An Australian pest control expert became lost in the Outback without food or water and ironically survived on a diet of termites.
52-year old Theo Rosmulder was prospecting with his metal detector when he became separated from his group. He feared he would never be found, but managed to survive the harsh night. The next day, he found a termite's nest and knocked the top off of it. He survived by feasting on the insects, which he says "don't taste too bad."
A small group of Aborigines found Mr. Rosmulder Tuesday.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The paranormal, the Supernatural, the odd and Unexplained
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Operation: All Clear - The Oklahoma City Bombing
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Doggy Defendant
More Indian animal news, this one from the state of Bihar, where a dog is the defendant in a court case.
The dog has already been dragged into court once before on charges of violence. In fact, Chhotu, the defendant, was sentenced to death in 2003 for attacking villagers. But the pup's owner says it has only bitten burglars. Animal rights activists managed to overturn the death sentence then, but Chhotu received a summons for further attacks and is now in court.
Apparently, it has been on its very best behavior in the courtroom, supporting its owner's claims that it is only trying to protect her and her home from greedy villagers who are trying to burglarize her. According to her lawyer, the villagers have been trying to break into her home to steal the deed to her land, but they have given up after being bitten by Chhotu, which the woman has raised "as her own child."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The dog has already been dragged into court once before on charges of violence. In fact, Chhotu, the defendant, was sentenced to death in 2003 for attacking villagers. But the pup's owner says it has only bitten burglars. Animal rights activists managed to overturn the death sentence then, but Chhotu received a summons for further attacks and is now in court.
Apparently, it has been on its very best behavior in the courtroom, supporting its owner's claims that it is only trying to protect her and her home from greedy villagers who are trying to burglarize her. According to her lawyer, the villagers have been trying to break into her home to steal the deed to her land, but they have given up after being bitten by Chhotu, which the woman has raised "as her own child."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Indian Politician Sacrifices 200 Goats for Victory
An Indian politician has been engaged in sacrificial practices at a 16th-Century Indian temple since his party won the latest vote.
Outside the temple in Gauhauti, the capitol of the state of Assam, animal rights activists are protesting. The politician says he has killed 200 goats and four buffalo as sacrifices to a goddess for the party's victory. He does not understand the controversy, as animal sacrifices are "an age-old practice," he says.
The sacrifices and religious rituals have been ongoing since Sunday.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Outside the temple in Gauhauti, the capitol of the state of Assam, animal rights activists are protesting. The politician says he has killed 200 goats and four buffalo as sacrifices to a goddess for the party's victory. He does not understand the controversy, as animal sacrifices are "an age-old practice," he says.
The sacrifices and religious rituals have been ongoing since Sunday.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monkeys from Mars
During the height of the UFO craze in 1950's America, a butcher and two barbers pulled a hoax that garnered national attention:
Edward Watters, Tom Wilson, and Arnold Payne secured a monkey's carcass, shaved it, dyed it green, and cut off its tail. They then used a blowtorch to scorch a ring in the middle of a local highway and left the body there. They reported seeing a "large, red saucer" in the middle of the road, surrounded by 2'-tall creatures, and that they had hit one with their truck.
A police officer took the bizarre report on July 7, 1953, and within hours, the Decatur, GA, police station was flooded with phonecalls from all manner of bureaus and investigative agencies, including the Air Force.
But the founder of the local GBI office, Dr. Herman Jones, and an anthropology professor from Emory, Dr. Marion Hines, unraveled the mystery within hours. By then, the story had made national headlines. While the men were fined a modest sum for obstructing a roadway, Dr. Jones was credited for bringing forensic science to the Southern state of Georgia.
You can see the monkey, along with many other oddities, at the Decatur, GA Bureau of Investigation mini-museum -- by appointment only.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Edward Watters, Tom Wilson, and Arnold Payne secured a monkey's carcass, shaved it, dyed it green, and cut off its tail. They then used a blowtorch to scorch a ring in the middle of a local highway and left the body there. They reported seeing a "large, red saucer" in the middle of the road, surrounded by 2'-tall creatures, and that they had hit one with their truck.
A police officer took the bizarre report on July 7, 1953, and within hours, the Decatur, GA, police station was flooded with phonecalls from all manner of bureaus and investigative agencies, including the Air Force.
But the founder of the local GBI office, Dr. Herman Jones, and an anthropology professor from Emory, Dr. Marion Hines, unraveled the mystery within hours. By then, the story had made national headlines. While the men were fined a modest sum for obstructing a roadway, Dr. Jones was credited for bringing forensic science to the Southern state of Georgia.
You can see the monkey, along with many other oddities, at the Decatur, GA Bureau of Investigation mini-museum -- by appointment only.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Cheesus
A Missouri woman believes she has found a Cheeto which resembles the Crucifixion.
Yes, the malformed snack is in the rough shape of a T with a little bauble for a "head," but it doesn't seem to resemble much of anything, really. I've seen better images on toast.
Cheetos are fairly religious snacks, as a pastor from Texas found one in the shape of the Lord praying just a few months back.
While no one is talking Rapture, the Second Coming just might be in the bag.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Yes, the malformed snack is in the rough shape of a T with a little bauble for a "head," but it doesn't seem to resemble much of anything, really. I've seen better images on toast.
Cheetos are fairly religious snacks, as a pastor from Texas found one in the shape of the Lord praying just a few months back.
While no one is talking Rapture, the Second Coming just might be in the bag.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Performance Artist Noted
Hillary Carlip found her first discarded grocery list at 15. To her, it was an inspired insight into someone else's life -- someone she had never met nor would likely ever know if she did.
So she made him up!
Carlip got so good at creating entire characters from the discarded grocery lists she collects that she took them to the stage, where she would walk across it, reciting the lists in character. She then wrote a book, for which she assembled wardrobe and enlisted the help of a make-up artist friend, and illustrated it with pictures of herself as the characters. A la Cart: The Secret Lives of Grocery Shoppers contained essays and other errata, which further developed the characters -- one even had an eHarmony profile which Carlip says gets responses to this day.
She is now in talks to bring her act to TV.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
So she made him up!
Carlip got so good at creating entire characters from the discarded grocery lists she collects that she took them to the stage, where she would walk across it, reciting the lists in character. She then wrote a book, for which she assembled wardrobe and enlisted the help of a make-up artist friend, and illustrated it with pictures of herself as the characters. A la Cart: The Secret Lives of Grocery Shoppers contained essays and other errata, which further developed the characters -- one even had an eHarmony profile which Carlip says gets responses to this day.
She is now in talks to bring her act to TV.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Ballooning Priest's Body Found Floating
The body of a 41-year old Catholic priest who was attempting to set a new world record has been identified in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Brazil.
Father Adelir Antonio de Carli lifted off in April, strapped to 1000 brightly-colored balloons. He was trying to set a new world record while also raising money for charity. The world record for flying by balloons was 19 hours. Father de Carli had successfully completed a similar trip of over 70 miles.
He ran into trouble trying to land when errant winds blew him out to sea. His body was found by chance when a tugboat came across it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Father Adelir Antonio de Carli lifted off in April, strapped to 1000 brightly-colored balloons. He was trying to set a new world record while also raising money for charity. The world record for flying by balloons was 19 hours. Father de Carli had successfully completed a similar trip of over 70 miles.
He ran into trouble trying to land when errant winds blew him out to sea. His body was found by chance when a tugboat came across it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Pterodactyl in Wenatchee, Washington?
A 29-year old man from Wenatchee, Washington, wrecked his car on a lightpole in December of last year. When police investigating the crash asked him what happened, he said, "Pterodactyl."
Witnesses claim the man veered into oncoming traffic before plowing into the lightpole and police found "a minimal amount of alcohol" in his system. None of the crash witnesses reported any airborne objects, whether or not any were present.
While most likely a drunken incident, this is far from the first time the prehistoric pterodactyl has been reported in modern times. In particular, reports persist in the Southwestern United States (notably Arizona and Texas) to this day. Some cryptozoologists and phenomenalists have even suggested that the infamous Mothman sightings of the 1960s may have been related to a pterodactyl(s).
Most recently, the Sci-Fi Channel hit series, Destination Truth, caught something on camera in Rio Branco where the local populace has been complaining of a "winged monster." Whatever it was had bright, red eyes, just as reported.
As noted, Washington is quite a ways out of the pterodactyl's normal stamping grounds, but the center of Batsquatch activity.
Source: Olyblog
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Witnesses claim the man veered into oncoming traffic before plowing into the lightpole and police found "a minimal amount of alcohol" in his system. None of the crash witnesses reported any airborne objects, whether or not any were present.
While most likely a drunken incident, this is far from the first time the prehistoric pterodactyl has been reported in modern times. In particular, reports persist in the Southwestern United States (notably Arizona and Texas) to this day. Some cryptozoologists and phenomenalists have even suggested that the infamous Mothman sightings of the 1960s may have been related to a pterodactyl(s).
Most recently, the Sci-Fi Channel hit series, Destination Truth, caught something on camera in Rio Branco where the local populace has been complaining of a "winged monster." Whatever it was had bright, red eyes, just as reported.
As noted, Washington is quite a ways out of the pterodactyl's normal stamping grounds, but the center of Batsquatch activity.
Source: Olyblog
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Eureka Marathon, Season Premiere
The Sci-Fi Channel is running an all-day Eureka marathon, leading-up to the third season premiere later tonight.
In case you are unaware of the show, it is a fantastic, family-friendly (for the most part) sci-fi series. Quirky and comedic, Eureka incorporates many scientific elements into its stories, adding the "fiction" part later (according to series creator, Paglia). In its first two seasons, it has flirted with all sorts of topics, from cryptozoology to alien invasions to mind control and the paranormal. Ever true to its science roots, there is always a scientific reason behind the phenomena, but getting there is most of the fun!
If you haven't seen it yet, make sure to flip-over to the Sci-Fi Channel and check out Eureka all day today (second season) and the third season debut tonight!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
In case you are unaware of the show, it is a fantastic, family-friendly (for the most part) sci-fi series. Quirky and comedic, Eureka incorporates many scientific elements into its stories, adding the "fiction" part later (according to series creator, Paglia). In its first two seasons, it has flirted with all sorts of topics, from cryptozoology to alien invasions to mind control and the paranormal. Ever true to its science roots, there is always a scientific reason behind the phenomena, but getting there is most of the fun!
If you haven't seen it yet, make sure to flip-over to the Sci-Fi Channel and check out Eureka all day today (second season) and the third season debut tonight!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Bear Bones Discovered
Spelunkers have uncovered about 80% of the remains of a bear that may have died as many as 11,000 years ago in a complex cave system in the Scottish Highlands.
The Grampian Speleological Group worked for years to uncover the remains within the cave chamber, Uamh. DNA testing on a skull found in 1995 have been ongoing, as well as have tests on a bear skull found in the same system in the 1920s. But the recent uncovering is very exciting.
Researchers are trying to determine the type of bear, as well as when it died.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The Grampian Speleological Group worked for years to uncover the remains within the cave chamber, Uamh. DNA testing on a skull found in 1995 have been ongoing, as well as have tests on a bear skull found in the same system in the 1920s. But the recent uncovering is very exciting.
Researchers are trying to determine the type of bear, as well as when it died.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Knoxville, TN Church Shooting
A Knoxville man whose identity has yet to be released opened fire in an Unitarian Universalist Church, killing one and injuring at least eight others.
While details are still emerging, the man -- who was not known to the congregation -- came into the church's children's production of Annie and pulled a 12-gauge shotgun from a guitar case. He opened fire on the congregation, which was videotaping the play, killing one. While the children are "traumatized," all of the victims are adults.
This was the fourth time in the last 15 months that an American church was the scene of a fatal shooting, according to CNN.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
While details are still emerging, the man -- who was not known to the congregation -- came into the church's children's production of Annie and pulled a 12-gauge shotgun from a guitar case. He opened fire on the congregation, which was videotaping the play, killing one. While the children are "traumatized," all of the victims are adults.
This was the fourth time in the last 15 months that an American church was the scene of a fatal shooting, according to CNN.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A Very Jetsons Future
So I'm watching the Eureka marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel today (season premiere Tuesday!) and I looked up to see Carter and some guy having a serious discussion in a vehicle as they raced to wherever it is they were going. True to its tongue-in-cheek nature, the tone is somber and tense, the dialogue heavy... then they pan-out to show the two of them going maybe 15mph in an ugly, completely utilitarian, battery-powered vehicle.
Of course it was meant to inject a little humor into the moment, but it was also meant to reinforce the futuristic, intellectual basis of the series. After all, battery-powered vehicles -- while they go neither far nor fast -- are imminently "green" technology, cheaper and more efficient, and definitely have their place in automotive advancement. While they may not be the "wave of future transportation," they are definitely one step in its advancement.
So, are we facing a Jetsons-inspired future?
I have to admit, it seems plausible.
Of course, I am referring to the animation style of the classic cartoon -- where the technology was incredibly personal, compact, and... "cute." Of course, these various technologies will be highly personalized and once the core technology is stabilized, corporations will immediately fall all over one another in their attempts to create the "coolest" designs, etc. But at the bottom of it all, incredibly compact, efficient technology is definitely where we are headed.
And though that's all fine and good, I urge you to look up an episode or some stills from the classic cartoon and think about those hybrid cars while you do!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Of course it was meant to inject a little humor into the moment, but it was also meant to reinforce the futuristic, intellectual basis of the series. After all, battery-powered vehicles -- while they go neither far nor fast -- are imminently "green" technology, cheaper and more efficient, and definitely have their place in automotive advancement. While they may not be the "wave of future transportation," they are definitely one step in its advancement.
So, are we facing a Jetsons-inspired future?
I have to admit, it seems plausible.
Of course, I am referring to the animation style of the classic cartoon -- where the technology was incredibly personal, compact, and... "cute." Of course, these various technologies will be highly personalized and once the core technology is stabilized, corporations will immediately fall all over one another in their attempts to create the "coolest" designs, etc. But at the bottom of it all, incredibly compact, efficient technology is definitely where we are headed.
And though that's all fine and good, I urge you to look up an episode or some stills from the classic cartoon and think about those hybrid cars while you do!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Albinos Murdered Again
Yet another Tanzanian albino has been murdered in his home. His wife was also injured in the attack, but survived.
Jovin Majaliwa was attacked and murdered by unknown assailants in his home Thursday night, just after dark. His left foot was severed and his genitals were mutilated. Witchdoctors are undoubtedly behind the murders, as they have been behind the string of others - 26, in all, just this year. Police waited to release the details of the grisly murder, in part because many are also customers of the witchdoctors'.
While nearly 200 witchdoctors have been arrested since March of this year, the police have no idea what happened to them. The BBC has secured evidence that the police are accessories to these continuing serial murders.
The body parts retrieved are used in rituals based on greed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Jovin Majaliwa was attacked and murdered by unknown assailants in his home Thursday night, just after dark. His left foot was severed and his genitals were mutilated. Witchdoctors are undoubtedly behind the murders, as they have been behind the string of others - 26, in all, just this year. Police waited to release the details of the grisly murder, in part because many are also customers of the witchdoctors'.
While nearly 200 witchdoctors have been arrested since March of this year, the police have no idea what happened to them. The BBC has secured evidence that the police are accessories to these continuing serial murders.
The body parts retrieved are used in rituals based on greed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Biblical Aliens
I don't touch deeply on my own, personal religious beliefs very often here because they do not necessarily have a place in most of the discussions. Further, while I do have some deeply-held religious beliefs, when dealing in these areas, they are often used against you, so I find it best to largely leave my personal feelings on such matters aside.
Having said all of this, when I come across bizarrely ignorant articles (with which the Internet is so wonderfully rife), I feel a need to point them out for the nonsensical bunk they are. Such is the case with this article by "Babu Ranganathan" 1 from The Conservative Voice.
I won't bother destroying each and every "point" Ba-Ba-booey here makes because anyone who can actually make it through more than a handful of paragraphs is doing better than I, but I do want to take aim at the author, itself:
This is a subversive work meant to "empower" zealous, Right-Wing "Christians" while simultaneously denigrating their beliefs. "Babu" translates best into "an Indian who writes English, often disparagingly" (see link for source). "Ranganathan" probably corresponds to the Indian scholar 2 who developed Colon classification.
More curiously, a Dr. Rama Ranganathan is a researcher of evolutionary theory... from Texas. Whether or not this is the same guy who wrote the article is unclear but, if it is, he should be deeply ashamed of himself! (For the record, I sincerely doubt the two have anything in common, except the name.)
This is a "hoax" article... or this guy had a seriously bad day and still has some real soul-searching to do to rectify his faith with his beliefs. And science, and the rest of the world, and...
How alien life fits into God's Plan and Creationism is a sticking point for many Christians -- and one I can appreciate -- though it need not be. After all, according to Judaeo-Christian Mythology, the Bible (and the supporting Canon) was written by men generally accepted to have been in the throes of Divine Inspiration, which others call the Holy Spirit, and Man is fallible (this, of course, being the very basis of the Christian faith and the entire point of the story of the Garden of Eden!); these men would be largely unconcerned with what we, today, call "alien life." In fact, had they witnessed such, they likely would have thought it/them to be angels, demons, or some other embodiment of the religious/mythological figures and personae in which they believed.
Men writing in Biblical Times would -- according to what we think we know today -- have had no more reason to include alien life forms in their religion, mythology, or various disciplines and bodies of knowledge than we have of including lifeforms, shapes, colors, dimensions, or anything else with which our own knowledge of science does not account for. In fact, while there is some evidence that certain cultures had access to aerial vehicles (notably balloons), popular theory holds that men of ancient times had no means of becoming productively airborne, so whatever would lead them to think of intelligent life up there? (Read on!)
Yet this all comes with a caveat:
According to many, the Bible does mention UFOs -- in many forms. The Book of Enoch, excised from the Bible for numerous reasons, is seen by some as evidence of an alien abduction. According to the excellent The Bible UFO Connection 3, there are at least 362 references to what can be construed as UFOs or aliens in the accepted version of the King James Bible. In fact, the most probable translation of the word, "Heaven" is sky -- that's why people point up when they refer to it!
Of course, most of this is conjecture -- yet not of the faith-based variety; what has been accepted as The Word of God came from many languages 4 and has been translated many times throughout the ages. In fact, therein lay the argument against the concept of Hell itself (as "sheol" can also be translated as "death" and the Bible makes it fairly clear that those who die without Salvation are doomed to forever be without God, not burning in lakes of fire nor anything so cinematically horrific). The corruption of the source material, through both translation across many languages as well as transcriber error (the handwritten documents were made by translators and scribes until the advent of the printing press, ca. the 15th-Century), as well as many changes made by the Church, the Court, and countless other factions, means we will probably never know what "God's Word" -- that which was to be recorded and dispersed by the faithful of his flock -- ever was!
But, neither the existence of alien life nor cryptozoological finds preclude the Word of God, the Bible, nor Christianity. And unchecked zealotry of the weirdest kind, as exemplified in the aforementioned "article," should be dismissed out-of-hand for the Bible-beating nonsense it really is.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Having said all of this, when I come across bizarrely ignorant articles (with which the Internet is so wonderfully rife), I feel a need to point them out for the nonsensical bunk they are. Such is the case with this article by "Babu Ranganathan" 1 from The Conservative Voice.
I won't bother destroying each and every "point" Ba-Ba-booey here makes because anyone who can actually make it through more than a handful of paragraphs is doing better than I, but I do want to take aim at the author, itself:
This is a subversive work meant to "empower" zealous, Right-Wing "Christians" while simultaneously denigrating their beliefs. "Babu" translates best into "an Indian who writes English, often disparagingly" (see link for source). "Ranganathan" probably corresponds to the Indian scholar 2 who developed Colon classification.
More curiously, a Dr. Rama Ranganathan is a researcher of evolutionary theory... from Texas. Whether or not this is the same guy who wrote the article is unclear but, if it is, he should be deeply ashamed of himself! (For the record, I sincerely doubt the two have anything in common, except the name.)
This is a "hoax" article... or this guy had a seriously bad day and still has some real soul-searching to do to rectify his faith with his beliefs. And science, and the rest of the world, and...
How alien life fits into God's Plan and Creationism is a sticking point for many Christians -- and one I can appreciate -- though it need not be. After all, according to Judaeo-Christian Mythology, the Bible (and the supporting Canon) was written by men generally accepted to have been in the throes of Divine Inspiration, which others call the Holy Spirit, and Man is fallible (this, of course, being the very basis of the Christian faith and the entire point of the story of the Garden of Eden!); these men would be largely unconcerned with what we, today, call "alien life." In fact, had they witnessed such, they likely would have thought it/them to be angels, demons, or some other embodiment of the religious/mythological figures and personae in which they believed.
Men writing in Biblical Times would -- according to what we think we know today -- have had no more reason to include alien life forms in their religion, mythology, or various disciplines and bodies of knowledge than we have of including lifeforms, shapes, colors, dimensions, or anything else with which our own knowledge of science does not account for. In fact, while there is some evidence that certain cultures had access to aerial vehicles (notably balloons), popular theory holds that men of ancient times had no means of becoming productively airborne, so whatever would lead them to think of intelligent life up there? (Read on!)
Yet this all comes with a caveat:
According to many, the Bible does mention UFOs -- in many forms. The Book of Enoch, excised from the Bible for numerous reasons, is seen by some as evidence of an alien abduction. According to the excellent The Bible UFO Connection 3, there are at least 362 references to what can be construed as UFOs or aliens in the accepted version of the King James Bible. In fact, the most probable translation of the word, "Heaven" is sky -- that's why people point up when they refer to it!
Of course, most of this is conjecture -- yet not of the faith-based variety; what has been accepted as The Word of God came from many languages 4 and has been translated many times throughout the ages. In fact, therein lay the argument against the concept of Hell itself (as "sheol" can also be translated as "death" and the Bible makes it fairly clear that those who die without Salvation are doomed to forever be without God, not burning in lakes of fire nor anything so cinematically horrific). The corruption of the source material, through both translation across many languages as well as transcriber error (the handwritten documents were made by translators and scribes until the advent of the printing press, ca. the 15th-Century), as well as many changes made by the Church, the Court, and countless other factions, means we will probably never know what "God's Word" -- that which was to be recorded and dispersed by the faithful of his flock -- ever was!
But, neither the existence of alien life nor cryptozoological finds preclude the Word of God, the Bible, nor Christianity. And unchecked zealotry of the weirdest kind, as exemplified in the aforementioned "article," should be dismissed out-of-hand for the Bible-beating nonsense it really is.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
---
1 Site folded (go figure!). Here are the original links: https://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/33469.html and https://www.theconservativevoice.com/profile/2651/Babu-Ranganathan.html.
2 Link removed and I don't have the time to search for its equivalent or a cached source (2019): https://www.iskouk.org/kokonov2007.htm
3 I include the link here for posterity but advise against visiting the site, as it apparently has a fake certificate (signed by "postmaster @ example_.com!"): https://www.bibleufo.com/subjects.htm
4 Again with the bad certificate. Included only because these warnings may be due to a DNS (or some other) issue on my end -- I would not visit this site due to potential security risks: https://www.ldolphin.org/babel.html
1 Site folded (go figure!). Here are the original links: https://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/33469.html and https://www.theconservativevoice.com/profile/2651/Babu-Ranganathan.html.
2 Link removed and I don't have the time to search for its equivalent or a cached source (2019): https://www.iskouk.org/kokonov2007.htm
3 I include the link here for posterity but advise against visiting the site, as it apparently has a fake certificate (signed by "postmaster @ example_.com!"): https://www.bibleufo.com/subjects.htm
4 Again with the bad certificate. Included only because these warnings may be due to a DNS (or some other) issue on my end -- I would not visit this site due to potential security risks: https://www.ldolphin.org/babel.html
A Child and His Lawnmower
A Milwaukee man has been charged with Disorderly Conduct (Armed) and Possession of an Illegal Firearm because he got drunk and shot-up his lawnmower.
Keith Walendowski got up, got drunk, and decided to mow the lawn. When his lawnmower would not start, he got up, got his sawed-off, and shot that motherfucker. "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard, so I can shoot it if I want."
If convicted, Walendowski faces up to six years and 90 days in prison, as well as an $11,000 fine.
(If I didn't already have too many tags, I'd have placed this under "lawn care" and "Dead Kennedys.")
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Keith Walendowski got up, got drunk, and decided to mow the lawn. When his lawnmower would not start, he got up, got his sawed-off, and shot that motherfucker. "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard, so I can shoot it if I want."
If convicted, Walendowski faces up to six years and 90 days in prison, as well as an $11,000 fine.
(If I didn't already have too many tags, I'd have placed this under "lawn care" and "Dead Kennedys.")
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
UFO Hunters Marathon
Have you been watching the UFO Hunters marathon on History Channel today? It was on early this morning, then took a short break and just returned. It's on for another few hours and it's definitely worth watching. Unlike most all of the other paranormal-based shows, UFO Hunters actually comes to some conclusions.
I am going to take some personal time this weekend, but I'll have more to say about some of the theories and ideas they brought up in these shows.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I am going to take some personal time this weekend, but I'll have more to say about some of the theories and ideas they brought up in these shows.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Yeti Hair Analysis Inconclusive
According to experts at England's Oxford Brookes University, hairs donated by passionate mande barung believer and cryptozoologist, Dipu Marak, match no known indigenous species.
The mande barung is India's Bigfoot. Standing approximately 10' tall and weighing-in at somewhere near 650-700 lbs., the creature has been spotted by eyewitnesses for decades in the heavily-forested East, West, and South Garo Hills. It is thought to be herbivorous and its hair is said to be black and gray. According to one analyst, the mande barung also suffers from split-ends.
Marak secured the hair samples from a jungle sighting in 2003. The experts, which include microscopy analysts and a primatologist, have concluded they are not from a boar, bear, or macaque (a local, Indian monkey). DNA analysis will be performed on the hairs to determine more information, but they note they are very similar to hairs produced by Sir Edmund Hillary. He claimed those were hairs of the yeti, or abominable snowman.
"Mande barung" translates to "forest man."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The mande barung is India's Bigfoot. Standing approximately 10' tall and weighing-in at somewhere near 650-700 lbs., the creature has been spotted by eyewitnesses for decades in the heavily-forested East, West, and South Garo Hills. It is thought to be herbivorous and its hair is said to be black and gray. According to one analyst, the mande barung also suffers from split-ends.
Marak secured the hair samples from a jungle sighting in 2003. The experts, which include microscopy analysts and a primatologist, have concluded they are not from a boar, bear, or macaque (a local, Indian monkey). DNA analysis will be performed on the hairs to determine more information, but they note they are very similar to hairs produced by Sir Edmund Hillary. He claimed those were hairs of the yeti, or abominable snowman.
"Mande barung" translates to "forest man."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Inside Tanzania's Witchdoctor Trade
While we continue to follow the persecution of the albinos in Africa (particularly Tanzania), a story like this one puts the fine-point on a topic which has been the focal point of many stories and conversations across the Web lately.
For the most part, The OddBlog and other blogs act as news aggregators and op-ed columns. I am not trying to report news here, just discuss it and bring it to your attention. I never wanted to be a reporter - just isn't my thing. While I love to learn more about all sorts of stuff, I don't much have the journalistic drive for that type of job. Of course, I read a lot of news and am exposed to a lot of news on a daily basis, and it's afe to say that current events are something of a hobby (insomuch as I follow them, to whatever extent) and I like to discuss them.
The reporter here took her very life into her own hands in order to bring us this story - and, more importantly, so she could expose a way of life which is directly responsible for the death of albinos in her country. This is important work and I commend her. I wish there were something more I - and the rest of us - could do for her, but she's very straightforward in saying she knew what she was getting herself into. That doesn't make it any easier to accept, but at least we know that she went into this whole thing with her eyes open - and still went through with it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
For the most part, The OddBlog and other blogs act as news aggregators and op-ed columns. I am not trying to report news here, just discuss it and bring it to your attention. I never wanted to be a reporter - just isn't my thing. While I love to learn more about all sorts of stuff, I don't much have the journalistic drive for that type of job. Of course, I read a lot of news and am exposed to a lot of news on a daily basis, and it's afe to say that current events are something of a hobby (insomuch as I follow them, to whatever extent) and I like to discuss them.
The reporter here took her very life into her own hands in order to bring us this story - and, more importantly, so she could expose a way of life which is directly responsible for the death of albinos in her country. This is important work and I commend her. I wish there were something more I - and the rest of us - could do for her, but she's very straightforward in saying she knew what she was getting herself into. That doesn't make it any easier to accept, but at least we know that she went into this whole thing with her eyes open - and still went through with it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Kreskin's Reality
Famed psychic, the Amazing Kreskin, is coming to reality TV.
Kreskin has signed-on to film POI: Persons of Interest and a pilot is being shopped to cable networks. It features Kreskin working on the case of one Scott Javins, an Indiana college student who disappeared in 2002.
While there are some similarities to the CBS drama, The Mentalist, hitting airwaves this fall, POI is a reality show which features real cases, real policemen, and the real Amazing Kreskin. The show was created with the help of an Indiana-based police officer who has been working with Kreskin.
Kreskin has been working with law enforcement for the past few years.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Kreskin has signed-on to film POI: Persons of Interest and a pilot is being shopped to cable networks. It features Kreskin working on the case of one Scott Javins, an Indiana college student who disappeared in 2002.
While there are some similarities to the CBS drama, The Mentalist, hitting airwaves this fall, POI is a reality show which features real cases, real policemen, and the real Amazing Kreskin. The show was created with the help of an Indiana-based police officer who has been working with Kreskin.
Kreskin has been working with law enforcement for the past few years.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Snowy River
Snowy River is a natural anomaly beneath the earth's surface in New Mexico. Most people have never even heard of it, much less seen it, and that's because scientists and researchers fear for the delicate feature.
No one is certain how it was formed, but the dominant theory is that floods have deposited thin layers of calcite throughout the years. During trips in 2001, 2003, and 2005, Snowy River was completely dry; spelunkers were shocked to discover the anomaly wet in 2007. It took several months to dry out. They have no idea where the water came from, how long it was there, nor where it went.
Politicians are moving to have the Fort Stanton Cave named a National Conservation.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
No one is certain how it was formed, but the dominant theory is that floods have deposited thin layers of calcite throughout the years. During trips in 2001, 2003, and 2005, Snowy River was completely dry; spelunkers were shocked to discover the anomaly wet in 2007. It took several months to dry out. They have no idea where the water came from, how long it was there, nor where it went.
Politicians are moving to have the Fort Stanton Cave named a National Conservation.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Agenda
I know this week's largely been a bust. I had a lot of personal stuff to get to and my sleep schedule is completely off-kilter. I don't care how early or how late I go to bed, I end up tossing and turning until the wee hours of the morning, usually watching some old horror flick on Chiller and drifting off midway through.
No matter because I have yet to sleep for more than about 3-4 hours straight through. Whether I simply wake up, the cat wakes me up, or the neighbors manage to disturb me, I have been fighting to stay awake basically all week long. Today, in particular, I finally got to sleep around 4-5am and was woken at 10am. All I've done since then is lie around. It's really all I can do; I'm just worn-out.
So I will likely get some of the posts I have ready to go out to you overnight, or schedule them for release tomorrow. I could force myself to work through the rest of the afternoon, but as we all saw the last time I did that... it didn't work. I don't want to spend all afternoon cranking-out typo-filled errors as posts because I'm just going to lose more time to correcting them.
So, just enjoy the archives for now and I'll get some new stuff out to you either tonight or tomorrow. Sorry for the delays. If things don't improve in the sleep department by tomorrow, I'll go to the drugstore for some sleeping aid.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
No matter because I have yet to sleep for more than about 3-4 hours straight through. Whether I simply wake up, the cat wakes me up, or the neighbors manage to disturb me, I have been fighting to stay awake basically all week long. Today, in particular, I finally got to sleep around 4-5am and was woken at 10am. All I've done since then is lie around. It's really all I can do; I'm just worn-out.
So I will likely get some of the posts I have ready to go out to you overnight, or schedule them for release tomorrow. I could force myself to work through the rest of the afternoon, but as we all saw the last time I did that... it didn't work. I don't want to spend all afternoon cranking-out typo-filled errors as posts because I'm just going to lose more time to correcting them.
So, just enjoy the archives for now and I'll get some new stuff out to you either tonight or tomorrow. Sorry for the delays. If things don't improve in the sleep department by tomorrow, I'll go to the drugstore for some sleeping aid.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Oldest Bible Comes Online
The oldest surviving copy of the New Testament known so far, also called The Codex Sinaiticus, is coming online by July, 2009.
First discovered in the 19th-Century, the Codex was written in the 4th-Century and organized into quires, which were numbered in sequence. Portions of it exist in various parts of the world, including Germany and Russia, though scholars will not explain how this happened. The digital effort combines all of these disparate sections into the whole text which will be available for download.
"Lingering sensitivity" over how portions found their way to Russia were cited to explain why further explanation is not forthcoming. The Codex was first discovered in Germany by a Biblical scholar and monks later discovered 12 more pages and 40 fragments hidden in a monastery in 1975. It is handwritten in Greek, though no one knows where.
Some interesting differences in the Codex and modern Biblical text includes the absence of the Resurrection, and the inclusion of books unknown to the Catholic and Protestant canon. It also contains some elements of the Old Testament, though scholars note this may be because it was simply cheaper to bind the elements together.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
First discovered in the 19th-Century, the Codex was written in the 4th-Century and organized into quires, which were numbered in sequence. Portions of it exist in various parts of the world, including Germany and Russia, though scholars will not explain how this happened. The digital effort combines all of these disparate sections into the whole text which will be available for download.
"Lingering sensitivity" over how portions found their way to Russia were cited to explain why further explanation is not forthcoming. The Codex was first discovered in Germany by a Biblical scholar and monks later discovered 12 more pages and 40 fragments hidden in a monastery in 1975. It is handwritten in Greek, though no one knows where.
Some interesting differences in the Codex and modern Biblical text includes the absence of the Resurrection, and the inclusion of books unknown to the Catholic and Protestant canon. It also contains some elements of the Old Testament, though scholars note this may be because it was simply cheaper to bind the elements together.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
8-year Old Marries Sweetheart, Dies
When 4-year old Reece Fleming was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2004, his family and friends decided they would do everything they could to give him what he wanted out of life before he died.
They held a LaserQuest party a few weeks back, where Reece proposed to his 'special friend,' Elleanor Purgslove. The two dined on the town, riding in the mayor's limousine, before a make-believe ceremony held in the backyard.
Reece died the following day.
Source - The Telegraph
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
They held a LaserQuest party a few weeks back, where Reece proposed to his 'special friend,' Elleanor Purgslove. The two dined on the town, riding in the mayor's limousine, before a make-believe ceremony held in the backyard.
Reece died the following day.
Source - The Telegraph
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tobacco to Treat Cancer?
Tobacco, the very cause of many cancer cases, may be the key to treating certain types.
While more research is needed, scientists used the plant to grow needed components of a new cancer vaccine. The vaccine affects a form of lymphoma. It is not certain the vaccine will work.
Tobacco plants are being used as "factories" for growing an antibody chemical specific to cells which cause B-cell lymphoma. Like other vaccines, the hope is that the antibodies can be injected in those with a predisposition for the affliction, thereby building their immunity. The idea is not new, but previous research has had mixed results.
Only a few plants are needed to make the vaccine and the process is quite rapid. Animal-based attempts could contain unknown virii and are more expensive. Further, as each person's vaccine is created from their own cancer cells and everyone's antibodies are different, each vaccine is individualized and specific to the patient.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
While more research is needed, scientists used the plant to grow needed components of a new cancer vaccine. The vaccine affects a form of lymphoma. It is not certain the vaccine will work.
Tobacco plants are being used as "factories" for growing an antibody chemical specific to cells which cause B-cell lymphoma. Like other vaccines, the hope is that the antibodies can be injected in those with a predisposition for the affliction, thereby building their immunity. The idea is not new, but previous research has had mixed results.
Only a few plants are needed to make the vaccine and the process is quite rapid. Animal-based attempts could contain unknown virii and are more expensive. Further, as each person's vaccine is created from their own cancer cells and everyone's antibodies are different, each vaccine is individualized and specific to the patient.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Justifiable Anger
If you are wondering why I have been so angry with the Middle East lately, then I'm slightly shocked.
No, not really, because that's making me almost as angry as the blatant atrocities and human rights violations Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the like have been committing. I am sick and tired of hearing how those in power in these places are the "exceptions" and how the majority disagree with them, because that is a flat-out lie.
It took more than a handful of people to riot against Danish cartoons which led directly to the death of nearly a dozen people, as well as the firebombings of churches, places of business, and private citizens' homes. There were more than a few people dancing in the streets and firing automatic guns in the air whenever news of American or Allied deaths were reported in the ongoing coverage of the "war." Those in power are not the only ones who openly support such barbaric laws as the stoning deaths of those accused of adultery and other sex-related crimes.
The overwhelming minority in these countries are supposedly the only ones who routinely abuse their women, though these same women are not allowed out of doors without burkas and will be beaten if they dare to do so... by the minority of extremists which include entire towns. The minority of these "extremists" just so happen to live in these very countries and I am sick and tired of hearing how they are the extreme minority!
Don't accuse me of hatemongering or stereotyping when every terrorist who hijacked a plane since about 1980 just so happened to be from the Middle East! When I am having to sell my great, little car that gets 35mpg because I cannot afford gas! When there are people around the world rioting for food because grocers have had to jack the prices up to outlandish rates to offset the shipping costs! (And, according to NPR, prices are going up as much as 20-25% more in coming months!)
I'm no left-wing radical and I'm far from a right-wing fascist; what I am is a normal, regular American who is sick and tired of being exhausted because I have no one to blame for something I know damned well someone else is responsible for! The simple fact of the matter is that these particular Middle Eastern countries have chosen this culture and lifestyle and, while I feel for those who disagree with it, they are the extreme minority.
And, I am sick and tired of having to approach these awful stories with a jaded, guarded, "don't lump them all in together" outlook when I know better -- and no amount of whitewashing, revision, or false humility is going to convince me otherwise!
If it offends you, that's fine, I would love to hear your (hopefully intelligent) comments. But, if you cannot understand my position on this matter, then I really don't think we have anything to discuss.
Anyway, back to the weird and inexplicable.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
No, not really, because that's making me almost as angry as the blatant atrocities and human rights violations Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the like have been committing. I am sick and tired of hearing how those in power in these places are the "exceptions" and how the majority disagree with them, because that is a flat-out lie.
It took more than a handful of people to riot against Danish cartoons which led directly to the death of nearly a dozen people, as well as the firebombings of churches, places of business, and private citizens' homes. There were more than a few people dancing in the streets and firing automatic guns in the air whenever news of American or Allied deaths were reported in the ongoing coverage of the "war." Those in power are not the only ones who openly support such barbaric laws as the stoning deaths of those accused of adultery and other sex-related crimes.
The overwhelming minority in these countries are supposedly the only ones who routinely abuse their women, though these same women are not allowed out of doors without burkas and will be beaten if they dare to do so... by the minority of extremists which include entire towns. The minority of these "extremists" just so happen to live in these very countries and I am sick and tired of hearing how they are the extreme minority!
Don't accuse me of hatemongering or stereotyping when every terrorist who hijacked a plane since about 1980 just so happened to be from the Middle East! When I am having to sell my great, little car that gets 35mpg because I cannot afford gas! When there are people around the world rioting for food because grocers have had to jack the prices up to outlandish rates to offset the shipping costs! (And, according to NPR, prices are going up as much as 20-25% more in coming months!)
I'm no left-wing radical and I'm far from a right-wing fascist; what I am is a normal, regular American who is sick and tired of being exhausted because I have no one to blame for something I know damned well someone else is responsible for! The simple fact of the matter is that these particular Middle Eastern countries have chosen this culture and lifestyle and, while I feel for those who disagree with it, they are the extreme minority.
And, I am sick and tired of having to approach these awful stories with a jaded, guarded, "don't lump them all in together" outlook when I know better -- and no amount of whitewashing, revision, or false humility is going to convince me otherwise!
If it offends you, that's fine, I would love to hear your (hopefully intelligent) comments. But, if you cannot understand my position on this matter, then I really don't think we have anything to discuss.
Anyway, back to the weird and inexplicable.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
10 Stricken by Lightning
At least 10 people were stricken by lightning at an outdoors sporting event Sunday afternoon in Dorchester. Four are in critical condition.
The people had taken shelter under a large tree during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck the tree before bouncing to strike the men, eight of whom were rendered unconscious by the blast. All were transported to area hospitals, suffering burns and heart problems.
The men had been playing soccer when the thunderstorm arose. Some victims were injured by falling branches. The men's ages ranged from 13-41.
You should remember never to take coverage beneath trees in a thunderstorm; they used to tell us that in grade school.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The people had taken shelter under a large tree during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck the tree before bouncing to strike the men, eight of whom were rendered unconscious by the blast. All were transported to area hospitals, suffering burns and heart problems.
The men had been playing soccer when the thunderstorm arose. Some victims were injured by falling branches. The men's ages ranged from 13-41.
You should remember never to take coverage beneath trees in a thunderstorm; they used to tell us that in grade school.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Dog Saves Woman from Kangaroo
A kangaroo attacked 65 year-old Rosemary Neal on her farm in New South Wales, Australia. Her screaming attracted the attention of her pet dog, who chased the kangaroo away.
A witness said the kangaroo simply appeared and attacked her, adding the area had been overrun with the marsupials in recent years. Kangaroos are widespread in their native Australia, but are not known to be aggressive toward humans, in general.
Ms. Neal was hospitalized with a concussion, as well as scratches and cuts to her head, face, arms, hands, and back.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A witness said the kangaroo simply appeared and attacked her, adding the area had been overrun with the marsupials in recent years. Kangaroos are widespread in their native Australia, but are not known to be aggressive toward humans, in general.
Ms. Neal was hospitalized with a concussion, as well as scratches and cuts to her head, face, arms, hands, and back.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Filthy Iranians Murdering Again
Those horrible Iranians are murdering people again:
At least nine people have been sentenced to death by stoning for various, sex-related offenses. Eight are women and one is a man. According to Iranian "law," men are to be buried up to their waists and women to their chests, and no one stone is to be large enough to kill the victims immediately. Although a "moratorium" was called on the barbaric cruelty in 2002, the barbaric, brutal, and backward Iranians have murdered at least three since then by this method.
Iran is a third-world shithole which regularly practices cruelty to humans and brazenly ignores UN regulations. Most recently, they have threatened the entire world with nuclear attack, yet no one has done anything about it. Nearby Israel performed a fly-over some weeks past, meant to dissuade the Stone Age madmen from their violence toward all other humans. Iran responded with threats of nuclear attack.
Iranian heads of state are presently practicing various acts of provocation toward the US, Israel, and all other countries, nations, religions, lands, and people - including their own! Unfortunately, the UN refuses to take action against the extremist, terrorist capital, and refuses to permit others from taking action against them as well.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
At least nine people have been sentenced to death by stoning for various, sex-related offenses. Eight are women and one is a man. According to Iranian "law," men are to be buried up to their waists and women to their chests, and no one stone is to be large enough to kill the victims immediately. Although a "moratorium" was called on the barbaric cruelty in 2002, the barbaric, brutal, and backward Iranians have murdered at least three since then by this method.
Iran is a third-world shithole which regularly practices cruelty to humans and brazenly ignores UN regulations. Most recently, they have threatened the entire world with nuclear attack, yet no one has done anything about it. Nearby Israel performed a fly-over some weeks past, meant to dissuade the Stone Age madmen from their violence toward all other humans. Iran responded with threats of nuclear attack.
Iranian heads of state are presently practicing various acts of provocation toward the US, Israel, and all other countries, nations, religions, lands, and people - including their own! Unfortunately, the UN refuses to take action against the extremist, terrorist capital, and refuses to permit others from taking action against them as well.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Another Crane Collapses
A third crane has collapsed in America, killing four more people.
A Deep South crane collapsed in Texas, killing four people. This, just months after two cranes collapsed in New York City, killing nine. The incidents resulted in the resignation of New York's buildings commissioner, though this was just one in a series of construction accidents.
When something bad happens, you often hear the expression, "Bad things happen in threes." While many people have gone to lengths to dispel this notion, celebrity deaths are one of the events most often cited to bolster this claim.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A Deep South crane collapsed in Texas, killing four people. This, just months after two cranes collapsed in New York City, killing nine. The incidents resulted in the resignation of New York's buildings commissioner, though this was just one in a series of construction accidents.
When something bad happens, you often hear the expression, "Bad things happen in threes." While many people have gone to lengths to dispel this notion, celebrity deaths are one of the events most often cited to bolster this claim.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Capuchin Monk Rocks Devil Music
A Capuchin Monk is the lead singer for a heavy metal band which has just released its second album.
Brother Cesare Bonizzi, called Brother Metal, has a healthy attitude toward what many have traditionally referred to as "the Devil's music." He says he was overwhelmed by the energy of it when he attended a Metallica concert some 15 years back. Last year, he played the Gods of Metal tour alongside Judas Priest, Slayer, and Iron Maiden.
The lead guitarist of his band said he was skeptical of playing with Brother Metal at first, but found his voice carries a depth and poignance many "youngsters" lack. Brother Metal's lyrics touch upon real life issues including the basics (sex and drugs and rock and roll). While he touches upon faith and religion, he strives to keep them separate. He insists he is not there to proselytize and makes a point of separating faith from organized religion.
Brother Cesare wears his traditional robe onstage, which often brings at least one audience member to ask, as Brother Metal says, "What the fuck?"
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Brother Cesare Bonizzi, called Brother Metal, has a healthy attitude toward what many have traditionally referred to as "the Devil's music." He says he was overwhelmed by the energy of it when he attended a Metallica concert some 15 years back. Last year, he played the Gods of Metal tour alongside Judas Priest, Slayer, and Iron Maiden.
The lead guitarist of his band said he was skeptical of playing with Brother Metal at first, but found his voice carries a depth and poignance many "youngsters" lack. Brother Metal's lyrics touch upon real life issues including the basics (sex and drugs and rock and roll). While he touches upon faith and religion, he strives to keep them separate. He insists he is not there to proselytize and makes a point of separating faith from organized religion.
Brother Cesare wears his traditional robe onstage, which often brings at least one audience member to ask, as Brother Metal says, "What the fuck?"
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
London's Skeletons Exposed
For years, the Museum of London has excavated over 15,000 skeletons from beneath the city. Now, 26 of the more remarkable ones are going on display at the Wellcome Trust.
You can find the full article here on the BBC, and it is quite interesting. I want to explain a little about how this comes to pass, though:
Historically, many sites are built and rebuilt on the grounds of similar structures. This is most notably true with churches and places of worship. In fact, many earlier cities have been found beneath newer ones, which often leads to errors and discrepancies in the dating of various features. In more extreme cases, this has given rise to superstitions and stories of lost civilizations, etc.
In America, a dominant theory regarding haunted locales has to do with whether or not American Indian burial mounds lay beneath the structure(s). While American Indians were very spiritual and held their burial mounds in deep regard, and the desecration of burial sites is often tied to the concepts of horror and the paranormal, one of the key elements in this concept is that settlers did not necessarily disregard the American Indians' burial sites, they literally did not know they were burial sites!
They did, however, commit wanton genocide.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
You can find the full article here on the BBC, and it is quite interesting. I want to explain a little about how this comes to pass, though:
Historically, many sites are built and rebuilt on the grounds of similar structures. This is most notably true with churches and places of worship. In fact, many earlier cities have been found beneath newer ones, which often leads to errors and discrepancies in the dating of various features. In more extreme cases, this has given rise to superstitions and stories of lost civilizations, etc.
In America, a dominant theory regarding haunted locales has to do with whether or not American Indian burial mounds lay beneath the structure(s). While American Indians were very spiritual and held their burial mounds in deep regard, and the desecration of burial sites is often tied to the concepts of horror and the paranormal, one of the key elements in this concept is that settlers did not necessarily disregard the American Indians' burial sites, they literally did not know they were burial sites!
They did, however, commit wanton genocide.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
MoD Keeps Losing Files
The Ministry of Defense admitted to having "lost" more than 100 USB memory cards since 2004, some of which contained files classified as "secret."
Further, they said something like 650 laptops have disappeared, as well. Many of their laptops were not encrypted at the time -- actually, just this year, they have recalled over 20,000 laptops to encrypt them. Those that were incapable of being encrypted were removed from service.
Some of the information that has been lost includes:
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Further, they said something like 650 laptops have disappeared, as well. Many of their laptops were not encrypted at the time -- actually, just this year, they have recalled over 20,000 laptops to encrypt them. Those that were incapable of being encrypted were removed from service.
Some of the information that has been lost includes:
- The personal details of 25 million people, collected by the IRS
- Files on counter-terrorism, which were left on a train
- A laptop containing 600k peoples' personal information
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
US Challenge: Abandon Oil in 10 Years
Nobel Laureate and former Vice President of the United States of America, Al Gore, issued a challenge to America to abandon fossil fuels within a decade. His plan was boiled down to a rhyme: "Tax what we burn, not what we earn."
Gore's plan depends heavily on nuclear energy, but includes alternative energies. He compared the challenge to that of putting a man on the moon in the 1960s. Other intellectuals disagree, however, saying America is incapable of "going cold turkey." The basic reason is greed.
But Gore made an excellent point when he noted that our economical woes were all tied to our dependence on these fuels. He said it made no sense for us to be borrowing money from China to buy fuel which damages the atmosphere.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Gore's plan depends heavily on nuclear energy, but includes alternative energies. He compared the challenge to that of putting a man on the moon in the 1960s. Other intellectuals disagree, however, saying America is incapable of "going cold turkey." The basic reason is greed.
But Gore made an excellent point when he noted that our economical woes were all tied to our dependence on these fuels. He said it made no sense for us to be borrowing money from China to buy fuel which damages the atmosphere.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Ohio Teacher Dismissed for Branding Student
An Ohio board voted to dismiss a teacher for teaching Christian beliefs... and branding a cross into a student's arm.
Mt. Vernon Middle School teacher, John Freshwater, was accused of teaching Creationism, keeping multiple copies of The Holy Bible in his classroom, displaying the Ten Commandments in his classroom, and teaching fundaments of the religion. While Freshwater denies any wrongdoing, multiple complaints had been lodged against him and an independent investigation allegedly confirmed reports.
Of course, the big problem came when Freshwater "improperly use[d] an electrostatic device on the student" to brand the image of a cross into his forearm. While no criminal charges have been filed against Freshwater, the student and his family have filed a civil suit.
The district superintendent stated the investigation into Freshwater began following the "science experiment" (as the cross-branding is referred to by Freshwater and one of his co-workers, who was sued by the ACLU in 1999 for praying with the highschool football team he coached) and further incidents. He would not extrapolate on the matter, as there is a pending lawsuit.
Freshwater was dismissed, but appealed the decision and is awaiting an August hearing. Meanwhile, the small town of Mt. Vernon, OH has been deeply divided, with supporters calling for the school board's resignation.
Yet investigations show that Freshwater branded several children in his science class in December of 2007, calling the marks "X"s, not "crosses," that he refused - in writing - to remove Bibles from his classroom, denounced Evolution, and taught Creationism after explicitly being told not to. Perhaps most damning of all (no pun intended), it was discovered that one school official dealt with complaints about the teacher for 11 years!
No, no - most damning of all is that this moron branded kids with an electrostatic device! What in the hell kind of "experiment" was this and what was it supposed to show? Xs or "crosses," I really cannot imagine what branding another human being would scientifically exhibit, aside from the very obvious.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Mt. Vernon Middle School teacher, John Freshwater, was accused of teaching Creationism, keeping multiple copies of The Holy Bible in his classroom, displaying the Ten Commandments in his classroom, and teaching fundaments of the religion. While Freshwater denies any wrongdoing, multiple complaints had been lodged against him and an independent investigation allegedly confirmed reports.
Of course, the big problem came when Freshwater "improperly use[d] an electrostatic device on the student" to brand the image of a cross into his forearm. While no criminal charges have been filed against Freshwater, the student and his family have filed a civil suit.
The district superintendent stated the investigation into Freshwater began following the "science experiment" (as the cross-branding is referred to by Freshwater and one of his co-workers, who was sued by the ACLU in 1999 for praying with the highschool football team he coached) and further incidents. He would not extrapolate on the matter, as there is a pending lawsuit.
Freshwater was dismissed, but appealed the decision and is awaiting an August hearing. Meanwhile, the small town of Mt. Vernon, OH has been deeply divided, with supporters calling for the school board's resignation.
Yet investigations show that Freshwater branded several children in his science class in December of 2007, calling the marks "X"s, not "crosses," that he refused - in writing - to remove Bibles from his classroom, denounced Evolution, and taught Creationism after explicitly being told not to. Perhaps most damning of all (no pun intended), it was discovered that one school official dealt with complaints about the teacher for 11 years!
No, no - most damning of all is that this moron branded kids with an electrostatic device! What in the hell kind of "experiment" was this and what was it supposed to show? Xs or "crosses," I really cannot imagine what branding another human being would scientifically exhibit, aside from the very obvious.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The Importance of What Has Come Before
This excellent, if lengthy, article from the BBC details the restoration of what remains of the ancient art of Bamiyan.
In 2001, the Taleban destroyed the ancient Buddha statues which had guarded the Silk Road and its travelers since Roman Times. Lucky for the rest of us, much of the art inside the caves surrounding what remains still exists and a team of artists and historians from around the world are attempting to restore them.
The interesting thing (aside from the fact that they have discovered the paints used contain oils, which means the technique did not originate in Europe during the Renaissance) is that they are basing much of their work on a guidebook to Afghanistan, written by one Nancy Dupree, a world traveler.
I often bring you stories which are, at best, tangentially-related to the Unknown. I have said time and again that the intention of The OddBlog is to be an actual resource - not a guide - to the paranormal. Since the very definition of what we are dealing with here is beyond our ken, we truly do not know what is, or will become, applicable to the research.
Yes, many of the stories are here just for amusement, but even in these we are given some insight into such fields as Psychology and Sociology... and, too often, the effects of drugs/alcohol on the human mind. All of these disciplines are very close to the fields of Parapsychology, Ufology, and Cryptozoology - the three, major fields to which this department is dedicated - and you really never know when something you absorbed (read, saw, heard, experienced, et.al.) will be that bridging point that will lead you to conclusion(s) - or at least bring you closer.
Let me illustrate this - brilliantly, in my estimation - with a reminder of this little gem:
If there are any regular readers still around from last summer, they may recall when TAPS investigated the Hellfire Caves and caught an EVP they could not identify. Serendipitously, I had been reading a rather old library book entitled A Dictionary of Ghost Lore, in which an entry for "bogies" appeared. I believe I identified what was said in the EVP caught specifically based on that entry! This led to a revived discussion of ghastly categorizations - something I consider extremely important for the Parapsychological discipline for obvious reasons.
I am excited that our little pixel-park is finally starting to receive a little more attention as late and would love if more of you would comment with your own thoughts on the subjects - and I do not mean to belittle your intelligence by beating a dead horse - but The OddBlog was always developed to be a full-fledged resource for researchers of the paranormal and the Unknown, and while we stray from the topics somewhat frequently, this is part of the reason I work on the tags so often.
So any suggestions, additions, or anything else anyone has to offer are always welcome and greatly appreciated. No matter how "outlandish" it may seem, no matter how "outdated," you never know when that information may become crucial, nor why.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
In 2001, the Taleban destroyed the ancient Buddha statues which had guarded the Silk Road and its travelers since Roman Times. Lucky for the rest of us, much of the art inside the caves surrounding what remains still exists and a team of artists and historians from around the world are attempting to restore them.
The interesting thing (aside from the fact that they have discovered the paints used contain oils, which means the technique did not originate in Europe during the Renaissance) is that they are basing much of their work on a guidebook to Afghanistan, written by one Nancy Dupree, a world traveler.
I often bring you stories which are, at best, tangentially-related to the Unknown. I have said time and again that the intention of The OddBlog is to be an actual resource - not a guide - to the paranormal. Since the very definition of what we are dealing with here is beyond our ken, we truly do not know what is, or will become, applicable to the research.
Yes, many of the stories are here just for amusement, but even in these we are given some insight into such fields as Psychology and Sociology... and, too often, the effects of drugs/alcohol on the human mind. All of these disciplines are very close to the fields of Parapsychology, Ufology, and Cryptozoology - the three, major fields to which this department is dedicated - and you really never know when something you absorbed (read, saw, heard, experienced, et.al.) will be that bridging point that will lead you to conclusion(s) - or at least bring you closer.
Let me illustrate this - brilliantly, in my estimation - with a reminder of this little gem:
If there are any regular readers still around from last summer, they may recall when TAPS investigated the Hellfire Caves and caught an EVP they could not identify. Serendipitously, I had been reading a rather old library book entitled A Dictionary of Ghost Lore, in which an entry for "bogies" appeared. I believe I identified what was said in the EVP caught specifically based on that entry! This led to a revived discussion of ghastly categorizations - something I consider extremely important for the Parapsychological discipline for obvious reasons.
I am excited that our little pixel-park is finally starting to receive a little more attention as late and would love if more of you would comment with your own thoughts on the subjects - and I do not mean to belittle your intelligence by beating a dead horse - but The OddBlog was always developed to be a full-fledged resource for researchers of the paranormal and the Unknown, and while we stray from the topics somewhat frequently, this is part of the reason I work on the tags so often.
So any suggestions, additions, or anything else anyone has to offer are always welcome and greatly appreciated. No matter how "outlandish" it may seem, no matter how "outdated," you never know when that information may become crucial, nor why.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
You Are All Sheep... er, Fish
I am of the mind that Creationism and Evolution are not mutually exclusive - especially since, alone, either sounds pretty far-fetched. That is why I question the point of this story:
Scientists studying the midshipman fish believe they have discovered that the part of the brain which drives vocalization, which suggests it is very primitive. According to their conclusions, vocalization in vertebrates can be dated back to somewhere around 400 million years ago. The midshipman fish, much like similar vertebrates, vocalize for mating purposes. Other fish also vocalize for this, and other, reasons.
But while this is all well and good and interesting and informative, let's go back to the lead:
Creationism and Evolution are not mutually exclusive; in fact, when you separate either from the other, they are both pretty ludicrous.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Scientists studying the midshipman fish believe they have discovered that the part of the brain which drives vocalization, which suggests it is very primitive. According to their conclusions, vocalization in vertebrates can be dated back to somewhere around 400 million years ago. The midshipman fish, much like similar vertebrates, vocalize for mating purposes. Other fish also vocalize for this, and other, reasons.
But while this is all well and good and interesting and informative, let's go back to the lead:
Creationism and Evolution are not mutually exclusive; in fact, when you separate either from the other, they are both pretty ludicrous.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Chilean Liberator Arrested
Chilean stripper, Monserrat Morilles, dubbed "The Metro Goddes," following a provocative striptease on the underground Metro train three days prior to her arrest, was arrested last week when trying to perform a similar dance on the steps of Chile's presidential palace in Santiago.
Ms. Morilles called her dances "happy minutes" in a "timid country." She claims her performances were attempts to enlighten her culture and that a sexual revolution would "make Chile a happier country."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Ms. Morilles called her dances "happy minutes" in a "timid country." She claims her performances were attempts to enlighten her culture and that a sexual revolution would "make Chile a happier country."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Grigory Gabovoy Convicted
Self-proclaimed Russian psychic, Grigory Gabovoy, was convicted of fraud last week and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Gabovoy claimed a number of things, including the ability to teleport, levitate, change the length of his limbs, cure AIDS and other diseases, and raise the dead. He offered to raise the children who died in the Beslan school tragedy -- if paid a large sum of money. This became his MO in later years, as he preyed on surviving relatives of the dead, according to prosecutors.
He was found guilty on 11 separate counts of fraud, including one in which he told a woman he could resurrect her dead children. In all cases, Gabovoy accepted money from the despondent relatives in exchange for his "services" -- services that were never rendered. While Gabovoy did meet with mothers of the children killed in the Beslan terrorist siege and supposedly requested money, none of the cases were tied to that.
Dozens of supporters clamored on the courthouse steps and professed their belief in the self-proclaimed prophet who has said he is the second advent of Christ. At the height of his popularity, Gabovoy drew hundreds.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Gabovoy claimed a number of things, including the ability to teleport, levitate, change the length of his limbs, cure AIDS and other diseases, and raise the dead. He offered to raise the children who died in the Beslan school tragedy -- if paid a large sum of money. This became his MO in later years, as he preyed on surviving relatives of the dead, according to prosecutors.
He was found guilty on 11 separate counts of fraud, including one in which he told a woman he could resurrect her dead children. In all cases, Gabovoy accepted money from the despondent relatives in exchange for his "services" -- services that were never rendered. While Gabovoy did meet with mothers of the children killed in the Beslan terrorist siege and supposedly requested money, none of the cases were tied to that.
Dozens of supporters clamored on the courthouse steps and professed their belief in the self-proclaimed prophet who has said he is the second advent of Christ. At the height of his popularity, Gabovoy drew hundreds.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Still Around
Hi guys. I know some people think excuse posts signal the imminent demise of a blog, but nothing could be further from the truth here; as regular readers well know, these excuse posts are fairly regular here, unfortunately. You've nothing to fear - The OddBlog has been around for a few years now and we're not planning on going anywhere.
Of course, it is run by one person and IRL sometimes gets a little overwhelming. My sleep schedule got turned-around this weekend and I'm still reeling. I managed to get a few posts out to you over the weekend, which I keep saying I'm going to stop doing, but ever since I've said it, I've managed to do it anyway. I just couldn't sleep and had to do something.
Anyway, I am taking it easy today, but I thought I'd drop you a line just to let you know what's going on and assure you there's nothing wrong or any reason to worry. Depending on how things go, I may drop some new posts on you overnight, but hopefully I can get through the evening and everything will be back to normal in a day or two.
Meanwhile, enjoy the archives!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Of course, it is run by one person and IRL sometimes gets a little overwhelming. My sleep schedule got turned-around this weekend and I'm still reeling. I managed to get a few posts out to you over the weekend, which I keep saying I'm going to stop doing, but ever since I've said it, I've managed to do it anyway. I just couldn't sleep and had to do something.
Anyway, I am taking it easy today, but I thought I'd drop you a line just to let you know what's going on and assure you there's nothing wrong or any reason to worry. Depending on how things go, I may drop some new posts on you overnight, but hopefully I can get through the evening and everything will be back to normal in a day or two.
Meanwhile, enjoy the archives!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Pastor Busted in Snake Sting
Wildlife officials in Kentucky arrested a pastor who had over 50 poisonous snakes in his home.
The arrests came following an undercover sting meant to retard the area's illegal snake trade. Gregory James Coots, 36, is the pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro. A Tennessee woman died in 1995 after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service there. Her husband died three years later from the same thing in Northeastern Alabama.
Coots was charged with buying, selling, and possessing illegal reptiles.
Seriously disturbed Christian Fundamentalists sometimes handle snakes and drink Strychnine as part of their worship, based on a Biblical verse which intimates that those pure of faith have nothing to fear.
Taken from Coots home were 42 copperheads, 11 rattlesnakes, three cottonmouths (water moccasins), and a Western Diamondback (rattlesnake).
The arrests came following an undercover sting meant to retard the area's illegal snake trade. Gregory James Coots, 36, is the pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro. A Tennessee woman died in 1995 after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service there. Her husband died three years later from the same thing in Northeastern Alabama.
Coots was charged with buying, selling, and possessing illegal reptiles.
Seriously disturbed Christian Fundamentalists sometimes handle snakes and drink Strychnine as part of their worship, based on a Biblical verse which intimates that those pure of faith have nothing to fear.
Taken from Coots home were 42 copperheads, 11 rattlesnakes, three cottonmouths (water moccasins), and a Western Diamondback (rattlesnake).
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Pope to Apologize to Aussies
Pope Benedict XVI will apologize to the general Australian public for the Catholic Church's history of child abuse during his trip to the country.
Abuse victims plan to rally during the visit and authorities in the state of South Wales introduced laws to protect pilgrims. Civil liberties unions denounced such measures as "repugnant." Others are rallying against the Church's stance on homosexuality.
The Pope said that pedophilia is "incompatible" with being a priest. This is largely in response to Australian Cardinal George Pell's coming under fire for his handling of a 1982 abuse case.
Pope Benedict XVI will also apologize to Australian aborigines for injustices by Catholic missionaries. He is then expected to speak about climate change and will preside over an open-air mass.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Abuse victims plan to rally during the visit and authorities in the state of South Wales introduced laws to protect pilgrims. Civil liberties unions denounced such measures as "repugnant." Others are rallying against the Church's stance on homosexuality.
The Pope said that pedophilia is "incompatible" with being a priest. This is largely in response to Australian Cardinal George Pell's coming under fire for his handling of a 1982 abuse case.
Pope Benedict XVI will also apologize to Australian aborigines for injustices by Catholic missionaries. He is then expected to speak about climate change and will preside over an open-air mass.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Earliest Church Found in Jordan?
An archaeologist believes he may have discovered the world's oldest Christian church.
Beneath St. Georgeous in Rihab, Jordan, one of the oldest known places of worship in the world, archaeologists discovered a cave in which they found relics including iron crosses, pottery shards, and lamps inscribed with 'Georgeous.'
Dr Abdul Qader Al-Hassan says there are steps leading to a circular worship area with stone seats separated from living quarters, called an apse. Only one other cave has this feature and that cave was also used for Christian worship. Farther on, a tunnel leads to a cistern. In the floor of the church above is an inscription which reads, "70 beloved by God and teh Divine." Dr. Al-Hassan believes the cave was a church for 70 Christian refugees from Jerusalem.
Other archaeologists are skeptical and want to see the evidence. The earliest known churches are from the 3rd-Century; this one is believed to date 33-70AD.
- Source: BBC
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Beneath St. Georgeous in Rihab, Jordan, one of the oldest known places of worship in the world, archaeologists discovered a cave in which they found relics including iron crosses, pottery shards, and lamps inscribed with 'Georgeous.'
Dr Abdul Qader Al-Hassan says there are steps leading to a circular worship area with stone seats separated from living quarters, called an apse. Only one other cave has this feature and that cave was also used for Christian worship. Farther on, a tunnel leads to a cistern. In the floor of the church above is an inscription which reads, "70 beloved by God and teh Divine." Dr. Al-Hassan believes the cave was a church for 70 Christian refugees from Jerusalem.
Other archaeologists are skeptical and want to see the evidence. The earliest known churches are from the 3rd-Century; this one is believed to date 33-70AD.
- Source: BBC
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Mystery Plane
Vietnamese authorities have no idea who owns a Boeing 727 that has been abandoned at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport.
The plane flew in from neighboring Cambodia in 2007 and has been there ever since. Some think it belonged to a bankrupted airline, others theorize it belongs to someone who cannot pay the airport fees, but no one knows for sure.
It has a Cambodian flag emblazoned on it and the name, "Air Dream." It may belong to the airline, Royal Khmer, but officials have no information on it.
If the plane is not claimed, it will be scrapped.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The plane flew in from neighboring Cambodia in 2007 and has been there ever since. Some think it belonged to a bankrupted airline, others theorize it belongs to someone who cannot pay the airport fees, but no one knows for sure.
It has a Cambodian flag emblazoned on it and the name, "Air Dream." It may belong to the airline, Royal Khmer, but officials have no information on it.
If the plane is not claimed, it will be scrapped.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Stay Out of the Batcave!
A 40-year old woman died after returning from South America, where she is believed to have contracted the deadly Marburg virus while visiting a cave infested by fruit bats.
The Marburg virus is akin to Ebola and there is no known treatment, vaccine, or cure for either. Early symptoms include stomach concerns (nausea, vomiting, pain, diarrhea), which leads to high fever and bleeding.
Officials say this was an isolated case and travelers need not change their vacation plans, but do need to stay out of caves where bats live if in Uganda. Just, you know, so you know. Still, everyone with whom the woman had close contact is being closely monitored.
The Marburg and Ebola virii have an 80-90% mortality rate in primates and humans. An outbreak in 2004-05 killed over 300 people.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
The Marburg virus is akin to Ebola and there is no known treatment, vaccine, or cure for either. Early symptoms include stomach concerns (nausea, vomiting, pain, diarrhea), which leads to high fever and bleeding.
Officials say this was an isolated case and travelers need not change their vacation plans, but do need to stay out of caves where bats live if in Uganda. Just, you know, so you know. Still, everyone with whom the woman had close contact is being closely monitored.
The Marburg and Ebola virii have an 80-90% mortality rate in primates and humans. An outbreak in 2004-05 killed over 300 people.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Online Abortions?
More and more women from countries and areas which do not allow abortions are turning to the Web to find help. And a significant portion of those end up in hospitals.
According to an article from the BBC, many girls in countries and other areas where abortion is illegal are purchasing drugs from what amount to activist websites. While less than 10% are actually taking the drugs they purchase, over 10% of those who do need medical treatment afterward, either because the drug failed to complete the abortion or due to excessive bleeding.
A poll of 200 such women revealed the majority were grateful for having been able to abort this way, while just over 30% said they felt stressed, but the experience was bearable.
While anti-abortion activists consider the sites offering these treatments dangerous, the article makes the case by including testimony from various women whose personal stories provide a positive backdrop. One such woman has a medical condition which precludes her from childbirth; pregnancy could be deadly for her. She was in Thailand when she discovered she was pregnant and tried several disreputable sites before finding Women on the Web, and noted the medicines came in unmarked bottles without instructions. WoW stayed in constant communications with her via e0mail, and the pills arrived with complete instructions and doctor's orders.
While some organizations and individuals credit WoW as being reputable, they note that it is encouraging women in some areas to break the law. Anti-abortion activists said this was a 'further trivialization of the unborn child.'
The Weirding's position on the matter is simple: people who are against abortion should have to provide a safe home and environment for every child they "save," as well as health care, clothing, food, and extended education.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
According to an article from the BBC, many girls in countries and other areas where abortion is illegal are purchasing drugs from what amount to activist websites. While less than 10% are actually taking the drugs they purchase, over 10% of those who do need medical treatment afterward, either because the drug failed to complete the abortion or due to excessive bleeding.
A poll of 200 such women revealed the majority were grateful for having been able to abort this way, while just over 30% said they felt stressed, but the experience was bearable.
While anti-abortion activists consider the sites offering these treatments dangerous, the article makes the case by including testimony from various women whose personal stories provide a positive backdrop. One such woman has a medical condition which precludes her from childbirth; pregnancy could be deadly for her. She was in Thailand when she discovered she was pregnant and tried several disreputable sites before finding Women on the Web, and noted the medicines came in unmarked bottles without instructions. WoW stayed in constant communications with her via e0mail, and the pills arrived with complete instructions and doctor's orders.
While some organizations and individuals credit WoW as being reputable, they note that it is encouraging women in some areas to break the law. Anti-abortion activists said this was a 'further trivialization of the unborn child.'
The Weirding's position on the matter is simple: people who are against abortion should have to provide a safe home and environment for every child they "save," as well as health care, clothing, food, and extended education.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Jaws Proves Prophetic?
Beaches on which the shark film, Jaws, was filmed were closed the other day when a great white shark was supposedly spotted.
Steven Spielberg chose to film his classic horror movie on the beaches of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, largely because shark sightings there are so rare. But both South Beach and State Beach were closed and swimmers were ordered out of the water Thursday, after a great white was reported in the area. Helicopters were dispatched to search for the shark, but none were seen.
While sightings in the area are extremely rare, great white sharks are known to cruise the area occasionally.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Steven Spielberg chose to film his classic horror movie on the beaches of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, largely because shark sightings there are so rare. But both South Beach and State Beach were closed and swimmers were ordered out of the water Thursday, after a great white was reported in the area. Helicopters were dispatched to search for the shark, but none were seen.
While sightings in the area are extremely rare, great white sharks are known to cruise the area occasionally.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
No Dog Meat for Olympics
China has banned dog meat from appearing on the menus of any restaurant deemed "official" for the 2008 Olympics, to avoid offending foreign visitors.
Known as "fragrant meat" in China, dog is often eaten for medicinal purposes. But restaurants that have been honored as "official" have been told they must offer alternatives to the delicacy for any customers ordering it during the course of the event. Failure to do so will result in the restaurant's being blacklisted. Further, surrounding, "non-official" restaurants and eateries have been encouraged to follow suit.
This is just one of many changes China has instituted to avoid visitors being offended or "amused" by local customs. Residents have also been told to line-up as Westerners do, smile, and not spit in the streets.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Known as "fragrant meat" in China, dog is often eaten for medicinal purposes. But restaurants that have been honored as "official" have been told they must offer alternatives to the delicacy for any customers ordering it during the course of the event. Failure to do so will result in the restaurant's being blacklisted. Further, surrounding, "non-official" restaurants and eateries have been encouraged to follow suit.
This is just one of many changes China has instituted to avoid visitors being offended or "amused" by local customs. Residents have also been told to line-up as Westerners do, smile, and not spit in the streets.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Technical Difficulties
I figured out the problem with all the typos:
I had an add-on installed which underlined typos. A few still managed to get through because the add-on preferred the British spelling of some words and others were just downright wrong, but it helped immensely - so much so that I didn't even realize it wasn't working until I reread all the messed-up posts from the past couple days!
I downloaded a new, similar add-on (the closest I could find, since Firefox 3.0 is so new) and am keeping a closer eye on things now, but I still noticed a few mistakes crept in earlier.
Just letting you know!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I had an add-on installed which underlined typos. A few still managed to get through because the add-on preferred the British spelling of some words and others were just downright wrong, but it helped immensely - so much so that I didn't even realize it wasn't working until I reread all the messed-up posts from the past couple days!
I downloaded a new, similar add-on (the closest I could find, since Firefox 3.0 is so new) and am keeping a closer eye on things now, but I still noticed a few mistakes crept in earlier.
Just letting you know!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Fossils Returned to Argentina
Four tons of dinosaur bones and other fossils were returned to Argentina after being recovered in the US by Interpol agents who had been tipped-off.
Two years ago, agents were tipped-off about someone selling relics at an Arizona mineral fair. Upon investigation, the agents discovered many of the fossils were still wrapped in Argentinian newspaper. While they seized the relics, transporting them proved industrious, which is what took until now for the cargo to be returned.
Argentina is rich with dinosaur bones, with new discoveries made regularly - some from previously unknown species. It is known that many fossils, rocks, and minerals from the country exist to be sold on the lucrative black market worldwide, "and we'll keep looking for [them]," said US ambassador, Earl Anthony Wayne, from Buenos Aires, where the fossils were delivered to a formal ceremony, attended by top Argentinian military officials, diplomats, and Wayne - himself an ardent mineral and fossil enthusiast.
The exchange is thought to be the largest of its kind in history.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Two years ago, agents were tipped-off about someone selling relics at an Arizona mineral fair. Upon investigation, the agents discovered many of the fossils were still wrapped in Argentinian newspaper. While they seized the relics, transporting them proved industrious, which is what took until now for the cargo to be returned.
Argentina is rich with dinosaur bones, with new discoveries made regularly - some from previously unknown species. It is known that many fossils, rocks, and minerals from the country exist to be sold on the lucrative black market worldwide, "and we'll keep looking for [them]," said US ambassador, Earl Anthony Wayne, from Buenos Aires, where the fossils were delivered to a formal ceremony, attended by top Argentinian military officials, diplomats, and Wayne - himself an ardent mineral and fossil enthusiast.
The exchange is thought to be the largest of its kind in history.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Italy Declares Pompeii Disaster Area
Yes, that title is a teaser.
Italy declared a "state of emergency" for Pompeii, as the historic site has fallen into disrepair. They have earmarked a significant amount of money for revamping the site, and plan to appoint a special commissioner to oversee its future. According to analysts, the site suffers from low-funding, mismanagement, littering, and disrepair; the ancient city of Pompeii has simply been neglected. It is said that over 1500 sq. feet of fresco and plasterwork are lost annually, along with some 3000 pieces of stone, which disintegrates.
Pompeii was covered by volcanic ash in 79 AD. While it destroyed the town and killed most of its population, the ash preserved the fantastic locale, which was excavated in the 18th-Century. The ruins are one of Italy's largest tourist attractions.
The state of emergency will last for one year.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Italy declared a "state of emergency" for Pompeii, as the historic site has fallen into disrepair. They have earmarked a significant amount of money for revamping the site, and plan to appoint a special commissioner to oversee its future. According to analysts, the site suffers from low-funding, mismanagement, littering, and disrepair; the ancient city of Pompeii has simply been neglected. It is said that over 1500 sq. feet of fresco and plasterwork are lost annually, along with some 3000 pieces of stone, which disintegrates.
Pompeii was covered by volcanic ash in 79 AD. While it destroyed the town and killed most of its population, the ash preserved the fantastic locale, which was excavated in the 18th-Century. The ruins are one of Italy's largest tourist attractions.
The state of emergency will last for one year.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
An Apoloj xxx Apology
Wow! Well, the scheduled posts thing worked... unfortunately, my brain did not!
I just spent the last hour reading through the posts from the last two days and every, last, one of them had at least one typo or grammatical error! I don't even know how that happened, but it most certainly did and I apologize.
Silly typos and stupid grammatical mistakes like those are so unprofessional, and I take great pride in having so few of them (usually). I literally stop reading blogs in mid-sentence if I come across so much as one. I know that's awful; it's elitist and rude, and anyone can make mistakes. But, if you've waded through as many ESL splogs as I have, you too would develop an intolerance of petty errors!
I can just imagine what any new visitors thought... geez.
Anyway, it was so bad that I had to take a moment to admit it, so y'all knew I saw them (eventually) and fixed them. Apparently, my little spell-chdk add-on is broken and I'll have to fix that.
Anyway, I guess I got put in my place. By myself. [I may have had some unsolicited "help." - ed.]
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I just spent the last hour reading through the posts from the last two days and every, last, one of them had at least one typo or grammatical error! I don't even know how that happened, but it most certainly did and I apologize.
Silly typos and stupid grammatical mistakes like those are so unprofessional, and I take great pride in having so few of them (usually). I literally stop reading blogs in mid-sentence if I come across so much as one. I know that's awful; it's elitist and rude, and anyone can make mistakes. But, if you've waded through as many ESL splogs as I have, you too would develop an intolerance of petty errors!
I can just imagine what any new visitors thought... geez.
Anyway, it was so bad that I had to take a moment to admit it, so y'all knew I saw them (eventually) and fixed them. Apparently, my little spell-chdk add-on is broken and I'll have to fix that.
Anyway, I guess I got put in my place. By myself. [I may have had some unsolicited "help." - ed.]
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Dr. Death Alive in Chile?
The Simon Weisenthal Center claims they have strong evidence suggesting Nazi war criminal, Aribert Heim -- aka, Dr. Death -- is hiding-out in Patagonia, Chile.
Heim was probably the most notorious and sadistic of the Nazis. His nickname, Dr. Death, was well-deserved, as Holocaust survivors say he committed the most terrible of atrocities. Injecting victims directly in the heart with gasoline, water, or poison was said to be his favored method of execution. Reports also say he dismembered victims without anesthetic, just to see how much pain they could withstand. Perhaps most horrific of all, Heim used his victims' body parts as decorations. His war crimes are well-known and verifiable, as Dr. Death kept meticulous notes of his atrocities in his own diary.
The Simon Weisenthal Center sent representatives into the region to investigate. They also posted a $495k reward for information leading to his capture and arrest.
Heim was detained by US forces following the war, but released. He practiced medicine in the German town of Baden-Baden until 1962, when he fled the country upon learning authorities were looking to prosecute him. Throughout the years, several stories have surfaced as to his demise, but The Simon Weisenthal Center discounts them all.
If he is still alive, Aribert Heim, aka, Dr. Death, would be 94.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Heim was probably the most notorious and sadistic of the Nazis. His nickname, Dr. Death, was well-deserved, as Holocaust survivors say he committed the most terrible of atrocities. Injecting victims directly in the heart with gasoline, water, or poison was said to be his favored method of execution. Reports also say he dismembered victims without anesthetic, just to see how much pain they could withstand. Perhaps most horrific of all, Heim used his victims' body parts as decorations. His war crimes are well-known and verifiable, as Dr. Death kept meticulous notes of his atrocities in his own diary.
The Simon Weisenthal Center sent representatives into the region to investigate. They also posted a $495k reward for information leading to his capture and arrest.
Heim was detained by US forces following the war, but released. He practiced medicine in the German town of Baden-Baden until 1962, when he fled the country upon learning authorities were looking to prosecute him. Throughout the years, several stories have surfaced as to his demise, but The Simon Weisenthal Center discounts them all.
If he is still alive, Aribert Heim, aka, Dr. Death, would be 94.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
What is Killing the Bunnies?
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| Copyright, Warner Brothers |
Pet owners are stunned and going to extraordinary lengths to protect their beloved animals -- buying locks for the hutches and hiding them in copses near their homes, their basements, or garages. Many of the pets were not visible from the road, leading some to speculate that whomever is responsible is using Web tools, such as Google Street View, to find them.
The violent nature of the pets' deaths makes this one of the most bizarre and atrocious acts of widespread animal abuse Germany has ever seen -- especially since the affected towns are so idyllic. In one incident, schoolchildren discovered the bodies of several bloodless, decapitated bunnies in a sandpit on the playground. Police fear the killer may graduate from bunnies to people and have put together a special task force to track him, or her, down. They are examining the corpses for traces of DNA and have questioned over 300 people, to no avail.
Now, this is a paranormal blog, but I do a pretty good job of keeping things on an even keel; I am not predisposed to CoIntelPro conspiracy theories, superstition, or alien abductions. However, let's look at the evidence here:
- Most of the pets were kept in backyards or gardens, hidden from public view
- The MO of decapitation and draining the body of all blood is unusual, but the general type of attack is similar to that of the Chupacabra
- No suspicious person(s) have ever been reported in or near the area before or after the attacks
What really struck me about this article is the quote from one of the police working the case: "An unknown person has cut off the head and drained off the blood in a box or a bottle."
Again, not one for conspiracy theories, but that statement alone tells me they aren't even considering an animal attacker!
This is the problem: In uneducated regions, the population tends to leap to superstitious conclusions, such as the Goat-Sucker; in more "civilized" areas of the Western world, most of the populace will go out of their way to avoid such theories. The real truth usually lays somewhere in-between.
There definitely are species -- even genus (geni?) -- on this earth of which we are unaware, and there definitely are truly sick people capable of going to such bizarre lengths to terrorize their neighbors and random people. But cultural mores too often obfuscate actual investigation, which should be undertaken with completely open minds.
As I said, the real truth usually lay somewhere between these two extremes:
Elmer Fudd.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Ancient Peruvian Site Revealed
Archaeologists uncovered an ancient Peruvian tomb in Ucupe (near Lima) they believe may have connections to surrounding sites.
A wooden sarcophagus containing the remains of a man in a golden funeral mask and surrounded by jewelry, nose flaps, and copper crowns accompanied remains of others, as well as those of llamas and similar animals, as well as ceramics. One expert at the excavation said the findings are indicative of royalty.
Researchers hope the discovery of the tomb will shed new light on the pre-Columbian Moche tribe, which flourished in the area from 100-800 AD. The Moche were famous for their ceramics, architecture, and irrigation.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A wooden sarcophagus containing the remains of a man in a golden funeral mask and surrounded by jewelry, nose flaps, and copper crowns accompanied remains of others, as well as those of llamas and similar animals, as well as ceramics. One expert at the excavation said the findings are indicative of royalty.
Researchers hope the discovery of the tomb will shed new light on the pre-Columbian Moche tribe, which flourished in the area from 100-800 AD. The Moche were famous for their ceramics, architecture, and irrigation.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
New Look, Notes on Spam, More
What do y'all think of the new look? I know it's largely the same and to some, it may look like I "just" rearranged some items, but it actually goes much deeper than that.
I worked for several hours on the tags. I usually spend about an hour a week or so going through them, but I really got into it this afternoon, clearing out a slew of repetitive labels and deleting some rather useless ones. In general, I suggest you first use the tags to find what you're looking for and then use the search function. I have not discovered a useful way of combining tags for search or searching within a label, but I am working on it when I can (and remember).
By this point, there is actually more content than we can handle, because it is all so disorganized. I realize y'all want new stuff to read and there's always odd news happening, but I also know there is a ton of content here that hardly anyone has bothered to check out and I believe the intimidating tags list has a lot to do with that. Further, even I have trouble finding content I know is here, so the tag issue is very important to me.
I have scheduled several posts throughout the week so there should be something new everyday even if I cannot be here. As I mentioned, I will only post over the weekends erratically; I simply do not have the time to do it anymore and maintain the rest of my life. Again, this is just a general guideline.
I am going to spend more time reading other paranormal and related blogs to see what tags they use, because I think it's important to work toward a common goal and that requires more organization and a more cohesive approach. The OddBlog contains a lot of information useful to researchers - if they can find it!
Lastly, I know this will do little good, but I've been at this for over 15 years, so I'm pretty good at spotting spam. You are more than welcome to leave links to your own profile, site, blog, or content, but if you are spamming commercial links in the Comments, I can usually tell and your Comment(s) will not be published. Spam is the reason The Weirding instituted Comment Moderation in the first place.
Even if you do get through once in a while, it will only be for a while; I regularly maintain all aspects of the site, including Comments, and if I come across something that even seems spammy, I will nuke it and never look back.
The lucky thing for you is that The Weirding accepts advertisers in many forms in order to keep the content free for end-users, so you can always contact me directly or go through any of our other sponsors and set-up an advertiser account through them! Aren't you lucky?
You want to Advertise Here!, great! We'd love to have you! But you're going to pay to do so just like everyone else.
Those of you honest Commenters who want a linkback to your own blog, site, or whatever, are more than welcome to leave them in your comments. There are a number of ways to do this without posting a raw link in the body of your message. Just so you know, even if someone here doesn't think it spammy, 99.999999% of everyone will never click on that link. You're just wasting everyone's time. Get a real job, you dirty hippies!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
I worked for several hours on the tags. I usually spend about an hour a week or so going through them, but I really got into it this afternoon, clearing out a slew of repetitive labels and deleting some rather useless ones. In general, I suggest you first use the tags to find what you're looking for and then use the search function. I have not discovered a useful way of combining tags for search or searching within a label, but I am working on it when I can (and remember).
By this point, there is actually more content than we can handle, because it is all so disorganized. I realize y'all want new stuff to read and there's always odd news happening, but I also know there is a ton of content here that hardly anyone has bothered to check out and I believe the intimidating tags list has a lot to do with that. Further, even I have trouble finding content I know is here, so the tag issue is very important to me.
I have scheduled several posts throughout the week so there should be something new everyday even if I cannot be here. As I mentioned, I will only post over the weekends erratically; I simply do not have the time to do it anymore and maintain the rest of my life. Again, this is just a general guideline.
I am going to spend more time reading other paranormal and related blogs to see what tags they use, because I think it's important to work toward a common goal and that requires more organization and a more cohesive approach. The OddBlog contains a lot of information useful to researchers - if they can find it!
Lastly, I know this will do little good, but I've been at this for over 15 years, so I'm pretty good at spotting spam. You are more than welcome to leave links to your own profile, site, blog, or content, but if you are spamming commercial links in the Comments, I can usually tell and your Comment(s) will not be published. Spam is the reason The Weirding instituted Comment Moderation in the first place.
Even if you do get through once in a while, it will only be for a while; I regularly maintain all aspects of the site, including Comments, and if I come across something that even seems spammy, I will nuke it and never look back.
The lucky thing for you is that The Weirding accepts advertisers in many forms in order to keep the content free for end-users, so you can always contact me directly or go through any of our other sponsors and set-up an advertiser account through them! Aren't you lucky?
You want to Advertise Here!, great! We'd love to have you! But you're going to pay to do so just like everyone else.
Those of you honest Commenters who want a linkback to your own blog, site, or whatever, are more than welcome to leave them in your comments. There are a number of ways to do this without posting a raw link in the body of your message. Just so you know, even if someone here doesn't think it spammy, 99.999999% of everyone will never click on that link. You're just wasting everyone's time. Get a real job, you dirty hippies!
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
9/11 Third Tower Mystery Solved?
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| WTC 7 (911) |
Tower Seven was the only tower of the three that collapsed which was not directly hit by a plane. "Conspiracy theorists" have long suggested it was brought down by controlled demolition. Officials are expected to say that internal fires weakened the structure, leading to its collapse. If this is true, Tower Seven would be the first and only steel skyscraper in the world to collapse due to normal fire. Tower Seven collapsed a full seven hours after the two World Trade Center buildings fell.
Yet, the "conspiracy theorists" maintain their position, and they are not just basement MUFON enthusiasts. Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth founder, Richard Gage, explained, "Buildings that fall in natural processes fall to the path of least resistance -- they don't go straight down through themselves." Further evidence to support their position is included in the BBC article cited above.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Cougar Eats Man in NM
Authorities say a full-grown man was attacked and eaten by a cougar in New Mexico.
A search party found the body of 55-year old, Robert Nawojski, a short way from his home. He lived alone and was known to bathe and shave outdoors. His brother reported him missing a week earlier.
The search party spotted the mountain lion and reported it to authorities. Responding officials shot and wounded the cougar, which ran away. Police then found Nawojski's door open, his water running, and his false teeth on a table.
Authorities report the cougar attacked him outside his home, then dragged him some ways before eating his body. True to its nature, the large cat had buried other parts for later consumption. Remains of other wildlife that had fallen victim to the large cat were found in the surrounding areas.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
A search party found the body of 55-year old, Robert Nawojski, a short way from his home. He lived alone and was known to bathe and shave outdoors. His brother reported him missing a week earlier.
The search party spotted the mountain lion and reported it to authorities. Responding officials shot and wounded the cougar, which ran away. Police then found Nawojski's door open, his water running, and his false teeth on a table.
Authorities report the cougar attacked him outside his home, then dragged him some ways before eating his body. True to its nature, the large cat had buried other parts for later consumption. Remains of other wildlife that had fallen victim to the large cat were found in the surrounding areas.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Things What Done Fell From the Sky - A Bolt from the Blue
One June 21st, 2007, David Canales was working outside. It was a clear day, without a cloud in sight. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning sheared the sky, bounced off a tree, and struck him! He was announced dead at the hospital.
This phenomena is known as "dry lightning," or - more appropriately - "bolt from the blue." Apparently, such lightning precedes a thunderstorm still miles away. Dry lightning is hotter and lasts longer than the typical variety which generally forms at the base of a thunderhead. Further, it carries a positive charge (as opposed to negative) and as much as 10x the current! Dry lightning carries horizontally and curves to hit the ground, reaching much farther than normal bolts.
Experts note this type of lightning is unpredictable and the only precaution to be taken is to go inside whenever you hear thunder; if you can hear thunder, there is a chance of being struck by lightning.
This was far from Florida's first "bolt from the blue fatality." In fact, a Norwegian couple was killed by the same phenomena in 1988 while standing on a beach beneath a cloudless sky.
Florida is known as the US' "lightning capital."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
This phenomena is known as "dry lightning," or - more appropriately - "bolt from the blue." Apparently, such lightning precedes a thunderstorm still miles away. Dry lightning is hotter and lasts longer than the typical variety which generally forms at the base of a thunderhead. Further, it carries a positive charge (as opposed to negative) and as much as 10x the current! Dry lightning carries horizontally and curves to hit the ground, reaching much farther than normal bolts.
Experts note this type of lightning is unpredictable and the only precaution to be taken is to go inside whenever you hear thunder; if you can hear thunder, there is a chance of being struck by lightning.
This was far from Florida's first "bolt from the blue fatality." In fact, a Norwegian couple was killed by the same phenomena in 1988 while standing on a beach beneath a cloudless sky.
Florida is known as the US' "lightning capital."
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Suicide Machine
An 81-year old Australian felt pressured by friends and family to leave his house and move into a nursing home, which he did not want to do. Instead, he built a complex "suicide machine" from plans he found online and died in his front yard.
Francis Tovey downloaded plans for a complex suicide machine capable of firing several rounds into his head, then chose his driveway to do it in because he knew workers next door would hear the shots and find his body. He kept meticulous notes on his thoughts and plans prior to his death. The machine worked and the workers found him.
Authorities will not release how the machine worked, but reports indicate it had pieces of a jigsaw and was connected to a .22 gauge rifle.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Francis Tovey downloaded plans for a complex suicide machine capable of firing several rounds into his head, then chose his driveway to do it in because he knew workers next door would hear the shots and find his body. He kept meticulous notes on his thoughts and plans prior to his death. The machine worked and the workers found him.
Authorities will not release how the machine worked, but reports indicate it had pieces of a jigsaw and was connected to a .22 gauge rifle.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Hopeful Moms Should Skip the Coffee
This is one of those reports they will come right back and reverse in a few days/weeks, so I wanted to include it in order to point out just how trustworthy "mainstream" science is.
According to a study done on 9000 women who had undergone in vitro fertilization, drinking more than four cups of coffee per day lessened their chances of conception by over 25%. Drinking alcohol at least three times per week produced the same results. Smoking and obesity lessened the chances even more. Those who participated had received in vitro fertilization between 1985 and 1995.
One doctor cited previous research when she claimed there is "no convincing support" that coffee intake poses any risk.
A spokesman for the coffee industry agreed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
According to a study done on 9000 women who had undergone in vitro fertilization, drinking more than four cups of coffee per day lessened their chances of conception by over 25%. Drinking alcohol at least three times per week produced the same results. Smoking and obesity lessened the chances even more. Those who participated had received in vitro fertilization between 1985 and 1995.
One doctor cited previous research when she claimed there is "no convincing support" that coffee intake poses any risk.
A spokesman for the coffee industry agreed.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
My Biological Clock is Ticking
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| (From NY Daily News) |
For years, popular belief has held that women have a "biological clock" that starts "ticking" in their late-20s to early-30s -- a biological impetus to have children, if not necessarily to "settle-down" and start a family in the traditional sense. Medical science has, as usual, been somewhat behind in verifying this biological connection, leaving many to speculate on sociological, familial, and other (non-biological) factors as the source of this very real yearning.
But men have (as usual) been left out of the equation, as it was also commonly-held that men could have children well into old age, and so did not feel this natural urge. However, new research, from over 12,000 couples in France shows that men also have this natural wont to sire children, and it also tends to start in our early 30s.
To be honest, I knew this for a while, as I began having these same desires a few years back. But -- like many of the so-called "experts" -- I chalked it up to just wanting to get laid regularly.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
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