom she persuaded her next suitor (a D.H. Bingham) to charge with murder. In a scathing published defense, Tate alleged Mrs. Gibbons-Flanigan-Jeffries-High-Brown-Routt’s bridal chamber was "a charnal [sic] house... around whose marriage couch six grinning skeletons were already hung."
Elizabeth countersued for defamation of character, but the $50,000 suit went unanswered except by public opinion, and Elizabeth sold her house and left the state. Adam Dale, who settled in DeKalb County in 1797, died in Hazel Green in 1851, and was presumed to have been living in his daughter’s house. The Alabama Guide Book says he was buried in the family cemetery on the grounds, but rumor holds that surviving children moved his body to Columbia, TN after his wife died, and left the marker.
Residents insist that seven mens' hats -- those of Elizabeth’s mysteriously-departed husbands -- hang in the closet.
But Elizabeth only married six times, as far as anyone knows...
So, to whom does the seventh hat belong?
Another Quick Technical Note
I know I mentioned this a few times lately, but I wanted to reiterate the point because I am still having a veritable buttload of problems FTPing the blog to the site. I also heard that some people have been having issues getting into The Speakeasy and possibly some of the other functions on the site.
Blogger keeps giving me these “Your blog is taking longer to publish than normal, to continue waiting for it to finish, click here” messages. I literally sat here and refreshed that damned thing for 10 minutes - seriously! 10 minutes - last night. I know it was that long because I was watching Ghost Hunters and it went through two commercial breaks and returned before the effing thing published! Like I mentioned, Google admitted they’d been having some issues and Blogger is doing all this new “Blogger in Draft” stuff (which is just a new name for the Blogger Beta program they were doing a few months back), so there’s definitely some issues on this end.
I do not know why some people cannot get into The Speakeasy. It logged me out over the weekend after someone tried to use a Harvester program to get our names and the security programs stopped it and blocked the IP from which it came. Harvester programs run through chatboards and message forums and record everyone’s user name, then starts spamming them with Private Messages. Since this one was apparently stopped (knock wood), it may have kind of reset the forums and kicked everyone out, so you should just have to log back in. You may have to clear your cache for it to completely refresh, though.
You cannot post to The Humidor until you have made like 5-10 posts on other forums in The Speakeasy. Sorry, but it’s just a little extra measure to cut down on the spam and flaming. By the time you introduce yourself in The Lobby and some of those other places and respond to others saying hi and so forth, you’ll be able to post as much as you want there.
But since these issues seem to crop-up on the weekend (almost every weekend, lately), I am really trying to crank-out as many posts as I can today and tomorrow so that I’m not sitting here, fuming, for 10 minutes at a time all weekend long, waiting for posts to publish.
I’m sorry if it gives you WAY too much to read or fumbles your feeds, but I hope you understand. If you just don’t have the time to check out everything that comes up the next few days, read a couple entries today, then Saturday, then Sunday (especially since I will likely only make one or two entries both those days - maybe), and you should be caught-up by Monday.
I have no control over how these servers work and I apologize for that.
Blogger keeps giving me these “Your blog is taking longer to publish than normal, to continue waiting for it to finish, click here” messages. I literally sat here and refreshed that damned thing for 10 minutes - seriously! 10 minutes - last night. I know it was that long because I was watching Ghost Hunters and it went through two commercial breaks and returned before the effing thing published! Like I mentioned, Google admitted they’d been having some issues and Blogger is doing all this new “Blogger in Draft” stuff (which is just a new name for the Blogger Beta program they were doing a few months back), so there’s definitely some issues on this end.
I do not know why some people cannot get into The Speakeasy. It logged me out over the weekend after someone tried to use a Harvester program to get our names and the security programs stopped it and blocked the IP from which it came. Harvester programs run through chatboards and message forums and record everyone’s user name, then starts spamming them with Private Messages. Since this one was apparently stopped (knock wood), it may have kind of reset the forums and kicked everyone out, so you should just have to log back in. You may have to clear your cache for it to completely refresh, though.
You cannot post to The Humidor until you have made like 5-10 posts on other forums in The Speakeasy. Sorry, but it’s just a little extra measure to cut down on the spam and flaming. By the time you introduce yourself in The Lobby and some of those other places and respond to others saying hi and so forth, you’ll be able to post as much as you want there.
But since these issues seem to crop-up on the weekend (almost every weekend, lately), I am really trying to crank-out as many posts as I can today and tomorrow so that I’m not sitting here, fuming, for 10 minutes at a time all weekend long, waiting for posts to publish.
I’m sorry if it gives you WAY too much to read or fumbles your feeds, but I hope you understand. If you just don’t have the time to check out everything that comes up the next few days, read a couple entries today, then Saturday, then Sunday (especially since I will likely only make one or two entries both those days - maybe), and you should be caught-up by Monday.
I have no control over how these servers work and I apologize for that.
Oldest Galaxies Found?
Astronomers have announced that they may have found light from what are thought to be the oldest stars in the universe. They say they knew exactly where to look, as well as the specific zoom lenses they needed to use, and have had the stars in their sights for nearly two years now. They have tested and retested their results and are no confident their assessment is correct, though they admit their will be skeptics. The entire findings have taken some three years’ of painstaking work.
Perhaps the most important findings of this study are that, since the scientists involved were focused on such a small area of the sky, these galaxies must be very numerous.
- Source: BBC
Perhaps the most important findings of this study are that, since the scientists involved were focused on such a small area of the sky, these galaxies must be very numerous.
- Source: BBC
Headless Spirits
There are a host of apparitions who are said to appear headless, many of whom are said to carry their heads. A lot of these were actually known to have died by decapitation or to have had their heads removed after their deaths - Anne Boleyn being one of the more famous of these. Others though appear without their heads for no known reason. Of these, their headless appearances are often reported only sometimes; they are also seen with their heads fully intact.
While reading on this, something struck me as to the extensive research I did many, many, many years ago for a comic book project involving vampires: in many cases, particularly if the victim had died of Consumption or possessed a good color for a long time after death, certain measures were taken to ensure the corpse did not return as a vampire. One of these measures was to decapitate the body and either bury the head separately or burn it. Then, of course, there is also the matter of grave robbers, which continued to be a serious problem well into the 19th-Century.
Now, this may sound like a stretch, but since one of the prominent ideas concerning hauntings is that disturbing one’s grave can upset their spirit, it logically follows that cutting one’s head off would disturb their spirit.
Now, this is just a theory that obviously hasn’t really been put to any sort of testing, but I think it a pretty good one. This says absolutely nothing about headless horsemen, which are often seen as portents of impending doom or death, and are most likely Elemental in nature (and quite possibly Daemonic).
While reading on this, something struck me as to the extensive research I did many, many, many years ago for a comic book project involving vampires: in many cases, particularly if the victim had died of Consumption or possessed a good color for a long time after death, certain measures were taken to ensure the corpse did not return as a vampire. One of these measures was to decapitate the body and either bury the head separately or burn it. Then, of course, there is also the matter of grave robbers, which continued to be a serious problem well into the 19th-Century.
Now, this may sound like a stretch, but since one of the prominent ideas concerning hauntings is that disturbing one’s grave can upset their spirit, it logically follows that cutting one’s head off would disturb their spirit.
Now, this is just a theory that obviously hasn’t really been put to any sort of testing, but I think it a pretty good one. This says absolutely nothing about headless horsemen, which are often seen as portents of impending doom or death, and are most likely Elemental in nature (and quite possibly Daemonic).
Parapsychology Requires a Degree in Psychology
*This is a Sponsored Post*
Parapsychology is not a very respected or well-accepted field, but I think a lot of mainstream people tend not to know that while very few places offer such a degree, one of the prerequisites is a degree in Psychology. Degrees in Psychology can be expensive and take a very long time if you go about it the old-fashioned, brick-and-mortar way, but if you choose to pursue it online from an accredited a reputable school, such as capella university, which offers a graduate degree in the field.
And before you think this means you are just grabbing a sub-par degree from an online source, you should know that one recent Capella PhD student, Carla Chladek now works as Program Manager for the Joint Staff Training Program at the Pentagon! You can go online right now and see a 15-minute podcast interviewing her discussing what she does, as well as pursuing her master’s in education at capella. You can even subscribe to these podcasts, if you so choose.
No matter what career you are looking into, Capella offers 89 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs, so you’re sure to come across at least a few fields that could help you along your way. Check out their site or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) for more information!
Parapsychology is not a very respected or well-accepted field, but I think a lot of mainstream people tend not to know that while very few places offer such a degree, one of the prerequisites is a degree in Psychology. Degrees in Psychology can be expensive and take a very long time if you go about it the old-fashioned, brick-and-mortar way, but if you choose to pursue it online from an accredited a reputable school, such as capella university, which offers a graduate degree in the field.
And before you think this means you are just grabbing a sub-par degree from an online source, you should know that one recent Capella PhD student, Carla Chladek now works as Program Manager for the Joint Staff Training Program at the Pentagon! You can go online right now and see a 15-minute podcast interviewing her discussing what she does, as well as pursuing her master’s in education at capella. You can even subscribe to these podcasts, if you so choose.
No matter what career you are looking into, Capella offers 89 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs, so you’re sure to come across at least a few fields that could help you along your way. Check out their site or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) for more information!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Destination Truth - 07-11-2007
Now, I know Destination Truth has had a few early critics, who noted that few of the episodes have turned up any real... Truth, but I tend to disagree (the ghostly evidence collected in the mausoleum or whatever it was was particularly strong). As something of an armchair authority on all things Odd, you have to understand that this is very largely the case in nearly all cryptozoological outings - hell, Supernatural hunts, as well. The simple fact of the matter is that cryptozoology is not a well-funded field; the vast majority of those envoys foot their own expeditions, which results in extremely short amounts of time for doing research. Once you track down eyewitnesses you can depend on (or at least give them the benefit of the doubt), you have to listen to their accounts, talk them into taking you to where they saw the phenomena (or get them to lead you to someone who will), so on and so forth. Most of the time, no matter what kind of guide you find, they’re usually full of shit and you lose your money, time, and a lot of the cryptozoologists lose their patience - still, even if they persevere, they rarely have enough ample equipment and time to undertake any major operation. A night, or maybe a week, at best to actually do their hunting.
Most pictures, eyewitness accounts (not good “evidence”) and encounters have occurred spontaneously, on the spur of the moment. This accounts for the bad camerawork and blurry photos, as well as those which show only quick glimpses of vague shapes making (admittedly, in many case, large or unusual) ripples and waves. Entire undertakings - very systematic, scientifically-based undertakings - have occurred on Loch Ness with little to no evidence being collected.
So Josh and company went in search of the African lake monster, the Mamlambo. The interesting thing about this creature is that it is said to be a maneater - perhaps only the Mokele Mbembe of the Congo possesses this same trait. It is undeniable that as many as five victims have washed ashore, mutilated and half-eaten. Fear of the creature so seized the villagers that at least one hunter was hired to seek it out and destroy it - without luck. The other interesting thing is that it follows one of the classic, and most oft-reported descriptions of many lake and river monsters: it has the head of a horse and the body of a fish.
Unfortunately, the team found no conclusive evidence of anything, other than a possible crocodile. Crocodiles also eat and mutilate people in rivers in South Africa. While an exciting hunt, still basically a bust.
The second case was far more intriguing, though I have one trick I can tell you about that questions some of the “evidence” they collected:
The Tokeloshe is some sort of creature said to be “like the wind.” Even though some renderings of the supposed creature exist, which portray it as being akin to a small monkey and reminds you of many of the pictures and renditions you have seen of the Chupacabra. While thought to be flesh and blood, it is said to be able to assume incorporeal form and prefer sour milk.
They baited it with curdled milk and - on film - one bottle did seem to tip slightly once, then tip even farther shortly afterward. Moments after the bottle’s second movement, a truly bizarre image appeared around the bottle just for a split-second. It appeared to have both, small arms and hands thrown to stage left (right on the TV) as thought it were throwing a discus or perhaps trying to throw the bottle.
Professional film analysis could not explain the misty image which appeared only momentarily, and the bottle definitely moved, but here’s a stage trick (and sometimes bar con):
You can “tip” an egg by placing salt beneath it. I won’t get into the exact details, but it’s a well-known con-game. The egg will list to one side without actually falling over. That was the very first thing I thought of when I saw the bottle list the way it did - as though someone had placed salt beneath a sheet on which the bottle set, then ever so slightly tugged at it from off-camera so that it listed on its own without ever falling.
I believe - 100% - in what these guys are doing and what this show is trying to accomplish and bring into the mainstream, but I would be remiss not to inform you of this old “magic” trick.
Most pictures, eyewitness accounts (not good “evidence”) and encounters have occurred spontaneously, on the spur of the moment. This accounts for the bad camerawork and blurry photos, as well as those which show only quick glimpses of vague shapes making (admittedly, in many case, large or unusual) ripples and waves. Entire undertakings - very systematic, scientifically-based undertakings - have occurred on Loch Ness with little to no evidence being collected.
So Josh and company went in search of the African lake monster, the Mamlambo. The interesting thing about this creature is that it is said to be a maneater - perhaps only the Mokele Mbembe of the Congo possesses this same trait. It is undeniable that as many as five victims have washed ashore, mutilated and half-eaten. Fear of the creature so seized the villagers that at least one hunter was hired to seek it out and destroy it - without luck. The other interesting thing is that it follows one of the classic, and most oft-reported descriptions of many lake and river monsters: it has the head of a horse and the body of a fish.
Unfortunately, the team found no conclusive evidence of anything, other than a possible crocodile. Crocodiles also eat and mutilate people in rivers in South Africa. While an exciting hunt, still basically a bust.
The second case was far more intriguing, though I have one trick I can tell you about that questions some of the “evidence” they collected:
The Tokeloshe is some sort of creature said to be “like the wind.” Even though some renderings of the supposed creature exist, which portray it as being akin to a small monkey and reminds you of many of the pictures and renditions you have seen of the Chupacabra. While thought to be flesh and blood, it is said to be able to assume incorporeal form and prefer sour milk.
They baited it with curdled milk and - on film - one bottle did seem to tip slightly once, then tip even farther shortly afterward. Moments after the bottle’s second movement, a truly bizarre image appeared around the bottle just for a split-second. It appeared to have both, small arms and hands thrown to stage left (right on the TV) as thought it were throwing a discus or perhaps trying to throw the bottle.
Professional film analysis could not explain the misty image which appeared only momentarily, and the bottle definitely moved, but here’s a stage trick (and sometimes bar con):
You can “tip” an egg by placing salt beneath it. I won’t get into the exact details, but it’s a well-known con-game. The egg will list to one side without actually falling over. That was the very first thing I thought of when I saw the bottle list the way it did - as though someone had placed salt beneath a sheet on which the bottle set, then ever so slightly tugged at it from off-camera so that it listed on its own without ever falling.
I believe - 100% - in what these guys are doing and what this show is trying to accomplish and bring into the mainstream, but I would be remiss not to inform you of this old “magic” trick.
A Whole Lot to Get To
Between having to rush all over town at the first of the month to pay bills (I didn’t realize the 4th was a Wednesday, which meant that if I hadn’t gotten a lot of my bills out by Tuesday, they stood a good chance of getting caught between the holiday and weekend and being late), then getting sick for a day or two there (Bronchitis, chest cold, something - something is definitely going around where I live, I found out), then both Google and - apparently - my own site server having some issues through the weekend into this week, and on and on, I haven’t been able to get to as many of the things as I had planned to as soon as I wanted to.
Sometimes when this happens, I tend to just forget about them and skip them, but with this blog in particular, anything I haven’t covered is still "news" (The Rundown is far more timely, due to its very nature, but I have a whole lot to do there over the next 2-3 days, too) and I have a whole lot of stuff I really want to post and either started drafts for and never finished or just made notes on.
I’ll get to tonight's Destination Truth in just a few minutes, then I’ve got another Things What Done Fell From the Sky entry, I promised some pieces on big cats and phantom dogs, as well as the Mad Gasser(s) thing that went down - a truly classic piece of paranormal lore - but there was also a theory I held on Headless Apparitions (they’re not always horsemen) that, while not really strong, per se, struck me as I was reading about them a week or so back, and I just wanted to get it out there. You never know when the silliest-sounding idea or theory could one day be reviewed in a different light and be found to be, if not correct, at least helpful - regardless of how silly or far-fetched it may have seemed at the time.
So since I have been slow lately, I decided I would go on and do my best to get them all out before Friday (or at least by Saturday), just in case something comes up over the weekend or whatever, where I could afford to take a quick break.
So settle in and get your reading glasses. There’s going to be a slew of new posts in short order.
Sometimes when this happens, I tend to just forget about them and skip them, but with this blog in particular, anything I haven’t covered is still "news" (The Rundown is far more timely, due to its very nature, but I have a whole lot to do there over the next 2-3 days, too) and I have a whole lot of stuff I really want to post and either started drafts for and never finished or just made notes on.
I’ll get to tonight's Destination Truth in just a few minutes, then I’ve got another Things What Done Fell From the Sky entry, I promised some pieces on big cats and phantom dogs, as well as the Mad Gasser(s) thing that went down - a truly classic piece of paranormal lore - but there was also a theory I held on Headless Apparitions (they’re not always horsemen) that, while not really strong, per se, struck me as I was reading about them a week or so back, and I just wanted to get it out there. You never know when the silliest-sounding idea or theory could one day be reviewed in a different light and be found to be, if not correct, at least helpful - regardless of how silly or far-fetched it may have seemed at the time.
So since I have been slow lately, I decided I would go on and do my best to get them all out before Friday (or at least by Saturday), just in case something comes up over the weekend or whatever, where I could afford to take a quick break.
So settle in and get your reading glasses. There’s going to be a slew of new posts in short order.
Ghost Hunters - 07-11-2007
Okay, so I dropped some new information on you earlier today on Brian Harnois and T.A.P.S. in general, but you saw that Donna and Brian were both on tonight’s episode and they have been on pretty much every episode this season so far. They also haven’t made any mention of their leaving yet, so... but it has been confirmed.
Still, the lead-in repeats tonight were the ones where Brian got chastised for losing all the equipment, then where Andy got chastised for being so hyper, and I don’t think that was by accident. However, everything I’ve read suggests that all parties concerned have been very cool about the whole thing, and with Brian Harnois’ new additions to his family, maybe he, Donna, and Andy just weren’t interested in doing all the traveling the team has been doing the last several years... though it may be possible that Brian was a little miffed that Steve took over, first, his tech job, and then leadership responsibilities.
Still, the first case tonight was largely a bust and reiterates what I’d said about Steve’s assessment of things on the last new episode, where he was allowed to lead (last week, they did a Twilight Zone marathon that preempted the show). There just wasn’t enough conclusive evidence to suggest that either place was haunted, but it is certainly okay to say that nothing eliminates the possibility of paranormal activity in the area.
The second case was far more interesting and showed definite signs of activity, including recorded evidence with which the team was presented before they ever began the investigation, caught by a City Hall employee on an unmanned webcam. They caught some very pertinent EVPs which appeared to confirm reports of hearing children laughing and also experienced some physically audible events.
Also, Jay discussed the definition of the term "residual haunting," which is definitely popular amongst hunters, but what we here prefer to refer to as veridical imagery.
Still a fantastic show and easily one of the only reality shows that is not only entertaining, but also educational and downright important.
Still, the lead-in repeats tonight were the ones where Brian got chastised for losing all the equipment, then where Andy got chastised for being so hyper, and I don’t think that was by accident. However, everything I’ve read suggests that all parties concerned have been very cool about the whole thing, and with Brian Harnois’ new additions to his family, maybe he, Donna, and Andy just weren’t interested in doing all the traveling the team has been doing the last several years... though it may be possible that Brian was a little miffed that Steve took over, first, his tech job, and then leadership responsibilities.
Still, the first case tonight was largely a bust and reiterates what I’d said about Steve’s assessment of things on the last new episode, where he was allowed to lead (last week, they did a Twilight Zone marathon that preempted the show). There just wasn’t enough conclusive evidence to suggest that either place was haunted, but it is certainly okay to say that nothing eliminates the possibility of paranormal activity in the area.
The second case was far more interesting and showed definite signs of activity, including recorded evidence with which the team was presented before they ever began the investigation, caught by a City Hall employee on an unmanned webcam. They caught some very pertinent EVPs which appeared to confirm reports of hearing children laughing and also experienced some physically audible events.
Also, Jay discussed the definition of the term "residual haunting," which is definitely popular amongst hunters, but what we here prefer to refer to as veridical imagery.
Still a fantastic show and easily one of the only reality shows that is not only entertaining, but also educational and downright important.
Statement of Purpose and a Note on Safety
My intention is to fashion this blog into a real resource of what I [think I] know, as well as what I’ve read from authorities and experts on the matters involved. And, hopefully along the way, find out if what I thought I knew was right, wrong, or at least put some smarter people on the right path to figuring it out. I can say this much: until you've actually experienced the paranormal or Supernatural, then you really can't even imagine it. If you think that's some sort of cop-out, you're a stage magician.
I do not practice, nor do I wish to promote, the Occult. But a good foundation in such beliefs is key to the investigation of the Supernatural.
I do not suggest going out into the wilderness alone (nor even with a small group of UNCERTIFIED people) to hunt for the Unknown. Specifically, here, I am talking about animals - I'm holding out hope that most zoologists don't go on shoestring-budgeted cryptozoology hunts because they don't figure to stumble upon a Bigfoot "nest" unprepared, and not just because they dismiss such a possibility out of hand (though many - but not all - do) - but also ghost hunts.
People die in their homes and no one knows it for weeks, so dying in the middle of the wilderness from something as simple as a snakebite or a broken ankle is not a far-fetched possibility. And you might never be found!
There is a snake in the Congo that owns the road on which it lays, and all what surrounds it. It tried to strike at a helicopter, 50' off the ground - twice - as the people inside tried to hover close enough to photograph it (and they did photograph it). There is a pleisiosaur in Lake Champlain; there are puma in England and Bigfoot in America. Photographs for all these things exist - many, many. These are not "Unknown" animals, they are not even uncatalogued, but they are argued not to exist. Of course, you really don’t want to rush right out into the woods to prove the skeptics wrong only to find out you were right... and find out that these creatures that aren't supposed to exist are not only real, but mean!
It is foolish to taunt or tempt these things because they are a lot bigger than you and even if they aren’t, they’re wild animals; chasing them with cameras or walking willy-nilly into their territory is not a good idea. I personally believe that a lot of these things do exist and there is a lot of evidence which leads me to think this; in other cases, there are lots of eyewitness accounts which make me suspect that there might at least be more to the story (there is a reason things become story, and not all of them are because your parents were so smart).
I think keeping an open mind is key to any field of science, but you need your goggles and your headgear and put on your gloves and condoms, and I'm not kidding; safety first.
Also remember that all forms of science were once considered “fringe” science - from archaeology to psychology and all points between - so what we are attempting to figure out is, we all agree, real; we just don't know what the hell we're doing yet.
I do not practice, nor do I wish to promote, the Occult. But a good foundation in such beliefs is key to the investigation of the Supernatural.
I do not suggest going out into the wilderness alone (nor even with a small group of UNCERTIFIED people) to hunt for the Unknown. Specifically, here, I am talking about animals - I'm holding out hope that most zoologists don't go on shoestring-budgeted cryptozoology hunts because they don't figure to stumble upon a Bigfoot "nest" unprepared, and not just because they dismiss such a possibility out of hand (though many - but not all - do) - but also ghost hunts.
People die in their homes and no one knows it for weeks, so dying in the middle of the wilderness from something as simple as a snakebite or a broken ankle is not a far-fetched possibility. And you might never be found!
There is a snake in the Congo that owns the road on which it lays, and all what surrounds it. It tried to strike at a helicopter, 50' off the ground - twice - as the people inside tried to hover close enough to photograph it (and they did photograph it). There is a pleisiosaur in Lake Champlain; there are puma in England and Bigfoot in America. Photographs for all these things exist - many, many. These are not "Unknown" animals, they are not even uncatalogued, but they are argued not to exist. Of course, you really don’t want to rush right out into the woods to prove the skeptics wrong only to find out you were right... and find out that these creatures that aren't supposed to exist are not only real, but mean!
It is foolish to taunt or tempt these things because they are a lot bigger than you and even if they aren’t, they’re wild animals; chasing them with cameras or walking willy-nilly into their territory is not a good idea. I personally believe that a lot of these things do exist and there is a lot of evidence which leads me to think this; in other cases, there are lots of eyewitness accounts which make me suspect that there might at least be more to the story (there is a reason things become story, and not all of them are because your parents were so smart).
I think keeping an open mind is key to any field of science, but you need your goggles and your headgear and put on your gloves and condoms, and I'm not kidding; safety first.
Also remember that all forms of science were once considered “fringe” science - from archaeology to psychology and all points between - so what we are attempting to figure out is, we all agree, real; we just don't know what the hell we're doing yet.
Breaking News on Brian and TAPS
Well, I have definitely been out of The Loop! It seems that Brian, Donna, and Andy have split from the T.A.P.S. family and created their own team -- something about DBA "The Project" or something -- and some unruly creep has already cybersquatted on their possible domain and started slandering T.A.P.S. as though he/they were actually Brian, Donna, et.al.
Donna posted an entry on Brian's MySpace blog about this.
Meanwhile, back at the base, some jackasses with a website called SkepticalAnalysis have been harassing T.A.P.S. -- complaining to governmental authorities that they are pretending to be a non-profit organization, and even went so far as to post Jay's personal home information online! Jay gives the details on that in his MySpace blog.
It sounds to me like this same rinky-dink, chickenshit group is responsible for both acts, though I have no way of knowing that. Someone on Brian's blog mentioned that they found the guy who had set up the site's name and personal information.
Someone said Brian had been fired from T.A.P.S., but I found nothing that mentioned that.
Donna posted an entry on Brian's MySpace blog about this.
Meanwhile, back at the base, some jackasses with a website called SkepticalAnalysis have been harassing T.A.P.S. -- complaining to governmental authorities that they are pretending to be a non-profit organization, and even went so far as to post Jay's personal home information online! Jay gives the details on that in his MySpace blog.
It sounds to me like this same rinky-dink, chickenshit group is responsible for both acts, though I have no way of knowing that. Someone on Brian's blog mentioned that they found the guy who had set up the site's name and personal information.
Someone said Brian had been fired from T.A.P.S., but I found nothing that mentioned that.
On Brian Harnois
Hey, guys (and gals -- that's a given, just so you know)!
I'd just like to thank you all for checking out the blog. I know how most people think this stuff "crazy," and those of us who care about it to be the same. Just so you know, I've been researching all of this stuff since I was old enough to read. I started reading at about age two. I don't like to think of myself as "crazy," but I understand that subjects such as this are, far and away, off of most peoples' spectrums.
And I'm not calling anyone "dumb" or anything like that; I mean that going to work to pay for your kids' meals, clothing, and dental work trumps pondering the existence of an Afterlife, and I appreciate that. But there are a lot of people who assume that anyone who considers any of these subjects with which we most often deal valid to be nothing more than "stupid," "crazy," or a range of other epithets, In addition to those who think these subjects simply unworthy of the time spent pondering it.
About a year ago, I penned some thoughts about T.A.P.S. member, and Ghost Hunters regular, Brian Harnois. First of all, this has been one of the most popular pages on Rated-B. I thank you for all of that, but I really want to point out that Rated-B -- while cooler than mint ice cream -- is a blog. That's how I felt at the time I posted it. And I stand by that.
I don't remember what was going on, what I was going through, nor anything else about the day I wrote that. I just remember feeling so strongly that Brian Harnois was a douche, that I simply had to write about it.
That being said, so far this season, Steve has been given the reins -- the keys to Brian's domain, as it were -- and has done a great job. But, let's be honest... Steve is scared shitless of basically anything living, and he admits that he has never seen anything truly paranormal. He's afraid of flying, heights, spiders, snakes (well, I'll give him the last one) -- I mean, come on! He's the living incarnation of Adrian Monk.
The point is not that Brian is a douche, nor that Steve is a sissy; these are givens. The point is that Steve is a better manager than Brian. He's a better tech-guy, a better leader, and on down the line. BUT -- having said that -- Steve openly admits that he has never had a real paranormal experience, so it could be argued that Brian might be better in that position.
Regardless, Brian screwed up many, many times over the first season or two, and even though he apologized for it, I think it took him too long to realize that what he had done was wrong. His first few apologies sounded hollow and forced -- like he knew the rest of the team wanted him to do it, and that was the only reason he did. But I will freely admit that Harnois has proven himself over and over since then, and I don't mind him at all now.
But I don't feel bad for being upset with his behavior back when I wrote the original post, and will not apologize for it. That's what I felt and thought at the time, and I do not have any reason to apologize for that. That my feelings have since changed is only human -- exactly as it is to have had those feelings at the time I did.
And that's what blogs and Free Speech are all about.
(This post was originally drafted on June 29th, but never finished and published until now.)
I'd just like to thank you all for checking out the blog. I know how most people think this stuff "crazy," and those of us who care about it to be the same. Just so you know, I've been researching all of this stuff since I was old enough to read. I started reading at about age two. I don't like to think of myself as "crazy," but I understand that subjects such as this are, far and away, off of most peoples' spectrums.
And I'm not calling anyone "dumb" or anything like that; I mean that going to work to pay for your kids' meals, clothing, and dental work trumps pondering the existence of an Afterlife, and I appreciate that. But there are a lot of people who assume that anyone who considers any of these subjects with which we most often deal valid to be nothing more than "stupid," "crazy," or a range of other epithets, In addition to those who think these subjects simply unworthy of the time spent pondering it.
About a year ago, I penned some thoughts about T.A.P.S. member, and Ghost Hunters regular, Brian Harnois. First of all, this has been one of the most popular pages on Rated-B. I thank you for all of that, but I really want to point out that Rated-B -- while cooler than mint ice cream -- is a blog. That's how I felt at the time I posted it. And I stand by that.
I don't remember what was going on, what I was going through, nor anything else about the day I wrote that. I just remember feeling so strongly that Brian Harnois was a douche, that I simply had to write about it.
That being said, so far this season, Steve has been given the reins -- the keys to Brian's domain, as it were -- and has done a great job. But, let's be honest... Steve is scared shitless of basically anything living, and he admits that he has never seen anything truly paranormal. He's afraid of flying, heights, spiders, snakes (well, I'll give him the last one) -- I mean, come on! He's the living incarnation of Adrian Monk.
The point is not that Brian is a douche, nor that Steve is a sissy; these are givens. The point is that Steve is a better manager than Brian. He's a better tech-guy, a better leader, and on down the line. BUT -- having said that -- Steve openly admits that he has never had a real paranormal experience, so it could be argued that Brian might be better in that position.
Regardless, Brian screwed up many, many times over the first season or two, and even though he apologized for it, I think it took him too long to realize that what he had done was wrong. His first few apologies sounded hollow and forced -- like he knew the rest of the team wanted him to do it, and that was the only reason he did. But I will freely admit that Harnois has proven himself over and over since then, and I don't mind him at all now.
But I don't feel bad for being upset with his behavior back when I wrote the original post, and will not apologize for it. That's what I felt and thought at the time, and I do not have any reason to apologize for that. That my feelings have since changed is only human -- exactly as it is to have had those feelings at the time I did.
And that's what blogs and Free Speech are all about.
(This post was originally drafted on June 29th, but never finished and published until now.)
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Dr. Taggert on Eureka
So I just gave a short review of the second season premiere of Eureka on the Sci-Fi Channel over on The Rundown, and of course, we often discuss other Sci-Fi Channel shows here, namely Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth, so I just wanted to make brief mention of Dr. Taggert’s depiction as a cryptozoologist/parapsychologist on the show.
Although he is a central character, not much has really been made of what he does, what he researches, and so on, though I am hoping this changes over the course of the show. Still, we know Taggert believes that Bigfoot is a Gigantopithicus and tonight’s episode informed us that he believes in the Phoenix (though it isn’t certain if he thinks of it as an actual creature or more of a spiritual sort of omen), but the main thing I wanted to point-out was that all of the stuff on Eureka has a firm scientific basis. By that, I mean that they are not likely to have an episode where an actual Bigfoot or other creature makes an appearance without it ending up to have been scientifically manufactured.
Still, I like that a Dr. Taggert character exists on such a great show. Sure, he’s an oddball, but so are all the other geniuses in Eureka, and while he is often played for laughs, he and his theories are not mocked (except by Carter, who mocks pretty much all the genius-level oddballs). Sure, he may be a sort of one-trick pony for the purposes of the show - after all, it is a show - where everything he thinks or believes somehow comes back to cryptozoology and so forth, but it isn’t a cardboard character the way such people are often portrayed by the mainstream media.
Also, while I like a lot of Occult-themed shows (or horror with Supernatural themes, in general), Eureka certainly has its own unique twist on the whole thing, which I appreciate.
Although he is a central character, not much has really been made of what he does, what he researches, and so on, though I am hoping this changes over the course of the show. Still, we know Taggert believes that Bigfoot is a Gigantopithicus and tonight’s episode informed us that he believes in the Phoenix (though it isn’t certain if he thinks of it as an actual creature or more of a spiritual sort of omen), but the main thing I wanted to point-out was that all of the stuff on Eureka has a firm scientific basis. By that, I mean that they are not likely to have an episode where an actual Bigfoot or other creature makes an appearance without it ending up to have been scientifically manufactured.
Still, I like that a Dr. Taggert character exists on such a great show. Sure, he’s an oddball, but so are all the other geniuses in Eureka, and while he is often played for laughs, he and his theories are not mocked (except by Carter, who mocks pretty much all the genius-level oddballs). Sure, he may be a sort of one-trick pony for the purposes of the show - after all, it is a show - where everything he thinks or believes somehow comes back to cryptozoology and so forth, but it isn’t a cardboard character the way such people are often portrayed by the mainstream media.
Also, while I like a lot of Occult-themed shows (or horror with Supernatural themes, in general), Eureka certainly has its own unique twist on the whole thing, which I appreciate.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Live Earth - Hypocritical?
So I gave my thoughts on the Live Earth events and coverage over to The Rundown. I talked about it both while I was watching it and then after it was over, and my outlook was basically the same. I really hoped it was going to change, but it didn’t; I was rather disappointed by the lackluster coverage all the channels provided. But I digress.
A lot of critics have busied themselves pointing out how these popular musicians are such polluters, what with their tour buses and private jets, not to mention the lights and fireworks and excesses they promote during their concerts. One critic said that for it to be have been a truly “green” event, the musicians should have played all acoustic sets in local venues near their homes.
Well, yeah, I can agree with that. But how would that have really raised awareness?
Where I live, I was literally the only one in the entire neighborhood who watched the event or even knew it was on! In fact, I’m one of the few who has cable TV and without it, all you can pick up is the local ABC affiliate. They didn’t mention anything about it on the radio, there was nothing about it in the local newspapers, and the NBC coverage was not promoted to any great extent that I noticed. From my street-level, "grassroots" perspective, this thing occurred on all seven continents, in like ten countries or cities or whatever, and it still wasn’t all that effective. In fact, unless you have cable TV and/or are interested in "being green," I doubt you were even aware that history was being made. And history was made; Live Earth was the biggest, most successful, global event in history. So while being a purist might have been less hypocritical, it certainly wouldn’t have been more successful.
While it is a decent point, it isn’t very valid because what coverage they did provide - whether you thought it good, bad, or mediocre - absolutely did raise awareness as to the issues surrounding the movement. The spots they showed during the coverage, the short films Sundance showed constantly, and the literature you can find online absolutely educated at least a few people as to some of the simpler ways they can make the world a slightly better place without enacting any major lifestyle change.
So, while hairy-legged hippie chicks might think it a failure on purist grounds, hairy-legged hippie chicks are kinda nuts anyway. I also find it completely hypocritical that all these hippies have been bitching about this for years now and suddenly, when change is being made, they want to act all snobby, like, "We don’t want any Johnny-come-latelies." That’s the problem with those kind of people - you just can’t win with them.
© C Harris Lynn, 2007-2008
A lot of critics have busied themselves pointing out how these popular musicians are such polluters, what with their tour buses and private jets, not to mention the lights and fireworks and excesses they promote during their concerts. One critic said that for it to be have been a truly “green” event, the musicians should have played all acoustic sets in local venues near their homes.
Well, yeah, I can agree with that. But how would that have really raised awareness?
Where I live, I was literally the only one in the entire neighborhood who watched the event or even knew it was on! In fact, I’m one of the few who has cable TV and without it, all you can pick up is the local ABC affiliate. They didn’t mention anything about it on the radio, there was nothing about it in the local newspapers, and the NBC coverage was not promoted to any great extent that I noticed. From my street-level, "grassroots" perspective, this thing occurred on all seven continents, in like ten countries or cities or whatever, and it still wasn’t all that effective. In fact, unless you have cable TV and/or are interested in "being green," I doubt you were even aware that history was being made. And history was made; Live Earth was the biggest, most successful, global event in history. So while being a purist might have been less hypocritical, it certainly wouldn’t have been more successful.
While it is a decent point, it isn’t very valid because what coverage they did provide - whether you thought it good, bad, or mediocre - absolutely did raise awareness as to the issues surrounding the movement. The spots they showed during the coverage, the short films Sundance showed constantly, and the literature you can find online absolutely educated at least a few people as to some of the simpler ways they can make the world a slightly better place without enacting any major lifestyle change.
So, while hairy-legged hippie chicks might think it a failure on purist grounds, hairy-legged hippie chicks are kinda nuts anyway. I also find it completely hypocritical that all these hippies have been bitching about this for years now and suddenly, when change is being made, they want to act all snobby, like, "We don’t want any Johnny-come-latelies." That’s the problem with those kind of people - you just can’t win with them.
© C Harris Lynn, 2007-2008
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Dragging Ass
I know I haven’t done much lately and I wanted to drop a line and let you know why:
If you read some of the other blogs, you know that I have a bad neck. The thing with a bad neck is that it really affects a lot more than just your neck; it hurts my shoulder, my hands, sometimes makes my chest hurt when I breathe, etc. You may also know that the doctors I have have been shipping me around to this specialist and that one, ordering test after test to “confirm” my injury, even though it has been “confirmed” for going on four years now. What they won’t do is give me proper pain medication, and I am quite sure it is due to my appearance (what with the long hairs and all), so I finally got the nerve up to get mouthy with them the other day and they simply hung up on me. I spent the rest of the day calling lawyers to see what my options are.
So, aside from being in general pain and just not feeling well, I was also in a very bad mood Thursday and Friday and simply could not focus on anything. Also, when this flares up, I can’t stand to sit here for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I have CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) too, which bothers me every now and then and adds to the general pain and discomfort when it does (like last week).
The other thing is that I am actively working on the site (S.A.F.E., in particular) and my time has been divided between that and blogging. Still, the book I checked out is due back Monday, so I’m going to try and get as much out of that as I can before I have to return it, which means there may be a lot of entries this weekend (but I can’t promise anything).
If you read some of the other blogs, you know that I have a bad neck. The thing with a bad neck is that it really affects a lot more than just your neck; it hurts my shoulder, my hands, sometimes makes my chest hurt when I breathe, etc. You may also know that the doctors I have have been shipping me around to this specialist and that one, ordering test after test to “confirm” my injury, even though it has been “confirmed” for going on four years now. What they won’t do is give me proper pain medication, and I am quite sure it is due to my appearance (what with the long hairs and all), so I finally got the nerve up to get mouthy with them the other day and they simply hung up on me. I spent the rest of the day calling lawyers to see what my options are.
So, aside from being in general pain and just not feeling well, I was also in a very bad mood Thursday and Friday and simply could not focus on anything. Also, when this flares up, I can’t stand to sit here for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I have CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) too, which bothers me every now and then and adds to the general pain and discomfort when it does (like last week).
The other thing is that I am actively working on the site (S.A.F.E., in particular) and my time has been divided between that and blogging. Still, the book I checked out is due back Monday, so I’m going to try and get as much out of that as I can before I have to return it, which means there may be a lot of entries this weekend (but I can’t promise anything).
Friday, July 6, 2007
Roswell's 60th Anniversary
60 years ago this week, something crashed into the field on a ranch in Roswell, New Mexico. This weekend, the small town is hosting a festival dedicated to believers.
In the minds of many, the fiasco down to Roswell is the Holy Grail of Ufology, but it isn't. In fact, as far as actual records, witnesses, and pure data goes, the incident which occurred in Sgah Harbor really trumps whatever occurred in Roswell. But I do think something happened there. Whether or not it had to do with UFOs is debatable, but the idea that grown men and women wouldn't be able to identify Scotch tape with little hearts and diamonds on it is absurd.
And as far as that goes, Project Mogul was shut down like 50 years ago! Why in the world did they wait so long to reveal that information if that is, in fact, what actually fell to the ground that fateful day? The operation during which they dropped mannequins did not occur until more than a decade after the Roswell Incident.
Roswell has embraced its alleged UFO history, hosting numerous UFO-related conventions and conferences throughout the years.
In the minds of many, the fiasco down to Roswell is the Holy Grail of Ufology, but it isn't. In fact, as far as actual records, witnesses, and pure data goes, the incident which occurred in Sgah Harbor really trumps whatever occurred in Roswell. But I do think something happened there. Whether or not it had to do with UFOs is debatable, but the idea that grown men and women wouldn't be able to identify Scotch tape with little hearts and diamonds on it is absurd.
And as far as that goes, Project Mogul was shut down like 50 years ago! Why in the world did they wait so long to reveal that information if that is, in fact, what actually fell to the ground that fateful day? The operation during which they dropped mannequins did not occur until more than a decade after the Roswell Incident.
Roswell has embraced its alleged UFO history, hosting numerous UFO-related conventions and conferences throughout the years.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
"Real" Science
Last night, National Geographic ran an Is It Real? marathon and I watched most of it. Really, I had seen almost all of them before, but I couldn’t sleep, so I went on and watched them again - there was nothing else on anyway.
So I was watching the one on Bigfoot and I just had to turn it off. I got so frustrated and angry with the skeptics they had on there that I just couldn't stomach it anymore! I mean, these people are so willing to throw thousands of dollars’ worth of money, time, effort, and resources into disproving these things that could so easily be spent on actually looking for these things! I mean, if you don't find any evidence, that's more powerful than going to such extraordinary lengths to discredit the evidence actual, real researchers find!
But that’s the whole thing:
These “scientists” are what I call “flat-earthers.” And the discovery of a Bigfoot or a Nessie or anything that lay outside their comfortable myopia is a slap in their collective face. Science is their god and anyone who even suggests that there might be something that their religion doesn’t account for (yet, even) is a blasphemer and heretic who should be mocked and humiliated until they shut their heretical mouths! - only because it’s largely frowned upon to burn us at the stake nowadays.
But there is more to it: see, these scientists are sell-outs. They make money by receiving grants for “studies” and “researches” like the recent one, which determined that most guys have a higher sex drive than women. You know: Real Science. Not to mention that Big Business doesn’t want you to find Nessie or Bigfoot because they want to find them first - and slap a patent, Trademark, and Copyright all over them (it’s true! you can patent living things!) - and these scientists all work for Big Business first.
Of course, there are a handful of “real” scientists who are very open to this kind of research and study and I applaud them and laud their efforts, but they are the exceptions which prove the rule, and that rule frustrates me to no end!
So I was watching the one on Bigfoot and I just had to turn it off. I got so frustrated and angry with the skeptics they had on there that I just couldn't stomach it anymore! I mean, these people are so willing to throw thousands of dollars’ worth of money, time, effort, and resources into disproving these things that could so easily be spent on actually looking for these things! I mean, if you don't find any evidence, that's more powerful than going to such extraordinary lengths to discredit the evidence actual, real researchers find!
But that’s the whole thing:
These “scientists” are what I call “flat-earthers.” And the discovery of a Bigfoot or a Nessie or anything that lay outside their comfortable myopia is a slap in their collective face. Science is their god and anyone who even suggests that there might be something that their religion doesn’t account for (yet, even) is a blasphemer and heretic who should be mocked and humiliated until they shut their heretical mouths! - only because it’s largely frowned upon to burn us at the stake nowadays.
But there is more to it: see, these scientists are sell-outs. They make money by receiving grants for “studies” and “researches” like the recent one, which determined that most guys have a higher sex drive than women. You know: Real Science. Not to mention that Big Business doesn’t want you to find Nessie or Bigfoot because they want to find them first - and slap a patent, Trademark, and Copyright all over them (it’s true! you can patent living things!) - and these scientists all work for Big Business first.
Of course, there are a handful of “real” scientists who are very open to this kind of research and study and I applaud them and laud their efforts, but they are the exceptions which prove the rule, and that rule frustrates me to no end!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Emotional States and Chemical Changes
As I mentioned over to The Rundown, I am amazingly disorganized. And I use that word specifically; I am not unorganized - I am disorganized, meaning that I have "A System" and I have files and folders and cabinets and shelves, they're just in such a state of disarray that I can never find what I am looking for when I want it, and tend to come across stuff I've completely forgotten I even had at random times.
Today was one of those days.
I was (and still am) looking for notes on the S.A.F.E. RPG system for the website, and I came across a page of notes from some research I was doing a year or so back which I found interesting and pertinent to the recent conversation, re: poltergeists, Dæmonic infestation, Elementals, and so forth.
I was apparently thinking along the lines of the sometimes controversial and thoroughly modern scientific belief that emotions are caused and controlled by chemical changes within the body - something with which I stringently disagree. The priests of the great god, Science, have been trying for years now to reduce human life to a binary code - a series of chemical processes and switches in which there is no spirit, no real free will, no such thing as "being." I disagree with this in principle, and not necessarily on any socio-psycho religious basis, though those beliefs I hold cannot be completely divorced from the matter; suffice it to say that I believe people have a soul or spirit - even if you just want to call it a “personality” - which may have some scientific structure and can certainly be pondered from a scientific standpoint, but is not a fully scientific matter.
In my notes, I say, “If an agitated state at the time of death is associated with prolonged spiritual attachment to the prime material plane - and a haunted site is said to be likewise emotionally impacted - this proves that emotions are not chemical reactions. Unquestionably, emotional states result in chemical changes, but these chemical changes are the result of emotional status, not vice-versa. This then points toward emotional status and emotions [in general] being atmospheric in nature - occurring naturally on their own [separate from any internal chemical influence], but affected by other atmospheric influences.”
What this means is that, for example, you don’t get mad because your body suddenly dumps a load of Testosterone (that didn’t come out exactly right, did it?); your body produces Testosterone because you get mad. This sounds basic, but Science has been trying for a very long time to posit the reverse. Science is trying to tell us that we have no soul, no spirit, and no real individual personality; we are nothing more than a series of chemical reactions, and this simply is not true.
We are each possessed of an individual spirit which, though affected by our environment and experiences throughout life, are somehow formed when we are born. You can see this in the individual actions of children! This is important for many reasons, but goes a long way in proving the existence of Evil as a force unto itself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)