The first excavation at Stonehenge in almost 45 years gets underway today.
Headed by two of Europe's leading experts on the site, Professors Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright, the excavation seeks to find pieces of the original inner circle of bluestones that are believed to have been the first monument erected on the site. The stones at the center of the structure, are thought to have once been believed magical. Darvill and Wainwright traced them back to their original source - the Preseli hills in Wales - and found that inscriptions at the site show that ancient people believed the stones, area, and waters surrounding them to have been magical.
Darvill and Wainwright have postulated the theory that Stonehenge was built as a sort of "Neolithic Lourdes," where the afflicted traveled in hopes of a Supernatural cure. Further evidence to bolster their claim comes from remains recovered at the site - many of which show signs of trauma and of having traveled a great distance to visit the site.
Their hope is that the dig will show that the original flooring of Stonehenge was placed with bluestone chippings purposely included. This, they believe, will cement their theory as the correct one for why the ancient structure was built.
I, for one, would like to see at least one of the professors twist a coathanger into an ancient shape and aim it at the stones - just to see if it will electrify them. That would be proof of something! Exactly what, I am not prepared to say at this time.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The paranormal, the Supernatural, the odd and Unexplained
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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...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Agenda
I got out most of the stuff I've been sitting on for the last two weeks. I apologize for the dump, but seeing as how I woke up feeling well today -- and the past week or so that this has happened, I ended the day on the couch, suffering from fever and general aches and pains -- I decided to just run with it.
I want to discuss the Destination Truth Mokele-Mbembe expedition and one or two other, general things, but I don't know if I'll get to them today or not. I mention them only because I want to remember to do them. The latest issue of Smithsonian arrived last week and I'd like to run through some of the stuff in there and bring you a few items, but I haven't gotten to it yet. Actually, I've missed doing that the last few issues, so I may cannibalize them for content throughout the week.
However, seeing as how I got almost a week's worth of content out to you today, I am going to tweak the design here and do some other technical stuff, then take it easy for the rest of the day. I actually have to do the same thing over to Weird Ink because I have been sitting on a lot of stuff for it too, so I have limited time for any one blog.
Again, the current projects on which I am focusing will result in a bunch of new content on technology, history, and Irish folklore and legend, and I'll be keeping-up with the usual odd news and science, so -- as long as I can stay off that couch and keep my temperature down to a reasonably normal level -- this should be a decent week.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I want to discuss the Destination Truth Mokele-Mbembe expedition and one or two other, general things, but I don't know if I'll get to them today or not. I mention them only because I want to remember to do them. The latest issue of Smithsonian arrived last week and I'd like to run through some of the stuff in there and bring you a few items, but I haven't gotten to it yet. Actually, I've missed doing that the last few issues, so I may cannibalize them for content throughout the week.
However, seeing as how I got almost a week's worth of content out to you today, I am going to tweak the design here and do some other technical stuff, then take it easy for the rest of the day. I actually have to do the same thing over to Weird Ink because I have been sitting on a lot of stuff for it too, so I have limited time for any one blog.
Again, the current projects on which I am focusing will result in a bunch of new content on technology, history, and Irish folklore and legend, and I'll be keeping-up with the usual odd news and science, so -- as long as I can stay off that couch and keep my temperature down to a reasonably normal level -- this should be a decent week.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Missing Preacher Found at Shake Joint
Preacher, Greg Rhodenizer, was considered missing after telling his wife he was going to have his computer repaired and never returning. Police "patrolling" (ahem) a strip club parking lot in Ohio noticed out-of-state plates on a car, then went inside to "investigate." Inside, they found a disoriented and "emotionally guilty" Rhodenizer.
The pastor of a church in Lyndonville, New York, Rhodenizer was reported missing last Wednesday by his wife. The FBI had become involved in the case.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The pastor of a church in Lyndonville, New York, Rhodenizer was reported missing last Wednesday by his wife. The FBI had become involved in the case.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Oldest Audio Recorded Played - April 9th, 1869
Scientists have worked-out a way to play the earliest known recordings of the human voice.
A French inventor, Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville, recorded a woman singing Au Clair de la Lune, on April 9th, 1869, using a device called a phonautograph. A needle connected to a diaphragm which responded to noise etched lines across a piece of paper in soot from an oil lamp. By creating high-resolution images from the originals and using a "virtual stylus" to read them, the researchers were able to actually hear the recordings.
Because the recordings were created using a hand-cranked device, the pitch and speed varies throughout the recordings. For some reason, the article states the recordings were never meant to be played back... but, if that were the case, then why were they recorded in the first place? Perhaps the inventor simply didn't think that far in advance, but it seems unlikely.
Previous to the discovery of these prints, the earliest-known recording of the human voice was thought to be Thomas Edison's recording of Mary Had a Little Lamb. Edison created and recorded the song using his phonograph.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A French inventor, Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville, recorded a woman singing Au Clair de la Lune, on April 9th, 1869, using a device called a phonautograph. A needle connected to a diaphragm which responded to noise etched lines across a piece of paper in soot from an oil lamp. By creating high-resolution images from the originals and using a "virtual stylus" to read them, the researchers were able to actually hear the recordings.
Because the recordings were created using a hand-cranked device, the pitch and speed varies throughout the recordings. For some reason, the article states the recordings were never meant to be played back... but, if that were the case, then why were they recorded in the first place? Perhaps the inventor simply didn't think that far in advance, but it seems unlikely.
Previous to the discovery of these prints, the earliest-known recording of the human voice was thought to be Thomas Edison's recording of Mary Had a Little Lamb. Edison created and recorded the song using his phonograph.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Michigan Teen Finds Megalodon Tooth in St. Clair River
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| Megalodon |
While he wasn't sure what he had discovered, thanks to the Discovery Channel, his father was: It was a fossilized shark tooth! Researchers say the tooth is most likely that of a Carcharodon megalodon, a species now extinct for some 2 million years.
Most likely, the tooth was brought in and dropped by human settlers, as the shark was obviously not indigenous to the region. However, there have been reports of sightings in freshwaters. In fact, there was a series of freshwater shark attacks in the early 20th-Century that, while believed to be related (at least two sharks somehow made their way into a river from the sea), prove that sharks can survive in freshwater for some time. The Carcharodon megalodon was most likely a saltwater-based species, but whether or not it could survive (and thus may have hunted) in freshwater is unknown.
But, as researchers are quick to point-out, there are no sharks with 3" teeth in the St. Clair River today... hopefully.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Iowa County Board Okays Ghost Hunt
Ghost hunting investigations continue to gain momentum and mainstream acceptance, as an Iowa state board has agreed to let a local paranormal investigative agency hunt in an historical building that once housed the criminally insane.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors acted on a request from the Johnson County Historical Society to allow an investigative team into the building with thermal imaging equipment and other trappings of the trade. The interesting thing is that there have never been any reports of paranormal activity in the 153 year-old building.
The museum operations assistant said this was a "preemptive approach." A date has yet to be set for the investigation.
The building, now called Chatham Oaks, was built in 1855 and housed the mentally-ill on a plantation of sorts. It now houses people with both physical and mental disabilities.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors acted on a request from the Johnson County Historical Society to allow an investigative team into the building with thermal imaging equipment and other trappings of the trade. The interesting thing is that there have never been any reports of paranormal activity in the 153 year-old building.
The museum operations assistant said this was a "preemptive approach." A date has yet to be set for the investigation.
The building, now called Chatham Oaks, was built in 1855 and housed the mentally-ill on a plantation of sorts. It now houses people with both physical and mental disabilities.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Agenda
Hi guys. Good news: I have plenty of good stuff to get out to you; bad news: I am still sick as hell.
I spent the entire night and day on the couch. I got up and couldn't get going, then laid down and couldn't get to sleep -- same old same for the last two weeks. The fever breaks early in the morning, then comes back in mid-afternoon. Sometimes (like tonight), I force myself to take some extra pain medicine and push through, but I haven't been able to do that too often (nausea). Unfortunately, that means that I have a whole, whole lot of things to get to -- both on- line and off- -- so I need to wash dishes, go through papers, file comic books, read some stuff, and more.
Depending on how everything goes, I may get some stuff out to you tonight, but I'm making no promises. Besides, all of you are probably out doing things for the evening and won't see it until Monday anyway.
At any rate, I hope everyone has a great weekend. Mine has been -- and most likely will be -- spent on the couch, watching TV, feverishly moaning.
And not in the good way.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I spent the entire night and day on the couch. I got up and couldn't get going, then laid down and couldn't get to sleep -- same old same for the last two weeks. The fever breaks early in the morning, then comes back in mid-afternoon. Sometimes (like tonight), I force myself to take some extra pain medicine and push through, but I haven't been able to do that too often (nausea). Unfortunately, that means that I have a whole, whole lot of things to get to -- both on- line and off- -- so I need to wash dishes, go through papers, file comic books, read some stuff, and more.
Depending on how everything goes, I may get some stuff out to you tonight, but I'm making no promises. Besides, all of you are probably out doing things for the evening and won't see it until Monday anyway.
At any rate, I hope everyone has a great weekend. Mine has been -- and most likely will be -- spent on the couch, watching TV, feverishly moaning.
And not in the good way.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Man Molested by Bigfoot
A 57 year-old man sentenced to 20 years in jail for soliciting minors over the Internet claimed that he had been molested as a child in New Hampshire.
By Bigfoot.
While he pleaded Guilty to charges of Solicitation, his Defense Attorney said he understands that the man has mental issues. The judge and deputy who led the investigation do not believe in such things as "mental illness" and sentenced the man to 20 years in a Virginia prison.
While there is no question the man needs to be locked away from general society, only an idiot cop and judge would contend that any man who believes he was sexually molested by Bigfoot is mentally competent to stand trial. He is at least as smart as any cop or judge -- but that's like saying Britney Spears is at least as good a singer as Bigfoot.
Unfortunately, the South is known for its hostility, bigotry, and intolerance, and this one is a no-winner. No matter the situation, the man needs to be removed from society -- but, seeing as how he appears delusional, the question isn't whether or not he should be removed but where he should be placed. Somewhere he can receive medication, and maybe help for his issues -- or a prison where they will abuse him repeatedly for a crime he may very well not have been mentally fit enough to understand was wrong.
It is important to remember that legal officials have a financial and political stake in sending people to prison: Regardless of the crime, this judge can now garner favor with other uneducated, intolerant bigots -- referred to as his "constituency." Further, the more people imprisoned means more federal money the state gets for "overcrowding."
After all, hookers and dope -- like the US military -- don't pay for themselves, people!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
By Bigfoot.
While he pleaded Guilty to charges of Solicitation, his Defense Attorney said he understands that the man has mental issues. The judge and deputy who led the investigation do not believe in such things as "mental illness" and sentenced the man to 20 years in a Virginia prison.
While there is no question the man needs to be locked away from general society, only an idiot cop and judge would contend that any man who believes he was sexually molested by Bigfoot is mentally competent to stand trial. He is at least as smart as any cop or judge -- but that's like saying Britney Spears is at least as good a singer as Bigfoot.
Unfortunately, the South is known for its hostility, bigotry, and intolerance, and this one is a no-winner. No matter the situation, the man needs to be removed from society -- but, seeing as how he appears delusional, the question isn't whether or not he should be removed but where he should be placed. Somewhere he can receive medication, and maybe help for his issues -- or a prison where they will abuse him repeatedly for a crime he may very well not have been mentally fit enough to understand was wrong.
It is important to remember that legal officials have a financial and political stake in sending people to prison: Regardless of the crime, this judge can now garner favor with other uneducated, intolerant bigots -- referred to as his "constituency." Further, the more people imprisoned means more federal money the state gets for "overcrowding."
After all, hookers and dope -- like the US military -- don't pay for themselves, people!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Vodka With a Bite!
A Texan rancher has been arrested for selling vodka spiked with rattlesnake!
"Bayou Bob" Popplewell has run Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch for over 20 years. He raises and sells rattlesnakes and turtles and has never had a problem. But his latest business endeavor, consisting of a rattlesnake bottled in the cheapest vodka available -- which he refers to as "an ancient Asian elixir" -- has landed him in court.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission found 429 bottles of "snake vodka," and one bottle of "snake tequila." Selling at nearly $25.00/bottle, that's nearly $10k worth of booze! Unfortunately, Bayou Bob forgot to get his liquor license. He contends the drinks, which he says are super-sweet and comparable to cough syrup, are actually a medicinal mixture which many Asians regard as "almost a spiritual thing." And an Asian studies lecturer agrees.
Apparently, the "real" version of snake liquor involves only the snake's bladder, and is thought to improve eyesight and sexual performance -- "the ancient version of Viagra," according to the lecturer.
But the Texas ABC says, "He knows what he's doing." Bayou Bob faces up to one year in jail and a hefty fine.
Being in Texas, however, if Bayou Bob is found to be functionally retarded, he will be executed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
"Bayou Bob" Popplewell has run Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch for over 20 years. He raises and sells rattlesnakes and turtles and has never had a problem. But his latest business endeavor, consisting of a rattlesnake bottled in the cheapest vodka available -- which he refers to as "an ancient Asian elixir" -- has landed him in court.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission found 429 bottles of "snake vodka," and one bottle of "snake tequila." Selling at nearly $25.00/bottle, that's nearly $10k worth of booze! Unfortunately, Bayou Bob forgot to get his liquor license. He contends the drinks, which he says are super-sweet and comparable to cough syrup, are actually a medicinal mixture which many Asians regard as "almost a spiritual thing." And an Asian studies lecturer agrees.
Apparently, the "real" version of snake liquor involves only the snake's bladder, and is thought to improve eyesight and sexual performance -- "the ancient version of Viagra," according to the lecturer.
But the Texas ABC says, "He knows what he's doing." Bayou Bob faces up to one year in jail and a hefty fine.
Being in Texas, however, if Bayou Bob is found to be functionally retarded, he will be executed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Agenda - Revised
Sorry guys, I'm working on it. I got my pain meds yesterday and fought for a while as to whether or not I should go on and take them, or keep taking all this flu medicine. But, seeing as how I've been taking a pharmacy of flu stuff for two weeks now and am still sick as a dog, I went with the pain meds.
And they knocked me the heck out.
I'm still thrown for a loop, because I haven't taken them for the past two weeks. It's going to be a day or so until I get used to them again and all I can do in the meantime is work a few minutes here and there.
I have to give it an hour or two to let my head stop swimming, then I'll be back to bring you some good oddities and maybe some of the other stuff I've been promising. Sorry, but I'm doing all I can. Hopefully this weekend will be better all the way around.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
And they knocked me the heck out.
I'm still thrown for a loop, because I haven't taken them for the past two weeks. It's going to be a day or so until I get used to them again and all I can do in the meantime is work a few minutes here and there.
I have to give it an hour or two to let my head stop swimming, then I'll be back to bring you some good oddities and maybe some of the other stuff I've been promising. Sorry, but I'm doing all I can. Hopefully this weekend will be better all the way around.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Agenda
I have some offline errands to run very early today (obviously) and then I will be here.
As I said before, there are some gaming projects I am working on which will lead to a lot of posts on related subjects - namely advanced technology and Irish legend and folklore - so expect those the next several days. And, as usual, there will be some oddities along the way.
If everything goes well, you should start hearing from me around noon. Yesterday was much like the others: I started out strong, then deteriorated later in the day. I have to find something to break this fever once and for all!
Make sure to stay hydrated and wash your hands a lot -- you do not want to catch this!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
As I said before, there are some gaming projects I am working on which will lead to a lot of posts on related subjects - namely advanced technology and Irish legend and folklore - so expect those the next several days. And, as usual, there will be some oddities along the way.
If everything goes well, you should start hearing from me around noon. Yesterday was much like the others: I started out strong, then deteriorated later in the day. I have to find something to break this fever once and for all!
Make sure to stay hydrated and wash your hands a lot -- you do not want to catch this!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Should Have Hired a Cop
A judge in Memphis, TN has sentenced a man to 700 days in jail for threatening to kill him: 10 days per word.
Standing accused of burglary and rape, Joshua Beadle began threatening the judge, who told him to stop and threatened to hold him in contempt if he did not. Beadle continued to threaten and berate the judge, one Lee Coffee, who then counted up to 70 words and sentenced the man to 10 days per word.
Judge Coffee only went up to 70 because he ran out of toes.
The judges, TBI, and -- specifically -- police force, in and of Memphis, TN, have a long and well-documented history of... shall we call them, "legal indiscretions." In fact, at one point in the late 1980s, it was discovered that crack cocaine was being manufactured in the city court building. One of the mayors shot himself in the head for [REDACTED].
More recently, the coroner was brought to trial for allegedly staging his own kidnapping -- but the charges were dropped when it was discovered that the police, DA, and judges involved had conspired to withhold evidence and perjured themselves against him.
No charges have been filed against the [wo]men responsible for these "legal indiscretions." The men who kidnapped and bound the city coroner are still at-large... and were (most likely) working in an official capacity at the time of this incident -- and possibly in the courtroom when he was brought before the judge.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
UPDATE: All links provided within the body of this post were found to have been removed, no longer appear online, and have been repeatedly removed from my personal bookmarks in Firefox and Safari. Some have been replaced, but may be hijacked by throttled speeds which facilitate "middle-man" attacks. - 2018
Standing accused of burglary and rape, Joshua Beadle began threatening the judge, who told him to stop and threatened to hold him in contempt if he did not. Beadle continued to threaten and berate the judge, one Lee Coffee, who then counted up to 70 words and sentenced the man to 10 days per word.
Judge Coffee only went up to 70 because he ran out of toes.
The judges, TBI, and -- specifically -- police force, in and of Memphis, TN, have a long and well-documented history of... shall we call them, "legal indiscretions." In fact, at one point in the late 1980s, it was discovered that crack cocaine was being manufactured in the city court building. One of the mayors shot himself in the head for [REDACTED].
More recently, the coroner was brought to trial for allegedly staging his own kidnapping -- but the charges were dropped when it was discovered that the police, DA, and judges involved had conspired to withhold evidence and perjured themselves against him.
No charges have been filed against the [wo]men responsible for these "legal indiscretions." The men who kidnapped and bound the city coroner are still at-large... and were (most likely) working in an official capacity at the time of this incident -- and possibly in the courtroom when he was brought before the judge.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
UPDATE: All links provided within the body of this post were found to have been removed, no longer appear online, and have been repeatedly removed from my personal bookmarks in Firefox and Safari. Some have been replaced, but may be hijacked by throttled speeds which facilitate "middle-man" attacks. - 2018
At the Seas of Madness - The International Polar Year
Concluding last Thursday, the International Polar Year program, which involved 23 countries and 11 voyages across New Zealand's Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea, resulted in the discovery of hundreds of new species -- many of which may prove to be entirely new species!
Such finds included vast fields of underwater lilies, approximately eight new mollusks, large sea spiders, jellyfish with 12' tentacles, huge sea snails, and starfish the size of dinner platters. Of the more than 300,000 specimens taken, several may turn out to be previously unknown to science. The field of cataloguing unknown wildlife and animals is called "Cryptozoology."
Before this, only very limited, small-scale samplings had been conducted in the area. This program covered 2,000 miles of the Ross Sea.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Such finds included vast fields of underwater lilies, approximately eight new mollusks, large sea spiders, jellyfish with 12' tentacles, huge sea snails, and starfish the size of dinner platters. Of the more than 300,000 specimens taken, several may turn out to be previously unknown to science. The field of cataloguing unknown wildlife and animals is called "Cryptozoology."
Before this, only very limited, small-scale samplings had been conducted in the area. This program covered 2,000 miles of the Ross Sea.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Meteorite Impact Discovered in Scotland
Researchers believe they have discovered the site where a crater may have hit the Scotland Isles some 1.2 billion years ago.
Unexplained rock formations in the area were previously thought to have been caused by volcanic activity, but the lack of a volcano puzzled investigators. Clinical analysis of some of the surrounding rock discovered the presence of the element, iridium, most often associated with extra-terrestrial activity.
While collecting the evidence was an arduous and time-consuming task, researchers eventually came to the conclusion that the all the baffling evidence could mean only one thing: A meteorite struck the British Isles a little over a billion years ago!
The only other impact site in the area lay beneath the sea, and many question its origins.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Unexplained rock formations in the area were previously thought to have been caused by volcanic activity, but the lack of a volcano puzzled investigators. Clinical analysis of some of the surrounding rock discovered the presence of the element, iridium, most often associated with extra-terrestrial activity.
While collecting the evidence was an arduous and time-consuming task, researchers eventually came to the conclusion that the all the baffling evidence could mean only one thing: A meteorite struck the British Isles a little over a billion years ago!
The only other impact site in the area lay beneath the sea, and many question its origins.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
I'm Trying
Guys, I'm trying -- I really am -- but this bug is hanging-on for dear life.
I felt alright when I got up this morning, but the more I tried working, the worse I felt. My fever is back, I'm achy all over, I'm sweating under my arms and chilly all over my body, and I just can't get right. I also can't sleep, so I may be up late -- in which case I will try to get some more out to you then.
I have taken everything OTC that they make and, while it offers some (very) temporary relief, it isn't enough to allow me to concentrate and actually do what I need to do.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I felt alright when I got up this morning, but the more I tried working, the worse I felt. My fever is back, I'm achy all over, I'm sweating under my arms and chilly all over my body, and I just can't get right. I also can't sleep, so I may be up late -- in which case I will try to get some more out to you then.
I have taken everything OTC that they make and, while it offers some (very) temporary relief, it isn't enough to allow me to concentrate and actually do what I need to do.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Overlap
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| The Weirding |
But it is comprised of many blogs and "departments" or features, of which The OddBlog is one. While the blogs have little to do with one another on the surface, they overlap a lot. This is about to be one of those times.
I have begun a project (well, the project was already underway, but I am now to a specific point in it) which requires a lot of research into folklore and legend, specifically of the Irish and surrounding people. Since a lot of it has to be "creatively reinterpreted" for the project at-hand (a RPG-based gaming development), I figured I would discuss it here as well.
I bring this up because this is nowhere near the first time this has happened and, even though I may have hinted at it before or linked to whatever else was involved, I have never really specifically gotten to it in this fashion.
See, everything on The Weirding has one, very specific, thing in common: Me.
I'm not being facetious; everything on the site is there because I am, was, or have been (off and on) interested in it at some point, and managed to collect it into HTML form. So, really, everything is interrelated not only because I did it or am interested in it, but because if it showed up somewhere, I probably used it. I research the paranormal for this blog, then use that information in my horror roleplaying games and sessions, for example; the stuff on nanotechnology and technological advancements make their way into the Cyberpunk section; and so on.
I redesigned the blogs in order to better integrate them into the overall site, while still keeping their unique flavors so that they can be viewed individually. I just wanted to remind you all that the entire site is more interconnected than you may realize if you haven't surfed it much -- and that, while you might not be interested in (say) comic books, if there is a link to something on Rated-B, whatever it leads to is related to the subject at-hand (though, I freely admit, sometimes only tangentially). And you can always find your way back here from wherever it takes you (the links often -- though not always -- open in new windows).
Having said all of this, there isn't a whole, whole lot available on the site just yet, so it doesn't make that big a difference right this moment. But the upcoming posts dealing with Irish legend and lore will have links to other material you might otherwise not be interested in, but you might want to check out because it is related.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
1: We do not own theweirding.COM, nor have we ever. It was cybersquatter by someone allegedly from China back in 2006, and we refused to be extorted. According to our stymied research, it is now controlled by the DOJ/TBI out of Texas. - 2018
Euthanasia Debate Comes to French Forefront
A French woman who suffered from an incurable cancer which developed a painful and disfiguring tumor on her face is dead. But not of natural causes.
When a court refused her plea for euthanasia, she appealed to a television audience. After medical testing, authorities released a statement saying only that she did not die from natural causes; they did not say what had killed her. In fact, the examining doctor stated that there was no immediate cause of death.
The tumor in her nose had robbed her of her senses of smell, sight, and taste, and left her in continual agony. It had disfigured her head and face to the point that children screamed and ran from her. She pleaded to be allowed to die -- to be allowed to end her pain, suffering, and humiliation -- but was refused her dignity by the Puritanical laws of French society.
Death is simply another stage of life, as we are constantly reminded -- so why is it that, when the only possible option for helping someone is to give them that release, so many create such a problem? Obviously, there are people with debilitating psychological problems who wish to die -- and we should probably do what we can to disabuse them of that notion and stop them -- but cases such as this are an entirely different matter.
We go out of our way to overmedicate people who feel "down" or "just not right" with medications they have to take on a regular basis and must be weened off of (when possible), yet we subject those in chronic pain to batteries of tests and constant medical evaluations to ensure they do not become "addicted" to drugs they absolutely need to survive with any Quality of Life.
The fact here is that, as in most medical cases: You don't make money healing people; you make money "treating" them.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
When a court refused her plea for euthanasia, she appealed to a television audience. After medical testing, authorities released a statement saying only that she did not die from natural causes; they did not say what had killed her. In fact, the examining doctor stated that there was no immediate cause of death.
The tumor in her nose had robbed her of her senses of smell, sight, and taste, and left her in continual agony. It had disfigured her head and face to the point that children screamed and ran from her. She pleaded to be allowed to die -- to be allowed to end her pain, suffering, and humiliation -- but was refused her dignity by the Puritanical laws of French society.
Death is simply another stage of life, as we are constantly reminded -- so why is it that, when the only possible option for helping someone is to give them that release, so many create such a problem? Obviously, there are people with debilitating psychological problems who wish to die -- and we should probably do what we can to disabuse them of that notion and stop them -- but cases such as this are an entirely different matter.
We go out of our way to overmedicate people who feel "down" or "just not right" with medications they have to take on a regular basis and must be weened off of (when possible), yet we subject those in chronic pain to batteries of tests and constant medical evaluations to ensure they do not become "addicted" to drugs they absolutely need to survive with any Quality of Life.
The fact here is that, as in most medical cases: You don't make money healing people; you make money "treating" them.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Japanese Dog Seeks Salvation
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| Conan, Spiritual Chihuahua |
Attendance at the Buddhist Jegenin temple has risen 30% since then, with many followers attending services just to watch the little pooch pray. But, while he clasps his forepaws to his head, "It's not like we can teach him to cross his legs," Yoshikuni said.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Photo swiped from dogonews.com
Leaping Stingray Kills Woman
A vacationing American woman died after a leaping stingray hit her in the face, knocking her off her feet.
Judy Kay Zagorski of Michigan was boating with her family last Friday when the stingray leapt into the boat, striking her. Losing her balance, she fell and struck her head. She never recovered and was pronounced dead later. The stingray also died.
Immediate inquiry proved Mrs. Zagorski was not stung by the stingray's barb; this was simply a freak accident. Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, died when his heart was pierced by a barb from a stingray.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Judy Kay Zagorski of Michigan was boating with her family last Friday when the stingray leapt into the boat, striking her. Losing her balance, she fell and struck her head. She never recovered and was pronounced dead later. The stingray also died.
Immediate inquiry proved Mrs. Zagorski was not stung by the stingray's barb; this was simply a freak accident. Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, died when his heart was pierced by a barb from a stingray.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Back in the Saddle
Okay, knock wood, I seem to be feeling pretty average today, so we are going to push it for all it's worth.
This is the sickest I have been in recent memory, and it literally took until just yesterday for me to start feeling better. Of course, I missed the entire week -- from Monday to Sunday -- so I have a host of things to get to, both on- and off- line. I managed to bookmark a few interesting items along the way -- on the few attempts I made to actually be productive (none of which worked, obviously) -- so I will get stuff out to you throughout the day.
Just keep checking-in and I'll keep posting things as I can!
I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
This is the sickest I have been in recent memory, and it literally took until just yesterday for me to start feeling better. Of course, I missed the entire week -- from Monday to Sunday -- so I have a host of things to get to, both on- and off- line. I managed to bookmark a few interesting items along the way -- on the few attempts I made to actually be productive (none of which worked, obviously) -- so I will get stuff out to you throughout the day.
Just keep checking-in and I'll keep posting things as I can!
I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Illin' in the Crizzib
Sorry for being away so long.
As I related on The Rundown, I fell ill on Monday -- very, very ill -- and am just now regaining my strength. While I have made a few posts here and there and gone through some of the e-mail, I am not yet well enough to get back to work.
I apologize but, as we're all aware, sometimes these things just cannot be avoided.
I am feeling better, but nowhere near where I need to be. This is about the fourth time I have sat in front of this computer and tried to check-in, and the first that I have been able to concentrate enough to actually make some kind of sense. I feel awful! I can remember only one other time that I was this ill and I do not recall it lasting this long, although I know it took several weeks to really shake. That was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-6 years ago and I lost this entire week -- no clean dishes, no clean clothes, I barely managed to pick-up around the house just enough so that I am not having to strain to step over stuff -- and I can't afford to do that again, at all.
So I am going very, very easy this go-round.
Just so you know, since Rated-B is more or less the "flagship" blog of the site (and gets many, many more readers), in cases such as this, I tend to post there if nowhere else; should I disappear like this again, please check there first if you are wondering where I've gone. I know there isn't a lot of crossover between the blogs in general, but just FYI. [This was 2008 - ed.]
Hopefully I'll be back later today/tonight or tomorrow, but I have to let this thing run its course; I'm not going to force myself.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
As I related on The Rundown, I fell ill on Monday -- very, very ill -- and am just now regaining my strength. While I have made a few posts here and there and gone through some of the e-mail, I am not yet well enough to get back to work.
I apologize but, as we're all aware, sometimes these things just cannot be avoided.
I am feeling better, but nowhere near where I need to be. This is about the fourth time I have sat in front of this computer and tried to check-in, and the first that I have been able to concentrate enough to actually make some kind of sense. I feel awful! I can remember only one other time that I was this ill and I do not recall it lasting this long, although I know it took several weeks to really shake. That was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-6 years ago and I lost this entire week -- no clean dishes, no clean clothes, I barely managed to pick-up around the house just enough so that I am not having to strain to step over stuff -- and I can't afford to do that again, at all.
So I am going very, very easy this go-round.
Just so you know, since Rated-B is more or less the "flagship" blog of the site (and gets many, many more readers), in cases such as this, I tend to post there if nowhere else; should I disappear like this again, please check there first if you are wondering where I've gone. I know there isn't a lot of crossover between the blogs in general, but just FYI. [This was 2008 - ed.]
Hopefully I'll be back later today/tonight or tomorrow, but I have to let this thing run its course; I'm not going to force myself.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Dirty Hippies Force Captive Animals to Diet!
Some damn, dirty hippies have decided that zoo animals are too fat, and are putting them on a diet!
True stories, all:
While a valid science, and a necessary one for many zoos and animals, feeding bears veggie-burgers and tofu-bars is a bit hippy-dippy, if you ask me!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
True stories, all:
- Jennifer Watts, staff nutritionist at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo, is designing "a Weight-Watchers"-style points program for the animals, allowing them only a few extra points each week, to keep them from developing "love handles."
- Keepers at the Indianapolis Zoo are feeding their bears sugar-free Jell-O instead of the real stuff. Other treats in use at zoos around the country and elsewhere include salt-free crackers, and alfalfa-enriched "biscuits." These filthy hippies hide the snacks in the animals' enclosures, forcing them to locate them on their own!
- The Toledo Zoo has taken a far healthier and more natural approach, feeding their large cats whole calf carcasses, and their wolves roadkill (deer). This forces the animals to expend energy, and exercise to eat -- much as they would in the wild.
While a valid science, and a necessary one for many zoos and animals, feeding bears veggie-burgers and tofu-bars is a bit hippy-dippy, if you ask me!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Baby Boy's Shooting Blanks!
Recent research has led scientists to theorize that problems involving male genitalia, such as decreased sperm count and testicular cancer, are determined by factors in the womb during the 8-12 week stage.
Research performed at the University of Edinburgh suggest that low levels of male hormones, or androgens, during this critical period of development may lead to a host of health issues, including cryptorchidism (testes not descending properly), hypospadias (urinary tract opening in the wrong place on the penis), and disorders that only become apparent later in life.
Further, the distance between the penis and anus (the anogenital measurement) may give doctors an indication as to what the hormone levels were in the womb, even later in life. The shorter the distance, the less confident doctors can be that the right hormones were present, and/or that they acted properly.
In other words, it's all women's fault!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Research performed at the University of Edinburgh suggest that low levels of male hormones, or androgens, during this critical period of development may lead to a host of health issues, including cryptorchidism (testes not descending properly), hypospadias (urinary tract opening in the wrong place on the penis), and disorders that only become apparent later in life.
Further, the distance between the penis and anus (the anogenital measurement) may give doctors an indication as to what the hormone levels were in the womb, even later in life. The shorter the distance, the less confident doctors can be that the right hormones were present, and/or that they acted properly.
In other words, it's all women's fault!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Peruvian Meteorite Rewrites Rules
We reported on the strange happenings surrounding (what is thought to be) a meteorite's landing in Peru last year.
While that fiasco made headline news -- with even major, international sources insinuating that there just might have been more to it than meets the eye -- scientists say the real news isn't the inexplicable illnesses or fireball in the sky many witnesses reported: The real news is that the meteorite should have burned-up long before it hit the Earth's surface.
There was no mention of the absolutely ridiculous "scientists'" attempts to explain-away how stupid these uneducated Peruvian "witnesses" are.
Regardless, experts are now saying the event may rewrite what science thought it knew about meteorites and how they "work," as usually only metal meteorites make it through the atmosphere intact enough to cause such an impact. Further, the speed at which the meteorite entered, and traversed through, the atmosphere was much faster than would be expected.
In fact, the scientists admitted "many thought this was fake."
The hypothesis at this point is that the velocity of the meteorite kept the meteorite fragments held closely so together that the body acted as a solid mass. In fact, the forces at work might even have caused the particles to reconstitute into a solid mass. Another theory is that the object was actually slow-moving and entered at a slanted angle, which caused it to break into larger pieces than normal.
However, not everyone buys either theory and many are calling for searches for iron and other metallic ores; they are not 100% the object was a stony meteorite.
But, ever true-to-form, alleged scientists insist the reported illnesses were due to "mass hysteria" and reports of livestock deaths were exaggerated.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
While that fiasco made headline news -- with even major, international sources insinuating that there just might have been more to it than meets the eye -- scientists say the real news isn't the inexplicable illnesses or fireball in the sky many witnesses reported: The real news is that the meteorite should have burned-up long before it hit the Earth's surface.
There was no mention of the absolutely ridiculous "scientists'" attempts to explain-away how stupid these uneducated Peruvian "witnesses" are.
Regardless, experts are now saying the event may rewrite what science thought it knew about meteorites and how they "work," as usually only metal meteorites make it through the atmosphere intact enough to cause such an impact. Further, the speed at which the meteorite entered, and traversed through, the atmosphere was much faster than would be expected.
In fact, the scientists admitted "many thought this was fake."
The hypothesis at this point is that the velocity of the meteorite kept the meteorite fragments held closely so together that the body acted as a solid mass. In fact, the forces at work might even have caused the particles to reconstitute into a solid mass. Another theory is that the object was actually slow-moving and entered at a slanted angle, which caused it to break into larger pieces than normal.
However, not everyone buys either theory and many are calling for searches for iron and other metallic ores; they are not 100% the object was a stony meteorite.
But, ever true-to-form, alleged scientists insist the reported illnesses were due to "mass hysteria" and reports of livestock deaths were exaggerated.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
70-lb. Egg on Display
A London department store is selling 70-lb. chocolate eggs.
Yes, you read that right: 70-lbs! The eggs are made of pure chocolate by L'Artisan du Chocolat and cost over $1000! They are studded with hundreds of sugar diamonds and are said to 'really taste as good as they look.'
The store says it has sold at least four, so far.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Yes, you read that right: 70-lbs! The eggs are made of pure chocolate by L'Artisan du Chocolat and cost over $1000! They are studded with hundreds of sugar diamonds and are said to 'really taste as good as they look.'
The store says it has sold at least four, so far.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sex... Doesn't Sell?
Germany's famed Hotel Luxor, the oldest brothel in the country, is closing its doors for good next month.
Madam Waltraud Mehrer told the press, "You can't make any big money selling sex in St. Pauli anymore." She blamed noisy discotheques, Internet porn, and the cheapness of customers. In its heyday in the 1970s, Hotel Luxor employed an even dozen whores who could expect up to $3000 a night. Now only open through the weekend, Hotel Luxor employs just four hookers who are lucky to make $300 a shift.
The hotel was sold to investors and will close its doors for good in April.
Skanks.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Madam Waltraud Mehrer told the press, "You can't make any big money selling sex in St. Pauli anymore." She blamed noisy discotheques, Internet porn, and the cheapness of customers. In its heyday in the 1970s, Hotel Luxor employed an even dozen whores who could expect up to $3000 a night. Now only open through the weekend, Hotel Luxor employs just four hookers who are lucky to make $300 a shift.
The hotel was sold to investors and will close its doors for good in April.
Skanks.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Frog From Hell
Last month, scientists unearthed the fossilized remains of Beelzebufo, or "the frog from hell."
The 9-lb., 16" toad was among the largest of its kind ever discovered to-date. Related to today's horned toads, this one had short legs and a giant mouth. It most likely preyed on small animals using the ambush techniques of its modern-day relatives.
Researchers added the the discovery bolstered the notion that the Madagascar island and South American landmasses could have been joined at some point in history, as the frog is strikingly different from those indigenous to the island, but closely-related to those found in South America.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The 9-lb., 16" toad was among the largest of its kind ever discovered to-date. Related to today's horned toads, this one had short legs and a giant mouth. It most likely preyed on small animals using the ambush techniques of its modern-day relatives.
Researchers added the the discovery bolstered the notion that the Madagascar island and South American landmasses could have been joined at some point in history, as the frog is strikingly different from those indigenous to the island, but closely-related to those found in South America.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
This Weekend
I will get one or two more stories out to you today, but barring any celestial invasions or lake monster sightings, that will likely be it until Monday or possibly Tuesday.
Monday, as you probably know, is National Drinking Day -- er, St. Patrick's Day. Being as I have red hair and green eyes, and am short with a big nose, I cannot hide my heritage; it would be a crime to my ancestors if I didn't honor their legacy by drinking until I fall-out on this, their most sacred of high holy days. I am also actually researching the holiday for a post on its origins, so there will be that.
Today, I am going to work behind-the-scenes to clean things up a bit, so there may be some churn. I also have some new sponsors that need ad placement and some general design issues to tackle, including a suitable color scheme.
As always, I welcome any and all suggestions -- so don't sit by, waiting for things to change! Welcome to all our new subscribers - even if you are old subscribers who were lost when the feed went down - and for those of you just finding us, make sure you subscribe so you can keep-up with goings-on. The OddBlog, moreso than any other blog I've ever had, is quite intermittent -- days go by without activity, then you get days like the past two to three, where the feed fills-up rapidly.
Anyway, if you are in this stormfront, as I am, it's a wet one -- so stay indoors and check out our archives!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, as you probably know, is National Drinking Day -- er, St. Patrick's Day. Being as I have red hair and green eyes, and am short with a big nose, I cannot hide my heritage; it would be a crime to my ancestors if I didn't honor their legacy by drinking until I fall-out on this, their most sacred of high holy days. I am also actually researching the holiday for a post on its origins, so there will be that.
Today, I am going to work behind-the-scenes to clean things up a bit, so there may be some churn. I also have some new sponsors that need ad placement and some general design issues to tackle, including a suitable color scheme.
As always, I welcome any and all suggestions -- so don't sit by, waiting for things to change! Welcome to all our new subscribers - even if you are old subscribers who were lost when the feed went down - and for those of you just finding us, make sure you subscribe so you can keep-up with goings-on. The OddBlog, moreso than any other blog I've ever had, is quite intermittent -- days go by without activity, then you get days like the past two to three, where the feed fills-up rapidly.
Anyway, if you are in this stormfront, as I am, it's a wet one -- so stay indoors and check out our archives!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Self-Healing Rubber
A rubber compound as yet unnamed can allegedly repair itself.
Made from vegetable oil and a chemical found in urine, the rubber compound re-adjoins itself when cut. Apparently, the chemicals in it retain a high attraction to one another - so high that they seek-out their other part and re-adhere without the need for adhesive or interference!
While researchers jokingly discussed making toys of the substance, my personal application tends toward prophylactics. I am not, however, suggesting a market for reusable condoms. Blecch!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
UPDATE: Apparently, the original link was illegally removed as the dipshits in the medical industry bicker over patents and rights. There are now no fewer than every country on Earth claiming to have developed this material over the last decade. It's this kind of predatory commerce which retards human existence and threatens all life. The link has been replaced. - 2018
Made from vegetable oil and a chemical found in urine, the rubber compound re-adjoins itself when cut. Apparently, the chemicals in it retain a high attraction to one another - so high that they seek-out their other part and re-adhere without the need for adhesive or interference!
While researchers jokingly discussed making toys of the substance, my personal application tends toward prophylactics. I am not, however, suggesting a market for reusable condoms. Blecch!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
UPDATE: Apparently, the original link was illegally removed as the dipshits in the medical industry bicker over patents and rights. There are now no fewer than every country on Earth claiming to have developed this material over the last decade. It's this kind of predatory commerce which retards human existence and threatens all life. The link has been replaced. - 2018
RSF Virtual Protests - March 12
Reporters Without Borders (RSF -- not the BLACK OPS investment firm) set up virtual versions of nine real places where protesting is usually outlawed, and invited people from all over the world to join in protesting Web censorship this past Thursday.
Virtual areas included China's Tiananmen Square, and Kim Il-Sung Square in North Korea. The RSF noted that at least 62 cyber-dissidents are in jail around the world, and over 2500 sites, blogs, and forums were closed or blocked last year alone.
[We can prove that, and much more. And, lest we omit, Obama was acting President at this time. - ed., 2018]
The demonstrations lasted 24 hours and attracted thousands. Users were encouraged to create avatars and banners, and participate in one of the virtual demonstrations in nine countries.
The event is set to take place annually on the 12th of March.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Virtual areas included China's Tiananmen Square, and Kim Il-Sung Square in North Korea. The RSF noted that at least 62 cyber-dissidents are in jail around the world, and over 2500 sites, blogs, and forums were closed or blocked last year alone.
[We can prove that, and much more. And, lest we omit, Obama was acting President at this time. - ed., 2018]
The demonstrations lasted 24 hours and attracted thousands. Users were encouraged to create avatars and banners, and participate in one of the virtual demonstrations in nine countries.
The event is set to take place annually on the 12th of March.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Machines Will Have AI by 2029
One researcher has predicted that machines will have human-level intelligence by 2029.
Ray Kurzweil, an American Inventor, suggests that the dark future of Cyberpunk is upon us. By 2029, not only will computers and machines have achieved human-level intelligence, they will be routinely implanted into humans to improve our skills sets, intelligence, and more, as well as "automatically go into full emergent virtual reality environments through the nervous system."
In the Cyberpunk tabletop role-playing game, fully-supported by The Weirding, based on sci-fi literature and films, this type of technology is commonplace. Nanotechnology and virtual reality simulation is a routine, and integral, part of everyday life. This is not a plug; I bring this up because I am intimately familiar with the concepts as put-forth in the literature and games of the Cyberpunk genre, so I have some small insight into this topic.
Within the genre, most characters are neurally-enhanced by cybernetics, which allow them to "login" (called "jacking-in") to everyday appliances in order to symbiotically enhance their use. For example, soldiers jack-in to their weapons, making them "smart guns," which improve their accuracy. In this example, the soldier's aim is improved tremendously because his nervous system is cybernetically boosted; instead of having to concentrate on aiming, he simply points his weapon in the general direction of what he is trying to hit and the machines within his body send a signal to his hand to pull the trigger when the target is in the weapon's sights.
Also featured in the game are "chipsets," which basically grant the characters skills without them having to study. If a character wants to "learn" martial arts, he simply buys a martial arts chip, which implants the knowledge into his brain and body. While this was developed straight from the Neuromancer novel and series (on which The Matrix movie was based), advancements in computers have since changed the idea somewhat.
In the game, written in the 1980s, these chipsets function as independent floppy-disks on which this information is stored; when the chip is removed, the character loses the abilities associated with the chip. The Matrix movie suggested a method far more likely to come to bear: one where the information is downloaded into/onto the brain. Both require cybernetic implants connected directly to the central nervous system.
Kurzweil was one of 18 "geniuses" chosen by the US National Academy of Engineering to outline the technological challenges facing humanity in the 21st-Century.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Ray Kurzweil, an American Inventor, suggests that the dark future of Cyberpunk is upon us. By 2029, not only will computers and machines have achieved human-level intelligence, they will be routinely implanted into humans to improve our skills sets, intelligence, and more, as well as "automatically go into full emergent virtual reality environments through the nervous system."
In the Cyberpunk tabletop role-playing game, fully-supported by The Weirding, based on sci-fi literature and films, this type of technology is commonplace. Nanotechnology and virtual reality simulation is a routine, and integral, part of everyday life. This is not a plug; I bring this up because I am intimately familiar with the concepts as put-forth in the literature and games of the Cyberpunk genre, so I have some small insight into this topic.
Within the genre, most characters are neurally-enhanced by cybernetics, which allow them to "login" (called "jacking-in") to everyday appliances in order to symbiotically enhance their use. For example, soldiers jack-in to their weapons, making them "smart guns," which improve their accuracy. In this example, the soldier's aim is improved tremendously because his nervous system is cybernetically boosted; instead of having to concentrate on aiming, he simply points his weapon in the general direction of what he is trying to hit and the machines within his body send a signal to his hand to pull the trigger when the target is in the weapon's sights.
Also featured in the game are "chipsets," which basically grant the characters skills without them having to study. If a character wants to "learn" martial arts, he simply buys a martial arts chip, which implants the knowledge into his brain and body. While this was developed straight from the Neuromancer novel and series (on which The Matrix movie was based), advancements in computers have since changed the idea somewhat.
In the game, written in the 1980s, these chipsets function as independent floppy-disks on which this information is stored; when the chip is removed, the character loses the abilities associated with the chip. The Matrix movie suggested a method far more likely to come to bear: one where the information is downloaded into/onto the brain. Both require cybernetic implants connected directly to the central nervous system.
Kurzweil was one of 18 "geniuses" chosen by the US National Academy of Engineering to outline the technological challenges facing humanity in the 21st-Century.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Pioneer Anomaly 'Humbles and Perplexes' NASA
NASA and other scientists are "perplexed" by what strange forces at-work on spacecraft.
Through studies conducted the flight of six satellites, independent researchers confirmed an unknown force acting on five. The sixth did not offer any useful data, as its flight path was too short. Apparently, all of the spacecraft showed inexplicable changes in their motion when they flew close to the Earth.
While officials believe the anomalies recorded in all of the flight patterns are somehow related, they do not know how. However, the anomalous findings may mean that the very Law of Gravity itself needs to be changed!
Further research is being conducted and the findings are to be released in an upcoming issue of Physical Review Letters.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Through studies conducted the flight of six satellites, independent researchers confirmed an unknown force acting on five. The sixth did not offer any useful data, as its flight path was too short. Apparently, all of the spacecraft showed inexplicable changes in their motion when they flew close to the Earth.
While officials believe the anomalies recorded in all of the flight patterns are somehow related, they do not know how. However, the anomalous findings may mean that the very Law of Gravity itself needs to be changed!
Further research is being conducted and the findings are to be released in an upcoming issue of Physical Review Letters.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Early St. Patty's Day Celebration
Sorry for dropping-off yesterday.
It was such a nice day and the forecast changed halfway through. It was supposed to be in the 70s all weekend, but then a cold front came through, resulting in some pretty spectacular thunderstorms and even a tornado or two across the general region. Anyway, we decided to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather while it lasted.
So I took the rest of the afternoon off, then went to bed pretty early. I wound-up waking up halfway through the night and watching TV for a few hours before getting back to sleep, but it was good. I worked hard all week long on layouts and design and all such as that, and I really needed the break. That was the first real break I'd taken in several weeks!
Anyway, I'm up now and we'll be getting right back into the swing of things directly.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
It was such a nice day and the forecast changed halfway through. It was supposed to be in the 70s all weekend, but then a cold front came through, resulting in some pretty spectacular thunderstorms and even a tornado or two across the general region. Anyway, we decided to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather while it lasted.
So I took the rest of the afternoon off, then went to bed pretty early. I wound-up waking up halfway through the night and watching TV for a few hours before getting back to sleep, but it was good. I worked hard all week long on layouts and design and all such as that, and I really needed the break. That was the first real break I'd taken in several weeks!
Anyway, I'm up now and we'll be getting right back into the swing of things directly.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
New Method Saves More Heart Attack Victims
Arizona researchers suggest paramedics give patients who suffer cardiac arrest uninterrupted chest compression.
In studies, the researchers found that the survival rate of patients who were administered Minimally Interrupted Cardiac Resuscitation (MIRC) -- a technique which involves the early administration of adrenaline, followed by 200 uninterrupted compressions, and waiting longer to ventilate the lungs -- trebled! Before the method was introduced to the study group, less than 2% of heart-attack victims survived the trip to the hospital; this number increased to almost 6% with the MIRC technique.
However, "experts" caution that the study results must be carefully interpreted, especially since they did not consider the success rate improvement significantly.
Let me add that part of the reasoning behind this caveat is that the bloodflow rejuvenated by chest compression (basic CPR) is so minimal that it is derided as a "basic" technique by medical corporations. I believe this sends a clear message that a portable medical device which can deliver precise compressions on a regular and uninterrupted basis is necessary for significant improvement in the current survival rates.
But that is what representatives of corporations that manufacture and sell such devices want us to think...
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
In studies, the researchers found that the survival rate of patients who were administered Minimally Interrupted Cardiac Resuscitation (MIRC) -- a technique which involves the early administration of adrenaline, followed by 200 uninterrupted compressions, and waiting longer to ventilate the lungs -- trebled! Before the method was introduced to the study group, less than 2% of heart-attack victims survived the trip to the hospital; this number increased to almost 6% with the MIRC technique.
However, "experts" caution that the study results must be carefully interpreted, especially since they did not consider the success rate improvement significantly.
Let me add that part of the reasoning behind this caveat is that the bloodflow rejuvenated by chest compression (basic CPR) is so minimal that it is derided as a "basic" technique by medical corporations. I believe this sends a clear message that a portable medical device which can deliver precise compressions on a regular and uninterrupted basis is necessary for significant improvement in the current survival rates.
But that is what representatives of corporations that manufacture and sell such devices want us to think...
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The Mothership Has Landed.. and It's For Sale!
A spaceship-themed house on the side of Signal Mountain in Chattanooga, TN, is for sale.
Originally built in 1970, following the cancellation of Star Trek and the moon landing, similar houses began to crop-up throughout the United States, but this is the original. An actual home and not one of the modular, movable types designed by Finnish architect, Matti Suuronen in 1968 (called Futuro Homes), the disc-shaped house has curved walls and short ceilings, along with a curved bar.
The current owner has only been there four months and did not comment on why he was selling. The agent handling the sale noted he has already received one bid for $100,000.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Originally built in 1970, following the cancellation of Star Trek and the moon landing, similar houses began to crop-up throughout the United States, but this is the original. An actual home and not one of the modular, movable types designed by Finnish architect, Matti Suuronen in 1968 (called Futuro Homes), the disc-shaped house has curved walls and short ceilings, along with a curved bar.
The current owner has only been there four months and did not comment on why he was selling. The agent handling the sale noted he has already received one bid for $100,000.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Pre-Incan Ruins Unearthed
Researchers have discovered a temple which may predate the Incan civilization.
The temple in Peru lay on the outskirts of the Sacasyhuaman fortress and contains 11 rooms, along with an area in the shape of a Chacana - an Incan religious symbol. Measuring over 2500', the discovery includes finds of ancient roadways and irrigation systems.
Excavators began their work last year and are expected to be there for five more years. Archaeologists say they were lucky to have made the discovery, as some of the ruins were damaged by dynamite blasting at nearby mines.
Made of stones and adobe, the ruins are from both Incan and pre-Incan cultures. Apparently, the Incas changed the structure after they assumed power of the region.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The temple in Peru lay on the outskirts of the Sacasyhuaman fortress and contains 11 rooms, along with an area in the shape of a Chacana - an Incan religious symbol. Measuring over 2500', the discovery includes finds of ancient roadways and irrigation systems.
Excavators began their work last year and are expected to be there for five more years. Archaeologists say they were lucky to have made the discovery, as some of the ruins were damaged by dynamite blasting at nearby mines.
Made of stones and adobe, the ruins are from both Incan and pre-Incan cultures. Apparently, the Incas changed the structure after they assumed power of the region.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
More on Tags
Sorry for the churn and the continued technical notes, but I just wanted to let you know that I am trying to come up with a general tagging system across the site. While all of the blogs exist both within and separate from The Weirding, and each is going to have its own set of tags that are not applicable to the others, there are a lot of subjects and tags that exist on all of them. So in order to facilitate better navigation, organization, and make things easier for readers to find, I am trying to develop an overall system.
This is a huge undertaking, like most all of them I have been involved with this month (and will be involved with every month, from now on... yay!), so it's going to take some time. And since I am getting tired of stopping everyday to tell you to watch out for churn, just know that churn will happen.
We had a really productive day post-wise, so I may hold-off on the rest until tomorrow so I can focus on tweaking things... but you know how I am. If I come across something and feel like chatting about it, it'll be here when you wake up. Or you can check every 4-5 minutes, as you so please.
Oh, yes, according to the 3450724097240908235085 "how-to" blogs, I am supposed to tell you to come back and check every 4-5 minutes. And stuff.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
This is a huge undertaking, like most all of them I have been involved with this month (and will be involved with every month, from now on... yay!), so it's going to take some time. And since I am getting tired of stopping everyday to tell you to watch out for churn, just know that churn will happen.
We had a really productive day post-wise, so I may hold-off on the rest until tomorrow so I can focus on tweaking things... but you know how I am. If I come across something and feel like chatting about it, it'll be here when you wake up. Or you can check every 4-5 minutes, as you so please.
Oh, yes, according to the 3450724097240908235085 "how-to" blogs, I am supposed to tell you to come back and check every 4-5 minutes. And stuff.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Dolphin Saves Whales
Two pygmy sperm whales had repeatedly beached themselves on a New Zealand coast. When rescue efforts failed, both the whales and the team were ready to give-up. Then Moko appeared and saved the day!
Moko is a bottlenose dolphin residents named because she likes to play with swimmers. But on this day, Moko had a mission.
According to witnesses, the dolphin swam toward the rescue group and the whales and began "jabbering." A scientist watching the exchange said, "I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin, but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the dolphin..."
Moko led the whales to the open sea, where they have since been spotted. The scientist quoted above went against his scientific stance, swam into the bay, and gave Moko a pat for a job well-done.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Moko is a bottlenose dolphin residents named because she likes to play with swimmers. But on this day, Moko had a mission.
According to witnesses, the dolphin swam toward the rescue group and the whales and began "jabbering." A scientist watching the exchange said, "I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin, but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the dolphin..."
Moko led the whales to the open sea, where they have since been spotted. The scientist quoted above went against his scientific stance, swam into the bay, and gave Moko a pat for a job well-done.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Agenda
It's been a pretty good day so far, huh? And I still haven't talked about Destination Truth or Ghost Hunters (well, I missed GH last night)! There's still more to come, but I need to take a few moments to straighten some things up.
If you follow the other blogs, you know I finally unrolled the new layout for The Rundown last night, though I hit a few snags along the way. I had every intention of getting back here for a few more posts, but had to handle that immediately. That happens quite often, actually.
As you know, and I have said many times before, there usually isn't a whole lot of "breaking" news on the paranormal and Supernatural front. While I have tons of books and materials on these subjects, and have formed a lot of theories with which I can regale y'all tirelessly, I have expanded the theme a few times over since I started. But even including odd/weird news and general science/religion, there's nowhere near the amount of news as there is for the entertainment industry. Plus, we get a lot of press releases from a lot of companies over to The Rundown, and those are timely. Not to mention that my local library is completely bereft of any subject matter aside from scrapbooking, cookbooks, and Christianity.
Anyway, you might get a little churn here as I run through the tags, but I'm mainly working on the design and appearance, so you might not. After that, I still have an entire folderful of bookmarks to get to, so there's plenty to carry us through the weekend.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
If you follow the other blogs, you know I finally unrolled the new layout for The Rundown last night, though I hit a few snags along the way. I had every intention of getting back here for a few more posts, but had to handle that immediately. That happens quite often, actually.
As you know, and I have said many times before, there usually isn't a whole lot of "breaking" news on the paranormal and Supernatural front. While I have tons of books and materials on these subjects, and have formed a lot of theories with which I can regale y'all tirelessly, I have expanded the theme a few times over since I started. But even including odd/weird news and general science/religion, there's nowhere near the amount of news as there is for the entertainment industry. Plus, we get a lot of press releases from a lot of companies over to The Rundown, and those are timely. Not to mention that my local library is completely bereft of any subject matter aside from scrapbooking, cookbooks, and Christianity.
Anyway, you might get a little churn here as I run through the tags, but I'm mainly working on the design and appearance, so you might not. After that, I still have an entire folderful of bookmarks to get to, so there's plenty to carry us through the weekend.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Where Were the Warriors?
Several days ago, a man was shot dead after taking 10 tourists hostage near the historical Xian town square in China.
While the hostages were released unharmed, the man was shot and killed by Chinese police after a brief surrender attempt fell apart.
The Xian province is a major Chinese tourist destination because it is where the Terracotta Army is located. There are over 8,000 ceramic warriors, acrobats, horses, and other "men" in the Army, which was discovered in 1975 by local farmers. Buried with Emperor Qin, who unified China during his reign, legend holds that the Army will come to life to protect China in a time of great need.
Officials insist such an incident is extremely rare in China, particularly in this province.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
While the hostages were released unharmed, the man was shot and killed by Chinese police after a brief surrender attempt fell apart.
The Xian province is a major Chinese tourist destination because it is where the Terracotta Army is located. There are over 8,000 ceramic warriors, acrobats, horses, and other "men" in the Army, which was discovered in 1975 by local farmers. Buried with Emperor Qin, who unified China during his reign, legend holds that the Army will come to life to protect China in a time of great need.
Officials insist such an incident is extremely rare in China, particularly in this province.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
More Monkeying-Around by Conservationists
Conservationists, Jane Goodall amongst them, are making a stink about the use of chimps in entertainment.
Accordingly, they insist that the use of chimps in movies, TV, and commercials is deceiving the public into not recognizing the animals as the endangered species they are. Research they provided to bolster their claims included studies which showed that most people considered gorillas and orangutans [more] endangered than chimps and pointed to the latter's use in film and television as the reason.
These scientists and conservationists may have a point, but it's a small one and this is a waste of time. Who cares if they consider them endangered? What the hell does that even mean? Chimpanzees need a fricking PR campaign to polish their endangered species image? Really?
This time, money, and effort could be better spent on at least a half-dozen things that come to mind just sitting here - things that might actually help chimps and their endangered species status. Just ridiculous.
These people have their collective head up their collective ass, as usual!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Accordingly, they insist that the use of chimps in movies, TV, and commercials is deceiving the public into not recognizing the animals as the endangered species they are. Research they provided to bolster their claims included studies which showed that most people considered gorillas and orangutans [more] endangered than chimps and pointed to the latter's use in film and television as the reason.
These scientists and conservationists may have a point, but it's a small one and this is a waste of time. Who cares if they consider them endangered? What the hell does that even mean? Chimpanzees need a fricking PR campaign to polish their endangered species image? Really?
This time, money, and effort could be better spent on at least a half-dozen things that come to mind just sitting here - things that might actually help chimps and their endangered species status. Just ridiculous.
These people have their collective head up their collective ass, as usual!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Anyone? Bueller?
Tamarac, Florida discussed the possibility of annexing a nearby, unincorporated community in Broward County - they just wanted to see what the residents had to say about the notion. So they drew-up a referendum on the matter and held an election.
And absolutely no one showed up!
Had one constituent shown up, his would have been the deciding vote! There are reportedly 68 registered voters in the unincorporated Prospect Bend neighborhood of about 200 citizens. It cost the city $2500 to keep the polling booths open for 12 hours.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
And absolutely no one showed up!
Had one constituent shown up, his would have been the deciding vote! There are reportedly 68 registered voters in the unincorporated Prospect Bend neighborhood of about 200 citizens. It cost the city $2500 to keep the polling booths open for 12 hours.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Kansas Chick Was On Pot
A 35 year-old Kansas woman apparently misunderstood the phrase, "Shit or get off the pot."
According to police, the woman was somehow stuck to the toilet seat... for two years!
"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was physically stuck..." said the sheriff. Her legs had atrophied. She was flushed and "seemingly disoriented" when authorities first arrived. While she refused medical attention, they finally persuaded her to go to a hospital. In order to get her there, they had to pry the toilet seat off with a crowbar. It went with her to the hospital.
While the boyfriend insists the extended rest-stop was her idea, police wonder why it took him two years to report the incident. He apparently brought her sustenance throughout her ordeal. Police suspect abuse.
No shit.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
According to police, the woman was somehow stuck to the toilet seat... for two years!
"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was physically stuck..." said the sheriff. Her legs had atrophied. She was flushed and "seemingly disoriented" when authorities first arrived. While she refused medical attention, they finally persuaded her to go to a hospital. In order to get her there, they had to pry the toilet seat off with a crowbar. It went with her to the hospital.
While the boyfriend insists the extended rest-stop was her idea, police wonder why it took him two years to report the incident. He apparently brought her sustenance throughout her ordeal. Police suspect abuse.
No shit.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Churn Alert
If you notice old posts popping-up in your feed, it's because I am managing tags.
I have several more posts to get out to you today, so just hang-tight -- but, in the meanwhile, I have to get back to maintenance. Posts will be scattered throughout the day and night.
Don't forget, tonight is Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, MonsterQuest, and UFO Hunters; the first two are new episodes on Sci-Fi, while the latter are repeats over to History. Of course, I will be commenting on them either tonight or tomorrow (as always), and you can set your scheduler/TiVo/DVR to catch one block then the other -- as both stations repeat them in later timeslots.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I have several more posts to get out to you today, so just hang-tight -- but, in the meanwhile, I have to get back to maintenance. Posts will be scattered throughout the day and night.
Don't forget, tonight is Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, MonsterQuest, and UFO Hunters; the first two are new episodes on Sci-Fi, while the latter are repeats over to History. Of course, I will be commenting on them either tonight or tomorrow (as always), and you can set your scheduler/TiVo/DVR to catch one block then the other -- as both stations repeat them in later timeslots.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Nano-Brain
Scientists have developed a "nano-brain," which has been proven to act as a sort-of "remote control" for others.
The machine, made from 17 molecules of the chemical, duroquinone, is known as a "logic device. One molecule sets in the center of the surrounding 16 and when its control state is changed, it changes that of the others. It is basically a kind of "brain" that tells the surrounding molecules what to do.
A complicated matter, nanotechnology has been slowly developing for years. Nanotechnology stands to change the face of medicine as we know it, but it can be rather confusing, so I am not going to try and explain it anymore than I have; more - and more complete - information can be found in this BBC article.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The machine, made from 17 molecules of the chemical, duroquinone, is known as a "logic device. One molecule sets in the center of the surrounding 16 and when its control state is changed, it changes that of the others. It is basically a kind of "brain" that tells the surrounding molecules what to do.
A complicated matter, nanotechnology has been slowly developing for years. Nanotechnology stands to change the face of medicine as we know it, but it can be rather confusing, so I am not going to try and explain it anymore than I have; more - and more complete - information can be found in this BBC article.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tiger Population Halved in Past 25 Years
The World Wildlife Federation said there may be less than 1500 tigers left and, if actions were not taken soon, both the Sumatran Tiger ans the South China Tiger could be extinct within years.
A coordinator from Nepal said he believes there may be as few as 3500 tigers, as opposed to the estimated 5,000 - 7,000 in 1982. At the start of the 20th-Century, there were thought to be around 40,000. The Nepalese coordinator suggested there may be as few as 1400 in India today - 60% less than in 2002.
Tigers in India are in danger from poor farmers, seeking to protect their livestock from the predators. Those in Indonesia are losing their territory to loggers. While those in China are being intentionally hunted to extinction, as their body parts are used in medicines and sexual "potions," and tiger penis is considered a delicacy.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A coordinator from Nepal said he believes there may be as few as 3500 tigers, as opposed to the estimated 5,000 - 7,000 in 1982. At the start of the 20th-Century, there were thought to be around 40,000. The Nepalese coordinator suggested there may be as few as 1400 in India today - 60% less than in 2002.
Tigers in India are in danger from poor farmers, seeking to protect their livestock from the predators. Those in Indonesia are losing their territory to loggers. While those in China are being intentionally hunted to extinction, as their body parts are used in medicines and sexual "potions," and tiger penis is considered a delicacy.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Largely Spam-Free
 |
| Hi |
The OddBlog, along with all of the other Weirding blogs, moderates all comments for this very reason.
Now, I do not know if zgshjtplknzzdwqssghk-ssdjkzx is actually a spammer, but with a name and post like that, I figure it's a pretty safe bet. This is why comments are moderated. I sometimes sleep late, and sometimes take the day off, but you can rest assured that -- barring some unforeseen circumstance -- I check the blogs several times a day, and if your comments are not spam (or just plain insulting), they will be approved shortly thereafter.
Around the time I got the site set-up (Halloween, 2006), all of the blogs, all of the e-mail boxes on the site, and The Speakeasy were literally bombarded with spam! At its height, I was getting 300+ spam posts and e-mails a day! In fact, I have since shut down The Speakeasy [later The Humidor - ed.] because of all the spam there. I started moderating comments and the spam kept-up for about a month or so, but then dropped to literally nothing; today is the first spam post I've seen even try to make it through in months.
So, if you post a comment and wonder why it doesn't show up immediately, you can thank zgshjtplknzzdwqssghk-ssdjkzx and its non-gender-specific ilk.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Teenage American Girls Skanky, Says CDC
A new study by the CDC shows that 1 in 4 teenage American girls are infected with a sexually-transmitted disease -- the rate of incidence was even higher amongst black teen females.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) analyzed data from 838 girls which showed that about 25% of them were infected with some type of STD. HPV (the virus which leads to cervical cancer) led the list, followed closely by chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and herpes. About 1/2 of teenage black girls in the US had at least one STD, while just around 20% of all white and Mexican-American girls were infected.
This is the first study of its kind amongst girls in this age bracket.
The CDC urged all women under 25 to be screened, as well as be immunized against the Human papillomavirus. STDs can lead to fertility issues and even death.
Skanks.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) analyzed data from 838 girls which showed that about 25% of them were infected with some type of STD. HPV (the virus which leads to cervical cancer) led the list, followed closely by chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and herpes. About 1/2 of teenage black girls in the US had at least one STD, while just around 20% of all white and Mexican-American girls were infected.
This is the first study of its kind amongst girls in this age bracket.
The CDC urged all women under 25 to be screened, as well as be immunized against the Human papillomavirus. STDs can lead to fertility issues and even death.
Skanks.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
800-lb. Man Loses Date
A Monterey-area man who once weighed a half-ton was going to meet his girlfriend to celebrate his having lost 400 pounds, but the date was cut short.
After the forklift had carried Manuel Uribe to a flatbed tow-truck while dozens of photographers from around the world looked on, he was on his way to a party with his girlfriend when one of the posts holding a tarp over him hit an overpass. His blood pressure dropped so dramatically that doctors suggested he not continue on.
Last year, friends pushed Uribe's iron bed out of the house as a mariachi band marched along the street. It was his first time outside of his house in five years. He was on his way to take his girlfriend out to eat for her birthday. True story. He hopes to try the date again this June, when he will be 43.
The oddest thing about this story is that an 800-lb. man has a girlfriend and I do not.
Take heart, Uribe - it's not like I can make fun of you!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
After the forklift had carried Manuel Uribe to a flatbed tow-truck while dozens of photographers from around the world looked on, he was on his way to a party with his girlfriend when one of the posts holding a tarp over him hit an overpass. His blood pressure dropped so dramatically that doctors suggested he not continue on.
Last year, friends pushed Uribe's iron bed out of the house as a mariachi band marched along the street. It was his first time outside of his house in five years. He was on his way to take his girlfriend out to eat for her birthday. True story. He hopes to try the date again this June, when he will be 43.
The oddest thing about this story is that an 800-lb. man has a girlfriend and I do not.
Take heart, Uribe - it's not like I can make fun of you!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Curing Disease a Sin, Say Child Molesters
The Catholics are at it again: this time, they've developed a list of the "new" seven deadly sins.
Sound odd? That's why we're reporting it!
Yes, as usual, the Catholics are retooling the Bible and its message to suit their own purposes - that of putting asses in the pews. According to some study or another, confession attendance amongst Italians was down 60% some 20 years ago and it certainly hasn't gotten any better since then. So a bunch of pedophiles (and/or accessories to pedophilia) got together - not to discuss proper methods of promoting the idea of confession being a good thing - to channel the spirit of Cotton Mathers and find new threats of Eternal Damnation with which to frighten people into attending church.
Strangely enough, pedophilia and abortion made the list. Archbishop Giotti, who formed the list, dismissed the link between pedophilia and the Catholic Church as "exaggerations by the mass media aimed at discrediting the Church." He said he believed the greatest modern sins to be in the areas of genetics manipulation and ecology.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sound odd? That's why we're reporting it!
Yes, as usual, the Catholics are retooling the Bible and its message to suit their own purposes - that of putting asses in the pews. According to some study or another, confession attendance amongst Italians was down 60% some 20 years ago and it certainly hasn't gotten any better since then. So a bunch of pedophiles (and/or accessories to pedophilia) got together - not to discuss proper methods of promoting the idea of confession being a good thing - to channel the spirit of Cotton Mathers and find new threats of Eternal Damnation with which to frighten people into attending church.
Strangely enough, pedophilia and abortion made the list. Archbishop Giotti, who formed the list, dismissed the link between pedophilia and the Catholic Church as "exaggerations by the mass media aimed at discrediting the Church." He said he believed the greatest modern sins to be in the areas of genetics manipulation and ecology.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I See London, I See France...
A camera which can see through clothing from nearly 200' away has been developed -- ostensibly for security.
The ThruVision system will likely be used by airport security personnel and employs "T-rays" normally used by astronomers in the study of dying planets. It allows viewers to see through clothing, but not wood or metal. It does not show anatomical details or emit harmful radiation; all people emit T-rays naturally. The resulting images are actually silhouettes of objects.
While similar systems have been developed before, this is the first model that works both inside and out.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The ThruVision system will likely be used by airport security personnel and employs "T-rays" normally used by astronomers in the study of dying planets. It allows viewers to see through clothing, but not wood or metal. It does not show anatomical details or emit harmful radiation; all people emit T-rays naturally. The resulting images are actually silhouettes of objects.
While similar systems have been developed before, this is the first model that works both inside and out.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Watch for Churn
Sorry guys, but I have to get back to the tags and excising of expired posts (mostly ads). This means the feeds are going to start showing older posts -- probably a whole lot of them.
This is going to continue off and on throughout the month and I have to go through and do this every once in a while, anyway -- it's just part of maintaining a blog -- and I apologize for it, but it has to be done.
After that, I have another piece or two to get out to you.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
This is going to continue off and on throughout the month and I have to go through and do this every once in a while, anyway -- it's just part of maintaining a blog -- and I apologize for it, but it has to be done.
After that, I have another piece or two to get out to you.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Brazilian Mummies Found
Workers searching for termites under a monastery in Brazil uncovered two natural mummies.
The mummies, found under the Roman Catholic Monastery of Light in Sao Paulo, are believed to be those of two nuns. One was found well-preserved, with its hands in the praying position. The other was riddled with termites; it is reported to be mainly just skeletal remains. The mummies were found together - one with its head on the other.
However, an expert archaeologist in the region does not believe the nuns were buried together. They were found in a wall in an area inside the monastery that was used as a cemetery between 1774 and 1822. He believes the mummified nun was buried later and her remains were somehow pushed on top of the other. There is no evidence that either were intentionally mummified.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The mummies, found under the Roman Catholic Monastery of Light in Sao Paulo, are believed to be those of two nuns. One was found well-preserved, with its hands in the praying position. The other was riddled with termites; it is reported to be mainly just skeletal remains. The mummies were found together - one with its head on the other.
However, an expert archaeologist in the region does not believe the nuns were buried together. They were found in a wall in an area inside the monastery that was used as a cemetery between 1774 and 1822. He believes the mummified nun was buried later and her remains were somehow pushed on top of the other. There is no evidence that either were intentionally mummified.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Agenda
Yesterday was largely spent elsewhere; I had a lot to get out over to The Rundown and was working on Weird Ink.
Today is going to be slow, too. I have some pressing matters to attend to on the site, including new Chill content, and then I am going to be working on the tags across all the blogs. I am holding-off on the major changes I have set for The Rundown because that is going to be a massive chore in and of itself and I want to get more of the rest of this stuff out of the way before I even begin on that.
As I said before, this is likely to go on all month long (and probably into April), so I apologize, but once it is done, all I will need to do is keep an eye on things; when all of these major changes are out of the way, I will be free to simply blog and enjoy!
So, if I don't see you until Monday (unlikely, but possible), have a great weekend!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Today is going to be slow, too. I have some pressing matters to attend to on the site, including new Chill content, and then I am going to be working on the tags across all the blogs. I am holding-off on the major changes I have set for The Rundown because that is going to be a massive chore in and of itself and I want to get more of the rest of this stuff out of the way before I even begin on that.
As I said before, this is likely to go on all month long (and probably into April), so I apologize, but once it is done, all I will need to do is keep an eye on things; when all of these major changes are out of the way, I will be free to simply blog and enjoy!
So, if I don't see you until Monday (unlikely, but possible), have a great weekend!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Hobbits Get No Respect
A team from Australia has posited that the "Hobbit" remains found on Flores are actually modern humans who suffered from malnutrition, which led to their diminutive size. The caveat is that none of the members of the team have ever seen the remains, nor have any experience with fossilized hominids!
The "new" theory made headline news internationally, but it is not new at all; this theory has been forwarded since the remains were uncovered in a cave in Indonesia. Speculation surrounding the remains has been rife and the remains themselves have suffered modern human DNA contamination, due to their poor handling.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The "new" theory made headline news internationally, but it is not new at all; this theory has been forwarded since the remains were uncovered in a cave in Indonesia. Speculation surrounding the remains has been rife and the remains themselves have suffered modern human DNA contamination, due to their poor handling.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Last Night's Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth
Well... what's to say?
Last night's Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth were both good episodes and nice openers, but nothing to really report; pretty much the same-ol' same. Not that that's bad or anything, I just mean nothing particularly blog-worthy occurred on either.
History Channel's UFO Hunters was a bit better: they had some early Flir shots of a UFO that slightly resembled a helicopter, but not exactly. They made the rounds of the experts and almost all of them agreed that it was not a helicopter, though one pilot said that while he thought it probably was a helicopter, he would not testify to that in court. While that's not exactly a rousing declaration, the team took it as his having said, "That is not a helicopter."
In general, I would call "shenanigans" on this, but they included the entire interview and everything the pilot said, so how can I? The truth is that he thinks it probably is a helicopter, but he cannot - and would not - say that it certainly is. And that's a very good position to take on the matter.
I personally thought it resembled a helicopter, but the interesting thing is that this was infrared footage; the cops who filmed it never saw it with their naked eye and never heard anything! In other words, when you put it all together, it's a UFO. And, again, it's worth nothing that UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, not Alien Spacecraft.
That there UFO Hunters is a damn good show! But I think History Channel should let the Sci-Fi Channel have their "Hunters" name and franchise. After all, they started it and History is just trying to cash-in on it when they don't need to; their show is fantastic and they don't need the hype from the Hunters shows' success to push it. Promote it better and get the word out on your own, History Channel! You've got a really good show here.
Good night o' TV, though.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Last night's Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth were both good episodes and nice openers, but nothing to really report; pretty much the same-ol' same. Not that that's bad or anything, I just mean nothing particularly blog-worthy occurred on either.
History Channel's UFO Hunters was a bit better: they had some early Flir shots of a UFO that slightly resembled a helicopter, but not exactly. They made the rounds of the experts and almost all of them agreed that it was not a helicopter, though one pilot said that while he thought it probably was a helicopter, he would not testify to that in court. While that's not exactly a rousing declaration, the team took it as his having said, "That is not a helicopter."
In general, I would call "shenanigans" on this, but they included the entire interview and everything the pilot said, so how can I? The truth is that he thinks it probably is a helicopter, but he cannot - and would not - say that it certainly is. And that's a very good position to take on the matter.
I personally thought it resembled a helicopter, but the interesting thing is that this was infrared footage; the cops who filmed it never saw it with their naked eye and never heard anything! In other words, when you put it all together, it's a UFO. And, again, it's worth nothing that UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, not Alien Spacecraft.
That there UFO Hunters is a damn good show! But I think History Channel should let the Sci-Fi Channel have their "Hunters" name and franchise. After all, they started it and History is just trying to cash-in on it when they don't need to; their show is fantastic and they don't need the hype from the Hunters shows' success to push it. Promote it better and get the word out on your own, History Channel! You've got a really good show here.
Good night o' TV, though.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
New Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth Tonight!
Just a quick reminder that season 4 of Ghost Hunters and season 2 of Destination Truth both kick-off tonight on the Sci-Fi Channel!
Ghost Hunters starts at 8:00 (CST), though they are showing old episodes right now and likely have been all day (I slept-in) and Destination Truth is on following (9:00, CST). Of course, I will review both afterward, as usual. I'm pretty sure tonight's episode features the footprint the crew found that made international headlines a few months back.
The History Channel is pulling no punches, with a new episode of UFO Hunters on against Destination Truth. I'm going to go on record as predicting that Truth will prevail in the ratings, but UFO Hunters is a great show, so set your reminders for 1:00 AM (CST) to catch the repeat.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Ghost Hunters starts at 8:00 (CST), though they are showing old episodes right now and likely have been all day (I slept-in) and Destination Truth is on following (9:00, CST). Of course, I will review both afterward, as usual. I'm pretty sure tonight's episode features the footprint the crew found that made international headlines a few months back.
The History Channel is pulling no punches, with a new episode of UFO Hunters on against Destination Truth. I'm going to go on record as predicting that Truth will prevail in the ratings, but UFO Hunters is a great show, so set your reminders for 1:00 AM (CST) to catch the repeat.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Revived Interest
I have always been interested in the Unknown and Unexplained - that's why I put this blog together in the first place! And in its first incarnation (on a community blogsite), I updated it as frequently as I do The Rundown now. But once I moved it, I had so many issues with FTP, the design, and everything else, that it really became more of a hassle than it was worth.
I don't care how much you enjoy doing something, when it just doesn't work-out, no matter how hard you try, it sucks the fun right out of it! All the time and effort you spend on it feels like a guilty pleasure and it sets on your shoulders until you resent the whole thing. Add to this the fact that every time you look at the damned thing, it reminds you of your failure! You get the idea.
So I have not enjoyed blogging on The OddBlog in months - months! And I hated that, because I really love the Supernatural and paranormal, et. al., and I really enjoy reading about it, discussing it, theorizing on it, etc.
But now that we have the new template in-place and I don't have to wait 30 minutes to 2 days for a single post to publish, it's like a brand new blog! My joy has been rejuvenated!
I'd love to hear what everyone thinks about the new design and get some action going here, but seeing as how I haven't really bothered to get the word out about our fair OddBlog in months - months! - I know it's going to take some time. The good news is that the slump is definitely over; I will be here and I will be posting - a lot.
So kick back and enjoy and please let me know what you think if the mood strikes you!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I don't care how much you enjoy doing something, when it just doesn't work-out, no matter how hard you try, it sucks the fun right out of it! All the time and effort you spend on it feels like a guilty pleasure and it sets on your shoulders until you resent the whole thing. Add to this the fact that every time you look at the damned thing, it reminds you of your failure! You get the idea.
So I have not enjoyed blogging on The OddBlog in months - months! And I hated that, because I really love the Supernatural and paranormal, et. al., and I really enjoy reading about it, discussing it, theorizing on it, etc.
But now that we have the new template in-place and I don't have to wait 30 minutes to 2 days for a single post to publish, it's like a brand new blog! My joy has been rejuvenated!
I'd love to hear what everyone thinks about the new design and get some action going here, but seeing as how I haven't really bothered to get the word out about our fair OddBlog in months - months! - I know it's going to take some time. The good news is that the slump is definitely over; I will be here and I will be posting - a lot.
So kick back and enjoy and please let me know what you think if the mood strikes you!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Was Moses ON DOPE!?
An Israeli professor of cognitive psychology has forwarded the theory that Moses may have been under the influence of hallucinogens when he saw the burning bush and received the Ten Commandments atop Mt. Sinai.
Benny Shanon mentioned his own psychedelic experiences, taken as part of religious ceremonies, which led to religious-based hallucinations and allowed him to "see sound." He also noted that the use of psychedelics in religious ceremonies is a time-honored tradition in many religions around the world. In fact, concoctions made from the bark of the acacia tree, oft-mentioned in The Bible, have hallucinogenic effects comparable to those of ayahuasca, an hallucinogen still in use in religious ceremonies in the Amazon.
Like the acacia, ayahuasca is a plant with hallucinogenic properties.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Mt. Sinai is listed as "E 101st St, New York, NY 10029, USA" because Israel's current borders are rightfully unrecognized by the entire world outside of the US MIC (and Israel). This may be the address of AIPAC/religious -backed, legal representatives. Mt. Sinai absolutely never existed in North America; it is located in disputed areas in the Middle East. I just had to include this to point-out the incredible overreach of the US military industrial complex (operating in this case under the name Google, Ltd.) and its continued terrorist activities. That is fucking crazy. - 2018
Benny Shanon mentioned his own psychedelic experiences, taken as part of religious ceremonies, which led to religious-based hallucinations and allowed him to "see sound." He also noted that the use of psychedelics in religious ceremonies is a time-honored tradition in many religions around the world. In fact, concoctions made from the bark of the acacia tree, oft-mentioned in The Bible, have hallucinogenic effects comparable to those of ayahuasca, an hallucinogen still in use in religious ceremonies in the Amazon.
Like the acacia, ayahuasca is a plant with hallucinogenic properties.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Mt. Sinai is listed as "E 101st St, New York, NY 10029, USA" because Israel's current borders are rightfully unrecognized by the entire world outside of the US MIC (and Israel). This may be the address of AIPAC/religious -backed, legal representatives. Mt. Sinai absolutely never existed in North America; it is located in disputed areas in the Middle East. I just had to include this to point-out the incredible overreach of the US military industrial complex (operating in this case under the name Google, Ltd.) and its continued terrorist activities. That is fucking crazy. - 2018
French Dead to be 'Severely Punished'
In January, a court ruled that the small, Southwestern town of Sarpourenx in France could not annex land from a neighboring town to expand their cemetery, which is full to capacity.
In response, the 70 year-old mayor issued an ordinance, forbidding any of the 260 residents to die!
Mayor Gerard Lalanne said it was no "laughing matter" to him and noted that "Offenders will be severely punished." He is up for re-election in the lively town, and added that he is sorry there was no positive outcome to the situation.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
In response, the 70 year-old mayor issued an ordinance, forbidding any of the 260 residents to die!
Mayor Gerard Lalanne said it was no "laughing matter" to him and noted that "Offenders will be severely punished." He is up for re-election in the lively town, and added that he is sorry there was no positive outcome to the situation.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Brooklyn Ghost Investigations
A coupla Brooklyn cats decided they'd seen enough Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State episodes to hop on the bandwagon.
Sal Cicconi and two of his Brooklyn-based friends decided to set-up their own paranormal investigative service - Brooklyn Ghost Investigations. For a mere $20/hour, they will set-up video recorders and use a homemade Ouija board to try and rid your haunted area of spirits, or at least catch them on tape.
So far, they have had one client. The trio set-up their equipment and tried to coax the spirit out of the place through the use of the homemade Ouija board, but the spirit was apparently not swayed. "Sometimes spirits are afraid to talk or show to themselves to us," Cicconi explained. Obviously, at the bargain-basement price of $20/hour, further investigations will be necessary.
However, they did catch something on tape: according to Cicconi, "It looked like two lights moving around..."
That's Brooklyn Ghost Investigations. You wanna make somethin' of it?
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sal Cicconi and two of his Brooklyn-based friends decided to set-up their own paranormal investigative service - Brooklyn Ghost Investigations. For a mere $20/hour, they will set-up video recorders and use a homemade Ouija board to try and rid your haunted area of spirits, or at least catch them on tape.
So far, they have had one client. The trio set-up their equipment and tried to coax the spirit out of the place through the use of the homemade Ouija board, but the spirit was apparently not swayed. "Sometimes spirits are afraid to talk or show to themselves to us," Cicconi explained. Obviously, at the bargain-basement price of $20/hour, further investigations will be necessary.
However, they did catch something on tape: according to Cicconi, "It looked like two lights moving around..."
That's Brooklyn Ghost Investigations. You wanna make somethin' of it?
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Gary Gygax Dead at 69
Dungeons & Dragons author and co-creator, Gary Gygax, died in his home today at age 69. Read more about it on The Rundown.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Quick Update
What do you think of this one?
I really like it and it's what we're going to be looking at from now on, so any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am having some problems with the color scheme because I cannot change the title color. It has an option to do so from the Dashboard and when that didn't work, I tried hand-coding it through HTML - all to no avail. For right now, it is going to look pretty monotonous for that very reason.
The feed is finally working again, so make sure to subscribe! I promise to keep an eyeball on that, just in case whatever killed it the last time crops-up again.
For those of you who use Blogger and wonder how I finally managed to get things working, I went with a Custom Domain (as opposed to FTP). You have to have access to your DNS records so you can change your CNAME. Most hosts allow you access to these things or you can usually contact your customer support and they can do it for you if you can't get to it yourself.
Once I am done getting the general elements in place, I will post on the technicalities involved here to help you get the most out of The OddBlog. I also have to get back to the tags, which I am almost done with (just getting them weeded-down - I still have to develop a solid classification system to ensure you can find what you are looking for).
Hopefully all of this will be out of the way by the end of the week (of course, I'll still be tweaking it off and on - as always), but I am making no promises.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I really like it and it's what we're going to be looking at from now on, so any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am having some problems with the color scheme because I cannot change the title color. It has an option to do so from the Dashboard and when that didn't work, I tried hand-coding it through HTML - all to no avail. For right now, it is going to look pretty monotonous for that very reason.
The feed is finally working again, so make sure to subscribe! I promise to keep an eyeball on that, just in case whatever killed it the last time crops-up again.
For those of you who use Blogger and wonder how I finally managed to get things working, I went with a Custom Domain (as opposed to FTP). You have to have access to your DNS records so you can change your CNAME. Most hosts allow you access to these things or you can usually contact your customer support and they can do it for you if you can't get to it yourself.
Once I am done getting the general elements in place, I will post on the technicalities involved here to help you get the most out of The OddBlog. I also have to get back to the tags, which I am almost done with (just getting them weeded-down - I still have to develop a solid classification system to ensure you can find what you are looking for).
Hopefully all of this will be out of the way by the end of the week (of course, I'll still be tweaking it off and on - as always), but I am making no promises.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
DAMMIT!
Dammit!
So I finally figured out how to get the whole thing set so that you can see everything and I can still use the template I want, but once I did that, Blogger reverted to the old template -- FOR NO REASON I CAN FATHOM!
While I'd decided I did not like the template I was working with, I still would have rather it be showing up than the old one. Anyway, I am going to find a template I do like for right now, but things will be funky until I get it customized.
An entire weekend's worth of work lost into the WWW ether!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
So I finally figured out how to get the whole thing set so that you can see everything and I can still use the template I want, but once I did that, Blogger reverted to the old template -- FOR NO REASON I CAN FATHOM!
While I'd decided I did not like the template I was working with, I still would have rather it be showing up than the old one. Anyway, I am going to find a template I do like for right now, but things will be funky until I get it customized.
An entire weekend's worth of work lost into the WWW ether!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Update
Yeah, well, I am as eager to get this thing working right again as you are to read it (well, likely slightly moreso, if we're going by hits), so I put off the nap for a few minutes to try and find out about publishing via a Custom Domain.
Unfortunately, it isn't working for me so far, so I put in a support ticket and will have to wait to hear back from my host. Hopefully we can get this working but, even if we can't, I have decided to scrap this template and go with another one which I have already chosen.
I am looking into this option specifically because it's faster than FTP.
It's lightning like crazy here and thunderstorms are imminent. The electricity has already gone off several times earlier, so I'm going to shutdown and look into that nap. ttys!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Unfortunately, it isn't working for me so far, so I put in a support ticket and will have to wait to hear back from my host. Hopefully we can get this working but, even if we can't, I have decided to scrap this template and go with another one which I have already chosen.
I am looking into this option specifically because it's faster than FTP.
It's lightning like crazy here and thunderstorms are imminent. The electricity has already gone off several times earlier, so I'm going to shutdown and look into that nap. ttys!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
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