San Antonio Bigfoot At It Again

A homeless couple called 911 to report a Bigfoot sighting almost identical to one reported earlier this month. The 911 call, which lasts nearly 10 minutes, features both a man and woman who claim to live in a tent in the woods near Highway 151 and Loop 1604 in San Antonio. The pair both state they saw a Bigfoot.

The woman's description says the thing was 75' away from her, "smelled awful, devoured a whole deer carcass, and then... screeched, and took off across the street." The man said he'd been living in the woods for six years, yet had "...never seen nothing like this." He gave his age as 63.

"And I know you guys are going to think I'm crazy," the woman told the dispatcher, "but I'm dead serious."

Police investigated the incident, but found no sign of the campers or Bigfoot.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

New Anti-Spam Measures

Due to the sudden increase in spam (comments), I've been forced to implement yet another layer of security. Comments are already manually moderated, which is why your comments do not automatically appear, and that helps a lot, but spammers are a crafty bunch (of asshats) and many times, I'll allow comments to be published without realizing they are spam until I start receiving similar comments by the dozens...

So I've had to enable the word identification measure, which seemed to work over to The Rundown (knock wood). I apologize for the inconvenience, but spam is prolific on Blogger - both in the comments sections, as well as entire blogs! - and it just is what it is.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Australians' Olfactory Senses Mysteriously Assaulted

Several residents in the Top Ends neighborhoods of Australia reported a stench so overwhelming that it awakened people from their sleep! According to most calls, the smell strongly resembled rotten eggs, which is usually indicative of sulphur or natural gas. However, authorities have been unable to identify the source of the mysterious odor which covered several miles.

Theories include everything from flowering trees and area cesspits and dumps to UFO exhaust fumes. A politician from the area admitted there have been several UFO sightings in the area, but did not suggest this was actually the cause of the stench.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Christmas Menu

So I missed Thanksgiving.  I'm a bit conflicted on that holiday, anyway.  I mean, yes, white folk conquered the natives and that's an historical fact -- one that, contrary to what certain people would have you believe, white men did not invent... at least not any time recently; OTOH, it was completely unnecessary and continued well into the 20^th-Century, long after the genocide was complete.  Generally speaking, I celebrate it because it is what it is: A holiday centered on friends an family (which we desperately need), but it's more about eating these days than anything, so I don't mind if miss it.

Chrimmas, on quite the other, other hand, is a fun holiday.  Separate it from the cult of child molestation and there's a fat, jolly, and generous man with some flying deer and shit.  Toys, pretty lights, drunk folk, elves... it's a lot like some porn shoots, come to think of it.  But, just like Thanksgiving, Christmas is a lot about eating (a lot), too!  To a large extent, the menus from the two, disparate, holidays have become blurred -- the most common difference being turkey for Thanksgiving, ham for Christmas -- but some Christmas menus are downright "bizarre" by modern sensibilities.

I have to admit, I've always wanted to do an Italian Christmas menu.  Aside from the fact that I know little about traditional Italian Christmas celebrations, much less Italian cooking, the other problem is finding the ingredients.  Still, part of the allure is in learning these things, so I'm thinking that next year, I'll do a spaghetti and sausage dish, with plenty of cheeses and chickens and peppers and things.  And wine.  Lots of wine.  Still, this year, I went with the regular, old, traditional, American Christmas dinner.

I should note that my preferred Christmas includes of alcohol; an all-night Chrimmas Eve of boozing, decorating, and cooking; and a Champagne brunch (well, a "sparkling wine" brunch, at least). However, I've only been able to have such a festive occasion once since I was 21; life below the poverty line has precluded repeating it.  It almost happened this year, but schedules and finances once again conspired against it (though not my schedule, for once), so I'm having a very traditional Christmas with the 'rents.  And this is what we're having:

• Turkey (or Chicken) and Dressing with Giblet Gravy and Cranberry Sauce
  Mom is making the meat.  I make dressing using Southern cornbread as the base (made with spoiled milk).  Mom also makes the giblet gravy and I cut half the can of cranberry sauce and heat the other half.
• Sweet Corn, Mashed Potatoes, Black-Eyed Peas, Mac n Cheese, Dinner Rolls
  The corn comes straight from the can, but I add generous dollops of real butter.  Yes, "dollops."  You know how to make creamed potatoes.  The black-eyed peas are dried (from a bag) and I don't soak them; I rinse them and put them in the Crock-Pot with about five pork neckbones and black pepper.  Mac n Cheese is generic from a box, with Romano and Philly cream cheese added to it.  Sometimes, I grate sharp cheddar cheese over the top and bake it, but not this year.
• Green Bean Casserole, Deviled Eggs
  Mom makes these.  I don't even know the recipes (though I have several).
• Chocolate Chip Cookies, Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
  Cookies are from a bag - just add oil and water.  Spice cake from a box.  Cream Cheese Frosting = 1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.), 1 stick of butter, and 2 C. confectioner's sugar.  I have to warn you that while I have made this frosting before, this is my own recipe I have not tried (but am using), because I was not pleased with how the frosting turned-out previously; use at your own risk!
• Peanut Butter Cup Pie
  Mix 1 C. milk, 1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding, ¹/₂ jar of peanut butter, and ¹/₂ tub of whipped topping at medium speed until smooth.  Pour into 9" graham cracker pie crust (chocolate graham cracker pie crust is even better, and Oreo crust is nice, too).  Chill for about 2 hours, then top with the rest of the Cool Whip.  Garnish with chocolate syrup, if you like.
• Sweet Potato Pie
  There are thousands of variations, but this is a good recipe.  I add a pinch of allspice and use ¹/₂ C. white sugar and ¹/₂ C. brown.

That's pretty much it, but that's enough!  It's a whole, whole lot, but we'll be eating leftovers for weeks afterward.  Christmas is a fun holiday, though its true meaning often gets lost in a barrage of Christian nonsense and PC politics.  I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season and would love to hear your menus and recipes!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Pyramid UFO Hovers over Kremlin

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Texas Tiger?

Since Tuesday, police in Oyster Creek, Texas say they have received a "handful" of calls from various eyewitnesses claiming a tiger is on the loose in the woods. A spokesperson for the department said they have uncovered no physical evidence, but due to the number of reports, they are investigating the matter seriously. One group claimed to have encountered the creature and, thinking it was a cougar, shined a light on it before fleeing. No one is known to own any tigers in the area, which is illegal. The most recent report came in just this morning.

Again, the reports are of a tiger in the woods, not Tiger Woods.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Ghost Adventures - Execution Rocks

This week's Ghost Adventures finds the crew at Execution Rocks.  Execution Rocks was given its name because British soldiers used the rocks around the island to carry out executions.  They would chain prisoners at low tide and wait for the water to slowly rise until it drowned them.  The prisoners were in the water for up to 12 hours before the water rose high enough for them to drown!

It is standard for a lighthouse keeper to commit to living in a lighthouse for a year.  However, lighthouse keepers at Execution Rocks were allowed to cancel their contracts and leave at any point.  Many keepers were frightened by strange phenomena and chose to leave early.

One of America's most notorious serial killers, Carl Panzram, was a big fan of the lighthouse.  Carl Panzram once stated, "I have murdered 21 human beings.  I have committed sodomy on at least 1000 male human beings.  For all of these things, I am not in the least bit sorry."  The lighthouse was his chosen place to dump the dead bodies of his victims.

With all of the dark history surrounding the island, is it a wonder that few paranormal investigators have paid visit to the lighthouse?  Execution Rocks has been home to murder, accidental death, and of course, executions.  In order to tackle an island with this much history, the guys are pulling out all the stops, and using all sorts of equipment!

Check out this sneak peek of tomorrow's episode and check back here next week for more! 

The OddBlog is an official Ghost Adventures blog.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

50 Needles Tall

A Brazilian toddler is in critical condition after his mother rushed him to the hospital. Once there, doctors discovered 50 needles in the child's body! While his mother claims she has no idea how the needles got there, doctors have ruled-out ingestion, as needles were found in his abdomen, lung, and leg. Some reports have suggested the situation may be somehow related to witchcraft or "black magic."

Police are investigating.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Man's 70th-Birthday Skydive Cut Short

An Australian man decided to skydive for the first time to celebrate his 70^th birthday.  When authorities arrived on the scene, he was treated with CPR but pronounced dead.  As best anyone can figure, he lost consciousness on the way down.

Because 70-year old people probably shouldn't skydive.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Ghost Adventures: Linda Vista

Hospitals are for the sick and dying. For many, Linda Vista was their last stop before heading to the morgue. Linda Vista, located in the heart of east LA, is said to be one of the most haunted locations in Los Angeles. When you consider the rough neighborhood surrounding the hospital, it's no surprise that the hospital had a high death toll.

Before the investigation, Zak visits the incineration room, where the bodies of the dead were burned. While examining the room he comes across what looks like a bone fragment or a tooth from one of the hospital's patients.

Most of the hospital looks the way it did when it was closed down because it was abandoned so quickly. The guys believe that when a place is left so quickly, and looks so similar to the way it did when people died, they location is more likely to be haunted

The guys do not leave disappointed. They capture voices in the middle of the day, and later in the investigation, Nick gets one of the worst scares in his life!

Check out a sneak peek of Friday's episode and don't forget to check The OddBlog every week for more sneak peeks, upcoming episode information, and more!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Coincidence or Fate?: Twin Tales

Twins have often been said to possess innate similarities which go much deeper than physical appearance.  So it was with two twins who had been given-up for adoption to different families some 40 years before they met:

Each had been named "James;" each had been in law enforcement; both enjoyed drafting and carpentry as hobbies; each married women named "Linda;" divorced those chicks and married women named "Betty."  Both had sons by their first wife; the sons' names were James Alan and James Allan.  Both enjoyed vacationing at the same Florida beach.

And both had owned dogs named "Toy."

Source

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Mysterious Sky Spiral Shoots Blue Light at Norwegians

Norwegians were stunned by a huge spiral that appeared in the sky last night, then shot a blue "beam" of light from its center.  The phenomenon lasted 10-12 minutes before disappearing entirely.  While astronomers have no idea exactly what caused the bizarre display, they are certain it was unrelated to the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights -- a phenomena which is visible in Norway.  At least some experts are convinced the display was related to rocket testing, but Russian officials dispelled the notion, saying they did no such testing in the area at the time.

According to reports, a blue light came up from the mountains, then stopped, and a huge spiral of light began circulating around it.  Suddenly, a blue-green light shot from its center.  The entire display lasted 10-12 minutes and was viewed, and documented, by thousands.

So far, no one has mentioned UFOs.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Coincidence or Fate?: Two Bullets, Two Brothers

This one I have to chalk-up to folklore for several reasons, but according to The Official History of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961, Jabez Spicer of Leyden, Massachusetts was killed when two bullets struck him in the back at the Battle of Shays' Rebellion in 1787.  At the time he died, he was wearing the very coat his brother, Daniel Spicer, had been wearing three years earlier when he was killed in battle.  By two bullets through the back.

The bullets which killed Jabez passed through the holes the bullets which killed his brother, Daniel, had made in 1784.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Texas' Violent Sasquatch At It Again

Texas' Bigfoot has a history of violence.  In one of the handful of Bigfoot accounts in which the creature actually attacked (or tried to) someone, a Texas sheriff claims a white-haired beast threw a tire at him... a tire with the rim still in it!  (Such things are abundant in Texas, apparently even back then.) 

BIGfoot.

There are a few other instances in which eyewitnesses claim the hairy biped (as Bigfoot is also sometimes known) they encountered threatened, chased, or attempted to attack them, but in America, they are fairly rare.  

In certain other countries, however, the Bigfoot (which goes by any number of names, from Yowie to Wildman to Yeti to Sasquatch, and many, many more) is a fearsome, sometimes predatory, and always violent creature to be avoided.  The beast seems to appear on every continent on the planet, excepting the warmer ones, where their "wildmen" are far more ape-like, even by zoological standards.

In a 1977 New Jersey string of encounters, a wildman Sasquatch was credited for the killing of several neighbors' rabbits.  It tore through barns to get to the rodents (rabbits are rodents, aren't they?) and was seen by several eyewitnesses.  While studies were performed on the carcases and the area canvassed, no real evidence was ever discovered.  It did, however, "swat" a snarling attack dog some 20' aside.  

BIGfoot.

And so it came to pass the other night that San Antonio police were bombarded with calls reporting a "Sasquatch" and "large, hairy man over 6' 3" which had just killed a deer -- with its bare hands -- and dragged the fricking thing into the woods!  

BIGfoot.

According to police, though almost all of the calls came from "homeless" people, they "sounded scared, and surprisingly sober."  Police did not look for the creature.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Ghost Adventures Back at the Washoe Club

The guys head back to where it all began: the Washoe Club in Virginia City Nevada. They are re-visiting the location where they got their first documented video evidence of a ghost. The reason for their return is that several investigators have recently caught voices inside the Washoe Club calling out Zak and Nick by name!

The voices don't have nice things to say.

Fellow investigators Mark and Debbie Constantino let the guys hear some EVPs saying, "Nick Groff," "Hate Nick," and "Zak look out." It appears these spirits have unfinished business with Zak, Nick, and Aaron!

The guys will also be locked down in a location they did not visit during their previous investigation: The Chollar Mine. It is said that there are spirits of miners still stuck inside the mine. Countless men died there from fires, falls, electrocution, et.al. Once locked down, the guys hear the sounds of people working inside the mine...

Check out a sneak peek of tonight's episode and be sure to tune-in to the Travel Channel tonight at 8:00pm, CST. Also don't forget to check back here at The OddBlog every week for inside info, sneak peeks, contests, schwag, and more - we are an official Ghost Adventures blog!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

A Hot Piece

A woman who refers to herself as "a jealous wife" is facing murder and arson charges in Australia after she set her husband's penis on fire!

The fire killed the husband - weeks after the injuries were first inflicted - and gutted the family's home. The woman told neighbors she had only meant to burn the man's genitals: "I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else ... I didn't mean [for] this to happen."

Yes, guys, she's available.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

MoD Closes UFO Investigation

Britain's Ministry of Defense (MoD) has closed its investigation into UFO sightings some 50 years after it opened, citing no threat to UK defense. Technically, the reasons given were that the unit had no way of truly investigating the nature of such claims; if something was "unidentified" following an investigation, it basically remained so at the end of it. It also said the investigation had, in 50 years, yielded no proof of extraterrestrial life or its visitation. Finally, the MoD said it needed the funds and manpower to focus on Afghanistan.

Dissolving the unit saves the British government nearly $100,000/year.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

British Undertakers Refusing Burials

Amid rising burial and cremation costs and the world recession, British undertakers have adopted a growing practice of refusing burials to families who cannot afford to pay several hundred pounds in fees upfront. While both undertakers and families are upset over the matter, as one professional put it, "[The business] is getting more and more like a money lending service."

While the government does offer grants in various amounts to help families pay these funereal costs, there is often a shortfall.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Joseph Mengele's Evil Twins

The strange case of the small, Brazilian village of Candido Godol has some investigators seriously considering that Nazi doctor, Joseph Mengele (who escaped to Brazil), may well have continued his experiments after WWII. Candido Godol's incidence of twins is well above the world average - about 1000% above! Of the 80 households in the 1-mile village, 38 have twins!

And before you go thinking this is just some weird conspiracy theory, you should know the investigators involved are from none other than National Geographic. Others says the lack of diversity in the gene pool is to blame, but the insanely high rate of blond[e]-haired, blue eyed twins does seem to hint at something slightly more sinister.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Sex Change Curse

A letter recently published in a New Zealand newspaper warned whomever stole a flower pot from outside a home in Gulf Harbour that s/he was about to suffer a gradual sex change. Apparently, the flower pot contains the ashes of the writer's grandmother, who also happened to be a witchdoctor. She surrounded the area with sex change icons which will cause the thief to slowly switch genders.

The author of the letter said he was a medium who was in contact with his grandmother's spirit, but she could not direct him to the makeshift urn because she was unfamiliar with the area to which it had been moved.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

State of the OddBlog

Hi guys. There's nothing wrong here, it's just been hectic IRL with the holidays and preparing for this surgery at the first of the year. There will definitely be a brief hiatus during that time (January), though I am going to try to schedule some posts to fall periodically while I'm unable to work.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009